Water Damage Restoration in Excelsior Springs, MO

Excelsior Springs, Mo. — Along the gravel-lined stretch of Cameron Road and in the surrounding rural Clay County area, residents are organizing against what they see as an escalating threat to their homes, health, and way of life: the expansion of Ideker Mining LLC.

The conflict centers on a petition filed by landowner David Rhodus to voluntarily annex approximately 89 acres of his property into the city of Mosby. Rhodus, who also sits on the Clay County Planning and Zoning Commission, intends to lease the land to Ideker for continued mining operations, an effort residents say will intensify blasting, worsen air quality, and accelerate damage to already-crumbling infrastructure.

On May 4, more than 30 neighbors gathered at Chris and Dave McClaskey’s property to share concerns and strategize. The meeting followed a surprise appearance by 12 area residents at the May 1 Mosby City Council meeting, where they successfully convinced the council to table a decision on the annexation until its next meeting on June 5.

“They did a really good job in the past about pushing their way through under the table by keeping silent,” said Dave McClaskey. “But this time, we found out about the meeting and we got the commission to table it.”

At the heart of the dispute is a history of broken promises, according to residents. In 2022, Ideker expanded north onto land owned by Renee Rhodus, with the understanding that mining would remain on the surface and efforts would be made to minimize disturbances to the area. Since then, neighbors say, blasting has intensified, and it has become apparent that the company is tunneling underground.

“There are two gigantic holes that they’re driving those huge trucks into,” one neighbor said. “Our understanding is they want to build underground warehousing just like what’s on 210.”

Aerial images captured on May 4, just before a recent sinkhole was filled in, imply that there could be subsurface activity. Residents believe these operations violate Clay County regulations and previous contracts. However, they worry the city of Mosby’s annexation could nullify those protections.

“The sinkhole that appeared recently was the size of a building,” McClaskey noted during a May 5 appearance before the Excelsior Springs City Council. “They filled it in once and then again just this week, right after we met.”

Chris McClaskey, who joined her husband at the Excelsior Springs council meeting, appealed directly to city leaders: “Right now, we are struggling to get anybody to care. We’re appealing to you about the roads. We’re searching for anybody who can help us stop what’s happening.”

Residents say the consequences of mining near their homes are no longer theoretical. Cracked foundations, shattered windows, and unlivable air quality are among the grievances cited at both neighborhood meetings and the Excelsior Springs City Council meeting.

“Our daughter was at the house when a blast hit. She thought we were having an earthquake,” said longtime resident Pam Smith. “Now we can’t open our windows. Our furniture is covered in dust. My husband is a VA vet… when that first blast went off, he hit the ground.”

Phil Skow, who lives on Cameron Road near the quarry, described structural damage to his chimney and driveway. “It used to be one big explosion—now it’s eight in a row,” he elaborated. “That’s not surface mining.”

Another neighbor, Michael Rentmeister, told Excelsior Springs council members that his new home is already showing signs of damage. “I’ve started seeing cracks all over. One of my windows is shattered, and doorways are warped,” he said. “My four kids are terrified whenever the blasts go off.”

Residents also worry about safety implications beyond their property lines. Charla Lee, another resident, pointed out that the new Cornerstone Elementary School does not lie far from the quarry. “This is valuable land for Excelsior Springs, too,” she told the Council. “Do you really want to annex land in the future that’s sitting on tunnels and caves?”

Compounding residents’ frustrations is what they describe as a regulatory gray area. Cameron Road runs through a patchwork of jurisdictions, Clay County, the city of Mosby, and the city of Excelsior Springs, all of which, according to residents, have dodged responsibility for maintaining the heavily damaged road.

“The road is not even drivable,” said David McClaskey. “We’re being told the road is Mosby’s, then the county’s, then Excelsior’s. We’re stuck in limbo.”

Speakers at the May 10 neighborhood meeting alleged that Mosby officials have allowed Ideker to operate with minimal oversight, and that Rhodus’s role as both landowner and zoning commissioner represents a conflict of interest.

“He knows the system. He’s on the board,” one resident said. “They’re doing this legally by annexing land to Mosby, because Clay County won’t let them.”

Residents have also voiced concern about Ideker’s recent shift to an LLC structure, suggesting it may limit the company’s financial liability in the event of lawsuits related to property damage or environmental violations.

According to the residents, Ideker has previously been cited by the EPA for violations at its Carthage, Missouri, operation. They’ve begun contacting a long list of regulatory agencies, including the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and Missouri’s Attorney General.

An email sent by Ken Ideker to one of the neighbors, Dylan Orbesen, states that Ideker’s project, at least in the area annexed in 2022, is authorized to continue through the year 2072. “This is not the five-year project we were told it was going to be,” said one neighbor. “They’re going to try and take every piece of rock under this whole area.”

Residents have formed a Cameron Road Neighborhood Association, organized information sheets, launched petitions, gathered aerial imagery, and are actively contacting the media. They say more residents, especially those unaware of the proposed expansion, need to be brought into the conversation.

