Lizzie Jeanes Named New Deputy Clerk

New Deputy Clerk Lizzie Jeanes has begun her duties after the City of Grant City hired her in April. In her first report at the May 22nd Grant City Council Meeting, she discussed new grant opportunities she has found. One is a solid waste grant that could provide picnic tables and park benches. She also found a Rural Community and Agriculture Grant from a private source, but the city did not qualify because it is for 501(c)3 organizations; she is passing it on to the Progress Organization. She asked about the protocol for code enforcement; the city directed her to send letters of violation and then refer it to the City Attorney.

The city got a complain about people parking on the sidewalk just north of the Methodist Church and people were not able to get to the church for services. The city directed her to send a letter of violation. Jeanes reported she also had a citizen complaint about stray cats. People can trap stray cats. She got a query about the empty lot the city owns north of City Hall. The city said it was open to accepting bids.

Five citizens, Carolyn Jones, Archie and Pam McCord, Ron Peterson, and Gary Owens, were in attendance to discuss a sewer issue. There were handshake deals made 3-5 decades ago that the city would take care of the sewer lines serving their homes and which runs across Owens’ property. However, easements that would grant the city access to make repairs on the lines have not been found. “We were told it was our responsibility,” said one of the citizens. Owens reported standing water issues and sewer water coming across his yard, and said that when he was digging on his property, he would regularly encounter sewer lines when digging on his property. There was a long discussion on whose responsibility it was to repair the lines in question. The city will look into finding any easements that may have been filed and figure out who is legally responsible for making repairs.

In the meantime, Mayor Debbie Roach and council members said there was nothing stopping the citizens from repairing the lines in question at their own expense, but that if the city were to do it, there were a lot more hoops that they would have to jump through.

Rachel Brown attended the meeting and reported that she was forming a prevention coalition to provide activities and events to help with drug prevention for youth and adults in Worth County. She asked if city employee Ryan Fletchall could attend their monthly meetings; the council granted permission. She asked if the city could donate space for a community garden; the council agreed to donate space at Doc Swift Park next to Dollar General. Brown received a grant to provide all the materials to start a community garden in Grant City.

There was discussion on where the city is with taking down dangerous buildings on the Square. There are five buildings that have been condemned by the council. The council agreed to focus on the State Farm building on the northeast corner of the Square and the Masonic Lodge building on the east side next to the Grant City Housing.

Ryan Fletchall reported that he has been working on the pool all month getting it up; the pool opened as scheduled on May 25th. There were some issues with the pump; the city will look into getting a new filter. Fletchall will get bids and get them back to the city for the June meeting. He reported that levels have been going down at the lagoon, but that duckweed was starting to grow there and that it was difficult to treat. The grinder pump that the council agreed to repair was being put together and should be back the week of May 27th. He reported they had to do work on the pump by the State Barn; it was not turning on. 

Carl Staton reported that the city will be installing gas at the new County Barn and for Joey Hughes’ new house. He ordered pipes and risers for the County Barn.

Tyson Troutwine reported that he had been cleaning out ditches and tubes. The city voted to order three loads of cold mix to work on potholes. Carter Chapman has begun work as a summer helper. 

The city received a citizen complaint about water running from an alley into her basement. The council will determine if the city owns the alley before moving forward.

Ryan Fletchall reported that he got a quote for the tile on the pool. To have all of them replaced, including depth parkers, would cost $32,230. 

The council voted to keep pool admission prices the same, but to raise concession stand prices.

Clerk Farrah Richey reported she spoke with Civic Plus, which offered archiving the city’s social media poses for $3,000. The council rejected it.

The council voted to donate $150 to the Worth County Progress Organization Golf Tournament, $100 to the Back to School Fair, and $125 for the Mosaic Foundation Golf Tournament.

Discussion was held on the welcome sign on the east side of Grant City, which the city says is rotting. Councilman Kevin Kobbe has been looking at options. The company which did the sign on the west side gave a quote of $3,000. The school in the past has looked into putting up a digital sign. The council voted to table the matter until the city could talk with the school and see if they were still interested. 

The council gave permission for Mount Ayr to send kids down to the pool for swimming lessons. The old pool in Mount Ayr was shut down by the state and the city is demolishing it and replacing it with a new one.

Area Courthouse, Police, and Crime Reports for May 29th, 2024

On May 20th, Brea Roark (42) of Atlantic (IA) pleaded guilty to Possession of Controlled Substance (Felony) in Nodaway County Circuit Court. She was sentenced to 5 years supervised probation by Judge Corey Herron.

On May 20th, Robert Rother (67) of Maitland pleaded guilty in Nodaway County Circuit Court to a charge of Possession of Controlled Substance (Felony). He was sentenced to 5 years supervised probation by Judge Corey Herron.

On May 21st, Bailey Hayworth (24) of Maryville pleaded guilty to a charge of Stealing in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court. She was sentenced to two years supervised probation by Judge Robert Rice and ordered to pay $2,488.42 in restitution. 

On May 21st, a tornado swept through Greenfield (IA) and Adams County (IA), doing widespread damage and killing five people. 

On May 21st, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Julie Bailey (58) of Maryville alleging Stealing. An affidavit from the Maryville Department of Public Safety alleges that the defendant, on three occasions between March 17th and April 16th, stole various items valued at a combined total of $216.01.

On May 21st, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Avery Rothwell (19) of Weston alleging Stealing. An affidavit from the Maryville Department of Public Safety alleges that the defendant, between February 12th and April 12th, stole merchandise from a local store with a combined total value of $61.41.

On May 21st, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Briley Giamalva (50) of Archie alleging DWI (Prior), Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident), and Driving While Revoked. 

On May 21st, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Ben Greeley (42) of Maryville alleging DWI (.231% Blood Alcohol Content). 

On May 21st, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Pamela Wissler (39) of Graham alleging Stealing. An affidavit from the Maryville Police Department alleges the defendant stole $38.60 worth of merchandise from the Maryville Wal-Mart between March 30th and 31st. 

On May 22nd, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested John Peters (43) of Corydon (IA) on a Ringgold County Warrant for Failure to Appear (Theft). Bond was set at $300, cash only.

On May 22nd, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Daniel Romero Garcia (24) of Cedar Creek (TX) alleging Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident), No Valid License, and No Seat Belt.

On May 22nd, the Maryville Forum reported that no new evidence was uncovered after a search and excavation at a well in Quitman related to the disappearance of Branson Perry of Skidmore back in 2001.

On May 23rd, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Jeremiah Ikenberry (18) of Diagonal on charges of Driving While Suspended and Speeding. Bond was set at $300, cash only.

On May 23rd, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Mark Wilson (55) of Ridgeway in Harrison County on a charge of No Insurance and a Harrison County Warrant (Violation of Court Order). 

On May 23rd, Heather Mitchell (40) of Macon pleaded guilty in Harrison County Circuit Court to a charge of Forgery (Felony). She was sentenced to three years in the Missouri Department of Corrections by Judge Steven Hudson.

On May 24th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Jeramy Sanders (27) of Bethany alleging No Valid License (Felony), No Insurance, No Plates, and No Seat Belt. 

On the morning of May 24th, overnight storms damaged buildings and the city sign in Guilford, the Maryville Forum reported. The National Weather Service attributed it to straight line winds.

On the afternoon of May 24th, the Worth County Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol made an arrest in front of the Grant City Apartments.

On May 24th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Suleiman Tunka (18) of St. Joseph in Harrison County on a charge of Speeding (126 mph). 

On May 24th, the Missouri Department of Revenue assessed five liens against Snakebite Tavern alleging that they owe a combined total of $120,860,90 in unpaid sales taxes, interest, additions, and penalties from 2019 to 2023.

On May 25th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage driven by Tucker Murphy (21) of Stewartsville was northbound on Route H and a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica van driven by Penny Long (62) of Maitland was westbound on Route A 4.5 miles east of Graham at around 1:42 pm.  The Patrol says the Mitsubishi failed to stop and struck the front left tire of the Pacifica. Long received minor injuries and was treated and released at the scene. The Patrol says Murphy was not insured.

On May 25th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that Korbin Fletchall (20) of Stanberry was driving a golf cart at a private residence 2.5 miles northwest of Stanberry at around 1:15 am. The Patrol says that a passenger, Greyson Jurgensmeyer (23) of Westphalia (MO) fell off and was seriously injured. He was taken to Mosaic and life flighted to Research Medical Center in Kansas City. Subsequently, the Patrol arrested Korbin Fletchall (20) of Stanberry in Gentry County on a charge of DWI. 

On May 25th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Magomed Kepkeev (41) of Wheeling (IL) in Harrison County on a Newton County Warrant (No Seat Belt). 

On May 25th, Maryville Public Safety sent the following news release about a dead infant found at Mozingo Lake:

On May 25th, 2024, at approximately 10:58 in the morning, a Maryville Mozingo Lake employee was performing routine maintenance in a remote area of the Mozingo Lake Recreation Park in Maryville, The employee discovered the body of a newly born infant, deceased, and called the Northwest Regional Communication Center. A Maryville police officer was able to respond and immediately secured the location.

This is an active investigation into the cause of death of the infant. The Maryville Police Department is asking anyone with information to please come forward and provide that information as soon as possible. Contact the Maryville Police Department at (660) 562-3209.

On May 25th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Cory Farrell (25) of Grant City in Worth County on charges of Driving While Revoked (3rd or subsequent), Failure to Yield to Emergency Vehicle, Failure to Equip Vehicle with Two Tail Lamps, and Failure to Register.

On May 25th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Donato Valeriano (40) of Grant City in Gentry County on charges of DWI and No Valid License.

On May 26th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Embele Rogatien (27) of Cactusmoore (TX) in Harrison County on charges of Speeding (26+ mph over) and Failure to Drive on Right Half of Roadway.

On May 27th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against David Bartholomew (54) of Des Moines alleging DWI (Felony), Driving While Revoked, and Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident). 

On May 27th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Niki Hancock (43) of King City alleging No Seat Belt, Failure to Register, Driving While Revoked, and No Insurance.

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. 

Lindsey Jackson Tosses No Hitter Against Albany

Northeast Nodaway’s softball team beat Albany 8-0 in a run rule shortened game after Lindsey Jackson no-hit the Warriors and struck out ten batters in five innings of work. In a sign of the Bluejays’ growth, they beat a team that had beaten them last fall. The Warriors lost Abigail Troncin, but still have pitcher Makenna Moffat, whose pitching turned around the Warriors’ season last fall after they started off 0-4.

The Bluejays made some mistakes, but they were able to play through them this time. After Bailey Busby was out trying to stretch a double into a triple in the first, Hadley DeFreece beat out a bunt single and Brianna Meyer reached on a scratch hit, beating out a bad hop to put runners on first and second. Hayley Yost was plunked and Blair Nelson walked to force in a run to make it 1-0.

Meanwhile, the Bluejays had some solid plays in the field behind Lindsey Jackson. That gave her all the confidence she needed to throw strikes when she needed to. 

