Jason Craig wrapped up Saturday's Grant City Sesquicentennial activities with his brand of country music, including the Holy Trinity of Country. He plays regularly in Kansas City and St. Joseph, but he said that it means a lot to him whenever he is invited back to Worth County. Around 200 people of all ages showed up Saturday evening.
During the concert, he made a video of one of his signature songs, "Worth Countin' On," recalling the flashing light that used to be at the intersection of 169 and 46 that let everyone know that they were home again after a long drive. One fearless young man took up Craig's invitation to dance out in front of the stands and after a while, many other kids did as well as band members threw out footballs and frisbees from time to time. It was cooler Saturday than it was Friday, when there was sweltering 104 degree heat, a near record for this time of year. However, Craig stopped once to drink water; the Allendale and Grant City Masonic Lodges provided free water and sold meals through most of the performance.
Craig sold CD's, shirts, and other items; he is working on a second CD album and he played some of the songs off of that album. Some of the numbers are original compositions while others are covers of popular songs; one is a rewrite to a popular rhythm that Craig felt was too upbeat for a sad song.
Some of Jason's old friends made the trip to see him play; Claudia Gladstone came all the way from Chicago while Marcy (Ruckman) Richardson came from Kansas City with her three daughters. Eddie Costin, another member of the gang that Craig ran with, was helping with the filming. And brother Scott was on the bass guitar. Les Pointer was in the audience as well.
The biggest cheers came from the "Worth Countin' On" song. Craig, whose real name is Jason Parman, has a history of making up stage names for himself; one time when he was a junior in high school and he was DJing for a teen dance on the square, he said he was a hotshot DJ from St. Louis for those who didn't know him. Craig brought his band, the Wingmen, with him this time and they provided a beat that was lively, yet provided entertainment that was wholesome and fun for people of all ages.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Grant City Rose from Ashes of Civil War
Grant City, the town named after General Ulysses S. Grant, later President of the United States, rose from the ashes of the Civil War and became a bustling town. Letters of congratulations were read from the Missouri House, the Missouri Senate, Governor Jay Nixon, Congressman Sam Graves, and Northwest Missouri State University President John Jasinski during ceremonies Saturday held to mark the Sesquicentennial. State Representative Mike Thomson, who read the resolutions at the state level, said that he was proud to represent a place whose citizens had a strong passion for the town and who wanted to make it a better place to live.
Among attractions and accomplishments cited by the Missouri Legislature included the outdoor learning center, the swimming pool, the bathhouse, the nature trail, and many new business establishments despite the declining population. Brianna Fletchall of the Worth County Senior Class talked about the work that they did for the Time Capsule that will be in front of City Hall. It will include a pair of football gloves, a bracelet in memory of Cody Schrock, a CD with music from 2013, senior class pictures, an MP3 player, the business directory, letters from class members, and copies of Josephine, the News-Press, and the National Geographic. A dedication will be held at a later date. The Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home helped with the vault and Malcom Eighmy did the monument.
A person representing Lydia Frakes, the first citizen of Grant City, whose family was instrumental in building the city and the Courthouse, gave a presentation accompanied by the Worth County Community Band and Choir. "Frakes" talked about how the Civil War took a toll on the fledgling town, pitting family members against each other. "However, we have overcome," she said. She encouraged the community to build a "town of togetherness."
"Ulysses S. Grant" said that it was an honor for him to speak in the town that was named after him. He was originally Hiram Ulysses Grant; however, the Congressman who recommended him to West Point kept insisting that he was Ulysses and that his name was Simpson, after his mother's maiden name. His dad was a tanner who wanted him to help with the family business. But Ulysses loved the outdoors and he was a horse whisperer from an early age; he said he had never been thrown, stepped on, or kicked. He recalled that President Lincoln thought more highly of his horses than he did his generals.
Grant was rejected by the army despite his Congressman's efforts; therefore, he gathered a group of rejects who had not made the army for whatever reason. They formed their own militia independent of the Army and they began winning battle after battle in Kentucky and Tennessee. "Grant" was humble about that period of his life; he said that he never considered himself to be a genius despite his successes. He had a simply philosophy -- find out where the enemy was, strike, and keep moving. He had a photographic memory and had the ability to assess any situation immediately. If he had been through terrain once, he would recall it perfectly.
Despite becoming the first four star general in US history, "Grant" said he never considered himself to be a hero, but just someone doing his job. After the war, he said that he had to wrestle with the demands of celebrity; however, he ran for President and served two terms. During his administration, the first Transcontinental Railroad was built, the first National Park was created, and the nation grappled with reconstruction following the deadly Civil War.
Following his Presidency, "Grant" wanted to provide for his family when he was gone and, with the help of an up and coming author named Mark Twain, wrote his memoirs. "Grant" said that Twain had been a tremendous help and that for that reason, Missouri always had a place in his heart. "You are good people and I am proud to help you celebrate," said "Grant."
Among attractions and accomplishments cited by the Missouri Legislature included the outdoor learning center, the swimming pool, the bathhouse, the nature trail, and many new business establishments despite the declining population. Brianna Fletchall of the Worth County Senior Class talked about the work that they did for the Time Capsule that will be in front of City Hall. It will include a pair of football gloves, a bracelet in memory of Cody Schrock, a CD with music from 2013, senior class pictures, an MP3 player, the business directory, letters from class members, and copies of Josephine, the News-Press, and the National Geographic. A dedication will be held at a later date. The Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home helped with the vault and Malcom Eighmy did the monument.
A person representing Lydia Frakes, the first citizen of Grant City, whose family was instrumental in building the city and the Courthouse, gave a presentation accompanied by the Worth County Community Band and Choir. "Frakes" talked about how the Civil War took a toll on the fledgling town, pitting family members against each other. "However, we have overcome," she said. She encouraged the community to build a "town of togetherness."
"Ulysses S. Grant" said that it was an honor for him to speak in the town that was named after him. He was originally Hiram Ulysses Grant; however, the Congressman who recommended him to West Point kept insisting that he was Ulysses and that his name was Simpson, after his mother's maiden name. His dad was a tanner who wanted him to help with the family business. But Ulysses loved the outdoors and he was a horse whisperer from an early age; he said he had never been thrown, stepped on, or kicked. He recalled that President Lincoln thought more highly of his horses than he did his generals.
Grant was rejected by the army despite his Congressman's efforts; therefore, he gathered a group of rejects who had not made the army for whatever reason. They formed their own militia independent of the Army and they began winning battle after battle in Kentucky and Tennessee. "Grant" was humble about that period of his life; he said that he never considered himself to be a genius despite his successes. He had a simply philosophy -- find out where the enemy was, strike, and keep moving. He had a photographic memory and had the ability to assess any situation immediately. If he had been through terrain once, he would recall it perfectly.
Despite becoming the first four star general in US history, "Grant" said he never considered himself to be a hero, but just someone doing his job. After the war, he said that he had to wrestle with the demands of celebrity; however, he ran for President and served two terms. During his administration, the first Transcontinental Railroad was built, the first National Park was created, and the nation grappled with reconstruction following the deadly Civil War.
Following his Presidency, "Grant" wanted to provide for his family when he was gone and, with the help of an up and coming author named Mark Twain, wrote his memoirs. "Grant" said that Twain had been a tremendous help and that for that reason, Missouri always had a place in his heart. "You are good people and I am proud to help you celebrate," said "Grant."
Friday, August 30, 2013
Whitney Harker Threatened with Numerous Dog Violations by City of Grant City
Whitney Harker was sent a demand letter Thursday by Ross & Thomson, attorneys for the City of Grant City, giving her seven days to deal with what the city attorneys say are numerous complaints and violations of city dog ordinances regarding three dogs that she owns within city limits. The letter told her to remove the dogs from the city limits, destroy them, put a bark collar on them, or face charges for every day that she fails to comply. The letter stated that the city had received numerous multiple complaints from citizens of the dogs running at large and excessive barking and also charges Ms. Harker of failure to license them as required by city ordinances. A copy of the letter was sent to her mother, Gwyanda Harker, as the owner of the property on which Whitney lives.
But Gwyanda Harker, mother of Whitney, accused the city of selective prosecution. She told the Express that she came home from work at the Office late at night and she heard other peoples' dogs barking all the time, yet the city never did anything about them. She said that two of the dogs were Red Heelers that Whitney started raising six years ago for an FFA project at school. The other is a Blue Heeler owned by Whitney's boyfriend and kept by Harker on her property.
Gwyanda said that she had gone out of her way to be a good neighbor and keep the dogs from being a problem. She said that she built a chain link fence around the dogs after one of them had dug itself out. She said that the city would not tell her who was making a complaint against her, but said that she thought it was one set of neighbors who she says has been making a lot of trouble for her. She said they even called the law on her one time for trespassing when some neighboring kids had let a ball go onto the neighbors' property when Whitney was not even involved. She said that she has owned the home in question since 1990 and had never gotten complaints of this nature until the past year although she had gotten occasional letters from the city in the past.
Gwyanda said that the dogs never barked unless provoked. "Now, we're being told that we have to get rid of them," she said. She said that putting a bark collar on the dogs was not an option because she needed to protect her property against theft, something she says has happened in the past.
Whitney Harker told the Express that it was a matter of two people who "just don't like us." She said that she has had the dogs for the last six years and that she had never gotten such a demand letter from an attorney before. She said that she had done everything she could to be a responsible owner, including securing the kennels and getting them all their shots. Harker, who is an ag student at Northwest Missouri State, said that she has not been there all the time but that the city had never given her a chance to hear her side of the story before taking legal action. "People are making assumptions without knowing what happened," she said. "Everyone else has dogs running about as well."
The city has gotten numerous complaints over the last two years regarding dogs running loose around the city. In response, the city has set up a dog pound where it keeps stray dogs that it captures and has purchased a dart gun to help capture stray dogs. Dogs that are not claimed by their owners in a sufficient amount of time are taken to a veterinary clinic where they are either adopted out or euthanized. Persons interested in adopting dogs which are not claimed by their owners and which are targeted for euthanasia can contact the city for more information. The city euthanized four dogs and adopted out two more last month.
But Gwyanda Harker, mother of Whitney, accused the city of selective prosecution. She told the Express that she came home from work at the Office late at night and she heard other peoples' dogs barking all the time, yet the city never did anything about them. She said that two of the dogs were Red Heelers that Whitney started raising six years ago for an FFA project at school. The other is a Blue Heeler owned by Whitney's boyfriend and kept by Harker on her property.
Gwyanda said that she had gone out of her way to be a good neighbor and keep the dogs from being a problem. She said that she built a chain link fence around the dogs after one of them had dug itself out. She said that the city would not tell her who was making a complaint against her, but said that she thought it was one set of neighbors who she says has been making a lot of trouble for her. She said they even called the law on her one time for trespassing when some neighboring kids had let a ball go onto the neighbors' property when Whitney was not even involved. She said that she has owned the home in question since 1990 and had never gotten complaints of this nature until the past year although she had gotten occasional letters from the city in the past.
Gwyanda said that the dogs never barked unless provoked. "Now, we're being told that we have to get rid of them," she said. She said that putting a bark collar on the dogs was not an option because she needed to protect her property against theft, something she says has happened in the past.
Whitney Harker told the Express that it was a matter of two people who "just don't like us." She said that she has had the dogs for the last six years and that she had never gotten such a demand letter from an attorney before. She said that she had done everything she could to be a responsible owner, including securing the kennels and getting them all their shots. Harker, who is an ag student at Northwest Missouri State, said that she has not been there all the time but that the city had never given her a chance to hear her side of the story before taking legal action. "People are making assumptions without knowing what happened," she said. "Everyone else has dogs running about as well."
The city has gotten numerous complaints over the last two years regarding dogs running loose around the city. In response, the city has set up a dog pound where it keeps stray dogs that it captures and has purchased a dart gun to help capture stray dogs. Dogs that are not claimed by their owners in a sufficient amount of time are taken to a veterinary clinic where they are either adopted out or euthanized. Persons interested in adopting dogs which are not claimed by their owners and which are targeted for euthanasia can contact the city for more information. The city euthanized four dogs and adopted out two more last month.
Andrew, Angela Pickering Married
Andrew and Angela (Osborn) Pickering were married Friday afternoon by Judge Joel Miller at the Worth County Courthouse. Witnesses were Dan Jackson and Angela Huntsman. They had an informal reception afterwards at the Office Tavern in Grant City.
