Nonprofit sues to overturn Missouri’s parental consent laws for minors seeking abortions

By Anna Spoerre

Missouri Independent

A reproductive health care nonprofit filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to overturn Missouri’s law requiring minors to get parental approval before getting an abortion.

The lawsuit contends the consent law is unconstitutional after voters passed an abortion rights amendment last year. Right By You, a nonprofit that helps young people navigate pregnancy decisions, including by increasing access to and awareness around contraceptives, prenatal care, abortion, parenting and adoption, filed the lawsuit in Jackson County Circuit Court.

Missouri’s parental consent law, which remains on the books, requires that a minor attempting to access abortion receive at least one parent’s consent. The other parent must also be notified. If that’s not possible, they can also seek out a judicial bypass process.

Right By You is also challenging Missouri’s ban on aiding or assisting a minor seeking an abortion.

“The laws bully pregnant young people without parental support into giving birth and threaten legal action against and undermine the core activities of Good Samaritans who seek to help young people effectuate their own decisions about their pregnancies with dignity,” the lawsuit reads.

Missourians in November narrowly voted to enshrine the right to reproductive health care, including abortion, in the state constitution. That language, known during the election as Amendment 3, includes a provision that prohibits the government from discriminating “against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care or assisting another person in doing so.”

The amendment does allow the government to legislate abortion access if compelling governmental interest exists.

The current parental consent requirements and ban on assisting minors seeking an abortion “enhance the information, guidance or support (young people) receive,” but does “disregard, burden and punish young people’s decision to end a pregnancy,” the lawsuit reads.

Stephanie Kraft Sheley (pictured), founder of Right By You, said most young people do involve a parent or trusted adult in conversations about abortion. It’s those who can’t whom she worries most about.

“It makes sense that folks that are in healthy relationships with their children have this instinct that they would want their children to come to them, but a law that forces that to happen in every case is not the solution to that problem, because it’s not possible for a law to legislate a healthy family dynamic.” she said.

The impact of the law, Kraft Sheley said, is “not actually on the young person that you’re imagining who has a good relationship with their parent, it’s on a young person who’s very safety and well being would be compromised by having this conversation with a parent.”

Right By You is asking the court to strike down the parental consent law and to allow the group to begin funding and arranging logistics for minors seeking abortions, including transportation, hotel and child care costs.

“Young people are shooting this really narrow gap, and then they’re navigating this obstacle course that’s just traumatic and harmful and doesn’t provide any corresponding benefit to them,” Kraft Sheley said. “I see it play out with a lot of confusion, a lot of turmoil, and in some cases, I see young people not able to access care.”

The state of Missouri and Attorney General Andrew Bailey are named as defendants in the lawsuit, as is the Jackson County prosecutor, who is being sued as a representative of the prosecutors across Missouri.

 

“This is a shameful and dangerous attempt by radicals hell-bent on the destruction of innocent life to undermine not only parental rights but also the health and safety of young women, Bailey’s office said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “Trafficking minors for dangerous procedures without parental consent is and should remain illegal.”

A separate lawsuit challenging several of Missouri’s other laws regulating abortion is also playing out in Jackson County. The day after the November election, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri sued the same defendants on similar grounds, arguing current targeted regulation of abortion provider laws were unconstitutional under Amendment 3.

A judge temporarily struck down most of the TRAP laws, allowing some abortions to resume in Missouri. The full trial is set for early 2026.

Meanwhile, Bailey is also suing Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which oversees clinics in Kansas City and Columbia, over allegations that the organization is transporting minors out of state for abortions.

The lawsuit is based on a video filmed more than a year ago at the Kansas City clinic. In the recording, a man secretly taped an interaction for Project Veritas in which he pretended to be the uncle of a 13-year-old in need of an abortion whose parents couldn’t know.

Planned Parenthood staff then directed him to their affiliate clinics in Kansas where they said he could “bypass” parental consent. When the man asked how often girls go out of state for abortions, the Planned Parenthood employee said it happens “every day.”

During a court hearing on Monday in Cole County, attorneys for Planned Parenthood argued the lawsuit should be dropped on the grounds that the video was “hypothetical” and that abortion is now legal.

“I find that the right to reproductive freedom initiative does not address the issue of parental consent,” Boone County Judge J. Hasbrouck Jacobs said Monday. “And because of that, I’m going to deny the motion to dismiss.”

Kraft Sheley is also a co-founder of What’s Next, an Amendment 3 accountability group made up of organizers and activists who previously called for a constitutional amendment to appear on the Missouri ballot with no restrictions on abortion.

 

Immediately after Amendment 3 was approved by voters, the coalition started calling on the state’s major reproductive rights groups to challenge Missouri’s parental consent law.

“They haven’t done so,” Kraft Sheley said. “And we can’t sit and watch those people be left behind.”

The lawsuit also notes that current policy does not clearly state how or if minors in state custody or in the foster care system can access abortion through the current parental consent law.

The Independent recently published a story detailing the journey of a young teenager in foster care who was denied an abortion in 2024 at the age of 15. After the state said abortion wasn’t an option, she spent her pregnancy and postpartum in constant fear of the state removing her baby, despite providing her with practically no resources to help her parent.

“My fear is we’ll see more cases like (this one,)” which Kraft Sheley described as “my literal fear of what will become of young people who are forced to continue pregnancies. That’s what is proposed by these criminal involvement laws, and that is what this constitutional amendment explicitly disallows.”

(Photo by Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)

Proposed abortion ban one vote away from Missouri ballot

By Anna Spoerre

Missouri Independent

A proposed constitutional amendment that would again ban abortion in Missouri passed out of a state Senate committee on Wednesday, meaning it is one step away from heading to a statewide ballot.

The legislation approved on a 4-2 party line vote would repeal the reproductive rights amendment known as Amendment 3 but allow exceptions for medical emergencies, fatal fetal anomalies and for survivors of rape and incest in the first 12 weeks of gestation.

 

If approved in the Senate, the proposal would be on a statewide ballot in November 2026. It could also be placed before voters earlier by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

With time growing short in this year’s session — lawmakers will have two weeks to complete their work after they adjourn Thursday — the Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee held a public hearing and voted on the bill on the same day.

About 150 people packed the committee room to show support and opposition to the proposal sponsored by state Rep. Brian Seitz, a Branson Republican.

For the most ardent abortion opponents, the measure is a test of Republican fidelity to their cause.

“There is confidence, with a supermajority of Republicans at the helm, that those people who are pro-life at home know the representatives and senators in this building are going to do the right thing and bring this back to the vote of the people,” said Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life.

