See how Lathrop, Plattsburg and East Buchanan are stacking up || PAGE A6
CLINTON COUNTY
LEADER
CITY OF LATHROP
Council OKs tax levy, truck purchase
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The City of Lathrop will be purchasing a new truck for the public works department.
The Lathrop City Council approved the purchase of a 2023 Ford Super Duty 550 with a dump bed during the council’s regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 20. The truck cost $89,600 through a government bid and will replace two of the department’s trucks—a dump truck and dump bed Chevrolet—that were older and need of more frequent repair.
Also that evening, the district held a public hearing for its annual tax rate levy, which was approved later in the meeting. The total levy for this tax year is $1.1434 per $100 assessed value, which City Administrator Bob Burns told The Leader is down about two percent from the previous year.
The general levy was set at $0.5712 per $100 assessed value, while the park levy was set at $0.1503 and the debt service levy was set at $0.4219.
The council heard from engineer Scott McDonald of Veenstra and Kimm on a pair of subjects. The city is preparing for a full overlay of a northto-south street as part of its new street improvement tax. Burns said that the council is heavily considering Maple Street, but the city could possibly do more roadway this round. There will be a work session on Monday, September 30, 7 p.m. to discuss it more.
McDonald also gave the council information about the minor bridge over Shoal Creek on Clinton Street (near Valley Street). Burns said that the city will need to fix the bridge at some point but it isn’t currently an emergency situation, but rather he
City hall repairs projected at $3.14M
The long-awaited totals for repairs to make Cameron City Hall safe and leak proof were announced before the finance committee discussed the 2024-2025 city budget on Monday, August 26. Roof upgrades, complete
mold remediation, brick and mortar repair and inspections will total an estimated $3,143,000.
Evidence of advanced deterioration of the roof was documented as early as 2011 by former city manager Mark Gaugh, but no action was taken for 12 years. Those en-
gineering reports only came to light recently as employees were being relocated to the second floor of Bank Midwest.
The massive expense will be split over two budget years but that still had council members searching for ways to cut expenses and becoming increasingly frustrated as at-
tempts to shave the budget met with little success when questioning city staff and manager Steve Rasmussen. Councilman John Feighert III again questioned having both merit and cost of living salary increases in light of the recently-announced $3 mil-
GRIDIRON RETURN
At the East Buchanan Board of Education meeting held on Monday, August 19, the board approved the tax rate of $5.95 per $100 assessed valuation, with $4.20 of the levy going to incidentals and $1.75 for capital projects. A significant amount of time was spent discussing engineering options for the new East Buchanan Middle School building. Of the 15 total options, four were considered to have a moderate to major effect in the appearance and or function of the project. These included replacement of the PRS System with Envelope 2000, cast stone with metal trim, manual bleachers versus electric operating ones, and replacing phenolic panel with metal. Engineers estimate these measures could save the district approximately $54,000. The four options discussed that would make minor differences to appearance or function included changing the glass color, hollow metal doors, reducing the topping slab areas, and removing the lighting protection, which would not
One Section | 12 pages Park Board Concerns Raised
With major questions about the budget, the Cameron Park Board has concerns with its funding.
Football teams clash in preseason
Friday night lights make their official return later this week, but area football teams looked to shake off the rust last week with annual jamboree contests. For more on several area football teams, see The Leader’s preview inside, as well as more jamboree photos on page A12. (Above) A trio of Cameron defenders--Talan Edwards (2), Chase Bell (22) and Malachi Jones (57) bring down an Excelsior Springs ball carrier on Friday during the Dragons’ annual home jamboree. (Left) East Buchanan’s Ben Rhoad finds space on the edge to run Friday in Cameron. brett adkison | the leader
be a code violation, amounting to savings of approximately $71,585. There were seven areas that would have no noticeable impact on appearance or function. These included appliance manufacturing change, thermally broken doors, plumbing fixture change of manufacture, PEX pipe where lines are one inch or less instead of copper, Dakin HVAC, casework, and change type of the art door. These changes could result in savings of approximately $176,899. The board decided to go
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calls for ser
by jamey honeycutt leader publisher
Budget questions cause concerns for Park Board
The Cameron Park Board met August 22 and focussed on next year’s budget. The annual budget begins October 1 and must be ratified by the city council before that date.
Despite being less than a month from the last chance to ratify such a budget without a special session, board members had numerous concerns about how the budget was constructed and how certain numbers were derived.
Opening the budget discussion, Lance Rains, Economic Development Director and acting parks liaison for the city, began to explain that while the park board has money in various funds, the operations budget would be upside down if all positions
were filled, including the position of parks director.
“When you add the parks director” said Rains, “and you add the other employee... you are not going to get that for $60,000.”
Before that, Rains had mentioned that the department had a deficit of $18,000 before transfers from another city fund. After transfers, that balance was in the black to the tune of $60,000, but still short of what was needed to hire those employees.
Subsidized labor is something current Cameron council members do not seem in favor of after needed city hall repairs costing millions were announced.
Councilman John Breckenridge referred to the parks budget as “insolvent” without the $120,000 transfer from the water de-
PLATTSBURG COUNCIL
partment to cover the parks salaries. Certain park funds come from sales taxes to pay for capital projects but labor to maintain or improve those projects usually comes from the general fund as a part of the parks operational budget.
Councilman John Feighert said in the August 19 council meeting, “I think going forward, the park board should pay for all the city staff work on their projects. They have their own tax for a reason.”
To add insult to injury, it also appears that upon further investigation, the city has not been charging the parks department for electricity at Recreation Park.
Board member Josh Smith questioned a larger line item for electricity
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City of Plattsburg levy
won’t change this year
by brett adkison leader editor
Residents in the City of Plattsburg won’t see much change to their municipal tax bill this year.
The Plattsburg City Council met in a quick, special session on Monday, August 26, the approve the annual tax levy, which amounted to the same as the 2024 levy. The rate for this year
will be $1.1568 per $100 assessed value. That includes $0.5677 for the general revenue fund, $0.2154 for police, $0.1375 for parks, $0.0477 for recreation, $0.1700 for street lights and $0.0185 for cemetery.
The total tax rate is below the maximum allowed rate, which is capped at $1.1681 per $100,000. The city anticipates collecting
$352,500 in property tax revenue in 2025.
The assessed value of all property inside the City of Plattsburg is $32.8 million for 2025. That includes $25.4 million in real property, $7.15 million in personal property and just over a quarter-million dollars in new construction and improvements.
East Buchanan, Continued from Page A1
along with the recommendation of the Dakin HVAC system so the equipment could be ordered immediately.
The board will further consider these options at the next monthly board meeting.
The board also approved going forward with pursuing the lease-purchase funds amounting to $9 million for construction of the new middle school. Also approved was the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) amendment to the AJ Mueller contract, with the amount coming in at $15,495,617.96.
The board approved a contract revision with OPAA!, the district’s food services provider, to share the food services director position with another
wants to ensure they plan for the project. He added that in fixing the bridge they’ll have the opportunity to better situate it to handle flooding.
The city council also approved an increase in compensation for the mayor and aldermen in the near furture. The council previ-
district in exchange for a $10,000 credit for the district. The district can also opt out of this agreement if it deems fit in the future.
The board also approved a contract with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department for a resource officer in Gower for the upcoming school year.
Mr. Lewis presented the new logo design that the logo committee has developed to the board with the final design to be presented at the September board meeting.
A construction update was provided on the new middle school, citing that the weather has had some effects on the construction, but it continues to be on schedule for completion prior to the 2025-2026 school year.
While discussing supervision needs for the district in the new school year, the board opted for an adjunct supervisor to be contracted with on an as needed basis.
