Justin Donovan, Stanberry Firefighter, Passes Away

Justin Donovan of the Stanberry Fire Department passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, September 15th, the Fire Department announced on its Facebook page. He was knowledgeable about emergency medicine, firefighting, and had a passion for Stanberry. He was an integral part of Stanberry's Fourth of July Celebration.

Numerous fire trucks and ambulances from all over NW Missouri accompanied the procession as Donovan was returned from Kansas City. On Saturday, the Albany Fire Department covered for them as they attended Donovan's funeral.

Editorial -- City of Fremont (NE) Attacks Homeschooling

There was a deeply disturbing article from WOWT-TV out of Omaha. They reported that a volunteer firefighter, Andrew Coates (22), who was homeschooled, applied to the Fremont Fire Department to pursue his dream of saving lives. The city rejected his application because he was homeschooled.

Apparently, in the City of Fremont's world, you get hired for who you are, not because of your qualifications or merits. According to WOWT, Mr. Coates has the backing of his boss, the Cedar Bluffs Fire Chief, and he got his state EMT license. 

We were homeschooled after third grade, so this struck close to home. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Cap Factory in Grant City for taking a chance on us even though we didn't have a GED at the time. We made quota on one station and got 75% on two others in the 1 1/2 years we were there. We would have been broke or not doing this paper without it.

If we want kids to make good choices, the last thing people with hiring authority should do is throw up barriers where there should be none. We hear people all the time complain about why people won't work anymore. We submit that actions like the City of Fremont's are one reason why nobody wants to work. 

The best way to change this elitist mentality or to prevent it in the first place is for people to attend their local council meetings, county commission meetings, and other local governing bodies. Elections at the city council level matter just as much as elections for the White House. 

Opinion -- House Approves Graves Water Resource Bill

 by Rep. Sam Graves Office

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved H.R. 9497, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026, a bipartisan bill that addresses improvements for the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation system, flood and storm risk management, environment, and other aspects of our water resources infrastructure. The bill, introduced by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (MO-06), was approved 415 to 9 on Wednesday. 

Communities nationwide and the U.S. economy rely on WRDA-authorized investments in water resources infrastructure and projects of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). Since 2014, Congress has enacted a WRDA every two years to help improve water resources infrastructure. WRDA-authorized projects of the Corps are locally-driven projects that deliver regional and national benefits.

“WRDA 2026 makes significant improvements across the country to our inland waterways, ports and harbors, flood protection, and other critical water infrastructure. This bill also makes common-sense reforms to the Army Corps of Engineers’ policies, empowers local communities, and expedites project delivery,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO). “For North Missouri, WRDA 2026 advances a comprehensive flood control plan on the Missouri River, ensuring that people and property are the main priority when managing the river. It also expands the ways our levee owners can work with the Corps to build flood risk management infrastructure and provides necessary, streamlined assistance to levee districts facing maintenance challenges. I look forward to working with the other chief sponsors of this bill – T&I Ranking Member Rick Larsen, Subcommittee Chairman Mike Collins, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Frederica Wilson – in addition to my colleagues in the House and our counterparts in the Senate to see a final WRDA bill signed into law by the end of this Congress.”

Numerous stakeholders have also expressed support for passing WRDA 2026.

As approved by the House today, WRDA 2026 authorizes 133 new feasibility studies for locally proposed water resources infrastructure projects and 14 projects that have been vetted by the Corps and are ready for construction authorization by Congress.

In addition, WRDA 2026 includes various policy changes to improve infrastructure project delivery. These include strengthening and reauthorizing alternative project delivery programs, emphasizing non-federal interests’ input for feasibility studies, and helping ensure non-federal interests can find the right Corps resources to get projects off the ground. 

The bill improves the partnership between the Corps and non-federal interests by establishing offices with expertise on inland navigation, alternative delivery, water supply, and technical assistance.  Policies in this bill will improve non-federal interests’ ability to obtain valuable technical assistance and to fund construction more quickly, as well as to encourage the Corps to increase use of multi-year contracts.

