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June 25, 2014 By Summer Lowe, media relations assistant The Dean L Hubbard Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at Northwest Missouri State University is among the top business incubators at universities worldwide, according to a new ranking. The list, produced by University Business Incubator (UBI) Index, ranks the Northwest CIE at 21st in the University Global Top 25 Rankings, a survey of more than 300 incubators in 67 countries. “Much of our incubation program’s unique value proposition lies in the client’s proximity to other entrepreneurs, access to expert guidance and availability of experienced service providers,” CIE Director Larry Lee said. The CIE, located on the north edge of the Northwest campus, 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 also 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. Earlier this year, the CIE was awarded designation as a Missouri Innovation Center by the Missouri Technology Corporation. The UBI Index rankings are based on 60 performance indicators, including the incubator’s value to its ecosystem, value to clients and the attractiveness of its program. Lee said the UBI Index ranking is further evidence for prospective clients and tenants that the CIE is a world class facility. “A university incubator enables us to focus on growing new companies and helping them implement new ideas and become self-sustaining,” Lee said. UBI Index, a research group focused on university business incubators, is based in Stockholm, Sweden. This year’s ranking includes incubators at top universities such as Columbia, Oxford, University of Pennsylvania and Imperial College. http://www.nwmissouri.edu/media/news/2014/06/24cieinnovationcenter.htm?c=lm&m=45087790&l=5&v=204807220 FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: MARK HORNICKEL, Media Relations Specialist mhorn@nwmissouri.edu | 660.562.1704 | Fax: 660.562.1900 NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY 215 Administration Building | 800 University Drive | Maryville, MO 64468

June 26, 2014 Magazine names Larry Lee among ‘50 Missourians’ to know MARYVILLE, Mo. – Larry Lee, the director of Northwest Missouri State University’s Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), is featured this month in Ingram’s business magazine as one of “50 Missourians You Should Know.” The listing includes business executives, educators and state leaders as well as a musician, the founder of a St. Louis chess club and a former NFL player. Lee, who assumed the CIE director role in 2012, leads recruitment efforts, tenant relations and manages the overall business and administrative affairs of the facility. Previously, he served in multiple roles at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC). He also was director of the Northwest SBTDC branch in St. Joseph. The 46,679 square-foot CIE is a mixed-use incubator with an emphasis on technology-based, start-up companies. It also provides assistance to existing small businesses and encourages development of new small businesses. Its academic wing contains more than 16,000 square feet of highly specialized teaching and research labs and offices. Currently, the CIE’s tenants include a company specializing in nanoparticles and a biomass venture working to turn sorghum into a material for furniture, paneling or flooring. To read the Ingram’s feature and view the complete list of “50 Missourians You Should Know,” click here. # # # For this news release and more information about Northwest Missouri State University visit our Media Center at www.nwmissouri.edu/media/.

Posted on Jun 19, 2014 http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/news/article_1c5be63c-f7fb-11e3-a9c0-001a4bcf887a.html by Dalton Vitt A groundbreaking Thursday at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park provided a surge of excitement for local golf fans as the Tom Watson Junior Course moved a step closer to reality. The nine-hole course project, headed locally by Dr. Bruce Twaddle, is now officially under construction and “There are hundreds of kids and thousands of kids across the region that will benefit from the Tom Watson Junior Golf Course and the junior program here at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park, not only on the course, but off the course,” Maryville City Manager Greg McDanel said. Although famed professional golfer Watson himself was unable to attend the ceremony, several local officials were on hand for the groundbreaking, which has captured the interest of the golf industry as it works to attract younger players. About 80 people attended the groundbreaking just north of the Mozingo Golf Course clubhouse. “With the progressive and strong City Council and advisory board and city staff, we’ve been able to successfully rebrand and market Mozingo, placing us in a position for success for many years to come,” McDanel said. “From internal restructuring to external rebranding, through partnerships with Northwest Missouri State University, Mozingo is generating regional excitement and national attention. “We believe that the Tom Watson Junior Golf Course may just be the missing piece to put us over the top.” Building the course will cost an estimated $520,000, all to be raised through private donations. Twaddle and other organizers say that goal is rapidly coming within reach. As of June 11, Twaddle said, 90 percent of the necessary funds had been raised. “Remarkably, not one public dollar will be spent on the construction of this Tom Watson Junior Golf Course for Mozingo Lake Recreation Park,” McDanel said. “All of us appreciate the generosity of each and every donor, whether corporate or private citizen, who has shared in this vision.” Containing nine holes and encompassing a large practice green, the new course has been designed especially with novice players in mind. “The most important people that I want to thank are those little guys over there (children),” Twaddle said. “All those people, because they’re the ones that inspire us to do things for their future. I hope they — well I know they’re going to learn a lot of lessons out here.” According to Twaddle, the junior-course-to-be was the highlight of a meeting of golf course architects in Tulsa, Okla. a couple weeks ago, and those close to the project and its development maintain the course will be a huge boost for Maryville. “This is a special moment, and I think it’ll be special 20 years from now,” Twaddle said. “This is a game-changer.”

