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Fair Update - July 20, 2008
 

Carolyn Wicklein Named 2008 Monroe County Fair Queen

Carolyn Wicklein, second from left, was crowned as the 2008 Monroe County Fair Queen. She was also named Miss Congeniality in Sunday’s night opening event of the Monroe County Fair. Joining her onstage are, left to right, Amanda Stumpf, second runner-up; Brittany Hempen, first runner-up; and 2007 Monroe County Fair Queen Emily Hopkins. Wicklein, 18, is the daughter of Bryan and Karen Wicklein. She graduated from Waterloo High School and will attend Murray State University in the fall majoring in animal science / pre-veterinary medicine. She was sponsored by Roider Contracting. Wicklein grew up on a farm in rural Prairie du Rocher and credits her farm family upbringing and the Waterloo FFA as to making her the person she is today. “I am proud of where I come from,” said Wicklein. Her mother, Karen, said Carolyn has been enjoying coming to the fair since she was a very young child.


The newly crowned Monroe County Fair Queen Carolyn Wicklein, left, accepts the crown, roses, trophy and accolades from 2007 Fair Queen Emily Hopkins.

Heather Albers Named Little Miss Monroe County

Heather Albers, right, is congratulated by Fair Queen Carolyn Wicklein for being named the 2008 Little Miss Monroe County. Alberts, 6, is the daughter of Tim and Chris Albers of Waterloo. She will be attending SS. Peter and Paul Grade School in the fall. Albers is sponsored by Baxmeyer Construction Co – photo by Judy Brinkmann

 


2007 Monroe County Fair Queen Emily Hopkins, right, congratulates the Little Miss Monroe County Fair Queen candidates.   – photo by Judy Brinkmann

During Sunday evening events at the Monroe County Fair’s horse arena, Kristen Gregson, left, and her horse Jack won the high point buckle for pee-wee (under-12) class and reserve high point buckle for junior (under-18) class at the Junior Horse Show. Taylor Yearian, right, and Cigar won the high point buckle for the Junior Class. Gregson and Yearian tied for the Junior Buckle, but since Gregson already won a first-place buckle, she opted to give Yearian the Junior High-Point Buckle.  – photo by Carol Floarke

 

County Fair Is Filled With Equestrian Events

Sarah Presswood, 16, and her Appaloosa Smokey, 18, participate in the egg and spoon race Sunday evening at the Monroe County Fair.   

by Carol Floarke

Looking for something different to do with your family at this week’s Fair? Check out the horse shows, scheduled for five of the eight fair days.

Opening night yesterday featured the junior horse show for entrants under 18. This was the first of the light horse shows, with horses commonly used for pleasure riding and speed events like pole bending, in which horse and rider weave in and out of zigzag poles as quickly as possible without knocking them over.

The open class horse show begins Tuesday at 6 p.m. It features plenty of classes to display riding skills.

The senior show, Thursday at 6 p.m., includes lightning-fast events like the ribbon race, in which two separate horses and riders race around the arena while holding on to a ribbon.

On Saturday, there are dual shows at opposite ends of the arena, one featuring mules and the other heavy horses. Heavy horses are larger equines which are well suited to pulling carts and wagons. The open class mule and heavy horse shows begin at 10:30 a.m. and features showmanship events. Around 1:30 p.m., the heavy horse and mule hitch classes begin. Equines from singles to four to six horse teams pull everything from primitive farm equipment to fancy large wagons. The heavy horses are subdivided into two categories featuring large draft horses like Clydesdales and draft ponies like Haflingers.

An event in only its second year is an expanded mini horse and mini donkey show, held in the dairy barn Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Minis participate in events ranging from showmanship to jumping. The minis are a great way to introduce youngsters to horse shows if they are fearful of full size horses.

 


In Other News....

 

Study Shows County Needs To Expand Jail

During Monday morning’s meeting of the Monroe County Commissioners, left to right, Sheriff’s Dept. Sgt. Dennis Schreder, consultant Paul Greco and Sheriff Dan Kelley discuss the results of a study conducted on the current county jail facility.

