Friday, December 12, 2014

Worth County Elementary Christmas Concert Features Traditional Songs

Many different traditional Christmas songs were featured at this year's Elementary Christmas Concert at Worth County Friday afternoon. Alysa Kramer was the director for this year's edition. Senior Sydney Thummel emceed this year's event. There were around 300-400 people from the community present. The show drew interest from all ages; some of the high school students took time out of their classes to listen in.

The Kindergarten and 1st grade sang "Sing of Christmas Time!" and "Jolly Old St. Nicholas." A group of 5th graders accompanied them on the recorder. Playing on the recorder were Cooper Simmons, Alex Rinehart, Cassie Brooks, Zak Morin, Lincoln Moore, and Jazmine Brooks.

The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades combined to sing, "I Have a Little Dreidl," a traditional English song called, "The Holly and The Ivy," and "A Perfect Winter Day." Soloists were Arianna Behrens, Eva Engel, Ethan Frese, Clayton McDonald, and Tuker Riley.

The 5th graders sang, "O Come, Little Children," "Fantasy on an Old French Carol," and "Jingle Thingle." Playing on recorder were Aydan Gladstone, Aivry Griffin, Misty Helt, Olivia Kanak, Jackson Runde, and Jackson Smith.

The 5th and 6th graders combined to song a traditional Ukrainian Bell Carol. Playing on the recorder were Caden Moyer, Molly Miller, Sadie Runde, Grant Cameron, Cooper Chapman, and Justina Wimer. Playing on the bells were Nathan Adwell, Hannah Bever, Jeshua Blaine, EmiLee Brown, Megan Cassavaugh, Keelin Engel, Jill Hardy, Braidy Hunt, Danyelle Jackson, Kalli Moellenberndt, and Maddy Taute.

The 6th graders sang, "Dreidl, Spin," along with a 14th century carol, "Good Christian Men Rejoice," and "Sing of Joy!" Playing on the recorder were Jace Cousatte, Marshall Ruckman, Cheyanne Fairchild, James Gladstone, Calli Mancuso, and Brent Harris.

The entire elementary student body concluded with "Sing Noel" along with "Silent Night" accompanied by high school student Taylor Causey. Soloists during this part were Keelin Engel, Misty Helt, Molly Miller, Lincoln Moore, Payton Poppa, and Justina Wimer.

NEN Girls Win Defensive Gem vs. Tarkio

Northeast Nodaway's girls won a defensive gem against Tarkio, pulling away in the second half and winning 35-23 last Tuesday night. Northeast had trouble solving their zone for much of the first half. However, Dallis Coffelt, stymied from going to the rim, started finding the open person on the weak side, which opened everything else. Tarkio came in with a shooter and a driver and used a lot of ball screens to get them open. But after scoring the first five points of the game, Northeast settled down and got back to within one and trailed 6-5 after one. Talina Nelson and Taylor Coffelt had 2 each for Northeast, while Brianna Riley had 1. Dallis Coffelt had 2 assists in the period while Allie Runde had 1.

After Jill Spire got a steal to put Northeast up 7-6, Northeast fell behind 11-7 as they went through a four-minute scoring drought and Coach Vance Proffitt was starting to get a little bit agitated. Northeast had come off consecutive layup-drill losses to North Andrew and South Nodaway and they could not afford another one; they had lost their last three meetings with Tarkio. But all of a sudden, Dallis Coffelt started handling the ball like a point guard, passing it out of double teams to the open person at will as Northeast scored the last eight points in the period to lead 15-11. Vanessa Riley had 4 in the period for Northeast while Jill Spire had 3. Kaysie Wiederholt had 2 and Dallis had 1. Dallis Coffelt and Allie Runde had 2 assists each.

Northeast's passing display late in the second quarter forced Tarkio out of their zone to a man to man in the second half. But Northeast turned things up defensively, getting two blocks from Dallis Coffelt and one from Bailey Judd as they built up a 20-11 lead at one point before settling for a 22-16 lead after three. Dallis Coffelt, Jill Spire, and Vanessa Riley all had 2 while Bailey Judd had 1 for Northeast. Dallis Coffelt and Brianna Riley each had 1 assist.

Northeast finally got the lead into double digits in the fourth quarter as Dallis Dawn finally found room to operate as Tarkio started getting into foul trouble. Jill Spire had 6 points to pace Northeast, while Coffelt followed with 5. Vanessa Riley had 2 for Northeast. Bailey Judd, Brianna Riley, and Talina Nelson all had one assist in the period. Brianna Riley and Jill Spire each had a steal for Northeast.

Jill Spire led the scoring with 11 points for Northeast. Dallis Coffelt and Vanessa Riley each had 8, Talina Nelson, Taylor Coffelt, and Kaysie Wiederholt had 2 each while Brianna Riley and Bailey Judd had 1 each for Northeast. Dallis Coffelt had 5 assists and Allie Runde 3 for Northeast. Dallis had 4 blocks and Bailey Judd 1. Coach Proffitt, who was a little bit agitated during the first half, was smiling after coming out of the locker room and said he was especially proud of the play of Vanessa Riley. "She's come a long ways," he said. "Defensively, we kicked it in gear; our goal is not to give up any easy points to anyone."

Kaitlyn Davidson collects 25 Points, 18 Boards vs. Rockets

Kaitlyn Davidson turned in what may have been a record performance Thursday night as she collected 25 points and 18 boards in Worth County's 50-21 win over winless West Nodaway. Her 25 points in a game were the most since 2006, when Megan Walker scored 30 points against Maysville. The last time anyone collected 17 boards in a game was Haley Green in 2008 against North Nodaway. Samantha Fletchall also collected 17 boards in a game back in 1994. It was Worth County's third straight win over the Rockets, who have been down for the last few years.

Kaitlyn's output mostly came from scoring off other peoples' misses. Worth County was able to establish its press early and put the game away in the first quarter. Kaitlyn had 13 in the opening period, almost all of them off putbacks as she was cleaning up the glass. Sydney Thummel added four, one off a steal off the press and another after jumping a pass and getting a layup. Payton Adwell had 3 in the quarter and Rikky Hunt 2. Kaitlyn, Payton Adwell, Ally Buffington, and Sidney Troutwine all had an assist in the period. Alysa Lyle was shaken up in the previous game (hip) and was held out much of Thursday's game as a precautionary measure although she got some minutes in. Worth County led 22-6 after one quarter.

Kaitlyn continued to work the offensive glass in the second quarter, getting nine more points as Worth County continued to pull away. Sydney Thummel followed with 3 points. Coach Josh Smith began to substitute in the second quarter and Aubrey Staton came off the bench to score her first career points, a shot from the high post off a pass from Thummel to put Worth County up 36-8 at the break.

There was a scare in the third quarter as Kaitlyn crashed into the West Nodaway bleachers, which are really close to the floor, going after a loose ball. She was shaken up, but she returned later in the quarter to collect three points. Aubrey Ragan came off the bench to score her first career points, a 3-pointer from the right wing off a pass from Sidney Troutwine. Sydney Thummel scored off a steal and Payton Adwell also collected two points as Worth County led 46-18 after three. Rikky Hunt and Sidney Troutwine each had one assist.

Kaitlyn Davidson had two assists in the fourth quarter as Aubrey Ragan's shot from the left wing triggered the running clock and Payton Adwell also scored in the period for the Tigers.

Kaitlyn led the Tigers with 25 points. Sydney Thummel followed with 9, Payton Adwell had 7, Aubrey Ragan had 5, and Rikky Hunt and Aubrey Staton had 2 each.

The boys led by as much as 13 against West Nodaway, but they lost their composure and the game in the fourth quarter as they fell 56-55. West Nodaway pressed them through most of the game with a zone press. However, when they switched to a man to man press, the Tigers didn't know how to break it and panicked, letting the Rockets right back into the game. In all three of their losses, the boys have let the other team's best scorer run wild on them. Thursday was no exception, as they let Trevor Meyer score 22 points against them. In their losses to Princeton, they let Brant Faulkner run wild against them, including a 27-point outburst in the first game.

Chris Alarcon had 22 points to pace the Tigers, a career high. Josh Warner had 10, Cade Allee 8, Drake Kinsella 6, Mason Hawk 5, Truman Moore 3, and Ryan McClellan 1.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Austin Jones & Max Giesken Collect 7 Steals; NEN Boys Win 2nd

Austin Jones and Max Giesken collected 7 steals each and Northeast Nodaway's boys got their second win of the year, beating Tarkio 47-30 last Tuesday night. The boys used a balanced attack with three in double figures and seven in the scoring column to get the win. Austin was playing stingy on the ball defense for the Bluejays while Max Giesken was getting in the passing lanes and jumping them.

Northeast took control of the game in the first quarter as they held Tarkio scoreless while putting up seven. Max Giesken cut inside and got a pass from Garet Jackson for a layup; Garet added a 3-pointer off a pass from Andrew Faustlin and scored a layup off a Dylan Mildfeldt steal for Northeast's output in the period.

Tarkio's defense was causing Northeast problems in the second quarter as they were constantly switching defenses every time down the court through much of the frame. They finally got on the board; however, Northeast was able to manufacture points on defense and expand their lead. Max Giesken collected four of his seven steals in the period while Austin Jones scored a layup off another steal in the period as Northeast led 20-6 at halftime.

Garet Jackson threw a long outlet pass the length of the court to Max for a layup to give Northeast its biggest lead so far at 31-14, but then Tarkio began finding its rhythm, riding the back of Seth Fletcher to close to 31-20 early in the fourth. But then Dylan Mildfeldt got the hot hand for Northeast, getting eight in the fourth and Garet Jackson added a 3-pointer as Northeast's lead never got below double digits despite Fletcher's best efforts to get to the rim. They could not afford to foul too much as they had only seven players listed in the program and only six dressed out for Tuesday's game. Northeast scored the final seven points of the game in the last minute to take the victory.

Garet Jackson led Northeast with 13 points despite getting plenty of attention from the Tarkio defense. Max Giesken had 12, Dylan Mildfeldt had 11, Austin Jones had 5, and Andrew Faustlin, Rowdy West, and Andrew Freemyer had 2 each.

Tiger Boys Even Record Behind Truman Moore

Worth County's boys evened out their record at 2-2 behind Truman Moore, who had 13 out of his 15 points in the second half. The Tigers beat North Nodaway 49-35 last Tuesday.

