St. Joseph Police Department hires new civilian officers to boost parking enforcement

News-Press NOW on July 17, 2025

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph is strengthening its parking enforcement capabilities with the hiring of two new positions designed to target illegally parked vehicles, efforts that will ramp up beginning next week.

The St. Joseph Police Department announced the hiring of two new civilian parking enforcement officers on Thursday to patrol the city and issue tickets and tow tags for vehicles not following city traffic ordinances.

All vehicles parked on a city street must display valid license plates, have current insurance, be operational and be parked properly following all road signage and in the direction of traffic flow. Vehicles failing to meet these requirements will face a fine and may be towed.

The new civilian officers started enforcement measures over the last few weeks during a recent training period. Their efforts will increase as they begin patrolling streets throughout the city full-time next week. The officers will be driving marked cars that differ from the look of the police department’s patrol vehicles and in a uniform that designates their role.

The new program is part of an effort to improve customer service related to frequent parking concerns.

“This program reflects our continued commitment to keeping St. Joseph’s neighborhoods safe, clean and accessible,” St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster said in a statement. “By addressing abandoned and improperly parked vehicles, we’re not only enforcing the law but also responding directly to the concerns of our residents. Our goal is to enhance the quality of life and ensure our streets remain welcoming for everyone.” 

While the officers will be looking for violations and issuing tickets and tow orders accordingly, citizens can also help by reporting illegally parked vehicles on the city’s website at www.stjosephmo.gov.

After clicking the “Report a Concern” button on the home page, residents can enter information about the vehicle and its location for officers to respond. Citizens can also call the police department’s non-emergency number at 816-271-4777 to report a concern.

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Cleanup underway in Manitou Springs after Wednesday’s flash flooding

KRDO on July 17, 2025

Scott Harrison

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — With the possibility of more rain on Thursday, town crews got busy cleaning up mud and other debris left behind from Wednesday afternoon’s storm and flash flooding.

The biggest mess was reddish-brown mud on El Paso Boulevard in front of Memorial Park.

A street sweeper removed large sections of mud, while a single worker scraped up smaller accumulations with a shovel and dumped them into a plastic barrel.

Other debris could be seen at the Manitou Avenue/Pawnee Avenue intersection, the parking lot in front of the police and fire stations, and in front of the coin laundry near City Hall.

The mess was a surprise to an Illinois family spending their vacation in the area.

“We were hiking in Woodland Park yesterday and just missed (the storm),” said Lori Haenitsch. “We noticed the red dirt and wondered where it was from. But it’s still beautiful here. The mud is kind of pretty.”

Some town residents said that they heard the emergency siren and flash flood warning for the first time.

Aimee Theelen said that she covered her garden to protect it from hail before walking downtown to see the storm’s aftermath.

‘I saw a lot of people running from the arcade,” she recalled. “They ran because it was really cold and they were soaked.”

Several witnesses reported that the audio flash flood warning, issued from the town’s public address system, was too loud and made it difficult for people to understand the message clearly.

Stella Kutschara, a neighbor, agrees.

“If you stayed inside, it was definitely garbled,” she said. “But if you went outside, you kinda had to pause, and you could hear it over all the noise. It was intense!”

An RV park that was evacuated during the storm appeared to be back to normal operations Thursday, with no sign of flood damage.

Some neighbors said that it was the worst flooding they’d seen in the town since the heavy rainstorms that followed the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire.

Since then, vegetation on the fire’s burn scar has regrown and soaks up more rainfall.

Local officials also invested millions of dollars in flood mitigation to slow the flow of runoff during storms.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) installed a dozen closure gates along US 24 in Ute Pass to make it easier to close certain highway segments during a flash flood, and avoid closing the entire highway for hours at a time — as was the case immediately after the fire.

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Firefighters make progress on southeast Idaho wildfires

KIFI on July 17, 2025

Curtis Jackson

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Fire crews are working to extinguish two fires burning in southeast Idaho.

The Rocky Knoll Fire is burning 2.5 miles east of Thatcher, near the Trout Creek drainage, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

The fire is estimated at 250 acres. Several crews from the USFS Caribou-Targhee National Forest and the BLM. They said an additional 17 aircraft were assisting in the fight against the fire.

No evacuation have been ordered, but there are some structures threatened by the fire. It’s uknown what caused the fire.

