TERRI KELLY/Princeton Post-Telegraph Princeton third baseman Evan Boxley fired a strike to first base during the Milan Jamboree on Friday, Aug. 23. Tiger softball was scheduled to have its first game Tuesday (Sept. 3), Princeton football started its season Friday (Aug. 30) at South Holt, and Mercer softball was scheduled to have its first game Sept. 3. More information next week.
CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS
• In our Aug. 29 edition, we reported that Denny Power defeated Jerod VanGenderen and Amy Cool for the Republican nomination for Mercer County 1st District commissioner.
That was partially incorrect. Power defeated Cool, and also defeated Lance Stiles. VanGenderen was a candidate for the Republican nomination for 2nd District commissioner.
The Post-Telegraph apologizes for the error and any inconvenience it may have caused.
The Princeton Post-Telegraph 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 660-748-3266 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.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN THE ADVERTISERS IN THE PRINCETON POST-TELEGRAPH’S SPORTS SECTION! FOR INFORMATION:
> Call us at 660-748-3266
> Send email to posttele@grm.net
> Send editor Preston Cole a message on his Facebook page
Serve Mercer County here next Saturday
Special to the Post-Telegraph
PRINCETON, Mo. Serve Mercer County, an established 501(c)(3), invites all neighbors that want to help neighbors to serve next Saturday, Sept. 14.
Civic groups and school groups of all ages are encouraged to participate. Register online by Friday, Sept. 6 to receive a t-shirt. Meet at Mercer County Senior Center at Princeton between 8 and 8:30 a.m. to join a team project. Lunch will be provided.
If you have helped before, use the Serve Mercer County yellow T-shirt from last year.
Elderly residents or those with medical needs are invited to register their projects for cleanup efforts by calling 660-748-4486. Yard projects are ideal. Tools and equipment can be arranged in advance to complete projects.
Monetary donations for lumber and supplies can be sent to Serve Mercer County, PO Box 711, Mercer, MO 64661.
To volunteer online, go to www.servemercercounty. com.
Trenton VFW hosts special events for vets
Special to the Post-Telegraph
TRENTON, Mo. Upcoming veterans events for September have been announced.
• Friday Sept. 6, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.: A veterans service officer will be present at Trenton VFW Post 919 to help with VA paperwork and answer any questions. You are asked to bring a copy of your DD-214, and all VA paperwork you may have.
• Friday Sept. 6: A Vet Center counselor is scheduled from 11 a.m. until everyone is seen. If you would like to make an appointment please call 660-359-2078.
• Monday Sept. 9, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.: A veterans service officer will be present at Trenton VFW Post 919 to help with VA paperwork and answer any questions. You are asked to bring a copy of your DD-214, and all VA paperwork you may have.
• Friday, Sept. 12, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.: A veterans service officer will be present at Trenton VFW Post 919 to help with VA paperwork and answer any questions. You are asked to bring a copy of your DD-214, and all VA paperwork you may have.
• Friday Sept. 12, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.: A veterans service officer from the Missouri Veterans Commission will be present at Trenton VFW Post 919 to help with VA paperwork and answer any questions.
• A counselor is available on as-needed basis throughout the month. Dr. Hudson helps with PTSD, and readjustment counseling. Discharged and active military are welcome.
• We are looking for people who would like to be VA shuttle drivers. For more information please call 660-359-2078.
• To schedule a ride on the Kansas City VA shuttle, please call 660-359-2078. The shuttle runs every Wednesday to Kansas City and clinics. For more information, please call 660-359-2078.
HOW TO CONTACT US
Princeton Post-Telegraph
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Princeton, MO 64673
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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE
All real estate and/or houses, and all rental housing and/or property, advertised in the Princeton Post-Telegraph newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. We will not knowlingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.
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.
STORAGE UNITS
For Rent - Storage unit. Elm Street Storage, Princeton. 660-748-3619. 8-1-ufnb
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.
GUNS & AMMO
WOOD’S GUN SHOP
5 Miles South of Ravanna 660-748-5795
9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday 1-5-2023-ufn
Boyer Land Company LLC Aaron Franklin, Sales Agent Princeton, MO 64673 660-748-6314
YOUR REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST! 1-5-2023ufn
NO HUNTING
NOTICE - Hunting and trespassing with dog and/or gun, trapping or fishing on land owned or leased by the undersigned is strictly forbidden. You are hereby warned to keep off these properties. Trespassers will be prosecuted.