“I’ve talked to friends who didn’t even know this was happening,” said Nathaniel Beeghly, who offered to canvass nearby neighborhoods. “I want to go around to all the houses that I don’t know… and spread the word. We have neighbors who are missing out, who maybe don’t even know this is happening.”

The June 5 Mosby City Council meeting is expected to be a flashpoint in the ongoing battle. The neighbors say they’re not just fighting for themselves, they’re fighting for the broader future of their rural community.

“We’re not very big,” one neighbor said during a meeting. “But we’re not backing down.”

Read previous coverage of the 2022 Ideker expansion HERE and HERE.

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Excelsior Springs Weekly Horoscopes – May 19-25, 2025

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Excelsior Springs, Mo. – Some residents in Excelsior Springs are experiencing problems with their automated water bill payments due to issues involving third-party payment processors used by banks, not a failure within the City’s billing system, city officials confirmed.

City Manager Molly McGovern said the issue has been traced to the processing systems used by banks to transfer bill payments to the City’s utility account. “Our city finance director, has been working with Bank Midwest to resolve this. It is not happening on our side,” McGovern said.

While complaints initially appeared to center on Bank Midwest, McGovern clarified that the problem is not isolated to a single bank. “The problem is with the third-party processor the bank is using,” she said. “We have experienced this occasionally with other banks as well.”

The complication arises when customers use their personal bank’s “bill pay” feature, which often routes payments through an intermediary processing company. “The customer may not realize that when they select bill pay with their bank, it goes through the bank’s third-party processor to the City’s account,” McGovern said. “A breakdown can occur between any of those steps.”

One customer shared a notice from Bank Midwest dated April 3 stating their water payment to the City was returned due to being “unable to be applied to the account number specified.” The bank declined to retry the payment and instructed the customer to submit a new one.

McGovern emphasized that the City has multiple payment options that do not involve third-party processors. “They can pay on the city website, in person, use the drop box in the Hall of Waters circle drive, by mail, the kiosk in the hall, or through EFT,” she said. EFT, or Electronic Funds Transfer, is a direct digital payment from a customer’s bank account to the City’s, bypassing any third-party processors.

Some residents initially believed the issue originated from the City. However, after tracing failed transactions, City staff determined the problem occurred within the payment chain managed by the banks.

“We showed the bank what their processor documented when the prior transactions were successful,” McGovern said, noting that conversations with Bank Midwest and other financial institutions are ongoing.

Customers who continue to experience issues are encouraged to review the timing of their payment authorization with their bank and compare it with the date payment was received by the City to better understand where the delay or failure occurred.

When contacted for comment, Bank Midwest declined to address the nature of the problem but advised any customers experiencing payment failures to contact them directly.

If you appreciate the value our local journalism brings to the community, please consider making a recurring contribution to the Excelsior Citizen!

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Excelsior Springs, Mo. (June 7, 2025) – More than 800 attendees gathered in the heart of Downtown Excelsior Springs on Saturday, June 7, 2025, for the 19th Annual Wine Festival, one of Excelsior Springs’ most anticipated summer events. Hosted by the Downtown Excelsior Partnership (DEP), the festival brought together a record number of wineries, vendors, and visitors for an afternoon of sipping, strolling, and celebrating local flavor.

Despite a morning downpour that made for a soggy setup, the skies cleared just in time for the event, delivering what vendors and atendees described as a “perfect afternoon” for enjoying the festival’s offerings.

“What an incredible day in Downtown Excelsior Springs!” said DEP Executive Director Lyndsey Baxter. “We powered through a downpour during setup, but once the skies cleared, it was the most beautiful afternoon. It was perfect for enjoying wine with over 800 of our favorite wine-loving friends!”

The 2025 Wine Festival featured over two dozen Missouri wineries and meaderies, with unlimited tasting included in ticket packages. Guests received a commemorative wine glass, souvenir wine tote, and all-day access to the downtown trolley, which helped them explore a curated selection of wines, craft beers, and meads, along with food trucks, live music, and boutique shopping throughout the historic downtown district.

Participating wineries and meaderies included:

* Shamrock Hills Vineyard & Winery (Excelsior Springs)

* Fence Stile Vineyards & Winery (Excelsior Springs)

* St. James Winery (St. James)

* Les Bourgeois Vineyards (Rocheport)

* Ozark Viking Meadery (Salem)

* And 18 others from across the state (see below)

In addition to drinks, local makers and food vendors added to the festival atmosphere. Shoppers browsed goods from craft vendors like Beautiful Day Farms, Miss D’s Honeybees, Mattie Jules Studio, and Mix-N-Up KC.

Baxter said early reports suggest this year’s festival had the largest economic impact in the event’s history, helping fund key revitalization projects downtown.

“As our largest fundraiser of the year, the Wine Festival plays a vital role in fueling the Downtown Excelsior Partnership’s ability to continue creating positive change and lasting impact in and for our historic downtown district,” Baxter said. “Events like this prove that when we bring people together in the heart of Excelsior Springs, the results aren’t just memorable—they’re transformational.”

Plans are already underway for the 20th annual celebration in 2026. For more information on upcoming events or ways to support the revitalization efforts downtown, go to visitexcelsior.com.

