Author: News-Press NOW

News-Press NOW

By: Lucas Geisler

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) –

The Missouri Gaming Commission voted Friday morning to give DraftKings and Circa Hospitality the state’s first two mobile sports betting licenses.

The commission awarded the licenses at its meeting Friday morning. The state can offer up to two licenses for companies to offer sports betting on people’s phones across the state.

DraftKings, Circa and FanDuel made their pitch to the commission on Wednesday. DraftKings and FanDuel are considered major players in the sports betting game, available in most states where betting is already legal. The two companies put millions of dollars into the 2024 ballot measure that brought legal betting to the state. Circa Hospitality, a Las Vegas-based brand, touted its local partnerships in places like Las Vegas and Chicago, as part of its pitch.

The commission has to have sports betting available to people by December 1 under the constitutional amendment voters passed. The MGC has been accepting applications from sports teams and casinos to offer in-site betting since the summer. The commission is calling on organizations to apply by September 12 to get licensed by the December 1 deadline.

Click here to follow the original article.

NPG Content Share

var cachebuster = Math.round(new Date().getTime() / 1000); var player = new Playerjs({id:”player_kyma”, file:”https://vz-9a0191b3-e78.b-cdn.net/038bd456-63c8-44b6-90ae-1285fbd3d525/playlist.m3u8″, poster:”https://vz-9a0191b3-e78.b-cdn.net/038bd456-63c8-44b6-90ae-1285fbd3d525/thumbnail_d838eeec.jpg”, label:”Missouri finishes last in U.S. School Safety rankings for second consecutive year” , vast_replace:{“[wpcategory]”:”spanish”,”[wprand]”:””+cachebuster+””}});

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

With students returning to classrooms this month, Missouri once again ranked last in the nation for public school safety.

A 2025 Wallethub ranking placed the Show-Me-State as 51st in the country for public school safety for the second consecutive year. This comes despite Missouri finishing 33rd in overall school quality.

The school safety rankings were determined by a series of metrics that included:

Number of high school students injured or threatened on school property

Number of students not attending school due to safety concerns

Armed high school students

High school students involved in a fight on school property

Laws regulating school resource officers

Bullying incidents

Youth incarceration rates

School saftey plan requirements

Records obtained by ABC 17 News show that Courage2Report, a confidential system for reporting school violence, received 927 tips between January 1 and July 3 of this year.

Of those, 106 involved bullying or repeated harassment, 94 were threats to kill, 65 were school shooting threats, 58 were reports of physical assault, and 33 involved alcohol or drugs.

Missouri has taken steps to try an address the issue in recent years.

In May of 2023, then-Gov. Mike Parson also announced a $3 million investment over three years for a new school safety app from Raptor Technologies. Over 140 schools have signed up for the program, which expedites and streamlines an emergency response by allowing teachers and other school staff to quickly initiate an alert through their mobile device or computer. Districts can also manage safety drills through the software.

In March, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed House Bill 495, which focused on public safety and included the creation of a school safety committee within the Department of Public Safety.

The committee will evaluate safety concerns, develop guidelines, and create plans to prevent gun violence in schools. It will include members from the Department of Public Safety, the Missouri Sheriffs’ Association, the Missouri Municipal League, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Missouri School Boards’ Association’s Center for Education Safety.

The Missouri School Board Association’s Center for Education Safety bills itself as the only statewide school safety organization in Missouri. It partners with the Missouri Office of Homeland Security to help enhance emergency planning and safety in both public and private schools.

While the bill emphasizes preventing school gun violence, the committee will also address other safety areas, including student mental health, de-escalation training, and emergency procedures for severe weather.

WalletHub contributed some of the states’ rankings to their low spending. Missouri ranked 38th in the country in spending per student. According to U.S Public Education Spending statistics, Missouri spends $14,703 per K-12 student, which makes up 3.38% of the state’s taxpayer income.

In May, Kehoe established a 16-member Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force to begin the process of modernizing the state’s K-12 foundation formula, which has drawn criticism from lawmakers, educators, and charter advocates alike for being outdated and inequitable.

Missouri’s school funding formula was last significantly updated in 2005, following earlier versions established in the mid-1970s and revised in the early 1990s.  A final report is due to the governor by Dec. 1, 2026.

Click here to follow the original article.

Click here to follow the original article.

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A two-vehicle crash left several people shaken up but unharmed Friday morning at the intersection of King Hill Avenue and Alabama Street, including a pregnant woman who was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

The crash occurred around 10 a.m. Friday after a vehicle heading eastbound on Alabama Street struck a car that was attempting to turn right at a red light from King Hill Avenue onto Alabama Street.

A pregnant woman was reportedly involved in the crash and had no apparent injuries. As a precaution, she was taken to the hospital to be checked out.

