Month: December 2025

News-Press NOW

By: Darren Doyle

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — An area teen who discovered her talent during the South Side Flood of 2020 reflects on her success on the pool table, which recently led her to a world competition in Spain. 

Jordan Helfery was only eight years old when her family’s home flooded in 2020.

Helfery lost all of her toys and had to find a way to pass the time when her family moved in with her grandparents. 

Helfery found her father’s pool table, which he had purchased when he was younger, while she stayed with her grandparents. She took an interest and soon showed a talent her parents knew they couldn’t pass up. 

“We’d come home from around the house, and she’d be like, Watch this. And she was working on trick shots, and she loved to watch YouTube,” said Sarah Helfery, Jordan’s mother.

The kid, in need of something to do, took her love of YouTube and taught herself how to play pool from videos of accomplished pro player Shane Van Boening.

“I was a kid. I had no idea you could take this professional or anything. Playing on (on my dad’s table), I don’t know, it just… it was really something I was going to remember,” said Jordan. “Because it got me started in pool, and that flood was a blessing.”

Two years later, the up-and-coming pool shark took part in a competitive pool tournament in Springfield, Missouri. She won the tournament in three matches; however, her family received a bump in the road that would be the biggest compliment to her play. 

“There was a guy who really thought he had the tournament, and when he got beat by her, he took to Facebook and made a big post about how we hustled him,” said Sarah, while smiling. “Thankfully, the whole crowd there who saw the truth threw it back the other way.”

She was advised not to play in any more “four and under” tournaments by the tournament head, as they felt she was a more skilled player. Not long after, Jordan would start playing in Junior International Championships, which led to many trophies and championship titles. 

“When I won that tournament in… Blue Springs against those adults, and I felt like I really had an edge, and I was really excited to see what else I could do,” Jordan said.

The now 14-year-old was playing in her first Women’s Professional Billiards Association matches at the age of 12.  She would go on to win her first national championship in Cherokee, North Carolina, in November, along with numerous other accolades. 

However, one competition would give her the opportunity of a lifetime when she played in the Billiards Education Foundation tournament in July of this year. 

This opportunity provided tickets for the top four girls and top four boys to compete in the Predator WPA World Junior Championship in Gandia, Spain. Jordan was one of five girls from the tournament who punched their ticket to one of the biggest competitions of their lives. 

“I started off playing with, you know, kind of amateur players, and as I got more into it, I was playing at higher-skilled events, and winning those, and slowly getting higher in the race than that also builds confidence,” Jordan said. “Being able to go overseas is huge, and it’s just like as you get more experience, it’s a huge part of building that confidence…And going overseas was super exciting.”

Jordan battled her way through the girls’ division to the semifinals and received a bronze medal on one of the biggest stages for teen pool players. 

“You know, she is a perfectionist, and everything she does (is great). She’s a straight-A student, works really hard, so anything she puts her mind to, she could do,” Sarah said. “I would like to see her be a world champion one day. I know she’s got the talent.”

The young pool player stays solid through lessons with Ultimate Pool USA Hall of Famer David Matlock. The two went on to win a mixed pairs championship in February of 2025. 

She plans to continue her pool-playing career and hopes to turn it into a living in adulthood, to win world championships. 

“Keep doing what you love, as long as you have a love for it and you have a drive to want to keep getting better,” said Jordan when asked if she had advice for young people going through a similar journey. “There’s nothing that can stop you, just keep doing what you love.”

Jordan said she is also thankful to her family, friends and career sponsors for helping her get to where she is today. 

She is set to compete in the Ultimate Pool USA Iowa Open in March.

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TaMya Bracy

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KQTV) — Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) delivered wins for North Missouri in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The act was passed on Wednesday, and the bill will support troops abroad and at home, their families and their mission in keeping America safe.

Graves said it’s important to give troops the resources they need.

“To do that, we have to give our troops the tools they need to fight and win—while supporting them and their families at home and abroad. I’m proud to have worked in the House Armed Services Committee to ensure this year’s defense bill does just that, while also supporting the vital mission of the 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joseph and good-paying, skilled jobs at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence,” Graves said.

The bill allocates $200 million for two C-130Js and maintains protections through FY28, covering fleet minimums, annual report, training and development at Rosecrans Memorial Airport

The bill will also fund private sector and academic institutions like the University of Missouri – Kansas City domestic production of critical materials from domestic mineral sources. It provides nearly $700 million for Lake City small arms ammunition and another $1 billion to modernize small-arms facilities, including Lake City.

