Worth County Sheriff's Report

8-24 -- Report of brush pile on fire north of Grant City.
8-24 -- Coroner in for blood sample forms.
8-24 -- Call about a person burning an old house.
8-24 -- Officer transporting one male, one female to court from jail.
8-25 -- Call about registered sex offender.
8-25 -- Person in to get accident report.
8-25 -- Officer investigating disturbance in Grant City.
8-26 -- Report of car-deer accident on Route Y.
8-26 -- Cows out on Routes M and C.
8-26 -- Officer investigates car accident near Sheridan Y.
8-26 -- Person turns drug paraphernalia in to officer.
8-27 -- Highway Patrol does BA for bus driver; routine check.
8-28 -- Insurance company calls for accident report.
8-28 -- Officers working funeral traffic.
8-28 -- Officers working accident on Route W.
8-28 -- Officers respond to domestic dispute in Grant City.

North Andrew Topples Sacred Heart to Stay on Top of Rankings

#1 North Andrew 58, Sacred Heart 26 In a match between perennial Eight Man powers, North Andrew ran away from Sacred Heard 58-26. The Cardinals did nothing to hurt their hold on the #1 slot. Gunner Hughes ran for 138 yards and passed for 110 more in the rout. Sacred Heart took a 20-14 lead in the second quarter, but then did not score again until the game was already decided.

#2 Stanberry 60, #8 Nodaway/South Holt 28 The Bulldogs did nothing to hurt their ranking, but the Spartans showed that they belong in the conversation. Nodaway/South Holt entered the rankings after beating South Nodaway and played Stanberry tough, trailing 8-6 after one and 30-14 at the half before Stanberry finally pulled away. Stanberry is one of those squads which does better as the game progresses; they pulled away in similar fashion in Week One. Stanberry's two-headed monster of Clayton Stoll and Trey Schieber did most of the damage, with Stoll running for 147 and Schieber running for another 136. 

#3 Southwest Livingston 80, Chilhowee 16 Southwest Livingston had little trouble disposing of Chilhowee; they lead Eight Man teams in offense as they have scored over 80 points in both games.

#4 Hardin-Central 28, KC East 24 Hardin-Central survived against a Kansas school.

#5 Albany 58, #9 East Atchison 8 This was supposed to be an interesting matchup given that the Wolves got the biggest victory in program history in Week One, 38-36 over Mound City. Albany was supposed to be on the decline after graduating a lot of seniors from last year's squad and enduring two drubbings in Worth County's jamboree. But Albany had little trouble disposing of East Atchison, who will likely drop out of the rankings this week. The Wolves will be a hard team to predict; it depends on which team shows up to play.

Rock Port 88, #6 North West Nodaway 70 North West Nodaway will likely drop out after this loss. The game was 52-42 in Rock Port's favor at halftime and they quickly expanded it to 74-42 in the third quarter. North West Nodaway made things interesting by cutting it to 80-64 at one point, but Rock Port hung on. Tackling has become a major issue for the Muskets in the first two games; they struggled to tackle Brady Minter, who ran wild all night long for the Blue Jays. But don't count out the Muskets yet; they started off 0-2 last year as well before winning all but one of their remaining regular season games. Rock Port will likely jump back in the rankings with this victory.

#7 Worth County 68, Greenfield 12 The games will only get more difficult for Worth County, who will likely move up in the rankings after this game. Mound City seems to have started to figure out their problems in the second half of the Stewartsville game. Worth County tackled well against Rock Port and Greenfield; they have to continue to tackle well and play good assignment football and watch out for the surprise pass in order to prevail against Mound City. Against the same Rock Port team, North West Nodaway did not tackle well and fell to the Blue Jays. Mound City will have to figure out how to block Brevyn Ross; he was in the Greenfield backfield four times to disrupt plays for major losses. He was always known for his rushing skills on offense, but has emerged this year as a defensive force as well. 

#10 St. Joseph Christian 46, South Nodaway 14 The Lions maintained their toehold on the rankings by disposing of Dan Collins' Longhorns. Matthew Corkins ran for 72 yards and threw for 140 more. If they can continue to establish their dual threat quarterback, they can do serious damage down the road.

Also of interest:

Mound City 42, Stewartsville 24 Worth County's next opponent fell behind the Cardinals 24-12 in the third quarter before coming back to win. They are almost exclusively a running team this year (so far), only attempting two passes all night. Dylon Faller ran for 179 yards and Ben Shiflett for another 118 in the victory. Jaden Gillenwater, who played receiver, moved to quarterback this year and is another threat to break one. 

Carthage 36, Lafayette 0 Worth County alum Bart Hardy has taken over the Fighting Irish in St. Joseph; however, he has had a rough start, dropping his first two games. 

Worth County Exorcises Cameron Ghosts; Downs Greenfield 68-12

The last game that Worth County played in Cameron left a bad taste in everyone's mouths. In 1971, Cameron, playing in their last year in the GRC, posted a 42-6 halftime lead and then proceeded to run up the score, beating the Tigers 75-6 in a game more reminiscent of an Eight Man rout. It was the worst defeat for Worth County in school history. But in 2015, Worth County played its first game on that field since then and the outcome was totally different -- the Tigers won over Greenfield 68-12 in a game that should have been called at halftime but wasn't.

Worth County got back into the Eight Man rankings at #7 and did nothing to hurt that ranking. They will likely move up following North-West Nodaway's 88-70 loss to Rock Port. The Wildcats were decimated in numbers last year and are seeking to rebuild their program, forming an emergency Eight Man program last year and winning one game, against DeKalb. They had 16 players listed in the program under the helm of Brian Lowry, but only 14 dressed out. They showed flashes of potential against Albany, taking an early lead before falling to the Warriors in Week 1.

This game was over early. Greenfield got the ball first, but Nate Pointer recovered a fumble following a first down at the Wildcat 31 and the Tigers overcame a sack as Brevyn Ross went on a sweep down the left sideline and then cut against the grain for Worth County's first score. Isaac Alarcon ran in the extra points to make it 8-0 with 8:15 left. Tristan Miller dropped Charles Servoss on a sweep to force the Wildcats to punt. But the ensuing kick was shanked and Worth County had another short field to work with on the Greenfield 18. It only took one play for Brevyn Ross to score, running through the blue shirts like they were not there for Worth County's second tally. Quarterback Ben Badell optioned the ball to Ross for the extra points to make it 16-0 with 6:38 left.

Greenfield tried to pick on Isaac Alarcon all night in the belief that the stocky 205 pound freshman could be burned. But they did not complete a single pass when they threw his way; the closest they came was on the next series. But Isaac stripped the receiver and the ball fell incomplete, forcing them to punt. Worth County was faced with its worst field position of the night at their own 16, but it didn't matter as Ben Badell completed a 64 yard strike to Chris Alarcon to put Worth County up 24-0 with 4:40 left.

The Wildcats drove up to the Tiger 37, but on third and three. Brevyn Ross shot through unblocked and disrupted a handoff, dropping Servoss for a loss. An offsides penalty gave Greenfield fourth and two, but Brevyn was unblocked again and dropped Jerrett Esposito for a loss to give Worth County the ball on downs at the 40. Four plays later, Brevyn Ross was loose again around the left side. Chris Alarcon threw the final block to spring him loose for a 27-yard score with 47 seconds left. Worth County was called for a motion penalty, but it didn't matter as Ben Badell ran in the keeper to make it 30-0. It was Worth County's third conversion in four attempts.

