Author: News-Press NOW

News-Press NOW

By: Darren Doyle

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Local entertainer Elisabeth Wykert is kicking off her Holiday Spectacular at Ol’ MacDonalds Farm Saturday.

For anyone who hasn’t seen her TikTok videos or even her last Holiday special at the Missouri Theater, Wykert said fans won’t want to miss Saturday’s show.

“(People coming can expect), everything joy and jolly. Okay, we live in a world that’s just all sad and depression. Statistically, this time of year is the most depressing time of the year, so I’m here to relieve that in whatever way possible,” Wykert shared. “Let go of your worries. It’s dinner and the show. So you don’t even got to cook, you know, bring those people who are visiting. Bring them here. I’ll feed them. I’ll make them laugh.”

Along with Wykert’s comedy and entertainment, she’ll be joined by Kansas City area comedian Andrea Caspari Spears. Attendees may recognize Spears by her involvement with the Bored Teachers comedy tour.

Wykert’s Holiday show will also feature a three-course meal, served at 6:15 p.m. 

The Dinner Comedy Holiday Spectacular is expected to last from 7 to 9 p.m. at Ol ‘MacDonald’s Farm, located at 15603 County Road in Andrew County.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Fans of the hometown St. Joseph Goats can circle their calendars as the second season of Arena League Football in St. Joseph officially begins to take shape.

The St. Joseph Goats released their official 8-game 2026 regular season schedule this week with opening day set to kick off on Friday, May 29, against the Arkansas Diamonds at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

All contests will take place at 7:05 p.m.

The Goat’s home opener is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, against the Ozark Lunkers at Civic Arena.

St. Joseph Goats Full 2026 Schedule:

Week 1: St. Joseph Goats at Arkansas Diamonds, Friday, May 29, at Bank OZK Arena, Hot Springs, Arkansas

Week 2: Ozark Lunkers vs. St. Joseph Goats, Saturday, June 6, at Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri

Week 3: St. Joseph Goats at Iowa Woo, Saturday, June 13, at the Hippodrome, Waterloo, Iowa

Week 4: Grand Island vs. St. Joseph Goats, Saturday, June 20, at Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri

Week 5: Eau Claire Axemen vs. St. Joseph Goats, Saturday, June 27, Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri

Week 6: Bye Week

Week 7: Iowa Woo vs. St. Joseph Goats, Saturday, July 11, 2026, Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri,

Week 8: St. Joseph Goats at Grand Island, Saturday, July 18, 2026, Heartland Events Center, Grand Island, Nebraska

Week 9: St. Joseph Goats at Eau Claire Axemen, Saturday, July 27, 2026, Sonnentag Center, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 

The Goats will face off against several new expansion teams this year in Memphis, Tennessee, Grand Island, Nebraska and Monroe, Louisiana.

In addition to the team’s schedule release, Goats wide receiver and Mizzou Tigers alumni D’ionte ‘Boo’ Smith will sign autographs this Saturday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the East Hills Shopping Center located at 3702 Frederick Ave.

For more information on the Goats visit their Facebook page.

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)– The St. Joseph Host Lions Club brings in fresh fruit from Florida annually, and sells it locally—a longtime tradition that helps them serve the community and raise funds for local charities and organizations. 

Second Vice President Jaymon Meikle said the club focuses much of its support on smaller groups, especially those working with vision impairment and eye-health needs.  

“We hope that we will be able to raise enough funds that we can help some of the different organizations to further benefit the community,” Meikle said.  

Meikle said his passion for service comes from growing up in a family who volunteered often, and he wanted to continue giving back after moving to St. Joseph.  

Each December, the club offers fruit baskets as both a service to the community and a holiday gift option.  

“I think people feel a little tight right now with, for different reasons, especially Christmas…This will help us support those organizations that could really use that extra help right now,” Meikle said.  

Former Club Vice President Roger Unruh said giving back is at the heart of everything the Lions Club does.  

Unruh said the fruit sale operates just like any other retail setup—anyone can stop by and pick up fresh, high-quality fruit at a fair price, according to him.  

