Category: knpn-local-news

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Kansas City Chiefs have announced dates for the 2025 Chiefs Training Camp out at Missouri Western’s Campus.

The Chiefs and Missouri Western State University also announced a multi-year extension ahead of the 15th annual training camp.

All times and dates are subject to change, and all practice sessions will be held at the Mosaic Life Care Training Fields.

Open practices will begin on Tuesday, July 22, and will end on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

All training camp practices will be free of charge to the public, unless otherwise noted.

Tickets can be purchased at www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp/.

The organizations also announced that, due to expected interest and demand, attendance at daily sessions will be limited. Ticket reservations will begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24, for Chiefs Season Ticket Members, followed by the general public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 25.

Fans can reserve a maximum of six tickets per practice and can reserve tickets for a maximum of three separate practices.

All tickets will be mobile entry only through the Chiefs’ mobile app.

Missouri Western will charge a $6 admission fee on three different practice days – Sunday, July 27; Saturday, August 2 (Family Fun Day); and Sunday, August 3.

The Chiefs will host two free, exclusive Season Ticket Member days that will not be open to the public – Tuesday, July 22 and Thursday, Aug. 7.

Ambassador Day will take place on Monday, July 28, and Military Appreciation Day will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

Team autograph sessions are scheduled to take place on July 22, July 27, Aug. 2, Aug. 3, and Aug. 7.

To view the full schedule, visit the Chiefs’ website at www.chiefs.com/news/2025-chiefs-training-camp-presented-by-mosaic-life-care.

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News-Press NOW

CALDWELL COUNTY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A Hamilton, Missouri man suffered serious injuries after hitting a deer in Caldwell County Sunday night.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the crash occurred around 9:08 p.m. at the intersection of Northwest Jewell Drive and County Road 365, about five miles from Hamilton.

A 27-year-old man from that town, driving a UTV, collided with a deer.

He lost control of the vehicle, and it flipped.

First responders took him to Liberty Hospital for serious injuries.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Local realtors are envisioning a wide range of new possibilities for a pair of retooled Downtown buildings long known for food and recreational activities.

With two open house events over the last several months, including one last week that drew strong turnout, the former YMCA building at 315 S. 6th St. has seen a variety of high-priced improvements that realtors hope will attract further investment for the 1.4 acre property.

“We’ve had a dance studio look at it. We’ve had people interested in maybe volleyball. It could be retail. Anything’s possible. By the same token, it could still be light industrial,” said Laura Wyeth, realtor with the Wyeth Stover Team and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Stein & Summers Real Estate. “Our hope is every building we fill, it brings people Downtown.”

Since the building was closed in 2020, new owners have paid for all new HVAC, lighting and fire alarm systems, among other upgrades. One of the biggest renovations is the former pool area has been filled in and replaced with pickleball courts, a space that could easily be kept as is or repurposed.

While the building maintains a strong presence of well-kept athletic amenities that could make for a complex-like facility, including courts for basketball, racquetball and a workout room, fellow realtor Lynne Stover said the key is thinking outside the box to attract one or multiple suitors for opportunities, which could also include offices or light warehousing.

“It’s about 28,900 square feet. So it’s a large facility, but you could definitely subdivide areas,” Wyeth said. “It’s just getting people to see it not just as the old YMCA, but a large building in the heart of downtown revitalization with a lot of opportunity.”

Wyeth and Stover are hopeful the building could one day turn it into another anchor that drives people Downtown, similar to the success of the InspireU Children’s Discovery Museum in the Plymouth Building, a structure that sat vacant for three decades prior to its revitalization.

Another well known and longstanding space that held an open house last week was at the Brittain-Richardson building at 224 N. 4th Street, formerly the home of Boudreaux’s Louisiana Seafood and Steak, which relocated Downtown to 123 S 6th St.

The building includes 7,000 square feet of space for lease that could accommodate another non-chain restaurant, in addition to a 5th floor that could be used as an event space.

“We need a great steakhouse or great Italian, or that space could be something totally different,â€Â Wyeth said.

