Ashley Reynolds Returns, but Tigers Still Lose.

Worth County's girls threw a scare into King City, a team which had beaten them by 32 the week before. However, they were denied their first victory once again after building up 7-point halftime lead as the Wildkats had too many weapons to stay down for long as they came back to win 42-31. The Tigers had a season-low 18 turnovers against King City; however, they had one missed shot after another in the second half. There was little for Coach April Healy to say afterwards. "Considering how much we lost to them the first time, we played much better," she said. "But we have to quit rushing shots."

Worth County, looking to end its season-long futility, scored the first four points of the game as Haley Green got untracked inside and Jessica Borey had a drive to the basket. But King City, whose inside game was stymied by the Tiger defense this time around, began spraying shots from outside with success. Addisyn Derks, who did not score in the last encounter between the two teams, led the charge along with Courtney Walters and Shelby Stoll as King City came back to lead 12-7; Jessica Borey's 3-pointer from the left wing was the only tally for the Tigers for that stretch.

But Ashley Reynolds came off the bench and sparked the Tigers as they started to play some of their best ball all year. She had an immediate impact as she got a putback and a pair of free throws to close out the first quarter with Worth County very much in the game down 12-11.

Haley Green opened the second quarter by cleaning up on a Jessica Borey steal and then Brooke Adams scored from the left wing to put the Tigers up 15-12. Jessica Borey answered an Amanda Snodgrass free throw with a 3-pointer and the teams traded buckets for the rest of the half as Haley Green scored off an off-balance shot in the paint and Brooke Gilland scored off a kickout from Lauren Null as the Tigers led 22-17. On defense, the Tigers were playing lights-out as Amanda Snodgrass and Kaitlyn Lewis were each held to one point; the Wildkat post duo had burned the Tigers in the previous meeting between the two teams.

Things were looking roses for the Tigers to start the third quarter as Haley Green took a lob pass and turned it into two free throws and Lauren Null had a nice fake and 15-footer to put the Tigers up 26-19, its biggest lead of the game. But all of a sudden, something must have snapped as all of Worth County's shots suddenly started clanging off the rim while Lewis began running wild from the inside and in transition. Derks continued to spray outside shots for the Wildkate, and the lead had disappeared by the three minue mark of the third quarter.

Jessica Borey finally broke the dry spell with a drive against the King City press, but Snodgrass and Derks connected before the end of the third period to put King City up for good at 33-28. As in their other heartbreaker against North Nodaway, they could not respond to the other team's runs as they could only muster a putback by Lauren Null at the start of the fourt and a free throw by Reynolds with 4:21 left in the fourth.

Obituary: Opal Lucille Garrett 1912-2009

Opal Lucille Garrett, daughter of Ira Lavel and Mertie (Bivens) Thackery was born October 21, 1912 in Parnell, MO and departed this life January 20, 2009 at the age of 96 years.

She was a resident of Worth County for many years and was a member of the Methodist Church in Worth.

Opal was united in marriage to Claude Garrett on January 22, 1935 in Isadora, MO. To this union, two sons were born, Marvin of Ridgeway and Max of Grant City.

Opal graduated from Nurses Training and later was among the first nurses to work at the newly opened Worth County Convalescent Center.

Preceding her in death was her husband, Claude Garrett, parents Ira and Mertie Thackery, step-mother May (Percy) Thackery, infant brother, half brother Elmer Thackery, and a half brother-in-law John Vecchio.

Survivors include Marvin (Nita) Garrett of Ridgeway and Max (Diane) Garrett of Grant City as well as grandchildren Rhonda (Kenny) Ackley, Randy (Jerri Ann) Garrett, Darrin (Amy) Garrett, Michael (Gretchen) Garrett, and Marcia (Chad) Rush. Surviving great-grandchildren are Kristen and Rachel Ackley, Gavin Garrett, Tyler and Jessica Garrett, Emily, Jacob, and Samatha Garrett, Wyatt, Wade, and Rilee Jo Rush. Surviving half-sisters are Patricia (Bill) Nay, and Velma Vecchio. She is also surivied by half sister-in-law Pat Thackery, other relatives, and many friends.

Graveside services and interment were held at the Grant City Cemetery at 11:15 AM on Thursday, January 22, 2009, conducted by Pastor Len Green. Visitation was from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home.

