Lindsey Jackson's Walkoff RBI Gives Bluejay Softball First Conference Title in 26 Years

Northeast Nodaway's conference title drought was 26 years coming, but on Thursday, they finally got over the hump, beating DeKalb 1-0 in walkoff fashion, breaking out of a two game hutting slump just in time. Hadley DeFreece kept the Bluejays in the game, striking out 10, and the bats came alive in the seventh.

DeKalb came into the game with five wins, but that was misleading, as they played several good teams tough and had taken Platte Valley to extra innings before falling to them 12-3 in their previous game. Northeast had clung to a 2-0 lead all game in DeKalb before Carissa Martin's home run made it 2-1 in the seventh. Northeast had finally closed it out for their first win over DeKalb in 15 years.

The last time Northeast had won a conference title was in 1995 when Bill Clinton was the President, none of the current players were born, and Nichole DeFreece was the pitcher. 

Unlike the early part of the year, when everybody looked past the Bluejays, they have gotten the target on their backs this week, getting everybody's best shot. DeKalb pitcher Ashton Crockett began mowing down Bluejay batters right and left as they continued the hitting slump that started the game before. They were chasing high pitches, swinging late at her power pitches, and she used a curve on the outside corner to get strikes when she had to. 

Carissa Martin reached on an infield hit in the first, but then Rebbie Reagan flied out to Ruby Wilmes; she was lights out in center field that day. Ashton Crockett popped out to Jaden Atkins and Breanna Bowen struck out. 

The Tigers made extensive use of the bunt, starting in the second inning as Macy Dittemore reached on third baseman Lindsey Jackson's bobble to start the inning. Gracie Hanshaw tried to bunt her way on as well, but popped out to catcher Baylee Busby, one of several good heads-up plays on her part. Hadley DeFreece struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning.

Northeast had their first threat in the second as Baylee Busby had a long at-bat with Crockett and drew a leadoff walk. Meredith Adwell reached on a scratch hit and the shortstop threw it away, putting runners on first and third. Adwell stole second, but the next three batters all struck out.

Martin drew a four pitch walk from DeFreece in the third with one out and Rebbie Reagan moved her over with a bunt. Crockett hit a pop fly down the left field line that looked like extra bases and trouble. But the wind, which had knocked down Bluejay drives all game long against King City, blew it into foul territory and shortstop Jill Boswell made a running catch for the third out.

Busby ran down Breanna Bowen's popup to start the fourth, which turned out big as Macy Dittemore singled on the next play. DeFreece got out of the inning with consecutive strikeouts to keep the game scoreless. Martin, who hit a home run off DeFreece in DeKalb, came up again in the DeKalb fifth with two outs, but tried to bunt her way on and bunted in the air to Busby, who gathered it in for the third out.

There was a heartstopping moment in the DeKalb sixth when Crockett once again caught hold of one and hit a screamer down the left field line. But once again, the wind caught hold of it and blew it harmlessly foul. She hit a long fly ball, but into the teeth of the wind, and Ruby Wilmes caught it in center field. DeFreece caught Bowen chasing a high pitch for the third out.

Unlike the King City game, Northeast didn't come out of their hitting funk and continued to strike out right and left, chasing one high pitch after another. Kirsten Morrow finally caught hold of one in the fifth, but once again, the wind blew it foul, and she struck out. The Bluejay bats finally came to life in the sixth when Hadley DeFreece hit a screamer, but Rebbie Reagan made a shoestring catch at short to deny her. Jaden Atkins finally caught hold of one of Crockett's offerings and hit a double to left field. But Jill Boswell struck out and Baylee Busby grounded out and the game remained scoreless.

DeFreece, who had trouble putting away King City batters in the late going with two strikes, finished strongly in the seventh, putting away Rachel Reagan after Lainie Vogan got on with a bunt hit with two outs to keep it scoreless.

Meredith Adwell led off the Bluejay seventh and hit it off the plate and squibbed it down the third base line for an apparent hit, but the umpire ruled it had hit off her foot for a foul ball and sent her to the plate again. This time, she hit another squib that dropped just in front of the third baseman for another scratch hit. Lauren McIntyre worked a walk. Ruby Wilmes struck out, but Kirsten Morrow, who had narrowly missed a hit her last at bat, hit a solid single to left to load the bases as Adwell stopped at third. Lindsey Jackson then hit it hard, but right at the first baseman. But instead of going home, she tried for the double play, stepping on the bag and throwing home, but Adwell easily beat the throw, since the force was taken off, giving Northeast the walkoff win.

The Junior High lost 11-8. Ella Eckley had a single and a double. Mylee Wilmes had two singles. Brianna Meyer had a single and caught a pop fly. Grace Kohlleppel caught a pop fly. Hayley Yost scored on a wild pitch. Ella Eckley had two strikeouts and Brianna Meyer had one.

Courthouse News for September 29th, 2021

On September 20th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Caleb Phillips filed charges against Stephen Lett (63) of Maryville alleging two counts Domestic Assault (Felony). Bond was set at $30,000, cash or corporate surety.

On September 22nd, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Alysha Long (28) of Cameron in Caldwell County on 14 City of Cameron Warrants (Failure to Appear).

On September 22nd, the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office, the Nodaway County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and North Star Advocacy Center sponsored a training on domestic violence cases. The focus was on how to determine the aggressor in such cases. 45 different professionals were in attendance for the training. This met state requirements for law enforcement officers for eight hours of required training in the areas of legal and interpersonal study.

On September 22nd, Harrison County Prosecutor Johnathan Meyer filed charges against Alona Steele (18) of Farmington (MN) alleging Speeding (26+ mph over) and No Valid License.

On September 23rd, the Grundy County Health Department reported that there was a new Coronavirus death in the county.

On September 23rd, the Maryville Forum reported that the driver of a Nissan Versa pulled into the parking lot at Parkway Apartments at Seventh & Davis in Maryville, meant to hit the brake, but hit the accelerator instead. The Nissan went through a small green yard, struck a tree, and then struck a Maryville School District bus full of children. There were no injuries.

On September 23rd, Worth County Prosecutor Janet Wake Larison filed charges against Jerrod Naze (20) of Grant City alleging Failure to Register as a Sex Offender (Felony).

On September 23rd, Special Prosecutor Myra Stout filed charges against Sterling Glenn (35) of Kansas City in Harrison County alleging Non-Support (Felony).

On September 23rd, Harrison County Prosecutor Johnathan Meyer filed charges against Mikayla Munns (20) of Glenview (IL) alleging Speeding (26+ mph over) and Resisting Arrest (Felony).

On September 24th, Northwest Missouri State University reported that a student, Samuel Davis (19), was found dead inside of his dorm room that evening. No foul play is suspected. 

On September 24th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Pearl Agbemenu (20) of Wilmington (DE) in Harrison County on a charge of Speeding and a Felony Wilmington (DE) Superior Court Warrant (Homicide).

On September 25th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Dakoda Wright (28) of Cainsville in Harrison on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine (Felony), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

On September 25th, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Brian Wolf (48) on a charge of Driving While Barred. He remains in jail on outstanding warrants from Polk County (IA).

On September 26th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Caleb Phillips filed charges against Ryan Grady (30) of Maryville alleging Harassment (Felony), Stalking (Felony), and Domestic Assault (Felony). Bond was denied.

On September 27th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Stephen Jameson (50) of McFall in Gentry County on a charge of DWI.

On September 27th, Harrison County Prosecutor Johnathan Meyer filed charges against Michael Salmon (60) of Pattonsburg alleging Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident) and No Seat Belt. 

On September 27th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Caleb Phillips filed charges against Dakota Leeper (22) of Graham alleging Failure to Drive on Right Half of Roadway (Accident).

On September 27th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Caleb Phillips filed charges against Crew McAlpin (20) of Exira (IA) alleging Failure to Comply with Ignition Interlock Requirements.

Charges listed are mere allegations. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty it is to determine guilt or innocence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

King City Bats Erupt Late to End NEN Win Streak

Northeast Nodaway seemingly had King City beat Wednesday night, but in a script that King City has followed regularly this season, the Wildkats erupted with their bats in the sixth and seventh innings to get the 4-3 win. They were down 4-2 in the sixth against North Harrison, only to score six in the sixth and six in the seventh to get the 14-4 win. They also scored five runs late against Plattsburg in the North Andrew Tournament to get a 12-7 win, and they scored seven runs late against Stanberry to beat them 9-6 for the third place game after dropping a 10-9 thriller to Pattonsburg.

The Wildkats came in having lost to Polo, a 10-3 team in a loaded GRC East, 17-0 the night before. But when their pitcher, Emerlyn Medsker, began striking out Bluejay batters right and left, and Northeast had trouble putting the ball in play during the first three innings, that gave King City hope again. Hadley DeFreece pitched well for the Bluejays, striking out 11. And there were several good plays in the field, which kept the home side in the game. Northeast only committed one error in the field for the game. But the hitting slump in the first three innings was too much to overcome.

King City had the first chance to draw blood in the third inning when Hallie Washburn singled to lead off, and stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. DeFreece brought the low heat and struck out Hollie Washburn, and Taryn Hunter hit a hard shot into the hole at short. It looked like scratch hit and a run for King City, but shortstop Jill Boswell knocked it down and gunned down Hallie Washburn at the plate to preserve the 0-0 tie. DeFreece struck out Zoe Tunks to get out of the innings.

But Northeast didn't wake up, and by the third inning, they had struck out seven times. They couldn't solve Medsker, who got batters to chase her high chase pitch as well as her outside chase pitch and mixed in a change and a fastball when she needed strikes. They got a few good swings in the first three innings, but the wind would blow them foul. Meanwhile, King City manufactured a run in the fourth. Medsker singled to center and Paisley Catlett laid down a bunt single down the first base line to put runners on first and second. Sydney Overman nearly reached on another bunt, but third baseman Lindsey Jackson made a great play and throw to get her out on a close play. Carleen Gilbert beat out a slow roller to Boswell for a hit to score Chloe Eiberger (running for Medsker) to make it 1-0.

The Wildkat run seemed to wake up the Bluejay bats and they hit much better the rest of the game; after they struck out seven times the first three innings, they only struck out once the rest of the way. Baylee Busby sat on a change and crushed it to the right field corner and Meredith Adwell singled her home to tie it at 1-1. Bluejay right fielder Kirsten Morrow made the first of two good defensive plays when she caught Hunter's towering fly ball in right to prevent King City from answering.

With the rain starting to pelt down, Ruby Wilmes walked and Hadley DeFreece beat out a scratch hit, a pop fly that dropped right in front of the shortstop as Wilmes scrambled to second to beat the force. Jaden Atkins hit it hard, but flied out to left, and Jill Boswell forced Wilmes at third. But Busby singled to right to score Hadley as Boswell took third. King City tried to catch Northeast napping as catcher Paisley Catlett tried to snap a throw to short and then catch Boswell trying to steal home. But she threw the slick ball in the dirt, it rolled all the way into left, and Boswell scored to make it 3-1.

But the rain stopped and the sixth inning came around, which meant a totally different King City squad came to the plate. Emberlyn  Medsker singled, DeFreece couldn't put Paisley Catlett away and walked her, and Sydney Overmann singled to score Chloe Eiberger (running for Medsker) and put Kamdyn Carlson (running for Catlett) on third. Overmann stole second, but DeFreece dug in and struck out Carleen Gilbert and Hallie Washburn on the high heat to keep Northeast in front 3-2.