Excelsior Springs, Mo. – In February 2025, Mallory Brown stepped into her new role as Community Development Director for the City of Excelsior Springs. With more than a decade of municipal government experience and a passion for developing communities, Brown brings a thoughtful and fresh style to a city she describes as “unlike any other in Clay County.”

After beginning her career as a graduate of the University of Missouri–Kansas City with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies, Brown went on to earn a Master of Public Administration from Park University. She has spent her career serving in city governments across the metro area, including North Kansas City and Liberty, Missouri. Her most recent role prior to joining Excelsior was as Deputy City Clerk for North Kansas City, where she served for over three years. Her earlier positions included Special Projects Manager for the City of Liberty and Permit Technician in North Kansas City, where she built knowledge of zoning, permitting, and the inner workings of city hall.

Brown’s experience now guides her approach to development in Excelsior Springs. “This city is so unique,” she said. “Its topography and culture are truly one-of-a-kind. It doesn’t look like anywhere else in Clay County, and that’s something we should continue to build on.” She shared that she has always had an interest in historic preservation balanced with future development, so Excelsior Springs seemed like a perfect fit for her next adventure.

A sense of history, she says, is worth protecting and enhancing. Brown is particularly interested in improving walkability and revitalizing downtown nightlife, a goal she helped advance during her time in North Kansas City. “There’s a natural direction this city is already headed in,” she said. “My role is to help remove barriers and make sure that quality development happens in a way that stays true to who we are.”

In her view, Excelsior Springs doesn’t need to reinvent itself, and it needs to keep leaning into its strengths. That’s where her personal values of authenticity and inclusivity come in.

“Authenticity means not trying to be anyone or anywhere else. We don’t need to mimic another town to be successful, we just need to keep being ourselves,” she said. “Inclusivity, to me, means being open to everyone’s perspectives, even when we don’t agree. It’s okay to change your mind when you’ve listened and learned. That kind of openness is what helps a community grow.”

Brown encourages residents to get involved with their city, whether it’s by attending City Council meetings, engaging with local agendas, or simply getting to know their neighbors.

While she’s quickly making a professional mark in Excelsior Springs, Brown is keeping busy in her personal life. She and her husband, Josh Brown, who works in law enforcement, live a busy and full life with their three children: Addison, Tessa, and Clayton. Brown jokes that her main hobby is “being a mom,” as much of her free time is spent driving her kids to sports practices, school activities, and family events. When she does find a moment to unwind, she enjoys baking, crafting, volunteering, and spending summer weekends at the Lake of the Ozarks.

“Everyone here has been so kind,” Brown shared. “There’s a real sense of community in this town, and I feel lucky to be part of it.” She hopes that her experience in larger cities and projects will help her tailor a plan for Excelsior Springs as a unique community, giving back by helping the city continue to grow in ways that feel authentic and natural.

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EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. (KCTV) — The U.S. Department of Labor announced Friday it will suspend operations at all Job Corps centers across the country, including in Excelsior Springs. The decision means more than 120 centers will be forced to close in exactly one month on June 30.

The federal government cited financial challenges and a number of serious incident reports, including violence, sexual assault, and drug use that have put students in danger. According to a “Job Corps Transparency Report” released in April, Job Corps centers are required to report incidents as ‘minor’ as being late to class or using profanity, which account for 98 percent of reported incidents.

In Program Year 2024, the program operated at a $140 million deficit, requiring the Biden administration to pause center operations through the end of the year. The deficit is projected to reach $213 million in PY 2025.

Unless legal action is taken, Job Corps leadership says the closure will require them to send 274 students home next month. Some students say the program helped them build a future that once looked promising but is now uncertain.

“I started a month ago and now that it’s shutting down, it’s like what do I do now?” said Marquise Jones, a welding student at the Excelsior Springs center.

Before arriving at Job Corps, Jones said his life in Kansas City could have gone in a very different direction.

“I know with welding that’s keeping me from a lot of distractions out there in the inner city and everything, and keeping me from like being out in the streets because it’s a lot of bad things going on so you wanna have a mindset and that goal to keep pursuing your dream that’s going on.”

His goal of becoming a welder may be cut short, along with the plans of others training within the program’s five other labor market industries including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality.

“Since I came here to Job Corps, I came here with hope. Hoping that I would have a place to stay because they provide housing here,” said Claudia Zunun-Mendez, a culinary student at the center.

Zunun-Mendez said her hopes are quickly turning into stress. She joined the program after high school at a time when she was no longer receiving financial support from her family. After a year in the program and recently earning her certification, she believed she was on track to find a job.

“To be honest, I am very scared of what’s gonna happen. I am scared because now that they’re gonna close Job Corps I have less than a month to figure out what I’m gonna do.”

Staff say they are doing their best to support students, especially those experiencing homelessness. They are helping them explore other training and housing options to keep them on the right track.

There are also 194 staff members working with human resources on what their next steps are.

“Do I think this is a worthy investment of government money, I absolutely do, and it’s in line with the focus of America first because we are training young Americans to take over the labor force,” said Center Director Lori Sams.

Job Corps leadership is now working with outside partners to help connect students with referrals that would allow them to continue their education or find employment once they return home.