Category: knpn-local-news

TaMya Bracy

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KQTV) — Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) delivered wins for North Missouri in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The act was passed on Wednesday, and the bill will support troops abroad and at home, their families and their mission in keeping America safe.

Graves said it’s important to give troops the resources they need.

“To do that, we have to give our troops the tools they need to fight and win—while supporting them and their families at home and abroad. I’m proud to have worked in the House Armed Services Committee to ensure this year’s defense bill does just that, while also supporting the vital mission of the 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joseph and good-paying, skilled jobs at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence,” Graves said.

The bill allocates $200 million for two C-130Js and maintains protections through FY28, covering fleet minimums, annual report, training and development at Rosecrans Memorial Airport

The bill will also fund private sector and academic institutions like the University of Missouri – Kansas City domestic production of critical materials from domestic mineral sources. It provides nearly $700 million for Lake City small arms ammunition and another $1 billion to modernize small-arms facilities, including Lake City.

The bill protects the A-10 fleet from being reduced and requires briefing on plans to fully divest the A-10 before FY29, ensure recapitalization of the 442nd Fighter wing and protect Fort Leonard Wood’s medical facility.

The bill will also provide major investments, including $2.59 billion for B-21 bombers and related construction at the Whiteman Air Force Base, $407 million for MQ-25 Stringrays, over $650 million for F/A-18 and EA-18G work in St. Louis and $132.6 million for the Joint Assault Bridge made in Bridgeton.

The troops will receive a 3.8% pay raise, expanded bonuses and special pay and increases in the Family Separation Allowance for deployed service members.

Around $1.5 billion will go toward new barracks and housing. The bill also requires plans and independent reviews to address health, safety and environmental issues within military housing.

The FY2026 NDAA now heads to the Senate for final passage before it can be signed into law by President Trump.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Starting next year, the St. Joseph Health Department will be updating its language interpreting services to assist the community.

St. Joseph City Councilmembers approved two resolutions Monday allowing the department to enter into contract agreements with Linguistica International, Inc. and International Language Center. The updated services will provide both video language and document translation services to assist patients in areas such as scheduling appointments and consultations with medical professionals.

The department selected two companies with the goal of having expanded options to assist a wide range of patients and situations. There have been times in the past when one agency does not have a specific language or dialect or staff available when another one will.

“We have a number of individuals who come to the health department for services where English is not their primary language,” St. Joseph Health Department Director Debra Bradley said. “We contract with different agencies to help break down those language barriers. We want to ensure patients understand the services being received and for us to understand what services they’re needing and requesting.”

Language and document interpreting services will assist a number of health department programs, ranging from helping individuals seeking birth and death certificates, to immunizations and nutrition education through the Women, Infants and Children program, as well as others.

Getting the language services put in place was key before 2026, as the current service contracts were set to expire. On average the Health Department spends $20,000 to $30,000 on language services each year to help with patient communication and interpreting services.

“We currently have these services with different providers, but their contracts are ending at the end of the month,” Bradley said. “We put it out bids to determine which agencies we were going to contract with. We got a number of responses and chose these two agencies to have options. Each agency has a different process on how we contact them, how they track the number of calls, the languages used etc.”

The new provider services will go into effect on Jan. 2, 2026

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Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The Salvation Army is seeking donations for its annual Toy Shop distribution day.

The distribution days take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 17 and Dec. 18 at 602 Messanie St. There is no set deadline for toy donations, and any kind is accepted. 

“It needs to be a new, unopened, unwrapped toy. And now you can bring in as many toys as you’d like. We’ll take them,” Social Services Director Emily Bravo said.

Bravo said the Salvation Army is really looking for items for older kids, ages 11 to 13, and toys tailored to boys. Gift cards are also an acceptable option to donate.

“Aside from toys, each child will receive two outfits with socks, shoes, and underwear, with a coat if needed,” said Bravo.

Any clothing items also need to be new and unwrapped.

For any questions about the distribution day, call the Salvation Army at 816-232-5824.

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Prajukta Ghosh

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)– Missouri Western State University’s women’s basketball team stopped by Pickett Elementary to celebrate the school’s first-graders for leading the St. Joseph School District in attendance rates from August through October. 

This marks the second year MoWest has invited the elementary grade levels with the highest attendance to a December home game as a reward. 

“Our students are rewarded and get to attend a game on Monday. But my understanding is this, there will be about 2300 students at Missouri Western on Monday, cheering on the Griffons,” said Heather Gladhart, the principal at Pickett Elementary.  

Gladhart said attendance has been strong this year, crediting both staff and parents for working together to make sure students are in school every day.  

Gladhart also said, earning this recognition is a major accomplishment for the school community.  

“I hope that they take away by knowing that, when they come to school, that they get to see the benefits not only in what they are learning, but also the benefits of getting to celebrate and attend a field trip,” Gladhart said.  

MoWest Senior and Shooting Guard, Meredith Rieker, said she expected the visit to be a heartwarming one and was excited to see how much it meant to the students.  

