Worth County Sheriff's Report

4-22 – Resident calls about mules out on Route K.
4-22 – Officer investigates report of tombstones under bridge at Iowa line; stones were sold as rip-rap to Iowa.
4-23 – No reports.
4-24 – St. Joe News calls about drug takeback.
4-25 – Worth County officer in to do court duty.
4-25 – A person in with statement concerning vandalism.
4-25 – Report of calf out on 169 south.
4-26 – Casey’s reports possible assault on parking lot; officer investigating.
4-26 – Report of bull out at C&M junction; owner notified.
4-26 – Person calls about attempted theft at residence.
4-26 – Person in for CCW renewal.
4-26 – Officer serving papers in Grant City.
4-26 – Person calls about a wreck near his home; Worth County officer and Highway Patrol investigating.

To report a problem, contact the secure phone line at (660) 564-2222. For emergencies, call 911.

Recent Rains Wash Out Claypool Bridge Approach

Recent rains have washed out the Claypool Bridge approach east of Grant City and the county is in the process of figuring out if they can get disaster money to repair it. One day of rain dumped five inches on the area and raised river levels up to near the edge of the banks. More rains are forecast for later this week and temperatures are forecast to be in the 30's and 40's. Emergency Management Director Pat Kobbe said that there was a hazard mitigation grant out there for bridges that are recurring problems; however, she said that the process would take over a year. Most of the damage this time affected the eastern portion of the state; Worth and Mercer counties were the two westernmost counties in the state that have sent in damage reports.

Jack Baker came to discuss details of the Old 169 road closure north of Grant City involving the transfer of lands.

J.W. Harding came in to request work on road 252 between Grant City and Allendale and 179 east of Denver. In general, roads have to have 450 tons per mile to have sufficient gravel base; landowners and interested parties can take out emergency rock at $150/load to build up roads so that they can reach the 450 ton threshold so that they can receive tax rock. Emergency rock is delivered in load lots, meaning that landowners cannot purchase $75 for half a load of emergency rock. Landowners can put on 3" rock if necessary. Landowners can also take out CART during designated time periods and the county will match a certain portion; the county advertises signup periods for that. Last year, the county matched 70% of CART money. The county will have Jim Fletchall look at the two roads in question. In general, it is not county policy to gravel roads that are gated shut by landowners.

Economic Developer Tammy Ueligger reported that five vendors showed up for the Gardener's Expo on Saturday. She asked the commissioners for direction on what they wanted to do. She said that she was planning to do another buy local campaign. She reported that she had received four applications from students interested in summer work programs. She said that it would cost an estimated $7,200 to fix the outside wall of the Francom Building; this price tag does not include any work that needs to be done on the roof.

The Nodaway County line road west of Sheridan has a tube out on Alder Avenue. It washed out sometime last week. The county will check into whether it is their responsibility or Independence Township's responsibility to fix the tube. Under the agreement between the two parties, the county is responsible for part of the road and the township is responsible for part of the road.

The commission granted permission for the Worth County Fire Auxiliary to hold their Worth County Smokeoff on August 9th and 10th on the Courtyard and in the streets. They also granted permission for use of the restrooms. The Auxiliary will use the city's utilities and will shut down the square on August 9th. They will not use the Gazebo; they will be bringing their own stage. 

Andrew Mullock Wins Pole Vault at Mound City with Vault of 11'3"; Girls 2nd

Andrew Mullock broke through a big barrier as he beat his personal best in the Pole Vault by 1'3" and won at Mound City with a vault of 11'3". That was over one foot better than the second place finisher. Brevyn Ross also broke through a barrier in the 300 Hurdles; he had been coming close all year in that event. Finally, he broke through at Bethany and Mound City, setting a personal best at Mound City by over a second and winning with a time of 43.13. Cole Parman was 6th in that event with a time of 47.18. The girls performed well in Mound City, finishing second while the boys were fourth in that event.

The girls were 2-3 in the discus with Kaitlyn Davidson finishing second with a throw of 99'4" and Rebecca Moore finishing third with a throw of 88 feet. The boys were also 2-3 as Dallas Greenland was second with a throw of 133'10" and Josh Warner followed behind him with a throw of 116'6".

Kaitlyn Davidson continued her recent success in the Shot Put, winning handily with a throw of 35'7". Taylor Causey was 5th with a throw of 29'3 1'2".

The boys were 2-3 in the Shot Put. Lane Craven was second with a throw of 43'2 1'2" while Josh Warner was right behind him with a throw of 43' 1/2".

Grant Parman was second in the Long Jump with a leap of 18'2 1/2", continuing to place near the top of that event as he has all year.

Rikky Hunt came close to a personal best in the Triple Jump as she was 5th with a leap of 29'1 3/4". Dylanie Abplanalp did not place, but she set a personal best in that event by over a foot as she had a throw of 23'6 1/2".

Grant Parman was 6th in the Triple Jump with a jump of 37'5".

Claire Andrews continued her dominance in the Pole Vault with a vault of 9'6", beating out Alex Phillips of Mound City and Shelbie White of Tarkio. Tess Andrews was 6th with a vault of 6'6".

Sydney Thummel broke the 14 second barrier in the 100 and needed every bit of it as she beat out Madison Taylor of Rock Port by one hundredth of a second in the most exciting race of the afternoon. She won with a time of 13.96 to Madison Taylor's 13.97.

Sydney was moved from the hurdles to the relays and the 4x200 finished second with a time of 1:59.76. Other members were Katie Mullock, Haven Schottel, and Rikky Hunt. The boys were third with a time of 1:43.73.

The girls 4x100 team of Rikky Hunt, Kaitlyn Davidson, Ally Buffington, and Malori Moellenberndt finished 5th but came close to a personal best, getting a time of 58.27. The boys team set a personal best and finished second with a time of 47.35.

The Tigers placed two in the 400. Sydney Thummel was 4th with a time of 1:08.53 while Haven Schottel was 6th with a time of 1:11.17.

Sydney Thummel was 2nd in the 200 with a time of 29.47.

Both 4x400 teams placed in the final event of the day. The girls were second and set a personal best with a time of 4:43.24. Members were Katie Mullock, Haven Schottel, Kristen Andrews, and Malori Moellenberndt. The boys were 5th with a time of 4:02.98.

Kristen Ross Breaks 14 Second Barrier in Hurdles at Junior High Tiger Relays

Kristen Ross set a personal best and broke the 14 second barrier to lead the Worth County Tigers in the Junior High Relays Thursday. She needed every bit of it as she won the event with a time of 13.93 and beat out Tarkio's Shelby McCartney by two hundredths of a second in the closest race of the afternoon.

The girls were third in a tough field that featured perennial track powerhouse Rock Port, who won with 91 points. South Nodaway, with a pair of twins who dominated the distance events, was second with 69 points. Worth County was third with 53.5 points, but got some good performances. The girls beat out a Mercer squad that had given them a run for their money in Albany and beat out a North Nodaway squad that had beaten them at the Early Bird. The boys were seventh with 28 team points.

Aubrey Staton placed in both throwing events. She was 6th in the Shot Put with a throw of 28'8 and was 2nd in the Discus with a throw of 70'1".

The girls placed two in the Pole Vault. Dominique Findley and Sidney Troutwine tied for third in the event with a vault of 5'6".

The boys finally got on the board in the Pole Vault as they placed two in that event. Lucas Caddenhead was 2nd with a vault of 8 feet. Will Engel was 4th with a vault of 6 feet.

Kristen Ross was third in the Long Jump with a leap of 13'6 1/2".

Grace Schottel continued to showcase her versatility. She was third in the 100 with a time of 14.51, .3 seconds behind Bailey Owens of Mercer. Then, she placed 5th in the 1600 but took several seconds off her previous personal best and 18 seconds off her Albany time to finish with a time of 6:16. Then, she ran on the 4x400, which finished second to Rock Port with a time of 4:57. They beat out a North Nodaway team that had beaten them earlier this year.  Other members of the 4x400 were Payton Adwell, Quinci Schottel, and Sidney Troutwine.

Kristen Ross picked up her third medal of the afternoon with a 5th place finish in the 200 with a time of 30.90.

The boys team of Cade Allee, Wade Rush, Lucas Caddenhead, and Jordan Huntsman was 4th in the 4x200 with a time of 1:55.83.

The girls 4x100 team of Belle Babb, Aubrey Ragan, Darbi Weddle, and Rachel Gardner was 4th with a time of 1:00.89. The boys team of Ryan McClellan, Wade Rush, Lucas Caddenhead, and Tevin Cameron was 5th with a time of 56.81.

Brandon Fletchall was 5th in the 800 with a time of 2:36.83.

