Top Local Stories of 2017 Featured on KSISradio.com

The top local news that was generated in 2017 by Sedalia and the surrounding area and featured on KSISradio.com over the past year included criminal activity, accidents, economic announcements, entertainment and new businesses, to name a few.

Our choices were based partly on the amount of interactive views on our site, as well as insight from our news department (and a few select photos). Your opinion on the top local news stories of the year may vary greatly, and that's OK with us. But take a look at what we chose to encapsulate and summarize the year 2017:

Nov. 20 - A group of 18-20 citizens voiced their frustrations with a rash of recent vehicle break-ins that have occurred across the City of Sedalia near the end of a City Council meeting held Monday night.

Andrew Dawson, a resident of W. 7th Street, was the first speak. He noted that he has experienced three break-ins in the past month. Others spoke about their ongoing problems with thefts from vehicles in their own neighborhoods.

Sedalia Police Chief John DeGonia also attended Monday night's meeting and addresssed their concerns.

“I realize your concerns and frustrations, I really do,” he said. “There is something being done.”

Chief DeGonia added that “we have a bunch of resources allocated to this.” He noted that one weapon has been recovered, and one arrest in the case has been made since last week and more are pending. “Hopefully, we can put an end to it.”

DeGonia offered a few tips for citizens following the meeting.

“First thing, I think the best bet is to lock your car, because with the majority (of cases), they go down the street and pull door handles. Secondly, if you have a porch light, leave it on. Thirdly, if you see something (suspicious) call the police right away,” DeGonia suggested, adding that a few details of the suspect and the direction they went would be very helpful if reported to the police in a timely fashion.

“Give us a description, we have extra patrol, we have overtime, and chances are, we'll be close to that location,” DeGononia said. “If you don't see us, it doesn't mean we're not there.”

The comments from citizens took place during the final, or "good and welfare" portion of the meeting.

Mayor Stephen J. Galliher noted that he has authorized overtime for the Sedalia Police Department, and urged citizens to call police if they see anything out of the ordinary. He added that there are lot more citizens than police and their first-hand observations are extremely helpful when try to thwart crime in the Sedalia area.

Nov. 6 - The Sedalia Area Chamber of Commerce will no longer host the annual 4th of July Fireworks Celebration at the Missouri State Fairgrounds.

In an annual report to the Sedalia City Council Monday night, Sedalia Area Chamber Executive Director Angie Thomas said that local businesses who financed the event reported that they were not seeing a lot of value for their money.

The Blue Ribbon Vision Committee found that fewer businesses were willing to bankroll the event, which by Thomas' estimates amounts to upwards of $9,000. The cost of fireworks is around $7,500, the cost of a band is around $1,000 and the cost to rent the grandstand from the state is $200, which Thomas noted is a discounted rate. Add to that the cost of insurance and the event is no longer feasible for the Chamber to host.

“We're hoping somebody will step up and take that and run with it,” Thomas said. “It doesn't focus very well with our Chamber members and it's gotten harder and harder to get sponsorships.”

Thomas added that she hopes the traditional “free” event will continue, however. “It's something that a lot of our members didn't buy into. Sponsorships are what pays for the fireworks. So we had to make the decision to step aside and let somebody else take that over, and we're hoping that they will, and if they need any help or coordination, we'd be happy to work with them,” Thomas concluded.

She added that the Chamber will focus more on professional development in 2018. That include areas such as customer service and leadership.

On the bright side, the Chamber will once again present its annual Christmas parade, scheduled this year for Saturday, Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. in downtown Sedalia. The theme this year is “Rockin' Round the Christmas Tree.” The Chamber has been hosting the Christmas parade in Sedalia since the 1940s.

Oct. 18 - Sedalia School District 200 administrators say they are aware of a social media threat that has been made against Smith-Cotton High School.

The threat allegedly involved someone making a social media post about a shooting to take place, although the threat has not been validated by law enforcement.

