Author: News-Press NOW

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A longstanding nonprofit in Midtown St. Joseph is taking its mission to new platforms by giving youth hands-on experience as multimedia journalists and content creators.

From interviewing and video editing to scriptwriting and other lessons, local youth are getting the chance to experience and document the world as multimedia journalists as part of MidCity Excellence’s new “Youth City” initiative launched this summer.

“We have our YouTube show that the kids are participating in that includes recording and editing. We’ve partnered with some of our business owners here in town who are going to offer interviews to our students,” said Program Director Erica Green, a marketing major at Missouri Western State University.

Students with MidCity Excellence pass a microphone around during a practice broadcast during an afternoon program in September.

Students had the chance to visit and interview with local businesses like Kingdom Cuts Barbershop and Will Woods State Farm Insurance this summer, documenting as journalists but also learning about entrepreneurship and business development along the way.

The newfound program combines the nonprofit’s core mission of youth mentorship and educational support with reporting that emphasizes healthy and drug-free lifestyles, one of many initiatives, including its well-known drumline, theater and dance programs, among others.

“They will come up with many different reasons that kids are saying, ‘I want to live a drug free, opioid free, healthy lifestyle. I want to achieve my goals,'” MidCity Excellence CEO and founder Kimberly Warren said. “We do that by presenting vibrant alternatives … developing young people so they can achieve academic and career success.”

MCE student Isabella Mccallon has developed into one the programs top young mentors and thinks the program fits perfectly with the rising popularity of tech and video production, especially with teenagers.

“It’s very exciting. So the cool thing is, whenever we go to different places, we get to record, we get to talk to different people, see different things. It’s never just like the same one day. Every day is different. So a lot of opportunity,” she said.

MidCity students officially posted their first multimedia show on YouTube in August and are well underway with two more video segments. The program is open to any and all students who wish to attend MCE’s summer or afterschool sessions at 604 S. 20th St.

Green and Warren are eager to see the first group of students develop and take the reins on future projects, passing down knowledge to future students.

Program instructor Erica Green, left, helps students with MidCity Excellence go through practice TV broadcast with scripts and a cellphone camera during an afternoon program in September.

Founded in 2001, the nonprofit prioritizes education through interactive and engaging lessons as opposed to traditional lectures or classes, instilling a sense of ownership and pride that boosts creativity and motivation.

“It has to be some life lessons that are vibrant, that are exciting, and that speaks their language and gives them creative control,” Warren said.

With many students being exposed to or directly impacted by drug use, violence or other unsafe habits at an early age — actions that can drastically impact their health and chances of future success — she said new and existing programs can be a life-changing outlet for many.

The nonprofit was recently awarded $11,000 through the Opioid Settlement Review Board to expand its programming and provide new healthy alternatives to substance use, including purchasing opioid prevention curriculum, providing access to Narcan and offering training for lead coaches and instructors.

“We have had kids that have overdosed before. We’ve had kids that wound up at the hospital before, some of them, on purpose, have taken things that they thought would numb them. And we have to fight for them to stay on this side of life and to fulfill their God given purpose,” Warren said. “If we don’t do anything to prevent and intervene, we will continue to lose lives. It takes so little to engage so many. So the time is now.”

In addition to Youth City, MidCity Excellence is preparing to launch a new business-themed program that teaches the values of entrepreneurship, money management and planning, enlisting the help of local business experts to provide insight along the way.

Mccallon praised the program for helping establish valuable connections between MCE students like herself and community leaders and businesses.

“I think it’s very influential because you get to interact with all sorts of different people with different careers, different opinions and interests. Some of those people I could potentially get jobs with or could potentially be my bosses someday,” she said with a smile.

For students, that means developing key skills such as branding and product design, creating business plans and giving formal presentations at City Hall committees.

“We have an upcoming entrepreneurial truck where they’ll be making their own T-shirts and hats and mugs and we may venture into the food business a little bit,” Warren said. “When you start a business, we’re going to talk about the investment, the money side of it. How they earn MidCity bucks.”

