Author: News-Press NOW

Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — According to the Missouri Department of Mental Health Division of Behavioral Health, out of nearly 74,000 Missourians who received mental health treatment, 47.8% of them were male.

November is Men’s Health Awareness Month, a national observance dedicated to the overall health of men in the United States.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in 2021, just 40% of men with a reported mental illness received mental health care services in the past year, compared with 52% of women with reported mental illness.

Patrick Trapp, a substance use counselor at Family Guidance Center for Behavioral Healthcare, explains why men’s mental health is not often recognized.

“The stereotypical guy doesn’t have feelings or emotions and kind of just plows through his work, without really having any problems. I think people my age and younger are starting to understand that mental health is like a real thing that needs to be talked about,” said Trapp.

Mental health can impact all ages and demographics in men. On Nov. 6 this year, Marshawn Kneeland, the 24-year-old Dallas Cowboys player, took his own life after sending alarming messages to loved ones.

Trapp urges men who may be struggling mentally to seek counseling or help from family and friends, and that breaking the stigma shows true strength. Bad habits like substance abuse or self-harm are important warning signs to get help or to help someone in need.

For men and women struggling, dialing 988 or visiting Missouri988.org will get them in touch with the mental health and suicide support line.

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By: Zac Scott

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Missouri SNAP benefits have been a constant cause of concern throughout November.

On Tuesday, Nov. 11, the Missouri Department of Social Services began issuing partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to Missourians.

Since the release of information about the cancellation of SNAP benefits, families around the world have been looking for a way to make up for the funds that the benefits provided.

According to the Missouri Foundation of Health (MFH), in November of 2024, Missourians with SNAP benefits averaged $199 a month in federal benefits. While nationally, families received $193 per month.

The MFH said Missouri’s food insecurity rate is 15%, which is above the national rate of 13.5%, meaning one in every nine Missourians received monthly food benefits until the start of November.

The MFH reported, SNAP issued over $1.5 billion in benefits to 114 counties in Missouri. According to the World Population Review, Missouri is home to over six million people.

According to the MFH, Missouri’s SNAP participation rate among eligible Missourians was at 92%, whereas the national average was 88%.

This percentage shows that more than 650,000 Missourians will receive the rest of their benefits later this month.

Local organizations like Second Harvest and United Way are working to address the lack of SNAP Benefits.

KQ2 and News Press and Gazette’s new converged newsrooms will join in an effort to fight against hunger from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, at the Hy-Vee on North Belt Highway.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — From choir to jazz and a full ensemble of woodwinds, an array of concerts and performances are coming up fast at MoWest.

First on the upcoming schedule is MoWest’s Wind Ensemble, which is slated for a concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, in Potter Hall Theatre. Admission will be free for the public.

The theme of the concert is “Momentum: The Energy That Drives Music Forward” which focuses on the close relationship between music and community. The program is designed to capture movement in a way that reflects the spirit of Missouri Western.

For any questions, reach out to Dr. Lee Harrelson at rharrelson1@missouriwestern.edu or call 816-305-4894.

MoWest fall jazz concert and all-district jazz

The jazz program of MoWest’s School of Fine Arts will present its annual free fall concert at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 18 at Potter Theater.

The Jazz Ensemble will showcase classic works by arranger and writer Sammy Nestico, featuring the theme ‘A Little of This and a Little of That.’ Nestico was longtime collaborator with the Count Basie Orchestra.

Along with classics, the ensemble will perform newer works by some of today’s contemporary composers, including Ellen Rowe, Professor of Jazz at the University of Michigan, and Kris Berg, international best-selling composer and arranger.

The Jazz Ensemble is also set to perform on Saturday, Nov. 22, as part of the North West District MMEA All-District Jazz concert.

The concert will also be on the Missouri Western campus in Potter Theater, sharing the stage with the junior high and high school All-District jazz groups. This concert will start at 5:00 p.m.

For more information on either event, please contact Bob Long, director of jazz studies at 816-244-5840 or via email at long@missouriwestern.edu.

