The St. Joseph Adult Education and Literacy program is offering free preparation classes for anyone not immediately ready to take the HiSET (GED) exam.
The next orientation will be held from 9 a.m. until noon or 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 22-25, in the annex of the Webster building, 1211 N. 18th Street, Door #4.
Students must be 20 or older to attend the orientation and must attend all four days of orientation to be able to start classes May 30.
According to the Missouri Department of Labor and workforce development website, a person with a high school credential earns and $10,000 more annually than a high school dropout.
For more information about the HSE test, click here and for more information about orientation, call (816) 671-4020.
Downed trees in a forest provide soil nutrients as well as homes for a variety of species. (Photo by Virginia Carter/Courtesy Missouri News Service)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An effort is underway to designate an old-growth forest in every county in the United States that has forestland.
The Old-Growth Forest Network is spearheading the effort.
The group’s executive director, Joan Maloof, says 95 percent of the nation’s original forestland has been removed or radically altered.
She says people who want to visit an older forest often have to travel many miles to do so, and if those forests aren’t protected now, future generations won’t get a chance to experience them at all.
Maloof says tall trees help identify an old-growth forest, but tree age isn’t the only consideration. She explains downed logs slowly release nutrients to the forest floor, which feed new growth and provide homes for a variety of species.
“You will find some trees that are larger than you would find in a more recently logged forest,” she points out. “And they’re home for so many organisms – so much fungi, so many insects, so many reptiles and amphibians. ”
In Missouri, about 62,000 acres of forestland contain some trees at least 130 years old, but fewer than 800 acres are considered prime examples of undisturbed old growth forest.
That works out to less than .05 of 1 percent of Missouri’s 14 million acres of forestland.
Maloof says about 3 out of 4 counties nationwide have forests worth preserving, and she believes spending time in these undisturbed spots can improve a person’s health.
“In addition to what we see through our eyes – the birds and the insects and the fungi that are there – we’re also breathing in things that are given off by all those organisms that can actually affect our health and our mood,” she explains.
Maloof says volunteers are key to saving forests across the country and her group is looking for people who can help.
It also is asking Missourians to nominate areas to be considered for inclusion in the Old-Growth Forest Network. That can be done at oldgrowthforest.net.
A topic at a Wednesday night work session was the expansion of the St. Joseph transit system.
St. Joseph City Manager Bruce Woody said the City of St. Joseph’s transit service goes back a hundred years starting with trolleys and it has seen some changes through the years. Woody said during the work session the discussion revolved around changes needing to be made to the current transit system.
“I think the only frustration we hear with any regularity from our riders is the length of time between bus rides, the length of time it takes to get all the way across town particularly if you have to change buses,” Woody said. “For the most part, the time between buses is about an hour. We refer to that in the industry as the headways, the distances between buses.”
Woody said an idea was pitched to the city council about alleviating some of the frustrations.
“At the work session they supported the notion of adding additional buses and staff to be able to decrease those headways during the peak hours of the morning and the late evening when people are going predominantly to and from work.”
Woody said it will cost an estimated $2.6 million to buy an additional seven buses and there would also be an increase of operating costs. If everything is approved to move forward with the changes, it could be an 18 to 24 month wait after the buses are ordered.
A man officials believe was responsible for numerous “smash and grab” and other thefts blamed his drug addiction for the thefts, and could soon be sentenced to a prisoner treatment program.
Jarrett Crockett Hendrix’es lawyer said the defendant was living in a fog of methamphetamine and pot, using up to an “8-ball” a day of meth, and that stealing was the only way he could get drugs.
Hendrix pleaded guilty to one class-d felony count of stealing in April, in connection with an incident February 24th. Court documents say he entered a store on South 40th Street in St. Joseph, selected about $1,100 in merchandise and left as employees were chasing behind him.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Bachman said officials believe Crockett was responsible for recent thefts at Gordman’s, Roth’s, Dollar General, Rally House, CVS Pharmacy and The Fort.
Hendrix said “I’ve done it the past and will continue doing it,” and blamed his addiction. He asked the judge for a chance for to get off drugs. Hendrix has been incarcerated in the county jail for several weeks for other crimes. Judge Daniel Kellogg continued the sentencing hearing until June 26, which he said would give the defendant six or seven months of clean time. There is a bed opening up in July in a Department of Corrections alternative treatment program.
If all goes as planned, Hendrix will receive a suspended sentence with 120 days of shock time, including possible entry into the treatment program. Judge Kellogg would retain jurisdiction, and could eventually grant probation in the case.
On its Web site, the Department of Corrections estimates that 83% percent of offenders were engaged in substance abuse in the twelve months prior to their incarceration.
JEFFERSON CITY – The safety belt usage rate in Missouri has slowly risen over the past 17 years, reaching 81 percent last year, but the state is still well below the national average of 90 percent.
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is joining with state and local law enforcement May 22–June 4 in the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign to highlight the importance of wearing your safety belt.
“Safety belts decrease your risk of dying in a crash by 45 percent,” said Missouri State Highway Patrol Superintendent, Colonel Sandra Karsten. “And last year alone, 943 lives were lost in Missouri crashes – 64 percent of them being unrestrained.”
The coalition also wants to remind drivers to keep their phones down while behind the wheel to reduce the risk of a crash.
“Even if you aren’t texting and driving, another driver could be. It’s still vital to wear your safety belt at all times – it could save your life,” said Highway Safety Director Bill Whitfield.