The Mustangs came in living and dying by the 3-pointer and came out firing all night. They pressed Worth County with a 2-2-1 press that created a few problems for the Tigers; however, they were able to break it and get into their offense. Worth County countered with their post game as Josh Warner scored the first eight points for the Tigers. Worth County was 17 for 27 from the free throw line, which Coach Bryce Schafer said was even more impressive since their big men were usually the ones at the line.

The game was even after one period at 12-12 as neither side led by more than one possession. However, Worth County began to take control in the second behind the play of Ryan McClellan, whose strong defense helped limit the Mustangs to three points in the second half. He had a highlight film play on the other end even though he didn't score as he drove in, threw up a prayer, and missed. However, he stuck with the play and saved his own miss to Drake Kinsella for a layup. With time running out, Cade Allee scored his only points of the game, a 3-pointer from the right corner at the buzzer to put Worth County up 21-15; that play swung the momentum in their favor.

Ryan McClellan earned the starting nod for the third quarter; he and Chris Alarcon provided a steady hand for the Tigers in breaking the Mustang press. Chris Alarcon scored off a drive to the basket off a pass from Cade Allee and then Drake Kinsella of all people hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Ryan to put Worth County up double digits at 26-15. Topher scored six of his eight points in the period as he was able to get a lot of open lanes to the basket in the period. Ryan McClellan got the ball to Truman Moore midway through the third and he started powering up against the Mustang defenders, taking on two and three at a time and getting on the line, hitting five of six from the line in the quarter and scoring 7 overall. He even got a steal and nearly made a 45-footer at the third quarter buzzer that was straight on target but hit the front of the rim as time expired with the Tigers leading 37-20.

North Nodaway made an adjustment in the fourth quarter and went away from their 3-point game and started getting it into #40, who started powering up and getting the ball in the hole for the Mustang. North Nodaway came as close as 39-26 in the fourth as he scored the first six points of the period for his team. Ryan McClellan sent one North Nodaway shot into the stage for the Tigers during that stretch. But Truman Moore put Worth County back in control, getting to the line at will as the Tigers made a concerted effort to get him the ball down the stretch. He scored the next six points for Worth County as the lead grew back to 45-28 late in the game.

The girls led North Nodaway for much of the way, but they could not keep the Mustang post player, Thompson, off the boards and lost 40-35. Kaitlyn Davidson had 14 points to pace the Tigers. Payton Adwell and Alysa Lyle had 8 each, while Sydney Thummel had 3 and Ally Buffington had 2.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Max Giesken Hangs 22 on Union Star

Max Giesken hung 22 points on Union Star as Northeast Nodaway's boys picked up their first win, 68-36 over the Trojans. Garet Jackson was right behind with 21 as Northeast was able to recover their focus after three losses to open the season that were tough to swallow. After losing in overtime to Albany to open their season, they had a bad first quarter against Jefferson and lost 59-29 in the opening round of the Platte Valley Conference Tournament. They then lost 52-30 to South Nodaway as they had not recovered from the previous night's loss according to Coach Chaim Jenkins. But Jenkins said that the team had regained their focus after a two-night layoff and proceeded to put Union Star away early to claim 7th place.

Union Star figures to be one of those teams who will be hard to predict on any given night. They only lost by 14 to North Andrew to open the tournament; however, they only have seven players on their roster, meaning that it is difficult for the coach to use the bench. The Trojans were obviously not ready to play as nobody matched up on Garet Jackson, who knocked down a 3-pointer right off the bat 10 seconds into the game. Northeast proceeded to score the first 20 points of the game as Garet Jackson scored 11, Max Giesken had 7, and Dylan Mildfeldt had 2 for the Bluejays before Union Star finally got going by scoring the last five points of the period to trail 20-5.

Powered by slashers Lane Potter and Brendon McCoy, the Trojans finally got going offensively in the second quarter, but Northeast continued to pull away to a 41-18 lead at the half. Garet Jackson had 8 more points for Northeast while Max Giesken had 7. Max showed what he is capable of when healthy as he was able to get to the rim at will. Dylan Mildfeldt had 3, Austin Jones had 2, and Andrew Freemyer had 1 as five players reached the scoring column for Northeast in the second.

Union Star made things interesting to start the third as they scored the first eight points of the third to cut it to 41-26. Northeast got away from what was working, allowing Potter and McCoy to go to their right; the object of playing man to man defense is to make the dribbler use their non-dominant hand. Star had a chance to cut it further, but then Max Giesken got a steal and a not-to-be-denied layup to break the run and draw Brock McMichaels' fourth foul. Austin Ceglenski picked up his fourth for Union Star, which hurt them given that they were down to seven players; that broke their momentum and took away their aggression. Northeast pulled away to a 49-30 lead after that. Andrew Freemyer had 4 in the period to lead Northeast while Giesken and Garet Jackson had 2 each.

Northeast pulled away from the demoralized Trojan squad in the fourth. Max Giesken had 6 in the quarter for the Bluejays. Andrew Freemyer picked up two more for Northeast to give him 7 for the night. Brayden Welch scored his first two career points as a Bluejay, Austin Jones and Rowdy West also had 2, and Dylan Mildfeldt had 5 for Northeast.

Teens Tape Off Sheridan Streets

Sometime Friday evening after 11 pm, teens got hold of some police tape and put police tape all over Sheridan. They tied police tape to the Platte River Bridge and put a bike in the middle of the road. They also put tape along the 246 and Route H intersection leading into the Snakebite Tavern. The tape was all removed by Saturday morning.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

12-1 -- Person in about a phone scam.
12-2 -- Officers on funeral traffic control.
12-2 -- 911 call; people on caller's porch; all OK.
12-3 -- Officer transporting prisoner from Holt County to Ringgold County on Worth County warrant.
12-3 -- Person in reporting phone scam.
12-3 -- Person calls about theft of items from his shop.
12-3 -- 911 call of possible overdose; person transported to hospital by Sheridan Ambulance.
12-4 -- Officer transports three prisoners to Ringgold County Jail on Worth County warrants.
12-5 -- Resident reports theft of medication from residence.
12-5 -- Officer serving papers in Sheridan.
12-5 -- Person calls for well-being check on ex-wife.
12-5 -- Officer working report of careless driving in Sheridan; summons issued, driver left roadway and rolled car, no injuries.
12-6 -- Alarm at business in Grant City; employee finds back door unlocked.

Possible Mountain Lion Spotted Near Allendale

Two Allendale residents, Kevin Warner and J.W. Harding spotted what they believed to be a mountain lion a few miles west of Allendale, west of the East Fork near the Bluestem Seed pasture. They said that it was too large to be a bobcat or a fox and that its color ruled out a deer. The Missouri Department of Conservation says that bobcats, deer, house cats, and foxes are frequently mistaken for mountain lions.

According to the Department of Conservation, mountain lions are reclusive by nature. Missouri does not have an established breeding population; however, Nebraska does. The Black Hills in South Dakota are a frequent source of mountain lions. While female lions do not range very far, males can range for hundreds of miles searching for mates or suitable habitat. There have been 51 confirmed sightings in Missouri by the Department of Conservation since 1994; of those, the closest to this area include two in Grundy County and one in DeKalb County.

To report a mountain lion to the Missouri Department of Conservation, contact:
Jeff Beringer, Resource Scientist
3500 East Gans Road
Columbia, MO 65201
573-815-7901, ext. 3623

Alan Leary, Wildlife Management Coordinator
2901 W Truman Blvd
PO Box 180
Jefferson City, MO  65109
573-522-4115, ext. 3693

Mail photos, video or physical evidence to any of the MLRT leaders above.

Obituary -- Benjamin Allyn Breit 1947-2014

Benjamin Allyn Breit, 67, Coffey, MO (formerly of Bethany and Parnell, MO) passed away Friday, December 5, 2014 at his home after a lengthy illness.

He was born June 17, 1947 in Maryville, MO the eldest son of Allyn and Kathryn (Black) Breit. They preceded him in death along with his sister, Delores Martz.

Benjamin graduated from Northeast Nodaway High School in Ravenwood, MO. He served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. From 1965 – 1979, he worked for Davis Snyder Quarries that became Martin Marrietta. Later he worked for the Missouri Department of Transportation from 1979 until he retired in 2005. Benjamin was an avid hunter and was a member of the Highway Christian Church.

On June 20, 1971, he married Donna Sue Gwinn in Coffey, MO. She survives of the home.
Survivors in addition to his wife of 43 years are his children, Tami (Roger) York and Julie (Mark) Dannar both of Bethany, MO, Jenny (Eric) Munson, Wheeling, MO and Trisha (Jeff) Seeley, Kearney, MO; ten grandchildren, Brittany, Brandon, Nikolas and Noah York, Andrew and Andrea Allen all of Bethany, MO, Keaton and Cassidy Dannar, Cameron, MO and Daylan Dannar, Bethany, Wyatt Seeley, Kearney, MO; sisters, Julia (Jerry) Harris, Bethany, MO and Mary (Stuart) Generous, Greenfield, IN; brothers, Fred Breit, Noble, OK and Larry (Bernita) Wright, Gladstone, MO and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 9, at Roberson Funeral Home, Bethany, MO. Burial with military rites will be in Coffey Cemetery, Coffey, MO. The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Monday at the funeral home where friends may call after 2:00 p.m. Monday. Memorials may be made to the ALS Foundation in care of Roberson Funeral Home, P.O. box 46, Bethany, MO 64424. Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com.

Obituary -- Martha Lou "Corkey" McDaniel 1928-2014

Martha Lou “Corkey” McDaniel, 86, passed away Thursday December 4, 2014 at an area nursing home.

She was born November 6, 1928 in St. Joseph, MO the daughter of Charles and Velva (Beam) Waller.
On May 27, 1950, she married Bobby Gene “Bob” McDaniel. He preceded her in death on December 20, 2011. She also was preceded in death by her parents; 3 sisters, a brother, and son, William Scott McDaniel.

Corkey was a day care provider taking care of many young children in Bethany over the years. She was devoted member of the Blessed Sacrament Sacrament Catholic Church.

Survivors include daughter, Karla (David) Parman, Sheridan, MO; sons, David (Deborah) McDaniel, Indianola, IA and Rob McDaniel, Bethany, MO; 5 grandchildren, Jerry, D. J. Aaron, Mandy and Maranda McDaniel; and 9 great-grandchildren, Tyler, Levi, Konnor, Tannar, Sawyer and Raelyn McDaniel, Kaylee and Breanna Bowen and Taylor Ford.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 9, at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Bethany, MO. Burial will be in Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, MO. The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Monday at Roberson Funeral Home, Bethany, MO where friends may call after 2:00 p.m. Monday. Memorials may be made to the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and/or Worth County Convalescent Center Activity Fund in care of Roberson Funeral Home, P.O. Box 46, Bethany, MO 64424. Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Obituary -- Docia Lee Emrich 1956-2014

Docia Lee Emrich was born January 1, 1956 in Stockton, California to Levi and Cora Lee (Thomas) Pearson. She passed away November 29, 2014 at the age of 58.

