Author: News-Press NOW

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A longtime city employee described by many as the life and soul of City Hall was honored with an array of accolades Tuesday as she nears the end of a decades long career supporting local government.

City leaders dedicated an early portion of Tuesday’s City Council meeting to recognize retiring City Clerk Paula Heyde with multiple honors for her commitment and leadership over a 40-plus year career, including a special recognition award, a prestigious key to the city and a resolution signed by the Missouri State House of Representatives.

Heyde is set to retire next Friday, Jan. 30, after 43 years working in the City Clerk’s Office, a journey that began back in 1983 for the Stanberry, Missouri, native.

“I want to thank the Council for their support and all these recognitions and their kindness over the years,” Heyde said to those in attendance.

The state resolution presented Tuesday was ordered by former St. Joseph mayor and current District 10 House Rep. Bill Falkner, as well as District 11 Rep. Brenda Shields and House Speaker Jonathan Patterson. 

“There’s probably no one in this building that deserves it more,” St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale said.

From managing vital city records and public documents to maintaining City Council meetings and agendas, preserving ordinances and responding to public records requests, Heyde played an invaluable role supporting staff and assisting numerous city government functions, from local elections to compliance with local and state laws.

“Her career has spanned generations of city leaders and stands as a testament to her steadfast commitment to public service,” Josendale said. “Paula leaves a legacy of dedicated public service and a lasting positive impact on the city and its residents.” 

Heyde began her work with the city clerk’s office through an employment agency in January 1983 before becoming an official staff member the following year. She was appointed city clerk on Oct. 31, 1988, succeeding Walter Welsh, who had served for 34 years starting in 1954.

Deputy Clerk Kaycee Garton is set to assume the City Clerk’s role beginning Feb. 2, 2026, marking just the third change in city clerk leadership in the last 70 years.

Heyde said previously that she looks forward to traveling and spending more time with family and friends in retirement.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The Mosaic Life Care Foundation announced it received a gift for the inspireU Children’s Discovery Center last fall, allowing families free admission for four different nights.

inspireU, located Downtown at 521 Felix St., is dedicated to fostering physical health, mental wellness and educational enrichment.

The center already hosted its first free night at the end of 2025, and now prepares for its next free night from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22.

The Foundation thanks the Leah Spratt Charitable Trust, Committee Members Rhonda Rochambeau, Rick Rochambeau and Rene Rochambeau McCrary for the commitment.

inspireU features over 20 core exhibits, a rooftop exploratorium, interactive play areas and educational spaces for children ages birth to 10 and their families.

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Danielle Bailey

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A group of citizens, business leaders, educators and government officials from Northwest Missouri will convene in Jefferson City next month for a key event focused on educating legislators about the region’s critical issues, part of an effort to promote the “Great Northwest.”

Great Northwest Day at the Capitol, held Feb. 3 to 4, gives Northwest Missourians a chance to have their voices heard by highlighting priorities in a meaningful manner to the state’s legislators.

“Great Northwest Day at the Capitol is a wonderful opportunity for leaders across our region to come together to speak as one voice on the important issues we see in our communities,” said Joe Hegeman, Chairman of Great Northwest Day, in a press release. “We’ve learned over the many years of Great Northwest Day that this approach has proven to be very powerful.”

The GNW Priorities Committee has identified the following as top issues:

Expanding rural healthcare access

Increasing childcare opportunities

Investing in higher education

Supporting K-12 education

Expanding workforce housing

Ensuring sustainable tax reform

Registration for the event is $80 if completed before Jan. 27. For more information on the priorities or to register, visit greatnorthwestday.com.

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)– The City of St. Joseph will soon be saying goodbye to long-time City Clerk, Paula Heyde, as she wraps up her career of over four decades.

“It’s been interesting, I guess. I started when I had just been in college for a year. I was in between semesters and decided to try to get a job,” Heyde said.  

Heyde started working at City Hall when she was just 19 years old, where she said this was her very first “official job.” 

She explained how she was originally hired temporarily through an employment agency, but that short-term position turned into a lifelong career.  

Paula was promoted to Deputy City Clerk in 1984 and was later appointed to City Clerk in 1988 after the previous clerk retired.  

Heyde said she’s excited for what “retirement life” has to offer.

