Category: knpn-local-news

News-Press NOW

LIBERTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A St. Joseph man and former William Jewell College student is facing Terrorist Threat charges after threatening to shoot up the campus on Saturday, June 21.

On Tuesday, June 24, Liberty Police said the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office charged Raczkowski with Terrorist Threat 1st Degree.

Jacob A. Raczkowski, age 25 of St. Joseph, allegedly stated in a call to Liberty, MO Communications Officers that he was on campus and was planning to “start shooting” at a specific building.

A judge issued a warrant for Raczkowski and set a $100,000 bond. However, Raczkowski remains in custody in another county on unrelated charges.

Court documents say a Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper recognized Raczkowski’s black Jeep Cherokee on Sunday, June 22, traveling east on I-70 in Lafayette County, MO, going more than 100 miles per hour.

The Jeep came to a stop when one of its tires ruptured, and Raczkowski began to flee on foot.

Raczkowski was later taken into custody before noon on Monday, June 23, and was transported to the Lafayette County Jail in Lexington, MO.

Raczkowski was also a former student and athlete at Bishop LeBlond High School.

News-Press NOW will provide more updates when they become available.

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Associated Press

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and MARY CLARE JALONICK – Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new U.S. intelligence report found that Iran’s nuclear program has been set back only a few months after a U.S. strike and was not “completely and fully obliterated†as President Donald Trump has said, according to two people familiar with the early assessment.

The intelligence report issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency on Monday contradicts statements from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The people were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to the people, the report found that while the Saturday strikes at the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites did significant damage, they were not totally destroyed.

The assessment found that at least some of Iran’s highly enriched uranium was moved out of multiple sites before the U.S. strikes and survived, according to the people, and it also found that Iran’s centrifuges are largely intact.

At the deeply buried Fordo uranium enrichment plant, the entrance collapsed and infrastructure was damaged, so that will take time to fix, but the underground infrastructure was not destroyed, according to one of the people. The person also said that previous assessments had warned of this outcome at Fordo.

The White House strongly pushed back on the assessment, calling it “flat-out wrong.â€

“The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program,†White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.â€

Trump has said in comments and posts on social media in recent days, including Tuesday, that the strikes left the sites in Iran “totally destroyed†and that Iran will never rebuild its nuclear facilities.

Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Tuesday that, “For dozens of years I promised you that Iran would not have nuclear weapons and indeed … we brought to ruin Iran’s nuclear program.”

He said the U.S. joining Israel was “historic” and thanked Trump.

The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the DIA assessment. ODNI coordinates the work of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, including the DIA, which is the intelligence arm of the Defense Department, responsible for producing intelligence on foreign militaries and the capabilities of adversaries.

The intelligence assessment was first reported by CNN on Tuesday.

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and David Klepper contributed to this report

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News-Press NOW

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A man convicted of the first-degree murder of a Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper in 2005 is set to be executed.

A jury found Lance Shockley guilty on March 27, 2009, of killing Sgt. Dewayne Graham outside his home in Carter County in March 2005.

Court records said Sgt. Graham was investigating Shockley for involuntary manslaughter and fleeing the scene of a crash, which caused one fatality on Nov. 26, 2004.

The Missouri Supreme Court has set the execution date and time for 6 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2025.

SC90286 – 2025-06-18 – per curiam order setting execution dateDownload

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One popular coffee chain is set to open another franchise location along the Belt Highway.

Scooter’s Coffee Drive-Thru is known for its “Blended Turtles” and “Red Bull Infusions” as well as other caffeinated drinks and delights.

A new Scooter’s building will be located at 2503 S Belt Hwy and is already seen with an “Opening Soon” banner.

“Timelines are always subject to change, especially until construction is complete, but this location should be open in August 2025,” said Brandon Bartling, Scooter’s senior manager of communications and public relations, in an email.

The Midwest-based coffee franchise opened its first drive-thru location in St. Joseph in 2019 at 2410 N Belt Hwy.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Residents will notice an increase in admission fees at two well-known community facilities starting next week. 

Beginning July 1, admission fees at the Remington Nature Center will increase slightly by $1 across the board. Adults will now pay $5, seniors $4 and youth $3. Children ages 3 and under will still be able to enter for free. 

