LEADER CLINTON COUNT Y
Thurs., December 29, 2022 |
INSIDE
one section | 16 pages
Top Sports Moments of ‘22 Catch the first half of The Leader’s annual list breaking down the top sports moments for Lathrop, Plattsburg and East Buchanan in ‘22. || PAGE A9
Winter Sports
We take a look at the local basketball and wrestling teams as they set their sights on postseason glory. || PAGE A6
Plattsburg, Lathrop and Gower, Mo.
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| “Covers Clinton County Like Dew ”
GOWER PERSON OF THE YEAR
Klein Family honored as a pillar of Gower by jim bonebrake leader reporter
Jack and Shari Klein and their expansive family were selected as the collective Gower Person of the Year for 2022. Why select an entire family?
Looking back at the route traveled by this couple as they settled in Gower and established Hixson-Klein Funeral Homes in Gower, Edgerton, and Smithville, it becomes a little more obvious as to why.
The family includes Jack and Shari, along with their grown children (and spouses) Casey Klein, Corey and Mandy Klein, and Christa and Danny Musser, and eight grandchildren, Sara and Garrett Brazzell,
Anna Musser and Jena Musser, and Nick, Chase, Kellan, Emma, and Trevor Klein. They’re a close-knit family that has been involved in the Gower community since 1977, when
Jack bought the local funeral home from Eldon Hixson. In a 1993 article for the St. Joseph NewsPress, Hixon said, “If you lined up 100 people and had to chose one that ||Continued on A3
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Paving With Our Good Deeds Steve Tinnen reminds us that it’s our deeds and not our intentions that make a difference when it comes to New Year’s.
NASA • BILL INGALLS
|| PAGE A4
Community........A3 Opinion..............A4 Legals.......A14,A15 Sports...............A6
THE LEADER Est. 1895
(Top Left) Plattsburg native Tom Mallen celebrates the successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. (Top Center) Long-time Lathrop Superintendent Chris Fine announced his intention to retire. (Top Right) Plattsburg Principal Chris Hodge hugs his graduating daughter, Cole. (Above Left) The new Lathrop greenhouse at LHS. (Above Right) The new track at East Buchanan High School.
Winner of 100+ awards from the Missouri press assoc.
Looking back at 2022 in Clinton County by brett adkison leader editor
Honeycutt Media 102 e. Maple St. Plattsburg, Mo., 64477 (UPS 435580000) 816.539.2111 email: leader@clintoncountyleader.com
VOL. 128, NO. 9
Each year, The Clinton County Leader marks the turning of the calendar by looking back at the biggest stories of the previous 12 months. From championships to heartbreaks, the loss of community pillars to the emergence of new leaders, the year 2022 was packed with all of the newsworthy headlines we come to expect in Clinton County. But this year will perhaps be best remembered for its relative return to normalcy after the COVID-19
pandemic. We begin our look back with the first half of 2022, including headlines from January through June below, broken down by publication date of the newspaper (Thursdays). Check back next week for the second half of the Year In Review.
January 6 – Clinton County sits at 78 active cases of COVID, but that doesn’t include approximately 20 overnight cases pushing the total closer to 100; Candidates in Gower, Lathrop and Plattsburg sign up
for the April election, including a brewing three-man race for Plattsburg mayor.
January 13 – The City of Plattsburg is investigating allegations of unsafe work environments at city hall, including drinking at the building, pertaining to City Administrator Greg Harris, an assistant, and Mayor Dave Schauer; Clinton County Planning and Zoning members question commissioners’ decision not to reappoint Steve Mowry to the zoning board; Clinton County sets a local record
with 135 new COVID cases in a single week; Plattsburg Fire Protection District sets record with 665 calls to service. January 20 – Plattsburg City Administrator Greg Harris, Assistant Administrator Jeremy Zimmerman placed on paid leave as city dives into allegations of misconduct; Clinton County adds 134 new cases of COVID, nearly meeting last week’s high-water mark; Gower looks to be growing, as developer notifies the city council he is work||Continued on A2