MoWest to host honor choir concert

Kicking off next Thursday at 6 pm., MoWest’s School of Fine Arts will host the Fall 2025 Honor Choir Concert in the Fulkerson Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The concert will see more than 300 middle and high school singers from across northwest Missouri and the greater Kansas City region joining voices with two ensembles: the Middle School Honor Choir, conducted by Jazz Rucker, director of choirs at Staley High School, and the High School Honor Choir, led by Dr. Paul Dease, director of choral activities at Missouri Western State University.

Regarded as one of Missouri’s most engaging choral clinicians, Rucker is widely respected for his inspiring leadership, innovative rehearsal techniques and ability to bring out the best in young singers.

Dr. Dease, director of MoWest’s choral program, expressed his enthusiasm for the event.

“This concert represents the very best of what choral music can do—bringing together hundreds of young people from across the region to make something beautiful and meaningful together,” said Dr. Dease in a press release. “We’re thrilled to welcome Jazz Rucker to campus and to give these students a day of artistry, inspiration and community through song.”

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By: Darren Doyle

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The North Andrew School District is seeking votes in a giveaway of $50,000 worth of new furniture for its library. 

Erica Wheeler, the district’s librarian, entered a KI Furniture company competition after receiving an email. She said she’s always finding competitions or opportunities to help the Cardinals.

Wheeler’s design for North Andrew’s library is now one of 12 designs making it to the competition’s final round, a feat that would mean a lot to the community.

“In a small place like North Andrew, those funds can make a huge impact for us. It would make our kids feel like a million bucks,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler said North Andrew’s school has remained in good condition since being built in the 1990s.

The new furniture would assist not only her but also other staff members in teaching students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. 

However, this wouldn’t be about furniture for Wheeler; it’s about a whole lot more.

“(North Andrew) is a small place, but I’ve always firmly believed that I want our students to know that big things can happen no matter where you’re from,” Wheeler said. “I think that it would be a cool thing for them to remember, ‘When I was in school, our school won $50,000,’ and hope for their own futures, that big things can happen no matter where you’re at.” 

Public voting for this giveaway ends on Sunday, Nov. 16. Voting for this competition can be done by visiting www.ki.com/classroom-furniture-giveaway/fourth/.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — With winter around the corner, the Missouri Department of Transportation is preparing for the inclement weather.

MoDOT held its annual statewide winter operations drill last month, giving snowplow operators the chance to drive their routes and prepare for snow and ice conditions this winter.

According to MoDOT, there are approximately 2,400 snowplow operators across the state involved in clearing the roads and bridges when winter weather hits.

MoDOT District Maintenance and Traffic Engineer, Adam Wood, said the department has been checking its equipment since October.

“We’ve actually been calibrating a lot of our salt spreaders, making sure that they’re ready to go,” he said. “We know that we’re in that time of the season when a winter weather storm could approach at any time.”

There are 3,000 MoDOT employees involved in winter weather operations. About 40% of its plow operators have three years of experience or less, and about 16% have one year or less.

Wood said, MoDOT provides a lot of training to ensure every operator is fully prepared for the winter.

“We do a lot of training opportunities throughout the district and throughout the state just to make sure everybody is up to speed and getting them in the equipment and doing test runs, having drills set up and in parking lots and things like that,” he said.

MoDOT is separated into seven districts across the state. Within the Northwest district, there are 23 maintenance buildings. Wood said each building is responsible for a certain area.

“Within that area, they might have some employees focusing on certain roads, some majors or minors or different categories of roads,” he said.

During snowstorms, motorists are able to view the department’s traveler information map, which shares road conditions. The map shows when roads are fully covered with snow, partially covered or clear.

Wood also said the map will update throughout snowstorms and it’s a great tool to have for the winter.

“Now is a great time to go to your app and make sure you know it’s updated. You’re seeing everything. Get prepared for that winter season,” he said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said it’s important to give space to snow plows, Wood agrees.

“They’re here to help you guys get the roads plowed and make things safe for the public,” Wood said.

MoDOT partners with the National Weather Service when tracking major snowstorms. When a larger storm is anticipated, Wood said a lot of prepping is involved.

“Getting with the weather center, figuring out all the different possibilities we might see,” he said. “Are we going to see snow, ice, freezing rain so that we can make the best decisions to treat the roads?”