The collision at the busy intersection caused one of the vehicles, a dark Hyundai Elantra, to go off the roadway and into the grass by Darcee’s School of Dance.

A large presence of first responders was on scene to assist, including St. Joseph Police, Buchanan County EMS and the St. Joseph Fire Department.

St. Joseph Police talk at the scene of a crash at King Hill Avenue and Alabama Street on Friday.

Click here to follow the original article.

Abigail McCluskey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Across Missouri, reports of waterborne bacteria and related illnesses have been on the rise.

One of the most recent and alarming cases involved an individual who contracted a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in the Lake of the Ozarks.

Areas that prohibit swimming are often not regularly tested, which means bacterial levels in those waters are largely unknown.

Waterborne bacteria thrive in warm temperatures, particularly in the late spring and early summer months when water temperatures range from the 70s to the low 80s.

However, once water temperatures reach the upper 80s and into the 90s, many harmful bacteria begin to die off, struggling to survive in such heat.

While the St. Joseph region doesn’t offer local freshwater beaches or designated swimming areas, there are still plenty of options for outdoor recreation, especially fishing.

Eric Dennis, a fisheries biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, provided insight into local water safety and bacterial concerns.

“Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s going to be perfectly fine to eat fish caught from potentially contaminated waters — especially around here,” Dennis said. “We don’t have a lot of areas with high enough bacteria levels to cause harm.”

When it comes to waterways getting tested for swimming safety, Dennis said the MDC only tests areas where recreational swimming is permitted.

Dennis added that cooking fish thoroughly will eliminate most harmful bacteria and parasites, making them safe to consume even if the water quality is questionable.

Though swimming might not be common in local waterways, Dennis noted that it’s typical for dog owners to let their pets swim or drink from natural bodies of water. He issued a warning about one particular threat: harmful algal blooms.

“Don’t let your dog go near any body of water that looks greenish, blue, olive green, or even red,” Dennis said. “That’s a sign of a blue-green algae bloom, which can be extremely harmful for dogs to ingest — or even breathe.”

As temperatures rise and outdoor activities increase, experts urge residents to stay informed and cautious about the hidden risks in Missouri’s waters.

Before deciding whether to enjoy one of Missouri’s waterways, remember the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ helpful reminder: “When in doubt, stay out.”

For more information on Missouri’s waterways and bacteria, visit: https://dnr.mo.gov/water/hows-water/pollutants-sources/harmful-algal-blooms-habs

Click here to follow the original article.

Ryan Eslinger

ST JOSEPH, Mo (News-Press NOW) — From baseballs and bats, to gloves and cleats, the Commerce Bank community collection drive in St Joseph was a part of the “Commerce Bank: Helping Kids Take the Field” campaign.

Brendon Clark, President of Commerce Bank in St Joseph, explained where and what you can donate.

“Any of our 42 convenient Kansas City location or three conveniently located St Joe branches. We have specially marked barrels inside our branches that people can, can bring their new or used equipment,” Clark said. “We’re looking for ball helmets, ball gloves, bats, cleats, pants. New or used anything that’s got, a little a little bit of life left in it.”

Commerce Bank’s “Helping Kids Take the Field” campaign is a community collection drive that stretches from July 15 to September 30.

During the drive all 45 commerce branches in the St Joseph and Kansas City communities collect baseball and softball equipment.

All equipment collected by the three St Joseph area branches will be donated to Pony Express Baseball while the Kansas City area branches will donate to the Urban Youth Academy.

Pony Express Baseball is a non-profit youth baseball league in St Joseph that provides a place for healthy activity and training. It is dedicated to inspiring young children to become good citizens and teaches the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play.

The Urban Youth Academy offers year-round programs for children between five and 18 years old from diverse communities. Since 2018, more than 60,000 children and their families have visited the Urban Youth Academy facility in Kansas City’s historic 18th and Vine District.

Clark explained the main goal behind the “Commerce Bank: Helping Kids Take the Field” campaign before the event started.

“We’re just trying to break down some barriers of making sure kids have the right equipment to get involved in the sport and the opportunity to to play.”

Commerce Bank has received help from Kansas City Royals players in 2015 World Series champion Alex Gordon and rookie standout and St Joseph native Noah Cameron to help with the community collection drive.

Alex Gordon kicked off the campaign on July 15 by donating equipment at a Commerce Bank branch in Kansas City, and encouraged Royals fans to give generously.

And Noah Cameron made an appearance at the Commerce Bank Ashland branch on August 14 to support the drive.

Clark talked about how vital it is to have guys like Gordon and Cameron by their side during the drives and the impact of Cameron as an ambassador for the project.

“[Noah is] a great ambassador for the city and sets a great example, I think for young kids to look up to. Setting a goal, working hard, and great things come from that,” Clark said. “We couldn’t be more proud to have Noah and Alex and the Royals stand beside us for this.”

