A man has been charged after a standoff Friday in an east-side St. Joseph neighborhood.
Christopher Chappell, 36 is charged in Buchanan County with a felony of second-degree burglary.
According to court documents, Friday officers with the St. Joseph Police Department responded to the 1000 block of Carol Dr. after a woman texted 911 for help. Det. Jeff Pearl said according to witnesses Chappell was at the home and made threats to the victim that he was going to see bullets in her head.
“When police arrived on scene Chappell would not let the victim answer the door for officers or let officers inside the residence. The victim said he blocked her from leaving and told her to lie to officers and tell them he was not there,” Pearl said. “SRT unit arrived on scene and the victim was finally allowed to leave.”
Photo by Nadia Thacker
Pearl said after a search warrant was obtained the Special Response Team entered the home and took Chappell into custody. As we previously reported, the standoff lasted around 4 hours. Police said no one was injured.
“The defendant currently has an order of protection against him with the victim as the petitioner,” Pearl said.
Chappell is being held without bail in the Buchanan County Jail. He’s due in court Tuesday for an arraignment.
Each time a new judge ascends to the bench in the Fifth Judicial Circuit, a new group photograph is required. On Friday they gathered in the courtroom of Presiding Judge Patrick Robb.
Lura Kirby of Landis Photography did the honors.
The photo will eventually grace the walls of the Buchanan County Courthouse.
The judges are, left to right, Patrick Robb, Rebecca Spencer, Michael Ordnung, Randall Jackson, Keith Marquart, Daniel Kellogg and the newest judge in the circuit, David Bolander
Three teenagers were taken to the hospital after a crash Sunday on I-35 in Clinton County.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Hunter Darr, 18 of Lawson was driving a 2011 Mercury Mariner northbound on I-35 just three miles north of Holt when the crash took place shortly before 6 a.m. The Patrol said Darr fell asleep at the wheel and the vehicle went off the west side of the road and into a median. It then hit a gravel crossover, went airborne and hit the ground.
Darr, Kenneth Breckenridge, 17 of Lathrop and Destiny Walters, 18 of Lathrop were all taken to Liberty Hospital for treatment of what was described as a moderate injury.
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 April 3 – 9 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 with weather conditions.
Andrew County
U.S. Route 71 – From Business U.S. 71 (Nodaway County) to Route B for pothole patching, April 3 – 7
Atchison County
U.S. Route 136 – From one-half mile east of Route O to one half mile east of Route M for culvert work, April 3 – 7
U.S. Route 136 – CLOSED from Route O to Titan Avenue for a culvert replacement, April 5, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
U.S. Route 136 – CLOSED from Route U to Route M for a culvert replacement, April 6, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Buchanan County
Interstate 229 – Sweeping and flushing bridges, April 3 – 6
U.S. Route 36 – At the 11th Street Overpass Bridge for maintenance, April 3 – 7
Route 116 – From the city limits of Rushville to U.S. Route 169 for chip sealing, April 3 – 7
Caldwell County
U.S. Route 36 – From Route P to Route 13 for slide repair work, April 3 – 7
Carroll County
U.S. Route 65 – From U.S. Route 36 (Livingston County) to Route J for sweeping and flushing bridges, April 3 – 4
U.S. Route 65 – CLOSED at the railroad crossing in Tina for crossing repair, April 4, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Route OO – From Route E to County Road 248 for drainage work, April 4 – 5
Chariton County
Route Z – CLOSED from Route M to Topeka Avenue for a culvert replacement, April 3, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route Z – CLOSED from Topeka Avenue to Schlueter Avenue for a culvert replacement, April 4, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Clinton County
Route C – CLOSED from SE 228th Street to 222nd Street for a culvert replacement, April 4, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
DeKalb County
Route J – CLOSED from Route 6 to U.S. Route 36 for a resurfacing project, April 3 – 8. The road will be closed in one to two mile segments at a time throughout the project.
Route O – CLOSED from Route 31 to Route N for a resurfacing project, April 3 – 8. The road will be closed in one to two miles segments at a time throughout the project.
