The Index from Hermitage, Missouri • 1

State Hiat Society 7-1-91 corner Hitt and Lowry st Columbia MO 65201 Lake visitor count Page 3A Weatherreservoir report PLUS TAX Conservation 8390 MSL 30 Full 8790 MSL Elevation 84359 MSL Tr Discharge to 2000 cu ft 17 sec or 15000 gal sec Tr Tunnel Outlet Temperature 35 01 Lake Surface Temperature 37 Water Conditions: 209k ice covered 35 31 39 28 46 28 57 27 45 32 34 9 43 8 DATE Wednesday Jan 16 Thursday Jan 17 Friday Jan 18 Saturday Jan 19 Sunday Jan 20 Monday Jan 21 Tuesday Jan 22 HERMITAGE MO 65668 Phone 417 745-6404 Fax 417 745-2222 USPS 261500 Serving Hickory County and the Lake Pomme de Terre Area" THURSDAY JANUARY 24 1991 VOL 106 NO 43 Established 1885 Woman murdered in east part of county Body recovered in Little Niangua River Monday A former Hickory County woman was apparently abducted from her job as a convenience store clerk near Macks Creek Saturday night brought into Hickory County shot in the head and dumped into the Little Niangua River The body of Trudy Darbyj 42 was recovered approximately orife mile upstream from the Highway 54 bridge near the Hickory-Camden County line She had apparently been shot to death at the Erickson Ford on the Little Niangua River on County Road 200 Her body apparently washed downstream about three-fourths mile The incident occurred about 10 pm Saturday when Mrs Darby called her 22-year-old son Waylyn and told him that a suspicious man was lurking about the gas pumps at the station and she wanted her son to come to the store to be with her as she closed the business for the night ed her son to come to the store she did not indicate to him that she was frightened or in immediate danger Approximately $300 was taken from the store's cash register There was no sign of a struggle in the store Rider said An area-wide search began for Mrs Darby with no clues until a Hickory County resident found blood at the west end of the Erickson Ford low water bridge in the southwest corner When the son arrived less than five minutes later he found the front door of the business open his mother missing and her purse coat and car still at the scene Mrs Darby was a clerk at Country Comers at the intersection of US 54 and Missouri 73 in the area known as the Her son was at her home just a couple of miles away Camden County Sheriff Ralph Rider said that when Mrs Darby ask of Hickory County Hickory County officers began a search of the area and asked for assistance from the Missouri Highway Patrol helicopter At about 3 pm Hickory County Deputy Mike Crocker who was riding in the helicopter reported that he saw something that might be a body downstream from the Erickson Ford area The Hickory County Rescue Squad and its water recovery team was called to the scene and at about squad member Hugh Vaughan surfaced from the six-foot deep water to report that he had located a body lodged against a pile of debris in- the swift current of the river When the dive team recovered the body Mrs Darby's brothers who were at the scene identified the victim as their sister None of Mrs clothing was found at the scene but lawmen were continuing their investigation of the area to see if her clothing could be located along State Route BB US 54 County Road 200 or in the river Hickory County Sheriff Ray Tip-ton says officers have a few leads in the case He said residents near the Erickson Ford report hearing a single gunshot at 11:45 pm Saturday A report of an attempted abduction at 6 pm at a convenience store in Sedalia were also investigated for a possible link with the Darby murder An abandoned car located in the eastern part of the county was checked and was found to have been in the area since the day before the abduction A report of a strange man acting suspiciously in a Macks Creek cafe Saturday evening before the is also being investigated An autopsy was performed Tuesday afternoon and the pathologist ruled that Mrs Darby died of a single gunshot wound to the head Mrs Darby and her husband Bob formerly lived in the Wheatland and Nemo communities Her husband is a native of Nemo They also have a daughter who is a senior in the Macks Creek School The family lives in the Branch community on Highway 73 Just two miles from when Mrs Darby was abducted Funeral services are Thursday January 24 at the Macks Creek School Body recovered Members of the Hickory County Rescue Squad's underwater recovery team and the Hickory County Sheriff's Department recover the body of 42-year-old Trudy Darby from the Little Niangua River in eastern Hickory County The Macks Creek resident was apparently kidnapped Saturday night as she worked at a Macks Creek area convenience store was taken to a remote spot In eastern Hickory County and killed by a gunshot to the head The former Wheatland resident and former Macks Creek School District secretary will be buried Thursday at Nemo after funeral services in the Macks Creek School State and local law officers continue the investigation into the homicide 9 Mid-East battles watched closely here Televisions on around the clock for word of family friends ed the television every minute I can since the war began and when they (the pilots) make good hits it makes me feel good And when I don't hear anything I feel that no news is good Mrs Kennedy's late husband Yerl was an Air Force veteran before being I'm constantly afraid of what I'll hear but I'm afraid not to listen It's hard (having a son involved in the war) but you have to go on" Randall was in the Panama invasion during Christmas 1989 and was in the Middle East for the 1990 Christmas season then watched it all night long and it has been on ever since I even keep the radio on when I go to work" She describes her reactions on hearing that initial war broadcast as worried for my son as well as everyone else's son but yet proud" is like a magnet constantly afraid of what hear but afraid not to Mother of Desert Storm airman A yellow ribbon hangs on the front door and a television or radio operates continually at the Earlene Kennedy home in Hermitage The ribbon has been there since the Desen Shield activities began in the Middle East and the