A lot of kids turned out Wednesday morning to help the Missouri Department of Conservation stock fish into the lake at Krug Park. Some of them seemed more interested in the water gushing from the truck used to transport the fish from the MDC fishery. Their parents, and grandparents, were focused on taking pictures and videos.

Public fishing begins this weekend at the park.

Eric Miller of MDC tells us they added about 450 hybrid blue gill and about 175 channel catfish. During the winter months, likely beginning in November, they are expected to add trout.

The City of St. Joseph said it plans to overflow wastewater next week to the Missouri River.

On Tuesday, starting around 6:30 a.m. the city said its Water Protection facility will be overflowing wastewater to the
Missouri River. The overflow is anticipated to last up to 48 hours.

Water Protection, along with Garney Construction, will be making repairs to the headworks at the wastewater treatment plant and to the Whitehead Pump Station. During this event, water samples will be collected from the Missouri River until the repairs have been made and the bypass has been completed.

The City said the notification is a requirement of the city’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit to keep the public informed when an anticipated overflow will occur. Staff has already notified the Missouri Department of Natural Resources ten days in advance of this anticipated event.

In addition to notification the city said signage will be posted along the Missouri River as well as on the city’s website.

An inmate in the Buchanan County Jail faces more jail time after allegedly breaking out a window in a cell in the dayroom of the facility.

Tyler Heerlein, 29, was being held on a probation violation for a protection order violation on April 5 when the incident occured. According to court documents, Heerlein caused approximately $775 in damage to the jail “…by striking the western window in cell 3 located in Dayroom E on A Pod with a wooden rod until it broke according to witness statements and reports.”

He’s due back in court April 27 for a trial setting before Associate Circuit Judge Rebecca Spencer. Heerlein is charged with property damage in the second degree, a class-b misdemeanor.

A St. Joseph man is being held without bail on a misdemeanor domestic assault charge after allegedly firing a pellet gun at his girlfriend.

Anthony Allen Gardner, 26, is charged with domestic assault in the fourth degree, a class-a misdemeanor. In court documents, police say Gardner threw items in the residence he shared with his girlfriend. According to the victim, he then pointed a pellet pistol at her and began to fire it at her three to five times as she ran into her bathroom.

The affidavit says Gardner fled the scene, but later returned and was arrested by officers responding to the call.

The affidavit asserts that the defendant has a lengthy criminal history in Missouri and Kansas. According to the court filing he has seven previous arrests in Kansas, including “…convictions for drugs, disorderly conduct by brawling or fighting, domestic battery, and battery on law enforcement in Kansas.”

Associate Circuit Keith Marquart ruled that Gardner poses a danger to the victim and refused to set bail. Judge Marquart scheduled the case for a trial setting April 26. Gardner remains in custody in the Buchanan County Jail.

A St. Joseph man accused of shooting at two men trying to recover a stolen vehicle is also accused in Clay County of trying to run down a police officer during a shoplifting incident in Clay County.

Zachary Bixby is charged with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action for the incident outside a HyVee store in Gladstone March 25. In court documents, Police Detective C. Breedlove says a uniformed officer was informed of a man and a woman concealing merchandise in the store.

The probable cause affidavit asserts that Bixby tried to flee. After a brief foot chase through the parking lot, Bixby allegedly pulled a handgun but kept running. The officer says Bixby then got into a Kia Sportage, put it into reverse and jumped the curb. He then allegedly tried and failed to strike the officer with the vehicle.

The woman Bixby was with identified him to the officer, according to the affidavit, which also says the officer was able to identify Bixby from a photo lineup.

Authorities in St. Joseph told Gladstone police that the vehicle used in the HyVee incident may also have been used in a robbery here in St. Joseph, in which the suspect allegedly pointed a firearm at Walmart employees to avoid being detained.

In Clay County Court, bail was set at $75,000. No court date has been set. Bixby is being held without bail in the Buchanan County Jail for a shooting incident April 8 on U.S. Highway 59.

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill plans to stop in St. Joseph this week to hear from community members in a public town hall.

The event will take place, Thursday, April 13 at 12 p.m. in the Kemper Recital Hall at the Walter Cronkite Memorial Building (Leah Spratt Hall) at Missouri Western University.

McCaskill said she is taking part in public town hall meeting throughout Missouri and has throughout her time in the U.S. Senate. She said she feels these events are important to hold herself accountable to Missourians.

“Having public town halls, where any Missourian can show up and chew on me about what they think I’m doing right or wrong, and share their ideas and concerns, is a great way to do it,” McCaskill said. “Town halls like these are part of what makes our democracy great, and I think every elected official would benefit from listening and learning from Missourians, face-to-face.”

McCaskill will host eight public town halls this week in Buchanan County, Callaway County, Greene County, Jefferson County, Marion County, New Madrid County, Phelps County, and Platte County.