Author: News-Press NOW

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A wave of Benton High School supporters attended Monday’s school board meeting to show support amid the possibility of the school not being included in a two-high-school plan.

A decision on the future of St. Joseph’s high schools remains unclear after Monday’s crowded Board of Education meeting ended with officials scheduling a follow-up public hearing and special meeting for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. to allow for public discussion.

The decision to schedule a follow-up hearing — the latest development in a back-and-forth few weeks — comes after Benton students, family members and alumni packed the seats tonight.

In waves of red clothing and Cardinals attire, signs and dozens of Benton supporters — mostly students — made clear their thoughts on the plan. At one point, board members had to ask for interruptions to be minimized. The meeting did not allow for public comment.

The upcoming hearing on Wednesday will still consider Plan 2R — a modified Plan 2B for a two-high school model with Central and Lafayette, while also weighing the possibility of a modified version that includes Benton and Central as the two-high school model.

The intent of Wednesday’s special meeting is to make a decision on which long-range plan will be moving forward.

“It’s hard to make a decision. I’ve learned it’s even harder when you don’t,” Board President LaTonya Williams said. “I completely understand why other boards refused to make the tough decisions. If you look at the t-shirts of people (supporting their schools), you would understand.”

Prior to the meeting, Board President LaTonya Williams shared her thoughts on the many Benton supporters attending to advocate for their school.

“I expected them to come. I knew the gravity of what I was getting into when I was elected,” Williams said. “In all honesty, what I want for people to keep in mind is this has been an ongoing issue for decades. It’s a lot of years of other boards never making a decision. And it’s come to this. Things will not be corrected in one vote in one meeting or in one year.”

Wednesday’s meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m., with a location still to be determined.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Housing Authority is focusing its efforts on a new housing project they hope will address key needs in affordable, workforce and senior housing.

With roughly 3.5 acres of land now ripe for housing development following the removal of more than a dozen blighted mobile homes across from their office at 2811 S. 36th St., SJHA is envisioning multiple possibilities as they put a team together to select a design firm and developer.

“We have the authority to build 30 new units within our budget allocation through HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development),” said Jeff Penland, executive director of SJHA. “We really want to partner with a developer that can come in and we feel we’ve got enough property and land available in this acquisition to maybe build 50 to 60 units.”

Roughly 3.5 acres of land is shown at 2811 S. 36th St. by the St. Joseph Housing Authority where a 30-unit housing project will be constructed. More than a dozen blighted mobile homes were previously located there.

He said while the immediate focus is developing 30 units for affordable housing, the larger vision is to do a combination of mixed housing development that provides options for other areas of need like workforce and senior housing.

A six-month timeline is expected for planning before SJHA establishes an official date for breaking ground. 

“We’ll design that keeping in mind all the additional phases down the road to develop additional housing sections,” Penland said. “Together we can also create some nice walkable green space between us and the surrounding community, like Walmart.”

SJHA hopes the project is the first of many as they expand their efforts to address growing needs for both housing availability and housing assistance. 

Troubling signs of housing needs in St. Joseph

The SJHA currently has a waiting list of around 400 people seeking housing assistance through their tenant voucher program, a HUD-funded program that offers critical housing assistance for hundreds of residents. 

Those who qualify are eligible to receive housing assistance based on 30% of their income, a fraction of overall housing costs, including rising prices for utilities.  

But the challenge SJHA often encounters now is even if someone qualifies for rental or housing assistance — for example just a one-bedroom property — a shortage of available housing means it could be months before they find a qualified place.

“We have an allocation of around 1000 tenant-based vouchers each year and we’re about 93% occupied. We have 40 approved vouchers on the street for people looking for housing,” Penland said. ”Sometimes that wait could be up to a year plus. We just don’t have enough to go around.”

An infill housing study commissioned last year by the City of St. Joseph and the Chamber of Commerce found significant gaps in properties for low, moderate and above moderate income homeowners, as well as a large number of properties in poor condition.