Opponents again said the proposal seeks to overturn the will of Missouri voters.

“Stripping away people’s rights to their own god-given conscience in the face of some of the most intimate and tender decisions of their lives is an affront to our humanity and to god,” the Rev. Molly Housh Gordon of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia said.

House Republicans spent the first three months of the session groping for a proposal that represented a consensus in their ranks. The proposal heard Wednesday passed out of the House earlier this month with only one Republican — House Speaker Jon Patterson of Lee’s Summit — in opposition.

The measure would reinstate the almost total ban on abortions that was in place in Missouri from June 2022 until the passage of Amendment 3.

Patterson at a press conference following the mid-April vote said he had concerns with the limited exceptions allowed in the proposal..

“A debate that we should have — and I hope happens in the Senate — is 12 weeks long enough,” Patterson, a physician, said during the press conference. “ … If you’re going to say it’s OK to (have an abortion) after you’ve been raped, now we’re talking time limits.”

But no changes were made to the proposal on Wednesday.

State Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Democrat from Kansas City, asked Seitz why he picked 12 weeks, noting that sexual violence is among the most under-reported crimes.

 

Seitz said 12 weeks was chosen because it marks the end of the first trimester.

In 2020, more than 93% of all abortions in the United States were performed prior to 13 weeks gestation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Crime data shows that two out of every three sexual assaults are not reported to police, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine, one group of researchers estimated that since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, more than 65,500 women and girls in the 14 states with abortion bans in place became pregnant after being raped.

Seitz has not made clear if or how survivors would have to prove the crime occurred in order to obtain an abortion.

On Wednesday he said a reporting requirement was not necessary because state law already requires sexual crimes to be reported by physicians, for example. Under Missouri statute, some professions including health care workers are required to report suspicion of rape or incest to police, but only if the victim is under 18 years old. Physicians are not required to report sexual violence against adults.

“It’s also giving an incentive for those who know that a woman or girl has been sexually assaulted to get her to a rape crisis center, to get her to a counselor, to get her to a physician or nurse early enough in pregnancy so that she can make the decision that she needs to make,” longtime anti-abortion advocate and lobbyist Sam Lee said, testifying in support of the legislation.

The ballot language that would appear before voters does not explicitly say the amendment would ban abortions.

Instead, Missourians would be asked if they want to amend the Missouri constitution to: 

“Guarantee access to care for medical emergencies, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages;
Ensure women’s safety during abortions;
Ensure parental consent for minors;
Allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest;
Require physicians to provide medically accurate information; and
Protect children from gender transition?”

Health care workers weigh in

Much of Wednesday’s opposition testimony Wednesday delved into details of health issues that women face during a difficult pregnancy.

Dr. Christine Jackson, an OBGYN in St. Louis, testified in opposition to the legislation, detailing the experience of one of her patients who learned she was pregnant after she was admitted to the ICU with diabetes complications.

 

“When I met her, she was grappling not only with her acute illness, but hundreds of questions,” Jackson said.

The issues the woman faced ranged from child care to her son at home to managing her diabetes while pregnant and the potential for serious complications.

Jackson said the patient was too sick to go to an outpatient procedure facility for the abortion, and that she also didn’t meet the criteria for a medical emergency under Missouri’s abortion ban at the time. Jackson said the patient was also too sick to go to an outpatient procedure facility for the abortion.

The woman ultimately traveled to a Chicago hospital to obtain an abortion.

“She traveled five hours away from her child, away from her partner, away from her home to receive care that we could have safely provided down the hall but was illegal at the time,” Jackson said.

Anti-abortion lawmakers and advocates have for several months argued Amendment 3 eliminated women’s ability to sue providers if something went wrong during an abortion. Attorneys behind the abortion-rights amendment have said this is false.

Asked about this, Jackson said under Amendment 3, providers must still meet professional licensing requirements through the Missouri Board of Healing Arts. She is also still required to carry medical malpractice insurance.

After Amendment 3 passed, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Missouri sued the state, challenging several of Missouri’s laws focused on abortion facilities and providers. The proposed ban, if passed, would reinstate several of these targeted regulations on abortion providers, or TRAP laws, that were recently struck down as unconstitutional by a Missouri judge.

Amy DeClue, a surgical nurse from Franklin County, testified in support of the legislation, recounting stories of a few women she cared for in the hospital after they underwent abortions.

“One in particular I’ll never forget because when she showed up, you could tell she was just mentally drained. She was alone, she was afraid, and she was just very sad,” DeClue said. “She couldn’t quit bleeding and they had left products of conception in her.”

‘A culture of life’

Among those testifying against the legislation were women who sought out abortions decades ago in Missouri, when the procedure remained much more accessible, and pastors who said they speak often with congregants about the intersection of faith and health care.

The Rev. Teresa Danieley, a priest in the Episcopal Church, said she disagreed with Seitz’s assertions that Missouri has a culture of life, noting the lack of mandatory paid parental leave, the state’s ongoing child care crisis and the current attempt by lawmakers to overturn the state’s voter-approved paid sick leave law.

Danieley, who wore a button that read “Jesus never shamed a woman,” said she has helped counsel many religious women about their abortions.

 

“Over and over again I hear these deeply religious women ask, ‘can God forgive me? Am I going to hell?’” she said. “I try to ground them in that they made the best decision they could given that there is no culture of life in this state or in this country.”

The committee adjourned less than two hours into testimony. Of the people crowded into the hearing room and hallway, only six were there to speak in support of the legislation. State Sen. Patty Lewis, a Kansas City Democrat, noted that after her GOP colleagues again said that Missourians only approved Amendment 3 because they didn’t understand what they were voting on.

“Missouri Right to Life represents hundreds of thousands of people across Missouri,” Klein said.

“Where are they?” Lewis asked.

Trial date set for former Carthage Parks director on stealing, money laundering charges

A March 2, 2026 jury trial is scheduled for former Carthage Parks Director Mark Peterson, who is charged with three counts of stealing and two counts of money laundering.

Five days have been set aside for the trial, according to online Jasper County Circuit Court documents.

A July 16 hearing has been scheduled for pre-trial motions or a change of plea.

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The Turner Report: Former Carthage Parks Director charged with stealing $142,000, money laundering

HuHot Mongolian Grill, Bamboo fail Joplin Health Department inspections

HuHot Mongolian Grill, 1804 S. Range Line Road, and Bamboo, 2316 S. Maiden Lane, failed Joplin Health Department inspections today, according to documents posted on the department website.

