Category: knpn-local-news

Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — State officials are pressing ahead with an in-depth corridor study designed to improve driver safety along one of Missouri’s historic and unique highways.

Planners and engineers with the Missouri Department of Transportation are currently in the midst of a monthslong examination of U.S. Route 36, a roughly 110-mile stretch of roadway from Riverside Road in St. Joseph to the Macon and Linn County line.

The $160,000 project will study traffic crash patterns, roadway designs and sections such as clear zones, a safety buffer designed to minimize the risk of serious accidents when a driver veers off the road.

“We’ve had about three fatality crashes on U.S. Route 36 per year over the last 10 years,” MoDOT Northwest District Planning Manager Adam Wood said. “We also are having about 10 serious injury crashes per year. So that’s the primary reason of looking at this study.”

U.S. Route 36, a four-lane east-west roadway, connects a variety of cities along a 195-mile stretch in Northwest Missouri from Hannibal, Macon, Marceline, Hamilton and St. Joseph.

Vehicles travel along Missouri Highway 36 in St. Joseph between Riverside Road and Craig Parkway.

Wood said the highway — originally laid out in the 1910s and designated in 1926 — has several substandard components that need to be evaluated.

“We’re looking at places where maybe the shoulders aren’t as wide as what our current day standard is,” Wood said. “We’re looking at crash history, specific locations where maybe we have more crashes than what we would desire. And then just the old alignment versus the new alignment.”

The highway was originally built as a two-lane roadway and gradually expanded over the following decades. A significant modernization project to convert the entire route to a four-lane highway was capped off in 2010 with a $75.5 million project to expand 52 miles of U.S. 36 between Macon and Hannibal.

“Parts of the road are still the old two-lane road that was originally there. And parts of them are the new,” Wood said “We just want to simply make the highway safe for the traveling public.”

The storied highway is prominently known in Missouri as “The Way of the American Genius” for its connection with historic figures such as Mark Twain, Walt Disney, John J. Pershing and Jesse James, among others.

MoDOT is expected is to have the study complete by the end of the calendar year. Wood said the study is not connected to past discussions about potentially converting the highway into an interstate.

“After the study is complete it gives us a chance to publicize it a little bit more and show people within MoDOT, our representatives, make it stand out on our unfunded needs list,” he said. “At that time we can start focusing on finding some funds to make some of these things happen.”

This image shows a list of projects included in the 2026-2030 Missouri Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan, including a $160,000 corridor safety study for U.S. Route 36.

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News-Press NOW

By: Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

President Donald Trump on Thursday morning on Truth Social praised Missouri Republicans for talking about redistricting.

No official plans have made yet, but a spokesperson from Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office said the governor and lawmakers are considering options for a special session. Kehoe had publicly backed the idea earlier this month.

“As these discussions continue, I am confident the Senate will be prepared to act when the time comes,” Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin (R-Shelbina) said.

Missouri has six Republicans and two Democratic representatives in the U.S. House.

Missouri Republicans, with the backing of the Trump Administration, want to redistrict the current congressional map, and split the Democratic pocket of Kansas City. Doing that would take a seat from the Democrats, leaving Missouri with a potential for up to seven Republicans representing the state in the house.

This one seat out of the 435 seats in the House might seem insignificant, but it could improve the Republican’s odds, said Charles Zug, who is a political science professor at the University of Missouri.

Republicans hold a slim majority in the House. Based on history, the incumbent party typically loses some seats during the next election, Zug said. The other element that gets added to this mix is other states redistricting.

Majority-Republican Texas and majority-Democratic California have advanced ideas of redrawing their districts. Zug indicated both states could see as many as five additional seats added to their majority party’s total.

If both states are successful, then the opposing parties are back at equilibrium, Zug said. Zug said he thinks Missouri will wait to see what happens between those two states before doing anything.

State Rep. Adrian Plank (D-Columbia) said he thinks Kehoe will wait until at least after the veto session on Sept. 10. Plank, and most Democrats, are opposed to redistricting.

“What happens with redistricting, especially in a way they’re trying to do it now, is they’re trying to pick their voters instead of the voters pick their representation,” Plank said.