By Dalton Vitt Developers and local officials officially broke ground Tuesday on a major project in Maryville that is projected both to create jobs and provide an assisted living environment for the community’s elderly. ARCO Construction Co. crews have already started building the foundation of the Oak Pointe assisted living center. But Tuesday’s ceremony symbolized a cooperative effort between the center’s developer, ClearPath Senior Holdings of St. Louis, and city officials to get the project off the ground. When completed the $6 million center will provide living facilities for 50 residents along with a memory-care unit, industrial kitchen, private dining, a cafe, lounge areas, a rehabilitation room, a salon and a courtyard. “Almost three years ago, our team began traveling across the great state of Missouri as we searched for communities that need a quality assisted living option,” said Jim Eisenhart, ClearPath co-principal. “We thought that Maryville would be the perfect place for our location.” ARCO, also based in St. Louis, has been designing and constructing buildings since 1992. The company has built senior living centers and multi-family dwellings in Webster Groves; St. Petersburg, Fla; and Bradenton, Fla., among other locations. Once open, Oak Pointe will provide a top-drawer residential location for retirees. But it will also bring significant economic benefits to the community at large. Maryville City Manager Greg McDanel said the center will bring in about $10,000 a year in revenue for the city’s water/sewer fund in addition to creating an estimated 40 jobs. “Oak Pointe is one of the monumental projects that are building our city and beautifying our community,” Maryville Mayor Renee Riedel said. “ … The senior living center that we are blessing today impacts citizens in many ways. The facility is an employment generator for Maryville during a challenging time, offering security to some families and inviting new families to make Maryville their home.” The parcel of land on which the center is being constructed is located on the east side of Country Club Road. It was annexed by the city, which has agreed to compensate Nodaway County Public Water Supply District No. 1 between $60,000 and $80,000 for potential lost customers. Included in the annexation was a second, larger parcel slated for private development as an upscale single-family subdivision. In addition to compensating the water district, Maryville is also paying roughly half the cost of a new water main running north and south along County Club Road that will serve both the new subdivision and Oak Pointe. “When we started ClearPath, we looked at demographics, and we looked at Google Maps, and we tried to find the best location for us to start this endeavor,” said Jeff Binder, also a ClearPath co-principal. “After our first visit, our first few meetings with city officials, it was evident that this was it. It’s a great community.” Oak Pointe will allow pets and provide restaurant-style meals and religious services. Residents will be served by a nursing staff, housekeeping staff and other specialized personnel. One wing will be specifically designed for residents in need of memory care. The center will also feature a dining room, private dining areas for families, a wellness center, laundry rooms and free parking. “(This project) retains talented, educated, experienced people,” Nodaway County Economic Development Director Josh McKim said. “It retains who we have in our community. These types of projects keep people and give people the opportunity to live out their golden years in the town that they love. This is just an ideal type of economic development project that has long-term impacts.” www.maryvilledailyforum.com

By STEVE HARTMAN Maryville Daily Forum, Staff writer As national high school graduation rates hit the 80 percent milestone for the first time with a projection of a national graduation rate of 90 percent by 2020, the state of Missouri rightfully boasts that its graduation ratio is already 86 percent. But that’s nothing compared to Nodaway County, where seven public high schools handed diplomas to 207 out of a possible 213 students in 2013 — an impressive 97.2 percent. Maryville High School, the largest school enrollment-wise, graduated 108 out of 112 seniors in 2013, which translates to a 96.4 percent graduation rate. Nodaway-Holt, Jefferson, Northeast Nodaway and North Nodaway all achieved a 100 percent graduation rate in 2013, while West Nodaway had a 90.5 rate. Maryville High School counselor Becky Houtchens said several factors contribute to R-II’s consistent success. “I believe the rural area makes a big difference,” Houtchens said. “All of the county schools do a good job of keeping kids from falling through the cracks because we have the opportunity to know each student and their family and develop the relationship necessary to communicate back and forth about the student’s progress.” According to Houtchens, Maryville’s “Check and Connect” program lets teachers and students build relationships, which helps increase attendance and provides another way to monitor students and anticipate problems “We constantly monitor student’s grades and attendance,” Houtchens said. “As teachers and students build one-on-one relationships, it gives us another way to pick up on any changes in a student’s life which might affect attendance and academic performance, and prevent those from becoming problems.” Houtchens also credits high expectations. “Students understand that graduation is the expected outcome, and parents and families do a great job of reinforcing that throughout the student’s public school career.” Nodaway-Holt superintendent Karma Coleman echoed Houtchens’ thoughts. “Education is important to the communities in northwest Missouri,” Coleman said. “When parents and schools get more involved with students, it makes it easier to track their progress. In small schools, we have the opportunity to know the kids and families much better.” Coleman sees an additional benefit small schools offer that makes a difference in the academic progress and ultimate success of young people. “I believe students who struggle can be more successful in smaller communities,” Coleman said. “If a student is mobile and transfers from one county school to another, we all work together to make sure the new school has the records and background information necessary to meet the student’s needs immediately, so they don’t fall behind due to the transfer. All of the schools in Nodaway County do a good job of working together for the good of the students.” http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/news-schools/local-grad-rates-well-above-national-mark