According to the study, the city has just 400 rental units to accommodate more than 15,000 households in St. Joseph that cite affordable rents as being between $1,100 and $1,700 for middle income.

“The biggest statistic that stands out is the lack of clean quality rental properties. Our community has a lot of rental properties compared to homeowners,” Penland said. “We have a lot of out-of-town owners that might not take care of their property.”

In light of the study, city officials, housing groups and economic development partners have drastically heightened efforts to attract new housing projects with the use of tax abatements, reimbursements and other tools to help compete with other municipalities for developers.

The issue has become one of the city’s top priorities, particularly as the risk grows for continued population decline in St. Joseph because of it. 

Penland and other SJHA officials, many of whom sit on other groups like the Housing Task Force as well, have taken increased steps to approach the issue from a variety of angles.  

“We’re trying to help people improve their situation, to become more self-sufficient and maybe eventually get somebody off of housing assistance,” Penland said. 

The agency launched a new community health director position last October, led by Donna Wilson, to do exactly that. 

Wilson works directly with tenants to learn about their situations, providing support and connecting them with resources to improve their quality of life if needed, from transportation and health-related assistance to grocery shopping, education and other services.

Additionally, Penland said SJHA is actively working on a new initiative that would offer transportation for doctor’s visits and grocery shopping for those in their public housing units.

“A lot of our 300-plus population here in Pleasant Heights public housing, the majority of them don’t have transportation,” he said.

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NPG Content Share

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) — Missouri recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds are now getting their full benefits after the end of the federal shutdown, a spokesperson for a state agency said Monday.

Full payments have been processed, and households will receive their benefits per their normal distribution schedule, which is based on last name and birthdate, the spokesperson for the Department of Social Services said.

“DSS continues to oversee timely distribution to support Missourians and encourages recipients to monitor their balance by logging into their online ebtEDGE account or calling the number on the back of their card,” DSS spokesperson Baylee Watts wrote in an emailed statement.

Missouri SNAP recipients only had access to partial benefits before the full payments were processed because of the shutdown that started Oct. 1 and the legal wrangling around it. President Donald Trump signed legislation to fund the government last week, and the state began processing full payments.

More than 320,000 Missouri households use SNAP benefits, according to the Missouri Budget Project.

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News-Press NOW

By: Darren Doyle

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — A Wisconsin Police Officer is on a Mental Health journey, after recovering from a critical incident in 2016, helping first responders to everyday people stop the stigma around talking about their issues.

Capt. Adam Meyers has been in Wisconsin law enforcement for 23 years. After having to use deadly force to prevent a suspect from harming others, the act alone brought many personal and professional challenges for Meyers.

Eventually, he found recovery and set out on a journey to not only help officers like himself talk about mental health, but also to help different demographics of people.

Courage and exposure have helped Meyers continue his recovery and help found his foundation, “Stop the Threat, Stop the Stigma.”

“It’s great for me to be able to speak so transparently about what I went through, because by sharing my experience, I hope to help others…By sharing my experience, it’s therapeutic for me,” Meyers shared. “I learned more about myself (through these talks), or I remember something that I went through that I hadn’t thought about for years.”

On his journey with his foundation, “Stop the Threat, Stop the Stigma,” Meyers has been able to talk on numerous podcasts around the globe while still serving his community.

For Meyers, talking to content creators or large audiences not only helps others but also himself.

“I figured I’ll just start sharing my experience and hope to help somebody, hope to reach somebody who’s struggling, or to help somebody who wants to reach out to help somebody else,” said Meyers. “No matter what profession you’re in, no matter if they were first responder, working another profession, unemployed, or on disability, the conversations that we had were great, because we can all relate to (mental health).”

Adams recently established a connection with those from the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph. Glore hosts online talks called “Psychology Social Hour,” during which they bring in someone to speak about helping others with their mental health.

The Zoom talk may not be in person; however, Meyers loves the opportunity to expand his reach to more individuals who may need help.

