Tiger Boys Get Fourth Meet Victory, Win at Stanberry; Girls 4th

Worth County’s boys picked up their fourth meet victory Tuesday, April 25th at Stanberry while the girls finished fourth.

For the girls, Platte Valley had 98. Maysville had 84, Rock Port 79, Worth County 67, DeKalb 58, Pattonsburg 46, North Andrew 29, King City 26, Albany 24, Nodaway Valley 23, Stanberry 16, and Union Star 6.

For the boys, Worth County had 90, King City 75, Albany 72, Maysville 68, Stanberry 55, Nodaway Valley 52, Rock Port 51, North Andrew 46, Platte Valley 30, Union Star 20, and DeKalb 17. 

For the girls, Brooklyn Richardson was second in the 100 with a time of 13.60. Brylea Paxson was fifth in the 1600 with a time of 6:34.34. 

The 4x100 team got a personal best and won with a time of 52.68. They had been neck and neck with Albany all year and they won by over 1.5 seconds this time. The 4x200 was second with a personal best time of 1:57.60. The 4x400 was fifth with a time of 5:15.59.

Riley Ridge won the High Jump with a height of 5 feet. Eva Engel was second in the Pole Vault with a height of 10’5½”. 

Emma Spencer was fifth in the Long Jump with a jump of 14’4”. ZeeAnna Gladstone was sixth in the Triple Jump with a jump of 29’9”. Katelyn Fletchall continued to get better every single time and got another personal best of 26’6”. 

Kara-Jean Staton was fifth in the Shot Put with a throw of 30’6½”. She was fourth in the Discus with a throw of 96’6¾”. Ali Brown won the Javelin with a throw of 114’6”. 

For the boys, Ethan Frese was fourth in the 400 and came close to a personal best with a time of 57.65. 

John Galanakis was second in the 110 Hurdles with a personal best of 17.91. Lucas Frisch was third in the 300 with a time of 45.76. 

The 4x100 was third with a personal best time of 47.36. The 4x200 team was second with a personal best time of 1:37.20. And after struggling with breaking the four minute barrier all year, the 4x400 got a time of 3:53.78 at their home meet and then showed it was no accident by winning at Stanberry with a time of 3:50.66. 

The Tigers placed two in the High Jump as John Galanakis matched a season best with a height of 5’7”, good enough for second place. Landon Moser matched a personal best and finished fifth with a height of 5’3”. Wyatt Hill matched a personal best in the Pole Vault with a fifth place finish of 7’6¼”. 

Landon Moser was second in the Long Jump with a jump of 18’6¾”. Moser got a personal best in the Triple Jump and finished second with a jump of 38’2¾”. 

Elias Alarcon was second in the Discus with a season best throw of 124’9¼”. Jase Latham was fifth with a season best throw of 107’11”. Tyler New was second in the Javelin with a throw of 142 feet.

Tiger Boys Runner-Ups, Girls Fourth at Tarkio Relays

Worth County’s boys were second and the girls fourth at Tarkio on Friday, April 21st.

For the girls, East Atchison had 139.5. Rock Port had 84, Mound City 70, Worth County 66.5, Platte Valley 57, North Andrew 39, Albany 36, South Holt 27, Nodaway Valley 17, Maysville 10, and North Nodaway 1.

For the boys, Mound City had 115. Worth County had 97, Nodaway Valley 79, Albany 70, Maysville 57, North Andrew 54, East Atchison 42, Platte Valley 29, Rock Port 28, North Nodaway 6, and South Holt 3.

For the girls, Brooklyn Richardson won the 100 with a personal best time of 13.44. She has knocked eight tenths of a second from last year. Emma Spencer was third with a time of 13.63. ZeeAnna Gladstone was sixth in the 200 with a time of 31.93. 

The 4x100 team was second with a time of 56 seconds. The 4x200 was third with a time of 2:05.35. 

Riley Ridge was tied for second in the High Jump with a height of 4’11¾”. The Tigers placed two in the Pole Vault as Eva Engel won with a height of 10 feet and Bridgette Hightshoe was tied for fifth with a personal best height of 6’6”. 

Emma Spencer was fourth in the Long Jump with a jump of 14’3¼”. ZeeAnna Gladstone was fourth in the Triple Jump with a jump of 30’1¾”. Katelyn Fletchall got a personal best with a jump of 25’10¼”. 

Kara Staton was sixth in the Shot Put with a throw of 30’6½”. She was second in the Discus with a personal best throw of 107’9¼”. 

For the boys, Andrew Griffin got a season best in the 100 with a time of 12.44. Ethan Frese was fourth in the 200 with a time of 26.98. Levi Cassavaugh got a personal best in the 400 and won with a time of 53.21. Ethan Frese was fourth with a time of 1:00.59. 

John Galanakis was fourth in the 110 Hurdles with a time of 18.44. Brayden Combs was sixth with a personal best time of 20 seconds. Lucas Frisch was second in the 300 Hurdles with a personal best time of 45.06. That was over two seconds better than his previous best time. Brayden Combs was fifth with a personal best time of 48.77. That was 1.3 seconds better than his previous best time. 

The 4x100 team was second with a time of 48.52. The 4x200 team was second with a time of 1:39.93. 

John Galanakis was tied for fourth in the High Jump with a height of 5’3¾”. Brayden Combs was tied for fourth in the Pole Vault with a height of 8 feet. Wyatt Hill matched a personal best with a height of 7’6¼”, good enough for sixth place. 

Landon Moser was third in the Long Jump with a jump of 17’5”. Andrew Griffin got a personal best in the Triple Jump with a third place finish of 37’5½”. Landon Moser was fourth with a jump of 36’8½”. 

Jase Latham won the Shot Put with a throw of 47’7¾”. Elias Alarcon was third with a throw of 38’10¼”. Elias got a season best in the Discus with a throw of 117’2¾”. That throw was good for second place. Jase Latham was sixth with a throw of 100’11½”.

North Nodaway

For the girls, Andrea Jenkins was sixth in the 1600 with a time of 6:51.70, close to a personal best. 

For the boys, Jeremiah Vinzant got a personal best in the 1600 with a time of 6:28.56. He also got a personal best in the 3200 with a time of 14:35.05, 23 seconds better than his previous mark. 

The 4x800 knocked over 22 seconds off their time and placed fifth with a time of 11:11.55. Jordan DeLeon matched a personal best in the High Jump with a height of 5’3”. 

Aydan Blackford was fifth in the Long Jump with a jump of 15’9”. Roger Wolf got a personal best in the Shot Put with a throw of 25’3½”. Landon Parman was sixth in the Javelin with a throw of 99’7¼”. 

Grant McIntyre, Landon Wilmes Go Deep as Bluejays Win Big

Northeast Nodaway bounced back from their loss to Platte Valley with a big win Saturday as they beat East Harrison 21-0. Brayden Stevens tossed a shutout, and Grant McIntyre and Landon Wilmes both went deep as the Bluejays got the win. Wilmes’ blast was the first for his high school career.

The Bluejay bats started off hot as Dylan McIntyre singled to center, stole second, and went to third on an errant pickoff throw. Brayden Stevens walked and stole second. Grant McIntyre grounded out to score Dylan and consecutive singles from Tyler New and Drew Dack made it 3-0.

Landon Wilmes led off the second with his home run to left field; it traveled around 300 feet. With one out, Dylan McIntyre walked and stole second. With two outs, Grant McIntyre walked and Dylan took third on a wild pitch on the play. Jace Cameron (running for Grant McIntyre) stole second and Tyler New’s ground rule double made it 6-0. He took third on a wild pitch and Drew Dack walked and stole second. Boston Adwell singled to center to score two and make it 8-0.

East Harrison was victimized earlier in the year by Ethan Henson’s (North Harrison) no-hitter, but their bats had improved from the last time. Brayden Eakes hit a sharp grounder into the hole between third and short, but Boston Adwell, back at his natural position at third base with Stevens pitching, snagged it for the first out. Kaedan King gave one a long ride that might have dropped in for extra bases or even a home run, but Tyler New made a running backhanded catch from center for the second out. Trysen Ratliff finally broke up Stevens’ perfect game bid with a sharp single to right, but then he tried to catch Stevens, a freshman napping and take off for second before he delivered the pitch. Stevens stepped off correctly and Ratliff was out in a rundown.

The bottom dropped out on East Harrison in the third inning after Landon Wilmes walked, Sawyer Thurman reached on an error, and Dylan McIntyre walked after shattering a light cover with a high foul ball to load the bases. Walks lead to runs and sure enough, Brayden Stevens singled home one and Grant McIntyre doubled into the left field corner to score two more and make it 11-0. Tyler New, Drew Dack, Camdain Frisch, Jace Cameron, and Dylan McIntyre all followed with singles while East Harrison kept the inning alive with a couple of errors. The game got so out of hand that umpire Gilpatrick was calling everything remotely close to the plate as a strike. The inning was capped off when Grant McIntyre hit one that cleared the wall behind left for around 260 feet and the East Harrison players were sporting about it and congratulated him as he circled the bases. 

Garrett Baker walked to lead off the Bobcat third, and a wild pitch got away from Grant McIntyre and it rolled down the third base line. But Grant managed to run it down and throw a strike to Drew Dack at short to erase the Bobcats’ last threat.

The Bluejays will know right away how much they have improved, as the last three teams they play have winning records.

Bill Cottrell Recognized by Legislature; Plans to Attempt Missouri River Canoe Trip for 70th Birthday

Worth County grad Bill Cottrell has had a love of canoeing from shortly after he graduated from Missouri and got his first teaching job, at Farmington (IA). It was there that he took 15 kids on a trip and discovered a passion for canoeing. He has made plenty of canoeing trips since then.

Cottrell was a graduate with the Class of 1971. His favorite Bull Reece story growing up was during one year, when he wanted to go out for track, but couldn’t come to practice because of farming chores. So Bull Reece made a deal with him – if he ran to school along the roads, which were five miles away from Grant City, then he could still do track. He ran the 3200 for Worth County and the Bull would needle him, asking him if he could pick up the pace just a little bit from the pace he ran to school with. If the Bull was not happy with him, he would mispronounce his name on purpose, which would really get his attention. “I had nothing but respect for him,” said Cottrell.

Bill graduated from the University of Missouri, got his first job out of school at Farmington, and taught there until 1978. He returned to Worth County, where he had an opportunity to start farming and he substitute taught at Worth County under Doyle Bounds. After the farm crisis hit, he got back into teaching and went to Scotland County, where he taught Agricultural Education from 1984 to 2006, when he retired.

Mr. Cottrell said that his goal was to provide kids with opportunities to succeed in agriculture. He said his greatest accomplishment was seeing his two sons get their American FFA Degrees. The family tradition continues, as his grandson recently went to State FFA as a freshman. He was also involved in Boy Scouts, and one of his sons became an Eagle Scout. He has two sons and five grandchildren.

He always had time to do canoeing, and one time took a group of 18 boy scouts canoeing. He has built two canoes; one of them wasn’t big enough, so he built one bigger.

For Bill, who has always been a workaholic, work was not over when he retired from teaching, and he took a job at Christiansen Farms, a hog farm, and later Seaboard Farms when they bought Christiansen out. His job was to ensure that the hogs did not get contagious diseases. 

He said the biggest change was the willingness of kids to challenge themselves, which he said had gotten worse from the time he started to the time he finished teaching. He said it was not as bad in the rural schools.

For his accomplishments, State Rep. Mazzie Boyd successfully got a resolution passed in the Missouri House honoring him for his accomplishments. He plans to take a canoe trip down the Missouri River, starting on May 17th, for his 70th birthday. He plans to camp out all the way and make the entire 2,400 mile trip from Three Forks to St. Louis. Only seven to eight people do it successfully each year. The estimated time needed to make the trip is around 90 days. 

