A man appeared in court Tuesday in connection with the shooting death of Anthony Minor last week in St. Joseph.

Raydel Cespedes is charged in Buchanan County with a first-degree class-C felony charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Minor’s death.

As we reported, court documents stated Cespedes was in a verbal argument with the victim outside of the residence located at 2010 Edmond Street, then went inside his home and got a gun and returned to the front door. Det. Greg Ogdahl said while holding the gun Cespedes again began to argue with the victim then shot the unarmed victim at least one time while the victim was standing outside of the residence.

Cespedes appeared Tuesday for an arraignment in front of Judge Rebecca Spencer. A preliminary hearing in the case has been scheduled for Aug. 24.

Cespedes remains behind bars in the Buchanan County Jail on $50,000 bond.

People were lined up for several blocks Monday at a St. Joseph agency waiting for help outfitting their children with new shoes for the start of the school year.

AFL-CIO Community Services held the Sole for Christ shoe distribution Monday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its location at 1203 N. 6th St.  Penny Adams, the agency’s executive director said hundreds were lined up when they opened up the doors.

“They were wrapped around our building and up Powell Street,” Adams said.

She said some of the first people in line said they had been there since 8 p.m. Sunday.

“They camped out the night before to get these shoes.  That’s how important and valuable these shoes are to these families,” Adams said. “For some of us that can afford it you don’t realize how hard it is to get kids in school and the cost.  When there’s programs like this to help them save a little bit of money the parents really appreciate it.”

Students from preschool through 12th grade in Buchanan and Andrew counties and Doniphan county in Kansas are eligible for a free pair of tennis shoes through the program. Adams said parents need to bring their children with them, proof of residency and a school ID or birth certificate.  Around 1:30 p.m. Monday, Adams estimated around 500 children had already been outfitted for the school year with a new pair of shoes.

“Last year we served 1,006 kids so we expect to serve that many this year and we wouldn’t be surprised to see an increase,” Adams said. “Every year all the prices of school supplies and school clothes and the fees all go up and wages aren’t doing the same thing…This program saves some families quite a bit of money depending on how many kids you have.”

The agency will be open again, Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the shoe distribution.

Community donations have made the shoe distribution possible. Adams said around 2,500 pairs were donated and that it’s not too late make a donation.

“We always have a little bit left at the end of the program but we save it for start up for next year and for anybody that doesn’t make the program throughout the year,” she said. ” We always hear about kids that need shoes and we still try to help them out.”

For more information contact AFL-CIO Community Services at (816) 364-1131.

(News release) – The entertainment schedule for the City Stage and Family Stage at Trails West!® 2017 has been released and features a wide variety of acts.

Entertainment on the City Stage and Family Stage ends before the Main Stage entertainment. Main Stage entertainment opens with funk rock fan favorite, Here Come the Mummies, who take the stage Friday night; music stars Trace Adkins and Clare Dunn entertain crowds Saturday; festival attendees Sunday will enjoy the musical talents of Stars Go Dim and Grand Funk Railroad. And don’t forget the Eclipse on Monday!

The City and Family Stage schedule is full of local favorites, mixed in with some brand new acts.

“We can’t wait to introduce this fantastic lineup for the 2017 festival,” said Shana Meyer, Trails West 2017 Co-Chair. “It will be a great weekend, full of talented musicians and performers. We are proud of the lineup we were able to secure this year, and we are really looking forward to showcasing these artists and highlighting them for their incredible gifts.”

City Stage

Friday, August 18^th, 2017

5:30 p.m. – Under the Big Oak Tree. Under the Big Oak Tree describes their musical style as heartfelt, picturesque, and timeless. Band members include Kristin Hamilton, Doug “Sluggo” Ward, and Simon Fink. American Roots Magazine described their first album as “A strong group of original songs that are perfect for warm summer nights, a classic country feel, and a sophisticated repertoire of music played by excellent musicians.”

