Obituary -- A.C. "Connie" Wilkinson 1923-2015

Aubrey Conn (A.C./Connie) Wilkinson, 82, passed away on December 27, 2015 in Grant City, MO following a courageous 8-year battle with cancer.

He was born on the family farm near Allendale, MO to Trusten and Leah Conn Wilkinson.  He was the second of 5 children, graduated from Grant City High School, attended Graceland College, was a 50-year Master Mason, a member of the Grant City United Methodist Church and worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a Soil Conservation Service technician for 31 years until retirement.

He was married to his high school sweetheart, Mary Bea King, for 62 years.  In retirement they enjoyed their family and many friends and spending winters in south Texas.  He loved his farm, tinkering with machinery and woodworking.  He had a kind, considerate manner and a quick sense of humor.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Bea, of the home, and children Connie Sue (Rick) Thomas, Lawson, MO, Nancy Jane (Randall) Baker, Lee’s Summit, MO, and Scott Wesley Wilkinson, Allendale, MO; six grandchildren, Josh (Lisa) Thomas, Emily (Jamie) Haines, Sarah Baker, Kelsey Wilkinson, Drew (Kelsey) Wilkinson and Sam Baker; 6 great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and a host of friends.  He is also survived by his siblings, Donna Rae Mosbarger, Julia Ann Ashby, Ronnie Wade Wilkinson and Nancy Lee Hill.  He was preceded in death by his infant daughter, Mary Beth, and his parents, Trusten and Leah Wilkinson.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, January 2, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. with visitation from 10-11 a.m. prior to the services at the Andrews- Hann Funeral Home, Grant City, MO.  A Celebration of Life to honor Connie will be held at The Nation in the summer of 2016.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Grant City United Methodist Church or the Senior Center of Grant City.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

12-14 – Person in asking if officer can be on duty January 7th at school wrestling meet.

12-14 – Cattle out south of Grant City on 169 highway; owner notified.

12-14 – Cattle out on Route C & M; owner notified.

12-14 – Two subjects in for CCW application.

12-15 – 911 call to dispatch ambulance to Sunny Slope in Grant City.

12-15 – Horses and mules out on Route K in Worth County.

12-16 – Cattle out on Route PP; owner notified.

12-17 – Taylor County calls about extraditing wanted person.

12-17 – Person in to renew CCW permit.

Obituary -- Gary Truman Robertson 1945-2015

Gary Truman Robertson, age 70, passed away suddenly on the evening of December 14, 2015 from a heart attack brought on by pneumonia.

Born in rural Worth County, Missouri, May 12, 1945, Gary was the first child of Donna and Truman Robertson.

While attending college, Gary married Deborah Jean Boles, and later fathered two children. He valiantly served in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Army as a helicopter mechanic and crew chief. Upon returning to civilian life, he worked as a computer programmer. Later in life, he served as an automotive mechanic and thereafter, caregiver to his mother. Throughout his life, he loved all things mechanical, enjoyed auto racing as a participant and spectator. He was selfless to the end.

Gary is survived by his mother, Donna Robertson; brother, Stephen Robertson; sister-in-law, Candace Robertson; son, Douglas Robertson; daughter-in-law, Aleksandra Robertson; daughter, Catherine Robertson; granddaughter, Hayle Robertson; grandson, Jarrod Robertson; and the many more that his unique life touched.

Memorial Service was 2:00 P.M. Sunday, December 20, 2015 at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home, 200 South Front Street, Grant City, Missouri, with visitation one hour prior to service. Inurnment will be in Grant City Cemetery.

Worth County Sheriff's Report -- Deputy Tom Trullinger to Retire

Deputy Tom Trullinger told the Express Monday that he would be retiring from the Sheriff’s Office effective February 20th. He served 30 years in the Missouri Highway Patrol and 7 as a Worth County Deputy under Sheriff Terry Sheddrick.

12-7 – Officer checks on well-being of person in Sheridan

12-7 – Officer in court for bailiff duty.

12-7 – Officer transports prisoner from jail to court.

12-7 – Cattle out on Route B; owner notified.

12-8 – Alarm at Dollar General; all secure.

12-8 – Officer with traffic assist for funeral.

12-9 – Officer does well-being check near Denver.

12-9 – Report of stolen truck parts at location on Route B.

12-10 – Officer transports prisoner to court from jail.

12-11 – Person in for CCW application.

Mustang Girls Douse Strong Start by Worth County

Worth County’s girls got off to a strong start against North Nodaway last Tuesday, but it was quickly doused and turned into a North Nodaway rout as Worth County fell 59-21.

It all started off so well for Worth County as consecutive 3’s by Dominique Findley pushed Worth County out to an 8-4 lead at the 3:27 mark of the first quarter. Sean Thurm’s Tigers had a chance to add to that lead, but that was when Madison Thompson began to take over. Madison, more known for her post play and shot blocking, suddenly decided to live out her guard dreams as she got the first of six steals she would collect on the night. She threw ahead to Kelsi Oberhauser for a layup to create a four point swing. Breann O’Riley followed with another steal and instead of Worth County behind six points ahead, it was tied up at 8. The game was tied at 10 and 12 before Madison’s 3-point play put North Nodaway ahead for good at 15-12. Ashley Thompson and Kelsi Oberhauser had 4 in the quarter to lead North Nodaway.

If it wasn’t a record performance, Madison Thompson’s six steals was close. While the single game record for girls is not listed on the record boards at North Nodaway, the boys record for a single game is eight.

Thompson ran wild on the offensive boards early in the second quarter to put the game away and added a breakaway after she blocked a shot and caught it on the run. She had 7 points in the period and Keagon O’Riley came off the bench and added 6. Worth County was in serious foul trouble in an ominous echo of the West Nodaway game that Thursday and they were having trouble breaking North Nodaway’s half court trap; they went without a field goal from late in the first quarter to late in the third quarter. North Nodaway led 35-14 at the half; Madison’s jumped passes fueled the rout as she had four by halftime.

Kristin Herndon got on the board with four points in the third to lead Sami Jackson’s Mustangs as they triggered the running clock by the end of the third quarter, up 47-17. Madison Thompson added three points, two blocks, and two more steals for North Nodaway and added four more in the fourth quarter. Cheyenne Murphy and Emma Hart came off the bench to score for the Mustangs late.

For North Nodaway, Madison Thompson had 17 points and Ashley Thompson followed with 8. Keagon O’Riley had 7, Bethany Herndon had 6, Breann O’Riley had 5, Kelsi Oberhauser and Kristin Herndon had 4, and Alisha Davison, Taylor Combs, Cheyenne Murphy, and Emma Hart all had 2. Eleven different players scored for Sami Jackson’s squad.

For Worth County, Dominique Findley had 7. Rikky Hunt had 4, Haley Hunt had 3, Kennedy Galanakis, Tess Andrews, and Jessi Badell all had 2, and Sidney Troutwine had 1.

Mustangs Drop Two to Trojans

Both Mustang teams played games against Nodaway-Holt which came down to the wire, and both teams came up short Friday night in 275 Conference action as the girls lost 55-51 in overtime and the boys lost 48-42. The scores reflected a topsy-turvy week of strange scored; for instance, Tarkio’s boys beat Jaden Gillenwater and the Mound City Panthers after having been a doormat team last year.

The girls dug themselves into a 17-6 hole as Madison Thompson picked up two quick fouls, North Nodaway could not break Nodaway-Holt’s full court pressure, and the game threatened to turn into a layup drill. But then North Nodaway finally began to find an offensive rhythm in the second quarter and stopped the bleeding, getting as close as six at one point. Alisha Davison had four in the period as five different Mustangs scored in the period.

They were down 27-18 at the break, but then Alisha Davison did all she could in the third quarter to get her team back into the game. She opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer and Bethany Herndon got loose twice inside as North Nodaway got as close as three in the period. Nodaway-Holt went old school in the fourth as Josh Petersen went to the Four Corners, an offense that has not been used much within the last 50 years. But the Mustangs kept right on coming; Madison Thompson got loose twice inside and Bethany Herndon scored with 3:27 to tie it up. Breann O’Riley’s coast to coast runner with 1:35 left put North Nodaway ahead 46-44, but Madison Thompson fouled out going for a pass. North Nodaway got a stop, but O’Riley missed a 1 and 1 that would have made it two possessions and Frankie Lemar’s free throws on the other end tied it at 46. Lemar scored again after a stop to make it 48-46, but Davison’s runner tied it up again and sent it to overtime.

Nodaway-Holt scored the first four points of overtime, but North Nodaway battled back despite both Thompson girls being on the bench with five fouls and fought back to within one point at 52-51. They got the ball back for a possible go-ahead score, but Amanda Bohannon’s steal and layup made it 54-51 with 50 seconds left. Kelsi Oberhauser missed a 3-pointer and Macie Bohannon hit a free throw to seal it.

Alisha Davison had 17 to lead North Nodaway. Madison Thompson and Bethany Herndon had 9, Breann O’Riley had 6, Ashley Thompson and Kelsey Oberhauser had 4, and Kristin Herndon had 3.

