The Panther Pride

December/January Activities

December

Volume 5, Issue 4

PP OO LL OO RR -- VV II II SS CC HH OO OO LL DD II SS TT RR II CC TT

1-*Varsity BB @ Hardin-Central Tournament TBA

*MS BB @ Hamilton 4:30 p.m.

*Aubrey BB Team Practice 3:15-4:45 p.m. in HS Gym

2-*MS BB @ Braymer 6:00 p.m.

*Shelton BB Team Practice 3:15-4:30 p.m.

3-*MS Dance in MP RM 6:00-8:00 p.m.

*Aubrey BB Team Practice 3:15-4:45 p.m. in HS Gym

4-*Varsity/JV Wrestling vs. Savannah/South Harrison @ 5:30

p.m.

6-*All State Band Auditions @ Columbia TBA

8-*Varsity BB @ East Harrison 6:00 p.m.

*Tuba Christmas 12:00 p.m. @ KC

*Shelton BB Team Practice 3:15-4:30 p.m. in MP RM

9-*MS BB @ Cameron 5:30 p.m.

*Aubrey BB Team Practice 3:15-5:00 p.m. in MP RM

*PAT Group Connection Meeting @ 6:00 p.m.

10-*PDC Mentor/Mentee Mtg. 3:15-4:00 p.m.

*Varsity Fall Activities Reception 6:30 p.m. in HS

Gym/Commons

11-*MS BB @ East Buchanan 5:00 p.m.

*Varsity BB vs. Osborn 6:00 p.m.

*Aubrey BB Team Practice 3:15-4:45 p.m. in HS Gym

12-*Shelton BB Team Practice 3:15-4:30 p.m.

13-*Varsity Wrestling Tournement @ Home 9:30 a.m.

*All District Band Concert @ Platte County HS

15-*Varsity/JV BB @ Wellington-Nappleon 5:00 p.m.

*School Health Advisory Mtg. 3:30 p.m.

*Shelton BB Team Practice 3:15-4:30 p.m.

16-*Holiday Concert 6:00 p.m.

Shelton BB Team practice 3:15-4:30 p.m.

17-*JV BB @ Lathrop Tournement 4:30 p.m.

*Aubrey BB Team Practice 3:15-4:45 p.m. in MP RM

18-*MS Fall Winter Activities Reception 6:30 p.m. in the

Cafeteria

*BOE Meeting 7 p.m.

*Aubrey BB Team Practice 3:15-4:45 p.m. in the MP RM

19-*End of 2nd

quarter

*Varsity Wrestling @ Lexingtn WMA 5:30 p.m.

*Varsity/JV BB @ Dekalb

20-*Varsity Wrestling @ Lexington WMA

22-*Winter Break Through Jan. 2nd

Subscribe Today for the Rural Reporter Polo Edition. Mail in to P.O. Box 233, Polo MO 64671 or call in at (660) 255-4300 to place your subscription today for the Rural Reporter Polo Edition. The cost is $26.75 for a full year. All that is needed is your name, address and billing information.

Postal Patron

Polo, MO 64671

NONPROFIT

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 31

JANUARY ACTIVITIES

1-*Varsity BB @ NCMC Shootout TBA

4-*Wrestling Clinic in the MP RM

5-*School resumes

*Pee Wee wrestling Practice 6-8:00 p.m.

6-*Varsity BB @ Princeton 6:00 p.m.

*Shelton BB Practice in MP RM

7-*PDC Mentor/Mentee Mtg. 3:15-4:00 p.m.

*Pee Wee Wrestling Practice 6-8:00 p.m.

8-*Varsity/JV BB vs. Albany 5:00 p.m.

*FFA Greenhand Motivational Conference

*Aubrey BB Team Practice 3:15-4:15 p.m. in HS Gym

9-*Varsity/JV BB vs. SW Ludlow 6:00 p.m.

*Aubrey BB Team Practice 3:15-4:45 p.m. in HS Gym

*Shelton BB Team Practice 3:15-4:30 p.m. in MP RM

Ross receives KAAN All-Star Coach of

the Year award (Submitted Article)

Sunday night, November 30, Polo head football Coach

Kyle Ross attended the KAAN All-Star banquet hosted by

Regional Radio KAAN 95.5 FM, held in Bethany. Polo

seniors Mason Misel and Jacob Hicks also attended with their

families to receive the KAAN All-Star Football award.

Teammates Gunnar Martin, a sophomore at Polo and senior

Wiley Martin also received the award, but were not able to

attend. KAAN recognizes outstanding football players in

Southern Iowa and Northern Missouri for their efforts on the

field. The schools included were: Albany, Central Decatur,

Gallatin, King City, Lamoni, Maysville, Northwest Nodaway,

Mount Ayr, North Andrew, Polo, Princeton, South Harrison,

Stanberry and Worth County. The dinner was catered by

Girratono Meat Company from Albany.

At the end of the banquet Polo head coach Kyle Ross

received the 2014 KAAN All-Star Coach of the Year award

for 11 Man football. The Polo football team led by Ross

shared Co-Conference Champs title for the first time since

Polo joined the GRC 9 years ago, with Maysville, competed in

the District Championship game and ended with 10 wins,

more than any other team in Polo school history.

Pictured Jacob Hicks, Coach Kyle Ross and Mason Misel

Polo Students receive Missouri Coaches

Association 2014 All-State Academic

Football Honors

Erik Johnson junior, seniors - Jacob Hicks Tristan

Rardon, Brandon Latimer & Mason Misel.

http://polo.k12.mo.us Page 2

http://polo.k12.mo.us

WINTER SALE!!! Yearbooks only $30 December 1st-18th

Great Stocking Stuffers! Mass Media Staff:

Aerial Eggers, Autumn Burton, Averie Heil, Danielle Allen, Amiee Walker, Jennifer Adams, Lisa Tackett, Cheyenne Parker, Montanna Heil, Stormy Farmer, Brooke Jones, Jessica Farmer, Ms. Arth and Ms.