WRDA 2026 provisions will better support the Corps’ navigation mission, improve the Corps’ accountability to Congress, strengthen flood and coastal storm risk management, and address dam safety through the reauthorization of the High Hazard Potential Dam program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) National Dam Safety Program.

Wins for North Missouri:

--Streamlines the Corps of Engineers’ process so local partners can more easily make needed improvements to federal water projects.

--Protects the Missouri River by ensuring its waters cannot be diverted out of the basin to Western states without the Governor’s approval.

--Directs the Corps to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to slow the buildup of sediment in the largest reservoir system in the country, the Missouri River Reservoir System, preserving the storage capacity necessary to protect communities from flooding and support navigation.

--Implements a comprehensive flood protection plan on the Lower Missouri River that puts local levee districts and communities in the drivers seat to move new flood control projects forward with help from the Corps.

--Ensures members of the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) elect their own chair, giving navigators, levee districts, communities, and other stakeholders a stronger voice in the committee.

--Ensures Mississippi River communities and levee districts aren’t hit with devastating new bureaucratic requirements until the Corps comes up with a workable plan to protect communities from flooding.

--Authorizes a nationwide review of the inland waterways to identify ways to modernize and strengthen them for the future.

--Encourages the Corps to clearly communicate what land rights local interests actually need to maintain flood protection projects.

Weekly Area Road Work for September 23rd, 2026

Daviess County

Route T – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route AA to Bean Avenue, Sept. 23, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route T – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 145th Street to 130th Street, Sept. 24, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Harrison County

I-35 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to Route N near Eagleville through October 2026. An 11-foot width restriction will be in place. (Contractor: Emery Sapp & Sons)

Nodaway County

U.S. Route 71 – Intersection improvement project at 340th Street through early November 2026. (Contractor: Leavenworth Excavating & Equipment Company, Inc.) https://www.modot.org/projects/us-route-71-j-turn-installation-nodaway-county

U.S. Route 71 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to Route CC north of Maryville through September 2026. The road will be narrowed to one lane, and a 10-foot width restriction will be in place.

U.S. Route 46 – Resurfacing project from U.S. Route 59 to Nodaway River through late October. The road will be narrowed to one lane. with an 11-foot width restriction. (Contractor: Herzog Contracting Corp.)

U.S. Route 136 – Resurfacing project from I-29 to Route 71, east of the Burlington Junction. The road will be narrowed to one lane. with an 11-foot width restriction. (Contractor: Herzog Contracting Corp.)

Route E – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to U.S. Route 136 through September 2026. The road will be narrowed to one lane, with a 10-foot width restriction in place. (Contractor: Herzog Contracting Corp.)

Route EE – Resurfacing project from Route NN to U.S. Route 136 through September 2026. The road will be narrowed to one lane, with a 10-foot width restriction in place. (Contractor: Herzog Contracting Corp.)

Route VV – CLOSED for a deck replacement project at the Platte River Bridge through December 2026. (Contractor: Louis-Company, LLC) https://www.modot.org/projects/route-vv-bridge-replacement-nodaway-county

Route A – Bridge maintenance at the bridge over the Nodaway River, Sept. 21-25. The bridge will be narrowed to one lane around-the-clock with temporary traffic signals.

Route AF – CLOSED for pavement repair from 300th Street to 300th Street, Sept. 21-25, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

U.S. Route 71 – Shoulder work from Route AB to Fortune Road, Sept. 23.

Worth County

Routes E and PP – Pothole patching, Sept. 24-25.

Opinion -- Bill Would Regulate License Plate Readers

by State Rep. Brad Christ's Office

State Rep. Brad Christ (R-Sappington) announced Friday that he will support legislation next legislative session to regulate automated license plate reader cameras in Missouri, which currently operate under no state law. More than 3,400 of the cameras are in use across the state according to community mapping projects.

