Cybersecurity incident damages notification system for Atchison County Emergency Management

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The CodeRED public notification system used by Atchison County Emergency Management is currently offline due to a recent cybersecurity incident, the agency said in a public safety announcement today.

Atchison County KS Emergency Management is informing residents that its CodeRED public notification system is currently offline after a reported cybersecurity incident caused damage to the platform.

“At this time, the vendor has not provided a timeline for when the system will be restored. As a result, Atchison County is unable to send notifications through CodeRED until further notice,” a Facebook post from ACEM said.

During this outage, the County will use the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System for emergency, life-safety notifications only, if needed.

IPAWS cannot be used for non-emergency or convenience notifications. The system is federally regulated by FEMA and is reserved strictly for urgent public safety messages.

Residents are encouraged to monitor local news outlets, official County/City websites, and official social media pages for updates and information that would normally be distributed through CodeRED.

Click here to follow the original article.

Tractor-trailer crash causes traffic jam on I-29

Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — A crash involving an out-of-town tractor-trailer hauling a load caused traffic to back up on northbound Interstate 29 Wednesday morning.

The tractor-trailer crashed into a guardrail on northbound I-29 on South 169 Highway around 8:48 a.m.

“Appears to have went to sleep. The wheel drifted. Hit the guardrail. Came across the roadway, hit the other guardrail, and came back to rest in the roadway,” Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett said.

A male in his 30s was operating the vehicle, and there are no reported injuries.

The traffic jam was around 20 to 30 minutes long and was due to the crash blocking traffic in the roadway until a tow truck removed the vehicle.

Click here to follow the original article.

139th Airlift Wing receives first H3 Variant C-130

Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The 139th Airlift Wing has gained a new set of wings after receiving its first H3 variant of the C-130 Hercules aircraft.

The aircraft arrived on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and was transferred from the Montana Air National Guard’s 120th Airlift Wing. It features NP2000 eight-bladed propellers and avionics upgrades, including an electronic propeller control system.

The transfer is part of a broader divestment program aimed at phasing out older aircraft.

The aircraft will undergo an acceptance inspection, followed by an isochronal inspection before being cleared for flight operations through the 139th, according to Master Sgt. Danny Mears, a production superintendent for the 139th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

A C-130H3 Hercules aircraft assigned to the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, sits on the flightline Nov. 5, 2025 at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Missouri.

Mears also said the H3s are anywhere from three to six years newer than the wing’s current fleet of H2.5s.

The aircraft was flown from Montana to St. Joseph by aircrew from the 139th. Maintenance personnel accompanied the mission.

“The plane flew great,” said Lt. Col. Chase Bodenhausen, commander of the 139th Operations Support Specialist Squadron. “The eight-bladed props are quiet, and power adjustments are immediate with the electronic valve-housing as opposed to the mechanical systems we have on the older H2s.”

Crews said, beyond the propeller upgrades, one visible difference inside the cockpit is the location of the radar.

According to Bodenhausen, the radar sits on the dash of the H2 models, restricting the visibility for pilots across the cockpit. The H3 model has the radar on display on the lower right side of the dash for both the pilot and copilot, opening up visibility.

The 139th is slated to receive another H3 variant C-130 from the Illinois Air National Guard in the near future, as the Illinois unit has transitioned to the newer J-model aircraft.

A C-130H3 Hercules aircraft assigned to the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, undergoes an ISO inspection Nov. 17, 2025 at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Missouri.

Click here to follow the original article.

St. Joseph Animal Shelter adjusts hours, drops Sunday from weekly schedule

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The City of St. Joseph has announced a change in hours of operation for the Animal Services Shelter on Lower Lake Road.

Beginning Dec. 1, the shelter will adjust its hours to Tuesday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The shelter is not open to the public on Sunday or Monday now, but animal redemptions can be scheduled by appointment on those days.

Those looking to adopt can find a complete list of animals at petforu.com

Click here to follow the original article.

SJFD investigating Monday fire on East Franklin Street that displaced residents

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Local authorities are investigating the cause of a Monday evening house fire that caused significant damage and displaced multiple residents near St. Joseph Avenue.

