Seal Coat Project for I-35 in Harrison County to Start

A seal coat project to extend the life of Interstate 35 in Harrison County is scheduled to begin Wednesday, May 1. The Missouri Department of Transportation has contracted with Vance Brothers, Inc., to complete the project on north and southbound I-35 from Harrison County Route N to U.S. Route 136 in Bethany.

During construction, the roadway will be narrowed to one lane around-the-clock in various locations. Crews will work from dawn to dusk from Monday-Friday.

A 16-foot width restriction will be in place for all project work zones. The project is anticipated to be completed by June. 

All work is weather permitting and schedules are subject to change.

MoDOT asks drivers to work with us by always buckling up, keeping your phone down, slowing down and moving over in work zones. Know before you go and check what work zones you might encounter at traveler.modot.org.

While at modot.org, sign up online for work zone updates. Information is also available 24/7 at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or via social media.

Route YY Now Open to Traffic

The Bear Creek Bridge on Gentry County Route YY was reopened to all traffic Wednesday, April 24. The bridge that closed in January 2023 due to structural deterioration was replaced by Gene Haile Excavating, Inc., working with the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Learn more about the project at https://www.modot.org/missouri-route-111-missouri-route-46-and-route-yy-bridge-replacement-atchison-and-gentry.

MoDOT asks drivers to work with us by always buckling up, keeping your phone down, slowing down and moving over in work zones. Know before you go and check what work zones you might encounter at traveler.modot.org.

While at modot.org, sign up online for work zone updates. Information is also available 24/7 at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or via social media.

Junior High Tiger Girls Rise to Second; Brooklyn Smith Wins 100 at Tarkio

Worth County’s junior high girls rose to second Thursday at the Indian Relays in Tarkio and Brooklyn Smith won the 100. 

For the girls, Rock Port had 115, Worth County 62, Albany 58, St. Gregory’s 52, East Atchison 45, Mound City 42, South Holt 22, King City 21, Buchanan County Middle School 17, Platte Valley 16, North Andrew 10, Nodaway Valley 4, and North Nodaway 1.

For the boys, Mound City had 78, King City 63, Rock Port 51, North Andrew 50.50, East Atchison 50, Nodaway Valley 42, Buchanan County Middle School 32, Worth County 30, Platte Valley 27.50, South Holt 22, St. Gregory’s 12, and Albany 7.

For the girls, Brooklyn Smith won the 100 and got a personal best with a time of 14.02. She also got a personal best in the 400 and finished second with a time of 1:08.87. Audrey Runde spent all year between 19 and 21 seconds, but finally rediscovered her form from last year and got a personal best in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 18.47, good enough for third. 

The 4x100 relay team was third with a time of 59.15. The 4x200 was fifth with a time of 2:06.04. The 4x400 was fourth with a personal best of 5:07.28, beating their previous mark by over 15 seconds.

Brooklyn Smith matched a personal best in the High Jump with a third place finish and a height of 1.32 meters. 

The Tigers placed two in the Pole Vault. Megan Tracy was third with a height of 2.11 meters. Hartley Fitzgerald was fourth with a height of 1.98, a personal best.

Brooklyn Smith was third in the Long Jump with a jump of 4.22 meters. Megan Tracy was fourth in the Triple Jump with a jump of 8.45 meters. 

Laura Hansen got a personal best in the Shot Put with a throw of 8.39 meters. Audrey Runde was fourth in the Discus with a personal best throw of 23 meters.

The Tigers placed two in the 100 Hurdles. Mason Hiatt was fourth with a time of 18.88, a personal best. Brock Healy was sixth with a time of 19.19.

The 4x100 relay team was sixth with a time of 56.24. The 4x200 was fifth with a time of 1:56.90.

Mason Hiatt got a personal best in the High Jump with a height of 1.37 meters. 

The Tigers placed two in the Pole Vault. Bentley Frisch won with a height of 2.90 meters. Brock Healy was fourth with a height of 2.43. 

Maverick Cox was fourth in the Long Jump with a jump of 4.89 meters. Jordan Dannar got a personal best with a jump of 4.51. 