Realtors are also ramping up marketing for centrally-located Downtown space at 706 Felix St. which will see Legal Aid of Western Missouri depart in the near future.

“(It) also goes into 109 S. 7th St. Right now it’s currently offices, but there’s an upstairs that has not been finished. It could be great loft apartments,” Stover said. “We had somebody look at it for possible shared office space. So there’s all kinds of opportunities for that too. And that building looks out onto Felix Street Square.”

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Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A local deli, that is over a century old, is making some upgrades to its facility and music.

Magoon’s Famous Delicatessen in St. Joseph is a local fixture, having been part of the landscape of Downtown St. Joseph for 107 years this month.

Barry Woodhull, who has owned Magoon’s for 20 years, said he is taking the opportunity this summer to make some changes to keep the place, that was part of his own childhood, moving forward.

“My father brought me here back in the ’70s,” Woodhull said. “I was a big fan of the whole thing, and back then they had bagels and lox — a full menu.”

Woodhull kept the full menu handed down from the Magoon family and added a full bar. He also began hosting musicians for jam nights and local concerts.

In recent years, events like the COVID-19 pandemic affected the ability of venues like Magoon’s to bring in live music. Even so, the customer base of regulars and newcomers continued to grow, both for the food and for the fellowship, a regular patron said.

“I am a retired person, a widower, but I know when I come here, I’ll have a good beer and get to talk to good folks here,” said Rick, a regular patron.

It is that kind of customer loyalty that continued to evoke interest from local musicians like Chris Jamison, age 64, who also had family-related memories of Magoon’s.

“My grandfather, who was a local boxer, was really good friends with the Magoons,” Jamison said. “My dad came here when I was a little kid and I followed my grandfather around when I was a kid too.”

Jamison has helped restart the monthly ‘Electric Jam’ on the second Wednesday of each month at Magoon’s.

“It’s a time where musicians from all kinds of different backgrounds come together and just play music together,” Jamison said. “There just aren’t many places like that anymore, where musicians can come together and collaborate, and I wanted to see Magoon’s do that again, like they did before COVID.”

Magoon’s has also added an ‘Acoustic Jam’ night, during the first and third Wednesdays of the month, where musicians gather on the stage and play a variety of songs from genres ranging from progressive rock to traditional country. The deli has a ‘Happy Hour’ concert during the week and bands from around the area perform every Friday and Saturday.

For Jamison, who has been a professional musician for over 30 years, adding more musical opportunities for musicians in the St. Joseph area is not just about music. He also sees it as a way to promote goodwill.

“I felt like there’s too much underlying divisiveness in society that’s tearing us apart,” Jamison said. “So, I see myself and this project as a kind of stealth activism.”

To find out more about upcoming concerts and jam sessions, visit Magoon’s Famous Delicatessen on Facebook.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A popular local recreation center was closed Sunday after a fire damaged the building.

Fire engulfed the B&J Skate Center early Sunday morning, and clouds of dark smoke poured out of the building. Several fire companies responded to the scene. A small group of neighbors, employees, and local people gathered to see the damage.

The owners were waiting for the fire marshal to arrive to determine how the blaze started. The skating rink is owned by Alyson and Jake Fisher, who bought the business in 2023.

After the flames were extinguished, damage could be seen to the roof of the building, and air conditioning units mounted there.

B&J, located just north of County Line Road in Country Club Village, has been open for decades and provided a recreational space for kids and teens. It was a popular site for birthdays and other events.

News-Press NOW will provide updates when more information is available.

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Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, directly joining Israel â€™s war aimed at decapitating the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.

Addressing the nation from the White House, President Donald Trump said Iran’s key nuclear sites were “completely and fully obliterated.†He also warned Tehran against carrying out retaliatory attacks against the U.S., saying Iran has a choice between “peace or tragedy.â€

Iran’s nuclear agency confirmed that attacks hit its Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz atomic sites, but insisted that its work will not be stopped.

The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kilogram) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.

“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump said in a post on social media. “All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.â€

Trump added in a later post: “This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!â€

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s decision to attack in a video message directed at the American president.

“Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,†he said. Netanyahu said the U.S. “has done what no other country on earth could do.â€

The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation. But Fox News host Sean Hannity said shortly after 9 p.m. Eastern that he had spoken with Trump and that six bunker buster bombs were used on the Fordo facility. Hannity said 30 Tomahawk missiles fired by U.S. submarines 400 miles away struck the Iranian nuclear sites of Natanz and Isfahan.

The strikes are a perilous decision, as Iran has pledged to retaliate if the U.S. joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally. He won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism.

Trump told reporters Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forces into Iran, saying it’s “the last thing you want to do.†He had previously indicated that he would make a final choice over the course of two weeks.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States on Wednesday that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.†And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared “any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.”

Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country’s leaders to give up its nuclear program peacefully.

The Israeli military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran’s foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement “would be very, very dangerous for everyone.â€

The prospect of a wider war loomed. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel’s military campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the U.S.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel announced that the U.S. had begun â€œassisted departure flights,†the first from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump planned to make his decision on the strikes within two weeks. Instead, he struck just two days later.

Trump appears to have made the calculation — at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republican lawmakers — that Israel’s operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran’s nuclear program, perhaps permanently.

The Israelis say their offensive has already crippled Iran’s air defenses, allowing them to already significantly degrade multiple Iranian nuclear sites.

But to destroy the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, Israel appealed to Trump for the bunker-busting American bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets and then explode. The bomb is currently delivered only by the B-2 stealth bomber, which is only found in the American arsenal.

If deployed in the attack, it would be the first combat use of the weapon.

The bomb carries a conventional warhead, and is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility.

Previous Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said.

Trump’s decision for direct U.S. military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push — including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians — aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear program.

For months, Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice — in April and again in late May — persuaded Netanyahu to hold off on military action against Iran and give diplomacy more time.

The U.S. in recent days has been shifting military aircraft and warships into and around the Middle East to protect Israel and U.S. bases from Iranian attacks.

All the while, Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that the moment could be a “second chance†for Iran to make a deal to delivering explicit threats on Khamenei and making calls for Tehran’s unconditional surrender.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,†Trump said in a social media posting. “He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.â€

The military showdown with Iran comes seven years after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the “worst deal ever.â€

The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, U.S. and other world powers, created a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Trump decried the Obama-era deal for giving Iran too much in return for too little, because the agreement did not cover Iran’s non-nuclear malign behavior.

Trump has bristled at criticism from some of his MAGA faithful, including conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, who have suggested that further U.S. involvement would be a betrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to end U.S. involvement in expensive and endless wars.

Madhani reported from Washington. Rising reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Iran; Mehmet Guzel in Istanbul; Josef Federman in Jerusalem; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Matthew Lee and Josh Boak in Washington; and Farnoush Amiri and Jon Gambrell in Dubai contributed to this report.

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Associated Press

President Donald Trump says the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel â€™s effort to decapitate the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.

The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.

Here is the latest:

US strikes 3 Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says, joining Israeli air campaign

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel â€™s effort to decapitate the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.

The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.

Saudi Arabia condemns ‘blatant Israeli aggressions’ against Iran

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has condemned “blatant Israeli aggressions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which undermine its sovereignty and security, constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms, and threaten the security and stability of the region,†the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.

Speaking at Friday’s meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, he called for “the immediate cessation of military operations, the avoidance of escalation, and a return to the negotiation track between Iran and the international community.â€

Iran and Saudi Arabia were long regional arch-rivals but have normalized relations in recent years. Riyadh was quick to side publicly with Tehran after Israel launched a surprise barrage of strikes on Iran last week.

Bin Farhan also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The kingdom and France had been set to co-chair a conference in New York this month on the topic, which was postponed due to the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war.

President says Iran will never resign its right to nuclear power

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country will never renounce its right to nuclear power, which “cannot be taken away from it through war and threats.â€

In a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, Pezeshkian said Iran was ready to provide guarantees and confidence-building measures to demonstrate the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities, according to IRNA, the state-run news agency.

