Author: News-Press NOW

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — As the school year approaches, local organizations are helping stuff backpacks for students of all grades.

The Salvation Army is packing backpacks for students in need of a variety of school supplies. This includes pencils, markers, notebooks and more.

“It’s important that all kids get the opportunity to go back to school with not only the supplies they need, but the supplies they want,” Salvation Army Social Services Director Emily Bravo said. “They get (to choose) the backpacks they want.”

Roughly 600 backpacks have been filled so far, with the goal being to have anywhere between 900 to 1,000 ready to distribute by Thursday.

Dave Eggleston, a longtime volunteer with International Paper, appreciates that anyone can give back and assist kids in the community in an immeasurably valuable way. 

“It’s awesome for us as international paper to go out and help with the kids,” Eggleston said. “We try to do it every year, knowing that kids can’t go to school without the (essential) supplies. We have people from our work bringing their grandkids here to help out. You get (people of) all ages, from youth to the elderly, helping out with this.”

The backpacks will be distributed at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, at 602 Messanie St.

Extra backpacks will be made available once the distribution has finished, at the United Way of Greater St. Joseph.

For more information on how to volunteer or questions about the backpacks, call the Salvation Army (816)-232-5824.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp is buzzing with excitement — and fans in red are showing up in full force. 

From kids in mini Mahomes jerseys to lifelong fans decked out in full Chiefs gear, the atmosphere is electric. Many came hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite players, snag an autograph, or snap that perfect selfie.  

“Fans from all over are lining up for a chance to snap a selfie and send some good luck to the Chiefs before the season kicks off.  

“We are a lifetime Chiefs fan. This boy is five years old, so he’s already seen three Super Bowls, and he is big big fan,” Chiefs fan Bailey Casey said.

Casey, who brought her young son along, said it’s already been a special experience.  

“I am excited to see Travis Kelce play and Patrick Mahomes; he is my second favorite player.” Andy Jordan said.  

Fans lined the fence, eyes peeled for stars like Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. For young Andy Jordan, seeing Kelce was a dream come true.  

While football is what brings them in, for many, it’s also about the connection and community.  

“I have been a Chiefs fan for 3 years, and my hope is to see him today and get a signature after the training is done,” said Xavier Chuck, another Chiefs fan.

AJ Betts, just 9 years old, was all in.  

“I am 9 years old and I have been a Chiefs fan for my whole entire life, and my hope for them is to see them play well for the team,” said Betts.

As camp continues, one thing is clear — Chiefs Kingdom is alive and well in St. Joe, and the fans are ready for another unforgettable season. 

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Rebecca Evans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The community is invited to Civic Center Park on Tuesday, Aug. 5, for this year’s National Night Out, an annual event promoting police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.

The event will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and is free for the community to attend.

“It feels really good bringing the community together,” said Sergeant Jeremy Peters, organizer of the event, “and just slowing things down a little bit and having time to interact with people that we don’t get to do on our day to day jobs, so it’s a great feeling.”

Residents will have the opportunity to interact with officers and representatives from the St. Joseph Police and Fire departments, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, Buchanan County EMS, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Department of Conservation, Andrew County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, Savannah Police Department and the Missouri Western Law Enforcement Academy.

SJPD will showcase drones, SWAT robots, ballistic shields, rams and the Special Response Team’s armored vehicle. Other agencies will also bring emergency vehicles and equipment for the public to explore in a touch-a-truck-style setup.

A highlight of the evening will be two live performances by local teen band Arsonists Band Official, scheduled from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and again from 7 to 8 p.m. 

Target will provide free hot dogs, chips and drinks. Sack’s Ice Cream Truck will be on site, with the first $500 of ice cream covered by City Star Gas Station. Walmart is sponsoring two bounce houses for children, and Club Fun will provide cornhole boards for visitors to enjoy.