Platte Valley Comes On Top 1-0 in Pitching Duel Between Memphis Bliley, Dylan McIntyre

Northeast Nodaway went through a rocky stretch starting with a 12-3 home loss to Maysville, a team that has been around .500 this year. Subsequently, they lost to South Holt 7-2 and then fell 15-10 to sub .500 Stewartsville/Osborn. Things threatened to go from bad to worse after Elias Alarcon, one of their best hitters, quit the team and Gaige Bodle, whose hustle earned him a spot in the outfield as a freshman, sustained a season ending injury. 

Down to 12 players, the Bluejays could very well have folded. They had to travel to St. Joseph Christian to play the Lions, a team that had beaten the Bluejays in districts last year and had taken Platte Valley and Memphis Bliley to extra innings. But the Lions were in even worse shape than the Bluejays as three of their players had been expelled from school (disciplinary), and Northeast rallied in the face of adversity to win 6-3. The Bluejays then had to travel to Nodaway Valley, which had beaten South Holt. But a home run from Tyler New helped break the game wide open and the Bluejays came away with an 11-0 win.

The Bluejays had to win Thursday’s game against Platte Valley in order to have any hope to catch Platte Valley since they had two conference losses and Platte Valley had none. But Memphis Bliley, who was battling an injury of his own and who had pitched limited action, came back and started for Platte Valley in Thursday’s game.

Dylan McIntyre countered for NEN and at first, it looked like the Bluejays might get to Platte Valley early as they made Bliley walk a batter and forced him to use 22 pitches to get out of the first inning. Dylan McIntyre hit one hard, but right at left fielder Justin Miller. 

Seeing his first extended action of the year, Bliley looked shaky the first inning, but then started mixing in his breaking stuff and changing speeds effectively, keeping the Bluejays off the basepaths. Platte Valley mounted the first real threat in the third when Trevor Weir beat out an infield single, Tucker Klamm forced him out at second, and Alex Mattson singled to put runners on first and second. But Landon Wilmes made a shoestring catch of Matt Jermain’s line drive to take a base hit away from him and the game remained scoreless.

Despite having to shake up their lineup, Northeast was able to have people step up. Boston Adwell moved from third to first and handled everything thrown at him. Brayden Stevens was placed at third and stepped right up at that spot. Carter Chapman, who was a bright spot in the field in the Maysville loss, was inserted in right and Sawyer Thurman, who showed a lot of range in the outfield in preseason, was inserted in left. 

Neither side had any more serious trouble until the sixth, when Dylan McIntyre walked with one out. Brayden Stevens hit a Texas leaguer that frequently drops in for a hit, but Lane Acklin made a shoestring catch running in from center for the second out. Dylan stole second, but Grant McIntyre struck out to end the threat.

Bliley finally ran out of pitches in the seventh, which meant Northeast would have a chance to win in the eighth if they held. Dylan McIntyre still had plenty of pitches left. But Brandon McQueen’s hard grounder caromed off Landon Wilmes’ foot. Justin Miller struck out, but as McQueen was trying to steal, Grant McIntyre’s throw got away, putting him on third. Northeast nearly got out of the inning as Trevor Weir grounded back to Dylan McIntyre, who looked back McQueen and threw to first for the second out. But Tucker Klamm, the #9 hitter, smashed one hard off third baseman Brayden Stevens’ glove for a base hit for the lone run of the game. 

Northeast still had a chance as Bliley was out of pitches and Wyatt Miller was called on to finish the game. Camdain Frisch, who had gotten some clutch hits all year, came through again as he reached on second baseman Matt Jermain’s bobble. Landon Wilmes’ pop fly dropped in left center for a base hit, putting runners at first and second. But Sawyer Thurman struck out and Dylan McIntyre hit it hard down the right field line, but Brandon McQueen was positioned perfectly to make the catch. Sometimes, coaches have a sixth sense about what is going to happen, and Platte Valley’s coaches had their first baseman, Trevor Weir, play on the edge of the grass. That meant he was perfectly positioned to snare Brayden Stevens’ line drive to end the game. 

Obituary -- Allen Dukes 1954-2023

Russel Allen Dukes was born at the family home in Lenox, Iowa on March 10, 1954, the son of Russell Dukes and Dorothy (Bivens) Dukes. He grew up in a family of nine siblings attending school in Lenox, graduating with the Class of 1972. After graduation, he joined the United States Army where he proudly served his country, being stationed in Germany in 1973. While in Germany, Allen became a proud father to his first son, Lafe, and later, while stationed in Oklahoma in 1975, he was delighted to welcome his second son, Tyson. He was honorably discharged in November 1977, with the rank of Sergeant. Allen returned to Lenox and became a brick mason under the direction of Huber family. He then moved the family to Montana where he drove truck for the oil fields. The family later moved back to Lenox where he attended SWCC and Northwest Missouri State University where he graduated with his bachelor's degree in teaching and coaching.

On February 8, 1986, Allen was united in marriage to Debra Parman and the couple were blessed with the birth of their daughter Calie. Allen began his teaching career in Worth County and Northeast Nodaway, returning to Lenox where he began teaching and coaching in 1993. Over his teaching and coaching career, Allen taught History and Social Science along with coaching everything except wrestling and volleyball! Allen was a gifted coach and led many teams to state in football, track, and bowling. In 1990, he brought a win in the 4x800 relay in girls track in Worth County, MO. In 1991 Allen coached the 4x100 and 4x200 girls track relays to state titles as well. In Lenox, Allen led many teams to success as the 2005, 2009, and 2010 football teams were state runners-up. The 2008 Lenox football team had a banner year that was marked by a win in the state championship, Allen’s 100th win, and he was also awarded Coach of the Year. In 2016, he retired from teaching and coaching. After his retirement, he was very active in the Stock and Saddle Club and helping neighbors farm. Allen and Debra were fortunate to travel across the country to visit with family and friends.

Left to cherish the memories of a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother, teacher, coach, and friend is his loving wife Debra Dukes of Lenox; his two sons Lafe Dukes (Laura) of Prole, Iowa; Tyson Dukes (Johnna) of Okoboji, Iowa; his daughter Calie Worisek (Jen) of Creston, Iowa; four grandchildren: Hattie, Holden, Lawson and Rawlins; one brother, Leroy; six sisters, Wilma, Helen, Linda, Lora, Bobbi, and Kathie; along with many other family members, friends and of course, his horses!

Preceding Allen in death are his parents, Russell and Dorothy; two brothers, Gary and Charlie; and his father-in-law, Bill Parman.

Allen was a proud husband, father and grandfather. A trusted and loyal friend, an exceptional coach and a kind and caring human. He was honored to have touched the lives of many students, athletes, friends, and family. His memory will live on in the lives of all of those who found inspiration in his leadership, friendship and love.

Obituary -- Dan "Tank" Parman 1952-2023

Dan “Tank” Parman, age 70, Denver, Missouri died Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at his home surrounded by his family.

Tank was born October 13, 1952, in Maryville, Missouri the son of the late George Daniel and Sadie Pearl (Guinn) Parman.

Tank was a graduate of Worth County R-1 High School, Grant City, Missouri.  He was in the class of 1971. 

On April 20, 1973, he was united in marriage to Pam Wilkinson at the Grant City Christian Church.  To this union three children were born Timothy, Keven and Kortnee. 

A lifelong resident and farmer of Worth County, Tank was involved in many ways in the community.  He operated his farm raising both livestock and row crops.  He served many years as Sexton of the Miller Cemetery at Denver, was a member of the Denver Community Church, charter member of the Worth County Fair Board, former member of the Denver Lions Club and the Worth County Farm Service Agency Board.  Loving sports and kids he coached Little League Baseball for many years.

Tank was preceded in death by his parents, an infant son Timothy Daniel and his father-in-law Bill Wilkinson.

His survivors include wife Pam of the home, son Keven (Jayla) Parman, daughter Kortnee Blankenship, four grandchildren Addison, Bella, Cree and Wyatt, all of Denver, one sister Cathy (Roger) McGahuey, Mt. Ayr, Iowa, two brothers Tom (Sheryl) Parman, Hollywood, Florida, J. C. Parman, Denver, nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of other friends and loved ones.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 AM, Monday, May 1, 2023, at the Hann Funeral Chapel, Grant City.  Burial will be in the Miller Cemetery, Denver. Arrangements: andrewshannfuneralhome.com

Obituary -- Ruby Turner 1935-2023

Ruby Naomi Stephens Turner of Hopkins, MO, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on April 24, 2023.

Ruby was born in Bedford, IA on May 23, 1935, to Cecil and Martha Stephens. She graduated from Bedford Community School in 1953. After graduation, Ruby was employed by Farm and Home Administration (FHA) in Corning, IA.

Ruby married William “Rube” Turner on February 14, 1956, at the home of her parents in Bedford, IA. Rube and Ruby made their home on the farm North of Hopkins, where she remained until January 2023.

An active member of the First Christian Church, Ruby taught Sunday school class for many years, served as a deacon and was a church board member. She was a member for 62 years of the Chapter K,  P.E.O., in Hopkins, MO. A virtue of faith, Ruby was a devoted woman to her church and God.

Ruby was an avid bridge player and enjoyed her weekly games with her Bedford and Hopkins friends. She had a love for cards and playing with her “bridge ladies”, was something she always looked forward to.

A self-sufficient woman, she was often found in her kitchen preparing hearty meals, from which she grew many of the ingredients from her large garden each year. Known for her canned beef and remarkable cooking skills, Ruby never missed a chance to provide home cooked meals for her family.

Her love for cooking and favorite recipes, such as her famous pecan pie, were passed down to her children and will be shared with generations to come.

An advocate for those with special needs and disabilities, Ruby was extremely generous with her time and money to the Missouri State Special Olympics. For many years, she was highly active and contributed to the Nodaway County Association of Group Homes.

Ruby was a devoted, wife, mother, and grandmother. She was an utmost classy and gracious woman, who radiated pure joy. To be within her presence, simply put, was a blessing.

Ruby is preceded in death by her parents, Cecil and Martha Stephens, siblings, Carl Stephens and Francis Herzberg, husband, William “Rube” Turner, daughter, Lora Fisher, son-in-law, Phil Henggeler, and granddaughter, Brit Fisher.

She is survived by her children, Stephen (Roberta) Turner, Gail Henggeler, John (Pamela) Turner, and James Turner; Grandchildren, Tyler (Ashley) Turner, Cole (Stacy) Fisher, Will Fisher, Bart Oberhauser, Hallie (Ryan) Ginther, Tucker, Tanner, and Sophia Turner, Madi, Gracie, and Cora Fisher; Great-Grandchildren, Laney and Landon Turner, Brayden and Kennedy Murphy, Cooper, Kamryn and Karsyn Fisher, Clayton and Aria Oberhauser, and Ridge Ginther.

Visitation services will be held at the First Christian Church in Hopkins, MO., on May 5, 2023, from 5-7 pm. A private burial service will be held for immediate family at a later date.

Services are under the direction of the Bram Funeral Home, Maryville, MO. 

In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Hopkins First Christian Church.

Courthouse News for April 26th, 2023

On April 14th, the Adams County (IA) Sheriff’s Department, the  Southwest Valley School District, and the Creston News-Advertiser reported that a credible threat was reported regarding a student threatening to harm other students and staff. On April 15th, the student was charged with making a terrorist threat. The threat had allegedly been made 2-3 weeks prior; the school and law enforcement had no prior knowledge until the 14th. There were also threats made on social media. The student will no longer be allowed on school grounds and is on GPS monitoring by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and the Juvenile Court Services.