Docia was united in marriage to Victor Leroy Emrich on February 14. 1999. He preceded her in death in 2005. Docia worked as a waitress. She was a collector of Betty Boop memorabilia.
Also preceding her in death were her parents.

Surviving are sisters: Gloria Williams of Brownville, Nebraska, Diane Pearson of McKinleyville, California, brother, Ralph Martin of Wilderville, Oregon, nieces and nephews.
Docia will be sadly missed by family and friends. 

Graveside Services and Interment were 1:30 P.M. Thursday, December 4, 2014 at the Jennings Cemetery in Stanberry, Missouri. Arrangements were under the direction of the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City, Missouri.

Obituary -- Nadine Hensley 1918-2014

Nadine Hensley passed away at her home December 2nd surrounded by her loving family. She was born Nadine Robbins October 26, 1918 to Walla and Etta Beavers Robbins near Grant City, Missouri.
She married Everett Hensley on May 27, 1941 and they made their home in the Sheridan, Missouri area. To this union 5 children were born. The family moved to the King City area in 1956 where she enjoyed life on the farm. Her hobbies were gardening, planting flowers and playing cards. She had a passion for making quilts for her family. She later moved to Albany and Savannah, Missouri.
She was preceded in death by her husband Everett, son, Kenney and daughter Sue, brothers Rex and Weldon Robbins and sister Gail White. 

She is survived by her daughters Bonnie Buthman (Danny Burns) of St. Joseph, Patty (Randy) Jameson of Gower, son, John (Pam) Hensley of King City. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren. 

Services will be 2:00 P.M. Friday, December 5, 2014 at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City, Missouri. Interment will be in the Grant City Cemetery. Visitation from 6:00-8:00 P.M. 
 Thursday. Memorials may be made to Hands of Hope Hospice, 137 N. Belt Highway, St. Joseph, MO 64506

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

NEN Girls Down DeKalb in PVC Tournament, Fall to North Andrew

Northeast Nodaway's girls picked up their second win of the season, 33-25 over DeKalb in a defensive gem. Jill Spire, after being limited by foul trouble against Albany, came alive with 12 points for Northeast. Dallis Coffelt followed with 11, Bailey Judd 5, Brianna Riley 3, and Vanessa Riley and Allie Runde with 1 each. The win is only Coach Vance Proffitt's second against the Tigers since beginning his tenure at Northeast.

It didn't come easy as Northeast built up an 11-9 lead after one. Northeast then held the Tigers scoreless in the second as they built it up to 15-9 at the break. DeKalb fought back to come to within 2 after three at 22-20, but Northeast finished the game strongly, outscoring them 10-5 to win the game. One of the goals going forward will be free throw shooting as they only shot 9 for 23 during the game.

But the bubble burst for Northeast against North Andrew Wednesday night as they fell to the North Andrew powerhouse 58-24. That will set up a 3rd place matchup for Northeast against either South Nodaway or Jefferson at Bearcat Arena Friday at 4:30.

Obituary -- LaDora Combs 1932-2014

LaDora Joyce (Grace) Combs, 82, was born August 20, 1932, in Kansas City, KS; the daughter of J.B. and Grace (House) Grace. She passed away unexpectedly on Sunday November 30, 2014 at Heartland Hospital in St. Joseph, MO.

Surviving of the home, her husband of 62 years, Ross A. Combs; children, Linda (Jim) Johnson, Jim (Mary) Combs, Ronnie (Linda) Combs, Doug Combs and Jackie (Dallas) Findley; 14 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild.

LaDora was very active in her community and worked tirelessly to fulfill her dream of making the Denver School House Museum a success. She also enjoyed genealogy and would spend vast amounts of time researching family history for others. When not doing these things, she would help others in the community and was a member of the Denver Methodist Church. LaDora took pride in being a member of the Missouri Community Betterment Program/Tourism. The village of Denver has lost one of its greatest advocates.

LaDora’s greatest joy was brought to her by her children and grandchildren. Very rarely did she miss a school activity, birthday or holiday concert. This can be seen in the numerous scrapbooks kept for every family member.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister, Alice (Grace) Stanton, aunts, Faye (House) Jobst and Meredith J. House.

Visitation was Wednesday, December 3 at the Denver Community Church, with a Celebration of Life Service to be held following the visitation at the church. In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Denver School House Museum in care of Helen Ruth Foster, 24578 200th Road, Grant City, MO. Online condolences: www.robersonpolleychapel.com

Tiger Boys Blitz King City for 1st Win 71-48; 1st Win Over Wildkats in Four Years

Worth County's boys picked up their first win in four years over King City, 71-47 as they ran away from them. The Wildkats were a dangerous team featuring Reagan Law, a 3-point shooter who is always dangerous in the open court. They push the ball up the floor after made baskets by the other team, which is uncommon in this area; that seemed to catch Worth County off-guard. Their whole game plan revolves around passing and cutting the other team to death and getting Reagan Law some good looks from downtown.

Worth County, in Coach Bryce Schafer's 2nd year at the helm, continues to search for consistency offensively; however, they made serious strides in meeting that goal by landing four in double figures. They built up a 12-5 lead behind five early points from Cade Allee. King City turned up the heat defensively and Worth County started panicking against the press as Law started getting open and Noah Poling added a couple of layups off steals as the Wildkats fought back to tie at 12-12. But then Cade Allee got open again and Mason Hawk found him for a 3-pointer to jump-start another Tiger run. Last year, Worth County would frequently jump out to an early lead only to see it fizzle. However, this time, Worth County made one stand up as they recovered from King City's scoring flurry to lead the rest of the way.

Ben Badell got things going for Worth County. He has not scored a lot of points in a game yet for Worth County, but his job is to push the ball up the floor, occupy the defense, and get everybody else the ball. He found Josh Warner one time and Mason Hawk another time as Worth County pushed the lead up to 19-12. He was one of the most improved players from last year as he made everybody around him better with his floor game. Warner added a putback to make it 21-12 before Law's 3-point play late made it 21-15 after one quarter.

It was a good quarter for the Tigers, but the challenge was to shut down Law and make someone else try and beat them. They did so as Drake Kinsella was able to break through screens and get in his face, forcing some misses which fueled Worth County's transition game. Ben Badell had another breathtaking assist in the second quarter as he led Chris Alarcon, aka "Topher," perfectly on a half-court baseball pass for a layup which pushed Worth County up double digits at 25-15. Topher added a steal and Drake Kinsella worked the offensive glass hard for the Tigers as their lead grew to as big as 33-18. Ben Badell was shaken up at the 2:08 mark, but the Tigers showed they were bigger than any one player as Alarcon went to the rack twice for layups and found Cade Allee for a 3-pointer as Worth County held the fort while Ben was out and led 40-25 at the break.

Topher came out of the break on fire for Worth County, scoring their first five points to put the Tigers up 45-27. Ben Badell then supplied the dagger for the Tigers, knocking down a 3-pointer to put them up 20 for the first time at 53-33 and then taking Reagan Law to the rack with his left hand to make it 59-37 late in the period. Shortly after that, King City threw in the towel and began putting in their subs. Jared Simmons took a charge for the Tigers in the period.

Worth County took its biggest lead in the fourth quarter behind free throws from Mason Hawk, Ryan McClellan, and Drake Kinsella as well as a perfect high-low pass from Hawk to Kinsella that put them up 64-39. Ryan Smyser came off and played like a man on a mission late in the fourth, getting to the line and collecting three points.

After struggling to find people who could score for the last few years, the Tigers landed four in double figures and eight in the scoring column. Cade Allee led the Tigers with 19 points, followed by Chris Alarcon with 15. Drake Kinsella had 11, Josh Warner 10, Ben Badell 7, Mason Hawk 5, Ryan Smyser 3, and Ryan McClellan had 1.

Tiger Girls Grind Out First Victory

Sometimes, when breaking the habit of losing, you are more likely to win ugly. But for a team that has struggled over the last few years, the Tiger girls will take them any way they can get them. And through in another team which has struggled to shake the losing habit, and that is a perfect recipe for an all-out war. But following a bizarre play late in the game, Worth County held on to win 29-23 over archrival Albany to even their record at 1-1. The Tigers were set to play the loser of the King City-Stanberry matchup of the Albany Tournament Friday at 8:30. The victory was the first for new coach Josh Smith; it was not after getting a bunch of grey hairs on his part.

This year's version is based on brackets. With only six teams, this means that teams that played each other in the first round could turn around and play each other again in the final round. Worth County could be pitted against King City, the team that beat them 39-33 in the opening round. In another difference, it is also possible for a team to lose a game and then go on to win the tournament. For instance, Princeton's girls, losers of their first round match with Stanberry, could knock off South Harrison in the second round, play in the championship round, and then knock off the winner of the King City-Stanberry match to win the whole tournament.

Worth County dug itself into a 7-2 hole with 2:50 left as they could do nothing against a stingy Warrior defense. However, Worth County won by shutting down one of Albany's two main weapons, Shelby Fish, holding her to 5 points. But the other weapon, Kristie Sorensen, kept Albany in the game by scoring 15 of Albany's 23 points. She came alive after firing blanks in Albany's other two games against Northeast Nodaway and South Harrison. Worth County climbed out of the hole in the second quarter, limiting the Warriors to one point and taking a 12-8 lead at halftime. They had a balanced attack with five different players getting into the scoring column.

The game continued to be an all-out war, with frustration fouls, grabbing and tearing at rebounds and loose balls, and a lot of jump ball calls. Albany was crashing hard on Kaitlyn Davidson, who figures to be one of Worth County's main scoring options this year, every time she touched the ball down low. But Kaitlyn came alive in the third period for Worth County, getting six in the period. But Sorensen hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to bring Albany right back to within 5 at 20-15. In a defensive struggle of this nature, one defensive lapse can be huge since every possession is important.

