Author: News-Press NOW

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — City officials announced Tuesday that they have hired their next director of planning and community development.

During a public work session on Tuesday, City Manager Mike Schumacher introduced Nathan Pare as the City’s next director, taking over for former director Clint Thompson. Pare comes to St. Joseph after working in Kansas City government for the last 29 years, most recently as a Division Manager with the city.

“Nathan has a strong background in code enforcement,” Schumacher said during the meeting.

Schumacher said Pare will be a strong asset for the city in a number of areas, particularly code enforcement, a top priority the city is working to improve following the results of a community survey, which was launched this spring.

Approximately 50% of survey respondents said they were dissatisfied with the city’s code enforcement.

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The ambush killing of two firefighters in Idaho on Sunday has left firefighters nationwide shaken.

While battling a blaze in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, two firefighters were killed and another was seriously injured. The gunman is believed to have started the fire to lure and target the responding firefighters, officials said.

Fire departments across Mid-Missouri have shared messages of grief since the incident.

“It is with profound sorrow that we join our profession in honoring those lost in Kootenai County, Idaho, at the Canfield Fire,” Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer says in a CFD post on Monday. “The murders were senseless and brutal.”

Schaeffer is the former Spokane Fire Chief (Washington) and told ABC 17 News he worked closely with the Idaho crew.

“It’s been tough,” Schaeffer said. I mean, it has been pretty surreal for me.”

Though separated geographically, he said he is still bonded to his firefighting brothers and sisters in Kootenai County.

“As it [ambush] was happening, I was getting pinged from folks at the scene and it’s tough when you can’t do anything about it,” Schaeffer said. “The men that were killed were exceptional human beings, good friends, and definitely very good firefighters and battalion chiefs.”

He said his heart goes out to those affected and the firefighters now working through the unimaginable.

“You hope that you never have to experience what Kootenai County is experiencing right now,” Schaeffer said. “But hope isn’t a strategy.”

He explained that no amount of training can truly prepare first responders for something like this.

“I don’t think anybody is ever expecting to go to a fire and encounter an active shooter, somebody that has purposely set up an area where they intend to kill you,” Schaeffer said. “And that’s what they were facing.”

For the past year, Schaffer said the city has been more pragmatic in planning because of incidents like this becoming a trend.

“Football games, street festivals, even parades, you’re seeing a much more unified command,” Schaeffer said. “Now we’re recognizing that there are risks that are nefarious.”

And some of those nefarious incidents have hit even closer to home.

“Like what we saw in Kansas City with a paramedic firefighter that was killed in the back of the ambulance trying to take care of somebody,” Schaeffer said. “Those type of incidents we are seeing in the data and unfortunately, it’s becoming a trend.”

“The complexity, the risks over our entire discipline have changed significantly in the last 10, 20 years,” Schaeffer said. “Certainly within the last couple. We’re seeing a lot more abuse and physical assault and attacks on first responders.”

Schaeffer said CFD has at least one captain present at every scene they respond to.

“Their responsibility is making sure that that crew goes home at the end of the day,” Schaeffer said. “She or he will be head on swivel all the time analyzing the risk based on experience, based on training, sometimes even based on guts.” Oftentimes we’ll have officers just say, ‘You know what, we’re not comfortable here.”

But to ensure that firefighter continue to make it back home each day, he said something needs to be done.

“Now the focus needs to be, how did we get here,” Schaeffer said. “How can we identify these problems before they happen and how can we go upstream? Is it mental health funding? Is it Medicare, Medicaid funding? What is it? And that’s where my mind is. Because the reality is that we can’t protect ourselves from every incident. We can’t. We just can’t.”

The Jefferson City Fire Department also shared its grief on social media Monday, saying “our hearts are heavy.”

The “tragic loss” was “an act of senseless violence,” JCFD says.

“We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Idaho as they navigate this unimaginable loss,” the post says. “Firefighters risk their lives every day to protect others — they should never have to fear being targeted for doing their job.”

The International Association of Fire Fighters is also standing in solidarity with Idahoans, calling Sunday’s incident “nothing short of horrific.”

