GNM 12-20-17

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North Missourian

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Dec. 20, 2017 UPSP 213-200 Vol. 153, No. 30

Wishing a “Merry Christmas” to Daviess County Since 1864

Special 2nd Section of Christmas! TIN PUBLISHING CO. ink © GALLATIN

GPC

Manslaughter case draws 7-year verdict Aaron Robert Balliett, Cameron, was sentenced Dec. 13 in an involuntary manslaughter case from 2016. Balliett had plead guilty in August to involuntary manslaughter, C felony, DWI, B misdemeanor, and careless and imprudent driving, A misdemeanor. Balliett was the driver in a one-vehicle accident which occurred May 29, 2016, which resulted in the death of McKenzie Rae Patti, in Daviess County. Balliett was sentenced to seven years in the Department of Corrections and fined $1,000 on the felony and will complete a 120-day institutional treatment program per RSMo 559.115.3. He was fined $500 on the DWI charge and received credit for time served for the careless and imprudent charge.

Uuuuugly!

David McLey not only took first place on Ugly Sweater Day during “Reindeer Games,” but he went all out on almost every day of the challenge. Here David shows off his Snow-Flaky Pajamas Day outfit.

During the entire month of December staff members at Gallatin R-5 Schools participated in “Reindeer Games.” Each day on the calendar was a different challenge; for example, favorite Christmas socks day, ugly sweater day, snow-flaky pajamas day, white elephant day, savory soup day, etc. Above are Gallatin staff members on Ugly Sweater Day, front from left: Xandria Obico, Brittany Ghidoni, David McLey, (then above and to David’s left) Taryn Dustman, Missy Chadwick, Cheryl Arnold, Brent Burke; middle row, Tammy Kliewer, Carol Walker, Karen Johnson, Lesli Lin, Ryan Beenken, Nichole Gann, Stephanie Lollar; back row, Lori McLaughlin, Tiffany Otto, Lindsay Bond, Kayce Terhune, Lynda Swopes, Supt. Dr. Bryan Copple, Patrick Treece and Sarah Koenig.

Superintendent contract extended; grade school principal, 2 teachers resign The Gallatin R-5 Board of Education agreed to add another year to Superintendent Bryan Copple’s contract, extending it through June 30, 2021, during their meeting held Dec. 4. A resignation letter for retirement was accepted from Toni Cox, Searcy Elementary principal; Sheri Croy, third grade teacher; and Sara Koenig, fifth grade teacher, at the end of the

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2017-18 school year. In other business, the board approved the final 2016-17 audit completed by Conrad & Higgins, LLC. There were no changes from the draft report last month. The district website has been updated. It is: https://www.gallatin.k12.mo.us/ The Competent Professional Superior Knowledge (CPSK) in(continued on page 4)

Nice little Christmas nest egg for some Gallatin grad The MOB (Mothers of Bulldogs) Squad recently discovered a little treasure of $515.42 in a bank account, according to organizer Elaine Bohannon. The MOB Squad was organized in 2005-2007 to pay for things to support the football boys, like snacks and treats. Once a week the mothers decorated the team’s lockers at the school. The group sponsored tailgate parties and community pep rallies and sold various items, such as Bulldog t-shirts and sweatshirts, as fundraisers. Mrs. Bohannon’s son, Colt, was a Gallatin Bulldog senior in 2007. Recently Mrs. Bohannon received a phone call from Bethany Trust Company. Apparently the bank wanted to close out an old account for