“Some people say I’m too transparent, but I think that’s important. I think it’s important to really put it out there, so people who may be struggling, or people who know somebody who is, they can kind of grasp just a little bit, you know, of a better understanding of what they might be going through,” said Meyers.

Meyers also keeps followers updated on recent talks and opportunities through his website. There, he even shares his personal cell phone number, which he hopes will be a lifeline for anyone who needs it.

“I started speaking in 2019, three years after my critical incident, and it was all about inspiring others to speak about their mental health, to reach out to support each other, because there’s not enough of that going on,” said Meyers. “I know, and others know that many people are struggling with mental health, and just a simple act of kindness, just reaching out, just sending a text message saying, “Hey, buddy, I’m thinking about you”, (can go a long way).”

Meyers’ talk with Glore is at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20 via the Zoom web app, which can be accessed by clicking the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84869413584. The museum appreciates RSVP’s to this event; attendees can do so by visiting www.stjosephmuseum.org/events.

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News-Press NOW

By: Chris Roush, News Director

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Plan 2B or not Plan 2B? That is the question the St Joseph School District’s Board of Education now has to answer.

For the last several weeks, the board has been in a constant debate regarding the future of the school district.

“I’m trying, before we make a motion and direct the admin for the umpteen time to do some work on a request, I’m trying to feel the board out for what are we going to get behind?” SJSD Board member Mike Moore said. “Because that’s what I am about.”

Ever since the April 2025 bond issue failed at the polls, it has been quite the issue for the Board of Education. What plan for the district-wide model will they choose?

“Population is going down, staffing is becoming more and more difficult, and our money is going down as well,” Board member Whitney Lanning said.

When the voters decided to go against the April bond issue and the plan to build a new high school south of US 36. The plan, on paper, appeared to be for Central and Lafayette to become the two high-school models moving forward, if that bond failed.

Although the bond did fail, plans changed, with the board asking school district administrators to come up with several potential options for the high school model, the number of middle schools and the feeder patterns from the elementary schools. 

Public hearings have been held at each high school. Different plans have been tweaked and also trashed.

Plan E, a community-based plan to keep all three high schools, while still fixing the feeder patterns and right-sizing the district, was a big contender for the St. Joseph community and the school board.

Once directed to make the plan work, district administration said the plan had some good pieces to it, but it didn’t help with right-sizing, staffing or finances.

The board spent hours last week debating the next step.

“I do think if we can’t come together today (Wednesday), and we can’t agree,” Board member Jennifer Kerns said. “I think we deserve to pause this. I don’t think that’s mindless. I don’t think that’s not responsible. I think it is responsible. I think we owe it to everybody to make a decision.”

During Wednesday night’s meeting, each board member talked about their thoughts and concerns about the potential plans.

“I really do want us to move forward,” Board member Ronda Chesney said. “And progress creates pain. It creates discomfort. But here’s what I know in my personal life, when I’ve been through pain and discomfort, and I work through that pain and discomfort on the other side, I’m a better person.”

Another Board member, Kim Miller, said that she wasn’t ready to make a decision on Wednesday about which plan she agrees with.

“I do agree we have to move in one direction or not, and at this moment, I can’t tell you what that is for me, but I know there has to be movement,” Miller said. “You’ve (district administrators) done so much work that we have to give you direction by the end of the night.”

On Wednesday, it appeared at least four board members supported the plan to use Central and Lafayette as the high schools for a variety of reasons, including the financial savings; however, the Board still has work to do if it wants to get all members on board.

The district model and feeder system issue is not new. It’s been handed down from Board to Board for several years.

“In the past, every year, it’s a pause,” Board president LaTonya Williams said. “And the reason being, is because it’s hard.”

This group of seven all agree, to an extent, that the district must change. But the question remains, though, can they all agree, or at least the majority agree, to a decision next Monday, Nov. 24?

The date has already become the self-imposed decision day.

“Not everyone in the community is going to like every single part, but we as a board and administration, don’t just nod our heads, don’t just cave in or have a four to three vote, but as much as possible, we have a unanimous consensus that says this is what we’re going to do, and we’re going to do it to the best of our ability,” Board member Tom Richmond said.

