Stories from Thursday, May 4, 2006

The weather is warming up and gas prices are high so there may be more bicyclists on the streets than usual. Time for an annual reminder about safety issues, for both bicyclists and motorists, according to Marshall Police Chief Jim Simmerman. As the Freedom of the Road Riders motorcycle group recently reminded everyone, motorists can do their part by paying attention so they notice cyclists, whether on motorcycles or bicycles...

Saline County Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Bill Sleeper works Tuesday, May 2, on attaching the hands to the south-side clock face in the courthouse tower. The hands of all four clock faces were removed late last autumn for repair. Sleeper said he hoped to have the all the hands installed sometime this week. More work needs to be done on the clockworks within the tower. But if all goes well, the clock may be working again within a week or two, he said...

Common sense suggests that eating right and getting plenty of exercise leads to better health. That doesn't mean making good nutrition and exercise a part of school policy will necessarily be easy. When physical education teacher Val Rimmer introduced the proposed wellness policy to the Marshall Board of Education on April 25, she was careful to acknowledge that there would likely be some resistance to it...

The dress code at Bueker Middle School may see a shift in emphasis soon as district administrators work to fine-tune the policy following an incident in March in which a BMS student was disciplined for adding a red streak to her hair. Marshall Superintendent of Schools Rob Gordon reported to the Board of Education at its April 25, meeting that progress had been made but that changes were being reviewed by district legal counsel...

Graduation ceremonies for area colleges and high schools include the following commencement ceremonies: -- Marshall High School: 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at the Marshall High School sports complex; -- Malta Bend High School: 7 p.m. Sunday, May 14, in the Malta Bend High School gym;...

If high gas prices remain high into the summer and area residents travel less, the Marshall Parks and Recreation Department is ready to provide things for them to do right here. "It's fixin' to get real busy out here," said Director Jeff Stubblefield at the Parks and Recreation board meeting Wednesday, May 3. "If there's $3 gas, people aren't going to venture very far away. We've got to have the activities for them."...

HARRISON, Ark. -- The Missouri Valley College men's rodeo team tried, but nobody was going to catch Tennessee-Martin for the NIRA Ozark Region championship. The Vikings, behind 210 points from junior all-around cowboy champion Larry Carter of Carter County, Mo., finished third last week at the North Arkansas Community College Rodeo in Harrison. The Skyhawks didn't win the meet, placing second to Troy (Ala.) by a mere 30 points, but were already safely ensconced on top of the standings...

LIBERTY -- The Missouri Valley College track and field teams walked away from the Heart of America Conference Championships last weekend at Liberty without any gold medals. The Lady Vikings, though, improved from their traditional seventh-place finish to fifth on the strength of their sprints, jumps and throws...

It's that time again: That time when young whippersnappers are about to take that long walk across the stages of this country to accept their diploma. It's graduation time. And that means it's time to offer some of that sage old advice to those youngsters...

Horace J. Griffin, 86, of Marshall, died Tuesday, May 2, 2006, at his home. Memorial graveside services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 8, at Walnut Ridge Cemetery in Armstrong. Rev. Russell P. Johnson will officiate. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Sweeney-Reser-Wills Funeral Home in Marshall...

Patricia Joan Pointer, 73, of rural Marshall, died Thursday, May 4, 2006, at her home. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 8, at First Baptist Church in Marshall. Rev. Don Simmons will officiate. Visitation will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home in Marshall. Burial will be in Sunset Gardens Cemetery in Marshall. Memorials are suggested to New Salem Baptist Church or Fitzgibbon-Mary Montgomery Hospice...

Robert F. Wilson, 74, of Grand Prairie, Texas, died Thursday, April 20, 2006, at Grand Prairie, Texas. Funeral services were held Sunday, April 23, in Arlington, Texas. Burial was in Arlington, Texas. Born April 4, 1932, southeast of Marshall in Saline County, he was the son of Helen Wilson, who survives, and the late George S. ...

Dale G. Winfrey, 83, of Marshall, died Wednesday, May 3, 2006, at his home. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 6, 2006, at Campbell-Lewis Chapel in Marshall. William W. Harlow will officiate. Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 5, at Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home. Burial will be in Ridge Park Cemetery in Marshal with military rites. Memorials are suggested to Fitzgibbon-Mary Montgomery Hospice or the American Cancer Society...