04-18-2024 Post Telegraph

R-5 board mulls drug testing for activities

Students participating in MSHSAAsponsored sports and activities would be impacted. District’s tuition rate increased to $11,000; board purchases new diesel school bus

PRESTON COLE

Princeton Post-Telegraph

PRINCETON, Mo The Princeton R-5 Board of Education has begun the process of instituting mandatory random drug testing of students who participate in extracurricular activities.

During their meeting last Monday night (April 8), the board heard from superintendent Jerry Girdner and high school principal Dana Seymour about the possibility of beginning drug testing due to the rising use of marijuana since it’s become more legalized - not necessarily in the R-5 district, but nationwide. Overall rates of drug use and abuse of drugs are rising.

The district remains committed to deterring and preventing student drug use, and a testing program would give the district another tool to use toward that end.

A basic outline of the proposal calls for students in grades 7-12 who are involved in MSHSAA-sponsored (Missouri State High School Activities Association) sports activities and the A+ Schools program would be required to submit to random drug testing as a condition of participation. And the board

Ussery hired as PHS principal

Dr. Meridith Ussery

Special to the Post-Telegraph

PRINCETON Congratulations to Dr. Meredith Ussery, the next principal of Princeton R-5 Junior/ Senior High School.

During the April 8 Board of Education meeting, Dr. Ussery was unanimously approved to serve as rincipal starting in the 2024-25 school year. Dr. Ussery has served as the district’s special education director for the past eight years, and has been with the district for 15 years, serving in numerous roles throughout her tenure.

See Ussery is new principal, Page 2

could make it a blanket policy for all extracurricular activities plus the privilege of parking on school property. Those are already covered by the district’s discipline policy about drugs and alcohol. A parking sanction could be a bit tricky, however, as Girdner pointed out that students could park along the north side of the campus on Coleman Street, which runs from College Avenue on the east to Ballew Street on the west.

A number of school districts in the region already have a drug testing requirement. They include Putnam County - thought to be the first district to start a program - Newtown-Harris, South Harrison, Stanberry, Milan, Brookfield,

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Worth County, King City, Albany and Green City. Girdner pointed out that while he was at Oak Grove, that district was one of the first in Missouri to start a drug testing program.

The board will continue to discuss a drug testing policy during its May and June meetings, and seeks the public’s input in the meantime. The board usually meets twice in June. Tuition to increase

After hearing Girdner talk about school funding issues, both locally and statewide, the board voted to increase the district’s tuition rate to $11,000 per year starting with the 2024-25 school year.

Currently, Spickard R-2 students in grades 7-12 attend classes at Princeton, and they - plus one other student - pay the current State Adequacy Rate of $6,375 for tuition. Those students will be grandfathered in at the new rate of $6,725, while new non-resident students will be charged $11,000.

Under Section 167.131 RSMo, districts without a high school must pay tuition and provide transportation for students who attend high school in a bordering district. The sending district determines where it will provide tuition costs and transportation.

The state provides Princeton with no funds to educate Spickard students; that money stays with the R-2 district. However, Girdner said, the cost to educate one Princeton High School student is $14,724.60, thus creating a sizable imbalance between Spickard’s income and Princeton’s expenses, especially at a time where enrollment in both districts is in decline.

Girdner pointed out that Princeton receives no funds from federal, state or local sources to educate the Spickard students.

Numbers for sports

Athletics director Mike Schmidli presented information about Princeton’s declining enrollment and its impact on

See Princeton R-5 board, Page 2

At the start of the Princeton school board’s April 8 meeting, outgoing board member Chad Smith (right) was presented a plaque by Superintendent Jerry Girdner, recognizing him for his nine years (three terms) on the board.

Ussery is new principal

From Page 1

Vaccinations From Page 1

EMPLOYMENT

Harrison County Central Dispatch is currently accepting applications for Communications Officers! Varying shifts open, including nights, weekends, and holidays. The abilities to multitask and pay attention to detail are a must. We will train the right candidate! Requirements: Be at least 18 years or older, be a citizen of the United States, possess a high school diploma or GED, be free of any felony convictions, and strong computer skills. Benefits also include paid holidays, and County provided retirement and life insurance. Also available are dental and vision coverage. If you’re interested, scan the QR code and print an application or come to the Law Enforcement Center and pick one up today! Still not sure if Emergency Communications is right for you? Call 660-425-3199 and ask to schedule a sit-in for a partial shift. 3-28-4tb

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NO HUNTING OR TRESPASSING on any land owned by LAKE MARIE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION. 7-28-23-52tp

No hunting or trespassing of any kind without permission on land owned by Diane Houk and Jenny Bomgardner. 9-28-23-52tp

Absolutely NO TRESPASSING, including but not limited to hunting, fishing, hiking, mushroom and drones on land owned and/or rented by KRW5 Trust (Keith or RaeLynn Weaver) 10-5-23-52tb

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“Dr. Ussery has a tremendous work ethic and will be able to help our students and staff continue to improve,” said Superintendent Jerry Girdner.

Dr. Ussery was born and raised in Knoxville, Iowa. She graduated with honors from Central College in 2003 and then taught at Knoxville Middle School for six years. She began teaching at Princeton R-5 in the fall of 2009. Dr. Ussery earned a master’s degree from Northwest Missouri State in K-12 educational leadership in 2015. She then earned her specialist degree in educational leadership and superintendency from Arkansas State University in 2017, and most recently, a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction from Capella University in 2020.

“I am excited and honored to step into this new role and am committed to the continuous growth of our students, staff, and school community,” she said.

Dr. Ussery is married to Scott Ussery, who teaches, coaches, maintains athletic fields, and drives a bus for the Tigers. They have four children: Kaleb, Kelby, Bow, and Chandler.

Dr. Ussery will begin her official duties on July 1.

the sports program.

He said Princeton’s “MSHSAA enrollment” could drop as much as 25% by years 2028 through 2030 before beginning to rise. MSHSAA enrollment is a high school’s enrollment in grades 9-11 at a particular date in the spring. Princeton’s 2023-24 MSHSAA enrollment was 84, and Schmidli said the number for the 2024-25 school year will be 85.

MSHSAA enrollment determines class and district assignments for sports and activities the association sponsors. During the 2023-24 school year, Princeton was in Class 1 for all its sports except boys basketball, where the cutoff between Class 1 and Class 2 was 79 students. Princeton was also Class 2 in Scholar Bowl and vocal and instrumental district competitions.

The board voted to invite Mercer to co-op for junior high softball next year. Schmidli said Mercer doesn’t yet know if it will be able to field a team next year. MSHSAA approves co-op requests made past the usual deadline on an emergency basis. Other actions

• The board voted to hold summer school for students in grades K-12, beginning Monday, May 20. Classes will be held from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, except for the week of Memorial Day, when classes will run Tuesday through Friday. Classes will run from 8 a.m.-noon on Friday, June 14, which is the last day of the program. Driver education will be offered for older students.

Because of what Girdner said is Missouri’s “unique” school funding formula, Princeton did not offer summer school until 2022. He said the district could have lost “significant” funding - in the hundreds of thousands of dollars - from the Small Schools Grant and hold harmless provisions.

• The district will offer preschool for three-year-old kids next school year. There are only 12 four-year-olds enrolled, making room for up to 10 three-year-olds.

• The district will buy a 2025 Thomas 71-passenger, diesel-powered school bus from Midwest Bus Sales Inc. of Shawnee, Kan. The price will be $134,534, with the bus to arrive in late September or early October.

