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Paul Kolyesnykov, DPM

Foot and ankle surgeon joins Bothwell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Paul Kolyesnykov, DPM, a fellowship-trained reconstructive foot and ankle surgeon, has joined Bothwell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and will begin seeing patients Oct. 12. A Smith-Cotton High …
Gasoline prices at Casey's gas stations on Sept. 17, 2026.

With election pressure mounting, states move to suspend fuel taxes

With Election Day less than a month away, lawmakers in several states are suspending gas taxes or rolling back regulations on diesel fuel as voters grow increasingly frustrated with rising fuel costs …
Household water bills are increasing faster than inflation and income, according to a new analysis by the nonprofit Food and Water Watch.

Americans’ water bills are growing faster than groceries, inflation

Household water bills are increasing faster than inflation and income, according to a new analysis. The environmental advocacy nonprofit Food and Water Watch analyzed water bill data among the …
From left: Mark Parks, Jeff Lloyd, Brandan Borman, Doug Christie, and Gene Henry

Sedalia resident honored for Revolutionary War heritage preservation

Sedalia resident Brendan Borman was recently awarded the prestigious America 250th Anniversary Bronze Medal and Certificate by the Martin Warren Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution …

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VIDEO: Plays of the Week for Sept. 27-Oct. 3

Blake Abey, Tessa Martin, Kolton Phillips and Avery Case break down their highlights in the Sedalia Democrat's Plays of the Week for Sept. 27-Oct. 3!   Have a play you want …

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Local news

Sedalia area community calendar for Oct. 11-17

To have your event or meeting listed, send details to news@sedaliademocrat.com or call 660-826-1000.

Sedalia area police report for Sept. 8

Sedalia Police Department Arrests Oct 6 8:56 p.m.: Lara M. Orton, 23, was arrested after police stopped a motor vehicle for a traffic violation near Limit Avenue and Duke Drive. The …

Smith-Cotton NHS named Chapter of Distinction

Smith-Cotton High School’s National Honor Society chapter has been recognized with the  Chapter of Distinction award for its exemplary record of leadership,service and efforts to  improve …

Sedalia area police reports for Oct. 7

Sedalia Police Department Arrests Incidents Oct 5 12:42 p.m.: Officers were dispatched to Shoe Sensation, 3107 Broadway Blvd, for a past theft. They gathered information for a …

MoDot employee locates dead body near US 50 Highway, FF Highway

A dead body was located on U.S. Highway 50, west of FF Highway in Knob Noster, on Tuesday, Oct. 6.  According to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the scene after …
Alice Tester teaches electives at Whittier High School and serves at the social worker team contact.

Alice Tester finds purpose helping Whittier students succeed

For Alice Tester, teaching is about more than helping students complete assignments or earn a diploma. It’s about helping young people recognize their potential. Tester is in her fourth year …

Sedalia area police reports for Oct. 6

Sedalia Police Department Arrests Sept. 26 3:01 a.m.: Carson Lee Wolf, 18, was arrested after being observed in a white Nissan parked facing north in the southbound lane blocking the …
Local Sports

