Friday, April 29, 2016

Golf Cart Windshield Stolen from Golf Cart

A golf cart windshield was stolen from Chuck Borey’s golf cart recently. Borey said that he first noticed it yesterday when he went to get the cart so the track officials could get around at the Tiger Junior High Relays. He estimated the damages at around $140.

Anna Gladstone Shatters JH High Jump Meet Record at Worth County

Worth County’s girls doubled Albany and ran away with their home meet while the boys won their first meet of the year after coming close the last two times. Anna Gladstone shattered the meet record for the High Jump with a leap of 5 feet, nudging out Alysa Lyle, who had jumped 4’11”.

One of the most exciting races of the afternoon came in the High Jump. Anna Spainhower failed to clear the 4’4” bar, leaving her fifth at 4’2”, which left Gladstone to compete with Darius Skillen (Rock Port), Shai Dailey (North West Nodaway), and Alexia Sweiger (King City).

The remaining four competitors all cleared 4’4” and 4’6, setting up a showdown at 4’8”. Anna cleared her personal best mark at 4’8”, then cleared 4’10” on her second try as Skillen dropped out after failing to clear 4’8”. Anna Gladstone went first on the five foot bar and barely missed the first time. Then, she started farther back than she had previously, got a better runup to the bar, and easily cleared five feet the second time, putting her other two rivals on the spot.

Dailey kept running at the bar on the five foot leg and pulling up, but kept clipping the bar with her shoulder. Meanwhile, Sweiger had kept clearing the bar effortlessly even though she was starting her run much closer than the other competitors. She nearly matched Gladstone at five feet, but on her second jump, she clipped the bar with her foot as she came down and missed her third try as well, handing Gladstone the victory.

Gladstone’s jump of five feet was six inches better than her previous personal best, and came after a long layoff from high jumping.

Worth County’s girls won with 132 points in the team rankings as that outcome was never in suspense. Albany had 63.33, Rock Port had 55, and Jefferson 42. On the boys side, Worth County had 82, East Atchison 57, Gallatin 56, and Rock Port 54.

Gladstone was third in the 200 with a time of 29.69.

Braidy Hunt got off to a slow start in the 800, but got stronger as the meet progressed and chased down Hannah Miller of Gallatin on the final lap to take second with a time of 2:47.46 to Miller’s 2:51.93. Gabby Newman (Albany) was first with a time of 2:44.15.

Normally, Kristin New places in the 800, but she didn’t place this time. However, competing in the 1600, she nailed down third place, fending off several challenges to pass her. Finally, she put on a burst of speed in the last 100 yards to catch Beth Davis (Rock Port) and take second with a time of 6:39.57 to Davis’ 6:40.15. Hailey Stoll (Stanberry) won with a time of 6:28.80.

Anna Gladstone, who has her sights on Liz Lyle's mark of 17.11, won the 100 Hurdles handily with one of her best times of the year at 17.60. She did so because she was pushed hard by teammate Jill Hardy, who got a personal best and finished second with a time of 18.74. Anna’s result would have placed her second on the boys side.

The 4x100 Relay Team finished fourth with a time of 1:00.07. Worth County handily won the 4x200 with a time of 2:05.84, over three seconds ahead of the second place finish. The 4x400 team took the lead in the second leg, but ran out of steam and finished third with a time of 4:55.72.

Worth County got another 1-2 finish in the Pole Vault. Regan Allee won with a vault of 8 feet, nearly toppling Claire Andrews’ meet record of 8’3” in the process. Keelin Engel was second with a vault of 7’6”.

Jumping into a stiff north wind, Anna Gladstone was the one person who mastered the conditions in the Long Jump, winning with a leap of 15 feet. That was almost two feet ahead of the next best competitor.

Kristin New was fourth in the Triple Jump with a jump of 26’7¼” and Braidy Hunt was right behind at fifth with a jump of 26’2”.

Merrideth Spiers ran into some stiff competition in the Shot Put and finished second to Camie Vaughn (East Harrison), getting a throw of 36’½” to Vaughn’s 37’6½”. Kaylee McElvain was fourth with a throw of 31’2”.

Spiers was also second to Vaughn in the Discus, where she threw 99 feet for second place to Vaughn’s 101’1”. McElvain was third with a throw of 93’11”.

On the boys side, Andrew Alarcon barely qualified for the 200, but then ran way over his head and finished third with a time of 27.11.

Daniel Craven was fifth with a time of 2:36.36.

Lucky Gladstone was second in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 17.63. Jaxon Anderson was fourth with a time of 17.90.

Worth County was fourth in the 4x100 with a time of 55.19, second in the 4x200 with a time of 1:53.46, and fifth in the 4x400 with a time of 4:35.98.

Lucky Gladstone was third on tiebreaks in the High Jump with a jump of 5 feet.

Worth County was 1-2 in the Pole Vault. Nathan Adwell won with a vault of 9’6”, while Daniel Craven was second with a vault of 9 feet.

Jaxon Anderson won the Triple Jump with a jump of 33’9”.

Wyatt Latham was second in the Shot Put with a throw of 33’11”. He finished third in the Discus with a throw of 106’9½”.




Thursday, April 28, 2016

Worth County PAT to Hold Messy Night

On Tuesday, May 10 starting at 5:30 pm, the Worth County R-III Parents as Teachers  (PAT) Program will host “Messy Night”.  All Worth County School District parents of children ages 1 – 5 are invited to this FREE Parent and Child Together Event in the Worth County R-III Elementary building.
           
“Children and their parents will enjoy a “messy” sensory walk, art project, and a snack!” said Parent Educator Beth Martz.  “These activities are meant to be done together as parent and child.”
            
Parents as Teachers provides monthly personal visits to families, periodic screenings, and access to resources about child development. 
            
“While we are able to meet with 19 families in our district on a monthly basis, this event is for EVERY family with a child age 1-5 in our district,” said Superintendent Matt Martz.  “We hope to see many more of our future Tigers at Messy Night”

            
Parents as Teachers is an internationally recognized program that has demonstrated the effectiveness of beginning at birth to empower all parents as their child’s first and most influential teachers.

Albany to Offer Summer School, Transportation for Worth County Students

The Worth County R-III School District will not hold summer school classes this year.  In the most recent years, the Worth County R-III School District ran as a satellite program of the Albany R-III School District. The Worth County R-III School District paid the teacher, bus drivers, and cooks, then requested reimbursement from the Albany R-III School District.
            
“I am not really sure when the original agreement was made,” said Superintendent, Matthew Martz. “This year, however, DESE officials notified us that this arrangement was no longer available to us.”  The district is not in the financial position to run a summer school without receiving funding from the state to support it.
             
While summer school attendance can be added to a district’s Weighted Average Daily Attendance (WADA), summer school attendance will not generate any more to our basic formula ADA because we are a hold harmless district in regard to funding.  This small amount of money generated in WADA from summer school attendance would not be enough to offset the costs of paying teachers and staff to work summer school. In Worth County, this cost has been about $20,000 per year.  Therefore, the district would have to pay for summer school expenses from existing revenues.
            
Missouri law allows students to attend summer school in any district in the state that offers summer school.  Worth County students have the option to attend summer school in Albany or Stanberry or any other district that offers summer school.  The Albany District, however, has agreed to offer transportation to Worth County R-III children wanting to attend summer school.

Here is the Summer School Bus Route for Worth County.  Shelly Crouch will be the bus driver.  There is a magnetic sticker on each of the buses for easy identification and to help young students identify which bus they are to ride home.  The bus coming to Worth County will have a green and white alligator magnet by the door.  The 1st pick up will be at Sheridan Park, the second pick up will be at Worth County School District circle drive, the 3rd pick up will be at the Worth Gazebo. The first day of summer school (May 31) the bus will be in Sheridan at 6:45 a.m. Times will be adjusted after the first day to make sure students have adequate time for breakfast. High school students have the option to drive.

            
The Albany R-III school district opens summer school up to any student that wants to attend. Students do not have to be behind in their school work. Additional classes are offered for High School Students, including credit recovery, personal finance, health, and a nine-day ACT class (Albany R-III School District will pay for any student completing this class to take the ACT test).

