Category: knpn-local-news

Kendra Simpson

St. Joseph, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — While it may not feel like it, the first day of school is fastly approaching, and one local organization is hosting a back-to-school distribution.

The average family spends $670 this year on supplies and clothing alone, making the necessary supplies costly.

The Salvation Army will host their annual back-to-school distribution event from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, at 602 Messanie St.

Parents must provide their photo ID, birth certificates and social security numbers for all children and the name of the school the children will be attending.

For more information on the distribution, call the St. Joseph Salvation Army at 816-232-5824.

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Rebecca Evans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) —  St. Joseph’s oldest cemetery is turning a loss into new life.

Mount Mora Cemetery, a landmark since 1872, recently partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to remove a long-standing ash tree that had succumbed to a deadly and fast-spreading disease.

The large stump of the dead ash tree.

The tree, which had towered over the historic grounds for decades, fell victim to ash decline, worsened by the invasive emerald ash borer beetle—part of a national crisis threatening ash trees across the U.S.

“There is no cure and little protection for ash tree infection,” said officials from the MDC’s tree division. “This natural disease will take ash trees very much like the elm disease did in years past.”

After years on the cemetery’s watch list, the tree was safely removed with the help of MDC’s Timothy Wolfe.

In its place, two native Missouri trees—a pecan and a persimmon—were planted in the cemetery’s Range five, six and seven sections to carry on the site’s tradition of biodiversity and natural beauty.

Baby Persimmon Tree Growing in Mount Mora Cemetery.

Suzanne Lehr, Mount Mora historian, said, “I’m just grateful for what we can do when those things come along and being able to have people help us take care of it. That’s what I’m grateful for.” 

One of the brand-new baby trees is growing among the gravestones.

Designed in the 19th-century Rural Garden Cemetery style, Mount Mora’s grounds double as a peaceful sanctuary. The replanting effort is part of a broader mission to maintain the cemetery not only as a cultural treasure but as a model of responsible environmental care.

Find out more about what you can do to help Mount Mora Cemetery’s preservation and restoration at http://www.mountmora.org 

A sign outlining the history of the property at the entrance to Mount Mora.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — It was a special night for more than 20 cadets who saw months of intense training and determination through the Law Enforcement Academy finally culminate in graduation.

Missouri Western State University played host to the latest Law Enforcement Academy graduation ceremony Friday night, an occasion that saw countless friends, family and fellow officers cheer the start of what many hope will be the start of a long and successful career.

This year’s class brings a strong mix of both men and women of different ages and backgrounds who will now join the force in their respective departments, including the St. Joseph Police Department, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office and Nodaway County Sheriff’s, among others.

Seven of the 23 were officially sworn in to the St. Joseph Police Department on Friday, including 21-year-old graduate Jaxon Ball of St. Joseph.

Ball called Friday’s graduation a moment he’s been eagerly awaiting for years. The Law Enforcement academy begins in January and runs through June.

“I’ve been wanting to be a cop since I was a fifth grade little kid. So I’m getting done with all my classmates . Making it to here was a pretty big life acknowledgment, I’m pretty excited,” Ball said with a smile.

Ball said he’s seen tremendous growth in himself over the course of the six-month academy, both physically and personally.

“First goal is just to get on the street, be the best I can be there … eventually I’d like to be on the SRT (Special Response Team) and then I’ll see what the job takes me from there,” Ball said.

Fellow cadet and St. Joseph native Matthew Weathermon called it a surreal moment to graduate from the academy, crediting his instructors, cadets and directors for helping him find his calling in life. 

“I have definitely found myself more in the past six months than I have the past 26 years of my life. The fact that I’m here, it’s almost indescribable,” he said.

Like Ball, Weathermon is focused on developing on the front lines on patrol. He hopes to one day become a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and help get narcotics off the street.

“I knew it was a tight knit community, but seeing how much everyone cares about each other, it’s amazing. Just with my fellow cadets, the relationships we’ve grown over the past six months, it’s something that I will never forget,” he said.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The time for the skies to be filled with explosions and bright colors is coming up and the St. Joseph Fire Department has safety tips to go along with the holiday.

While the Fourth of July brings the excitement of making sparks fly, SJFD Battalion Fire Chief Mike Wacker said that for those lighting off fireworks at home, it’s important to set them off in outdoor areas, away from houses and away from flammable objects.

Wacker also said to be aware of what’s prohibited in city limits.

“Anything that discharges a projectile is prohibited within city limits,” Wacker said. “I know a lot of people do it, but it is prohibited. (My) biggest piece of advice is try to leave it to (a) professional.”

Additional information on the city’s rules and regulations regarding fireworks can be found on the St. Joseph City website.

The city will also be holding its annual Fourth of July fireworks display around 9:45 p.m., which will be provided by Premier Pyrotechnics.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Commuters will see a heavily-traffic intersection now back open and fully operational after close to two months of work to repair traffic signals.

City of St. Joseph officials announced on social media that the intersection of North 22nd Street and Frederick Avenue is back open to traffic starting today.