No tresspassing for any reason on land that we own or lease. John & Linda Baughman. 9-28-23-52tp
No hunting, fishing or trespassing on property owned, leased or rented by Joe and Victoria Ryan. 4-27-23-52tp
Absolutely no hunting or trespassing on Highland Farms land owned and operated by Dixie Berger, Joe Berger & Steve Berger. 5-16-24-52tp
Absolutely NO TRESPASSING, including but not limited to hunting, fishing, hiking, mushroom hunting and drones on land owned and/ or rented by FRJ Family Farms, LLC. 3-23-23-52tp
Absolutely no hunting or trespassing on land owned by Barbara & LeRoy Hider 10-10-23-52tp
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, including but not limited to use of dogs or drones, 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
No hunting or trespassing on any land owned by Bill and Peggy Heck. 5-30-52tb
No hunting, trespassing or fishing on property owned, leased or rented by Shirley or Joe Don Pollard. 4-19-24-52tp
Absolutely no hunting or trespassing on Choate property at any time. 3-28-24-52tp
Absolutely no hunting with guns or dogs, fishing, or trespassing on land owned by Berndt Farm and Berndt Twin Lake Inc. 11-10-23-52tpP
No hunting or trespassing on Cox family property - Andy and Donna Cox, and Robert and Tina Cox. 12-3-22-104tpP
No trespassing on property owned by Shandra Morin 4-11-24-52tp
LEGAL NOTICE MSHSAA announces fall sports class, district assignments
IN THE THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, MERCER COUNTY, MISSOURI
PROBATE DIVISION Case Number: 24AI-PR00020
In the Estate of Baycel Dale Eastin, Decedent. Notice of HearingDetermination of Heirship
To: All unknown heirs of the decedent and all persons known or believed to claim any interest in the property outlined below as an heir or through an heir of the decedent.
You are hereby notified that you are entitled to appear and be heard at a hearing to be held on the 16th day of October, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Mercer County, Missouri, on a petition to determine the heirs of the above named decedent, who died on October 24, 2021, and their respective interests as heirs in the following described property. Should you fail to appear, judgment and decree may be entered in due course upon said Petition.
Description of Property
Real Property (Including Legal Description) - Value $0.00
Personal Property 1/4 interest of approximately $75,000 wrongfully retained From the Eastin Family Irrevocable Income Only Trust Value +/- $18,750
Dated October 29, 2008
Petitioner’s attorney is Johnathan L. Meyer, whose business address is P.O. Box 468, Bethany, MO 64424, Telephone Number 660-425-8388.
First Date of Publication: September 5, 2024
Julie Humphrey Deputy Clerk
DATES OF PUBLICATION
September 5, 2024
September 12, 2024
September 19, 2024 September 26, 2024
The vulture vomit theory
It happened in March of 1876 when chunks of red meat rained down from the sky in Bath County, Ky. It’s known as the Kentucky Meat Shower, and professor Kurt Gohde of Transylvania University in Lexington says the school has preserved a piece of the meat that rained down that day. He says a good guess is that it’s all about “a weather pattern where winds will pick up small fish and frogs, I think it's called an up-spout, and then they lay them down in another place. For me, the vulture vomit theory is the only one that feels possible." That piece of meat is currently part of an exhibit at The Bath County History Museum exhibit dedicated to most mysterious historical events.
Princeton, Mercer together for softball, girls golf. Tiger football placed in NEMO district again.
PRESTON COLE
Princeton Post-Telegraph COLUMBIA, Mo. Right on schedule7 a.m. Friday, Aug. 30 - the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) announced most of the class and district assignments for fall sports. Assignments for Mercer County’s teams include:
Football - Princeton’s second-year 8-man team is in the far northeast Missouri District 8. The Tigers are grouped with Knox County (Edina), North Shelby (Shelbyville), Paris and Schuyler County (Queen City).
Fun fact: There are more 8-man programs registered for MSHSAA’s postseason (45) than there are teams in Class 1 of 11-man football (38).
Softball - Both Princeton and Mercer
are in Class 1, District 8. Other District 8 teams include Albany, East Harrison (Cainsville and Ridgeway), Gilman City (co-op host for North Daviess), Grundy County (co-op host for Newtown-Harris), North Harrison (Eagleville), Pattonsburg (co-op host for Winston) and Worth County (Grant City).
Fun fact: Stanberry and Worth County, which were in District 8 in 2023, are now in District 7.
Girls golf - Princeton, along with Mercer’s first-year program, are together in Class 1, District 3. Other teams in the district are Atlanta, Brookfield, Canton, Highland (Ewing), La Plata, Marceline, Meadville, Monroe City, Northeast (Cairo), Palmyra, Paris, Putnam County (Unionville), Salisbury, South Shelby (Shelbina), Trenton and Westran (Huntsville).
Cross country assignments are to be announced Sept. 13.
Schedule released for weekend softball tournament in Albany
Does some of my SS payment include contribution payback?
