Author: News-Press NOW

Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — At the local Rolling Hills Library from 6 to 7:30 P.M. on Wednesday, Oct 22, The Persisterhood of St. Joseph gathered to discuss local and national issues.

The main topic of their discussions tonight revolved around the local health concerns in Northwest Missouri and the impacts of the Trump administration.

The meeting featured local experts, including Charles Mullican, an instructor at the UMKC School of Medicine, Diane Waddell, a retired family nurse practitioner, and Mike Poore, Mosaic’s chief executive officer.

The Trump Administration’s policies, such as the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ were among the topics discussed regarding their impact on rural hospitals.

“There’s a study from the University of North Carolina that actually went to Congress that predicted close to 800 rural hospitals were closed across the country because of the BBB,” said Poore.

Health coverage concerns were also mentioned due to the federal government shutdown and cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, impacting Missouri.

“People are going to fall off, and we’re going to return to a state that is shameful for the United States to have that large and uninsured population,” said Mullican.

The meeting also touched on the recent ‘No Kings Protests’ and their impact, as well as having Kennedy Moore, the Senior Manager of Field and Programs from the Abortion Action Missouri network, to share the risks of the potential abortion ban in Missouri.

“Corrupt politicians are trying to trick voters into banning abortion all over again, don’t fall for it, you need to vote no on 3,” said Moore.

Persisterhood plans to meet on Wednesday, Dec. 12, for its final meeting of the year.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) —  The Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph is now accepting applications for its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

The LIHEAP is a one-time credit that comes from the state to apply as payment for a primary heating source.

After the one-time payment, if the household is disconnected or in threat of disconnection, they can bring a disconnection notice in over the winter and CAPSJOE can help with up to $800 in additional crisis packages.

The program is a crisis fund that requires a termination or disconnection notice in order to apply for those funds. 

Last winter, CAPSJOE helped 2,047 households with preventing disconnection or restoring terminated services.

CAPSJOE will be accepting winter LIHEAP applications on two different dates.

On Oct. 1, the organization will only accept applications for any member of the household over the age of 60 or any member of the household who has a disability.

On Nov. 1, the organization will accept applications from all other households.

CAPSTJOE Community Relations Director, Kayla Marmaud, said participants must bring the required documents with their application.

“So we require a Social Security card for our household members. The previous months’ income copies of gas and electric bills and then if they have all that with us, that helps speed up the process, the application process,” she said.

Applications can take about 30 days to process. October applicants won’t see credit until after November, and November applicants won’t see credit until December.

Marmaud said this program is important for low-income families in St. Joseph because the winter months have been known to cause financial hardships.

“Heating and cooling bills kind of go up, and it’s just helping them to kind of take the stress off of them to be able to pay those bills and make sure that they stay warm in the winter,” she said.

The LIHEAP winter program runs until the end of May. Applications are available in person and online.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The City of St. Joseph Parks and Recreation held a public meeting last week regarding the John Lucas Enhancement Project.

Among the topics discussed were improvements to the deck area of the park, updated curbs, railing, playground upgrades and resurfaced basketball courts.

“We sometimes almost have tunnel vision when we’re looking at these types of projects,” Parks Director Jeff Atkins said. “That’s why we like to have the public sessions, to kind of broaden our vision a little bit, cover the things that were missing.”

In showing designs of potential playgrounds, Atkins added that input is wanted from people of all ages.

“To get the opinion of a 5 or 6 year old when you’re designing playgrounds, that’s awesome, right,” Atkins said. “I’m a grandpa. I don’t know what kids want to play on. I think I do, but when you hear it from a kid, that’s when it’s really important.”

Some of the renovations and improvements will be dependent on a $500,000 Land and Water Conservation grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The grant will be submitted in November but official approval will not be confirmed until November 2026. If approved, construction would not break ground until 2027.

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Alec Pascuzzi

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Civic Arena is set to become home to another major sporting event.

In 2027, the men’s and women’s Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships (GLVC) will be held at the Civic Arena through 2029.

This is a major step forward for the St. Joseph Sports Commission from a sporting standpoint. But also for the city of St Joseph from an economic point of view.

“You have multiple teams, people coming from multiple states coming in to spend money and spend a lot of money because it is those overnight, hotel dollars that leads to restaurants, that leads to, ‘Hey, this is a once in a lifetime event for us. Let’s make the most of it and do something special’,” said Christian Mengel, director of communications at the St. Joseph Sports Commission.

More information regarding the 2027-2029 GLVC Conference Championships can be found on the St. Joseph Sports Commission’s website.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Local residents will see the first in a new series of magazine-like newsletters delivered to their mailboxes starting this year.

