Category: knpn-local-news

TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Buchanan County Prosecutor’s Office and St. Joseph School District are partnering together to address student absenteeism.

Absenteeism has increased since the pandemic and remains a serious problem in the state, including in St. Joseph.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Missouri’s chronic absenteeism was at 21% during the 2022-23 school year.

SJSD’s Annual Report Card on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) also states it saw a 78.2% total proportional attendance rate during the 2023-2024 school year.

Statewide annual school “report cards” through DESE are released for the prior school year at the end of November.

Missouri law requires parents and guardians of children to ensure their children attend school regularly. A conviction for violation of that law can result in a jail sentence of 15 days and/or a fine of upto $750.

Dr. Ashly McGinnis, SJSD superintendent said that the district focus is on supporting studentsand families before legal action becomes necessary.

“We know that when students are in school consistently, they are more likely to succeed academically,”McGinnis said. “This partnership with the Prosecutor’s Office is about accountability, but it’s also aboutsupport. We want to work alongside families to remove barriers, encourage attendance, and give everychild the best chance to succeed,” she said.

News-Press NOW will update this article.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Community Missions will be receiving new equipment from the St. Joseph Health Department.

At a previous City Council meeting, a location and maintenance agreement to install a secure needle depository box was announced between Community Missions and the Health Department.

The purpose of the box is lower health hazards and risks associated from needles by having a safe disposal container for all needles and sharp objects. 

“The idea (behind) implementing the safe disposal program is to reduce the public health hazard and really the blight that it causes when sharps are improperly disposed of,” Assistant Health Director Kendra Bundy said. “If you add a receptacle, maybe people will use it if it’s available to them.”

The hope is the implementation of the depository box at Community Missions will be the first of more to come around St. Joseph.

“We’re really hoping that this has a good, positive impact in the community and it’s well received,” Bundy said. “We’re definitely going to try it out and see how it goes. If it is successful in that location, we will look at placing additional units throughout the city to better serve the community in different areas.”

For additional questions visit the St. Joseph Health Departments website.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Tiny Tot Town is all about helping kids explore and learn about their community in a fun, hands-on way. 

As little ones wander through the “streets,” they’ll get to meet local business owners, community helpers, doctors, bankers and plenty of other friendly faces who help keep St. Joseph alive.

The free, interactive experience will feature different games and snacks for little ones to enjoy.

Tiny Tot Town will take place in two sessions. The morning session will run from 10 a.m. to noon and the evening session will run from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

The event is hosted by the St. Joseph School District Parents as Teachers Missouri Curriculum Partner.

“It is a good way to get out of the house and we like going around to different booths and seeing the big school bus or the fire truck, which is always a big hit for him,” said Courtney Eiberger, a parent in attendance.

Kids could be seen riding mini tractors, stacking giant blocks and flipping through books with help from their parents.  

“It’s good to get out in the community and talk to other parents who have kids the same age and not have to keep up with different programs in the community,” Eiberger said.  

For parent, Alex Battles, the event is about more than just fun — it’s about learning through play.

Battles said his kids had a blast building with the blue blocks and learning about the Missouri Farm Bureau — but getting to play with the tractors was the real highlight for their family.  

“We weren’t able to make it last year, but we did come here the year before, so I hope every kid comes around and learn and families can really enjoy being a part of it,” Battles said.  

Families were also encouraged to explore booths offering helpful resources — including information about child health and development.  

Samantha Alberts, who works with a dermatology research site, said events like this are a great way to spread awareness.  

“We are getting everybody to know what we do here and it does help if their current treatments for their skin aren’t working and they want to try something new,” Alberts said.  

Alberts is helping advance research in the community and hopes to encourage more families to take part in those studies.  

Alberts said her goal is to help families better understand clinical research and break down the stigma that often surrounds it.  

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol made multiple arrests during a recent joint enforcement operation aimed at improving community safety.

The goal of the targeted hazardous moving violation saturation operation was to improve traffic safety and deter criminal activity on area roadways.

According to a press release from SJPD, there were 57 traffic stops conducted, which led to three DWI arrests, 49 citations and 39 warnings Saturday.

The operation also resulted in multiple felony arrests and the clearing of eight outstanding warrants, one of them a felony warrant.

“This operation reflects our unwavering commitment to keeping our streets safe,” SJPD Chief Paul Luster said in a statement.

Law enforcement reported four drivers attempted to flee from police, but a quick, coordinated response by units on the ground and the assistance of the MSHP helicopter led to suspects being safely apprehended. The charges that stemmed from this include aggravated fleeing and resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance, as well as a receiving stolen property investigation, according to a press release.

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News-Press NOW

HARRISON COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A Waynesville, Missouri, man was taken to the hospital after a one-vehicle crash Monday in Harrison County.

The crash occurred around 6:26 p.m. where Route EE meets Route M, about 8 miles north of New Hampton, Missouri, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The 57-year-old Waynesville man was driving south in his pickup truck when he traveled off the roadway toward a creek.

His truck then hit an embankment before coming to rest partially submerged in the creek.

First responders took the man to Mosaic Medical Center in Albany, Missouri, for serious injuries.

He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the crash report.

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Alec Pascuzzi

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Oct. 6 marked the recognition of world habitat day, an observance highlighting the state of our towns and cities.