Since many teams will likely be keying on Kaitlyn, Coach Josh Smith will be looking for other players to step up and score; Tess Andrews matched a career high with 5 points and hit a dagger 3-pointer to put Worth County up double digits at 27-16. Albany finally got going late in the game, aided by some missed free throws, but they could never get closer than the final score. There was one bizarre play during the closing seconds where Worth County got the possession arrow on a jump ball situation as Albany was frantically trying to get the ball back. However, one of the Albany players took the ball and all the Albany players were turned around, lined up to play offense on the wrong basket. Shelby Fish alertly took it to the correct basket and drew a foul, but the officials correctly wiped out the play since it was a correctable error situation.

Kaitlyn Davidson, despite Albany players grabbing and tearing at the ball all night every time she caught it in the post, had 12 points to lead Worth County. Tess Andrews followed with 5. Alysa Lyle and Sydney Thummel had 4, as did Sidney Troutwine.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Worth County Sheriff's Report

11-24 -- Person in to fill out a statement form.
11-24 -- Adult Protective Service in for meeting with sheriff.
11-25 -- Worth County Court has papers to serve.
11-25 -- Person calls about a dog being chained on his property.
11-25 -- Probation officer calls about an ongoing case.
11-25 -- Report of goats out west of Grant City.
11-26 -- Report of accident on 169 Highway; was in Iowa, officer assists Iowa officer.
11-26 -- Person calls about a pack of dogs north of Grant City.
11-26 -- Report of missing cow east of Grant City.
11-26 -- Report of domestic disturbance in Grant City.
11-27 -- Person calls about missing phone and saddle.
11-28 -- Person calls about trespassing.
11-28 -- Officer arrests person on shoplifting charge.
11-28 -- Persons in for concealed carry permits.
11-29 -- Officer in with two subjects for drug investigation.
11-29 -- Report of careless driving in Grant City.
11-30 -- 911 call of domestic problem in Grant City.
11-30 -- Report of stolen couch in Grant City.
11-30 -- Report of stolen cellphones and billfold.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Sheridan Birthdays and Anniversaries

December Birthdays
2 -- Karen Swaney; 3 -- Kody Pritchett; 4 -- Charles Force; 5 -- Kathy Cottrell, Melanie New; 6 -- Sarah Finch; 7 -- Brianna Lynn Riley, Ralph Kobbe; 8 -- Bob Young; 10 -- Riggin Layne Smyser, Doy Allee; 11 -- Beverly Ruckman, Brad Hill; 12 -- Joshua Miller; 13 -- Mary McConnell, Icle Young; 14 -- Chris Owens, Chelsie Hinshaw; 15 -- Leah Petersen, Caleb Hinshaw; 16 -- Adam Austin; 17 -- Brian Monticue; 18 -- Brandi Force; 19 -- Allison Larison, Kay Rowen, Paula Hansen, Dean Thomas, Shawn Dignan; 21 -- Nicholas Allee; 22 -- Darwin Force, Mitchell Andrews, Charlea Lewis; 23 -- Tanya Belokonny; 24 -- Joe Stark; 25 -- Marcia Rush, Jesse Stark; 26 -- Wonda Shimer, Mike Rowe, Jason Meredith; 27 -- Cody Staton, Charlotte Belokonny; 28 -- Nathan Fitzgerald, Christie Owens; 29 -- Loretta Hart, Larry Hibbs; 30 -- Sherry Evans; 31 -- P.J. Sanders, Braden Rowe.

December Anniversaries
26 -- David & Karla Parman; 28 -- Scott & Judy Houk; 29 -- Bob & Peggy Young.

Doin' God's Work -- All Parish Worship

by Glenda Wyer
All Parish congregated at Sheridan UMC. It was good to see so many familiar faces with hearts joined together to worship! The Lord was smiling with so many there for this special celebration. When everyone works together to bring God glory, one had to feel the blessings! A special thanks to all of God's helpers. Jackie Wardrobe and Kathy Brand gave us a good lesson on judging people. Mary Chapman's Worship for Children and singing with Jim Spiers and Judy Trullinger was a special treat too!

Several attended the feast at the community hall afterwards. A good potluck and special thanks to all the kitchen helpers! It felt like Thanksgiving dinner to me! I was thankful the weather mist wasn't too cold to become ice. I pray that everyone learned from the lesson and enjoyed the chance to meet with others.

November, Turkey Week! There seemed to be a lot of opportunities Sunday! A month of gratitude could be changed to a year full of His blessings. Praise God for an awesome worship and communion together!

Due to Thanksgiving preparations, there will be no Wednesday 3:30 gathering this week for Sheridan Praise and Prayer. We will be doing it, but not together.

We will begin the Season of Advent by Hanging of the Greens next Sunday. Back to the regular church schedules until the next "5th Sunday."

December is just around the corner! If we thought the week was busy, buckle up; God has many more opportunities for us to serve Him. We may never know what task the Lord needs us to perform to be effective. Church does not happen only on Sundays; it is a daily process to become ALL He created us to be.

Originally in 1621, with about the same attendance as Sunday, they met, prepared a feast, and prayed for three days as they shared the opportunities God was leading them, that would change the world. I'm sure they had no idea that would continue hundreds of years later. See you in church.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Tiger Sports Teams Receive Three Complimentary Reports

The Worth County School received three complimentary reports this fall for their sports teams. While the school has received complimentary reports before, this is the most they have ever received in a year.

The first was from Umpire Alex Daniel Peterson, who umpired the softball team's game with Braymer. He wrote, "My umpiring partner's father passed away last night. When we couldn't find a replacement on short notice, Jerry came anyway. Between the varsity and JV games, the Worth County coach [Dave Gilland] thanked us for doing a good job even after a tough and emotional loss for his girls. I commented that I was amazed at what Jerry was willing and able to do while grieving his loss and informed the coach of the circumstances. After the JV game, my partner and I were leaving the field when the Worth County team ran over to tell us thank you. Then, one player asked if Jerry was the official who needed the group hug. I told her that he needed one indeed, and the entire team did exactly that. After a long tough night of softball, 100 miles away from home, those young ladies took the time and had the class to show appreciation and loving kindness to a man who worked through a lot of real pain while officiating their game. That is certainly a great testament to the quality of character-focused coaches, parents, teachers, and administrators of that school district."

The second came from Referee Dennis Dornhoffer, who officiated the football game between Worth County and Nodaway-Holt. He wrote, "These young men all night long displayed what sportsmanship should be like, and it all starts at the top. From the superintendent, Dr. Martz, the principal, Mr. Adwell, their AD, Mr. Borey, their head coach, Mr. Healy and his assistants, these young men did an outstanding job of showing what it's like to play football the right way. If this game was for the state championship, the MSHSAA would have really enjoyed it. My crew and myself were really excited on how both teams played this game."

The third report came from Referee Terry Hopkins, who worked the Worth County Junior High Boys game with South Nodaway. "This was the best coached junior high basketball game I have worked this season," he wrote. "The players respected the game on and off the court. The coaches spent their time teaching the game along with trying to win. Thanks to both schools."

Worth County School Announces One Retirement, One Resignation

The Worth County School Board accepted two resignations during their closed session following their regular meeting Thursday. The first was Janell Dignan, resource teacher for grades 7-12. She will be leaving effective June 30th, 2015. She has taught for 37 years. She wrote, in part, "I am very glad that 34 of my 37 years in education have been spent here. I appreciate the opportunities and trust you have given me personally, as well as professionally. I have enjoyed working with and learning from my colleagues for the past 34 years, but I am ready to move on to the next phase of my life."

Mary Chapman wrote a letter of resignation effective May 20th, 2015. She said in her letter that one of her daughters and her husband, in Clarksville (TN), gave birth to a daughter who needed open heart surgery at 4 days old. She will be leaving to be with her daughter and son-in-law, who is currently serving with the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell (KY). "I have truly been blessed to be a part of the Worth County School family for 11 years," Ms. Chapman wrote in her resignation letter. "I have made lifelong friendships at this wonderful school. Those friendships and relationships I have here at school are what make this decision so difficult."

Worth County School Budget Shows $275,424 Surplus

The Worth County School showed a $275,424 surplus according to figures released during the annual audit report presented at the Worth County School Board meeting Thursday. Diane Klostermann said that the reserve ratio is 30% of annual expenditures, which is over the recommended 24%. This means that the school does not have to worry about borrowing money during the critical period from September through November, when money dries up before the new tax revenues come in. The school had more expenses; however, they also had more local revenues thanks in part to increased collections as the economy improves. Total assets are now at $1,354,341, which is one of the highest levels that the school has ever had according to secretary Kandy Sorensen.

Among other findings shown in the report, average daily attendance is down to 303 students this year, down 15 from last year. This is down 103 students from 2007, when average daily attendance was 406.

Among recommendations, transportation information reported on the Application for State Transportation Aid did not agree with detail ridership information provided by the district. Non-disabled riders were overstated by 10 and riders less than one mile were over stated by 7. Eligible non-disabled route miles were overstated by 27,528 miles. The audit recommended the district implement procedures to ensure that accurate information is reported on the application.

Another recommendation focused on hours in session for the school. An early release weather day had not been entered on the Screen 10 Calendar. That entry was corrected.

Two recommendations were made concerning budget documentation regarding anticipated revenues and expenditures.

The actual cash balance in the Debt Service bank account did not agree with the general ledger cash balance from the Debt Service Fund at year end. The audit recommended a physical cash transfer of $2,356.79 from the operating bank account to the Debt Service bank account to balance bank cash to general ledger cash and implement procedures to verify that cash balances in the Debt Service account agree with the general ledger balance on a monthly basis.

The audit noted the district does not have procedures in place to track and report food supplies costs associated with the food service program. As a result of this year's audit, the district was able to identify the food supplies costs associated with the summer food service program and a journal entry was made to reclassify the supplies costs and personnel costs from the regular food service function. The audit recommended the district implement procedures to track food service costs related to this program at the time the expenditures are incurred.

The audit recommended that the school develop a consistent policy for use of the facilities by outside community groups, including fees and fee waiver policies.

Superintendent Dr. Matt Martz evaluated the vocational education program as above average. Strengths listed include the fact that vocational classes are preparing students for ag, business, and FACS. The budget is only 5.5% of the district's budget, while experienced staff was listed as another strength. Concerns regarding the program include scheduling conflicts which force students to take independent study courses, a need for more variety, and a need for more parental and community data. Recommendations include establishing a district level committee with patrons, students, and staff to come up with recommendations.