The boys looked to repeat their performance in Mound City as they jumped out to an early lead of 13-8 against Nodaway-Holt. But Nodaway-Holt switched from a man to a zone to close off North Nodaway’s driving lanes and had their players shadowing sharpshooter Koby Reynolds all night. On the other end, they made a much more concerted effort to get the ball into Carey Volner, their post player. Consequently, they slowly took over and built up a lead of as much as 8 points in the third quarter. But a 3-pointer by Dakota Smyser followed by a steal from Peyton Coleman in the last 15 seconds made it a totally different ballgame as North Nodaway fought to within 32-29.

Jake Shipman’s troops continued to fight back in the fourth quarter, getting to within 42-40 on Coleman’s 3-pointer with 3:55 left and 43-42 on Ben Hart’s putback with 3:06 left. Both sides traded two stops, but a critical call went against North Nodaway as Ben Hart lowered his head and shoulders into Volner and got called for a charge with 1:06 left. Kaiden Vance then hit a free throw for Nodaway-Holt with 32 seconds left and the second shot missed; however, Zach Walker grabbed a putback to make it two possessions. Walker’s steal accounted for the final score.

Peyton Coleman led the scoring for North Nodaway with 15 points, followed by Koby Reynolds with 13. Dakota Smyser had 5, Ben Hart and Kendrick Calfee had 4 each, and Wyatt Tate had 2.

Chuck Borey, Jared Findley Inducted into Eight Man Hall of Fame

Chuck Borey and Jared Findley were initial inductees into the Missouri Coach’s Eight Man Hall of Fame at the annual banquet Sunday night. Both were recognized at the banquet and both gave speeches afterwards.

Borey was an assistant coach at Worth County from 1993-96 and head coach from 1997 to 2012. He accumulated a won-lost record of 155-26. He had five state titles, two runner-ups, 11 district titles, 12 conference titles, and the 4^th highest winning percentage throughout the state. He recognized former assistants Chris Healy, Andy Ross, Larry Kinsella along with Findley and his wife Janice, all of whom were in the crowd. He said that his advice to young people was to surround one’s self with good people, have a vision, and one would succeed. He also served as a mentor to younger coaches; both Doug Fountain (Albany) and Andrew Webster (North-West Nodaway) gave him credit for helping them get started when they first came to the area.

Jared Findley was one of Mr. Borey’s most successful players. He won four conference titles, four district titles, and was a four-time all-state honoree. He went on to play for Northwest Missouri State, where he became an all conference tight end for their powerhouse team. He continued his studies after leaving Northwest and now runs his own business, Biomass Energy Solutions out of Blue Springs. He thanked his friends and family and said he was fortunate to have played for Mr. Borey even though he made him run the 800 until his sophomore year. His advice for young people was, "Always set goals, always be coachable, and always push yourself."

The inductions will be done on an annual basis. Players who were recognized for making the All State Team from Worth County were Brevyn Ross, Tristan Miller, Drake Kinsella, and Tevin Cameron. From North-West Nodaway, Koby Reynolds and Jakob Cordell were recognized.

NEN Girls Rout Tarkio

Northeast Nodaway’s girls routed Tarkio 47-27 to gain their third straight win last Tuesday. They took a 9-3 lead after one quarter and then scored 18 in the second to take a 27-9 lead at halftime. Tarkio made a comeback bid in the third quarter, but Northeast reestablished control in the fourth.

Dallis Coffelt had 16 to lead Northeast. Coach Joyce Stiens found some newfound strength from outside as Taylor Coffelt hit 12 points and two 3-pointers. Jill Spire had 8, Makayla Adwell 7, and Talina Nelson 4. Northeast hit their free throws, going 11 for 17 from the line.

The boys, however, did not follow suit as they only got four players in the scoring column and lost 50-34 to Tarkio. The Indians have already won more games this year than they did all of last year and they took a 24-10 lead at halftime. Northeast had one of their most productive quarters of the season in the third as they put up 17 points, but they could not capitalize on it as they fell 50-34. Max Giesken had 20, Spencer Weir had 6 along with Andrew Freemyer, and Colton Wilmes had 2. Northeast was 10 for 15 from the line.

The girls could not capitalize on their success in Stanberry as they fell 47-23 in a game that got out of hand early. Northeast could not get any offense going in the first half as they only scored five points and dug themselves into a 23-5 hole. On the other end, they struggled with their perimeter defense as they let Stanberry’s 3-point shooters run wild, getting seven 3-pointers for the night. It took them a half to realize they could play ball with Stanberry, and they played them evenly in the second half, but the damage was done. Makayla Adwell had 7 points to lead Northeast. Taylor Coffelt had 6, Dallis Coffelt and Jill Spire had 4, and Talina Nelson had 2.

The boys were completely outclassed by the state-ranked Stanberry squad, losing 73-18. They were down 22-2 after one, 46-11 at halftime, and things got worse from there. Max Giesken had 6, Spencer Weir had 4, Eli Scroggie had 3, Dylan Mildfeldt and Rowdy West had 2, and Andrew Freemyer 1. Scroggie had a 3-pointer for Northeast.

Cade Allee Erupts as Tigers Beat Mustangs

Cade Allee erupted for 23 points last Tuesday as Worth County got back on the winning track with a 59-41 win over North Nodaway. Both sides had come off disappointing losses; North Nodaway had lost 45-26 to Mound City in a game in which they could not get anything going offensively or stop Jayden Gillenwater defensively. Worth County had come off a 69-61 loss to Stanberry in which their comeback bids were thwarted. The winner would be the team which did the best in recovering from their first loss of the season.

Allee scored the first 11 points of the game for the Tigers, all in a span of just over four minutes. North Nodaway saw its driving game stopped cold – Worth County played man to man with good gap control. Mason Hawk picked up two fouls in the game in the first minute trying to handle the ball screens, and Drake Kinsella picked up another shortly after, but then Worth County settled down, jumping every ball screen, not letting Peyton Coleman or Koby Reynolds get open driving lanes, and not allowing Reynolds to go off downtown.

North Nodaway had some early success dumping it off to Wyatt Tate in the post, but 3-pointers from Ben Badell and Caleb Parman pushed Worth County’s lead out to 17-9 after one quarter.

Jake Shipman’s squad finally got going in the second quarter, with Koby dumping one off backdoor to Tate, Ben Hart turning an offensive board into a 3-point play, and Koby Reynolds scoring off a steal to make it 21-18. But then Mason Hawk hit Drake Kinsella inside, Ben Badell drove and hit a pullup from the right wing, and Drake Simmons drove around a Cade Allee screen to put Worth County back in control.

Peyton Coleman finally got going in the third quarter, picking up seven in the frame. Wyatt Tate added another backdoor look and North Nodaway came as close as six at one point. But then the backbreaker happened late in the third, when Cade Allee went off again. He scored inside off a pass from Ben Badell and then hit another shot from Drake Simmons with 4 seconds left in the third quarter. Worth County knocked the ensuing pass off the blue shirts and Ryan McClellan hit Cade at the buzzer. Instead of Worth County having to fend off the Mustangs in the fourth quarter, they were comfortably in control at 44-31.

Isaac Alarcon hit two inside shots, Chris Alarcon went coast to coast for a free throw, and Cade Allee had one last flourish from downtown to put the game out of reach at 52-31 early in the fourth quarter.

Daytona Lutz knocked down a long 3-pointer at the buzzer for North Nodaway to account for the final score.

For Worth County, Cade Allee had 23 points, Caleb Parman 12, Ben Badell 8, Drake Kinsella 6, Isaac Alarcon 5, Ryan McClellan and Drake Simmons 2, and Chris Alarcon 1. For North Nodaway, Peyton Coleman had 15, Koby Reynolds had 10, Wyatt Tate 8, Ben Hart 5, and Daytona Lutz 3.

Obituary -- Darrell Lamb 1947-2015

Darrell Leroy Lamb, 68, of Allendale passed away December 10, 2015 in his home.  Darrell was born May 19, 1947 in Maryville, MO to Walter and Lois Lamb.

Darrell graduated from high school at Worth County R-I in 1965.  After high school he attended Draughton’s College in Kansas City and graduated in 1967 with a technical degree in drafting.

In October of 1967 Darrell was drafted by the Army and completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He then spent from February to August, 1968 at Fort Rucker, AL as a truck driving instructor.  In September, 1968 Darrell was sent to Vietnam where he served as a Sergeant in the 88^th Transportation Company.  Darrell was very proud of his military service and enjoyed attending reunions for his transportation company in later years when his health allowed him to do so.

Upon returning from Vietnam, Darrell joined Havens Steel Company where he worked for 34 years.  He always felt blessed that he found a career that he loved and made many lifetime friendships at the same time.

In 2004 Darrell married Angie McNeese in Branson, and she survives him of the home.

Friendships were of the upmost importance to Darrell, and there was nothing he enjoyed more than helping out a friend or neighbor, or just spending time visiting with loved ones. Darrell also loved the community of Allendale and rarely missed coming home for a weekend in all the years he lived in Kansas City.  Darrell was known for his generous and kind heart and will be missed by those who loved him.

Darrell was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother David.

Additional survivors are sister-in-law Sharon Lamb, nieces Paula, Karen, and Evie, brother-in-law Craig McNeese and wife Gina, and nephew Bryson.

Memorials may be made to SSM Hospice.

