Stories from Thursday, August 1, 2002

As the time for preparing next year's budget draws nearer, members of the Marshall Municipal Utilities Board of Public Works are questioning the need for some requested projects. While the final budget isn't due for several months, MMU General Manager Paul Jensen took time at Wednesday's meeting of the board to provide a list of small projects which other department directors deemed necessary for the coming year. However, some of the board members took issue with several items on the list...

The second of the three weekends of the Show-Me State Games in Columbia saw more Saline County athletes pick up hardware. Leading the pack was Dr. Jack Uhrig of Marshall with a victory in the five-kilometer road race for 45- to 49-year-old men. Veteran runner Bill Wright also took part in the race and Jeanelle Twellman was the women's 70-79 gold medalist...

SEDALIA - With a pair of top-three finishes, veteran driver Randy McGraw of Marshall maintained his No. 4 standing in the season points race of the W-K Chevrolet-Buick Late Models Division at Sedalia's State Fair Speedway. Racing resumed Friday after two weeks of rainouts, with McGraw coming in second to the current points leader -- Concordia's Dave Meyer -- in the third heat. Earlier, Chad Clark of Marshall was runner-up to Holt's Summit's Richard Foster in the first preliminary...

Naomi F. Reese Weinrich, 91, of South Kansas City, died July 31, 2002, at Carondelet Manor. Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at Red Bridge Christian Church in Kansas City.

Madalyn Vogt, 72, of Sweet Springs, died Thursday, Aug. 1, 2002, at North Kansas City Hospital. Arrangements are pending at Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home in Sweet Springs.

In preparation for the Tuesday, Aug. 6, primary election Saline County Clerk Ken Bryant announced that voting machines will be tested Friday, Aug, 2, at 1 p.m. Because Bryant is running for re-election the test will actually be conducted by a representative from Henry Adkins, the state-certified company which provides the software for the machines...

Employees at the Marshall Habilitation Center are confident their message has been heard and will be respected following a visit by 300 state workers to the State Capitol in Jefferson City Monday. Nine Marshall Habilitation Center employees traveled to Jefferson City to take part in the gathering of state workers as the largest collective bargaining unit recognized by the state began negotiations about compensation and benefits...

Charges have been filed against eight people, including four Waverly residents, in connection with an investigation of a clandestine methamphetamine production operation. Lafayette County Prosecuting Attorney Page Bellamy filed the charges after reviewing the case with Lafayette County Sheriff Kerrich Alumbaugh...

With or without changes to the city's nuisance ordinance, the controversy over whether the Slater City Council should order people to clean up may be rallying residents to do just that. After two hours of arguing, pleading and chastising, Tuesday night's public hearing to address the new ordinance finished with neighbors offering to help clean up properties and residents urging each other to cooperate and be proud of their city...

Note: This is an encore presentation of one of Bob's favorite columns. It originally appeared in this space in the spring of 1997. We hope you enjoy it again this time around. Truth is a funny thing. It has a variety of effects on people. Some love it; some tolerate it; and some just plain hate it. But it is always there...