“We mourn the loss of our two brothers, Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief and Local 710 member John Morrison, Jr., and Kootenai County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief and Local 2856 member Frank Harwood, and are keeping their families and loved ones in our prayers,” IAFF General President Edwards Kelly says in a press release. “Our thoughts are also with Local 710 Brother, Coeur d’Alene Fire Engineer Dave Tysdal, who was shot and remains hospitalized.”

Kelly says the IAFF ensuring first responders’ safety means holding people who make these sorts of attacks responsible.

“In no civilized nation should first responders be targets for violence,” Kelly says.

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Bode Ice Arena is helping the Noyes Home for Children raise funds for its after-school and field trip programs.

The “Skate for a Cause” fundraiser will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, at Bode Ice Arena, located at 2500 Southwest Pkwy.

Admission and skate rental will cost $10, and all community members are welcome.

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri State Highway Patrol has reported that both street takeovers and sideshows are becoming more frequent on Missouri roadways.

This information comes from a social media post on Facebook, following a recent sideshow in northeast Missouri.

In addition to traffic citations, MSHP arrested seven people for DWI, made two drug arrests and one warrant arrest.

A street takeover, or a “sideshow,” is defined as an “event where a group of individuals gather using motor vehicles to engage in reckless and dangerous activities,” that’s according to the Milwaukee Police Department, which has done in-depth reports on tackling street takeovers.

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Rebecca Evans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Public access to the scanner in St. Joseph will be removed as the city transitions to encrypted radio channels.

According to Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett, the change is being made primarily to comply with legal requirements aimed at protecting personal identifiable information of citizens. Broadcasting this information over open channels would violate state and federal laws.

Puett said, “If you look across the United States, most agencies have moved toward encryption.”

The transition aligns with Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) regulations, which establish strict security standards for handling, transmitting, storing, and securing criminal justice information.

These regulations are designed to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data used by law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies

“We are very concerned about making sure that our citizens are protected and served at the highest level we can. And we don’t want people taken advantage of… if somebody’s sitting there listening to the scanner and we run your name, sex, race, date of birth, Social Security Number, it’s really easy to victimize that person.”

Officer safety is also a factor in the move, following national incidents where responders were targeted after their movements were tracked in real time.

“I like the fact that we’re able to protect our citizens. That’s first and foremost is that’s what we’re here to do, is we’re here to serve and protect our citizens,” said Puett. “So it is a critical factor in that we are able to protect them, to protect the deputies and the police officers and people in law enforcement absolutely.”

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Shane Hucks commented, saying that currently, their airwaves remain unencrypted. Their radios will continue broadcasting to the public unless headquarters in Jefferson City instructs otherwise.

To learn more about how you can stay connected check out this article on the Buchanan County Sheriff’s upcoming app.

This is a developing story and News-Press NOW will provide more information as it becomes available.

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Missouri Western State University’s Center for Workforce Development announced it will graduate its first class of students from its “Intro to CNC Machining and Milling” training program.

The program is part of a growing portfolio of workforce initiatives championed by Rebecca Lobina, MoWest’s Director of Workforce Development, who joined the University on April 1, 2025.

A total of eight students will graduate from the program.

“This training was created for the adult, full-time employee,” said Lobina. “That is why we offered the program from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. twice a week.”

MWSU recently launched almost two dozen workforce training programs, including a 5-part Leadership Series, which was requested by multiple regional employers.

That series begins July 30th. To see all of the workforce development trainings being offered by MoWest, please visit www.missouriwestern.edu/workforce/.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Local property owners will soon have a new tool to assist with restoring blighted and historic homes, the latest move to address critical needs in St. Joseph’s housing market.

City officials are finalizing a new program, called the “St. Joseph Neighborhood Redevelopment Corporation”, which allows individual residential property owners to seek tax abatement for redevelopment projects involving blighted properties.

The program offers property owners long-term cost savings by allowing for the abatement of real property taxes over a specified period, depending on the level of financial investment planned for the property, excluding furniture and appliances.

