Street Smarts

By Alonzo Weston There was a time when having a speech impediment was considered a mental illness. If that was so, I’ve been mentally ill most of my life because I stutter. My stutter began sometime in the fifth grade. I never knew what triggered it but I had just finished third and fourth grade

By Alonzo Weston May is the month for things to bloom, including our awareness of mental health. May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month since 1949. It aims to address the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health issues. It’s also important to address the stigma associated with mental illness.

By Alonzo Weston In the span of a month, I lost a cousin and a childhood friend. My friend John died a month ago after a long battle with cancer. They found my cousin Curtis McGaughy dead in his apartment a week ago. It seems that when you reach a certain age you get to

By Alonzo Weston I had coffee with a couple of retired newspaper friends the other day at Hazel’s Downtown. After we got caught up on what our former News-Press colleagues were up to now, our conversation turned to our fair city. St. Joseph still has its charm as well as its problems but we found

By Alonzo Weston Kansas City voters resoundingly rejected a sales tax measure that would have helped to fund a new downtown Royals ballpark and make major renovations to the Chiefs’ Arrowhead stadium. That stands in sharp contrast to St. Joseph voters who approved a bond issue that will renovate facilities and get the ball rolling

By Alonzo Weston After Tuesday’s election, we voters find ourselves embarking on another chapter in the St. Joseph School District saga. Voters chose to retain school board member LaTonya Williams and elect Ronda Chesney and Mike Moore on the board. Incumbent Kenny Reeder did not make the cut this time. And to my surprise, voters

By Alonzo Weston “Spring is sprung, the grass is ris, wonder who the new school board is?” Bag-Head sang as he walked up a Downtown street Monday morning. Bag-Head Jheri, the Messanie Street Philosopher for the uninitiated, is a local street sage and commentator on social and political issues. His views are sometimes spot on.

By Alonzo Weston Driving on St. Joseph streets anymore is a risky business. For starters, everyone is in a hurry. I’ve seen people floor it to pass me, only arrive at the same stoplight I do. I’ve been a victim of a hit-and-run recently. I was parked in front of my daughter and grandson’s house,

By Alonzo Weston We survived a not-so-harsh winter and now spring is here. Since it’s a Leap Year, officially spring begins on March 19. In other years, the equinox happens on the 20th or 21st. Yes, we have an early spring this year. I know when it’s spring when the daffodils our daughter, Nicole, planted

By Alonzo Weston March 8 is International Women’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate the achievements of women and the progress made towards women’s rights. It also sheds light on ongoing struggles for equality around the world. I believe this observance starts with the women in your family. There are plenty of famous women to

By Alonzo Weston March has and always will remind me of my mother. Florestrine Turner was born on March 5, 1938, and died last year on March 21. In between those dates, she lived a good life. Mom, Tisie as she was called since childhood, touched many more people in her job as a Katz

By Alonzo Weston Here we are again at another Black History Month. Not that it shouldn’t be a part of overall American history, where the contributions and struggles of Blacks are often left out, but the month is a chance to remember important events involving Blacks in our country. This year’s Black History Month theme

By Alonzo Weston Coming out of a Downtown bakery Tuesday, I saw Bag-Head Jheri, the Messanie Street Philosopher, walking aimlessly down Eighth Street. He looked dejected and deep in thought. “What’s up, Bag?” I said by way of greeting. “Hey Weston, got silly stuff troublin’ my mind,” Bag said shaking his head. “What now?” I

By Alonzo Weston Folk wisdom has it that death comes in threes. If that’s true then the St. Joseph News-Press got hit hard recently. Last week I wrote about how we lost former managing editor Bob Waldrop and former city editor Bill Scott. Now we’ve lost Terry Jordan, a well-known reporter and editor at the

By Alonzo Weston We’re fresh into a new year now and some are looking back, tallying up what we’ve lost and what we’ve gained so far. Last year was my first holiday season without my mother. It still hurts. I lost a mother but gained a new granddaughter. God gives back. We as a community