Category: knpn-local-news

TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Jonathan McClain is running for mayor for the first time, seeking to bring a fresh, young perspective to St. Joseph.

McClain was born and raised in St. Joseph. While growing up, he was always involved in the community and participated in theater. He remains involved in the community as the owner of Jon McClain Music, operating under the name “DJ Diehard,” and as the creator of the Bluffwoods Renaissance Festival.

McClain said he is running for mayor because he loves St. Joseph and the people. 

“I’m running for mayor because I think I can make a genuine difference. I don’t serve any special interests. I don’t have any corporate affiliations,” McClain said. “I’m literally just a citizen that believes that St. Joseph’s best days are still in front of us, but only if we change our approach.”

McClain said he feels he brings a more youthful energy compared to the other candidates.

“I’m not afraid to go against the statement; this is how we’ve always done it. I look for differences for improvements. I’m an innovator by nature,” he said. “I’m a student of the mind. I love learning, and I would be excited to get in there to learn new things, to find new ways in which we can make this city better.”

McClain said that through his vision for the city, he aims to change the perspective of St. Joseph residents, so they can see the amazing culture the city has to offer.

“We live in a great city. We just don’t talk about the positive enough. I would like to create an entire social media campaign talking about the great things that happen in our city. I want to change the perspective of the town so everyone can see what I see,” he said.

McClain put emphasis on sharing and embracing the different events, musicians and overall culture of St. Joseph.

If elected, McClain said his top three priorities would boil down to community unity, modernizing City Hall and keeping working city initiatives, while correcting the ones that need correcting.

“I spoke early, the media campaign, but that includes transparency of government. No closed-door sessions, we need to be very deliberate and letting the people know what the council is talking about. We need to talk more about the positive things that we do,” McClain said.

The candidate also mentioned looking at changes to the City’s budget, making note of sewer bills and other expenses that pose a burden to residents.

McClain backed the idea of the City giving fiscal responsibility to each of its department heads, but wants to look at how the initiative can be improved.

“It’s taking, looking and working with those heads and saying, ‘Okay, what can we make more efficiently here? What worked? What didn’t work? What do we need to change?’ And instead of from the head down, making announcements to say this is what you need to do, you listen to what the department says you need to do. The people that are boots on the ground know what’s happening, and you make decisions based off their information,” McClain said.

McClain also discussed pursuing economic growth in St. Joseph to help both small and large businesses, which in turn can help the city in the long run.

“I’m a huge fan of initiatives like that to help not only small business owners, but to help the large businesses grow in our community,” he said. “Whether that is incentives and whatnot, because then we have more business here. We have more jobs here, we have more wealth for the people, it’s part of the identity for our city. It is very important.”

In creating more jobs, working on budgets and more, McClain addressed the effects of St. Joseph’s population decline.

“We have the job growth. We have a lot of positive things here, but we can’t keep people. That means the citizens do not want to live here. That is a big deal. When you have a population declining, you have tax dollars going down. When you have tax dollars going down, you have to cut more amenities. When you cut more amenities, people don’t live here,” McClain said. “We are on the edge of possibly a point of no return if we continue on the path we are on. Within the next ten years, we may not be able to turn the ship around. I think it’s very important that we make some major changes now and promote the fact that it is a great place to raise a family.”

With infrastructure improvement, McClain highlighted utilizing new technologies to help with St. Joseph’s roads.

“I know there’s some really interesting technologies and software out there that we test and try to use to make road repairs last longer,” McClain said. “Being in the Midwest, it’s very difficult because we have all four seasons, so when you have a crack in the road, you get the water, you get the ice anbd it makes the crack bigger.”

McClain expressed safety as a concern and a top priority for the City. He suggested increased collaborative efforts with both the fire and police departments.

“That involves working with the police chief and with the fire chief and with the department, and seeing what they need in order to do their job best. It’s not a competition. We’re not trying to say the government has more power or the police have more power,” McClain said. “We are a team designed to serve the entire community, and I am almost always in support of initiatives that help those men and women serving us in some of the most dangerous jobs there are, providing for us.”

McClain urged for more transparency, especially between the City and St. Joseph residents.

“I’m not a fan of closed-door sessions. Unless it absolutely requires it for some type of identity safe or something like that. I think that after a council session is had, then we should give the condensed version to the public,” he said. “I think we need to be very, very direct in communicating with the people about what we want to do and where we’re going.”

The primary election will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 3. McClain is running against St. Joseph mayoral incumbent, John Josendale and candidates Larry Miller and Ken Reeder.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — More than 145 years of history within the iconic Wyeth Tootle Mansion has be written, but the way the story unfolds now continues to evolve.