A number of protesters voiced their opinions against redistricting at an event this past Saturday outside the Missouri Capitol. An ABC 17 News poll from Aug. 5 found 81% of respondents were against the idea.

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Rebecca Evans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A series of Labor Day protests opposing President Donald Trump and his political movement are scheduled across the country on Monday, Sept. 1, including in Chillicothe, Maryville and St. Joseph.

Organized by a coalition of labor, community, and social justice groups, the nationwide #SolidaritySeptember rallies aim to call out what organizers describe as an authoritarian shift in U.S. politics, attacks on workers’ rights, and anti-immigrant policies.

In Chillicothe, protestors will gather from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on the sidewalk in front of Southern Bank on Washington Street.

The St. Joseph rally will take place at the same time at the intersection of the Belt Highway and Frederick Avenue. Several union representatives and local advocates are scheduled to speak.

In Maryville, protestors will rally from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Wal-Mart Drive and South Main Street.

All three events are expected to remain peaceful. Organizers encourage participants to bring their own signs or borrow from a limited supply. More information and optional signups are available at mobilize.us/mayday

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri State Highway Patrol announced that all driver examination stations across the state will be closed for Labor Day.

The stations will reopen after the Monday, Sept. 1 holiday, and will resume normal operations.

MSHP also said it is hiring and has over 60 career paths available.

Those interested can visit www.joinmshp.us.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) —  The St. Joseph Public Library will host a jigsaw puzzle swap on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 1:30 p.m. at the East Hills Library. 

Guests are welcome to bring puzzles to exchange, but participation does not require a swap. The library will also have gently used puzzles available for purchase in the lobby. 

The event is free and open to all ages, offering the community a chance to enjoy an afternoon centered around puzzles and connection.  

“I like to do jigsaw puzzles and a lot of people do and when you’re done with it you don’t usually want to do it again so having a swap is a good way to refresh your collection while sharing,” Elizabeth Murray, programming librarian said.  

The puzzle swap has been a regular event at the library for the past four years, taking place every six months. Anyone is welcome to join—whether they want to keep a puzzle you find, bring it back for another swap, or simply browse the selection.  

“Puzzles are expensive, so its a good way to share puzzles without impacting your budget, and everything here is for free,” Murray said.    

The library hopes the event offers people a relaxing Sunday afternoon to spend with family while working through puzzles together.  

Another swap is already planned for February, when participants will also be able to donate puzzles to support the library’s annual book sale.  

“I have come to every single one of them. I have just always done puzzles and I was excited to do some trading because its fun to just swap it out and you don’t have to pay full prices,” Rochelle Greenwood, patron said.  

Greenwood also says she enjoys picking up puzzles to take home, calling it a great way to keep her mind active and focused.  

“I come to the library all the time and you can always walk out of here with some puzzles with you don’t already have one so just come out and do some swapping,” Greenwood said.  

Organizers say their goal is to bring the community together through a simple activity that sparks connection.  

They’re hoping each event will continue to grow with more puzzles to choose from and more people to trade with. 

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Buchanan County officials hope to know by the end of this year if they can move forward on decades-long discussions of dredging Lake Contrary and restoring it as a recreational lake.

A permit to dredge Lake Contrary is expected to be approved or denied by the U.S. Corps of Engineers now that soil samples have been collected from the lakebed for testing, a lengthy process that concluded Aug. 17, according to Buchanan County Western District Commissioner Ron Hook.

“This is the furthest we’ve been in this process,” he said. “So if we can get something by the end of this year of whether we’re permitted to do it or not, that would really help.”

Engineering consultants with Terracon, a KC-based firm, were tasked with drilling 30 feet at dozens of locations across the lake to collect samples for the Corps of Engineers to evaluate.

Despite a breakdown of equipment that caused delays, Hook said engineers were able to submit more the double the requested amount to ensure results are conclusive one way or another.

“The (Corps) wanted 17 different plots throughout the lakebed to test the soil; every five feet, they pulled up soil samples,” Hook said. “We wanted to make sure that the whole lakebed was covered. So we did 34 of them.”

