The Odessan

Merry Christmas! This week’s paper is available on racks throughout the area, and includes both our Christmas card to you, our readers, and warm wishes from the Odessa business community. We appreciate everything local businesses do to keep this town Merry and Bright!

There’s a lot that’s important in the December 3 issue, but be sure to get a copy before it’s gone for our 25% off subscription deal, available only by phone, mail or visiting our office. Coupon expires Friday the 11th, so don’t miss out! Also in the issue: Lafayette County on track to return significant amount of CARES Act funds State figures show COVID-19 case increases continue... Odessa man believed to have fled bond Odessan celebrates 60 years in Spaar family Soil and Water district asks county for higher budget The 29 entities awarded funding through the community services portion of the county’s CARES Act distribution And more! Call us to subscribe or renew today don’t go to the website this time as the subscription deal is not available online (816)230-5311

While shopping locally today, don't forget your locally owned newspaper. You can sign up and pay for gift subscriptions on our website, theodessan.net/subscribe.html. While local news is a great gift to yourself, if you're giving the subscription as a gift to a friend or loved one, simply fill out the recipient information for who will be getting the paper. Drop us a note at [email protected] or call during regular work hours to let us know it's a holiday gift and we'll delay the subscription until Christmas, and send a card as well. And remember, as you shop throughout the season, you can find information on what local retailers have to offer in The Odessan!

We’re here to help you #BeAnInformedVoter! Whether you’ve been following along since filings or just tuning in, there’s something for everyone in this week’s issue of The Odessan. And if you’re hoping to catch up on our Voting Guide candidate profiles, you can come by our office and buy a $1.50 back issue. We’ve interviewed every candidate for state representative and public administrator, and have an interview with incumbent state senator Denny Hoskins as well.

Our office is closed today and tomorrow to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families. You can still purchase a copy of this week's paper from the rack outside our office or at several locations around town. A full list of rack and in-store sales locations is on our website, theodessan.net.

Our office is closed for the rest of the week to celebrate Thanksgiving, but be sure to pick up a copy of this week’s paper, either from the rack in front of our office or one of several businesses around town. Look for turkey on the front and inside you’ll find: Coverage of the virtual Odessa Chamber of Commerce downtown lighting ceremony Odessa crosses 200 COVID-19 cases... Odessa R-7 board questions principal about hybrid plan R-7 considers student drug testing Part 1 or a series on local COVID-19, focusing on the more than 140 businesses that have received assistance distributed by the Lafayette County Commission And more! Even with our office closed, you can still set up a subscription at theodeesan.net/subscribe.html Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Hallween week! Look out for our jack-o-lantern O on this week's issue to find local Halloween information, as well as: What's on your ballot Tuesday (a story on the election as well as sample ballots are included in this issue) County races left off overseas/military ballots Second-highest week for new COVID-19 cases R-7 Board gets taste of virtual learning... Mark Thomas to be inducted into Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Man charged with sex crime November Voting Guide: unopposed county candidates Sign wars extend to rural Higginsville billboard Odessa pummels Harrisonville for third consecutive title Bulldogs run over Warrensburg on soccer pitch Softball's dream season ends in state quarterfinals And more local news and sports stories! See more

We want to talk to Lafayette County overseas voters after a tip we received last week that they may have been presented with incomplete ballots. Please reach out over messenger or email Hannah at [email protected] if you have voted through the overseas portal this year.

The lights are on, Odessa! Be sure to check out our coverage of the downtown lighting ceremony in this week’s issue, out TONIGHT due to the holiday.

Subscribe online today: theodessan.net/subscribe.html

We've now covered every contested election in Missouri so you can #BeAnInformedVoter and get that absentee or mail-in ballot back on time! In this week's issue of the Voting Guide, you'll find information on: Candidates for Lafayette County Public Administrator Candidates for Missouri Senate District 21... Amendments 1 and 3 Sample ballots Full text of proposed amendments to the Missouri Constitution Last week's issue is still available at our office for $1.50. In it you'll find: All four candidates for Missouri House District 53 Full text of proposed amendments to the Missouri Constitution Next week will again have sample ballots, as well as information on unopposed county elected offices.

