Author: News-Press NOW

Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) —  The St. Joseph School District’s Finance Committee met Tuesday to take a closer look at the financial report Executive Finance Director Linda Quinley shared with the full School Board on Nov. 24. 

Quinley walked committee members through, not just the district’s financial documents, but also the budgeting process itself — how the district builds its budget, where funding comes from at the local, state and federal levels and what best practices they’re working to follow.  

Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations, Robert Hedgecorth, said the meeting was really about transparency and making sure the community sees the work happening behind the scenes.  

“Give our board an update of where we’ve been in the past, where we’ve come and where she (Quinley) sees projects in the future, not only for our finances, but also how we can best give the board the best information possible,” Hedgecorth added.  

At the meeting, members weighed in on Quinley’s presentation — especially since most of them didn’t have the chance to ask or raise concerns during the Nov. 24 board meeting.  

Committee members pointed out areas where the district could improve and talked about ways to boost public confidence in the district’s financial direction. 

One of the biggest takeaways for Hedgecorth was Quinley’s emphasis on accuracy in budgeting.  

“Any time we give a budget to the board, we want to try to be as accurate as possible…She explained to the board what she thought an accurate budget looked like and what those thresholds were,” Hedgecorth added.  

As the district reaches its halfway point through the school year, Hedgecorth said they’re able to look more closely at financial projections, both for how this year may end and what next year’s budget could look like. 

Those projections include factoring in the upcoming school consolidation plan and estimating expenses for each location.  

“Looking at our school consolidation plan and seeing what our expenditures will be for those individual locations for next year and…already start the planning process for presenting our budget to the board for next year,” Hedgecorth said.   

According to Hedgecorth, families shouldn’t expect any personal financial impact from the district’s efforts to get fiscally healthier.  

He added that the district knows community members want to see their tax dollars used responsibly.  

“There weren’t any type of changes in school fees that might be coming down the line or anything like that. That was not that’s not how we’re looking to get fiscally healthy,” Hedgecorth said.  

Hedgecorth said it always helps to have more people in the room during financial meetings: board members, finance committee members, anyone involved — because the more voices they hear, the better the district can understand different perspectives.  

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The State of Missouri and the U.S. Department of Education have reached a proposed settlement over the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program.

The Education Department said Tuesday in a news release that the state has agreed not to enroll new borrowers in the SAVE student loan debt forgiveness plan, deny any pending applications and move anyone with a SAVE plan onto a repayment plan.

A federal judge must approve the settlement agreement.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway posted on social media platform X that she supports the agreement.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — With winter coming, local homeowners and renters will start to see an increase in their energy bills.

Energy costs typically rise in the winter due to heating, increased indoor time and increased use of hot water, among other factors.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Manager (LIHEAP), Heidi Surritt, said homes that are not energy efficient can play a role in higher heating bills.

“You have drafty homes, and that tends to make your utility bills go up. So over the years, it gets worse,” she said. “Maybe your bills are higher, you know, from one year to the next.”

Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph (CAPSTJOE) offers the LIHEAP program. It serves as a one-time state credit to apply as payment for a primary heating source.

CAPSTJOE also offers $800 in crisis funds for anyone whose service was turned off or is in threat of disconnection.

Surritt said residents can contact suppliers to get cold-weather quotes.

“There’s a cold weather rule in Missouri from November to March, so that makes payment plans a little more flexible and we can use that,” she said. “They’ll take a lesser amount to keep our service on or get it reconnected during those months.”

Spire Energy also has the Dollar Help program, which invites customers to donate a dollar or more.

Vonda Cotton, Spire community outreach specialist, said the program has a positive impact on families.

“Families with small children, seniors, so on and so forth. So it’s a really good program where customers can go in and donate that extra dollar or more,” she said.

Surritt said CAPSTJOE’s LIHEAP program and Spire’s Dollar Help program are used together to help households in need.

“If you qualify for the LIHEAP program, you would also qualify to get those funds,” she said. “So we tend to reserve those funds for people who have already lost gas, heat and we try to use those with our LIHEAP funds to get the heat back on for the winter.”

Cotton shared tips on how households can reduce their heating costs.

“I would say definitely looking to…uh, covering those thresholds is keeping the thermostat at a set temperature all year round or how comfortable it is for you,” she said. “Look at weatherizing your home and look at maybe even a smart thermostat or some type of smart devices and…making sure you’re keeping tabs on your usage.”

Surritt said CAPSTJOE has additional resources and can point you in the right direction.

“We have lots of resources that we can use, and we can put you in contact with anyone,” she said. “If we’re not able to help, we can put you in contact with the right people.”

For more information on LIHEAP and the Dollar Help program, visit the CAPSTJOE and Spire websites.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Academic achievers from all five St. Joseph high schools and surrounding areas were unveiled as finalists for prestigious local scholarships this weekend.

Eight women and eight men were selected as finalists for this year’s $1,000 scholarship awards as part of the Cotillion for Achievement Class of 2026, including students from Lafayette, Benton, Central, Bishop LeBlond and St. Joseph Christian, among others.

