Business/Consumer

By Chris Fortune A federal grant could provide a lifeline for East Hills Cleaners, which is growing to better serve its customers. The Community Development Block Grant provides grants to cities through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. St. Joseph is permitted to allocate funds to small businesses through the program to support

By Jazmine Knight What should have been standard HVAC repairs left one St. Joseph woman inconvenienced and out thousands of dollars, and she’s warning others to do their research before hiring anyone. It all started back in June of 2023, when Amy Bowman hired a local contracting company to install the HVAC. Even though it

By NewsPress Now A St. Joseph man is Missouri American Water’s new vice president of operations. Jody Carlson joined the company in 2015 and has served as senior operations manager, director of Northwest operations and vice president of engineering and business development. He previously was the city’s director of public works and was an engineer

By NewsPress Now St. Joseph’s Chamber of Commerce president is one of the state’s 2024 Women of Achievement Award winners. Natalie Hawn was one of 10 women selected from more than 500 nominated statewide. The award was established in 2022 by Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe to recognize the accomplishments of residents in conjunction with Women’s

By Cameron Montemayor A popular local Chinese restaurant is set for a comeback in St. Joseph under new management after closing its doors in December. Twin Dragon owner Mohammad “Sharif” Nazar confirmed to News-Press NOW the restaurant will reopen at its previous location at 2604 N. Belt Highway. While no official reopening day has been

By Chris Fortune A group dedicated to uplifting local entrepreneurs came together to celebrate its ongoing success. Cup of Joe was created to be an outlet for entrepreneurs in the area to come together and share the stories of their businesses and gain feedback from other business-minded individuals. During its weekly meetings, two entrepreneurs share

By Chris Fortune The remaining portion of a lot where a hotel is being built near the Shoppes at North Village is being proposed as an event center. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Stein and Summers Real Estate announced the proposal as a 25,000- to 30,000-square-foot building that can accommodate more than 400 people. The intention is

By Riley Funk St. Joseph is gearing up to showcase local eateries and businesses for the fifth annual St. Joseph Restaurant Week, which begins Thursday. Restaurant Week, running from Feb. 22 to March 3, is put on by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and Joe Town Fun, with John Joe Insurance being the 2024

By Charles Christian A monthly meeting series is providing St. Joseph residents with a safe space to talk about all things related to death and dying. Megan Mooney, a licensed social worker, is the facilitator of Death Cafe in St. Joseph. She said the meetings are not agenda-driven, and instead are led by the interests

By NewsPress Now A local yoga studio highlighted the number of ways yoga can be beneficial to cardiovascular health during American Heart Month. Yoga combines the mental and physical aspects of health, said Jessica Bledsoe, a naturopath practitioner and founder of Evolve Studio in St. Joseph. Bledsoe has over 16 years of experience in physical

By NewsPress Now A new business in the Shoppes at North Village is bringing more boba tea and other unique drinks to St. Joseph. Fatbee Cafe is open for customers at 5107 N. Belt Highway near Claire’s and Chipotle. The cafe hosted its soft opening Feb. 10 and serves a variety of drinks, like its

By Chris Fortune Last-minute shoppers kept local florists busy on Valentine’s Day as they searched for the right arrangements. It’s one of the busiest days of the year at flower shops, with phones constantly ringing on the day before Valentine’s Day. But the holiday can be exciting for florists, especially when they work on designer’s

By Harry Loomis The Rendezvous Bar is relocating to a new Downtown location in the coming weeks. The bar, known for its live music, has called 619 Felix St. home since the 1980s. When owner Keith Dudley bought the bar last year, he didn’t anticipate the move. However, as a realtor, he knew he couldn’t

By Jazmine Knight Valentine’s Day is just days away, and local florists are encouraging people to not wait any longer to order flower arrangements for their significant other. Local flower shop owner Stacy Fisher says the Valentine’s Day surge has already begun. However, she and her team at Garden Gate Flowers have been preparing since

