Author: News-Press NOW

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Community members will have the chance to not only listen but lend their vocal talents to an upcoming slate of timeless holiday classics.

The St. Joseph Community Chorus has announced a pair of holiday programs this December featuring district sounds from an ensemble of handbells to the melodic range of talented soloists.

On Saturday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m., First Presbyterian Church will host “Messiah Sing-A-Long,” a free showcase of uplifting choruses from Handel’s Messiah.

Under the direction of Dr. Timothy Tharaldson with Dr. Ruth Krusemark, participants will have the opportunity to join together to sing the Christmas portion of the oratorio, all with the accompaniment of an organ and soloists from the Community Chorus.

Singers are encouraged to bring their own score. However, they will be available for those who do not bring their own.

Admission for the event is free, however donations are welcomed.

The St. Joseph Community Chorus announces two showings of “Christmas at the Cathedral” 

SJCC will present two showings of its holiday tradition “Christmas at the Cathedral,” on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. and Monday, December 22 at 7 p.m. at Cathedral of St. Joseph, 519 N. 10th St.

Joining SJCC are the acclaimed musicians of Rezound!, Kansas City’s premier auditioned handbell ensemble.

Rezound! features 15 ringers performing on an array of instruments: 6½ octaves of Schulmerich handbells, 6 octaves of Malmark choir chimes, 4½ octaves of Whitechapel bells and additional sets from Petit & Fritsen and Maas-Rowe.

Together, SJCC and Rezound! will perform three stunning collaborations: Anna Laura Page’s “Creation Will Be at Peace,” “Christmas Is Coming” by Joel Raney, and “Ring Out Ye Bells” by Marques L.A. Garrett, Samuel Carlton, and Dan Forrest.

Admission is $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and is free for all students.

For additional information on both events visit stjoechorus.org.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Construction crews are well on their way to completing St. Joseph’s new animal shelter by mid-2026.

Motorists passing along South Belt Highway will see considerable progress being made on the exterior of the new $5 million shelter at 3405 S. Belt Highway.

“So far the timeline is on track. The construction team with E.L. Crawford is doing a fantastic job on the timeline,” St. Joseph Animal Services Director Holly Bowie said. “They’re shooting for late June, but we’re being pretty open minded.”

E.L. Crawford Construction is tasked with building the 13,000-square-foot facility, a significant upgrade with 5,000 additional square feet of space compared to the aging and outdated facility at 701 S.W. Lower Lake Road.

Bowie received a tour of the project on Wednesday as crews carried out various tasks like hanging drywall and installing windows. By Thursday, crews were pouring cement on the front and back end of the building. A significant portion of exterior work has been checked off the list at this point.

“They’re in the part of the job where they’re doing a lot of the electrical and plumbing and things like that. So we’re not seeing as much beyond the walls going up as what’s really happening right now,” Bowie said. “We have a design team from the shelter who we meet with on a regular basis.”

In the meantime, animal shelter officials are taking steps to prepare for a smooth transition when the time comes, including potential adjustments in operations that come with a larger facility.

Staff have been running through different scenarios so they can troubleshoot ahead of time.

“It’s giving us a lot to think about. You know, we’re thinking about the increase in traffic that we may very well experience and how we’re going to manage that with our current staffing,” she said. “Even establishing some of this practice up here on (Lower Lake Road) so that it’s easier when we move.”

The new animal shelter is designed to provide adequate space to house dogs and cats separately to avoid stressing the animals. The new building will also have more areas to visit with adoptable animals.

A $5 million project, funding was made possible thanks to $1.7 million from the Friends of the Animal Shelter, as well as $3.3 million in capital improvements funding from the city.

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t here just yet, but holiday shopping certainly is. Online shopping has become the “new normal” due to the convenience and reliability, but just like any form of online use, safety concerns remain.

Websites like Amazon and Target are used because of their safety and reliability; however, a safety concern people run into during holiday shopping online is visiting unfamiliar websites.

Shoppers can get unlucky when the item they were searching for is unavailable online.

Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office Detective, Capt. Thomas Cates is familiar with internet scams and is urging shoppers to be smart online this holiday season.

“Sticking with known sellers is the main thing that you want to do. If you’re looking at a major retail site such as Target, you need to make sure that you’re actually at Target.com or whatever the official website name is that you’ve been directed there from, usually by Google or some other reputable search engine,” said Thomas Cates.