On April 17th, extra law enforcement was put in place; Adams and Montgomery County deputies were present. The Adams County Sheriff’s Department will maintain a presence at the school daily. Additional security measures will be implemented during all Southwest Valley activities.

On April 15th, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Matthew Cooley (26) of Osceola on 3 counts of Theft (Felony) and Burglary (Felony). Bond was set at $30,000, cash only.

On April 18th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Patrichia Roberts (40) of Bethany alleging Domestic Assault (Felony). Bond was set at $50,000, cash only.

On April 20th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Jason Perkins (22) of Bethany alleging Domestic Assault (Felony) and Harassment (Felony). Bond was set at $65,000, cash only.

On April 20th, Collin Patterson (21) of Kansas City was arrested in Nodaway County on a Felony Warrant from the State of Kansas.

On April 20th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Catina Hins (36) of Hopkins alleging 2 counts Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Felony). 

On April 20th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Laura Kauzlarich (56) of Omaha in Nodaway County on charges of DWI and Failure to Drive on Right Half of Roadway.

On April 20th, the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Department reported that someone was contacting elderly people in the county unsolicited seeking to inspect their roofs following the recent hailstorm.

On April 20th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Keegan Griffin (26) of Princeton alleging Harassment. Bond was set at $5,000, cash only.

On April 21st, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Justin Fortner (38) of Bethany alleging Enticement (Felony) and Child Molestation (Felony). Bond was set at $500,000, cash only. 

On April 21st, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Anthony Haines (38) of Eagleville alleging Assault. 

On April 21st, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Shaun Frame (43) of Burlington Junction alleging Possession of Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $5,000, with defendant given leave to post 10% cash.

On April 21st, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Zachary Glenn (37) of Savannah alleging DWI (Felony) and Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Felony). Bond was set at $30,000, cash or corporate surety.

On April 21st, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against David Alexander (50) of Skidmore alleging Failure to Register as Sex Offender (Felony). Bond was denied. 

On April 22nd, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Clayton McKune (21) of Stanberry alleging DWI, Minor Visibly Intoxicated, No Insurance, and Driving While Revoked. 

On April 23rd, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Thomas Stone (60) of Mount Ayr on charges of Assault (Felony) and Domestic Abuse. He was being held on no bond until seen by the magistrate. 

On April 23rd, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Scott Yount (50) of Maryville alleging Possession of Controlled Substance (Felony) and Delivery of Controlled Substance (Felony). Bond was denied.

On April 24th, US Chief District Judge Beth Phillips sentenced Garland Joseph Nelson (28) of Braymer to 32 years in federal prison without parole. He was ordered to pay $260,925 in restitution. On October 4th, Nelson had pleaded guilty to one count Mail Fraud and one count Felon in Possession of Firearm. The charges arose in conjunction with a fraud scheme in which the defendant agreed to care for cattle owned by Nicholas and Justin Diemel. Instead, he did not properly care for the cattle due to underfeeding, neglect, and maltreatment. Subsequently, he mailed a fraudulent check to the Diemels in the amount of $215,936. This is in addition to charges that Nelson subsequently murdered the Diemels when they traveled from Wisconsin to Braymer to collect their payment. Nelson is serving two life sentences in addition to the federal charges. 

On April 24th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Brandon Smith (27) of Albany alleging Domestic Assault (Felony). Bond was set at $5,000, cash or corporate surety. 

On April 25th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Tamera Gaukel (19) of Stanberry alleging Stealing (Felony). 

On April 25th at around 9:07 am, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 2008 Chevy Silverado driven by Ryan Harrington (48) of Bethany was southbound on Route 13, three miles north of Coffey, when he crossed the center line, struck a bridge, and overturned. Harrington was seriously injured and life flighted to University Hospital in Kansas City. 

Charges listed are merely 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.

Obituary -- Katherine Shae Taylor 2022-2023

Katherine Shae Taylor, 4 months, of King City, MO passed away Thursday, April 20, 2023 at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO.

She was born December 20, 2022 in Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO the daughter of Kobey and Jocelyn (Valverde) Taylor.

Katherine was preceded in death by her uncle, Cody Shea Land; great grandparents, Neil and Sharon Taylor, Linda Kiolbassa, Robert and Connie Jeanneret and Jerry Mercer; great-aunt, Katherine Marie Walters and great-great-grandparents, Harvey and Fern Walters.

Survivors in addition to her parents, Kobey and Jocelyn are her brothers, Kane Taylor and Robert “R.J.” Valverde; her maternal grandparents, Michelle and Shaun Horner, King City, MO; paternal grandparents, Mike and Becky Mercer, King City, MO and Jason and Carie Taylor, Stanberry, MO; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins and great-grandparents, Jean and Dixie Valverde, Bonnie Horner and Mike and Debbie Walters.

Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at Roberson Funeral Home, King City, MO.  Burial will follow in the Ford City Cemetery, Ford City, MO.  The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.  Memorials may be made to the Love Luca Benefiting Children with Congenital Heart Disease and/or directed to the family to purchase blankets for Children’s Mercy Hospital in care of Roberson Funeral Home, P.O. box 153, King City, MO  64463.  Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com.

Obituary -- Bryan "Ed" Brown 1942-2023

Bryan Edward “Ed” Brown, 80, of Pickering, MO, passed away at home on Saturday, April 22, 2023, with his family at his side after a brief illness. 

Ed was born in Creston, IA, on June 29, 1942. His parents were Claire and Aleva (Snodgrass) Brown and preceded him in death. He was also preceded by infant brother, Jerry Brown, and infant grandson, Maximus Tatum.

Ed graduated from Mount Ayr, IA, high school in 1960. He played baseball at Iowa State University and earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture business in 1965. After graduation, he worked as a life insurance agent in Albany and Mexico, MO, in 1967, he joined the Federal Land Bank as a loan officer in St. Joseph, MO, and moved to Maryville in 1969. He and Karen purchased their farm north of Maryville in 1974, where they continue to reside. Ed enjoyed farming and raising livestock. In 1982, he became a Farmers Mutual Insurance agent until 1991 when he started his farm appraisal business. He was an Accredited Rural Appraiser, and he and Karen expanded the appraisal business to service several counties in northwest Missouri and southwest Iowa. He sold the business in 2018 and continued to appraise properties and mentor other appraisers until his passing. 

Ed was an avid athlete and participated in team and individual sports throughout his life. He coached his children’s sports teams and enjoyed traveling to attend sports, music, theater, and other events in which his children and grandchildren were involved. He valued education and learning and continued to take courses and remain current on economics, technology, and world events. 

Ed married his high school sweetheart, Karen Ricker, on November 16, 1963, in Mount Ayr, IA. She survives of the home.

He is also survived by his children, Angela (Paul) Bickford, Maryville, MO, Heidi (Larry) Blackstun, Columbia, MO, Greg (Cathy) Brown, St. Louis, MO, and Rachel (Bart) Tatum, Huntsville, TX; brother Alan “Joe” (Nena) Brown, Columbia, MO; brother-in-law, Eugene (Vicki) Ricker, Ankeny, IA; grandchildren, Nicole (Anthony) Gonzalez, Reece Bickford, Connor and Kennedy Brown, Alec, Miles, and Matthew Tatum; step-grandchildren, Nate (Trish) Blackstun, O’Fallon, MO, Casey (Angela) Blackstun, Macon, MO; great grandchildren, Demi and Leo Gonzalez, and several step-great grandchildren and nieces and nephews. 

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm, on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at the First Christian Church, Maryville, MO. Burial will follow in Nodaway Memorial Gardens, Maryville, MO.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 - 8:00 pm, on Friday, April 28, 2023, at the First Christian Church. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the First Christian Church, Maryville, MO, or the Maryville Public Library.

Obituary -- Daniel Saxton 1954-2023

Daniel Wayne (Dan) Saxton, 69, Bolckow, Missouri, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, April 22, 2023.  Dan was known for his work ethic, stubbornness, loyalty, generosity, wit, and opinions.

Dan was born February 23, 1954 in St. Joseph, Missouri to Homer Lee and Martha (Schank) Saxton and attended Nodaway-Holt RVII, graduating in 1972.  He also attended college for one year at Northwest Missouri State University. 

Dan and Cathy Jean Heck were married June 1, 1973 in Mound City, Missouri.  Together they shared 18,183 blessed days of marriage, just 112 days shy of their 50 year anniversary.

Dan took over the family farming operation during his sophomore year of high school, with the help of his sisters and mother, after his father passed away on January 12, 1970.  Dan continued to farm throughout his life and, at one time while farming with his sons and hired help, farmed around 12,000 acres across Northwest Missouri and Southwest Iowa.  Because he had always wanted to try his hand at custom wheat harvesting, and never one to shy away from adventure, he took the leap in 1998 and established his wheat harvesting crew.  Now, 25 years later, he and various crews have been to 7 states and 54 counties as they have moved from one custom harvesting job to another.  And, with the same spirit of adventure, Dan has always said that he has never been shot or arrested, though there may be moments when he’s been close!

On January 12, 2011, he suffered serious injuries in a farming accident that left him with a crushed left foot and broken bones in his right.  With his well-known stubbornness, he was up and ready to move by May for the wheat harvest, though he probably hurried his recovery more than he should have.  After these injuries, his health was a constant battle.

Dan was a member of the Bethany Christian Church, Barnard, Mo., and had been a member and past president of the Graham Lions Club.  He and Cathy also supported many activities and organizations at Nodaway-Holt R-VII over the years.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Homer Lee and Martha Saxton Gaukel, stepfather, James Gaukel, infant grandson, Liam Mitchell Saxton, and father-in-law, Audrey Heck.  Survivors include his wife Cathy; children, Dr. Marlie Williams (Travis), St. Joseph, Mo., Sheldon Saxton (Sarah), Ravenwood, Mo., and Michael Saxton (Amanda), Savannah, Mo.; Grandchildren, Wyatt Williams (Maizey), Taylor Williams, Tristen Saxton, Cayden Saxton, Saylor Saxton, Adler Saxton, Carson Saxton, Keaton Saxton, and Holden Saxton; Sisters, Debbie (Larry) Heck, Maitland, Mo., and Cindy (Phil) Morris, Oregon, Mo.; Mother-in-Law, Phyllis Heck; Sisters-in-Law, Cindy Davis (Larry), Madison, Miss., and Christy Livengood (Jeff), Craig, Mo., as well as a number of nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be at 10:00 AM, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at the Bram Funeral Home, Maryville, MO.  The burial will follow at the Prairie Home Cemetery, Graham, MO.

The family will receive friends from 6-8:00 PM, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the Bram Funeral Home, Maryville, MO.

Memorials may be made to the Nodaway-Holt R-VII FFA, 318 S. Taylor, Graham, Mo., 64455, or to the Bethany Rural Christian Church, 23251 390th St., Barnard, Mo. 64423

Bo Collins Gets Four Firsts; Tiger Boys Place Third, Girls Fourth at Rock Port

Bo Collins got four first place finishes Thursday at Rock Port as the Tiger boys finished third and the girls fourth at Rock Port.

For the girls, Rock Port had 123, East Atchison 66, Albany 63.5, Worth County 50, South Holt 44, Mound City 42.5, Nodaway Valley 36, NEN 35, Hamburg 3, and North Nodaway 2.

For the boys, Nodaway Valley had 110, Rock Port 108, Worth County 83, South Holt 37, Mound City 33, East Atchison 26.5, Albany 23, NEN 21, North Nodaway 20, and North Andrew 3.5.

