Stories from Monday, February 18, 2002

Despite thousands of limbs having been torn from trees, and hundreds of homes left without power during the ice storm earlier this month, only 49 Saline County residents have called to ask for disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)...

Mabel E. Schupp, 78, of Stover, died Saturday, Feb. 16, 2002, at St. Mary's Health Center in Jefferson City. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Christ Lutheran Church in Stover. Rev. Duane Thompson will officiate.

William Smith, 78, of Slater, died Saturday, Feb. 16, 2002, at H.S.T. Veterans Hospital in Columbia. Funeral arrangements are pending at Weiker Funeral Home in Slater.

ALMA -- For the fifth season in a row, the February showdown between Santa Fe and Concordia held the I-70 Conference boys' championship in the balance. That usually makes for taut contests, and Friday's tilt at Alma was no exception. For the fourth time during that span, the Chiefs came out on top, 57-52, to clinch a share of the crown. Santa Fe won the title outright for the first time since '98 on Saturday by defeating Crest Ridge, 64-51...

COLUMBIA -- Despite first-round victories, neither of Marshall's two entries at the MSHSAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships were able to survive the second day of competition. Both juniors Jeremy Gochenour and B.J. Coslet were whipped in their quarterfinal matches -- one victory away from securing medals -- and then suffered one-point losses during the second round of the wrestlebacks...

KIRKSVILLE -- As it has in four of the past six years, Marshall's traditional finale to the regular season ended up in a split with Kirksville on Friday -- the Lady Owls tasting a 47-24 NCMC setback on the road and the MHS boys surviving a 53-48 scare...

ALMA -- Five years ago, Bill Linn's first season as Santa Fe's head girls' basketball coach ended in the I-70 Conference cellar at 1-6. Over the weekend, Linn saw his rebuilding program come to fruition as the Lady Chiefs won two home games -- 48-32 over Concordia on Friday and Saturday's harrowing 49-48 decision against Crest Ridge -- to claim a piece of the league championship, the first for Santa Fe since '93...

The Missouri Valley College basketball teams moved into better positions for the Heart of America Conference Post-season Tournament this week by sweeping visiting Graceland on Saturday. The Lady Vikings surged during the second half for a 62-44 decision and the Valley men cruised to a 71-54 victory...

COLUMBIA -- On its way to winning the 21st annual Wildcat Classic at Slater last month, the Sweet Springs boys' basketball team got an eyeful of the talent possessed by third-place Frederick Douglass High. However, stepping onto the court against the Bulldogs, especially when they were primed by the emotion of Senior Night, was a far different experience for the Blue and Gold. ...

The Daytona 500 produced no winners for the players in the debut of the Democrat-News' "The Race is On" Contest. Needing to pick the top three drivers in order of finish, no contestant came up with Ward Burton as the winner -- the Virginian wheeling his No. 22 Caterpillar Dodge into victory lane after starting from the 19th position. In fact, Burton was on none of the ballots for the three places. Neither were Elliot Sadler nor Geoff Bodine, finishing second and third respectively...

Friday, Feb. 15 BOYS (NCMC) Marshall 53, at Kirksville 48 Helias 82, at Rock Bridge 50 at Fulton 76, Hannibal 55 Mexico 89, at Moberly 81 - (Lewis & Clark) Fayette 81, at Westran 54 at Salisbury 61, Paris 53 - (I-70) at Santa Fe 57, Concordia 52 at Crest Ridge 67, Windsor 59 (OT)...

Violet Esther Martin, 88, of Slater, died Saturday, Feb. 16, 2002, at Columbus. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at First Baptist Church in Slater. Pastor Robert Sisny will officiate.

Wilbur "Bill" Maurice Kueker, 76, of Sweet Springs, died Friday, Feb. 15, 2002, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Christ Lutheran Church in rural Sweet Springs. Rev. Walter O. Umbach will officiate...

Flatliners is the name, and comedy is their game. Students at Missouri Valley College are gearing up again for the improvisation skits. Beginning this past Saturday, the Black Box - the name given to the basement at Morisson gym at MVC - is again opening its doors on Saturday nights to anyone who would like to attend for coffee and the improvisational performance, which begins at 10 p.m...

A 35-year-old single woman gave birth to a son prematurely, but a good baby-sitter was nowhere to be found. Longing to be the best mother she could, she stayed home and cared for the child for several months. Having been without a job, she found herself lacking the funds to pay her natural gas bill and had received word that it would be shut off soon...

Saline County residents can receive free income tax services until April 15 through the Missouri Valley Human Resource Community Action Agency. Keith Ward, client service coordinator for Saline County, is providing free tax help as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offered by MVHR's community services department...

A Marshall man suffered minor injuries in a single-vehicle crash Monday morning in Saline County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that Kevin L. Sisney, 38, was driving northbound on U.S. Highway 41 at about 8:20 a.m. when his 1989 Ford traveled off the roadway and struck a stop sign at the intersection of the highway and County Road 127...

A noon-hour crash in Saline County injured a Macon man Friday. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that the accident took place at 12:15 p.m. on U.S. Highway 65 at its junction with Route N. The report states that Kip G. Pfannenstiel, 34, was traveling northbound in a 2001 Chevrolet when he lost control on a curve. The vehicle left the right side of the roadway and overturned...

Sylvia Admire, 84, of Marshall, died Monday, Feb. 18, 2002, at Mar-Saline Manor in Marshall. Funeral arrangements are pending at Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home in Marshall.

Herbert H. Bertram, 84, of Concordia, formerly of Camdenton, died Friday, Feb. 15, 2002, at Lutheran Nursing Home in Concordia. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at Berg Mortuary Chapel in Concordia. Pastor Dan Kaffenburger will officiate...

Lillian Brandau Champion, 89, of Marshall, died Friday, Feb. 15, 2002, at the Mar-Saline Manor Care Center in Marshall. Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, Feb. 18, at Gill Memorial Baptist Church in Marshall. Rev. Russ Johnson and Rev. Ernie Coleman officiated...

Opal E. Gowens, 80, of Sweet Springs, died Friday, Feb. 15, 2002, at Sweet Springs Villa in Sweet Springs. Graveside services were held at 11 a.m., Monday, Feb. 18, at Fairview Cemetery in Sweet Springs. Rev. Charles Ahlemann officiated.

Ida Ruth Kindred, 74, of Platte City, died Thursday, Feb. 14, 2002, at North Kansas City Hospital in Kansas City. Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, Feb. 18, at Rollins Funeral Home in Platte City.

MEN (Heart of America) at Missouri Valley 71, Graceland 54 at Avila 77, Lindenwood 74 Baker 90, at Central Methodist 84 at Evangel 85, Benedictine 73 William Jewell 73, at MidAmerica Nazarene 66 ------------------------------ WOMEN (Heart of America)...