Category: knpn-local-news

Leah Rainwater

CLINTON COUNTY, Mo. (KQTV) — A crash involving three vehicles seriously injured two people on a Clinton County highway Sunday evening.

The crash involved a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado driven by an 18-year-old male from Lathrop, Missouri, a 2010 GMC Sierra driven by a 34-year-old female from Polo, Missouri and a 2026 Hyundai Tucson driven by a 60-year-old male from Ostrander, Ohio.

Both the Chevrolet and GMC were eastbound on Missouri Highway 116, two miles east of Lathrop, Missouri, when the GMC began to slow down to make a turn. The Chevrolet then struck the rear of the GMC.

The Chevrolet came to rest on its wheels facing north in the westbound lane of Highway 116 at Northeast Valann Lane. The GMC came to rest on its wheels facing east in the eastbound lane on Highway 116.

The crash occurred at 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

Approximately nine minutes later, after the Chevrolet was facing north in the westbound lane of Highway 116 at Northeast Valann Lane, the Hyundai struck the driver’s side of the Chevrolet.

The Chevrolet then came to rest on its wheels facing south in the roadway and the Hyundai came to rest on its wheels facing north in the roadway.

The 18-year-old driver of the Chevrolet and the 34-year-old driver of the GMC sustained serious injuries and were transported by Tri-County EMS to Liberty Hospital.

The 60-year-old driver of the Hyundai sustained minor injuries and was transported by the Holt Fire District to North Kansas City Hospital.

All three drivers were wearing seatbelts.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Missouri Western is offering the public a scientific and holiday-themed look at the retelling of an age-old Christmas story.

The Bushman Planetarium at MoWest is set to hold three public showings of “Mystery of the Christmas Star” this December in the lead up to Christmas.

As part of the immersive experience, viewers will travel 2,000 years into the past to ancient Bethlehem, learning about a scientific explanation for the biblical telling of the star that guided the three wise men to find baby Jesus.

Admission will be $5 for adults and $3 for children 13 and under, as well as students, campus staff, veterans and senior citizens 60 and older.

The first two shows will start at 7 p.m. on Friday Dec. 19 and Saturday Dec. 20 with the third show set for 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21.

All shows will be presented in the Bushman Planetarium located at 4525 Downs Dr.

Planetarium tickets must be purchased in advance, either online at missouriwestern.edu/planetarium or in person. Please call 816-271-4288 or email planetarium@missouriwestern.edu for more information.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Midtown St. Joseph is set to ring in the new year with the opening of a wildly popular Mexican restaurant in a well-known former building.

Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh is catering to popular demand and expanding with a second location at 2302 Mitchell Ave. in the former Dairy Queen building, the restaurant confirmed.

The new restaurant is expected to open in January, with an official opening date to be announced in the coming weeks.

Much like the first St. Joseph location at 915 Jonathan Lane, the Mitchell store will include a drive-thru for customers. The restaurant offers a wide range of items for breakfast and dinner, including desserts and sides.

The Jonathan Lane restaurant operates Sunday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to midnight, and 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, often seeing significant business.

Opened in 2002 in Omaha, Nebraska, the restaurant chain now operates close to 70 stores across six states, including Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Oklahoma.

The new Abelardo’s Mexican Food location at 2302 Mitchell Ave. is shown on Saturday in Midtown St. Joseph.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Missouri Department of Transportation is calling on students and schools to pair their crafts, creativity and trash cans together for a special statewide contest.

To help fight litter, MoDOT is hosting the 2026 “Yes You CAN Make Missouri Litter-Free” trash can decorating contest as part of it’s annual “No MOre Trash!” statewide litter campaign.

Students participating will be tasked with decorating a large trash can with the “No MOre Trash!” logo and a litter-prevention-themed message with an assortment of different materials.

Schools and homeschool programs are permitted to submit one trashcan in each of the following grade categories: K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.

Entries will be judged by creativity, adherence to contest rules and successfully symbolizing the theme and showcasing logo.

Winners who place first in each grade category will be awarded $200 for their sponsoring schools, qualifying them for a grand prize of $600 along with a trophy for the sponsoring school.

Entries for the contest are free. To take part in the contest, the participating school is required to submit a completed entry form online with up to three photos and a release form online by the deadline, March 12, 2026.