The Tigers placed two in the 100 Hurdles. Kristen Tracy was third with a time of 19.51. Kambree Briner was fourth with a time of 20.05, close to a personal best. 

The 4x100 team did all they could, taking over eight tenths of a second off their time, but finished second to Albany. The Tigers and Warriors have been neck and neck in this event the whole year. The 4x200 was third with a time of 2:07.12. The 4x400 was fifth with a time of 5:18.76. 

The Tigers placed two in the Pole Vault. Sara Fletchall was tied for second with a vault of 6’7¼”. Megan Tracy was fourth with a vault of 5’11¾”. Alivia Moyer was fourth in the Triple Jump with a jump of 25’7½”. 

Kristen Tracy was sixth in the Shot Put with a throw of 26’11½”. She was second in the discus with a throw of 69’11”. Worth County may have found a new thrower, as she tried it out for the first time the meet before in Stanberry. She improved on her Stanberry throw by 10 feet.

For the boys, Bo Collins won the 100 with a time of 12.25 for his first win. Collins’ second win was in the 200, which he won with a time of 25.07. Wesley Brown got a personal best in the 800 with a time of 3:33.95. He has taken over 20 seconds off his time since the start of the year.

Cole Ruby won the 100 Hurdles with a time of 17.78. Dylan Smith was fourth with a time of 19.86. 

The 4x100 team was third with a time of 53.64. That time was a personal best. The 4x200 team was fifth with a time of 1:55.86. They were searching for consistency all year, but got a personal best, beating their old time by two seconds. 

Hayden Sanders was third in the Pole Vault with a height of 8 feet. That was close to a personal best. Dylan Smith was second in the Triple Jump with a jump of 31’10¾”. Caleb New was sixth with a jump of 30’1¾”. 

Bo Collins picked up his third victory in the Shot Put, where he ran away with the event with a throw of 43’7½”. That was seven feet better than the second place finisher. Collins then won the Discus, where he threw for 148’9¾”. That set a new meet record at Rock Port, beating a 19 year old record by 11 feet. Ethan Lininger was third with a season best throw of 109’11¾”. 

NEN

For the girls, Rylee Scadden was fifth in the 100 with a time of 15.49. Scadden got a personal best in the 400 with a time of 1:13.81. Sadie Hall got another personal best with a time of 1:17.84. The Bluejays placed two in the 800. Brianna Meyer was fifth with a time of 3:01.07, a personal best. Bristol Hicks was sixth with a time of 3:03.73, also a personal best. Severia Hall was fifth in the 1600 with a time of 6:50.18. That was a personal best by 24 seconds. 

Sadie Hall got a personal best in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 22.52. 

The 4x100 team knocked almost four seconds off their time and finished sixth with a time of 1:02.83. The 4x400 was sixth with a time of 5:25.62. 

Blair Nelson got Northeast Nodaway’s first event win all year as she won the High Jump with a personal best height of 4’7”; she showed that she is coming for Baylie Busby, Taryn Farnan, and Michelle Schulte in that event. Bristol Hicks was fifth with a height of 4’3¼. Baylie has been helping Nelson and Hicks out a lot in the high jump pit in practice, and it is starting to pay off. 

Blair Nelson could not quite make lightning in a bottle strike twice as she was a close second in the Long Jump with a personal best time of 13’6¼”. She has been tantalizingly close in the Long Jump to taking first all year. The irony of it is that her mother, Tera (Pride) Nelson, had a coach who swore she couldn’t jump and placed a piece of paper on the floor and had her try to jump higher than it to prove it. Georgia Taylor got a personal best with a jump of 10’8¾”.

Brianna Meyer was third in the Shot Put with a throw of 30’5¼”. That was a personal best by three feet; the Bluejays may have just found a new thrower. 

For the boys, the Bluejays placed two in the 100. Reece Gray was fifth with a time of 13.22, while Jude Archer was sixth with a time of 13.34. Gray was sixth in the 200 with a time of 27.24, close to a personal best. Archer was third in the 400 with a time of 1:01.16, a personal best. He has taken three seconds off his time since the start of the season. The Bluejays placed two in the 1600. Lance Runde was fifth with a time of 6:02.95 and Liam Cordell was sixth with a time of 6:05.18. Runde’s time was a personal best, beating his previous time by 16 seconds.

The 4x200 posted a time of 2:16.13 at the Early Bird, spent the next two meets trying to get back to that level, and finally got there, getting a personal best time of 2:16.05. The 4x400 was fifth with a time of 4:44.11.

Reece Gray was third in the Long Jump with a personal best jump of 16’7¼”. Toryn Privett got a personal best in the Discus with a throw of 68’3¾”. Fenton Ackley got a personal best with a throw of 39’11½, nine feet better than his previous mark. 

North Nodaway 

Pyper Smith got a personal best in the 800 with a time of 3:21.54, 26 seconds better than her previous time. Smith got a season best 8:18.06 in the 1600. She got a personal best in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 23.59. 

The 4x200 team placed sixth with a time of 2:16.

Mya Hansen was sixth in the High Jump with a jump of 4’1¼”. Taccoa Moyer got a personal best in the Long Jump with a jump of 9’6¼”. 

The Mustangs got two personal bests in the Triple Jump. Lily Blaine got a personal best of 24’1”, while Zoey Phillips got a personal best of 20’5”. 

For the boys, Ridge Clements was fourth with a time of 13.13.  Clements was fifth in the 200 with a personal best 27.15. He was fourth in the 400 with a time of 1:02.89. 

Robbie Forney got a personal best in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 23.39. 

Ridge Clements won again in the Long Jump with a jump of 17 feet. This was a personal best and beat his previous mark by almost 2 feet. Wyatt Emery got a personal best in the Shot Put with a throw of 16’10¾”. 

Tiger Boys Get Third Meet Victory; Win Home Meet

Worth County’s boys won their third meet Tuesday, April 18th, winning their home meet. The girls finished third.

For the girls, South Harrison had 99, East Atchison 82.5, Worth County 53, Platte Valley 46, Maysville 43, Rock Port 43, DeKalb 43, Pattonsburg 42, Gallatin 30, Albany 25, North Andrew 24, King City 18, South Holt 14, Stanberry 12, Nodaway Valley 8, Tri-County 3, East Harrison 2, North Nodaway 1, and NEN 0.5.

Worth County ran away with the boys side, coming away with 86 points. Albany had 57, Stanberry 54, North Andrew 50, Nodaway Valley 46, King City 41, East Atchison 40, South Harrison 37.75, Platte Valley 37, Maysville 37, Rock Port 34, Tri-County 25, North Nodaway 12.5, North Harrison 11.75, East Harrison 8, Gallatin 4, DeKalb 4, and NEN 2.

For the girls, Hailey Adwell was third in the 100 with a time of 13.70. Emma Spencer showed that her improvement in that event was no accident as she finished fourth with a time of 13.93. Adwell was third in the 200 with a time of 28.14. 

The 4x100 team of Hailey Adwell, Brooklyn Richardson, Rayleigh Smith, and Emma Spencer took seven tenths of a second off their time and finished second with a time of 52.84. They have improved their time by four seconds since the season began. 

Riley Ridge was third in the High Jump with a jump of 4’9”. She nearly cleared the next height, but the wind caught hold of the bar and blew it off. Eva Engel battled the wind and some tough competition, winning the Pole Vault with a height of 10 feet. Emma Spencer got a season best in the Long Jump with a jump of 14’9¼”. Riley Ridge got a personal best in the Triple Jump with a jump of 29’5½”. Katelyn Fletchall got a personal best with a jump of 25’7¾”. 

After being stuck all year just over the 31 foot mark, Kara-Jean Staton got a personal best in the Shot Put with a throw of 33’6¾”, good enough for fourth place. She was sixth in the Discus with a throw of 98’7½”. Ali Brown got a season best with a throw of 98’7”. Brown was second in the Javelin with a throw of 117’10½”. 

For the boys, Levi Cassavaugh was sixth in the 100 with a time of 12.18. Cassavaugh won the 400 with a time of 54.26. 

John Galanakis was third in the 110 Hurdles with a time of 18.70. Brayden Combs got a personal best in the prelims with a time of 20.54 and finished sixth with a time of 20.61. Lucas Frisch was fifth in the 300 Hurdles with a time of 47.72. 

The 4x100 team of Andrew Griffin, Tyler New, Lucas Frisch, and Levi Cassavaugh was second with a time of 47.59, close to a personal best. The 4x200 team of Tyler New, John Galanakis, Landon Moser, and Levi Cassavaugh was second with a time of 1:37.56, close to a personal best. The 4x400 team of Ethan Frese, Andrew Griffin, Franklynn Taute, and Lucas Frisch took almost 6½ seconds off their time and won with a time of 3:53.78. They have taken almost 20 seconds off their time since the start of the season. 

Brayden Combs was third in the Pole Vault with a height of 9 feet, close to a personal best. Wyatt Hill was fifth with a height of 7’6”. Landon Moser was third in the Long Jump with a jump of 19’2¾”, close to a personal best. Moser got a personal best in the Triple Jump with a jump of 37’10¼”, good enough for fourth place. Andrew Griffin got another personal best in the Triple Jump, getting a jump of 37’7¼”, good enough for fifth place.

Jase Latham won the Shot Put, getting a season best and coming close to a personal best with a throw of 48’¾”. Elias Alarcon was fifth in the Discus with a season best throw of 114’11½”. Latham got a season best with a throw of 107’7”. Tyler New was second in the Javelin with a throw of 142’7”. 

NEN

Sasha Deardorff got a personal best in the 800, taking two seconds off her time and getting a time of 3:00.75. Baylie Busby continued to hover near her state qualifying mark from last year, tying for sixth with a jump of 4’7”. Deardorff has continued her trend of steady improvement in the Long Jump, getting her third straight personal best of 12’1¾”. Dalanie Auffert got a personal best in the Shot Put with a throw of 29’4¼”. She got a season best in the Discus with a throw of 78’10½”. 

For the boys, Kenneth Schieber got a season best in the 800 with a time of 2:33.79. He finished fifth in the 3200 and knocked 19 seconds off his time, getting a time of 12:21.15. Kyler Scadden got a personal best in the Long Jump with a jump of 14’1¾”. Kyler Scadden got a personal best in the Javelin with a throw of 113’6½”, 18 feet better than his previous best.

CORRECTION – Kenneth Schieber’s time at the Early Bird in the 800 was 2:34.47. That makes his performance at the Tiger Relays of 2:33.79 a season best. 

North Nodaway

Andrea Jenkins got a personal best, knocking a second off her time in the 800 and finishing sixth with a time of 2:58.43. Casey Wray took almost a minute off her time in the 3200 and finished with a time of 16:32.69. 

The boys got a pair of personal bests in the 400. Owen Martin was fifth with a personal best of 57.16. It was the fifth straight time in the 400 that he has improved his time. Aydan Blackford took 1.3 seconds off his time and got a time of 1:02.40. Jeremiah Vinzant got a personal best in the 1600 with a time of 6:33.12. That was almost 12 seconds better than his previous best time. 

The 4x400 team of Aydan Blackford, Mason Casner, Damon Carroll, and Owen Martin was fifth with a time of 4:09.59. The 4x800 team of Landon Parman, Jordan DeLeon, Gannon Volner, and Jeremiah Vinzant was fourth with a time of 11:34.11. 

The Mustangs placed two in the High Jump. Owen Martin and Jordan DeLeon tied for fourth with a jump of 5’3”.  Mason Casner was sixth in the Long Jump with a jump of 18’1¼”. 

