December 2025

Some weeks move in a blur of responsibilities, long days and quiet pressure. You handle the things that must be done and keep going because that is what life expects from most of us. Work does not slow down when you need it to. Families do not pause their needs. The world keeps its rhythm whether you feel ready or not and staying steady becomes its own kind of effort.

The Excelsior Standard, Dec. 5, 2025 Stan Falconer, 59, of Excelsior Springs passed away Nov.

LATHROP – Analese Happy gave herself an extra reason to feel grateful shortly before Thanksgiving. Wrestling Nov.

The Little Red Truck donation boxes returned to storefronts in Richmond and Excelsior Springs last month as residents filled them with food for families preparing for Thanksgiving. What began as a small effort seven years ago has grown into a shared tradition across both towns, with local businesses hosting the turkey-themed boxes and community members stepping in to support their neighbors.

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Allegations of child sexual abuse against a church youth pastor took a significant turn after his bond request was denied. Excelsior Springs resident Donald Aaron Axtell, 37, is charged with two felonies, including second-degree statutory rape and possession of child pornography.

When a tractor-trailer collided with a police patrol vehicle on Missouri 210 Highway in October, the impact left Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) Corporal Zach Thomas unconscious and trapped behind the wheel as motorists began pulling over. One of those who approached was Wood Heights Fire Protection District Chief T.J. Curry. His actions led the Missouri State Highway Patrol to nominate him for the Honorary Trooper Certificate, which he was recently awarded.

Clay County’s growing population helped drive the development of the county’s first major law enforcement construction project in 25 years. The Law Enforcement Resource Center opened Nov. 25 to provide space for firearms training, defensive tactics and scenario-based instruction.

How far prep girls wrestling has come within the past 20 years! Or even within the past five years! I remember when I interviewed my first high school girls wrestler.

What began as a plan for the Wood Heights district to quietly support another Thanksgiving assistance effort turned into a full holiday project for the town’s Fire Protection District Auxiliary. A misunderstanding over the needs of a school district for its holiday outreach left the Auxiliary with purchased food and an unexpected opening to serve families directly. Members moved quickly to turn those items into complete meals for people who needed holiday support.