June 6, 2026
February 2026
Local Democrats Donate to County’s Food Pantries
Lafayette County Democratic Central Committee and Club voted to donate to the food pantries in our county for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. We gave monetary donations to pantries in Concordia, Higginsville, Lexington, Odessa, Waverly and Wellington. This aligns with our vision and mission to be the welcoming, inclusive party of choice for Lafayette County voters, championing fairness and an engaged sense of community, ensuring everyone is respected and has equal opportunity. We have participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service for several years. This year, it falls on January 19 and it is a perfect time for us to help local food pantries. We appreciate the work they do for those in need, especially during this time when food, child care and health care assistance is being cut or eliminated. The Lafayette County Democrats meet monthly and host many speakers and events. You can find us on Facebook or contact us by email at lafcodems@ gmail.com.
Blackburn Council discusses mowing, maintenance, budget, ballot measure
The Feb. 9 regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen of the City of Blackburn was called to order at 7:08 p.m. by Mayor Bobby Steffens.
Tieman-Blackburn Auxiliary prepares for February meeting
Tieman- Blackburn American Legion Auxiliary met Jan. 12, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the Legion Hall in Blackburn.
Off we go!
As many of you know, on Feb. 1, 2026, The Santa Fe Times, Higginsville Advance and Lexington News changed hands to new owners. We three are now under the umbrella of the Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce.
Lafayette County Commissioners issue 2026 budget message
To the Citizens of Lafayette County: As Presiding Commissioner, I would like to thank my fellow Commissioners, Monica Ritter (Northern District) and Michael Brown (Southern District) for their service to Lafayette County. We welcomed Michael Brown to the Commission in November 2025 when he replaced Brad MacLaughlin as Southern District Commissioner. Brad resigned on October 8, 2025. Michael Brown subsequently received Governor Mike Kehoe’s appointment to fill that vacancy. He was sworn in on November 26, 2025.
SF Board discusses legislation, formally hires Tichenor as Santa Fe High School Principal
The Santa Fe Board of Education met in regular session on Thursday, January 22nd. Mr. Lark shared that school resource office, David Cobb, would be attending a safety workshop sponsored by Missouri School Board Association’s Center for Educational Safety. The training will provide best practices for SRO’s as well as account for mandated training for school districts as a result of legislation passed last session. Additionally, he shared that members of the districts Threat Assessment Team would be undergoing refresher training, which will focus on assessing the validity of threats in schools, such as general threats of violence towards the school as a whole, individual threats, self-harm, bullying, etcetera. The threat assessment process provides a platform that provides a concrete structure for trained individuals to make informed decisions. “Discerning the validity and seriousness of the various and numerous types of threats that are made in all venues of a school district can be very, very challenging. Having a standard process with trained individuals enables us to make decisions that are more informed and consistent,” stated Mr. Lark. He then focused on the Governor’s State of the State Address. Summarizing the educational issues discussed, Mr. Lark noted that Governor Kehoe emphasized his intent to support school choice through legislation involving open enrollment and school voucher systems (MO Scholars). Lark shared that in fiscal year 2026, the state approved $51 million for the MO Scholars funding. He went on to share that more importantly, the major shift is that this funding is
SF students attend math contest
On Jan. 31, a group of 8th grade students from Santa Fe travelled to Carrollton to compete in the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) qualifying math contests. Destiny Medina placed 3rd in the Sprint event (no calculator) and 5th overall in 8th grade(individual). Makenna Stephens placed 1st in the Target event and 3rd in 8th grade overall(individual). The 8th grade team placed 3rd overall, made up of Makenna Stephens, Destiny Medina, Addison Beumer, and Hallie Schuster. Additionally, Makenna qualified for the state competition in March. From left: Medina, Beumer, Schuster, Stephens. (Submitted photo)
TL Spelling Bee
Trinity Lutheran School held their annual Spelling Bee for grades 1-8 on Friday, Jan. 30. During this contest, the top four winners from each classroom competed in the gym to determine the overall class winner. Here, first grader Tobias Roll takes his turn at the microphone while Trevor Lovercamp (left) and Rhen Tieman (right) wait their turn. For more from this event, see page 5. (Submitted photo)
Gertrude Ann Rolf
Gertrude Ann Rolf, age 90, a child of God through faith in Christ, was called to her heavenly home on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, sister and friend.
Russell W. Kelso, Sr.
Russell W. Kelso, Sr., 80, of Slater, formerly of Mt. Leonard, died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at his home.