Pezeshkian said that Iran has never sought to produce nuclear weapons, IRNA reported. Posting on X, the French leader said he told his Iranian counterpart that “Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, and it is up to Iran to provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful.â€

Egypt rejects Israeli campaign against Iran and calls for negotiated solution

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt has expressed his government’s “complete rejection†of Israel’s campaign against Iran, calling for a negotiated solution to the conflict.

El-Sissi’s comments came in a phone call Saturday with Iranian President Masoud Pezezhkin, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

The statement said el-Sissi voiced Egypt’s “complete rejection of the ongoing Israeli escalation against Iran,†as a threat to the Middle East’s security and stability.

The Egyptian leader called for an immediate ceasefire to resume negotiations with the aim of reaching a “sustainable, peaceful solution to this crisis.â€

Aerial refueling tankers spotted on flight paths consistent with escorting aircraft from US

Multiple U.S. aerial refueling tankers were spotted on commercial flight trackers flying flight patterns consistent with escorting aircraft from the central U.S. to the Pacific.

B-2 bombers, which are the only aircraft that carry the large bunker buster bombs, are based at an Air Force base in Missouri. It was not clear whether the aircraft being escorted early Saturday were prepared for an operation or merely moving to airbases closer to Iran as a show of force.

The White House and Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment on the flights.

Israel says it and Cyprus foiled a planned attack on Israeli citizens

Israel’s foreign minister says Israeli security services have helped Cypriot authorities foil a planned attack against Israeli citizens on the east Mediterranean island nation.

Minister Gideon Saar posted on X Saturday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was behind the plot. He thanked Cyprus for its “swift and effective actions†and accused Iran of “deliberately targeting Israeli civilians both in Israel and abroad.â€

Cyprus police said Saturday they arrested a man on suspicion of terrorism and espionage. A court Saturday ordered the man, who wasn’t identified, held in police custody for eight days until investigators can complete their probe. Cypriot authorities said they wouldn’t comment further on the man’s arrest for “national security reasons.â€

A British Foreign Office spokesman said that U.K. authorities are in contact with the Cypriot government “regarding the arrest of a British man.â€

Germany closes Tehran embassy and withdraws staff from Iran

The German embassy in Tehran has been closed until further notice “due to the current crisis situation,†the diplomatic representation wrote on its website.

“Please do not come to the embassy or the consulate building. Appointments that have already been arranged have been canceled,†the embassy said.

Due to the war between Israel and Iran, the German Foreign Ministry said Saturday it has withdrawn all of its embassy staff in Tehran and brought them out of the country.

The embassy is still reachable online for Germans remaining in Iran. On its website, the embassy gives advice on the different possibilities to leave by land via Armenia or Turkey. According to the German Foreign Ministry, there are still about 1,000 German citizens in Iran.

US begins repatriation flights from Israel

The U.S. ambassador to Israel says the United States has begun “assisted departure flights†from Israel, the first time such flights have been offered there since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.

The State Department said Saturday that it organized two flights departing from Tel Aviv to Athens with approximately 70 U.S. citizens, their accompanying immediate family members and permanent residents.

Ambassador Mike Huckabee announced the flights in a social media post as the war between Israel and Iran entered its second week. He says U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can complete an online form for updates.

The U.S. has also told its citizens in Iran who wish to leave to go via Azerbaijan, Armenia or Turkey if they feel it’s safe.

Nasrallah’s bodyguard killed in Israeli airstrike on Iran, Hezbollah says

The head of security to the late Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike while in Iran, a Hezbollah official said Saturday.

Abu Ali Khalil, better known as Abu Ali Jawad, was killed after he went to Iran from neighboring Iraq, the official said.

For many years, Abu Ali was seen behind Nasrallah during most of his public appearances.

After Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstike in a Beirut suburb in September, his bodyguard was put in charge of his tomb in Beirut.

The Hezbollah official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the airstrike that killed Abu Ali occurred earlier Saturday.

Erdogan offers to mediate Iran-US talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for technical and leadership-level talks between Iran and the United States to resolve tensions, during a meeting with Iran’s top diplomat.

