Federal grant enables Joplin Fire Department to hire six firefighters

(From the Joplin Fire Department)

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

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

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

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

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

(From the Carthage R-9 School District)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Boyer presented his report to the Board.

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

In closed session the Board approved the following personnel actions:

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

Certified hire

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

Support Hire

Andrew Eby, bus driver

Joy Collins, special education paraprofessional, Early Childhood Center

Makayla Hylton, special education paraprofessional, Steadley Elementary

Katie Booth, special education paraprofessional, Early Childhood Center

Remington Tatum, student intern, IT Department

Denis Velasquez Perez, student intern, Bright Futures

David Pastor Hernandez, student intern, IT Department

Martha Ramirez, custodian, Carthage High School

Lucas FlynBear, student intern, Food Service

Guadalupe Solis, special education paraprofessional (speech support)

Dalila Garcia, evening custodian, Carthage High School

Tony Mayfield, bus driver

Substitute Hire

Calvin Gazaway

Ana Ramos De La Pena, substitute bus aide

Angela Smith

Daniel Lazure

Linda Boyd

Avery Dillard

Joyce Hale, substitute cook

Katrina Krtek

Certified Transfer

Lucy Hamilton, kindergarten teacher, Columbian Elementary

Support Transfer

Noel Davison, special education paraprofessional, Sixth Grade Center

Brooklyn Smith, special education paraprofessional, Carthage High School

Eliot Ballard, behavior interventionist, Steadley Elementary

Dakota Sisseck, special education paraprofessional, Columbian Elementary

Support Modification

Rena Jaggers, cook, Carthage Intermediate Center

Trisha Pearce, bus driver, transportation

Substitute Modification

April Greer, substitute bus driver

Certified Resignation

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

Certified Retirement

Mayra Munoz, special education paraprofessional, Early Childhood Center

Amelia Etcheson, cook, Carthage High School

John Carlton, seasonal maintenance

Breckin Cline, seasonal custodian

Jacob Tupper, seasonal custodian

Ales Mejia, seasonal custodian

Jonathan Brooks, seasonal custodian

Zane Browning, seasonal custodian

Dylan Pugh, seasonal maintenance

Colt Pugh, seasonal custodian

Luke O'Neal, seasonsl custodian

Carson Kinder, seasonal custodian

Silas Laytham, seasonal custodian

Thomas Banta, seasonal custodian

Jakob McPheeters, seasonal custodian

Dakota Borghardt, seasonal custodian

Donetta Rivera, cook, Carthage High School

Kendra Sexton, cook, Carthage Junior High School

Brittany Connelly, special education paraprofessional

John LeMasters, bus driver

April Knell, Title 1 instructional assistant, Steadley Elementary

Substitute Resignation

Amber Opel, nurse

Jackie Brust, custodian

David Butler, custodian

Bob Lawrence, custodian

Richard Pendleton, custodian

Harold Still, custodian

Kacey Dragoo, nurse

Lacey Stephens, nurse

Christina Burker, bus driver

Lauren Gower, bus aide

Trish Pearce, teacher, bus driver

Widow files wrongful death lawsuit against Freeman, nurse

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

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

From the petition:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Joplin Gardens

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

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

From the petition:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Initial appearance, arraignment scheduled for Thomas Ross

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Appeals court backs Missouri's gerrymandered map

By Rudi Keller 

Missouri Independent

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that Missouri must use the congressional map passed by Republicans in 2025 for the Nov. 3 election, but the decision was put on hold for a week — leaving election officials to proceed for now under the map they were already using.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its order just before 5 p.m. Monday, ruling the election in November must use the same district lines that were used in the Aug. 4 primary election. But the judges stayed the order until Sept. 28 to give opponents time to seek relief from the U.S. Supreme Court.

That means Monday’s ruling does not immediately change how the election will proceed. The first ballots went out Friday for overseas voters, and absentee voting begins Tuesday for people who are unable to make it to the polls on Election Day because of travel or mobility issues.