Superintendent Dr. John Newell provided the board with options for the staff barbecue on either September 20 or October 4. The board chose October 4. It was also decided to host a new staff reception at the September monthly board meeting.
Dr. Newell provided an update on the summer maintenance projects, which included new lighting in the high school gym, wall murals for the music room, and the new doors for the Central Office.
The next monthly board meeting will be Monday, September 16, at 7 p.m.
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ously considered the move, which will see the pay increase take effect after the 2026 elections (ensuring all current members would need to be re-elected before being impacted).
Aldermen pay will go from $50 every fiscal quarter to $300, while the mayor’s pay will go from $75 every quarter to $450.
The council also discussed the municipal trash pick-up contract, which is coming up for bid soon. The current provider is Redgate Disposal. The next contract will run from December 2024 through November 2027.
Work is underway on the grounds of the new East Buchanan Middle School building in Gower. The new location is just west of Heritage Park, several blocks west of the high school.
Lathrop City Council,
by jamey honeycutt leader publisher
Cameron City Council, Continued from Page A1
lion in needed repairs.
Councilman John Breckenridge likened current cityprovided solutions to the repairs as “robbing Peter to pay Paul” when the best solution was to liquidate property. Breckenridge, exasperated from the lack of success cutting expenses, proposed suspending the hiring of an IT Director at a salary of $100,000 annually. Breckenridge was encouraged to bring the motion to a regular session but no action would be taken on the item. No mention was made of the across-the-board cuts requested by Councilman Feighert in a previous budget meeting. At that meeting, Feighert said, “We need to cut budgets, across the board (except police, fire and park board) by 10 percent.”
When asked about the cuts, City Manager Steve Rasmussen said that those cuts were not in the budget because he was not sure exactly what cuts Feighert
was referring to, since so much of the funding is governmental—those are funds that cannot be cut or redirected—but that he did plan on discussing it at the next meeting.
Councilman Feighert was concerned with the absence of the requested cuts saying,” I have repeatedly said that I appreciate everything that our staff has done. Still, I was a little frustrated as the City Manager and I had a good conversation on Friday about each of my issues. I asked him to bring the answers as a matter of public record so we could discuss them as a council tonight. Regarding the 10% across-the-board cuts, I wasn’t sure if it could be accomplished in every department, but it would be a good starting point so that we could make the hard decisions. Decisions on what would be put on hold and which budget items could go forward this year. I wanted to know what we could
shave from the budget this year since we had so many financial emergencies since our last budget. I wanted to learn what the department heads felt would be the most important items to keep and what they might have lower on their priority list (and push back for a year until we know a better estimate of what City Hall is going to cost us.)”
Feighert also mentioned other issues that he understood would be discussed and were not. “Such as increasing revenue via different investment vehicles and the park board utilizing their funds for the trails in the future (outside what the last council had already approved),” said Feighert.
Councilman Feighert also took exception with cost of living adjustments being included in salaries after he asked for them to be removed to save money.
“Regarding the COLA issue.... I think it would be a major change and I think
that might scare some of the workers, however, I don’t think they are hearing that I want a merit-based system so we can let the department heads, who should know their people best, provide each the appropriate salary increase. If we are giving COLA for people who are maxed on the pay just so they get an increase, we need to reevaluate the grade or provide a bonus or a stipend. Remember, they are still getting all their benefits & retirement. As anyone who has worked in the private sector, we worry about our jobs (government workers do not). We also have to worry about major catastrophes such as a banking crisis or a Covid shutdown which may cause our merit increases to be nonexistent or low. Rarely if ever does the private sector (except unions), get COLA and a merit increase, and it is just as rare that they do not have to cut costs at some point in their company life cycle.”
Mayor Becky Curtis, reached for comment after the meeting, also has reservations about the budget process.
“This budget year is an unprecedented year, in that we have a multimilliondollar repair with which we have to find funds. Yes, we could bond them, but we’ve been bonding all our park, pool and wastewater upgrades the last three years,” said Curtis.
“No more bonding. The taxpayer has to pay for interest on those bonds. Yes, we will sell the industrial park for the needed funds. But at this writing, those funds may not materialize. It’s not a wise council to move forward like nothing is happening to our city hall and not take measures to thwart the impending restoration,” said the Mayor.
Curtis suggested the council is ready to make deeper cuts in the public’s interest. She feels there are other council members who
believe as she does, adding that Feighert’s request to cut 10-percent across the board (with notable exceptions) is a good start.
“We also need to vet the new IT position to make sure that operating from a satellite location for the first year would even make sense, as well as take a look at the merit and cost of living percentages,” said Curtis. “We must tighten our belts at this time until we know more about the expense landscape we are facing.”
The council has two meetings to hammer out differences with the manager and staff before a deadline of October 1. No special sessions are planned at this time.
The Clinton County Leader will update this ongoing story on Facebook between Friday print editions in the Green Hills Shopper.
Clinton County Sheriff’s Weekly Calls for Service
Friday, August 16
12:41 a.m.: Careless and imprudent driver on I-35 in Clinton County.
5:32 a.m.: Vehicle crash on 226th Street in Lawson.
10:14 a.m.: Medical call on Center Street in Clinton County.
10:56 a.m.: Medical call on NE 288th Street in Turney.
2:34 p.m.: Animal call on S. Main Street in Plattsburg.
4:13 p.m.: Medical call on S. 169 Highway in Gower.
4:32 p.m.: Harassment in progress on Center Street in Lathrop.
4:34 p.m.: Medical call on S. 169 Highway in Gower.
5:07 p.m.: Medical call on E. Clay Avenue in Plattsburg.
9:38 p.m.: Medical call on SE Crowley Corner in Turney.
10:26 p.m.: Medical call on 116 Highway in Plattsburg.
10:34 p.m.: Medical call on NE Brethren Church in Clinton County.
10:47 p.m.: Medical call on SE Highway 69 in Lawson.
Saturday, August 17
9:12 a.m.: Medical call on E. Maple in Trimble.
9:17 a.m.: Stealing (not in progress) on Navajo in Lathrop.
11:32 a.m.: Medical call on E. Clay Avenue in Plattsburg.
3:12 p.m.: Medical call on E. Clay Avenue in Plattsburg.
4:11 p.m.: Careless and imprudent driver on I-35 in Holt.
progress on Clinton Street in Osborn.
4:59 p.m.: Medical call on E. Clay Avenue in Plattsburg.
5:42 p.m.: Medical call on 169 Highway in Gower.
7:43 p.m.: Trespassing in progress on SE Haynesville in Holt.
8:06 p.m.: Medical call on SE 202nd Street in Holt.
10:11 p.m.: Careless and imprudent driver on 169 Highway in Clinton County.
Sunday, August 18
1:51 a.m.: Vehicle crash on 33 Highway in Holt.
1:55 a.m.: Medical call on N. Main Street in Plattsburg.
6:56 a.m.: Medical call on 116 Highway in Plattsburg.
1:11 p.m.: Animal call on Washington Way in Plattsburg.
2:12 p.m.: Carbon monoxide call on W. Osage in Plattsburg.
6:14 p.m.: Medical call on SE Mohawk Drive in Lathrop.
9:08 p.m.: Assault (not in progress) on NW Plotsky in Plattsburg.
Monday, August 19
12:08 a.m.: Vehicle crash on I-35 in Clinton County.
6:02 a.m.: Medical call on 169 Highway in Gower.
6:11 a.m.: Animal call on HH Highway in Cameron. 8:48 a.m.: Animal call on SW Springtown Road in Plattsburg.
9:02 a.m.: Structure fire on
10:40 a.m.: Medical call on SE Horseshoe Drive in Holt.
