Main Break Causes Closure of Worth County School

A water main break Monday forced the closure of the Worth County School. Residents reported low water pressure that morning, and the school used one of its snow dates. The break was north of Gentry just north of the bridge as a plastic pipe ruptured. The city crew as well as Ed Ackley of the Rural Water District helped with the repairs. The county offered to help as well, but they were not needed. The crew was forced to cut down some trees to get to the break, but it was fixed by 11:00 a.m. that day. Neither Parnell nor Gentry ran out of water that day; Northeast Nodaway's elementary had school as normal. Crews were flushing water lines in preparation of restoring water service later; Grant City was placed under a boil advisory after the break. The Nursing Home continued to function during the break; the Grant City Fire Department delivered a tank of water so that they could use water for basic functions. Secretary Jozy Moyer said that they had a management plan in place had there been an extended outage; the state requires them to draw up emergency plans for many different situations.

Track Season Kicks Off with Early Bird

Both Worth County and Northeast Nodaway teams participated in the Worth County Early Bird Thursday as track season kicked off.

Borey leads Tigers to 5th place finish
Pole vault school recordholder Jessica Borey began right where she left off last year as she notched a 10'0" showing on the Pole Vault to lead the Tigers to a fifth place finish with 52 points, behind Mound City's first place finish with 155 points. She was three feet ahead of any other competitor. Worth County has historically dominated the Pole Vault, with April (Miller) Healy, Tiffany Troutwine, and now Borey headlining the event. Lauren Null vaulted 6'0" to finish fourth for the Tigers. In other events, Keely Cook finished sixth for the Tigers in the 100 with a time of 13.99. Borey was 6th in the 200 with a time of 29.49. She was also 4th in the 400 with a time of 1:07.42. In the 800, Lauren Null finished fifth with a time of 2:54.18.

In the hurdles, Brooke Gilland and Jessica Garrett picked up some points for the Tigers. Gilland was 4th with a time of 19.11 while Garrett was 5th with a time of 19.35 in the 100 hurdles. They also finished 4-5 in the 300 hurdles, with Gilland recording a time of 58.38 and Garrett recording a time of 1:00.96. The 4x200 Relay Team of Jessica Borey, Jessica Garrett, Brooke Gilland, and Keely Cook finished 3rd with a time of 2:00.65. Jessica Garrett was 5th in the Long Jump with a distance of 12'8.25". In the Triple Jump, Keely Cook was 3rd with a distance of 30'5". Paige McPike was 5th in the Discus with a distance of 64'05".

Schulte sisters lead Bluejays
The Schulte sisters established themselves as forces to be reckoned with in the 800 and 1600 events, as they led Northeast Nodaway to seventh in the standings in the Early Bird. Jacqueline and Michelle finished 1-3 in the 1600 Meter Run. They started off first and second in the 1600, well ahead of everyone else. Late in the race, Mound City's Jordyn Pankau passed Michelle and was neck and neck with Jacqueline as the final lap came, but Jacqueline Schulte found her second wind and put on a burst of speed to hold her off. Jacqueline Schulte finished with a time of 6:10.89, while Michelle finished with a time of 6:23.54. The Schulte sisters also finished 1-3 in the 800 as well, with Jacqueline winning the 800 with a time of 2:48.33, 37 hundreths of a second ahead of Maysville's Allison Moore. Michelle finished with a time of 2:53.15. Michelle Schulte finished second in the Long Jump with a distance of 13'6.25" to round out the scoring for Northeast's girls.

Tiger Boys finish close second behind Mound City
Worth County's boys performed strongly in finishing a close second behind Mound City. They picked up 108 points on the afternoon, led by four firsts by Kyler Hiatt. The Tigers had balance as they had someone medal in most of their events during the afternoon.

Eli Mullock paced the Tigers in the short events along with Hiatt. He finished 4th in the 100 with a time of 13.93. Kyler Hiatt won the 200 with a time of 23.50; Worth County finished 1-3 in the event as Mullock finished 3rd with a time of 24.73. In the 400, Mullock finished 5th with a time of 58.27. Aaron Summers was 4th with a time of 58.17.

In the 800, Mitch Andrews finished 4th with a time of 2:21.73. In the 1600, he was 2nd with a time of 5:31.44. Bryson Scott was 4th in the 3200 with a time of 13:13, much better than his seeded time of 15:00.

Kyler Hiatt defended his state title in the 110 and 300 hurdles. In both events, he was two seconds ahead of his runner-up. In the 110, his time was 15.86, while his time in the 300 was 42.85. The 4x100 team of Zach Harmening, Al Harmening, Tyler Garrett, and Barrett Baker finished 6th with a time of 50.87. In the 4x200, the team of Barrett Baker, Riley Gooslby, Aaron Summers, and Alex Harmening also finished 6th with a time of 1:44.56. The 4x400 relay team of Aaron Summers, Tyler Garrett, Zach Harmening, and Mitch Andrews finished 6th with a time of 4:05.42. The 4x800 relay team of Mitch Andrews, Aaron Summers, Riley Goolsby, and Zach Harmening finished 3rd with a time of 9:25.94.

The Harmening brothers dominated the Pole Vault event as Zach was first with a height of 11 feet. Alex was 4th with a height of 9 feet. Kyler Hiatt picked up his fourth first-place finish by winning the Long Jump with a distance of 19'3 1/4". Brian Hall was 4th in the Shot Put with a throw of 35'11". Riley Goolsby was 5th with a throw of 35'4". Hall was 3rd in the Discus with a throw of 108'4". Tyler Garrett was 6th with a throw of 89'1".

Davis notches points for NEN Boys
Tyler Davis was the only person to notch points for the Northeast Nodaway boys. He was 6th in the Shot Put with a throw of 35'2 1/2". He also placed 5th in the Discus with a throw of 95'8 3/4".

A Moment with Mike for April 1st, 2009

State Representative Mike Thomson
Our mid-session break allowed me to spend more time at home, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and also allowed me time to visit schools, talk to 4th grade classes and to talk with local constituents. The hectic pace of Jefferson City returned quickly, however, as we dove into the budget process. We began debate on the budget bills on Tuesday and in a marathon session on Wednesday; we passed a $22.8 billion budget for Missouri.
Crafting a budget is never easy, but in this economic climate, it was even more of a daunting task. The House and Senate base this budget on the one percent revenue growth estimates agreed upon in January. The budget we passed was crafted by the fiscally responsible philosophy that has helped to keep Missouri out of the financial emergencies that other states are now experiencing. Tough decisions were made to ensure Missouri’s financial stability, but these decisions will make us better off in the coming years.
The sharp downturn in our economy over the past year and a half has caused many states to have to raise taxes or slash programs to meet the current levels of incoming revenue. As an advocate for education in Missouri, I have watched as other states around us announce their intention of cutting education budgets and educational programs to survive. I am thankful that my colleagues shared my opinion that education is vital to the growth of our state and as we worked to bridge a $400 million dollar budget shortfall, educational funding received less cutbacks than many other agencies in the state.
The school foundation formula through which our public schools receive funding was changed in 2005. Along with this change was a promise to do a four-year phase-in to fully fund the formula. This years House budget includes a fully funded formula for K-12 education, providing our school districts with the funding necessary to provide quality education to our young people.
As the budget moves from the House to the Senate we will continue to negotiate programs that were cut or reduced. Changes will be made and the Senate may approach this task with a somewhat different philosophy as we continue to examine the strings and regulations attached to stimulus money from the Federal government. I am confident we will come up with a fiscally responsible budget, based on wise decisions that have made Missouri a national economic leader.
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.

Grant City Mayoral Candidates Discuss Recent Progress, Future Challenges

Three Grant City mayoral candidates discussed the recent progress that the community has experienced as well as the upcoming challenges for the city. Incumbent mayor Debbie Roach is facing two challengers, David Snow and Glen Hughes in the upcoming municipal election. Dennis Downing is unopposed as West Alderman as a write-in candidate; he filed as a write-in after incumbent Doug Pickering did not seek reelection to the post. East Alderman Cathy James is unopposed. In addition, there is a municipal telecommunications issue on the ballot; this is not a new tax, but a measure that would allow the city to collect franchise fees from telecommunications providers who already assess city taxes to customers without turning them over to the city. All three candidates made their remarks at the Times-Tribune Candidates' Forum Thursday. The candidates gave opening remarks and then took questions from the audience.

Mayor Debbie Roach said that she was proud of what has taken place in the last five years. She said that some of the priorities for the city included finishing the pool and getting it open in time for Memorial Day, completing the Nature Trail, and seeing the Downtown Renovation Project forward. She said that she wanted to continue to support the work of Code Enforcement Officer Patsy Worthington, implement the Strategic Plan, and seek funding for the new Bathhouse; the city has recently completed an application for a $166,000 grant towards that project. She said that her experience in writing grants was important to keep the city moving foward. Specifically, she talked about her experience in writing the grants for access roads for the Gunstock Factory and the Dollar Store and other projects.

Challenger David Snow faced off against Roach in the 2007 election and is challenging her again. He spoke briefly, saying that he was pleased that there were three candidates for mayor and promising to "serve for the city and not for myself." Glenn Hughes said that he felt that some changes were needed at City Hall, including more accountability, and said that he wanted to find more money for turning gravel roads in the city into pavement.

Asked about what specific grants they would pursue, Snow said that he had worked with grants when working on projects with KCP&L and said that he would look into getting some of the stimulus money and make sure that "Grant City gets their fair share." Specifically, he said that he wanted to see more money for streets and infrastructure. "We need water and sewer, or we will have nothing to offer," he said. Snow said that he wanted to improve the water supply, saying that he did not want to see a repeat of the drought of a few years ago, where he said that the Middlefork Water Company lake was "down to puddles." Hughes said that he would push for funding for the streets that needed finishing as well as the pool.

