Author: News-Press NOW

Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The American Water Charitable Foundation announced it had awarded a $4,500 State Strategic Impact grant to Second Harvest Community Food Bank.

The American Water Charitable Foundation is a philanthropic non-profit organization established by American Water.

“Missouri American Water is proud to partner with the American Water Charitable Foundation to provide funding for community organizations meeting critical needs in the communities we serve,” said Rich Svindland, president of Missouri American Water.

Second Harvest Community Food Bank serves food-insecure individuals, families and seniors in St. Joseph and across 18 counties in Northwest Missouri.

“Missouri American Water’s really great partners for us. They’re here volunteering and always asking what we need and how they can support us and help us. This is just another great example of that,” said Chad Higdon, Second Harvest’s CEO. “They’re really committed to giving back throughout the region, and we serve a lot of the communities that they serve…So we’re very grateful for their partnership and all they do to support us.”

John Hontz, Missouri American Water’s senior manager, said the grant donation was a great opportunity to give back.

“Well, Second Harvest…we’ve partnered with them before in the past,” said Hontz. “Missouri American Charitable Foundation had some extra money this year, and um, I found out about it. So I said, “Hey, Second Harvest is always needing it.’ With uh…you know, the government was shut down…snap benefits being reduced a little bit…”

The State Strategic Impact grant is part of the 2025 “Keeping Communities Flowing Grant Program,” which focuses on three pillars of giving: Water, People and Communities. State strategic impact grants support high-impact projects and initiatives throughout American Water’s national footprint.

“The American Water Charitable Foundation is proud to support organizations that align with Missouri American Water’s commitment to meeting the critical needs of residents in St. Joseph and the broader community,” said Carrie Williams, the president of the American Water Charitable Foundation.

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Leah Rainwater

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (KQTV) — The Platte County Commission said it will consider orders, which would bring changes to its Senior Property Tax Relief Program.

According to a news release from Platte County Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker, the orders will accomplish the following:

Increases in Bonded Indebtedness will be included in the program

All property taxes paid on increased bonded indebtedness in 2025 by seniors approved for the program will be credited back to those taxpayers in future years

Annual renewals for the program will no longer be required, beginning in 2026

The Platte County Commission will hold a session at 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, at the Platte County Administrative Building, located at 415 S. Third St. in Platte City.

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph School District Board of Education discussed salaries, boundaries and transfers at its Monday night work session.

One big topic on the agenda is salary schedule revisions. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, Missouri’s minimum wage will rise to $15 an hour. 

Even though public employers weren’t required to follow minimum wage increases under Prop A before, they’ll now have to meet the new $15-an-hour requirement.  

Another major item discussed was student transfers within the district. The board will be reviewing attendance boundaries, which means students will be expected to attend the school assigned to the area where they live unless they qualify for an exception.  

“We reviewed policy JCB, which is about student transfers, with the facilities reorganization decision that was made last month. We want to make sure our families are aware of that policy in regards to student transfers,” Superintendent Ashly McGinnis said.  

The district has finalized new boundaries, which families can now look up on the district’s website.  

McGinnis said parents can enter their home address online to see where their child is assigned to attend next school year.  

“We are hoping to send out communication to families, hopefully by Christmas break, if not, definitely no later than January, so all families are clear on where students will be going to school next year,” McGinnis said.  

She stressed the importance of families going through the transfer request process if they believe they need an exception, especially now that the boundaries have been redrawn.  

“So some exceptions may take place if a student, for example, has an IEP, an individual-individualized education plan and they have special programming, we offer that in some of our buildings,” McGinnis said.  

Once communication goes out to families, the district will begin forming a committee to review transfer request forms and finalize placements for the 2026-2027 year. 

The next meeting is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 22, at the Troester Media Center.  

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph City Council approved the implementation of drones and a salary increase for the St. Joseph Police Department during its Monday meeting.

The city will enter a five-year price agreement with Axon Enterprise Inc. for the purchase of two Skydio docking “nest” systems and a total of six Skydio drones. The drones will assist law enforcement and emergency services in addressing situations before responders arrive on scene

St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster said the drones will not only help with officer safety but community safety as well.

“This is going to allow us a rapid response to many incidents where we’re going to have the drone there, and that’s the ability to kick back a video feed to not only police officers, but firefighters as well,” Luster said. “Go to calls there quickly. So I think it just has a broad application for the community and to enhance the safety of our community.”

The council approved a 6% salary increase for the SJPD. The salary increase will improve recruitment efforts in law enforcement.

Brendan McGinnis, Fraternal Order of Police Northwest Lodge three president, said the salary increase helps the department remain competitive.

