Joplin Schools, Missouri Southern sign Future Ready Joplin partnership

(From Missouri Southern State University)

Joplin Schools and Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) formally signed the Future-Ready Joplin: A College and Career Partnership agreement on September 24, in the Black Box Theater at Joplin High School.

The partnership will strengthen the pathway from high school to college and careers by expanding Joplin High School students’ access to admissions support, financial aid resources, career exploration, leadership opportunities, campus experiences, and other programs that support the transition to higher education.

“Missouri Southern is a place of opportunity, and this agreement will help make the path from high school to higher education more accessible for Joplin students,” said Dr. Dean Van Galen, president of MSSU. “This partnership really reflects our shared commitment to investing in our students and the future workforce of our community.”

“At its heart, Future-Ready Joplin is about removing barriers, strengthening pathways, and helping our students see possibilities,” said Dr. Kerry Sachetta, Joplin Schools Superintendent. “We want our students to understand everything Missouri Southern has to offer, and we want to continue finding ways for the priorities of Joplin Schools and MSSU to complement one another. When Joplin Schools and Missouri Southern work together, our students benefit, and ultimately, our entire community benefits, so we're very thankful for this continued partnership.”

Through the partnership, MSSU will provide a dedicated admissions counselor for Joplin students, host application and enrollment events at Joplin High School, and offer financial aid programs for students and families.

Students will also have opportunities to explore career pathways through MSSU’s academic programs and meta majors, participate in leadership opportunities, visit the Roy Blunt Health Science Innovation Center, and attend campus information sessions and Discovery Day events.

The collaboration will also include student ambassador visits, joint academic and industry programming, special events, and opportunities such as Joplin Schools Day at MSSU athletic events and a Green and Gold event at Joplin High School. During the Green and Gold event, Joplin High School juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to win two $1,000 scholarships.

Missouri redistricting fight returns to US Supreme Court for third time

By Rudi Keller 

Missouri Independent

Backers of a Missouri redistricting referendum late on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene for a third time in three weeks in the fight over which congressional map must be used for the Nov. 3 elections.

The latest appeal comes as the first votes are being cast and state election officials face conflicting state and federal court orders. An 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling requiring use of the 2025 map is on hold until Sept. 28, leaving the 2022 map in place for now. 

The motion filed about 10:30 p.m. asks the court to again direct the state to use the 2022 map for the November election. In response, Justice Brett Kavanaugh directed that responses from Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and the two congressional candidates who filed the case be filed by 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The 8th Circuit ruling “demands a new map after votes have already been cast,” wrote attorneys for People Not Politicians, the political action committee that sponsored the referendum. “Ballots using the 2022 map have been printed and mailed, and absentee voting, both by mail and in-person, began today. Those ballots cannot be reassigned to new districts now.”

The filing reminds the high court that on two previous occasions, it has upheld the Missouri Supreme Court’s order that the gerrymandered redistricting plan passed in 2025 “never went into effect” because of the referendum.

People Not Politicians wants the Supreme Court to block an order from the Eastern District of Missouri from taking effect on Sept. 28. That order, barring “the use of any congressional district map other than the 2025 map” for the election, was issued Monday by U.S. Chief District Judge Stephen Clark. The order was issued at the direction of the appeals court and stayed until Sept. 28 to allow time for the appeal filed Tuesday night.

People Not Politicians started organizing a campaign to force a referendum on the 2025 map before Republicans finished pushing it through the Legislature at the insistence of President Donald Trump. The map was drawn to make the 5th District, held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, significantly more favorable to Republicans.

Cleaver received more than 60% of the vote in the district drawn by lawmakers in 2022 and used in the 2022 and 2024 elections.

Missouri election officials begin mailing ballots as they await ruling on congressional map

Late Monday afternoon, before the Supreme Court filing, People Not Politicians’ attorney, Alixandra Cossette asked the 8th Circuit to rescind its order. The first ballots, for overseas voters, were sent last week, she wrote, and the first in-person votes, for people who will be unable to reach the polls on Election Day, were being cast Tuesday.

“The on-the-ground reality is irrefutable,” Cossette wrote. “Missouri’s 116 local election authorities are running the election under the 2022 map.”

In response, Lou Capozzi, solicitor general for Missouri, asked the court to deny the motion, arguing People Not Politicians has questionable standing in the case and is unlikely to prevail at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The 8th Circuit denied the request shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, setting up the appeal to the Supreme Court.