Roach said that the greatest challenge for the city would be facing government mandates on water systems that would be coming down the pipe; she said that Allendale's new water plant would not be able to meet them even though it was built two years ago. She said that it was a statewide issue as well as a federal issue as entities all over the state would not be able to meet the mandates either. She said that another challenge was getting everyone hooked up to city sewer; part of the problem with state funding was that they only provided a 50% match; she said that although the city had a sales tax for streets, there were not any grants out there for streets except for access roads for businesses like the Gunstock Factory. She said that another challenge was getting people involved in local organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce as well as the Progress Organization as well as other organizations in the city. She said that the city had a balanced budget and that $58,000 had been raised through donations for the pool.

Snow said that one of the biggest challenges for the city was the buildings and the need to remain viable. He said that although the budget was balanced, times were going to be tough; "we saw what happened in the 1980's" with rural communities. He said that for the next two years, things would be tough as the whole country continues to deal with the ripple effect of the current economic crisis. Hughes said that the biggest challenge was improving the roads and "finding out what it takes" to make the pool work. "It's up to everyone already here to make things work."

Councilwoman Linda Phipps asked about code enforcement, saying that first impressions were important for a town Grant City's side. She said that some of the messes were so bad that "who would want to move here?" Hugues said that a lot of the buildings on the square as well as old homes were a good place to start. But he said he wanted to relax the rules on unlicensed vehicles, saying that "they had to be put somewhere." Phipps replied that all of the city ordinances were there for a reason and Clerk Ayvonne Morin said that when the city got 10-15 complaints, that action from the city was needed. "If it needs to be taken care of, then it needs to be taken care of," responded Hughes. He said that it was important that enforcement efforts go deeper than 46. "We have to follow through," he said. Morin said that it was important for people to realize that it was not just a matter of city officials arbitrarily taking action, but a matter of the city acting on complaints from residents. Hughes asked if all the city statues were up to date; Cathy James said that the city had recently spent a lot of money to bring the city statues up to date and properly codified.

Snow agreed that the city ordinances should be enforced, saying that he was "bound by oath" to do so, and that enforcement would be up to the Code Enforcement Officer or himself. He said that it would not be a matter of "taking the hammer" to people and that the ultimate goal was to clean up the town and not to punish people.

Roach said that it was something that needed to be done and that the city could not "pick and choose" what to enforce and what not to enforce. She said that sometimes, the city acted on complaints; other times, they would send out letters. She said one of the worst complaints about a house came over one which she said was infested with coons, skunks, and snakes. "One person killed ten snakes in one day," she said. Roach said that in cases like that, the animals would get into neighbors' gardens and eat the plants. Roach said that it was also a hazard for children, who frequently get play around vacant houses. She said that Patsy Worthington was very good at what she did and at communicating the city's willingness to help people. "She doesn't just leave the problem hanging over peoples' heads," she said. "She goes out of her way to help. She'll make the calls and lines up the work so that it gets done," she said.

Dennis Downing asked about whether the city will use the municipal court system or do the cleanup work and assess the costs on peoples' taxes. Morin said that there was a process in place to determine which process was used. Hughes said that the court system was not the way to go and that he would clean up the property and assess it against that person's taxes. But Morin said that the work would have to be hired, for which she said the money was not in the budget for. Typically, Morin said that people were given 20 days to clean up their property, which she said was more than enough time for most people. "Charlie Sanders cleaned up his neighbor's former property in less time than that," added Debbie Roach. Morin added that if a person then failed to pay their taxes, that would be a lein against their property. Hughes said that whatever action the city takes against violators would be up to the council and that he would back whatever decision they made.

Snow said that for him, it would be a matter of using them as tools and that it was important to judge each situation individually in determining what action to pursue. He said that most of the work would be up to Worthington as Code Enforcement Officer, but that if a case was referred to him, then that meant that it had reached a "critical point." "I have to serve the community, so I would use the tools that we have in place to get results," he said. "It's not about punishment, but it's about getting a resolution."

Sherri James of the Pool Renovation Committee asked the two challengers how actively involved they would be on the pool. Both candidates said that they would help with the project as much as they can. Councilwoman Cathy James asked Hughes about his availability; Hughes, who is gone for much of the summer doing harvest work, said that he would make himself available by phone if something were to come up. In the past, the city has had a mayor pro tem run the meeting in the absence of the mayor.

New Presiding Commissioner Kevin Austin asked the challengers if they were willing to work with him to make sure the county and city were working as one unit. Hughes said that had been a problem in the past, but should not be a problem if he were elected. Snow agreed and said that the city could look at sharing resources with the county. He said that although the county was responsible for the Courthouse, for instance, it was still within city limits.

Senator Brad Lager: Capitol Report for March 25th, 2009

Early Childhood Learning – The Foundation for Success
I believe that our state government’s number one priority should be the education of Missouri’s students. Because it is a sizable portion of our state budget, it frequently becomes a point of contention as we deliberate how much to spend and how the dollars will be allocated. Legislators, school board members, administrators, teachers, and parents all want the very best for our children and we are constantly working to enhance student learning and achievement.
Since my first day in elected office, I have sought to learn all I can about the education system in our state. I have worked to understand what programs have proven to be successful and which have not. Following years of reading, listening, and learning, I have become a strong proponent in early childhood education programs. I am a firm believer that the sooner our children are exposed to learning opportunities, the greater their chance for success. A child’s intelligence, curiosity, language skills, and social skills are established in their early years and research has confirmed that a child’s most influential years of learning occur before the age of five. Failure to develop these skills during this crucial time can lead to unnecessary learning challenges in later years.
For six years, I studied our educational programs from an academic and analytical point of view. Nearly 18 months ago, that all changed when our daughter Addison was born. As a new father, I have seen first-hand the way she soaks up information like a sponge. I watch her learn as she attempts new tasks, fails, and tries again until she gets it right. Through our experience with Parents as Teachers and by watching her develop and learn, there is no doubt in my mind that the most important influence in early childhood learning is parental involvement.
We have an amazing opportunity to prepare our children for success, not just in school but throughout their lives. When placed in the proper environment, we lay the foundation for life long learning. That is why I believe so strongly in programs like Parents as Teachers and early childhood pre-school education. The education of Missouri’s children has always been my top priority and I will continue to fight to ensure that every child in Missouri has the opportunity for a quality education.
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.

Jerry Drake: News Press Hounds for week of March 25th, 2009

Based on the large number of writings by Charles Krauthammer, which I have read, I think he would probably be proud to be called a "warmonger." He is usually promoting a war response to a real or imagined enemy of the United States.
However, the Friday, March 20th, 2009 edition of the St. Joseph News-Press, Mr. Krauthammer turns to the economy and ridicules the populist reaction to the $165 million in bonus money handed out to the AIG debt manipulators. The argument he makes is that this is a "rounding error" (1/18,500th of the Federal Budget) and of little significance. Little significance?
The future of capitalism is hanging on a thread and these same executives, who were in charge when their company teetered on failure, take a bonus in addition to their regular salary after their company has received money from the taxpayer. Surely, these same executives understand the perception of harm that these bonuses have caused.
Union members, schoolteachers, and other workers are taking voluntary cuts in salary. Unemployment is rising and tent cities housing the homeless are springing up in many parts of the nation. My guess is that everyone who reads the Sheridan Express knows someone who lives on less than $750 per month. Charles Krauthammer needs to enter the real world of "barefoot" economics.
What the AIG executives have done is poison the well for any real world rescues. One wonders if since AIG has been judged "too big to fail" in the short run if it might be too big to exist in the long run.
I suggest we identify each of the AIG executives publicly and write them a polite letter pointing out the harm the payment of the bonus money has caused. Then, after asking each to return the bonus, solicit their advice on saving our economic system. After all, they are Americans too and should be honored to help.
Once we have dealt with the AIG executives, we can make the same requests of the members of Congress who have accepted campaign donations from AIG and others who are "too big to fail."

Straight Talk with Sam Graves for March 25th, 2009

An Inspiration to Us All
If you have not been inspired lately, let me tell you the story of Alferd Williams.
Williams was the son of sharecroppers. He had a simple and uncomplicated dream- he wanted to learn to read. That is how the then 70-year-old came to enroll in Alesia Hamilton’s first grade class at Edison Elementary School in St. Joseph.
With help from Aleisa, Alferd learned to read. And in the process he inspired a movement to do more to combat illiteracy. The Toys for Tots Literacy Program was started with the goal of providing the nation’s least fortunate children with books and educational material.
Nationwide over 33 percent of fourth graders cannot read according to the 2007 annual Reading Report. There is an economic cost to taxpayers, but more importantly there is a cost to that individual. When a child does not learn to read, they lose out on a world of opportunity.
The Toys for Tots Literacy Program established a new award to recognize individuals who are dedicated to improving literacy rates in the country. The first "Alferd Williams Literacy Award" was presented to Alferd and Alesia on Wednesday at a school wide assembly. It also included a donation of over 300 new books to the Edison Elementary School library- enough for each student to have at least one new book to read.
I have introduced a resolution to commend the Toys for Tots Literacy Program for their commitment to promoting children’s literacy. I also want to congratulate Alferd and Alesia on their award and thank them for inspiring us all.

