Post Staff – Page 283 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Goppert Foundation provides gift to support Northwest’s Ag Learning Center

Posted on January 9, 2017

Corey Strider (center), senior executive vice president and director for the Goppert Financial Bank, recently presented a check to Jennifer Dawson Nicholson (left), vice president of the Northwest Foundation, and Rod Barr (right), director of Northwest's School of Agricultural Sciences. Photo courtesy Northwest Missouri State University. — Corey Strider (center), senior executive vice president and director for the Goppert Financial Bank, recently presented a check to Jennifer Dawson Nicholson (left), vice president of the Northwest Foundation, and Rod Barr (right), director of Northwest’s School of Agricultural Sciences. Photo courtesy Northwest Missouri State University.

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Goppert Foundation of Kansas City has added its support to Northwest Missouri State University’s School of Agricultural Sciences and a planned Agricultural Learning Center at the University’s R.T. Wright Farm.

The Goppert Foundation recently gave $250,000 to the Northwest Foundation in support of the Agricultural Learning Center. The Goppert Foundation’s gift is an addition to $50,000 it gave to the initiative in 2016.

“The support our School of Agricultural Sciences has received from the Goppert Foundation is greatly appreciated,” Rod Barr, the director of the School of Agricultural Sciences, said. “It shows the commitment the Goppert Foundation has for promoting student success at Northwest Missouri State University and making a positive impact in the northwest Missouri region.”

The Agricultural Learning Center, for which the University and Northwest Foundation are raising funds, will be built at Northwest’s 448-acre Wright Farm and serve as a multipurpose facility, providing laboratory resources and research to supplement and enhance the academic curriculum. The estimated $8.5 million, 29,000-square-foot center also will allow for greater use of farm crop, soil and livestock resources for research and scholarly activities as well as space for processing agricultural products.

It will include space for public and private functions such as producer and agricultural industry meetings, workshops, shows and career development events, and the promotion of agricultural literacy.

Plans for the Agricultural Learning Center are unfolding as Northwest’s School of Agricultural Sciences is experiencing rapid growth. Nearly 700 students – or more than 12 percent of the University’s undergraduate population – are enrolled in its programs. The School also provides students opportunities to gain profession-based experience at the Wright Farm, which is home to beef, swine, dairy and sheep enterprises, as well as row and forage crops.

The Goppert Foundation, a charitable foundation, was established in 1959 by C.H. Goppert of Kansas City, Missouri. It supports health care facilities, colleges throughout western Missouri and eastern Kansas through scholarship endowments and community building projects. It also assists many area 501(c)(3) organizations that serve underprivileged individuals and families.

To make a gift in support of the Agricultural Learning Center or the School of Agricultural Sciences, or for more information about the Northwest Foundation, contact the Office of University Advancement at (660) 562-1248 or advance@nwmissouri.edu.

KinderClub enrollments begin at Mid Buchanan

Posted on January 9, 2017

KinderClub registration is underway for children entering kindergarten this fall at Mid Buchanan Elementary School.

The United Way said KinderClub is a free series of classes for parents and children, designed to ease the transition into kindergarten. Meetings will cover important school readiness skills and provide parents with the information and resources they need to help their child become ready for school. Sessions will be led by school district teachers and staff. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend sessions at the school which their child will enroll in for kindergarten.

United Way KinderClub at Mid Buchanan Elementary, 3221 Southeast State Route H, will be held on January 12, February 16, March 8 and April 19 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. To see the other school district schedules and to enroll, visit stjosephunitedway.org or call Jay Martin at United Way, 816-364-2381.

Temperatures warm up this week

Posted on January 9, 2017

A warmer and somewhat active work week is expected. Tuesday morning, there is a chance for patchy drizzle in far eastern KS and all of MO. Wednesday evening, there is chance for light rain mainly along and east of HWY 65. As temperatures drop though, areas north of HWY 36 may see some wintry mix. At this time, little accumulation is expected both Tuesday and Wednesday. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Light south southwest wind becoming south 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.

Tonight: Patchy drizzle after midnight. Patchy fog after 9 p.m. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 37. South wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Tuesday: Patchy drizzle before noon. Widespread fog, mainly before 10 a.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 45. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph becoming west northwest in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. South wind 5 to 8 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. South wind 7 to 9 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26.

Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 32.

Thursday Night: Cloudy, with a low around 15.

Friday: Cloudy, with a high near 23.

