Stories from Friday, March 17, 2006

Mary Catherine Hahn, 100, of Sweet Springs, died Tuesday, March 14, 2006, at Columbia Manor in Columbia. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 17, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Sweet Springs. Father Kevin Gormley will officiate. Visitation will be held from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday at the church. Burial will be in Ridge Park Cemetery in Marshall. Memorials are suggested to the Sweet Springs Public Library in care of Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home...

Betty R. Hayslip, 82, of Marshall, died Thursday, March 16, 2006, at Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at First Presbyterian Church in Marshall. Rev. Pam Sebastian will officiate. Burial will be in Ridge Park Cemetery in Marshall. Memorials are suggested to First Presbyterian Church in care of Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home in Marshall...

So just what is the state of Saline County? Several community leaders took a stab at that question this past week in the forum sponsored by the Marshall Lions Club. The program -- now in its second year -- which was hosted by Missouri Valley College this year, was informative. ...

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The sixth and final day of SCAD Smash Hit Tournament at Savannah, Ga., went like three of the previous ones for the Missouri Valley College softball team: splitting two games Thursday to close the 6-6 trip. The Lady Vikings were blanked in the opener by Oklahoma Christian, 5-0, but came back to win the finale over Iowa Wesleyan, 7-3 -- the same score in which they had claimed the previous meeting two days earlier...

It may not have the talent of the program's glory days of the late '80s to mid '90s, but the Marshall boys' golf team doesn't lack for a solid line-up of quality players. Head coach Erek Dusenberry begins his 20th season with five guys who possess varsity experience, three of whom were on the course for both the Class 3, District 8 and NCMC championships. The Owls possess plenty of what Dusenberry calls "tournament savvy."...

Community Blood Center officials planned a surprise recognition of Ginger McGraw's successful 17-year tenure as coordinator of the annual Marshall High School blood drive, but McGraw was not an easy person to track down during the drive Wednesday. She was too busy supervising shift changes of student workers to stop for long. ...

Saline County is one of nine Missouri counties covered under a federal disaster declaration after tornadoes and severe thunderstorms raced across the state Sunday, March 12. Other counties included in the declaration are Pettis, Johnson, Christian, Hickory, Monroe, Perry, Randolph and St. Genevieve...

The MFA swine research facility south of Marshall was hit hard during Sunday evening's tornadoes in terms of property damage, but was fortunate to lose very few animals and company officials said the agribusiness intends to rebuild. Kent Haden, D.V.M. ...

Jim Seigfreid confirmed Thursday that he has resigned from the Marshall Municipal Utilities Board of Public Works. The board meeting March 2 was his last, he said. Seigfreid cited potential conflicts of interest between his business and his role on the board...