Nate Pointer got his second fumble recovery in the first quarter and Isaac Alarcon scored right before the period ended from the Greenfield 18; Ben Badell optioned the ball to him and only one defender was on him. He juked that defender and made it into the end zone and then dove for the extra points to make it 38-0.

Worth County started to get sloppy at that point; a short pass and late hit gave Greenfield its first real scoring threat. They got as close to the end zone as the Tiger 20, but Brevyn shot through unblocked to sack quarterback Draven Srapp; it was the fourth time he had shot through unblocked from his linebacker slot to blow up a play. Mason Hawk led a charge of four defenders to sack Stapp on fourth down to give Worth County the ball back on the 27.

Coach Chris Healy began putting in his subs at that point. Nate Pointer and Isaac Alarcon took turns carrying the ball down the field; Pointer got in the end zone with 5:52 left to make it 44-0 from two yards out. But the sloppy play continued; a late hit after the play set up a short field and the Wildcats' initial score. A 23-yard completion from Stapp to Seposito went for 23 yards down to the Tiger 2 and a sneak from the 1 from Stapp put the Wildcats in the end zone to make it 44-6 with 3:54 left.

But then Greenfield returned the compliment and a facemask penalty moved the Tigers to the Wildcat 25 to set up the final score of the half. Pointer scored from 7 yards out and then ran in the extra points to put Worth County over the 45-point margin at 52-6.

Trying to score right before half, Greenfield tried a screen pass from fourth and four from their own 29, but Dalton Auffert was there for the hit and the only person in the vicinity of the pass was Brevyn Ross, whose pick-six put Worth County on the board again right before half. Nate Pointer got a block from Bobby Lynch to convert the extra points to put Worth County up 60-6 with 1:10 left. Ryan McClellan got a pick right before the half to kill Greenfield's last scoring try.

Healy put in his first stringers in for one last series on offense. Brevyn Ross ripped off runs of 15 and 31 yards to set up Ben Badell's power sweep behind the blocking of Tristan Miller and Mason Hawk to put Worth County up 66-6 with 9:27 left in the third quarter. Healy used his JV on offense and his varsity on defense the rest of the way. Greenfield's lone tally came after a shanked punt by the second string offense along with a long runback gave them a short field on the Tiger 16. Worth County's final tally came late in the game when Chris Alarcon and Nate Pointer trapped Stapp in the end zone after a bad snap.

Worth County Softball Falls Short in Second Wild Game of Week

Worth County's softball team has lost two games by a combined total of three runs. Thursday night, they came up short in a 12-11 donnybrook against North Nodaway in Hopkins. Worth County was seemingly in control with a 4-1 cushion over the Mustangs after 5 innings. But then Dave Carroll's squad came alive and scored six in the bottom of the inning to go up 7-4 and added two more in the sixth to make it 9-4. Worth County answered by scoring seven in the top of the seventh with their backs to the wall to make it 11-9, but then North Nodaway scored two in the bottom of the seventh to tie it at 7 and one in the eighth to win it. The game promises to be the start of an epic rivalry between the two coaches. Worth County Coach Dave Gilland and North Nodaway Coach Dave Carroll are good friends who have been instrumental in giving young girls the opportunity to play softball at a high level with the Trojanettes.

Gilland said that he and Carroll have coached against each other before in summer ball. In one game, time was running out and Gilland's team was at the bat in a scoreless tie. With two strikes and two outs, Gilland ordered a suicide squeeze. His team executed it perfectly and his squad won the game 1-0. But in Thursday's encounter, Carroll's squad returned the favor.

For Worth County, Haley Hunt had a triple to lead the Tigers. Hunt and Rachael Gardner each drove in a run. For North Nodaway, Chloe Schmming had 3 RBI's. Madison Thompson and MaKayla Cross had 2, and Audrey Trimble, Kelsi Oberhauser, and Ashley Thompson had 1 each.

New Sheridan Fire Board Holds First Meeting

The new Sheridan Fire Board conducted their first meeting Thursday night in Sheridan at the Fire House. Board members Ashley Rush, Sharon (Hunt) Paxson, and Kendra Pickering were sworn in Monday by Judge Joel Miller after having been appointed by Judge Roger Prokes earlier that afternoon. Their first order of business was to gain access to the bank account so they could take care of bills that were as long as 3-4 months past due. The next order was to set the tax rate and undergo mandatory NIMS training. Board members are also in the process of getting bonded. The board agreed to have Kenny Teeple bond them for a cost of $150/year. Another item was to set up a procedure to report fire calls to the state; the Fire Department has not received any fire calls in the past few months.

The board elected new officers. Sharon Hunt was named President, Kendra Pickering Vice President, and Ashley Rush Secretary/Treasurer. Rush said that there was enough money in the bank account to pay the bills based on statements received. The account has an estimated $9,100, with an estimated $3,700 in bills to pay. When doing the petition drive requesting Judge Prokes to appoint a new board, Rush said that people had expressed interest in passing a new levy, putting the Fire District on a better financial footing. Fire Department members requested that the board set up a separate account for donations. Fireman Tyler Paxson said that all the other fire departments in the area had such an account. The Fire Department routinely receives donations from people, sometimes after they come and put out a fire. "We've been fortunate to operate off of donations for a number of years," said Paxson. This would allow Fire Chief Butch Thomas to authorize repairs or equipment purchases without waiting for board approval; the board would be responsible for tax dollars. There would be two signers for board members to write checks. The board agreed to look into setting up a donation account. There has been an agreement in the past with the Ambulance Board to house the ambulance in the Sheridan Firehouse; however, no copy of such an agreement could be found. The goal of the board is to get a written agreement.

The board has retained David Baird to guide them through the process of forming a legal board and take care of legal issues. Thomas said that the Fire Department was going to undergo grain bin training. One of the board's goals is to seek grants for the Fire Department and they said they wanted to raise money for matching funds; they will invite Economic Developer Tyler Steele to a future meeting for that purpose.

One goal will be to bring down Sheridan's fire rating for insurance purposes. Currently, Sheridan is at an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most expensive and 1 being the least expensive. When the water line project is completed, that could clear the way for Sheridan to drop to a 7. The project will include new hydrants for the town.

The board will hold a special tax rate meeting on Monday the 31st at 7, and then hold a regular meeting on Thursday, September 3rd at 7 at the Firehouse.

Obituary -- Ronald Francis Jackson 1957-2015

Ronald Francis Jackson, 57, Ravenwood, Missouri, died Thursday, August 27, 2015, at his home, Ravenwood, Missouri.

He was born October 4, 1957, in Maryville, Missouri to Francis and Darlene (Wyatt) Jackson. 

He married Tammy Berg July 16, 1977, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church,Parnell, Missouri, and they shared 38 years together.

A 1975 graduate of Northeast Nodaway High School, Ron was a general contractor, owning and operating Jackson Construction, and took much pride in his work. His customers became valued friends. Ron was happiest when he was in the company of his family and friends. He was a sports fan and especially enjoyed hunting wildlife. He was extremely proud of his children and grandchildren and was very much looking forward to the arrival of his fourth grandchild in October.

Ron was preceded in death by his father, and a brother, Rick Jackson.

