Author: News-Press NOW

Jenna Wilson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Units have been renovated and in just a few short weeks, tiny homes will be available to assist the unhoused across St.Joseph.

“We have four of the ten units completely done,” said Angi Duty, Community Services Director with Community Action Partnership. “We’ve finally started the application process, working with individuals who qualify and we’ll be able to start moving people in by early July.”

The site at 2101 South Eighth Street will offer ten transitional housing units for individuals living under 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.

Officials say applicants should have some form of income to help ensure they can successfully transition into permanent housing.

“We’re kind of looking at their situation, their past housing, age has been a factor, veterans, involvement with other case management and once they get moved in, they’ll be meeting with our caseworker every week to work on whatever barriers are keeping them from permanent housing.”

Tenants will be able to stay in the homes for up to 12 months, which city officials believe is enough time to become financially stable.

“With homelessness, if you don’t have a place to sleep at night, it’s hard to get past those barriers and that’s what we’re hoping to fix,” Duty said. “So we’re really excited to get it up and running.”

The housing development will feature exterior security cameras and is set to begin welcoming residents in early July, officials confirmed.

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Kirsten Stokes

ST. JOSEPH, MO (News-Press NOW) — Mackenzie Porter knows what it’s like to hold the line when the pressure is high.

As a former Division I lacrosse goalie, she stood in the net with nerves of steel, ready to block whatever came her way.

Now, she’s taking that same courage, vision, and faith beyond the crease and into the heart of St. Joseph- with a mission to empower the next generation of girls through the sport that shaped her.

“So I played on my high school team from seventh grade all the way up to my senior year,” Porter said. “But in that time, it was in 10th grade when I committed to play Division I at Rutgers.”

Porter is an account executive at News-Press NOW and is also a high school lacrosse coach.

She’s building the very thing she had growing up in New York: a dedicated lacrosse club.

The club, The Mighty MO League, is still in its early stages, but the vision is clear: create a place where young girls can grow in confidence, develop grit, and find their voice, through lacrosse.

“I want this to be an opportunity for girls to fit in, because that’s exactly what my youth program was for me, and gave me a group of friends that I had all the way up through high school,” Porter said.   

In a city where lacrosse is still gaining traction, Porter’s club could be the spark that lights a movement. One rooted not just in athletics, but in faith. 

“I actually was kind of thinking back to when the Lord first kind of touched my heart and he met me in my mess,” Porter said. “He actually met me at lacrosse practice in my third year here in Missouri through a teammate who asked to pray over me when I was having a really, really hard day.” 

Building a program from the ground up takes a village. Porter is calling on the St. Joseph community to help bring this dream to life through donations of gently-used gear, financial contributions, and community partnerships.

“I have things in there that can go directly to my house. If they wanted to Venmo or donate money, they could reach out to me through that Facebook page as well if they’re looking to help,” Porter said. “I had people who are also looking just to help out coaching, and they never even coached the sport, but they just want to learn.”

If you’re interested in supporting Porter’s girls’ lacrosse club in St. Joseph, visit Mighty Mo Lacrosse on Facebook.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri American Water Corporation has issued a Boil Advisory for parts of Buchanan County due to a water main break.

Repairs began around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, and are expected to take around seven hours to complete.

A precautionary Boil Water Advisory has been issued for about 48 hours in the southwest region of Buchanan County.

The Missouri American Water Corporation has issued a Boil Advisory on Tuesday, June 17 for parts of Buchanan County, due to to a water main break

Any water to be used for drinking or cooking should be brought to a rolling boil for three minutes. Water is expected to be good for bathing, washing and other common uses.

Missouri American Water said it will issue a notification when the Boil Advisory has been lifted.

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News-Press NOW

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — On Tuesday, Dan Meers- the original ‘KC Wolf’ announced his retirement after 35 years as the Chiefs’ beloved mascot.

Also known as the franchise’s “Director of Shenanigans”, Meers helped build the mascot’s personality from the ground up.

