Author: News-Press NOW

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Thousands of St. Joseph drivers could be back on the Gene Field Road bridge by next summer as transportation officials prepare to move on a rapidly-accelerated plan in January to replace the closed bridge.

Construction crews and the Missouri Department of Transportation are now scheduled to begin work on replacing the heavily-trafficked Gene Field Road bridge over Interstate 29 in late January after the bridge was struck by an oversized load on Nov. 10, forcing it to shutdown.

MoDOT Northwest Project Manager Timothy Miner said the initial hope was the bridge could be reopened to one lane of traffic, but a subsequent evaluation showed the collision was significant enough to cause one of its four main support girders to separate from the bridge deck, compromising its structural integrity.

Public officials with the Missouri Department of Transportation, City of St. Joseph and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission attend a public open house on the Gene Field Road bridge replacement project on Wednesday in St. Joseph.

Traffic data shows roughly 6,500 vehicles use the Gene Field Road bridge every day, a vital east-to-west corridor for residents. The closure has had a considerable impact on traffic volume along routes like Frederick Avenue.

“With the traffic that we’re seeing now on Frederick and how things were flowing and how everything was working, we ended up getting this declared an emergency by the state, which allowed us to move it forward,” Miner said during a public open house Wednesday.

The plan now — weather permitting — is to complete the 63-year-old bridge replacement project by July 1, 2026. The bridge was originally scheduled to be replaced in 2027 before the collision occurred.

“Our plan is to give a completion of July 1 to the contractor,” Miner said. “I think with clear weather this bridge could probably get done in about four months. Weather permitting. However, we are starting in January.”

Miner said the department was fortunate most of the pre-construction work had already been complete, including design work and stakeholder meetings, allowing them to accelerate the project in such a short timeframe outside of the normal construction season.

He also credited property owners for helping negotiate Right-of-Way acquisitions in just two weeks, a process that can sometimes take up to a year to complete.

Two posters show the proposed design and a detour map for the Gene Field Road bridge replacement project during an open house meeting on Wednesday in St. Joseph.

Designs show the new bridge will be expanded slightly from 22 feet to 26 feet wide, including concrete barriers and new 5-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides, a boost for pedestrian safety.

“It’ll be good for people to actually have the ability to cross on a sidewalk. It’s not the lane of traffic,” he said.

MoDOT provides upcoming detour map

The Missouri Department of Transportation held a public open house meeting Wednesday at its district offices to provide information and answer questions from the public.

The meeting included a map of planned detours over the course of the project.

Similar to the 2024 bridge rehabilitation project for Cook Road over Interstate 29, the highway will be shutdown at certain portions of the project, with detour routes planned for Interstate 229 and Route 36.

Demolition of the current bridge is expected to take one day.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Civic Arena will be the host site for a packed slate of high school basketball matchups beginning Thursday, with all five local high schools scheduled to tip off.

The St. Joseph Sports Commission will be hosting the fourth annual St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame Holiday Hoops Classic, presented by United Fiber, from Thursday Dec. 18 to Saturday Dec. 20 at Civic Arena.

The Holiday-themed basketball event will feature 17 games over the the course of three days, including seven area high school boys and girls basketball teams, some making their first appearance in the event.

Holiday Hoops Classic schedule

Thursday, Dec. 18

4:00 PM – LeBlond vs. Macon (G)

5:30 PM – LeBlond vs. Macon (B)

7:00 PM – Lafayette vs. Park Hill South (G)

8:30 PM – Lafayette vs. Park Hill South (B)

Friday, Dec. 19

2:30 PM – Platte Valley vs. West Platte (G)

4:00 PM – Platte Valley vs. West Platte (B)

5:30 PM – Central vs. Savannah (G)

7:00 PM – Central vs. Savannah (B)

8:30 PM – Benton vs. Oak Park (G)

Saturday, Dec. 20

10:00 AM – St. Joseph Christian vs. Rock Port (G)

11:30 AM – St. Joseph Christian vs. Rock Port (B)

1 PM – North Platte vs. Cameron (G)

2:30 PM  – North Platte vs. Cameron (B)

4 PM – East Buchanan vs. Maysville (G)

5:30 PM – East Buchanan vs. Maysville (B)

7 PM – Mid-Buchanan vs. Maryville (G)

8:30 PM – Mid-Buchanan vs. Maryville (B)

For information on purchasing tickets visit the St. Joseph Sports Commission website.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — After calling the North Belt Highway home for the last 30 years, one St. Joseph library is looking ahead to a new chapter this spring with the move to a state-of-the-art facility on North Riverside Road.