Ron is survived by his wife Tammy Jackson of the home, son Rory (Heather) Jackson, Maryville, MO, daughter Ronna (Mike) Zaun, Rosemount, MN,, two grandsons, Brody Jackson and Cooper Jackson, a granddaughter Ellie Jackson, all of Maryville, his mother, Darlene Jackson; four sisters: Sue (Richard) Burns, Carol (Ron) Morin, Staci (Kirby) Leslie and Shelly Jackson; two brothers: Randy Jackson and Roger Jackson.

Visitation will be 1:00-4:00 PM Sunday, August 30, 2015 at St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic Church, Maryville with a Parish Rosary following at 4:00 PM.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 AM, Monday, August 31, 2015, at St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic Church with burial following in St Joseph's Cemetery, Parnell, Missouri.

Wild Ending to NEN Softball Victory Over Worth County

A game that had been a sleepy pitching duel for the first six innings turned into a wild ending as Northeast Nodaway pulled off a 4-2 victory over Worth County Tuesday. With the game tied 2-2 going into the 7th, Taylor Coffelt reached on a throwing error to lead off the inning. Alicia Smith and Jill Spire flied out and it looked like Worth County would get out of the inning unscathed. But then Dallis Coffelt hit a pop fly that dropped in for a single. Taylor Coffelt went for third; had Worth County eaten the ball, they would have been fine since there were two outs. But they tried to nail Coffelt for the third out and the throw was wild, allowing her to score as Dallis made it all the way to third. Talina Nelson followed with another single to score Dallis. "We panicked a little and made some wild throws that inning," said Coach Dave Gilland. "We just have to get that out of our system and learn to play calm. I was happy with the effort our kids showed, though."

The fireworks were not over as Rikky Hunt led off the bottom of the seventh for Worth County. Northeast was expecting her to bunt, but instead, she hit a hard slap bobbled by second baseman Allie Runde and beat it out to first. Payton Adwell grounded out to the mound to move Hunt to second. Hailey Hunt hit a line drive that caromed off pitcher Dallis Coffelt's glove to Runde, who made an errant throw to first. But first baseman Alicia Smith somehow made a shoestring grab with her bare hand and funneled it into her glove for the out as Rikky took third. With the tying run at the plate, Dallis Coffelt kept a long-running streak alive as she plunked Rachael Gardner on the knee. Sidney Troutwine hit a grounder to second; Allie Runde grabbed the ball and tagged Gardner going to second for the final out and the umpire ruled she held on long enough as Gardner plowed into Runde and Taylor Coffelt trying to knock the ball out.

Taylor Coffelt must have felt it was not going to be her day in the first inning. She hit a hard foul off her foot, was plunked on the next pitch by pitcher Rikky Hunt, and was plunked again by an errant pickoff throw from catcher Payton Adwell. However, nothing or no one could induce her to come out of the game. Singles from Alicia Smith and Jill Spire loaded the bases. Dallis Coffelt forced Taylor at home, but Smith came home when Talina Nelson flied out to Gardner in right. Worth County got the run back in the bottom of the first when Rikky Hunt pulled off a delayed steal of third and came home on a wild throw.

The game settled down into a pitching duel between Rikky Hunt and Dallis Coffelt. Worth County killed a rally in the third when Hunt fielded a shot by Allie Runde off her glove, which rolled over to the third base line. Hunt stayed with the ball and threw her out at first.

In the top of the fifth, Taylor Coffelt beat out an infield hit and Rikky Hunt hit Alicia Smith, finishing her for the day. Hailey Hunt came on and got Jill Spire and Dallis Coffelt to fly out, and Talina Nelson hit what looked like a routine grounder to Rikky, now playing third, for the third out. But the ball took a bad hop and everyone was safe as Taylor Coffelt scored all the way from second on the play. That put Northeast up 2-1.

Worth County once again got the run back as Kennedy Galanakis hit a shot off Dallis Coffelt's glove for a single. Brooklyn White laid down a perfect bunt that died and she beat out the throw. Later, with Galanakis on third, Northeast pulled off a perfect fake to first, throw to third play, but threw it away to allow Galanakis to score and tie it at two and bring Brooklyn White all the way to third. Payton Adwell laid down another bunt and Brooklyn tried to take out NEN catcher Jill Spire like Adrian Fletchall did on the same field two years ago. That would have put Worth County ahead, but this time, Spire held her ground and tagged White out. Dallis Coffelt then plunked Hailey Hunt, but then froze Rachael Gardner on a perfect pitch to get out of the inning.

Obituary -- PFC Mitchell Edwin Charles 1996-2015

PFC, Mitchell Edwin Charles was born on May 17, 1996 at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, Texas. He passed away on August 22, 2015 at the age of 19.

Mitchell moved to Grant City with his family in April of 1998. He attended Worth County R-111 school, graduating in May 2014. He enlisted in the United States Army and attended Basic Training at Fort Jackson, SC. He attended AIT at Fort Eustis, Virginia where he studied to become an Att 60 attack helicopter repairer. Following graduation, he was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, COB., 601st Aviation Support BN, Combat Aviation Brigade.

Mitchell loved fishing and hunting. He always had a great story to tell about his wildlife adventures. He was fun loving and came back to Grant City whenever he was able, to stay closely connected with his friends.
He was preceded in death by a maternal grandfather, Dennis (George) Hunt, a paternal grandmother, Anna Marie (Young) Charles.

He is survived by his parents, Darrell and Christina (Hunt) Charles Jr.; two brothers, Lawrence Martin Charles of Denison, Iowa, Harley Charles of Grant City, grandparents Darrel Charles Sr. of Grant City and Larry and Carolyn (Mitchell-Hunt) Beggs of Tonganoxie, Kansas as well as aunts, uncles, cousins and many many friends.

Family visitation will be 5-7 P.M. Thursday, August 27, 2015 at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City. Funeral services will be 4:00 P.M. Friday, August 28, 2015 at the Worth County High School Gymnasium. Interment will be in the Grant City Cemetery with military rites.

A memorial service will also be held at 11:00 A.M. September 3, 2015 at the Morris Hill Chapel in Fort Riley.

Obituary -- Ronald Simpson 1939-2015

Ronald A Simpson was born on December 28, 1939 in Creston, Iowa to Rex A and Helen Mickle Simpson. He passed away on August 17, 2015 at the age of 75.

Ron graduated from Shannon City High School in May of 1957 and attended Iowa State University. He lived his entire life on the family farm outside of Shannon City, farming and dairying, first with his dad, Rex A, and family and later with his wife and daughters.

Ron was united in marriage in Creston, Iowa to Karen Elaine Henry on February 19, 1961. To this union, two daughters were born, Kimberly Lynn and Deborah Lou.

Ronnie enjoyed dancing, bowling, 4H leadership, the Shannon City and Creston Live Nativity scenes, judging Dairy, Dairy Goat and bottle calf shows, driving an East Union school car and the Ellston Bell Choir. He was a member of the Salem Lutheran Church and the Shannon City Community Church and was a baptized believer in Christ. Ronnie gained much enjoyment from visiting and developing meaningful friendships with people of all ages and found something positive in all of God's creation. His family meant the world to him and his love for them was never in doubt.