Walk 1440 for March 25th, 2009

by Jeff Blaine
Pastor, Sheridan Christian Church
Offensive…how many offensive people do you know?
You know the ones…they have certain things about them you really don’t like: the way they talk, the way they dress, their hair style, their body language…to say or think something positive about them would be like pulling hen’s teeth…impossible!
One thing that is easy for you to do about that person or "those" people you don’t like is to ignore them
We all have done it: a quick duck into the other isle at the grocery store to avoid eye contact, a decided effort to avoid the street they live on, an obvious detour to the other side of the office to avoid their cubicle, or simply the direct approach when they say hi or wave to you…you do nothing… you ignore them you let them pass easily from your midst with nary a concern & go your way.
Why is it that some people are more offensive than others?
Might it be how they "make" us feel?
Curious term "make"…how can anyone reach inside your head or heart forcing you, that is "making" you feel something?
Truthfully? They can’t…they don’t have any ability to reach inside you to "make" you feel anything
So, why are we offended by them? When we encounter that person or persons that offend us, they may go against the image or picture we like for ourselves
Internally, we may think "they represent nothing I am or will be…I have no use for them now or later"…thus, we reject them…thus, they are offensive…thus, it is easy to let them pass from our midst & go our way.
Arguably, one of the most offensive people to enter the human timeline is Jesus Christ…shocking to consider such a thing…or is it?
"And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;
and they got up and drove Him[Jesus] out of the city, and led Him[Jesus] to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him[Jesus] down the cliff. Luke 4:28-29
What "things" did they hear from Jesus? The truth…about themselves.
Why is the truth about ourselves offensive? Frankly, it goes against the image or picture we like for ourselves…we then start to ignore the only truth that will save us from us…which is Jesus Christ.
"But passing through their midst, He [Jesus] went His way." Luke 4:30
According to this verse…who is ignoring who now?
You might concern yourself with ignoring the words of Jesus but perhaps your real concern should be: is Jesus ignoring me?
There are 1440 minutes in a day…WALK1440 considering the consequence of ignoring the truth about yourself

Road closings for Worth County for week of March 25th

The Missouri Department of Transportation has announced that the following roadwork has been scheduled in Worth County (weather permitting):
Wednesday, March 25th - MO 46 - A culvert replacement has been scheduled on MO 46, one quarter mile east of Route NN. The road will close at this location from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Also on Wednesday, crews will close MO 46, one quarter of a mile west of Route NN from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. Motorists will need to choose alternate routes during these times.
Thursday, March 26th - Route O - Area crews will replace a culvert on Route O approximately one mile east of the Route T junction. The road will be closed at this location from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Motorists will need to choose alternate routes during this time.
For more information about this or other projects being handled by MoDOT, please call our toll-free customer service hotline at: 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (1-888-275-6636).

County Commission Minutes for March 23rd, 2009

Meeting was called to order at 9:00 am by Presiding Commissioner. Members present: Austin, Ruckman, and Gabbert.
1. Commissioner Austin called the meeting to order. .
2. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to approve the minutes as read. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried. Minutes approved.
3. Commissioner Gabbert made a motion to approve the agenda. Commissioner Ruckman seconded. Motion carried.
4. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion approve and pay bills and payroll checks. Commissioner Gabbert seconded.
5. Jim Fletchall reported that he needs an impact wrench to complete the repairs to the dozer. Commissioner Gabbert made a motion to approve the purchase of the impact wrench at Buzzard Gulch. Commissioner Ruckman seconded. Motion carried.
6. Richard Hunt called Commissioner Gabbert regarding a road in Smith township. He was requesting maintenance gravel. The Commission decided that that he needs to put patron gravel on the road and sign up is now.
7. Tye Parsons and Dana Ternes from Regional Council of Governments came to the Commission to discuss several items. The ADA Accessible CDBG
8. The Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan is due to be updated and the Worth County portion of the grant is discussed. The County share is $6,250 of $25,000 in either cash or in kind match. The in kind match by attending meeting and helping gather data.
9. Ed Ackley talked to Jim Fletchall regarding a drive tube.
10. Jim will need bridge lumber for repairs soon. All bids were rejected from earlier bidding and there is a quote from Cache Davis of $0.80 a board foot delivered, Pat Sullinger of $0.85 and Joe Gardner of $0.75 FOB. Cache will deliver as needed rather than having a large inventory. After discussing the situation, Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to accept Cache’s quote. Commissioner Gabbert seconded. Motion carried.
11. Commissioner Ruckman reported on CR 139 and CR 140 need graded and the crown built up. The neighborhood residents are requesting this be done.
12. Julie Tracy came to the Commission to request a letter of support for a Telecommunications grant for Distance Learning in 11 schools throughout NW Missouri. After discussing the worthiness of the grant; Commissioner Gabbert made a motion to support the grant. Commissioner Ruckman seconded. Motion carried and the letter of support signed by Commissioner Austin.
13. Commissioner Austin called a lunch recess.
14. Session reopened. Cache Davis came before the board and discussed his lumber quote; he was given an award letter.
15. Linda Brown, Treasurer gave weekly financial reports.
16. The Commissioners and Jim Fletchall, Road and Bridge Supervisor went to the county maintenance building to meet with the road and bridge employees and inspect roads.
17. Commissioner Ruckman made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Austin seconded. Motion carried, meeting adjourned at 4:45 pm.

A Moment with Mike for March 25th, 2009

This past week the General Assembly in the State of Missouri took a week off to give the Senators and Representatives a chance to go back to their districts, visit with their constituents and spend time with their family. I feel that this is a good time to touch base with local leaders and I especially enjoyed the opportunity to visit a majority of the schools in District 4 and visit with 4th graders about state government and the duties of a representative.
These visits are scheduled to give the young people an insight into state government to supplement what they are taught by their teachers. I almost always find, however, that I am the one that profits the most from these visits and I can honestly say, when they ask about my favorite part of my job, it is talking to 4th graders. I visit with their dedicated teachers who seem to really enjoy managing a whole room full of 10 year old children, a skill or talent with which I was not blessed. I see the excitement and the curiosity in the eyes as they ask questions and seem to be thrilled that someone from our state government would come to their school just to see them. My celebrity status wanes quickly as I leave their class and converge quickly back into the real world, but for a few minutes I am reminded how important our children are to the future of our state and our nation and how important it is to fuel the eagerness that they exhibit.
Education is always a major issue at the state level and this year two of the first bills that have been passed out of the House related to education. Too often, however, our concentrated efforts and sometimes our money are monopolized by those few schools in the state that are failing. We do have schools that have a high drop-out rate, low test scores and very low morale among teachers. That is not the case in Northwest Missouri. We have our problems, of course, but our schools rank among the top in the state in many areas and our attendance rate and participation rate in activities still runs high. I was extremely proud to have the opportunity to watch two schools from this district receive Gold Star awards last year in Jefferson City, setting them apart with the most successful schools in the state.
The success that we enjoy is not by accident. Our students do well for two reasons and they both involve people. Our schools are filled with dedicated professionals that care about their students. It is not beautiful elegant buildings that make a difference in a students life, it is the personal touch, the caring, the willingness to spend additional time past the normal day and the many sacrifices made daily by our educators.
The other factor that is so important is family and community support. If parents see education as important, their children will inherit those values. The majority of parents in Northwest Missouri still have those values and work ethic that has made America a country that we are proud to call home. Many parts of our country and even Missouri have seen the erosion of those basic values and the work ethic has turned to one of entitlement mentality. If we are going to move forward, especially in these difficult times, we must examine our priorities, our values, and try to regain the enthusiasm and excitement for life such as that of our 4th graders.
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.

Did the Resurrection of Jesus Happen?

The Resurrection of Jesus, after 2,000 years, still continues to spark debate. Scholars continue to dispute whether it happened as stated in the New Testament or whether it was myth. A debate between two professors holding opposite views on this topic was held at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville Wednesday. The two men debated from two totally different backgrounds. William Lane Craig, defending the historicity of the Resurrection is a theologian and philosophy professor. Richard Carrier, defending the position that the Resurrection did not happen, specializes in Greek and Roman history. Both came at the topic from two different backgrounds, which led them to two opposite conclusions.

Craig argued that existential and historical evidence shows that the Resurrection happened as stated in the Bible. He said that there were four facts that had to be explained by those who did not believe in the historicity of the Resurrection:

--1. The fact that he was buried by a member of the Sanhedrin;
--2. The fact of the empty tomb, never disputed;
--3. The various appearences of the risen Jesus to various people;
--4. The fact that the Disciples believed in a physical literal resurrection.

Craig argued that all of these propositions were corroborated by multiple independent sources. He said that "as long as the tomb is full, there can be no Christianity." But the early sermons of Acts and Paul all established the Resurrection and that Matthew specifically wrote his book to defend against allegations that the Disiples had stolen the body from the tomb. He said that the Resurrection was first discovered by women, which he said were not considered reliable witnesses in the eyes of the Romans. Furthermore, Craig said the fact that it was a member of the Sanhedrin who killed Jesus who buried him combined with the fact that it was women who first witnessed the Resurrection meant that the Gospel accounts were historic works, not literary devices. Craig said that because Mark was "stark in its simplicity" compared to later accounts, that meant that its purpose was to provide a historical narrative. "The early Jewish polemicists presupposed there was an empty tomb," he said. "They had to find a way to explain it in a way that did not involve a resurrection."

Craig said that contrary to arguments claiming that Paul did not accept a resurrected body, he said that in fact, Paul envisioned a transformation from an earthly boy to a glorified transformational body, which Craig said was what happened to Jesus in Pauline theology. In addition, Paul listed many witnesses, including the 500, James, all the apostles, and then Paul himself. And Craig concluded that since Paul's epistles were written just a few years after the resurrection, they could not have been nonhistorical.

"There was multiple independent attestation that Jesus was resurrected from the dead," said Craig in concluding his opening statement. "Their leader was dead, Jewish beliefs precluded such a resurrection, so what could have caused the disciples to have such a powerful transformative experience?" Craig said that the best answer was that Jesus rose from the dead. "It explains the scope, the power of the message, it is plausible, it was not ad hoc or contrived, it was in accord with accepted Christian beliefs, and it far outstrips other theories.

But Carrier said that Craig's two sources, the epistles and the Gospels, had no relevant historical value. "They record myth, but not history," he said. He characterized the accounts of the Resurrection as a "hysterically unbelievable" myth in which even some of the names were fake. For instance, he said that Barnabbas was not a real name and that the accounts of the Gospels contained mythological symbolism. Specifically, Carrier said that the Gospels showed Jesus constantly reversing expectations and that there were coincidences that were "remarkably convenient" for it to be a historical narrative.

For example, instead of James and John on the cross, there were two thieves. The men, who were supposed to follow Jesus to the end, abandoned him while the women stayed with him, following him all the way to the cross and being the first to meet him afterwards. In fact, Carrier characterized Mark as having constructed his book from Old Testament and Roman accounts. Specifically, he said that the Crucifixion scene was borrowed from Psalm 23, while Genesis, Ecclesiastes, Chronicles, and Psalm 24 were other places from which he borrowed his book. As another example, Carrier said that the account on the road from Jerusalem was borrowed from similar Roman tales about their founder, Romulus. Lazarus, the person raised from the dead by Jesus, was "not noted elsewhere" but John, leading Carrier to conclude that it was a myth. Carrier said that the purpose of the Lazarus story in John was to argue against the account of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke and argue that if people were raised from the dead, people would be convinced. Matthew and Mark, said Carrier, were "wildly contradictory," with Matthew borrowing its resurrection account from Daniel in the Lion's Den.