Two priority violations were cited for HuHot Mongolian Grill.

-A large can of baby corn was heavily dented near the top seam. Staff withheld the damaged product for a vendor refund.

-The working containers of two chemical spray bottles in the kitchen were not labeled as to their contents.

The business also received two core violations.

Bamboo received one priority violation.

-Tofu, wonton, rice, and cream cheese in Norlake Three-Door Reach-In Cooler was being cold held above 41°F.

The following establishments passed their inspections:

Stapleton Elementary School, 101 E. 41st Street

Wendy's, 1625 S. Range Line Road

College View Manor, 3828 E College View Drive

Jefferson Elementary School, 130 S. McKinley Street

Hardee's, 4013 S 43 Highway

Arby's, 2408 S. Range Line Road

Dollar General, 1502 E. Zora Street

Tilt Studio, 101 N. Range Line Road

McDonald's, 3140 S. McClelland Boulevard

Dollar General, 1221 E 32nd Street

Subway @ Rapid Robert's, 4549 43 Highway

Kelsey-Norman Elementary School, 1323 E. 28th Street

State Chief Disciplinary Counsel recommends disbarment of Joplin attorney

Joplin attorney Kevin Cure has two days left to respond to a show cause order explaining why he should not be disciplined and perhaps even disbarred in Missouri following disciplinary action that was taken against him in Kansas in 2024.

Disbarment is the recommendation of Laura Elsberry, chief disciplinary counsel for the Missouri Supreme Court.

Her motion for reciprocal discipline was filed April 17 in the Supreme Court.

The motion was filed following an investigation into disciplinary action taken against Cure, the former Galena city attorney, by the Kansas Supreme Court.

The formal complaint against Cure, 61, filed by the Office of the Disciplinary Administrator, said he was guilty of violations involving scope of representation, diligence, communication, declining or terminating representation and professional misconduct. Cure did not deny any of the allegations.

The allegations, which were detailed in the ruling's findings of fact, included Cure failing to represent his client in Cherokee County District Court, leaving drunken messages on the client's voicemail, failing to file court documents, including a signed plea agreement for the client and then taking months to send the client his court files after the client decided to represent himself.

Cure's suspension went into effect May 3, 2024.

Cure's Missouri license was suspended in 2018 after he pleaded guilty earlier that year to his third driving while intoxicated conviction. The license was reinstated in 2021.

The chief disciplinary counsel's motion suggests Cure's problems run deeper than what was included in the Kansas findings.

Not only did Respondent have a prior suspension, he was currently on a monitoring agreement with KLAP (Kansas Lawyers Assistance Program) and on probation with this Court. Both required Respondent to abstain from drinking. Respondent was not abiding by the agreements. During oral arguments before the Kansas Supreme Court. Respondent admitted he continued to drink and that he was not attending AA meetings.

The motion noted Cure has not been in touch with his Missouri probation monitor since November 30, 2023.

 The motion concludes with Elsberry making her case for the strongest sanction possible against Cure.

In addition, this Court typically adheres to a practice of applying progressive discipline when imposing sanctions for attorney misconduct. 

This Court has already suspended Respondent's license once, and he has been on probation since December of 2020. 61. ABA Standard 8.0 discusses enhanced sanctions for a lawyer who has been subject to prior discipline. 

It provides that a lawyer subject to prior discipline who engages in further misconduct presents such a serious risk as to warrant special consideration under the ABA Standards. 

More specifically, it states, that absent other aggravating or mitigating 12 circumstances, disbarment is generally the appropriate discipline when a lawyer who has been suspended for misconduct lmowingly engages in further similar acts of misconduct. 

Thus, Informant suggests that this Court should disbar Respondent.

Sen. Jill Carter offers legislative update

(From Sen. Jill Carter, R-Granby)

With three weeks to go, the pace is picking up in Jefferson City. More than 2,000 bills have been filled. We have a 122 bills currently in our committee Families, Seniors and Health. Here is an update on our legislative priorities:

SJR40, relating to the endangerment of a child, was voted out with great support from the Senate this week and is heading to the House of Representatives next.

 

SB150, establishing the "Education Freedom Act", was debated on the house floor. This bill was laid on the informal calendar, and we will hopefully have it brought up again in the following weeks.

SJR46, a resolution expanding tax benefits for veterans, had its public committee hearing in the House Thursday morning and was voted out in favor. This resolution will be heading to House Rules Committee next.

SB59, relating to veterans survivor benefits, was voted "Do Pass" in the house rules committee and will be sent back to the house for its final debate.

As always, we love seeing all of you when you come! If you have concerns, join the Community Text Group, where I'm the only one that gets your texts but can send one out to all of you, to keep you informed: 417-216-6077

Preliminary hearing set for Carthage business owners charged with stealing $360,000 from elderly woman

 

A June 4 preliminary hearing is scheduled in Jasper County Circuit Court for a Carthage couple who allegedly stole at least $360,000 from an elderly woman.

Casey and Wendy Harris, owners of Harris Renovations, LLC pleaded not guilty during their arraignments Monday.

Casey Harris is charged with stealing and financial exploitation of the elderly, while Wendy Harris is faced with each of those counts, as well as fraudulent use of a credit device.

According to the probable cause statement for Casey Harris, the 70-year-old victim had more than $230,000 taken from her savings and checking accounts "in the form of checks written to Casey Harris and Harris Renovations."

Harris also used the Lowe's credit card allegedly created by his wife, to buy more than $90,000 worth of items that were then used to "complete construction and renovation jobs for other paying clients."

The Harrises allegedly stole money from the woman over a period from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2025.

Wendy Harris' probable cause statement says the woman had given her power of attorney and used "undue influence" on her.

Sweeping Missouri child welfare bill, including child marriage ban, heads to governor’s desk

By Clara Bates

Missouri Independent

A sweeping child welfare bill that would ban child marriage and prohibit the state from seizing foster children’s Social Security benefits is headed to the governor’s desk, after the Missouri Senate gave it final approval Tuesday on a 32 to 1 vote.

The sole no vote was Republican state Sen. Mike Moon of Ash Grove.

 

The bill garnered little opposition when it cleared the House last week 129 to 14, though a group of Republican lawmakers condemned the provision making it illegal for anyone under 18 years old to marry.

“There are legitimate reasons for people 16, 17 to become married,” said state Rep. Dean van Schoiack, a Savannah Republican, who was also vocal in his opposition to the idea last year. “A pregnancy could be a legitimate reason to become married, for one thing.”