The bill would require license plate and vehicle data to be permanently deleted within thirty days, prohibit vendors from sharing or commercializing Missouri-generated data, limit the use of ALPR technology to legitimate criminal justice and lifesaving purposes, require accountability measures to prevent and penalize misuse, and prohibit the integration of artificial intelligence facial recognition technology with ALPR systems.

"Our police should keep every tool that catches criminals, and our government should not keep a map of where every law-abiding family drives," Christ said. "Right now, Missouri has no law on this at all. A Joplin officer ran one plate almost 400 times, a St. Charles County employee used the cameras for personal reasons, and a man from Sunset Hills was told at the Kirkwood Lowe's that his own car was stolen. Nobody voted for any of this. My bill keeps the cameras, puts real limits on the data, and puts a felony behind those limits."

Christ made the announcement after several concerns reached his office including a Sunset Hills resident Jim Dobernic who was stopped by police in the Kirkwood Lowe's parking lot and told his car was stolen.

"I was completely surprised to be swarmed by police and accused of stealing my own car," Dobernic said. "I had to show them my driver's license and registration to keep them from towing it. They told me they stopped me because my license plate matched one that had been reported stolen and a license plate camera tracked him in Kirkwood."

The Missouri Sheriffs' Association said in August that it supports a statutory retention limit, agency ownership of camera data and penalties for misuse. Six bills to ban the cameras outright have been filed since 2024; none received a hearing. Christ's desires in future legislation is the first to combine a short retention cap, a sharing ban, a suppression remedy and criminal penalties.

The license plate bill builds on Christ's earlier work on data privacy. In the 2025 session he sponsored House Bill 500, the Biometric Information Privacy Act, which would require private companies to get written consent before collecting a person's fingerprints, facial scans, DNA or other biometric identifiers; bar them from selling or profiting from that data; require a public schedule for destroying it; and let individuals sue for $1,000 to $5,000 per violation. Christ has said the two bills address the same problem from two directions: a fingerprint or a DNA sample can't be reissued like a credit card number, and neither can a year-long record of where a family drives. "Whether it's a company scanning your face or a camera logging your plate, the rule should be the same," Christ said. "Collect only what you need, keep it only as long as you need it, and answer for it if you abuse it."

Christ chairs the House Emerging Issues Committee and is endorsed by the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police and the St. Louis County Police Association. He was first elected in 2022 and represents the 96th District, which includes Sunset Hills, Crestwood, Fenton, Sappington and Oakland. 

Hayden Sanders Rushes for 115, Bo Collins Gets Pick Six in 68-22 Tiger Win

Worth County overcame an early deficit against previously unbeaten North Andrew as Hayden Sanders rushed for 115 yards and led the team in tackling with nine stops as he was fully recovered from a hip flexor injury he suffered against Princeton. Bo Collins added a pick-six that was a backbreaker, while Brock Healy completed 7 of 8 passes for 166 yards.

Last week, it was the offense that struggled against Princeton as Sanders had to come out after struggling in the sweltering heat and the increased workload, as he now plays defense full-time. This week, it was the defense that struggled in the first quarter against a North Andrew squad that featured a lot of new wrinkles. Normally a power running team under the guidance of Dewayne Williams and his son Dustyn, they opened up the passing game this year with Levi McAfee, a dual threat. They now call the play in the huddle and then rush up to the line of scrimmage before snapping it, a legal play as long as they have a legal formation and they are set for one second prior to the snap; that kept the Tigers off balance.

To take the load off Sanders, Worth County alternated him and Brock Healy at quarterback. The results were immediate; they rarely let the play clock run low, and Hayden was able to stay fresh for the whole game. Asked if he was in any pain after the game, Hayden Sanders said, “No, I feel good.”

The Tigers have a similar makeup to the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers, who had both a powerful running quarterback in Tommie Frazier and a powerful passing quarterback in Brook Berringer. That Cornhusker team won the National Championship and is widely regarded as one of the greatest college football teams of all time. Despite all that, their coach, Tom Osborne, was very humble about his accomplishments. “I’m the same man I was before we won our national championships,” he said during a talk he gave when he came to Northwest Missouri State.