The new 24-page publication, titled “City Connect”, provides residents with the latest information on everything from city operations and services to ongoing construction projects at places like Krug Park.

Copies are currently being printed and bundled in preparation for delivery in the first half of November.

“It’ll go to every mailbox in St. Joe, residential and business. We’re going to make sure and communicate with every single resident and business owner here in St. Joe,” City Manager Mike Schumacher said.

Residents will see two newsletters delivered each year in the spring and fall. No subscriptions or payments are required.

The new initiative is being spearheaded by the city’s Communications and Community Engagement Department, part of a revamped effort to boost communications following feedback from a wide-ranging community survey issued earlier this year.

“One of the greatest things about this effort was each director came up with the content on their page and then kind of pulled their team together (and said) ‘What do you think our customers want to hear more about?'” City Manager Mike Schumacher said. “We look forward to feedback on it.” 

From the latest construction and bridge projects to operations in the city’s major departments, the newsletter gives residents the chance to learn about a number of services and engage with the latest activities.

“A lot of it is talking about the services that we offer. Not everyone knows everything the City of St. Joe offers to this community,” Schumacher said.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Lindbergh Elementary is “turning the page” with encouraging good attendance from students.

The school’s PTA purchased a book vending machine to reward students who show up at least 95% of the time with a new book.

The vending machine will also be used for various other purposes throughout the school year.  

“This is a way to help promote literacy and get more books into their hands every month. They get called down and are given a token so they can use it,” said Ryleigh Nurski, a reading interventionist.

Students can also earn a token on their birthdays, giving them another chance to pick out a brand-new book while helping boost attendance in classrooms.  

“This is the first month that we’ve done it, so we haven’t seen a huge change yet, but we have noticed the kids talking about it, so we are hoping we see a boost in attendance,” Nurski said.  

She added, the program is a win for everyone — families don’t have to spend extra money, and every student still gets the chance to take home a new book.  

“They are all super excited to get to use it. We have lots of kids that haven’t ever used a vending machine before, so they are always excited to use it and get a brand new book,” Nurski said.   

Principal Gary Murphy said the idea behind the machine came from conversations with parents about keeping students more engaged and motivated.  

He said he hopes the vending machine helps students build a love for reading — something he believes is key to being ready for college and future careers.  

“Students and adults both will stop to watch the machine work, and they will be like ‘How does it go? What do you push?’ And students get excited when they walk away with a book which came out of the machine,” Murphy said.  

Murphy said every student at Lindbergh will have a chance to use the machine, whether it’s for their birthday or perfect attendance and credited the PTA for making it all possible through funds raised outside the school budget. 

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Kyle Schmidt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo (News-Press NOW) — Over a week before Missouri Western State University football squared off against Pittsburg State, Ju’Lius Byers was in the middle of his physical therapy when he was met with a surprise.

Byers, who affectionately goes by “JuJu,” was made the honorary captain for the Griffons and signed a national letter of intent during a pregame press conference.

“I feel pretty good,” JuJu said. “Being honorary captain, it’s going to be cool.”

Welcomed by MoWest President Elizabeth Kennedy, Athletic Director Andy Carter and Head Football Coach Tyler Fenwick, Byers had a special Saturday planned as a Griffon.

His family watched as he signed the letter of intent and answered questions in a press conference.

“Feels great, I love my family, they all support me,” Byers said. “They have been praying and they were with me in the hospital.”

One family member, his grandma, Carolyn Winters, shared her reaction to the injury and how she feels now.

“My heart was broken,” Winters said. “My heart is still broken in different ways now that I see his progress. It’s a good hurt.”

Byers walked around Ability KC with a neck brace the first time News-Press NOW saw him. Just over a week later, he walked around MoWest without the brace.

“Feeling good, just some stiffness or moving,” Byers said. “I got a soft one for temporary reasons.”

Outside of signing his letter of intent and his own press conference, Byers got a tour of the locker room and the athletic facilities.

On the field, Byers walked out as a captain and was handed the coin to flip for the teams. Pittsburg State, as the visiting team, called tails.

Byers’ flip landed heads, to which Grant Finley, defensive end for the Griffons, turned to Byers and said, “Great toss.”

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Payton Counts

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The month of October is nearing an end, meaning Halloween is approaching and carved pumpkins are starting to glow in the night.

Pumpkins have become a true symbol of fall and Halloween, often seen with eyes, noses and crooked smiles on them. 

Designs have come a long way over the years; pumpkin-carvers can now use pamphlets filled with pages of creative and complex patterns.

How did the tradition of carving pumpkins begin?

Halloween’s inception dates back over 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which later merged with Christian observances.