Interment is at the Kirk cemetery.

Funeral Services were 2:00 P.M. Saturday, December 12, 2015 at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City. Pastor Dirk Buffington officiated. Military Rite were held by Missouri Honor Guard, V.F.W. Post #3123 and American Legion Post #92. Interment was in the Kirk Cemetery in Allendale, Missouri.

Drake Kinsella Nets 19 as Tiger Boys Cruise to Victory

Drake Kinsella hit 19 points as the Tiger boys got their fourth win of the season, 67-33 over West Nodaway. Brevyn Ross followed with 11 points and six steals in a game that was surprisingly one-sided. Games between the Tigers and Rockets have been lively lately, but Worth County took a double digit lead in the first quarter and never gave it up.

It looked like it would be another close game as the score was tied at 4 and then 6 in the early going. Roger Johnson’s Rockets were getting the ball into post player Blake Farnan at will, opening everything up at will. Worth County moved ahead 12-8, but then things turned when Farnan picked up his second foul of the night and had to sit out the rest of the first quarter. In his absence, Worth County pulled away as Kinsella hit a pair of free throws, Ross scored off a Drake Simmons steal, Simmons hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key off a pass from Kinsella, and Simmons returned the compliment to find Kinsella inside to make it 21-8.

West Nodaway adjusted by driving to the basket with some success as Worth County was hacking and fouling and the Rockets were hitting their free throws. That kept their deficit down to 12 for much of the second period. But late in the second, Brevyn Ross scored off a steal, Caleb Parman scored from the right baseline off a pass from Simmons, and Drake Kinsella scored off a drive to make it 38-20 at half.

There was every reason to still be worried; West Nodaway had erased a double digit deficit in Burlington Junction last year and they have always been capable of scoring points in a hurry. But they came out in the third quarter in a rare 2-3 zone, which backfired as Cade Allee and Drake Kinsella hit back to back 3’s to put Worth County’s lead over 20 points to stay.

From there, Worth County did a much better job of staying out of foul trouble as they only had four in the second half after committing 13 in the first. The absence of fouls did not detract from Worth County’s defense at all; they gave up 13 in the second half after giving up 20 in the first half.

In the meantime, the transition game got going for Worth County as they were able to get stops and defensive boards. Chris Alarcon beat the Rocket defense on one transition look and Drake Kinsella converted a 3-point play off a Ryan McClellan pass. Ryan converted a Brevyn Ross steal into points and a block from Mason Hawk set up a breakaway from Ross as Worth County broke the 30-point barrier. Ben Badell’s driving layup with 1:12 left triggered the running clock for Worth County at the end of three.

Wayde Parman got on the board for his first varsity points as he blew by a defender late in the game for a layup.

Worth County forced 23 turnovers and only surrendered the ball 14 times, a stat that pleased Coach Bryce Schafer. His Tigers got 11 players in the scoring column led by Drake Kinsella with 19 and Brevyn Ross with 11. Cade Allee had 7, Ryan McClellan, Caleb Parman, and Ben Badell all had 6, Mason Hawk and Drake Simmons had 3, and Isaac Alarcon, Chris Alarcon, and Wayde Parman all had 2. Worth County stole the ball 15 times from the Rockets that night. "It’s good to get some momentum going into North Andrew," said Schafer.

The girls did not fare so well as they dropped a 38-37 overtime loss to West Nodaway. Coached by former Worth County alum Bryson Scott, they ended a 50+ game losing streak in the process, stretching out over two years.

Sean Thurm’s Tigers thought they had it won late in the third quarter, as Kennedy Galanakis’ free throw put them up 29-16 with 41 seconds. But in a momentum shifter, West Nodaway scored four points in the last 18 seconds to get it under double digits. From there, Worth County struggled with how to play with a lead in the fourth quarter; they were settling for jump shots instead of taking time off the clock and forcing the Rockets to come out and guard them; they were forcing passes inside that weren’t there instead of running their plays. On the other end, they were hacking and fouling on defense; they had four players foul out and nearly finished with four players.

Consequently, West Nodaway chipped away and tied the game on Hailey Hull’s free throw with 35.3 seconds left. Both sides missed chances to win in regulation, with Hull’s runner going in and out with 10 seconds left and Haley Hunt missing two free throws on the other end after getting the ensuing defensive board.

Once again, Worth County thought they had it won as they took a 35-29 lead with 2:45 left in overtime. But once again, West Nodaway chipped away as Brittney McIntyre hit six consecutive points to tie it and Madalyn Walker’s free throw put them ahead for good with 42.8 seconds left. After Tess Andrews missed two free throws, Worth County had to foul and West Nodaway pulled ahead 38-35. Dominique Findley’s guarded three that would have tied it was in and out and Jessi Badell’s putback with time running out was one point short as West Nodaway was able to hold the ball out of bounds and get it in for the win.

The Tigers had balanced scoring, but not enough of it. Jessi Badell and Rikky Hunt led the scoring for the girls with 8 points. Sidney Troutwine had 7, Tess Andrews 6, Dominique Findley 3, Haley Hunt and Payton Adwell 2, and Kennedy Galanakis 1.

Violence Threat Forces Lockdown at Savannah

A violence threat forced a lockdown at Savannah High School Monday morning, Northwest Missouri Info reported. The site reported that the school had notified authorities at 8:30 am about the threat. The school was placed on lockdown as numerous cops from around the area came to investigate. Following the investigation, a 16 year old female was taken into custody and referred to the local juvenile office.

This was the second such threat to take place in an area school this year. Earlier this fall, North Nodaway Principal Tim Conn had detained a student who had brought a gun to school until authorities could arrive.

Wreckage of Missing Plane Found Near Pattonsburg

Wreckage of a missing plane was found near Pattonsburg Monday morning, the Maryville Daily Forum reported. The plane had gone missing the afternoon before after the pilot, identified by the Forum as Kenny Stoner, had trouble with the credit card machine at the Maryville Airport. The plane failed to arrive in Bethany, triggering a massive search between McFall and Pattonsburg involving over 100 emergency management personnel. The search was called off due to heavy fog Sunday night. The Forum reported that officials do not believe that low fuel was the cause of the crash.

Taylor Coffelt Scores 19; NEN Girls Grab 1st Win

Northeast Nodaway’s girls grabbed their first win of the year, 60-25 over Osborn Tuesday at the Platte Valley Conference Tournament. After dropping their first two games of the year, they got off to a fast start, getting a 17-1 lead after one quarter and never looking back. Taylor Coffelt outscored her older sister Dallis, getting 19 points for the Bluejays; Dallis followed with 16. Jill Spire had 14 points and one 3-pointer, Gerry Runde had 3, and Vanessa Riley, Allie Runde, Makayla Adwell, and Talina Nelson all had 2.

The boys also got their first win of the season that night, beating Osborn 34-27. Max Giesken had 10 points to lead Northeast; Andrew Freemyer and Colton Wilmes had 8 each. Rowdy West and Chet Spire each had 4. Northeast built up a 20-11 lead at halftime in the defensive struggle and held off the Wildkats the rest of the way for the win.

The girls lost 47-29 to DeKalb. The boys lost 51-34; Dalton Auffert had 10.

NEN Girls Secure Consolation at PVC Tournament

Northeast Nodaway’s girls, after dropping their first two games, turned around and won their next two, topping 60 both times and securing the consolation title at the Platte Valley Tournament Thursday as they beat Stewartsville 61-42. Dallis Coffelt blocked two shots early and Talina Nelson blocked one in the first two minutes of the game. Jill Spire hit Makayla Adwell for a backdoor layup and consecutive steals from Adwell and Spire made it 8-3 at the 3:33 mark. Northeast kept pulling away in the first quarter as Spire hit Dallis Coffelt inside, Makayla Adwell grabbed a putback, Dallis hit Allie Runde on the left wing, and Makayla Adwell found Dallis Coffelt inside to put Northeast up 17-6 after one. Dallis Coffelt had three blocks in the period.

For only having five players dressed out, Stewartsville was not a bad team and Northeast spent the rest of the game fending off attempts by the Cardinals to get back into the game. Allyson Kauth went off on Northeast during the night, getting 20 points to lead Laura Wallick’s Cardinals. But Northeast always got enough scoring to keep control of the game. Five different players scored for Northeast; after an initial push by Stewartsville that got them within 17-11, Dallis Coffelt put in a missed shot and Northeast got back in control, taking a 28-16 lead at the half.

Stewartsville kept pushing the action, but was never able to get the lead back under double digits in the second half. Northeast let a double digit lead against Albany slip away the week before, but this time, they kept right on scoring, getting 23 points in the third quarter to push their lead over 20. Once again, Joyce Stiens’ Bluejays had five different players score in the period; Dallis Coffelt, Makayla Adwell, and Jill Spire all had 6 in the quarter. Vanessa Riley’s backdoor pass to Adwell gave Northeast its biggest lead of the night early in the fourth at 57-30.

All eight players on the roster scored, led by Dallis Coffelt with 19. Makayla Adwell had 17, Jill Spire 10, Taylor Coffelt 5, Vanessa Riley 4, and Talina Nelson, Gerry Runde, and Allie Runde all had 2.

