Carthage R-9 Board accepts three teacher resignations, hires assistant band director

The Carthage R-9 Board of Education met in regular session on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 6:00 pm, at the Carthage South Technical Center – Community Room. Present were board members Ms. Niki Cloud, Mr. Ryan Collier, Mrs. Lora Phelps, Dr. Mark Westhoff, Mr. Jeff Jones, and Mr. Patrick Scott. Ms. Maria Sanchez was absent. Ms. Niki Cloud led the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Board approved the Consent Agenda for the purpose of approving the meeting agenda, minutes of previous open session meetings and work session, payment of bills, district financial report, and
student ridership count for 2025-2026.

Jason McVey, Carthage community member spoke to the Board of Education regarding the Beacon Autism Center and Pleasant Valley Elementary School.

Dr. Luke Boyer, Superintendent, provided the Board information regarding the revised policies and
regulation for their consideration of adoption.

Mrs. Crystal Brown, Carthage R-9 Foundation Director, provided a Carthage R-9 School Foundation
update stating the major saver campaign and trivia night fundraiser were a success. For information
regarding the Flanigan speech contest, Boylan art and writing contest, and Raise The Curtain campaign contact Mrs. Brown.

Dr. Holley Goodnight, Assistant Superintendent for Business, provided the Board information regarding the retiree health and Guardian Insurance automatic payment via ACH forms.

The Board approved April 20, 2026, as the date for the annual reorganization of the Board of Education.

Dr. Goodnight presented the school districts acceptable usage policy to the Board.

Dr. Boyer shared Gift of Life – Learn Life Savers information with the Board.

Dr. Boyer and the Board discussed district restructuring options.

Dr. Boyer presented his report to the Board.

Dr. Boyer and the Board amended the 2025-2026 Board of Education meeting schedule with changing the March meeting to Thursday, March 12, 2026.

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

Alicyn Quick, assistant band director, Carthage High School

Support Hire

Leasa Evans, practical nursing instructor (part time), Carthage Technical Center-North

Briana Camfield, special education paraprofessional, Steadley Elementary

Shelda Dudley, special education paraprofessional (autism), Columbian Elementary

Delanee Chapman, special education paraprofessional, Steadley Elementary

Damaris Sonnier, administrative assistant-bilingual

Lola Wilhelm, operations administrative assistant (part time), Administration

Tiffany Judd, cook, Carthage Intermediate Center

Substitute Hire

Aubrie Fewin

Certified Transfer

Ryan Mankin, special education teacher, Carthage High School

Grant Collier, physical education teacher, Carthage Intermediate Center

Shanna Pugh, instructional facilitator (literacy emphasis)

Support Modification

Kelli Tandy, bus aide

Doug Ritchie, HVAC instructor, Tech Center-North

Christina Bunker, substitute bus driver

Certified Resignation

Courtney Martinie, FACS teacher, Carthage Technical Center/Carthage High School

Melissa Earl, second grade teacher, Steadley Elementary

Roxanne Shrewsberry, special education teacher, Sixth Grade Center

Substitute Resignation

Kyle Reed

Nancy Hughes: Enough is enough

“With the same tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”

James 3:9-10 (NIV)

It was not until the third time in two weeks after seeing the advertisements that I decided to speak out. It should have taken me two seconds. At first, I thought, “That is in bad taste.” But the longer I looked at it, the more convicted I became that I needed to address what I had seen.

The first advertisement jumped out at me as I was scrolling through Facebook. It was encouraging people to try the collagen that I have used for years and love. But the ad said this: “F*ck serums; use collagen.” 

For just a second I adjusted my glasses. I kept thinking I hadn’t seen the ad correctly - but I had. I went to the website for the product but could not find a way to contact them so I felt that I needed to comment on their ad and I posted this: “I love this collagen and have bought it for years. However, if you continue putting profanity on your ads, not only will I quit buying from you, but I will encourage others to stop and purchase theirs elsewhere. Putting “F*ck serums” on your ad offends me. I don’t need profanity to buy your product; how insulting. Please do better.”

The second advertisement was for a cream for neuropathy pain. It was just five words: “No sh*t - just neuropathy relief.” Comments on this product were very positive as to how well it works and that one jar will help in an amazing way. It’s not a product that I have needed but I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone else found the ad offensive.

The third example was what finally made me say “Enough!!” I was looking through makeup at a local store and came across a bronzer called “Mother Fluffer” on the package. Makeup that many young teens use as well as adults. Our kids. Our grandkids. Seeing that as normal.