He said he knows many couples who were married at 16 or 17 who are still together.

State Rep. Hardy Billington, a Poplar Bluff Republican, said “more babies will die” if the bill passes.

“People at 16, 17 years old will have more abortions because they can’t get married,” he said.

Both Billington and Van Schoiack left the House chamber during a roll call on the legislation, and thus did not record a vote.

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said the Platte County recorder of deeds shared with her “how horrifying his experience is when he has to assist a young woman with a marriage certificate, the look in her eyes when he knows that this is against her will.”

She then turned her comments to Van Schoiack.

“And for you to stand up here and advocate for young women to be married off, it is disgusting,” Aune said. “Honestly, I can’t believe it. It’s indefensible. I can’t believe you would stand up in a microphone and say it out loud.”

Under current Missouri law, anyone under 16 is prohibited from getting married. But 16 and 17 year olds can get married with parental consent to anyone under 21.

Marriage would be banned for anyone under 18 under the bill that passed Tuesday.

There was no discussion before Tuesday’s vote, but in 2023 Moon’s opposition to the child marriage ban garnered national attention when he said: “Do you know any kids who have been married at age 12? I do. And guess what? They’re still married.”

The ban on child marriage almost passed last year but was stalled by a small group of Republican critics.

The underlying bill, dealing with foster children, was sponsored by Republican state Rep. Melissa Schmidt of Eldridge, and handled by Republican Sen. Jamie Burger of Benton. Most of the provisions were added on by other members as amendments.

Among its many provisions is a ban on Missouri’s social services agency from seizing Social Security benefits from foster kids.

 

Missouri’s child welfare agency takes millions of dollars each year in foster children’s benefits and uses the money to help pay for foster care. In fiscal year 2024, the Children’s Division spent over $10.6 million in children’s benefits. Over 1,200 foster kids were receiving benefits in Missouri of late last year, or just over 10% of all kids in care.

As a result, kids who are orphaned or have disabilities are responsible for paying toward the cost of their care in state custody.

The bill would ban the state from using those benefits to pay itself back for routine foster care expenses. Instead, the division could use the funds for the child’s “unmet needs” beyond what the division is obligated to pay, such as housing as the child prepares to age out of foster care.

The effort to ban the practice won bipartisan support during last year’s session and was on the precipice of passing. But it died when GOP infighting forced the state Senate to adjourn early.

House Speaker Jon Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, pledged earlier this year that this legislation would be the first bill sent to the Senate, highlighting the issue as legislation that “should have been passed but fell victim to our inaction and politics.”

The bill also voids nondisclosure agreements in childhood sexual abuse cases.

And it includes a proposal by Republican state Sen. Travis Fitzwater of Holts Summit that would assign foster children 14 and older to client-directed attorneys, meaning they would be required to act based on the goals of the children. Currently, foster children have guardians ad litem, who are attorneys tasked with acting in what they view as the child’s best interest.

The shift, which would be subject to appropriation, goes into effect in 2028 unless a county opts into a pilot program. The judge in each case would still have the discretion to continue the guardian ad litem appointment. The bill also creates a commission appointed by the chief justice of the state Supreme Court to review family legal representation throughout the state, and make recommendations to bolster its uniformity and quality.

It would also require the state Department of Social Services to build a program of residential care for youth with severe behavioral challenges currently being held in inappropriate placements, by contracting with qualified service providers. This, too, would likely require funding by the legislature.

Other provisions include:

Increasing a tax credit for donations to certain youth programs.
Clarifying that parents allowing children to engage in appropriate independent activities without supervision would not be considered abuse or neglect.
Stating that the state Children’s Division cannot hold itself harmless in contracts with private service providers when there are issues resulting from the state’s negligence.
Requiring Children’s Division caseworkers to present identification of themselves when conducting investigations of child abuse and neglect, and inform parents of their rights.
Requiring the Children’s Division to take into consideration the religion of the foster child when determining placement, in order to ensure children are in households of a similar religion to their families’ when practicable.
Modifying the Amber Alert system to add that the system will aid in finding not only an abducted child but an “abducted or missing African American youth.”
Changing the criminal offense of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, by raising the age of a child from “under 17” to “under 18.”

Missouri Supreme Court upholds voter-approved paid sick leave law

By Clara Bates

Missouri Independent

Missouri’s Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Proposition A, the voter-approved law expanding paid sick leave set to go into effect Thursday.

It was a unanimous opinion but one judge dissented on the reasoning.

“This court finds there was no election irregularity and the election results are valid,” Chief Justice Mary Russell wrote in the opinion.

Business groups have been fighting on two fronts to gut the law since it passed in November. Tuesday’s decision marks the failure of one front, but efforts to convince Republican lawmakers to overturn the law remain in play.

A bill that cleared the House and awaits action in the Senate would repeal the sick leave provisions. Negotiations between Senate Democrats and Republicans on that legislation appear to have stalled.

“In light of today’s decision, it is now imperative that the Missouri General Assembly pass HB 567,” Kara Corches, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in a press release, referring to the bill to seeking to void the paid sick leave law.

The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments last month seeking to strike down the law, filed by a coalition of business groups and individuals. The lawsuit argued the law should be thrown out for violating constitutional rules on ballot initiatives, including violations of the state constitution’s single-subject requirement and a lack of a clear title, which the court ruled it lacks jurisdiction over.

“Workers like me have spent over a decade fighting across race and place to strengthen our rights, and the Supreme Court decision today proves that when we fight, we win,” said Terrence Wise, a Stand Up KC and Missouri Workers Center leader who has worked in the fast food industry for two decades, in a press release. “…We will continue to stand up for our right to the dignified benefits and wages we deserve — from the shop floor to the halls of government.”

Prop A passed with nearly 58% of the vote and had the support of numerous unions, workers’ advocacy groups, social justice and civil rights organizations, as well as over 500 business owners.

Senate Democrats have spent two nights this month blocking Republican efforts to overturn the law. They have worked on reaching a compromise regarding implementation details.

Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Republican from Shelbina, has been an especially loud voice urging full repeal. She has said that even though requirements go into effect May 1, the Senate could continue working to weaken the law until the end of session on May 16.

The bill sponsored by state Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, a Republican from Jefferson City, and state Rep. Sherri Gallick, a Republican from Belton, would overturn the law requiring most employers to provide paid sick time off for hundreds of thousands of qualifying workers. It would also modify the minimum wage law by removing the requirement that it be indexed to inflation.

