Wyatt Williams Named New North Star President

North Star Advocacy Center announced today the appointment of Wyatt Williams as its new Executive Director, effective February 4, 2026. Williams brings 4.5 years of experience with the organization and a professional background in human services. A graduate of Northwest Missouri State University, he has developed expertise in trauma-informed care, program coordination and community outreach.

During his tenure at North Star Advocacy Center, Williams has played a key role in
overseeing organizational programs and initiatives, including the coordination of a food donation distribution program, collaboration with community organizations across the organization’s five-county service area, and the development and presentation of a sexual abuse and assault awareness curriculum for students in grades 6–12, in partnership with colleague Cindy Lemar. His work reflects a sustained commitment to advancing access to high-quality, trauma-informed services for individuals impacted by domestic and sexual
violence.

“This organization has a long-standing commitment to serving individuals with
compassion, accountability, and respect,” said Williams. “I am honored to support its
continued growth and to work alongside community partners to strengthen services and promote safety throughout the region.”
Williams previously served as a Victim Advocate with North Star Advocacy Center,
providing direct services to clients. In his role as Executive Director, he will focus on
supporting staff, strengthening community partnerships, and advancing the organization’s mission.

"The North Star Board of Directors welcome Wyatt to the Executive Director position," said Kay Wilson, president. "Wyatt will be a strong leader with a heart for the center's mission. The North Star staff and clients will be the focus of his leadership efforts."

North Star Advocacy Center is a domestic and sexual violence advocacy organization serving the counties of Nodaway, Atchison, Gentry, Holt, and Worth in Northwest Missouri.

 

Pattonsburg FBLA Results

The following Pattonsburg FBLA students placed at districts this year:

Elected VP of Membership — Anoushka Hedrick.

1st Place Data Analysis — Camden Mossburg and Andrew Nalle.

4th Place Public Service Announcement — Alanna Hulet and Kavinly Bumgarner.

9th Place Introduction to FBLA — Alanna Hulet.

9th Place Sports & Entertainment Management — Gavin Humphrey, Collin Mason, and Havok Sweiger.

10th Place Project Management — Kavinly Bumgarner.

The following Pattonsburg students got Business Achievement Awards:

Contributor, 1st Level — Anoushka Hedrick, Alanna Hulet, and Carlie Pittsenbarger.

Leader, 2nd Level — Anoushka Hedrick and Alanna Hulet, the only ones in their district.

Advocate, 3rd Level — Anoushka Hedrick and Alanna Hulet — the only ones in their district.

 

Cole Ruby Steps Up; Tiger Boys Snap Streak

The Tiger boys have been looking for a third scoring option all year besides Caleb New and Brock Healy. They took a step in the right direction when Cole Ruby stepped up and scored 10 points in Worth County’s 47-30 win over St. Joseph Christian Friday.  Even more importantly, he had no fouls, and nobody had more than three. Four trouble was a factor in Worth County’s loss to Pattonsburg.

The Tigers are still adjusting to life without Hayden Sanders at the point; they turned the ball over 20 times against the Lions. And they are still looking for a fourth and fifth scoring option; New, Healy, and Ruby scored 39 of the team’s 47 points. But the defense stepped up in a big way after they gave up 20 points in the fourth quarter in their 58-55 loss to Pattonsburg.

Caleb New had 18 points to lead the Tigers. Brock Healy had 11, Cole Ruby 10, Ryder Smyser 3, Brayden Combs 2, Ethan Lininger 2, and Jordan Dannar 1. The Tigers shot 18 of 44 from the field. They were 5 for 20 from bonus distance and 6 for 8 from the line.

Caleb New had 6 boards. Ryder Smyser, Ethan Lininger, and Brock Healy had 5, Jordan Dannar had 3, and Dylan Smith and Cole Ruby had 2.

Caleb New had 6 assists. Brayden Combs and Brock Healy had 2, and Dylan Smith and Jordan Dannar had 1.

Cole Ruby had 1 block.

Dylan Smith and Caleb New had 3 steals. Cole Ruby, Brock Healy, Jordan Dannar, and Ethan Lininger had 1.

Caleb New had 5 tips. Dylan Smith had 4 and Cole Ruby and Brock Healy had 2.

 

Regional Media Launches KNIM Talk

Regional Media, Inc is excited to announce the launch of KNIM Talk, a new radio format on KNIM 95.9 FM and 1580 AM.