However, a press release from Sedalia 200 says local law enforcement are conducting an investigation.

Sedalia 200 says, at this point, nothing has been found to validate the content of the threatening post.

The press release emphasizes that Sedalia Police and the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office are prepared to support administration, students, and teachers at schools on Thursday morning.

The district is encouraging families to follow normal routines Thursday morning.

At this time no other details are available, but the district says if more information becomes available, it will be shared with district families, students, and the community.

If anyone has information about the case, call the Sedalia Police Department at 660-827-7823.

UPDATE: Sedalia School District 200 issued the following statement Thursday evening around 6 p.m.:

Sedalia School District 200 administrators would like to thank the faculty and staff of Smith-Cotton High School for their efforts to ensure a safe and productive day on Thursday. As we look to Friday, we will continue to have increased security presence inside the high school and around the campus.

Local, state and federal law enforcement officials are diligently working on the case involving the social media threat made against the high school, but as it is an ongoing investigation, we do not have new details to share at this time.

We want to thank the Sedalia Police Department, Pettis County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work on the case and for their support of our students and staff members. Again, we encourage families to follow normal school day routines Friday morning.

If more information becomes available, we will share it with our district families, students and the community. If you have any information to help with the investigation, please contact the Sedalia Police Department at 660-827-7823.

July 6 - A Sedalia man is one of two defendants indicted in connection with a $7 million conspiracy to distribute marijuana in Pettis, Cooper, Boone, Morgan, Pulaski and Jackson counties.

The United States Attorney's Office says 35-year-old Zachary Scott Nutt, also known as “Tuna,” of Los Angeles, California and Sedalia, and 34-year-old Nicholas Anders Glaholt of Independence, are accused of participated in the drug conspiracy from October 2001 through June 13, 2017, when they were both arrested.

At the time of the arrest, Glaholt was reportedly found to be in possession of approximately two pounds of marijuana in his vehicle, while Nutt was in possession of approximately two ounces of marijuana in his vehicle.

Law enforcement executed search warrants at Glaholt’s residence and another residence in Kansas City on the same day. "At Glaholt’s residence they seized approximately $20,000 believed to be drug proceeds, several individual packages of marijuana, marijuana wax, digital scales, vacuum sealers, ledgers, computers, tablets and notes," said the United States Attorney's Office in a press release.

"At the Kansas City residence investigators seized approximately 261 pounds of marijuana (including packaging), cell phones, digital scales, drug packaging equipment, eight empty duffel bags, .22-caliber ammunition and drug ledgers from a safe."

Authorities allege that Nutt and Glaholt obtained marijuana from multiple sources, including a grow operation in California, and directly supervised and executed the transportation and distribution of the marijuana in Missouri.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Nutt and Glaholt to forfeit to the government $7 million, which represents the total amount of money involved in the conspiracy.

June 22 - Sedalia will be the new site for a European Based Company's new U.S. Logistics Center.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development recently announced that Nammo AS, an international aerospace and defense company headquartered in Norway, has a newly formed Capstone Precision Group LLC, and will build their U.S. logistics center in Pettis County.

According to a press release from Sedalia-Pettis County Economic Development, the project is expected to initially create 13 jobs in the area. A total of 21 jobs are expected to be created over the next five years.

This facility will be the U.S. logistics center for Capstone Precision Group’s four commercial ammunition brands, which include: Lapua, Berger, VihtaVuori, and SK. The press release says that ammunition, components, and smokeless powder will be imported from Finland and Germany and distributed in the U.S. and also exported, while projectiles from the company’s Mesa, Arizona, location will be shipped to Missouri for packaging and distribution.

May 22 - A Sedalia man who was arrested for possession of child pornography and was out on bond was arrested for a second time on Friday after authorities say they found multiple videos showing the man engaged in sexual activity with a small child.

