Author: News-Press NOW

News-Press NOW

By: Zac Scott

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Houses may start looking a little extra bright as the holiday season approaches, but there are safety tips community members need to take into account as they start to decorate with holiday lights.

Holiday lights can bring happiness, but they can also cause various injuries when put up or left on for extended periods of time.

Hiding wires under a rug may set the carpet on fire. Not checking the strings for frayed wires or open light sockets could result in a bulb exploding or a bodily shock. Not having a second person to supervise any ladder work can lead to an injury before the holidays begin.

St. Joseph Fire Department Fire Investigator, Andy Peterson, warns holiday decorators about two hazards: electrical wiring and candles.

“Use your proper wiring, proper extension cords for the size of lights that you’re going to be using. Don’t skimp on that,” said Peterson.

While being extra thorough about wiring, Peterson recommended ways to keep candle flames from getting out of control.

“Be aware of where your lighted candles are. Make sure there’s something under those so that if they melt down to the bottom of the jar, that they’re not heating the table underneath.”

Peterson also said to “trust your gut” when it comes to decorating. If a bulb or wire seems questionable, throw it away and replace it.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One adult male is in custody after multiple shots were reportedly fired inside a Downtown apartment on Sunday afternoon in St. Joseph.

The St. Joseph Police Department confirmed 27-year-old Romeloe Kevonte Ballard is charged with unlawful use of a weapon, a Class B felony, in connection with a shots-fired incident that took place Sunday afternoon inside an apartment complex at 210 N. 8th Street.

A press release from SJPD states the department received initial reports around 12:10 p.m. of shots being fired on the third floor of the complex.

Responding officers arrived on scene and encountered an armed male near the doorway of the apartment. The subject refused officers’ commands and was subsequently taken into custody after a Taser was deployed.

Upon investigation, officers located several spent shell casings and identified evidence of gunfire within the hallway area. The firearm was recovered from the suspect at the scene. 

Ballard is currently being held at the Buchanan County Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond. No injuries were reported in the incident.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Missouri Western State University Director of Financial Aid, Haley Lindsey, was recognized by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) as its Most Valuable Professional (MVP).

The distinguished honor highlights Lindsey’s dedication to student success and her contributions to the financial aid profession.

Lindsey is featured on the NASFAA website, which celebrates the achievement.

In 2013, Lindsey earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in tourism and hospitality from Fort Hays State University.

She went on to earn her Master of Science in higher education administration in 2018, also from Fort Hays State University.

Lindsey has worked in financial aid for higher education for 11 years. Her last two years have been at MoWest, where she says she’s enjoyed her time.

 “As an open-access university, we welcome a wide mix of students — first-generation, transfers, adult learners, and veterans — and that diversity makes the work both exciting and meaningful,” Lindsey said. “You get to meet students where they are and help them find their path forward.”

Outside of working, Lindsey enjoys spending time with her son and painting.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) —  The St. Joseph Board of Education met Monday night at the Troester Media Center, and after a long discussion, they’ve decided to hit pause on Plan E. 

Just weeks ago, the board had unanimously voted to move forward with Plan E — a community-led model which would keep all three high schools in the district. After taking a closer look, board members say they’ve found some issues, making them rethink their decision. 

Now, the board is turning its attention back to the two high school options — Plan 2B, which would support a Lafayette and Central High School model, and Plan 7B, which would support a Benton/Hyde and Central High School model.

SJSD Plan 2BDownload

SJSD Plan 7BDownload

The Board will hold another special meeting to weigh the pros and cons. 

Board President LaTonya Williams said she understands the frustration this back-and-forth can cause.  

“What people need to understand is that no matter which plan you choose, there will always be individuals who will say ‘Let’s look at a different plan,’ and then the board caves and we feel kind of stuck, and every year there’s no change,” Board President LaTonya Williams said.  

Williams added that her goal this time is to make a firm decision and actually move forward. 

She said the board has received many emails urging them to reconsider Plan E, but she believes it’s time to commit to a direction — even if not everyone agrees.  

“There are issues with all the plans, and if you pick a plan, people will be upset about it, but that is a change, and it is okay,” Williams added.  

Williams also shared her disappointment in having to revisit the same discussion so soon after the last vote.  

“It’s like starting over in a lot of ways. It’s a new process for all of us, and I just know that taking a longer time and keep changing our minds about this over and over again will do us more harm than good,” Williams said.  

The board will meet again at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the Troester Media Center for a special public hearing to discuss how Plans 2B and 7B could impact the community.  

KQ2 will have a full report on this story at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — A St. Joseph man has been charged in connection with a shooting in Downtown St. Joseph on Sunday afternoon.

The suspect, Romeloe Kevonte Ballard, 27, was charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon, a Class B Felony, by the Buchanan County Prosecutors’ Office.