Sasha Deardorff started off the Bluejay second when she worked a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Mylee Wilmes beat out a bad hop single to put runners on first and second. The infield was treacherous and both teams had to contend with the potential for bad hops, making Jackson’s no-hitter that much more impressive. Baylie Busby hit a pop fly single that landed to load the bases and then Hadley DeFreece crushed a triple over the center fielder’s head to empty the bases and make it 4-0. Brianna Meyer hit a grounder to third; she bobbled it, and that was all Hadley needed to make it home safely to make it 5-0. 

Lindsey Jackson continued to deal in the third inning, getting one batter out on a change and locating another on the outside corner to freeze another. Albany kept the Bluejays off the board in their half of the third, but Jackson got one to chase a high change, overpowered another, and fought back from 3-0 to the third batter to strike out the side in the fourth.

Baylie Busby stretched a single into a double to start the Bluejay fourth and Hadley DeFreece made it all the way to third on a dropped fly ball as Busby scored to make it 6-0. Brianna Meyer’s pop fly dropped into right field for a base hit to make it 7-0. 

Jackson got one out on a change and froze another batter for her sixth straight strikeout before the Warriors reached on a dropped pop fly with two outs. But Jackson froze the next batter to get out of the inning.

Sasha Deardorff once again started a Bluejay rally as she hit a squib down the third base line and beat it out, and she took second on a wild pitch. Mylee Wilmes beat out a carbon copy as Deardorff took third and she stole second. Sadie Hall grounded out to the pitcher, but Deardorff was able to come home and score on the pay to end the game on the run rule, which is eight in town ball.

Sheridan Alumni Makes $1,000 Donation to CBC Building Fund

The Sheridan Alumni Association voted at their annual Alumni Reunion Sunday to donate $1,000 to the Sheridan CBC Building Fund. This donation is above and beyond what they pay the CBC to host the annual event and cater the meal. The money will pay down the principal of the loan that the CBC is seeking to pay off. The Sheridan CBC is seeking donations to pay down the loan for the building. Sharon Rawlings made the motion to donate the money. 

At the motion of Chandra Hopkins, Mike Scott was reelected Alumni Association President and Janet Gladstone as secretary and treasurer. 

Attendance was much higher this year. There were 57 people who attended this year, compared to 34 last year. This includes alumni and their guests. Arvetta Terry and Larry Dowis were the oldest alumni present, from the Class of 1951. “If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have graduated at all,” said Dowis. Someone from the Class of 1943 wrote a letter. 

The closest to home was Rick Morrow, who lives just a block from where the reunion was held. There were people from as far away as Georgia and Arizona. Patrick and Grace Osmon came from Atlanta. They were guests of Larry and Joan Osmon. Joan is a member of the Class of 1971. Donna Dukes of the Class of 1954 came from Arizona.

The most popular name for women present was Linda. The most popular name for men was Steve and Larry. 

There were 15 alumni present from the 1950’s, 23 from the 1960’s, and 16 from the 1970’s. 

Tiffany Bliley Resigns as Science Teacher, Softball Coach, and Basketball Coach

The Worth County School Board, at its regular meeting Wednesday, accepted the resignation of Tiffany Bliley as high school science teacher, head softball coach, and head girls basketball coach. Bliley managed the softball team in its 8-8 tie with Northeast Nodaway during the summer portion of its schedule as usual. However, shortly afterwards, she abruptly turned in her resignation to accept a science teaching position at Jefferson, where she was originally from. The move left the school scrambling to find new coaches for the girls basketball and softball teams and a teacher for the high school science class for the upcoming year.

In other personnel actions, the board hired two paraprofessionals and named Dominique Badell the junior high cheer sponsor.

With the school moving its fences in to 200 feet and purchasing new fencing as a result of the voter approved bond issue, the board declared the current fence, approximately 415 feet of 4’ chain link fence and posts, as surplus property. The school will take bids for its sale. The buyer must remove the fence during the month of July 2024.

The board voted to approve $500 reimbursements for teachers Brittany Schlapia, Patty Lischer, Allie Rush, Leena Hightshoe, and Keely Sherer for completing a volume of LETRS training. The state will reimburse the school for these payments.

High School Principal Josh Smith reported that the freshmen won the 2023-24 classroom attendance challenge with a 96.99 attendance rate.

Elementary Principal Chuck Borey reported that there were 67 students enrolled in summer school this year.

The board voted to reimburse itself for expenditures for bond projects up to $500,000.

The board voted to continue the $500 reimbursement rate for employees who use the district provider. Insurance rates went up 3.8% for the upcoming school year. 

The school received two bids for speech language pathologist services at the school for the 2024-25 school year. Renae Luke bid $75/hour plus mileage of $75/day for a total estimate of $24,300 a year. Innovative Therapy Solutions, being run by Valerie Gray and Braxton Baker (when needed) bid $65/hour for a total estimate of $21,060 for the year. The board approved Innovative Therapy Solutions.

The board received three proposals from Superior Fence for the new fence at the ball diamond. The first proposal was for the school to do the labor for $7,942.81. The other two involved Superior Fence doing the labor. The first involved a 6’ nine gauge galvanized fence for a cost of $8,810. The second involved a 6’ nine gauge black coated fence for $10,640. The board voted to accept the bid from Superior Fence for materials and installation of the black fence for $10,640.

The board voted to finish the gym floor again. The school replaced their gym floor in the summer of 2016. They are currently having issues with the finishing bubbling and peeling up. There are spots on the floor that are currently down to bare wood. The best option for repairing and maintaining it is to sand it down to bare wood, paint, and finish it again. Ideally, this is done every 10-12 years, but the school says the problem spots will only get worse if they don’t refinish the whole floor. They tried to go a little deeper before refinishing it last summer, but it didn’t solve the problem. 

The school received five bids for the project. Luebbert Hardwood Floors bid $32,215 for the project. They would fix the floor in Fall 2024 during school. They did a site visit in April. Northwest is a reference. Lankford Enterprises, which did the original project, bid $28,470. Phillips Commercial bid $42,830. SVB Wood Floors bid $42,054. Egan Supply Company bid $32,491. They listed Nebraska University and Iowa State as references.

The board voted to award the bid to Luebbert Hardware floors. They, along with three of the other contractors, use water-based sealers. Lankford uses an oil-based sealer.

The board voted to increase teacher pay by an average increase of 5.4% for all teachers. This year, the legislature passed Senate Bill 727, which will increase the state teacher minimum pay grant from $38,000 to $40,000. This grant will impact 15 out of Worth County’s 33 teachers. Without the state grant, the schedule will revert back to the salary schedule ending in 2021-22. District expenses will increase by #35,000 for the year.

Effective 2025-26, Senate Bill 727 will raise the minimum salary for teachers to $40,000 and $46,000 for teachers with a masters degree and 10 years of experience. If there is no compression to the salary schedule, it will result in a $250,000 increase to the budget.

The board voted to increase non-certified staff by anywhere from 5% to 14% depending on how far away they were from the $38,000 base salary. The positions that are farther away from $38,000 received a larger increase. The average increase for non-certified pay is 12.4%, and the estimated cost will be $42,600.

The board voted to increase extra duty pay by 12.9% compared to the previous school year. This will add $9,650 to the budget. Salaries were calculated using a percentage of $38,000 for the calculations.

Katherine Baldwin 1943-2024

 Katherine Marie Baldwin, 80, of Hopkins, Missouri, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at Mosaic Medical Center ER in Maryville. She was surrounded by her loving family. Her departure leaves an irreplaceable void in the hearts of all who knew her.

Katherine was born on December 29, 1943, in Maryville, Missouri, to Mark and Edna Nicola Davis. She was a lifelong resident of Hopkins.

On September 23, 1961, Katherine married her high school sweetheart, Russ, sharing 62 years of unwavering love and commitment. Born and raised with an enduring commitment to education, she earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville and retired 17 years ago after a 31-year teaching career at schools in Sheridan, MO, Pickering, MO, and primarily the Bedford Community School District in Bedford, Iowa.

Kathy dedicated her life to nurturing young minds. Her passion for teaching, especially in guiding the littlest learners in kindergarten, was unparalleled. She possessed a rare gift of patience and empathy, shaping countless young lives with her warmth and wisdom.

Family was the cornerstone of Kathy’s life. Her devotion to her children and grandchildren knew no bounds. She approached motherhood and grandmotherhood with boundless love and endless support. Nothing brought her more joy than watching her loved ones thrive, whether on the sports field or in the show ring. She cherished spending time with her children and grandchildren, attending as many of their sporting and school events as she could. Katherine loved her monthly Bonco games and was an original “Bonco Babe” with her Hopkins’ friends for the last 47 years.

As a NWMSU alumni and alongside her husband, she reveled in cheering on the Bearcats, particularly relishing their triumphs on the football field and basketball court. Their shared passion for the game was a testament to their enduring bond.

In the hearts of those who knew her, Kathy will forever remain a source of inspiration and love. Though she may have left this earthly realm, her spirit will live on in the memories she created and the love she shared. May her laughter, kindness, and unwavering love continue to guide and comfort us in the days ahead.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Donnis Davis, and her sister Mildred Keiswetter.

She is survived by her husband, Russ Baldwin. She is also survived by her children, Nicki Herndon of Hopkins, Missouri, Dana (Troy) Nally of Bedford, Iowa, and Sherra (Adam) Weldon of Maryville, Missouri; her siblings, Phil Davis of Broomfield, CO, Linda McKee of Maryville, Missouri, and Doris Young of Maryville, Missouri; her grandchildren, Bethany Herndon, Kristin Herndon, Lauren Herndon, Cooper Nally, Conner Nally, Addison Weldon, Brinslee Weldon, and Harper Weldon; and several nieces and nephews.

The family received friends from 5-7:00 PM on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at the First Christian Church in Hopkins, Missouri. Funeral services were held at 10:00 AM on Friday, May 24, 2024, also at the First Christian Church, followed by burial in the Hopkins Cemetery, Hopkins, Missouri.

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

Memorials are suggested to the First Christian Church, 101 S. 5th, Hopkins, Missouri 64461.

Area Courthouse, Police, and Crime Reports for May 22nd, 2024

On May 14th, Faith Marshall (38) of Blockton failed to appear in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court on two counts of Stealing. A warrant was issued by Judge Robert Rice. Bond was set at $300, cash only.

On May 14th, Michael McCullough (46) of Kansas City pleaded guilty in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court to charges of DWI,  No Valid License, and Failure to Drive on Right Half of Roadway. He was sentenced by Judge Robert Rice to two days in jail, fined $300 plus court costs, and two years probation supervised by Private Probation Services. 

On May 14th, Robert Greenwood (49) of Bedford pleaded guilty in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court to a charge of Stealing. He was sentenced by Judge Robert Rice to two years probation supervised by Private Probation Services, restitution of $312, Prosecuting Attorney’s Fee of $75, Crime Victims Fund fee of $10, and court costs.

On May 14th, Debra Parsons (38) of Ravenwood pleaded guilty in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court to a charge of DWI. She was fined $500 plus court costs by Judge Robert Rice.

On May 14th, the FBI reported that 194 officers were feloniously killed from 2021 to 2023. This is more than any other consecutive three year period in the last 20 years. As of April 29th of this year, 19 law enforcement officers have been feloniously killed this year. The FBI will add eight names to its Wall of Honor, of officers killed in the line of duty. Seven of them died from illnesses developed after responding to the events of 9/11.

