Changes come to recent SJSD School Board filings

News-Press NOW on December 19, 2025

Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph School District saw a few changes in its Board of Education filings this week.

After the district saw six filings for two open seats last week. Candidate Geoffrey Sollars retracted his filing on Monday, Dec. 15.

Despite losing a candidate earlier in the week, the district later said it gained another candidate in Kimberly Dragoo on Thursday.

Terms are up in April for board member Whitney Lanning and newly seated member Tom Richmond.

Richmond joined the board in May after former member Rick Gehring announced his resignation.

So far, Jacob McMillian, Cynthia Cook, Deborah Schmuck, Travis Smith and Cassandra Veale have filed.

Three out of the six candidates have previously filed within the last five years.

Jacob McMillian and Kimberly Dragoo were both on the April 2024 ballot. Cassandra Veale was listed on the April 2025 ballot.

Both McMillian and Veale also ran as candidates to be selected to fill Gehring’s open spot earlier this year.

Any person interested and qualified to run for a position on the School Board in the April 7, 2026, election is encouraged to apply.

Qualifications to apply are:

Be citizens of the United States of America

Be voters of the district

Have resided in Missouri for a minimum of one year immediately preceding their election or appointment

Be at least 24 years of age

Not be delinquent in the payment of any state income taxes, personal property taxes, municipal taxes or real property taxes on their place of residence. If an applicant is a past or present corporate officer of any fee office, that office cannot be delinquent in the payment of any taxes owed to the state

Have not been found guilty of, nor pled guilty to, a felony under the federal laws of the United States of America or to a felony under Missouri law or an offense committed in another state that would be considered a felony in Missouri

Have not been convicted of or entered a guilty plea for the offense of assault in the first or second degree, or the offense of harassment in the first or second degree, where such assault or harassment occurred on school district grounds

Not be registered or required to be registered as a sex offender

Have filed, or the treasurer of an existing candidate

Have filed, or the treasurer of an existing committee has filed, all required campaign disclosure reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission, when applicable, for all previous elections in which they were candidates.

Persons interested may file at the St. Joseph School District’s Administrative offices, located at 1415 North 26th St.

Filings will continue during SJSD’s regular business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The district said the hours are subject to change.

Filing will not occur on days when SJSD’s offices are closed due to inclement weather or due to an unforeseen event in which the district would need to close.

So far, the district offices will be closed from noon on Tuesday, Dec. 23, through Monday, Dec. 29.

The last day for candidates to file is from 3 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

Candidates with questions should call 816-671-4003 or email donnabaker@sjsd.k12.mo.us.

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Boone County dog breeder indicted on 29 felony counts of animal abuse

KMIZ on December 19, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boone County dog breeder accused of animal abuse is facing a significant number of felony charges after she was indicted by a grand jury on Friday.

Melissa Sanders, 26, of Columbia, is now charged with 29 counts of animal abuse. All of the counts are felonies. She was previously charged with three felony counts and 15 misdemeanor counts of animal abuse.

An arraignment for the new set of charges is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday. She is being held at the Phelps County Jail without bond, though she is listed on Boone County’s online jail roster.

During a hearing on Thursday, a Judge Kayla Jackson-Williams said she would consider a bond and ordered a detention study to be done. A hearing on that decision was scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30. A lawyer for the state had argued that Sanders is a flight risk because she is involved in a relationship with someone from Texas.

Sanders ran Magnum Opus German Shepherds and a number of dead dogs, including a dozen dog skulls, were found at the property of the business when law enforcement served a search warrant, according to court documents in previous reporting. Several malnourished dogs were also found at the property.

Court documents say at least two living dogs that were found were on the brink of death.

The living dogs were turned over to the Central Missouri Humane Society after Sanders was arrested. Owners of the dogs were contacted and reunited with the animals.

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Desert Healthcare District and Foundation awards over $1M in grants

KESQ on December 19, 2025

City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert Healthcare District and Foundation awarded more than $1 million in grants to five nonprofit organizations in the Coachella Valley designed for mental and behavioral health services and programs, along with a pair of other unrelated grants.

On Tuesday, the District and Foundation Board approved $1,039,139 to five out the 19 organizations that applied to a request for proposals titled, “Empowering Resilient Youth and Families: Advancing Mental and Behavioral Health Support.”

District officials revealed Thursday the organization’s names and their uses for the grants.

Olive Crest, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing child abuse and offers 24/7 crisis response, was awarded $249,865 to support key Crisis Response Team staff, who provide case management, trauma-informed therapeutic support and coordinated care among young people and families.

