July 12, 2026
Santa Fe Times
Lewis and Clark: Heading downstream, coming home
Mountain climbers and explorers know, it’s not going out, it’s coming back — most accidents occur on the descent. The Lewis and Clark expedition was no different, even though most of the trip back was spent floating with the current.
Santa Fe competes at State Track
Santa Fe traveled over to the state capital on May 22 and 23 for the MSHSAA Class 1 State Track and Field Championships, held in Jefferson City at Adkins Field.
Free quail workshop planned in Norborne
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and Quail Forever (QF) invite landowners, land managers, and others interested in quail and uplandbird management to a free program on managing bobwhite quail on private property on Saturday, June 6, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on a private farm in Norborne.
Blackburn resident is HHC Employee of the Month
The Higginsville Habilitation Center April 2026 Team Member of the Month was Anna Hunter of Blackburn. She was selected because she is a very hard-working person that goes above and beyond in what she does. HHC recently started EHR (Electronic Health Record) and during this process Anna was very helpful, making sure everyone knew what they were doing, working many days in a row and being available. If someone needs assistance, they can ask her and she doesn’t mind taking the time to go over it making sure they understand. She also does things like working overtime and coming in at undesirable hours to help with coverage (hours like 2 a.m.). She has been flexible with people coming in to do things even when she doesn’t have to and she communicates well. She makes sure everyone knows if she will not be attending something or if something needs to be rescheduled.
County audits
On May 22, the Commission met with Randall Fiene, CPA of Concordia, Missouri, to discuss the current requirements surrounding county audits and to better understand the differences between the outside audits Lafayette County already completes and the petition audit currently being discussed publicly.
Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce Announces New Executive Director
The Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the selection of Jill Nienhiser as its new Executive Director. Nienhiser was selected based on her strong leadership and management experience, community engagement, and vision for the future. As Executive Director, Nienhiser will oversee Chamber operations, membership engagement, community relations, partnerships, and strategic initiatives supporting the Lexington community. The position also provides oversight and coordination related to the Chamber’s affiliated operations. Nienhiser brings over 25 years of experience in consulting and working with commercial, nonprofit, and governmental organizations, along with a strong commitment to collaboration, community growth, and organizational leadership. Nienhiser said, 'I grew up in Lexington and have enjoyed being back. I'm excited to take on this new role helping to promote local businesses and community events. I look forward to meeting business owners and anyone interested in helping our town flourish.' Nienhiser will officially begin the role on June 1, 2026.