Understand that I was not looking everywhere I went to purposely try to find what I consider inappropriate language. I also know that companies are competing to make a profit and the best way to do that is to get the attention of the customer, hence the shock value of their ads. And, sadly, I realized that while the use of that language is disrespectful to me, many people, including Christians, do not think a thing about it.

It was a relief to see that, after I posted my comment on the collagen timeline, comments quickly agreed with what I said. Several replied that they had also seen the advertisement and were no longer going to buy that particular collagen product. However, one woman posted about “women clutching their pearls” and included something about religion, even though I had not mentioned anything like that. Also, I did not get a response from the company.

Before I get the usual comments - everyone says it, times have changed so you need to change with the times, and you need to lighten up - let me share that I realize the world has changed and not in a positive way. But as Christians, we have a responsibility - a command - NOT to be like the world. And that includes using language that is inappropriate.

God’s Word has not changed and will not change to conform to the world - no matter how the world changes. Our walk with the Lord is not based on what the world says but what He says.There are so many examples from the Word. I listed just three in Power at the end of this devotion. I encourage you to be willing to say “absolutely not” when you are met with things that do not build up but rather break down. Do not be afraid to say Enough Is Enough!

Father, forgive me for those times that I have shrugged when I should have stood up for what is right. Help me to be strong with boldness and love. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

Have you ever noticed a product you were going to purchase that had an inappropriate ad that goes against how the Lord wants us to live?

Did you go ahead and purchase it or look for a similar product minus the language?

Apply

If you find that a product you use frequently has decided to use inappropriate ads, decide if you can find a similar product, if you will contact the company or continue to use it.

Always be respectful when contacting a company with your concerns.

Power

Colossians 3:8 (NIV) “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.”

Matthew 12:36 (NIV) “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”

Matthew 15:11 (NIV) “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean,but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean.”

(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement From the War Room.) 

Key differences emerge in Missouri House, Senate bills to create A-F school grades

By Annelise Hanshaw

Missouri Independent

Missouri lawmakers are drawing up separate proposals in the House and Senate to respond to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s push for a public school accountability system that grades schools on an “A” through “F” scale.

Kehoe’s executive order, unveiled during his State of the State address last month, calls for the state’s education department to draw up a plan by June 30. The State Board of Education would have to approve the change for it to go into effect.

But the General Assembly wants a chance to craft the new system, with House and Senate committees debating legislation on A-F grading of public schools. And based on the committees’ discussions in the past week, the two chambers’ bills are likely to have key differences.

The Senate Education Committee heard identical bills sponsored by Republican state Sens. Ben Brown of Washington and Curtis Trent of Springfield on Tuesday afternoon. Their base legislation largely mirrors Kehoe’s request, though they presented a few edits in a committee substitute that has yet to come to a vote.

“Every mom and dad in Missouri, they already understand what an ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ ‘D’ and ‘F’ mean. They know what a good report card looks like,” Brown said. “But when it comes to schools, they are handed pages of acronyms and charts that don’t really tell them anything in plain English as to how their child’s school is actually doing.”

Both the House and Senate proposals include the public posting of a “standardized, clear and easily accessible” report card with a letter grade based on students’ scores on the state’s standardized test. But the two chambers’ legislation, which will likely undergo even more edits in coming weeks, have a number of key differences.

The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee passed a version last week that gives an “A” grade to districts with the top 10% of scores. Grades “B” through “F” would be delineated by education officials.

The Senate’s legislation has “the ‘A’ through ‘F’ model that everybody is familiar with,” Trent said Tuesday, with scores based on the percentage of points earned. It also adopts the governor’s recommendation to increase the thresholds for ‘A’ through ‘D’ grades by 5% when 65% of schools achieve at the ‘A’ or ‘B’ level.

Trent told committee members this was intended to motivate schools to “pursue higher achievement.” But the House committee scrapped this provision, labeling it unfair to have a “forever changing target,” as the committee’s chairman described it.

It also removed a piece that would lower schools’ score by one letter grade if less than 95% of its students took the state’s standardized test. Instead, lower testing rates would be noted on the report cards but without penalizing the overall score.

Both House and Senate lawmakers proposed an incentive system that would provide additional funding for high-performing schools. The original bills call for a funding boost of $100 per student for schools with the top 5% of scores in academic performance and growth and a bonus of $50 per student for schools in the top 10%.

State Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat on the Senate Education Committee, said she worried this system would benefit predominantly wealthy areas.

“These areas are going to receive more money, but our schools that are struggling and really need the additional support to bring up all students will not receive any incentive,” she said.

Trent said he viewed the incentives as a “nice bonus” but was willing to cut the program “if the financial incentive structure is a distraction from the core of the bill.”

The House kept the idea of incentives but gave the responsibility to the state’s education department to determine award amounts and criteria. The bill directs officials to give bonuses to districts based on academic growth, student improvement over multiple years, improvement among historically underserved groups, career readiness and literacy.

Public testimony on the legislation has been mixed, with some parents and advocacy organizations saying the report cards would be easier to understand than the state’s existing accountability systems. Groups representing public educators, though, say it puts too much emphasis on standardized testing.

Mike Harris, lobbyist for the Missouri State Teachers Association, acknowledged that the state’s current accountability system “has its issues.”

“However,” he added, “Our adopted resolutions clearly oppose systems that rely on high-stakes, test-driven measures that do not include local input.”

West Virginia authorities charge Webb City man with 11 counts of child pornography,, soliciting a minor

(From the Parkersburg, West Virginia Police Department)

On January 4th, 2026, the Williamstown Police Department responded to the West Virginia Welcome Center regarding the location of a missing 16-year-old female. Williamstown officers then located the juvenile female inside the cab of a tractor-trailer being operated by William Lee Santos, 38, of Webb City, Missouri. 

The initial investigation revealed that Mr. Santos had met the juvenile female on a social media platform and had begun a sexual relationship with her, which had been ongoing for several months. Mr. Santos would allegedly arrange a meeting with the juvenile female while traveling through the area, park his tractor-trailer at the Welcome Center, unload a vehicle he was hauling, and then travel to pick up the juvenile female. 

Williamstown Officers seized a cell phone belonging to Mr. Santos, the juvenile was returned to her parents, and Mr. Santos was released pending further investigation. The Williamstown Police Department then contacted Parkersburg Police Detective D.W. Miller, who is attached to the FBI and West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children, ICAC Task Force.

As the investigation continued, the juvenile female was interviewed at the North Star Child Advocacy Center, and Detective Miller obtained a search warrant for the cell phone seized from Mr. Santos. This revealed that Mr. Santos would arrive in Williamstown, unload a vehicle from his trailer, pick up the juvenile female and travel to Marietta, Ohio where he would engage in sexual activities with the juvenile. 

Also, Detective Miller located numerous videos on the cellular device where Mr. Santos had allegedly recorded the sexual activities between him and the juvenile female, which he stored on his phone. 

Detective Miller obtained a warrant on Mr. Santos for eleven (11) counts of Distribution and Exhibiting Sexually Explicit Child Pornography and one (1) count of Soliciting a Minor. 

Detectives then requested the assistance of the United States Marshals Service in locating Mr. Santos.
On February 5th, 2026, Mr. Santos was arrested by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and placed in the Murray County, Oklahoma County Jail, where Mr. Santos later waived extradition back to West Virginia.
On February 17th, 2026, Mr. Santos was extradited to West Virginia by Parkersburg Police Detectives and was arraigned in Wood County Magistrate Court, where bond was set at $450,000. Mr. Santos failed to post bond and was placed in the North Central Regional Jail.

Detective Miller is also working with the Marietta Police Department, where additional charges may be filed.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.

Carthage R-9 Board makes no decision on Pleasant Valley closing

 

Carthage R-9 Board of Education members want more public input before they make any decision about closing Pleasant Valley Elementary School and allowing the Beacon Autism Center to move into the building.

The move appeared to be a done deal before Tuesday night's meeting after it was announced to faculty and staff at an after-school meeting February 6 and Principal Don Cox was transferred to a position as assistant principal at the Carthage Intermediate Center effective for the 2026-2027 school year.

"We had a need to expand the autism center," Superintendent Luke Boyer told the board.

Boyer said "It wasn't like we were saying, 'We're looking at moving away from Pleasant Valley. Here's our best option," though he acknowledged, "I wouldn't necessarily say we've looked at a ton of options on how to keep Pleasant Valley open."

Board members expressed a need for more community input and will discuss the possible closing again at the March meeting.