Sedalia Police report four videos being found by the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force as they were reviewing electronic evidence collected from the home of 40-year-old Christopher L. Richard on April 28. Richard was arrested on April 28 and reportedly admitted to downloading 5-10 movies that contained child pornography.

According to online court documents, Richard was charged with two counts of possession of child pornography. Bond of $100,000 was issued, which Richard posted and he was released.

Richard was arrested again on May 19 on charges including statutory sodomy, child molestation, sexual misconduct involving a child and incest, after a second search warrant was obtained and served at his home.

April 25 - The Missouri Department of Economic Development recently announced that Dollar Tree will invest approximately $110-million to build a 1.2 million square foot distribution facility in Warrensburg.

According to a press release from the MDED, Dollar Tree expects to create about 375 new jobs within three years, and the facility will support Dollar Tree’s retail store network in the Midwestern U.S. The facility is expected to see about 150-200 inbound/outbound trucks per day.

“Dollar Tree’s decision to grow its business in Missouri is great news for people in Warrensburg. This new distribution center means hundreds of new quality jobs for families. We’re fighting to grow jobs every day, and we’re grateful to Dollar Tree for recognizing that Missouri is open for business and our people are ready to work,” said Gov. Eric Greitens.

Dollar Tree operates more than 14,300 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces, along with 22 distribution centers.

“Dollar Tree is a large and growing organization,” said Dollar Tree Chief Executive Officer Bob Sasser. “We have been very impressed with the business-friendly approach that the State of Missouri, Johnson County and the City of Warrensburg have provided. This project demonstrates our commitment to western Missouri by creating hundreds of jobs in the region. We are proud to become a bigger part of the local community.”

CEO of Missouri Partnership, Steve Johnson said, "it is great to see yet another company take advantage of Missouri’s unique distribution and logistics strengths.”

"The City of Warrensburg is well positioned to continue the positive momentum currently taking place in the community,” Warrensburg Mayor Bryan Jacobs said. “Businesses are choosing Warrensburg, more jobs are being created, which will ultimately lead to increased revenue for the city."

Senator Denny Hoskins thanked Dollar Tree for recognizing the talented, hard working people we have in Missouri and investing $100 million in their facility in Johnson County. "This is definitely a win-win situation for Dollar Tree and hundreds of workers in our community,” said Hoskins.

The company expects the distribution center to be operational in May 2018. The project is contingent upon the approval of local incentives.

According to the press release, the new facility will be located on Highway 13 in the Brady Commerce Park. Construction is set to begin this month.

March 29 - Pettis County Ambulance District Administrator, Mike Gardner, and PCAD Human Resource Director, Tracy Rank were arrested on Wednesday (Mar 29), in connection to an ongoing investigation into forgery and stealing.

According to a press release from the Sedalia Police Department, members of the Criminal Investigation Unit, went to the Pettis County Ambulance District, at 210 West 4th Street, and located Gardner and Rank.

The report states that both Gardner and Rank were arrested after a preliminary investigation into alleged forgery and stealing, related to the possession, passing, and depositing of unauthorized checks from PCAD accounts.

According to the release, law enforcement collected evidence at the business. Also, detectives with the Sedalia Police Department and Pettis County Sheriff's office served a search warrant at 23400 Radio Hill Road, in reference to the investigation.

A long term investigation is underway to determine the extent of the forgeries and theft.

According to online documents, 61-year-old Michael Gardner has been charged with Stealing $25,000 or More, and 46 counts of Forgery. He is being held at the Pettis County Jail with a bond of $25,000.

55-year-old Tracy Rank, has been charged with Stealing $25,000 or More. She is being held at the Pettis County Jail with a $10,000 bond.

The investigation is ongoing.

April 28 - A fatal motorcycle accident just before 8 p.m. on April 27 claimed the life of an 18-year-old Springfield resident.

The Sedalia Police Department says a motorcycle, driven by 18-year-old Ilya F. Malyk of Springfield, was eastbound on US Highway 50 in Sedalia when it collided with a 2001 GMC Yukon, driven by 66-year-old Doris Mergen of Sedalia.