St. Joseph firefighters were called to a reported structure fire around 7 p.m. Monday at 112 E. Franklin St., and discovered smoke and fire upon arrival.

One person was reportedly inside when the fire broke out but was able to escape the back without injury. The resident was one of multiple people who reportedly occupied the home.

Neighbors told News-Press NOW the front of the home was engulfed in flames before a large group of firefighters were able to bring it under control. Firefighters from Engine 12, Engine 9, Engine 4, Rescue 1, Truck 7, Ladder 5, and Battalion 43 were all dispatched to the scene.

The home has been condemned due to the level of damage sustained from the fire, which is currently under investigation. A fire department official told News-Press NOW it could take several months before a full investigation is complete.

Click here to follow the original article.

Memory care access increases in Maysville

News-Press NOW

By: Zac Scott

MAYSVILLE, Mo. (KQTV) — The city of Maysville came together to congratulate the opening of a memory care unit at Sunset Home Nursing and Rehabilitation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Sunset Home, located on 1201 S. Polk St., has been caring for Maysville residents for over 20 years. With the support of the community, Sunset Home opened up a new care unit to serve residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia. 

“We just opened this Alzheimer’s dementia unit. It’s a locked, secured unit. So it is to make sure they are safe and free to wander,” said nursing home administrator Brenda Moore.

Moore said the community has been helping Sunset Home with constant support for each patient and is always looking into more ways to help.

“We are very blessed in this community. We have so much community support, and it is wonderful,” said Moore. “They’ve always been very supportive, very active with our nursing home. We’ll have the kids come by in their tractors. I can’t say enough about how wonderful the community is and the support that we have with them. “

Social Service Director, Rachel Yates, has noticed an improvement in the clinic, with patients already pouring in for care.

“I think Memory Care is a huge need in this community. I’m very glad that we opened this,” said Yates.

Moore said Sunset’s unit is unique in a way that it can house all genders without fear of rooms getting mixed up.

“The way our halls are set up, we can have men and women,” said Morre. “They’re on separate halls, so a lot of units just can accommodate either men or women, and we’re able to accommodate both.”

The Sunset Home memory care unit is open and is accepting patients. For more information, call 816-449-2158.

Click here to follow the original article.

Trenton starts a downtown revitalization

News-Press NOW

By: Zac Scott

TRENTON, Mo. (KQTV) — The City of Trenton is working toward reviving its downtown, just in time for the holidays.

The Main Street Trenton Group received a $10,000 Union Pacific grant. The group was able to match half the grant, giving the City a total of $15,000 to use to improve its small businesses.

Main Street Trenton Executive Director Luke Vale said, updating downtown Trenton will take time and effort, but it will be worth it once the work is finished.

“It’s not an overnight solution to bring it back, but it does take some urgency. You really have to act now,” said Vale. “With aesthetics being better with more businesses coming downtown, previous years have seen that same trend.”

The $15,000 will be going to four businesses to improve their exteriors. For more information on the grant system, visit the group’s website at www.mainstreettrentonmo.org.

Click here to follow the original article.

SJSD School Board to view financial audit, reach decision on the long-range plan by Nov. 24 

Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — A recent post made by a St. Joseph School District Board of Education Member details that the district will revisit long-debated consolidation plans, dive into an in-depth financial audit and ultimately guide some of the most consequential decisions the board has faced this year in terms of finances.

Community members will have an opportunity to speak, as a public hearing will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, to discuss Plans 2 (Lafayette/Central model) and 7 (Benton/Hyde and Central model). Both plans being reviewed will have the intent to retain four middle schools. A location for this hearing is still “to be announced”.

A Special Board of Education meeting will immediately follow the hearing at 6:30 p.m., at the Central High School Auditorium, where board members will review and advance a singular plan to vote on at a later meeting.

Also, according to Lanning’s post, the board will hold a Work Session at 5:15 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24, to review a financial audit proposed by Board President LaTonya Williams and Lanning in August. The audit was performed by the Missouri School Board Association.

