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Posted: Friday, September 11, 2015 6:17 am By TONY BROWN Staff writer, Maryville Daily Forum Northwest Missouri State University is included as a ranked institution in U.S. News & World Report’s “2016 Best Colleges” survey, which declared the school to be the top moderately selective regional university in Missouri for the second consecutive year. U.S. News placed Northwest at No. 74 on its list of “Best Regional Universities” in the Midwest, up six spots from last year. The Midwest regional schools roster includes public and private universities in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. A number of Missouri campuses placed higher than Northwest on the Midwest regional list. All are either private colleges or state-assisted institutions with more rigorous admissions standards. Those schools include Truman State University in Kirksville, a “highly selective” institution that tied with the University of Evansville (Indiana) for the No. 8 spot; Drury University in Springfield, No. 11; Rockhurst University in Kansas City, which tied for 18th with the University of Northern Iowa; Webster University in St. Louis, No. 26; and Missouri State University, No. 64, a “selective” university whose admissions standards are a step below Truman and a notch above Northwest. There are only three other moderately selective state-assisted public universities in Missouri aside from Northwest: the University of Central Missouri, Missouri Southern State University, and Southeast Missouri State University. Of those three, Northwest edged out the University of Central Missouri, which US news ranked at No. 75 in an eight-way tie with Wayne State College in Nebraska, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Minnesota State University-Mankato, Concordia University in Chicago, and the College of St. Mary in Omaha, Nebraska. Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau claimed another of the 112 ranked positions at No. 92. Other Missouri Midwest regionals finishing below Northwest included Fontbonne University in St. Louis, No. 85, and Williams Woods University in Fulton, which placed 90th. Also on the ranked list, at No. 85, is Northwest’s arch-rival on the football field, Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan. President John Jasinski hailed the ranking as an indication that “Northwest continues to deliver academic excellence.” “Our focus is on people, relationships, and student success, and we deliver on those objectives through profession-based experiences and programming,” Jasinski was quoted as saying in a university release. “I thank all who help us help students succeed, build better communities, and deliver economic impact.” To develop its survey, U.S. News analyzes a wide variety of data, including statistics on freshman retention, graduation rates, class sizes, ACT and SAT scores, financial aid, and alumni giving. The survey reported Northwest’s freshman retention rate, a common measure of student satisfaction, at 68 percent, which university officials said places the school in the 66th percentile of its national peer group. In addition, Northwest had a fall 2014 the applicant acceptance rate of just under 74 percent. Degree programs at Northwest attracting the most students, the survey stated, include business, management, and marketing; education; agriculture and related sciences; psychology; and communication, journalism, and related disciplines. U.S. News reported that Northwest has a total undergraduate enrollment of about 5,500 students with a gender distribution of 44.7 percent male and 55.3 percent female. The consumer news organization also found that 41 percent of students live in campus housing. Other statistics presented in a survey profile show that 68.7 percent of full-time undergraduates at Northwest receive some kind of needs-based financial aid, and that the average needs-based scholarship or grant award is $5,602. Standard tuition and fees at Northwest, according to its website, total just under $8,000 a year for Missouri residents, assuming a student course load of 14 credit hours. Northwest’s fall enrollment of 6,415 students on the first day of class included 1,478 first-time freshmen, which represents an 11-percent increase over last year and ranks as one of the largest freshman classes in the institution’s history.