She said attendance matters because it shapes how kids experience school, giving them more chances to be part of activities and create memories. 

Rieker said she can’t wait to see the students pack the stadium on Monday.  

“I remember last year the men did it, and it was just so loud the whole time… It was so fun. So, I’ve been looking forward to this game since last year when it happened,” Rieker said.  

She also emphasized the importance of building good habits at a young age, which sets them apart from others in the future  

“So it’s good to just get the discipline actions now and just kind of learning at a young age is good for their future,” Rieker said.  

Rieker added that, no matter the outcome of Monday’s game, her hope for the kids is to enjoy their field trip and the experience of cheering on the Griffons.  

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Associated Press

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — Tens of thousands of Washington residents were under evacuation orders Thursday after a barrage of torrential rain that has overflowed rivers, sent mud sliding onto highways and trapped people in floodwaters.

“The flooding levels we’re looking at are potentially historic in nature, so we just want to emphasize how serious the situation is,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said at a news briefing Thursday, one day after declaring a statewide emergency. “This situation is extremely unpredictable.”

Skagit County, in a major agricultural region north of Seattle, has ordered everyone within the Skagit River’s floodplain to evacuate. Some 78,000 people live in the floodplain, according to the county’s emergency management chief Julie de Losada.

The high water mark upstream at the town of Concrete was below estimates but authorities warned people that record levels elsewhere were still possible.

“That doesn’t mean to say that we’re out of the woods, we’re not,” said Robert Ezelle, director of the Washington Military Department’s emergency management division. “Because as the waters come down here, they’re still going to be gaining strength.”

Along the river in Mount Vernon, teams knocked on doors in low-lying areas Thursday to inform them of evacuation notices, city authorities said. Further north near the U.S.-Canada border, firefighters rescued several people from their homes in Sumas, the mayor said.

Nearly 16,000 customers in Washington were without electricity by midday Thursday, according to PowerOutage.us. A mountainous section of U.S. 2 was closed due to rocks, trees and mud, with no detour or estimated time for reopening, according to the state transportation department.

Flooding rivers could break records

The Skagit River hit about a foot (30 centimeters) shy of the previous record in the mountain town of Concrete Thursday morning, according to the National Water Prediction Service. The river is expected to crest above the record in Mount Vernon on Friday.

“That’s still a record flood, and so we’re preparing for that,” Mayor Peter Donovan said Thursday.

Flooding from the river has long plagued Mount Vernon, the largest city in the county with some 35,000 residents. Flooding in 2003 displaced hundreds of people.

The city completed a floodwall in 2018 that helps protect the downtown. It passed a major test in 2021, when the river crested near record levels. Water was at the foot of the floodwall as of late Thursday morning, Donovan said.

In nearby Burlington, evacuation orders were kept in place Thursday as officials hoped dikes and other systems kept protecting the community from catastrophic flooding, said Michael Lumpkin, with the police department.

Some are worried that older levees could fail.

To prepare, business owners have stacked sandbags in their shops and residents have similarly done so to protect their homes.

South of Mount Vernon, access to the Fir Island wildlife reserve and farming area will be closed Thursday, authorities said.

Officials respond to flooding

Authorities across Washington state in recent days have rescued people from cars and homes after an atmospheric river soaked the region.

East of Seattle, residents along Issaquah Creek used water pumps as rushing floodwaters filled yards Thursday morning. Yellow tape blocked off a hazardous area along the creek.

Issaquah resident Katy Bliss said her home’s foundation was safe for now but that a pond had formed in her backyard. “It’s still scary walking around,” she said.

The border crossing was also closed to southbound commercial vehicles to leave more room for evacuations, according to the Abbotsford Police Department.

Amtrak suspended trains between Seattle and Vancouver.

A landslide blocked part of Interstate 90 east of Seattle, with photos showing vehicles trapped by tree trunks, branches, mud and standing water.

Climate change has been linked to some intense rainfall. Scientists say that without specific study they cannot directly link a single weather event to climate change, but in general it’s responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme storms, droughts, floods and wildfires.

Another storm system is expected to bring more rain starting Sunday.

“The pattern looks pretty unsettled going up to the holidays,” said Harrison Rademacher, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

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Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Newly-proposed legislation in the U.S. House could significantly benefit current and future drill-status members of the Air National Guard, including those stationed at the 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joseph.

Bipartisan legislation sponsored by U.S. Representative Sam Graves (MO-06), Brad Finstad (MN-01), and Eric Sorenson (IL-17) in December would mandate the Secretary of the Air Force issue a permanent federal tuition assistance program for DSG members of the ANG.

Known as the Air Guard Standardizing Tuition Assistance to Unify the Services (STATUS) Act, the bill provides Air National Guard members the same federal tuition assistance currently offered to members of the Army National Guard.

“It’s only fair and it makes sense (to have tuition assistance),” Graves told News-Press NOW. “It’s hard to understand just exactly why this happened. Most people don’t realize that there’s a disparity between the Army and the Air National Guard. When you tell them, they’re a little surprised and everybody agrees, we should correct this and make it right.”

