United Way calls for volunteers, books for reading programs

Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — United Way is looking for volunteers to read with children this winter through its Reading Adventure Program, as well as books to be given to elementary children through a variety of other United Way programs.

The organization will partner with Carden Park, Coleman, Hosea, Lindbergh, Parkway, Pershing and Pickett elementary schools to connect children with a reading volunteer during the second semester.

Each program is held at a different time, and volunteers are needed in January and February to read with students.

Volunteers can sign up to read once, a few times or on a regular schedule.

Students in the United Way Reading Adventure program will also receive books to encourage reading at home, so new and gently used books for elementary children are needed as well.

United Way launched its Reading Adventure program in 2011, where it works to help students maintain their reading skills over the summer months when school is out and during the school year.

Over 700 people have volunteered for the program since its inception.

Individuals and organizations interested in volunteering to read, or donating books, can contact Jodi Flurry at 816-364-2381 or jodi.flurry@stjosephunitedway.org, or register online at stjosephunitedway.org/pie.

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Missouri Bill could raise speed limit on rural interstates and freeways

TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Missouri lawmakers are considering legislation that could raise speed limits on rural freeways and interstates across the state.

Republican Sen. Jamie Burger, who represents Missouri’s 27th District, introduced Senate Bill 1408 on Wednesday at the start of the legislative session.

The bill states, “Currently, the maximum speed limit on rural interstates and freeways of this state is seventy miles per hour. This act increases the maximum speed limit on such roads to seventy-five miles per hour.”

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, approximately one-third of fatal crashes in Missouri involve excessive speed, more than both impairment and distraction.

A spokesperson from MoDOT stated that the speed limit should not be raised due to safety concerns.

“From a safety perspective, if speed limits are raised to 75 mph, the state should expect to see an associated increase in fatalities and serious injuries,” said Taylor Brune, MoDOT communications director, in an email statement.

Data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that a 5-mph increase in the maximum speed limit is associated with an 8.5% increase in fatality rates on interstates and freeways.

MSHP Sgt. Shane Hux said, so far, with no increase, Missouri has seen a 37% increase in fatality crashes in the first week of the year, compared to last year.

Some Missouri drivers don’t agree with the proposed bill. St. Joseph resident Teresa Bowman said the speed limit should stay at 70 mph.

“I think requesting to raise five miles per hour more is really not necessary because they are probably going over that amount as we speak, so just leave it at 70,” she said.

St. Joseph resident Jarrett Hargrave said it should be fine as long as everyone is being safe.

“As long as everyone is driving safe it should be fine. I know people for a general statement drive usually five over anyway,” he said.

If the bill passes, speed limits could rise in August of 2026.

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MidCity Excellence to host 12th annual MLK Jr. ‘Solutions Summit’, celebrating 25 years of history

Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — A St. Joseph youth academy celebrates their 25th year of educating the local youth with their 12th annual MLK Jr. ‘Solutions Summit.’

Doors open for MidCity Excellence’s free event at 10:30 a.m., with the event taking place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, at Word of Life Church – MYC Fellowship Hall, located at 3902 NE Riverside Road.

This year’s theme is a ‘Homecoming of Excellence’, where attendees will hear from MCE alumni panelists as they share their journeys of becoming workforce-ready, trauma-informed and opioid-free.

‘Solutions Summit’ Speakers include Tyrese Huskey, an electrician and U.S. Army veteran with eight years of deployment in Kuwait, Kaliana Ginn, a Lafayette High School graduate, who is now attending Missouri Western State University on a full nursing scholarship and Jordan “Mama J” Alford, a nonprofit program director, entrepreneur and former founder of the Missouri Western Dance Company.

“Spending time with the youth, whether it’s drums, whether it’s helping them with their homework, whether it’s talking to them about a fight or their anxiety and their depression. Those conversations that our mentors, our college students, our interns, our volunteers, our community leaders have had playing chess and Uno, it matters,” MidCity Excellence CEO Kimberly Warren said.

