As the year 2023 comes to an end, we at the Benton County Enterprise flipped back through the pages of newspapers this year to look at it's top stories.
As 2023 began, Chuck Allcorn of Hawthorn Bank was named as the Person of the Year by the Benton County Enterprise.
Allcorn moved to Warsaw 11 years ago when he went to work for Hawthorn Bank as a Vice-President loan officer, succeeding the retirement of Betty Beach. He quickly immersed himself in the community by starting off as the Jubilee Days carnival chairman.
In addition to working as the Jubilee Days chairman, Allcorn is the Vice-President of the Benton County Food Pantry, Secretary of the Warsaw Senior Housing, President of the Warsaw Lion’s Club, Secretary of the American Legion, a member of the Elks Club, the Masonic Lodge, a member of the Warsaw Shrine Club, an ambassador of the Ariart Shriners in Kansas City, a board member of the Warsaw Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Marine Corp League.
Also in January, Christina Hess was hired as the new Cole Camp School District Superintendent for the coming school year.
Former North School teacher Raini Friend-Ward was hired by the Warsaw R-9 School District as the principal for North Elementary.
The Warsaw wrestling team took their first-ever Ozark Highlands Conference Crown at the OHC meet in January. Jayce Estes, Sean Reinertsen, Donovan Campbell, Nick Bagley and Drake Murrell all achieved champion status in their respective weight classes.
Also in January, Warsaw’s Jubilee Days Queen Tatum Bohl was crowned as USA Nation Miss Missouri Teen. With this title came the opportunity for Bohl to compete in the USA National Miss Teen competition in Hollywood, Florida in July.
On November 8, Missourians voted “yes” on Amendment 3, which legalized recreational use of marijuana, meaning anyone over the age of 21 will now be able to buy weed, like marijuana flower or edibles, starting February 6.
The “yes” vote amended the Missouri Constitution to legalize the purchase, possession, consumption, use, delivery, manufacture and sale of marijuana for personal use for adults over the age of 21. It also allows individuals with certain marijuana-related offenses to petition for release from prison or parole and probation and have their records expunged and enact a six percent tax on the retail price of recreational marijuana.
Under the amendment, non-medicinal pot use became legal in the state in December. But sales were stalled because the health department had until Monday, February 6 to issue business licenses.
To celebrate February at Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, State Fair Community College held proclamation signing on Thursday, February 2, in the Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center with mayors from Sedalia, Cole Camp, Lincoln and Warsaw.
Also in February the Lincoln Cardinals won the Kaysinger Conference Tournament held in Sedalia on the campus of SFCC. They defeated second seeded Tipton, 46-39 to establish a school record of the longest winning streak for the boys at 22-0.
In late February, WHS senior Nick Bagley won the third place medal in the 150 weight class at the MSHSAA Wrestling tournament held in Columbia.
The Warsaw City Council invited members of the community to an open forum on Thursday, March 9, on the issue of the reintroduction of fluoride into the City of Warsaw’s drinking water.
On January 3, 2023, a request was made to the Board of Alderman by KATY Trails Health Center and the Department of Health and Senior Services to add fluoride back into the cities drinking water. The Board of Alderman agreed to a 90-day public comment period. On January 12, Mayor Eddie Simons signed the notification form starting the public comment period. The public hearing was part of the information gathering process.
In March Lincoln varsity basketball coach Tyler Burke was named as the District and Conference Coach of the Year. The Lincoln varsity boys finished their season 28-1 losing only to the eventual state champion Salisbury, 52-45 in sectional play of the MSHSAA State Basketball Tournament.
The WHS Robotics team, the Wildbots #9031, won the Rookie Inspiration Award at the Central Missouri Regional competition held in Sedalia on Saturday, March 25. Teams from Minnesota, Oklahoma and Missouri competed.
WHS science teacher Daniel Waller along with Jim Kjar and Kerry DeHaan accompanied the WHS team.
LHS basketball players Connor Lynde and Kyle Eckhoff were named to the Missouri All-State basketball team in March.
Over 200 people gathered at the Warsaw Community Building in late March to help the Project WHS Graduation committee raise money for a special after graduation party for the Class of 2023.
Auction co-chairs Meagan Cunningham and Tracey Spry were pleased with the generosity of the community as they stepped up to donate toward the auction and bid on the donated items.
Over 200 people attended the 50th annual Benton County Historical Society Banquet held at St. Ann Catholic Church on Friday, March 31.
BCHS president LeRoy Whitaker opened the evening by introducing Jim Weaver and thanking him for his ten years of service to the BCHS and Benton County Museum. Weaver and his wife Marty have been volunteers for the museum for many years and continue to support the BCHS. Jim Weaver was presented with a plaque to commemorate his years of service by President Whitaker.