Midwest Bus Sales also submitted a bid of $143,261 for a 77-passenger bus.

• The board certified results from the April 2 election, which saw Blake Boxley win reelection and Chet Ellsworth win election.

Board members elected Ron Parsons as board president, and Nathan Evans as vice president. Secretary Marcie Davis and treasurer Karla Meinkke were elected to those positions.

• The board hired Dr. Merideth Ussery as junior/senior high school principal for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, with a salary of $72,000 for the first year. (Story begins on Page 1.)

Extra-duty resignations from assistant football coach Wes Guilkey and National Honor Society advisor Heather Hall were accepted. Hall was given a 10.5-month contract as 7-12 counselor.

Extra-duty contracts were approved for testing coordinator Lori Puls and FFA trapshooting coach Kurt Meighen.

• Required for 12th grade students: MCV4.

Tdap vaccine can prevent tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Tetanus causes painful stiffening of the muscles and can lead to serious health problems and death. Diphtheria can lead to difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, or death. Pertussis, also known as “whooping cough,” can cause uncontrollable, violent coughing that makes it hard to breathe.

MCV4 vaccine can help protect against meningococcal disease caused by serogroups A, C, W, and Y. Meningococcal disease can cause meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) and infections of the blood. Even when it is treated, meningococcal disease kills 10-15 infected people out of 100.Those who survive may suffer disabilities such as hearing loss, brain damage, loss of limbs, or other complications.

Although not required, HPV and MenB vaccines are also recommended at this age. HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine helps prevent infections that can cause cancer. Over 90% of cancers caused by HPV can be prevented with the vaccine. MenB vaccine can help protect against meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B. The required MCV4 vaccine does not cover serogroup B, which is the primary cause of meningococcal disease and outbreaks in young adults. If you are interested in these recommended vaccines, please contact the Mercer County Health Department at 660748-3630 for an appointment.

We are happy to provide preventative health services to keep our students healthy!

What are the odds?

Loose your wallet in a swimming pool and it’s easy enough to recover; drop it in the sea and you can kiss it goodbye. Marcie Callawaert lives near Tofino, British Columbia, a town off the coast of Vancouver Island where she lost her wallet some eight months ago. She combed the beach and even snorkeled in search of it with no luck. And then, one day recently, she went for a beachside walk and “Lo and Behold” there it was, mixed in with trash that had washed up on the beach. “I knew right away. It stopped me right in my tracks.”

Natalie had a little lamb

Natalie Renot, of Wiggins, Miss., known for rescuing animals in need, has a new patient to care for - a lamb born with five legs who she calls Spider-Lamb. When she found her lamb he was in dire need but he has been responding to the care she and local veterinarians have provided. As she tells it, “I am still having to force-feed him, but I did stand him up and he walked a little bit, so I call that progress.” Veterinarian Jason Gulas confirmed Natalie’s assessment, noting that “he definitely has some abnormalities. He might not be normal compared to other lambs, but I think that he will live a normal-for-him life.”

Growing old

It took a while, but Fred Allen Smalls finally got his diploma from Georgetown County High School in the town of Plantersville. He missed graduation when he moved to Washington, DC to help support his family. Born on February 5, 1918, he recently turned 106 years of age and he is still going strong. Tamara Baker, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, told NBC News that “it’s the positive social networks - the ones that are going to influence you, or get behind you to go to the doctor, to do the exercise, to eating properly. Even in some of the more impoverished neighborhoods, if you have that positive social network, that can go a long way.”

The odds are one in 400 million

The cow was born with two heads. It happened in Cossinade, La. The odds were not one in a million, as the saying goes; it was one in 400 million, says Eric and Dawn Breaux, who own the cow. The condition is called polycephaly and the experts say most of the time critters are stillborn or live just for a few hours or days. The cow was still alive on day eight when the news of its birth made headlines. At the time, Mrs. Breaux told reporters “She has trouble lifting her head but is holding it up more and more as she is getting stronger. She is not standing on her own yet so she is unable to nurse on her mom. We have been bottle feeding her from the start.”

PRINCETON BASEBALL - Putnam County Tournament

Tigers get first win over Green City, then fall

8-run inning lifts Putnam County to victory in championship game of Midgets’ annual tournament

PRESTON COLE

Princeton Post-Telegraph

UNIONVILLE, Mo After getting an historic win in their first game Saturday in the Putnam County Tournament, Princeton’s pitching ran out of steam as the Tigers dropped a 12-10 decision to the host Midgets in the championship game. Putnam County (14-1) jumped on the Tigers early, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning and another run in the second for a 4-0 lead.

Princeton rallied with a pair of 4-run rounds in the third and fourth innings to go up 8-4, and added a run in the fifth for a 9-1 lead.

Starting pitcher Kelby Thomas threw 102 pitches through the first four innings, three under Missouri’s 105-pitch limit for one game. The Midgets pounced on relievers Gavin Power and Noel Schreffler for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead, 12-9. Princeton (7-5) got a run in the top of the sixth to pull to within 12-10, but time literally ran out on the Tigers as the game ended on the event’s time limit after the top of the sixth ended.

Chase Evans had three of Princeton’s 10 hits, while Thomas, Power and Kash Holt got two hits each. Power got three RBI and Thomas, Clay Evans and Schreffler got two RBI each.

Odd statistic of the day: Both pitching staffs walked eight batters and struck out 10.

Princeton 3, Green City 2

Power successfully pulled off a squeeze bunt with one out in the bottom of the seventh, scoring the winning run and to give the Tigers their first-ever

win over regional power Green City in the tournament opener.

Princeton had been 0-4 against the Gophers, who have won five-straight district titles dating back to 2018 (the 2020 season was canceled because of the pandemic), during the brief history of the Tiger program. Two of the losses came in district championship games.

Both teams scored in the first inning. Green City (9-4) took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth, but Princeton tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Clay Evans, who threw a stellar complete game for the Tigers, retired Green City in the top of the seventh before Power came through with his game-winning bunt.

Evans threw the maximum 105 pitches, scattering five hits, and added two hits and three stolen bases for the Tigers. Princeton 15, Milan 3

MILAN, Mo. Power hit two home runs out of Milan’s ancient Legion Field, and the Tigers scored in four of the game’s five innings during a non-conference rout last Thursday (April 11).

Princeton got all the runs it would need during the first two innings, as the Tigers scored two runs in the top of the first and four more in the second for a 6-0 lead. They added three runs in the top of the fourth to increase the lead to 9-0 before Milan (5-4) scored a run in its half of the inning.

Princeton polished off the Wildcats with a 6-run fifth. Milan got a couple of runs in the bottom of the inning but got no closer and the game ended after five on the 10-run mercy rule.

All nine Tigers that batted scored, and eight Tigers got hits. Power drove in five runs. Cooper Boxley pitched into the fifth inning for the win.

MERCER TRACK & FIELD - Carrollton Invitational

RON KINZLER/Unionville Republican Princeton second baseman Cooper Boxley (#15) put the tag on a Putnam County baserunner during the championship game of the Putnam County Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

STATISTICS

Putnam County 12, Princeton 10

OFFENSE - Hits: Chase Evans 3, Kelby Thomas 2, Gavin Power 2, Kash Holt 2, Noel Schreffler. 2B: Power. Runs scored: Thomas 2, K. Holt 2, Chase Evans 2, Talan Holt, Clay Evans, Power, Evan Houck. RBI: Power 3, Thomas 2, Clay Evans 2, Schreffler 2, K. Holt. Walks: T. Holt 2, Thomas, Clay Evans, Power, Schreffler, Houck, K. Holt. Sacrifice fly: Clay Evans. Stolen bases: Power. Hit by pitch: Power.

