Category: knpn-local-news

Jenna Wilson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — From outdoor fire safety to water precautions, firefighters are reminding residents to make safety a priority this summer.

With the start of summer quickly approaching, firefighters said, it’s not a season of rest, it’s a season of risk.

“We seem to have a lot of problems with folks using their grills this time of year,†said Bill Lamar, Emergency Management Manager with the St. Joseph Fire Department. “Next thing you know, something’s gotten out of control with the wind, and their deck or railings are on fire.â€

For those using gas grills, fire officials urge residents to inspect them carefully for leaks.

“It’s not uncommon for people to miss something as small as a rotted hose on a gas grill. That can lead to a dangerous gas leak,†Lamar added.

Residents are also being warned to prevent grass and debris fires by properly discarding cigarette butts and only participating in open burning when weather conditions permit.

“Fortunately for us in this region, the rain has helped with some of the open burning issues and wildfires,†Lamar said. “But we still need residents to remember that stray cigarettes and other combustible items can start a fire. You may not even realize it at first. Sometimes it takes a while to catch, but once it does, it can spread out of control quickly.â€

In addition to fire safety, officials are stressing the importance of water safety for children during the summer. 

“This is the time of year when everyone’s out playing in pools and lakes,†Lamar said. “Always make sure someone around you knows how to swim, keep a close eye on your kids, and have life preservers handy.â€

When visiting crowded pools, officials also suggest taking a quick photo of your children at the beginning of the outing. This can help authorities identify them quickly if they get lost.

For assistance or any questions, residents are encouraged to contact their local fire department.

Click here to follow the original article.

Chris Fortune

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Missouri Western rewarded a recent graduate with the opportunity to own and operate a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Every year, Craig School of Business graduates compete for a business ownership opportunity through the Center for Franchise Development.

Taten Piepergerdes was announced as the winner at Friday’s ceremony. He will operate a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“I think my life has kind of been like pointing towards this direction at getting something, especially south,” he said. “I love Hispanic culture, and that’s big there.”

Piepergerdes prepared a 50-page business plan that he presented in the fall in the preliminary round of the process. After a business internship, he returned with a polished plan to show in the final presentation.

“A lot of times they will put some of their other responsibilities on hold because this really is such a unique opportunity,” Pam Klaus, Missouri Western Director for the Center of Franchise Development, said. “It’s a once in a lifetime type of deal to be able to own a business right out of college.”

Klaus said competitors heard from seven alumni franchisees at a celebratory dinner on Thursday night.

“The growth they’ve seen in just a few years is really phenomenal,” she said. “They actually gave some advice to these young people, so it really does launch that career in ways that is really unmatched.”

Piepergerdes said he is grateful for the Center for Franchise Development program’s leaders and everyone that dedicated their time and effort to prepare him for the moment.

“My whole life has kind of oriented me to this position,” he said. “So it’s a combination of bits and pieces from my entire life that has led me to this opportunity.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Patrick Holleron

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The Bluffwoods Renaissance is kicking off on Saturday, May 31, with sword fights, food and medieval games for people to enjoy.

This year’s festival will be themed around two kings waging war, making anyone in attendance have to pick a side.

“The support that the saint joseph’s community has gave us is amazing,” cast director Dave Edwards said. “We have a lot of sponsors from the area. A lot of our vendors are from that area. We have a lot of promo stuff in town and out of town, people are so nice. They come up and said, ‘we never thought we would get to have this in our town’. And that really makes us happy and we’re pretty excited about that.”

The festival will start on Saturday, May 31, at Castle Bridge Event Center at 8403 B US Highway.

Click here to follow the original article.

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Public Library East Hills branch will host one local, retired veteran who specializes in interviewing and writing stories of veterans’ oral histories.

Retired Colonel, Milt Toratti, who is also a Vietnam veteran and author has written numerous veteran oral histories.

Adults are invited to attend the program to hear some of the stories at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 7 at the East Hills Library, located at 502 N. Woodbine Rd.

The presentation will be followed by a book signing, where proceeds will go to benefit the Cameron Veterans Home.

