Obituary -- Kimberly Ann Wilson 1956-2016

Kimberly Ann Wilson, 59 of McFall, Missouri, passed away on Friday, January 22, 2016 at Liberty Hospital.

Kim was born February 26, 1956 in Kansas City, Missouri. She was the daughter of Billy Ross and Gwendola (Daniel) Spiers. Her parents preceded her in death.

She was also preceded in death by her sister, Carla Coulter.

On May 26, 2002, Kim was united in marriage to Bill Wilson.

Survivors: husband, Bill of the home; daughters, Megan (Tim) Hulett; Rheannon (Adam) Carnagey, all of Eagleville; step-sons, Kent (Shawna) Wilson, Albany; Kevin Wilson, Dacula, GA; grandchildren, Tristan and Kealey Hulett, Able and Mia Carnagey, Abbey, Gracie and Lily Wilson; A.J. and Kevin Flores and Colby Wilson; brother, Jim (Merry) Spiers, Grant City, MO; brother-in-law, Kirby Coulter, Coin, IA; niece, Merrideth Spiers, other nieces and nephews brother, Phil Spiers.

A family gathering will be held from 1:30 – 3:30 PM on Thursday, January 28 at the Lone Star Church, Denver, MO. Memorial Contributions-Tree House of the Liberty Hospital in care of the Roberson-Polley Chapel, 403 N. Hundley, Albany, MO 64402. Online condolences: www.robersonpolleychapel.com

Mustangs Hold Off Frantic Rally; Salvage Courtwarming Split

It looked like a repeat of the South Holt game. "The train was coming off the tracks," said Coach Jake Shipman. "We were losing our cool." All he told them was, "Don't sink down, rise up." All of a sudden, instead of collapsing, North Nodaway made three defensive stands after losing all but two points of a 40-30 lead and Rock Port knocking on the door with a chance to tie or take the lead. The 40-30 score was ominous; it was the same lead they had squandered against South Holt. Rock Port followed South Holt's lead, only they made their run in the fourth quarter, not the third. After playing half court defense all night long, they switched to a full court press and North Nodaway started throwing the ball away. They were clinging to a 44-42 lead after Rock Port's run before Peyton Coleman stopped the bleeding with a driving layup and sent Domonic Evans to the bench with five fouls in the process. He missed the free throw, but his play stopped the bleeding as North Nodaway recovered to secure a 53-43 victory.

North Nodaway got the stop on the ensuing possession and Rock Port had to foul. They elected to foul Wyatt Tate, but he stepped to the line and hit both free throws to make it 48-42. Caden Linthicum hit a free throw to make it 48-43, but then Peyton Coleman went five for six from the line to save North Nodaway's Courtwarming and keep alive their hopes for a 275 title, their first since 1983-84. It also salvaged a split since the girls had dropped the opener 38-35.

It looked for all the world like it would be an easy romp to victory at first. Koby Reynolds hit a 3-pointer from way behind the arc and added a 3-point play for North Nodaway and added a triple later in the quarter to make it 18-7. Ben Hart had four, as did Wyatt Tate. Koby and Peyton can always get their points; the supporting cast has to be effective in order for the Mustang boys to be effective, so it looked like a good night. Rock Port was missing their shots early, while North Nodaway was hitting theirs. Peyton Coleman came alive with seven in the second as North Nodaway led twice by as much as 15, at 29-14 in the second and 34-19 in the third before Rock Port finally started hitting some shots to close to 10 after three.

Peyton Coleman had 18 points and Koby Reynolds had 16 to lead the Mustangs. Wyatt Tate had 8, Ben Hart had 6, and Dakota Smyser had 5. Peyton Coleman had 7 assists, Koby Reynolds and Dakota Smyser had 2 each, and Daytona Lutz and Wyatt Tate had 1 each. Peyton Coleman had 3 steals and Dakota Smyser had 1. Wyatt Tate and Koby Reynolds each had 1 block. Ben Hart took a charge on defense. Ben Hart had 9 boards to go with his 6 points. Peyton Coleman was 8 for 11 from the line. The team had only 12 turnovers, half of them during the frantic stretch when Rock Port was trying to get back in the game. North Nodaway was 7 for 20 from the line.

Ryan McClellan's Steals Carry Tiger Boys to Fifth Straight Win; Tigers Crash Albany Courtwarming

Worth County's boys continued their winning ways Friday night as they picked up their fifth straight win and crashed Albany's courtwarming, winning 54-34 as they pulled away in the second half. There were two stretches during the game where it looked like it would be a long night for Worth County. Worth County had some early turnovers and dug themselves into an 8-2 hole in the first few minutes of the game, something that they can't afford to do against the top teams in the area. Luckily, Albany's lead was shakier than it looked as they got into some early foul trouble as Nathan McClain, who had hurt the Tigers in the first meeting between the two clubs, had two and Lane Watson followed him to the bench later in the period. Worth County was following their game plan against the smaller Warrior lineup, but they were not finishing.

It looked like it would be 10-2 as Watson jumped a pass and went in for a layup, but Mason Hawk came out of nowhere to stuff his layup try and the bleeding stopped and Drake Kinsella later converted a 3-point play following a pass from Isaac Alarcon to make it 8-5.

With neither team able to take control of the game, Mason Hawk finally dropped an 18-footer over Seth Cline at the halftime buzzer to put Worth County up 18-17, but it was Albany who came out of the break fired up as they scored a triple from McClain and a backdoor cut from Jake Ellis to go up 21-17. But then Coach Bryce Schafer, who had been switching back and forth from zone to man, switched to man and Ryan McClellan jumped a pass to stop the bleeding and cut Albany's lead in half.
All of a sudden, Worth County started putting on a clinic on man to man play as Albany started throwing the ball away and Worth County finally got some shots to drop. Mason Hawk's skip pass to Cade Allee for a triple put Worth County in front for good at 22-21 and was followed by another play when Albany gambled for a steal and lost, leaving Cade alone from midrange to make it 24-21. Isaac Alarcon split two defenders twice to put Worth County up 28-21 before Cline hit two free throws to make it 28-23.

Worth County switched to a full court man to man press to start the fourth and Albany had all the trouble in the world bringing it up after successfully breaking their trapping zone and half court trap earlier in the game. Ryan McClellan all of a sudden carried the team on his back as he had three steals and converted them into four free throws and a layup, all off the press. Isaac Alarcon added a 3-pointer and Brevyn Ross, who had not scored all night, got loose with a backdoor pass from Drake Kinsella as Worth County broke open a low-scoring game to go up 39-26.

McClellan, who used up most of his fouls during Worth County's game-deciding run, finally fouled out and Seth Bennett's free throws made it 39-28, but Drake Simmons took on three defenders and converted a 3-point play to get the ball rolling again. Albany hit some free throws down the stretch, but Worth County continued to pull away as Brevyn Ross got loose late after having been bottled up all night; Ben Badell added a breakaway after Brevyn Ross aired one out deep and added a give and go from Isaac Alarcon; Drake Kinsella added a pair of free throws for Worth County.

Ryan McClellan scored 10 points for the Tigers. Cade Allee and Isaac Alarcon had 9 as Isaac showed his double digit performance against Nodaway-Holt was no fluke. Brevyn Ross had 8, Drake Kinsella and Drake Simmons had 5, and Ben Badell and Mason Hawk had 4 each. Drake Simmons had 3 assists. Brevyn Ross and Isaac Alarcon each had 2, while Ryan McClellan, Caleb Parman, Mason Hawk, Drake Kinsella, and Ben Badell all had 1 each. Mason Hawk had two blocks. Ryan McClellan had 5 steals, all in the second half; Mason Hawk had 2 while Brevyn Ross, Drake Kinsella, Drake Simmons, and Cade Allee all had 1. Ben Badell took a charge on defense.

Isaac Alarcon Leads Tigers to Fourth Straight Win

Isaac Alarcon posted a career high Monday night as Worth County beat Nodaway-Holt 55-44 to post its fourth straight win. He got 13 points to lead the Tigers; who led 19-9 after one quarter and remained in control the rest of the way. Drake Kinsella had 10, Caleb Parman 9, Ryan McClellan 7, Brevyn Ross and Cade Allee 6, and Mason Hawk 4. Worth County had five 3-pointers, with Parman and Allee two each and Drake Kinsella with 1. Worth County was 6 for 11 from the free throw line.

Jessi Badell Scores 17 Points; Two Bad Quarters Keep Tiger Girls Winless

Worth County skipper Sean Thurm has had trouble finding anyone who can score for his Tigers this year. That changed Monday night at Nodaway-Holt as Jessi Badell, only a freshman, scored 17 points for the Tigers. That was the highest point total for anyone on the squad so far. But another bug, the bad quarter, kept his squad winless in 13 tries. They dug themselves into a 15-5 hole to start the game and then were outscored 19-8 coming out of the halftime break. They played evenly with the Trojans the rest of the way, but the damage was done as they fell 54-34.