Oldest and Youngest Residents Honored at Football Game; Tigers Fall to Rock Port
The oldest and youngest residents of Grant City were honored at the Worth County-Rock Port football game Friday night at halftime. Billie Humphrey was honored as the oldest woman; she is 96 years old and has lived in Grant City for 93 of her 96 years. She still remembers Mrs. Clark, her first grade teacher, 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Kibbe, and high school teacher Sadie Simmons. She said that she never wanted to live anywhere else. She spent many years serving the school and community as a teacher, business owner, and volunteer for the community. She and her husband Veryl ran the Art Shop on the Square for many years.
The oldest male resident of Grant City was Harold Fletchall, who has lived in Grant City since 1944. He has three children and six grandchildren. He worked for many years at Prugh & Sons and as a custodian at the Worth County School. He has been a member of the Grant City Baptist Church since 1949. He has also served as a member of the VFW Post 3123 and as a scout leader of Troop 62 in Grant City. Kelly May Baker, aged 16 days, was honored as the youngest resident of Grant City.
Unfortunately, there was little else to cheer about besides the dance team, who performed between quarters, the band, which performed at halftime, or the cheerleaders when they were throwing souvenirs into the stands during some of the numerous water breaks as Rock Port beat Worth County 62-14 in a game that was called late in the fourth quarter.
Compared to the first game, Coach Chris Healy, coaching his first game, told his team that he saw some good things in the game, but that they had to get tougher. He said that the defense was solid, but that the offense had too many penalties, turnovers, and mental mistakes. The team cut down on their penalties to some extent, but there were still way too many false starts from players not knowing what the count was. There were a lot of balls on the ground due to the sweltering heat and Worth County had to defend for much of the night with their backs against the wall, always a tough job for any defense to be in. But the biggest reason the Tigers struggled offensively was because nobody accounted for Chandler Farmer, Rock Port's defensive end and linebacker. He was breaking into the backfield at will, forcing fumbles and throwing Tiger backs for losses. He had one quarterback hurry that led to an interception and forced one fumble that led to Rock Port scooping the ball up and scoring. He had at least 10 tackles for big losses that night.
One of the few sustained drives that the Tigers had all night happened in the fourth quarter because they finally started accounting for Farmer and they knocked him on his back twice as they were able to move into Rock Port territory. But they were still not doing it consistently enough as Farmer had a quarterback hurry that killed the drive on fourth down. One of Coach Healy's stated goals to his players following the game was to get back into the top five on the News-Press leaderboard; in order to do that, they will have to do a much better job of accounting for the other team's best defenders.
Defensively, they did well enough that they were able to force Rock Port out of simply handing it to Jayden McMahon for 30+ plays like they did last year. Truman Moore was a force on defense and provided one of the few highlights, stealing a pitch and going in for a score despite getting tangled up with the referee in the fourth quarter. Josh Warner added a sack on Farmer, Rock Port's quarterback.
Doomsayers were predicting that the game would be called at halftime, something that has not happened in quite some time. It looked to be the case at first as Farmer broke a long run for a score and the long snapping game turned out to be a problem area for the Tigers. The first bad snap led to Rock Port's second score as the blue shirts outhustled everyone to the ball. Then, another bad snap happened as all three backs looked at each other confused as the ball was once again on the ground; Worth County had to eat the ball; two plays later, yet another bad snap resulted in a safety to put Rock Port up 16-0. On the ensuing kickoff, Wyatt Rush made a momentum-changing play that finally swung the game back in Worth County's favor as he made a perfect one on one tackle on speed merchant Eric Duncan and Rock Port for once struggled with penalties and went three and out.
Worth County took advantage after Lane Craven caught a screen pass and took it eight yards to turn third and long into fourth and one. Wyatt Rush got a good surge from the line and picked up four for the first down to the Blue Jay 31. Wyatt showed himself to be strong in short yardage situations on offense and he was able to spell Brevyn Ross at halfback. Brevyn Ross ripped off 11 yards down to the 20 on a sweep, Wyatt picked up seven more off a quick count, and a few plays later, Ross dove into a small hole and got in with 9:42 left in the second to make it 16-8 with 9:42 left.
Worth County had Rock Port third and four at their own 30 thanks to a play in which Truman and four other Tiger defenders swarmed McMahon for a loss. But then someone forgot to cover Dylan Lee and he caught a long pass all the way down to the Tiger 20. That set up a 20-yard score from Farmer as everyone got blown out and Rock Port was back up 22-8 with 8:19 left. Worth County had a chance to get back into the game as Brevyn Ross took a short pass 33 yards down the right sideline to set up first and 10 at the Rock Port 20. But then someone forgot the count and a false start moved it back to the 25 and the blocking broke down on the next few plays to give Rock Port back the ball on downs.
Worth County nearly caught a break on the next series when a block in the back penalty wiped out an apparent Rock Port score, but a long pass to McMahon, who beat his defender to the 4, set up Eric Duncan's score to make it 28-8 with 4:34 left in the second. Worth County could not respond before the half. Worth County got the ball to start the second half, but one of many missed blocks on Farmer led to a fumble and a blown coverage, the second one of the night, resulted in a Rock Port score that made it 34-8, too much for Worth County to make up.
The oldest male resident of Grant City was Harold Fletchall, who has lived in Grant City since 1944. He has three children and six grandchildren. He worked for many years at Prugh & Sons and as a custodian at the Worth County School. He has been a member of the Grant City Baptist Church since 1949. He has also served as a member of the VFW Post 3123 and as a scout leader of Troop 62 in Grant City. Kelly May Baker, aged 16 days, was honored as the youngest resident of Grant City.
Unfortunately, there was little else to cheer about besides the dance team, who performed between quarters, the band, which performed at halftime, or the cheerleaders when they were throwing souvenirs into the stands during some of the numerous water breaks as Rock Port beat Worth County 62-14 in a game that was called late in the fourth quarter.
Compared to the first game, Coach Chris Healy, coaching his first game, told his team that he saw some good things in the game, but that they had to get tougher. He said that the defense was solid, but that the offense had too many penalties, turnovers, and mental mistakes. The team cut down on their penalties to some extent, but there were still way too many false starts from players not knowing what the count was. There were a lot of balls on the ground due to the sweltering heat and Worth County had to defend for much of the night with their backs against the wall, always a tough job for any defense to be in. But the biggest reason the Tigers struggled offensively was because nobody accounted for Chandler Farmer, Rock Port's defensive end and linebacker. He was breaking into the backfield at will, forcing fumbles and throwing Tiger backs for losses. He had one quarterback hurry that led to an interception and forced one fumble that led to Rock Port scooping the ball up and scoring. He had at least 10 tackles for big losses that night.
One of the few sustained drives that the Tigers had all night happened in the fourth quarter because they finally started accounting for Farmer and they knocked him on his back twice as they were able to move into Rock Port territory. But they were still not doing it consistently enough as Farmer had a quarterback hurry that killed the drive on fourth down. One of Coach Healy's stated goals to his players following the game was to get back into the top five on the News-Press leaderboard; in order to do that, they will have to do a much better job of accounting for the other team's best defenders.
Defensively, they did well enough that they were able to force Rock Port out of simply handing it to Jayden McMahon for 30+ plays like they did last year. Truman Moore was a force on defense and provided one of the few highlights, stealing a pitch and going in for a score despite getting tangled up with the referee in the fourth quarter. Josh Warner added a sack on Farmer, Rock Port's quarterback.
Doomsayers were predicting that the game would be called at halftime, something that has not happened in quite some time. It looked to be the case at first as Farmer broke a long run for a score and the long snapping game turned out to be a problem area for the Tigers. The first bad snap led to Rock Port's second score as the blue shirts outhustled everyone to the ball. Then, another bad snap happened as all three backs looked at each other confused as the ball was once again on the ground; Worth County had to eat the ball; two plays later, yet another bad snap resulted in a safety to put Rock Port up 16-0. On the ensuing kickoff, Wyatt Rush made a momentum-changing play that finally swung the game back in Worth County's favor as he made a perfect one on one tackle on speed merchant Eric Duncan and Rock Port for once struggled with penalties and went three and out.
Worth County took advantage after Lane Craven caught a screen pass and took it eight yards to turn third and long into fourth and one. Wyatt Rush got a good surge from the line and picked up four for the first down to the Blue Jay 31. Wyatt showed himself to be strong in short yardage situations on offense and he was able to spell Brevyn Ross at halfback. Brevyn Ross ripped off 11 yards down to the 20 on a sweep, Wyatt picked up seven more off a quick count, and a few plays later, Ross dove into a small hole and got in with 9:42 left in the second to make it 16-8 with 9:42 left.
Worth County had Rock Port third and four at their own 30 thanks to a play in which Truman and four other Tiger defenders swarmed McMahon for a loss. But then someone forgot to cover Dylan Lee and he caught a long pass all the way down to the Tiger 20. That set up a 20-yard score from Farmer as everyone got blown out and Rock Port was back up 22-8 with 8:19 left. Worth County had a chance to get back into the game as Brevyn Ross took a short pass 33 yards down the right sideline to set up first and 10 at the Rock Port 20. But then someone forgot the count and a false start moved it back to the 25 and the blocking broke down on the next few plays to give Rock Port back the ball on downs.
Worth County nearly caught a break on the next series when a block in the back penalty wiped out an apparent Rock Port score, but a long pass to McMahon, who beat his defender to the 4, set up Eric Duncan's score to make it 28-8 with 4:34 left in the second. Worth County could not respond before the half. Worth County got the ball to start the second half, but one of many missed blocks on Farmer led to a fumble and a blown coverage, the second one of the night, resulted in a Rock Port score that made it 34-8, too much for Worth County to make up.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
New Elementary Counselor Combines Passions for Kids, Psychology
New Elementary Counselor Amanda Pottorff, the new Elementary Counselor at Worth County, combined her two passions of kids and psychology to land her a job right out of college as the new elementary counselor. Born and raised in Mount Moriah, she went to South Harrison High School, where she had a strong teacher in Mrs. Rose, the Family and Consumer Science Teacher. Pottorff said that Mrs. Rose taught her a lot about children as well as a lot about life in general. She said that her biggest influence was her mother, who did everything as a single mother and who taught her the value of hard work. She attended Central Methodist, where she discovered her passion for psychology thanks to Elizabeth Gold, a professor at that school. She then went to Northwest Missouri State where she got her Master's Degree. Her duties will include working with the elementary students and helping them work through their issues and succeed at Worth County.
Tiger Softball Downs Mustangs in Sweltering Heat
Worth County's softball girls beat out North Nodaway 17-5 in sweltering heat Thursday night to open their season. They scratched and clawed their way on base and used the big bats of Jacklyn Brooks, Katie Mullock, and Claire Andrews to clear the bases. Rikky Hunt started on the mound for the Tigers and got stronger as the day progressed despite the heat.
The Tigers started the game with six freshmen and sophomores, so the challenge was for them to adjust to the speed of the game. There were a few glitches, but they adjusted well enough to make some good defensive plays when they had to. Everyone got on base at least once.
Quinci Schottel showed some really high softball IQ despite only being a freshman; in her first varsity at bat, she timed a changeup perfectly and crushed it into left field for a leadoff hit. That seemed to set the tone on offense for the rest of the game. Slap hitter Kristen Andrews bunted a pop fly that hung in the air between the mound and home plate and it dropped before anyone could get to it for a scratch hit. Katie Mullock then grounded out for the first run of the season to score Quinci and Jacklyn Brooks smoked one between third and short for another run. All of her hits were hard-hit. Sidney Troutwine was out on a close play after a groundout to short, but Rachel Gardner was hit by a pitch to keep the inning going.
One rule change this year is that batters do not have to get out of the way of a pitch but can take one for the team. Previously, batters had to make an effort to get out of the way; however, that rule had been rarely enforced for many years because it was left up to the umpire's judgment. However, batters cannot deliberately step into a pitch in an effort to get hit and take a base.
Payton Adwell reached on a dropped pop fly to bring in a run and made it to second as North Nodaway was throwing it around. Claire Andrews re-injured her throwing shoulder that she had hurt in pole vaulting last spring; however, she showed no ill effects from it Thursday night as she could still hit and field. She hit a ground rule double, a line drive down the right field line that landed just fair and then rolled past the fence. That brought in two more runs and left Worth County up 5-0 after the top of the first.
After a big inning, it is important for teams to have a shut-down inning when they go back out into the field; otherwise, it will let the other team right back into the game. North Nodaway threatened to get right back in the game in the bottom of the first; however, some strong pitching and an outstanding defensive play kept them off the board. Rikky Hunt caught Cambry Schuter, one of North Nodaway's best hitters, looking on a called third strike and then Kristen Andrews made an outstanding defensive play from second base when she made a diving stop of a grounder and threw out Brittany Herndon at first for the third out of the inning to keep it at 5-0.