The boys 4x400 was 2nd with a time of 4:21. Team members were Lucas Caddenhead, Wade Rush, Jordan Huntsman, and Cade Allee.

Obituary -- Lois Pauline Constant 1923-2013

Lois Pauline Constant, 90, Sheridan, passed away April 24, 2013 at the Worth County Convalescent Center in Grant City. She was born April 11, 1923 in Guss, IA to Charles Montgomery and Ida May (Hardee) Pullen. She grew up on a farm near Bedford, IA and graduated from Bedford High School in 1942.

On October 2, 1945 Lois married Keith Constant and moved to Sheridan, where she lived her entire life. She helped Keith with his trucking business, often driving one truck hauling grain and livestock. In 1967, she began work as a Postal Clerk in Sheridan, becoming postmaster in 1977. She retired in 1987 to help care for her daughter Sharon. She was a member of the Sheridan United Methodist Church and the American Legion Auxiliary.

Lois is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Keith, daughter Sharon, three brothers, and five sisters. She is survived by daughter Linda (Eugene) Keats of Stewartsville, brother Delmar (Lillian) Pullen of Council Bluffs, grandchildren Josh (Laura) Parman of Sheridan and Melissa Parman of Kirksville, four great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Graveside services and interment were held 2:00 Friday, April 26, 2013 at the Grant City Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to the Sheridan United Methodist Church or to Hands of Hope Hospice.

Obituary -- Robert Wyer 1925-2013

On April 23, 2013 our beloved Robert Wyer "Barb Wire" was released into God's care. Robert was born August 27, 1925 to Orva and Adeline (Boomgaarn) Wyer in Humboldt, NE. He was raised on the family farm outside Worth with his brothers Marion and George and his sister Ethel May, all deceased with George passing three days earlier.

Robert graduated from Grant City High School on May 13, 1943. Soon afterwards, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps on November 12, 1943 to serve in Worth War II on the beaches of Okinawa, Peleliu, and the Paulu Islands in the South Pacific. He was honorably discharged as Corporal First Class on March 21, 1946.

He married Gladys Robertson on February 14, 1948. They bought a small farm outside of Eudora, KS, where they raised their children. His sons, Ronald Eugene and Roger Dean, both preceded him in death.

He is survived by daughter Roberta Fay (Bill) Wyer Guffey; grandchildren Jamie (Bryon) Robb and Jason (Britny) Guffey and great-grandchildren Nathan Justice, Teaghan Guffey, and Dylan and Kailynn Robb.

Robert later remarried to Patricia (Pawley) Wyer following a move to the Belgrade area in 1969, where he worked at Peavey and Con Agra for several years. When other people would have been looking towards retirement, in 1975 at the age of 50, Bob and Pat started their own small engine business, Belgrade Sales and Service. This business carries on today, where he left a footprint on the Belgrade Community that he so loved. The community will always remember him wearing those bib overalls.

To a life well-lived and a man well-loved and respected!

A celebration of life was held at the Belgrade Senior Center on Monday, April 19th from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to the American Cancer Fund, PO Box 7262, Hillsborough, NJ 08844.

Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service, www.dokkennelson.com.

Five WCCC Promenade Attendees Receive Awards

Five of the students who attended the WCCC Promenade received awards as chosen by the residents. Kacey Smyser received the award for the prettiest dress. Ethan Schmitz received an award for the best-groomed man. Eli Mullock and Kristen Andrews were named the cutest couple. Kaitlyn Davidson received an award for the prettiest hair while Johnathan Walker was named the best-dressed man.

Obituary -- Martha Auffert 1920-2013

Martha Elinor Switzer Sisk Auffert passed away from natural causes on April 17, 2013 in her home in Sutter Creek, CA at age 92.

Martha was born on a sugar beet farm near Wellington, Colorado on October 6, 1920 to Hazel Claire and Clifford Daniel Switzer. Her sister, La Donna Claire, was four years older. She rode her pony to school, and as her parents didn’t have any boys, she helped her father in the fields.

During her life, Martha experienced many changes in the world, from horse-drawn carriages to iPads, but she said that she thought the most important changes she saw were the advent of the car and of electricity. Her family was thrilled when President Roosevelt brought electricity to the rural areas: this allowed them cook their meals on an electric stove rather than having to build a fire in a wood cookstove for every meal, and to have an electric washing machine in place of a washboard.

When Martha was 15 years old, her family moved from Colorado to a new farm in Worth County, Missouri. One day their neighbors, the Sisks, came over to her family’s farm with their thrashing machine, and that’s when she met her high school sweetheart, Gale Sisk. They were married on March 16, 1941.

Martha and Gale had two daughters, Dixie Lynn and Cinda Irene. The Sisk family managed a 1,000-acre farm and were renowned for their herd of Hereford cattle. But in 1949, when Dixie was two years old and Cinda was three weeks old, Gale was on his way home from a cattle sale with his parents and aunt when their car was struck by a drunk driver, and all four family members in the car were killed instantly.

After this, Martha moved to Grant City, Missouri and later to Maryville, Missouri to raise her girls. She was a businesswoman and managed her 250-acre farm near Maryville. In the male-dominated business world of the mid-20th century, Martha was a pioneer as a single mother working to support her daughters. She was the ultimate role model of a strong, independent woman, and always knew the right thing to do in any situation.

Martha became a Christian at an early age, and throughout her adult life was a valued member in the women’s clubs of the Grant City Christian Church and later the Sutter Creek Methodist Church. She joined the 14th Emerald Chapter of the #29 Order of the Eastern Star, the same chapter where her mother was a member, and they both received their 50-Year Star Pins.

In 1976-’77, Martha, Dixie, and Cinda were all married within 12 months of each other: Cinda to Stuart Bowers, Dixie to David Camardo, and Martha to Francis Auffert.

Martha loved to dance, and Francis was a great dancing partner. They had a wonderful life together for 14 months, living on his Windy Hill farm near Parnell, Missouri and traveling the U.S. together. Martha became a lifelong mentor to Francis’s daughter Joyce. But then Francis’s dormant cancer returned, and he passed away in 1978.

Martha moved to Northern California in 1984 to help raise Dixie and David’s twin daughters, Danielle and Davina. She instilled in them strong values, showing them to take control of their lives, to be conscientious, and to take responsibility for their actions.

She moved to Dallas, Texas in 2004 to spend time with Cinda, and then back to Sutter Creek, California in 2011. She weathered the many changing seasons of her life with unflinching strength and courage—a true woman for all seasons.

Martha is survived by her daughters Cinda Bowers and Dixie Camardo; her son-in-law David Camardo; her granddaughters Danielle and Davina Camardo; her stepchildren Joyce Smith and Eugene and James Auffert; her step-grandchildren Teri Mamola, Kirk Bowers, Victoria Tomasik, and Keith Camardo; and her brother-in-law Wendell Sisk and his wife Shirley.

She is preceded in death by Gale Sisk, Verga and Merle Sisk, Hazel and Clifford Switzer, La Donna and Charles West, Milo McQuigg, and Francis Auffert.

A special thank you to Hospice of Amador for their devoted care and support. Donations may be made in her memory to the Grant City Christian Church at 501 South High Street, Grant City, MO, 64456.

Arrangements are by the Price Funeral Home in Maryville, MO. A graveside memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 4 at 10:30 a.m. at the Grant City Cemetery in Missouri. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting danerimortuary.com and signing her guest book.

Federal Budget Cuts Force Community Services to Make Hard Choices

Federal budget cuts will force Community Services offices around the country to make hard choices over the next two years, Bonnie Patterson, Executive Director for the office that serves Worth County and five other county offices, told the Community Services board at their regular meeting Wednesday night.

Budget cuts in certain areas will happen regardless of whether the sequester continues or the President and Congress reach an agreement. President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget would cut the Community Services Block Grant by 50% and would use competition to determine which agencies would receive the funding.

The budget would invest $1.4 billion in new early childhood intervention and Head Start funding to support states and communities in expanding the availability of high-quality learning opportunities for youngest children. It would extend and expand evidence-based voluntary home visiting at a cost of $15 billion.

The budget would provide $75 billion to provide $75 billion to provide high quality preschool for all four year olds to provide low and moderate income children with preschool while incentivizing the states to expand these programs even further. These investments would be paid for by raising the federal tax on cigarettes from $1.01 to $1.95 per pack. The tobacco industry is already protesting these increases.

The weatherization program would get $184 million and and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program would get $3 billion, a cut of $346 million.

In her report to the board, Patterson said that President Obama’s preschool initiative was “a little discouraging” because what they were promoting was, in essence, the Head Start Program but the money would go to the states and then others would be able to apply for it.

