Once toppled by a tornado, doughboy statue stands again in West Liberty

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American Legion Post 126 member Dannie Knipp, right, helps fold the flag Saturday that covered West Liberty's World War I doughboy statue during its unveiling ceremony. Photo by John Flavell THEHERALD-LEADER|BuyPhoto

WEST LIBERTY Two years after a tornado leveled much of downtown, empty foundations still gape on Main Street, and broken trees litter the hillside above the Licking River.

But as of Saturday, a piece of West Liberty has been restored that might mean as much to people as its storefronts and churches: the World War I doughboy statue is back on his pedestal, staring west as he did before the storm knocked him flat.

"He's a symbol of West Liberty, and he's going to be a symbol of recovery," said 85-year-old Lynn Nickell, a local historian who organized an event Saturday to celebrate the doughboy's reinstallation. "I say he's going to lead the charge for the recovery."

The statue had been on that site since 1927, according to Nickell. It was one of hundreds of doughboy statues raised in towns all over the U.S. to commemorate war dead. Slang for U.S. Army soldiers in World War I, this doughboy was carved in Italy of fine white marble, which withstood more than 80 years of weather but could not endure 140 mph winds on March 2, 2012. His body was broken into pieces and strewn around the equally broken courthouse.

Morehead sculptors Steve Tirone and Eddie Horton took the shards to Tyrone's studio and pieced the statue back together. At first, it seemed the marble statue would have to live indoors and be replaced on its plinth by a bronze copy. But Tyrone said they were able to find a sealant that would protect the statue for a few years at a time. Many of his scars are still visible, a reminder for residents of the trauma they experienced.

The two sculptors, both of them veterans, wrapped the statue in a U.S. flag and bubble wrap and nailed him into a wooden crate. On Friday, they brought him back to West Liberty.

Horton said he came to West Liberty the day after the storm, and it reminded him of Vietnam after a bomb had been dropped.

"We were both very honored to take this on," he said.

"You wouldn't believe how nervous I am," Tirone said shortly before the unwrapping.

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Once toppled by a tornado, doughboy statue stands again in West Liberty

Liberty Lady Panthers win second game over Splendora this season

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Libertys Lady Panthers won again Friday, March 21, beating the visiting Splendora Ladycats, 8-4.

The Ladycats, half of whom are named either Brianna, Ashley, or Madison, came to play against Libertys own two Madisons, plus Andee, Caroline, Kaylee, Kamryn, Katie, Kaitlyn, Kurstin, Lacey, and Macy.

Meanwhile, on the baseball field at the west end of the city park, a group of Tylers, Hunters, and Dylans of various spellings played their own game, with Splendora coming out ahead, 2-0.

The Lady Panthers made 12 hits altogether. Katie Harris got three hits and earned one RBI.

Andee Geter made just one hit, but it was a hit that counted, a double driving in two runners. She also made a good catch out in left field.

Kaitlyn Slack made two hits and so did Madison Cook, each earning an RBI, while Kaylee Parker, Kamryn Parker, Caroline Moorman, and Madisyn Frazier each got a hit and one RBI apiece.

Lacey Vaughn pitched for Liberty throwing 60 strikes in 85 pitches but striking out only one batter. It was a hitting game for both teams. Splendoras Brook Millican threw only one strikeout in 106 pitches.

Alexa Millican and Madison Weisenbaker each hit doubles for Splendora.

The fifth inning passed very quickly. Two Splendora batters flied out to Geter in right field and the third was put out at first, Slack to Martin. Liberty then had three up and three out. Each batter hit fly balls out to Natalie McOmber in centerfield.

The last time Liberty played Splendora the Ladycats pitcher had some control issues, hitting three Liberty batters, but this time out only Cook was walked to first hit by pitch.

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Liberty Lady Panthers win second game over Splendora this season

Researchers size-up what is 'normal'

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Researchers from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Health Sciences will build a human database to scientifically measure and classify what is 'normal' across the population.

The landmark 1000 Norms Project will catalogue human variation among healthy Australians between the ages of three to 100 to help clinicians better diagnose disease, direct treatment and evaluate patient progress.

Primary researchers for the project, Marnee McKay and Jennifer Baldwin, will measure the physical and health information of 1,000 healthy Australians, recording their body measurements and testing their balance, strength, power, coordination and movement. The study will also collect DNA saliva samples from participants to test for the ACTN3 gene, commonly referred to as the 'gene for speed', and evaluate the link between genetics and physical characteristics.

"This project will finally catalogue the normal physical variation in the Australian community and go some way towards helping answer the age-old question: am I normal?" said Ms McKay.

"While normal may be a loaded term, it's important for clinicians to be able to measure norms so they can assess health and function.

"In healthcare, knowledge of healthy human variation is essential for clinicians to make a diagnosis and to evaluate the effect of treatment."

Researcher Jennifer Baldwin said the database will be an invaluable tool for health policy makers providing a unique collection of healthy normative measures to better facilitate diagnosis and influence policy.

"The database will transform our understanding of the boundaries of health and disease and influence how we define healthy aging," Ms Baldwin said.

"Everyone accepts that no two human are the same, but to diagnose disease it is imperative we can reliably compare a patient's symptoms or physical limits against norms collected from the healthy population.

"As our population ages the study will allow clinicians and public policy makers to define healthy ageing and establish what is 'normal' during the ageing process.

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Researchers size-up what is 'normal'

Health law birth control coverage before justices

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The Obama administration and its opponents are renewing the Supreme Court battle over President Barack Obama's health care law in a case that pits the religious rights of employers against the rights of women to the birth control of their choice.

Two years after the entire law survived the justices' review by a single vote, the court is hearing arguments Tuesday in a religion-based challenge from family-owned companies that object to covering certain contraceptives in their health plans as part of the law's preventive care requirement.

Health plans must offer a range of services at no extra charge, including all forms of birth control for women that have been approved by federal regulators.

Some of the nearly 50 businesses that have sued over covering contraceptives object to paying for all forms of birth control. But the companies involved in the high court case are willing to cover most methods of contraception, as long as they can exclude drugs or devices that the government says may work after an egg has been fertilized.

The largest company among them, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., and the Green family that owns it, say their "religious beliefs prohibit them from providing health coverage for contraceptive drugs and devices that end human life after conception."

Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby has more than 15,000 full-time employees in more than 600 crafts stores in 41 states. The Greens are evangelical Christians who also own Mardel, a Christian bookstore chain.

The other company is Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. of East Earl, Pa., owned by a Mennonite family and employing 950 people in making wood cabinets.

The administration says a victory for the companies would prevent women who work for them from making decisions about birth control based on what's best for their health, not whether they can afford it. The government's supporters point to research showing that nearly one-third of women would change their contraceptive if cost were not an issue; a very effective means of birth control, the intrauterine device, can cost up to $1,000.

"Women already have an income gap. If these companies prevail, they'll have a health insurance gap, too," said Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center.

The contraceptives at issue before the court are the emergency contraceptives Plan B and ella, and two IUDs.

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Health law birth control coverage before justices

Sustainable Business Growth – $40 trillion green tech – Energy Industry Futurist Speaker – Video

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Sustainable Business Growth - $40 trillion green tech - Energy Industry Futurist Speaker
Clip from the keynote by Patrick Dixon at Sampo Liidrite Forum in Estonia on green tech, sustainability and caring for the planet for the sake of future gene...

By: Patrick Dixon Futurist Keynote Speaker for Industry Conference

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Sustainable Business Growth - $40 trillion green tech - Energy Industry Futurist Speaker - Video