Besides Badell, Haley Hunt had 10, Rikky Hunt had 5, and Payton Adwell had 2. Haley Hunt had the lone 3-pointer for the Tigers. Worth County shot well from the line, going 11 for 13. If they can avoid the bad quarter, get Badell or someone else to score consistently, and get to the line more often, they will have a chance to finally capture that elusive first win.

Obituary -- Herbert Walter Nicholson 1925-2016

Herbert Walter Nicholson, 90, Maryville, Missouri, died Sunday, January 24, 2016, at St. Francis Hospital, Maryville, Missouri.

Herbert was born February 27, 1925, in Hopkins, Missouri to Russell Presnell and Mary Killam Nicholson.

A graduate of Hopkins High School, he was a farmer. He served his country during World War II in the US Army and was awarded the Purple Heart.

Herbert married Marion Jean Birkenholz April 7, 1945, in Covington, Kentucky.

Herbert was a member of the Pickering, MO United Methodist Church, Glen-Ulmer American Legion Post #288 and the Pickering Lion's Club.

Preceding him in death were his parents, daughter Sandra Owens, and brother Lewis Nicholson.

Survivors include his wife Marion Nicholson, of the home in Maryville; children: Russell (Kay) Nicholson and Debra (John) White, Hopkins, MO; Grandchildren: LaDuska Paige Williams, Kelly J. Nicholson, Wendy (Greg) Johnson, Keri (Eric) Cimorelli, Alan Nicholson, Kara (Blake) Burton, Danae (Tyler) Halvin, Keely (Brad) Cline, Tanna (Luke) Campbell; Great-Grandchildren: Chase and Sydnie Alberti, Ramsey Cook, Trista and Kyla Howard, Liam Johnson, Jake and Anze Cimorelli, Tayden, Nevaeh and Caspian Halvin, Hadley, Elley and Hudsen Cline and Reed Campbell; and sisters: Neola (Howard) Stringer and Irma (Phillip) Zapf, both of Maryville.

Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 PM Tuesday, January 26, 2016, at Price Funeral Home, Maryville.

Obituary -- Joseph L. Wilmes 1940-2016

Joseph L. (Joe) Wilmes, 75, passed away Sunday, January 24, 2016, at his home in Maryville, Missouri, surrounded by family after a lengthy battle with COPD. He was born December 28, 1940, at the family farm in Maryville. He was the 8th child born to George and Gertrude (Hiatt) Wilmes. On April 27, 1963, he married Donna K. (David) Wilmes at St. Gregory's Catholic Church in Maryville. Joe and Donna farmed for 20 years before purchasing Saye Machine Shop in Maryville, where he later retired. Joe enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandkids.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, George and Gertrude Wilmes, brother Bernard Wilmes, sister Delores "Dee" Spire, and one grandchild Sydni Marie Wilmes.

Survivors include wife Donna of 52 years; three children: Larry (Connie) Wilmes, Dearborn, MO, Mark (Charity) Wilmes, Ravenwood, MO and, Shelly (Kirk) Sears, Higginsville, MO; 9 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; and siblings: Alfred (Fran), Raymond (Roberta), Charles (Louise), Phil (Karen), Tom (Shari) and Ken (Marilyn), all of Maryville; Richard, Guilford; Rita (Dean) Stamps, Corning, IA; Louise O'Connell, Colorado Springs, CO; Helen (John) Joyce, St. Joseph, MO; Jerry (Janet), Hopkins; Geri (Jack) Ulmer, Wichita, KS; and Pauline Bjornsrud, Florida; sister-in-law Cecila Wilmes, and brother-in-law Paul Spire.

A Parish Prayer Service will be held at 5:00 PM Tuesday January 26, 2016, at St. Gregory's Barbarigo Catholic Church, Maryville.

Visitation is 5:30-7:30 PM Tuesday, following the Prayer service.

Mass of Christian Burial is 11:00 AM Wednesday, January 27th, also to be held at St. Gregory's Church. Burial in St. Mary's Cemetery, Maryville.

Memorials may be made to AseraCare Hospice, Savannah, MO 64485 and St. Gregory's Barbarigo Catholic Church.

Obituary -- Virginia Ann (Barnes) Stephenson 1929-2016

Virginia Ann (Barnes) Stephenson, age 87, was born January 7, 1929 near Denver, Missouri to the late Wayne and Audene Barnes. She passed away January 23, 2016 at the Worth County Convalescent Center in Grant City, Missouri.

Virginia owned and operated the Dairy Sweet in Mount Ayr for several years. She was also a nursing assistant at the Ringgold County Hospital in Mount Ayr in addition to being a devoted house wife and mother. Virginia was a 21 year member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Mount Ayr.
In 1990, she married Harold Stephenson. Virginia was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

Survivors include her husband Harold of Grant City, MO; two sons Gary (Eva) Son of Hockley, Texas and Terry Son of Grant City, MO; four step-children Kathleen (Dennis) Carroll, Beth Stephenson, Paul (Bridget) Stephenson of Kansas City and John Stephenson of Sheridan, MO; 5 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren; 10 step-grandchildren and 2 step-great grandchildren; sister Barbara Stephenson of Grant City, MO.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two children Patty Son and Michael Son; Lloyd Son, Sr, father of her children; and second husband Joe Seaton.

Memorials are to the Grant City Convalescent Center and the Grant City Baptist Church.

NEN Girls Take Down Two Formidable Foes in Two Nights; Stifle Bulldogs & Win by 20, Longhorns Also Fall

Northeast Nodaway's girls suddenly caught fire after being buried 49-29 by North Andrew for Homecoming. They dug themselves a hole in that game and realized too late they could play ball with the Cardinals. Having to play a makeup game against South Nodaway Monday, they had no time to dwell on the loss or any bad calls or breaks they may have had; they turned right around and beat South Nodaway 47-40 in a game in which they looked like a completely different team out on the floor. Fairfax was in a slump as they rallied against Nodaway-Holt only to come up short 60-54 Friday. It looked like the Bulldogs would blow Northeast right out of the gym; Northeast had played a grueling game the night before against South Nodaway and were supposed to be exhausted after the win. It certainly looked that way at first, but then as the game progressed, it was Northeast who got stronger and stronger and Fairfax who wore down as NEN pulled away for the 46-26 win.

Bulldog skipper Michael Carpenter had every reason to expect his team to click on all four cylinders in the first few minutes of the game as Northeast threw the ball away three times in its first three possessions and Ryan Hopkins scored on each of her first three possessions to give Fairfax a 7-0 lead. But then all of a sudden, Northeast started getting their legs under them as they settled down and started chipping away, getting their deficit back to three at 11-8 after one despite a swarming trap that created problems for them all night long. They got it down to one late in the first half, and late in the frame, Dallis Coffelt stuffed Hopkins hard as she was going to the basket, knocking her to the floor. That seemed to change the momentum as Northeast took control after that.

Coffelt's free throw tied it up at 15 and then Jill Spire knocked down a triple to put Northeast up for good. From there, Gerry Runde played the best game of her career so far, getting loose on a lob pass from Taylor Coffelt and then connecting on a high post shot after getting another pass from Taylor. Taylor came out with 2:32 left in the period with four fouls, but it didn't matter as Jill Spire hit from the left side off a Dallis Coffelt kickout and then Makayla Adwell jumped a lazy inbounds pass and scored to make it 28-18 and put Northeast up double digits for good.

Makayla Adwell's play seemed to take some more fight out of Fairfax as Northeast continued to increase its lead despite battling foul trouble the rest of the way. Dallis Coffelt picked up her fourth foul late in the third, but stayed on the floor and didn't pick up another one; in the meantime, Gerry Runde got loose inside again twice; Jill Spire at one point passed up a perfectly good shot to get her the ball.

Fairfax extended its pressure and twice cut it to 12 in the fourth after trailing 34-18 at one point; Northeast couldn't buy a board, Taylor Coffelt picked up her fifth foul, and Jill Spire picked up her fourth. But a couple of blocks by Dallis Coffelt on defense and a pair of baskets from Jill Spire, a drive from Coffelt, and six late points from Adwell finished Fairfax and prompted them to throw in the towel with 1:24 left in the game.