By TONY BROWN Maryville Daily Forum, News editor Recent recognition by a statewide magazine means that the municipal golf course at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park is beginning to meet expectations as a regional recreation destination, Assistant City Manager Ryan Heiland said Monday. Mozingo was picked this spring as the “Editor’s Choice” for golf courses in a special Best of Rural Missouri Edition of “Rural Missouri,” a widely circulated magazine produced by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives. Heiland said the recognition was both welcome and unsolicited, and that the magazine’s editors made their pick after coming to Maryville and playing the course. The publication chose Bent Creek Golf Course in the southeast Missouri city of Jackson as its premier golfing destination in the state. Its No. 2 pick was the Ste. Genevieve Golf Club. As the Editor’s Choice, Mozingo was described as an “ award-winning championship course that is fun for the beginner and challenging to the advanced player. Designed by Donald Sechrest, the 18-hole course is nestled among rolling hills, native grasslands and wooded areas and has established itself as a premier golf destination …” An e-edition of the magazine featuring Mozingo can be viewed at www.ruralmissouri.coop/digitalrm/story1.php. “This just came about from the editors having golfed here before, and they obviously liked the course and its amenities,” said Heiland, who acts as the city’s point man for golf operations at the 3,000-acre park, where the 1,-000-acre lake also serves as the city’s primary water supply. “I think it’s a good thing whenever people recognize the quality of the work our staff members do out there and just the quality of the course itself,” Heiland said. “And when you can reach a statewide audience, it certainly improves our ability to become a regional park.” Heiland said a number of behind-the-scenes changes and improvements have taken place at Mozingo this year in preparation for a new golfing season, including the arrival of GolfNow as the course’s new website host. Upgrades mean that golfers can now book tee times online and gain access to other information with regard to special outings and clubhouse promotions, he said. http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/news-mozingo/rural-missouri-applauds-mozingo-golf

Movato, an online real estate brokerage based in San Mateo, CA, has ranked Maryville as the 8th safest place to live in Missouri. The firm looked at places with at least 10,000 in population and then ranked them based on FBI crime statistics from 2012. According to the report “Maryville saw a total of just 228 crimes, of those 12 were considered violent and 216 were property crimes.” Maryville is also the highest ranked community on the list located outside the St. Louis metropolitan area. A full ranking can be found at http://www.movoto.com/mo/safest-places-in-missouri/.

Posted April 4, 2014 at 3:18 pm Nodaway News Leader Nodaway County was ranked first among all 115 Missouri counties as being the healthiest. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a world-renown health organization, was the agency who ranked the nation’s counties across several categories with the results being released recently. Nodaway County placed high within several categories in comparison to the state. For health outcomes the county saw lower diabetes instances, less HIV prevalence, lower healthcare costs, fewer children eligible for free lunch and fewer babies with a low birthweight. The behaviors of Nodaway Countians were realized as positive with fewer adult smokers, better access to exercise opportunities, fewer sexually transmitted infections and fewer teens giving birth. St. Francis Hospital and Health Services President Dr. Gray Cox was pleased with the top ranking. “This ranking is quite gratifying. We work toward the betterment of the community and people individually,” said Cox. One of the statistics that brought a broad grin to Cox’s face was the unavailability of physicians with Nodaway County scoring nine percent and the state average was 14 percent. “The future of healthcare is being able to keep people well and healthy,” said Cox. The county enjoys these social and economic factors: greater high school graduation rate, lower unemployment, fewer children in poverty, less children living in poverty, less violent crime and fewer injuries resulting in death. The physical environment of Nodaway County allowed for a higher ranking with less air pollution and better drinking water. “There are two reasons that most business choose to locate in a community,” said Josh McKim, Nodaway County Economic Development executive director, “transportation avenues and workforce quality.” McKim sees the county’s top ranking being utilized in not only business and industry recruitment, but also in talent recruiting. He plans on using the information directly in printed messages and also verbally when he’s communicating with decision makers. “I will forward the link to executives that need to realize what a great place this area is to live,” said McKim. “Quality of life is an issue that holds much value.” The county health rankings are published online at countyhealthrankings.org. The rankings are meant to help counties’ leaders understand what influences the health of the residents. Many times, the rankings are used to gain support for local health improvement initiatives.   Screen Shot 2021-11-12 at 9.28.55 PM