Brock Healy was fifth in the Triple Jump with a jump of 9.97 meters. He was first among seventh graders. Bentley Frisch got a season best with a jump of 9.55.

Brock Healy got a personal best in the Discus by over two meters and finished fifth with a throw of 30.17 meters. Wesley Brown matched a personal best with a throw of 23.70.

North Nodaway

Zoey Phillips got a personal best in the 100 with a time of 16.70. Trynzlee Ebrecht got a personal best in the 400 with a time of 1:14.82. Trynzlee broke the 20 second barrier in the 100 Hurdles and finished sixth with a time of 19.56. 

Zoey Phillips got a personal best in the Long Jump with a jump of 3.46 meters. Eliza Clements got a personal best in the Triple Jump with a jump of 7.67 meters. 

For the boys, Jackson Keho got a personal best in the 100 with a time of 13.37. Reed Martin also got a personal best with a time of 15.26. 

Trenton Roberts got a personal best in the 200 with a time of 34.46. Gannon Stricker got a personal best in the 400 with a time of 1:13.54. Robbie Forney got a personal best with a time of 21.69.

The 4x400 got a personal best by over 9 seconds, getting a time of 4:59.26.

Gannon Stricker got a personal best in the Shot Put with a throw of 8.45 meters. 

Tiger Boys Win Third Meet of Year at Stanberry, Girls Third; DeLeon, Casner Finish 1-2 for Mustangs

Worth County’s boys won their third meet of the year, while the girls had their highest point total of the year and finished third. For North Nodaway, Jordan DeLeon and Mason Casner finished 1-2 in the High Jump as the boys finished with their highest point total of the year.

For the girls, Rock Port had 115, Nodaway Valley 77, Worth County 76, Platte Valley 63, Pattonsburg 56, Maysville 51, King City 44, Stanberry 37, Albany 31, DeKalb 21, Princeton 18, North Andrew 6, and North Nodaway 1.

For the boys, they didn’t have to worry about it coming down to the last event as they won handily this time. Worth County had 99, Stanberry 77, Albany 70, Nodaway Valley 66, Rock Port 65, Princeton 51, Platte Valley 47, North Andrew 35, North Nodaway 34, Maysville 33, DeKalb 11, King City 8, and Pattonsburg 7.

The girls were 2-3 in the 100 as Emma Spencer was second with a time of 13.81 and Brooklyn Richardson was third with a time of 13.91. Becca Smith got a season best in the 200 with a time of 32.32. Riley Ridge was fourth in the 100 Hurdles with a time of 18.96. Kristen Tracy was fourth in the 300 Hurdles with a time of 57.02.

The 4x100 team got a personal best and finished second with a time of 52.54. The 4x200 was fourth with a time of 2:05.26. The 800 Sprint Medley was fifth with a time of 2:20.60. 

Riley Ridge won the High Jump with a jump of 1.55 meters. Brooklyn Richardson was fourth with a height of 1.40. The Tigers placed two in the Pole Vault. Eva Engel won with a height of 3.35 meters. Becca Smith was fifth with a height of 1.83 meters. 

Katelyn Fletchall got a personal best in the Long Jump with a jump of 3.98 meters. She was fifth in the Triple Jump with a jump of 8.40 meters.

Kara Staton was fourth in the Shot Put with a throw of 9.53 meters. She was fifth in the Discus with a throw of 28.20 meters. 

The Tigers placed two in the Javelin. Autumn Cousatte broke the 30 meter barrier and finished fourth with a throw of 30.14. Brooklyn Richardson also got a personal best with a throw of 27.95.

The Tigers placed two in both the hurdle events. Lucas Frisch won the 110 Hurdles with a time of 17.30. Brayden Combs was third with a time of 19.49, a personal best. Frisch also won the 300 Hurdles. Brayden Combs was third with his second best time of the year at 48.07.

The 4x200 was fifth with a time of 1:50.65. The 800 Sprint Medley won with a time of 1:45.72.

