Voters in Buchanan County will have to decide whether or not to pass a sales tax to repair area levees.

One of the items up for vote in Tuesday’s Primary is a decision on a countywide sales tax for construction and repairs to Missouri river levees.

The question on the ballot reads, “Shall the County of Buchanan impose a countywide sales tax at the rate of 1/4 cent for a period of 4 years from the date on which such tax is first imposed for the purpose of construction and repairs to the Missouri river levees?”

Bob Wolleman is the campaign chairman for the Committee to Save Jobs and the owner of Deluxe Truck Stop, one of the business protected by the levees.  Wolleman said the levees are in great need of repair.

“The west levee is not certified at this time, the east levee has some major structures that need to be included in it to be more stable,” Wolleman said.

The project is estimated to cost more than $70-million.  However, Wolleman said the federal government is providing 65 percent of those funds.

The primary election will take place Aug. 2nd.  Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department is investigating after a stolen pickup was found in a creek Friday morning.

Deputies responded to the area of Cook Road just east of State Highway W to a vehicle found overturned in the creek.

Cpl. Sarah Hardin with the department said a county worker was out mowing when he saw the reflection off of the car window and called it in.  The S-10 pickup was found unoccupied and upside-down in the creek next to Cook road.

Hardin said the vehicle was reported stolen out of St. Joseph on July 13th.

“We have no idea how long it’s been in the water but it appears to have floated there,” Hardin said.

Authorities are working to remove the vehicle from the creek and are investigating the case.

Associated Wholesale Grocers and Affiliated Foods Midwest have plans to combine the two distribution businesses.

Affiliated Foods is a Nebraska based company with operations in Elwood, Kan.

The merger announced Thursday was unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company. Little details on the merger were released but AWG said the alliance is still subject to certain conditions, including the approval by AFM shareholders.

The deal is expected to close later this year.

The news release did not detail what would happen to the Elwood branch. We have reports that a closure of the Elwood branch is anticipated and employees have been notified.  We have a call in to AFM to try to learn more but have not received a call back at the time of this post.

A cyclist from Union Star was hit by the mirror of a passing pickup truck early Thursday.

The Missouri State Highway patrol says 43-year-old Glen Miller suffered minor injuries. The accident happened on as Miller was bicycling along U.S. Highway 169, one mile south of Union Star.

A crash report says a pickup driven by Carl McDaniel of Union Star passed Miller on the highway at 7am Thursday. A mirror on McDaniel’s pickup struck Miller.

Miller was transported to Mosaic Life Care. McDaniel was not hurt.

Jason Kander made a stop in St. Joseph Thursday ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.

Kander, Missouri’s Secretary of State, is also a democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.  He stopped in at the Central Labor Council building Thursday morning as part of a bus tour around Missouri.

Also running for senator on the Democratic side are Cori Bush, Chief Wana Dubie and Robert Mack.

Kander spoke in St. Joseph about his ideas to fix Congress. 

“I’ve been to every county in Missouri in the last ten months,” Kander said. “And there’s really nobody that feels that Washington is doing a good job. People overwhelmingly feel it’s time for a change.” 

Republican candidates running for U.S. Senate in the primary include incumbent Roy Blunt, Kristi Nichols, Bernie Mowinski and Ryan D. Luethy. 

Primary elections take place Tuesday with polls open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. For more information and to find a polling place, go to the Buchanan County Clerk’s website.  Primary winners will face each other in the Nov. 8 election.

A man has been arrested after a police chase Wednesday in Atchison, Kan.

Joshua L. Jones, 32 of Topeka, Kan. was arrested Wednesday in Atchison for investigation of aggravated robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, possession of stolen property, burglary and misdemeanor theft.

Capt. Timothy Stout with the Atchison Police Department said shortly after 1 p.m. an attempted robbery was reported at Verizon Wireless located at 121 S. 8th St. He said the suspect allegedly displayed a handgun then ran from the scene on foot in a failed attempt.

“A witness advised they saw the suspect leave the area in a silver car,” Stout said,

About 40 minutes later a robbery was reported at the Subway located at 301 S 5th S. The suspect with the same description was reported to have displayed a handgun and ran from the scene on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Stout said an officer saw a silver vehicle leaving near the Subway and a chase began until the suspect abandoned the vehicle in the 900 block of King St. and ran to a wooded area and then into a home with people inside. Stout said the suspect ran straight through the house and then back into a wooded area where he then ran to a vacant home on Price Blvd. and was arrested.

Police identified the suspect as Jones. The vehicle used during the incidents was allegedly reported stolen out of Topeka several days prior.

Charges have not been filed as of Thursday.