Author: News-Press NOW

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Throughout the day on Thursday, St. Joseph Transit offered free rides on all buses as part of the ‘Dump the Pump’ day initiative.

The day is geared towards encouraging drivers to save financial and fuel-based resources by riding the bus.

“I find it really convenient because today I couldn’t find a ride to my doctor’s (appointment),” said Savion Bernard, a local bus rider. “I couldn’t find a ride to my doctor’s appointment today (Thursday), so I just called the bus (metro service). They said I couldn’t call for a deviation, but I could just go to the bus stop and they’d give me a ride.”

Last week, the City of St. Joseph temporarily moved Go St. Joe to fixed routes only, meaning there will be no deviations from routes for pickups.

According to data from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the prices of new cars have increased by 30% since 2019, while used car prices have risen by 40%.

In 2023, gas prices also saw a spike of 25%, which was largely due to oil supply constraints, China’s economic rebound, and the Ukraine war.

For a list of bus routes, visit the city’s website at stjosephmo.gov.

Click here to follow the original article.

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Scouts from St. Joseph and more than a dozen states became some of the first in the nation to participate in an all-new STEM-based invention program launched in St. Joseph.

Every summer, scouts from 15 different states call Camp Geiger “home” for multi-week scouting sessions that last from June to July, a near century-long tradition.

The camp is located just north of St. Joseph off Interstate 229 and next to the Missouri River.

This summer, scouts are getting the chance to develop and grow their skills as innovators, part of the first ever Invention Scouts Program launched by the local Pony Express Council thanks to a $30,000 donation from former Camp Geiger scout and now nuclear physicist Rob Duncan, a leading Texas Tech physics professor with more than 50 patents to his name.

“This makes us only the second program in the country like this. And what an exciting opportunity for these scouts to really be the first generation to experience it,” said Dr. Ryan Maderak, director of Benedictine College’s astronomy major and a top advisor for Invention Scouts. “It’s not changing scouting. It’s just enhancing it.â€

Scouts have been working hands on with a wide range of new technology like 3D modeling software, printers, laser cutters, and other equipment.

One competitive project saw scouts design and then build bridges using 3D modeling software. Bridges were then stress-tested against other designs. One of the top-ranked bridges held upwards of 100 pounds, a notable achievement.

“I think the really fantastic part about it is it’s giving a new spin to scouting as a whole,” said Maven Vette, an Eagle Scout and sophomore at Missouri S&T who’s helping teach the new class. “Having this program is giving camp an opportunity to adapt to the growing world.”

Another new-age project involves learning to fly and maneuver drones, which are now used in a variety of industries including agriculture, construction and engineering.

Vette envisions a wide range of new merit badges becoming available thanks to the new program, creating new benchmarks for growth and achievement in the world of science.

“If they get the perspective of I can design things myself, I can problem solve myself, I can make things myself, then that everyday experience will just further influence how they think and I think that’s a big perspective change in their lives,” said Vette, who’s pursuing a mechanical engineering major with a minor in Biomedical Engineering.

One eager scout in attendance for the debut program was 16-year-old Sean Hidy with Troop 60 out of Savannah, Missouri.

“I thought it was pretty cool,” said Hidy. (It’ll) teach me how to do it in the future, too, if I want to continue.”

Over the last several months, Duncan, Maderak and longtime Pony Express Council members Bill McMurray and Ed Stroud have worked to bring the program to life.

Maderak and others see it as a huge opportunity to expand upon the well-known and foundational components of Scouting like camping, cooking, nature study, swimming and hiking, among others. Camp Geiger has already been incorporating areas of focus like electricity, plumbing, welding and hydraulics over the years.

“I got my start teaching astronomy out here at Scout camp … To see it all come together is amazing,” said Maderak. “Connecting with these kids and giving them the spark has always been a big part of what motivates me in my career. That light bulb that goes off. We want to open up the possibilities for these kids.â€

Once camp concludes, the hope now is that scouts take those newfound skills and apply them to everyday life, whether as a hobby or as a potential career.

Maderak wants to ensure scouts have that opportunity by offering similar programs year-round, starting with a 21st Century Scouting Academy at Benedictine College on Saturday, Oct. 4.

“We’ll be offering a full slate of STEM-focused merit badges to continue to build on this enthusiasm and give those kids some, some opportunities to get instruction from experts in their field,” Maderak said. “Our faculty will be teaching and are very enthusiastic about this.”

Information for 21st Century Scouting will be published on the Pony Express Council’s website by the first week of July. A full schedule and registration will also open by the first week of August.

Click here to follow the original article.