6:30 p.m. – Flannigan’s Right Hook. This popular band, out of Kansas City, has been called a combination of country and Irish music. The band trio performs high energy concerts, and their instruments include a fiddle, a guitar, and a set of drums.

 

Saturday, August 19, 2017

10:15 a.m. – The Dance Arts Center. For thirty years the Dance Arts Center has taught students the art, discipline and joy of dance. The studio was founded in 1985 by Ms. Lynn Fankhauser. In 2005, former student and professional dancer Marla Heeler returned home from Chicago to carry on the tradition Ms. Lynn instilled in many students during her twenty-year career. The Dance Arts Center offers a wide variety of dance, including ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, musical theater, contemporary, hip-hop and tumbling. Students at the Dance Arts Center not only learn grace, poise and confidence, but they also gain a lifelong appreciation of dance, and develop skills such as team work, time management and problem solving.

11:15 a.m. – Stephanie Gummelt. This American Idol contestant is quickly becoming a Saint Joseph favorite. Stephanie Gummelt first began teaching herself guitar at age 12 and to date has written over fifty tracks. Her mix of pop-folk with a touch of rock topped with powerful vocals is sure to delight.

12:30 p.m. – Like Rabbits. Americana, Bluegrass, Folk

1:30 p.m. – The Sons of Brasil. In Kansas City, there is a popular jazz group that has performed every week since their inception in 1991. This would not be so remarkable, as Kansas City is renowned for its tradition of great jazz since the days of Count Basie and Charlie Parker. What is remarkable, is that this group of native Kansas Citians plays nothing but Brazilian jazz, with a flavor and passion one might think could only be found at a night club in Ipanema or Leblon. The Sons of Brasil invite you to sample these sounds, which stem from their love and admiration of “musica bem brasileira.”

2:30 p.m. – Oxymoron. Oxymoron is an up and coming band with funny antics and off-the- cuff interactions with their audience. They play a unique variety of music from multiple genres and multiple decades, appealing to most any crowd. Oxymoron has played at a variety of venues including Kauffman Stadium, Civic Arena, and several local venues including regular visits to The First Ward House in St Joseph, MO. However, the band’s most common performances have been private parties amongst the community due to their personable interactions with their crowds.

3:30 p.m. – Retro Active. RetroActive is a high energy classic rock cover band that brings back the memories with songs you will remember that you’ve forgot from the 70’s and 80’s. Over nine decades of combined experience, RetroActive has played at numerous festivals, private parties, and many local hangouts including Stingers in Wixom, Plymouth Roc, Baker’s in Milford, Captain Joe’s Lounge in Whitmore Lake, Northwood in South Lyon, Dam Site Inn in Hell, Pinckney Pub and Grill. Expect an energetic set list that gets people up and dancing.

4:30 p.m. – Oxymoron.

5:30 p.m. – Retro Active.

6:30 p.m. – State Line Drive. This band is made up of Micah and Mason Marrs along with Joel and Jordan Mills. The four play a mix of folk-pop with a country influence and is sure to be a crowd favorite.

Sunday, August 20, 2017

1:30 p.m. – Valentine & The Ticklers. Valentine & The Ticklers are Mark Valentine, (guitar & vocals) Jay EuDaly (guitar & vocals) and Phil Brenner (alto and tenor sax, flute, clarinet and vocals). The band plays covers from artists including Johnny Cash, CCR, Eric Clapton and others. Their mix of high energy and musical talents is sure to keep the crowd on their feet and singing along.

3:30 p.m. – Das Furbender. This new comer to the festival stems from Lawrence, KS and offers a mix of music including jazz, rock, and funk. Their high energy and crowd involvement is sure to delight festival goers.