Whitaker also recognized Valerie Fauquier for her years of service to BCHS. Fauquier has donated her time and skill as a quilt maker to donated over $20,000 to the museum with the sale of her quilts over the past ten years.
In April, Lincoln basketball star Kyle Eckhoff signed his letter of intent to play basketball at Westminister College, a NCAA Division III school in Fulton, Missouri.
Also in April Warsaw Alderpersons Eric Flores and Reba Slavens were sworn in to serve on the Warsaw City Board.
Warsaw Area Chamber of Commerce Director Kimberly Pearcy took over the top chamber job in April. Pearcy is a Main Street merchant and previously taught art in the Warsaw School District.
In April, the Cole Camp golf team won the Benton County Cup by defeating the LHS and WHS golf teams. Cole Camp shot a 149 with the top four scores as Lincoln and Warsaw tied for second at 200.
Representatives from Co-Mo Connect were in Warsaw in April to celebrate the partnership of Co-Mo with Warsaw on the installation of broadband internet.
The Ladycats won the Ozark Highland Conference softball title in April with a perfect 6-0 record.
Thousands of people visited the downtown area of Warsaw on April 29, for the 12th Annual Benton County Wine Stroll sponsored by the Benton County Community Foundation (BCCF).
Twenty-four Missouri Wineries served up samples at the annual event. Those wineries included: County Distributing Sedalia, Burr Oaks Brewery, Dog Master Distillery, Fahmeier Farms Winery, Wildlife Ridge Winery, Bee’s Knees Brewery, Dale hollow Winery, Delaney Vineyard and Winery, Primitive Olde Crow and Winery, Giggling Grapes Winery, Les Bourgeois/Summit Lake, Skull Splitter Spirits, Wenwood Farms Winery; on the 100th Block West Main Street, Al Bottling, Baltimore Bend Winery, Beckett’s Winery, Leaky Roof Meadery, Linwedel Winery, Luna Umbra Winery, Red Fox Winery and Vineyards, Seven Springs Winery, St. James Winery, Timber Ridge Winery, Windy Wine, Co.
At a cattle sale in May in Urbana, Missouri, the owner Bryon Wheeler made a statement to the assembled crowd that if the area didn’t get rain soon area auctions would be having much larger cattle sales as farmers wouldn’t be able to feed their livestock.
All Missouri counties were experiencing some level of dryness, with the most intense being felt in west and southwest Missouri.
Grace commented that the inventory of cattle nationwide was down considerably due to several years of drought in the western part of the nation.
Local motel, River’s End, had an extensive remodel in May thanks to new owner Jason Jones. Jones who attended Warsaw High School in 1994-95 dropped out of high school, moved to Kansas City and began a career in sales.
“When River’s End was available, I decided this would be a way to give back to the community that made an impression on me so many years ago,” said Jones.
Jones completely remodeled River’s End by investing over $400,000 to upgrade and bring back the motel to the family-oriented establishment it had been.
Top Warsaw High School students were honored at the 32nd Annual Academic Awards Banquet sponsored by the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce and the Warsaw R-9 School District on May 4 in the WHS gymnasium. Former Warsaw teachers Kathryn Edwards and Barry Edwards were honored as the Academic Service Award winners.
In a game that took nearly 24 hours to complete, the Warsaw High School girls’ softball team defeated the Lone Jack Lady Mules, 8-2 in the Class 2 District 8 championship in May in Cole Camp to win their sixth district crown in the past seven years.
Lincoln held their graduation on the LHS football field on May 12 for thirty-six graduates. Lacey Wiggins was the valedictorian and Ross Johnson was the Salutatorian of the Class of ’23.
Warsaw High School held their graduation on Thursday, May 18. Anna Siegel was named as the Valedictorian and Ashlyn Laue was named as the Salutatorian for the Class of ’23.
Main Street was crowded with artists in June as the Warsaw Tourism Council hosted the Benton County Art Festival. In the past the Benton County Art Show
had been in conjunction with the Benton County Wine Stroll; however, this year the event was separated and expanded.
According to Lynette Stokes, Benton County Tourism Director, there were a total of 132 entries in the art competition (48 youth and 84 adults) from 51 artists.
There was a total of $1,025 in total cash prizes awarded.
Also in June, a fire destroyed Dick Kreisel’s barn located on Hwy. BB about 3/10 of a mile east of Butterfield Trail Road. The fire was caused by a car which had a mechanical problem and was parked by the owner near the barn. In addition to the barn, Kreisel lost hay and equipment located in the barn.
The Dam Restaurant located by the Joe Dice Swinging Bridge was also damaged by fire on June 7. Owner Sara Hudson said that the fire started in an electrical box with most of the damage on the inside of the building. Hudson said she planned to have the building rebuilt and reopened.