Friday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 16. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday: A chance of snow and sleet. Cloudy, with a high near 27. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: A chance of sleet. Cloudy, with a low around 20. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday: A chance of rain, freezing rain, and sleet. Cloudy, with a high near 33. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Planned road work for Northwest Missouri, Jan. 9 – 15

Posted on January 8, 2017January 6, 2017

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 Jan. 9 – 15 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. With the possibility of winter weather, scheduled maintenance and construction projects may be postponed.

MoDOT reminds the public to stay alert, watch for road work, buckle up, slow down, and drive with extreme caution through work zones and in changing weather conditions.

For more information about a project, please contact MoDOT at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT or visit www.modot.org/northwest/.

Atchison County

U.S. Route 275 – Pothole patching, Jan. 9 – 10

Buchanan County

Route 6 – Pothole patching, Jan. 9 – 13

Route 116 – From Route M to Route E for sealing, Jan. 9 – 13

Caldwell County

U.S. Route 36 – CLOSED at the Route 13 overpass for bridge maintenance, Jan. 9 – 13, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Traffic will be directed up and over the ramps at Hamilton during the closure.

Clinton County

Route 116 – From U.S. Route 169 to the Buchanan County line for sealing, Jan. 9 – 13

Route 33 – From Isley Road to 209^th Street for drainage work, Jan. 9 – 13

Route 33 – From Clinton Street to Short Street in Lathrop for drainage work, Jan. 9 – 13

Daviess County

Route 13 – From Route 6 to Route HH for sealing, Jan. 9 – 13

Gentry County

Route Z – Sealing, Jan. 9 – 13

Holt County

Route 111 – From the city limits of Big Lake to the city limits of Craig for shoulder repair, Jan. 9 – 13

Linn County

U.S. Route 36 – Eastbound from Route 11 to Route 5 for pothole patching and sealing, Jan. 9 – 11

U.S. Route 36 – Westbound from Route 5 to Route FF for pothole patching and sealing, Jan. 9 – 11

Route 5 – Shoulder work, Jan. 12 – 13

Mercer County

Route P – CLOSED at the Brushy Creek Bridge for a bridge replacement. The road will be closed until February 2017.

Nodaway County

U.S. Route 136 – From the One Hundred and Two River Bridge to Route 46 for shoulder work, Jan. 9 – 13

U.S. Route 136 – From Route J to the Gentry County line for sealing, Jan. 9 – 13

Putnam County

U.S. Route 136 and Routes 5 and 129 – Pothole patching, Jan. 9 – 13

Volunteers sought for United Way Allocations

Posted on January 8, 2017January 6, 2017

(News Release) – United Way of Greater St. Joseph is calling for community volunteers for the annual allocations process.

Through the United Way Allocations Process, United Way Partner Agencies are evaluated and allocation funding recommendations are made by groups of volunteers. Volunteers examine agency operations, programs, and finances, and recommend how much money should be allocated to each agency the following year. Recommendations are then presented to the United Way Community Investment Council and United Way Board of Directors for review and final approval. The work of the volunteers ensure that donor dollars are used to achieve the greatest impact in the areas of education, health and financial stability and that United Way of Greater St. Joseph is accountable to donors. In 2016, more than 140 volunteers from a variety of backgrounds participated in the United Way Allocations Process.

Volunteers are placed on one of six subcommittees, and each subcommittee reviews three United Way Partner Agencies. The volunteers dedicate 10-15 hours of their time over a 2 month period from mid-March to mid-May reviewing the agencies, listening to presentations, and determining allocation recommendations. There are approximately five meetings for each subcommittee. There are subcommittees that meet during the day as well as a subcommittee that only meets in the evening. Those interested in volunteering in 2017 can contact Jodi Bloemker at United Way at 364-2381 or jodi.bloemker@stjosephunitedway.org.

Missouri Western has events planned for MLK week

Posted on January 8, 2017January 6, 2017

St. Joseph, Mo. – The Center for Multicultural Education at Missouri Western State University will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of events in January, including the Drum Major for Justice Banquet on the 16th.

Monday, Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Missouri Western will be closed in observance of the federal holiday.

Tuesday, Jan. 17, MLK Pledge Day

Students will have the opportunity sign a pledge and be in a video honoring Dr. King’s life and non-violent work, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Blum Student Union Lobby.

Wednesday, Jan. 18, MLK Drum Major for Justice Banquet

The banquet featuring live jazz by The Elder Statesmen of Kansas City Jazz’s Little Big Band and poetry by Dominique Christina begins at 6 p.m. in the Enright Community Rooms, Spratt Hall rooms 214-216. Drum Major for Justice Awards will be presented to a community member, a student and a Missouri Western employee. The banquet is free, but reservations must be made by Jan. 11. Call (816) 271-4150 or email cme@missouriwestern.edu. Nominations are also being accepted for the Drum Major for Justice Awards through Jan. 11. To submit a nomination, click here.