4:30 p.m. – Under the Influence. Rock

5:30 p.m. – Casey Brett Acoustic. Casey Brett is a singer and songwriter from Savannah. He says his unique sound rides the line between Red Dirt and Texas Country. Casey performs over 250 shows a year in various cities and towns, giving a not to miss performance laced with energy, excitement and great music. He’s toured the Midwest circuits in Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska as well as performing in Alaska, Texas and Tennessee. Casey won the 2007 Missouri State Talent Show, 2008 Kansas City’s Q-104 Country Crooner Contest, and performed in the 2009 Country Stampede.

6:30 p.m. – Under the Influence.

Monday, August 21, 2017

10:30 a.m. – Eclipse! Musical revue with songs associated with the eclipse.

11:30 a.m. – The Baker Family. The Baker Family is a high energy bluegrass band located in south central Missouri. We perform at bluegrass events throughout the United States from Maine to California.

2:00 p.m. – The Baker Family. The Baker Family is a high energy bluegrass band located in south central Missouri. We perform at bluegrass events throughout the United States from Maine to California.

3:00 p.m. – Wooden Nickell Studios. Join Wooden Nickell Studios for a family friendly art class. Leading the instruction is Megan Thomas, a local painter. Born in 1985 in Trenton, Missouri, she studied art throughout her high school career and continued her art education at Missouri Western State University. She is the owner and operator of Wooden Nickell Studio. Currently she has been working on Abstract pieces, but also takes special requests form clients. Including but not limited to landscapes and portraits.

Buttons (tickets) are on sale now through August 16. They are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. All festival guests under the age of 10 are free while accompanied by an adult. Buttons will grant admission to all four days of the festival.  Purchase your festival buttons at the Allied Arts Council office, your local bank, online or at one of the many local businesses listed on the Trails West!® website, www.trailswest.org.

 

Trails West!® is an outdoor arts festival, celebrating the unique cultural heritage of St. Joseph, Mo. Hosted by the Allied Arts Council, the festival is coordinated by a volunteer steering committee and receives financial assistance from the Saint Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city of Saint Joseph, and the Missouri Arts Council; a state agency. Now in its 25^th year, the festival features fine arts, folk arts, culinary arts, music, dance, and theatre. The 2017 festival will be held August 18-21 at Civic Center Park.

The St. Joseph School District is touting a new campaign surrounding attendance called, “Strive for 5.”

Superintendent Dr. Robert Newhart said attendance rates in the district are an issue.

“We see good attendance at the elementary level and then it start to wane at the middle school but our high schools have got to step up to the plate,” Newhart said. “The attendance policy that has changed this year is that there will be a loss of credit for students that miss more than eight days during a semester.” (This quote has been corrected.  The SJSD said it is actually eight days not 10 as what was said in the original interview by mistake.)

Bridget Blevins, Director of Communications with the district said a campaign to combat low attendance is launching Monday encouraging students to strive for less than five days absent.

“One of the things that we’re doing this year is rolling out a new attendance campaign and it’s called Strive For 5,” Blevins said. “It’s going to be a marketing campaign to encourage students throughout the school year.”

The first day of school for the St. Joseph School District is Wednesday.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The following is a listing of general highway maintenance and construction work in the Northwest Missouri region planned for the week of Aug. 14 – 20 from the Missouri Department of Transportation. In addition to the work listed below, there may be pothole patching, bridge maintenance, striping, brush cutting, guardrail repairs and other road work conducted throughout the region. Many of these will be moving operations and could include lane closures with delays. All scheduled maintenance and construction projects are subject to change.

MoDOT reminds the public to stay alert, watch for road work, buckle up, slow down, and drive with extreme caution through work zones and in changing weather conditions.

Buchanan County

U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair at the Platte River Bridge (eastbound lanes only), Aug. 14 – 17

U.S. Route 59 (St. Joseph Avenue) – Milling and pothole patching at Maxwell Road, Aug. 14 – 17

Route 371 – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between Route 116 and Route H in Platte County, Aug. 14 – 18, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

U.S. Route 36 – Bridge and interchange project one mile east of Route AC, Aug. 14 – 19

Route 6 – A sidewalk improvement and resurfacing project between Interstate 29 and Woodbine Road, Aug. 14 – 19. This could include occasional night work.