The event will also include food from Big Daddy’s BBQ for those who RSVP and performances from their St. Joe Stixx drum line, YouthCity Gospel Choir and MidCity Trash Can Band. 

For anyone interested in the event, RSVP is available until Jan. 14 by contacting HelpMidCity@gmail.com or 816-273-5450.

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Fatal crashes up 37% statewide this month, MSHP says

TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)– The Missouri State Highway Patrol said it has seen a 37% increase in fatal traffic crashes since the start of the year.

There have been a total of 11 fatal traffic crashes so far this year, compared to a total of eight at the same time last year.

MSHP Sgt. Shane Hux said the increase is likely due to more traffic on the road after holiday travel.

“It all comes down to people driving too fast,” he said. “The top three contributing circumstances of motor vehicle crashes are excessive speed, being distracted and impairment.”

Hux said drivers should obey all traffic laws while behind the wheel, no matter where they are going.

“Make sure you buckle up each and every time you get inside your vehicle, and remember those kiddos make sure they are properly restrained,” he said. “Avoid distractions. Missouri is a hands-free state, so make sure you follow that law.”

Hux also said drivers should avoid getting behind the wheel while under the influence. He recommends planning ahead and designating a sober driver.

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Legal experts question ICE agent’s self-defense claim in deadly Minneapolis shooting

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Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Legal experts are weighing in on the deadly shooting in Minneapolis involving an ICE agent that left one woman dead on Wednesday.

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were on a residential street as they heighten their immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The Department of Homeland Security claims the ICE agent shot the woman in self-defense, alleging the woman was trying to run them over. Others claim the woman was attempting to drive away from the scene.

The woman was later identified by Minneapolis city officials as Renee Nicole Good. The Honda driven by Good was registered out of Kansas City and the Missouri Department of Revenue told ABC 17 News on Wednesday afternoon that one of the two names the vehicle was registered to was Renee N. Good Macklin.

Video circulating online shows the moments leading up to the shooting, sparking mixed reactions.

Former Cole County Prosecutor Bill Tackett reviewed the video with ABC 17 News to give his legal perspective on the shooting.

Tackett says in self-defense cases, attorneys examine whether the person who fired the weapon reasonably believed they were in danger of death or serious physical injury.

“This agent right here is off to the side. He started in front of the vehicle, but the first shot has not been fired,” Tackett said. “He’s shooting from the side, not the front. This wheel is turned. The car is pulling away. That’s the first shot, his feet are clear over here, he’s on the side of the vehicle now.”

“If he’s in front of the car, if he’s have been there and she pulled directly at him then he could fire as many times as you want, nobody would say a word here,” Tackett noted.

Former Cole County Prosecutor Bill Tackett points at a screen showing a video of an ICE agent near a Honda Pilot seconds before the agent opened fire and killed a woman on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Tackett added that by the second and third shots, the ICE agent was feet away from the vehicle, which Tackett claims did not justify firing the weapon.

“You can’t claim that [self-defense], it seems to me. I would not ,as a prosecutor, you want to have this as a ‘proper use of deadly force’ based on this video, because the position of his feet when he shoots,” Tackett said. “There’s too many avenues to stop the vehicle and make this arrest without putting three bullets in the head of the driver when there just isn’t that threat.”

Defense attorney Dan Viets agreed with Tackett’s perspective on the video.

“He was not in front of the vehicle, she was not coming toward him. She was, if anything, trying to get away,” Viets said. “It’s obvious there is no threat to the shooter or to any other officer. That video makes clear this was an instance of cold-blooded murder.”

With protests happening across the country, questions about people’s rights are taking center stage.

Both Tackett and Viets say everyone has a Constitutional right to express themselves, with political speech protected under the First Amendment. If law enforcement approaches a demonstrator, Tackett says it’s important to cooperate.