KNIM Talk features locally provided talk shows and national shows discussing a variety of topics between hosts and guests.

“After measuring input from the community, Regional Media is thrilled to provide its audience with a new talk radio format,” said President and CEO Robert Maschio. “KNIM Talk takes our programming to a new level and allows listeners to tune in to shows not readily available in this market.”

Duane Lester, a seasoned grassroots organizer, political strategist and communicator, will serve as the local morning show host. He spent nearly a decade with Americans for Prosperity and over 20 years fighting for individual liberty and limited government.

The Duane Leaster Show discusses primarily local and state political issues with knowledgeable guests daily from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

With the new format, listeners can enjoy information and commentary from Brownfield Programming, The Ramsey Show, Show Me Today, The Sean Hannity Show, Will Cain Country, Our American Stories, Coast to Coast AM, First Thing Today with Joe Thomas, Clay Travis & Buck Sexton and Fox News. 

These changes will not impact KVVL 97.1, which will continue to play classic rock music. For more information, visit knimtalk.com

 

Multiple Tiger FBLA Teams Qualify for State

Worth County High School’s FBLA chapter delivered a strong performance at the District 1 Competition this past Thursday, February 5. The chapter brought home several top finishes and qualified nine students for the State Leadership Conference.

The Tigers were led by two first-place finishes and several runners-up who will represent the chapter at the state level:

Digital Video (1st Place): Seniors Lucas Frisch, Brayden Combs, and Andrew Griffin took the top spot with their professional video production. The team extended a special thank you to local business owner Adam Summers for allowing them to conduct an interview and tour his business to provide a real-world perspective for their project.

Electronic Career Portfolio (1st Place): Junior Kristen Tracy won her category with a comprehensive website showcasing her resume and career research focused on her passion for farming. You can view her award-winning portfolio at ktracy23.wixsite.com/farm.

Graphic Design (2nd Place): Senior Conner Pointer and Junior Arenna Galanakis earned their state bid with a creative logo redesign for the Oldtowne Cafe.

Introduction to Business Presentation (2nd Place): Freshmen Tucker Fletchall and Brock Healy made an impressive debut, taking second place and qualifying for state in their first year of competition. Their presentation focused on the risks and benefits of businesses using artificial intelligence.

Objective Tests & Speaking: Jolynn Hawk placed in the top five in all of her events and qualified for state in two. She qualified in both Introduction to Supply Chain Management and Introduction to Business Communication. She also placed 5th in Introduction to Public Speaking.

In addition to the state qualifiers, Worth County saw strong placement in other competitive team events:

Event Planning (4th Place): Juniors Krista Monticue and Evalyn Gilland earned a fourth-place finish, demonstrating their logistical and organizational skills in one of the day’s most challenging categories.

The state qualifiers will now begin preparing for the Missouri FBLA State Leadership Conference held this April, where they will compete against the best business students from across the state.

 

Hopkins Passes Dog and Cat Ordinance

The Hopkins City Council, at their regular meeting Monday, February 2nd, passed an ordinance limiting the number of cats and dogs that residents may own. Residents may own up to three dogs and four cats. The ordinance contains a grandfather clause. Any owner who is already in possession of more than three dogs and four cats shall be permitted to retain the animals until the animal’s death or other disposition. No such animal may be replaced or added if the addition exceeds the limitations passed. Owners must register all such animals by April 1st and keep registration up to date.

People are guilty of animal neglect when they have in custody or ownership an animal and fails to provide adequate care or control which results in substantial harm. Dumping of animals is prohibited.

A person is guilty of animal abuse when they purposefully kill an animal except where allowed by state law, purposely or intentionally cause injury or suffering to an animal, or fail to provide for their adequate care or control.

Breeding of animals in public view is prohibited. If animals are to be bred, it has to be done within an enclosure so that they are not in public view.

It shall be unlawful for any person to permit an animal to run at large within the city. All dogs must be attached to a leash or confined to the owner’s property so they do not stray from their property. Dogs bearing an identification tag stating the owner’s name and address and being kept on the property without a leash or other confinement shall not be deemed to be running at large.

