• SKELTON CHAIRED ARMED SERVICES • BACKED RANK-AND-FILE TROOPS • BOLSTERED MILITARY IN MISSOURI RICHMOND – American Legion Commander Mark Foley got an unpleasant surprise from an unexpected source, he said on Veterans Day, setting off discussions among state policy leaders. The surprise involved Ray County’s most picturesque entrance, the Ike Skelton Bridge over the Missouri River.
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – The greatgreat-grandson of Charles Dickens, Gerald Dickens, will continue to interact with and act for patrons of the Mid-Continent and Ray County library systems for free this month.
KNOXVILLE – The composer, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, would have admired a site along Missouri Highway 13 that is worthy of his fictional character, Uncle Drosselmeyer. In Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” Drosselmeyer gives a nutcracker to his niece, Clara.
“Dag-blasted nanny state ninnies!” A puff of orange dust settles in his hair as George Orwell Pother pries open the rusting door to his money-colored, green and gold 1990 Ford F-350 dually. He has far better vehicles, but he owns the dually “just to relate to my fans.” Across the yard, he sees his wife, Evankee, gangly arms
RICHMOND – Ray County Sheriffelect Scott Childers plans staff changes to increase public safety. “I feel very good about the people I’ve brought in and also the people I’ve retained,” he said.
JEFFERSON CITY – A state audit found problems – an unpaid invoice for tens of thousands of dollars, missing contracts and possibly unnecessary spending – but gave an overall “good” rating to Clay County Collector Lydia McEvoy’s office.