Category: knpn-local-news

Chris Fortune

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A man suffered minor injuries in a hit-and-run two-vehicle accident around 12th and Edmond Streets Wednesday.

A white Dodge pickup was heading south on 12th Street when it ran a stop sign and struck a white Ford F-150 that was heading east on Edmond Street.

The driver of the Dodge pickup fled on foot after driving further down the street.

“The white F-150 spun, impacted a KCP&L utility pole, which caused significant damage,” St. Joseph Police Sgt. Brian McClintick said. “Like I said, the Dodge pulled further down the street, and then witnesses said that he left the area with a dog.”

Local law enforcement is investigating this incident.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Painting crews are making headway on a long-awaited exterior makeover for St. Joseph’s premiere Downtown indoor venue, the first in its 45-year history.

Downtown travelers will see the long-held white-colored Civic Arena now dawning new shades of black and grey, a type of gradient paint job that will cover almost the entire structure.

“It’s been a long time coming. This is the first paint job that the arena has seen in its 45 year history,” St. Joseph Civic Facilities Manager Mary Robertson said. “It’s modernizing the look of the building. It gives it an industrial look.”

Exterior painting is scheduled to be complete in approximately three weeks. The $542,000 paint project includes both the exterior and interior, the later of which is largely complete.

The project is funded by a combination of Capital Improvements, American Rescue Plan Act and Parks Tax funds.

“The large panels on each of the sides are done. They’re doing the trim work, the detail work and now that really finishes off the overall look of the building,” Robertson said. “We went with the blacks and whites, give contrast to it that complements the landscape, complements the buildings around the arena.”

The project marks the latest improvement effort for the venue, which has undergone a complete transformation in recent years with close to $12 million in renovations already carried out or planned, from new seating, lighting and scoreboards to restrooms, locker rooms and HVAC.

Civic Arena renovations and efforts from the St. Joseph Sports Commission have allowed the city to attract a large and growing number of high-profile sporting events, a list the city hopes to continue to grow and expand.

“If you look over the history of the Civic Arena, George Strait has performed here. The list of entertainers, the list of events that we’ve had here. we want to bring back that look,” Robertson said.

The project also comes at a special time for the arena and the city, which will host the home opener for St. Joseph’s all-new Arena League Football team the St. Joseph Goats this Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Duluth Harbor Monsters.

It was announced last week that Kansas City sports royalty — brothers Travis and Jason Kelce — had acquired part-ownership of the team through their beer company Garage Beer.

“We do want to bring new, creative and fun entertainment ideas for the community to enjoy, but also for tourists to come in from outside the city to come in and enjoy the amenities here in Saint Joseph,” Robertson said.

A painter uses a roller to cover the south side of the Civic Arena building in May with a specific shade of grey, a type of gradient paintwork. | Cameron Montemayor | News-Press NOW

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Buchanan County Central Democratic Committee is sponsoring the annual June Northwest Missouri Democrat Days, as it returns after a hiatus due to COVID-19.

The events will take place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6, and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 7 at the Pony Express Museum, located at 914 Penn St.

Blue Missouri’s Jess Piper, veteran journalist Joe McClean and motivational speaker Sherry Prindle will keynote Northwest Missouri Democratic Days.

All events are free. Food will be available for purchase through Adrian’s Taco food truck.

Events will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, with speakers starting at 5:30 p.m. and keynote presentations at 7 p.m. The presentations will be followed by music and a cash bar at 7:30 p.m.

A complete program of the events, roster of speakers and workshops can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CXbTMK2JHRpIXj8v0hPws0qg_Qy1CXT3/view.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A former ROTC instructor who was fired in 2024 has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the St. Joseph School District.

Master Sergeant Jamaal Anderson served as an instructor for both Benton and Lafayette High School’s JROTC programs. He originally started instructing at Benton and later instructed at Lafayette.

Anderson alleges he was placed on leave on April 29, 2024, was given a letter of suspension and told to not to go on school property. His contract was not renewed for the 24-25 school year.

According to Anderson’s lawsuit, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent surgery in March of 2022. The lawsuit contends that Anderson informed the district that there would be times when he would need to leave class to use the restroom or miss work abruptly. The lawsuit states that Anderson was told that SJSD would not accommodate such breaks.

Jamaal Anderson lawsuitDownload

Anderson also alleges he was not permitted to take time off to attend doctor’s appointments.

The lawsuit also said Anderson’s absences led to poor classroom and extracurricular event ratings by his district supervisors, which eventually led to his suspension.

News-Press NOW did contact SJSD Superintendent Gabe Edgar, who stated, “We are aware of this. However, because it’s a personnel matter, we will not comment.”

The day after his suspension was announced, students and cadets spoke out against the move.

“This makes all of us mad because he always stands up for what he believes is right and treats everyone with respect,†one student said.

Anderson’s lawsuit also referenced an incident at Lafayette that occurred in May 2023. Students allegedly “wrapped” Anderson’s car in paper and wrote racial slurs and drew offensive pictures on the paper. Anderson contends the school district should have filed charges against the students but failed to do so.

Although no dollar amount was specified in the suit, Anderson does ask for actual and punitive damages.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One of the longest-tenured officials at City Hall is no longer in the fold after more than 25 years on the job.

A St. Joseph city official confirmed to News-Press NOW on Wednesday that longtime Planning and Community Development Director Clint Thompson is no longer employed with the city.

No official statement was provided as to the circumstances surrounding Thompson’s exit, which is a private personnel matter. Thompson’s name has been removed from the city’s website, and a job posting for the position is now listed online.

