Category: knpn-local-news

Cameron Montemayor

MERCER Co. (News-Press NOW) — A 36-year-old man from Bethany, Missouri, was hospitalized with serious injuries after failing to handle a curve and crashing his truck on a county road Monday east of Cainsville, Missouri.

A crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol shows a 2024 Ford F-150 was traveling north on Egret Avenue in Mercer County around 7:42 p.m. when the driver’s vision became obstructed by the dust from gravel in the roadway.

The 36-year-old driver of the Ford from Bethany, Missouri, failed to handle a curve and traveled off the roadway, striking a large tree and continuing through a field before it eventually came to rest on its wheels facing north.

The driver of the vehicle was not wearing a seatbelt according to the crash report and was transported by North MO EMS to Harrison County Community Hospital.

Both the Harrison County and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Offices assisted the Highway Patrol on scene

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — East Lake Boulevard from Interstate 229 to King Hill Avenue will be temporarily closed beginning Wednesday, according to Missouri American Water.

Missouri American Water, in partnership with Jackson Plumbing, will be conducting water system repairs until Friday, Feb. 13.

Traffic will be diverted east to South 11th Street, then north on South 11th Street, then west on Atchison Street and back on King Hill Avenue.

East Lake Boulevard detour, courtesy of Missouri American Water.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Our website will be undergoing scheduled updates today between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. During this time, you may experience intermittent service interruptions.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to improve your website experience.

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Leah Rainwater

MERCER COUNTY, Mo. (KQTV) — A 36-year-old man from Bethany, Missouri, was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash Monday.

The crash occurred around 7:42 p.m. as the man, driving a 2024 Ford F150, was northbound on Egret Avenue, just four. miles east of Cainsville.

With the roadway being gravel, dust obstructed the driver’s vision, causing him to mis-calculate a curve in the roadway, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The driver traveled off the roadway and struck a tree. The vehicle then continued through a field and came to rest on its wheels facing north.

According to the crash report, the driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was transported by North Missouri EMS to Harrison County Community Hospital.

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Danielle Bailey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Resident Spooky Girls Marina and Jenna will return to the St. Joseph Public Library with a Valentine’s-themed edition of “True Crime Time.”

The hosts will share tales of crimes of passion, scandalous love affairs and deadly romances that end in tragedy. The presentation will explore unusual personalities, love dramatically taken to the grave and a world where love knows no bounds.

The event will be held at 6 p.m. Feb.19 at the St. Joseph Public Library’s East Hills branch. True Crime Time is free and open to the public. It is intended for adults 18 and over.

To find out about other upcoming library programs and events, visit https://sjpl.lib.mo.us.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri Department of Transportation has completed a major stage of a multi-year intersection construction project at U.S. Route 59 and Alabama Street in south St. Joseph.

MoDOT officials announced Monday that Alabama Street (Route 752) at the intersection of U.S. Route 59 in St. Joseph is now open, an early phase of construction that included realigning Alabama Street on the east side of Route 59 and creating right turn lanes to and from Route 59 and Alabama Street.

Crews are now scheduled to begin work on stages 2 and 3 of the $8.3 million project that began last April. Stages 2 and 3 of the 5-stage project include construction of an access road to the businesses west of Route 59 and the realignment of Route U south of its current intersection with Route 59.

Once complete, crews will then widen Route 59 and realign Valley Street.

This map shows a breakdown of construction stages, highlighting what areas will be included in each phase of construction over the two-year $8.3 million project.

Traffic Impacts

Crews will maintain temporary access to the businesses west of Route 59. During the realignment of Route U, work will take place off the current roadway.

Traffic impacts for Route 59 and Valley Street will be shared at a later date.

The project is being carried out to realign roadways and improve turning movements for vehicles and tractor-trailers, increasing capacity for vehicles turning or stopped at the Route U train crossing and boosting safety overall. The project also includes adding turn lanes, sidewalks and storm drainage.

All work is scheduled to be complete by the spring of 2027. Pre-construction utility work delayed the project from its original timeline of December 2026.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A passionate local caregiver and the recipient of Mosaic Life Care’s highest honor is using the opportunity to support the work of the Friends of the Animal Shelter.

Suzanne Goddard was recognized by Mosaic Life Care with the 2025 Servant’s Heart Award for her above-and-beyond support as care manager with the hospital’s Serious Illness Management program. Serious Illness Management, also known as Advanced Illness Management, is a key program within the hospital providing critical care for patients suffering from chronic illness who have seen their health and ability to function decline.

The Servant’s Heart Award is the most prestigious honor given out each year by Mosaic Life Care, recognizing caregivers who display “extraordinary” commitment and compassion for patients.

“This award is about caregivers who go above and beyond for their patients,” said Mike Poore, FACHE and CEO of Mosaic Life Care, in a news release. “Suzanne’s actions show the true meaning of a servant’s heart. She didn’t just care for a patient – she cared for what mattered most to that patient. It’s incredibly humbling to work alongside caregivers like Suzanne who serve with such compassion.”

Goddard, a 16-year veteran with Mosaic Life Care, was nominated by fellow caregivers for her commitment to a patient facing end-of-life complications, stepping in to adopt the patient’s dog on her own after the patient had to be moved to a facility that didn’t accommodate pets.

Goddard continued to bring the dog in for visits with the patient, providing comfort and peace of mind during a difficult time. She said she was surprised and deeply honored to receive the award.

“You don’t go into nursing or caregiving for recognition,” Goddard said in a statement. “But when you can do something small that makes such a big difference for someone, it’s always worth it. Helping her know her dog was safe lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. It brought her peace.”