Posted on May 1, 2015 – Maryville Daily Forum by Tony Brown Among those hardest hit by the Great Recession were the so-called millennials, Americans born in the 1980s through the early 2000s. But the outlook appears to be improving for workers age 18-33 living in Missouri, and, according to one consumer-oriented economics website, the future of young adults is especially bright in Maryville. A story by reporter Kamran Rosen published this week by NerdWallet at nerdwallet.com, ranks Maryville ninth among the top ten cities in the state in terms of offering employment opportunities for job-seeking members of the demographic sometimes referred to as Generation Y. Writes Rosen: “A large millennial population — nearly 40 percent of the city’s 12,000 residents were ages 18 to 33 in 2013 — and employers such as Kawasaki and Northwest Missouri State University, helped push Maryville into the top-10 cities for job seekers. “Nodaway County Economic Development, as well as the (Dean L. Hubbard) Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Small Business and Technology Development Center at Northwest Missouri State, support existing businesses and help new ones get off the ground.” Beyond Maryville, northern Missouri as a whole was well represented on Rosen’s list, which also included Trenton (No. 3), Bowling Green (No. 4) and Macon (No. 5). Trenton, the Grundy County seat and home to North Central Missouri College, is located in north central Missouri about 100 miles southeast of Maryville. Bowling Green and Macon — also county seats — are located in the northeastern part of the state. On the fringe of the region, the east-central Missouri city of Fulton, population 12,700, came in at No. 7. Like Maryville, Fulton is a college town and home to both Westminster College and William Woods University. The top spot in the NerdWallet ranking went to Pevely, a town of 5,400 people located in Jefferson County south of St. Louis. NerdWallet analyzed 95 Missouri communities with populations over 5,000, but only two cities on the top-10 list have more than 20,000 residents: Jefferson City (No. 2), the state capital, which pushed passed the 43,000 population mark in the 2010 census, and the St. Louis suburb of Maryland Heights (No. 8), with a population of 27,400. Bonne Terre in southeast Missouri and Neosho in the southwestern part of the state filled out the list at No. 6 and No. 10 respectively. Rosen noted that several of the top-ten cities share key characteristics with Maryville in that they serve as industrial hubs and contain regional medical centers. Nerd Wallet used several criteria in picking the top-10 towns for millennial employment, including job availability, average worker salaries, affordability of rental housing, and the number of millennials actually living in a given community Cities with lower unemployment rates and higher payroll salaries scored higher as did those with lower rents. Using Census Bureau data, Rosen also estimated the percentage of millennials making up a given city’s 2013 population and the growth in the number of millennial residents between 2010 to 2013. The higher those two figures, the higher the score. In several of the cities, such as Pevely and Macon, Rosen stated that low rents and good pay countered higher unemployment rates. He added that affordability is a key consideration for this age group. Median rent, according to the report, was found to be below the state average for nearly every city on this list, the exception being Maryland Heights, which also has the highest average payroll. Rankings were derived using the following methodology: • Millennials as a percentage of the population and growth in millennial numbers between 2010 to 2013 each comprised 15 percent of the score. • The unemployment rate for each city was 20 percent of the score. The lower the unemployment rate, the better the community fared. • Average annual worker salary was 30 percent of the score. Salary figures were calculated by averaging salaries by ZIP code then dividing that result by population. • Median gross rent comprised 20 percent of the score.  

To fill a need for qualified electrical technicians, Nucor, the largest mini-mill steel manufacturer in the US, is sponsoring full-ride scholarships. Jacob Bailey, a Maryville High School senior, has received the scholarship from Nucor LMP to attend Shelton Community College in Tuscaloosa, AL. Nucor has worked with the community college to offer a two year program which allows recipients to graduate with an electrical technician associate’s degree. The scholarship is estimated to be worth in excess of $100,000 and will provide Bailey with housing, full tuition, full-time pay and on-the-job training. Bailey will work at the Nucor plant in Tuscaloosa for half of the day and take classes the other half. He will work in the Maryville plant during breaks and the summer. Nucor will pay travel expenses for Bailey to return to Maryville twice a year. Nucor’s intention is to hire Bailey full time on the completion of the program. “I’m very excited,” said Bailey, the son of Jim and Melanie Bailey, Maryville. “It’ll be an exciting adventure that I will start on August 1.” Art Filips, an electrical engineer with Nucor LMP, Maryville, did presentations at Northwest Technical School, as soon as he knew about the program in spring 2014. After the presentation in the fall, several students followed up with local plant tours. Interviews then narrowed the choice to Bailey.