Malyk was killed in the accident. The Sedalia Police Department says the incident is under investigation. Witnesses are asked to contact the department's traffic unit at 660-826-8100.

Nov. 21 - A major announcement to build a $250 million steel rebar micro-mill in Sedalia was made at the Lowell Mohler building on the Missouri State Fairgrounds Tuesday afternoon by Nucor, the largest producer of steel in the US.

According to Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, the plant will employ 250 people.

“This project also happened because of your hard work,” Greitens added. He later added that hundreds gathered at the Capitol with a very clear message: “We don't want welfare, we want to work, so bring back American jobs. And you know what? We got the job done, and now we're bringing 250 jobs back to Sedalia.”

Nucor CEO John Ferriola noted that positioning the micro-mill in Sedalia will give the company a "sustained cost advantage over other domestic steel producers supplying rebar from outside the region."

Ferriola added that "the new facility will be called Nucor Steel Sedalia, LLC."

Nucor is 169th on the 2017 Fortune 500 list, reporting $16.2 bilion in revenues in their last fiscal year. The company utilizes energy-efficient electric arc furnaces which turn 17 million tons of scrap metal into new steel every year, which effectively makes Nucor the largest recycler in North America, according to a press release.

According to Nucor, the rebar micro steel mill is expected to create 255 full-time jobs with an average salary of $65,000. In addition the project is expected to create an additional 450 temporary construction jobs.

Sedalia Mayor Stephen J. Galliher noted in his remarks that he and County Commissioner David Dick were able to meet with Nucor officials. "From the very start, it was clear that they were a perfect fit for Sedalia, it's a perfect marriage between Nucor and Sedalia. We both value hard work and we value our employees," Galliher said. "So from our family to your family, we welcome you."

Dick said that Nucor's arrival represents a major impact on the area. He compared Tuesday's announcement to that of hen Missouri Pacific shops came to town in 1902.

The plant is reportedly going to be built on a 300-acre tract of land just north of Sedalia. The land was purchased from Albert Reine, Jr., who was recognized during the event by EDSPC Board President Rusty Kahrs.

In a related story, The Missouri Finance Board approved two projects benefiting Missouri on Tuesday, one of which was board approval of $4,646,700 to assist the Nucor Corporation in bringing 255 new jobs to Pettis County.

Nucor's world headquarters are in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nucor also owns a facility in Maryville, and the Sedalia site will be Nucor's 14th bar mill in the US, according to the Missouri Department of Economic Development (MoDED).

Nucor said the plant is expected to start up in 2019, pending final approval and awarding of state and local incentives, as well as the required permits and regulatory approvals.

Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada.

Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; steel grating; and wire and wire mesh.

Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company, also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and HBI/DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.

Dirt Road Addiction provided the musical entertainment for the event.

Nov. 8 - The Sedalia City Council met in closed session for personnel matters after the regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 6 to work out terms of an agreement with Kelvin Shaw to serve as City Administrator. Council will be asked to formally accept the agreement in a public meeting on Monday, Nov.13.

Mr. Shaw has been serving as Interim City Administrator since Gary Edwards left the position in late September to accept the City Management position in Aransas Pass, located on the Texas Gulf Coast. Following a search for applicants to fill Mr. Edward’s shoes, Mayor Galliher recommended to Council to name Shaw as the new Sedalia City Administrator.

Mr. Shaw and his family have made Sedalia their home for many years and have deep roots in the community. All four of his children are Smith Cotton graduates and his wife Susan is a long-term Sedalia 200 School District employee.

He is a graduate of nearby Central Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a major in accounting. Mr. Shaw, who is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), has been serving the City as Finance Director since 2014.

In addition to his experience with the City, he has extensive private sector accounting, finance, and management experience. Shaw spent much of his career in the management of manufacturing organizations, which along with his finance expertise will serve the City well in its economic development efforts.