“In 2022, when the public passed that tax, we were down 31 officers, and we’ve cut that by almost two-thirds,” McGinnis said. “So we’re heading in the right direction, and this just keeps us going in the right direction.”

The council approved the purchase of two new vehicles for animal services. The first vehicle will be a 2026 Ford Transit cargo van from Anderson Ford of St. Joseph.

The vehicle will replace the 2007 Dodge Caravan. This vehicle will be used by Animal Services for supplies and occasionally for animal transportation. This purchase will be funded with $53,510.56 in marijuana tax funds.

The second vehicle, a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 3/4 ton truck from Nashville Automotive LLC. This vehicle will replace the 2016 F-250.

The vehicle will be used for animal control field operations in the city limits with out-of-town travel. This purchase will be funded with $49,100.00 in marijuana tax funds.

The next city council meeting will take place on Jan. 5.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Parents can now view which public school their child has been assigned to next year as part of updated boundaries for the St. Joseph School District.

The St. Joseph School District Board of Education announced at Monday’s public work session that new boundaries have been finalized in wake of the district’s 4BR reorganization plan approved Nov. 24.

Parents and families can view boundaries and see what school their child is assigned to by going to the district’s website and entering a home address to verify.

The district intends to send out additional information about the student transfer application process around the holiday break.

“We plan on sending out communication to our families or are hoping by the holiday break, but no later than January,” Superintendent Dr. Ashly McGinnis said. “This is so that all of our families are clear on where (their) students will be going to school next year. We want to ensure we have the capacity in all of our buildings to adequately serve all of our students.”

Regarding transfers, there are exceptions for students with learning disabilities or those in situations involving foster care or homelessness.

If a parent believes a student should be attending a different school than what they’re currently assigned to, they can fill out and submit a transfer request form for review.

“They will go through the transfer request process and submit the form for consideration to a committee we are establishing to review all of the transfer requests,” McGinnis said. “The committee will thoroughly review those requests and make sure it’s a fair practice.”

Once further announcements have been made, a deadline will be set for when transfer applications need to be submitted.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Missouri could join a number of states adding new regulations to pharmacy benefit managers who play a central role in setting patient prescription prices.

Dual legislation introduced in both the Missouri House and Senate by Sen. Jill Carter (R-32) and Rep. John Hewkin (R-120) would modify definitions and regulations to address transparency and pricing disparities tied to pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.

Pharmacy benefit managers are a third-party administrator or company that acts as an intermediary between drug manufacturers, pharmacies, and insurance plans, negotiating prices, managing prescription drug benefits, processing claims and creating drug formularies to control drug spending and negotiate discounts and rebates.

In recent years though concerns have grown about a lack of transparency and anticompetitive practices that have led to restricted choices for patients and higher costs for certain prescriptions. Supporters of reform also say the current PBM system leads to financial strain for local pharmacies as well as employers who utilize certain health insurance plans.

In September 2024, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against three of the largest prescription drug benefit managers: Caremark Rx, Express Scripts and OptumRx and their affiliated group purchasing organizations (GPOs) for engaging in anticompetitive and unfair rebating practices they claim artificially inflated the list price of insulin drugs.

“These bills deliver long-overdue transparency and basic accountability in the prescription drug system so families, pharmacists, and employers stop paying more than they should while patients get the care they need,” Sen. Carter said in a press release.

SB 984 and HB 1850 modify the definition of “covered person” and “pharmacy benefits manager rebate aggregator”, “pharmacy claims data”, and “rebate” for the purposes of regulating costs charged to patients.

The act also adds several provisions relating to contracts between PBMs and pharmacies, including providing plan sponsors with pharmacy claims data, submitting documentation of any benefit design that encourages or requires the use of affiliated pharmacies.

“When PBMs control pricing and steer patients to pharmacies that the PBM owns, the fallout hits everyone — patients lose access, employers face higher costs and entire communities are put at risk,” Rep. Hewkin said in a release.

The move by Missouri comes after more than 20 states introduced legislation during the 2024 session to regulate pharmacy benefit managers.

The act would also establish a critical access care pharmacy program to ensure the sustainability of critical access care pharmacies in the state. The program would be provided through the the Department of Health and Senior Services.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Local law enforcement confirmed one person has died as a result of a house fire early Friday morning.

The St. Joseph Fire Department said it responded to a house fire at about 3 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5, around Industrial Road and Jamesport Street.

One person was transported to the hospital with serious injuries; however, the St. Joseph Police Department confirmed the person later died Friday afternoon from those injuries.

