(News Release) – The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce will host its quarterly St. Joe Rising event on Monday, Oct. 17. The event, presented by Cochran Head Vick & Co. P.C., will feature Missouri Department of Transportation Director Patrick McKenna. He will discuss road maintenance budget constraints, Legislature funding, inter-modal facilities and his vision for MoDOT.

St. Joe Rising events feature issues involving social, economic, governmental, legislative and corporate activities that are of concern to Chamber members. The event will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center, 1201 N. Woodbine Road. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Oct. 12. The cost is $15 for Chamber members and $25 for general admission. A continental breakfast will be served. To register online, see this link or e-mail brown@saintjoseph.com or call 232-4461.

Two St. Joseph post offices are among dozens in Missouri that would be protected from emergency closure under new legislation according to Senator Claire McCaskill.

The bill would prevent the U.S. Postal Service from using its emergency suspension process—meant to be temporary—to indefinitely close post offices without notice to the community, opportunity to appeal, or a timeframe for either reopening or permanently closing the facility.

McCaskill’s office said in a news release that that could include the post offices in St. Joseph on Olive Street and 10th Street as well as the Amity and Stewartsville offices.

According to the release, since 2011, 650 postal facilities across the country were “temporarily” closed under emergency suspension. Of those closures, 511 remain closed today, and the Postal Service has not told those communities if—or when—those post offices might reopen. McCaskill introduced the legislation with Republican Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas.

“Missourians in rural communities rely on the Postal Service, and shouldn’t be left in limbo without knowing if the temporary closure of their post office will be a permanent one,” McCaskill said. “These post offices are part of the lifeblood of our communities—a source of employment and a lifeline for commerce—and we can’t allow the Postal Service to balance its books on the backs of small communities by shuttering post offices where they’re often most needed, with little transparency or explanation.”

Here’s a timely reminder from Buchanan County Clerk Mary Baack-Garvey. October 12 is the deadline to get registered for the November election.

Baack-Garvey says she is expecting a huge turnout in the election locally, and she thinks many if not most are lining up to vote against someone. The County Clerk’s Office will be open until 7pm Wednesday to handle an expected rush. They also plan to have a registration booth at Ray’s Green Hills on the North Belt from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Especially after this second debate, I think the people are really wanting to come out and voice their opinions at the polls, and they want to make sure they’re registered,” Baack-Garvey said. “They’re going to do what they can to get registered, and we’re going to do what we can to make sure they are registered.”

If you’ve moved, or changed your name, or for whatever reason you’re not sure if you’re registered, you should call.

“I highly recommend they give us a call, and we’ll let them know right away what they need to do and what their status is.”

To register to vote, visit the Clerk’s Office in person, or the booth at Green Hills, or you can go online.

“On the Secretary of State’s Web site, there’s a form on there you can download, and as long as it’s postmarked by tomorrow’s date, it will still be accepted,” Baack-Garvey says.

As to turnout, Baack-Garvey tells us she’s expecting possible record numbers, even compared to 2008.

“We hit almost 77%, and that’s enormously high,” she said, “so we have a feeling that, with the platform of candidates that are going to be on the ballot, I think people are going to come out and vote, not necessarily as support, but more of anti- the other one getting into office,”

“We just have a feeling the voting is really going to hit over 80%.”

They’re not taking any chances though, and have ordered more than enough paper ballots to cover 100% turnout.

A man and a woman are facing charges in Atchison, Kan for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with underage girls.

18-year-old Levi Clem Stirton is charged with two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and one count of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child.

20-year-old Tiana Burke is charged with one count of aggravated indecent liberties and one county of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child.

Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie said the department was alerted earlier this month by the Kansas Department for Children and Families.

“We received a complaint from SRS that two young females reported that they had been involved with Mr. Stirton that at the time were living in Kansas had been associated with him that they had engaged in some sexual activity and that was reported to their caseworker,” Laurie said.

Laurie said the alleged incidents involving the two 13-year-old girls took place in August in rural Atchison County.

Stirton is currently being held on $100,000 bond, Burke on $75,000.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled next week for Michael Simpson, the St. Joe man charged with setting fire to vehicles at the St. Jo Frontier Casino.

Investigators say the fire department was dispatched to the area September 30. According to the probable cause statement, three vehicles were found burning at 777 Winners Circle Drive and at 4022 Waterworks Road.

The court document asserts that security video shows Simpson starting one of the fires inside the passenger compartment of one of the vehicles. At the time of Simpson’s arrest, officers say Simpson had in his possession some stolen property from two vehicles in the parking lot.

The defendant’s arraignment was rescheduled from last week, when Associate Judge Keith Marquart disqualified himself because he knew one of the victims.

During a video hearing Tuesday, Associate Judge Rebecca Spencer scheduled a preliminary hearing October 20 and entered a plea of not guilty on Simpson’s behalf. He is applying for a public defender and remains in custody, unable to post $50,000 cash bail.

At the end of the video hearing, Mr. simpson took the opportunity to say “hi Dad” to his father, who was seated in the courtroom.

Update 8:37 p.m.- ST JOSEPH PD: US 36 Hwy East bound of I 29 is now open for traffic 

>>>>>>>>>>>

A viewer has called in to let us know a semi truck has flipped over causing traffic issues on 36 highway in St. Joseph.

We’re getting reports of traffic tied up at eastbound 36 Highway at I-29 as of 4:45 p.m.

At 4:54 p.m. the St. Joseph Police Department issued a Nixle alert asking the public to avoid US 36 Highway from the Belt Highway to Riverside Road due to a traffic incident.

We do not yet know the driver’s condition.

As we learn more we will update this story.

The Missouri Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating after a semi fire in the Chillicothe R-II schools parking lot.

Chief Darrell Wright with the Chillicothe Fire Department said crews responded shortly before 1 p.m. Monday to 1020 Old West on Highway 36 in Chillicothe to a call of a semi truck on fire in the school parking lot.

“We arrived to find a fully involved 1999 Peterbilt semi,” Wright said. “We used approvimately 200 gallons of water to extinguish the fire.”

The Semi-Tractor was listed a complete loss.

Wright said the cause of the fire is under investigation by Chillicothe Police Department who is being assisted by the MO State Fire Marshalls Office.