Tenley Griffith Gets Four Hits, Alli Burke Goes Deep; Wild Win Puts Hawks In HDC Drivers Seat

Gilman City took a wild 11-9 win over East Harrison as the Bobcats stranded the tying runs on second and third before the Hawks could walk away with a win. The Hawks were down a key player; shortstop Kayleece Puls was injured in the Tri-County win (ankle). Gilman City pulled away from the Mustangs for an 18-7 win as Alli Burke and Hailey McClure homered, but her absence was felt in the next again against perennial powerhouse Plattsburg. With people playing out of position, the Hawks played the Tigers tough before Plattsburg pulled away late for the 8-0 win. 

Playing a game for the third straight night, the Hawks jumped out to an early lead. Tenley Griffith had a big night with her bat and Alli Burke went deep with a home run. Ellie Smith, pressed into service with Puls out, beat out two scratch hits, one of which brought in two runs when the Bobcats threw it away. But then fatigue set in, East Harrison teed off on Griffith, who was pitching her third straight night, and the Hawks had to cling by their fingernails to get the win. 

The Hawks started the scoring in the first when Avery Gregg walked and stole second. Tenley Griffith crushed a double to left center field and Gregg came around to score to make it 1-0. Griffth caught Sloane McClain's screamer and froze Taylor Whitaker and Shayla Vandiver to get out of the second. 

Gilman City had trouble chasing Bobcat pitcher Lainey Thompson's rise balls for the first two innings. But when they quit chasing, they started hitting the ball better and scored in every inning after that.

The third inning was set up after Khloey Sperry, who struck out her first time up, went from 0-2 to 3-2 before finally walking and stole second. Tenley Griffith got her second hit, singling to center. Sloane McClain bobbled it and Sperry scored as Griffith took second. Tenley took third on a wild pitch. Alli Burke hit a pop fly to right center field; everybody was chasing it, but it dropped in for a base hit as Griffith scored to make it 3-0. Hailey McClure laid down a perfect bunt that was thrown away as Burke reached third. McClure stole second and Parker Crabtree's pop fly to left field dropped in for a base hit as Burke scored to make it 4-0. Crabtree took second on the throw home to put runners on second and third. Ellie Smith beat out a slow roller to shortstop and the ball was thrown away as two more Hawks scored to make it 6-0.

In the Bobcat fourth, Lainey Thompson singled and Aspen Zerbe beat out an infield hit as Thompson went all the way to third. Sloane McClain hit a pop fly between Parker Crabtree at second and Ellie Smith in right. The two tangled up, the ball dropped, and Thompson scored to make it 6-1. But Gilman City threw out McClain trying to take second and then Zerbe trying to score to kill the rally. 

Tenley Griffith got a pop fly single in the Hawk fourth with one out and then Alli Burke crushed a home run to the left field wall, flying around the bases and nearly catching Griffith as she was thinking home run the whole time. That made it 8-1.

But East Harrison was just getting started and they started getting hits up and down the lineup. The lower part of the order came through to start as Jalyn Cain singled and took second and third on wild pitches. Addy McFall walked, turning it over to the top of the order. Avarie Thompson grounded out to Alli Burke, playing lights out defense at her new shortstop position. Cain scored on the play to make it 8-2. Taylor Whitaker singled to move McFall to third and stole second. Lainey Thompson hit a ball that Burke knocked down but had no play on as McFall scored to make it 8-3. Aspen Zerbe hit an apparent single to center, but Hawk center fielder Avery Gregg made a great play by throwing to second for an apparent force play. But the umpire called Lainey Thompson safe at second. Sloane McClain singled in Lainey Thompson and Taylor Whitaker to make it 8-5. 

Khloe Ponjavic finally popped out to Caitlynn Chalfant at first for the second out, but then the bottom of the order came through as Shayla Vandiver and Jalyn Cain singled to make it 8-7. Instead of going home early, the Hawks were clinging to a one-run lead.

