Local News

By Chris Fortune Slightly warmer temperatures are helping to melt the snow left over from last week’s snowfall, but that doesn’t mean the job is going to get easier for street maintenance. A fully staffed street maintenance crew has 16 members each on the day and night shifts clearing roads during a snowstorm, but last

By Harry Loomis After an influx of dogs last week completely filled the kennels at the animal shelter, its volunteer group stepped in to help, leading to more than 30 pups finding new homes. Due to the freezing temperatures and high costs of taking care of pets, 24 new dogs entered the St. Joseph Animal

By Cameron Montemayor With a recent stretch of winter storms and frigid temperatures in St. Joseph, the baseball diamond may seem like an afterthought. But for St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities, the adoption of a resolution by city council members last week for close to $62,000 worth of work to the Bartlett Park

By Harry Loomis Two Downtown buildings are up for sale, bringing opportunities for new businesses to take part in revitalization efforts. The St. Joseph Trunk Company, located at 716 Felix St. across from Coleman Hawkins Park, is up for sale after being vacant for 20 years. It’s currently listed for $423,000 and has the potential

By Kirsten Stokes In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, MidCity Excellence hosted its annual Solutions Summit to teach and inspire young people in St. Joseph to find success in their futures, no matter the industry. “These youth are going to be our future and our now,” said Kimberly Warren, MCE founder and CEO.

By Cameron Montemayor Behind the counter of a retail chain pharmacy, a young technician processes the first of potentially hundreds of prescription orders that will pour in over the course of the day. As the drive-thru begins to fill up and patients line the front counter, the phone rings. With a small team of pharmacists

By Chris Fortune St. Joseph residents and members of the business community gathered for a throwback party at the Civic Arena. The theme was “St. Joe 24,” which was a spin on Studio 54, and the arena was decorated in a 1970s disco theme. Attendees got into character with their colorful attire for a banquet

By Marcus Clem Times of winter weather cause many to do all they can to avoid frozen sidewalks and slippery roads, but seem to pose no hindrance to the public’s curiosity for the ice. Bode Ice Arena continued on Friday a series of events designed to welcome new participants in the arts and sports of

By Harry Loomis St. Joseph is experiencing historically cold temperatures this weekend. With wind chills expected in the negative double digits, being outside for any period of time is a significant risk. In the midst of this, the Red Cross has offered some tips on keeping residents and property safe. One of the biggest concerns

By Jazmine Knight It was a bippity boppity boo-utiful day at the Dance Arts Center and the Ruby Theatre as they both hosted tea parties  Despite the freezing temperatures, both events had an amazing turnout. The Dance Arts Center held a Mad Hatter tea party. The idea of the tea party is inspired from the

By Harry Loomis Amid a brutal week of weather in St. Joseph, businesses all throughout town have had to make adjustments to their operations. But while major national companies in town like Walmart and Target have no trouble rolling with whatever conditions winter may bring, many of the city’s local businesses don’t have the same

By Harry Loomis Most people break their New Year’s resolutions by the second Friday in January, known as National Quitters Day, but health experts say less than two weeks isn’t enough time for a person to see positive effects. “For most people, it takes about two to three weeks for you to really instill a

By Jazmine Knight With below-freezing temperatures hitting across the area, homeowners and renters should take precautions to protect their pipes and avoid facing costly repairs. Christie Barnhart, senior manager of external communications at Missouri American Water, said the best way to protect your pipes is to plan ahead. Opening cabinet doors to allow pipes access

By Chris Fortune DeKalb and Southwest Buchanan County fire departments battled a blaze at an auto repair shop Friday that left the building severely damaged. Crews responded to the scene at Top Notch Auto Repair and Sales at 8000 U.S. Route 59 early Friday afternoon. The building’s walls and the ceiling were partially collapsed, and

