MARYVILLE, Mo. – In an effort aimed at helping middle-school-aged students better understand and appreciate the food system, Northwest Missouri State University invites the public to its second annual Agriculture and Food Literacy Summit.

According to a press release from Northwest, the summit is designed to bring educators, producers, industry professionals and students together for conversation around helping youth – particularly middle school students – better understand and appreciate the food system.

Featured speakers will include Davin Althoff, division director of agriculture business development for the Missouri Department of Agriculture, and Kate Lambert, director of marketplace education and engagements for FCS Financial. The day’s schedule also includes panel discussions with “agripreneurs” and with Northwest students discussing their food choices.

The summit begins at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast on Thursday, March 14, at the Conference Center at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park. Breakfast will feature Northwest Director of Athletics Andy Peterson as the keynote speaker. Peterson, who was named to his current role in July 2018, is a native of Trenton, Missouri, where he grew up on a family farm. He has master’s degrees in agriculture and physical education as well as bachelor’s degrees in agriculture economics and horticulture, all from Northwest.

The summit is scheduled to conclude at 11:30 a.m.

Tickets and registration are free and due by Friday, March 1. Registration may be completed online or pick up a free ticket by visiting the School of Agricultural Sciences at Northwest’s Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation, Northwest’s Career Services office on the first floor of the Administration Building, or visit FCS Financial, Nodaway Valley Bank or Consumers Oil Company in Maryville.

For more information, contact Jill Brown, director of partnerships and placement at Northwest, at jillb@nwmissouri.edu or (660) 562-1251.

Crews are on scene battling a structure fire Wednesday morning.

According to St. Joseph Post staff, at 11:45 a.m., a section of Faraon was closed as the fire was in the area of 19th and Faraon.

No other information is available at this time.

A Lafayette High School student was hit by a vehicle that slid on icy roads Wednesday morning.

According to the St. Joseph Police Department, at 7:35 a.m., an 18-year-old Lafayette student was walking on the edge of the road on 5th Street when he was hit by a vehicle driven by another Lafayette student. Police say the vehicle slid on the roads due to ice.

The pedestrian was transported to the hospital with a minor head injury.

DAVIESS COUNTY — Five people were injured in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Tuesday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chrysler Pacifica driven by Marquise T. Jones, 35, Trenton, was northbound on Interstate 35 three miles south of Winston. The Chrysler slid on the ice-covered road and collided with a semi that was stationary due to a earlier crash.

Daviess County EMS transported passenger Kayla A. Jones, 26, Trenton, to Cameron Regional Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries. A private vehicle transported Marquise Jones and three children to the hospital. The semi driver from Wisconsin was not injured. All six were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.

St. Joseph, Mo. – The presidential search committee at Missouri Western State University has announced the three finalists to be the University’s fifth president.

According to a press release from Missouri Western, the finalists will be on campus for in-person interviews next week. The interview process includes an open forum where all students, faculty, staff and the community can hear a presentation from the candidates and ask questions.

Missouri Western is seeking a successor to Dr. Robert Vartabedian, who announced last August that he would retire at the end of June, 2019 after eleven years as president.

The three finalists are listed below. More information, including each candidate’s curriculum vitae, can be found at missouriwestern.edu/presidential-search.

Matthew J. Wilson, J.D., open forum: 3:15 p.m. Monday, March 4, Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall

Wilson, formerly the president of The University of Akron, is a professor of law at The University of Akron School of Law. Previously, Wilson served as professor of law, associate dean of academic affairs and associate dean for student affairs for the University of Wyoming College of Law from 2009-2014. From 2011-2014, he concurrently served as an international scholar at Kyung Hee University Law School. Wilson began his academic career in 2003 at Temple University’s Japan Campus serving first as law program director and associate professor of law, and then as general counsel, associate dean and senior associate dean. Wilson began his legal career as an associate at Akerman Senterfitt P.A. in Orlando, Florida. He then served as general counsel for YPD.com/Advanced Telecommunication Network, Inc. before returning to Akerman as a senior associate. Wilson is a graduate of the University of Utah with a B.S. in Political Science and a B.A. in Asian Studies and holds a J.D from Temple University School of Law.

 

Terisa C. Riley, Ph.D., open forum: 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall

Riley is the senior vice president for student affairs and university administration for Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Before assuming this position, she held the position of senior vice president for fiscal and student affairs and vice president for student affairs. Riley joined Texas A&M-Kingsville from the University of South Dakota, where she served as assistant vice president of student services and dean of students. Riley also has held various administrative positions at Saint Louis University, Greenville College (Illinois), Central Methodist College (Missouri), and the Affton and Lindbergh School Districts (Missouri). She has served on the graduate faculties of the University of South Dakota and Saint Louis University, teaching in courses in higher education and serving on dissertation committees. Riley received her Ph.D. in higher education administration from Saint Louis University. She earned her M.A. in higher education administration, as well as her B.A. in communication, from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

 

JuliAnn Mazachek, Ph.D., open forum: 3:15 p.m. Friday, March 8, Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall

Mazachek is the vice president of academic affairs for Washburn University. Prior to assuming this role, Mazachek served as the president and CEO of the Washburn University Foundation from 2002-2017. Previously, Mazachek was dean of the Washburn University School of Business and a professor of accounting.  Dedicated to the teaching mission of Washburn, Mazachek continues to teach accounting and leadership at the graduate level. She received the Washburn University Ned Fleming Excellence in Teaching Award in 1997 and is a Certified Management Accountant. Mazachek received her Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Kansas, where she also earned her M.B.A. in accounting and finance. Mazachek earned her B.S. in engineering management with an emphasis in mechanical engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.

A Polo, Missouri, man was arrested Friday for possessing and promoting child pornography.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the arrest of 33-year-old Jay C. Guhlke of Polo was the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Division of Drug and Crime Control’s Digital Forensics Investigative Unit.

On Friday, investigators executed a search warrant at Guhlke’s residence located on South Highway 13 in Polo. Investigators seized child pornography and computer equipment. While the search was being executed at Guhlke’s residence, additional officers located Guhlke in Gallatin.

Investigators executed a second search warrant on electronic equipment, which was on his person. As a result of their search, additional child pornography and computer equipment were seized. Guhlke was arrested and transported to the Daviess County Jail.

The Daviess County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office formally charged Guhlke with promoting child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography. His bond was set at $100,000.

(Missourinet) – Discount retail chain Shopko is closing its stores in several small Missouri towns this year and putting dozens of workers out of jobs.

The Green Bay, Wisconsin-based company is closing its stores soon in northwest Missouri’s Trenton, Carrollton, Albany and Gallatin and northeast Missouri’s Memphis.

The estimated last day of operation for the stores are:
Albany: March 2
Carrollton: April 7
Memphis: April 14
Gallatin: May 5
Trenton: May 12

Shopko reports full- and part-time employees affected by the closures include at least 47 workers.

(John Anthony of Missourinet affiliate KTTN in Trenton contributed to this story.)