On May 15th, four Nodaway County Sheriff’s deputies were congregating in Hopkins during the afternoon. 

On May 15th, the Maryville Forum reported that law enforcement officials have begun a search near Quitman related to the case of missing Skidmore resident Branson Perry, who was last seen more than 23 years ago. The Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri State Water Patrol, and the FBI are involved.

On May 15th, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department reported that there was a Medicare scam in Harrison County targeting seniors. Calls appear to be from a 660-425 number or an 816 area code. The scammers are attempting to get their targets to switch to Medicare Advantage and get personal information. If the information is obtained, the target’s insurance can be change to benefit the scammer. Medicare will never contact you over the phone and ask for personal information. Never give out your Medicare number, date of birth, social security number, or address to someone you don’t know. If you are targeted by this scam, contact the Department of Health & Human Services at (800) 447-8477 and your local sheriff’s office.

On May 15th, Alexis Rogers (17) of Stanberry pleaded guilty to a charge of Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident) in Gentry County Associate Circuit Court. Judge Rebecca McGinley sentenced her to six months court supervised probation, 10 hours of community service to be completed with the City of Stanberry, and $115.50 court costs.

On May 15th, Jason Hibbard (47) of Lincoln (NE) pleaded guilty in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court to a charge of Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident). He was fined $60.50 plus court costs by Judge Robert Rice.

On May 15th, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department arrested Austin Bolles (33) of Mount Ayr on charges of Assault and Trespassing. Bond was set at $300, cash only.

On May 16th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Roger Porter (64) of Ridgeway alleging Sodomy (Felony). Bond was set at $200,000, cash only.

On May 16th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Michael Rutledge (19) of New Hampton alleging Child Molestation (Felony). Bond was set at $50,000, cash only.

On May 18th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 2016 GMC Acadia driven by Daniel Romero-Garcia (18) of Cedar Creek (TX) was northbound seven miles north of Eagleville on I-35 at around 2:08 pm. The vehicle traveled off the left side of the roadway, overcorrected, returned to the roadway, crossed the center, and traveled off the right side of the roadway, up an embankment, and overturned multiple times. Romero-Garcia was ejected. The vehicle continued to overturn and came to rest on its passenger side. Romero-Garcia received serious injuries and was life flighted to Truman Medical Center.

On May 20th, Wendy Baker (45) of Ridgeway pleaded guilty in Harrison County Associate Circuit Court to a charge of Resisting Arrest. She was sentenced by Judge Jay Hemenway to two years probation, court costs of $116.50, a $25 payment plan fee, and $10 to the Crime Victims’ Fund payable at $25/month starting on July 1st. Baker also pleaded guilty in Harrison County Circuit Court to a charge of Passing a Ban Check (Felony). She was sentenced to 5 years probation by Judge Steven Hudson and bond money of $1,220 was applied to the restitution and court costs.

On May 20th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Francis Bonor (56) of Eagleville alleging Tampering with a Witness (Felony). 

On May 20th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Mark Wilson (55) of Ridgeway alleging Violation of a Protection Order (Felony). 

On May 21st, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 driven by Kenneth Laytham (58) of New Hampton was northbound on 150th Avenue in Harrison County two miles east of New Hampton. The vehicle ran off the east side of the roadway and struck a tree. Laytham received minor injuries and was taken to Harrison County Hospital.

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. 

North Nodaway Honors and Awards for Fourth Quarter, 2024

GOLD HONOR ROLL

Seniors: Aydan Blackford, Saryn Brown, Angie Parker, Morgan Pope.

Sophomores: Addalea Barcus, Blaine Clements, Lacy Riley, Carlos Rohner, Casey Wray.

Freshmen: Lily Blaine, Kila Miller.

8th Grade: Laney Turner.

6th Grade: Sophee Clapp, Zoey Pearson.

SILVER HONOR ROLL

Seniors: Daryn Berg, Tayden Halvin, Preston Hansen, Lauren Herndon, Andrea Jenkins, Madison Leach, Brice Trimble, Sydney Whipple.

Juniors: Nevaeh Halvin, Owen Martin, Katelyn Parman, Olivia Renfro, Lakota Rucker.

Sophomores: Sadee Clapp, Emily Keho, Gannon Volner, Jackie Wray, Trevin Wyllie.

Freshmen: Wyatt Emery, Mya Hansen, Ridge Harger, Aiden James.

8th Grade: Weston Alexander, Draven Rader, Lena Richards, Savannah Rucker, Pyper Smith, Ava Stump.

7th Grade: Eliza Clements, Journi Farnsworth, Jackson Keho, Conner Pearson, Zoey Phillips.

6th Grade: Samuel Jenkins, Reed Martin, Cade Miller, Ava Steinman, Gannon Stricker, Chandra Wyllie.

BRONZE HONOR ROLL

Seniors: Ethan Fry.

Juniors: Mason Casner, Gabby Harper.

Sophomores: Jordan DeLeon, Landon Parman, Draven Rowland.

Freshmen: Keith Riedel.

8th Grade: Trynzlee Ebrecht, Coa Moyer, Conner Reeves.

7th Grade: Hayden Marriott.

6th Grade: Scarlett Brown, Dustie Rader, Tristen Wray.

PERFECT ATTENDANCE

Middle School (4Q): Hudson Alexander, Scarlett Brown, Eliza Clements, Trynzlee Ebrecht, Sam Jenkins, Draven Rader, Trenton Roberts, Tristen Wray.

High School (4Q): Sadee Clapp, Blaine Clements, Angie Parker, Lacy Riley, Jackie Wray.

Perfect Attendance, Whole Year: Lacy Riley.

OTHER AWARDS

High School Achievement Award: Nevaeh Smith, Jordan DeLeon, Wyatt Emery.

High School Leadership Award: Mason Casner.

High School Citizenship Award: Sadee Clapp.

High School Students of the Quarter: Carlos Rohner, Lacy Riley.

Middle School Achievement Award: Brendyn Harper.

Middle School Leadership Award: Savannah Rucker.

Middle School Citizenship Award: Tristen Wray.

Student of the Quarter: Lena Richards.

Kinley Fletchall Shuts Down Bluejays as Tigers Get Wild Win

Worth County and NEN played a wild 14 and under game Thursday, but Kinley Fletchall took over the pitching in the third inning and shut them down as the Tigers were able to push two runs across in the third for a 7-6 win. 

Rylee Scadden beat out a bunt hit to start the Bluejays off in the first. Tiger pitcher Bella Blankenship almost got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts, but a dropped fly ball allowed Scadden to score and make it 1-0.

Renae Gladstone beat out a scratch hit to start the Tiger first. Kinley Fletchall beat out a bad hop for a scratch hit and Bella Blankenship walked to load the bases. Kennedy Murphy would have beaten out a slow roller, but the Bluejays threw it away to let two Tiger runs across to make it 2-1.

Bristol Hicks singled to left to start off the Bluejays. She stole second and Addie Thummel walked. Sadie Hall reached second on an error as two Bluejays scored to give them a 3-2 lead. Rylee Scadden beat out her second infield hit of the game and Scadden and Hall took second and third on a wild pitch. Hall scored on a wild pitch as Scadden took third. Piper Gray walked and then Scadden scored on a wild pitch. Kiley Yost showed that she had really improved her speed from last year and beat out an infield hit to put runners on first and second. Paisley Norman advanced them to third with a groundout and then a third run scored on a wild pitch as Piper Gray came home to put the Bluejays up 6-2.

The first two Tigers struck out, but Renae Gladstone hit a fly ball that dropped in for a base hit and she stretched a single into a double, showing the same daredevil baserunning that her older sister, Anna Gladstone, and her namesake, Renae Miller, showed 25 years ago. Kinley Fletchall reached on a scratch hit to score Gladstone and then Brooklyn Smith crushed one so hard into right that nobody could catch up to it before she had circled the bases for a two run home run to cut the Tiger deficit to 6-5.

Kinley Fletchall pitched in the third inning and struck out three Bluejays to restore order before a pair of Bluejay errors and a double by Fletchall put the Tigers up 7-6 going into the fourth. Fletchall held the fort for another inning, getting two more strikeouts to preserve the lead.

Tiger Softball Rallies for 8-8 Tie Against Bluejays

Northeast Nodaway built a big lead against Worth County in summer softball action Thursday, but Worth County, playing with 8 players and with 7 at one point, came back to force an 8-8 tie in the 18 & under game. The Tigers were without Rayleigh Smith, Riley Ridge, and Keira Hardy (State Track).

Northeast started the scoring when Baylie Busby was hit by a pitch, took second when a pickoff throw got away, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on Hadley DeFreece’s single. But Tiger pitcher Kristen Tracy settled down and showed a newfound ability to keep people off balance by mixing up her pitches and changing speeds. She got out of the inning with two called third strikes and a defensive assist when new catcher Audrey Runde threw out DeFreece trying to steal third.

The Bluejays added to their lead in the second when Lindsey Jackson beat out shortstop Addison Gray for an infield hit and stole second and went to third on a passed ball. Sasha Deardorff walked and stole. Makenzie Pride singled to left and drove in both to make it 3-0.

Both teams sailed through the next two innings, but Worth County cut into their deficit in the fourth. Hadley DeFreece shut out the Tigers in her three innings of work, but Worth County greeted Lindsey Jackson with a single from Kristen Tracy, a steal, and another single from Addison Gray to score her. Gray stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Arenna Galanakis hit a tricky pop fly that dropped in and everybody was safe as a run scored. Northeast tagged out Braelyn Fletchall trying to come home on a wild pitch, and then Arenna Galanakis was shaken up trying to go from second to third and was tagged out as Northeast got out of the inning still up 3-2.

With Worth County down to seven players with Galanakis shaken up, Northeast took full advantage as Sadie Hall was hit by a pitch and Baylie Busby singled her to third and stole. Kristen Tracy froze DeFreece on the outside corner for the second out, but then Blair Nelson singled, Brianna Meyer doubled, and Hayley Yost flew around the bases for a home run as the Bluejays emptied the bases to take an 8-2 lead. 

But consecutive singles from Audrey Runde and Kristen Tracy and a Bluejay error loaded the bases in the Tiger fifth. Braelyn Fletchall, who posed in a fierce game face for her traveling team, backed it up with a screamer to Blair Nelson that she snagged for the first out. But Arenna Galanakis returned and reached on a bad hop single that third baseman Brianna Meyer couldn’t handle to cut the Tiger deficit to 8-4.

Down to their final chance in the sixth, Audrey Runde beat out an infield hit with one out. There followed a stretch where pitcher Lindsey Jackson got to two strikes easily enough, but couldn’t push past the third strike. With two strikes on her, Kristen Tracy hit a single and made it all the way to third on an error to score Runde and she scored on a wild pitch to cut it to 8-6. Addison Gray walked. Braelyn Fletchall hit a screamer to left field; Hayley Yost made a diving try for a shoestring catch but missed and it rolled in for a double as Gray scored to cut it to 8-7. Arenna Galanakis beat out an infield hit to third as Fletchall took third. Evalyn Gilland struck out but Galanakis stole second. Kambree Briner then reached on an error as the tying run scored before Megan Tracy struck out and the teams agreed to call it a tie.

