Category: knpn-local-news

Crystal Olney

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Fire Department worked the scene of a structure fire early Friday morning in the area of South 19th and Belle streets.

Firefighters confirmed the structure was empty and was condemned.

When News-Press NOW was on the scene around 4 a.m. Friday, firefighters were working to put out the fire as smoke filled the area.

News-Press NOW reached out to the St. Joseph fire inspectors, but did not receive a response.

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Kendra Simpson

After a week of rainy weather, St. Joseph residents may be eager to get out and enjoy the sun. Luckily, News-Press NOW’s Kendra Simpson found several outdoor activities to keep everyone entertained in this week’s edition of See St. Joseph.

To start the weekend, St. Joseph residents can grab their shiniest armor, pointiest elf ears and most magical wings with the return of the Bluffwoods Renaissance Festival.

Leave the 21st century behind and travel back in time to the Renaissance. The war between the two kings has erupted, and everyone must choose their alliance: the noble King Aiden or the bold tyrant King Von Jon. Expect to see sword fights, hear tales of daring and eat as many turkey legs as possible, all while the fate of the realm hangs in the balance. Come for the shows, stay for the questionable fashion choices and leave with memories that’ll last until the next quest for mead! The Bluffwoods Renaissance Festival goes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Castle Bridge event center. To purchase tickets, visit the event’s website at bluffwoodsrenfest.com.

This weekend, we will celebrate Cancer Survivor Day, a national holiday celebrating the lives and efforts of those who are living with or have beaten cancer. Mosaic will mark the occasion with its Cancer Survivor Day 5K run and walk.

Enjoy an afternoon of music, fellowship and the 5K, where every step honors survivors. After the race, light up the night at a special glow stick party. Come be a part of an inspiring evening of community, hope and even a cookout. The afternoon activities begin at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, at the Mosaic Cancer Care center located at 902 N Riverside Road. To register for the race, visit runsignup.com.

What better way to end the weekend than with the return of the classic Imagine Eleven concert series? And we’re gonna be kicking it off with St. Joseph’s own Swift Kik.

Food from local vendors, time with friends and family and of course a free musical performance – what could be better? Imagine Eleven is making its return this Sunday with Swift Kik. The group has been performing together for over 45 years, playing the best in classic rock. Attendees will hear hits from AC/DC, Journey, Bon Jovi and more. Attendees should bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. The free concert begins at 6 p.m. Sunday in Coleman Hawkins Park.

Tune in to News-Press NOW every Thursday for more See St. Joseph.

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Kendra Simpson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — They say it’s a man’s world, but local businesses and the Downtown Association have to disagree.

Downtown St. Joseph has blossomed over the past several years with new businesses popping up and bringing new life to the area. Several of those businesses are owned and operated by women, including the Schweetz Candy Co. and KD’s Beauty Bar.

“I think we’re just automatically like put in this box, you know, ‘you cook, you clean, you stay home, you do this, you do that,'” KD’s Beauty Bar co-owner Dai’Janise Stano said. “And it’s like, actually, you know, we can run businesses, we can do anything. We put our minds to.â€

Wendy Lilly, owner of Schweetz Candy Co. and executive director of the St. Joseph Downtown Association, was thrilled to share that a large number of businesses in the Downtown area are not only women-owned but also successful.

“I think that just is people wanting to be their own person and do their own thing, have their own schedule. I think it’s awesome,” Lilly said. “Both of my children actually have been impacted by this. My son works for me in our candy store. My daughter recently decided that she wanted to do her own little business and made a logo and everything. And I think it’s really cool to instill that into our next generation.â€

Women like Lilly have encouraged and supported women like Stano and Kanei Jackson, co-owner of KD’s, to start their own businesses, and that support is one of the key factors that led to the inception and success of KD’s Beauty Bar, the salon that recently celebrated its first anniversary.

“I feel like just setting the bar for yourself. Like looking back at last year, I’m like, hey, we were here, and now we’re here,” Stano said. “And it’s like, just proving yourself wrong. Like, the scary at first is definitely scary. Takes a lot of time, devotion and money. But just getting to, you know, fulfill those milestones and those different goals is very rewarding.â€

Whether looking for a sweet treat, pampering or a day of shopping, St. Joseph’s women business owners are here to help.