But Northeast couldn't add an insurance run in the sixth as center fielder Taryn Hunter ran down Lauren McIntyre's line drive in right center, and Hollie Washburn singled to left. Taryn Hunter walked and Zoe Tunks bunted and reached on an error when first baseman Jaden Atkins dropped a throw and it squirted away, scoring Washburn and putting runners on second and third. Wylie McKinnon's single dropped in and scored Hunter to put King City up 4-3 and put Tunks on third. Medsker hit a high towering fly ball to right field, but once again, Kierstyn Morrow was right there and made the clutch catch, and there was no advance. Paisley Catlett was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Sydney Overmann hit it right to third baseman Lindsey Jackson, who threw home for a force play. Carleen Gilbert popped out to Baylee Busby for the third out.

Jaden Atkins singled to right with two outs to keep Northeast going, and Jill Boswell hit it hard, but right at the shortstop for the final out.

Kara Staton's Monster Shot Bright Spot in Loss

Kara Staton's monster home run, which carried about 290 feet to the baseball fence and struck one of the billboards, was one of the few bright spots in Worth County's 10-4 loss to Princeton Tuesday. There is no rest for the weary, as the Tigers now have to travel to play a highly touted Gallatin squad Thursday.

Princeton has been like Kryptonite against both Worth County and North Harrison in recent years, and it didn't help Worth County's cause when their lone senior, Aivry Griffin, was plunked in the face by an errant throw during Princeton's warmups. She tried to play, but the swelling ballooned up, and she came out in the middle of the first inning.

Seemingly demoralized by the turn of events, the Tigers committed five errors in the first four innings as the Blue Tigers built up a 9-0 lead. They were timing and crushing throughout those four innings as out of their ten hits during that stretch, six of them were extra base hits as their batters were jumping on any straight fastball thrown by pitcher Ali Brown. Meanwhile, Princeton pitcher Kelsey Goodin's pitches were moving all over the place, and Worth County's batters were chasing her high pitches.

But Goodin tired in the fourth and Worth County had a glimmer of hope; Brylee Rush singled, Taylor Sanders advanced her, and Lanie Cousatte singled her to third. Becca Smith squibbed a grounder down the third base line that scored Rush to break the shutout and make it 9-1. Hailey Adwell was hit by a pitch to finish Goodin.

Mackenzie Dunkin came on in relief, and she pounded the plate, mixing in a drop ball and change from time to time and hitting the outside corner when she needed a strikeout. Worth County got enough good swings on her to get some runs across and go the distance, and they settled down and played much better in the field, but it was too late.

In the Tiger fifth, Kynah Steele got her third hit of the day, a single just past short. She was another bright spot for the Tigers, getting three hits and retiring eight Princeton batters without an error from her shortstop position. Autumn Cousatte reached on an error and Kara Staton beat out a scratch hit to load the bases. Brylee Rush grounded out to get Steele home to make it 9-2. Grace Kelly grounded out in the Princeton sixth to make it 10-2. It would have been worse, but Hailey Adwell, moved to center after Griffin's injury, caught the first of two towering fly balls.

Consecutive doubles from Hailey Adwell and Ali Brown brought home Worth County's third run. In the Princeton seventh, Hailey Adwell caught a towering fly ball and catcher Autumn Cousatte picked a Princeton runner off first to kill a rally.

The highlight of the day came when Staton caught hold of one of Dunkin's pitches and dropped it in left field 290 feet away, where it bounced off one of the billboards. 

Obituary -- Helen Baker 1923-2021

Helen Q. Herndon Baker, 98, passed away September 25, 2021 at the Worth County Convalescent Center in Grant City Missouri.  Helen was born July 2nd 1923 to Leo (Mose) and Muriel Weigart Herndon near Oxford MO.  She was united in marriage to Wilber (Buck) Baker June 18th, 1938.  To this union was born 1 daughter Patricia Joyce Peterson, and 2 sons Albert Franklin and Richard Loyd.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, her three children, 2 grandsons, 1 great great grandson, and four sisters, Evelyn Herndon, Pauline Fletchall, Icle Young and Ruby Chitty.

She is survived by one brother Charles Edward Herndon (Judy) of Stewartsville MO. daughter-in-law Diana Baker of Overland Park KS.  Seven grandchildren, several great and several great great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews along with lots of friends.

The body has been cremated. Private graveside services will be held at a later date and burial at the Kirk Cemetery north of Allendale Missouri. Arrangements were under the direction of Heaton Bowman of St. Joseph.

Bluejays Bring Down Hitting Powerhouse East Buchanan to Clinch Winning Season

The Cubs finally won their World Series, and the Bluejay softball team finally got their winning season. Needing one more win to get it, they brought down one of the top hitting teams in the area, getting a 5-2 win over East Buchanan. That gave them their first winning season since 2006, when the Bluejays went 15-5 that year and made it to the district finals. Northeast's winning streak has now reached four.

The Bulldogs came into the game averaging 13 runs a game in Class 2. They have won several wild shootouts, beating St. Teresa's 19-17, West Platte 23-15, and Benton 17-10. They lost another shooting, 11-10 against North Platte. They came in with an 8-3 record; out of their 11 games, they scored 10 or more runs in eight of them.

The Bluejays are similar to the 1999 squad, which came out of nowhere to bring down perennial powerhouse Class 2 powerhouse Mid-Buchanan 8-5 before beating host Union Star 6-3 to win the Union Star Tournament behind the pitching of Talina Canon and some outstanding hitting and defensive plays. Left fielder Heather Primm made a sensational over the shoulder catch in the Mid-Buchanan game. Current assistant Abbie (Stiens) Gromer played on that team. Both Canon and Ashley Pride would go on to play for Northwest.

Northeast Nodaway will play King City Wednesday. This game will help determine district seedings, as they play in the same district. King City is another dangerous team that can put pressure on defenses; they have beaten Stanberry and run ruled Pattonsburg for one of their three losses as of Monday evening. They have had several late inning rallies this year. They trailed North Harrison 4-2 going into the sixth of their conference game, only to erupt for six in the sixth and six in the seventh to win 14-4; against Plattsburg, they broke up a 7-7 tie with five runs in the last inning during the North Andrew Tournament.

Erica Gerken Tosses No-Hitter, Fans 9; Trendi Johnson Sparks Shamrock Bats

Erica Gerken tossed a no-hitter Monday and Trendi Johnson sparked the Shamrock bats with a leadoff triple against East Harrison, and North Harrison came away with the 12-0 win in five innings. Last year, Gerken combined with Carly Rinehart to toss a perfect game; in 2019, she tossed a no-hitter in junior high against Tri-County.

The Shamrocks snapped a two game losing streak with the win. Before the game, several of the players and coach Brandon Craig held an impromptu team meeting about the disappointing showing in the tournament at North Harrison two days before, in which they lost big to both Worth County and Braymer. The result was that they came into the game much more focused. Gerken set the tone on the mound; she worked much quicker and had a lot more movement on her pitches and was mostly ahead in the count. She was able to battle back on the rare occasions when she was behind; she didn't walk a single batter. The fielding was much more solid behind her. On the other side of the plate, North Harrison, against a good pitcher, hit the ball much better, getting 14 hits and four hard outs. They were much more aggressive on the basepaths, reading the ball much better than they had in the tournament, and taking the extra base when the opportunities presented themselves. 

The Shamrock bats put the game away early, starting with Trendi Johnson's leadoff triple in which she crushed it to left center and flew around the bases. Camden Castleberry's towering fly ball to left was lost in the sun and dropped in for a double as Trendi scored. Jayleigh Robins walked and Ruby Heintz singled down the right field line to score Castleberry. She stole second. Katelyn Briggs hit it hard but right at the pitcher for the first out, but Jaci Davis grounded out to score Robins. Gerken's single scored Heintz and Baily Briggs singled to right to score Kira Robertson (running for Gerken) to make it 5-0.

With the ball flying off the Shamrock bats, the only tense point was whether Gerken could pitch a no-hitter, and how many she could strike out. The first tough play occurred in the bottom of the first, when second baseman Trendi Johnson snagged Marissa Meek's slow roller up the middle that looked like a potential scratch hit. 

The hard hitting and aggressive baserunning that Craig had been looking for continued in the second, when Trendi Johnson stretched a single into a double. Castleberry hit a long fly ball that might have left the yard back in Eagleville, but turned into a long out as Johnson took third. Jayliegh Robins reached on an error when the ball rolled through the shortstop's legs and she stretched it into two bases as Johnson scored. Ruby Heintz shot one just past third to score Robins to make it 7-0.

After Gerken breezed through the second, the Shamrocks came up in the third. The Bobcats got Gerken out twice, got Johnson out once, but couldn't get anyone else out as five more runs crossed the plate. Back in 2017, Northeast Nodaway got Payton Craig out twice, but couldn't get anyone else out as the Shamrocks exploded for 12 runs to erase a 1-0 deficit in the fourth inning, so Gerken is following in some good footsteps. With one out, Baily Briggs singled and reached second on an error by the center fielder. Slap hitter Amber Wilson placed an opposite field double perfectly down the left field line; Briggs, who had to hold up to make sure it wasn't caught, took third. Trendi Johnson popped out, but Camden Castleberry's pop fly dropped in for a base hit as both runners scored. Jayliegh Robins hit a pop fly dropped by the first baseman; Camden, off on contact with two outs, went from first to third on the play. Ruby Heintz singled to left center to score Castleberry, Katelyn Briggs hit a shot off the second baseman's glove to score Robins, and Jaci Davis beat out a squib down the first base line to score Heintz to make it 12-0.

At that point, Craig felt comfortable enough to empty his bench, making wholesale changes. Normally a third baseman, shortstop Jaci Davis handled Sayer Hartsock's hard shot to keep Gerken's no-hitter intact. Gerken had a big battle with her best friend Michelle Boswell, who fouled several of her pitches off. But Gerken won the battle when Boswell popped up to new first baseman Lily Owens for the third out.

Lily Owens shot a single past short for the Shamrocks in the fourth. East Harrison finally got their first baserunner when new second baseman Carmon Fordyce dropped Karlee Crose's pop fly. But Fordyce atoned by throwing out Marissa Meek. Gerken got out of the fourth with no damage done when she fought back from a 3-1 count to strike out Bree Vaughn. In the Shamrock fifth, Paige Lane hit a screamer, but right at left fielder Michelle Boswell, who snagged it for an out. 

The question was whether Gerken could complete her no-hitter as East Harrison came up for the fifth. Chloe Billups reached on third baseman Kayka Wilson's error, but Gerken threw out Alexis Booth for the first out. She got behind 2-0 to Hartsock, but fought back to strike her out, and then struck out Montgomery Willits for the final out to complete the no-hitter. 

Obituary -- Niccole Schmidt 1981-2021

Niccole Lea Morgan Schmidt, the only child of David W. and Pamela A. Morgan was born on October 4, 1981 in Des Moines, Iowa.  After years of struggle, she lost her battle for life at age 39 from the effects of Huntington’s Disease Chorea, (the same genetic disease that also attacked her mother), on September 17, 2021.

Niccole grew up in Lamoni, Iowa and graduated from Lamoni Community Schools in 2000.  She attended Graceland University and Des Moines Community College.  Niccole had various jobs in the state of Washington, Las Vegas, Nevada and Des Moines, Iowa until her illness prevented her from working.  Niccole had a unique sense of humor, enjoyed laughing, eating great food and being with her loved ones.  She was a very private person, yet, drew people to her with her non-judgmental, gentle and kind personality. She was a fiercely loyal friend. Even in her darkest hours, she kept a positive attitude and was concerned about her caregivers, friends and family more than she was about herself.

