Author: News-Press NOW

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Housing developers and the City of St. Joseph are mapping out a preliminary plan to develop a 26-acre plot of land into a major subdivision with 89 lots for new housing.

The end of Meadow Trail and University Avenue is shown where a new 26-acre housing subdivision is proposed for development.

Monday’s City Council agenda includes two ordinances to move forward a preliminary plan for a new residential subdivision on South Leonard Road and west of University Avenue, adjacent to the Meadows Apartments and Thousand Oaks subdivision.

Property owner Ventura Homes, LLC, is requesting to rezone a 26-acre plot of land from C-3 Commercial District to a R-1-B Detached Single Family Residential District., as well as approve a preliminary plat for the major subdivision called “Venetian Falls.”

The plan is proposed to include 89 lots for housing development, as well as significant roadway and infrastructure upgrades to accommodate additional traffic. Two cul-de-sacs are proposed for the property as well.

This rendering shows how the 89-lot housing subdivision would be divided on South Leonard Road and University Avenue.

St. Joseph’s Planning Commission recently reviewed and approved the change of zoning and the preliminary plat this November. The housing plan now heads to City Council for approval.

Properties adjacent to the proposed project are largely zoned for residential use already. The Thousand Oaks subdivision located to the south and east of this parcel is zoned as such. The proposed development of this parcel will be similar in form and density to the existing Thousand Oaks development.

Ventura Homes, LLC, of Gardner, Kansas, is listed as the property owner and is the entity responsible for pursuing the project and zoning changes.

The google maps image shows the area (highlighted in blue) where a 26-acre major subdivision for residential homes is proposed for development near South Leonard Road and University Avenue.

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News-Press NOW

By: Noel Hardin

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — With current Republican State House Representative Brenda Shields’ term limited, the race for Missouri’s 11th District House seat is beginning to take shape.

Local real estate and insurance agent Taylor Crouse has officially launched his campaign for a Republican nomination.

Crouse, 48, is a lifelong resident of Northwest Missouri and a fourth-generation small business owner.

He points to his deep local roots and professional background as key qualifications for representing the district.

“I’ve lived in northwest Missouri my entire life, pretty much within the same 15-mile radius for 48 years,” Crouse said. “I want people to want to graduate from school here, to want to continue to live here, and to see those opportunities.”

While new to seeking elected office, Crouse is not new to Republican politics.

He has served on the Buchanan County Republican Central Committee and is a member of the Northwest Missouri Republican Club.

His decision to run stems from a desire to advocate for small businesses, strengthen the region’s agricultural base, and ensure the voices of his district are heard in Jefferson City.

“When my boots are on the ground down there, my ears are still going to be up here,” he emphasized. “I want to take the wants and needs of the people in my district to Jeff City. I don’t want to go down there and have people tell me to come back up here and tell these people what they want them to hear.”

Crouse, who grew up helping on a farm and comes from a family of teachers, believes his background gives him a unique understanding of the challenges facing both small business owners and farmers.

He cites navigating state bureaucracy, payroll taxes and a lack of accessible resources as hurdles for entrepreneurs, while farmers contend with high costs and a disconnect from consumers.

“Growing up the son of a small business owner, the son of a teacher, I think it makes me somewhat uniquely qualified for a position like this,” Crouse said. “I’m never going to be an expert, but I want to learn from my constituents along the way.”

His platform includes creating forums to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers, supporting job creation to retain young people in the area and increasing access to local business resources.

“I think that there’s a lot of people in Jeff City, bureaucrats, that are going to try to tell me what to do, and that just ain’t going to happen. The people that are going to tell me what to do are the people in my district and the people in the community and the people in the region, and that’s just always going to be my stand on things.”

The primary election for the Missouri House of Representatives will be held on Aug. 4, 2026, and the general election will be held on Nov. 3, 2026.

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) —  Benton High School students spent their Friday giving back in a big way. As part of their ProStart advanced cooking class, they packed up meals for families and community members who could use a little extra support. 

The project was done in partnership with a Kansas City–based agency called Feeding Kids, which works closely with Pete’s Garden—a program that collects unused food from restaurants, where it would otherwise be thrown out and puts it toward feeding local families. 

Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Annie Meyers said the opportunity gives students hands-on experience making nutritious meals and ensures those meals reach community members who really need them.  

“Kids in the class are graded of being a part of it because it is a lot of work, but they are not graded on how the food turns out necessarily,” Meyers said.  

By the end of the day, students had prepared 250 servings—about three servings in each container—for a total of roughly 80 meal containers.  