Brenda Miller of the Library Board came to the board meeting and said that the library board would pledge up to $100,000 for a 20' by 40' expansion of the library. Previously, the project had been tabled in 2012 after bids came in over estimated funds. On the library's wish list based on input from patrons include a children's wing as well as an expanded genealogy wing.  The public library and school library received money that was willed to them for the purpose of expanding the library. The current library was built with the possibility of expansion in mind at some future date.

Assistant Principal Chuck Borey reported that there was 94% attendance for the elementary parent teacher conferences. The fourth through sixth grades went to the Duckworth Farm for lessons about soil and water conservation. Kindergarten through third grades went to the WCCC to show off Halloween costumes. Most classes put on special programs for Veterans Day.

Borey and three teachers attended a Student Learning Objectives (SLO) workshop recently. The goal is to assess teacher impact by how they were helping students improve.

Currently, the school has received $740,873 in revenues and has spent $910,432. The figures do not include new tax revenue money that will be received in December.

Superintendent Dr. Matt Martz reported that the school had been conducting a number of committee meetings over the past two months. The Technology Committee held a meeting on October 29th; the school is seeking to add more bandwidth to its present system. The Parent and Community Engagement Committee met on October 9th and discussed whether or not there is a bullying issue at Worth County. Two FCCLA members are doing a project on this topic and will give a report to this committee.  The Facilities Committee will have a presentation from Chris Salzman of ConEdison Solutions about energy needs for the school.

Dr. Martz also reported that Worth County teachers attended training with teachers from North Nodaway and West Nodaway on November 10th. The focus of the training was on the development of critical thinking skills in students. The school is seeking a grant for hands-on problem-based science lessons for its students.

The board adopted changes to the financial handbook. The first is in regards to the check policy. The school will now accept out of state checks; previously, the school did not do that. Checks must have the name, address, and phone number as well as the driver's license number. If a check is returned, the school will use a check recovery service to collect on the debt and no further checks will be accepted until the balance is cleared.

In response to the annual audit, the board voted to set a fee schedule for the use of school facilities. Fees must be paid if the organization is not affiliated with the school and the organization will be charging admission or other fees, or if the use is outside of regular custodial hours. Fees may be waived by the superintendent if the activity is free and the majority of the activity is geared towards the PK-12 age group. Fees were set as follows: Classroom -- $10/room; Gym -- $10; Multipurpose -- $5; Kitchen -- $10; Cafeteria -- $10; Stage -- $5.

The board voted to declare 13 tables which were formerly cafeteria tables to be surplus property.



Friday, November 21, 2014

Obituary -- Shirley Spaah 1940-2014

Shirley Annette (Kemery) Spaah, daughter of Roland and Merle Kemery was born in Worth, Missouri on March 19 , 1940 and passed away November 20, 2014 in Albany, Missouri.

On January 10 , 1960 Shirley married Jr. Spaah in Worth, Missouri. Jr. passed away in 2008. Shirley was also preceded in death by her parents, an infant niece and an infant nephew and brother-in-law John Craven.

Shirley graduated from Grant City High School and was employed by, the then, Citizens Bank for many years. 

Shirley is survived by her sister, Veronica “Teddy” Craven, sister Mary Carroll and brother-in-law, George, her brother, Ronnie Kemery and sister-in-law Lora, one niece Veronica Jordan, two nephews, Eric Price and Galen Kemery, great-nephews Quinn, Lane and Lee and one great-niece Eva.

Shirley was a dear and loving sister and aunt, and a great friend to everyone she met. She will be greatly missed.

Graveside Services and Interment will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, November 22, 2014 at the Grant City Cemetery in Grant City. Pastor Janis Roarda officiated. Arrangements were under the direction of the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Tiger Boys Win South Nodaway Rematch, Advance to Finals

Worth County's boys won a rematch with South Nodaway 45-30 and advanced to the finals of the Northeast Nodaway Junior High Tournament Wednesday night. The focus of the game was to limit the output of Longhorn standout Taylar Freemyer and force someone else to beat them. They finally shut him down and pulled away late in the first half.  After beating Jefferson in another rematch game, 48-16, the win gave the Tigers a ticket to the championship round against likely opponent Maryville.

There were five ties and two lead changes in the first first nine minutes of the game before Bryant McCord hit a shot in the high post following a pass from Caleb Parman to spark an 8-0 run for Worth County to end the half after South Nodaway had tied it at 18. Caleb only had 2 points for the game, but facilitated the Tiger offense by passing the ball around to everyone else; he had a game-high 7 assists. "Assists are more important than points," he said. Bryant, who had been hovering just below double digits for the Tigers, got a career high with 10 for the game.

Issac Alarcon followed by jumping a pass and getting a layup and then Caleb hit him with a backdoor layup; Issac closed with a putback with 16 seconds left. Issac had his usual output, getting 19 points; the focus of the Longhorn defense was to help out and shut him down, but it didn't matter since Caleb and everyone else was getting him the ball down low.

South Nodaway made an adjustment and moved Freemyer from the post position to the wing, where he would have more chances to get open. It worked for a while as he was able to stop the bleeding during much of the second half. But then South Nodaway went to their half court trap with under four minutes left as they needed the ball back down eight. Worth County, however, was able to get loose thanks to the passing of Caleb Parman, who had three of his assists in the fourth quarter as the Tigers scored nine straight points to pull away. The object of a trapping defense is to speed the other team up; however, Worth County responded perfectly and slowed the ball down and found plenty of good transition looks as a result.

Junior High Tiger Girls Win All Out War; Advance to Finals

After winning handily, 31-13 over Jefferson in the first round, Worth County's junior high girls won an all-out war with Northeast Nodaway 18-16 to get to the championship round of the tournament. Both teams went into the game shorthanded with Northeast playing without Brea Coulter (knee), while Worth County was playing without Regan Allee (hand). Both teams laid it all on the line, with physical play, frequent tieups, and hard fouls the name of the game. Northeast lead for most of the game, but Anna Gladstone would not let Worth County lose, leading the Tigers back to victory in the last few minutes.

Worth County had some chances in the early going, but they missed some easy shots and settled for a 4-2 lead. Haley Hunt had a putback for Worth County and Jessi Badell hit a shot from the wing with 5 seconds left. Northeast countered with a shot from Jaysie Dougan.

Early in the second quarter, Brittany Burns took a shot to the face and left the floor; however, Worth County could not take advantage and Brittany came back with the score still 4-2. When she came back, Brittany hit two baseline shots to put Northeast in the lead and Jaysie Dougan added a pair of free throws to put Northeast on top 8-5. Anna Gladstone finally got on the board with a free throw for Worth County. For Northeast, Brittany Burns and Jaysie Dougan, not normally their main scorers, did all the scoring for the Bluejays.

Anna got a pair of steals for Worth County in the third, but Northeast raised their lead to 16-10 after three. Gerry Runde had two putbacks for Northeast, Brittany Burns hit a shot from the high post after a pass from Adwell, and Makayla Adwell hit from the left wing for Northeast. Brittany got a career high with 6 for the night.

But Worth County picked it up defensively in the final quarter and held Northeast scoreless. Kristen New hit a free throw and Anna Gladstone followed with a steal to make it 16-13. Then, Jessi Badell was there for the putback after Anna ran over Makayla Adwell in an effort to get to the basket; Kristen New found Anna on the right baseline with 1:45 left to put Worth County up 17-16 for one of the few outside shots Worth County would have all night.

Neither side could hand onto the ball for the next 1:31, but Kristen New, battling stomach problems, made the play of the game when she forced a tieup with 14 seconds left to give Worth County the ball back. Northeast tried to press to get the ball back, but Worth County passed it right down the floor and got it to Haley Hunt; she was fouled before she could score and she hit one of two to make it 18-16. Northeast pushed it up the floor for one last shot, but Haley Hunt was there for a steal to preserve the win.


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Semi-Truck Strikes Cow in Accident

Hubert Grinstead (70) of Cameron received minor injuries last Tuesday night after his semi-truck collided with a cow. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2009 International Semi Tractor/Trailer driven by Grinstead was southbound on 169 three miles south of Grant City at around 7:30 pm when he struck the cow. Grinstead lost control, traveled off the east side of the roadway down an embankment, and came to rest on its wheels in a field facing south. He received minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to the Northwest Medical Center in Albany.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Worth County Library to Hold Book Fair

In the library, as part of our Accelerated Reader Program, we had a Read to Feed food drive during the month of October. While the kids were reading, they collected donations from sponsors who pledged a certain number of food items for each book read. Those who participated collected approximately 200 food items, and as a whole, our elementary students read 8,620,142 words during the month of October.

The first week of December (Dec. 1st through 5th), we will be holding our annual book fair. All through the week, we will have special dress-up days and collect loose change. On Medieval Monday, we will collect pennies and students get to wear their favorite "crown." Troubadour Tuesday, we will collect nickels and students will decorate a paper bag inspired by their favorite song or poem. Once Upon a Time Wednesday, students may bring their favorite bedtime story and favorite stuffed animal and dimes to add to our collection. Royal Read Ye Thursday, we are collecting quarters, and students may bring their favorite book and wait for the announcement, "Drop everything and read." On Fairy Tale Friday, students may bring any coins and dress as their favorite fairy tale character.

All of the money collected throughout the week will be used to help build classroom libraries in our school, but for every book we purchase for our classrooms, Scholastic will donate a book to children in need. They have two non-profit groups that will receive donated books, either children who have been affected by natural disaster or children who don't have any books of their own.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

11-10 -- Person calls about possible trespass; officer investigates, person had permission to be on property.
11-10 -- Person calls about suspicious item found on property.
11-11 -- Person in with statement about car damage.
11-12 -- Person in to register as sex offender (new).
11-12 -- Person calls about arrest warrant.
11-12 -- Person reports possible breaking at rural building.
11-12 -- Person in for CCP permit.
11-13 -- Resident reports possible domestic problem.
11-13 -- Horse out on Route K; officer investigates.
11-14 -- Person calls about attempted entry to property.
11-14 -- Officer arrests person on Worth County warrant and transports subject to jail.
11-14 -- Calf out on person's property; owner notified.
11-14 -- Resident in to be fingerprinted.
11-14 -- Officer transports person to jail on DUI charges.
11-15 -- Report of several slide-offs in Worth County.
11-15 -- Car vs. deer report by officer; deer was donated.

Doin' God's Work -- One Week from Thanksgiving

by Glenda Wyer
Just a week away from Thanksgiving. I can smell the pumpkin pies already! Several have already been preparing feasts as we celebrate the month of gratitude. We really do have so much to thank God for!