Left to celebrate his life are his wife of 54 years, Karen of Shannon City; daughter, Kimberly Lynn Kopke (Mark) of Amarillo, TX; daughter, Deborah Simpson Thummel (Jeff) of Sheridan, MO; brother, Mike Simpson (Beverly), Chatfield, MN, sister, Carol Oliver, Lacona, IA; sister, Mary Lou Cheers (Ron), Afton, IA; five grandchildren, Jennifer Long, Amarillo, TX; Montana Kopke, Amarillo, TX; Austin Thummel (Kylee), Parnell, MO; Chase Thummel, Sheridan, MO and Sydney Thummel, Sheridan, MO; one great grandson, Kipton Thummel, Parnell, MO and several cousins, nieces, nephews, a cherished Aunt Helen (Mickle) Davis and many, many friends from all facets of his life.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Rex A and Helen (Mickle) Simpson and a brother in law, Jerry Oliver.

Memorials may be made to the Union County 4H Foundation, as Ron and Karen met through 4H, and/or the Shannon City Community Church Camp fund in order that young people from the community might have the opportunity to learn more about Christ.

Judge Prokes Appoints Three to Sheridan Fire Board

Judge Roger Prokes has appointed three new members to the Sheridan Fire Board Monday afternoon. This is contingent on them being sworn in and posting a surety bond with County Clerk Roberta Owens within 15 days. Appointed were Sharon Paxson, Kendra Pickering, and Ashley Rush. These board members will serve until the April 2016 election. The one with the most votes will serve six years, the one with the second most votes will serve four years, and the one with the third most votes will serve two years. All subsequent elections will be for six years.

WCCC to Explore Possible Name Change

The WCCC Board has authorized President Scott Houk to explore the legalities of changing the facility's name. The facility is seeking the name change as part of improving its marketing.

The board improved a rate increase to a minimum of $140/day.

Administrator Bev Miller reported that the Labor Day Picnic will be September 4th at 6. The facility catered the Worth County Progress Organization Meeting and got positive feedback. The employee recognition day was held. The facility had drain issues in the kitchen and the small washer quit; it will not be replaced.

Facility staff have been posting to Facebook daily. Employees McKenzie Benson and Lisa Littlejohn went to Blockton and did blood pressure checks.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

8-17 -- Person calls about finding lost cow in with his herd.
8-17 -- Officer on bailiff duty.
8-17 -- Officer serves papers in Grant City.
8-18 -- Worth resident calls about pigs in her yard.
8-19 -- Rural resident is burning an old house.
8-19 -- Person called about theft of a rabbit; referred to Gentry County.
8-19 -- Residents in about vandalized house.
8-20 -- Resident in to report stolen checks.
8-20 -- Mules out on Route K; owner notified.
8-20 -- Report of car-deer accident on 46 west of Eagleville; referred to Harrison County.
8-20 -- Ambulance transports heat stroke victim to hospital.
8-20 -- City of Grant City reports theft of dog from city dog pound.
8-20 -- Officer arrests person on forgery charges.
8-21 -- Officer investigates accident on Route T north of Allendale.
8-21 -- Officer arrests person on Worth County warrant on failure to appear charges.
8-21 -- Report of car-deer accident on 169 south of Grant City.
8-22 -- Highway Patrol investigating an accident west of Grant City; assisted by Sheriff's Department, Sheridan Ambulance, Worth County Fire Department, and Nodaway County deputy.
8-23 -- Call of strong smell of gas at a house in Grant City; Grant City Gas notified.

Mitchell Charles Killed in Teen Wreck

Mitchell Charles, 19, of Grant City was killed Saturday morning in a teen wreck 6 miles east of Sheridan. Three other teens were injured in the wreck. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2002 Chevy Pickup driven by Charles was westbound on 46 six miles east of Sheridan when he traveled off the north side of the roadway. He overcorrected and crossed the center line, then went back off the north side of the roadway and overturned. Charles was partially ejected and pronounced dead by Worth County Coroner Sharon Supinger. A passenger, Dustyn Rauch (18) of Blockton, received moderate injuries and was taken to SSM Healthcare in Maryville. Another passenger, Shelby Thomas (18) of Sheridan, received minor injuries and was also transported to SSM Healthcare. Another passenger, J.T. Welch (18) of Sheridan, also received minor injuries. None of the occupants were wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. The pickup was totaled and towed from the scene. The accident was investigated by the Missouri Highway Patrol, the Worth County Sheriff's Department, the Grant City Fire Department, and the Worth County Ambulance.

Upsets Likely to Upend Eight Man Rankings

The following were the preseason Eight Man Football Rankings:

1.North Andrew
2.Stanberry
3.Southwest Livingston
4.North West Nodaway
5.Rock Port
6.Hardin Central
7.St Joseph Christian
8.Albany
9.Stewartsville
10.Mound City

There were some interesting results in the Missouri Eight Man Football Rankings that will likely result in some changes. Worth County came into Friday night's game with Rock Port unranked after having only won three games last year. That will change after Worth County's 54-8 win over #5 Rock Port. Other ranked games:

#1 North Andrew 48, #7 St. Joseph Christian 12
The defending two-time state champs rolled to a 32-6 lead over the Lions, with a new coach this year. But two injuries tested their depth, forcing Coach Jonathan Schoonover to play people out of position. The Lions justified their preseason ranking as they went the distance over the Cardinals.

#2 Stanberry 80, #4 North West Nodaway 48
Stanberry justified its current position as one of the teams to beat this year, but the Muskets are not going anywhere despite losing prize runningback and receiver Trevor Meyer. Quarterback Koby Reynolds and his stable of receivers rewrote the passing recordbook last year and could do so again this year. Stanberry led 40-20 at the half, but could never put North West Nodaway away.

#3 Southwest Livingston 86, Northwest Hughesville 0
Games like this are why the Highway 275 Conference put in a rule requiring games to end after one team goes up by 45 or more points. The Wildcats keep coming close to getting to St. Louis and look to go over the hump this year.

Worth County 54, #5 Rock Port 8
Worth County showed that they belong in the rankings, but Rock Port is not as bad as the score indicates. They still have a solid line behind which backs Brady Minter and Colby Linthicum can run. Rock Port had a touchdown run called back by a penalty, two bad snaps go over the center's head, and a squib kick late in the first half that Worth County was able to recover. Take those away, and it's a much closer game.

For Worth County, they show that they belong in the conversation this year. Brevyn Ross, Issac Alarcon, and Ben Badell are all threats to break away and score. If they clean up some of the mistakes in the first game, they will be one of the teams to beat along with North Andrew, Stanberry, North West Nodaway, and Southwest Livingston.

#6 Hardin Central 76, #9 Stewartsville 20
Hardin-Central, which has a cooperative with Norborne this year, had little trouble disposing of #9 Stewartsville.

#8 Albany 60, Greenfield 28
Greenfield, Worth County's next opponent and a district foe, scored first on Albany, but the Warriors took control and pulled away for the win. This Friday, Worth County will travel to Cameron to play Greenfield, a southwest Missouri school which formed an emergency eight man program last year. Coach Chris Healy said that they will likely try to spread the field out on teams. It will be a good tuneup for Worth County's upcoming showdown against North West Nodaway.

East Atchison 38, #10 Mound City 36
The other shocker was the Wolves' win over Mound City. The one-time powerhouse Panthers fell on hard times last year, while a new coach has lit a fire under the dormant Wolves. Worth County assistant coach Jon Adwell was on the players' backs all night about not converting extra points and this game was a prime example -- after Mound City failed to convert an extra point to tie the game at 30, the Wolves scored and converted an extra point attempt to make it 38-28. That made Mound City's last score meaningless.

