Goodbye for now: Kirksville High School sends off Class of 2021
Kirksville Daily Express
Had he not been asked to deliver a speech as Kirksville’s salutatorian for the Class of 2021, Brennain Degenhardt made it clear he likely would not have been at Sunday’s ceremony.
Degenhardt delivered a humorous speech to those in attendance at Spainhower Field, commiserating with his peers who also didn’t want to be there. But while crafting his speech, he figured out the importance.
“The people who are excited to be sitting here are not waiting for their name to be called, they’re waiting for their students’ names to be called, or their child’s, or their sibling or friend’s name to be called,” Degenhardt said. “We seniors could just as well receive our diplomas in the mail, but we’re here. And why? Well, it’s for you our teachers, our parents, our siblings, and our friends.”
City to rename street Steve Farnsworth Drive
Austin Miller
Steve Farnsworth’s lasting Kirksville legacy will soon be honored in a physical form near the Kirksville school district.
The street that runs along the north side of KHS, past the parking lot, water tower, and Spainhower Field before turning to Ray Miller Elementary School, is being renamed Steve Farnsworth Drive. The Kirksville R-III School Board approved the change during its Nov. 11 meeting, though a formal ceremony for the change is still to be determined.
“After Steve’s passing, once the dust settled, we were thinking of ways to immortalize Steve,” said Interim Police Chief Justin Jones. “Not only was he a big part of the city and the police department, but he was a big part of the community. He was really sports-oriented. If he wasn’t working here, he was driving a bus for Weber or he was refereeing a football game or running the clock down at Truman.”