A Missouri Western State University Professor has won the 2015 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education.

Dr. Teddi Deka, Western professor of psychology and honors program is this year’s award winner for the university.

She and other Governor’s Award recipients from Missouri’s public colleges and universities will be honored at a luncheon with Gov. Jay Nixon on April 7 in Jefferson City. She will be accompanied by Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president; Dr. Daffron; and Ann Pearce, special assistant to the president.

Deka said what happens in the classroom is important, but it is the experience of mentoring undergraduates in research outside of the classroom that she has found the most rewarding.

“Through the psychology department’s research team class, as well as sponsoring majors’ honor projects, I have had the opportunity to assist and witness the value of applied learning,” Dr. Deka said. “Students really begin to understand the scientific method and data analyses when they are engaged in their own projects and present their research at conferences.”

In addition to undergraduate research, Deka said community service creates applied learning opportunities for students. For example, students in child development classes engage in eight-week mentorship programs through the Healthy Buddy program that pairs the college students with an elementary school student who has behavioral or emotional difficulties.

“Students work one-on-one with children and apply what they are learning in class,” Deka said. “Many students have never worked with children and these opportunities make the course come alive for them.”

Deka has worked with Hosea Elementary, Pickett Elementary, the Noyes Home for Children, Building Bridges and the YWCA to provide mentorship opportunities for child development students. She provides similar programs for adult psychology classes through Kendalwood Hospice, the Alzheimer’s Association and Faith in Action.

She received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from The Ohio State University. She has taught at Missouri Western for 18 years.

JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Jay Nixon today vetoed House Bill 63, which would have prohibited any former school superintendent from running for school board in the district in which they served.

“The law should encourage – not prohibit – those who aspire to serve in public office,” wrote Gov. Nixon in his veto message. “In our democratic system, otherwise qualified candidates should not be disqualified simply because of their expertise.”

House Bill 63 was introduced by State Representative Delus Johnson of Saint Joseph after issues surrounding the St. Joseph School District Board of Education.

Nixon goes on to say in his veto message that because of an emergency clause in the bill this legislation would impact at least four former superintendents who are candidates in school board races to appear on the April 7 ballot and prohibit at least three former superintendents currently serving on school boards from seeking reelection after their current terms expire.

St. Joseph School District Acting Superintendent Dr. Jake Long has accepted a position at a school district in Arkansas.

“The school board hired him last night after executive session for the Superintendent position,” said Marissa Byler, Mountain Home School District, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent.

Long as been acting Superintendent with the St. Joseph School District since February when the Board of Education first began the process of terminating Dr. Fred Czerwonka.

The Mountain Home School Board approved the hiring of Long during an executive session Thursday night.

Mountain Home School Board President, Ben Strider said there were a number of factors that made Long a good fit for their schools.

“He just promoted a vision that fits well with the school district and the things we believe in. His leadership style was certainly one of those things we liked about him,” Strider said. “His efforts in communications, we know he’s had to do a lot of communication a lot of reaching out to the public in St. Joseph.

Strider said Long will work under a two-year contract with the district at $130,000 per year plus mileage of $3,600 and the same state benefits that all other employees receive.

His first official day on duty at Mountain Home is expected to begin July 1.

The St. Joseph Police Department has ruled the death of a man found in Corby Pond Tuesday as a suicide.

The body of 62-year-old Eddie Dewayne Wise of St. Joseph was pulled from Corby Pond Tuesday afternoon.  Wise’s body was found after two kids had snagged pieces of clothing while fishing.  When officers got there a short time later they located his body in the water.  Corby Pond was quickly closed off to visitors and the Parkway closed off in both directions in the area while detectives investigated the scene.

In court documents obtained by the St. Joseph Post Det. Eric Powell submitted an affidavit for a search warrant of Wise’s home during the course of the investigation.  The affidavit states that Wise was found, “dead by an apparent wound on the back of his head.  A large puncture wound was located on the back of the head, an autopsy revealed a metal object approximately three inches in length lodged in his brain.”

The document requested a search warrant for the home Wise was staying at at 6016/6018 N. 22nd Terr. St.  In the documentation Powell signed off on a statement that said “At this time it is unknown where the murder occurred as Wise was staying at the above address and a residence located at 3509 Sacramento St.”

However, a news release issued Thursday by the police department said after an extensive investigation surrounding Wise’s death there was no evidence to support any kind of foul play.

“During the course of the investigation overwhelming evidence was developed which supports this determination,” said Capt. Jeff Wilson of the St. Joseph Police Department.

(St. Joseph, MO) – Area job seekers will have a chance to meet with potential employers next week at the largest annual career fair in Northwest Missouri.

The job fair will be held Tuesday, April 7 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Civic Arena.

Job seekers who attend the St. Joseph Career and Resource Fair will be able to talk with hiring businesses, educational providers and social service resources.

This year, 78 employers will attend in addition to eight educational providers and 17 social service resources.

Job seekers are encouraged to dress business or business casual attire to attend the event.

It’s the 11th anniversary for the Career Fair organized by the St. Joseph Employment Coalition.

For more information on the job fair, contact Mary Brown, (816) 364-4102 or email brown@saintjoseph.com.

(Update 4/3 10:30 a.m.) – The Chillicothe Police Department is no longer asking for assistance in the investigation.

The department said the suspects have been identified.

The department had been asking the public for help to identify two people wanted in connection with a stolen debit device that was used for fraud.

Police said the stolen device was used in the 1200 block of N. Washington Street in Chillicothe.

Police said the two individuals pictured are suspects in the investigation and the vehicle shown is believed to be theirs.

A man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to robbing a Polo, Mo., bank.

Oran Woodfin, 30, of Lublin, Wisconsin pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to bank robbery.

By pleading guilty Woodfin admitted that he stole $7,867 from Bank Northwest, 305 Main St., Polo, on Friday, Jan. 9, 2015.

According to court documents, Woodfin entered the bank, approached a bank teller and ordered her, “Give me your money.” He kept his left hand inside his jacket as though he had a weapon. The teller pleaded with him, “Don’t shoot me,” and placed the cash from her teller drawer on the counter. Woodfin picked up the money and walked out of the bank.

Bank surveillance photos indicated the robber was driving a red Dodge extended cab pickup truck with a black canvas tonto cover in the bed of the truck. A witness to the robbery observed the truck had a broken driver’s side taillight cover although the bulb was still functioning. Photographs of the robber and the pickup truck were disseminated to the media.

On the same day as the robbery, Woodfin checked into the Super 8 Motel in Richmond, Mo. Employees at the motel saw the surveillance photos on a television newscast, thought that Woodfin and his vehicle matched the descriptions from the bank robbery and the photos, and notified the police department.

Richmond police officers arrested Woodfin without incident outside his motel room. Officers executed a search warrant at the motel room and seized $7,145, a new computer, clothes and a container of alcohol. The pickup truck had been reported as stolen out of Clark County, Wisconsin. Woodfin had a warrant for his arrest out of Wisconsin for a probation and parole violation.