Author: News-Press NOW

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The pathway to becoming a pilot and taking to the skies will be easier than ever under a new and long-awaited aviation rule change set to take effect this October.

U.S. aviation officials, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, unveiled widespread changes this July for light sport aircraft and sport pilot privileges, the largest overhaul in more than 20 years for a growing sector of recreational aviation.

Among a wide range of changes, the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule now allows those with Sport Pilot certification to operate a broader range of larger and more traditional aircraft, such as the Piper Cherokee and Cessna 182, essentially cutting the amount of time in half that it takes to fly one.

“It’s amazing. It’s one of the best things I’ve seen happen to aviation in the 15 years I’ve been flying,” FlyTech Pilot Academy co-founder Lute Atieh said. “The sport license basically says if you’re a recreational pilot, you can get this license. It’s half the time, half the money, half the effort of a full license.”

With proper training, sport pilots will be allowed to fly at night and operate more complex aircraft. The rule will also reduce weight restrictions, enhance landing gear capabilities and allow for constant-speed propellers.

Used primarily for recreational aviation, a sport pilot’s license requires a minimum of 20 hours of flight time while also being more affordable than a standard pilot’s license, which requires twice the amount of flight hours.

“If you possess the ability to have a driver’s license, you can then start earning your sport pilot’s license,” Atieh said.

Atieh said it took five years for him to get a standard pilot license, a long and slow process, with a number of areas not consistently utilized by sports pilots.

“We limit a few things that most of you will never use … so it’s really right-sizing the steps toward becoming a pilot,” Atieh said. “Most of us are just going to be at the sport license level. Fly around, enjoy, go do little vacations. And this is a perfect license for it.”

The FAA created the initial LSA category and the Sport Pilot certificate in 2004. Officials pointed to a solid safety record of LSAs during that time, showing the FAA could safely expand the aircraft category.

With more pilots potentially taking to the skies in the years to come, industry advocates are hopeful the rule will have a chain reaction that inspires aircraft manufacturers to enhance or create new aircraft that support a growing market.

“This is going to really inspire manufacturers to do more. It’s going to take older aircraft and retrofit them to do more,” Atieh said. “This is a huge. I think it’ll take a few years to realize how important this was for aviation.”

New MOSAIC rules also open the door for older pilots who were previously discouraged from flying due to certain types of medications or health issues.

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Abigail McCluskey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Being located in Missouri, Kansas City Chiefs fans know they have to be ready for any weather coming their way.

Whether it’s the blistering heat of training camp or the freezing, snowy conditions at Arrowhead Stadium, Chiefs fans stick it out to cheer on their team. They’re some of the most dedicated fans in the NFL — no matter the season, no matter the weather.

This summer, fans at training camp once again had to deal with Missouri’s unpredictable climate. Several camp days saw heat index values soar above 100 degrees.

On top of that, a few sessions were moved indoors due to thunderstorms and heavy rain. But for die-hard fans, it’s all part of the experience — a kind of preseason training for what they’ll face during the regular season.

Arrowhead Stadium, famously open-air, offers no protection from the elements.

During the 2023 AFC Wild Card game against the Miami Dolphins, fans faced wind chills near -27 degrees. Some battled frostbite, and a few even suffered severe enough exposure to require amputations.

Yet, they showed up, bundled in layers and loud as ever.

Extreme weather may be part of the Chiefs fan experience, but it’s also part of what makes it so memorable.

Mike Numan was a former male chiefs cheerleader in the 60s. Numan was also able to participate in the first Chief’s Superbowl in Los Angeles in 1967.

Mike Numan recalls memorable moments of a foggy Super Bowl.

“So we went to the Super Bowl, and then we got fogged in out there and so we ended up spending the night and got to go to the all the parties, it was really fun.” Said former cheerleader Numan.

Another die hard Chiefs fan, Dustin Chestnut, went to the 2022 AFC championship game against the Bengals and experience the bitter cold.

“During that game it was freezing cold. I couldn’t feel my toes, my wife hated it but it was amazing.” Said Chestnut.

Whether sweating it out in July or freezing in January, fans create unforgettable moments — together with family and friends — that go far beyond the game.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Dating back to the 2019 season, Gardner Minshew has made a name for himself in the NFL with his strong play, along with his iconic mustache and mullet.