McCaskill Alleges Valeant Pharmaceuticals Buys Up Competitors, Drives Up Prices

 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill sharply questioned officials and investors of Valeant Pharmaceuticals about the company’s business strategy—which relied upon aggressive corporate acquisitions and price hikes. The hearing also included testimony from individuals and experts who explained the negative impact for individuals caught in Valeant’s ‘price-gouging’ practices.

“You can try to dress up this business model with good sounding phrases but (the model) is simple...give the companies that develop a drug that has little to no competition a healthy profit, fire the scientists, and jack up the prices as high as you think you can get away with,” McCaskill said. “It’s using patients as hostages. It's immoral. It hurts real people. It makes Americans very very angry. In case you haven't noticed that has real ramifications in our political process and could lead to an instability of our government, our economy, and our standing in the world. Pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered. It's time to slaughter some hogs.”

Valeant consistently acquired pharmaceutical companies that were the only producer of off-patent drugs, often then slashing the research and development spending for those companies and raising the prices on their recently-acquired drugs by hundreds or thousands of percentage points. Valeant’s entire research and development budget was consistently below 5 percent of their total sales—dramatically lower than most other companies in the pharmaceutical industry.

One of the witnesses Berna Heyman, who had lost access to the drug Syrine, which is used to treat Wilson’s disease after a dramatic and sudden price increase said, “I’m very proud to see this (hearing) in action. That the committee agreed to look at this issue is doing something for so many of us.”

Today’s hearing was the third in the Senate Special Committee on Aging’s investigation into pharmaceutical drug pricing. TheCommittee’s first hearing of the series, in December 2015, examined the effect dramatic and sudden price increases of prescription drugs has on patients and providers. The second hearing, held on March 17, took an in-depth look inside the monopoly business models of Turing and Retrophin, both formerly headed by Martin Shkreli.

This year alone, Americans are expected to spend more than $328 billion on prescription drugs.  Of this amount, individuals will pay about $50 billion out-of-pocket.  The federal government will pick up another $110 billion in payments through Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs, and other programs.
 
Witnesses for the hearing included: Berna Heyman, Wilson Disease patient, and retired Associate Dean of Libraries, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia; Dr. Frederick K. Askari, M.D. PhD., Associate Professor, and Director, Wilson Disease Center of Excellence, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Dr. Richard Fogel, M.D., FACC, FHRS, Chief Clinical Officer, St. Vincent, Indianapolis, Indiana; J. Michael Pearson, Chief Executive Officer, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Bridgewater, New Jersey; Howard Schiller, Current Director, former Chief Financial Officer, and former Interim Chief Executive Officer, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Bridgewater, New Jersey; Bill Ackman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Pershing Square Capital Management LP, New York, New York; Director, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Bridgewater, New Jersey.

Missouri Representative Proposes Fetal Personhood Initiative, Compares Abortion to Holocaust

(Rep. Mike Moon's Office) -- As the Missouri House prepares to discuss a proposed constitutional amendment to clarify that unborn children are persons with a constitutional right to life, the bill’s sponsor says it is time for concerned citizens to break their silence regarding the continued murder of the unborn. HJR 98 sponsor, state Rep. Mike Moon, said the silence of those who want to protect the unborn is similar to the silence of Germans who stood by and allowed Jewish people to be slaughtered by the Nazis.

In making the comparison, Moon referenced the story called “Sing a Little Louder” about a church in Germany that was located near rail road tracks. Each Sunday, after the train passed by, the members of the church would hear the cries of Jewish prisoners screaming for help. Instead of doing anything to help, the church members would instead sing louder to drown out the screams.

“Seventy-one years since the holocaust, it’s happening again. Only this time, it’s taking place in America. Somehow, we have allowed ourselves to ignore the “silent screams” of millions of unborn boys and girls. It’s time to put an end to the killing of our future generations. It’s time to stop the madness,” said Moon, R-Ash Grove.

Moon added, “Try to imagine how the German people could have stood by and allowed the murder of millions of people during the Second World War. That behavior can only take place when people resolve in their minds that the act in question is not taking place or in the case of the Nazi’s, those being killed were, in fact, not human. This is exactly where we are today in America. We have collectively determined that an unborn child is not a person. All the while, we are comfortable in our beautiful churches. We listen to the preaching and, yes, we sing loud. Let’s not turn a deaf ear to the legal murder of our future generations. Babies are being murdered in America and their organs are "harvested" and sold for use in medical experimentation. It’s time to stop the killing, and that time is now.”

The Missouri House is set to debate HJR 98 next week. If approved by the legislature, it would put the following question on the November ballot for voter approval: “Should the Missouri Constitution be amended to protect pregnant women and unborn children by recognizing that an unborn child is a person with a right to life which cannot be deprived by state or private action without due process and equal protection of law?”


Moon noted that with the Roe v. Wade decision, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected personhood for the unborn. However, he also pointed out that the Court conceded that if the unborn were legal persons, the Court would be required to reach the opposite conclusion. 

Animal Confiscation Bill Passes Missouri House

The Missouri Cattlemen's Association (MCA) applauds the Missouri House of Representatives for passing HB 1969 by a 101-41 vote. The legislation now moves to the Missouri Senate for consideration. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Sonya Anderson (R-131), changes the laws regarding the confiscation of animals.

MCA Executive Vice President Mike Deering said HB 1969 would stop the process of treating the innocent as criminals when it comes to animal abuse and neglect.

"The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other animal rights extremist organizations too often lead the charge for the confiscation of animals - everything from dogs to cattle - claiming animal abuse and neglect," said Deering. "Often times these animals are not abused or neglected and the owner is found innocent. The problem is the owner still has to pay outlandish fees for boarding and care to get their own animals back."

Rep. Anderson said that is because under current law if an animal owner is charged with animal abuse or neglect and they are found not guilty the owner is still required to pay for all expenses associated with their case to prevent immediate disposition of their animals. Rep. Anderson said that is "just plain wrong."

"HB 1969 would ensure owners who are found innocent are not liable for the costs associated with holding their animals and states that their animals must be immediately returned," said Rep. Anderson. "I believe you are innocent until proven guilty and there is a big difference between being charged with a crime and being convicted of a crime."

Deering said MCA encourages the Senate to pass the legislation without delay.

Hopkins Man Life Flighted After Semi Crash

A Hopkins man was life flighted Monday following a semi-truck crash. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that Cameron White (36) of Hopkins was westbound on 246 three miles east of Hopkins driving a 1992 Kenworth Semi-Tractor Trailer at around 5:10 pm. The truck traveled off the north side, struck an embankment, overturned, and came to rest on the passenger side, partially ejecting White. He received serious injuries and was life-flighted to Creighton University Hospital in Omaha. The accident was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Nodaway County Sheriff’s Department, Hopkins Fire and Rescue, Maryville Fire and Rescue, Nodaway County Ambulance, and Missouri DOT. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Obituary -- Dominick Andrews 2004-2016

Dominick Andrews, age 11, of Archie, Missouri departed this life Monday, April 25, 2016. He is survived by his parents, Chad and Jamie Andrews, a brother, Christian Michael Andrews, two sisters, Mollie Grace Andrews, Lexie Denniece Andrews, all of the home; paternal grandmother Donna Andrews, Peculiar, Missouri; maternal grandparents Jim and Molly Schieber, Archie, Missouri, other relatives and friends.

Cremation. A Celebration of Life Visitation will be from 5:00 until 7:00 pm Friday, April 29th in The Dome at the Archie School, 302 West State Route A, Archie, Missouri. Family suggests memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project. Arrangements are under the care of the Dickey Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Missouri.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Obituary -- Galen Ruckman 1927-2016

Galen Lee Ruckman of Allendale, Missouri was born February 10, 1927 on the family farm in rural Worth County to Lawrence and Martha (Stevens) Ruckman.  He passed away April 24, 2016 at Harrison County Community Hospital at the age of 89.
            
Galen graduated from Grant City High School.  He married fellow classmate and high school sweetheart, Betty Carroll on August 25, 1945 in Troy, Kansas.  To this union three children were born.  Michael Lee, Sue Carroll and Robin Wray.
            