Construction of the new Rolling Hills Library facility located on Riverside Road near Faraon Street is making significant progress, with the exterior of the 36,000-square-foot building nearing the finish line.

The plan is for the current location at 1904 N. Belt Highway to close on March 16, 2026, with a soft opening for the new facility now being targeted for mid-April 2026.

The exterior of the new Rolling Hills Library facility is shown on Wednesday off Riverside Road by Faraon Street.

Library Director Michelle Mears expressed her excitement on the progress of construction and the expected benefits of the new library for the community.

“It will be convenient being on one level instead of the two level setup we have in our current building,” Mears said. “We’ll have more windows, access to the outdoors and a drive up window. It’s a more efficient use of space than we have right because the current building was a retail strip mall building, and the split levels of space has made it difficult at times.”

The groundwork for the new building began back in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial thought was to move the library to the upper level of the Belt Branch for more exposure and the offices to the lower level.

However, upon inspection, they discovered the building wasn’t designed to facilitate the types of changes envisioned.

“We discovered this building was not engineered to hold the weight of the library books and bookshelves. It presented difficulty for us to try to renovate and stay in this location,” Mears said. “We started to look for an alternate piece of property and came upon the Faraon site. We then put together our team, worked with architects and our construction manager to build the new building.”

Costs for the new building are estimated around $18 million, a projected financed by reserve funds and bond funding.

While many are excited about the prospect of the new Rolling Hills location, Mears acknowledged it may be a bittersweet change for some.

“There’s some nostalgia for people who’ve been coming here for a long time and find it very convenient. Belt Highway is the main retail corridor and traffic corridor up and down through St. Joseph, a lot of people find it easy to stop on your way to say the grocery store or the post office,” Mears said. “It kind of puts us right in the middle because some people are deterred by the traffic. We kind of have a mix of people who are excited about our new location and some who are sad that we’ll be moving.”

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News-Press NOW

By: Noel Hardin

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Construction of St. Joseph’s new animal shelter on South Belt Highway is advancing smoothly, marking a significant milestone for the Friends of the Animal Shelter after overcoming numerous early hurdles.

The project recently received a major boost through a $25,000 grant from Purina.

The grant was awarded in support of the partnership between the organization and the pet care company, with funds specifically designated for the new shelter’s veterinary clinic to support the well-being of the animals in their care.

“We’re thrilled to be here today to be able to submit a $25,000 check to the Friends of the Animal Shelter,” said Angie Broadric, factory manager at Purina. “We’ve had a long-term partnership with them, which dates back years. This expansion for them will help share the same passion for pets that we have.”

According to Broadric, the funds will enhance real-time medical care for the animals, directly improving their health and overall well-being once the facility opens.

After a challenging path to break ground, organizers said construction is now progressing well.

The new shelter is on schedule to be completed in the summer of 2026.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)– The Adopt-a-Family opened its gift room for families on Wednesday morning.

The gift room is larger this year, offering more space for families to find gifts for their loved ones. About a third of the families in the program will use the gift room.

Nichi Seckinger, AFL-CIO Community Services executive director, said that they are excited about the first day of the gift room.

“We’ve got our volunteers in-house, and they’re ready. It’s a little different this year because there’s a lot more room for people to shop in. So we’re really hoping that it makes it easier for them and more enjoyable, and easier to find things for their household,” she said.

One person gets to shop for their entire household. Each household gets a certain number of items for each person in the home.

Seckinger said there are gifts available in the gift room for people of all ages.

“We have clothing items, we have household items for the adults and we have toys and all kinds of things like that,” she said. “We have items for the teens. We have stocking stuffers for each child, oranges and mints.”

80 families will be going through the gift room on Wednesday. Seckinger said that they are trying get 8 to 10 families an hour through the gift room.

“Really, it will depend on their avalibity and if they can make it in today. We’ll countinue to do that until we have everyone served that hasn’t been adopted,” she said.

Seckinger said that they have enough volunteers, but adopters have slowed down.

“Yesterday, we only put one adoption in the system. If people can adopt, we will love to have them. There’s still time for Christmas, and it’s getting close,” she said. “For a small family, it really takes a couple hours to go out and get items for them. If they don’t have time to shop, they can donate gift cards, or they can purchase gift cards from the agency, and we can let those families go shop for their household. There are ways to adopt families, and we can really use the help.”