A statement from Erdogan office said the Turkish president also told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a meeting in Istanbul on Saturday that Turkey was ready to take on the role of facilitator.

Erdogan said that the region cannot tolerate another war and said Israel must be “stopped immediately.â€

Araghchi was in Turkey to attend a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Iran acknowledges detaining German bicyclist on suspicion of spying

Iran on Saturday acknowledged for the first time it had detained a German bicyclist on spying allegations, likely an effort by Tehran to pressure Germany amid its war with Israel.

The semiofficial Mehr news agency published footage of the unnamed man’s arrest, without saying when the arrest occurred. However, it described the cyclist as being detained in Markazi province, home to the Arak heavy water reactor.

The German news agency dpa reported the arrest took place last year and that the bicyclist is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, home to Westerners and political prisoners.

The German Foreign Ministry declined to comment Saturday.

Israeli army says it is now targeting Iranian military infrastructure

The Israeli army said it began striking military infrastructure in southwest Iran.

It was unclear what the targeted sites were.

Shortly after, Iranian state media reported that the sound of large blasts was heard in two cities in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan. Air defenses were reported to be activated in both locations.

A large column of smoke had also risen above the port city of Mahshahr, Fars news agency said, while “frightening explosions†were heard in the provincial capital of Ahvaz.

Macron voices deep concern over Iran’s nuclear program

The French president said Saturday this happened during a call with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, who initiated the call.

“Here again, my position is clear: Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons, and it is up to Iran to provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful,†Macron posted on social media, adding that diplomatic efforts should continue to resolve the current crisis.

“To achieve this, we will accelerate the negotiations led by France and its European partners with Iran.â€

Macron said he also asked for the release of two French citizens being held in Iran on espionage charges since 2022.

Iranians are left with no internet access again

Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org reported on Saturday that the limited internet access that had come back up in Iran has once again “collapsed.â€

The group said on X that the disconnect came after “a brief period when residents could exchange messages with the outside world.â€

A nationwide internet shutdown has been in place for several days, isolating Iranians.

Iran cited concerns about Israeli cyberattacks for the shutdown of mobile and web services. But many Iranians and activists see it as another example of state information control and targeted internet shutdowns the Islamic Republic has deployed during periods of protests and unrest.

Internet slowly trickles back in Iran

Iranians on Saturday began to see some internet access restored, giving people the opportunity to call friends and family for the first time in days.

Those in the diaspora posted on social media about connecting to FaceTime or WhatsApp to call relatives they had been worried about.

Government officials had disconnected phone and web services earlier in the week for the more than 90 million people who live in Iran, citing cybersecurity threats from Israel. That left civilians unaware of when and where Israel would strike next and if their family or friends were among the victims.

Tasnim News Agency, closely affiliated with Iran’s government, quoted the information minister as saying that access to “international†internet should be restored across the country by 8 p.m.

Turkey urges Islamic unity against ‘Israeli problem’

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says the Middle East is faced with an “Israeli problem†and called on Islamic countries to take a collective stand and show solidarity with Iran.

“Israel’s ongoing aggression and occupation policies clearly show that there is an Israeli problem in our region that needs to be addressed,†Fidan said in an opening speech at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul on Saturday.

He also warned that Israel’s actions could trigger broader regional instability.

Italians evacuated from Iran arrive in Azerbaijan

The Italian foreign ministry said the 24 Italians are the second group to evacuate via Azerbaijan’s Baku.

“After about nine hours of travel and a very long wait at the border, the group was welcomed by representatives of the Italian Embassy in Baku, and then moved to the airport of the Azerbaijani capital to wait to return to Italy with the first available flights,†the ministry said.

The group included an Italian doctor and his partner, an Iranian woman, and their 18-month-old child, the ministry said.

Another convoy from Iran could depart from Tehran as early as Monday.

The first group that arrived in Italy via Baku in recent days had 34 Italian nationals.

Italy’s foreign ministry also said it chartered a flight to help evacuate its citizens from Israel via Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Sunday.

Evacuees in Cyprus recall missiles flying overhead

Noah Page says it’s one thing to watch missiles crisscrossing the sky on the news and another to experience it firsthand.