“If they invest in that property. Historic ones, for example, to bring it back online and back to useful life and perhaps more importantly, save that property from continuing to deteriorate, then they’ll enjoy a tax incentive,” City Manager Mike Schumacher said. “That’s our way to get involved and support that private property owner.”

Results from a community survey launched this spring showed that 75% of respondents supported using tax incentives for the restoration of historic properties in St. Joseph.

With nearly 40% of the city’s aging housing stock being built before 1960, city officials are hopeful that targeting one of the largest housing sectors in need of improvement will produce the greatest change.

To qualify for the program, applicants must provide evidence of blight and financial details on their project before undergoing extensive reviews by city staff, SJNRC, the Planning Commission and City Council, including development of an Impact Study Exhibit. Public hearings are also required to allow for community feedback on each application.

“There’s a lot of different variables that have to be reviewed,” Schumacher said. “We also have to be mindful of our partner agencies, like us, that are impacted through an abatement. That it makes sense for everyone involved.”

Along with long-term cost savings, the program establishes a mechanism to apply to the city without the cost required to submit a third-party blight analysis and cost-benefit study, which can help property owners save thousands of dollars on upfront fees and expenses.

Incentives are primarily designed for projects relating to an individual land parcel; however, treating multiple properties may be deemed appropriate depending upon the circumstances. The program shall generally apply to individual single-family residential structures, but may be used for multi-family or multiple single-family structures.

“One of the best uses for that tool is rehabilitation and restoration of historic properties. We have some beautiful older homes here. Some are vacant and some are really in need of help,” Schumacher said. “We need to fill up our toolbox with every available tool.”

Recent weeks have seen city leaders signal their approval for a range of programs and policies designed to improve permitting processes and incentive housing development, this coming in response to an April study that showed critical declines in St. Joseph’s population (70,382) with housing gaps likely playing a significant role in the loss of younger demographics.

City Council passed an ordinance in June that allows the city to waive construction permit fees associated with qualified residential development and construction located in approved geographic areas of the city.

City staff have been collaborating closely with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, St. Joseph School District and Buchanan County to take a comprehensive approach to economic development and housing improvements.

“Working with the Chamber on the economic development piece and engaging different builders, and attracting them to St. Joe. You know, it’s time to grow,” he said. “We need to be the most attractive community for any developer to want to come into.”

The St Joseph Neighborhood Redevelopment Corporation will include a Board of Directors consisting of three individuals: one representative from the City’s Legal Department, one representative from the Planning & Community Development Department, and one representative from the St Joseph Chamber of Commerce.

The three members will review applications for consistency with program guidelines and make a recommendation to the Planning Commission for their review and consideration, before forwarding to City Council for approval.

Schumacher said an official announcement will be made in the near future when the program is up and running.

“We need to get that board stood up, which will happen. And then I encourage you to follow the newspaper as well as our social media to look for announcements coming in the future,” he said.

NEIGHBORHOOD REDEVELOPMENT POLICY EXPLANATIONDownload

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — City leaders unveiled an extensive 12- to 18-month strategic plan of action for improving city services and addressing top priorities from a recent community survey, a plan that officials are confident will produce change. 

A packed room of city officials and department leaders met Tuesday afternoon for early but critical talks on a list of targeted goals and initiatives they plan to implement in response to the survey, combining feedback from all of the city’s departments with new survey data to pinpoint the most effective strategies.

The 24-page document lays out action steps and measurable goals for virtually every department, particularly public safety, public works, and community development.

“Going forward, we will add public work sessions where department leaders will provide councilmembers updates on work and projects,” City Manager Mike Schumacher said. “And move the needle on the customer satisfaction survey.”

Roughly 600 people participated in the community survey this spring asking residents to rate their satisfaction with the city’s key services and provide feedback on community needs. Top priorities include enforcement of city codes, maintenance of city streets, quality of police services and effectiveness of city communication.

City officials intend to address code enforcement concerns through a wide-range of objectives, including quarterly walkthroughs in high-blight areas, meetings with neighborhood groups, developing shared databases between police and code enforcement officials and selecting neighborhoods for full scale clean up annually.