North Harrison

Erika Gerken continued her steady improvement in the 100 Hurdles. She finished with a time of 19.26, almost six tenths of a second better than her previous mark. Lily Shovick got a season best in the Discus with a throw of 78’6½”. 

For the boys, Tyson Gibson tied for fourth in the High Jump with a height of 5’3”. Gibson won the Triple Jump with a jump of 42’5½”. 

Lenny Campbell Sworn Into Grant City Council Wednesday

Lenny Campbell was sworn in as the new Grant City Councilman Wednesday at the regular meeting. On April 4th, nobody filed for the seat being vacated by Tyler Steele. Lenny Campbell was appointed by the council to replace him. Returning councilman Kevin Kobbe was sworn in, as was returning mayor Debbie Roach. The council hired Farrah Richey as the new clerk, and she administered the oath of office to Roach before Roach administered it to both councilmen.

George Hulet and Levi Dunbar of PeopleService came to the meeting to introduce themselves and talk about the work they were doing at Middlefork ensuring water quality. 

Randy Meek attended the meeting to say that he will not be hosting a music concert on July 4th. Events on city property have to be insured, and Mr. Meek said the quote he got was $500 for event insurance. The city’s liability covers the day to day operation of the city, but not events “out of the norm.” For instance, Mayor Debbie Roach said that a small event with 5 people would not be, but one with 200 people would be. Cruzin’ Cafe, which sets up on the northwest corner of the square regularly, is licensed and insured. “This is a liability issue, so we have to do our due diligence,” said councilwoman Catherine Runde. “I’m just trying to perform a public service,” said Mr. Meek. 

City Administrator Meggan Brown reported she had acquired easements for the sewer mains. The city will send a lead survey out with the city bill. 

Mayor Roach reported that a citizen had approached her about basketballs bouncing into the street at the Pool Park and kids running into the street after them. Runde will look into possibly two poles and netting.

Tire pickup will be May 6th from 8 am to 10 am. Cost is $1 per tire with a limit of 10. Only passenger tires without rims will be accepted. People can drop them off at the county barn on the day of the pickup.

Public Works Director Carl Staton reported that the city is in the process of seeking to build a new shelter house at the Pool Park. It would be in addition to the current one. It would be located on top of the west end of the park, where the parking lot in front of the pool used to be. Currently, there are situations where 2-3 families are trying to share one shelter house. The city got two bids for materials.

The council voted to purchase three loads of cold mix to patch potholes on the streets with.

Mr. Staton and Ryan Fletchall met with Brian Babcock of the Missouri Department of Transportation to mark water lines and discuss the Gentry bridge. The bridge was closed and will be bid out and replaced.

The council voted to purchase 100 gas meters for a cost of $19,000; however, if there are additional cost savings from purchasing 240, the council voted to direct Mr. Staton to purchase 240. Mr. Staton reported that he has had to replace four gas meters just since December. 

The council voted to purchase a new line locator from Hillas. The current locator can only last one block and is aging; new locators can locate lines as much as six blocks. 

The city will bid out chip sealing. City crews have been mowing and making a list of street signs that need repaired. 

The council agreed to close the alley where Front and 10th Street meet. Larry Kinsella owns both properties on either side.

The council decided to install 2” meters where the current 2” meters are.

North Harrison School Board Raises Teacher Pay by $2,000

At its regular board meeting Tuesday, April 18th, the North Harrison School Board swore in members Matt Graham, John Lueken, and Joe Bond. Officers elected were Jeremy Rinehart (President), Billy Briggs (Vice-President), Matt Graham (Treasurer), and Lisa Gibson (Secretary).

The board voted to continue the football cooperative agreement with Pattonsburg.

The board voted to contribute $535 per eligible employee per month towards health insurance or health savings account deposits beginning with the July 1st premium. The board voted to increase the base pay for teachers by $2,000, which is a 6.6% increase for certified staff.

As of April 1st, the checking account had $1,324,725.52, which was $35,367.53 more than last year. The money market account had $234,224.42, which was $653.22 more than last year. The CD had $146,822.60, which was $328.35 more than last year. The Woollums Scholarship account had $17,622.84, which was $458.99 less than last year.

Worth County 3rd Quarter Elementary Honor Rolls

HIGH HONOR ROLL

4th Grade – Tatum Allee, Kaeslyn Briner, Kinley Fletchall, Emmett Frisch, Renae Gladstone, Gabbey Maudlin, Jace Mullock, Luca Sagel.

5th Grade – Kaydence Downing, Jane Hawk.

REGULAR HONOR ROLL

4th Grade – Mitchell Baca, Mason Gray, Max Hiatt, Paul Hoff, Mason Moser, Aria Oberhauser, Alexis Snead, Audra Spainhower, Madison Strawhacker, David Wideman.

5th Grade – Hudson Cameron, Emma Coleman, Heather Deardorff, Jarrett Gilland, Cole Hardy, Jakob Herbert, Weston Hill, Paige Hubbard, Nataleigh Moser, Catelynn Moyer, Clayton Oberhauser, Lane Pickering, Jaydon Roush, Brecklyn Rush, Hadley Rush, Brooklyn Smith, Gunnar Smith.

6th Grade – Bella Blankenship, Jordan Dannar, Tucker Fletchall, Camden Gray, Brock Healy, Brooke Monticue, Kennedy Murphy, Kynlee Steele, Gracie Thurman.

Worth County School Board Reorganizes, Hires Jeshua Blaine as Science and Social Studies Teacher, Assigns Extra Duty Tasks

The Worth County School Board reorganized Thursday at their regular meeting. Amber Monticue, Adam Downing, and Michael Mullock were sworn in for another term and the officers remained the same. Tish Warner was elected President, Amber Monticue Vice President, Abby Hern Board Secretary, and Amanda Gilland Treasurer. 

Jeshua Blaine was offered employment as a new Science and Social Studies teacher for the upcoming school year.

The board assigned extra duty positions as follows:

Senior High Athletics – Head Football, Jon Adwell; Assistant Football, Les New and Cree Beverlin; Head Girls Basketball, Tiffany Bliley; Assistant Girls Basketball, Ashton Lewis; Head Boys Basketball, Les New; Assistant Boys Basketball, Mason Hawk; Head Girls Track, Janice Borey; Head Boys Track, Cree Beverlin; Assistant Track, Josh Smith; Head Softball, Tiffany Bliley; Assistant Softball, Ashley Briner; Girls Golf, Janice Borey; Football Cheer & Pep Club, Abby Hern. Boys Golf and Basketball Cheer & Pep Club are vacant.

Junior High Athletics – Head Football, Dan Collins; Assistant Football, Chris Healy; Head Girls Basketball, Ashton Lewis; Head Boys Basketball, April Healy; Head Softball, Cody Green; Assistant Softball, Darin Drury and Paul Tracy; Girls Track, April Healy; Boys Track, Josh Smith; Cheer & Pep Club, Ayrica Fletchall.

All high school varsity coaches and their assistants will also direct summer camps in their respective sports.

School Clubs, Organizations, and other Extra Duties – Activities Director, Cree Beverlin; Special Ed Director, Amber Hawk; Special Ed. LEA, Chuck Borey; Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, and Band Camp, Caleb Smith; Scholar Bowl, Merry Spiers; Adult Farm Instructor, Reese Zollman; Yearbook, Merry Spiers; Musical Drama, Nanci Drury; Assistant Drama, Darin Drury; Concessions, Selina O’Connor; FBLA, April Healy; FCCLA, Rebecca New; FFA, Reese Zollman; Flags, Megan Cassavaugh; Junior Class Sponsors, Rebecca New, Sarah Smith, and Julia Wideman; Field Prep, Jeannie Fletcher; Student Council, Karen Andrews.

The board authorized the school to pursue CTE grants from the State Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. The school is pursuing a $20,900 grant for the agriculture and business departments for instructional equipment, supplies, and software. It is a reimbursement grant and if approved, the school will be reimbursed $14,700 by the state. The state awards these grants to courses that are identified with high-demand occupations.

The school will offer summer school for elementary that is open to all students that will be enrolled in K-6 at Worth County during the upcoming school year or who attended Worth County at the completion of the current year. It will run from May 22nd to June 9th from 8:15 am to 12:30 pm on Mondays through Fridays, with no school on May 30th. Signup must be completed by May 5th. 

The school will also offer credit recovery for resident students from grades 7-12. It will run from 8:15 am to 3:05 pm on Monday through Friday from May 18th to June 1st, with no school on May 29th. 

The state is offering a grant to support summer school for this summer. Reimbursement is subject to appropriation. Free breakfast and lunch will be offered to students in attendance. Transportation options will be made available after summer school signup is completed.

The school is also pursuing a grant from the Department of Health and Senior Services which will allow the school to test its water system for lead contamination if approved. This program, known as the WIIN grant, assists schools in low-income areas in testing their water systems for lead.

The school will offer Career Ladder to its teachers for the upcoming school year for activities performed outside the classroom. It will be $1,500 for Stage I and $3,000 for Stage II. This pay will be in addition to the normal pay for teachers at Worth County. Teachers who have completed two years in public schools and have met certain other requirements will be eligible for Stage I, while teachers who have completed three years will be eligible for Stage II. Eligible activities can include such things as tutoring or mentoring students, assisting students with postsecondary education preparation, receiving training outside of that offered by the school, mentoring other teachers, or any other activity that is aligned with the District School Improvement Plan, Curriculum Development Plan, Professional Development Plan, or Missouri School Improvement Plan, or instructional improvement.

Elementary Principal Chuck Borey reported that participation rates for parent-teacher conferences were at least 90%. There were only four office referrals for the third quarter. The Kindergarten and 4th graders were the Tiger Token winners for March. Heart Hero activities wrapped up. Students who raised over $25 got to participate in Cosmic Bowling. The top five got to slime local law enforcement officers. 

The 2023-24 Kindergarten parent meeting was a success on April 12th, with 85% in attendance. There are 26 expected to sign up for Kindergarten, meaning that enrollment is expected to increase with a small class graduating. Screenings took place on April 14th, with 100% attendance. Grandparents Day will be May 11th. Elementary Track & Field Day will be May 12th.

High School Principal Jon Adwell reported on the Community Cleanup Day held on April 18th. Mr. Smith and Mrs. Overholtzer, Ms. Bliley, and Mrs. Spiers walked the streets of Grant City cleaning up trash. Mr. Smith took a group to prepare the track for Tiger Relays. Mrs. New and Mrs. Smith took a group to help prepare food. Mrs. Wideman took a group to do school landscaping. Mr. Zollman and Mr. Green took a group to Sheridan to clean up. Ms. Maschino and Mrs. Coleman took a group to Allendale to clean up streets, the park, and the Community Hall. A group went to Denver to pick up sticks and trash around the Schoolhouse and park and Denver Rocks. Mr. Hutchcraft took a group to Worth to clean up trash. Mr. Beverlin and Mr. Blaine took a group to the golf course and Pool Park to pick up sticks. Mrs. Andrews took a group to the Fairgrounds to do scraping and painting.

FFA officers for the 2023-24 school year were named. They will be Brylee Rush (President), Rylee Ruckman (Vice-President), Abbi Brown (Secretary), Autumn Cousatte (Treasurer), Bridgette Hightshoe and Brylea Paxson (Reporter), Carter Chapman (Sentinel), and Eva Engel (Chaplain). 

The Greenhouse group will be selling plants, flowers, and hanging baskets along with birdhouses made by the FFA.

Testing will start on April 24th and run through May 8th. The FCCLA will hold their blood drive May 3rd.