The entry form is available at modot.org/trash-can-contest. For questions or additional information, contact MoDot at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org.

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The Savannah R-III School District is speaking out after a concerning incident that happened in the Savannah High School parking lot Thursday afternoon. 

According to the district, two students were involved in a verbal altercation shortly after dismissal.

During the exchange, a third individual—who was not described as part of the original argument—briefly displayed a weapon before leaving the area. 

School administrators were alerted immediately, which prompted a quick response from local law enforcement.  

Officials said the incident was brief, no injuries were reported and there was never an active threat on campus. 

The situation remains under investigation by local authorities in coordination with district officials. 

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce said Monday, Dec. 15, is the last day for shoppers to collect tickets for its annual Shop St. Joseph holiday program.

The shopping program began on Nov. 12, and has a grand prize worth $10,000 and a $2,500 Shop Small Business Bonus given to a person who has shopped at a locally-owned small business with less than 10 full-time employees.

Other local shoppers will be given the opportunity to win second-chance prizes from participating merchants.

Participants must be 18 years of age or older to participate with proof of age, social security number, home address and place of employment (if applicable) to claim their prize. Winners are responsible for any applicable taxes.

Purchases are not necessary to receive a ticket. One ticket per day can be earned for visiting any participating merchants and one additional ticket for every 10 dollar increment on a purchase.

A maximum of 100 tickets may be issued per transaction.

“People think about the winner being whoever wins the $10,000. Really, the winner is the local economy. That’s our goal,” said Kristi Bailey, the director of communications and marketing at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce.

The prize drawing will be announced on KQ2, and winners will have 24 hours to claim their prizes. Only one number will be drawn for secondary prizes.

To learn about participating merchants and other information, visit the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce.

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TaMya Bracy

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Retailers, large and small, have noticed a difference in consumer habits, specifically toward vintage items.

Amy Heath, owner of The Lucky Tiger, a small boutique that sells vintage items, said her holiday sales have been much better than last year.

“People are more interested in buying recycled things, vintage things, that have been things that aren’t being made that are new, and they’re seeing the quality and vintage clothing and accessories and things like that,” Heath said.

Heath also said she’s noticed a difference in customers’ shopping habits.

“Everyone seems to have a little bit more money around the holidays. The sales have kicked up, and people are buying different things,” she said.

Heath said this holiday season, she is not carrying many new items because she didn’t know what to expect this holiday season.

“Usually I’ll have new t-shirts and socks and, you know, gift items that are just traditional Christmas things, and I’ve just cut back on that because it’s a gamble. You never know. And if you don’t sell it, you know, you either up the clearance on it or get rid of it.”

Heath said it’s incredibly important to shop locally.

“I spend money locally. As a business owner, I think it’s really important to have a relationship with your community and then it kind of spreads the word,” she said. “They come back in here, and a lot of local businesses share everyone else’s posts on social media and it’s kind of like a big family in town with local businesses.”

Heath said getting out and visiting small businesses you’ve never been to will help this holiday season.

“When people come and visit our town, they’re not interested in going out to The North Shoppes, maybe to get something that they know that they’re going to get,” she said. “People want to see that our Downtown people want to see our architecture. They want to see the little shops that…that make us, us, the museums and whatnot.”

Heath said Downtown shops have a lot more to offer to shoppers than a computer does.

“I mean, let’s face it, what else are you going to do except for go out and get that holiday feeling shopping,” she said. “Go look at the Christmas lights. There’s a Christmas bar downtown where it’s all decorated up for Christmas.”

Heath said Downtown St. Joseph is growing, and it’s something the community should be positive about.

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News-Press NOW

By: Darren Doyle

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Local entertainer Elisabeth Wykert is kicking off her Holiday Spectacular at Ol’ MacDonalds Farm Saturday.

For anyone who hasn’t seen her TikTok videos or even her last Holiday special at the Missouri Theater, Wykert said fans won’t want to miss Saturday’s show.