Patterson said that Community Services needed to cut their budget by 5% this year. Next year, if the sequestration is still in place, another 5% worth of cuts could be made. They are looking into federal money for enrolling income eligible people into the Medicaid system for the Affordable Care Act. The state association is looking into applying for this money and subcontracting with the local agencies to provide this service.

Worth County is waiting for the weather to cooperate before starting their community garden this year. The Poverty Summit display will be in Worth County on May 22nd and 23rd. Worth County held a Meals with Class program; 15 participants attended all three classes.  Worth and Gentry counties did 171 clients’ taxes and obtained refunds of $285,891. Worth County had 127 people apply for the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program last winter. Worth County had 235 individuals, 100 families, and 50 seniors receive commodities. The 235 individuals for Worth County was the most of any county despite Worth County having the smallest population out of the four counties served.

Worth County had 18 students in their Head Start program as of April.

Local Sheriff Threatens to Arrest Westboro Baptist Church Members

A local sheriff has threatened to arrest members of the Westboro Baptist Church if they come and picket funerals, a local TV station reports.

The sheriff also said there have been reports that groups are planning to protest some of the many funerals lined up in the days ahead.
He's talking specifically about the Westboro Baptist Church from Kansas. That group believes tragic events like this are God's punishment for immoral behavior.
The sheriff is having none of it.
"Make no mistake about it," McNamara said. "Any attempt by any group or organization to disrupt the funerals of any of our victims of this tragedy will be dealt with swiftly and prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

The Church had threatened in a Tweet to picket any West, TX funerals. The church believes that such disasters are God's retribution for tolerating same-sex couples and marriages.

But the difficulty has been that the church has successfully contended in the US Supreme Court that their actions constitute protected free speech. However, in the past, the court has allowed governments to regulate time and manner. Some governments have interpreted this as to allow the creation of "free speech zones" where protestors would be restricted to. If the Westboro members were to violate such a buffer zone, then the sheriff could arrest them for disturbing the peace.

The church group has made a living out of filing lawsuits and winning damages and settlements against governments that they say are out of line in restricting their protected right to free speech.

However, the use of free speech works the other way as well. In Boston, 1000 members of the Teamsters Union showed up to block members of the Westboro Baptist Church from disrupting the funeral procession there. Over 400 firefighters from all over the country are expected to show up at the funerals in Texas. There is a group known as the Patriot Guard Riders whose mission is to protect the funerals of military personnel from Westboro protestors.

Grant City Fire Department Puts Out Grass Fire, Completes Extrication Training

The Grant City Fire Department put out a grass fire west of Grant City Thursday afternoon. Fire units were aclled at 4:12 pm with first units dispatched at 4:15. Units arrived at 4:20 and the scene was controlled at 4:24.

The fire department also underwent extrication training on Saturday, April 20th. They were assisted by the Jackson Township Fire District. The Worth County Fire Auxiliary provided sandwiches and refreshments during the training. "We have come a long way with equipment and facilities, but as always, it is the people who make the difference and we have some great ones," said Fire Chief Ben Fletcher on Facebook. "Very proud of our firefighters and the effort they have put into improving our department as well as the great working relationships we have built with our surrounding fire and ems organizations."

Australian Dog Keeps Owner Alive for Four Days After Crash

Dogster reports that a Kelpie dog named Boydy kept his owner, Herbert Schutz, 76, alive for four days following an SUV crash in a remote area of Australia before a neighbor finally found him. He was injured in central New South Wales, Australia and was trapped in his vehicle. The dog would sit on his chest during the cold nights there and keep him warm while he was waiting for someone to find him. He had broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, and a fractured shoulder. He will recover from this accident thanks to his canine friend.

The Australian Kelpie is a dog that has been bred to herd sheep with little or no supervision. The city of Ardlethan, in New South Wales, touts itself as the birthplace of the Australian Kelpie.

St. Francis Grant City Clinic to Close

(St. Francis Hospital) -- This notice serves is to inform the public that on May 17, 2013, the St. Francis Grant City Medical Clinic will be closing. This difficult action was due to continuing pressure on healthcare resources to deliver the most effective patient services to the region.

Providers at the clinic are available for the transition of care to their Maryville location:

·         Dr. Carlos Sotomayor at St. Francis Family Health Care East Clinic, 114 East South Hills Drive, Maryville.

·         Kathie Hurayt, Nurse Practitioner, at St. Francis Family Health Care East Clinic, 114 East South Hills Drive, Maryville.

To make an appointment, please call (660) 562-2525. To transfer you records, please call (660) 562-2525 and arrangements will be made to accommodate your request.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

4-15 -- Sheriff investigates vandalism at Grant City Park.
4-15 -- Resident reports two black cows missing southwest of Grant City.
4-15 -- Resident brings in a list of items missing from their residence.
4-16 -- Person reports cattle out on 46 east of Grant City; owner notified.
4-16 -- Report of persons shooting guns in Denver.
4-17 -- Gentry County sheriff asking if we ever had problem with former Worth County resident.
4-18 -- Report of cattle out on 46 east of Grant City.
4-18 -- Report of cattle out on Route B; owner notified.
4-18 -- Officer serving papers in Grant City.
4-19 -- Resident in to pick up CCW permit.
4-19 -- Person calls to report missing or stolen clarinet.
4-19 -- Resident in to renew CCW permit.
4-20 -- Person reports stolen junk bean head.

Claire Andrews Clears 10 Feet in Pole Vault

Claire Andrews broke the 10 foot  barrier at the Tiger Relays Thursday despite difficult conditions as temperatures were in the 40's with high winds. That matched her personal best from the State Track Meet last year. She is in pursuit of the school record, which was 10'9" set by Jessica Borey her senior year.

The girls were second and the boys fourth that afternoon. Kaitlyn Davidson was 2nd in the Shot Put with a throw of 35'8". She was beat out by Haley Craig of North Harrison; however, she did beat out Amber Sleeth of King City again. Taylor Causey got a personal best in the event, placing 6th with a throw of 31'3". That beat her previous personal best by over two feet.

Josh Warner continued his winning ways in the Shot Put, winning with a throw of 43'3 1/2". Lane Craven was third with a throw of 42'4 1'2".

Rebecca Moore was 3rd in the Discus with a throw of 95'5". That was close to her personal best. On the boys side, Dallas Greenland was 2nd with a throw of 126'3 1/2".

Grant Parman continued to hover close to the 20 foot mark in the Long Jump, placing second with a leap of 19'1". Katie Mullock was 6th on the girls side with a leap of 14 feet.

Andrew Mullock was 4th in the Pole Vault with a vault of 10 feet.

The boys placed two in the 110 Hurdles. Brevyn Ross was 4th with a time of 17.75 while Cole Parman was 5th with a time of 18.27.

Sydney Thummel was 2nd in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 17.79, coming close to a personal best and having little competition for 2nd place.

Sydney then showed that her win over Jordan Breckenridge at Albany last week as no accident as she did it again, beating her in the 100 with a time of 13.48. Breckenridge was 2nd with a time of 13.63.

On the boys side of the 100, it was one of the best races of the afternoon as Sage DeLong of Northeast Nodaway, after coming close several times, finally beat Eric Duncan of Rock Port. DeLong won with a time of 11.49 and Duncan was 2nd with a time of 11.51. Johnathan Swymeler of Tri-County was 3rd with a time of 11.57. Sage was also 6th in the 200.

Sydney Thummel continued to place well for the Tigers, getting 2nd in the 200 with a time of 28.36. That was .22 of a second off the time of Megan Rosenbohm of Nodaway-Holt.

The 4x200 Relay Team of Kristen Andrews, Haven Schottel, Katie Mullock, and Rikky Hunt was 5th with a time of 2:02.02. The boys 4x200 team of Andrew Mullock, Grant Parman, Cole Parman, and Brevyn Ross was 3rd with a time of 1:42.47.

The boys 4x100 of Brevyn Ross, Andrew Mullock, Grant Parman, and Dallas Greenland was 2nd behind Albany with a time of 48.13.

Haven Schottel came close to her personal best in the 400 as she was 6th with a time of 1:09.26.

Brevyn Ross and Cole Parman placed in the 300 Hurdles. Brevyn was second with a time of 44.86; two seconds off the winning time of Dustin Ellis of Stanberry. Cole Parman was 6th with a time of 49.14.

The girls 4x400 team of Kristen Andrews, Haven Schottel, Rikky Hunt, and Claire Andrews was 3rd with a time of 4:51.