The boys only had six players available in their game with South Nodaway and were denied the trophy 47-29. Rowdy West led the Bluejays with 9 points and took a charge on defense. Max Giesken had 6, Chet Spire and Colton Wilmes had 5, and Andrew Freemyer had 4.

Tiger Girls Drop Three at Albany Tournament

The Worth County girls dropped all three of their games at the Albany Tournament. Against King City, they have been competitive with them over the last few years and had every reason to expect another competitive game with them to open the tournament Tuesday. But instead, all hell broke loose and they couldn’t stop Grace Schottel on defense and they couldn’t score a basket on offense until the second quarter, when they were already down 14-0. They struggled against the King City press and they were in confusion much of the game as they fell in a running clock loss, 44-15.

Payton Adwell had 8 points to lead the Tigers. Haley Hunt had 4, Dominique Findley 2, and Tess Andrews 1.

Sometimes, when playing under a new coach, teams struggle when they shouldn’t. The Tigers did better against powerhouse South Harrison Thursday night – "As different as night and day," as new coach Sean Thurm put it. But the Tigers still did not compete, falling 57-21 against South Harrison.

That put them in the consolation round against archrival Albany. They did a better job of putting points on the board, but they let Shelby Fish run wild against them as she put up 27 points for the Warriors, who have already improved on last year’s standings. Consequently, Worth County lost another non-competitive game 61-40 Friday night. They dug themselves into a 13-5 hole at the end of one quarter and were outscored in every quarter. They did not win a single quarter at the Albany Tournament. They did too much hacking and fouling; they sent Albany to the line 25 times and the Warriors made 21 of those attempts.

They did show promise for the future as a freshman, Haley Hunt, led them in scoring with 16 points. Aubrey Ragan had 9, Jessi Badell had 5, Tess Andrews and Sidney Troutwine had 3 each, and Dominique Findley and Payton Adwell had 2 each. Ragan, Haley Hunt, and Badell all posted career highs.

Tiger Boys Bring Down Princeton Skyscraper in First Round

Worth County’s boys will be taller than most of the teams they play this year. But they looked like midgets compared to the 6’10" Stephan Elliott, one of the two tallest players ever to play on the hardwoods in Northwest Missouri. He was 6’8" last year and put on two more inches this year. The scary thing is that he is only a junior this year. The only other person that tall to play in the area was Jefferson’s Doug Archer, who was also 6’10"; Jefferson won some state titles when he was around.

But the problem with Princeton is that they are under a new coach, which can change the chemistry of a team. There are new rules, expectations, and ways to play the game. For Worth County, Bryce Schafer is in his third year, which means that the players usually know what to expect from him. But Princeton’s new skipper, Michael Creekmore, will need some time to get his expectations down. If the players buy into his system, the Blue Tigers will challenge for a GRC title this year – they played Stanberry tough and beat Albany after losing Tuesday night’s game to Worth County 57-49.

Thankfully, Worth County got a break when Elliott slammed the floor late in the first quarter and was pulled for the rest of the half. In the meantime, Worth County built up a 23-12 lead at the break and held off Elliott and Princeton’s attempts to get back in the game in the second half. Freshman Isaac Alarcon announced his presence for Worth County with a monster chasedown stuff on his very first play in a varsity uniform as Worth County led 12-11 after one. Without Elliott, Princeton couldn’t get anything going in the second quarter as Worth County held them to a lone free throw as they built up their lead. Chris Alarcon hit two 3-pointers and Cade Allee one in the second.

But in the third quarter, Worth County saw what Elliott was about; he was draining 3-pointers with Mason Hawk all over him, he was driving to the rack at will, and he was posting up inside as well. If he keeps this up, he will be able to play at the college level somewhere. He scored 13 in the third period as Princeton came back to within 34-31. He continued to attack the rim in the fourth; his free throws kept Princeton to within 38-35 with 5:37 left. But then Worth County began trapping him every time he touched the ball and he started throwing it away.

Isaac Alarcon was one of the few Tiger players not afraid to go up against Elliott despite being almost a foot smaller; he schooled him twice with a putback and a pair of free throws early in the frame. Finally, Isaac took a charge on Elliott for his fourth foul and Drake Kinsella took him on and drew his fifth the next time down the court as Worth County got the lead back into double digits at 51-39. Princeton made one last charge, coming to within 55-49 following a steal with 1:04 off the press, but Tiger freshman Caleb Parman’s first varsity free throws couldn’t have come at a bigger time as he hit two with 41 seconds left and Worth County got a stop and ran out the clock.

Nine different Tigers scored for Bryce Schafer’s squad, an outcome that pleased him greatly. Brevyn Ross had 14, Isaac Alarcon 8, Chris Alarcon 7, Cade Allee and Mason Hawk 6, and Ryan McClellan, Drake Simmons, Caleb Parman, and Drake Kinsella all had 4.

Tiger Boys Come from 19 Down to Advance to Albany Tournament Finals

Worth County let Walker McCallon and Reagan Law run wild on them in the first half, but came back from 19 down to beat King City 62-61 Thursday to advance to the final round of the Albany Tournament. The undersized McCallon was running wild inside and Law was scoring whenever he wanted to from outside in the first half; they combined for nearly all of King City’s 38 points in the frame. On the other end, Worth County made too many bad passes and committed too many frustration fouls. Chris Alarcon scored eight points to keep Worth County in the game in the first quarter, but then King City scored 25 in the second to take control of the game.

Coach Bryce Schafer said he didn’t do anything different in the second half; he said that the players took it on themselves to fix what went wrong in the first half. Cade Allee went off in the third quarter, scoring 12 of his 17 points in the frame. Brevyn Ross, who had been held scoreless in the first half, finally got untracked with a 3-pointer and a steal; Mason Hawk added a pair of putbacks at the end of the third quarter to tie the game at 42.

King City had the ball to start the fourth, but Ryan McClellan, who had sat out most of the first half with three fouls, jumped a pass to score and give Worth County its first lead of the game. Brevyn Ross saved a possession as he dove on the floor to knock a ball loose and Worth County got a steal after King City had gotten a stop and defensive board; Ross then added a putback to make it 46-42. Ross’ 3-pointer with 3:53 left gave Worth County its biggest lead at 52-47, but then King City began attacking the basket and storming back.

Worth County kept a 2 to 4 point lead down the stretch; Brevyn Ross saved one score by taking a charge on defense after King City had gotten a steal off their press. But then an inbounds pass went off Brevyn Ross’ foot and McCallon got loose inside to tie it at 61; Noah Poling blocked Ryan McClellan’s layup attempt with 27 seconds and King City had the ball for the last shot of the game. But then Ryan McClellan jumped a pass with 9 seconds left and threw it ahead to Ross, who leaned in and drew a shooting foul with 3.5 seconds left, drawing Poling’s fifth foul, which was huge since he was one of their best drivers. Brevyn made one of two from the line and then pinned Law to the sideline perfectly to force an errant shot for the win.

Brevyn Ross scored all of his 18 points in the second half to lead the Tigers. Cade Allee had 17, Mason Hawk 10, Chris Alarcon 8, Drake Kinsella 4, Ryan McClellan 3, and Isaac Alarcon 2.

Worth County Boys Second at Albany

Worth County’s boys completed an improbable run through the Albany Tournament by throwing a scare into Stanberry before falling 69-61 to take second place. They fell behind by as much as 18-2 in the first quarter before they realized they could compete with Stanberry, one of the elite teams in the area. After that, they completely outplayed the Bulldogs for the next three quarters, coming within five twice before falling by eight.

There were a lot of positive comments about Worth County’s play throughout the tournament with folks saying they were playing up to their potential. They showed that their win over King City, when they erased a 19-point deficit, was no accident.

Stanberry received an ill-advised technical foul when one of their players fouled Drake Kinsella as he was attempting a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer with Worth County down 18-4; one of their other players protested the call and got a technical foul and sat out the rest of the game. That swung the game around and Stanberry, instead of romping to an easy win, had to hold off several charges from Worth County the rest of the way.

Tiger freshman Caleb Parman played the game of his life to help his team’s chances; he came off the bench and hit a 3-pointer at the start of the second quarter to spark a rally that brought the Tigers to within 20-15 early in the second. Mason Hawk followed with a free throw, Drake Simmons, another freshman, hit a shot from the left baseline, and Isaac Alarcon stripped a Stanberry player and stuck it in the basket during the run.

Stanberry had the experience from playing in two state tournaments in 2013 and 2014 and an elite eight finish last year to hold off Worth County and get the win. But Worth County showed that they are not going to be a pushover this year after having won only eight games last year.

Brevyn Ross led several fast breaks to rescue the Tigers when they were on the brink; Caleb Parman hit two 3-pointers late in the third after Worth County had fallen behind by 16; Isaac Alarcon hit a 3-pointer late in the game to make it 64-59 before Ross missed a runner than would have made it four points before Stanberry hit their free throws down the stretch to win it.

Parman had 15 points to lead the Tigers. Drake Kinsella had 12, Cade Allee and Brevyn Ross 9 each, Mason Hawk and Isaac Alarcon had 5 each, Ryan McClellan had 4, and Drake Simmons had 2.