Known sellers are the safest and most reliable option. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency(CISA), many of these websites have fake spoof sites, often accessible through spam emails or fake ads.

“You click on that and it takes you to a website that looks kind of like the normal retailer’s website, but slightly different, or maybe you just get an odd feeling about it, or you can’t verify that sale page on the retailer’s traditional website, then it’s most likely going to be a scam,” said Cates.

These look-alike websites are often a scammer trying to target shoppers for their information by offering fake items with too-good-to-be-true deals.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — After six months of bouncing between different reorganization plans, St. Joseph residents are expressing exhaustion.

For months now, the big question around town has been which plan the school board will finally choose and put into action. Residents know, no single plan will make every person happy, but the long wait for clarity is starting to wear on families, students and staff more than ever.  

At the most recent public hearing, community members didn’t hold back. Many shared just how emotionally draining this process has been.  

Lt. Col. David L. Jones, vice president of the St. Joseph National Education Association, urged the board to recognize how painful this has been across the district.

Jones shared his opinion, as Benton High School’s future was on the line for a period of time, before the SJSD School Board began reviewing other options.

“I think, you know, many people have the sentiment or the feeling. It’s almost like a terrorist act on the South Side, their very heart and souls are being ripped out of their community,” Jones said.  

He pushed the board to choose a plan that causes the least disruption for families and kids who are just trying to get through the school year.  

Sophomore Chloe Strong from Benton High School also stepped up to the mic. She pleaded for the board to adopt plan 4BR — a plan she said connects deeply with her family’s legacy.  

“I am confused how we got here. Just when we thought the board was listening to the students and the families around St. Joe, just to wind up here again. Now all we can do is plead tonight to tell you we need a decision to be made,” Strong added.  

Another voice came from 2006 Lafayette graduate and current Benton cheer coach, Becky Hill, who argued the district must keep all three high schools open and return to the community-built Plan E.  

Hill said if it hadn’t been for cheerleading at Lafayette, she never would’ve found the sense of belonging she needed during those years. Now that she’s back in the district, coaching at Benton, she said that same connection is what helps her bond with her own students.  

“Growing up, I came from a low-income background, and my family didn’t have money for the cheer lessons. If Lafayette had not existed, I would have never had the chance to cheer,” Hill said.  

Parents also weighed in. Jackie Kiger urged the board to slow down, take a breath and rethink what’s at stake — not just for buildings, but for kids.  

“I ask you to please stop this madness. For some of these kids, this is the only family and safe place they have. Think about their mental health and the overall well-being of all of our students,” Kiger said.  

Following Wednesday’s public comment session, the board agreed it would move on to vote on Plan 4BR, which would retain Benton and Central as high schools, but would move Lafayette to a middle school.

The board has reviewed 14 different plans, which include different high school model examples.

SJSD families, students and staff have dealt with the back-and-forth and high emotions associated with the decision and the pressure the board has with choosing which model will best suit the district.

The board is expected to take a vote on Monday, Nov. 24.

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News-Press NOW

By Darren Doyle

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — An Andrew County native said he expects his veterinary practice to open near the Shoppes at North Village early next year.

After growing up around the profession and getting educated in Veterinary Medicine, Austin Haeker is ready to take on a practice of his own.

Haeker attended Savannah High School and earned degrees from Kansas State University and the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.

“I started as a kennel boy… worked my way up to assisting with surgeries and things, and seeing, helping with rooms. (Since college), I have been working for the past year or so at Taylor Animal Hospital in Parkville…Smithville. Now I’m ready to come back up and open up a practice,” said Dr. Haeker. 

Haeker intends to provide a regularly scheduled clinic for dogs, cats and other small animals. He also plans to offer 24-hour on-call emergency services to pet owners in the Northwest Missouri area. 

The clinic is located at 5423 North Pointe Drive in St. Joseph, behind the Shoppes at North Village. The clinic has been under construction since February.

“It seems to be the place that St. Joe’s is gravitating towards, right? All the new stuff’s going up there. We wanted to be somewhere convenient for people,” Haeker said. “Right off the interstate, people can find us pretty easily.”

Haeker said an open house is planned on Friday, Jan. 9. He said he expects to start taking new clients on Wednesday, Jan. 14. 