The recognition is used to raise awareness on the importance of safe, affordable and sustainable living for all, as well as the basic right to adequate shelter.

World Habitat Day serves as a reminder that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

“Having something with awareness like World Habitat Day that really says, ‘You know, a habitat is a place to be,’ whatever that looks like,” said Danielle Brown, the CEO of the YWCA of St. Joseph.

Brown hammered on the fact that everyone needs a place where they can feel at home and safe.

“Some people look at housing alternatively. That’s okay to a point, but we all need something and we all need a place where we can feel safe,” said Brown.

For more information on how to make a difference, visit www.ywcasj.org or www.stjosephunitedway.org.

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Safety concerns are growing in parts of St. Joseph — especially in older buildings and neighborhoods.

Many of these worries stem from aging electrical systems or outdated wiring, which can easily overheat or spark a fire and cause damage to the residents and structures.

City Planning Director Nathan Pare said the first step is simply connecting with the owners of those properties.

“Some of them are very excited about that, and some of them we are working with on a daily basis and others have no desire or motivation to do anything about this,” Pare said.

Pare said money is often the biggest challenge. Many of these older buildings need a fair amount of investment before renovation can even begin.

City officials also said they are hoping the situation improves with time and they come up with a proper solution to fix this problem.

Meanwhile, fire safety remains a major concern in these aging buildings. The City’s Plan Review Coordinator, Dale Reuter, said education is key.

He said the City needs to do a better job of educating residents — helping them understand how to properly maintain their homes and prevent the kinds of issues that can lead to fires.

“Too many electrical cords and things of that nature overloading your system, or you may have an older system in your house that needs to be looked at to upgrade,” Reuter said. 

Reuter said when the City gets a report about a fire hazard, there’s a formal process to inspect the property and notify the owner about what needs to be fixed.

According to Reuter, inspections are taken seriously — especially for buildings under renovation.

“We go through and we try to do the inspections and pull permits that they’re supposed to and follow by the rules so the houses are built in a safer way and are up to the codes,” Reuter said.

Fire Inspector Loren Crum said older buildings are more likely to catch fire because, over time, their materials start to wear down, making them more vulnerable to fire hazards.

“Make sure you’re not using extension cords to run your appliances, plug items directly into an outlet or put stuff underneath the rugs and behind the couches to keep things as safe as possible,” Crum said. 

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Local law enforcement arrested Alec M. Gray just after 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, for multiple offenses, including a crash with a Missouri State Highway Patrol vehicle.

Gray, a 24-year-old male, was driving a 2020 Chevrolet 2500, according to an MSHP crash report and probable cause statement.

The crash occurred as the MSHP Patrol vehicle, a 2024 Dodge Durango, was southbound on North 20th Street. Gray was westbound on Howard Street.

After failing to stop at a stop sign, the Chevrolet struck the front driver’s side of the MSHP vehicle, then began skidding and came to rest on its wheels facing east. The MSHP vehicle came to rest on its wheels facing south.

According to a probable cause statement, Gray fled the scene on foot but was captured by the MSHP Lieutenant involved in the crash just after midnight on Sunday, Oct. 5.

The St. Joseph Police Department transported Gray to the Buchanan County Law Enforcement Center.

Local law enforcement performed a series of alcohol tests on Gray. One of which was a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT), which calculated Gray’s blood alcohol content at 0.100%.

Just before 1 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5, Gray was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated. He also consented to a chemical breath test, which showed he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.114%.

Gray is facing DWI charges, but was released from jail with conditions. Some of which include: no alcohol, no driving without a valid license and he is required to wear a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) device.

Other than a DWI charge, Gray was also arrested under suspicion of the following charges:

Leaving the scene after an accident

No proof of insurance

Operating a motor vehicle in a careless manner

Resisting arrest

News-Press NOW will continue to provide updates as they become available.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A school bus full of kids ran into a pickup truck just after 3 p.m. on Monday.

The crash happened at the intersection of South Belt Highway and Pickett Road. Around 30 students from Central High School and Truman Middle School were on the bus.

According to law enforcement on scene, the bus driver to not have enough time to stop before hitting a vehicle in front of it. There was also one child from the school bus who sustained minor head and neck injuries due to the incident.

Kids evacuated the bus for observation and safety checks, but were eventually allowed back on board the bus for the route to continue.

Some St. Joseph School District parents were also able to pick their children up from the crash site.

The pickup truck suffered minor damage to its rear, and the school bus suffered minor damage to the bumper.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Chamber of Commerce, in coordination with Main Street St. Joseph, is hosting a business workshop and Downtown open spaces tour on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

The event will begin at 2 p.m. at 801 Felix St. with a workshop titled, “Business Basics: How to Start a Business.”

Annette Weeks, who works with Aspire Business Consulting, will lead the workshop.

A tour will begin at 3 p.m. and include the following locations available for purchase or lease:

801 Felix St.

219 S. 7th St., Suite A

223 S. 7th St., Suite A

716 Felix St.

724 Francis St.

706 Felix St.

111 S. 7th St.

402 Felix St.

619 Francis St.

The tour will end with a networking reception at 5 p.m. at The Den, located at 519 Felix St. The event is free and registration is not required.

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