Author: News-Press NOW

Rebecca Evans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) – With students returning to school, the St. Joseph Police Department is reminding drivers to use extra caution around school buses and in school zones.

Here are some tips from Sergeant Kylie Van Meter, supervisor of the department’s School Resource Officer (SRO) unit, on safe driving around school buses:

Never pass a school bus from behind or from either direction when it is stopped, unloading or loading children

All traffic must come to a complete stop when a school bus has its red or yellow lights flashing and the stop arm extended.

Van Meter noted that the area within 10 feet of a school bus is particularly dangerous for children.

Make sure you stop far enough back to allow kids to safely enter and exit the bus. 

Drivers are encouraged to stay alert, as children may act unpredictably and may not always be aware of surrounding traffic hazards.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph residents are invited to the 2025 Tomato Fest, presented by the Northwest Missouri Master Gardeners.

The Fest will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21 at the University of Missouri Extension Office grounds, located at 4125 Mitchell Ave.

Attendees will be able to sample dishes made with this year’s tomato harvest and can also learn from gardening and preservation professionals.

Speakers will offer guidance from soil testing to preserving a harvest.

For more information, call 816-279-1691.

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Both lanes of traffic are now open on the MacArthur Drive Bridge as work on the project nears completion.

The bridge was originally built in 1945 and 1946, and has been undergoing an extensive renovation since May 2024.

The renovations involved completely replacing the concrete deck, blasting and recoating the steel supports underneath it and adding new railing, sidewalk and fencing.

The $2.9 million project was financed through the voter-approved Bonds for Bridges program and is its last major initiative.

The bridge goes over a railroad track and a creek and provides access to the city-owned Heritage Parks Softball Complex and Remington Nature Center, as well as several businesses, including the St. Jo Frontier Casino.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of August, weather permitting.

Occasional brief lane closures may be necessary for final tasks to be completed.

Cars drive along MacArthur Drive on Friday following the long-awaited opening of the bridge.

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office is warning against scammers targeting St. Joseph residents, claiming to be deputies or police officers.

The scammers are telling residents they have missed court and that a warrant is out for their arrest.

They’re also asking residents to go to the Law Enforcement Center and are using the names of Command Staff Members. Scammers will then ask you to call a phone number to pay.

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page states,

“Members of the Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement in general DO NOT call our citizens and ask them for money over the phone for warrants.”

Buchanan County’s Sheriff Puett urges people to keep their personal information to themselves.

“We can always remind our citizens, please do not give personal information, any social numbers, date of birth, anything to anyone.” said Puett.

Law enforcement in general will not ask you for money over the phone involving warrants or for missing court.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (NEWS-PRESS NOW) — Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) thanks one St. Joseph native for completing a summer internship in his Kansas City District Office.

Claire Phillips, a graduate of St. Joseph Christian High School and a student at the University of Missouri- Columbia, played a pivotal role in Graves’ office.

“Claire jumped right in on day one, fielding phone calls, researching legislative issues and helping folks navigate the complex federal bureaucracy,” said Graves. “Ms. Phillips was an invaluable member of our team this summer during a historic time in Congress and I wish her the best as she continues at Mizzou.”

Phillips is a National Merit Scholar and was recognized in 2024 as being of the most academically accomplished graduating seniors in the state of Missouri for that year.

Outside of her academics, Phillips enjoys working with her sorority, competing with Mizzou’s Club Competitive Dance team and volunteering for local charities.

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By: Lucas Geisler

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) –

The Missouri Gaming Commission voted Friday morning to give DraftKings and Circa Hospitality the state’s first two mobile sports betting licenses.

The commission awarded the licenses at its meeting Friday morning. The state can offer up to two licenses for companies to offer sports betting on people’s phones across the state.

DraftKings, Circa and FanDuel made their pitch to the commission on Wednesday. DraftKings and FanDuel are considered major players in the sports betting game, available in most states where betting is already legal. The two companies put millions of dollars into the 2024 ballot measure that brought legal betting to the state. Circa Hospitality, a Las Vegas-based brand, touted its local partnerships in places like Las Vegas and Chicago, as part of its pitch.

The commission has to have sports betting available to people by December 1 under the constitutional amendment voters passed. The MGC has been accepting applications from sports teams and casinos to offer in-site betting since the summer. The commission is calling on organizations to apply by September 12 to get licensed by the December 1 deadline.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

With students returning to classrooms this month, Missouri once again ranked last in the nation for public school safety.

A 2025 Wallethub ranking placed the Show-Me-State as 51st in the country for public school safety for the second consecutive year. This comes despite Missouri finishing 33rd in overall school quality.