At a news conference held on May 1, 2015 Northwest Missouri State University announced the results of the economic impact study conducted for Northwest by Idaho-based Economic Modeling Specialists International, and the results are significant. It shows Northwest generated $617.5 million in added regional income during fiscal year 2014, which is equal to creating 9,465 new jobs within the service area that Northwest calls the Green and White Circle. Furthermore, the study looks at the economic impacts Northwest makes through our operations, students who come from outside the Green and White Circle, visitors to the region and alumni who stay find employment and stay within the Green and White Circle. You can read an executive summary of the study here or the full report is available here.    

Posted: Friday, March 27, 2015 10:40 am By STEVE HARTMAN Staff writer Maryville Daily Forum maryvilledailyforum.com Results generated from a collaborative study between the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, show Nodaway County to be the healthiest county in Missouri for the second year in a row. “The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the largest funding source in the country for health-related issues,” Nodaway County Health Department administrator Della Rhoades Watkins said. “When Robert Wood Johnson attaches their name to something, we in the business of health care education listen, because they have great credibility.” Nodaway County ranked No. 1 in the Health Outcomes section of the survey, which gave equal weight to the length and quantity of life in the county. Last year, Nodaway County ranked third among Missouri counties in the same category. “We have ranked in the top five in healthiest Missouri counties for several years, according to the results of this annual survey,” Rhoades Watkins said. “I believe several factors make Nodaway County’s high rank possible. “First of all, Nodaway County passed a smoking ordinance in 2005 and recently expanded that ordinance. The survey found that 15 percent of Nodaway County adults smoked, while that average statewide was 23 percent. Research shows that it takes about 10 years to change a social norm, so it’s our belief the county percentage could drop even more.” Rhodes Watkins also believes the work of several Nodaway County entities, working together, has helped produce Nodaway County’s high health ranking. “Several segments of our county are involved in teaching health and wellness,” Rhoades Watkins said. “This is a community that works together. Our health educator is working with school nurses and the county schools to implement health and wellness education in their curriculum. We have a nurse that works with county day cares. It’s a community that works together on health.” Rhoades Watkins was also quick to point out the positive factor St. Francis Hospital has been in allowing Nodaway County to be found Missouri’s healthiest county. “Nodaway County ranks below the state average in preventable hospital stays and the county also ranks lower in health care costs than the state average,” Rhoades Watkins said. “That’s directly attributable to St. Francis and their staff.” Nodaway County ranked 12th in the state of Missouri in the section of the survey concerning Health Factors, which includes the categories of health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment. “We want to improve in this section because we strive to get better at health and wellness education,” Rhodes Watkins said. “But our rural location hurts us in some of these categories. For instance, according to the results of the survey, 22 percent of our county population has limited access to healthy food, while the state average is six percent. The survey views having to drive a distance to the closest grocery store as limited access, so that makes it a difficult category for us to improve in.” While continuing to look for opportunities to improve the overall health and wellness of Nodaway County, Rhoades Watkins feels Nodaway County’s spirit of cooperation has helped to make health and wellness a priority. “Overall, we’re very pleased with the ranking,” Rhoades Watkins said. “I believe it’s a product of the efforts of several different county entities, and those entities will continue to improve their efforts, which will allow Nodaway County to continue being a very healthy county.” http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/community/article_4acc83d6-d497-11e4-a0ef-0fe9f71a79b7.html

