Stories from Wednesday, April 24, 2002

Splishy, sploshy rainy days don't have to mean being bored all day. Here are some rainy day activities guaranteed to banish the blues! Rain walk Who says you have to stay on the inside looking out all day? Dress for the weather and you can enjoy an exciting treat. Can you smell the damp earth? What does the rain feel like on your skin? Don't all the colors look richer when everything is wet?...

Something to consider "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." -- Albert Einstein From the desk of the director Books! Books! Books! The library has books for you! For the past week, the librarians have been busy processing books and getting them on the shelves. ...

BASEBALL (NCMC) Marshall 9, at Fulton 7 Helias at Moberly, ppd. (today) - (Lewis & Clark) Westran 15, at Salisbury 1 - (Non-conference) at Santa Fe 13, Crest Ridge 6 (6) New Franklin 11, at Slater 0 (5) at St. Paul 15, Concordia 1 (5) at Leeton 7, Windsor 6...

ALMA -- The Santa Fe baseball team recovered from a couple of miscues which put it in a hole and banged out two big innings Tuesday for a 13-6 victory over visiting Crest Ridge. A two-run error in the top of the second inning and senior Cameron Douglas' solo homer in the third put the Chiefs behind 4-1. However, they made up the gap quickly with six runs in the bottom of the third...

The competition is getting tougher for the young Marshall boys' tennis team, which is a little worse for the wear. The Owls lost three of four third sets during a 5-4 dual loss Tuesday to visiting Warrensburg -- including a clash at No. 1 doubles when junior Blake Garrett and freshman Ryan Guthrie, up 5-4 and 30-love in the third set and 3-1 in the tiebreaker, couldn't hold on during a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) loss to senior Anthony Arton and junior Bob DeFries...

The second Marshall Relays had some good moments for the host squad, although it was hardly an event which favored the young Owls. The meet is scored completely by combined times, heights and distances -- which is an advantage for teams which have developed the quality depth that Marshall has yet to attain, despite the presence of individual contenders in most contests...

FULTON -- The Marshall baseball team couldn't have picked a better moment to arrive at Fulton for an NCMC contest with the fifth-ranked Hornets. After all, Fulton had just completed a doubleheader sweep of No. 8 Kirksville the previous day -- leaving it a little thin in pitching for Tuesday's home clash with the hard-hitting Owls, who pounded out a 9-7 victory...

Martha E. "Granny" Evans, 97, of Marshall, died Tuesday, April 23, 2002, at Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall. Graveside services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 25, 2002, at Ridge Park Cemetery in Marshall. Rev. Vernon Maxted will officiate...

County Aid Road Trust (CART) tax receipts for the month of March approached the amount collected in March of 2001. A total of $59,028.89 was collected for the month this year compared to $60,335.54 at this time last year, the Saline County Commission revealed Tuesday...

The Saline County Commission approved a bid Wednesday morning from Physicians, Sales and Services out of Lenexa, Kan., for a number of medical supplies for the Saline County Health Office and advised that the health office's medications would be priced and bought from the lowest bidder as demand requires...

The Slater Board of Education began its regular April meeting Tuesday night by swearing in Dale Sweigart, who had been unable to attend the reorganization meeting earlier this month. The next action was to approve participation in technology and video grants, Titles I, II, IV and VI, Chapter one and other programs for the 2002-03 school year...

Financial matters both good and bad were discussed at the Marshall Board of Education's Tuesday meeting. On the positive side, the district's insurance premiums increased considerably less than industry averages, but low enrollment in the district still casts a shadow over future state revenue...

The Slater City Council is considering a new contract with Waste Corporation of America, which would see residents' monthly refuse fees increase in July. If approved, the new residential fees would rise from $7.50 per household to $9.25 per month to cover cost increases faced by the company...

Local musicians are tuning up for what is considered one of the most exciting concerts of the Marshall Philharmonic Orchestra's season. The annual "pops" concert, which features a collaboration between the orchestra and the Marshall public schools third and fourth grade art classes, will be held at 7:30 p.m Friday, April 26, in the Harold L. Lickey Auditorium at Bueker Middle School...

While it hasn't yet formed a recommendation, the Marshall Facility Committee did present a progress report to the Marshall Board of Education Tuesday. George Clemens, committee chairman, said his committee has made a lot of progress but is not ready to make a recommendation to the school board. In fact, he said, it could be next spring before a recommendation is presented...