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Pittsburg Ice Bowl Benefit Tournament set for Feb. 26

The Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Department and Pittsburg Disc Golf Club are teaming up to host the Ice Bowl Benefit Tournament on Feb. 26 starting at 11 a.m. at the Schlanger Park Disc Golf Course.

Registration will take place from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the day of the event and the entry fee for the tournament is five nonperishable food items or a $10 cash donation, with all proceeds being donated to the Wesley House in Pittsburg.

For additional information regarding the Ice Bowl Tournament, contact the Pittsburg Parks & Recreation Department at 620-231-8310.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum added to U.S. Civil Rights Trail

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is the third site in Missouri to be included on the trail, which highlights individuals, events, and locations in 15 states and the District of Columbia that have been vital to the advancement of civil rights in the United States.

“The fight for racial equality in our country has taken on many forms, including marches, conflicts and court cases. The inclusion of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum adds yet another layer to the history that is preserved by the U.S. Civil Rights Trail,” said Stephen Foutes, director of the Missouri Division of Tourism.

MDT nominated the museum for inclusion on the trail, which was created through a collaboration of participating states in 2018.

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum opened in Kansas City in 1991. It tells the story of why the leagues were formed and how they ultimately contributed to social advancement in the United States. The Negro Leagues produced some of baseball’s greatest players including Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and James “Cool Papa” Bell.

The Negro National League — one of seven leagues nationwide — was established in Kansas City in 1920 and included the Kansas City Monarchs.

Robinson, a member of the Monarchs, was the first player to break baseball’s color barrier when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Buck O’Neil, a 2022 inductee in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was the first Black coach in Major League Baseball and was instrumental in establishing the museum.

“We are deeply honored to be part of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail,” said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “The Negro Leagues played a tremendous role in the social advancement of America. Our inclusion to the trail will undoubtedly help more people understand that the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is a Civil Rights and Social Justice institution that documents a powerful story of triumph over adversity as seen through the lens of baseball.”

Missouri’s other two sites on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail are the Old Courthouse in St. Louis, where the Dred Scott trial was heard, and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum in Independence. Truman is recognized for his executive order to desegregate the military — a decision that helped pave the way for desegregation throughout society.

Learn more about Missouri’s sites on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail and other civil rights history in the state at visitmo.com/in-the-spotlight/missouris- civil-rights-stories. For more information about the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, visit civilrightstrail.com.

WGU Missouri launches new scholarship

In celebration of WGU Missouri’s ninth anniversary, the nonprofit, fully accredited, online university has announced it is awarding $450,000 in scholarships to new students who are interested in furthering their education. Since its establishment in February 2013, WGU Missouri has been committed to providing high-quality, convenient and career-boosting college education to residents across the state, including working adults who have some college experience but no degree. The WGU Missouri ninth anniversary scholarships, valued at up to $9,000 each, underscore WGU’s mission of helping make higher education even more attainable for adults across Missouri, especially those looking to strengthen their skill sets as the ongoing pandemic continues to impact the local workforce.

While many universities have experienced a decline in enrollment since the onset of the pandemic, WGU Missouri’s enrollment continues to hold steady and actually managed to grow over the past 12 months. The university, which was created through a partnership with the national Western Governors University and Gov. Jay Nixon, currently has 3,340 enrolled students, an increase of 2.8% over last year, and has conferred degrees to 6,011 graduates, a fifth of whom graduated in the past 12 months. In fact, WGU Missouri has shown consistent growth since its establishment nearly a decade ago. Across the state, WGU Missouri employs 191 staff members, has awarded more than $3.4 million in scholarships and has built partnerships with more than 85 businesses, institutions and organizations in an effort to create new opportunities for their employees to pursue higher education at an even lower cost and advance their careers.

WGU Missouri has been credited with helping individuals earn their college degrees who otherwise couldn’t easily complete or afford a traditional college program. The average student age is 35, with more than 65% of attendees coming from underprivileged populations or being first-generation college students. Additionally, 72% of students work full time while pursuing their degrees. These grads are quickly seeing a difference in their lives as more career opportunities become available. As a result, students earn an average of $21,800 more within four years of graduation, which is significantly higher than the national average of $11,500.