The question was who would lead the junior varsity, since Healy was promoted to varsity quarterback along with Sanders. Liam Cordell, who had never played quarterback before, quarterbacked the Junior Varsity on Monday, September 14^th. He showed some early jitters, but showed some mad scrambling ability, and he threw some good balls as well as he guided the Tigers to an easy victory.

On fourth and two at their own 20 on their first possession, Worth County gambled and it paid off when Hayden Sanders got a block from Jace Burns and burst through a big hole for 45 yards to flip the field to the Cardinal 15. Cole Ruby weaved his way to the six, Hayden Sanders bounced outside to the two on a counter, and Jude Archer burst up the middle for a score with 9:30 left. Cole Ruby ran in the extra points to make it 8-0.

Worth County put North Andrew behind the sticks as Boston Cole met Ryder Smyser after Jordan Dannar’s tackle pinned them at the 20 on the kickoff. North Andrew spread it out, but Smyser dropped Levi McAfee for no gain. But a defensive holding penalty gave North Andrew a first down at the 32. Ethan Lininger dropped Ruger Herbert for no gain. McAfee picked up four to set up third and six, but once again, Worth County could not get off the field as McAfee aired it out to Isaac Coats to the Tiger 5. Then, nobody picked up Adler Miller coming out of the backfield a few plays later, and North Andrew was on the board. Jacob Hill caught the extra point pass to tie it up at 8-8.

Once again, Worth County was faced with a fourth and two at their own 32, and once again, they successfully went for it. Hayden Sanders picked up three yards, and a facemask penalty put it on the Cardinal 30. Hayden Sanders picked up two to the 28, and then Dylan Smith, subbing for Wyatt Scadden who was shaken up during the kickoff, made a diving grab at the 10 after a pass from Brock Healy. Cole Ruby got blocks from Ethan Lininger, Bo Collins, and Hayden Sanders as he took it the rest of the way to make it 14-8 with 3:04 left in the first.

But North Andrew struck right back as Worth County was still not ready for the Cards’ scrambling up to the line and getting the snap off quickly; Levi McAfee scored off a burst through a big hole to with 1:41 left to put them on the board. Nobody picked up Isaac Coats on the extra point pass, and he caught it to put North Andrew up 16-14.

North Andrew tried to take control with an onsides kick, but Worth County covered it at their own 37 to set up a short field. Jude Archer picked up six to the 37. Hayden Sanders picked up eight more to the Cardinal 29. A drop was followed by an offsides penalty to put the ball on the 24. Hayden Sanders picked up 12 yards after getting a block from Bo Collins, Cole Ruby started off to the right side on the next play, and then got a block from Jace Burns that sprung him free down the left side to the house with 11 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 20-16.

Worth County finally got a break as Ethan Lininger forced a fumble and recovered it at the Cardinal 18 on their second play from scrimmage. Cole Ruby got a block from Jace Burns and picked up six to the 12. Jude Archer scrambled for five down to the seven, and Jude Archer got a block from Cole Ruby to the house with 11:01 left in the second. Brock Healy threw a strike to Bo Collins to make it 28-16.

Jordan Dannar pinned the Cardinals deep at their own 19, but Levi McAfee picked up a 24-yard burst to the Tiger 37. They nearly had them stopped, but then nobody picked up Boston Cole on the guard eligible play, and he took it to the 11. But McAfee met Jordan Dannar at the 10, and Dannar broke up a pass to set up third and nine. Bo Collins dropped Levi McAfee at the 11, and then a hurry forced an incompletion and Worth County finally got a stop on defense. On their first play from scrimmage, Jude Archer took a burst up the middle 69 yards to the house with 6:46 left in the second quarter. Wyatt Scadden came back from being shaken up and caught a pass to make it 36-16.