The school safety rankings were determined by a series of metrics that included:

Number of high school students injured or threatened on school property

Number of students not attending school due to safety concerns

Armed high school students

High school students involved in a fight on school property

Laws regulating school resource officers

Bullying incidents

Youth incarceration rates

School saftey plan requirements

Records obtained by ABC 17 News show that Courage2Report, a confidential system for reporting school violence, received 927 tips between January 1 and July 3 of this year.

Of those, 106 involved bullying or repeated harassment, 94 were threats to kill, 65 were school shooting threats, 58 were reports of physical assault, and 33 involved alcohol or drugs.

Missouri has taken steps to try an address the issue in recent years.

In May of 2023, then-Gov. Mike Parson also announced a $3 million investment over three years for a new school safety app from Raptor Technologies. Over 140 schools have signed up for the program, which expedites and streamlines an emergency response by allowing teachers and other school staff to quickly initiate an alert through their mobile device or computer. Districts can also manage safety drills through the software.

In March, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed House Bill 495, which focused on public safety and included the creation of a school safety committee within the Department of Public Safety.

The committee will evaluate safety concerns, develop guidelines, and create plans to prevent gun violence in schools. It will include members from the Department of Public Safety, the Missouri Sheriffs’ Association, the Missouri Municipal League, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Missouri School Boards’ Association’s Center for Education Safety.

The Missouri School Board Association’s Center for Education Safety bills itself as the only statewide school safety organization in Missouri. It partners with the Missouri Office of Homeland Security to help enhance emergency planning and safety in both public and private schools.

While the bill emphasizes preventing school gun violence, the committee will also address other safety areas, including student mental health, de-escalation training, and emergency procedures for severe weather.

WalletHub contributed some of the states’ rankings to their low spending. Missouri ranked 38th in the country in spending per student. According to U.S Public Education Spending statistics, Missouri spends $14,703 per K-12 student, which makes up 3.38% of the state’s taxpayer income.

In May, Kehoe established a 16-member Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force to begin the process of modernizing the state’s K-12 foundation formula, which has drawn criticism from lawmakers, educators, and charter advocates alike for being outdated and inequitable.

Missouri’s school funding formula was last significantly updated in 2005, following earlier versions established in the mid-1970s and revised in the early 1990s.  A final report is due to the governor by Dec. 1, 2026.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A two-vehicle crash left several people shaken up but unharmed Friday morning at the intersection of King Hill Avenue and Alabama Street, including a pregnant woman who was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

The crash occurred around 10 a.m. Friday after a vehicle heading eastbound on Alabama Street struck a car that was attempting to turn right at a red light from King Hill Avenue onto Alabama Street.

A pregnant woman was reportedly involved in the crash and had no apparent injuries. As a precaution, she was taken to the hospital to be checked out.

The collision at the busy intersection caused one of the vehicles, a dark Hyundai Elantra, to go off the roadway and into the grass by Darcee’s School of Dance.

A large presence of first responders was on scene to assist, including St. Joseph Police, Buchanan County EMS and the St. Joseph Fire Department.

St. Joseph Police talk at the scene of a crash at King Hill Avenue and Alabama Street on Friday.

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Abigail McCluskey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Across Missouri, reports of waterborne bacteria and related illnesses have been on the rise.

One of the most recent and alarming cases involved an individual who contracted a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in the Lake of the Ozarks.

Areas that prohibit swimming are often not regularly tested, which means bacterial levels in those waters are largely unknown.

Waterborne bacteria thrive in warm temperatures, particularly in the late spring and early summer months when water temperatures range from the 70s to the low 80s.

However, once water temperatures reach the upper 80s and into the 90s, many harmful bacteria begin to die off, struggling to survive in such heat.

While the St. Joseph region doesn’t offer local freshwater beaches or designated swimming areas, there are still plenty of options for outdoor recreation, especially fishing.

Eric Dennis, a fisheries biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, provided insight into local water safety and bacterial concerns.

“Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s going to be perfectly fine to eat fish caught from potentially contaminated waters — especially around here,” Dennis said. “We don’t have a lot of areas with high enough bacteria levels to cause harm.”

When it comes to waterways getting tested for swimming safety, Dennis said the MDC only tests areas where recreational swimming is permitted.

Dennis added that cooking fish thoroughly will eliminate most harmful bacteria and parasites, making them safe to consume even if the water quality is questionable.