Sheridan City Council Agenda for February, 2009

Sheridan City Hall
Monday, February 2nd, 7:00 PM

1. Call to Order
2. Action on Minutes
3. Financial Report
4. Presentation and Action on Bills
5. Water Department Report (Got Water Meeting)
6. Preliminary Budget
7. Gravel, Oil, and Streets
8. Public Comments
9. Adjourn

Sheridan Christian Church News for January 28th, 2009

Last Sunday was the first 9:00 worship time followed by Sunday School. The church was full even on a cold, snowy, slippery morning. I hope everyone can keep that time in mind in the future. I called Phillip Wake Sunday afternoon as he likes to worship over here whenever he can, and I wanted to be sure he knew of the new times. He told me of his concern for his daughter in law, Lana. Her cancer has reoccurred and seems to be in her ribs. We will sure be praying for her as she undergoes treatment.

Mike and Becka Parman moved to South Dakota over the weekend where he was transfered to for his job on the railroad. We hope they get settled in and acquainted quickly as they are expecting a baby in May.

We are praising God for protecting Cole Fisher last week as he was in a bad wreck but only had minor injuries. It was good to see him in church Sunday. Our sympathy to the family of Emmett O'Riley, who was killed in the accident.

Next Sunday, February 1st, there will be a Super Bowl Party for young people at Bart and Sarah Hinz's Show-Me Youth Home starting around 4:30. Please let him know if you plan to come and bring a 2-liter bottle of soda and bag of chips.

The youth will be hosting a Valentine's Day banquet on Saturday February 14th at 5:00 PM. At 7, the movie "Fireproof" will be shown. The first 30 families will receive a free copy of the DVD. RSVP to Bart, Jeff, or Vern. The cost is two cans of food for the Mission Possible Center and a free will donation to be used by the youth for trips, etc.

We are having a Monday night Bible Study again at Gary and Marcia Rush's home at 6:30. Everyone is welcome.

Starting on Sunday, February 22nd at 6 PM, Jeff and Stephanie Blaine will host a 6 week marriage study in their home. Please let Jeff know if you plan to attend.

If you are interested in a once-a-month three family fellowship time, talk to Denise Rowen so we can get that organized.

Conference to Highlight Regional Transmission Plan Findings

A recent feasibility study has shown that the Water Partnership for Northwest MO has developed a plan that will provide safe, dependable water to the region at an affordable price. The results of this study will be shared at the Water Symposium IV on Friday, January 30, at the Student Union Ballroom at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville. The Symposium begins at 1:00 PM. with the keynote address being delivered by the MO governor’s office. The public is invited to attend.

The Great Northwest Wholesale Water Commission has been formed to pursue implementation of this project. The commission membership will consist of representatives from participating local water districts and communities. Three local water districts have already pledged membership in the new commission; others have expressed an interest in joining.
Mr. Bill Jarocki, Director of the Environmental Finance Center, will provide a presentation on federal infrastructure funding. He will discuss new funding formulas that may prove useful financial strategies for the new commission.

Symposium IV is expected to draw over two hundred participants from twelve counties including leaders from water boards, city and county governments and legislators. To register for the Symposium, contact Jerri Dearmont at jerri@nwmorcog.org or call 660.582.5121.

Recollections of a Farm Woman for 1-28-09

In Memoriam -- Diane Orr 1947-2008
Diane Sue Matheney was born April 13, 1947 to Harry and Juanita Matheney in Zanesville, OH. She had two sisters and a brother, two daughters and a stepdaughter, and seven grandchildren. Diane passed away November 24, 2008 in Tempe, AZ after a valiant fight with cancer.

Diane and her husband Bill were frequent visitors for several years to our area and made a host of friends in Worth and adjoining counties during the summer time of their visits. When fall was around the corner, they would reluctantly take leave of us but always vowed to return the following year.

When it was evident they couldn't make another trip this way, I took pictures of family, friends, and landmarks and sent them to her. This way, she could make a roadtrip to the Sheridan area any time she wanted.

All the cards that were sent to her on her birthday and other occasions were probably dogeared by the time of her passing as they were reread many times when she was having a bad day and needed a boost; she said they always helped.

Her husband was her rock as she referred to him to the end and was always quick to praise his efforts on her behalf every chance she got.

Diane was a sports fan. One friend especially who was a diehard Chiefs fan had an ongoing wager as she was the same where the Arizona Cardinals were concerned. At the end of the season, whoever's team had the worst season had to pay up. Her illness curtailed the wagers this past year. As you can see, she would have cleaned house.

It has been 45 years since this team has been in a Super Bowl -- Diane laughingly made another wager a couple of years ago. This was before any hint of her impending illness. "I will be dead and gone before they ever make it to the Super Bowl." Sadly, this came to pass.

Bill and Diane moved to Tempe, AZ in the fall of 1984 and were married January 26, 1985. After they retired, they started to make their trips to Missouri as her daughter Tammy Wilson lives east of Sheridan, and would also make side trips to Ohio while they were here. There is one less bright spot in this world now that she is no longer with us.