Thursday, Jan. 19, Movie Night: “Selma”

Despite violent opposition, Dr. King (David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma, Alabama to the State Capitol in Montgomery. The movie will be shown at 6 p.m. in the Hoff Conference Room, Blum 218. Free popcorn will be provided.

Library’s vintage book sale will feature hundreds of items

Posted on January 7, 2017January 6, 2017

The Friends of the St. Joseph Public Library will host a sale of hundreds of vintage books later this month.

The sale will feature unique, older or local interest items. Most of the approximately 600 books in the sale have been donated to the library, while others have come from the library collection. The books cover a variety of subjects and include novels, local interest and nonfiction books. Most books are $2 each, with some specially priced items for sale. Cash, checks and credit are all acceptable forms of payment.

The sale will be from January 17-31, at the Downtown Library, 927 Felix Street. Library hours are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday & Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Friends of the St. Joseph Public Library is a non-profit 501c3 organization with a mission to support the St. Joseph Public Library. The organization focuses public attention on library services and programs, raises funds and acts as an advocate for libraries and literacy in the community.

Emergency blood needed across the country

Posted on January 7, 2017January 6, 2017

Photo courtesy American Red Cross of Northwest Missouri

ST. LOUIS – The American Red Cross has issued an emergency call for help.

The organization needs blood and platelet donors after 37,000 fewer donations than expected came in at blood banks across the nation in November and December.

That includes the 319 locations in the Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region.

Spokesman Joe Zydlo says donations are critically needed now so that patients can continue to receive lifesaving treatments.

“Any blood type – A, A Positive, O, O Negative, B Negative – any and every blood type is needed,” he stresses.

Zydlo says anyone can look online at RedCrossBlood.org and put in a ZIP code to find the nearest donation site.

Zydlo points out this is the time of the year when blood donations are typically low because of the holidays, and bad weather is an additional factor that often keeps people from getting to donation sites.

But the need is there, 365 days a year.

“Hospitals don’t get a vacation,” he states. “They don’t get to take a holiday.

“There’s patients that need it – cancer patients need platelet donations, too, that’s so critical. It could be a life threatening type of situation.”

Zydlo points out about 20 percent of blood drives are held at schools – so when they’re closed, it really makes an impact.

“This is really one of two times of the year when we go into an emergency appeal – where we have this critical, emergency shortage, if you will, and it’s really impacted us,” he states.

Zydlo adds snowstorms and severe weather across the Midwest forced nearly 100 blood drives to cancel in December, resulting in thousands of potential blood donations going uncollected.

Missouri Western Planetarium presentations include sea monsters

Posted on January 7, 2017January 7, 2017

The Bushman Planetarium at Missouri Western State University will present shows on “Sea Monsters” and “Nanocams.”

The January 11th show, “Sea Monsters,” takes viewers on a journey back in time to when dinosaurs dominated the land and an assortment of creatures swam, hunted and fought for survival beneath the prehistoric seas. The film is narrated by Liev Schreiber.

The January 19th presentation features two shows, “Fractals” and “Nanocams.” “Fractals” gives viewers a tour of nature’s fractals, endlessly repeating patterns made from simple algebraic equations. “Nanocams” explores life forms that are invisible to the human eye but contribute to a better understanding of the world we live in.

The planetarium features a Digistar 4 projection system and a dome that is tilted slightly, rather than directly overhead, making viewing easier. A 17-channel stereo sound system enhances the viewing experience.

The presentations will be at at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11 and Thursday, Jan. 19. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children, students, military and seniors. The planetarium is located in Agenstein Hall, room 147.

Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the door. Doors open 20 minutes before showtime.

For more information, visit the website or call (816) 271-4288.

Trains is the January focus of Family Fun Time

Posted on January 7, 2017January 6, 2017

A local agency is tackling trains in a family event Saturday morning at the Rolling Hills Consolidated Library.

United Way of Greater St. Joseph will host United Way Family Fun Time on Saturday, January 7 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Rolling Hills Consolidated Library, Upper Story Room, 1912 North Belt Highway. The title this month is Trains! Trains! Trains!

United Way Family Fun Time is a monthly series of fun events for families with children under the age of 6 to play together and learn about early development.

Activities will be structured to allow parent and children to play together and will equip parents with ideas of how to learn through play at home. Building trains out of materials you have at home and creating a set of tracks through a play area with tape will be a few of the activities parents can take back home. Every child attending will receive a free book to take home. Donuts and juice will be provided. Participants are welcome to drop in anytime during the free event.