Retired U.S. Lt. Col. Ronald H. Lache Passes Away Last Monday

Colin Hart
Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD— Retired U.S. Lt. Col. Ronald H. Lache died Monday of lung cancer at his home in Springfield. He was 68.

He had been living on his own with the help of his son, who resides in Springfield, since his wife, the late Delores Carney, died March 7 of this year.

Before moving to Springfield five years ago, Lache was an active and influential part of the community in Dayton, Ohio. As a member of the Newman Center and the Rock Bridge Lions Club, he directed several successful community initiatives. One of those initiatives, a successful fundraiser to help revamp one of the city’s oldest parks, raised more than $100,000.

“He was a great man,” said fellow club member John Doughty. “He was always trying to figure out new ways to help the community. Every meeting, he would propose a new program. They almost always were wildly successful, though it wouldn’t have mattered if they weren’t, because he never gave up.”

Lache continued his community service after moving to Springfield, even after his wife passed away.

When Lache was 18 years old and fresh out of high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force. He never saw combat but his fellow pilots and those who served under him said they would have trusted him with their lives.

As a fellow officer, Lt. Col. Don Brink, recalled, “I remember one day after training when I was pretty down and feeling like I wasn’t going to make it. Ron came up to me, looked me in the eye, and said, ‘Brink, you will get this. You wouldn’t have made it as far as you have if you couldn’t do it.’ I know that doesn’t sound particularly inspiring, but there was always something about Ron. He just had this light in his eyes when he looked at you. You just knew he believed in you and would do anything he could for you.”

Lache loved using the stories of his time in the Air Force to help raise awareness of local issues. At a city council meeting during a discussion of orphan awareness, he told them about a young boy he met while walking through Seoul, South Korea. Lache was stationed there after the armistice was signed in July 1953. The boy, 10-year-old Sun Kyeong Kim, had just lost his whole family in the war.

Lache found a family who would take the boy in near where he was stationed. “He was like an uncle to me,” said Kim. “He helped me attend a college here in America. I always knew his home was open to me. I could never repay him for how he helped me. He wouldn’t have let me even if I could. That’s just who he was.”

After retiring from the Air Force, Lache married Delores Carney and together they had one son and three daughters. He raised his children with community spirit in mind. All became leaders at their colleges and in their communities.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today nor would I be doing what I’m doing today if it wasn’t for my father,” said daughter Cynthia Lache of San Mateo, Calif. She and Kim are co-founders of a global communications firm focused on conflict resolution between Israel and Pakistan.

A second daughter, Barbara Ann Peck, said, “Daddy would have loved to see what Cynthia and Sun are doing now. Despite being a military officer, he always believed that people could solve conflicts in a peaceful way. He would have been so proud to see where we are now.” Peck founded and runs a shelter program in Dayton, Ohio, that has helped reduce the homelessness rate in Dayton by 50%.

Lache is survived by his mother, Thelma Lache, of Springfield; his son, Ronald Lache, also of Springfield; three daughters, Barbara Ann Peck of Dayton, Ohio; Patrice Louis Wylie of Indianapolis, Ind.; and Cynthia Lache of San Mateo, Calif.; and one granddaughter, Jennifer C. Peck of Springfield.

Services will be held in Springfield. Visitation will be held Wednesday, 7 p.m., at Parker Funeral Services, 606 Washington Ave. A graveside service will be held Friday, 2 p.m., at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

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Sidebar stories:

• Organization Attempts to Solve Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: click here
• Dayton, Ohios' Rate of Homelessness Plummets: click here

School Board Candidates Debate Restructuring of School System

Colin Hart
Staff Writer


LENOIR, NC — Senior citizens in Lenoir School District worry that a proposal for year-round schooling might hit them in the pocketbook.

School board candidates took opposing stands on the proposal at the Lenoir center Tuesday night.

Some believe the plan for a 12-month school schedule could eliminate the need for trailers that now house the overflow of students. Candidate Henry Lane argued that year-round schooling would help decrease overcrowding and would reduce daily student attendance by 25 percent.

Candidate and Board President Elton Fay argued that the new schedule would be costlier than adding permanent buildings. Paying faculty and utilities year-round would cost more than putting up new buildings.

“What Mr. Lane fails to tell you is that if we are to avoid erecting additional buildings, to save on construction costs, the cost of educating our children would go up substantially.”

Fay added that the plan would put schools on different schedules. And no one in the community, he says, wants the schools to be on different schedules.

Incumbent Kerry Corino put the argument into perspective saying that the battle between a growing population and cost of education is a difficult one.

Corino stated that it wasn’t fair to compare private schools to public schools after comments about private education doing a better job at maintaining the balance.