For more information or questions, those interested are encouraged to contact Elizabeth Murray at (816) 236-2136.

Persons with disabilities who wish to participate in the program should contact the ADA coordinator at (816) 232-4038. Log on to sjpl.lib.mo.us for more information about other library services and programs.

Click here to follow the original article.

Crystal Olney

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Fire Department worked the scene of a structure fire early Friday morning in the area of South 19th and Belle streets.

Firefighters confirmed the structure was empty and was condemned.

When News-Press NOW was on the scene around 4 a.m. Friday, firefighters were working to put out the fire as smoke filled the area.

News-Press NOW reached out to the St. Joseph fire inspectors, but did not receive a response.

Click here to follow the original article.

Kendra Simpson

After a week of rainy weather, St. Joseph residents may be eager to get out and enjoy the sun. Luckily, News-Press NOW’s Kendra Simpson found several outdoor activities to keep everyone entertained in this week’s edition of See St. Joseph.

To start the weekend, St. Joseph residents can grab their shiniest armor, pointiest elf ears and most magical wings with the return of the Bluffwoods Renaissance Festival.

Leave the 21st century behind and travel back in time to the Renaissance. The war between the two kings has erupted, and everyone must choose their alliance: the noble King Aiden or the bold tyrant King Von Jon. Expect to see sword fights, hear tales of daring and eat as many turkey legs as possible, all while the fate of the realm hangs in the balance. Come for the shows, stay for the questionable fashion choices and leave with memories that’ll last until the next quest for mead! The Bluffwoods Renaissance Festival goes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Castle Bridge event center. To purchase tickets, visit the event’s website at bluffwoodsrenfest.com.

This weekend, we will celebrate Cancer Survivor Day, a national holiday celebrating the lives and efforts of those who are living with or have beaten cancer. Mosaic will mark the occasion with its Cancer Survivor Day 5K run and walk.

Enjoy an afternoon of music, fellowship and the 5K, where every step honors survivors. After the race, light up the night at a special glow stick party. Come be a part of an inspiring evening of community, hope and even a cookout. The afternoon activities begin at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, at the Mosaic Cancer Care center located at 902 N Riverside Road. To register for the race, visit runsignup.com.

What better way to end the weekend than with the return of the classic Imagine Eleven concert series? And we’re gonna be kicking it off with St. Joseph’s own Swift Kik.

Food from local vendors, time with friends and family and of course a free musical performance – what could be better? Imagine Eleven is making its return this Sunday with Swift Kik. The group has been performing together for over 45 years, playing the best in classic rock. Attendees will hear hits from AC/DC, Journey, Bon Jovi and more. Attendees should bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. The free concert begins at 6 p.m. Sunday in Coleman Hawkins Park.

Tune in to News-Press NOW every Thursday for more See St. Joseph.

Click here to follow the original article.

Kendra Simpson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — They say it’s a man’s world, but local businesses and the Downtown Association have to disagree.

Downtown St. Joseph has blossomed over the past several years with new businesses popping up and bringing new life to the area. Several of those businesses are owned and operated by women, including the Schweetz Candy Co. and KD’s Beauty Bar.

“I think we’re just automatically like put in this box, you know, ‘you cook, you clean, you stay home, you do this, you do that,'” KD’s Beauty Bar co-owner Dai’Janise Stano said. “And it’s like, actually, you know, we can run businesses, we can do anything. We put our minds to.â€

Wendy Lilly, owner of Schweetz Candy Co. and executive director of the St. Joseph Downtown Association, was thrilled to share that a large number of businesses in the Downtown area are not only women-owned but also successful.

“I think that just is people wanting to be their own person and do their own thing, have their own schedule. I think it’s awesome,” Lilly said. “Both of my children actually have been impacted by this. My son works for me in our candy store. My daughter recently decided that she wanted to do her own little business and made a logo and everything. And I think it’s really cool to instill that into our next generation.â€

Women like Lilly have encouraged and supported women like Stano and Kanei Jackson, co-owner of KD’s, to start their own businesses, and that support is one of the key factors that led to the inception and success of KD’s Beauty Bar, the salon that recently celebrated its first anniversary.