In addition to emergency personnel, several community organizations will participate, including the Youth Alliance, St. Joseph Safety and Health Council, American Red Cross, Missouri American Water, St. Joseph Goats Arena Football and local neighborhood watch groups.

National Night Out is held in communities across the country and is intended to strengthen ties between law enforcement and residents while promoting crime prevention and neighborhood safety.

For more information, contact Sgt. Jeremy Peters at 816-236-1473 or jpeters@stjosephmo.gov.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The sidewalk outside of the Missouri Theater will be closed for a little over a week to receive repairs.

The sidewalk will be closed beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 6, and is expected to be completed by the end of the day on Friday, Aug. 15.

The sidewalk will be torn out and replaced. The City of St. Joseph advises pedestrians to use an alternate route to pass in front of the building.

The Theater is scheduled to be closed during the project, providing no public access to the building.

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The YWCA of St. Joseph, St. Joseph NAACP and Missouri Western State University are calling for nominations for the Kelsy Beshears Racial Justice Award.

Kelsy B. Beshears is recognized as one of the most “influential figures in the Civil Rights Movement” in St. Joseph.

The Kelsy Beshears Racial Justice Award can be presented to an individual, group or organization that embraces Beshears’ commitment to promoting racial justice and eliminating racism.

Nomination forms and a list of past award recipients can be found at ywcasj.org/day-of-commitment.

Submissions must be sent to rfrost@ywcasj.org no later than Thursday, Aug. 14.

The award will be presented at the 29th Annual Day of Commitment to Eliminate Racism Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, in the YWCA Terrace Room, located at 304 N. 8th St.

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Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — An upcoming free lunch and learn event at Benedictine Living Community in St. Joseph will help caregivers prevent burnout.

Maleah Hess of Aseracare Hospice will give a one-hour presentation especially designed for caregivers that addresses self-care and burnout prevention.

Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to noon on Monday, Aug. 11, at the Benedictine Living Community, at 1202 Heartland Road, in St. Joseph.

Hess will then present her workshop from noon to 1:00 p.m. Both the lunch and the seminar are free.

Sales and Marketing Manager Karen Cannon said this event is part of a long-running monthly series seeking to address the needs of senior adults and their caregivers in the community.

For more information about the series, or to register for the Aug. 11 presentation, contact Karen Cannon at (816) 671-8542, or by email at Karen.Cannon@benedictineliving.org.

The September Lunch and Learn will take place on Monday, Sept. 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will address issues regarding retirement and social security.

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News-Press NOW

By: Mitchell Kaminski

NEWTON, Iowa (KMIZ)

Tucked in America’s heartland is a 7/8 mile oval in the middle of a cornfield, dubbed the “Fastest Short Track on the Planet.” Despite being located in the hills of Newton, Iowa, its origins have ties to the Show-Me State. 

After the Newton City Council approved plans for the proposed $30 million race track in 2003, Rusty Wallace was named the leading designer of the project. Wallace is one of 41 drivers from Missouri to compete in NASCAR. In 2004, the St. Louis native inked plans for a D-shaped, asphalt oval, becoming the first professional stock car driver in recent history to design a racing circuit. 

“You can definitely tell a driver designed the race track,” 2012 Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski told ABC 17 News. “ A lot of things that just make sense, the tracks designed with progressive banking, which allows for it to race with two separate lanes and create side-by-side racing and passing. Rusty deserves a lot of credit for that vision.” 

Missouri features over 50 different types of race tracks across the state, including dirt tracks, drag strips, and ovals. Like many grassroots racers in the Show-Me State, Wallace thrived on short ovals, specifically Richmond, logging six of his race wins there. After getting a call from investors a year before he retired in 2005, Wallace decided to bring an improved version of Richmond to the Midwest, which has presented a variety of challenges to drivers.