By Charles Christian As people prepare for big gatherings filled with food and drinks, local stores are making sure these gatherings will be well-stocked. Two locally-owned stores have been preparing for weeks, adding personnel and decorating the stores to make things more accessible. Jeff Heitman, co-owner of Green Hills grocery stores, said between decorations, food

By Cameron Montemayor Restaurant enthusiasts in St. Joseph can now add authentic Indian cuisine to their menu of culinary destinations. Clay Oven Indian Cuisine officially opened its doors for business Wednesday at 1209 N. Belt Highway in St. Joseph, making it one of the first authentic Indian restaurants to call St. Joseph home. “It’s not

By Cameron Montemayor Restaurant enthusiasts in St. Joseph can now add authentic Indian cuisine to their menu of culinary destinations. Clay Oven Indian Cuisine officially opened its doors for business Wednesday at 1209 N. Belt Highway in St. Joseph, making it one of the first authentic Indian restaurants to call St. Joseph home. “It’s not

By Charles Christian Despite relatively encouraging national numbers in 2023, local used car dealers are still riding the roller coaster when it comes to sales. The used car market has seen its share of ups and downs in the past year. According to industry tracker markline.com, used car sales were up just over 12% in

By Chris Fortune Development of a hotel near the Shoppes at North Village will clear another hurdle next week. Buchanan County Commissioners will sign closing documents for a plot of land off North Village Drive, just north of Jack Horner’s Machinery-Contractors, on Monday. The signing will pave the way for Rimrock Development, a Florida-based real

By Harry Loomis As revitalization efforts continue Downtown, retail and restaurant owners are finding it’s not as simple as if you open it, they will come. The growing number of people who live and work Downtown has helped form a core consumer base. “When we do date night every weekend, we try our hardest to

By Chris Fortune A local cookie shop is giving Kansas City Chiefs fans the chance to enjoy the sweet taste of victory and a Super Bowl appearance through its treats. The Chiefs’ winning ways are good for local business, and that extends to Country Cookie at 206 S. Belt Highway. Country Cookie already makes 50

By NewsPress Now Marco Polo Restaurant, the Downtown eatery known for its unique Italian-Asian fusion menu, closed for good on Saturday. Opening in December 2018, it invoked the legacy of the famous merchant of Venice who spent more than 20 years in the 13th century traveling throughout the Mongol Empire, mainly China. By coincidence, Polo

By Jazmine Knight Time Out Entertainment Center is now introducing a new addition.  The entertainment center is now opening their doors to serve as an event center as well.  Owner, Adam Mariott says they had the extra space but they just didn’t know what to do with it.  “We started talking and it just seemed

By Kendra Simpson Empty storefronts are giving way to hot spots for entertainment, eclectic restaurants and family-friendly activities that aim to bring Downtown St. Joseph back to its past as a buzzing hub of the community. Thanks to collaborative efforts by merchants and other interested parties, within the last decade, several boutiques, bars and restaurants

By Chris Fortune The support of friends and family is helping the owner of a popular German restaurant in St. Joseph get the doors to his establishment back open after the death of his longtime partner. Patrons of the Cabbage Roll expressed concern when the restaurant closed on Nov. 20 that the doors would stay

By Cameron Montemayor Tess Campbell wasn’t entirely sure how things would go after taking a leap of faith to open her own pet grooming salon in a highly competitive market in St. Joseph. Working in a corporate pet chain job with close friend and eventual first employee Mary Dugger for four years, the two left

By Ashley Luthans Since its long-awaited grand reopening last July, the Trail Theatre has found success uniting old traditions with new ideas. The Trail began as a traditional movie theater in 1951 and operated as such for more than five decades. The theater closed in 2007 but reopened under new management last year. Susan Montee,

By Jazmine Knight With President Joe Biden’s goal to have 50% of all new vehicle sales be electric cars, the push for electric continues to increase. However, fluctuating temperatures in the Midwest can dramatically impact their performance. Based on a 2019 study conducted by AAA, results showed that when the temperature dropped below 20 degrees,