Not since 1984 has anyone taken their first steps as president on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University.
Dr. John Jasinski stepped out of his SUV Thursday morning with his family in tow and walked down the sidewalk toward a throng of employees, waiting at the entrance to the Administration Building, as the ninth president of the school.
His first day was tightly scripted (including the morning festivities, with employees sporting Bearcat green and a welcome banner hanging over the east entrance to the administration building) and included meetings with several campus and community entities.

His time here was brief, but productive.
Dr. Joseph Bragin, provost at Missouri Western State University, retires today after three years in that role. The university made the announcement late Tuesday.

Paying back a burdensome federal student loan might get easier for some, beginning today. Income-Based Repayment, a program that caps the monthly payments on student loan debt, is available depending on the amount of loan debt, adjusted gross income and family size. A calculator to determine approximate savings is available at www.ibrinfo.org/calculator_offline.vp.html. Debt that includes Parent PLUS and private loans isn’t eligible.

Katy Schwartz was born into a family fanatical over the Kansas City Chiefs. The family will travel to River Falls, Wis., this summer to watch their beloved Chiefs’ summer training camp.
Next year’s commute to the training camp will be far shorter.
“Chase,” a Bichon Frise sporting a Chiefs jersey, accompanied his owner, also wearing a Chiefs jersey, Monday at the future home of the Kansas City Chiefs’ summer training camp — Missouri Western State University — for the ceremonial groundbreaking.
“I’ll be here every day,” said Ms. Schwartz, who as a teacher at Central High School has summers off.

Don’t be fooled — young folks aren’t trading face time with their friends for online social sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Granted, the hours once spent in front of televisions are being swapped for hours in front of computer monitors and texting friends via cell phone, according to some studies. But kids still hang out.
“Millennials,” as the current batch of 20-somethings and teenagers are known, are tied to their cell phones and often would rather text than talk.

Eleven local subcontractors will help build the Kansas City Chiefs’ summer training facility at Missouri Western State University.
Western released a list of subcontractors Friday that shows local companies will account for just under half of the $10.29 million project.
St. Joseph Plumbing-Heating-Cooling and Hausman Metal Works and Roofing contracted for $1.5 million and $1 million, respectively.

The low bidder was selected Friday to construct the Kansas City Chiefs’ indoor practice facility on the campus of Missouri Western State University.
Crossland Construction, based in Columbus, Kan., submitted a base bid of $9.4 million, the lowest of 14 general contractors to vie for the building project. Jeff Ellison, lead architect on the project, recommended to Western’s governing board to accept seven of eight alternate bids Crossland submitted, which brings the total to $10.3 million.

1977 was a good year for David Betz. A self-proclaimed car nut, Mr. Betz was thrilled when “Smokey and the Bandit” came out late that spring. But that calendar year is marked by a more significant event.
In April, Mr. Betz met up with his sister at a carnival somewhere off the Belt Highway. His sister took a friend, Nancy, along with her.
“He was a cute kid,” said a grinning Nancy Betz of her first impression of the 22-year-old man who would become her husband. “That’s all I can say.”

A high-profile building project at Missouri Western State University brought out a record number of builders, one of whom bid more than 10 percent below the estimated building cost. Fourteen contractors submitted bids Tuesday to build the future indoor practice facility for the Kansas City Chiefs, with a low base bid coming in at $9.3 million from Crossland Construction, whose corporate offices are in Columbus, Kan. Western officials say the numbers look consistent with building costs, which were estimated at $11.7 million. Total project costs, which would include furnishings and other items, is estimated at $13.7 million.

Lowell Kruse said in March, after his reappointment to the state’s coordinating board for higher education, that he felt a greater sense of urgency to promote education. His tune hasn’t changed as he assumes the role of chairman (again) of the nine-member board. Mr. Kruse, who will retire as president and CEO of Heartland Health this summer, said his highest level of concern as a board member has to do with the general population’s attitude toward education, and not just college education.