Stories from Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Standing outside Wal-Mart Wednesday morning, Nov. 26, Gill Memorial Baptist Church Pastor Russ Johnson accepts a donation from a young shopper. He and Father Kevin Gormley of St. Peter Catholic Church, both members of the Marshall Ministerial Alliance, are the first Salvation Army bell ringers of this holiday season...

Northwest Elementary School fourth graders offered a selection of songs during the Kids Come First Minute at the Marshall Board of Education meeting Tuesday, Nov. 25. Music teacher Mary Marshall directed.

Columbia staged a 19-6 sprint over the final nine minutes Tuesday to hand the Missouri Valley College men's basketball team a 73-60 non-conference home setback. Until then, the game had been tied eight times, with six lead changes, three in the first half -- with the Vikings ahead by a point at the break...

Members of Naught-Naught Insurance Agency and Mercy Health Plan were present at the Marshall Municipal Utilities Board of Public Works meeting Tuesday, Nov. 25, to discuss MyChoice, a wellness program for employees offered by Mercy Health Plan. A plan was put forth by Employee Relations director Megan Baldridge to give employees incentive to participate in the wellness program, which involves an employee's choice of either a better benefit level, meaning a lower copay, deductible and coinsurance; a lower premium contribution; or a combination of the first two options, according to Baldridge's prepared material.. ...

Interesting news and features published in our print edition and e-edition Wednesday, November 26 On page 2: "News of the Weird" and the Saline County courts report. On page 3: The Community Food Pantry receives a donation from NAIFA. Also, the calendar of events and Annie's Mailbox...

COLUMBIA -- The Missouri Valley College men's wrestling team gathered nine medals Sunday during the Mizzou Open at Columbia. Three Vikings finished sixth in the Open Division. Junior Joe Cornejo, who won the 157-pound weight class at the Lindenwood Open to begin the season, advanced to the semifinal round before injuring his back and had to take medical forfeits the rest of the way...

Parents as Teachers, Saline County Justice Facility and other local groups will present "SNAP SHOT" Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Saline County Justice Facility. "SNAP SHOT" allows participants to take home a personal snapshot and set of fingerprints of their child or children along with valuable safety-awareness information...

Seasonal events in Saline County.

About 50 people gathered Monday afternoon, Nov. 10, at the Martin Community Center in Marshall to sample wine from Baltimore Bend Vineyard and food provided by Great Events Catering. Of course, eating and drinking was not their only purpose. People came from Howard, Lafayette, Cooper, Boone and Saline Counties to discuss the Old Trails Regional Tourism Partnership, which is a cooperation among Old Trails Scenic Byways and Regional Cuisines and other groups to further heritage tourism in the mid-Missouri area.. ...

Amy Elizabeth Norton Carey, 94, of Marshall, formerly of Macon, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008, at Westport Estates in Marshall. Funeral services will be Monday, Dec. 1, 2008, at 10 a.m. at Greening-Eagan-Hayes Funeral Home in Macon, with Dave Huck officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Macon. Visitation will be Sunday, Nov. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home in Macon. The family suggests memorials to Macon United Methodist Church...

The Marshall school district has had mixed results on standardized testing in recent years, but it has succeeded more resoundingly on a broader measure of success, according to Superintendent Craig Noah. Noah informed the Board of Education Tuesday, Nov. 25, that the district met all 14 state standards on its annual performance report (APR) from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)...