County Commission Minutes for January 26th, 2009

January 26, 2009
Meeting was called to order at 9:00 am by Acting Presiding Commissioner. Members present: Ruckman and Gabbert
1. In the absence of a Presiding Commissioner, County Clerk Lisa Hargrave appointed Dennis Gabbert to conduct the meeting and sign checks.
2. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to approve January 20, 2009 as read. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried. Minutes approved.
3. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to approve the agenda. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried.
4. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to approve pay bills and payroll. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried.
5. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion that five Erroneous Assessments be signed and processed. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried.
6. Marty Liles; MoDOT Area Engineer for the County came to the Commission to introduce himself and explain the Safe and Sound Bridge Program as it will apply to Worth County. There are five bridges slated for replacement under this program in the County: they are on Route C, Route W, and Route PP.
7. Jerry Baker, University of Missouri Extension, came to the Commission to present the Annual Report FY 2008.
8. Keith Johnson, Colonial Life Agent, came to the Commission to present information for on a Limited Benefit Program.
9. Jim Fletchall, Road and Bridge Supervisor; came to the Commission to report the MoDOT’s Bridge Inspector was in the county to inspect bridges last week. The Bridge Report will be coming out but in the meanwhile the inspector pointed out problems on several different bridges. Jim plans to work on these problems soon.
10. Jim also reported he has two resignations one effective on January 30, 2009 and the other effective in February 6, 2009. Replacement of these two employees was discussed.
11. Jim reported on the Champion Grader has a shaft the runs from the motor to the hydraulic pump failed. The parts have been ordered and the guys will be working on it when the parts arrive.
12. Commissioner Ruckman reported CR 162 needs bladed, a tube was possibly run over on CR 188 and on CR 178 has tubes washing out and the road bed is caving off.
13. Jana Findley, Circuit Clerk and Joel Miller, Associate Circuit Judge came to the Commission to explain how the Courts work in Worth County.
14. Linda Brown, County Treasurer gave weekly financial report.
15. Public Administrator requests a printer/scanner/fax machine the matter tabled until she can present her claim to the Commissioners.
16. Jim Fletchall came back to the session to go over invoices and vouchers; all expenses were verified. The discussion turned to personnel vacancies. Afterward, Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to offer the full time vacancies to part time employees. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried. Jim will notify the employees.
17. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried, meeting adjourned at 2:30 pm.

Captiol Report for 1-28-09

The Future of Missouri Energy

In recent years, we have felt the pinch in our pocketbooks as energy prices have skyrocketed. Although there is no silver bullet to resolving this crisis, it has become very clear that ensuring reliable and affordable energy is critical to Missouri’s future. Therefore, the Missouri Legislature is working to craft an energy policy that is good for Missouri’s businesses, consumers and energy providers.

Missouri currently stands at the crossroads of how to best meet our future energy needs. While northwest Missouri has been a leader in wind energy production, the fact still remains that the current renewable energy technologies do not generate enough capacity to replace conventional energy production. As a result, Missouri must explore additional energy sources that when implemented responsibly can be reliable, cost effective, and environmentally friendly.

It is imperative that every level of government works towards establishing secure energy production that takes advantage of our domestic resources while promoting conservation, renewable and alternative sources. Responsible public policy that is source neutral combined with the innovation and creativity of our domestic entrepreneurs will create an environment that will lead us to energy independence. From a greater adoption of renewable energy to the cultivation of traditional domestic energy supplies, there are a number of options that when used together will meet our future energy needs.

Missouri has the opportunity to be a leader in crafting energy policy that ensures long term energy stability while promoting economic growth. One thing is certain, if we do nothing, energy costs will rise dramatically. If we are going to be successful in stabilizing future energy prices, we must increase supply while becoming more efficient and effective with our consumption. As the chairman of the committee responsible for tackling these issues, I am committed to crafting an energy policy that is good for Missouri’s citizens and that will ensure reliable and affordable energy for future generations.

As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. The Capitol number is (573) 751-1415, my email is brad.lager@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 429, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.

Worth County Students Call for Smoke Free School

Smokebusters, a student organization educating the public against smoking, lobbied the School Board to make the entire school smoke-free. They did a presentation at the Worth County School Board meeting in which they presented figures showing that sitting in a smoke-filled restaurant for two hours would be the same as smoking four cigarettes. They have done public presentations, a hoop shoot, raffled off t-shirts, and persuaded people to take pledges not to start smoking. They have also went into the elementary, where they did an activity with second graders where they breathed through a straw after running to show them what smoking was like.