Westover

ALL NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED PRESS DISTRICT FOOTBALL TEAM

WILEY MARTIN-RB MASON MISEL-OL GUNNAR MARTIN-DL

RYAN COOPER-DL JAKE HICKS-LB TY PARKER-DB MFCA ALL DISTRICT TEAM

WILEY MARTIN-RB JAKE HICKS-LB MASON MISEL-OL

GUNNAR MARTIN-DE TY PARKER-DB/P RYAN COOPER-DL

ZACK PHILLIPS-OL BRANDON RICHARDSON-TE

DISTRICT 8 COACHES TEAM

SCHOOL 1ST TEAM 2ND TEAM HONORABLE MENTION

POLO WILEY MARTIN-RB RYAN COOPER-DL BRANDON LATIMER-OL

POLO JAKE HICKS-LB BRANDON RICHARDSON-TE BAILEY HEIL-DL

POLO MASON MISEL-OL TY PARKER-DB JAKE LEONARD-LB

POLO GUNNAR MARTIN-DE ZACK PHILLIPS-OL TRISTAN RARDON-DB

Favorite thing about the Christmas

season By: Montanna Heil

Everyone has different thoughts and feelings about the

Christmas season. Some absolutely love everything, from the

presents to the music while others just can’t stand it. A pretty

common part that everyone loves is the pretty lights, and actual

Christmas day. The slow boring Christmas music is one of the

things people could do without.

I asked Caleb Bolling what his favorite thing about the

Christmas season is and he said, “My favorite thing about

Christmas season is all the snow, food, and family.” I asked

Josh Lefeber what his least favorite part about Christmas and

the season is and he said, “My least favorite part of the season

is the two to three weeks we lose molding young minds and are

instead gourding ourselves with delicious vittles.”

So who honestly doesn’t like Christmas? I love it! I’m

one of those people who love the pretty lights and decorations.

I also love being able to see my family and see everyone be

happy. Christmas is a time of giving and happiness, a season

full of love and joy. But, there will always be the scrooges who

can’t seem to get into that joyful spirit of the Christmas season.

Two new scoreboards for

Polo High School gym (Submitted Article)

The Polo School District purchased two new scoreboards for the Polo

High School gym. The Scoreboards were purchased from All

American Scoreboards out of Pardeeville, Wisconsin. Some of this

reputable companies notable firsts are: 1934 – First Single Person

Scoreboard Control , 1950 - New York Yankee’s First Electronic

Scoreboard, 1954 – NBA 24-Second Shot Clock Invention, 96 Patents

Since 1975 and 9th Generation of Products. The scoreboards were

installed this weekend and they will be used for basketball games and

wrestling meets.

Santa was busy in Polo this weekend (Submitted Article)

Santa Claus made appearances at the Polo Community Building on

Saturday, December 6, from noon until 2 pm with two of his helpers and was

at the Polo Hy Klas with Mrs. Claus from noon until 2 pm on Sunday,

December 7. The PWCO (People Who Care Organization) invited Santa

Claus and his helpers to come out and visit with the children Saturday, write

their wish lists and give them to Santa, color Christmas photos and enjoy

some free hot chocolate and cookies. Over 25 parents also requested “letters

from Santa” to be sent to their child from the North Pole.

3 year old Hollis Hobbs of Polo

came to see Santa and was grinning from

ear to ear

The PWCO members that helped with Santa’s visit.

Ryan Cooper and Mattie Curp crowned

Polo Barnwarming King and Queen (Submitted Article)

The Polo Barnwarming festivities were full of traditions and

fun for all FFA students and their dates. Seniors Ryan Cooper and

Mattie Curp were crowned the 2014 King and Queen. The junior

candidates were Emily Fickess and Jason Thompson, the

sophomore candidates

were Billie Thompson and Jake Leonard, the Freshman candidates

were Teagan Logan and Dylan Sales.

Part of the Polo FFA Barnwarming tradition is that the King is

given a toy John Deere tractor and the Queen a tiara. After the

coronation, the other candidates pull the king and queen around in

front of everyone in an antique wagon that has been a part of the

Barnwarming festivities in Polo for many years.

Some of the activities they participated in were: Tug-of-War

between grade levels, popping balloons tied around their ankles,

apple cider chugging and Boot Scootin’ on a Broom contest. The

Freshman initiation was the last event of the evening.

Polo girls take 2nd place and boys take

3rd in Hardin Tournament (Submitted Article)

For the Panthers season openers both teams participated in the

Hardin-Central Basketball Tournament last week. Both teams

went 2-1 for the week long tournament. The Polo Lady Panthers

fought a hard battle against the Norborne Lady Pirates all 4

quarters only to fall short by merely two points at the final buzzer

during the Championship game. It was a fierce competition that

involved hustle from both teams. Fans from both towns sat on the

edge of their seats as they watched the score remain close

throughout the entire game.

The Polo varsity girls team has seven returning senior payers

that will bring a lot of experience to each game: Hailee Curp,

Danielle Allen, Adriana Segar, Jessica Farmer, Cati Boruch,

Sidney Copeland and Brooke Jones.

The Polo Lady Panthers were matched up with Malta bend on

Monday night beating them 89-32. Scoring for the Panthers was

Sidney Copeland with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 7 steals, Cati

Boruch added 13 points, Danielle Allen and Jenni Farmer had 10

points each, and Allen with 9 rebounds, Brooke Jones and Adriana

Segar both added 8 points, Jessica Farmer 6, and Hailee Curp 4.

Wednesday night Polo played Hardin-Central and won 62-31.

Leading the Panthers in scoring was senior Adriana Segar with 19

points and 8 rebounds, Copeland had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 6

steals, Boruch had 10 points, Danielle Allen 6, Jenni Farmer 4,

Jones 3, and Jessica Farmer 2.

Friday night was the Championship game starting at 6:30 pm

against the Norborne Lady Pirates. At the end of the first quarter

the score was 18 –18 and at half time 28-27. The game remained

close all four quarters. Norborne managed to outscore Polo 47-45

to capture the first place trophy at the final buzzer. Senior

Danielle Allen led her team with 17 points and 10 rebounds,

Copeland added 16 points and 7 rebounds, Boruch 6 points, Segar

5 points and 7 rebounds, Curp 2 and Jenni Farmer 1.

Coach Keith had this to say about his team’s effort this week,

“Our girls had a successful opening week of the season in the

Hardin-Central Invitational. Though we would have liked to come

out on top, we faced an extremely tough challenge in the title game

against one of the top teams in the area in Norborne. I was very

proud of our girls and how we played. We had three different

leading scorers in our games which is a testament of our balance

on offense. Defensively we averaged giving up only 37 points per

game, something that I look for us to try and continue to do. We

will have some tough challenges coming up on the road this

month, so we feel that playing a talented team in Norborne so

close will make us better in the long run.”

The Polo varsity boys team has only 3 seniors this year. Only

two of those seniors, Tristan Rardon and Mason Misel, have

played basketball for Polo the past 4 years. With that said, the

Polo boys team is a younger, growing team with a new head coach

Jonathan Pickrell. The Polo varsity boys team met with the

Hardin-Central JV on Monday night and beat them 45-25.

