Category: knpn-local-news

Kyle Schmidt

NAPIER, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Purple Heart recipients will travel to a hunting club in Napier, Missouri, for an all-expenses-paid weekend.

The Wounded Warriors in Action foundation in the Missouri/Kansas chapter takes veterans hunting and trapping from Nov. 20 to 24.

“When these guys get together, they get the camaraderie, the brotherhood, sitting around the campfire telling stories about the day’s hunt,” Hunt Coordinator Kyle Evans said. “Just being in the outdoors, just getting to experience nature firsthand.”

The veterans will stay at the Napier Hunt Club and a majority will experience duck and deer hunting for the first time, along with trapping.

All of the funds are coming locally around northwest Missouri, many businesses donated checks. A fundraiser event is scheduled for Sept. 26 at the Eagles Lodge in St. Joseph, located at 2004 N Belt Highway.

Swift Kik will play at the fundraiser, which will have a $10 cover charge. Donations will help with the costs of flights, supplies, food and more for the event. HyVee is helping with supplying food for the weekend.

“Every day we ask them what they want to do, they want to go deer hunting, duck hunting, trap and we’ve got the people in our corner to make it happen,” Evans said. “We just show them a little bit about what we love and why we love it and a lot of them will take that back home and be able to experience the outdoors with their families.”

Anyone interested in donating to the event can email chsalumnibasketball@gmail.com.

“It’s a great organization, these heroes, it’s all about supporting them, thanking them for their services,” Evans said. “A lot of them don’t want any recognition, they don’t want anything special… This is just our way of giving back.”

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Praji Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) —  St. Joseph celebrated Patriots’ Day with a special tribute at Wyatt Park Baptist Church. 

Capt. Guy Gruters was the event’s keynote speaker- A former Air Force pilot who was shot down during the Vietnam War and spent more than five years as a prisoner of war. 

“We took the opportunity to have Guy Gruters come here to St. Joe to give a talk and do a book signing all at once. We were working the event and it felt like a good time on Patriots’ Day to have him here,” said Terry Beasley, an adjutant.

The committee chose Patriots’ Day for the event as a special way to honor Gruters and so he could share his incredible journey with the community.  

Gruters said life in the communist prison camp was brutal, but prayer was what kept him going through those dark times.  

“You’re not able to do anything in the coffin, and there’s no television or radio or magazines or books of anything. All there is just a bucket for your bathroom and no get no chance to write to your family,” Gruters said.  

Gruters also noted the event is special to him because it’s not just about sharing his own story — it’s a chance to meet other veterans, hear about their experiences and connect with what they went through.  

This is the first time the committee has ever hosted an event like this, and they wanted Gruters’ presentation to leave a lasting impact on the community.  

“This is a chance to talk to a number of people about the experience, and a lot of these are Vietnam Veterans, so it’s good that we get to talk about the code of conduct and things that governed our behavior in the prison camp,” Gruters said.  

Gruters said he’s given his presentation hundreds of times, but this is the first time he’s doing one of this multitude in St. Joseph.  

Organizers said their main goal was simple — get as many people from the community to come out to hear Gruters’ story and celebrate his journey.  

“We had Guy Gruters here like three years ago, and it wasn’t a special day, so he’s been here before to do his talk, and this was another opportunity to get his back and it was also on Patriots’ Day,” Beasley said.  

The committee plans to keep this event going each year and shine a spotlight on the veterans who have served, and those who continue to serve, our community through every challenge. 

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Ryan Eslinger

ST. JOSEPH, Mo (News-Press NOW) — Online sports betting has exploded in popularity recently, having been legalized in 34 of the 50 states, with the newest state being Missouri.

Before the legalization of Missouri sports legislation, residents living on the border of Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa or Illinois could drive over state lines to place their bets.

Such methods won’t be necessary come Dec. 1, 2025.

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, the Missouri Sports Legislation was approved by voters, legalizing sports betting within the state; however, markets won’t go live until Dec. 1, 2025.

In December of 2024, just after the November election, the official vote total for Missouri sports betting was announced. The totals showed a 3,000-vote difference separating Missouians in favor from those against.

Despite the negativity sports betting has received over the past few years, it’s proven beneficial to the states that participate.

According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), in Kansas alone, sports betting generates over 13,000 jobs for the state and has a total economic impact of almost $2.4 billion.

According to the AGA’s Kansas economic fact sheet, “Gaming tax revenue funds critical infrastructure projects in the state. State gaming taxes are also used to reduce the state’s debt and property taxes paid by Kansas residents.”

The gaming tax placed on online sports betting also decreases the property taxes for Kansas residents.

Some Missouri residents are ecstatic about the implementation of online sports betting.

“I’m beyond excited, I’ve been waiting for years,” said Jason Keough, a Missouri resident. “I’m excited for the state. All the money these other states are making from taxing it is great. I can’t believe it’s taken Missouri this long to tap into that revenue stream.”