PITCHING - Thomas: 4 innings, 4 runs (three earned), 5 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts; Power: 0 innings (faced 4 batters), 4 runs (3 earned), 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts; Schreffler: 1 innings, 4 runs (3 earned), 3 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts. Princeton 3, Green City 2

OFFENSE - Hits: Clay Evans 2, T. Holt, Thomas, Power, Cooper Boxley, Chase Evans. Runs scored: T. Holt,

Clay Evans, Schreffler. RBI: Power 2. Walks: Clay Evans, Boxley, Schreffler. Stolen bases: Clay Evans.

PITCHING - Clay Evans: 7 innings, 2 runs (1 earned), 6 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts.

Princeton 15, Milan 3

OFFENSE - Hits: Clay Evans 2, Power 2, K. Holt 2, Thomas, T. Holt, Boxley, Schreffler, Chase Evans. 2B: Schreffler. HR: Power 2. Runs scored: Power 3, Clay Evans 2, Thomas 2, Boxley 2, Schreffler 2, T. Holt, K. Holt, Houck, Chase Evans. RBI: Power 5, Clay Evans 2, Schreffler 2, K. Holt 2, T. Holt, Boxley. Walks: Power 2, Boxley 2, Chase Evans 2, Clay Evans, Thomas, Schreffler. Stolen bases: Thomas 3, Schreffler 2, Power 2, Boxley. Hit by pitch: Houck, K. Holt.

PITCHING - Boxley: 4 innings, 3 runs (0 earned), 4 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, 2 hit batters; T. Holt: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 hit batter.

Cardinal girls score in 7 events, finish 10th

Fisher second in high jump, Rogers third in discus for

PRESTON COLE

Princeton Post-Telegraph

CARROLLTON, Mo Mercer’s girls had their best point-scoring meet of the season last Wednesday (April 10), scoring in seven events to place 10th in

the 16-team Carrollton Invitational.

Maddi Fisher had the Cardinals’ highest finish, taking second in the high jump on a cool, breezy afternoon with a leap of 4 feet, 51/4 inches. She also finished eighth in the discus with a throw of 73-5.

Sari Rogers was third in the discus with a toss of 87-51/2

Peyton Wells scored in two individual events, finishing sixth in the 200 meters in 32.36 seconds, and seventh in the 400 in 1 minute, 12.65 seconds.

The Cardinal team of Stark, Hagan, Fisher and Wells finished fourth in the 4x100 in 1:00.66.

Mercer totaled 27 points on the day. Places were scored on the 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis on

Lily Stark was seventh in the shot put with a heave of 2611/2, and Makenzie Hagan was eighth in the 400 in 1:15.51.

Carrollton’s 8-lane facility. Mercer’s boys scored in one event, good for one point and a tie for 13th in the team standings.

The 4x200 team of Keegan Brundage, Dylan Lewis, Tate Lewis and Travis Burton finished eighth in 2:04.45.

TERRI KELLY/Princeton Post-Telegraph

Grace Kelly finished fourth in the discus (above) and ran a leg of Princeton’s winning 4x200 relay during the Gary Ferguson Relays in Trenton last Thursday (April 11).

PRINCETON BOYS TRACK & FIELD

Tigers win 2 events, finish fourth at Gary Ferguson Relays

Lowrey, 4x200 finish first during 10-team event

PRESTON COLE

Princeton Post-Telegraph

TRENTON, Mo Princeton’s boys got first-place finishes in two events and eight top-3 performances, scoring in eight events to finish fourth in the 10team Gary Ferguson Relays last Thursday (April 11).

Freshman Hunter Lowrey won the discus throw, tossing the platter 130 feet, 7 inches. He also claimed one of the Tigers’ four second-place finishes with a shot put of 37-6.

Princeton also won 4x200meter relay as the quartet of Gavin Stockman, Corbin Powell, Ethan Rhoades and Nico Rubio finished ahead of the field in 1 minute, 39.81 seconds.

Freshmen Stockman and Powell had individual second-place finishes - Stockman in the 100 meters in 13.16 seconds, Powell in the 200 in 26.23.

The Tiger 4x100 relay team of Stockman, Rhoades, Rubio and Lance Montgomery finished second in 50 seconds flat.

Rhoades and Powell also contributed third-place points - Rhoades in the 200 in 26.63, Powell in the 400 in 56.66.

Gary Ferguson Relays

Tigers win three events

Henke wins wind-blown 100, Bears captures 300 hurdles and Princeton wins 4x200; Tigers get three seconds as team takes third place

PRESTON COLE

Princeton Post-Telegraph

TRENTON, Mo. Princeton’s girls track and field team got wins in two individual events and a relay, and scored in 11 events overall, in securing a solid third-place finish last Thursday (April 11) during the Gary Ferguson Relays.

Addilyn Henke and Danielle Bears got the Tigers’ individual victories. Henke won the 100-meter dash in 14.26 seconds, running into the teeth of a strong west wind in the process.

Bears ran into the same wind during the 110-meter high hur-

dles, but was able to cross the finish line first in 18.25 seconds.

Princeton’s relay win came in the 4x200 event, where the foursome of Riley Clark, Grace Kelly, Mikaylee Henke and Addilyn Henke turned in a time of 1 minute, 59.44 seconds - the only time under 2 minutes.

Bears and Addilyn Henke also had second-place individual finishes. Bears was second in the 300-meter low hurdles in 55.43, while Henke was second in the long jump with a leap of 14 feet, 83/4 inches.

The Tigers also get second-place points in the 4x100 relay, where the team of Alyvia Enright, Bears, Kelly and Addilyn Henke had a tie of 55.80.

Clark got points in two individual events for Princeton,

taking third in the 100 in 14.45 and fourth in the long jump at 14-61/2

Katie Bauer was third in the 3200 in 15:34.93.

Kelly finished fourth in the discus with a throw of 81-4. Kelsey Goodin took fourth in the shot put with a heave of 2611/2. Addison Wyatt was fifth in the triple jump, leaping 24-93/4 Kadence Power finished fifth in the 400 meters in 1:15.44.

Princeton’s 81 points were the most scored by any of the six Class 1 schools in the 10team field. The Tigers finished behind Class 2 teams Brookfield and Maysville, but placed ahead of Class 3 Trenton and Class 2 Carrollton.

Points were awarded on the 10-8-6-4-2-1 method on Trenton’s 6-lane track.

Rhoades also finished fifth in the long jump with a leap of 17-6.

Princeton scored 62 points in finishing behind Newtown-Harris, Brookfield and Trenton. Since the C.F. Russell Stadium track is a 6-lane facility, points were scored on the 10-8-6-4-2-1 system.

LINDSEY LOWREY/Special to the Post-Telegraph

Princeton’s Hunter Lowrey finished second in the shot put (above) and won the discus at the Gary Ferguson Relays.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Results

from Monday’s Jim King Relays

High school and junior high (latter if there’s space available).

Mystery

They call themselves

The Most Famous Artists and a few years ago they claimed that they were responsible for several silver monolith that mysteriously showed up in the U.S. and Europe in 2020. But no one has claimed the sudden appearance recently of a similar monolith on a hillside in Wales. Photographer Richard Haynes came across it and said that “it was about 10-foot-tall at least and triangular, definitely stainless steel. It was hollow and I imagine pretty light, light enough for two people to carry it up and plant it in the ground.”

Clark will be just fine in the WNBA

DR.