11:30 a.m.: Medical call on S. Walnut in Plattsburg.
2:19 p.m.: Natural cover fire on 33 Highway in Holt.
2:48 p.m.: Careless and imprudent driver on I-35 in Clinton County.
3:43 p.m.: Careless and imprudent driver on 116 Highway in Clinton County.
4:36 p.m.: Vehicle crash on 264th Street in Clinton County.
4:42 p.m.: Stealing (not in progress) on SE 200th Street in Holt.
4:56 p.m.: Medical call on SE Comanche in Lathrop.
5:08 p.m.: Medical call on 130th Road in Easton.
6:06 p.m.: Structure fire on Vance in Plattsburg.
6:17 p.m.: Medical call on E. Clay Avenue in Plattsburg.
6:20 p.m.: Medical call on S. Walnut in Plattsburg.
7:05 p.m.: Medical call on W. Frost Street in Plattsburg.
7:20 p.m.: Disturbance in progress on Latigo Street in Lathrop.
8:43 p.m.: Disturbance (not in progress) on South Street in Lathrop.
9:34 p.m.: Suspicious activity in progress on Concha Street in Lathrop.
Tuesday, August 20
6:05 a.m.: Vehicle crash on I-35 in Cameron.
1:21 p.m.: Medical call on Platte Avenue in Edgerton. 2:27 p.m.: Medical call
Plattsburg.
2:48 p.m.: Medical call on Y Highway in Plattsburg.
3:53 p.m.: Domestic in progress on Benjamin Avenue in Gower.
4:06 p.m.: Medical call on SE North Lakeshore Drive in Clinton County.
4:10 p.m.: Harassment (not in progress) on Fourth Street in Turney.
4:27 p.m.: Medical call on W. Walnut Street in Plattsburg.
4:32 p.m.: Domestic in progress on SE 200th Street in
Holt.
7:42 p.m.: Disturbance in progress on S. Ridge in Turney.
7:54 p.m.: Medical call on S. Ridge in Turney.
8:49 p.m.: Suspicious activity in progress on 33 Highway in Clinton County.
8:51 p.m.: Suspicious activity in progress on Park Street in Lathrop.
9:32 p.m.: Trespassing in progress on Pine Street in Lathrop.
Wednesday, August 21
9:25 p.m.: Medical call on SE Meadow Lane in Lathrop. 10:58 p.m.: Medical call on W. Frost Street in Plattsburg. 1:06 p.m.: Trespassing in progress on Se 200th Street in Holt.
2:56 p.m.: Animal call on NE Platte Road in Cameron.
6:47 p.m.: Animal call on Balinda Drive in Smithville. 8:25 p.m.: Medical call on 169 Highway in Gower. 9:37 p.m.: Medical call on Main Street in Plattsburg.
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OPINIONS
WHAT’S THE SHAPE OF THE WORLD?
Sister Wilhelmina’s Legacy
by steve tinnen leader publisher emeritus
You know you’re growin’ older when... You step off a curb and look down one more time to make sure that the street is still there.
* * * *
I’m hopeful that Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, the founder of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, a monastery in the small town of Gower, Missouri, is looking down from her heavenly perch with a smile. Even though she died in 2019, her life continues to gain notoriety because when monastery members exhumed her body in April 2023 to relocate it inside the chapel, they found that it had not undergone the typical stages of decay. While the fabric lining of Lancaster’s coffin was largely decayed, her body and religious attire appeared to be mostly intact.
This discovery was not something that the monastery leaders were trying to capitalize or promote. Monastery leader Mother Cecilia released an email explaining the circumstances behind the people learning about the circumstances surrounding Sister Wilhelmina’s unearthing of her body from the grave on the grounds of the monastery.
Mother Cecilia said in her news release at the time: “The intent was devotional, and to carry this out in the privacy of our cloistered life. Nevertheless, the discovery of what appeared to be an
intact body and a perfectly preserved religious habit created an unexpected twist to our plans. We had no intent to make the discovery so public, but unfortunately, a private email was posted publicly, and the news began to spread like wildfire. However, God works in mysterious ways, and we embrace His new plan for us.”
God’s new plan brought thousands of Catholics and other religious believers from around the Midwest to visit the body, which some thought to be “incorrupt” — a designation marked by a lack of decomposition after death and associated with holiness in the Catholic faith.
She proudly announced, “An army of volunteers and our local law enforcement have stepped forward to manage the crowds, and we are deeply grateful to each of them, as they allow us to continue our life in peace, while granting the visitors a pleasant and prayerful experience at the abbey.”
Published reports said that soon after Lancaster’s body was exhumed, the local diocese assembled its team of experts to search for natural causes of preservation. The experts included a pathologist, two other medical doctors and a former coroner. Their investigation, which lasted more than a year, found no evidence in soil samples or interviews with those involved in the burial that explain why the body appears so well-pre-
served. Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster’s body is now on display in the abbey church.
While the sisters in the monastery can attest to her personal sanctity, they know that incorruptibility is not among the official signs taken by the Church as a miracle for sainthood, and that all things must be subjected to further scrutiny, especially by the competent authorities in the medical field. The life itself and favors received must be established as proof of holiness.
Even though there are currently no officially canonized African American female saints in the Catholic faith, Kansas City area bishop James Johnston confirmed that this unusual preservation alone is not a fast pass to sainthood in the church.
He wrote in a published statement, “The Catholic Church does not have an official protocol for determining if a deceased person’s body is incorrupt, and incorruptibility is not considered to be an indication of sainthood. There is no current plan to initiate a cause for sainthood for Sister Wilhelmina.”
Sister Wilhelmina doesn’t need to be confirmed as a Saint to determine her accomplishments here on earth. Her miracle continues to be recognized, and her smile continues to shine down on her monastery and the believers who continue to lift up her life for all to see.
How to Contact your State and National Lawmakers
Sen. Eric Schmitt
U.S. Senator (202) 224-5721
Sen. Josh Hawley
U.S. Senator (816) 960-4694
Rep. Sam Graves Sixth District U.S. Rep. (816) 749-0800
Rep. Josh Hurlbert Eighth District State Rep. (573) 751-0246
Rep. Dean VanSchoiack Ninth District State Rep. (573) 751-36666
Sen. Rusty Black 12th State Representative (573) 751-1415
Laying blame for city hall?
by jamey honeycutt leader publisher
After much consternation, hand wringing and finger pointing, we now know what the repairs to city hall will cost taxpayers: $3 million dollars and then some.
Apparently the “20year roof” shot craps after 10 years, was noticed in 11 years, inspected, then ignored. After no regular building or roof inspections until 2023, we arrive at 2024 with the city renting space until 2026. Got it now? Consider yourself up to speed.
So, who’s fault is it? No roof inspections until 2011 and that went nowhere.Then no repairs until the roof and walls literally began to fall down around employees and patrons?
The look doesn’t get any better when you consider that it is the city who compels, under penalty of law, thousands of business and residential owners to follow city code enforcement, all while having city hall fall apart?
That is an exercise in futility. The council and city managers have changed wildly over the past 15 years as most of the damage was occurring.
The current administration bears a good bit of responsibility; after all, this city manager has been at the helm for almost five years. How much, if any, could have been avoided had he assessed the city assets sooner into his tenure?
Heck, if you must blame anyone, blame me.
Yes, I was actually running the “other” newspaper at the time the ribbon was cut. I helped cover the opening of the new building and apparently I should have been asking harder questions of staff and council regarding maintenance budgets, inspection schedules, and perhaps if they just had a map to the roof. A lot of people definitely dropped the ball on maintenance through the years.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
How many times might city hall have had hail damage over the years but missed out on an insurance claim and repair because no one ever inspected the roof?