Boys and Girls Club of Cathedral City was awarded $140,732 to support partial salaries of five key staff positions, on-site clinical counseling though a subcontract with Jewish Family Services of the Desert, trauma-informed training and essential program infrastructure.

El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center provides bilingual behavioral health services, peer support, housing and other services was awarded $248,565. The funds will be used toward supporting six positions and cover a behavioral health consultant.

Oak Grove Institute Foundation was awarded $248,055, which will be used to support the partial salary of a case manager, items related to medical and mental health expenses and up to 600 sessions with a consultant mental health therapist.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Desert was awarded $151,922. Funding will support staff and essential training and materials, community workshops and peer-to-peer groups among other items.

In addition to the grants, the district and foundation board awarded $326,000 to Desert Cancer Foundation and $200,000 to Vision to Learn.   

The total awarded came out to  $1,565,139. All nonprofit organizations have a project period from Jan.1 to Dec. 31, 2027.   

“In many ways 2025 has been a rewarding year for the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation,” CEO Chris Christensen said in a statement. “It is especially gratifying for the board and staff to respond to the Coachella Valley’s needs through our grants program, whether we’re funding essential mental and behavioral health services or supporting the staffing and programmatic needs of a great organization like the Desert Cancer Foundation.”

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Region sees plenty of rain, snow from atmospheric river; surging Whychus Creek crests overnight, area flood watch ends

KTVZ on December 19, 2025

Barney Lerten

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A powerful storm that has prompted evacuations in Western Oregon also brought 1-2 inches of rain around Central Oregon overnight and sent some creeks and rivers surging close to or over their banks.

The flooding threat in Central Oregon eased Friday as a flood watch was allowed to expire, but much of the state was still dealing with the atmospheric river’s impacts, including evacuations and rescues of stranded people. KGW also reported a Yamhill County man drowned after driving round a “Road Closed” barrier into high floodwaters.

Most National Weather Service observers around Bend reported over an inch of rain, and one on the city’s Westside recorded nearly two inches in the 24 hours ending at 7 a.m. Redmond observers reported a half to nearly an inch of rain, and there were similar impacts in Prineville and Madras.

The city of Sisters said Whychus Creek crested around 2 a.m. Friday and was expected to gradually recede throughout the day.

“The creek remains fast-moving and high, creating potentially hazardous conditions along the banks,” officials warned.

“Recent rain has saturated the soil, which can make creek banks unstable and prone to collapse,” the 8 a.m. Friday update said. “For safety, please keep pets and children well away from the water’s edge and use caution near the creek until water levels and conditions improve.”

The city of Sisters made sandbags available on Thursday. The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District said Friday it has two sump pumps available for district residents dealing with water in crawl spaces.

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 10 a.m. Saturday for the east slopes of the Oregon Cascades, including Sisters, Camp Sherman, Sunriver and La Pine, for another 2-6 inches of snow and winds gusting to 35 mph that could make travel difficult.

A flood watch is in effect for a large area of the state until Saturday, but was allowed to expire for Central Oregon on Friday.

The NWS had issued a flash flood warning late Thursday for Shitike Creek, as the Warm Springs emergency manager advised NWS of water backing up behind a log jam upstream of Warm Springs that could worsen flooding. The warning expired Friday morning as river and creek levels were receding in the area.

Mt. Bachelor got three inches of snow Friday morning as it hopes to build a snowpack and have a delayed season opening soon.

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Ex-DHSPD officer accused of assaulting boys during arrests arraigned

KESQ on December 19, 2025

City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – An ex-cop accused of roughing up two boys while arresting them after they fled an alleged burglary at Desert Hot Springs High School pleaded not guilty today to felony charges.

Johnny Acosta, 30, was arrested last month following a year-long Riverside County Force Investigations Detail Task Force probe into the allegedacts involving excessive use of force.   

Acosta is charged with gun assault, filing a false report and assault by a peace officer.

He was arraigned before Superior Court Judge John Evans, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Jan. 22 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Acosta is free on a $30,000 bond.   

According to the District Attorney’s Office, shortly before 2 a.m. on Nov. 8, 2024, Desert Hot Springs Police Department patrol units were sent to the high school on Pierson Boulevard to investigate a possible break-in.   

Acosta was among the patrolmen who encountered four male suspects fleeing the location when the officers approached, prosecutors said.   

The defendant pursued one 17-year-old boy, resulting in the first act of alleged excessive force, then went after another 17-year-old, culminating in the second alleged instance of heavy-handedness, according to investigators.   

The youths were ultimately taken into custody without incident, and there was no indication that either suffered injuries that required hospitalization.

The specific actions on the part of the defendant were not disclosed, and there was no word regarding damage to the campus during the reported burglary.