By Cameron Montemayor St. Joseph is one step closer to allocating opioid settlement money, as the application window opens Monday for local organizations to put their name in the hat to receive funding. City council members approved an amendment Monday to appropriate $105,000 in opioid settlement funds for fiscal year 2024. Along with $52,000 from

By Chris Fortune As morning commuters slept through an overnight snowstorm, street maintenance crews were making sure roads were drivable by the time they woke up. Over the course of about 24 hours, from Monday into Tuesday, 4 to 6 inches of snow blanketed St. Joseph. Around-the-clock treatment ensued, with about 22 workers from the

By Riley Funk The Civic Arena will soon see more upgrades to make it a more self-sustaining facility after the city allocated more than $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to various projects Monday night. Council members voted 8-0-0 in favor of providing American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase new equipment for the

By NewsPress Now The host of the adventure series, “The Outdoorsman with Buck McNeely,” which airs on News-Press NOW stations, has died. His son, Max McNeely, said in an online post that he received the news Sunday that Buck passed away in his sleep. “Even though Buck is gone the show will go on as

By Riley Funk Winter is in full swing, but the parks department has summer on the brain after the city council approved funding Monday that will allow splash park and pool projects to move forward. Hyde Park, among other city facilities, will receive funding through the Capital Improvements Program and parks tax, with council members

By Riley Funk Winter is in full swing, but the parks department has summer on the brain after the city council approved funding Monday that will allow splash park and pool projects to move forward. Hyde Park, among other city facilities, will receive funding through the Capital Improvements Program and parks tax, with council members

By Chris Fortune The Andrew County Circuit Clerk has been charged with five misdemeanor counts of failing to perform an act or duty required by law. On Dec. 8, Christy Porter was charged with five counts of misdemeanor in office. She is alleged to have routinely and intentionally failed to train and supervise her employees,

By Harry Loomis Ahead of their registration starting in March, the Creative Arts Productions camp hosted a make-and-take event at Nesting Goods for kids. Every summer, the camp gets together starting in March and kids prepare for a play that gets performed at the Missouri Theatre at the end of July. This year’s play will

By Harry Loomis St. Joseph was treated to some light flurries on Friday, and with the potential for more snow next week, the city’s streets and infrastructure department is staying prepared. “If we had advance notice and there wasn’t going to be any rain precipitation,” said Jackson Jones, superintendent of streets and infrastructure. “We would

By NewsPress Now Firefighters were on the scene of a house fire in the 800 block of South 21st Street for nearly an hour Wednesday evening.  Crews quickly extinguished flames that were first coming out of the windows.  It is unknown at this time if the house was occupied, but police said the initial call

By Harry Loomis Despite falling short of a $330,000 goal, the funds raised through the Salvation Army’s 2023 Red Kettle campaign will still be used to help several groups in St. Joseph. “The numbers I have (Wednesday morning) are about 85% of our goal,” said Major Ronald Key. Some funds are still coming in that

By NewsPress Now No criminal charges will be filed against a St. Joseph police officer in a Dec. 26 incident during which the man fired his service gun when a suspect pointed a weapon at him. Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Davidson made the announcement Wednesday involving Officer Justin McElroy. She said the decision was

By Riley Funk Self Expressions Cat Lounge and Rescue announced the closing of its doors last week, but the owner isn’t stopping her efforts to help cats in the area. Mardell Barber, the leader of the nonprofit, said the closure after a year and a half has been a learning experience. “The only reason I’m

By Marcus Clem Ezra James Davis, son of Kylee and Josh Davis, was born early in the morning of New Year’s Day, Mosaic Life Care has announced. The new parents declined to be interviewed, the hospital said in a news release, but were happy to share a photo of their newborn boy. He had been

By NewsPress Now St. Joseph and the surrounding area appear to have welcomed 2024 without anybody getting badly hurt or worse in accidents, crimes and other mishaps. In brief statements, the St. Joseph Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Buchanan County Sheriff each indicated that there have been no reports of major