SJFD said two firefighters were injured while working to put out the fire, but were later treated and released from the hospital.

SJFD also said the cause of the fire is still being investigated.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — An upcoming gathering of disaster survivors in Washington D.C. could play a role in sparking changes within the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A delegation of 80-plus disaster survivors from across the country, including survivors from the St. Louis tornado this May, will be heading to the nation’s capital on Dec. 15 to urge Congress to prioritize disaster-impacted communities and FEMA reforms.

The move comes amid growing concerns about cuts within FEMA and a shortage of staff and resources available to assist communities impacted by disasters.

Nearly seven months after an EF3 tornado struck St. Louis on May 16, killing five people and causing $1.6 billion in damage, a number of impacted residents are still recovering. The tornado was on the ground for more than 20 miles with max winds speeds over 150 mph.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, FEMA staffing decreased by 9.5% between January and June 2025 and nearly $11 billion in disaster payments were canceled.

Now, a group of survivors are organizing across political lines to push for a modernized and effective federal response to disaster relief. The delegation intends to bring attention to the life-altering impacts of living through catastrophe, the need for sensible reforms to disaster relief, and the delivery of expedited resources to communities struggling to rebuild.

At the same time, the FEMA Review Council is expected to issue a formal report on Dec. 12 with potential reforms, a report that advocates worry will negatively impact recommendations serving survivors and their families.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Missouri Western State University will host its 2nd Annual “Education Day” basketball games, bringing together area elementary schools to immerse in a basketball gameday experience.

The games will take place on Monday, Dec. 15 and Tuesday, Dec. 16, with 11 a.m. tip-offs for both games.

An estimated 5,000 students from 37 area elementary schools will be in attendance.

The Dec. 15 game will feature the Griffon women vs. Livin’ The Dream. The Griffon men will take on Avila University on Dec. 16.

The event follows up and doubles down on 2024’s inaugural “Education Day”, which saw more than 2,100 students from 17 area schools pack the MoWest’s Looney Complex for a Griffon men’s game.

“We knew based on the energy and excitement of last year’s game that we had established a new tradition,” said Ryan Menley, MoWest’s senior associate athletic director for external relations. “Expanding Education Day to a two-day event allows us to expand our reach beyond St. Joseph and welcome our friends from the surrounding counties.”

Menley said the response has been overwhelming.

The women’s “SJSD Education Day” game is presented by Lehr Construction and will feature select grades from all 17 St. Joseph School District elementary and middle schools. Select grades and classes earned the field trip as part of SJSD’s attendance initiative.

The men’s “Midland Empire Education Day” game is presented by Moffet Nursery and Garden Shop and will welcome 2,700 students from 20 elementary and middle schools from eight surrounding counties.

Admission is free to all participating schools. Each student will receive a free rally towel, which will also double as a free season ticket to all MoWest sporting events for the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year.

Each game will feature a halftime performance by the Kansas City Disc Dogs and kid-centric music by DJ Swig.

Concession stands will be closed, as all students will be bringing their lunch. Hazel’s Coffee will be hand-selling beverages to all adults in attendance.

A limited number of tickets are available for anyone looking to attend the Dec. 15 game. Tickets will be available for pre-purchase online at gogriffons.com beginning Tuesday, Dec. 9. The Dec. 16 game is sold out.

Due to the unique experience of the games, Gold Coat season ticket holders will have open seating in the balcony, as kids will be present in the lower bowl of the MWSU Fieldhouse.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A new fleet of state-of-the-art drones for emergency response scenarios and salary increases for police and 911 dispatchers were approved at tonight’s City Council meeting, a boost to public safety and emergency operations. 

City Councilmembers approved two working agreements this evening with the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #3 and the Emergency Communication Operations, Lodge #1 to provide salary increases over a three-year period.

The agreement with FOP will see the city appropriate $450,000 in Police Sales Tax funds to implement a 6% salary increase for the department retroactive to June 30, 2025, with additional 4% salary increases for fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28.

A second agreement with the Emergency Communication Operators, Lodge #1, will raise salaries by 3% for fiscal years 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28.

New drones set to provide critical vantage point for public safety

Local public safety personnel will have a new set of eyes in the sky backing them up on everything from structures fires, search and rescue or other emergency operations with the help of advanced autonomous aerial technology.

A $1.3 million contract was approved Monday to purchase six Skydio high-tech drones and multiple docking systems from Axon Enterprise for use by various city departments, particularly public safety and emergency operations with police, fire and public works. Roughly $274,000 is being appropriated for the first year payment.

This Associated Press photo shows the Skydio X10 with the RTK GPS attachment.