Missouri Bill Would Make Gun Access as Difficult as Abortion Access

The pre-filing period has opened for the Missouri Legislature. One bill, proposed by Rep. Stacey Newman (D-St. Louis), would make access to guns for Missourians as abortions. Missouri has had one of the most restrictive laws on abortion access in the country, upheld by a much less conservative US Supreme Court than this one. Ms. Newman is challenging what she sees as the hypocrisy of state politicians in protecting preborn fetuses while ignoring the problem of gun violence. The San Bernardino shootings, the biggest in US history since the Sandy Hook shootings, have reignited the gun debate in this country.

As reported by St. Louis Magazine, the bill would require a 72 hour waiting period before purchasing a gun, meeting with a licensed physician to discuss the risks of gun ownership, obtain written approval from a physician, buy the gun from a licensed gun dealer 120 miles from the person's home, review the medical risks of gun ownership with the gun dealer including pictures of dead victims of gun violence and alternatives to conflict resolution, watch a 30-minute video about gun violence, tour an emergency trauma center between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am and obtain written verification from a doctor, and meet with at least two families who have been victimized by gun violence as well as at least two pastors who have officiated at a funeral of someone who was a victim of gun violence.

Jezebel, a website covering women's issues, also notes that prospective gun owners would be evaluated for potential problems; quoting the bill:

Such physician shall then evaluate the prospective firearm purchaser for such indicators and contraindicators and risk factors and determine if such firearm purchase would increase such purchaser’s risk of experiencing an adverse physical, emotional, or other health reaction.

Ms. Newman, as quoted in St. Louis, says:

“If we truly insist that Missouri cares about ‘all life’, then we must take immediate steps to address our major cities rising rates of gun violence,” Newman said. “Popular proposals among voters, including universal background checks and restricting weapons from abuser and convicted felons, are consistently ignored each session. Since restrictive policies regarding a constitutionally protected medical procedure are the GOP’s legislative priority each year, it makes sense that their same restrictions apply to those who may commit gun violence. Our city mayors and law enforcement drastically need help in saving lives.”

The bill will likely go nowhere in the Missouri Legislature, which increased its veto-proof Republican majority in the 2014 election after bucking national trends and securing a veto-proof majority in the 2012 election. The bill will, however, fuel pro-gun rights advocates who feel that gun control advocates are simply trying to find ways to confiscate guns from law-abiding citizens. Several Republican Presidential candidates have argued that an armed citizen would have stopped the San Bernardino shootings and saved lives. However, one armed citizen at a recent mass shooting on a college campus in Oregon stated that he did not use his weapon for fear that police would mistake him for the shooter and add to the confusion and chaos.

One approach, proposed by GOP Presidential Candidate John Kasich, would prohibit access to guns for people who are on terror watch lists, which are used to prohibit certain people from flying. However, those lists have come under fire because they have snagged law-abiding civilians in the process; it is exceedingly difficult for someone to get off the list once they are placed on one.

Other gun rights advocates have argued along the lines of those who advocated for the repeal of prohibition. Their argument is that if law-abiding citizens were denied access to guns, only the criminals would have access to guns. Similarly, The Nation, which had long advocated for Prohibition before 1932, abruptly reversed course and advocated for its repeal. They argued that it would give people much more disposable income that would no longer go to the beer and liquor industry. But they said that they found that the government, after some initial successes which contributed to the prosperity of the 1920's, was increasingly uninterested in enforcing such a ban and that violations were becoming increasingly more common, meaning that the only people who were benefitting were the criminal enterprises. California has one of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation, yet it did not prevent the San Bernardino shooters from obtaining their guns and ammunition, some of which was purchased through a friend. The success of any gun control measure passed by either the states or municipalities will depend on the willingness of authorities to enforce such measures.

The bill was one of 434 measures proposed on December 1st, the first day that legislators can pre-file legislation according to stats from Missouri Digital News. Most bills do not become law; many are combined with other bills and others are not proposed with any hope of passage, but to fuel debate. Ms. Newman's bill falls in the latter category.

Obituary -- John Ewing 1929-2015

John L. Ewing, age 86, Grant City, Missouri, died Friday, December 04, 2015 at the Northwest Medical Center in Albany, Missouri.

John was born November 21, 1929 in Maryville, Missouri.  He was the son of the late John Dorr and Martha (Kennedy) Ewing.

John was a graduate of Maryville High School and the University of Missouri, Columbia holding a degree in Agriculture.

On June 21, 1953 John was married to Harriet Williams.  They were divorced.  John later married Mary Catherine Lipsmeyer.

John was a veteran of the United States Navy, training naval aviators in Corpus Christi, Texas.

John had worked for the United States Department of Agriculture Packers and Stockyards, both in Kansas City and Portland, Oregon.  His love of farming had him in recent years on the farm raising Hereford and Angus Cattle. 

John was preceded in death by his first wife Harriet, a daughter Melissa Ewing, a sister Mary Ewing Belcher and his wife Mary.

Survivors include:  Three sons, John Brent (Karin) Ewing, Kansas City, Missouri, David (Anne) Ewing, Portland, Oregon, Alex (Ellen) Ewing, St. Louis, Missouri,  one step-daughter Julia (Derrell) Cox, Grant City, one step-son Larry (Cathy) Kitchen, St. Louis, 14 grandchildren, 11 greatgrandchildren, three nieces, Nancy Buck, Madalyn Maddox, Janie Belcher, two nephews, Bryan and Joe Belcher.

Funeral Services will be held 10:30 A.M.,Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at the Andrews-Hann Funeral Home in Grant City, where the family will receive friends from 6-8 P.M. Monday, December 7.  Burial will be in the Grant City Cemetery.  Memorial:  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

State Senator Dan Hegeman Visits Worth County Commissioners

Worth County Commissioners met with State Senator Dan Hegeman, who held forth on everything from national issues like the Syrian Refugee Crisis and Ferguson to local topics like the DOT, the school funding formula, and Medicaid expansion.

Several Senators signed a letter to Governor Nixon expressing concern about resettling Syrian refugees in Missouri. Hegeman said he got a call from someone Monday morning as he was headed to Gentry and Worth County's commissioner meetings and that he had gotten a few calls. He said that the federal government needed to be careful about who they let into the country. "We currently have 700 refugees," he said. "Are we going to have the same stringent standards for 10,000 or 20,000 as we do now?" he asked. He said that the first priority always had to be to protect the country.

He reported that the legislature was going to try for a voter ID bill again next session, requiring all voters to have some form of voter ID. Commissioner Chevy Davidson said that might be a problem in places like Worth County, with people wondering why they had to produce ID's when the judges knew who they were.

Regarding the DOT, Hegeman said that they had come up with matching funds for 2016, but that there was still a concern for 2017. He thought that with gas prices lower this year, there might be a good chance to pass a fuel tax next year. He said they were going to try to pass one in the Senate, but that he wasn't sure if it would even get out of the House committee. He said that accountability was the main issue for the DOT, saying that they had reneged on promises for road projects back in 1992, when Missouri last passed a fuel tax. He said that after it was passed, the DOT later turned around and reallocated funds to urban areas. Another possibility was the creation of a toll road on I-70, similar to what they do in Kansas. He said that some senators in urban areas have proposed giving back some lettered roads back to counties as a way of reducing maintenance costs; however, he said that he didn't think that was going anywhere.

Hegeman said that he didn't see Medicaid Expansion going anywhere this year, saying that it already took up a sizable chunk of Missouri's budget. Legislators have come under pressure to do so since federal payments to hospitals are being cut back under the Affordable Care Act.

One proposal in the legislature would restore industrial hemp, but Hegeman said there would be a lot of caveats if it passed.

Hegeman predicted that there would be more money for the Foundation Formula this year, but that it would not be fully funded. He said he didn't know when it would be fully funded. He said around half the schools in his district were Hold Harmless and the other half were under the Foundation Formula.

Ferguson might come back in next year's session, according to Hegeman. Last session, following the Ferguson protests, the legislature passed a law limiting the amount of revenue that cities can collect from traffic fines. This time, he said there would be efforts to modernize the statute on lethal force to clarify when a cop can and can't use it.

Hegeman praised the Missouri Attorney General for filing a lawsuit to stop the Waters of the US Rule from taking effect in Missouri. He said that the EPA had exceeded their authority and that it was a serious property rights issue. On a related issue, "I see small towns struggling to keep up with water and wastewater regulations," said Hegeman. He noted that in some places, sewer rates were sky-high as cities try to comply with new EPA regulations.

"I took this job to help people with their problems and concerns," said Hegeman. "My door is always open if anyone wants to contact me."

The commission spent much of the morning before Hegeman's visit working on brush enforcement. The county had given a reprieve over the summer due to wet weather, but they are now sending out a new round of brush letters. Road & Bridge Foreman Jim Fletchall said some landowners had complied with previous brush letters after the weather had dried up for two months, while others had not.

Mustang Boys Survive Ice Cold Stretches to Advance

North Nodaway's Mustangs survived a pair of ice-cold stretches to get past Fairfax 32-26 Monday night at the Mound City Tournament. It was a 1 versus 8 match, but the game was everything but, as North Nodaway is one of the smallest teams in the area and Fairfax has both of their main scorers back in Brody Cooper and Garrett Ball. North Nodaway had some open looks, but they were missing throughout the first quarter; their only score in the period was Ben Hart's putback with 3:14 left to break a scoreless tie.