"Histories are not written this way," continued Carrier, who proceeded to give examples and explanations. "There were darknesses and earthquakes at the time of the Crucifixion that nobody else recorded. Entire people and events were made up." Paul's knowledge, he said, was "revealed from Heaven." Referring to passages in Galatians and 1 Corinthians, he said that Paul supposedly derived all his knowledge from God. But Carrier said that "modern science shows" that there were much more naturalistic explanations, such as hallucinations, that explained Paul's revelations. "People all over the world have had these sorts of hallucinations," explained Carrier. "There is no evidence that Paul's experiences were an exception." He said that the writings and experiences of the early Christians were "religiously motivated hallucinations" and that there were many similar mystical Jewish sects that were flourishing at the time. In addition, Carrier said that the Cargo Cults and the Shakers and other such groups also had such religious experiences.

Carrier rejected the belief of the empty tomb, saying that there was no knowledge or investgation of a missing body, which would have happened had there been an empty tomb. "Most bodies don't rise from the dead," he said. Carrier said that even if there was a missing body, that still did not mean that it was resurrected. And he said that Jesus' behavior was not consistent with that of a savior who died and was resurrected for our sins. "If that was the case, then he would have appeared to the whole world," he argued. But Carrier said that the more naturalistic and logical explanation was that people who had these sorts of visions were respected as prophets at that time in ancient Jerusalem.

But Craig said that Carrier's views on the Resurrection were "outside the mainstream" of most scholarship, which he said treats the Resurrection as historic. Craig said that the purpose of Jesus appearences was to commission his disciples and that people who didn't hear the Gospel would not be judged on the same standards as those who did. Citing the accounts of the women seeing the risen Christ and the member of the Sanhedrin who buried Christ, he said that they were unlikely to have been included in a mythical work and that the purpose of the book was to describe events as they happened. In addition, Craig argued that there were plenty of events in the life of Jesus with no parallels, such as his anointing, for example.

"There are multiple independent sources attesting to the Resurrection of Christ," said Craig. Specifically, he cited the four Gospel accounts and the sermons of Acts. He said that it was therefore "irrelevant" that Paul learned of the Resurrection by revelation and that Mark was pre-Pauline, meaning that he could not have been influenced by Paul anyway. "I'm sorry, but there was no reversal of expectations," said Craig. "Mark was dominated by the fulfillment of Jesus' expectations. Matthew was written to address the alleged theft of Jesus from the tomb." He said that none of the naturalistic explanations explained the entire picture and that the alleged hallucinations only explained the appearences of Christ and did not explain anything else. "If you hallucinate about a dead person, you still realize that person is dead," said Craig.

But Carrier argued that most bodies that go missing don't do so because they were raised from the dead. He said that the burden of proof was on Craig to rule out naturalistic explanations before accepting a physical Resurrection. He said that there was no scholarly consensus and that Craig had ignored many who were agnostic about the Resurrection. "It was a remarkable coincidence that all these parallel stories appeared in Mark," he said. Referring to Craig's reference to the sermons of Acts, he said that it was common practice in ancient times for writers to make up speeches. For instance, Thucydides, the Greek historian who wrote about the wars between Athens and Sparta between 430 and 405 BC, when he was not physically present at an important political speech, wrote that he had his figures speak "as the occassion demanded of them."

Carrier said that it was "completely false" that women were not regarded as reliable witnesses in ancient Rome. "There was nothing embarrasing about Mark having women find Jesus first," he said. He said that the fact that women found Jesus first symbolized the fact that the least shall be first. "Mark put in the motifs that he wanted to write this," he said. Referring to the dispute about the tomb, Carrier argued that there was no dispute about the tomb because if the body had gone missing, there would have been an investigation and a trial. "We simply don't know what happened to the body," he concluded. He said that the hallucinations he said the early Christians experienced were totally typical behavior from cults wanting to move on from the death of their leader. "This is not psychoanalysis, but a matter of taking actual science into account to determine what happened," said Carrier.

But Craig said that early Christianity never would have arisen without an empty tomb and repeated his assertion that there were multiple indepenent sources attesting to an empty tomb. He said that the only things that women could testify to were their virginity or the fact that they were a widow and that Josepheus characterized women as "too tightheaded" and that they were only used when necessary. Therefore, it could not have been a fictional work and that it was therefore a historical account of what happened. He called Carrier's argument about coincidences "off the rails", said that the "reversal of expectations" theory was "concoted by my opponent", and called Carrier's interpretations of Paul "crank exegesis that no Pauline scholar would accept."

Carrier said that Christians "regularly" hallucinated during those times and asked, "what are the odds that all these coincidences are historical?" He said that there were various allegorical names sprinkled in the New Testament and various coincidences; for instance, Salame, one of the women who was with Jesus until the end, was the feminine name for Solomon. The empty tomb, for instance, he said was similar to the tomb of Asa in the Old Testament. Carrier said the Crucifixion Story was borrowed from Psalms 22-24, citing what he called similar concepts and wording. The story of the naked boy who ran away from the soldiers at the time of Jesus' capture and the messenger at the tomb in Mark, said Carrier, were borrowed from Roman mystery narratives. "It's strange that Jesus just appeared to a few people if he wanted to save the whole world," he said. "There were all these amazing coincidences that my opponent would have you believe as historical facts. These Christians were prone to hallucinations. The Gospels were fabricated on a regular basis. There was no interest in reporting fact." He said that there were multiple independent sources in ancient times telling about the stories of Hercules, but that did not make Hercules a historical figure.

Route 46 to be closed Monday east of NN

The Missouri Department of Transportation has announced that roadwork has been scheduled for MO 46 in Worth County Monday, March 23rd (weather permitting.) Area maintenance crews will close MO 46 for a culvert replacement one quarter mile east of Route NN from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Also on Monday, crews will close MO 46, one quarter of a mile west of Route NN from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. for a culvert replacement. Motorists will need to choose alternate routes during this time.

Statewide Crop Insect Monitoring to Begin

Statewide Crop Insect Monitoring to Begin
Each year, the Extension Service places traps across the state to monitor insects pests that can damage Missouri Crops. Insect pests are a major factor that can lead to injury to the state’s crops and impact the state’s economy.
Many of the insects can migrate from southern United States such as Black Cutworm which cuts corn plant off at the soil surface and under dry conditions below the ground which kills the plants. Sticky traps which have a surface that once the insect lands on the trap, it becomes stuck are placed across the state to monitor this insect. The trap also has a pheromone which attracts the insect to the trap.
Research indicates that Black Cutworm moth flights need to reach a particular threshold for an outbreak to occur. Also, by knowing the size of the cutworm moth flight, our models can reasonably predict when growers should be in the field to look for this particular insect. The model also uses heat units or growing degree days to estimate how fast the insect will be at the stage it will injure corn.
Other insects may overwinter locally. They over-winter as a pupae or other stage and can emerge to attack crops. Insects are impacted by a variety of factors which can cause an insect population to explode and also crash. Monitoring is important along with scouting.
Regional Extension Agronomists conduct trapping of insect pests. The results of trapping are reported and found on the web at http://ppp.missouri.edu/pestmonitoring.
Also, there are reports on True Armyworm, Japanese Beetle, European Corn Borer, Southwest Corn Borer, Western Bean Cutworm, Corn Earworm, Tobacco Budworm, Fall Armyworm, Beet Armyworm and Soybean Looper. One can go to this site and subscribe to pest monitoring alerts. Once there, you can select which insect you would like alerts from.
For more information, contact Wayne Flanary at 660-446-3724 and Heather Benedict at 660-425-6434, Regional Agronomists, University of Missouri Extension.

Jack Remembers for 3-25-09

Charlie Landolt made money and enjoyed spending it. He was a friend and I envied him. Charlie and a couple of his partners from south of St. Louis had a company named Land of Lakes. They had projects all over the state with three in Lafayette County. The largest was Lake Lafayette, located south of Odessa. They always had a sales office a couple of miles from the projects, which were normally a lake surrounded by lots. The lake was never built until they had sold enough lots to pay for it. They had a beautiful colored picture of what the project would look like completed hanging on the wall. The lots back then sold for $5,000 to $10,000, with $90 down. Sometimes the salesmen would sell a lot and never have to take the buyer to the actual location of the development.
Charlie called me one day and invited me to come to Kansas City, where he was going to wine and dine the County Assessors who were having a convention in the old Muehlbach Hotel. At that time there was a block long strip of bars on 12th Street located where the Marriott is now. Charlie had rented one of the bars, put a guard on the door, and allowed only assessors and their guest in. Drinks and food were on him for the duration of the Assessor’s Convention. The place was always packed and quite successful for him to meet the assessors in the counties where he was developing projects.
When the convention ended, Charlie asked the owner of the bar what his tab was, and the owner replied, “$12,250.00. Charlie responded, “My lord, what would you take for the place, anyhow?” The owner said he had priced his business at $35,000.00. We drew up a Bill Of Sale for the business and contents that both parties signed, and Charlie gave him a check for $35,000.00. The owner took the check, was walking out the door, when he turned and told Charlie who was back behind the bar, “Mr. Landolt, you still owe me the $12,250.00.”
Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075 or jackremembers@aol.com

National Endometriosis Month

Endometriosis is a chronic condition that affects over 5.5 million women in the United States and Canada. Endometriosis occurs when the endometrium (tissue that lines the uterus) is found on the outside of the uterus and affects other reproductive areas of the body. These include the fallopian tubes, the ovaries, the area between the vagina and rectum, around the uterus and the pelvic cavity. The growth can also spread to other areas like the bladder, cervix, vulva and bowels.When women have their menstrual cycle, the uterine lining builds up, breaks down and then sheds. The blood and tissue from endometriosis builds up basically the same way but has no way of leaving the body, as menstrual blood does through the vagina. What then results for these women is internal bleeding and inflammation that cause intense pain, bowel problems, infertility problems and other symptoms.The most common symptoms of endometriosis include fatigue, infertility, painful sexual intercourse, intense pain before and during the menstrual cycle, painful urination and bowel movements during menstrual cycle, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, allergies, chemical sensitivities and frequent yeast infections.In the latter part of 2002, National Endometriosis Awareness Month was made official by Congress and the House Concurrent Resolution 291. The goal of National Endometriosis Awareness Month is to raise the public's awareness of this chronic disease as well as that of the medical community. The awareness campaign will highlight the need for further research, further treatments and for physicians to have a better understanding and compassion for their patients with this chronic disease. The need for a cure is also highly addressed.If you have endometriosis, or suspect that you do, there are many resources online to help you deal with your condition. As always, you should see your doctor if you have not been officially diagnosed.