Likewise, this background brings a business operational perspective to the City yet is balanced with a firm understanding of the rules and regulations required of municipal operations, according to a press release supplied by the City of Sedalia.

Sept. 21 - City officials broke ground for a $4.2 million police station Thursday morning at 3rd and Kentucky.

Sedalia Mayor Stephen J. Galliher emceed the event, attended by city employees, Sedalia City Councilmen, the Sedalia Police Command Staff, well as well as Rep. Nathan Beard, architects, Septagon personnel and other officials.
“We couldn't have done this without these next three people,” the Mayor said, then naming off Outgoing City Administrator Gary Edwards, Interim City Administrator Kelvin Shaw and Community Development Director John Simmons.

Galliher thanked Joleigh Melte for her organizational skills lining up all the planning meetings, and also wished her happy birthday.

“Hopefully with good weather and all, maybe this time next year, we'll have a ribbon-cutting, everybody can come back for that. I'm ready for it, it's been a long time coming,” Galliher said.

The Mayor noted that the new building will house the police department except for communications, which will remain at City Hall in the basement after remodeling.

Shaw said there are plans to re-purpose the existing building, built around 1973. Keeping communications in the same building made the best sense and allowed for remodeling of the dispatchers' work area.

“We started (planning) about a year ago with just a concept through a lot of hard work with a lot of people ... and it's becoming a reality today with the groundbreaking,” Sedalia Police Chief John DeGonia said after the ceremony. “We're very excited.”
“We'll have a little (extra) room for growth and we're just happy and grateful for what we've got. We won't see another (new) police department for another 20-25 years,” he said, adding that he's happy with the location in downtown Sedalia.

Officer Matt Wirt of the SPD Command Staff, was involved with some of the technical aspects in planning the new structure over the past year.

“Most everybody shares an office or maybe three people, we have offices in closets, so we've outgrown the building many years ago,” Wirt said of the current facility.

State Rep. Nathan Beard said it was a great experience to see the groundbreaking. “I'm so thankful for all the hard work that's gone into the project, Beard said, noting that at one time, he considered moving his law practice on the same parcel of land.

“I'm glad I didn't!” he said, “they would have kicked me out for something much better. So to have the new department headquarters here I think is just wonderful. We need it, and it's really going to help the men and women in blue do what they do best.”

The general contractor is Septagon Construction Co., Inc. Septagon was the lowest of six bidders on the project, which will consist of a two-story, 18-000-square-foot facility in the 200 block of South Kentucky. The cost is estimated at $4,220,000.

Aug. 22 - On Sunday night Sedalia Police, Sedalia Fire and the Pettis County Ambulance District were dispatched to the train tracks near E. Broadway and Air Center Circle for an individual that had been hit by a train. Police say it was determined that the victim, who was not identified in a police report, had committed suicide. Next of kin was notified.

April 13 - Emotions were running high Thursday afternoon at Smith-Cotton High School, where a rally to address the issue of bullying was held in the parking lot.

The gathering was held following a funeral service at  First United Methodist Church Celebration Center for 16-year-old Riley Garrigus, an S-C sophomore who committed suicide April 8. She was active in basketball at the school.

Riley's father Ralph Garrigus shared his thoughts with the media gathered for the event:

“I don't want anyone else to go through what we went through. You should not have to bury your kids. I want all the support I can get. Some people ask me how I get my strength. I get my strength from my daughter, because I have to make her death mean something. And this is how I'm going to it,” Garrigus said.

When asked if the schools were doing enough to address the problem, Garrigus said no.

“It should not have come to this. We've got to do more. We have to do more training, get more support and at a younger age. It can't start when they think they're adults,” Garrigus said. “It has to start in the grade schools. We're going to make some changes.”

But what started out as a peaceful event digressed into a large crowd of sign-carrying individuals demanding action from Sedalia 200 officials in reference to the bullying.