Perfection Kennels: Local secret, by T.L. Huffman

Jon and Jessica Hann came to Daviess County bearing gifts, some they are aware of, and some they are not. “I like a good dog,” says Jon. “But it is the underdog, the one that is messed up and needs fixed that is dear to my heart.” Jon has trained at least 17,000 dogs at Perfection Kennels. They have recorded 160 field champions, 40 national champions, and have owners/clients that are winning somewhere at something every weekend. Charlie and Nova, two of their personal dogs, are favorites. They started as Jessica’s dogs. Jessica hails from New Mexico. She trained horses for a living and was out riding one day when both of her dogs were killed by a mountain lion. She got two new dogs, Nova and Charlie, but from then on she kept the dogs close, afraid to allow them to wander off. “Jon had the patience to work with them and get them away from the horse and out in the open field,” she says. “They’ve developed into fine bird dogs.” Charlie can find a bird anywhere, and this year Nova received the American Kennel Club Pointing Breeds Gun Dog Championship. Nova won the title out of 78 dogs. Jon is the owner and trainer at Perfection Kennels. He has been training work-

the MOB Squad. She and Carla Wood Feigly were signers on the account. “I was kind of stunned that there was that much money in there,” said Mrs. Bohannon. “We sold a lot of trinkets and wampums to make those funds.” After calling the school and finding out there is no program similar to the MOB Squad going on right now, Mrs. Bohannon and Mrs. Feigly decided to donate the money to the Arland Haynes Scholarship at Gallatin R-5. “We chose this scholarship because you don’t have to be the best scholar or the best athlete to receive it,” Mrs. Bohannon said. “A student might be a really good applicant to go to college and not (continued on page 3)

world renowned!

ing bird dogs since the age of 14 when he cured his own gun-shy dog. People realized he had a knack and started sending him their problem dogs to fix. Around the same time, Jon’s uncle, Gary Brown, of Brown Funeral Home in Cameron, passed on a bird hunting tradition to Jon. The training and the hunting grew into a love of all things bird dogs. Jon has been working with dogs now for 34 years. He is originally from St. Joe. He bought a piece of property near the small town of Kidder but it started getting too populated. “For what I do,” Jon laughs. “There were more houses being built, more traffic on the road. My job is to take care of the dogs, to keep them safe.” He moved to an even more remote loJon and Jessica Hann have four dogs of cation off of Hwy. CC in 2005. their own – Nova, Hopper, Charlie and Huck, “I may be a little antisocial,” he says. the puppy. They are shown here with prize “That may be why I’m good with dogs. I’m winner Huckleberry. learning to like people more.” Jessica has been his wife and partner trieving stakes, amateur, open, walking since 2012. She brought her trail horses and horseback. to go with the program. Jessica’s backJon defines field trials this way: ground in training horses made the switch “The ability of a dog to find wild game to training dogs very easy. bird in a natural environment and to show “The biggest difference is the dogs proper manners once he finds it — not are predator and the horses are prey ani- scare the bird, not chase it out of the counmals,” she says. “But the basic training try, and not eat it.” was an easy transition.” They are also trainers of dogs that The Hanns train dogs of all breeds and don’t compete but serve as hunting comall disciplines for the field trial world, re- panions.

They raise quail and doves on site. They go through around 400 quail a month that they shoot, clean and eat. They have 200 homing pigeons that they don’t kill, but just use to train. There are around 35 dogs housed at any given time in the kennel. They employ two people to clean the kennels; one to assist with training; and another part-time trainer. The dogs come from all over the U.S.A. To take a walk through the kennels at Perfection Kennels is to be greeted by 35 dogs jumping on the chain link fence and barking in deafening decibels at the prospect of Jon taking them on a little hunt. He points at the dogs — Pointers, Weimaraners, Vizslas, Setters, Gordon Setters, German Short-Haired Pointers — and calls out their home states as he walks between the cages: “Colorado, North Dakota, South Texas, Arizona, Alaska, New York….” Happy to be here Perfection Kennels is surrounded by thousands of acres of fields, pasture and timber. “People who’ve always lived in a rural community don’t find it special,” said Jessica. “But when people from the city walk across a field and see their puppy on point for the first time, they are awed, it brings them to tears.” (continued on page 12)

Light Up the Night Contest winners to be announced soon. Can’t wait until next week’s paper? Go online: FriendsOfGallatin.org


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