Sacred Heart, Stover to meet in Kaysinger Boys Soccer Tournament championship

Sacred Heart junior Jaxon Twenter (6) battles for the ball with Smithton senior Braden Soverns (4) during a Kaysinger Conference Boys Soccer Tournament semifinal game on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Roadrunner Athletic Complex. Twenter scored the game-winning goal in double overtime.
Sacred Heart boys soccer will have a chance to win its fifth consecutive Kaysinger Conference Tournament title.  The No. 3-seeded Gremlins defeated No. 2 Smithton 1-0 in double overtime …
SFCC men’s soccer wins third straight
State Fair Community College men’s soccer defeated St. Louis Community College 4-2 on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Roadrunner Athletic Complex. The Roadrunners (8-4-1, 3-1 Region 16) led 2-0 at …
SFCC women’s soccer drops regular-season home finale to St. Louis
State Fair Community College women’s soccer lost to St. Louis Community College 4-2 on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Roadrunner Athletic Complex.  The Archers led 2-0 at halftime. The Lady …
Smith-Cotton softball closes home schedule against Rock Bridge
Smith-Cotton softball lost to Rock Bridge 12-0 in five innings on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Jennie Jaynes Activities Complex.  The Bruins (21-7, 6-1 CMAC) scored all of their runs in the …
The pool play schedule for the 2026 Kaysinger Conference Volleyball Tournament.
Kaysinger Conference Volleyball Tournament begins Wednesday
Pool play for the Kaysinger Conference Volleyball Tournament begins Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Cole Camp High School.  The conference’s 10 teams are split into two pools — Pool A and Pool …
Smith-Cotton alum Dax Wiskur (9) celebrates with his Drake teammates during a game against Dayton on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. Wiskur was named the Pioneer Football League's Freshman of the Week.
Wiskur named Pioneer Football League’s Freshman of the Week
Smith-Cotton alum Dax Wiskur earned the Pioneer Football League’s Freshman of the Week honor for his performance in Drake’s 30-22 win over Dayton on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Drake Stadium in Des …
The Smith-Cotton girls golf team celebrates after placing second in the CMAC Tournament on Monday, Oct. 5, at the A.L. Gustin Golf Course in Columbia.
Smith-Cotton girls golf finishes runner-up at CMAC Tournament
Smith-Cotton girls golf placed second in the Central Missouri Activities Conference Tournament on Monday, Oct. 5, at the A.L. Gustin Golf Course in Columbia.  The Lady Tigers finished with …
In the Community
Education
Sometimes, helping a student through a hard time doesn’t take many words. Sometimes, it just takes Gus, a therapy dog who has worked with students over the past decade. Gus works alongside …
State Fair Community College has announced they will host a series of open forums and Community social hours Oct 26-29 as finalists for the college’s next president visit the Sedalia campus. …
State Fair Community College will host seven Kaysinger Conference championship events on its Sedalia campus during the 2026-27 academic year, expanding a partnership between the college and area …
Calendar of events
Business
Conrad Walley, DO

New physicians join Bothwell-University of Missouri Rural Family Medicine Residency

Bothwell Regional Health Center and the University of Missouri School of Medicine recently welcomed two new resident physicians to the Bothwell-University of Missouri Rural Family Medicine Residency. …
KMOS-TV earns Emmy nomination for ‘Fentanyl and Families in the Midwest’
The KMOS PBS documentary-style news program, “Fentanyl and Families in the Midwest,” has been nominated for the 2026 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Emmy Awards in …
Crawford joins BTC Bank Board of Directors
BTC Bank announces that Sandy Crawford has joined the BTC Bank Board of Directors following the completion of her term and retirement from the Missouri Senate. Her appointment to the board aligns …
The ribbon-cutting brought together local business leaders, elected officials and community partners, along with U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, R-Missouri, who made an unplanned appearance after hearing about the event.
Economic Development Sedalia-Pettis County headquarters celebrated with ribbon-cutting
Community leaders gathered Wednesday, Sept. 30, to celebrate the opening of a new home for Economic Development Sedalia-Pettis County, marking another chapter in the community’s decades-long effort …
Emilee Limanskiy, who owns Lux Coffee on South Limit, brings here own coffee on vacations because she loves it best. Many Sedalian coffee-lovers agree.
National Coffee Day celebrates Sedalia's growing coffee culture
For many people, coffee is more than a morning pick-me-up. It is a ritual, a social gathering, and, for an increasing number of Sedalians, something worth taking seriously. National Coffee Day, …
The Sedalia Democrat captured two awards in the 2026 Better Newspaper Contest. From left: Missouri Press Association president Bryan Chester and Sedalia Democrat sports editor  Jack Denebeim.
Sedalia Democrat earns top awards from Missouri Press Association
The Sedalia Democrat received two awards in the Missouri Press Association's 2026 Better Newspaper Contest for work published in 2025.  The recognitions were presented during the Missouri …
From the Opinion page
Columnists

Trick or treat

Our neighbor asked me if I ever ran out of things to write about.  I told her that I didn’t, and I come by it honestly.  My dad wrote letters to the editor, the President, to Herman Wouk …

Amendment 6 a political power grab

Voters need to be aware of a concerted effort by liberals to make a major change in Missouri’s government. It’s Amendment 6 on the Nov. 3 ballot. Taking advantage of Missouri’s easy …

Missouri students need more than a semester of financial literacy

As a high school teacher and parent, I see many things to change about our educational system, from funding and curriculum to choice.  A strengthened focus on financial literacy while …
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