The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, at the Troester Media Center, located at 3401 Renick St., for a special work session.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The mother of a St. Joseph motorcyclist killed in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 229 last May has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver and two entities responsible for managing the area where the crash occurred.

A wrongful death trial has been scheduled by Judge Terry White in the Buchanan County Courthouse for Dec. 16, at 9:30 a.m. following a joint petition filed in court in late October by Cheryl Luke, mother of Ryan Coffman, for a wrongful death settlement.

The lawsuit lists Katherine Deweese, the St. Joseph driver found guilty of 2nd degree manslaughter in the case, as well as the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and HDDA, LLC, as defendants.

HDDA is the owner of the property near the exit ramp where the wrong-way crash occurred on May 17, 2024. The company still owns the land after funding issues forced it to cancel a planned hotel in 2024.

Katherine Deweese, left, stands next to attorney Mark Wissehr, during a sentencing hearing in April at the Buchanan County Courthouse in St. Joseph.

The MHTC is listed as the third defendant in the case. The commission oversees the bridge and exit ramp where the crash occurred — approximately halfway up the ramp — as well a portion of the intersection of South Third and Edmond Street where Do Not Enter/Wrong-Way signs face east warning drivers.

Four months after the crash occurred, five new “Wrong-Way” and “Do Not Enter” signs were added to the intersection of South Third and Edmond streets by the Missouri Department of Transportation. Signs were also added at the exit ramp that leads to Felix Street.

The civil suit comes after Deweese was sentenced to four months in jail in April for the fatal wrong-way crash that killed 33-year-old St. Joseph motorcyclist Ryan Coffman.

Deweese had plead not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the first degree, but admitted during an emotional one-day trial in March to accidentally driving the wrong-way up the I-229 6A exit ramp that leads Downtown to Edmond and South Third streets because she didn’t see the signs, crashing head on with Coffman midway up the ramp just before 5 a.m. on May 17, 2024.

Coffman, who was heading Downtown for a volunteer shift at Sunshine Electric Display, suffered life-threatening injuries as a result of being ejected from his motorcycle and was later pronounced dead.

During the bench trial, prosecutors argued Deweese knowingly and recklessly drove through multiple “Do Not Enter” signs while being distracted by a heated dispute with boyfriend and passenger Eric Richey. Despite a probable cause statement from police saying Deweese admitted to being in the argument, the defense later claimed the argument never occurred.

The defense did not argue that Deweese accidentally went up the ramp, but disputed that she “recklessly” did so causing the death of another person, maintaining that she did not see the signs at the time of the crash, called 911 and cooperated with officers at the scene.

A preliminary breath test administered on Deweese at the scene following the crash indicated her blood-alcohol content was 0.065%, below the legal limit of 0.08. Police requested a subsequent blood draw at the Law Enforcement Center for further testing.

The subsequent test showed Deweese’s reporting limit of alcohol was well below the limit at 0.010%, however, the test was administered more than three hours after the crash occurred as she initially refused.

Katherine Deweese, far right, sits next to attorney Mark Wissehr at the Buchanan County Courthouse during the manslaughter trial in March in St. Joseph. | Cameron Montemayor | News-Press NOW

During the on-scene investigation, officers discovered a metal beverage container in one of the vehicle’s front seat cup holders that had a small quantity of clear liquid at the bottom. Multiple officers testified the container had a faint smell of alcohol coming from it but despite that, it was revealed during the trial that the liquid was never tested for verification.

Deweese, a registered nurse for 13 years, had lived in the Downtown area not far from the exit for roughly three years prior to the crash, and denied drinking the morning of the incident.

Deweese was never arrested or issued a citation by St. Joseph police, she was later charged on Aug. 20, three months after the crash occurred.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A leading nonprofit is offering guidance to parents, grandparents and others about ways to strengthen unity within families and classrooms this week.

