Author: News-Press NOW

Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph School District Board of Education met at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Troester Media Center to address issues like paid parental leave and the recent board vacancy.

The deadline for filing to the open position, vacated with the resignation of Rick Gehring, is May 13. The board has decided to compile a list of questions that will be shared with each candidate by Board President Latonya Williams in an open board meeting. Board members will evaluate each candidate based on a rubric similar to the one used to determine the election of the new school superintendent.

Superintendent Dr. Ashly McGinnis said that the district wants this process, as well as the future of the long-range plan, to be transparent and include as much community input as possible.

“When we went through the Vision Forward process a few years ago, one of the suggestions that came out of that was to rebrand,” McGinnis said. “So we have sent out another survey this week.”

McGinnis added that she hopes people who may be getting “survey fatigue” would recognize how important the input is for the district as it makes decisions about the two high school model and the allocation of future funds.

Input may be particularly helpful based upon the recent failure of Proposition 2 to pass in the April election. Survey results shared at the work session included an overview of both the positive and negative perceptions of both the proposition and the newly proposed high school model.

Concerns in the survey included a lack of trust in the process, as well as the lack of details about the specifics of the plan. Furthermore, the survey included negative perceptions of the details of the location of new high schools and the overall impact on existing staff and faculty.

Board member Whitney Lanning said she believes more specific details about “Plan B” from the board will be shared by the end of June.

The board reviewed job descriptions and policies and also heard a report on ELA and science resources for the coming school year.

For a full agenda and more information about future meetings, visit sjsd.k12.mo.us.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Crews will continue the traffic signal upgrade project, beginning on the Middleton Street and St. Joseph Avenue intersection on Monday, May 19.

Starting at 8 a.m., Middleton Street will be closed on both sides of St. Joseph Avenue as crews work to replace wired traffic signals with mast-arm poles.

The work follows the recent upgrade project on Frederick Avenue and N. 22nd Street.

Traffic on Middleton will be routed along the following detours:

Eastbound traffic will detour north on Savannah Avenue to highland Avenue, then east on Highland to St. Joseph Avenue.

Westbound traffic will detour north on Maple Leaf parkway to North Ninth Street and to Grand Avenue, going west on Grand to St. Joseph Avenue.

The work is not expected to impact traffic on St. Joseph Avenue. The approximate cost of the project is $350,000.

Work will include new bases, poles, mast arms and signal heads on all four corners. New ADA curb corners will also be constructed. In addition, a sign at one business at the intersection will be relocated to allow room for a new pole base.

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Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph School District Board of Education will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Troester Media Center to address issues like paid parental leave and the recent board vacancy.

The deadline to file for the open position, vacated with the resignation of Rick Gehring, is May 13. The board will review policies related to filling vacancies caused by resignations. It will also review other job descriptions for the board, while addressing topics like paid parental leave for the new school year and investing in curriculum resources for various subjects.

Superintendent Gabe Edgar will share a presentation on the recent School District Mission survey tonight as well.

To read the full story click here.

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Jenna Wilson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — City officials agreed on the final location for a new South Side fire station at 303 East Hyde Park Ave. in St. Joseph.

The department recently partnered with the architectural firm SEH to begin conceptual planning for the new Fire Station 10, evaluating three proposed locations in the south side, with this one identified as the most efficient.

“This took a lot of planning and it was a tough decision before we reached one,†said Jamey McVicker, St. Joseph Fire Department interim fire chief. “Our driving force has always been response times. We want to reach the community within four minutes of receiving a call.â€Â 

Other potential locations for the fire station included 5008 King Hill Ave. and 212 Alabama St. The challenge with the King Hill Avenue site was its location being too far north, which would hinder a timely response to the south end of the city. 

While the 212 Alabama Street site fell within an acceptable response time range, the financial drawback was significant, as the city does not own that property like it does the one at East Hyde Park Avenue. 

“The budget for this project was $4.29 million, and I estimate the savings from choosing this location to be between $200,000 and $400,000,†McVicker said. 

Placing the fire station at 303 East Hyde Park Ave. also allows for future expansion, should the city continue to grow. 

“More importantly, this is about the city’s anticipated future growth,†City Manager Mike Schumacher said. “Fire stations last a long time — 50 years or more. So, it’s not just about what we need today but what we expect to need 25 or 30 years from now. That’s a key part of how this was planned.â€Â 

Although discussions are still in the early stages, SJFD is exploring a collaboration with Buchanan County EMS to co-locate the new station under one roof, enhancing team-based response efforts. 

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Kyle Schmidt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A groundbreaking ceremony took place Monday outside of Daily’s Premium Meats to officially start an expansion that will double the size of the plant.

Many political figures were in attendance, including Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe.

“We’re going to continue as governor to make sure Missouri is a place businesses can grow,” Gov. Kehoe said. “Where innovation is welcome and where our workforce remains one of the strongest in the country.”

