The St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau is asking for help distributing eclipse guides ahead of an anticipated influx of people to the area.

Beth Conway, Dir. of Communications with CVB said with four days until the Total Solar Eclipse there were still around 300 cases of eclipse guides with 50 in a case left to distribute.

“There are thousands and thousands of people coming from everywhere so basically we’re asking for help from our community,” Conway said. “We’d really like help getting these visitors guides out to the public.”

She said they can be picked up at no cost at CVB locations at 104 S. 4th street or 502 Woodbine.

“Especially business owners, if you’ve got a place that visitors are going to be coming into, restaurants, hotels, shopping centers,” Conway said. “It talks mostly about the eclipse and all the events going on in St. Joseph during the eclipse, but it also has general information in it about lodging, about parks, about all of our great museums. It also has a map in the center of it.”

Around 75,000 guides have already been distributed. To view the digital guide CLICK HERE. For more information on the guides contact the CVB at (816) 233-6688.

Authorities are asking the public for help locating a vehicle in connection with a burglary investigation in Livingston County.

According to the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday the office began investigating a burglary and theft from a building in the 2000 block of Liv 408 in the Mooresville area. The burglar(s) forced entry to the building and removed at least the following items:

1 Echo Chainsaw, 1 Belt Sander, 1 Black and Decker Jig Saw, 1 Skill circular saw, 1 Kobalt drill bit set, 1 Stanley socket set and 1 Stihl weedeater.

The LCSO is searching for the vehicle shown in the photo provided and any information about this vehicle as the driver is a person of interest. Anyone with information is asked to call the LCSO at 660-646-0515, dispatch at 660-646-2121, or submit a crime tip on line at www.livcoso.org.

Classes begin on Wednesday for the St. Joseph School District and the district has some bus safety tips for riders and their parents.

According to a press release, on the first day of school, bus drivers will send home communication with students that includes bus expectations and rules. Drivers will also make sure to have contact information for students.

The school district has some tips for parents for a low stress first day include:

• Have your child to the bus stop five minutes early. This helps keep everything on schedule and makes sure students don’t miss the bus. It also eliminates safety issues from students running to catch the bus.
• Meet your kindergartner or first grader at the bus stop. Bus drivers cannot drop off or pick up kindergartners or first graders without a parent present at the bus stop. If a parent is not present, the driver will return the student to the school.
• Be patient the first week. The first week can be hectic at the schools at the end of the day, which may delay buses. Buses may drop off a little later for this reason.
• Double check that you have the correct stop at the correct time. Apple Bus and SJSD have worked hard to make routes efficient and safe, while still keeping bus stops within 1-2 blocks of each student. Bus routes may change from year to year, or as the bus drivers get more information about ridership. Find more information on the SJSD website.

Some bus safety tips include:

Stay back off the road, and do not approach the bus until it comes to a complete stop. If crossing in front of the bus, make eye contact with the driver and wait for the driver to give the okay to cross.

Always cross in front of the bus – never behind the bus, which is a blind spot. Walk 10 feet in front of the bus.

The City of St. Joseph is taking public input on projects for the next Capital Improvements Program.

According to the city, the half-cent CIP sales tax is the only current source of funding for major public infrastructure in the city of St. Joseph. On average, 80% of the funding for capital projects comes from the half-cent tax.

Projects funded through the CIP sales tax have included the reconstruction of the Riverside
Road and Gene Field intersection, Remington Nature Center, REC Center, replacement of
public safety radio infrastructure, renovation of Patee Market, improvements to Krug Park,
the renovation of the baseball fields at Hyde Park, and two new fire stations currently under
construction. Approximately 60% of the current CIP program is dedicated to street
maintenance.

Projects submitted must be for a public purpose, i.e., to build, improve, maintain or repair
public facilities which can include roads, bridges, buildings, sewers, drainage, etc. CIP sales
tax revenues cannot be used on private facilities.

Those interested in submitting a public project for consideration can access a form on the
city’s website at http://www.stjoemo.org/DocumentCenter/View/5831 or by contacting the
city manager’s office at 271-4610. At a minimum, the information required includes the
type, location, and justification for the project as well as an estimate of the cost involved.

The completed form needs to be submitted to Mary Robertson, Communications & Public
Relations Manager, City Hall, Room 305, 1100 Frederick Avenue, St. Joseph, MO 64501,
no later than 5pm, Friday, September 15, 2017.