Located at the corner of 11th and Charles streets in Downtown St. Joseph, the Wyeth Tootle Mansion has stood the test of time since 1879 when it was built by William and Eliza Wyeth. The 43-room mansion has long been a key attraction for both locals and visitors, providing a window into both St. Joseph’s history and it’s ties to national political history.

The wall of the Wyeth-Tootle family tree taken on January 16, 2026.

Updates and renovations to the long-time building have come when needed. However, the current round of renovations will be geared toward highlighting Americas 250th anniversary this Fourth of July.

“A major part of the work with the new exhibits is highlighting lesser told stories. We’ve been digging into our archives and finding a lot of really cool stories from the Wyeth and Tootle families,” St. Joseph Museums Curator Max Morgan said. “Both families and our mansion are kind of a microcosm of American History. We’ve been able to explore how their businesses shaped St. Joseph and their ties to national political figures like President Theodore Roosevelt and President (Rutherford B.) Hayes.”

Beyond the exhibits being featured, the mansion’s upstairs wedding suites are at the forefront of renovations. The brides and grooms exhibits will feature notable men and women who played significant roles in building aspects of St. Joseph such as brewing, railroads, banks, portrait paintings and jewelry.

An inside look at the brides suite exhibit at the the Wyeth-Tootle taken on January 16, 2026.

QR code decals will also be placed around each exhibit to allow visitors to discover more information about items or artifacts peaking their interest.

In addition to new exhibits, the wedding suites will double as event space for weddings and social gatherings, including all-new amenities like a pool table, open bar and historical books.

“What I hope people take away from the whole project is just how deep and rich St. Joseph’s history is. We’re trying to broaden our horizons to different things about St. Joseph while also presenting it in a new way with the event wedding suites becoming an event space,” Morgan said. “Their is something for everyone and catches their eye in these rooms.”

The renovated exhibits are set to be completed by Saturday, July 4. For questions or more information about the museum visit https://www.stjosephmuseum.org/wyeth-tootle-mansion.

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Leah Rainwater

HOLT COUNTY, Mo. (KQTV) — An 81-year-old man from Maitland, Missouri, is seriously injured after being involved in a crash in Holt County Wednesday evening.

The 81-year-old driver of the 2020 Toyota Prius was southbound on U.S. 59 Highway when he failed to follow a curve in the roadway, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The vehicle traveled off the west side of U.S. 59, where the driver overcorrected and began to skid off the roadway.

The driver was able to return the vehicle to the roadway; however, it then traveled off the east side, where it struck an embankment and began overturning.

The vehicle came to rest on its roof facing east, blocking the northbound lane of U.S. 59.

The man was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the crash report. He was transported by the Atchison-Holt Ambulance District to Community Hospital- Fairfax.

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Danielle Bailey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce members and local citizens have the opportunity to hear from mayoral candidates during a series of public forums.

The Chamber will launch its 2026 Public Affairs Coffee series with a mayoral forum Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center. The forum will be moderated by Kevin Waltman of Eagle Media and will be recorded for broadcast on 680 KFEQ the following morning at 9 a.m.

Additional forums will be held in March, including forums for the St. Joseph School District Board of Education candidates on March 4 and City Council candidates on March 25. Both events run from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and will be held at Stoney Creek. Broadcast details will be announced closer to the event dates.

All candidates from their respective races have been invited to participate.

Registration and a $15 fee for Chamber members are required to attend, and the cost for the general public is $20 to cover the cost of the full breakfast. Public Affairs Coffee events are presented by Farmers State Bank.

To register, visit saintjosephmo.com or call 816-232-4461.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Everyone plays a key role within work spaces, and maintenance employees are no exception.

In a show of appreciation for parks employees across the region, the Missouri Parks and Recreation Department hosted its annual “Maintenance Rodeo” in all four regions of the state to have workers compete and interact with one another in maintenance-based competitions. Participants put their skills to the test Wednesday at the Civic Arena in the latest competition.

St. Joseph Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Atkins says the rodeos are a way to show support for maintenance workers.

“We hold the competition to show the maintenance side of our departments that we do value them,” Atkins said. “We understand a lot of the work they do is unseen. If you’re doing a good maintenance job, you’re unseen for the most part. It’s kind of like an official at a sporting event. If you notice the official, something is going on. It’s the same with our maintenance guys, who are unseen heroes, because none of the work we do can happen without them. The rodeo is fun way for all our departments and the association show our support.”

A participant in the annual parks ‘Maintenance Rodeo’ maneuvers a zero-turn radius mower through an obstacle course on Wednesday at the Civic Arena.

The challenges staff members are tasked with during the rodeos range from driving zero-turn radius mowers in obstacle courses, using leaf blowers to push smaller objects through a race circuit and moving objects with fork lifts.

