July: Hab Center debate continues; Youth Fair takes center stage

The earnest debate over the future of Nevada Habilitation Center got even more serious when state Rep. Barney Fisher appeared before the city council July 6 to review options to save the jobs of 225 staff members.

Fisher reported that the U.S. Justice Department had joined Missouri Protection & Advocacy Services in opposition to a plan to build seven group homes for the developmentally disabled adjacent to the 2323 N. Ash St. center.

"We must have Center for Medicare Advocacy approval for this," Fisher said.

The next day, Gov. Jay Nixon signed one of the three conveyance bills that Sen. David Pearce and Fisher had proffered to let the state turn the Hab Center property over to a private company to build the group homes.

However, by the end of the year the state was moving ahead with its plan to move all 95 of the residents the center had had at mid-year either into rented homes here or hab centers elsewhere in the state.

Twenty-eight were living in Nevada houses and duplexes while 52 remained in Vernon Hall at the center.

On a more encouraging note, Cottey College on July 23 announced the biggest gift of its 126-year history -- $500,000 from 1975 alumnus Rebecca Christen Pohlad of Minneapolis, Minn.

Cottey President Judy Rogers said Pohlad's contribution boosted Cottey's $35 million "A Defining Moment Campaign" to more than $8.7 million. Rogers said the money would be used to strengthen the school's liberal arts curriculum and its focus on educating leaders.

Pohlad said her time at Cottey "provided a strong foundation not only for the completion of my education but also for a meaningful and successful life.

"I want to use my gift to encourage others to support the campaign and the vision for this unique and special college," she said when the gift was announced in Seattle, Wash.

Pohlad is a community activist, volunteer and mother of three sons. Her husband, Robert Pohlad, is board chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiAmericas Inc. and an executive board member of the Minnesota Twins baseball team.

The Defining Moment Campaign is focused on raising $10 million for endowed scholarships, $3 million for endowed faculty chairs, $3 million for library enhancements and $9 million in unrestricted funding.

On July 22, Vernon County Sheriff Ron Peckman reviewed evidence in the murder of Belinda Beisly, who was found dead of a gunshot wound on July 15, 2009, in her home near Deerfield.

"This case has not been forgotten," Peckman said. "We still work on it as much as possible."

Noting that two state prison inmates had recently been interviewed about the case, he said Beisly's family members and friends had remained keenly interested since helping raise a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Peckman solicited tips to his office at (417) 448-5555 or the crime hotline at (417) 448-5599.

On the economic development scene, Precision Aero, part of Nevada's business community since moving here in 2004 from Hot Springs, Ark., announced on July 14 that it would divide into separate companies.

Executives said the company's repair division would be called Precision Aero while the manufacturing and processing of aeronautical parts would be under the aegis of American Aerostructures.

"The parent company will continue to build assembly works," said new President-CEO Robert Ulrich. "Right now, the big item is fabricating CH-47 Chinook Helicopter sub-assemblies."

July 8 was a somber day because Patrick Brophy had died after a career writing newspaper columns, a novel and history books and, for more than 40 years, editing "Bushwhacker Musings," the Bushwhacker Historical Society's newsletter. He was 76.

"Patrick wrote for the Daily Mail for many years, and he added a tremendous and rich flavor of history to our community," Daily Mail Publisher Julie Simpson said. "He will be deeply and sadly missed."