The $95 million expansion will bring in about 115 new jobs and now St. Joseph, Missouri, will produce 5% of the bacon in the United States.

Buchanan County Western District Commissioner Ron Hook said the new jobs and more bacon were some of the main positives from the expansion.

“We got a of workforce people really wanting to work, get to work and have good jobs,” Hook said. “Buchanan County and the City of St. Joseph are here to help any business around to create more jobs for the people that need the work.”

St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Natalie Hawn said one of the successes St. Joseph has had is “growing its own.”

“When we have a company here, really working with them to expand here versus other parts of the country and that is exactly what happened here with Daily’s,” Hawn said. “They are a great partner and they’re looking to expand here in St. Joseph, where they already had a plant, literally doubling the size of what they have today.”

The expansion will take five years to complete. Gov. Kehoe complimented the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce during his speech and said they have an understanding of “what the end game is,” which is to create more opportunities for Missourians.

“Whenever you have a chamber that is that involved, that integrated into the community, you see good success like we have here at Daily’s,” Gov. Kehoe said. “We couldn’t be happier with the (near) $100 million expansion and the over 100 jobs we are adding to the area.”

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Crystal Olney

DEKALB COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A 26-year-old man sustained serious injuries in a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning near Clarksdale, Missouri.

The driver, of Stewartsville, Missouri, was eastbound on State Highway P in a 2024 Chevrolet Malibu around 2:05 a.m. when the driver lost control of the vehicle, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

After traveling off the road, the vehicle went through a fence and hit a tree.

The man was transported to Mosaic Life Care of St. Joseph for his injuries. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to the report.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — AAA predicts 45 million people will travel this upcoming Memorial Day weekend, 1.4 million more travelers than last year.

Those numbers are expected to set a new travel record — the previous record was set in 2005.

The biggest increase will be through the air as airlines can expect a 12.3% increase in passengers nationwide. Those who plan to drive to their destinations will increase by 4.6%, according to AAA.

Missouri’s travel prediction is a bit more modest with a 2% spike in air travel and a 4% rise in automobile travel.

The holiday season runs from Thursday, May 22, to Monday, May 26.

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Chris Fortune

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Firefighters spend their careers helping others, but this time they are reaching out to the community for help.  

A volunteer with the DeKalb Fire Protection District organized a 5k and 10k trail race set for Saturday, May 31, through the Bluffwoods Conservation Area trails to benefit the local fire protection district.

“We need to raise money for the department to help us buy extra equipment,” volunteer firefighter Camron Hull said. “And also, we want to start engaging with the community more than just when we’re responding to emergencies.”

Hull called the race a great opportunity to utilize public land in the district it serves. The Missouri Department of Conservation issued a special use permit for the occasion.  

“Missouri Department of Conservation has always been a good partner of ours,” he said. “When we’re fighting fires there, they always send personnel out. So I think that they’re excited for us to be able to utilize the event for such a good cause.”

Volunteer firefighters will focus on hosting the event and helping at the on-site medical and aid stations during the races. 

Hull said the race will feature a single-track trail and a logging road with gravel. The special use permit allows the DeKalb Fire Protection District the opportunity to use the grounds for four hours. 

“You don’t have to be a hunter or fisherman,” Hull said. “You don’t have to like hiking. There’s ADA accessible trails that are fully paved that anybody can get out and utilize.”

Check-in time is at 7:30 a.m. and the 10k and 5k races start at 8:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m., respectively. 

Hull said DeKalb is a tight-knit, supportive community and support spreads further into Buchanan County. 

“Everybody’s looking for opportunities to engage and help support us, but it even goes further than that,” he said. “St. Joseph has a really great running community and many of the businesses have offered to let us hang the fliers and spread the word about our event.”

You can sign up for the DeKalb Firefighter 5k and 10k and find more information at ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=125653.

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Kyle Schmidt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The spring and summer seasons bring the possibility for heavy rainfall and contaminated stormwater runoff entering stormwater inlets.

Colleen Armstrong, stormwater quality coordinator for the City of St. Joseph, shared how the rain garden outside the city’s water protection division building helps prevent this potential hazard.

“Native plants help suck up some of the nutrients or if there’s any grit that comes off our parking lot or sediment, it will be captured within the garden,” Armstrong said. “(It’s) Held there versus going into a stormwater inlet.”

The rain gardens are a shallow depression (maximum depth of 18 inches) filled with native plants that are wet and dry tolerant.

Armstrong said some of the native plants’ root systems can reach up to 16 feet in the ground, which can allow more stormwater to go into the ground instead of causing erosion and sediment buildup in inlets.

An at home rain garden can help areas of the ground that have a collection of water after rainfall.