With the graduation of Wyatt Hill, Coach Jon Adwell had been trying several different people at kicker, but finally found his man in Xander Bodle, who drilled one into the end zone on the ensuing kickoff. Hayden Sanders dropped Miller and McAfee on consecutive plays to set up third and ten. Bentin Roberts broke up a pass to force a three and out. On the ensuing punt, Worth County once again had a long runback wiped out by a penalty and they started at their own 35. But it didn’t matter this time as Brock Healy threw a strike to Bo Collins with 5:15 left. On the extra point try, Hayden Sanders came under a heavy rush, but threw a sidearm sling to Cole Ruby for the two points to make it 44-16.

Lance Runde pinned North Andrew at its own 20 on the next play on the kickoff. Ruger Herbert picked up five on North Andrew’s first play, but Ethan Lininger dropped him for no gain. McAfee was stopped three yards short by Bo Collins, and North Andrew was forced to punt. A good kick pinned Worth County at the 17. Cole Ruby picked up three to the 20, and there was a heartstopping moment as Bo Collins took a short pass from Brock Healy, and his catch and run looked headed to the house, only for him to fumble it. But he got back on it at the Cardinal 29. Hayden Sanders got a block from Jace Burns and took it the rest of the way with 1:52 left in the second, and Brock Healy threw a strike to Jude Archer to make it 52-16.

Once again, Worth County was caught out of position when North Andrew scrambled to the line and snapped the ball, and five different players took themselves out of the play as Adler Miller burst through for 60 yards to the Tiger six after Xander Bodle had pinned them deep at their own 15. But Miller was met by Ethan Lininger on the next play for no gain. Levi McAfee ran into Jude Archer on the next to set up third and goal. McAfee tried to throw it in the end zone, but left it too far for Isaac Coats to set up fourth down. On the next play, Bo Collins made up for his previous miscue as he jumped a route, picked off the pass, and took it 75 yards to the house as time expired. Jude Archer made a diving catch to make it 60-16.

Frustration set in for North Andrew, and they picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that pinned them at their own 8. On third down, Jude Archer slipped and fell, but McAfee led his man too far, and the Cardinals were forced to punt. Worth County got a sack, a negative play, and a holding penalty that put them third and 29 at their own 23. But in a play reminiscent of the 2017 State Championship game, Worth County gave it to Jude Archer to get as much as he could with it. He burst free 56 yards before being tackled at the one. Hayden Sanders took it the rest of the way, and Bo Collins caught the extra point pass to make it 68-16.

McAfee took it in with 1:25 left in the third from four yards out as the Tigers were starting to take out key players. The game was called after three quarters.

Brock Healy completed 7 out of 8 passes for 166 yards.

Hayden Sanders rushed 9 times for 115 yards. Jude Archer had 5 carries for 84 yards. Cole Ruby had 7 carries for 44 yards.

Bo Collins had 2 catches for 76 yards. Jude Archer had 5 catches for 70 yards, and Dylan Smith had 1 catch for 18 yards.

Hayden Sanders had 9 tackles for the Tigers. Bentin Roberts, Jude Archer, and Jordan Dannar had 8. Bo Collins and Ethan Lininger had 5 each. Cole Ruby had 4, Ryder Smyser 3, Brock Healy 2, and Lance Runde and Hudson Cameron 1.

Tye Parsons Named Maryville Assistant City Manager

The City of Maryville has selected Tye Parsons as its next Assistant City Manager. Mr. Parsons has more than 25 years of experience in public service, project development, organizational leadership, and community collaboration. He will begin his new position September 29th, 2026. 

Mr. Parsons previously served as Grants Coordinator for Northwest Missouri State, coordinating local, regional, state, and federal funding initiatives that secured or facilitated nearly $34 million across 260 projects. Before that, he was Executive Director for the Northwest Missouri Regional Council, overseeing the regional planning commission and services to 40 communities across the five-county region. 

He also served on the Maryville City Council, including as Mayor Pro Tempore and Mayor, between 2019 and 2025. During his tenure, the city advanced several major initiatives, including regional 911 consolidation, the South Main Street corridor reconstruction, the Public Safety building, and the new water treatment plant.

Mr. Parsons holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Missouri and a Bachelor of Science from Northwest.