The Richmond News welcomes Sophia Bales, a 2022 Missouri Valley College graduate, to its staff as a newsroom reporter. “I was very excited - over the moon (about accepting this position)… When I was younger, I always knew that I wanted to write,” said Bales. Bales will serve as general assignment reporter for the Richmond News and its sister newspaper, The Excelsior Springs Standard. Bales, 22, graduated in 2018 from Lexington High School. After high school graduation, she pursued a degree in entrepreneurship at Missouri Valley. While working on her degree, Bales was on the power lifting team and worked on marketing for her own business. “We’re delighted to have Sophia join our staff. She’s inquisitive, energetic and cheerful. I’m looking forward to reading the stories Sophia finds throughout our community,” Publisher Brian Rice said. If you have a news story, Bales can be reached at 816-629-4343 or sophia@leaderpress.com.