“This is one of the very few tracks, especially ovals, where I kinda feel like I’m out in left field a little bit with kind of understanding what I need to do to go fast here,” Denny Hamlin, who is just two wins shy of his 60th Cup Series victory, said. “It’s certainly shaped uniquely,  very similar to Richmond, but different. This is certainly something that’s important in this region to have a racetrack, and certainly the fans will turn out in big numbers.” 

Two years after Wallace completed his design plans, Iowa Speedway opened its doors and began hosting a variety of racing series, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Truck Series, and IndyCar.  The track quickly became a favorite for drivers and fans alike, producing several memorable moments. Nearly a decade after opening, Iowa Speedway finally hosted its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race.  

“It was always my favorite race track on iRacing. I remember coming here in 2016 and just wondering if how I felt about it on iRacing would be the same as in real life and was able to come here and literally the first lap on the racetrack, it felt just like iRacing and just kind of fell in love with the place,” Chase Briscoe told ABC 17 News hours before winning pole position for the second Cup Series race at Iowa. “The repave changed my opinions on that, but still love coming out here.” 

“You roll in and you see almost nothing for hours and hours and you just roll into this beautiful racetrack set up in the hills. Really is an amazing facility,” Chris Buscher, driver of the No. 17 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing, added.  

Buescher couldn’t help but grin as he recalled how much the racing surface and the experience have changed over the years. 

“I remember this was one of the hottest races I ever ran in an ARCA car. But it was so much fun back then,” Buescher said as he cracked a smile. “We actually moved around basically all the way to the wall and just to see that progression since that day and see how many races moved around and widened the place out was awesome. Obviously the repave has taken that upper half of the racetrack away from us for the time being. But it was also pretty rough.” 

Erik Jones, driver of the No. 43 Toyota for Legacy Motor Club, got his first taste of Iowa Speedway while in the NASCAR Truck Series. Like Buescher, he has fond memories of coming to the track. 

“In 2013, I came here and ran a truck race, not the same place at all, that’s for sure.  But I liked it right away. I had success here in Trucks and Xfinity and won some races.  I always enjoyed coming,” Jones said.  “It’s definitely way different with the patch than what it was then, and  the way you race and track and move around and how treacherous it is. This place never seemed so treacherous.” 

The patch Jones referenced, which was part of a repave before the inaugural Cup Series race in 2024, has drawn the ire of several drivers. It has also made the track even more challenging, with fewer lanes to move around in. 

“From the first time I came here, it was a bit tricky to figure out. Short tracks weren’t really my thing. But as the tires wear out, you can kind of move around, so that kind of saved me a little bit.  Getting going I couldn’t really make speed unless you’re able to move up and move around,” Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, said. “That game changed a little bit with repaved corners, but you’re still moving around searching on those patches.” 

Despite the driver concerns, the track has produced sold-out crowds in each of its first two Cup Series races. 

“Whether the racing is great or not, they show up, hopefully we put on a good show every time,” Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 77 Chevrolevte for Spire Motorsports, said. 

Drivers say the packed grandstands speak to the racing culture in the Midwest, a region that has an appetite for racing. 

“I think the culture is different in motorsports, definitely in different pockets of the country. But the Midwest region is certainly my favorite,” Briscoe, an Indiana native, said. “ Iowa is just such a core motorsports fan base and they just love racing, you know, whether it’s NASCAR, IndyCars or sprint cars or late models, it just doesn’t matter, it’s just a ton of fans, especially grassroots fans, especially in this area.” 

Jones, who got his start racing in his hometown state of Michigan, offered a similar sentiment. 

“I think there’s really a love for it here that’s probably a bit understated,” Jones said. ” You look at the history of guys who have come out of the Midwest and have been successful not just in NASCAR, but on the short track side, and it’s guys that I look up to from the short track world. They’re all from the Midwest.”

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Construction of a new $796,000 pickleball complex by Corby Pond and funds for ongoing work on a new animal shelter received the green light from City Councilmembers.