Niccole married Christen Nicole Schmidt on January 25, 2011. Together they shared their love, faith in God, and joys and sorrows of life. Niccole’s wish was to be in her home with Christen by her side when she left this life.  That wish was granted.

She leaves behind her loving and devoted wife, Christen Schmidt, Osceola, IA, her father, David W. Morgan (Lisa McLain), Lamoni, IA, Mother-in-law Cindy Jackson, (Darrell Jackson), Redding, IA, Brother-in-law Michael Schmidt (Elizabeth Schmidt), nephews Ethan and Christopher Schmidt, Leon, IA, Brother in-law, William Noble, nieces and nephews William, Jasmine, and Roman Noble, Leon, IA,  Gary Noble (Velda Noble), Leon, IA

She is preceded in death by her mother, Pamela A. Morgan, paternal Grandparents, David T. and Wanda Morgan, maternal Grandparents, Henry and Rose Bollinger.

Special mention and thanks to those that lovingly cared for her through her final months include Cindy Jackson, Michell Ricker, Liz Schmidt, and Nancy Hill.  Hospice of Osceola and Hospice House of Creston nurses and staff were always there for care and special needs.

A Celebration of Life Service was held at the Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr, Iowa at 10:00 am on Saturday, September 25, 2021. Private burial with family will follow. Memorials will be established at a later time.

Teen Driver Strikes Residence in Weatherby

A 16 year old teen driver struck a residence in Weatherby Sunday evening at around 10:40 pm. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 driven by a Maysville teen was northbound on North Street in Weatherby when he went off the right side and struck a residence. A 16 year old passenger from Gallatin received minor injuries and was taken to Cameron Regional Medical Center.

Pedestrian Struck by Vehicle, Lifeflighted

A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and lifeflighted in Altamont Sunday evening at around 8:45 pm. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2014 Chevy Cruz driven by Nicole Gutierrez (28) of Gallatin was eastbound on Route 6 and Altamont Street in Altamont. A pedestrian, Cassie James (20) of Cameron attempted to cross Route 6 from the south side and was struck by the vehicle. She received serious injuries and was lifeflighted to Truman Medical Center. Gutierrez was not injured.

Teen Injured in Wreck Near Ridgeway

A teen was injured in a wreck near Ridgeway Sunday afternoon at around 3:54 pm. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2004 Ford driven by a 16 year old teen from Ridgeway was eastbound on 239th Avenue and 205th Avenue in Harrison County. The Patrol says the Ford failed to yield to a 1994 International Tractor Trailer driven by Dylan Whitmire (25) of Eagleville, who the Patrol says had already entered the intersection. The Ford struck the Tractor Trailer, spun around, and traveled off the west side, coming to rest in a ditch. The teen received moderate injuries and was taken to Harrison County Hospital. Whitmire was not injured.

St. Joseph Teen Injured in Barnard Wreck, Arrested for DWI

A St. Joseph teen was arrested after a wreck in Barnard Sunday morning. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2012 Toyota Camry driven by Quincy Nichols (19) of St. Joseph was westbound on Route M in Barnard at around 4:20 am and failed to stop at the stop sign at 4th & McKenzie Street. The vehicle crossed the center of the roadway, struck an embankment and retaining wall, went airborne,  struck a second embankment, and overturned. Nichols was seriously injured and taken to Mosaic in St. Joseph.

Subsequently, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Nichols on charges of DWI, Failure to Drive on Right Half of Roadway, Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident), and No Seat Belt.

Bluejays Grab Consolation at North Andrew; Magic Number for Winning Season is 1

Northeast Nodaway continued their winning ways Saturday at the North Andrew, grabbing the Consolation trophy and running their winning streak to three. They beat an improving South Holt squad 11-1, and followed that up with an 10-0 shutout of Albany after the Warriors had shut down a dangerous hitting Plattsburg team and threw a scare into Stanberry before losing 10-9. 

Hadley DeFreece continued to pitch strongly for the Bluejays, getting 31 strikeouts in 18 innings for the tournament. 

The performance raised Northeast’s record to 11-5 on the year. The magic number for a winning season is one game, meaning their next win will give them their first one since 2006, when they were 15-5.

Tigers Snap Losing Streak at North Harrison Tournament

Worth County's losing streak reached four before the Tigers finally snapped it in their second game at the North Harrison Tournament Saturday, beating North Harrison 13-4 to take second place in the tournament. To put it another way, Braymer won the exhibition and Worth County the actual tournament. Braymer had a two hour bus ride to Eagleville, but showed no ill effects as they completely outplayed and outclassed Worth County and North Harrison. 

North Harrison had every reason to expect good things, as they were riding the momentum from their 4-3 win over Pattonsburg the night before, avenging a 5-0 loss at Cainsville. They came in having won six out of their last eight. But the Bobcats beat North Harrison 10-2 in the first game; the Shamrocks had bad first and second innings, which gave the Bobcats all the cushion they needed.

Worth County struggled even more, making three errors on the first four Braymer batters and five errors overall, as Braymer was timing and crushing it all game long before getting the 11-1 win in the fifth. Haley Adwell was a bright spot for the Tigers, getting two hits and making three catches in left field without an error.

Mired in a four game losing streak after a walkoff 1-0 loss to South Harrison in eight innings Thursday, Worth County dug themselves an even deeper hole against North Harrison in the first. Trendi Johnson singled, Camden Castleberry moved her over with a bunt, and consecutive errors fueled a four run Shamrock first which made it 4-0. But then a costly two base throwing error by the Shamrocks with two outs in the Tiger first let in two runs and gave them hope as Haley Adwell and Ali Brown scored to cut it in half at 4-2.

A totally different Tiger squad took the field in the second and didn't give up any more runs. In the third inning, Ali Brown and Kynah Steele singled. Autumn Cousatte popped out and Kara Staton grounded out and North Harrison was nearly out of the inning. But then a bad hop single from Taylor Sanders scored both runs to tie it up 4-4, and it was a brand new ballgame. 

In the Shamrock fourth, the first two batters grounded out, but Amber Wilson beat out third baseman Taylor Sanders' throw to keep the inning going. Trendi Johnson got another infield hit and Camden Castleberry singled to left. Thinking his team needed a spark, coach Brandon Craig sent Wilson home from second, and Worth County needed a perfect throw home to get her. But that's exactly what they got as Hailey Adwell gunned her down at the plate and Autumn Cousatte blocked the plate perfectly and put the tag on to preserve the 4-4 tie.

Lanie Cousatte walked for the Tigers to start the fourth and Aivry Griffin put down a perfect bunt past pitcher Erica Gerken into no man's land for a base hit. They took second and third on a wild pitch, but Gerken made some good pitches to strike out Hailey Adwell and Ali Brown and nearly got out of the fourth. But then Kynah Steele walked, Autumn Cousatte reached on an error to break the tie, and then the floodgates opened as Kara Staton crushed a double to empty the bases and score three, and Taylor Sanders singled her home to make it 9-4 after four, chasing Gerken. Out of Worth County's first nine runs, all of them were with two out.

Camden Castleberry came on to pitch for North Harrison, but Kynah Steele walked to force in a run in the fifth. In the sixth, once again, the Shamrocks could not get out of the inning. With runners on second and third, Hailey Adwell singled to left to score ZeeAnna Gladstone and Taylor Sanders, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Ali Brown's double before time was called. Out of Worth County's 13 runs against North Harrison, 12 of them were with two out. The Tigers came out of a hitting slump in a big way, getting 16 hits against the Shamrocks.

Defiance Royalty Named; Liz Brown Wins Barrels at Rodeo Saturday

Newt Holmes and Dawsyn Moutray were named Little Mr. and Miss Defiance Friday and rode in the parade. Dalanie Auffert was named Defiance Day Queen. They also rode in the Rodeo Saturday night. The weather was much nicer than the rainy weather that forced the postponement of Defiance Days this year. 

Liz Brown won the Barrel Races Saturday, getting a time of 16.533 seconds. She beat out Haley Nichols, who would have had a faster time but who knocked down a barrel, and Kayla Cochran, who came down from Minnesota to compete and got a time of 16.918. 

There were three entrants in the outhouse races. Tyson Troutwine and Cash Jacobs won the event, while Colton Perry and Zavian Dierenfeldt were second. Dustin Rowen exacted some revenge on his dad for dragging him around the ring at Allendale, returning the compliment Saturday. 

Some of the current and former football boys were sitting on the north side and were involved in the Cupid Shuffle stick races, where the object of the event was to have four boys tie down their feet to a stick and walk in unison to the finish line. Aydan Gladstone and Andrew Alarcon were on the north side, while Cash Jacobs was on the south side. Justin Dye could not stay away from his football boys and tried to coach the team of Gladstone and Alarcon, but despite his best efforts, the other team won. Unlike the hard hitting game the night before at King City, Saturday night's efforts were all in good fun. The losers got sprayed with water guns by the winning team.

Smiley the Clown entertained throughout the Rodeo, from taunting the bulls, to holding forth about humor and life. He alleged that only 15% of men knew what kind of flowers their wives like. He polled the crowd and found that there were more happily married men than women. 

Tigers Overcome Adversity to Beat King City 44-34

Worth County overcame all kinds of adversity to beat King City 44-34 Friday, coming back from 16 points down twice to beat the Wildkats. The adversity started on their first series when the Tigers started a nice, long drive, getting into King City territory. But then they fumbled it away, the first of three fumbles in the rain on a slick field. King City wasted no time taking advantage, giving the ball to Parker Muff three times. He took it to the house the third time from 46 yards out and ran in the extra points to put King City up 8-0 with 8:43 left in the first quarter. 

After the two teams exchanged punts, Worth County had a golden opportunity to score as they had the ball in King City territory after a short kick at the Wildkat 39. But on their second play from scrimmage, they fumbled it again and Muff gashed the Tigers with runs of 12, 11, 18, and finally a six yard run with 51 seconds left in the first quarter, putting him over 100 yards already. Mooney caught the extra point pass and King City was up 16-0.

Worth County finally struck back as Levi Cassavaugh had a long runback to the 38. Alex Rinehart took it to the house from 38 yards out as he bounced outside with six seconds left in the first to make it 16-6. But the Tigers failed to convert the extra points and remained down two possessions.

But King City overcame a false start with a third and nine completion from Landon Wells to Corbin Taylor that went for 15 yards to the Tiger 36. From there, they fed Parker Muff at will. Worth County knew what the play was going to be, and it didn't matter as he gashed the Tigers for six straight plays from the 36 to the three. The Tigers finally stiffened up at the three and stuffed him for no gain, then Landon Wells took it to the one for fourth and goal. Then, they went back to Wells, pitching it out for a score with 6:40 left to make it 22-6. But Worth County denied the extra point try to keep the deficit at two possessions.

Worth County marched the ball right down the field as Alex Rinehart got blocks from Levi Cassavaugh and Jackson Runde to pick up 8 yards, Aydan Gladstone threw strikes to Dylan McIntyre for 10 and Jackson Runde for 17, Alex Rinehart picked up 8 more yards to the 12, and then Aydan Gladstone picked up the remaining 12 yards on two carries, scoring from two yards out with 4:33 left to make it 22-14 after the pass to Dylan McIntyre to cut it to one possession.

King City went back to Muff after getting the ball on the 15, and he picked up carries of 10 and 8 yards to the 33. Landon Wells' rollout picked up five more, and King City tried to go back to Muff again. But this time, Jace Latham shot a gap and dropped Wells for a loss of three, Braxton Hightshoe met him after a two yard gain, and Dylan McIntyre broke up a pass to force a punt. 