As a teen he carried mail on horseback in the rural Denver area. Galen served in the United States Army during World War II stationed in Germany.  Following his discharge they lived in Kansas City, Missouri. He held several jobs including automotive factory worker, fiberglass factory worker, and mason.  One of his proudest moments as a mason was laying brick for the Veterans Hospital in Kansas City. They moved to Sheridan, Missouri in 1949.  While living here, he worked for the Cook and Gerling Farmall Dealership.  In the early 1950's they began farming on their own. They sold the family farm, thinking he was going to retire, moving into Allendale in 1980. He proved retirement didn't serve him well so he continued to raise cattle. He then bought the Hayloft Restaurant in Albany, Missouri. They lived in Denver until 2000 when Allendale became their final homestead.
            
Galen was a leader in cattle ranching.  He has always raised registered and commercial cattle.  He served on numerous cattle boards and associations.  He had a true love of farming and the outdoors.  With his love of the outdoors came his adoration of bald eagles.  He had quite a collection of eagles and Native American art. He greatly enjoyed time with family and friends.  He always had a wonderful sense of humor and a smile.  He was always ready with a helping hand. 
            
Preceding him in death were his parents, brother Alton Ruckman, and wife, Betty.
            
He is survived by sons; Michael (Beverly) Ruckman of Grant City, Missouri; Rob Ruckman of Denver, Missouri; daughter, Sue (Gary) Adcock of Kansas City, Missouri; sisters, Avis Parman of Albany, Missouri and Joan Ruppe of Kansas City, Missouri; 8 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

            
Visitation will be 2:00-3:00 p.m. Saturday, April 30, 2016 at Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home of Grant City, Missouri followed by Memorial services beginning at 3:00 p.m. Galen suggested casual dress for service.  Inurnment will be at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, family request memorial contributions be made to the Allendale Community Betterment or Harrison County Community Hospital, C/O Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home, 200 South Front Street, Grant City, MO 64456.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Memorial Bench Planned in Memory of Karyn Pickering

The Grant City Council voted at their regular meeting last Wednesday night to give Shirley Wallace and Ginny Quick permission to build a memorial bench in memory of Karyn Pickering in front of where the Pixie Building used to be.

Economic Developer Tyler Steele reported that he was working with prospective businesses and setting up mentoring for them. He reported that the Worth County Progress Organization will be doing the annual golf tournament once again. He said that he was looking into doing another Fall Festival and make it longer, possibly by incorporating other events and hold it on the square. He reported that Community Services is seeking a location for a community garden.

After the passage of the Street Bond Issue, Public Works Director Carl Staton reported that he has drawn up a map and cost estimates to pave streets in Grant City.

The council voted to put a measure on the August 2nd ballot seeking the continuation of the city use tax for out of state vehicles.

The council voted to donate $500 to the Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation.

The city is looking at different options to replace the recycling bin that was recently removed from the school. They are also looking at pool prices for summer.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

4-18 -- Resident calls about CCW permit.
4-18 -- Officer transporting male prisoner from jail to court. Officer transports prisoner back to jail.
4-18 -- Out of state landowner calls about eviction notice.
4-19 -- Person needs ID/OD on car.
4-19 -- Worth County prisoner en route from jail to St. Joe to have scram locator installed on his person.
4-20 -- No reports.
4-21 -- Person in to report change of address.
4-21 -- DOT reports finding a bike near Sheridan; stored at Worth County Sheriff's office.
4-21 -- Cattle out south of Allendale on C; unable to locate owner; cattle went into a field.
4-22 -- Person in for CCW permit.
4-22 -- Officer investigating joyriding suspect.
4-22 -- Officer and DFS investigating welfare of local family.
4-22 -- Officer serves legal papers in Grant City.
4-22 -- Person calls about possible violation of protection order.
4-22 -- Officer investigating report of person in Sheridan park possibly drunk.
4-23 -- Highway Patrol in with female DWI suspect; Worth County officer transports to jail.

Obituary -- Rosella Mae Lewis 1915-2016

Rosella Mae Lewis, 100, of Ravenwood, MO, passed away peacefully at the Golden Living Center, Maryville, MO.

Rosella was born on June 14, 1915, in Isadora, MO. Her parents were Willie Clay and Caroline (Ray) Walker. They preceded her in death. She was also preceded by 13 siblings, and 4 of her children, Billy Fred Lewis, Carolyn Louise Lewis, in infancy, Phyllis Faye Price, and Garland Ronald Lewis.

She was a lifelong resident of the area, and had once run the scales at the rock quarry near Ravenwood. She was a member of the Ravenwood Christian Church.

On August 29, 1934, she was united in marriage to Perry Lewis. He passed away in 1988.

Her survivors include her children, Oral Dean Lewis, Ravenwood, Lavona Coline Stoll, Maryville, Donald Perry (Eloise) Lewis, Parnell, MO, and Eldon Jay (Nancy) Lewis, Maryville, MO; as well as 171 direct decendants.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM, on Saturday, April 23, 2016, at the Ravenwood Christian Church. The ministers will be Mr. Vic Coston, and Pastor Justin Briney. The burial will follow in the Oak Lawn Cemetery, Ravenwood, MO.

Friends may call after 1:00 PM Thursday at the Bram-Danfelt Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 6-8:00 PM, Friday, April 22, 2016, at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to SSM Hospice, Maryville, MO

For online condolences and guest book, visit www.bramfuneralhome.com

County Track Hoe Slips Off Trailer; Employee Escapes Injury

County Commission Minutes for 4-18.

Presiding Commissioner Ted Findley brought the meeting to order at 9:00 am.
     
Tyler Paxson visited the commissioner meeting to observe.
     
Kelli Raymond attended the meeting to observe for her Government class.

Commissioner Regan Nonneman made a motion to approve minutes and agenda.   Commissioner Ted Findley seconded. All in favor, motion carried.

Treasurer Linda Brown presented the weekly financial sheet, and a few bills

Commissioner Regan Nonneman made a motion to approve the bills. Commissioner Ted Findley seconded. All in favor, motion carried

Road and Bridge Foreman Jim Fletchall’s Report: Fletchall called in to say that he would not be coming in today.

Fletchall later called in and said that the track hoe had slipped off of the trailer as Lee Moad was loading it. They called the wrecker and had it setting back up before the meeting ended. Lee says he is fine, but clerk Owens suggested that he go get checked out at the ER in Maryville.  

Clerk Owens shared some information about tuck pointing with the commissioners and suggested that the county get started tuck pointing the courthouse. It was started several years ago, but never finished or sealed. Three sides were tuck pointed but not sealed, so they will probable need to be redone. The Commissioner agreed and requested that Clerk Owens to advertise for bids.   

The Conservation agreement came, the Department has agreed to pay for up to 200 tons of rock for the 2016 year. The county will spread 120 ton per county road in those areas.

The Commissioners discussed the Emergency Manager Director’s salary. They agreed to a starting at $11,000, after a six month probationary period, the salary will go up by $11,500.  

Commissioner Regan Nonneman made a motion to adjourn at 11:30. Commissioner Chevy Davidson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.

McCaskill: $86 Million for Failed Aerial Counternarcotics Surveillance Effort in Afghanistan ‘an inexcusable waste of taxpayer money’

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is demanding answers from the Drug Enforcement Agency on a failed joint program to modify a large aircraft to conduct counternarcotics surveillance efforts in Afghanistan. At a cost to taxpayers of more than $86 million, the aircraft remains inoperable.  

“I am writing you regarding the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Global Discovery program, a counternarcotics effort in Afghanistan that DEA conducted in partnership with the Department of Defense,” wrote McCaskill in the letter to the Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “The primary purpose of this program was the purchase and modification of a large aircraft to provide DEA aerial surveillance capabilities in the combat environment of Afghanistan. A recent U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (OIG) report identified that the Global Discovery program has cost taxpayers more than $86 million, yet the aircraft, in the OIG’s words, ‘remains inoperable, resting on jacks, and has never actually flown in Afghanistan.’ Given the DEA’s drawdown in Afghanistan, it is likely the aircraft, if it is ever completed, will never fly there.”