RUSSELL GLOOR
Special to the Post-Telegraph WASHINGTON, DC Dear Rusty: I have a question about my Social Security benefits. Would I be correct to assume that part of the monthly Social Security income I get is a repayment of what I contributed to the fund while I was working? If so, how much of my monthly benefit payment is my own money coming back to me?
Signed: Curious Beneficiary
Dear Curious: I’m afraid that is not how Social Security works. The money you contribute to Social Security during your working years does not go into a special account to be repaid to you. Rather, the Social Security taxes you pay while working are used to pay benefits to all those currently receiving Social Security benefits. The system is, in effect, a “pay as you go” program where all those currently contributing help pay benefits for all those now receiving. What your contributions do, however, is earn you “quarter credits” and, when you have enough credits, you become eligible for Social Security retirement benefits for life. Generally, someone must have about 40 quarters (about 10 years) contributing to Social Security to be eligible for SS retirement benefits.
How much you receive monthly is determined not by how much you contributed but, rather, by how much your work earnings were over your lifetime. You will get a percentage of your average pre-retirement work income as your monthly Social Security payment, but that is also affected by your age when you claim benefits. It is your average lifetime earnings (adjusted for inflation) which determines your “Primary Insurance Amount” (or “PIA”). Your PIA is what you get at your Social Security full retirement age (FRA), but your age when you claim benefits determines if you get more or less than your PIA. Claiming SS before your FRA means a smaller monthly benefit, while waiting longer than your FRA means a benefit higher than your PIA. (SS benefits reach
SENIOR ISSUES
maximum at age 70). FYI, each person’s FRA is different based on the year they were born, but full retirement age today is between age 66 and 67. When you claim benefits relative to your FRA determines how much of your PIA you will receive each month.
So, your contributions to Social Security aren’t used to determine your monthly benefit amount, but your average lifetime work earnings and age when you claim are. Nevertheless, you may be interested to know that most people get back everything they have personally contributed to Social Security within about 3 to 5 years of collecting their benefits. In that sense, Social Security is an exceptionally good deal, since most Americans now collect benefits for about two decades. And therein lies much of Social Security’s financial dilemmapeople are now collecting benefits for many more years than the current program is designed to support. And that is what Congress needs to fix as soon as possible. The Social Security trust funds (which now provide supplemental money to pay benefits) are projected to be depleted around 2033, which will mean a cut in everyone’s monthly Social Security payment, unless Congress acts soon to reform the program and restore it to fiscal solvency.
This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC (Association of Mature American Citizens) Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit the website amacfoundation.org/ programs/social-security-advisory or send an email tot ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.
Russell Gloor is AMAC’s national Social Security advisor.
PRINCETON POST-TELEGRAPH MISSION
STATEMENT (What we try to do every week)
“Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it because in the process WE WILL CATCH EXCELLENCE.”
Coach Vince Lombardi
THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment for religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there of; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people to peacefully assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Biden’s SCOTUS term limit idea ill-conceived, unneeded
DR. JOHN A. SPARKS
Special to the Post-Telegraph GROVE CITY, Pa. President Joe Biden, displeased by recent Supreme Court decisions, is thus proposing several changes. His vexation with the court is reminiscent of Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California-Berkeley Law School, who flatly said that changing the court was “the only way to keep there from being a very conservative court for the next 10-20 years.”
These calls for change are for the most part simply born of political dissatisfaction. Nevertheless, proposals and assertions about the need for court change deserve to be addressed. One of them, an idea that President Biden embraces, is an 18-year term limit for Supreme Court justices. Simply put, when a justice has reached 18 years of service, he or she is finished and can no longer serve on the country’s highest court. For now, let’s leave aside how new appointments would be made to positions vacated by the term-limit requirement. (It seems, though it is unclear, that the Biden proposal would call for the then-current president to make two appointments per presidential term to fill any openings.)
Is a term limit a good idea for the high court?
Let’s first look at just how many justices, including chief justices, have actually served 18 years or more on the court over its 235-year history. To date, the court has had a total of 116 justices, including chief justices. Of those, 52 have served 18 years or more. In
FAITH & FREEDOM
other words, a surprising 45% of all Supreme Court justices would have had to step down if the “Biden Plan” had been initiated from the court’s beginning. If producing certainty and predictability are desirable features of constitutional law, well, Biden’s plan would inject an unnecessary volatility into its proceedings.
Nevertheless, let’s explore the consequences of the plan by simply applying it to the existing court, which may very well be the primary intention of President Joe Biden.