Emma Spencer, Eva Engel Win State Track Titles, Girls Take 5th Overall; Frisch 3rd in 110 Hurdles

Worth County saw two girls get state titles as Emma Spencer won the 200 and Eva Engel won the Pole Vault Saturday. As a team, the girls finished fifth. The girls side was a two way battle between Rock Port and Pattonsburg before Rock Port pulled away at the end and ran away with the title. Worth County started off with only 9 points at the start of the day, but kept climbing the ladder, getting as high as third at one point before getting fifth.

Rock Port had 75, East Atchison 51, Pattonsburg 48, Liberal 47, Worth County 44, Albany 34, King City 28, Drexel 27, Kansas City Lutheran 24, Nodaway Valley 22, and Mound City 20.

The boys came down to the last event. Going into the 4x400, Mound City trailed Newtown-Harris and had to beat them by at least two points to secure a state title. Beating them by one would have secured a tie, while Newtown-Harris needed to finish equal to or ahead of Mound City in order to win the State Title. Mound City wound up finishing second in the 4x400 while Newtown-Harris finished seventh, ensuring the Panthers the State Title. A strong showing by a pair of brothers in the Shot Put vaulted Tina-Avalon into third place. 

Mound City had 45, Newtown-Harris 40, Tina-Avalon 33, Hermitage 32, Rich Hill 31, McAuley Catholic 30, Appleton City and Albany 29, Nodaway Valley 26, and Hayti 24. Worth County was tied for 16th with 19 points. Strong showings by Riley Blay (Nodaway Valley) and Kyle Emerson (Albany) put their respective teams in the top ten. Riley Blay won the 1600 and the 3200, while Kyle Emerson won the 100 and the 200.

For the girls, North Platte won in Class 2. East Buchanan won the Class 2 boys championship while West Platte was third. Maryville rose to third in the Class 3 boys title, but then fell out of contention.

For the girls, Brooklyn Richardson did all one could ask of her, getting a personal best in the 100 with a time of 13.02, but she was edged out in the preliminary round. But Emma Spencer got a personal best of 12.59 in the prelims to qualify and took second with a time of 12.81 in the finals. She was edged out by Josie Parks (Drexel), who graduates. Spencer will be a favorite to contend for the title next year.

Emma Spencer won the 200 for the first of two gold medals at state. She got a personal best in the prelims with a time of 25.91, knocking almost a second off her time. She then won the whole thing with a time of 26.04 in the finals. She had not even taken up the 200 until this year, but turned out to be the top 200 runner in the state. But she will face a tough test next year as six out of the seven other runners who medalled return next year. Her specialty has been the 100, but she took to her new event well. She started at the 29 second mark and knocked almost four seconds off her time during the course of the year.

The 4x100 team of Brooklyn Richardson, Keira Hardy, Eva Engel, and Emma Spencer got a personal best and finished fourth with a time of 51.83. The 4x200 team of Emma Spencer, Riley Ridge, Keira Hardy, and Brooklyn Richardson got a personal best in the prelims with a time of 1:52.01 and got sixth with a time of 1:52.67. 

Riley Ridge needed a third try to clear the 1.50 meter barrier in the High Jump and then needed a second try to clear 1.55, but then cleared 1.57 and 1.59 on her first try to secure second place. She will return, but will face a tough field as seven of the eight athletes who medalled will return as well. 

Eva Engel won the Pole Vault. She passed to 2.90 meters, which she cleared on her first try. Ava Barnes (Mound City) passed to 2.76 meters, missed her first try, but then hit her second try. Barnes nearly missed 2.97, but cleared it on her third try as Engel passed to 3.04. Engel cleared 3.04 on her first try and passed to 3.29. Barnes could not clear 3.11 while Engel cleared 3.29 on her first try, handing her the state title. Katlyn James (Stanberry) was third with a height of 2.69 meters. Engel will return next year and will be a favorite in the Pole Vault as her two nearest competitors graduate.

For the boys, Lucas Frisch got the best result for any of the boys, getting third in the 110 Hurdles with a time of 15.82. He was fifth in the 300 Hurdles with a time of 42.33. Both times were close to a personal best, and he finished as the top sophomore. In the 300 Hurdles, three athletes who finished ahead of him will graduate; he will be a favorite both events if he works at it. 

The 4x100 team of Tyler New, Lucas Frisch, Bo Collins, and Landon Moser was fourth with a time of 45.49. They got a personal best time in the prelims when they got a time of 45.35. The 4x200 team of Tyler New, Landon Moser, Bo Collins, and Lucas Frisch got a personal best in the prelims with a time of 1:33.18 and then got fifth in the finals with a time of 1:33.68. They will have some big shoes to fill as both Tyler New and Landon Moser graduate. They will be missed.

Grant McIntyre Pitches Lights Out, but Wolverines End Bluejays Season

Northeast Nodaway did all they could Wednesday night to keep their season going another game, but ran into the Maysville juggernaut and fell 5-1 to the Wolverines to end their season in wet and rainy conditions. With the Bluejays having used up Brayden Stevens Saturday, Lance Runde on Tuesday, and having used Landon Wilmes for more than 30 pitches Tuesday in relief, they turned to Grant McIntyre for Wednesday’s game. The game was moved to Missouri Western due to the rainy conditions and because Plattsburg, Tuesday’s site, was hosting district games of its own.

Maysville had used up Dillon Willis Tuesday against East Atchison, but it didn’t matter because they still had Coy Sobotka and Max Heintz available. Sobotka is their regular catcher, but they were able to move Kris Gabbard behind the plate. 

Sobotka came out breathing fire despite the rain, striking out two Bluejays. Reece Gray reached on an error when Gabbard dropped a pop fly in the first, but Grant McIntyre’s hard hit fly ball was right into the teeth of the Wolverines’ dependable outfield and it was snagged by Drake Bennett for the third out.

McIntyre got off to a rocky start, walking four Wolverine batters in the inning. Sobotka scored on a passed ball, and the other run scored on Kris Gabbard’s monster drive that was run down by Tyler New, who closed the monstrous gap in the outfield in a hurry. Similarly, several years ago, when Northeast was playing St. Joseph Christian in sectionals, Dylan Mildfeldt ran down some key drives at Northwest’s field in the Bluejays’ 10-9 win over Christian. That game featured a war of brother against brother as Cody Green was an assistant coach under Proffitt at NEN and his brother Micah was assistant at Christian.

Tyler New’s catch and a strikeout by Carson Bray limited the damage to two runs. Northeast threatened in the second after a pair of Wolverine errors with two outs, but Sobotka showed that he could always get a key strikeout when needed, getting Sawyer Thurman to chase strike three.

The Bluejays caught a break in the second inning when Parker Sollars beat out an infield hit to Brayden Stevens at short, only to get erased stealing by Landon Wilmes. But the Wolverines got a run anyway when three walks and an error let in another run to make it 3-0.

Drake Bennett ran down Tyler New’s drive in the third inning from right field, but Grant McIntyre started settling in despite the rain, getting out of the inning with no damage done. He was helped by third baseman Reece Gray, who ran down Carson Bray’s foul ball for an out.

Parker Sollars hit a shot off Grant McIntyre’s glove and went to second on a wild pitch. Northeast almost got out of the inning despite the heart of the Maysville order coming up as Coy Sobotka was called out on strikes and Max Heintz flied out. But Dillon Willis singled to right to score Bray to make it 4-0. Tyler New ran down Gavin Kennedy’s drive to prevent even more damage.

Outstanding fielding plays from the Bluejays kept them in the game in the fifth as Carter Chapman ran down Carter Harms’ pop fly, coming from his left field spot to the edge of the wall in foul territory. Later, Tyler New ran down his third ball of the night, taking extra bases away from Kris Gabbard. After Carson Bray walked, McIntyre had to give way to Camdain Frisch, but Frisch got Eli Gaiser to pop out to Lance Runde to end the inning.

In the Bluejay sixth, Tyler New singled to center and stole second. Grant McIntyre hit a drive to deep center field that would have left the yard back home at Northeast Nodaway, but Parker Sollars ran it down for a long out. The Bluejays got a run anyway when Tyler New tagged up and took third on the play and the throw got away from third baseman Carson Bray to allow New to score to cut the Bluejay deficit to 4-1.

Parker Sollars collected his third hit of the night when he singled to left; the bottom of the order has been a big key to Maysville’s success in recent years. The top of the order came up and Coy Sobotka walked. Walks lead to runs and sure enough, Max Heintz flied out to put Sollars on third. On the ensuing first and third play, Sobotka took off for second, Grant McIntyre’s pickoff throw got away from third baseman Reece Gray, and Sollars scored to make it 5-1 as Sobotka took third. 

With a runner on third and one out, Maysville had a chance to break it open, but pitcher Camdain Frisch bore down to get Dillon Willis, one of the top hitters in the area, on a drop ball and Gavin Kennedy to pop out to Jace Cameron at first to get out of the inning.

Sobotka ran out of pitches and gave way to Max Heintz in the seventh inning. The bottom of the order came through for the Bluejays as Jace Cameron got a bad hop single down the first base line and Sawyer Thurman beat out a slow roller down the third base line to put runners on first and second. But Heintz settled down and struck out the next three Bluejay batters to close out the win.

Bluejays Win Thriller Against King City to Advance to Finals

Northeast Nodaway’s baseball team, given up for dead and given a seventh seed, became the only seventh seeded team in the state to advance to a district finals when they beat King City 5-3 Wednesday night. The game was moved to Plattsburg due to field conditions at Maysville. On the other side of the state, Neosho nearly became another seventh seed to make it to a district finals after knocking off second seed Republic, but they were beat 2-1 by Nixa in the semifinals Friday.

As for coach Cody Green, he was happy with the team’s new role. “We like being the underdog,” he said. 

The Bluejays got off to a rocky start against Tri-County, only to use a combination of scratch hits, steals, and errors to knock off the second seeded team. King City was just as reluctant to see their season end and took Gilman City into 11 innings in Maysville in a game that would not end until 12:27 am before they finally got the 5-4 win.

Northeast had a chance for a big inning when Reece Gray singled and stole and Tyler New reached on an error, putting runners on first and third in the first with one out. But then on the first and third steal situation, King City threw to the pitcher, who picked off Gray and that was all that was needed to give them hope for the rest of the game. 

The artificial surface was an adjustment for both teams, as Brayden Stevens was played by the hops at shortstop, but he managed to get all three outs in the Wildkat first. Northeast had played on artificial turf before when they traveled to Mid-Buchanan. 

With one out in the King City second, Caiden Wainscott beat out an infield hit, only for catcher Grant McIntyre to throw him out stealing. In the second and third innings, Northeast loaded the bases up, but could not get the big hit to get them home. 

Once again, King City threatened with one out in the third after Carter Heinrich beat out an infield hit. Bluejay catcher Grant McIntyre tried to pick him off, only to throw it away as Heinrich, a runner with good speed, took off for second. But Camdain Frisch was on his toes and backed up the play perfectly and Heinrich was a sitting duck at second base.