Leading the Panthers was junior Parker Smith with 26 points, 12

rebounds and 10 steals, senior Mason Misel added 8 points and

had 5 blocked shots, junior Jesse Vaughn 3, junior Brandon

Hubbard had 2 points and 5 steals, Tristan Rardon, freshman

James Fleener and junior Jason Thompson all added 2 points each.

Polo played a talented Norborne team and lost 37-58 on

Wednesday evening. Norborne went on to take 2nd place in the

Tournament against the Hardin-Central Bulldogs varsity team.

Polo leading scorer against Norborne was Smith with 22 points, 5

steals, 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, Vaughn had 5 points and 2

steals, freshman James Fleener added 4 points, Misel had 2 points,

5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots, junior Michael Leamer and

Rardon added 2 each.

Polo played the Malta Bend Tigers for 3rd place Friday night at

5 PM and won 3rd place with a final score of 56-34. Rardon led

his team with 17 points (5 - 3-pointers) and 5 steals, Smith added

16 points, 10 rebounds and 7 steals, Vaughn 10, Misel had 4

points, 7 rebounds, and 1 blocked shot, Leamer 3, Thompson,

junior Gage Aubrey and Fleener had 2 points each.

Polo head coach Jonathan Pickrell proud of his team and stated

this after the last game played on Friday night, “ Boys played very

hard this week. Definitely a good start to the year going 2-1 this

week and winning a trophy for the school. We progressed

tremendously on a lot of things throughout the week and the only

loss was to a very good Norborne squad that I am sure will do a lot

of great things throughout the year. After seeing the progression

throughout the week from some of our rotation players and

starters, I feel that we will be able to stay competitive in all of our

games this year. Very proud of the effort and enthusiasm that the

boys showed out on the court this week!”

Polo Students volunteer at

Nutrition Center (Submitted Article)

On Tuesday, November 25, Bailey Heil, Michael

Carver, and Brandon Richardson volunteered their

time to help serve the annual Thanksgiving Day

lunch at the local nutrition center.

It is another small way that the students of

Polo are giving back to their community.

Polo hosts wrestling season opener (Submitted Article)

Polo hosted their season opener last Thursday night against

Savannah, South Harrison and Southwest Livingston County. Polo

won 2 and lost one 12-4. During the Savannah meet Polo sophomore

Jake Leonard beat Isaac Foster in the 152 weight bracket, senior

Caleb Bolling beat Bly Douglas in (160), senior Jake Hicks won by

forfeit in (170), Jeremiah Glise won over Polo senior Brandon

Latimer in (182), sophomore Gunnar Martin won by a forfeit in the

(195) class, senior Wiley Martin beat Ryan Cobb in (220) class and

sophomore Zackery Phillips beat Trevor Duty in the (285) class.

Savannah outscored Polo 48-36 in that dual.

Polo beat South Harrison 48-12 with Brandon Latimer beating

Wyatt Starmer in the (182) weight class, Gunnar Martin over Bo

Brooks (195) and Wiley Martin over Kasey McFall (220). Senior

Caleb Bolling fell to Wyatt Thomas in the (160) weight class. The

other Polo points were from forfeited matches.

Polo beat Southwest Livingston 66-6 with a single win from

senior Jake Hicks over Colton Gatson (170). Polo’s other team

points came from forfeited matches.

Polo head Coach Chris Johnson had this to say about his team

after the meet, “We host our Dual Tournament on December 13 and

then the Battle of Lexington travel to the Battle of Lexington on

December 19. Once we settle in we should only be open in 1 weight

class. How hard we work and how far some individuals will advance

will be directly related to how much we invest in conditioning and

practicing outside our comfort zone. It will be fun to watch some new

faces and experienced wrestlers get better as the year moves on.”

Polo sophomore Gunnar Martin beats Bo Brooks of South Harrison

Front row: Coach Greg Keith, Adriana Segar, Sidney Copeland, Cati Boruch,

Jessica Farmer, Danielle Allen, Brooke Jones, Hailee Curp & Jennifer Farmer.

Back row: Coach Darian Warner and Coach Josh Lefeber.

Front row: James Fleener, Alex Way, Michael Leamer, Tristan Rardon, Brandon

Hubbard, Gage Aubrey and Coach Josh Lefeber.

Back row: Coach Jonathan Pickrell, J.J. Zeigler, Jason Thompson, Mason Misel,

Jesse Vaughan, Parker Smith, Paulo Kugelmas and Coach Andrew Price.

http://polo.k12.mo.us Page 4

Polo Wrestling squad wins Polo Duals

Tournament second year in a row (Submitted Article)

The Polo High School varsity wrestling squad, led by head

coach Chris Johnson, won the Polo Duals Tournament for the

second year in a row on last Saturday, December 13. Polo is now

back to back Polo Duals Tournament Champions and it is the 3rd

time for Polo winning the tournament in the past ten years that

Polo has been hosting the tournament. Past Tournament

Champions: 2005 – Stanberry, 2006 – Polo, 2007 – Hamilton,

2008 – Rock Port, 2009 – Adrian, 2010 – Stanberry, 2011 –

Liberty North, 2012 – South Harrison, 2013 – Polo and 2014 -

Polo. Polo invited 10 teams to participate in the tournament this

year: South Harrison, Platte City, Cameron, Stanberry, Rock Port,

Hamilton, Higginsville, Southwest Livingston, and Platte County.

The following is how each of the ten teams finished and

received medals on Saturday: Polo 1st with 40 points over Platte

County 2nd with 24 points, Cameron 3rd with 48 over Stanberry

4th with 24 points, Rock Port 5th with 39 points over Hamilton

6th with 18 points, Higginsville 7th over West Platte 8th, South

Harrison 9th over Southwest Livingston 10th.

Coach Chris Johnson was proud of his team’s effort this year

and had this to say after the duals, “ I was very proud of the

wrestlers Saturday. They were not competing with one of their

senior leaders (out due to injury) and we had to grow up on the fly.

The other seniors lead and the younger inexperienced wrestlers

paid attention and stayed focused. They earned the championship

using the oldest formula there is, hard work!”

Front row: Joely Hicks, Stormy Farmer, Brittany Sheppard & Mattie Curp.

Middle row: Coach James Taylor, Coach Kyle Ross, Wesley Crawford, Landon

Smith , Patrick Covey, Gunnar Martin, Jake Leonard, Caleb Bolling, Jake

Hicks, Wiley Martin,Brandon Latimer, Zack Smith, Coach Chris Johnson.