The Hawks had two outs in the fifth with nobody on, but Khloey Sperry ripped a double down the left field line and Tenley Griffith got her fourth hit to bring her home to make it 9-7. But East Harrison got it back in the sixth when with two outs and nobody on, Lainey Thompson crushed a triple to the left field wall and came home on a wild pitch despite the short backstop when the ball squirted away along the first base side to make it 9-8. There was a heartstopping moment when Aspen Zerbe hit what looked like a routine grounder to Burke at short for the final out, only for the umpire to call her safe and the inning continued. But Tenley Griffith caught Sloane McClain chasing three high pitches for the final out with Gilman City still up one.

The bottom of the order was coming up for the Hawks in the sixth, but Parker Crabtree hit a perfect slap bunt to third base and beat it out for a scratch hit. Caitlynn Chalfant hit a pop fly behind the second baseman that dropped in and Crabtree scrambled to second to avoid the force. Emily Chalfant reached on a throwing error to load the bases. Ellie Smith grounded into a force at home to retire Crabtree and Avery Gregg hit a slow roller to the right of second. She beat out the scratch hit and the ball got away as two runs crossed the plate to make it 11-8. Khloey Sperry hit a screamer to center field, but Sloane McClain ran it down for the third out. Three of Sperry's hardest hits have been right at people for outs. 

The bottom of the order was coming up for East Harrison, but everything they hit somehow found its way through all evening. Sure enough, what looked like a routine grounder by Khloe Ponjavic to Hailey McClure at third took a bad hop and found its way into left field for a base hit. Shayla Vandiver walked. Jalyn Cain hit a slow roller to McClure at third, but she alertly turned and flipped to Alli Burke at third for a force. Addy McFall grounded out to the mound, but the top of the order was up. Avarie Thompson singled to cut it to 11-9 and went second on the throw home as Cain stopped at third. But Tenley Griffith struck out Taylor Whitaker for the final out. 

Northwest to Hold 9/11 Stair Climb Event

Northwest Missouri State University is commemorating lives lost during the events that transpired on 9/11 with its annual stair climb.

The stair climb will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, at Bearcat Stadium. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees must sign a waiver to participate in the 2,071-step challenge, which may be completed individually or in groups of two to five people.

Participants can register at Bearcat Stadium on the evening of the event.

Northwest’s Emergency and Disaster Management Club, the 1-129th Field Artillery of the Missouri National Guard and the Maryville Fire Department are partnering in support of the event.

Travis Surprise, an instructor of emergency and disaster management at Northwest, is serving as this year’s master of ceremonies and helping to organize the event.

“The value of this event is to learn our history, so it’s never repeated,” Surprise said. “We learn why 9/11 is so important and understand the physical exertion that was needed that day to save the lives they were able to save. We can teach the younger generation what happened that day and what came from those terrorist actions.”

The Maryville Fire Department will start the event with a bell ceremony and a moment of silence.

The Memorial Bell Tower, located at the center of the Northwest campus, will chime at 8:46 a.m., 9:03 a.m., 9:37 a.m. and 10:03 a.m., marking the times that each of the four planes crashed on 9/11.

Additionally, Northwest will play footage of the events of 9/11 on the Bearcat Stadium video board.

On Sept. 11, 2001, militants hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States, flying two planes into the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York City, a third into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A total of 2,996 people died during the attacks, including 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers and 37 Port Authority police officers who were attempting to evacuate the buildings and save others who had been injured.

 

Opinion -- Economic Data Showing Mixed Signals

By the Missouri Department of Economic Development

DED Stakeholders,

August’s economic data continues to provide us with mixed signals, however, the Fed may have given us an indicator as to which signals are more important.

Last month we covered the initial GDP release for the second quarter and the U.S. employment data for July. As a recap, GDP rebounded strongly (at an annualized 3.0% rate) after an import-induced decline in Q1. Revised GDP numbers released last week show that the second quarter’s growth was even better than originally announced (3.3%). However, U.S. employment told another story. Revised data shows that businesses have pulled back considerably on hiring with May, June, and July combining for just 106,000 jobs. Prior to May, the average growth per month was over 122,000.

