Stories from Friday, January 25, 2008

Editor's note: This story is the second in a series examining the proposal to close two railroad crossings in Marshall, the reasons and potential consequences. At Marshall City Council meeting Tuesday evening, Jan. 22, a public hearing to receive comments and concerns from Marshall residents and business owners about closing North Jefferson and Lyon avenues' railroad crossings caused a little bit of tension...

MEXICO -- For once, weight class vacancies worked in favor of the Marshall wrestling team. Mexico's line-up had even more holes than the Owls', but that was hardly the difference in Marshall's 47-21 NCMC road win Thursday. The Birds won six of the nine bouts for a come-from-behind victory...

GRAIN VALLEY -- Last year both the Marshall boys' and girls' basketball teams brought home championship trophies from the Sonic Showdown at Grain Valley. While the Lady Owls will try to retain their two-year hold on the title, their male counterparts can only sit and watch this weekend after being eliminated from the tournament for the first time Thursday with a 47-43 loss to Paseo of Kansas City...

Only the uniforms will be familiar for fans of the six-year-old Missouri Valley College men's volleyball program this season. Gone are such stalwarts as outside hitter Adam Tuifagu and middle blockers Milos Velimirovic and Mirko Jankovic, along with head coach Joan Rickert -- who led the Vikings to third place in the Tachikara/NAIA National Tournament in each of her two seasons...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Tyler Nichols of the Salt Fork YMCA Swim Club won two events during the Capital City Pentathlon, held Jan. 8 at Jefferson City. Nichols was first in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.09) and butterfly (1:00.21) among 13- and 14-year-old boys. He also took second place in two events and third in his fifth race...

SLATER -- The seventh-seeded Santa Fe girls' basketball team pulled off another upset Thursday in the 27th Wildcat Classic at Slater. Two days after bumping off No. 2 seed Pilot Grove, the Lady Chiefs came from behind to register a 48-47 decision over No. ...

The best Missouri Valley College hoops fans had been able to do this season was leave the Burns Athletic Center with mixed feelings, at least until Thursday -- when both the men's and women's teams won Heart of America Conference tilts at home on the same night for the first time...

Everett O'Donnell attended his last Malta Bend school board meeting -- at least, it was the last for a while -- even though his term has not yet expired. He had a good excuse. O'Donnell is one of a number of Saline County guardsmen being deployed for a year with Missouri National Guard units that will participate in the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo...

Cassandra L. Johnson, 16, of Marshall, suffered minor injuries late Thursday morning, Jan. 24, in an accident on County Road 138, about 0.4 miles east of Missouri Highway 41, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Johnson was transported to Fitzgibbon Hospital by private vehicle to receive treatment for her injuries, according to the patrol report...

The third annual "Luck of the Irish" prime rib dinner and raffle will be held Saturday, March 15, in the Marshall High School gymnasium at 6:30 p.m. A total of 300 tickets are now available for $100 each. The grand prize winner, which will be the last ticket drawn that evening, receives $10,000 cash. Numbers drawn will be drawn throughout the evening, and several will be prize winners...

Our recent story on the pending project at Sherri Estates has prompted questions and comments from readers that indicate there's a lot of confusion surrounding low-income housing and how the new project (and a year-old project at Mallory Place, formerly Santa Fe Apartments) may affect current and future residents when the rehabilitation and renovation is complete...

The Hardeman R-10 School District announced Thursday, Jan. 24, that five people filed to be on the April ballot for seats on the district's Board of Education. Filing for three open three-year terms were Mark W. Borgman, Dennis Gessling, Becky Van Vactor and Lee Vogl...

The Sweet Springs Board of Aldermen has scheduled a special closed meeting for 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28. The only item on the agenda indicates the board plans to go into closed session to discuss personnel matters.

Harry L. Clouser Sr., 82, of Marshall, died Friday, Jan. 25, 2008, at Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall. Memorial services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, 2008, at Campbell-Lewis Chapel in Marshall, with William W. Harlow officiating. Burial with military rites will be in Union Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Union Cemetery or Fitzgibbon Cancer Center. Online condolences may be sent to www.campbell-lewis.com...

Frank C. McAtee Jr., 68, of Carrollton, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2008, at Life Care Center of Carrollton. Memorial services will be held Monday, Jan. 28, 2008, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Carrollton, with Rev. Ken Criqui officiating. The rosary will be at 10 a.m., with services following at 10:30 a.m. ...

William Harold "Bill" Neece, 87, of Sweet Springs, died Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008, at Sweet Springs Villa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008, at First Christian Church in Sweet Springs. Rev. Susan Smith-Allen and Rev. Randy Shannon will officiate. ...

Opal M. Reidenbach, 93, of Slater, died Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008, at Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall. Funeral services will be Sunday, Jan. 27, at 3 p.m. at Weiker Funeral Home in Slater. Rev. Jerry Basye will officiate. Bethany Weiker, organist, will play "Face to Face" and "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." Burial will be in Slater City Cemetery. ...