Acosta was placed on administrative leave the same day, after which an internal investigation was initiated that led to his dismissal from the police department last March 27.

Acosta was arrested without incident by District Attorney’s Office investigators on Nov. 7 and quickly posted bail.

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Five new troopers assigned to Troop H in St. Joseph after graduating Friday

News-Press NOW on December 19, 2025

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Five new Highway Patrol troopers are set to report for duty at Troop H in St. Joseph after graduating from the patrol’s Law Enforcement Academy on Friday.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol announced the graduation of the 124th class of recruits on Friday made up of 25 new state troopers. Capt. Shawn P. Skoglund, commanding officer of Troop H in St. Joseph, confirmed the assignment of five new troopers to Troop H following the ceremony.

Troop H encompasses 15 counties across Northwest Missouri.

The new group will report for duty in St. Joseph on Jan. 5, 2026, bringing a wide range of experience in different areas, from U.S. military, law enforcement, corrections and communications.

New troopers assigned to Troop H

Trooper Matthew J. Dorrell, a native of Marceline, Missouri, has been assigned to Zone 4, which serves the citizens of Grundy, Livingston, and Mercer counties. Trooper Dorrell is a 2023 graduate of Marceline R-V. He joined the Missouri National Guard in 2022, where he continues to serve as a heavy equipment operator. Prior to his employment with the Patrol, Trooper Dorrell was employed by Lawn Boyz in Bucklin, Missouri, as a lawn care specialist.

Trooper Delaney K. Dunkin, a native of Norborne, Missouri, has been assigned to Zone 7, which serves the citizens of Caldwell and Clinton counties. Trooper Dunkin graduated from Norborne R-8 in 2023. After high school she attended Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods in Kansas City, Missouri, where she earned an Associate of Arts degree in 2024. Prior to her employment with the Patrol, Trooper Dunkin was employed by Ray County 911 in Richmond, Missouri, as a communications officer.

Trooper Raul Hernandez, a native of Marshall, Missouri, has been assigned to Zone 10, which serves the citizens of Daviess and DeKalb counties. Trooper Hernandez graduated from Marshall High School in 2017. After high school he attended Missouri Valley College in Marshall, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice in 2021. Prior to his employment with the Patrol, Trooper Hernandez was employed by the Marshall Police Department as a police officer.

Trooper Noah M. Newland, a native of Queen City, Missouri, has been assigned to Zone 2, which serves the citizens of Nodaway and Worth counties. Trooper Newland graduated from Schuyler County R-1 in 2022. After high school he attended Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. Prior to his employment with the Patrol, Trooper Newland was employed by Dollar General in Maryville, Missouri, as a sales associate.

Trooper Lucas N. Reynolds, a native of Chillicothe, Missouri, has been assigned to Zone 4, which serves the citizens of Grundy, Livingston, and Mercer counties. Trooper Reynolds graduated from Chillicothe High School in 2023. Prior to his employment with the Patrol, Trooper Reynolds was employed by the Missouri Department of Corrections, as a corrections officer.

A full list of graduates

Troop A

Trooper Tyler S. Lutjen (Clinton, MO) – Zone 11, Cass County

Trooper Caleb C. Venegoni (Miami, OK) – Zone 14, Bates County

Troop B

Trooper Miles A. Hayden (Zionsville, IN) – Zone 11, Randolph and Monroe Counties

Trooper Jordan N. Schafer (Hannibal, MO) – Zone 10, Randolph and Monroe Counties

Trooper Caden M. Wilson (Provo, UT) – Zone 6, Clark and Scotland Counties

Troop C

Trooper Timonthy G. Busse (Potosi, MO) – Zone 14, St. Francois and Washington Counties

Trooper Brady R. Cook (Farmington, MO) – Zone 1, North St. Louis County

Trooper Nicholas A. Konopelski (St. Peters, MO) – Zone 8, St. Charles County

Trooper Brenna C. Langenberg (New Haven, MO) – Zone 10, Franklin County

Troop D

Trooper Kyle J. Atkisson (Grovespring, MO) – Zone 16, Hickory and Dallas Counties

Trooper Blake T. Cook (Farmington, MO) – Zone 10, Webster County

Trooper Nels C. Fry (Waynesville, MO) – Zone 3, Polk County

Trooper Eric S. Leek (Carthage, MO) – Zone 14, Barry County

Troop E

Trooper Grant D. Miller (Piedmont, MO) – Zone 11, Stoddard County

Trooper Matthew J. Schroeder (Doniphan, MO) – Zone 7, Mississippi, New Madrid, and Pemiscot Counties