Chief Justice John Roberts would have to go under the “18 years-and-out” rule. He has served almost 19 years. Justice Clarence Thomas, who has served almost 33 years, would be shown the door. Justice Samuel Alito is also beyond the 18-year cut-off. It is well worth noting that two of the more liberal members of the court, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, will reach the 18year mark within the next three or four years. When that happens, out they would go.
Considering the liberal-conservative breakdown, let’s leave the present and again look back at the history of the court. Just who would have been “excused” from the high court bench early under the Biden Plan? Several Justices from the liberal side of the spectrum: William O. Douglas (served over 36 years), William J. Brennan, Jr. (served over 33 years), Stephen Breyer (served over 27 years), Harry
Blackmun, author of Roe v. Wade (served over 24 years), Thurgood Marshall, the first black justice (served over 23 years), and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (served over 27 years). Of course, at the same time, various noteworthy conservative justices would have had their careers cut short, such as William Rehnquist (served over 33 years) and Antonin Scalia (over 29 years).
In retrospect, what would the truncating of these terms have meant to the judicial output of these historic justices? In many cases, it would have interrupted these justices’ prolific output in their prime. Take Justice Ginsburg as an example: the 18 year-and-out rule would have eliminated approximately 50 majority opinions which she penned. Instead of leaving the bench in 2020, she would have been ushered out in 2011. On the other side of the spectrum, there’s Justice Scalia, who served 29 years until his death in 2016. If Scalia in 2004 had instead been dismissed from service under a plan like Biden’s, the country would have lost at least 50 majority opinions that he crafted. Going back even further, such a system of 18-year term limits would have significantly shorted the judicial careers of some the key and most respected jurists in American judicial history: Chief Justice John Marshall is the most obvious choice. He served 34 years, but under Biden’s proposal, Marshall would have been removed from the court before his famous
See SCOTUS Plan, Page 8
OBITUARIES
Galen Lowrey
Laredo, Mo.
Galen Lee Lowrey, 82, a resident of Laredo, Mo., died on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024 at his residence.
Funeral services were held Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 at Resthaven Mortuary, Trenton, Mo. Memorials can be made to either the Laredo Fire Protection District or Laredo R-7 School District and they may be left with the mortuary.
Galen was born May 24, 1942 near Spickard, Mo., the son of William Logan and Alma Harolvina Thiesfeld Lowrey. He attended a one-room schoolhouse west of Modena, Mo., for his first eight years of schooling. He finished his education at Princeton High School in Princeton, Mo. Galen married Linda Kay Trainer on Sept. 24, 1961 at Princeton First Christian Church. They began their married life on the family farm near Spickard. Galen and Linda purchased their first farm near Laredo and moved there in 1964. Galen was a lifelong farmer and avid John Deere two-cylinder tractor collector. In his earlier years, he spent time breaking and training horses. Galen and his sons enjoyed participating in local horse shows. He loved spending time with his family. His survivors include his wife Linda of the home; three sons David Lowrey and wife Melissa Lowrey, Laredo, Duane Lowrey and wife Karla, Trenton, and Stephen Lowrey and wife Angie, Trenton; nine grandchildren, Derek Lowrey and wife Sarah, Aaron Lowrey and wife Aman-
da, Shelby Glidewell and husband Riley, Kate Lowrey, Logan Lowrey (Rianna), Trint Clark and wife Serena, Tyler Lowrey (Rebecca), Emma Lowrey and Megan Lowrey and ten great-grandchildren, Casen, Macey, Gannon, Madelyn, Tyson, Brycen, Clayton, Weston, Rayna, and Bo. He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Lila Kincade; two brothers Billy Lowrey and Don Lowrey; one nephew, Sterling Lowrey; and one great nephew, Caleb Rockhold.
COMMISSION
MERCER COUNTY COMMISSION
Report taken from minutes of meetings of the Mercer County Commission. All votes are unanimous unless otherwise noted.
Monday, Aug. 26
• Commissioners-elect Denny Power and Gary Porter were in attendance.
• Minutes of the Aug. 19 meeting were approved.
• Kelly Bertrand, president of the Princeton Chamber of Commerce, spoke to commissioners about Calamity Jane Days. She wanted to know if a chain saw demonstration could set up at the former gas station owned by the county.
• Commissioners went into closed session at 9:25 a.m. to discuss personnel. Sheriff Jeff Spencer was in attendance. They came out of closed session at 9:30. No action was taken.
• Kyle Halferty with First Interstate Bank spoke to commissioners about rolling over a current certificate of deposit (CD) to a nine-month CD paying 4.60%. They voted to roll over the CD.
• Bills were approved and paid.