Noah Cameron is having a great rookie season now only behind Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz for American League Rookie of the Year. Cameron said Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha, has taken him under his wing in his rookie season.

“Wacha takes a lot of us young guys under his wing, he’s just a guy you want to be around,” Cameron said. “He’s super talented himself, I’d love to have his career. He’s a guy you lean on every day.”

Cameron who was drafted by the Royals in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB entry draft, got the call in April of 2025 and has never looked back.

“People always tell me, ‘well you got drafted by the Royals’, you know and stuff like that. And obviously that’s super cool, but obviously being able to play at Kauffman, play in front of the hometown, is super special and super just cool,” Cameron said at the event. “A lot of guys don’t have that.”

Being able to play for his hometown team and see the hometown fans support him so much means a lot to Cameron.

“Definitely don’t take it for granted. You know every day just showing up and being able to sign for people and, see kids that I give lessons to in the offseason at games and stuff like that is super cool,” Cameron said.

And being able to come back to the town he grew up in and give back to them is something Noah will never forget.

“It’s definitely my roots. You know I’m never going to forget growing up here, playing ball here,” Cameron said. “It just means everything to me. And it’s super super important just to have people, loved ones, just people supporting me everyday.”

If you are still looking to donate baseball and softball equipment, the equipment collection drive is not ending until Tuesday, September 30. Donations can be made at any Commerce Bank location in the St Joseph or Kansas City area.

Click here to follow the original article.

News-Press NOW

BUCHANAN COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Firefighters responded to a structure fire in the area of 2995 S.E. Mason Road in St. Joseph around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Crews with the South Central Buchanan County Fire Protection District were working to put out the fire when a News-Press NOW reporter arrived on the scene just before 5 p.m.

According to Chief Dennis Johnson with the SCBC Fire Department, over half of the house was engulfed in flames when fire units arrived and no one was inside the residence at the time.

Johnson also told a News-Press NOW reporter that it is too early to determine the cause of the fire.

Click here to follow the original article.

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph is preparing to move forward on demolition of two well-known structures of the Aquatic Park that have long been out of service.

Pending approval by City Councilmembers, demolition of the Aquatic Park lap pool and two large water slides is expected to take place with the latest pool season now over.

The existing shallow activity pool and lazy river will remain in place and be available for residents in future pool seasons.

Monday’s City Council agenda includes a bill for first reading that would authorize demolition of the Aquatic Park lap pool, a $239,084 contract with TNR construction of Easton, Missouri.

Councilmembers previously approved a contract last August for design services for demolition of the Aquatic Park lap pool, a project that hinged on the city agreeing to a partnership with the YMCA for a $15 million indoor aquatic center up north, a 35,000 square foot facility.

Grass and weeds grow alongside the slides at the Aquatic Park in August in St. Joseph.

That partnership — formally approved in May — will see the city contribute $7 million toward construction. Prior to the decision, the city had left open the possibility of using the funds to go toward the Aquatic Center if the agreement didn’t pan out.

City Councilmembers opted to postpone planned improvements to the lap pool portion of the Aquatic Park in early 2023 after officials balked at a price tag that was beginning to reach $8 million, well past the initial estimate for repairing the pool.  

Parks officials are also planning to renovate the nearby bathhouse so it can be used in future years as a storage facility. Both the lap pool and slides have been out of service for a number of years.

OrdinanceDownload

Click here to follow the original article.

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — With just days left until the start of the school year, the St. Joseph School District is sharing information to get families ready.

Bus routes for the schools within the district has been released and can be found at sjsd.info/bus. The district’s bus transportation is provided by First Student, Inc.

The school district is also reminding students of school bus rules. These rules include following instructions from drivers, staying seated, keeping aisles clear and showing respect to others on the bus.

A complete list of rules and the board policy regarding school transportation can be found on SJSD’s website.

Another key task to prepare for as the academic year gets underway is school meals. SJSD encourages parents or guardians to add funds to lunch accounts or apply for free and reduced meals.

Some schools in the district — Carden Park, Coleman, Edison, Hosea, Hyde, Lafayette, Lake ELC, Lindbergh, Parkway, Pershing, Pickett, Robidoux, Skaith, Spring Garden, Truman and Webster schools — have another option available called Community Eligibility Program (CEP). This is program allows schools to provide breakfasts and lunches at no charge.

For more information on meal prices, how to apply for free and reduced meals and CEP, visit sjsd.info/meals.

Families can also visit Nutrition Services at 1000 S. Ninth St. or contact them by phone at (816) 671-4140 for details.

Click here to follow the original article.