Just go ahead and blame me and my lazy brand of journalism that failed to point out these lapses until I handed over the reins in 2011—about the same time the deteriorating roof was discovered and reported, then buried in a file cabinet, not to see the light of day until the spring of 2024.
Yep, just blame me.
I mean, I’m from Arkansas—an Arkansas journalist, for crying out loud! I barely wear shoes and once voted for democrat Governor Jay Nixon, what do you expect?
But I digress!
Regardless of how much of a role I had to play in the fiasco (probably none), the truth remains: in just 23 short years, a commercial-grade building that cost $1.72 million in bonds (according to Bill 2001-19 Ordinance 4845) now costs $3.14 million to repair from systemic neglect.
So, as I penned before, it may not be this council’s fault (that the inspection and maintenance of city hall was neglected for most of its existence) but it is their problem to fix. Do they have the stomach to take bold steps to insure this never happens again?
That depends on if you have their back, because they won’t be very popular if they start making the hard cuts.
I already saw grousing from one council person and several staff at the suggestion that one or the other, COLA or merit raises, be eliminated from the budget next year.
And that is not even a large cut, albeit one that hits close to home. One council member suggested taking a look at the larger categories like professional services and the ever popular “engineering study” that inspires a drinking game each time it is mentioned.
That line item alone is over half a million in the city hall estimate. And remember that is just an estimate. We could easily be talking about substantially more, but first we must sell some property. What if the property doesn’t sell right away?
Well, as they say, the show must go on. So with the retainer payment of the engineering survey (drink) being due immediately, any needed funds to begin renovations before the land sale would come in the way of a loan from the electric department.
Lance Rains estimates the land should fetch in excess of $6 million which gives them flexibility to adjust the price, if needed.
Truthfully, the most logical place to heap blame, besides on me, is our cumulative turnout during the next few spring municipal elections. If we don’t reward the successes, however hard fought, and punish the timid and weak when they kick the can down the road, the biggest jackass in the barn will be staring back at us in the mirror.
Those will also be the same people we retain to navigate the implementation of a new water supplier, upgrade major infrastructure, and order an engineering study (drink) to build a new wastewater facility. Choose wisely friends, or you might be reading the same headlines in 25 to 30 years.
Banning books often means restricting ideas
Dear editor, In recent times, we have witnessed a troubling rise in book banning—a practice that seeks to censor, limit, and restrict access to ideas and perspectives. This practice is not a benign act; it is an assault on the very essence of intellectual freedom and human curiosity. When we ban books, we are effectively closing doors to understanding. Books are not just collections of words; they are vessels of knowl-
edge, history, and human experience. By censoring them, we undermine our ability to engage with diverse viewpoints, to learn from past mistakes, and to envision new futures. Progress is built upon the free exchange of ideas, and that exchange is stifled when we allow any group to decide which ideas are worthy of consideration. Education is meant to prepare us to think critically and independently. We must trust in the capability of our
educators and students to engage with complex issues in a thoughtful and informed manner. Book banning sends a dangerous message that certain ideas are too dangerous to be discussed, and this undermines the very purpose of education.
In a democratic society, the freedom to read and the freedom to think are fundamental rights. When we allow censorship to creep into our libraries and schools, we erode the foundation of
these freedoms. We must be vigilant against any attempts to restrict our access to information, for it is through this access that we are able to participate fully in our democracy. It is through the free flow of information that we can hold our leaders accountable, advocate for change, and shape the future of our society.
History has shown us that censorship disproportionately affects those who are already underrepresented
THE CLINTON COUNTY LEADER
or misunderstood. When we ban books written by or about marginalized communities, we not only silence their voices but also deny the broader society the opportunity to understand their experiences. This act of exclusion is not just an injustice; it is a failure to recognize the rich diversity of human experience and the value of every story.
In conclusion, book banning is not a solution— it is a symptom of a larger
problem, one that threatens the very fabric of our society. It is an attempt to control thought, to stifle curiosity, and to suppress the rich tapestry of human experience. We must stand firm against these efforts and defend the right to read and to think freely.
Mo.
DAVID RICE ATCHISON
JAMEY HONEYCUTT LEADER PUBLISHER THIS MIGHT STING
Mike Shryock Trimble,
Martin Wallace “Buck” Burch
Martin Wallace “Buck” Burch passed away on August 21, 2024, due to complications from Parkinson’s. He was the only child of Martin and Lucille Burch. He grew up on a farm near Clearmont, Missouri. He was baptized at the Clearmont Baptist Church. Buck and Carolyn were continually active in the Methodist and Christian Churches in Plattsburg. He was a 1963 graduate of West Nodaway, Burlington Jct., Missouri. He graduated with honors from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, in 1967 with a BS in Agriculture and a minor in Biology. He and his wife, Carolyn, recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. He is survived by wife Carolyn; two sons, Shawn Burch and wife, Maggie, and Travis Burch; and grandchildren; Whitney and Austin Burch.
In his spare time, he enjoyed landscaping, designing stained glass and a part-time photography business. After he retired, he and Carolyn enjoyed golfing, snow skiing in Colorado, traveling around the world and country with friends, as well as entertaining friends and family to dinner parties at their home on Lake Concord, Plattsburg, Missouri.
In 2011, Buck and Carolyn settled in Columbia, Missouri, to be closer to their children and grandkids that
would attend the University of Missouri and to provide Buck the medical support for Parkinson’s. Throughout his 39-year career with USDA-NRCS, he advanced through many positions. His first position was as a trainee in Fulton, Missouri. He was then selected as District Conservationist in Ozark, Missouri. While in that position he developed a program to seed grass by helicopter. He also participated in a Rotary Group Study Exchange Team to England for a fourweek tour. Shortly after his return, he was transferred to Clinton County as District Conservationist in Plattsburg, Missouri. Among the many duties of this position, the Plattsburg office was also designated as a training location.
Later, Buck was chosen to be the Resource Conservationist based in St. Joseph, Missouri, which included a 12-county area in Northwest Missouri. After several years in that position, he was promoted to Area Conservationist; in 1993 he was selected to National Liaison to Region 7 of the Environmental Protection Agency in Kansas City, Kansas. That position included programs between EPA and NRCS in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. He also served on a team advisory committee that dealt with watersheds near Moscow, Russia,
and Warsaw, Poland, further developing international relationships within Agriculture and Natural Resources. Buck’s final assignment was as a National Liaison to the National Pork Producers Council in Des Moines, Iowa. His primary focus was developing a guide to be used as a training tool for environmental swine production and recruiting people to go on farms to complete assessments based on that guide. His creativity, drive, and commitment has not only shaped his family but has inspired many people. “Agriculture is a fundamental source of national prosperity. Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.” -
Thomas Jefferson
Buck has lived his life with this thought always in mind: “Some things have been tragic, but most of them magic. But it’s been a good ride all the way.”
Cremation arrangements by Memorial Funeral Home of Columbia, Missouri. Graveside services will be private in Clearmont, Missouri. Online condolences may be shared at www.memorialfuneralhomecolumbia.com.
Buck would prefer you make donations to the Columbia Parkinson’s Support Group at 1311 Vintage Dr., Columbia, MO 65203
Quinton Harris, 18, of Oskaloosa, passed away at his home on August 24, 2024.
Quinton Scott Harris, son of Canada Scott and Heather Dawn (Giesken) Harris, was born on September 27, 2005, in Killeen, Texas. He attended Oskaloosa Elementary and Oskaloosa High School. He has been employed with Vermeer Manufacturing as a machinist since April of 2024.