Game of Interest:
Nodaway/South Holt 41, South Nodaway 14
The new cooperative won its first game Friday night. For the South Holt kids, it was the first time they had tasted victory since 2011. This game was not the kind of debut that new Longhorns coach Dan Collins wanted. For Worth County, every game will be tough and there will be no weak teams this year. That means that they will have earned everything they get.

Tigers Rout Rock Port 54-8 in Third Quarter

In last year's final game, Worth County was trailing North-West Nodaway late in the fourth quarter when they got a glimmer of hope. They had just scored and if they could recover an onsides kick, they might have made things interesting. The squib kick was placed perfectly and Brevyn Ross was the only one within five yards of it. He made a diving lunge at the ball, only for it to squirt away into the hands of a blue shirt. The Muskets ran out the clock and ended Worth County's season. 

By contrast, a play late in the first half of Worth County's game with Rock Port Friday had a different outcome. Worth County had just scored with 46.7 seconds left in the first half to break up a tight game and take a 26-8 lead over Rock Port. Worth County was seeking to keep Rock Port from breaking off a long kickoff return; the ensuing kick was placed perfectly, where nobody but Brevyn Ross could get to it. This time, he came up with the errant kick just before it went out of bounds and Worth County had the ball again on the Rock Port 29. Quarterback Ben Badell scrambled to the 15 on the next play and then two carries by Issac Alarcon put Worth County into the end zone up 32-8 with 26.5 seconds left. Worth County had scored twice in the last 20.2 seconds. 

The momentum carried into the third quarter. Brevyn Ross ran back the ensuing kickoff to the Rock Port 18, and two plays later, got to the Rock Port 5 behind a block from Mason Hawk. Issac Alarcon shot through on a quick hitter to score and Ross followed an Alarcon block to make it 40-8 with 10:46 left. A bad snap on third down and long along with a 15-yard participation penalty after a Rock Port player had made a hit after losing his helmet drove Rock Port back to the 10 and they were forced to punt. Worth County used a short field, starting at the Rock Port 36 and Brevyn got a block from Nate Pointer for 13 yards down to the 16. Two plays later, a Rock Port linebacker shot through and had quarterback Ben Badell all wrapped up, but he somehow got the ball off to Ross, who took the busted play for nine yards to the 3. Ben Badell ran in the remaining three yards to make it 46-8.

Brady Minter ran back the ensuing kickoff for Rock Port to the 40, but Dalton Auffert and Nate Pointer forced a quarterback hurry as Brevyn Ross nearly picked off a pass, Ryan McClellan broke up another pass that would have gone for six had it been caught, and Dalton Auffert batted down a pass on fourth down as Worth County took over on its own 38. Three plays later, on fourth and three, Ben Badell fooled everyone with a quarterback keeper. Tristan Miller threw a perfect seal block to spring him loose and Chris Alarcon threw the final block to get him in the end zone from 35 yards out. Brevyn Ross ran in the extra points to end the game.

Rock Port started off on the wrong foot as they went three and out. On the ensuing fourth down, the shotgun snap went over the punter's head and Worth County recovered at the Rock Port 20. Rock Port struggled with its long snapping game all night. Three plays later, Brevyn Ross followed an Issac Alarcon block and cut back inside to score from 15 yards out to make it 6-0 with 8:53 left. Worth County was able to convert on fourth down all night long. Rock Port went three and out on its next series and elected to pin Worth County on its own 15 instead of going for it on fourth and three at its own 36. But Brevyn Ross broke three different tackles around the right end to get into Rock Port territory at the 34. Worth County converted another fourth down to the 22 when Rock Port jumped offsides and Issac Alarcon scored on a spread draw from the 14 to put Worth County up 12-0 with 4:28 left in the first.

A long kickoff return by Minter and a 36 yard run by Colby Linthicum put Rock Port on the board and Linthicum ran in the extra points. Worth County was faced with third and 20 on its next series at its own 23, but Ben Badell threw a long pass to Chris Alarcon to get Worth County out of trouble down to the Rock Port 23. Four plays later, Issac Alarcon was in the end zone; he ran in the extra points to make it 20-8. Issac then made a touchdown saving tackle on Linthicum and a holding penalty wiped out a Blue Jay touchdown run before Worth County held. Ben Badell fooled everyone with a fake handoff to Brevyn Ross and scampered 22 yards to the Rock Port 15 to set up Worth County's score late in the half to make it three possessions.

Brevyn Ross rushed for 168 yards for the Tigers. Ben Badell ran for 76. Issac Alarcon had 65 yards and five touchdowns. 

Hopkins Journal Closes Doors

The Hopkins Journal has closed its doors; last week was its last issue. Their editor cited declining circulation and advertising revenues. The Sheridan Express will cover the Hopkins area to the best of its ability. Any operation has to grow, be fruitful, and multiply; if it doesn't, it will have to close its doors. While it is a challenge to cover three school districts instead of two, we will seek to do so to the best of our ability. The Sheridan Express is now on sale at Wilson's Grocery in Hopkins; we are published every Wednesday and we will deliver new papers every Thursday morning. We will continue to cover Sheridan, Worth County, and Northeast Nodaway exactly as we have been. We can't replace the Journal in peoples' hearts; many people were very loyal to that paper. That is how it kept its doors open for a long time. However, there is a void with their departure and we will seek to fill it the best we can.

Softball Tigers Split at Eagleville

The Worth County Softball Tigers won one, lost one, and tied one at Eagleville Wednesday evening. Their first game was a 6-1 loss at the hands of Mercer. The second was a 5-5 tie with highly-regarded North Harrison. The third was a 7-2 win over South Harrison.

Assistant coach Tyler Miyashiro said that the games were not indicative of how the team played. Two of the games were played on Eagleville's T-Ball field, meaning balls were really easy to hit out of the yard. That means that Worth County's girls, who are coached by Dave Gilland to hit the top half of the ball, were operating at a disadvantage. But Miyashiro said that, "We did a good job of getting on base and moving runners around." The Tigers jumped out to an early lead against the Shamrocks before North Harrison came back in the last inning to tie it. Worth County faced an improving South Harrison squad in the third game, but took advantage of a wild pitcher to take the victory.

Rikky Hunt, Hailey Hunt, and Payton Adwell each pitched one game. "About everyone contributed that day," said Miyashiro.

School Approves Random Drug Testing Policy for Athletes

The Worth County School Board approved a policy requiring random drug testing for athletes at their regular Board of Education Meeting Thursday. This policy also applies to students who park on school grounds. This also applies to all students who participate in MSHSAA activities such as band, choir, cheer squad, and academic bowl. It does not apply to activities that are not under the MSHSAA umbrella, such as FCCLA, FBLA, and FFA. Northeast Nodaway students who participate in Worth County's football cooperative would not be tested under the program. Students from 7th grade to 12th grade would be covered; parents can opt to have their students placed in the random pool. If a student does not initially qualify to be placed in the pool, but then later goes out for a MSHSAA sport, the student would be placed in the pool at that time. Superintendent Dr. Matt Martz told the Express that the school could not order a test of a specific individual based on hearsay allegations of drug use under the new policy.

District employees would not have the authority to waive testing of a student who was selected randomly under the policy. A positive test would not result in academic sanctions, suspension from school, or referral to law enforcement. However, students who test positive may be suspended from covered activities and/or lose parking privileges on school property.

