Stories from Monday, March 23, 2009

Virginia Ruth "Ginny" Rasse, 87, of Marshall, died Saturday, March 21, 2009. Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 27, 2009, at Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home in Marshall.

Billy Joe Terrell, 38, of Stigler, Okla., was released on a $5,000 bond Sunday, March 22, after being arrested and jailed the day before on the class D felony of unlawful use of a weapon. Terrell was taken into custody Saturday afternoon, March 21, for unlawful use of a weapon, driving while intoxicated, failure to display valid license plates and no seat belt...

Interesting news and features published in our print edition and e-edition March 23 On page 2: Comics, puzzles and the astrograph. On page 3: Stories about a gymnast from Concordia and a class at Criminal Justice Training Center...

After years of mediocrity, including back-to-back winless campaigns, the Marshall girls' soccer program achieved a turnaround last year. With the best defensive unit in the NCMC, the Lady Owls overcame a lack of scoring punch to finish 12-8-2, including 7-3 in league play for second place. ...

Things got worse for the struggling Missouri Valley College baseball team before they got better during its weekend home series with Heart of America Conference West Division rival Graceland. The difference between being swept Friday and winning both Sunday games was pitching. ...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- After splitting games on each of its first three days at the Tucson Invitational, the Missouri Valley College softball team suddenly got hot and closed the trip by winning five of six. The second half of the meet didn't begin well for the Lady Vikings, dropping a 4-3 decision Thursday to Wesleyan (Conn.). Valley had nine hits, but stranded nine runners on base...

The Friends of Jim the Wonder Dog organization has been formed to promote the story of Jim the Wonder Dog and to maintain the memorial garden located on Lafayette Street, according to a news release from the organization. The garden was built in 1998 and has been maintained by a committee as part of the Friends of Saline County...

The pulse of water into the Missouri River scheduled for this week to benefit the endangered pallid sturgeon has been rained out, according to a news release from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. The substantial rain forecast across much of the lower Missouri River basin over the next several days would push the river over the flow limits, eliminating the two-day pulse that was scheduled to begin today...

At The Marshall Public Library Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday, March 10, Library Director Amy Crump informed the board that several paperback books recently were stolen. Library janitor Joseph Hatfield found the torn-off covers of three paperback books when emptying the bathroom waste basket, she said...

Chris Hammonds, 44, of Blackwater, died Friday, March 20, 2009, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia. Memorial services will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, 2009, at Campbell-Lewis Chapel in Marshall, with Mark Gooden officiating. Visitation will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Heartland Lions Eye Bank. Friends may sign the online register book at www.campbell-lewis.com...

Brian Scott, 20, of Marshall, died Saturday, March 21, 2009, in Springfield. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 25, 2009, at First Baptist Church in Marshall, with William W. Harlow officiating. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. ...

On Monday, March 23, the Saline County Health Department received a big delivery: $21,000-worth of equipment in a special needs cache from Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. DHSS selected the health department as a good storage location for the cache, which contains items such as ibuprofen, diapers, cots, first aid kits and stethoscopes. ...