Quinton loved Mustang cars and sports bikes. He enjoyed playing video games in his free time. Quinton recently desired to learn how to play the guitar and was entering that phase. The Denver Broncos were his favorite football team; he considered himself a huge fan of the team. Good memories were made during his friendships with
a few good buddies.
Left to cherish Quinton’s memory are his family: his parents, Canada and Heather Harris; his brothers: Brayden and Garrett Harris, all of Oskaloosa; and his paternal grandparents, Wayne and Marcella Harris of Gallatin, Missouri.
Quinton was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Deb Auten. Memorial services
for Quinton will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions have been established in his name and will be designated at a later time. You may send memorial contributions to his parents, Canada and Heather Harris, or the funeral chapel. Langkamp Funeral Chapel & Crematory has been entrusted with arrangements for Quinton.
Road near Holt and Kearney will be closed until further notice effective Wednesday, August 28. The closure is expected to begin between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The closure is due to a culvert failure according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. The official signed detour for this closure is I-35 in both directions. The reopening date is currently unknown until the project can be designed, awarded, and replaced. For more information about MoDOT news, projects or events, please visit our website at www.modot.org/kansascity. For instant updates, follow MoDOT_KC on X, or share posts and comments on our Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOT.KansasCity/. MoDOT Kansas City maintains more than 7,000 miles of state roadway in nine counties. Sign up online for workzone updates or call 888-ASK-MODOT (2756636).
Project18_Layout 1 8/27/24 4:41 PM Page 1
The Assessor's Office will close early at 12:00pm on September 9th and will be closed September 10th and 11th for training. We will be back open on September 12th. Cindy Carter Clinton County Assessor
FOOTBALL PREVIEW
Plattsburg Tigers hope to build on eight-man success
With dwindling participation, Plattsburg head football coach Brandon Boswell and the Clinton County RIII School District set out with a plan in 2024 to rebuild its football program, including the decision to drop from 11-man football to the eight-man ranks.
It’s a decision that has already returned Plattsburg football to an upswing.
Last year, the Tigers won their first nine games of eight-man football (10 games, when you include an exhibition victory over 11-man Maysville) on their way to a district championship. They nearly punched through to the state semifinals, too, falling to South Holt in the final moments of the Missouri quarterfinals, 60-58.
It was an exciting season that helped rekindle interest in the sport. Now, as the Tigers embark on their second season of eight-man, Coach Boswell said the program and participation numbers are ahead of where they anticipated in the rebuild.
“We have solid participation at every grade clear down to our flag football program,” the coach said.
“We just have to make sure we retain kids and make football an enjoyable experience. Our projected MSHSAA enrollment for April 2025 is well over the 150-student cap for eight man, so we will definitely be returning to 11-man for the 2025 season and resuming our games in the KCI. I know we planned on play-
ing eight-man for three seasons, but the fact that our participation has drastically improved from where it was when we went to eight-man puts us in a position where we should be playing 11man, because our roster sizes are much more comparable to Class 1 KCI schools.”
While a return to 11man might be on the horizon, the Tigers aren’t looking past the 2024 season. In order to continue competing at a high level, Plattsburg will first need to move past the loss of some key players to graduation, including
quarterback Isaia Howard, receiver Gavin Carter, and linemen Jon Fish, Dakota Rankin, Korbin Dow and Braden Brown.
To fill the void, the Tigers will have a solid group of experienced seniors returning this fall, including receiver/defensive back Gavin Boyle, lineman Jaden Shoniber, receiver/ defensive back Rylan Langton, running back/defensive lineman Donte Bingham, lineman Caden McLallen, lineman Body Mathes and lineman Jackson Crouse. That group also includes
five returning starters: Boyle, Davis, Shoniber, Langton and Bingham.
Coach Boswell said the team had a good summer with great participation both on the field and in the weight room. He added that they saw good growth from key returns, including sophomore Luke Parra, junior Keegan Gudde, junior Camden McLallen, junior Jaiveon Grayson and junior Tyler Ariano, among others.
“Winning always helps build confidence,” said Coach Boswell. “However, it can also
create complacency. Coming into our second year of eight-man, the kids have had good energy and are excited about seeing if we can replicate and expand on the success we had last year. We obviously graduated a lot of
major contributors, so we will have to do the work of figuring out which players and schemes give us the best chance to win against a very difficult schedule.”
One returnee who could
||Continued
The 2024 Plattsburg Tigers football team. Front Row (left to right): Michael Hull, Gavin Boyle, Rylan Langton, Caden McLallen, Brodey Mathes, Jackson Crouse, Jaden Shoniber, Donte Bingham. Second Row: Tyler Ariano, Wyatt Davis, Zach Annis, Camden McLallen, Keegan Gudde, Jadan DeRubba-Howard, Doniven Roberts, Jaiveon Grayson. Third Row: Lincoln Burns, Brycen McClelland, Duane Henry, Jayce Jackson, Dareon Gregory, Kadan Burchit, Bailey Fuhr, Tallon Smidt, Luke Parra. Fourth Row: Chase Florence, Zackery Wheeler, Desmond Gregory, Zane Morsbach, Jessiah Berry, CJ Schmitten, Braydon Graham, Preston Lee. brett adkison | the clinton county leader
Senior Bulldogs look to leave their mark on program
The next chapter of East Buchanan football is here, and it will be up to an entirely new cast of Bulldogs to write their story.
Last May, the football team graduated its most decorated senior class ever, having propelled the program to two state championships, three district titles and two KCI Conference titles in three years, during which the Bulldogs amassed a record of 39-3.
That senior group included Trevor Klein, Aidan Hensley, Mason Brown, Gage Busby, Kade Jones, Barrett Veatch, Tucker Musser, Chase Meers, Wyatt Parker, Nick Klein, Aidan Rhoad, Gavin Rhode and Nathaniel Fortney. Individually, they also racked up 12 First-Team All-Conference honors and 10 AllState designations.
Helping make the transition, East Buchanan won’t be suffering from any lack of leadership, as nearly 20 seniors will fill out the roster for 2024. Those seniors include Jayden Stufflebean, Dylan Davidson, Jacob King, Corbin Allen, Landon Delong, Trey Johnson, Nathan Schilling, Coleson Orstad, Andrew Rhoad, Kade Webb, Kyler Paxton, Ty Ingle, Aidan Smith, Parker Conroy, Gavin Utz,
Kyle Parmely, Cayden Ray, Zamual Brushwood and Emery Perry.
Many of these players have had a hand in helping elevate East Buchanan among the small school powers in Missouri, so they know what the roadmap to success looks like.
“This group of seniors is special,” said East Buchanan head coach Dan Ritter. “These seniors have waited their turn and have gotten better, and have gotten better year after year.
The problem was they just couldn’t beat out the senior in front of them last year. So what does that mean? It means I have a group of 20 seniors with no ego about their past accomplishments. These players have a desire to prove themselves! These young men have earned their time on the field and I’m excited to see how they use it.”
East Buchanan will depend heavily on key returns, beginning with Corbin Allen, who is entering his
fourth-year as a starter on the line. Coach Ritter said that Allen has been a rock and a big part of both state championship teams. Coleson Orstad also returns to bolster the offensive line and head-up the linebackers. Coach Ritter said he’s a solid All-Conference player and will be a big leader.
Cayden Ray and Trey Johnson played some games last year while fighting through injuries that limited their seasons. Coach Ritter said they’re both very
talented and will have a big impact on both sides of the ball.
Aidan Smith will be a massive returning starter for East Buchanan. With Trevor Klein graduating, Smith figures to be the primary running back for the Bulldogs—a task he’s more than up for. As Coach Ritter pointed out, with Klein out with appendicitis last year for the district title game, Smith stepped up to run for 150 years and a touchdown, helping lead the team to the
title over rival Mid-Buchanan.