It's election season! This week, we kick off our November Voting Guide with interviews of four candidates for District 53 in the Missouri House of Representatives: Terry Thompson, Connie Simmons, Aaron Mais and Cameron Pack. Full text of proposed amendments to Missouri's constitution are in this week's issue as well.... Remember to keep up with The Odessan over the next few weeks to get our complete November election coverage. Next week (October 22), we'll finish up with contested races by covering the race for Lafayette County Public Administrator and State Senate, and have our Voting Guide review of the proposed amendments. The week before the election (October 29), we'll be publishing interviews with unopposed candidates for county office. As always, November 5 we'll have initial results as reported by the county. Pick up this week's issue around town for $1 today, and consider a subscription to get a full year of our coverage for $40, delivered to you weekly: theodessan.net/subscribe.html.

The Christmas lights are going up over downtown Odessa, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas . We’ll have updated information about next week’s lighting ceremony in this week’s issue.

It's National 4-H Week, and that means our annual special section is in this week's issue! This year we are featuring Abby White, a member of 40-ville 4-H, and, as always, participants throughout the area including 40-ville, Mighty Mo and Napoleon Cloverleaf 4-H Clubs. Be sure to pick up a copy to learn more about the hard work of these young members of our community!

Local COVID-19 testing TOMORROW.

It's been another big week for local COVID-19 news, in addition to everything else we cover in our community. In this week's issue, you'll find: Student exposure halts OHS soccer, Wellington-Napoleon homecoming Mask mandate to end despite case increase Weekly COVID-19 update: Six more deaths from nursing home, Lafayette County declared a red zone by the White House... Odessan recognized for 2019 football coverage OHS Girls Tennis wins program's first conference championship Last chance to register to vote is October 7 Cars and Stars event Saturday Aldermen approve electric system study Bates City hires city clerk And more! Pick up a copy around town for $1, and consider an annual subscription: theodessan.net/subscribe.html

Or as we like to say, #BeAnInformedVoter

Follow our Twitter page today to keep up with breaking news between issues.

On further review from MPA of the judging results, we have one more award to add to the pile. Hannah's story "A New Great Flood" from the first round of flooding last year is one of two entries awarded second place for Best Breaking News Story in our category.

THIS JUST IN! Today the Missouri Press Association released its 2020 Better Newspaper Contest awards and the Missouri Press Advertising and Marketing Executives released its 2020 Best Ad Contest awards. Among weekly newspapers of a similar size, The Odessan brought home seven recognitions for work published last year, including two first place awards for our coverage of the 2019 Odessa High School Bulldogs on their road to a state championship and a Best Full Page Ad recognition for a Bank of Odessa ad during National 4-H Week. We're excited to share our award-winning work with you!

Trying this again, because the first time it cut off after the first line... #technicaldifficulties This week, we're graphing local COVID-19 data, and unfortunately it's going up This week we have four graphs using all-local data on COVID-19. ... (Note: After the issue returned from the printer, we heard back from Lafayette County Health Department confirming that six cases unaccounted for in this week's issue were in Odessa, changing its position in the ZIP code data graph on page 1B. We'll be releasing a corrected and hopefully updated graph in next week's issue.) Also in this issue, you'll find: Governor appoints coroner after resignation What's the same and different about Homecoming for local schools next week Bates City man charged with meth trafficking Odessa Planning and Zoning meets for first time since May Bulldog Football keeps I-70 Shootout trophy another year Odessa Softball defeats Oak Grove And more! Pick up a copy for $1, and consider a subscription: theodessan.net/subscribe.html

POSTPONED: The 2020 Missouri Press Association Gubernatorial forum scheduled to be broadcast live on our website Friday has been postponed. We'll let you know when the debate is rescheduled. In the meantime, you can RSVP to our event page for the debate to get updates on when it will be held.