GLENN MOLLETTE

Special to the Post-Telegraph NEWBURGH, Ind. Caitlin Clark will do great in the WNBA. She can shoot, she can pass and she’s a savvy player.

Clark did what no one ever dreamed anyone would do and that was to score more points than Pistol Pete Maravich who played for LSU from 19671970. Maravich scored 3,667 total points at LSU and averaged 42.2 points per game for the tigers.

Clark totaled 3,951 points .and averaged 30 points per game. Old timers are quick to recall that Maravich did it before the day of the shot clock and the three-point line. Also, it was in a day when freshmen weren’t allowed to play on the varsity. Still, this does not take away from the incredible feat accomplished by Clark playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

When Maravich signed with the Atlanta Hawks in 1970. He signed for $1.9 million, which was the largest amount to be signed for by a college player at that time.

Clark with sign for $75,000 for her rookie season if she is picked Number 1, according to WNBA salary cap structures. It doesn’t sound like much for the greatest women’s college basketball player of all time but she will make it up in endorsements. According to the NIL database, (name, image, likeness), Clark has already made $3.1 million during her college play. There will be more to come during her WNBA days.

The WNBA is growing. ESPN recorded viewership of the women’s Final Four games of over 14 million for the semi-finals and over 18 million for the final game. Such interest will bring bigger dollars to the league in time.

Clark may become the richest of the WNBA players. However, she may not catch up with Steph Curry of the Golden

Mollette

State Warriors, whose team pay alone is $51.9 million a year.

Or, LeBron, James who earns just over $47 million a year.

Actually, the lowest paid players in the NBA are still making just a little over $1.6 million a year. Wait, whoever thought she would score such a massive number of ponts? Don’t rule her out on anything.

Most of the WNBA players are making under $200,000 a year from their team pay.

Some pick up extra money from playing in other countries in the offseason and from endorsements.

Diana Taurasi has an estimated net worth is $3.5 million.

Most of Diana’s earnings come from her endorsements with Body Armour and her deal with Nike to wear LeBron’s signature shoes. With an average salary of $234,936 and a contract until 2025, the number might just grow further.

Britney Griner is infamous for her prison sentence in Russia, Griner is one of the most recognizable WNBA athletes in the world. Despite her imprisonment Griner still makes the list as one of the richest players in the WNBA. One of the tallest-ever players, Brittney has made most of her fortunes playing abroad. A common feature in the WNBA, Griner was once paid $600,000 to play for a Chinese-based team for three months. Add to that her endorsements with Nike and you have an estimated net worth of $4 million.

Sue Bird is the highest earning player in the history of the WNBA. Drafted in 2002, Bird has gone on to win four WNBA titles with three of them coming in three separate decades. With an estimated salary of $500,000 from various sources,

See Caitlin Clark, Page 6

Why nine justices preserved Trump’s place on the ballot

DR. JOHN A. SPARKS

Special to the Post-Telegraph

GROVE CITY, Pa. Trump v. Anderson has been decided by a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court on the question of whether the Supreme Court of Colorado erred in requiring GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump to be excluded from the primary ballot. The Supreme Court, in a 9–0 per curiam opinion, ruled that the Colorado court was wrong and that Trump’s name should not be removed from the ballot.

The case against Trump was based upon a petition filed by certain Colorado voters maintaining that Trump’s actions following the 2020 presidential election amounted to “engag[ing] in insurrection.” They argued that his name ought to be prevented from appearing on the Colorado ballot because under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, he had already disqualified himself from holding office. Historically, that provision was aimed at former officeholders who had sworn allegiance to the United States Constitution, later joined the Confederacy in its rebellion during the American Civil War, but then sought to hold office once again following the end of hostilities.

The opinion’s key holding, on which all nine justices agreed, is based upon the recognition that the 14th Amendment, in certain respects, “expand[ed] federal power at the expense of state autonomy.” One such case is found in Section 5 of the amendment, stating that Congress alone is given “power to enforce” the “provisions”

of that amendment, including Section 3. Though “States may disqualify persons” from “holding … state office,” the states, says the court, “have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency.”

To allow individual states to enforce Section 3 would open up the elective process to what the court calls a “patchwork” of varying standards and the possibility that a “candidate would be declared ineligible in some States, but not others.” That would be destabilizing enough, but, as the opinion points out:

The disruption would be all the more acute - and could nullify the votes of millions and change the election results - if Section 3 enforcement were attempted after the Nation had voted. Nothing in the Constitution requires that we endure such chaos - arriving at any time or different times, up to and perhaps beyond Inauguration.

Throughout the opinion, the court stresses that it is up to Congress, under Section 5, to pass legislation to enforce Section 3. Congress “enjoys power to enforce the (14th) Amendment,” which “grants new power to Congress to enforce the provisions of the Amendment against the States.” In other words, the U.S. Congress is the enforcing entity that is given power to act legislatively to set out standards and processes by which Section 3 disqualification can occur. The per curiam

opinion’s insistence on congressional action caused four justices, three liberals and one conservative, to write concurring opinions. Note that this did not destroy the unanimity on the fundamental holding of the case - Colorado cannot pursue Section 3 disqualification for federal offices.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett provided a very short concurrence saying that the court should have shown more judicial restraint. Once it had found that state governments had no power to enforce Section 3, that determination was enough to decide the case.

The three liberal justices who filed concurrences (Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson) complained along similar lines that the court need not have prescribed the path of legislative action under Section 5 as the only constitutional means of disqualifying a political candidate. That complaint ignores the plain language of Section 5 when it says: “The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.”

All in all, despite some rumbles in the concurrences, the measured restraint of the per curiam opinion accomplished four important things: (1) It kept the court divorced from doing what the Congress is called upon to do - provide a structure by which the serious remedy of disqualification from office can be carefully and dispassionately considered. (2) It raised a barrier against post-elec-

See Trump’s place, Page 6

diViSion i circUit coUrt

Judge Steven Hudson

Persons listed in this report are Missouri residents unless otherwise noted. Addresses shown are those of the defendants on the day their cases were heard.

Wednesday, April 10

• State vs. Timothy J. Dennis, Princeton: Dennis appeared via Webex on a Class E felony charge of failure to register as a sex offender (second offense). He waived arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty. The case was set for May 15 at 9 a.m. for plea or trial setting. He was remanded to custody.

• State vs. Bryant Lee Elder, Princeton: Elder appeared via Webex on a Class E felony charge of second degree involuntary manslaughter. At his request, cause continued to May 15 at 9 a.m. for a plea setting. He was remanded to custody.

• State vs. Donnie E. Gannon, Princeton: Gannon appeared for a hearing involving his 2023 convictions for Class E felony driving while intoxicated (persistent offender) and three Class A misdemeanors - driving while revoked or suspended (second or third offense), second degree property damage (law enforcement or relative), and operated a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, involving an accident. He is on probation. He was ordered to file a public apology letter in the local newspaper.

• State vs. Matthew Dillon Marshall, Princeton: Marshall appeared on two Class E felony charges of first degree domestic assault. He withdrew a previous plea of not guilty and entered a plea of guilty. The prosecuting attorney recommended various

forms of punishment, and sentencing was set for May 15 at 9 a.m.

• State vs. Melissa Celeste Owens, Lineville, Iowa: Owens appeared for a hearing involving her 2021 convictions on charges of Class E felony driving while intoxicated (persistent offender) and Class C misdemeanor car, motorcycle or truck under 18,000 pounds followed another vehicle too closely. At her request, cause contined to May 15 at 9 a.m. Her probation has been suspended, and she has 13 days of shock incarceration left to serve.