Scheduled to open in 2015, the Watson 9 is an executive style golf course designed to assist golf development for beginners/juniors and can serve as an enjoyable 9-hole for the experienced golfer.  The walk only course is designed with three sets of tees and contains an exciting mix of par 3’s and 4’s.  Hole lengths range from 64 yards to 261 yards and several bunkers are located throughout the course.  Be sure to come early to spend time on the oversized practice green with bunkers. With the partnership of The Tom Watson Design Group and the Junior Golf Foundation, this unique course was constructed through grass roots donation and fundraising efforts. Located adjacent to the Sechrest 18, the Watson9 at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park is an excellent complement to the award winning championship caliber 18-hole golf course. On Wednesday, February 18th, Northwest Missouri State University President Dr. John Jasinski met with legendary golfer Tom Watson for a taping of “All Things Northwest”. Mr. Watson discussed his career from early on through his championship performances, the design of the Watson 9, and why the Tom Watson Design Group became invested in the project and community. The interview also features a segment with Bruce Twaddle, who, along with the Junior Golf Course Committee, directed the project from vision to reality. “All Things Northwest” is hosted by Jasinski, as he visits with community and educational leaders on exciting developments and collaborations happening throughout our region. The interview originally aired March 10th on KXCV 90.5 FM and KRNW 88.9 FM. Audio recordings of “All Things Northwest” are available on demand at      http://www.kxcv.org/programs/allthingsnorthwest.htm. Full video of the interview will be available for viewing along with the release of the new www.mozingolake.com website in April.   http://mozingolake.com/park-info/videos/watson9/

ST. LOUIS, MO., MARCH 17, 2015 Construction is complete on Oak Pointe of Maryville, a new senior living community located at 817 South Country Club Road in Maryville, Missouri, and now the community is preparing to welcome its first residents at the end of the month. Oak Pointe of Maryville is expecting a total of 25 residents who made pre-deposits on apartments during the construction phase to move in between late March and early April. Kim Florea, RN, executive director at Oak Pointe of Maryville, said, “We take time to gradually move everyone in at a pace that works for them. We certainly don’t want to bring in all the residents at once on the same day, as that could be a bit overwhelming. We want to do what works best for them, with the least amount of stress involved.” As residents move in, they meet one-on-one with the community’s directors so they can learn about each resident’s specific needs for such things as medication assistance, preferred meal times and social activities. Many of the directors had already met with residents and families during the construction phase at a few small meet-and-greets arranged by the Oak Pointe of Maryville staff. The gatherings gave residents a chance to get to know their future neighbors and allowed families to become more at ease with the idea of moving their loved one into an assisted living community. “In some cases, families have been constantly worrying about the possibility of a parent who is still living at home sustaining a fall, not managing medications well, lacking proper nutrition and much more, added Florea. “In assisted living, the families don’t have to worry about those things anymore. When they come to visit their loved one, they get to visit rather than care for the house, lawn or repairs. They just get to enjoy being with their loved one, because we take care of all of those aspects. This move will certainly be a welcome change for those caregivers.”   -more-   Oak Pointe of Maryville Opens First and Final Add Oak Pointe of Maryville offers 46 apartments serving assisted living and memory care residents, with 20 of the apartments already reserved. The nearly 40,000-square-foot, single-story community features generous amenities designed to provide residents freedom and independence with focused, personalized support for their specific needs. The apartments include kitchenettes, ample closet space and individual climate control, and they are pet-friendly apartments. The community offers restaurant-style breakfast, lunch and dinner; weekly housekeeping and laundry; activity and social programs; a full-time nursing staff; emergency call system with 24-hour onsite response; religious services and more. Oak Pointe’s memory care neighborhood provides Alzheimer and memory loss residents with a truly individualized and comfortable environment with social activities and programs designed to help keep the individual engaged and active. The community’s life enrichment program is based on each resident’s personal needs and preferences to help them achieve success in their daily activities. The services for residents go well beyond the individual apartment and memory care units. The community offers all residents a 24-hour concierge and reception area; a dining room serving three meals per day; a private dining area large enough to accommodate family and special occasions; a wellness center and space for physician visits and therapy services; courtyard and garden areas; a crafts and hobby room; a full-service beauty and barber salon; resident laundry rooms, and free resident and guest parking. Oak Pointe of Maryville is owned by ClearPath Senior Holdings, LLC., and operated by Provision Living. For more information about Oak Pointe at Maryville visit http://www.oakpointemaryville.com or call 660.562.2799.

