File Photo Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign. Photo by Nadia Thacker
A large donation from the Saint Joseph Petroleum Company Fastgas stations will go towards the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.
According to the Salvation Army, Fastgas stations collected .3 cents on every gallon sold the week before Christmas with customers help to raise $4,342.89. Friday, representatives from the gas company will present a check for the amount to Major Abe Tamayo.
The gift increases the donations made to The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign from $275,710 to $280,052.89, 79 percent of its $349,000.00 goal for 2016.
“It is a most welcome and appreciated gift,” Tamayo said. “We here at The Salvation Army extend our thanks to the owners, staff and customers to Saint Joe Petroleum Fast Gas Company, this gift will help many throughout 2017.”
Tamayo said the Salvation Army provides shelter for one-third of the total Saint Joseph homeless population, its Family Thrift Store and Corps Community Center, warming and cooling stations and other services to the Saint Joseph community.
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company (USSTC) is voluntarily recalling certain of its smokeless tobacco products, listed in the chart below, manufactured at USSTC’s facility in Franklin Park, IL. USSTC has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the recall and is working with federal authorities on this matter.
USSTC initiated the recall after receiving eight consumer complaints of foreign metal objects, including sharp metal objects, found in select cans. In each case, the object was visible to the consumer and there have been no reports of consumer injury. Complaints have been received from consumers in Indiana, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Ohio.
The products at issue were manufactured solely in USSTC’s Franklin Park, IL facility and distributed nationally.
The majority of USSTC’s cans are not affected, including Copenhagen Fine Cut in a fiberboard can, Copenhagen Long Cut in a fiberboard can and Copenhagen Long Cut Wintergreen in a plastic can.
USSTC is instructing wholesalers and retailers to segregate the recalled products from their inventories. USSTC’s sales representatives will assist wholesalers and retailers in returning the product.
A consumer who has any of the products listed in the table below should not open or use the product. Consumers should contact USSTC at 1-866-201-9136 to return the product for a refund.
The select cans subject to this recall: Cope Brand Products
Long Cut Straight
This recall applies to lots with no printed code on the bottom of the can, or with codes that begin with the letters “F”, “R”, “K”, or “P”. Copenhagen Brand Products
Extra Long Cut Natural
Long Cut Mint
Long Cut Southern Blend
Pouch Mint
Pouch Wintergreen
Long Cut (overseas military only)
Fine Cut (overseas military only)
Long Cut Straight (overseas military only)
Long Cut Wintergreen (overseas military only)
Pouch (overseas military only)
Fine Cut Plastic Can (only available in Alaska and Hawaii)
Long Cut Plastic Can (only available in Alaska and Hawaii)
Pouch Plastic Can (only available in Alaska and Hawaii)
This recall applies to lots with no printed code on the bottom of the can, or with codes that begin with the letters “F”, “R”, “K”, or “P”. Husky Brand Products
Fine Cut Natural
Long Cut Straight
Long Cut Wintergreen
This recall applies to lots with no printed code on the bottom of the can, or with codes that begin with the letters “F”, “R”, “K”, or “P”. Skoal Brand Products
Bandit Mint
Bandit Wintergreen
Long Cut Apple Tobacco Blend
Long Cut Berry Tobacco Blend
Long Cut Cherry
Long Cut Citrus Tobacco Blend
Long Cut Classic
Long Cut Peach Tobacco Blend
Long Cut Spearmint
Pouch Apple Tobacco Blend
Pouch Berry Tobacco Blend
Pouch Citrus Tobacco Blend
Snus Mint
Snus Smooth Mint
Xtra Long Cut Mint
Xtra Long Cut Rich Tobacco Blend
Xtra Long Cut Wintergreen
Xtra Pouch Crisp Tobacco Blend
Xtra Pouch Mint Blend
Xtra Pouch Rich Tobacco Blend
Fine Cut Wintergreen (overseas military only)
Long Cut Mint (overseas military only)
Long Cut Straight (overseas military only)
Long Cut Wintergreen (overseas military only)
Pouch Mint (overseas military only)
Pouches Wintergreen (overseas military only)
This recall applies to lots with no printed code on the bottom of the can, or with codes that begin with the letters “F”, “R”, “
Quiet weather continues through the end of the week, with a gradual warm up into the 40s over the weekend. The next chance for rain will arrive Monday. The chance for any wintry precipitation is low. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 31. North northwest wind 6 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. North wind 3 to 5 mph.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 33. North wind 3 to 6 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. Light and variable wind becoming south southeast 5 to 7 mph after midnight.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. South wind 8 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 44.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.
Monday: A chance of rain and snow before 9 a.m., then a chance of rain between 9 a.m. and noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 49.
Tuesday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
A Kansas hunting guide was indicted Tuesday on charges of violating the Lacy Act and the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said two of the guide’s employees and a hunter from Georgia also were charged.
The 21-count indictment alleges violations including exceeding daily bag limits, killing waterfowl over bait, killing hawks, using electronic bird calls and possessing untagged birds.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it a federal crime to kill migratory birds except with a permit and in compliance with state hunting regulations. The Lacy Act makes it unlawful to sell or transport wildlife taken in violation of state hunting regulations.
Named in the indictment are:
*Josh Hedges, 34, Grenola, Kan., owner of Eagle Head Outfitters, one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacy Act and 12 counts of unlawful sale and transport of wildlife.
*Jerad Stroot, 25, Colwich, Kan., employee of Eagle Head Outfitters, six counts of unlawful sale or transport of wildlife.
*Allen Stroot, 32, Park City, Kan., employ of Eagle Head Outfitters, one count of violating the Migratory Bird Act.
*Steve Seagraves, 61, Douglasville, Ga., a customer of Eagle Head Outfitters, one count of violating the Migratory Bird Act.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism investigated.
