Public Safety

By Jazmine Knight A distracted driving law is already making significant changes in the way Missourians drive only a year after going into effect. In just a year, the Siddens Bening Hand Free Driving Law has prevented over 1,000 crashes since its enactment in August of 2023. Siddens Bening prohibits drivers from holding their phone

By Jenna Wilson Officers are reminding drivers to stay alert on the roads after recent incidents of children being hit while riding bicycles. Earlier this month, police responded to a scene where a child was hit by a vehicle near the 1400 block of Noyes Boulevard while riding his e-bike home from school. Two weeks

By NewsPress Now A free self-defense class aims to help women keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. The Kiwanis Club’s annual TAKE Defense class for girls and women of any age will be from 10 to noon on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Brookdale Student Ministry Gym, 3015 Felix St. Those interested can

By NewsPress Now A man is recovering after being struck by a vehicle late Thursday in the 2100 block of Olive Street. Police were called to the area just after 10 p.m. and found the man, who had been walking down the street, lying nearby.  The man suffered minor injuries but was taken to the

By Chris Fortune The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office responded to Plattsburg High School on Thursday morning after a threat about a gun, but all buildings were cleared after locking down. The sheriff’s office posted on Facebook that they had cleared the buildings multiple times, and the threat appeared to be a hoax. The threat came

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 NewsPress Now Jared Young Party: Independent/Better Party Previous offices: n/a — attorney, CEO Key issues/experience: national unity, securing the border while uplifting legal path to citizenship, tackling national debt Website: https://www.votejaredyoung.com/

By Jenna Wilson Missouri saw a record year for motorcycle fatalities in 2023, and safety experts are warning motorcyclists about the growing concern. According to data from the Missouri Department of Transportation, the state saw 171 fatal motorcycle crashes, up 121 from 2019. Missouri repealed its helmet law back in 2020, which data has proven

By Leah Rainwater A Facebook post from the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce on Monday warned local business owners to take precautions with their mail. The post said that “checks are being stolen from business mailboxes to commit check fraud.” News-Press NOW spoke with a police sergeant with the St. Joseph Police Department who said

By NewsPress Now Work on the Cook Road bridge will close sections of Interstate 29 in St. Joseph for two weeks next month. Crews with Clarkson Construction Company will be painting the bridge, which spans the interstate from Oct. 7 through 18 as they wrap up the bridge rehabilitation project, which is widening the road

By NewsPress Now Atchison, Kansas, police are confirming the death of a pre-teen boy who went missing in the city Monday. Police Chief Mike Wilson said the boy’s body was found in a remote area on the southern edge of the city at about 9 a.m. Tuesday following an overnight search. The boy left his

By Jenna Wilson Buchanan County EMS crews held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday afternoon to celebrate their new emergency facility opening in Downtown St. Joseph. With a dense population in Downtown St. Joseph, there’s a growing need for emergency response crews in the area as well. “Over the past several years, we noticed an increase in

By NewsPress Now One person has been taken into custody after the St. Joseph Police Department blocked off several blocks along Grand Avenue on Tuesday as they investigated an incident. Police told News-Press NOW on the scene that they were investigating after a shots fired call. They later confirmed that no one was injured in

By Jenna Wilson Weeks after a new Missouri law cut back on certain consequences pertaining to certain traffic violations, officers and citizens are voicing their concern. Part of senate Bill 754 which recently went into effect reads: “No court shall issue a warrant of arrest for a person’s failure to respond, pay the fine assessed,

By NewsPress Now For those who have been considering a career in law enforcement but just aren’t sure, the St. Joseph Police Department will be at Hy-Vee to talk about the opportunities. Police will be at Hy-Vee from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to talk to community members.  After that, new hire testing will be

By NewsPress Now An 18-year-old suffered serious injuries early Sunday morning after the 15-year-old driver of the vehicle he was in lost control and traveled off the road. Gabriel Baker, 18, of Richmond, was a passenger in a 2000 Chevrolet S10 on Southwest Austin Drive near Mirabile when the driver, a 15-year-old girl, was traveling

By NewsPress Now One child was taken to the hospital and another suffered minor injuries after a driver hit them while on their bike in St. Joseph. The St. Joseph Police Department told News-Press NOW that an 11-year-old and a 9-year-old were riding a bike on Felix Street, one on the seat and one on

By NewsPress Now The Platte County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim of a shooting Wednesday morning outside of a home in Dearborn, Missouri. Joshua C. Hinderliter, 37, of Dearborn, was killed after he was reportedly acting erratically outside of a residence.  The homeowner told law enforcement a partially clothed man was demonstrating “suspicious” behavior outside

By Jenna Wilson The St. Joseph Police Department recognized several officers and citizens Thursday morning for outstanding actions responding to emergencies. St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster opened the ceremony honoring individuals for working behind the scenes and putting their lives on the line in any event. “To the officers we’re recognizing today, thank you

By Chris Fortune Buchanan County officials are looking to address future needs for space and updated infrastructure at the local jail. The Buchanan County Commissioners are in the early stages of discussions about what to do with the nearly 40-year-old law enforcement center at 501 Faraon St. What started as a preliminary discussion to remodel

By NewsPress Now One man is in critical condition and a second is under arrest following a shooting Wednesday night in Midtown St. Joseph. Police were called to the Speedy’s Convenience Store at 1704 Mitchell Ave. at about 9:40 p.m. where they found a 40-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds, said Capt. Jeff Wilson of

By NewsPress Now A man is in a Des Moines hospital after receiving serious injuries in a crash Wednesday evening in Nodaway County. Joe Hamilton, 46, of New Market, Iowa, was flown to the hospital following the accident, which happened at 8:30 p.m. on Route JJ about 6 miles west of Hopkins, Missouri. He was

By Cameron Montemayor One man is dead after a shooting Wednesday morning on private property in Dearborn, Missouri, an incident that led to a lockdown of the North Platte School District. The Platte County Sheriff’s Office arrived in the 15000 block of Masonic Drive in Dearborn at about 9 a.m. following a call about a

By NewsPress Now As online threats continue to raise concerns for schools across Missouri and the country, a school district in Cameron, Missouri, was the latest to deal with worrisome social media posts. Law enforcement increased its presence on campuses of the Cameron R-1 School District after possible threats shared on TikTok were circulating. The

By Jenna Wilson The St. Joseph police department has been closely working with partnering agencies to monitor threats made to several area schools. According to a press release from the St. Joseph police department Monday, a social media character has made threats to several area schools. At this time, none of the threats are applicable

By NewsPress Now A 22-year-old suffered serious injuries after his Freightliner tractor went off the road Monday, 4 miles north of Lathrop. Hector Fonseca Mendez, of Madera, California, was northbound on Interstate 35 around 7:30 a.m. in a 2021 Freightliner tractor when he passed another vehicle, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol crash reports. As

By Jenna Wilson With harvest season approaching, it’s an important time to teach children about farm safety. For 10 years, the St. Joseph Safety and Health Council has held the Safety Acres program to educate hundreds of elementary students in the St. Joseph School district on ways to prevent farm-related injuries. Safety Acres also addresses

By NewsPress Now The St. Joseph Police Department responded to a residence near the intersection of Walnut and S. 21st streets around 6:15 p.m. Friday. A News-Press NOW reporter saw four police cars in the area. Officers on the scene declined to comment at this time.  News-Press NOW will provide updates as they become available.