Stormy McClellan, Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator, reported on the school test scores that were released last week. The state will release a more detailed breakdown of test scores, allowing the school to focus on areas in need of improvement. Some of the areas that were covered by the test were not covered in school.

Assistant Principal Chuck Borey has implemented a policy with the goal of creating a "complaint-free world" in the school building. All staff get wristbands; if they complain, they have to switch their band from one wrist to the other. The goal is to go 21 days without complaining. The program was created by Will Bowen, who spoke at a conference Mr. Borey attended. It takes the average person 4-7 months to get through the 21 days without a single complaint.

Loren Jackson has received an Exemplary School Bus from the Missouri Highway Patrol for having all the buses pass inspection last spring. He also received a Total Fleet Excellence Award as well. He has earned these awards for the last several years.

Borey reported that the elementary building was working on character education for its students. This month, the word of the month is "responsibility." There will be a different character word every month. Tiger paws will be given to students caught displaying positive character traits. A character store will be established so that students can spend their tiger paws. A boy and a girl will be named "character superstars of the month" from both primary and intermediate. Community service projects involving the students will be planned. 90% of parents participated in the elementary open house on Monday, August 17th.

Enrollment this year at Worth County is at 318, up two from last year.

Principal Jon Adwell reported on the new teachers at the school this year. Farrah Richey has moved to Special Education, where she is working on the Odyssey Software. Blair Owens is teaching ACT Prep and Senior Seminar and has been talking about college expectations for students. Adwell said that Donald Heaton, the new music teacher, was highly organized and thorough with inventory. Tyler Miyashiro has been really good at communicating with parents and has ideas for improving the students' test scores. Sean Thurm has been organizing his students into communities, or "homes," which are rewarded for meeting high expectations.

Superintendent Dr. Matt Martz reported that teachers will now be evaluated based on student performance, among other things. This is a requirement by the state. The current projected deficit is now at around $170,000, down from $215,000 at the start of the school year. Martz said that the school could bring it down some more. He also gave board members a video presentation about a statewide goal to make Missouri a top 10 state in the nation for education by 2020. To get there, three goals were listed -- making every high school graduate high school or career ready, giving all children access to early childhood education, and putting an effective teacher in every classroom.

Board members took a tour of the facilities before the meeting. Items in need of improvement noted by members include the gym bleachers and floor, the boys locker room, a standing water issue east of the new stairwell caused by a plugged drain, and bathroom stall doors in the elementary that are rusted. Dr. Martz will come up with a comprehensive list of needed repairs before next month's meeting. The school can pass a $500,000 bond issue with no tax increase in 2016, or a $750,000 bond issue with no tax increase in 2017. Currently, the school is deficit spending, which Dr. Martz said that the school could not afford to keep doing.

Obituary -- Warren "Shorty" Willis 1921-2015

There will never be another Shorty.
Warren Edgar Willis, 94, born January 23, 1921 in rural Pattonsburg, Missouri, passed away peacefully in the company of his family on Thursday August 6th at the Northwest Medical Center in Albany, Missouri.

Warren was the youngest of five brothers and three sisters, and as such grew fond of fried chicken necks as it was the last piece left on the platter. All his siblings Walter Willis, Wiley Willis, Gordon Willis, Harley Willis, Burl Willis, Crystal Willis Burt, Leola Willis Trimble, and Della Willis Shaw predeceased him. He is also predeceased by his parents John D. Willis and Eliza Sweat Willis.

Warren was a self-described “little potato, but hard to peel”. He served as a cook in the United States Army 61st Ordinance Ammunition Company, and peeled plenty of potatoes himself. Service to his county took him to Latte Island in the Pacific then to Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Tokyo. He was honorably discharged at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, on July 7, 1946, as a technician fourth grade. He received a Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Ribbon, Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon with Bronze Arrowhead, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one Bronze Star.

In November 1948 he married Lois Clifton Bozarth at the Baptist minister’s home in Pattonsburg, Missouri. To this union in 1954 Robin Lorraine Willis was born, and she survives Warren at Albany, Missouri. Lois preceded Warren in death in 1956. In December 1967 he married Nellie Lea Boner Marsh, and she survives Warren at their home in Albany. 

Three step-sons that he treated as his own also survive him: Larry Edward (Linda) Marsh and Danny Lee (Mindy) Marsh both of Albany, and David Allan (Tammy) Marsh of Surprise, Arizona. Warren’s grandson, Anthony Ray Willis of San Diego, California was, and is, his brightest star. Warren was proud of all of Tony’s accomplishments in his military and civilian life, and beamed when he spoke of him. Also surviving is Harold (Marilyn) Willis of St. Joseph, Missouri, a nephew that was especially close to Warren. 8 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and 29 nieces and nephews, also survive.

Except for a two year period in 1950-1952 when he worked at the General Motors Fairfax plant, he spent his working life, mostly as manager, in the Pattonsburg, Stanberry, and Grant City cap factories. Obviously he was a man of many hats.

Warren loved gardening, and would probably be proud to be called the Robin Hood of everyone else’s produce raised in excess. It would thrill him to deliver vegetables to his family and friends, especially roasting ears and tomatoes.

Warren also loved the simple farm life, and especially horses. It would likely please him, to be called a “Horse Trader” of all things. He enjoyed observing the humble life of the Amish, and expressed on many occasions that he wished to go back to that way of life. The Great Depression left a substantial mark on his life, instilling within him a grittiness that lasted through his last breath.

Funeral Service: 11:00 AM Monday, August 10 at the Liberty Baptist Church, McFall, with burial in the Oak Ridge Cemetery, Pattonsburg. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church, where friends may call anytime after 9:00 AM Monday. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations to the Northwest Medical Center Foundation, Inc. in Warren’s honor for his beloved nursing staff, or the Oak Ridge Cemetery, in care of the Roberson-Polley Chapel, 403 N. Hundley, Albany, MO 64402. Online condolences: www.robersonpolleychapel.com

Obituary -- Chase Michael Stooksbury 2007-2015

Chase Michael Stooksbury, the son of Jeff Stooksbury and Tera (Henry) Stooksbury was born on June 10, 2007 in Maryville, Missouri. On November 11, 2009, Chase was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. He passed away on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at the young age of 8 years old. 

Chase was a 2nd Grader at Virginia E. George Elementary in Albany. He was an honorary firefighter for Liberty Fire Department in Liberty, Missouri.

Survivors: mother, Tera (Jay Quigley) of Albany; father, Jeff (Amanda Rowland), Maryville; brothers, Jeffrey and Trey; step-sisters, Haylen; Jaidon; step-brother, Matthew, all of Maryville; grandparents; Ronnie and Peggy Stooksbury, Albany; Scott & Heather Henry, Grant City; great-grandmothers, Beverly Myers, Albany; Bea Medd, St. Joseph, MO; aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his great-grandfathers, Jack Myers, Norm Ramsey and Seagle Henry; great-grandparents, Nellie and Rowland Stooksbury.

Celebration of Life: 1:00 PM Saturday, August 22 at the Roberson-Polley Chapel, Albany with burial in the Grandview Cemetery, Albany. There is no scheduled family visitation however friends may call anytime after 2:00 PM on Friday at the chapel. Memorial contributions: Ronald McDonald House or the Chase Michael Stooksbury Memorial Fund in care of the Roberson-Polley Chapel, 403 N. Hundley, Albany, MO 64402. Online Condolences: www.robersonpolleychapel.com

Grant City Considers $300,000 Bond Issue to Finish Streets

Grant City is considering pushing a $300,000 bond issue in order to finish doing the streets. It would be put on the April ballot.