July’s headline inflation number held steady at 2.7%, while core inflation (which removes food and energy prices due to their volatility) rose to 3.1%. This gets us back to those mixed signals. On one hand, there is concern (based largely on the employment data) that the economy might be slowing down. At the same time, inflation remains well above the Fed’s target rate of 2% and has risen in recent months. We often associate rising inflation with an economy that is running “too hot,” so seeing it rise as the economy is showing signs of slowing puts the Fed in a difficult spot. Should they hold interest rates at their elevated level to keep inflation in check (at the risk of slowing the economy further)? Or cut rates to boost the economy while risking higher inflation? Fed Chair Jerome Powell gave us a good indicator that the Fed was more concerned about the slowing economy and was leaning towards rate cuts.

Turning to Missouri, July’s employment numbers were good, adding 17,100, however, it might be best to wait until August’s data release (which would include any revisions to that 17,100 figure) before we celebrate. Much of the growth in July was in the local government sector, which includes public education. Understandably, these numbers can be difficult to assess during the summer as districts start hiring for the new school year.

Looking at a longer-term trend, Missouri is posting solid employment growth year-over-year with 49,300 jobs added for the year ending in July, which ranks 10th nationally.

September promises to be a telling month. All eyes will be on Friday’s U.S. employment release for August to see if the recent slowdown in hiring was a blip or the start of a new trend. On the 11th, we will have the latest data on inflation, which will undoubtedly factor in when the Federal Open Market Committee considers interest rate cuts when they meet in the middle of the month. Again, Chair Powell has signaled a cut.

All said, uncertainty continues to cloud the economy. However, it seems at least a bit clearer now that slowing growth is the primary concern.

 

Sincerely,

Jeff Pinkerton

Director of Economic Research

 

Ava Rinehart Gets Three Hits in Shamrock Win; Kathryn Parkhurst's Throw Quashes Late Rally

On a wild night for softball, three games were off the charts in scoring. Worth County won a wild 12-10 game over North Andrew, a team that came within an eyelash of knocking off Stanberry's run to third place in state. Northeast Nodaway won a wild game at Stewartsville, 23-13. And North Harrison won a wild 14-12 game over Pattonsburg, a team that had their number the last two years. Ava Rinehart had two doubles and a triple in the win. But it was a newcomer, Kathryn Parkhurst, who made a defensive play that killed a Pattonsburg rally in the seventh that preserved the Shamrock victory. Another newcomer, Becca Welling, made a sensational backhanded catch at second that took away extra bases and a potential big inning for the Panthers. 

Both teams came into the game a mirror image of each other; they are both solid from one through five and are looking for the lower part of the order to come through. The result was a slugfest that left both teams down for the count before the Shamrocks finally took control in the third inning and led the rest of the way.

At first, it looked like it would be all Panthers, who had three games under their belt already while the Shamrocks were playing their first game of the year. Jayden Goble stretched a single into a double and Addie Iddings stretched another single into a double to make it 1-0. Kaitlyn Estes, much like her namesake from last year, Kaitlyn Jones, kept the inning going with a single to left that got away, putting her on second and scoring Iddings. Vanessa Weigand hit a seeking eye single to bring in Estes and make it 3-0. 

But then Pattonsburg looked like they were the ones playing their first game as three Panther errors led to three runs, with Ava Rinehart circling the bases after a pop fly was dropped in left field and rolled all the way into right field before the Panthers could get it. Addison Milligan hit a seeing eye single between first and second and Hali Smith tripled to right center field to make it 4-3, and Andi Nail singled to left to make it 5-3.

Jaxcynn Hansel made two catches in center in the Panther second and a baserunning miscue led into a double play as the Shamrocks doubled off a runner who didn't tag up after Hansel's second catch. Lani Briggs walked and Jaxcynn Hansel reached on an error; they took second and third on a wild pitch. Ava Rinehart narrowly missed a home run and doubled to left field to make it 7-3.

