The Missouri State Highway Patrol is asking motorists to make safety a priority this holiday season.
Last year, there were 1,618 traffic crashes during the Christmas counting period. In those crashes, seven people were killed and another 541 were injured. During the 2017 Christmas holiday, troopers arrested 92 people for driving while impaired.
The patrol said a few things you can do to improve traffic safety this holiday season are to check your vehicle before you travel to ensure that it is in good working condition, to make sure you are well rested before driving to your destination, no matter how short the distance and to keep an eye on the weather. Above all, they ask that you obey all traffic laws, be a courteous driver, and drive sober.
Remember: Holiday drivers will affect traffic patterns. Check the weather forecast and plan accordingly. The Road Condition Report number is 1-888-275-6636. Allow extra time to reach your destination and obey all traffic laws.
The 2018 Christmas holiday counting period begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 21, 2018, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, December 25, 2018.
If faced with a traffic emergency, motorists can contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone. This emergency number will ring into the nearest Highway Patrol headquarters. Motorists should use this number if they are in a traffic crash, witness a crash or crime, or observe a stranded motorist in need of assistance, or other traffic emergencies.
Warm temperatures will continue through the weekend and well into next week. Rain is possible by early Wednesday, continuing off and on through early Friday. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 44. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the evening.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. West southwest wind 7 to 11 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. West northwest wind around 7 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 47. West wind 6 to 9 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32.
Christmas Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 48.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Wednesday: Rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 46. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night: Rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday: Rain and snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
A state audit of Kansas’s only juvenile corrections facility uncovered allegations of violence between staff members and sexual relationships between workers and the underage inmates.
Seven respondents to a survey of current and former Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex staff said they had been assaulted or attacked by other staff. NOMIN UJIYEDIIN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
A survey attempted to reach 229 current and former employees of the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex in Topeka. Only 48 responded.
But of those responding, seven people reported being attacked or assaulted by other staff. There were three reports of sexual relationships between staff and youth at the facility.
Other comments alleged that the facility falsified metrics by removing residents from solitary confinement during auditors’ visits.
The Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex in Topeka housed 171 youth in July 2018, when the state conducted an audit of the facility’s workplace culture. CREDIT NOMIN UJIYEDIIN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
Staff at the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit said that the number of responses was too low to draw definitive conclusions, but the comments were still cause for concern. The audit did not verify the responses, which were anonymous.
“The responses do provide some insight into the culture at the facility,” wrote Legislative Post Auditor Justin Stowe in the report.
Kansas state Sen. Anthony Hensley and state Rep. John Alcala requested the audit following the assault of a KJCC employee in December 2017. Kyle Rohr, then superintendent of the facility, was convicted of battery this July for grabbing an accountant’s arm after she failed to gather enough volunteers for a Christmas party. Rohr resigned following the conviction.
Alcala said he was concerned about the work environment at the facility and the culture of management at the Kansas Department of Corrections.
“No one should have to be working in that type of environment,” he said. “Physical contact, from staff to staff, employee to employee, should be zero tolerance.”
As of July’s audit, KJCC housed 171 residents aged 13 through 21. The Topeka facility provides maximum- and medium-security detention for young people convicted of charges that would be considered felonies if they were adults.
The state previously audited the KJCC in 2012, finding issues with management, safety, training and staff discipline. A follow-up audit in 2015 found that some of the problems had been resolved, while others, like outdated policies and inadequate supervision of youth at the facility, were not adequately addressed.
This year’s audit received fewer responses and revealed mixed perspectives. Six respondents to the survey agreed with the statement that “Employee morale at KJCC is high,” while 23 employees disagreed. Sixteen respondents agreed that “Appropriate actions are taken when staff violate policies,” while 21 disagreed. Twenty-three respondents agreed that they feel safe working at the facility and 12 disagreed.
Some survey respondents agreed that they felt intimidated or threatened by co-workers or management. Some agreed that they feared retaliation from peers or management.
“Staff should never be in fear of termination on a daily basis and many are scared if they ‘screw up,’ they will be fired. Even for minor things,” commented one respondent.