McCaskill, a former Missouri State Auditor and the top-ranking Democrat on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, raised a number of oversight concerns contained in a report from the top watchdog at the Department of Justice, including:

·         The Global Discovery program was initially intended to be completed in 2012, but instead has missed every subsequent delivery date. The aircraft now has a planned delivery date of June 2016, but given the program’s history it appears likely that this date will not be met, either. 

·         At the same time that the delivery date has continually been extended, the DEA has admitted that the aircraft will not be completed with all the required modifications to the aircraft.

·         The DEA failed to comply with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and its own solicitation in purchasing the aircraft. The DEA did not take into account the cost it would incur to establish an infrastructure of pilots, mechanics, trainers, and spare parts required to operate a new type of aircraft. The DEA also failed to evaluate each bid received on the factors it listed in its solicitation, potentially awarding a contract for an aircraft that did not meet DEA’s requirements.

·         The DOD awarded a $1.9 million contract for a hanger to store the DEA aircraft, but the aircraft was never housed there, and likely never will be.

·         The OIG audited a select number of expenditures made by the Global Discovery Program, and among those expenditures alone found more than $2 million in unallowable and unsupported costs.

·         DEA had no performance metrics to determine whether the Global Discovery program was an effective part of DEA’s counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan.  Reviewing the reports that DEA filed on the missions flown using available aircraft, OIG found that DEA’s data was not accurate.

·         DEA spent nearly $50,000 in travel to oversee the Global Discovery contract, even though contract oversight for this program clearly failed.

McCaskill, who in 2010 began investigating insufficient oversight of counternarcotics contracts at the Departments of State and Defense that made it impossible to know if tax dollars are being used properly, released a report that showed federal agencies do not have systems in place to adequately track money spent on more than $3 billion in counternarcotics contracts or evaluate whether those contracts are achieving their goals.

McCaskill has led a successful effort to end hundreds of millions in taxpayer spending on unsustainable overseas projects, bring those resources home, and increase accountability for the remaining U.S.-Afghan projects. During her first term in the Senate, McCaskill waged a successful six-year battle to rein in wasteful wartime contracting practices in Iraq and Afghanistan, and ultimately passed into law the most expansive reforms to wartime contracting practices since World War II.

Full text of the letter can be found HERE.

Grant City House Broken Into Twice in One Month

A Grant City house was broken into twice in one month. Teresa Staton reported Monday on Facebook that one month ago, $1,700 came up missing from her Bible. Subsequently, thieves broke into her house sometime Sunday night, thieves broke into her house, stole a set of car keys for each vehicle the Statons own, went through books, and attempted unsuccessfully to access their safe.

This is part of a crime wave that has been hitting the county. Thieves have also hit Sheridan, entering at least three different cars and taking them on joyrides and hitting a deer with one. The Worth County Sheriff's Report from last week reported a building that was damaged in Allendale.

Obituary -- Gary Cotter 1939-2016

Gary Lee Cotter was born July 25, 1939 in Spokane, Washington to Lloyd  Bloomington and Maxine (Haydon) Bloomington Cotter . He passed away April 20, 2016 at the Worth County Convalescent Center in Grant City, Missouri at the age of 76.
     
Gary served in the United States Army in the 25th Infantry from 1965-1966. He married June Lantz on November 15, 1969 in Sheridan, Missouri. Gary worked for MFAas a grain elevator operator.  He loved working on houses.
    
Gary was preceded in death by his wife June, daughter, Tamela Murry, parents, brother Patrick Cotter and sisters Susan Cotter and Caroline Newich.
     
He is survived by daughter Laura (Frank) Spiess of Independence, Missouri, brothers Mike (Dalea) Cotter and Terry Cotter, sisters Bunny (Dean) Hogewoning and Patsy Garcia, all of Spokane, Washington, sister-in-law Charlotte and husband Pete Belokonny of Sheridan, Missouri, 5 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and his beloved dog Happi.
     
Gary was a wonderful dad and was special to all who knew and loved him.

Celebration of Life and Inurnment will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City, Missouri

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Worth County Care & Rehab Center to Celebrate National Nursing Home Week

The schedule has been released for the Worth County Care & Rehab Center's celebration of National Nursing Home Week. It will start on May 9th and end on May 13th. The schedule is as follows:

Monday, May 9th
10:00 -- Tic-Tac-Toe
1:30 -- Ice cream judging contest. Bring in your favorite homemade ice cream. Residents will be judging the winner. Entries should be delivered by 1:15.
2:00 -- Bingo
In the afternoon, we will have clowns making balloon shapes for the residents; come on our and show your talent.

Tuesday, May 10th 
10:00 -- Duck pond
2:00 -- Tug of war; resident water balloon throw
3:00 -- Quilt judging contest -- Bring your quilt in; entries due by 10:00
3:30 -- Salsa judging contest; bring in your homemade salsa. entries due by 2:30

Wednesday, May 11th
10:00 -- Car/tractor show; bring your cars and tractors; entries due by 9:30
2:00 -- Nerf gun contest
2:30 -- Hayride, weather permitting

Thursday, May 12th
10:00 -- Pie in the face
2:00 -- Ladder ball
2:30 -- Pie judging; bring in your homemade pies by 2:00. Show your talent.

Friday, May 13th
10:00 -- Bullfrog races
1:00 -- Petting zoo
2:00 -- Face painting and funnel cakes

Union Township Fire Department Seeks to Purchase Brush Truck

The Union Township Fire Department is seeking to purchase a brush truck. They will hold their annual May morning breakfast on May 1st from 7-11 am at the Pickering Community Building. Proceeds will go towards saving for the purchase of a brush truck. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 10 and under. To go boxes are available. The dinner is sponsored by the Union Township Fire Department.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

McCaskill to do Video Presentation on Wastewater Systems

Senator Clair McCaskill’s staff has put together a video presentation in order to help Missouri communities better understand current standards and funding opportunities for municipal wastewater systems. On May 4 at 1 p.m., staff from the Regional Council will set up to view this on-line presentation, and would like to extend an invitation to representatives from member communities to join us. This will be a two-hour session designed to update stakeholders about municipal wastewater policies and existing and emerging opportunities for assistance.  Agencies will offer presentations on current standards and funding opportunities and answer questions from communities. If you have city leaders that would like to participate at the Regional Council, please contact our office as soon as possible as space is limited. Email jackie@nwmorcog.org or call 660-582-5121.

Communities may also register and participate from your own office.  Click here to visit Senator McCaskill's website and register for the Municipal Wastewater Video Conference.  When you register, you will have the option of submitting any questions you may already have for the presenters. You will later receive a follow up email that provides the specific information you need to join the video conference.  Please register at least 24 hours in advance to ensure that you will receive the information you need to join. Participation in the event requires a call in from a web browser.  You will need a computer with a web cam and audio capabilities in order to join, as well as a strong internet connection.

32,000 Missourians Participating in Central States Pension Plan Face Severe Cuts

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill this week joined the top-ranking Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and the top-ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee, along with more than 40 other Senators, to send a message to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew about the Central States Pension Fund’s application to reduce its participants’ pension benefits under the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014.

McCaskill and her colleagues noted that the Treasury Department’s decision on the application will have enormous stakes for the 270,000 retirees in the plan who face potential cuts, with a significant number of those retirees facing cuts of 50 percent and, in some cases, more than 70 percent of their monthly pension.

In Missouri, more than 32,000 individuals participate in the Central States Pension Plan and are at risk of a severe pension cut.

“In light of the enormous stakes for the 270,000 CSPF retirees, we expect Treasury to conduct a thorough analysis and carefully check every aspect of CSPF’s application and their assumptions,” the Senators wrote in the letter. “…We ask that you proceed with a careful analysis when making a determination on this application. It is of utmost importance that Treasury gets this right.”

Before the Treasury Department makes a decision on the application, the Senators requested Secretary Lew to carefully consider several aspects of the application, including whether market conditions were appropriately taken into consideration, if investment assumptions in the application were reasonable, if future employer contribution assumptions were realistic, and if the Central States Pension Fund pursued all other reasonable measures before considering cuts.