Though swimming might not be common in local waterways, Dennis noted that it’s typical for dog owners to let their pets swim or drink from natural bodies of water. He issued a warning about one particular threat: harmful algal blooms.

“Don’t let your dog go near any body of water that looks greenish, blue, olive green, or even red,” Dennis said. “That’s a sign of a blue-green algae bloom, which can be extremely harmful for dogs to ingest — or even breathe.”

As temperatures rise and outdoor activities increase, experts urge residents to stay informed and cautious about the hidden risks in Missouri’s waters.

Before deciding whether to enjoy one of Missouri’s waterways, remember the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ helpful reminder: “When in doubt, stay out.”

For more information on Missouri’s waterways and bacteria, visit: https://dnr.mo.gov/water/hows-water/pollutants-sources/harmful-algal-blooms-habs

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Ryan Eslinger

ST JOSEPH, Mo (News-Press NOW) — From baseballs and bats, to gloves and cleats, the Commerce Bank community collection drive in St Joseph was a part of the “Commerce Bank: Helping Kids Take the Field” campaign.

Brendon Clark, President of Commerce Bank in St Joseph, explained where and what you can donate.

“Any of our 42 convenient Kansas City location or three conveniently located St Joe branches. We have specially marked barrels inside our branches that people can, can bring their new or used equipment,” Clark said. “We’re looking for ball helmets, ball gloves, bats, cleats, pants. New or used anything that’s got, a little a little bit of life left in it.”

Commerce Bank’s “Helping Kids Take the Field” campaign is a community collection drive that stretches from July 15 to September 30.

During the drive all 45 commerce branches in the St Joseph and Kansas City communities collect baseball and softball equipment.

All equipment collected by the three St Joseph area branches will be donated to Pony Express Baseball while the Kansas City area branches will donate to the Urban Youth Academy.

Pony Express Baseball is a non-profit youth baseball league in St Joseph that provides a place for healthy activity and training. It is dedicated to inspiring young children to become good citizens and teaches the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play.

The Urban Youth Academy offers year-round programs for children between five and 18 years old from diverse communities. Since 2018, more than 60,000 children and their families have visited the Urban Youth Academy facility in Kansas City’s historic 18th and Vine District.

Clark explained the main goal behind the “Commerce Bank: Helping Kids Take the Field” campaign before the event started.

“We’re just trying to break down some barriers of making sure kids have the right equipment to get involved in the sport and the opportunity to to play.”

Commerce Bank has received help from Kansas City Royals players in 2015 World Series champion Alex Gordon and rookie standout and St Joseph native Noah Cameron to help with the community collection drive.

Alex Gordon kicked off the campaign on July 15 by donating equipment at a Commerce Bank branch in Kansas City, and encouraged Royals fans to give generously.

And Noah Cameron made an appearance at the Commerce Bank Ashland branch on August 14 to support the drive.

Clark talked about how vital it is to have guys like Gordon and Cameron by their side during the drives and the impact of Cameron as an ambassador for the project.

“[Noah is] a great ambassador for the city and sets a great example, I think for young kids to look up to. Setting a goal, working hard, and great things come from that,” Clark said. “We couldn’t be more proud to have Noah and Alex and the Royals stand beside us for this.”

Noah Cameron is having a great rookie season now only behind Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz for American League Rookie of the Year. Cameron said Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha, has taken him under his wing in his rookie season.

“Wacha takes a lot of us young guys under his wing, he’s just a guy you want to be around,” Cameron said. “He’s super talented himself, I’d love to have his career. He’s a guy you lean on every day.”

Cameron who was drafted by the Royals in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB entry draft, got the call in April of 2025 and has never looked back.

“People always tell me, ‘well you got drafted by the Royals’, you know and stuff like that. And obviously that’s super cool, but obviously being able to play at Kauffman, play in front of the hometown, is super special and super just cool,” Cameron said at the event. “A lot of guys don’t have that.”

Being able to play for his hometown team and see the hometown fans support him so much means a lot to Cameron.

“Definitely don’t take it for granted. You know every day just showing up and being able to sign for people and, see kids that I give lessons to in the offseason at games and stuff like that is super cool,” Cameron said.

And being able to come back to the town he grew up in and give back to them is something Noah will never forget.

“It’s definitely my roots. You know I’m never going to forget growing up here, playing ball here,” Cameron said. “It just means everything to me. And it’s super super important just to have people, loved ones, just people supporting me everyday.”

If you are still looking to donate baseball and softball equipment, the equipment collection drive is not ending until Tuesday, September 30. Donations can be made at any Commerce Bank location in the St Joseph or Kansas City area.

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