“I feel like just setting the bar for yourself. Like looking back at last year, I’m like, hey, we were here, and now we’re here,” Stano said. “And it’s like, just proving yourself wrong. Like, the scary at first is definitely scary. Takes a lot of time, devotion and money. But just getting to, you know, fulfill those milestones and those different goals is very rewarding.â€

Whether looking for a sweet treat, pampering or a day of shopping, St. Joseph’s women business owners are here to help.

St. Joseph has several resources for those looking into starting a business, including the Downtown Association, the Cup of Joe entrepreneur group and Main Street St. Joseph. These groups provide insight on valuable resources for business owners, give advice and help new entrepreneurs get their businesses started.

Click here to follow the original article.

Chris Fortune

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — An annual fan drive created to provide relief in the summer heat to those in need is entering the final stretch.

Westlake Ace Hardware partnered with The Salvation Army to encourage patrons to donate in store or online.

“It gets hotter in the summer, and as we know, it gets that way here in Missouri,” General Manager Mark Sidwell said. “Ace is always looking for ways to help the community around them.”

All donations made by rounding up a purchase at checkout or donating through the website will be used to purchase fans. The Fan Drive runs through June 7.

“With the rising prices of everything, some families just aren’t able to afford air conditioning or even fans,” Salvation Army Social Services Director Emily Bravo said. “And so our hope is that we can get a couple of fans in everyone’s homes so that they can stay cool and safe.”

Sidwell said his employees are always eager to participate in the Fan Drive and other community initiatives like Children’s Miracle Network.

“They get behind it, and they ask every customer, and we’ve been having a good response this year so far,” he said.

About 110 families received fans last year, and Bravo said she would like to see the number increase to 150.

A start date for the fan distribution is not available yet, but it will be announced on the St. Joseph Salvation Army Facebook page. Residents will need proof of residency and identification to pick up a fan.

“We’re hoping, in the month of June, that can kind of be our focus (for) fan distribution,” Bravo said.

Anyone interested in donating to the Fan Drive can visit westlakehardware.com/fan-drive.

Click here to follow the original article.

Kyle Schmidt

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Garage Beer, co-owned by brothers Jason and Travis Kelce announced ownership of the professional arena football team the St. Joseph Goats.

“From the beer fridge to the front office, the Goats are now powered by the same crisp uncomplicated energy that fuels Garage Beer,” Garage Beer press release.

Goats president Ted Sweeney said he originally reached out to Garage Beer for a potential sponsorship.”The more we talked the more they liked what they heard apparently,” Sweeney said. “And now we have gotten to this point which is incredible.”

The St. Joseph Goats uniforms will now have Garage Beer labeled on them. Garage Beer and Goats merchandise can be found on the beer companies website currently and on the Goats website in the future.

Fans can expect to see Garage Beer in Civic Arena during games.

“Its been ordered and its a big order,” Sweeney said.

The goats start their season on the road on Saturday, May 31, against the Ozark Lunkers. The first home game will be Saturday, June 7, inside the Civic Arena, playing the Duluth Harbor Monsters.

“Ultimately, this team we want to make St. Joseph proud, we want to make the surrounding areas proud,” Sweeney said. “Our end game is to be one of the teams that people think of when they think of arena football.”

Click here to follow the original article.

News-Press NOW

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce will help Refined Beauty Co. celebrate its grand opening at noon on Friday, May 30.

Refined Beauty Co. is a hair salon, located at 1107 N. 26th St., that specializes in beauty, cosmetic and personal care.

There will also be a separate grand opening ceremony from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., which will feature numerous different activities.

Some of the activities include: enjoying permanent jewelry, a flower bar, Blond N Bubbly drinks, and a beautifully presented charcuterie board. There will also be multiple giveaways.

All vendors at the event are donating proceeds to Big Brothers Big Sisters St. Joseph.

Click here to follow the original article.