City officials said a critical piece of the plan is improved communication with residents, whether through community outreach, social media or new QR codes at nearly every facility for community feedback.

“It’s a starting point. We all look at it as how do we better communicate? How do we better react? Mayor John Josendale said. “We’ll have regular meetings which again are open to the public to come in and listen to where each of those departments are.”

The public safety portion of the plan also lays out a variety of planned efforts, including identifying the city’s top crime hot spots, holding bi-weekly crime intelligence discussions, community meetings with neighborhoods and new staff positions geared toward crime analytics, among other plans.

City officials are determined to show they’re serious about not only working closely with the community to address those areas of need but improving internal processes and procedures themselves. 

“One of the things that we need to do is everybody with the city understanding what the other person does, how they do it, and how it affects each person and each stakeholder with the city,” District 4 City Councilmember Michael Grimm said. “I think this is a really good start with being able to engage the people and show them what we do and let them know just how their tax dollars are being spent.”

Discussions also focused heavily on heightened efforts to improve St. Joseph’s critical gap in housing, which has contributed to steep declines in younger demographics and steady population loss overall.

The city is rolling out a new program called SeeClickFix that allows residents to better report issues and more importantly track the progress of their inquiries so they know when and who will address it in a timely fashion.   

2025 Goals Final DraftDownload

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Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In the middle of funding challenges for school districts throughout the country, the St. Joseph School District approved its 2025-2026 fiscal year budget in its June 23 meeting.

The Board of Education unanimously approved its nearly $170 million working budget for the 2025-26 academic year, reflecting only a 2.2% increase from the previous year overall.

Retiring Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations, Dr. Robert Sigrist, said the goal was to present a conservative budget that recognizes the possibility of cuts in state and federal revenue.

“We tried to be very conservative,” Sigrist said. “We went in most areas below what DESE’s (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) estimate was for state funding.”

Given the $3.1 million deficit left over from last year’s budget, the SJSD will transfer about $5.1 million from the operating fund to carry over into the new year. Noticeable cuts in outlay for building expenditures and new construction kept numbers relatively low, with Sigrist citing the completion of bond-funded projects in the previous fiscal year.

“This past year, we had a lot of bond projects going on,” Sigrist said. “That included the HVAC project at Central. There will still be some bond projects in this coming year, but much of the $20 million bond project money from 2024 was spent in this past year.”

Notable increases in projected spending in faculty and staff recruitment and placement, reflecting the ongoing staffing needs for the district. The amount will increase from about $198,000 to about $659,000 for this coming fiscal year.

“We budgeted more for our ‘Grow Your Own’ program,” Sigrist said. “This will help staff that may be interested in becoming teachers or other certified workers by providing scholarships and incentives.”

In the June 2025 meeting, school administrators noted crucial openings for teachers and staff as the district moves into the new school year.

Enrollment is also expected to be down slightly for 2025-2026. Sigrist said federal funding accounted for about 10% of the SJSD budget for the previous academic year, and the district is prepared to adjust as needed while maintaining a goal of working toward a zero-based budget in the future.

As far as revenue, the district expects slight decreases in local and county revenue sources, an approximate $2 million decrease in federal sources, and about a $ 5 million increase in state sources of funding.

For a full layout of the entire school budget for 2025-2026, visit the SJSD School Board website.

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Animal Shelter is participating in the St. Joe FIT community walk to showcase adoptable animals.

The walk will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will take place at the Southwest (North) Trail, located by the REC Center at 2701 Southwest Parkway.

The Animal Shelter will bring a few recent Puppies for Parole graduates, as well as puppies participating in the Shelter’s Fourth of July “Spin the Wheel” adoption special.

The Animal Shelter’s Fourth of July “Spin the Wheel” special will take place from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, through Thursday, July 3.

Residents are encouraged to spin a wheel with price ranges between $5 and $50 for dogs, whereas cats will be available to adopt for a $25 flat fee.

St. Joe FIT is a free fitness and recreation program for all ages, highlighting the features of local trails.

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