By Woodrow Polston
Wpolston@vandalialeader.com
With the arrival of 2023 this weekend, we look back on the headlines that covered the front page of the Vandalia Leader in 2022. Such stories that featured a new Van-Far high school principal, the re-election of Mayor Ralph Kuda, and events that drew crowds to the Vandalia Area Fairgrounds and Main Street throughout the year.
January 2022
Blaise Stuedle named principal for Van-Far High school: After the announcement of Kim Pafford’s retirement, the Van-Far R-I School Board of education began accepting applications from candidates who would seek to fill the role as the next principal at the Van-Far Junior High/ High School. Among the numerous candidates for the job, was Blaise Stuedle, who has been leading the agriculture/FFA department for the last five years.
February 2022
Lady Indians win 97th Annual Bowling Green Invitational Championship: For the first time since 1988, the Van-Far Lady Indians won the Bowling Green Invitational Championship game. During the opening night of the Bowling Green tournament, the Lady Indians defeated North Callaway with a final score of 40-21. On Wednesday, the girls battled Elsberry for a shot at the championship game. They succeeded with a final score of 35-26. On Friday night, the Lady Indians faced the Silex Lady Owls for the championship game. They celebrated a victory, with a final score of 54-47.
March 2022
K9 Apollo tracks and apprehends fugitive: On Wednesday, March 2, 2022, around 10:30 p.m., a Missouri State Trooper stopped a vehicle along US 54 near Audrain Road 844 for an observed violation. Once the vehicle had stopped, a male passenger fled on foot into a wooded area carrying an unknown object as he ran. Soon after the call for assistance was placed, K9 Apollo arrived with Sheriff Matt Oller and Sergeant Derek Chism with K9 Chal. K9 Apollo located items that had been presumably discarded by the suspect, including a hat and a small briefcase containing methamphetamine and marijuana. When the suspect saw K9 Apollo and deputies coming toward him, the man, later identified as Fuget stood up and surrendered to K9 Apollo and members of the Sheriff’s Office.
April 2022
Kuda looking forward to fifth term as mayor: As a result of the uncontested race for mayor in the municipal election Tuesday, Mayor Ralph Kuda Jr. has begun his fifth term in office. As he prepares to continue serving the City of Vandalia in this role, Kuda reflected on his years of service. “I have served eight years now as mayor,” said Kuda. “Our former mayor retired after serving many years and I decided to take a chance and run for the office. I retired at the brick plant and was president of the union, so I was accustomed to working with people in a leadership role,” he added. Easter Bunny draws eager hunters to the park: Tri-County Park was teaming with children on Saturday morning as the Chamber of Commerce, partnered with United Credit Union, kicked off their annual Easter Egg Hunt for 2022. One lucky egg hunter, Amere Eoff, found the only golden egg that had been placed in the park.
mayor: As a result of the uncontested race for mayor in the municipal election Tuesday, Mayor Ralph Kuda Jr. has begun his fifth term in office. As he prepares to continue serving the City of Vandalia in this role, Kuda reflected on his years of service. “I have served eight years now as mayor,” said Kuda. “Our former mayor retired after serving many years and I decided to take a chance and run for the office. I retired at the brick plant and was president of the union, so I was accustomed to working with people in a leadership role,” he added. Easter Bunny draws eager hunters to the park: Tri-County Park was teaming with children on Saturday morning as the Chamber of Commerce, partnered with United Credit Union, kicked off their annual Easter Egg Hunt for 2022. One lucky egg hunter, Amere Eoff, found the only golden egg that had been placed in the park.
May 2022
78th anniversary ceremony of Operation Tiger held at courthouse: In the pre-dawn hours of last Thursday, retired Msgt. Ray Bumbales performed his second annual memorial ruck in honor of the soldiers who lost their lives during Exercise Tiger. Bumbales, who now serves as the chief of police in Farber, Mo., said that he begins the 14-mile ruck along WWII Exercise Tiger Expressway at 2:01 a.m. to pay tribute to the 201 Missouri soldiers who lost their lives during the exercise.
June 2022
Vendors say first flea market is profitable: A line of vendors spent last Friday and Saturday morning setting up canopies and tables for the first monthly flea market at the Vandalia Area Fairgrounds. With a total of 11 vendors present on Saturday, there was a wide variety of products that were made available to the public. Abigail Evans, who is a 9-year-old entrepreneur, said that she had a good weekend. “I made $230 on Friday,” said Evans. “I have been selling freeze dried candy and the name of my store is “The Good Stuff,” she added. Brother vets take honor flight to tour nation’s capitol: Two veterans from the Vandalia area were flown to Washington, D.C., last week courtesy of the Honor Flight Network. Brothers Dennis and Gordon Kraft, who served in the Vietnam War, were on an Honor Flight waiting list for several years. “It was above and beyond,” said Dennis. “We were gone for about 24 hours. We saw a lot while we were there. It was the first time that I had toured Washington, D.C.,” he added.
Look for the headlines of 2022 part 2, in next week’s issue of the Vandalia Leader.