Currently, drill-status Army National Guardsmen are eligible to receive Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) for up to $4,000 annually (or $4,500 in some sources), covering 100% of tuition up to $250 per semester hour for degrees like Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s, with lifetime limits on credit hours, and can be combined with state benefits and GI Bill programs for significant education funding.

Those enrolled as drill-status guardsmen are part-time service members that typically train one weekend a month and two weeks per year. Prior to the introduction of STATUS, DSR members were not eligible to receive tuition assistance.

Graves highlighted how closing the gaps on benefits would provide a boost to recruiting at a local and national level, both for the 139th Airlift Wing and for Air National Guard stations across the country.

“They’re (139th) is trying to continue to grow and recruit more members. Having tuition assistance allows those individuals, young folks to be financially supported and serve their country at the same time,” Graves said. “That’s the trade off. It’s going to be a big help to St. Joe, the 139th and for that matter, all Air Guard units across the country.”

With strong support from other congress members in Finstad and Sorenson, Graves stated he is “very optimistic” of the legislation being passed.

“I’m proud to join Reps. Sorensen and Graves in introducing the Air Guard STATUS Act, which will deliver much needed educational assistance to the brave men and women serving in the Air National Guard and create parity with the benefits afforded to the Army National Guard. This legislation will ensure deserved benefits and recognition reach all DSG members of the National Guard who have answered the call to serve our great nation,” said Rep. Finstad in a news release.

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Leah Rainwater

Maryville, Mo. (KQTV) — Amazon announced its new Maryville facility is open for business just in time for Christmas.

The site will be a new 11,800-square-foot last-mile facility, enhancing delivery speeds for customers throughout Nodaway County and the surrounding area.

The site opened with approximately 20 employees and is still hiring for roles starting at $19 per hour, as the facility plans to ramp up operations during the next several months.

Interested members can visit amazon.com/jobs and also flex.amazon.com to view opportunities, which are updated weekly.

The first delivery for the Maryville facility was a Genuine OEM Sunroof motor assembly for Honda Civic and CRV.

The Maryville leadership team also began its support of the local community by volunteering at Lettuce Dream, which creates training and career opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

The team was able to help with the hydroponic growing of produce, which is done year-round to provide training and sustain the organization.

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Leah Rainwater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — Missouri Western State University will celebrate the achievements of 204 graduates during its Winter Commencement ceremony.

The public is invited to attend the ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, in the MWSU Fieldhouse in the M.O. Looney Complex. Doors open to guests at 10:15 a.m.

The university will confer 172 undergraduate degrees, 51 of them with honors and 32 graduate degrees this semester.

Graduates come from Missouri and 11 other states, as well as five foreign countries.

The ceremony will feature graduates from the College of Science and Health, General Studies, the College of Business and Professional Studies and the College of Liberal Arts.

A brief reception, sponsored by the Missouri Western Alumni Association, will follow the ceremony in the Looney practice gym.

Lee Tieman, the managing partner of Tieman, Spencer and Hicks, as well as the Chair of the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors, will be the guest speaker for commencement.

Patty Lashbrook is the student representative who will speak at the ceremony. Lashbrook is an applied communications and journalism major from Faucett, Missouri.

In addition to the ceremony, nursing graduates will also receive a pin, symbolic of their training and new profession, at a pinning ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in the Fulkerson Center.

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Cameron Montemayor

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A popular Subway store has officially closed its doors on North Belt Highway in St. Joseph, the restaurant confirmed.

Subway has confirmed the permanent closure of its North Belt Highway location at 3114 N. Belt Hwy, next to Sonic and across the street from Ray’s Green Hills. The location was one of six stores in St. Joseph.

A sign has been posted on the front of the store confirming the closure. No information was provided as to why the decision was made.

A sign on the now-closed building encourages customers to try nearby locations at 501 N. Belt Highway and 4623 N. Village Drive in light of the closure.

Additionally, the company announced its store at 6101 Lake Ave. has reopened after sustaining damage from a vehicle collision earlier this year.

A sign informs customers that the North Belt Subway location is now permanently closed.

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Danielle Bailey

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A new batch of Griffon graduates will soon receive their long-awaited diplomas.

Missouri Western State University confer degrees to 172 undergraduates — 51 of them with honors — and 32 graduates during their Winter Commencement ceremony. Eleven states are represented in the graduating class in addition to Missouri. Graduates also came from five foreign countries.

Lee Tieman, managing partner of Tieman, Spencer and Hicks and Chair of the Missouri Western State University Board of Governors, will be the keynote guest speaker. Student representative and Faucett native Patty Lashbrook, an applied communications and journalism major, will also give a speech.

The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, in the MWSU Fieldhouse in the M.O. Looney Complex. Doors open to guests at 10:15 a.m. The public is welcome to attend. A brief reception will follow.

Nursing students will also be celebrated during a pinning ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in the Fulkerson Center.

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