Andrew Griffin was fourth in the High Jump with a height of 1.60 meters. Brayden Combs was fourth in the Pole Vault with a height of 2.74 meters. Wyatt Hill was fifth with a height of 2.59.

Landon Moser was third in the Long Jump with a jump of 5.56 meters. Wyatt Hill got a personal best with a jump of 4.77. Andrew Griffin was second in the Long Jump with a jump of 11.17.

Bo Collins was fourth in the Shot Put with a throw of 11.39 meters. He won the Discus with a throw of 39.76. Tyler New won the Javelin with a throw of 42.73 meters.

North Nodaway

Lauren Herndon got North Nodaway’s first points all year with a sixth place finish in the High Jump. She got a personal best jump of 1.35 meters. She also got a personal best in the Long Jump with a jump of 3.88 meters.

Jordan DeLeon was second in the 110 Hurdles with a time of 18.64. He was fourth in the 300 Hurdles with a time of 48.32 meters. 

The Mustangs finished 1-2 in the High Jump. Jordan DeLeon and Mason Casner both got a height of 1.70 meters, with DeLeon winning on tiebreaks. DeLeon got a personal best, while Casner matched a personal best.

Mason Casner was fourth in the Long Jump with a jump of 5.55 meters.

Ethan Fry Keeps North Nodaway Close but King City Walks Off 3-2

Ethan Fry did everything he could to keep North Nodaway close, but the Mustangs could not overcome five errors or six called third strikes as King City walked it off 3-2 Tuesday, April 23rd. 

King City had won four games up to that point, but were in the middle of an ugly four game losing streak, including a 24-4 loss to St. Joseph Christian and a 20-3 loss to Albany. North Nodaway, still searching for their first win, followed a 4-3 loss to DeKalb with an ugly 18-0 blowout loss to Platte Valley, a game that ended so quickly that one of the umpires, Rory Bredlow, made it to the NEN game with Nodaway Valley while it was still in progress.

The game was moved to North Nodaway due to heavy rains at King City the night before; King City remained the home team for that game.

Neither side could draw blood for the first three innings. North Nodaway stopped itself for the first three innings with four called third strikes during that stretch while Ethan Fry kept King City off balance with his big breaking ball and was backed up by a couple of good catches by Daryn Berg in right field. 

But after North Nodaway could not score in the fourth, Ryder Sample doubled to left as it sliced away from Ridge Clements and Jacob Jensen singled him to home. But Jensen was out in a rundown trying to steal third as he got a late break for the bag and was a sitting duck.

North Nodaway could not solve Graham Medsker and his breaking ball all night, but in the sixth inning, he ran out of pitches, Alex Jones replaced him on the mound, and North Nodaway struck with two outs. Preston Hansen singled for Medsker’s final at bat and Brice Trimble followed with a double into the gap in left. Daryn Berg got hit by a pitch and Ridge Clements singled home a run to make it 2-1.

But with one out in the Wildkat sixth, Fry lost Jaxzen Johnston’s pop fly in the sun and King City had new life. Johnston took second on a balk and third on a steal. Maddox Farmer stretched a single into a double as Johnston scored to tie it at 2-2.

After North Nodaway went down in order in the seventh. Alex Jones reached on an error as shortstop Brice Trimble’s throw was wide. He stole second and went to third on Cayden Wainscott’s bunt. Trying to make something happen, Fry tried to pick off Jones at third, but third baseman Blaine Clements and the runner got tangled up, the ball got away, and Jones scored for the winning run.

Area Courthouse, Police, and Crime Reports for April 24th, 2024

On March 11th at 4:30 pm, the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department reported that a vehicle driven by Holly England (32) of Beaconsfield was northbound on P68 when she drifted off the road, entered a ditch, hit an embankment, went airborne, and came to rest on the driver’s side. She had to be mechanically extracted from the vehicle. Subsequently, she was charged with two counts Child Endangerment and one count DWI. 