Worth County was pinned at their own 7 following a false start, but a helmet to helmet hit on King City gave the Tigers new life at the 27. Gladstone threw a strike to Runde for 23 yards to the King City 30, ripped off two carries of 11 yards to the 19, and threw a strike to Runde to the 7. Gladstone picked up one more yard to the six. But with time winding down, Worth County took too long to get the play set up. Gladstone picked up three more before stepping out of bounds with one second left. But the clock kept right on running, and the referees did not fix the clock, but declared that the half was over.

That gave King City all the momentum in the world to start the second half; they got the ball and kept feeding Muff over and over again. Worth County knew what the play was going to be, and it didn't matter as Muff covered 63 yards in eight plays and took it to the house from 21 yards out with 8:12 left to make it 28-14.

The special teams play kept Worth County in the game, and they got another long runback, this time from Tyler New to the 39. A 27 yard pass from Gladstone to Dylan McIntyre took it to the 13, but with the slick conditions and King City going for the strip at the end of runs, the Tigers fumbled the ball away again at the Wildkat 5. King City had a golden opportunity to make it three possessions and sure enough, they started feeding Parker Muff again, getting a first down to the 17. They mixed in a 10 yard pass to Mooney to the 27, but then Worth County stiffened up, dropping Muff twice and King City got a false start. They aired it out to Corbin Taylor, which worked wonders last year in King City's 50-44 win over Worth County, but this time, Dylan McIntyre picked it off at the 28 to kill the drive.

Aydan Gladstone got flushed out and driven out of bounds for a sack, but threw a strike of 20 yards on the next play to Runde to the 39. He finally threw an incomplete pass, but then got loose on a designed draw after getting blocks from Auston Pride and Creed Wilcox that covered 41 yards to the house with 1:37 left. McIntyre caught the extra point pass to make it 28-22.

But King City went right back to Parker Muff after Worth County pinned them at their own 15. Worth County knew what the play was going to be, and it didn't matter, as Muff covered 65 yards on six carries to get into the end zone again with 11:43 left in the fourth quarter and go up 34-22. The Parker Muff show was in full force, as he was over 300 yards. Out of 50 plays that King City had run at that point, 41 were to Muff. 

Alex Rinehart had a good runback to the 33, which set up the Tigers once again. Aydan Gladstone threw a strike to Dylan McIntyre for 24 yards to the King City 23. McIntyre was able to take advantage of a much shorter defender all night long for the Tigers. Worth County went the rest of the way on the ground, getting a one yard run from Aydan Gladstone with 9:34 left. Dylan McIntyre caught the extra point pass to make it 34-30.

King City seemingly had an answer as they ran back the ensuing kick to the Tiger 23, only for it to be called back by a holding penalty, forcing them into bad field position at their own 12.

Last year's game followed a similar script for Worth County; they dug themselves in a hole against the same team with the same personnel, fought their way back, and finally got it down to one possession. But they were unable to buy a stop, and King City got several first downs in a row to kill the clock last year. But this year, things were different. After an offsides penalty and yet another Muff run for a first down, the Tigers stiffened up as Dylan Wilmes and Jackson Runde shot through to drop Muff for a loss to set up third and nine. King City dropped back to pass, something that had worked last year time and time again. But this time, Jackson Runde picked it off at the King City 26, and Worth County had a short field to work with. Alex Rinehart picked up only one, but then Aydan Gladstone took a counter 25 yards to the house with 6:50 left and Alex Rinehart caught the extra point pass to make it 38-34 and give Worth County the lead for the first time.

King City tried to go to Muff again, use their workhorse to get down the field, and leave Worth County with as little time as possible to answer. But on the second play, Alex Rinehart, inserted at defensive end instead of his usual linebacker position, shot through and dropped Muff for a loss to set up third and ten. This was the first of three big plays on defense in the last five minutes for Rinehart. They went back to the long pass play, but a long pass was unsuccessful, setting up a fourth down. With four minutes left, King City could have punted it away, but their punts had been short up to that point, and they didn't want the ball back in Worth County's hands. Also, they thought they had the perfect play -- isolate Ty Mooney, who was being covered by Alex Rinehart, who had rolled his ankle in the first half. There was a heartstopping moment, but Alex pushed through the pain and went with Mooney stride for stride and deflected the pass. Mooney nearly hauled it in anyway, getting a hand on it twice before it finally fell incomplete.

With Worth County taking over on downs at the King City 30, King City, with time running out, loaded the box with all eight players, trying to force a stop or a turnover. They held Worth County to no yards in three plays. But on the fourth, Aydan Gladstone threw a strike to an unguarded Dylan McIntyre for a score with 2:50 left to make it two possessions at 44-34.

Corbin Taylor seemingly ran back the ensuing kick for a score, but for the second time, a long King City runback was called back by a penalty, this time to the 10. That meant that nothing was hurt when they finally completed a long pass to Mooney that went for 33 yards to the Tiger 37. They dropped back to pass again, but Alex Rinehart was the man of the hour again on defense, sacking Wells, and a holding penalty set them back even more to the 20. King City aired it out twice, but Aydan Gladstone broke it up twice, and Worth County was able to kneel out the clock.

Aydan Gladstone had 18 carries for 137 yards, Alex Rinehart 15 carries for 108 yards, and Levi Cassavaugh one carry for three yards. Aydan Gladstone completed 8 out of his 10 pass attempts for 163 yards. Dylan McIntyre had 4 catches for 91 yards, while Jackson Runde had 4 catches for 72 yards. Worth County had 44 plays go for 411 yards. They had only four penalties for 25 yards, a far cry from the first game of the year, in which they had 15.

Parker Muff had 46 carries for 311 yards, running the ball 46 times out of the 62 plays King City ran. One big difference from last time was the improved pass defense; Worth County held King City to 66 passing yards after being gashed for 198 through the air last year. King City ran 62 plays for 384 yards.

Last Bluejay Softball Win Against DeKalb was 2006

Northeast Nodaway softball team's 2-1 win over DeKalb was their first over the Tigers since 2006. They beat DeKalb 10-1 that year. That was also the last Bluejay softball team that had a winning season, going 15-5 that year. The year before, they also beat DeKalb, winning 10-2. After that, Northeast didn't play softball in 2007, as they disbanded their team for that year due to lack of numbers. They started all over again in 2008. Meanwhile, DeKalb established themselves as a softball power.

Those teams in 2005 and 2006 had players like Emily Schmitz, Tiffany Wilmes, Amber Buholt, Sarah Bryant, Kelsey Sybert, Tiffany Schmitz, Terri Shaw, Jackie Runde, Shannon Wonderly, and Danielle Wilson. The 2006 squad had Hallie Oelze, Kenzie Waldeier, and Lauren Buholt. One of the coaches of the 2005 squad was Jamie (Meyer) Busby, mother of current Bluejay catcher Baylee Busby. 

The Bluejays had an even longer drought against Jefferson before beating Platte Valley Thursday. They came tantalizingly close a few times. In 2015, the Bluejays came close against Jefferson, falling 4-1 to them in districts. In 2004, they got off to a 1-13 start, but then started winning games and threw a scare into Jefferson before falling 4-3. In 2001, they came close twice before falling 2-0 and 3-2 to the Eagles. 

Porcupine Confirmed in Gentry County

The Missouri Department of Conservation reported on its Twitter feed Wednesday that a porcupine stuck quills in a Gentry County resident’s dogs, which required medical attention. Although the porcupine was not physically seen, the MDC says the evidence is clear. Porcupines are not native to Missouri and have only been documented a few times in the state.

Mustang Volleyball Trying to Break Through Against Loaded Conference

North Nodaway's girls volleyball team had designs of making a run at .500 this year, with many of their players back from last year's squad, which won its first district game in school history. But they ran into a loaded Highway 275 conference this year. East Atchison, South Holt, and Rock Port are strong powers, while West Nodaway and Nodaway-Holt formed another two-headed monster in Nodaway Valley this year. 

The goal of the Mustangs is to break into that upper level and get some quality wins. After dropping their first several games, they finally got a win, 3 games to 1 against Essex. They got another win, 25-22, 25-10, 25-19 against South Harrison. They nearly got a third win against Mound City. After falling behind two games to none, they fought back to take the third and fourth games before falling in the fifth game to lose 16-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-23, 14-16. "We didn't play badly," said coach Emily Bix. "We were disappointed in the outcome, but we never got down on each other, we worked as a team, and we communicated well." 

In earlier matches, the Mustangs had been starting off strongly, only to fade in later matches. But more recently, they have been finishing stronger. In the first set in Thursday's game with Nodaway Valley, the game was even for much of the way until the Thunder pulled away for the 25-18 win. In the second game, the Mustangs trailed 16-12 before Nodaway Valley pulled away for another 25-18 win/

In the third frame, the Mustangs started off really well, leading by as much as 14-10. But some line calls didn't go their way, and the Thunder came back and pulled off the 25-23 win. But the Mustangs continued to show improvement, blocking a lot more spike tries than in years past and forcing hitters to either hit into the net or over everyone's heads and out of bounds. 

They had a balanced attack in the effort against the Thunder. Lauren Herndon had 5 kills. Jacquelyn Cline had 4, Saryn Brown and Saylor Brown had 3 each, Ellaina Renfro 2, and Kelsey Barcus 1. Saryn Brown, Lauren Herndon, and Kelsey Barcus had 4 blocks each. Saylor Brown had 2, and Ellaina Renfro and Jacquelyn Cline 1. Sarah Chesnut, Saylor Brown, and Saryn Brown had 2 aces each.

The JV, despite playing against varsity level opposition, with at least one jump server and one middle hitter who could start for another team, had been struggling to reach double digits for much of the year. But they succeeded in conquering that plateau Thursday, falling 7-25, 12-25 to Nodaway Valley.

The Junior High has been coming close and falling short for much of the year, but they took one on the chin 11-25, 13-25. Lacy Riley, Emily Keho, and Addalea Barcus had 2 kills each. Mya Hansen had 2 aces, while Lacy Riley, Sadee Clapp, and Kila Miller had 1 each.

Bluejay Softball Beats Platte Valley; First Win Over Jefferson in 26 Years

Northeast Nodaway pulled off a 3-1 win over Platte Valley Thursday that surprised everyone but themselves and their most diehard fans. It was the first win for the Bluejays over Jefferson (which constitutes 1/2 of the Platte Valley franchise) in 26 years. Back in 1995, the Bluejays beat Jefferson 2-1. Nichole DeFreece was the pitcher, and Becky Giesken, Mindy Boswell, Rachelle Welch, Meranda and Manessa Adwell, Tiffany Canon, Natalie Busby, Amy Steins, Andrea Giesken, and Renee Wilmes were on that team. That was also the last Bluejay softball team to win conference.

The tradition stayed in the family as Hadley DeFreece was the winning pitcher of Thursday night's game. Jill Boswell had two of the three Bluejay RBI's, while Merideth Adwell made three catches in the outfield, including the final out of the game. Northeast held a 4-1 lead over Platte Valley earlier in the year, but Platte Valley teed off on Northeast in the last three innings. But despite having pitched three nights in a row, there was no fatigue for Hadley DeFreece this time as she either got strikeouts or weak popups all night long. Her velocity has greatly improved from the beginning of the year.

The Bluejays now have a chance to share the 275 title if they beat DeKalb at home later in the year. Northeast beat DeKalb 2-1 earlier in the year after they made a two run home run from Boswell in the first stand up. That win also ended a drought of many years for the Bluejays.

