Author: News-Press NOW

Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Fire Department’s new leader is coming from within its ranks.

Ivan Klippenstein has been named the department’s new chief.

Klippenstein joined the SJFD in January of 2002 and has served in several roles, including firefighter, first responder, confined space technician, driver and captain.

He has been a training officer with the department since October 2019.

Klippenstein began his career with the Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, Fire Company as a volunteer firefighter in 1989. He also worked as an EMT in the community.

He joined the Lewistown, Idaho, Rural Fire Service as a volunteer wildland firefighter in 1990 and has been a member of the Central DeKalb County Fire Protection District since 1998, serving as its chief from 2002 to 2005.

Klippenstein was a firefighter at Rosecrans Memorial Airport from 2001 to 2002 and taught firefighting, HAZMAT and first responder courses as an adjunct instructor at Hillyard Technical Center from 2003 to 2007.

“I’ve been involved in fire service since I was 17 in some form, and there’s a lot of good coming in the St. Joseph Fire Department that I look forward to leading,” said Klippenstein, in a press release from the City. “I want to create involvement and inspire people. I think many would like to participate, and they just need to be given the opportunity.”

Klippenstein will lead a staff of about 130 in St. Joseph and was chosen from a pool of 20 applicants, which included three internal candidates.

St. Joseph City Manager, Mike Schumacher said Klippenstein’s experience in training set him apart form other candidates.

“Ivan is the right person to move our fire department forward,” Schumacher said in a press release. “We want to take care of our professional and hardworking firefighters by making sure they are equipped with training that prioritizes their safety and that of our citizens.”

Klippenstein’s appointment is effective Monday, May 19. His salary will be $140,000. He replaces Kenny Cordonnier, who retired on April 4, 2025.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph School District Board of Education has approved the appointments of two administrators for the 2025-2026 school year.

Dr. Kati Reid has been appointed as the Director of Secondary Education, replacing Dr. Lara Gilpin, who is retiring on June 30, 2025.

Reid began her career in 2009 and joined SJSD in 2010. Reid was an English teacher at the middle and high school level for 12 years. Most of her teaching career was invested in Spring Garden Middle School. She has been an assistant principal and principal at Benton High School for the past three years.

Reid earned her Ed.D in Superintendency and Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Williams Woods University.

She also has a Bachelor’s of Science in English and a Masters of Science in Assessment from Missouri Western State University.

Makayla Mekonnen has been appointed as assistant principal at Oak Grove Elementary for the 2025-2026 school year. She replaces Tom Evans, who was appointed as principal at Edison Elementary.

Mekonnen began her career in SJSD in 2015. During her 10 years of education, she has held varied k-12 roles, including special education, classroom teacher and behavior interventionist.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from MWSU and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Northwest Missouri State University.

Mekonnen is currently pursuing her Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from Baker University, with anticipated completion in 2025.

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Chris Fortune

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Construction on a Hilton-affiliated hotel continues throughout the spring after work appeared to go stagnant over the winter.

Home2 Suites by Hilton is accepting reservations beginning August 18 at 3701 N. Village Dr., according to its website.

It will be the latest addition to a string of hotels emerging in St. Joseph. My Place Hotel celebrated its grand opening a month ago down the street from the Home2 Suites.

Christian Mengel, director of marketing and communications with the St. Joseph Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, said the additional hotel space helps when events such as the NCAA men’s golf regionals come to town and they need 100 rooms for the players.

“That’s over 10% of our total occupancy, where if the same event was happening in Springfield, it’s just a little over 1%,” he said.

Higher occupancy rates typically result in higher hotel prices because of supply and demand. When St. Joseph hosts large events, it can cause rates to increase due to a lack of hotel rooms.

“When you have a Missouri Western graduation, for example, now all of a sudden you’re talking about 200-plus dollars a room night,” Mengel said. “And families just don’t want to pay for that.”

