Category: knpn-local-news

Crystal Olney

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph Transit switched to fixed routes only starting Tuesday, June 10.

With the implementation of fixed routes only, this means there will be no deviations and riders will have to walk to the nearest designated bus stop to be picked up.

While there will be no deviations from routes for pickups, arrangements can be made with drivers for drop-off deviations, according to a City of St. Joseph social media post.

Demand Response will still be available in the south end. Residents can call (816) 233-6700 for their ride.

This is a temporary change made by the city and officials hope to have point deviations pickups back in place soon.

For a list of bus routes, visit the city’s website at stjosephmo.gov.

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Crystal Olney

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Mosaic Life Care is now the official health care provider for the St. Joseph Goats Arena Football team.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Mosaic shared that it will provide physician coverage to all Goats players during home games at Civic Arena in St. Joseph.

“This partnership is a natural fit,†said Chief Administrative Officer Davin Turner, DO, in the social media post. “We’re excited to support the St. Joseph Goats as they bring high-energy sports entertainment to our community. Just as they’re dedicated to excellence on the field, we’re committed to providing exceptional care off the field.â€

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Chris Fortune

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — After a 24-hour delay, a Buchanan County contractor was able to take on the task of spraying weeds at Lake Contrary. 

A helicopter pilot sprayed Clearcast Aquatic Herbicide, an EPA-approved product, on more than 300 acres of land. High winds delayed the two-day project that was supposed to start on Monday and turned it into a one-day job on Tuesday. 

“I believe that he wanted a drone photo of it sometime last week just to kind of see where the green was and all that stuff because there are certain areas where certain types of vegetation need a little bit more (Clearcast),” Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner Scott Nelson said.

A product overview on its website says the growth of sensitive plants will stop 24 hours after application. Nelson estimates that it will be six weeks before the aquatic herbicide kills the vegetation.

“I think this takes a little while for it just because it’s got to get absorbed, and then it’s got to move down the root stem to the root ball, and then it starts to work on the root ball,” he said. “I’m assuming that we’re going to see the color changes and that sort of thing.”

The Missouri Office of Administration told the Buchanan County commissioners last October that taking care of the lake was their responsibility once it dried up. Nelson said removing the weeds is primarily to remove fire hazards.

“This is the first step since we’ve been mandated by the state to maintain it,” Nelson said. “So this is what we’re doing to maintain it.”

Buchanan County received a permit from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources on Friday to allow weed spraying, but the county still has not received a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the lake.

“Other things have kind of crept up and overtaken it on the to-do list,” Nelson said. “The big one being the (juvenile) detention center.”

Nelson said the weed spraying on Tuesday is the largest effort to remove vegetation at Lake Contrary that he can think of. Now, the county commission will observe the results over the next couple of months.

“This is 300 acres that we want to get beat down and basically see how it does and then how long it lasts,” Nelson said.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Kansas City is partnering with a local car dealership for a Test Drive Event aimed at ending impaired driving.

Community members will be able to test drive vehicles, while learning more about the critical conditioned to end impaired driving.

The family-friendly event is more than just a test drive, it’s an opportunity to support a lifesaving cause, connect with first responders and engage in conversations about road safety and prevention.

The event will take place from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, at Reed Chevrolet, located at 4200 Commonwealth Court.

The event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.

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News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri Department of Conservation announces the indefinite closure of shooting ranges at Pigeon Hill Conservation Area to the public.

The rest of Pigeon Hill will remain open to the public, according to a press release on the MDC website.

A MDC investigation found ‘evidence of range misuse at Pigeon Hill CA that put public safety at risk.’

“Unfortunately, the actions of unsafe, irresponsible shooting range users created a situation that we could not allow to persist,†said Justin McGuire, MDC’s Hunter Education and Shooting Range Coordinator, in the press release.

The shooting ranges located in St. Joseph are some of the unstaffed ones across Missouri.

Conservation area goers are encouraged to report unsafe or unlawful activity to the Operation Game Thief at (800) 392-1111 or contact a local agent. To find agents by county, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/contact-engage/local-mdc-contacts.

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Kirsten Stokes

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Molly Rodriguez, with her passion for sharing the gospel and hope to inspire the younger generation, has won the Life 88.5 radio contest.

Entering the contest with Katy Nichole’s Hold On, Rodriguez was announced as the winner on Thursday, June 5.

The young singer will now open for Colton Dixon, Caleb & John and Allison Eide at the Life 88.5 Free Concert on Saturday, June 21, at the Kearney Amphitheater, located at 3001 N. Highway 33 in Kearney, Missouri.

“I was listening to the station and I heard her say it, and I was like, oh my gosh,” Rodriguez said. “Then the radio station sent me the video, so I could actually see her singing it and it was crazy because this all kind of started just submitting a video of a song I really enjoyed.”