State Sen. Brian Williams, a Democrat from University City, spent over two hours blocking action in the chamber with a filibuster Tuesday morning, saying some had been acting in bad faith during negotiations.

“This year, there’s been again, people going back on negotiation, bad faith efforts, distrust, people feeling deceived and members of the body feeling disrespected,” he said. “But most importantly, all in the name of disregarding voters. The very same voters that have sent us here.”

Under the law, beginning May 1 employers with business receipts greater than $500,000 a year must provide at least one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked. Employers with fewer than 15 workers must allow workers to earn at least 40 hours per year, with larger employers mandated to allow at least 56 hours. The law also gradually increases the minimum wage.

“It is financially burdensome, just short of devastating, and its regulatory requirements are extremely difficult for single unit operators,” Buddy Lahl, CEO of the Missouri Restaurant Association, told The Independent Tuesday.

The bill would allow the minimum wage to increase to $15 per hour in 2026, as voters approved, but it would not be adjusted for inflation thereafter — a policy that has been in place since 2007. The sick leave provisions would be repealed entirely.

Prop A would make sick leave guaranteed for around 728,000 workers who currently lack it statewide, or over 1 in 3 Missouri workers, according to an analysis from the progressive nonprofit the Missouri Budget Project.

NW Arkansas business owners plead guilty to $6.1 million scheme to rip off pandemic relief loan programs

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas)

A Florida couple, formerly of Northwest Arkansas, pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding Pandemic Relief Loan Programs. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the plea hearing, in which Fawaad Welch, age 41, and Julia Youngblood, age 41, both waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a criminal information. Welch pled to wire fraud and Youngblood pled to misprision of a felony related to the scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between May of 2020 through October of 2021, Welch and Youngblood applied for Pandemic Relief Loan Programs through their Arkansas business, Slipstream Creative, LLC, which was a Northwest Arkansas advertising and marketing company located in Fayetteville, Arkansas.







Throughout the applications, Welch provided the lenders with false statements regarding their assets and liabilities and the intended use of funds received through the SBA7(a), Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Main Street Loan Programs. Youngblood them signed those application on behalf of the business. According to the information filed by the Government, after receiving the loan funds, Welch then diverted large parts of the loan proceeds for the personal benefit of the couple. For example, in the applications submitted for these loans, the couple failed to disclose material information such as tax liabilities and the fact that they were receiving loans from the other loan programs. Also, within months of receiving $1.5 million in “working capital” Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds in October 2021, Welch transferred $1.3 million of that loan to the couple’s personal bank account. The couple then purchased a home in Florida using $445,000 of those Government program loan funds.

According to the plea agreement entered into by Welch, after being asked by Generations Bank officials if Welch and Youngblood take salaries and informed that “the Fed restricts changes to your salaries with the [Main Street Loan Program] and doesn’t allow distributions, Welch replied, “Yes sir we do at 10k a month so all is good there. 5k a piece.” After receiving the $3 million in program funds, within a month Welch had transferred $950,000 in Main Street Loan Program funds out of the business and to himself.

In the plea agreements with the Government, the couple agrees that pursuant to this scheme, they should be held accountable for more than $3.5 million but less than $9.0 million in intended loss.

Following the preparation of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office, Welch and Youngblood will be scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. Welch faces a maximum penalty of twenty (20) years in prison, and Youngblood faces a maximum penalty of three (3) years in prison. Both individuals will also be assessed a period of supervised release, monetary penalties, and restitution. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks will determine the couple’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney David Clay Fowlkes announced the change of plea hearings.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief investigated the case.

U. S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Wulff are prosecuting the case for the United States.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at

Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov

Wings N More fails Joplin Health Department inspection, 21 others pass

Wings N More, 1318 E 7th Street, failed its Joplin Health Department inspection Friday, according to documents posted on the department's website.

Five priority violations were noted.

-A plate of employee food was stored on a shelf above establishment food items in the kitchen. Employee water bottles were stored above establishment food items in the kitchen and dry storage area.

-Raw chicken was stored directly in contact with cardboard on top of the stainless steel prep table in the kitchen

-A food employee was seen handling ready-to-eat food with bare hands

-Raw shell eggs were stored above vegetables in the walk-in cooler

-Containers of crab rangoon, egg rolls, fried chicken and raw chicken were observed being held at room temperature throughout the kitchen.

Six core violations were also observed.

***

Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse, which failed an inspection April 23, passed its reinspection Monday.

***

The following establishments passed their inspections:

Subway, 330 S. Range Line Road

Fastrip Joplin, 5501 E. 32nd Street

Orient Express Delivery, 215 E. 20th Street

Road Ranger Convenience Store, 2101 S. Prigmor Avenue

White Oak Station, 1832 S Maiden Lane

Taco Bell, 1029 S. Range Line Road

Days Inn Breakfast, 3500 S. Range Line Road

Caribou Coffee @ Petro, 4240 State Highway 43

Royal Heights Elementary School, 2100 Rolla Street

Joplin 44 Petro S 43 Highway

Iron Skillete @ Petro, 4240 State Highway 43

Taco Bell/Pizza Hut Express, 4240 State Highway 43

Macadoodles Beer Wine & Spirit, 3105 E. 17th Street

Brewed Two Eleven, 2216 Alabama Avenue

Gringo's, 315 W 26th Street

Walmart Supercenter Bakery/Deli, 2623 W. 7th Street

Jimmy John's, 3030 S. Main Street

Tatsuki Ramen & Sushi, 1901 E 32nd Street Suite 7

Dollar General 807 W. 7th Street

Candy Craze, 101 N Range Line Road

John Hacker turns 60

I can't remember when I first met John Hacker. I know it was more than 30 years ago because at this time in 1995, he was working part-time at the Carthage Press while attending Missouri Southern State University.

He was closing in on 30 when I first hired him and it started a habit I never quite abandoned. During my years at the Press, I hired John three times. 

During that approximately five-year period, he took photos, wrote sports. covered breaking news and government meetings and even spent time as lifestyles editor.

I've always thought one of my strengths as a reporter was my ability to move seamlessly from one type of reporting to another. During my newspaper days, I covered the meetings, did features on baby shows and wrote more than 3,000 sports stories.

Despite that versatility, John had me beat in two areas- he was and is an excellent photographer and even when he writes things that people don't like (in other words, he writes it the way it happened), those people still like him. (I could use some help in that area.)

Since he moved into this area from Harrisonville to attend MSSU, John has been a fixture in local journalism, keeping the Carthage Press alive and informative for years despite GateHouse Media's relentless and eventually successful effort to destroy it.