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One win stands between area teams like Mid-Buchanan, St. Joseph Christian and West Platte from a spot in the final four of the Missouri High School Football State Tournament.

Quarterfinal matchups are set to kick off across the state this Saturday at 1 p.m., including one in St. Joseph between 8-man District 5 champion St. Joseph Christian and undefeated District 6 champion Rock Port at St. Joseph Christian High School.

Mid-Buchanan, winners of back-to-back district titles, will take their undefeated record to Monroe City for a high-profile matchup with the Panthers, winners of 10 in a row.

The West Platte Blue Jays and Maryville Spoofhounds will hit the road for their quarterfinal games against Adrian and St. Michael the Archangel.

State championship games for all classes will be hosted in St. Joseph from Dec. 4 through Dec. 6 at Spratt Stadium.

8-Man State Quarterfinal Preview

Matchup: St. Joseph Christian (6-5) vs Rock Port (11-0)

Time: Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. at St. Joseph Christian High School, 5401 Gene Field Rd

Next: Winner faces Concordia (8-3) or Wellington-Napoleon (9-2)

Class 1 State Quarterfinal Preview

Matchup: West Platte (8-3) vs. Adrian (8-3)

Time: Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. at Adrian High School, 605 NE State Route 18

Next: Winner faces Thayer (10-1) or Tipton (10-1)

Class 2 State Quarterfinal Preview

Matchup: Mid-Buchanan (11-0) vs Monroe City (10-1)

Time: Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. at Monroe City High School, 401 Business Highway 36

Next: Winner faces St. Pius X (7-5) or Montgomery County (9-2)

Class 3 State Quarterfinal Preview

Matchup: Maryville (9-2) vs St. Michael the Archangel (9-3)

Time: Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. at Lee’s Summit North High School, 901 NE Douglas St.

Next: Winner faces Dexter (10-1) or Lift for Life (8-4)

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — As the days countdown to Thanksgiving, preparations are ramping up in support of those in need this holiday season.

United Way of Greater St. Joseph, with support from Mosaic Life Care, is entering Day 4 of its volunteer series titled “7 Days of Caring,” to help prepare meal kits prior to Thanksgiving.

Meal prep sessions have been ongoing this week and will continue with the goal of distributing 2,100 kits to families.

“The kits are going out the door right as we’re packing them. They will be delivered to agencies, schools, food pantries and to their clients before the Thanksgiving holiday,” United Way President Kylee Strough said. “We know once the holiday week hits, probably starting Wednesday and definitely by Thursday, it’s going to be hard to find the helpers. A lot of these places are going to be closed.”

“7 Days of Caring” will continue until Tuesday, Nov. 25 with three more volunteer opportunities. The large-scale effort was made possible thanks to a generous donation from Mosaic Life Care and the Mosaic Life Care Foundation.

Upcoming sessions:

Saturday, Nov. 22 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Monday, Nov. 24 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 25 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

While the nonprofit is boosting efforts to support the community in advance of Thanksgiving, volunteer events are already being planned out for the month of December and the Christmas season, a notable help for families adjusting to students being home for holiday break.

“I didn’t want to plan it too far in advance, because we wanted to make sure the agencies and schools felt it was useful to the households they work with,” Strough said. “The sense we’re getting is ‘Yes’ it’s helpful and appreciated. We especially are trying to ramp up efforts before we get into the big Christmas – New Year break, when kids are out of school for a couple weeks there’s extra mouths to feed in the homes.”

United Way is also scheduling a volunteer session to focus on assembling hygiene kits. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the United Way Center located at 118 S 5th St.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The quest for an NCAA Division ll championship will have to wait another year for Missouri Western soccer.

The No. 5 seed Griffons (12-2-7) fell to the No. 4 seed Washburn Ichabods (11-3-5) 2-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Mankato, Minnesota.

The Griffons were able to stifle the Ichabods until the 32-minute mark when freshman forward Kate Hinck scored off an assist from teammates Leah Henke and Grace Peterson, staking Washburn to a 1-0 lead.

The score would remain 1-0 until the 64th minute in the 2nd half, with Henke making it 2-0 on an assist from sophomore Sam Searcey.

The Griffons were unable to get in the scoring column despite multiple shots on goal, including two attempts from Rosemary Pujado, Kendall Knisley and Rachyl Benavides.

