October 2025

Excelsior Springs Substance Abuse Free Environments (SAFE) is highlighting youth prevention efforts this month with a focus on prescription drug safety, fentanyl awareness and alcohol-free homecoming celebrations.

Entrepreneurship is not a one-time spark but a fire that needs to be tended, said Excelsior Springs business owner Daphne Bowman as she delivered the opening keynote at the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference.

Excelsior Springs elementary schools are welcoming October with a full calendar of activities, from science exploration and literacy nights to football events and fall parties. Across Lewis, Cornerstone and Elkhorn, administrators are emphasizing student growth, family engagement and the importance of daily attendance.

A strong local economy doesn’t always begin with a corporation or large employer. Sometimes, it starts with one person who decides to open a bakery, design jewelry or sell homemade candles.

Tourism may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about economic growth in small towns, but Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development Educator Richard Proffer argued it should be. Speaking during the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference session “Increasing Your Town’s Entrepreneurial Opportunities Through Tourism,” Proffer noted rural tourism can fuel job creation, support local businesses and spark cultural revival in communities with fewer than 5,000 people.

The Excelsior Standard, Oct. 3,2025 Doreen Frances Chandler, 73, of Dearborn passed away peacefully Sept.

The Excelsior Standard, Oct. 3,2025 Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Helen L.

Excelsior Springs’ 56-6 Sept. 26 road loss to Smithville might not be the Tigers’ last meeting with Smithville in varsity 11-man football.