The 16 finalists were selected based on their scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, community service involvement and writing skills. Finalists were announced as part of the annual Cotillion reception on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, at the Joyce Raye Patterson 50+ Senior Activity Center.

The students will now participate in leadership and community service seminars, plus waltz lessons, in January 2026.

The top male and top female finalists will be selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship, which is awarded at the Cotillion for Achievement Scholarship Ball on Feb. 21, 2026.

Female Finalists:

Eliana Arambula — Benton

Hannah Bailey — Mid Buchanan

Doaa Hamdouni — Central

Tawnie Hamm — Lafayette

Gracie Ide — Bishop LeBlond

Presli Punzo — De Kalb

Abigail Roe — Benton

Mallorie Wilcox  — Saint Joseph Christian

Male Finalists:

Carlton Crumb II — Savannah

Asav Gupta — Central

Cole Kelley — Benton

Alexander Lawyer — Central

Adrian Parmenter — Lafayette

Tommy Phan — Central

Jack Roth — Savannah

Cole Schweizer — Savannah

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Goats wrapped up their inaugural season at Civic Arena back in July, but preparations for the 2026 season are in full swing.

The Goats will be opening a new seasonal store on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at the East Hills Shopping Center with team clothing, footballs, memorabilia lining the shelves and highlights of the Goats season being shown on the TV. This includes game-worn jerseys from every game this year, which will be sold in store only for $75.

A St. Joseph Goats helmet and jersey are pictured in this photo inside the team’s new store at East Hills Shopping Center.

“We’re excited to offer the jerseys for sale,” St. Joseph Goats Managing Partner Ted Sweeney said. “St. Joseph loves their history and we had the opportunity to have them own some of it. We’re going to have to buy new jerseys (for next season), that will vary a little bit compared to this years. But we’re more than happy to give people a piece of this past season.”

Sweeney added the team’s continued brand development is a product of the overall success and growth of Arena League Football.

“In terms of growth, the league has expanded,” Sweeney said. “We have three expansion teams coming on (for the new season). “And in terms of the Goats, we’ve been growing since we got here by partnering with local businesses. And we don’t see it stopping any time soon.”

The seasonal store will be open through the holidays Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. After the holidays, the store won’t reopen until May when the Goats kickoff their second season in St. Joseph.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the store would be open on Friday, it has now been corrected to Wednesday. We apologize for this error.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph School District saw three people file for two Board of Education seats up for grabs on the first day of filings.

Candidates Jacob McMillian, Cynthia Cook and Deborah Schmuck all registered on Tuesday.

The two open seats, both currently occupied by Tom Richmond and Whitney Lanning, will be for three-year terms.

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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Leah Rainwater

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KQTV) — A St. Joseph native and Central High School alumnus has earned one of the world’s most prestigious academic honors.

As the University of Missouri’s newest Marshall Scholar, Josh Donaldson joins a distinguished tradition of Tigers whose curiosity, leadership and drive have reached a global stage.

“I honestly had the time of my life during the interview,” Donaldson said. “We were cracking jokes and the discussion was so conversational. When I received the call that I had received the scholarship, I was speechless. After thanking them over and over, I hung up and just sat there for a bit to process everything. I was smiling from ear to ear.”

Donaldson is a senior biological engineering major in the College of Engineering who is also pursuing the Honors Certificate in Mizzou’s Honors College.

The Marshall Scholarship is a fully funded postgraduate award which allows scholars to study at any university in the United Kingdom. It was first awarded in 1954 and is one of the most prestigious international scholarships for U.S. students.

Nearly 1,000 students apply for the Marshall Scholarship each year and around 200 finalists are interviewed for the award, with up to 50 scholars named. Only 43 scholarships were awarded for 2026.

“We are proud that Josh is among an elite group of students to receive the prestigious Marshall Scholarship,” University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. “This incredible honor recognizes Josh’s hard work, resilience and commitment to serving others. His success also demonstrates the power of a Mizzou education, which prepares all students to achieve excellence and make a global impact.”

Donaldson, a St. Joseph native, plans to spend one year at the University of Leeds, where he will pursue a master’s degree in water sanitation and health engineering.

Donaldson will then travel to the University of Edinburgh to study global environment, politics and society.

“I love my engineering background; I love solving problems from start to finish,” Donaldson said. “I’ve quickly realized that there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle that I’ve been missing, though. I want to learn more about the political and social dimensions that make an engineering solution work, specifically tied to water, which has kind of become my obsession.”

Donaldson expressed his excitement and said the scholarship will allow him to continue to pursue his passions in engineering.

Donaldson is Mizzou’s first Marshall Scholar since 2010 and just the fifth Tiger to earn the distinction since the award was created.

“It is an outstanding academic achievement to be named a Marshall Scholar. Josh’s dedication and work ethic serves as an exemplary model for all of our students,” Matthew Martens, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs for the University of Missouri, said. “This is an extremely proud moment for Mizzou and certainly represents the standard of excellence students find when they choose our university.”