Jill Spire led the scoring with 14. Makayla Adwell had 12, Dallis Coffelt 11, Gerry Runde had 8 (career high), and Taylor Coffelt 2. Taylor Coffelt had 6 assists, while Jill Spire and Dallis Coffelt each had 3, Allie Runde had 2, and Gerry Runde and Talina Nelson had 1. Dallis Coffelt had 4 blocks. Makayla Adwell had 7 steals and Jill Spire had 2. Dallis Coffelt had 14 boards while Talina Nelson and Gerry Runde had 4 each. For Fairfax, Ryan Hopkins got her points, getting 18 for the night. However, the rest of the team combined only had 8 points, something that has not been typical for the squad.

In the South Nodaway game, Northeast built up a 16-11 lead after one quarter and made it stand up the rest of the way. Dallis Coffelt had 15, Taylor Coffelt 12, Makayla Adwell 8, Jill Spire 6, and Talina Nelson 6.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

1-18 -- Resident reports large piece of concrete in road on YY; DOT notified.
1-19 -- Received warrant out of Georgia for a local resident.
1-20 -- Report of horses needing feed near Sheridan; owner notified and horses are taken care of.
1-20 -- Officer arrests person on warrant out of Georgia and transports to jail.
1-20 -- Officer checks on juvenile problem in Grant City.
1-21 -- Report of slideoff on 169 just south of Grant City.
1-22 -- Officer does ID-OD for resident.
1-23 -- Report of deer with broken legs just in Harrison County on 46; Harrison County notified.
1-23 -- Officer checks on well-being of juveniles in Worth County; all OK.

Obituary -- Deidre Hunt 1956-2016

Deidre L. Hunt of Grant City, MO passed away at Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, MO on Jan. 23, 2016 at 59 years of age, surrounded by her loving husband and daughters. Deidre was born in Wheeler, Oregon on Jan 30, 1956 to Chase E. and Leona F. Davidson.

On May 8, 1976 Deidre married Robert A. Hunt at the Baptist Church in Grant City, MO. To this union, two daughters were born: Holly and Jordan.

She graduated from Worth County High School in 1974. She went on to obtain an Associate’s degree at Guard Business College, then returned to school to achieve Bachelor’s degree at Northwest Missouri State University in 1989. She was an amazing mother and wife and very invested in her family and their well-being. She could be found spending hours at her sewing machine, working on costumes for her daughters’ school musicals. She was an avid reader, and would read anything and everything, and making it a point to read to her daughters every night. She specialized in home cooking and had the best pie crust in the county. She battled breast cancer in 2005 and won, and made it a point to increase cancer awareness through Relay for Life. She worked at various places, including the area banks, York International, MFA, Postmaster at the Allendale Post Office, and as a substitute teacher at Worth County R-III. She worked at the local library and also served on the library board. At the time of passing she was a Family Support Eligibility Specialist for the State of Missouri’s Department of Social Services in Maryville, MO.

Preceding Deidre in death were her father, Chase E. Davidson, sister, Connie (Robert) Findley, brother, Dudley (Carmen) Davidson, and sister-in-law Terry (Speck) Davidson.

Deidre is survived by her husband, Robert, of Grant City, MO; two daughters, Holly (Nicholas) Vaughn of Gladstone, MO, and Jordan Hunt of Maryville, MO; one grandson, Derek Vaughn of Gladstone, MO; mother, Leona F. Davidson of Grant City, MO; three brothers, Harold (Debbie) Davidson of Parkville, MO, William (Sherry) Davidson of Grant City, MO, and Elmer Davidson of Grant City, MO; nieces; nephews; cousins; and many friends.

Funeral services will be held on January 30^th at 10:00am at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City. Visitation will be held January 29^th from 6:00 to 8:00pm also at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home. Pastor Len Green will be officiating. Interment will be at the Grant City Cemetery, Grant City, MO.

Obituary -- Lola Brogan 1929-2016

Lola Louvina Brogan died Sunday January 24th  at St, Francis Hospital in Maryville, Mo. with her family by her side. She was born to the late Kenneth and Zenna Drake on July 9th, 1929 in Piedmont, Kansas. Her family moved to a farm outside of Parnell, Mo. In 1944. She attended Sheridan High School in Sheridan, Mo. She married the late Charles Brogan on August 29,1946 in Hiawatha, Kansas. They were married for 62 years until his death in 2008. They lived in Sheridan, Mo. and Seaton, Ill. before moving to Montclair, Ca. in 1956 and in 1971 they moved to Homeland, Ca. where they lived for the next 34 years before retuning to Sheridan, Mo.  For the last four years she has been a resident of the Nodaway Nursing Home in Maryville, Mo.

Louvina was a homemaker most of her life, she loved to sew, crochet, quilting, tatting, embroidery, and so many other crafts. She loved to garden and was an avid reader. I have so many beautiful things she has made.

She is survived by three children:  Nancy Wickert of Alta Loma, Ca., Ellen Wickert and Ralph Brogan of Sheridan, Mo.; seven grandchildren: Samantha Wickert of Huntington Beach, Ca., Richard Wickert, Ryan McLenathen, Nick Buel, Damien Brogan, and Dana Brogan of Sheridan, Mo., and Brian Brogan of Russellville, Kentucky; eleven great grandchildren, and one great great grandaughter. 

She was preceded in death by one son Timothy Brogan and one great grandchild Gabriel Brogan.
Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m.  Thursday, January 28th at the Long Branch Cemetery in Gaynor, Mo.  officiated by Jeff Blaine.

Contest Develops in Worth County School Board Election; Board Approves Language for $500,000 Capital Improvements Bond, David Pommer Resigns as Custodian.

A contest has developed for the Worth County School Board Election that will be held in April. Marti Myers has filed for a position along with incumbents Les New and Rodney Brown. Two positions will be filled this year.

The board voted to accept the resignation of custodian David Pommer at the end of the school year.

The board agreed on the final language for the $500,000 bond issue that will be placed on the ballot in April. It shall read, "Shall the Board of Education of the Worth County R-III School District, Missouri, without an estimated increase in the current debt service property tax levy, borrow money in the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) for the purpose of providing funds to complete safety and security improvements to the parking lot and elementary playground; to repair and replace the gymnasium floor and bleachers; to complete other remodeling and repair improvements  to the existing facilities of the District, and issue bonds for the payment thereof? If this proposition is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the School District is estimated to remain unchaged at $0.25 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property."

Superintendent Dr. Matt Martz evaluated the technology program as "above average." Strengths listed include the fact that the school has enough devices to make technology available to each student and faculty member. Quality professional development has been offered to faculty members. The IT director maintains current systems in a timely manner and troubleshoots problem areas. Over the past year, the school has upgraded their bandwidth. Concerns listed include the fact that devices continue to become obsolete and outdated. More professional development on how to use technology as a tool in the learning process is needed. One person is primarily responsible for the maintenance, repair, and upgrading of the school technology systems. Recommendations include reviewing the technology usage agreements and expectations, continuing to provide building-wide professional development to staff, and supporting the upgrading of devices by providing an adequate yearly budget for technology purchases.

Student activities were rated by Dr. Martz as "above average." Strengths listed include the fact that 90% of students are involved in extracurricular activities, which studies show helps students stay in school. Level of accomplishment in music, athletic, academic, and co-curricular activities is high. Facility improvement of track and stadium seating is completed. New technology and timing systems have been purchased for the track. All coaches are trained in CPR, AED, and concussion management. Concerns listed include the fact that renovations need to be done at the softball diamond, including adding several tons of red rock to the infield and building a new equipment shed. Seating for the visitors section at the football field needs to be replaced and location should be looked at as well. Basketball bleachers have a lot of movement to them and are a safety concern to employees during setup. Uniforms are in need of replacement with the exception of choral uniforms (2015), junior high basketball (2015), high school softball (2013), and junior high football (2012). Student organizations have to conduct a lot of fundraising activities in order to participate in the state and national activities due to the district not having funds to support their travel. Athletic and cheerleading coaches are difficult to find. Coordinating times for practices and meetings are difficult due to crossover of membership. The stage is not available during athletic practices for choral or music practice. Students involved in student activities miss instructional class time when they go to activity events; this lost instructional class time can add up. Recommendations include developing a plan to maintain safe and sound facilities and equipment for all athletic facilities, working with the facilities committee to prioritize construction needs, and studying how student instructional time can be protected.

Tigers Silence Doubters with Shocking Rout of Braymer; Three Reach Double Figures, Ross' Chasedown Stuff on O'Dell Finishes Bobcats

What was billed as a good matchup between two of the better guards in the area turned into a shocking rout as Worth County completely outplayed Braymer in a 71-35 win. Braymer had been flying high since joining the GRC and came into the game with a 9-4 record; Worth County had to scratch and claw their way to a consolation prize at Stanberry. There were plenty of doubters before Friday night's game; allegedly, Worth County was no better than last year's eight-win squad because their competition was easier. Allegedly, the chemistry was not there and they were squeaking by teams they should have made quick work of. But all of a sudden, those doubts were put to rest by Worth County's win over a team that had had their number since joining the conference. The question is whether this was a one-time shot by Bryce Schafer's charges or whether it is a turn for the better. Last year's eight-win squad put together a similar effort in getting a running clock win over Nodaway-Holt even though the Trojans had a much better record than Worth County at that point. Worth County was able to match its win total from last year with plenty of time to spare.