• State vs. Leland Robert Saxton, Mercer: Saxton appered for a probation violation hearing involving his 2021 conviction for Class C felony failure to register as a sex offender. He admitted violating his probation on Oct. 31, 2023, and his probation was revoked. He was sentenced to two years with the Department of Corrections, and was ordered to pay $300 to the county law enforcement restitution fund plus court costs.

Saxton also appeared for a hearing on a 2023 charge of the same offense. He withdrew his previous plea of not guilty and entered a plea of guilty. He was sentenced to two years with the Department of Corrections, and was ordered to pay $300 to the county law enforcement restitution fund plus court costs.

The prison sentences are to run consecutively.

• State vs. Larry Eugene Kuster, Osceloa, Iowa: Kuster appeared for a hearing on Class E

felony charges of driving while intoxicated (persistent offender) and driving while revoked or suspended, Class A misdemeanor owner operated motor vehicle without maintaining financial responsibility (motor vehicle required to be registered), and infraction failure to display plates on motor vehicle or trailer. He withdrew previous pleas on not guilty and entered a plea of guilty.

On each felony charge, Kuster was sentenced to four years with the Department of Corrections. Execution of sentence was suspended, and he was placed on probation for five years. On the DWI charge, he was ordered to pay $300 to the county law enforcement restitution fund within 30 days. On the other felony charge, he was ordered to pay $300 to the county law enforcement restitution fund within 60 days.

On the misdemeanor charge, Kuster was ordered to pay a $350 fine within 90 days, to pay $300 to the county law enforcement restitution fund within 120 days. On the infraction charge, he was ordered to pay a fine of $50.50 within 120 days.

ADVERTISE in the Princeton Post-Telegraph today!

organiZationS Ragan-Hickman

Ragan-Hickman American Legion Post 477 and Auxiliary held their regular monthly meeting on Monday at the Legion Hall/Community Center. The members present were Betty Bagley, Paula Hayes, Jim and Roberta Searcy, Robert Wilson, Sandy Hull, LeRoy Mayes, Greg Frost, Stacy Bagley, Kristina Bagley, Harold and Rosemary Beverage, Roland Drabek, Sally Reighard, Benji Merical, Suzanne Eastin and Gary Eastin, and five guests.

The Auxiliary will be holding a rummage/bake sale and they will also have 25-cent coffee that they will be selling on Saturday, April 27 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community Center. All proceeds will be going toward grave markers and flags. The Auxiliary purchases grave markers and flags for veterans’ graves in 13 Mercer County cemeteries and over 500 flags that the Auxiliary puts out in 12 cemeteries, but also furnishes flags for the Ravanna Cemetery Board to put out in Ravanna Cemetery.

If anyone has anything to donate for the Rummage Sale, the auxiliary will be taking donation from noon to 5 p.m. on April 26 at the Communi-

ty Center. For donations prior to that time, you can contact either Betty Bagley at 660-953-1339 or Paula Hayes at 641-5722411.

The Auxiliary had their annual Poppy Poster Contest during the month of March. They were judged on March 28 by Paula Hayes, Suzanne Eastin, Betty Bagley and Stacy Bagley. All the first-place winners went on to the 2nd District level in Milan. Class 2 is second and third graders; first place went to Avery Stark, second place place went to Cayley Barker, and third place went to Sawyer Martin. Class 3 is fourth and fifth graders; first place went to Dreamy Staten, second place went to Chance Davis, and third place went to Jaelyn Wells. Class 4 is eighth graders; first place went to Katie Bauer and second place went to Emzlie Bauer. Class 5 is freshmen; first place went to Lily Stark, second place went to Payton Houk, and third place went to Peyton Wells. Class 7 is the special needs students; first place went to Samarah Wilson, second place went to Thomas Rogers and third place went to Abby Ralston. National Poppy Day is celebrated in countries around the world. The American Le-

See Legion, Page 7

MCHD services

From Page 5

the 13-time All-Star also has multiple partnerships with huge brands. Representing the likes of Nike, State Farm and American Express, it is no surprise that Sue Bird is the highest earning WNBA athlete of all time. (Source: Essentiallysports.com)

Catlin Clark may not attain the riches that most attin in the NBA, but she should do more than OK in the WNBA.

Find books by Dr. Glenn Mollette at Amazon.com Learn more about his books, columns and music at GlennMollette.Com.

Trump’s place

From Page 5

tion efforts to negate already-tallied electoral results. (3) It preserved the voting rights of millions of Americans in state primaries to choose the candidates of their choice.

Finally, (4) it united the justices, despite their varied political hues, against a legal claim that all nine knew to be unworkable, unproven, and unconstitutional.

Dr. John A. Sparks is the retired dean of Arts & Letters at Grove City College, and a fellow for the Institute for Faith and Freedom. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and a member of the State Bar of Pennsylvania. He is a frequent contributor of articles based upon U.S. Supreme Court developments.

Legion

From Page 6

gion family brought National Poppy Day to the United States by asking Congress to designate the Friday before Memorial Day as National Poppy Day. This year it falls on May 24.

The next meeting will be held on Monday, April 29 at 6 p.m. at the Community Center.

D.C. scoundrels

From Page 12

changed his mind and voted against the amendment to require probable cause search warrants.

The floor vote was 212 to 212. Speaker Johnson broke the tie in favor of the alphabet agencies getting a free pass to your private information.

Possibly related: Not one person has been arrested for the crimes committed on Epstein Island.

Missouri congressional representatives who voted “yes” for tyranny are Sam Graves and Ann Wagner.

No votes from Missouri were Mark Alford, Eric Burlison, Cori Bush, Emmanuel Cleaver and Jason Smith. It would be worthy to thank these 5 representatives for voting against the D.C. Swamp to protect your rights.

The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate, where it is expected to pass.

Copyright (C) 2024 Liberty Thought of the Week. All rights reserved.

Paul Hamby is a free-thinking, conservative farmer and small businessman from DeKalb County in northwest Missouri.

correctionS & CLARIFICATIONS

The Princeton PostTelegraph strives for accuracy and fairness in all of its news stories and photo captions. If you feel we have made an error, please contact us at 660748-3266 or posttele@ grm.net (email) to request a correction. If it is found we are in error, we will be happy to publish a correction or clarification.

Booth named WHM’s top employee duty

Special to the Post-Telegraph TRENTON, Mo. Kristen Booth, a patient access representative II at Wright Memorial Hospital, was honored as the hospital’s Employee of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2024. Catherine Hamilton, administrator at WMH, presented the award to Booth at a ceremony held in her honor.

The Employee of the Quarter Award recognizes an employee who provides exemplary service, going beyond the call of

to support fellow employees or to comfort or assist patients and their families.

In her nomination form, Booth’s co-workers said, “Kristen is positive, displays excellent teamwork, and is always willing to lend a helping hand by taking on extra tasks. She has a can-do attitude and plays a vital role in training new hires within the department. Kristen is consistently recognized by their co-workers as someone who continuously goes

above and beyond. She fills shifts within different areas of the department and was recently promoted through the career advancement program.”

In recognition of the award, Booth received an Employee of the Quarter certificate, the parking space of her choice for three months, her photo posted in the hospital, her name engraved on a plaque displayed in the hospital, and recognition in local media.

Lineville council accepts bid for build addition for library

PRESTON COLE

Princeton Post-Telegraph

LINEVILLE, Iowa After reviewing two estimates to build an addition to the town’s library, the Lineville City Council accepted the lowest estimate during their April 8 meeting.