“I am excited for the next phase in my life, and I am looking forward to travelling and visiting family and friends,” Paula said.  

One of her fondest memories over the years has been the friendships she made and the opportunity to work with many different City Council members.  

“Some of the things that have gone on while I have been in this office. A lot of good things have happened to the city over the past forty years, so it’s been an enjoyable trip,” Heyde said.  

Heyde also shared her love for flowering plants, something she’s excited to spend more time on in retirement. 

Although working as a City Clerk wasn’t originally part of her career plan, she said she worked in the office until the opportunity presented itself, saying she’s enjoyed the ride.

“Yes, I have enjoyed it. Very much, actually and I will miss working with the people here, of course, and the building itself,” Heyde said.  

One of the biggest things she noted about her experience is that City Hall has given her a deep appreciation for architecture throughout her career.  

Heyde emphasized how pleased she is that the City has invested in maintaining the building so it can be preserved for generations to come.  

“I am excited about the 100th anniversary of this building next year and what it brings to the people,” Heyde said.  

Heyde’s official last day at City Hall is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 30. The community is invited to attend a reception to share memories and wish her well after over four decades of service.  

Deputy Clerk Kaycee Garton will assume Heyde’s role beginning Monday, Feb. 2.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Current St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale is seeking re-election for a second term.

Josendale was elected mayor in April 2022. A St. Joseph native through and through, he attended the University of Missouri – Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.  

Josedale also earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Pepperdine University. Josendale said his initial drive to become mayor was because he wanted to help grow and promote St. Joseph.

“Bring it back or make it feel like what it was when I was younger, but also put the new positive, current feeling to it where we can grow, and get people live here and make it a better place,” he said.

Josendale said his decision to rerun comes because he thinks the City is moving in a positive direction, motivating him to continue to do more for St. Joseph.

“We’ve made a lot of changes. We’ve got a lot more coming. I feel like I bring some experience to the job now because, you know, you got four years of understanding it, you’ve got four years working with people. We’ve had a lot of change in the city,” Josendale said. “We’ve had a lot of change in City Hall. To help bring it and continue to bring it along.”

Josendale said he brings business experience and four years of experience of city and municipal government.

When it comes to what sets him apart from other candidates, Josendale said his business experience and previous four years of experience in city and municipal government help.

“Part of what the job of the mayor is, is to be able to communicate, not only with the other council members, because the council is made up of nine people, and that’s really important. I also understand how you have to go out and talk, whether it be to Washington or to Jefferson City or businesses that are trying to bring here,” he said. “How do you work with those companies or politicians to brag on St. Joe to make people want to invest here or be here?”

During his term, the City budget has seen different changes. Josendale said being able to manage those changes and the budget overall is critical.

“Over the last four years, there have been the ARPA funds. Those ARPA funds are gone now, and how do we manage our budget?” Josendale said. “One of the things we’ve done in the last four years, again, is to streamline the financing of how you read the budget, how you understand the budget and we make it more departmental so that you can actually see where the money is being spent to make sure that it’s being most effective for the City.”

Josendale said he wants to work with the different departments on what they need.

“One of the things that is being implemented as we speak, our new drones will be able to help the fire department. It can get out before the fire department does. The thermal image, so they can see where the hotspots are, or they can check for people inside the building,” he said. “The police department, working with that be able to give them a quicker response time. It will be able to also verify whether or not the situation they can be on scene faster, the can report back.”

Josendale said he’s grateful to have served as Mayor for the last four years, and that he would appreciate the continued support for another term.

“To the people of St. Joe, thank you for letting me be there. I believe in people, I believe in St. Joe,” he said. “It means so much to me to, you know, be able to go out and brag on our city because we got so many really good things that I want people to know about, that I want others to be able to see and attract people to come here. St. Joe means a lot to me.”

The primary election will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 3. Josendale’s name will appear next to three other candidates: Ken Reeder, Jonathan McClain and Larry Miller.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — History lovers will get the chance for an extensive and up-close look at ancient Egypt later this week.

The Bushman Planetarium at Missouri Western State University will be showing ‘Stars of the Pharaohs’ on Friday, Jan. 23.

Viewers will explore science was behind telling time, astronomical occurrences, the ancient temples and more about aspects of ancient Egypt.