Route A – Sealing, April 3 – 7
Route C – Pothole patching, April 3 – 7
Gentry County
U.S. Route 136 – From U.S. Route 169 to Route F for pothole patching, April 3 – 7
Grundy County
U.S. Route 65 and Route 6 – Pothole patching, April 3 – 7
Route U – CLOSED from SW 80th Street to County Road 505 (Livingston County) for a culvert replacement, April 3, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route A – CLOSED from NW 90th Street to NW 95th Street for a culvert replacement, April 5, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route NN – CLOSED from Route O to NE 58th Street for a culvert replacement, April 7, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Harrison County
Route Y – CLOSED from East 322nd Avenue to West Main for a culvert replacement, April 3, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route B – CLOSED from Route A to East 222nd Avenue for a culvert replacement, April 4, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Holt County
Route 113 – Pothole patching, April 3 – 7
Linn County
U.S. Route 36 – Flushing bridges, April 3 – 7
U.S. Route 36 – From Route 11 to Route 5 for pavement repair, April 3 – 7
Livingston County
Route U – CLOSED from SW 80th Street (Grundy County) to County Road 505 for a culvert replacement, April 3, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
U.S. Route 65 – From U.S. Route 36 to Route J (Carroll County) for sweeping and flushing bridges, April 3 – 4
U.S. Route 65 – At the Grand River Bridge for maintenance, April 3 – 7
Nodaway County
U.S. Route 71 – From Route FF to Hawk Road for drainage work, April 3
U.S. Route 136 – From Katydid Road to Route F for drainage work, April 3
U.S. Route 71 – From Business U.S. 71 to Route B (Andrew County) for pothole patching, April 3 – 7
U.S. Route 136 – From Route 48 to Route 46 for shoulder work, April 3 – 7
Route V – From Glacier Road to Galaxy Road for drainage work, April 4
Putnam County
Route CC – CLOSED at the South Branch Shoal Creek Bridge for a bridge replacement project. The bridge will be closed through May 2017.
Worth County
Route 46 – From Route NN to Route D for patching and sealing, April 3 – 7
A grand re-opening of an exhibit and a new exhibit will debut this month at the St. Joseph Museums.
The Harry L. George collection of approximately 3,000 American Indian items became a cornerstone of the St. Joseph Museum collection in the 1940s. On Thursday, April 6, “Lines and Legacies: The Harry L. George American Indian Collection” will re-open showcasing many of the items from this collection.
The new exhibit, “WWI St. Joseph: Reflections on Community and Conflict” explores the story of the war that was meant to end all wars. The war resulted in millions being killed and empires destroyed. Like everywhere else in the world, World War I fundamentally altered St. Joseph and this new exhibit explores those changes and their continued impact.
The opening reception for both of the exhibits will be held at the St. Joseph Museum, 3406 Frederick Avenue, on Thursday, April 6, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The public is invited and reservations are not required. Following the opening, the two exhibit areas will be open during the regular museum hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Museum admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, (62 and above) and $4 for students. Museum members and children under six are free of charge.
The St. Joseph Public Library is hosting a session for people to determine credible sources of information in the wake of ‘Fake News’.
A presentation on, “News: Is it Real or Fake” will be held by Librarian, Crystal Stuck, at the East Hills Library, 502 N. Woodbine Rd., on Thursday, April 6 at 6:30 p.m.
The library said attendees will learn how to determine if a source and author are credible, if information is relevant and unbiased, and how not to be fooled by outrageous headlines, clickbait and satire websites. The discussion will include print, television and social media sources.
The program is free and no registration is required. For more information, call Crystal Stuck at (816) 236-2136.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Transportation is asking drivers to turn off their phones for workers in work zones. Motorists will see more construction and maintenance work zones on the 5,625 miles of state roads and bridges across northwest Missouri in the coming weeks.
To help spread that message that “Work Zones are No Phone Zones,” MoDOT is asking everyone to wear #OrangeForSafety on Monday, April 3, in support of all roadway workers.
Motorists are reminded to slow down, put their phone down and pay attention as they drive past work zones. Not all work zones look alike. Work zones can be moving operations, such as striping, patching or mowing. They can also be short-term, temporary lane closures to make quick repairs or remove debris from the roadway.
Driver inattention was the number one cause of work zone crashes last year. The average text takes five seconds to read. Traveling at 55 mph, you will travel more than the length of a football field—blindfolded. MoDOT sometimes has mobile, slow-moving operations which can go as slowly as 10 mph.
“You are driving two tons of steel. It’s hard to do more than one thing at a time so focus on the road,” said MoDOT Chief Engineer Ed Hassinger. “Put your phone down and make work zones no phone zones.”
Any time highway workers are present on a Missouri roadway – whether it’s a long-term lane closure, a moving operation, or shoulder work – your safety and the safety of those workers depends on drivers’ focus and attention. Since 2012, the state Slow Down and Move Over law includes MoDOT vehicles parked with amber/white lights flashing. Motorists are required to slow down and change lanes when approaching MoDOT vehicles or law enforcement and emergency vehicles with lights flashing.
“The law is simple: If you see flashing lights on the side of the road, move over to give workers and emergency personnel plenty of room to stay safe,” Hassinger said. “If you can’t move over on a crowded highway, you should slow down as you pass them. We want you and our workers to make it home safe every day.”
PKD Awards: Left to right, Alicia Johnson, Ve’Shawn Dixon, Nick Van Ross and Emily Meyers. Photo courtesy Northwest Missouri State University.
MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Speaking Bearcats returned home with one individual national championship and an all-American honor at a National Tournament.
The Northwest Missouri State University forensics team, known as the Speaking Bearcats, completed their 2016-2017 season March 21-25 at the Pi Kappa Delta Biennial National Tournament and Convention, hosted by Boise State University in Idaho.