A successful referendum petition has two effects under the Missouri Constitution — it puts the legislation on a statewide ballot and suspends the legal effect of a bill signed by the governor until approved by voters.

Republican officials spent much of the year fighting both effects, including successfully arguing that the Aug. 4 primary should be held using the 2025 map because the petition had not been certified for the ballot. But the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Sept. 3 that the referendum was valid and that the 2025 map “never went into effect.”

Republicans have given up on stopping the referendum, which will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot as Proposition A. But they continue to pursue an order that would use the 2025 map for the November vote. Richard von Glahn, director of People Not Politicians, said in an interview Tuesday with The Independent that he felt sure that the referendum would achieve both its goals — defeating the 2025 map and preventing its use in the election.

“The courts have been very clear,” von Glahn said. “You cannot change maps in the middle of an election. So, how confident am I? Very confident.”

Before the Missouri Supreme Court’s Sept. 3 decision, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins was preparing to use the 2025 map for Nov. 3. That changed with the court’s ruling, which placed the referendum on the ballot and directed Hoskins to use the map drawn in 2022 and used for the 2022 and 2024 elections.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 8 denied Hoskins’ direct appeal of the Missouri Supreme Court decision in its first decision on the congressional map. Hours later, Clark issued a temporary restraining order blocking Hoskins from using any map but the 2025 map. 

On Sept. 10, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed Clark’s order while the case was appealed to the 8th Circuit, again leaving the Missouri Supreme Court’s directive in place. That same day, the Missouri Supreme Court found Hoskins in contempt of its rulings.

The case before Clark and the 8th Circuit is not a direct appeal of the Missouri Supreme Court decision. Instead, it is a lawsuit filed by U.S. Rep. Bob Onder, who represents the 3rd District, state Sen. Rick Brattin, the GOP nominee in the 5th District, and two voters who would switch districts from the primary to the general election.

They sued Hoskins, who agreed that the federal courts should step in to order the use of the 2025 map. People Not Politicians intervened in the case and appealed Clark’s initial order.

Onder, Brattin and the voter plaintiffs argue that switching maps between the primary and general elections violates their rights to equal protection under the laws, among other federal constitutional and election law questions.

Appeals court backs Missouri’s gerrymandered map, but decision is put on hold

The 8th Circuit agreed, with a unanimous three-judge panel finding that the map can’t be changed after it was in place from the start of the official election process.

“During that time, Missourians filed to run for Congress, met candidates, watched campaign advertisements, received campaign mail, and voted under the 2025 map,” the court wrote. “Any confusion stems from the last-minute decision by a state court to switch the congressional map.”

In the filing asking for the 8th Circuit to rescind its order, Cossette wrote that Onder, Brattin and the other plaintiffs cannot argue they have rights that have been violated because the 2025 map was never legally in effect.

“Denying a stay permanently nullifies intervenors’ referendum right and forces Missouri voters to elect representatives from districts that have never been the law,” Cossette wrote. “Granting a stay preserves the only lawful map, protects the referendum, and allows the Supreme Court to resolve the novel constitutional questions.”

Attorneys for Onder and Brattin hope to persuade the federal courts that People Not Politicians has no standing to be involved in the litigation. 

“Whatever interest intervenor-appellants possess in enforcing their understanding of Missouri’s referendum provisions is common to every Missouri citizen,” wrote attorney Marc Ellinger, who is representing Onder and Brattin.

If the U.S. Supreme Court accepts that People Not Politicians has no greater injury than any other citizen, it could decide the committee does not have standing to argue the case.

The petition was launched for two reasons, von Glahn said. It was to both put the map on the ballot and prevent its use until approved, he said.

“Our interest is that the laws and the Constitution of Missouri are followed, and they are proposing to violate that, so they’re frankly wrong and do not speak for us,” he said.

Campaign underway

People Not Politicians on Monday began major spending on the campaign for Proposition A. The Independent’s tracking of broadcast ad purchases shows the committee bought about $452,000 worth of commercial time Monday in the state’s three largest markets for ads that will begin in the first week of October.

The ad purchases cover the final four weeks before the election.

Von Glahn said the ads are not ready for release. The campaign will get its message to every corner of the state, he said.