The ruling is contrary to a decision of the Missouri Supreme Court that a referendum petition to force a vote on the 2025 map also negated the legal effect of the legislation enacting the plan. The U.S. Supreme Court has intervened twice already in the dispute, most recently on Sept. 10, when it blocked a federal judge’s order requiring use of the 2025 map while the case moved through the 8th Circuit. 

The court’s order changes nothing in how the election will proceed, said Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon. She tested voting tabulators Monday using the 2022 map and will mail 1,000 ballots on Tuesday to people who requested them.

People who have not voted could be given a new ballot if the district lines do change, Lennon said. She’s not certain what message, if any, she will send to those voters.

“That is what I am going to spend tonight trying to figure out,” Lennon said.

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

People Not Politicians, the political action committee that circulated the referendum petition, plans to appeal, attorney Chuck Hatfield said in a text to The Independent.

The judges “make it clear that we have until the 28th to get a stay and that there is no requirement to switch back to (the 2025 map) until then,” Hatfield wrote. “So we have a couple of days.”

In a statement, Richard von Glahn, director of People Not Politicians, said he is confident the U.S. Supreme Court will again find that the map used in the 2022 and 2024 elections will be used in November.

“Ballots have been printed, and Missourians have already voted,” von Glahn said. “Thousands more will vote before this order seeks to take effect. Officials should stop wasting taxpayers’ money on pointless legal action and instead focus on administering our elections.

The appeals court concluded that equal protection rights would be violated if the map lines change between the primary to the general election. That, the court ruled, means “some Missouri voters will have more say than others on who represents them in Congress.”

The order directed U.S. Chief District Judge Stephen Clark of the Eastern District of Missouri to issue a permanent injunction barring Missouri from using any map except the one passed by lawmakers in 2025.

He issued the order shortly after the 8th Circuit decision, including the one-week stay to allow for an appeal.

The 8th Circuit ruled in the appeal of a temporary restraining order, issued by Clark on Sept. 8, barring Secretary of State Denny Hoskins from using any map except the 2025 map for this year’s election. Clark ruled in a lawsuit brought by U.S. Rep. Bob Onder, an incumbent Republican running for re-election in the 3rd District; state Sen. Rick Brattin, the Republican nominee in the 5th District, and two voters who will change districts from the primary.

Onder and Brattin sued Hoskins after the state Supreme Court decision, arguing that the change in maps violated their rights and federal election law as interpreted by the courts. People Not Politicians intervened when Hoskins agreed with Onder and Brattin as they sought an order to restore the 2025 map.

The 2025 map puts Onder’s entire home county in the 3rd District and redraws the 5th District to shift its partisan composition toward Republicans. The 5th District is currently represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

If it takes effect next week, the 8th Circuit order would mark the fourth shift since Sept. 3 in which congressional map election officials have been directed to use. The appeals court blamed the confusion on the Missouri Supreme Court.

The 2025 map was in place for candidate filing and the primary, the opinion noted. 

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

The 8th Circuit also rejected arguments that it was improperly interfering with a state-law question or improperly taking over a role that belongs to state courts.

“Allowing state courts to issue, without any federal-court review, lastminute decisions affecting the conduct of federal elections would increase the volume of last-minute requests to state courts, decrease the public’s confidence in the election results, and potentially allow a handful of state judges to render decisions that decide the outcome of a presidential election or party control of Congress,” the opinion stated.

Brattin issued a statement praising the ruling.

“I am hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court will agree,” Brattin said. “Voters cast their primary ballots under this map, and they should be able to vote in the same districts for the general election.”

If the district lines must change next week, Lennon said, it will not be a simple process.

“There is a fundamental difference between just removing and adding a candidate and creating entirely new ballot styles,” Lennon said.

Boone County has five Missouri House districts and the congressional lines do not conform to the legislative district lines. Local ballot questions mean that voters in some polling locations will get a ballot with questions that others do not. Each distinct ballot is what election officials call a ballot style.

