Author: News-Press NOW

Kyle Schmidt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The ever-growing artificial intelligence industry has been gaining traction in schools.

According to Campus Technology, a study from Quizlet shows AI usage from high school and college students/teachers jumped from 66% in 2024 to 85% in 2025.

“We are kind of with AI where we were when we got the first computers… we’re teaching people how to adapt to the technology,” Professor of English Dr. Kaye Adkins said. “At some point, we are going to have a breakthrough that will be like the breakthrough with the screens and graphic interfaces we have now.”

University policy at MoWest allows professors to decide if they want to use AI or ban it in their class. All use of AI must follow the academic honesty policy.

Dr. Adkins said some professors said the college will not use it at all, but she is currently in her classes.

“I ask for transparency, I ask students if they use it to tell me what they’ve used, the tool, how they used it,” Dr. Adkins said. “I asked them to give me the prompts and some results and what they thought about it.”

She said the class is using AI during the revision stage.

Dr. Adkins set up a guidelines checklist for students to out into AI and check that they have met the requirements for the assignment.

Dr. Adkins found from a UC Davis study that writing teachers originally thought to use it for brainstorming and planning. The study, attributed to an ACS Publication, said one of the concerns for AI is that it will replace critical thinking.

“I kind of compare it to learning music, you have to know the basics in order to improvise,” Dr. Adkins said. “If you’re going to evaluate whether or not something is well-written, you have to know what good writing looks like and if students don’t have experience knowing what good writing looks like and don’t understand how to evaluate that, they can’t then evaluate the output from AI.”

Sophomore at MoWest, Ja’Marea Thompson stays away from AI.

“I feel like it could just track our phone usage,” Thompson said. “If you say something in front of TikTok, now all of a sudden it’s all over your for you page. I feel like that loops in with AI, it gives an invite, an open door to all your personal things.”

Senior Sebastian Gutierrez said he uses AI for fitness goals more than anything else.

“Workout plans, nutrition, what I should eat in a day,” Gutierrez said. “If I just input calories and stuff like that, I want to hear.”

Other notes Dr. Adkins made were that AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, are not good for research, and AI is generally not good at writing.

She said she has “a good ear” and can tell when AI wrote a prompt.

“My emphasis in teaching is teaching clear, accurate, readable prose,” She said. “That’s not what AI produces most of the time.”

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Abigail McCluskey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — For more than 230 years, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been a trusted source for planning weather-dependent activities such as farming, gardening and even travel.

But how accurate is it really?

Since its founding in 1792, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has aimed to help farmers prepare for soil conditions, planting and harvesting.

The publication claims a high level of accuracy on its website, but meteorological studies tell a different story.

John Walsh, a University of Illinois professor, tested the almanac’s long-range predictions over a five-year period by comparing forecasted monthly temperatures and precipitation with actual data. He found that The Old Farmer’s Almanac was only 50.7% accurate on monthly temperatures and 51.9% accurate on precipitation forecasts. Which is about the same success rate as flipping a coin.

When comparing the predicted forecast for this summer in St. Joseph, residents can get an idea of how accurate the Almanac is.

Both the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Farmer’s Almanac use meteorological seasons for consistency. Meteorological summer runs from June 1 to Aug. 31.

From June 1 through Aug 26, the St. Joseph region has received 13.82 inches of rain, which is greater than the typical average of 12.47 inches which is over a 10% increase in precipitation. During the summer, Missouri also saw relief from drought conditions.

Despite the Almanac’s prediction of a hot and dry summer with near-record-breaking temperatures, actual data tells a different story.

While the region did experience several days with high heat index values in the triple digits, average daily temperatures were below or near normal. No record-breaking heat days were observed.

Because of the unpredictability of global climate patterns, forecasting weather months or years in advance is extremely difficult.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac often publishes broad and non-specific forecasts, which leave little room for being proven wrong but also little value for practical planning.

Looking ahead, the Storm Tracker Weather Team has been monitoring below-average temperatures as we approach the start of meteorological fall on Sept. 1.