“We have good prices, but we have better fruit. Our fruit is the fanciest fruit that you can buy. And so that’s what we sell on is, is the fancy fruit. And we have the oranges, the grapefruit, three different types of apples,” Unruh said.  

Unruh said fundraising throughout the year helps the club provide services such as ensuring people receive eyeglasses on time, offering assistance through various programs and sponsoring educational scholarships for students.  

“We have fundraisers three times a year, once a pancake feed. And that is coming up in the spring. Of course, the fruit sale is one of our bigger ones. And we also do a drive for all of the scholarships that we give away,” Unruh said.  

The fruit stand is open to the community from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Dec. 21.

More information about the services they provide can be found through Lions Club International.  

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph School District saw six filings for two open seats on its School Board after the filing period opened Tuesday.

Terms are up in April for board member Whitney Lanning and newly seated member Tom Richmond. Richmond joined the board in May after former member Rick Gehring announced his resignation.

SJSD saw filings for Jacob McMillian, Cynthia Cook and Deborah Schmuck on Tuesday.

Travis Smith was added to the list on Wednesday, Geoffrey Sollars filed on Thursday and Cassandra Veale on Friday.

Only two out of the six candidates who have filed so far have appeared on ballots for the Buchanan County General Municipal Election over the last five years.

Jacob McMillian was listed on the April 2024 ballot and Cassandra Veale was listed on the April 2025 ballot.

Both McMillian and Veale also ran as candidates to be selected to fill Gehring’s open spot earlier this year.

Any person interested and qualified to run for a position on the School Board in the April 7, 2026, election is encouraged to apply.

Qualifications to apply are:

Be citizens of the United States of America

Be voters of the district

Have resided in Missouri for a minimum of one year immediately preceding their election or appointment

Be at least 24 years of age

Not be delinquent in the payment of any state income taxes, personal property taxes, municipal taxes or real property taxes on their place of residence. If an applicant is a past or present corporate officer of any fee office, that office cannot be delinquent in the payment of any taxes owed to the state

Have not been found guilty of, nor pled guilty to, a felony under the federal laws of the United States of America or to a felony under Missouri law or an offense committed in another state that would be considered a felony in Missouri

Have not been convicted of or entered a guilty plea for the offense of assault in the first or second degree, or the offense of harassment in the first or second degree, where such assault or harassment occurred on school district grounds

Not be registered or required to be registered as a sex offender

Have filed, or the treasurer of an existing candidate

Have filed, or the treasurer of an existing committee has filed, all required campaign disclosure reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission, when applicable, for all previous elections in which they were candidates.

Persons interested may file at the St. Joseph School District’s Administrative offices, located at 1415 North 26th St.

Filings will continue during SJSD’s regular business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The district said the hours are subject to change.

Filing will not occur on days when SJSD’s offices are closed due to inclement weather or due to an unforeseen event in which the district would need to close.

So far, the district offices will be closed from noon on Tuesday, Dec. 23, through Monday, Dec. 29.

The last day for candidates to file is from 3 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

Candidates with questions should call 816-671-4003 or email donnabaker@sjsd.k12.mo.us.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A group of devoted community members were officially honored as the next class of up-and-coming leaders in St. Joseph this week, highlighted by the dedication of one late member who long embodied the program’s core values.

United Way of Greater St. Joseph is celebrating the work of 28 local leaders who graduated from its longstanding Leadership St. Joseph program on Thursday, capping off a year-long program designed to boost leadership skills and promote community investment.

Leaders from a wide variety of career fields and professions were featured in this year’s class, including those in K12 and higher education, nonprofit services, government, healthcare, business, banking and more.

As part of this year’s class, the 2025 United Way Leadership St. Joseph Distinguished Leader Award was presented to the late Carole A. Dunn, who unexpectedly passed away on June 10, 2025, at the age of 56. Her daughter, Bridgette Ballinger, was presented the award on her behalf.

Dunn was a member of the 2002 United Way Leadership St. Joseph class and dedicated her life to volunteering and supporting a wide variety of local organizations, including the YWCA Board of Directors, the Women of Excellence Steering Committee and the Leadership St. Joseph Steering Committee.