There was a considerable difference in the estimates - Jess Stark, $25,033.61, and Rob Nall, $40,030. The four council members present closely reviewed the estimates, then voted unanimously to accept Stark’s estimate and hire him to build the addition.

The city hopes to move the town’s post office into the addition from its current building, an old structure on the northeast corner of the square.

City Clerk Brandy Shriver told the coundil that she had received two estimates for electrical work and three estimates for flooring options for the addition.

Budget approved

The meeting began with Mayor Jack Shields opening a public hearing about the proposed city budget. No written comments had been submitted, and no residents appeared to speak about the proposed budget, so Shields closed the hearing. The council voted to approve a resolution for the adoption of the budget and certification of taxes for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.

Other actions

• Bills of $25,240.70

were approved for payment, as was the usual $1,425 for utility fund transfers.

Shriver reported that March income was $16,975.99 in governmental funds and $28,185.16 in utility funds. Expenses were $23,965.86 and $15,544.70 in utility funds.

• James Wiltamuth attended the meeting to introduce himself as a candidate for Wayne County sheriff. He said he’s had 10 years of experience in law enforcement, had

field training and had been a K-9 handler. He said his three main goals if elected were more community involvement, deputy training and retention, and fiscal responsibility. The election will take place in Allerton, Iowa on Tuesday, June 4.

• Water department: Shortage was reported to be 10.64%.

• Garbage department: A handful of residents had abused “Big Trash Day” by putting out “a lot of stuff,” which increased the usual bill - $600 - to over $2,900 this year.

Another “Big Trash Day” is scheduled for September, but with one major change. Trash won’t be picked up at locations, but a rulloff container will be placed near City Hall on Main Street. Residents will be responsible for getting their trash to the rolloff.

• Street Department: Shields said the city needs to find help with filling potholes. The discussion turned to an idea presented during the March meeting, getting an estimate for cutting out problem areas on West Third

Street and filling them with concrete. No definite decisions were made.

• Shields asked council members if they still wanted to get more trees for the park. Again, no decision was made.

• Gas department: Shriver presented an estimate of $47,721.88 for repairs and updates to the regulator station. Council members approved the work.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Kristen Booth (left) receives the Wright Memorial Hospital Employee of the Quarter Award for first quarter 2024 from Catherine Hamilton, administrator.

Princeton City Council accepts three bids for waterworks project

Multiple bids for work on distribution system, water tower rehab

PRESTON COLE

Princeton Post-Telegraph

PRINCETON, Mo Three bids for the construction of the city’s water system improvements received tentative approval during the Princeton City Council’s meeting last Monday night (April 8).

Philip Wilson with McClure Engineering went over the three bid recommendations with council members. They were:

• $792,828 for the water treatment plant from Smico Contracting Group LLC. It was the only bid received for this part of the project.

• $925,044.50 from Flinn & Son Excavating for improvements to the distribution system. It was the lowest of seven bids received.

• $401,790 for water tower rehabilitation from Tank Pro. It was the lowest of six bids received.

All four council members voted to accept the bids, once they are approved by the Department of Natural Resources. Other actions

• In his last act as mayor, Kurt Meighen gave the oath of office to new Mayor Doug Stark, who then gave the oaths of office to council members Karee Cunningham (South Ward) and Tony

Johnson (North Ward). Stark received the mayor’s position, and Cunningham and Johnson were returned to office, since they were the only people who filed for election to their respective office.

• Representing the Princeton Chamber of Commerce, Amy Cool said the chamber was sponsoring a Battle of the Bands on Father’s Day weekend. She asked about possibly paying each of four bands $250 for performing, and requested $1,000 more for the winning band.

Cool said she would be at a future meeting with a service contract, plus

more information and the exact amount of money needed. Money would come from the city’s band tax fund.

No vote was taken on the matter.

• Mike Homedale left a service contract asking for $1,400 in band tax funds for the band Hired Gun to perform during the Calamity Jane Days Car Show, which is held on Sunday of CJ Days, which is Sept. 21 this year. The council approved the request.

• Dr. Tammy Hart showed council members plans for the new RV park the Princeton Arena Association is going to build at the old ballfields,

Headliner announced for LNWMO Music Jam

Special to the Post-Telegraph

TRENTON, Mo. Rising country music star and standout talent from The Voice Season 24, Jordan Rainer, is set to ignite the stage as the headliner of this year’s Leadership Northwest Music Jam, presented by Wright Memorial Hospital and Hedrick Medical Center.

Returning for its fourth consecutive year, this event will once again be hosted at Black Silo Winery in Trenton on Saturday, Aug. 31, coinciding with the celebrations of Trenton’s Alumni Weekend. Trenton High School freshman Makayla Mejia is slated as the special guest to kick off the evening's music festivities. Tickets are on sale now through Eventbrite.

From her unforgettable stint under the mentorship of country icon Reba McEntire on The Voice to the resounding success of her current headlining Straight Shot Tour, Rainer embodies what McEntire herself describes as a force of nature. With a magnetic stage presence and a voice that captivates audiences far and wide, Rainer promises a performance that will leave an indelible mark

on all who attend. Shane Lynch, Music Jam coordinator, shares his excitement about Rainer’s headline act, expressing admiration for her talent and stage presence. “I watched Jordan on The Voice last season and she was my favorite on Team Reba,” he said. “She’s not just a great singer, she’s a true creative entertainer and I can't wait for her to grace our stage in Trenton.”

More than just a night of music, the Leadership Northwest Music Jam serves as a vital fundraiser for the Leadership Northwest Missouri (LNWMO) program. This year, the event takes on added significance with the introduction of a scholarship initiative. Proceeds from ticket sales will continue to support the LNWMO program, while also paving the way

for the future by offering two $500 scholarships to deserving high school seniors. One scholarship will be awarded to a student from Grundy County, the host county of the Music Jam, while the second will go to a student from any of the 19 counties within the northwest Missouri region. The announcement of this year’s recipients will be released soon.

Join others for an evening of music and entertainment with the extraordinary talents of Jordan Rainer and Makayla Mejia, but also to support future leaders in northwest Missouri.

About Leadership Northwest Missouri (LNWMO)

Leadership Northwest Missouri is a program for community leaders interested in the regional growth of north-

and asked that the association’s lease of the cityowned property be revised to include the plans.

She also spoke about the Mercer County Area Development Corporation and benefits it could provide to the county.

Hart hopes the city will consider a donation to the group this year.

The group has applied for a recreation grant to convert the tennis court into a pickleball court. The latter sport is rapidly growing throughout the country.

Shelly Bickel also attended; she is the group’s new grant coordinator.

• Adoption of a new cross connection ordinance was tabled until the next regular meeting.

• City superintendent Greg Goodknight said a new part-time seasonal employee had begun work that day. He asked if he could hire another seasonal part-time worker, and council members agreed and suggested he place an ad in the Post-Telegraph for the job. The ad appears in this week’s paper, and will run in the April 25 edition as well.

west Missouri through high-quality training and networking opportunities. Participants are selected from the nineteen counties of the northwest region and there are currently 484 alumni members that have benefited from this program.

Leadership Northwest Missouri is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

ADVERTISE in the Princeton Post-Telegraph today!

• Cheston Easter, Mercer County 1st District commissioner, introduced new Sheriff Jeff Spencer to council members. The city has a contract with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office to provide law enforcement, including ordinance enforcement.

Easter’s district includes the city of Princeton and three of Mercer County’s nine townships.