“This comes at a time when workers, retirees, and surviving spouses across the country are worried about the state of their pensions,” the Senators’ letter stated. “They contributed to their pensions over the course of many years – making the sacrifices of giving up better pay or improved benefits, or even staying in a physically exhausting job that took them away from their families – so they could earn a pension that they believed could never be taken away.”

McCaskill is co-sponsor of The Keep Our Pension Promises Act, which would repeal the “benefit suspension” provisions of the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act enacted at the end of the last Congress,which she opposed. Those provisions allow the trustees of certain financially-troubled multiemployer pension plans to reduce the benefits of retirees and their widows and widowers.The Keep Our Pension Promises Act would ensure that Missouri pensioners will continue to get their full benefits.


House Agrees Ag Disasters Should Not Be Taxed

The Missouri Cattlemen's Association (MCA) is leading an effort to exempt agricultural disaster assistance payments from state income tax. MCA President Keith Stevens said the government currently taxes agricultural disaster payments as income, which he calls "unacceptable." The House Ways and Means Committee cleared SB 641, sponsored by Sen. Dave Schatz (R-26), with a bipartisan 10-1 vote.



"Only in agriculture does the government consider disasters as a taxable event. We are aware of no other disaster assistance treated as income by the government," said Stevens. "Disaster assistance in the livestock industry is extremely rare. The most recent disaster was the widespread drought just a few years ago, but on average significant disaster assistance kicks in about once a decade."

The legislation cleared the Missouri Senate March 3, 2016, with a 29-3 vote. The approval of the House committee takes the legislation one step closer to final passage. The bill now moves to the House Select Committee on Financial Institutions and Taxation.



"We are very pleased with the committee's approval of this commonsense legislation. Cattle producers do not want disasters to occur, but we have no control over this. These payments are not subsidies and do not even come close to making the producer whole, but sometimes allows a family farmer or rancher to stay in business after a disaster hits," said Stevens. "We are extremely disappointed with Rep. Jeff Pogue (R-143) who was the only policymaker siding against farm and ranch families."

Stevens said he urges the full Missouri House of Representatives to pass the legislation as quickly as possible.

Missouri House Passes Legislation Calling for Article V Constitutional Convention

The Missouri House has advanced legislation sponsored by state Rep. Eric Burlison to protect the freedoms of Missouri citizens and all Americans by convening an Article V Convention of States. Burlison said the convention would be an important step toward restraining the abuses of power perpetrated by the federal government.

Burlison’s HCR 57 would call for the convention of the states to propose amendments to the United States Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and members of Congress.

The resolution notes that the founding fathers “empowered state legislators to be guardians of liberty against future abuses of power by the federal government and the federal government has created a crushing national debt through improper and imprudent spending.” The resolution also notes that the federal government has “invaded the legitimate roles of the states through the manipulative process of federal mandates, most of which are unfunded to a great extent” and “has ceased to live under a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United States”.

“Our founding fathers made it clear that states should be ready and willing to defend our liberties when the federal government abuses its authority. The convention of states is our vehicle to push back against the continued overreach from Washington, D.C. and I hope we will see other states join us as we work to rein in a federal government that has grown out of control,” said Burlison, R-Springfield.

Under Article V of the United States Constitution, two thirds of the states can come together to call a “convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states.”

Burlison’s legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

McCaskill -- Postal Service "Last Mile" Pricing is Issue in Rural Areas

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today questioned the U.S. Postal Service’s pricing for its “last mile” of delivery in rural areas, and why she believes it may be losing money by under-charging competitors such as UPS and Fedex to carry mail to those areas.

“I have been on a harangue about giving deals to our competitors,” said McCaskill, a former Missouri State Auditor and senior member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Postal Service. “…We are giving a really good deal to our competitors. I’ve never seen another business entity who says, because we are so starving for volume, we’re going to take the most expensive part of our architecture, which is the last mile, and we’re going to give our competitors a deal on that last mile. And I have yet to have anyone give me the analysis that shows me that they have, in fact, at the Postal Service, considered what price they’re giving to UPS and FedEx for that last mile of delivery as it relates to our costs.”

In January, McCaskill demanded answers from the Postal Service on how it will protect mail delivery for rural Missourians and efficiently manage the cost-sharing benefits with competitors to carry mail the “last mile,” especially in rural areas, saying: “I think it’s really important we get a handle on [rural delivery times]. Those of us who are really pushing to protect rural delivery…think it’s important we know what we’re working with from a data-driven basis.”

In 2014, McCaskill asked the Government Accountability Office to look at these agreements, and the agency confirmed some of her concerns when they discovered the Postal Service wasn’t accounting for key cost-drivers such as package size and weight when making agreements, and wasn’t collecting some of the revenue it was owed from the deals.

McCaskill, al ongtime advocate for postal service in rural communities, is widely credited with having waged a successful campaign over several years to save rural post offices and maintain delivery times when faced with closures and the slowing of standards.

McCaskill recently backed the Rural Postal Act, a bill that aims to improve postal service, delivery times, and standards in rural communities that have been disproportionately affected by cuts to the Postal Service. The bill—sponsored by Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and also cosponsored by Jon Tester of Montana—would restore overnight delivery, return a faster First-Class mail standard, make six-day delivery permanent, and enact strict criteria the Postal Service would have to meet before closing a post office to ensure that rural communities are still able to easily access the mail system.

Last year McCaskill requested an examination of the interaction between the lack of adequate access to broadband technology in rural areas and the reliability of Postal Service delivery. Without efficient and effective mail service as a result of recent Postal Service consolidations, rural Missourians are put at an economic and communications disadvantage, the effects of which haven’t yet been properly studied. McCaskill also recently signed on to a request for the federal government’s top watchdog to review the Postal Service’s calculation of delivery times and standards, and she helped win a one-year moratorium on postal closings until the impact of those closings is fully understood.

Obituary -- Charles Force 1943-2016

Charles L. Force, age 72, formerly of Sheridan, Missouri, died April 6, 2016.

Charles was born December 4, 1943 on a homestead in Nodaway County, Missouri; the son of the late Albert and Vera (Downing) Force.

Charles was a graduate of the Sheridan High School.  He was a truck driver having hauled gasoline and propane in the area.  Charles later trucked over the road for Swift and Company.   Charles had been an active part of the Sheridan Community where he had served as a bus driver, on the Sheridan Community Betterment Board, Past President of the Saddle Club, former City Marshall and Fire Chief for the Volunteer Fire Department.  Charles was also instrumental in forming the group that is now known as Storm Spotters for the area. Charles love of horses had allowed him in recent years to train ponies for various pony rides.

Charles was united in marriage to Joanne Force.  To this union three children were born, Darwin, Lisa and Cindy.  They were later divorced.  On November 28, 1998 he married Marilyn Lindsey in Lansing, Kansas.

Charles was a member of the Redding Assembly of God where he had been baptized as a child. He joined the Methodist Church in Sheridan.  In later years, he attended Wallula Christian Church in Lansing, Kansas with his wife Marilyn.

Family members preceding him in death were his wife, Marilyn; parents, Albert and Vera; and brothers Ronnie and Donnie Force.

His survivors include: son, Darwin (Tanya) Force, daughters, Lisa Donaldson, Cindy (David) Behrens; two brothers, Richard and Robert Force, one sister Linda (Roger) Anthony; grandchildren,
Brandi, Brandon, Lane, Samantha, Charlyse, Jaylynn, Anna, Ben, Kaylin Caroline; great grandchildren, Gracie and Olivia; and many nieces and nephews.

Mr. Force requested his body be cremated.  Memorial services will be held 2:00 PM, Saturday, June 11, 2016 at the Luteston Cemetery, Sheridan, Missouri.  Charle’s family and friends (weather permitting) will gather at State Highway 246 and Orion Road West of Sheridan for one last ride with him to the Luteston Cemetery at 1:30 PM prior to the Service.


Arrangements: andrewshannfuneralhome.com 

Kollitz Family Named State Fair Farm Family for Worth County

Worth County Extension Minutes from March 28th
Members present:  David Hunt, Brandon Allee, Julie Tracy, Linda Brown, Mary Kay Hunt and David Seat.

Chairman David Hunt called the meeting to order. Motion made by Julie Tracy to approve the agenda.  Seconded by Brandon Allee.  All in favor.