The Almanac predicts a warm and dry fall, followed by a mild and dry winter. However, given the almanac’s low accuracy and vague forecasts, it’s best to take those predictions with a grain of salt.

As we transition into a new season, your Storm Tracker Weather Team will continue to provide you with accurate and up-to-date forecasts, keeping you informed and weather-ready.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph School District rolled out a new rule in 2025 — no cell phones in the classroom. 

The district has implemented the rule following the Missouri legislature’s passing of Senate Bill 68, which prohibits the use of cell phones during school hours, to increase learning.

The legislation also aims to cut down on distractions from technology and get students to interact with each other more. 

After the first day of school on Tuesday, Aug. 19, one staff member at Benton High School said she was glad to see how well students responded to the change.  

“We’ve had a really positive response from both students and staff,” said Molly Ring, a visual arts teacher at Benton. “And our students have been doing a wonderful job in respecting that policy.”

Ring explained that while the school has always had some type of cell phone policy, SB 68 helped make the rules more consistent.  

She believes the change will ultimately help students stay more focused in class.  

“I would say it was a major distraction for students. We know how prolific cell phone use is in our current time period, especially for youth,” Ring said. 

Not every student was thrilled about the new rules at first. Senior Eliana Arambula admitted the adjustment hasn’t been easy.  

“I mean, yes, it is an adjustment, but I think it’s very good for us. There were times when it did get tough, but overall it wasn’t as bad as last year,” said Arambula.

Arambula admitted, the policy has encouraged students to connect more with their peers and has taken pressure off teachers. 

“The first week coming back from the summers, where you can use your phone anytime you want, was an adjustment, but we’ve been doing pretty good about it, so overall it’s been positive,” Arambula said.  

Despite the challenges, staff say they’re continuing to work with students to make the transition smoother and support them through the change. 

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Much like the move from appetizer to main course, one local Italian restaurant is catering to popular demand by expanding from limited reservations to a walk-in restaurant in the former Frederick Avenue fire station.

Primed with a new-look menu and hours of operation, customers can now enjoy EMI Ristorante’s three-course Italian menu from 5 to 9-10 p.m. every Wednesday through Saturday, a new era for the restaurant that spent much of the previous year as a two-day reservation-only spot.

For owner and head chef Erik Borger, a founder of popular restaurants like Il Lazzarone and Pizza Tascio in St. Joseph, the reason for the move is simple.

“We want to better serve our community with this beautiful firehouse. So the best way for us to do that was to quadruple the hours and let the doors wide open,” he said.

The restaurant is as deeply connected with Italian cuisine and culture as any in St. Joseph, from its many ingredients shipped directly from Italy to a 9,500-pound brick oven from Naples firing up fresh and handcrafted dishes like wood-fired lasagna or pasta carbonara.

A plate of wood-fired lasagna is shown at Emi Ristorante in St. Joseph.

EMI Ristorante’s new and improved menu includes 10 variations of pizza — an early fan favorite — with either white or red sauce. The pizza is inspired by a new Neapolitan creation that emphasizes heavily-rising crusts.

“We make pasta fresh every day. We make pizza fresh every day. Both those flours are made in Italy. We import all the meats besides the sausage,” said Borger, who strives to follow some of the world’s top chefs. “I want to be connected to the best producers, the people that are most passionate about food and products. I’ve never had better flavors.”

It’s a focus and point of pride for Borger, who opened the restaurant in 2024 after years of work transforming the historic former St. Joseph Fire Station at 2217 Frederick Ave.

Despite the expansion to walk-in service, Borger highly recommends calling in a reservation due to significant foot traffic since the move was announced in recent weeks, including many nights at capacity. EMI Ristorante seats up to 54 people.

“I don’t think we could fit any more people in here on Friday, Saturday night,” he said with a smile. “The support from the community has meant everything.”

With its signature low-light interior, the restaurant offers an intimate and private atmosphere unique from other restaurants in St. Joseph, something he hears consistently from customers.

Customers dine in at Emi Ristorante on Saturday, Aug. 23, in St. Joseph, following the restaurant’s move from a reservation-only to a full-service walk-in restaurant.