“Private schools can pick who they want; public schools cannot…”

Another important issue discussed was problems of teacher unionization.

Responding to one senior’s question, Fay said teachers cannot, by law, bargain collectively. Corino added to Fay’s statement saying, “The teachers are anti-union. That tells you a lot of things about how this city operates.”

Audio courtesy of Colin Hart.

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Further Reading exploring Lenoir School District:

Lenoir School District: click here

Profile of Lenoir County Public Schools: click here

Reader responses welcome!

Gunman Robs Local Liquor Store

Colin Hart
Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD—A gunman with a pillowcase over his head pointed a pistol at a clerk and then fled down an alley with $2,845 seconds before the police arrived at the Black Derby Liquor Store at 2311 Ripley Way on April 26th.

A man with a pillowcase over his head entered the store at 7:12 p.m. He pulled out a pistol and demanded that the clerk, Steve Bellinos age 28, empty the contents of the cash register into another pillowcase.

Bellinos, realizing what was happening, was able to trigger a silent alarm within minutes of the robber entering the store, police said.

Police Officers Anne Fulgham and Jose Lopez answered the alarm and arrived at the store at 7:19 p.m. as the gunman was exiting.

When the man saw the police car he started to run, police said, Officer Fulgham acted quickly, shouting a warning and firing a shot at the man. The shot missed, and the man ran down an alley, escaping.

A witness, John Reinicke, 35, was walking down Ripley Way when the incident occurred. “The officers did a great job,” he said. “The guy ran so fast he looked like a track star.”

The Police Internal Security Squad will make a routine investigation of the incident, according to Police Chief Antonio Grasso. Grasso said that such investigations are conducted each time an officer fires a service revolver.

The clerk described the robber as about 6 feet tall and weighing 155 pounds. He was wearing blue jeans and a dirty white T-shirt with a torn right sleeve. Those with any information about the suspect are asked to call the Springfield Police Department or local authorities.

Audio courtesy of Colin Hart

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Sidebar stories:

• Upsurge in Gun Related Crimes in Springfield: click here

Are you worried about a rising crime rates? Comment below.

St. Patrick's Day Parade in Atlanta, GA

Photos taken of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Atlanta Georgia are from freestockphotos.biz

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Tell us your story! What did you do on St. Patrick's Day? Comment below.

Shooting in St. Joseph, Missouri Kills Police Officer and Gunman

Colin Hart
Staff Writer



SAINT JOSEPH, MO — A shooting rampage killed a police officer and the gunman, injuring three others near 22nd and Frederick Street here yesterday.

The fallen officer, 28 year-old Bradley Arn, was a first responder to calls about the shooting. As he drove toward the scene, the shooter opened fire, rattling off seven shots from his semi-automatic rifle. One of the seven bullets shattered a window, striking the back of the officer’s head, killing him.

The gunman was described by police officers as a Caucasian male with a Mohawk haircut. He wore camouflage, had pockets full of ammunition, a hunter’s knife on his belt and a loaded shotgun strapped to his back, police said. One eyewitness said it looked like he might have been chanting.

St. Joseph is not a city that often sees violence toward police. The last officer that was killed was in 1991 when he was hit by a car and the last officer shot was in 1944.

After a bullet struck Officer Arn, eyewitnesses saw him slump, obviously no longer manipulating the steering wheel, and then lose control of his vehicle

Roger Liberty, an area resident, said that before police arrived the shooter had been firing repeatedly and randomly. Hearing the police cars coming down the street caused him to turn around and open fire on them.

“It was awful what he did,” said Liberty. He stood talking on his phone on his back porch when he heard what sounded like gunshots, he said. He ran out to Calhoon Street and saw the gunman firing several times and reloading. After he shot the police car being driven by Officer Arn, he ran inside grabbing his 30/30 Winchester rifle. By the time he got back outside and started taking aim, police brought down the gunman.

“This just doesn’t happen in St. Joseph,” said Officer Connors with a tired face. After a heavy sigh he continued, “Officers are shocked to say the very least. Counselors will be made available to them.” Kansas City is sending its own crisis counselors to help officers and witnesses deal with the traumatic events of the past day, police said.

This quiet town has been reeling from the shooting. For some, it’s been a sad wake up call, Liberty said, “It’s awful that’s for sure. I’m sorry it happened. That’s the world we live in now. Even in St. Joe.”

Audio courtesy of Colin Hart.

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Further Reading Related to Officer Arn:

Officer Bradley Arn Profile: click here

Officer Bradley Arn Honor Run: click here

Local Fires put Property and Firefighters in Danger

Colin Hart
Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD —The recent heat spell and dry weather that has held the area in its grasp for the last few weeks is taking its toll on the grasslands and firefighters of Springfield.