News-Press NOW

CALDWELL COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A 24-year-old Cameron, Missouri, woman was injured following a crash Wednesday afternoon, two miles east of Cameron.

The crash occurred around 1:55 p.m. Wednesday as a 73-year-old King City, Missouri, man was southbound on Northwest Sale Barn Road and collided with a vehicle driven by the Cameron woman, who was traveling west on Northwest Barwick Drive.

The King City man, who was driving a semi-truck, yielded for another vehicle that was stopped in the road. Once he continued into the intersection, he hit the passenger side of the Cameron driver’s vehicle, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

Both of the vehicles involved in the crash came to rest on their wheels.

The 24-year-old woman was transported to Cameron Regional Medical Center for serious injuries, it is unknown if she was utilizing a safety device.

The King City man was not injured and he was wearing a seat belt, according to the crash report.

Click here to follow the original article.

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH. Mo. (News-Press NOW) — News-Press NOW’s Stormtracker Weather Team is your Weather Ready Nation Ambassador!

The Weather Ready Nation Ambassador program is designed by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to strengthen partnerships with external organizations toward building community resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability to extreme weather, climate, and water events.

Johnathan Kurtz, the warning coordination meteorologist at the NWS in Kansas City, explains that this program helps bridge the communication gap between broadcast meteorologist, the National Weather Service and vulnerable populations in our community.

Over the last few years, News-Press NOW has stayed committed to keeping Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas “Weather Ready” through weekly Weather Wise segments, annual Severe Weather Preparedness Week specials as well as community outreach aimed at severe weather and safety education through local programs like Safety Town and Safety Acres.

We also use the value of our daily forecasts in tracking threats for severe or impactful weather across Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas.

Through this program, News-Press NOW aims to help make the community ready, responsive and resilient to extreme events.

We also aim to inform and empower communities, businesses and people to be better informed and make life-saving decisions that may also prevent or limit devastating economic losses.

To learn more about the Weather Ready Nation program, go to www.weather.gov/wrn/.

Click here to follow the original article.

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Kansas City Chiefs fans received a much-anticipated announcement on the official start of Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.

The Kansas City Chiefs will officially kick off the 2025 Training Camp schedule on Monday, July 21, at Missouri Western State University, with rookies and veterans both set to report.

Practice dates, times and a full schedule will be announced at a later date. Training camp typically runs over a four-week period from late July until mid-August.

This summer will mark the 15th year of Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, an event that brings out tens of thousands of Chiefs fans from across the country.

The Chiefs are currently in the midst of a three-day mandatory minicamp in Kansas City that wraps up Thursday. The team is scheduled to face off against the Los Angeles Chargers for their Week 1 showdown on Friday, Sept. 9 on YouTube.

Stay with us as we continue to update this story.

Click here to follow the original article.

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One local jeweler is now a partner with the St. Joseph Goats and will host a special promotion to kick off the celebration.

Kristen’s Coin and Jewelry is named the “Official Jeweler” of the St. Joseph Goats.

During the Saturday, June 28 game, one lucky fan in attendance will take home a 2.00-carat created marquise diamond, custom-cut in the shape of a football.

The diamond is certified E in color and VVS2 in clarity, with an estimated retail value of $2,500.

Kristen’s Coin and Jewelry will also be designing the team’s official championship rings, if they win their division.

Click here to follow the original article.

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW). — Throughout the weekdays in the summer, Second Harvest will have cafe sites available for kids in need to receive nutritious lunches.

The lunches are provided to all kids 18 and under.

“I believe this is our third or fourth summer that not only (Nodaway) Valley Bank has sponsored a day for our employees to come help, but also volunteer to hand these (lunches) out,” Vice President of Nodaway Valley Bank and volunteer Brett Steiner said. “Today was kind of a slower day. But with summer school still in, it’ll pick up by the end of the year.”

The list of the cafe sites that will be providing meals and the times they are operating can be found on Second Harvest’s website.

Click here to follow the original article.

News-Press NOW

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge awarded Ryan Ferguson nearly $44 million in his lawsuit against an insurer that hasn’t yet paid out his settlement with several Columbia police detectives.

Judge Cotton Walker on Monday awarded Ferguson $43.8 million. A Cole County jury sided with Ferguson in November when he sued Travelers Insurance to collect the rest of his nearly $11 million settlement with the detectives who helped convict him of the 2001 murder of Kent Heitholt.

Walker’s decision added several million dollars of interest to the amount the jury ordered in November. Walker ordered Travelers to pay $41.6 million for claims of bad faith and another $2.14 million for vexatious refusal — an insurer’s unreasonable denial or delay in paying a valid claim. Ferguson’s attorneys will collect $305,250 in attorneys’ fees through the judgment.