Motion by Julie Tracy to approve the previous minutes as corrected.  Seconded by Mary Kay Hunt.  All in favor.

The financial report and current bills were presented by Julie Tracy. The bills were routine monthly business. Motion by David Seat to receive and file for audit the financial report and to pay the current bills. Seconded by Linda Brown.  All in favor. 

Motion by Julie Tracy to name the Kollitz family as the Worth County State Fair Farm Family for 2016 and to ask the Chris Cadle family to be the alternate family.  Seconded by Mary Kay Hunt.  All yes. 

The 4-H Audit was completed and reported by Linda Brown, Mary Kay Hunt and Sherri Runde.  It was noted that a check may not have been cashed in a timely manner.   Motion by Brandon Allee to receive 4-H Audit Report.  Seconded by David Seat.

Jerry reported on the Safe Burn program that was delivered by Kendall Coleman and Bob Kelly.  He noted it was very well presented with videos and comments from the presenters and that a newspaper editor and some firefighters from Maryville also attended the session. 

Chairman Hunt appointed Sherri Runde, Linda Brown and Mary Kay Hunt to perform the annual extension accounting audit. 

The council discussed the additional duties that office bookkeeper/manager has taken on with the county clerk’s office.  Motion by Julie to approve the office manager/bookkeeper’s duties within the courthouse system.  Seconded by Mary Kay.  All yes.

Jerry gave his MU Extension report. 

Motion to adjourn made by David Seat.  Seconded by Brandon.  All in favor.

Prairie Chicken Numbers Up at Dunn Ranch in Eagleville

The first long, haunting "oooomph, oooomph" filled foggy darkness just before dawn, as a male prairie chicken announced his presence on a Harrison County hilltop. Moments later, another male arrived and puffed out the orange air sacs on his neck to make a mating call that resembles an exotic acoustic musical note. Then more joined in, creating a haunting chorus as sunrise made their foot-stomping dances and territorial jousts visible.
   "They're everywhere," an onlooker whispered, watching from a blind on April 19 at a lek at Dunn Ranch Prairie in northwest Missouri.
   So it seemed, with 15 or more males visiting the mating ground in hopes hens would come. These leks have long been called booming grounds for the sounds the males make in courtship and in defense of the turf they temporarily claim on the leks. Up close, the sound is more like a croon. But perhaps when the greater prairie chicken populations on the hilltops numbers hundreds and thousands of birds before their decline in the 1800s due to habitat loss, the cumulative sound at a distance did sound like the booming of drums or cannon.
   Greater prairie chickens are now endangered in Missouri and in Iowa, which is just north of Harrison County. The birds at Dunn Ranch and flocks at Taberville Prairie and Wah Kon-Tah Prairie in west central Missouri are the only current notable populations. But biologists are encouraged that habitat management and translocation of Nebraska prairie chickens is boosting the flock anchored by The Nature Conservancy's Dunn Ranch and the Missouri Department of Conservation's (MDC) Pawnee Prairie Natural Area.
   MDC biologists and staff for the Conservancy recently drove the Harrison County backroads at sunrise to listen and look for prairie chickens. The count noted 47 prairie chickens at seven different leks, up from 40 birds found on five leks last spring. Most were males booming on leks at Dunn Ranch. Others were at Pawnee Prairie or on private farms. Other birds, especially hens, are in the area but were not on the leks during the count.
   "This year's greater prairie chicken count revealed that numbers were higher and the birds were distributed over a larger geography when compared to last year," said Kendall Coleman, MDC private land conservationist. "With the translocated birds added to the population, we are very optimistic about the coming nesting season."
   Dunn Ranch and Pawnee Prairie are centerpieces in a broad cooperative effort with partners in Missouri and Iowa called the Grand River Grasslands. MDC trapped 100 prairie chickens this spring in Nebraska. Sixty of those birds were released at Dunn Ranch and 40 were released in Iowa.
   MDC works with conservation partners and private landowners to boost habitat for prairie chickens and all native grassland species. Research is helping biologists determine the varied plant species and vegetation heights that prairie chickens need to successfully nest, raise broods, feed and survive through all seasons. Hens released in the translocation program were outfitted with small radio transmitters. Biologists will be tracking the birds to determine their movements, habitat preferences and brood rearing success.
   Prairie chickens are endangered in Missouri because only a tiny fraction of the state?s once-vast prairies remain. Remnants are in isolated tracts. But MDC's prairie chicken recovery programs in the Grand River Grasslands and the Upper Osage Grasslands are making progress on public and private grasslands to provide significant habitat for ground-dwelling birds and the native plants that support them.
   For more information on prairie chicken programs in Missouri, visithttp://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/greater-prairie-chicken.

Former Missouri State Student Sues After Being Expelled Over Religious Beliefs About Gays

The Associated Press and St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported today that a former Missouri State student, who was expelled from a Master's counseling program at the university, had filed suit against the university. The student, Andrew Cash, alleged that he was confronted after declaring that he would not counsel same-sex couples because their lifestyle violated his religious beliefs. He was allegedly forced to audit classes he had already passed and sent to remedial programs before finally being expelled in 2014. He had stated that he would counsel same-sex partners individually, but would not counsel them together, but would refer them to other counselors.

The Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriages in this country. The current battleground is over whether people such as counselors or bakers can be forced to serve same-sex couples.

Mountain Lion Track Spotted Near Worth Timber

During the extensive rains that happened last week, Doug Parker reported that he had been out mushroom hunting and collected a lot of mushrooms. While on one of his hunts, he reported that he saw a mountain lion track in a timber near Worth. Mountain lions can have a range of hundreds of miles as they travel looking for mates and prey. They are always males and there is no breeding population in Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation has no plans to reintroduce mountain lions to the state; Missouri was part of their historic habitat in the past. A few times a year, mountain lions or their tracks are spotted in Worth County. There was one spotted near Oxford last summer, along with a bobcat spotted halfway between Grant City and Allendale.

Seven New Deer Test Positive for Chronic Wasting Disease

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) received final results from its 2015‐2016 fall and winter testing of nearly 7,700 free‐ranging deer for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Seven were confirmed to be positive for the fatal deer‐disease. Three were from Adair County, two from Macon County, one from Linn County, and one from Franklin County (reported earlier in the year).

The new cases bring the total number of Missouri free‐ranging deer that have tested positive for CWD to 33 since the disease was first discovered in the state in 2010. Of the 33 cases, 21 have been found in Macon County, 9 in Adair, one in Cole, one in Franklin, and one in Linn.
Chronic Wasting Disease infects only deer and other members of the deer family by causing degeneration of the brain. The disease has no vaccine or cure and is 100‐percent fatal.

According to MDC State Wildlife Veterinarian Kelly Straka, the Department’s CWD‐testing efforts focus mostly on deer harvested by hunters and deer removed by MDC staff and landowners from specific private properties in northeast, central, and east‐central Missouri around where the disease has been found, along with a small number of sick and road‐kill deer.

Straka added that MDC also conducts broader CWD testing around the state each year as part of its ongoing monitoring efforts. Nearly 2,700 of the deer tested last fall and winter were part of this broader CWD monitoring and the focus was on the southern half of Missouri. No deer from southern Missouri were found to be positive for CWD.

The Conservation Department has collected more than 51,000 tissue samples for CWD testing from all around the state since it began testing for the disease in 2001.

NEW MANDATORY CWD TESTING

This coming fall and winter, MDC will increase its CWD‐testing efforts in its CWD management zones. The management zones consist of 29 counties within or that touch a radius of approximately 25 miles from where the disease has been found. Counties in the CWD management zones are: Adair, Boone, Callaway, Carroll, Chariton, Crawford, Cole, Cooper, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Knox, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, Putnam, St. Charles, St. Louis, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, Sullivan, Washington, and Warren.

The Department will require hunters to present their deer for CWD testing at an MDC testing location if they harvest it in one of these 29 counties during the opening weekend of the fall firearms deer season, Nov. 12 and 13. The testing is free and hunters can also get free test results.

“We are in the process of working out the logistics for this important CWD‐testing effort and will have more details this summer and fall,” explained Straka. “We will be providing several locations in each of the 29 counties to help make getting their deer tested as convenient as possible for hunters.”

