​​Weston • Platte County • Missouri

The Weston Chronicle

Cont. in 'news' tab

Xane Masoner with his grandmother, Cindy Large Masoner, Class of 1975.

-West Platte Graduates 43
​
​​

-Little Theatre of Weston Brings Timely, Thought-Provoking Play to Local Stage​​​

Curtis Nower, with daughter Arianna Nower, Class of 2025

Rusty Hill started collecting vehicles at 14 years old, when he bought a 1970 Mercury Cougar Convertible from his dad, Clyde, who had traded bulldozer work for the auto. Sunday afternoon, it was reduced to scrap metal along with a 30-year collection of autos, trucks, tractors and auto parts stored in a huge wood-sided building at his home in Beverly.
Among the casualties of the fire were 15 antique tractors, three Lincoln “Suicide” convertibles, a 1959 Rolls Royce, a restored 1941 Cadillac, a 1955 Thunderbird, pedal cars and tractors, and many more. A 1914 JI Case car that was lost was one of fewer than 100 on a registry of all the cars manufactured by the company between 1911 and 1926All uninsured.
“It was inventory (for his sales location in Tracy). Most was for sale, but not the Mercury,” Mr. Hill said Monday. “I don’t know how it started. I take a lot of precautions, and my boys know to do that.”
Rusty and Carra Hill were at West Platte’s graduation, in which their younger son Augie, was presented his diploma. The ceremony started at 3:00, and at 3:05, a Platte County Deputy notified Dispatch of the fire. By 3:11 West Platte Fire was on the scene and calling for mutual aid.
“We were halfway through the ceremony when my cousin, Jared,  came up to me and said it would be a good time for me to go home,” he said. ‘Your barn is on fire!’
“I hurried home, but it was too late.”
On the scene were West Platte Fire & Ambulance, Central Platte Fire, Camden Point Fire, Leavenworth, Ks Fire, Dearborn Fire, South Platte Fire, Southwest Buchanan County Fire, DeKalb Fire and the Riverside Fire Investigator. By 4:54 the fire was under control.
“We were there until 8:05 because the tin roof collapsed, and we couldn’t get to the fires underneath it,” said West Platte Fire Chief Brett Atkins. “We had so many jurisdictions to carry water. There are no hydrants there, so every drop of water put on that fire was trucked in. 

“We also needed personnel. That fire was very hot, so we were rotating crews,” the Chief said. “We were able to confine the fire to the building and cars that were parked against one wall, We saved a nearby building and the other vehicles there.”
The fire was first attacked with a deck gun, then other methods as the trucks arrived. “Almost all of the fire fighers are volunteers, so they have to get to the station, suit up and drive here.” West Platte set up a portable water holding tub that other water trucks dumped their loads in to. Then the water was taken up by pumper trucks to put on the fire. “Once they were lined up dumping the water went fast,” Chief Atkins said. 

Middle School Principal Mitch Giger, Keynote Speaker; High School Principal John Kruse; Valedictorian Gracie Carlson; and Zoe Stiman, Salutatorian at West Platte Graduation Sunday

Graduate Hannah Wagner with her father, Gabe Wagner, Class of 2000.

By Megan Jantos
The Little Theatre of Weston is setting the stage for a show that promises to entertain, provoke and challenge audiences. The Lifespan of a Fact, a critically acclaimed play based on a true story, will run May 29 through June 2 at the Leavenworth Local Hotel Stage.
Directed by Little Theatre of Weston Artistic Director Laura Elisabeth Pridgen, the production explores the razor-thin line between fact and fiction through the tense, funny and thought-provoking interactions of an editor, a writer and an eager young fact-checker tasked with verifying an essay that blurs truth and narrative.
Pridgen, who previously worked on the show with another company, said the play’s questions have never felt more urgent.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” she said in an email interview. “It’s whip-smart, laugh-out-loud funny, and absolutely electric in the way it tackles one of the biggest questions we’re facing: What does it actually mean to tell the truth?”
In a world of viral headlines and blurred journalistic lines, Pridgen believes The Lifespan of a Fact strikes at the heart of today’s cultural anxieties.
“Every day we’re bombarded by conflicting headlines, misinformation and emotionally charged storytelling,” she said. “This play feels like it’s speaking directly to this moment.”
For veteran actress Ann M. Raab, the production has been a rewarding challenge.
“One of the key things I would love to emphasize is the relevance of the topic of the play,” Raab said.
“The play centers around an essay written about a boy’s suicide in Vegas, which is what created the opportunity to partner with the Crisis Center for suicide awareness and assistance. But the play is really about the difference between ‘fact’ and ‘truth.’”
A portion of ticket sales will benefit The Guidance Center’s Crisis Intervention Services.

​

Type your paragraph here.

Mo​​re of this story can be found in this week's print & e-edition of the Weston Chronicle​

Samantha (Sam) Baker is shown with her Uncle and Aunt, Rick and Cindy Hill, and father, Bill Baker, Class of 1975.

- Fire Destroys Classic Cars Stored at  Beverly
​​

For all of our news in full, please see this week's print and/or e-edition of the Weston Chronicle

​  News