“You have to identify yourself to law enforcement, really at any time, if they’re approaching you. So locking the door and not communicating is going to cause a problem and they do have a right at that point because they don’t know whether you have a gun, they don’t know what your motive is, what you’ve done,” Tackett said.

Viets offered a different perspective.

“There’s no obligation to do so. There’s no law that requires us to show our identity, to show our papers to government agentsl unless you’re driving a motor vehicle. In which case, you do, of course. You have to produce a driver’s license,” Viets said.

If law enforcement approaches a person’s home, Viets says a the resident does not have the obligation to open the door unless law enforcement has a search warrant signed by a judge.

Tackett gave another perspective on if a law enforcement officer approaches a vehicle.

“Not when an officer is telling you to stop the car, he’s investigating. At that point you would have to stop the vehicle,” Tackett said. “In a perfect world, she would have stopped and identified herself, she should have done that. But then the officer, from what I’ve seen of this video, was not in imminent danger of death or serious fiscal injury.”

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26-year-old Lawson man killed in crash near Gallatin on Wednesday

Cameron Montemayor

DAVIESS COUNTY, MO. (News-Press NOW) — A 26-year-old man is dead after failing to stop at a stop sign and being struck by a large truck on Missouri Route 6 near Gallatin on Wednesday. 

The fatal crash occurred on Wednesday around 6 p.m. after a 26-year-old man traveling south in a 2005 Chevy Equinox on State Route DD failed to stop at a stop sign and was struck by a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado going west on Missouri Route 6, roughly a mile west of Gallatin.  

The crash forced both vehicles off the south side of Missouri Route 6, with the Equinox eventually coming to rest on its wheels facing north. 

The driver of the vehicle, a 26-year-old man from Lawson, Missouri was pronounced dead at 7:15 p.m. by a deputy at the direction of the county coroner. He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash according to a crash report.

After the collision, the Chevy Silverado overturned and struck a utility pole before coming to rest on its driver’s side. 

A 38-year-old man from Union Star driving the Chevy Silverado sustained minor injuries in the crash and was transported by Cameron EMS to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph. 

The Daviess County Sheriff’s Department provided assistance on scene. The Highway Patrol does not release the names of those involved in reports. 

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New North Pointe Veterinary Hospital sets opening date for Jan. 14, open house this Friday

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The highly-anticipated opening date and an open house for St. Joseph’s new urgent care hospital for pets has been announced.

The new North Pointe Veterinary Hospital is pictured at 5423 N. Pointe Drive in St. Joseph.

North Pointe Veterinary Hospital, a new and locally-owned clinic at 5423 North Pointe Drive, announced on Facebook it will officially open its doors on Jan. 14.

An open house for the new facility is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9.

The clinic will offer routine wellness, overnight hospitalization, urgent and emergency care veterinary services in the St. Joseph, Missouri, and surrounding areas for dogs and cats, a welcome addition for many local pet owners.

In cases of vet emergencies, the clinic will offer 24/7 on-call emergency services outside of standard business hours. Appointments and walk-ins are welcome.

Andrew County native and longtime veterinarian Austin Haeker will lead the practice. The hospital is located next to the Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel on North Village Drive.

St. Joseph-based Lehr Construction Co. was responsible for constructing the new facility.

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St. Joseph School District announces ‘FAFSA Night’ to help seniors and families

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph School District will hold an informational event to help college-ready students prepare for the next step in their academic careers.

On Wednesday, Jan. 14, financial aid experts from local colleges and universities will be on hand to help seniors and families as part of SJSD FAFSA Night, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Troester Media Center at 3401 Renick St.

Parents and students are asked to bring their FSA ID and 2024 tax information. Translation services will be available as well.

Students in attendance will be eligible to apply for a $500 scholarship as part of the occasion. FAFSA applications are for the fall 2026 semester.

In the event of inclement weather, the backup date is set for Wednesday, Jan. 21.

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Buchanan County provides $25,000 funding boost to help nonprofit Sisters of Solace

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — County Commissioners signed off on a court order Wednesday to provide a helping hand for one non-profit and its mission of supporting women survivors of trauma. 