In the fourth, Coy Cordonnier hit a shot to deep center field over Tyler New’s head, only to get nailed trying to go for two. That turned out to be a big item when Graham Medsker walked and Ryder Sample doubled him to third. Jacob Jensen grounded out to get the first run home and get King City up 1-0. Without the out at second, it would have been much worse. King City had three runners thrown out on the basepaths that night.

With one out in the Bluejay fifth, Grant McIntyre walked, stole second, and went to third on catcher Ryder Sample’s throwing error. King City almost got out of the inning when Camdain Frisch grounded out and McIntyre couldn’t score on the play. But then Landon Wilmes walked to keep the inning alive and King City tried the pickoff play at third again, only for pitcher Alex Jones to throw it away and for Grant McIntyre to come home. Grant was safe at the plate after the throw came in and then Landon Wilmes tried for third; King City threw the ball away again and Wilmes came home to put the Bluejays up 2-1.

Maddox Farmer walked and Jaxzen Johnston walked to start the King City fifth. Walks lead to runs and sure enough, Alex Jones singled home Farmer to tie the game up again at 2-2. But then the bottom of the order came through for Northeast as Jace Cameron caught hold of one and hit it off the wall in left for a double. Sawyer Thurman advanced him to third on a groundout and Brayden Stevens walked and stole second. This time, Northeast was wary of King City’s pickoff tactics and didn’t come too far off third. 

Once again, King City almost got out of the inning as Reece Gray popped out to the catcher, but then Tyler New, after a long battle with Jones, took a full count and shot one back up the middle for a base hit to score two. Grant McIntyre followed with a double off the right center field wall to plate New to make it 5-2. All of Northeast Nodaway’s five runs came with two outs.

But Reece Gray, who had only pitched one full game before, was tiring and walked Ryder Sample to start the King City sixth. King City was a team that did not give up easily; they had come back in the late innings against North Nodaway after falling behind to jump start their current run. Their players started going bezerk, howling and barking like dogs. Sample stole second. Jensen struck out, but a wild pitch put Sample on third and Caiden Wainscott’s groundout cut it to 5-3. Maddox Farmer walked and Gray ran out of pitches, forcing Northeast to use Landon Wilmes, since Brayden Stevens was not available. 

The din from the King City dugout grew to a fevered pace as Johnston walked, but then Carter Heinrich struck out to end the inning with the Bluejays still up 5-3.

After Heinrich robbed Carter Chapman in right and Caiden Wainscott made a sensational play at second to rob Jace Cameron of another hit to prompt chirping from the Bluejay side as they thought he was safe, the dogs in the King City dugout were howling and barking again as Cordonnier walked with one out. That brought the dangerous Graham Medsker up, but Landon Wilmes got a huge out when Grant McIntyre grabbed Medsker’s foul tip right before it hit the ground, and now it was King City’s turn to start squawking at the umpire. 

Ryder Sample singled to right center field to put Coy Cordonnier on third and stole second, putting the tying run in scoring position. Jacob Jensen hit a tricky grounder between first and second; that is one of the more tricky grounders to play as it is always tough to know whether to cover the bag and let the second baseman take the ball or for the first baseman to take it and risk an infield hit. But Jace Cameron snagged the ball and beat Jensen to the bag for the final out.

Maysville beat East Atchison 3-1 in the other semifinal game. Dillon Willis pitched a complete game for the Wolverines in the win. Both outfields took turns making great plays to keep the other team off the board. With one out in the Wolves fourth, Brody Wennihan got a solid singled to left and took second when the Maysville left fielder let the ball get by. He later came home on a botched rundown play. But Maysville woke up with three runs in the fifth starting with a leadoff walk to Kris Gabbard. Walks lead to runs, and sure enough, Gabbard stole second and Carson Bray singled him home. Drake Bennett squared up to bunt, pulled his bat back just in time, and was plunked, prompting a round of chirping from the Wolves, who contended that it should have been a strike. Parker Sollars laid down a sac bunt to move them to second and third and Coy Sobotka grounded to the pitcher. The Wolves went home with it, but Bray was safe as Bennett took third and Sobotka reached first. Max Heintz’s groundout scored Bennett to make it 3-1.

Maysville nearly added to their lead in the sixth, but East Atchison made a great play to nail Carter Harms at home plate. Harms did a flip over the catcher, to no avail.

Bill Would Protect Against Squatters

The Missouri House has passed legislation it says will protect property rights against squatters. House Bill 2062 prohibits counties, municipalities, or political subdivisions from implementing eviction bans unless permitted by state law. The bill awaits Governor Mike Parson’s signature.

It amends Missouri trespassing laws to broaden the definition to include unauthorized entry and refusal to vacate vacant properties or structures. Persons could be charged with a Class A Misdemeanor.

The legislation also establishes a mechanism for the swift removal of unlawful occupants from residential properties similar to restraining orders. It allows for the immediate removal of trespassers via ex parte court orders, followed by a full protection order hearing.

The law differentiates between squatters and lawful tenants, safeguarding the latter under the “unlawful detainer” statutes. Property owners must affirm that they have not leased the property to an unlawful occupant, with false affidavits subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

The bill also clarifies definitions of “vacant real property” and “vacant structure” and provides protections for law enforcement officers acting in good faith while enforcing trespassing laws.

Other provisions include:

–The “Protecting Missouri Small Businesses Act,” which supports businesses affected by emergency shutdowns by waiving fees, providing property tax relief, and mandating consideration of shutdown impacts.

–The Land Bank Act establishes nonprofit land banks to combat blight.

Missouri Free Fishing Days June 8th and 9th

Brandon Lyddon, Conservation Agent

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites the public to get hooked on fishing through its Free Fishing Days June 8 and 9, 2024. Each year MDC designates the weekend after the first Monday in June for permit-optional fishing. The goal of Free Fishing Days is to encourage people to sample the state's abundant fishing opportunities. During Free Fishing Days, anyone can fish in the Show-me State without having to buy a fishing permit, trout stamp or trout park daily tag.

Other regulations, such as limits on size and number of fish an angler can keep, remain in effect during Free Fishing Days. Regulations are outlined in the 2024 Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations Booklet and are available where fishing permits are sold, MDC offices, or online at www.mdc.mo.gov. Fishing permits are required for public water fishing (except on June 8 and 9, 2024), and can be purchased at vendors across Missouri, through the MDC MO Hunting permit app, or online. 

MDC has many conservation areas with lakes and ponds to fish.  You can go to www.mdc.mo.gov to find information about fishing, conservation areas, maps, regulations, etc. Popular public waters in Northwest Missouri to fish are Mozingo Lake, Harrison County Lake, Pony Express Lake, Limpp Lake, Worth County Lake, Happy Holler Lake, Paho Lake, and Smithville Lake. Many state-owned fishing areas also have special facilities for anglers with disabilities.

North Nodaway Names Extra Duty Staff for 2024-2025

The North Nodaway School Board named its extra duty staff for the 2024-25 school year at its regular meeting Wednesday. Johnny Silkett will return as the coach of the Platte Valley football cooperative. Cody Jenkins was named Athletic Director and Boys Basketball coach, Jody Thompson Girls Volleyball with Madison Thompson as her assistant, Lindsay Alexander as Junior High Volleyball Coach, Luke Hoy as Boys Basketball Assistant under Jenkins, Sami Jackson as Girls Basketball Coach with Madison Thompson as her assistant, Jess Greiman as Junior High Girls Basketball Coach, Cody Box as Junior High Boys Basketball and Varsity Baseball, Cody Jenkins as High School Track Coach, Jess Greiman as Junior High Track Coach, Nathan Schoonover as Assistant Track, Roger Johnson and Nathan Schoonover as Cross Country, McKenzie Black as Football Cheer Sponsor, Kelly Lininger as Basketball Cheer Sponsor, and Emily Higgins as Flag and Dance Sponsor.

Senior Class Sponsors will be Emily Bix, Nathan Schoonover, Bethney Pedersen, and Roger Johnson. Junior Class Sponsors will be Cody Bix and Jess Greiman. Concession Stand Manager will be Troy Nally. High School Student Council Sponsor will be Bethney Pedersen and Kristi Stricker will be student council sponsor for the Middle School. Emily Bix will sponsor the Yearbook. Tiffany Whipple will sponsor the School Paper. High School Play sponsors will be Emily Bix and Bethney Pedersen. Kyle Fitzgerald will sponsor Instrumental and Vocal Music. Troy Nally will sponsor the FFA.

Emily Bix will sponsor the Scholar Bowl teams, Cody Jenkins will be in charge of weightlifting, Nathan Schoonover will sponsor the FBLA, Emily Bix will sponsor the National Honor Society, Heather Townsend will be Special Ed Coordinator, Cameron Morrison will be District Test Coordinator, and Linda Russell will sponsor the Elementary Student Council.

The following were named to unpaid extra duty positions. Victor West, Jake Hoy, and Lori Harris will sponsor the Sophomore Class. Cindy Martin and Kyle Fitzgerald will sponsor the Freshman Class. Catherine Auffert and Cameron Morrison will sponsor the 8th grade, Stacey Meyer will sponsor the 7th grade, and Cody Jenkins will sponsor the 6th grade.

The board accepted the following teacher resignations. Michael McConkey resigned as the Middle School and High School Social Studies teacher. Brylie Goff resigned as the First Grade teacher. Jessica Hilsabeck resigned as the Fourth Grade teacher. Cari Cline resigned as the Volleyball Coach.

The board hired Addison Ogelsby as the 5th Grade teacher, Cameron Morrison as the District Counselor, Brooke McMahon as the 1st Grade teacher, Lori Harris as the Middle School Math teacher, and Traci Westfall as the Elementary Special Ed teacher.

The board approved the summer project list for 2024. Projects approved include teacher work orders, floor scrubbing and cleaning at the high school and elementary, rewaxing the high school gym floor, mowing, installing an office area and bathroom at the bus barn, installing lockers at the high school, deep clean all milk coolers, tear out and install a new elementary playground, tear out the carpet and finish the floors in the elementary cafeteria, paint rooms at the elementary and high school, install a new wood portion and take out a portion of the metal fence at the elementary playground, rekey some of the locks at the elementary and high school, enclose the door in the elementary kitchen, epoxy floors at the high schools, look at upgrading sink counters and stalls at the high school bathrooms, replace bathroom partitions at the high school, carpet high school rooms, get buses inspected, move offices for the technology coordinator, and pour concrete at the bus barn.

For the next meeting, the school board will consider bids on social studies books, carpet installation, an elementary fence, high school partitions, bus barn concrete work, floors for the stage and cafeteria, a wall over the door area at the cafeteria, student lockers, and a freezer for the elementary cafeteria.

Elementary Principal Heather Townsend reported that students completed MAP testing for the year. Field trips are done. Fourth and fifth graders went to the Remington Nature Center. Kindergarten went to Shatto Milk. First through third grade went to the Omaha Zoo. The Elementary Spring Concert was held. Fifth graders who plan to participate in sports next year completed their physicals.