NPG Content Share

var cachebuster = Math.round(new Date().getTime() / 1000); var player = new Playerjs({id:”player_kyma”, file:”https://abc17news.b-cdn.net/abc17news.com/2025/08/MGN_1280x960_30724C00-OMRGF.jpg”, poster:”https://abc17news.b-cdn.net/abc17news.com/2025/08/MGN_1280x960_30724C00-OMRGF.jpg”, label:”Limited number of ‘brain-eating’ amoeba cases leads to hurdles in treatment, health experts say” , vast_replace:{“[wpcategory]”:”spanish”,”[wprand]”:””+cachebuster+””}});

ABC 17 News Team

By Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A health expert claims there is no “documented guideline” for treating a rare brain infection that the Department of Health and Senior Services said on Wednesday could have been contracted by someone at the Lake of the Ozarks.

University of Missouri infectious disease expert Dr. Christian Rojas Moreno described the hurdles in treating Naegleria fowleri, which can lead to an infectioncalledprimary amebic meningoencephalitisalso known as a “brain-eating” infection.

Cases of the disease are rare, which makes diagnosing the brain-eating amoeba difficult because the symptoms overlap with other diseases.

Rojas Moreno said symptoms show up about one to 12 days after the amoeba makes its way into the brain by entering through the nose. Meningitis, or inflammation in the brain, is a common symptom of a brain eating amoeba.

“We will evaluate for other causes of meningitis, bacterial viral and others,” Rojas Moreno said. “When that testing is negative, we might start expanding our evaluations.”

Other symptoms include severe headache, fever, stiff neck, vomiting or changes in mental state, Rojas Moreno said. If these symptoms are present, seek medical attention immediately.

A Wednesday press release from the Missouri DHSS called the infection “rare occurrence.”

Once the cause of meningitis is known, doctors can then administer medicine through an IV, Rojas Moreno said.

An epidemiologist from the DHSS told ABC 17 News on Wednesday that treatment can often be difficult because of how few cases health officials see each year. Nathan Koffarnus, of the DHSS, said around three cases occur in the US each year. Rojas Moreno shared a similar sentiment.

“Because it has been probably many, many exposures over the years and the infection numbers are very low,” Rojas Moreno said.

From 1962-2024, there were 167 cases reported around the country, according to the DHSS press release from Wednesday.

Rojas Moreno recommends avoiding exposure if possible, but if not he said wearing a nose clip while swimming in bodies of water where the amoeba could live.

Check back for updates.

Click here to follow the original article.

Click here to follow the original article.

NPG Content Share

var cachebuster = Math.round(new Date().getTime() / 1000); var player = new Playerjs({id:”player_kyma”, file:”https://vz-9a0191b3-e78.b-cdn.net/0f96c137-1827-476b-a57f-0b303b8bbeae/playlist.m3u8″, poster:”https://vz-9a0191b3-e78.b-cdn.net/0f96c137-1827-476b-a57f-0b303b8bbeae/thumbnail_1c5385a9.jpg”, label:”Sex offender accused of having AI-generated child porn” , vast_replace:{“[wpcategory]”:”spanish”,”[wprand]”:””+cachebuster+””}});

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A registered sex offender has been charged with a felony after he allegedly kept child pornography on his cellphone that was generated by artificial intelligence.

Charles Hooton, 63, of Columbia, was charged with possessing child porn. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance was held Wednesday afternoon.

The probable cause statement says police were called on May 18 about a report of Hooton having child porn after a woman saw a number of images while using his cellphone.

Hooton spoke with police on July 24 and let them go through his phone, court documents say. He allegedly admitted to using an AI app to generate the explicit images, the statement says. Police wrote that more than 130 AI-generated images were found on Hooton’s phone.

“Any time you possess more than 20 images, it’s a felony that comes with a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison,” said Elizabeth Weaver, Boone County Assistant Prosecutor.

Weaver tells ABC 17 News while the pornographic material may be artificial, the people in the photos are real.

“The reality is each time artificial intelligence generates a new item of child sexual abuse media it is re- victimizing those who have been used and taken advantage of in order to create the original images,” Weaver said.

Hooton’s web history also included several websites that had “teen,” “boy” and other related phrases in the name, court documents say.

Court documents and the Missouri sex offender registry say Hooton was convicted of second-degree statutory sodomy 25 years ago.

The Executive Director for Missouri’s Network Against Child Abuse Jessica Seitz told ABC 17 News artificial intelligence is the latest hurdle in their fight.

“The use of AI through an app to create CSAM? We don’t have great data on that yet because, we’re just trying to catch up with how we’re tracking the use of technology,” Seitz said.

Seitz believes prevention is in education of both adults and children.

“The best they can do on the prevention side is to try to discourage from your images being out there in public as much as possible. You can’t be sure what those images, once they’re public, you can’t be sure what’s going to be done with them,” Seitz said.

Click here to follow the original article.

Click here to follow the original article.