The REC Center will also adjust admission fees in several different areas, the first since it opened back in 2012. 

Full facility passes will jump from $8 to $10, while open gym passes will increase from $5 to $7. 

REC Center fee increases include: 

Corporate Memberships: $25 to $30 monthly, and $275 to $300 annually. 

Individual Memberships: $35 to $40 monthly, and $385 to $440 annually. 

Family Memberships: $50 to $60 monthly and $550 to $660 annually. 

The changes are largely driven by significant increases in Missouri’s minimum wage, which has risen by 80% since 2015. Missouri voters approved a two-phase increase in 2024 that would boost the minimum wage from $12.30 to $15 by 2026.  

“We finally had to react and increase the rates just to be able to keep ahead of the minimum wage,†St. Joseph Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Atkins said.

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Jacob Meikel

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to return to St. Joseph next month for training camp, and the community is ready for the increased foot traffic that goes with it.

On Monday, the Chiefs and Missouri Western State University agreed to a multi-year extension ahead of the team’s 15th summer visit to Western for training camp in July.

Come July 22 when training camp practices open to the pubic, fans from in and around St. Joseph are expected to flock to campus, creating economic opportunities for local businesses close by whether franchises or small businesses. 

At Il Lazzarone, a local pizza business located at 1628 Frederick Avenue, one employee is looking forward to the increased business during the nearly four-week timespan the Chiefs will be in town, whether that’s tending to fans or potentially a player.

“We’re definitely really excited to have them come back for training camp. I think it’s going to do a lot for the community and we’re just glad to be able to serve them and bring in a lot of good company and have them around,†St. Joseph resident and Il Lazzarone employee Kalya Sansom said.

Weather is certainly going to be a factor in how great attendance will be at camp this summer with peak summer temperatures typically at play in July and August. Enduring high temperatures while attending training camp practices can pose risks for heat-related illness. Emergency medical personnel are on hand every day at training camp, but some locals don’t bother taking the risk.

“Too hot and too many people,†local resident Juel Pierce said. “We’re glad they come to St. Joe and we hope they keep coming, we probably won’t.â€

Another local resident, Rick Meyer, echoed the same sentiment as Pierce, saying the reason he avoids training camp is because of the heat. However, Meyer, who was escaping the heat on Monday afternoon inside of East Hills Mall, acknowledges the Chiefs value to the community.

“It’s a good thing for the community because people come up and watch it and they spend money in our community… and it’s been good for the college because they got upgraded facilities,†Meyer said.

Chiefs training camp practices will take place from July 22 through Aug. 13. The full training camp schedule can be found at newspressnow.com.

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Abigail McCluskey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW)–Northwest Missouri has been waterlogged by heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours. Since Monday night, parts of the region have received between 4 to 7 inches of rain.

Several areas in eastern Nodaway County have recorded over 5 inches of rainfall, resulting in localized flooding. To the east, in Worth County, rainfall totals surpassed 7 inches, causing flooding downstream.

In addition, a flood warning has been issued for parts of Buchanan County. The warning takes effect later Tuesday evening and continues into early Friday morning, due to forecasted minor river flooding.

The 102 River in Andrew County overflowed its banks, carrying branches and debris downstream.

The Platte River in Buchanan County showed similar activity, moving swiftly to the south and carrying additional debris as well.

Beyond the rivers, storm debris was also found along local streets and in communities Tuesday afternoon, as strong winds damaged trees and power lines.

During times of flooding, it is crucial to stay safe. Remember: Turn around, don’t drown, and do not enter or play in moving water.

In addition to the heavy rainfall, there are also reports of downed tree limbs and power lines in Buchanan and Andrew counties.

If you have any storm damage or photos, send them to news@newspressnow.com

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph is ready to make the plunge on construction of two new aquatic facilities in the North and South ends, a highly-anticipated boost for the city’s long-term pool landscape.

Parks officials and engineers have been making headway this summer on final designs for a new $2 million Northside Splash Park and $3.7 million Hyde Park shallow activity pool.

The Hyde pool project also includes construction of a new $1.5 million pool house for community members, a multi-use facility that will include concessions, community rooms for gatherings and birthdays, as well as spaces for lifeguards and park staff.