Seckinger said they are a little behind on monetary donations.

“This year were treading $40,000 behind where we were last year. Were a little nervous, but I’m gonna stay postivie it will show up when it needs to,” she said.

Seckingner said watching the families go through the gift room is a fun time, but there are some anxious parents.

“We get a lot of calls in these days, leading up to when the gift room opens, because they’re afraid that their kids are not gonna get taken care of. Anxious parents and they call and see what is going on,” she said. “We understand that anxiety, it’s close to Christmas, and they are afarid and if we are not gonna help them, they don’t know what they are going to do. Being able to get them in here really matters, and it matters to us because it gives us a sense of relief, the same sense of relief it gives them.”

Seckinger said without this community, these folks wouldn’t be able to have Christmas.

“That’s the thing that really matters the most to us, and so were grateful. For the people that step up and help us with this program,” she said.

There are 881 families in the program, and 575 have been adopted. There are 22 families on the waitlist for the gift room.

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Prajukta Ghosh

SAVANNAH, Mo. (KQTV)– A passion for video games helped shape the direction of a new 1980s-themed arcade in Savannah.

Level Up, owned by Mathew Svoboda, officially opened its doors the first weekend of October.  

Svoboda said the business wasn’t originally intended to become an arcade, but thought it would be a fun addition to the city.

“We thought it would be fun to bring people in the square and open up an old school, ’80s-themed arcade in town,” said Svoboda.

Currently, Level Up is open on weekends due to school being in session, but Svoboda said he plans to expand the arcade hours to seven days a week once summer arrives.  

Admission costs $7 per person, allowing guests to play unlimited games throughout the day.  

“Our first night open, we had a family of four stay in the backroom, playing an old school video game for what seemed to be like a couple of hours,” Svoboda said.  

During extended breaks, such as Christmas vacation, the arcade plans to add additional operating days, including Mondays.  

Svoboda said he is working closely with community members to bring more weekday evening gaming opportunities and host tournaments in the future. 

“We are always trying to get more feedback of the people in the community because when we moved here five years ago, everyone was welcoming and friendly and always so nice,” Svoboda said.  

Level Up also hosts birthday parties and special events. Svoboda also said the business is always open to new ideas, which create unique experiences for local families.  

Guests are encouraged to join the arcade’s Facebook page to stay updated on upcoming events, promotions and arcade challenges.  

“These platforms allow us to communicate directly with our community and keep everyone informed on what’s happening at the arcade,” Svoboda said.  

Svoboda hopes Level Up will continue to be a place where people can relax, have fun with loved ones and feel comfortable and included.  

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce drew the prize winners for its annual Shop St. Joseph raffle.

The winner of the $10,000 prize is: 1956933

The winner of the $2,500 prize is: 1858114

Shortly after the drawing, the $2,500 winner came forward. The prize will be given away at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, at Quality Hearing & Audiology Center, which is where the ticket was given.

Just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the $10,000 prize winner came forward. The prize will be given away at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18 at Narrative Home, located at 2702 Ashland Ave.

Winners have until 24 hours to claim their prize by calling the chamber at 816-232-4461 or visiting 3003 Frederick Ave.

Winners will need to provide their proof of ticket, driver’s license and fill out a W-9.

The shopping program began on Nov. 12 and lasted until Dec. 17.

The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce said nearly two million tickets were distributed throughout the program’s duration. 

Second-chance prizes will also be announced after the grand prizes are claimed.

The Chamber said ticket-holders are encouraged to hold on to their tickets if prizes are not claimed.

Winners have 24 hours to claim their prizes.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Buchanan County is on pace to see its lowest quantity of fentanyl seized since 2021, but despite notable progress, local authorities remain concerned by changing trends in trafficking of the powerful drug. 

From 2022 to 2023, Buchanan County saw a staggering 439% increase in fentanyl seizures amid a nationwide surge of the powerful synthetic opioid. Seizures by the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force jumped from 973 grams of fentanyl-laced products to more than 5,200 grams during that time.

With a vast majority of fentanyl-laced products being smuggled into the country as opposed to being manufactured here, joint operations locally combined with increased border enforcement has had a sizable impact on the area according to Capt. Shawn Collie with the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force.