A tether to which a dog is attached shall either be held by a person sufficiently capable of restraining such dog or shall be securely fastened to an object of sufficient weight and/or anchor to restrain such dog. Such a tether shall not allow a dog to be within three feet of any public alley, sidewalk, or roadway, allow the dog to come into contact with another tethered dog, or allow the dog to cross any barrier which could result in the dog being hung by its collar. Dogs who are tethered must have access at all times to food, water, and shelter, be attached by a well-fitted dog collar or harness in good working condition that is not a slip, self-tightening, or “prong” collar,  and remain free of entangled objects.

All dogs being kept within the city by the time they reach three months shall be vaccinated against rabies. Unvaccinated dogs  over three months of age acquired or moved into the city must be vaccinated within 30 days.

No person shall own, keep, or harbor on any premises any dog over three months of age without obtaining a license tag for that dog. Such license tag shall be attached to the collar of the dog. Dog licenses shall be issued upon presentation of a certificate of inoculation against rabies, signed by a licensed veterinarian, which certificate shall have been executed sometime during the previous 36 month period for a three-year vaccination or during the previous 12 months for other vaccinations. Applications for dog licenses shall be made every year before December 31st for each 12-month period.

License fees shall be $10 for a spayed or neutered dog and $40 for one that is not. No license shall be issued for a spayed or neutered dog without a certificate from a veterinarian.

The dog licensing rules do not apply for owners who are non-residents temporarily for a period of less than 30 days, people  who bring dogs into town for a dog show, or the owner of a seeing-eye or other ADA compliant service dog needed to assist a person while in town. Such service dogs must be used and owned by the person for the stated purpose.

No person shall own or harbor within the city any dog that by loud and frequent or habitual barking, yelping, or howling, is an annoyance to another.

No person shall harbor or keep a fierce, vicious, or dangerous dog or other animal without being caged in a manner not to pose a danger to any inhabitant of the city. Such dogs, upon finding of guilty, shall be removed from the city.

Any person who owns or controls an animal that bites a person or domestic animal or acts in a manner suggesting rabies shall notify the City Council or its designee of the name and address of the person or owner of the animal bitten and place such animal in an animal shelter operated by a veterinarian for a ten-day period of quarantine for observation for rabies at the owner’s expense. Neither the council nor any other person shall kill or cause to be killed any animal suspected of being rabid except when necessary to protect the safety of persons or other animals or to effect the capture of said animal.

Any dog running at large within the city and whose owner cannot be determined shall be impounded. All dogs so picked up may be redeemed by the owner upon proof of ownership, payment of boarding fees, and payment of a rabies shot if proof of immunization against rabies cannot be provided. If proof of immunization against rabies is procided within seven days, a refund will be granted. Such owners have seven days to redeem impounded dogs. Dogs that are not claimed within seven days will be adopted out or destroyed.

Violations of this ordinance will be subject to criminal or civil penalties. Criminal penalties can be punished by imprisonment not exceeding three months and/or a fine of not more than $500.

The vote to pass this ordinance was unanimous.

The city certified the ballot for the April 7th election. There are four people running for two Alderman positions. They are Rick Gladman, Allan Thompson, Allen Coleman, and David Smyser. A renewal of the Street Improvement Levy is also on the ballot. This is not a tax increase, but a renewal of an existing levy.

The city has sent letters of violation to various owners. One family has moved. One person came in and got tags for his dogs. Other letters have not been responded to; they will go to the City Attorney for further action. One letter will be sent to the landlord of one of the properties.

The delinquent list was discussed. It is much shorter now than it was before. Previously, it was three pages long; now, it is half a page long.

The city received a complaint regarding unlicensed vehicles parked in the road. They interfere with the school bus route as well as emergency vehicles. The city will send out letters of violation.

 

 

Kristen Tracy, Rylee Ruckman Go Off for Tigers; Jayden Goble Gets Career High for Panthers

Worth County's girls overcame a slow start Tuesday, February 3rd against Pattonsburg and built up an insurmountable lead by the end of the third quarter. They went on to get a 62-38 win over the Panthers. Kristen Tracy has now saved two of her best games for the Panthers, getting 20 points, her most in quite some time, and adding 14 boards. Rylee Ruckman overcame foul trouble and added 18. The supporting cast played a big role, as the Tigers saw their lead grow from eight to 13 points with Kynlee Steele and Keira Hardy on the floor in the last four minutes of the second quarter with Ruckman and Kambree Briner sitting with three fouls. 