Ferguson’s attorney, Kathleen Zellner, told ABC 17 News that she and Ferguson were pleased with the decision. Zellner says she delivered the news to Ferguson on Monday.

“He was thrilled.  It was close, not entirely comparable to when I got to tell him that, the appellate court overturned his conviction and he was going to be released. But this is a close second, Zellner said. “I’m thrilled for him and his family. I’ve represented him since 200,9 so this has been a long, long journey.†

Combined with the money Ferguson collected from the 2017 settlement, Zellner said the case is the largest individual award for a wrongful conviction in U.S. history.

“For me personally, it’s confirmation that our legal system does work. Sometimes, it takes a long time, but if you persevere and if you’re on the right side of the case and the evidence does work,  and this case is an example of that because we had to push through setbacks along the way,†Zellner said.  “We never gave up hope in exonerating him and then in getting compensation for the wrongdoing and then  holding the insurance company liable.†

The six police detectives will also get a percentage of the final award, Zellner said. The group of former police officers became plaintiffs in Ferguson’s lawsuit to show the stress caused by Travelers’ refusal to cover the city and its workers in the case. The insurance provider covered the city’s law enforcement liability from 2006-11, a period in which Ferguson was in prison for the killing.

“We have we have an agreement with them [six former police officers]  and so they’ll get a percentage of it,†Zellner said. “That was based on us having their cooperation and then we basically represented them in the sense that we presented their case to the jury, that they were deprived of coverage.  And we had an excellent officer testify about the type of strain that it took on her life. So it was definitely a collaboration because  the officers had been put in a difficult position when the coverage was denied.†

An appeals court vacated Ferguson’s conviction in 2013 after Zellner found that prosecutors failed to disclose some witness statements to the defense.

ABC 17 News reached out to CPD for comment but was told the department does not comment on litigation. ABC 17 News has also reached out to Travelers Insurance and the City of Columbia for comment.

Click here to follow the original article.

Click here to follow the original article.

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A popular Indian restaurant in St. Joseph will be temporarily closed for the next few days due to minor damage from a fire sprinkler that went off Tuesday.

A manager for Clay Oven Indian Cuisine said the restaurant plans to reopen in two or three days once the interior has been full cleaned and inspected. The restaurant is located at 1209 North Belt Highway next to Anytime Fitness.

The restaurant’s sprinkler system was activated due to a minor fire/smoke that occurred Tuesday evening, however, little to no damage was caused by the fire.

Restaurant staff are thankful water damage was limited and won’t lead to any extended closures. The restaurant serves a wide range of authentic Indian cuisines for the community.

Customers are encouraged to follow Clay Oven’s Facebook page for the latest info.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jenna Wilson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Missouri State Troopers are preparing to roll out additional “ghost graphic†vehicles just in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

As News-Press NOW reported last month, the reflective graphics on these patrol cars allow troopers to discreetly monitor aggressive or reckless driving on the roadways.

Officers have deployed these vehicles on a rolling basis ahead of major holidays in the past.

“Low-profile vehicles, that’s exactly what these are, and they’re a necessary enforcement tool for us,” said Sgt. Shane Hux of the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop H.

Across Missouri, 10 vehicles with ghost graphics were deployed and put into service ahead of the Memorial Day weekend.

According to MSHP, 10 additional vehicles will go into service before the Fourth of July weekend. Nine have already been deployed to the nine patrol troops across the state, and the remaining vehicles will be assigned to areas experiencing high numbers of complaints about reckless driving and crashes.

“We have one assigned for Troop H, to Andrew and Buchanan counties,” said Sgt. Shane Hux. “That’s where we’re seeing a high influx of traffic as well as an increase in traffic crashes.”

State troopers say they frequently witness drivers speeding past while distracted by their phones. The low-visibility vehicles have been helping troopers catch violators more effectively.

“It gives an officer the opportunity to witness other violations because the public becomes accustomed to our standard patrol vehicles,” Hux said. “For example, when our first Dodge Chargers came out, they had very distinctive rear tail lights. So at night, people quickly learned to recognize them. It’s beneficial for us to mix things up for the motoring public.”

While some residents have mixed opinions about the addition of these vehicles, MSHP emphasizes that the goal is to protect public safety.

“More than 1,000 people lose their lives every year in Missouri due to motor vehicle crashes,” Hux said. “If these vehicles can reduce that number even slightly, that’s a good sign.”

MSHP Troop H expects to have another ‘ghost graphic’ vehicle added to the area by the Fourth of July.

Click here to follow the original article.