by Jessica Smoot

Russell Jackson, or Mr. Jackson, the math teacher, as most students know him, calls himself a boring person. Like many people, he fails to see that sometimes having a heart for others can make him a person with one of the fullest lives possible.

Mr. Jackson tutors before and after school almost every day of the school year.

Mr. Jackson was born on an Air Force base long enough ago to have gained more wisdom than any of the students he teaches every day. His dad was a Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force, but he was more than that to Jackson. His dad was his life-long hero, and the man who would have an important influence on Jackson’s future career. For several years after Jackson was born, the family moved around due to the military, living in the Philippines, and in perhaps less exotic, but no less interesting places, like Michigan and Louisiana. After his father retired from the Air Force, the family moved to Missouri when Mr. Jackson was in first grade.

Jackson went immediately to college after graduating high school. He studied math but was also involved in the Air Force ROTC program. On the day of his college graduation, Jackson was commissioned into the Air Force as a Second Lieutenant. After time, it was discovered that Jackson had nasal septum deviation, a common physical disorder in the nose in which the nasal septum is displaced. This closed his pilot career. The Air Force found other things for him to do: important things. He was Space Systems Director and then Crew Commander for a squadron that specialized in satellites. His next position was as Chief of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems Branch. This required him to teach space tracking and missile warning, among other specialties. As part of this position, he gave briefings to important officials, even the Secretary of the Air Force.

Then, Jackson was on the Inspector General’s (IG) team for the rest of his military career. He traveled across the world, inspecting Air Force bases. After twelve years in the military and earning the rank of Captain, Jackson left the Air Force. To this day, Mr. Jackson misses the camaraderie, the missions, and the standardization of the Air Force daily life.

After his years in the Air Force, he became an industrial engineer for a period of time, but eventually quit because, as he said, “It wasn’t a job of service.”  Those were the words that could wrap up his life. Jackson’s heart is focused on helping.

While living in New Mexico twenty-six years ago, the best man at his wedding was an eight year-old boy. The child was a “little brother” through the PAL program, a program much like the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. While still in the Air Force, Jackson worked as a Youth Center Volunteer and with Habitat for Humanity. After the Air Force, Jackson volunteered at Our Home Child Crisis Center in Pomona, MO and mentored a Willow Springs School fifth grader. The day after leaving his job as an industrial engineer, Jackson began teaching math. He wanted to work with kids and help mentor them. He wanted to help mold them into the men and women they had the potential of becoming. This was eight years ago. He started teaching at Cabool. Then, after two years, Mr. Jackson moved to teach Geometry and College Algebra at Willow Springs High School.

Although he still doubts his ability to live a life of service to troubled kids, Russell Jackson comes to work every day with the hope that perhaps he will touch a person’s life in a positive way. And that is what makes his life so interesting.

The Willow Springs Middle School Lady Bears played host to the Licking Lady Wildcats last night. This was the final home game of the season.  It took the 7th grade Lady Bears 3 games to win it, and the 8th grade team “got ur done in two,” said Coach Valarie Jackson.

7th Grade Scores: Willow Springs  22, 25, 25 and Licking 25, 7, 20.

The Bears had 6 straight possessions of a missed service opportunity in game one. Mikaela Deeds led  in service points with 8 service points in game one. Michaela Cox added 7 service points. Gina Wood contributed 4 service points, 3 aces and a kill.

The Bears bounced back in the second game. Devin Perkins led with 3 kills. She had two in the second game and one in first game. Kelsey Walton led in service points with six.  Maribel Garcia-Espana scored 5 service points and 3 aces, and Cassidy Crewse also had 5 service points to help the Lady Bears to victory.

In game three, Deeds again led with 8 service points, Maribel added 4 points and 3 aces.

8th Grade Scores: Willow Springs 25, 25 and Licking 22, 22

In the 8th grade match, Allie Tooley led the Bears with 4 kills and two service points. Dayla Davis had a good night, she finished with 3 kills and 9 service points, and 7 of those were aces. Kendra Aldridge chipped in with 3 service points and 2 aces. Kassidy Alexander added 3 service points. Shilo Letterman finished the night with 4 service points and a kill.

The next contest will be at West Plains on Monday night.

by Jessica Smoot

On Thursday, September 22, 2011, the Willow Springs cross country team traveled to the Lion’s Club Park in Rolla, Missouri, for the Bulldog Invitational.