Janice Borey, the group's sponsor, recounted their trip to Bethany where they taped some public service announcements for KAAN Radio, which will be airing on the station for the next few months. At one point, the students were in charge of the radio station while Station Manager Stuart Johnson was off taping the PSA's from the students.



Citing statistics showing that workplace exposure to secondhand smoke was a leading cause of death and that 1,200 Missourians each year died of second-hand smoke, Smokebusters students asked the School Board to make the school smoke free. Board member Richard Mullock asked about enforcement; Borey said that the answer was positive encouragement. She said that if people were to smoke in their cars at school events, that would be their business, but that the school would still be smoke-free. North Andrew is another school in the area which has gone smoke-free.



Board member Kevin Austin said that as an ex-smoker, he would like to see the group take their efforts across the county. He said that he was allergic to smoke whenever people lit up around him and that efforts to restrict secondhand smoke were taking place all over the country. Participating in the presentation were Kylie Reynolds, Cody Straight, Rebecca Moore, Montana Rush, Eli Mullock, and Kacey Smyser.



High School students Jessica Borey, Brooke Gilland, and Zach Harmening gave certificates of appreciation to the school board members for School Board Appreciation Week. The CTA also gave appreciation cards.



Amy Garrett reported on the recent hard drive crash that occured at the school which affected both the school and the library. She said both the hard drives went down and that neither the school nor Midwest Data could recover much of the lost data. Lost were the school's webpage as well as the library card catalog, forcing librarians and volunteers to enter 20,000 lost titles into the system manually to restore the library card catalog. Garrett said that the crash did not affect either the school's e-mail or the online grades.



Superintendent Matt Robinson reformatted the school's annual report in a way that he said would help recruit more teachers and that he said would be more complete. Board member Richard Mullock said that the most impressive stat that jumped out at him was the fact that there was a high number of teachers with Master's Degrees at the school.



The school board approved the 2009-2010 calendar after discussing December snow dates. Superintendent Robinson said that he wanted to coordinate the calendar with other schools as well as the area vo-tech schools. Added to the calendar will be August 13th for first-time teachers for the district; Robinson said that day would be an orientation session. Christmas break will end on January 4th next year. As usual, the school will have six snow make-up days built in; if there are more than six, the school has to make up half of the remainder.





Board member Terry Green successfully pushed for the school to have two optional snow make-up days in December, given the long Christmas break for next year. He said that if there were a disaster like the Ice Storm, the school could use those at the discretion of the Superintendent and then get back on track for January. Robinson said that he would give teachers plenty of time to make plans; for instance, if the snowstorm were to happen right before those two days, he would go ahead and use Martin Luther King Day as a snow make-up day. But if it were to happen well before the break, he would go ahead and use the December make-up days. If there were only one snow date, the school would still wait until Martin Luther King Day to make it up; the change applies to two or more days of snow.

Schulte Destroys North Andrew Box and One; Bluejay Girls Romp

North Andrew tried what several other teams have tried against the Bluejays this year -- go box and one and make someone besides Jacqueline Schulte beat them. Not only did the strategy backfire, it was Schulte who fueled the Bluejays' knockout punch of North Andrew in the first quarter, scoring 12 of Northeast's 14 points in the period, finishing with 18 points on the night as Northeast beat the Cardinals 51-19 Friday night in Platte Valley Conference action before the King City Tournament. Her 18 points were within one of the entire North Andrew team total.

North Andrew played with Northeast for exactly the first three minutes of the game, with the score tied 2-2. Then, Schulte began her outburst with a driving layup, knocked down a shot from the left corner, and later added a four point play when she got a putback with seven seconds left and then stole the ball and scored at the buzzer to make it 14-2.

Coach Ryan Davis said that the team was clicking on both offense and defense and that they just needed to finish shots better. "We ran our offenses and defenses well; we just need to finish around the basket." Davis said that was important if the Bluejays were to improve on its 56-44 loss to South Nodaway on Tuesday. "South Nodaway shot 60% for the game, and we shot only 30%," he said. "If you had told me that we were going to hold Sami Jackson to 9 points, I would have thought we were going to win." Davis said that the Bluejays actually took more shots from the field that game than the Longhorns. "They were all shots I wanted them to take. But we have been working on an offense that will help when other teams throw the box and one at us," he said. Davis said that when teams focused on shutting down Schulte, it was important for his team to find the other open shots.