• The next regular meeting will be held Monday, May 13 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. The City Council will hold its annual budget meeting on Monday, April 29 at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

Council members will be attending training on Friday, May 10 in Maryville.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Cainsville High School FFA members (above and below) helped prepare materials for the preschool benches. BOTTOM - Larry Polley and Cainsville custodian Lyle Parkhurst prepared an area where the preschool benches were installed.

Cainsville Community Betterment secures grant from DNR to provide benches at Cainsville R-1 preschool

LOUISE KELLNER

Special to the Post-Telegraph

CAINSVILLE, Mo.

Cainsville Community Betterment applied for, and received, a grant in December from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Non-Playground Scrap Tire Grant for benches.

The benches are made from recycled rubber tires which were placed at the preschool building in Cainsville.

The grant is funded by a 50-cent fee that is applied

to every new tire purchase. Two benches were ordered from Champlin Tire Recycling of Concordia, Kan. They are made of reground polymer (recycled plastic) and crumb rubber, using more than 40% scrap tires generated in Missouri. The benches were shipped and Larry Polley stored them until the cement pads were poured for the foundation.

The FFA, under the leadership of Lyle Parkhurst, custodian for

“Home Run Press” seeks local donations

Special to the Post-Telegraph JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.

The number of Missourians facing hunger would fit into Busch Stadium more than 15 time over.

Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance recognizes the need to obtain and distribute food to hungry families across the state. For the ninth consecutive year, insurance agents and producers, customer service representatives, regional coordinators and many volunteers are accepting donations through April 30 at area offices. The 2024 Home Run Against Hunger campaign is one of several events Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance organizes annually to help those in need.

Unfortunately, one in every eight Missouri children are faced with not knowing when they will eat their next meal on a regular basis. You can help provide hope by donating. Missouri’s food banks are working to pro-

vide relief to many families struggling to make ends meet but they can’t do it alone. A donation of only $25 can provide up to 100 meals to our neighbors in need.

Help fight hunger in Mercer County. The most-needed items include: canned meat, canned fruits and vegetables, beans, rice, cereal, peanut butter, soups and pasta.Drop off your donations (food or funds) through April 30 at 401 North Jefferson Street in Princeton, the office of Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance agent Marcia Cox.

During the campaign’s final days, each Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance office will deliver donations to a local pantry. A statewide grand total of donations in pounds will be announced along with total monetary donations. Last year’s efforts garnered nearly 4.4 tons of food and over $16,100.

the Cainsville school, along with the Ag/FFA teacher Ashton Thompson, poured the 2 cement foundations at the preschool. The benches were assembled by Larry Polley and Jim Crofutt and placed on the cement pads. A program was presented to the fifth and sixth grades at Cainsville about recycling tires and keeping the environment clean.

We are very grateful that we received the grant for the preschool. The preschool is an Early Childhood Special Children education school for preschoolers, including children with special needs. When the children are playing outside, the benches provide a comfortable resting place for teachers and children both.

coMMiSSion MERCER COUNTY COMMISSION

Report taken from minutes of meetings of the Mercer County Commission.

All votes are unanimous

unless otherwise noted.

Monday, April 8

• County Commission candidates Amy Cool, Denny Power and Lance Stiles attended the meeting.

• Minutes of the April 1 meeting were approved.

• Bills were approved and paid.

• Sheriff Jeffrey Spencer spoke to commissioners about a vehicle, radio batteries and a radio. They also discussed grants that are available for bulletproof vests.

• Circuit Clerk and Recorder Tammy Crouse presented the March uniform disbursment record, receipt and disbursement report, and list of land transfers.

• Commissioners received the certificate of appointment from Spencer to appoint Trever Ratliff as deputy sheriff.

• Commissioners received the March motor equipment expense reports for the 2017 Chevy Tahoe and Deputy Randy Francis’ Chevy truck.

• Howe Company LLC presented monthly progress reports on bridge projects.

• Commissioners received the 2024 Schedule 13 Report of Miles of Line from ANR Pipeline Company.

• Commissioners received mileage logs from Road & Bridge supervisor Shawn Powell dated March 19-April 3.

• Commissioners received an estimate from Ward Roofing & Construction for the service station roof.

• Commissioners received the balance of funds from Collector/ Treasurer Susan Moore, as verified by County Clerk Judy Hamilton. Hamilton also presented the year-to-date revenue and expense reports to commissioners and other elected officials.

• Commissioners and Hamilton signed a certified copy of order authorizing Moore to pay the following:

* $97.51 to GRM Networks for the phone bill

in Moore’s office (money taken from TMF Fund #34); and

* $24.83 to Cardmember Services for election expenses (money taken from LEA Fund #41).

cainSVille

MELANIE CHANEY

Cainsville Community Betterment completed the MoDNR Waste Management Non-Playground Scrap Tire Surface Grant. We placed two benches on the preschool playground. The FFA students built the forms for the cement. They also helped prepare the ground, mix the cement and pour. Ashton Thompson and Lyle Parkhurst guided and helped the students with this project. This grant is supported by the 50-cent fee that is collected with every new tire purchased. Take a cruise by the preschool playground and see the benches. They are a nice addition to the playground.

A nice crowd of family and friends attended a 9th birthday party for Leland Parkhurst over the weekend.

Conner Drew and Addison Slaughter were married April 13 with several friends and family in attendance.

The HDC Conference baseball tournament will be held in Cainsville on Saturday, April 20. Cainsville prom will be on Sat-

urday, with promenade at 6 p.m. and the dinner and dance beginsat 7. There’s no school on Monday, April 22. The FFA banquet will be April 26 at 5 p.m.

If anyone has any news please let me know. Have a great week!

EDITOR’S NOTICE

The receipt of news, advertisements, letters to the editor, and/or press releases by the Princeton Post-Telegraph DOES NOT constitute an agreement to publish such news, advertisements, letters to the editor, and/or press releases. All news, advertisements, letters to the editor, and/or press releases will be published at the discretion of the editor. At all times, the editor reserves the right to edit, amend, and/ or delete any and all information at will, with or without explanation.

The limit of liability of the Princeton Post-Telegraph takes no responsibility for advertising, legal and/or non-legal, not published. The Princeton Post-Telegraph takes no responsibility for the non-publishing of news, letters to the editor, and/or press releases.

correctionS & CLARIFICATIONS

The Princeton PostTelegraph strives for accuracy and fairness in all of its news stories and photo captions. If you feel we have made an error, please contact us at 660748-3266 or posttele@ grm.net (email) to request a correction. If it is found we are in error, we will be happy to publish a correction or clarification.

“Log

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Prescribed Fire Council (MPFC) encourage landowners, land managers, and others who conduct prescribed burns on private land to “Log Your Burn” through the MPFC website at moprescribedfire.org.

Prescribed fire, or controlled burning, is an affordable and effective management tool to accomplish land management goals including: reducing fuel loads to reduce the chance and intensity of wildfire; restoring native plant communities; enhancing wildlife habitat for wild turkeys, deer, and other game species; improving livestock forage production; regenerating trees; and controlling invasive species such as bush honeysuckle.

“Prescribed burning can be effective in meeting various land management goals in the summer, fall, and winter, but early spring is that time of year when we tend to see the greatest number of smoke columns rising into the air from prescribed burns on private land,” said Wes Buchheit, Missouri prescribed fire coordinating wildlife biologist with Pheasants Forever Inc. and Quail Forever.

“After the prescribed

burn is complete, there is one more quick step that can support the continued and expanded use of prescribed fire - Log Your Burn,” Buchheit added.

Visit the MPFC website at moprescribedfire.org to Log Your Burn. This is a voluntary and anonymous entry for prescribed burns completed on private land in Missouri.