But then it looked like Pattonsburg would come roaring back. Isabella Berger and Kaitlyn Estes walked to start the third. Vanessa Weigand popped out to Andi Nail at first and Kara Bernardino grounded into a force at third as Addison Milligan stepped on the bag. With the bottom of the order coming up and two outs, it looked like the Shamrocks would get out of the inning, but Emsleigh McCrary singled and went to second on the unsuccessful throw home as Bernardino took third. Rosalynn Cameron singled them both home and Cheyenne Miller and Jayden Goble walked. Addie Iddings singled to right to score two more to make it 8-7. All five Panther runs in that inning scored with two outs.

Raegan Hogan hit a slow roller that the second baseman overran as she reached for a base hit to start the Shamrock third. Kathryn Parkhurst hit a grounder to second; they tried to go to second for the first, but the speedy Hogan beat it to set up a big inning with the heart of the Shamrock order coming up. Lani Briggs walked to load the bases. Jaxcynn Hansel's shot to shortstop was snared by Cheyenne Miller, but Ava Rinehart hit a shot off the bag at third. The ball rolled away for a double as two runs scored to make it 9-8 in North Harrison's favor. Addison Milligan singled to left and both runs scored, with Rinehart scoring despite losing her shoe coming around third. Milligan took second on a wild pitch and Andi Nail singled her home to make it 12-8.

Pattonsburg tried to answer in the fourth, but Shamrock second baseman Becca Welling backhanded Vanessa Weigand's screamer to kill their inning. 

But after North Harrison failed to capitalize on a first and third situation in the fourth with one out, Pattonsburg came roaring back when Emsleigh McCrary beat out a slow roller down the first base line. Rosalynn Cameron hit an apparent single, but the ball hit the divot dividing the dirt from the grass and got away as Cameron circled the bases for a home run to make it 12-10. Jayden Goble stretched a single into a double and Addie Iddings did the same to make it 12-11.

It would have snowballed from there had not the Shamrocks not made two outstanding defensive plays to preserve the lead. First, Isabella Berger grounded to shortstop Lani Briggs in the hole at short. Briggs' throw was in the dirt, but Andi Nail dug it out for the out. Then, after Hali Smith walked the bases loaded, Claire Christensen hit a tricky grounder to Smith; her only play was home and she alertly threw there for the final out to preserve the Shamrock lead.

In the Panther sixth, Jayden Goble hit a screamer, but pitcher Hali Smith, in a reflex action, stuck her glove up to protect herself and snagged it for an out. 

Lani Briggs singled to right to start the Shamrock sixth. Ava Rinehart hit a screamer into the outfield for a triple to score Briggs. She circled third and tried for home and should have been out, but Jayden Goble dropped the relay throw as Rinehart was safe to make it 14-11.

But the heart of the Panther order was up for the seventh and Addie Iddings singled to left. Isabella Berger hit a long fly ball to deep left center. Jaxcynn Hansel came after it on the dead run, but did a 180 tumbling over the fence as the ball dropped in for extra bases and Iddings scored from first. But Kathryn Parkhurst came on a dead run, made a strong throw to cutoff man Lani Briggs, who threw to Addison Milligan, who tagged out Berger running by for the first out. Kaitlyn Estes doubled to right center and took third on a wild pitch, but Hali Smith struck out Vanessa Weigand and Claire Christensen grounded out to short for the final out.

***

Pattonsburg coach Bill Pottorff is a grandson of the late Maxine Washburn of Hatfield, who passed away at 100 recently. 

***

Panther player Rosalynn Cameron is a first cousin of Kansas City Royals pitcher Noah Cameron. 

Opinion -- My Wife Followed Every Rule. It Still Took Everything We Had.

