Library to host night of horror movie trivia

News-Press NOW on October 14, 2025

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) –The St. Joseph Public Library is hosting an upcoming Horror Trivia, presented by the Final Girl Book Club.

The event, which will serve as a fundraiser, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at the Remington Nature Center, located at 1502 McArthur Drive. The doors will open at 5:45 p.m., according to a press release from the St. Joseph Public Library.

The event will feature eight rounds of questions, with prizes for the best team after each round and a grand prize for the winning team. Participants must be 18 years of age or older.

The cost to participate is $90 per table with teams of up to six adults. Participants are encouraged to dress in costume. Those attending the event are allowed to bring their own snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, according to the press release.

To register a team, visit the library’s website or contact Jenna Sanders at 816-232-8151 or jsanders@sjpl.lib.mo.us for more information. Teams can also pay at the door but it is encouraged to reserve a table by paying in advance.

Proceeds from Horror Trivia will be used to support the library’s Archives and Genealogy Collection.

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Goats launch partnership giveaway for local businesses

News-Press NOW on October 14, 2025

Rebecca Evans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph Goats Arena Football is giving local businesses a chance to win big and join the team’s growing community of supporters.

The team has announced a $5,000 Partnership Giveaway for one standout business or organization in St. Joseph or a surrounding community, such as Savannah, Gower, Cameron or Maryville.

Anyone can nominate a business, nonprofit, school or organization that represents the spirit of the community. Submissions will be narrowed down to five finalists by the end of the month and fans will have the final say in choosing the winner.

“Ultimately, our goal is for everyone to benefit from the Goats, whether it’s enjoying watching the team play or growing your own personal business by collaborating with us,” said Ted Sweeney, managing partner of the Goats Arena Football Team. “We’re just here to do whatever we can for everyone in town.”

From there, the chosen business will receive a $5,000 partnership with the team, a boost meant to strengthen local ties heading into the 2026 season.

Organizers encourage everyone to nominate, share and vote.

The Goats played their first year in Kansas City at the Municipal Auditorium. Originally, the team looked at St. Joseph but things didn’t work out. For their second year, the Goats reached out to St. Joseph Civic Arena and the dates worked out. 

“We came up and spent a couple weeks in St. Joe and just fell in love with the place. We knew our team would love being here and the city would love us here,” Sweeney said.

Their regular season begins in May and consists of eight games, with four home games and then up to two playoff games. Playoffs begin in mid-July. 

Sweeney is confident in his team’s ability to secure a playoff spot this year, as last year the team lost a tiebreaker for the fourth seed. 

Tickets start at $15 for general admission and go up to $45 a ticket for 50-yard line seating.

The Goats are supported by their corporate sponsors and money goes directly back into the team. Players are paid by game and include bonuses for wins and statistics. 

“There’s always incentive and that’s part of the reason why you see maximum effort on the field by everyone in Goats uniforms,” Sweeney said.

The Goats host open try outs twice in the winter. There will be one in St. Joseph and one in Kansas City.  

“Whether it’s guys flying in to try out or just people from the area, we want to look at everybody,” Sweeney said.

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Local group forms committee to challenge two-high school model

News-Press NOW on October 14, 2025

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — We the People 3 Schools is a new political action committee (PAC) raising concerns about a key part in the St. Joseph School District’s long-range plan.

We the People 3 Schools PAC, organized by taxpayers in the district, aims to provide the best learning environment for SJSD students within the confines of the current budget, according to a press release from the committee.

The PAC will to present a plan to the Board of Education that includes:

Preserving Central, Benton and Lafayette high schools.

Preventing overcrowding at the city’s middle and elementary schools.

Reducing commute time for students and bus transportation costs for the district.

A long-range plan that will attract new families to St. Joseph.

Meetings are open to the public and We the People 3 Schools posts the meetings to their Facebookpage.

For more information, residents can contact Dottie Watt at 816-508-7425 or by email at wethepeople3schools@gmail.com.

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Court of Appeals coming to MoWest

News-Press NOW on October 14, 2025

Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Area residents will get a unique opportunity to see the legal system in action at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.

The Western District Court of Appeals for Missouri will hold public hearings starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, in Spratt Hall Room 101 on MoWest’s campus.

The three-judge panel will consist of Judge Janet Sutton, Judge Gary Witt and Judge W. Douglas Thomson. The panel will hear oral arguments on four cases, according to a press release from MoWest.

Suzanne Kissock, an attorney and dean of the School of Business and Professional Studies at MoWest, said the appeals court is different from the lower court proceedings many people are familiar with.

“This event will allow the community to see up close and personal how the appellate court system works,” Kissock said. “It will educate the public about the analysis that goes into the review of lower court decisions.”