Northwest Director of Forensics Brian Swafford stands with Speaking Bearcats member Emily Meyers. Photo courtesy Northwest Missouri State University.
Ve’Shawn Dixon, a senior political science major from Kansas City, Kansas, competed in Student Congress and finished as Top Superior, making him this year’s national champion in the event. He also was voted by his chamber as Top Legislator.
Emily Meyers, a senior public relations major from Maryville, was named a Pi Kappa Delta All-American. The award is given to 10 student members of the organization based on citizenship, competition success and team commitment.
Northwest earned an Excellent rating in the Individual Events Team Sweepstakes.
“It was very impressive for the students that competed at Pi Kappa Delta this year to earn a team sweepstakes award considering we only brought four students in fewer than 20 entries,” Northwest Director of Forensics Brian Swafford said. “That just shows how talented this group of students really is to earn points in all of their events.”
The Pi Kappa Delta Biennial Convention awards competitors based on percentages, whereas the top 10 percent earn “Superior” awards, the next 20 percent earn “Excellent” ratings, and the next 30 percent are rated “Good.” Awards are presented to competitors ranking “Superior” or “Excellent,” and the “Top Superior” competitor in each event is declared the national champion.
The convention also capped another successful season for the Speaking Bearcats, which began with the Northwest team hosting a tournament last September. The Speaking Bearcats also hosted the Public Communication Speech and Debate League (PCSDL) National Tournament, where they earned team and individual sweepstakes titles March 11-12.
The Speaking Bearcats are now winners of 27 individual and team national titles since 2009.
A complete list of Northwest results at the Pi Kappa Delta Biennial Convention is provided below.
Ve’Shawn Dixon (senior political science major, Kansas City, Kansas): Top Superior and Top Legislator in Student Congress; Excellent in Impromptu Speaking; Excellent in Extemporaneous Speaking.
Alicia Johnson (senior chemistry major with a biochemistry emphasis, Kansas City, Kansas): Excellent in Persuasive Speaking; Excellent in Poetry Interpretation
Emily Meyers (senior, public relations major, Maryville): Pi Kappa Delta All-American; second place and Superior in Public Forum Debate (with Nick Van Ross); quarterfinalist in Public Forum Showcase (with Van Ross); Superior in Impromptu Speaking; Excellent in Persuasive Speaking; Excellent in After Dinner Speaking.
Nick Van Ross (senior, marketing major, Lee’s Summit, Missouri): second place and Superior in Public Forum Debate (with Emily Meyers); quarterfinalist in Public Forum Showcase (with Meyers); Excellent in Impromptu Speaking; Superior in Informative Speaking; Superior in Extemporaneous Speaking; Excellent in After Dinner Speaking.
Buchanan County ranks as the 76th-least healthy county in Missouri, according to the eighth annual County Health Rankings released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
The rankings do not appear to follow any geographical boundaries.
The healthiest county in the state was just a few miles down I-29 in Platte County, while Missouri’s least-healthy county is Pemiscott County in the bootheel of southeastern Missouri.
The authors say the rankings show that where you live influences how well and how long you live. The look at factors ranging from education and employment to smoking and sexual activity, using data from government and industry statistics and programs.
Many of the healthiest counties in the state are in Northwest Missouri, including Atchison County (#4) and Andrew County (#7). Nodaway County was ranked 13th-healthiest, and Gentry County was 15th on the list.
Johnson County ranks healthiest in Kansas, while nearby Wyandotte County was ranked near the bottom at 101st. Labette County is the least healthy county in that state according to the study. Doniphan County ranked as the 15th-healthiest county in Kansas.
The authors say the local level data makes it clear that good health is influenced by many factors beyond medical care including housing, education, jobs, access to healthy foods, and more.
The Rankings Key Findings Report reveals that drug overdose deaths are fueling a dramatic increase in premature deaths nationally. The drug overdose epidemic is the leading cause of death among 25- to 44-year olds and is a clear driver of the trend. Drug deaths are also accelerating among 15- to 24- year olds, but nearly three times as many people in this age group die by homicide, suicide, or in motor vehicle crashes.
EASTON, Pa. (AP) — Dandelion yellow has reason to be blue.
Crayola announced Friday, National Crayon Day, that it’s replacing the color dandelion in its 24-pack with a crayon in “the blue family.”
The company says it will leave it to fans to come up with a name for the replacement color.
It’s only the third time in Crayola’s long history that it has retired one or more colors, and the first time it’s swapped out a color in its box of 24.
Other colors that previously got the boot include maize, raw umber and orange yellow.
Crayola crayons were first produced in 1903 by Binney & Smith Co.
Crayola is based in Easton, Pennsylvania, and is a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards Inc., headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.
EASTON, Pa. (AP) — Dandelion yellow has reason to be blue.