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.