Willow Springs Results

Varsity Girls (3.1 miles, Top 20 Medaled)

Ciara Hogsett, 16th, 22:20 (PR)

Kamryn Hutsell, 27th, 25:33

JV Boys (3.1 miles, Top 10 Medaled)

James Briscoe, 29th, 28:14

Junior High Boys (1.5 miles, Top 10 Medaled)

Cory Chafin, 1st, 8:56

Derek Smith, 7th, 9:33

Junior High Girls (1.5 miles, Top 10 Medaled)

Bailey Wagner, 2nd, 10:31

Beth Sherbo, 6th, 11:53

Maddisyn Boyle, 10th, 12:04

 Kindergarten Screening will take place in the Elementary Library on Thursday, May 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, May 7 from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

You must have the child’s birth certificate, social security card and updated shot records at screening.  For more information and for appointments, call the Willow Springs elementary office at 469-2474 ext.100.

According to the Congressional Research Service, a survey shows that with the new Bill, many members of Congress and their staffers will be booted out of their old health care plans. As of right now, members of Congress and other parts of the government participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (F.E.H.B.P.); however, lawmakers added a provision into the legislation dictating that they would be required to buy health care coverage through the state-based exchanges the new laws establish. The purpose of the provision was to make good on the promise that all Americans would receive the same coverage as members of Congress. The problem is, those exchanges will not be in place until 2014, and Congress may technically be forced out of the F.E.H.B.P. before then.

Many people wonder if Congress fully grasped the details of the influence this bill would have on the lives of Americans. Whether they did or not, regular citizens are still trying to find the answers for themselves. National Public Radio reports that “government officials, physicians and nonprofit groups are receiving ‘an avalanche of questions’ from people confused about how the health care reforms will impact them.”

If the Health Care Bill has you and your friends confused, don’t worry. People in Washington are just as confused as you are.

In order to do this, both schools will have to sell 250 tickets each. These tickets include the Springfield Cardinals vs. Tulsa game that will be right before the Bears’ game. So you will get to watch a Cardinals game and then the Bears’ game for only five dollars per person. If enough students buy tickets, the school will have a free pep bus ride for the any student going. 

To order your tickets please see Coach Rodgers or contact the high school. So please help out the Bears, and buy tickets so they can get a chance to play on a big league field.

On a day out with her father Hannah Russell, a 5th grade student from Willow Springs, was given $20 to spend in any way she liked.  Upon returning to the house empty-handed, her mother Debbie Russell asked what had happened to the money she was given.  Hannah replied very seriously, “Mom I don’t want you to get mad, but I gave that money to the people in Haiti.  I think they need the money a whole lot more than I need that doll.”

Lesson learned.  We could all take notes from such a young lady as this.  Putting others ahead of herself, Hannah gave one of the greatest gifts.  The gift of unselfishness.

Willow Springs has missed a lot of school lately. Winter weather seems to have targeted the southern Midwest and has made itself comfortable for the long haul. All of this snow may be a surprise to us, but you can bet that it comes as no surprise to one Pennsylvania resident; you know him as Phil. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on February 2^nd, meaning that we can expect up to six more weeks of winter.  Even skeptics of Phil’s abilities in weather forecasting have to agree; if he’s ever wrong, this year doesn’t look like he will be. With snowstorms hammering the north-eastern Atlantic coast, and the Midwest experiencing some interesting weather of it’s own, a lot of attention has been given to any source that can explain what’s going on.  The groundhog may have the answer.

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania held its first Groundhog Day in the late 1800’s with the first trek of Punxsutawney residents to a local mountain called Gobblers Knob.  The official date is said to be February 2^nd, 1887. The celebration of Groundhog’s Day began with Pennsylvania’s earliest settlers. The settlers brought with them the legend of Candleman’s Day which states “For the as the sun shines on Candleman’s Day, so far will the snow swirl in May.”  In other words, if you can see your shadow, expect some cold weather for some time.

Hopefully though, the weather will move out before May, or Willow Springs will be shoveling its way to Graduation.

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Several people were not able to give blood at the recent blood drive because their heart rate was too high, they weren’t feeling that well, or their iron was too low. “ I would have loved to of given blood, but unfortunately my blood pressure was too high. Maybe next time! ” replied Jennifer Gregory.

Also, we were able to do all of the paper work by hand instead of using the computers. You would think that having high technology would make things a lot faster but it actually slowed things down tremendously.  The goal for this last blood drive was to have at least 75 donars, and we succeded with 119 people that gave and recieved 100 pints of blood.

Jessica Girdler was the only person this year to receive a gold pin that represents her being a Gallon Grad. She will also recieve a red tassel to put on her cap at graduation in appreciation for dedication to help others. “I am really excited about being a Gallon Grad donor. It feels good to know I have potentially saved 24 lives! ”

The numbers prove Bloodstock to be a great success.  Amanda Girdler stated, ” It was really successful, and we had a lot more donations than last time. Hopefully we can keep the trend going!”