But when it seemed like Northeast needed to convert easy baskets in the North Andrew game, it was Rachel Runde who came off the bench to spark the Bluejays. In the second quarter, she came off to knock down a shot in the paint and then drive the lane and dish to Blair Schmitz after a brief lull to start the second. Schulte added a steal off a tipped ball from Emily Bryant, and Northeast was up 22-4. Taylor Dougan came off the bench to hit a shot from the left corner at the buzzer as Northeast maintained its 18 point lead at the break at 26-8.

The lead grew to 24 early in the second half. Jacqueline Schulte got a putback after a steal, Kristin Sherry scored off another steal, and Schulte hit from the right wing to make it 32-8 at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter. The lead grew to 37-12 as Blair Schmitz converted a 3-point play when she spun around and shot over four defenders with 2:46 left.

North Andrew crept back to within 39-18 as Northeast was having trouble finishing close under the basket, but then Runde came off the bench and took one to the rack to close out the third quarter and spark Northeast going into the fourth. Michelle Schulte then went hard to the basket and drew fouls twice and went four for four from the line in the period and added a free throw line jumper when nobody picked her up. Kenzie Waldeier added a fast break bucket and Katelyn Miller scored on a putback to round out the scoring for Northeast.

North Andrew Routs Reeling NEN Boys

The Northeast Nodaway boys hit rock bottom when North Andrew routed them 58-26 in Friday night action before the King City tournament. The Bluejays had lost six out of its last seven games; however, all of their losses had at least been halfway competitive. But the North Andrew game was completely noncompetitive after the first quarter as Northeast could not maintain a torrid start and played its worst game of the year in losing to the Cardinals.

It was a typical example of Northeast's inconsistency this year that they scored 10 points in the first four minutes and scored only 16 points for the rest of the game. Colby Wiederholt scored six points during that span on an inside shot, a pair of free throws off a fast break, and a tough shot over a host of defenders. Tyler Davis added a couple of putbacks, and Northeast was keeping up with a fast-paced North Andrew squad, leading them 10-8 at the 4:27 mark.

But then Northeast could no longer keep up the pace and North Andrew used an 11-0 run to go ahead for good at 19-10, mostly on an array of fast breaks, free throws, putbacks, and easy buckets against the Bluejays, who were much slower. A typical example of Northeast's soft defense came at the end of the first quarter. Tyler Davis hit a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the period to cut it to six, only to have the Cardinals push it right back down the court and hit a layup with five seconds left to counter.

It was one of those "here we go again" moments as Coach Charlie Burch began shuttling people in and out, trying to find five people who could put it all together on the court. Josh Wiederholt, Clayton Judd, and Alec Scroggie all got extended playing time as Northeast went down the bench trying to find someone who could stop the fast-paced Cardinals from running up and down the court.

Davis tried to shoot Northeast back into the game, hitting an NBA 3-pointer to make it 25-16 with 5:59 left, but North Andrew answered with a pair of backdoor layups, a steal, and another layup inside to make it 32-16. Northeast only managed one other bucket, a 3-pointer from Josh Wideman with 1:19 from the left baseline, as the Bluejays trailed 40-20 at the break.

Things went from bad to worse in the third quarter. Colby Wiederholt scored off a backdoor layup right off the bat against the Cardinals; however, that was the last scoring Northeast would do until the closing seconds of the period. In between, there were defensive lapses, unforced turnovers, and a lot of dribbling without a purpose as North Andrew raised its lead to 50-22 before Brad Stoll came off the bench to score off a putback with 40 seconds left. The fourth quarter was more of the same as the only points from Northeast were from a driving layup from Wiederholt with 5:41 left; North Andrew cleared its bench, but their reserves continued to pull away from the Bluejays.

A Moment with Mike for January 28th, 2009

We are only a few weeks into the 2009 legislative session but already it is clear we are on pace to have one of our most productive sessions in years. Traditionally, the first month of session moves at a slower pace as we wait for committee assignments and then for legislation to begin making its way through the committee process. That is not the case this year as the business-like approach taken by House leadership has rapidly accelerated the process so we are on pace to consider major policy initiatives sooner rather than later. The time we are saving now will pay off immensely in the months to come as we have more time to dedicate to our Family Recovery Plan and to issues that matter most to Missouri families. This session has already seen more than 300 bills filed covering issues ranging from job creation to healthcare coverage. Those bills are now making their way to the 50 House committees that will do their best to hone them into effective pieces of legislation before sending them to the full House for debate.

One of the bills that is moving rapidly through the process will come before the House in the next few days. This piece of legislation is simple in design but carries with it a very powerful message that we as elected officials will not accept the pay raise recommended by the Missouri Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials. The House has voted against the pay raise proposal each time it has come up and this year will be no different.

