Obituary -- Paul Jennings 1926-2019

Paul Kenneth Jennings was born April 4th, 1926 in Bethany to Luther and Lula Jennings. He departed this life October 4th, 2019 at the Worth County Care & Rehab Center in Grant City.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, first wife Alma and infant son, 5 sisters, 3 brothers, 2 daughters, 1 granddaughter, 1 grandson, and his beloved wife of 50 years Venita.

Paul and Venita had a very unique family; they had yours, mine, and ours.

Survivors are mine (Paul’s children) Dearann Nelson, Cameron; Michele (Pat) Sharp, Gladstone; and Bruce (Vickie) Jennings, Lathrop; yours (Venita’s children) Randy (Sissy) Fletchall, Grant City; Marsha James, Boone (IA); Kevin (Jeannie) Fletchall, Grant City; and Lora Kent, Bethany; ours (Paul and Venita’s) Bonnie (Matt) Ellis, Stanberry; and Ruby (Chris) Moellenberndt, Grant City.

Paul and Venita shared 30 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.
Funeral services were Tuesday, October 8th at 11 am with visitation one hour prior to service.

Interment was in the Grant City Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home.

Tigers Turn Back Orrick in Rain-Soaked Conditions 28-6 at Northwest

Worth County turned back Orrick 28-6 in a game that lived up to its billing between ranked teams. Worth County was ranked third by the Sheridan Express, while Orrick was ranked ninth. The game was moved to Northwest due to wet field conditions. Rains in the area were forecast to let up by gametime, but shortly after the start of the game, a steady downpour started and continued through the completion of the game.

Jaxon Anderson blocked a punt for Worth County to give them a chance to score, but Orrick, which preaches stripping the ball, did so and got the ball right back.

Orrick was playing shorthanded, without Blake Buchanan, who was the heart and soul of their offense all year (concussion). Worth County forced another three and out and Alex Rinehart had a diving catch to keep a drive alive despite the rain and Andrew Alarcon ripped off carries of 15 and 6 yards down to the 5. Finally, with 6:10 left in the first quarter, Alex Rinehart got loose and into the end zone to make it 6-0.

Ethan Wilson, who was pressed into service at quarterback when Buchanan went down, guided his team into Tiger territory at the 37, but was dropped for a loss and back to back sacks from Andrew Alarcon and Jaxon Anderson forced them to punt.

Aydan Gladstone aired one out to Alex Rinehart to the 15 and Worth County threatened again, but then they repeatedly forgot to account for one-man wrecking crew Aaron Brooke, who leads Orrick with over 10 tackles a game and made a living in the Tiger backfield all night long. They gave the ball up on downs and then Wilson aired it out to Gabe McAfee for 63 yards to tie it up at 6-6 with 8:57 left in the second quarter.

Worth County drove down as far as the Bearcat 25, but then ran into one-man monster Brooke again and could go no farther. The teams exchanged turnovers before half as Alex Rinehart got a pick and returned it to the Orrick 36 to kill a drive, but Aydan Gladstone threw into traffic in the closing seconds and got it picked.

The Tigers finally got on the board again to start the second half as Alex Rinehart found rare daylight for a 14 yard option pitch and added four more before Aydan Gladstone threw a play action pass to Reed McIntyre, whose catch and run went for 41 yards and a score with 10:43 left. Aydan Gladstone ran in the extra points to make it 14-6.

The Tigers had a golden opportunity to break it open after a shanked put put them in good field position at the Bearcat 30, but once again, they forgot to account for Aaron Brooke, who dropped Gladstone for a loss and got a sack; the Tigers also shot themselves with a targeting penalty.

Orrick ripped off gains of 12 from Wilson and 12 from Blake McAfee down to the Tiger 21 and was in prime position to score. But then a blow to the head penalty wiped out one play and an illegal block wiped out another back to their own 35. It didn’t seem to matter as Wilson threw a long strike to Gabe McAfee for an apparent 45 yard score that would have made it 14-12, but as the teams were lining up for the extra point try that would have tied it, all of a sudden, one of the referees came rushing in to call a huddle. After the huddle was over, the score was wiped off, an illegal formation was called, and the ball was incorrectly spotted back to the 35, instead of the 30. It didn’t matter, as the Tigers held and Orrick was forced to punt.

Worth County ran into Aaron Brooke again and was forced to punt, and Orrick was driving again to tie  or come within two as the fourth quarter started. They aired it out to Devin Opoka for 32 yards to the Tiger 36, but a pass interference call, a pass breakup by Andrew Alarcon, and a sack by Jaxon Anderson and Jackson Runde put the ball on the Orrick 23. Jaxon Anderson got his second blocked punt of the night and the ball was spotted on the Orrick 11. This time, Worth County made the most of their chance as Alex Rinehart got a block from Jackson Runde and scored with 7:43 left in the game. Aydan Gladstone ran in the extra points to make it 22-6.