And she would have to start over, Lennon said.

“We have to regenerate the entire election because the districts are completely different, so the make-up of the voters is different for each of those ballot styles,” she said. “I have to reprogram, reproof and create a new order for our vendor for printing, retest the absentee voting machines and get all of that done while absentee voting is happening.”

• 7:51 pmThis article was updated to clarify that the 8th Circuit decision is in conflict with but does not directly reverse the Missouri Supreme Court.

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

Joplin man sentenced to seven years for illegal possession of a firearm

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

A Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his illegal possession of a firearm recovered following a shooting.

Andrew Reed, 23, pleaded guilty on March 10, 2026 to unlawfully possessing a firearm. He was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 84 months in the Bureau of Prisons, to be served without parole. He will also be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon release from imprisonment.

On Feb. 15, 2025, officers with the Joplin Police Department responded to a shooting and located several spent shell casings and a firearm with a thirty-round extended magazine loaded with ammunition. Video surveillance from a nearby business showed Reed hiding the firearm underneath a dumpster.

Reed has prior felony convictions for battery against law enforcement and interference with law enforcement operations out of the state of Kansas. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Brown. It was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.

Granby man charged with fourth DWI in seven years

The Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office charged a Granby man with three convictions for felony driving while intoxicated with DWI Monday.

Dylan James Thompson, 30, was arrested following a Highway Patrol traffic stop August 16.

According to the probable cause statement, the DWI arrest was the second this year and fourth in the last seven years for Thompson.

Thompson pleaded guilty June 14 to DWI following a January 17 Highway Patrol stop. His previous convictions were March 1, 2022 after a Highway Patrol arrest and November 21, 2019 after a Neosho Police Department arrest.

Thompson's initial court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. October 26 in Jasper County Circuit Court in Carthage.

Galena man files personal injury lawsuit against Joplin Home Depot

 

A Galena, Kansas man is suing Home Depot in Joplin claiming lumber fell from a metal rack and him him in the head.

In the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in Jasper County Circuit Court, James A. Johnson says he suffered severe injuries. The two-count action alleges premises liability and negligence.

Johnson is represented by Bryan N. Musgrave, Springfield.

(From the petition)

On or about December 28, 2023, at approximately 2:15pm, Plaintiff entered upon the premises owned, occupied or controlled by Defendant herein and which was located at 3110 E 20th St, Joplin, Missouri (hereinafter "the premises"), and plaintiff was then and there engaging in the activities that were in furtherance of the business or pecuniary interests of the Defendant, specifically plaintiff was shopping for lumber.

At said time and place, Plaintiff requested assistance from an employee and agent of Defendant to retrieve some long, heavy lumber for plaintiff. Without warning, the employee of Defendant removed the safety cables from the metal racks and either caused or allowed the heavy lumber to fall and strike Plaintiff in the head, thereby injuring Plaintiff.

At said time and place, Defendant had or allowed to exist upon the said premises a condition which was not reasonable safe, namely heavy unsecured lumber which was able to fall from the shelf and strike customers, namely Plaintiff. 

Defendant allowed this dangerous condition to exist on the premises and in an area where customers shop for merchandise, namely Plaintiff. Defendant negligently failed to warn of, remove, or barricade this dangerous condition, and as a direct and proximate result of Defendant’s failure and omission, Plaintiff sustained severe injury.

Defendant knew or by the exercise of ordinary care could have known about the above-mentioned dangerous condition.

Defendant could have taken action to make the condition reasonably safe, however defendant failed to use ordinary care to remove, warn of, or barricade the dangerous condition so as not to protect others from injury, namely the Plaintiff.

Those injury was described in the petition:

As a direct and proximate result of the Defendant's acts and omissions, Plaintiff sustained severe injury to Plaintiff's head, neck and left elbow. He has suffered all of the above injuries, pain, loss of pleasure, and damages since the date of the accident, suffers them at the present time, and will suffer them in the future, said injuries, pain, and damages being permanent, disabling and progressive.