News-Press NOW
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce will help Kruse’s Auto Center celebrate its 30th Anniversary.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 20 at 9041 N. 4th St.
Kruse’s Auto Center has offered reliable auto repair services, including: brakes, tires, oil changes and more.
For more information, call (816) 364-5939 or visit their website at www.krusesauto.com.
Jacob Meikel
A new high school girls volleyball event is coming to the Civic Arena, a venue where teams invited could find themselves hoisting a state championship trophy not long after.
On Wednesday, the St. Joseph Sports Commission announced the dates for the Inaugural Pony Express Girls State High School Volleyball Tournament at the Civic Arena beginning Aug. 29 and ending Aug. 30. The Civic Arena will be the home of the Missouri State High School Activities Association girls high school volleyball state championships for the upcoming season, and 16 schools invited to this new tournament this August will get a taste of what the venue has to offer for the sport of high school girls volleyball.
Teams from St Joseph and the surrounding area invited as part of the 16-team field were Mid-Buchanan, Bishop LeBlond, Savannah, Central, Plattsburg and Maryville. In a release from the St. Joseph Sports Commission, the Civic will be separated into three courts for the two-day event with 32 games expected to be played in total.
“We are honored and extremely excited to get the opportunity to host the MSHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championship this coming November and in our continuing effort to create/attract events that fill fit and niche locally but also can engage participants, regionally, statewide and nationally, the creation of this event was an obvious fit and we are excited to see some high level volleyball the first weekend of the season in downtown St. Joseph,†Brett Esely, Executive Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission said in a release Wednesday.
Different levels of success from last season will enter the Civic Arena for the tournament, including three state semifinal teams and six district champions from 2024.
St. Pius Festus and Bishop LeBlond will enter as the only teams that have appeared consecutively in the state semifinals of their respective classes over the last two seasons. St. Pius Festus was the Class 4 state champion in 2024.
News-Press NOW
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Mosaic Life Care Auxiliary is hosting an event to help better the understanding of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
The event, in conjunction with Inclusive Wellness Initiative, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 23, at emPowerU, located at 518 S. 6th St.
Anyone interested in learning more about Alzheimer’s disease, whether you have a personal connection or simply wish to be better informed, is welcome to attend.
“This is vital information to help educate us on how to watch for signs,” said July Vaughn, the representative for the Auxiliary’s Missouri Association of Hospital Auxiliary’s District One. “There is too much underreporting. The more information we can share is good for everyone.”
Brenda Grerr, the program director of the Alzheimer’s Association, Heart of America Chapter and William Beachum III with Mosaic Life Care, will both present information at the event.
Topics will include basic information about causes of Alzheimer’s disease, common misconceptions about the condition, support resources for caregivers, what to expect at appointments and potential ways to minimize risk factors.
The event is free, although organizers request that those interested register, as space is limited.
Registration can be found at mlcfoundation.com/understanding-alzheimers. For more information, call Christina Lund, the Mosiac Life Care Foundation Director of Regional Relations, at (816) 271-7180.
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Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop A announced in a Tuesday evening social media post that the MSHP Division of Drug and Crime Control is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Saline County.
The trooper was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries and has since been released.
According to a MSHP press release, just after 6:15 p.m., troopers were notified that the Concordia Police Department was pursuing a motorcycle driven by a suspect wanted for an out-of-state homicide.
Officers lost sight of the suspect, but just before 8 p.m., Highway Patrol troopers in the area saw the suspect on 115th Rd. heading toward Belmont Ave.
The suspect crashed the motorcycle into a trooper’s patrol car near the intersection of 115th Rd. and Belmont Ave., running away on foot.
The trooper ran after the suspect, who was armed with a handgun. The suspect shot at the trooper, hitting the trooper’s bullet-resistant vest.
The trooper returned fire, shooting the suspect. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
The names of the troopers and the suspect involved were not immediately available.
The reports from the investigation will be forwarded to the Saline County prosecutors.
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.
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.
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.
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/.
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.
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.