Since November 2006, Article 13 of the constitution requires both the House and Senate to act on the recommendations given by the Commission before February 1. It takes a 2/3 vote in both the House and Senate to override the recommendation. If it fails to be overridden in either chamber, it becomes law. In 2007 the House voted to disapprove the Commission’s recommendation with an overwhelming majority, however the raise passed due to a lack of action from the Senate.

Being a year when revenue is short and budget cuts in many departments look evident and also a year that many in our state are without jobs and struggling to make ends meet, I cannot justify a raise for elected officials and will once again vote no on the recommended raise. I believe that any other course of action would be inappropriate and that the General Assembly must stand together to reaffirm that we are here to serve your best interest and not our own.

This session is off to an impressive start and I am excited to see what we can accomplish in the coming months. Whether it’s through our work on the budget, the Family Recovery Plan, or other legislation that addresses issues faced by Missourians; we will do our best to make Missouri an even better place to call home.


If you have questions, you may reach me at my Capitol number 573-751-9465, at the local district number, 660-582-4014, by email at mike.thomson@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 114B State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.

Accident Claims Life of Parnell Man

A fatal accident claimed the life of a Parnell man Wednesday night at around 7:00 p.m. The Missouri Highway Patrol reports that a 1991 Ford Ranger driven by Emmett O’Riley, 66, of Parnell was northbound on Route E .3 of a mile south of Gaynor and a 2003 Chevy pickup driven by Cole Fisher, 18, of Sheridan, was southbound. The O’Riley vehicle traveled off the east side of the roadway into the ditch, overcorrected, and lost control.

The O’Riley vehicle returned to the roadway, traveled across the center line, and into the southbound lane and was struck by the Fisher vehicle. The O’Riley vehicle overturned coming to rest off the west side of the roadway on the driver’s side facing northeast. The Fisher vehicle traveled off the west side of the roadway and came to rest on its wheels in a field. O’Riley was pronounced dead by Deputy Coroner Steve Whittington. Fisher sustained minor injuries and refused treatment.

Sen. Brad Lager Chair of Senate Committee

12th District State Senator Brad Lager was appointed today as the new chairman of the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and Environment Committee for the 95th General Assembly. Sen. Lager was appointed as chairman by Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields of the 34th District.
Sen. Shields said he chose Lager to be the new chairman of the committee because of his firsthand business experience and leadership on tax policy in the state. "Sen. Lager’s experience as a small business owner and chairman of the Joint Committee on Tax Policy makes him the best choice to lead Missouri’s discussions on business, consumer protections, and clean and affordable energy," said Sen. Shields.
The nine-member committee is responsible for overseeing legislation dealing with regulatory matters, consumer protection, food and drug safety, environmental health, interstate commerce and energy sources. Sen. Lager previously served as vice-chair of the committee during the 94th General Assembly and was honored to be appointed chairman of the committee.
"I am honored to take the position of chairman on this very important committee. The issues surrounding commerce, energy, and our environment have a profound impact on the lives of all Missourians and I look forward to advancing the priorities that make Missouri a better place to live, work, and raise a family."
Sen. Lager said his goals as chairman are to continue promoting responsible solutions that address the state’s most critical needs, "The legislature must continue to create an environment that allows for strong economic growth and development of our energy resources".
In addition to serving as chairman of the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and Environment, Committee and as chairman of the Joint Committee on Tax Policy, Sen. Lager will continue to serve on the Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. Sen. Lager will also serve on the newly created Senate Committee for Progress and Development.

Nodaway County Extension Ag Update

Nodaway County Extension Ag Update
Scheduled for January 28
Area growers will want to plan to attend the Nodaway County Extension Ag Update scheduled Wednesday, January 28 at the Chamber of Commerce Meeting Room in Maryville. The meeting will start at 8 AM and conclude by noon.
The morning will start with latest information regarding crops. Fungicide use, new herbicide products, GMO crops and new technology will be just a few of the topics. Attendance of this portion of meeting will also satisfy requirements for Private Pesticide Applicator training with additional discussion of labeling.
At 11:00 AM, Amie Schleicher, livestock specialists, will discuss ways to reduce costs of feed rations; Randa Doty, Ag Business, will discuss the new Farm Bill and Tom Fowler, horticulturalist will update the group on Emerald Ash Borer which has the potential to affect ash trees.
For more information, contact Wayne Flanary, Regional Agronomist at 660-446-3724, or Randa Doty, Ag Business Specialist at 660-582-8101 with the University of Missouri Extension.