Back row: Zackery Phillips and Drake Burton.

Polo Hosts Annual Fall Sports Awards

Reception (Submitted Article)

The Polo High School hosted their Fall Sports Awards reception on last

Wednesday, December 10. This was a year for many firsts which says a lot

about the athletes competing on the Polo Varsity Softball and Football

teams in 2014. These student athletes were honored for getting it done on

the field and in the classroom. Coach Becky Ross, head softball coach,

presented her team with many awards including a pat on the back and

certificate for her players for the Polo team to have the best winning record

in a single season and for being the first Polo varsity softball team to

become GRC Co-Conference Champs. Softball players who made the GRC

Academic All- Conference team: Sidney Copeland, Brooke Jones, Jessica

Farmer, Cati Boruch, Mattie Curp, Brittany Sheppard, Averie Heil, Billie

Thompson and Jenni Farmer. Awards from Coach Ross: Slugger award

Sidney Copeland, Golden Glove – Jessica Farmer, Cy Young Sidney

Copeland, Most Improved – Billie Thompson, MVP – Brooke Jones,

Panther Award Cati Boruch, Rookie of the Year – Julianna Hurd, Captains

– Sidney Copeland, Cati Boruch, Brooke Jones, Jessica Farmer & Adriana

Segar, Most Steals – Averie Heil, Fewest Strikeouts – Adriana Segar, most

RBI’s – Sidney Copeland, most hits – Sidney Copeland, most triples –

Adriana Segar, most homeruns – Cati Boruch and Sidney Copeland (2).

fewest errors – Danielle Allen. Coach Ross is waiting for the Academic

All-State honors which usually comes out in the spring for softball.

Next varsity football cheer coach, Danielle Green, presented her

cheerleaders with a certificate and a letter pin for their letter jackets. The

varsity cheerleaders for the 2014 football season were, senior Danielle

Allen, senior Skylar Howe, senior Mattie Curp, senior Cati Boruch, senior

Adriana Segar, junior Adriana Staus, junior Jorgia Cory, junior Emily

Fickess, junior Stormy Farmer, sophomore Jenni Farmer, sophomore Billie

Thompson, and sophomore Joely Hicks.

Next, Polo head football coach, Kyle Ross, talked about his team making

history in 2014. The Polo varsity football team was presented with a

certificate for being the first Polo team to be GRC Co-Conference

Champions, making it to the 3rd round of the MSHSAA State Playoffs,

being a District 8 Runner-up (Final MaxPreps Ranking #10), also winning

more games in a single season than any other team in Polo with a 10-2

record (5-1 in the GRC). Captain Awards went to Tristan Rardon, Mason

Misel, Wiley Martin and Jacob Hicks. The Panther awards were awarded to

Mason Misel, Tristan Rardon and Brandon Hubbard for playing important

roles in leading the Panther team this year. The most improved award on

the Offensive Line went to sophomore Zackery Phillips and Most Improved

on the Defensive Line went to senior Brandon Richardson. KMZU Dream

team award went to Tristan Rardon and Brandon Latimer. Missouri

Coaches Association All-State Academic Football honors: Tristan Rardon,

Mason Misel, Brandon Latimer, Jacob Hicks, and Erik Johnson. 2014

Missouri Football Coaches Association All-State Football team: Wiley

Martin, running back – 1st team, Jacob Hicks, linebacker – 2nd team and

Mason Misel, offensive line – 2nd team. 2014 Record Board Changes for

Polo High School – Defensive: Jacob Hicks now leads Polo football leader

board with most tackles in a season with 135 and assisted tackles in a

season with 95, Ty Parker now leads interceptions in a single season with 5,

career total tackle leader is Jacob Hicks with 380, career sack leader is

Wiley Martin with 30. Offensive changes: Rushing touchdowns in a

season Wiley Martin with 32, rushing touchdowns in a career Wiley Martin

with 67, Single game rushing total Wiley Martin with 418 yards, career

rushing leader Wiley Martin with 4,206 yards and total offensive points

scored in a career Wiley Martin with 555 points.

Other notable accomplishments, Coach Ross recognized during the

reception, the Polo football seniors have made an appearance in the State

Playoffs all 4 years of their career. Polo center, Mason Misel, has been a 4

year starter and snapped the ball at every game (but one, he was out with a

broken neck) for over 17,000 yards (9.6 miles). The coaches are waiting

on the Associated Press 2014 All- State honors, not released at press time. Polo Softball team GRC Academic All-Conference honors.

Billie Thompson, Brittany Sheppard, Sidney Copeland, Cati Boruch, Jessica Farmer, Jenni Farmer, Adriana Staus,

Mattie Curp, Averie Heil and Brooke Jones.

Polo Football team GRC Academic All- Conference honors.Tristan Rardon, Wiley Martin, Mason Misel, Brandon

Latimer, Jacob Hicks and Erik Johnson.

Tis the season to give (Submitted Article)

The People Who Care Organization (PWCO) met with Wally

Aubrey, a volunteer from Christ’s Cupboard, in Polo last Tuesday

to present him with a gift from their group. The PWCO officers

presented Wally with a $200 check to help Christ's Cupboard make

the “Christmas food baskets” that will be distributed to families

living in the Polo and Cowgill area for the holidays.

Kara Segal, Debby Misel, Wally Aubrey, Pat Misel & Barb Allen.

Most Improved on Offensive and Defensive Line Zackery Phillips and Brandon Richardson

Panther Leadership Football Awards Brandon Hubbard, Tristan Rardon and Mason Misel

3 wins for the Panther basketball teams

(Submitted Article)

The Polo girls varsity basketball team added two wins to their

record this week playing East Harrison and Osborn. Polo traveled to

Ridgeway to take on the East Harrison Bobcats Monday night and beat

them 70-36. Sidney Copeland scored 20 points for her team 2 (3-

pointers), Cati Boruch was close by adding 19 points, sophomore Jenni

Farmer had 8, Jessica Farmer 6, Danielle Allen 5 with 5 rebounds and

Adriana Segar 4.

Tuesday Polo hosted the Osborn Lady Wildcats. Polo busted into

action and defeated the Wildcats 72-18. Sidney Copeland poured in 21

points and 11 rebounds while Danielle Allen added 20 and 6 rebounds.

Boruch added 12, Brooke Jones scored 5 and had 6 rebounds, Segar

and Jenni Farmer both added 5, Jessica Farmer and Hailee Curp both

had 2.

Coach Greg Keith was pleased with the girl’s playing this week and

stated this after the Osborn win, “Our girls went 2-0 on the week.