The carving tradition, however, started in Ireland with the folklore of Stingy Jack — a man who tricked the Devil and was doomed to roam the earth with only a burning coal inside a carved-out turnip.

To keep Jack and other wandering spirits away, the Irish began carving scary faces into turnips.

When Irish immigrants came to the United States, they brought the tradition with them. Pumpkins, native to North America, were easier to carve and soon replaced turnips as the face of Halloween.

St. Joseph has its own tradition celebrating pumpkins, known as Pumpkinfest.

For nearly three decades, the festival has brought joy to the community, with volunteers providing more than 1,000 pumpkins to light up two nights in October.

Cindy Daffron, executive director of the Pony Express Museum, said the tradition has grown across generations.

“For some people, this is a second generation deep, so people used to bring their children and now their children come home with the grandchildren. So now we have a carved pumpkin that we have to put out every year,” said Daffron.

Carving spooky faces into pumpkins has become a cherished Halloween tradition, not only across the U.S., but in St. Joseph. 

Families in St. Joseph like to keep the spirit alive each year. “We pumpkin carve and we paint our pumpkins,” said Bailey Thornberry, a St. Joseph resident.

If you want to submit photos of your carved pumpkin, you can email them to share@newspressnow.com or our website.

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TaMya Bracy

SAVANNAH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Savannah High School Meats Science Team is going to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The team consists of four girls, Mackenzie Schmutzler, Reagan Rodgers, Addison Neiderhouse and Kaylea Farrell.

In March, the team traveled around the state to practice, which helped the team work on their knowledge base and skills. Traveling opportunities have brought the girls to five university meat labs.

The Meats Science Team won first place at the State FFA CDE.

Schmutzler, a senior at Savannah High School, said she was really happy when their team won first place at state.

“We put in a lot of effort and put a lot into it. We went the extra mile to say, outside of school and stuff. So just to see all that like come to fruition was really nice,” Schmutzler said.

FFA Advisor and Savannah High School Teacher, Jeff Baumann, said it makes him extremely proud to be the girls’ advisor.

“We’re proud of their representing their school and their chapter at the national CDE. I’m very proud of their work and their commitment to their team,” he said. “I mean, they are a team in every sense of the word. They help each other. It’s never about them. It’s about the it’s about the team.”

Rodgers, a sophomore at Savannah High School, said she is excited to go to Nationals.

“We had high goals for State, so to accomplish those was really exciting and to do it on a national level as well,” Rodgers said

Although competing at Nationals next week might stir up nerves, the girls said they’re prepared.

“It’s definitely nerve-wracking. Just the competition of it all, but we’ve definitely put in the work and are prepared, I think,” Rodgers said

“We’re going to keep working all the way up till time we compete. So we’re, we’re hoping we’ll have good results,” Schmutzler said.

Making the large step to Nationals means the world for the team, and despite the outcome, both Rodgers and Schmutzler said they’ll be happy with the results.

“I think knowing that we’ve done everything possible that we can and the help of our coaches, is definitely going to be rewarding. We have high goals, but we also know the level of competition that comes with it,” Rodgers said.

“We’ve already reached, like, our goal was to win State and of course we raised those goals, but we have already met high goals that we have set for ourselves, so we’ll still be proud of us even though if we don’t meet those national goals,” Schmutzler said.

The Meats Science Team will be leaving for Nationals on Monday, Oct. 27. They will compete on Thursday, Oct. 30.

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News-Press NOW

CALDWELL COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A 58-year-old man is dead after striking a truck and a Combine in Caldwell County, just four miles east of Cameron, Missouri.

The crash occurred as a 2011 Ford F-150, a 2005 Dodge Ram 3500 and a 2009 Case IH Combine were traveling west on U.S. Highway 36 just after 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18.

The Ford contained the 58-year-old male driver and an eight-year-old male passenger, both from Smithville, Missouri.

The Dodge contained a 50-year-old male driver and the Combine contained a 53-year-old male driver.

The Ford failed to change lanes, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, and it struck the Dodge Ram. The Dodge traveled off the north side of Highway 36.

The Ford continued west in the driving lane and struck the Combine on the driver’s side rear wheel and then overturned, slid on its side and overturned again onto its wheels, ejecting the driver.

The Ford came to rest facing north on its wheels. The Dodge and the Combine came to rest facing west on their wheels on the north shoulder of Highway 36.

The 58-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene around 2:12 p.m. His body was taken by the Caldwell County Coroner to Bram Funeral Home in Hamilton, Missouri.

The eight-year-old was transported by Caldwell County Ambulance to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.

Neither the 58-year-old nor the eight-year-old was wearing a seatbelt.

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