A $25,000 funding request was approved Wednesday by Buchanan County Commissioners to help support Sisters of Solace and a community health worker, a critical position within the nonprofit founded in 2020.

SOS provides a community of support for women survivors of trauma and addiction through a range of varied programs, including residential housing/healing and fostering employment opportunities through Justice Enterprise, which has helped formerly homeless women become artisans and business women.

“The community health worker really helps manage our ladies cases, making sure they have access to things like medical care, dental care, mental health care and really facilitating their recovery, goals and helping them really get back on their feet again,” Sisters of Solace Executive Director Trina Clark said. “It makes such a difference in their lives. I don’t know how we could run our program without it.”

Within its residential healing program, SOS can provide or help facilitate access to services such as ID recovery, healthcare access, mental health assessments, GED preparation, life skills training and more, all at no cost to residents.

“We’re extremely grateful to the commissioners for believing in our mission and being willing to support. It really does make a difference in our community,” Clark said.

In July 2024, Sisters of Solace opened a new market and coffee shop called Solace Market Coffee Shop at 3024 Frederick Ave. The shop has become an integral part of its career readiness program, offering employment opportunities — including making candles for its retail store — and valuable training for women within the program.

“We just encourage everybody to come in and shop. And the coffee’s great. It’s a really nice place to meet with your small group,” Clark said.

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MidCity Excellence to celebrate legacy and alumni in 12th annual MLK Jr. ‘Solutions Summit’ on Jan. 19

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A longstanding youth learning center will celebrate 25 years of community impact while honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a powerful look at alumni now thriving in the workforce.

MidCity Excellence is a long-serving learning and performing arts center providing academic enrichment, mentorship, workforce readiness, opioid prevention education and youth entrepreneurship opportunities to students in more than a dozen schools in Buchanan County in preschool through 12th grade.

As they look ahead and celebrate 25 years of service to the community, MCE announced the 12th annual MLK Jr. Solutions Summit will take place at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, at Word of Life Church, a gathering filled with music, food and impactful discussions about the importance of investing in youth.

Students with MidCity Excellence run through a practice TV broadcast with a cellphone during an afternoon youth program in September.

The free community event will feature performances from the St. Joe Stixx Drumline, YouthCity Gospel Choir and the MidCity Trash Can Band, including discussions from former MCE alumni now thriving in various careers, from the Armed Forces to performing arts.

“We have alumni coming back that are now doing positive things in the world,” said Kimberly Warren, founder and CEO of MidCity Excellence. “We’re going to highlight them and for the first time ever, we have youth guest speakers and I think that’s powerful, especially with schools trying to bring the attention back on kids and their performance.”

MLK Jr. Solutions Summit speakers include:

Tyrese Huskey: An electrician and 8-year U.S. Army veteran with deployments to Kuwait. Huskey is also a member of the National Guard.

Kaliana Ginn: A Lafayette High School graduate now attending MoWest on a full nursing scholarship. Ginn is currently ranked 6th in her class.

Jordan “Mama J” Alford: A nonprofit program director, entrepreneur, former founder of the Missouri Western Dance Company and class president at Central High School.

One of the many goals of the event is to bring the community together to shine a light on how positive and productive development at an early age can eventually help stabilize families, grow the local economy and strengthen the workforce.

“Our best use of resources should be focused on inspiring the lives of our children. These young people have so many opportunities,” Warren said.

Doors for the event will open at 10:30 a.m., with the program being held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Word of Life Church – MYC Fellowship Hall located on 3902 NE Riverside Road.

The event is organized with help from sponsors like the National Endowment for the Arts and the Missouri Arts Council.

Big Daddy’s BBQ will be on hand to cater its trademark cherry and hickory-smoked BBQ to those who RSVP by Jan. 14.

To RSVP, please call 816-273-5450. Facebook RSVPs will not be counted.

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