A recently completed study conducted by consulting firm Durrant of St. Louis was presented Monday morning to the Monroe County Board of Commissioners. Based on the growing inmate population, especially female individuals, it was recommended an addition to the jail was needed in three to five years. The current jail was built in 1986 and has 22 cells. According to Durrant’s study, the proposed new jail would have 40 cells with the expansion capability for 80. The initial price tag on this proposal is $4.6 million. The county commissioners took copies of the study and said they would look further into the matter and address it at an upcoming meeting.

 

Big Box Ordinance To Be Discussed By Columbia City Council: Columbia resident Joe Cotton is scheduled to speak at Monday night’s Columbia City Council meeting to request the alderman consider an amendment onto the proposed mixed use development district. The amendment would not allow “Big Box” retailers to be located within the district. The meeting starts at 7 p.m., at city hall.

 

The Clubbers of southern Illinois took home the first place trophy Sunday evening at the 10th annual Fults Softball Tournament. The Sandy Ridge Outsiders of Millstadt finished in second place.


During Sunday afternoon action at the Fults Softball Tournament, Miller Lite slugger Todd Papenberg hits a long fly ball against the Sandy Ridge Outsiders.

 

David Uhler of rural Fults was ticketed with a driving under the influence following a Sunday morning roll-over accident on Bluff Road. Uhler lost control of his Ford Ranger in the 3800 block of Bluff Road, between Maeys Station and Fults. He was not injured.

 

Treeweasels Reunite In St. Louis

Valmeyer High School grads Scott Roever, left, and E.J. Fitch play “Boxtown” during their reunion performance Saturday night at Off Broadway in St. Louis.

Valmeyer High School grads Scott Roever and E.J. Fitch reunited their rock band from the early 1990s for a Saturday night concert at the South St. Louis city bar, Off Broadway. Several Monroe Countians made the trek across the river to see the Treeweasels play. The band played several songs from their 1990 album Head Cheese and Blood Sausage, including Boxtown, Cornerstone, and Walk Away.

 

Truck Rolls On Bluff Road

The driver of a Ford Ranger avoided injury when his Ford Ranger rolled into a ditch Sunday morning on Bluff Road. His name has not yet been released.

 

Ultra-Light Crashes Into Cornfield

A Missouri man received only minor injuries after his ultra-light airplane crash-landed Thursday evening in rural Merrimac, two miles west of Fountain. The machine lost power and landed in a cornfield owned by Mike and Ronnie Stumpf. The plane came to rest about 50 yards away from Jacobs Field, a runway used by ultra-light pilots for take-offs and landings.

“I saw him go over and then the engine cut out,” said bottoms farmer Daniel Rahe who witnessed the crash. “I could hear him yelling as he was going down.”

Valmeyer Fire Chief Floyd Floarke was the first person to arrive at Jacobs Field. He soon saw the man walking out of the cornfield. The Monroe County Ambulance Service treated him for minor injuries, but he declined to be taken to a hospital. The heavily damaged ultra-light was removed from the cornfield Friday morning.

 

Vogt Ticketed After Fleeing From Accident Scene

Roger Vogt of rural Waterloo received two tickets following an accident early Friday morning. At 1:30 a.m., Vogt lost control of his 1993 Ford Escort along Bluff Road, just south of Fountain. The car rolled over and landed on its side.

“The crash woke me up,” said Dianne Stuckmeyer, who lives nearby.

When Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene, they could not locate anyone near the car. Sgt. Jim Lansing and K-9 unit Sari picked up the scent of a person leaving the area and followed it.

“They located Mr. Vogt in a corn field about three-quarters of a mile south of the accident. He was standing in a cornfield about 10 rows from the road,” said Sheriff Dan Kelley.

Vogt was ticketed for driving under the influence and driving too fast for conditions.

Next Paper:
Friday, August 1

  Coming Events

July 20 - July 27: Monroe County Fair

July 29: Flood Plain Map Open House at County Annex - 5 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Aug. 3: St. Patrick’s Church of Tipton Auction & Chicken Dinner

Aug. 3: 5 p.m. – Columbia’s Music At Metter with Morland Drive and Blues Racket

Aug. 15 & 16: Columbia Daze

Aug. 16: St. Augustine’s of Hecker Kirchenfest

Aug. 22 & 23: Waterloo Homecoming

Aug. 23: Waterloo Optimist 5k Run / Walk

Aug. 28 – 31: Traveling Vietnam Wall in Hecker