In desperation, Orrick went for it on fourth and nine at their own 34, but Wilson was flushed from the pocket and threw it away, giving the Tigers another short field to work with. This time, a keeper by Aydan Gladstone fooled everyone for 12 yards and then Alex Rinehart outran everyone for 21 yards with 4:18 left to make it 28-6.

Aydan Gladstone and Alex Rinehart each had pass breakups and Justin Dye blew up a reverse in the closing seconds.

Contract Awarded to Replace Route YY Bridge Deck

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded four contracts to replace or rehabilitate seven bridges in Northwest Missouri this week. Six of these bridges are included in Gov. Parson’s “Focus on Bridges” program passed by the Missouri General Assembly during its 2019 session. The program appropriated $50 million in state general revenue to fund 45 high-priority bridge projects throughout the state.

One of those contracts awarded was for the Route YY Bridge Deck over the Middle Fork of the Grand River between Worth and Grant City. The project was awarded to Boone Construction Company in the amount of $1,594,505.80. A date for the bridge deck replacement project to start has not been announced yet.

Obituary -- Aaron Riley 1972-2019

 Aaron Lane Riley, 46, of Hopkins, Missouri passed away on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at his home.

Aaron was born on December 11, 1972 in Maryville, Missouri to Maurice and Donna (Kreps) Riley. He was a 1991 graduate of North Nodaway High School. He was a machinist with C & M Machine and member of Xenia Lodge #50 AF & AM and the Sheridan Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Lisa Renee Willey and a nephew, Phillip William Landess.

Survivors include his daughter, Maggie Mae Riley, Omaha, Nebraska; his parents, Maurice and Donna Riley, Hopkins, Missouri; sister, Jennifer Torres, Hopkins, Missouri; three nieces, two nephews, six great-nephews and one great-niece.

Memorial Service 2 pm Wednesday, October 9th at the Wray Memorial United Methodist Church, Hopkins, Missouri. Mr. Riley has been cremated under the care of Price Funeral Home, Maryville, Missouri. Online condolences can be made to the family at www.pricefuneralhomemaryville.com.

Shamrocks Send Off Seniors With 49th Straight Conference Win

North Harrison got its 49th straight conference win and its seventh straight HDC conference title Thursday, beating Winston 11-0 to claim the conference title. The current team has not lost since a 4-3 loss to Pattonsburg in 2012. “I remember that game well,” said Coach Brandon Craig a couple of years ago when we talked about their current streak. “Haley Craig was a freshman, we were tied 3-3, and I gave her a no steal sign.” But Haley took off for second and was thrown out, and Pattonsburg got the 4-3 win. North Harrison fell to 1-4 for the year, but they turned that season around, crushing the Panthers in their next two meetings, winning districts, and going 16-10 for the year. That was the last time Haley missed a sign, and ever since then, the team has bought into Craig’s motto of attitude, effort, and fundamentals.

On Thursday night, the Shamrocks sent off five seniors, Ashlynn Gilpatrick, Kaylee Hilburn, Kenna Slaughter, Kylie Pottorff, and Hunter Stevens, all of whom started and were recognized after the win. Their favorite memories were going to state in 2017, the bus ride down, and talking about life in the hotel with current and former players late into the night.  Least favorite memories included wondering how many games they were going to run after a bad game. One player’s advice to the younger players was, “Don’t make Craig mad.”

Also recognized were golf athletes Sara Clawson and exchange student Guliza Kyzy.
Madison Beatty beat out a slow roller down the first base line to start the game for Winston, but pitcher Ashlynn Gilpatrick got out of the inning with two called third strikes and a groundout.
North Harrison’s first five batters reached safely as Carly Rinehart shot a single down the right field line, Emma Craig shot a single off the pitcher’s glove, Rainey Fordyce and Ashlynn Gilpatrick singled up the middle, and Kami Gibson singled to right center. Hunter Stevens and Kenna Slaughter grounded out to bring in two runs, and when the dust had settled, the Shamrocks were up 5-0.
Gilpatrick only allowed the one hit and one ball to leave the infield, a flyout to center fielder Rainey Fordyce in the second. With two outs, an errant pickoff throw got away from first baseman Hunter Stevens, but she recovered to get the red shirt out at second as Kami Gibson got the tag down.
With two outs, Rainey Fordyce got her second hit, a double down the right field line. Ashlynn Gilpatrick singled to left to bring her in, and Kami Gibson’s single got away from the center fielder for another run to make it 7-0.