“You see it on the news, you see everything, but you never really expect it to actually hit you when you’re there,†the Ohio-native told the Associated Press.

“As someone who grew up in Canada, it’s so foreign to me to even think about missiles or a war and you hear about it on the news and it’s just so separate from you,†said Pe’er, a 23-year-old who didn’t want to give her last name. “It sort of felt like fireworks at first until the reality of the situation set in. I need to run or I might end up hurt.â€

Page and Pe’er were among an estimated 1,500 other young people from around the world visiting Israel who were evacuated by cruise ship on Saturday to Cyprus, the closest European country to Israel, at around 270 kilometers.

It was the second such trip by the cruise ship bringing people out while ferrying stranded Israelis back to their homeland.

Florida native Alex Rosenblum had been in Israel before in times of war, when the sounds of sirens urging citizens to rush to shelters had become almost routine. But he says this time it was different.

“This situation with Iran has been a lot scarier because there’s a big difference between a rocket and a missile,†he said.

The three young people found safety in underground shelters when digital alerts were sent out.

Iran’s Araghchi says it will be ‘very dangerous’ if US gets involved in war

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it would be “very, very dangerous for everyone†if the United States becomes actively involved in the war with Israel.

He spoke to reporters in Istanbul on his way home from talks in Geneva.

Araghchi said American military involvement “would be very unfortunate.â€

Tehran vows to make Grossi ‘pay’

A senior adviser for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, vowed in a social media post Saturday to make the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency “pay†once the war with Israel is over.

Ali Larijani’s threat comes as IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has become a major target for many Iranian officials who say his conflicting statements about the status of Iran’s nuclear program incited the Israeli surprise attack last week.

Grossi told the United Nations’ Security Council Friday that while Iran has the material to build a nuclear bomb, it appears they have no plans to do so.

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Jenna Wilson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The annual Juneteenth parade brought the St. Joseph community together in celebration and unity.

The parade, which began at 10 a.m. and concluded at noon, started at Bode Middle School and ended at the Bartlett Center.

Organizations and groups from across the state, including local law enforcement agencies, participated in the march to show their support for unity and inclusion.

“We had lots of amazing stepper groups, and of course, MidCity Excellence came out with their drumline and really showed out,” said Sara Wilson, Executive Director of the St. Joseph Museums. “We also had the Leavenworth Buffalo Soldiers on their motorcycles; they came out this year. So, it was a really great parade.”

One local group, the Rolling 3 Riders, said it means a lot to see so many diverse groups show up in support of a common purpose.

“It’s a really good feeling,” said Snakeman, president of the Rolling 3 Riders. “It’s been a lovely time supporting this town, and to see so many others backing that makes the feeling even greater.”

Event organizers hope today’s festivities showcased pride, culture, and a unified message.

“It’s the celebration of freedom, of course, but it’s also the coming together of our community to celebrate how important our freedom is,” said Wilson. “Everybody’s freedom, because nobody is free until we are all free. And that’s our message.”

The Juneteenth parade was followed by additional events, including a gala, fashion show, and foam party, all supported by various vendors and food options.

In addition, Big Luke and the Soul Disciples will perform live from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Bartlett Center.

The Juneteenth celebration will conclude on Sunday with a community picnic at Bartlett Park from 1 to 4 p.m. The picnic is free and open to all.

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Ryan Eslinger

The St. Joseph Mustangs are looking for a weekend sweep with the last game of their homestand tonight at 7:00 p.m. against the Carroll Merchants. The Mustangs will be wearing their throwback St. Joseph Cardinals jerseys as a nod to who they were before the Mustangs.

In last night’s game, the Mustangs outlasted the Jefferson City Raiders in a 13-8 victory and are looking to carry that momentum into their game with the merchants.

As a part of their promotional schedule the Mustangs will be giving out 9x MINK League Champion pennants tonight to every fan who attends the game. There will also be fireworks at Phil Welch stadium after the game.

The Mustangs will be back at Phil Welch Stadium on Wednesday, June 25, for their St. Joseph All-Star Game.

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