broadcast vigilance began when the first word of the US attack on Iraq was broadcast last Wednesday evening Mrs Kennedy's youngest son Randall is serving in the US Air Force in Saudi Arabia Mrs Kennedy's actions are representative of the actions of millions of people across the nation who now spend every available second in front of televisions for word of the latest developments affecting their sons daughters spouses neighbors or relatives involved in the Desert Storm activities Mrs Kennedy knows exactly where she was hen she heard the attack had begun was listening to the radio Wednesday evening" she relates "when I heard an ABC special broadcast saying that the Baghdad sky was lit up and the war had apparently begun 1 turned the television set on elected as Hickory County Sheriff Both her sons billowed their lather's example and joined the Air Force Rodney is now in the Air Force Reserves and is on alert status for possible call to duty in the Middle East Randall and his wife live in Horida where she is also in military service They arc expecting their first child in February television is like a magnet" she explains "I watch it every night As she kept up with the Wednesday night Middle East developments her other son Hickory County Deputy Rodney Kennedy called to tell her he had seen Randall on two newscasts Randall was loading bombs on an airplane somewhere in the Persian Gulf area she said "I felt relieved after Rod told me he saw Randall because at least be was all right and had made it through the first attack" she said "I have watch- "I talked to him by phone New Year's Eve and told him going to have Christmas for a month when he gets home no matter what time of year it is" she says And until the Middle East war ends and Randall returns home to celebrate those missed Christmases the yellow ribbon will continue to decorate the Kennedy door for him and for the hundreds of thousands of other Americans now serving in the Desert Storm Campaign Earlene Kennedy NEWS BRIEFS County commissioners implement new purchasing policy for county offices Troop rally planned A Hermitage city alderman has announced plans to stage a rally on the Hermitage square in support of American troops serving in the Desen Stoim campaign Iarry- Gilbert east ward alderman says he may be the only person participating but he is encouraging area residents to join him near the veterans memorial on the square at 3 pm Saturday February 2 Gilbert says of whether it is raining sleeting snowing or whatever I will have a yellow ribbon on my arm and a llag in my hand if I can find one I hope we have peace by then" He says if no one joins him he will there alone in support of our troops" Adult courses set Adult edueation evening courses have been announced by the Dallas County Area Vocational-Technical School at Louisburg Registration will be Monday February II from 6 to 8:30 pm Courses offered include business welding auto mechanics auto body microcomputers refrigeration and beginning cabinet making Courses meet once a week for ten weeks Certificates are awarded upon successful completion of the course Cost is $60 per class Additional fees for textbooks materials and supplies will be charged as necessary for each class and is not included in tuition Classes are dependent upon sufficient enrollment mitted to the County Clerk for the Commission's consideration Solicitations for bids shall be made in writing when any purchase of $1000 or greater (but less than $1500) is made for items or services from any person firm or corporation during any ninety day period 3 No Hickory County Funds shall be expended for any items not meeting the above requirements" In a January 17 session the commissioners adopted a policy that called for the county clerk to handle courthouse repairs costing $500 or less These repairs will not require prior approval from the commissioners County Clerk Barbara Evans will make arrangements to have the courthouse stair railing repaired A new county policy for purchasing items for the county was implemented last week by the county commissioners The new policy is in response to regular advisements of the state auditor's office that the county commissioners had consistently spent county funds for purchases that had not met state requirements for soliciting bids documenting bids ami advertising for bids The last audit report showed that the county commissioners had spent more than $250000 during the audit period without documenting bids for the items as specified by state statutes The ne county commission policy outlines bidding procedures and policies and lists the statutes to be followed by all county officials and All specifications for items to be purchased shall be clear concise and shall not state any brand preference All invitations for bids should state that the purchaser shall have the right to refuse any or all bids The bid openings shall take place in public where adequate space for all bidden and the press is available All bid invitations shall bear a specific date and time for the bid openings All bid invitations shall be in writing and a copy of the document furnished the County Clerk to be held in the files After the bid specification has been published in one or more papers for a three week duration and no bids have been received justification for a Sole Source purchase may be in order Such requests shall be in writing and be justified bv the purchaser and sub count uuWM i tie mu) also states that no county funds will be spent for the purchase of any items not meeting the purchse policy Effective January 10 the county's bidding and purchasing policy ill be: Every employee or element of Hickory County Goemmcnt shall follow the bidding procedures as set forth in Section 50660 RSMo 1986 Outlined below is the policy to be followed: A All bids of $1500 or over shall be advertised in the local newspaper and other newspapers that the purchaser believes will attract vendors to make bids for quality products desired Each item shall be advertised three counsecutive weeks and the bid opening date shall be ten days after the last publishing week of The Index.