March 12, 2015 Integrated Animal Health Inc., with its newly announced global headquarters based in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, will enter into a 10-year agreement with Northwest Missouri State University to partner with the Dean L Hubbard Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). The business and the University will sign an “Intent of Cooperation” in conjunction with a news conference to announce the agreement at 1 p.m. Monday, March 16, in Room 1226 of the Hubbard CIE. Rob Neely, the founder and chief executive officer of Integrated Animal Health in Australia; Dr. Blake Hawley, president and chief executive officer of the company’s American operations; and Shane Svenson, Australian chairman of the company’s board, will join Northwest representatives for the announcement. Under the agreement, Integrated Animal Health intends to work with the Hubbard CIE and Northwest’s Department of Agricultural Sciences to conduct testing in its analytical laboratory and trials on production animals to improve herd health. “It is a distinct honor to be able to work with Integrated Animal Health to help them commercialize technology in the animal health arena in North America,” Larry Lee, director of the Hubbard CIE, said. “I look forward to working with their leadership as we collaborate on animal trials and do testing for their broad line of animal health products.” Integrated Animal Health is unique in what brings to the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world, due to the disruptive technology with which it is working. It has developed natural feed inclusion technologies to help improve mastitis control and fertility rates, decrease antibiotic use in dairy cattle, improve weight gain in dairy calves and feedlot cattle, and institute other technologies deigned to impact both swine and dairy herds through gender selection applications. Additionally, the company has launched a range of performance supplements into the thoroughbred racehorse industry that target health and speed. Trials conducted at Northwest and its Hubbard CIE are planned to show efficacy in live weight gain in animals such as beef cattle, sheep, swine, poultry and aquaculture. “Providing adequate protein to the world is one of the key challenges facing people and governments around the world,” Hawley said. “We see Integrated Animal Health playing a significant role in this endeavor, because we will license out our technologies to provide the greatest exposure for improving livestock efficiencies globally.” Neely added, “Northwest Missouri State University is a natural fit for our U.S. rollout, as along with other species they also have a fully functioning and working dairy on campus. Rod Barr, the chair of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, has a clear passion for developing his students and providing them an opportunity to work hands-on, real-world issues and, in our case, with potentially disruptive technologies. This cooperation will allow the students to play a big role in refining our cutting-edge science and existing technologies.  In all likelihood, many will use these technologies in the field during their careers going forward, so it’s a win-win for everyone involved.” Neely, who is coming for the announcement from his Australian base after attending VIV Asia in Bangkok, noted that while the show was big on glitz, it was surprisingly devoid of innovation. “We see our 10-year partnership with Northwest Missouri State University as the beginning of bringing our Silicon Valley style of biotechnology and nanotechnology innovation to the ‘Farmacon Valley’ and the industry as a whole,” he said. Having spent the last five years transferring human biotechnology into commercial animal health, Neely said Integrated Animal Health has identified a path to commercialization with many of its applications and now looks forward to “harnessing the talent of faculty, graduate students and bright young minds at Northwest Missouri State University.” The Hubbard CIE is designated a Missouri Innovation Center and was ranked last year by University Business Incubator (UBI) Index at No. 21 in the University Global Top 25 Rankings, a survey of more than 300 incubators in 67 countries. Located on the north edge of the Northwest campus, the CIE is a mixed-use incubator with emphasis on technology-based, start-up companies. It also provides assistance to existing small businesses and encourages development of new small businesses. The 46,679 square-foot facility includes three lab analysis research areas, a shared scientific instrument room and 9,000 square feet of tenant office space, while the academic wing contains more than 16,000 square feet of highly specialized teaching and research labs and offices. The facility is positioned within a two-hour driving radius of Kansas City, Des Moines and Omaha, providing companies with access to more than 1.5 million people. At the same time, companies located at the CIE enjoy the benefits of a consistently strong work-ethic and business friendly environment in a smaller rural setting. For more information about Integrated Animal Health, visit www.integrated-animal-health.com. More information about the Hubbard CIE is available at www.nwmissouri.edu/cie/.   For more information, please contact: Mark Hornickel, Communication Manager mhorn@nwmissouri.edu | 660.562.1704 | Fax: 660.562.1900