But they finally got going in the second as they started stealing the ball on defense. Koby Reynolds had a 3-pointer and a steal and Peyton Coleman added three free throws; he was getting to the line at will all night. Consequently, the Mustangs were able to shut out Fairfax and take an 11-1 lead. Reynolds hit an NBA 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 14-1 early in the third, and North Nodaway kept an 8 to 10 point lead despite Cooper finally heating up for the Bulldogs.

But Coleman was shaken up in a collision late in the third and had to come out; that play seemed to swing the momentum back to Fairfax. Coleman returned at the start of the fourth, but the momentum continued as Ball got loose in transition with 6:16 to cut North Nodaway's lead to 21-18. That started a stretch where both defenses took over. The score was stuck at 21-18; Fairfax had several chances to tie or come within one, but could not find the range for the next three minutes. Finally, Dakota Smyser, who had battled foul trouble in the second half, came through with a drive to make it a two possession game with 2:32 left. Ball's shot from the right side cut it to 23-20, but Ben Hart scored off a drive to make it 25-20 with 1:36 left. Cooper got loose for a 3-point play after getting a call on a charge-block situation and Payton Coleman hit one out of two from the line with 57 seconds left, giving Fairfax a chance to tie.

Cooper got loose for a good look from the top of the key, but one of North Nodaway's defenders came off and helped perfectly, and Cooper's heavily contested look missed and Payton Coleman got the defense board. Under heavy pressure from two defenders, he still got the ball to Koby Reynolds with 35 seconds left; North Nodaway went six for six from the line and Payton Coleman stripped a Bulldog player with 4.6 seconds left with North Nodaway leading 30-26 and Fairfax trying to cut it to one. Coleman's free throws finally clinched the win.

NEN Teams Drop Close Losses to Albany

Northeast Nodaway's teams came up shorthanded, dropping two close losses to Albany. The girls led Albany 24-12 at the half. They had every right to expect a win against the Warriors, who won one game last year. But then they lost their composure in the second half against Albany's press. Instead of slowing things down and running their plays, they sped things up and tried to do too much; instead of working the ball to the middle, they were taking the ball up the sidelines and right into the traps. Consequently, they lost their lead by the end of the third quarter, falling behind 29-28 after three quarters. Dallis Coffelt's basket early in the fourth put them back in front 32-31, but then they fell behind for good and couldn't catch up.

Northeast fell behind by as much as five before free throws from Coffelt and Talina Nelson cut it to 38-36; they got the ball back with under 2 minutes left, but Dallis Coffelt missed a runner that would have tied it. Talina Nelson hit two free throws with 1:25 left that cut it to 39-38, but they couldn't buy a board that would have gotten them a chance to go ahead and they had to start fouling; Albany hit six of their last eight free throws down the stretch. Makayla Adwell's putback with six seconds left made it 44-43, but Northeast had no more timeouts and Albany was able to hold the ball out of bounds with the clock running and get it in with 1.8 seconds, forcing Northeast to foul. Heidi Fish's free throw made it 45-43; with Northeast going the full length of the floor, they couldn't get a shot off in time.

Dallis Coffelt had 18 to lead Northeast. Talina Nelson had 11, Makayla Adwell 5, Jill Spire 4, Taylor Coffelt 3, and Allie Runde 2.

The boys were shorthanded Tuesday night and came up short in a defensive struggle 42-33. They only had two scoring threats for most of the night, which spoiled a good defensive effort. The game swung back and forth for most of the night; Northeast trailed 6-2 early, but fought back and took a 10-6 lead early in the second behind Andrew Freemyer's inside basket off a pass from Rowdy West. Albany took a 16-12 lead at the half, but Northeast scored on its first three possessions of the third to move back in front 18-16. But then Northeast lost track of Caden Wilson of Albany; he ran wild late in the third and early in the fourth; 6'5" Seth Cline got loose on the offensive boards once and loose on a backdoor look another time as Albany took an insurmountable 32-24 lead at the 3:26 mark of the fourth. The challenge for Coach Vance Proffitt, who switched from the girls to the boys this year, will be to find more scoring options for his team.

Max Giesken did all he could for Northeast, getting 19 to lead the way. Andrew Freemyer had 10 and Colton Wilmes and Chet Spire had 2 each.

Tiger JH Boys Post Three in Double Figures, Down Albany 50-30

Worth County's junior high boys capped their surprising season with a 50-30 win over Albany, putting up 38 points in the first half in the winning effort. Zayne Swope led the scoring with 16 points as the Tigers jumped out to a 17-6 lead after one and never looked back. Jaxon Anderson got going early, getting behind the defense once and taking a pass from Hunter Simmons and adding a pair of driving layups to push the Tigers out to a 9-2 lead. He also added a pair of free throws. Hunter Simmons scored off a backdoor layup, Ethan Thomas scored off a steal, Zayne Swope got behind the defense for one of many times and took a pass from Hunter Simmons, and Jaxon Anderson scored off a fast break in the period.

Worth County squelched any comeback hopes in the second quarter, getting eight points early in the period from Swope, who continued to get behind the Albany defense and take long passes from his teammates. Jaxon Anderson added a backdoor layup and Ethan Thomas got in the act late, getting behind the defense twice and adding a pair of free throws. Hayden Holmes added a 3-pointer and took a charge on defense for the Tigers. Both defenses took over in the second half; Kaeden Hutchinson did all he could to try to get the Warriors back in the game, but they could never get the deficit under 20. For Worth County, Reid Gabriel got a putback late in the game and Daniel Craven scored his first-ever basket, hitting a shot over a defender's head after taking a good entry pass from Ethan Thomas.

Zayne Swope had 16 to lead three Tigers in double figures. Jaxon Anderson followed with 14, Ethan Thomas 10, Hayden Holmes 3, Daniel Craven, Reid Gabriel, and Hunter Simmons 2 each, and Tanner Parman 1. The Tigers finished with an 8-4 record, far better than what most people expected following the loss of nearly everyone from the previous two successful teams.

Tiger Girls Save their Best for Last, Cap Best Season in 20 Years

In a game that was supposed to come down to the wire, Worth County scored the first 13 points of the game and got a running clock win over Albany, 47-16. The Warriors had only one loss during their campaign and posted quality wins over Stanberry (twice) and Jefferson. But it didn't matter as Regan Allee scored off a pass from Kristin New 10 seconds into the game and Worth County would not trail the whole game. Kristin New scored off a Kaylee McElvain steal and Anna Gladstone scored off an Allee steal and Worth County was up 6-0 less than one minute into the game as Albany was having trouble crossing halfcourt.

Brooke Crawford burned two early timeouts in a futile effort to stop the bleeding as Kaylee McElvain scored a free throw, Merrideth Spiers score inside off an Anna Gladstone pass, and Kristin New and Anna Gladstone scored driving layups to make it 13-0. Sierra Anthony's putback broke the shutout, but Kaylee McElvain scored off a quick outlet from Kristin New and Anna Gladstone blocked a shot, grabbed the board, and went coast to coast and converted it into a free throw to make it 16-2 after one.

From there, the steady scoring hand of Kaylee McElvain kept Worth County in control. She scored six in the second, getting one highlight film play when she got a steal and stepped through two defenders for a score. Anna Gladstone added a layup off a steal and Megan Cassavaugh hit two free throws to put Worth County up 26-6 at the half. Kaylee scored seven more in the third, working the inside at will; Anna Gladstone added a highlight film play when she went coast to coast following a McElvain block and turned it into a 3-point play. Regan Allee added a steal to put Worth County up 38-10 after three. Kaylee McElvain cut inside and got a pass from Regan Allee; Kristin New hit her first 3-pointer all year, and then Nevada Hoff got a putback and Hannah McElvain whirled around and hit a shot from the left wing to trigger the running clock in the fourth quarter.

Josh Smith's squad had a season high eight players land in the scoring column. Kaylee McElvain led the scoring with 18 points; she was easily one of the most improved players of the year, turning into a consistent scoring presence in the paint. Anna Gladstone followed with 10, constantly giving energy and effort all year; Kristin New had 7, Regan Allee 4, and Merrideth Spiers, Nevada Hoff, Hannah McElvain, and Megan Cassavaugh all had 2. With the win, the Tigers rounded out their best season in 20 years, dropping only one game this year after dropping two last year. They figure to spark Sean Thurm's squad once they become freshmen if they continue to work hard and make themselves better.

The B team won 12-4. Braidy Hunt led the scoring for the reserves with 6. Maddie Taute followed with 4 and Megan Cassavaugh had 2.

Regional Grant Would Make Worth County Workforce Ready

A regional grant that the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments is pursuing would make Worth County and the rest of the region workforce ready. This would create extra incentive for a new company to locate in the empty Energizer building or anywhere else in the region for that matter. Jackie Spainhower explained the program to Worth County Commissioners at Monday morning's regular meeting. People would be tested on math, reading, and the ability to locate information. Enough people with high scores in these areas would be proof that the region is workforce ready; companies could accept these scores as proof that a person is qualified to do particular skills related to a job.

Road & Bridge Foreman Jim Fletchall reported that one of the graders was still in the repair shop; it pops every time it gets turned. The shop changed the oil and put a new additive in.

