Sunday, December 31, 2017

Obituary -- William A. Hill 1938-2017

William A. Hill 79, of Parkville, MO passed away Dec. 27, 2017 after losing his battle with cancer.  Bill was born August 23, 1938 in Harrison County MO on the family farm.  He graduated from Martinsville in 1956.  He served in the Army from 1961-1967.  Upon exiting the Army, he worked for various companies before retiring in 2003 from American Airlines where he worked as an aircraft mechanic.  Bill enjoyed hunting, fishing, and tinkering on all kinds of things.  Most of all he loved his visits with his Grandkids.

Bill is preceded in death by his Parents: J. Cecil and H. Faye Hill Brother: Charles Hill  Sisters: Mary Jo Cowing, Faye I Hill, and Sharon Peppard.

Survivors include Daughters: Jennifer Winson of Kansas City, MO  Amy (Ryan) Sigg of Liberty, MO  Son: William A (Jennifer) Hill II of Hatfield, MO Grandkids: Garret, Elaina, Grant, Chase, Kadyn, Keaton and McKenna.  Brothers: Lee (Connie) Hill of Palm Springs, CA and Rex (Joan) Hill of Allendale, MO.

Memorial Services will be held on Jan. 5th, 2018 at 11 am at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City, MO. A private burial will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made in Bill’s name to NorthCare Hospice 2800 Clay Edwards Drive North Kansas City MO 64116.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Shamrock Girls Back on Winning Track; Down Chilhowee in Trenton

North Harrison’s Shamrocks got back on the winning track against Chilhowee Thursday afternoon in Trenton; they led from wire to wire and got the 64-26 win. It seemed that the change of scenery did the team good; the last time they were on a stage like the one at North Central Missouri College, the Shamrocks were playing softball and they won third place at state. They matched the most points scored against Chilhowee this year; they were able to keep their turnovers down to seven and work the ball around to the open person.

The Shamrocks were looking to get more balanced scoring; most of their games have had Payton Craig and Brandy Rivet scoring most of the points. Both got their points Thursday, but they got a lot more contributions from everyone else. Emma Craig matched a career high with 16; she was much more confident getting to the rim and getting on the line. Carly Rinehart, a freshman, knocked down a couple of three-pointers. Seven different Shamrocks got into the scoring column.

For Chilhowee, they were a young team looking to play some tough opponents at Trenton; they have a pair of weapons in shooter Jacqueline Guinn and a promising freshman in Eliana Lynn, who showed a knack for jumping passes. They got their wish as they were drilled 64-11 by North Andrew the day before. They’ve already improved on last year’s record, as they won one game and were held to two points in a 64-2 loss at the beginning of last year. They’ve won two games this year so far.

Chilhowee tried to stop Payton Craig, to no avail. They were surrounding her every time she tried to drive, fouling her hard every time she tried to put it up, and trying to make life difficult. It didn’t work as she dumped off 10 assists, matching her high from the Newtown-Harris game and making everyone around her better. She frequently found sister Emma open in the paint.

The Indians controlled the opening tip, but nothing else went right for them in the first quarter. Addie Slaughter grabbed an errant Indian pass and threw it to Payton Craig for a layup to start the scoring. Craig hit Carly Rinehart for a triple, then Addie Slaughter passed one out of the high post to Craig for three to make it 8-0.

Guinn’s putback put Chilhowee on the board, but Payton Craig found Emma inside and then added three free throws off two steals to get the lead into double digits. Payton found Emma inside gain to make it 15-2. Miranda Heaper hit a 3-pointer for Chilhowee, but Ashlynn Gilpatrick hit Payton for a drive with time winding down, and she hit a free throw to make it 16-5 after one.

Emma Craig owned the paint in the second quarter as North Harrison continued to pull away, getting eight in the period. Payton Craig hit her in the high post, and she knocked down a contested look with 7:40 left. Payton knocked down two free throws, then got a steal and fed Emma to make it 22-5. Guinn knocked down a 3-pointer for Chilhowee, but Brandy Rivet hit Payton Craig inside and Ashlynn Gilpatrick hit Brandy Rivet for a 3-pointer as she began to get untracked to make it 27-8.

Guinn tried to counter for her team, but Payton made a diving grab of an offensive board and got it to Addie Slaughter for a 2nd chance point; Olivia Babinski hit Emma Craig inside, Craig knocked down two free throws, and Brandy Rivet jumped a pass and got to the line for a free throw to make it 34-10 before Elaina Lynn scored a couple of times against the reserves to make it 34-14 at halftime.

North Harrison used a 21 point third quarter to push the game into running clock territory. Payton Craig hit Emma inside and then Carly Rinehart for three from the wing to start the period. Heaper threw up a runner for Chilhowee, but Payton Craig hit two free throws after grabbing an offensive board, Emma got a putback, Mason Cracraft hit Brandy Rivet for three after grabbing an offensive board in traffic, Brandy Rivet hit Payton Craig for a drive and three point play, and Rivet scored off a steal to make it 51-16 at the 3:59 mark of the third.

Guinn and Lynn got going to bring Chilhowee to within 55-23 after three, but then Payton Craig got a pass from Olivia Babinski and got a drive, Rivet got Craig a quick outlet and she went coast to coast with it, Payton Craig got the ball in the paint, drew a bunch of red shirts, and dropped it off to Kami Gibson for a layup, and kicked one out to Olivia Babinski for a jumper to give North Harrison its biggest lead of 62-23 at the 5:13 mark.

For North Harrison, Payton Craig had 23, Emma Craig 16, Brandy Rivet 9, Carly Rinehart 6, Addie Slaughter and Olivia Babinski 4, and Kami Gibson 2.

Olivia Babinski had 2 blocks for North Harrison, Payton Craig and Brandy Rivet had 1 each.

Payton Craig and Emma Craig each had 6 boards. Addie Slaughter and Mason Cracraft had 4 each, Brandy Rivet 3, Carly Rinehart and Kami Gibson 2 each, and Rainey Fordyce and Olivia Babinski 1.

Payton Craig had 10 assists to lead North Harrison. Brandy Rivet and Olivia Babinski had 3, Addie Slaughter and Ashlynn Gilpatrick had 2 each, and Mason Cracraft had 1.

Payton Craig had 8 tips, while Emma Craig and Brandy Rivet had 4, Rainey Fordyce had 2, and Mason Cracraft and Carly Rinehart had 1 each.

Payton Craig had 5 steals. Emma Craig had 4, Carly Rinehart and Brandy Rivet had 3, Olivia Babinski had 2, and Addie Slaughter had 1.

The boys were not as fortunate as they continued their brutal stretch, this time falling 76-41 to Southwest Livingston. Transition defense was their Achilles Heel this game as the Wildcats were able to run their transition game at will, getting one easy layup after another. North Harrison had a chance to get back in the game late in the quarter, but saw one shot after another go in and out as the Wildcats led 22-4 after one quarter.

The Shamrocks finally started to get going offensively, but Wyatt Maddux, left all alone, found plenty to do along with skyscraper Mack Anderson. Maddux ran wild in the second quarter with 11 points as Southwest Livingston, coached by former NEN skipper Eric Fairchild, pushed out to a 40-17 halftime lead.

Steven Willhite tried to put the Shamrocks on his back in the third, scoring 10 in the frame, but the Wildcats continued to outscore North Harrison, 19-16 to lead 59-33. The bottom dropped out in the fourth as Livingston started off on an 8-0 run, capped by Mack Anderson’s breakaway dunk.

Anderson had 24 points for his squad as North Harrison didn’t have an answer for him.

Logan Craig led the scoring with 13 points for the Shamrocks. Steven Willhite had 10, Logan Huitt 6, Collin Castleberry and Collin Briggs had 4 each, and Gavin Garrett and Brett Emig had 2 each.

Steven Willhite had 3 blocks, while Collin Briggs and Logan Craig had 1 each.

Logan Craig and Steven Willhite had 9 boards each. Logan Huitt had 3, Brett Emig and Collin Castleberry had 2 each, and Gavin Garrett had 1.

Collin Castleberry had 4 assists for the Shamrocks. Gavin Garrett had 2, while Logan Craig, Brett Emig, and Logan Huitt had 1 each.

Logan Craig, Brett Emig, and Collin Castleberry had 2 tips each. Collin Briggs, Gavin Garrett, Logan Huitt, and Samuel Mejia had 1 each.

Logan Craig had 2 steals, while Steven Willhite, Gavin Garrett, Brett Emig, and Logan Huitt had 1 each.

Monday, December 25, 2017

Hitchhiking Couple Still on the Road; Now in Wyoming

Kolton and Amanda, the hitchhiking couple that came through Eagleville, Worth County, and Hopkins last September, are still on the road and are now expecting. As of Sunday, they were in Rock River (WY), and are still planning to complete their journey through Idaho and Oregon. The following is Amanda’s latest Facebook post:

Around this same time a year ago we had no idea what our 2017 would bring, we didn't know we would be walking across the United States or that we'd get a surprise hitchhiker! Mostly we focused on us and our lives. Now almost 2000 miles into a coast to coast journey we still sing and play, only now we better understand gratitude, patience, and service.

We are coming up on 8 months of our life given to this walk and each day we have miracles from strangers across the United States taking care of us physically, emotionally, and mentally. I am excited everytime we get to share these stories of hope. These stories showing there is a higher power that is very real and is working through each and every one of you. Kolton and I still have a good chunk of Wyoming left then all of Idaho and Oregon. We've received a lot of concerns about our safety that are valid, and more serious now that there is a fragile little life growing in my belly (and had their kicking debut last night, we have an active little one already). At this time I ask you to share our page and ask others to share it. It's because of the people of the United States that we have made it this far. Our faith in our higher power has been nurtured by countless miracles. We can make it because of you. Thank you for this present when all I have to give is my thanks. Merry Christmas to all of you! May you find the miracles you seek in the most unexpected ways. Never forget you are someone's miracle. Thank you so much for being mine!

PS – On our website 2918miles.com there are fundraiser pages for both the foundations! We've had lots of great donations. We shot for the moon and are just grateful to be a part of contributing to these causes. If you want somewhere to give to this time of year, we'd be so grateful to see the numbers go up on our fundraiser pages for two great causes. Thank you for those who've donated already those donations are all up. Thank you for taking care of these two awesome foundations.

They are currently raising money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Make a Wish Foundation.

85 NEN Students Make First Quarter Honor Roll

85 Northeast Nodaway students in junior high and high school made the First Quarter Honor Roll, as posted on the school website. This is the highest number in recent memory at the school.

High Honor Roll
Students listed posted grades between 3.67 and 4.00 with no D’s or F’s.
Gabriella Briney, Taylor Coffelt, Breanna Coulter, James Lamb, Emily Redden, Brayden Welch, Dakota Auffert, Brittany Burns, Gerry Runde, Chet Spire, Colton Wilmes, Ethan Adwell, Noah Briney, Reed McIntyre, Brea Miller, Samantha Price, Nathan Schieber, Kami Adwell, Zayla Carlson, Sarah Linville, Madelynn Mattson, Victoria Moran, Cassy Redden, Anne Schieber, Corby Schmitz, Angela Standiford, Blair Stoll, Paige West, Trevor Henggeler, Auston Pride, Zach Pride, Colton Swalley, A.J. Adwell, Jaden Atkins, Lily Burns, Brendon Deardorff, Kenlyn Grove, Dylan McIntyre, Lauren McIntyre, Emily Moran, Kolby Sybert, Ruby Wilmes.