• Commissioners and County Clerk Judy Hamilton signed a certified copy of order authorizing Collector/Treasurer Susan Moore to pay the following:
* $215.87 to Coast to Coast for supplies (money taken from Treasurer’s Maintenance Fund #34);
* $1,950 to Software Finesse for offsite backup (money taken from Recorder’s Special Fund #06); and
* $117.07 to Cardmember Services for expenses (money taken from Sheriff’s Special Fund #32).
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, Sept. 9: yogurt, breakfast sandwich.
Tuesday, Sept. 10: pancakes, sausage patty.
Wednesday, Sept. 11: french toast sticks.
Thursday, Sept. 12: cheddar cheese omelet.
Friday, Sept. 13: 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, Sept. 9: tenderloin sandwich or BBQ chicken sandwich, french fries, cottage
cheese.
Tuesday, Sept. 10: roasted chicken or ravioli with sauce, scalloped potatoes, buttered peas.
Wednesday, Sept. 11: chicken ranch wrap or fish sandwich, romaine salad, black beans.
Thursday, Sept. 12: meatloaf or sloppy joe, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, green beans, hot roll.
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, Sept. 9: a) ham sandwich; b) taco salad; tater tots.
Tuesday, Sept. 10: a) salisbury steak; b)
hamburger; mashed potatoes, green beans, roll.
Wednesday, Sept. 11: a) goulash, breadsticks; b) turkey sandwich.
Thursday, Sept. 12: a) pizza dunkers; b) shrimp; peas.
Friday, Sept. 13: a) tenderloin; b) BBQ beef sandwich; carrots, sugar cookie.
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, Sept. 9: hot dogs, nachos.
Tuesday, Sept. 10: chicken alfredo, breadstick.
Wednesday, Sept. 11: burritos, Spanish rice.
Thursday, Sept. 12: goulash, bread and butter, cottage cheese.
Friday, Sept. 13: sub sandwich, chips.
LAND TRANSFERS
Monday, Aug. 26
• Gary Watkins to Pam Blevins, trustee.
Tuesday, Aug. 27
• Mercer County Collector et al to Twin Lakes Association.
• Mercer County Collector et al to Jeff Lees.
• Mercer County Collector et al to Daniel Owens.
Wednesday, Aug. 28
• Mercer County Collector to SGDG LLC et al. (3 items)
Thursday, Aug. 29
• Jason Anderson to Jason D. Anderson, trustee.
MARRIAGE LICENSES
All persons listed are Missouri residents unless otherwise listed.
Tuesday, Aug. 27
• Matthew K. Huff and Sherice A. Bottcher, both of Cainsville.
ADVERTISE
in the Princeton Post-Telegraph TODAY!
Missouri’s first reports of corn stunt confirmed
LINDA GEIST
University of MO Extension COLUMBIA, Mo. University of Missouri Extension specialists have confirmed the first case of corn stunt in Missouri. The disease, which is transmitted by an insect, was found in southwest Missouri.
Corn leafhopper is the insect capable of infecting corn with three pathogens that results in corn stunt disease. Corn stunt symptoms begin with yellowing or reddening of leaf tips, followed by growth of multiple small ears with loose or missing kernels, plant size reduction and deformed grain. Substantial yield losses can occur in affected areas.
“Corn stunt is not a common disease and not one that we anticipated in Missouri in 2024,” says MU Extension plant pathologist Mandy Bish. Corn stunt substantially dropped yields in Argentina corn crops in 2024, she says.
MU Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg was recently alerted by farmers and agriculture professionals of symptoms resembling corn stunt in Christian, Stone, Lawrence and Barton counties in southwest Missouri.
Early symptoms - red and yellow discoloration of corn leaves and plants and premature drying from the top of the stalk down - were present.
“Corn leafhoppers were quite apparent in the field at the same time the leaf symptoms were observed. There is concern that many of the kernels from the affected plants may not make it into the combine grain tank due to low test weight,” says Schnakenberg.
He and other agriculture professionals submitted field samples from that region to MU Extension Plant Diagnostic Clinic director Peng Tian who confirmed the disease using laboratory techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing.
To poop or not to poop
Infected plants may grow only to 5 feetabout half of their normal height. Leaves may appear shiny because the leafhoppers excrete honeydew as they feed. The honeydew can lead to black sooty mold, which impedes photosynthetic processes and negatively impacts plant health. The pathogens are not fungi; therefore, fungicides will not work, Bish says. Management will focus on the insect.
Corn leafhoppers are light tan or yellow in color and about 1/8 inch long, says MU Extension state entomologist Ivair Valmorbida. The characteristic that distinguishes them from other leafhoppers is two dark spots located between the eyes of adult insects. These dark spots are visible using 10X hand lens. The nymphs are green to tan in color and have no wings.