The 178th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has been a steady presence on many teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders and now the Kansas City Chiefs. Entering his 6th season, Minshew has completed 1,094 passes for 11,950 yards, 68 passing and 5 rushing touchdowns.

As training camp as progressed, Minshew has drawn praise from the Chiefs coaching, Andy Reid included. Reid specifically noted Minshew’s experience in starting multiple games as something that has been noticeable.

“He’s smart. He’s got good accuracy, poise,” Reid said. “You kind of have a heads up because he’s actually started in games. You kind of know how he handles the pressure. We liked what we saw on tape and I’ve seen the same thing here.” 

The the skill in his accuracy and poise that Reid mentioned dates back to his high school days with the Brandon Bulldogs in Brandon, Mississippi. When his former Brandon offensive coordinator, Wyatt Rogers, started working with Minshew after his 8th grade year of school, he immediately took notice to Minshew’s attention to detail.

“Probably the biggest thing that foreshadowed his success was his attention to detail,” Rogers said. He was always hungry for more. He would ask the right questions. After he got home, maybe two hours after we had watched film, he would shoot me questions over text.” 

That same attention to detail has played a role in Minshew getting more comfortable and familiar within Kansas City’s offense.

“They communicate very well on like potential looks,” Minshew said. “You can understand how the play might adjust on the fly, really give the guys opportunity to play ball and be successful. That’s what has been a lot of fun”

Of the aspects of his game that have grown over the years, Rogers has seen Minshew’s running ability being put on more on display.

“He makes plays with his feet now,” Rogers said. “He didn’t really do that in high school. He was more of a a guy that was going to drop back and stay in the pocket. He ran some, but you particularly saw it once he got to Washington State (Cougars). It was like he found a new gear in his athleticism.”

The ‘new gear’ Rogers mentions was seen in the Chiefs’ preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. Minshew completed 6 of his 9 passes for 54 yards, rushing 3 times for 4 yards and 1 rushing touchdown.

When the Chiefs signed Minshew back in March, they were looking for a reliable backup if Patrick Mahomes had to miss time. His early success in training camp and the preseason is showing exactly why they wanted to bring him to Kansas City.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — With the first day of school just around the corner, St. Joseph families are busy checking off their back-to-school shopping lists. 

One local effort, Operation Christmas Child, is stepping in to help make sure every child has what they need.

Volunteers are filling empty shoeboxes with school supplies and personal care items, with a goal of reaching 12.6 million families worldwide. 

It’s a simple idea with a big impact—turning a small shoebox into a package of hope for children who are in need.

“We work on a mission that is filling shoeboxes, and through the shoebox, we get to bless children all around the world with the contents that we put in the shoeboxes, that makes a difference in their lives,” said Kristy Smith, a coordinator for Northwest Missouri. 

Operation Christmas Child, part of Samaritan’s Purse, works to reach as many children as possible with these boxes of joy. St. Joseph has been part of the effort since 1994, filling shoeboxes with school supplies, toys and personal care items for kids who might not otherwise have them. 

Smith said the project began when Franklin Graham saw a need in war-torn Bosnia, where children were struggling without basic items. From there, the idea grew into a global mission. 

Teams across the U.S. and around the world pack shoeboxes with items that are both fun and useful. Local volunteers also work to set up drop-off locations where community members can bring filled shoeboxes.

“We put lots of toys so that makes it fun and we also put school supplies l;ike paper, pencils and pens with hygiene items and stuffed animals,” Smith said.  

The volunteer team works in the U.S and other parts of the world to pack these boxes that are fun and have lots of items for the little ones.  

The National Leadership team around the world comes together to decide who receives this items.

“It’s fun to buy something for someone else and let them get excited about that and share their excitement by seeing them receive a bouncy ball,” said Raydena Allison, a logistics coordinator.

There are nearly 10 drop-off locations in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas, with two in St. Joseph. One of the central locations being the Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church, located at 5502 Frederick Ave.

“Sometimes I take my grandkids and we go shopping and they will buy stuffed animals because the two little girls I have loved stuffed animals, so that’s so easy to pack,” Allison said.  

The hope is simple: keep filling shoeboxes and keep bringing smiles to children’s faces around the world. 