The council agreed to move Dale Saville's water meter closer to his home.

Fall cleanup will be September 26th this year.

The pool is closed for the year; the final day was August 18th, the day before school starts.

Dora Martz of the Student Council requested and got permission from the city to close streets for the September 11th Homecoming. The parade will be 1:30 and will go past the Worth County Convalescent Center before proceeding to the south side of the Square. The parade will go clockwise along the Square before returning to the school.

The coronation will be held Thursday night along with a powder puff game. Speaking for the cheerleaders, Ms. Martz requested and got permission for the school to shoot fireworks following the cheerleaders' routine at the halftime show. Ben Fletcher will shoot off the fireworks. The theme this year will be "Hometown 'Merica Mashup."

Water Superintendent Caleb Moyer reported that the DNR had recommended an inspection of the water tower. The city approved Engineering America to inspect the tower for any kind of structural defects. Moyer reported that some brackets were rusted off the 7th street lift station.

Public Works Director Carl Staton reported that the city was cleaning out ditches from recent rains. The city patched potholes on School Bus Road and worked on the grader. Thieves made off with a side panel off the skid loader in broad daylight while crews were occupied. Estimate for the loss was around $360. City crews were occupied Sunday stopping a gas leak from a riser that was cut by a mower. The city will assess costs to the property owner.

Next month's meeting has been rescheduled to September 23rd.

Worth County Routs Albany 30-6 in Jamboree, Ties with Stanberry; Ross has 150+ Yards

Worth County showed that it can be as good as it wants to be Friday night at their jamboree. Veritas Christian canceled at the last minute, leaving three teams in Worth County, Stanberry, and Albany.

Albany lost a lot of seniors last year, but still have prize back Seth Kline, who has moved to quarterback this year. On their first possession against Worth County, they tried to establish Naylor three times, only to get a false start on fourth and inches, forcing them to punt. On Worth County's first possession, Brevyn Ross took it 55 yards behind a big hole up the middle opened by Jacob Hardy and Drake Kinsella to score Worth County's first touchdown. Albany came up short on fourth down when four different Tigers met Maverick Hall and they got the ball back on downs. On their first play from scrimmage, Ben Badell aired out a long pass to Chris Alarcon, who juked a defender at the 20 and was gone for Worth County's second score in two plays. That left them up 12-0.

Worth County moved Issac Alarcon to pass coverage and Issac played a Warrior receiver perfectly, only to tip the ball right into his hands for a long gain. That set up Albany's lone score to cut Worth County's lead to 12-6. But Worth County bounced right back as they overcame a holding penalty. Brevyn Ross got loose on a sweep down the left side, Issac Alarcon threw a perfect block to knock down a defender, and Ross was off to the races for his second long score to put Worth County back in control at 18-6.

Albany ran out of plays, but Worth County still had some left; Ross got loose for 17 on an option play on their next series and Issac Alarcon got nine on a quick hitter. Nate Pointer and Ben Badell got some turns carrying the ball as well. Finally, Ross got loose again and Issac once again sprung him free for a 17 yard score to make it 24-6. Issac added a breakaway score of his own from 53 yards out, treating the Warrior defenders like they were not even there to make it 30-6.

After Stanberry beat Albany 18-0, Worth County and Stanberry took the field for the final game. In JV action, Nate Pointer got loose for carries of 10 and 20 yards to put the Tigers in good position at the 24, but they were backed up by a holding penalty and couldn't score. Mason Hawk recovered a Stanberry fumble to put them in good position again at midfield, but Stanberry's defense held.

During this scrimmage, it was the defense that stood out for Worth County. Dalton Auffert showed that he is the real deal at the end position, getting a sack on one play when he fought off a block to get into the quarterback's face; he had another tackle for loss and knew exactly where he was supposed to be at the end position. Several times, Drake Kinsella led a whole host of Tiger tacklers to stop Bulldog backs for losses. There was one heartstopping moment when someone forgot to cover one of Stanberry's receivers, who would have caught a long pass for a score. But it didn't matter, as Nate Pointer led a host of three tacklers to sack the Stanberry quarterback before he could even get the play off. Another time, Brevyn Ross, who was moved to linebacker from cornerback, got into the backfield and forced a fumble.

At the very end, Worth County had one play left, and Ben Badell aired it out to Brevyn Ross, who caught it for 35 yards down to the Stanberry 5. He was tackled right away, but Worth County showed that they could play with one of the top two teams in the state. Dalton Auffert sent a final message as one of Stanberry's backs came up limping after he rung his bell on the final play of the night.

Worth County, if they can stay healthy and stay eligible, showed that they were one of the teams to beat this year along with Stanberry and North Andrew. "Everyone who came out this year has been working hard," said Coach Chris Healy.

The Tigers play Rock Port Friday at 7 at Worth County. The Blue Jays have lost their line that fueled their successful teams from the past three years. But they still have some of their horses left. They come in with a power running game on offense and hard tackling on defense, making them a difficult matchup for anyone.

Obituary -- Dolores Henry 1928-2015

Dolores Henry of Grant City, Missouri passed away Sunday, August 9, 2015 at the home of her daughter at the age of 87.

Dolores was born July 8, 1928 in Worthington, Minnesota, the daughter of Jack and Hazel (Bainum) Darling, returning to Sheridan at 2 weeks old. She grew up in Sheridan with her grandmother Nancy Jane Bainum, her mother and siblings. 

Dolores was married to Sigel Henry October 13, 1948 in Troy, Kansas. They then moved to Boulder, Colorado where they raised their children. Dolores loved the mountains, camping and enjoyed family and friends. Sigel and Dolores returned to Sheridan in 1978. Sigel passed away October 17, 1979. 

In 1987 Dolores met Norman Ramsey. They shared their lives, families and much happiness until his death August 25, 2008.

Dolores was a loving and caring person. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Sigel, companion, Norman, brothers, Kenneth Darling and Willas Pennington, sisters, Juanita Still and Virginia Walker, grandson, Donnie Jones and great-grandson Liam Moser.

She is survived by sister Willa Allee, step-brother Gary Hawk, both of Sheridan, four children, Barbara (Michael) Darveaux, David (Elizabeth) Henry, Scott Henry and Tammy Henry, Norms children, Loretta, Kimberly, Ed, Robin, Roger, Robin and Beverly, 22 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren, also many many relatives and friends and her beloved dog Foxy.

Dolores was laid to rest at 2:00 P.M., Saturday, August 15, 2015 at the Honey Grove Cemetery near Grant City. Rev. Delbert Biehle officiated. Arrangements were under the direction of the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City.

Kawasaki Donates Lights for Sheridan Rodeo Grounds

Kawasaki has donated new lights for the Sheridan Rodeo Grounds, it was announced at the Sheridan CBC Meeting Thursday.

The fall schedule for the CBC and the Rodeo Arena were announced:
August 30th -- JRC Horse Show (rescheduled).
September 12th -- CBC Breakfast.
September 27th -- CBC Lunch Buffet.
October 3rd -- CBC Breakfast.
October 11th -- Sheridan CBC Horse Show.
October 25th -- CBC Lunch Buffet.
November 14th -- CBC Breakfast (deer season weekend).
November 22nd -- CBC Lunch Buffet.
November 28th -- Annual light ceremony and Christmas Parade.
December 12th -- Breakfast.

