Author: News-Press NOW

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 1200 block of North 13th Street early Thursday morning.

The initial call for the fire came in at about 1:53 a.m. Thursday, according to Fire Inspector Casey Crockett with Fire Prevention.

Crockett confirmed to News-Press NOW that the fire was contained to a vacant building at 1218 N. 13th St., and crews stopped the flames from spreading to a second building located just feet away.

In a social media update around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, the SJFD said firefighters made an aggressive attack to bring the blaze under control.

No injuries were reported during the incident.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Missouri Western State University and the St. Joseph School District have partnered to offer students direct admission to MoWest.

This is the first partnership between a university and a school district in the state of Missouri.

Elizabeth Kennedy, MoWest’s president, said this program was created to make applying for college easier.

“The reason for the partnership is to make high school students who are seeking a college career want to go to college, make the path easier, make it more of a seamless transition,” she said.

Direct admission guarantees admission to graduates of Central, Benton and Lafayette High Schools who meet minimum academic criteria.

Students can join the program by completing a shortened application and then they will receive their direct admission letter.

Once the student receives their direct admission letter, a MoWest recruiter will reach out to the student to help.

Kennedy said this program allows a personal approach to the students, especially since a lot of their students are first-generation.

“So this provides our folks an opportunity to reach out and help students who are interested, who want to come to the MoWest,” said Kennedy. “We can get them through the process much more seamlessly, a lot easier, and make them feel more comfortable as they continue to go through becoming a Griffon here at Missouri Western.”

Kennedy also said, since the program’s announcement, the university has seen around a dozen SJSD students commit to the initiative.

Samantha Davis, SJSD college and career readiness and family services coordinator, said they want to show their students that going to college is attainable.

“And what we really want to do is show them that absolutely if that is a dream of yours, that you can do that with MoWest being right in St. Joe, I just think it’s a great time to really have that partnership to show students everything that they are capable of achieving,” Davis said.

Any SJSD junior or senior interested in participating in the program can opt to do so by filling out a MoWest Direct Admission form at griff.vn/DirectSJSD. 

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News-Press NOW

BUCHANAN COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Buchanan County Clerk, Mary Baack-Garvey, confirmed with News-Press NOW on Wednesday that there will not be a 2025 November Election for the county.

The 2025 off-year election includes gubernatorial and state legislative elections; however, there were no issues submitted to be on ballots for the supposed Nov. 4, 2025, Election Day.

The final certification date for the election was on Tuesday, Aug. 26

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News-Press NOW

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that two occupants are confirmed dead in a plane crash in Excelsior Springs.

Clay County officials received a call about heavy smoke coming from a field near NE 140th St. and Rhodus Road just before noon on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Callers stated they believed it may have been from a plane crash.

When deputies arrived, they located a Cessna C340 fully engulfed in flames in a soybean field. There were at least two occupants inside, who have been confirmed as dead.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is working to identify the occupants of the plane and will notify next of kin.

The plane appeared to have been trying to land at the Midwest National Air Center. Preliminary information indicates the plane may have come from an airport outside of the St. Louis metro area.

Air traffic at the airport remains closed until 5 p.m., while the investigation is ongoing.

Clay County officials notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which will take over the investigation into what caused the crash.

This is a developing story.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A popular local bank has announced plans to permanently close a longtime branch in Downtown St. Joseph starting in December.

Commerce Bank has informed customers that it plans to close the Downtown St. Joseph branch at 328 Felix St., effective Dec. 12, including ATM services.

A sign has now been posted on the front door of the building announcing the move. A Commerce Bank customer told News-Press NOW he recently received a letter in the mail confirming the bank’s decision.

A sign posted on the front door of Commerce Bank’s Downtown branch notifies customers that the branch will permanently close effective Dec. 12, 2025.

Longtime Downtown resident Sean Easely said he was “disappointed” to hear of the bank’s planned closure.

The building has been operated by Commerce Bank since 1985, when it acquired First National Bank of St. Joseph from the FDIC. The building has stood in Downtown St. Joseph for more than a century.

Commerce Bank operates two other branches in St. Joseph at 3606 Frederick Ave. and 3303 Ashland Ave.

This photo shows a 1907 advertisement for the First National Bank of Buchanan County.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A family on the South Side of St. Joseph shared concerns about drainage problems in their neighborhood.

The family said, when they reached out to the City of St. Joseph, a crew did come out to work on the issue near Pine Street. Workers used a backhoe to dig the ditches deeper and even removed some of the culverts. 

But the family says the job wasn’t finished — because the culvert in their yard was left clogged with dirt and debris.  

“A crew came down and dug the ditches deeper with a backhoe, but the tube, the culvert that goes underneath the sidewalks and walkways to the houses, are just full of debris and dirt,” St. Joseph resident, David Duncan said.  