Vandalism at Grant City Nature Trail

The Grant City Nature Trail was vandalized recently by someone on a 4-wheeler. They spun around several times on the trail, destroyed a lot of grass, and attempted to climb the steep hill leading up to the Skating Rink. There was no damage to the trail itself. The incident was caught on camera and has been referred to Prosecutor David Baird for prosecution.

Littering, Dog Euthanasia Discussed at Grant City Council

Littering and dog euthanasia were discussed at the regular Grant City Council Meeting Wednesday night. There were reports that there had been littering around the Saundra Campbell home, all over the highways, and up and down. The area east of the Grant City Baptist Church was another trouble spot for littering. Littering is a misdemeanor in the State of Missouri; persons with information about littering can contact the Worth County Sheriff's Department at (660) 564-2222.

Dogs were once again discussed at the meeting. Public Works Director Carl Staton said that he had thought long about the euthanasia policy and that the best thing to do was to keep dogs for five business days and no longer. Current city policy is to euthanize dogs after five business days if the owner does not come in to claim them or they do not pay requisite fees. Councilwoman Cathy James said that they did not run a dog shelter; Mayor Debbie Roach said that if people wanted to keep dogs within the city, that they had to be a responsible pet owner. The city has recently euthanized one dog in the past few months. City crews do not do it themselves; they take it to a vet to do it.

Economic Developer Tammy Ueligger reported that the CDBG does not cover asphalt projects if the city is interested in pursuing money to finish its project of doing all of the streets. It would take an estimated $600,000 to do all of the rest of the streets without a grant; in the meantime, some of the streets that the city had initially paved are starting to fall into disrepair, such as School Bus Road. The city currently has $107,000 in street construction funds on hand.

Water Superintendent Greg Miller reported on the Wholesale Water Commission meeting in Savannah. By August 1st, all interested parties have to decide whether they are in or not. Currently, St. Joseph, Cameron, and Maysville are on board. The more that hook on, the cheaper it gets; however, it could mean substantially higher water rates for the city. They will not run a line up to cities just for emergency backup purposes.

The prebid conference for the 11 mile water line project will be April 25th with the bids to be opened on May 7th; both times will be at 10:00 a.m.

The council decided to keep last year's swimming pool rates. Daily admissions are $4, a weekly pass is $24, a season pass is $50, and a family pass is $100.

Les New, Rodney Brown Sworn In to School Board

Les New and Rodney Brown were sworn in to the Worth County School Board at the regular Board of Education meeting Thursday. Jeff Andrews was named President, Sherri Runde Vice President, and Sheila Hunt Treasurer.

As his first official act, Andrews read a prepared statement on the superintendent situation. He said that Mike Rennells had been placed on administrative leave and that the board cannot provide any additional information at this time. The Superintendent's office has been locked with a sign that says, "No admittance by order of the Worth County School Board."

Math teacher Chris Healy reported on the end of course preparation for his math classes. He said that they were doing fun projects that showed what they had learned throughout the year. He said that track teams were full speed ahead despite the cold weather and that they were getting ready for districts.

Business teacher April Healy reported that the accounting class was doing a website for Sherri's Pharmacy and that students were competing to make a site. She reported that they were also working on speed typing, how to use computer applications, and personal finance. She reported that the FBLA was getting ready for state. She is seeking grants for equipment for the school.

Tish Warner reported that the high school science classes were getting ready for the end of course assessments and that they were working on being more engaged.

Principal Jon Adwell reported that the school was working on implementing the Kagan learning style, which focuses on peers teaching each other. They are working on implementing it for the 7th to 12th grades and then for the elementary down the road. He said that he had observed two area schools where it was implemented and that they had a lot of good results with it, since the students were working for each other and not just for themselves.

Assistant Principal Chuck Borey reported that the elementary was focusing on honor rolls and perfect attendance and that the FFA was at state. The Academic Bowl finished 7-6 for the year with Grant Parman first team all-conference. Junior High and Varsity track are in progress. 26 schools participated in the Tiger Relays and 13 for the Early Bird. The Junior High relays will have 21 schools.

Borey reported that the school got a $7,850 grant towards resurfacing the track and that they were seeking other grants and talking to other track companies. The track has held up better than expected from the track meets this year. Board President Jeff Andrews said that the staff had done a good job in ensuring that the meets were well-run.

Adwell reported that the elementary was working on direct instruction and review of stuff that they were already doing. They were also working on matching the curriculum with CORE standards.

Bids were returned on the technology infrastructure upgrade. Concerns were raised about the high cost of labor; the board tabled the bids until the next meeting. These upgrades are required for future state testing.

The board approved the calendar for next school  year. January 3rd will be a holiday while January 6th will be a professional development day. January 7th will be the day that school resumes after the Christmas Break. The school will have an early start this year, with school starting on August 15th. April 22nd will be an early out so that the teachers can help out with the Tiger Relays that day.

Summer School will have two weeks this year instead of four; days will be full days instead of half days. It will be for the purpose of reteaching students who need help and for high school course recovery. It will run from 8 to 3 each day. The Cafeteria will serve breakfast and lunch. It will run from Monday to Friday and there will be bus service.

Anonymous Takes Ownership of Westboro Baptist Church Facebook Page

The hacktivist group Anonymous has taken ownership of the Westboro Baptist Church Facebook page and is posting messages of love and tolerance on its page, including praising the police officers responsible for the capture of the Boston Marathon bombers. The move was in response to Westboro Baptist Church announcing that they would picket the funeral for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Westboro Baptist Church claims that the bombings were God's judgment on the country for tolerance of gays.

Chase Thummel Wins Beef Proficiency at State FFA

Chase Thummel won the Beef Proficiency Placement award at state FFA contest this year. He is the son of Jeff and Debbie Thummel of Sheridan. Many students are going to state contests at this time of year. The FBLA will be going to state as well.

Matt Martz Named New Worth County Superintendent; Four Resignations Accepted

The Worth County School Board at their regular meeting Thursday night, named Matt Martz of St. Joseph as the new superintendent for the school effective July 1, 2013. They hired him for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years. His salary will be $82,500 per year and they voted to pay $1000 towards his moving expenses. He has a wife, Elizabeth (Beth), and two daughters, Emily (20) and Dora (14). Emily is currently attending Graceland where she is majoring in Physical Education. Dora will be a student at Worth County next year as a freshman.

Martz was an elementary principal at St. Joseph and also worked at North Callaway before he came to Worth County. He said that he had wanted to be a superintendent for some time and that the reason he was attracted to Worth County was that he knew a lot of people here.

The board also voted to accept the resignations of four personnel -- Stephanie Bickel (Vocal Music), Deanna Carpenter (K-8 Guidance), LaCosta Rennells (Elementary), and Shelly Straight (Custodian).

Junior High Girls Win at Albany; Boys 4th

The Worth County girls won at Albany, beating out Mercer with 91 points to 79 for the Cardinals. The boys were fourth with a team score of 50 points. The girls had a balanced field with several athletes doing well. The boys came close to winning in a few events and also had a balanced team effort.

Grace Schottel has established herself easily as one of the most versatile athletes in the area. She ran in the 100, where she finished second with a time of 14.26, second only to Bailey Owens of Mercer with a varsity-level time of 13.56. She was also second in the 1600 with a time of 6:34 in a close race with Kalie Peterson of Stanberry. She then ran for the winning 4x400 team, easily beating out Stanberry by 13 seconds. Other members of the 4x400 were Payton Adwell, Quinci Schottel, and Sydney Troutwine.

Kristen Ross was fourth in the 200 with a time of 30.70.That was .9 of a second off the pace of Kelsey Stone of Braymer.

The girls placed two in the 400. Payton Adwell was third in the event with a time of 1:14.61. Quinci Schottel was 8th with a time of 1:18.51.

 Kristen Ross continued her dominance of the 75 Hurdles, winning by almost a second with a time of 14.15. Aubrey Ragan was fourth with a time of 15.70.

The 4x100 of Belle Babb, Aubrey Ragan, Darbi Weddle, and Rachel Gardner was fifth with a time of 1:03.62. The 4x200 team of Payton Adwell, Rachel Gardner, Kristen Ross, and Sydney Troutwine was fourth with a time of 2:07.98.

Rachel Gardner was 8th in the High Jump with a leap of 3'10".

Winning the Pole Vault was Sydney Troutwine with a jump of 5'6". The girls placed two in the Long Jump. Payton Adwell was second with a jump of 13'11 1/2". Kristen Ross was right behind her in third with a jump of 13'10".

Aubrey Staton was 5th in the Shot Put with a throw of 27'5 1/2".

On the  boys side, Jayden Mancuso was 7th in the 100 with a time of 13.41.