Keough said he’s been gambling for years, but with the illegality of online sports betting in Missouri, he’s had to take routes he might not have taken otherwise.

“I have friends that live in other states, I’ve done overseas betting through companies overseas,” Keough said. “Going around ways I don’t want to or shouldn’t have to, now it’s going to be easier for me.”

Come Dec. 1, Missouri will have nine confirmed online sports betting apps, including DraftKings Sportsbook, Bet MGM, Bally Sports, Underdog Sports, Bet365, ESPN Bet, Circa Sports, Hard Rock Bet and Caesars Sportsbook.

In Missouri, there proves to be no shortage of teams to bet on once the markets go live.

Daniel McIntosh, a professor of sports business at Arizona State University, said another benefit of online sports betting is an increased experience for fans and tourists.

In a statement to News-Press NOW, McIntosh gave an example of this increased experience, which describes a fan watching a blowout baseball game.

“Imagine watching an 8-0 game. It’s boring and you know who is going to win. But, place a bet on whether the D-backs score in the 7th inning and things get interesting. That’s the pitch at least.”

The example provides a sentiment confirmed by both Keough and another Missouri resident, Jason Mahnke, as placing a bet on a game they normally wouldn’t watch can make it more exciting.

“It definitely makes it more exciting, even though I like watching sports already,” Keough said. “It just adds to it.”

“I think it gives you a reason to watch,” Mahnke said. “It’s one of those things, like on a Thursday night when it’s a garbage game between two 1-6 teams, it’s gonna give me that insight to watch the game a little bit more.”

According to the AGA, surrounding states like Kansas and Iowa use the money coming in from taxing sports betting to decrease property taxes and fund projects like repairing roads and the state’s education system.

Keough and Mahnke touched on where they would like to see the money go in Missouri once the markets go live.

“Where I’m at in Joplin, there’s not a lot of super centers or anything for kids to really get into, and I’d like to see some of that built up in our different communities to be able to have more things for kids to do,” Mahnke said. “Anything to help the kids.”

“Missouri can do so many things,” Keough said. “They can pay our teachers better, firefighters, cops, just everything, fix the roads even.”

According to the Missouri Amendment 2 Sports Betting Initiative, the revenue gained from taxing online sports betting will go toward higher education and public schools.

Revenue will also go toward funding research for compulsive gambling, including treatment and recovery programs, along with services related to compulsive gambling.

With the sports betting initiatives being implemented on Dec. 1, Missouri residents will get the full effect of the betting atmosphere, especially around the time of the National Football League playoffs.

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Abigail McCluskey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Each fall, the St. Joseph Health and Safety Council hosts its annual farm safety event, Safety Acres, designed to educate local youth on the importance of rural safety.

Safety Acres is taking place from 9:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, through Friday, Sept. 12, at the Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church, located at 5502 Frederick Ave.

Safety Acres welcomes third through fifth-grade students from area schools to learn about a wide range of safety topics. Different stations at the event cover grain bin safety, large equipment safety, ATV safety, seatbelt safety, fire safety and weather preparedness.

The News-Press NOW Storm Tracker Weather Team will be on site both days, helping students better understand severe weather and how to stay safe during storms.

The team will lead interactive demonstrations and provide educational materials to help make weather awareness fun and memorable.

While registration for this year’s event is now closed, those interested in future Safety Acres events can visit the St. Joseph Health and Safety Council’s website at www.stjoesafetycouncil.org/safety-acres-1.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Savannah Pool exceeded its $50,000 goal at its Saturday’s Splash Bash.

The community raised around $65,000 to help fund a new pool.

Diane Gould, the Savannah pool manager, said that the Splash Bash was a success and the event was a chance to let the kids have a voice.

“They felt like there was nothing that they could do,” Gould said. “But this was a way for them to feel like that they were making a difference in helping, so and that part of the event was really cool, “she said.

The Andrew County Aquatic Initiative plans to have a meeting on Sept. 18th at 7 p.m. in the commons at Savannah High School. Gould said the purpose of this meeting is to expand the mission to people in the community who want to play an active role in what we’re doing.

“So we look forward to having anybody who’s interested in becoming a part of the drive the campaign to get this done is invited to attend there,” she said.

In addition, the Andrew County Aquatics Initiative will hold Community Collaboration Sessions at 7 p.m. on Sept. 28 and Sept. 30 at the Space Between on the square in Savanah, Missouri.

The sessions will be used to obtain public input from the community. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to share their opinions, concerns and ideas regarding the initiative.

Gould said having community input is vital to its initiative.

“I think bringing together community members with all different gifts and talents and opinions is so vital so that we focus correctly on this,” Gould said. “The solution that’s going to serve the most of the people in the community,” she said.

The Andrew County aquatic initiative is confident it will achieve its goal for the matching grant in November.

“We have had a lot of people in the community with the means to help in various ways already come forward and say, hey, you know, I want to I want to get into the ring with this and participate,” she said.

For more information on where to donate, visit the Aquatic Initiative website.