The CBC is seeking donations of food for their breakfasts.

The next meeting will be September 12th at 10:30, following the breakfast that morning.

NEN Softball Looks to Rise From Cellar

Northeast Nodaway's girls are looking to climb from the cellar this year. Last year, they beat Worth County in their second game of the year, the second time since 2006. They were competitive in a lot of games and went the distance against Jefferson, but only won one more game. Now, they have turned to Danny Smith, who has coached them in summer ball, in hopes that he will be able to turn things around. He will be assisted by Joyce Stiens. Smith has coached them for several years, so the girls will know what he wants and won't have to climb a learning curve, which is always a concern when a team has had three coaches in the last three years. "They're doing a lot more than what I've asked them to," he said.

The Bluejays showed some promise in summer ball under Smith's guidance, beating Worth County three times and only dropping three games, while winning some cliffhangers. Smith hopes that will continue this fall; they will know right away how good they will be as their first game will be against North Harrison. The Bluejays have 12 players out this year, including Jill Spire, Dallis Coffelt, Emily Redden, Gerry Runde, Maggie Schmitz, Taylor Coffelt, Talina Nelson, Allie Runde, Kailie Colvin, Makayla Adwell, Alicia Smith, and Vanessa Riley.

The girls will know right away if their summer success will translate into fall success as they host North Harrison Friday August 21st at 5, followed by a road trip to Worth County on the 25th at 5. Smith said that Worth County and Jefferson would be teams to watch this year. "Dave's got a lot of players who play softball throughout the year, so they'll be much improved with Rikky Hunt back," he said. Northeast returns home on the 29th for their home softball tournament.

September will see the heart of their conference schedule, with a September 1st matchup at North Andrew, followed by a home matchup with Jefferson on September 8th. "It doesn't matter what the score is; we like playing these teams," said Smith of the matchup. "The girls know each other well, and they know exactly what they're going to do." Northeast then travels to North Nodaway on the 10th, which has brought David Carroll to coach them. Northeast then plays in the Stanberry Tournament on the 12th.

The Bluejays have a busy week on the 14th, starting with a road trip to Pattonsburg at 5, followed by a home matchup with DeKalb on the 15th at 4. The rest of the week will be taken up by the North Andrew Tournament from the 16th to 19th. Northeast returns home to host South Nodaway on the 21st at 5 before traveling to Stewartsville on the 24th to face the Cardinals at 4. The team concludes its regular season with a road trip to Winston October 1st at 5.

Northeast returns its battery of Dallis Coffelt and Jill Spire for their senior year. Smith has options; he can put Emily Redden or Maggie Schmitz on the mound and can put Makayla Adwell behind the plate as well. He said that freshmen Makayla Adwell, Gerry Runde, and Maggie Schmitz all impressed with their speed; Adwell can play nearly anywhere Smith needs her to be. Vanessa Riley, who is normally an outfielder, showed some promise at third. Taylor Coffelt nailed down the starting job at shortstop as a freshman last year and was stopping almost everything in sight at that position this fall in practice; she could go on to play collegiately after her playing days at Northeast are over, following Ashley Pride and Talina Cannon. Alicia Smith has nailed down the first base position and has one of the strongest bats on the team, hitting nearly everything up the middle. Talina Nelson has shown herself to be a steady hand at third. Newcomer Kailie Colvin moved in from St. Joseph and has shown herself to be a quick study even though she has never played softball before. "She could break into the lineup before the season is over," said Smith, who tried her at second. She showed a lot of range at the position in practice Wednesday.

Worth County Softball Girls Bring Out 16 Players

14 girls attended Coach David Gilland's softball came and two more came out for fall practices, bringing up the numbers to 16 this year. He will be assisted this year by Tyler Miyashiro. Out this year are Jarisa Moffit, Rikky Hunt, Adrian Fletchall, Alysa Fletchall, Emily Thomas, Rachael Gardner, Victoria Moore, Kennedy Galanakis, Abbi Caddenhead, Brooklyn White, Dominique Findley, Sidney Thummel, Haley Hunt, Grace McElvain, and Payton Adwell.

The girls play at the North Harrison Jamboree Tuesday, August 18th at 5 pm with North Harrison and South Harrison. They then host Northeast Nodaway on the 25th at 5 and travel to North Nodaway on the 27th at 5 pm before going to the Bill Hill Memorial Tourney in Albany on August 29th.

The girls host South Harrison at 5:30 on September 1st before traveling to Stanberry on the 3rd at 5:30. During the next week, the girls will have a busy week as they host Polo on the 8th, followed by another home game with Albany on the 9th. The Polo game will start at 5:30, while Albany will have a junior high game at 4 before the varsity game at 5:30. Worth County will then travel to King City to play in the King City Tournament; games start at 9 on September 12th.

The girls play a tough stretch the next week starting with a 5:30 home match with Jefferson, followed by a road trip to Gallatin the next night starting at 5:30. A home game with Braymer on the 17th at 5:30 will round out that week's games.

On September 22nd, the Tigers travel to King City before returning home to host Maysville on the 24th for Senior Night; both games start at 5:30. The girls then travel to North Harrison to their tournament starting at 9 am on September 26th. In the final three games of their season, the girls travel to South Nodaway on the 28th for a 5:00 start, to Princeton on the 29th for a 5:30 game, and to North Andrew on October 5th for a 6:00 start. Districts will be October 7th, 8th, and 10th at Albany this year.

The girls hope to improve on a three-win campaign last year; they return several players from that squad. Coach Dave Gilland can use three different players behind the mound this year; Haley Hunt, an upcoming freshman can pitch; Rikky Hunt returns after sitting out last year due to injury and is at full strength. Payton Adwell, who was pressed into service last year after Hunt was unable to pitch, can throw; Sidney Troutwine can pitch on an emergency basis.

Worth County will likely be good at bunting and guarding against the bunt; Coach Gilland can use either Adrian Fletchall or Payton Adwell at third base or behind the plate. Rachael Gardner returns, and can play either first or right field. Victoria Moore can play second, while Rikky Hunt can play shortstop. Brooklyn White played in center some; Rikky Hunt has played right field before. Freshman Kennedy Galanakis showed a lot of promise at first base, meaning Gilland can move Gardner to the outfield to solidify that area. Dominique Findley showed a lot of improvement last year hitting; Mollie Blaine, who was the team's DH last year, showed a lot of improvement as well. Sidney Troutwine showed she was one of the best bunters on the team with the ability to place it anywhere on the field.
 

Worth County Sheriff's Report

8-3 -- Local business calls about construction blocking parking; referred to City of Grant City.
8-4 -- Resident reports stolen truck.
8-4 -- Resident in to apply for CCW permit.
8-4 -- Officer arrests person on Worth County warrant.
8-4 -- Cows out west on 46; owner notified.
8-5 -- Cow out on Route W; owners on scene.
8-5 -- Resident in for CCW renewal.
8-6 -- Person in to make statement about child in street; officer investigates, no charges filed.
8-7 -- Suspicious car parked at bridge west of Grant City.
8-7 -- Sheriff's office tests tornado sirens; Denver sirens not working.
8-7 -- Officer assists Gentry County at an accident on 169 south of county line.
8-7 -- Officer arrests female on Gentry County warrant.