MDC will also continue to work with meat processors and taxidermists in the 29 counties to provide free CWD testing during other parts of the upcoming deer‐hunting seasons. The Department will also continue its broader ongoing CWD monitoring efforts with a focus on the northern half of the state for the upcoming season.

For more information on CWD in Missouri, visit the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov/CWD.

Brevyn Ross Breaks Worth County Meet Record in 300 Hurdles

Brevyn Ross' win at the Tiger Relays in the 300 Hurdles set a new meet record for the event. He won with a time of 40.95, which was a personal best. He has won all of the 300 events that he has competed in and has won most of the 110 Hurdles events as well. His times of 16.88 in the 110 Hurdles and 24.37 in the 200 were personal bests. What made the showing more impressive was that it was done in wet and rainy conditions.

Obituary -- Clarice Scott 1916-2016

Clarice Johnson Scott, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, was born on March 4, 1916. She departed this life on April 22, 2016. Clarice was born in her grandparent’s home close to Honey Creek in Nodaway County, Missouri. She was the first child of Bertie Nelson Wilson and Mabel Cordelia Stutesman Wilson. She graduated from Sheridan High School in 1933.
     
She was married to Clifford Earl Johnson and together they raised four children: Laverne Johnson, Larry Johnson, Doyle Johnson and Ina Sue Johnson Bradshaw.
     
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Clifford, second husband Loyd Scott, and infant son – Keith, son Doyle and her daughter Ina Sue Bradshaw. Also preceding her were her brother Adrian Wilson and his wife Dorothy, who was loved like a sister by Clarice.
     
Left with many fond memories are: Larry Johnson (wife Helen), Barnard, MO, Laverne Johnson, Atascadero, CA,  brother Eldon Wilson, Harveyville, KS, sister Carol Wilson Young, Raymore, MO,  son-in-law James Bradshaw, Maryville, MO,daughter-in-law Ivalee Johnson, Sheridan, MO.  Also surviving are fifteen grandchildren, Debbie Mattice, Sheryl Johnson, Lisa Roberts, Eric & Marnie Johnson, Bob Johnson, Rick Johnson, Arlene & Randy Ward, Janet & Jay Cacek, Steve & Linda Johnson,  Aaron & Renee Johnson, Neil & Lindy Anne Johnson, Amy & Doug Burket, Lori & Curtis Bradshaw, Todd & Elizabeth Bradshaw, Kevin Bradshaw,  step-grandson, Clint Bradshaw,  38 great-grandchildren, 4 step great-grandchildren, 16 great-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.


Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Monday, April 25, 2016 at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City, Missouri. Pastor Jeff officiated. Interment was in the Brethren Cemetery near Sheridan, Missouri. 

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Worth County Teams Finish Fourth at Tiger Relays

The Worth County teams finished fourth at the Tiger Relays, which was held Monday despite rain that poured down for much of the afternoon. The girls meet was won by Rock Port with 130 1/2 points, followed by Stanberry with 81, Platte Valley with 72, and Worth County with 58. On the boys side, South Harrison, the dominant power, was challenged by North Andrew but came out on top with 111 to 102 for North Andrew. Princeton had 61 and Worth County had 61 points along with Stanberry.

Payton Adwell was 2nd in the 100 with a time of 14.25. That was .28 of a second behind Megan Stevens of Rock Port.

Worth County's girls placed in three out of their four relay events. The 4x100 team was third with a time of 55.87. The 4x200 team won with a time of 1:57.46. And the 4x400 was third with a time of 4:36.14.

The High Jump was one of the more difficult events to compete in due to the slippery surface due to the rains. Liz Lyle was fourth with a height of 4'6". The girls placed two in the Pole Vault as Tess Andrews was third with a height of 7 feet. Jessi Badell was fourth, also with a height of 7 feet.

Kennedy Galanakis was second in the Discus with a throw of 97'1".

The girls placed two in the newly added Javelin Throw. Rachael Gardner was fourth with a throw of 68'7". Tess Andrews was fifth with a throw of 65 feet.

On the boys side, Brevyn Ross was third in the 200 with a time of 24.37. Jayden Jilek was sixth in the 400 with a time of 57.28.

In one of the closest races of the afternoon, Brevyn Ross beat Preston Aye (Stanberry) by two hundredths of a second in the 110 Hurdles. Ross won with a time of 16.88 to Aye's 16,90. Ross won the 300 Hurdles, this time in much easier fashion as he got a time of 40.95. That was three seconds better than his nearest rival.

Three of Worth County's four relay teams placed. The 4x100 was sixth with a time of 50.47. The 4x200 was second with a time of 1:38.54. And the 4x400 was fourth with a time of 3:57.12.

Tevin Cameron found the wet conditions to his liking as he won the Long Jump with a jump of 19'4 1/4". Caleb Parman was fourth with a jump of 18'2".

Caleb Parman was third in the Triple Jump with a jump of 37'4".

Rune Zinn-Scheiffele placed for the first time this year, getting sixth in the Javelin Throw with a distance of 76'4".




Monday, April 18, 2016

West Fork Bridge on 46 Near Isadora to Receive In-Depth Inspection

In-depth bridge inspections are scheduled for several bridges in Northwest Missouri over the next few weeks. Crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation may close a single lane on the bridges listed below as they conduct bridge inspections. All work is weather permitting and could be rescheduled. Motorists are advised to be alert for work zone signs and extra equipment on the roadways around these bridges.

Week of April 25:
Carroll County U.S. Route 24 bridge over the Grand River
Grundy County Route 6 bridge over the Thompson River
Livingston County Route C bridge over Shoal Creek
Worth County Route 46 bridge over the West Fork of the Grand River

Week of May 2:
Chariton County U.S. Route 24 bridge over Mussel Fork Creek
Chariton County Route KK bridge over the Little Chariton River
Sullivan County Route PP bridge over Medicine Creek

MoDOT encourages all motorists to slow down, buckle up, eliminate distractions and drive safely through all work zones to ensure everyone can Arrive Alive.

For more information about this and other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/northwest and view the online Traveler Information Map. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook at www.facebook.com

Kids Steal Two Cars in Sheridan, Take Them on Joyrides

Kids stole two cars in Sheridan and took them on joyrides last Sunday night. Raymond Smyser told the Express that last Sunday night, kids took his truck that was parked in the Sheridan Villa parking lot, which had the keys in it, and took it for a ride. He noticed that the car had been parked in a different location, the radio was blaring, and they had gotten the manual out. Subsequently, they took another car owned by Henry Dell Rowen Sr., which was parked in front of Paxson Welding & Tire. They took it for another joyride and hit a deer before taking it back and parking it where it was.

Many insurance companies will not cover car accidents from theft if the keys were left in the car. The site Criminal Defense Lawyer.com says Missouri has no specific statute pertaining to unlawfully taking a vehicle with the intent to return it (also called “joyriding”). However, if you cause damage to the vehicle while it is in your possession (or because of something that happens because of the joyriding), you may face charges for property damage. Penalties will vary according to the type of damage and the circumstances of your crime.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

4-11 -- Person in about a car parked on one way street.
4-11 -- Person in for CCW application.
4-11 -- Person in to be fingerprinted.
4-12 -- Person in for CCW application.
4-12 -- Person in to renew CCW.
4-12 -- Report of cow out on Route W; owner notified.
4-13 -- Person calls needing DFS hotline.
4-13 -- Person reports damage to building in Allendale.
4-13 -- Officer responds to domestic disturbance in Grant City.
4-13 -- Person calls about phone harassment.
4-14 -- Report of truck stolen and taken on joy ride; hit deer; truck recovered.
4-15 -- Officer serving papers in Grant City.
4-15 -- Person calls about CCW permit.
4-16 -- Worth County officer and Highway Patrol arrest male on DWI charge; officer transports subject to jail on 12 hour hold.