Even a short rain shower couldn’t keep people away from the 56th Annual Jubilee Days festivities in June.
Angela Konapasek was crowned as the 56th Warsaw Jubilee Days Queen. First runner-up was Alysia Yoder and second runner-up was Lilia Jensen. Talent winner was Lilia Jensen. Most Photogenic was Breanna Burriss.
Cecilia Shinn was crowned as the 2023 Jubilee Days Princess. First runner-up was Brianna Fellers and second runner-up was Riley Nevius. Talent winner and photogenic winner was Riley Nevius. Jennifer Murdock was the Interview winner. Cecilia Shinn also won Miss Congeniality.
Hayden Sutherland was crowned as the Jubilee Days Junior Miss. First runner-up was Bailey Steenburgen and second runner-up was Grace Long.
Lenox Brown was crowned as the Jubilee Days Little Miss. First runner-up was Haven Hinkle and second runner-up was Joselyn Brookshire.
Warsaw residents turned out in full force as the new Dairy Queen opened its doors on June 26. Traffic was backed up down the street as customers waited in line to enjoy the delightful treats that DQ is so famous for. Owners Jorge Guevara and his wife Meagan were on hand to welcome everyone to their location at 103 Progress Drive in Warsaw.
In July, United States Missouri Senator Eric Schmidtt informed the City of Warsaw that the community will receive a $24,997,000 RAISE grant. The grant will provide the funds to link the three roadways through the downtown to the waterfront trails with expansion of one of the trails. A unique feature is a stormwater mitigation area on the Town Branch that will also incorporate a park area known as Light Plant Park.
The Harry S Truman Visitors’ Center had one window blown out and seals on a few more windows damaged during a storm on the evening of July 1. Ranger Allen Flint reported that some repairs were made on July 2, but the upper area of the Visitors’ Center will be closed as well as the surrounding area outside of the windows until parts and materials are ordered and the area is safe for the public.
The First United Methodist Church of Warsaw was vandalized twice in July causing very costly damage to the buildings and the church vehicles. The destruction was discovered by UMC Pastor Loren Whetsell when he went to the church to check on the windows of the church bus.
“A storm was blowing in and I wanted to make sure the plastic we had placed on the bus was secure,” said Whetsell. “I noticed that the window to the food pantry had been removed so I went to the front door of the church and I could see there had been someone inside. I called the Warsaw City Police and waited for them to arrive.”
The WPD went through the church with flashlights since the storm knocked out the power. They discovered that someone had set off several fire extinguishers in the church basement and did some major damage to the Sunday School rooms and Fellowship Hall.
Different rooms were vandalized with supplies and other materials thrown about the rooms. Food was taken from the kitchen and food pantry and thrown around. The vandals opened every cabinet and every door and pulled out kitchen utensils then poured liquid detergent, hand sanitizers everywhere. They took food from the Blessing Box and threw mayonnaise, rice, beans and all sorts of food stuff on the floor. The vandals also took chocolate syrup and spread it all over walls in the basement of the church.
Up in the sanctuary, the vandals went into the balcony and threw CDs and other equipment across the sanctuary. The altar was damaged and mayonnaise was spread all over the open Bible on the altar.
The fire extinguishers damaged almost every room except the sanctuary. In the nursery countless toys were dumped and sprayed with the extinguisher powder.
Toilets on both floors of the building were clogged with items to the point that they are unusable. The vandals threw a chair at a television located in the basement and it was destroyed.
Three juveniles were questioned about the incident.
In August, Mitch and Leslie Grace of Edwards were selected as the Benton County Farm Family of the Year. The Graces were guests at the Missouri State Fair.
The Warsaw R-IX School district announced that Sandra Stewart was hired as the new director for the Pride of Warsaw Band for the ’23-‘24 school year. Stewart currently lives in ElDorado Springs.
Molly Strozewski of Lincoln won Grand Champion Pen of Rabbits at the Missouri State Fair in August. Strozewski, the thirteen-year-old daughter of jake and Jill Strozewski, raised the three New Zealand white rabbits to win the top award. Strozewski’s Grand Champion Meat Pen of Rabbits sold for $6,900 to Bryon Wiegand, PhD of the University of Missouri and the Missouri State Rabbit Producers Association.
Elvera Schnakenberg Zimmerschied of Cole Camp was inducted into the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame at a ceremony held during the Missouri State Fair on August 12.
Also in August, Jonna Arnett began a new job as the Warsaw R-IX Social Worker for the coming school year.
Great weather encouraged crowds at the Thirty-second Annual Benton County Rodeo sponsored by the Shawnee Masonic Lodge #653 on September 1 and 2.
Royalty crowned during the annual rodeo included: Queen Morgan Branson, Princess Daylen Winkler and Lil Miss Brylinn Cox.
