Stories from Thursday, April 17, 2003

A pair of citizen requests met with no resistance at Wednesday's meeting of the Marshall Municipal Utilities Board of Public Works. The first request was presented by Board Vice President Ron Porter on behalf of the residents of the Cypress Point and Stonehedge subdivisions...

BASEBALL Lewis & Clark Fayette at Slater, ppd. Non-conference Rock Bridge at Hickman, ppd. Mexico at Jefferson City, ppd. Tuesday, April 15 TRACK & FIELD Marshall Triangular Boys: 1. Marshall 89, 2. Smith-Cotton 75, 3. Rock Bridge 9. Girls: 1. Marshall 59; 2. Rock Bridge 56, 3. Smith-Cotton 36...

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- The Missouri Valley College track and field team didn't add to its lineup for nationals Saturday during the Cougar Relays at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, but a couple of athletes got closer to the goal. Freshman Justin Andre, a thrower from Dededo, Guam, improved in two events. ...

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. -- The Missouri Valley College softball team has fallen into a pattern which head coach Nora May finds both frustrating and annoying. Tuesday's Heart of America Conference twinbill at Baker was a prime example. For the third time in the last four dates, the Lady Vikings lost a one-run decision in the opener, 4-3, then came back to wallop their opponent in the nightcap, 8-0...

HARDIN -- All-state junior Kinsey Crutchfield medaled twice for Santa Fe during the Hardin-Central Invitational track and field meet Tuesday. With a leap of 31 feet, 1.75 inches, Crutchfield won the triple jump -- an event in which she placed fifth at last year's MSHSAA Class A Championships. Crutchfield also claimed third place in the long jump (14-3)...

The whipping sticks the Missouri Valley College baseball team pulled out Sunday to score 28 runs during a doubleheader sweep of Lindenwood were in even greater use two days later. Senior Josh Miller drilled four homers out of tiny Osage Field during the Vikings' Heart of America Conference romps over Evangel, 16-5 and 15-10. It was the largest tally Valley has put together in back-to-back games this season...

Both the Marshall boys' and girls' track and field teams eked out narrow victories Tuesday in a lightly-attended three-way meet on the Wayne O'Neal Track. The Owls won nine of 18 events -- including all four relays -- to tally 89 points in beating Smith-Cotton (75 points) and Rock Bridge (9). The Lady Owls had six gold medals among 17 contests for 59 points, edging the Bruins (56) and Tigers (36)...

Olga E. Heaper, 87, of Marshall, formerly of Sweet Springs, died Thursday, April 17, 2003, at Mar-Saline Manor Care Center in Marshall. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 19, at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sweet Springs. Pastor David Ritoch will officiate...

After deciding a month ago to postpone action on a federally-mandated vulnerability study, the Marshall Municipal Utilities Board of Public Works revisited the issue Wednesday. During the board's regular meeting, board Secretary Chuck Hird said the issue had come up during a recent environmental workshop hosted by the Missouri Public Utility Association. Hird and Underground Services Superintendent Monty Chase attended the workshop in Columbia on April 10...

Slater City Council's newest member, Russell Jones, saw his experience with driving trucks come into play during his first meeting on the council Tuesday evening. Council members reported at the last meeting they had received complaints of a truck parked near the corner of Parker and Emerson streets that obscures a stop sign. ...

During its Wednesday meeting, the Marshall Municipal Utilities Board of Public Works approved several projects to improve sewer and electrical service to customers. Monty Chase, underground facilities superintendent, commented on the sewer replacement project planned for a line along Mitchell Street. For the first phase of the project, the main between Redman and Olson avenues will be replaced...

The Pioneer Trails Regional Planning Commission, reformed after being inactive for several years, began laying groundwork for the coming fiscal year during a workshop session in Concordia Tuesday. Three Missouri Department of Transportation representatives, also in the area as part of public meetings concerning the future of Interstate 70, helped inform the commission of what it needs to do in planning transportation system improvements. ...

One injured in I-70 crash A Grain Valley man suffered minor injuries in a crash Wednesday on Interstate 70 in Saline County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that Erin B. Sauer, 19, was eastbound on I-70 at the Blackwater Bridge when he lost control of his vehicle. The Ford Contour slid off the left side of the roadway and struck the edge of a bridge wall, then traveled back across the interstate, striking the other bridge wall before coming to rest in the eastbound driving lane...

In the context of a public waiting area, I recently watched as a mother tried to dissuade her son from getting on her lap or otherwise being "very close" to her. The boy, who probably was grade school age, appeared to be in pain. The mother said he was "just too big" to be held. He needed to be a "big boy" and sit in the chair next to her. The look on his face saddened me. He was devastated...