“All three sets of plans and designs are done. Our engineering team has them now. They’re going through the plans just to make sure that everything we needed is there,” St. Joseph Parks Director Jeff Atkins said. “Maybe another month and they’ll be ready to go out for bid.”

Once the bidding process is complete, Atkins said the hope is to begin construction at both sites this fall. The goal is for both facilities to be open around summer of 2026.

While final designs have yet to be released to the public, the Northside Splash Park will feature a nature-based theme that ties with the greenery and stone structures of Krug Park just across the street. Krug Park is in the midst of a historic $11.7 million renovation project as well.

One of the top features of the Northside Splash Park will be a hillside slide, an homage to Krug Park.

The Hyde aquatic project will include a 3-feet-deep activity pool similar to the one at the Aquatic Park. The facility is expected to have a central play structure and deck space both in and out of the water for multi-purpose use.

Once open, the Hyde pool will charge an admission fee unlike the Liberty Oak Splash Park. The city is currently working on a system where families and children can conveniently access both aquatic facilities, whether with some form of wristband or other item.

New aquatic facilities will be a welcome addition for local residents and the city’s aquatic landscape, which has seen a number of facilities shutdown in recent years due to costly upgrades for aging facilities and declines in pool attendance.

St. Joseph currently has the Aquatic Park, Thomas Eagleton Pool at Missouri Western and the Liberty Oak Splash Park open for residents.

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News-Press NOW

GOWER, Mo. (News-Press NOW)– One lucky Missouri Lottery player won $50,000 at a Gower convenience store in an uneventful trip to get gas for his lawnmower.

A “$250 Million Extravaganza” Scratchers ticket caught the man’s eye at Custom Convenience, 100 S. 1st St. in Gower.

“I was getting gas and just decided to get a ticket,†he said. “It was a new ticket. too, so I thought I’d try it.â€

He scratched off the ticket and said he had to check it several times before it sunk in that he won one of the game’s $50,000 prizes.

“It was my lucky day, I guess,†he said. “I was pretty excited.â€

Players have already won over $9.3 million playing â€œ$250 Million Extravaganza†since it began on May 27. There are currently over $257.8 million remaining in unclaimed prizes, including three top prizes of $5 million, three prizes of $1 million and 47 additional prizes of $50,000.  

In FY24, players in Clinton County won more than $2.8 million in Missouri Lottery prizes, retailers received more than $307,000 in commissions and bonuses, and more than $1.5 million in Lottery proceeds went to education programs in the county.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Results from a city survey sent out to the public in the spring are now available, driving the City of St. Joseph to move forward with feedback-based service priorities.

The St. Joseph City Council was presented with an overview of survey findings by ETC Institute in a work session on Monday afternoon.

More than 600 citizens responded to the survey, which was sent out to 4,000 randomly selected households throughout the city.

The survey was also made available online for those who did not receive a mailed copy.

The survey asked questions ranging from satisfaction with city services to residents’ perceptions about their community, economic development interests, housing needs and where they may find “go-to” information about what’s going on in their local government.

Residents cited the city needing more emphasis on improving the quality of police services, the enforcement of city codes and ordinances and the effectiveness of city communication with the public.

Fire and park services were areas where those responding to the survey reported the highest levels of satisfaction.

The availability of housing, particularly affordable options and the overall appearance of the community were concerns where many expressed dissatisfaction.

The need to address homelessness, street repairs and offer more things for people of all ages to do were frequently mentioned throughout the survey.

Additionally, attracting more industry and jobs and improving Downtown amenities were two top areas where those responding to the survey said the city could expand its efforts.

The City said leaders are already discussing initiatives to address residents’ top concerns.

“We plan to be transparent and accountable to our customers as we put plans into action to address the feedback we received,” City Manager Mike Schumacher said in a press release. “Department directors will be reporting monthly on the progress they are making on those things the residents are telling us we should be prioritizing.”

Responses came from citizens spread throughout the city, with nearly equal percentages coming from various age groups, income levels and genders.

More than 70% of those answering the survey own their homes and 72% said they have lived in St. Joseph for more than 20 years.

City Council will meet at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, for a planning session to set goals and objectives for improvements based on the survey results.

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