“We intend to communicate with Missouri voters about the importance of the referendum and stopping politicians from rigging our elections,” von Glahn said.

People Not Politicians spent $4.5 million gathering signatures and had $537,000 on hand at the end of June. It has collected a little over $1 million in donations greater than $5,000 since that date.

People Not Politicians will be campaigning for people to vote “no” on the referendum.

Put Missouri First, the political action committee formed to persuade voters to back the map with a “yes” vote, has spent nearly $3 million opposing the referendum, most of it in an attempt to stop the petition drive. It had $90,000 on hand on June 30 and has received $18,000 in donations greater than $5,000 since that date. It has not purchased any ads.

Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com.

Missouri Supreme Court hears appeal of school library ‘explicit sexual material’ law

By Annelise Hanshaw

Missouri Independent

The Missouri Supreme Court is weighing whether a 2022 law making it a crime for school employees to provide students with “explicit sexual material” violates constitutional free speech protections. 

The law, which a Jackson County Circuit Court judge struck down last November, “sowed great confusion across Missouri school districts” and spurred school librarians to remove books from shelves when it was passed, attorneys representing the Missouri Association of School Librarians and Missouri Library Association wrote in their brief.

In oral arguments Wednesday morning, much of the discussion focused on a decades-old U.S. Supreme Court precedent that determines what content can be considered obscenity — which is outside the bounds of what the First Amendment protects as free speech rights.

The three-pronged Miller Test used to determine whether material is obscene considers whether content as a whole appeals to a “prurient,” or lewd, interest and depicts sexual conduct in a “patently offensive way” based on “contemporary community standards.” Obscenity restrictions must also consider if the entire book or other work lacks literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

The language approved by lawmakers in 2022 restricts explicit sexual material, with exceptions for “works of art, when taken as a whole, that have serious artistic significance, or works of anthropological significance, or materials used in science courses.”

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office contends that the law falls within constitutional limits, asking the judges to overturn the circuit court’s decision and allow the case to go to trial. But David Thoreson, an attorney representing the librarians, told the judges that the law sweeps much more broadly than obscenity restrictions and therefore is unconstitutional.

“Any time that a state legislature or Congress decides to depart from that standard, or jettison any part of it, or substantively modify any part of it, it is playing with constitutional fire and very likely to get burned,” he said.

Judges zeroed in on the differences between the law and the controlling precedent Wednesday. Judge Mary Russell asked how the law addresses the first prong of the Miller test, which considers whether the material as a whole appeals to a prurient interest.

“It appears the statute completely omits that first standard,” she said, adding that there is no mention of community standards.

Since the law concerns material given to minors, Deputy Solicitor General Graham Miller responded, the requirement to consider the work as a whole is not applicable.

“Minors possess a more restrictive right to judge and determine for themselves what sexual material they may read or see,” he said. “They don’t have the ability to judge the work in relation to its whole as compared to a normal adult, so the determination is made under community standards.”

His answer opened up additional questions. The law overlaps with an existing statute that criminalizes “furnishing pornographic material to a minor.”

A first offense under the existing law, like an offense under the 2022 school library law, is a Class A misdemeanor. But the key difference is how the two laws define prohibited material. The existing law bars “pornographic material to a minor,” which is defined using a near verbatim copy of the Miller Test.

Chief Justice W. Brent Powell asked why the 2022 law didn’t adopt the same definition.

“The state is allowed to have overlapping criminal statutes,” Miller said. “Just because the state has criminalized the distribution of pornographic materials to minors, it doesn’t mean it cannot again criminalize the distribution of pornographic materials to minors in the school setting.”

“So do you think it is just banning the same material?” Powell asked.

“Correct,” Miller said.

When the law was passed, schools interpreted it to be broader than the existing restrictions. Attorneys for the librarians wrote in their brief that hundreds of books were removed from the shelves.

“Ultimately, (the law) resulted in the widespread removal of books previously deemed appropriate solely to avoid the possibility of criminal prosecution,” they wrote.

The state argues those removals were unnecessary, writing in its filing that the law only criminalizes books that are obscene and in violation of the existing law.

“There is no avalanche of banned books which exist outside these categories,” the state’s attorneys wrote.

The attorney general’s brief included pictures from three books with sexual content that were in high school libraries. This caught Russell’s attention.

