Stories from Tuesday, August 27, 2002

The Marshall Board of Education approved a revised, but not finalized, budget with a $160,000 deficit at its regular meeting held Monday night. After presenting a preliminary budget in June, Marshall Superintendent of Schools Joe Aull returned Monday with a revised version. He said the final version would be ready for review and approval in September...

There's been a gradual realignment of power taking place in the I-70 Conference. Although Crest Ridge and Santa Fe have remained the primary contenders -- finishing first and second, respectively, in the 2001 regular season standings -- Concordia has risen to their level and Orrick is making upward strides...

ALMA -- It's an even-numbered year, so it's time for the Santa Fe volleyball team to return to state. That's the way it's worked recently for the Lady Chiefs (22-12, 6-1 I-70 Conference), who have the talent to make their 13th appearance at the MSHSAA Class A Championships since '79 -- including the state finals in 1998 and a fourth-place finish in 2000. That's certainly on the mind of ninth-year head coach Kim Bishop...

A 2001 season which began with bright hope came crashing down on the Sweet Springs volleyball team. A pair of three-set victories, including one over intracounty rival Marshall, touched off a 5-4 start for the Lady Greyhounds (5-15-1, 2-5 I-70 Conference). However, after a Sept. 20 league victory over Windsor, the Blue and Gold didn't win again during its remaining 12 matches...

Jack Edward Brown, 75, of Columbia, formerly of Marshall, died Monday, Aug. 26, 2002, at South Hampton Place in Columbia. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28, in Memorial Park Cemetery in Columbia. Rev. Jim Bryan will officiate...

Leonard Leslie Baldwin, 76, of Sweet Springs, formerly of Marshall, died Saturday, Aug. 24, 2002, at Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall. Cremation.

Francis Bemboom of rural Slater shows off a monster cucumber grown in his garden. Bemboom said he used Miracle Grow once and produced several cucumbers similar in size to this one. The plants were proverbial late bloomers, however, and Bemboom said at first he didn't expect them to produce anything at all. The cucumber and the others like it were destined for pickling, Bemboom said...

A retreat attended by members of the Marshall Board of Education is being hailed as such a success that another is already being planned to take place before the year's end. Members of the board spoke about the retreat, held earlier this month, at their regular meeting Monday...

The specter of losing credits because of absenteeism has created some initial concerns over a new attendance policy put in place at Marshall High School for this school year. As with the academic honesty policy he helped to draft, new MHS Principal Steve Grammer said the attendance policy is designed to make students accountable for their actions. Grammer discussed the policy at the Monday meeting of the Marshall Board of Education...

SOFTBALL Non-conference at Fayette 3, Bunceton 2 Sturgeon at Cairo, ppd. BASEBALL Non-conference Harrisburg 10, Glasgow 8 (8) Sturgeon at Cairo, ppd.