MSHSAA Announces Show-Me Bowl Venues

The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) is excited to announce two top-tier venues that will play host to the Show-Me Bowl for the next five years.

In its April meeting, the MSHSAA Board of Directors voted to approve Columbia as the host city for the 2024 MSHSAA Show-Me Bowl for Classes 1-6. The six games will be played on Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Missouri. The Board also approved St. Joseph as the host city for the 2024 Show-Me Bowl for the 8-man game. The 2024 8-man Show-Me Bowl game will return to Spratt Memorial Stadium on the campus of Missouri Western State University for the first time since 2007.

"We appreciate the work the cities put into this bid process, and we have taken this process very seriously," MSHSAA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Rukstad said. “We have an obligation to our membership to find not only the best facilities to host our championships, but also the best support from the host site to serve our schools’ needs. We are very excited about the next five years for the Show-Me Bowl!”

In addition, the Board approved St. Joseph’s proposal to host all 11-man and 8-man Show-Me Bowl games at Spratt Stadium from 2025-28.

“We have been extremely fortunate to host a wide variety of high-profile events over the last several months and cannot wait to welcome our state’s best high school football teams to an outstanding venue here in St. Joseph and Buchanan County,” said Executive Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission Brett Esely. “In conjunction with our partner Missouri Western State University, we look forward to delivering an outstanding championship experience for all involved!”

Along with Griffon football and soccer, Spratt Stadium is also the home of the Kansas City Chiefs summer training camp.

"We feel Spratt Stadium is one of the premier college venues in the state and for our university to be on display for the best of the best high school football teams across Missouri over these next few years is a win-win for everyone involved,” MWSU Director of Athletics Andy Carter said.

MSHSAA offers championships and festivals in 24 activities, including: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, wrestling, scholar bowl, music, and speech, debate & theatre. For more information, visit mshsaa.org.

Story contributed by press release.

Spectrum Launches Services in Rural Clinton County

Spectrum, the #1 rural internet provider in the nation*, announced on Tuesday, April 30, the launch of Spectrum Internet, Mobile, TV and Voice services to more than 1,000 homes and small businesses near the communities of Cameron, Delaney, Trimble and Turney. Spectrum’s newly constructed fiber-optic network buildout in rural parts of Clinton County is part of the company’s approximately $5 billion RDOF-related investment in unserved rural communities, partly offset by $1.2 billion in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) RDOF auction.

The company’s RDOF expansion will provide broadband access to approximately 1 million customer locations as estimated by the FCC across 24 states in the coming years. Spectrum has also won more than $700 million in state broadband expansion subsidies, which, combined with Spectrum investment, will connect another 300,000 homes and small businesses.

“Spectrum is bringing gigabit broadband to unserved communities in Missouri and across America through RDOF,” said Matt Brown, Vice President of Construction. “Our investment is making it possible to deliver the high-value broadband, mobile, TV and voice services now available in rural parts of Clinton County. We are providing local residents and small businesses superior connectivity at highly competitive prices, backed by a team of skilled local technicians and 100% U.S.-based customer service.”

Broadband speeds up to 1 Gbps, plus money-saving Mobile options and 85,000 On Demand choices

Spectrum Internet delivers speeds up to 1 Gbps and Advanced WiFi for residential and small business customers, featuring starting speeds of 300 Mbps, with no modem fees, data caps or contracts. Spectrum Business Internet offers customers 1 Gbps download speeds, with 300 Mbps and 600 Mbps options. The company has also begun a network evolution that will provide gigabit upstream speeds and multiple gigabit download speeds across its entire 41-state service area.

“Rural broadband is the rural electrification of our time.” said Rep. Sam Graves. “Reliable, high-speed internet access isn’t a luxury these days, it’s a necessity. It’s great to see these dollars being put to good use in Clinton County—expanding internet access for more than 1,000 homes and businesses.”

Spectrum Internet exceeded advertised download and upload speeds for all tiers measured — even during peak weeknight usage between 7 and 11 p.m. — according to the FCC’s most recent “Measuring Broadband America Fixed Broadband Report” issued in January 2023.

Along with multiple broadband options, Spectrum services now available also include Spectrum Mobile™ and Spectrum TV®. Spectrum Mobile is the nation’s fastest-growing mobile provider** and combines with Spectrum Internet and Advanced Home WiFi to provide seamless connectivity inside and outside the home. Spectrum Mobile provides customers access to nationwide 5G at great value, with Unlimited lines starting at $29.99 a month, as well as By the Gig options.

Spectrum TV offers more than 270 HD channels and access to 85,000 On Demand movies and shows. Using the Spectrum TV App — the highest-rated pay TV streaming app in the U.S.*** — viewers can stream content across a growing number of platforms, including iOS and Android mobile devices, Xbox One, Kindle Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, XUMO TVs and PCs.

Local residents and business owners should visit spectrumruralexpansion.com to learn more about when their home or business may be able to receive Spectrum services.

* Based on December 2022 FCC Broadband Data Collection locations.

** Based on year end 2022 subscriber data among top 3 carriers.

*** iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play) average ratings as of August 1, 2023. Apps must have at least 150k reviews through combination of iOS & Android store reviews as of August 1, 2023.

Story from submitted press release.

Spring on the Farm Event at Watkins Mill

Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site is hosting a Spring on the Farm event on Saturday, May 11. Watch costumed interpreters as they demonstrate rural life of the 1870s.