The win was made more surprising by the fact that the Bluejays had played three nights in a row. They beat South Holt 15-0 in three innings on the 21st before stumbling 6-2 to Pattonsburg on the 22nd, another team which was down in recent years that has caught fire this year. 

The Junior Varsity also won 5-3. Makenzie Pride had a triple for the Bluejays. The Junior High lost 8-6.

Two Injured in Three Car Accident Near St. Joseph

Two people were injured in a three car accident Wednesday afternoon at around 5:58 pm near St. Joseph. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2017 Ford Taurus driven by Darren Dicke (60) of St. Joseph and a 2017 Chevy Impala driven by Doris Bunton (80) of St. Joseph were stopped on Route A northbound just south of St. Joseph city limits when a 2003 GMC Sierra driven by a 16 year old teen struck the rear of the Chevy, causing it to strike the rear of the Ford. The teen received minor injuries, and Bunton received moderate injuries. Both were taken to Mosaic in St. Joseph. Dicke was not injured.

Obituary -- David Phillips 1938-2021

LTC David E. Phillips, Sr. USA, Ret., 83, of Kansas City, Missouri formerly of Pickering, Missouri passed away on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at Anthology of Burlington Creek in Kansas City, Missouri.

David was born on July 21, 1938 in San Jose, California to Edward and Marian (Throwbridge) Phillips. He was a 1956 graduate of Palo Alto High School and received a Bachelor of Arts in Law Enforcement in 1962, Masters of Business Administration in 1975, Bachelor of Science in secondary education in 1989 and Masters degree.

He is a retired Lieutenant of the United States Army. He was a member of the Pickering United Methodist Church, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Lions Club and was a Amateur Radio Operator.

David married Linda S. Anderson on December 17, 1966 in Washington D.C. She preceded him in death on March 9, 2008. He was also preceded by his parents.

Survivors include his son, David E. Phillips, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Cynthia Trecker, Gladstone, Missouri; daughter, Arlene Anderson, Altadena, California; two grandchildren, Ramsey Phillips and Alex Grey; brother, Stephen Phillips, Sacremento, California and sister, Carolyn Blankenshhip, Copperopolis, California.

Private Services will be held at White Oak Cemetery under the care of Price Funeral Home. There will be no visitation held. The family suggests memorials to the Pickering United Methodist Church of White Oak Cemetery Association. 

www.pricefuneralhomemaryville.com.

Spickard Woman Life Flighted After Wreck Near Princeton

A Spickard woman was life flighted after a collision near Princeton Tuesday morning, September 21st. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2009 Ford F-350 driven by Jeffrey Siemer (54) of Princeton was eastbound  on Route E at Route C seven miles southeast of Princeton at around 10:20 am. A 2017 Chevy Spark driven by Diana Miller (74) of Spickard was westbound. The Patrol says that the Chevy was attempting to make a left turn when the Ford struck it head-on. Miller received serious injuries and was life flighted to Truman Medical Center. Siemer was not injured.

Courthouse News for September 22nd, 2021

On September 14th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Wayde Miller (22) of Turney (MO) in Worth County on charges of Speeding, Displaying Plates of Another, No Valid License, No Insurance, No Seat Belt, and a Clinton County Warrant (Failure to Register).

On September 14th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Travis Allen (33) of Vale (NC) in Harrison County on a Newton County Warrant for Failure to Appear (Weight on Tandem Axle Exceeded 34,000 lbs). 

On September 14th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Caleb Phillips filed charges against Thomas Lowe (39) of Maryville alleging two counts Assault (Felony). Bond was denied.

On September 15th, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Daniel Snyder (35) of Diagonal on charges of Driving While Barred and Disorderly Conduct. Bond was set at $3,000, posted by the defendant.

On September 16th, Nodaway County  Prosecutor Caleb Phillips filed charges against Kaylynn Dahl (17) of Maryville alleging Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident). 

On September 16th, the Princeton School District sent a letter to parents stating that a student had made a threat to bring a gun to school.

On September 16th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Caleb Phillips filed charges against Tucker Herndon (41) of Graham alleging two counts Failure to Register as Sex Offender (Felony). Bond was set at $5,000, with defendant given leave to post 10% cash.

On the evening of September 16th, a school bus carrying North Harrison students and staff had an accident. The school says that thanks to the actions of the driver, nobody was injured.

On September 17th, the Associated Press reported that former Kansas City Chiefs Assistant Britt Reid, who is charged with DWI (Felony), has had a trial date set for April 18th, 2022.

On September 17th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Crew McAlpin (19) of Exira (IA) in Nodaway County on charges of Speeding, Failure to Comply with Ignition Interlock Requirements, and a Camden County Warrant (Failure to Register).

On September 17th, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office arrested William Powell of Diagonal on charges of Disorderly Conduct and Reckless Use of Fire or Explosives. Bond was set at $1,300, cash or surety.

On September 18th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Larvell Elmore (34) of Saint Paul (MN) in Harrison County on charges of Possession of Controlled Substance (Felony), Resisting Arrest (Felony), Speeding (26+ mph over), Careless & Imprudent Driving, Failure to Stop, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Prosecutor Johnathan Meyer subsequently filed charges.

On September 19th, a Sheridan resident reported that their laundry detergent had been taken from the Sheridan Villa laundry room.

On September 19, 2021, Deputies from the Taylor County Sheriff's Office were called to the area of Main Street and Pennsylvania Street in Bedford for a report of a possible hit and run. Upon arrival a 1993 GMC Sierra, owned by Kirk Herzberg was located with heavy damage sustained to the driver's side of the vehicle. Witnesses stated that a beige colored sport utility vehicle was possibly responsible for the accident. Deputies located a Dodge Durango with damage consistent to having hit the parked GMC. The 2006, Dodge Durango was being driven by Hollie Peckham, 49, of Bedford. This crash remains under investigation and charges are pending toxicology analysis from the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation Laboratory.

On September 19th, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Daniel Snyder (35) of Diagonal on charges of Trespassing, Criminal Mischief, and Harassment. Bond was set at $900, cash only.

On September 20th, Harrison County Prosecutor Johnathan Meyer filed charges against Jay Thomas (39) of Ridgeway alleging Assault (Felony), Resisting Arrest (Felony), and Possession of Marijuana. Bond was set at $50,000, cash only. Northwest Mo Info reports that the charges arose after the defendant allegedly cut the victim’s hand after a fist fight. While being placed under arrest, the defendant allegedly fled on foot, resulting in an officer deploying a taser. 

On September 20th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Caleb Phillips filed charges against Demetres Brown (20) of Plattsburg alleging Possession of Controlled Substance (Felony). Bond was set at $500, cash only.

On  September 20th, Harrison County Prosecutor Johnathan Meyer filed charges against Bryan Wolfe (30) of New Hampton alleging two counts Stealing (Felony). Northwest Mo Info reports that the charges arose after the defendant allegedly cut a walnut tree on state-owned property. An investigation allegedly matched the cut tree to one that had been sold to a local sawmill.

On September 20th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Caleb Phillips filed charges against Brian Ritter (42) and Katherine Ritter (46) of St. Joseph alleging two counts Financial Exploitation of an Elderly or Disabled Person (Felony).

Charges listed are mere allegations. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty it is to determine guilt or innocence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Secretary of State Holds Up Partnership Library as Model for State

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft held up the Worth County Partnership Library as a model for the rest of the state to follow during a visit Tuesday, September 21st. He said that nobody else in the state had integrated like this. "I love this idea," he said. "There was that roadblock that said things couldn't be done, but it was," added State Rep. Allen Andrews, who was in attendance. "People rallied around the idea."

Also in attendance were Superintendent Chris Healy, Public Library board members Sharon Dowis and Denise Rowen, School Librarian Nanci Drury, volunteer assistant Judith Matteson, and Public Librarian Riley Drury. 

Ashcroft has been a regular guest at Worth County; one of his most recent visits was when he delivered hand sanitizers, masks, and other safety equipment to Worth County and other election officials around the state so that Missouri could hold municipal elections in the middle of the pandemic last year. He logged over 5,000 miles during that stretch. 

"You're about equipping people with resources so that they know what to do," said Ashcroft. He said that critical thinking is a must in today's society. "If you teach people how to think, it makes a lifetime of difference," he said. While he is not a fan of excessive government spending, Ashcroft has been lobbying the legislature during his tenure as Secretary of State for more library funding, saying that it repays itself many times. For instance, he said he visited another library that saw its usage plunge during the pandemic and still sat down and figured out that they were getting a return on investment of 3-1. 

Andrews said that libraries were more relevant than ever and praised Ashcroft for standing up to those who wanted to cut state library funding. 

Returning to the topic of education, Ashcroft said that we needed to reevaluate education in a lot of ways. Student test scores went down during the pandemic, and he wanted to see schools meeting students where they are at as opposed to expecting them to know certain things by a certain grade level. "If you teach students how to think critically, anything is possible," he said. He said that the pandemic created a real opportunity to make changes in how students were taught.

Rowen said that as a mother who homeschooled her kids, all three of them had different needs. "We want to see how we can get the public interested in the library," she said when talking about the board's goals. The new librarian, Riley Drury, has built a website for the library for both the school library and the public library. The website is located at www.wocolibrary.com. 

Erica Gerken Fans 10 as Shamrocks Put Albany Away 13-2

Erica Gerken struck out ten Albany batters Tuesday, September 21st, and North Harrison won its fifth game in their last seven tries, beating Albany 13-2. Albany has come close to several good teams, losing 11-7 to North Andrew, 10-9 to Pattonsburg, and taking King City to extra innings before losing 11-10. After a bad start, North Harrison's bats have come alive during their run. After not scoring 10 or more runs at all during their first seven games, they have scored ten or more runs four times during their recent stretch. Gerken matched her career high with her effort against the Warriors. Tuesday's effort was the first time this year that North Harrison has run ruled an opponent.

Gerken set the tone right off the bat when she struck out Albany's best hitter, Haley Sterkis, to start off the game. She walked two batters, but struck out Ashley Sterkis with two outs to get out of the inning.

Albany sought to break in Addisyn Crawford against the Shamrocks. Worth County's junior varsity had teed off against her the week before, but she added a changeup to go with her fast delivery, and went for the first strike fastball every single time. She was frequently ahead in the count, and four of her strikeouts of Shamrock batters were off her change. But North Harrison got enough quality at bats that they were able to overcome the two strike counts that were frequently against them.

Trendi Johnson singled to right to start the Shamrock first. Camden Castleberry struck out, but Jayliegh Robins beat out an infield hit and she and Johnson took second and third when Albany threw away a force play. Ruby Heintz singled in Johnson, stole second, and then Katelyn Briggs singled to left to score Robins to make it 2-0.

After Gerken fanned three batters in the second, Johnson fought back from an 0-2 count with one out and singled to center. She took second after a wild pitch and then Camden Castleberry hit a pop fly along the first base line that dropped in no man's land for a scratch hit as Johnson took third. Jayliegh Robins fought back from a 2-2 count to walk, and Ruby Heintz shot a single past third to score Johnson and Castleberry as Carmon Fordyce (running for Robins) took second to make it 4-0. Katelyn Briggs reached on an error that rolled between the first baseman's legs to score Fordyce and put Heintz on third to make it 5-0. Briggs stole second. Baily Briggs struck out, but Jaci Davis singled to right to score both Heintz and Katelyn Briggs to make it 7-0. Erica Gerken reached on a third strike that got away from the catcher to keep the inning going, and Kayka Wilson singled to right to bring home Davis.