The bill protects the A-10 fleet from being reduced and requires briefing on plans to fully divest the A-10 before FY29, ensure recapitalization of the 442nd Fighter wing and protect Fort Leonard Wood’s medical facility.

The bill will also provide major investments, including $2.59 billion for B-21 bombers and related construction at the Whiteman Air Force Base, $407 million for MQ-25 Stringrays, over $650 million for F/A-18 and EA-18G work in St. Louis and $132.6 million for the Joint Assault Bridge made in Bridgeton.

The troops will receive a 3.8% pay raise, expanded bonuses and special pay and increases in the Family Separation Allowance for deployed service members.

Around $1.5 billion will go toward new barracks and housing. The bill also requires plans and independent reviews to address health, safety and environmental issues within military housing.

The FY2026 NDAA now heads to the Senate for final passage before it can be signed into law by President Trump.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Starting next year, the St. Joseph Health Department will be updating its language interpreting services to assist the community.

St. Joseph City Councilmembers approved two resolutions Monday allowing the department to enter into contract agreements with Linguistica International, Inc. and International Language Center. The updated services will provide both video language and document translation services to assist patients in areas such as scheduling appointments and consultations with medical professionals.

The department selected two companies with the goal of having expanded options to assist a wide range of patients and situations. There have been times in the past when one agency does not have a specific language or dialect or staff available when another one will.

“We have a number of individuals who come to the health department for services where English is not their primary language,” St. Joseph Health Department Director Debra Bradley said. “We contract with different agencies to help break down those language barriers. We want to ensure patients understand the services being received and for us to understand what services they’re needing and requesting.”

Language and document interpreting services will assist a number of health department programs, ranging from helping individuals seeking birth and death certificates, to immunizations and nutrition education through the Women, Infants and Children program, as well as others.

Getting the language services put in place was key before 2026, as the current service contracts were set to expire. On average the Health Department spends $20,000 to $30,000 on language services each year to help with patient communication and interpreting services.

“We currently have these services with different providers, but their contracts are ending at the end of the month,” Bradley said. “We put it out bids to determine which agencies we were going to contract with. We got a number of responses and chose these two agencies to have options. Each agency has a different process on how we contact them, how they track the number of calls, the languages used etc.”

The new provider services will go into effect on Jan. 2, 2026

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The Salvation Army is seeking donations for its annual Toy Shop distribution day.

The distribution days take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 17 and Dec. 18 at 602 Messanie St. There is no set deadline for toy donations, and any kind is accepted. 

“It needs to be a new, unopened, unwrapped toy. And now you can bring in as many toys as you’d like. We’ll take them,” Social Services Director Emily Bravo said.

Bravo said the Salvation Army is really looking for items for older kids, ages 11 to 13, and toys tailored to boys. Gift cards are also an acceptable option to donate.

“Aside from toys, each child will receive two outfits with socks, shoes, and underwear, with a coat if needed,” said Bravo.

Any clothing items also need to be new and unwrapped.

For any questions about the distribution day, call the Salvation Army at 816-232-5824.

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)– Missouri Western State University’s women’s basketball team stopped by Pickett Elementary to celebrate the school’s first-graders for leading the St. Joseph School District in attendance rates from August through October. 

This marks the second year MoWest has invited the elementary grade levels with the highest attendance to a December home game as a reward. 

“Our students are rewarded and get to attend a game on Monday. But my understanding is this, there will be about 2300 students at Missouri Western on Monday, cheering on the Griffons,” said Heather Gladhart, the principal at Pickett Elementary.  

Gladhart said attendance has been strong this year, crediting both staff and parents for working together to make sure students are in school every day.  

Gladhart also said, earning this recognition is a major accomplishment for the school community.  

“I hope that they take away by knowing that, when they come to school, that they get to see the benefits not only in what they are learning, but also the benefits of getting to celebrate and attend a field trip,” Gladhart said.  

MoWest Senior and Shooting Guard, Meredith Rieker, said she expected the visit to be a heartwarming one and was excited to see how much it meant to the students.  

She said attendance matters because it shapes how kids experience school, giving them more chances to be part of activities and create memories. 

Rieker said she can’t wait to see the students pack the stadium on Monday.  

“I remember last year the men did it, and it was just so loud the whole time… It was so fun. So, I’ve been looking forward to this game since last year when it happened,” Rieker said.  

She also emphasized the importance of building good habits at a young age, which sets them apart from others in the future  

“So it’s good to just get the discipline actions now and just kind of learning at a young age is good for their future,” Rieker said.  

Rieker added that, no matter the outcome of Monday’s game, her hope for the kids is to enjoy their field trip and the experience of cheering on the Griffons.  

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