To keep students engaged along the way, the nonprofit offers a system that rewards students with points for strong attendance and putting cellphones away in “phone jails.”

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A 10-year-old child is in stable condition after sustaining a gunshot wound during a Wednesday morning shooting in the 900 block of South 18th Street.

The St. Joseph Police Department responded to the scene of a shooting around 3:20 a.m., in which a duplex had been struck by gunfire.

The 10-year-old was asleep in an upstairs bedroom of the duplex when the child was shot in the left thigh. The child was transported to Mosaic Life Care, according to a press release from SJPD.

There were no other injuries or fatalities reported during the incident.

SJPD blocked off South 18th Street from Olive to Lafayette streets, where officers recovered over 40 shell casings, including a mixture of rifle and handgun ammunition, located across the street from the duplex.

Two parked vehicles on South 18th Street were also struck by gunfire, according to SJPD.

A reporter at the scene Wednesday morning observed evidence tags on the ground and members of the police department canvassing the area.

The police department said the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call SJPD at 816-271-4777 or submit an anonymous tip through the TIPS Hotline at 816-238-TIPS (8477) and receive up to a $1,000 reward.

News-Press NOW will continue to follow this story.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Three sitting City Councilmembers and one newcomer are planning to throw their hats into the ring for next year’s municipal election.

City officials confirmed an early list of candidates who picked up petitions on Tuesday to run for district and at-large city council seats in 2026, including three incumbents and one newcomer.

Petition requests:

Madison Davis, seeking reelection for third term in District 1

Marty Novak, seeking reelection to third term at-large

Randy S. Schultz, seeking reelection to second term at-large

Collin Clibon, seeking election to first term as at-large

St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale also confirmed plans on Tuesday to run for a second term.

Tuesday marked the official start of next year’s municipal election process with petitions becoming available for those interested in running for mayor, city council and judge. All petitions must be filed with the city clerk between Tuesday, Oct. 7 and Tuesday, Oct. 28.

St. Joseph’s Primary Election will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 3, followed by the General Election on Tuesday, April 7.

Petitions for at-large seats must be signed by a minimum of 250 qualified voters. Petitions for candidates for district councilmember seats must be signed by no less than 75 qualified voters of the district.

The 2026 municipal election will feature races for mayor and all eight City Council seats. Four at-large councilmembers will be elected to serve four-year terms while four district councilmembers will be elected to an initial two-year term, with a subsequent district election to occur in 2028.

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News-Press NOW

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — On Monday, the Platte County Commission unanimously voted to terminate its participation in the Clay Platte Ray Mental Health Board (CPR).

“This is an important first step to improving and expanding mental health services for Platte County residents and we expect this action will actually result in increased federal funding for mental health services in Platte County,” said Platte County Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker.

Fricker also said the withdrawal will pave the way for the Platte County Mental Health Board to oversee approximately $3 million annually in Platte County property tax revenue earmarked for mental health services in the county.

The withdrawal comes as, in 2025 alone, Platte County has contributed $3 million to CPR; however, according to the county commission, persistent issues with CPR’s oversight and administration have raised serious concerns about the value of the partnership for residents.

One of the concerns includes the lack of control from the county, which only has two seats on CPR’s nine-member board.

Another concern was the lack of transparency. For eight months, the Platte County Presiding Commissioner has sought documentation to confirm that Platte County funds were being used for Platte County residents.

According to a press release from Platte County, CPR staff gave initial resistance, but it was later reported that Platte County tax dollars have been subsidizing services in Clay and Ray counties.

Additionally, the Platte County Commission said there was no program evaluation, stating, “CPR lacks meaningful assessments of program effectiveness, leaving taxpayers without assurance that funds are achieving intended outcomes.”

CPR, a publicly funded non-profit, has also had an absence of financial audits, despite managing a $10 million annual budget.

After withdrawing from CPR, the Platte County Commission opted to redirect its $3 million annual mental health budget to a “to-be-formed” Platte County Mental Health Board, stating the “new entity will prioritize transparency, financial oversight, and services tailored to the needs of Platte County residents”.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph’s incumbent mayor has officially announced he will seek four more years in office come next year.