On April 16th, Jordan Emerson (31) of Powhattan (KS) pleaded guilty in Nodaway County Associate Circuit Court to a charge of DWI. He was sentenced to two years supervised probation by Judge Robert Rice. $213.50 of his bond money will be applied to court costs and recoupment fees.

On April 16th, severe storms, 60 mph winds, and a possible tornado tore through Nodaway County and Sheridan. There was storm damage west of Hopkins and northeast of Maryville. The electricity flickered on and off at one point that morning. Subsequently, the National Weather Service confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in Nodaway County. The first touched down west of Hopkins, had top wind speeds of 90 mph, and caused one injury. The second touched down northeast of Maryville had had a top wind speed of 75 mph.

On April 17th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Allen Thomsen (56) of Eagleville alleging Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Felony). Bond was set at $50,000, cash only. 

On April 17th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Wendy Baker (45) of Ridgeway alleging Resisting Arrest. Bond was set at $10,000. 

On April 17th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Andrew Lane (36) of Blythedale alleging Stealing (Felony) and Property Damage (Felony). The charging document filed by the prosecutor alleges the defendant stole five lambs and destroyed 180 plants belonging to another person. Bond was set at $20,000, cash only.

On April 17th, a scammer was calling people in Worth County offering to “help your business.”

On April 17th, a massive outage affected United Fiber customers, including in Hopkins. At its peak, 3,500 customers were affected. An emergency maintenance restored most customers, but there were still others without service as of Thursday afternoon. On Friday, the company reported they were down to a handful of customers without service, but numerous people replied to the Facebook post saying they were still out or that they had their service restored, only for it to go down again. As of Friday afternoon, there were 296 comments in that thread. Service continued to be down for some customers as of Monday, with others reporting they had service temporarily restored, only for it to go down again. 

On April 17th, the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested Blayne Fitzsimmons-Lewis (34) of Boone (IA) in Harrison County on charges of DWI, No Valid License, and Careless & Imprudent Driving.

On April 17th, Special Prosecutor Tara Cluck filed charges against Blake Smith (36) of Maryville in Nodaway County alleging Non-Support (Felony). Information filed by the Prosecutor alleges the defendant stopped making child support payments in January 2022. The amount alleged owed totals $10,500.03. 

On April 18th, the Pottawattamie County (IA) Sheriff’s Department arrested Joseph Rumple (40) on a Ringgold County Warrant for Failure to Appear. Bond was denied.

On April 18th, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Pamela Wissler (39) of Graham alleging Stealing,  Possession of Hydrocodone (Felony), and Possession of Methamphetamine (Felony). Bond was set at $30,000, cash or corporate surety. An affidavit from the Maryville Police Department alleges that on April 17th, defendant took $198.58 worth of merchandise from a local store without paying. While searching her car, officers allegedly discovered the illegal drugs. This is in addition to the charges against her filed on April 15th.

On April 18th, Brian Buntin (43) of St. Joseph pleaded guilty to a charge of No Valid License (Felony) in Harrison County Circuit Court. He was sentenced by Judge Steven Hudson to five years court-supervised probation. 

On April 18th, Jeffrey Jackson (40) of Excelsior Springs pleaded guilty to a charge of Tampering with Motor Vehicle (Felony) in Harrison County Circuit Court. He was given a suspended sentence of 4 years and was sentenced to 5 years probation by Judge Steven Hudson. 

On April 18th, Tayton Berendes (23) of Bethany pleaded guilty in Harrison County Circuit Court to a charge of Burglary (Felony). He was sentenced to 3 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections by Judge Steven Hudson concurrent with a case in DeKalb County. 

On April 18th, Jaquan Sinclair (28) of Lumberton (NC) pleaded guilty in Harrison County Circuit Court to a charge of Possession of Controlled Substance (Felony). He was sentenced to 60 days in jail by Judge Steven Hudson. 

On April 19th, Gentry County Prosecutor Jessica Jones filed charges against Joseph Wilson (39) of Stanberry alleging Domestic Assault and Peace Disturbance. Bond was set at $2,000, cash or corporate surety.

