Alice Tester finds purpose helping Whittier students succeed

Alice Tester teaches electives at Whittier High School and serves at the social worker team contact.

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 …

Wiskur named Pioneer Football League’s Freshman of the Week

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.

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 …

Baeza, Vance bring different priorities to House District 52 race

The race for Missouri House District 52 pits two Pettis County candidates with different priorities for the state budget, education, taxes and local issues. Republican Israel Baeza and Democrat …

Therapy dog crosses 10 years helping LECC students

.Gus, the therapy dog at the Loftus Early Childhood Center, has spent a decade helping students communicate, regulate their emotions, and just making them smile.

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 …

Bats come to life in Smith-Cotton softball’s win over Jefferson City

Smith-Cotton senior Addison Poe takes an at-bat during a game against Jefferson City on Monday, Oct. 5, at the Jennie Jaynes Activities Complex.

Sometimes, all it takes is one hit to open up the offense. In the case of Smith-Cotton softball, a two-run inside-the-park home run by senior Addison Poe ignited a six-run fifth inning and …

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 …

Sedalia area crash reports for Oct. 6

Kirksville man injured in Lake of the Ozarks boat collision A Kirksville man, 65, suffered moderate injuries at 6:21 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in a Morgan County accident. According to a …

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. …

Maplewood Church and Applewood Christian School received two AEDs from the Bothwell Foundation’s Wear Red for Women committee. From left, Yelena Surguy, Applewood Christian School secretary; Vicky Hill, Applewood Christian School principal and Maplewood Church family; Dianne Simon, committee member; Lori Wightman, Bothwell Regional Health Center CEO and Wear Red committee co-chair; Caleb Sumner, Maplewood and Applewood family; Laura Wauchope, Maplewood Church pastor’s wife; Rhonda Ahern, Premier Realty Group Broker/Owner and Wear Red committee co-chair; Casey Sumner, Maplewood and Applewood family and Wear Red for Women committee member; and Trish Henson, committee member.

PHOTO: Maplewood Church, Applewood Christian School received AEDs from Wear Red for Women committee

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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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A 100th anniversary celebration is planned for May 10, 2025 at the Pettis County Courthouse. Tours of the historic building, music, special guests and family fun will commemorate the day.

The Commission holds work session for proposed solar ordinance

During the week of Sept. 28 through Oct. 2, the Pettis County Commission completed the following: Tuesday, Sept. 29: The Commission held a county handbook general policies work …

Sedalia area club notes for Oct. 6

Sedalia Business Women The monthly meeting of the Sedalia Business Women was held Oct. 1, 2026 at the Sedalia Shrine Club. Michelle Franklin, President, called the meeting …

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 …

MDC stresses safety for non-hunters during hunting seasons

With deer and turkey hunting underway in Missouri, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds non-hunters to practice safety measures when afield during hunting seasons. …

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

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Missouri celebrates National 4-H Week

Missouri is celebrating National 4-H Week, Oct. 4-10, 2026, with a proclamation from Gov. Mike Kehoe recognizing the week and the contributions of 4-H youths, volunteers and families across the …

Fall tips for healthier gardens in spring

What happens in the winter to our vegetable gardens? “As temperatures cool, warm-season plants die and wildlife goes into hibernation. In our gardens, this means it is time to clean up crop residue …

A billboard campaign by Missouri Abortion Fund and Shout Your Abortion is part of an effort to raise awareness around telehealth medication abortion access ahead of the November vote on abortion. One of the billboards is located off Interstate 70 in St. Louis.

Missouri nonprofit launches campaign focused on abortion options ahead of November vote

As Missouri prepares to vote on whether to reinstate an abortion ban, a new information campaign by a local nonprofit is setting out to remind Missourians that regardless of what happens in November, …

Arkansas man dies following Pettis County plane crash

A 73-year-old Springdale, Arkansas man died following a plane crash in Pettis County on Saturday, Oct. 3. According to Pettis County Sheriff Brad Anders, law enforcement and fire …

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Football Scoreboard: Smith-Cotton runs over Battle

Smith-Cotton senior Alex McDonald carries the ball during a game against Hickman on Sept. 25. McDonald ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns against Battle on Friday, Oct. 2.

Smith-Cotton football ran for 278 yards and five touchdowns in its 39-0 win over Battle on Friday, Oct. 2, in Columbia. Senior Alex McDonald led the Tigers with 127 rushing yards and two …

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 …

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 …

Area Sports Calendar for Oct. 6-8

Tuesday, Oct. 6 HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL 6:30 p.m. - Smith-Cotton at Oak Grove 7 p.m. - New Bloomfield at Tipton KAYSINGER CONFERENCE BOYS SOCCER TOURNAMENT AT SFCC 5 p.m. - …

SFCC men’s soccer routs East Central

State Fair Community College men’s soccer scored a season-high six goals in a 6-2 win over East Central College on Friday, Oct. 2, in Union. Freshmen Kymani Trotman, Vijay Valcin and …

SFCC women’s soccer draws with East Central

State Fair Community College women’s soccer drew with East Central College 1-1 on Friday, Oct. 2, in Union. The Lady Roadrunners (1-5-2) got on the board first through a goal by …

SFCC cross country teams compete at Chile Pepper Festival

The State Fair Community College cross country teams competed in the 38th annual Chile Pepper Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The NJCAA Division II No. 7-ranked …

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Education

SFCC to hold open forums for presidential candidates

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. …

SFCC to host seven Kaysinger Conference events in ‘26-27

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 …

PHOTO: Sacred Heart receives AED from Bothwell Foundation’s Wear Red for Women committee

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PHOTO: REMAX of Sedalia donates to Meals on Wheels

REMAX of Sedalia recently donated $950 to Meals on Wheels through its Heart of Sedalia Foundation. Each month, the agents donate a portion of earnings from their transactions to help support various local charities. Pictured from left: Samantha Bean, Kelly Heimbach, Angie Yeager, Kai Wiedeman, Jill Haney, Ryan Wiedeman, Joy Wenner, Dena Stocksill, and Dave Wiedeman. To learn more about Meals on Wheels, visit their Facebook page, Sedalia MO Meals on Wheels.

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 …

New Chick-fil-A owner Caitlin Seagren and husband Christian greet a throng of hungry customers early Thursday morning.

Chick-fil-A mooves into Sedalia after months of anticipation

After months of anticipation, Chick-fil-A officially opened its doors Thursday, Sept. 24, in Sedalia, drawing customers to its new restaurant at 3200 W. Broadway Blvd. Kaitlin Seagren, owner of …

Brown joins Dull Law, LLC as attorney

The law offices of Dull Law, LLC has announced an addition to the law firm. Attorney Derek Brown started with its offices on Sep. 1 Brown grew up at the Lake of the Ozarks and …

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