Superintendent Brad Pollitt and S-C Principal Wade Norton listened to concerns shouted at them from concerned parents, students and friends of Riley. Norton was later led away from the crowd in the parking lot of the school, and Pollitt stayed to listen to those addressing their concerns to him.

Law enforcement on the scene later called for backup as the crowd grew bigger and more contentious. A line of officers was formed to prevent anyone from moving further south from that point on the campus.

On Monday April 10, Smith-Cotton High School Principal Wade Norton met separately with each grade level in the school to discuss suicide and other student concerns. He explained that in recent months, the district and its crisis team have implemented professional development for staff members to recognize students in crisis; they also have been pursuing a credentialed, appropriate suicide prevention program that would connect positively with students, according to the District's Facebook post.

The post went on to explain that a 'Signs of Suicide' program will be implemented as soon as possible, with teachers, staff members and a group of student leaders receiving training within the next few months. The program will be fully implemented by the start of the 2017-18 school year.

Another initiative that began earlier this month is Link Crew, which will team upperclassmen with incoming freshmen to provide the freshmen with a stronger connection to the school, activity groups and support options, it was noted.

Principal Norton also reminded students that there are bullying report forms in the counseling office and that anyone can submit an anonymous tip through the Tip Line at sedalia200.org or through District 200's smartphone application.

According to the post, students had the opportunity to ask questions or make comments about their perception of the school's and district's efforts in these areas. Norton then pleaded with students to let teachers and staff know about issues so they can take appropriate action and get students the help they need.

Also on Monday, the district issued a statement on Garrigus. In part, it read “The entire Sedalia 200 community extends our sincere condolences to her family and friends. Grieving students and staff members who need to speak with a counselor may contact S-C High Principal Wade Norton at nortonw@sedalia200.org.”

Four S-C students have died over the past 16 months, it was reported, and three of the deaths were attributed to suicide.

Dec. 19 - A giant red stocking that was designed to break a world's record did just that on Tuesday evening.

The foot-shaped, red-and-white poplin creation was unveiled to the public at 6 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Mathewson Exhibition Center on the Missouri State Fairgrounds, much to the delight of hundreds of people, including Sedalia Mayor Stephen J. Galliher.
"We do not have a building tall enough to hang it on," noted the mayor during his public remarks. He later said that his first look at the giant sock was a jaw-dropping experience.

"Holy mackerel, it fills up the Mathewson Center," he exclaimed. By contrast, the City's T-2 fire truck extends to 110 feet, Galliher noted. And the width of the stocking is almost as wide as Broadway. But the mayor said he has a plan on where to hang the 820-pound sock next year. But he wouldn't divulge what it entails. "I've got plans for next Christmas, but we have to work out some of the details."

Mayor Galliher said that Pettis County Surveyor Kerry Turpin volunteered to accurately measure the big red sock and reported that it is 177 feet, 10 and 3/4 inches long, by 72, 8 and 7/16 inches wide. The Mayor and Pettis County Sheriff Kevin Bond served as witnesses.

That should be enough to shatter the old record of 168 feet, 5.65 inches long by 70 feet, 11.57 inches wide, a record that was held since 2011 by Carrara, Tuscany, in Italy, according to Charlie Thomas, who was the brainchild of the project, which was hatched in July. Thomas is a KDRO DJ and has been promoting it on his show daily ever since.

The actual work was done by 20 ladies at First Christian Church, 200 S. Limit. That included material handling and sewing duties, according to Shirley Craig, who was a member of that elite group. She, along with the other ladies, led by JoDee Buso, began work on the big red sock in October after being approached by Thomas.

When asked if she thought they would ever finish the project in time, Craig said "No. We really didn't, we were worried about being finished by Christmas, and (yet) we were finished two days before Thanksgiving. I love red, red is my favorite color, so that helped with this project. Looking at it (every day) and sewing it, was not near as difficult as it was getting it moved around to sew it," Craig admitted.