Cade Allee was third in the 400 with a time of 1:04.50. He was involved in a close race with the top four competitors finishing within .45 of a second of each other.

Brandon Fletchall came the closest to winning in the boys events, finishing second in the 800, just .26 of a second behind Jake Gladiuex of Braymer. Johnny Carlson was 7th with a time of 2:59.02.

Jayden Mancuso was fourth in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 20.07.

The 4x100 team of Wade Rush, Ryan McClellan, Tevin Cameron, and Johnny Carlson was fourth in the 4x100 with a time of 59.49.

The 4x200 team of Cade Allee, Lucas Caddenhead, Ryan McClellan, and Wade Rush was fifth with a time of 1:59.30.

Out of the relay teams, the 4x400 did the best with the team of Cade Allee, Lucas Caddenhead, Jordan Huntsman, and Jayden Mancuso finishing third with a time of 4:31.69.

Lucas Caddenhead was second in the Pole Vault with a leap of 7 feet.

Drake Kinsella was 5th in the Shot Put with a throw of 30'1 1/2".

Sydney Thummel Wins Three Firsts, Josh Warner Two at Albany Double Quad

Sydney Thummel won three first place finishes at the Warrior Double Quad and Josh Warner two at Albany Saturday. The girls were second behind North Andrew with 105 total points to 121 for North Andrew. Rock Port was third with 96, Albany 4th with 78, and Stanberry with 69.5. On the boys side, Worth County was 6th with 66 team points. Thummel beat out long-time nemesis Jordan Breckenridge twice, once in the 100 and once in the 200. Sydney won the 100 with a time of 13.79, beating out Breckenridge by .11 of a second. Sarah Poppa was third with a time of 14.17. Sydney then beat out Breckenridge much more handily in the 200, winning with a time of 28.36 to Breckenridge's 29.11. Haven Schottel got her best finish since the first race of the year as she was second in the 400 with a time of 1:08.50. That was .5 of a second off her personal best and just under two seconds behind Kaleigh Wilmes of Stanberry. Tess Andrews tried her hand in the 800 for the first time this year and was 6th with a time of 3:25.81. Sydney picked up her third win of the day in the 100 Hurdles, getting a personal best 17.80. She won handily over Megan Poppa of Albany, beating her by almost one second. The 4x100 Relay was 5th with a time of 1:00.79. The 4x200 got a surprising second place finish after two teams that normally finish ahead of them got disqualified. They finished with a time of 2:02.79. Claire Andrews won the Pole Vault with a vault of 9'6", her best of the year. She continued her duel with Shelbie White of Tarkio and Amy Gully of Albany, beating them out by six inches. Andrews had beaten Gully on tiebreaks in Rock Port. Claire then went for her personal best 10 foot mark that she set at state, barely missing it twice. Tess Andrews was fourth with a vault of 7 feet, her best of the year so far. She hit the bar hard twice; but somehow, it stayed on. Sydney Thummel beat her personal best by five inches in placing second in the Long Jump with a jump of 15'8". Also setting a personal best was Rikky Hunt, who was third in the Triple Jump with a jump of 28'10". Kaitlyn Davidson beat out Amber Sleeth of King City for the first time ever in the Shot Put, winning the event with a personal best throw of 37'11". She improved on her personal best throw set at Rock Port by 8". Sleeth was second with a season best 37'3". Taylor Causey was 6th with a throw of 28'5". The girls placed two in the discus. Rebecca Moore was 3rd with a throw of 87'10" and Kaitlyn was 5th with a throw of 84'4". The boys placed two in the 110 Hurdles as Brevyn Ross was second and Cole Parman 4th. Brevyn got a time of 18.63 while Cole got a time of 20.03. Brevyn also placed third in the 300 Hurdles with a time of 45.05. The 4x100 Relay Team was 6th with a time of 50.03. The 4x200 was fourth with a time of 1:45.03. Grant Parman was third in the Long Jump, continuing to get close to the 20 foot mark. He had a jump of 19'7 1/2". The boys got most of their points in the throwing events. Josh Warner continued his form in the Shot Put, winning with a throw of 41'4 1/4". Truman Moore was 4th with a throw of 35'7". Josh Warner also won the Discus with a throw of 126'5". Dallas Greenland was right behind him with a throw of 125'1".

Worth County Sheriff's Report

4-8 -- Call in of horses out north of Allendale; owner notified. 4-8 -- Report of trash being dumped on 160th road. 4-8 -- Report of calf out just north of 169 & 46; owner notified. 4-9 -- Worth County resident in for CCW permit. 4-9 -- Report of horse out near Denver. 4-10 -- Officer serving papers in Grant City. 4-11 -- Officer en route to Clay County to pick up a prisoner on Worth County warrant; transported to Ringgold County jail. 4-11 -- Officer helps with funeral traffic. 4-11 -- Officer serves papers near Allendale. 4-12 -- Officer investigates home breakin near Sheridan. 4-12 -- Person in to apply for CCW permit. 4-12 -- Report of mailbox vandalized north of Grant City. 4-12 -- Report of people throwing rocks at a tractor. 4-13 -- Officers assisting with MoCHIP Child ID. 4-13 -- Officer investigates possible meth lab. 4-13 -- Report of suspicious truck at Grant City Barn. 4-13 -- Officer investigates report of accidental shooting in Grant City.

Obituary -- Leta Louise Wake 1930-2013

Leta Louise Wake was born on April 6, 1930 to Dale Constant and Vetra VanAusdale Constant. On May 13, 1946, she married Alfred Duane Wake in Troy, KS. To this marriage, three children were born, Sheila Louise Wake Cyre, Leland Duane Wake, and Janet Wake Larison. Leta and Duane provided a loving home for their children, their extended family, and their childrens' friends. It was always a meeting place for all of the family and friends and Leta loved to cook for everyone. Leta was a great caretaker, learning early in life how to care for her younger siblings and her oldest daughter when she had one of the first open heart surgeries. Leta and Duane were blessed to have many friends which was shown when their friends traveled from Sheridan to Kansas City in the 1950's to donate blood for Sheila. Leta lived in Sheridan the last years of her life and renewed many of her early friendships, including the family of her beloved Methodist Church. She loved to garden and had a garden every year. She learned to crochet in 1953 and made many afghans and dollies that everyone cherished. She was pleased to help raise her youngest granddaughter, Teri Leigh Larison, keeping and caring for her on a weekly basis, even after she left for college. Leta was preceded in death by her beloved husband Duane Wake, her first child Sheila Louise Wake Cyre, grandson Leonard Duane Cyre, sister Doris Jean Constant Chancellor, brother Jimmy Constant, brother-in-law Phillip Wake and wife Eileen and her brother-in-law Stanton (Zeke) Wake and wife Elaine Wake. She is survived by son Leland Duane Wake, daughter Janet Wake Larison and husband Terry, grandchildren Annette (Paul) Wanger, Clint (Angela) Larison, granddaughter Teri Leigh Larison, five great-grandchildren, brother Roy Dale Constant, sister Willa Wilson, brother Gary Dean Constant, and many nieces and nephews.

Karen Grace Appointed to Senior Citizens Tax Board

The Worth County Commission today appointed Karen Grace to the Senior Citizens Tax Board. The state inspected the circuit clerk's and judge's office and requested that some sheet metal be placed above the judge's computers to prevent future leaking. Economic Developer Tammy Ueligger reported that the county didn't get the chipper grant. They did not have enough points. The county can reapply in the fall. She also reported that she did Leadership Northwest and the Missouri CBC meeting that was held at Allendale. Ueligger, the USDA, and Annette Weeks of Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation gave presentations. The Commission spent much of the morning preparing for gravel deliveries and record keeping for the 2013 gravel season.

16 Year Old Boy Accidentally Shot in Worth County

A 16 year old boy was accidentally shot by his 17 year old brother Saturday, Worth County Sheriff Terry Sheddrick reported. The two were arguing and playing around outside when the 17 year old accidentally discharged his .22 rifle. The 16 year old was shot in the leg and no vital organs were damaged. Sheddrick reported that he will be OK.

Blue Skies Home Care Offers Services Across North Missouri

Blue Skies Home Care LLC is offering in-home services across the state. They offer what is known as CDS care, or Consumer Directed Services. That means that the person is in control of their care by either a friend or a family member other than a spouse. This can include such things as personal care, cooking, cleaning, and transportation.

In 2007, Blue Skies was founded by Ian Gewin and Katrina McIntyre. Gewin is the owner of the business and McIntyre is the regional director for this area. They were co-workers at other places before they founded the company. They started from a few clients in 2007 to around 350 across North Missouri today in over 30 counties. They are from as far away as Cosby, Hannibal, and Kansas City. Clients are evaluated by the Department of Health and Senior Services to determine the number of hours that they will allow; then, they will choose a provider like Blue Skies.