Regular Honor Roll
Listed are students who posted between a 3.00 and 3.66 GPA, with no D’s or F’s.
Salina Deardorff, Dylan Mildfeldt, Eli Scroggie, Victoria Titus, Dylan Boulting, Maverick Price, Maggie Schmitz, Rory Bredlow, Spencer Gray, Brittany Moran, Mitchell Sherry, Chase Atkins, Levi Boulting, Craig Burns, Dana Chandler, Saige Kohlleppel, MariBeth Lamb, Delainey McIntyre, Tierney Privett, Alex Smith, Kayden Sybert, Austin Welch, Drew Wiederholt, Landen Allen, Ben Boswell, Anne Briney, Lane Dack, Levi Germann, Preston Hillyard, Torry Kephart, Nathan Meyer, Brayden Munns, Rachelle Rodriguez, Carson Runde, Dawson Vore, Boston Adwell, Meredith Adwell, Casey Briney, Morgan Cook, Kenna Coulter, Lyle Giesken, Jace Kohlleppel, Octavia Popplewell.

Courthouse News for December 27th, 2017

The Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested a Chicago man, Serghei Alexeev (28), in Harrison County on charges of a motor carrier vehicle violation as well as a warrant for failure to appear. He was taken to the Harrison County Jail, where he was held on bond.

The Patrol arrested a Des Moines man, Neylin Morales Perez, on charges of operating a motor vehicle without a valid license and for exceeding the posted speed limit. He was taken to the Harrison County Law Enforcement Center, where he was held on bond.

The Patrol arrested a Grant City man, Cory Farrell (19), in Nodaway County Saturday night on charges of DWI and Careless & Imprudent Driving involving an accident. He was taken to the Nodaway County Jail and released after a 12 hour hold.

On December 24th, the Patrol arrested Christopher Burgess (20) of Maryville in Nodaway County of DWI, Careless & Imprudent Driving resulting in a crash, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

The above charges are mere accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of law whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. All defendants have a right to an attorney and a jury trial.

A Grant City woman, Ashley Pickering, was arrested by the Worth County Sheriff’s Office on December 11th. She was charged by Prosecutor Brett Hurst with Felony 2nd Degree Assault and Felony Resisting/Interfering with an Arrest for a Felony. Bond was set at $50,000 by Judge Joel Miller and posted.

Prosecutor Brett Hurst filed charges against a Blockton woman, Susan Walters, for two counts of Class A Misdemeanor Stealing on December 14th.

On December 14th, Prosecutor Brett Hurst filed charges against a Blockton man, Poe O’Connor, of DWI and Failure to Drive on the Right Half of the Roadway, resulting in an accident.

On December 19th, Prosecuting Attorney Brett Hurst filed Class D Misdemeanor charges of stealing against Shana Land. She was arrested by the Worth County Sheriff’s Department.

On December 19th, a Grant City man, Dagon Cooper was charged by Prosecutor Hurst with Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Class D Misdemeanor.

All charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.


Obituary -- Jean Rigdon 1929-2017

Jean (Bressler) Rigdon, age 88, Smithville, Missouri and formerly of Grant City and St. Joseph, Missouri, died December 23, 2017 at the Olathe Health Hospice House, Olathe, Kansas.

Jean was born December 2, 1929 in Grant City, Missouri; the daughter of the late Henry Dale and Alma Bell (Murphy) Bressler.

Jean was a graduate of Grant City High School and attended Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, Missouri.

Jean was retired and had worked in retail sales.

Her survivors include:  Three sons, Jeff (Pat) Saunders, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Rob (Amy) Rigdon, Highlandville, Missouri, Mark (Lynee) Rigdon, Olathe, Kansas, five grandchildren, Tracy Saunders, Raytown, Missouri, Jonathan Rigdon, Highlandville, Se`amus Hamilton, Mission, Kansas, Micah and Makayla Rigdon, Olathe, three great grandchildren, Mason, Nathan and Olivia Saunders all of Raytown.

Mrs. Rigdon’s body has been cremated.  Memorial Services will be held at 11 AM, Friday, December 29, 2017 at the Andrews-Hann Funeral Home Chapel, Grant City.  Private inurnment service will be held at a later date in the Grant City Cemetery.

Memorial:  Friends of the Animal Shelter, St. Joseph.

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

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Shorthanded Shamrock Girls Fall to Stanberry

A shorthanded North Harrison squad took their second loss of the season, falling 63-31 to Class 2 powerhouse Stanberry. The Bulldogs dropped their first game of the season to Mound City, but have steamrollered everyone else. North Harrison was playing without Brandy Rivet; without her, Payton Craig was held to a season-low 12 points, and the team turned the ball over 24 times against Stanberry’s pressure defense. They also struggled on the boards, only getting 17 for the game. North Harrison only went to the line four times against Stanberry’s stingy defense.

The Shamrocks fell behind 12-4 after one quarter and Stanberry scored 20 points in the second to put the game away.

For North Harrison, Payton Craig had 12 points. Emma Craig had 8, Addie Slaughter 6, Ashlynn Gilpatrick 3, and Mason Cracraft 2.

Payton Craig led in rebounding with 5. Emma Craig and Addie Slaughter had 3, Kami Gibson and Olivia Babinski 2, and Mason Cracraft and Ashlynn Gilpatrick 1.

Addie Slaughter had 3 assists for the Shamrocks. Payton Craig and Mason Cracraft had 2, while Emma Craig and Olivia Babinski had 1.

Payton Craig had 2 steals for North Harrison. Kami Gibson, Ashlynn Gilpatrick, and Addie Slaughter all had 1.

The boys also had a long night, as they dug themselves into an 18-4 first quarter hole and could not dig out, falling 65-34 to Stanberry. Logan Craig had 12 for North Harrison. Logan Huitt and Brett Emig had 6, Gavin Garrett 4, Steven Willhite 3, Collin Briggs 2, and Collin Castleberry 1. The Shamrocks did not have an answer for 6’6” Brad Hailey, who had 26 for Stanberry.

Shamrock Basketball Schedule

All non-tournament games start at 6 pm. JV quarters may precede varsity games.
December 28th – Holiday Hoops Classic at Trenton. The girls will play Chilhowee at 1:30, while the boys will play Southwest Livingston at 3:00 pm.
January 2nd – South Harrison.
January 5th – Tri-County.
January 8th to 13th – South Harrison Tournament.
January 16th – East Harrison.
January 19th – Gilman City.
January 22nd to 27th – Gilman City Tournament.
January 30th – at Union Star.
February 2nd – at Mercer.
February 3rd to 10th – HDC Conference Tournament at North Harrison.
February 13th – at Worth County.
February 15th – Milan.
February 19th to 24th – District Basketball Tournament at Albany.

Mustang Basketball Schedule

All non-tournament games start at 6 pm. JV quarters may precede varsity games.
January 2nd – Rock Port.
January 5th – Stewartsville.
January 8th to 13th – Fairfax Tournament.
January 16th – Osborn.
January 19th – Nodaway-Holt.
January 22nd to 27th – Northwest Missouri Invitational at Burlington Junction.
January 30th – at Jefferson.
February 2nd – East Atchison (Courtwarming).
February 6th – Worth County.
February 9th – at South Holt.
February 15th – West Nodaway.
February 19th to 24th – District Basketball at NEN.

NEN Basketball Schedule

All non-tournament games start at 6 pm. JV quarters may precede varsity games.
January 5th – West Nodaway.
January 8th to 13th – South Harrison Tournament.
January 16th – at Mound City.
January 19th – at Jefferson.
January 22nd – Gilman City Tournament.
January 30th – at Stewartsville.
February 2nd – South Nodaway.
February 6th – at Union Star.
February 9th – Osborn.
February 12th – Worth County.
February 15th – at DeKalb.
February 19th to 24th – District Basketball at NEN.

Tiger Basketball Schedule

All non-tournament games start at 6 pm. JV quarters may precede the varsity games.
January 2nd – at Stanberry.
January 5th – at Braymer.
January 8th to 13th – Stanberry Tournament.
January 16th – Albany.
January 19th – Pattonsburg (Courtwarming).
January 22nd to 27th – Northwest Missouri Tournament at Burlington Junction.
January 30th – at King City.
February 2nd – GRC Place Game, home.
February 6th – at North Nodaway.
February 8th – South Nodaway.
February 12th – at NEN.
February 13th – North Harrison.
February 15th – South Harrison.
February 19th to 24th – District basketball at Albany.
February 27th – Sectionals.
March 3rd – Quarterfinals.
March 8th to 10th – State.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Obituary -- Denzil Walker 1923-2017

Denzil B. Walker, age 94, Grant City, Missouri died Friday, December 22, 2017 at SSM St. Francis Hospital in Maryville, Missouri.

Denzil was born August 22, 1923, in the Victory neighborhood, near Redding, Iowa.  He was the son of the late Blaine and Ruby Irene (Martin) Walker.

Denzil attended Victory Grade School, and the Redding Elementary and High School, where he graduated in 1941.  He then attended the Johnson Business College in St. Joseph before entering the United States Army. 

Denzil served in the 10th Mountain Division in Europe, seeing combat in Italy.  He received both the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star during his enlistment.  He was discharged in 1946.

Denzil was united in marriage to Virginia Mae (Lantz) on February 17, 1949.  To this union six children were born.

Denzil farmed with his father after returning home from overseas serving his country.  After 11 years of farming, he and Virginia purchased the 169 Night Club which they owned and operated until 1974.
Later, he served a short time as Chief of Police for the City of Grant City.   Denzil also worked as a  brush crew foreman in Worth County.

He was a member of the Worth County Memorial VFW Post 3123.  Denzil had lived in his home until failing health saw him move to the Worth County Convalescent Center in 2012.  Some of Denzil’s happiest days were spent on the red bench in front of Dennis’s Grant City Auto Parts Store visiting with all those passing by and watching all sports his grandchildren participated in.

He was preceded in death by his wife Virginia (2001), infant daughter Paula Irene, granddaughter Whitney Walker, sister Wilma Mazur, two brothers Thomas Keith and Kensil Walker, and his son-in-law Tim Novak.

His survivors include: Kyle (Carol) Walker, Lebanon, Missouri, Jennifer (Mark) Terry, Grant City, Janice (Steve) Caldwell, Eldridge, Missouri, Ronnie (Brenda) Walker, Conception Junction, Missouri, Connie Novak, Grant City, 11 beautiful grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren that he adored.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 PM, Tuesday, December 26, 2017 at the Andrews-Hann Funeral Home in Grant City.  The family will receive friends from 11-12 PM Tuesday, prior to the services. Burial will be in the  Athelstan Cemetery, Athelstan, Iowa.  Graveside Military services will be under the direction of Worth County Memorial VFW Post #3123.

 Arrangements: Andrews-Hann Funeral Home, Grant City.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Cody Wood Shuts Down Longhorn’s Top Player; Mustang Boys Win Third

“We grew up a little bit.” That’s what Coach Jake Shipman said after his Mustangs beat South Nodaway 48-45 Tuesday night to close out the year. The Longhorns are a streaky team this year. They took fourth place in the Platte Valley Invitational after being seeded first, rebounded with three straight blowout wins, and then came back to earth again with a blowout loss to Jefferson.

South Nodaway had every reason to expect a win against North Nodaway; they had blown them out twice last year with Peyton Coleman playing. But it was a totally different game and a totally different team that took the floor in Hopkins. Cody Wood guarded Taylar Freemeyer for the whole game for the Mustangs and held him to seven points for the game, three of which were scored on a desperation shot at the end.

North Nodaway built up a 26-18 halftime lead and then held off the Longhorn attempts to get back into the game, shooting 10 for 17 from the line in the process. In the process, they got their first winning streak of the year and improved to 3-7. Shipman said that he didn’t do anything special. “This one was all on the kids,” he said. “They decided to take pride on the defensive end. We took better care of the ball on offense, and it’s all starting to pay off.”

Arron Coleman led the scoring with 15 for the Mustangs. Tyler Bix had 13, Cody Wood had 13, and Cole Bird had 7.

Obituary -- Tom Drobny 1950-2017

Thomas Joseph “Tom” Drobny, 67, of Hopkins, MO, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Monday, December 18, 2017, in Hopkins.

Tom was born in Plainview, NE, on May 5, 1950. His parents were Willard Thomas and Antionette Marie “Toni” (Maule) Drobny, and preceded him in death. He was also preceded by his brother, Frank Drobny.