The 1st snowfall of this season caught some off guard. I knew it was coming, and yet -- forgot to get snow gear together. Allow extra time to put on more garmets and clear off vehicles. Drive safely.

Next Sunday, November 23rd, will be the All Parish Worship. Sheridan will be hosting it. The new community building will be open to drop off food before coming to church. Worship services will be at 10:30. After worship, we will meet at the Community Building to join in a feast of gratitude. Hopkins and Pickering Council of Churches will be hosting Union services 7 pm November 23rd at Pickering UMC.

At 6:30, November 23rd, Assembly of God will be hosting a Thanksgiving Service in Worth County.

There you have three great opportunities to be spiritually and physically fed. No wonder I smell pumpkin pie; the community is bonding together to give thanks for the many blessings God has given to us. We praise Him for a bountiful harvest!

November 30th will be Hanging of the Greens in Nodaway-Worth Parish to begin the Advent Season. We will learn some of the different traditions and meanings.

Ending November singing songs of praise and gratitude. We will enter a busy Advent season. "Joyful Noise" will have a concert and soup supper December 14th at 3:30.

What makes serving God joyful? When all his servants work together to bring Him all the glory. I am thankful for those who encourage and enable me to serve God and my community. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve God's people. We are to follow His teachings. Who can you serve today? Give thanks to those who serve you. See you in Sheridan UMC next Sunday, 10:30!

Friday, November 14, 2014

Jessi Badell Gets 12; Junior High Girls Survive Longhorns

Jessi Badell got a career high with 12 points and Worth County's girls survived a late South Nodaway rally, holding them off 31-25 Thursday night. They also beat Jefferson by 4, and remain with only one loss on the year. Anna Gladstone also had 12 for the Tigers.

The team learned last week that they would be without Regan Allee for the rest of the year (arm). They had to find some outside shooting, and they got it with Jessi's shooting. South Nodaway, a team with nearly all 7th graders, had gone down without a fight against Northeast Nodaway. But Eryn Kemper had the hot hand for South Nodaway to keep them in the game down only 8-6 after one; she had all of their six points. Point guard Kaylin LaMaster was relentlessly pushing it up the floor and creating scoring chances.

Worth County finally started to pull away in the second quarter as Abbi Caddenhead, starting in place of Allee, got a putback and Anna Gladstone scored off a pair of backdoor layups off passes from Jessi Badell and Kristen New. Haley Hunt added a putback and Worth County was up 16-10 at the break.

Both Jessi Badell and Anna Gladstone got going early in the third; Anna's shot from the left wing off a pass from New made it 23-10. But then Hannah Wilmes launched a 3-pointer from the corner and South Nodaway was right back in it, down 23-15 with 1:22 left in the third.

Anna Gladstone scored off a pair of steals to keep Worth County in front 29-17 with 4:52 left, but South Nodaway, with some fouls to give, could afford to be very aggressive down the stretch, cutting Worth County's lead to 29-23 and keeping Worth County scoreless for four minutes. But then they finally had to foul and Jessi Badell hit a free throw with 24.8 seconds left to make it a three possession game at 30-23. Kristen New added another free throw before Wilmes scored a meaningless basket at the buzzer.

JH Tiger Boys Survive First Stiff Challenges of Season

Worth County's junior high boys survived their first stiff challenge of the year, turning back South Nodaway 46-33 Thursday night. The Tigers had trouble in the early going controlling the mobile, athletic Longhorn squad as Taylar Freemyer was able to get to the rim with both his right and left hand, while Tanner Davis also did serious damage for South Nodaway. Worth County fell behind 6-2 in the early going before rallying back; Drake Simmons' guarded 3-pointer late in the first quarter put Worth County back in front 12-8.

From there, South Nodaway never caught Worth County in the second period, but they always kept it close. Freemyer's free throw made it 18-17 with 48.5 seconds left and they got the ball back with a chance to take the lead. But Worth County stole the ball and Bryant McCord, attempting his first 3-pointer all year, got nothing but net. The momentum-swinging play put the Tigers up 21-17.

Leading scorer Issac Alarcon was bottled up in the first half with only six points as Worth County had been trying unsuccessfully to shoot South Nodaway out of their zone, which they had done successfully all year. But Worth County adjusted in the second half, going to Issac in the post first; that adjustment paid off as he got a 3-point play right off the bat off a pass from McCord and a putback. On the other end, Worth County switched from their normal trapping zone to a man to man and held South Nodaway scoreless for the first four minutes of the third quarter. Worth County built up the lead to double digits at 31-19 on Caleb Parman's 3-pointer, but then consecutive 3-pointers from Tanner Davis brought it back to within 31-25 after three.

That opened up Taylar Freemyer to slice to the basket at will twice to make it 31-29 with 4:42 left. The question was how well Worth County would respond to finally having to play a full game, but they responded well. Issac Alarcon would not let the Tigers lose as he answered with a pair of free throws after grabbing an offensive board against the taller Longhorn players. He then added a three-point play after a pass from Caleb Parman and Drake Simmons, diversifying his game, added a layup off a steal and another off a drive to make it 40-29.

For some reason, South Nodaway had not went to their trapping zone all game against Worth County, but they went to it with immediate results, closing to within 40-33 off a Kole Kramer steal. But once again, Issac would not let the Tigers lose as he scored off a drive and Caleb Parman followed with a steal with 51 seconds left to make it 44-33. Issac then got a drive and highlight film reverse 360 and fell to the floor as the ball went in before South Nodaway made a meaningless bucket at the buzzer.

Issac, after being held to 6 in the first half, finished with 20. Drake Simmons had 10 and Caleb Parman 9. The Tigers also beat Jefferson at the Eagles Nest. Worth County fell behind 8-4 after one quarter and 12-6 early in the second before going on a 23-4 run to regain control, leading 29-16. They continued to pull away, outscoring Jefferson 20-2 in the third quarter.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Late Funeral Notice -- Patricia Ann Son

Patricia Ann Son, 61, of San Jose, CA passed away Wednesday, November 5th at Santa Clara Medical Center. She is a former resident of Grant City and Mount Ayr, daughter of Virginia Stephenson of Grant City. Memorial Services are pending in San Jose and pending later in Grant City. Arrangements are under the direction of Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home.

Second Sheridan Home Destroyed by Fire

A second home in Sheridan has been destroyed by fire in a week. At Saturday night/Sunday morning at around 3 am, Bob Belcher "California Bob" and Gladys Rowe were awakened by their dog barking. Belcher said that he initially thought that his dog simply wanted out, but that he discovered the blaze. He then woke Gladys up and they got out of the house. The Sheridan Fire Department responded within 20 minutes, but by then, it was already too late. The Fire Department elected to put the blaze out instead of letting it burn the house down to the ground so that it would not catch the trees on fire and spread to other houses. The house was the former Betty Dokken residence, where she had lived for many years. It was on the southeast corner of town.

Bob and Gladys credited their dog, Dudley, with saving their lives. "We never would have been alive without him," they said. Bob said that Dudley had been savagely kicked by someone just the week before and that and he had just had surgery at the vet. "The vet didn't think he was going to make it," he said. "I'm not a religious person, but he was kept alive for a reason." Bob said that he believes that the fire was caused by a space heater in the bathroom.

The blaze was so hot that it melted metal and the fire department had a difficult time opening the attic so that they could put it out. The Grant City Fire Department came to assist the Sheridan Fire Department. After the fire crews left, the blaze was so hot that it reignited twice; however, Brad Pickering came by both times to put it out again. As late as Sunday night, the smoke from the blaze could be smelled from across town. It could still be smelled as late as Monday morning.

Bob and Gladys received help from the area Red Cross and are staying at a hotel in Maryville for two nights. They were also given cash so that they could buy clothes and other supplies. They plan to buy a camper and stay in it for the winter where the house was, and then rebuild. They said that people were really good to them after the blaze. Bob said that Victoria Rush, who herself had lost a house to a fire, went out of her way to help show them what they needed to do. Kim Welch came by their hotel room in Maryville with some food; Bob said that she was very helpful as well. The Sheridan CBC will put together a fundraiser at a later date to help Bob and Gladys get back on their feet again.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

11-3 -- Person from Minnesota wanting a police report.
11-3 -- Report of door open on hunting cabin north of Grant City; officer investigates, all secure.
11-3 -- Insurance company calls for police report.
11-4 -- Worth County resident calls about breakin and dog abuse.
11-5 -- Person in about car damage.
11-5 -- Officer dispatched to 911 call of two women fighting on highway Y.
11-6 -- Franklin County deputy in with inmate for court.
11-6 -- Worth County officer transporting two male inmates to Ringgold County Jail.
11-7 -- Worth County officer transporting prisoner to Department of Corrections in St. Joseph.
11-8 -- Worth County officer investigates trespassing call.
11-8 -- Report of cow out on Route YY.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

NEN Junior High Boys Climb Out of Hole, Beat Falcons

Northeast Nodaway's junior high boys overcame a scoring funk and recovered to beat St. Gregory's 28-13 Friday night. They had lost 72-23 to Worth County the night before; sometimes, when losing like that, it takes some time to get your confidence back. Northeast went scoreless in the first quarter, trailing 3-0 to the Falcons before Chance Barber came off the bench to put them on the board with consecutive shots. Northeast and St. Gregory's played evenly the rest of the half and fought to a 9-9 tie. Barber had 4, Spencer Weir and Reed McIntyre had 2, and Dakota Gross had 1.

For Northeast, the focus in the second half was to get shots to fall and to stop Sean Ottman, who had seven of St. Gregory's nine points in the first half. They succeeded in both counts as Ottman was scoreless in the second half. In the meantime, Northeast finally started to find the range from the field; Spencer Weir's 3-pointer early in the period knocked the lid off the basket and set the tone for the rest of the game. Colton Wilmes, Dakota Auffert, and Chance Barber each had 2 as Northeast led 18-10 after three.

Northeast finally pulled away in the fourth after Mason Walk tried to rally the Falcons, cutting their deficit to 20-13 with a free throw with 4:40 left. With Northeast leading 22-13, Nathan Schieber came off the bench to supply the dagger, going coast to coast for a layup. Spencer Weir added a steal off the press and Schieber hit Maverick Price to make it 28-13.

Northeast had a balanced attack for the game. Spencer Weir led the scoring with 9 for Northeast. Chance Barber had 8, Dakota Gross had 3, and Maverick Price, Spencer Weir, Reed McIntyre, and Colton Wilmes all had 2 each as coach Jared Freemyer's troops had seven in the scoring column.