Andrew Webster Out as Muskets Football Coach

Andrew Webster has been ousted as the North/West Nodaway Football Coach, the Sheridan Express has learned. The cooperative agreement between North and West Nodaway required approval of coaches for the football program from both schools. West Nodaway wanted to go a different direction with the program. Webster took his program to the Final Four in its first year after the schools formed an emergency cooperative agreement in 2014. The program won only four games last year. Webster had previously coached two years at North Nodaway as the head football coach. Assistant Bryant Reeves, who had coached West Nodaway before the cooperative agreement was formed, will not return, meaning there will be a completely new coaching staff next year.

Webster will continue to teach at North Nodaway and he will continue to coach the baseball team, which got back into the hunt for the Northwest Missouri Baseball Conference title last week with an 8-6 win over Platte Valley.

Letter to the Editor -- Worth County Vets

Jesse, we wanted to tell you that we enjoy your Sheridan paper each week.

In the SHERIDAN EXPRESS 4-6-16, an article was written recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the end of the conflict of the Vietnam War. Also mentioned were the soldiers from Worth County, Missouri that were still alive.

I would like to add C. Duane Hammers, who enlisted December 14, 1967 in the United States Army, 11th Cavalry Regiment. Discharged with Honorable Mention August 4, 1969.

We thank ALL of the veterans in Worth County for their service, and recognize those that have gone before them.

Thank you.
Debra Hammers
Gladstone, MO

Missouri State Representative Seeks Impeachment Against AG Chris Koster Over LGBT, Other Issues

State Rep. Mike Moon wants the Missouri House of Representatives to launch an investigation to determine if Attorney General Chris Koster has committed impeachable offenses with his refusal to defend the state constitution and his questionable handling of cases that involve companies that have donated to his campaign.

Moon has drafted two resolutions calling for an investigation into Koster’s actions. The first outlines the allegation of Koster’s “willful neglect” in his duty to protect and defend the Missouri Constitution. The second details allegations that campaign contributions have influenced Attorney General Koster’s decisions.

Moon’s first resolution notes that Koster chose not to appeal a decision by Circuit Judge Dale J. Youngs that held that Missouri must recognize same-sex marriages occurring in all other states. The resolution points out that, “Koster has explicitly indicated to the media that his reason for not appealing this circuit court decision was based on his own views and not considerations of his lawful duty to defend the Constitution of Missouri by stating that ‘Missouri’s future will be one of inclusion, not exclusion.’”

“Police officers swear an oath to enforce the law, and if an officer decides not to enforce a certain law just because he disagrees with it, that is a failure to perform his duties (willful neglect). In the same sense, the attorney general deciding not to defend the constitution because he disagrees with it is unacceptable,” said Moon, R-Ash Grove, who also pointed out that he has written letters to Koster on the issue and has yet to receive a response.

Moon’s second resolution notes that news sources indicated that Koster ordered his staff to drop an investigation into the company 5-Hour Energy after being notified of the investigation by a company attorney whose law firm had donated moneys to his campaign. The resolution also points out that Koster negotiated a settlement with Pfizer, which was represented by a law firm whose attorneys had donated to Koster’s campaigns. Additionally, Koster received donations from The Simmons Firm, which received a settlement in a class action lawsuit against Republic Services months after Koster filed a lawsuit against Republic Services.

“As multiple news outlets have discovered and reported, Attorney General Koster has repeatedly taken contributions that raise red flags in regard to the decisions he has made in numerous cases,” said Moon.

Moon added, “The bottom line is that our attorney general has failed to perform his duty to defend the Missouri Constitution, and then ignored efforts by those wanting him to defend the constitution. I believe the House should act promptly to thoroughly investigate his offenses.”

Moon’s resolutions request that a House legislative committee be formed to investigate Koster’s decision to not appeal the circuit court decision and the questionable acceptance of moneys.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Ben Hart's Grand Slam Powers Mustangs Past Braymer 13-10

North Nodaway put themselves back into the driver's seat of the Northwest Missouri Baseball Conference. Off to a rocky start after losses to West Nodaway and East Atchison, North Nodaway played themselves back into the race with two wins over Platte Valley and one over Northeast Nodaway. With another game against East Atchison on tap along with another game against West Nodaway, North Nodaway is in control of their own destiny in the conference if they win out. That would be their first-ever banner on the wall for the baseball team.

Against Braymer on Friday, they had every reason to be underdogs as the Bobcats have wreaked havoc on the conference over the last two years, including a district win over the Mustangs last year at Beale. The Bobcats had beaten Platte Valley earlier in the year and looked to continue that trend after first baseman Ben Hart dropped a pop fly that the wind pushed away and Gabe Rogers scored with two outs.

But then Peyton Coleman reached on an error by shortstop Keaton O'Dell and took second on a balk and third on a wild pitch. As Bobcat pitcher Gabe Rogers was fighting the strike zone, Dakota Smyser walked and Koby Reynolds grounded out to score Coleman. Smyser went all the way from first to third on the play and dove in safe under the tag. Arron Coleman's pop fly single to center scored Smyser and North Nodaway was up 2-1.

Braymer tied the game at 2 in the second as Corbin McCulley was picked off third by catcher Daytona Lutz only to escape the rundown and score, but then North Nodaway used a two out rally to score four runs. August Hoepker and Daytona Lutz struck out to start the inning, but then Rogers began fighting the strike zone again and walked Wyatt Tate and Peyton Coleman. They went to second and third on a wild pitch and then Dakota Smyser singled to center to score both of them to make it 4-2. Koby Reynolds grounded to second baseman Drake Parker, but he misplayed it and then Jake Gladieux misplayed it in right as Reynolds took second and Smyser third on the play. Ben Hart walked and then Arron Coleman's pop fly to center dropped just before Logan O'Dell could get to it to score two more and make it 6-2.

Braymer cut North Nodaway's lead to 6-3, but North Nodaway stopped any more damage from being done. Logan O'Dell singled down the right field line and stole second despite North Nodaway pitching out on the play. Jordan Miller grounded out and Drake Parker singled him home and took second as the cutoff throw got away. Parker reached third on a wild pitch with one out, and then Jake Gladieux grounded to Peyton Coleman at short. Coleman froze Parker at third perfectly and threw out Gladieux at first and Robbie Shoe popped out to end the inning.

Rogers had been fighting the strike zone throughout the game and when he walked Hoepker to start the third, he was finished for the day. Keaton O'Dell came in to pitch, but Daytona Lutz hit a slow chopper into no-man's land between the pitcher, shortstop, and third base positions and was safe. Wyatt Tate was plunked to load the bases, but it looked like the inning might die as Peyton Coleman got down 0-2 in the count. He fought back to 2-2, however, and hit a shot off shortstop Jordan Miller's glove into left field as two runs came across.

Dakota Smyser walked and Koby Reynolds flied out too shallow for Coleman to take third. But then Ben Hart hit a screamer over left fielder Corbin McCulley's head under the goalposts and to the edge of the brush 350 feet away by the bridge. He circled the bases for a grand slam before the Bobcats could get it in. Arron Coleman restarted the inning with a single to left and first baseman Gabe Rogers dropped third baseman Tanner O'Dell's throw as Kendrick Calfee was safe. August Hoepker laid down a bunt and was out at first; Kendrick Calfee was picked off second as he rounded second too far, but Coleman scored on the play before the third out to make it 13-3.

That could have ended it by the ten run rule, but Braymer started teeing off on Kendrick Calfee, getting two in the fifth to stay alive down 13-5 and four in the sixth to make it 13-9. Arron Coleman came on with one out in the sixth and walked a batter, but settled down and got Shoe on a forceout and Derrick McElwee on a called third strike after fighting back from a 2-0 count. In the seventh, Coleman walked McCulley and plunked Rogers on the foot. Keaton O'Dell singled down the right field line to plate McCulley and bring the tying run to the plate with the heart of the order coming up. But then Koby Reynolds came into pitch and Ben Hart snagged a chopper down the right field line to retire Logan O'Dell for the first out. Jordan Miller hit a screamer that looked like it was headed for extra bases, but Peyton Coleman snagged it on the backhand to take extra bases and two runs away from Braymer. With two outs and two strikes, Drake Parker struck out and the ball got away from Daytona Lutz. The ball, Ben Hart, and Parker all got tangled up at first and one run had crossed home, but to Parker's consternation, Hart snatched the ball just before Parker reached base and got the final out of the game.