They move rapidly within and among corn fields and fly or jump away when disturbed. They can be found in shaded areas of corn, resting and feeding in the whorl of young plants and hidden on the underside of leaves.
Corn leafhoppers impact corn health and yield in two ways: 1) by feeding on leaves by sucking plant sap and 2) transmission of pathogens that cause corn stunt.
Corn leafhoppers reproduce only in corn and its relatives. Oklahoma State University reports that corn leafhopper has been associated with maize since its domestication around 9,000 years ago. Tian continues collaborating with Oklahoma State University entomologists who recently confirmed the state’s first case of corn leafhoppers this season as well.
Corn leafhoppers move northward by wind-aided movement from Mexico, where corn is in continuous production all year round. Adult corn leafhoppers are known to overwinter in grasses such as wheat, alfalfa,
Rumors that beachgoers were defecating on the sands of Wasaga Beach in Ontario, Canada this summer caused Premier Doug Ford to warn that it will not be allowed. He admitted that he has “no proof that people are pooping in the park per se, but it's pretty bad if they are." The mayor of Wasaga Beach, Brian Smith, took offense at Ford’s remarks, declaring that there is “no evidence - from residents, visitors or the Ontario government - to verify that any undesirable, unsanitary behavior has occurred on the beach areas that make up Wasaga Beach Provincial Park." The whole thing appears to have been triggered by a Tik Tok user who posted that beach goers have long been using small tents as toilets on the sand.
Johnson grass, sorghum, sugar cane, soybean, millet, and gamma grass but they reproduce only on corn.
It is commonly thought that these leafhoppers cannot survive Missouri winters. However, Valmorbida and Schnakenberg plan to continue monitoring for corn leafhopper in southwest Missouri throughout the winter.
Cultural control practices include early planting, crop rotation and control of volunteer plants that could serve as
a place where the insect can overwinter.
There are other stresses that can cause corn to become yellow and red late in the season, Bish cautions. Look for additional signs such as presence of leafhoppers and the honeydew.
The MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic can help diagnose suspect samples for a small fee. Ideally samples will include stalks and leaves. Go to https:// extension.missouri.edu/ programs/plant-diagnostic-clinic for more information.
Wright Memorial receives national recognition
Special to the Post-Telegraph CHILLICOTHE, Mo. Wright Memorial Hospital has received three American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times, and fewer readmissions to the hospital.
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guide-
lines.
Get With The Guidelines put the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in Get With The Guidelines programs, Wright Memorial Hospital qualified for the awards by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving quality care.
The STEMI Referring Center award is earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to getting patients the most up-to-date research-based care for STEMI as outlined by the American Heart Association.
“Wright Memorial
Hospital is committed to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks and strokes,” said Catherine Hamilton, Administrator, Wright Memorial Hospital. “Get With The Guidelines programs make it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which helps us ensure more people in Trenton and the surrounding region experience longer, healthier lives.”
This year, Wright Memorial received these achievement awards:
• Get With The Guidelines® - Rural Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Bronze
• Get With The Guidelines® - Rural Stroke
Bronze • Get With The Guidelines® - Rural Stroke Silver “These awards show Wright Memorial Hospital’s commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee and chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern Medicine.
“By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, Wright Memorial can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates - a win for health care systems, families and communities.”
Trenton Catholics to observe 150th anniversary
Special to the Post-Telegraph
TRENTON, Mo. Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Trenton is planning to celebrate its 150th anniversary on Friday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m.
The Most Reverend James V. Johnston, the Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, will be offering a Votive Mass of Saint Joseph to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the consecration of the first parish church of Saint Joseph’s Parish on Sept. 6, 1874. Although the parish was canonically erected a couple of years before that, the parish is celebrating this as its sesquicentennial. A dinner will follow Mass in the Parish Hall.
Better late than never
The first record of Catholic liturgies being celebrated in Grundy County was when Father John Joseph Hogan visited nearby Edinburg in January 1868. Later that year, Fr. Hogan was appointed and consecrated as the first bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Saint Joseph. In the autumn of 1872, Bishop Hogan tasked Fr. James J. Kennedy to organize a parish in Trenton. Liturgies were originally celebrated in the home of Joseph McMullen on Prospect Street. The first church was constructed at Chestnut and West 14th streets and was gothic in style and built of wood. (That portion of 14th
A postcard addressed to Lydia Davis of Swansea, Wales was never delivered to her when she lived at 11-12 Cradock Street 121 years ago. The Davis home is now a bank but, according to the Royal Mail service, they deliver the mail better late than never because “when an item is in our system, we are under obligation to deliver it to the correct address.” The bank’s spokesman, Henry Darby, said “It's wild, actually. A little bit spooky. The stamp features King Edward who was king from 1901 until 1910.”