The court of appeals reviews cases already decided upon. The judge panel can render review decisions that include affirming the lower court’s decision, reversing the lower court’s decision or remanding the case back to the lower court for additional actions.

The four cases being publicly reviewed at MoWest include a first-degree murder case, a parental rights case and a property dispute case. For each case, lawyers will present reasons for appeal and the panel of judges will render a decision.

“A trial in the traditional sense doesn’t happen at the appellate level,” Kissock said. “The focus of this part of the process is upon the legal doctrines and legal rulings of the cases in question.”

Judge Dan Kellogg, presiding judge for the Fifth Judicial Circuit in St. Joseph, is familiar with this process. He said the appeals court has been taking their process ‘on the road’ for quite some time, and he is glad St. Joseph can witness firsthand what is often an unseen aspect of the legal system.

“Watching the appellate court in action is something you don’t typically see on TV or in the movies,” Kellogg said. “This will be especially important for students enrolled in legal studies courses and those interested in a future in law.”

For more information, including a full description of the four cases to be reviewed, visit missouriwestern.edu/news.

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Murder, arson charges filed in June house fire in Columbia

KMIZ on October 14, 2025

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was charged Friday with arson and murder in a June house fire on Paris Road.

Brandon Butchkoski, 47, is accused in the death of Donovan Baylis. Baylis died after he was burned in a fire that was set at his home. Baylis died about a month later at a St. Louis hospital.

A witness told investigators that he heard a thud and other noises before the fire that indicated someone was outside the house, according to a probable cause statement. Another witness told officers that they saw a person pour gas on the porch before setting the fire.

Officers found a backpack about a block away that had a gas nozzle and smelled of gas, the statement says.

Surveillance cameras in the area captured video of the suspect riding away on a bicycle that matched one Butchkoski was known to ride, the statement says. Police also arrested Butchkoski after a June 29 fire in which a backpack with gas in it was thrown on a house’s roof, in the same block as the June 15 fire.

Police say in the statement that they developed evidence to arrest Butchkoski on the June 29 arson before they had enough evidence to recommend charges for the June 15 fire. Butchkoski, who is homeless, was denied bond, according to court records.

Butchkoski was charged with first-degree arson and drug possession for the June 29 fire. Hearing in that case is set for Oct. 20.

He posted bond on Sept. 9, according to court records, and was arrested on the new murder warrant Thursday.

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Woman accused of putting fetus in cooler charged with harassment

KMIZ on October 14, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman was charged in Pulaski County on Wednesday after she allegedly put a dead fetus into a cooler and gave it to a man.

Makayla Haedt was charged with first-degree harassment. An arraignment was held on Friday and a bond hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28. Information about Haedt was not available on the Pulaski County Jail’s online roster.

The probable cause statement says deputies were called to a Waynesville address on Sept. 18 about a report of a dead fetus being found in a cooler.

The victim in the case allegedly told deputies that he was friends with Haedt and they “had been romantic with one another on and off,” the statement says. The victim claimed Haedt was “a habitual liar” so he did not believe when she claimed to be pregnant a month or two prior, the statement says. She then allegedly claimed to have a miscarriage on Sept. 17, court documents say.

The victim was burning trash in his backyard on Sept. 18 when Haedt showed up, handed him a cooler and said “here’s your kid,” before driving away, court documents say. The victim first thought Haedt was making a “cruel joke,” the statement says, and waited to open the cooler until after talking with family and friends.

The victim then saw the fetus and reported it to law enforcement, the statement says. Deputies also witnessed the fetus before it was given to the coroner, the statement says.

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1 dies in Montgomery County crash, another injured

KMIZ on October 14, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

One person has died from injuries they suffered in a crash Friday on Interstate 70 in Montgomery County, according to a social media post from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

MSHP’s Troop F – which covers much of Mid-Missouri – wrote one vehicle was involved and described it as a rollover crash at mile-marker 181.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene and another person was injured, MSHP wrote at 9:58 a.m.

An MSHP crash report says a 2024 Nissan Rogue – driven by a 46-year-old woman from Englewood, Colorado – was heading eastbound when it hydroplaned and went off the right side of the road and overturned.

The passenger in the vehicle was ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Montgomery County coroner, the report says. Identifying information about the victim was not immediately available.

The driver wore a seatbelt and had minor injuries, the report says. She was brought to SSM St. Joseph West in Lake St. Louis by ambulance, the report says.

The report was updated before 5 p.m. and stated a 58-year-old woman from Georgia. It is not known if the woman was wearing a seatbelt and the town she is from was not listed in the report. Her body was brought to Schlanker Funeral Home in Montgomery City, the report says.

MSHP reports do not name those involved in crashes.

Check back for updates.