Floats were in full bloom in September at the Cole Camp Fair and none more colorful than the Grand Champion Float from Trinity Lutheran Church.
The Lincoln Balloon Glow and Fall Festival was held on September 16.
The Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference was held September 20-21 in Benton County. Sessions were held in Cole Camp, Lincoln and Warsaw with speakers providing several days of learning about rural innovations for leaders with an eye on business growth.
Pamela Burnham stepped into the position of Warsaw Chamber of Commerce Director on Monday, Octobers 2.
Forgiving and Free Ministries opened Debra’s House of Hope in Warsaw in October. Debra’s House of Hope is a year long recovery and Christian discipleship program.
Over 20,000 visitors flooded the Warsaw area October 21 – 22 to attend the Pioneer Heritage Days celebration on Kaysinger Bluff and the Heritage Days Craft Show on Drake Harbor.
On October 26, the first PHIL winners were announced. PHIL stands for Philanthropic Hometown Impact Leaders and their goal is to make impactful contributions to the communities through annual giving. The first winners included: $10,000 to the Food Bank of Central and Noreast Missouri to combat child hunger; $15,000 to the Lincoln Council for Community Betterment for a walking path in the city and $25,000 to Cole Camp for a toddler pool.
At the regular Warsaw City Council meeting on November 6, City of Warsaw Chief of Police Sean McCannon submitted his resignation. Chief McCannon provided his resignation so he could pursue another opportunity.
Benton County native Amelia Roberts was crowned as the 2024 Missouri Teen USA Agriculture on November 11 in Des Moines, Iowa. Roberts, the 14-year-old daughter of Gary Roberts, Jr. and Dr Amber Campbell, represented Benton County in the contest. Roberts will represent Missouri in the national competition to be held in Enterprise, Alabama in July of 2024.
Benton County residents were excited to learn of the possibility of the Harry Truman Visitors’ Center staying open all year at a meeting on November 22, with U. S. Representative Mark Alford and several members of the Truman Lake U. S. Corps of Engineers staff.
Clint Mason, Branch Chief from the Kansas City District, addressed a group of concerned citizens at the meeting and offered some possible solutions to the problem of how to keep the Visitors’ Center open throughout the year. One solution was to remodel the Visitors’ Center and make 18 work stations so all of the Truman Dam staff could be together in the building on the bluff. If this were to happen then the current administration building and the two houses behind the building would be abandoned and possibly demolished.
A fire completely destroyed River’s End Motel located on Missouri Highway 83 on Wednesday, November 22. According to owner Jason Jones, the fire broke out in the utility room and quickly spread throughout the structure. At approximately 6 PM, a guest noticed smoke coming out of a vent in one of the rooms and reported it to the manager who was in the office. The Warsaw Fire Department was called but within an hour the structure was completely engulfed in flames.
Warsaw Fire Captain John Powell reported that three engines, six tankers, four brush trucks and a rescue truck were on the scene to fight the fire. There were 30 volunteer firefighters from Warsaw and Lincoln on the scene fighting the fire until 3 AM.
“The fire started at the center of the building so by the time we arrived the building was completely engulfed in flames,” said Powell. “The structure was a total loss but there was no evidence of foul play.”
“Thankfully, no one suffered any injuries,” said Jones. “We are so sad about this. We remodeled the entire property just a few short months ago and to have this happen after all the hard work we've put in it is devastating. The property was completely destroyed in a matter of minutes due to an electrical issue inside the utility room that started the blaze. We do want to thank the Warsaw Fire Department and the Warsaw Police for keeping the property secure and anyone else that assisted in controlling the fire. Seriously THANK YOU! We're not sure what the future looks like but we're grateful for everyone that's reached out and offered help, condolences and prayers. We love you all and thank you for the support.”
Beyonder Marine at Sterett Creek hired a new general manager, Chris Hawn in November. Hawn grew up in Farmington, Missouri, then continued his education at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar majoring in Recreation.
After graduation, Hawn worked as a YMCA camp director in several different states for almost 20 years. He then went on to work in the Georgia State Park system and later with the Oklahoma State Park system. Hawn then moved to Branson as the manager of a Holiday Inn where he met his wife.
Hawn’s plans for Sterett Creek include expanding the campground and giving the best customer service available.
Over 600 volunteers gathered on December 16 to lay wreaths on graves at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery.in Higginsville, Missouri. According to Wreaths Across America fundraiser Ed Reis this was their largest turnout ever.
“It was a spectacular sight to see all the volunteers who came to lay wreaths on the graves of 3,800 members of the armed forces buried at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Higginsville,” said Reis.
All of us at the Benton County Enterprise wish our readers a safe and happy holiday season and a wonderful 2024 and look forward to your continued patronage!