Beth Jones named Neosho Junior High principal

 (From the Neosho R-5 School District)

The Neosho School District is excited to share an important leadership update for the 2026-2027 school year at the Neosho Junior High.

Beth Jones, NJH Principal 

We are thrilled to announce that Beth Jones, currently serving as one-of-the-three assistant principals at Neosho High School, has been promoted to principal at the Neosho Junior High. She succeeds Michael Daugherty, who has accepted a central office position in another district. We are grateful for his service to our students and staff and wish him continued success. 

Beth has help lead meaningful academic growth, including nearly a 20 percent increase in our APR. She is known for building strong relationships, championing the arts and advocating for multilingual learners and students with unique learning needs. We are excited for the leadership and heart she brings to NJH.

James Carter, NJH Assistant Principal

We are thrilled to announce that James Carter, currently serving as one-of-the-three assistant principals at Neosho High School will be transitioning to the assistant principal role at the Neosho Junior High. He succeeds Emily Abell, who will serve as the principal of South Elementary next year. 

Over the past four years, James has been a steady leader at NHS, working collaboratively with staff to strengthen systems, support teachers and help build a culture rooted in high expectations and strong relationships. He has played a key role in implementing clear procedures and consistent practices to support both student achievement and a positive school environment. We are excited for the leadership, stability and student-centered mindset he brings to NJH.

Please join us in congratulating Ms. Jones and Mr. Carter as they step into these important roles supporting our junior high students and staff!

Joplin High School main kitchen, three restaurants fail health department inspections

The main kitchen at Joplin High School failed a Joplin Health Department inspection February 10, according to information posted on the department website.

The school was cited for one priority violation for having multiple potentially hazardous foods being cold held above 41 degrees.

Three food establishments also failed inspection last week- Indo-Chinese Express, 4535 Highway 43, Mac's Stop, 1302 S. Schifferdecker Avenue; and Ghetto Tacos (mobile).

Indo-Chinese Express

Indo-Chinese Express had three priority violations and five core violations.

Priority violations were recorded for the following:

-Containers of ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods did not have 7-day expiration date.

-Cutting boards are heavily discolored.

-The dish machine was not dispensing sanitizer at detectable levels.

Core violations were recorded for the following:

-Food packages were stored uncovered in the dry storage area and walk-in cooler

-Repackaged foods available for customer purchase were not labeled properly.

-Wall surfaces were damaged.

-A light bulb was out and there were debris accumulations in the hood.

-The areas below equipment had debris accumulation

Ghetto Tacos

Ghetto Tacos had three priority violations.

-Employee drinks were stored in the undercounted cooler with customer food.

-The cheese in the toppings cooler was being cold held above 41 degrees.

-Pico de Gallo in the undercounter cooler was being cold held above 41 degrees.

Mac's Stop

Mac's Stop had three priority violations and five core violations.

Priority violations were noted for the following:

-Corn dogs were marked for a make date of February 3 (inspection was held February 11)

-Sanitizer concentration for quaternary ammonium in the 30 compartment sink was at 0 ppm

-Mice droppings were present behind the heating units.

Core violations were noted for the following:

-Soil accumulations were present on the ceiling of the microwave

-Food trays were stored on the ground

-The handsink was draining slowly

-The cooling unit and hood in the kitchen had debris accumulations.

-The grease trap below the 3-compartment sink had debris accumulation.

***

Joplin Greenhouse and the Coffee Shop, Greenstay Hotel and Suites Breakfast and Downtown Corner Market passed re-inspections.

***

The following establishments passed inspection:

Tatsuki Ramen and Sushi, 1901 E. 32nd Street

Hungry Monkey Island Style Eats, 905 S. Main Street

Starry Eyed Girl, 512 S. Virginia Avenue

Sonic Drive-In, 1030 E. 7th Street

Sonic Drive-In, 1101 S. Range Line

Pizza Ranch, 3507 E. 20th Street

Imperial, Inc., 1831 S. Roosevelt Avenue

Chick-fil-A, 3509 S. Range Line Road

G & W Foods Cash Saver, 811 W. 7th Street

McAlister's Deli, 2330 S. Range Line Road

Wilder's Steakhouse, 1216 S. Main Street

G & W Foods Cash Saver, Dairy/Produce/Retail, 811 W. 7th Street

Chick-fil-A, 2127 S. Range Line Road

Mercy Joplin patient charged with assault, property damage

A Joplin man was charged with first-degree assault and property damage after allegedly attacking security guards with an IV pole.