“He really stepped up for us last year when we needed him the most,” Ritter said. “He is a good leader and I think he has a lot of talent that people will see soon.”
Other key returnees who helped the Bulldogs to last year’s district title include Ben Rhoad, Landon Delong, Jacob King, Baker Thomas and Kyler Paxton.
Another important void
The 2024 East Buchanan senior football players. Front Row (left to right): Kade Webb, Kyler Paxton, Ty Ingle, Aidan Smith, Parker Conroy, Gavin Utz, Kyle Parmely, Cayden Ray, Zamual Brushwood, Emery Perry. Back Row: Jayden Stufflebean, Dylan Davidson, Jacob King, Corbin Allen, Landon Delong, Trey Johnson, Nathan Schilling, Coleson Orstad, Andrew Rhoad. photo courtesy of east buchanan schools
THE YEAR THAT WAS
Looking back at a historic 2023 football season
brett adkison leader editor
EAST BUCHANAN
The East Buchanan Bulldogs came into last season as the two-time defending Missouri Class 1 state champions, and with a bevy of returning players and senior leaders, the squad had their eyes set on a return to the Show-Me Bowl. But with a restructuring of the state’s classifications, the Bulldogs would need to navigate Class 2 to get there.
East Buchanan got off to a hot start, first downing South Harrison 44-8 and following it up with a 14-0 victory against Savannah— a Class 4 MEC school that finished 2023 with a 7-4 record.
The Bulldogs opened their KCI Conference slate with what would turnout to be a major clash in Missouri small school football, edging past North Platte 23-14 in Dearborn. Trevor Klein ran for over 100 yards with a touchdown while Gage Busby threw for 270 yards
and two scores. North Platte went on to finish the year 12-2 while placing second in Missouri Class 1. “If you play the best opponents, and North Platte is one of the best Class 1 teams, you’ll be prepared for those huge games down the stretch at the end of the season,” said head coach Dan Ritter.
East Buchanan went on to pick up wins and momentum throughout September. Another big test came in the seventh week when the Bulldogs traveled to the city to take on a stout St. Michael team. East Buchanan found a way to outpace their foes 40-24, and then used that momentum to upend KCI Conference rival MidBuchanan 35-6 the following week. The Bulldogs then downed Lawson 48-8 to round out their secondstraight KCI Conference championship.
The Bulldogs saw MidBuchanan again in the district championships, as the defense pitched a shutout
and East Buchanan racked up their 14th-straight postseason victory, 21-0.
With Missouri Class 2 down to its final eight teams, the state quarterfinals saw a massive match-up of undefeated teams, with East Buchanan making the road trip across the state to face off against Bowling Green.
And for the first time since 2020, a win-or-gohome game didn’t go East Buchanan’s way, as Bowling Green emerged with a 50-22 victory.
PLATTSBURG
East Buchanan wasn’t the only local team to make the state quarterfinals.
In their first season of eight-man football, the Plattsburg Tigers won their first nine games of the season to win a district championship and earn entry to the state playoffs.
Plattsburg’s very first eight-man game was an exhibition against Maysville (an 11-man team that played down for the week), but
East Buchanan football, Continued from Page A7
to fill is at quarterback, where former Bulldog Gage Busby emerged as one of the best play-callers in the state before graduating this past spring. His understudy, Phoenix Baugh, is ready to step up and be the next quarterback for East Buchanan. Coach Ritter added that Baugh also brings the capability to run the ball.
“He throws well, he makes good reads and is a leader, he’s just raw,” said Ritter. “He has to prove himself just like the other players stepping into new roles.”
Perhaps the biggest questions aren’t on offense, but rather on the other side
of the ball, where East Buchanan held teams to 14 points or less nine times in 2023.
“We need a lot of guys to step up this year on defense and we have quite a few to choose from,” said Coach Ritter. “Ten of the 11 spots need to be filled from last year but I think we have the guys to do it. We are two or three (players) deep of legitimate talent, so until we get a couple games under our belt, I’d rather not speculate on who will emerge.”
East Buchanan will begin the year with a road trip to Kansas City to face off against Central this
Saturday, while they will play their home opener on Friday, September 6, when they host budding MEC rival Savannah in Gower. The Bulldogs will host KCI rival Mid-Buchanan in the final week of the season on Friday, October 25. Also of note, East Buchanan will travel to Lawson for a big match-up on September 13, and the next week, they’ll welcome North Platte to Gower for a contest with big time KCI Conference implications. With Plattsburg still down in eight-man, the Bulldogs filled out their non-conference schedule with an October 18 trip to Maysville.
it was a sign of things to come, as the Tigers racked up 78 points in a high-flying battle.
Led by dual-threat quarterback Isaia Howard and senior-laden offensive line, Plattsburg scored an astounding 411 points in their first five games—82.2 points per game.
The Tigers continued to be impressive late into the regular season, defeating a good Concordia team 53-13 and twice defeated LeBlond, which was coming off an appearance in the Missouri Eight-Man State Championship the previous year. In that first clash with the Golden Eagles, the Tigers held out for a 40-36 road victory despite Isaia Howard spending a portion of the game on the sidelines.
In the second game, Plattsburg led just 16-14 at the half before pulling away for the 37-22 win. Howard threw for two scores and ran for another, Rylan Langton and Gavin Boyle each caught a touchdown and
the defense held LeBlond to just 77 yards rushing.
The Tigers kept it rolling into the postseason, defeating DeKalb and St. Joseph Christian on the way to a district championship.
Plattsburg hosted the state quarterfinals against fellow undefeated squad South Holt. The game turned into a classic that featured more than a 1,000 yards of offense and seven different lead changes, but the Tigers fell in the very final seconds, 60-58, bringing the historic season to a close.
LATHROP
The Lathrop Mules finished the 2023 season just 2-8 but there were plenty of bright spots along the way.
The Mules were impressive in their early season non-conference outings, including a 24-8 victory against Lexington to open the year. Both Brody Spear and Lucas Quinn scored in the first half while the Mules added a safety to take a 16-0
lead. They never looked back.
After falling 27-12 to Trenton in the second week (a team that finished the season 9-2), Lathrop bounced back the third week with a 30-14 victory over Salisbury. The Mules collected more than 400 yards in the game, including 100-yard rushing performances from both Crain and Keaton Coots.
It was a tough slate from there, as five of their last seven opponents finished with winning records. But Lathrop didn’t shy away. They fell just 14-0 to Hamilton, 19-14 against rival Lawson and 30-15 against North Platte, who later went on to play for the Missouri Class 1 State Championship.
With a strong foundation, the Mules will look to get off to a fast start in the second year under head coach Corey Creason.
Proud supporters of the East Buchanan Bulldogs!
(Pictured) East Buchanan juniors, sophomores and freshmen.
Key returns to power Mules in Creason’s 2nd season
In Corey Creason’s first year as the head coach of the Lathrop football team, the Mules started strong, winning two of their first three match-ups. But the team struggled from there, dropping their final seven games on the way to a first-round exit from the district playoffs.
A year stronger and a year wiser, the Mules are looking to take the next step in climbing up the KCI Conference ranks. That work begins in the summer, and Coach Creason said the team had a great summer break.
“We had great buy-in in the weight room and we worked on a lot of mental toughness,” he said. “We have had better leadership from our older players and it has trickled down to our younger players to help grow our culture in a positive direction. The players were holding each other accountable with off-season workouts, practices, and other activities.”