WATKINS WOOLEN MILL STATE PARK AND STATE HISTORIC SITE

The Spring on the Farm event takes place from noon to 4 pm at Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site, 26600 Park Road North, Lawson MO, 64062.

Activities at the Spring on the Farm Event include sheep shearing, rope making, blacksmithing and woodstove cooking. Take a stroll through the heirloom garden, and try your hand at ragdoll making, games and other hands-on activities that were common in the 19th century.

Certain areas of the 1800s Watkins' home historic mill will be open for self-guided tours at a special reduced rate.

Admission to the event is free. For more information, contact the park at 816-580-3387.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

KC Scout System Suffers Cyberattack

On April 25, Kansas City Scout (KC Scout), a bi-state initiative between the Missouri and Kansas Departments of Transportation created in 2000 to provide travel and traffic information and services for the Kansas City metro area, suffered a cyberattack. KC Scout took immediate action to shut down all systems as a protective measure.

This protective measure means all real-time cameras and information boards are not functioning. The system will remain unavailable until further notice as restoration of service efforts begin. Additional updates will be provided as more information is available.

As investigation and restoration efforts continue, the Departments of Transportation remind travelers to drive safely, buckle up and put their phone down. Motorists should drive based on current road conditions and traffic flow.

Information on conditions will continue, however it will not be the real-time basis travelers may have become accustomed to. The DOTs invite the public to visit or call for travel information at: www.modot.org or 888-275-6636 or KanDrive.gov and 511.

With severe weather forecasted in the KC metro area later today and this weekend, MoDOT and KDOT remind drivers to tune to local radio outlets for the latest and most up to date local weather conditions.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Work Continues on Fallen Warriors Memorial

Construction of the Fallen Warriors Memorial continues at Jesse James Park, north of Kearney. The foundation and sidewalk have been poured and constructed in anticipation of the monument placement.

Photo by Kearney Parks and Recreation

Future generations will have a single place to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice made by 17 local far too long forgotten. Their names make the memorial personal, showing the human impact of war on a community and establishing a physical bond with its residents.

As a tribute to these fallen heroes, KPGZ News will publish biographies of the soldiers as provided by Rich Kolb of the Kearney-Holt Fallen Warriors Memorial.

Glenn Hartel

Birthplace and date: Kearney, May 18, 1917                              

Home of record: Kearney

Glenn graduated from Kearney High School in 1935. He farmed with his father until 1940. Just before the war, Hartel was working for Kansas City Structural Steel Company in Kansas. His family included brothers, Donald and Jimmie, as well as sister Mrs. Orville Neth. They were members of the Arley Methodist Church. He was drafted in December 1942.

Joining the ranks of the 28th Infantry Division (originally a Pennsylvania National Guard unit), Hartel arrived with his regiment in England on Oct. 18, 1943, spending the next nine months there training for the “big” invasion. His regiment, the 112th Infantry, landed in France on July 22, 1944, well after the Normandy landings. The 28th was quickly thrust into the hedgerow struggle north and west of St. Lo, encountering desperate German opposition. Division elements took Percy on August 1 and then Gathemo on August 10, the day Hartel lost his life. This was only 18 days after he landed on French soil.

An Arley memorial service was held for him that October. But his remains were not returned home for four years. A grave side service took place Sept. 12, 1948. Today, his name is etched on the WWII 28th Division Memorial in Boalsburg, Pa., which was dedicated in 1997. The 28th Division counted 2,683 combat deaths in WWII.   

Loma Hash

Birthplace and date: Yosemite, Kentucky, Feb. 28, 1910            

Home of record: Kansas City

Loma came to Clay County as a young boy and was raised on a farm near Liberty. His wife, Mildred, was from Kearney. Not only Loma, but his wife, her parents and his parents found their final resting place in Kearney. Interestingly, for many years a small monument to Hash stood in Kearney. Even though he was married with three children (tragically, three others died) and beyond draft age, Loma did not contest his draft notice. At the time of induction at Fort Leavenworth, March 30, 1944, he was working for Sheffield Steel Company near Independence.

He went overseas in October 1944. His outfit, the 100th Infantry Division, fought a fierce battle around Bitche, France, finally capturing the town on March 16, 1945. After crossing the Rhine River at month’s end, the 398th Infantry crossed the Neckar River at Neckargartach and established a bridgehead amidst heavy combat. While attempting to expand its Offenau bridgehead, the regiment fought the battle for Jagstfeld between April 6 and 11. Hash was killed in action April 7 on the slope of Hill 2109.

Hash posthumously received the second highest award for valor in combat, the Distinguished Service Cross, for his actions that day. Single-handedly taking out a German machine gun emplacement, he killed three of the enemy. After capturing two Germans, they treacherously fired on his men so he was forced to kill them. He was then killed charging another position. Temporarily buried in the American Military Cemetery at Bensheim, Germany, his remains were shipped home in July 1948 and on August 12 interred in the Kearney cemetery.             

The memorial in Jesse James Park will serve as a permanent site of remembrance, a focal point for Memorial and Veterans Day activities. Remembering the names and lives of those who gave all is a sacred obligation, and today all three communities can be proud that this debt has been symbolically paid in full. The Memorial will be dedicated on Memorial Day, 2024.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.