The $350,000 project included replacement of the entire outdated signal system with new mast-arm poles, one of five major intersections throughout the city receiving an upgrade to its signal system.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The City of St. Joseph has announced the specifications of its annual fireworks show on the Fourth of July.

The fireworks will be launched from a spot on North Point Road, near the St. Joseph YMCA.

The show is set to start 15 minutes after dark, which would roughly be about 9:45 p.m., and will last 15 to 20 minutes.

Premier Pyrotechnics is the provider of the display.

The city said the recommended viewing area for those who want to view the display would be the parking lots at the Shoppes of North Village, Kohl’s and the Regal Hollywood Theater.

Some areas around the launch site will be roped off or barricaded for the safety of both spectators and those launching the fireworks.

The city also said interested spectators are reminded to leave their personal fireworks at home for the safety of those around them, as well as to leave plenty of room for others to park and to plan to take any trash with them.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Mosaic Life Care announced Friday, it will begin mailing notification letters to certain patients whose information was involved in an Oracle Health/Cerner incident.

An unknown party had contacted Mosaic claiming they had patient information in their possession, which Mosaic had verified on April 29, 2025. Mosaic was able to identify the information was likely operating through Oracle Health/Cerner systems related to the data migration services it was performing.

On May 2, 2025, Oracle Health/Cerner was able to confirm that the files were received from its environment and had informed Mosaic that an unknown party accessed Oracle Health/Cerner’s migration environment at least as early as Jan. 22, 2025, using compromised credentials.

Mosaic said in a press release, the incident did not involve access to or compromise of any of Mosaic owned, operated or administered systems.

The files involved in the incident contained information which varied by patient.

The information could have included patients’ names, and one or more of the following: Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, treating physicians, dates of services, medication information, insurance information and treatment and/or diagnostic information.

Moasic said it is offering complimentary identity monitoring services to patients, following this act. It also said it has established a dedicated, toll-free call center to help answer questions about the Oracle Health/Cerner incident.

The call center can be reached at 1-855-361-0316, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., excluding major U.S. holidays.

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Abigail McCluskey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW)– Across the United States, roadways are buckling under the pressure of extreme heat, and Missouri is no exception.

In one dramatic incident in southwest Missouri, a vehicle was launched into the air after hitting a road buckle caused by soaring temperatures.

Road buckling occurs when concrete pavement expands due to intense heat. Concrete naturally expands in hot weather, but when it exceeds the capacity of the joints built to absorb that movement, the pressure causes the pavement to heave or “pop,†creating dangerous ridges or breaks in the road surface.

As summer temperatures continue to rise, the risk of buckling becomes more serious, including here in St. Joseph.

Marty Liles, the Northwest District Engineer, explains that there’s no real way to predict when these “concert blowups” will occur. However, when temperatures start to rise, Marty and his crew begin closely monitoring the roads for any signs of buckling.

Preventative maintenance is key. Road crews typically monitor high-risk areas, inspect expansion joints and may make relief cuts or seal cracks to reduce pressure buildup.

Materials like asphalt are less prone to dramatic buckling but still degrade in extreme heat, meaning long-term infrastructure planning is also essential.

Marty and his MoDOT crew heavily rely on the public’s help when it comes to identifying road issues. “We also rely on our, the public, to call and let us know if they see those issues out there on the roadway.”

For now, drivers must stay alert for sudden road changes and report any pavement issues they encounter to the Missouri Department of Transportation by calling 1-888-ASK-MoDOT or by visiting their website, www.modot.org/.

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Kyle Schmidt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — David Leslie has traveled to over 1,600 stadiums in his 74 years of life, and has added St. Joseph’s Civic Arena to the total.

The Toronto, Ontario, Canada native started working on his 26-day trip, which would eventually place him in St. Joseph, back in January.

“This trip alone is actually 14 trips in one,” Leslie said. “In November, I did a trip, October into November, I saw 43 games in 34 days in 14 states.”

This was not the first time Leslie traveled to St. Joseph. In the late 2010’s he made his way to Phil Welch Stadium for a Mustangs game.

This specific summer trip began in Kansas City, Mo., and traced through five other cities before reaching the seventh stop, St. Joseph, Mo.

“I want to be able to say I was in the St. Joseph Civic Arena,” he said.

The exact number of stadiums Leslie has been to before this trip began was 1,641.

“I’m a sucker for old stadiums, these new stadiums I’m not interested in,” he said.

This stayed true when naming his all-time favorite…Maple Leaf Stadium, which was built in 1926 and was the first stadium Leslie went to.

“It was the crown jewel of minor league baseball for a long time,” Leslie said.

On this trip alone, Leslie said he flew in 11 planes, drove 5,000-6,000 miles and stayed at 20-25 hotels. The solo traveler does it all alone and said he wants to keep up this pace for another three to five years before he slows his roll.

“It’s the stadium that counts. Who’s playing, what the sport is, I don’t care,” Leslie said.

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