Logan O'Dell has established himself as one of the better guards in the conference for the Bobcats; however, it was Jordan Miller who kept them in for much of the first quarter; the inside-outside combo threat scored 10 of their first 12 points as the game was tied at 4, 6, and 10. The game looked everything like it was hyped up to be. But all of a sudden, Brevyn Ross splashed home a 3-pointer off a pass from Ryan McClellan and he put together one of the scoring bursts that he is so capable of doing. He went backdoor for a layup after a pass from Drake Kinsella and tipped in an Isaac Alarcon miss to make it 17-10. He had three steals in the first quarter along with Ryan McClellan.

Ross picked up his second foul and sat most of the second quarter, but Ben Badell carried the Tigers; he jumped a pass and got the call on a charge/block situation and converted a 3-point play to put Worth County up double digits for the first time at 26-14. Miller's backdoor look made it 26-19, something that the Bobcats were able to do much of the night. But then Ben, who played his best game this season, splashed home a 3-pointer after a pass from Drake Simmons after he saw an opening and came from the left side clear over to the right side; Cade Allee followed with another splash and Isaac Alarcon added a free throw to make it 33-19.

At that point, frustration set in for Braymer and they were called for two shoving fouls after some hard screens by Worth County players; their coach protested to no avail. Ryan McClellan's backdoor look made it 40-21 late before Logan O'Dell's putback made it 40-23 at the break.

Normally, when a good team is down, it is only a matter of time before their run comes; conditions looked ripe for it at first in the second half. The score was stuck at 40-23 for the first two minutes, then O'Dell threw up a prayer that went in with 3:25 left to make it 43-27. Long scoreless stretches like this are frequently precursors. O'Dell went in for another layup attempt that could have jump-started a run, but all of a sudden, Brevyn Ross, despite being up to three fouls, came out of nowhere to get a chasedown stuff of O'Dell and the rout was on for Worth County.

Braymer apparently came up with a steal on Worth County's next play, only for Mason Hawk to steal it back and go to the rim; an unguarded Drake Simmons, who had not scored up to that point, hit consecutive 3-pointers and Isaac Alarcon hit Drake Kinsella for another triple; instead of the lead being under double digits, Worth County was up 54-27 after three. Frustration set in again for Braymer as their coach and Miller got into an argument which resulted in Miller sitting the last few minutes of the period.

Cade Allee's drive and pullup after a pass from Ben Badell triggered the running clock and made it 60-30; obviously, Coach Bryce Schafer couldn't believe what was happening and kept his starters in longer than usual. Cade Allee scored off a backdoor look from Mason Hawk and Brevyn Ross and Ben Badell were able to go to the rim at will in the fourth quarter.

Cade Allee led the Tigers in scoring with 16 points. Brevyn Ross had 13, Ben Badell 12, Drake Kinsella 9, Ryan McClellan and Drake Simmons 6, Isaac Alarcon 5, and Mason Hawk 4. Drake Simmons had 4 assists; Brevyn Ross, Ryan McClellan, Drake Kinsella, and Ben Badell all had 3, Isaac Alarcon and Mason Hawk had 2, and Cade Allee 1. Drake Kinsella and Ben Badell had 2 blocks while Ryan McClellan, Mason Hawk, and Brevyn Ross had 1. Worth County's trapping zone caused problems for Braymer all night as they had 18 steals. Brevyn Ross had 6 steals, Ryan McClellan 4, Isaac Alarcon 3, and Ben Badell, Drake Simmons, Mason Hawk, and Wayde Parman all had 1.

Kristin Herndon's Dagger, Madison Thompson's Blocks Topple Knights; Davison Scores 20 Again as Revenge Tour Continues

North Nodaway's revenge tour continued Friday as they avenged an earlier loss by beating South Holt 52-48. They had crashed and burned against the Knights in the Mound City Tournament, not even getting 20 that night. But the pattern of always playing better the second time around held true for Sami Jackson's squad. They already have one conference loss this year and cannot afford another; the high-flying Mound City Panthers are unbeaten this year. But if Sami Jackson can somehow convince her charges that they are just as good as Mound City, it could turn into a showdown provided they run the table against everyone else.

The Knights had just erased a seven-point fourth quarter deficit as Emma Ezzell's driving layup gave them a 48-47 lead with 2:52 left in the game; Bethany Herndon missed a 1-1 and Ezell drove in for another layup in an effort to turn up the heat on North Nodaway. But she traveled with the basketball and Madison Thompson was knocked down hard by Madeline Prussman and got back up and hit two free throws to put North Nodaway back in front 49-48 with 1:48 left. The Knight sophomore then blew a wide-open layup off a backdoor pass and North Nodaway had the ball and the lead.

They ran the clock down to just over one minute, when Alisha Davison, who had carried the Mustangs all night, had the nerve to pull the trigger on a guarded 3-pointer that missed. But then Breann O'Riley, one of the smaller players on the court, somehow came away with the offensive carom and kept the possession alive; Davison redeemed herself with a free throw as Hailey Markt, whose presence bolstered the Knights despite not getting a lot of points, picked up her fifth foul as one of the South Holt partisans slammed the ball in frustration.

A basket would have tied it and South Holt had every reason to put the ball in Ezzell's hands since she had been slashing the baseline all night, but she missed three tries at the basket before Madison Thompson fouled her on the floor, a smart play as the Mustangs had fouls to give and it prevented another layup try. Ezzell tried again, but this time, Thompson blocked her and North Nodaway finally got a board. With South Holt frantically swarming and pressing, trying to get the ball back, the conventional play would have been to hold the ball and get fouled and get on the line. But Sami Jackson had been telling her players that the backdoor look was open all night; sure enough, there was a heartstopping moment for every North Nodaway fan in the gym as Breann O'Riley launched a long skip pass under fire from two taller defenders. But it was a perfect strike and an unguarded Kristin Herndon got the dagger to put North Nodaway up four at 52-48 with 15 seconds left.

South Holt put the ball in Ezzell's hands again in a last gasp chance to cut it to two and set up the press, but this time, Madison Thompson was there for the block. Ezzell tried again, but this time, Thompson stuffed her even harder and knocked her to the floor. Bethany Herndon corralled the most important board of the game and South Holt elected to throw in the towel even though there were still several seconds left on the clock. Madison forgot her shoes and had to borrow one of the boys' shoes; it must have been a good luck charm for her that night. Playing smart may have had something to do with it as well; she stayed out of serious foul trouble, as did most of the team. Consequently, they could afford to be very aggressive at the end when the game was on the line.

South Holt had every reason to expect a fairly easy win against North Nodaway, but the Mustangs had thrown a scare into South Nodaway and beaten Nodaway-Holt after falling to them the first time. Another card fell in North Nodaway's favor as they did not find themselves in their usual first quarter hole against good teams; they only trailed 8-7 after one instead of 5-10 points. North Nodaway's half court trap worked as well as it had all year early in the second as they got some quick steals to get a 13-8 lead. The Knights finally adjusted by working the ball into the middle, but the damage was done as North Nodaway maintained a 1 to 9 point lead most of the way until late. Finally, South Holt switched from zone to man in the last four minutes to create problems for North Nodaway, following South Nodaway's lead. Perimeter defense still continues to be an area of concern for North Nodaway; Sadee Prussman hit five triples for Mark Bolger's Knights, keeping them in the game. Two of them were from NBA range.

Alisha Davison got her second straight 20-point night to lead North Nodaway; apparently, her bright orange shoes were a good luck charm as well as Thompson borrowing one of the boys' players' shoes. Kelsi Oberhauser had 9, her most points since the Rock Port game at Mound City. Kristin Herndon had 8, none bigger than the last two points of the game. Madison Thompson had 7, Breann O'Riley had 4, Bethany Herndon 3, and Ashley Thompson 1. Madison Thompson had 6 blocks, three in the final 30 seconds of play; Bethany Herndon and Breann O'Riley had 1. Breann O'Riley had 7 assists, none bigger than her strike to Kristin Herndon. Alisha Davison had 4 assists, Madison Thompson had 3, and Kristin Herndon, Bethany Herndon, and Kelsi Oberhauser had 1.

Tiger Girls Ousted at Stanberry

Worth County’s girls got off to a bad start at the Stanberry Tournament and then were ousted by North Andrew the next night.