General Health Clinic encourages you to speak with your healthcare professional with questions or concerns about endometriosis. 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, April 4 and Saturday, April 18. The clinic will be closed on Friday, March 27. Appointments can be made by calling 660-778-3209.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/628151/march_is_national_endometriosis_awareness.html?cat=70

Robinson Discusses Strengths, Weaknesses of Obama Education Plan

Superintendent Matt Robinson sat down with the Sheridan Express Thursday to ponder the strengths and weaknesses of President Barack Obama's education plan and what it might mean for the Worth County school. President Obama gave a major policy address on education last Tuesday that could affect local schools. Obama called for more charter schools, longer school days and school years, more funding for early education (which could boost the area Head Start program), merit pay for teachers, and making it easier to get bad teachers out of the classrooms.

Obama stated in the address, to the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, "Despite resources that are unmatched anywhere in the world, we have let our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short, and other nations outpace us. The relative decline of American education is untenable for our economy, unsustainable for our democracy, and unacceptable for our children. We cannot afford to let it continue. What is at stake is nothing less than the American dream." But Obama's problem is that while everyone -- including Superintendent Robinson -- agrees with this assessment of American education, the problem is that there are as many ways to address the situation as there are people in education. And Robinson's opinions of Obama's prescriptions ranged from the supportive ("I'm all for more funding for head start.") to downright opposed ("It's not in the best interests of our school or students to have charter schools.") to somewhere in between.

Robinson said that he was all for recruiting more highly-qualified teachers and putting them in the classrooms. He said that in order for that to happen, policymakers needed to find creative ways of identifying and recruiting such teachers from the private sector without diluting the rigorous standards required of teachers. "There are plenty of good people who can teach who are in other professions," he said.

Regarding any stimulus money for the district, Robinson said that he wasn't sure yet how the money was going to be divided up and that a lot would depend on the guidelines. He said that it was likely that it would be used for short-term projects rather than hiring more personnel or raising salaries, seeing that it was a one-time shot in the arm. For instance, it could be used on school projects such as heating and cooling, doors, or better security.

Regarding longer days, Worth County has already gone to longer days in order to meet new state requirements for graduation. And schools have started around Labor Day and ended by Memorial Day, give or take a week or two, for a long time. Robinson said that if the school were to have longer days, there might be problems with teachers wanting more pay for more work, which, in turn, would be a question of where the funding would come from. "And longer is not always better," he said.

Speaking about early childhood education, Robinson said that it was a push in the right direction. He said that brain research has shown that kids were likely to develop more in their earlier, which meant that it makes more sense to reach them at an early age. In fact, he noted that Colorado was looking at starting children in kindergarten at four years.

"I agree that we are behind in many ways," said Robinson. "School buildings need repair and we have lost a lot of good teachers to business," he said. But Robinson said that the school didn't just want federal mandates, he said that the school did a good job of controlling its own affairs and that he wanted to keep it that way. "It seems that we're always being asked to do more by the federal and state governments," he said. "It doesn't always seem fair, but that's the game we play." Robinson said that a lot of these issues would be solved by more equitable funding, citing the ongoing lawsuit by the school and many other schools against the state to try to force them to develop a more equitable funding formula.

But while he was generally for more local control, Robinson said that there was one area in which he "almost wished" for more of a federal role -- testing for students. He said that although Missouri has some of the most rigorous state testing in the country, it did not show up because Missouri was being compared to states with less rigorous testing.

Robinson said that one of the biggest challenges facing teachers was keeping up with the students; he noted that many times, students would master new technology before teachers did. "It's amazing what kind of original material that kids can produce with new technology," he said. He said that it was getting to the point where students were living in two different worlds -- one of their own and one in which they were getting drilled with questions all the time. "And then we wonder why we are not getting through," he said. Robinson said that he supported some forms of merit pay; for instance, although he thought pay based on test scores was a bad idea, he thought that rewarding teachers for going above and beyond the call of duty would be a good idea. For instance, teachers could be rewarded for doing professional development in the technology field in order to keep up with their students. "I'm all for merit pay if it's set up in the right way," said Robinson.

Robinson said that one of the dangers of putting in a merit pay system was that it risked creating a situation where it would be comparing apples and oranges. Missouri is one of the few states in the country which allows merit pay; however, he said that having a merit pay system based on test scores would not work because "there were too many variables." For instance, one group that tested well on the Missouri tests might be a totally different group than one that did not test so well. "On one hand, why shouldn't we reward those teachers who go beyond the call of duty?" he asked. On the other hand, Robinson said, "There are tons of variables that could account for how kids do on a test."

Obama called for more mentoring of teachers; however, Superintendent Robinson said that Missouri already has a strong mentoring program in place. In Missouri, new teachers are required to go through two years of mentoring with a more experienced teacher. He said that it was not a perfect system, but that if the school could keep a good teacher for five years, there is a good chance that they will stay. Robinson said that the success of a good mentoring program was dependent on individual situations; for instance, in a small school like Worth County, it was difficult for a teacher and their mentor to have common planning periods because the school had limited offerings. Another example involved the area of teacher dismissal; Robinson said that there was always a proceedure in place for schools in Missouri to deal with tenured teachers who were ineffective. He said that it depended on administrators doing their job and monitoring classrooms for effectiveness and documenting them; he said that while it was easy to dismiss teachers in their first year or two who were ineffective, it was a lot more difficult to do so if the teacher had set up roots in the community.

Nursing Home to Offer Scholarship Program

The Worth County Convalescent Center will offer a scholarship program to employees interested in obtaining a nursing degree. In return, employees must for the center for a minimum period of two years full-time (more than 32 hours a week) or three years part-time (16 to 32 hours a week). The center will provide $1,500 per semester for a total of three semesters in exchange for the commitment. Recipients must pass their licensure tests as either an LPN or an RN. If a candidate works part-time, they will be required to work at least 16 hours a week.
If the recipient were to fail to pass their test, fail to graduate from nursing school, or fail to complete their employment obligations to the center, then they would be required to pay back their scholarship to the center within two years at 9% interest. If a recipient were unable to fulfill the requirements of the contract due to becoming legally disabled or due to a certified health reason that prevents them from fulfilling the contract, then the monies would be forgiven.
The board reviewed the January profit and loss statement. The facility dropped to 36 patients for much of the last month, but added three more patients by the first part of March so that they are now at 39 patients, including three Part A patients.
Board President Scott Houk reported on a trip that he and Administrator Charlie Green and several board members and employees took to an ombudsman meeting. While there, they met with personnel from 5-6 other nursing homes and exchanged ideas. Houk said that the WCCC was doing well compared to similar projects; for instance, Schuyler County, which is twice the size of Worth County, only supported a 60-bed facility that was similar to Worth County's. He said that one facility had a ground-source heat pump that would take up a lot more land than what the facility owns, but that he said would save the facility a lot of energy costs; the main obstacles would be getting the land as well as the initial costs in putting it in.
Administrator Charlie Green reported that he had called Kristina Brudin of the Missouri Department of Transportation to inquire about the status of the grant for the new van and was told that it had never reached his desk, which means that the WCCC may have to start from scratch and reapply. However, Rolling Hills Creative Living of Albany has a van that they might be willing to give to the facility; Cathy James, who works at Rolling Hills, brought the van to the facility for Green and board members to inspect. Green reported that the 1983 van was now burning up a quart of oil every 300 miles and that the lift was not always working on it, especially in rainy weather.
The meeting was the last meeting for Board Member Wilbur Osborne, who is not seeking reelection. He said that things were looking up but that the stability of the facility depended on them continuing to get reimbursements. Administrator Green said that the facility was fortunate in that the county was prompt in reimbursing tax dollars; he noted that many other agencies had a problem with that.
Resident Merle Foley asked why the Bingo activities were being held in the dining area instead of the meeting room, which she said was designed for such activities. She said that the dining area was not big enough for Bingo and that she knew of several residents who would not go if they were being held in the dining area. On the other hand, Foley said that the meeting room was built for activities and that it could easily seat 20 for Bingo and that the dining area was too hot. Green responded that the staff had done surveys and that the majority of residents wanted to continue to hold it in the dining area. But Rose Dilley, another resident, said that was because the questions were poorly worded and confusing; for instance, she said that when she got the survey, it took her a long time to understand the questions. Green said that he knew of some residents who wouldn't come to the meeting room; he added that having activities in the dining area would be a selling point for people who walked in the door and saw active residents; he said that having Bingo in the meeting room instead of the dining room would require a longer response time from staff in the event of one of the residents needing assistance.
Board President Scott Houk said that this was an administrative issue and the board directed Green to work with the Residents' Council at their next meeting Thursday, but he suggested that the facility could have Bingo in the meeting room for people who didn't want to go to the dining area and vice versa. Board member Kaye Havner said that it was a matter of doing what it took to keep the residents happy.