Makayla Adwell Gets 11 as NEN Junior High Girls Down Falcons

Makayla Adwell knocked down 11 points as Northeast Nodaway's junior high girls got back on the winning track with a 23-8 win over St. Gregory's. They had to contain a dangerous left-hander, Addison Hall; however, they never led her get going for the Falcons and held her scoreless. They were playing the second of back to back meetings; after losing 28-24 to Worth County the night before, they successfully put it behind them and picked up their game defensively to get the win.

Adwell started it off by getting to the rim early, getting a 3-point play and picking up 5 in the first quarter as Northeast led 9-2 after one. Gerry Runde added four as she rebounded well on the offensive end. Makayla, who had been battling foul trouble all year, stayed on the floor all game this time, only picking up one foul.

Gerry Runde, Makayla Adwell, and Maggie Schmitz all picked up two each in the second quarter as Northeast continued to pull away and led 15-4 at the break. Adwell had two assists in the period and Brea Coulter had one.

Jaysie Dougan came off the bench and had three assists for Northeast in the second half, constantly finding the open person to stifle any Falcon comeback attempts. She was increasingly aggressive on defense as well; if she gets more confidence in her shot, she will become a force for Northeast in future years. Makayla Adwell had 4 and Gerry Runde and Maggie Schmitz had 2 each.

For Northeast, Makayla Adwell had 11, more than the entire Falcon squad. Gerry Runde added 8 and Maggie Schmitz had 4.

Dewey Carr Building Showcases Allendale History at Open House

The Dewey Carr building showcased all sorts of history from the City of Allendale during the recent Allendale Open House Saturday. The building was restored by Brad and Mark Carr and has now been turned into a museum. On display Saturday were all sorts of family pictures, advertising signs, and other memorabilia. One piece of history was an 1881 copy of the Mineral Springs Gazette, which was Allendale's newspaper at the time. It was named that because there was a mineral spring a quarter of a mile north of Allendale which is still there today. There were four such springs in the area; the one in Siloam Springs was the best-known. However, there were two others in Denver and the one just north of Allendale which advertised in the Mineral Springs paper.

The Mineral Springs bath house was reputed to have medical properties. It was run by a board which included President T.J. Smith, Secretary Calvin Tilton, Secretary O.C. Dawson, Treasurer William McElvain, and board members J.A. Hunt, R.P. Wilkinson, and Lewis Campbell. The ones in Denver were the Shadora Mineral Spring along with the Denver Mineral Well. Dawson also ran the dry goods store, where he sold muslins, wool jeans, tweeds, cashmeres, cottonades, denims, ducks, chevoits, and flannels as advertised in the Gazette.

Back then, news was two weeks old and subscriptions cost $1.50 per year. The editor was W.H. Conn; the paper held forth on the assassination of James Garfield; he had just died of his wounds. Other favorite topics were advice on marriage as well as the evils of liquor and the futility of trying to marry someone in the hopes that they would change their drinking habits.

One of the most common advertisements in the paper were those for drugs which would supposedly cure just about anything. One such advertisement was for Perry Davis' painkiller, which could supposedly treat rheumatism, neuralgia, cramps, chlorea, diarreha, sprains, bruises, burns, scalds, toothache, and headache. There were plenty of other ads as well. Lindsay Addington's Livery and Feed Stable from Grant City advertised. L.F. Hammer advertised groceries, tobaccos, and cigars. W.C. Jones had a drug store.

Among other memorabilia were signs for various products such as Hines Root Beer and Fire Chief Gasoline. One sign advertised Pepsi for 5 cents, saying that it had more bounce to the ounce. Even back in those days, Pepsi was trying to target people with the younger view of things. There was an old cookbook from the J.R. Weddle family, model train sets, and a set of David Melville Pewter which was a cookware set made in Rhode Island sometime between 1776 and 1793.

Numerous other businesses and organizations participated in the Allendale Open House. The Pool Hall did a raffle for a t-shirt and a tenderloin dinner. Mike's Garage served homemade cider from a machine; you just pushed a button and it would dispense hot homemade apple cider a few minutes later. Also on display was a jeep with a corvette engine. Oldtowne served free cinnamon rolls, a cookie, and coffee. Hannahbear gave 10% off on all purchases that day. Mary Kay's Quilting raffled off a Christmas Throw. The Allendale Baptist church served cookies. Civili-Tea had standing room only for much of the day and all the tables were completely full. A group of ladies came up from Albany and had a previously planned tea party as scheduled; they did not mind the huge crowds who showed up.

Doin' God's Work -- Bountiful Harvest

by Glenda Wyer
The Lord surely has blessed the corn crops. Everywhere there seems to be a pile waiting to go out in shipment to feed the nation. Praise God! I know many were concerned due to the weather at the time of planting. May our faith continue to grow through the miracles God does.

November is the one month we tend to show the most gratitude. Family traditions of a feast is one way many show their thankfulness.

I've heard some mention they were thankful election commercials ended. My job is to be thankful they had the courage to campaign and pray they can make a difference for God's glory. I believe in the power of prayer and it can change the direction our leaders take to transform us as one nation under God.

We gather at church at 3:30 Wednesday afternoons to pray and sing some praises; it makes a difference in our lives as well as those around us. Due to cold weather last winter, we had to take a break. I pray we will be blessed and able to serve him in every season, joyfully.

At Conference, each church was partnered with another congregation with the purpose of prayer and to encourage them. Grant City was partnered with Burlington Junction, Hopkins with Clearmont, Ravenwood with Burr Oak, Pickering with Skidmore and Wilcox, and Sheridan with Parnell. May teaming with them help us learn how to pray for their ministries.

Travis was at the pulpit this Sunday. Next week in the gratitude series, we will study about our community and public servants. Let us be thankful for their services. I am very thankful the water department was able to repair a broken main to restore what we come to take for granted. How many people do we take for granted on a daily basis? Take time to let them know they are appreciated for their sacrifices they make to serve God, country, and community. May God bless those who serve, to stay safe and healthy.

I wouldn't know where to begin counting my blessings. Join us at church and we can count them together. See you in church!

Allendale Baptist Church Building to Mark 125th Year

The Allendale Baptist Church building, long a landmark in Allendale, will mark its 125th anniversary next year. It was built in 1890 and 2015 will mark its 125th year. The congregation itself was formed in 1870 and worshiped in a log cabin where the Allendale Cemetery is now. After that building was destroyed by fire, the present church building was built. A pamphlet supplied by the church recounts some of the history of the church and building.

Charter members were Rev. & Mrs. P.W. Jones, Mrs. Calvin Tilton, Mrs. Teena Calhoon, Mr. & Mrs. R.H. Miner, Mr. & Mrs. H.W. Conn, and George Gray. The church grew to 25 members by 1880 and 56 by 1885. The present building was constructed on land given in deed of trust from Joseph and Minerva Hammer to William Calhoon for the church. The building was designed and built by a Rev. Campbell and a Rev. Miller, two evangelists who traveled and held revivals.

For a time during the early 1900's, the congregation did not meet; however, the church was reorganized on February 29, 1928. Rev. W.A. Hyde was moderator; charter members were Myrtle Hammer, Mr. & Mrs. George Monk, Mable Fletchall, Mrs. Orral Campbell, Mrs. Della Hobbs, Harry R. Long, John Tilton, Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Findley, and Lola Murray. Starting in 1944, the church expanded over the next several decades, adding classrooms, a baptistery, stained glass windows, a kitchen, dining, and rec area, a library, and an auditorium.

Among interesting facts about the church supplied in the church pamphlet, P.W. Jones, the first pastor, was the great-grandfather of Mrs. Garland Roach. The pastor's salary in 1903 was $174.74 annually. The church once shared the north side with a blacksmith shop, a scale house, and a meat market. The first funeral held at the church was in August 1893 for Charles Calhoun, father of Ruth McFadden and brother of Sarah Sims. The first musical instrument was from a reed organ gifted by the A.L. Conn family. There was a Ladies Aid society; women would do quilting to raise money for the church. During the first nice spring day, people would ride on hay wagons to a place north of what is now the Allendale Cemetery for a picnic. The church was heated by a stove; W.D. Combs would come for years carrying a sack of corn cobs to light the fire so that people would be warm when they arrived. Later, Marvin Findley did it.

New converts were baptized in the Grand River "near the old red bridge towards the Ed Glenn Farm." For many years, from 1941 to 1977, the organist was Ruth McFadden. The church has been big on youth activities for many years; they had a VBS last summer which was well attended.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Junior High Tiger Girls Beat Win Total from Last Year

Worth County's junior high girls beat their win total from last year after holding off Northeast Nodaway 28-24 Thursday night. The Tigers also beat King City as they raised their record to 4-1 for the year. They did so despite playing without Kennedy Galanakis (ankle) and Regan Allee (arm). Abbi Caddenhead saw extended playing time for the Tigers, starting and playing much of the game. And Haley Hunt and Merrideth Spiers combined to shut down Gerry Runde, holding her to 2 points for the night. That offset a season high 13 points from Makayla Adwell.

Jessi Badell hit a shot just before the first quarter buzzer to put Worth County up 5-3; they built it up to 8-3 early in the second before leading scorer Anna Gladstone went out with three fouls. Northeast came back behind consecutive steals from Adwell to tie it at 8; she picked up her 3rd foul at the 2:43 mark, but Northeast elected to leave her in. The gamble paid off as Northeast was able to take the lead at halftime. Jaysie Dougan came off the bench to hit her first junior high points at the buzzer to put them up 15-12.

But Worth County started the second half off strongly as Jessi Badell got behind the Northeast defense after a steal from Anna Gladstone. Anna then outmuscled Gerry Runde for a loose ball and Kristen New got behind the defense to put Worth County back in front 16-15. And then Badell connected again off a pass from Kristen New to make it 18-15. It was a lead that Worth County would not relinquish.

The teams traded buckets for the rest of the way. Brittany Burns hit from the baseline for Northeast to make it 26-24, but Kristen New came up big as she went coast to coast with 3:26 to put Worth County up two possessions at 28-24. After Worth County got the ball back, they held the ball for two minutes, all the way down to 25 seconds to preserve the win. Jessi Badell and Kristen New had 10 each to lead the Tigers. Anna Gladstone had 6, while Haley Hunt had 2. For Northeast, Makayla Adwell had 13 points. Brittany Burns had 3 while Brea Coulter, Jaysie Dougan, Gerry Runde, and Maggie Schmitz had 2 each.


