October 2025

Beacon hosts Trunk-or-Treat.

Classic rides, candy fill Orrick streets.

For individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in rural Missouri, access to quality healthcare often depends on luck – the luck of finding a doctor who understands their needs, a clinic that can keep staff or transportation that gets them to an appointment, according to IntellectAbility President Dr. Craig Escudé, who specializes in care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) aims to change that.

The Bearcats’ varsity 8-man football season isn’t necessarily getting easier, even though they’re facing a familiar opponent to start postseason play, Orrick coach Matt O’Dell suggested. Orrick is slated to face Northland Christian in its District 4 opener Friday at Simmons Field.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is asking Missouri turkey hunters and others for their feedback on a potential regulation change to nonresident spring turkey hunting. The proposed regulation change would reduce the nonresident bag limit from two bearded birds in the spring to a single bearded bird in the spring.

The Excelsior Springs Substance Abuse Free Environments (SAFE) coalition will be among the more than 400 prevention professionals gathering this week for the Missouri Substance Use Prevention Conference, with 19 local members attending sessions focused on strengthening community health and prevention.

A November lineup focused on connection, education and gratitude will highlight the next two Excelsior Springs Hospital Health and Wellness sessions, beginning with a “Salute to Service” trivia game honoring veterans. The game will be followed by a Medicare 101 class aimed at helping residents navigate open enrollment with confidence.

Clay County has finished two major infrastructure projects that improve safety and resilience along Nation Road, including a new Rock Creek bridge and realignment of the nearby roadway. After heavy rains in 2022 caused severe streambank damage and forced a roadway closure, the county took quick action to stabilize the area and strengthen the corridor.

Parenting doesn’t always break your heart in loud or dramatic ways. Most of the time, it’s quieter. It happens when the house is still, the workday feels endless and you suddenly realize your child has been waiting for you to notice the time slipping by. It’s the kind of heartbreak that doesn’t come from a single moment but from the slow awareness that love, no matter how strong, sometimes gets buried beneath responsibility.

Gaige Carr is ready for Friday night. Carr and his Excelsior Springs teammates will complete the Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference-Blue Division and regular-season portion of their varsity 11-man football schedule Friday on the road against archrival Kearney.