Another survey comment: “Anyone that speaks out about staff safety or any issues is targeted until the staff can no longer take the abuse and quits.”
The audit also received multiple comments reflecting “a pervasive ‘boys’ club’ mentality that provides preferential treatment to favored staff and encourages others to quit if they are unhappy,” and lenient treatment of residents “which puts staff in danger.”
Andy Brienzo, who conducted the audit, said the results couldn’t be projected onto every KJCC employee, but they accurately reflected the opinions of the 48 respondents.
“When you have a number of people saying similar things, or saying the same thing on a survey,” he said in a phone interview, “that lends some gravity to what they’re saying.”
Kansas Department of Corrections spokesman Samir Arif declined to comment on personnel matters. He said allegations of sexual assault are investigated according to guidelines set by the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act.
“It is absolutely the duty of every staff member of the Kansas Department of Corrections to report if there are sexual assault allegations,” Arif said.
Arif said the department had a “zero tolerance” policy for sexual abuse, but he did not clarify whether the policy included termination of employment or prosecution. Under Kansas law, incarcerated people are unable to consent to sexual activities with corrections staff.
Mike Fonkert, a juvenile justice advocate at nonprofit Kansas Appleseed, said the survey results reflected a need for change at the management level.
“These are the kids with the highest needs,” he said. “If we’ve got a facility that has infighting and staff problems… it’s not difficult to imagine that they’re not getting what they need.”
Alcala, who requested the KJCC audit, agreed.
“Any time you’re talking about a hostile work environment, physical contact, sexual assault or sexual affairs, I think that is a priority,” Alcala said. “If the corrections director hasn’t seen that and looked at that and immediately addressed it, what does that tell you?”
Lindsay Verbick, left, was the 2018 Shop St. Joseph grand prize winner. Photo by Sarah Thomack.
The 2018 St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Shop St. Joseph program winner may be using some of the $10,000 grand prize to purchase a much-needed new furnace.
Lindsay Verbick, 40, is an avid shopper at Consentino’s Price Chopper, where the award was given.
“I go to Price Chopper every day,” Verbick said. “If it’s not for a few groceries, it’s to go to the in-store Starbucks.”
According to a press release from the Chamber, the married mother of a 9-year-old son works and volunteers at her son’s school. She was PTA Volunteer of the Year at Oak Grove Elementary School last year. An avid shopper who loves to buy local, she said she jokes that she volunteers so much “to keep me out of the stores.”
However, most of the $10,000 prize winnings will not be going into a shopping spree. The day before the Shop St. Joseph drawing, she asked on Facebook if Santa brought furnaces for Christmas.
“Tuesday morning, our furnace went out,” she said. “Luckily, it’s been on the warmer side, but that is a huge expense that we weren’t expecting.”
Her Shop St. Joseph ticket was verified as the official ticket at the St. Joseph Chamber office Wednesday night. The winning ticket was in the middle of a long string of other tickets.
“What’s funny is, I didn’t even want to go shopping that night, but we were out of milk and really needed groceries,” Verbick said. “I’m really glad now that I went!”
After the furnace is paid for, she hopes to do something fun for her family with anything remaining.
Shop St. Joseph is in its 11th year. Dozens of second chance prizes are also being awarded. Click here to see the list.
St. Joseph Transit riders can now purchase bus passes with their smartphone.
Token Transit is a free app that allows riders to purchase their bus passes on their smart phones using a credit or debit card. The app displays a digital pass on the phone’s screen, eliminating the need for a paper pass. It also eliminates the need to purchase a monthly pass at a specific time.
“Right now, you buy it and it expires at the end of the month, regardless of whether you bought it on the first or the 21st of the month,” Bruce Woody, St. Joseph City Manager, said. “This new system, once you buy a 30-day pass, it’s good for 31 days from the date you purchase it, so you get the maximum use of your pass.”
In addition to monthly bus passes, customers may purchase single ride tickets, 10-Ride Ticket Books, and Deviations with the app. The app also allows customers who are eligible for a discounted fare (seniors, disabled, and youth riders) to purchase their discounted fares on their smartphone.