He told us his family isn’t the only one dealing with this. Neighbors up and down the street are running into the same issue.  

Ideally, Duncan said he’d like to see the city install an underground sewer system or at least clean out and upgrade the culverts so they can handle more water.  

“Yeah, I have spoken to several people in the area too, and they said they’re aware of the problem, but they feel like their hands are tied, so we hope the city helps us with it,” Duncan said.  

The City said it’s aware of the concerns and plans to send crews back out.

Public Works Director Kevin Schneider explained that while water is flowing and the culverts are functioning, they weren’t fully cleared the first time — and that’s what’s backing things up.  

“We will go down there and clean the culverts out, but they are functioning, and we did drain the water that was called on,” Schnieder said.  

Schneider said geography makes a difference. Because the Kirschner neighborhood sits on flat ground, debris tends to settle in the ditches more quickly.  

“There’s ditches and culverts that happen everywhere, and the dirt gets in the ditch and settles down in the culvert and starts filling up, but if you’re on a hill, it doesn’t impact you as bad,” Schneider said.  

Homeowners and residents are advised to keep the ends of culverts clear of trash and yard waste — a small step that can make a big difference in neighborhoods where water tends to stall. 

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Police Department has officially started its new security service known as “Shield Check”.

Officers with the SJPD have been doing overnight business checks, but the new service is meant to act as a way to alert owners that officers are patrolling the areas.

Any business that is checked by the department will have a Shield Check Door hanger with the officer’s name, along with the time and date they visited the owner’s property.

The hanger will also have the crime prevention email and phone number on the back to give feedback or request a security assessment.

One of the SJPD Shield Check door hangars.

The security assessments are meant for officers to give information to property owners that can help in an investigation.

“Officers can meet with you at your residence or business to give insight on some crime trends,” SJPD Sgt. Jeremy Peters said. “Where people typically force entry in different situations, possible physical vulnerabilities in your house or business. If you have surveillance cameras, we can look at what you have. Maybe recommend adjusting them to be more useful for us on investigations.”

For questions and information on the Shield Check security assessments, email crimeprevention@stjosephmo.gov or call 816-236-1473.

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Abigail McCluskey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri Department of Conservation will host a 12-mile canoe trip down the Missouri River on Saturday, Sept. 6.

This event aims to connect residents with the state’s natural resources while also emphasizing river safety.

The trip will launch from Nodaway Island Access and end at French Bottom Access. The MDC is providing canoes, paddles and life jackets for participants.

Although the Missouri River carries a reputation of being intimidating, MDC officials say this stretch of the river is relatively safe with lower water levels and minimal boat traffic.

Still, organizers stress that safety is a top priority.

TJ Peacher is the district supervisor for the MDC education division and shared the most important safety tips for canoeing.

“The life jacket — all participants and all staff will wear personal floatation devices at all times that they’re on the water,” said Peacher.

Lifejackets are crucial and MDC strongly encourages anyone canoeing on their own to do the same.

The department has also released safety tips for paddlers who may want to try the river outside of the event.

“I would not go by myself. I would make sure that there’s probably at least two canoes out there with you, and maybe a rope to help assist you on the trip,” said Peacher.

There are only 20 spots available per session, but due to the outpouring of support, there looks to be more events in the future.

“This is the first year for the trip, and we’re thrilled with the response,” said Peacher.

Peacher explained that the event had such a great participation rate, the MDC plans on doing several trips next year.

While this event has reached capacity, MDC encourages residents to get outdoors and explore Missouri’s waterways on their own.

Activities such as canoeing, kayaking and fishing can help people discover new ways to enjoy the outdoors.

For more information about future events, visit mdc.mo.gov/events

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A concrete repair and replacement project along the Stockyards Expressway will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Motorists traveling in the area of Lower Lake Road and Bluff View Drive may want to allow a little extra time for their drive, as the traffic will remain open, but will be reduced to two lanes during the repairs.

The lane closures are expected to last about a month, weather permitting.

The latest work, which has cost $240,000, continues a project previously started in the same area.

Drivers are asked to use caution and exercise patience during the repair process, as several large employers like Nestle Purina, Albaugh, Triumph Foods and Daily’s Premium Meats are located in the area.

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In a meeting on Tuesday, the St. Joseph Community Alliance discussed preliminary community branding efforts.

Director Tom Brand and fellow Community Alliance members met at the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce and spoke about ways to promote and enhance a brand that loosely involves an array of community organizations, “Made with Uncommon Character”.

The members also discussed topics such as the upcoming World Cup, school districts and increasing communication with community stakeholders.

“The bottom line with the St. Joseph Community Alliance is investing in people, creating a better place,” said Brand.

St. Joseph Community Alliance members mentioned new faces involved in the alliance’s efforts, who offer new energy and perspectives, but have the same common goal of helping the St. Joseph local community.

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