The Cole County Circuit Court in Jefferson City is being asked to place the education funding lawsuit on the back burner. Attorney General Jay Nixon says the Legislature is going to have to deal with the problem eventually, anyway, so it only makes sense for the Legislature to get to work on the problem as soon as possible and to get the issue out of the courts, where expenses are adding up. Nixon says he’s encouraged that incoming Governor Matt Blunt and the Legislature have expressed an interest in resolving this matter. Nixon hopes to have a decision by the Court within the next few weeks.
MoDOT Chief Outlines Plans For Amendment Three Dollars
November 10, 2004 By
The new Director of the State Transportation Department has presented highway commissioners with his plans for the new money his agency will get since Amendment Three passed last week. At the State Highway Commission meeting, Director Pete Rahn said the money MoDOT is expected to get from the end of the diversion of gas tax dollars – approximately $160-Million to $180-Million – will be translated into up to $1.5-Billion in bonding. He says the first $400-Million will be spent on smoothing out 2,200 miles of the most traveled roads in the state. Most of the roads that will be fixed at first are in the urban areas and along the four-lane corridors in Missouri. The next two phases of the plan will accelerate the pace at which existing projects are completed and select some new high-priority projects. While commissioners were enthusiastic about the proposal, they cautioned against over-promising. Rahn says he recognizes this is not the only fix the state transportation system might need.
Classes 1-4 Begin Football Playoffs
November 10, 2004 By
The Missouri high school football playoffs begin tonight in Classes 1-4 and Classes 5-6 will get underway on Friday night. In Classes 1-4, 16 teams are still alive and there are eight teams apiece in Classes 5-6. Here’s a preview: CLASS 4—Three undefeated teams are alive and there are two teams with just one loss. Two of the state’s most prolific performers in Class 4 are in it. Webb City and Camdenton, who will meet in the quarterfinals with wins tonight, have won a combined 10 state titles since 1987. Webb City, which is ranked #1 in Class 4, will face Ozark, while Camdenton takes on Republic. North County is the class’ only other undefeated team at 10-0 and they’ve done it under first-year head coach Steve Aubochon. The most interesting team in Class 4 has to be Lee’s Summit West, which is in its first year of existence. Head coach Royce Boehm saw his team lose its first seven games before winning all three district contests to earn a spot in the field of 16. They’ll take on Raytown South with is 9-1….CLASS 3—The possibility of a re-match of the 2003 title game is still possible as Harrisonville and Ste. Genevieve are both in the 16-team field in Class 3. Harrisonville, which beat Ste. Genevieve 35-0 in the title game, will take on School of the Osage, which is making its first trip to the playoffs since 1986. Ste. Genevieve is just 6-4 and will face another team that got hot late to make it into the post-season—Perryville, which is 5-5. Mary Institute-Country Day is the only undefeated team in the Class 3 sectionals at 10-0. MICDS head coach Ron Holtman is the state’s winningest active coach and is looking for his second state title—he and his team will face Herculaneum, which is 9-1. Heculaneum, along with Mt. Grove and Richmond were in the Class 3 playoffs last year as well.…CLASS 2—Last year, the only team to beat Blair Oaks was Centralia. This year, Blair Oaks is the team to beat and Centralia, which won the Class 2 title last season, is at home. The Falcons are 10-0 and ranked number one in the state. They’ll face a Montgomery Co. team which enters the playoffs averaging 48.9 points per game. Both teams were in the playoffs last season. Caruthersville, Springfield Catholic and Brookfield are the only other teams that also made the playoffs in 2003…CLASS 1—If things look a little familiar in Class 1 it’s because nine of the teams who made the playoffs in 2003 are back in 2004. Those teams are ST. Vincent, Salisbury, Tipton, Marionville, Greenfield, Orrick, Santa Fe, Rock Port and Scotland Co. Marionville and Tipton, which met for the Class 1 title, could meet again in the quarterfinals with wins tonight. Marionville beat Tipton 21-6 earlier this season. Marionville, which is 9-1 on the season will take on undefeated Pierce City tonight and Tipton with is 9-0 takes on 10-0 Salisbury. East Buchanan is the other unbeaten team and they’ll get Rock Port.
Cards Release 2005 Schedule
November 10, 2004 By
The St. Louis Cardinals released their 2005 schedule yesterday, their last ever at the current Busch Stadium. In 2006 they’ll move into a brand new stadium witch part of the current park in the same place as where the new one will stand. The Redbirds will feature back-to-back home series against the Red Sox and Yankees. The Cardinals will also travel to Kansas City for a three game set in late May.
Blues Say Goodbye To Worcester and Hello To Peoria
November 10, 2004 By
The St. Louis Blues are ending their 11-year relationship with their top minor league club in Worcester, Massachusetts and will now base their main minor league artery in Peoria, Illinois. The Worcester IceCats will remain under the Blues wing until after this season. This isn’t the first dance between the Blues and Peoria. Their minor league team was there from 1989-1994.