It’s the driver’s duty to assure all passengers are buckled before driving, including having all children in the appropriate restraints. Missouri’s child safety seat survey revealed that when drivers were not buckled up, 33 percent of children were not restrained either, but when the driver was buckled up, 98 of children were also restrained.
For more information about Click It or Ticket, visit saveMOlives.com or social media at Save MO Lives.
A St. Joseph man who forced his way into a home and robbed the residents at gunpoint for their food-stamps card pleaded guilty this week.
As we reported, Dominic Johnson was charged with a class-d felony count of stealing. In the courtroom of Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg Thursday, Johnson admitted his part in the incident in January in the 1500 block of Jules Street, in which residents were robbed of an EBT card.
Judge Kellogg followed the terms of a plea agreement and sentenced Johnson to three years in prison.
According to the Department of Corrections Web site, Johnson is already serving at least seven years. DOC lists prior crimes of assault, attempted drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and theft.
An area attorney is speaking out about issues he has with the use of polygraph tests.
Earlier this week, in an interview with 680 KFEQ’s Barry Birr, Lawyer David Graham of Overland Park, talked about problems he sees with lie detector tests.
“My problem with the polygraph examination is, it is non-scientific, or some would call it pseudo scientific,” Graham said. “The reality is, there is no scientific basis to it what-so-ever, for the purposes of telling whether or not someone is lying.”
He said a polygraph is okay to monitor if someone’s blood pressure increases, or decrease or if their heart-rate jumps, or heats up.
“But whether the lines on the polygraph computer correlate to whether a person is telling the truth or not, there’s no link. There’s no scientific basis to it what-so-ever,” Graham said. “The reason that’s important is that the U.S. Government relies on polygraph testing for pre-employment hiring.”
Security screening at the Clinton Engineer Works. Lie detector test circa 1945. Via Wikipedia Commons
While most private businesses are barred from using lie detector test for hiring, Graham said the government is exempt. He said the polygraph is essentially an interrogation tool.
“If you can convince someone that they have failed the polygraph, or that they have lied on a certain question, and you need them to come clean so then you can give them the examine again; so that they can pass it, so that then you can give them the job. They may give you a confession. They may confess to something they would not have otherwise confessed to,” Graham said. “This is why the police use it so much.”
While Graham said the polygraph isn’t admissible in court, if an individual confesses during the test, that is allowed in court.
“The results of the so-called test are not admissible but if he makes an admission, then that is admissible,” Graham said. “The person will say, ‘You had trouble with this question, which tells me you know something you aren’t disclosing.’ Then the person says, ‘Well, I didn’t do it, but I know who did it.’…That may be seen as evidence of guilt and those statements can be used against that person in court.”
Graham said he feels strongly about the use of the polygraph as an attorney, due to the potential for misuse.
“I see how it can be misused by police, I can see how resources could get wasted by police if the polygraph operator says, ‘this guy knows something,’ but he doesn’t,” Graham said.
Graham said at one time he supported the lie detector test but changed his opinion after stumbling across the website, https://antipolygraph.org/
An event Saturday will provide resources, job opportunities and more for veterans.
The Vet2Vet event at the St. Joseph Civic Arena will feature vendors along with a guest speaker, a musical performance and more.
Commandant Jerry Murphy with the Marine Corp League in St. Joseph said this is the third annual Vet2Vet event.
“It’s for all veterans to come down to see potential employers,” Murphy said. “We also have Veteran Service Officers if any of the veterans are looking for help with their VA benefits, or whatever the case may be, the Veteran Service Officers will be there to assist them.”
Vet2Vet is a free event and takes place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.
There will be guest speaker and Army soldier Tim Hornik, who was wounded in Iraq and lost his sight. There will also be a performance by Matt Snook from the TV Show “The Voice.”
For more information contact the St. Joseph Youth Alliance at (816) 232-0050.
If you’re looking for family-friendly fun Saturday, perhaps a Missouri State Park will fit the bill.
Saturday is Kids to Parks Day. This national event is sponsored by the National Park Trust and endorsed by Missouri State Parks. More than 100,000 parks throughout the nation will be participating.
Missouri is home to award-winning state and local parks that provide an opportunity for children to engage in active lifestyles, while experiencing all that nature has to offer. Events at state parks throughout the state are sponsored by Missouri State Parks on May 20 to encourage families to take an outdoor adventure at a state park or historic site.
Missouri State Parks is celebrating 100 years in 2017. Visitors can experience all the park system has to offer with the Centennial Passport. Visit mostateparks.com/passport for more information.
Over 30 area law enforcement agencies will hold a Northland Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in English Landing Park in Parkville, Missouri Saturday.
Activities will include lunch with a cop, car seat inspections and installation, child fingerprinting and photo ID kits, bicycle rodeo, vehicle and watercraft displays and more. The event is scheduled to take place from noon to 4 p.m.
The event is being coordinated by the Platte County Sheriff’s Office, the Parkville Police Department and the Kansas City Police Department. Sheriff Owen thanks all of the law enforcement agencies and community organizations that have agreed to participate in the event.
Sheriff Owen stated, “This event is a great opportunity for citizens to interact with a variety of law enforcement agencies and officers that work throughout the Northland and our region. There will be activities for kids and adults, it should be a fun day.”
The event will be dependent on weather and there is no “rain date” for the event. There is no charge for the event and it is open to the public.