The loss ends an impressive season for the Griffons, who made their second consecutive NCAA Tournament and won their first MIAA Tournament Championship last Saturday against Central Oklahoma.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Griffon’s run in the MIAA Volleyball Tournament ended with a heartbreaking loss in the opening round to Pittsburg State on Thursday.

No. 2-seed Griffons (21-7, 13-3 MIAA) were upset by No. 7-seed Pittsburg State (14-14, 6-10 MIAA) in a five-set thriller on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Volleyball Tournament at Civic Arena.

Despite battling back to take a 2-1 set lead, and with a chance to advance in front of their home crowd, the Griffons were unable to put the Gorillas away in sets four and five as they roared back to advance to the semifinal round.

The Gorillas came out strong by winning a back-and-forth first set by a score 29-27, setting the tone for the entire match.

The Griffons were able to regain momentum by winning sets two and three comfortably by seven (25-18) and eight points (25-17) respectively.

A highly-competitive fourth set saw multiple lead changes. With both teams tied at 20 with an opportunity to pull away, the Gorillas would take four of the next five points to win 25-21.

The Griffons found themselves down 4-0 to begin the fifth and deciding set. After rattling off three straight points to cut the deficit to 6-3, the Gorillas took a commanding 14-8 lead and did not look back.

Thursday’s loss snapped a six-game winning streak against Pittsburg State, who now advances to the semifinal round against No. 3 Washburn on Friday at 5 p.m. at Civic Arena.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In the aftermath of Wednesday’s public hearing and special meeting on long-term consolidation plans for the school district, Plan 4BR will move one step closer to being solidified next Monday.

The plan will see Benton and Central remain in place as part of a two high school model. The plan would also create a four middle school model and possibly retire some of the elementary schools and learning centers.

The proposed middle school plan would include Spring Garden, Truman and Bode, while a fourth — Lafayette — will be converted into a middle school.

After considerable discussions and public input for multiple options, it’s a decision that board President LaTonya Williams said needed to be made.

“It’s an answer. Even if it’s an answer that you don’t like, it’s better than not having an answer at all,” Williams said. “I know it’s going to give a portion of the town relief and upset another portion of the town. At least everyone knows a path going forward. I cannot imagine our board changing its mind after this. It’s been coming for a while.”

Eugene Field, Pershing and Webster are are also being considered for retirements.

Throughout the night, supporters from both Benton and Lafayette made passionate pleas with school board members to keep their schools. This included students from both schools asking for a path to make Plan E — a three high school model — feasible in order to halt any school being retired.

“(When) I was thinking about how my school is going to be affected, it made me realize that every school and every person is going to be affected,” Gabryel Cunningham, a student at Benton, said. “Everyone is going to be affected by the changing of schools and accepting new people. It made me think of a natural disaster, like a tsunami, and we are all pebbles being moved around by waves.”

Despite many parents favoring a particular school, many understood the wide-ranging impacts either decision would have on a particular group of students.

One of those parents is Gabryel’s mother Lacey, who is experiencing this from multiple perspectives as a parent, resident and former teacher with the district.

She chose to attend Lafayette High School through open-enrollment and ended up finishing high school at Mid-Buchanan. She explained her ties to either school don’t outweigh wanting what’s best for her family.

“I try to look at it from multiple perspectives. From being a teacher, I understand the district (side). But also being a community member and a mom, what’s heavy on my heart is how it’s impacting my son,” Lacey said. “I also have two younger kids that will follow a feeder pattern to Central. Currently he’s (Gabryel) the one that’s going through the fight. I try to look at what’s important from all perspectives, but my mom heart is the heaviest. What is important to him and how it is impacting his life.”

The changing of schools will also impact the landscape of athletics. Despite more students coming into either Benton or Central, the number of roster spots is likely to remain the same.

“They might be in a larger school and have a larger variety of activities, but access to those activities for students is going to prove challenging,” said Jeff Leake, a parent of a Lafayette student. “If one of these plans goes through, my son will go from a school of close to 700 to a school of 1900. Before we change things for our children, we need to make sure that we have all our affairs in order.”

The board is expected to vote on a consolidation plan after discussing Plan 4BR at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24 in the Troester Media Center located at 3401 Renick St.

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