October 2020

Mary Anne Johnson, 84, of Excelsior Springs, passed away on Oct. 14, 2020.

Monica Roney, 61, of Lawson, passed away Thursday, Oct. 15, at North Kansas City Hospital.

Marcelaine Ruth Griffel, 92, formerly of Higginsville and Excelsior Springs, died Oct. 19, 2020, at the Golden Age Nursing Home in Braymer. She was born Aug. 5, 1928, in Alma to Edwin and Hilda (Miller) Kempfe. She was baptized on Aug. 19, 1928, by A.H. Griesse at Evangelical Lutheran Church in Alma. She was confirmed on April 18, 1943, by Rev. A.H. Griesse. She graduated in 1947 from Alma High School and went to the KC College of Commerce. She worked for the Builders Association of Kansas City, doing secretarial work until she married Olen Eugene Griffel on June 19, 1949 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Alma.

Glenda Sue (Creason) Wilhite, 68, of Excelsior Springs passed away on Oct. 19, 2020.

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – Clay County Public Administrator Sarah Mills Rottgers, 41, seeks re-election. A Republican, she is opposed by Democrat Jeremy Eden, who did not return this newspaper’s questionnaire.

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – Clay County Deputy Assessor Tracy Baldwin, 48, Kearney, a Republican, plans to step into the seat being vacated by his boss, Cathy Rinehart, a Democrat. Bruce Cantwell did not return the questionnaire.

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – Two people seek the Clay County Eastern Commission District seat. But only one is answering questions, including: Why? The commission candidates are Republican Megan Thompson, 35, Liberty; and Democrat Dustin Bell, 22, Kearney.

JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Judicial Performance Review Committee provided Missouri voters with their performance findings for 52 nonpartisan judges who will be up for retention in the Nov. 3 general elections, including in Clay County.

LIBERTY – Clay County voters will pick a new sheriff Nov. 3.

COLUMBIA – The only time Gov. Mike Parson and state Auditor Nicole Galloway have appeared, or will appear, in a political forum focused on the Nov. 3 governor’s race took place Oct. 9 at the Missouri Theatre in Columbia.