They moved the ball great offensively and defensively they did a great

job of limiting scoring opportunities for our opponents. Next week

will be huge challenges for us as we take on two extremely tough

opponents on the road. I am excited to see how we embrace the

challenges!”

The Polo boys varsity basketball team is filled with young players,

but seems to be finding what works for them. Polo ended up the

victors against a very quick East Harrison team on Monday night. The

long drive to Ridgeway did not seem to lull or discourage the team as

they hustled and worked for the win over the East Harrison Bobcats

53-43. Leading his team was junior Parker Smith with 22 points, 6

rebounds, 8 steals and 2 blocks. Freshman James Fleener stepped up

and added 9 points and 5 rebounds while senior Mason Misel scored 7

for his team and had 6 rebounds and 1 blocked shot. Junior Jesse

Vaughn added 6, juniors Jason Thompson and Michael Leamer both

added 4, senior Tristan Rardon 3 and junior Brandon Hubbard 2.

Thursday night Polo found themselves hosting a very talented

Osborn Wildcats team. Osborn does not have much height, but they

make up for it with having several steals and quick footwork. The

score was close at the end of first quarter with Osborn leading by only

4 points, 15-11. At half time the Panthers trailed by 11 and the gap

widen as the game progressed. The Panthers never let up and played

hard all four quarters. Polo tried to find their groove throughout the

game, but fell the Wildcats 62-45. Polo was led by Smith with 13

points 11 rebounds, and 4 steals, Misel had 9 points and 5 rebounds,

Fleener had 9 and 8 rebounds, Thompson added 7 with 8 rebounds,

Vaughn 4 and Leamer 3.

Head Coach Jonathan Pickrell had this to say about his team after

the Osborn game, “Offensively we showed a lot more patience in the

half-court and were able to execute at times and did a great job of

crashing the offensive boards. Defensively we just did not play with

much intensity and didn’t try to force them to shoot contested shots.

We are still trying to find ourselves offensively and trying to figure out

how to value the basketball better.” Polo will travel to Wellington

Monday night and then to DeKalb on Friday. During Christmas break

the Polo teams will attend the NCMC High School Basketball

Tournament and play on Monday, December 22.

Polo junior Parker Smith #10 sinking two free throws. Smith scored 13 points and snagged 11 rebounds against Osborn and 22 points and 8 steals against East Harrison last week and is up for Athlete of the

Week. Also pictured is senior guard Logan Briscoe of Osborn #23.

Senior Danielle Allen #3 posting up looking to score for her team.

http://polo.k12.mo.us Page 5

Christmas Traditions By: Brooke Jones

The holidays are coming up amongst us all. This is a great time of

the year for the family to get together and enjoy the season. Christmas is

normally some people’s favorite time of the year because of all the gifts

people are giving and receiving. The tradition has always been the same

over many years. If a family participates in Christmas the family will

have a Christmas tree, food, and of course the best of all would involve

the presents.

I asked Jessica Farmer what some of the Christmas traditions that

they have with their family and she said, “Christmas Eve we would

always go to grandma’s in Richmond for dinner and church. Christmas

Day grandma and Uncle Kevin came up for dinner.” I also asked her what

her family does to prep for the holidays and she replied with, “Help mom

make dinner, put the tree up, and wrap presents.”

I interviewed Joshua Lefeber about what he does with his family

for the holidays and he said, “We always watch home alone and National

Lampoon’s Christmas. I also asked him if he has any plans for this

upcoming Christmas and he said, “I will be heading back to “God’s

Country”, Iowa where my family visits.”

These are a few ideas that a person could partake in this upcoming

Christmas. Remember to have fun with the family and to be safe!

Let it Snow By Jennifer Adams

In case you couldn’t tell, winter is slowly sneaking up on us, and

with winter comes snow. But in each inch of snow, every single snowflake

is completely different. Supposedly, every snowflake is a little bit different,

and the shape usually depends on the environment.

Snow is one the first things that pops into people’s head when they

hear the word winter. But then again, what kind of winter would it be

without snow? Just how every winter is unique, so is every snowflake. As

the ice crystals fall through the atmosphere, the temperatures in the layers of

air are different, causing the crystals to gain and lose water that freezes and

makes each snowflake different. Also, as they are falling, the wind moves

them around and that can affect their shape, too.

I asked the high school history teacher, Mr. Lefeber, how he feels

when he sees snow for the first time of the year, and he said, “Excited, I

love snow!” At least someone around here does! Just out of curiosity, I

googled, “How many snowflakes does it take to cover 1 square foot?” and

the answer was roughly 31,600 snowflakes fill a square foot. So with that

being said, how many snowflakes do you think it would take to cover the

front lawn of Polo High School?

Guess the Panther By: Aerial Eggers

Elementary: This student is in 4th

grade and is 8 years old. His favorite

thing to do is ride four wheelers, hang out with friends, and play games.

When he grows up, he does not want to go to college but he wants to work

at double trec.

Middle School: This student is in 6th

grade. She is 10 years old. Her

favorite things to do are play softball and basketball, and when she grows

up she wants to go to college and become a doctor.

High School: This student is a junior in high school. He is 16 years old. His

favorite thing to do is play football and he also loves to hunt. After high

school he wants to attend a technical school and enter the workforce.

Elem: Cody Abeln Middle: Haley Aubrey High School: Ty Parker

Human Rights Day By: Autumn Burton

Human rights day is celebrated on December 10th

each year and it

is marked by speeches and activities designed to bring attention to the

issues surrounding Human Rights worldwide. Human Rights Day was

established December 10, 1948. It brings attention to the peoples of the

world, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common

standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.

The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights was one of

their first declarations and came about after the atrocities perpetrated

upon humans during World War II were brought to light. “America did

not invent human rights. In very real sense… human rights invented

America. –Jimmy Carter. Things you could do on Human Rights Day

you could educate yourself on current human rights fights. Also you

could get involved with local human rights organization. A really big

event for Human Rights Day is to attend an Amnesty International

Human Rights Event.

http://polo.k12.mo.us Page 6

The New Year and Resolutions By: Jessica Farmer

The New Year is rolling around soon, bringing 2014 to a close end! Now

comes the few months where it is hard to remember to write the date

correctly on our assignments. With every New Year, comes New Year

Resolutions from people trying to make a difference in their lives. I was

able to interview a few students and a teacher to see what their resolutions

are for the New Year!