“Are those actually on the shelves at our public school libraries?” she asked Thoreson.

Those books were some of those removed from libraries, he said, adding the books do not meet the definition of obscenity.

The images are “mere components of single scenes in multifaceted narratives with richly developed characters in which sex is merely an element in some storylines,” librarians’ brief states.

“The fact that the state appears to believe it must be removed” and schools’ decisions to stop distributing the books are proof that the law is too vague, Thoreson said.

School-sponsored speech

Even if the court finds that the law’s definition goes beyond just barring obscenity, judges could still conclude that it does not violate constitutional free speech protections.

A second tier of the state’s argument claims that the law falls under government or school-sponsored speech and does not restrict private speech.

“Government officials have no right to use official powers for their own expressive activities,“ Miller said Wednesday. “Librarians selecting or removing books from a library is not conveying their own message, but is rather conveying the school’s message,” 

He cited an 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision from April that found that schools have a “legitimate pedagogical interest in prohibiting speech involving sexual content” when considering a similar law in Iowa.

Missouri’s law differs from Iowa’s in a couple ways. Missouri’s law carries criminal penalties, while Iowa’s is limited to professional consequences, like written warnings and license suspensions.

Iowa’s law is also confined to public schools, whereas Missouri’s applies to “public or private elementary or secondary schools.”

Judge Ginger Gooch asked about this distinction, saying the state is “asking the court to construe it in a way to only have the statute apply to public school settings, even though it goes beyond that.”

If the law only bars obscenity, this piece does not matter, Miller responded. He also suggested removing the language including private schools and allowing the law to move forward only for public schools.

“Severing the private schools would be in accordance with the legislature’s wishes in this case,” he said. “Then at that point, the government speech or the school-sponsored speech doctrines would apply.”

A piece of the debate not covered Wednesday but included in attorney’s briefs is whether the law could restrict school employees outside their work at school.

The state argues that the law is limited to school staff’s work on school grounds, pointing to the statute’s language applying to those “affiliated with a public or private elementary or secondary school in an official capacity.”

But the librarians’ counsel argued that, grammatically, the phrase “in an official capacity” applies to those impacted by the law but doesn’t limit its bounds to when a school official provides the material.

“The second clause defining the prohibited conduct contains no time or place limitations whatsoever,” the attorneys wrote.

The court did not immediately issue its decision Wednesday.

Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com.

Schreiber Foods announces $267 million Carthage expansion, 100 jobs

(From Schreiber Foods)

Schreiber Foods announced today it will invest more than $267 million to expand its process-cheese network by building a new manufacturing facility in Carthage, Missouri. The investment will help Schreiber meet growing customer demand while strengthening its ability to deliver the exceptional quality, food safety and service customers depend on.

The facility is expected to open in 2028 and create approximately 100 new jobs. The project will expand Schreiber’s process-cheese production capacity and reinforce the company’s position as the customer-brand leader in the category.

“Our customers’ ambitions help shape where we invest and how we grow,” said Trevor Farrell, President of Schreiber Foods. “This investment reflects our confidence in the future and our commitment to being ready for what’s next. By expanding our network in Carthage, we’re strengthening our ability to deliver the quality, food safety, service and reliability our customers count on every day.”

The investment also reinforces Schreiber’s long-term commitment to the process-cheese category. As a global leader in process cheese, Schreiber continues to invest in the people, technology and manufacturing capabilities needed to support customers and advance the category’s future.

“We continue to see tremendous opportunity in process cheese,” said Jason Stephens, Executive Vice President and President, US. “It’s a category that Schreiber has helped shape for generations, and one that remains important to our customers. This investment ensures we’re ready to grow and evolve alongside our customers for years to come.”

For more than 75 years, Schreiber has been a vital part of the Carthage community, currently employing more than 1,300 people across its existing facilities. This investment reflects the company’s continued commitment to Southwest Missouri and the people who call it home.

“On behalf of the Mayor and City Council, we thank Schreiber Foods for its continued investment in Carthage,” said Traci Cox, City Administrator of the City of Carthage. “Since establishing operations here in 1950, Schreiber has been a valued community partner and major employer. The City of Carthage is grateful that Schreiber has once again chosen our community for expansion, and we look forward to the opportunities this investment will create for our residents and local economy.”