Obituary -- Nina Evelyn (Coulter) Devers 1917-2009

Nina Evelyn (Coulter) Devers, born March 17th, 1917 in Omaha, NE, passed away March 6th, 2009 in Maryville. She was preceded in death by her parents, Rosie and Lafe Nail, husbands Lemuel Lee Devers in 1960 and Robert Lee Devers in 1968, brothers Leslie Coulter and Roy Chester Coulter, sister in law and husband Virginia and Justin Farrell.
Survivors include sons: Richard and Pat Devers, James and Grace Devers, both of Kansas City; daughter, Rosalie and Francis Durbin, Ravenwood; grandchildren: Steven and Deb Durbin, Paige, Keaton, and Slater, Craig, CO; Christopher and Susan Durbin, Amanda, Anna, and Zachariah, Lawson, MO; Janet and Andrew Lane, Denver, CO; Jay and Gretchen Devers, Addison, Robert, and Brynn, Kansas City; Dan Devers, Kansas City; Jane and Martin Wolfley, jacob, and Benjamin, Liberty; Jane and David Schiller and Austin, Springfield; Step-grandchildren Bob and Donna Farrell and family, Grant City; Tom Farrell and family, Gower; Bill and Bonnie Farrell and family, Smithville; and John and Marsha Farrell and family, Halls, MO.
Funeral services were held 11:00 a.m. Monday, March 9, 2009 at the Laura Street Baptist Church, Maryville, with Pastor Paul McKim officiating. Graveside services were held 1:30 p.m. at the Grant City Cemetery. Friends may call any time at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City. Memorials may be given to SSM Hospice of Northwest Missouri or Laura Street Baptist Church.

Northeast Nodaway Spring Sports Schedule

HIGH SCHOOL TRACK
March 26th -- Worth County Early Bird, 3:30; April 7th -- Rock Port Meet, 4:30; April 14th -- Blue Jay Relays, 1:30; April 16th -- Stanberry Meet, 4:15; April 21st -- Tiger Relays, 1:30; April 23rd -- Warrior Relays, 4:00; April 28th -- Bulldog Relays, 4:15; April 30th -- Cardinal Relays, 4:00; May 6th -- Platte Valley Conference Meet, 4:00; May 9th -- Districts; May 16th -- Sectionals; May 22nd to 23rd -- State Finals.

BOYS GOLF
March 24th -- West Nodaway Meet 1, 4:00 at Mozingo; March 30th -- Albany, 4:00; March 31st -- NEN Meet 1, 4:00 at Mozingo; April 1st -- Stanberry Meet 1, 4:00; April 7th -- Tarkio Meet, 4:00; April 16th -- NEN Meet 2, 4:00 at Mozingo; April 20th -- Maryville Tournament, 8:30 a.m. at Mozingo; April 22nd -- Stanberry Tournament, 9:00 a.m.; April 24th -- Mound City Meet, 4:00 p.m.; April 29th -- Stanberry Meet 3, 4:00 p.m.; May 1st -- NEN Meet 3, 4:00 at Mozingo.

7th Seed Tiger Boys Nearly Topple 2nd Seed Rockets

Worth County's boys, after falling behind 19-7 against West Nodaway, nearly came back and toppled the second-seeded Rockets in the opening round of district action Tuesdaybefore falling 64-55. The Tigers matched up well against West Nodaway, and they had given them a battle before falling 41-36 in the championship game of the Northwest Missouri Invitational Tournament. West Nodaway obviously wanted to avoid a repeat of that game and started off the game by pushing the ball up the floor as much as possible. It worked for much of the game as the Rockets led by as much as 16 at times. However, the Tigers matched their largest point total of the year as they finally started attacking the West Nodaway defense, in contrast to their passive play on offense over the last two weeks.

West Nodaway jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. But Worth County kept up for much of the first period as Kyler Hiatt found a seam against West Nodaway's zone press, Jonny Hughes scored from inside, and Todd Harding got a backdoor layup against West Nodaway's man to man. The game was marked by similar strategies from both teams as both sides threw multiple defensive looks at each other in order to throw each other off balance. But the Rockets closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run to lead 15-7 after one, and subsequently pushed it to 19-7 on the strength of their transition game.

But then Worth County got much more aggressive on defense, jumping some passes and taking away West Nodaway's aggression. Eli Mullock jumped a pass and went in for a layup; Alex Harmening got a putback and Jonny Hughes followed with a 3-pointer after the Tigers had forced a turnover off their man to man press. But West Nodaway solved that defense as they used two breakaway layups against the press to fuel a 9-0 run that gave them their biggest lead of the game at 30-14.

Worth County broke the run with a strong postup move from Kyler Hiatt and a baseline jumper from Todd Harding. Connor Nicholas got a steal and drive to push the lead back up to 33-18, but Eli Mullock scored off a backdoor cut and Kyler Hiatt scored off an inbounds play in the final 37 seconds of the first half and Worth County went into the lockerroom down 33-22.

West Nodaway went back up 37-24 off a Kolton Jones layup as they continued to try to push the pace. Jonny Hughes drew a 3-shot foul after getting a kickout from Eli Mullock and made all three shots, but the Tigers overreached on their press and Heath Harris was all alone for a layup to spark a 6-o run for the Rockets that pushed it back out to 16. But then, Coach Chris Healy put in Rylee Goolsby, and the 6'4" junior provided an immediate spark for the Tigers off the bench. He broke the West Nodaway run with a putback and Todd Harding hit a 3-pointer from the left wing . Goolsby drew a foul after grabbing an offensive board and then Kyler Hiatt scored inside off a quick hitter to get the deficit back under double digits at 43-35.

But West Nodaway went to Connor Nicholas to break the run and he went to the rack several times to put the Rockets back up 53-40 early in the fourth quarter. Kolton Jones' 3-point play capped the West Nodaway response, but Jonny Hughes hit a baseline 3-pointer to keep the Tigers afloat. Hiatt followed with a bucket off an inbounds play and Alex Harmening scored off a Hiatt steal to make it 55-47. West Nodaway began slowing it down to try to run out the clock, and they got a basket from Kolby Jones and a free throw from Nicholas to make it 58-47. But Hiatt scored consecutive baskets off a lob inside and a steal off the press to make it 58-51. Kolton Jones scored from inside and Nicholas scored a free throw to make it 61-51 with 1:44 left, but Hiatt answered right back with a strong cut and inside shot.

Rather than run the clock out, West Nodaway took an ill-advised shot that Hughes blocked and rebounded. Eli Mullock scored in inside shot to make it 61-55. Kolby Jones missed a wide-open layup and Worth County had a chance to cut it to 4, but Alex Harmening missed two free throws and Kolby Jones scored a layup against the Worth County press as they were trying to get the ball back.

Wrong Bluejays Advance to District Semifinals

The wrong Bluejays advanced to the District Semifinals Tuesday as the Rock Port Bluejays used seven 3-pointers and a 24-point fourth quarter to beat Northeast Nodaway 68-53 in opening round district action. However, the loss did not look quite so bad after Rock Port's next game, in which they erased a 16-point West Nodaway lead with four minutes left in the game and won 70-69 on a last-second shot.

Generally, Northeast Nodaway has started off fast in its games this year. However, the opposite was true against Rock Port as they fell behind 11-2 just 4 1/2 minutes into the game and could never catch up. The Bluejays had lit up the scoreboard in its last few games, including a 66-59 win over Tarkio in its final regular season game of the year that broke a long losing streak. Before that, they had scored 68 in losing efforts against DeKalb and CFX. But they could not solve Rock Port's man to man defense until it was too late. And Rock Port attacked one of Northeast's achilles heels as they repeatedly attacked the middle successfully in the early going to get some easy layups. After Rock Port's initial run, Tyler Davis kept the Bluejays in the game as he hit a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer from the left wing with 2:18 left that cut it to 11-7.

But Rock Port kept attacking the middle and pushed the lead back up to 21-11 with 5:54 left in the second. Colby Wiederholt broke the run with a free throw and Josh Wideman hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to cut it back to six. Rock Port went through a rare scoring lull, but Northeast could not cut it any closer than six thanks to some unforced errors as well as some traveling calls. The Bluejays trailed 29-20 at the half.

Rock Port extended its pressure in the third quarter, denying the wings and the posts and creating a bunch of bad passes as a result. Consequently, Rock Port took its biggest lead of the game at 38-26 off a D.J. Shallenberger 3-pointer. Rock Port had several different players who could pull the trigger, meaning that Northeast could not key on one. The lead stayed in double digits until Josh Wideman hit a pair of free throws and Colby Wiederholt scored off a fast break with 13 seconds left to cut it to 42-34. But Northeast gave up a drive and a shot from Chase Chamberlin at the buzzer, keeping the Rock Port lead at 10 going into the fourth.

Northeast switched to a 2-3 zone to try to slow Rock Port down, and it worked for the first two minutes of the fourth. But the Bluejays could not take advantage of it on offense as they only points they got were a shot from Tyler Davis. But Zach Murphy hit a pair of free throws and then Spencer Pierpoint stole an errant lob pass to push it right back up to 12. Bryce Farnan hit two free throws and Tyler Davis hit four as Northeast used a 6-1 run to cut it to 49-42 with still plenty of time left. But Treyton Lewis got a putback for Rock Port and then Murphy stole a lazy inbounds pass and converted a 3-point play to provide the dagger that broke Northeast's backs. Murphy would go on to steal another errant inbounds pass to cap a 6-0 run that left Rock Port up 62-46 with just under two minutes left.

Northeast Nodaway Girls Close Out Best Season in Seven Years

Northeast Nodaway girls closed out their best season in seven years with a gallant effort against Craig/Fairfax, but fell to the Bulldogs 51-40 in district semifinal action Wednesday night. Playing her last game of her career was Cammi Hansen, who developed into a strong role player for the Bluejays as well as a defensive stopper. The Bluejays figure to be one of the teams to beat in the area once again as they return everyone else to a 21-7 squad.

The Bluejays borrowed a page out of Worth County's playbook by employing the same defense that the Tigers used against CFX in their opening round game; they went to a 1-3 zone with Jacqueline Schulte guarding Whitney Harrington and denying her the ball. Schulte, still battling a case of strep throat, did her job admirably; not only did she hold Harrington to 9 points, she scored 14 points herself in the losing effort. But CFX's role players stepped up and filled in the void; Kelsey Sly scored 10 points, most of them during critical periods for the Bulldogs. And Amanda Geib scored 16 to lead all scorers for CFX.

