Stories from Friday, June 21, 2002

A local group looking to preserve a piece of history when Marshall was a leader in aviation faces a quickly approaching deadline to purchase what could be the centerpiece for a new tourist attraction. The Nicholas-Beazley Aviation Museum Inc. must raise $60,000 within the next three weeks to purchase what it believes to be the only remaining NB-3 airplane produced by the Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Company, located in Marshall during the 1920s...

Formal drug possession charges were filed Thursday afternoon against Slater City Councilman Ron Monnig. Records show that Monnig, 46, was charged with class A misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and class A misdemeanor possession of less than 35 grams of marijuana. If convicted, Monnig could receive fines of up to $1,000 and a jail term of up to one year...

Running water and croaking frogs mixed with the scents of lilies and other fresh flowers can be part of almost anyone's backyard, as several local homeowners will show during the sixth annual Show-Me Water Garden Tour on June 30. The tour includes 10 water gardens built by members of the Saline County Water Garden Club, including the garden of club founder Larry Arrowood and his wife LaDonna...

The Saline County Commission reported Friday morning that resolutions from two communities have been received in support of reinstating a regional planning commission which would include Pettis, Lafayette, Johnson and Saline counties. Mt. Leonard and Blackburn have both pledged their support for the commission...

Returning from the West-Central Regional Commissioners meeting Thursday, Saline County Presiding Commissioner John Stouffer and Southern District Commissioner Michael Dillon reported that the next meeting of county commissioners from the region's 23 counties will be in Saline County Sept. 19...

George L. Hibbard, 63, of rural Boonville, formerly of rural Gilliam, died Wednesday, June 19, 2002, at the University Hospital & Clinics in Columbia. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 22, at Campbell-Lewis Chapel in Marshall. Rev. Mike Hibbard will officiate...

The three-game margin atop the Babe Ruth Junior League standings gained by Red Cross Pharmacy with an 11-3 victory over Rose Acre Farms Thursday at MHS Field was almost trimmed by upset-minded Brunswick -- which blew an eight-run lead in a single inning...

ST. LOUIS -- It appears the Marshall boys' basketball team is ready to pick up where it left off at the end of last season. The Owls were third among 30 teams during the St. Louis University Team Shootout June 7-9. Marshall, the District 9AAA Tournament champion, won six out of eight games, including three of four against 2002 playoff squads...

Oh, gosh. Look at the time. It's almost 2 o'clock. Time to waddle over and pay the tab for lunch. The perky young waitress quickly comes over to the cash register and after the requisite "How was everything today?" begins to punch buttons on the cash register...