🚨Fatal Crash on I-70 at the 181MM🚨

Troopers are investigating a single vehicle rollover crash on eastbound I-70 in Montgomery County.

Unfortunately, one person has been pronounced deceased at the scene and a second person sustained injuries.

Traffic is quickly backing up. pic.twitter.com/pQdf9O4aAU

— MSHP Troop F (@MSHPTrooperF) October 10, 2025

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Vigil held in Fulton for woman hit in Jefferson City shooting

KMIZ on October 14, 2025

Ryan Shiner

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

A vigil was held Friday evening at Carver Park in Fulton for one of the women shot this week in Jefferson City.

Organizers wrote that the vigil was being held for Sofie Mulcahey. Organizers said she was a victim in a shooting that occurred Tuesday morning in the 1100 block of Cordell Street in Jefferson City. Authorities have yet to name the victims in the shooting and last said they were in critical condition.

Attendees of the vigil brought balloons and lit several small candles that spelled out the woman’s name. At least 40 people showed up by 6:20 p.m.

Attendees of a vigil for a woman who was shot earlier this week in Jefferson City spell out Sofie Mulcahey’s name with candles.

Michael Anthony Davis, 40, of Jefferson City, was charged with first-degree domestic assault, three counts of armed criminal action and single counts of first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. He is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond.

A hearing was held in the case on Friday and Michael Davis appeared by video from the jail. He is still awaiting an attorney to be appointed, court records say. A bond review hearing was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17.

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Columbia Public Schools will no longer use AMI days

KMIZ on October 14, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools will no longer use alternative methods of instruction, the district wrote in an email to families on Friday night.

The email – provided to ABC 17 News by a district spokesperson and Board President John Lyman – says that the district will not need to use AMI days for inclement weather. The district calendar for the current school year and the 2026-27 school year will be updated. The school board will also discuss this during its Monday meeting.

The district last school year used all of its available AMI days during snow storms that required more than a week of class to not be in session. The district decided to make the adjustments after legislative changes occurred at the end of August, the email to parents states.

The email also says CPS’ calendar already includes the required 36 hours necessary to account for snow days or other inclement weather and that the district “exceeds both the minimum 169 instructional days and the 1,044 instructional hours plus 36 makeup hours (1,104 hours total).”

That means additional inclement weather days are needed and traditional snow days would be used, otherwise.

“Students have a traditional snow day, with optional choice boards available for those that are interested. It will be a workday for all CPS staff,” a presentation on the school board’s Monday meeting agenda says.

Slides from this upcoming Monday’s presentation can be viewed below:

AMI no moreDownload

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Rigby High’s Laron Johnson named 2026 Idaho Teacher of the Year

KIFI on October 14, 2025

Danielle Mullenix

RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI) — Thursday morning, Rigby High School teacher Laron Johnson received the surprise many educators only dream of: he was named the 2026 Idaho Teacher of the Year. The prestigious award was presented by the Idaho Department of Education and sponsored by the CapEd Credit Union.

Johnson was chosen from a pool of over 200 nominees of the most esteemed educators in the Idaho education system. After sitting in his classroom, it’s no wonder why.

After 28 years in the Jefferson School District, Johnson has taught thousands of students, building a reputation for his incredibly engaging teaching style and his genuine desire to connect with every person who walks into his classroom.

“I’ve had 9,000 kids, for goodness sake,” Johnson said, reflecting on his long career. “It’s cool to be kind of in a dad mode for that many.”

Rigby High School Principal Bryan Lords believes Johnson’s impact comes down to the deep relationships he forges, paving a way to success.

“The relationships he builds with students in class are what make those kids want to go back and take more classes,” Principal Lords told Local News 8. “Plus, he makes them feel like they’ve been heard. As kids are becoming adults, they don’t always get that. He gives that to them. And when he tells them he loves them, they know it and they feel it.”

Over his nearly three decades as an educator, Johnson has taught a variety of classes, including history, economics, and personal development. He says his greatest passion is for using historical events to enlighten young minds about the past.

Students Rowan Reese and Joshua Squires agree that Johnson has made a profoundly positive difference in their school experience.

“I look forward to coming to Mr. Johnson’s class because he really brings, like, everything,” said Reese. “He’s super nice. He calls everyone his friend. He makes sure he really greets everyone with kindness.”

Squires added, “He teaches things that surround the curriculum to build you up.”

Mr. Johnson’s lessons encourage students not just to accept education, but to explore it with curiosity, creativity, and a genuine love for learning.

As the newly named 2026 Idaho Teacher of the Year, Laron Johnson will now serve as the state’s representative in the National Teacher of the Year program. The program, which began in 1959, “focuses public attention on excellence in teaching that has a real impact on the students of Idaho.” For more information, click HERE.

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