Kristen Andrews continued to carry the team with her slap hitting; she rolled one past the second baseman for a single with one out and Katie Mullock moved her over to third with a chopper past second that somehow found its way through for a hit. Once again, Jacklyn Brooks cleared the bases for the Tigers as she doubled into the gap in left center to make it 7-0. Rachel Gardner showed a ton of speed as she beat out a chopper to second to plate Brooks. For the last two years, Coach Dave Gilland has been preaching running out every hit ball and the effort paid off Thursday night. Payton Adwell reached on an error to score Sidney Troutwine to round out the scoring. That made it 9-0.
North Nodaway cut it to 9-3 in the bottom of the second and could have made it closer; however, Kristen Andrews made another outstanding defensive play from second when she grabbed a pop fly while running towards second and then stepped on second to double off a runner. Coach Dave Gilland said that play set the tone for the rest of the game. Worth County made it 10-3 in the third when Quinci Schottel reached on a throw in the dirt and Katie Mullock singled up the middle to bring her in with two outs.
Later in the inning, North Nodaway unsuccessfully lobbied for an interference call when Jacklyn Brooks hit a pop fly to a dead spot behind the mound and Mustang shortstop Cambry Schulter got tangled up briefly with the runner as the ball dropped in. Under the rules, it is the umpire's judgment whether the runner gave the fielder enough space to make the play. Later in the game, the umpire called an obvious case of interference -- a North Nodaway runner collided with Kristen Andrews at second in the 7th and made no effort to give her space to make the play as the ball rolled into right field. In that case, the runner is out and the batter awarded first base. One exception is when the runner is standing on a legally occupied base; in that case, they are not required to vacate the bag to give the fielder space to make a play.
Payton Adwell walked and Claire Andrews singled past second to chase North Nodaway pitcher Breann O'Riley in the fourth and bring on Cambry Schluter to the mound. She struggled at first, uncorking two wild pitches that brought them both in to make it 12-3 before settling down and getting out of the inning.
Coach Dave Gilland started off the game with Rachel Gardner at first, Hunt at pitcher, Quinci Schottel behind the plate, Kristen Andrews at second, Sidney Troutwine at shortstop, Payton Adwell at third, Katie Mullock in center field, Claire Andrews in right, and Madison Cassavaugh in left. Quinci was filling some big shoes with the departure of Rebecca Moore, but she stepped right up, surviving all seven innings of the sweltering heat and throwing a runner out stealing. She looks to fill the catching position up for another four years. Rachel saved at least one error, juggling an errant throw and securing it right before the Mustang runner reached base; she also showed a lot of speed on the basepaths. The three upperclassmen, Claire Andrews, Katie Mullock, and Kristen Andrews, were lights-out in the field. Jacklyn Brooks was the designated hitter. In the third, Gilland made some defensive changes, putting Kristen Ross in left field. Taylor Raymond came in to play third in the fourth inning and looked like a natural at it despite being a sophomore. Katie Mullock moved to shortstop and Payton went to center.
The pitching change for North Nodaway worked for a while as Schulter threw two scoreless innings and North Nodaway chipped away to make it 12-5. In the bottom of the sixth, Rikky Hunt started getting tired in the 90+ degree heat and walked the leadoff batter, Sam Frueh, on four pitches. That prompted a visit to the mound from Coach Dave Gilland and Hunt settled down, throwing a runner out at the plate as freshman catcher Quinci Schottel took the collision as though she had done it all her life and applied the tag.
Kristen Andrews, swinging away for a change in the 7th, singled to right and Kenna LaFollette, running for her, showed some speed on the basepaths as she stole second. Jacklyn Brooks brought her in with a pop fly single to left. Brooks came around to score on a stolen base and two wild pitches as Schulter began to tire in the heat. Taylor Raymond restarted the inning with a four pitch walk and Rachel Gardner took one for the team to put runners on first and second. Payton Adwelll moved them to third with a bunt single and Claire Andrews cleared the bases with a single that got away from the right fielder and rolled to the wall. Katie Mullock moved back to center field in the 7th inning and Coach Dave Gilland seemingly had a crystal ball at work as Katie, seemingly none the worse for the heat, went on the dead run after a screamer in the gap and made a running catch.
The Tigers started the game with six freshmen and sophomores, so the challenge was for them to adjust to the speed of the game. There were a few glitches, but they adjusted well enough to make some good defensive plays when they had to. Everyone got on base at least once.
Quinci Schottel showed some really high softball IQ despite only being a freshman; in her first varsity at bat, she timed a changeup perfectly and crushed it into left field for a leadoff hit. That seemed to set the tone on offense for the rest of the game. Slap hitter Kristen Andrews bunted a pop fly that hung in the air between the mound and home plate and it dropped before anyone could get to it for a scratch hit. Katie Mullock then grounded out for the first run of the season to score Quinci and Jacklyn Brooks smoked one between third and short for another run. All of her hits were hard-hit. Sidney Troutwine was out on a close play after a groundout to short, but Rachel Gardner was hit by a pitch to keep the inning going.
One rule change this year is that batters do not have to get out of the way of a pitch but can take one for the team. Previously, batters had to make an effort to get out of the way; however, that rule had been rarely enforced for many years because it was left up to the umpire's judgment. However, batters cannot deliberately step into a pitch in an effort to get hit and take a base.
Payton Adwell reached on a dropped pop fly to bring in a run and made it to second as North Nodaway was throwing it around. Claire Andrews re-injured her throwing shoulder that she had hurt in pole vaulting last spring; however, she showed no ill effects from it Thursday night as she could still hit and field. She hit a ground rule double, a line drive down the right field line that landed just fair and then rolled past the fence. That brought in two more runs and left Worth County up 5-0 after the top of the first.
After a big inning, it is important for teams to have a shut-down inning when they go back out into the field; otherwise, it will let the other team right back into the game. North Nodaway threatened to get right back in the game in the bottom of the first; however, some strong pitching and an outstanding defensive play kept them off the board. Rikky Hunt caught Cambry Schuter, one of North Nodaway's best hitters, looking on a called third strike and then Kristen Andrews made an outstanding defensive play from second base when she made a diving stop of a grounder and threw out Brittany Herndon at first for the third out of the inning to keep it at 5-0.
Kristen Andrews continued to carry the team with her slap hitting; she rolled one past the second baseman for a single with one out and Katie Mullock moved her over to third with a chopper past second that somehow found its way through for a hit. Once again, Jacklyn Brooks cleared the bases for the Tigers as she doubled into the gap in left center to make it 7-0. Rachel Gardner showed a ton of speed as she beat out a chopper to second to plate Brooks. For the last two years, Coach Dave Gilland has been preaching running out every hit ball and the effort paid off Thursday night. Payton Adwell reached on an error to score Sidney Troutwine to round out the scoring. That made it 9-0.
North Nodaway cut it to 9-3 in the bottom of the second and could have made it closer; however, Kristen Andrews made another outstanding defensive play from second when she grabbed a pop fly while running towards second and then stepped on second to double off a runner. Coach Dave Gilland said that play set the tone for the rest of the game. Worth County made it 10-3 in the third when Quinci Schottel reached on a throw in the dirt and Katie Mullock singled up the middle to bring her in with two outs.
Later in the inning, North Nodaway unsuccessfully lobbied for an interference call when Jacklyn Brooks hit a pop fly to a dead spot behind the mound and Mustang shortstop Cambry Schulter got tangled up briefly with the runner as the ball dropped in. Under the rules, it is the umpire's judgment whether the runner gave the fielder enough space to make the play. Later in the game, the umpire called an obvious case of interference -- a North Nodaway runner collided with Kristen Andrews at second in the 7th and made no effort to give her space to make the play as the ball rolled into right field. In that case, the runner is out and the batter awarded first base. One exception is when the runner is standing on a legally occupied base; in that case, they are not required to vacate the bag to give the fielder space to make a play.
Payton Adwell walked and Claire Andrews singled past second to chase North Nodaway pitcher Breann O'Riley in the fourth and bring on Cambry Schluter to the mound. She struggled at first, uncorking two wild pitches that brought them both in to make it 12-3 before settling down and getting out of the inning.
Coach Dave Gilland started off the game with Rachel Gardner at first, Hunt at pitcher, Quinci Schottel behind the plate, Kristen Andrews at second, Sidney Troutwine at shortstop, Payton Adwell at third, Katie Mullock in center field, Claire Andrews in right, and Madison Cassavaugh in left. Quinci was filling some big shoes with the departure of Rebecca Moore, but she stepped right up, surviving all seven innings of the sweltering heat and throwing a runner out stealing. She looks to fill the catching position up for another four years. Rachel saved at least one error, juggling an errant throw and securing it right before the Mustang runner reached base; she also showed a lot of speed on the basepaths. The three upperclassmen, Claire Andrews, Katie Mullock, and Kristen Andrews, were lights-out in the field. Jacklyn Brooks was the designated hitter. In the third, Gilland made some defensive changes, putting Kristen Ross in left field. Taylor Raymond came in to play third in the fourth inning and looked like a natural at it despite being a sophomore. Katie Mullock moved to shortstop and Payton went to center.
The pitching change for North Nodaway worked for a while as Schulter threw two scoreless innings and North Nodaway chipped away to make it 12-5. In the bottom of the sixth, Rikky Hunt started getting tired in the 90+ degree heat and walked the leadoff batter, Sam Frueh, on four pitches. That prompted a visit to the mound from Coach Dave Gilland and Hunt settled down, throwing a runner out at the plate as freshman catcher Quinci Schottel took the collision as though she had done it all her life and applied the tag.
Kristen Andrews, swinging away for a change in the 7th, singled to right and Kenna LaFollette, running for her, showed some speed on the basepaths as she stole second. Jacklyn Brooks brought her in with a pop fly single to left. Brooks came around to score on a stolen base and two wild pitches as Schulter began to tire in the heat. Taylor Raymond restarted the inning with a four pitch walk and Rachel Gardner took one for the team to put runners on first and second. Payton Adwelll moved them to third with a bunt single and Claire Andrews cleared the bases with a single that got away from the right fielder and rolled to the wall. Katie Mullock moved back to center field in the 7th inning and Coach Dave Gilland seemingly had a crystal ball at work as Katie, seemingly none the worse for the heat, went on the dead run after a screamer in the gap and made a running catch.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Obituary -- Howard Glee Thompson 1920-2013
Howard Glee Thompson, 93, Davis City Iowa, son of John and Alma (Lynch) Thompson, departed this life August 26, 2013 at Southern Hills Care Center, Osceola, IA.
Survivors include his wife Evelyn of Osceola; sons Steve (Jan), Cedar Rapids, John (Rosemary), Santa Barbara (CA), and Arnold, Osceola; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; sister Margaret Locke of Grant City; sisters-in-law Marge Thompson of Lamoni, Joyce Thompson of Grant City, and Margaret Thompson of Manchester (GA), and many other relatives.
Howard has been cremated. Memorial services are being planned at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home.
Survivors include his wife Evelyn of Osceola; sons Steve (Jan), Cedar Rapids, John (Rosemary), Santa Barbara (CA), and Arnold, Osceola; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; sister Margaret Locke of Grant City; sisters-in-law Marge Thompson of Lamoni, Joyce Thompson of Grant City, and Margaret Thompson of Manchester (GA), and many other relatives.
Howard has been cremated. Memorial services are being planned at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home.
Monday, August 26, 2013
New NEN Music Teacher Finds Change of Pace in Small Town School
New NEN music teacher Andrea Stafford said that she liked the change of pace that working at a small town school can bring. She was born and raised in Kansas City, where she went to Ruskin High School. She said that her biggest influence was her mother, who she said encouraged both her and her sister to go to college, supported her all the way, and even made a special trip to Ravenwood to check out her new school. Ms. Stafford got her degree at Northwest, where she majored in instrumental music education; teaching at Northeast Nodaway is her first job out of college. She said that her goal was for her students to learn about music and to have fun at the same time. In the long term, she said her goal was to build up the music program to the point where they could compete around the area.
New NEN Counselor Comes Home
Abbie (Steins) Groomer, the new school counselor at Northeast Nodaway, needs no introduction. She was a standout student and athlete at Northeast Nodaway in the late 1990's, helping the basketball team to a State Runnerup finish along the way. Now, she is showing the way for other students as the new counselor at Northeast Nodaway. She said that her experience as an admissions officer at Northwest Missouri State prepared her for this position. One of her older sisters, Amy, is also a counselor, so it runs in the family. She is the daughter of Bob and Joyce Steins, who still farm outside of Ravenwood.