Among the agenda items approved at Monday’s City Council meeting was a contract with McConnell and Associates for development of a new pickleball complex by Corby Grove on North 22nd Street, a project funded by parks tax and CIP funds. The complex will be located in the same spot where the former Corby tennis courts once stood.

The complex is being constructed with eight regulation-size pickleball courts, enhanced lighting for evening play, seating areas and minimal landscaping to preserve the natural character of the park. New sidewalks will also provide stronger connectivity.

“Pickleball is still growing by leaps and bounds here locally,” St. Joseph Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Atkins said. “So we’re anxious to to be able to add to the the pickleball population here in town and easily by this time next year they should be playing pickleball there.” 

Pickleball claimed the title of ‘fastest growing sport’ in the U.S. for a third consecutive year in 2024 according to Sports & Fitness Industry Association, with participation rising by a staggering 223.5% in the last three years.

Councilmembers also approved a $225,000 contribution from the Friends of the Animal Shelter to provide additional funding for ongoing construction of the $5 million shelter on the South Belt Highway.

The latest contribution pushes the non-profit’s total funding amount closer to $2 million for the long-awaited shelter, a 13,000-square-foot facility taking shape at 3405 S. Belt Highway.

Shelter officials said during a groundbreaking ceremony in June that the goal is to have animal shelter staff moved into the new facility in late June of 2026. The new shelter comes with an additional 5,000 square feet of space compared to the aging and outdated facility at 701 S.W. Lower Lake Road.

City to invest close to $1 million for technology upgrades

Monday’s agenda also includes an ordinance to provide funding in an amount not to exceed $997,659 for investments to the city’s technology services to address infrastructure modernization.

Funds will be used for components such as servers, firewalls, networking equipment, data storage solutions, and improved backup processes. It will also allow for the implementation of professional services and tools necessary to manage the evolving demands on the City’s technology environment.

The proposed ordinance says the city has many platforms that are aging and now require upgrades to ensure they remain reliable, efficient, and aligned with current standards.

New seating on deck for Phil Welch Stadium

St. Joseph’s historic Phil Welch Stadium will see all new seating installed following the Mustangs’s MINK League Championship this summer, the latest upgrade for the beloved ballpark.  

Council members authorized a $336,814 contract with Mid-State School Equipment on Monday to remove aging and deteriorating seats and install new seating at Phil Welch Stadium utilizing parks sales tax funds. 

The project could begin this fall and will provide a needed upgrade for fan seating once complete. The stadium was opened back in 1939 and has undergone significant renovations in recent years. 

City commits long-term costs for closure of landfill

While St. Joseph’s landfill is more than two decades away from closing, city officials took required steps toward long-term financial planning for its eventual closure by committing $19.8 million for closure and post-closure costs in 2047.  

Post-closure is a DNR-mandated 25-year obligation that takes place after a landfill closes, including covering the landfill, monitoring methane gases and numerous other environmental requirements to ensure safe closure. 

Other agenda items approved by Council

Contract in the amount of $95,000 and a change order in the amount of $107,550 with Auxier Construction Company for the construction of the Hyde Park maintenance building construction project utilizing parks sales tax funds.

Filing of an application with the Missouri Department of Economic Development for a Military Community Reinvestment Grant under which the city will provide matching funds in the amount of $120,000 for a total grant amount of $240,000 for a modular training simulator at Rosecrans Air National Guard base.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A new bill introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley could provide American families with rebate checks worth thousands of dollars, using revenue generated from tariffs under the Trump administration.

The proposal came just days before President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday night imposing steep tariffs on 66 countries—including the European Union, Taiwan, and the Falkland Islands—set to take effect on Aug. 7. The tariffs were initially proposed for April but had been postponed twice, most recently to Aug. 1.

Hawley unveiled the legislation on Monday, aiming to return tariff revenue directly to U.S. households in the form of rebate checks.