Things started off well for Northeast as they scored the first six points of the game. CFX started out in a man to man to neutralize Northeast's 3-point shooting, which almost brought them back from the dead against the Bulldogs in their first meeting. But that allowed Northeast to slow down the game against the explosive CFX squad. Jacqueline Schulte scored from the left baseline, Blair Schmitz scored from the inside, and Kristin Sherry, playing with a stress fracture, scored from the left baseline after a Schmitz kickout. But then the Bulldogs rallied back and Sly hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put them in front 7-6.

That seemed to spark Craig/Fairfax, which went on to score 20 points in the second quarter despite Harrington not scoring her first points until the 2:36 mark in the period. CFX followed the lead of their opening-round game with Worth County, in which they started off slowly, but then used a strong second quarter to pull away. The game was played at their pace, as they were able to collect most of their points on drives, layups, and transition points. Northeast struggled at times against the relentless Bulldog press and Schulte was winded from battling her illness and guarding Harrington. Blair Schmitz tried to carry the Bluejays in the period, as she took a charge, got two free throws, and scored on a fast break after Kristin Sherry drove coast to coast and got her the ball. However, like the first game, she picked up her third foul and sat down for the last two minutes of the quarter. CFX led by as much as 25-12 before Schulte broke the run with a 3-pointer from the top of the key after Michelle Schulte collected an offensive board despite her small size and kicked it out to her.

Northeast finally began breaking the CFX press as Blair Schmitz got open inside twice and Jacqueline Schulte drove against the press and missed a shot, but Michelle Schulte collected the putback on their third chance; that cut the Bulldog lead to 29-21. The game went into a long lull as Northeast couldn't buy a defensive board, but CFX was stymied by traveling calls as they were having trouble solving Northeast's 1-3-1 that they employed successfully against DeKalb. Harrington picked up her third foul, but Northeast gave up one offensive board too many and Geib's putback sparked a 6-0 run that put CFX back in control at 35-21 with 1:21 left. Schulte hit a transition 3-pointer after Northeast burned the press, but Geib's drive with 3 seconds left kept Craig/Fairfax in control at 36-24.

Back came the Bluejays at the start of the fourth qaurter, sparked by the play of Jessica Redden. She opened the scoring with an inside shot off an inbounds play; she would play strong defense against their inside game. Jacqueline Schulte followed by a drive down the middle against the pressure and hit a pair of free throws, causing CFX to take off their press for a few plays. Kristin Sherry hit a shot from the right wing after a Michelle Schulte drive and kickout, and the Bluejays were within striking distance at 36-30. But Craig/Fairfax spread out the floor and isolated Harrington, and her drive to the basket and a subsequent steal and drive by Geib put the lead back up 40-30 with 4:08 left. The teams traded buckets down the stretch, but the Bulldogs' role players stepped up again as they scored the last seven points for their team. Amanda Yocum's 3-point play gave the Bulldogs a 47-34 lead with 2:06 left.

Jacqueline Schulte struck again, driving to the basket with 1:55 to kickstart a Bluejay rally. Michelle Schulte scored off a Schulte kickout and Taylor Dougan, recovering from an injury enough to play, came off the bench to chip in a shot from the left wing with 1:10 left to cut the margin to 47-40 with 1:10 left. But CFX went to Sly, and she hit four for four from the line in the final 56 seconds to deny Northeast a comeback and a chance to play Jefferson.

Bluejay Girls, Under the Weather, Still Breeze Past Mustangs

Northeast Nodaway's girls played their best game of the year last Thursday, a 40-32 win over Tarkio. The Indians had beaten CFX, the team that hung 73 on Northeast, by 5, and they are a 2A powerhouse. Seemingly, the Bluejays stretched themselves to their limits with the win; Jaqueline Schulte came down with a nasty case of the flu which did not go down until just before gametime. Kristin Sherry injured her right foot and was wearing it in a cast; Taylor Dougan was also out with an injury. But Coach Ryan Davis said before the game that the team would be just fine in their opening-round district matchup with North Nodaway, and the 50-33 score bore him out.

North Nodaway figured to put up a better fight than the last time the two teams met; they were putting points on the board. They had played Tarkio tough, losing by only 10; they had also scored 47 against CFX even though they lost. With the addition of freshman Ali Ramsey, they suddenly developed several different scoring options. But Northeast started off the game strong and never allowed the Mustangs to get going until it was too late. Schulte, although under the weather, was still a factor and the rest of her teammates all picked up the slack, with five different players getting between six and ten points on the night. That made Northeast an extremely difficult team to stop. Defensively, the Bluejays played lights-out, shutting down their shooters until it was too late for the Mustangs to make up the difference.

The Mustangs tried to keep up with Northeast's offense and the two teams traded buckets. But then Northeast began attacking the middle successfully against North Nodaway's man to man and began to pull away. Emily Bryant had four points in the period while Kristin Sherry, showing no ill effects from her bad foot, had six in the period and playing as physical as she had all year. They managed to jump out to an 18-9 lead after one quarter despite getting only one point in the period from Jacqueline Schulte.

Northeast started the second quarter off strongly as Emily Bryant drove to the basket and hit a floater and Kristen Sherry posted up inside and got a pass from Blair Schmitz to make it 22-9. But a steal and 3-point play from Ramsey seemed to put the brakes on Northeast and the game slowed down to a prolonged crawl for the next several minutes. Northeast led 25-14 at the break.

The Mustangs went to a 2-3 zone to start the third quarter, hoping to force Northeast to miss their outside shots and hoping to capitalize on the resultant fast break opportunities on the other end. For the first four minutes of the third period, the strategy worked as North Nodaway crept closer, at 27-18. But then, Northeast began getting the ball into Blair Schmitz, who then kicked it out to the open person; Coach Ryan Davis said that his players shot much more confidently when the ball was kicked out to them. Schmitz would go on to lead with six assists, mostly when kicking the ball out to open players. Michelle Schulte hit a pair of open shots, and Jacqueline Schulte added a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

With the Northeast lead back up to 15, North Nodaway tried to extend their pressure out of the zone, but that simply created more opportunities for dribble penetration and offensive rebounding opportunities. Blair Schmitz got a putback and a shot from the high post in transition after a steal and Jacqueline Schulte added a shot from the top of the key and Kenzie Waldeier rounded out the Northeast scoring in the third with a putback with 8 seconds left that left the Bluejays up 42-19.

The Mustangs went to their bench to try and provide a spark, and they went on a brief 4-0 run in the first minute of the fourth quarter as Coach Ashley (Pride) Yount put in Karie Ogle, Paige Baker, and Sarah Workman. Baker hit a pair of free throws and a freshman, Nikki Larabee, posted up and scored inside. But Northeast reestablished control as Rachel Runde came off the bench to hit a pair of left baseline jumpers against the zone and Kristin Sherry hit another one. Michelle Schulte scored off an Emily Bryant steal as they ganged up on and trapped a Mustang player and stripped her of the ball to cap the scoring on the night for Northeast and give them a 50-25 lead. Coach Ryan Davis then turned it over to his bench, and North Nodaway never got the deficit under 20 until the closing seconds.

Tigers Throw Scare into State-Ranked CFX Before Falling

Worth County's girls threw a scare into state-ranked CFX before falling to them 58-18 Monday in district action. The loss ended their season with only two wins on their ledger, both of them near the end of the year. But Coach April Healy said that she was upbeat about the team despite her team's disappointing record and the one-sided score. "They played hard for me the whole season," she said. "A lot of teams could have gotten down on themselves in that sort of situation, but these girls did not. I was spoiled, because they were really easy to coach." Healy said that the time for them to improve would be in the offseason; she said that she would set up a basketball camp so that they could learn more about the game and that she would try to bring in an automatic rebounder so that players could come in and shoot during the summer months. "I'll be asking a lot from them during the offseason, because we will have some big shoes to fill," she said.

Playing their last games as Tigers were Jessica Borey and Haley Green. "We asked Jessica to do everything for us," said Healy. "She played entire games, guarded the other team's best shooter, and brought the ball up the floor for us. She improved so much during the year. Haley Green was physical, rebounded well, and always posted up hard. We ran more sets than anyone this year, and teams had to go to zone against us. I was proud of the fact that everyone on the team learned them and could run them on the floor at any time."

CFX jumped out to a 5-2 lead three minutes into the game. But Worth County successfully slowed them down for a long time with a box and one on Whitney Harrington. Jessica Borey took a charge on her, which seemed to take away a lot of their aggression early on. The Tigers broke CFX's full court press and were able to take big chunks of time off the clock, allowing them to slow the game down against the fast-paced Bulldog squad. After Brooke Adams hit a shot from the high post, cutting it to 5-4 at the 4:16 mark, the score was stuck there as Harrington and Geib were bottled up and nobody else could pick up the slack for CFX. Finally, in an effort to change the tempo of the game, CFX went to man to man, but Jessica Borey burned it as she drove down the right side and fed Haley Green for a layup with 1:40 that put them up 6-5.

Harrington finally got going with an NBA 3-pointer with 1:10 left; Haley Green's free throw with 58 seconds left was answered with a putback by Gieb at the buzzer that made it 10-7. For the first two minutes of the second quarter, the game turned into a defensive slugfest, with neither side able to get anything going. Finally, Harrington scored off a backdoor cut with 5:42 left and followed it up with a 3-pointer from the top of the key off a steal, and things began to fall apart for Worth County. The Tigers slipped back into their old habit of settling for rushed shots and forcing passes that were not there after breaking the press. Haley Green picked up her third foul and had to sit on the bench, and Amanda Yocum was all alone for a fast break layup after a breakdown on transition defense. Jessica Borey's free throw with 3:27 left off a drive cut it to 18-8, but then Chelsea Miller scored two free throws and Rebecca Geib scored off a steal.