Curriculum Director Josh Smith gave snapshots of what students were learning in different grades:

Kindergarten English/Language Arts: Develop phonemic awareness in the reading process by blending spoken phonemes to form one syllable words. Students worked in small groups and played super speller, a game where the students roll the dice and move that many spaces on the board. Whichever picture they land on they must spell the word out loud for the group to write.

1st Grade Math:  Draw conclusions from object graphs, picture graphs, T-charts and tallies. Students completed an M&M graph, with data represented by colors and amounts of M&M’s. Students also completed pictographs and bar graphs with this data, noting differences and drawing conclusions from the graphs.

7th Grade English/Language Arts: Draw conclusions, infer, and analyze by citing several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as make inferences drawn from the text. Students are currently reading the novel THE GIVER and completing paired work on novel study packets over specific chapters. The Giver is a 1993 novel written by Lois Lowry set in a society which at first appears to be utopian, but is revealed to be dystopian as the story progresses. The society has taken away pain and strife by converting to “Sameness,” which has eradicated emotional depth. There is no color, climate, terrain, or true sense of equality.

High School English: Review, revise, and edit writing with consideration for the task, purpose, and audience. Introduce the topic, maintain a clear focus throughout the text, and provide a conclusion that follows from the text. Achieve the writer's purpose and demonstrate an awareness of the audience by making choices regarding organization and content. Students are finishing up a research paper unit with modeling how to "proofread" and peer review papers. They are moving beyond small edits such as punctuation and spelling to dig deeper and really think about what they are reading. Students will get to take turns practicing this peer editing before completing their final drafts.

High School Web Design: Select and develop content, plan an organized layout, and select appropriate navigational structure for a website. Students are building a website for the Worth County Education Foundation. They have a lot of information they have to figure out how to present and make it so that the foundation can easily update in the future.

Superintendent Chris Healy presented the financial picture. All figures are through March 2023. Local revenue (includes Proposition C money) is $1,569,448, up around $136,000 from last year. Revenue from county sources is $297,147, up around $46,000. State Minimum Guarantee money is at $885,547, up around $1,000. Transportation money is at $125,621, up around $80,000 from last year. Classroom trust money is at $88,172, down around $1,000 from last year. CTE Base and Performance money is at $1,899, down around $15,500 from last year. Small School Grant money is at $79,927, down around $2,000 from last year. Total revenue from all sources without restricted fund 1 money is $3,580,557, up around $405,000 from last year. 

Expenses through March were up $231,943 from last year. The increase in revenue is from federal revenue that was received in July 2022, transportation revenue, the state minimum teacher salary grant, and an increase in Proposition C revenue. The school purchased a new bus in March. The school did not make a bond payment in 2023, which made a $100,000 difference in expenditures. The balance from the Capital Projects Fund was $586,171.

Preliminary work on the 2023-2024 budget has been done. The budget assumes a worst-case scenario with a deficit of around $300,000. The beginning fund balance for Fund 1, the Operating Fund, is forecasted to be at $1,608,752. Revenues are projected to be $1,885,012, expenses at $1,686,973, with an ending balance of $1,806,791. The budget assumes a $303,298 transfer to the Teacher Fund and a $199,445 transfer to Fund 4, the Capital Improvement Fund. The balance for Fund 1 at the start of the 2024-2025 school year is projected to be $1,304,048 while the Capital Improvement Fund is projected to be $728,705. This is a draft budget and will be subject to change before the board approves it. 

Frequently, the school has done worst-case scenario budgets over the past several years, and then has seen the projected deficit come out much smaller or in the black.

The school received one bid from Ronnie Bain of Gentry to do elementary exterior metal painting for this summer as well as the bus barn roof and side walls. The total bid price is $16,500. The board voted to accept the bid.

The board received two bids for supplies to do the ag building walls and constructing a new elementary office. Worth County Lumber bid $3,627.32 while Sutherlands bid $3,245.29. The board voted to award the bid to Worth County Lumber, since they were local. The school will provide the labor for the project.

The school is removing the boiler heater that was used to heat the shops and installing new heaters. The windows in both shops will be replaced with materials that provide more insulation. The school has a large first grade class for next year as well as a large incoming Kindergarten class, so they will turn the current Parents as Teachers room into a first grade classroom. The school will construct a new Parents as Teachers room in the corner of the activity center. District maintenance staff will provide the labor.

The board approved pay scales for the 2023-24 school year for certified, non-certified, extra duty, and administrators. There is an average 3.4% increase to certified and extra duty, 3.8% to non-certified, and 3.1% to administrative. Salary schedules are contingent on continued legislative approval of the Minimum Salary Grant, which raises minimum teacher pay to $38,000 a year.

Obituary -- Marilyn Jones 1928-2023

Marilyn Kathleen Jones, 94, Bethany, MO passed away Monday, April 17, 2023, at an Albany, MO hospital.

She was born on September 21, 1928, in Eagleville, Missouri the daughter of Leonard and Mabel (Ballew) Hale.

On June 21, 1953, she married Robert Donley Jones. He preceded her in death on February 20, 2018.

Marilyn was a schoolteacher and a member of the Missouri State Teacher’s Association, Eagleville Christian Church, past member of the Order of Eastern Star, and belonged to an Eagleville Sorority.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents and an infant son, Roger Kent Jones.

Marilyn is survived by her daughter, Jana (Bob) Price, Bethany, MO; grandchildren, Kristen Oesch (fiancé, Allan Cook) and Brennen (Leslie) Price; great grandchildren, Riley, Macey, Mason, Chase, and Ava and a brother, Robert Eugene Hale.

Marilyn has been cremated under the direction of Roberson Funeral Home, Bethany, MO.

The family will hold a Memorial Service at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 22 at Prairie Chapel Church, East of Bethany, MO. Private family inurnment will be held at a later date in Masonic Cemetery, Eagleville, MO. Memorials may be made to the Bethany Public Library and/or Eagleville Masonic Cemetery for upkeep in care of Roberson Funeral Home, P.O. Box 46, Bethany, MO 64424. 

Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com

Obituary -- Phyllis Westlake 1935-2023

 Phyllis Maxine Westlake, 87, Bethany, MO passed away Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at a Grant City, MO nursing home.

She was born on August 12, 1935, the second daughter of Everett and Mildred (Clevenger) Smith in Harrison County, Missouri.

Phyllis attended Martinsville R-VI school and graduated in the class of 1953. She married Clarence Dierenfeldt on September 6, 1953. To this union three sons were born, Gene, Russ, and Rick. She worked at Old American Insurance and Albany Regional Center while the boys were in school.

On May 25, 1975, she married Owen Lawson and relocated to Jefferson, Iowa. This union blessed Phyllis with four daughters, Pam, Debbie, Cindy, and Marilyn. Phyllis worked at AMF Athletic for several years. She was a loving caregiver to Owen as his health declined and fondly recalled their happy years together. Owen passed away January 11, 1989.

On October 12, 1991, Phyllis married Richard Westlake and relocated to California for several years. They returned to Missouri to assist in caring for Mildred. Phyllis worked at Harrison County Community Hospital in the front office until the age of 75. She was a caregiver to Richard following his stroke until his death January 1, 2020.

The past year Phyllis was a resident of Worth County Convalescent Center where she became a favorite of many of the staff. Isaiah was the adopted grandson of Phyllis, she enjoyed him so much.

Phyllis loved the Lord and studied the word of God daily, trusting always in His plan for her. She was a member of the Allendale Baptist Church and loved hearing the messages delivered.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Owen; brother, Ronald Smith; husband Richard; sister, Joyce Beeks, and son, Russ Dierenfeldt.

Phyllis is survived by her sons, Gene (Shanda) Dierenfeldt, Bethany, MO and Rick (Jane) Dierenfeldt, Grant City, MO; sisters, Janice (Larry) Groves, Bethany, MO, Marilyn (Jerry) Smith, Bethany, MO, Janet Hestand, Platte City, MO, Ronoka (Kelly) Eaton, Kansas City, MO, Sherry (Jim) LeRette, Bethany, MO, and Rita (Brooks) Wright, West Newbury, MA; sister-in-law, Ilene Smith, Bethany, MO; daughter-in-law, Shelley Dierenfeldt, Roy UT; and a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

The one greatest wish Phyllis had was for you to know the Lord and accept the gift of salvation.

The family wishes to acknowledge and extend sincere appreciation to Worth County Convalescent Center and Three Rivers Hospice for the exceptional care of their loved one.

Funeral Services were held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, April 20 at Roberson Funeral Home, Bethany, MO. Burial followed in Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, MO. The family received friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Three Rivers Hospice in care of Roberson Funeral Home, P.O. Box 46, Bethany, MO 64424. Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com

Obituary -- Penny Sheley 1944-2023

Funeral Services for Penny Sheley were held Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 10:30 AM at the Hopkins Christian Church. Interment followed at Hopkins Cemetery. Memorials may be directed towards the family to be established in her honor. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.cummingsfamilyfuneralhome.com under Obituaries.

Penelope "Penny" Raye Sheley, 78, passed away April 8, 2023. Penny was born in Iowa City, Iowa on December 31, 1944 to Jim and Betty Winget. She was raised by her Grandma, Maude Kreps, in rural Sheridan and in Hopkins, Missouri. She attended all of her school years in Hopkins.

Penny recently told of her most fond memory when she had the entire family over for dinner at her home in Lenox. In 1959, she met a dashing military man, Paul Lewis. Her first thought was that he was the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on. They fell in love almost immediately after he asked her to "scoop the loop" that evening. They united in marriage August 4, 1961. They had 4 children together, Jeannie, Paula, Lena and Paul Jr. (Jack.) Their home was a farm on JJ west of rural Hopkins until Paul lost his battle with leukemia in August of 1974. A few years later, Penny met and fell in love with Ed Sheley of Bedford, Iowa. They were married on December 20, 1980. Their family merged and she gained 2 step-sons, Rick and Randy. To this marriage, Vickie and Jesse were born. They all lived in rural Bedford until Ed's untimely passing of a massive heart attack in July of 1985.

Over the years you could find Penny enjoying a lot of outdoor activities and you'd almost never see her without at least a carload of kids! She loved camping, farming, fishing, gardening and enjoyed several trips to the Adams County Speedway with special friend, Ermal Parrot. She loved going to the casinos with her girls. Her Aunt Alice Cross and sister Donna Riley were often with her on these trips. One time they even got Luke Ramsey to fire up his party bus to take them. Lots of memories were made and they all heckled Luke for taking home the highest winnings that day. In January of 2023, she made her bucket list trip with Jesse, Abbee, and Cindy to Las Vegas. Not only did she get to pull some handles on machines, she also took in the Al Capone museum, something she said she didn't even think would be fun but she loved it. There weren't many times the last several years that you wouldn't see Penny without her dog Buddy, that little dog went everywhere she went.

If you knew Penny at all, you know that you were aware of where you stood with her. She was a no B.S. kind of person. She'd tell ya...."I'm going to tell you what I think and you may not like it but here it is." This world needs more of that.

She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, two husbands, and two sisters, Donna Riley and Nancy Savage. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Jeannie Casteel of Lenox, Iowa, Paula (Tom) Borland of Lenox, Iowa, Lena (Hank) Larson of Bedford, Iowa, Jack (Jessica) Lewis of Bedford, Iowa Vickie Sheley (JL) of Johnston, Nebraska, Jesse (Abbee) Sheley of Lenox, Iowa, Rick (Marla) Sheley of Bedford, Iowa and Randy (Jan) Sheley of Bedford, Iowa, along with several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one brother, Terry Winget.