He graduated high school in Chamberlain SD, had lived in a variety of locations over the years before settling in Hopkins. He was a mechanic all his life, worked for B & B Construction of Colorado, and as a chain manufacturer of Laclede Chain Manufacturing of Maryville for almost 14 years.

Tom attended the Wray Memorial United Methodist Church, Hopkins, MO. Tom was an avid outdoorsman and some of his favorite hobbies included snowmobiling, dirt biking, boating and camping. In more recent years target practicing and collecting guns was one of his favorite pastimes with his family. 

On June 12, 1971, Thomas was united in marriage to Sylvia Elizabeth Lincoln in Glenwood, IA. She survives of the home.

Other survivors include his 2 daughters, Frankie (Bryan) Titus, Hopkins, MO, and Kaitlin (Steve) Howdle, Sioux Falls, SD; 2 sisters, Jane (Jim) Mattern, Crofton, NE, Judy (Richard) Taylor, of SD; brother, Larry Drobny, and wife, of SD; 2 grandchildren, Maulie and Mackenzie Titus; his maternal aunt, Eva Maule; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services were at 10:00 AM, of Thursday, December 21, 2017, at the Bram-Danfelt Funeral Home, Maryville, MO. Cremation followed the service.

Memorials can be directed to the family for use at a later date.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Kristin Herndon’s Outburst Propels Mustangs

North Nodaway’s girls closed out the first half on a winning note and got back to .500 as they beat South Nodaway 41-23. They held them to a season low in scoring in the process. The Longhorns shot a miserable 25.6% from the field and only went to the line four times as North Nodaway’s players stayed on the floor, only committing seven fouls.

The Mustangs outscored South Nodaway 15-2 off turnovers, did not give up any second-chance points, and outrebounded them 30-25 in the process. They won the turnover battle, only surrendering the ball 13 times against 18 for South Nodaway.

The game was close until the second quarter, when Kristin Herndon had a ten point outburst to put the Mustangs in control. Along the way, she had a four point play along with a three point play. North Nodaway led 22-14 at the half and put down the clamps defensively, only giving up 9 points in the second half.

Ashley Thompson led the scoring with 16 points for North Nodaway. Kristin Herndon had 15, Alisha Davison 5, Audrey Trimble 3, and Keagan O’Riley 2. Herndon had three 3-pointers, while Trimble and Davison had 1 each.

Kristin Herndon and Ashley Thompson had 7 boards each. Audrey Trimble had 3, Kandace Damgar 3, Alisha Davison 2, and Keagan O’Riley, Emma Hart, Karissa Oberhauser, and Jadon Dobbins 1 each.

Keagan O’Riley had 4 assists for North Nodaway. Kandace Damgar had 3, Audrey Trimble and Alisha Davison had 2 each, and Kristin Herndon, Emma Hart, and Ashley Thompson had 1.

Kristin Herndon had 4 tips to lead her team. Audrey Trimble, Emma Hart, Ashley Thompson, and Keagan O’Riley all had 2, while Kandace Damgar had 1.

Kristin Herndon had 6 steals for the Mustangs. Audrey Trimble and Kandace Damgar had 2, while Ashley Thompson had 1.

Kristin Herndon had 2 blocks for North Nodaway.

Investment Agents Take Advantage of Missouri Widow

 Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division ordered Wilbanks Securities Inc., Aaron Wilbanks & Associates Inc. and Aaron Wilbanks to cease and desist after alleging they failed to supervise agents who defrauded and misled an elderly Missourian.

 In 2010, two elderly Missouri residents, a husband and wife, were provided financial services by two Wilbanks Securities Inc. agents. Those services included formulating investment plans, implementing investment strategies, and making investment recommendations. During that time, the husband was solely responsible for making all financial decisions.

 On Aug. 31, 2010, the husband passed away, leaving his wife with sole responsibility of their developmentally-disabled adult son. Over the next 20 months, the two agents advocated that the surviving spouse invest the vast majority of her funds into variable annuities. Soon after, they routinely had the surviving spouse purchase and prematurely liquidate numerous annuities and purchase an unsuitable mutual fund consisting solely of high risk municipal bonds. The agents also repeatedly recommended that the surviving spouse sell her home in order to fund the purchase of additional investments, and suggested that one of the agents become trustee of the surviving spouse’s trust and serve as guardian of her developmentally-disabled son.

 “Broker-dealer firms have a duty to supervise their agents,” Securities Commissioner David M. Minnick said. “The victim in this case had just lost her husband and was approached by the two agents when she was most vulnerable, at her husband’s funeral. The agents took advantage of the situation, and it is alleged that their conduct was not appropriately supervised. If you have questions about what a financial adviser is asking you to do, our division can help better inform you about them.”

 The division ordered Wilbanks and his companies to show cause why they should not be ordered to pay restitution, civil penalties and investigation costs totaling more than $213,000. The commissioner also ordered Wilbanks and his companies to show cause why they should not be subject to a censure and restrictions on their activities.

 Ashcroft urges all investors to know the risks. If you have any questions about an investment opportunity or wish to check the background and registration status of a financial adviser, please call the toll-free investor protection hotline at 800-721-7996.

Overseas Binary Options Firm Scams Missouri Resident of $15,750

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division ordered Rumelia Capital to cease and desist after the firm allegedly sold unregistered, non-exempt binary options — risky, all-or-nothing wagers — to a Missouri investor.

 The order also states that Rumelia, allegedly operated from Dublin, Ireland, failed to state material facts in order to obtain funds from a Missouri resident.

 In late 2016, a Missouri resident invested $15,750 in Rumelia. Rumelia solicited the individual through email and promised good returns by trading in binary options. In early February 2017, Rumelia capital charged $4,000 to the investor’s credit card without her knowledge or consent. The investor received statements from Rumelia that showed the account value grew to $25,146. However, two weeks later the account had a balance of $14,646. The investor was unable to withdraw any funds from the account, and can no longer access the account. Rumelia will no longer answer telephone calls or emails from the investor.

 “Overseas binary options firms operate in various ways — by sending emails, conducting telephone calls and providing online platforms for investors,” Securities Commissioner David M. Minnick said. “Regardless how these firms communicate with investors, you should verify that they are registered before providing them with access to your money or other confidential personal information.”

 The division also ordered Rumelia to show cause why it should not be ordered to pay restitution, civil penalties and investigation costs totaling more than $145,000.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Grant City Donates $5,000 Towards Home Demolitions

The City of Grant City voted to donate $5,000 for next year towards the Worth County Progress Organization home demolition project at their regular meeting Wednesday. The WCPO has already demolished one home, the former Cache Davis residence. Economic Developer Gene Auten said they plan to get started on two more after the first of the year.

The total cost of the project came to around $1,000. This includes taxes, insurance, and the dumpster. One person donated the money to get the recording paperwork done, which lowered the cost. The Progress Organization is accepting donations from anyone interested in getting abandoned homes removed from Grant City.

Great Northwest Days will be February 6th and 7th this year.

The council voted to set a special meeting for December 28th at 6 pm to amend the 2017 budget, discuss the Midwest Data service, and a few other issues. The council will do the 2018 budget at its regular meeting next month.

The Grant City Golf Course is seeking grant money to build a new clubhouse. Janice Borey is working on grant money to fund the project. The plan is to demolish the old clubhouse and build a bigger clubhouse that can handle class reunions and wedding receptions. This will allow the golf course to make money during the winter months, when the course is not active.

The council voted to donate $1,000 to Northwest Enterprise Facilitation, which helps businesses get started or expand free of charge. Among businesses that have started in the county over the past few months that were helped include Kort’s Cuts-N-Curls, Jenna Qualls’ new nail salon, and Kerwin’s shop just west of Grant City.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Ten Bluejays Score as NEN Downs South Holt 54-18

Ten different Bluejays scored and Northeast held South Holt to a season low 18 points as they were able to get back on the winning track after dropping three out of their last four. They dug themselves in a hole at Rock Port, but got back on track and nearly pulled that game off by getting back to what had gotten them a 5-0 start, putting defensive pressure on teams, getting tips and steals, and staying out of foul trouble.

South Holt came into the game behind Sadee Prussman, who was always a threat to go off; she had 16 in a half against North Nodaway last year. But Northeast was able to hold her scoreless in the first half and to five for the game. Nobody else could pick up the slack for the Knights, who committed a lot of unforced turnovers and fell to their sixth loss against two wins. Northeast turned the ball over 16 times, but six of those were in the fourth, after the game was decided. They kept the Knights, one of the few teams to match up with them sizewise, off the boards as they only gave up five offensive boards for the game.

Makayla Adwell opened the scoring with free throw, Blair Stoll scored from inside, Gerry Runde scored off a drive, and then Runde threw inside to a sealed Madelynn Mattson to make it 7-0 in the first four minutes. South Holt’s stingy interior defense made the easy baskets hard to come by, but Northeast was able to get a lot of extra chances through their pressure.

Grace Cotton’s free throw put South Holt on the board, but then Gerry Runde got going inside twice, Makayla Adwell scored off a steal, and Taylor Coffelt added a free throw to make it 14-1 after one.
Cassy Redden lobbed one into Makayla Adwell to start the second quarter. Cotton countered with a basket, but then Makayla hit Gerry Runde inside, Blair Stoll got the ball to Runde in transition, and then Gerry Runde got a tip and a steal that led to a Makayla Adwell basket to make it 22-3. Cassy Redden added a free throw, and then Paige West lobbed one into Madelynn Mattson got a layup to make it 25-3.

Reese Morris cut it to 25-5 for South Holt, but then Madelynn Mattson saved an offensive board to Paige West, who hit a baseline shot to restart NEN. Paige West got a steal, Gerry Runde missed a layup, but Cassy Redden cleaned up. Gerry Runde threw one into Madelynn Mattson on a high-low look, Makayla Adwell scored off a steal, and Mattson added a free throw to make it 34-5 and bring it close to running clock territory.

Sadee Prussman was due for South Holt and she finally got going in the third quarter as the Knights tried to keep the game from getting into running clock mode. But Gerry Runde had the hot hand for Northeast, getting 8 of her 18 points in the period as the Bluejays still won the period. Paige West jumped a pass and scored a layup, Blair Stoll lobbed one to Madelynn Mattson, and Angela Standiford threw one inside to Cassy Redden for a three point play as the Bluejays led 49-14 after three.

South Holt could not kill the running clock in the final period as three different Bluejays got into the scoring column. Anne Schieber hit a shot from the left wing off a pass from Standiford, Tierney Privett knocked one down in the high post, and Standiford added a free throw in the fourth.

Gerry Runde led the scoring for Northeast with 18 points. Makayla Adwell and Madelynn Mattson had 9 each, Cassy Redden 6, Paige West 4, Blair Stoll, Anne Schieber, and Tierney Privett all had 2 each, and Taylor Coffelt and Angela Standiford had 1 each.

Taylor Coffelt had 2 blocks, while Madelynn Mattson and Angela Standiford had 1 each.
Cassy Redden had 5 boards to lead NEN along with Angela Standiford. Taylor Coffelt had 4, Paige West 3, Anne Schieber and Tierney Privett 2 each, and Makayla Adwell, Blair Stoll, Gerry Runde, and Brittany Moran all had 1.

Gerry Runde had 5 assists to lead Northeast. Blair Stoll, Paige West, Makayla Adwell, and Angela Standiford all had 3, Madelynn Mattson, Taylor Coffelt, and Cassy Redden all had 2.

Makayla Adwell had 6 tips to lead Northeast. Paige West had 6, Blair Stoll and Gerry Runde 3 each, Anne Schieber and Brittany Moran 2 each, and Madelynn Mattson, Cassy Redden, and Angela Standiford had 1 each.

Paige West had 6 steals for Northeast. Normally, the roles are reversed, with Makayla Adwell leading in steals and Paige West leading in tips. Gerry Runde had 5, Makayla Adwell 3, Cassy Redden and Anne Schieber 2 each, and Madelynn Mattson 1.