Abbie is married to Nick Groomer, the head boys basketball coach at Stanberry. The Groomers are no strangers to success as Nick led his boys to a runnerup finish at state last year. Stanberry nearly pulled off the feat of winning state in both football and basketball. They have a son and a daughter. Son Hudson is four years old while daughter Waverly is three months old. Abbie said that there was lots of new stuff for her to learn at Northeast Nodaway, but that the kids were good to work with.
Abbie is married to Nick Groomer, the head boys basketball coach at Stanberry. The Groomers are no strangers to success as Nick led his boys to a runnerup finish at state last year. Stanberry nearly pulled off the feat of winning state in both football and basketball. They have a son and a daughter. Son Hudson is four years old while daughter Waverly is three months old. Abbie said that there was lots of new stuff for her to learn at Northeast Nodaway, but that the kids were good to work with.
Worth County Sheriff's Report
8-19 -- Officer transports person wanted in Worth County from Leon, IA to Ringgold County Jail.
8-19 -- City calls needing traffic control for Sesquicentennial Parade Saturday, August 31st.
8-19 -- Insurance company calls for police report on theft case.
8-19 -- Person in for CCW change of address.
8-19 -- School calls for update on manhunt in Iowa.
8-20 -- Person calls about suspicious car parked near his home.
8-20 -- Resident calls about people camping on his property; officer investigates; finds subjects camping on their own property.
8-20 -- Person in to register as sex offender.
8-20 -- Officer does motorist assist at Casey's.
8-20 -- Officer investigates domestic dispute in Worth County.
8-20 -- Officer investigates possible suicidal female on 169 highway; Ambulance dispatched and transports person to St. Francis Hospital.
8-21 -- Report of cow out on 169 south of Grant City; owner notified.
8-21 -- Motorist assist on Grant City Square; keys locked in car.
8-22 -- Call of cattle out on Route M; owner notified.
8-22 -- Officer assists Gentry County on 2 missing children; children were found safe near their residence.
8-23 -- Officer serves papers in Worth County.
8-23 -- Report of calf out south of Allendale; owner notified.
8-23 -- Ambulance paged on Priority 2 to a residence in Grant City.
8-19 -- City calls needing traffic control for Sesquicentennial Parade Saturday, August 31st.
8-19 -- Insurance company calls for police report on theft case.
8-19 -- Person in for CCW change of address.
8-19 -- School calls for update on manhunt in Iowa.
8-20 -- Person calls about suspicious car parked near his home.
8-20 -- Resident calls about people camping on his property; officer investigates; finds subjects camping on their own property.
8-20 -- Person in to register as sex offender.
8-20 -- Officer does motorist assist at Casey's.
8-20 -- Officer investigates domestic dispute in Worth County.
8-20 -- Officer investigates possible suicidal female on 169 highway; Ambulance dispatched and transports person to St. Francis Hospital.
8-21 -- Report of cow out on 169 south of Grant City; owner notified.
8-21 -- Motorist assist on Grant City Square; keys locked in car.
8-22 -- Call of cattle out on Route M; owner notified.
8-22 -- Officer assists Gentry County on 2 missing children; children were found safe near their residence.
8-23 -- Officer serves papers in Worth County.
8-23 -- Report of calf out south of Allendale; owner notified.
8-23 -- Ambulance paged on Priority 2 to a residence in Grant City.
Worth County School to Mark US Land and Water Conservation Act
(Worth County School) -- Governor Jay Nixon has declared September 3rd, 2013 as a day of recognition for the US Land and Water Conservation Act. The Land and Water Conservation Program has protected land for outdoor recreation in 114 counties in Missouri, including Worth County's outdoor classroom and athletic complex.
The school district will be hosting a celebration honoring the results of water and conservation grants that funded the following programs at the school:
--All-weather track;
--Handicapped accessible restrooms;
--Wheelchair-accessible bleacher platform;
--Outdoor classroom;
--Concession stand;
--Football field renovation;
--Softball field renovation.
Worth County invites the public to attend this celebration on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. at the football stadium. There will be a short presentation recognizing the educational and recreational enhancements made available to Worth County students and citizens through the Land and Water Conservation Grant funding program.
The school district will be hosting a celebration honoring the results of water and conservation grants that funded the following programs at the school:
--All-weather track;
--Handicapped accessible restrooms;
--Wheelchair-accessible bleacher platform;
--Outdoor classroom;
--Concession stand;
--Football field renovation;
--Softball field renovation.
Worth County invites the public to attend this celebration on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. at the football stadium. There will be a short presentation recognizing the educational and recreational enhancements made available to Worth County students and citizens through the Land and Water Conservation Grant funding program.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Obituary -- Bette Lee Dowis Bradley 1922-2013
Bette Lee Dowis Bradley was born on July 24, 1922 on the June Dowis Farm near Sheridan and died August 5th, 2013 in Orange County.
Bette thought there must be an easier life than farming and after graduating from high school, she moved to Kansas City and waited for her sister, Roberta, to join her. They worked at North American Aviation. The sisters moved to California in 1942.
During the World War II years, she met her future husband, James L. Bradley. After he was shipped to Europe for 4 years, they were married January 2nd, 1955 in Maryville at the Methodist Church. They lived several years in his home town of Pendleton, IN.
The Bradleys have three daughters, Jama Danae, Tama Lisa, and Jabette Elese, all of California.
Bette was the daughter of William June and Quete Dowis. Brothers and sisters were Charles Dowis and Roberta June Dowis (both deceased), Joyce Dowis Chambers of Maryville, and Franklin Dowis of Colorado Springs, CO.
Bette thought there must be an easier life than farming and after graduating from high school, she moved to Kansas City and waited for her sister, Roberta, to join her. They worked at North American Aviation. The sisters moved to California in 1942.
During the World War II years, she met her future husband, James L. Bradley. After he was shipped to Europe for 4 years, they were married January 2nd, 1955 in Maryville at the Methodist Church. They lived several years in his home town of Pendleton, IN.
The Bradleys have three daughters, Jama Danae, Tama Lisa, and Jabette Elese, all of California.
Bette was the daughter of William June and Quete Dowis. Brothers and sisters were Charles Dowis and Roberta June Dowis (both deceased), Joyce Dowis Chambers of Maryville, and Franklin Dowis of Colorado Springs, CO.
New Learning Style at Worth County Features Teamwork, Student Engagement
Teacher Kelley Ross and Principal Jon Adwell gave a presentation to the board about the Kagan Learning System, which they say promotes student engagement and cooperation. Adwell said that it forces students to learn as a group rather than as mere individuals. He said that cooperative learning and group learning were two different things. In the past, most schools have had students divide into groups, based on findings that it helps learning. However, Adwell said that certain students could still hide behind the group and that there were situations in which one person was doing all the work.
Kagan requires equal participation from the students. One possible lesson could involve students learning information, and then finding students who had another important piece of information, and trading cards in order to learn the subject matter being taught. It helps students with social skills, as students are forced to interact with students that they normally would not interact with in order to learn the subject matter. Other exercises require lots of teamwork to master. For instance, students could do an exercise in which they had to make a clown out of paper without using scissors. It forces students to use their creativity in order to make the picture. One exercise that Mrs. Julia Wideman did was a balloon bounce in which the whole class held hands and tried to keep a balloon from hitting the floor without using their hands. Reviews could consist of students finding someone who knows the answer to a certain question, once again forcing students out of their comfort zones.
Students still form groups in classes. They name their own group and make their own flags for groups. One of the biggest points of emphasis for teachers is for them to tell students to find the nearest partner, not their best buddy during exercises. A common rule is "Look at Three Before Me," meaning that students are encouraged to talk with other group members if they don't know the answer to a question before going to the teacher as in typical learning methods. Adwell said that he has been in communication with the Jefferson School District, which has used Kagan for the last four years. He said that it prepared one student very well for medical school, in which cooperative activities are done all the time. He said that the student in question was able to hit the ground running while many others were lost because they had not been prepared for cooperative learning situations.
Adwell said that a side benefit was that the teachers actually did a lot of the activities for themselves and that they were able to come together as a group before the start of school. Another benefit that we observed is that students simply like school better -- during the first day of school at the elementary, students were reluctant to leave for the bus when it was time to go home for the day. One high school student said that they did not want the school to go to a four day week because it meant they would be stuck at home all the time. While Kagan has not been implemented in the elementary yet, its benefits of cooperative learning and social interaction are already spilling over.. The school has implemented it for grades 7-12 and plans to introduce it to the elementary now that the partitions have been built. Adwell said that in the past, before the partitions, there was no ability for the school to do any of these things because the noise levels would have been too high.
Dan McCann, the new science teacher, introduced himself to the board. He said that the technology for such a small school was "phenomenal" and that tech person Amy Garrett had been a big help in helping him to get started.
Assistant Principal Chuck Borey reported on the lockdown that happened last Monday at the school. He said that the new school notification system did well at keeping parents informed of what was going on. He said that there would be staff meetings to determine what was going well and what wasn't.
Enrollment was at 318 this year, down from 325 last year.
Principal Jon Adwell reported on the Missouri Option, which is a new alternative program to help students who are behind in credits to graduate with a GED. They require students to spend 15 hours a week in the classroom and 20 hours a week working or performing community service. They are still required to go to school after they pass their test or the test will be void. It will also allow students one last chance to graduate with a diploma. Adwell said that it had been successful in Trenton, where he last worked. There are two students at Worth County using the Missouri Option. Students taking the Missouri Option also work on social skills and life skills; for instance, how to change oil or how to fill out a job application or do an interview.
Adwell reported on the work on the softball field to get it ready for softball this year. They replaced home plate, which was rotting, and replaced the bases and leveled the field, which Adwell says will make it safer. He said they planned to put up a flagpole so they could play the National Anthem before home contests. The field still has drainage issues as everything runs to the east during rainstorms. Under a new MSHSAA rule change, softball can now have a jamboree like football; Worth County will travel to South Harrison's this year. Worth County will host its own jamboree this year.
Athletic participation was up across the board this year. There are 26 out for football, 31 out for junior high football, 20 for softball, and five out for girls golf. Fears that the junior high softball team would be playing the numbers game did not materialize as 14 came out for that sport.
Superintendent Matt Martz reported that he plans to have more safety training for the staff as well as work on security at the doors. Borey said that a surprising figure that he found was that there had been more shootings in the past than there are now.
Martz reported that there were only 9 signed up for preschool; he said that the grant was written for 15 students and that he did not know what would happen if schools fell below that number. One change that he made in order to comply with the rules of the grant will be that parents will have to pay for 5 days a week even if they only send their child to school for one day during that week. He reported that this year's kindergarteners scored significantly higher on their tests than in past years, especially in letter identification.
The board declined to take action on a proposed resolution opposing HB 253, which would cut taxes in Missouri if Governor Nixon's veto is overridden. If overridden, the school could see as much as $180,000 less annually starting in 2016 depending on whose figures are accurate. The legislature has already committed school funding for the next two years; therefore, any changes would take place in 2016.
The board voted to raise substitute pay from $72 a day to $80 a day; Martz said that change was necessary to stay competitive with area schools. The board had not raised the rate for the last 10 years.
Kagan requires equal participation from the students. One possible lesson could involve students learning information, and then finding students who had another important piece of information, and trading cards in order to learn the subject matter being taught. It helps students with social skills, as students are forced to interact with students that they normally would not interact with in order to learn the subject matter. Other exercises require lots of teamwork to master. For instance, students could do an exercise in which they had to make a clown out of paper without using scissors. It forces students to use their creativity in order to make the picture. One exercise that Mrs. Julia Wideman did was a balloon bounce in which the whole class held hands and tried to keep a balloon from hitting the floor without using their hands. Reviews could consist of students finding someone who knows the answer to a certain question, once again forcing students out of their comfort zones.
Students still form groups in classes. They name their own group and make their own flags for groups. One of the biggest points of emphasis for teachers is for them to tell students to find the nearest partner, not their best buddy during exercises. A common rule is "Look at Three Before Me," meaning that students are encouraged to talk with other group members if they don't know the answer to a question before going to the teacher as in typical learning methods. Adwell said that he has been in communication with the Jefferson School District, which has used Kagan for the last four years. He said that it prepared one student very well for medical school, in which cooperative activities are done all the time. He said that the student in question was able to hit the ground running while many others were lost because they had not been prepared for cooperative learning situations.
