THE AREA’S ONLY LOCALLY-OWNED & OPERATED NEWSPAPER | EST. OCTOBER 1, 1996 HE EOPLE S RIBUNE TNEWS FOR PIKEP, EASTERN AUDRAIN’& NORTHERNT LINCOLN COUNTIES FREE Published Every Tuesday • Vol. 26 - No. 15 • Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2020 • Online at www.thepeoplestribune.com Two Wanted On Stealing, Assault Michael Clark James Merlenbach Pictured is the Pike County Sheriff’s Department vehicle that was hit head on by walnut tree thieves on Thursday, Jan. 28. Pike County Sheriff Stephen lowed eventually losing sight of the Winfield Lane. A ground search led Korte reports on Thursday, Jan. 28 vehicle. A few minutes later another by the Lincoln Sheriff’s Office and at approximately 9:44 p.m., Pike deputy traveling south on Highway assisted by the Pike County Sheriff’s Pike County Ties To County deputies responded to rural 79 encountered the truck north Office, the Missouri State Highway Clarksville for a theft in progress. bound on 79 with no lights on trav- Patrol and Elsberry Police did not Two deputies plus a working dog eling at over 120 miles per hour. The locate the suspects. BBC but got hurt in 2018. It shut me down TheY RICE Big HANDLE GameR On Sunday in a single vehicle located a 2019 deputy pursued the suspect vehicle On Friday, Jan. 29 both Callaway STAFF WRITER from playing.” white Ram pickup on private prop- eventually loosing the truck in a and Merlenbach were charged by While many readers will be cheer- The injury Michael spoke of erty. The occupants were engaged in field off of Pike 245. Pike County Prosecutor Alex Ellison ing for the Chiefs and Mahomes this turned out to be a more severe illness the theft of walnut trees in a historic The original deputies relocated with the following: two counts of weekend during the big game, a few that ended his sports career with the cemetery. The deputies activated the vehicle again on Highway 79 as class A felony of first-degree assault might find themselves rooting for Mustangs. He’s currently battling a their emergency equipment to detain it was headed south. The vehicle with special victim, class E felony of Tampa Bay for reasons you might brain tumor. the truck. The truck attempted to was again traveling in excess of 120 leaving the scene of a motor vehicle not expect. “It changed everything,” Mike ram the patrol vehicle, deputies fol- miles per hour. Deputies followed accident, class E felony of resisting Tristan Wirfs, the rookie offensive said. “I’m taking a bunch of different the truck onto Hwy. N the to Pike arrest/fleeing, two counts of armed tackle for the Buccaneers. pills each day.” According to Mike, 234. On Pike 234 the truck spun criminal action, class D and E prop- Although Tristan didn’t grow up he had the tumor removed once, but around then rammed the patrol vehi- erty damages, class D felony of in Pike County or Missouri, he has they returned. cle head on. The truck then headed stealing, and misdemeanor charges relatives in the area through his fa- Illness hasn’t stopped Mike from across a field towards a tree line. for trespassing, careless and impu- ther, Michael Clark, originally from being a proud father. He talked about The deputies then tried to head off dent driving involving an accident Bowling Green. his son’s accomplishments in high the truck. Deputies were able to get and exceeding the posted speed The People’s Tribune caught up school through college and now in close enough to positively identify limit. Bond for both were set at with Michael over the weekend to the NFL. Specifically, how Tom the driver as Jesse Callaway, 45, of $1,000,000 cash only by Judge find out a little more about Tristan’s Brady and the Buccaneers gave up Troy, and passenger James Merlen- Milan Berry. connection to Pike County and how draft picks to acquire Tristan. bach, 53 of O’Fallon. Do to damage One of the deputies in the patrol it felt to be the father of the Buc’s Micheal doesn’t take any credit to the patrol vehicle the deputies vehicle that was struck was treated first round pick and 13th overall pick. for Tristan’s sports career. Instead, were no longer able follow. for minor injuries at Pike County “I’m a proud father,” Michael said he’s quick to give credit to Tristan’s A short time later the truck was Memorial Hospital. As of this re- before sending pictures with him mother, Sara Wirfs, for helping push located by a Missouri State High- lease both Callaway and Merlen- wearing his son’s jersey. “I’m super, their son towards those achieve- way Patrol Trooper near Elsberry. bach were not in custody and may super happy.” ments. The trooper attempted to stop the ve- have fled the state. He’s not the only one excited. “She’s