United Way’s Success by Six initiative is presenting the latest session in its “Conscious Discipline” series this Monday, Nov. 17, for parents, grandparents, primary caregivers and child care professionals looking to participate.

The session, which takes place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Wyatt Park Christian Church, will cover how noticing, accepting and connecting with children strengthens self motivation.

Attendees will leave with practical tips on age-appropriate jobs and strategies to strengthen connections with families and students in the classroom. Child care professionals attending in person will receive 1.5 Missouri Clock Hours Child Care Licensing credit.

United Way Success By 6 is a community-based movement of public and private partners including business, government, labor, education, child care and parents working together to prepare children to be successful learners when they begin kindergarten.

Registration is available online at stjosephunitedway.org/sb6parents.

Those seeking more information are encouraged to contact Bobbie Cronk with United Way at 816-364-2381 or by email bobbie.cronk@stjosephunitedway.org. Additional information on Conscious Discipline can be found at consciousdiscipline.com.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A closer look through the history of St. Joseph’s infamous criminals will be the focus of an upcoming program at the East Hills Library.

On Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. Dr. Kim Schutte will share details on St. Joseph’s lesser-known version of Bonnie and Clyde from the 1930s: Clarence and Juanita Spargur.

Much like Bonnie and Clyde, the Spargur’s exploits made numerous headlines in the Midwest throughout the mid-1930’s.

The upcoming presentation is intended for adults 18 and over. It will be held at the East Hills Library located at 502 N. Woodbine Road.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A veteran Navy pilot touched down in St. Joseph to celebrate the end of a long career in the armed forces on Friday.

Lieutenant Commander Kory “CHOW” Hughs, a 41-year-old weapons system operator with the Navy, made a commemorative flight to Rosecrans Memorial Airport on Friday with his EA-18 Growler, a variation of the Hornet, to celebrate his years of service.

A large group of supporters and community members showed up to congratulate Hughs and take part in ground/cockpit tours at the airport on Friday.

“I went to college at Missouri Western. It’s great to bring it (full circle) back to my hometown,” Hughs said.

A group of residents and supporters congratulate Kory Hughs on his career during his return on Friday at Rosecrans Memorial Airport.

He still vividly remembers the spark that led him to join the armed forces: Watching Top Gun as a 5-year-old kid. Nationwide, the 1986 film sparked a significant increase in interest in naval aviation.

“I don’t think I ever stopped watching it. That’s where that itch you get when you’re a little kid comes from. You look up to the sky and you don’t ever stop,” Hughs said.

Hughs then explained that while finishing his career in the Navy is bittersweet, he is eager to spend more time with his family, which he called his number one priority.

“Being 41 years old and figuring out what I have to do now that I’m grow up is not a bad place to be in,” Hughs said. “I’m going to miss being able to just jump in a fighter jet, the dynamic maneuvering of flying an aircraft. But I am looking forward to retirement. Being able to finally not have to get stationed somewhere else.”

Residents will get the opportunity to take part in another wide-ranging aircraft event on Saturday with Hughs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.. The event includes aircraft viewing from 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., flights over the community and Missouri Western, touch and go landings at 2 p.m. and ground tours at 2:30 p.m.

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Leah Rainwater

SAVANNAH, Mo. (KQTV) — A jury trial has been scheduled for a Savannah, Missouri, man who is charged with three counts of sodomy and one count of rape.

Nathan Clark Hershley is charged with three counts of statutory sodomy in the 1st Degree for deviating sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 14.

The fourth charge is statutory rape in the 2nd Degree.

The trial is set for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, Wednesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 5 at the Andrew County Courthouse with Judge Dan Kellogg.

According to a press release on the Platte County Courthouse’s website, Hershely was sentenced to 75 years in prison in November 2023 for sexually abusing a girl while living in Weston, Missouri.

The abuse was reported by the victim’s mother in 2018 after discovering incriminating letters.

Hershley entered an Alford plea, acknowledging the evidence against him, without admitting guilt and was convicted on the aforementioned counts.

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