Adwell said that a side benefit was that the teachers actually did a lot of the activities for themselves and that they were able to come together as a group before the start of school. Another benefit that we observed is that students simply like school better -- during the first day of school at the elementary, students were reluctant to leave for the bus when it was time to go home for the day. One high school student said that they did not want the school to go to a four day week because it meant they would be stuck at home all the time. While Kagan has not been implemented in the elementary yet, its benefits of cooperative learning and social interaction are already spilling over.. The school has implemented it for grades 7-12 and plans to introduce it to the elementary now that the partitions have been built. Adwell said that in the past, before the partitions, there was no ability for the school to do any of these things because the noise levels would have been too high.
Dan McCann, the new science teacher, introduced himself to the board. He said that the technology for such a small school was "phenomenal" and that tech person Amy Garrett had been a big help in helping him to get started.
Assistant Principal Chuck Borey reported on the lockdown that happened last Monday at the school. He said that the new school notification system did well at keeping parents informed of what was going on. He said that there would be staff meetings to determine what was going well and what wasn't.
Enrollment was at 318 this year, down from 325 last year.
Principal Jon Adwell reported on the Missouri Option, which is a new alternative program to help students who are behind in credits to graduate with a GED. They require students to spend 15 hours a week in the classroom and 20 hours a week working or performing community service. They are still required to go to school after they pass their test or the test will be void. It will also allow students one last chance to graduate with a diploma. Adwell said that it had been successful in Trenton, where he last worked. There are two students at Worth County using the Missouri Option. Students taking the Missouri Option also work on social skills and life skills; for instance, how to change oil or how to fill out a job application or do an interview.
Adwell reported on the work on the softball field to get it ready for softball this year. They replaced home plate, which was rotting, and replaced the bases and leveled the field, which Adwell says will make it safer. He said they planned to put up a flagpole so they could play the National Anthem before home contests. The field still has drainage issues as everything runs to the east during rainstorms. Under a new MSHSAA rule change, softball can now have a jamboree like football; Worth County will travel to South Harrison's this year. Worth County will host its own jamboree this year.
Athletic participation was up across the board this year. There are 26 out for football, 31 out for junior high football, 20 for softball, and five out for girls golf. Fears that the junior high softball team would be playing the numbers game did not materialize as 14 came out for that sport.
Superintendent Matt Martz reported that he plans to have more safety training for the staff as well as work on security at the doors. Borey said that a surprising figure that he found was that there had been more shootings in the past than there are now.
Martz reported that there were only 9 signed up for preschool; he said that the grant was written for 15 students and that he did not know what would happen if schools fell below that number. One change that he made in order to comply with the rules of the grant will be that parents will have to pay for 5 days a week even if they only send their child to school for one day during that week. He reported that this year's kindergarteners scored significantly higher on their tests than in past years, especially in letter identification.
The board declined to take action on a proposed resolution opposing HB 253, which would cut taxes in Missouri if Governor Nixon's veto is overridden. If overridden, the school could see as much as $180,000 less annually starting in 2016 depending on whose figures are accurate. The legislature has already committed school funding for the next two years; therefore, any changes would take place in 2016.
The board voted to raise substitute pay from $72 a day to $80 a day; Martz said that change was necessary to stay competitive with area schools. The board had not raised the rate for the last 10 years.
School Board Hires Bus Driver, Custodian
The Worth County School Board hired a bus driver and a custodian following a closed session during their regular Board of Education Meeting Thursday night. The school board offered Darin Drury a bus driver position and Ron Ford a custodial position contingent on approved background checks. The board also approved volunteer coaches Zach Allee, Dan McCann, Craig McNeese, and Kirby Dowis. The board also approved the substitute teacher list for the 2013-2014 school year.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Long Ways to Go for Tiger Football Team
Worth County’s football team showed some bright spots at the Jamboree Friday night. They held Kansas state runner-up Veritas Christian to a scoreless tie, denying them two scoring chances inside the red zone. In a match in which the JV had the field for most of the encounter, the young Tigers held North Nodaway’s varsity to another scoreless tie, denying them a chance at paydirt. But Worth County was outclassed by Stanberry, the defending state champs, giving up three big plays and losing 22-0 in the nightcap.
The Tigers have a long ways to go in order to be competitive with the state champions and they are in the unfamiliar role of underdog, with a new coaching staff and new players at key spots.
The first challenge in order to be competitive with Stanberry by Week 8 will be to get quicker off the ball; the Bulldogs repeatedly beat Worth County off the snap, even on the offense where the offense has the advantage of knowing the count and the play. Worth County made some good defensive plays on Stanberry, getting some good tackles on Bulldog quarterback Ike Heddinger, always difficult to bring down. But they gave up three big plays as well as a safety to the well-oiled Bulldog machine.
The second area of improvement was the turnovers. Worth County put the ball on the ground each of their first two tests, killing what looked like promising drives both times. They did a better job of taking care of the ball against Stanberry.
The third area of improvement was the penalties. Worth County was penalized more than all the other three teams combined at the Jamboree; it was a general variety of flags from false starts to a helmet to helmet hit and a late hit.
There will be no respite for the Tigers as they will have to get better in all three of these areas if they are to provide a test to Rock Port Friday night. Rock Port has almost everybody back from a team that made it to the Final Four last year before falling to Stanberry. Then, they travel to West Nodaway, a place where they have always had trouble playing regardless of the record book. Then, they travel to powerhouse Mound City.
The defense was farther along than the offense, with their two ends, Truman Moore and Shadow Briner, both regular guests in the backfield to disrupt handoffs before the play could even get started. Wade Rush, only a freshman, made a perfect open field tackle on Heddinger. Nate Pointer was in on some tackles for loss as well. He added a sack in the North Nodaway game as well as a touchdown saving tackle against the Mustangs when the quarterback broke loose from the pocket and was apparently in the clear before Nate used his speed to run him down at the 7.
Lane Craven, despite his size, was put on pass coverage out of the linebacker slot and performed well, not giving up a single completion or getting beat. Gavin Hawk showed a lot more speed this year and emerged as another candidate for the linebacker slot, covering a Mustang player perfectly on a deep airout.
On the interior line Austin Carlson and Josh Warner emerged as candidates along with Dalton and Tristan Miller. Austin blew up a handoff along with Truman Moore to help deny Veritas paydirt on their first drive. Josh Warner showed a lot more speed this year as he ran down a Veritas player from behind after he had been slowed down, setting up Worth County’s second defensive stop of that scrimmage. Josh also blew up a running play on Worth County’s first stop of Veritas.
On the other side of the ball, Ben Badell steps up at quarterback; he routinely had receivers open but was overthrowing them. If he can become more accurate in his throwing, the Tigers will be a force to be reckoned with in the air and never out of any game. Receiver Chris Alarcon was open for deep balls at least twice before coming out with a stinger in his shoulder. Wyatt Rush steps in as the blocking back and delivered some punishing hits; he will also serve as a powerful fullback to take the heat off emerging runningback Brevyn Ross. Brevyn showed some bursts of speed from his halfback position; another possible candidate is Wade Rush, who bulldozed over a Mustang defender to turn a potential loss into a short gain. Nate Pointer played at the position last year. Lane Craven emerged as another possibility at blocking back, delivering a punishing blow on a Veritas player.
The Tigers have a long ways to go in order to be competitive with the state champions and they are in the unfamiliar role of underdog, with a new coaching staff and new players at key spots.
The first challenge in order to be competitive with Stanberry by Week 8 will be to get quicker off the ball; the Bulldogs repeatedly beat Worth County off the snap, even on the offense where the offense has the advantage of knowing the count and the play. Worth County made some good defensive plays on Stanberry, getting some good tackles on Bulldog quarterback Ike Heddinger, always difficult to bring down. But they gave up three big plays as well as a safety to the well-oiled Bulldog machine.
The second area of improvement was the turnovers. Worth County put the ball on the ground each of their first two tests, killing what looked like promising drives both times. They did a better job of taking care of the ball against Stanberry.
The third area of improvement was the penalties. Worth County was penalized more than all the other three teams combined at the Jamboree; it was a general variety of flags from false starts to a helmet to helmet hit and a late hit.
There will be no respite for the Tigers as they will have to get better in all three of these areas if they are to provide a test to Rock Port Friday night. Rock Port has almost everybody back from a team that made it to the Final Four last year before falling to Stanberry. Then, they travel to West Nodaway, a place where they have always had trouble playing regardless of the record book. Then, they travel to powerhouse Mound City.
The defense was farther along than the offense, with their two ends, Truman Moore and Shadow Briner, both regular guests in the backfield to disrupt handoffs before the play could even get started. Wade Rush, only a freshman, made a perfect open field tackle on Heddinger. Nate Pointer was in on some tackles for loss as well. He added a sack in the North Nodaway game as well as a touchdown saving tackle against the Mustangs when the quarterback broke loose from the pocket and was apparently in the clear before Nate used his speed to run him down at the 7.
Lane Craven, despite his size, was put on pass coverage out of the linebacker slot and performed well, not giving up a single completion or getting beat. Gavin Hawk showed a lot more speed this year and emerged as another candidate for the linebacker slot, covering a Mustang player perfectly on a deep airout.
On the interior line Austin Carlson and Josh Warner emerged as candidates along with Dalton and Tristan Miller. Austin blew up a handoff along with Truman Moore to help deny Veritas paydirt on their first drive. Josh Warner showed a lot more speed this year as he ran down a Veritas player from behind after he had been slowed down, setting up Worth County’s second defensive stop of that scrimmage. Josh also blew up a running play on Worth County’s first stop of Veritas.
On the other side of the ball, Ben Badell steps up at quarterback; he routinely had receivers open but was overthrowing them. If he can become more accurate in his throwing, the Tigers will be a force to be reckoned with in the air and never out of any game. Receiver Chris Alarcon was open for deep balls at least twice before coming out with a stinger in his shoulder. Wyatt Rush steps in as the blocking back and delivered some punishing hits; he will also serve as a powerful fullback to take the heat off emerging runningback Brevyn Ross. Brevyn showed some bursts of speed from his halfback position; another possible candidate is Wade Rush, who bulldozed over a Mustang defender to turn a potential loss into a short gain. Nate Pointer played at the position last year. Lane Craven emerged as another possibility at blocking back, delivering a punishing blow on a Veritas player.
Water Line Project Set for October Completion
Completion of the 11 mile water line project is slated for the end of October. The project is now as far as Worth. Public Works Director Carl Staton has been on the site most of the time inspecting the work and making sure that it was done properly. Staton said that the city had inspected the pipes beforehand this time to ensure that they were properly manufactured. Councilman Bruce Downing said that Staton had caught problems that the inspector had not. According to the minutes, Downing requested the time schedule when the inspector is on site. They both said that the project had been going well and Staton said that the problems encountered were nothing that could not be fixed. He said that the new line would allow city crews to locate breaks and leaks much quicker than the old line. He reported that 19,170 feet of the new line had been completed as of Thursday.
Among other problems, the project had gotten into the old water line twice while putting in the new water line.
Randy Mendenhall of Snyder and Associates was at the meeting to present a change order for the project for a different type of boring than what was originally planned, at a cost of $8,645 out of the USDA contingency fund set up for that purpose.
The city received one bid for a retaining wall for the Nature Trail. No action was taken because council members thought the $6750 price tag was too high.
The bill for repairing the Water Tower was not as high as expected. Clerk Ayvonne Morin presented a bill from Liquid Engineering for epoxy coating repairs for $2,525.00.
Staton reported that city crews had been working on spraying for dust control, patching potholes, planting fire hydrants, blading streets, and fixing water leaks. He reported that one person had successfully completed his community service work assisting city crews with their labor. Staton also reported that glass on the backhoe needed replaced as it was broken during a waterline repair. The council voted to pay for the repairs at a cost of $942.00.
The Skating Rink will feature a new sign for the facility. The council voted to waive the permit fee for the sign.
The council discussed a resolution from the Wholesale Water Commission. Council members took no action. Council members and local officials said that there were other options out there, that the deal would have required purchasing water from the Commission, that it could be 15-25 years down the road before Grant City would benefit, that several entities had dropped out since last month, and that there were no numbers put together that had been presented to the city.
Fall cleanup for Grant City was scheduled for September 28th.
The Square will be blocked off at 5 this Saturday for the Grant City Sesquicentennial except for the east side of the Square.
The city euthanized four dogs last month. The vet clinic successfully found homes for two other dogs that would have been euthanized. Persons interested in adopting stray dogs can contact City Hall.
Staton reported that the Nature Trail Project was on hold under the Water Line project was completed.
The city is looking into purchasing some lights for the new Grant City sign that is going up in front of the Dollar General Store. The goal is to get the sign done before the Sesquicentennial.