In Tuesday’s 54-17 loss to Jefferson, Worth County played what Coach Sean Thurm said was their “worst half of the year.” “It got ugly fast,” he said. Worth County fell behind 18-2 after one quarter and then fell behind 38-3 at the half before playing Jefferson evenly the rest of the way. The focus of the team will be on playing four quarters of basketball instead of just one or two.

The hacking and fouling that has plagued them much of this year continued, as the Tigers sent Jefferson to the line 23 times that night, while only getting to the line six times.

Payton Adwell led Worth County in scoring with 7 points and one 3-pointer. Haley Hunt had 4 and Tess Andrews, Dominique Findley, and Rikky Hunt all had 2.

If Tuesday night was their worst half, Wednesday might have been their worst quarter of the year as they fell behind 32-2 against North Andrew before losing 62-21. Again, it was a matter of not putting together four quarters of basketball. After that, they settled down and played nearly evenly with the Cardinals, but the damage was done.

Rikky Hunt and Dominique Findley led the scoring for Worth County with 5 points each. Payton Adwell had 4 along with Haley Hunt, and Jessi Badell had 3. The girls tried again Tuesday night as they traveled to King City. Other possible winnable games for them include dates with Polo, Albany, and East Harrison. The goal will be to cut down on fouls and put together four quarters of basketball.

Editorial -- Martin Luther King’s Spirit of Service Lives On

The lesson from Martin Luther King’s life is that one person can change the world if they set their minds to it. Dr. King did not just come out of thin air. As he himself stated in “Stride Towards Freedom,” his personal autobiography, it took extensive reading and studying before he embarked on his mission to push for civil rights for Black Americans. While there is still much work to be done as evidenced by the numerous protests against police brutality, the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act reflected a newfound consensus about the need to protect everyone’s civil liberties in this country.

On November 2nd, 1983, President Reagan signed a bill that passed both houses of Congress by strong bipartisan majorities creating the federal holiday. Dr. King was the first Black American so honored.

Over the last 20 years, there has been a concerted push to make Martin Luther King Day into a day of national service. While that is a worthy idea, it is our view that every day should be a day of service to one’s community. It is heartening to see stories come across our desk and for us to observe students at all three of the schools we cover engage in acts of community service on an ongoing basis throughout the year. We simply never know who might become the next Dr. King and change their world for the better.

Another lesson that we can learn from Dr. King is that change comes from the bottom up, not from the top down. It is always easy to demand that our politicians clean up their act. But in many respects, our politicians are reflections of who we are as a nation. The passage of civil rights legislation did not occur in a vacuum; it occurred as a result of numerous actions by ordinary people over the years. When we entered the Spanish-American War, the New York Times reported that there were thousands of Blacks clamoring to go so they could serve their country. Thousands of Blacks served their country in World War I and II, made a lot of the music we listened to over the years, started businesses and communities, worked to put food on our tables, and gave us numerous thrills on the ball diamond even before Jackie Robinson integrated baseball in 1947.

As the years progressed, it made less and less sense to treat certain people as second-class citizens based on who they were. When people saw on TV the dignity of the civil rights protesters on one hand and the brutality of the defenders of the dying Jim Crow system on the other, it forced the Democrats in Congress at the time to do the right thing even though it would cost them the South for generations to come.

The point is that if we want change here in northwest Missouri, we don’t wait for State Rep. Allen Andrews, State Sen. Dan Hegeman, Congressman Sam Graves, our US Senators, or President Obama to act. We have to take it upon ourselves to act. The Sheridan Express is always open to people of all political persuasions to push for change for the better. The late Kevin Austin used to say that there were certain interests who thumbed their noses up at us because we are in the northwest corner of the state. It is up to each of us to change that, as Kevin did. By the time of his passing, he had earned the respect of every other commissioner in the area.

Tiger Boys Stumble in Stanberry, Recover to Secure Consolation

 Worth County’s boys stumbled in the first round of the Stanberry Tournament before recovering to beat Albany and Mound City to win consolation.

In their first game, they fell 68-60 to South Nodaway as they could not stop Dalton Warner on defense or figure out how to put a ball in the basket on the other end. They got off to a hot start in the first quarter, putting up 21 points as they took a 21-16 lead. But from there, the shots started to clank off the rim, nobody had an answer for the lightning quick Longhorn guard, and the lead slowly evaporated away. Worth County was 4 for 31 from behind the 3-point line and 14 for 32 from the free throw line that night.

Worth County’s lead evaporated by halftime as they found themselves trailing 36-31 after a 20-point second quarter by South Nodaway. They had some initial success coming out in their half court trap look, betting to within 40-36 off Cade Allee’s putback with 4:35 left and 42-39 off Mason Hawk’s putback with 3:17 left. But then Taylar Freemyer got loose for the Longhorns twice inside and Warner picked up his eighth point of the period to make it 48-39, prompting Tiger Coach Bryce Schafer to break out the Chinese Fire Drill, putting five in and five out.

Nothing worked at first as shots continued to clank off the rim and Worth County’s deficit grew to 13 early in the fourth at 56-43. Finally, they rode Drake Kinsella’s back as the Tigers managed to stop the bleeding by getting to the line, although they made it hard for themselves by missing a ton of free throws. Worth County finally managed to pick things up defensively and get a pair of steals; Caleb Parman scored off a Ryan McClellan steal with 2:13 left to cut the deficit to four at 61-57. But then Worth County let Warner get loose once too often and then they had to start fouling.

Worth County got nine players in the scoring column, but they had nobody to match Warner’s output for South Nodaway. Cade Allee led the scoring with 11 points, Brevyn Ross and Drake Kinsella had 9, Ben Badell had his best game of the season with 7 points, Drake Simmons had 7, Mason Hawk had 6, Caleb Parman 5, Isaac Alarcon 4, and Ryan McClellan 2.

Dalton Warner had 28 for South Nodaway. One of the big reasons for Worth County’s losses this year has been their inability to stop someone on the other team from going off. Against North Andrew, for instance, it was Ryan Hughes who went off on them. Against Jefferson, it was Caden Farnan. Picking up more wins will require them to figure out how to stop someone from going off on them.

Worth County recovered and won the Consolation Prize by playing much better defense in its last two games. Against Albany, the game was close all the way before Worth County won 49-47. The game started out as a high-scoring track meet as Worth County led 19-17 after one quarter. However, the defenses took over after that and it turned into a grind it out defensive struggle. With the game tied in the last minute, Isaac Alarcon stole the ball from Seth Cline and scored on the other end to give Worth County the lead for good.

Cade Allee led the scoring for Worth County with 18 points. Drake Simmons and Isaac Alarcon each had 7. Ryan McClellan had 5, Drake Kinsella had 4, Brevyn Ross had 3 along with Caleb Parman and Mason Hawk had 2. Cade Allee had two 3-pointers for the Tigers while Ryan McClellan, Caleb Parman, and Drake Simmons all had 1. While Cline had 23 points for Albany and Nathan McClain 14, nobody else went off for them.

Worth County had not beaten Mound City in over a decade, and Jaden Gillenwater did all he could to ensure that would continue, putting up 26 points. But Worth County took a 20-14 lead after one quarter and made it stand up, winning 62-57 over the Panthers to secure consolation. Bryce Schafer had been looking all year for a go-to player, and may have just found one in Cade Allee, who went off on the Panthers with 23 points, matching a career high. He knocked down three shots from bonus distance as Worth County had seven triples for the night.

Besides Allee, Brevyn Ross and Isaac Alarcon each had 9 points; Isaac’s output was a career high. Drake Kinsella and Ben Badell each had 7, Ryan McClellan had 5, and Mason Hawk had 2. Badell, Ross, McClellan, and Kinsella all had one 3-pointer for the Tigers. Worth County was 9 for 15 from the free throw line.

When the Tigers took second at Stanberry earlier in the year, it was their first trophy of any kind in four years as well as the first in Bryce Schafer’s tenure. The last trophy they had won was in the 2011-2012 season, when they took consolation at Stanberry that year after getting a last-second shot from Eli Mullock to beat South Nodaway. It was the first trophy ever for the seniors. The 2011-2012 season was also the last time Worth County had won multiple trophies in the same year; they had won third place at Albany earlier that year after beating archrival Albany.

Obituary -- Vivian Grace 1915-2016

Vivian Isabel (Hardy) Grace, age 100, second child of Jesse and Belle (Gray) Hardy, born December 7, 1915 at the farm home North of Grant City, Missouri, died Saturday, January 16, 2016 at Mosaic Life Care, St. Joseph, Missouri.

