Northwest Missouri State University has announced the appointment of its first vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Dr. Juanita Simmons has been appointed to the new position. Northwest said the role is designed to help broaden diversity, equity and inclusion efforts campus wide for students and employees and impact community initiatives.

The University’s Board of Regents, which authorized the University to add the position in April, approved the hire during a July 27 meeting.

“Dr. Simmons is the right leader at the right time, and we welcome her to our learning community,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “Her life and academic experiences are rich, real and perfectly suited to help us bolster our efforts in terms of access and success, teaching and learning, and campus and community climate.”

Simmons comes to Northwest from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she has served as a faculty member since 2003, teaching educational leadership and policy analysis. Previously, she served in various administrative roles in the Austin and Dallas, Texas, independent school districts. She also was a high school English, journalism and humanities teacher in the Dallas Independent School District.

She has Ph.D. and master’s degree, both in educational administration from the University of Texas-Austin. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English and speech from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Simmons will begin work at Northwest on Aug. 8.

“My interaction with this community has proven to be synergistic and in direct alignment with my lifelong work for equity and respect of personhood,” Simmons said. “The vision of President Jasinski, the Northwest Leadership Team and the Strategic Objective 3 members speaks hope for the entire Maryville community to become a model for unity and goodwill. A model is critically needed to restore hope in the midst of our current national uncertainties. The growth and development plans of this city, as shown by Assistant City Manager Ryan Heiland, make this vision ripe for Maryville to be that beacon of light for the nation. It is my desire to work with others, including the faculty, staff and students, to help put this great vision into action.”

Incest charges have been filed against a 44-year-old Maryville woman who is already registered as a sex offender.

Cynthia Kay Hayes was arrested over the weekend. Authorities say Hayes allegedly had sex with her 21-year-old son, who has disabilities giving him the mental capacity of a 12-year-old. The son claims his mother has had sex with him on four occasions last month. In a court affidavit, a detective says Ms Hayes admitted to having intercourse with her son on two occasions.

A judge set bail at $10,000. Hayes is being held in the Nodaway County Jail.

Election results from northeastern Kansas and Northwest Missouri produced some surprising results, and some that were not so surprising.  According to the final, unofficial results in Holt County, David McClain has ousted incumbent Sheriff Scott Wedlock. That final GOP vote tally was 718 to 632, a margin of 53% to 47%.  There are no Democrats running.

Carla Markt beat Mike Freeman for the GOP nomination for 1st District Commissioner (69% to 31%). Susan Lentz beat Iva Tubbs in the Republican race for County Coroner (80%-20%). (Click here)

In Clinton County, the final unofficial election results set up some showdowns in the general election.  Larry Fish won a three-way race for the Republican nomination for Sheriff. He moves on to the general election to face incumbent Sheriff, Democrat K. Porter Henson.  In the District One county commission race, Bill Webb beat Danny Williams among the Democrats, and will face Gary McCrea.  McCrea beat Doug Menteer (67% to 33%) for the Republican nomination. Cindy McClelland Carter won the GOP nomination for County Assessor, beating Linda Cassity by a 57% to 43% margin. Carter will face Mylissa Stutesman, who ran unopposed for the Democrats.

In Wathena, Kansas, voters easily passed the resumption of the city’s one-cent sales tax for the next ten years. The tax will be used to fund street maintenance and improvements, as well as at the city’s water and sewer utilities. Officials say the tax expired about a month ago. It generates about $100,000 per year.  212 voters said “yes,” while just 61 voted against the sales tax.

Elsewhere in Doniphan County, Republicans will hold onto several positions without opposition from the Democrats. Thad Geiger beat the incumbent 2nd District Commissioner,Terry Horner by a margin of 402 to 262 votes. In the third district, Jerry McKernan beat George Mitchell (274-108). In the race for County Treasurer, Lindsay Ehterton beat Melissa Mott by a margin of 812 to 595 votes.

Caldwell County Republicans picked Denny Hoskins over Mike McGhee for the District 21 seat in the state senate (57% to 42%). Hoskins moves on to the general election in November to face Democrat Eigene Ver Dught, who ran unopposed.

Voters in DeKalb, Andrew and Gentry counties easily approved a $2.5 million bond issue to fund a new gym and some new classrooms at the elementary school in the King City R-1 School District.

 

 

 

A St. Joseph firefighter recently claimed a $10,000 Missouri Lottery prize.

According to a press release, 69-year-old Russell Moore said his fire station is quite lucky. Two other firefighters in the district have won similar prizes in years past.

Moore won on a “$1,000 Frenzy” Scratchers ticket he purchased back in April. He said he bought the ticket at Imperial Gas, 811 S. Sixth St., in St. Joseph.

“I remember a guy talking to me about how he always plays 26 (numbered ticket). Well, I always play 24 because I like it,” Moore said. “So, I went back in and I bought 24, 25 and 26. On the 24th ticket, I scratched off 10 winners, and they were all for $5 apiece, which gave me all my money back. I thought, ‘Well, I’m glad for that, anyway.’

He said the next ticket, 25, also had 10 winners.

“The very first scratch was a $1,000 winner,” Moore said. “I about fell out of my truck.”

Each additional scratch revealed another $1,000 prize, bringing the total win to $10,000.

The battalion chief said he dedicated the entire win to his daughter’s college fund.

He followed the Scratchers win with back-to-back wins on Club Keno.

Moore is a dedicated player, and he said he’ll keep playing for another big prize. The St. Joseph firehouse might yield another big winner.

 

Northwest Missouri State University has scheduled a celebration of life for a student who died this week in a drowning accident in Mozingo Lake.

Northwest has scheduled a “Celebration of Jae Won Lee’s life” at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, at Centennial Garden on the Northwest campus.

Maryville Public Safety and University Police officers responded at about 8:10 p.m. Monday to a report of a missing student at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park. Officers identified the victim as Jae Won Lee, 16, a first-year student at the Missouri Academy from Seoul, South Korea.

Lee’s body was recovered at about 9:30 p.m.

The death is under investigation by the Nodaway County coroner’s office, Maryville Public Safety and University Police. No foul play is suspected at this time.

The Missouri Academy is a two-year residential, early-entrance-to-college program on the Northwest campus that replaces the junior and senior years of high school. The school said Academy students enroll in the same courses as traditional University students and are held to the same academic expectations while living, socializing and studying in a learning community of peers.

Northwest is making on-site counseling assistance available to Missouri Academy students and staff.

A 46-year-old truck driver from Everest, Kansas was killed in a single-vehicle accident near Iatan Tuesday morning. Captain Erik Holland of the Platte County Sheriff’s Office says the man was driving a semi northbound on Missouri Highway 45 near the power plant south of the village of Iatan.

Captain Holland says the vehicle crossed the center line, and the oncoming traffic lanes before leaving the highway and hitting a row of trees shortly after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The accident and investigation closed the highway for several hours. Captain Holland says a forensic examination will continue.

The department has identified the driver, but is withholding his name pending the notification of his family.

 

Daisy Mae. For more information call 816-271-4877 or go to the St. Joseph Animal Shelter website.