For Rodriguez, it’s not just about music, it’s about the message. She hopes her story and her songs will inspire others, especially young people, to boldly share their faith.

“When I first started, it was a lot of nerves but now I’ve had to learn to just put the focus fully on God,” Rodriguez said.

Now, the young singer is preparing to open for the headliners and hopes that this will be one of her big breaks in music. Rodriguez will have family, church members and friends support her.

“I’ve definitely been practicing a lot because I am a little nervous, but I’m excited,” Rodriguez said. “I do have a lot of my family coming and then I do have friends that have told me they’re going to come and, my church is going to come support.

You can find information on the free concert on https://www.life885.com/event/life-88-5-free-concert-kearney/

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Kyle Schmidt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Missouri Western State University reinstated the Track & Field program after ‘new information and a new level of support’ came forward.

Head Coach Cody Ingold said after the initial release he had discussions with his assistant to figure out how to move forward.

“We’ll figure it out, that’s what I have always done, that is who I am… We put some thoughts together, figure out how to make this work,” Ingold said. “I helped start this thing so I wasn’t going to let it go anywhere, I was going to figure it out regardless.”

He said he was constantly getting messages from the community and saw the support the program was receiving.

“It’s cool because it’s track, you know, it’s not football, it’s not those pretty things you see on TV,” Ingold said. “I love it, I think it is the best sport in the world… The community support was awesome.”

The support was recognized by athletes like Mason Orscheln as well, a Central High School graduate who is heading into his senior year at MWSU. Despite not knowing if he would have a track season for his final year, he made up his mind before the program was reinstated.

“I told coach immediately right after he told us the news that the program was going to be gone, I said I’m staying no matter what,” Orscheln said. “For you and for the town.”

Currently, it is not known how many athletes are staying with the program or transferring. Ingold said he pushed forward and continued to recruit during this period.

“We just sold the new vision with the recruits coming in and continued recruiting,” Ingold said. “We have two kids on campus today (Monday) and we had that planned before the announcement. We’re moving forward, we’re going to make this work.”

The program is scheduled to run the same next season as it has in previous years.

“There’s going to be a little bit of fallout,” Ingold said. “But I think we had the right people in place where I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as probably what a lot of people think.”

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Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Board of Education will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 9, at Troester Media Center to continue preparation for the 2025-26 academic year.

Items on the agenda include continued adjustments to the fiscal year budget and job descriptions for the district. An grant for the Early Childhood Program will also be discussed, which will make room for additional students in the program without income restrictions.

After the work session, the board will dismiss to executive session. It is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

News-Press NOW will update this story.

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Crystal Olney

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Reservations are open for the United Way of Greater St. Joseph’s Taste of United Way event coming up on Monday, June 23.

Residents are invited to attend the free event starting with lunch at 11:45 a.m., followed by the program at noon on June 23, according to a United Way of Greater St. Joseph Facebook post.

The topic of the event will be ‘The Power of Mentorship: Investing in our Youth.’

Space for the event is limited. Those interested can register at https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/47278904062/false?fbclid=IwY2xjawK0EGRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFEUkVvdGhaUkdpT3VldDFUAR4mzbWY2U_JPK7mr4DRJoE5actfp3iQPRM6g-huXNWBIMwkMjD7cLxfIhgxNA_aem_owbtBMrjt-Pd0dMNe1FPfQ#/invitation.

The Taste of United Way event series aims to connect community members with the United Way and other partner agencies to discuss important issues in the St. Joseph area.

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Jenna Wilson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Buchanan County Jail has started rolling out tablets to inmates as part of a new initiative to improve communication.

The program is currently in its testing phase, with about half of the jail’s population using the tablets. The devices will eventually serve as the primary method for receiving mail, and will allow inmates to send text messages, emails and conduct video calls.

“A big reason for the tablets was so that the inmates would have more communication with their families,” said Captain Joe Lysaght with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office. “They have more access to do that with the tablets instead of just the one kiosk in the dayroom.”

Inmates can also access law libraries through the tablets, allowing them to research and track their legal cases. The devices offer added privacy when making calls, which is an improvement over the shared kiosks in common areas.

“I just talked to one of our inmates a little bit ago, asked him how he was enjoying it, and he thinks it’s fantastic because they have much more ability to communicate with their families,” Lysaght said. “It also allows them to have private conversations at their discretion without worrying about other inmates standing over them at the kiosk.”

Families can send photos to the tablets for inmates to view and inmates are able to communicate directly with jail staff to make requests or raise concerns.

“If they’re having issues within the day room with other inmates, they can let us know,” Lysaght said. “Giving them this form of communication is valuable to us because we want to make sure everyone is safe in here.”

Officials said the technology could be especially helpful for families who often feel limited in their ability to stay in touch with loved ones while inside the jail. Inmates will have access to the tablets each day from morning until final lockdown at night.

If the testing phase continues to go well, officials hope to expand the resource to the entire jail population within the next two months.

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