CON V ERGING CA MPUS & COMMUNIT Y
NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2024
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI
NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
VOL. 112, NO. 26
@THEMISSOURIAN
Unofficial local election results tallied HANNAH CLAYWALL News Editor | @Hannah_9504
VOTES FOR APRIL 2 MUNICIPAL ELECTION
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ommunity members voted April 2 for several different propositions and candidates. The main decisions impacting Maryville were choosing the Maryville City Council members, Maryville R-II School Board members, Proposition JUMP and a countywide Central 911 Dispatch sales tax question.
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I felt like, ‘OK, this is something I can do that would serve other people, take care of other people,’ so it’s kind of been a theme in my life.” JOHN MCBRIDE CITY COUNCILMAN
INFOGRAPHIC BY REESE SERVI MISSOURIAN DESIGNER
Three people were running for a spot on Council — John McBride, Dannen Merrill and Bill Richardson. Merrill received the most unofficial votes with 1,006 total, McBride followed with 763 total unofficial votes and Richardson got 697 total unofficial votes. There were also 12 write-in votes. There are two spots open on City Council, and based on the unofficial votes, Merrill and McBride will be reelected for another 3-year term. “I felt like, ‘OK, this is something I can do that would serve other peo-
ple, take care of other people,’ so it’s kind of been a theme in my life,” McBride said in an interview before the elections March 22. The Maryville R-II School District School Board members running were James Kurz and Traci Diane Westfall. There were two open positions. They were running uncontested, and each earned a position on the school board. Westfall got 1,616 total unofficial votes and Kurz got 1,594 total unofficial votes. There were also 31 write-in votes cast. Both will serve a three-year term. Proposition JUMP is a $23 million no-tax-increase bond is-
sue that will be used to improve schools in Maryville. Superintendent of the Maryville R-II school district Logan Lightfoot said there are three goals the proposition focuses on — safety, optimizing existing spaces and improving learning spaces and facilities. There were 1,293 total unofficial votes in favor of passing the proposition and 640 total unofficial votes against it. Based on the unofficial votes Proposition JUMP will be passed and implemented. The funds will go toward renovating classrooms, remodeling building
entrances for safety and several other improvements for the schools. There are both big and small changes that will come from the bond. The buildings impacted are theMaryville Early Childhood Center, Eugene Field Elementary School, Maryville Middle School and Maryville High School. The bond adds no additional taxes to the community. The last proposition on the ballot that affects Nodaway County is the countywide Central 911 Dispatch sales tax question.
SEE ELECTIONS | A4
McCollum to take over Division I team at Drake WESLEY MILLER Managing Editor | @wesleymiller360
Success. Winning. Championships. Trophies. Records. History. For the last 15 seasons, these were all regular occurrences for Northwest men’s basketball. The program is on an active streak of 11-straight MIAA regular season titles. It’s won eight of the last nine conference tournament titles. But, most notably, it’s won four national championships — including the only national title three-peat in Division II history. And the one at the helm of it all was five-time National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year, eight-time MIAA Coach of the Year and soon-to-be Missouri Sports Hall
of Famer coach Ben McCollum. But not anymore. After years of speculation and battling a sea of offseason rumors, one of Bearcat fans’ biggest fears came true as McCollum has finally reached the Division I ranks as he was announced to be the new coach for Drake men’s basketball April 1. It’s the end of an era for Northwest with the departure of its national championship coach. After years of guiding some of the best players to ever play for the Bearcats, including the program’s alltime leading scorer and eventual Houston Rocket, Trevor Hudgins, McCollum will head back to his home state of Iowa for his first Division I coaching job.
SEE MCCOLLUM | A4
AARON HARE ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
Northwest men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum talks with his team during a timeout in the Bearcats’ 65-57 win over Missouri Western Feb. 24. McCollum had a career record of 394-91 with the Bearcats.
City Council approves contract for payments of pipe, fitting repairs at water treatment plant DAKOTA OSWALT Asst. News Editor | @doswalt_NWMSRN
AARON HARE ASST. PHOTO EDITOR
Maryville Public Works Director Matt Smith discusses a catastrophic waterline rupture that resulted in a $24,790 repair invoice at the April 1 City Council meeting.
AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1914.
City Council approved a contract with White Cloud Engineering & Construction to repair pipe and fittings at the Maryville Water Treatment Plant at its meeting April 1. The water treatment plant underwent emergency repairs Feb. 7 after a period of prolonged cold weather caused damage to the auxiliary capex filter, which Maryville Public Works Director Matt Smith said was a catastrophic event that resulted in
the waterline rupturing in multiple places. He said it takes a lot of force for this to happen. Emergency repairs were necessary since the Maryville Water Treatment Plant serves Maryville and surrounding areas. “The Maryville Water Treatment Plant ensures the supply of clean and safe drinking water to the majority of Nodaway County,” Smith said. “The efficient functioning of this facility is contingent upon various components of piping being a fundamental element in the water treatment process.”
Smith said PeopleService Incorporated, the water plant’s contracted operators, immediately notified city staff when the breakage occurred, and they quickly began assessing the damage. Afterward, White Cloud Engineering & Construction began making repairs, which were finished Feb. 12 while the capex filter returned to full capacity Feb. 13. Smith said White Cloud Engineering submitted the invoice for $24,790 for the work.
SEE COUNCIL | A4
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