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News-Press NOW

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A coalition of law enforcement agencies led efforts to identify offenders and tackle human trafficking in communities north and east of Kansas City.

Twelve arrests were made in the multi-agency operation, that took place on Aug. 7 and 8, according to the Platte County Sheriff’s Office.

Seven people were arrested for attempting to buy sex with a child and three were arrested for attempting to buy sex. Two suspects were taken into custody for promoting prostitution/recruiting a person to engage in prostitution, with one of the offenders being booked for kidnapping and sexual assault.

According to a press release, a victim-survivor was recovered during the operation, and eight potential survivors met with Value Unconditional and RPOR advocates. The victim and potential survivors are all receiving support.

“I commend the actions of every agency involved in this operation,” said Platte County Sheriff Erik Holland. “No community is immune to these types of crimes. Law enforcement must continue to work together and share resources in a commitment to fight sex trafficking.”

The agencies involved included sheriff’s offices in Clay, Clinton, Platte and Ray counties, as well as the Kearney Police Department. Other regional agencies in Missouri and Kansas provided assistance, along with technical support from departments in Kansas, Arizona and Nevada.

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Ryan Eslinger

ST. JOSEPH, Mo (News-Press NOW) — Commerce Bank announced a baseball and softball equipment drive to support the “Commerce Bank: Helping Kids Take the Field” campaign Monday afternoon.

Commerce Bank focuses on helping people and businesses solve financial challenges so that they can focus on what matters most.

The event aims to benefit youth baseball and softball players in T-ball through High School in the St. Joseph community providing equipment for kids who may not have it.

Commerce Bank is partnering up with Pony Express Baseball, the Kansas City Royals, and Royals rookie standout/St. Joseph native Noah Cameron to help with the event.

Commerce Bank is accepting donations of new or gently used baseball and softball equipment at all of Commerce’s 45 branches around the Kansas City and St. Joseph communities.

The following equipment can be accepted:

Baseballs

Bats

Batting gloves

Equipment bags

Fielding gloves

Hats

Helmets

Socks

Uniform pants

The event will be from 1:30-3 pm on Thursday Aug. 14 in the Commerce Bank Branch at 3303 Ashland Avenue in St Joseph.

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A three-point loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday didn’t stop the Red Kingdom from showing out to support their favorite football team.

Chiefs fans shared the names of the players they had their eyes on during the game. With Mahomes being the one player who remained the easy fan-favorite.

Other fans even mentioned Travis Kelce, Isaiah Pacheco and the popular rookie, Josh Simmons.

“Yeah, he’s going to be the next Trent Williams…”

“He’s going to be a stud this year.”

Despite a loss during the preseason opener in Arizona last week, fans were excited to see many of their favorite players back in action.

One fan even shared one of his most prized possessions. A helmet.

“I’ve been wearing it for a couple of years now,” said Chiefs fan Matt Courtin. “Come on, training camp, and kind of got the name, like, Speed Flex. So, because it’s Speed Flex helmet.”

Courtin also proudly shared the signatures “Speed Flex” has collected.

“…We got Kareem Hunt on here, Steve Spags, Brett Veach and Rashee Rice,” said Courtin.

Chiefs Training Camp is wrapping up with its final few days. The next camp day will begin at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at MoWest’s campus.

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Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A School Board meeting on Monday that could have resulted in a possible future change of board leadership ended with rescinding the recommendation for a called meeting to replace the president.

After over an hour and a half of discussion following the regularly scheduled meeting, the St. Joseph School District Board of Education decided not to proceed with a vote to consider a separate meeting to replace current President LaTonya Williams.

Williams, whose board term expires in 2027, was recently re-elected as board president. Williams said she feels this latest move is a reflection of changes in the makeup of the board and represents what she claims is a longtime attempt to remove her from her leadership position.

A standing room only crowd of citizens showed up for the meeting, with several signing up for the open discussion portion of the special meeting.

Speakers included concerns about the political nature of the proposal, with some citing concerns about special interest groups like the Herzog Foundation taking the focus off key educational priorities of the district.

Other speakers addressed more general concerns that the board was seeking a change of leadership titles without focusing enough energy on priorities like test scores, building improvement and staff retention.