By Missouri State Representative Ray Reed

I met my wife, Natalia, years before I ever imagined becoming a state legislator. Long before that cold November day when she held my hand as I cast my vote and later watched as I was declared the next state representative for our district, we were just two young people in love, trying to build a life together in a country that too often makes it harder than necessary.

Natalia was born in Mexico and entered the United States legally. But like millions of families across this country, we had to navigate an immigration system so complex, so slow, and so punishing that even as a state legislator with access to resources, attorneys, and all the institutional knowledge I could gather, it still nearly broke us.

By the time you read this, my wife will finally have gained legal status. But the truth is, we never should’ve had to fight this hard.

There were nights when she would wake up crying and sweating from the anxiety, the uncertainty, the weight of a process that makes even the most secure relationships feel vulnerable. You may not know what it’s like to hold your wife in the middle of the night while she sobs over an immigration form, but I do. There were nights when I would wake up, too, startled from dreams of her being taken away and stressed from the fear of losing her to a system that too often confuses cruelty for justice. I would turn to see her still lying next to me and feel the flood of relief that she was safe. But almost as quickly, the weight returned in recognition that this was not just a dream we could shake off, but a reality we were living in, and a fight we could not avoid.

And yet, Natalia never let the system harden her. If you’re a regular visitor to the Missouri State Capitol, chances are you know her name. Legislative staff adore her. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle light up when she walks into the rotunda. Spouses of elected officials ask where she is if I show up without her. Frankly, she’s more popular in Jefferson City than I am.

She is the face of what immigration looks like in real life: not a policy talking point or a border surge graphic, but a warm, brilliant, courageous woman who loves her family and her country, both the one she was born into and the one she chose for herself.

We often hear that the immigration system is broken. What’s left unsaid is that it was broken on purpose. Since day one, the Trump administration has slashed legal immigration pathways, built backlogs by design, and poured acid into the gears of a process that already struggled to function. They made things harder not out of necessity, but out of cruelty.

We need to stop pretending that families like mine are expendable. What my wife and I endured, what millions of couples, parents, and children endure every day, is what happens when politics replaces policy and when fear replaces fairness.

Our story has a happy ending. But it didn’t have to be this hard, and we won’t stop speaking out until every family, no matter where they come from or what they look like, can walk their journey with dignity, without fear, and with a system that sees them not as a threat but as neighbors, parents, spouses, and citizens in waiting.

Representative Ray Reed proudly serves as the State Representative for Missouri’s 83rd House District, which includes vibrant communities across the St. Louis region, including Brentwood, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Shrewsbury, and portions of Affton. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2024.

 

Area Courthouse, Police, and Crime Reports for September 3rd, 2025

On August 26th, Aaron Farrell (23) of Maryville admitted to violating his probation in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court by picking up new charges in Daviess County and Nodaway County. He was continued on probation by Judge Robert Rice and ordered to serve 10 days in jail with work release approved with approval of the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Department. Defendant is on probation for charges of Domestic Assault and Staking.

On August 26th, Jolee Schulenberg (21) of Falls City (NE) pleaded guilty in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court to charges of DWI and No Taillights. She was placed on two years probation and fined $50.50 plus costs by Judge Robert Rice.

On August 26th, Davis Priest (36) of Clayton (NC) failed to appear in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court on a charge of Possession of Controlled Substance (Felony). A warrant was issued and bond denied.

On August 26th, Judge Rebecca McGinley issued a warrant for the arrest of Hubert Cook (43) of King City following receipt of a violation report alleging that he failed to report to serve his jail sentence. Bond was denied. Defendant had been serving probation for charges of Careless & Imprudent Driving (Accident) and Leaving the Scene.

On August 26th, Austin Bird (23) of Maryville pleaded guilty in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court to a charge of DWI. He was placed on two years probation by Judge Robert Rice. Defendant must complete SATOP and the Midwest Victim Impact Program.