“Carthage Economic Development Corporation is proud to partner with Schreiber Foods,” stated Jeff Meredith, CEO of CEDC. “Their capital investment and job growth show that Carthage is ready for business and built for growth. The project strengthens our community and will increase the need for housing to support the next chapter of Carthage’s development.”

The Carthage project is part of a broader effort to expand Schreiber’s global cheese-manufacturing network. Schreiber continues to invest in and expand operations around the world, creating a more resilient, flexible and globally connected network capable of serving customers across continents.

Federal grant enables Joplin Fire Department to hire six firefighters

(From the Joplin Fire Department)

The Joplin Fire Department has won a generous federal grant that will provide funding to hire new firefighters faster than we anticipated.

Following the overwhelming voter approval of Proposition B, the Department planned to add staff to keep up with increasing call volume. This week we received word that the Department has been selected to receive a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The $800,000 grant is designed to be combined with a contribution from the City, giving the department an opportunity to hire six new firefighters and to have their salaries covered for the first three years.
SAFER grants were established by the Department of Homeland Security in 2005 to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, "front-line" firefighters available in their communities.

This is the first time the Joplin Fire Department has received this award from FEMA. City Manager Nick Edwards said, “This grant is a huge win for the City of Joplin and the Joplin Fire Department. Our Fire Department will be better staffed, and we will be able to improve our focus on the needs of our citizens in terms of fire prevention and protection. I’m incredibly proud of the Department for finding and earning this opportunity.”

Carthage R-9 hires Jana Sawyer as dual-language teacher, hears report on recruiting, retaining high quality staff

(From the Carthage R-9 School District)

The Carthage R-9 Board of Education met in regular session on Monday, September 21, 2026, 6:00 pm, at the Carthage South Technical Center – Community Room. Present were Board members Mr. Ryan Collier, Mrs. Lora Phelps, Dr. Mark Westhoff, Mr. Jeff Jones, and Dr. Robin Blair. Ms. Niki Cloud and Ms. Maria Sanchez were absent. Mr. Ryan Collier led the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Board approved the Consent Agenda for the purpose of approving the meeting agenda, minutes of previous tax rate hearing and open session meeting, payment of bills, and district financial report.

Mr. Matt Arnold, Director of Human Resources, provided the Board information regarding CSIP Priority 2: Recruitment and Retention of High-Quality Staff report.

Ms. Natalie Cowley, Director of Language Services, provided the Board an update on the district's dual-language program.

Mr. Jeff Jones provided a Carthage R-9 School Foundation update to the Board.

Dr. Holley Goodnight, Assistant Superintendent for Business, provided the Board a KE Baker remodel
update.

Dr. Goodnight provided the Board information regarding the renewal of the district's cyber insurance.

Dr. Goodnight provided the Board information regarding the purchase of a 2025 Micro Bird 35
passenger school bus.

Dr. Luke Boyer, Superintendent, and the Board discussed selecting an additional delegate to the Carthage R-9 Foundation Board.

Dr. Boyer presented his report to the Board.

The Board met in closed session immediately following the regular meeting to discuss legal, personnel, and student matters in compliance with Section 610.021 (1), (3), and (6) of the Revised Statutes of Missouri.

In closed session the Board approved the following personnel actions:

Approved the employment of certified, support and substitute staff as presented contingent upon receiving a clear criminal record check from the Missouri Highway Patrol and Federal Bureau of
Investigation, and a clear check of the Adult Abuse/Neglect Registry maintained by the Missouri
Department of Social Services for all employees new to the district:

Certified hire

Jana Sawyer, dual language teacher, Carthage Junior High School- Mrs. Sawyer is being recommended for rehire after recently retiring after 32 years of service to the district as a teacher and Director of Language Services.

Support Hire

Andrew Eby, bus driver

Joy Collins, special education paraprofessional, Early Childhood Center

Makayla Hylton, special education paraprofessional, Steadley Elementary

Katie Booth, special education paraprofessional, Early Childhood Center

Remington Tatum, student intern, IT Department

Denis Velasquez Perez, student intern, Bright Futures

David Pastor Hernandez, student intern, IT Department

Martha Ramirez, custodian, Carthage High School

Lucas FlynBear, student intern, Food Service

Guadalupe Solis, special education paraprofessional (speech support)