“Dan Meers has been the heart and soul behind KC Wolf for 35 years,” said Clark Hunt, Chiefs Chairman and CEO. “Since joining the organization in 1990, Dan helped establish KC Wolf not only as a source of energy and enthusiasm on gamedays, but as a symbol of pride and passion for all of Chiefs Kingdom. He ensured that his alter ego brought joy to people, young and old, and his deep connection to the Kansas City community has made him a beloved figure to generations of Chiefs fans.”

Meers is a native of St. Charles, Mo., and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1990, where he served as ‘Truman the Tiger’ for four years.

With Truman being known as one of the nation’s top mascots, Meers finished second in the 1988 and 1990 National Collegiate Mascot Championships and was named the top overall college mascot in the country in 1989.

After graduating from the University of Missouri, Meers began his career as ‘Fedbird” with the St. Louis Cardinals, then joined the Kansas City Chiefs full-time in 1990 after the Chiefs introduced their brand new mascot, KC Wolf, in 1989.

Meers eventually became the NFL’s longest-tenured mascot by more than a dozen years.

He performed at 307 regular and postseason games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and 375 total games, including preseason matchups.

Meers also appeared at six international games as KC Wolf, including four American Bowl preseason games (Berlin, 1990; Tokyo, 1994 and 1998; and Monterrey, 1996) and two regular season international contests (London, 2015 and Frankfurt, 2023). He appeared at all five Super Bowls (LIV, LV, LVII, LVIII, LIX) the club has participated in since the 2019 season, including the three wins (LIV, LVII, LVIII).

KC Wolf was selected for 14 Pro Bowls and participated in nine NFL all-star games during Meers’ tenure.

“To say I’m a blessed man is an understatement. For the past 35 years, I’ve had my dream job. I’ve worked for the team I love, in the city I love, with the people I love. After all these year,s I certainly hope Chiefs Kingdom knows just how much I love and appreciate them. I have memories and stories that will last me a lifetime,” Meers said. “I especially want to thank my family, the Hunt family, the Chiefs organization and the greatest fans in the world for all the love, support, and laughs we’ve shared over the past 35 years. I’m truly a blessed, blessed man!”

Chiefs Kingdom is invited to celebrate Meers’ retirement by sharing their favorite photos and videos of themselves or their families with KC Wolf over the years at www.chiefs.com/wolfmemories.

Meers will continue to be involved with the Chiefs organization as a consultant and backup KC Wolf. The search for the next KC Wolf is underway, with top candidates having already completed interviews with the club.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One annual cross-country tradition will make its historic stop at the Patee House Museum this weekend.

Each year, the National Pony Express Association recreates the legendary mail route that once connected St. Joseph to Sacramento, California.

Riders relay a mochila carrying commemorative letters across eight states, traveling more than 1,900 miles on horseback, just like they did in 1860.

“The Pony Express is one of the most iconic stories of American grit and determination,” said Gary Chilcote, the museum director a the Patee House Museum. “We’re proud to honor that spirit and invite the community to witness this living history event firsthand.”

The St. Joseph community is invited to witness the arrival of the rider, explore the museum’s rich history exhibits and learn more about the tradition.

The Patee House Museum is open until 4 p.m. and is located at 1202 Penn St. The rider is expected to arrive at the museum by 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 21.

For more information about the event, visit www.ponyexpress.org or contact the Patee House Museum at (816) 232-8206.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — To teach children the importance and proper methods of safety, Safety Town will be held until Thursday, July 10.

The safety-based program is run by the St. Joseph Safety and Health Council and is offered to kids between the ages of 5-7.

Safety officials like law enforcement officers, firefighters and water patrol will be brought in to teach kids about different safety tactics.

“I went here when I was a kid,” said Meredith Fite, a volunteer. “And I know that it’s really beneficial for all the children. And I really just enjoy being around children myself. So I think that it’s just a good way to be a part of the community and help.”

News-Press NOW’s own Storm Tracker Weather Team will also be participating in Safety Town sessions to keep kids weather-ready.

Safety Town is held in four one-week sessions. All sessions will run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Keatley Center, located at 1202 S 28th St.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri Department of Transportation issued an alert about scam texts circulating in the state regarding owed tolls or traffic violations.