Last year, MoDOT spent more than $64 million on winter operations.

Wood said the department will continue working to keep the roads safe, but asks the public to be aware of weather, road conditions and snow plows.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri Department of Transportation is continuing its evaluation of the Gene Field Road bridge after it was struck by an oversized load this week in St. Joseph.

A department spokesperson confirmed the bridge’s condition is still being evaluated following Monday’s collision that forced the bridge to close until further notice.

MoDOT expects an update to be provided by the end of this week on the next steps for the heavily-trafficked bridge, which was built back in 1962.

No new information has been released on the circumstances surrounding the collision or the identity of the driver.

A complete replacement of the Gene Field Road bridge was already scheduled for spring 2027, a $5.7 million project.

It’s one of two bridges in St. Joseph set for replacement in spring 2027, including the Riverside Road (Route AC) bridge, which will be reconstructed with additional lane each way to make it a five-lane bridge.

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce kicked off its 19th annual Shop St. Joseph Holiday Program Wednesday.

The program is designed to encourage residents to shop local during the holidays.

Shoppers can collect tickets from Nov. 12 to Dec. 15.

One lucky shopper will win a $10,000 grand prize.

Shoppers will also have the chance to win $2,500 for shopping at small businesses. For the purpose of the program, the Chamber defines a small business as a “locally-owned business with 10 or fewer employees.”

Shoppers will also have an opportunity to win second-chance prizes from participating merchants.

During the program, participating businesses give one Shop St. Joseph ticket free to shoppers and then another ticket for every $10 spent.

“We’re very excited to kick off Shop St. Joseph, it’s one of the best times of the year,” said Natalie Hawn, president and CEO of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. 

According to a news release, the Shop Small Business Bonus was created to give an extra incentive for residents to do their holiday shopping at a local small business.

“Besides the obvious benefit of encouraging spending at small businesses, the Shop Small Business Bones makes another shopper a big winner,” Hawn said.

A list of second-chance prizes will be available on the Chamber’s webpage after the grand prize winner is announced.

A list of participating businesses can be found below. Merchants can still register to join the program.

A list shows all of the shops participating in the Chamber of Commerce’s “Shop St. Joe” program. Courtesy of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce.

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — As the St. Joseph School District’s Board of Education wrestles with deciding on a long-range plan, a Chamber of Commerce executive speaks up about the future of the school district. 

During Monday night’s board work session and public comment, St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Natalie Hawn spoke about the long-range plan for the school district. 

Hawn encouraged the district administration and the board to move forward after a significant amount of time was spent on developing a long-range plan through Vision Forward. 

In a statement to KQ2 Tuesday, chamber officials provided additional thoughts on the current situation. 

“Our organization is singularly dedicated to ensuring our community is well-positioned for growth. We know there is a strong link between schools and community economic vitality. The District’s long-range plan is data-informed, includes public input and should be the guidepost for decision making. We cannot allow political games to dictate the future of our school district. Our children and our community deserve better.”

During Hawn’s speech Monday night, she said that the Chamber does not favor any specific school closings and never has done so.

“For the record, the Chamber board isn’t in favor of any certain school closing and never has been. Our board supports having a long-range plan and strategy as well as taking action to move our district forward. As well as supporting the administration.”

Here is the transcript of Hawn’s full comments at the board work session Monday night:

“We spent many hours working on the long-range plan through Vision Forward with many community meetings. We would like to encourage you to stay on a path forward.

Reasons would be:

1 • The district’s fall 2025 enrollment dipped to 9,781 students — the lowest in recent history. Birth rates are down and the student population will continue to decline unless the community and district act proactively. These facts mean that we cannot simply maintain the status quo. The school district must adapt to remain efficient, sustainable, and capable of delivering excellent educational outcomes.

2 • Many of the district’s buildings are over 60 years old; updating or consolidating is not only prudent, but necessary to provide a competitive learning environment that attracts families and businesses. Forward-thinking facility planning supports academic excellence and helps control long-term costs (maintenance, utilities, staff, etc.).