Dalila Garcia, evening custodian, Carthage High School

Tony Mayfield, bus driver

Substitute Hire

Calvin Gazaway

Ana Ramos De La Pena, substitute bus aide

Angela Smith

Daniel Lazure

Linda Boyd

Avery Dillard

Joyce Hale, substitute cook

Katrina Krtek

Certified Transfer

Lucy Hamilton, kindergarten teacher, Columbian Elementary

Support Transfer

Noel Davison, special education paraprofessional, Sixth Grade Center

Brooklyn Smith, special education paraprofessional, Carthage High School

Eliot Ballard, behavior interventionist, Steadley Elementary

Dakota Sisseck, special education paraprofessional, Columbian Elementary

Support Modification

Rena Jaggers, cook, Carthage Intermediate Center

Trisha Pearce, bus driver, transportation

Substitute Modification

April Greer, substitute bus driver

Certified Resignation

Maria Raquel Aguilar, dual-language teacher, Carthage Junior High School

Certified Retirement

Mayra Munoz, special education paraprofessional, Early Childhood Center

Amelia Etcheson, cook, Carthage High School

John Carlton, seasonal maintenance

Breckin Cline, seasonal custodian

Jacob Tupper, seasonal custodian

Ales Mejia, seasonal custodian

Jonathan Brooks, seasonal custodian

Zane Browning, seasonal custodian

Dylan Pugh, seasonal maintenance

Colt Pugh, seasonal custodian

Luke O'Neal, seasonsl custodian

Carson Kinder, seasonal custodian

Silas Laytham, seasonal custodian

Thomas Banta, seasonal custodian

Jakob McPheeters, seasonal custodian

Dakota Borghardt, seasonal custodian

Donetta Rivera, cook, Carthage High School

Kendra Sexton, cook, Carthage Junior High School

Brittany Connelly, special education paraprofessional

John LeMasters, bus driver

April Knell, Title 1 instructional assistant, Steadley Elementary

Substitute Resignation

Amber Opel, nurse

Jackie Brust, custodian

David Butler, custodian

Bob Lawrence, custodian

Richard Pendleton, custodian

Harold Still, custodian

Kacey Dragoo, nurse

Lacey Stephens, nurse

Christina Burker, bus driver

Lauren Gower, bus aide

Trish Pearce, teacher, bus driver

Widow files wrongful death lawsuit against Freeman, nurse

A Jasper County woman whose husband died January 16 from injuries suffered when he fell and hit his head at Freeman East while rehabiliating from a head injury filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Freeman Health and a licensed practical nurse today in Jasper County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit was filed by Teresa Ogden, who is represented by Scott Vorhees of the Joplin firm of Johnson, Vorhees and Martucci.

From the petition:

On or about December 29, 2025, Jeffrey Ogden presented to the emergency department at Freeman West. Defendant Freeman Hospital System agreed to provide care and treatment for, and did undertake to care and treat Jeffrey Ogden, who was then admitted to Freeman West.

The medical history provided by Jeffrey Ogden and his family included that the patient had sustained a fall at home and struck his head. The workup included three CT scans of the head, a hospitalist history and physical to accompany the patient's admission, and a neurosurgical consult.

CT scans on three days showed Ogden had a small acute subdural hematoma and he was discharged from Freeman West January 6.

After he arrived at Freeman East for rehabilitation he was "evaluated to be at a high risk for falls," according to the petition.

On January 12, 2026, "Jeffrey Ogden was reported to have fallen in his bathroom at the Freeman East rehabilitation unit, striking his head and losing consciousness."

Ogden was lethargic, slower in his responses than before the fall and nauseous the next morning, the petition said. A CT scan showed "progressive changes of a large subdural hematoma on the right frontal parietal with increasing size and prominence and increased midline shift."

A discharge summary from Freeman East January 13 showed Ogden's condition was "worsening," according to the petition. Ogden was taken from Freeman East to Freeman West where brain surgery was performed.

Ogden didn't recover from the surgery and died January 16.

The lawsuit claims that licensed practical nurse Korina K. Self did not institute the fall prevention strategy that had been ordered by doctors and that led to Ogden's death, did not record his fall and injuries on a timely basis and did not suspend Ogden's oral intake until he could be evaluated by a physician.

Freeman was negligent in not instituting the fall prevention strategies and not having a CT done on a timely basis.

Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Joplin Gardens

The daughter of a Joplin Gardens patient who died May 7, 2025 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the skilled nursing facility.