“Carol is a beautiful example of leading in every room you are in, regardless of what your role is,” United Way President Kylee Strough. “She brought an energy, a spirit, and an inspiration to all she did what she did through her workday at the News-Press with Josephine, and AFL-CIO Community Services. She brought leadership to how she operated within the community as a citizen, championing for Downtown, small businesses, the arts, taking care of our community and making it better. It was our honor last night to recognize Carole with this award.”

Dunn was a vital member of the St. Joseph News-Press for more than three decades, helping lead the company’s marketing and community engagement efforts, Josephine magazine and supporting numerous other areas of the company.

United Way Leadership St. Joseph 2025 graduates include:

Shay Bernard — Progressive Community Services

Tom Brand — St. Joseph Community Alliance

Stephanie Bush — American Family Mutual Insurance Company

Summer Deatherage — City of St. Joseph

Jodi Deering — Hillyard Companies

Jace Drake — Mosaic Life Care

Angi Duty — Community Action Partnership

Stacey Fanning — Missouri American Water Co.

Lanea Furst — Altec Industries

Brooklynn Gill — Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation

Sarah Gockley — St. Joseph Public Library

Pete Hernandez — Nor-Am Cold Storage

Tyler Hoffman — American Family Mutual Insurance Company

Lindsay Hummer — Mosaic Life Care

Jackson Lohman — City of St. Joseph

Brandi Lopez — Altec Industries

Rafael Medeiros de Oliveira Silva — American Angus Association

Bubba Miller — Sponsored by Farmers State Bank, employed by Altec Industries

Kristen Neeley — Missouri Western State University

Kenney Newville — Modern Litho

Michelle Norman — Sponsored by Junior League of St. Joseph

Nikki Olt — Nestle Purina PetCare

Viviana Sanchez — Daily’s Premium Meats

Michelle Schulze — St. Joseph School District

Tammy Smith-Hinchey — St. Joseph School District

Cameron Talbot — Commerce Bank

More than 1,000 individuals have completed United Way’s program since its creation in 1982, equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge to serve as engaged community leaders. The program fosters a strong network of community commitment through service, collaboration and a deeper understanding of community needs.

The United Way Leadership St. Joseph Class of 2025 stands for a group photo.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) — Gov. Mike Kehoe might be looking to phase out income tax in 2026, but to do that, the state would have to expand the sales tax base to include services, according to conservative group Americans For Prosperity.

The governor hasn’t released a plan to eliminate income tax, but a spokesperson said Thursday that he will unveil his tax and spending plan for fiscal 2027 at the State of the State Address on Jan. 12. That plan will be “comprehensive and responsible,” the governor’s office said.

Americans For Prosperity has been working closely with the governor to craft a plan that will keep more money in Missourians’ paychecks, legislative director Camellia Peterson said. The governor plans to phase out the income tax over five to 10 years, Peterson said.

Income tax accounts for about two-thirds of Missouri’s general revenue, according to the Missouri Budget Project. The state has to make up that loss from somewhere.

The state collected about $3.31 billion since December 2024, according to the state general revenue report for November 2025.

The bottom 20% of Missouri workers pay about 0.5% of their income, the top 20% pay about 3.6% and everyone in between pays somewhere between 1.4% and 3.6%, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Peterson said the governor’s plan would include widening the sales tax base to include services while also cutting spending. For example, realtor transaction fees and accounting services would be taxable under this proposed plan, Peterson said. Health care services would be exempt from this tax.

“Broadening the sales tax base really does help people at lower income levels because it also gives you more choice in how much tax you pay when there are budget shortfalls or when things get tight,” Peterson said.

The Missouri Realtors Association did not respond to a request for comment.

Traci Gleason from the Missouri Budget Project said services could include repairs, lawn service and pet grooming.

Missouri voters passed a ballot initiative in 2016 to keep sales and use taxes off services, according to Gleason.

Gleason said this would act like a tax break for the upper class because a larger share of their tax burden comes from income tax.

The other way the governor could make up for the income tax revenue is to increase sales tax, Gleason said.

