Several homes were damaged and two businesses were
destroyed when an early morning tornado touched down just south of Holden
Saturday morning.According to representatives of the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, the tornado, which was estimated to have torn a path eight miles long and 75 yards wide, originally touched down about five miles southwest of Holden at approximately 6:45 a.m. in a rural area. The tornado then moved northeast toward South Highway 131 and continued in that fashion, lifting back into the clouds just northeast of Highway 58 East shortly after 7:05 a.m. The initial damage occurred approximately two miles southwest of the intersection of 131 Highway South and SW 600 Road, where it caused severe damage to a barn on the Snyder farm at 654 SW 131 Highway. The tornado then ran directly into a farm and horse training center operated by the Kevin and MaryAnn Miller family at 617 SW 131, causing severe damage to structures, killing horses and leaving two teenage girls who were staying in a house on the farm severely frightened. Maranda Miller, daughter of the Millers, along with a friend, Holly Holsey had just awakened in an upstairs bedroom shortly before the tornado hit, according to Miller. “We kind of knew what was going on. The house was shaking, windows were popping and glass was flying everywhere,” Miller reflected. “We didn’t know if were were going to fly away any second or get cut with glass. It was pretty scary.” Miller said she and Holsey were temporarily unable to move downstairs from the second story of the house due to a large amount of glass “flying everywhere.” A few seconds later, the girls were able to run downstairs into a first-story bathroom for shelter. After the tornado quieted, the girls exited the bathroom and found two neighbors, Sam and Jeanne Thomason in their living room, who had come to the house to make sure the girls were okay. “As soon as I could see outside my first shock and concern was the horses,” Miller said of the nearly 70 horses she knew were housed on the property. “I was really worried about the horses. I knew the horses in the barn were probably dead, but I was very worried about the horses that had been outside.” According to Miller, five horses were lost in all- two that died in the tornado and three who were euthanized due to the severity of their injuries. In addition, between 30 and 35 horses received minor to moderate injuries that were treated by a number of veterinarians who responded to the scene Saturday. “The hardest part of this whole thing was the animals. That is the only thing I was thinking about. It’s hard to see the horses hurt,” Miller said. “This is something Holly and I definitely will never forget.” In addition, Miller and Holsey received minor injuries in the incident, which have been described as minor, such as scrapes and bruises. Because of the damage at the farm, the Millers have sent all of the surviving horses to the homes of friends, relatives and acquaintances where, according to Miller, the horses are responding to treatments of their injuries. The house where the Millers had lived since 1992 has been deemed a total loss as it was moved four inches off its foundation, and the back wall of the house was moved one foot. Miller said the family has been staying with her sister, Monica Jacobsen, in anticipation of moving out of the house so it can be torn down. According to Johnson County Emergency Management Supervisor Karen Eagleson, damages at the Miller farm have been estimated near $1 million, and it is unclear whether the Miller family will attempt to rebuild. The property is owned by George Ward of Lee’s Summit. The damage it caused at the Miller Farm was rated F1 on the tornado “Fujita Scale” which measures the strength of a tornado based upon how much damage it causes. Also receiving damage in the path of the tornado was the home of Gary and Amy Morrison, located on SW 1251 Road, less than a mile away from the Miller farm. According to Amy Morrison, her home sustained roof and window damage, and a barn on the property also sustained serious damage. In addition, a stock trailer parked on the property was thrown on top of a fence. Morrison said she was cooking breakfast and her husband was in the bathroom brushing his teeth because the first “all clear” had already been issued when the electricity went off. “I looked out the storm door and noticed trees nearly laid down,” Morrison said. “It (the tornado) was about a hundred yards away. We literally had about 10 seconds to take shelter.” Morrison said she, her husband and their youngest son ran down to the basement. “We got to the bottom of the steps when the kitchen window shattered,” Morrison remembered. Luckily, the Morrison’s oldest son was away in Branson at a basketball tournament. “If we would have had both kids in the house we would have never made it,” Morrison said. “There’s no way we could have gotten a 12-year-old off of the top bunk (of his bed) and all of us downstairs in 10 seconds.” A number of family members, friends, co-workers and others