The game was still remotely competitive at 22-8, but then a phantom foul call on Jessica Borey, who had a clean block on a Whitney Harrington shot, seemed to take the fight out of the Tigers. The call was so bad that even the CFX fans thought that the official made a bad call against the Tigers. Harrington made one out of two free throws on the play and then following a turnover, converted a four-point play when she knocked down a 3-pointer from 30 feet out to make it 27-8.

Worth County kept up with CFX during the first three minutes of the third quarter. They countered a couple of buckets by Geib and one by Harrington with a shot from the right wing from Ashley Reynolds in transition and a baseline shot from Brooke Adams. That kept the deficit at 33-12. But CFX was pounding the ball inside to Geib and Green drew her fourth foul, which opened the floodgates for another run. They finished off the Tigers with a 14-0 run in a three-minute span than left them up 47-12 before Jessica Borey broke the run with a drive and shot from the high post. The Bulldogs continued to play the game at their speed, getting another rash of transition buckets and layups; Worth County went scoreless for another eight minutes before Borey scored off a steal and drive with 2:20 left in regulation and Delaney Davidson scored an inside shot with 27 seconds left to round out the scoring.

Public smoking ban could change habits, affect business

A proposed bill in the Missouri legislature that would ban most smoking in public places has some local businesses owners concerned. They say that the bill would be unenforceable and that people would just find ways around the ban anyway. Jim Harrell of Jim's Friendly said that as an ex-smoker, he said that second-hand smoke didn't bother him, but that it bothered others. But he said that it would hurt city businesses. "I know of 2-3 bars in Independence that closed after they passed a smoking ban there," he said. "One bar had been there for several years." And he said that up in Iowa, which has such a smoking ban, he said that most people would simply go outside to have a smoke anyway, which would render such a law unenforceable. However, Harrell said that he could live with a bill that allowed designated smoking areas.

Barb Rowe of the Sheridan Diner said that "it was a good way for the government to lose tax dollars," saying that the government would have to raise taxes on other people to make up for the people who quit smoking and quit paying the $6.10/carton tax. Rowe said that people would simply "sneak a smoke" to get around public smoking bans. "I worked in substance abuse for several years, and knowing how addictive these things can be, it is very hard for people to quit smoking," she said. She said that she had gotten no complaints about second-hand smoke from customers.

Kevin Austin of Country Corners said that he would not have a problem with such a ban, provided that it allowed for designated smoking areas. He talked about the work of Smokebusters, an R-III student organization that discourages people from starting smoking; they gave a presentation to the Worth County School Board asking them to make the school smoke-free. He said that the young people were the ones who would live with the decisions of today; "If they want such a ban, I'm all for it," he said. Austin said that such a ban, combined with increased cigarette taxes and corporate mergers, would drive more people to quit in the coming years.

Proponents of the public smoking ban say that it is not a matter of personal choice, but that it is a public health issue; they say that there is a link between second-hand smoke and health problems. For instance, the Missouri Youth Adult Alliance cites figures in Italy saying that heart attacks dropped by around 10% among older adults after such a ban was enacted in Italy. But the gambling industry is one of the big opponents of such a ban, citing what they say are hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues annually in states that have such a ban compared to states which don't have such a ban. For instance, Missouri, which doesn't have such a ban, gained revenues while states that do have such a ban lost gambling revenues. That would mean less money for schools, which take a portion of money from gambling revenues.

Trojans Butched!

Ashley Reynolds scored 15 points, all in the second half, as Worth County's girls picked up their second win of the year in an emotional senior night. It was the last home game for Haley Green and Jessica Borey; however, it was Reynolds who carried the Tigers in the second half and refused to let them lose against the Trojans and allow them to pick up their lone win of the season. Her teammates nickname her "Butch" and for good reason, as her physical play was the difference after a ragged first half by both teams.

Green scored on an easy layup after a drive down the right side from Jessica Borey and Borey drove into the high post for a 15-footer to make it 4-0 right off the bat. However, the Tigers were victimized by the hacking and fouling problems that had plagued them earlier in the year as Reynolds was sent to the bench with three fouls and Green with two. Nodaway-Holt fought back to tie at 4; however, the Tigers made a run with Green and Reynolds on the bench as Brooke Adams connected from inside and Jessica Borey scored off a Lauren Null steal off the Tiger press. Worth County was able to use their zone press to good effect against the slower Trojans all night.

Whitney Keith's free throw closed the gap to within 10-9 at the 7:09 mark of the second quarter; however, Brooke Gilland connected from the right wing and Jessica Borey scored a 3-pointer in transition as the Tigers pushed their lead back up to 15-9. But Worth County was fortunate to be ahead 17-13 at the break as they were constantly making bad passes in the period; however, Nodaway-Holt was not much better at taking care of the ball.

But with the game in doubt, Ashley Reynolds scored the first nine points of the third period for the Tigers; she scored on an inside shot, a free throw, a baseline jumper, and two rebound putbacks as the lead swelled to nine points several times in the period. Lauren Null's free throws with one minute left made it 30-21. But then, Nodaway-Holt, sensing their last chance to get a win slipping away, put on a press. Jodi Holmes closed out the third with a left wing shot, Alycia Keith opened the fourth with a 3-pointer, and Crystal Poppa hit two free throws to bring it back to within 30-28. But then, the Trojans got "Butched" again; they seemingly got a stop and a defensive board when Reynolds came out of nowhere to strip the rebounder and lay it in to make it 32-28. That was a four-point swing; instead of the game being tied, the Tigers were up by four. Holmes hit a 3-pointer, but Brooke Gilland hit a free throw and Haley Green scored on an inside shot after Jessica Borey drove the right baseline to make it 35-31.

Back came the Trojans again as Holmes was seemingly playing the role of Hector, stealing the ball at will and denying the Tigers chances to run the clock out. Holmes' two free throws and an inside shot from Hailey Poppa finally tied the game at 35 with 3:38 left. Brooke Gilland then traveled with the basketball and Nodaway-Holt came back with a chance to take the lead. But unlike other occasions when they had the lead late in the game, the Tigers did not roll over, and the Trojans got "Butched" again. Hailey Poppa drove down the right baseline with just over three minutes left, going in for an ill-fated layup that would have put the Trojans in front for the first time all game. But she traveled with the basketball, and Reynolds found a seam in the high post, connecting from 15 feet to put the Tigers back in front. Holmes missed two 3-pointers that would have put Nodaway-Holt up by one, and they never got another chance as Reynolds connected again from the same spot to make it 39-35 with 1:52 left.

At that point, even though it was still a game, the looks of defeat were apparent in Nodaway-Holts' eyes; after the teams exchanged turnovers, Haley Green jumped a pass and the Tigers ran a big chunk off the clock before Reynolds was fouled and went to the line for a 1-1. She missed, but Green got a key offensive rebound and Crystal Poppa shoved Reynolds in frustration with 40 seconds left and drew an intentional foul; Reynolds connected to give the Tigers a 41-35 lead. Jessica Borey hit another pair of free throws with 13 seconds left to round out the scoring for the Tigers.

The game was rounded out by an emotional senior night tribute in which seniors Haley Green and Jessica Borey got a group hug from all their teammates before going out onto the floor with their parents.

One of the key stats for the Tigers was in the rebounding department; they outrebounded Nodaway-Holt, an excellent rebounding team, 38-33 for the night. Besides Reynolds, Brooke Adams had 8, Jessica Borey had 7 despite her small 5'1" size, and Haley Green and Brooke Gilland have 5 each. Borey had six steals to lead the Tigers; Brooke Adams, Haley Green, and Lauren Null each had 3. Shooting had been a problem all year for the Tigers and they still missed their share; however, Reynolds shot 7 for 11 from the field Friday night as she followed Coach April Healy's advice to "get her feet set."

Dismal Finale for Worth County Boys

In a dismal finale for Worth County's boys, they lost to the Nodaway-Holt Trojans in their final regular season home game of the year 60-43. Northeast Nodaway's five point loss to the same team earlier in the year all of a sudden did not seem so bad after the way that the Trojans manhandled the Tigers Friday night. Seemingly demoralized after their heartbreaking one-point loss to Princeton, the Tiger boys limp into districts having lost five out of their last six, most of them blowout losses in games that were winnable on paper. Playing in their last home game of the year were Jonny Hughes and Kyler Hiatt, both of whom will be tough to replace next year.

The game was essentially over after the first quarter. Michael Brown ran wild for the Trojans in the period, scoring the first nine points of the game off steals and 3-pointers; he would go on to score 14 in the period as Nodaway-Holt hung 21 on Worth County and led 21-10. Jonny Hughes tried to keep up, scoring six of Worth County's first eight points off a drive, a baseline jumper, and a backdoor cut off an Eli Mullock drive. However, nobody else wanted the ball as passes were going through peoples' hands. And when Kyler Hiatt went to the bench with two fouls late in the first quarter, the Tigers fell apart, settling for quick 3's rather than trying to get a good shot.

Zach Harmening took a charge early in the second quarter, which seemed to make the Trojans think twice about going to the rim for a while and slowing them down. But Worth County could not take advantage of their lull as Hiatt picked up his third foul, balls continued to go through peoples' hands, and the Tigers could only muster six points. Rather than being down by single digits and having a chance to make a game of it in the third period, Worth County still trailed by 11 at the half, 27-16.

Hughes scored a driving layup to cut it to nine and Brown picked up his fourth foul for the Trojans, but once again, Worth County failed to take advantage of their chance to get back in the game. Easy shots went in and out, players began showing frustration and not getting back on defense, and they were doing too much dribbling without a purpose on offense. Consequently, Nodaway-Holt made a 12-0 run, mostly with Brown on the bench, to lead 39-18 before Hughes broke the run with a shot from the right wing. But a 7-0 Nodaway-Holt run late in the third and early in the fourth was capped when Carson Long snatched an offensive board from three Tigers players who were standing and staring at the ball and put it back in at the 7:00 mark.

Worth County finally got a mild rally going as free throws from Todd Harding and a Jonny Hughes 3-pointer and a free throw made the score more respectable at 52-36. But Hughes fouled out and Brown came back off the bench to hit free throws down the stretch for Nodaway-Holt.