Josh Smith Closes Out 16 Years of Service to Worth County

On Friday, Principal Josh Smith closed out 16 years of service to Worth County. He started off as an Ag teacher and FFA sponsor. He helped coach football, coached the junior high girls basketball team, and track. He became the Athletic Director and rose to become Principal. He had a passion for curriculum development, always showing off the work that Worth County students were doing in school.

He graduated from North Harrison, where he joined the 1,000 point club. While coaching at Worth County, he was always chill along the sideline when coaching basketball, but always got worked up when playing his alma mater, always wanting to beat his old school.

While he taught and coached at Worth County, his children went to North Harrison. His daughter, Hali, wore a sweatshirt in junior high that said, “Torn between two hearts,” with a Worth County and a North Harrison logo on it. His son, Kade, idolized his dad and wore his Worth County football gear to school at North Harrison even though the Shamrocks were playing football with Pattonsburg at the time. And Hali would tag along with her dad to Worth County games every once in a while when she was done with practices.

The 2017 District Championship game between Worth County’s girls saw the family caught in the middle, with Josh working for Worth County and his wife, Kara, working for North Harrison. “We cheer for whoever signs our paychecks,” said Mr. Smith at the time. Josh sat on the Worth County side and Kara sat on the North Harrison side.

“Throughout his time here, Josh has worn many hats and impacted countless students along the way. He began his journey as an Ag teacher and FFA sponsor, helping students develop leadership skills, work ethic, and a passion for agriculture. Over the years, he also dedicated his time to coaching football, basketball, and track, investing in student-athletes both on and off the field. He later served as Athletic Director and ultimately finished his Tiger career as our principal.”

“No matter the role, Mr. Smith led with dedication, care, and a commitment to our students and school community. His influence and leadership have helped shape Worth County for the better, and his impact will be felt for years to come,” said the school’s Facebook page Friday.

 

Grant City Council Agenda for May 18th, 2026 (NOTE DATE CHANGE)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF ALDERMEN WILL HOLD A REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, May 18, 2026, 6:00 PM AT CITY HALL

● Mayor Call to Order

● Minutes: Regular Meeting April 22, 2026

● List of Bills/Supplies: ME April, May 20, 2026

● Pam Deardorff: Home questions

● Jeremy Baker: 5K Run

● Bill No 05202026 Ordinance No 3764: New Base Rate for Grant City Customers

● Bill No 05202026 Ordinance No 3765: New Base Rate for Parnell

● Bill No 05202026 Ordinance No 3766: New Base Rate for Public Water Supply District

● Bill No 05202026 Ordinance No 3767: Transfer Fees

● Bill No 05202026 Ordinance No 3768: Utility Deposits

● Bill No 05202026 Ordinance No 3769: Connection and Reconnection fees after shut off

● July 4th

● Lizzie Jeanes:

● Water/Sewer (Ryan):

● Gas (Carl):

● Parks/Recreation/Streets (Tyson):

● Clerks Report:

● Building Permits: Kaitlyn Miller

● Topics of Interest: Mayor/Board/Public:

● Employees/Closed pursuant to: 610-021- (3) & (1) - Summer Help Applications

Tentative agenda of this meeting also includes vote to close part of this meeting pursuant to:

610-021 (1) Litigation

610-021 (3) Employees

Weekly Area Road Work for May 20th, 2026

Daviess County

Route 13 – Resurfacing and ADA improvements project from Berry Street to Van Buren Street in Gallatin through June 2026. Route 13 will be narrowed to one lane with flaggers. (Contractor: Herzog Contracting Corp.)

Route K – CLOSED for culvert replacement north of Route P junction, May 21, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Route 6 – Shoulder work eastbound 2 miles east of Gallatin on the south side of the roadway, May 19-20, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Nodaway County

Route 113 – Various bridge rehabilitation projects through May 2026. The bridges may be narrowed to one lane with flaggers. (Contractor: Capital Paving & Construction LLC). *2  

U.S. Route 71 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to U.S. Route 136 near Burlington Junction through August 2026. The road will be narrowed to one lane, and a 10-foot width restriction will be in place.

U.S. Route 136 – Resurfacing project from I-29 to U.S. Route 71 through August 2026.The road will be narrowed to one lane, and a 10-foot width restriction will be in place.

Route U – CLOSED around-the-clock for a crossover improvement project at the U.S. Route 71 crossover between north and southbound lanes of Route 71, May 18-22.

S. Route 71 will be narrowed to one lane in both directions at Route U around-the-clock.

Route E – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 120th Street to 130th Street, May 18-19, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Route E – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 100th Street to 120th Street, May 21-22, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

 

Community Meeting Against Data Centers May 26th

A community meeting, sponsored by NodawaySaysNo.org, will be held on Tuesday, May 26 at 6-8 pm.  This event is open to the public and will be held at the Maryville Community Center, West Court, at 1407 N. Country Club Road, Maryville MO. 

Panelists will present the impacts of AI Data Centers on communities regarding land ownership, financial tax breaks given to developers, environmental concerns, water and power usage, health effects, and transparency concerns among elected city and county officials. 

NodawaySaysNo.org consists of concerned citizens seeking answers about the proposed AI Data Center in southern Nodaway County. Visit the organization's web site for further information - https://nodawaysaysno.org/   Community members are encouraged to attend this meeting as well as the Maryville City Council and Nodaway County Commission meetings.  Maryville City Council meets every 2nd and 4th Monday at 5:30 pm in the Maryville Public Safety Meeting Room.  The Nodaway County Commissioners meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 8 am in the Commissioner’s Office in the County Administrative Center.

