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Sunday
July 18, 2010
News-Leader.com 1B
AUG. 3 PRIMARY
COMMISSIONER
Ridder: Earlier start date needed
By Claudette Riley Springfield area school systems. ter break and making it more like- tion,” he said. “We are the latest

Two vying
CRILEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM
There is one area where Spring-
field Public Schools consistently
comes in last: Starting a new
Even many of the private schools ly the final day of class will be start time and it’s because of lack
in Greene County — whose pushed into early June. of air conditioning.”
schedules typically mirror the Superintendent Norm Ridder Ridder asked administrators,
Springfield district — aren’t wait- said with the final nine school through a standing calendar com-

for chance
school year.
The 24,000-student district will
ring the first bell Aug. 24, more
than a week after Nixa and a full
ing quite as late to start this fall. buildings slated to get air condi- mittee, to propose a revised 2011-12
Springfield’s later start means tioning by the end of next summer, school year that started early
the first semester often bleeds into it’s time to start planning for an enough to wrap up the first semes-
January, requiring high school stu- earlier start date.

to take on
five days after nearly all the other dents to take mid-terms after win- “We need to start that conversa- See Start, Page 2B

incumbent Fighting cancer with treats and smiles

Ex-councilman, veteran
lawmaker on the ballot.
By Wes Johnson
WJOHNSON@NEWS-LEADER.COM
A veteran state lawmaker and
a former Springfield city coun-
cilman are vying for the chance
to unseat Presiding Greene
County Commissioner David
Coonrod.
Coonrod, 57, a Democrat, has
been a county commissioner
since 1988 and presiding com-
missioner since 1994.
He has no opposition in the
Aug. 3 primary for the $73,000-
a-year position.
In November, he’ll face the
winner of the
Republican pri- • Catch up
mary — either on the
Jim Viebrock or Greene
Conrad Griggs. County
Viebrock, 42, Prosecu-
served eight tor’s race,
consecutive Monday
years as a state
representative and is term-lim-
ited from running for the posi-
tion again.
Griggs, 65, served on the City
Council from 1992-1999, was off
for four years, then served an-

See Candidates, Page 3B

Showcase set
for House
candidates
NEWS-LEADER STAFF
Candidates on the August pri-
mary ballot for 7th District U.S.
congressman are to take part in
a legislative showcase Monday
night at the E-Plex at Ozark Em-
pire Fairgrounds, 3001 N. Grant
Ave.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the fo-
rum is from 7 to 9 p.m. The first
hour will air live on KOLR TV-
10 (Springfield) and KSNF
(Joplin). The second hour will be
carried as a live streaming event
on both Ozarksfirst.com and
fourstateshomepage.com. Both
hours will be aired on radio by
KWTO (560 AM).
These candidates have con-
firmed their participation: Re-
publicans Billy Long, Gary
Nodler, Jack Goodman, Mike
Moon, Michael Wardell, Darrell
Moore and Jeff Wisdom; De-
mocrats Tim Davis and Scott
Eckersley; and Libertarian
Kevin Craig. Not confirmed is
Republican Steve Hunter.
Attendees may submit ques-
tions at the E-Plex or by e-mail
to counton@kolr10.com.
Lottery
PICK 3
9-9-4 (midday)
0-6-1 (evening)
PICK 4
7-1-3-1 (midday)
5-5-0-6 (evening)
SHOW-ME CASH
2-5-14-21-38
LOTTO
2-5-18-26-28-35
POWERBALL
22-27-35-37-45-3
Margaret Sherman sets out baked goods with her daughter, Memphis, 2, during a Saturday bake sale for Memphis’ friend, 10-year-old Gavin Green.
2-year-old helps raise money for
family friend undergoing treatments.
By Sarah Bennett
SBENNETT@NEWS-LEADER.COM
Memphis Sherman ran through
the gravel lot in front of the Wal-
Mart at West Bypass and Sun-
shine Street. It was 84 degrees
outside, but she was determined
to sell her baked goods and raise
money for her friend Gavin
Green, who has brain cancer.
This would be a run-of-the-mill
story about people fighting can-
cer if Memphis Sherman was
more than 2 years old.
And if the effort hadn’t already
netted $750 from the sale of about
1,100 baked goods.
[ Reporter’s notebook ]
Life experiences enriched
through adult confidante
In late May, as the book was
closing on another school
year, I showed up at Robber-
son Elementary to cover an
assembly honoring school sec-
retary Rita Sade.
She was getting a surprise
award but that was almost be-
side the point. She was so
loved, I was repeatedly told.
Prior to the event, in a quiet
hallway space and behind
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THE CRIME SCENE
AMBER ARNOLD / NEWS-LEADER
Green, 10, is a family friend, said
Memphis’ mother Margaret
Sherman. He was diagnosed with
brain cancer about five months
ago and is in Kansas City with his
family undergoing chemothera-
py treatments.
Sherman said her daughter’s
desire to host the “We Hate Can-
cer” bake sale began when Green
could no longer play with her due
to his illness.
“I never thought I’d let her use
the word ‘hate,’” Sherman said.
The Sherman family and friend AMBER ARNOLD / NEWS-LEADER
Maddie Boyer, 8, (left) and her sister, Katelyn, 3, show their support by
See Sale, Page 2B getting their photo taken on Saturday with a “we hate cancer” sign.
CLAUDETTE
RILEY
Storm damage
Claudette Riley is spotty in city
the News-Leader
education re- By Mike Penprase edge of the Phelps Grove
porter MPENPRASE@NEWS-LEADER Neighborhood.
closed classroom doors, the criley@news- As Greg Rainwater To see how things
principal and teachers went leader.com drank a Saturday-morn- could have gone, howev-
on and on about how much
she meant to the children.
417-836-1240 ing cup of coffee in his
backyard, he expressed
er, he only had to look
across a chain-link fence
So effusive was the praise relief Friday evening’s where a locust tree was
and so extensive were the ad- storm left no damage at snapped near the
jectives that, ever so slightly, I his home. ground and rested on
cocked an eyebrow. I’d met Except for picking up a the roof of the frame
fantastic school secretaries small branch or two, house next door.
on my beat but never one — Rainwater didn’t have to He was doing “better
do any storm cleanup at
See Riley, Page 2B his home on the west See Storm, Page 3B
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