Obituary -- Scott Dalton 1960-2023

Funeral Services for Scott Dalton, 62, of Bedford, Iowa who passed away April 16, 2023, were held at 2 PM Thursday, April 20, 2023 at the Bedford United Christian Presbyterian Church.  Visitation was held Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at Cummings Family Funeral Home from 4-7 PM with family present from 5-7 PM.  Interment was at Hopkins Cemetery. Memorials may be directed towards the family to be established in Scott's honor.  

Scott Francis Dalton was born on July 30, 1960 in Maryville, Missouri to Don and Rosalie Dalton. He grew up on the family farm south of town. This is where his love for farming began. He drove his first tractor at the age of 5 years old and enjoyed lots of time playing “farm” in the dirt with his brother and best friend, Mark.

Scott attended Bedford Community School. One of the highlights of his teenage years was going on a camping trip to Colorado with three other friends on their motorcycles. While in high school he had a passion for football. He earned All Conference Tackle and had the chance to play college football at Simpson College, but after graduating in 1979 he instead chose his first love and to follow the path of farming.

In the Spring of 1979, he started farming on his own by renting two farms, one of which was his grandparents in Hopkins, Missouri. This is where his bond grew stronger with his Grandpa Ringold, who was the person who he looked up to and always admired. While working with Dalton Land and Livestock, alongside his parents Don and Rosalie, he also started his own livestock operation at this time. Scott was in charge of the row crops and machinery maintenance.

Scott was married in 1980 and to this union, they were blessed with four daughters, Melissa, Debbie, Christina and Erica. Scott was a true family man, a learned trait from his parents. He never missed one of their activities, whether it was ball games, dance recitals, or any other event. And always took a week off for a family vacation. Although he worked everyday, he never hesitated to take the girls with him, whether it was walking the beans, vaccinating pigs, checking cows, or cleaning bulldozer tracks. Scott was often asked if he ever wished for a boy and his answer every time was, “I was meant to be a girl dad”. There was never any doubt that his four girls were his world. Scott never left a conversation without reminding them of how proud he was of them and how much he loved them.

It was always a dream of Scott’s to pursue a career in bulldozing, so in the late 90’s, he ventured out on his own to start his own bulldozer business known as Dalton Construction. “If you love what you do, then you’ll never work a day in your life” and “Sun up to sundown” were famous words you might hear dad say when it came to working. He was very proud of the business he had built and took pride in every job that he completed. Scott’s favorite thing about his jobs were that he could take a piece of ground and make it a work of art. He was able to leave his mark on the ground that will last forever. Scott worked on the dozer up until the day his body was physically unable, even working through accommodations made by good friend, Gary Kelley.

In 2004, Scott was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. For 19 years he never lost hope for the chance of getting better. A special night that Scott talked about was the benefit that was held to help him seek a new treatment option. The support of the community, from friends, family and customers made him feel very honored. Scott was always willing to try any food, medicine, or trial that might slow down the progression or help him gain a little bit back. The MS changed Scott’s life, but throughout all of the challenges, he stayed positive and always had a smile. Scott was a very selfless man. He always said that he was just so thankful that it was him that had to fight this disease and not his girls or his grandkids.

Scott and his family were always appreciative of the loving care they received and the relationships they built with the staff at Bedford Specialty Care over the last 11 years.

In 2007, Cal the first grandchild was born. After that came 11 more; Jay-Cee, Quentin, Elle, Jersey, Lyla, Crewe, Journey, Ruby, Emrey, Dalton, and Oakley. Scott was very proud of his 12 grandkids and they were not only his pride and joy, but they were 12 more reasons to keep fighting.

Not only did Scott make a mark on this Earth through his dozer work, but he has left his mark in the hearts of many. It is without a doubt that Scott has left his legacy of strength, positivity, hope, wisdom, good work ethic, perseverance, endurance, selflessness, generosity and having a heart of gold.

Scott was preceded in death by his grandparents Paul and Oma Dalton, Harold and Marjorie Ringold.

Scott is survived by parents, Don and Rosalie Dalton of Bedford; daughters Melissa Peterman (Tanner) of Bedford, Iowa; Debbie Edwards (Corey) of Carthage, New York; Christina Orsagh (Billy Bob) of Eastland, Texas; Erica Dalton (Brian Stamps) of Bedford, Iowa; brother Mark Dalton (Lisa) of Bedford, Iowa; sister Cindy Spencer (Todd) of Bedford, Iowa; and twelve grandchildren, Cal, Elle and Crewe Peterman, Quentin Dalton, Jay-Cee, Jersey, Journey, Emrey, and Oakley Edwards, Lyla, Ruby and Dalton Scott Orsagh and many nieces and nephews.

Missouri House Eliminates All Library Funding; Senate Seeks to Restore It

BY ALLIE FEINBERG

Missouri News Network

The Senate Appropriations Committee diverged from its House counterparts by reallocating just over $4.5 million to public libraries Wednesday.

The allocation comes from a recommendation from Gov. Mike Parson, whose proposed budget allocated $4.5 million before the House of Representatives recommended a budget of $0.

Rep. Cody Smith, R-Carthage, has proposed the defunding of public libraries as a consequence of state and school libraries’ efforts to sue the state against a law banning sexually explicit materials.

However, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, and his colleagues said they knew that reallocating library funds was important to their constituents.

“It was a priority of the committee to restore, (based on) comments that I heard from folks back home,” Hough said.

Their constituents told them that libraries served a greater purpose than just housing books.

“In some communities, they’re career centers. They’re access to high-speed internet,” he said. “I think the committee did the right thing and put that money back in.”

The Missouri Library Association reflected this in a statement: “State aid helps libraries provide relevant collections, literacy-based programming and technology resources to their communities.”

This reversal comes after Missouri libraries have already been preparing for the worst.

“I hear a lot of anxiety and worry from all of the librarians that are a part of our association,” Otter Bowman, president of the Missouri Library Association, said in previous Missourian reporting. “This is a scary time to be trying to manage everything in libraries.”

Maintaining funding for mental health services was also on the minds of the committee.

“(We’ve) seen an ongoing and continuing commitment to mental health funding, to suicide prevention funding. (There’s) commitment from the Senate Appropriations Committee to do as much as we can in those spaces and help people that are asking for our services,” Hough said.

The committee was also generous to the Department of Social Services, including adding funding for the TANF Summer Jobs program, the Youth Build Works program and the Mokan Institute, which provides job readiness training.

Notably, the budget also includes $1.5 million to be allocated to the Merchandising Practices Revolving Fund for the Attorney General. This funding could go toward the prosecution of health care providers under Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s emergency regulation.

After the Appropriations Committee is finished, the budget will head to the Senate floor to be debated before returning to the House, where any differences will be worked out.

North Nodaway Third Quarter Awards

Perfect Attendance for Third Quarter – Eliza Clements, Luke Clements, Hayden Marriott, Draven Rader, Savannah Rucker, Pyper Smith, Blaine Clements, Lacy Riley, Owen Martin, Brice Trimble, Ellaina Renfro, Danielle Riedel.

Perfect Attendance, First through Third Quarter – Luke Clements, Savanna Rucker, Lacy Riley, Danielle Riedel.

Gold Honor Roll (3.9-4.0 GPA) – Sarah Chesnut, Ellaina Renfro, Danielle Riedel, Riley Volner, Aydan Blackford, Saryn Brown, Lauren Herndon, Andrea Jenkins, Angeline Parker, Morgan Pope, Gabryelle Harper, Olivia Renfro, Addalea Barcus, Lacy Riley, Casey Wray, Jackie Wray, Tequilla Miller, Ridge Harger, Halie Young, Laney Turner.

Silver Honor Roll (3.5-3.89 GPA) – Darron Bix, Jacquelyn Cline, Damian Dailey, Jeremiah Dobbins, Braya McGinness, Andrew Phillips, Ryver Wolf, Andrew Wray, Sarah Wray, Preston Hansen, Madison Leach, Brice Trimble, Sydney Whipple, Owen Martin, Katelyn Parman, Amy Richards, Lakota Rucker, Sadee Clapp, Blaine Clements, Jordan DeLeon, Emily Keho, Draven Rowland, Lily Blaine, Wyatt Emery, Mya Hansen, Keith Riedel, Nevaeh Rowland, Abriana Straughn, Weston Alexander, Trynzlee Ebrecht, Taccoa Moyer, Draven Rader, Lena Richards, Savannah Rucker, Pyper Smith, Ava Stump, Eliza Clements, Luke Clements, Jenayaeh Howard, Conner Pearson, Zoey Phillips.

Bronze Honor Roll (3.2-3.49 GPA) – Kade Emery, Samantha Morrow, Daryn Berg, Ethan Fry, Tayden Halvin, Lucardia Hendricks, Nevaeh Smith, Alanis Wray, Kaeden Nave, Landon Parman, Cannon Volner, Trevin Wyllie, Gavin Cruz, Ty Moyer, Brendyn Harper, Jackson Keho, Marek Stevens, Thomas Stringer.

High School Achievement Award – Jacquelyn Cline.

High School Leadership Award – Ellaina Renfro.

High School Citizenship Award – Lacy Riley.

High School Student of the Quarter – Andrew Wray.

Middle School Achievement – Draven Rader.

Middle School Leadership – Weston Alexander.

Middle School Student of the Quarter – Zoey Phillips.

Middle School Mustang Award – Pyper Smith. 

Ten Tigers Go to State in FBLA; Drew Welch Qualifies for Nationals in Atlanta

The Worth County FBLA Chapter attended the State Leadership Conference in Springfield, MO April 16-18th.  The chapter had 10 students qualify for state in 8 different events.  The chapter left bright and early Sunday morning for the Public Service Announcement team to perform in prelims later that afternoon.  The team of freshmen: Brayden Combs, Lucas Frisch, and Andrew Griffin created a 30 second video over the dangers of screen addiction and then presented to a panel of judges their video along with the planning and design process of creating the video.  Later that night the chapter attended Opening Ceremonies after catching a few rolls at Lambert’s Café.

Performing the following day were teams that had advanced to finals based on their prejudged submissions.  The E-Business team, consisting of seniors; Drew Welch, Ali Brown, and Taylor Sanders presented their website over a rental property here in Worth County.  They first had to build a website and then presented to judges on the creation of the site.  The team barely missed advancing to nationals by placing 5th at state. 

Another team performance was the team of Ethan Frese, Tucker Owens, and Lincoln Wake who created a video that was prejudged.  They created a hype video for football and published it on YouTube.  They advanced to finals to present to the judges on the equipment, technology, and process behind the creation of their video.  They placed 8th in the state overall.  

The PSA team presented again in the final round but did not make the top 10 in the state.

Lincoln Wake placed 5th at state overall in the Word Processing production test, 1 place shy of advancing to nationals.  Lincoln took a timed hour test where he had to produce business documents with proper formatting.  He also took an objective test over the terms and concepts of Word Processing. 

Drew Welch qualified for National FBLA in the production test of Database Design and Applications.  Drew had 1 hour to create, populate, and query a database for a mock company.  Then Drew had to take a 1-hour objective test over database terms.   Drew advances to nationals in Atlanta, Georgia in late June.

Qualifying at state but not placing was Hailey Adwell in Website Design, Tucker Owens in UX Design, Ethan Frese in Computer Problem Solving.

In addition to attending the conference, members had a little time at Bass Pro Shop, the mall, and managed to break out of an Escape Room with 25 minutes to spare.  The Worth County Chapter of FBLA will wrap up their year with officer interviews and pre-selling of Colorado Peaches for their fundraiser in August. 

Spring Turkey and Mushroom Hunting

Brandon Lyddon, Conservation Agent

The regular Spring Turkey Season is open from April 17 through May 7. For turkey hunting regulations and safety tips refer to the spring turkey regulation booklet, which is at MDC regional offices, permit vendors, and on the MDC website at www.mdc.mo.gov.  

