Post Staff – Page 280 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Ice Storm Warning issued

Posted on January 12, 2017January 12, 2017

…ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST
SUNDAY NIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL HAS
ISSUED AN ICE STORM WARNING, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM FRIDAY
TO MIDNIGHT CST SUNDAY NIGHT. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER
IN EFFECT.

* TIMING…LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN LATE FRIDAY
MORNING…WITH PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON
OR EVENING.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS…TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS DURING THE MULTI-DAY
PERIOD OF ONE-QUARTER TO THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH.

* MAIN IMPACT…MAJOR IMPACTS TO TRAVEL ARE LIKELY AS ICE
ACCUMULATES ON AREA ROADWAYS. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES WILL BE
MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO ICE ACCRETION. ICE ACCUMULATION ON TREES AND
POWERLINES MAY RESULT IN SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

AN ICE STORM WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF ICE ACCUMULATIONS
WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY
DISCOURAGED. COMMERCE WILL LIKELY BE SEVERELY IMPACTED. IF YOU
MUST TRAVEL, KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT, FOOD, AND WATER IN YOUR
VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS AND WINDS WILL
LIKELY LEAD TO SNAPPED POWER LINES AND FALLING TREE BRANCHES THAT
ADD TO THE DANGER.

AREAS IMPACTED:

ATCHISON KS-DONIPHAN-LEAVENWORTH-WYANDOTTE-JOHNSON KS-BUCHANAN-
CLINTON-CALDWELL-LIVINGSTON-LINN MO-MACON-PLATTE-CLAY-RAY-CARROLL-
CHARITON-RANDOLPH-JACKSON-LAFAYETTE-SALINE-HOWARD-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF ATCHISON, WATHENA, ELWOOD, TROY,
HIGHLAND, FORT LEAVENWORTH, LEAVENWORTH, LANSING,
KANSAS CITY KANSAS, OVERLAND PARK, STANLEY, OLATHE, SHAWNEE,
LENEXA, ST. JOSEPH AIRPORT, ST. JOSEPH, CAMERON, PLATTSBURG,
LATHROP, HAMILTON, BRAYMER, POLO, BRECKENRIDGE, CHILLICOTHE,
BROOKFIELD, MARCELINE, MACON, LA PLATA, PARKVILLE, PLATTE CITY,
RIVERSIDE, WEATHERBY LAKE, WESTON, GLADSTONE, LIBERTY,
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, RICHMOND, LAWSON, CARROLLTON, SALISBURY,
BRUNSWICK, KEYTESVILLE, MOBERLY, KANSAS CITY, INDEPENDENCE,
ODESSA, HIGGINSVILLE, LEXINGTON, CONCORDIA, MARSHALL, FAYETTE,
GLASGOW, AND NEW FRANKLIN

Indictment charges serial robbery suspect with Topeka bank holdup

Posted on January 12, 2017

A federal grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Topeka man with bank robbery.

Dakota Shareef Walker, 20, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. The indictment alleges that on Nov. 28, 2016, he robbed the U.S. Bank at 5730 Southwest 21st Street in Topeka.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

In a media release, the FBI said Walker’s arrest is pursuant to an investigation into a string of bank robberies in multiple states.

Rape charges filed in attack on neighbor

Posted on January 12, 2017

A 45-year-old St. Joseph man is due in court Friday after allegedly going to a neighbor’s house in an intoxicated condition and raping his neighbor.

Vernail Moore is charged with 2nd-degree rape. According to the charging documents in Buchanan County Circuit Court, the defendant has 30 prior arrests for failure to appear, and many prior arrests and convictions for robbery, armed criminal action and assault.

A judge set bail at $25,000 cash, and scheduled Moore’s first court appearance Friday, January 13.

Crews detonate Platte Purchase Bridge (Video)

Posted on January 12, 2017January 12, 2017

Update: Traffic on the new US 69 Mo River Bridge is back open after crews detonated the old Platte Purchase Bridge. #kctraffic pic.twitter.com/66vfJNtNzs

— MoDOT Kansas City (@MoDOT_KC) January 12, 2017

The Platte Purchase Bridge was demolished Thursday morning.

The Missouri Department of Transportation closed all lanes of the new US 69 Missouri River Bridge Thursday for demolition of the old Platte Purchase Bridge.

Southbound US 69 was closed at I-635. Northbound US 69 was closed at Kindleberger Rd. Traffic on the new bridge is back open.

MoDOT said it is all part of a project to replace the current U.S. 69 Highway Bridge over the Missouri River. A new structure has been constructed in its place which includes multiple lanes and bike/pedestrian access. This project is shared by the Kansas Department of Transportation and MoDOT.

Police ask for help locating vehicle involved in crash

Posted on January 12, 2017

Similar looking truck to the one sought by police. Not the actual vehicle.

The St. Joseph Police Department is asking the public for help locating a vehicle involved in a hit and run with a patrol car.