 

Edward Ferguson 1932-2026

Edward Wayman Ferguson, son of Forrest and Cleda (Wayman) Ferguson, passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at the age of 93.  Ed (a/k/a Eddie) was born on August 22, 1932, in Worth County, Missouri.  He graduated from Grant City High School in 1950.  Following his graduation, Ed taught school at a one-room school house, arriving there each morning on horseback.  

In 1952, Ed enlisted in the Navy.  He attended boot camp in San Diego and was later stationed in Corpus Christi and Newfoundland.  Following his discharge from the Navy in 1956, he went to work for the National Weather Service in North Platte, Nebraska.  He earned a degree in meteorology from Florida State University in 1963 and was recruited by the Federal government to work for the National Weather Service in Washington, DC.   He married Julia Peyton in 1967 and returned to the Midwest in 1972 to take a position with the National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City where he retired in 1990 as Deputy Director.  In his retirement, Ed taught meteorology for the William Jewel College Evening Division, enjoyed wood crafting, gardening and traveling.   In 2003, he and Julia moved to Englewood, Florida where they enjoyed many years of fun with family and friends.  He was a member of the Englewood Methodist Church.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents, his brother James Dean, sister Barbara Elaine Nichols and her husband Jim, and his wife of 58 years, Julia.  He is survived by daughters, Donna Peyton, Englewood, Florida, and Terri Peyton, Glenaire, Missouri; son Kaibni Peyton and his wife Lisa, Smithville, Missouri; son Edward (Ed) W. Ferguson, Jr. and his wife Cynthia, University City, Missouri; sister Sherry Cady, Kansas City, Missouri; seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

If you knew Ed, you know he lived by this motto: “If you’re going to do it, do it right.”  He was a dedicated and loving father, husband, brother and son; always a gentleman, patient and kind.  His presence will be missed by many.

The family will have a private memorial service at the Englewood (Florida) Methodist Church and a graveside service at Sarasota National Cemetery.

Opinion Fake AI Ads Backing Income Tax Elimination

By the Missouri-Kansas Laborers District Council

On Thursday, the Missouri-Kansas Laborers District Council issued a formal cease and desist letter to the corporate-backed political action committee “MO Tax Relief NOW,” demanding the immediate removal of deceptive, AI-generated posts on their social media. These ads feature fraudulent images of construction workers wearing hard hats emblazoned with Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) and other union logos to falsely imply labor support for a tax proposal that would have a devastating impact on working families across Missouri. Editor — The measure would eliminate the Missouri State Income Tax and replace it with a sales tax to be determined by the Legislature.

“It is a new low, even for corporate interests, to use artificial intelligence to steal our identity and lie to the public,” said Brandon Flinn, Business Manager for the Missouri-Kansas Laborers District Council. “A computer-generated image doesn’t have a mortgage to pay or groceries to buy, but our members do. To use our symbols to promote a policy that hurts working families is a moral insult and a desperate attempt to manufacture support for a dangerous proposal.”

“The truth is this is not tax relief. It is an Everything Tax,” Flinn continued. “This plan shifts the tax burden away from the wealthy and onto working people by taxing more of the everyday goods and services families rely on to survive.”

The reality of this proposal is a massive tax shift, not a tax cut. By eliminating the state income tax and forcing a drastic expansion of the sales tax to remain revenue-neutral, this scheme would effectively raise taxes on roughly 80% of Missourians. Meanwhile, the wealthiest earners and corporate interests would receive massive tax breaks while working families would pay more for groceries, gasoline, school supplies, utilities, home repairs, tools, vehicle maintenance, and countless everyday services.

For working families already struggling with rising housing, healthcare, childcare, and fuel costs, this regressive proposal amounts to an immediate pay cut. Experts have suggested that to offset the loss of state revenue, Missouri’s sales tax rate could skyrocket to more than 18%, dramatically increasing the cost of nearly everything families buy every single day.

“This is an Everything Tax designed to benefit the rich at the expense of workers,” Flinn said. “Laborers should not be forced to subsidize tax breaks for millionaires and corporate CEOs every time they buy groceries, fill up their gas tank, or pay for basic services.”

LIUNA demands that MO Tax Relief immediately cease using our likeness and union imagery and issue a public apology to Missouri voters for intentionally misleading the public. The Missouri-Kansas Laborers District Council will continue fighting against any scheme that raises costs on working families while delivering giveaways to the wealthy.

Worth County FFA Wraps Up a Successful Year

The Worth County FFA Chapter closed the school year on a high note after strong performances at the state convention and the selection of a new officer team for 2026–27.

At the Missouri FFA State Convention, members Riley Ridge, Rylee Ruckman, Bailey Steele, and Wyatt Hill earned the prestigious State FFA Degree. The Farm Business Management team—Brock Healy, Tucker Fletchall, Caleb New, and Kristen Tracy—also competed, bringing home a silver team rating. Individually, Caleb New received a gold rating for his performance.

Following the convention, the chapter held officer interviews and selected its new leadership team: President Kristen Tracy, Vice President Caleb New, Secretary Megan Tracy, Treasurer Keira Hardy, Reporter Braelyn Fletchall, and Sentinel Audrey Runde. The officers have already begun planning for the coming year under the theme, “Build It Even Better,” with a focus on leadership, growth, success, and service.

Summer plans are underway as well. Officers will participate in a retreat and training in May, assist with the pedal tractor pull at Old Defiance Days in June, and host a breakfast for the Worth County Tractor Cruise on July 3.

With momentum from a successful year and an ambitious plan ahead, Worth County FFA members are preparing to make next year even better.

—Article written and submitted by Braelyn Fletchall