The city went into closed session to discuss personnel matters. After they came out of closed session, they voted to hire a full-time general laborer.
Among other problems, the project had gotten into the old water line twice while putting in the new water line.
Randy Mendenhall of Snyder and Associates was at the meeting to present a change order for the project for a different type of boring than what was originally planned, at a cost of $8,645 out of the USDA contingency fund set up for that purpose.
The city received one bid for a retaining wall for the Nature Trail. No action was taken because council members thought the $6750 price tag was too high.
The bill for repairing the Water Tower was not as high as expected. Clerk Ayvonne Morin presented a bill from Liquid Engineering for epoxy coating repairs for $2,525.00.
Staton reported that city crews had been working on spraying for dust control, patching potholes, planting fire hydrants, blading streets, and fixing water leaks. He reported that one person had successfully completed his community service work assisting city crews with their labor. Staton also reported that glass on the backhoe needed replaced as it was broken during a waterline repair. The council voted to pay for the repairs at a cost of $942.00.
The Skating Rink will feature a new sign for the facility. The council voted to waive the permit fee for the sign.
The council discussed a resolution from the Wholesale Water Commission. Council members took no action. Council members and local officials said that there were other options out there, that the deal would have required purchasing water from the Commission, that it could be 15-25 years down the road before Grant City would benefit, that several entities had dropped out since last month, and that there were no numbers put together that had been presented to the city.
Fall cleanup for Grant City was scheduled for September 28th.
The Square will be blocked off at 5 this Saturday for the Grant City Sesquicentennial except for the east side of the Square.
The city euthanized four dogs last month. The vet clinic successfully found homes for two other dogs that would have been euthanized. Persons interested in adopting stray dogs can contact City Hall.
Staton reported that the Nature Trail Project was on hold under the Water Line project was completed.
The city is looking into purchasing some lights for the new Grant City sign that is going up in front of the Dollar General Store. The goal is to get the sign done before the Sesquicentennial.
The city went into closed session to discuss personnel matters. After they came out of closed session, they voted to hire a full-time general laborer.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Rodney Brown Completes School Board Training
Rodney Brown, member of the Worth County Board of Education, recently completed school board training sessions sponsored by the Missouri Association of Rural Educators held in Stanberry. With the enactment of Senate Bill 380, "The Outstanding Schools Act of 1993," all newly elected/appointed school board members must complete at least 16 hours of orientation and training within one year following their election/appointment.
Specific topics included in the training sessions were Establishment of the Board and Responsibilities, The Effective Board Member, Public School Laws of Missouri, School Finance, Assessment of Students and the Local School District, and District Long Range Planning.
Attendance at these sessions fulfills the required 16 hours of certification training. Training is only provided by organizations that have received approval by the State Board of Education. MARE annually provides training at several locations around the state. To learn more about the Missouri Association of Rural Educators, visit their website at www.moare.com
Specific topics included in the training sessions were Establishment of the Board and Responsibilities, The Effective Board Member, Public School Laws of Missouri, School Finance, Assessment of Students and the Local School District, and District Long Range Planning.
Attendance at these sessions fulfills the required 16 hours of certification training. Training is only provided by organizations that have received approval by the State Board of Education. MARE annually provides training at several locations around the state. To learn more about the Missouri Association of Rural Educators, visit their website at www.moare.com
Monday, August 19, 2013
Worth County School Placed in Lockdown Following Cop Shooting
Editor -- A Taylor County Officer was shot following an incident in which Rodney Long, an inmate at the Clarinda Correctional Facility, escaped. The officer, Dan Wyckoff, was life-flighted to Omaha with non-life threatening injuries according to news reports from KCCI TV. The suspect was still at large as of 4:00 Monday afternoon somewhere in rural Taylor County. Subsequent to the incident, the school got a call from a concerned citizen and Superintendent Dr. Matt Martz ordered the school placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure. Classes continued to be taught and school was dismissed as normal. The following is a news release issued by the school:
The Worth County R-III Schools locked all outside doors Monday,
August 19, 2013 as a precautionary measure because of news reports of an
escaped convict in the vicinity of Bedford, IA.
Mr.
Chuck Borey, Assistant Principal, communicated with parents via the
communication system. “We have locked
the building down as a precaution. With this type of lockdown, teachers and
students continue the learning process. We, however, limit the access of the
building and keep students inside the main building.” Students that must go to
the exterior buildings are escorted by an adult.
Dr.
Matthew Martz, Superintendent, received word about the escaped convict from a
concerned citizen. Once Martz confirmed
the information with the Worth County Sherriff’s Department, he issued the
precautionary lock down.
“One of our primary goals here at Worth County R-III is to keep
our kids safe so they can learn. While the locked doors create a little bit of
a nuisance, I think everyone can agree that protecting our children is worth
the inconvenience,” said Martz.
As
of the end of the school day, the escapee had still not been apprehended.
Reports indicated, however, that he had not crossed into Missouri, leading the
school to dismiss students and resume afternoon and evening activities.
As part of the
Emergency Crisis Preparedness Program, school district officials and staff
regularly practice a variety of emergency drills with the students.
Editor -- Law enforcement officers from three different states are involved in the pursuit; however, Worth County sheriff's deputies said that they were not involved in the pursuit although Sheriff Terry Sheddrick was monitoring traffic. Persons with any information about suspicious persons in the area are encouraged to call the Worth County Sheriff's office at (660) 564-2222. For emergencies, call 911.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Tigers to Host Rock Port for Opener
Worth County will know right away where they stand in football as they will host Rock Port for the first game of the year August 30th. They will then turn around and travel to Mound City on September 13th for their third game of the year as they will face two powerhouses for their first three games of the season.
They will face tail-enders West Nodaway (September 6th) at West Nodaway, CFX at home (September 20th), and travel to North Nodaway (September 27th) before coming home to Nodaway-Holt on October the 4th. That contest will be an interesting test, pitting Worth County against a team on the rise in the Trojans. Nodaway-Holt had a winning record last year after they had gone winless the year before and threw a scare into the Tigers at Graham last year.
Worth County will then travel to South Holt on October the 11th, a place where they have always had trouble playing regardless of the recordbook, before coming home for a showdown with defending state champion Stanberry (18th) and Tarkio (25th). The latter game will be an interesting challenge as the Tigers could turn right around and play the Indians in districts depending on the standings at that point. Worth County played consecutive games against the Indians last year and won handily both times.
They will face tail-enders West Nodaway (September 6th) at West Nodaway, CFX at home (September 20th), and travel to North Nodaway (September 27th) before coming home to Nodaway-Holt on October the 4th. That contest will be an interesting test, pitting Worth County against a team on the rise in the Trojans. Nodaway-Holt had a winning record last year after they had gone winless the year before and threw a scare into the Tigers at Graham last year.
Worth County will then travel to South Holt on October the 11th, a place where they have always had trouble playing regardless of the recordbook, before coming home for a showdown with defending state champion Stanberry (18th) and Tarkio (25th). The latter game will be an interesting challenge as the Tigers could turn right around and play the Indians in districts depending on the standings at that point. Worth County played consecutive games against the Indians last year and won handily both times.
New Music Teacher Dives Right Into Community
Alyssa Kramer, the new music teacher, did not hesitate before diving right into the community. She participated in the recent Art in the Park Celebration, where she accompanied the Concert Choir and Joyful Noise members with her violin. Former music teacher Jim Spiers said that the school would be fortunate to have someone with the talent to play the violin as he did not always have that during his time at Worth County. She is originally from Lee’s Summit, where she started giving private lessons to people and discovered that it was even more fun to see other people succeed. She attended Northwest Missouri State, where she majored in Vocal and Instrumental Music. She said her favorite teacher was her high school orchestra teacher, Jamie Mitchell, who is always willing to help former students. She said that she learned how to prioritize and how to have fun at Northwest.
She has family ties to the area; she is related to Ivalee Johnson of Sheridan as well as the Potts family in Hopkins.
She has family ties to the area; she is related to Ivalee Johnson of Sheridan as well as the Potts family in Hopkins.
After 30 Years, Dan McCann Not Ready to Retire
Dan McCann, the new science teacher at Worth County, said that he was not ready to quit and that he still had gas in the tank following 30 years of service. He was a long-time teacher at Gallatin, where he taught for 24 years. He started his teaching career in a small school in Montana, and then found an opportunity to develop professionally in Gallatin. He was originally from St. Joseph.
McCann said that he came to Worth County because he has ties to the community; he had classes with Mark Fletcher, Todd Simmons, and Chuck Borey while taking ongoing professional development classes. He also owns a farm southeast of Grant City and said that he always liked the community. He said that he was impressed with the students of Worth County and that it would be a good group of kids to work with.
McCann said that he came to Worth County because he has ties to the community; he had classes with Mark Fletcher, Todd Simmons, and Chuck Borey while taking ongoing professional development classes. He also owns a farm southeast of Grant City and said that he always liked the community. He said that he was impressed with the students of Worth County and that it would be a good group of kids to work with.
WCCC Receives Fewer Tags from State
The WCCC received fewer tags from the state than they received last year, Administrator Bev Miller told the board at their regular meeting Thursday. They received four this year, down from seven last year. The state inspected the facility for a week this month and focused mainly on dietary and housekeeping.
Miller told the board that Dietary and Housekeeping needed policy manuals. Among issues identified by the state, the menus were not always following doctors’ orders for residents. The menus were from 2007, and they have not been updated since. Three more emergency lights were needed. There was no annual checkup on emergency lighting, which is needed to ensure that batteries are not dead. The facility needs a fireproof paint cabinet where they can store paints for the basement so that they will not catch fire in the event of an emergency. A hot water heater in the basement was leaking. Schedule 3 Medications now have to be locked up. The facility has 45 days to make corrections on issues identified by the state.
The raw food bill was down for last month and overall costs per resident were down. Miller said that the efforts to train staff to adjust to budgetary needs were starting to pay off. This month will be a three pay period month, which will create pressure for next month’s financial statement. Census was down to 20; the facility sent three residents home who had successfully completed their rehabilitation. Board members said that they had heard positive comments about the improved level of care compared to years past. Another comment they heard was that the facility was cleaner than the one at King City.
The board will revisit a policy regarding bereavement leave. Currently, it does not cover grandparents or stepchildren.
The renovation project was continuing to make progress. The goal is to complete the move of the beauty shop in two weeks; the new beauty shop room was painted. Renovation work on the far east room is complete and it is ready for occupancy.
Miller told the board that Dietary and Housekeeping needed policy manuals. Among issues identified by the state, the menus were not always following doctors’ orders for residents. The menus were from 2007, and they have not been updated since. Three more emergency lights were needed. There was no annual checkup on emergency lighting, which is needed to ensure that batteries are not dead. The facility needs a fireproof paint cabinet where they can store paints for the basement so that they will not catch fire in the event of an emergency. A hot water heater in the basement was leaking. Schedule 3 Medications now have to be locked up. The facility has 45 days to make corrections on issues identified by the state.
The raw food bill was down for last month and overall costs per resident were down. Miller said that the efforts to train staff to adjust to budgetary needs were starting to pay off. This month will be a three pay period month, which will create pressure for next month’s financial statement. Census was down to 20; the facility sent three residents home who had successfully completed their rehabilitation. Board members said that they had heard positive comments about the improved level of care compared to years past. Another comment they heard was that the facility was cleaner than the one at King City.
The board will revisit a policy regarding bereavement leave. Currently, it does not cover grandparents or stepchildren.
The renovation project was continuing to make progress. The goal is to complete the move of the beauty shop in two weeks; the new beauty shop room was painted. Renovation work on the far east room is complete and it is ready for occupancy.
Albany to Join 275 Conference in Football
Albany will join the Highway 275 Conference starting in 2014, rekindling a long-time rivalry with Worth County. They will replace Craig/Fairfax; both schools will coop with Tarkio starting next year in football. A newly-passed rule allows three schools to coop in eight man football as long as student count is less than 200.
Football Jamboree Friday Night
The annual Worth County Football Jamboree will be this Friday night starting at 7. Competitors this year will include Veritas Christian, Stanberry, North Nodaway, and Worth County. Worth County and Veritas Christian will kick off the competition. The rest of the games will be as follows:
–Veritas Christian vs. Stanberry
–North Nodaway vs. Worth County
–Stanberry vs. Worth County
–Veritas Christian vs. North Nodaway
–Stanberry vs. North Nodaway.
Each team will have 12 offensive plays per contest. There will be no kicking game. Each team will be allowed to warm up and practice on the practice field. Worth County and North Nodaway will wear their dark/home uniforms while Veritas and Stanberry will wear their light/visitors uniforms. Admission will be $4 for adults and $3 for students. Concessions will be available.
