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FRIDAY, MAY 9
Heavy rains saturated the area along the Missouri/Kansas border Wednesday and minor flooding has been reported on the Marmaton River at Nevada and the Little Osage River near Horton. Rainfall totals reported yesterday morning included 5.7-inches at Joplin, about 1.5-inches at Nevada and Richards, 1.32-inches near Horton, nearly four inches near Liberal, more than 3.5-inches at Lamar and Pittsburg, Kansas, just over three inches at Lockwood, more than 2.5-inches at Jerico Springs, over 1.5-inches at Appleton City and just over one inch at Fort Scott. The Marmaton, at Nevada, was measured at nearly a foot above flood stage yesterday with a crest expected this evening nearly 3.5-feet above flood stage. The Little Osage was measured at more than a foot above flood stage yesterday with a crest of more than two feet above flood stage forecast this evening.
 
Nevada R-5 school board members are to spend a full day tomorrow interviewing four candidates for district superintendent. The first interview's to begin at 8:00 a.m. The board met in executive session Wednesday night to narrow the field for the interviews. Dr. Craig Noah's leaving Nevada this Summer to become the superintendent of schools at Marshall, Mo.
 
Legislation allowing Aquila, Inc. to keep its Cass County plant cleared the state senate, 26-5, yesterday. The senate did add provisions adding new restrictions and boosting penalties for utilities building illegal power plants in the future. Nevada native and Barton County state representative Ed Emery's bill needs to be reconsidered by the house as a conference committee works out differences between the two bills.
 
A proposed one-eighth-of-a-cent sales tax to help pay for new Missouri veterans homes, including one at Nevada, may not be on Missouri's November 4 ballot. Vernon County state representative Barney Fisher's co-sponsoring HJR 71 and it was approved by a two-thirds majority in the house nearly a month ago but senate ways and means committee chairman Carl Vogel says there is no time to hold a hearing and a vote in the senate before next Friday's end of the regular General Assembly session.
 
Spring semester final exams begin Monday at Cottey College and the 124th commencement exercises at the two-year women's college are planned a week from Sunday after a full weekend of activities. The 2008 commencement address is to be delivered by Marilyn Mancini, a former president of Cottey's board-of-trustees and Nevada attorney Bryan Breckenridge, who's completing seven years as a Cottey trustee, also is to address the new grads.
 
 
Three area educators and the 2008 Pride scholarship winners are to be recognized during today's Nevada/Vernon County Chamber-of-Commerce luncheon at the Nevada Country Club. Nevada High School teacher Linda Tourtillott, Bronaugh teacher Gina Dobson and Sheldon teacher Erin Peterson will be recognized as teachers-of-the-year and the winners of this Spring's Pride scholarships are to be announced. More than 75 chamber members had made luncheon reservations before yesterday's deadline.
 

 

A demonstration project based at Springfield works to help children in 29 Southwest Missouri counties by helping their parents. Operation Us started nearly two years ago when Dr. Jennifer Baker obtained a $5-million grant. She says the goal of the five-year project is to help people improve their relationships and possibly break the cycles of spouse and child abuse. Dr. Baker and Lisa Highley work with law enforcement officers, schools, health departments, medical centers and other groups and Baker says lunch- and-learn sessions have been started to help business owners find more productive workers. More information about Operation Us is available by calling 417-823-3469 or on-line at www.operationus.org.

Today's the deadline for entries in next Friday's fifth annual Caring With Pride golf tournament sponsored by the Nevada Regional Medical Center Foundation. Entry forms have been available at the Foundation's office at 800 S. Ash, the Nevada Country Club, the city's Frank E. Peters golf course and at KNEM/KNMO. The entry fee is $300.00 per team and more information is available with a phone call to NRMC Foundation executive director Kim Cook, 417-448-3609.

Members of the Col. John T. Coffee Camp #1934 Sons of Confederate Veterans will dedicate new gravestones of three Vernon County Civil War soldiers tomorrow. The first ceremony's scheduled at 10:30 a.m. in the Sandstone Cemetery, approximately five miles East of Milo on route E with the other ceremonies planned near Montevallo. A picnic at the Montevallo school also is scheduled. More information is available from Pat Brophy, 417-667-7108, the Bushwhacker Museum, 417-667-9602 and Ruth Ann Ayres, Humansville, 417-754-7108.