If I remember right, I'm not the only one who has hired John three times. The Joplin Globe, where John's work remains one of its few saving graces, has also brought him back whenever he was available and there are times when it seems like he's the only one who's writing anything for our area's newspaper of record.

And while it wasn't quite the same as when I was at the Press, 14 years ago, I hired John for a fourth time, at least sort of.

After I decided that a book needed to be written about the May 22, 2011 Joplin Tornado, the first person I called was John Hacker because I knew he would have photos and stories and we could work from there.

For the next year, John not only worked on the original 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado but he also offered in-person coverage of nearly every tornado-related event that happened for the next year during the recovery process. That work, which he did in addition to his work at the Carthage Press, provided much of our follow-up book Spirit of Hope: The Year after the Joplin Tornado and was repurposed in our 10th anniversary edition of 5:41.

John's writing and photos were instrumental in making 5:41 the best-selling book about the Joplin Tornado online for the past 14 years.

Last night, a milestone in John's life was celebrated by his many friends during an event in Carthage. As hard as I find it to believe, since I still think of him as one of the kids who worked for me over the years, John's friends, and as I noted before, they are many, celebrated his 60th birthday. The actual birthday is today.

Even if you don't know John Hacker, you owe him a debt of gratitude for the work he has done to keep community newspapers, a dying breed, alive in this area. John kept the Carthage Press going years after its expected expiration date and he may well be doing the same thing for the Joplin Globe now.

The secret to John's success is basic. He has a reporter's curiosity and he likes people.

And people like him.

Happy 60th birthday, John!

Change of plea hearing set for Carthage man who secretly videotaped 11-year-old in Tarzan Zerbini circus shower

A change of plea hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. May 27 in U. S. District Court in Springfield for Uriah Behl, 40, Carthage, who is charged with sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography.

Behl's crimes were described from the probable cause statement filed in Jasper County Circuit Court following his initial arrest by the Jasper County Sheriff's Office:

On 02-21-2024, I Detective Trenton Greene, conducted data extractions from three electronic devices belonging to Uriah Behl for an ongoing investigation related to invasion of privacy crimes.

While reviewing one of the devices, I found the following:

- 161 still images of young (mostly female) juvenile victims of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). These juvenile victims were very young in age and appearing to be prepubescent, exposing their genitals in a sexual nature as well as some of the images, the victims were performing sexual acts and getting sexually abused.

The estimated age range is from 4 years of age to 10+ years of age. The images were saved within the “cache” of the phone which means the suspect had visited various websites and viewed the images.

- A video that Uriah took of an 11-year-old female juvenile (VICTIM #1) taking a shower in a private bathroom with her mother, WITNESS #1. VICTIM #1 was fully nude, with her breasts and genitals seen throughout the video. The video is 37 minute and 18 second video in duration and was time stamped on 11-12-2023 @ 2015 hrs.

Uriah had hidden the phone between the wall and carpet of the bathroom and was on video placing it there. Due to the suspect having CSAM on his device, it’s suspected he was using the video for sexual gratification.

Chett Daniel named Crowder College president

(From Crowder College)

Crowder College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Chett Daniel the tenth president of Crowder College during the regular Board meeting today after meeting in closed session.

“Normally the Board of Trustees would do a national search,” stated Andy Wood, Board Chair. “We would be looking for an individual first who is a servant leader. After the Board discussed the matter today, we unanimously agreed we already have that person at Crowder College, and that person is Dr. Daniel. He is a true servant leader. 

"He practices servant leadership every day of every week. He is graduate of Crowder College. He knows Crowder College. He is dedicated to the principles of serving in a community college. He was already a leader for Crowder College in advocating for economic development and education for Southwest Missouri and the region. He has a background in education, business, and the military as a former Marine, and he will be a great president of Crowder College.”

Dr. Daniel was named interim president February 1. Daniel began working for the college in 2017 and has served many roles throughout his time. Prior to Crowder College, his career included teaching, working in various stores, logistics and the company’s home office of Walmart. He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps as an infantry machine gunner and combat instructor for nine years.

Daniel began his education by earning his associate degree from Crowder College in 1999 as a first-generation college student. He continued his education earning his bachelor’s degree in education at Missouri Southern State University. He later earned a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Kansas State University, an educational specialist degree in education administration from Arkansas State University, and his Doctorate from Murray State University focusing his research on economic development for rural areas. 

He is actively engaged in community service serving on the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce Board, Newton County High Speed Internet Task Force, Southwest Missouri Workforce Investment Board, and St. Louis Federal Reserve’s Community Development Advisory Council.

“Crowder College changed the trajectory of my life when I attended here as a first-generation college student nearly 30 years ago,” stated Dr. Daniel. “I am humbled and honored to have this opportunity to work alongside Crowder faculty and staff to serve the residents and communities of southwest Missouri.”

Dr. Daniel lives in Neosho with his wife, high school sweetheart and Crowder alum, Melissa. Together, they have two adult children who are also Crowder College alumni, Brecia and Cade.

 

Jason Smith: President Trump is delivering a golden age for America

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

April 30, 2025, will mark the 100th day of President Donald J. Trump’s new administration, and what an incredible record of accomplishment he and the Republican majority in Congress have already achieved. President Trump said in his Inaugural Address that he would waste no time in ushering in a new Golden Age for America, and on virtually every issue that matters to Missouri’s working families, small businesses, and farmers, the President has delivered, and our Republican Majority is working to make these great policies permanent.

First and foremost, President Trump promised to end the crisis at our Southern Border. On Day One of his administration, he issued numerous executive orders to restore the Remain in Mexico policy and end Catch and Release. He promised the largest deportation operation in American history, and he is seeing it through.

The results speak for themselves: illegal migrant crossings dropped to their lowest level in more than 25 years in February and fell still further in March. To help the President in his fight, I was proud to support the Laken Riley Act – which the president signed into law – that makes it easier to deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.

The President promised to fight back against foreign drug cartels and gangs that have been terrorizing our streets and flooding our nation with deadly fentanyl. He accomplished this by having his administration designate eight Latin American drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations” and use the Alien Enemies Act – a law passed in 1798 – to speed up deportations of gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. He negotiated with El Salvador’s government to take back dangerous criminals into their supermax prison, CECOT – which I had the opportunity to visit earlier this month. One criminal being held at CECOT talked openly about the murders he committed while he was in the United States. This is who President Trump is protecting us from.