–Veritas Christian vs. Stanberry
–North Nodaway vs. Worth County
–Stanberry vs. Worth County
–Veritas Christian vs. North Nodaway
–Stanberry vs. North Nodaway.
Each team will have 12 offensive plays per contest. There will be no kicking game. Each team will be allowed to warm up and practice on the practice field. Worth County and North Nodaway will wear their dark/home uniforms while Veritas and Stanberry will wear their light/visitors uniforms. Admission will be $4 for adults and $3 for students. Concessions will be available.
20 Years of Concert Choir Success Celebrated at Grant City Art in the Park
Grant City’s Sesquicentennial Art in the Park Celebration was capped off Saturday afternoon with a 20 year reunion of members of Mr. Jim Spiers’ concert choir. Over 30 members of Spiers’ concert choir who performed during his years teaching music at Worth County along with section leaders of the “Joyful Noise” group accompanied by new music teacher Ms. Alyssa Kramer on the violin performed several numbers to cap off the afternoon performance. Even though they had never performed together and in many cases never knew each other before last weekend, it was as though all of them had performed together for many years. “I grew up watching many of these people singing,” said Carrie (Hart) Dannar. “It was neat to come back and perform with them.”
Spiers is now giving private piano, singing, and instrumental lessons to area youth and his students performed for a large audience for most of the afternoon Saturday. The pool was open for a free swim, but most of the people preferred to watch and listen as a whole group of talented young musicians performed. It is never too late to learn how to sing or play an instrument and a few of his students were young at heart, always ready to learn or improve a new skill.
There was a wide variety of songs performed from classical pieces like Mozart and Beethoven to contemporary songs. One of the more creative pieces was performed by Kaylee and Claire McElvain, who sang and played a cup in rhythm for accompaniment. Other creative pieces included Trent Gabriel, who greased his hair all up and performed the 1960’s tune “Greased Lightning” and Dakota Owsley, who performed two songs that he himself composed. A band consisting of Jubal Summers, Len and Cody Green, Josh Warner, Dakota Owsley, and Mr. Spiers also performed some numbers.
Among students who performed at the event were Keelin Engel performing “Danny Boy” and “Call me Maybe,” Olivia Kanak performing “Lavender Blue” on the piano, Jeremy Wimer singing “All right all right,” and Kaylee McElvain performing a number on the alto sax.
Susie (Hardy) Newman performed two gospel songs, “Ave Maria” and “How Great Thou Art.” Keelin Engel played Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” on the piano. Merrideth Spiers played a minuet by Mozart on her French horn. Dominique Findley sang the song “Home.” Jacob Wimer sang “Wagon Wheel.” Teacher Jodi Lawrence sang a variety of country and gospel solos. Tanner Parman sang “Irish Rainbow” and “God Bless the USA.” Jill Hardy played the classical piece “Fur Elise.” Olivia Kanak sang “Part of your world” from the Little Mermaid movie and “Tomorrow” from the drama Orphan Annie, a song which was popular back in the 1980’s. Braidy Hunt played a guitar accompaniment to “Scarborough Fair.”
Spiers is now giving private piano, singing, and instrumental lessons to area youth and his students performed for a large audience for most of the afternoon Saturday. The pool was open for a free swim, but most of the people preferred to watch and listen as a whole group of talented young musicians performed. It is never too late to learn how to sing or play an instrument and a few of his students were young at heart, always ready to learn or improve a new skill.
There was a wide variety of songs performed from classical pieces like Mozart and Beethoven to contemporary songs. One of the more creative pieces was performed by Kaylee and Claire McElvain, who sang and played a cup in rhythm for accompaniment. Other creative pieces included Trent Gabriel, who greased his hair all up and performed the 1960’s tune “Greased Lightning” and Dakota Owsley, who performed two songs that he himself composed. A band consisting of Jubal Summers, Len and Cody Green, Josh Warner, Dakota Owsley, and Mr. Spiers also performed some numbers.
Among students who performed at the event were Keelin Engel performing “Danny Boy” and “Call me Maybe,” Olivia Kanak performing “Lavender Blue” on the piano, Jeremy Wimer singing “All right all right,” and Kaylee McElvain performing a number on the alto sax.
Susie (Hardy) Newman performed two gospel songs, “Ave Maria” and “How Great Thou Art.” Keelin Engel played Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” on the piano. Merrideth Spiers played a minuet by Mozart on her French horn. Dominique Findley sang the song “Home.” Jacob Wimer sang “Wagon Wheel.” Teacher Jodi Lawrence sang a variety of country and gospel solos. Tanner Parman sang “Irish Rainbow” and “God Bless the USA.” Jill Hardy played the classical piece “Fur Elise.” Olivia Kanak sang “Part of your world” from the Little Mermaid movie and “Tomorrow” from the drama Orphan Annie, a song which was popular back in the 1980’s. Braidy Hunt played a guitar accompaniment to “Scarborough Fair.”
Obituary -- Edwin Wendell King 1920-2013
Edwin Wendell King was born July 4, 1920 to Ray L. and Lois (Remmington) King in Hopkins, MO. He departed this life Friday, August 16, 2013 at the Mount Ayr Health Care Center.
He attended school in Hopkins and graduated in 1938. He joined the United States Army in 1943 and was in the 150th Battalion, 34th Squadron, stationed in the Philippines and New Guinea. When he returned from the service in 1946, he returned to farming with his parents.
On October 12, 1946, Edwin was united in marriage to Luetta Lorraine Cavin in Atchison, KS. They had over 66 years together. He was of the Christian faith, a member of the Blockton American Legion, Clearfield Lions Club, and Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by their two sons, Phillip (Myrna) of Bedford and Daniel (Esther) of Redding; grandchildren Elicia (David) Rople and Heather King of Des Monies, Sydney King of LaCrosse, WI, Christopher (Megan) King of Corning, Lacey and Jennifer King of Redding, great-grandchildren Benjamin and Catherine Rople, step-grandchildren Cynthia and Charles, sister Margaret Florea of Hopkins, and nieces and nephews.
Edwin was preceded in death by his parents Ray and Lois, wife Lorraine (May 7, 2013), brother-in-law Orlin Florea, nephews Larry and Wayne Florea, and niece Lois Janell Florea.
Edwin and Lorraine were both cremated and will be buried together at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Blockton following a Memorial Service at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home of Grant City.
He attended school in Hopkins and graduated in 1938. He joined the United States Army in 1943 and was in the 150th Battalion, 34th Squadron, stationed in the Philippines and New Guinea. When he returned from the service in 1946, he returned to farming with his parents.
On October 12, 1946, Edwin was united in marriage to Luetta Lorraine Cavin in Atchison, KS. They had over 66 years together. He was of the Christian faith, a member of the Blockton American Legion, Clearfield Lions Club, and Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by their two sons, Phillip (Myrna) of Bedford and Daniel (Esther) of Redding; grandchildren Elicia (David) Rople and Heather King of Des Monies, Sydney King of LaCrosse, WI, Christopher (Megan) King of Corning, Lacey and Jennifer King of Redding, great-grandchildren Benjamin and Catherine Rople, step-grandchildren Cynthia and Charles, sister Margaret Florea of Hopkins, and nieces and nephews.
Edwin was preceded in death by his parents Ray and Lois, wife Lorraine (May 7, 2013), brother-in-law Orlin Florea, nephews Larry and Wayne Florea, and niece Lois Janell Florea.
Edwin and Lorraine were both cremated and will be buried together at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Blockton following a Memorial Service at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home of Grant City.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Five Teens Injured in Sheridan Wreck [UPDATED]
Five Worth County and Northeast Nodaway students were coming home from football practice Tuesday night between 6:30 and 7 p.m. when they were all injured in a head-on collision. Injured were Gavin Hawk, Andrew Faustlin, Andrew Mullock, Justin Parker, and Rowdy West. Gavin Hawk had just dropped another football player home and was returning home when he had a head-on collision with a car driven by Andrew Faustlin in front of MFA. The collision was audible from one mile away. The accident was investigated by the Worth County Sheriff's Office, Missouri Highway Patrol, Sheridan Fire Department, and the Worth County Ambulance.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 1998 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by Faustlin and a 2008 Ford F250 driven by Hawk both changed lanes into the opposite lane. The Patrol says they both made illegal lane changes into oncoming traffic. The Faustlin vehicle crossed back into the westbound lane. Both vehicles left the north side of the road attempting to avoid each other, but hit head-on according to the Patrol's account of the accident.
Faustlin was seriously injured and taken to Heartland Regional Medical Center by the Mercy 1 Helicopter of Clarinda, IA. Andrew Mullock received moderate injuries and was taken by private vehicle to St. Francis. Parker received serious injuries and was taken to Heartland Regional Medical Center by the Worth County Ambulance and later to Children's Mercy in Kansas City. Rowdy West received moderate injuries, and was taken by Ambulance to St. Francis Hospital in Maryville. Gavin Hawk received moderate injuries and was taken by personal vehicle to St. Francis Hospital.
Gavin Hawk resumed practicing Thursday and participated in most of the drills at practice Friday. Andrew Mullock returned to school Thursday and was at practice that day. He will resume participating in practices in two weeks. Rowdy West came to practice Friday. Both Andrew Faustlin and Justin Parker were home from the hospital as of Sunday and are on the road to recovery.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 1998 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by Faustlin and a 2008 Ford F250 driven by Hawk both changed lanes into the opposite lane. The Patrol says they both made illegal lane changes into oncoming traffic. The Faustlin vehicle crossed back into the westbound lane. Both vehicles left the north side of the road attempting to avoid each other, but hit head-on according to the Patrol's account of the accident.
Faustlin was seriously injured and taken to Heartland Regional Medical Center by the Mercy 1 Helicopter of Clarinda, IA. Andrew Mullock received moderate injuries and was taken by private vehicle to St. Francis. Parker received serious injuries and was taken to Heartland Regional Medical Center by the Worth County Ambulance and later to Children's Mercy in Kansas City. Rowdy West received moderate injuries, and was taken by Ambulance to St. Francis Hospital in Maryville. Gavin Hawk received moderate injuries and was taken by personal vehicle to St. Francis Hospital.
Gavin Hawk resumed practicing Thursday and participated in most of the drills at practice Friday. Andrew Mullock returned to school Thursday and was at practice that day. He will resume participating in practices in two weeks. Rowdy West came to practice Friday. Both Andrew Faustlin and Justin Parker were home from the hospital as of Sunday and are on the road to recovery.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Obituary -- Thelma Gladman 1916-2013
Thelma Christine Gladman was born near
Grant City, Missouri on January 1, 1916, the daughter of Owen and Martha J.
(Sowards) Weigart. She attended school in Worth County.
Thelma married Edward Glee Gladman on
September 16, 1931, and they became parents of 12 children. They moved to Holt
County in 1955.
Thelma passed away on Thursday, August 8,
2013 at a Mound City care center at the age of 97.
She was preceded by her parents; her
husband; sons, LaVerne Gladman and Marvin Gladman; daughters, Leta Emrich, Betty
Steinman and infant Mary Gladman; brothers, Dale and Harold Weigart; and
sisters, June Daugherty, Helen Evans and Mabel McDonald.
She is survived by her sons, Carroll
(Charlene) Gladman of Hopkins, Missouri, Melvin (Sandra) Gladman of Mound City,
Ronald (Danute’) Gladman of St. Petersburg, Florida, and Dennis (Tina) Gladman
of Skidmore, Missouri; daughter-in-law, Barbara Gladman of Riverton, Wyoming;
daughters, Vera Lawson of Olathe, Kansas, Sheri Mackey of Hiawatha, Kansas, and
Beverly (Mike) George of Oregon, Missouri; numerous grandchildren, great
grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren; and nieces and
nephews.
Thelma enjoyed reading, sewing, and playing
the harmonica. She was an excellent homemaker, mother and grandmother. Thelma
was a member of the New Point Christian Church.
Services
were held on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013 at 11:00 am at the Chamberlain Funeral Home
in Mound City. Interment was held at the Isadora Cemetery near Grant City,
Missouri at 3:00 pm, also on Saturday. Memorials may be directed to The Deaf
Missions, 21199 Greenview, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503-4190.
Online condolences may be left at www.chamberlainfuneral.com.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Editorial – Tax Cut Bill Could Cost Worth County $180,000
The other day, we went into the office to touch base with the new Worth County Superintendent, Matt Martz. He presented us with some sobering figures – House Bill 253, the massive tax cut bill passed by the Missouri Legislature, could cost Worth County as much as $180,000 annually. He did not even want to think about the cuts that he would have to recommend if the legislature overrides Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of this irresponsible bill. This bill caters to lawyers and special interests at the expense of our children and our future as a country.
