December 2, 1951 — December 29, 2025 Wayland–Cindy Lou Leeper, 74, passed away at 11:27am, on Monday, December 29, 2025, at her home, surrounded by her loving family. Cindy was born on December 2, 1951, in Moline, Iowa to Marlin and Etta (Starr) Stoneking. She married Jim McCarty and to this union they had two daughters, she later married Kent Leeper on April 7, 1990, in Wayland, he preceded her in death February 27, 2022, they together shared five children. When Cindy became sick 2 years ago, she was being cared for and comforted by her 1st husband and friend…

A felony charge filed in Clark County Circuit Court alleges that a Red Bud, Illinois, man was armed and intoxicated during a late-night incident that prompted a law enforcement response late last month. According to court records in Case No. 25CK-CR00266, Zeljko Petrovic, of Red Bud, Illinois, has been charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon, a Class E felony, stemming from an incident reported on Dec. 30, 2025, in Clark County. A probable cause statement filed by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office alleges that Clark County Dispatch received a call reporting an intoxicated individual banging on the door of…

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Economic Development has awarded more than $16.7 million to 43 community improvement projects statewide through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program’s Fiscal Year 2025 competitive cycle, with several Northeast Missouri communities included. Among the local recipients, the City of Kahoka received $280,095 to support residential and commercial demolition efforts. According to information released by the city, the Kahoka project includes demolition of the following residential properties: 453 W. Main St. 163 N. Lincoln St. 124 N. Lincoln St. 571 W. Chestnut St. 561 W. Chestnut St. 541 W. Chestnut St. 551…

By Emily Bontrager Life changed dramatically for Lexi Cottrell two years ago when she was diagnosed with Alpha- Gal syndrome, an allergy that continues to gain national attention. “Everybody’s Alpha- Gal is different. What I might be allergic to, somebody else might not be allergic to,” Lexi explained. Alpha-Gal syndrome is becoming increasingly recognized, with new research and awareness highlighting the challenges it poses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergy and tickborne disease. Alpha-gal is a molecule (galactose- α-1,3-galactose) that is naturally produced in the bodies of…