St. Joseph has several resources for those looking into starting a business, including the Downtown Association, the Cup of Joe entrepreneur group and Main Street St. Joseph. These groups provide insight on valuable resources for business owners, give advice and help new entrepreneurs get their businesses started.

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Chris Fortune

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — An annual fan drive created to provide relief in the summer heat to those in need is entering the final stretch.

Westlake Ace Hardware partnered with The Salvation Army to encourage patrons to donate in store or online.

“It gets hotter in the summer, and as we know, it gets that way here in Missouri,” General Manager Mark Sidwell said. “Ace is always looking for ways to help the community around them.”

All donations made by rounding up a purchase at checkout or donating through the website will be used to purchase fans. The Fan Drive runs through June 7.

“With the rising prices of everything, some families just aren’t able to afford air conditioning or even fans,” Salvation Army Social Services Director Emily Bravo said. “And so our hope is that we can get a couple of fans in everyone’s homes so that they can stay cool and safe.”

Sidwell said his employees are always eager to participate in the Fan Drive and other community initiatives like Children’s Miracle Network.

“They get behind it, and they ask every customer, and we’ve been having a good response this year so far,” he said.

About 110 families received fans last year, and Bravo said she would like to see the number increase to 150.

A start date for the fan distribution is not available yet, but it will be announced on the St. Joseph Salvation Army Facebook page. Residents will need proof of residency and identification to pick up a fan.

“We’re hoping, in the month of June, that can kind of be our focus (for) fan distribution,” Bravo said.

Anyone interested in donating to the Fan Drive can visit westlakehardware.com/fan-drive.

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Kyle Schmidt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Garage Beer, co-owned by brothers Jason and Travis Kelce announced ownership of the professional arena football team the St. Joseph Goats.

“From the beer fridge to the front office, the Goats are now powered by the same crisp uncomplicated energy that fuels Garage Beer,” Garage Beer press release.

Goats president Ted Sweeney said he originally reached out to Garage Beer for a potential sponsorship.”The more we talked the more they liked what they heard apparently,” Sweeney said. “And now we have gotten to this point which is incredible.”

The St. Joseph Goats uniforms will now have Garage Beer labeled on them. Garage Beer and Goats merchandise can be found on the beer companies website currently and on the Goats website in the future.

Fans can expect to see Garage Beer in Civic Arena during games.

“Its been ordered and its a big order,” Sweeney said.

The goats start their season on the road on Saturday, May 31, against the Ozark Lunkers. The first home game will be Saturday, June 7, inside the Civic Arena, playing the Duluth Harbor Monsters.

“Ultimately, this team we want to make St. Joseph proud, we want to make the surrounding areas proud,” Sweeney said. “Our end game is to be one of the teams that people think of when they think of arena football.”

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce will help Refined Beauty Co. celebrate its grand opening at noon on Friday, May 30.

Refined Beauty Co. is a hair salon, located at 1107 N. 26th St., that specializes in beauty, cosmetic and personal care.

There will also be a separate grand opening ceremony from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., which will feature numerous different activities.

Some of the activities include: enjoying permanent jewelry, a flower bar, Blond N Bubbly drinks, and a beautifully presented charcuterie board. There will also be multiple giveaways.

All vendors at the event are donating proceeds to Big Brothers Big Sisters St. Joseph.

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Jenna Wilson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Northwest Missouri law enforcement played a key role in the recent arrest of a man accused of killing his wife nearly two decades ago in Georgia.

In a news release, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced the arrest of Jon Worrell, a resident of Maryville, Missouri. Worrell was taken into custody at his home without incident.

On September 20, 2006, Worrell’s former wife, Doris Worrell, was found shot inside the couple’s family-owned business in Georgia. The investigation later revealed Jon Worrell had been having an affair with the couple’s then-18-year-old nanny, Paola Yarberry.

In recent years, Yarberry began cooperating with authorities, significantly contributing to Worrell’s arrest.