Craig noted that the material (purchased in Kansas City at a cost of around $3,000) reminded her of a poplin tablecloth, which is lightweight and sturdy. "All the seams are double stitched," she said, adding that Kay of Kay's Crafts and Fabrics used her expertise to pick out the material.

According to Thomas, church members ages 8 - 94 helped out with the project overall. He also mentioned some of the project sponsors, including Specialty Sportswear (which produced the red lettering on the white cuff), W-K Chevrolet and Bryant Motor Co. Rac Jac said it would store the stocking until it is needed next year.

Before the oversized sock was unrolled by area children, a behind-the-scenes video rolled on the large TV monitors in the Mathewson, showing how the whole things was assembled.

Mayor Galliher noted that Turpin will submit his official measurements to the Guinness Book of World Records to certify the new record-holding stocking.

Oct. 25 - Country music legend Leroy Van Dyke, and former Sedalia radio personality, Marty Lange, are releasing a new album, with the proceeds to benefit the historic Uptown Theatre in Sedalia.

The Uptown Theatre opened in 1936, but has been closed for 42 years. A restoration project is currently underway, organized by Marty Lange and Sedalia Downtown Development Inc.

Lange says when the Uptown Theatre is restored, it will provide more quality entertainment than any other house of entertainment in the community’s history!

The new country album by Lange features a duet with Van Dyke on the song, All the Fish in the Tennessee. The new album is scheduled for release the first week of November 2017.

June 30 - Jorge Guevara saw a need for a walk-in medical clinic in Sedalia and after a lot of research (and traveling), Urgent Care and Primary Care was born June 26 at 10 a.m.

"We are a primary care facility that accepts urgent care, people who need care right now. We like to consider ourselves a health care facility on demand. We are here for when you need us and we can provide the right care, right now," Guevara said.
The privately-owned, American Family Care (AFC) facility, located in the heart of Sedalia at 115 W. Broadway, employs four physicians (one at a time), medical assistants, radiology technician and a medical receptionist.

"It always seemed that people would come to our company (GUESA USA), asking us to open an urgent care, a walk-in clinic. That was actually the number one request. It was bigger than the Hy-Vee and Target requests," Guevara noted.

"We provide care on the simple basis that it's not life-threatening or limb-threatening. If it is, we will stabilize and call an ambulance," he said.

A digital X-ray machine provides on-demand pictures, with a fast turnaround time.

"We are retail medicine, which is where health care services seems to be going. With our low overhead and high demand, we can keep the prices very low for our patients," Guevara said.

"We take most major insurance (such as Medicaid, Medicare, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Tri-Care) and also cash (fee for service), which involves a flat fee of $175," he said.

Recruiting physicians was a chore for Guevara.

"It was very hard. I would say (the number of) physicians is at an all-time low and the demand is at an all-time high. So physicians have numerous opportunities to go anywhere in the country and most likely find a job. So we needed to find the right key for the right lock, which means someone who matches our morals, our values and our company's standards and policies. So that made it even harder," Gueavara said.

"We have an incredible team, we found some excellent physicians and so far we have received nothing but good feedback," he said.

"I've been traveling and visiting other clinics to study where to open our urgent care clinic. "I had to fight for Sedalia, I'm not going to lie," Gueavara said. "Our business advisors and consultants came up with some great sites elsewhere, but I really wanted it to be here. So I convinced them."

Guevara added that his facility provides a service for those who don't have a primary care doctor. "We had such a demand from people without primary care, that we had to open it. People have been transferring here from out-of-town doctors, the response has been incredible," he said.

Urgent Care is open Monday through Friday, 8-8, Saturday, 8-6, and Sunday, 8-6. Call (660) 851-2184.

Some of the new businesses that opened in Sedalia over the past year include Harbor Freight, TJ Maxx, Hobby Lobby, Buffalo Wild Wings, Petsmart, Malone's Irish Pub and Ozark Coffee.