Special Reports

By NewsPress Now Hollywood came to St. Joseph in 2024, with not one but two movies filming locally. The cast and crew of a comedy film made themselves at home in June in St. Joseph. The movie “25 Miles to Normal” written and directed by Josh Brandon began filming in the area this summer after

By NewsPress Now Voters in Missouri made their voices heard in the Nov. 5 general election, approving measures to legalize sports betting and enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. Amendment 3, known as “The Rights to Reproductive Freedom Initiative,” was passed in Missouri, garnering just over half of the state’s “yes” vote. Abortion was

By NewsPress Now In May, a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Instructor at Lafayette High School was placed on administrative leave and students let their voices be heard about the decision. Master Sergeant Jaamal Anderson, who had been a JROTC instructor for nearly five years with the St. Joseph School District, was placed on leave

By NewsPress Now St. Joseph will welcome two new leaders in 2025 after the city manager and school superintendent both announced plans to leave their positions last year. City Manager Bryan Carter announced plans to return to a job in the private sector in August, after serving in the role since January 2021 following the

By NewsPress Now Several new business openings in 2024 added variety to the choices of customers in St. Joseph, but two in particular generated big interest among residents. The McBee’s Coffee N Carwash opening in August and looking ahead to the opening of the new QuikTrip building set for Jan. on Frederick Boulevard have been

By Cameron Montemayor Sheri Gray remembers a time when she was one of, if not the only, Special Olympics coaches in the St. Joseph area 15 years ago. “So much has changed,” she said. “At first, you know, there might be 30 people at a St. Joe event … But now there’s 150. It’s great.”

By Cameron Montemayor Sheri Gray remembers a time when she was one of, if not the only, Special Olympics coaches, in the St. Joseph area 15 years ago. “So much has changed,” she said. “At first, you know, there might be 30 people at a St. Joe event … But now there’s 150. It’s great.”

By Cameron Montemayor A compromise on new dumping fees at St. Joseph’s landfill has put one public concern to bed, but long-term planning and work to address a substantial increase in waste remains. The St. Joseph Sanitary Landfill, a 14-cell facility opened in the mid-1980s, has seen a near 50% increase in yearly waste in

By Kirsten Stokes Missouri film credits are helping put St. Joseph in the spotlight with a second movie shooting in town this year. Long known for its history, the city is attracting attention from Hollywood as the holiday movie “A Chrismystery” films here this month. Its producers also were involved in another movie, “25 Miles

By Jenna Wilson It’s been six years since the murder of Lorenzo L. Lucas in St. Joseph and detectives are working through his unsolved homicide along with other cases to bring justice to families. The most visible part of what St. Joseph police do can be seen on any given day on local roadways. Still,

By Chris Fortune A heated presidential battle is driving election security to the top of the ticket for voters and Buchanan County officials charged with making sure ballots are counted accurately. Tens of thousands of voters are expected to turn out on Tuesday, Nov. 5, for the general election in Buchanan County. Whether you’re voting

By Cameron Montemayor With less than two weeks remaining before Missouri voters cast their ballots on Nov. 5, campaign disclosure reports are painting a striking picture of financial influence in this year’s election. Tens of millions of dollars already have poured into the Show-Me state this election cycle, with some of the highest contributions going

By Jazmine Knight For years, ACT scores were a key piece to college admissions. But now, schools are putting more emphasis on other factors like GPA as opposed to one test. Amid the COVID pandemic, many colleges and universities made the switch to test-optional models to accommodate the cancellations at ACT testing sites. Megan McCamy,

By Leah Rainwater No matter who you are or where you’ve come from, you or someone you love has probably heard, seen or even experienced domestic violence. The Young Women’s Christian Association reports, one in four women and one in seven men experience domestic violence in their lifetime.  Defining domestic violence  Corina Merritt, the survivor outreach specialist

By Ashley Luthans The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 general election is quickly approaching, and Missourians will see a handful of issues on the ballot that affect them and their state. In the 2020 presidential election, 3,025,962 votes were cast in the state of Missouri. Missouri Western State University student Cole

By Jenna Wilson Recent police data revealed some of the most dangerous intersections in St. Joseph when it comes to car crashes. In 2023, some intersections were marked as more hazardous than others due to the number of accidents, and if you ask residents why, they’ll tell you they all have one thing in common

By Calvin Silvers The Missouri State High School Athletic Association has approved using a 35-second shot clock for the upcoming season, applying it to varsity regular season tournaments and one-day shootouts. The decision made Missouri the 28th state to implement a shot clock in high school basketball. However, Lafayette boys basketball coach Kevin Bristol feels

By Chris Fortune Archie Randolph Jr. was working road construction, applying thermoplastic on K-5 Highway in Kansas when one of his coworkers sitting in an attenuator truck honked his horn to get everyone’s attention. A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. “I thought he meant somebody flew in between them, and he said,

By Cameron Montemayor Among the numerous high-traffic areas across St. Joseph, few are constructed quite like the intersection at U.S. Highway 59 near Lake Avenue and Alabama Street, a vital junction for pedestrian, freight and rail traffic. Between sharp and awkward turns, line-of-sight troubles and limited turn space onto Route U from Highway 59, longtime

By Kyle Schmidt The number of teenagers 19 and under with a driver’s license has dropped by 24% over the past three decades, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration, and local experts think the biggest reason for this might just be a mindset change in today’s youth. In 1995, around 64% of teenagers 19 and

By Kirsten Stokes Kids headed back into the classroom this week, many carrying carefully chosen and must-have supplies ready for the new year ahead. Many of those items have their roots in the inventions of a St. Joseph native whose pioneering creations have impacted the educational experiences of students across states and generations. Jon Wyant,

By Jazmine Knight With teacher shortages nationwide, schools around the country are focusing on retention and recruitment. In St. Joseph, officials have been working on different strategies to attract and retain teachers. Some of the most notable are the free before- and after-school programs for the children of employees in partnership with the YMCA and

By Leah Rainwater St. Joseph is full of many histories, and one integral part of its past and growth is the implementation of railroads. If you look along the corner of Eighth and Olive streets, you’ll see grass growing over abandoned, rusted train tracks.  St. Joseph was home to the first railroad that ran east