from the community have pitched in to help clean up the property, according to Morrison. “People I don’t even know came and helped pick up trash Saturday and Sunday,” Morrison said. “We have had tons of help and tons of equipment (to help with clean up).” In addition to assistance with clean up of the Morrison property, a number of volunteers have assembled to clean up debris left along the road and in fields from the Miller farm. Metal pieces from the Miller’s horse barn could be found miles northeast of Highway 131 Saturday. Some of it was wrapped around fence posts and laying in fields. According to Morrison, several individuals on four-wheelers combed the fields to clean up the trash and debris in the area south of Holden. After moving northeast from the area of 131 South, the tornado continued to rip a path of destruction that included rural areas before reaching Highway 58 East, where it destroyed the building that has housed Briscoe Automotive for a number of years. A Holden police officer observed the storm cross 58 Highway at approximately 7:05 a.m. From 58 Highway, the tornado produced intermittent damage rated by the National Weather Service as F0 to several homes on 200 Road. According to Eagleson, it is important for all families in the area to purchase a NOAA weather radio. “The warning sirens are designed for people outdoors,” Eagleson warned. “My husband and I were awakened by our weather radio, and we had 30 minutes to prepare.” Eagleson said the weather radios, which can be purchased at many locations, including Walker’s Variety and RadioShack, are a vital part of the storm warning system in rural communities such as Holden. In addition, Eagleson encouraged anyone who has noticed storm damage on their property to contact her at the Johnson County Emergency Management office at (660) 747-2666. Two benefits for the Miller family are being held by the Holden Royals baseball team June 11 and 12. On Saturday, June 11, the team will be holding bake sales from 9 a.m. until noon at the Bank of Holden and Holden Fastop. On Sunday, June 12, the team will be hosting a day of fun and games in which local coach pitch teams will play their parents and coaches. The games will begin at 2 p.m. at the Holden City Park. Following the games, a homerun derby will be held. Children grades 1-3 may participate. The cost is $1 for three hits. Prizes will be awarded, and concessions will be available. The proceeds from both events will be donated to the Miller family to help offset the cost of the loss of their belongings. By Christi Stowe News Editor
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A 42-year-old Kingsville woman died of a self-inflicted
gunshot wound after a short altercation with a Johnson County Sheriff’s
deputy in Warrensburg last Saturday evening. According to information received from the Warrensburg Police Department, Warrensburg officers overheard radio traffic from a Johnson County deputy stating he was being shot at in the Taco Bell parking lot at 701 N. MaGuire Street in Warrensburg. Warrensburg officers responded to the scene and upon their arrival they learned that the deputy had been on patrol and had observed a pickup truck at Business 50 and 13 Highway with a male and female occupant inside that appeared to be arguing with each other. Reportedly, the deputy then observed the truck pull into the Northpark Shopping Center parking lot. The deputy then stopped his patrol car and entered a business in that area. Upon exiting the business, the deputy heard a noise that sounded like a firecracker or gunshot. The deputy looked around the parking lot, but could not locate the source of the noise. According to reports, the deputy then observed the truck that he had seen enter the parking lot earlier leaving the parking lot with only the female occupant in the vehicle. The deputy then observed the truck drive into the Taco Bell parking lot. According to police accounts, in an attempt to retrieve a license plate number from the vehicle, the deputy pulled in front of the truck. The female occupant then exited her vehicle and fired two rounds at the deputy from a handgun, striking the door of the deputy’s patrol car. According to reports, the deputy then exited his patrol car and drew his weapon on the female subject. The woman then turned her own handgun on herself and pointed it at her head. Believing the woman was going to shoot herself at this point, the deputy said he asked the woman several times not to do it. The female subject then discharged her handgun, shooting herself once in the head. Johnson County Ambulance personnel responded to the scene and transported the woman to Western Missouri Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The woman has been identified as Theresa M. Connell, age 42, of rural Kingsville. Connell’s body was transported to the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s office where an autopsy confirmed she died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. By Christi Stowe News Editor
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