Thompson was first hired as the city’s community development manager in 1998 and has served as director since 2001. Thompson played a key role in one of the city’s largest development projects in the last 20 years with the creation of the Shoppes at North Village.

Thompson held the position of interim city manager for close to four months prior to the hiring of current City Manager Mike Schumacher, who was hired in December following the resignation of former City Manager Bryan Carter last August.

Thompson has also been at the center of renewed efforts to improve St. Joseph’s housing gap with new programs and streamlined processes aimed at spurring new construction and renovations.

A News-Press NOW reporter had spoke with Thompson for an unrelated interview as recently as last Wednesday.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Kansas City Heartland Men’s Chorus will come to St. Joseph to celebrate its 40th Anniversary with regional performances.

Its “Do It With Heart” concert is at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 21 at First Christian Church, located at 9th and Faraon Streets.

Both First Christian and First Lutheran Churches are concert sponsors. Tickers are $25 and can be purchased at the door.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit St. Joseph-area organizations, including St. Joseph Pride, set for this fall on Friday, Sept. 12, and Saturday, Sept. 13, as well as PFLAG St. Joseph, which supports the local LGBTQ+ community with outreach and support.

“We’re blessed to have a performance of this caliber visiting St. Joseph,” said Rev. Brian Kirk of First Christian Church in a press release. “We’re thankful this concert supports our local community.”

The St. Joseph performance is one of six regional performances of its “Do It With Heart” program, with songs of social justice, love and LGBTQ+ experience.

Forty of the 150 Heartland Chorus members will perform in the June regional concerts, with Missouri stops in St. Joseph and Springfield and Kansas concerts in Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan and Wichita.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph Quorum Initiative announced registration is open for the city’s third Madam President Camp to teach young girls leadership skills.

The three-day camp offers a supportive environment where girls ages 11 through 13 can learn and practice leadership skills.

The five core camp themes include: leadership, civic education, activism, communications and self-discovery.

During the camp, girls will work with mentors who create meaningful connections between each girl and the curriculum.

The St. Joseph camp will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day on Monday, July 14, through Wednesday, July 16 at Missouri Western State University in Spratt Hall rooms 214-216.

MWSU and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce are supporters of the local Madam President Camp. The cost to attend is $150.

The Madam President Camp was founded in 2012 by female leaders Dr. Lee Smithson Burd and Pam Kelley, a Kansas City businesswoman.

In 2011, Smithson Burd attended her daughter’s “princess camp” recital at school and was struck by wanting her daughter to receive a more empowering message that would encourage her to dream big and to see her value in the world.

Together, Smithson Burd and Kelley conceptualized the camp.

St. Joseph is the first camp to be held outside of Kansas City.

For more information on how to register, visit the camp website at www.madampresidentcamp.org/summer.

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Chris Fortune

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Adventurous Missouri residents who are interested in trying fishing without having to shell out money for a permit are in luck this weekend.

On Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8, anyone can fish in state waters without a Missouri Department of Conservation fishing permit, trout permit, or prescribed area daily tag during Free Fishing Days.

“It allows them to get out and see if they’re going to actually enjoy it beforehand,” Buchanan County Conservation Agent Kelsey Gillenwater said. “Get out for two days and enjoy the weather, you know, it gets people out on our conservation areas as well to get them to explore and see what we have to offer.”

Some fees and permits may be required in some locations and private fishing areas. Typical regulations like size and daily limits still apply during Free Fishing Days.

“Up here in northwest Missouri, where we do not have trout, there’s no other fees that you’re going to acquire fishing-wise other than you providing your own pole, your bait and whatever snacks you might want for the day,” she said.

The Northwest Regional Conservation Office does not have any fishing gear to pass out at its office, but one of the local libraries may.

“If you are needing a fishing pole or tackle—they don’t have bait—but all the other things they would be able to supply you with as long as they have them in stock,” she said.

Gillenwater said permits help fund the Missouri Department of Conservation, allowing them to maintain adequate staffing and fund conservation efforts.

Anyone interested in purchasing a permit can visit the Missouri Department of Conservation website at mdc.mo.gov/permits. Free Fishing Days occurs on the Saturday and Sunday following the first Monday in June.

“Whether you’re on a river, you’re on a lake, or you’re at Krug Park, you’re able to participate,” she said.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Remington Nature Center held a training session for owners of stormwater control facilities.

Among the topics covered in the training are required maintenance for post construction stormwater control facilities, the process of submitting annual reports to the City, and the deadline for submitting reports to the City in 2025. 

The recent storms that passed over St. Joseph were also discussed as they relate to how flooding may impact stormwater control facilities.

“There is a lot of flooding events that you’re hearing about now,” water resource scientist Kaitlyn Loeffler said. “Stormwater detention facilities and green infrastructure help control flooding by releasing it downstream at a controlled rate that doesn’t overwhelm our stormwater infrastructure. It helps prevent flooding from occurring in our city streets and in people’s yards.”

Facility owners will be required to have inspections and submit the reports to the City this year.

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Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph Board of Education President Latonya Williams has announced she is running for District 10 state representative in the next election.

Rep. Bill Falkner (R) of District 10, will reach his term limit after this term, and Williams said she was approached awhile back and asked to consider running for the seat.

“Running has always been in the back of my mind,” Williams said. “So, everything seems to be aligning, and it’s the perfect opportunity to go for it.”

Williams said she will continue her leadership on the Board of Education in St. Joseph until the end of her term, which would end in April of 2027, five months after the statewide elections.

“I would just have to do some juggling to complete the term if I were elected,” Williams said. “But I think I can do it.”

Williams is in her second term as Board of Education president, and said she has already begun campaigning for state representative and will be involved in a special speaking engagement at the end of the week.

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