“We try to utilize equipment they use on a normal basis while working,” Atkins said. “We’ve got the zero turn course for mowers and, later on, a trailer hauling contest with pickup trucks. This is just a good way for them show their skills in a safe, fun and competitive atmosphere.”

Challenges differ from year to year, along with the location, with the rodeo either being held at the Civic Arena or the Centralia City Recreation Center in Centralia.

The rodeo started in 2018 with departments from Region 1, the northwest quadrant of the state, hosting the competition. Over time, other regions became interested in the idea, leading to a state finals round with the top two teams from each region advancing.

While St. Joseph has never qualified for the state finals, the relaxed environment and camaraderie built is invaluable for the department.

One of the attendees in the annual parks ‘Maintenance Rodeo’ uses a leaf blower on Wednesday at the Civic Arena.

“We have never won the entire thing, or in fact qualified to go to the state finals, ever. But the guys do a good job and have fun,” Atkins said. “Winning is nice, but it’s not about that. Having the day to relax, unwind and meet guys from other departments is huge. They find people who encounter the same day-to-day problems and aren’t unique to St. Joseph. Other communities can provide potential solutions or treatments. That part of this event is irreplaceable.”

Currently, the rodeo is held for parks and recreation departments in Missouri only, but the prospect of an interstate competition has been discussed with the Kansas City Metro Area Park Directors Association.

The winner of this year’s state finals on February 26 in Columbia, Missouri, will be awarded a new electric leaf blower for their respective department.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Over 80 Parks and Recreation employees from across the Northwest Missouri region put their skills to the test at a “Maintenance Rodeo” in Civic Arena Wednesday.

Events involved using forklifts, traversing a course towing a trailer, competing to hammer a nail into a board in as few hits as possible and more.

The rodeo serves as a competition, with winning teams taking home the prize for their city’s parks department.

“Events like today, it’s an opportunity to give back to the park maintenance staff that are the unsung heroes of the Parks and Rec departments from across the state,” said Gary Gates, the executive director of the Missouri Park and Recreation Association. “They make sure that we have safe, clean and accessible facilities and parks for patrons.”

The rodeo is one of three statewide to determine which department’s name ends up on the trophy.

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News-Press NOW

By: Darren Doyle

FAUCETT, Mo. (KQTV) — Students enjoy a good trip to the library, especially when the librarian puts in extra effort. Mid-Buchanan R-V Elementary Librarian Mary Kelly was recently awarded Northwest Region Elementary School Librarian of the Year. 

Kelly has been a part of Mid-Buchanan Elementary for over a decade. Her experience with libraries at a public level eventually brought her to serving readers in schools. 

Kelly’s award was thanks to nominations from her peers in the librarian profession. Elementary School Principal Ashley Kountz said her work deserves all recognition.

“I have several relationship capacities with her. I’ve worked with her as a teacher and a librarian. I’ve worked with her as a mother to librarian as well as administrator to librarian,” Kountz said. “She is honestly someone that you can consistently rely on. She gets our kids excited about our literature festival, which we attend each spring. She gets excited about new books. “

Kelly said she’s proud to be part of not only a tight-knit community of librarians, but also to see students grow up in Mid-Buchanan’s Pre-K-12 system.

“The older kids, I don’t read books to them as much… when I pull out books and read to them, they’re always just like, ‘Oh, I love (still) being read to… even though I’m, you know, a fifth or sixth grader,’ Kelly said. “Some of the junior high and high school students will come back every once in a while, and they’re like, the shelves are shorter, and I’m like, No, you’re taller. And they’ll go look for a book that they, you know, enjoyed when they were in elementary school, to see if it’s still here.”

Kelly plans to continue welcoming elementary school students for some time, providing a fun and safe place to learn school subjects and life lessons. 

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)– William “Bill” Oliver Luce, a former executive director of Pony Express Therapy Dogs in 2014, passed away on Jan. 15, 2026. 

Luce grew up in St. Joseph and graduated from Lafayette High School in 1967.  

He later continued his education at Northwest Missouri State University, where he studied education with an emphasis in social studies.  

His wife, Sharon, shared how deeply her husband cared about making a difference in the community and just how far he went to do that.  

“He loved teaching. People said he didn’t teach; he told stories, and that’s what stuck with him more than teaching. He said I am not going to teach the book; someone else can do that. I am going to talk about the people,” Sharon said.  

Right after college, he worked as a substitute teacher in St. Joseph before picking up an additional teaching position. He later spent four years teaching in Hamilton, Missouri.  

Luce said he constantly encouraged kids to get involved in whatever they were passionate about and not worry if they weren’t especially athletic.  

“He used to call it the varsity sport of the mind and brought the kids out of their shell,” Luce added.  

When it came time to think about retirement, Bill didn’t picture slowing down. Instead, he found a new passion — therapy dogs.  