“When you come in here, you can be transported to anywhere in the world. People say I feel like I’m in New York or I feel like I’m in Rome. That’s what we want to create.”

Borger said one of the biggest improvements with full-time service is the ability to offer a consistent menu with greater offerings that appeal to more customers.

With additional staff now on hand, including his family, he feels the restaurant is well-equipped to meet the increased demand that comes with a full-time schedule.

“I did a unique menu almost every week for 52 weeks and that is not an easy task. You can’t talk everybody into eggplant. You can’t talk everybody into mushrooms. Now, there’s something for everybody,” he said.

Wine connoisseurs will also find a menu that features more than 30 different types of wine to complement any meal.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) —  The St. Joseph School Board was meeting to have its first meeting after the first day of school. Key items on the agenda include upgrades and revisions to report cards.

Board members took a closer look at revisions to Kindergarten through second-grade report cards, aimed at giving parents clearer insight into how students are progressing toward grade-level expectations. 

They also reviewed plans for expanding parking and drainage at Hillyard, a project designed to better handle larger vehicles, like buses. 

The board talked about replacing the gym bleachers with new self-storing rails that meet ADA guidelines.  

Board members also went over several other updates during the meeting. One of those included HVAC change orders at Edison, E. Field and Mark Twain schools, which will add fire alarm duct detector wiring. 

They also touched on attendance — noting that teachers and staff are expected to be present at least 90% of the time, the same rate expected of students. 

Assistant Superintendent of Academics, Stacia Studer, shared an evaluation of professional staff, emphasizing the need for high-quality performance to boost student achievement in classrooms. 

The board approved a master agreement with K & K Insurance out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The coverage provides voluntary accident insurance for students who take part in school activities. 

Policy updates were also on the agenda. One change prohibits students from using personal communication devices during school hours. Another update outlines how students who misbehave could be placed in virtual courses or an alternative school setting. 

Superintendent Ashly McGinnis wrapped up the meeting with a presentation of the board service budget. The next school board meeting is set for Monday, Sept. 8, at 5:30 p.m. 

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Property owners requesting safety checks of their businesses by the St. Joseph Police Department are now seeing extra signs of security from officers.

SJPD has enhanced its existing service by adding a new program called “Shield Check”.

Business owners have been able to ask for monitoring of their property when closed, to watch for suspicious activity or any signs of forced entry.

Police are now placing door hangers at properties that have been checked, which include the name of the officer, the time and the date of the visit.

Business owners will be notified of any concerns. The Shield Check door hangers are intended to provide property owners with extra assurance that officers have been there.

To request monitoring of a business, residents can call 816-271-4777 or fill out a request online by going to stjosephmo.gov and navigating to SJPD’s page under “government”.

The watch residence/business form can be found by clicking “forms and requests.”

SJPD also offers free business site security assessments. Those interested can email crimeprevention@stjosephmo.gov or call 816-236-1473.

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Abigail McCluskey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) —  Temperatures across the St. Joseph region have remained well below average, bringing cool, fall-like mornings to the area.

With an extended period of cooler weather, many residents are wondering what to do with their air conditioners: leave them on or shut them off.

Across town, opinions are mixed. Some residents choose to keep their A/C running for indoor comfort, while others opt to turn it off to save energy and avoid potential damage.

“75. I let it run all year round,” said Floyd, a St. Joseph resident.

On the other side, many residents also like to be more energy efficient and like to open their windows.

“I usually open the windows and turn the A/C off. This is beautiful weather right here,” stated Cameron, another St. Joseph resident.

“Cost-effectively, it is going to be better to shut it off since you aren’t going to pay any money towards your unit,” said Tyler Kern, a service technician with Comfort Heating and Cooling in St. Joseph.

The Storm Tracker Weather Team is continuing to track temperatures, which are expected to remain below average through the end of the week and into the first week of September.

Overnight lows have dipped into the low 50s, prompting more questions about whether it’s necessary to continue running air conditioning units.

“We do recommend, with the cooler temperatures at night, not keeping the thermostat turned down very low, that can cause freeze-ups, especially if you have a dirty filter,” said Kern.