NEN Boys Can’t Buy a Stop, Fall to Knights

Northeast Nodaway couldn’t buy a stop when they needed to and fell to once-beaten South Holt 54-46 Tuesday to wrap up the first half of their schedule. South Holt came into the game giving up 41 points per game; Northeast scored 46 in the effort, but couldn’t buy a bucket in the third quarter as South Holt grew its lead to double digits at one point. Then, NEN got it back to two in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get any closer.

Northeast did all they could to beat most teams; they sport a 7-3 record going into the break. But they could not get enough tips and steals on South Holt, only getting 12 tips and 5 steals for the night. They took care of the ball, only surrendering it 11 times. They rebounded well, only giving up 8 offensive boards.

Both teams came out hot in the first quarter, trading buckets throughout the period. Northeast moved in front when Eli Scroggie got a putback and Spencer Weir drove down the left side of the lane for two free throws to make it 17-14 after one. Cameron Staples hit Dylan Mildfeldt for an NBA 3-pointer early in the second to make it 20-14, but then South Holt started coming back, and Colton Egbert scored off a steal to put them back in front 21-20 with 5:22 left.

The teams continued to trade buckets for the remainder of the first half, but then Reagan Morris hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 30-26 and give his Knights the momentum.

Northeast was ice cold throughout the third, with Spencer Weir the only player putting the ball in the basket, getting five points. Eli Scroggie tipped a defensive board out to him and he went coast to coast on one play and he hit a 3-pointer on another. But in between, Reagan Morris ran wild in the period, getting to the rim at will and getting 8 points as South Holt built up a 41-31 lead after three. It was similar to the Christian game, when NEN let Malik Tucker run wild on them in the second half.
Northeast finally got going in the fourth as Cameron Staples hit Spencer Weir for a 3-pointer, Staples hit Chet Spire cutting in to make it 43-38, and Chet Spire hit Dylan Mildfeldt for a 3-pointer to make it 43-41.

But once again, Northeast couldn’t buy a stop on defense as South Holt was in too much of a rhythm offensively. Eric Ottman scored off a drive, Morris drove and dished to Colton Egbert, and T.J. Mitchell, who had burned NEN in the first half, scored two free throws off a drive to make it 50-41.

Northeast chipped away at their deficit as South Holt missed some free throws. Dylan Mildfeldt hit Eli Scroggie inside with 21 seconds left to make it 52-46 and Ottman, shooting the first of two free throws, saw his first shot balance on the rim without dropping in. But he hit the second and Eli Scroggie’s 3-pointer attempt was long and Colton Egbert hit another free throw to make it eight with 9 seconds left.

Spencer Weir had 19 points to pace Northeast. Eli Scroggie had 14, Dylan Mildfeldt 9, and Brayden Welch and Chet Spire 2 each.

Eli Scroggie had 2 blocks.

Eli Scroggie had 9 boards; Brayden Welch had 4, Dylan Mildfeldt 3, Mitchell Sherry 2, and Spencer Weir and Cameron Staples had 1 each.

Cameron Staples did all he could to keep his team in the game, always finding the open man on offense; he had 10 assists to lead the team. Dylan Mildfeldt and Chet Spire had 2, and Brayden Welch and Mitchell Sherry had 1.

Dylan Mildfeldt had 4 tips to lead Northeast. Cameron Staples had 3, Brayden Welch and Eli Scroggie 2 each, and Spencer Weir 1.

Dylan Mildfeldt had 2 steals, while Brayden Welch, Cameron Staples, and Eli Scroggie had 1 each.

Monday, December 18, 2017

Mason the Hawk Blocks 8 as Tiger Boys Snap Streak

Worth County’s boys, who started off the season with so much promise, were mired off in a 3 game losing streak. They had lost Cade Allee (calf) and Isaac Alarcon (knee) in the Albany Tournament; then, they lost sparkplug Ryan McClellan for the St. Joseph Christian game (concussion). The result was a lifeless 40-24 loss to the Lions which effectively knocked them out of the GRC Title race. It looked like there would be no rest for the weary as they had to travel to face Mount Ayr Monday.

Mount Ayr hadn’t had a winning season since the 2012-2013 campaign, but came into the game averaging 65 points a game and a 5-2 record. But then Worth County got its first piece of good news in a while as Ryan McClellan was cleared to play on game day, bringing Worth County back to full strength. Then, Worth County put together what Coach Bryce Schafer said was their most complete game this year as they put away Mount Ayr 64-38, holding them to a season low in points and held them to just over half their average.

Worth County jumped out to a 6-0 lead early as Ryan McClellan scored off a drive and then hit Drake Kinsella twice inside. But then Mount Ayr’s potent offense started to kick in as Isaac Grose scored an off-balance shot in the high post and Dawson Frost scored off a drive and from downtown to make it 7-6. Payton Wheeler’s steal put Mount Ayr up 11-10 with 2:27 left in the first, but then all of a sudden, Worth County’s defense kicked in as the Tigers started making use of their size advantage.

Last year, Mason Hawk was a force for the Tigers against Mount Ayr, grabbing 22 boards, two shy of the school record, held by Michael Hann. This year, he was the same, nearly posting a triple double. He had 12 points, 13 boards, and 8 blocks as the Raiders could never get anything going inside. Mason the Hawk turned blocking shots into an art form Monday, blocking some from in front, some from the side, and some from behind.

Meanwhile, Caleb Parman picked up where he left off against Christian, knocking down a 3-pointer on his way to a career night with 18 points. Jacob New followed with a backdoor layup from Mason Hawk and a transition basket after Ryan McClellan got loose in transition. For all their sloppy play at times, throwing the ball away and giving up some offensive boards against a dangerous team, Worth County was up 17-11 after one.

Jacob New was well on his way to a career night with 15 points as Drake Kinsella hit him for a 3-pointer and then Mason Hawk got a diving steal in the paint. Somehow, he rolled it out to Ryan McClellan under fire as some red shirts were scrambling for the ball and he aired it out to New for a layup to make it 22-11, prompting a Mount Ayr timeout.

The Raiders tried to make a stand and Dawson Frost scored consecutive baskets to make it 22-15. They had a chance to get closer, but then Caleb Parman got a steal, went in for a layup, lost a shoe in the process, but still completed a 3-point play to make it 25-15 with 3:59 left in the second.

The Tigers led 29-15 and pulled away for good in the second half. They scored 24 in the third as they cleaned up their play. In the first half, they had 9 turnovers, but only had 4 in the second half; similarly, they gave up 8 offensive boards in the first half, but only 3 in the second half. Mount Ayr tried to follow North Andrew’s lead by roughing up Kinsella and Hawk in the paint and shoving them out of position every time they got the seal, but that simply opened up Worth County’s guards. Parman had 9 in the third, while Jacob New had 5.

Worth County withstood Mount Ayr’s efforts to turn the game into a track meet and got their big men going in the fourth as Mason Hawk had 6 and Drake Kinsella 4.

The Tigers had four players score in double figures. Caleb Parman had 18, Jacob New 15, and Drake Kinsella and Mason Hawk had 12 each. Rounding out the scoring were Ryan McClellan with 5 and Jaxon Anderson with 2.

Mason Hawk had all 8 blocks for the Tigers. He also led in rebounding with 13. Drake Kinsella had 8, Caleb Parman 6, Tevin Cameron 5, Jaxon Anderson 3, and Ryan McClellan and Brant McCord 1.
Ryan McClellan had 6 assists. Mason Hawk and Drake Kinsella had 5, Jacob New 3, and Caleb Parman 2.

Mason Hawk had 4 tips. Ryan McClellan and Tevin Cameron had 3 each, Drake Kinsella 2, and Jacob New and Caleb Parman 1 each.

Mason Hawk had 4 steals, including one in which he picked the red shirt’s wallet and aired it out to Jaxon Anderson for a layup, living his dream of being a point guard for a play. Ryan McClellan had 2, and Caleb Parman, Tevin Cameron, and Jacob New had 1.

Rejuvenated Tigers Shock Raiderettes Behind Allee’s 26

Worth County’s girls were in a funk following their 20 point loss to North Andrew. They were struggling to get out of the 20’s in shooting percentage, they were turning the ball over, and they were out of sync. But then they showed some life in the second half of the St. Joseph Christian game and held them to eight points in a 45-33 victory as the shooting got a little better and they got a quality win against a team that had beaten King City the game before. They looked to run into a buzzsaw in Mount Ayr, which had beaten down Worth County 60-14 last year. Mount Ayr was just as good this year, sporting an 8-1 record and plenty of horses to throw at the Tigers, like they did last year.

It looked like another long night for Worth County at the start of the game. Shots were fruitlessly clanking off the rim like they were the last few games as Mount Ayr was building up a 7-0 lead just 1:18 into the game. Caylie Hickman hit a 3-pointer and prize post player Sara Winemiller got loose down low once and in transition once for the Raiderettes.

But all of a sudden, the whole complexion of the game changed when sparkplug Keirston Klommhaus picked up her third foul at the 5:36 mark and sat down until the middle of the third quarter. Mount Ayr was a completely different team with her on the floor; similar to Ryan McClellan for Worth County’s boys, she was always pushing the action and making some “how did that go through” plays for the red shirts.

Over the next few minutes, Worth County’s girls suddenly realized they could play basketball with this team and started chipping away. First, Kristin New tipped one to Regan Allee, whose layup put the Tigers on the board. Then, after the scoreboard was frozen at 7-2 for a while, Anna Gladstone grabbed a defensive board and went coast to coast for a free throw. Winemiller’s putback made it 9-3, but then Jessi Badell got a steal and Regan Allee pushed it up the floor. Kristin New missed a layup, but Haley Hunt was there for a putback to make it 9-5.

Mount Ayr burned a timeout and looked like they would reestablish control as Hayley Whittington got going for the Raiderettes and they pushed out to an 18-10 lead early in the second. But Worth County was racking up the tips and steals and holding their own on the boards, and it was only a matter of time before they got going. Finally, Jenna Smith, whose play has been rapidly improving lately, came off the bench and hit Regan Allee twice for 3-pointers and all of a sudden, it was a brand new ballgame at 18-16. Meanwhile, Mount Ayr couldn’t get anything going on the other end as Kaylee McElvain had a field day in the paint, blocking six for the night.

Winemiller’s inside shot made it 20-16, but then Jessi Badell scored a putback and Regan Allee’s third 3-pointer of the quarter put Worth County up for the first time at 21-20. The two teams then fought to a 24-24 tie at the half.

All of a sudden, the conditioning that the Tigers have been doing all year started to kick in and they took control of the game in the third quarter. First, Anna Gladstone cut inside and got a pass from Regan Allee. Anna Gladstone’s pass to Kaylee McElvain was on the money in transition, Regan Allee followed with a steal, and Anna Gladstone added a putback to make it 34-26.

Hickman, who had missed a ton since her initial 3-pointer, suddenly got going and hit a 3-pointer to make it 36-30 with 5:03 left. Anna Gladstone hit Kristin New for an answering 3-pointer to make it 39-30, but then Klommhaus came back in. Her pass to Gracie Mobley somehow got through to make it 39-33, but then she had to sit out with 4 fouls. Mobley’s free throw made it 39-34, but then Anna Gladstone restored order for the Tigers with a drive and Merrideth Spiers added a putback to make it 43-34 with 1:16 left. Early in the fourth, the lead made it to double digits when Anna Gladstone got a tip, Regan Allee got a steal, and Anna Gladstone cleaned up to make it 46-36.

Once again, Hickman tried to carry the Raiderettes on her shoulders and hit a 3-pointer, then a pair of free throws to make it 48-41 with 5:13 left. Mound Ayr had a chance to cut it to 3 or 4, but Regan Allee got a steal and threw it to Anna Gladstone to start a run for Worth County. Regan Allee got another steal; then, free throw from Kristin new and Allee made it 56-41 with 3:01 left.