I talked to senior, Brooke Jones about her resolution. Brooke told

me that she has not shaved her legs since October 26th

. This was a week in

advance for no shave November which she participated in. She has

continued to not shave and is making it her resolution to shave because she

will actually be able to meet her goal. Most people have trouble sticking

with their resolutions so this would be a great opportunity.

Jennifer Farmer was another student I questioned. Jenni didn’t really

know what she wanted to be her resolution so she said she would like to

make all A’s for this year and her future years. Her goal for high school is

to become Valedictorian!!

Last but not least, I visited with Coach Keith and found his response

very humorous! Coach told me he would have to try to be a little less

Awesome and backed that up by saying that he has been wayyyyyy to

Awesome lately so he needs to tone it down some. This is why I find it so

enjoyable to interview him!

Many people have their own New Year Resolutions and always do

their best to stick to them even if it includes trying be a little less Awesome!

Good luck to everyone for the new year and have a Merry Christmas!!

Boxing Day History By: Cheyenne Parker

Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated the day after Christmas in

Britain. Its history dates back to the Age of Exploration. The priest

would place a wooden box on each ship and crew members would

drop coins into in hopes of ensuring a safe return. The box would

remain on the ship, upon its return; the priest would say a prayer of

thanksgiving and in return receive the box and its contents. He would

safeguard the box until Christmas, where he would then open it and

share the contents with the poor. The alms box is a similar tradition

observed in many churches still today.

Facts & Quotes

In the late 18th century, Lords and Ladies of large estates

would practice Boxing Day. They would do this by boxing up leftover

food, clothing and other household items. These items would be

distributed amongst their tenants and workers the day after Christmas.

For Boxing Day, many charitable organizations practice a form of

giving boxes to the poor. Operation Christmas Child is one such

organization. December 26th is also St. Stephen's Day for the Western

Church. The Feast of St. Stephen honors the first Christian martyr.

Stephen was stoned to death outside the walls of Jerusalem, shortly

after the Crucifixion.

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know

to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.” -Steve Jobs

Things to Do

You could clean out your closets and donate to a local charity.

Donate to a local food bank.

Prepare a Christmas box for a charitable organization.

Donate money to a church or other community group which

cares for the poor and elderly.

How to give back this season By: Danielle Allen

This season is the season to give. Polo’s FBLA gave back by

adopting a family from Polo’s school district. The two students that were

adopted by the FBLA organization were given toys, clothes, and necessities,

with the help from Polo High School staff, and members of the community.

Other ways to give back this season were to do a “random act of kindness’’,

donate old clothes, have a bake sale, buy one, give one. There are a lot of

ways to give back than just the few above. Get out and give back, you might

be the one to get something.

Polo Panthers Varsity Girls Basketball By: Averie Heil

The Polo Panther basketball season has begun once again! They played

their first games in the Hardin tournament the week of December 1st.

The Varsity girls played Monday, December 1st against Malta Bend

winning with the score of 89 to 32. They played again on Wednesday,

December 3rd

against Hardin winning once again with a score of 62-31.

The final game was played on Friday, December 5th

against Norborne,

losing with a score of 47 to 49. Overall they took 2nd

Place at the

Hardin Tournament. The Lady Panthers played their first regular

season game on Monday, December 8th

at East Harrison winning 70 to

34. They played once again on Thursday, December 11th

against

Osborne 72 to 18. Yet another game was played on Monday, December

15th

against Wellington-Napoleon, losing with a score of 38 to 25.

A talk with Coach Keith gave some background on the season

so far. I asked him, “Who are your starters?” Keith said, “My starters

are Adriana Segar, Sidney Copeland, Danielle Allen, Brooke Jones,

and Jennifer Farmer. I also asked him, “How do you expect the rest of

the season to go?” His response was, “It is only going to get tougher

from here because we still have quite a few big games left to play.”

The last question I asked him was, “How do you feel the team is doing

this season?” Coach replied, “So far we are playing well, but it is still

early in the season so there are some things we still have to work on.”

I also got the chance to speak with some of the players on the

team and see how they feel about certain things. I asked Brooke Jones

and Jennifer Farmer, “How do you feel the team is doing as a whole?”

Jones said, “The season has started out great! People all have the same

goal and that is to be successful which is possible with the effort there.”

Farmer’s response was, “I think there is room for improvement and that

we as a team are gradually progressing with our skills and plays.” I also

asked, “What are some drills you are working on at practice?” Jennifer

told me, “We are working on boxing out and keeping control of the

ball.” Brooke replied, “We are working on trying to lower the amount

of offensive rebounds per game and boxing out.” Lastly, I asked,

“What are some of the team’s strengths?” Brooke said, “Some of our

strengths are accepting a challenge. We knew the Norborne game was

going to be rough, but we still gave the game all we had.” Farmer said,

“Our aggression is one of our biggest strengths. We also do a great job

with our ball handling and transition.”

The Lady Panther’s basketball season continues through the

middle of March. This gives the opportunity for all of Panther fans to

attend basketball games to watch the girls play. Their season takes a

short break for winter break, but starts up again on January 6th

playing

against Princeton. It should be an exciting season to watch. The Lady

Panthers look forward to seeing the fans in the stands cheering them on

the whole way!

Blood Drive By: Stormy Farmer

It’s blood drive season here in Polo, round one here we come!

Giving blood is very scary for some people and others have no problem.

There are many requirements to donating blood. You must be in good

general health and feeling well. You must be 16 or 17 with parent

consent. Finally, you must weigh at least 110 pounds. People who get a

tattoo have to wait a year before they can give blood. Also depending on

where you travel, they won’t let you give blood. Giving blood is a good

idea to do because it can save someone else’s or your own life.

Giving blood isn’t difficult for most people. I asked Montanna

Heil and Polo High School teacher, Andrea Westover three questions

about giving blood. The first question I asked them was, “How do you

feel about giving blood?” Montanna said, “It’s not bad, I’m not scared of

it.” Andrea Westover said, “It’s not my favorite, I don’t like needles, but

it benefits other people and I hope to get blood when I need it.” The next

question I asked them was, “What do you think is the most interesting

part about giving blood?” Montanna said, “You can feel the needle in

your arm.” Andrea Westover said, “You become more aware of your

body, and how important your blood is. You realize how taking a pint of

blood can make you feel.” The last question I asked them was, “How

many times have you given blood?” Montanna said, “Once.” Andrea

Westover said, “Multiple times. At least once a year.” Giving blood is a

great experience because you learn a lot in just your first time.