Gerken walked the bases loaded in the third and Ashley Sterkis reached on a scratch hit with one out to score one, but Gerken settled down, struck out Addisyn Crawford and Phoenix Coil to get out of the inning with only one run scoring. After that, she settled down and didn't walk another batter the rest of the game.

North Harrison got the run back in their half of the third when Camden Castleberry was hit by a pitch, took second on a wild pitch, and then Ruby Heintz singled to left to bring her home to make it 9-1.

Jaidan Batson reached on a bad hop single to start the Albany fourth. Claire Manring popped out, but Haley Sterkis came up next with a chance to put a dent in the Shamrock lead. But Sterkis grounded into a force. Cory Worrell singled and Montana Moffat hit a tricky chopper in front of the plate, but Erica Gerken alertly fielded it and threw to first for the third out.

The Shamrock batters were finally starting to pick up on the change and Jaci Davis turned on one and singled to right. Erica Gerken's pop fly single dropped in just in front of the right fielder. Kayka Wilson grounded out to advance them. Trendi Johnson popped out, but Camden Castleberry reached on an error to score one and make it 10-1.

Albany got one in the fifth when Abigain Troncin singled, went to second and third on a couple of grounders, and scored on a wild pitch to cut it to 10-2.

Amber Wilson drew a walk with one out in the Shamrock fifth, and Jaci Davis crushed one all the way to the wall in right as Wilson scored from first to make it 11-2.

Albany tried to rally in their half of the sixth when Claire Manring singled to right with one out. Haley Sterkis popped to right, and it was dropped by Katelyn Briggs, but she alertly threw to second to force Manring out at second. Worrall grounded out to Jaci Davis at third for the final out.

Trendi Johnson reached on a dropped throw, and that opened the floodgates as the Shamrock batters started turning on the first pitch strikes and crushing them. Camden Castleberry singled down the left field line, and Jayliegh Robins brought then both home by crushing an opposite field triple to the left field wall into the wind to end the game.

The Junior Varsity rallied in the bottom of the fourth to force a 5-5 tie when three different runners. Ruby Heintz, Paige Lane, and Kayka Wilson scored on wild pitches to erase a deficit. Heintz stole a base, Kira Robertson stretched a single into a double, Hailey Claycomb singled and later scored on a wild pitch, and Halle Morgan made two catches in the outfield. Camden Castleberry turned a double play after catching a pop fly and struck out three batters. Trendi Johnson struck out two.

Obituary -- Larry Hansen 1959-2021

Larry Allen Hansen, Jr., 62, Sheridan, Missouri died Sunday, September 19, 2021, at his home in Sheridan surrounded by his family.

Larry was born August 20, 1959, in Maryville, Missouri. He was the son of Larry Allen Sr. and Evelyn Louise (Steinman) Hansen.

Larry was a graduate of Tarkio High School class of 1977, Tarkio, Missouri.

Larry was united in marriage to Paula A. Hubbard, May 15, 1979, in Tarkio.  To this union, five children were born Anna, Melissa, Luke, Michelle, and Cammi. 

Larry was an independent contractor working in construction.  He had also worked for Gary McIntyre Construction and Independence Township of Nodaway County.

Larry was preceded in death by an infant son Luke and an infant granddaughter.

His survivors include his children, Anna Hansen, Corydon, Iowa, Melissa (Tim) Eckert, Sheridan, Michelle (Josh) Metcalf, Maryville, Missouri, Daniel (Ariel) Hansen, Trenton, Missouri, Cammi (Jeremy) Faustlin, Ravenwood, Missouri, stepchildren Ammie, Fiona and Emily, his parents Larry (Evelyn) Hansen Sr., Sheridan, two sisters Tammy (Donald) Roberts, St. Joseph, Missouri, Ronda (Marty) Green, Sharpsburg, Iowa, one brother John (Amy) Hansen, Parnell, Missouri, Paula Hansen, Maryville and Bonnie Steinman, Sheridan, 19 grandchildren, and a host of other friends and loved ones.

Per his wishes Mr. Hansen’s body has been cremated.  Memorial services will be held 11:00 AM Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at the Sheridan Christian Church, Sheridan, Missouri. The family will receive friends from 10-11 AM prior to the services.  Inurnment will be in the Parnell Cemetery, Parnell, Missouri. 

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

JV Tigers Overcome Early Mistakes to Beat Albany 22-0

Worth County's JV overcame early mistakes to beat Albany 22-0 Monday night in two quarters of action. The Tigers took the opening kickoff and got a first down to the Warrior 34 when Tyler New completed a pass with a defender draped all over him to John Galanakis on third and three at their own 37. But a sack killed the drive.

Albany went to Zavien Dierenfeldt, who was a load for the Tigers in Friday's varsity game, and he ripped off seven yards to the Tiger 26 where they had fourth and two. Tyler New blew up a handoff on defense and the Tigers got the ball back on downs. 

New threw a pick that gave the ball right back to the Warriors, and Dierenfeldt continued to be a juggernaut, grinding out positive yardage on five straight carries that took them from their own 26 to the Tiger 32. A pass from Chase Cline to Trevor Akins covered 13 yards to the 19. They got as far as the 17, but then a bad snap put the ball back on the 30, and they gave up the ball on downs there.

The defensive stand by the Tigers seemed to wake them up and deflate the Warriors. On their first play from scrimmage, Tyler New threw a strike to an unguarded Jackson Smith for a 50 yard score, and then threw a strike to an unguarded John Galanakis for the extra points to make it 8-0 with 8:20 left in the second.

Albany put in Zane Rippy for the second quarter, and he got four yards on his first carry on Albany's next possession. But then Cannon Fletcher and Tyler New made stops on defense and Rippy ran into a wall on fourth and five at the Tiger 39, as Landon Wilmes brought him down. Worth County got nowhere on its first two plays, but then spread it out for Tyler New with an empty backfield. He dropped back to pass, found nobody open, but scrambled down the left side for a 41 yard score with 5:01 left to make it 14-0.

The Warriors went for it deep in their own territory at the 13, as they were down two scores, but Jace Cousatte broke up a pass to give the Tigers a short field to work with. They got dropped for a loss back to the 15, but then Landon Wilmes took a quick pitch to the house with 1:41 left. Tyler New threw a strike to Andrew Howard for the extra points. A facemask penalty on Worth County gave Albany a first down at the Tiger 30, but then Cannon Fletcher pounced on a botched option pitch to kill the drive and Worth County was able to kneel out the clock.

Tyler New ran for 46 and threw for another 59 yards for the Tigers, who had 14 plays go for 120 yards. Jackson Smith had one catch for 50 yards. The Tigers held the Warriors to 56 yards on 21 plays.

Ethan Lininger Blocks Two Punts as JH Tigers Shut Out Albany

Ethan Lininger blocked two punts for the junior high Tigers as they got their third win of the year, a 54-0 win over Albany. The Tigers were sputtering on offense early, but they found their footing later on to pull away for the win. It was their second shutout of the year as they only allowed only one play over 10 yards against the Warriors.

The Tigers struggled at first after forcing a three and out and a shanked punt gave them good field position at the 40. A sack forced them into third and long, but a 13 yard catch and run from Brayden Stevens to Bo Collins got a first down at the 29. Collins converted a first down run to the 15, picked up another 12 yard pass play to the 3, and Caleb New got a block from Franklin Hoff to score with 2:06 left. 

While the offense was sputtering, the defense was playing lights out, driving back the Warriors on three straight possessions before they were forced to punt. This time, Ethan Lininger shot through the line and blocked the first of two straight punts and Bo Collins recovered it at the 14. Lininger's punt blocks seemed to spark the offense, as they looked much sharper on their next possession. Franklin Hoff picked up three, and then Brayden Stevens got a block from Bo Collins and found nothing but daylight around the right end to take it to the house from the 11 with 7:52 left in the second.

Brayden Stevens and Lucas Frisch had stops on defense, and then Frisch got a hurry on the quarterback as Franklin Hoff got a pass breakup on third down to force another three and out. Lininger shot through and blocked his second straight punt and Worth County had the short field again at the 12. This time, they only needed one play to get into the end zone as Caleb New optioned it into the end zone after getting a block from Hoff. On the extra point try, Worth County pitched it back to Collins for the halfback pass, but finding nobody open, he ran it into the end zone to make it 20-0 with 5:59 left.

Worth County held the Warriors to negative yardage on the ground again, and Brayden Murphy had a quarterback hurry on third down to force the Warriors to punt again. This time, Albany got the punt off, but Brayden Stevens got a good return, breaking a host of tackles to the 40. Franklin Hoff ripped off 10 yards to the 30, and then Bo Collins took it around the left end, got a block from Lucas Frisch, and took it to the house with 4:07 left. Worth County lined up in an unbalanced formation and Brayden Stevens took it in on a sneak to make it 28-0 for the extra point try.

Albany had their most promising drive on their next series as Eliot Mercer overcame a third and 11 with a 27 yard carry to the Tiger 19. But then Ethan Lininger dropped him for a loss of one, a botched screen went nowhere, and Mercer only got one yard. On fourth down, Albany had a receiver all alone for a score, but the pass was too far, and Worth County went into the half up 28-0.

Brayden Stevens showed he is a force to be reckoned with when returning kicks, as he broke down the right side, got two blocks, and got to the Warrior 23 to start the second half. Caleb New's catch and run took the Tigers to the 13, he burst nine more yards to the four, and Stevens took it the rest of the way.

Ethan Lininger was a wall on defense and the Tigers forced another Warrior three and out. On fourth and 12 from the 28, a bad snap on the punt attempt put the Tigers on the Warrior 25 and another short field to work with. This time, Brayden Stevens took a keeper 11 yards to the 14 after getting a block from Bo Collins. There was a fumbled exchange on the handoff on the next play, but Stevens scooped it up and gained 13 on the busted play to the 4. Hoff got blocks from Collins and Lininger on the next play to take it to the house. Brayden Stevens got a block from Brayden Murphy and added the extra points to make it 42-0.

Albany tried a quick pitch on its next series and it looked like it was going somewhere, but Lucas Frisch was hot in pursuit and ran it down, and Albany was forced to punt. The kick was shanked, the Tigers started off on the 40, and Bo Collins took a short pass and turned it into a touchdown after Caleb New knocked down his man downfield to spring him loose. Brayden Stevens finished his night completing all five of his passes for 90 yards. That put the Tigers up 48-0.

After Worth County forced another three and out, Stevens ran back the ensuing kick 50 yards for a touchdown to make it 54-0, and then Frisch pounced on a squib kick to put the reserves in good position. Cole Ruby ripped off a seven yard option run, while Hayden Sanders rolled out perfectly and completed a 22 yard pass to Brayden Combs. 

Worth County ripped off 285 yards in 30 plays, almost ten yards per play. They held Albany to 16 yards in 26 plays, less than one yard per play. Brayden Stevens had 6 carries for 60 yards, Caleb New 5 carries for 41 yards, Franklin Hoff four carries for 24 yards, Bo Collins 2 carries for 35 yards, Reece Grey 3 carries for 7 yards, and Cole Ruby 2 carries for 6 yards. Brayden Stevens completed all five of his pass attempts for 90 yards, while Hayden Sanders completed one pass in one attempt for 22 yards. Bo Collins had 4 catches for 80 yards, while Brayden Combs had 1 catch for 22 yards and Caleb New 1 catch for 10 yards. 