3 • Straying from the long-range plan affects the growth of St. Joseph. Local businesses need a well-educated workforce and an environment that attracts families. Parents aren’t attracted to outdated, undersized or inefficient schools. If young families don’t want to send their kids to school here, they won’t want to work for our companies, which will affect St. Joseph’s ability to retain businesses.

4 • As Mrs. Studer addressed, the long-range plan rightly identifies teacher recruitment and retention, and student performance improvement as key areas of focus. When we invest in our people, we strengthen not only our classrooms but the entire community’s future.

5 • The choices the Board makes now (about facility consolidation, redrawing boundaries and school configurations) will affect the district, the city, and our region for decades.

For the record, the Chamber board isn’t in favor of any certain school closing and never has been. Our board supports having a long-range plan and strategy as well as taking action to move our district forward. As well as supporting the administration.

We urge the Board to act with vision, courage and a willingness to invest in the future.”

SJSD’s Special Board of Education Meeting is meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Troester Media Center. The board will continue the district’s facility plans. 

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph School District Board of Education has opted to further explore a modified version of Plan 2B to shape the future of St. Joseph public schools, this coming after two high-profile board meetings this week.

Wednesday’s meeting at the Troester Media Center comes after the previously-discussed Plan E was shelved during a Monday work session, with the board requesting more time to review facility details for Plan E, Plan 2B and Plan 7B.

In reviewing details of Plan 2B, the majority of the board decided that the two high school model was the best path and wanted to examine additional modifications made to Plan 2B (Lafayette/Central) over Plan 7B (Benton/Central).

Additionally the board wanted to look at the possibility of a four-middle school model and changing some of the feeder systems.

One parent present in the audience, Aaron Westlake, explained why it was important for him to speak to the board before they began discussions of which plan to hone on.

“I’ve spoken at a couple of these meetings now. I’m the parent of a child that goes to Bessie Ellison,” Westlake said. “We found they are an absolutely amazing school, the sense of community there was stronger than I could have believed. I find it to be a school worth fighting for.”

After the meeting, Board President LaTonya Williams felt she could take a “sigh of relief” with clarity and a sense of direction in place with Plan 2B moving ahead for further conversations. Williams explained that while people will be upset, a decision had to be made.

“I understand that it can be frustrating, but we had to make a decision. Williams said. “We had lots of people contact us, I received lots of emails and I read every one. But I’m not able to answer to everyone. I do apologize, but I need to listen to the people.”

Williams then added that her family is among those who will be impacted by the choice to move forward with Plan 2B.

“I want for people to know I have a child in these schools. My kids and my organization are also in these schools,” Williams said. “My own kid will be moving to a different high school. As a mother, I don’t want that. As a president of this the board I have to make the right decision. And at times we have to make a good decision that isn’t going to be the one that everyone likes. And that’s okay.”

A follow-up meeting is currently scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, in the Troester Media Center located at 3401 Renick St.

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By: Zac Scott

ST. JOSEPH, Mo (KQTV)– Local boxers are preparing for a popular “Showdown” at East Hills Mall.

The “Showdown N Joetown IV” features 10 amateur bouts and six professional bouts, including Dakota Amy and Jacob Thrall, who will be fighting to see who will stay undefeated.

The fighters will check into Tipps Sports Bar for medical checks and to see their opponent for the first time before the event.

Showdown N Joetown IV Co-Promoter, John Carden, has been promoting fights in St. Joseph for almost 20 years.

Carden shared how he set up his latest fight card, or boxing lineup. Carden also said the Showdown competition had been building up before fight night.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to see the up-and-comers, because it is a Pro-Am (professional and amateur fights) show,” said Carden. “Dakoda Lynn is coming back. He hasn’t fought for a while here in town. Katelyn Radtka is making her debut. She’s somebody that I’ve known of for quite some time. Her background is primarily in MMA, but she’s fighting a girl out of South Dakota, so that should be a very, very exciting, entertaining fight.

Carden said spectators and fans will be able to see some pretty good bouts.

“As far as competitiveness, this is probably the most, if not one of the most, competitive cards I’ve put on here,” said Carden.

Amateur bouts will start at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the East Hills Mall. Professional bouts will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the East Hills Mall.

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