it runs through the heart of america, a long, meandering life line, beading industries, towns, and man nations. the mississippi river gave us tom sawyer and huckleberry finn, samuel columnens, new york twain grew up in handover, missouri, just across the river lived curtis lovelace, a smalltown kid who wanted to be a star. for a time, he was, the football champion for university of illinois. he s an all-american. all-american. this is what kids dream about. right. he was living that life. absolutely. it was looking like he would go to the nfl. that was kind of a dream of his. then he realized grander ambitions, fighting crime as a prosecutor, serving his country in the national guard, and his community in politics. i m someone who wants meaningful work. and it s going to make a difference in the lives of