Principal Roger Johnson reported that MAP and End of Course testing was done. Finals were held on May 16th and the last day of school was the 17th. The Senior Class completed its trip to Branson. 40 students attended the Nain Event in Kansas City for receiving end of year incentives. 

The school held an Academic Banquet on May 3rd. There were 36 high school students that were recognized for outstanding academic performance.

Superintendent Chris Turpin reported that Access Elevator will be coming to address a little shaking at the end of the ride of the elevator. They said it would work itself out, but Turpin asked that they come and address it. 

The stage lighting and sound has been completed in the little gym. There are some ripped places on the back curtains.

The school is seeking a grant for their current licensed counselor at the elementary. They have written with two options. The first is to fund their person for three years ($90,000), or let them be the fiscal agent and fund their school and four others for three years ($450,000). The school is also seeking a grant seeking $100,000 to help provide scholarship assistance to noncertified staff members who wish to get their teaching degree.

Rains Bring Drought Relief to Missouri

Most of Missouri has transitioned out of drought conditions for now, said University of Missouri Extension state climatologist Zack Leasor.

“The past two months have brought abundant rainfall to most of Missouri,” Leasor said. “After back-to-back drought years in 2022 and 2023, drought concerns were high in early 2024 following warm and dry conditions in February and March.”

Conditions took a turn for the better in April, he said. Statewide precipitation was 6.01 inches, 2.04 inches above the monthly average, making April 2024 the Missouri’s 15th-wettest April back to 1895, based on preliminary data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Several locations in western Missouri received just over 10 inches of rainfall during April. At the end of April, year-to-date precipitation in Missouri was 12.87 inches, 1.58 inches above average. The wet and warm pattern has continued into the first half of May.

Soil moisture recharge and improvements to streamflow have been significant, Leasor said. On April 1, 58% of the U.S. Geological Survey monitoring gauges in the state recorded at least below-normal streamflow (< 25th percentile); that number dropped to 1% as of May 15.

“Agricultural drought impacts have been absent, but the timing of rainfall early in the growing season has made planting and planning fieldwork difficult,” he said. “Groundwater has been slower to recover after several years of dry conditions, but there have been improvements since April.”

The May 14 update from the United States Drought Monitor shows that only 17.98% of Missouri is currently classified as either abnormally dry or in moderate drought; these locations are in southern and southeastern Missouri.

“This is a large improvement from just six weeks ago, when 66.55% of the state was classified as abnormally dry or drought on April 2,” said Leasor.

This active weather pattern is expected to continue through the end of May, and the Climate Prediction Center forecasts a higher probability for above-average precipitation during June.

“Even with widespread improvements in the short term, Missouri’s vulnerability to drought is still higher than usual this year based on some of the long-term dryness and above-average temperatures through the beginning 2024,” Leasor said. “Also, forecasters are monitoring a shift from El Niño to La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean. Cooler ocean temperatures during La Niña conditions have an impact on atmospheric circulation, and while there is significant uncertainty in long-range forecasts, warmer and drier summertime conditions have been observed in the central U.S. during previous La Niña events.”

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson recently continued the state’s drought alert to Sept. 1, and Missouri’s Drought Assessment Committee will continue to monitor conditions over the summer.

Samuel Ray Lyle 1940-2024

Samuel Ray Lyle, 83, of Burlington Junction, Missouri, passed from this life on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at Mosiac Life Care, St. Joseph, Missouri.

Sam was born at the old St. Francis Hospital in Maryville, Missouri, on September 15, 1940, to Raymond Harold and Edith Lillian (Jones) Lyle. They preceded him in death.  He was also preceded by his 2 sisters, Sharon Irene Brown, and Mary Ellen Lyle.

He was a lifelong resident of the area.

He graduated from Burlington High School in 1958 and had attended Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville.  Sam was a farmer all his life.

He enjoyed horses and was a member of the Saddle Club, the Hoof & Horn Saddle Club.  He was active and always helpful at the Kiwanis Tractor Pull, and helped with 4-H.  He liked to Coyote hunt, he also liked watching western movies and westerns on TV.  

On October 2, 1961, Sam was united in marriage to Joetta L. Johnson, in Bentonville, Arkansas.  She survives of the home. 

Other survivors include his son, Janford Ray Lyle, Maryville, Missouri, his daughter, Jennifer Jillinda “Jill” (David) Kranda, Ft. Worth, Texas, his brother, Roy Ed Lyle, Burlington Junction, Missouri, and 2 grandchildren, Kevin S. Kranda and Kelli M. Kranda, and several nieces. 

Funeral services will be at 11:00 AM, on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the First Christian Church, Burlington Junction, Missouri.  The burial will follow in the Ohio Cemetery, Burlington Junction, MO.  

The family will receive friends from 5-7:00 PM, on Friday, May 17, at the Bram Funeral Home, Maryville, MO.  

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the First Christian Church, Burlington Junction, 211 E. 3rd, Burlington Junction, Missouri 64428..  

Area Courthouse, Police, and Crime Reports for May 15th, 2024

On May 6th, Cameron Smith (42) of Maryville pleaded guilty to an amended charge of Stealing in Nodaway County Circuit Court. Judge Corey Herron issued a suspended jail sentence and sentenced the defendant to two years court supervised probation. The defendant must pay $698.16 in restitution, $75 PA fee, and $10 to the Crime Victim’s Fund. 

On May 8th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Calvin Vore (19) of Maryville alleging Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Felony), Resisting Arrest (Felony), Failure to Register, Failure to Signal, and Failure to Drive on Right Half of Roadway. Bond was initially denied, then changed to a $10,000 bond with the defendant to be released on his own recognizance. Judge Robert Rice subsequently recused himself and Judge Joel Miller was assigned.

On May 9th, Norman Wayne Moad (55) of St. Joseph pleaded guilty in Gentry County Circuit Court to a charge of Failure to Register as Sex Offender (3rd Offense, Felony). He was sentenced by Judge Corey Herron to 10 years imprisonment in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

On May 9th, David Kay Cole (60) of Stanberry pleaded guilty in Gentry County Circuit Court to a charge of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (Felony). A sentencing hearing will be held on June 6th.

On May 9th, Samantha Greenwell (43) of Albany pleaded guilty in Gentry County Circuit Court to charges of Burglary (Felony), Resisting Arrest, and Escape from Custody. She was given a suspended sentence and sentenced to 5 years probation by Judge Corey Herron.

On May 12th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 2004 Harley-Davidson driven by John Donlan (73) of Waverly (NE) was eastbound on Route 46 twelve miles west of Maryville when he ran off the south side and overturned. He was seriously injured and taken to Mosaic in Maryville.

On May 13th, Kevin Nible (47) failed to appear in Harrison County Associate Circuit Court on charges of Non-Support (Felony). A warrant was issued by Judge Jay Hemenway and bond was set at $1,500, cash only.

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. 

Brayden Stevens Pitches Bluejays into District Semifinals

Brayden Stevens pitched the NEN Bluejays into the District Semifinals Saturday as the Bluejays, given up for dead and seeded seventh, posted their second straight win over a team over .500 with an 8-3 win over Tri-County. 

Stevens got off to a rocky start, hitting the first three Mustang batters he faced and loading the bases. That led to two Tri-County runs crossing the plate. But he settled down and struck out 12 batters in six innings of work, overpowering the Mustang batters.

Meanwhile, the Bluejays, who had beaten Gilman City with their power hitting, used speed and aggression on the basepaths to take control of the game. They used a combination of scratch hits, errors, and stolen bases to move runners around. Coach Cody Green has preached running out plays hard with both the junior high girls and the NEN varsity boys, and it paid off in Saturday’s game.

Stevens ran out of pitches after six innings, but Reece Gray came on to pitch in the seventh and set down the Mustangs in order to close out the game.

The Bluejays were to have played King City Tuesday night. Like Northeast, King City was not reason to give up on their season and took Gilman City to 11 innings before securing the 5-4 win in a game that was not finished until 12:27 pm. The game was to have been played on Monday, but it got rained out.

Tigers Qualify Ten for State Track Meet

Ten Tigers qualified to go to state in track Saturday at the Sectional Track meet. They will compete at state this weekend.

The 97th MSHSAA Boys Track & Field Championships and the 49th Girls Championships will be held May 17th and 18th at Adkins Stadium at Jefferson City High School in Jefferson City. The Class 2 and 3 championships will be held there as well. Tickets are available at the MSHSAA website. There is a chance of rain Friday, but Saturday is forecast to be clear in Jefferson City.

For the girls, Rock Port had 91, East Atchison 60, K.C. Lutheran 59, Pattonsburg 49, Worth County 48, Santa Fe 44, Platte Valley 40, Concordia 38, Mound City 36, King City 34, Nodaway Valley 34, Albany 34, Wellington-Napoleon 34, St. Joseph Christian 27, Hardin-Central 18, Stanberry 16, Orrick 15, South Holt 12, DeKalb 12, Sweet Springs 8, Winston 8, Acaademie Lafayette 6, Norborne 5, Northwest Hughesville 5, NEN 2, and Green Ridge 1.

For the boys, Mound City had 90, Orrick 73, Worth County 57, Platte Valley 48, Concordia 47, Stanberry 43, Rock Port 41, Albany 40, Wellington-Napoleon 36, Sacred Heart 34, Nodaway Valley 33, Hardin-Central 33, Green Ridge 27, Sweet Springs 21, North Andrew 17, East Atchison 17, Otterville 11, DeKalb 10, North Nodaway 9, Academie Lafayette 9, King City 7, St. Joseph Christian 6, Pilot Grove 5, Northwest Hughesville 3, Union Star 3, Winston 3, Norborne 2, LaMonte 1, and South Holt 1.

For the boys, Lucas Frisch qualified for state in the 110 Hurdles. He was third with his second best time of the year at 16.06. Jonathon Harris (Orrick) will be tough to beat as he won with a time of 15.18. August Meadows (Mound City) was second with a time of 15.60 and Chauncey Brown (Mound City) was fourth with a time of 16.09.

The boys 4x200 team of Lucas Frisch, Landon Moser, Bo Collins, and Tyler New qualified with a third place finish of 1:33.68. They took two seconds off their time. The girls 4x200 team of Emma Spencer, Brooklyn Richardson, Keira Hardy, and Riley Ridge also qualified for state with a third place finish of 1:52.40 and took two seconds off their time. 

The girls duo of Emma Spencer and Brooklyn Richardson qualified for state in the 100, finishing third and fourth. Addison Grossenbacher (K.C. Lutheran) won with a time of 13.06 and Claire Staley (King City) was second with a time of 13.24. The girls 100 was a close race, as the second through seventh place finishers were within .18 of a second of each other. 

The boys 4x100 team of Lucas Frisch, Landon Moser, Bo Collins, and Tyler New made it through to the finals, placing third with a personal best time of 45.42. The girls 4x100  team of Emma Spencer, Brooklyn Richardson, Keira Hardy, and Rayleigh Smith made it as well, getting a second place finish of 52.10, a personal best.

Lucas Frisch took .42 of a second off his time in the 300 Hurdles and made it to state with a second place finish of 42.25, behind only August Meadows of Mound City. 