It is highly ironic that HB 253 gives special tax breaks for the benefit of lawyers, who already make enough income as it stands right now. Rush Limbaugh has been crying the blues for the last 20 years over all the frivolous lawsuits that he says are clogging up the courts. But HB 253 gives a 50% deduction on business income on businesses that are set up in the same manner as law firms, accounting firms, or lobbying firms. So, as an aside, given that the legislature is so willing to give tax breaks to lawyers all of a sudden, maybe there was never a problem with that in the first place.
There are three priorities that have to be on every person’s list in order for society to function – family, state, and the larger community. Since this is a capitalist society where people are responsible for their own well-being, it therefore follows that a well-educated public is necessary for our capitalist society to flourish as it is imperative that people are given the resources early in life that they need in order to succeed. And in order for our country to remain competitive with powerful nations such as the Russians and Chinese and emerging regional powers such as Iran, it is an imperative for our government to give our schools the resources that they need in order to develop the best education possible for their students.
Supposing for the sake of the argument that HB 253 would bring more jobs to the state, given that this is being done at the expense of our children and schools, it follows that these jobs are not likely to be the kind of quality jobs that would attract more people to this state or raise the quality of life. In order for us to compete with the Russians and the Chinese and the Iranians, we have to have world class schools and world class colleges providing a world class education to our people.
The St. Joseph News-Press, in a recent article, presented conflicting accounts of whether or not HB 253 would benefit our schools. But there was a clear difference between the two sides. Opponents of HB 253 presented exact figures showing how these tax cuts would hurt our children and our schools. The supporters did not present any such figures showing how it would help. We would have been a lot more convinced of the merits of the bill had supporters been able to present tangible figures showing businesses who were willing to locate to Missouri including Worth County and Northwest Missouri if this bill were to pass, figures showing how our schools would benefit, and figures showing how the state would benefit financially.
On the other hand, the State of Kansas already tried this sort of thing a few years ago and the results have been a disaster. Kansas’ revenues have only grown by 2.7% in 2013, compared to 10% for Missouri. Kansas has underfunded schools by over $1 billion since a similar bill was passed. And credit bureaus recently dropped Kansas’ credit rating, making it harder for the state to do business or to borrow money. The same would happen if the legislature were to override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto.
Missouri already has one of the most tax-friendly environments in the country. They have the 7th lowest state taxes as a percentage of personal income, 5th lowest in per capita state taxes in the country, and 8th lowest business tax rate. The legislature has always been able to present a balanced budget in a timely fashion year in and year out. And the legislature can fully fund the Funding Formula that is being underfunded annually by around $620 million by getting rid of most of the $700 million worth of annual tax credits that are going to special interests. Given the massive amounts of your taxpayer dollars that are going towards tax credits for special interests, it is obvious that there is a culture within the statehouse worse than a lot of other statehouses where special interests are catered to.
In the meantime, the politicians have repeatedly broken promises made to our schools and our children to fully fund education. We were told back in the 1980’s that if we would vote to approve the lottery, it would fully fund our schools. In fact, it barely funds a small portion of school revenues. The Funding Formula was another such promise, made and broken by the politicians of Jefferson City.
We have one request of the people who represent us. We realize that our legislators don’t have all the answers and that it is an annual challenge to balance the budget. We get it. All we want is for our legislators to keep the promises made to the people over the years. The fact that none of us have all the answers means that it is even more important than ever to develop a well-informed public who is actively engaged in the political process. That way, by working together, all of us can come up with much better answers than one or two of us. Having a free public education in this country is a right. Special interests do not take priority over our children and schools.
To do otherwise threatens the foundations of the basic freedoms that are found in the Bill of Rights. There are certain political, governmental, and corporate interests who would be happy with a public that is easily manipulated. In many ways, it would be much easier to live in a dictatorship, where decisions are made for us and not by us. But we did not take the easy way out when we revolted against the British back in 1776. We were a well-educated society well-versed in the lessons of those who had gone before us. Many of us came here because we did not want Kings to make decisions for us anymore. For us to continue to be a free society, we must give our schools the resources they need to develop productive well-informed citizens.
It is highly ironic that HB 253 gives special tax breaks for the benefit of lawyers, who already make enough income as it stands right now. Rush Limbaugh has been crying the blues for the last 20 years over all the frivolous lawsuits that he says are clogging up the courts. But HB 253 gives a 50% deduction on business income on businesses that are set up in the same manner as law firms, accounting firms, or lobbying firms. So, as an aside, given that the legislature is so willing to give tax breaks to lawyers all of a sudden, maybe there was never a problem with that in the first place.
There are three priorities that have to be on every person’s list in order for society to function – family, state, and the larger community. Since this is a capitalist society where people are responsible for their own well-being, it therefore follows that a well-educated public is necessary for our capitalist society to flourish as it is imperative that people are given the resources early in life that they need in order to succeed. And in order for our country to remain competitive with powerful nations such as the Russians and Chinese and emerging regional powers such as Iran, it is an imperative for our government to give our schools the resources that they need in order to develop the best education possible for their students.
Supposing for the sake of the argument that HB 253 would bring more jobs to the state, given that this is being done at the expense of our children and schools, it follows that these jobs are not likely to be the kind of quality jobs that would attract more people to this state or raise the quality of life. In order for us to compete with the Russians and the Chinese and the Iranians, we have to have world class schools and world class colleges providing a world class education to our people.
The St. Joseph News-Press, in a recent article, presented conflicting accounts of whether or not HB 253 would benefit our schools. But there was a clear difference between the two sides. Opponents of HB 253 presented exact figures showing how these tax cuts would hurt our children and our schools. The supporters did not present any such figures showing how it would help. We would have been a lot more convinced of the merits of the bill had supporters been able to present tangible figures showing businesses who were willing to locate to Missouri including Worth County and Northwest Missouri if this bill were to pass, figures showing how our schools would benefit, and figures showing how the state would benefit financially.
On the other hand, the State of Kansas already tried this sort of thing a few years ago and the results have been a disaster. Kansas’ revenues have only grown by 2.7% in 2013, compared to 10% for Missouri. Kansas has underfunded schools by over $1 billion since a similar bill was passed. And credit bureaus recently dropped Kansas’ credit rating, making it harder for the state to do business or to borrow money. The same would happen if the legislature were to override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto.
Missouri already has one of the most tax-friendly environments in the country. They have the 7th lowest state taxes as a percentage of personal income, 5th lowest in per capita state taxes in the country, and 8th lowest business tax rate. The legislature has always been able to present a balanced budget in a timely fashion year in and year out. And the legislature can fully fund the Funding Formula that is being underfunded annually by around $620 million by getting rid of most of the $700 million worth of annual tax credits that are going to special interests. Given the massive amounts of your taxpayer dollars that are going towards tax credits for special interests, it is obvious that there is a culture within the statehouse worse than a lot of other statehouses where special interests are catered to.
In the meantime, the politicians have repeatedly broken promises made to our schools and our children to fully fund education. We were told back in the 1980’s that if we would vote to approve the lottery, it would fully fund our schools. In fact, it barely funds a small portion of school revenues. The Funding Formula was another such promise, made and broken by the politicians of Jefferson City.
We have one request of the people who represent us. We realize that our legislators don’t have all the answers and that it is an annual challenge to balance the budget. We get it. All we want is for our legislators to keep the promises made to the people over the years. The fact that none of us have all the answers means that it is even more important than ever to develop a well-informed public who is actively engaged in the political process. That way, by working together, all of us can come up with much better answers than one or two of us. Having a free public education in this country is a right. Special interests do not take priority over our children and schools.
To do otherwise threatens the foundations of the basic freedoms that are found in the Bill of Rights. There are certain political, governmental, and corporate interests who would be happy with a public that is easily manipulated. In many ways, it would be much easier to live in a dictatorship, where decisions are made for us and not by us. But we did not take the easy way out when we revolted against the British back in 1776. We were a well-educated society well-versed in the lessons of those who had gone before us. Many of us came here because we did not want Kings to make decisions for us anymore. For us to continue to be a free society, we must give our schools the resources they need to develop productive well-informed citizens.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Lisa Sanders Krone Named Kansas Assistant Principal of the Year
Lisa Sanders Krone has been named Assistant Principal of the Year by the KAMSA for the State of Kansas. She has been assistant principal at Robert E. Clark Middle School in Bonner Springs, KS for the past nine years. She is responsible for the 6th to 8th grade building, which has around 580 students. Before that, she was the physical education teacher for girls PE. Lisa was also a finalist with the National Association of Middle School Principals for Assistant Principal of the Year. She was a graduate of Worth County High School and a graduate of Northwest Missouri State, where she received her Masters in Education Administration. She is the daughter of Charles and Connie Sanders of Grant City.
Mel Tjeerdsma to Co-own Championship Motors
After many years of building winning football teams, former Bearcat Coach Mel Tjeerdsma is now venturing into the business world, where he will be the co-owner of Championship Motors along with Rich Mendenhall. They have bought out Schreck Motors, located near the Hangar and Wal-Mart in Maryville. They will have an open house on August 17th; there will be food served from 12-2 along with drawings and giveaways. Bill McCully will serve as general manager, Bridget McMullan will be office manager, and Chad Petersen and Jesse LeMar will serve as the sales team.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Midnight Playboys, Duck Dynasty to Highlight Ravenwood Festival
The Midnight Playboys will be in concert for the Ravenwood Festival this year on Saturday night from 8-10 and the parade theme will be “Duck Dynasty” this year.
Events will start off Friday night at 6 with a supper as well as a “Hit, Pitch, and Run” sponsored by the Ravenwood Park Board. There will also be a baby show as well as the annual Little Mr. & Miss Jackson Township, both sponsored by Grand River Mutual Telephone. There will also be a scavenger hunt sponsored by the Northeast Nodaway Booster Club.
On Friday evening and Saturday, there will be a water slide and bounce house for kids to play in.
Events will start early Saturday morning with a breakfast sponsored by the Ravenwood United Methodist Church from 8-10. At 11, the “Duck Dynasty” parade will start, immediately followed by a money drop sponsored by Tri State Ford. At 11:30, there will be an antique tractor show at the park.
Both the Park Board and Methodist Church will be serving lunches starting at 11:30. Throughout the afternoon, there will be Bingo sponsored by the NEN Senior Class, an ice cream social sponsored by the NEN Junior Class, slushies and funnel cakes sold by the Sophomores, a dunk tank and soda sponsored by the 7th graders, Betsy Bingo by the Northeast Nodaway FFA, kids games at the park provided by the Christian Church, a pedal pull sponsored by FCS Financial, a Closest to the Pin competition sponsored by Northwest Cell, and the Junior Farmer Olympics.
The Midnight Playboys will perform from 8-10. Following the entertainment, the Jackson Township Fire Protection District will provide fireworks.
Events will wrap up on Sunday evening with a gospel singspiration at 6:30 and an ice cream social at 7:15.
Events will start off Friday night at 6 with a supper as well as a “Hit, Pitch, and Run” sponsored by the Ravenwood Park Board. There will also be a baby show as well as the annual Little Mr. & Miss Jackson Township, both sponsored by Grand River Mutual Telephone. There will also be a scavenger hunt sponsored by the Northeast Nodaway Booster Club.
On Friday evening and Saturday, there will be a water slide and bounce house for kids to play in.
Events will start early Saturday morning with a breakfast sponsored by the Ravenwood United Methodist Church from 8-10. At 11, the “Duck Dynasty” parade will start, immediately followed by a money drop sponsored by Tri State Ford. At 11:30, there will be an antique tractor show at the park.
Both the Park Board and Methodist Church will be serving lunches starting at 11:30. Throughout the afternoon, there will be Bingo sponsored by the NEN Senior Class, an ice cream social sponsored by the NEN Junior Class, slushies and funnel cakes sold by the Sophomores, a dunk tank and soda sponsored by the 7th graders, Betsy Bingo by the Northeast Nodaway FFA, kids games at the park provided by the Christian Church, a pedal pull sponsored by FCS Financial, a Closest to the Pin competition sponsored by Northwest Cell, and the Junior Farmer Olympics.
The Midnight Playboys will perform from 8-10. Following the entertainment, the Jackson Township Fire Protection District will provide fireworks.
Events will wrap up on Sunday evening with a gospel singspiration at 6:30 and an ice cream social at 7:15.
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