If a dredging permit is issued, Hook said the 300-acre lake will require multiple rounds of dredging in different locations over a three or four-year period simply due to its size.

“You can do about 100 acres of dredging per year,” he said.

At the same time, a timeline for a second round of weed spraying is expected to be determined in the coming months to prepare the lake for potential dredging, if authorized by the Corps.

The latest plans call for dredging the lake to approximately 8 feet, but 10 feet in certain areas could be possible.

“We just want it to be available for recreational boating, fishing, swimming, a recreational lake,” Hook said.

The latest development comes after more than a year of work that intensified last summer on restoring the once-great oxbow lake following decades of attempts by supporters and the county.

In its heyday in the early 1900s, Lake Contrary was an iconic recreational destination that featured a theme park with amusement rides, a casino, dance halls and sporting venues. At its peak, the lake was reportedly 10 miles long, quarter of a mile wide and 40 feet deep, large enough to support upwards of 100 boats.

As oxbow lakes naturally do over time, silt built-up from river flooding and creeks has lowered its depth exponentially despite decades of support from many residents, including financing costly underground water pumps.

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph residents in search of a job are in luck.

The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce will host a career fair from 3 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, located at 1201 N. Woodbine Road.

Businesses that have job openings and are chamber members are scheduled to be in attendance.

For more information about the event, visit jobs.saintjoseph.com

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — On Aug. 18, President Trump announced on Truth Social his plan to end mail-in ballots.

The process of voting by mail has been around since the 1980s and has gained more popularity ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. This popularity has been viewed with skepticism due to prior election results and the potential for fraud.

This push for the end of mail-in voting would also have a massive impact on key demographics such as elderly and disabled people.

A change would impact states like Oregon, Washington and Colorado, which are all mail-in voting states.

Some St. Joseph locals like Cindy Remelius feel that only some groups should be able to vote by mail.

“Maybe for specific groups. But other than that, I believe that people should come in person and present their ID to vote,” said Remelius.

On Truth Social, President Trump said he plans to sign an executive order for the 2026 midterms to end all mail-in ballots.

Trump’s Truth Social post calls to revoke mail-in ballots.

According to Article I, Section 4, Clause I of the United States Constitution:

“The Supreme Court has interpreted the Elections Clause expansively, enabling states ‘to provide a complete code for congressional elections, not only as to times and places, but in relation to notices, registration, supervision of voting, protection of voters, prevention of fraud and corrupt practices, counting of votes, duties of inspectors and canvassers, and making and publication of election returns’.”

Common reasons Americans use mail-in voting pertain to convenience, accessibility and health concerns.

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News-Press NOW

ATCHISON CO, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One person is seriously injured after a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado traveled off of I-29 on Saturday.

The crash occurred just after 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23, as a 53-year-old male driver was southbound on I-29 and traveled off the east side of the roadway, into a grass median.

The vehicle crossed the northbound lanes, impacted a fence, then a ditch and overturned onto its top.

The Silverado came to rest odd of the east side of I-29 at the 119.8 mile marker, nine miles north of Rockport.

The driver was transported by life flight to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Some St. Joseph sewer customers are receiving calls from city representatives regarding a billing error.

According to the City of St. Joseph, approximately 230 of the city’s 27,000 sewer customers are affected by the issue.

The 230 customers are enrolled in an auto-pay program and had their accounts debited about three weeks early for the September billing cycle, due to a processing error.

The city said customer service representatives are contacting those affected to discuss options for resolving the issue. The accounts affected include both residential and business customers, with billed amounts for the majority ranging from $10 to $100.

Those impacted by the issue can choose one of two options when contacted by a city customer service representative.

Take no action and allow the early payment to cover their September bill.

Receive a refund now and be billed in September as usual.

City customer service representatives won’t ask for banking, Social Security or their financial information when calling impacted residents.

In a press release sent to News-Press NOW, the city issued an apology on the matter:

“The City of St. Joseph apologizes to those inconvenienced by the error. Staff members are working with the billing software vendor to make sure similar issues are prevented in the future.”

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