The show will start at 7 p.m. with admission being $5 for adults and $3 for children age 13 and under, students, employees, military and senior citizens age 60 and up. Tickets can be purchased in person or online at missouriwestern.edu/planetarium.

For questions and additional information call 816-271-4288 or email planetarium@missouriwestern.edu.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — On a day meant to remember the work, wisdom and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., St. Joseph showed in many ways how his legacy continues to inspire communities.

MidCity Excellence’s 12th Annual MLK Jr. ‘Solutions Summit’ welcomed all to celebrate the life of Dr. King on Monday, including displays of musical talent headlined by the St. Joe Stixx Drumline, YouthCity Gospel Choir and the MidCity Trash Can Band.

Multiple guest speakers ranging from MCE alumni to local leaders also took the stage to read quotes from Dr. King and share their experiences to those in the audience.

The MidCity Trash Can Band performs during the 12th Annual MLK Jr. ‘Solutions Summit’ on Jan. 19, 2026.

Initially setting the attendance goal for 150 people, the gathering saw a total of 160 to 175 people, which exemplified what the programs means along with the work that still lies ahead according to MCE.

“Instead of griping, murmuring and complaining about the issues in life today, we watched the youth run the entire program today. We saw alumni come back to share their experiences and reaffirm how dreams can become reality,” MCE CEO Kimberly Warren said. “That’s the American dream. We are still going to have challenges, but we can’t be intimidated by those challenges. Their are still 40 to 50 students on the waiting list to join the drumline, the afterschool program, the choir and the STEM program. What today shows us is everyone in the community is speaking the same language.”

This year also marks 25 years of community impact for MCE, something Warren attributes to building a financial foundation and listening to the youth in the program.

In attendance was MCE alumni and speaker like Tyrese Huskey, an electrician and 8-year U.S. Army veteran currently studying to get his masters degree in electrical engineering at the University of Central Missouri. During his youth, Huskey wasn’t always in the best situations and he credited people like Warren for helping him get to where he is now.

“I want the kids here to learn from their mistakes, understand how serious mistakes could cost them their freedom,” Huskey said. “MidCity Excellence has brought people together, you can see it with the kids smiling, playing music and helping others. I’m grateful for this program and I’m honored to be able to give a couple words of encouragement. Stay on the right path and keep pushing forward, just like Dr. King said.”

Huskey was one of multiple former alumni who spoke at the gathering about their pathway to a successful career. The event also included BBQ catered by local eatery Big Daddy & Sons BBQ.

One goal of the event is to show those in the program how the community continues to support the organization and its mission of making a difference for youth in the community.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — MidCity Excellence celebrated 25 years of service to local youth with its 12th Annual MLK Jr. Solutions Summit Monday morning.

This year’s theme was “Homecoming of Excellence.” The event featured food, music and three guest speakers who are MCE alumni.

Kimberly Warren, MidCity Excellence CEO, said they called this year’s summit the “Homecoming of Excellence” to welcome MCE alumni.

“We served over 3,000 people in 25 years,” she said. “They are young adults now, and they have their own families. We want to hear their stories. So come back home, tell your story, and inspire others because I think the young people today listen to other people who are just a few years older than us.”

The summit was run entirely by the youth of MCE. Warren said she wants to make the youth a part of the process now, instead of when she retires.

“We’ve gotta start sharing little parts of that now. I don’t want to be so high and mighty and so great that nobody takes my position when I die or when I retire. So we have to do it right now,” Warren said. “They have to show up with us at city council, they have to show up with us at our talent shows, our drumline and they have to be a part of the process. Otherwise, this is a cancelled generation, and they will be very disenfranchized and they will have no passion for our mission. They’ll just come, and then they won’t carry it to the next level.”

Inviting alumni to the summit was aimed at showing MCE youth participants that they can continue living their lives by finding hope through trauma.

“Success doesn’t always mean the condition is always right. We have lost brothers and sisters. Parents who have divorced,” Warren said. “Some parents may have never been there, but in the midst of chaos, in the midst of trauma, they found positive hope.”

Warren said it’s important to mention Dr. King’s legacy, but the community must still come together.

