SW City girl donates to Ronald McDonald House

JOPLIN, Mo. — A local girl has given back to her community… Again.

We first told you about eight-year-old Southwest City Resident Annabella Keith holding a lemonade stand. She donated the proceeds to Souls Harbor in Joplin because she wanted to help the homeless. A couple of weeks later, she held a bake sale in her hometown.

Friday, she presented a check in the amount of $683 to the Ronald McDonald House of the Four States, right here in Joplin.

“Ya, people from our church, people from our school, also people that we didn’t even know,” said Annabella Keith, Child Fundraiser.

Annabella, her mom, her dad, and grandmother did all the cooking for the bake sale. She says some of the people who bought items at her sale also have a personal connection to “The House That Love Built.”

She plans on another fundraising event in the future, with proceeds going to kids in the McDonald County foster care system.

Kiwanis Golf Tournament benefits Children's Haven SWMO

JOPLIN, Mo. — Today at Briarbrook Golf Course, the number 102 was a good thing.

It wasn’t a number on a scorecard. This year, the Kiwanis Club of Joplin is celebrating its 102nd year. The golf at Briarbrook was part of the Club’s 15th Annual Tournament. It’s a major fundraiser for Kiwanis — with this year’s proceeds going to Children’s Haven of Southwest Missouri.”

“Kiwanis has been a supporter of Children’s Haven for the 20 years that we’ve been open, and so we’ve just been helped by them throughout the years in so many ways, and this is a great partnership and a great day to come out and support two organizations,” said Stephanie Thies, Children’s Haven.

“Kiwanis Club supports children and youth programs around the community. Everything from Children’s Haven, YMCA, Children’s Center and many others. And that’s our mission, and so we’re very excited that Children’s Haven is the focus of this year’s golf tournament,” said Rod Surber, Kiwanis Club of Joplin Secretary-Treasurer.

Kiwanis Club of Joplin is the longest, continuously-operated Kiwanis Club in the State of Missouri.

The scooter gang behind Marian Days

CARTHAGE, Mo. — We’re now barely 24 hours away from the return of an annual event that more than doubles the size of Carthage. And while events haven’t started yet — all the signs are there.

Marian Days is just hours away from starting, the first time since 2019 due to COVID shutdowns. But there’s a lot that has to happen to get ready for the kickoff on Thursday. And the Fathers of the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer will take all the help they can get.

“All 100% volunteer, and we enjoy our time. We are honored to be volunteers in helping out today,” said Vu Dinh, Michigan Volunteer.

This group of volunteers from Michigan is working on tents today.

“These big tents are for the church; usually the church have to get a place and then we help them put it up for the elderly. And I think they will be, the bus will bring them here and they’ll be unloaded sometime tomorrow,” added Tee Nguyen, Michigan Volunteer.

“We came here early and I will volunteer, help the church out, and I help people I put out a tent. I’ve set up a tent and tomorrow tonight and tomorrow morning, a charter bus rolls in. And we help them carry all the luggage and move to their tent,” said Dinh

It’s just one step in the transformation that turns the 28-acre seminary campus into one of the biggest spots in the Four States.

In 2019, estimates put attendance at 60 to 80,000 people. So, you’ll see a lot of scooters to get around the event, a good way to travel through crowds… and also a longtime tradition.

“That’s how we can drive back in Vietnam, with a scooter and even now a days the majority of people are going around from time to time to places, they go by the little scooter,” said Nguyen.

Marian Days started back in 1978, a gathering that included just 1,500 Vietnamese Catholics, many refugees from the Vietnam War. 2022 marks the 43rd year, counting its COVID break.

“I mean, we had two years off. So getting back into the groove and just contacting people who helped us in the years past, contacting the city. It has been kind of like we’ve been kind of starting all over again. But it’s good. It’s good. I mean, we welcome everybody back,” said Fr. Timothy Tran, CMR.

PSU receives $3-million grant for sustainable materials initiative

PITTSBURG, Kans. — Pittsburg State is receiving a multi-million dollar grant.

The announcement was made Monday morning by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran and Pittsburg State Officials at PSU’s Tyler Research Center. The $3-million grant will be used to develop the center for commercialization. There, scientists will work with staff and students from the College of Technology and Polymer Chemistry Initiative to work on sustainable materials that can be commercialized.

“We want to continue to be a partner with Pittsburg State to make sure this is the place that research is being done and now it is being applied to business and industry, that people look to Pittsburg State for that assistance and that help,” said Sen. Moran (R) Kansas.

“There’s nobody within 300 miles of here that has these capabilities. So, this really makes us positioned well as we’re talking about bringing manufacturing opportunities, restoring, and revamping manufacturing. We’ve really got the tools to do that now,” added Tim Dawsey, Chair/Dir KS Polymer Research Center.

As Dawsey pointed out, the grant will also fund what’s called a “Prove-out Center,” which will create manufacturing jobs for products that are currently sold overseas.

New toy store opens in Downton Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. — You can now head to Downtown Joplin and step back in time to see your favorite action figure, doll, or movie poster.

After having space for several years in the Joplin Flea Market, an area family says they simply ran out of space so they moved a short distance away and opened up G.I. Bill’s Toys and Collectables.

Melba Rigg is the co-owner and says it’s the ideal place to go to locate hard-to-find collectibles, as well as pieces from a collection customers may have lost over the years.

“Lord of the Rings, we have GI Joe, we have Power Rangers, we have He-Man, we have build your own figures, we have Marvel, we have Spawn, we have pieces from old things like the Mach One, we have some car pieces, we have Jack and Sally, we have Batman and Robin,” said Rigg.

A good example is Chelsea Kraft who, along with her family, walked in for the first time and was glad she did. Although most of what she bought isn’t going to her child.