Klommhaus and Hickman made one last charge for Mount Air as she scored the next six points for Mount Ayr and suddenly, Worth County had consecutive turnovers against the press. Whittington’s steal made it 59-51; following a free throw from New to make it 60-51, free throws from Klommhaus made it 60-53 with 45.9 seconds left, still an eternity. But Worth County finally broke the press and took 12 seconds off the clock before Mount Ayr could foul Kristin New, who made it 61.53 with 33.3 seconds left. Klommhaus’ driving layup made it two possessions at 61-55, but Worth County took another big chunk of time off the clock, got the ball to Regan Allee, who hit two free throws with 13.2 seconds left. Mount Ayr could not counter as Worth County ran out the clock.

Regan Allee had 26 points to lead the Tigers. Anna Gladstone had 18, Kristin New 8, Merrideth Spiers 4, Haley Hunt 3, and Jessi Badell and Kaylee McElvain 2.

Kaylee McElvain led the Tigers with 6 blocks. Worth County blocked 12 shots on the night. Anna Gladstone and Haley Hunt had 2, while Kristin New and Merrideth Spiers had 1 each.

Anna Gladstone and Regan Allee had 7 boards each. Jessi Badell and Kaylee McElvain had 4 each, and  Kristin New, Merrideth Spiers, Haley Hunt, and Jenna Smith had 2 each.

Kristin New and Anna Gladstone had 4 assists. Regan Allee had 3, Jenna Smith 2, and Megan Cassavaugh 1.

Anna Gladstone had 10 tips for the Tigers. Regan Allee had 9, Kaylee McElvain 5, Jessi Badell and Kristin New 3 each, Jenna Smith 2, and Merrideth Spiers and Haley Hunt 1.

Regan Allee had 6 steals for the Tigers. Anna Gladstone and Kristin New had 4, Kaylee McElvain and Jessi Badell had 2 each, and Haley Hunt had 1.

But the big stat of the night involved what Worth County didn’t do – turn the ball over. They turned it over only eight times despite constant pressure from Mount Ayr. They will win a lot of ballgames if they continue to take care of the ball.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Two North Nodaway Students Win Prizes in Electric Video Contest

Two North Nodaway students won prizes for making YouTube videos showing three ways to save energy. The contest was sponsored by United Electric Cooperative of Maryville. Keagan O’Riley won an all-expenses paid trip to Washington (DC) from June 8th to 14th. Arron Coleman will go to Jefferson City for three days in July.

There were 19 entries for the contest. Students were also interviewed by United Electric.

O’Riley’s video recommended minimizing phantom loads, being smart when heating and cooling your home, and using Energy Star appliances. Phantom load is energy used when devices are plugged in when they are not being used. One possible idea is energy-efficient power strips.

One possible way to save energy from O’Riley’s video was to use the fan instead of the air conditioner in summer.

Energy Star appliances are more efficient than older appliances, and United Electric offers rebates for customers who use Energy Star appliances.

Arron Coleman’s video featured ways you can save energy around the house. One way was to set your air conditioner to as close as possible to the temperature outside the house. The closer you set it to the outside temperature, the less it has to run.

The second suggestion was to use a ceiling fan to circulate air instead of an air conditioner. That could save anywhere between $23 to $137 a month on air conditioning.

The third was to turn up the thermostat whenever you leave your house for a long time. Almost 50% of energy costs are incurred heating or cooling a home.

Eli Scroggie Helps NEN Boys Beat East Atchison

Eli Scroggie helped Northeast Nodaway’s boys withstand a 3-point barrage by East Atchison as Northeast held off the Wolves 42-40 last Tuesday. Northeast Nodaway built up a 19-13 lead and then held off East Atchison the rest of the way for the win. The Wolves had six 3-pointers in the game.

East Atchison got within three by the end of three, but could not finish the deal. For Northeast, Eli Scroggie had 20 points to carry his team. Cameron Staples had 7, Spencer Weir and Dylan Mildfeldt had 6 each, Mitchell Sherry had 2, and Brayden Welch had 1. Northeast shot 9 for 12 from the line.

The girls were not so fortunate as they couldn’t stop Jaycee Graves, who ran wild over them with 32 points. Northeast got off to a promising start by taking a 12-9 first quarter lead, but then all hell broke loose as they gave up 20 points in the second quarter to trail 29-22. It got worse from there as they could not buy a bucket in the second half and fell 60-30 to East Atchison, which has beaten the likes of North Andrew this year.

Makayla Adwell had 15 points to lead NEN. Gerry Runde had 6, Madelynn Mattson 5, Cassy Redden 2, and Paige West 2. Northeast was 13 for 18 from the foul line. Gerry Runde had one 3-pointer for the Bluejays.

Missouri Drivers Licenses Now Good at Airports Until October 2018

On November 28th, the Kansas City Star reported that the Department of Homeland Security had granted Missouri an extension until October 10th, 2018 to come into compliance with the Read ID Act. Had that waiver not been granted, people seeking to board commercial airplanes or enter certain federal buildings or military bases starting in January 2018 would have had to provide a passport or some other form of federally approved ID.

In 2017, during the Missouri legislative session, Missouri lawmakers agreed on a compromise. Those who wish to get a Real ID compliant license can do so, while those with concerns about the act can get one that doesn’t comply with the regulations. Governor Eric Greitens signed the compromise measure into law.

In the meantime, the Department of Revenue will implement rules such as requiring retaining of source documentation to prevent fraud.

In 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act. “Secure driver's licenses and identification documents are a vital component of a holistic national security strategy. Law enforcement must be able to rely on government-issued identification documents and know that the bearer of such a document is who he or she claims to be. REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the states and the Federal Government to improve the reliability and accuracy of state-issued identification documents, which should inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification,” says the Department of Homeland Security on their website. However, Missouri held out against complying with the law until this year, citing privacy concerns.

Mustang Girls Beat East Harrison in Overtime Behind Keagan O’Riley

Keagan O’Riley posted a career night with 15 points and North Nodaway survived a frantic finish in regulation and pulled away for the 55-47 win over East Harrison in the extra period. The game was played in the cramped Cainsville gym; like Newtown-Harris, the walls were out of bounds and the area behind the baskets were in play.

North Nodaway fell behind 14-6 after one quarter, but chipped away at the lead and caught East Harrison by the third quarter. The final finish was frantic, with both sides having a chance to win in regulation.

Keagan O’Riley had 15 points to pace the Mustangs. Audrey Trimble had 11, Kristin Herndon 10, Kandace Damgar 9, Ashley Thompson 8, and Alisha Davison 2.

Kandace Damgar had 2 three-pointers for North Nodaway. Trimble and O’Riley had 1 each. Free throws doomed East Harrison. North Nodaway shot 7 for 12 from the line, while East Harrison shot 3 for 13.

The boys did not fare so well as they dug themselves into a 13-4 first quarter hole and fell 61-38 to the unbeaten Bobcats. Arron Coleman had 11, Cole Bird 9, Ryan Riley 7, Austin Bird 5, Tyler Bix 4, and Karson Oberhauser 2.

Payton Craig is 3rd Leading Scorer in Area

North Harrison’s Payton Craig is the third leading scorer in the area among athletes of all classes as of Saturday, December 16th according to figures published by the St. Joseph News-Press Leaderboard. Payton Craig averages 20 points per game, behind Jillian Rumpf (Mid-Buchanan) with 22.8 and Kortlyn Rounkles with 26.3. Teammate Brandy Rivet is 11th with 13.8 points per game.

North Nodaway, in the opening day game against North Harrison, held Payton Craig to 14 points, but still lost 52-49. That is as good a job defensively as anyone has done on Craig; she has scored 18 or more points in every other game this year.

Craig is 4th in rebounding with 8.6 per game, 6th in assists with 3.8 per game, and 4th in steals with 5.0 per game.

On the boys side, Logan Craig (North Harrison) is 10th with 18.2 points per game. In rebounding, Mason Hawk (Worth County) is 5th with 10.0 boards per game; Brett Emig (North Harrison) is 7th with 9.0 and Craig is 10th with 8.6.

For Northeast Nodaway, Dylan Mildfeldt is 8th in assists with 3.4 per game.

Madelynn Mattson’s 20 Not Enough Against Rock Port

Freshman Madelynn Mattson’s 20 points were not enough against Rock Port as the Bluejays dropped their third game in four tries 48-45 to Rock Port. Northeast dug themselves into a 32-20 hole against Rock Port and their attempts to rally in the second half came up three points short.

Madelynn Mattson had 20 to lead Northeast. Gerry Runde had 11, Blair Stoll and Makayla Adwell had 4, Taylor Coffelt 3, Paige West 2, and Cassy Redden had 1.

Runde had NEN’s lone 3-pointer. They were 12 of 24 from the line. They had trouble staying on the floor as Makayla Adwell and Cassy Redden both fouled out.

The boys dropped their second game of the year as they fell 72-61 to Rock Port.

Tiger Girls Pull Away in Second Half Against Lions

Worth County’s girls pulled away in the second half to beat St. Joseph Christian and get back on the winning track Friday 45-33. Worth County trailed 25-23 at the half, but then put down the clamps defensively on the Lions and outscored them 14-4 in the third quarter to take control.

Regan Allee led the scoring with 14 points – despite not getting a 3-pointer that night. It was her second double figure game in a row. Anna Gladstone had 11, Merrideth Spiers, Jessi Badell, Jill Hardy, and Kaylee McElvain had 4, and Jenna Smith and Haley Hunt had 2 each.

Worth County has struggled from the line over the last two years, but they won this battle from the line. They were 11 for 21 from the line, while Christian was 5 for 10.

The boys were not as fortunate, as they fell to St. Joseph Christian 40-24 and dropped their third straight. They accomplished one of their goals, holding standout Malik Tucker to only 7 points. But they could not hit the broadside of a barn that night. They trailed 19-15 at the half, but then went ice cold in the third, only getting three in the third and five in the fourth.

Caleb Parman had 11 to lead the Tigers. Mason Hawk had 6, Tevin Cameron 4, and Drake Kinsella 3.

Worth County had trouble getting to the line as they only made four trips, hitting one free throw. Christian was 8 for 10 from the line. Caleb Parman had all three of Worth County’s 3-pointers.

Obituary -- Donna Riley 1935-2017

Donna Coleen Riley, 82, of Maryville, MO, passed from this life on Friday, December 15, 2017, at the Parkdale Manor Nursing Home, Maryville, with her family at her side.

Donna was born near Gentry, MO, on July 3, 1935.  She had resided for most of her life in the area.  She had spent 2 years in Louisiana while Drexel was in the Army, and they had wintered in Mission Texas for over 30 years.

Her parents were Lester Martin and Aulta Gondola (Smith) Wilkinson, Sr.  They preceded her in death.  She was also preceded by an infant sister, Betty Jean, her son, Gareld Riley, in 2012, her sisters, Mary Midyett, and Carol Jean Palmer, and her brother, Lester, Jr.

Donna graduated in 1953 from Parnell High School, Parnell, MO.  She was a homemaker and had helped Drexel with all the farm chores and had kept the books for the farm.  She loved to garden and canning.  Her family was very important to her, she liked big Sunday dinners and gatherings.  She doted on her grandchildren.

On February 8, 1953, Donna was united in marriage to Drexel Duane Riley, at Camp Polk, LA.  He survives of the home.

She is also survived by her 3 daughters, Connie (Danny) Cline, Pickering, MO, Judy (Tim) Norris, Braddyville, IA, and Sally (David) Palmer, Bolckow, MO; her daughter in law, Vicki Riley, Hopkins, MO; 2 sisters, Beverly Walker, and Shirley Downing, both of Maryville; 11 grandchildren, Adam (Vivian) Riley, Kathy (John) Brown, Jennifer (Dave) Riedel, Matthew (Cari) Cline, Brad (Keely) Cline, Michael (Lori) Norris, Chad (Mellissa) Norris, Brian (Ethera) Norris, Angela (Aaron) Lane, Brandon (Kelby) Palmer, and Nathan Palmer; 29 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM, Monday, December 18, 2017, at the Bram-Danfelt Funeral Home, Maryville, MO.  The burial will follow in the Nodaway Memorial Gardens, Maryville.