Blue Skies then provides guidance and ensures that the client is following the guidelines for their care. It is similar to traditional in-home care, but it gives the client more control over what they want. McIntyre has been in the health care industry for the last 13 years. She worked for two independent living centers before founding Blue Skies with Gewin to offer Consumer Directed Services. She covers all of Northwest Missouri, Kansas City, and St. Joseph. Besides McIntyre and Gewin, Blue Skies has two other employees in the region. They are Jim Pawlowski, Regional Manager; and Bel Daniels, CDS Specialist. all of their managers and case managers come with experience in CDS or the industry. Consumer Directed Services is a Missouri Healthnet (Medicaid) program that is administered by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

To quality for services, the individual must have a disabling condition that results in a need for assistance with activities of daily living. They must also be at least 18 years of age, be on Missouri Medicaid, and be able to direct their services. They must then be evaluated by the DHSS to see if they qualify. The evaluation also determines how many hours of services the individual will receive. The customers can hire who they want and decide what times during the day that their employee is going to work.

The consumer has control over when the work is done; for instance, the worker can come in the morning to get them up and then come back in the evening to fix supper or provide more personal care. Blue Skies assigns each consumer with a case manager who works with them to help ensure that they are getting quality care and that they are following the guidelines of the program. They also handle the payroll processing and assist with other needs such as medical equipment or other issues. Katrina McIntyre can be reached at (660) 937-3030. You can also reach her online at katrina@grm.net. They are in the process of launching a website at www.blueskiescds.com.

Worth County Superintendent Placed on Administrative Leave

Worth County Superintendent Mike Rennells has been placed on administrative leave by the Worth County School Board, the Sheridan Express has learned. According to the school website, the School Board had three closed meetings during the past week, one on Wednesday, one on Thursday, and one on Saturday. One was a special emergency meeting that was held on Thursday. The board held one special closed meeting in March and two special closed meetings in February as well.

Former Wisconsin Governor One of Grant City's Earliest Residents

A former Wisconsin governor, Leonard Farwell, was one of Grant City's earliest residents, the Adirondack Almanack reports. Farwell was born in 1819 in Watertown, WI and became a successful businessman by 1849. He became the state's second governor in 1852 despite heavy attacks by political opponents who thought that he would become a tool for powerful interests. He served two years before leaving in 1854. He cracked down on banks and insurance companies that he saw as monopolistic and put together public works for the state. During Abraham Lincoln's administration, Farwell was appointed to the Patent Office in Washington by the President as an Assistant Examiner. He was an eyewitness to President Lincoln's assassination and immediately rushed to Vice-President Johnson's residence, woke him up, found a guard to protect him, and seized some weapons that were hidden for the purpose of assassinating the Vice-President. His quick thinking was credited with saving Johnson's life. He was in the well-known picture depicting the last hours of Lincoln's life. Farwell moved to Chicago, where he lost nearly everything he had in the Chicago Fire. He later moved to Grant City, where he was asked to run for governor of Missouri but declined. He died in Grant City in 1889.

Tiger Teams 5th at Rock Port

Both Tiger teams were 5th at Rock Port last Tuesday. The boys finished with 59 points. Winnetonka finished 1st with 98, Rock Port followed with 80, Mound City 75, and Maysville with 70. On the girls side, Winnetonka won with 154 points, followed by Mound City with 85, Polo with 52, Rock Port with 48, and Worth County with 43. Claire Andrews continued her winning ways in the Pole Vault, winning with a vault of 9 feet, beating out Amy Gully of Albany on tiebreaks. There was a lot of competition this time as there were four competitors with 8'6" or better. Tess Andrews had a vault of 6'6". Jared Simmons picked up the boys first points in the Pole Vault, finishing 5th with a vault of 8 feet, tying a personal best. It was a close competition for the Long Jump in the girls as Katie Mullock was second, 1 1/2" off the jump of Sidney Smith of Winnetonka. Mullock had a leap of 14 feet. There were eight contestants within one foot of the winner. Grant Parman placed 6th in the Triple Jump with a leap of 36'2". That was 4' off the jump of Eric Duncan of Rock Port. Kaitlyn Davidson was 5th in the Discus with a throw of 96'7". That was 10 feet off the throw of Haley Craig of North Harrison, who threw a personal best in the event. For the boys, Dallas Greenland won the discus handily. He won with a throw of 129'3", less than two feet off his personal best throw. Josh Warner was third with a throw of 112'9". Kaitlyn Davidson picked up a personal best in the Shot Put and won with a throw of 37'6 1'2", two feet ahead of the second place finisher. That was two feet better than her previous personal best. Taylor Causey did not place for the girls in the event, but she also picked up a personal best in the event with a throw of 28'9", four inches better than her previous personal mark. The boys finished 1-2 in the Shot Put. Both Lane Craven and Josh Warner beat their previous personal bests by four feet in winning the event. Lane Craven won with a throw of 45'1 1/2" while Warner was right behind with a throw of 44'1". Sydney Thummel came close to a personal best in the 100 Hurdles as she was third in the event with a time of 18.25. That was almost one second off the time of Mary Jane Kapp of Maysville. The boys picked up a 3rd place finish in the 110 hurdles as Brevyn Ross got a time of 18.79 in the event. The boys 4x200 of Andrew Mullock, Grant Parman, Cole Parman, and Brevyn Ross was fourth with a time of 1:42.23. The boys 4x100 also placed in the event. The team of Dallas Greenland, Brevyn Ross, Andrew Mullock, and Grant Parman was fourth with a time of 48.58. Haven Schottel placed in the 400, getting 6th with a time of 1:12.59. Brevyn Ross placed once again in the hurdles for the boys with a personal best time of 44.39. He gave Dalton Dreher of Mound City a run for his money before finishing second. Tony Utt of Polo was third with a time of 44.59. All three were within .3 of a second of each other in a close race. Cole Parman did not place, but got a personal best of 48.76. Sydney Thummel finished third in a close three-way race in the 200, finishing with a time of 28.56. Emily Wedlock of Mound City, Markees Mondaine of Winnetonka, and Thummel were within .53 of a second of each other. For Northeast Nodaway, Sage DeLong turned some heads at Stanberry the week before as he nearly beat out Eric Duncan of Rock Port in the 100. In Rock Port, he showed that it was no accident as he finished 3rd in the 100 with a time of 11.94, just .11 of a second behind Duncan. He then finished second in the 200 for Northeast's 15 points of the day. For the girls, Taryn Farnan picked up the girls' first points of the year, getting 5th in the High Jump with a vault of 4'2".

Storms Knock Out Power to 42,000 Customers

Storms that blew through the St. Louis area knocked out power to 42,000 customers last night in Missouri and Illinois, eMissourian and Ameren Electric report. This includes 15,000 in St. Louis County and 20,000 in Missouri. High winds caused some damage as well. The Associated Press reports that Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency in response to the story. There were other outages in the southern part of the state. The Northwest corner of the state was spared the worst of the storm; however, temperatures dropped into the 30's and 40's and the weather continues to be cloudy with a chance of rain.

Obama Budget would Allow Postal Service to Eliminate Saturday Delivery

The new budget sent by President Obama to Congress would allow the US Postal Service to eliminate Saturday mail deliveries, the website GovExec reports. The President, in his budget message, says that the Postal Service needs more flexibility in order to adapt to what he says is a changing marketplace.

The proposal is part of a larger overall plan to reform the Postal Service which the President says would create $30 billion in cash relief, savings, and revenue by 2016 while saving the Federal Government $23 billion over the next 11 years.

It would allow the Board of Governors to institute one-time rate increases for standard and first-class mail and lower payments that it must make to prefund its retiree fund. It would also return $11.5 billion in surplus out of that fund.

Postal Service to Maintain Six Day Service

The US Postal Service will retain six day service following Congressional pressure and a finding by the General Accounting Office that they were required to maintain six day service by law, Senator Claire McCaskill's office and multiple news sources report. The Postal Service had proposed to switch to five day service except for Post Office box customers by this fall; citing $2 billion in possible savings annually. However, opponents argued that such a move would have created hardship on rural communities. For instance, someone relying on insulin could have had to wait until Monday instead of Saturday to receive needed shipments.

Sheridan Post Office Adds 24 Hour Lobby Service

The Sheridan Post Office will offer 24 hour lobby service effective immediately. That means that Post Office Box customers can go and get their mail even when the Post Office is closed. The only time the lobby will be closed will be during four hours on Saturday afternoon, from 11:30 to 3:30.