“This place, it’s amazing. We don’t have a lot of vintage stores around here and the collection is just, it’s awesome, I love it. The Star Wars collection she has is nothing I’ve seen in a long time,” said Kraft.

Rigg says that if they don’t have what you’re looking for, they can probably find it.

And, if you have a prized piece that no longer works, she says there’s a good chance they can fix it.

“They come to the store and they say ‘I used to have that, I used to play with that, I wonder where that is now, I bet that’s buried in the back yard,’ things like that. So we get that kind of stuff all the time here,” said Rigg.

And she says she’s pulling out all the stops to get people in to separate them from other collectible stores just a few doors away.

“The fact they put a mannequin on the outside, that brought me in. That was, that was awesome. I thought that was a real person,” said Kraft.

Freeman Learning Center celebrates first class graduation

JOPLIN, Mo. — There was plenty of pomp and circumstance this morning in Joplin, all for a special commencement ceremony.

10 youngsters make up the very first graduating class of Freeman Health System’s learning center. All will start kindergarten when school begins next month.

This morning’s ceremony saw each graduate receive a diploma from Freeman President and CEO Paula Baker.

“All of our children, their parents are employees of Freeman Health System, so it was so much fun to see the proud looks on the faces of parents and grandparents and just the sense of accomplishment that you could see in the children. They were pretty excited to receive that diploma this morning,” said Paula Baker, Freeman President & CEO.

“We’re excited. It’s been kind of a long process, you know, we had to deal with Covid when we first opened but we’re really excited for these kids and their next step in their future,” said Josh Sharp, Learning Ctr. Dir.

“I think it’s very exciting to know and to see the success of the center overall and just how much it has continued to grow and how the students overall have continued to grow,” said Jessica Liberty, Proud Mom.

The learning center opened in August of 2020 with 8 children. It now has 105.

And, officials say plans are on the drawing board to, somewhere down the line, add after-school care and summer care.

S.K.I.L. Resource Center celebrates 30 years

PARSONS, Kans. — July 26th marks the 32nd anniversary of the ADA or the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The milestone is celebrated every year in parsons by the S.K.I.L. organization which stands for Southeast Kansas Independent Living Center. This year marks the center’s 30th anniversary.

The fun today included live music, lunch, games, and other activities.

The nonprofit advocates for people with disabilities. One of its clients is Ron Summers.

“Difficulty getting in homes and places of businesses, has made a huge difference and I’m a big fan,” said Summers.

“Also have employment information about how you can get employment, different employment programs to help incentivize people with disabilities going back to work and their employers,” said Shari Coatney, S.K.I.L. Resource Center President & C.E.O.

Today’s event also included a job fair and the opportunity for people to receive a covid vaccine.

New Barton Co. teachers welcomed with "swag bags"

BARTON, Co. — New teachers in Barton County are being welcomed with open arms and “swag bags.”

All part of this year’s Welcome Event hosted by the Barton County Chamber of Commerce. These swag bags are filled with items like lunch boxes, gift cards, pens, and community information guides.

All new teachers within the Lamar, Liberal, and Golden City school districts will receive the bags.

This year marks a first in the number of new teachers. There are 36.

“There’s a lot of new hires that have happened and a lot of retirees recently, so just welcoming that next group of educators to really support those kiddos that are from Barton County so they have the best success possible, we’re happy to do so,” said Astra Ferris, CEO, Barton County Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber of commerce is asking for donations for the swag bags.

The deadline is Thursday, August 4th at 4 PM.

Items will be taken to the schools on August 5th.

Children's author, "IZZY B" reads to local kids

JOPLIN, Mo. — A published author and Carl Junction resident, takes the time to read some of his books to a group of parents and children.

Isaiah Basey, also known as “Izzy B” to his readers, was at the Joplin Public Library Thursday night (7/21), reading two of his self-published and self-illustrated books.

The free family night event was hosted by the Ozark Center, and focused on the theme of “Growing Resiliency In Our Children.”

The two books that “Izzy” chose to read aloud were “Moose Goose” and “Imaginary Fiends,” both of them based on the theme of “Resiliency.”

| Thomas Jefferson Summer Reading Program >

“Izzy B,” who was once an elementary school teacher, recently gave that up in order to devote himself to writing and illustrating children’s books full-time.

“I’m all about laughter, like that’s my whole spiel: Making books that are funny. I think our kids have some serious lives. I think they need to laugh, I think they just need to be kids. We’re making them grow up too fast, so I’m all about having a good time and knowing it’s okay to laugh, it’s okay to have a good time and just being silly,” said children’s author and illustrator, Isaiah “Izzy B” Basey.

Thanks to the Ozark Center, each child who attended Thursday night’s reading was able to choose from one of six published “Izzy B” books to take home, free of charge.

Children at Diamond Bible School raise thousands for RMH donation

JOPLIN, Mo. — Children at a Southwest Missouri church are already impacting their community and changing lives, even at a young age.

Diamond First Baptist Church presented to staff at the Ronald Mcdonald House Charities of The Four States with a donation of cash, gift cards, and other items worth nearly $2,700.

The money was raised last week by kids 4 to 12 years old attending vacation bible school at the church.

A bucket was passed around each night to collect money for the organization.

Kids then learned how the money they raised would impact families staying at the house.

“We exist to serve people, serve families, and we want to touch down in their lives, especially in difficult days and times with families who are going through dark times, having family in the hospital, children in the hospital. So, the Ronald McDonald House exists to minister to families in that way, and we want to get behind that and support that,” said Tivis Boothe, Diamond First Baptist Church Senior Pastor.

One of the church’s directors was personally impacted by the Ronald Mcdonald House and suggested the organization for this summer’s VBS offering.