She completed her primary schooling at Hass (Haas) School, Worth County, Missouri and graduated from Grant City High School in 1933 after which she attended Northwest Missouri State Teachers College, Maryville, Missouri.  On July 18, 1934, Vivian married Clifford P. Grace also of Grant City.   The couple lived in Eldora, Colorado and Wichita, Kansas before returning to the Grant City area in 1948.

Vivian was preceded in death by her husband, an infant daughter, her parents, two sisters and two brothers.  She is survived by daughter Nancy Ulibarri and her husband Frank, Blue Springs, Missouri; daughter Teddee Grace, Boulder, Colorado; and son Clifford Patrick Grace and wife Vera-Jo, Tacoma, Washington; four granddaughters; three great grandsons; and two great granddaughters.

Vivian was an active member of the Denver, Missouri, Methodist Church and had served as a foster parent and a caregiver to many children as a day care operator in Albany, Missouri, and at her home.

After her husband’s death in 1975 she continued to live on the family farm.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 P.M., Saturday, January 23, 2016, at the Andrews-Hann Funeral Home in Grant City.  The family will receive friends from 1-2 P.M. prior to the services.  Burial will be in Prairie Chapel Cemetery, Denver, Missouri.

NEN to Hold Hypnotist Show

Hypnotist B.J. Talley will come and perform a hypnotist act Friday, February 19th at 7 pm at Northeast Nodaway. Proceeds will benefit the Northeast Nodaway After-Prom. Tickets can be purchased at school or at the door; call Northeast Nodaway School at (660) 937-3125 for more information. The NEN Freshman Class will have a concession stand open before the show and during intermission.

Ticket prices are $7 for 7th grade and up, $5 for kindergarten to 6th grade, and free for preschool. The snow and ice date will be Friday, February 26th.

Jill Spire Nets 20 as NEN Girls Down Trojans

Northeast Nodaway came racing out of the gate in 2016, picking up their third straight win, downing Union Star 48-31 last Monday in Union Star. They took an 11-2 lead after one and put the game away in the third quarter, outscoring the Trojans 14-5 in getting the win.

Jill Spire led the Bluejays with 20 points. Dallis Coffelt had 10, Taylor Coffelt 5, and Vanessa Riley, Talina Nelson, and Allie Runde had 2 each. Northeast was 7 for 16 from the free throw line.

For Union Star, Alicia Sondregger did all she could, getting 16 points and two 3-pointers for her team. Hannah Cliben had 10 points.

NEN Girls Down Cards; Winning Streak Reaches Five

Northeast Nodaway’s girls ran their winning streak to five as their picked up their 8th win of the season, downing Stewartsville 44-32 Friday night. It didn’t look that way at first as they fell into a 9-4 hole after one quarter. But then they fought back to take a 13-12 halftime lead and then put the Cardinals away with a 19-4 third quarter.

Dallis Coffelt led the scoring for Northeast with 15 points. Jill Spire had 14, Makayla Adwell had 7, Allie Runde 4, and Vanessa Riley and Taylor Coffelt each 2.

Tiger Boys Throw Scare Into Powerhouse Gallatin

The Tigers already have shown that they can beat good teams. However, challenging elite teams has been a struggle until Friday night’s game against Gallatin Friday. Worth County used an 18-9 second quarter to take a 39-33 lead in a high scoring first half. Worth County threatened to fall apart in the third after being outscored 25-12 in that frame, but then came back and outscored the Bulldogs 14-10 in the fourth to make the final 68-65.

Nine different Tigers got on the board for Bryce Schafer’s Tigers. Cade Allee had another double figure game with 16. Drake Kinsella had 15, Brevyn Ross 10, Ryan McClellan had 7, Drake Simmons 6, Isaac Alarcon 5, Chris Alarcon 2, Mason Hawk 2, and Ben Badell 2.

The Tigers used the long ball to stay in the game, getting ten triples. Cade Allee had 3, Drake Kinsella 2, Drake Simmons 2, and Brevyn Ross, Ryan McClellan, and Isaac Alarcon each had one.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

1-4 – Person in about lost CCW permit.
1-4 – Resident calls about someone using her driveway.
1-4 – Out of county resident calls about Facebook posting.
1-4 – Officer transports prisoners from jail to court.
1-4 – Two residents in to apply for concealed carry permit.
1-5 – Highway Patrol officer in office.
1-6 – Resident wants officer to check on her house.
1-7 – Officer called to residence in Grant City over juvenile problem.
1-7 – Officers on court duty.
1-7 – Person stuck in ditch, needs assistance.
1-8 – Report of car in ditch near 246 & 46; wrecker en route to help.
1-8 – Highway Patrol in to do interviews.
1-8 – Person in to renew CCW permit.
1-8 – 911 call of house alarm in rural Worth County.
1-9 – Officer transports three male subjects to jail on a 24-hour hold.

Bullying a Major Issue for NW Missouri, Country

Recently, the Maryville Daily Forum printed a headline, “North Nodaway Bullies Shamrocks in Transition for Victory.” We expressed our disapproval of the headline on Facebook and got over 40 likes from people in all three of the school communities that we cover, North Nodaway, Worth County, and Northeast Nodaway as well as a few from North Harrison. This shows that bullying continues to be a major issue for the area as well as the country. The website NoBullying.com is part of a worldwide movement against bullying and has 650,000 monthly visitors, with the stated goal of reaching 1 million in the near future. They are an online community for anyone who needs help dealing with all kinds of bullying.

Stopping bullying depends on recognizing it for what it is. Bullying does not necessarily involve physical violence, although it can include that. The US Department of Health and Human Services has a website, stopbullying.gov, which defines bullying as unwanted aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance that is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated over time. This includes such actions as threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. It can include telling someone, “Go play by yourself!”

The site breaks down bullying further. Verbal bullying includes such actions as teasing, name-calling, inappropriate comments, taunting, or threats. Social bullying includes leaving someone out on purpose, telling people not to be friends with someone, spreading rumors, or embarrassing someone in public. Physical bullying can include hitting/kicking/punching, spitting, tripping/pushing, taking or breaking someone’s things, or making mean or rude hand gestures.

With the rise of social media such as Facebook and Snapchat, cyberbulling has become an increasingly important issue. It can be just as harmful as other kinds of bullying. The Cyberbullying Research Center has a website, www.cyberbullying.org, which is specifically dedicated to addressing it. Two testimonials on that site demonstrate the harmful effects of online bullying:

I'm sure you've all heard about this new site formspring.me. It's a truly horrible site. It gives bullies a chance to verbally insult people without putting a face or a name to them. It wears people down after a while and only causes drama. I was harassed for a good amount of time on it when I had one. It caused drama between a good friend of mine and me. Thankfully we resolved it. People also thought it was their business to know about my boyfriend and I, and would constantly ask questions, and my parents also saw these too. Formspring.me should be deleted. It will only cause hurt for teenagers around the world." - 15 year-old girl from CA

"I have been friends with this person for 3 years now. Well best friends. I never thought she could do this to me. She's lying and getting our friends on her said. All i can do is watch. She's called me " Ugly RagDoll , Useless , Babied all my life , Jealous , I need to grow up , unpopular , I can go and riot under a rock! Who says these kinds of things? Only someone that is heartless and that has never been bullied before. They don't know how it feels i guess." - 12 year-old girl from MI

The site notes that cyberbullying causes victims to have low self-esteem, suicidal ideation, anger, frustration, and other emotional and psychological problems. It is related to other real world issues such as school problems, anti-social behavior, substance use, and delinquency. While the Centers for Disease Control reports that cyberbullying has declined from 2011 to 2013, with 14.8% of students reporting that they had been bullied in 2013 as opposed to 16.2% in 2011, it continues to be a problem in this country.

The site PACER.org is a Minnesota-based site that focused on disabled children and has a section on bullying. Possible warning signs that your child is being bullied include depression, anxiety, sleep difficulty, and poor school adjustment. Children who bully others experience problems as well, including substance use, academic problems, and violence later in adolescence and adulthood. Youth victimized by peers are 3.3 times more likely to report a suicide attempt than youth who reported not being bullied. The site suicide.org has a Suicide Prevention Hotline for this area; it is (888) 279-8188. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.

PACER notes that intervention from others makes a significant difference in the occurrence of bullying and that proper support from others makes a positive difference. Some of the most helpful things teachers or other adults can do include listening, checking in with the child to ensure that it has stopped, and constructive advice. Some of the least helpful things an adult can do is tell the child to solve the problem themselves, tell the student that bullying wouldn’t happen if they acted differently, ignoring the problem, or telling the student to stop tattling. Supportive actions from peers and bystanders can make an even bigger difference in stopping bullying than actions by adults.
If you or someone you know is a target of real-life or online bullying or violence, the State of Missouri has a school violence hotline at (866) 748-7047 toll free. You may fill out a form online at schoolviolencehotline.com, download a free Mo ReportIt app from your App store, or text to 847411 using keyword “Reportit” and include your school name and city.

