Forum Flashbacks: Sept. 11-17
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, SEPT. 15, 2000
25 YEARS AGO: Passing The Torch – Arianne Bredlow, left, takes the “torch” from Jess Mattice in the torch relay during the summer Olympic games at Jefferson C-123 School Thursday. The torch was a toilet plunger with a water balloon on “top.” The two girls are both fourth graders. The entire elementary school participated in the many Olympic activities.
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, Sept. 17, 1975
Petition Filed to Remove Nodaway County Court Judges
A citizens’ petition has been filed in the office of Pros. Atty. John Fraze asking that the three Nodaway County judges be removed from office for failure to comply with equal districting requirements within the county, the Daily Forum has learned.
Fraze was out of town today and unavailable for comment, but informed sources said the petition carried the names of 28 persons and asked Fraze to initiate proceedings to remove all three judges — Fred Campbell, associate judge of the north district; Quinten Beggs, associate judge of the south district; and Eugene Dowling, presiding judge — from office.
At issue is the population difference of the two districts. The south district, which includes heavily populated Polk Township, has a total population of 16,152, according to the 1970 census; the north district has a population of 6,015.
According to state law, “… Each county shall be districted by the county court thereof into two districts, of contiguous territory, as near equal in population as practicable, without dividing municipal townships.”
While petitioners are objecting that the “near equal in population” requirement is not being met, it is the phrase prohibiting the dividing of townships which has stifled county court discussion in the past.
Petitioners feel the one-man, one-vote requirement is not being met with the districts divided as they are now, and say the county court judges should be removed from office for intentionally neglecting state law.
Since half the population of Nodaway County resides in one township — Polk — there really are only two alternatives for coming up with two districts of the approximate same size.
One would be to have Polk Township as one district, and the remainder of the townships as another; the other would be to split Polk Township into two townships, one in each district, with some shifting of other townships also involved to equalize population.
County court judges, in the past, have indicated they don’t care much for either solution, as the first is not practicable and the second — setting up a new township government — would involve a high cost and would last only a few years.
The township form of government in the county is expected to last only five more years at most, until Nodaway becomes a second class county.
90 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, Sept. 16, 1935
McPherrin Sisters Who Look Like Twins Admit They Are 2 of Triplets
“Are you twins?” Doris and Dorothy McPherrin, students at the State Teachers College, have been asked countless times in the last year and the pretty, dark-haired McPherrin sisters have repeatedly answered a smiling “No.”
“But you look so much alike,” the puzzled questioner would usually add.
After a week of leaving their classmates and teachers in the dark, Doris and Dorothy have admitted that they are two of triplets. The third sister, Dorcas, is not enrolled in the College.
They are the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. John McPherrin of Oakland, Ia. All three, Doris, Dorothy and Dorcas, were graduated from Christian College at Columbia last year.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 50- and 90-year flashbacks are courtesy of the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project from the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessible at shsmo.newspapers.com.