Lathrop graduated seven seniors this past spring but will benefit from a group of 11 seniors in 2024: Michael McFarland (lineman), Brody Spear (quarterback/ defensive back), Elijah Crain (running back/linebacker), Denton Keel (lineman), Luke Kidwell (tight end/defensive back), Mason Mudd (offensive line/linebacker), Trevor Nelson (receiver/defensive back), Brayden Pritchett (tight end/defensive end), Lucas Quinn (receiver/defensive back), Griffin Schrunk (receiver/defensive back), and Thane Ziemer (lineman).
“This senior group brings a
lot of leadership to this team,” said Coach Creason. “Leadership of all kinds. Some are vocal and some are the quiet, lead-by-example types. The underclassmen respect them because it’s not just lip service; they are practicing what they preach.”
That senior group also includes seven of the team’s 11 returning starters from 2023. That begins with senior quarterback Brody Spear, who gained vital experience under center for the Mules last fall.
“Brody has made strides this
summer and we have tailored things to what he does well,” said Coach Creason. “Not just him, but our other quarterbacks. We are going to rely on him to use his legs more this year and that is something he has taken in stride. He does things really well outside of the pocket, on the run where he can have a twoway go. We have worked on hitting those short routes to really focus on when to take a chance with a deep ball.”
The big men in front of Spear
also bring back a load of youthful experience. Lathrop returns four starting offensive linemen, including senior leader Michael McFarland, juniors Tucker Henry and Beau McAdams and sophomore Remi Wolfe.
“Toughness, toughness, toughness,” the coach said. “It has been our main theme for our guys up front. We have been young at the spot and we still are in a way. Our most experienced is McFarland and we are moving him back to
center to help ‘quarterback’ all of our youth up front. We have some pretty athletic linemen, even some of our bigger guys. We are going to use that to our advantage the best that we can.”
Returning pass catchers
Brayden Pritchett, Lucas Quinn and Owen Chance, as well as returning running back Elijah Crain, will be primary weapons in moving the ball down the field.
The Mules will hope to see
The 2024 Lathrop Mules football. Front Row (left to right): Griffin Schrunk, Mason Mudd, Trevor Nelson, Michael McFarland, Elijah Crain, Thane Ziemer, Brody Spear, Brayden Pritchett, Denton Keel, Lucas Quinn, Luke Kidwell. Second Row: Peyton Coldren, Donovan Walters, Rydr Hufford, AJ Duff, Lukas Cochran, Jayden Neil, Brayden Stover, Aaron Eichinger, Levi Gordon, Jason Reeves. Third Row: Daxton Walters, Trace Minnis, JT Stokes, Preston Quarles, Brody Busick, Owen Chance, Isaiah Crain, Dilyn Franklin, Braden Christ. Fourth Row: Drake Coots, Josh Stone, Jesse James, Remi Wolfe, Cooper Paradiso, Sammy Duff, Beau McAdams, Canon Kirkpatrick, Dayton McGaugh, Rylee Dupingnac. Fifth Row: Adam Spiteri, Lucas Dolan, Ray Webb, Ace Lanning, Andrew Scott, Tucker Henry, Jaxon Holliway, Taylor VanHorn. Coaches: Gabe Goad, Joel Page, Steven Russell, Corey Creason, Mason Owen, Darrell Morgan, Matthew Pritchett, Andy McNeely. photo courtesy of lathrop r-ii
EAST BUCHANAN LATHROP PLATTSBURG
8/31...........@ Central (KC)............12 p.m.
9/6............... vs. Savannah...............7 p.m.
9/13.................@ Lawson.................7 p.m.
9/20.............vs. North Platte...........7 p.m. 9/27...............@ Lathrop...................7 p.m. 10/4..............@ Hamilton.................7 p.m.
10/11..............vs. West Platte..........7 p.m. 10/18..............@ Maysville...............7 p.m. 10/25............vs. Mid-Buchanan......7 p.m.
8/30..............vs. Lexington..............7 p.m. 9/6......... @ Christ. Prep (KAN)......1 p.m. 9/13..............@ North Platte.............7 p.m. 9/20...................@ Skyline..................7 p.m. 9/27........vs. East Buchanan............7 p.m. 10/4.............vs. Mid-Buchanan........7 p.m. 10/11...............@ Hamilton...............7 p.m. 10/18.............vs. West Platte.............7 p.m. 10/25..................vs. Lawson..............7 p.m.
Plattsburg Tigers football, Continued from Page A6
help anchor the Tigers is Donte Bingham. In an offense packed with weapons in 2023, Bingham stood out as one of the most dangerous runners in Missouri’s eight-man division and showed he can also disrupt opponents on defense, too, where he earned All-State honors. Boswell pointed to Bingham’s uncommon combination of physical talents.
“He is very fast and naturally strong,” the coach said.
“Those are the things that make him an effective runner. A lot of his successful runs involve him running through or breaking a tackle, and then out-running the rest of the defense. He will have to handle a heavier load this season, for sure.”
The biggest questions
will need to be answered along the offensive line, where Plattsburg was dominant throughout most of its 2023 campaign.
“Our offensive line has been a stressful situation, but second-year player and senior Jaden Shoniber is a big, strong kid that was willing to move to the offensive line for us and has shown a lot of great things through camp and the first week of the preseason,” said Coach Boswell. “Seniors Jackson Crouse and Brodey Mathes are a couple of kids that decided to come out and we are extremely excited that they did. Them coming out for football has given us two big and athletic options on the offensive line, and therefore didn’t require us
to move any other upperclassmen to the line or force young sophomores or freshmen to have to do it.”
Coach Boswell added that junior Camden McLallen can step up to play along the line, while Luke Parra had a tremendous summer and made massive progress.
“He was great in the weight room and attended almost every summer football session we had,” the coach said. “He has worked his way into being one of our top offensive linemen and has given me the confidence that he can play at the varsity level. All of these players will likely be called upon at some point this season to help us win in the trenches.”
Some younger players
are expected to contribute this season, too, as Coach Boswell is excited about both the sophomore and freshmen classes and their continued progression. He said sophomore Doniven Roberts has looked at quarterback and is forming connections with a young receiver corps that includes Kaden Burchit, Jessiah Berry and Braydon Graham. With returning skill players like Boyle, Langton and Bingham, those younger skill guys will have fine examples from which to learn.
Plattsburg will have a bye in the first week of the season and will open 2024 with a home contest against Knox County on September 6. The Tigers will again play a home-and-away se-
THE LEADER
Be sure to check The Leader each week to see all the sports news!
Lathrop Mules football, Continued from Page A9
their returning starters on defense set the tone while some younger players step up and fill some key vacancies on that side of the ball.
“We graduated our toptwo tacklers from last year in Keaton Coots and Carson Clay,” said Coach Creason. “We have moved some guys around to help with depth. Our defensive line will be an experienced group, as well as our backend. We have had quite a few juniors step in and fill some voids to where we won’t have to play kids two ways. That is going to help us as the season goes on to keep players fresh and healthy.”
Coach Creason said that they’ve been fortunate to stay healthy throughout the summer, and it’s a trend they’ll hope to see continue in the early stretches of the year. He said it’ll be key for the team to get off to a fast start and play with confi-
dence.
He added that, just like last season, building their culture will be a big focus.
“In the end, culture will win over a longer period of time than just pure talent.,” said Creason. “We have pushed these kids harder this summer but some of it is a credit to them. They have pushed themselves in the summer with early morning workouts, holding each other accountable. By that, if someone wasn’t present for a morning workout, multiple players are getting on the phone to call or text to find out where someone might be or they would show up to give them rides. We are almost to a point where it’s a player-led team without input. The focus is there. They are just taking it one practice or event at a time. This group, overall, wants to be the change in our program and I can’t wait to see how it
unfolds soon.”