Obituary -- Peggy L. (Graham) James 1951-2016

Peggy L. (Graham) James, age 64, Hopkins, Missouri, formerly of Ravenwood, Missouri died January 6, 2016 at Mosaic Life Care, St. Joseph, Missouri.

Peggy was born January 27, 1951 in Stanberry, Missouri the daughter of the late Marvin Lee and Juna  Leola (Paxton) Graham.

Peggy was united in marriage to Byland James, June 29, 1969 at Stanberry.

Peggy was a graduate of Stanberry High School and NWMSU with a Masters in English.  She taught both Elementary and High School Education.  Peggy was a member of the United Methodist Church, Ravenwood.

Survivors include: Husband, Byland of the home, one daughter Angie (Dan) Titus, Hopkins, one son Donnie (Heather) James, Maysville, Missouri, brother Eldon (Connie) Graham, Stanberry, sister Wanda (Norman) Hoffman, St. Joseph, Missouri; four grandchildren, Nicholas James, Alicia Reeves, Dwight Titus, Chelsie Titus; four great grandchildren, Conner, Corey, Clayton and Kynlee.

Funeral Services will be 2:00 PM, Saturday, January 9, 2016 at the Ravenwood United Methodist Church with the family visitation from 1-2 PM prior to the services.  Burial:  Oak Lawn Cemetery, Ravenwood.  Memorial: Kitty Cat Connection, 8066  Southwest 223^rd Street, Trimble, MO  64492. 

 Arrangements: Andrews-Hann Funeral Home, Grant City, MO.

Sharon Paxson, Ashley Rush In the Process of Receiving EMT Training

Sharon Paxson and Ashley Rush are in the process of undergoing their EMT training, Emergency Management Director Pat Kobbe reported at the Worth County Commission Meeting Monday.

Ms. Kobbe also reported that 17 people from Worth County attended the recent emergency exercise at Hundley-Whaley last month. This was almost as many as Gentry County, which hosted the exercise. In it, there was an accident involving a pickup truck hauling anhydrous ammonia that flipped over, causing a leak. The Life Flight helicopter was involved in the exercise. Anhydrous ammonia has been a point of emphasis in emergency training.

Kobbe also reported that the county is still completing paperwork on the disaster declaration from May 16th to July 27th. Road & Bridge Foreman Jim Fletchall reported that it was 2/3’s done. Kobbe said that she did not think that Worth County would be declared for the recent storms that hit the area that involved massive flooding in the St. Louis area.

Brush enforcement was the main issue of discussion at Monday’s meeting. The commissioners went through the entire list of landowners who received letters, lining up who the county was going to remove brush from in order of age and priority. Landowners who do not comply with the voter-approved county brush law will have their brush removed by the county and have the costs assessed against their taxes. The county will send out a new round of brush letters to some which had gotten one several years ago, but which the commission had never followed up on. This will follow inspections of roads by commissioners. Other roads are in the process of having brush removed and will be reinspected by the commissioners.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

12-28 – Person in about concealed carry permit.
12-28 – Person calls for well-being check on local resident; officer reports person is OK.
12-29 – Person calls about road conditions.
12-29 – Several people in to talk to officers.
12-30 – Ringgold County calls about C&I truckers on southbound 169 highway.
12-30 – Person calls about concealed carry permit.
12-30 – Resident calls about her son’s well-being.
12-31 – Resident reports damage to mailbox.
1-1 – Officer assists stranded motorist.
1-2 – Person calls for well-being check on relative; person is OK.
1-3 – Officers investigating domestic disturbance in Grant City.

The Onion – Koch Brothers Bought Each Other Same Election

The Onion website reports that the Koch Brothers had bought each other the same election. The Onion, of course, is a parody website that posts daily political satire. However, it has spawned a number of similar sites, some of which post “stories” that are widely believed. For instance, we were briefly taken in by one site which claimed that Ronald Reagan had repudiated the Republican Party just before his death in 2004. Mr. Reagan, of course, had Alzheimer’s Disease by that time.

As recounted in The Onion:
The two brothers and energy industry magnates, who for decades have gathered to share a holiday meal and open presents next to the Christmas tree in Charles’ Wichita home, admitted they were a bit embarrassed to learn they had each given the other U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin’s congressional seat, but said they ultimately shrugged off the coincidence.

“When we realized we both bought New York’s 1st District, we just looked at each other and laughed,” said Charles Koch, who acknowledged that he and David have pretty similar tastes. “Now that I think about it, I can’t believe this has never happened before. It was probably bound to sooner or later. I guess we just know each other too well!”“At least it’s something we can enjoy using together,” he added.

David Koch explained that he had hoped the present would be a special surprise for Charles, noting that he had taken care to be discreet by telling his brother he was “just heading out to another fundraiser at Lincoln Center” when he was in fact on his way to go purchase the outcome of the election in the eastern Long Island congressional district. In addition, he was reportedly careful not to take any calls from the Zeldin 2016 campaign team while he and Charles were out together at dinner, the ballet, or Cato Institute symposiums.

“A few months ago, we were watching the news, and when one of the pundits on TV mentioned Zeldin’s reelection bid, Charles’ whole face just lit up,” said David Koch, who later admitted he had purchased the district partly because he knew he would want to borrow it for himself from time to time. “Well, it seems like my brother and I both had the same idea about limiting the petroleum industry’s liability for toxic spills and ensuring taxpayers shoulder the majority of cleanup costs. That’s just so us, you know?”

Democrats, of course, are not immune from The Onion’s barbs. On their website Friday included one headline, “Hillary Clinton Relaxing Before Debate with Few Hours of Debate Practice.” Obviously, this piece was poking fun at her ambition. Another piece reads, “Bernie Sanders Refuses Flashy ABC Podium in Favor of Own Humble, Homemade Lectern,” implying that Mr. Sanders was bragging about his humility. Another piece recounts a supposed brawl in the Supreme Court between Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Stephen Breyer. In real life, the two men are frequently on the opposite sides of court decisions.

The Onion does not limit itself to politics. In the Letters to Santa in the Sheridan Express last month, some kids requested video games for different consoles. However, The Onion notes that one of the best-selling Christmas items this year was Star Wars Battlefront for the Wrong Console.

The Koch Brothers piece was about the influence of money in politics. After the Citizens United ruling allowing (for the most part) unlimited money in politics, people like the Koch Brothers have gotten much more influential in elections. This accounts in part for the explosion of TV and radio ads that you see every election cycle. One of the few restrictions that was allowed to stand was the one that prohibits super-PACS from coordinating their activities with political candidates.

Now, there are billionaires on both sides of the political aisle who are seeking to buy our elections. The hope is not necessarily for a quid pro quo, but for our elected officials to turn around and hand out tax breaks that are not necessarily on the public radar until the breaks are already signed into law. These favors are frequently attached to must-pass legislation such as the recent Omnibus Bill that was recently passed by Congress and signed by President Obama.

The Koch Brothers have been pushing for special tax breaks as well as favorable legislation for the oil industry and a massive rollback of our federal government. The agenda runs even further. In 1980, David Koch ran as Libertarian Party candidate for Vice President.

The following excerpts are part of the Libertarian Party platform that Mr. Koch ran on back in 1980:
“We favor the abolition of Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
“We favor the repeal of the fraudulent, virtually bankrupt, and increasingly oppressive Social Security system. Pending that repeal, participation in Social Security should be made voluntary.”
“We propose the abolition of the governmental Postal Service. The present system, in addition to being inefficient, encourages governmental surveillance of private correspondence. Pending abolition, we call for an end to the monopoly system and for allowing free competition in all aspects of postal service.”
“We oppose all personal and corporate income taxation, including capital gains taxes.”
“We support the eventual repeal of all taxation.” “As an interim measure, all criminal and civil sanctions against tax evasion should be terminated immediately.”
“We support repeal of all law which impede the ability of any person to find employment, such as minimum wage laws.”
“We advocate the complete separation of education and State. Government schools lead to the indoctrination of children and interfere with the free choice of individuals. Government ownership, operation, regulation, and subsidy of schools and colleges should be ended.”
“We condemn compulsory education laws … and we call for the immediate repeal of such laws.”
“We support the abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency.”
“We support abolition of the Department of Energy.”
“We call for the dissolution of all government agencies concerned with transportation, including the Department of Transportation.”
“We demand the return of America's railroad system to private ownership. We call for the privatization of the public roads and national highway system.”
“We specifically oppose laws requiring an individual to buy or use so-called "self-protection" equipment such as safety belts, air bags, or crash helmets.”
“We advocate the abolition of the Federal Aviation Administration.”
“We advocate the abolition of the Food and Drug Administration.”
“We support an end to all subsidies for child-bearing built into our present laws, including all welfare plans and the provision of tax-supported services for children.”