Meyers said her biggest hope is to make sure people who truly need a healthy meal can get one, while giving her students the chance to experience the joy of helping others and making their community stronger.  

To get the word out, the class sent fliers through Benton’s ParentSquare and reached out to Hosea and Hyde elementaries and Spring Garden Middle School 

“We just told families that between 3:30 and 6 (p.m.), they can just come to the back parking lot and we will bring meals to their car,” Meyers added.  

One senior helping with the project said she and her classmates have been preparing meals since Tuesday.  

Kristel Solis said she wanted to be involved not just for the class, but because she understands what it feels like to not always have access to nutritious food.  

“I do want to help. I want to do this for the class but also because I want to help other since I know what it’s like to not have food,” Solis said.  

Students in the class each took on different tasks — from prepping ingredients to packaging — and worked together to make sure everything came together smoothly.  

Solis said they’ve put in a lot of effort and hope the families who receive the meals are happy with what they take home.  

“This is my first time doing it, and it’s been good. It’s really fun to work with everyone here and we like to talk with each other and joke about stuff,” Solis said.  

Both Meyers and her students said they want to continue supporting families in the community, especially after learning more about food insecurity in class. 

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The YMCA’s LIVESTRONG program gives cancer survivors a free YMCA membership and training.

The program takes the first 12 participants to sign up for a 12-week program, with two 90-minute sessions per week for ages 18 and up.

Trainers will help participants focus on their fitness goals and will assist those who need help if they have physical restraints.

“I’m a cancer survivor, so it’s very special to my heart because I would have loved to have had this program when I was going through my cancer and so I just see the benefits, and I just want to be a part of it because it’s a special group of people,” Fitness Instructor Brenda Smith said.

Linda McNeely is now in her fourth year as the LIVESTRONG coordinator and said the program holds a special place in her heart.

“I have to tell you that I get so attached to these people, they just become, like, part of my family,” said McNeely.

According to the CDC, keeping a healthy weight and staying physically active helps lower the risk of cancer survivors developing other cancers.

To qualify for the program, participants must have a doctor’s release form and a list of their restrictions.

The program begins on Jan. 5, 2026. Interested participants can contact the YMCA of St. Joseph at 816-671-9622.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Missouri Western State University hosted its Fall Multidisciplinary Research Day at Blum Union Friday afternoon.

Students were able to showcase research from their practical clinicals, internships and undergraduate research projects. There was a range of topics available, such as health, animal conservation and a variety of other research topics. 

Tilo Roy, MoWest vice provost for graduate and sponsor programs, said the event helps students become career-ready and helps with essential skills. 

“Talk about what you are passionate about and talk about what you have learned, what are your skills, and what could be better than having in-house sessions where you can just talk about your project,” she said.

Roy said the students get an entire summer and fall to put together a presentation.

“Usually, it’s their fall projects, but a lot of times, students would come and present what they did. Let’s say they did an internship project in the summer, but they just had to gather the data and finish up the writing part of the puzzle,” she said.

Roy said it’s important for students to present their work to help them practice for when they enter their future career.

“Everyone knows each other, and it’s a practice they can have in their future, you know, they can go outside and do the same thing,” she said.  “But by that time, they’ll already have a practice. Any area our students venture out into, because we are a career-focused institution, and it just gives them that practice, but in a familiar stress-free setting.”

Roy said she’s excited and it’s great to see students coming in.

“You’ve seen this energy and that excitement. It’s such a rewarding experience to get to see our students presenting the outcomes, looking at the posters, asking them questions and seeing that excitement and enthusiasm. I feel fortunate that we have such great things that we can offer our students. 

MoWest’s next Multidisciplinary Research Day will take place in the spring.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office and a nationwide nonprofit honored the work of two deputies who went above and beyond this year to help remove impaired drivers from roads in 2025.

Deputy Zack Craft and Deputy Kelby Shepard were recognized on Dec. 3 by the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office and Mothers Against Drunk Driving for their steadfast efforts in removing impaired drivers off the roads and assisting in keeping Buchanan County safe.

Both Craft and Shephard were awarded MADD Roll Call Awards for their service and dedication on Wednesday. MADD remains one of the top advocates against drunk driving since being founded in 1980.

Locally, the Missouri Highway Patrol’s Troop H reported a total of 371 DWI arrests in 2024, a 23% increase from the year before.

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Associated Press

(AP) — Kansas City is getting a clearer picture of which teams will face off in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Arrowhead Stadium, with several soccer powerhouses in store.