Hawley says he got the idea from Trump, who floated the idea of rebate checks. This prompted the Missouri senator to draft legislation similar to the one he co-sponsored with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that provided rebate checks to people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hawley’s American Worker Rebate Act of 2025 aims to hand out at least $600 per person and dependent child, with up to $2,400 for a family of four. If the bill passes, the rebates would be issued as refundable tax credits linked to the 2025 tax year, potentially beginning later this year or in early 2026. However, the rebate would be reduced by 5% for joint filers earning more than $150,000 and individuals making more than $75,000.

“I want to be clear, it would phase out for upper incomes,” Hawley told ABC 17 News. “What a great message to send to the working people of Missouri and the whole country that Trump’s policies are working for them and their government is working for them. I can’t think of a better thing to do than give them a piece of this wealth that frankly, they have earned.”

Some of Hawley’s constituents have poured cold water on the idea, like Sen Ron Johnson (R-WI), who suggested that the money should go toward paying down the deficit.

When asked if the idea of offering rebate checks would be counterintuitive to some of the cuts that DOGE made to reduce the deficit, Hawley brushed off the concern, saying that it isn’t new spending but rather extra money the government has gotten “because of the success of the president’s policies.”

“The reason that the tariff money is coming in is because we’ve got all of these companies that want to do business in the United States of America,  that want to have access to American workers and are willing to pay for it, Hawley said. “I notice that the Wall Street crowd they get whatever they want, whenever they want it in terms of tax rules and special treatment and loopholes and all the rest, all the corporations get it. Why shouldn’t working people get a piece of this new wealth that, frankly, their labor is creating?”

The proposal emerges amid growing concerns about rising costs driven by tariffs on imported goods.

Hawley says that the US is on track to raise over $150 billion from tariff revenues this year. Through June, the US has already raised $108 billion in tariff revenue alone. The Treasury Department also said on July 25, that the U.S. government posted a $27 billion surplus in June.

According to a July 28 analysis from The Budget Lab at Yale, Trump’s tariffs could cost U.S. households an average of $2,400 in 2025, as companies pass higher tariff costs on to consumers through increased prices.

Joe Haslag, a professor in the University of Missouri’s Department of Economics, says that while tariffs do generate revenue, they also distort markets by altering supply, demand, or prices. Prices ideally reflect the true economic cost of production—including wages, equipment, and profits—but tariffs push prices away from that baseline. As a result, markets become less efficient, and consumers end up paying more for products while getting less of them in return.

“What Senator Hawley is proposing is to take the revenues from that and just give it back to people, that’s going to get rid of the transfer part of the tariff.  It won’t get rid of the distortion,” Haslag explained.  “In other words, the tariff itself is going to create this problem and there’s a technical name for it. The technical name is dead weight loss.”

Haslag emphasized that the rebates don’t undo the underlying harm caused by tariffs.

“Just a simple return of that check will make their pockets feel better. But it’s not going to get rid of the deleterious effects of the tariffs,” Haslag said. “They distort prices and they end up harming U.S. consumers.”

However, Haslag added that handing out rebate checks does have a return on investment for lawmakers.

“There’s a potential political return, right?  I mean, you can you can curry a lot of favor with people if you’re putting money back into their pockets,” Haslag said. “But there are a lot of options on the table, reducing the government deficit,  which seems to be coming down.”

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One woman is dead following a vehicle vs. pedestrian accident in the southbound lane on Missouri Interstate 29 early Sunday morning.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred around 2:55 a.m. in the southbound lane of I-29 at the 47.8 mile marker, just south of the Frederick Avenue exit.

The 50-year-old male driver, from Papillion, Neb., was driving a 2023 Freightliner tractor-trailer, traveling south on I-29.

A 35-year-old pedestrian, a St. Joseph woman, was lying in the southbound driving lane when the Freightliner struck the pedestrian.

The woman was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Buchanan County Medical Examiner.

MSHP said the incident is currently under investigation.

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