“We definitely recommend people installing them at home if they have some drainage problems,” she said. “You don’t want it in the soggy standing water areas of your yard, you’re wanting to treat it above that because you’re already not getting that infiltration in those wet spots.”

She said to be sure to keep it 10 to 15 feet away from the home to avoid water entering the basement.

St. Joseph as a city has three rain gardens.

“The native plants help with our local pollinators and our local insects that are so vital to us and our food sources…” Armstrong said. “To have something like this that’s helping support so many different types of insects and pollinators while also providing such a beneficial home for us as well.”

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (NEWS-PRESS NOW) — Plans for a new $15.6 million indoor aquatic facility in north St. Joseph took a sizable step forward Monday as City Council members weighed the latest proposal for a potential joint partnership.

YMCA officials presented a vision and new details for the state-of-the-art aquatic facility to council members as part of a first reading during Monday’s City Council meeting. The development comes after the YMCA announced earlier this month that it had reached its fundraising goal — upwards of $8 million — to help construct the facility at 3601 N. Village Drive.

“We wanted to show that we’re proposing a state-of-the-art facility, something that St. Joe can be very proud of and that can be utilized for people locally and then in the surrounding areas, regionally and even nationally,” St. Joseph YMCA CEO Tammy Killin said. “That’s something that we want to promote.”

Councilmembers will now consider the proposal and make a final decision Tuesday, May 27, on whether to move forward with the joint agreement, one that would see the city provide $7 million in funding for construction of the facility on the YMCA’s Community Campus at 3601 N. Village Drive. The city would also provide $270,000 a year for operational costs for a 20-year term.

Plans call for a 35,000-square-foot facility that would include a 50-meter pool with 10 lanes, a four-lane wellness pool, a multi-purpose room, locker rooms, spectator seating, offices and on-site food and beverage concessions, among other amenities. The wellness pool is a dual recreational and therapeutic pool that includes a play area and four lanes for water safety and swim lessons.

Killin said if a project agreement does ultimately receive city council support, work will immediately begin on completing final designs.

“The hope would be we could even maybe dig dirt as early as this fall, but maybe more realistically, in early March of next year. Then it’s an 18-month project from that point,” Killin said.

The proposed agreement requires that the aquatic center be open seven days a week, excluding major holidays, and be available to the public for at least five hours daily. A membership to the YMCA would not be required to use the Aquatic Center. 

Daily admission for the facility will not exceed $8 unless approved by the city. St. Joseph residents will receive a $2 discount on admission when they present identification. Children younger than 3 will be given free admission. 

“A lot of desire has been to do something to where we can use it year round,†St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale said. “We’re trying to put something out that is sustainable long-term for the community.†

The aquatic center will also have the ability to offer lifeguard training year-round. Killin said a hybrid indoor/outdoor component is also in the works to provide a level of outdoor recreation.

“You are going to see features like the (retractable) doors that will have an indoor or outdoor element, where you can go outside, do some sunbathing or just get some sun and come back in,” Killin said. “Programing has been the emphasis and the base of all that we have done, meaning those five areas of programing on water safety and rehabilitation, competitive swimming, aqua therapy, aqua exercise as well as family development.”

City officials are also looking at offering bus service to the new Aquatic Center, with plans to place a covered transit shelter outside the facility. The goal is to ensure all residents have access to the pool. Bus passes for youth will be included in the youth pool pass if purchased.

“There were a lot of questions that were raised, like how do we get to it? As people bring those up, as people talk to us about that, we’re trying to be very cognizant of what they’re saying so that we can positively respond to them and say, ‘Yes, we’re going to do this. Yes, this will be in the agreement,’†Josendale said.

As part of the terms of the agreement, the facility would be owned and operated by the YMCA. However, as a condition, the city may inspect the Aquatic Center and withhold any annual payments if ongoing maintenance and operation of the Aquatic Center is not satisfactory, as determined solely by the City.

The city’s first annual operating payment shall be made by Aug. 15, 2027, if the Aquatic Center is fully constructed and operational at that time. Annual fund payments must be approved each year by a City Council resolution.

The aquatic center funding agreement provides that the grant funds in the amount of $7,000,000 will be provided as follows:

$1,000,000 upon commencement of construction of the Aquatic Center.

$3,000,000 upon the Aquatic Center construction becoming in “the dryâ€, meaning the exterior structure is fully enclosed.

$3,000,000 upon final completion of construction of the Aquatic Center.

The city plans to continue offering the lazy river and zero-depth entry pool features at the Aquatic Center, along with the Liberty Oak Splash Park at Hyde Park for residents to enjoy in warm-weather months.

Construction is also planned for a new shallow-water activity pool where the old Hyde Pool was located, with that project starting this fall. In addition, a second splash park that includes a shallow stream is set to open in 2026 at the Northside Complex on the site of the old Krug Pool.  

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