Running your A/C when outdoor temperatures drop too low can actually harm the unit. Some HVAC experts recommend not operating central air conditioning systems when outdoor temperatures fall below your A/C’s limit. Doing so can cause the system’s coils to freeze and may lead to a thickening of the lubricating fluids, which can cause more mechanical issues or even long-term damage.

As the transition from summer to fall continues, residents are encouraged to do what they think allows them the most comfort in their home.

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Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, MO. (News-Press NOW) — A local gathering on Thursday, Sept. 11, at Wyatt Park Baptist Church, will both honor and benefit veterans in the region.

The Veterans Assistance League, a local non-profit, is sponsoring an event that will recognize all local veterans of the Vietnam War, while also educating the public about the history of the war and ways to benefit local veterans.

Tickets for the event are $10 for adults and $5 for children, and all money raised will go to provide veterans at the Veterans Home in Cameron items that are not provided through other means, according to event committee member Michael Meierhoffer.

“Supporting veterans is immensely important,” Meierhoffer said. “We’re able to do things that the state and federal government aren’t able to do.”

This event comes after summer golf tournaments that also helped raise money for special events, transportation and other items not included in the state and federal budget for veterans.

Longtime Assistance League member Truman Hardy said in addition to honoring all veterans who will be in attendance, special speakers and memorabilia will be on display.

“The Missouri Vietnam wall will be on display for the event,” Hardy said. “This is a mobile wall that displays all Missouri veterans who lost their lives in Vietnam.”

Keynote speakers include former prisoners of war, one of whom served alongside the late Arizona senator John McCain.

Members of the Veterans Assistance League said that, in addition to honoring those who served and those who gave their lives, they hope to remind younger generations of the stories of the courage of men and women who are still in the community.

Milt Toratti, a local veteran and author who has written biographies of veterans from every American war since the Civil War, will have books and other memorabilia on display.

All proceeds from book sales and tickets will go to support local veterans.

Wyatt Park Baptist Church is located at 2902 Leonard Road in St. Joseph. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 816-632-6010 or visit the Veterans’ Assistance League on Facebook.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph School District gave local educators a chance to step outside the classroom this summer.  

Through its educator externship program, teachers and counselors explored different career paths right here in St. Joseph. 

The program also connected them with local employers, providing educators with real-world experiences they can now share with their students.  

Bethany Juhl, a high school counselor, was one of the educators who took part in the externship. She says the group had the chance to visit four different workplaces across St. Joseph. 

“I participated in the externship program through the district and we went to four different places in the community, to local workforces and we toured different places,” Bethany Juhl, Highschool counselor said.  

The goal of the program was to give educators a better understanding of local job opportunities so they can pass that knowledge on to students. Juhl says the experience helped her see what skills employers are really looking for.  

For Juhl, who’s now in her second year as a counselor, the externship was also a chance to build stronger connections — both with local employers and with her own students.  

“It really helped me bridge a gap between the workforce and our school and it was so eye-opening because it gave me background knowledege of what skills these places are looking for in our students,” Juhl said.  

Along with exploring different jobs, the program helped educators form new relationships and strengthen ties with local employers.  

“I wanted to participate in the extrenship because this is my second year as a highschool counselor and being involved in their career development helps me connect with the students more,” Juhl said.  

Juhl hopes the experience will help her guide students toward the right career paths and give them chances to put their classroom skills to use. 

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Every kid looks forward to lunchtime in school to refuel their bodies with their favorite snacks.

Lunchtime is an important opportunity to socialize and take a break from class, but most importantly, it’s a time to eat healthily.

A healthy lunch for school offers numerous benefits, including essential nutrients, vitamins and support for overall growth and development.

Dietician Jessica Smith has healthy alternatives for popular fan favorites.

Instead of your Lays potato chips, Jackson’s veggie straws are a healthier option made with real vegetables and are non-GMO.

Go-Gurt is always fun, but the healthy option is an Activia probiotic yogurt, which will provide good healthy nutrients and promote good gut health.

It is always important to have a balanced and healthy school lunch.

A good guideline for school lunches is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate.

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