Trooper Nikolas S. Smith (Senath, MO) – Zone 8, New Madrid and Pemiscot Counties

Trooper Zachary G. Thren (Tell City, IN) – Zone 7, Mississippi, New Madrid, and Pemiscot Counties

Troop F

Trooper Jace H. Adams (Hannibal, MO) – Zone 7, Cooper and Howard Counties

Troop G

Trooper Adam C. White (Battlefield, MO) – Zone 5, Douglas and Ozark Counties

Troop I

Trooper Thomas A. Kneuper (Rolla, MO) – Zone 6, Pulaski County

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Boone County approves 2026 budget, includes new pay plan for employees

KMIZ on December 19, 2025

Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Commission on Thursdays approved the finalized budget for the 2026 fiscal year.

Including money being using from the American Rescue Plan Act, expenditures for the new fiscal year are expected to total $156 million.

Officials say the budget will allow for pay raises for some county employees.

Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick says the new pay plan is a different approach to county compensation. As part of the restructuring, positions have been grouped into job “families” like law enforcement, IT, administration, and engineering to ensure pay stays competitive across different fields.

 The new system breaks pay into three components:

Cost-of-living increases

Step raises that move employees toward market-pay levels

Discretionary pay for performance, promotions and other merit-based factors

Boone County Auditor Kyle Rieman said the new pay structure also helps communicate to employees why they are receiving a pay increase or why they may not in certain cases.

Kendrick said the county will continue updating the plan as the county grows to make sure employees’ pay remains competitive. 

“We’ll be able to kind of touch that each and every year. And so this is a more interactive pay plan and something that we can, you know, likely keep on top of better, from our end at the county level, to make sure that it, you know, that it moves forward, that it doesn’t remain stagnant,” Kendrick said. 

In late 2023, the county hired McGrath Consulting Group to review salaries and found 51% of the nearly 500 county employees were being paid below market levels. 

The findings prompted a complete overhaul of the county’s pay policy, aimed at aligning employee salaries more closely with market rates.

Rieman said the county has budgeted $3.9 million to implement the new pay plan and cover 2026 pay increases.

He also adds the proposed revenue projection is $121 million, when not including American Rescue Plan Act money.

Kendrick added while this year’s budget isn’t as large as usual, the county has set aside enough reserve funds to cover major capital projects.

“We will spend more than we’re taking in next year. But our reserves allow us to do that. We’ve been planning these large capital projects for a number of years,” Kendrick said. Large projects such as the, eight megahertz system by the time that’s fully implemented from helping by the radios to building new towers is probably a little over a $20 million project.”

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A desert mystery, reimagined: Inside California’s Integratron this holiday season

KESQ on December 19, 2025

Garrett Hottle

LANDERS, Calif. (KESQ) In the heart of the Mojave Desert, a white wooden dome rises from the landscape, isolated and enigmatic, resembling a relic from a science fiction film.

The structure is known as the Integratron, long associated with UFO lore, extraterrestrial theories and claims that it was designed to manipulate time itself.

The Integratron was built in the 1950s by George Van Tassel, an aerospace engineer who said he was contacted by extraterrestrials and given instructions to construct what he believed would be a time machine. Van Tassel claimed the device could rejuvenate the human body and extend life by harnessing Earth’s natural energy.

He chose a site near Landers, believing it sat atop a powerful geomagnetic area capable of amplifying that energy. The dome itself is constructed entirely of wood, without nails or metal. Inside, the circular room produces striking acoustics, allowing even a whisper to carry clearly across the space.

Michael Aquino, a family steward of the Integratron, said Van Tassel was a highly intelligent engineer whose ideas were rooted in a desire to help humanity.

Van Tassel died before the Integratron was completed. Years later, the property was purchased by three sisters who believed the structure still served a purpose. Their family continues to live near the site and maintain the building today.

While the Integratron’s origins are tied to extraterrestrial claims and desert mysticism, its modern identity has shifted.

Today, the Integratron is no longer centered on UFOs or time travel. Instead, it has become a destination for sound baths, immersive sessions in which visitors lie beneath the dome as crystal bowls are played, filling the space with layered vibrations. Practitioners say the sound resonates throughout the body, helping to slow the nervous system and quiet the mind.

Sound therapy has emerged as a fast-growing segment of the global wellness industry, driven by rising levels of stress, anxiety and burnout. Once considered unconventional, sound-based experiences are now increasingly common in retreats, studios and wellness centers.

Aquino said he regularly observes noticeable changes in participants following sessions.

“People can come in with a heaviness or fear,” he said. “And when they come back down, their faces are completely changed.”

Participants frequently report feeling calmer, lighter and emotionally affected after sessions. 