Thomson Vice-Chairman of Higher Education Committee

House Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, today selected Rep. Mike Thomson , R-Maryville, to serve as vice chairman of the House Higher Education Committee for the 95th General Assembly. Rep. Thomson, who also serves as chairman of the House Appropriations – Education Committee, previously served as a member of the House Higher Education Committee for the 94th General Assembly.
"It is with great pleasure that we announce Mike Thomson as vice chairman of the committee for Higher Education," said Speaker Richard. " Missouri students are a priority and I have full confidence in Representative Thomson's capabilities in helping to form efficient legislation."
The House Higher Education Committee considers and reports upon bills and matters referred to it relating to higher education and life-long learning in this state, including teachers, financing, property, indebtedness and curriculum. As vice chairman of the committee, Rep. Thomson will preside over committee hearings in the absence of the chairman. In addition, he will play a significant role in dealing with all legislation referred to the committee.

Jack Remembers for 1-28-09

My favorite elected officials are the County Commissioners, formally called “Judges”. State or Federal Representatives and Senators take care of state and federal business and after the election you don’t see them again until the next election. The County Commissioners don’t head to Washington D.C. or Jefferson City. They are at the Courthouse every week twelve months out of the year where people can walk in at any time while they are in session without an appointment. They are known personally by most people in the county who don’t hesitate to go to the courthouse to voice their complaints or concerns.
One woman walked in to the Lafayette County Commissioners meeting and told the Commissioners she didn’t want that County road grader backing up on the road near her property any more because that bell dinging was scaring all the quail away.
The Lafayette County Commissioners drove to California for a County Commissioners Conference. The Conference was over with early and they realized they would have time to play a round of golf. Jim Strodtman, the Presiding Commissioner, hit the ball down the fairway. It was a good drive but it veered off to the right and landed in the rough. Just as he was going to get the ball he noted the sprinkler system came on where the ball had landed. I know Jim personally and know he is not a tightwad but he hated to lose a golf ball and decided what was a little water on a warm summer day if he got wet. There was just one problem. The sprinkler system at the golf course was coming from a sewer lagoon. The three Commissioners spend most of their time voting on County business. Even though one of the other Commissioners was a Democrat and one was a Republican, the vote was unanimous that if Jim wanted a ride back to Lexington all four windows would have to be down.
Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com

Jefferson Boys Hang 31 in First Quarter on Tigers in Layup Drill

Jefferson's boys hung 31 points on the Worth County Tigers in a first quarter layup drill and went on to win 65-21 in Friday night action. Unlike the girls, who were competitive against the Eagles for 1 1/2 quarters, the boys were knocked out early as the game was never competitive. Asked if there was any redeeming value in such a game, Coach Chris Healy said that it was a matter of learning from it. "Hopefully, we'll learn something from this game and take something out of it," said Healy after the game. He said that the loss was a combination of inexperience and intimidation. "Some players had never seen pressure like this, and some players had seen this kind of pressure and were intimidated by it," he said. The intimidation factor was obvious in the third quarter when Jefferson had taken off its vaunted press and the Tigers were still making unforced errors against the Eagles.

The Tigers managed only five points in the first quarter, meaning that the game was esssentially over with the team down 31-5. Jefferson scored the first 15 points of the game in just over three minutes of action before Kyler Hiatt put the Tigers on the board with a free throw. The only other points in the period came from backdoor cuts from Garrett Hawk and Zack Harmening in the period. Eli Mullock opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer for the Tigers before Jefferson answered with two of its own and was back to the races. By the time the next carnage was over, the Eagles had completed a 13-1 run and were up 44-9.

Zack Harmening took a charge for the Tigers, which seemed to put the brakes on the Jefferson juggernaut for a while. Worth County held Jefferson scoreless for the next four minutes of the period while Todd Harding connected from the baseline and Kyler Hiatt got a putback. Jefferson hit some free throws down the stretch of the first half to lead 47-13 at the break.

The Tigers suffered through snakebite in the third quarter, going without a field goal and only a single free throw as Jefferson once again put on a clinic, including a dunk by standout player Craig Mattson. Worth County held its own against the Jefferson JV in the fourth quarter. Eli Mullock picked up a carom after a scramble and converted a 3-point play in the period; Alex Harmening drove to the rim, missed the shot, but Cole Buffington saved the ball back to him for the layup. Jordan Harding picked up another loose carom and put it in to account for the Tiger scoring for the evening.

WC Girls Hang Tough, Then Give Up 29-0 Run to Jefferson

Worth County's girls wasted their best chance of winning their first game of the year in their last game before the break. The scary thing about it is that they now have to face a murder's row of Jefferson, Northeast Nodaway, Gallatin, and South Nodaway; four of the top teams of the area. And they still have to play Hamilton, Princeton, and Bethany along with decent teams like Albany and Stanberry.

