Around Town: April 24th, 2024

By: Ernie Wren
All-in-all a slow week in news and drama for Ashland and Southern Boone. Which is fine, given the recent hostilities in the municipal elections and Southern Boone athletic field renovations. Police stats show nine custodial (taken into custody) arrests: eight misdemeanor and one felony, with about 204 calls for service. Keeping Ashland safe!

Parks board is planning for the fall festival (will we or won’t we have a dog show) and the Christmas festivities (should we move it to mid-December to get live reindeer?). All great things, and Izzy Smith and the board members are volunteering many hours, thank you!

The biggest news this past week as most of you might know, there was a single engine plane crash down in Hartsburg this past week. With the amount of debris scattered almost 5 miles to the crash site, and reported nose dive, it appears the plane fell apart mid-flight. While it did unfortunately result in the death of Wade Bates from West Fork, Arkansas, we can be thankful that others were not injured or killed, given that some parts fell in people’s yards. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating, which could take a while, but my guess it will come out as mechanical/structural failure causing an unfortunate accident. Prayers and heartfelt wishes to his family.

I remember when this happened last year, and it’s quite the achievement. The Southern Boone School District has been awarded a 100% rating on the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s School Bus Safety Inspection. This perfect rating means the district also receives the Exemplary Fleet Award. Per the district’s social media page, “Thank you to the school district’s dedicated transportation team, led by Transportation Director Kyle Foreman, Bus Mechanic Dennis Sapp and our amazing bus drivers. Your commitment to student safety is truly commendable!”

If you see these folks out driving busses, give them a “thumbs up” this week, let them know how much we appreciate their dedication to the safety of our most precious cargos, Southern Boone students.

Reminders:
• The Southern Boone Elementary School will be hosting a “Big Truck Showcase” free event on Saturday, April 27th, 10am to Noon, at the Primary/Elementary School parking lots.
• The annual spring city-wide garage sale will also be held on Saturday, April 27th.
• Save the date – on Saturday, May 11th, at 9am, there will be a “Sadie Robinett Memorial Butterfly Garden Build” at the Ashland Ridge City Park on Mustang Drive.
• The Ashland Farmer’s Market is set to start back up May 2nd, I personally can’t wait for many of the goodies found there and at the Hartsburg farmers market as well. Latest updates I’ve heard on the Hartsburg farmers market is that they are gauging the level of interest to see if it will continue. I hope so, it was always enjoyable to pop down there, shop, and chat with good folks.
• Southern Boone Middle School will be hosting 8th Grade Promotion on Tuesday, May 21st at 6:30PM in the middle school gym. All 8th grade students and their families and friends are invited to attend the event as we celebrate the 8th grade students and all of their accomplishments while at the middle school. (District FB page). As a 7th/8th grade teacher I am really looking forward to this, seeing the smiles on the kids faces as they progress forward in life!

“The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don’t know what you are doing, someone else does.” – Pinterest.