But while the Koch Brothers may rant and rave against the dangers of big government, they are happy to take government funding for their operations. The organization Good Jobs First, which tracks where government money is going, found that the Koch Brothers have taken $196 million in federal, state, and local subsidies, mostly since 2009. In addition, they took $6.2 million in bailout money.

And their father, Fred Koch, had no qualms about doing business with Stalin from 1929 to 1931, during the time when he was starving his people. When most other companies stayed away from Stalin, an October 1st 2014 article in Salon notes that Fred Koch went to the Soviet Union and helped them jump-start their oil program, which is now one of the world’s largest.

Will the Train Come Back to Sheridan?

Back in 1985, the last trail rolled through Sheridan as the railroad company tore up track. But now, while it may be 15-30 years down the road, there is a chance for the train to come back to Sheridan in the form of high-speed rail.

As air service replaced rail service, the last passenger train to come through Sheridan was in 1962. Air service was viewed as a way to get from one part of the country to another in just a few hours. However, that is changing following the 9/11 attacks. People must now go through long security lines to check in. People must also go through invasive searches. And starting on January 10th, the TSA (which handles security at airports) will no longer accept Missouri Driver’s Licenses as an acceptable form of identification, along with those of several other states.

This means that there is increasing interest in high speed rail service as an alternative to air travel. The US High Speed Rail Association is one of the chief groups in the US pushing this form of travel. They propose a fully-integrated rail system built in four different phases, with trains that go at a top speed of 220 miles per hour. They also propose a 110 miles per hour system of lines; one of their lines would run from Kansas City to Des Monies directly through Parnell, Sheridan, and Blockton.
These lines have a lot of potential. One could live in a rural area like ours, which is one of the safest places in the country to live in and take the train to work in, say, St. Joseph, Kansas City, or Des Monies, which have a lot more jobs available. One would not have to fill their car up every time they set out.

Jim Hightower, in the Hightower Lowdown of October 2015, notes that many different tributes have been made to various rail lines that were active earlier in our country’s history. Such songs include “Wabash Cannonball,” “Rock Island Line,” “Fireball Mail,” and “City of New Orleans.” Another one is a local favorite played from time to time at local concerns, the “Orange Blossom Special.” Another tune not mentioned by Mr. Hightower is “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” played by Worth County’s own Glenn Miller and his orchestra. “In contrast, you won’t find many lilting paens to the bumper to bumper traffic on the I-5 in Los Angeles, nor to the jam-packed Monday morning shuttles out of New York’s La Guardia Airport,” writes Mr. Hightower.

Mr. Hightower continues, “But neither are we hearing many new upbeat tunes about traveling from city to city on today’s passenger rail network. That’s because our corporate and governmental masters of transportation have sidetracked what not so long ago was a world-leading cross-country train system and reduced it to an underfunded hodge-podge that is an insult to the traveling public and wholly inadequate for a nation with pretensions of greatness. Highway builders, auto lobbyists, and airline monopolists – people with concrete for brains and oil in their veins – have hijacked America’s transportation policy. As a result, our mobility future has been clogged with their self-interest, blocking the efficient, reliable, enjoyable rail-travel alternative.”

The US High Speed Rail Association proposes a three-tired system. One is the national network discussed above, which they say would connect 80% of the country. The second is a regional rail system. This would connect major US cities with other places up to three hours away, based on demand. The third would consist of a city streetcar tram and light rail system that would connect different parts of our major cities. Cost would be an estimated $500 billion over the next 15-30 years.
Back in the 1950’s, President Eisenhower successfully pushed for the Interstate Highway System so that the country could move troops and National Guard units around the country in an emergency. With the Paris and San Bernardino attacks, national security is on everyone’s minds again. A national high-speed rail system would enable the country to move troops and National Guard units around even faster in the event of an emergency, such as the ongoing flooding near St. Louis. Such a system would have allowed this country to bring the National Guard into New Orleans following Katrina much sooner. Today, the Interstate Highway System routinely deals with delays and congestion, for instance, CNN reported back in 2012 that 600,000 people have commutes to work that take over 90 minutes. The ability to move National Guard personnel and supplies around in the event of an emergency could make a life or death difference.

Many other countries all have high speed rail. For instance, Mr. Hightower notes that travel from New York to Chicago (711 miles) takes 17 hours. But travel from Beijing (China) to Shanghai (819 miles) takes just five hours on that country’s high speed rail network. And travel from Denver to Los Angeles would take just six hours. And, as Mr. Hightower notes, it would be done without the hassle of air travel. Other countries that have high speed rail include Japan, Canada, France, Russia, India, UK, Morocco, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Brazil, Germany, South Africa, and Turkey. But as Mr. Hightower writes, “Our ‘God-blessed’ America has not even measured up to mediocrity in developing this essential piece of public infrastructure.”

Obituary -- Patsy Kanak 1948-2015

Patsy Kanak, 67, of Grant City, MO died December 31^st, 2015. She was born on June 1, 1948 in Ranger, TX. The daughter of Dub and Mildred Sellers, she was educated in the Hays, KS public school system and later attended Fort Hays State University.  

Patsy leaves behind her beloved husband, Norman Kanak.

In 1972 she married Norman Kanak of Ellsworth, KS. They have 4 children.

She leaves her son Shawn Kanak, wife Tiffany and their three children; Haley, Tanner and Meagan Cloninger (Kanak) married to Troy and they have Patsy’s two great grandchildren Liam and Quinn. She also leaves her son Jason Kanak, wife Jen and their 4 children; Cayden, Alex, Trevor and Max. She also leaves her daughter Kim Sherwood (Kanak), husband Nathan and their 2 children; Kendall and Emma. She also leaves her youngest son Matthew Kanak and his two children; Olivia and Jacob.

She leaves two brothers Donnie and Henry Sellers, both of Russell, KS behind as well.  Patsy also leaves several nieces and nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be held at the Christian Church of Grant City, MO on Monday January 4^th, 2016. A visitation will begin at 12pm and the memorial service will be held at 2pm with the Rev. Dirk Buffington presiding. Memorial gifts in Patsy’s memory can be made to the Christian Church of Grant City, 501 South High Street Grant City MO 64456

Arrangements are being handled by Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home Grant City, MO.

Obituary -- Martin Joseph Goedken 1941-2015

Martin Joseph Goedken, 74, Conception Junction, MO, died Monday, December 28, 2015, at Northwest Medical Center, Albany, MO.

Martin was born July 7, 1941, in Petersburg, Iowa to Alfred Henry and Loretta Elizabeth (Koch) Goedken. He married Lisa Birzer September 1, 1973, in Lansing, Kansas.

He was a graduate of St. Lawrence Seminary, Mt. Calvary, WI and he continued his education, earning his Masters in Hospital Administration from the University of Iowa . He was the Vice-President of St. Francis Hospital, Maryville, Missouri and retired as the Director of Northwest Catholic Charities.

Martin was a member of the St Columba Catholic Church where he was a Permanent Deacon, Tri-C American Legion Post #464, having served in the United States Army Reserves, Knights of Columbus, Conception Jct. and Tri-County Right to Life.

Preceding him in death were his parents, brothers Floyd and David Goedken, sister Sr. Angela Goedken and grandson Caleb Adwell.

Martin is survived by his wife Lisa Goedken, of the home in Conception Jct., five children: sons Matthew (Lori) Goedken, St. Joseph, MO, Aaron Goedken, Portland, OR and Christopher (Molly) Goedken, Omaha, NE; daughters Jennifer (Shane) Adwell, Ravenwood, MO, Sr. Faustina Goedken, Sisters in Jesus the Lord, Raytown, MO; eight grandchildren; three brothers Dale Goedken, Dyersville, IA, Dennis (Ann) Goedken, Cottage Grove, WI and Charles (Patrice) Goedken, Harrisburg, PA; five sisters Joan (Urban) Pasker, New Vienna, IA, Lois (Donald) Burkle, Dyersville, IA, Delaine (Paul) Knipper, Dyersville, IA, Delores (Terry) O'Brien, Cascade, IA and Sr. Rita Goedken, Dubuque, IA.

A Parish Rosary will be held at 5:00 PM, Sunday, January 3, 2016, followed by a visitation from 5:30-7:30 PM, both at St. Columba Catholic Church, Conception Jct., MO.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 AM, Monday, January 4th, also at St. Columba Catholic Church, with burial in St. Columba Cemetery, Conception, MO.

Memorials may be made to Catholic Charities in Martin's name.

www.pricefuneralhomemaryville.com