"Someone forgot to tell South Dakota it is April!"

"Someone forgot to tell South Dakota it is April!" That is one of the comments being posted on Twitter tonight as the storm progresses through the state. Trees are down, power is out in various parts of the state, all schools are canceled, and Interstate 90 is closed throughout the state with officials there refusing to speculate on when it might reopen again.

Even in snowy South Dakota, the snowfall there is one of record proportions. One poster on Twitter says that he has lived in South Dakota all his life and has never encountered a storm of this nature. In Ellsworth, drifts are eight feet high. "Just be glad you don't live in South Dakota right now," is one Twitter comment. However, there are creative ways to cope. One older couple that is without electricity is entertaining themselves by having their dog chase their flashlight halo around the house.

The weather is being accompanied by very eerie conditions. One poster reports green lightning. Another poster reports thunder, lightning, and ice pellets along with no power. As one poster sums up, "Here in South Dakota, our seasons are fall, winter, still winter, sunshine for three days, winter, and a little more winter just for kicks."

Winter Storms Could Dump 24" Snow in South Dakota

A massive winter storm could dump as much as 24" of snow by Thursday in parts of South Dakota. Affected areas will stretch from western Oklahoma and central Kansas all the way to Minneapolis.

The city of Cheyenne, WY has completely shut down and the Tribune Eagle reports that all non-essential services have been canceled and employees asked to go home and avoid unnecessary travel. Around 6 to 12 inches of snow are forecast there. North to northeast winds are sustained at 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts of over 45 mph, possibly causing damage. Visibilities will be reduced to a quarter mile or less at times. Wind chills will be as low as 10 degrees. There are possible whiteout conditions there.

Sioux Falls, SD is ground zero for the storm. There could be as much as 24" of snow dumped there by Thursday. Interstate 90 is closed and motorists who travel on a closed section of Interstate could be fined up to $1000. If authorities have to rescue someone stranded on such a road, stranded motorists could be charged up to $10,000 to cover the costs of the rescue.

KSFY TV also reports that power outages are possible for the area. Parents are fearing for the safety of school children there and many state offices are closed.

Winter storm warnings are also in effect for southern Minnesota. The National Weather Service there reports a powerful storm system will produce a couple of rounds of wintry precipitation over the next couple of days. The first round will be a wintry mix of rain, freezing rain, and sleet across most of southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. By late Wednesday, the weather is forecast to change over to heavy snow, with accumulations of 10 to 12 inches. The storm will continue there until Thursday evening.

The Omaha World Herald reports that snow will hit much of Nebraska, with Omaha being the eastern edge of the storm. In western Nebraska, authorities were searching for a mother and a son who were stranded. Most roads in the Panhandle are closed, as is Interstate 80. The storm was accompanied by freezing rain, winds as high as 60 mph, and record low temperatures. Heavy rain in Omaha canceled the minor league baseball game there.

In central and southern Kansas, an unusual combination of snow and hail is forecast to hit the area. Severe thunderstorms are forecast to hit the area tonight, followed by winter weather until Wednesday evening.

In Oklahoma, the Weather Service there reports storms with the potential for tornadoes, 70 to 80 miles per hour winds, and baseball sized hail. There is also the possibility of snow or sleet as far south as far northwest Texas. In Altus, OK, the temperature dropped precipitously, falling from a high of 82 that afternoon to 38 as of 8:00 Tuesday night.

The southern edge of this weather system is in New Mexico, where the weather is unseasonably cold there. Freeze warnings and hard freeze warnings have been issued by the Weather Service throughout much of the state and higher elevations are forecast to get as much as a foot of snow.

Flood Watch Issued for Area

A flood watch has been issued for the area. The National Weather Service reports that thunderstorms are expected to develop moving in from the west and southwest and spread slowly east overnight. The main severe threats will be hail of up to two inches and strong winds. There will also be locally heavy rainfall amounts, leading to possible flooding.

This is a contrast from the drought-like weather of the past year; this is the first flood watch or warning for the area in two years. The high in Sheridan was 75 today, but the temperature dropped 15 degrees in an hour late in the afternoon and stood at 46 as of 7 p.m.

The cold snap which was forecast to last through Thursday is now forecast to last through Friday. Temperatures will be in the 40's from Wednesday through Friday with lows down into the upper 20's. A hard freeze is not anticipated; however, persons should protect tender vegetation. Temperatures will warm up over the weekend and then the next chance for thunderstorms will be Sunday afternoon and evening.

Sheridan Post Office Still Offers PO Boxes

Sheridan postal customers can still rent post office boxes at the Sheridan Post Office. Renting post office boxes at the Sheridan Post Office will help maintain six hour service as evaluations of local post offices are based on revenues. Mail delivered to a Post Office box can be picked up at around 9:30 in the morning. Also, mail that is addressed to other Sheridan PO Box customers will be delivered the same day; all other mail is processed outside of the county and then shipped back in. Sheridan rural route mail is now being handled at Grant City.

Grant City Fire Department Gets $46,000 for Equipment

The Grant City Fire Department was awarded $46,000 to purchase new equipment for the department. They will use the money to purchase a breathing air compressor, a fill station, and a cascade system. The fire department has been very busy this spring, getting called out to 3-4 fires a week around Worth County.

Firefighter Killed in Line of Duty During Heavy Thunderstorms

A Fort Osage Firefighter was killed in the line of duty during heavy thunderstorms in the Kansas City area, the Examiner reports. Fort Osage Assistant Fire Chief Harold Hollingsworth was killed in the line of duty when he was responding to a structure fire and his vehicle left the road and hit a tree. The Northwest Missouri area received light rain and some thunder and lightning, but nothing severe. The most severe weather of last night went south through the Kansas City area. Possible severe thunderstorms are forecast for Tuesday night, followed by a drop in temperatures the next two days.

Grant City Battles Isadora Brush Fire and Three Other Blazes

Sheridan and Grant City fire units were called to battle a brush fire near Isadora Sunday. Fire units were dispatched during the hot, humid afternoon. This was one of three brush fires in the Worth County area this past week.

On Thursday, April 4th, Grant City units were dispatched to a wildland fire five miles north of Grant City. Fire units were on the scene at 2:58 p.m. and the fire was controlled at 3:11. All units were back in service at 3:24.

On Wednesday, fire units were dispatched to a wildland fire south of Grant City. Units were on the scene at 4:06 and all units were back in service by 4:40 p.m.

At 6:18 p.m. Tuesday evening, Grant City units were dispatched to a wildland fire east of Oxford. All units were back in service at 6:59 p.m.

Obituary -- Evan Olney 1971-2013

     Evan L. Olney Jr. of Allendale, Missouri was born on February 9, 1971 to Evan Lavern Olney Sr. and Patricia Rodriques Olney. He passed from this life on April 6, 2013 at the Heartland East Hospital in St. Joseph, Missouri following a brief illness surrounded by family. Evan, better known as Rod by his family, was adopted by his grandparents, Carl Eugene and Vane Lillian Paxson Olney in 1971 along with his sister, Melody Ann. He grew up on the family farm in Redding, Iowa.

     Evan attended and graduated from Mount Ayr Community Schools with the class of 1989. He went on to graduate from LaJames cosmetology school in Des Moines, Iowa. He had worked at various salons and also had opened his own salons, including Salon E’van in Des Moines during the course of his life. He had worked most recently at Sweet Escapes in Mount Ayr, Iowa. He was a very talented hair dresser. He had resided in Des Moines, Knoxville, Mount Ayr and Redding, Iowa and Grant City, Missouri as an adult. He attended Redding Methodist Chruch in his youth.

     Evan enjoyed friends and family and would often have them over to his home for meals. He was an excellent host and cook. He loved being out on the water and spent many afternoons with family members on the area lakes in his boat. He also enjoyed riding horses which he had done since he was a child. In his spare time, he raised dogs and most recently specialized in poodles. He liked flower gardening as well. He stated that he had enjoyed his life with no regrets.

     He was preceded in death by his parents, Evan and Patricia, and his grandparents, Vane and Eugene Oleny; and an uncle Marvin Olney.