In the third, Kylie Pottorff singled to center and went to second and third on wild pitches. She scored on Carly Rinehart’s infield hit to make it 8-0.

Rainey Fordyce got her third hit in the fourth, hitting a gap double to right center field. Ashlynn Gilpatrick hit a slow roller down the third base line and beat it out to put runners on first and third. For some reason, Winston had their outfielders playing in, and Kami Gibson took full advantage, crushing a triple to the wall in left center, bringing in both runs. Hunter Stevens popped out, but Kenna Slaughter grounded out to bring in a run. Kylie Pottorff had the highlight of the night, crushing a double off the center field wall that just missed leaving the yard.

Courthouse News for October 2nd, 2019

On September 14th, a Martinsville man got up early in the morning to cook pork and left his home for a short time after 4 am. When he returned, someone had stolen a whole shoulder of pork from his cooler.

On September 25th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Denny Wiley (65) of Worth in Worth County alleging Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident) and DWI (Felony).

On September 25, 2019, at about 8:00 AM, Nodaway County Deputies and K-9 Bolt responded to assist Maryville Police who had given chase to a male suspected of stealing. Some of the suspect’s clothing was found discarded as the male ran and eluded officers. K-9 Bolt picked up the suspect’s scent and tracked his scent to an apartment located in about the 300 block of East South Avenue in Maryville. The suspect was found in the apartment, hiding in a closet under clothing. The suspect is currently in custody and criminal charges are pending.

On September 25th, Harrison County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer filed charges against Ethan McVey (19) of Bethany alleging Tampering with a Witness (Felony). This is in addition to charges that were filed on September 20th.

On September 25th, Worth County Prosecutor Janet Wake Larison filed charges against Roy Kelly (50) of West Monroe (LA) alleging Speeding.

On September 25th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Carole Burton (35) of Stanberry alleging Property Damage.

On September 26th, Worth County Prosecutor Janet Wake Larison filed charges against Maria Fairchild (43) of Worth alleging Passing a Bad Check.

On September 26th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice filed charges against Dayton Hunter-Clay (21) of Topeka (KS) alleging two counts Stealing (Felony) and Resisting Arrest (Felony). Bond was set at $40,000, Cash or Corporate Surety.

On September 27th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Tony Bennett (27) of Cainsville in Harrison County on a Felony Warrant for Probation Violation (2nd Degree Burglary).

On September 27th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Amber Ebrecht (17) of Maryville alleging Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident).

On September 27th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Matthew Henry (19) of McFall alleging Careless & Imprudent Driving.

On September 27th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Daniel McArthur (34) of California (MO) alleging No Valid License (Felony), Failure to Stop, and Displaying Plates Belonging to Another.

On September 27th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice filed charges against Aaron Warner (42) of St. Joseph alleging DWI and No Insurance.

On September 27th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice filed charges against Rodney Murphy (49) of Barnard alleging Possession of Child Pornography (Felony).

On September 27th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice filed charges against Lane Hammond (21) of Palmyra (MO) alleging Property Damage (Felony).

On September 27th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice filed charges against Jacob Nastasio (28) of Maitland alleging Harassment and Domestic Assault.

On September 27th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice filed charges against Misty Moon (31) of St. Joseph alleging No Valid License (2nd Offense) and Speeding.

On September 27th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice filed charges against Ben DeMott (31) of Maryville alleging Trespassing.

On September 28th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Kenneth Willis (47) of Lees’s Summit in Harrison County on charges of DWI and Failure to Drive on Right Half.

On September 28th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Timothy Nichols (63) of Albany in Harrison County on charges of Failure to Drive on Right Half of Roadway, DWI (Felony), and Driving While Revoked.

On September 29th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Becky Goacher (51) of Sheridan in Worth County on a Felony Probation Violation (Possession of Controlled Substance).

 On September 29th, 2019 David Thompson was traveling northbound on Highway 169 when a traffic stop was conducted. He was arrested for DWI 1st offense, then transported to the Ringgold County Jail.

On September 30th, Harrison County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer filed charges against Phillip Bennett (58) of Bethany alleging No Insurance.

On September 30th, Harrison County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer filed charges against Gabriella Blakney (23) of Kansas City alleging No Valid License.

On September 30th, Harrison County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer filed charges against Justin Edwards (29) of Starks (LA) alleging No Valid License.

On September 30th, Worth County Prosecutor Janet Wake Larison filed charges against James Tullis (37) and Branden Haberek (19) of Ponce de Leon (FL) alleging Taking Deer with Bait.