Route N – CLOSED for pothole patching between Route 31 and the Clinton County line, Aug. 17 – 18, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 daily

Caldwell County

Route 116 – Shoulder work between U.S. Route 69 in Clinton County and Route A, Aug. 14 – 18

Carroll County

Route J – Pothole patching between Route 139 and U.S. Route 65, Aug. 14 – 15

Route UU – Drainage work between Route M and U.S. Route 65, Aug. 14 – 15

Routes M & U – Pothole patching, Aug. 15 – 16

Route C – Pothole patching, Aug. 17 – 18

Chariton County

Route D – Bridge maintenance at the Clark Branch Bridge, Aug. 14

Route D – Bridge maintenance at the Bee Branch Bridge, Aug. 15

Route 5 – Pavement repair between Route E and the Linn County line, Aug. 16

Route PP – Bridge maintenance at the Chariton River Overflow Bridge, Aug. 16

Route PP – Bridge maintenance at the Middle Fork Chariton River Bridge, Aug. 17

Clinton County

I-35 – Pavement repair at the ramp from northbound I-35 to U.S. Route 36 (Exit 54), Aug. 14 – 16. This will include a 12-foot width restriction and the work zone will remain in place overnight.

I-35 – Pavement repair in the northbound lanes at mile marker 49, Aug. 16 – 17. This will include a 14-foot width restriction and the work zone will remain in place overnight.

Daviess County

Route DD – Bridge Maintenance at the I-35 overpass, Aug. 14

Route UU – Drainage work approximately two miles south of Route B, Aug. 14 – 15

Route KK – Bridge Maintenance at the I-35 overpass, Aug. 15 – 18

Gentry County

U.S. Route 169 – From Route 31 to Stanberry for a resurfacing project, Aug. 14 – 18

Route EE – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between Snead Ridge Road and 600^th Street, Aug. 16, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Grundy County

Route A – Pothole patching between U.S. Route 65 and Route C, Aug. 14 – 18

Route W – Sealing on the Hickory Creek Bridge and the Wolf Creek Bridge, Aug. 15 – 18

Harrison County

Route P – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between U.S. Route 69 and West 165^th Avenue, Aug. 14, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route A – Sealing between Route T and Route B, Aug. 14

Route N – Sealing between I-35 and Route B, Aug. 15 – 16

Holt County

I-29 – Bridge replacement project at the Davis Creek Bridge near Exit 84, Aug. 14 – 20. I-29 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction. This includes a 12-foot width restriction. The lane closures will remain in place overnight.

Route 118 – The ramp from Route 118 to southbound I-29 is CLOSED for the Davis Creek Bridge replacement project. The southbound on-ramp will remain closed until Nov. 30.

Linn County

Route 139 – Drainage work between Route E and Route Y, Aug. 14

Route C – CLOSED for bridge maintenance between Route KK and Hawk Road, Aug. 15 – 16, 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Livingston County

U.S. Route 36 – Bridge maintenance in the westbound lanes at the Grand River Bridge, Aug. 14 – 17

Nodaway County

Route MM – CLOSED for culvert repairs between U.S. Route 136 and 280^th Street, Aug. 14, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route B – Pothole patching between Route 148 and Route FF, Aug. 14 – 18

Putnam County

Routes A, F and HH – Pothole patching, Aug. 14 – 18

Sullivan County

Routes D, FF, H and HH – Sealing, Aug. 14 – 18

Routes 5 and 6 – Slide repair, Aug. 14 – 19

Worth County

Route 246 – CLOSED at the Platte River Bridge for a bridge replacement project. The bridge will be closed through September.

Route O – Pothole patching, Aug. 14 – 18