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Kyle Schmidt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — 24 years ago, tragedy struck New York City and the United States of America as a whole.

To this day, the terror attack on the World Trade Centers is not forgotten, and the heroes who risked their lives saving others are forever recognized.

“It is truly a brotherhood, sisterhood,” Emergency Manager Bill Lamar said. “If one of us anywhere throughout the country gets hurt or killed, it’s impactful for us just because we know pretty much exactly what they are going through.”

Lamar remembers 24 years ago, getting ready to work ambulance in Savannah on his day off, receiving texts from other firefighters to turn the television on and to watch what was transpiring.

Like Lamar, Captain of Rescue 1, Shane Southard, remembers working in St. Joseph during the attack.

“I was in the back doing something and the guys in the front kind of started screaming because the first plane hit the building,” Southard said. “I came in the room and there was a lot of confusion.”

Southard said it’s important to remember the day and the people who made the ultimate sacrifice for others, they didn’t even know.

“For us, we have about 130 personnel on our department, and to think that 343 firefighters passed away all in basically one instance, that’s just hard to wrap your head around,” Lamar said. “To realize all of the other police and responders that were killed and then so many of the innocent citizens that were killed… It makes you want to somehow remember these folks for the impact that it caused everybody.”

A total of 2,977 victims were killed in the four orchestrated terror attacks.

To remember and honor the victims, MoWest held an event early Thursday morning.

Participants climbed the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs inside Spratt Stadium, representing the 110 flights of stairs inside the World Trade Center.

“It’s important to come out here just to remember what happened back in 2001 on this day,” participant Kari Hayes said. “To remember the sacrifices the other people ahead of us have made.”

Assistant Police Chief at MoWest’s police department, Trenny Wilson, watched on as participants climbed the stairs. She said it is incredibly important for everyone to always remember the day.

“The ultimate sacrifice that so many people made; firefighters, police officers, civilians, anybody that was there that day and around the world,” Wilson said. “Just that ultimate sacrifice, and its unity, it brought our country together at that time and still collectively comes together now.”

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph Reads is launching its second annual community read, “WE READ 2025,” at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13th at The Story Collective.

The program works on projects to help promote the importance of literacy and reading in St. Joseph.

“We Read 2025 is all about The Midnight Library,” said Mary Beth Revels, the director of SJPL. “This was a book that was, first of all, readable and would be of interest to a lot of people, and we would be able to have a lot of conversations around the book.”

This year’s community read is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The group will have related events from Oct. 6 to Oct. 10, expanding on the book’s themes.

The novel is a fiction book that was chosen to appeal to a wide range of people with its themes like mental health, new beginnings and the road not taken.

If interested in the program, visit the St. Joseph or Rolling Hills public libraries. There, you can get a free copy of The Midnight Library while supplies last.

You can also visit the St. Joseph Reads website for more information.

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Rebecca Evans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Missouri Western State University will welcome students and their families to campus this weekend for its annual Family Day celebration.

Check-in for the events is at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, in Blum Union.

Families can take part in a legacy coffee social, tour the newly renovated library or join Griffs Give Back.

The Center for Service partners with Sleep in Heavenly Peace for Bunks Across America to build beds for local children in need.

Registration is required for the service event and those interested can register here.

Other activities throughout the day include a campus walking tour, monarch butterfly tagging on the John Rushin Teaching and Research Prairie and a Scanlon Hall open house.

The celebration concludes with Griffon football at 6 p.m. in Spratt Memorial Stadium.

For a full schedule and registration details, visit MoWest’s website at missouriwestern.edu.

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Kyle Schmidt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A $420,500 project featuring a new Westnet alerting system, implemented to speed up the dispatching of emergency calls, is now in use, according to a City of St. Joseph press release.

The internet-based system was installed in August at the city’s communications center and allows automated dispatching of fire personnel while an operator remains on the line to gather more information.

Fire teams originally had to wait for the operator to break away from a call to be dispatched; now, citizens calling will have the operator on the line at all times.

The computer-automated voice uses “heart-safe tones” to lower responders’ stress levels.

The implementation is expected to have a positive impact on the city’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating, which is used in setting homeowner and business premiums.

The project was paid for using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

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Rebecca Evans

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — One minor, three young adults and one adult were sent to the hospital on Thursday morning due to a two-vehicle rollover crash on Meadow Lane and Messanie streets.

The crash happened at approximately 5:30 a.m., and the five people involved sustained injuries ranging from moderate to severe, according to Sergeant Zeamer with the St. Joseph Police Department.

Two of the individuals remain in critical condition, as of Thursday afternoon, according to an SJPD press release.

Zeamer said the crash occurred as the black Toyota Solara attempted to turn left onto Messanie Street from Meadow Lane, when it collided with a white Chevrolet Camaro traveling west down Messanie, toward Kansas.

The names have not been released for those involved in the crash and the incident remains under investigation.

News-Press NOW will update this article.

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