December 2025

As youth-focused vaping products evolve and the average age of first use in Missouri drops to 13, prevention specialists in the Northland warn consistent education and open conversations with parents are becoming more urgent than ever.

Some people move through Christmas with an ease that feels almost unreal. The season starts and they seem to fall into it without hesitation, as if the decorating and planning and celebrating come with instructions the rest of us never received. From a distance, it all looks effortless. Up close, most families know that this time of year rarely moves that smoothly.

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MIRANDA JAMISON A holiday crowd bundled in blankets and pajamas filled the Excelsior Springs High School commons as the student council (STUCO) hosted its first A Very Merry Movie Night. The new event brought families and students together for a seasonal evening built almost entirely by teenagers.

The holiday season meant more than patrols and ensuring public safety for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) this year – it also included setting up tables, serving meals and building connections in some of the county’s smallest towns.

A 2023 multi-agency pursuit involving spike strips, a crash into a wooded area and a foot chase has reached a resolution in Clay County as a Belton man entered a guilty plea during a recent hearing. Daneal Addison-Marshall, 31, recently pleaded guilty before Judge Timothy Flook to two felony charges, including first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest, detention or stop, creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death to any person.

National Celebrate Shelter Pets Day passed Dec. 4, but one organization continues to amplify its message about the connection between adopted animals and mental health.