It started when the couple adopted a bearded collie, followed by rescuing a greyhound.  

Driving back and forth to Lincoln, Nebraska, to be part of an existing therapy dog group eventually became too difficult, so Bill and several others decided to form their own.  

The group became Pony Express Therapy Dogs.  

“It’s so rewarding to see what the students and the older people in the nursing home, hospice people do. It makes you feel good that you have done something and that’s the way he looked at it too,” Sharon said.  

According to Sharon, Bill never saw his work as a responsibility or a burden. To him, it was always about passion and the opportunity to explore something  

Together, Bill and Sharon adopted two whippets, a breed of sighthound that resembles a Greyhound, who regularly visited as therapy dogs. One of them was nominated for the “Willow Award,” which recognizes exceptional therapy whippets.  

“The younger one we have is actually her niece, and she is six years old now and she has done about 50 visits so far, but she is just getting started,” Sharon said.  

Sharon said what she misses most about her husband is his constant drive to help others.  

“I wanna do this, I wanna do that he would always say and he wanted to make a positive difference and he did not get into politics because he said it was a little overwhelming, but he wanted to do other things,” Sharon said.  

Sharon described her husband as someone with an incredible demeanor — kind, patient and steady. She hopes he’s remembered for the work he has done.  

Sharon said she will continue scheduling and doing visits with the therapy dogs.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Two people are in custody following a monthslong narcotics investigation in Northwest Missouri that led to the seizure of various controlled substances.

The Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that two suspects were arrested on drug and weapons charges after search warrants were carried out in Clearmont, Missouri, and Atchison County in connection with an ongoing narcotics investigation that began last year

The operations were carried out with the help of the Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force and led to the seizure of controlled substances, multiple firearms and materials tied to distributing narcotics.

The subject, a convicted felon, was taken into custody and held on $100,000 bond for charges including distribution of a controlled substance in a protected location, driving while revoked/suspended, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession and use of a firearm.

According to the department, the investigation initially began with a traffic stop that lead to a search warrant and seizure of approximately one ounce of methamphetamine and packaging material from a residence in rural Nodaway County.

This Clearmont investigation led to another search warrant and the arrest of one person in Atchison County, Missouri. Charges filed in that case include:

Distribution of a Controlled Substance in a Protected Location

Possession of a Controlled Substance

Tampering with Physical Evidence

Resisting/Interfering with an Arrest for a Felony

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The City of St. Joseph announced it is partnering with the St. Joseph Police Department to improve the safety and appearance of neighborhoods through property code enforcement.

The City stated that the move reflects its ongoing response to resident feedback and addressing concerns throughout the community. Bringing code enforcement and law enforcement together, the City aims to improve coordination, efficiency and overall impact.

In a news release, City officials noted that blight, vacant properties, and crime often go hand in hand. The realignment positions staff to address issues more comprehensively. Improving neighborhood appearance and safety were among the top priorities identified by residents in a community survey conducted last year.

The Property Maintenance Division, formerly part of the Planning and Community Development Department, consists of six staff members: four code enforcement officers, one clerk and one manager.

The division is responsible for identifying overgrown weeds and vegetation, trash and debris, insect or vermin breeding, dead or diseased trees, excessive exterior lighting, noxious or offensive odors, stagnant water, temporary signs and any surfacing sewage.

The division has relocated from City Hall to the Law Enforcement Center at 501 Faraon St.

The move supports closer day-to-day collaboration with police officers. Residents needing in-person assistance should visit the police department lobby to speak with an inspector or supervisor.

Services available include right-of-entry requests for yellow-tagged structures, consent-to-tow forms, filing in-person code violation complaints, tax sale assistance and coordination with contractors dropping off invoices or picking up work orders related to property abatements.

Residents with questions or wanting to speak with an inspector by phone can contact the code enforcement clerk at 816-271-4620.

As part of the transition, the City said code enforcement officers had been assigned newly branded vehicles and will soon begin wearing uniforms that increase visibility and reinforce their role in neighborhood improvement efforts.

Code enforcement statistics before and after the cleanup highlights will be shared through the St. Joseph Police Department’s social media channels.

St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster said residents can expect a more consistent and structured approach to code enforcement moving forward.

“This realignment allows us to focus more holistically on quality-of-life issues,” Luster said. “Code officers will be looking beyond individual properties to address broader neighborhood concerns, helping us create cleaner, safer and more welcoming areas for everyone.”

Substandard housing and dangerous building concerns will continue to be addressed through the city’s Planning and Community Development Department.

Buildings that are red-tagged due to fire damage, accidents involving vehicles, weather damage and other structural concerns are also handled by the Planning and Community Development Department.

City leaders said the change underscores a commitment to listening to residents and delivering responsive, effective services aimed at improving daily life throughout St. Joseph.

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