Month: October 2025

News-Press NOW

By: Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) –

Gov. Mike Kehoe said the state will spend more than $15 million to cover some food programs as the federal government shutdown continues.

Kehoe said in a news release on Wednesday that he would redirect money toward two programs aimed to help feed people in the state. The state plans to spend $10.6 million on the Missouri Area Agencies on Aging. Kehoe said the programs “will be critical” in giving meals to seniors. Money will come from its Senior Services Growth and Development Fund.

The state will also spend $5 million from its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families fund to send to state food banks. Kehoe’s office said the state moved up the payment to food banks, which was supposed to happen later this year.

The release did not say how much each food bank or area agency on aging might receive.

Hundreds of thousands of Missourians will not receive their monthly benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in November due to the ongoing government shutdown. Kehoe once again laid the blame on politicians in the Democratic Party, calling it a “Democrat-led federal government shutdown” in his news release.

Local groups have also been making changes to help those at risk of losing SNAP benefits. The Boone County Commission on Tuesday voted to send $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act money to the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri. Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe told ABC 17 News that the city would soon do the same. Meals on Wheels Columbia launched a sign-up for SNAP recipients to get seven free meals a week – a program the organization said it already reached capacity on.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said earlier today that benefits under the Women, Infants and Children program would remain intact for November.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri Department of Transportation is sending out a simple reminder for drivers: put the phone down and buckle up. 

The initiative, called “Buckle Up, Phone Down,” is all about getting people to focus on two things that can save lives — avoiding distractions and wearing a seatbelt.  

“The leading cause of crashes in the U.S is people being distracted while they’re driving, and based on some of those crash statistics, 59% of the fatalities happened due to people not wearing seatbelts,” Area Engineer Matthew Stein said.

This annual initiative is now in its ninth year, reminding drivers to focus on the road and stay off their phones. 

MoDOT’s Matthew Stein said the goal is simple — fewer distractions, more attention behind the wheel.  

“We have the Northwest Coalition for Roadway Safety, and they went out this morning observed about 80% of the people driving around without their seatbelts,” Stein said. 

IHOP General Manager Janet Trailer said it’s important for drivers to buckle up and put their phones away to avoid distractions.  

She said following these simple steps can prevent serious injuries and even save lives in a crash.  

“Not only do you have to think about yourself, but other and your family members and what happens if something tragic happens,” Trailer said.  

Trailer added that she often sees young drivers acting recklessly, unaware of how dangerous it can be for everyone on the road.  

“I just try to move my car away from the driver that is not buckling up or using their phone, maybe by backing away from them just to keep myself safe,” Trailer said.  

She said she hopes that campaigns like this remind drivers to pause before starting the car — to put the phone down, buckle up and stay alert to protect everyone on the road. 

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri Department of Conservation offers managed deer hunts, aimed at guiding new and seasoned hunters through the tradition.

Mid-September to mid-January is when multiple seasons of deer hunting in Missouri occur.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) offers more than 100 managed deer hunts for archery, muzzleloading, shotgun and modern firearms. These managed hunts are also provided to youth and disabled adults and youth.

Managed hunts are often associated with tradition, learning and acquiring a food source, but the sport is far more important than people realize.

Missouri state parks are usually wildlife refuges where hunting is not permitted, but when overpopulation of deer occurs, special managed hunts are conducted to prevent harm to the ecosystem.

Overpopulation can occur when there is a lack of predators and a lack of hunting occurring.

Deer population management has been a rapid issue across Missouri. This year, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced that 14 state parks would be temporarily closed for managed deer hunts.

“Hunting has such a long tradition in Missouri. And, it is absolutely a conservation resource for managing our deer populations and things like that,” said Erin Woodiel, the media specialist with the MDC.

Deer population management is vital for ecosystems to thrive. The overpopulation of deer can lead to forest degradation, increased vehicle accidents, and an increase in disease risk.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The United Way of Greater St. Joseph has released a list of warming centers and emergency warming centers in the community.

There are six warming shelters and three emergency shelters in St. Joseph.

Some of the warming centers include:

Carnegie Library, located at 316 Massachusetts St.

Downtown Library, located at 927 Felix St.

East Hills Library, located at 502 N. Woodbine Road

Rolling Hills Library, located at 1904 N. Belt Highway

The Salvation Army, located at 602 Messanie St.

Washington Park Library, located at 1821 N. 3rd St.

Some of the three emergency shelters include:

Community Missions (CMC) My Brother’s House, located at 700 1/2 Olive St.

The Salvation Army Booth Center, located at 318 S. 6th St.

YWCA Shelter, located at 304 N. 8th St.

Additionally, the list has the Rolling Hills Library listed as a warming shelter, which is located in Savannah.

The warming centers are ADA-compliant and most have restrooms and water fountains available.

Businesses that qualify as a warming center want to remind guests that:

Some sites may close for holidays or other reasons.

Disruptive patrons may be asked to leave.

Each site may have restrictions on what is allowed, including but not limited to: alcohol,weapons, smoking and pets.

Jodi Flurry, the director of community investment at the United Way of Greater St. Joseph, said it’s important to have warming centers for people who don’t have adequate heating sources in their homes or have another place to go.

“So having these warming centers is really important. It’s also it’s good for your mental health, it’s good for your physical health,” Flurry said.

Jen Wildhagen, manager of the St. Joseph downtown library said during the winter there are influx of people coming to warm up.

“We get a lot of people who need to come in and get out of the harsh cold or even just warm up for a while. They have access to fresh water from the water fountain, restroom and then they can just be here as long as they comply with the other rules that apply to everyone at the library,” she said.

Wildhagen said that the library does its best to keep the heat working since its an old building.

“The same can go for the heating systems in the buildings, but we really do our best to be sure that we have areas where people can be warm when it’s cold outside for cool when it’s really hot outside,” Wildhagen said

Any agency interested in serving as a warming center is encouraged to contact United Way.

“We’re always looking to add more agencies and safe places for people to go,” said Flurry. “So please contact the United Way if your agency is able to serve as a warming center, this one this winter.”

More information about local warming centers can be found on United Way’s website.

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