On August 26th, Timothy Hoepker (19) of Hopkins pleaded guilty in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court to charges of DWI and Defective Bumpers. He was fined $250 plus costs and placed on two years probation by Judge Robert Rice. Defendant must complete SATOP and the Midwest Victim Impact Program.

On August 26th, Daviess County Prosecutor Andrea Beth Gibson filed charges against Colt Gibson (42), Phillip Frazier (53),  Brian Robertson (19) of Breckinridge, and Michael Strope (62) alleging Possession of Weapon at Jail (Felony) and Damage to Jail Property (Felony). Bond was denied.

On August 27th, Harrison County Prosecutor Michael Wulff filed charges against Jayson Herwehe (53) of Prairie City (IA) alleging No Valid License (Felony) and Possession of Controlled Substance (Felony). Bond was set at $15,000, cash only. Prosecutor Wulff also filed charges against Cassandra Gathercole (48) of Rosendale alleging Possession of Controlled Substance (Felony) and Resisting Arrest (Felony). Bond was set at $15,000, cash only.

On August 28th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Kristopher Todd (33) of Liberty alleging Driving While Revoked (Felony).

On August 29th, Daviess County Prosecutor Andrea Beth Gibson filed charges against Keehan Freeman (22) of Kansas City alleging Resisting Arrest (Felony), Speeding (160 mph), Careless & Imprudent Driving, No Insurance, No Valid Motorcycle License, No Plates, and Failure to Signal. Bond was denied.

On August 29th, Daviess County Prosecutor Andrea Beth Gibson filed charges against Troy Henrie (42) of Galt alleging two counts Violation of Protection Order. Bond was denied.

On August 31st, Daviess County Prosecutor Andrea Beth Gibson filed charges against Christopher Erickson (49) of Altamont alleging DWI (Felony). Bond was set at $10,000, cash only. Defendant must wear SCRAM device.

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.

 

Gage Fortner Sparkles as Panthers Drop Platte Valley 52-46

Pattonsburg stunned #7 Platte Valley in its first game of the season Friday as they built up a 30-18 lead at halftime and then held on for a 52-46 win.

The Panthers built up the early lead despite Platte Valley trying to slow the game down. It looked like the game might turn in Platte Valley’s favor as they were able to slow the game down to their pace and get the only score of the third quarter to cut it to 30-24. But then the fourth quarter turned into the kind of track meet that Pattonsburg likes to play and they held on for the 52-46 win.

Gage Fortner started at quarterback and sparkled in his debut, completing 26 of 35 passes for 355 yards, 6 scores, and two picks. Last year’s quarterback, Camden Griffith, moved back to his natural position of wide receiver, creating a matchup nightmare for opponents with Wyatt Maize back. Maize ran nine times for 59 yards, just enough to keep the defense honest. Griffith added another 20 yard run.

Gavin Humphrey had 12 catches for 172 yards  for the Panthers. Wyatt Maize had 6 catches for 94 yards and Camden Griffith had 6 catches for 86 yards. Griffith caught four passes and Maize caught two.

The one negative was three turnovers for the game. But in a positive note, the defense came to play and even got a score, a 53 yard fumble return by Gavin Humphrey after Alex Young forced a fumble. The Panthers have struggled to convert extra points in the past, but converted five out of seven chances Friday, with Drake Sperry getting two catches, Gage Fortner running in one, and Camden Griffith and Wyatt Maize catching passes.

Platte Valley had 68 plays from scrimmage to 50 for the Panthers, but the Panthers had a lot of different players step up and make tackles. Collin Mason had a big night defensively with nine tackles, three for loss. Gavin Humphrey had 9 tackles, one for loss. Ryker Fortner, a new face on the defensive squad, also had 9 tackles along with Camden Griffith. Jace Estrada had 8 tackles, one for loss. He will be counted on heavily. Their best run stopper, the Panthers struggled in their last two games last year after he went down. Wyatt Maize also had 8 tackles. Alex Young had 7, Drake Sperry 6, and Gage Fortner, Beau Gibson, and Remington White 1.