Emma Spencer qualified for state in the 200, placing fourth with a personal best time of 26.80. She has gotten better in the event every single time, knocking almost three seconds off her time.

Andrew Griffin narrowly missed out qualifying for state in the High Jump, getting fifth place with a height of 1.76 meters. He will return for two more years. He matched his second best height of the year.

Riley Ridge made it in the High Jump on the girls side, getting a second place jump of 1.54 meters. 

Eva Engel won the Pole Vault with a height of 3.17 meters. She battled difficult conditions; she was under the weather, and the event, which was supposed to start at 1:30 pm, did not start until 5:30 pm. But she pushed through with the win and will return to state.

On the boys side, Landon Moser narrowly missed out on a trip to state in the Long Jump, getting fifth with a jump of 5.87 meters. But he made it to state in the Triple Jump with a second place jump of 12.50 meters, a personal best.

Bo Collins made it to state in the Discus with a throw of 38.19 meters, good enough for fourth place.

Tyler New won the Javelin with a personal best throw of 46.72 meters, holding off Lucas Walker (Orrick) and Ean Meyer (Platte Valley).

NEN

Baylie Busby was seventh in the girls High Jump with a height of 1.38 meters. 

North Nodaway

Jordan DeLeon was fifth in the 110 Hurdles with a personal best time of 17.54. Mason Casner qualified for state in the Long Jump with a fourth place finish, matching a season best with 5.93 meters. 

Area Courthouse, Police, and Crime Reports for May 8th, 2024

On April 24th, a Harrison County jury acquitted Dustin Fortner on a Child Molestation charge and deadlocked on a Child Enticement charge.

On April 30th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Jermey Thomason (38) of Burlington Junction alleging Driving While Suspended and Possession of Methamphetamine (Felony). Bond was set at $10,000 cash or corporate surety, posted by the defendant.

On May 1st, Angela Herman (55) of St. Joseph failed to appear in Gentry County Associate Circuit Court on a charge of Driving While Revoked (Felony). A warrant was issued by Judge Rebecca McGinley. Bond was set at $1,000, cash or corporate surety. 

On May 1st, Joshua Synder (41) of Bethany pleaded guilty in Harrison County Associate Circuit Court to charges of Trespass and Peace Disturbance. He was sentenced by Judge Jay Hemenway to 14 days in jail, with credit for time served. 

On May 1st, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Brittany Slaughter (29) of Bethany alleging Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Felony). Bond was set at $35,000, with defendant given leave to post 10% cash.

On May 1st, Nicole Hyatt (42) of Maryville pleaded guilty in Gentry County Associate Circuit Court to a charge of Harassment. Judge Rebecca McGinley gave the defendant a suspended sentence and sentenced her to two years probation. Defendant must complete anger management within 60 days, have no contact with the victims, and pay $115.50 in court costs.

On May 1st, Christopher Crosthwait (57) of Kansas City (KS) pleaded guilty in Gentry County Associate Circuit Court to charges of DWI, Careless & Imprudent Driving, and Failure to Comply with Ignition Interlock Requirements. Judge Rebecca McGinley sentenced the defendant to 60 days in jail, to be served concurrently with a sentence the defendant is serving elsewhere. Defendant must pay court costs of $115.50. 

On May 1st, Mark Luke (55) of Stanberry pleaded guilty in Gentry County Associate Circuit Court to Failure to Stop and Failure to Comply with Ignition Interlock Requirements. Charges of Driving While Revoked and No Insurance were dismissed by Prosecutor Jessica Jones.  Judge Joel Miller sentenced him to 2 days in jail, 1 year supervised probation with Northwest Court Services, pay $115.50 in court costs, and $200 to the Gentry County LERF Fund. 

On May 1st, Jaslyn Hall (19) of Stanberry pleaded guilty in Gentry County Associate Circuit Court to charges of Speeding (94 mph) and Minor in Possession of Marijuana. A count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia was dismissed by Prosecutor Jessica Jones. Judge Rebecca McGinley sentenced the defendant to a fine of $330.50, court costs of $115.50, and one year probation supervised by North Missouri Court Services. Defendant must complete the Alive at 25 class within 60 days. 

On May 1st, Ruth Boe (53) of Coffey failed to appear in Harrison County Associate Circuit Court on charges of Possession of Controlled Substance (Felony), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and No Seat Belt. A warrant was issued. Bond was set at $5,000, cash only. 

On May 1st, Cody Peery (19) pleaded guilty in Gentry County Associate Circuit Court to charges of Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident) and No Seat Belt. Judge Rebecca McGinley sentenced the defendant to 6 months court supervised probation, 10 hours of community service with the City of Albany, a fine of $10, and court costs of $115.50. The defendant has already completed the Alive at 25 class.

On May 2nd, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 16 year old Grant City teen was eastbound on Route 46 & Jaguar at around 10:30 pm when a deer entered the roadway. He ran off the road, and struck a tree. He received minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

On May 2nd, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Kolten Smith (19) of Grant City alleging Failure to Drive on Right Half of Roadway, No Plates, Minor Visibly Intoxicated, and DWI. 

On May 2nd, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Pablo Narvaez (29) of Albany alleging Careless & Imprudent Driving and No Valid License. An affidavit from the Gentry County Sheriff’s Department alleges the defendant was spinning tires and doing donut holes around the City of Albany after being thrown out of Shadowfax.

On May 2nd, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Jack Buckman (23) of Albany alleging Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident) and No Insurance. An affidavit from the Gentry County Sheriff’s Department alleges the defendant stopped at a stop sign and then backed into a vehicle that had pulled up behind him. 

On May 2nd, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Jessie Davidson (20) of Liberty alleging Possession of Fake Driver’s License. 

On May 2nd, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against John Mancuso (23) of Grant City alleging DWI and Driving While Suspended. 

On May 3rd, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 2016 Honda Accord driven by Briley Giamalva (49) of Archie was northbound on Route 71 near Burlington Junction at 10:50 pm when she ran off the west side, struck a field entrance, went airborne, struck the ground, and overturned. She received moderate injuries and was taken to Mosaic. Subsequently, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested her on charges of DWI (Prior), Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident), and Driving While Revoked. 

On May 3rd, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Logan King (20) of Maryville in Nodaway County on charges of Minor Visibly Intoxicated and No Seat Belt.

On May 4th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Bryant McCord (23) of Grant City in Worth County on a charge of DWI.

On May 6th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Irina Younger (64) of Maryville in Nodaway County on charges of DWI (Prior) and Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident).

On May 6th, Wesley Parker (41) of Maryville pleaded guilty to a charge of Stealing. Judge Corey Herron sentenced the defendant to a suspended sentence and two years supervised probation with Private Probation Services. The defendant must pay $250 restitution, $75 prosecuting attorney’s fee, and $10 to the Crime Victim’s Fund.

On May 6th, the Harrison County Road & Bridge Crew reported on Facebook that bridges on West 125th Avenue and West 382nd Street have holes at the ends of them from recent storms and that travel on them was not advised.

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. 

Kenzie Milligan Installed as North Harrison FFA President

Kenzie Milligan was named new North Harrison FFA President Friday for the 2024-25 school year. Other officers were Carmon Fordyce (Vice-President), Lela Hartschen (Vice-President), Lani Briggs (Secretary), Kynsleigh Utley (Treasurer), Dustin Hamilton (Sentinel), Jaxcynn Hansel (Reporter), and Kyler Kimbrough (Chaplain). 

Officers for 2023-24 were Jaci Davis (President), Dillon Hartschen (Vice-President), Kenzie Milligan (President), Carmon Fordyce (Secretary), Lela Hartschen (Treasurer), Dustin Hamilton (Sentinel), Kynsleigh Utley (Reporter), and Andrew Craig (Parliamentarian & Chaplain).

Awarded FFA Chapter Degrees were Ethan Henson, Zane Hilburn, Kyler Kimbrough, Keygun Johnson, Brayden Nail, Morgan Nible, Natalie Parkhurst, Karsyn Ury, Aubrey Utley, Jerry Gilpatrick, Owan Roberson, and Kira Robertson.

Getting FFA Greenhand Degrees were Lani Briggs, Noah Guy, Jaxcynn Hansel, Wyatt Maize, Alonna Milligan, Tate Richardson, Rylee Valenti, and Wyatt Whitaker.

Getting State FFA Degrees were Jaci Davis, Jerry Gilpatrick, Dillon Hartschen, Keygun Johnson, and Karsyn Ury.

Getting National FFA Degrees were Cole Kampman, Kendall Kimbrough, and Trendi Johnson.

There were some scholarships handed out. Awarded the BTC Bank Scholarship was Rylee Valenti. The Wyant Family Scholarships went to Jaci Davis and Dillon Hartschen. The FFA Boosters Scholarship went to Karsyn Ury, Jaci Davis, Brayden Nail, and Dillon Hartschen. 

Among the people, businesses, and organizations given certificates of appreciation were Alex Irvin, Bill and Marie Wyant, the City of Eagleville, Verimore Bank, SOE Metals, Woods & Main, the North Harrison FFA Boosters, the North Harrison FCCLA, Principal Alan Koch, music teacher Ted Keck, Jamie Gates, Aaron Long, Lisa Gibson, Gayla Pottorff, Kara Smith, Lamoni Veterinary Clinic, and Nail Excavation.

Lani Briggs and Tate Richardson were recognized for competing in the area creed speaking contest. Two years ago, the FFA made a change allowing two students to say the creed as a team. They were given the Brittni Brenizer FFA Cree/Leadership Award.

Lela Hartschen was given the Star Chapter Farmer Award. Kenzie Milligan was given the Star Chapter Placement Award.

The Sam Skinner Memorial Award for Ag Leadership went to Jaci Davis and Alonna Milligan. The Chapter Leadership Award went to Lani Briggs, Wyatt Maize, Dustin Hamilton, Kyler Kimbrough, Kenzie Milligan, Carmon Fordyce, Jaci Davis, and Dillon Hartschen.

Various proficiency awards went to Morgan Nible, Audrey Utley, Andrew Craig, Dustin Hamilton, Lela Hartschen, Ethan Henson, Kyler Kimbrough, Kynsleigh Utley, Lani Briggs, Jaxcynn Hansel, Wyatt Maize, Alonna Milligan, Tate Richardson, Rylee Valenti, and Wyatt Whitaker.

The teams that competed in area FFA contests were recognized. The Etymology team consisted of Rylee Valenti, Alonna Milligan, Tate Richardson, and Wyatt Maize. They were 16th in Districts. Alonna Milligan was the high scorer.

The Poultry team consisted of Wyatt Whitaker, Natalie Parkhurst, and Kynsleigh Utley. They were 10th in Districts. Kynsleigh Utley was high scorer.

The Agronomy team consisted of Audrey Utley, Lela Hartschen, and Kynsleigh Utley. They qualified for state. Lela Hartschen was high scorer.

The Horses team consisted of Morgan Nible, Kyler Kimbrough, Dustin Hamilton, and Kenzie Milligan. They were 4th in Districts and 12th in State. Kenzie Milligan was high scorer.