The lawsuit, which was filed today in Jasper County Circuit Court, by Michelle Killman, alleges negligence in her father Martin Davey's treatment that caused his death.

From the petition:

Davey suffered from a fractured hip/femur requiring rehab and physical therapy, and at all times mentioned herein, Davey, due to his immobility, weakness, pain, and declining condition, was in a defenseless and dependent condition.

As a result of his defenseless and dependent condition, Davey relied upon the defendant nursing home to provide for his safety, protection, care, and treatment.

On admission to the Facility Davey’s diagnosis and physician's orders made his dependence on the Facility and its staff clear.

On admission to the Facility Davey had a history and diagnosis which made him a risk for pressure injuries, skin breakdown, immobility-related complications, and pneumonia.

That the Facility operated by Defendant conducted an evaluation and care plan for Davey that identified Davey as being at risk for pressure injuries, skin breakdown, and immobility-related complications. The care plan implemented various items, including turning schedules, heel off-loading, specialty mattresses, close wound surveillance, barrier cream, collagen powder, antifungal treatment, and wound-care-provider referral, to address this issue.

On or about September 24, 2024, the Facility admitted Davey following a stay at Freeman Hospital for a fractured hip/femur.

Upon admission on September 24, 2024, Facility staff noted “non-blanchable” area on Davey’s coccyx and reddened areas on both heels.

On or about September 26, 2024, the Facility documented open areas on Davey’s buttocks consistent with a nonblanchable, Stage II pressure injury.

On October 7, 2024, the wound care nurse assessed Davey’s feet and surgical wounds, with no mention of the buttocks or coccyx.

On or about October 8, 2024, the Facility documented that Davey was incontinent of bowel and wearing “adult protection.”

During the next several weeks, Davey’s buttocks and coccyx injuries received little or no attention, despite the indications on admission.

On November 1, 2024, a new wound was documented on Davey’s left buttock.

On November 21, 2024, x-rays revealed that Davey’s tendons were exposed in both heels.

On or about November 25, 2024, the Facility received wound culture results from Davey’s heels showing MRSA.

On or about December 4, 2024, the Facility found Davey with a red and swollen face, fever, shortness of breath, and “wet” gurgling lungs.

On December 7, 2024, a nurse at the Facility entered a note indicating a plan to call Monday to obtain administrator approval for an antibiotic, but subsequent notes provide no indication such a call was ever made.

On or about December 11, 2024, the Facility found Davey confused and drooling, later noting that he was leaning to the right, had slurred speech, and kept falling asleep.

By failing to timely prevent, assess, monitor, and treat Davey’s pressure injuries, immobility, wound infection, swallowing decline, pneumonia, and significant condition changes, the Facility allowed those conditions to worsen and progress.

As Davey’s conditions worsened, he became weaker, more immobile, and less able to recover, and his deterioration ultimately progressed to his final hospitalization for respiratory distress and death on May 6 to May 7, 2025.

The Facility allowed Davey’s pressure injuries, infection, immobility, respiratory decline, and overall deterioration to progress without timely and appropriate assessment, intervention, treatment, monitoring, and physician notification, thereby causing and directly contributing to his untimely death.

Killman, who is represented by Alan N. Barker of Smolen Law, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is seeking damages and punitive damages.

Initial appearance, arraignment scheduled for Thomas Ross

 The initial appearance and arraignment for former 161st District Republican state representative candidate has been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. October 1 in U. S. District Court in Springfield.

Ross, a Joplin resident, is charged with conspiring to plant cocaine on his opponent in the Republican primary Louise Secker. 

Ross defeated Secker by 32 votes. After his arrest, Ross withdrew from the race and the Jasper County Republican Central Committee selected Secker to be his replacement.

Change of plea hearing set for Joplin man on cocaine, weapons charges

A change of plea hearing has been scheduled for 12:30 p.m. September 30 in U. S. District Court in Springfield for Tierall Devean Sherrick, 30, Joplin, who is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and two counts of possessing a weapon as a user of controlled substances.

The crimes Sherrick is accused of, which took place in October 2025 are based on local arrests.

Jasper County Circuit Court records indicated Sherrick was charged with multiple felonies, including two counts of domestic assault, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and property damage, stemming from arrests by the Joplin and Carl Junction police departments.