The St. Joseph Police Department Communications Center received reports around 12:10 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9, of shots being fired on the third floor of a residential complex at 210 N. 8th St.

When officers arrived on scene, they encountered an armed male suspect near the doorway of an apartment.

The subject refused officers’ commands and was taken into custody after a Taser was deployed. No injuries were reported as a result of the shooting.

Officers located several spent shell casings and identified evidence of gunfire within the hallway area. The firearm was also recovered from the suspect at the scene.

Ballard is currently being held at the Buchanan County Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

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Leah Rainwater

DAVIESS COUNTY, Mo. (KQTV) — Three people were injured in a crash on Interstate 35 Monday afternoon.

The crash occurred at 12:10 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10 and included a 34-year-old male from Kansas City, Missouri, driving a 2007 Freightliner, an 81-year-old male driver with a 77-year-old female occupant in a 2005 Winnebago from Golden Valley, Minnesota.

The vehicles were southbound on I-35 when the Freightliner struck the towed unit attached to the Winnebago, causing the Winnebago to begin to skid and rotate counterclockwise.

The towed unit soon came unhooked, skidded off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree, where it came to rest facing southwest.

The Winnebago skidded off the left side of the roadway and overturned onto its passenger side in the grass median, facing North.

The Freightliner skidded off the roadway, down an embankment and struck a tree, where it came to rest facing Southwest.

The 34-year-old male driver of the Freightliner was wearing a seatbelt and suffered minor injuries. He refused treatment at the scene.

The 81-year-old male driver of the Winnebago was also wearing a seatbelt and suffered moderate injuries. He was taken by Daviess County EMS to Cameron Regional Medical Center.

The 77-year-old female occupant of the Winnebago suffered serious injuries. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, it was unknown if the woman was wearing a seatbelt. She was transported by Daviess County EMS to Liberty Hospital.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Easton Road will close Tuesday for full-depth concrete replacement and roadway widening.

The road will be closed from the east side of Leonard Road, approximately 200 feet east. The work is part of a larger improvement project, which will replace the entire road surface to 48th Terrace.

A detour will be put in place to minimize disruption during construction. Drivers are encouraged to use Joseph L. Gray Drive to 48th Terrace to Easton Road.

The detour will allow access to all businesses in the area throughout the project’s duration.

Motorists are also encouraged to plan, use caution in work zones and follow posted detour signs.

According to the City of St. Joseph, the Easton Road closure is weather-dependent.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — A two-vehicle crash sent one driver to Mosaic Life Care and left mild to moderate injuries on another driver.

The crash occurred around 9 a.m. on Interstate 29 at the 47-mile marker, near Frederick Avenue, involving a passenger sedan and a pickup truck.

Both drivers reported mild to moderate injuries; however, only one was sent to Mosaic.

This crash is currently under investigation by the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, but citations are expected to be issued at a later date.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Just under $2 million will likely have to be spent by the city to move a massive pile of waste built-up as a result of previous cell construction delays and increased tonnage at the St. Joseph Sanitary Landfill.

City Councilmembers heard an ordinance for first reading Monday to authorize a $1.9 million project to relocate “trash mountain” from temporary storage at the St. Joseph Sanitary Landfill to the new Cell 8 opened this year.

“Trash mountain,” a buildup of roughly 400,000 to 500,000 cubic yards of trash, is the result of a yearslong capacity situation that nearly hit a breaking point last November, when a combination of cell construction delays and a huge increase in yearly waste put the landfill on the brink of a soft closure.

Delays in construction of Cell 8 beginning in 2022 were compounded by a simultaneous increase in waste from 110,000 tons each year to nearly 215,000, depleting space and forcing the city to request waivers with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for additional temporary storage until enough room was made available upon completion of Cell 8 in June.

“So DNR compromised with us and we’re going to get started on moving that. We wanted to delay the relocation of (trash mountain) until it was cooler outside so the smell was down,” St. Joseph Public Works and Transportation Director Abe Forney said.

If approved by City Council at the next meeting Nov. 24, MCON will be tasked with carrying out another expedited and costly landfill project for the City, or risk fines from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources if temporary waste isn’t relocated in time.

MCON was contracted by the city to finish development of the aforementioned Cell 8, a $1.1 million project successfully finished earlier this year despite challenging weather conditions during construction, including subzero temperatures in the winter and rain and mud in the spring.

“We’re going to start getting fines if we don’t get that trash moved. So we had to expedite this,” Forney said. “But the vertical expansion we were approved for, we only have to move some of that trash.”

Forney said the city will be required to move roughly 84,000 of the 400,000 to 500,000 cubic yards of waste in trash mountain. For comparison, Cell 8 is designed to hold 1,669,000 cubic yards of waste.

Construction crews are actively working on excavation and development of the next Cell 9 to ensure enough space is available moving forward. Cell 9 will include 1,764,000 cubic yards of airspace, an increase of 100,000 cubic yards from Cell 8.

