A Kansas teenager charged in connection with a shooting at an underage drinking party in Buchanan County remains in custody after a judge refused to reduce his bail. William Dowlen of Wathena appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Keith Marquart on Friday for a preliminary hearing docket call on one count of unlawful use of a weapon.

As we reported, Sheriff’s investigators said a shooting happened during a large underage drinking party during the early morning hours of January 22 in the area of S.E. Mt. Zion Road.

According to a court affidavit, 20-year-old Justice Joiner was shot in the leg during a disturbance at the party. Officials say Joiner suffered injuries that required multiple surgeries.

Dowlen’s lawyer Tom McBride asked the judge to reduce the 17 year old’s bail, which is currently set at $5,000 cash plus a $20,000 surety bond. McBride says there aremitigating facts in the case, including the fact that Dowlen was beaten up before the incident.

But Judge Marquart noted the injuries suffered by the victim and refused to reduce the bail.

Dowlen waived his preliminary hearing, and Marquart certified the case for Circuit Court. Dowlen remained in custody Friday awaiting Circuit Court arraignment before Judge Patrick Robb June 19.

A St Joseph man was expected to be released Friday after serving eight days in jail for a speeding ticket.

Travis Trauernicht was cited for driving 61 miles per hour in a 45 mile-per-hour zone in Buchanan County in March of last year. But he failed to pay the ticket, and in fact left the area. Trauernicht was recently arrested in another county. He was eventually booked into the Buchanan County Jail, and appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Keith Marquart on Friday.

Trauericht wound up spending eight days total in a couple of jails. The fine would have been $153.

The judge ordered a sentence of eight days and gave the defendant credit for the eight days he’s already served in jail.

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The U.S. Senate bestowed another honor on Northwest Missouri State University’s 2016-2017 football and men’s basketball teams on May 3 by unanimously passing a resolution commending the Bearcats on their NCAA Division II national championship victories.

The Bearcat football team defeated the University of North Alabama, 29-3, on Dec. 17 to win its sixth NCAA Division II national championship, and the men’s basketball team beat Fairmont State (W.Va.) on March 25 to win its first national title. The two victories made Northwest the first Division II institution to win national championships in those sports during the same academic year.

As a result, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill introduced the resolution honoring Northwest.

“Missourians couldn’t be more proud of the Bearcats’ historic and record-setting year, which undoubtedly cements the university’s reputation as a college sports powerhouse,” Blunt said. “I wish the Bearcats the best as they spend the off-season preparing to defend their hard fought championship titles.”

McCaskill added, “The Bearcats made NCAA history with their championship seasons in not one but two sports in the same year — winning titles in men’s football and basketball and showcasing the incredible talent and grit of Northwest Missouri State’s athletic programs. With a combined winning record of 50-1, the student-athletes of these two teams have clinched a coveted place in Missouri and national college sports history.”

Click here to read the resolution passed by the U.S. Senate.

The teams also were recognized April 18 at the Missouri capitol with resolutions sponsored by Sen. Dan Hegeman and Rep. Allen Andrews as well as a proclamation issued by Gov. Eric Greitens.

 

A four-vehicle pileup on I-29 near Platte City claimed three lives, and injured two other people, one of them seriously.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the accident happened at 12:24 pm Friday on southbound I-29 at Missouri Route 92. A crash report says two vehicles were stopped in the right lane of the interstate because of congestion from construction.

A pickup truck rammed into the rear of the stopped SUV, pushing it into the stopped semi, which then hit the fourth vehicle.

Three occupants of the SUV were killed. The patrol’s crash report identifies them as Carhole Wehking, 75 of Lancaster, Kan.; James Wilson, 54, of Effinham, Kan.; and Lisa Wilson, 44, also of Effingham.

The driver of the pickup, identified as John Klapp, 71, of Correctionville, Iowa, suffered what the crash report described as serious injuries. He and a passenger in his vehicle were taken by ambulance to North Kansas City Hospital. The passenger suffered minor injuries, according to the crash report, which identified his as Christpher Klapp, 40, of Correctionville, Iowa.

There were no other injuries.

An organic grocer in downtown St. Joseph has closed up shop, even as local and state agencies began searching for more healthy food options in St. Joe.

The agencies are hoping a state grant program will help them find a business to offer healthy food options in areas of the city that are so-called “food deserts,” where healthy foods are more than a half mile away.

This news comes on the heels of the closing of one such business in downtown St. Joseph. Json Myers closed Goode Food Delivered a week ago and is offering for lease the space it occupied at 801 Francis.

The business has provided organic produce at the store and by delivery to customers’ homes. Myers is more optimistic about the availability of healthy foodstuffs than he was seven years ago when he took over the business.

“There was no access to any clean local food at all,” Myers said. “Since then, the community has very much grown, the people have some options now in town.”

That includes other organic delivery services that will go straight to your door, to local grocers offering healthy options.

“Downtown is definitely still a desert, but this town is so small that you can easily drive from edge to edge,” Myers said. “We don’t have walkable communities, unfortunately, which definitely would have kept it alive.”

Myers is also an artist.  The images associated with this story come from his Facebook page, and are used with permission.  He says he will retain ownership of the building on Francis, and will continue operating his art gallery next door. If you’re interested in leasing the space, call Json at (816)522-7200.

“Just from writing in shoe polish on the window there’s been a lot of interest,” Myers said. “There’s a lot of natural light, with tin ceilings and wood floors. It’s just a gorgeous space.”

This week the City of St. Joseph Health Dept. and the University of Missouri Extension began a public effort to find an area business to help bring healthy food to food deserts in St. Joseph.

Find out more about that here.

Funeral services will be held this weekend for former coach Steve Vertin who passed away Wednesday morning after a battle with cancer.

Vertin was 69-years-old. He served as coach and Dean of Students for Bishop LeBlond High School from 1999 – 2015. 

Bishop LeBlond Head Cross Country Coach Gregg Mrkvicka said Vertin was one of a kind.

“He lit up the room, when he walked in everybody looked, everybody knew him,” Mrkvicka said. “You go to Nebraska and talk to a random person and, ‘Oh you know Steve Vertin!’ The things he would say and the stories he would tell are what everybody remembers him by.”

Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday with Rosary at 5 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the church.

About a dozen people turned out in front of the Buchanan County Courthouse Thursday afternoon for what they called a “die-in,” to protest Congressman Sam Graves’ yes vote on the American Health Care Act last week. Many wore black or laid down next to mock gravestones.

Terry Turbak of St. Joseph said losing her current health care coverage could kill her, because of her life-long pre-existing heart condition.

A few made the trip from Hannibal, including Stephan Franke, who challenged the bills cuts to Medicaid and restrictions on pre-existing conditions. He was among several complaining that the Congressman is never available to constituents in the eastern half of the Congressional district. One held a sign that said “searching for Sam.” They were frustrated here as well.

We reached out in person, by phone, and by email, but have yet to receive a response.