Rachel Schnelle
Missouri Feature ReporterRachel Schnelle is a Feature Reporter for KRPS. Originally from Southwest Missouri, she has almost three years of experience working at Midwest Public Radio stations - covering healthcare, community-driven stories, and politics. In 2022, she graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
She can be reached by email at @rschnelle@pittstate.edu
Follow Rachel Schnelle on X @rachel_schnelle
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The candidates answered questions written by MSSU students about economic development, conflict resolution and the homelessness crisis in Joplin. -
Over 400 Southwest Missouri residents lined the sidewalks of 7th and Rangeline with various signs, American flags, and shirts opposing the Trump administration. -
Deep Fission says it’s committed to drilling test wells and completing a pilot reactor in Kansas, but the full scope of the commercial project will rely on multiple factors — including approval from regulators and community input. -
Joplin is split between two counties - Jasper and Newton County. Residents of both counties will vote measures relating to Joplin government and the Joplin School District. -
Anybody who has talked with Keenan Cortez knows that his calendar is always full. On top of being Joplin’s mayor, he’s Crothall Healthcare’s Patient Experience Manager and an associate pastor at St. Paul's Methodist Church. He jokes that “he doesn’t sleep” because of his busy schedule. KRPS Rachel Schnelle spoke with Cortez about the highs and lows of the past two years as Mayor. -
The annexation plan was approved on Jan. 12 by Joplin’s planning commissionwith a 6-1 vote. It is in the very beginning stages of the approval process, according to Joplin city officials. -
The Besse Hotel and Kelce College of Business are part of the Project Gorilla Rising - which includes renovations Block 22, two apartment complexes. The business school anticipates an August 2026 ribbon-cutting. -
Customer testimonies from the July public hearings have become the cornerstone of the Public Service Commission's orders. -
Economic development and tourism were key touchstones during Wednesday's two-hour ceremony. -
Joplin passed an ordinance in November 2025 forbidding the displacement of transient individuals.