the one who helped him,” hicle eventually loosing sight of the All persons charged with a crime Family and friends from the home- Mike said. “He might have followed truck. The truck was located a presumed innocent until found town and current city started reach- my footsteps to want to play ball, but wrecked on Brownsmill Road near guilty by trail or guilty plea. ing out to him up on Facebook after his mom took him to a higher level Jesse Callaway the Buccaneers won the conference than I could.” championship. Although Michael claims not to Michael grew up in Bowling have influenced his career path, Tris- Jameson Rodgers is 2021 Pike County Fair Headliner Green and has a large family still in tan may have inherited his humble singer-songwriter Jame- player who was a scholarship athlete the area. Despite his hometown roots, mentality. son Rodgers, explaining at Northwest Mississippi Commu- he relocated in 1992 along with some In various interviews, Tristan dis- the strange, mystical nity College. Raised in the midst of friends to pursue a future in Iowa. plays a similar and friendly, down-to- process by which new country's '90s commercial heyday – He’s lived there ever since, but said earth manner well known in the tunes are brought into his first concert was Garth Brooks at he still visits family in Bowling Midwest. the world and find their the Pyramid in Memphis – Rodgers Green. It’s especially surprising when intended performer. always had an inkling that he might Like his son, Michael enjoyed considering his size. Tristan entered It's the same kind of end up living in Music City, he just sports and even had a stint as a semi- the NFL as a 6’5” 320-lb offensive self-assurance the soft- didn't know how or when. pro football player in Cedar Rapids tackle. But it was his athleticism spoken Rodgers displays "I can remember in high school I until 2018. along with his size that led to the on his second independ- would tell people – this was before “I played for the Midwest Mus- draft pick for Tom Brady’s protec- ently released EP. Pro- I played guitar or anything – I would tangs,” he told the Tribune. “I played tion. duced by Mickey Jack just be like, 'Yeah, I'm gonna move for four years as a middle linebacker See GAME on page 5 Cones (Dustin Lynch, to Nashville one day,'" he recalls. Joe Nichols) and Chris And so he did, departing Missis- Farren, the five-song sippi with one of his college buddies collection showcases to see if he could make it in Music Lamberson Arrested In Vandalia him as both a talented City. Through the countless open writer and interpreter, mic nights and lean years that in- For Controlled Substance merging the electrified evitably followed, Rodgers was able imately 295 grams of THC infused rock he heard on the to develop the songwriting voice edibles were located and seized. baseball diamond with that would eventually earn his first Subsequently, Lawrence E. Lamber- the thoughtful lyricism publishing deal with Combustion son, 46, of Fayette was arrested for of country. Music. felony possession of a controlled Well before he was "I went into songwriting boot substance. singing for his supper, camp," he says. "That's all I did. I Lamberson was transported to the The Pike County Fairboard has the Batesville, Mississippi native hardly played any shows or any- Audrain County Jail, booked/pro- announcer the 2021 headline enter- was an accomplished baseball cessed, and later released with a tainer as Jameson Rodgers on Satur- See FAIR on page 6 summons for a court appearance. day, July 31 at 9 p.m. All suspects are presumed inno- Following is a brief biography of cent until and unless proven guilty Rodgers: in a court of law. "You kind of know if it's your The Audrain County Sheriff's Of- song or not, after you write it," says fice remains committed to working with communities, community part- ners, and other area law enforcement MU Extension agencies to make Audrain County a safe place to work and live. The sup- port of and the input from the com- Council Lawrence E. Lamberson munity is appreciated. On Saturday, Jan. 23 at approxi- Citizens are reminded crime tips Announces mately 7:32 p.m., an Audrain may be provided anonymously by County Sheriff’s deputy conducted calling CRIMESTOPPERS at (800) an investigation in the 2200 block of 392-TIPS or (800) 392-8477 and/or Election Results Highway 54 in Vandalia. online at https://www.audrainsher- The University of Missouri Ex- During the investigation, approx- iff.com/report-a-crime tension-Pike County Council final- ized its annual election at its This service of listing all obituaries in today’s paper, for any monthly meeting Monday, Jan.