In honor of the award, Goddard and Mosaic Life Care donated $500 to a charity of her choice. 

It was only fitting she selected the St. Joseph Friends of the Animal Shelter, a nonprofit that works alongside the shelter to reduce the number of animals euthanized by increasing public awareness of adoptable animals and assisting staff with animal care.

“Animals don’t have anybody to advocate for them,” Goddard added. “The shelter does so much for the community and for animals in need. It just felt like the right place.”

The donation will help support medical care for animals in the shelter, adoption programs and community services to prevent overcrowding, financial assistance welcomed by shelter officials.

“We are so honored that Suzanne chose our organization,” said Jenn Kline, president of the board of directors for Friends of the Animal Shelter, in a news release. “Animal welfare organizations everywhere are facing overcrowding and financial challenges. Donations like this help provide medical care for sick and injured animals, support adoption efforts and fund programs like spay and neuter services that keep pets healthy and families together.”

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)– The St. Joseph School District Board of Education heard updates about staff salaries and benefits from the district’s Salary and Benefits Committee.

Director of Human Resources Mark Korell said the district has a large group of staff members and teachers who come together to represent the entire workforce. This group acts as a voice for staff and helps develop a plan for salaries and benefits for the 2026–2027 school year.  

Korell explained that the group doesn’t actually make decisions. Instead, they share feedback and concerns from staff so the district can eventually bring a recommendation to the school board.  

“In this process, in the last month and a half or two months, we have spent a lot of time discussing our insurance package for next school year. Unfortunately, the cost of everything starts to increase,” Korell said.  

The district is also starting to look at salary projections for next year, including whether there could be an increase or if salaries might need to be frozen.  

Korell said neither he nor Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Robert Hedgecorth are in favor of freezing salaries.  

“Although our salary and benefits committee is really on board with as they understand our financial situation. They would like to have a raise to the base,” Korell added.  

Korell said he is hoping to have decisions made by April, even though state statute does not require salary schedules to be approved until June.  

“I am pushing for April. Dr. Hedgecorth is a little more aware of the legislative session and some changes that could possibly come down, so I think he is leaning more towards our May meetings,” Korell said.  

Korell also pointed out how the district has several different salary schedules to consider, which is why discussions are expected to begin next month.  

For now, he said staff and faculty shouldn’t expect much information yet since those conversations haven’t officially started.  

“We haven’t finalized our insurance package yet on what those changes are, but we do anticipate an increase. We don’t believe it will be a substantial increase,” Korell added.  

The next step, according to Korell, is meeting with the committee again next week to continue insurance discussions and finalize certain details.  

The district’s next board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, at the Troester Media Center, located at 3401 Renick St.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate love and connection, but for scammers, it’s an opportunity to exploit people’s emotions.

A romance scam occurs when a criminal uses a fake identity online to gain a victim’s trust and affection, ultimately stealing their money or personal information.

This scam typically occurs on dating apps or social media platforms.

According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and the Better Business Bureau, the prevalence of online scams – and the number of people falling for them – has dramatically increased since the onset of the pandemic.

This increase in scams has been seen everywhere, from online shopping scams to work-from-home scams and even romance scams.

Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett said scammers find scamming online easier.

“It’s global now; they scam you from anywhere in the world. This is nothing that you have to show up and provide an envelope full of cash or anything else. It is truly global, and it can all be done electronically,” he said. “As soon as you provide your information, your account information and your personal information to access those accounts, they can be drained from anywhere in the world.”

Puett said scammers typically spend weeks to months to build trust with their victims.

“It varies; it depends on how susceptible the other victim is to what the scammer is doing. Finally, to act like they have a significant problem. That requires money or finances. It could be that they were trying to build a relationship with them,” he said. “They can give them access to accounts to help care for the victim, or some other avenue that they’re trying to do that gives larger access to the victim’s financial resources.”

According to Credit Abuse Resistance Education, common signs of a romance scammer include professing love very quickly, having a profile with vague or few images across platforms, requesting money, pushing to move the conversation to a more personal communication platform and making plans to meet in person only to cancel due to a sudden “emergency.”

Puett said if someone suspects they have been scammed, they should get a hold of local law enforcement.

“Change your password, change your accounts and all of that to avoid getting any more access than they do,” Puett said. “The biggest thing is prevention because once they have access to those accounts, they drain those accounts in a matter of minutes. If they’re in another country, there’s usually no way to get your money back.”

Puett said to be vigilant when it comes to scams online. This includes not providing personal information, such as account information, date of birth, social security number, etc.

Additionally, if someone has been scammed, Puett said the first step is to contact local law enforcement and any financial institutions involved in the situation.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — City officials confirmed a key department director at City Hall is no longer employed after being hired last July.

Planning and Community Development Director Nathan Pare is no longer employed with the City of St. Joseph, a city spokesperson confirmed to News-Press NOW on Monday.

The city said it is now evaluating its next steps in wake of the move.

It’s unclear if the move was a voluntary decision or if it was initiated by the City. Pare was hired last July to lead the department after the City parted ways with longtime director Clint Thompson, who had previously served as director from 2001 to 2025.

Plans Review Coordinator Dale Reuter has been tapped as interim Planning and Community Development director following the change.

Pare came out of retirement to take the director’s position in St. Joseph in late July 2025 after a near 30-year career working in Kansas City, including experience as a division manager and experience working in code enforcement, demolition and property management.

The Planning and Community Development Department is the lead agency for both physical and economic development of the City of St. Joseph, with staff reviewing all residential and commercial development plans, zoning and subdivision platting and long range planning for the city.

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