Missouri Western State University has already seen a record number of applications this academic year.
According to Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Retention Dr. Paul Orscheln, the university has surpassed 4,300 applications, breaking a record of 4,056 from 2007-2008.
“Obviously, our ultimate success will be measured in the fall by how many students we enroll, but before you can enroll you need to apply and be admitted – one hundred percent of prospective students who don’t apply, don’t enroll,” Dr. Orscheln said. “We are putting Missouri Western in position to meet its freshman enrollment goals.”
To assist with communicating to prospective students, Missouri Western last year contracted with Royall and Company to provide an expanded pool of prospective students who would be a good fit for the university. Missouri Western is communicating with more high school seniors for fall 2017 enrollment and with sophomores and juniors for enrollment in subsequent years. Royall and Company also helped streamline the application process.
“We’ve seen healthy increases both locally and in the Kansas City area, which speaks to our affordability and the quality of our academic programs,” Dr. Orscheln said. “These increases aren’t just in the raw number of applicants, but also in the quality of applicants; we are seeing students with higher ACT scores applying to Missouri Western.”
The earlier opportunity for students to apply for financial aid has also been beneficial. The U.S. Department of Education this year made the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) available in October, rather than in January as in years past.
A St. Joseph man was injured in a crash Wednesday morning in Kansas City.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol says Matthew McBeth, 58, had a medical emergency at 6:35 a.m. while driving along I-29 at mile marker 6.6 (near 70th Street). His Nissan rammed into the rear of a Mazda in southbound traffic.
The driver of the Mazda was identified in the crash report as Susan Pippin, 59, of Kansas City, Mo. Both drivers suffered moderate injuries in the crash. Pippin was transported to Liberty Hospital for treatment. McBeth was taken to North Kansas City Hospital.
Mosaic Life Care has been recognized with the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence.
According to a press release, this is the sixth year Mosaic has received the award and it is one of only three hospitals in Missouri to receive the award from Healthgrades. In total, 258 hospitals were recognized as facilities performing in the top 5 percent nationwide based on risk-adjusted clinical outcomes for dozens of common procedures and conditions.
“The clinical excellence award is really about our caregivers and the outstanding quality-focused care they provide,” says Mark Laney, MD, CEO of Mosaic Life Care. “It is evident in their attention to detail, their patient interactions and these outcomes.”
Healthgrades bases the award on inpatient data for mortality and complications pulled from CMS’ Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) database, as well as inpatient data on appendectomy and bariatric surgery reported by the 18 states that provide all-payer state data. Healthgrades pulled MedPAR data for 2013 through 2015; the state data were available from only 2012 to 2014. Healthgrades adjusts the data for patient demographics and clinical risk factors. It then gives the Distinguished Hospital Award to hospitals that are “among the top 5 percent in the nation that deliver high-quality care across at least 21 of 32 common inpatient conditions and procedures.”
Overall, Healthgrades says nearly 160,000 lives could have been saved if all hospitals performed at the same level as those that received an award.
Mosaic also received awards for areas including Pulmonary Care Excellence, General Surgery Excellence, America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Critical Care and America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care Award.
William Bartlett A 34-year-old St. Joseph man was sentenced to the jail time he’s already served for his conviction on a misdemeanor charge of child molestation.
William Bartlett was originally charged with two felony counts of statutory sodomy after police said he fondled a 9-year-old girl in 2015. The judge dismissed one of the counts at the close of the state’s evidence during a jury trial in December. Bartlett took the witness stand in his own defense, and testified that he had touched the nine-year-old girl’s private parts, but did so accidentally.
The jury returned a guilty verdict on a lessor-included offense of second-degree child molestation, a class-A misdemeanor.
On Wednesday, Buchanan County Circuit Judge Patrick Robb imposed the maximum sentence of one year in the county jail. The defendant has already spent more than a year in jail in the case. Bartlett was arrested in December of 2015, and remained behind bars until December of 2016, when he was released on his own recognizance.
Bartlett told the court he intends to move to Nebraska. Judge Robb reminded him that he will need to register as a sexual offender.
The Missouri Department of Transportation and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety are challenging businesses and private individuals to buckle up and put their phones down.
According to a press release from MoDOT, the Buckle Up/Phone Down campaign is tackling the two most impactful actions a driver can take to prevent crashes or survive if one occurs.
First, drivers can put their phones down when they slide behind the wheel. Distracted driving is the number-one cause of crashes, not only in Missouri, but in the entire United States. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that cell phones were involved in 2,237 crashes in 2015 alone.
Next, people can buckle up each and every time they get in a vehicle. Of the 938 people killed on Missouri’s roadways last year, 684 were drivers and passengers of vehicles subject to Missouri’s current safety belt law. A tragic 62 percent of them were unrestrained.
The hope is to get private industry to openly support employee safety, either through internal safety campaigns or actually changing policy banning cellphone use in company vehicles and making safety belts mandatory.
“MoDOT has already taken both these steps,” said MoDOT Chief Engineer Ed Hassinger. “We’ve had the mandatory safety belt policy in place for years and have now banned all cell phone use, including voice, while operating a MoDOT vehicle.”
Statistics show that these two policy changes could have an impact on both incidents and highway fatalities.
“You are 23 times more likely to be in a critical incident when the driver is texting and driving,” said Highway Safety Director Bill Whitfield. “And only eight states scored lower than Missouri on voluntary safety belt use.”
The Buckle Up/Phone Down Challenge is trying to change these numbers. Videos, social media posts and a dedicated website will feature citizens and employees of participating businesses giving the “thumbs up/thumbs down” sign to show their support of the effort.
The website is located at modot.org/BuckleUpPhoneDown and will also feature the Wall of Fame where participating businesses and agencies can display their logos to show their support.