St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale confirmed to News-Press NOW on Tuesday that he plans to seek a second term in office, aiming to build off four years that saw notable job growth and capital investments in manufacturing and workforce development, along with widespread upgrades to civic facilities.

“I thought about it and talked it over with my family. My health is good, and I am very committed to St. Joe,” Josendale said. “I look forward to trying to be the mayor again for four more years.”

A native of St. Joseph and longtime executive at Wire Rope Corporation of America, Josendale was first elected by voters in April of 2022.

During his four years in office, the city saw more than $300 million in large capital investments for a range of sectors, helping create and retain upwards of 500 jobs, including new industries like Nortian Foodtech or large expansions by local employers like Daily’s Premium Meats, Triumph Foods and Hillyard, Inc.

Additional achievements include revitalizing St. Joseph’s park system and key local facilities like Rosecrans Memorial Airport and Civic Arena, along with the development of new facilities like an animal shelter, InspireU Children’s Discovery Museum and hotel/convention center on Frederick Avenue.

“I think we’re moving a lot of things the right way and I look forward to being able to do it again,” he said. “St. Joe’s all about the people. From day one, I’ve enjoyed getting to meet a lot of people and there are a lot more that I’d like to continue to meet.”

He said some of the top priorities moving forward will be continued efforts to improve housing and workforce development, with the ultimate goal of boosting and retaining highly-skilled workers to address St. Joseph’s declining population.

A new apartment complex planned for the North Shoppes area, along with MoWest’s new Houlne Center for Convergent Technology and a UMKC School of Medicine campus in St. Joseph represent major investments in that area, a byproduct of strong community partnerships with the county and top local employers.

“When you talk about new jobs, where do they come from? We have to grow some of those internally. What can we do to keep them to stay? Working on that and making that part of our objective as we go forward I think is extremely important,” he said. “Having us all on the same page.”

Improving community appearances, code enforcement and strengthening communication with residents mark other key areas of focus. The city has made strides by identifying top areas of need through community surveys and holding new bi-monthly work sessions with department leaders to plan and gauge progress on those improvement efforts.

The 2026 municipal election will feature races for mayor and all eight City Council seats. Four at-large councilmembers will be elected to serve four-year terms while four district councilmembers will be elected to an initial two-year term, with a subsequent district election to occur in 2028.

Tuesday marked the official start of next year’s municipal election process with petitions becoming available for those interested in running for mayor, city council and judge. All petitions must be filed with the city clerk between Tuesday, Oct. 7 and Tuesday, Oct. 28.

St. Joseph’s Primary Election will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 3, followed by the General Election on Tuesday, April 7.

The 2022 mayoral race saw four candidates vie during the primaries, with Josendale later defeating opponent Gary Wilkinson with a 53% approval among voters.

News-Press NOW will continue to update this story.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Safety experts are sharing tips to stay prepared during National Preparedness Month.

The annual campaign has been in place since 2004 to encourage safety precautions for emergencies and natural disasters such as tornadoes and flooding.

In talking to Frank Till, the executive director of the St. Joseph Safety and Health Council, he advised residents to keep some key points in mind regarding preparation for natural disasters. 

“Sit down with your family and establish a safety and emergency plan,” Till said. “Have evacuation routes, meeting routes in place to determine where we’re going to meet if something goes bad and your separated. And also have first aid kits, emergency kits and water.”

According to the National Weather Service, 120 tornadoes have been confirmed in Missouri and 44 in Kansas in 2025. The only states with more tornadoes than Missouri are Kentucky (155) and Texas (148).

Additionally, the Missouri Climate Center reported that Missouri experiences roughly 30 tornadoes per year.

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Rebecca Evans

GRANT CITY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The search continues for a missing ram in Northwest Missouri, with the reward now raised to $10,000 for his safe return.

The ram, named Panic, disappeared from his pen the night of Sept. 1 in Grant City, Missouri. His owners believe he may have been stolen.

