Northwest students to host election forum

By TONY BROWN Staff writer
From left: Greg McDanel, Josh McKim, Renee Riedel, Rob Sparks.

Northwest Missouri State University journalism students will host a Maryville “town hall” meeting Tuesday featuring candidates for office in the April 5 municipal election.

The forum is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the second-floor courtroom of the Nodaway County Courthouse.

Invited speakers include Maryville Mayor Renee Riedel, who is running unopposed for re-election, and Maryville R-II School Board candidates Rob Sparks and Josh McKim, who are likewise guaranteed seats.

In addition, Maryville City Manager Greg McDanel is expected to address a couple of sales tax proposals designed to produce operating revenue for Mozingo Lake Recreation Park and provide a financing mechanism for a proposed $4 million lakeside conference center and golf course clubhouse.

According to a Northwest release, the forum will be broadcast live on KNWT Channel 8 for Suddenlink cable subscribers and live-streamed through KNWT’s Ustream channel. An archive of the forum will be available through the Northwest Missourian website after the event.

Steven Chappell, instructor of mass media and Northwest’s director of student publications, said the students’ original intent was to host a debate, but when none of the candidates faced a challenger they shifted the format to a town hall-style event.

“I wanted the students … to experience what being a journalist in a political environment is really like,” Chappell said. “We have seen numerous debates and town hall events on national media covering the presidential primaries, and this is an opportunity to give these students a taste of producing such an event at the local level.”

Chappell added that the evening will give voters “a chance to talk directly to the candidates about any issues they want to see addressed” regarding city government or public schools.

“And we thought, with the tax initiatives that the city manager has been explaining to residents since the start of the year, it was important to include him as well, as that’s the main issue on the ballot,” Chappell said.

The students will produce the broadcast, providing camera work, engineering, and support. They will also serve as the forum’s moderators.

Audience members will be allowed to ask questions directly to both the candidates and McDanel.