January 2026

ESHS students earn high honors

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Excelsior Springs High School has released its Principal’s Honor Roll for the first semester of the 2025-26 school year, recognizing students who achieved high academic performance across all four grade levels.

Annual Murder Mystery fuels arts scholarships

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Behind the costumes and crime-solving of the Excelsior Springs Area Cultural Guild’s annual murder mystery is a serious mission to invest in young area artists. Each year, the Cultural Guild uses its Murder Mystery Dinner Theater and Sunday matinee to raise money for scholarships aimed at graduating seniors continuing their education in the arts.

An unexpected assist from Chiefs Kingdom

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There are certain truths National Football League (NFL) fans grow comfortable with over time. One of them, at least in the Midwest, was the Kansas City Chiefs belonged in Missouri. Arrowhead Stadium stood as a physical symbol of that belief, rooted in decades of history and reinforced by a fan base that treated the location as sacred. Whether the team was winning championships or grinding through leaner years, the idea that the Chiefs were immovable felt settled.
An unexpected assist from Chiefs Kingdom

Time for new sports threads, attitude

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to PRO High heat, drop kicks, random observations and points that amuse are all part of the wide, wide world of sports at the community and national levels. I’ve just added three New Year’s resolutions to my list – all of them sportsrelated.
FANS OF the prep teams at Excelsior Springs and Richmond, shown competing in varsity boys basketball, probably won’t have to worry about the Tigers and Spartans border hopping for new facilities. SHAWN RONEY | Staff

Body cameras planned for ES police

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Police body cameras and upgraded dash cameras will become part of everyday operations in Excelsior Springs as new equipment purchases and related law enforcement actions move forward. During a recent meeting, city council members authorized a fiveyear service agreement with Axon Enterprise Inc.

Spear recognized for community leadership

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Community recognition through the Town and Country Leader’s Annual Local Legends Contest has brought attention to leadership focused on accountability and resident input. Councilman Stephen Spear is among the top three nominees for Best Community Leader in Excelsior Springs this year.
Stephen Spear

Local Legends nomination highlights SAFE leadership

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Work centered on youth prevention and community partnerships has earned local recognition through this year’s Local Legends nominations. Julia Mees leads Excelsior Springs Substance Abuse Free Environments (SAFE), a coalition focused on preventing youth substance use before it begins.
Julia Mees

Rhodus files bid to intervene in annexation court battle

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The court case deciding whether Excelsior Springs or Mosby has the right to annex overlapping land west of the city has taken another procedural turn, with a landowner at the center of the dispute seeking leave to formally intervene in the lawsuit. The request was filed in Clay County Circuit Court on behalf of David Rhodus, the owner of four specific parcels totaling approximately 89.5 acres, whose property lies within the territory both cities approved for annexation in the November 2025 election.