Stories from Tuesday, March 23, 2004

The Saline County Commission met about 15 minutes later than usual Tuesday due to lacking a quorum. Southern District Commissioner Mike Dillon was the first to arrive at 9:05 a.m. and Northern District Commissioner Richard Pemberton arrived about 10 minutes later...

"Lewis and Clark's Missouri" is the title of an exhibit that will be on display April 5-27 at Van Meter State Park near Miami. This traveling exhibit, sponsored and produced by the Missouri Historical Society with support from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission, will be on display inside the park's visitors center...

To ensure the Lighthouse Shelter in Marshall continues to have qualified, prepared volunteers, a free, five-hour seminar is scheduled for Saturday, March 27. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the community room at Wood and Huston Bank on the Marshall square, experienced and new shelter volunteers from the area will be meeting to learn how to assist individuals who have experienced a broad scope of domestic abuse...

Blackburn, on the western edge of Saline County, established its own police department in mid-January, and drivers on Missouri Highway 20 are slowing down. Margaret Catlat, an Alma resident who often drives to nearby Blackburn, said she and everyone she's talked to have slowed down to obey the 45-miles-per-hour speed limit through the small town on the Saline-Lafayette county line now that law enforcement officers might be watching...

Voters in Marshall's Ward 2 will have two familiar names to chose from when selecting their representative to the Marshall City Council in April. John Pile, the incumbent, will face off against Vince Lutterbie, a challenger who is no stranger to municipal government...

A century of farming covers a lot of history and the Saline County University Outreach and Extension office plans to recognize some of that heritage through the 2004 Missouri Century Farms program. Cynthia Crawford, a specialist at the Extension office, said the office has been honoring Century Farms since 1985, and the statewide program has done so since 1976...

Robert J. Neel, 63, of Slater, died Monday, March 22, 2004, at his home. Funeral arrangements are pending at Weiker Funeral Home in Slater.

Esther M. Jacobs, 81, of Marshall, died Sunday, March 21, 2004, at her home. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 27, at Sweeney-Reser-Wills Funeral Home in Marshall. Rev. Dale O. Bean will officiate. Organist Ramona Bullington will accompany Leonda Raines as she sings "Heaven," "Jesus Sign My Pardon" and "Special Delivery." Visitation will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. ...

Harold D. Cromley, 73, of Marshall, died Sunday, March 21, 2004, at New Mark Care Center in Kansas City. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25, at Campbell-Lewis Chapel in Marshall. William W. Harlow will officiate. Visitation will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. ...

The Marshall boys' tennis team kicked off the season Monday by breezing to a 9-0 home victory over NCMC rival Moberly. The Owls won all six singles matches in straight sets, although sophomores Myles Yokeley and Hunter Hsu got a slight challenge in the top two spots from seniors Dustin Tregnano and Joel Davidson. Yokeley took a 6-2, 6-2 decision and Hsu found his groove midway through his match for a 7-5, 6-1 win...

It was hard to tell which was the varsity and which the JV for the Marshall boys' golf team during Monday's season opener. Both squads were better than visiting Moberly, the Owls' starters tallying a 165 and the second team coming in at 171 -- each well below the 190 rung up by the Spartans (0-1), whose only highlight was the 39 turned in by junior Nathan Huntsman. ...

During the final season of the NCMC in its present form, the two teams which will be leaving the loop should battle it out for the girls' soccer crown. The league's first six seasons saw dominance by Rock Bridge, but Helias slipped past the Lady Bruins a year ago for its first championship. ...

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- The Missouri Valley College men's tennis team stumbled out of the gate against a pair of solid NCAA Division III teams, but came back with four victories in a row last week during its season-opening trip to Hilton Head Island, S.C...

The arms may have been tired in Florida, but there was nothing wrong with the pitching Monday for the Missouri Valley College softball team. Senior Leslie Footlick and junior Noraida Negron didn't allow an earned run between them as the Lady Vikings, seventh in the latest NAIA Region V rankings, dusted off visiting Central Methodist, 4-3 and 9-0, in their Heart of America Conference opener...

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- A visit to St. Augustine for the Florida Winter Classic last week produced four wins in six tries for the Missouri Valley College baseball team. The Vikings got off to a hopeful start with a March 14 sweep of Georgetown (Ky.), needing comebacks to win both of them, 3-2 and 8-4...

Practices are no piece of cake for the Marshall girls' soccer team. First-year head coach Rayshawn Mars has set lofty goals for the Lady Owls this season, and to make sure they reach them he has them "do every aspect" of the game "every single day." The result, he hopes, will be a rugged, competitive group...