On Saturday, in the wake of 15 and 25- mph winds and high temperatures of around 99 degrees, fire protection agencies from across the area responded to 16 different calls.

At the largest of those, a 24-acre grass fire near Peabody Road north of Prathersville and west of Route 19, burned out of control for an hour before it was contained. Paramedics treated at least five of the 35 firefighters called for heat exhaustion, said county fire Chief Debra Schuster.

Three more of the heavily clad firefighters were later hospitalized for heat exhaustion and two of those had to be helicoptered to Springfield Hospital. The three were treated and released later that same day.

Dennis Sapp, fire captain of Station No. 1, said a trash fire probably started the blaze at Peabody Road. The blaze endangered nearby

property and farmland but was extinguished before anything but grass was burned.

Schuster said fires like the one near Peabody Road had been starting all day, especially in the northern part of the city and county. Schuster said some of the fires could have been the work of an arsonist, but careless burning is more likely.

“We don’t have any evidence there is an arsonist,” Schuster said. “We sure hope we don’t have someone running around starting fires on purpose, but there is that possibility.”

Photo caption: (see above) This is an image taken at night of the fire near Peabody Road outside of Springfield.

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Sidebar stories:

• Property Damage Caused by Local Fires in Millions: click here
• Are Springfield's Fire Fighters Salaries High Enough?: click here

Are you effected by the fires? Worried about your home? Share your story by commenting below.

2,400 High School Football Injuries Resulted in Permanent Disabilities

Colin Hart
Staff Writer

REDMOND, CA— Pete Stenhoff, former high school football player, never expected that one play would confine him to wheelchair for the rest of his life.

That, however, was not the case. While playing for the Chula Vista High School football team, Stenhoff rammed his head into an opposing ball carriers chest fracturing a vertebra in his spine.

The result? He was unable to graduate with his class, lost 38 pounds, and is now confined to a wheelchair for life.

Chula Vista High school football players stand on
the sidelines during practice.

He’s not bitter; “I knew the risks involved when I decided to play.” While he may have known there were risks, did he really understand what they were? Each year there are 20,000 injuries in high school football. 7,000 of those are to the head or neck and 2,400 of them result in permanent disabilities to the players.

Last year alone, 13 high school students died from football related injuries. Many critics blame the helmet design for these numbers.

For students like Stenhoff, injuries are something that comes with the territory. “But,” he adds, “I wish I would have known just how bad it could be.”

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Further Reading on Helmet Reform:

Does Football Have a Future?: click here

It's the Concussion Crisis: click here

Tackling Head Trauma: Safety Guidelines for Football Helmets: click here

What do you think? Should the government mandate helmet reform to protect our children? Comment below.

Michael Jordan Ranks Number 20 in Forbes' Celebrity List

Colin Hart
Staff Writer




The towering basketball hero is an even bigger giant in advertising. He was recently ranked #20 in Forbes’ celebrity list due entirely to his 30-year success and his agent David Falk.

Michael Jordan was considered to be the most expensive of all athletes earning a total income of $40 million a year. He now makes around $55 million a year, according to Forbes.

His success is not on the decline. His endorsement portfolio continues to grow.

Falk was a large factor in orchestrating this success. Falk’s first major endorsement deal between Nike and Jordan is widely considered to be the most successful sports endorsement in history.

Jordan endorsed such memorable products as Nike, Wheaties, Chevrolet, and Coca-Cola along with many others with the help of Falk. Nike’s ‘Brand Jordan’ alone continues to make $1 billion dollars in sales business.

Jordan is still considered to be one of the most powerful endorser’s of products in sports history.

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Sidebar stories:

• Tiger Wood's Rise and Fall: The Endorsement King: click here

Barn Fire Kills 15 Horses at Race Track

Colin Hart
Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD – With their backs ablaze, two horses stampeded out of a burning barn this morning at Lincoln Downs Race Track, the day before the opening season.

A suspected arson fire killed 15 horses at Lincoln Downs Race Track here early this morning, one day before the start of racing season.

Thirteen thoroughbreds and two saddle horses died in the blaze. Ten horses escaped, two of them with their backs ablaze. Blackened wood supports rose from the ashes of the fire that burned from 4 a.m. till about noon.

The fire exploded at the center of the barn said fire chief Bernard Perry. All the electrical outlets and heaters were at the end of the barn not the middle, assistant track manager Dan Bucci said. Fire officials are considering arson in their investigation.

A jockey watching the cleanup said, “Those are my best friends. I love horses more than I do people. I feel like I want to cry.”

Photo caption: (see above) Image taken of the fire at Lincoln Downs Race Track in Springfield just after 4 a.m.

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