Local hotels will prepare for another major event on the horizon in 2026. Kansas City will host World Cup matches next June and July.

“We’re well within the boundary of hotels being affected,” Mengel said. “I mean, they’re saying 200 plus miles will have some impact, like there will be somebody staying in those communities in that surrounding area for the World Cup.”

Two additional hotels and a conference center are under development on Frederick Avenue, but it’s unclear if they will be open by next summer.

A total of $237,480,031 tourism dollars were spent in Buchanan County in 2024, according to the Missouri Department of Revenue.

“We obviously want them all here by the World Cup,” Mengel said. “That’d be great. But the fact that they’re even coming in at all, we’ll be able to work with it.”

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW)- St. Joseph law enforcement responded to a traffic accident at the intersection of South Belt Highway and Messanie Street around 9 a.m. Thursday morning.

Officer Alex Rich said the two-vehicle accident involved a Volkswagen minivan and a Mercedes sedan. One person sustained minor injuries.

“We believe the blue Mercedes was northbound on the belt and ran the red light,” he said. 

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Kendra Simpson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph residents better stock up on sunscreen because the weekend’s top entertainment will be in the great outdoors. News-Press NOW’s Kendra Simpson found the weekend’s most exciting activities in this week’s edition of See St. Joseph.

Kicking off the weekend of outdoor adventures is the inaugural Pony Express STOL series.

Aviation fans are not going to want to miss this. The STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) aviation competition gets skilled pilots to push their aircraft to the limit, taking off and landing in incredibly short distances. It’s precision flying at its finest and St. Joseph residents get front-row seats to the action. Pilots will practice from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, which will be open to the public. Then, watch as top pilots from across the country showcase their expertise from 9 a.m. to roughly 3 p.m. Saturday at Rosecrans Memorial Airport, located at 100b NW Rosecrans Road. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ponyexpressstol.com.

For those who prefer their excitement to stay on the ground, the Allied Arts Council is hosting the 13th annual Beer Walk for the Arts.

The Sip, Stroll, Support the Arts beer walk in the historic Harris-Kemper neighborhood is where history, beer, food and music all combine for a fun-filled afternoon. At every stop, walkers will receive a craft beer from a variety of midwestern breweries paired with food samples from local eateries. In addition to the food and drink samples, walkers will gon on a homes tour with live music. The annual Beer Walk benefits the Arts Fund, which provides St. Joseph will all of its fine arts entertainment including but not limited to the Robidoux Resident Theatre, Saint Joseph Symphony and Creative Arts Productions. The walk goes from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday in the Harris-Kemper Historic District. Tickets can be purchased on the event’s webpage at www.ticketleap.events/tickets/stjoearts/beer-walk-for-the-arts-2025.

For lovers of all things nature, the River Bluff Trails Park and the Saint Joseph Trail Alliance are hosting the annual River Bluff Trails Fest.

Hikes, bikes, food and more await those strong enough to step up to the plate, and that includes everyone because there are events ranging from beginner to advanced. There’s going to be bike clinics, cross country races, guided nature walks and more. This is the perfect opportunity to push yourself, enjoy nature and spend time with friends and family. There’s going to be clinics, races, rides and more starting 5 p.m. Friday and going until 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the River Bluff Trails Park located at Highland Ave. and Waterworks Road. For a complete list of events, visit the fest’s website at www.bikereg.com.

St. Joseph is the place to be this weekend for all outdoor fun and activities. Tune in to News-Press NOW every Thursday for more See St. Joseph.

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News-Press NOW

DAVIESS COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A child suffered serious injuries after a car struck a horse in Daviess County, Missouri Wednesday.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the accident occurred around 6:50 p.m. at the intersection of Missouri Route 6 and 330th Street, two miles east of Jamesport.

An 18-year-old Gallatin, Missouri woman driving east hit a horse carrying a 5-year-old Jamesport boy south, knocking him from it.