In a Facebook post, MoDOT said it will never solicit anyone to pay a toll or traffic violation fee, not to click any links and to delete and report the texts.

Texts can be reported by forwarding the message to 7726 (SPAM) from your mobile device. If that’s not possible, you can also report it at http://ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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News-Press NOW

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Governor Mike Kehoe signed three Special Session Legislation into law over the weekend.

The legislation contained disaster and property tax relief, economic development and business retention and budget initiatives.

“We are proud of how the General Assembly came together during this special session to deliver real results for Missourians,” said Gov. Kehoe. ” We called legislators back to Jefferson City because the stakes were too high to wait- families and communities needed disaster relief, taxpayers deserved certainty, and critical job-saving investments were on the line. Without action, thousands of Missourians would have been left without much-needed support, and the state would risk losing jobs and economic development opportunities that are key drivers for growth- not just for Kansas City, but for our entire state. These investments demonstrate that Missouri is committed to taking care of our own, staying competitive, and backing initiatives that secure long-term economic stability for our communities.”

SB 1 appropriates $25 million in extraordinary support to the Missouri Housing Development Commission to provide additional emergency aid to low-income households impacted by severe weather.

It also allocates $100 million to the Department of Public Safety for disaster relief and $50 million to the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development for the University of Missouri for the planning, design and construction of the Radioisotope Science Center at the University of Missouri Research Reactor.

SB 3 ensures Missouri remains competitive in retaining major sports teams, while also delivering targeted tax relief for storm-impacted Missourians and supporting long-term economic growth.

The legislation includes provisions like the Show-Me Sports Investment Act, tax credits for homestead damage, Tax credits for certain sporting events and certain property tax credits, allowing certain counties to ask voters whether to freeze or cap real property tax increases.

SB 4 streamlines the delivery of disaster housing relief by allowing the immediate transfer of emergency aid to the Missouri Housing Development Commission when the Governor requests a presidential disaster declaration.

The legislation also expands existing program eligibility from 50% to 75% of median household income and removes administrative burdens and costs to expedite aid for Missouri families.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The westbound lane of Mitchell Avenue between 25th and 27th streets will be closed all day on Wednesday, June 18, for a sewer lining project.

The closure will begin at 7 a.m., where traffic will be detoured north on South 27th Street to Lafayette Street, then west to 22nd Street before returning south to Mitchell Avenue.

All work is weather permitting.

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Jenna Wilson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Safety Council is encouraging residents to take advantage of a wide range of local safety programs designed to promote well-being and reduce risk within the community.

Founded in 1935, the Council has a long-standing history of supporting public safety initiatives such as Safety Town, while also partnering with the court system to offer alcohol and traffic safety education classes.

“You had about 100,000 people in Saint Joseph at that time, versus roughly 76,000 now,†said Frank Till, executive director of the Safety Council. “The majority were compacted in the downtown area, and as a result, there were a lot of pedestrian fatalities. So the Safety Council began to help decrease those numbers, which is why traffic has always been a huge emphasis and of course, it’s grown into so much more now.â€

With summer underway, officials are urging the public to prioritize safety education and explore the many resources the Council provides.

The organization offers a variety of programs, including youth safety education, driver’s education, occupational safety training for workers, and a substance awareness traffic program.

“We do so many child safety programs because we want our most vulnerable residents, our children, to be safe,†Till said. “We install car seats and give them away to low-income families when we have them. Anything we can do to keep costs down so more people can get involved is our goal.â€

The Council’s programs have benefitted residents across the region, and officials emphasize that it’s never too early, or too late, to learn important safety skills.

“One family wrote us a letter about their son who was attacked by a dog. From being in Safety Town, he knew what to do in that situation,†Till said. “The child was still injured, but it was minimal. Our counselors and probation officers truly care about their clients and want to see them succeed. It’s more than just numbers for them.â€

Community members can also show their support by wearing the Council’s new “Let’s Be Frank About Your Safety†T-shirts, designed for those passionate about protecting their neighborhoods.

More information about the St. Joseph Safety Council and its programs can be found at www.stjoesafetycouncil.org.

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