Worth County Junior High Boys Now 5-0

Worth County's Junior High boys are now 5-0 following wins over King City and Northeast Nodaway this week. Issac Alarcon scored 17 points for the Tigers as they beat Northeast Nodaway 72-23 Thursday night; he added 5 assists as he continues to maintain an average of around 20 points per game. Worth County continues to progress towards a potential showdown with Maryville in the Northeast Nodaway Tournament in a couple of weeks; last year, Maryville spoiled Worth County's bid for an unbeaten season in junior high in the first round. This year, if it happens, the potential showdown would take place in the championship round Saturday, November 22nd at 7:00.

What looked like an interesting matchup early in the season went by the wayside; Northeast has now dropped four games after a promising start. Worth County stole the ball at will in the first quarter; Issac Alarcon had 7 points, Caleb Parman had 5, and Drake Simmons and Bryant McCord had 4 each as Worth County was jumping passes at will. Northeast tried to press Worth County, but the Tigers sliced through it at will, treating it like it was not there. Worth County led 20-2 after one, prompting some folks from Northeast to hit the exits and go home.

Issac Alarcon added six more in the second quarter and Jacob New came alive in the period, leading the Tigers with 8 points. Bryant McCord and Drake Simmons added two each as Worth County went ahead 38-7 at the break. For Northeast at the half, Spencer Weir had 3 and Colton Wilmes and Dakota Gross had 2 each.

Worth County went on to pour on 27 points in the third period. Issac Alarcon had four in the period and added four assists as he was airing it out at will for the Tigers. Jacob New had 7 for the Tigers and finished with a career high 15 points for the night, continuing to show his new-found scoring punch. Caleb Parman added 6 and ended with 11 for the night, although he wound up one point short of his girlfriend's (NEN guard Makayla Adwell's) total. Bryant McCord had 2 to finish with 8 for the Tigers; Drake Simmons had 8 in the period to finish with 14. Worth County had four people in double figures for the night.

The fourth quarter was dominated by the reserves as Tanner Parman did most of the scoring for Worth County while Chance Barber did most of the scoring for Northeast.

Fire Destroys Home North of Sheridan

A fire destroyed a home north of Sheridan Thursday evening. Fire Chief Butch Thomas reported that Sheridan fire units were called to the former Dean Owens residence, near Bob Finch's old Christmas tree farm between 6:30 and 7 that evening. The home was a new structure that had been built 30 years ago. Grant City units also assisted with the blaze, but by the time they got there, it was too late to save the structure. Thomas said that the cause was a chimney fire that got out of control. There were no injuries in the blaze.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Grant City Strategic Plan Seeks More Activities for Community

The rough draft of the Strategic Planning document for Grant City came together at Wednesday night's meeting. Emphasis was on more things for the community to do. Facilitator Arnie Kreek of the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments will put together another draft based on comments and input at Wednesday night's meeting to present to the Grant City Council at their regular meeting on November 19th.

All five teams turned in suggested areas of focus at the meeting. One area of focus was municipal services. Wastewater upgrades were identified as a need for the community, possibly in conjunction with USDA and other funding sources. The second area of focus was the streets. The plan includes researching grants to include curbing and drainage and generating more revenues for street improvements. Currently, part of the city sales tax goes towards street improvements, but that is not enough. Law enforcement was another area of focus. The goal is to get more law enforcement coverage for the city and possibly neighborhood watch groups as well.

For physical appearance and aesthetic value, the goal for the city is to codify city ordinances so that they will pass muster in court and so that they are enforceable and in compliance with state law. The second goal will be to continue to work with the regional improvement board, which will meet again in the first part of December. The third was to keep and expand the "Worth More" initiative, possibly by assisting elderly people with cleanup and putting up lights. Finally, the fourth goal was to pursue demolition grants to tear down abandoned buildings. Also on the agenda were recognizing people who do clean up their homes, focusing on junk cars, and promoting general cleanup.

For education and cultural arts, one goal was to give people access to more educational and learning opportunities, advertise them, and identify potential funding sources. The second goal is more access to cultural arts by maintaining the cultural arts committee, doing more promotions, and identifying funding sources. The third was to find more venue space for cultural events, get cost estimates, and identify funding sources.

For community and business development, goals were to update the business directory regularly, do more business promotions such as Small Business Saturday, and expand the current city cleanup initiatives. A third goal is to assist new businesses in getting started, while the fourth is to find a new location for Mission Possible.

For parks and youth recreation, goals were putting together events for the recently-completed nature trail, putting together more activities such as an Easter Egg Hunt, a scavenger hunt, coed softball, volleyball tournaments, and golf tournaments. The ultimate goal is to build a youth recreation center at some point.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Four New Members Inducted Into Grant City Lions

Four new members were inducted into the Grant City Lions Club by 1st Vice District Governor Therran Gaines at the regular meeting Tuesday. They were Dagwood Gentleman, J.W. Harding, Josh Hager, and Jesse Stark. The Lions Club has gained members this year even as membership has declined in the district. Bill Calhoon was recognized for sponsoring new members into the club.

All members are asked to bring two cans of food to their next meeting to help with the national organization's food drive for the centennial in 2017. Also, there will be a centennial service challenge, which will involve club members doing numerous acts of service during their centennial week. Grant City's club is marking its 35th anniversary; it was founded in 1979.

The Grant City club recently made a donation to the Leader Dog program, which gives guide dogs to blind people. Gaines gave a talk about his recent visit to their headquarters in Rochester, MN, where they are in the process of building new kennells. He said that he was led blindfolded by a dog and that it felt like he was going really fast. One lady's dog has gotten to the point where she can tell it what room to go to and the dog will take here there. On one occassion, the dog remembered a room from a hotel from one year ago perfectly.

A leadership training forum will be held in Branson in February. The district meeting has been set for March 13th to 14th.

Junior High Tiger Boys Post 3rd Running Clock Win in Three Tries

Worth County's Junior High basketball team posted its third running clock win in three tries as they beat North Harrison 50-8 Monday night. Issac Alarcon scored the first 10 points of the game on his way to 22 points for the night, keeping up his 20 points per game average. He scored off three steals, an inside shot off a pass from Bryant McCord, and a drive. Drake Simmons scored off a Caleb Parman steal and Jacob New hit a 3-pointer off another pass from Caleb as Worth County led 15-0 after one.

The Tigers got sloppy in the second, doing too much hacking and fouling, but still managed to outscore North Harrison to lead 26-7 at the half. Issac Alarcon added five more off a putback, a drive against three defenders, and a free throw. Jacob New and Drake Simmons added 3-pointers for Worth County.

Bryant McCord got on a scoring burst in the third quarter, cutting twice to the basket for easy layups and getting behind the defense on another play. Issac Alarcon scored seven in the period as Caleb Parman was stealing the ball at will and getting him the ball. Drake Simmons added four and Caleb Parman and Jacob New three each as Worth County led 49-7 after three before the reserves played out the final quarter. Tanner Parman scored a free throw to lead the reserves.

Merrideth Spiers Sparks Junior High Tigers to 2nd Win

Worth County's girls were locked in a tight defensive struggle with North Harrison and leading 7-2 midway through the second quarter when Merrideth Spiers came off the bench to spark the Tigers on both ends of the floor. She got behind the defense and got a pass from Kristen New and added a putback to make it 11-2. She then found Liz Lyle on the wing; Liz, who didn't realize how wide open she was, hesitated for a second and then knocked down the wide open shot. Regan Allee scored a shot from the left wing after shaking off her defender to put Worth County up 15-2.

A swarming Tiger defense took over from there as North Harrison burned two timeouts early in the third quarter as they could not get the ball up the floor against Worth County's pressure. Anna Gladstone, who led the Tigers with 9, knocked down two shots; Liz Lyle hit Navada Hoff on the left wing and then found a cutting Jessi Badell; Jessi then added a running 3-pointer right before the third quarter buzzer to put Worth County up 26-5. Ashlyn Barnett added a 3-pointer, Anna Gladstone scored off a pass from Kaylee McElvain, and Anna hit Kristen New as Worth County pulled away to a 33-9 win.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Birth -- Lennox Joseph Wagers

Rusanna and Benjamin Joseph Wagers of Savannah announce the birth of their son, Lennox Joseph, Friday October 31st at Heartland Hospital. He weighted 8 pounds 9 ounces and 19" tall. He joins his big sister, Aubrey Nicole.

Paternal grandparents are Marsha and Randall Wagers. Maternal grandparents are Ed Morrow and Cindy and Daryl Owens. Maternal great-grandmother is Virginia Robinson of Grant City and the late Z. Ruth Dugdale. Aunt Stephanie Parman of Hatfield and a host of cousins, aunts, and uncles are excited to spoil the little man.

Doin' God's Work -- Gratitude

I hope everyone found good use of the extra hour when we lost Daylight Savings Time. We may change all the clocks in the house but our mental clock.

As we begin a new series of gratitude and giving, we are reminded of so many who have helped, encouraged, and trusted to be good stewards of God. Some are blessed to have strong Christian family values to pass His light to. With the season of Thanksgiving, if you have someone who made a special impact on your life, remember; time is short, be sure to let them know. We are "just a vapor," so don't hesitate; it can make a difference in their lives too. I have been blessed by so many!

I attended Dorrilla Hawk's birthday party. There were many who wished her a happy, healthy long life. I am sure she has been a blessing to many! May God continue to bless her to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

A busy week, thanking God and those who ventured out to support church events. The ladies worked hard to have a good Lord's Acre Day and Election Dinner. Thanks for all who attended and may their vote make a difference for the betterment of all mankind.

Making a difference has been the purpose for "Ben's Stockings of Hope." If you'd like to help them, they will be meeting 12-4 November 9th at Hopkins.

Grant City SWAG youth activity will be November 9th at 4. One never knows who you may encourage with the youth. Other opportunities with "Joyful Noise" and "Hopkins Sparks" can change a child's life. Keep them in prayer.

Next Sunday, we will be honoring our veterans, military, and leaders still serving our nation. Freedom is not free. If you encounter a veteran, give them thanks. November 11th is one day set aside to honor and remember their sacrifices. As with my feelings for Thanksgiving, it should not just be a one day a year event. We need to thank God every day for the blessings He has given us. Some are not happy with the way things are in the USA, but I believe they are better than a lot of other countries. I'm thankful to be here.

November 23rd, 10:30, All Parish Worship at Sheridan UMC. We will gather together for worship, then travel to the New Community Building for the pot luck feast and give thanks. Mark your calendars!

As we congregate in large or small crowds, give God thanks. See you in church!