FBLA holds a blood drive once a year. I asked Aimee Walker

and Jennifer Adams the same questions. I asked them if doing the blood

drive is worthwhile to them. They both said, “Yes, because its gets us

and others more involved in our community.” The next question I asked

them was, “How do you let the community know about the blood

drive?” They said, “We hang up flyers and put cards on the tables at the

Rooster.” The last question I asked them was, “How successful was the

blood drive last year?” They both answered, “Well we met our goal

which was around 35-40 donations. It was very successful.” Working

the blood drive is a great experience for everyone involved.

The blood donated is used for blood transfusions. Shana Hopkins

told the paper that she had a blood transfusion after her motorcycle

accident. I asked Shana Hopkins, “What did the blood transfusion mean

to you?” She replied, “I am thankful for the blood because it was a life

or death situation I was in.” “If the blood wasn’t available it would lead

to other major health problems, including death.” I think everyone

should try donating blood one time just to see how they like it because

you never know if your pint of blood will save someone’s life or your

own life.

http://polo.k12.mo.us Page 7

Favorites of Christmas By: Lisa Tackett

There are many different ways that people celebrate Christmas. Some people

say it is just for the tree and presents, some say it is for the big huge meal they get to eat,

others say that it is for them to be able to get off of work or out of school. Then there is

the other reason that they believe Christmas is celebrated for, the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Jesus that was born then died for everyone in the world. During the Christmas

season a couple things that people like to do are listening to Christmas music and

watching Christmas movies.

According to Business Insider the top ten Christmas songs, starting with 10 are

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon in 1971, Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)

by Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 1995, White Christmas by Bing Crosby in 1942, and It’s

the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams in 1963. Number six is Feliz

Navidad by Jose Feliciano in 1970, A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives in 1965, The

Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) by Nat King Cole in 1946, Jingle

Bell Rock sung by Bobby Helms in 1957, and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree sang

by Brenda Lee in 1958. Number one according to Business Insider is All I Want for

Christmas is You by Mariah Carey in 1994.

According to About entertainment 100 top Christmas songs their top 10 songs

starting with number ten are White Christmas by Bing Crosby in 1942, Rudolph, the

Red-Nosed Reindeer by Jewel in 1999, The Little Drummer Boy sung by David Bowie

and Bing Crosby in 1977, Jingle Bell Rock by Billy Idol in 2006, and Christmas (Baby

Please Come Home) by U2 in 1987. Number five is Santa Claus Is Coming to Town by

Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi in 2003, O Holy Night by Celine Dion in 1998, Happy

Xmas (The War Is Over) by John Lennon in 1971, and Have Yourself a Merry Little

Christmas by Judy Garland in 1944. The number one for About entertainment is The

Christmas Song by Nat King Cole in 1961. I asked Cheyenne Parker what her favorite

Christmas song was and her reply was, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah

Cary. Cheyenne states it because she is saying that she doesn’t care what is under the

tree, it is who she spends it with that matters.

A little bit about some of the popular Christmas songs is that Rocking Around

the Christmas Tree was recorded when she was 13. It has appeared in the TV special

Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer and in the movie Home Alone. All I Want For

Christmas Is You was originally wrote because of her inspiration by her romantic

sentiments toward Tommy Mottola, her then husband. Jingle Bell Rock was the first

mainstream Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas song and The Christmas Song as wrote during a

blistering hot summer, hoping to stay cool by thinking of something cool, Christmas.

Something about Burl Ives, the singer of Holly Jolly Christmas also wrote Rudolf the

Red-Nosed Reindeer and played Sam the Snowman from the original famous movie

when he was originally suppose to play Yukon Cornelius.

Feliz Navidad was wrote by a Puerto Rican male singer and Happy Xmas (The

War is Over) was wrote when they went two years without fighting in 1969. It’s the

Most Wonderful Time of the Year pretty much describes the celebration and description

of the activities that are associated with Christmas time. One of the activities in the

Victorian Christmas included telling “scary ghost stories”. O Holy Night is translated to

Cantique de Noël which tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ of which religious

people believe is the true meaning of Christmas. The song Christmas in Kansas City was

actually a song that the writer wrote as he was coming into Kansas City, Missouri, on a

boat.

Starting with 10 the greatest films of all time according to Breitbart.com they

had Home Alone in 1990. Remember the Night in 1940, Miracle on 34th

Street in 1947,

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation came out in 1989, and the movie version of

Christmas Carol in 1951. Fifth is A Christmas Story in 1983, The Bishop’s Wife in

1947, TV version of Christmas Carol of which came out in 1984, and The Gathering in

1977. The top Christmas movie of all time is It’s A Wonderful Life in 1946. It’s A

Wonderful Life came out not only in 1946, but came out December 20th

.

Forbes also had a list of best Christmas movies but instead of the all time

favorites it is the best ones of the last decade. Starting with ten is the cartoon version of

Christmas Carol in 2009, Polar Express in 2004, Arthur Christmas in 2011, Bad Santa in

2003, In Bruges in 2008, and Tate Exports: A Christmas Tale in 2010. Fifth is Kiss Kiss

Bang Bang in 2005, Iron Man 3 in 2013, and Elf in 2003. Forbes top best Christmas

movie of the last decade is Love, Actually in 2003. I asked Shana Hopkins what her

favorite Christmas movie was and her reply was, “I like Polar Express the most because

of the animated look in it.”

Home Alone was a story about Kevin McCallister played by Macaulay Culkin.

Kevin McCallister gets left at home by accident when the whole family leaves for Paris

for Christmas vacation. Two burglars known as the Wet Bandits are robbing all of the

neighboring houses. Christmas Eve Kevin shows what he can really do when he is home

alone. On that night the Wet Bandits decided to try and rob the McCallister’s home.

Kevin outsmarts them and causes them to get arrested and put in jail. Elf stars Will

Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner, and Zooey Deschanel. A comedy the

grossed over $220,000,000 in November, 2003, worldwide about a man that thought he

was an elf. He grew up from the time he was a baby until a grown adult with santa and

his elves. When he finds out who he really is he sets off on an adventure to find his dad,

who works in New York City. While on the adventure he is trying to spread Christmas

cheer to everyone. Buddy was not liked by anyone until he befriended Michael, of

which is his half brother. He gets a job in the mail room and mistakes a guy’s bottle of

whisky for syrup and meets a girl of whom he falls in love with. By the end of the

movie he Walter (Buddy’s father) gets mad at him and snaps at him. Buddy leaves a

note on an Etch A Sketch and leaves to try and go back to the North Pole. When Buddy

leaves he finds santa with his sleigh crashed because nobody has Christmas spirit

anymore. The love of his life starts singing in front of everyone and brings back the

Christmas spirit. The movie ends with Buddy and his wife with a baby at the North Pole

with Papa Elf.