Capable of moving up to 45 mph and equipped with advanced 360-degree cameras, spotlights, night vision and enhanced AI, Skydio’s state-of-the-art drones will provide a critical vantage point for police, firefighters, public works and transit, boosting response times and safety for residents and public safety personnel.

“Drone technology has advanced over the last decade to a point where it’s a very viable platform for public safety,” St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster said. “It’s going to allow us and firefighters to have a very fast response to areas of town.”

Using dispatch and CAD systems, drones can respond automatically within seconds, serving as first responder units, assisting police officers and firefighters before they arrive on scene and providing rapid situational awareness at transit stops, among numerous applications.

Skydio’s technology enables drones to autonomously launch from fixed stations in response to any location that a bus can travel to, all the while providing real-time video and data to responding staff or officers.

“Sometimes officers respond to calls and they don’t know exactly what they’re getting into. There could be someone just behind a fence that they can’t see. With this technology that’s not going to be the case,” Luster said. “For fire, they’ll be able to tell potentially how big the fire is before they ever arrive on the scene, so they can start coordinating their resources appropriately.”

Drones would even be able to help snow plow crews by evaluating snow routes and verifying completion of snow removal, among other useful capabilities for public works and transit.

Additional capabilities with drone technology

Can be used to inspect bridges for damage.

Bus shelters can be inspected, saving manpower.

Monitor real-time traffic and transit conditions

Identify obstructions or route hazards, and provide early alerts for congestion or delays.

Enhances the City’s ability to prioritize maintenance and ensure safe travel for transit users and the public

FBO airport agreement approved between City and Pan-Am Flight Services

A high-profile airport agreement will move forward tonight following an extended selection process earlier this fall that drew concerns from competing bidders.

City Councilmembers signed off on a lease and operation agreement with Pan Am Flight Services to serve as the Fixed Base Operator at Rosecrans Memorial Airport. FBOs are businesses or companies selected to provide a broad range of services to support general aviation aircraft, including services like maintenance and refueling for local and visiting pilots.

Pan Am intends to construct a new aircraft hangar with attached lobby and office space at Rosecrans to accommodate larger aircraft and passengers.

Animal Services in line to receive new department vehicles

St. Joseph will purchase two new vehicles, including a new truck and cargo van, to assist with daily operations at St. Joseph Animal Services.

City Council voted to approve two bills this evening worth just over $100,000 to purchase a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2026 Ford Transit Cargo Van for the department. Vehicles will be purchased from two dealerships, Anderson Ford of St. Joseph and Nashville Automotive, LLC using Marijuana Sales Tax funds.

City to contract outside companies to assist with landfill services

Monday’s agenda included a pair of agreements to provide on-call engineering services at the St. Joseph Sanitary Landfill. 

The agreements approved on Monday with Olsson, Inc. and SCS Engineers will allow the companies to provide services on a project-to-project basis to assist operations and avoid unnecessary delays.  

Professional engineering services include project engineering, construction inspections, structural, traffic, stormwater and wastewater engineering, transportation design and geotechnical and material testing.

Other bills approved by City Council:

Agreement with Fox Creek Design LLC and Brooner Construction and Crane to provide a grant in the amount of $50,000 toward the exterior rehabilitation of the structure at 716 Felix Street as part of the River Bluff Gateway project.

An ordinance waiving the collection of liens, assessments, and other administrative penalties in the amount of $3,573, plus applicable interest and penalties, on the property located at 1107 Mitchell Ave.

Supplemental agreement with Ideker, Inc., for the runway reconstruction project at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in the amount of $77,820.

Purchase of Procore Technologies, Inc. Project Management Software from Carahsoft Technology group both in the amount of $59,215 for tracking and managing capital improvements and other projects.

An ordinance authorizing the purchase and installation of required strobe lighting on the Frazier, Smith, and Lewis Tower sites by Midwest Mobile and an amendment to the public safety radio and tower maintenance fund budget all in the amount of $12,375.

Purchase of a Bauer high-pressure breathing air compressor in the amount of $89,856 from Conrad Fire Equipment, Inc., for use by the fire department.

Execution of work order with HDR engineering, inc. In the amount of $172,012 for collections system asset management program development at the water protection facility.

Nominations and appointments

Councilmember Andrew Trout nominates Danielle McGaughy to serve as a member of the Museum Oversight Board for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2029; she will be replacing Dan Hausman, whose term expires on Jan. 1, 2026. 

Mayor John Josendale nominates James Preston Dollar to serve as a member of the Museum Oversight Board for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2029; he will be replacing Hannorah Harrah, whose term expires on Jan. 1, 2026.

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