The Marshall Scholarship is the latest in a long list of awards and honors for Donaldson. He was named a Truman Scholar earlier this year, a prestigious award named in honor of Missouri’s only president, Harry S. Truman, that identifies aspiring leaders and rewards students who are committed to careers in public service.

Donaldson studied Swahili in Tanzania last year through the Critical Language Scholarship and was recently one of four Tigers to receive the Remington R. Williams Award from the Board of Curators, which is the highest student leadership award bestowed on students across the UM System.

Donaldson was also a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the oldest and most prestigious international scholarships that allows scholars from around the world to study at the University of Oxford.

He worked with the Mizzou Office of Global and National Fellowships on nearly all his award applications.

“The team has been instrumental in aligning my career progression and helping make everything come together,” Donaldson said. “You come into their office with an idea or a thought on how to change the world, and they do an incredible job of guiding you as you chase your goals. They are so great at finding unique avenues, and my work with them has been life-changing.”

Donaldson has conducted research at Mizzou through the School of Medicine and is currently a research fellow with the Missouri Water Center.

He is the president of the Mizzou chapter of Engineers Without Borders and serves as the basic needs officer for the Missouri Students Association, where he coordinates the Midwest Food Pantry Alliance.

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Cameron Montemayor

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s time for one of the strongest meteor showers of the year.

The Geminids peak this weekend and are visible through mid-December, according to the American Meteor Society. The meteors tend to be yellow in color and can be seen across the globe, but the best viewing happens in the Northern Hemisphere.

Skygazers could see up to 120 meteors per hour under dark skies during the peak Saturday night into Sunday’s predawn hours, according to NASA.

Meteor showers appear when fast-moving space rocks hit Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, leaving behind fiery tails — the end of a “shooting star.” Stray meteors are visible from Earth on any given night, but more prominent showers happen annually when the planet passes through crowded streams of cosmic debris.

How exciting a shower will look from Earth depends on many factors including the amount of debris and the brightness of the moon, which can overshadow the meteors’ glow. The Geminids have a good window for peak viewing before the moon crashes the party after midnight.

To enjoy the Geminid show, bundle up and venture away from city lights, which can drown out fireballs. The meteor shower will appear over the whole sky, so look to the darkest part or search for the Gemini constellation for which the shower is named.

Lie in a sleeping bag or lean back in a lawn chair and wait 15 to 20 minutes for your eyes to get used to the darkness. That’s when the meteors will appear as tiny glows streaking across the sky.

“The other stars are going to be all stationary, so you’ll see this moving across the sky and it’ll leave a little tail behind it,” said Bethany Cobb Kung, an astronomer with George Washington University.

Stay outside and take in the show for as long as the weather allows. Avoid bright lights from cellphones, which can make it harder for your eyes to adjust to nighttime darkness.

Most meteor showers come from the leftovers of comets, but the Geminids originate from the sun-orbiting asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

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Marie Moyer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

More than 305,000 signatures on a petition to put a new congressional map to a vote were being scanned and counted by the secretary of state’s Elections Division on Tuesday after months of collection by People Not Politicians.

If approved, the signatures would put Missouri’s new congressional map on the November 2026 ballot for voter approval. The new map was initially signed into law by Gov. Mike Kehoe in September. The maps are typically redrawn every decade after the census, but the White House has pushed for Republicans in several states to redraw maps now to give them an electoral advantage.

The map splits Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Fifth District in Kansas City into three. This will merge it with more rural and Republican areas, likely removing Cleaver’s seat and giving the Republican Party a boost in the next election.

The signature submission comes as a federal judge on Monday dismissed the Missouri attorney general’s lawsuit against People Not Politicians and other groups who claimed the referendum is unconstitutional and infringes on lawmakers’ constitutional right to draw the congressional map.

The judge ruled that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins can reject the referendum during post-submission review.

Until Hoskins certifies the signatures as sufficient or insufficient, the new district map remains frozen. The Secretary of State’s Office declined to comment on litigation.

This is an ongoing story.

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Cameron Montemayor

TANEY COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A Missouri man wanted on multiple child sex crimes has been captured after more than two years on the run.

The Bates County Sheriff’s Office announced that Steven Andrew Bowman was arrested in Taney County, Missouri, on Monday, following a yearslong search involving multiple state and federal agencies.

Bowman was wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service on multiple felony charges in Missouri, including sexual assault — sodomy, seven counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of statutory rape, according to a previous release from the agency and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Bowman’s criminal charges were issued by several law enforcement departments, including Bates County, Henry County, St. Clair County and the Clinton Police Department. All warrants were for sexual crimes against minors and society.

“Mr. Bowman thought he could change his looks and remain on the run for ever. But today, serving Justice will begin in multiple counties. This manhunt spanned from Missouri to Las Vegas,” a Facebook post from the Bates County Sheriff’s Office stated.

A photo provided by the Bates County Sheriff’s Office shows Bowman was almost unrecognizable compared to a previous booking photo, a change authorities had suspected.

“The suspect on the run for more than two years is in custody thanks to the team work of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Taskforce, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Detectives from Clinton PD, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and Henry County Sheriff’s Office,” a post from the department read.

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