“Where we may have had 25 or 30 fentanyl dealers before, what we’re finding now is it may be down to two or three, but they’re getting in big quantities because they’re being forced to. It’s kind of that supply and demand,” said Collie, a veteran of the department since 1997. “It seems like (border lockdowns) have really kind of slowed down the number of seizures.”

A large bag of fentanyl-laced pills are shown in this file photo.

In 2024, 985 grams were seized by the Drug Strike Force in Buchanan County, a marked decrease from record highs in 2023. Thus far through November 2025, 630 grams have been confiscated, putting it on pace to be the lowest amount in years.  

One gram of fentanyl is powerful enough to kill 500 people according to the DEA and CDC, making it 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Collie and others surmise that drug trafficking networks have been forced to consolidate shipments across a smaller group of traffickers to reduce how much product is being confiscated or lost. The vast majority (at least 82%) of U.S. seizures for hard drugs like fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine occur at land-border ports of entry.

“99% of our cases or more, we are able to identify coming from outside areas and it’s usually going to one of the major cities before us,” Collie said. “We’ve seen hundreds of kilos of fentanyl seized in the Kansas City area or Omaha areas tied to Saint Joe.”

The recent seizure of a large quantity of fentanyl connected with one St. Joseph woman on the Belt Highway marks the latest example of what local authorities describe as more risky and larger quantities of fentanyl.

Coordinated operations between state and federal law enforcement agencies like the DEA, ATF and the U.S. Marshals Service, including local operations with St. Joseph Police, the Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol, have been key in solving investigations on both a local and regional scale that overlap.

“We can take drug dealers off the street here every day of the week. There’s always somebody to replace them. What we try to do is work with other agencies to try to take off the source of the supply,” he said. “We really depend a lot on our patrol officers, whether it’s the St. Joe PD, Sheriff’s Office, Highway Patrol, They come into contact every day with this stuff.”

Collie said partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies can at times be the difference in solving costlier investigations where technology is used to cover or aid drug operations — from transportation to communication — a process that often requires additional resources to successfully crack.

A key effort within the Drug Strike Force is studying trends with technology on the east and west coasts, trends that oftentimes make their way to the middle of the country.

Most illicit fentanyl is produced in clandestine laboratories, primarily in Mexico, using precursor chemicals sourced largely from China.

“People are doing everything through the dark webs. And so that’s where we really depend a lot on our federal agencies, the costs that go along with that investigation,” he said. “It’s so easy now just to click on a few buttons and have something delivered right to you.”

Whether it’s speaking with nonprofit groups, schools, neighborhood watch groups or businesses, authorities have stressed the importance of staying vigilant and sparking conversations between parents, children and teachers on the dangers of experimenting with drugs. 

The department has seen a significant increase in requests for discussions or programs with local groups and children in younger age ranges to bring awareness and highlight the dangers. 

“You know, we’re making arrests every day. We’re making seizures every day. But for us, a lot of it’s going to be staying ahead of the game on education and prevention,” he said. “As well as community involvement, which is key. We’re not asking people to go out and be cops for us. But if you’re seeing something in your neighborhood, contact your local law enforcement.”

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A 58-year-old woman from Springfield, Missouri, was transported to St. Joseph with serious injuries after crashing into the back of a semi truck on Interstate 29 in Holt County.

The crash occurred around 1:25 p.m. Tuesday after a 58-year-old woman driving a 2013 Ford Escape struck the towed unit of a 2024 Freightliner tractor trailer near the 74-mile marker of southbound Interstate 29, near Oregon, Missouri, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

After striking the tractor trailer, the Ford Escape overturned and came to rest on its driver side in the driving lane of southbound I-29, facing west.

The woman was transported by Atchison-Holt EMS to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.

The semi truck was able to make a controlled stop on the shoulder of the roadway after the collision. The driver, a 37-year-old male from Winter Haven, Florida, was unharmed.

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News-Press NOW

SAVANNAH, Mo. (KQTV) — A Savannah High School student who is facing felony charges for brandishing a weapon on school property entered a not guilty plea during his Tuesday arraignment.

Chris Burnett, an 18-year-old senior at Savannah High School, allegedly brandished a pistol during a verbal altercation between his brother and another student Friday, according to a probable cause statement.

During the arraignment, Andrew County Judge Emily Bauman said Burnett does need counsel to adequately protect his right to due process of law.

Burnett’s bail, set at $10,000, was not lowered and has not been paid.

The case is set for a Bond Review at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 19.

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