There are two FEMA projects left for 2014 and several others that need to be done for this year.

Fletchall reported that the bottom fell out of Old 169 and that it needs more rock. The county replaced a tube near Wayne Hayes'. LaVerne Walker reported that a road east of Sheridan needed extra work because of potholes and gravel washing off. The county will deliver three loads of patron gravel and grade before putting it on. The county is planning to haul some patron rock around the county before rain comes this weekend. Road #151 between Denver and Worth is muddy and wet, with water running on the road.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

11-16 -- Person in for deer permit.
11-16 -- Person in to report seeing things in a person's car.
11-16 -- Person in with small bag of drugs that a person had paid a bill with.
11-17 -- Horse out by Musick's on 46; owner notified.
11-17 -- Deputy has a person at WRDCC in St. Joseph.
11-17 -- Person in needing ID/OD.
11-18 -- A large brown dog running around getting in peoples' yards and tearing up things in peoples' yards.
11-18 -- Person called about getting help for their son.
11-18 -- Highway Patrol needed a deputy for assistance.
11-18 -- Deer hunter found a person's billfold on the road.
11-18 -- Highway Patrol en route to assist deputy and other highway patrolman.
11-18 -- Highway Patrol in with a person; taken to Ringgold County.
11-19 -- Person in to get information.
11-20 -- Person in to renew CCW.

Obituary -- Marjorie Ware 1911-2015

Marjorie Clair Ware, 104, Maryville, Missouri, died Tuesday, June 9, 2015, at Parkdale Manor Care Center, Maryville.

Marjorie was born March 21, 1911, in Pickering, Missouri to George Loren and Nancy (Clemmons) Hackett.

She married James Corfield Ware on March 9, 1935, in Savannah, Missouri who preceded her in death on August 28, 1993.

A graduate of Maryville High School and Northwest Missouri Teachers College, she was a teacher and homemaker. She reired from teaching at Maryville Middle School.

Marjorie was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Maryville, Missouri Retired Teachers Association and the Red Hat Club.

Preceding in death were her husband, daughter Nancy Kay Ware and son-in-law Bill Wollard.

Survivors include her children
J.C. (Julia) Ware, Maryville.
Marjorie Janet Wollard, Hardin, Missouri
Curtis Weldon Ware, Lordsburg, New Mexico
Phyllis Jean (Tim) Dannar, Oregon, Missouri
11 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Ware's wishes were to have a private family service.

Memorials may be made to the Maryville First United Methodst Church or the Maryville Public Library. Arrangements are under the direction of the Price Funeral Home, Maryville.

Grant City to Propose $300,000 No-Tax Bond Issue for Street Improvements

The Grant City Council voted to put a $300,000 no tax increase bond issue on the April Ballot at their regular council meeting Wednesday. They will be general obligation bonds and will be used to improve city streets. The money will be used to finish paving the streets around town. Passage requires a simple majority.

Water Superintendent Caleb Moyer reported that he was working on doing compliance reports for DNR for the city's permit.

The council agreed to wait until March to make repairs on the pool.

The city obtained a quote to repair the water tower. Work was last done in 2013. The quote was around $55,000, which is over twice what Sheridan paid several years ago to repair its tower.

Public Works Director Carl Staton reported that the city was finding all the old meters, mapping the water line, and painting meters so they could find them when needed. The city is working on the old dump truck again. The council voted to purchase a new load of salt for winter.

The city obtained two roof bids; one was for $14,850 and one was for $22,000. The roof has not been repaired since it was built in 1983. The council voted to table the bids.

The Worth County Student Council will collect items and deliver them to elderly people for Christmas. After the Thanksgiving Holiday, they will assemble and deliver the items before the Christmas Holiday. This is a joint project of the Worth County Student Council and Ben's Stockings of Hope, which is expanding its work into Worth County.

The Worth County Holiday Bazaar will be held on December 5th this year. Santa Claus will be present.

The City of Grant City will close on Thursday, December 24th at 11 am and be closed all day on December 25th for Christmas. The Grant City License Office will also be closed.

Filing period for April's Municipal Elections will start on December 15th and run through January 19th at 4 pm. The term of Mike Chapman will be up; his seat will be up for a one year term. The seats of Bruce Downing and Catherine Runde will also be up for reelection; their seats will be for two year terms.

Mustangs Beat Worth County Twice, Claim Third Place

Worth County led the whole way, but North Nodaway came back in the fourth quarter and won 28-23 to beat Worth County for the second time this year. The win got them the third place trophy in the NEN Tournament.

The focus was on which team could better recover from devastating losses in the semifinals. Worth County had been blasted 53-22 by Avenue City, while North Nodaway had been beaten in similar fashion by Maryville. Tanner Parman's putback for Worth County put them up 6-2 with 1:43 left in the first quarter, but Jake Shipman's Mustangs were never far behind, always going to the basket and rarely attempting an outside shot. Karson Oberhauser hit a pair of outside shots and Dalton Smyser had one; those were the only points the Mustangs scored that were outside the paint.

The deficit for North Nodaway was always between 1 and 4 points until the fourth quarter, when Jaxon Anderson's inside shot with 4:14 left put Worth County up 22-16. Ryan Riley's drive cut it to four, but Tanner Parman took on two defenders to make it 23-20. But then the littlest player on the court, Andrew Blackford, came up with a putback that seemed to spark the Mustangs. Austin Bird's free throw made it 23-21 with 3:06 left, and Worth County went into stall mode after that.

But then North Nodaway was able to extend its pressure and force a back court violation, and Karson Oberhauser made one of his two outside shots with 1:40 left to tie it at 23. Worth County missed two chances to go back in front and then North Nodaway worked the ball inside to Austin Bird after Tyler Bix had driven the lane and Worth County had collapsed to help. That put them up 25-23 with 50 seconds left. Worth County missed another shot and the ball went out off the Tigers, and Bix hit two free throws to put the game away.

Jaxon Anderson led the scoring for Worth County with 10 points. Tanner Parman had 9 and Ethan Thomas 4.

For North Nodaway, Tyler Bix had 9 to lead the team. Austin Bird had 6, Karson Oberhauser 5, and Dalton Smyser, Logan Keho, Andrew Blackford, and Ryan Riley each had 2.

Jefferson, South Nodaway to Coop in Most Sports

Last week's Nodaway News-Leader reports that Jefferson and South Nodaway will coop in all sports but basketball and junior high track, effective next year. They will be known as Platte Valley. When competing at Jefferson, they will be known as the Platte Valley Eagles. When competing at South Nodaway, they will be known as the Platte Valley Longhorns. Their colors will be red and blue. Similarly, the North/West Nodaway football cooperative combined their names and school colors. Jefferson and South Nodaway will continue to compete separately in basketball.

The Express has learned that Jefferson will drop boys softball next year. This will allow them to supply more players to the South Nodaway football cooperative. The Eagles have had a strong run, securing several state titles; however, the sport is not sanctioned by the MSHSAA and other schools have been dropping the sport. North Harrison will compete in spring baseball for the first time this year.

Worth County's Junior High Girls Drop 1st Game, Take 3rd at NEN Tourney

Worth County's girls dropped their first game of the year, a 36-31 loss to Avenue City in the semifinal round of the Northeast Nodaway Tournament. However, they recovered to take third place Friday night, using a 23-0 run to erase an early deficit against North Nodaway and win 40-23.

Sami Jackson's Mustangs came into Friday's game a vastly improved squad after giving up 30 unanswered points to Worth County in their first meeting. But it was a totally different group that took the floor; they were attacking the middle of the press, they were going to the rim, and they were keeping up with the Tigers. Baskets by Jadon Dobbins, Karlie Emery, and Kandance Damgar put the Mustangs up 6-2 before Kaylee McElvain scored over three defenders and Anna Gladstone hit a runner to tie it at 6 after one quarter.

After that, North Nodaway got into foul trouble, and Worth County had their way with them in the second quarter. Anna Gladstone carried the team on her back in the period, getting 10 of the team's 20 points, starting with a play where Regan Allee threw her a breathtaking bounce pass from the opposite side 3-point line for a layup. Anna scored from inside and facilitated the next basket when she grabbed a defensive board and got a quick outlet to Kristin New, who threw ahead to Kaylee for the finish. Gladstone got loose again behind the North Nodaway defense for a pass from New, and later added a free throw to make it 15-6. Regan Allee and Kristin New jumped passes for layups, Jill Hardy scored from inside off a pass from Allee, Regan got a steal and hit Kristin New for a layup, Anna Gladstone got a putback, and then finished her quarter by taking on three defenders and turning it into a free throw to put Worth County up 26-8 at the half.

Merrideth Spiers got on the board in the third quarter with a pair of putbacks, one of which resulted in a 3-point play; Anna Gladstone went coast to coast following a block from Spiers and added a steal and layup, and Spiers hit a perfect high-low pass to Regan Allee for a layup. Coach Josh Smith subbed freely in the fourth quarter as Megan Cassavaugh hit Maddie Taute for an inside shot and Braidy Hunt hit a free throw.