Buckboard Fire

The Buckboard Fire near the Idaho – Utah border is 75% contained. It has burned an estimated 1,695 acres. The fire was burning west of I-15 in the Samaria Mountains area.

Fire managers said it will take a few days for the fire to be fully contained, due to its size, terrain, winds, and other factors.

They said the fire was naturally caused.

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The City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs to host Third Thursdays

KVIA on July 17, 2025

Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)—The City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department has announced “Third Thursdays” in the Downtown Arts District. This event offers extended hours and programming at various locations throughout the downtown area.

Locations with special hours and activities include:

The Market Under the Stars, 5 to 9 p.m. (Arts Festival Plaza)

Artisan market featuring local vendors, live music, food, and community organization booths

El Paso Museum of Art, open until 8 p.m.

Featuring presence from Magoffin Home

El Paso Museum of History, open until 8 p.m.

Exhibit opening: “Pasos Urbanos III”

El Paso Mexican American Cultural Center, open until 8 p.m.

Cacao Drink Tastings with Cacao Coyatoc

Ugly Drawing Club with printmaking artist Rogelio Rosiles

La Nube STEAM Discovery Center, open until 7 p.m.

Mold making workshop with Fab Lab El Paso, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

El Paso Public Library Main Branch, open until 7 p.m.

Games and treats on the foyer and patio from 7 to 9 p.m.

Destination El Paso Visitor Information Center, open until 7:30pm

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See St. Joseph: stage, screen and sparks

News-Press NOW on July 17, 2025

Rebecca Evans

Are you not entertained? The lights are on, the stage is set, and the weekend is ready to steal the show. Let’s take a front-row seat. Here’s what to look forward to in this week’s edition of See St. Joseph. 

FRIDAY JULY 18TH

27th Annual Sounds of Summer Concert Series – Vinyl Revival.

The night will be packed with good tunes and good people. Enjoy amazing live music under the summer sky in the heart of downtown brought to you by the Downtown Association of St. Joseph. 

6:30-9:30pm

at Coleman Hawkins Park for free.

Enchilada Lady and The Crossing at Concessions

There will be a beer tent open with refreshing beverages available for purchase. No coolers or outside beverages are allowed.

SATURDAY, JULY 19TH 

FIRE AND FLOW JAM

This is a family friendly, Leave No Trace, drug and alcohol free event focused on building community, making connections, practicing art, and lifting each other up. Invite your friends and make sure you bring a blanket or chair to sit on. These performances are every month, weather-permitting, and are different each time with a variety of performers of all ages and abilities.

Fire performers start at sunset. 

In the parking lot of Remington Nature Center. 

Everyone is invited to bring your skates, hover boards, and  longboards, an hour early to skate and hang out while the performers set up. 

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY – JULY 18TH, 19TH, 20TH 

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK MOVIE SCREENING

The Saber Arts Club of St. Joseph and the Trail Theatre join forces for a special premiere night of The Empire Strikes Back to celebrate the movie’s anniversary.

This Friday: Doors open at 6:30pm, at 6:45pm a special performance of the Force and martial arts will take place. The movie will play at 7pm. 

This Saturday: Screening 1-4pm

This Sunday: Screening 1-7pm 

Admission is $10 for adults and $7.50 for children.

Popcorn, soda, and movie treats will be available at the concessions. Bring the whole family for this one of a kind cinema experience.

That’s all for this weekend. Be sure to tune in every Thursday for more ways to See St. Joseph. 

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Demonstrators rally for democracy around Mid-Missouri

KMIZ on July 17, 2025

Keriana Gamboa

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several rallies happened across Mid-Missouri and the nation on Thursday to honor the legacy of late U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia), regarded as a champion of the Civil Rights Movement.

We Stand United Missouri held its “Rally to defend the Constitution” at the Capitol in Jefferson City. Organizers say an estimated 300 people attended. 

The rally in the Rotunda featured remarks from the NAACP President Nimrod Chapel Jr. and several other groups.

“Today is we memorialize the legacy of John Lewis. I think that it’s more important than ever that we acknowledge not only our rights and responsibilities as citizens, but put those into motion,” Chapel said. “We did that today. We brought people from around the state here to Jefferson City.”

