The Springfield News-Leader from Springfield, Missouri • Page 1

HEALTH INSIDE WINNER OF SGA CITY CHAMPIONSHIP SAYS 'PURE LUCK' HELPED IB Springfield i if OZARKSMOBILE.COM Springfield, Missouri Monday, july 20, 2009 75c Leader IT Try some healthy, tasty bison meat Iffli lite siwfls Ira tip The mainstream world of red meat is expanding. Bison once considered exotic is now available at many grocery stores. Advocates say game meats are lower in fat and a healthier choice. We compared the nutritional content of two types of ground beef with ground elk, bison, deer, and lamb, and found some differences. 5B Lieutenant governor not given power in absence.

ONLINE NOW souri National Guard. Nixon said the soldiers he met from all corners of Missouri appreciated seeing him while in theater. "It certainly feels like a shot in the arm to them as they touch the governor of the Show-Me State," Nixon told reporters. At about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nixon said he was at a military base in Kuwait, but for security purposes he could not disclose the rest of the trip itinerary or when he will return to Missouri.

Nixon said the Department of Defense invited him on the trip. He noted temperatures in Iraq By Chad Livenqood Gov. Jay Nixon visited Missouri National Guard soldiers in Iraq over the weekend as part of an unannounced Middle East tour with the governors of Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada and Texas. Speaking with reporters Sunday afternoon from Kuwait, Nixon said he met with Missouri soldiers, whom he found to be "stunningly committed" to bringing peace and democracy to the war-torn country. "I think it's very, very important to support these men and women here," said Nixon, who is commander-in-chief of the Mis i HT llll- ITlW lltri SGT.

FRANK VAUGHN U.S. ARMY Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon addresses troops from his home state during a Sunday town hall meeting at Multi-National Division South head- See Nixon, Page 5A quarters. Nixon visited Basra, Iraq, as part of a five-governor tour. Great accomplishments arerit forgotten NEWS-LEADER FILE PHOTO, 2008 Honor guards carry the casket of Spc.

James Finley into Heritage Baptist Temple in Lebanon in 2008. A tribute to fallen soldiers The News-Leader has created an online informational tribute to honor more than 100 Missouri men and women who have been killed while serving in the armed forces for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. View the presentation online at Join our online community Join a discussion. Add photos to a gallery. Write your own Views vary on tougher dropout standard Springfield official argues problem must be addressed earlier.

uiuy. ruM di i ui mm ie mui y. You can do all of this and more when you register as a member of Need instructions? Go to By Gregory Trotter A stricter requirement for dropping out of school was signed into law recently but will it actually lead more kids to graduate high school? Only time will tell, local school officials say. The omnibus education bill, signed into law by Gov. Jay Nixon last week, features a provision toughening the requirement for students to drop out of school.

Currently, students must attend school until they are 16 years old before they can quit. Beginning Aug. 28, aspiring dropouts must wait until they are 17 years old or have obtained 16 hours of high school credit. "The whole point is for them to have to earn their way out of i- ft iiAiM-iiiiimmifii liniiiifiii-rmi i.ii.n.iUMiiaii, i mi.i.nn.iimii.iiriiMni.i ii.mi BRUCE E. STIDHAM FOR THE NEWS-LEADER At a gathering at 7628 VFW post in Ozark, John J.

Benna speaks with reporters about his career as a boxer in the 1930s. The World War II and Korean War veteran went on 88 missions as a bomber plane tail gunner. Family and friends pay tribute to a veteran YOUR COMMUNITY Number of disconnects soars City Utilities has changed its procedure for shutting off the utilities of customers who haven't paid their bills, resulting in a huge spike in disconnects. 2A Charges filed in shooting Police say charges have been filed against one man in connection with a shooting over the weekend in north Springfield. Charges are also pending against at least one other person.

3A U.S. 65 scary in early years Widening U.S. 65 to six lanes through Springfield probably will begin in September. Back in the early days, the road to Branson was scenic, but scary. Hank's History, 4A Victorious in extra innings Springfield Cardinals win in 12 innings.

IB i "AH St, itc "All American A jm tat high school," said Rep. Maynard Wallace, R-Thorn-field, who guided the bill through the House. "If they have to earn so many credits to Wallace drop out, maybe some of them will decide to just go ahead and graduate." The extent to which the law will affect Missouri schools' dropout and graduation rates remains to be seen. Locally, the change drew mixed reviews. "This falls far short of what Index 1 -ij fa we need to be doing," said Springfield Superintendent Norm Ridder.

"It sends a false message. We need to get out in front of the problem." ft H.Billings 4A Lottery 2A Business 9A Movies 12B Classified 10B NationWorld 8A Comics 7B Real Estate M.Dale 8B For Sale 11B DearAbby 8B Rentals 11B Deaths 10A Sports IB Letters 6A Sudoku 8B Health 5B Television 12B Heloise 8B Voices 6A Horoscope 8B Weather 7A Weather By Gregory Trotter The decorated war veteran and former boxing champ walked into the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Ozark on Sunday and was astounded by what he saw his own remarkable life on display. "I'm so damn old, I had forgotten about most of this stuff," said John Benna, a 92-year-old man with a clear gaze and strong handshake. Like an archaeologist, his son, Mike Benna, had spent the past several months digging up old pictures, newspaper clippings and military documents, piecing together the story of his father's life. His efforts culminated in a surprise medal presentation ceremony for John Benna, with family members, friends and state legislators on hand to witness the event.

"It's been a labor of love," said Mike Benna, former Ozark city council member. "Like many men of his generation, he rarely ever talked about any of this. I didn't want this history to be forgotten." With the help of U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt's office, he obtained a full set of the medals his father earned in World War II and the Korean War, which had been lost over the years.

The military decorations and other memorabilia displayed in the VFW assembly hall told a story of an incredible life. Born in Terre Haute, Ind. in 1917, John Benna was a scrappy and determined fighter. In 1936 and 1937, he fought and lost in the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions. But in 1938, in front of about 20,000 fans in the Chicago Stadium, John Benna won the championship in the 135-pound weight division.

A story that ran in the Chicago Daily Tribune described him as being "of sturdy Slavic stock" and "another of these undaunted warriors who refused to be worried over early failures and was eventually able to claim success." Ridder The problem, Ridder said, is that students who drop out of school disengage from the education process long before reaching the age of 16 or 17. More legislative efforts should be focused on "universal pre-school access," he said, instead of trying to address the problem when it's too late. "This change gives us anoth- See Dropout, Page 5A 3go Partly sunny and pleasant today; 570 possible thunderstorms tonight. 7A Precipitation: 20 A GANNETT NEWSPAPER VOL. 119.

NO. 201 2009, NEWS-LEADER BRUCE E. STIDHAM FOR THE NEWS-LEADER John Benna received a model of the plane he flew in during World War II as a tail gunner, and a case of medals he won during two wars. In 1943, he enlisted in the United States Army and went on to complete 43 missions as a tail gunner on B-25 airplanes in the South Pacific. In the Korean War, he completed 45 missions before retiring from tHfe military in 1964 after 20 years of service.

At age 54, John Benna enrolled in college at Indiana State University, graduating as a 58-year-old. See Benna, Page 5A Schools Blog: Keep up with the latest news '-C0MK about K-12 education in Gregory Trotter's blog at News-LeadexomWogsscioos (Mali AIR SERVICES (DMT RE JWP SERVICE For fimmc0 of Mind turvic Call 866-1460.