Author: News-Press NOW

Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Missouri Western finishes the school year with two music concerts at Potter Hall on the MoWest campus.

First, at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, the Missouri Western Chorale will perform its spring concert. Choral Music Director Dr. Paul Dease, who is in his second year at Missouri Western, said the chorale is unique in that it provides even non-music majors the opportunity to learn important choral works and perform them.

“This chorale features students from freshmen to our non-traditional students to our adult returning students,” Dease said. “They range from psychology majors, nursing, music majors, you name it. It’s the choir that represents the entire university.”

Dease said his goal is to build the chorale back up to its pre-COVID 19 numbers, when the chorale had 80 to 90 members. He also said that he often mentions the chorale opportunity in the recruiting process around the region.

Next, on Thursday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m., the Missouri Western Instrumental Ensemble will perform. Director Dr. Lee Harrelson said this concert is a culmination of the hard work the students have done all year long. He also said that both the wide variety of music and the fact that this concert will feature a member of the faculty.

“We’re featuring Dr. Patrick Gay, who has been our interim director of athletic bands this year,” Harrelson said. “There is something for everyone in the concert. We’re doing pieces from traditional, almost hymn-like kinds of things to jazz-based influences. . . .”

Both concerts are free and open to the public.

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph residents will not see a bond measure at the polls this year to help finance a large-scale youth sports complex on the campus of Missouri Western State University, but key discussions and project planning will continue.

City officials have elected to push back their timeline by at least one year to decide whether to pursue a general obligation bond measure to finance the complex, a potential $85 million to $105 million joint project between the city and university. The city had previously set a May deadline to make its decision with the St. Joseph School District also pursuing its Proposition 2 bond measure in April.

“There is a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure that council has enough information to make an adequate decision,” Thompson said. “However, as a result of moving that issue further out in the timeline, there is still work ongoing on the project.”

Additional information on cost projections and a plan for how bonds would be repaid still have to be determined before city officials elect to pull the trigger, among other factors to weigh. The complex is being targeted for a 70-acre plot of land on the northern portion of Missouri Western’s campus adjacent to Faraon Street.

With a timeframe on a decision now pushed back, Thompson said one goal over the coming months is to explore additional economic activity that could be paired with the complex, activity that would generate additional revenue and limit how much a bond measure and its tax increase would impact residents.

Just as important, additional time will be used to evaluate all of the community’s existing needs and determine the extent to which added debt would impact services, taxing entities and infrastructure like sewers and roads.

“That’s one thing that I think this council will be looking into is: How is that debt paid back? What’s the cost to the resident?” Thompson said. “How can we ensure that those costs are met before we go out and take on additional debt that may be serviced by the taxpayer?â€

St. Joseph is several years into the process of developing the complex, a potential dual indoor and outdoor project capable of hosting dozens of tournaments and events while boosting community sports growth through new programs and state-of-the-art facilities.

Early plans have called for a variety of courts for volleyball and basketball, fields for baseball and softball and a host of additional amenities for fitness and training.

A common tool used by governments to fund major infrastructure projects like bridges, parks and public buildings, general obligation bonds — which the city intends to use to finance the complex — are backed by a government’s pledge to use general and tax revenues, typically in the form of property tax increases to repay bondholders. In most cases, the bonds are repaid over 20 years.

GO bonds differ from other financing tools like revenue bonds, which are attached to revenue generated from the project itself or other income sources.

“The city has not issued debt previously through that type of mechanism in the past,†Thompson said. “The youth sports facility would be a great community benefit. However, is it a benefit that would be in line with other potential needs in the community? I think that’s what we’re going through the process right now.â€

City council members previously approved a $129,500 contract on Dec. 9 with project developer/consultant Sports Facilities Development to ramp up preliminary planning and analysis following earlier feasibility studies.

SFD, a Florida-based developer, has helped create and manage indoor and outdoor facilities like the AdventHealth Sports Park in Shawnee, Kansas, and the Cooper Sports Complex in Springfield, Missouri.

Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Meierhoffer Funeral Home and Crematory is providing a way for community members to honor Pope Francis, following his death on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025.

Meierhoffer will provide a register book at its facility, located 5005 Frederick Ave.

“An event like this, even though you never knew Pope Francis personally, is still something that leaves people with a loss to deal with. In addition to our prayers for Pope Francis and the Church, many people feel the need to physically go somewhere and do something to mark the loss,” said Todd Meierhoffer, one of the owners of the family business. “Signing a register book is a simple and respectful way to take time out of your day and remember Pope Francis.”

Meierhoffer Funeral Home and Crematory has provided this service before, especially with previous passings of influential figures.

According to the Associated Press, the cause of Pope Francis’ death was a cerebral stroke, which led to a coma and irreversible heart failure.

Francis’ death brings a week-long process when it comes to allowing people to pay their final respects.

He has decreed in his will that he be buried in St. Mary Major Basilica in a simple underground tomb.

Funeral plans have not yet been announced for the Pope, but the registry book is now available to sign at Meierhoffer Funeral Home and Crematory.

Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Local groups will be sponsoring a community forum featuring Buchanan County and Missouri state leaders.

The League of Women Voters of Northwest Missouri, along with Missouri Western State University Foundation, NAACP St. Joseph Chapter and the St. Joseph Retired School Personnel Association are co-sponsoring the forum.

Missouri 10th District State Representative, Bill Faulkner, Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner, Scott Nelson and Buchanan County Sheriff, Bill Puett will participate in the forum.

The forum will be open with timed commentary by each official of five minutes to inform the audience about current events or information about their office.

Questions will be collected from the audience in written form and the moderator will read the questions to the participants. Participant responses will also be timed to offer equal opportunities to speak.

The forum will be from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 25 at the Rolling Hills Library’s Upper Story Room located at 1906 A North Belt Highway.

There is no admittance fee to attend and light refreshments will be served.

The goal of the forum is offer information to the general public regarding current issues and for the public to become more knowledgeable of the office holders.

Ashley Luthans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A Vietnam Era Commemoration Ceremony will be held in July to honor local veterans.

The ceremony, hosted by the City of St. Joseph, AUSA Henry Leavenworth Chapter and the St. Joseph Community Alliance, will take place at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 14 at Word of Life Church, 3902 Riverside Rd.

The event will honor veterans who served between Nov. 1, 1955 and May 15, 1975. Those honored will receive a commemorative pin and certificate.

In order to register a veteran for the ceremony, visit stjosephmo.gov, call 816-271-4680 or email kgarton@stjosephmo.gov.

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A structural analysis of St. Joseph’s historic ballpark has helped identify key improvements that officials plan to tackle after the upcoming Mustangs season.

City councilmembers authorized a $613,000 contract on Monday with Lawhon Construction for the Phil Welch Stadium Structural Improvements Project using Parks Sales Tax funds.

“The original project was to replace the concrete and the bleacher area of the stadium. Before we could do that, we had to have a structural analysis of the steel structure that supports the concrete,” St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities Director Jeff Atkins said.

The total budget for the project is $769,868 to account for additional change orders if they become necessary. Planned improvements will help strengthen a number of foundational components for the 86-year-old stadium, which has undergone widespread renovations in recent years.

The stadium most recently added a new $130,000 video scoreboard for the upcoming season that kicks off on May 28. Atkins said structural improvements will begin after the season concludes.

“What we found out is when that structure was built back in the 1940s, a lot of the building standards, structural standards have changed,” Atkins said. “What this will allow us to do is to bring the steel structure that served the stadium up to modern codes.”

Reinforcement of multiple stadium support beams — which have exceeded capacity and require additional bracing — will pave the way for large sections of concrete slabs that support stadium seating to be replaced in the process.

Concrete replacement will primarily occur on the first base side of the stadium to address leaks that have been affecting the office and concessions area below, followed by the installation of new bleacher seating, an amount that will be dictated by remaining funds.

The Mustangs are set to face off against the NEMO Craze for their home opener at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28.

Tickets can be purchased at stjoemustangs.com/purchase-tickets.

Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In an ever-changing housing market, the demand for rental properties has exceeded the supply in St. Joseph.

Joshua Johnson of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services/Stein & Summers Real Estate said, while various rental property managers like his own company try their best to place people in good homes with affordable rents, the supply of quality rentals in St. Joseph is small.

“St. Joseph is a market that needs good rentals,” Johnson said. “The challenge is timing based upon current demand, and the city does have a thorough certification process that takes time.”

Johnson’s observations echo the analysis of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, which shows a shortage of affordable rental homes throughout the state of Missouri.

According to Johnson, even if a rental property with potential housing for 100 people were approved today, the wait time would be prohibitive for some, and the waiting list would grow immediately.

The waiting list for extremely low-income households is even greater, according to the Low Income Housing Coalition and the Housing Authority of St. Joseph. Wait time for Section 8 housing, for instance, can be from one to three years.

For standard rental properties, Johnson said in addition to the lack of availability, the challenge in St. Joseph includes the readiness of the rental properties that might be available.

“We manage over 400 rentals here at Berkshire Hathaway,” Johnson said. “Some, though, are still in the ‘make ready’ condition, and with those that are ready, we are at about 97% occupancy.”

Renters are now on waiting lists for either the contracted repair to be finished on a property or they are simply waiting for someone who occupies a rental home to move.

This not only presents a challenge for realtors and rental property managers, but also for businesses who are seeking to recruit people to St. Joseph, many of whom are not able to purchase a house right away.

“Some of the larger businesses who are recruiting heavily are having a hard time finding housing for potential employees,” Johnson said. “Even many of our properties are outside of the city, and so those who come here without drivers licenses to work for some of our companies will have additional transportation challenges, even if they find a rental.”

Some tips Johnson and other housing experts in the area give for those looking for rental houses or apartments in St. Joseph include, starting the search early. This means starting a few months in advance, working with your current renter on the timing of your transition and visiting a realtor or rental property management team directly.

“Come directly to the office, ask questions and let realtors help you do the work,” Johnson said.

Also, the City of St. Joseph has a Residential Rental Certification Program that can assist those who are seeking to place properties for rent and to assist in the approval of existing rental properties. For more information, on this program, call (816) 271-5343.

Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Although it’s early in 2025, seventeen United Way partner agencies are making presentations to United Way for 2026 funding.

Each year, volunteers assist the United Way Board and Investment Council in determining how United Way of Greater St. Joseph funds will be distributed.

Community volunteer Donna Zion, of North American Savings Bank in St. Joseph, said the process of volunteering to assess various United Way partners has given her a greater appreciation for the work St. Joseph non-profits do for the community.

“It is a very humbling experience to get to interact with these partner agencies and see what they do for the community,” Zion said. “We look at financials and programming, and we look at any possible duplication of service, and then we make decisions based upon the feedback of our volunteers.”

This year, 180 volunteers from the community meet with representatives of the partner agencies in a small group setting and ask pertinent questions about funding and impact. They then make recommendations to the Investment Council, who works in conjunct with the board of directors to make final funding decisions. These decisions are announced later in the year.

Nichi Seckinger, Executive Director of AFL-CIO of St. Joseph, said as a longtime participant, the process makes sure the community is making best use of the funds given by businesses and individuals to the work of serving others.

“The process is challenging, but it’s a way of protecting the dollars of people who donate to the United Way,” Seckinger said. “It keeps us all, you know, in line and keeps us thinking about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”

Seckinger also said, although her organization receives relatively little federal funding, the concerns about cuts to non-profits weighs on everyone applying for funds from sources like United Way.

Jodi Flurry, Director of Community Investment for United Way, said at the end of the day, process is about maximizing dollars to help these partner agencies change lives.

“We get to hear stories from these organizations about how lives are changed for the better,” Flurry said. “The feedback provided by our volunteers about how the United Way should invest gives people in the community who are donors or even past recipients of help a way to be an important part of the ongoing funding process.”

For more information about the 17 partner agencies the United Way supports, visit stjosephunitedway.org.