An arrest warrant was issued for John Anthony McGonigle (DOB 1985) and he is to be held without bond.

From the probable cause statement filed today in Newton County Circuit Court:

On 02/09/2026 at approximately 16:18 hours, in the County of Newton, within the city limits of Joplin
John McGonigle committed the crime of property damage first degree by knowingly damaging property of Mercy Hospital with a combined value of over seven hundred and fifty dollars.

Christopher Dooley, security officer for Mercy Hospital stated the following. Mr. McGonigle became]
combative and tore an IV pump for the IV pole. The IV pump hit the floor landing in water. Mr.
McGonigle then charged at security officers in an aggressive manner while holding the IV pole, breaking one of the legs off of it. The IV Pump has an estimated value of twelve hundred dollars and the IV pole has an estimated value of sixty dollars. 

Mercy Hospital is wishing to pursue charges at this time for the damage.

The case was investigated by the Joplin Police Department.

Fired Simmons Foods employee charged with assaulting HR manager

The McDonald County Prosecuting Attorney's office charged a Noel man with second-degree assault following an incident that appears to have led to his firing, according to the probable cause statement.

An arrest warrant was issued for Abu Bashi (DOB 1997) with bond set at $1,500 cash only.

From the probable cause statement:

On Monday 02/10/2026 during a team member meeting Abu was being disrespectful and was taken to the Human Resource office. 

While in the office Abu became outraged, cussed at an HR Manager and {threw} a computer monitor striking her in the arm.

Abu was escorted outside the plant where he then {threw} a bottle of juice at {another person}.

Since Abu was fired from Simmons Foods he shows no visible signs of support and may flee to his previous home in Minnesota.

The case was investigated by the Southwest City Police Department.

Jason Smith: Tax-exempt status is a privilege not a right

(By Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

For years now, Americans have seen the devastating impacts from the creeping influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Individuals and companies connected to the CCP have stolen American business’ intellectual property, bought up American farmland, and flooded our streets with deadly fentanyl. The CCP has actively worked to sow chaos and division in the United States, but now, we are working to expose a new avenue in their campaign: our non-profit sector.

This week, I held a hearing in the Ways and Means Committee, which I chair, where witnesses confirmed what our investigation has been steadily uncovering — the United States tax-code is being weaponized against us in ways that threaten both national security and the legitimacy of the tax-exempt sector. What we have uncovered in our investigation is foreign actors — including individuals associated with or connected to the CCP — are exploiting America’s nonprofit system to influence our politics and encourage chaos and illegal activity inside our own country.

The findings should alarm every American. Billions of dollars in foreign-linked funding have moved through tax-exempt organizations in recent years, including hundreds of millions from foreign billionaires into politically-active American entities. To make matters worse, these funds are laundered through donor funds and shell organizations designed to hide the true source from regulators and the public.

Our investigation also revealed how nonprofit networks tied to individuals aligned with the CCP have funneled tens of millions of dollars into U.S.-based groups that promote illegal activity and fuel division in our society. For example, Neville Roy Singham — a former U.S. tech executive now living in Shanghai with close ties to the CCP — has directed more than $100 million through a web of nonprofits operating inside the United States. Some of these groups, such as The People’s Forum, have amplified anti-American, foreign-aligned narratives on social media, and pushed messaging that mirrors hostile government propaganda.

These efforts are not spontaneous grassroots uprisings. They are part of a coordinated system in which money, messaging, and mobilization are carefully aligned to generate division and instability. This is not some earnest movement. It’s a machine being subsidized by taxpayer dollars.

Perhaps most alarming is a loophole that allows foreign nationals to donate to certain tax-exempt organizations that can then engage in political activity without fully disclosing the origin of those funds. While federal law prohibits direct foreign donations to political campaigns, this backdoor pathway undermines that protection. When foreign money can be used to influence elections, it can be used to influence decisions that undermine our national interests and erode public trust.

It is clear the status quo is unacceptable. Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right. It exists to support legitimate charitable and educational work that strengthens our communities, not to serve as cover for foreign propaganda, election interference, or activities that undermine our national interest.

This issue should not be partisan, and I am committed to restoring accountability to our nation’s tax-exempt sector. Protecting the integrity of our tax-exempt system is not about politics — it is about defending the sovereignty of the United States against actors like the Chinese Communist Party and ensuring that our tax code works for the American people, not for hostile foreign interests.