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Wright Memorial Hospital Administrator Catherine Hamilton (right) presented a check for $1,000 on behalf of Wright Memorial Hospital to Lynn Griffin, Bright Futures Trenton representative. The funds will be used by Bright Futures Trenton to help provide clothing, food, and other essential items and support for students in the community who are in need.
Street was later renamed East Crowder Road.) It was reported in 1908 that this first church was the oldest building in the city of Trenton.
Construction on the current, and third, parish church and rectory was started on Sept. 18, 1964. The current church building was dedicated on March 21, 1965.
Examination of historical records suggests that Saint Joseph’s Catholic Parish is the oldest existing community of faith both in the city of Trenton and Grundy County. Saint
Joseph’s Catholic Church invites all to come celebrate together, not only this important parish anniversary, but also the continuous witness and worship of Jesus Christ in Trenton and in Grundy County.
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Extension expands presence in area festival
University of MO Extension NORBORNE, Mo. “Soy Much More for ’24!” rang true for this year’s Norborne Soybean Festival, Aug. 1-3 in Carroll County. For over 40 years, this festival has built civic pride, forged greater community bonds and celebrated the area’s number one industry - agriculture, said University of Missouri Extension engagement specialist Chelsea Corkins.
But in 2024, the Soybean Festival gained national recognition during Cenex’s Hometown Throwdown, a contest to find the best hometown festival in the country. Norborne Soybean Festival won the multiyear competition title of Best Fest and a $100,000 prize.
MU Extension in Carroll County has grown its presence at this festival the past three years, Corkins said. Each year, this cross-disciplinary team of educators and volunteers has found new ways to celebrate soybeans, the farmers who produce them and the livelihoods supported by the agriculture economy. This year, the group included MU Extension engagement specialists and field specialists, nutrition and youth associates, and local 4-H Teen Council volunteers, representing nutrition, agronomy, 4-H, livestock, human development and horticulture. Over 1,500 people, more than double the 679-person population of Norborne, engaged with MU Extension education.
During the festival, MU Extension hosted various youth activities, such as a soybean sensory bin, nutrition-themed tic-tac-toe and soybean cycle coloring sheets. Educational displays featured 4-H projects, a pesticide safety table and a genetics
lockbox game. Soybean plant growth stages and nutrition presentations on sugary drinks attracted both adults and youths who also explored MU Extension’s print resources.
New this year were live cooking demonstrations hosted by MU Extension highlighting soybeans as ingredients. Roasted soybeans, provided through a Soy Chef Change-Maker Grant, aimed to educate attendees on the benefits of whole soy foods like edamame, soy milk and yogurt, tofu and tempeh. For one local family, the Beef and Veggie Stir Fry offered a healthy meal the entire family enjoyed. This recipe use edamame, the whole, light green soybean harvested before ripening.
The Norborne Soybean Festival also featured open-air market vendors, food trucks, Ag in the Classroom interactive displays, kids and teens events, a watermelon-eating contest, a fish fry and multiple musical performances.
With a proud claim of producing more soybeans per capita than anywhere else in the world, Norborne continues to showcase more than 150 years of history, tradition and agriculture through its annual Soybean Festival, Corkins said.
MU Extension team members for 2024 providing resources or edu-
cational displays included:
• Nutrition program associates Amy Albertson, Carla Wayland-White and Christina Todd.
• Nutrition and health specialist Sue Robison.
• 4-H youth program associate Alex Heussner.
• 4-H Teen Council members Neva Frasier and Nash Frasier.
• Horticulture specialists Kathi Mecham and Todd Higgins.
• MU Extension in Carroll County office manager Ryan Minnick.
• Assistant extension professor Sarah Wood.
• Extension engagement specialist Chelsea Corkins.
• Northwest regional director Stacey Steffens.
• Child Passenger Safety Week is Sept. 15-21. This annual campaign focuses on keeping children safe while traveling, including the proper use of car seats, boosters, and seat belts. Stop by the office to make sure your child’s car seat is right for them, and that it’s installed correctly.
• Fall Prevention Awareness Week is Sept. 23-27. The department will be sharing information on reducing the risk of falls. From home safety to physical activity and exercise, there are many ways to help older adults live without fear of falling.
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Hepworth named dean of Northwest’s College of Arts and Sciences
Special to the Post-Telegraph MARYVILLE, Mo. Dr. Elise Hepworth will serve as the next dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northwest Missouri State University.
Hepworth, who is assistant vice president and vice provost in the Office of Academic Affairs at Missouri Western State University, will join Northwest on Sept. 9. She succeeds Dr. Mike Steiner, who retired July 31.