Against Jefferson, the Tigers showed that they could break one of the best presses of the area. The problem is that they did not know what to do with the ball once they broke the press. The result was that the rash of turnovers that has plagued them the last 2 1/2 years continued after the Tigers hung tough with the Jefferson Eagles for 1 1/2 quarters. Their best offense at this point may be to break the press, dribble to the baseline, throw it out of bounds off a defender's leg, and run their inbounds plays -- that was the one thing that worked against Jefferson. The Tigers scored 8 out of their 13 points off their inbounds plays and 5 off of everything else.

The Tigers did some good things that they had not done before in the early going against the Eagles -- they broke the press, they got some good looks at the bucket, and they flew around the floor on defense so that Jefferson had to work for their points. They threw a half-court trap of their own against Jefferson that forced them to work to get the ball up the floor and even forced a few turnovers of their own. Haley Green cleaned up on a missed shot and Ashley Reynolds and Brooke Gilland each scored off inbounds plays and the Tigers were only down 8-6 with 3:18 left in the first quarter.

But then Jessica Borey picked up her third foul as another problem that has plagued the Tigers -- hacking and fouling -- reared its ugly head. Jefferson took advantage, building a 14-6 lead forcing Coach April Healy to put Borey back in. Worth County shoed some life at the beginning of the second quarter as Green scored on a long lob from Borey, Borey scored a free throw after a drive, and then Brooke Gilland scored off an inbounds play. It was a 20-11 game at that point, but then the Tigers fell apart after that and the rest of the game became a layup drill for the Jefferson squad. Jefferson outscored Worth County 45-2 for the rest of the game to win 65-13.

Jack Remembers for 1-7-09

Mode and Turk Garrett were well-liked farmers who lived south of my home town. “Mode” and “Turk” were nicknames and no-one knew their real names. I knew both of the brother’s families quite well when I was a kid growing up, and Mode’s son Gary was a good friend. Both Mode and Turk possessed common sense. They told a story how one Sunday afternoon Mode was combining when he broke down. He was underneath the combine when a wrench slipped off and smashed his finger. Unfortunately, at that very moment, the local preacher had walked across the field to talk to Mode about attending church. Mode was using language that was not commonly heard in church, when the preacher said, “Mode, that wouldn’t have happened if you had not been working on Sunday.” Mode then asked the minister, “Preacher, just what day of the week do you make your living?”
Neither Mode nor Turk put up with any foolishness. Every year Turk had a watermelon patch that was always one of the best in the area. One dark night a group of us high school boys decided we’d go out and relieve Turk of a few of his watermelons. We had my old car right out in the middle of the field putting watermelons in the trunk when one of the guys came up and whispered to me, “Jack how many of us came out here?” I told him five, and he said, “Well there are six of us in this patch.” We quickly loaded up and left.
We went back to town and consumed the watermelons. The next evening when I went home from school I started to pull in our driveway and there was Turk talking to my dad who luckily had his back to the road. I just kept on going and drove around the country block pretty slow. When I got back home Turk was gone. My dad never said one word to me about that meeting with Turk, but I can assure you he had some good help milking those cows for the next few weeks.
Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com

Health Factoids

Interesting Factoids
People with asthma may be especially sensitive to foods and beverages that contain sulfites.
Diabetes PHD is a free online site that can help you calculate and lower your risk for diabetes and other health conditions linked to diabetes. www.diabetes.org/diabetesphd/default.jsp
Neighborhoods with lots of trees, plants, and grass encourage people to walk more.
Weight training can stem the muscle loss people experience with age, usually beginning in their forties for women and in their sixties for men.
People who have lots of contact with family, friends, and neighbors had memory loss at less than half the rate of those who are socially isolated according to one study.
If you need help remembering to take a daily medication, then send yourself a pop-up note through your e-mail or daily planner.
Overuse of antibiotics can cause clostridium difficile which is an infection in the "gut" that can require additional medicine.
The largest number of trauma deaths in children is due to vehicle accidents.
Hy-Vee and Wal-Mart both have $4 prescriptions and 3 month supplies of those $4 medications for only $10!
Physical activity increases the "good" and lowers the "bad" blood cholesterol levels.
Food poisoning is one of the most common causes of nausea and vomiting.
General Health Clinic encourages you to speak with your healthcare professional with questions or concerns. The Clinic welcomes most major insurances along with Medicare and Medicaid. Payments by cash, credit cards, and debit cards are accepted. The clinic is located at the junction of highways 148 and JJ in Hopkins, Missouri. The clinic will be open Saturday, January 10 and Saturday, January 24. Appointments can be made by calling 660-778-3209.