     Evan adopted his niece, Courtney in 2011. She survives of the home as does his partner, Jared Miller. Also surviving are his nephew Zach Withee of Creston whom he also raised; sister Melody Withee of Des Moines, Iowa, brother James Eugene Olney of King City, Missouri; his aunts and uncles who are also his brothers and sisters, Carroll Olney of Redding, Iowa, Dean Olney of Sacramento, California, Joe Olney of Abbyville, Louisiana, Duane and Rita Olney of Grant City, Missouri, Dale Olney of Redding, Iowa, Lila and Jim Bradley of Franktown, Colorado, Curt and Mary Jo Olney of Sacramento, California, Danny and Maria Olney of Tacome, Washington, Sherry and Bill Davidson of Grant City, Missouri and Nola E. Olney of Sacramento, California; two great aunts: Verla and Ronald Damman of Grant City,. Missouri and Donna Paxson of Sheridan, Missouri; one great uncle, Richard Alexander of Des Moines, Iowa; special cousin, Jerry McClure of Allendale and numerous other cousins and friends.

     He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

     Funeral Services will be 2:00 P.M. Thursday, April 11, 2013 at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City. Rev. Len Green will officiate. Interment will be in the Redding Cemetery in Redding, Iowa. Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 P.M. Wednesday at the funeral home.

Guess what you missed at Grant City Eatery Today?

If you did not go to the Grant City Eatery today, you missed out on this beef and noodle dinner with corn, a bread roll, and milk for $6.49. This was a half-order, but their half-orders contain very generous portions. There were between 10-15 people there when we arrived right before 1 this afternoon. Service time is 5-10 minutes, competitive with the fast food chains. Please support your local businesses and eat out locally when possible.

More Changes at Sheridan Post Office

The Rural Routes formerly handled by the Sheridan Post Office have now moved to Grant City effective last Saturday, April 6th. All mail addressed to rural routes in Sheridan will now be handled in Grant City. All addresses will remain the same. Business hours will remain the same for weekdays; the Post Office will be open from 8 to 12 and from 1 to 3. Saturday's business hours will change; they will open at 9:30 and close at 11:30.

230 People Attend Flowers N Things Open House

Around 230 people attended the Flowers N Things Open House Saturday, getting bargains and door prizes and free treats. They are located at the former Hy-Vee building in Grant City; they are the first business to open on the Square since the Grant City Square Fire. They are owned and operated by Beth Meek; the move will allow her to have much more room to offer items for sale. They feature flowers, country western clothing, stuffed tigers, old posters, and other goodies.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

4-1 -- Person calls about a possible scam.
4-1 -- Officer responds to a breakin at a Grant City resident's property.
4-2 -- Worth County resident reports theft of painkillers from his residence in Grant City.
4-2 -- Person in for CCW renewal.
4-3 -- Report of cattle out; owner notified.
4-3 -- Tornado siren test.
4-3 -- Homeowners in to report theft from home in Grant City.
4-4 -- Worth County resident reports stolen calf; officer investigates, calf found.
4-4 -- Person calls needing accident report.
4-4 -- Officer serves protection papers and divorce papers in Grant City.
4-5 -- 911 call of assault in Grant City; officer responds.
4-5 -- 911 hangup call; officer locates caller and warns them not to play with phone.
4-5 -- Person in to do CCW permit.

Possible Severe Weather Tuesday Night

The weather has been very stable in Northwest Missouri for much of this past week, but scattered thunderstorms are possible tonight and severe weather is possible Tuesday night. The National Weather Service reports that scattered thunderstorms may form over southeast Kansas and southwest to west central Missouri late this afternoon, some of which may produce large hail. These storms will move across the northern half of Missouri overnight. Thunderstorm chances will continue through Monday; however, the best chance of severe weather will be Tuesday night, when a cold front will come through the region. Storm spotters will likely be needed Tuesday night. After being in the 60's and 70's all week, highs will be as warm as 75 Monday. However, it will cool off considerably after Tuesday night and highs will only be in the upper 40's on Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures will then likely warm back up into the 50's and 60's for the remainder of the 10 day period; however, there will likely be a good chance of showers throughout the period. After March spawned the fewest tornadoes throughout the country since 1978, the site weather.com predicts that there will be a lot more tornadic activity this week as warm moist air comes northward into the area. During March, the air was cooler and a lot more stable.

Junior High Girls Second, Boys Third at Junior High Early Bird

The Worth County girls were second and the boys third at the Junior High Early Bird last Tuesday. In the Shot Put, Aubrey Staton was 4th for the girls with a throw of 25'2 1/4". On the boys side, Drake Kinsella was 5th with a throw of 29'7". Drake Kinsella and Aubrey Staton also competed in the Discus. Drake was 4th with a throw of 78'6". Aubrey was 5th with a throw of 48'9". The boys placed two in the High Jump. Lucas Caddenhead was 5th with a jump of 4'8". Cade Allee was right behind him at 6th with a leap of 4'6". For the girls, Rachel Gardner was 4th with a leap of 4 feet. Both the boys and girls won in the Pole Vault. Sidney Troutwine won the girls Pole Vault with a vault of 6'6". She is the niece of Tiffany Troutwine, who has been a state champion in the event in the past. On the boys side, Lucas Caddenhead and Will Engel were 1-2 in the event. Lucas won with a vault of 7'6" while Will was second with a vault of 6 feet. Kristen Ross was third in the Long Jump with a leap of 13'5 1/2". That was 3 1/2" off the winning jump of Alisha Davison of North Nodaway. Troutwine was 6th in the 100 with a time of 15.64. Kristen Ross won the 200 with a time of 30.13. That was .2 of a second ahead of Alisha Davison of North Nodaway. Jayden Mancuso was 5th in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 19.92. That was 1.1 seconds off the winning time of T.J. Williams of South Harrison. The girls got their best result of the day in the 75 Hurdles as they finished 1-2 in the event. Kristen Ross got her second win of the afternoon in the event with a time of 13.91. Aubrey Ragan, who had never run a complete set of hurdles before, encountered just as little competition for second as she finished with a time of 15.04, more than one second ahead of the third place finisher. The girls won the 4x200 as Kristen Ross picked up her third win of the afternoon as she was on the winning team. The team of Ross, Sidney Troutwine, Rachel Gardner, and Payton Adwell won with a time of 2:04.88, three seconds ahead of the second-place North Nodaway squad. The boys team of Jayden Mancuso, Wade Rush, Tevin Cameron, and Ryan McClellan finished second in the 4x200 with a time of 1:58.45. That was 2.47 seconds off the first place pace of North Andrew. Winning the 1600 was Grace Schottel, who had little competition in the event as she won with a time of 6:28.80. That was 23 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. She rewrote the elementary track meet record book from the 100 to the 1600 and now she is getting a chance to show what she can do. The girls 4x100 team of Sidney Troutwine, Darbi Weddle, Aubrey Ragan, and Rachel Gardner finished fourth with a time of 1:02.02. That was 1.74 seconds off the winning time of King City. The boys 4x100 relay team placed third with a time of 56.72. That was 1.5 seconds off the winning pace of King City. On the team were Ryan McClellan, Tevin Cameron, Jayden Mancuso, and Wade Rush. Winning the 400 was Payton Adwell with a time of 1:11.94. That was 1.13 ahead of Carlie Newman of Albany. That result was a relief for Payton as she had struggled earlier in the day in the field; that was her second win of the afternoon. The Tigers also won on the boys side of the 400 as Cade Allee won with a time of 1:02.67. That was 1.06 seconds ahead of Derek McClure of South Harrison. Brianna Harker was 6th in the 800 with a time of 3:13.72. Brandon Fletchall was 4th on the boys side with a time of 2:42.01. The girls and boys teams both placed in the 4x400 to round out the afternoon. The girls were second as the team of Payton Adwell, Quinci Schottel, Bell Babb, and Grace Schottel finished seven seconds behind North Nodaway with a time of 5:09. The boys team of Lucas Caddenhead, Brandon Fletchall, Harley Charles, and Cade Allee was 4th with a time of 4:45, 18 seconds behind North Andrew. The girls were second behind North Nodaway as the Mustangs collected 110 points on the afternoon. Worth County was second with 98. North Harrison followed with 69 and King City with 46. On the boys side, South Harrison won with a total of 116 points. North Andrew had 78, followed by Worth County and King City with 61 each. North Harrison followed with 36.

Sheridan to Reopen Water Vendor on Trial Basis

The City of Sheridan will reopen the water vending machine on a trial basis following a one foot increase in water levels since last month. However, if water levels begin to fall again, the city reserves the right to shut it off again. The city is still asking everyone to conserve water due to the drought last year and due to the possibility of hot dry weather this year as well. Water levels are still 4 to 5 feet below pre-drought levels. MFA is about to start spraying this year, which could create pressure on the water system. Sur-Gro has its own water source. More and more producers are now spraying before they plant crops.

The city is still awaiting word on the grant to overhaul the water system. The city has got the funding to open the emergency water connection with the Nodaway Rural Water District; the city has obtained all the necessary easements. The project is still undergoing environmental review. The next round of funding will come through in July.