The months of April and May in Missouri are prime time for hunting the most popular morel mushroom. The peak hunting period varies with soil moisture, temperature, and sunlight. 

Where to look for morels is the big question and serious hunters will all have their own tried-and-true methods. Some of the more accepted advice is to look around dead or alive elm, ash, apple, and other types of trees. Many serious mushroom hunters have those “top secret” spots they go to year after year. It can be fun and more successful to have a mental list of favorite spots to check each spring, instead of wandering aimlessly.

To learn more about mushroom hunting, eating and preparing mushrooms, and how to identify poisonous mushrooms go to www.mdc.mo.gov.  Mushroom hunting for personal use is allowed on conservation areas. 

Missouri House Bill That Would Have Required GMO or mRNA Labeling Killed

 A bill that would have required labeling of any product treated with mRNA was defeated in committee in the Missouri House. The bill, HB 1169, would have required that any product that acts as, or exposed to processes that could have resulted in the product acting as a gene therapy, introduce genetic material, or a genetic change into the user of the product be labeled with the words, “Potential Gene Therapy Product.” If a product was known to be a gene therapy product, the product would have had to be labeled with the words, “Gene Therapy Product.”

Upon written request, any entity that produces, sells, or distributes a product with the capacity to infect an individual with a disease or expose an individual to certain genetically modified material would have had to provide all information by which people could be exposed. Any entity which makes a product available that could infect, transmit to, or be absorbed in a way that would act as a medical intervention, vaccine, drug, or genetic modification would have had to obtain fully informed consent from consumers.

The bill would have covered anything from food to cosmetics.

Local legislators were split on the bill. State Rep. Mazzie Boyd, who represents Worth and Harrison counties, was listed as a co-sponsor. Rep. Jeff Farnan, who represents Nodaway and Gentry counties, who was on the committee that heard the bill, voted against it. The bill died in committee 10-4.

Pro – Tom Renz, Townhall 

Tom Renz, a Twitter influencer who also has a Substack account at tomrenz.substack.com, wrote in a Substack post on April 5th that the bill would have been the country’s best chance of stopping what he said was a nightmare scenario where “people’s genetics are potentially altered with ‘factory foods’ without them even knowing.” He argued that there were backdoor efforts underway as early as 2013 to genetically modify foods in order to become edible vaccines.

He argued that there were too many unknown effects with mRNA and no long-term studies not to safeguard the public by creating informed consent. 

Mr. Renz noted that the bill did not ban anything. “All it does is require labeling of products that can alter your genetics, require companies share info on transmissibility of gene altering interventions, and that fully informed consent be given for any vaccine, gene therapy, or medical intervention. So why are the RINOs in Missouri, lead by the Democrats and Republican House Speaker Dean Plocher are trying to slow-walk this bill through committee to prevent it from being approved this session,” he wrote.

Kimberly Fletcher, writing in Townhall, a conservative website on April 14th, said that given what she saw as the failure of COVID-19 vaccine mandates that Big Pharma was using the food supply as a backdoor effort to distribute mRNA vaccines. Pointing out that many large organizations were lobbying against HB 1169, she wrote, “If these substances were not going into our food supply, why are the lobbyists pitching a fit? The level of outrage among agricultural associations and professional lobbyist groups suggests that this is a very big deal.”

Con – By the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association

In a major win for Missouri farmers and ranchers, the Missouri House Committee on Emerging Issues voted down H.B. 1169, sponsored by Rep. Holly Jones (R-88), on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. According to the Missouri Cattlemen's Association, the legislation would have devalued Missouri cattle by requiring all beef derived from Missouri cattle to include labels regarding what vaccines the cattle received throughout the animal's life. The legislation would have applied to Missouri cattle only.

"This was the most poorly drafted piece of legislation I have seen in my career," said MCA Executive Vice President Mike Deering. "If passed, this careless piece of legislation would have devalued Missouri agricultural commodities for absolutely no reason. Given that 98 percent of the calves in Missouri are exported to other states for finishing and processing, this legislation truly would have been a train wreck for Missouri cattle producers. The out-of-state attorney pushing this legislation showed complete disregard for the farm and ranch families in this state."

The legislation went far beyond vaccines in livestock. It also targeted genetically modified corn and soybeans. According to the Missouri Soybean Association, meat derived from livestock fed corn or soybeans would have been required to be labeled as "potential gene therapy," which is contrary to science. The legislation included no definitions on gene therapy and would have exposed farmers and ranchers to an onslaught of litigation.

In addition to MCA and the Missouri Soybean Association, the legislation was also opposed by Missouri Corn Growers Association; Missouri Pork Producers; Missouri Farm Bureau; Missouri Chamber of Commerce; and more.

"This anti-science legislation would have exponentially driven up food prices, set up the potential for massive lawsuits and had a chilling effect on economic development in the state," according to a letter penned by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce.

The legislation failed with a 10-4 bipartisan vote effectively ending any hope for the legislation in 2023. The legislators who stood with Missouri farmers and ranchers were Reps. Dane Diehl (R-125); Ashley Aune (D-14); Jeff Farnan (R-1); Sherri Gallick (R-62); Mike Haffner (R-55); Dave Hinman (R-103); Josh Hurlbert (R-8); Jamie Johnson (D-12); Doug Mann (D-50); and David Tyson Smith (D-46). The legislation was supported by the bill sponsor, Reps. Bishop Davidson; Bill Hardwick (R-121) and Adam Schnelting (R-69).

Courthouse News for April 19th, 2023

On April 10th, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department reported that a loaded Peterbilt semi driven by Arthur Cagney (50) of Sioux Falls (SD) was southbound on 169 and attempted to turn west on J23. He lost control and entered the south ditch and overturned. Cagney was charged with Careless Driving.

On April 11th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Bradley Mabary (40) of Albany alleging Burglary (Felony) and Assault. Bond was set at $5,000, cash or corporate surety. 

On April 11th, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Lindsay Hall (41) of Decatur City (IA) and Jerald Ogg (59) of Osceola (IA) on 3 counts of Theft (Felony), Burglary (Felony), and Possession of Burglary Tools. Bond was set at $27,000, cash only.

On April 12th, Raheen DuBose (38) of Fort Myers (FL) was arrested in Gentry County on an Out of State Felony Warrant.

On April 13th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by David Alexander (49) of St. Joseph was northbound on Route 169 in King City at around 6 am when he traveled off the east side, struck a utility pole, and struck a tree, partially ejecting the driver through the windshield. Alexander was seriously injured and taken to Mosaic in St. Joseph.

On April 13th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Roxanna Snyder (20) of Hamburg (IA) alleging Assault (Felony). Bond was set at $10,000, with the defendant to be released on their own recognizance.

On April 13th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Molly Ueligger (29) of Maryville alleging Stealing (Felony). Bond was set at $500, cash only.

On April 13th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Cierra Robles (20) of Nebraska City alleging Assault (Felony). Bond was set at $10,000, with the defendant to be released on their own recognizance.

On April 13th, Mitchell Jazbec (43) of Omaha was arrested in Nodaway County on a felony warrant from the State of Nebraska.

On April 13th, Nodaway County Assistant Prosecutor Amy Cloud filed charges against Leah Powers (41) of Maryville alleging Domestic Assault.

On April 13th, Nodaway County Assistant Prosecutor Amy Cloud filed charges against Billy Stephenson (42) of Maryville alleging Domestic Assault.

On April 13th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Ryan Ancell (20) of Macon alleging DWI, Careless & Imprudent Driving, Failure to Register, Failure to Place Stopped Vehicle on Right Side of Highway, Failure to Stop, No Valid Motorcycle License, No Helmet, and No Headlights.

On April 13th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Brian Testerman (47) of Platte City alleging Driving While Revoked (Felony).

On April 13th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Jared Dilts (21) of Council Bluffs alleging Stealing (Felony). Bond was set at $10,000 with defendant given leave to post 10% cash.

On April 13th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Garrett Dozier (21) of Maryville alleging Interference with Custody and Hindering Prosecution.

On April 14th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Pacie Lee (19) of Nebraska City alleging Assault (Felony). Bond was set at $10,000, with defendant to be released on their own recognizance.

On April 14th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Lane Reidlinger (26) of Clyde alleging Leaving the Scene (Felony) and No Insurance. Bond was set at $10,000, with defendant to be released on their own recognizance.

On April 14th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Marco Villeda-Martinez (41) of Glendale Heights (IL) in Harrison County on charges of DWI, Speeding (93 mph), and Failure to Drive on Right Half of Roadway.

On April 14th, a Grant City resident reported getting emails from a scammer impersonating a former Worth County superintendent asking them to, “Look at these pictures I thought you’d enjoy,” three times a week.

On April 14th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Joshua Green (37) of Bedford alleging Failure to Register as Sex Offender (Felony), Failure to Register, Driving While Revoked, and No Insurance. Bond was denied.

On April 15th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Harold Miller (69) of Madison (WI) in Harrison County alleging Possession of Crack Cocaine (Felony) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Charges were filed the next day. Bond was set at $20,000, cash only.

On April 15th at around 4:22 am, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department reported that there was a single vehicle accident on P64 south of Ellston. There were no injuries. The vehicle received disabling damages and had to be towed away. Subsequently, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Olivia West (20) of Kellerton on a charge of DWI. Bond was set at $1,000. 

On April 15th at around 5 pm, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 2005 Chevy Silverado driven by Rachel Galloway (18) of Kansas City was southbound on Route 71 one mile south of Clearmont. The Silverado ran off the east side of the road and struck multiple embankments before coming to rest in a corn field. She and a 17 year old passenger were injured and taken to Mosaic in Maryville. 

On April 16th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Tayton Berendes (21) of Bethany in Harrison County on a DeKalb County Warrant (Burglary). 

On April 16th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Joshua Hoffman (33) of Irving (TX) alleging Domestic Assault (Felony). Bond was set at $20,000, cash only.

On April 16th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Anthony Cilli (28) of Kansas City in Harrison County on a charge of No Plates, a Daviess County Warrant for Failure to Appear (No Valid License, Speeding), and a Platte County Warrant for Failure to Appear (2 Traffic Violations).

On April 17th, Radio Iowa reported that human remains found in Southwest Iowa last month at a remote location near Hamburg near the Missouri River were identified as Salvador Fonseca (30) of Springfield, who had gone missing in February 2022.  On March 6th, 2022, a Chevy Spark was found abandoned on I-29 near mile marker 7 in Iowa that was registered to Fonseca. Last month, a real estate company employee scouting the property for deer happened on the remains. 

On April 17th, the Iowa Department of Public Safety reported that at approximately 11:46 am, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department along with the Sidney, Hamburg, and Tabor ambulances were dispatched to a home in Sidney (IA), on a report of a stabbing which had occurred. One man was transported to Grape Community Hospital in Hamburg, where he was pronounced dead. Another man was life flighted to Omaha with life threatening injuries. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were no arrests. Anyone with information about the stabbing is requested to call either the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office at 712-374-2424 or the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) at 712-322-1585. The Iowa DCI says there is no current threat to the community.

On April 17th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Kenneth Cline (41) of St. Joseph in Harrison County alleging Possession of Methamphetamine (Felony), Following Too Closely, No Insurance, and No Seat Belt. Subsequently, Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges. Bond was set at $20,000, cash only.

On April 18th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Chris Wiederholt (63) of Conception Junction alleging Driving While Revoked (Felony), No Insurance, and Careless & Imprudent Driving. 

Charges listed are merely 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.