The Mules hosted a jamboree last week against North Platte and Trenton, but the season officially gets underway this Friday when they host Lexington for the season opener. Lathrop will
then hit the road for threestraight weeks, but that will even out later in the fall when they play four of their final regular season games at Lathrop High School.
8/31............................BYE................................... 9/6............... vs. Knox County...............7
9/13............@ Schuyler County...........6 p.m. 9/20...........vs. Bishop LeBlond............7 p.m. 9/27..........vs. KC East Christian..........6 p.m. 10/4............................BYE................................... 10/11........@ Northland Christian........7 p.m. 10/18.....................vs. Archie...................7 p.m. 10/25............@ Bishop LeBlond...........7 p.m.
ries with Bishop LeBlond, hosting the Golden Eagles on September 20 and then traveling to St. Joseph on October 25.
Another big date on
the schedule is October 18, when the Tigers will welcome defending state champion Archie to Plattsburg.
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place your old gutters with new seamless aluminum gutters! MOORE’S CONSTRUCTION & WOODWORK, INC. 359-5477. 52 Years Experience.
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WANTED!! Used & Abused Cars & Trucks, Highest prices paid! You Call - We Come Get It! FRONTIER AUTO & TRUCK PARTS, (formerly Jim’s Auto Salvage). 145 Hwy. W., Trenton, 3593888. -
Carquest Auto Parts T & L Auto Supply, Inc., 1823 East 9th, Trenton, 359-2268. tlautosupply. com Monday-Friday, 7-5, Saturday, 7:30-12.
Call MIDWEST MECHANICAL & rely on comfort. 800-425-0976 or 485-6611, Brian S. Israel, owner. For your heating & cooling needs. All Tax Credits & Rebates available! Geostar Geothermal Heat Pumps. Over 25 years experience.
RED BARN MINI STORAGE, across from the new hospital on Iowa Blvd in Trenton. 5 Unit sizes available. Call Mike or Jane Cooksey 660-359-7683.
JAMESPORT LUMBER
Full Service Lumberyard. We also sell Trusses/ metal/ rebar/concrete blocks. New Hardware Department - Gift Certificates and Delivery Available - Free Estimates 32089 St. Hwy 6, Jamesport 660-684-6404
JAMESPORT BUILDERS, 660-684-6931, 32137 State Hwy 6, Jamesport. POLE BARNS - GARAGES, Spray foam insulation.
BUY - SELL - TRADEBIG NASTY’S GUNS & AMMO - Stop in and see us at our New Location - 1515 E. 9th Street, Trenton, MO. Nathan Rorebeck, 660-6350469, www.bignastys.com
Mid-States Services is now offering: Fiber Optic installs in rural Trenton! Mid-States will STILL WAIVE the $150 installation free for those who sign up NOW! Sign up TODAY by calling 660-359-2045 or at http://www.mid-states. net. 4100 Oklahoma Ave., Trenton, MO 64683.
Willing Workers LLP - Do you need your siding or roof replaced? Give Willing Workers a call today for a FREE estimate... 660-9735694, John Kramer, 17594 St. Hwy. 190, Jamesport, MO 64648
PAGE TREE SERVICE
Jeff Page 660-359-3699shop, 660-359-2202-home. Serving the entire Green Hills Area! Specializing in tree trimming, stump grinding & complete removal. 75’ bucket truck, chipper & stump grinder. Licensed & insured. Free Estimates!
GARAGE SALES
Sale Behind house. Sept 6 8am-5pm & Sept. 7 8am-?. Belt buckles, airline memorabilia, dryer, cast iron horse, buggies, canon printer, furniture, household and misc.
Garage Sale- Saturday, Aug 31st, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1712 E 4th St, Household goods, desk, baby items and clothes (0-12 months), boys back to school clothing 12 to 16, shoes, books, devotionals, Boyd’s bears collectibles, and much more.
Cameron Parks,
Continued from Page A2
that was not on the previous budget and Rains answered that he was recently made aware of the issue. Due to a “malfunction in G-Works,” the city’s bookkeeping software, no bill was ever generated for the parks’ use of electricity in Recreation Park as far back as the city can tell.
In other budget business, Rains also informed the park board that he needed to know how much in additional park projects the group wanted to include in the new budget. Board member Smith added that trying to set a budget for projects with so many questions about the rest of the budget was a “fool’s errand,” but as difficult as that task seemed, the group did expand on plans to resurface the tennis courts and add
striping to allow for the new popular sport of PickleBall.
Those upgrades were estimated at $25,000, and after discussion, it was decided to go ahead with plans to add significant playground equipment at Recreation Park and the new ballfields for entertaining those 6-12 years of age, not currently playing ball.
The first and second phases of the new ballfields are almost complete with inspections being finalized currently.
In other business, new board member Kristin Bates was sworn in by City Clerk Shellie Blades and discussion over the management of the city pool was tabled. The next meeting of the Park Board is scheduled for September 26 at 6 p.m.
Sheriff’s Report,
Continued from Page A3
1:27 p.m.: Harassment (not in progress) on SE Watkins in Lawson.
2:49 p.m.: Medical call on Paul Revere in Plattsburg.
3:30 p.m.: Stealing (not in progress) on SE Perren in Holt.
3:35 p.m.: Medical call at Lake Arrowhead in Clinton County.
3:37 p.m.: Vehicle crash on I-35 in Lathrop.
4:03 p.m.: Animal call on NE Crouch Road in Cameron.
4:48 p.m.: Medical call on Colonial in Lathrop.
5:43 p.m.: Medical call on Old Cannonball in Holt.
7:02 p.m.: Domestic in progress on Smith Street in Gower.
7:07 p.m.: Medical call on E. Clay Avenue in Plattsburg.
8:23 p.m.: Animal call on N Highway in Osborn.
9:16 p.m.: Animal call on SE 69 Highway in Clinton County.
Moss balls found in Missouri waterways
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. –
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is encouraging retailers and aquarium owners to check moss balls for a potential zebra mussel infestation. Moss balls containing the invasive species have been discovered in Washington state and it’s possible they were distributed to buyers in Missouri.
Zebra mussels are an invasive species that came to North American waters in international shipping ballast water and were first discovered in Lake St. Clair near Detroit in 1988. They were first reported in Missouri in 1991 in the Mississippi River near St. Louis. They’ve since spread to the Missouri, Osage, and Meramec rivers and streams downstream of infested lakes. Lakes with confirmed reports of zebra mussels include Blue
Springs Lake, Bull Shoals, Carrollton Recreation Lake, Lake Jacomo, Lake Lotawana, Lake Taneycomo, Lake of the Ozarks, Prairie Lee Lake, Smithville Lake, and Longview Lake.
Zebra mussels can clog power plants, industrial and public drinking water intakes, foul boat hulls and motors, decimate populations of native freshwater mussels, impact fisheries, and disrupt aquatic ecosystems.
Any aquarium containing moss balls infected with zebra mussels also has the potential of having zebra mussel larvae (called veligers) in its water. When aquarium water is poured down drains or if the contents are dumped into a nearby creek or lake, this could introduce zebra mussels into a new body of water.
GRIDIRON RETURN
The Lathrop Mules hosted Trenton and North Platte in their jamboree last Thursday. (Left) Lathrop runner Jeese James gets forced out of bounds. (Right) Dilyn Franklin on the carry. brett adkison | the leader
(Left) East Buchanan coach Kyle Knox talks with Parker Conroy and Ty Ingle before their session at the Cameron jamboree. (Right) Bode Griffin with the carry in Cameron. brett adkison | the leader
(Left) Cameron’s Carter Flick rushes toward the end zone. (Right) Quarterback Brodi Jones runs the option with runner Kaden Robinson. brett adkison | the leader