“This app makes paying the bus fare much more convenient,” Andy Clements, Director of Public Works and Transportation said. “We encourage any customer with a smartphone to try it… there is a fifty percent discount for the customer’s first purchase using the app.”
The app is being used by over 50 transit systems around the country, including Springfield Utilities in southern Missouri.
Go to: tokentransit.com to get the app, or search for it in the Apple or Google Play stores.
The weekend ahead will feature above normal temperatures with highs in the 40s and mostly sunny skies. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 14 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. North northwest wind 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 42. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Light and variable wind becoming south southwest 5 to 7 mph in the evening.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47. West northwest wind 7 to 13 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.
Christmas Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 45.
Tuesday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday: A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 47. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man has been sentenced to 105 years in prison for wounding his ex-girlfriend and killing her boyfriend by firing into their vehicle.
Denico Crawley-photo Boone Co.
Denico Crawley was sentenced Monday for second-degree murder, armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.
Prosecutors say his ex-girlfriend was approaching an Interstate 70 entrance ramp in June 2017 when Crawley fired 11 shots into her SUV. She survived three gunshot wounds and testified that Crawley was the shooter. Her boyfriend, 25-year-old Quenten Hurt, died 16 days later of complications from the shooting.
At the time of the shooting, Crawley was on parole for drug dealing and resisting arrest.
(UPDATE 7:28 p.m.) – The grand prize Shop St. Joseph winning ticket number 0457129 has been claimed.
A check presentation will be at Price Chopper Thursday afternoon.
Shoppers are encouraged to keep their tickets as second-chance prize numbers will be released Thursday.
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The winning number for the Shop St. Joseph Holiday Program is: 0457129
The shopper with the winning ticket has 24 hours to come forward to claim the $10,000 prize. Shoppers are urged to keep their tickets because if the winner hasn’t come forward by 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, another number will be announced. This process will continue at 5 p.m. on weekdays until a winner comes forward with the correct ticket.
The winner must call the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce at (816) 232-4461 during business hours or (816) 261-3610 after business hours to arrange a time to verify the ticket. He or she must come to the Chamber office at 3003 Frederick Ave. before 5 p.m. Thursday to claim the prize.
The winner must be 18 or older. Proof of age, Social Security number, home address and place of employment (if applicable) is required to claim the prize. Chamber of Commerce staff, Chamber officers and their immediate family members (dependents living at the same address) are not eligible to win the grand prize. Participating business owners, managers and employees are eligible to win, with the exception of tickets distributed through their own place of business (including other participating locations).
The winner will be responsible for any applicable taxes.
This is the program’s 11th year and almost 1.9 million tickets were distributed this year, which is the most in program history. In 2017, 1.8 million were distributed, in comparison to 400,000 in 2007.
There were 120 merchants this year compared to 108 last year. In 2007, there were 59 merchants.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Missouri farmer is accused of marketing $140 million worth of non-organic corn, soybeans and wheat as organic over a 7 1/2 year period.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, charged Randy Constant with fraud on Wednesday. The Chillicothe man is expected to appear in court Thursday.
Constant owned and operated two companies that grew and sold organics. He’s accused of saying his grains were certified organic because some of them came from organic farms he operated in Nebraska and Missouri. But prosecutors say more than 90 percent of his product was non-organic grain purchased from other farmers.
The charging document alleges the scheme resulted in $142.4 million of sales to 10 customers nationwide from 2010 to mid-2017.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is asking motorists to make safety a priority this holiday season. 
Warm temperatures will continue through the weekend and well into next week. Rain is possible by early Wednesday, continuing off and on through early Friday. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
The Shop St. Joseph grand prize was claimed, but there are still chances for more prizes with second chance numbers.
St. Joseph Transit riders can now purchase bus passes with their smartphone. 
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Missouri farmer is accused of marketing $140 million worth of non-organic corn, soybeans and wheat as organic over a 7 1/2 year period.