“Sheriff Cole with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and Investigator Julian with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation contacted us, the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, saying they were close to obtaining an arrest warrant for the suspect involved in this cold case,” said Nodaway County Sheriff Austin Hann. “They knew him to be in Nodaway County and once the warrant was secured, we all worked together on an operations plan.”

Worrell’s arrest comes just one month after the launch of Governor Kehoe’s Operation Relentless Pursuit, a Missouri initiative targeting fugitives with outstanding felony warrants.

According to state law enforcement, 148 fugitives have been arrested or assisted in arrest through the operation, 112 directly by ORP officers and 36 in collaboration with other agencies. These arrests cleared 251 outstanding warrants.

“This is an excellent opportunity to showcase our ability to work together in Northwest Missouri and the state as a whole,” Hann said. “No agency can do everything alone. I give full credit to Coffee County and the Georgia agencies; they did the legwork and we supported them where we could.”

The arrest of Worrell involved multiple agencies: the GBI, Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maryville Department of Public Safety.

Worrell is charged with malice murder, felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated battery in connection with his wife’s death.

While some murder cases can remain unsolved for years, law enforcement stresses that cold cases are never forgotten.

“One thing people should remember is that even the smallest piece of information can be what cracks a case,” Hann added. “In this case, it just took one person coming forward to change the direction of the investigation.”

According to the GBI, the investigation remains active and ongoing.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at (912) 389-4103 or the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office at (912) 384-4227.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Of the different types of cancer, skin cancer is seen as one of the most common, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Every year, over 5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer in the U.S.

With summer on the horizon and May being known as Skin Cancer Awareness Month, officials are providing insight to ways people can stay safe and recognize any red flags.

The most dangerous form of skin cancer is melanoma, which results from melanocytes- or- the cells that produce melanin and give skin its pigment.

“The melanomas can metastasize,”  U.S. Dermatology Partners St. Joseph Nurse Practitioner Danielle Berg said. “If you see a lesion that is dark or changing color, then certainly those are the ones we want to see. But they also can go internally as well. So those with melanoma we follow pretty closely for five years generally after a melanoma removal.”

Melanoma is known as the most dangerous because it can rapidly spread to other parts of the body. It can appear either as new growth or an existing mole.

The best practice to get tested early on and practice safety measures such as applying sun screen on days with higher UV rays.

“Avoid use of tanning beds, use sunscreen with higher SPF and just trying to stay out inside during the really high UV times of the day,” Mosaic Director of Oncology Dana McDaniel said. “Using hats, using and sunglasses, those will all help and minimize some cancer of the skin.”

Deb Singleton, a St. Joseph resident, has had three different types of cancer three different times.

“Some of them have said to me, why are you having this third cancer?” Singleton said. “And some people even think god’s punishing them. That’s just. No, he’s not. Life is life.” 

Regardless of diagnoses, Singleton says there’s one thing patients should do.

“You keep fighting, while you’re here on this earth, you’ve got a purpose.” Singleton said. “Good things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people, and vice versa. But my family has been very supportive and always there for me.”

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention details that overdose deaths in the U.S. saw a notable drop from late 2023 to 2024.

In 2024, roughly 80,391 deaths occurred due to overdoses, a 27% drop from 2023 which equates to an estimated 30,000 fewer deaths.

“We’ve really tried do more on the prevention education side, we’re trying to get into the schools at younger ages,” Buchanan County Drug Strike Force Captain Shawn Collie said. “We’re really trying to partner up with other agencies to help the drug strike force, with the sheriff’s office and local law enforcement. We can’t do this on our own. We have to partner with other agencies and with the community.”

Within Missouri, 1,948 overdose deaths were documented in 2023, with that number dropping to 1,439 in 2024.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In an Instagram post, The Lucky Tiger thrifting store announced it will be closed due to unexpected circumstances.

In the post it detailed being able to still hold items for a later date.

News-Press NOW reached out to the owner of the Lucky Tiger, who has declined to comment on-camera.

As of now, there is no certain date the shop will re-open.

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