Ruckman is another player who has saved some of her best games for the Panthers. During her eighth-grade year, the Tigers played a junior high game at the dome with Pattonsburg that featured nearly every play turning into a rugby scrum, with 36 held balls being called. Ruckman was the best player on the court that night with 13 steals, and the Tigers came away victorious.

For Pattonsburg, they got Addie Iddings back (flu), but the Tigers shut her out for the night. Jayden Goble stepped up, getting a career high 15 points and 10 rebounds. Annabelle Gardner, who always seems to save her best games for the Tigers, had 12 points and 13 rebounds. Cheyenne Miller had 8. 

The game was tied and 7 and 9 before Worth County finally got some separation early in the second quarter as Audrey Runde and Rylee Ruckman got back-to-back jacks to make it 15-9. Pattonsburg was outworking and outrebounding Worth County in the early going and Worth County was making some crazy passes down the floor that weren't there. 

Cheyenne Miller's free throw cut the Pattonsburg deficit to 17-12 before Kambree Briner hit a free throw and Kristen Tracy went backdoor to make it 20-12. That was the score when both Ruckman and Briner went to the bench with three fouls. Pattonsburg twice cut it to six, but after that, it was Worth County who rallied as Runde went backdoor, Kristen Tracy knocked one down in the high post, Runde got a putback, and Keira Hardy hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to make it 31-18 at the half.

Miller and Goble worked the boards to cut it to 31-22 to start the second half, but a rested Ruckman went off on one of her scoring bursts, hitting a free throw, knocking down a 3-opinter, and getting a putback to make it 37-22. Audrey Runde stole a lazy inbounds pass, Kambree Briner slashed and scored, and Rylee Ruckman hit her third triple of the night to make it 44-22 to cap off the 13-0 run.

Jayden Goble hit a free throw to break the run, but Kristen Tracy hit a shot in the high post, and then Kynlee Steele scored three points as she made a free throw, missed the second, and then the Tigers kept the possession alive for five chances before Steele drew another foul and hit two free throws as the Tigers reversed their rebounding deficit from the first half.

Kristen Tracy hit three free throws down the third quarter stretch, Kambree Briner slashed and scored, and Rylee Ruckman hit her fourth and fifth triples of the night to put the Tigers up 61-27 before they started subbing freely.

Kristen Tracy had 20 points. Rylee Ruckman had 18, Audrey Runde 12, Kambree Briner 5, Keira Hardy and Kynlee Steele 3, and Megan Tracy 1.

Kristen Tracy had 3 blocks. Megan Tracy had 1.

Kristen Tracy had 14 boards. Kynlee Steele had 6, Megan Tracy and Audrey Runde 5, Rylee Ruckman and Kambree Briner 4, and Keira Hardy had 1.

Audrey Runde and Megan Tracy had 6 assists. Rylee Ruckman and Kambree Briner had 3 each, Kennedy Murphy 2, and Kynlee Steele and Kristen Tracy 1.

Megan Tracy had 5 tips. Rylee Ruckman had 3, Kristen Tracy and Kambree Briner had 2, and Kynlee Steele, Audrey Runde, and Keira Hardy had 1.

Kristen Tracy had 5 steals. Audrey Runde and Rylee Ruckman had 4 each. Kennedy Murphy had 3, Megan Tracy 3, and Kambree Briner, Kynlee Steele, and Keira Hardy had 1.

For Pattonsburg, Jayden Goble had 15 points. Annabelle Gardner had 12, Cheyenne Miller 8, and Carly Pittsenbarger 3.

Annabelle Gardner had 2 blocks. Addie Iddings, Jayden Goble, and Cheyenne Miller had 1.

Annabelle Gardner had 13 boards. Jayden Goble had 10, Addie Iddings 6, Kavinly Bumgarner and Carly Pittsenbarger 3, and Cheyenne Miller 2. 

Jayden Goble had 3 assists. Annabelle Gardner and Addie Iddings had 2, and Kavinly Bumgarner and Carly Pittsenbarger had 1.

Jayden Goble had 5 tips. Cheyenne Miller had 2 and Kavinly Bumgarner, Annabelle Gardner, and Addie Iddings had 1 each.

Cheyenne Miller had 7 steals. Jayden Goble and Annabelle Gardner had 2 each and Kavinly Bumgarner and Carly Pittsenbarger had 1.