Obituary -- Lola Haley 1932-2021

Lola Haley passed away on September 10th, 2021. Lola was born at home on January 2nd, 1932 to Leonidas Oscar Hibbs and Elva Edna (Lantz) Hibbs in Isadora. After graduating from Sheridan High School in 1949, she married Leland Hugh Haley in February 1952, in Kansas City, and devoted her life to being a military wife and mother for the next 19 years. After her husband retired, they moved to Lee’s Summit. She then went on toe have a full career at Aetna/Cigna Insurance until she retired in the early 1990’2. She had two children, Patricia (Patty) Leola (Haley) Bindel in 1956 and Jeffrey (Jeff) Leroy Haley in 1959, 3 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren.

Lola was the youngest child of 7 and experienced a very full life. She was born in the Great Depression on a small family farm, watched her brothers go off to World War II, and then became a military wife. Lola loved spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was always singing to them, especially, “You Are my Sunshine.” She constantly attended their school activities and sport games. She always kept candy in a particular cabinet that each grandchild knew exactly where to go upon arrival at her house. Lola also loved being with her siblings, her husband’s family, and their children. She often visited her sister, Edna VanHoet until her passing in 2014. She always went to any and all family reunions and high school reunions in Sheridan and always looked forward to the next one. She loved to talk to her friends and family on the phone, especially her long time friend Barb Aldrich of Kingsville (TX), and all her nieces and nephews. She had a strong spirit and loved to laugh. Lola was often laughing at something so hard, she would start crying and never be able to get out what was so humorous, the only thing you could do was join in on the laughing.

Lola loved her country immensely and was fiercely patriotic. She also loved watching the local sport teams on TV, especially the Kansas City Chiefs, the Kansas City Royals, and NASCAR. Lola loved spending time outside working on her yard, taking care of it, sitting on the front porch, walking her beloved dog Leo, and sweeping the sidewalk. While outside, she would constantly be talking to her neighbors and keeping up with their lives. 

People often describe her as a sweet, kind lady, but she had an internal strength too. That strength got her through the loss of her husband in 1985, her siblings, and then her son in 2016. Losing her son in 2016 was such a shocking loss from which she never fully recovered. She loved her family tremendously and hated that she could no longer take care of her great-grandchildren or watch them do their numerous activities. She had long suffered from osteoporosis and the many impacts of fractured and broken bones. In the spring, she finally had to move into a nursing home for more care. Lola will be deeply missed, but she is now at peace and free of pain.

Lola was preceded in death by her husband, Leland Haley (1985); her son Jeff Haley (2016); her siblings Vilas Hibbs (Pauline), Vera Brown (Doc), Leroy Hibbs (Norma), Duane Hibbs (Mae), and Edna VanHoet (Ernie); her brother in laws and sisters in law.

She is survived by her brother Lavelle Hibbs (Berdita) of New London (IA); her daughter Patty Bindel (Richard) of Lee’s Summit; her daughter in law Lori (Lee) Haley) of Lee’s Summit (MO), grandchildren Andrea Haley (Jack Trenary) of Lee’s Summit, Megan Stilley (Jeff) of Blacksburg (VA), and Matthew Bindel (Molly) of Blue Springs (MO); great-grandchildren Harley Narron, Skylee Narron, Leland Stilley, Liam Bindel, Eldon Stilley, Francis Bindel, Zoe Trenary, and Sylvia Stilley; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. 

The family would like to thank the team at Ascend Hospice for the wonderful care Lola received. They made her last few months so much more enjoyable and manageable. Also, a special thanks to her nephew Larry Hibbs, her niece Roby (Combs) Little, and daughter in law Lori Haley for their constant companionship with visits and phone calls.

Services will be held in Spring 2022, where her ashes will be interred next to her husband Leland. Donations in her honor can be sent to the Sheridan Cemetery, mailed to Larry Hibbs, 12691 Highway 46, Sheridan, MO 64486.

King City Driver Ejected from Vehicle, Seriously Injured

A King City man was ejected from his vehicle and seriously injured Saturday morning at around 12:30 am following a wreck near Ford City. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2003 Acura Type-S driven by Jesse Chitwood (28) of King City was southbound on Route AA one mile south of Ford City when he traveled off the west side, struck an embankment, and went airborne. The vehicle then overturned multiple times and Chitwood was ejected. He was taken to Mosaic in St. Joseph.

Obituary -- Doris Lane 1937-2021

Doris L. Lane, 88, Eagleville, MO passed away Friday, September 17, 2021 at Lamoni, IA nursing home.  

She was born on November 9, 1937 in New Albany, Indiana the Daughter of Roland and Josephine (Troncin) Prather.

On February 11, 1951 she married Wallace L. Lane in Andover, Missouri. He preceded her in death.

Doris was a homemaker and enjoyed her garden, sewing and quilting. She and Wallace were members of Decatur City Restoration Branch in Decatur City, Iowa.

Doris was also preceded in death by her son, Larry Lane and Sister, Betty Schlotman.

Survivors include her children, Marcia (Steve) Bohall, Wellington, MO, Lonny (Traci) Lane, Eagleville, MO and Connie (Dana) Wilcoxson, Eagleville, MO; grandchildren, Miranda Marvin, Chris Lane, Alisa Brown, Valerie Lidberg, Carianne Lidberg, Amy Maize, Andrew Lane, Jon Lane, Dylan Parkhurst, Drew Parkhurst, Clay Parkhurst, Dustan Wilcoxson and Jill Brown; 30 great grandchildren; sister, Carolyn Davies Flossmoor, Illinois; sister in law Lois (Bob) Moe, Independence, MO; brother in law, Ivan Lane, Blythedale, MO; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorial Services will be held at a later date. Following cremation inurnment will be in Andover Cemetery, Andover, MO. 

'Lil Tigers "A" Squad Cuts Down the Giants, Gains Second Win

The 'Lil Tigers "A" squad, which won handily against Albany in its first game, seemingly had to take on giants in their second game, against Southeast Warren. The Warhawks came loaded with skyscraper twins Tucker and Taren Dierking, one listed at 191 pounds and one listed at 197, two strong runningbacks in Gavin Byers and Sawyer Allen, and a quarterback who could get them the ball in Tripp Rambo. What looked like a close game between two heavyweights was unfortunately cut short when Rambo was knocked out of the game during Southeast's second drive after a hard tackle from Bentin Roberts, and the Tigers took control afterwards, getting the 54-0 win. 

Worth County started off strongly, as they forced a three and out and Brock Healy made a highlight film play when he got blocks from Jace Burns and Bentin Roberts, found a hole down the right side, was seemingly walled in by the green shirts, but bounced over to the left side and took it to the house to make it 6-0. But then it looked like Southeast would form a juggernaught as they moved slowly but surely down the field. Rambo was on target with his short passes to Taren Dierking, and Byers mixed in some runs as the Warhawks marched to the Tiger 31. But then a big hit by Bentin Roberts knocked Rambo out of the game, Byers had to move over to quarterback, and the Tigers were able to hold on defense when Jace Burns dropped him for a loss on the Tiger 28 as the Tigers held on downs.

Jordan Dannar slipped and fell on his first option play, but found daylight on his next try for 18 yards, getting blocks from Jace Burns and Bentin Roberts along the way. Roberts picked up 21 yards on a reverse after getting a block from Jeric Bernacchi down to the Warhawk 13, and then Brock Healy rolled out for a pass. Jordan Dannar threw a block on a blitzing linebacker that bought him time, and he threw a strike to Wesley Brown for a score at the end of the first quarter that put the Tigers up 12-0.

Back to back sacks from Jace Burns and Jordan Dannar, and a pass breakup from Bentley Frisch forced a three and out, and Frisch got loose on a reverse. He took it down the left side, and then reversed it back down the right side for 14 yards to the Warhawk 30. Brock Healy then hit Bentin Roberts out in the left flat, and he got a block from Jace Burns and got to the house again. Healy scrambled into the end zone for the extra point to make it 19-0 with 10:53 left.

Just as it looked like Southeast might find their footing with Byers playing pitch and catch with his huge tight ends, the Warhawks fumbled it and Roberts pounced on it at the 40. The Tigers overcame a pair of false starts as Brock Healy faked a reverse and took it down the right side for 15 yards and a first down at the Warhawk 27. Jordan Dannar took an option the rest of the way, and Brown caught the extra point pass to make it 27-0. Healy picked off a pass to kill Southeast's last drive of the half.

Worth County set themselves back with a holding penalty and a fumble to start the second half, all the way back to their own 5. But that only made things more interesting, as they set up a perfectly designed screen pass and Healy's pass to Bentin Roberts went 75 yards to the house with 12:46 left. The longest plays from scrimmage for the 'Lil Tigers were an 80 yard pass from Ben Badell against South Harrison in Lamoni at the Super Bowl on a play in which he led his man down the field perfectly, and an 80 yard run from Caleb Parman against Bedford when he was only in third grade. Brock Healy ran in the extra point to make it 34-0.

Southeast tried to throw it to Tucker Dierking, but good gang tackling by the Tigers limited him to one yard. Then, Xander Bodle picked off a pass and returned it to the Southeast 17. That set up a 17 yard reverse to Bentin Roberts for a score with 8:57 left. Bentley Frisch ran in the extra point to make it 41-0.

The Warhawks tried to establish their ground game, with initial success as Byers picked up eight yards. But then Brock Healy made a pair of perfect one on one tackles on the much bigger Southeast backs, the second on fourth and one, and the Tigers held on downs at the Southeast 32. A holding penalty set them back to the 40, but Wesley Brown's sweep took the Tigers 15 yards to the 25. A fumble set up third and three, but then Bentley Frisch took it 16 yards to the 9, and Brown took it the rest of the way to the house after getting a block from Jace Burns. Xander Bodle took an option for the extra points to make it 48-0.

A pair of runs from Sawyer Allen and Gavin Byers got the Warhawks into Tiger territory, but for some reason, on fourth and three at the Tiger 30, they elected to kick it away rather than go for it with a manageable down and distance. That set up Worth County's last score as Frisch ripped off 11 yards following a block from Bodle, a 22 yard carry from Wesley Brown after breaking three tackles put the Tigers on the 25, Frisch picked up 14 to the 12 after getting blocks from Bodle and Brown, and Bodle took it to the house with 3:26 left. Bentin Roberts got a sack to kill Southeast's final drive, and Worth County was able to kill the clock.

Worth County got nearly 400 yards for the day, getting 25 plays for 394 yards, while they held Southeast to 23 plays and 73 yards. Brock Healy had 5 rushes for 77 yards, Jordan Dannar 3 carries for 45 yards. Bentin Roberts 2 carries for 38 yards, Bentley Frisch 5 carries for 52 yards, Wesley Brown 3 carries for 46 yards, and Xander Bodle 2 carries for 11 yards. Brock Healy had four completions in four attempts for 125 yards. Bentin Roberts had 2 catches for 105 yards, while Wesley Brown had 2 catches for 20 yards.

Strong Line Play Leads 'Lil Tigers "B" Squad to First Win

The 'Lil Tigers junior squad needed to get out and reestablish dominance after dropping a track meet to Albany in their first game. In Saturday's 45-0 win over Southeast Warren, they set the tone right away when Silas Brown got a pick on Southeast's first play from scrimmage. Then, they overcame a fumble as strong line play helped lead the Tigers into the end zone, a theme that would repeat itself all day long. The line was firing out and holding their blocks as the Tiger backs, Liam Cordell, Wyatt Scadden, and Cole Hardy, got loose all day long. The Tigers overcame a fourth and three at the Warhawk 15 as Cordell bounced outside to the seven, and then Scadden got around the edge on a sweep to put the Tigers on the board. Cordell threw a strike to Scadden to put the Tigers up 8-0.

