Month: January 2026

Danielle Bailey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Sertoma Club awarded $500 to three local organizations in a continuation of the celebration of its 112th anniversary.

Presented by Board Chair Pat Dillon, AFL-CIO Community Services, Special Olympics and the YMCA received funds this week at the club’s quarterly meeting.

Club President Bill McMurray also presented the Sertoman of the Year plaques to two outstanding Sertomans, Ed and Pat Burton, for their decades of dedicated “SERvice TO MAnkind”.

International Director Bill Williams of Springfield, Missouri, was in attendance and praised the local club for its 100-plus years of community service.

The St. Joseph Sertoma club was founded in 1914, two years after the organization launched in Kansas City. It is one of the oldest in the country. Club members have made their mark on St. Joseph by creating and participating in events that benefit the community and the nation.

The organization places American Flags on 10 different occasions throughout the community and volunteers with Meals on Wheels.

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Leah Rainwater

CAMERON, Mo. (KQTV) — Players on Missouri Western State University’s men’s basketball team made a trip across U.S. Highway 36 to show their appreciation to students at Cameron Intermediate School.

The trip comes after over 300 Cameron Intermediate students packed buses to watch MoWest’s basketball teams on Education Day in December.

“We love the opportunity to come out and meet people and get to know our fan base,” said Brooks McKowen, head coach for MoWest’s men’s basketball team. “Obviously, we can’t do it every single day…We’re obviously, you know, still prepping for games and playing and stuff, but any chance we get to get out in the community, we’re going to do it.”

Players handed out autographed posters, ate lunch with students and played with them at recess.

“They drove this far just to see us play and they still idolize us, remember us,” senior Guard Devin Butler said. “That means a lot to me because it’s like, okay, that shows the type of impact that we have on the kids and obviously everybody else in the community.”

“Here, I feel like we’re able to actually, like, sit down, talk to them and actually, like, have a conversation and see what they like,” red shirt sophomore Guard Gavin Hershberger.

McKowen said it’s great to be able to watch the players interact with students outside of basketball.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One of the main agenda items discussed at Monday’s St. Joseph Board of Education meeting centered around planned classroom renovations for one of its high schools.

Benton High School will be undergoing renovations as part of the professional service agreement with DLR Architects. The initial agreement was based on building a new high school in St. Joseph, but required an amendment with the Prop 2 school measure bond failing to pass last year.

“We’re already in contact with DLR (on the contract Amendment). The amendment to the contract was to specify what the charges and fees would be for the remodeling work as an architect,” Robert Hedgecorth, assistant superintendent of business and operations, said. “In the master contract that was passed in November of 2024, it outlined what those fees would be for brand new (facilities).”

The changes added to the plan were “standard procedure” with one of the only noticeable changes being the cost percentage increase was 6.15% but is now a little under 8%.

“Usually (you) have a little bit higher percentage for a remodel. In the master contract it was 6.15% for any new construction,” Hedgecorth said. “When you’re talking about a remodel, old architectural plans have to be scanned and you actually need to go out to verify those items are there. It adds a little more work. With this one was I believe it was 7.9% on the amendment to the master contract.”

The next board of education work session will be at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, in the Troester Media Center, located on 3401 Renick St.

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Leah Rainwater

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (KQTV) — A man is charged with multiple counts in relation to a road rage shooting in Parkville, Missouri Monday.

Thomas Christopher Williams, 32, is accused of one count of assault in the first degree, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, three counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said charges were filed Tuesday, following an intensive investigation by the Parkville Police Department, the Platte County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas City Police Department.

According to court documents, just before 9:30 a.m. Monday, a person called 911 and reported that an individual driving a black SUV had shot at a snowplow he was driving.

The incident occurred in Parkville, near the roundabout at Thousand Oaks Drive and Northwest Nevada Avenue.

Platte County Sheriff’s deputies unsuccessfully attempted to stop the vehicle. Law enforcement officers located eight 9mm bullet casings in the roadway near the southeast corner of the roundabout.

Law enforcement officers determined that both the snowplow and a home were struck by gunfire in the exchange.

A bullet hole was located in the exterior of the home, and an expended bullet was found inside a filing cabinet near a desk in the office of the home. Both a mother and a small child were in the home at the time of the shooting.

KCPD located the black SUV near 33rd and Sprice Streets and arrested Williams. Officers also obtained a search warrant and found a 9mm handgun in the SUV.

Williams is currently being held in the Platte County jail with no bond.

The case is being investigated by the Parkville Police Department, the Platte County Sheriff’s Office and KCPD.

In a news release, the Platte County Prosecuting’s Office said the charges against Williams are merely accusations. Williams is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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