“As we commemorate the ninth anniversary of WGU’s establishment in the state of Missouri, we want to recognize our students, many of whom have previously faced challenges in completing their degrees through traditional means,” said Dr. Angie Besendorfer, chancellor of WGU Missouri. “We are proud to provide the 900,000 Missourians who have some college but no degree with an alternative, affordable pathway to earning their bachelor’s and master’s degrees — and, ultimately, advancing their careers and transforming their lives. We look forward to continuing to empower many more adults to go back to school and earn their degrees in the years to come.”

WGU Missouri offers more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in business, information technology, K-12 teacher education and health professions, including nursing. Unlike a traditional college program, WGU caters to adults with previous or current work experience who are looking to further their careers through education. WGU Missouri’s competency-based education model allows adult students to take advantage of prior learning and experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn.

To be considered for WGU Missouri’s 9th Anniversary Scholarship, new and prospective students must be Missouri residents, be admitted to WGU Missouri, and submit a scholarship application by June 30, 2022. Scholarships will be awarded based on the student’s academic record, previous college experience, readiness for online study, current competency, and other considerations. The scholarship will be applied at the rate of $2,250 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms toward WGU’s already-low tuition of approximately $3,800 per six-month term for most programs. For more information about this scholarship, visit missouri.wgu.edu/9th.

Thank a Farmer week wraps up March 7

Farm Bureau’s presidents Lana Couch and Ben Fizette from Barry & Lawrence, join forces to co-sponsor a free-of-cost Market Outlook and State of Industry meeting featuring Kelly Smith and Sam Polly for farmers and future farmers in our area.

Following the chili dinner and dessert, we will begin the evening with Sam Polly, Missouri’s new state director of pesticide safety education with MU Extension.

“The greatest threat to modern agriculture is a negative public perception leading to over regulation. The ensuing runaway costs of regulatory compliance, lawsuits, and enforcement actions is stripping both our agricultural economy and heritage.” said Polly.

Sam will discuss the roots of this problem and what we can do about it while there is still time.

Then Missouri Farm Bureau’s senior director of marketing and commodities, Kelly Smith, will take the stage to provide an expansive summary of agriculture market outlook.

“Kelly will cover a wide range of topics that impacts our ag market including the pendulous cattle market, input costs, supply chain hiccups all the way to the impact of Russia stand-off’s on your feed grain flows,” said Ben Fizette, Lawrence County Farm Bureau president.

We hope you’ll join us for the opportunity to learn from these knowledgeable speakers on the final day of “Thank a Farmer Week” — Monday, March 7, 2022, at 6 p.m. beginning with chili dinner at the University of Missouri’s Southwest Research Center, 14548 Hwy H, Mount Vernon, MO 65712. Please kindly RSVP by Friday, March 4, by calling Tosha at 417-466-7679.

UScellular announces $70.3 million network investment in Missouri in 2021

UScellular announced that it made a $70.3 million investment in its Missouri network in 2021. This includes $11.3 million in general network upgrades, $24 million in 5G modernizations, and $35 million in 5G spectrum that will bring additional benefits in the coming years while advancing the company’s multiyear 5G network strategy.

Additionally, in 2021 UScellular provided $38,405 in funding to nonprofit organizations, teachers and youth organizations across Missouri, including $30,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia, $4,094 to teachers through donations to DonorsChoose.org and $4,311 through its Community Connections program. Three Boys & Girls Clubs in Missouri also received $316,525 worth of hot spots and service to help their members connect to the internet at the clubs or at home as part of the company’s After School Access Project.

“Connectivity is more important than ever right now, and at UScellular we are committed to keeping our customers connected to the people and places that matter most to them,” said Joe Cabrera, director of sales for UScellular in Missouri and Kansas. “We will continue to invest in creating a great wireless experience for customers, while also ensuring we provide critical resources for youth in our local communities.”

To help ensure customers have a great shopping experience, UScellular also invested $1.15 million in its Missouri retail store environments in 2021. This includes 12 new, relocated, redesigned or upgraded stores that better showcase the variety of products and services the company provides, making it easier for customers to find what they need.

For more news and information about UScellular, please go to newsroom.uscellular.com.