The President promised he would onshore jobs back into the United States, and so far he has more than delivered on that promise. Over $7 trillion in new investments has flowed onshore since January 20, due in large part to the deregulation agenda the President has pursued. President Trump signed an executive order on Day One requiring that ten regulations be repealed for every one new regulation his administration puts forward. After nearly $1.7 trillion in new costs were added by the Biden Administration, American businesses are finally being encouraged to make things in the United States again.

One thing a lot of Missourians I talk to are grateful for is the President rooting out wokeness and DEI in the federal government. The President has now signed executive orders that end programs that required federal agencies to hire based solely on racial and gender criteria and instead now direct the government to once again hire based on merit. 

We want the best military anywhere in the world, so the President’s executive order ending DEI in the military and ending transgender service ensure our military is not a social experiment, but an exercise in creating the most lethal force anywhere in the world. The President also protected our children from radical gender ideology by preventing federal funding from going to schools that promote gender transition or inappropriate sexual content.

This is a small sampling of what President Trump has done, but it has been so impactful on the lives of Missouri families and small businesses. The President likes to say he doesn’t want to wait to deliver results for the American people. I’m doing everything I can in Washington to support him and will work in Congress to make his agenda permanent by passing one big, beautiful bill into law to advance our nation’s economic prosperity, energy dominance, and national security. Working together, we are truly on the cusp of a Golden Age for America.

Missouri Department of Revenue warns of text scams

(From the Missouri Department of Revenue)

The Missouri Department of Revenue is warning Missourians of ongoing nationwide text scams. The department has received a large increase in calls reporting these phishing texts. 

These texts are often threatening, claiming to be from the Missouri Department of Revenue or Department of Motor Vehicles and may include a warning regarding unpaid traffic violations, outstanding toll charges, or fines owed.

These texts are NOT from the Missouri Department of Revenue and are NOT LEGITIMATE. The department will not send requests for payment or request personal information via text message. If you receive one of these phishing texts, take the following action:

DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS IN THE TEXT
Do not respond to the text
Delete the text

Carthage R-9 Board hires 11 teachers, accepts nine teacher resignations

(From the Carthage R-9 School District)

The Carthage R-9 Board of Education met in regular session on Monday, April 21, 2025, 6:00 pm, at Carthage Sixth Grade Center. Present were Board members Mr. Jeff Jones, Ms. Niki Cloud, Mrs. Lora Phelps, Mr. Ryan Collier, and Ms. Maria Sanchez. Mr. Patrick Scott and Dr. Mark Westhoff were absent. Mr. Jeff Jones led the Pledge of Allegiance. PLTW Science students presented their Shark Tank projects to the board. 

The Board approved the Consent Agenda for the purpose of approving the meeting agenda, minutes of previous meeting, payment of bills, district financial report, and amendments to FY25 budget. 

Matt and Tracy Flanigan’s $200,000 donation provides endowed funds to expand the Bright Futures backpack food program at the high school level, grades 9-12. 

The Board approved the official results of the April 8, 2025, school board of education, operating tax levy, and school bond election as certified by the Jasper County Clerk. Ryan Collier and Niki Cloud were duly elected Carthage R-9 School District board members for three-year terms of office. The Oath of Office was administered to Ryan Collier and Niki Cloud, by Jeff Jones, Board President. 

The Board Officers for 2025-2026 are: President Niki Cloud Vice President Secretary Treasurer Ryan Collier Lora Phelps Mark Westhoff Board members volunteered to serve as delegates and committee representatives and the 2025-2026 Board of Education meeting schedule was approved. 

Mr. Mark Holderbaum, Director of Athletics and Activities, and Dr. Angela Holman, Carthage High School Principal, appeared before the board to review the 2024-2025 Carthage High School winter sports update. Mr. Holderbaum highlighted team CPA’s, performance awards, overall and COC records, and future outlook. 

Dr. Brittany Bridges, Carthage Junior High School Principal, and Mrs. Lindsay Mikhail, Carthage Sixth Grade Center, Assistant Principal, presented information on The Tiger Standard to the Board. Mrs. Jana Sawyer, Director of Language Programs, presented the MSIP 6 Standard: Language Services evaluative report to the Board. Mrs. Amy Cristy, Communications Director, Dr. Matt Huntley, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, and Mr. Don Cox, Title 1 Program Director, presented the MSIP 6 Standard: Community and Parent Involvement evaluative report to the Board. 

Mrs. Crystal Brown, Carthage R-9 Foundation Director, provided a Carthage R-9 Foundation update highlighting scholarship selections have been made and winners will be announced at the senior academic awards night held May 5, 2025 at 6:30pm at Carthage High School. 

Mrs. Becky Chadd, Columbian Elementary Principal, and Mrs. Michelle Hensley, Fairview Elementary Principal, presented information to the Board on the Kindergarten Camp pilot program that will take place at Columbian and Fairview Elementary. 

Dr. Luke Boyer, Superintendent, provided to the Board information regarding revised Policy 5550 for their review and consideration of adoption at the May 19, 2025 board meeting. 

Dr. Gage Tiller, Director, Carthage Technical Center, presented to the Board the proposed nonresident tuition rate at the Carthage Technical Center for the 2025-2026 school year. 

Dr. Holley Goodnight, Assistant Superintendent for Business, presented to the Board change order request #2 for the Carthage Stadium Elevator. Dr. Goodnight presented to the Board change order request #3 for the Carthage Baseball Stadium. Dr. Goodnight and the Board discussed the options of utilizing a construction manager versus a bid approach for the auditorium project. 

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 

Caitlin Barker, 5th Grade Teacher, Carthage Intermediate Center – Ms. Barker is a dedicated educator currently student teaching at the Intermediate Center. She is finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education at Missouri State University after earning academic honors at Crowder College. She has also began pursuing her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Missouri State University. 

Rachel Cortez, SPED Teacher, Carthage High School – Mrs. Cortez is a dedicated Special Education Teacher with four years of experience in both elementary and high school settings. She previously taught at Carthage High School and Granby Elementary and is now eager to return to CHS. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Missouri State University and is certified in Mild/Moderate Cross-Categorical Special Education (K-12), Elementary Education (1-6), and Language Arts (5-9). 

Belinda Vaness, Chemistry Teacher, Carthage High School – Ms. Vaness is an experienced educator with a diverse background in science education and mental health services. She has 13 years of classroom experience teaching science subjects, primarily at the secondary level. Before teaching, she spent a decade as a counselor working with children and families. Ms. Vaness holds a Master of Behavioral Studies in Counseling Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Secondary Science Education. 

