Three people were injured in a Tuesday afternoon crash south of Atchison.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol 30 year old Katie R. Turpin of Atchison, driving a 1998 Saturn, was stopped on U73 waiting to turn left onto 262nd Road.

Jason D. Sutley of Lancaster, driving a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan, failed to stop, and crashed into the rear of the Saturn.

Turpin was transported to Heartland Regional Medical Center. A passenger in the Saturn, Beth Clark age 32 of Atchison, was transported to KU Medical Center.

Sutley was taken to the Atchison Hospital.

4:33 p.m. At least one female passenger from the Tuesday afternoon crash is being transported for treatment. A helicopter is also being used to transport victims.

4:21 p.m.  First responders have been dispatched to report of a 2 vehicle injury crash at U73 and 262 Road, south of Atchison.  Stay tuned to Eagle Radio and check St. Joseph Post for details as they become available.

The St Joseph School District did not violate its policies in connection with recent accusations of inappropriate behavior by a kindergartner at Hosea Elementary School.

That’s the word from the district’s Director of Student Services Dr. Jake Long.

“The kids at Hosea Elementary school are safe,” Long said in an interview. “The principal is in constant contact with the parents of the children involved.”

Long also says the district has been in “constant contact” with all the parents, with St Joseph Police, and with the State’s Department of Family Services.

Parents of as many as five students at Hosea have complained to the media that the young boy has touched young girls inappropriately and worse. The accusations date back to last September. A lawsuit against the district is reportedly in the works.

Long says he can’t speak to any of the specifics.

“We’re limited on what we can say about student behavior or student consequences,” he said.

Long said their investigation is continuing, but he sees no need for changes in district policy right now. If the policy is shown to be flawed, he said they would look into possible changes.

–NumbersUSA today announced that Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) received an “A” rating for his voting record and actions to combat illegal immigration and promote sustainable legal immigration in 2013, tops among members of the Missouri delegation. Graves earned a 92 percent overall rating in the first session of the 113th Congress – third highest in the U.S. House – and received “A+” marks in the areas of reducing illegal jobs and amnesty enticements, among other topics. According to the organization, Graves’ overall career grade remains an “A+” with last year’s strong rating. NumbersUSA was founded to promote the findings of the bipartisan U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform chaired by civil rights leader and former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan (D-TX).

“Our primary goal in any immigration plan should be to control and defend our borders,” said Graves, who last year introduced the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act. “This is an important responsibility of the Federal government and we are not doing enough, as made evident by the over 11 million illegal immigrants currently in the country. Additionally, our government must do everything possible to ensure the American workforce consists of legal workers, especially during these tough economic times, which is why my bill includes improvements to E-Verify.”

BACKGROUND: The Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act (H.R. 830)increases border security with the addition of 5,000 Border Patrol Agents and improves infrastructure with additional fencing and vehicle barriers at the border. It also enhances existing interior enforcement by increasing the number of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and expediting the process of removing illegal aliens from the U.S.

The SAVE Act also expands and mandates E-Verify to provide American employers with the tools they need to ensure that their employees are legally permitted to work in the U.S. E-verify is an effective, inexpensive, and quick way for employers to verify employment authorization. More than 200,000 employers already utilize the highly successful program on a voluntary basis.

The St. Joseph School District Foundation is currently asking for nominations for 2014-2015 Bender’s Home Care Teacher of the Year, Hy-Vee Foods Support Staff of the Year and Meierhoffer Innovator of the Year. This year, they will also be adding a new award – the American Family Insurance Volunteer of the Year. All awards honor District employees or volunteers.

“Adding the Volunteer of the Year award to the honors is exciting,” said Charisse Giseburt, District Volunteer Coordinator. “The St. Joseph School District has outstanding volunteers who donate their time and talents to benefit the students and teachers. They deserve to be recognized and praised. You won’t have to look hard to find a volunteer to nominate. All of the schools have a strong volunteer base and dedicated people who are invaluable in our district.”

These awards have a long history in the District. The Teacher of the Year award was first given in 1977, the Support Person of the Year was introduced in 1985, and the Innovator of the Year has been around since 1993. This year, the Foundation is excited to add the Volunteer of the year.

“In looking at the current awards that are offered,” said Lisa Rost, SJSD Foundation Board Member. “We felt there was a need to also honor those that volunteer their own time in the schools, helping to educate our children. It’s important to honor those individuals that are teaching and working with our students each year, helping to build and grow an educated work force for the community.”

Community members are welcome to nominate teachers, staff or volunteers for awards. Nomination forms are available in all buildings in the Principal’s office, or from the Personnel office in the SJSD Downtown office at 925 Felix, or on the SJSD Foundation website: http://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/Page/4084.

Each award has different criteria, so please read the nomination form carefully. The Innovator of the Year nomination is due Jan. 31. The Teacher of the Year nomination is due Feb. 7. The Support Person of the Year and Volunteer of the Year nominations are due Feb. 14.

Awards are given for the following school year, and will be awarded at the Tribute to Teacher Recognition Dinner or Employee Reception in April 2014.

The 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year is Amanda-Fay Moore, teacher at Coleman Elementary. The current Innovator of the Year is Adam Lewis, teacher at Colgan Alternative Resource Center. The current Support Staff of the Year is Rhonda Hoselton, Office Manager at the Curriculum office.