“If we just stop there and talk about the great legacy and do not actually join hands with the work of the people that are doing it, then we just make it a one-hit wonder and we cannot do that. Our youth need us; it’s urgent, we cannot wait,” Warren said.

Warren said she hopes attendees of the event left feeling inspired.

“We often get so distracted, with coming from different sides of the political systems, institutions and our methodology of how we get there. Our kids are at home begging for attention. We cannot ignore that. The time is urgent,” Warren said.

The event surpassed its audience goal of 150, drawing in a total of 165 attendees.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Free bus rides for students, faculty and staff at Missouri Western State University could return if approved by St. Joseph City Councilmembers this week. 

Tuesday’s City Council meeting will see a vote to reinstate a free bus transportation program between the City and Missouri Western State University, one that would provide unlimited bus rides without having to pay a fare. 

Students and staff would have to present a current, valid MoWest identification card at the time of boarding to be accepted. 

If approved, free rides would be available for MoWest students and employees for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic halted the program. Prior to that, the agreement had been in place since 2013. 

During the pandemic, ridership dropped significantly and subsequently a rate decrease for St Joseph Transit went into effect, making the agreed-upon cost unwarranted and the program was discontinued.

The new agreement is for one year but could be extended to 2027 depending on performance goals. The contract will automatically renew in 2027 if roughly 4,800 riders are registered. 

If the established performance goal is not achieved, MoWest will have the option to continue the agreement during the 2027 calendar year. 

Tuesday’s City Council agenda also includes: 

Public Hearing on the termination and dissolution of the 36th & Frederick Community Improvement District. 

An ordinance authorizing the execution of a fire department contract between City and International Association of Firefighters, Local #77, and an amendment to the General Fund fire department and the Public Safety Tax Fund fire department budgets to appropriate funds in the total amount of $200,000 to implement salary increases and associated benefits required by the contract.

A resolution authorizing a services agreement with Insurica/Palomar insurance company, Allied World Surplus Lines Insurance and Mount Claims Service for vehicle and general liability insurance, comprehensive insurance coverage and third-party administrator services for the mass transit division in the approximate amount of $449,920.

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — An initial plan would close the Savannah pool for the 2026 season, now the Andrew County Aquatics Initiative said there are hopes for the pool to be open by Memorial Day, after renovations.

At the time, the Board emphasized that maintaining aquatics access in Andrew County would require renewed community involvement and additional resources if it is to remain a shared priority.  

President of the Andrew County Aquatics Initiative, Dianne Gould, said the original goal of the project was to build an entirely new pool facility that would replace the old one.

“Initially, that was what our goal was, and as we went along, we came to understand that the price tag of the new facility would be in excess of five million, and if we spent that money, we will end up with a facility that’s similar to what we have now,” Gould said.  

As the project gained attention, Gould said many local professionals reached out to help by analyzing the current pool.  

She said the pool’s structure is fairly simple but very well built, with a solid foundation and minimal design complexity.  

Gould said the board realized they already have a strong facility, but it just needs significant care and renovation to serve the community for many years.  

“So we went from thinking that we were going to build a new facility for six or seven million dollars to now thinking that we will be able to do a major renovation on what we have now for under a million dollars,” Gould added.   

Gould said the facility is currently undergoing testing to make sure it’s leak-tight. Once those tests are complete, the project can officially move forward and renovation work can begin.  

At one point, she said the group considered the possibility of going several years without a pool. However, the community quickly rallied behind the effort, with more than 500 people donating to the cause. 

“Everyone knows the pool is the heart of our town, and now that we have pivoted, we think we can actually not have any disruption in the summer. The professionals that are coming together to collaborate on the project believe that we can open this memorial day,” Gould said.  

She said the goal is to renovate and reopen the facility as soon as possible, especially since outdoor aquatic centers are limited and resources like this are hard to come by in the area. 

Gould emphasized how important the pool is for local kids.  

“That pool provides a lot more than what you see driving by. It’s a community, it’s a place we kind of pick up where school leaves off because school closes its doors and we open ours and that’s where a large number of our kids spend every day of their summer,” Gould said.  

As part of their continued fundraising efforts, Gould said the organization is planning a trivia night on March 21 at the Clasbey Community Center. The date also marks their goal of securing all the necessary funding. 

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