The family will receive friends from 4-6:00 PM, Sunday, December 17, 2017, at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the SSM Hospice, Maryville, MO, or the Long Branch Cemetery of Gaynor, MO, and can be sent to the funeral home.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

MDC Makes Arrests on Firearms Charges

Brandon Lyddon, Conservation Agent
Missouri Conservation Agents work both pro-actively and respond to calls from the public to give the needed attention to people violating the Missouri’s conservation laws. Examples of recent cases in NW MO are taking deer from a public roadway, felons in possession of firearms, hunting without deer permits, deer permit fraud and intentional misuse, trespassing cases, and taking over limits of deer. Some of these cases happened because of information being reported by the public. Agents will continue to work to protect Missouri’s wildlife and people.

To report conservation violations you can contact Missouri Conservation Agents directly (numbers on MDC website) or by calling the county dispatch center. You can also call the OGT (Operation Game Thief) 24 hour hotline at 1-800-392-1111, you can remain anonymous and rewards are possible.

Friday, December 15, 2017

Three at Buzzer Lifts Mustang Boys, Who Explode For Win

For the second time in three games, Ryan Riley sparked the North Nodaway boys, who exploded in the second half for a 50-14 win over Union Star.

The game was tight throughout the first half. North Nodaway was not doing all that badly, but their shots were fruitlessly clanking off the rim. Meanwhile, Union Star was running like a well-oiled machine on offense, even though they weren’t much better.

At first, it looked like North Nodaway would take control despite a game-opening three-pointer from Caiden Sharp of Union Star. Tyler Bix hit a 3-pointer and started going to the rack at will, getting some passes from Arron Coleman. Coleman added a free throw to make it 9-3 after one quarter.
But then Sharp and the Trojans started coming back. They had every right to expect a close game with North Nodaway; the two teams both game into the game with one win, and something had to give. Union Star was running their plays to perfection and Sharp got a three point play and Nathan Miller got a putback with 6:14 left to make it 9-8.

From there, it was a hopeless slog for both teams. Try as they might, everything was fruitlessly clanking off the rim as the score was stuck for over four minutes until Sharp finally scored off a drive to make it 10-9. But that seemed to open the lid as Arron Coleman scored off a drive and pass from Tyler Bix. That was when Ryan Riley took over as he hit two free throws off a drive and then added a 3-pointer off a pass from Austin Bird at the buzzer to put North Nodaway up 16-10.

Riley’s 3-pointer seemed to open the floodgates for North Nodaway as Union Star fell into grave danger from foul trouble. They had 10 players listed in their program, but only 5 available to play, meaning that when Drake Pendleton and Liam Mitchell both picked up their fourth foul, they could not stop North Nodaway from getting to the basket. Cole Bird scored off a Tyler Bix steal, then Austin Bird hit back to back 3-pointers to put North Nodaway in command at 24-10. Arron Coleman then drove twice successfully, with the second drive getting Mitchell to the bench with five fouls and netting Coleman a 3-point play.

With only four players, Union Star could not keep up with North Nodaway as Arron Coleman hit a free throw off a steal, Ryan Riley got a putback, and Karson Oberhauser and Arron Coleman scored in transition. What was once a close game was a 37-10 Mustang lead after three.

It went from bad to worse for Union Star, as they dropped to three players when Pendleton fouled out at the 4:40 mark. Andrew Blackford came off the bench for North Nodaway to score 8 points in the fourth quarter and Lucas Alvarez added 3 as North Nodaway kept two players out of the action on offense, but still outplayed Union Star in the final period.

Arron Coleman led the Mustangs in scoring with 12 points. Tyler Bix and Andrew Blackford 8, Ryan Riley 7, Austin Bird 6, Cole Bird 4, Lucas Alvarez 3, and Karson Oberhauser 2.

Tyler Bix and Arron Coleman each blocked 1 shot.

North Nodaway netted 49 boards for the night. Arron Coleman had 11, Cole Bird 9, Austin Bird and Karson Oberhauser 6, Logan Keho 5, Lucas Alvarez 4, Ryan Riley 3, Tyler Bix and Wyatt O’Riley 2, and Andrew Blackford 1.

Tyler Bix had 5 assists for North Nodaway. Arron Coleman had 3, Cole Bird, Karson Oberhauser, and Lucas Alvarez 2, and Andrew Blackford and Austin Bird 1 each.

Tyler Bix had 8 tips for North Nodaway. Arron Coleman and Karson Oberhauser had 6, Austin Bird 5, Cole Bird 3, Andrew Blackford and Wyatt O’Riley 2 each, and Lucas Alvarez 1.

Arron Coleman had 3 steals for North Nodaway. Ryan Riley, Tyler Bix, Austin Bird, and Lucas Alvarez each had 1.

Ashley Thompson Gets Double Double as Mustang Girls Rout Trojans

Ashley Thompson got a double double as she got 17 points and 10 boards as North Nodaway’s girls rolled to their third victory against hapless Union Star 63-10.

The Trojans have not won since 2015-2016, when they won six games; they have been held to as little as three against Jefferson this year and they were held to three once last year as well. They scored over 20 points once last year and twice this year.

The result was predictable as North Nodaway took control early and never let up, even when the third string was playing. Ashley Thompson scored nine points, including a third chance putback; Audrey Trimble got her the ball twice and Kristin Herndon once in the first quarter. Alisha Davison added two three-pointers and a putback and Audrey Trimble added four more as North Nodaway led 23-0 after one. It was a blistering pace for a team that usually plays low-scoring games.

Madison Marriott got a putback and later banked one home for Star and Makayla Bell added a free throw; however, little else went wrong for North Nodaway in the second quarter except for Kristin Herndon throwing the ball to a Union Star cheerleader thinking it was Audrey Trimble. She more than made up for her rare miscue, cutting inside and getting a pass from Keagan O’Riley; she also nailed a 3-pointer off a pass from Alisha Davison and grabbed two third-chance putbacks, drawing the ire of the Union Star coach and getting nine points in the period. Ashley Thompson added 5, getting her total up to 14 and Audrey Trimble added four more as North Nodaway led 45-5 at the half.

The rest of the game was North Nodaway putting in their reserves, then later, mixing and matching starters and subs. Jadon Dobbins came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer and later added a drive. Even with the 3rd string in, North Nodaway was relentless in getting to the glass, getting 39 boards for the night; Karissa Oberhauser had a fourth-chance putback at one point. Brittney Leach added a drive every bit as good as Alisha Davison’s. Union Star didn’t get to double figures until Marriott hit an NBA 3-pointer at the fourth quarter buzzer.

Ashley Thompson led the scoring for North Nodaway with 17. Ten different Mustangs scored for the night; Kristin Herndon had 13, Alisha Davison 10, Audrey Trimble 8, Jadon Dobbins 5, and Keagan O’Riley, Kandace Damgar, Emma Hart, Karissa Oberhauser, and Brittney Leach all getting 2.

Kristin Herndon had 2 blocks and Keagan O’Riley 1.

Ashley Thompson had 10 boards. Kristin Herndon had 5, Jadon Dobbins 4, Keagan O’Riley, Alisha Davison, Emma Hart, Brittney Leach, and Karissa Oberhauser all had 3, Audrey Trimble and Kandace Damgar had 2 each, and Katie Bloomquist had 1.

Kristin Herndon had 4 assists for North Nodaway. Audrey Trimble had 3, and Ashley Thompson, Keagan O’Riley, Brittney Leach, and Alisha Davison had 1.

Alisha Davison had 6 tips for North Nodaway. Kristin Herndon had 5, Keagan O’Riley 3, Ashley Thompson and Jadon Dobbins 2, and Audrey Trimble and Kandace Damgar 1.

Kristin Herndon had 5 steals for North Nodaway. Kandace Damgar had 4, Alisha Davison, Ashley Thompson, Keagan O’Riley, Audrey Trimble, and Jadon Dobbins had 2, and Emma Hart and Karissa Oberhauser had 1.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Shamrock Girls Exorcize Demons, Roll to Victory

Lamoni looked to put up a good fight on the girls side as they were 4-3 with three different shooters, a solid defensive team (they held one team to 5 points this year), and some good shot-blockers. But North Harrison continued to roll, doubling them up 54-27 and avenging last year’s 64-55 home loss to them. Lamoni had been on a hot streak as they had won four out of five after getting off to a slow start by dropping their first two.

Sarah Heltenburg’s free throw gave Lamoni its only lead at 1-0. But then Payton Craig went to work, scoring off a pair of drives and cutting inside and getting a pass from Emma Craig into the teeth of the Lamoni defense to make it 6-1. Lamoni made no concerted effort to key on Payton Craig, who was able to get to the rim at will. By contrast, Newtown-Harris was doubling her every time she touched the ball, but she would pass it off to the open person. Brandy Rivet was wreaking havoc on defense in the first period, getting five tips in the first period to fuel a stingy defense. North Harrison set season highs in tips (31) and steals (17).

Payton Craig picked up a foul in the first few seconds of the game, but she stayed on the floor and did not pick up a second one until the second period.

One of Lamoni’s sharpshooters, Maddy Maedel, dropped one from downtown to make it 6-4, but then Brandy Rivet countered with one of her own, Mason Cracraft took a charge on defense, and Emma Craig hit a free throw to make it 10-4 after one.

Payton Craig hit a 3-pointer and Emma Craig cleaned up on a Brandy Rivet miss after she had gotten a steal to make it 15-6, but Maedel countered with a 3-pointer and Lamoni kept it at six until late in the first half.

But like the Newtown-Harris game, North Harrison closed with a flurry in the last few minutes of the half. Leading 17-11, Payton Craig got a steal and fed Rivet for a layup; then, Craig inbounded to Addie Slaughter, who scored over two taller defenders. Brandy Rivet scored off a steal and then Payton Craig inbounded one to her and she connected at the buzzer to make it 26-11 at the half.
Lamoni tried to isolate Maedel on Craig to get her in foul trouble and to the bench; they got her to three, but could not get her to the bench with four. Meanwhile, Addie Slaughter backdoored one to Craig and Emma Craig hit Payton cutting inside  for an and-one play which made it 30-12.

Demon sharpshooter Payton Vanderflught dropped a 3-pointer to make it 33-17, but then Payton Craig got a drive and score into traffic after Brandy Rivet kept a possession alive with an offensive glass. She added two more free throws to make it 37-17. Leslie Guyer hit one inside to make it 37-19, but then Brandy Rivet hit her second buzzer-beating triple in as many quarters, an NBA 3-pointer off a pass from Carly Rinehart, to make it 40-19 after three.

Payton Craig wreaked plenty of defensive havoc in the second half; she got four steals in the third and four more in the first five minutes of the fourth despite playing with three fouls, thwarting any hopes of a comeback. She hit Mason Cracraft on the wing and got a steal to push it up to 25 at 44-19 with 7:23 left.

Grace Martin scored from inside as Lamoni battled back to within 47-26, but then the reserves came in and closed it out for North Harrison. Emma Craig passed out of a double to Ashlynn Gilpatrick on the baseline, Emma got a putback, and Kami Gibson drove down the left baseline in traffic to score to push it up to 27.

Payton Craig had 24 to lead North Harrison, a season high so far. Brandy Rivet had 16, Emma Craig 6, and Addie Slaughter, Mason Cracraft, Ashlynn Gilpatrick, and Kami Gibson all had 2.
Olivia Babinski had 1 block for the Shamrocks.

North Harrison had 33 boards as a team and had nine players grab at least one. Emma Craig had 8, Mason Cracraft 7, Payton Craig 5, Addie Slaughter 3, Kami Gibson and Brandy Rivet 3 each, and Carly Rinehart, Ashlynn Gilpatrick, and Vici Stellpflug 1 each. Gibson also leveled a Lamoni player hard while going after a board.