By JIM FALL Executive editor, Maryville Daily Forum http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/news-business-industry/kawasaki-marks-8-millionth-engine Amid a shower of balloons floating down from the ceiling, a traditional Japanese toast, and special recognition from Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. President Shigehiko Kiyama, employees and managers at the Kawasaki facility in Maryville celebrated production of the plant’s eight-millionth engine at 2:45 Friday afternoon. Regular production at the Maryville plant was halted at 2:15 p.m. for the historic observance, and three long-time employees participated in the actual rollout of the latest engine, assisted by Steve Bratt, Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. U.S.A. vice president and plant manager. One of three employees given special recognition. Paul Walter had the honor of actually pushing engine No. 8,000,000 off Line 2. Senior employees Tim Melvin, assistant production manager, and Bob Staashelm, research and development manager, also participated in the ceremony with Bratt and other high-ranking company officials. Employees at the Maryville plant were recognized by Shigehiko Kiyama, president of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., the local plant’s Japanese parent company, “for outstanding efforts in having the best production in the United States of America.” Kawasaki in Maryville employees 834 full-time worker and approximately 280 additional temporary workers. The plant is currently operating three shifts per day, and working seven days per week in the foundry and machining area, Bratt said during an interview Monday. This will be a record year for engines produced, and sales, although “because our year runs from April 1 to March 31, I don’t know the exact figure yet,” Bratt said. “Without the workforce we have available to us here in northwest Missouri and southwestern Iowa, Kawasaki would not be where we are today,” Bratt added to Kiyama’s accolades for the local employee pool. “They have tremendous dedication to their jobs and wholehearted concerns about what they are doing.” The Kawasaki plant opened in 1989 in Maryville in the former Uniroyal facility and produced its 1,000,000th engine in 1995. The five-millionth unit rolled off the local production line in June 2007. The size of the building when Kawasaki moved in was “something under 300,000 square feet,” according to Bratt. Now, “after at least 10 additions I can think of, we are just shy of 800,000.” Located near the south Maryville city limits, the plant sits on a campus of just over 113 acres. The main Maryville product line consists of three sizes of engines for power lawnmowers ranging from heavy-duty commercial zero-turn-radius riding units to residential-size mowers and tractors. When production first began locally, the sole product was a 6.5-horsepower engine made specifically for John Deere push mowers. Engine sizes now range from 12- to 32-horsepower.

Greater Southern Nodaway County Community Foundation (GSNCCF), an affiliate of Nodaway County Economic Development (NCED), has received a HEAL Grant, funding to the amount of $11,344.50, for their SN Fitness project, from HEALTHY PARTNERSHIPS (a partnership of Heartland Foundation, Heartland Health, and North Kansas City Hospital). All parties are committed to improving the health of residents in this region. Sue Nothstine (GSNCCF) and Lisa Macali (NCED), along with other recipients, were presented an award certificate at the Heartland Foundation board meeting/luncheon, held on Wednesday, February 25, 2014 in St. Joseph. This fitness project promotes healthy eating and active living through creation of a SN Fitness Club for community members of all ages. South Nodaway students will be provided weekly exercise opportunities by visiting the Maryville Community Center. This unique partnering combines local volunteers, staff, and facilities with Maryville Parks and Recreation services, where gym equipment, basketball courts and walking track are available despite the weather. NWMSU college interns will work with students each Monday throughout the 2014-2015 school year.  Simultaneously, the adult club members will share a weekly exercise/education session at the Barnard Christian Church, followed by helping to prepare and serve a light healthy meal for the youngsters upon their return from Maryville. Monthly, parents of the participating students will be invited to share a delicious hot, healthy meal with their children and are treated to innovative educational sessions on how to incorporate healthy eating/active living into their daily lives. The result is a community team effort which is fun, educational, and effectively hits at all age levels. GSNCCF wishes to thank Maryville Parks and Recreation, Barnard Christian Church, South Nodaway School , and Longhorn PTO, for generously partnering with us in this endeavor.