According to the ordinance, $1.9 million will be used from the city’s landfill fund, which currently has a positive balance of $21,317,542.

“Due to staffing shortages and time constraints, the City solicited bids for a contractor to provide all necessary labor, materials, tools, and equipment required to transfer waste from Trash Mountain into Cell 8,” the ordinance states.

Council moves to finalize $7.4 million grant agreement with 139th Airlift Wing

City Councilmembers are one step closer to finalizing an agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission to help design a state-of-the-art aircraft maintenance complex at Rosecrans Memorial Airport. 

Monday’s City Council meeting featured a $7.4 million grant agreement for first reading with MHTC for design phase services for a new aircraft maintenance facility at the 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Memorial Airport.

Development of the new facility is a major checkmark for potentially securing the coveted C-130J model, a major upgrade from the C-130H currently utilized by the 139th Airlift Wing.

With a first reading now complete, final approval is expected to take place at the next City Council meeting on Nov. 24.

A new hangar wasn’t the only high-profile aviation project on Monday’s agenda. 

Councilmembers also heard an ordinance for two reimbursable agreements worth $727,954 with the U.S. Department of Transportation FAA to provide design, engineering, and installation of FAA telecommunications systems and air traffic equipment for the new Air Traffic Control Tower under construction at Rosecrans Memorial Airport.

City purchases land to build new transit bus shelter on Frederick Avenue

St. Joseph transit riders will see a new bus stop added along the main corridor to Downtown in the near future.

City councilmembers voted to approve a $25,000 real estate contract Monday with Goldenho LLC to acquire property at 2001-2005 Frederick Avenue, just west of Lehr Construction.

If approved, the city plans to build a new transit bus shelter on the property to help support faster headways, improve overall system reliability and provide a designated space for bus drivers to pull off of Frederick Avenue so passengers can safely access the bus.

St. Joseph Fire Department nears partnership with Doniphan County Fire District No. 4

Two area fire departments are hoping to strengthen ties with a new agreement brought up for first reading on Monday.

The St. Joseph Fire Department and the Doniphan County Fire Protection District #4 in Elwood, Kansas, are nearing a partnership that would allow the two to provide emergency services in the other’s jurisdiction for a five-year period.

Pending approval of the agreement at the next council meeting, services would include requests for assistance, directions to incident scenes and other mutual aid opportunities.

Data from October shows SJFD had roughly 128 personnel on staff, a strong figure that includes 51 firefighters, 33 drivers, 33 captains, three fire Inspectors, three Battalion Chiefs and five Fire Administration positions.

Other bills approved by City Council

Approval of an amendment to roll forward remaining donated funds in the amount of $23,456 from AGP and CoBank for firefighting equipment for fire trucks responding in the South Side.

Change order no. 3 with Mid-Continental Restoration Company, Inc. for $127,159 for the City Hall masonry project. 

A resolution authorizing the purchase of a 2025 Ford F750 Service Truck from Rush Truck Centers for $197,209 for the Landfill Division.

A resolution canceling the regularly scheduled meeting of the St. Joseph City Council on Dec. 22, 2025.

Bills for first reading

City Councilmembers also reviewed an $38,930 construction ordinance between the city and Delta Innovative Services to be used for replacement of the bathhouse roof at St. Joseph Aquatic Park.

Nominations and appointments

Councilmember Randy Schultz nominated Ron Ruhnke to serve as a member of the Tree Board for a term expiring Nov. 10, 2028, he is replacing Mary Jo Harris, whose term has expired.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Interfaith Community Services, Inc. (InterServ) announced the alteration of its services to seniors and adjusted operational hours at its Community Center.

According to a press release from InterServ, several of its programs have seen funding slashed due to the recent government shutdown.

The agency will see a significant reduction in funding for its Senior In-Home Services and Senior Nutrition Services.

Due to the cuts in the Senior Nutrition Services Program, InterServ will serve congregate meals on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning on Monday, Nov. 10.

Cuts within the local program have also affected the Meals on Wheels Program.

Seniors who rely on these meals every day will only receive three total meals per week.

The InterServ Community Center will be closed on Fridays until further notice. Youth Programs will operate regularly out of their own facilities- 228 Cherokee and Northside locations. Mitchell Woods child care will operate under regular hours as well.

Contracted funding from the local Young at Heart Resources was reduced by 75% on Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown and the failed attempts to pass a Continued Resolution (CR) for the previously approved budget.

The cuts to the state agency have trickled down to the local level.

InterServ officials said it will continue to monitor the status of funding sources generated out of Washington, D.C. However, the changes to InterServ’s hours of operation will remain in place until the end of 2025.

For questions concerning the affected programming or how community members can help support the programs, contact InterServ at 816-238-4511 or via email at rd@interservstjoe.org.

InterServ has been providing services to St. Joseph and the surrounding communities since 1909.

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