For Worth County, Anna Gladstone had a season-high 16 points to lead the Tigers. Kaylee McElvain had 6, Merrideth Spiers had 5, Kristin New and Regan Allee 4 each, Jill Hardy and Maddie Taute 2 each, and Braidy Hunt 1.

For North Nodaway, Kandance Damgar had 10, Jadon Dobbins had 6, Shai Dailey had 5, and Karlie Emery had 2. Emery took a charge on defense.

Worth County shot 1 for its first 19 against Avenue City, but was fortunate to still be in the game as they started getting to the line after getting down 10-2 early in the second. They got 8 of their 12 first half points from the line as they fought back from a 16-6 deficit late in the half to trail 16-12. Avenue City pulled away again, getting a 28-16 lead at the third quarter buzzer, but then Anna Gladstone had her best quarter of the year, carrying the team on her back in the fourth and scoring 10 points before fouling out. But the Tigers didn't quit, as Kaylee McElvain took on two taller defenders and got the call, hitting both free throws with 58 seconds left to tie it at 31. But then Kenna O'Riley hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left from well behind the line to put the Aces back up three and Jozlin Bennett hit two free throws with 2.3 seconds left after Worth County couldn't answer.

Anna Gladstone led the Tigers with 12 points in the effort. Jill Hardy and Regan Allee had 6 each. Kaylee McElvain had 4, while Kristin New had 3.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

11-9 -- Highway Patrol in to meet with Sheriff.
11-9 -- Officer on bailiff duty for court.
11-9 -- Officer transports prisoner from Ringgold County Jail for court; officer returns prisoner back to jail.
11-10 -- Report of cow out on PP highway; owner notified.
11-10 -- Officer responds to 911 med alert; lady has fallen, officers assist in getting her up.
11-10 -- Person calls about someone messing with his car.
11-10 -- Person reports IRS scam by phone.
11-10 -- 911 call, domestic dispute, officer investigates.
11-10 -- Officers respond to 911 call of suicide attempt; subject transported to Maryville Mental Health.
11-11 -- Officer checks on possible tornado touchdown, no damage; report of electric wires down at 46 & Y.
11-12 -- Report of stolen manure spreader.
11-12 -- Person calls with several unfounded complaints.
11-13 -- Report of damaged silage wagon.
11-13 -- Cattle out near C & M highways; owner notified.
11-14 -- Report of possible anhydrous theft; nothing found.
11-14 -- Report of suspicious truck west of Grant City.

JH Girls Outwork, Outlast Jefferson

Worth County outworked and outlasted Jefferson in a 39-26 victory last Tuesday, keeping their unbeaten season alive in the second of back to back games. Jefferson has been known for its hardcore, defensive, physical style of ball over the last 10 years, one that a lot of teams have been intimidated by. But Worth County went toe to toe against Jefferson in a game that started off as a tight defensive struggle. But then Anna Gladstone went coast to coast against the Eagles with 3:55 left in the first to open the floodgates for the Tigers. They used a suffocating full court defense and strong offensive rebounding – trademarks that Jefferson teams have had over the years – to build up an 8-4 lead after one quarter. Another trait that Jefferson has – balanced scoring – was used by Worth County as well; four different players scored two points each in the frame.

The Tigers then rode Kaylee McElvain’s back the rest of the way; she had seven in the second as they got the lead into double digits. She was posting up at will and scoring against the taller Eagle defenders; Anna Gladstone added a pair of free throws, schooling the taller Ashley Mattson and sending her to the bench with three fouls in the process; Regan Allee scored off a Gladstone backdoor pass, and Regan Allee hit Kristin New and Gladstone in transition late in the frame to give Worth County a 22-9 halftime lead. Eagle skipper Tyler Peterson was so mortified that he kept his team in the lockerroom for the whole half.

Jefferson finally began doing a better job of breaking Worth County’s press in the second half, chipping away until they cut it to nine in the fourth. But then Jill Hardy hit a couple of pullups and Kaylee McElvain continued to be a force inside, getting the final six points as Worth County thwarted the Eagle rally.

The B team game was more of the same as Worth County’s girls outworked and outhustled Jefferson to a 10-0 victory. Allison Larison had 6 and Morgan Beagle and Nevada Hoff had 2 each.

The boys were not so lucky as they let an early 7-4 lead slip away as they fell to Jefferson 39-28 for their second loss of the year. Jaxon Anderson had 13 to lead the Tigers. Ethan Thomas had 5, Hayden Holmes 4, Tanner Parman 4, and Zayne Swope 2.

Both Tiger teams won at St. Gregory’s. The girls won 30-18; they were behind 12-10 after one quarter, but only allowed 6 points the rest of the way. The boys won 38-19 as they scored the first 12 points of the game and never looked back.

Kristin New is Fifth Tiger to Lead JH Girls in Scoring

Kristin New is the fifth Tiger to lead the Junior High girls in scoring this year, leading with 9 points in Worth County’s 33-24 win over South Nodaway. They remain unbeaten going into this week’s Northeast Nodaway Tournament. Playing against tougher teams this week, Worth County continued to win because other teams have not been able to guard just one player. Worth County scored the first 11 points of the game and looked like running away with it after one quarter. Kristin New had 5 points, Anna Gladstone 4, and Merrideth Spiers 2 in the frame.

But then Worth County did too much hacking and fouling in the second as the Longhorns clawed back, getting to within 11-10 at one point, mostly at the free throw line. But then Spiers hit an inside shot with 2:11 left to stop the bleeding and Regan Allee added a fast break 3-pointer at the buzzer to put Worth County back up 16-10.

South Nodaway pulled back to within three at one point in the third, but then Worth County pulled away late as Regan Allee scored consecutive shots late to put them back in front 24-17. In the fourth, the Tigers put on a clinic, running out the clock as South Nodaway could not get any closer than 6.

Kristin New had 9 points to lead the Tigers in scoring. Anna Gladstone had 7 along with Regan Allee. Kaylee McElvain and Merrideth Spiers had 4 each while Jill Hardy had 2. The B team won as they fell behind 4-0, but used Megan Cassavaugh’s free throw in the last seconds of the second to win 7-6. Emilee Brown had 4, Braidy Hunt 2, and Megan Cassavaugh 1.

Hayden Holmes’ 3-Pointer Bails Out JH Boys in Barnard

Leading scorer Jaxon Anderson fouled out in overtime against South Nodaway, but it didn’t matter as Andrew Alarcon hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Zayne Swope with 50 seconds left to tie it at 46. After CJ Sipes missed a one and one that would have put the Longhorns back in front, Mr. Prime Time, also known as Hayden Holmes, who had not played all game until Anderson had fouled out, hit a baseline 3-pointer with 20 seconds left and South Nodaway didn’t have an answer before time expired as Worth County avoided a two-game losing streak with a 49-46 victory.

Worth County needed some heroics at the end of regulation as well. South Nodaway had erased a 36-30 Tiger lead with a 9-0 run, sending the Longhorn crowd into a frenzy. Vincent Holtman’s drive with 1:05 left made it 41-38, but then Andrew Alarcon hit Ethan Thomas in the corner with a 3-pointer to tie it at 41. Clayton Walker, one of three South Nodaway freshman who is playing on the squad because of numbers, got a putback with 20 seconds left to make it 43-41 with 20 seconds left, but Jaxon Anderson stepped through a defender with 10 seconds left after getting an entry pass from Ethan Thomas to tie it and send it to overtime.

South Nodaway had scored the first five points of the game, but from there, Worth County came back and maintained a lead most of the night thanks to Jaxon Anderson and Ethan Thomas. It looked like Worth County would be able pull away after the Tigers started getting the ball into him in the post at will; at one point, he had nine straight Tiger points as Worth County erased a 27-27 tie and built up a 36-30 lead. But then he picked up his fourth foul and sat down as South Nodaway outworked Worth County on the boards in his absence to get back in the game.

Jaxon Anderson had 22 points in the winning effort. Ethan Thomas had 12, Andrew Alarcon had 5, Zayne Swope 4, Tanner Parman 3, and Hayden Holmes 3.

Obituary -- Clara “Louise” Hunt Koehler Hamilton 1936-2015

Louise  Hamilton, 79, of Lathrop, MO passed away on November12, 2015 in Kansas City, MO at the North Kansas City Hospital.

Visitation and services will be held at 1:00 Tuesday, November 17th at Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home, Grant City, MO. Burial will follow at Grant City Cemetery.

 Louise Hamilton was born in her home in Grant City, MO to Charles Marion & Nellie Faye Hunt on March 23, 1936.  She was a graduate of  Grant City High School. She attended Maple Woods, Penn Valley and Longview Community Colleges.  She retired as a Millwright for the Ford Motor Company  and was a member of the UAW Local 249.

Louise is preceded in death by; her husband LeRoy Koehler; parents, Charles & Nellie Hunt; brothers, Charles “Kobb” Hunt, John Hunt;  children, Suzanne Koehler, Christopher Koehler & Charles Koehler Sr. and a grandchild Keatyn Hemme.

Louise is survived by: an ex-spouse Edgar F Hamilton; children Karen Langner, Patrick Koehler, Debbie Koehler, John Hamilton, Jeff Hamilton, Candace Marley; a sister June Combs; 17 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great grandchildren.

Memorials may be given to Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home.

The Koehler and Hamilton family wish to extend our sincere thanks.