The driver was wearing a seatbelt and avoided injury.

The child did not have safety gear equipped and was taken to Children’s Mercy Kansas City for serious injuries by Life Flight.

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Calvin Silvers

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Kansas City Chiefs’ path to avenge last year’s Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles is set. 

The NFL officially unveiled the 2025 schedule on Wednesday, with Kansas City slated to appear in eight standalone matchups, including seven in primetime. The season opens outside the country, as the Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil, on Sept. 5. 

Kansas City will return to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for its home opener in Week 2, hosting the defending champion Eagles. The matchup is one of four home primetime contests scheduled this fall. Following the Eagles, the Chiefs head to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants under the Sunday Night Football lights on Sept. 21, before hosting the Baltimore Ravens a week later.

Two Monday night showdowns also headline the slate. The first comes Oct. 6 at Jacksonville. The second features a Week 8 home tilt with the Washington Commanders on Oct. 27, wrapping up a three-game homestand that also includes the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders.

Kansas City visits Buffalo on Nov. 2 in an AFC Championship Game rematch, then enters its bye in Week 10. After the break, the team travels to Denver before returning home to host the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 23.

Four days later, the Chiefs will play on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2006, facing the Cowboys in Dallas. It’s their 11th all-time appearance on the holiday.

December features another Sunday night showcase when Houston visits Arrowhead on Dec. 7. Kansas City then closes out the regular season with four straight AFC matchups, including a Dec. 25 Christmas Day home game versus the Broncos, airing exclusively on Prime Video.

The regular season finale takes place in Las Vegas against the Raiders, with the date and time still to be announced.

The Chiefs’ 2025 schedule includes 10 games against playoff teams from a year ago and ranks as the 11th most difficult based on opponent win percentage (.522). Kansas City is chasing its 10th straight AFC West title.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The southbound off ramp from Interstate 229 to Atchison and Sixth streets is closed due to a water main break.

Missouri American Water is working with the Missouri Department of Transportation to make necessary repairs.

Motorists can still use the ramp to access U.S. Route 59.

Missouri American Water expects to complete repairs and reopen the roadway on the evening of Friday, May 16.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In recognition of National Police Week, law enforcement agencies held a memorial service to honor and pay respect to personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The service was held at the Northwest Missouri Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Civic Center Park.

Members from the St. Joseph Police Department, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop H and other Northwest Missouri legal departments were in attendance. Families, friends and civilians came to show their support for those who have fallen.

“It’s a great time to not only remember the good times and the bad times, but just to reconnect with everyone,” Buchannan County Sheriffs Office captain Michael Hess said. “But more importantly, just to remember that these gentlemen lost their lives in the line of duty and to pay tribute to them, to their families.”

Lexi Dekraai Ussary, the daughter of St. Joseph police officer Dan Dekraai, who died following a training exercise in 2010, spoke at the service.

The memorial will be again next year to honor law enforcement personnel.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — To honor May as Mental Health Awareness Month, Family Guidance Center is inviting the community to two events.

A “Community Listening Session” will be open for community attendance at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 15 at the Pony Express Event Center, located at 1220 South 10th St.

This event is a community conversation focused on the challenges between mental health and disparities across housing, employment and other human rights issues impacting individuals in the community.

Resources to help promote fair treatment in regard to mental health or disability status will be shared and guests will be encouraged to share their experiences.

The second event is a Mental Health Night from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16 at Ricky Dean’s, located at 3620 N. Village Dr.

The event aims to highlight the wealth of mental health resources available in St. Joseph, while fostering community awareness.

The event is open to all ages and activities include: free pickleball, bracelet making, the Pony Express Therapy Dogs, a Glore Psychiatric Museum make-and-take activity, face painting, a free session with Evolve Yoga Studio, as well as informative resources and mental health information from several community organizations.

For more information, contact Family Guidance Center at (816) 364-1501 or visit www.fgcnow.org.

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