On September 30th, Worth County Prosecutor Janet Wake Larison filed charges against Michael Hamilton (25) of Albany alleging Failure to Stop.

On September 30th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Robert Rice filed charges against Manuel Monsivais (40) of Maryville alleging No Valid License, No Insurance, and Failure to Drive on Right Half.

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

Week Five Football Rankings

#1 Pattonsburg 58, Stanberry 6 – Pattonsburg got off to a slow start, but despite being shorthanded, the Panthers pulled out to a 22-6 lead at halftime. They added two more tallies in the third quarter to make it 36-6 and added three more scores in the fourth to get the win. While the offense struggled to move the ball at times in the first half, the defense stepped up, as they have since the 68-62 slugfest at North Andrew two weeks ago.

Steven Willhite had 31 completions in 52 attempts for 552 yards. Dakota Eaton had 16 catches for 339 yards, while Patrick Cowley had 8 catches for 121 yards.

#2 East Atchison 54, Rock Port 8 – East Atchison loaded up the box and stopped Joey Herron, one of the top backs in eight man football in this game, which ended in the third quarter. The Wolves’ defense limited Rock Port to 79 total yards, 24 on the ground and 55 through the air. Rock Port had East Atchison’s number for their first few years in eight man, but the Wolves have turned the tables during the last two years.

#3 Worth County 42, King City 6 – King City gave it their best shot, since it was their homecoming, and they did not want to go to 1-4 for the first time since joining eight man. They loaded the box to stop the run, gave Worth County some looks on defense they had not seen before, and stopped them on several occasions. But Worth County used the big play, Alex Rinehart’s strip and score, and Jackson Runde’s successful onsides kick recovery that they converted to a score to pull away in this game that was shortened by lightning at halftime.

#4 Southwest Livingston 48, Stewartsville 0 – The Wildcats had little trouble disposing of Stewartsville in this halftime game, which was moved up due to the threat of inclement weather.

#5 Mound City 48, North/West Nodaway 0 – Fresh off a shocking loss to Southwest, Mound City got a breather Friday.

#6 Appleton City 70, Chilhowee 28 – The middle-ranked teams had little trouble taking on doormat teams this week. Appleton City is one of three teams to remain unbeaten at 5-0; they average over 60 points per game.

#7 North Shelby 46, #10 North Andrew 36 – It was a tale of two completely different halves. In the first half, North Andrew rolled to a 36-16 halftime lead. But a completely different North Shelby team came out in the second half and put the clamps down on the Cardinals, pitching a shutout and coming back for the victory. They brought down one of the top teams in eight man football defensively, limiting North Andrew to 300 total yards and not giving up the kind of big plays that Cardinal opponents have done this year. Is the balance of power shifting from the GRC and the Highway 275?

#8 Drexel/Miami 51, Osceola 6 – Osceola got off to a promising 3-0 start, but consecutive blowout losses have left them reeling. Drexel/Miami won by controlling the line of scrimmage. Jacob Coffey, only a freshman, had 20 carries for 143 yards, and the team rushed for 45 carries for 313 yards. On the other side of the ball, Coffey excelled as well, getting 12 tackles along with Lane Vunovich. Cory Cumpton had 11. Defensively, Drexel/Miami had 15 tackles for loss. Osceola ran 65 plays from scrimmage, which meant almost a quarter of their plays were for losses. Drexel/Miami forced three turnovers to none for them; Adam Gilbert had a 24 yard scoop and score for them.

#9 Orrick 74, Northwest/Hughesville 14 – Northwest/Hughesville got three long passes and a long run in against Orrick, but little else as the Bearcats got a breather before Friday’s meeting at Worth County. The Tigers will have to avoid a letdown; North Shelby had little to show beyond beating three easy teams before rising to the occasion and beating North Andrew.

Ball security will be an issue for the Tigers, as the Orrick Bearcats forced seven turnovers, five fumbles and two picks in their win Friday.

Offensively, the Bearcats get almost 500 yards a game, getting 767 yards from Blake Buchanan on the ground, 314 from Blake McAfee, and 121 from Ethan Wilson. Quarterback Blake Buchanan has 42 completions in 78 attempts for 738 yards. Wilson is his favorite target, with 15 catches for 391 yards. Gabe McAfee has 9 catches for 86 yards, while Blake McAfee has 9 catches for 60 yards.
Defensively, the Tigers will have to block Aaron Brooke, who has 52 tackles for an average of 10.4 a game. Other defensive standouts include Blake McAfee (38 tackles), J.J. Benfer (32 tackles), and Gabe McAfee (30 tackles). Benfer also leads in sacks with 7.