On April 19th, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Amanda Thomas (46) of Bethany alleging Harassment (Felony) and Peace Disturbance. Bond was set at $5,000, cash only. 

On April 20th, a Honda Fourtrax 300 driven by Cael Schmitz (21) of Lebanon was towing Jacob Dickinson (37) of Fort Collins (CO) in a parachute with approximately 110 feet of rope three miles northeast of Grant City on private property. The rope snapped and Dickinson fell from the sky, landing in a nearby hayfield. He received serious injuries and was life flighted to Truman Medical Center in Kansas City.

On April 21st, Harrison County Prosecutor Alex Van Zandt filed charges against Jay Thomas (42) of Bethany alleging No Valid License (Felony, 4th Offense). Bond was set at $5,000, cash only.

On April 21st, Nodaway County Prosecutor Tina Dieter filed charges against Nekoma Hendrix (46) of Clearmont alleging Assault (Felony). Bond was denied.

On April 22nd, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that a 2016 Toyota Highlander driven by Cindy Thao (54) of Jay (OK) was southbound on I-35 in Harrison County at the 89 mile marker at around 8:42 am. The vehicle traveled off the east side of the roadway and into the median. The vehicle struck the crossover, went airborne, and struck the ground. A passenger, Steven Thao, received moderate injuries and was taken to Harrison County Hospital. 

Charges listed are merely allegations. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty it is to determine guilt or innocence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

North Harrison Putting Together Junior High Track Record Board

North Harrison is putting together a Junior High Track Record Board. We came up with one change and one new record while looking over our writings. As of April 19th, these are the following records:

Girls:

75 Meter Hurdles – Darci Gilpatrick (1998) 14.28. 100 Meter Hurdles – Hali Smith (2024) 18.24. 100 Meter Dash – Liane Groom (2000) 13.68. 200 Meter Dash – Darci Gilpatrick (1998) 29.57. 400 Meter Dash – Jayliegh Robins (2018) 1:04.42. 800 Meter Run – Rachel Thomsen (2007) 2:50.16. 1600 Meter Run – Mardee Sadowsky (2015) 6:15.00. 4x100 Relay – Lisle, Sydenstricker, Groom, Lenz (2000) 58.17. 4x200 Relay – Barnhouse, Manion, Miller, Emig (2005) 2:04.91. 4x400 Relay – Thomsen, Parkhurst, Law, Carey (2007) 4:49.89.

Pole Vault – Hali Smith (2024) 2.13 meters. Long Jump – Chandelar Carey (2007) 4.56 meters. Triple Jump – Chandelar Carey (2007) 9.96 meters. High Jump (tie) – Melissa McBroom (1992) 1.38 meters, Liane Groom (2000) 1.38 meters, Rachel Thomsen (2007) 1.38 meters, Brandy Rivet (2013) 1.38 meters. Shot Put – Haley Craig (2012) 11.52 meters. Discus – Haley Craig (2012) 29.19 meters.

Boys:

100 Meter Hurdles – Dalton Guy (2024) 18.67. 100 Meter Dash – Tanner Bowen (2007) 12.31. 200 Meter Dash – Tanner Bowen (2007) 26.21. 400 Meter Dash – Wyatt Maize (2023) 59.16. 800 Meter Run – Damien Sturdevant (2011) 2:34.15. 1600 Meter Run – C.J. Henson (2000) 5:31.15. 4x100 – Stevens Lisle, Small, Parkhurst (2003) 52.78. 4x200 – Bain, Craig, Stevens, Stobbe (2002) 1:50.47. 4x400 – 4:31.11.

Long Jump – Wyatt Maize (2023) 5.94 meters. Triple Jump – Tanner Bowen (2007) 10.88 meters. High Jump (tie) Garren Gibson (2009) 1.68 meters. Jordan Hurt (2011) 1.68 meters. Shot Put – Patrick Fitzgerald (2002) 11.71 meters. Discus – Patrick Fitzgerald (2003) 36.32 meters.

Measurements are converted to meters as currently recorded. Earliest records are from 1989-90. If anybody has information or corrections, please contact the school or this newspaper.