Emma Craig and Payton Craig each had 5 assists. Brandy Rivet had 3 and Addie Slaughter, Olivia Babinski, and Carly Rinehart each had 1.

Brandy Rivet had 10 tips for North Harrison. Payton Craig had 8, Emma Craig 7, Addie Slaughter and Mason Cracraft 2, and Olivia Babinski and Ashlynn Gilpatrick 1 each.

Payton Craig had 9 steals for North Harrison, continuing to come tantalizingly close to 10. She had 8 against both Winston and Newtown-Harris. Brandy Rivet had 5, Olivia Babinski 2, and Mason Cracraft 1.

The boys did not fare so well as they fell 64-45 against Lamoni. The Demons were 5-1 coming into the game; they gave up only 39 points a game and thrive on pressure defense and turnovers. North Harrison did not take care of the ball, committing 26 turnovers and throwing it away in bunches. When they took care of the ball, they held their own against the Demons and even made some runs at them, but that is difficult to overcome.

The Shamrocks were fortunate to be down only 9-3 after one quarter. They turned the ball over 8 times in the period against Lamoni’s suffocating full court press, but blocked four shots in the period to thwart the Demons’ efforts to attack the rim.

R.J. Washington made a 3-pointer for Lamoni to start the second, and then a bizarre call by the officials swung the momentum in their favor and all hell broke loose. The Shamrocks were trying to bring the ball up against Lamoni’s press when the referees blew the whistle and signaled a foul on Lamoni. But then, without any signal to explain the call, they gave the ball back to the red shirts in a call that even the Lamoni coach was confused about. Steven Ansong scored on the play and then Lamoni got a steal and layup off the press and just like that, it was 16-3.

The Shamrocks battled gamely, getting a pair of free throws from Collin Castleberry to make it 16-8 and kept it at 10-12 for most of the half. But then a defensive lapse at the end of the half, where Lamoni missed a shot, North Harrison did not go after the ball thinking the half was over, and one of the red shirts drained a shot at the buzzer, put Lamoni up 28-14.

Steven Willhite tried to carry North Harrison in the third, scoring seven in the period, but Lamoni was red hot in the period, leading by as much as 21 when Curtis Roberts hit a 3-pointer to make it 42-21.

The Shamrocks got a glimmer of hope when Logan Craig scored off a drive, hit two free throws after an intentional foul after one of the red shirts hammered him hard when he was going in for a layup, and scored on the subsequent possession. Brett Emig added a free throw to make it 42-28.

But with North Harrison trying to press and get the ball back, Landon Gilliland drove straight down the middle against it and Stephen Ansong drove for a layup to make it 46-28 after three.

Logan Craig did all he could in the fourth quarter to get his team back in the game, getting 10 points in the period while Collin Castleberry added six, but Lamoni got too many easy baskets in the period and North Harrison never trailed by less than 18.

Logan Craig had 19 points to lead North Harrison. Stephen Willhite had 11, Collin Castleberry 10, and Brett Emig 5.

Collin Castleberry and Stephen Willhite had 3 blocks each. Logan Huitt had 1.

Steven Willhite had 8 boards for the Shamrocks. Brett Emig had 5, Collin Castleberry and Logan Craig 4, Collin Briggs 3, and Gavin Garrett 2.

Brett Emig had 6 assists. Logan Craig, Gavin Garrett, and Collin Castleberry had 2 each.

Steven Willhite had 8 tips for North Harrison. Logan Craig had 4, Gavin Garrett 3, and Samuel Mejia and Collin Castleberry 1 each.

Collin Castleberry and Steven Willhite had 2 steals each. Logan Huitt, Logan Craig, Brett Emig, and Samuel Mejia each had 1.

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Ryan Riley Breaks Out, But Mustang Teams Fall

Ryan Riley had a breakout game for the North Nodaway boys, but both Mustang teams fell to Mound City last Tuesday.

Unlike the first game, the Mustangs were able to go the distance against Mound City and they jumped out to a 15-10 lead after one. But then all hell broke loose in the second and they were outscored 22-6 and trailed 32-21 at the half. They were able to stop the bleeding in the second half, but it was too late.

Tyler Bix had 13 to lead North Nodaway and Ryan Riley had 11 and three 3-pointer. Coach Jake Shipman had been looking for Riley to start scoring more for his squad, and he responded in Tuesday’s game. Cole Bird had 7 and Arron Coleman had 6. The Mustang shot themselves in the foot at the free throw line, where they were 3 for 12. Mound City was 11 for 20.

On the girls side, the girls played three quarters against Mound City and were down 35-25 going into the fourth. But they were outscored 17-5 in the fourth and fell 52-30. Alisha Davison led the scoring with 13 points and three 3-pointers. Kristin Herndon had 6, Ashley Thompson 5, Audrey Trimble 3 points and one 3-pointer, Keagan O’Riley had 2, and Kandace Damgar 1.

The girls were 4 for 8 at the free throw line, while Mound City was 15 for 24. That accounted for half of Mound City’s margin of victory.

Will Engel Nominated for Scholarship; Part-Time Cook/Custodian Hired

Worth County student Will Engel has been nominated for the John T. Belcher Scholarship by the Worth County School Board at their regular meeting last Monday. A $1,000 annual scholarship is awarded to a student in each of the Missouri School Board Association’s 17 regions. Applicants are judged on the basis of academic performance, extracurricular activities, and the quality of an essay. Engel is a wrestling athlete who competes with Albany as part of Worth County’s wrestling coop agreement with that school. A statewide winner will be selected from the 17 regional winners and receive an additional $1,500.

The board also voted to hire Sharon Nonneman as a part-time custodian/food service employee for the school following a brief closed session by the board.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Tiger Teams Fall to North Andrew; Boys Lose Second Straight

Worth County’s teams fell to North Andrew as the boys dropped their second straight and the girls saw their record drop back to .500 again as they are now 3-3. The boys dropped their second straight, falling to North Andrew after falling to Maryville last week.

Both games followed a similar script; the Tigers got off to a fast start, but could not keep it up against the powerhouse North Andrew teams. The girls did better than they did last year against the Cardinals as they went the distance against them this year after losing a running clock game last year. But they fell 52-32 as they went through too many cold stretches and turned the ball over too many times and gave up too many offensive boards. The boys similarly let an early lead slip away against last year’s final four team, falling 61-53.

The presence of post player Kenzie Shunk was a big difference for North Andrew on the girls side. When she was on the floor, Worth County couldn’t do anything offensively; when she went to the bench with foul trouble, Worth County was able to do better. With Shunk on the bench with early foul trouble in the first minute, Worth County raced out to a 9-2 lead. Regan Allee hit a 3-pointer from the right wing, Anna Gladstone converted a three point play off a pass from Kristin New, and New hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Worth County led by six again as Anna Gladstone blocked a shot, Merrideth Spiers got a board, and threw it to Regan Allee on the baseline to make it 14-8.

But then Jentry Copple began running wild for North Andrew, scoring seven straight points; by the start of the second period, Worth County’s lead was gone. Emily Cole hit a 3-pointer and Atheah Roberts got loose inside as the Cardinals pushed it to 24-15. Worth County went a whole quarter without scoring a field goal, only managing free throws from Gladstone and Haley Hunt as they trailed 29-17 at the half.

The second half started off well as Kristin New hit Regan Allee on the left side for a 3-pointer and added a steal to make it 29-22. But then Anna Gladstone picked up her third foul as North Andrew pushed it back up to 35-22. Gladstone picked up a pair of free throws off a steal to cut it to 37-26 with 3:57 left, but then had to sit with four fouls and all hell broke loose as North Andrew went on a 13-1 run as it turned into a layup drill; Worth County went 11 minutes without scoring a made basket, only scoring from the field again with 1:59 left when the game was already decided.

Regan Allee led the scoring for Worth County with 11 points. Anna Gladstone had 9, Kristin New had 8, Kaylee McElvain had 2, and Haley Hunt and Jill Hardy had 1 each.

Anna Gladstone had 1 block for the Tigers.

Jenna Smith and Kaylee McElvain had 4 boards for the Tigers. Jessi Badell and Haley Hunt had 3, and Regan Allee, Kristin New, Merrideth Spiers, and Anna Gladstone all had 2.

Kristin New had 4 assists. Regan Allee, Merrideth Spiers, Anna Gladstone, and Jenna Smith all had 1.

Anna Gladstone had 7 tips for the Tigers, Kristin New had 5, Regan Allee had 3, and Jessi Badell, Haley Hunt, and Kaylee McElvain all had 2.

Kristin New had 4 steals for Worth County. Anna Gladstone had 3, Jessi Badell 2, and Regan Allee, Kaylee McElvain, and Jenna Smith all had 1.

The game was the start of a brutal stretch for the girls in which they play an improved team in St. Joseph Christian and then powerhouse teams in Mount Ayr, Stanberry, and North Andrew again in the always-tough Stanberry Tournament.

The boys game started off promising as they started getting the ball into Drake Kinsella at will as they raced out to a 14-2 lead. Caleb Parman got a couple of quick steals and Ryan McClellan got 1 during the run. Kinsella had 7, Jacob New had a 3-pointer, Ryan McClellan had a layup off his steal, and Mason Hawk scored from inside during the run. Worth County got three steals during that five minute stretch; the problem was, they only got one more steal for the rest of the game.

But then Cole Thorburn came into the game for North Andrew and the whole game turned on a dime. The Tigers were intimidated by him as he ran wild on defense and forced some turnovers as the Cardinals got back to within 14-11 with 53 seconds left.

Worth County settled down and built the lead back up to 20-11 early in the second as Caleb Parman got a putback, Mason Hawk hit a pair of free throws, and Ryan McClellan scored off a drive. The lead grew again to 12 as Jacob New hit a 3-pointer in transition off a pass from Drake Kinsella and Mason Hawk got a putback to make it 26-14.

But then Worth County started getting in foul trouble as Drake Kinsella picked up his third foul in the second quarter and Caleb Parman picked up his fourth early in the third. Worth County led 33-23 at the half, but North Andrew started chipping away, starting the second half on a 10-2 run to make it 35-33. Ryan Hughes was starting to run wild for North Andrew, just like he did last year in the sectional game.

Worth County seemingly restored order as Jacob New hit a 3-pointer and Ryan McClellan hit two free throws and went backdoor and got a pass from Tevin Cameron to make it 42-36. But then he was shaken up as he landed on his face trying to block a shot by Hughes and had to go to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion. By the time he got back, North Andrew had chipped to within one and got a steal and a putback at the third quarter buzzer to take the lead for the first time at 43-42.

Drake Kinsella, who was on the bench for much of the third with four fouls, came back in and tried to carry the Tigers on his shoulders as he scored seven points in the first three minutes of the fourth. But it wasn’t enough as Ryan Hughes started off the fourth with an NBA 3-pointer and ran wild for the whole period, driving to the rack at will and adding some steals. Finally, he got a steal with 3:19 left that fueled a 7-0 North Andrew run that put them up 59-49.

Some missed free throws by North Andrew gave Worth County a glimmer of hope as Mason Hawk scored from inside and Caleb Parman scored in transition to make it 59-53 with 28 seconds, but then Worth County missed two tries to make it 3 or 4 and then Lance Streeby hit two free throws with 11.5 seconds left to seal it.

Drake Kinsella had 14 to lead the Tigers. Jacob New had 12 along with Mason Hawk. Ryan McClellan had 8, Caleb Parman 5, and Jaxon Anderson had 2.

Mason Hawk and Ryan McClellan both had two blocks.

Mason Hawk had 11 boards to lead the Tigers. Caleb Parman and Tevin Cameron had 6, Drake Kinsella 4, Ryan McClellan and Jacob New 3, and Jaxon Anderson 1.

Ryan McClellan had 6 assists for the Tigers. Caleb Parman and Drake Kinsella had 4, Mason Hawk 2, and Tevin Cameron and Jacob New 1.