As we previously reported, Tuesday around 1 a.m. an officer was responding to a single vehicle crash on S. 36th. While en route on Mitchell Avenue approaching 30th St. a white Ford F-150 pickup pulled out in front of the patrol car. The rear passenger side of the truck was damaged and the police vehicle had front end damage and was towed to the station. The truck and driver fled the scene. The officer was not injured.

Wednesday afternoon, police posted a photo of similar-looking vehicle on social media asking for help to locate it. It’s described as a late 90’s to early 2000 model white Ford F-150 pickup truck with damage to the rear passenger wheel area of the truck.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Traffic Unit at 816-271-4882.

Crash into house causes gas leak and condemnation

Posted on January 12, 2017January 12, 2017

(Update 10:50 a.m.) – Two people living in a house near 11th and Garfield will have to find another place to live after a car rammed into their home Thursday morning.

“The vehicle was coming northbound on 11th street and for unknown reasons swerved to the right, went off the road and struck the house,” said Scott Gary, Traffic Officer for the St. Joseph Police Department. “In the process of hitting the house it also hit the gas main before the house.”

The residents inside were not injured. The crash knocked the home off of its foundation. The incident took place shortly after 10 a.m. in the 2300 block of 11th. The gas leak prompted police to close a two block stretch of 11th. The road was reopened around 11:30 a.m.

A city building inspector posted a condemnation notice on the house, which authorities said sustained serious structural damage.

Gary said police are searching for the driver who fled the scene. The driver’s injuries are currently unknown.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(10:30 a.m.) – The St. Joseph Police Department is urging people to avoid the area of S 11th St. between Garfield Ave. and Hickory due to a gas leak.

Authorities sent out the alert shortly before 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Police said the gas leak was caused by a traffic crash.

We will update this post as more information becomes available.

SE Nebraska rollover crash kills driver

Posted on January 12, 2017

VESTA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a woman has died after a rollover accident in southeast Nebraska.

The accident occurred sometime before 1:55 p.m. Tuesday on a county road south of Vesta. Johnson County Attorney Rick Smith says the vehicle ran off the roadway and rolled several times. Johnson County Sheriff Scott Walton suspects the woman was speeding.

Smith says she was pronounced dead later at Johnson County Hospital in Tecumseh.

He identified the woman as 46-year-old Cheri Speckmann, who lived in Lewiston.

NWS says start preparing for ice storm likely this weekend

Posted on January 12, 2017

A long duration winter storm is expected this weekend as precipitation in the form of freezing rain impacts the lower Missouri Valley. The potential exists for significant icing across the area, which will make travel extremely hazardous. Additionally, ice accumulations may lead to downed tree limbs and power outages. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 27. North northwest wind 8 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. Northeast wind 6 to 9 mph.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26. East northeast wind 8 to 10 mph.

Friday Night: A chance of freezing rain. Cloudy, with a low around 20. East wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday: A chance of freezing rain and sleet before 3pm, then a chance of freezing rain. Cloudy, with a high near 27. North northeast wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: Freezing rain likely, mainly after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 24. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday: Freezing rain. High near 33. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday Night: Rain or freezing rain likely before 8pm, then freezing rain likely between 8pm and 9pm, then rain after 9pm. Low around 31. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

M.L.King Day: Rain likely before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 43.

Cracker House roof comes off

Posted on January 11, 2017

They’re “razing” the roof at the Cracker House.

The group hoping to convert the home into a museum announced the hiring of GDS LLC to remove the badly-damaged roof. The first day of that phase of the project brought with it a “good news, bad news” situation. The weight of the heavy equipment broke open a water pipe on the property. In a social media post, officials said the lead pipes date from 1892.

“The good news is we will get new, non-lead water service run to the property,” according to the Facebook posting.

The group hopes to have the roof removed by the end of the week, and then they’ll sort through the debris.

“We will hopefully have a work session either this weekend or next to sort through the debris, pile the salvageable lumber, pull square nails for souvenirs, and put the rest in the dumpster,” according to the Facebook page of “The Cracker House Project.”

The house, at 914 Main Street, was once the home of Frank L. Sommer, the inventor of the saltine cracker.

Pioneer fire investigation waits for demo team to clear area of interest

Posted on January 11, 2017January 11, 2017

An investigation continues into the cause of the fire that destroyed the historic Pioneer building in downtown St. Joseph last November.

Mary Robertson with the City of St. Joseph says inspectors have paused their work as demolition continues.

There is an area of interest they hope to inspect more closely. Once the demo company clears the area of interest the inspectors will resume their work.

Until then the fire remains “under investigaton,” Robertson said.

The building caught fire November 21, prompting a huge and lengthy response from the St. Joseph Fire Department. Madget Demolition of St. Joseph began preliminary demolition work December 12. Downtown roads were closed for several weeks in the area of 5th and Francis Streets, and businesses in the area were affected.

Both Fifth and Francis Streets were at least partially closed Wednesday to make room for heavy equipment.