That contrast is especially noticeable during the Christmas season, when many visitors seek moments of reflection amid a busy and emotionally charged time of year.

Once defined by alien theories and desert mystery, the Integratron has become a space for stillness, connection and introspection.

Built as a time machine, it no longer promises journeys to the past or future. Instead, it offers something quieter and more immediate: a moment of presence in the now.

For more information on the Integratron visit this link.

Tune into News Channel Three Friday evening for News Channel Three’s Garrett Hottle full report. 

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Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis announces retirement, will not seek re-election in 2026

KIFI on December 19, 2025

News Team

 WYOMING (KIFI) — U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) announced Friday that she will not seek re-election in 2026, retiring at the end of her first term in the Senate. The 71-year-old veteran of Wyoming politics cited the physical and mental demands of the office.

In a heartfelt statement, the Senator described her tenure as “an incredible honor,” noting that representing the people of Wyoming has remained her “one-and-only priority.”

Lummis was candid about her decision to step away, comparing her time in Washington to a long-distance race.

“In the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall, I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years in me,” Lummis admitted. “I have felt like a sprinter in a marathon.”

Despite her decision to retire, Lummis emphasized her commitment to her remaining time in office. She highlighted her alignment with President Trump, vowing to spend the next year “throwing all my energy into bringing important legislation to his desk” and ensuring Republicans maintain control of the upper chamber in the 2026 midterms.

A Trailblazing Career

A veteran of Wyoming politics, Lummis served as a U.S. representative for the state of Wyoming from 2009 to 2017. In 2021, she became the first woman to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.

Lummis reflected fondly on her colleagues, noting her time serving alongside the late Senator Mike Enzi, Senator John Barrasso, and Representative Harriet Hageman. “We all put Wyoming first, which has cemented our cohesive working relationship,” she said.

Tributes from Colleagues and Mentees

Reaction to the news of Lummis’s retirement was immediate, with fellow Wyoming Senator John Barrasso praising Lummis as “a perfect senator for Wyoming…” who never stopped fighting for the people.”

“Cynthia is a straight shooter and a trailblazer,” said Barrasso. “We’re going to miss her infectious energy and iconic laugh in the halls of the U.S. Senate. I’m grateful we have another year to work side by side serving the people of Wyoming.”

State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder recalled meeting Lummis as a high school student, an encounter that sparked her own career in public service.

“I looked up to her instantly. When I was in college, I jumped at the opportunity to work on her first campaign for Congress and later served as an intern in her Washington, D.C. office,” said Degenfelder. “Throughout her career, she has championed Wyoming’s interests with tenacity and principle. But more than her record, Senator Lummis has been a trailblazer, a lifelong mentor to many, and a dear friend to our beloved state. Thank you Senator!”

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THE MILITARY FAMILY: Veterans find camaraderie through competition on the court

KRDO on December 19, 2025

Heather Skold

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Downstairs on a Wednesday afternoon, you’ll find the entire basement of Peak Pickleball filled with players, some more experienced than others, but all with smiles on their faces. 

They come from different backgrounds, with one common denominator: they’ve all served our nation. 

“It definitely brings a whole new level of community and new stories that you don’t hear outside your own branch,” says Cody Krantz, about the Military Adaptive Court Sports League, or “MACS.”  Veterans of all military branches are here for the camaraderie and the competition. 

Krantz is equal parts encourager and sneaky-fast player.  

“In the line of duty, I sustained a head injury, which led to some seizures and neuropathy.  I still have my leg, but loss of use of the left leg, some weakness in the left arm.”

Because of his injury while a K9 MP in the Army, he plays from his adaptive wheelchair, which has, by his own admission, a distinct advantage: “nifty little storage devices,” he laughs as he wedges multiple pickleballs through the spokes of his wheelchair.  “I can load up my wheels with 16, 20 pickleballs and just practice my serves over and over again. Reload, roll over, and go at it again!”

To him, the group has given him so much more than a good workout.

“It’s just become a blessed part of who I am,” says Krantz.  “Being in a dark place, feeling alone, coming out of the military, it was one of the first groups to bring me in, to bring me that family, that camaraderie.”

For Mick Tingstrom, MACS Pickleball Director and Army veteran himself, it’s the perfect environment for those who’ve served. 

“You’re trying to find your purpose: what am I supposed to be doing now when I take this uniform off?  Many of us have seen things that most people shouldn’t see,” says Tingstrom.  “This feels like therapy, except fun!”

MACS averages 50 players per week; players with seen and unseen injuries. 

Thanks to generous donations, the group gets to play for no cost at Peak Pickleball. 

Active duty and retired military members are welcome to join MACS.

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