The Log Your Burn questions ask the date, county, acres, and habitat type burned, along with identifying if a prescribed burn association or landowner cooperative was used to provide assistance. The last questions ask if any fire occurred outside the burn unit, and if so, to what extent. Each completed burn should be its own entry, not a sum of all the burns that day on the property. To avoid multiple submissions for one burn unit, the landowner or the contractor leading the burn should be the one completing the entry.

“This information is useful in charting the use

of prescribed fire across the state and is key in demonstrating the safe use of this critical land management tool with insurance providers, legislators, and Missourians,” explained Buchheit.

MPFC and other conservation partners such as MDC are seeking opportunities for insurance providers to offer affordable insurance policies for prescribed burning, especially for contractors who have identified this as a major hurdle.

“Please add this step to your prescribed burning process,” he added. “Submissions can be made at any time but doing it soon after the burn is best, so you don’t forget. It only takes a few minutes, and with your help, we can collectively add supporting information to those smoke columns.”

Learn more about using prescribed fire from MPFC at moprescribedfire.org/ and MDC at mdc.mo.gov/your-property/fire-management/ prescribed-fire.

Marriage licenSeS

All persons listed are Missouri residents unless otherwise listed.

Tuesday, April 9

• Aaron D. Hershberger, Isle, Minn., and Mary D. Yoder, Mercer.

land

tranSFerS

Friday, April 5

• Shelton Lynn Brooks to B.P. Ranch LLC.

• John C. Hartley, trustee, et ux to Colton J. Hartley.

• John C. Hartley, trustee, et ux to Cashman D. Hartley.

Tuesday, April 9

• Sheryn Meggitt to Sonja Grooms.

• Dry Fork Investments LLC to RK HAHN FARM RESERVE LLC.

Wednesday, April 10

• Dannie Mullet to Melvin Mullet.

• William Woodward to Miles Tratchel.

• Dustin Martin Mueller et al to Ryan Detwiler.

• Jill Thieret, trustee, et al to Timothy L. Johnson.

Thursday, April 11

• John Johnson to Joshua D. Thompson et al.

• Dina Backen et al to William G. Coon.

• Estate of Norman R. Broussard to Michael D. Pingel.

School Food

All menus subject to change.

PRINCETON

Breakfast is available to all students. It is served with a choice of 1% white milk or skim chocolate milk. Cereal is available as an option every day except where noted. Fruit and juice are available every day. Nutri-grain bars are available on select days.

Monday, April 22: breakfast burrito.

Tuesday, April 23: pancakes, sausage patty.

Wednesday, April 24: breakfast pizza.

Thursday, April 25: french toast sticks.

Friday, April 26: biscuits, sausage gravy. Lunch is served with the choice of 1% fat-free white milk or fat-free chocolate milk. Students in grades K-5 have the choice of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or the menu entree. Students in grades 6-12 have the option of a chef salad or the entree every day unless noted. All bakery items are whole wheat or whole grain. Fruit is served with lunch.

Monday, April 22: chicken ranch wrap or bean and cheese burrito, Spanish rice, tomatoes.

Tuesday, April 23: teriyaki beef or grilled chicken patty, steamed broccoli, brown rice.

Wednesday, April 24: tenderloin sandwich or fish sticks, baked beans, coleslaw.

Thursday, April 25: meat loaf or hamburger

patty, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, green beans, hot roll.

Friday, April 26: cheese pizza or popcorn chicken, buttered corn, curly fries, dessert.

MERCER

Breakfast is served with orange juice and white or chocolate milk. Cereal is an optional entree.

Mondays: egg entree. Tuesdays: cereal, toast. Wednesdays: breakfast roll. Thursdays: sausage, pancakes. Fridays: biscuits, gravy.

Lunch is served with milk. A salad bar and fruits and vegetables are available every day, except where noted. Students in grades PK-6 will have the choice of option A or a chef salad. Students in grades 7-12 will have the choice of either option or a chef salad.

Monday, April 22: a) McRib sandwich; b) sloppy joe; fries.

Tuesday, April 23: a) pork loin; b) chicken nuggets; mashed potatoes, green beans, roll.

Wednesday, April 24: a) pizza dunkers; b) tenderloin; corn.

Thursday, April 25: a) spaghetti, breadstick; b) chicken sandwich, chips.

Friday, April 26: a) hamburger; b) ham sandwich; macaroni and cheese.

CAINSVILLE

Breakfast is served with fruit, juice, and milk.

Mondays: breakfast burrito, cereal, toast. Tuesdays: french toast with syrup and peanut butter, turkey sausage. Wednesdays: cereal, toast, hash brown patty, scrambled eggs. Thursdays: pancake, turkey sausage. Fridays: biscuits, gravy.

Lunch is served with milk. Fruits and vegetables are available every day, and students are required to have at least one cup of either on their tray.

Monday, April 22: no school.

Tuesday, April 23: chicken salad sandwich, chips.

Wednesday, April 24: goulash, bread and butter, green beans.

Thursday, April 25: fish sticks, corn casserole.

Friday, April 26: crispitos, carrots.

Mercer co.

Food Pantry

Located in the basement of Princeton United Methodist Church.

Second and fourth Tuesday: 9-10:30 a.m.

Other Tuesdays: 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Note: Persons can pick up their food in the church basement. At present, social distancing will be observed, and masks are recommended but not mandatory.

Scoundrels in D.C. void the 4th Amendment

PAUL HAMBY

Special to the Post-Telegraph

MAYSVILLE, Mo. Scoundrels in Washington, DC - Congress voids the 4th amendment.

On Friday April 12, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to continue FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, that allows warrantless spying on American citizens.*

This act has taken us back to colonial era of general warrants where the King’s Men of England could and did search colonial American homes at any time for any reason - no warrant needed. No probable cause needed. Warrantless searches was one of the grievances of our forefathers that led to the American Revolution.

*In renewing FISA, Congress exempted themselves, adding the requirement for notification if a member of Congress is under surveillance or investigation.

The word “foreign” is misleading, because the FISA law gives the alphabet agencies permission to buy intelligence information third party on most all Americans. Are you on social media? They have your browsing history. Do you text or use email? They have that too. The largest providers

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of data to the NSA, FBI and CIA are Google, Microsoft and Meta (Facebook).

“Yes, but if an American has nothing to hide, then what is the big deal?”

First, it is a violation of your rights. The 4th Amendment states: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things.”

Second, this level of access is being used by some politicians in power against their political opponents.

In other cases, it is most likely being used to blackmail politicians to vote a certain way.

Possibly related: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson was in favor of changing FISA to follow the 4th Amendment and require search warrants. After a high-level meeting with the FBI and CIA sharing “classified information” with him, he

See D.C. scoundrels, Page 7

Tigers’ Thomas signs on NCMC’s dotted line

/Princeton Post-Telegraph Princeton High School senior multi-sport athlete Kelby Thomas (seated, second from left) secured his immediate future last Wednesday (April 11) when he signed a letter of intent to attend North Central Missouri College in Trenton to continue his academic and baseball careers. The ceremony was held in the PHS activity room in front of teammates, other students and some faculty. Thomas is shown with his father, Bryce Thomas (seated, left), his mother, Dr. Merideth Ussery, and his stepfather, Scott Ussery; behind them are Princeton baseball coach Ty Lisle (from left), former Tiger coach Cody Scroggie (Kelby Thomas’ coach his freshman and sophomore years), and Tiger assistant coach Mike Tipton.

PRESTON COLE