COLUMBUS, Kan. — Students at Park Elementary in Columbus, Kansas raised $7,647.50 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Thursday, they were honored for their hard work.
At an assembly kids who raised money were awarded prizes as a thanks for their efforts to support the project started by teacher Cindy Wells.
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JOPLIN, Mo. — Baking a gingerbread house can be a complex project for a culinary professional and an even taller task for a teenager making one for the first time.
But that didn’t stop juniors and seniors in the Franklin Tech Culinary Arts program from giving it a go today.
It’s all part of the annual Holiday Open House and Gingerbread Showcase. Students first had to design the structures, bake them and then decorate them.
A total of 17 houses were judged by faculty and staff at Franklin Tech. Culinary arts instructors also helped the teams with tips learned from previous years.
“It’s so important because our community members are the ones attending these events, so it’s just more important that we get their input so we’re doing something that they want rather than something we think they want,” said Recreation Program Manager Ashten Graham.
Suggestions will be taken through the end of the month — and can be emailed or posted to the department’s Facebook page.
CARTHAGE, Mo. — A plan to invest in the future of Carthage parks is getting a big financial boost.
The Mccune Brooks Regional Hospital Trust is giving the city of Carthage more than five million dollars in escrow funds to start implementing its parks master plan.
The funding is enough to allow the city to tackle goals in phase one and phase two, including basic improvements to facility restrooms, shelters, trains and parking.
It would also focus on changes at Central Park.
Carthage Interim Asst. City Administrator Greg Dagnan said, “The main thing is the pavilion, making it usable for folks so they can have, you know they can sit on the grass, have concerts, whatever. It’s very, doesn’t have technology in it. Having a space for the farmers market – a permanent space for them to meet.”
The funding would not address priorities further down the list, including new features at Kellogg Lake, Carter Park and Municipal Park.
JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin’s Main Street now boasts an “Idea Lab” – the next step towards a future science center for kids.
It’s not something that’s open regular hours for kids to come and explore — yet. But that is the goal down the road.
Audie Dennis is the president of the board for the Creative Learning Alliance; he said, “First of all, for our children to help them to dream.”
It’s goal number one for Joplin’s new Idea Lab. Added Dennis, “Not only play but learn and explore and experience and be exposed to ideas of possibly careers that they’d never even thought about. ‘Hey, I, I can be a nurse – I can be a doctor.”
The new storefront is the first home for a future science center. “It won’t be open to the general public. This is a place we can use to build exhibits, to experiment, to bring in some educators, to help us as we work toward the end goal.”
Things like a Face Swap or Twisted Tanagram. Dennis said a “genius board will help with that, “people that are involved in STEAM – the science, technology, engineering, arts and math – that can give us guidance as to what types of exhibits and interactive activities.”
The project came out of Joplin’s Vision 2022 Project – sparking the “Creative Learning Alliance” in 2018.
It’s focused on children and boosting their potential, but it doesn’t stop there. “Also it’s a great economic development. Quality of life is always a big issue and to be able to show them all of the good exciting things going on in Joplin, including here as our, our children’s Science Center,” according to Dennis.
The new storefront also gives them demonstration space to connect with project donors.
They have a preliminary timeline that would start fundraising in 2022 and choose a site to remodel or build the science center.
Best case scenario puts an opening in 2025.
You can find out more at the Creative Learning Alliance website.
JOPLIN, Mo. — A veteran organization is helping the Joplin Elk’s Lodge keep a holiday tradition alive.
Tonight the Tripoli Marines Detachment #1356 donated $500 to the lodge.
The money will go towards any projects lodge members have in the works.
Right now it’s more than 200 Christmas baskets for families in Jasper and Newton Counties.
“It feels great. It feels like we can serve again. The whole reason why the marine corps league is in existence is for Marines to get together and to feel that brotherhood again. This is one of the ways that we can get back out there and help our community and show them we are here and we care,” said Joseph Karr, Tripoli Marines Corps League Detachment #1356.
The lodge will donate Christmas baskets and toys to families on Saturday.
JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin High School could use some help with its annual Christmas food basket program.
Officials say they’re in need of turkeys, hams and canned foods.
Next week, they’ll prepare the food baskets and then give them to 15 families of high school students as a way to help them over the holiday break.
“With the rate of poverty that we have in Joplin anyway there’s always families in need of extra help especially around the holidays. Its that business of providing for your family and not only making it the best that you can,” said Dr. Stephen Gilbreth, Joplin High School Principal.
Donations can be dropped off at the high school through Friday.
JOPLIN, Mo. — The Joplin School District has expanded what’s become a popular program.
A new robotics program is now offered at all three middle schools.
It’s an introductory course that teaches students how to code.
“It’s a pretty complex class for a middle school aged student. It’s very upper level thinking and thinking outside of the box,” said Laurel Cook, Project Lead the Way Automation and Robotics Teacher.