Picture of the missing ram during the 2025 Oregon State Fair. Photo courtesy Christie Anderson

Emily Anderson, who has been raising naturally colored sheep since she was nine years old, spent the last decade raising the small flock Panic belongs to.

She’s preparing for her last junior show at the North American International Livestock Exposition, now without the most elite sheep she’s ever raised.

Friends, family and members of the community quickly came together to raise funds, which boosted the reward for Panic’s return.

“We feel very supported by our community,” said Christie Anderson, co-owner of Anderson Farms and the missing ram, “It shows that there are far more good people than bad.”

The missing ram as a baby. Photo courtesy Christie Anderson

Panic has been competing all over the country this year and has won several titles, including National Champion, natural colored sheep for medium wools in Albany, Oregon.

The family said Panic will be worth the full $10,000 reward if returned alive and able to breed by Sept. 22. If he is returned in non-breeding condition or deceased, the reward will be $6,500.

While the owners have alerted sale barns, they say it is unlikely he would show up at one. They are asking anyone with possible leads, no matter how small, to call Anderson Farms at 660-988-3503, day or night.

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News-Press NOW

By: Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri House has sent the Senate a new congressional map that could eliminate a safe Democratic seat.

The House approved the new map, which carves up U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Fifth District, on a 90-65 vote early Tuesday afternoon. Earlier in the morning, the House also sent a plan to reform the state’s ballot measure process to the Senate.

The House gave initial approval to the bills on Monday. The initiative reform bill was taken back up on Tuesday morning and passed by a vote of 98-58.

The new map, called “Missouri First” by Gov. Mike Kehoe, came about after the White House said Missouri should redraw its map — a process that usually takes place only after the census.

House members debated the legality of redrawing the map between censuses, as well as whether the new districts were fair to Missourians.

House Republican leadership wants to reform the state’s initiative petition process by requiring a ballot question to win support of a majority of voters statewide and in each of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.

House members spent hours debating the bills before their final votes.

Check back for updates to this developing story.

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — September is known as National Hunger Action Month, and Second Harvest is working to bring awareness to the nationwide campaign.

Created in 2007 by the Feeding America network of food banks, the Hunger Action Month movement is a nationwide movement to end hunger in local American communities.

Second Harvest’s Mackenzie Bally talks about how to get involved in this nationwide movement.

“You can donate through our website at shcfb.org, or there are also many volunteer opportunities, which you can give us a call or sign up for events through our website,” said Bally.

Bally said that getting involved will help around 41,000 people in the local area who face food insecurity.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) —  High school students in the St. Joseph School District got a taste of college life during the Early College Academy orientation at Missouri Western State University. 

Students toured the campus, checked out classrooms and even picked up their photo IDs — all part of getting started with the program.  

The Early College Academy gives juniors and seniors the chance to take dual credit courses, earning college credit while still in high school. Classes are available online, in school or in person at MoWest.  

“They can take them on their computers at school, and they can also take a shuttle out to Missouri Western that we use twice a day to take those classes as well,” said Brent Corey, a librarian at Lafayette High School.

Corey said the program is all about giving students a head start with the introduction to MoWest. Some classes have as few as three students, making the experience even more personal. 

“A lot of English courses, high-level math courses and science and communication courses, is what students generally take in the program,” Corey said.  

For students like senior Emily Dulcan, the program is already paying off. She’s enrolled in history, biology and communication.  

“I am taking communication because to work on my speaking in front of people, and it just makes me more comfortable. I also have labs for biology, but I can just do that in the library here,” Dulcan said.

Dulcan expressed that the program not only saves money on tuition but also helps her prepare for her future career in the professional world.  

“I want to be a biology teacher and so making sure that I speak to the kids confidently will help them out and will help me with my career,” Dulcan said.  

According to Dulcan, the program has been helpful because it assists students, especially those taking rigorous courses like nursing, when they get into the field.  

The program is open to juniors and seniors at all SJSD high schools, giving them the chance to knock out general education courses before officially stepping onto a college campus.  

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