The Missouri Budget Project estimates that sales tax would have to be about 12% to completely replace income tax, and when that’s combined with other local taxes, that number could jump to 17% to 19%.

Gleason said this projected sales tax could be costly for Missourians.

“We don’t add up the sales taxes that we pay every single day, and so it seems like it’s going to be something that’s going to help people, but when you add up what they’re actually paying, it’s going to hurt most Missourians in the long run,” Gleason said.

Peterson said the governor isn’t planning on an increase in sales tax. However, the governor hasn’t released his official plan.

The plan would also need voter approval because it’s considered a new tax, Peterson said. It would be on the 2026 ballot.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A statistic about income taxes paid by the top 1% of earners has been corrected.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A historic St. Joseph museum is decking the halls and inviting community members to ring in the holiday spirit with Santa Claus and complimentary Christmas gifts.

The historic Wyeth-Tootle Mansion is set to transform once again into a festive Christmas wonderland as part of its longstanding ‘Santa at the Mansion’ event from noon to 2 p.m. on Dec. 20 at 1100 Charles St.

The event, which is free and open to the public, gives kids the opportunity to meet and take photos with Santa Clausa, all while enjoying the rich history of the 146-year-old Wyeth-Tootle Mansion.

Children will also receive a complimentary gift as part of the experience: A new scavenger-hunt book created by the museum titled ‘Mystery at the Mansion.’

No tickets are required to attend the free event. Reservations are appreciated but not required.

“Santa at the Mansion is one of our favorite traditions. It’s a chance for families to experience the magic of the holidays while connecting with the history and charm of the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion. We are thrilled to offer this event at no cost to the community,” said Kami Jones; communications and group tours manager, in a news release.

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — At 6 pm on Saturday, Dec. 13, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will host their Saturation Patrol Roll Call at the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office.

The event is bringing 30 officers from five different law enforcement agencies for a saturation patrol that focuses on removing impaired drivers in St. Joseph and the surrounding Kansas City metro. Victims of impaired driving crashes will be present to thank law enforcement for their commitment to saving lives. Grab-and-go meals will be provided for participating officers.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A joint operation this Saturday will see officers from five law enforcement agencies working to remove impaired drivers from roadways in Buchanan County, with the help of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Missouri.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Missouri and dozens of officers from five different law enforcement agencies will host a dedicated saturation patrol on Saturday, Dec. 13 in Buchanan County.

The saturation patrol will bring 30+ officers together, including the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, to remove impaired drivers from Missouri roadways in St. Joseph and the surrounding KC Metro area.

As a token of appreciation, MADD will host a Saturation Patrol Roll Call at 6 p.m. at 501 Faraon St. in advance of the operation with grab-and-go meals available for participating officers.

Victims and survivors of impaired driving crashes will be presented to thank law enforcement for their dedication to keeping the roads safe.

“MADD Missouri is honored to support these officers as they work to remove impaired drivers from our roads,” said Anna Riley, MADD Program Manager, in a news release. “Saturation patrols are critical in preventing crashes, saving lives and reinforcing the message that driving under the influence will not be tolerated.”

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News-Press NOW

By: Darren Doyle

SAVANNAH, Mo. (KQTV) — The Savannah Fire Department will host its inaugural Christmas celebration to invite the community to get a look inside its station.

The celebration will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 18 at the Savannah Fire Department’s Station 1, located at 107 US-71 BUS in Savannah.

The department came up with the idea of letting taxpayers come and see how it is making the most of its resources. 

A lot of times, citizens and their families only meet firefighters on dark days in their lives, according to Savannah FD Lt. Jason Boyer. Having positive interactions with the public is at the forefront of this mission to create a fun holiday atmosphere. 

“It’s vital for us just to be seen. I guess most of the time when people see us, they don’t want to see us because we’ve got lights and something bad has happened,” Boyer said. “So it’s nice to be able to interact with the community in a non-emergency status and show you know that, ‘hey, we do care about the community and want to do stuff good for them’.”

This event will feature pictures and letters to Santa, a bounce house, a CPR Demonstration, Hot Cocoa and more.

For updates and additional information, follow the Savannah, Missouri, Fire Department on Facebook. 

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