The Tigers overcame an offsides penalty on their next series as Hudson Cameron tackled Nicholas Piekema short of the first down and the Warhawks were forced to punt. On their second play from scrimmage, Wyatt Scadden got good blocking up front, bounced to the outside, and scored from 50 yards out. Cordell threw a strike to Scadden for the extra points with 3:33 left in the first quarter to make it 16-0.

Hudson Cameron was all over the field early for the Tigers, breaking up a pass on third down to force another punt, and Weston Hill had a tackle for loss on the series as well. The Warhawk defense was not set up, and it cost them as Scadden took it 55 yards to the house early in the second quarter to put him over 100 yards already in the game. Gracin Runde caught the extra point pass from Cordell to make it 24-0.

Brock Adwell got pressure from the edge and forced an incompletion, and Southeast was forced to punt again. Worth County started from their own 25, and this time, Liam Cordell bounced out to the left side. He was seemingly pushed out of bounds after a short gain, but the whistle never blew and he reversed field to the right side for a 19 yard gain to the Warhawk 36. Cole Hardy picked up 24 more to the 12, and Scadden took it the rest of the way on a reverse down the left side to make it 30-0 with 6:33 left in the half.

The Warhawks finally found some daylight as two Tiger defenders collided with each other and Charles Olsasky got loose for 15 yards to the Tiger 37. A pass interference put it on the 18, but then a holding penalty, a false start, and two incompletions killed the drive and kept the shutout intact at halftime.

With the game well in hand in the second half, Worth County sought to work on its passing game, but Cordell was picked off to start the half. But a false start and a bad snap forced another third and long, and Mason Hiatt had a pass breakup to get the defense off the field. This time, Cordell threw a strike to Scadden, who ran hard and delivered a big hit at the end of the 19 yard catch and run to the Warhawk 36. Cole Hardy ripped off gains of 13 and 18, weaving his way through tacklers along the way. He was stopped for no gain on his third try, but Liam Cordell got a block from Wyatt Scadden and took it the rest of the way, and Cole Hardy ran in the extra point to make it 37-0 after the third quarter.

Southeast found some daylight late as two runs from Olsasky got them to midfield. But then Weston Hill stepped up and made some big hits for the Tigers. who stopped the Warhawks cold and they took over at the 25. Cole Hardy took a short pass to the 29, and then Wyatt Scadden got his last big run of the day as a defensive lineman overran the play and Scadden was gone, taking it to the house from 51 yards out with 4:17 left in the game. Cordell completed the extra point pass to Scadden to make it 45-0. Hill got a pick to kill Southeast's last drive, allowing the Tigers to kill the clock.

The Tigers racked up over 318 total yards on 22 plays, while holding Southeast to 50 yards on 26 plays. Scadden had 7 carries for 183 yards, while Hardy had 7 carries for 65 yards and Liam Cordell 4 carries for 51 yards. Cordell had 2 completions in four attempts. Scadden had 1 catch for 19 yards, while Hardy had 1 catch for 4 yards.

Creed Wilcox Blasts Big Holes as Tigers Run Away From Warriors

Lineman Creed Wilcox was blasting holes right and left against Albany, knocking down green shirts all night long and the Tiger backs took full advantage of the holes from him and the rest of the line as they ran away with an 84-28 win over the Warriors. Alex Rinehart ran back the opening kickoff to the Warrior 39, getting a block from Dawson Vore. A false start set the Tigers back to their own 36, but then the play of the game happened next. Levi Cassavaugh took a counter play and lineman Creed Wilcox knocked down two green shirts, which cleared the way for Levi to get a 44 yard score just 17 seconds into the game. That set the tone for the rest of the game.

Jackson Runde knocked down Quincy Stamper for a loss and a false start set the Warriors back to the 8. Two scrambles by Albany quarterback Kemper Cline only got to the 16 and the Warriors were forced to punt. Alex Rinehart fielded the punt, got a block from Jackson Runde, and returned it into Warrior territory at the 36. Rinehart only picked up two yards on his first try, and a false start set the Tigers back to the 39. But then Alex Rinehart got a block from Auston Pride and broke into the clear, scoring from 39 yards out with 9:50 left. Aydan Gladstone scrambled into the end zone to make it 14-0.

A holding penalty on the kickoff buried Albany at the 13, but then the Warriors marched right down the field as an option play from Kemper Cline to Quincy Stamper took the Warriors 28 yards to the Tiger 37. Worth County gambled and missed on a pick try, and Porter Davis turned a short pass into a big gain down to the 9. Worth County tried to make a stand, but then Cline dove into the end zone with 7:47 left. Jackson Runde dropped Cline just short of the end zone to keep it at 14-6.

Worth County started at their own 33 and Aydan Gladstone took a keeper 11 yards to the 36 and then delivered a big hit at the end of the run. Alex Rinehart got a block from Creed Wilcox and got eight yards to the 28, Levi Cassavaugh picked up four more to the 24, and a late hit put the Tigers on the eight. Cassavaugh was dropped for a loss of two. A bad snap was picked up by Aydan Gladstone well behind the line of scrimmage with the green shirts in full pursuit. Aydan was running for his life, but somehow found Alex Rinehart in the end zone; he made a leaping catch for a score with 5:23 left. Aydan Gladstone ran in the extra points to make it 22-6.

The Tigers seemingly had the Warriors bottled up on third and 10, but jumped offsides, which meant a much more manageable down and distance on their own 30 at fourth and five. Cline then scrambled 22 yards to the 28 as Albany elected to go for it rather than put the ball in the hands of Rinehart. Worth County made a stand at the 21, forcing a fourth and three, but then everybody got blown back and Cline picked up nine to the 12. Stamper lost one to the 13, but then Cline dragged a bunch of defenders into the end zone for a score with 2:28 left in the first. But Dawson Vore batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage to keep Worth County ahead two possessions at 22-12.

The Warriors were giving the Tigers fits early, as they couldn't figure out who was carrying the ball and Kemper Cline, who nearly led the Warriors back against the Tigers last year, was getting into the open.

All the momentum seemed to be swinging in Albany's favor after the ensuing kickoff was mishandled and the Tigers were buried on their own 9. But then Creed Wilcox was a wrecking ball again on the offensive line, kicking out a defender, and that sprung Alex Rinehart 71 yards to the house with 2:06 left in the first. Dylan McIntyre caught the extra point pass to make it 30-12.

This was the play which seemed to swing the momentum in Worth County's favor. Stamper caught a tipped pass for a first down at the Warrior 37, but the Tigers flushed Cline from the pocket and forced an incompletion and dropped him after a two yard game at the 39. Jackson Runde hurried Cline into an incompletion and then blew up a screen pass to give the Tigers the ball back on downs at the Warrior 39. It just took Worth County one play to get into the end zone as Aydan Gladstone threw a strike to Dylan McIntyre, who was all alone and took it to the house with 34.2 seconds left in the first. McIntyre also caught the extra point pass to make it 38-12.

Stamper met Aydan Gladstone and Jace Latham for no gain, Alex Rinehart broke up a pass, and another incompletion set up fourth and 10 at the Warrior 25. Worth County went for the punt block, but got there too late and picked up a roughing the kicker penalty, forcing them to stop Albany all over again. They did so as three Warrior running plays only netted five yards and Jackson Runde stopped Cline on fourth and five at the Tiger 35 to give Worth County the ball back on downs. On third and two at the Warrior 37, Alex Rinehart dragged four Warrior defenders to the 25 to get the first down and then got a block from Auston Pride and took it to the house on the next play to put the Tigers on the board again with 8:01 left. Aydan Gladstone got loose and blasted a Warrior defender as he got in for the extra points to make it 46-12.

Nate Doolittle met a swarm of Tiger defenders, including Dawson Vore, Alex Rinehart, and Tanner Ridge, Stamper was met by Jackson Runde for no gain, and Vore batted down a pass to force a three and out. Once again, Creed Wilcox was a wrecking ball for the Tigers and once again, Alex Rinehart took it to the house, this time from 68 yards to go over the 200 yard mark and put the Tigers up 52-12 with 6:09 left in the half.

Worth County set up at their own 20, and this time took to the air as Aydan Gladstone faked two handoffs, then aired it out to Dylan McIntyre for 60 yards with 4:37 left to put Worth County over the 45 point margin at 58-12.

Dawson Vore got a strip and a fumble recovery, and Worth County added on another score before the half as Alex Rinehart ripped off 23 yards and Levi Cassavaugh took it nine yards to the house with 3:37 left to make it 64-12. That put Worth County over the 400 yard mark. Albany tried to kill the 45 point margin, and Kemper Cline converted a fourth and one sneak to the Warrior 38. But the Tiger defense stiffened as Albany tried to establish Stamper without avail. Finally, on fourth and seven, the Tigers flushed Cline and forced an incompletion and knelt down to end the half.

Worth County had 431 yards on just 18 plays, over 20 yards per carry, while Albany, after keeping up with the Tigers in the first quarter, was held to less than 30 yards in the second and had 44 plays for 160 yards. Rinehart wound up with 248 yards on just nine carries.

Albany elected to play on for the second half, but they fumbled twice, and Tanner Ridge pounced on the second one at the Tiger 26. Three plays later, Aydan Gladstone threw a 25 yard strike on the same double play action pass that worked before to Dylan McIntyre, putting him over the 100 yard mark with 124 receiving yards. That put the Tigers up 70-12, and both coaches subbed freely the rest of the way.

Albany may have found a new ball carrier in Zavien Dierenfeldt, as Worth County's reserves had a hard time bringing him down as he carried the ball seven times for 61 yards and a Warrior score with 4:01 left in the third. Jody King caught the extra point pass from Chase Cline to make it 70-20.

The younger Tiger squad struck back as Braxton Hightshoe muscled his way for a first down at the Warrior 39 on fourth and three, and then threw a strike to Jackson Smith for 39 yards to the house with 44 seconds left in the third to make it 76-20 and put the Tigers over the 500 yard mark. 

Dierenfeldt carried the Warriors on his back down to the Tiger 17 on the next series, but then Jackson Smith pounced on a fumble to kill the drive. Braxton Hightshoe ripped off 35 yards to the Warrior 25 to set up the Tigers again. Tanner Ridge tried his hand on the offensive line and found the position to his liking, as he pushed defenders out of the way as the Tiger backs continue to gain yardage. Tyler New ripped off six, Landon Wilmes seven, and Tyler New 11 yards down to the 1. Landon Wilmes was stopped short of the goal line, but Tyler New muscled his way in on the next play and threw a strike on the extra point pass to John Galanakis to make it 84-20.

Dierenfeldt got loose again for 11 and 19 on the next Warrior series to get over the 100 yard mark for Albany and Jody King took it to the house from 18 yards out with 2:40 left; Dierenfeldt ran in the extra points to make it 84-28. Tyler New was buried for a loss of two at the 13, but then threw a strike to John Galanakis for 11 and then converted a fourth and one as he muscled his way for 11 yards to the 35, allowing the Tigers to kill the clock.

Worth County outgained Albany 585 to 307, nearly double Albany's total. Alex Rinehart had 9 carries for 248 yards, Levi Cassavaugh 6 carries for 57, and Braxton Hightshoe three carries for 47. Worth County rushed for a total of 402. Aydan Gladstone threw for another 134 yards, and Dylan McIntyre caught three passes for 124 yards. For Albany, Dierenfeldt had 14 carries for 119 yards, Kemper Cline 10 carries for 64 yards, and Quincy Stamper 17 carries for 48 yards.