After members of the public spoke, each board member was allowed the opportunity to address their concerns and to address the reasons for either supporting or opposing a board leadership change.

Kim Miller, who called the meeting, said while she initially supported Williams as president, she has since had second thoughts due to what Miller perceived as a “lack of support” for newly elected superintendent Dr. Ashly McGinnis.

Miller added, she felt the tension between board president Williams and superintendent McGinnis had become a distraction from the stated priorities of the board.

Board member Jennifer Kerns cited a lack of unity on the board and a perceived unwillingness to collaborate as her reasons for wanting the meeting.

Board Vice President Ronda Chesney also cited a perceived lack of support for McGinnis as a reason to reconsider the role of Williams.

Member Mike Moore publicly cited support for McGinnis, but noted that he opposed a change in board leadership.

Tom Richmond, the newest board member, made no specific reference to a change in board leadership but did say that he has been disappointed in the unity of the board under its current leadership and wants the board to rally behind the new superintendent.

Whitney Lanning voiced support for Williams and said, the board members who called for the meeting may have been in violation of Sunshine Laws by excluding certain members in their planning. Furthermore, she noted the financial support of the Herzog Foundation for certain board members as a key reason for rhetoric online and behind the scenes in opposition to Williams.

Williams spoke last and said she has sought to act according to policy and law when making decisions as both a board member and as president. She also expressed public support for McGinnis, saying that any criticism was not meant to be personal, and apologized if her questions were perceived as criticism.

Williams added, her focus would continue to be upon the staff and children of the district and hoped that this meeting would remind all members — including Williams herself — about the importance of more open communication and receptivity to one another.

Williams then called the board to take action based upon the agenda item, and board members declined to make a formal motion to call for a meeting for a change in leadership. The board then voted to adjourn.

During the formal meeting, the board discussed with the new treasurer, Dr. Robert Hedgecorth, the possibility of an audit. Hedgecorth introduced new software that demonstrated what he called a better tracking of proposed budget numbers and answered questions about deficits that have been brought to light in recent weeks.

Hedgecorth recommended, the current auditing firm employed by the board be allowed to do its work between now and the end of the year. He also added, in response to further board discussion of the nature of an audit, that a different outside firm or an individual appointed by the board could be brought in for a financial audit instead of the state, because the state’s audit includes policies beyond the financial and takes longer. The board tabled the discussion of the kind of audit it would request.

After the meeting, Williams said she was relieved and said she intended to be more intentional in her communication, both through speaking and listening with the rest of her board colleagues.

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News-Press NOW

CLINTON COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office announced two individuals are in custody, following a successful counter-sex trafficking operation conducted on Thursday, Aug. 7.

During the investigation, undercover law enforcement officers engaged in virtual communications with the individuals, who then traveled to the area to fulfill arrangements made during the chats.

As a direct result of those efforts, two individuals were arrested and are currently in custody and formally charged.

Clinton County Prosecutor Brandi McClain submitted charges on:

Kurt M. Hay, for Sexual Trafficking of a Child

Denzell L. Adams- for Promoting Prostitution, Kidnapping-Facilitating a Felony-Inflicting Injury- Terrorizing, Forgery, No/Improper Operator License

Clinton County Associate Judge Teres Bingham issues no bond warrants on both Hay and Adams, who are currently being held in the Clinton County Jail.

Both Hay and Adams are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Clinton County Sheriff AJ Carrel said, “This operation was successful because of the talented law enforcement professionals who conducted the investigations and worked as one team. We will continue to partner with all our law enforcement partners to provide a safe community. We will make it very clear that human trafficking crimes will not be tolerated in Clinton County.”

The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Cameron Police Department, the Ray County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. The Clinton County portion was conducted in Cameron, Missouri.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Buchanan County Interstate 229 Double Decker bridge is scheduled to close beginning Monday, Aug. 25, for annual maintenance.

Road crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation will evaluate the bridge’s structure, signage and lighting to ensure it is up to par for drivers this coming year.

The I-229 bridge, including all ramps and the north and southbound lanes, will be closed around the clock from Monday, Aug. 25, through Wednesday, Aug. 28, from Highland Avenue to U.S. Route 36.

MoDOT said drivers will need to seek an alternate route.

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