Month: January 2026

Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Missouri Western State University hosted its first military suicide prevention training day to strengthen participants’ ability to identify risk factors and respond appropriately. 

The training was tailored for three groups: counselors, law enforcement officers and MoWest faculty and staff.  

Clinical Psychologist Christina Menager said her goal is to educate therapists, counselors, social workers and psychologists about the military and other service members, as well as their mental health and suicide prevention needs.  

Menager said veterans are present in every community and that it is essential for mental health professionals to understand how to effectively work with this group.  

“Its a public health issue. It affects everyone in this country. It is the second leading cause of death amongst individuals from 18 to 44 (years old),” Menager said.  

She also said suicide rates among veterans are approximately 1.6 times higher than those in the civilian population, underscoring why suicide prevention should be a concern for everyone.  

During the presentation, Menager emphasized that addressing suicide requires empowering all members of the community with the knowledge and skills to respond when they encounter someone experiencing a suicidal crisis.  

“The vast majority of people who die by suicide will never come for mental health treatment or diagnosis and that means you, the everyday person, are really the frontline,” Menager added.  

She noted that before the early 2000s, suicide rates among veterans and service members were lower than those of the civilian population.  

However, beginning in 2001, those rates began to rise and have since surpassed civilian suicide rates.  

“It hasn’t been increasing perfectly. It’s been going kind of up and down, but yes, we have some rate increases,” Menager said.  

Menager said the key challenge is understanding what is driving these rising rates, particularly because suicide data is correlational, making it difficult to determine direct causes.  

She added that multiple factors may contribute, including fewer social safety nets, homelessness, financial and relationship stress, strain at home, and substance abuse.  

“Common myth people have is if someone decided to end their life, they are going to do it. That’s actually not true because when someone decides to end their life quarter of people act in five minutes, half of people act in 20 mins and three-quarters act in 1 hour,” Menager said.  

Director of Military and Veterans Services at MoWest, Gabrielle Falletta, said the presentation was one of the office’s major events of the semester. 

Falletta said she is passionate about bringing attention to the issue and believes events like this are among the most effective ways to raise awareness  

“Generally, what I have seen on campus is that not many faculty, staff or students have come in contact with veterans to be well-versed on the warning signs, so our goals today is to give a baseline knowledge so they can intervene,” Falletta said.  

Falletta said her hope is for attendees to leave with a greater understanding of how common military suicide is and what steps individuals can take to help prevent it.  

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The Performing Arts Association announced an award to honor Pat and the late Carroll Cathey with a new honor recognizing donors whose commitment to the arts goes far beyond financial support.

The Pat and Carroll Cathey Arts Support Award was formally introduced at the Association’s monthly board meeting in August of 2025.

“Pat is an expert on Broadway shows, and her insight helped shape our programming for nearly a decade,” Board member Gloria Mason Martin said during the August meeting.

The inaugural award was presented to Pat and Carroll Cathey in recognition of their advocacy and dedication to the Performing Arts Association and the cultural life of the community.

Pat Cathey served on the Performing Arts Association board several years back and was the chair of the Programming Committee, where her leadership played a key role in bringing high-quality, nationally recognized performances to St. Joseph.

Both Pat and Carroll Cathey have been supporters of the Association, continuing their advocacy even today.

Carroll passed in late 2025, but the creation of the award not only serves as a recognition of the couple’s shared passion for the arts and their belief in the power of live performance to strengthen the Performing Arts Association.

“This award is an effort to turn the spotlight off the stage and onto the people who make the performances possible,” said Paul “Gibby” Gibson, the president of the Performing Arts Association. “Our donors deserve attention, respect and appreciation for their commitment. This honor exists to recognize individuals whose support goes beyond generosity and becomes tru partnership.”

The Performing Arts Association has a long history of presenting national touring artists, Broadway productions, concerts and family programming.

Through community partnerships, volunteer leadership and donor support, the Association reaffirms its commitment, not only to excellence on stage, but also to honoring the individuals whose passion and advocacy sustain the arts behind the scenes.

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