This was the first semester the “Project Lead the Way” Robotics and Automation Program was offered to seventh graders at South Middle School.
“They learn about gears and gear ratios. And then it progresses onto learning about what the different vex parts are. And then they will learn how to build simple machines with simple gears. Then we advance to the coding through the computer and then they have various tasks that they have to complete,” said Cook.
Students work in teams to build a robot and code it to perform tasks.
“I feel like the students learn different areas of engineering as well as problem solving. It sets them up for thinking outside the box and it has a lot of workforce qualities to it. Team work, manufacturing, a lot of different areas. Also we circle back to the stem and they learn a lot of science and mathematics using materials for this class,” said Cook.
This semester students put together a Mars Rover.
“It feels good to know that I helped make it because its cool,” said Hunter Perriman, robotics student.
“It felt great knowing all the hard work really paid off,” Ryanne Mckinney, robotics student.
“I think it’s very fun and you get to expand your imagination whenever you code,” said Eli Ahrizo, robotics student.
Students say this class taught them teamwork and patience.
“It’s a good class. what you learn in it is very interesting and it could help you in the future,” said Perriman.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper who was shot on Friday is back home and recovering after undergoing surgery on Wednesday.
MSHP officials said Justin Jackman shot Trooper Colton Beck in the face, giving him an injury to his right eye.
“He has puncture and laceration wounds to his face, but the most serious injury was to his right eye, which the doctors were unable to repair or save, so they had to remove that,” said Sgt. Mike McClure with MSHP.
McClure said Beck has been a trooper for just over six years.
He said last Friday in south Springfield, Beck tried to pull over Justin Jackman for not yielding.
Instead, Jackman drove off the road and ended up shooting Beck in the face.
“We are extremely grateful that he’s upright,” McClure said. “He’s able to call us, text us, come visit us, in between procedures. As severe and as serious and as egregious as this is, it could have been a lot worse.”
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Trooper Beck’s sister-in-law, Madi Snyder, tells OzarksFirst they are praising God that Beck is safe and at home with his wife and kids.
She said Beck is a person who would give you the shirt off his back, and he’s the trooper you want on your side.
McClure said when something like this happens, the priority is making sure troopers get the care they need.
“Being that he’s young, this is something that Colton has wanted to do most of his life,” McClure said. “This has become his life, second or third to his family and his faith. This is something he has grabbed hold of with both hands and does an outstanding job.”
Jackman was arrested and charged. McClure said they’re looking forward to the day Trooper Beck can come back to work.
ANDERSON, Mo. — Students at one southwest Missouri school are learning that the holiday season is more than just about getting gifts.
4th graders at Anderson Elementary have been educating themselves about different charity organizations, and what those groups do for the community. Then, students picked their own organization and promoted them on social media.
“There are a lot of charities, I, me and my partners are doing Team Seas, there is also people doing St. Jude’s Hospital, Team Maddie which is local her in Anderson, um Humane Society, Meals on Wheels, and a bunch of different charities,” said Anderson Elementary 4th Grade Teacher, Madelyn Van Winkle.
“That make phone calls to different charities, we had groups doing interviews where they had to learn to introduce themselves to other people and um from there they created video they could put out and help raise awareness, that’s what we heard back a lot was you know the best way you could help get our name out there,” said Krystal Crust, also a 4th grade teacher at the school.
Crust says the videos the kids made will be uploaded to their class websites.
CARTHAGE, Mo. – The Carthage Chamber of Commerce has named Julie Reams as its new President.
Reams joined the Pittsburg Chamber in 2018 and previously served as Membership and Special Events Director for the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Julie has been a volunteer for multiple chambers in Girard KS, Andover KS, Wichita, KS as well as Pittsburg until being hired, while earning 3 volunteer of the year awards for 3 different communities. Additionally, Reams has a wealth of experience with not-for-profit work, member services, city government and community events.
“I am very excited to lead the Carthage Chamber of Commerce business community. I look forward to all of the opportunities working with leaders to continue the successful growth of our area and building lasting partnerships” said Reams about her new position.
“We are pleased to bring Julie into our city and chamber operations. She will succeed Mark Elliff, our long-time Chamber President who is retiring. We look forward to her leadership of our 430-member organization and continuing advancement of the community and business environment,” said Paul Eckels, Chairman of the Board of the Carthage Chamber of Commerce.
The Carthage Chamber of Commerce manages a wide variety of activities including the Maple Leaf Festival, Business Expo, Annual Civic Banquet, support of member businesses large and small through networking events, ribbon cutting, groundbreaking, and many others. Other Chamber functions include legislative issues that pertain to the community, candidate forums for City, County, and Carthage R-9 candidates, working with improving housing, business expansion, and new business recruitments as well as cohosting the Carthage Christmas parade.