Bad Santa is a 2003 Christmas black comedy crime film starring Billy Bob

Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, and John Ritter; this was John Ritter’s last

movie before his death later that year. Two professional thieves disguise themselves as

Santa every year so they can rob shopping malls. They run into issues one year with

mall manages Bob Chipeska (John Ritter) that lets the security chief know about the two

thieves. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is the 3rd

installment of the national

Lampoon’s vacation series. It is a modern Christmas classic starring Chevy Chase,

Beverly D’Angelo, and Randy Quaid. It starts out with Clark Griswold packing his

family up and going to get a huge Christmas tree, when they get there he realizes that he

forgot to bring an axe or saw. They have to pull it out of the ground. Both sets of in-laws

show up and do nothing but bicker and fight causing the family to get annoyed. He tries

to hook up Christmas lights to their house but fail to work. This happened because he

wired them to his garage switch. Once the lights come on he sends a power shortage to

the entire city. Everything seems to be going wrong throughout the movie for the

family, including getting the SWAT team involved in part of the mess. The movie ends

with the family and the SWAT team inside the house celebrating while Clark is standing

outside happily smiling up to the stars saying: “I did it.”

2014: A Year in Review By: Aimee Walker

2014 has been a very eventful year with a lot of ups and downs, and

with the New Year just around the corner, we’re going to recap some of the

more eventful moments from this year! Here are some events that made

headlines in the United States.

United States News: January:1

st- Colorado legalized the purchase of marijuana for recreational

purposes. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act go into effect. 6th-

The Senate votes Janet Yellen as the first woman as head of the Federal

Reserve. 9th- Chemicals begin leaking from a tank owned by Freedom

Industries into the Elk River in West Virginia. Approximately 300,000

people in nine counties are told not to use their tap water. 16th- Ohio executed

inmate Dennis McGuire with a new combination of drugs, due to the

unavailability of drugs such as pentobarbital. The state used a combination of

the drug midazolam, a sedative, and the painkiller hydromorphone, according

to the state corrections department. 17th- President Barack Obama announces

changes to the National Security Agency and its surveillance programs. 30th-

CNN reported that at least 19 veterans have died due to delays in simple

medical screenings like colonoscopies or endoscopies, at various VA

hospitals or clinics.

February: 14th- General Motors recalled 780,000 vehicles due to faulty

ignition switches.

March: 22nd

- A mudslide in Oso, Washington killed 43 people.

April: 2nd

- Army specialist Ivan Lopez killed 3 people in Fort Hood before

taking his own life. 22nd

- The Supreme Court upheld a Michigan law banning

the use of racial criteria in college admissions. 29th- The NBA banned Los

Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life in response to a leaked

recording in which Sterling made racist remarks. Oklahoma inmate Clayton

Lockett died of an apparent heart attack during a botched execution by lethal

injection.

May: 19th- Same-sex marriage became legal in Oregon. 20

th- Same-sex

marriage became legal in Pennsylvania. 23rd

- Elliot Rodger went on a killing

spree near the campus of U.C. Santa Barbara, killing four men and two

women before taking his own life. 27th- President Barack Obama announced

that 9,800 troops would remain in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of most

troops at the end of 2014. 30th- Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki

resigned. 31st- President Barack Obama announced the release of prisoner of

war Bowe Bergdahl, held for five years by a militant group linked to the

Taliban. In exchange for Bergdahl's release, five detainees at Guantanamo

Bay were released to Qatar.

June: 1st- Same-sex marriage became legal in Illinois. 2nd

- The city council

in Seattle, Washington voted to raise the city's minimum wage to $15 per

hour. 30th- GM announced compensation of at least $1 million to families of

at least 13 people who died as a result of a faulty ignition switch. GM also

offered money to those injured.

July: 8th- Washington State began to allow the sale of marijuana for

recreational purposes. 23rd

- Arizona used a new combination of drugs in the

execution of convicted murderer Joseph Woods. After he is injected it took

him nearly two hours to die. Witness accounts differ as to whether he was

gasping for air or snoring as he died. 29th- The U.S. Senate confirmed Robert

McDonald as the new Veterans Affairs secretary.

August: 2nd

- A specially equipped medical plane carrying Ebola patient Dr.

Kent Brantly landed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia. He is

then driven by ambulance to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. 7th-

President Barack Obama signed into a $16 billion bill, providing money to

build more VA medical facilities and hire more doctors and nurses. 9th-

African American teenager Michael Brown, 18, was shot and killed by white

police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. Following Brown’s

death were several violent protests in Ferguson and nationwide. 15th- Texas

Governor Rick Perry was indicted on a felony count of abusing the power of

his office and a felony count of attempting to coerce a public official.

September: 25th- President Barack Obama announced the resignation of

Attorney General Eric Holder, who would remain in office until a

replacement was chosen.

October: 1st- Julia Person, who was the director of the Secret Service,

resigned after the revelation of several security breaches. 6th- The U.S.

Supreme Court refused to hear appeals from five states- Indiana, Utah,

Oklahoma, Virginia and Wisconsin- seeking to keep their same-sex marriage

bans in place. Same-sex marriage became legal in Oklahoma, Virginia, Utah

and Wisconsin. 7th- Same-sex marriage became legal in Colorado and

Indiana. 8th- Thomas Eric Duncan died of Ebola in Dallas, Texas. He was the

first person in the USA to die from the disease. 9th- Same-sex marriage

became legal in West Virginia and Nevada. 10th- Same-sex marriage became

legal in North Carolina. 12th- Nina Pham, a nurse who treated Ebola patient

Thomas Eric Duncan, was diagnosed with Ebola. She is the first person to

contract the disease in the United States. After being treated at the National

Institutes of Health in Maryland, she was cured of the disease and released on

October 24. 14th- Amber Vinson, another nurse who treated Ebola patient

Thomas Eric Duncan in Texas, was diagnosed with Ebola. After being

treated successfully in Atlanta, Vinson was released on October 28. 23rd

- Dr.

Craig Spencer, who had returned from treating Ebola patients in West Africa,

was diagnosed with the disease in New York. He recovered from the disease

and left the hospital on November 11.

November: 4th- In the midterm elections, the Republican Party won a

majority of the seats in the House and the Senate to gain control of Congress.

15th- Dr. Martin Salia became infected with Ebola while treating patients in

Sierra Leone and arrived at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. 17th- Dr.

Martin Salia died at Nebraska Medical Center.