Chapel told ABC 17 News the group hopes to deliver a message urging Missouri state leaders to listen to the voices of the people.

“We’re definitely talking to those authority figures here in the Capitol, whether it’s the governor, the senators or the state representatives,” Chapel said. “We think that every elected official, both at the state level and on the federal level, need to understand that we, the people, drive this democracy. This is not top down. It’s bottom up. And I have to tell you, we are here at the bottom yelling at the top.”

Attendee Alison Kaiser called for justice amid a tense and divisive political climate.

“Both parties have done this when we have passed something on the ballot by initiative petition and the politicians reverse that. We cannot sit still for that,” Kaiser said.

The Mid-Missouri Solidarity Network said in a news release that organizers are gathering in the spirit of Lewis, five years after he died. He was known for “making good trouble” in the fight for democracy.

The Mid-Missouri Solidarity Network held a “Rally of Grievances and Preferred Visions” outside the offices of Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt at 1:15 p.m. Another rally followed outside Rep. Mark Alford’s office in Columbia.

In Boonville, demonstrators with Good Trouble Mid MO gathered in front of the Cooper County Courthouse at 6 p.m. The organization When She Votes held a candlelight vigil in front of the Boone County Courthouse that was attended by dozens of people.

ABC 17 News contacted Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office on Thursday.

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El Paso Symphony Orchestra to perform Jurassic Park in Concert at Plaza Theatre

KVIA on July 17, 2025

Jesus A. Rodriguez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – The Plaza Theatre announced Jurassic Park in Concert is coming to El Paso later in the year.

The music of the 1993 film will be performed by the El Paso Symphony Orchestra.

Audiences can watch the movie while musicians perform the score written by legendary composer John Williams.

The concert is on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. Tickets go on sale July 24 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.

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‘New direction is necessary’: City of Madras names interim police chief after ousting Police Chief Timothy Plummer

KTVZ on July 17, 2025

Tracee Tuesday

(Update: Statement regarding Police Chief Tim Plummer’s exit from the Madras Police Department)

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Madras City Council voted 4-0-1 Wednesday night to fire Police Chief Timothy Plummer. Joined with Plummer’s sharp public criticism of City Administrator Will Ibershof, who recommended his dismissal, the Madras City Council meeting was heated.

Here is the new statement from the City of Madras regarding Police Chief Tim Plummer’s exit and the appointment of Paul Garrison as interim police chief:

During the Council meeting, Ibershof claimed the Police Department was “lacking a strong leader” and said the City’s Human Resources Director was concerned that Plummer was “not holding his folks accountable,” resulting in dropped criminal charges.

Plummer was given 10 minutes to address the council and provided a document that he summarized.

He claimed his impending termination “constitutes retaliation against me for protected activities,” including a complaint he filed with the City on behalf of his Chief of Staff.

The Police Chief, hired for the position two years ago, said he believes he has been targeted by “a coordinated and targeted pattern of retaliatory conduct: that violates city policy, and applicable labor and discrimination laws.”

Plummer said an annual performance evaluation only had involved the previous three months and “looks more like a scoring blueprint for hiring somebody.”

The chief also said, “I usually don’t like to air dirty laundry,” but that “I’ve had concerns about the City Administrator and how he’s doing and acting.”

Plummer referred to a department head meeting, and Ibershof’s struggle to collect his thoughts to lead the session.

KTVZ News will continue to follow this story in Madras.

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Power restored in Boone County

KMIZ on July 17, 2025

Gabrielle Teiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Power has been restored in Boone County after more than 400 people were without power on Thursday morning, as thunderstorms rolled through Mid-Missouri.

The Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives outage map on Thursday morning showed 478 customers without power.

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QUESTION OF THE DAY: Does Missouri need property tax reform?

KMIZ on July 17, 2025

Matthew Sanders

A special Missouri House committee began a series of hearings to take public testimony on property tax reform Wednesday.

The meeting in Jefferson City stretched through much of the day and included remarks by legislators. One of them was Columbia’s Kathy Steinhoff, a former teacher who talked about the challenges of changing the property tax system that schools depend on for most of their funding.

However, property taxes have grown quickly as real estate values have skyrocketed and the costs of providing education have increased. The increased tax burden is among rising consumer costs on everything from food to utilities to health care.

Do you think Missouri needs property tax reform? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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