The Livestock team consisted of Kyler Kimbrough, Owan Roberson, Jaci Davis, and Justin Hamilton. They were 6th in Districts and 44th in State. Jaci Davis was high scorer.

The Forestry team consisted of Karsyn Ury, Jerry Gilpatrick, Ethan Henson, and Andrew Craig. They were 3rd in Districts and were 28th in State. Jerry Gilpatrick was high scorer.

The Dairy Foods team was one of the pleasant surprises this year. Advisor Brandon Craig said that they had fielded one only three times since he had been at North Harrison, but that a group of kids wanted to try it. They were Jaxcynn Hansel, Kira Robertson, Lani Briggs, and Carmon Fordyce. They had never done it before, but they turned out to be really good at it and spent hundreds of dollars on food that they could practice judging. They were 3rd at Carrolton, 12th at Savannah, 4th at Districts, and 6th at State. Jaxcynn Hansel was high scorer. 

The Meats team consisted of Brayden Nail, Kenzie Milligan, and Dillon Hartschen. They were first at Districts and 18th at State.

Out of 60 different schools competing at districts, including much bigger schools, North Harrison was the winner as well as one of the smallest schools present. The current class of seniors saw the North Harrison FFA win the District Sweepstakes three times out of four years.

Top fundraisers were recognized. They were Andrew Craig, Wyatt Maize, Jaci Davis, and Kenzie Milligan. Top ticket sellers for the FFA Work Auction in October were Jaxcynn Hansel, Audrey Utley, Dustin Hamilton, Wyatt Maize, and Andrew Craig.

Ethan Henson and Dustin Hamilton were recognized for being part of the Missouri Farm Bureau Leadership Conference.

Dillon Hartschen was recognized for getting chosen to the National FFA Band last fall.

Tiger Teams Finish Third at Districts in King City

Worth County’s teams both placed third at districts in King City and qualified many to Sectionals.

For the girls, Rock Port had 105, East Atchison 85, Worth County 75, Mound City 68, St. Joseph Christian 59, Platte Valley 58, Pattonsburg 55, Albany 47, King City 40, Nodaway Valley 38, Stanberry 37, South Holt 25, Winston 10, NEN 10, North Nodaway 4, North Andrew 2, and Union Star 1.

For the boys, Mound City had 122, Rock Port 89, Worth County 86, Platte Valley 78, Stanberry 75, Albany 59, Nodaway Valley 56, East Atchison 46, North Andrew 27, Winston 25, North Nodaway 16, King City 14, Stewartsville/Osborn 13, St. Joseph Christian 10, Union Star 9, South Holt 8, NEN 2, and Pattonsburg 2.

For the girls, Emma Spencer won the 100 with a season best time of 13.27, edging out Claire Staley (King City), who had 13.29. Brooklyn Richardson was third with a time of 13.40. Brianna Biondo (South Holt), who had won some meets earlier this year, finished fourth with a time of 13.60. The top four in each event qualifies for Sectionals. The top four in each Sectional qualifies for State.

Emma Spencer was second in the 200 with a time of 27.21. 

The Tigers placed two in the 100 Hurdles. Riley Ridge was seventh with a time of 18.30. Kristen Tracy was eighth with a time of 19.25. 

The 4x100 team won an exciting race over King City with the Tigers getting a time of 52.67 and King City a time of 52.74. The 4x200 was fourth with a time of 1:54.61. 

Riley Ridge was second in the High Jump with a height of 1.55 meters. 

The Tigers placed two in the Pole Vault. Eva Engel won with a height of 3.20 meters. Becca Smith saved her best for last as she got eighth with a personal best of 2 meters. 

Katelyn Fletchall was eighth in the Triple Jump with a jump of 8.59 meters. Kara Staton was sixth in the Shot Put with a season best throw of 9.92 meters. Staton was fifth in the Discus with a personal best throw of 33.26 meters. Autumn Cousatte was sixth in the Javelin with a throw of 28.99 meters.

For the boys, Lucas Frisch got a personal best in the 100 Hurdles. In an exciting three way race between Frisch, August Meadows (Mound City), and Chauncey Brown (Mound City), Meadows won with a time of 15.46, followed by Lucas Frisch with 15.57 and Brown with 16.00. Brayden Combs also got a personal best with a time of 18.65 and a sixth place finish. 

Frisch also got a personal best in the 300 Hurdles, where he finished second to Meadows with a time of 42.67. Combs saved his best for last, finishing sixth with a personal best time of 47.55.

The 4x100 had been edged out by Albany for much of the year, but broke the 46 second barrier and got a personal best to win Saturday with a time of 45.74. The 4x200 also got a personal best and won. After having been in the 1:40’s most of the year, they peaked during their last two meets and won Saturday with a time of 1:35.78, edging out Mound City, which had a time of 1:35.97. The 4x400 was sixth with a time of 3:57.68. 

Andrew Griffin was fourth in the High Jump with a height of 1.70 meters. 

The Tigers placed two in the Pole Vault. Brayden Combs was sixth with a height of 2.90 meters. Wyatt Hill was seventh with a height of 2.90 meters, with Combs winning on tiebreaks. 

Landon Moser was third in the Long Jump with a jump of 5.82 meters. He was third in the Triple Jump with a jump of 11.73 meters. 

Bo Collins was fifth in the Shot Put with a throw of 11.52 meters. He was fourth in the Discus with a throw of 38.28 meters. Tyler New won the Javelin with a throw of 45.08 meters.

NEN

Baylie Busby was third in the High Jump, matching a season best with a height of 1.45 meters. Dalanie Auffert saved her best for last as she was seventh in the Shot Put with a throw of 9.67 meters. 

For the boys, Jude Archer was eighth with a personal best of 12.42. Kenneth Schieber got a personal best in the 3200 with a time of 12:19.04. 

North Nodaway

Lauren Herndon came tantalizingly close to qualifying in the High Jump, getting fifth with a height of 1.40 meters. 

For the boys, Carlos Rohner got a personal best in the 400 with a time of 1:12.47. Draven Rowland got a personal best in the 800 with a time of 2:52.73. Jeremiah Vinzant knocked almost 21 seconds off his time in the 1600 with a time of 6:06.86. Jordan DeLeon got a personal best in the 100 Hurdles and finished fourth with a time of 18.06. 

The Mustangs placed two in the High Jump. Mason Casner was seventh with a height of 1.60 meters. Jordan DeLeon was eighth, also with a height of 1.60 meters.

Mason Casner was second in the Long Jump with a jump of 5.93, a season best. 

Junior High Tiger Girls Fourth at Home Meet; Dalton Guy Extends School Record for Shamrocks

The Worth County Junior High girls were fourth in the Tiger Relays Thursday, while Dalton Guy extended his school record for North Harrison. The event was limited to running events only due to field conditions.

For the girls, Rock Port had 92, Stanberry 70, St. Gregory’s 42, Worth County 41, North Harrison 13, King City 12, Bedford 10, Platte Valley 10, St. Joseph Christian 10, Union Star 7, and NEN 3.

For the boys, Stanberry had 62, King City 52, Platte Valley 46, Bedford 39, Rock Port 29, St. Joseph Christian 25, North Harrison 19, St. Gregory’s 18, Worth County 12, and NEN 8.

For the girls, Brooklyn Smith saved her best for last as she got third in the 100 with a time of 13.92. Paige Chaney got a personal best by over two seconds with a time of 15.51. Laura Hansen got a personal best in the 200 with a time of 38.50. Brooklyn Smith was third in the 400 with a time of 1:09.02. Laura Hansen got a personal best with a time of 1:29.51. Audrey Runde was third in the 100 Hurdles, coming close to a personal best with a time of 18.54.

The 4x100 team of Audrey Runde, Brianna Riley, Gracie Thurman, and Megan Tracy was third with a personal best time of 58.16. The 4x200 team of Kennedy Murphy, Hadley Rush, Gracie Thurman, and Megan Tracy was sixth with a time of 2:07.66. The 4x400 was third with a time of 5:11.04. The 800 Sprint Medley team of Audrey Runde, Brianna Riley, Brooklyn Smith, and Megan Tracy won and knocked 14+ seconds off their time, getting a time of 2:11.78.

For the boys, Tucker Fletchall got a personal best in the 100 with a time of 18.77. Jordan Dannar had been hovering between 1:04 and 1:07 in the 400 all year, but saved his best for last, getting fifth with a time of 1:03.06. Brock Healy was sixth in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 18.54.

The 4x100 team of Maverick Cox, Jordan Dannar, Brock Healy, and Bentley Frisch was sixth with a time of 57.72. The 4x200 team of Maverick Cox, Mason Hiatt, Bentley Frisch, and Jordan Dannar was fifth with a time of 1:56.34. The 4x400 team of Maverick Cox, Bentley Frisch, Brock Healy, and Mason Hiatt was third, taking 21+ seconds off their time and finishing with 4:33.79. 

NEN

Holly Bennett got a personal best in the 200 with a time of 36.31. Rylee Scadden got a personal best in the 400 with a time of 1:11.86. The 4x100 team of Holly Bennett, Piper Gray, Sadie Hall, and Rylee Scadden got a personal best with a time of 1:01.78. The 4x400 team of Piper Gray, Holly Bennett, Sadie Hall, and Rylee Scadden was sixth with a personal best time of 5:26.55. The 800 Sprint Medley team of Khloe Burns, Piper Gray, Sadie Hall, and Rylee Scadden was fifth with a time of 2:19.55. 

For the boys, Wyatt Scadden got a personal best in the 100 with a time of 13.31. Jaxen Taylor got a personal best in the 200 with a time of 35.10. Wyatt Scadden got a personal best in the 400 with a time of 1:04.11. The Bluejays got two personal bests in the 1600. Gracin Runde took 20+ seconds off his time and got a time of 5:56.70. Liam Cordell took almost two seconds off his time and got a time of 6:03.41.

The 4x400 team of Gracin Runde, Xander Bodle, Wyatt Scadden, and Liam Cordell was fourth with a time of 4:55.56. The 800 Sprint Medley team of Xander Bodle, Liam Cordell, Wyatt Scadden, and Gracin Runde was fourth with a time of 2:13.07. 

North Harrison

Raegan Hogan was sixth in the 100 with a time of 14.28. Hali Smith was fourth in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 18.70. Addison Milligan got a personal best with a time of 21.23. The 4x100 team of Ava Rinehart, Raegan Hogan, Gracie Young, and Addison Milligan was fifth with a personal best time of 1:00.22. The 800 Sprint Medley team of Gracie Young, Ava Rinehart, Addison Milligan, and Hali Smith was third with a time of 2:18.31. 

For the boys, Dalton Guy saved his best for last as he got a fifth place finish of 13.14 in the 100. Ryker Fortner was sixth in the 200 with a personal best time of 29.02. Cole Hartschen got a personal best as well, getting a time of 31.44. 

The highlight of the day was Dalton Guy extending his junior high school record time in the 100 Hurdles, getting a second place finish of 17.70. 

The 800 Sprint Medley team of Jensen Davis, Cole Hartschen, Ryker Fortner, and Dalton Guy took 12+ seconds off their time and took second with a time of 2:01.50.