The FIFA World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., divided a record 48 teams into 12 groups of four on Friday, including which teams are likely to play in Kansas City, which will host six matchups, including a quarterfinal matchup.

The following groups will play a match in Kansas City at some point during the Group Stage during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Germany and Argentina have won two of the last three World Cups.

Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Côte d’Ivoire, Curaçao

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Play-Off B

Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan

Kansas City games will occur as follows:

Group Stage: Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Group Stage: Saturday, June 20, 2026

Group Stage: Thursday, June 25, 2026

Group Stage: Saturday June 27, 2026

Round of 32: Friday, July 3, 2026

Quarterfinal: Saturday, July 11, 2026

Kansas City and Dallas are set to host a match from at least eight different groups combined. Six spots won’t be determined until March, when 22 teams will face off in playoffs.

Here’s a list of the groups from strongest to weakest, using each group’s average FIFA ranking. (For groups with placeholders, the highest-ranked possible qualifier was used.)

Group F – 23.25 (Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff B)

Group D – 26 (United States, Australia, Paraguay, UEFA Playoff C)

Group B – 26.75 (Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, UEFA Playoff A)

Group I – 27.25 (France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA Playoff 2)

Group L – 29 (England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana)

Group A – 29.75 (Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, UEFA Playoff D)

Group J – 31.75 (Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan)

Group C – 34 (Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti)

Group H – 36.25 (Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde)

Group G – 37 (Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand)

Group K – 37.25 (Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, FIFA Playoff 1)

Group E – 39 (Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao)

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Kansas City Chiefs fans hoping to score tickets to one of the last home games of 2025 are in luck.

The Allied Arts Council will be giving away two free tickets — with prime lower-level seating — to see the Chiefs face off against the rival Los Angeles Chargers at noon on Sunday, Dec. 14, as part of a drawing/donation event.

Winners will get the chance to watch Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs from Section 103, Row 24, around the 20-30 yard line on the lower level at Arrowhead Stadium.

To enter into the drawing to win tickets, a donation of $25 must me be made to the Allied Arts Council by noon on Tuesday, Dec. 9, with the winner being announced live on Facebook later that day at 2 p.m.

Donations can be made online at alliedartscouncil.app.neoncrm.com/forms/giving-tuesday, a boost for the local arts community and programming.

Every $25 donated equals one entry, so those who donate $100 will be entered four times.

For more information on the raffle visit the Allied Arts Council Facebook Page.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Friends of the Animal Shelter and one local business are getting into the giving spirit to help find pets a forever home this Saturday.

With the help of a sponsorship from Clipper Distributing Company, LLC, Friends of the Animal Shelter is partnering to host a dual-adoption event at the Shelter, Petco and PetSmart this Saturday, with adoption fees being waived for available cats and dogs.

Pets will be available at Petco from 10 a.m. to noon, as well as from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the animal shelter on Saturday Dec. 6.

Currently, 17 cats and 34 dogs are listed on FOTAS’s adoptable pets page.

A complete and current listing of adoptable pets will be finalized today and can be found on the Friends of the Animal Shelter’s website.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The AFL-CIO announced that, as of Thursday, 885 families have applied to the Adopt-A-Family program.

Of the 885 families who applied, 385 have been adopted. The deadline to pick up or download an adoption application is 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5.

The AFL-CIO said, families or individuals seeking adoption must submit their applications by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8. No applications will be taken after the deadline.

For anyone who has never adopted, the estimated cost to adopt one child under five years old is $50. For ages five to 12, it’s $75 to $80 and the common price for teens ranges from $75 to $100.

Adopters are asked to provide at least one new gift per child. Any additional items for the children and any gifts for the parents are at the adopter’s discretion.

The agency also said it has several adults and seniors who need to be adopted. Many of whom live in residential care facilities and are unable to afford basic necessities and do not have any other form of financial support.

The cost to adopt seniors and disabled adults typically ranges from $75 to $100 per person.

The AFL-CIO said it urgently needs adopters, as well as both gift and monetary donations. The agency is accepting donations of new toys and new gifts for infants through adults for its gift room.

The gift room is for families who are not chosen by the public for adoption; those families shop in the gift room for family members.

Monetary donations can be made by visiting www.helpmenow.org or by phone using a credit or debit card.

Monetary donations go toward purchasing gifts and food vouchers to help supplement families who are not chosen by the public for adoption.

Anyone interested in adopting can stop by the AFL-CIO, located at 1203 N. Sixth St., call 816-364-1131, fax 866-591-8565 or email adopt@helpmenow.org.

The agency’s hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, 13 and 20.

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