Posted on Mar 9, 2015 by Tony Brown MARYVILLE — The City of Maryville has confirmed that South Cross Properties LLC plans to construct a Pizza Ranch restaurant here. According to a statement released jointly by City Hall, Nodaway County Economic Development and South Cross Properties, the company has been working with municipal and NCED officials to move the project forward over the past several months. The new Pizza Ranch will be located on a 2.24 acre parcel north of the Casey’s General Store currently under construction near the intersection of East First Street and the Highway 71 bypass. Described by management as a “fast casual family restaurant,” Pizza Ranch will offer pizza, chicken, a salad bar, a buffet and desserts. According to the release, the 6,000-square-foot operation is to create approximately 60-80 local jobs. In a prepared statement, South Cross officials said the company was “excited to be coming to Maryville,” and that restaurant co-owner and general manager Joel Wissler is moving here in order to take charge of day-to-day operations. Pizza Ranch is headquartered in Orange City, Iowa, and has more than 180 locations across Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. Founded in Hull, Iowa, in 1981 by Adrie Groeneweg, the company has the stated mission of giving “every guest a legendary experience.” The Christian-based chain also proclaims a vision “to glorify God by positively impacting the world,” and is noted for hosting “community impact nights” designed to benefit families, schools and civic organizations. Over the past couple of election cycles, the chain has received exposure from the national news media due to several of its locations proving popular as campaign stops for presidential candidates during the Iowa caucuses. NCED Executive Director Josh McKim said the addition of Pizza Ranch to Maryville’s retail community will help fill what he described as a restaurant “gap.” “Maryville has a restaurant market demand of $42,785,943 and a current supply of $32,557,553,” McKim said. “Pizza Ranch has a diverse menu which makes it an ideal addition to our restaurant community.” City Manager Greg McDanel said he expects Pizza Ranch “to become a mainstay in the local restaurant industry and economy for years to come.” According to the release, the new Pizza Ranch is expected to open during the third quarter of this year. In addition to Casey’s and Pizza Ranch, development at the overall site includes a car wash. The original landowner, Maryville East Side Development LLC, also recently donated a tract of land in the same general area for construction of a Lettuce Dream greenhouse complex. Lettuce Dream is a local non-profit that hopes to use greenhouses to hydroponically grow fresh produce for sale to area stores, restaurants and institutions. It is hoped that the operation will create training and employment opportunities for people with developmental and cognitive disabilities. The Maryville City Council entered into an agreement last year with Maryville East Side Development for construction of infrastructure improvements designed to support initial and subsequent construction in the area. Municipal investment totals $57,000 for sewer upgrades and $20,000 for storm water mitigation.

Posted: Monday, February 16, 2015 10:15 am By TONY BROWN Staff writer Diane Francis, board president of Lettuce Dream Inc., has announced that the non-profit has been given about three acres of land near the intersection of East First Street and the Highway 71 bypass to use as the site of a proposed greenhouse operation designed to provide jobs and vocational training for people with developmental and cognitive disabilities. Francis said the land was donated by Maryville East Side Development, a limited liability corporation owned by Mark and Myles Burnsides, who are creating a retail commercial development in the same area that is to include a carwash, Casey’s General Store and perhaps other businesses as well.   Already a Print Subscriber? None of these apply to you? Back Francis stated in a release that the Lettuce Dream board of directors is continuing to raise money for construction of a complex consisting of several greenhouses, office space, production and distribution areas, and facilities for education and training. She said groundbreaking ceremonies at the newly acquired site are planned for sometime in April. “The board is delighted and so very grateful for this generous donation,” Francis said. “This location could not be better for our greenhouse project.” Francis has characterized the Lettuce Dream initiative as a regional effort that will seek to sustain itself by marketing hydroponically grown produce to restaurants, grocery stores, schools and food-service vendors. Hydroponics is a type of agriculture in which plants are grown in nutrient-enriched water instead of soil. Francis said plans call for the Lettuce Dream operation to grow and harvest produce 365 days a year without the use of herbicides. The idea is to provide employees with agricultural and business skills that will open doors to enhanced employment opportunities. She said the greenhouse complex will also create new opportunities for volunteerism. “We sincerely hope the entire community will join us in making this happen,” Francis said.   http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/business/article_800b6a7e-b5f4-11e4-a0a2-df08e526b145.html?mode=image&photo=0