“(People coming can expect), everything joy and jolly. Okay, we live in a world that’s just all sad and depression. Statistically, this time of year is the most depressing time of the year, so I’m here to relieve that in whatever way possible,” Wykert shared. “Let go of your worries. It’s dinner and the show. So you don’t even got to cook, you know, bring those people who are visiting. Bring them here. I’ll feed them. I’ll make them laugh.”

Along with Wykert’s comedy and entertainment, she’ll be joined by Kansas City area comedian Andrea Caspari Spears. Attendees may recognize Spears by her involvement with the Bored Teachers comedy tour.

Wykert’s Holiday show will also feature a three-course meal, served at 6:15 p.m. 

The Dinner Comedy Holiday Spectacular is expected to last from 7 to 9 p.m. at Ol ‘MacDonald’s Farm, located at 15603 County Road in Andrew County.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Fans of the hometown St. Joseph Goats can circle their calendars as the second season of Arena League Football in St. Joseph officially begins to take shape.

The St. Joseph Goats released their official 8-game 2026 regular season schedule this week with opening day set to kick off on Friday, May 29, against the Arkansas Diamonds at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

All contests will take place at 7:05 p.m.

The Goat’s home opener is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, against the Ozark Lunkers at Civic Arena.

St. Joseph Goats Full 2026 Schedule:

Week 1: St. Joseph Goats at Arkansas Diamonds, Friday, May 29, at Bank OZK Arena, Hot Springs, Arkansas

Week 2: Ozark Lunkers vs. St. Joseph Goats, Saturday, June 6, at Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri

Week 3: St. Joseph Goats at Iowa Woo, Saturday, June 13, at the Hippodrome, Waterloo, Iowa

Week 4: Grand Island vs. St. Joseph Goats, Saturday, June 20, at Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri

Week 5: Eau Claire Axemen vs. St. Joseph Goats, Saturday, June 27, Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri

Week 6: Bye Week

Week 7: Iowa Woo vs. St. Joseph Goats, Saturday, July 11, 2026, Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri,

Week 8: St. Joseph Goats at Grand Island, Saturday, July 18, 2026, Heartland Events Center, Grand Island, Nebraska

Week 9: St. Joseph Goats at Eau Claire Axemen, Saturday, July 27, 2026, Sonnentag Center, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 

The Goats will face off against several new expansion teams this year in Memphis, Tennessee, Grand Island, Nebraska and Monroe, Louisiana.

In addition to the team’s schedule release, Goats wide receiver and Mizzou Tigers alumni D’ionte ‘Boo’ Smith will sign autographs this Saturday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the East Hills Shopping Center located at 3702 Frederick Ave.

For more information on the Goats visit their Facebook page.

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)– The St. Joseph Host Lions Club brings in fresh fruit from Florida annually, and sells it locally—a longtime tradition that helps them serve the community and raise funds for local charities and organizations. 

Second Vice President Jaymon Meikle said the club focuses much of its support on smaller groups, especially those working with vision impairment and eye-health needs.  

“We hope that we will be able to raise enough funds that we can help some of the different organizations to further benefit the community,” Meikle said.  

Meikle said his passion for service comes from growing up in a family who volunteered often, and he wanted to continue giving back after moving to St. Joseph.  

Each December, the club offers fruit baskets as both a service to the community and a holiday gift option.  

“I think people feel a little tight right now with, for different reasons, especially Christmas…This will help us support those organizations that could really use that extra help right now,” Meikle said.  

Former Club Vice President Roger Unruh said giving back is at the heart of everything the Lions Club does.  

Unruh said the fruit sale operates just like any other retail setup—anyone can stop by and pick up fresh, high-quality fruit at a fair price, according to him.  

“We have good prices, but we have better fruit. Our fruit is the fanciest fruit that you can buy. And so that’s what we sell on is, is the fancy fruit. And we have the oranges, the grapefruit, three different types of apples,” Unruh said.  

Unruh said fundraising throughout the year helps the club provide services such as ensuring people receive eyeglasses on time, offering assistance through various programs and sponsoring educational scholarships for students.  

“We have fundraisers three times a year, once a pancake feed. And that is coming up in the spring. Of course, the fruit sale is one of our bigger ones. And we also do a drive for all of the scholarships that we give away,” Unruh said.  

The fruit stand is open to the community from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Dec. 21.

More information about the services they provide can be found through Lions Club International.  

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