Drake Kinsella and Ryan McClellan had 4 tips each for the Tigers. Jacob New, Caleb Parman, and Mason Hawk had 2 each.

Caleb Parman had 2 steals for the Tigers. Ryan McClellan and Mason Hawk had 1.

Engel Clashes With County After Being Assessed Taxes for Brush Enforcement

Bill Engel was asked to leave Monday’s County Commission Meeting after clashing with commissioners over brush enforcement. Worth County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Cain came to the meeting to maintain order. Engel subsequently left the meeting.

On Monday, December 4th, Engel, according to minutes from the County Commission, gave the county one week to cancel taxes assessed after county crews went to remove brush along roads next to land he owns that the county says were in violation of the brush law approved by voters in 2010. The tax bill, according to figures provided by the county, came out to $9,186.74.

Engel had previously clashed with the county over the brush law two years before, saying at the time at a meeting in 2015, “I cannot and will not comply,” citing EPA regulations and saying that endangered trees and plants would be destroyed by complying with the brush law. The county had sent multiple certified letters to Engel and produced return receipts that were signed by Engel. Commissioners also went out to the site and met with Engel over the brush removal.

Engel asked the commissioners what the commission was going to do about assessing taxes. “If there’s litigation, it’s going to be in Kansas City,” he said. “It’s going to be done one way or another, and I’m not going to wait until the next election.” Commissioner Tyler Paxson said that the procedures were done in proper order, that Engel was not on the agenda, and that he needed to leave. That was when Deputy Cain was called into the meeting.

“We didn’t want to do this; we told him multiple times about what needed to be done,” said Paxson. Commissioner Reggie Nonneman said that the county had no choice in the matter. “We have to enforce the brush law, because the voters approved it.”

Two other landowners have had their brush removed by the county and the costs assessed to their taxes. Several others are on the list to be done when the county crews have time to do the work.

The present commissioners have set up criteria to determine what roads are enforced. Criteria include whether the road is on a mail route or school bus route along with complaints from landowners, county crew members, and gravel delivery people. If a road is targeted for brush removal, all landowners along a road get brush letters; if a landowner does not have brush to remove, they can disregard the letter. Along with the voter-passed brush ordinance, voters passed a tax rock ordinance in 2010 in which the county delivers tax rock to all roads that have sufficient gravel base. This is in addition to the CART program, offered twice a year, in which landowners pay money to put gravel on their roads and the county puts in a matching share.

Jerry Dearmont of the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments came to discuss paved roads that needed work. Commissioners said that roads in need of improvement include M (pavement peeling), the Oxford Bridge (aging), and the Jay Creek Bridge west of Grant City (narrow). Recommendations will be presented to the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting that will take place on January 2nd.

Courthouse News for December 13th

Charges listed are cases filed by Worth County Prosecuting Attorney Brett Hurst, except where otherwise noted. These are merely allegations; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

On November 29th, charges were filed against Brian David Krauth for driving while revoked – second or subsequent offense.

Charges were filed following the accident between Ravenwood and Parnell which knocked out power to many communities in the area on the night of December 1st and 2nd for 3½ hours. James Meek was charged by Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice on December 8th for Driving While Revoked or Suspended (1st Offense).

On December 8th, Victor L. Ivy Jr. was charged in Worth County with 1st Degree Trespass on November 5th after being arrested by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

More charges were filed in conjunction with the two car thefts that occurred in Worth County on November 28th. Jeffrey Jones was charged with two counts of tampering with a motor vehicle, one count of leaving the scene of an accident in which there was damage worth $1,000 or more, resisting arrest by fleeing, careless and imprudent driving, two counts of failure to display tabs on plates,and operating a vehicle without insurance. Bond has been set by Judge Joel Miller on $25,000 cash or corporate surety, and he faces a motion to revoke probation on unrelated charges. He appeared in custody and remained in custody as of Monday afternoon.

Alexis Adams was granted a $25,000 signature bond by Judge Joel Miller and released to the custody of her sister in St. Joseph. She must seek employment, have curfew from 10 pm to 7 am, submit to random police visits and drug tests and comply with orders from police officers, and have no contact with co-defendant Jeffrey Jones or the victims. She was bound over to Division I and Judge Roger Prokes for a hearing on January 4th.

Kenley Fones pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace and was fined $300 plus $114.50 in court costs.

Starla Farnsworth pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and fined $500 plus $114.50 and a $25 payment plan fee.

Emma Craig Has Breakout Game Against Winston

Payton Craig, as usual, led North Harrison’s girls in their scoring; however, it was Emma Craig who had a breakout game, getting 16 in North Harrison’s 56-43 win over Winston. The Shamrocks built up a 19 point lead in the first half before subbing freely the rest of the game and maintaining a double digit lead. “We gave the back of our bench a lot of playing time,” said Coach Aaron Long. “We had a lot of turnovers, but we rebounded the ball well.”

For North Harrison, Payton Craig had 22, Emma Craig 16, Brandy Rivet 8, Olivia Babinski 4, and Addie Slaughter, Mason Cracraft, and Kami Gibson had 2. For the Shamrocks, they had been looking for someone else besides Payton Craig and Brandy Rivet to step up in scoring. Emma Craig was a model of consistency for the Shamrocks; she scored four points in every quarter. Against Newtown-Harris, she scored two in three different quarters and three in the other.

Shamrock Boys Throw Scare Into Winston

Determined to give a better accounting of themselves than they did against Princeton, North Harrison threw a scare into highly-touted Winston. They were down 29-25 at the half and were only down six midway through the third before falling 65-44 to the Redbirds. “We thought that if we held Jacob Lewis to the 20’s, we’d have a chance, but Cy Uthe went off on us. They work so well together,” said Shamrock coach Mike Schmidli. Jacob Lewis had “only” 21 for Winston, but Cy Uthe had 32. “They made everything they threw up and they got the offensive board when they didn’t,” said Schmidli.
For North Harrison, Logan Craig had 21 points and was 9 for 9 from the line. Steven Willhite had 10, Logan Huitt 6, Brett Emig 4, Gavin Garrett 2, and Collin Castleberry 1.

Monday, December 11, 2017

Shamrock Boys Play Most Complete Game of Year; Drop Newtown-Harris 73-42

After a forgettable 87-45 home loss to Princeton last week, North Harrison’s boys put up a good fight against highly-touted Winston, only trailing by 4 at halftime before finally falling by 21. But all of a sudden, they realized what they were capable of as a team and put together their most complete game of the year, a 73-42 win over Newtown-Harris to raise their record back over .500 again at 3-2.
It was a freshman, Brett Emig, who fueled them in the first four minutes of the game. While he did not lead the scoring, he put up four steals, three assists, and four boards in the first four minutes of the game as the Shamrocks raced out to a 14-3 lead at the 3:48 mark of the fourth. Much like the girls did, the boys fended off several Newtown-Harris attempts to rally before erupting again in the third quarter to put the game away.

It started on the first defensive series; North Harrison got a stop, Brett Emig got a defensive glass, and then pushed it up the floor to Collin Castleberry for the first points of the game. Andrew Garcia countered with a free throw for Newtown-Harris, but then Emig hit Steven Willhite for a triple on the left wing, got loose for another transition opportunity and free throw despite Newtown-Harris coach Ty Stillwell getting tangled up with one of his players and shoving him clear out to the middle of the floor in a futile effort to stop him, then jumped a pass to make it 8-1.

Ryan Metcalf broke the run briefly for the Tigers, but then Collin Castleberry got North Harrison started again with a drive. Then, four different Shamrocks got offensive boards on the next possession and Logan Craig converted the Shamrocks’ fifth chance to make it 12-3 and prompt an angry timeout from Tiger skipper Stillwell.

It didn’t work at first as Emig got loose again and went coast to coast and Logan Craig added a putback to make it 16-3. But then Newtown-Harris, battling back despite playing with just six players, started breaking North Harrison’s trapping defense and NaVontae Rainey, a human bulldozer who makes a living off driving Newtown-Harris’ unique baseline and the area behind the basket, got loose to make it 18-10 before Logan Huitt’s drive made it 20-10 after one.

North Harrison pushed it up to 16, only to see Newtown-Harris chip away again. Brett Emig got loose inside for a pass from Collin Castleberry and Logan Craig went coast to coast twice to make it 28-12 and the lead stayed there for a while before Rainey got loose a couple of times and Garcia hit a pair of free throws to make it 33-23.

But like the girls, the boys were able to finish the half strongly, starting with a four point swing at the 1:39 mark. Newtown-Harris had just gotten a stop and had a chance to get it under double digits and the momentum, when Steven Willhite got a tip and then a steal which he knocked down to make it 12 instead of 8. Logan Huitt added a drive; Garcia hit two free throws for Newtown-Harris, only for Huitt to knock one down from the high post and an unguarded Gavin Garrett to take one to the rack with 10 seconds left to kill Newtown-Harris’ momentum and put North Harrison up 41-25 at the half.

That seemed to open the floodgates for North Harrison, who started off with a baseline shot from Garrett. Emig threw a pass intended for someone else, but it caromed off a purple shirt right into the hands of Logan Craig, who was loose; then, Craig got a steal and threw to it Emig to make it 47-25, pushing the lead over 20.

Newtown-Harris tried to rally, getting a couple of stops, making good use of the unique playing area behind the basket, and getting a 3-pointer from Sam Rainey to make it 49-32, but then Logan Craig started putting on a clinic as Collin Castleberry hit him backdoor and he hit two free throws. Gavin Garrett hit him inside, then Brett Emig tipped one to himself for a steal and a layup. Emig got another tip and steal, missed, but got his own board to make it 57-32.

NaVontae Rainey bulldozed his way in for another basket and Newtown-Harris got a stop, but then Logan Craig blocked a shot, Logan Huitt got the board and pushed it up the floor, and Craig got the layup as the six-man Tiger squad began to wear down. Brett Emig got in on the act again, bouncing one through the Tiger defense to Grant Claycomb. Emig pushed another one ahead, this time to Logan Craig. Huitt tipped one to Logan Craig and got the ball back for a layup to make it 65-34 and push it over 30 for the first time before Tyler Marshall hit one from the baseline for Newtown-Harris to make it 65-36 after three.

Collin Castleberry drove and kicked one out to Willhite for a triple and Samuel Mejia got in on the act, banking a guarded three home from the left wing and cutting inside for a pass from Cruz Ury to give North Harrison its biggest lead of the night at 73-38.

North Harrison had three in double figures. Logan Craig, who had 12 in the third quarter, led the scoring with 22. Steven Willhite had 15 and Brett Emig had 13. Lane Huitt had 8, Samuel Mejia 5, Gavin Garrett and Collin Castleberry 4, and Grant Claycomb 2.

Logan Craig and Steven Willhite each had 1 block.

North Harrison killed Newtown-Harris on the boards, which accounted for much of their margin. They had 41 for the night. Logan Craig had 10, Brett Emig and Steven Willhite 9, Logan Huitt 4, Collin Briggs, Gavin Garrett, and Collin Castleberry 2 each, and Grant Claycomb, Hunter Parkhurst, and Cruz Ury 1 each.

Collin Castleberry had 6 assists, followed by Brett Emig with 5, Gavin Garrett had 2, and Steven Willhite, Logan Craig, Logan Huitt, Tyler Lundy, and Cruz Ury each had 1.

North Harrison had a lot more tips and steals against Newtown-Harris. Against Princeton, they had 8 tips; against Newtown-Harris, they tripled that number and had 24. Brett Emig had 7, followed by Logan Craig, Grant Claycomb, and Collin Castleberry with 3 each. Steven Willhite, Cruz Ury, and Tyler Lundy had 2 each, while Gavin Garrett and Collin Briggs had 1 each.

Against Princeton, North Harrison had 6 steals; against Newtown-Harris, they had 19. Brett Emig had 6 steals to lead the Shamrocks. Steven Willhite had 5, Collin Castleberry, Logan Craig, and Tyler Lundy had 2, and Gavin Garrett and Samuel Mejia each had 1.