“We could not be more excited to have Dr. Hepworth join our academic team,” Northwest Provost Dr. Jamie Hooyman said.
“She is a true Bearcat and has a reputation for excellence. Dr. Hepworth will bring her vast experience in higher ed as well as her passion for student success. She is going to be a perfect fit for Northwest’s continued excellence.”
The dean of the Col-
lege of Arts and Sciences serves as the college’s chief academic and administrative officer. Hepworth will be responsible for ensuring the college’s academic programs, research, faculty development and student outcomes are of the highest quality while strategically allocating resources to advance the college’s mission. She also will have involvement in Northwest initiatives related to student enrollment, retention, graduation, assessment and accreditation.
The College of Arts and Sciences at Northwest encompasses the departments of Fine and Performing Arts; Humanities and Social Sciences; Language, Literature and Writing; Mathematics and Statistics; and Natural Sciences.
“I am thrilled to embark on this journey as
SCOTUS plan unneeded From Page 3
decisions in McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Ogden. Other well-respected American jurists would have had their careers and contributions cut short under the Biden Plan. A sampling of their years of service is instructive: Stephen J. Field (over 34 years), Joseph Story (over 33 years), Oliver Wendell Holmes (over 29 years), Felix Frankfurter (over 23 years), and Louis Brandeis (over 22 years).
President Biden further implies that under our current system there is unfairness for presidents who might not have a chance to nominate a Supreme Court candidate during a presidential term. Therefore, his proposal calls for guaranteeing each president two choices per four-year term. However, the facts show that the current system of Supreme Court appointments actually yields a relatively even distribution of opportunities to appoint justices. Virtually every president serving a full term, Jimmy Carter being the only exception, has had the opportunity to appoint at least one justice. Remarkably, the average number of appointments by each of our 46 presidents is approximately 2.6 appointees. Historically, one-term presidents (and certainly two-term presidents) will have an opportunity to influence the court by making appointments. So, Biden’s concern about presidential opportunities to appoint is ill-founded.
Nonetheless, Biden’s proposal has supporters among progressives.
The liberal Brennan Center’s judiciary program director, Alicia Bannon, explains the fundamental aim of the term-limits proposal for the Supreme Court: Term limits would “strengthen the democratic link between the court and the public.”
But in reality, both Bannon and Biden refuse to recognize that the American founders specifically did not want all three branches to be “democratic.” It was the U.S. House of Representatives that was to be more beholden to “the people” with frequent elections. Even there, the structure of the House is a representative system, and not a direct democracy. The Senate is certainly not democratic. The smallest state in terms of population, Wyoming, has the same number of senators (two) as the largest state, California.
As for the judicial branch, Supreme Court justices are not voted on directly by the people but must be nominated by a president who himself was not directly elected but triumphs through the Electoral College system. The judicial nominee must be approved by the Senate. Moreover, the term of the justices is “life.” In a very real sense, the court is not to have a “direct link to the public” precisely so that the court can protect citizens, dare it be said, against what Madison called an “overbearing majority.”
In short, the Biden proposal is influenced not by concerns for “democracy” but politics. It is ill-conceived and unnecessary.
the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northwest,” Hepworth said. “It is an honor to return to my beloved alma mater and give back what was provided to me as a young person discovering my own talents and skills. My goal is to champion innovation, support our talented educators and enhance the educational experience for our students. Together, we will build on Northwest’s proud tradition and pave the way for future achievements and growth.”
Hepworth, who has served in her current role since 2020, also has served at Missouri Western in the capacities of interim chair of the Department of Engineering Technology, interim dean of the College of Business and Professional Studies, and support for the Office of Assessment and Accreditation.
She joined Missouri Western in 2014 as a faculty member in its School of Fine Arts and previously taught in the Department of Music at Wayne State College in Nebraska from 2008 to 2014. She has served as a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician for numerous choral groups throughout the region, and she holds memberships in several choral and music education associations.
Hepworth has a graduate diploma in vocal performance from New Zealand School of Music, a doctor of arts degree in vocal pedagogy from The University of Mississippi, a master’s degree in music education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City
This bird has a brain
and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Northwest. Additionally, she holds national certifications in the pedagogies of Zoltán Kodály and Orff Schulwerk. In 2009, she received the Northwest Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Award.
Victoria and Dalton Mason have a 4-year-old gray African parrot by the name of Apollo who is a social media phenomenon with a following of nearly four million fans and a Guinness World Record for his ability to identify and call out the names of objects without hesitation. Apollo won his Guinness record for identifying 12 objects in three minutes time. The Masons say their mission is “to spread awareness of the natural intelligence found in animals.” In particular, they said, “we hope that our title can change the meaning behind the phrase bird brain.”