Following the audit review, the board will move on to a meeting to review items at 5:45 p.m., which include monthly reports and personnel approvals. The board will then plan to vote on a consolidation plan, per Lanning’s post.

Click here to follow the original article.

Downtown event inspires collaboration between St. Joseph youth and local government

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The City of St. Joseph is seeking the input of local youth in an effort to promote civic engagement and explore new ways to problem solve in local government.

Leaders from various city departments and students from more than a dozen local schools took part in a revamped “Student in Government” event on Monday, an opportunity for students to engage with city leaders and those from other schools.

This year’s event took on a new approach, shifting from the previous venue at City Hall to Mosaic Life Care’s emPowerU facility Downtown, where students brainstormed ideas on community needs and offered potential solutions as a cohesive unit.

“We’re learning about how we can make our community better,” Genevieve, a student at St. Joseph Cathedral School, said. “Were seeing by 2040 what we can do to make St. Joseph a better place that people want to go to.”

Genevie was one of nearly 90 students who participated in the event, along with students from all five St. Joseph high schools and all nine middle schools.

Some of the issues highlighted by students included trash on the streets, homelessness, modernizing businesses and using more modern forms of social media.

City Manager Mike Schumacher said utilizing more current forms of social media like Snapchat and Instagram is something that city can improve on.

“The gap (between age groups) can be bridged. As you guys probably know better than I do there are software platforms that will split between all the socials,” Schumacher said. “What I took away from those comments was, ‘OK, we need to do a better job of hitting all the different social media platforms. By doing that we’re getting our message out as far and wide as we possibly can.'”

Schumacher also explained that while some of the ideas proposed may not be able to come to fruition, it is important to have the input and feedback from the younger audience — potentially future city leaders — who can shape the direction of St. Joseph.

“If you don’t listen to these student councils and these kids, I think it translates to you’ve given up,” Schumacher said. “We have not given up. It will take this entire community to address some of the issues put out there, one step at a time. There is no magic bullet to address illegal drug use or the type of violations and issues that certain populations create.”

“That’s a national issue. It’s not just here in St. Joe, every city across America is facing it. That doesn’t mean that we don’t do our best to address locally, but it will take one community working together to make an impact.”

Leaders from the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce like CEO Natalie Hawn were also in attendance to give remarks and insight to students as part of the event.

The hope going forward is to work with school administers to have sessions more frequently, including potentially meeting with students before or after school and at lunch breaks.

Click here to follow the original article.

SJPD launches new social media series to build transparency within the community

TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph Police Department recently launched a social media initiative that is gaining positive community interaction.

The planning for the series came in August, but SJPD made its official announcement, where it would begin making posts on Nov. 3

The daily series highlights SJPD officers and staff, and gives the community an inside look at the department.

Sgt. Richard McGregory, SJPD’s public information officer, said the department started its social media series to be intentional and transparent.

“So we wanted to do a better job of telling our own story and letting people know that we are doing these things and showcasing them and then actually getting on video so they know exactly how we are trying to protect the community and how we are policing the community,” he said.

Each day of the week, SJPD has a different theme on its social media. There is the Monday Minute, Tip Tuesday, Watch Wednesday, Transparency Thursday and Feature Friday.

McGregory said the department has seen strong engagement on its posts, especially its feature posts.

“I mean, there’s just positive feedback just on, especially by people that know them (law enforcement) personally or people that may have had interactions with them on the job,” he said.

McGregory said trust grows when people feel connected.

“So when they (community members) call…When you have a call for service, you’re going to know maybe on a more personal level, these officers, when they respond, because you may have seen them on our social media site, you may have seen, you know, different things that they do within our department, different units that they may serve in our department,” he said.

McGregory said the social media series is a learning experience, and he calls for the public’s support.

“We’re going to give you guys some good content, and we’re not trying to take this lightly. This is something that we do want to strive and this is the start of a platform that’s going to be here to stay,” he said. “So we want to make sure we approach it the right way. And we’re going to be very transparent. We want your feedback, that’s going to affect what we put out.”

In January of 2026, SJPD will fully launch its social media across multiple platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok, X and more.

Click here to follow the original article.