Anna Halverson, EL Teacher, Carthage High School – Ms. Halverson is an aspiring educator pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Education at Missouri Southern State University, with an expected graduation in May 2025. She is majoring in Elementary Education and obtain a K-12 English Language Learner (ELL) certification. Alongside her studies, she is completing an Interdisciplinary Studies degree at Ozark Christian College while she finishes her student teaching. 

Caitlin DeVillers, Early Childhood Teacher, Pleasant Valley Elementary – Mrs. DeVillers is an experienced educator formerly employed by the district. She has served as the Librarian at Carthage Sixth Grade Center, has taught art and kindergarten at Steadley Elementary, as well as 5th grade in Nevada School District. She holds a BSE in Curriculum and Instruction and an MSE in Instructional Technology with a Library Media emphasis from Pittsburg State University and is certified in multiple teaching areas. 

Christina Plumlee, SPED Teacher (Autism), Columbian Elementary – Ms. Plumlee is an experienced SPED Teacher with many years of experience in Carl Junction schools. She holds a Master of Science in Special Education from Arkansas State University and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education - Special Education from Grand Canyon University. 

Kylee Roach, 3rd Grade Teacher, Columbian Elementary – Ms. Roach is an elementary and early childhood educator with a Bachelor of Science in Education from Missouri Southern State University, graduating summa cum laude in December 2024. She has experience as a substitute teacher, teacher assistant, and lead teacher in early childhood education settings. 

Sarah Dunivan McDowell, Music Teacher, Columbian/Sixth Grade Center – Ms. Dunivan McDowell is a dedicated music educator with a Bachelor of Music Education from Pittsburg State University, where she specialized in voice. Since 2021, she has served as a K–2 music teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary in Fort Scott, KS. 

Henry Zimmerman, Music Teacher, Mark Twain/Sixth Grade Center – Mr. Zimmerman is a passionate music educator and accomplished trumpet performer. He holds a Master of Arts in Trumpet Performance from Wichita State University, where he served as a graduate teaching assistant, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Pittsburg State University. He currently serves as the K–12 music teacher at Northeast Arma USD 246. 

Natalie Bass, Biology Teacher, Carthage High School – Mrs. Bass is a former Neuro ICU registered nurse who transitioned into education and currently works as a substitute teacher at Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School in Joplin, Missouri. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from MidAmerica Nazarene University, where she graduated cum laude. 

Jessica Dutter, Practical Nursing Instructor, Carthage Technical Center-North – Ms. Dutter is an experienced registered nurse with a background in patient care and case management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Cox College and a Master of Science in Nursing Education from Western Governors University. Jessica has served in various roles, including travel nurse, charge nurse, and RN case manager. 

Support Hire

Raul Gutierrez, Transportation Coordinator Transportation New Hire 

Rena Jaggars, Cook Carthage Intermediate Center New Hire 

Larry Swinehart, Director of Security District New Hire 

Substitute Hire 

Grant Collier, Substitute District New Hire 

Sydnee Dudolski, Substitute District Rehire 

Mary Beth Foreback, Substitute District New Hire 

Certified Transfer 

Seth Davison, SPED Teacher Sixth Grade Center Transfer 

Ariel Quenneville, EL Teacher Carthage Intermediate Center Transfer 

Olivia Moser, 2nd Grade Teacher Steadley Elementary Transfer 

Cheyenne Salazar, 1st Grade Teacher Steadley Elementary Transfer 

Bethany Hughes Kindergarten Teacher Fairview Elementary Transfer 

Taylor Snyder, 1st Grade Teacher Mark Twain Elementary Transfer 

Freddie Hernandez, Computer Science Teacher Sixth Grade Center Transfer 

Regina Guidie, Early Childhood Teacher Pleasant Valley Elementary Transfer 

Certified Modification 

Brenda Brown, AEL Instructor (Evening) Tech Center-North Modification 

Support Transfer 

Yarely Diaz-Mora, Cook Carthage High School Transfer 

Samantha Rusk, Sped Paraprofessional Carthage High School Transfer 

Stasia Fisher, Library/Media Aide Mark Twain Elementary Transfer 

Amanda Smith, Title 1 Instructional Assistant Carthage Sixth Grade Center Transfer 

Substitute Transfer 

Amber Vaughan Substitute Cook District Transfer 

Certified Resignation 

Colton Sprenkle, Music Teacher Columbian Elementary & Sixth Grade Center Resignation 

Bobbi Murrell, AEL Instructor Tech Center South Resignation 

Gladness Wood, EL/ELA Teacher Carthage Junior High School Resignation 

Duke Wagner, Kindergarten Teacher Fairview Elementary Resignation 

Michelle Pfeifer, Biology Teacher Carthage High School Resignation 

Jadyn Gage, Tiger Prep Academy Teacher Fairview Elementary Resignation 

Kristi Pearson, Music Teacher Mark Twain Elementary & Sixth Grade Center Resignation

Tessa Hoefling, 1st Grade Teacher Mark Twain Elementary Resignation 

Jazuri Lopez, French Teacher Carthage High School Resignation 

Support Resignation 

Andrew Albrecht, Bus Driver Transportation Resignation 

James Duffey, Custodian Carthage Junior High School Resignation 

Casey Baldwin, Cook Carthage Junior High School Resignation 

Kayla Cleveland, Cook Carthage Intermediate Center Resignation 

Alex Neuenschwander, Sped Paraprofessional Sixth Grade Center Resignation 

Shawn Oberlechner, Sped Paraprofessional Carthage Junior High School Resignation 

Brianna Burns, Sped Paraprofessional Carthage High School Resignation 

Noel Davison, Sped Paraprofessional Carthage Junior High School Resignation 

Jordan Agan, Bus Driver Transportation Resignation 

Patricia Caulk, Sped Paraprofessional Carthage High School Resignation 

Shelly Blevins, Cook Sixth Grade Center Resignation 

April Hoyt, SLP-Assistant CIC/COL/FV Resignation 

Ellen Henry, Bus Aide Transportation Resignation 

Brener Ocana, Paraprofessional Carthage Junior High School Resignation 

Support Retirement

Holly Ogle, Preschool Paraprofessional Pleasant Valley Elementary Retirement 

Lola Wilhelm, Admin Assistant Steadley Elementary Retirement 

Sonya Lewis, Cook Carthage Junior High School Retirement 

Substitute Resignation 

Jessica Barker, Substitute District Resignation 

Malcolm Robertson, Substitute Driver Transportation Resignation