The Red Cross of Northwest Missouri is asking for blood donations this week.
The City of St. Joseph and the Red Cross are teaming up to hold a blood drive Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Red Cross office located at 401 N 12th St. The first 30 donors will receive Worlds of Fun tickets that day.
The Red Cross said every two seconds, someone in American needs blood.
To make an appointment to give blood visit www.redcross.org.
Around 700 bicyclists will hit the road Sunday morning in St. Joseph for the official start of Bike Across Missouri (BAM).
The event will run June 12 through June 17 as cyclists travel a route taking them across northern Missouri. Bikers will be leaving St. Joseph Sunday morning, stopping in Hamilton, Chillicothe, Brookfield, Macon, Shelbina, and ending the tour in Hannibal.
Area law enforcement agencies are warning residents to be on the lookout as cyclists pass through. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said drivers should exercise extra caution on the roadways during this time. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office has also send out an advisory.
Livingston County is warning drivers to be on the lookout Monday through sometime during Tuesday afternoon as BAM particpants pass through the county.
“Tuesday the BAM participants and support staff will leave Simpson Park and travel to Highway V where they will work their way to Chula and then travel east to Highway BB and turn south. Once they reach Highways B and BB they will turn east into Linn County,” the department said. “Most likely there will be riders strung out on the routes and touring the towns and Chillicothe for a good part of the day. Participants may get off the suggested course at any time.”
This is the second year for the event in Missouri.
A resurfacing project will begin next week at the intersection of Belt Highway and Mitchell Avenue in St. Joseph.
The Missouri Department of Transportation said those who regularly travel U.S. Route 169 (Belt Highway) and Route YY (Mitchell Avenue) in St. Joseph may have already seen message boards alerting them of upcoming work at the intersection of these two routes. Contractor crews from Mega Industries Corporation, working with MoDOT, are set to resurface the intersection and improve the sidewalks to bring them up to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Construction will begin in earnest next week with the removal of the concrete medians. Sidewalk work is planned first on the southwest corner and will progress east, then to the move to the northeast corner and work west. Following the median and sidewalk work, the intersection will be resurfaced. During all phases of construction motorists may encounter single lane closures, overnight lane closures, restrictions on right-hand turns and, for at least one weekend, a full closure of the intersection to allow for the milling of the old pavement and laying down a new surface. Prior notice will be given before the closure of the intersection by way of message boards and press releases. All work should be complete by the end of September 2016.
All scheduled work is weather permitting and subject to change. Any changes to the schedule could affect the completion date.
Bobby socks and poodle skirts will be appropriate attire at an upcoming Andrew County Museum event.
The museum presents, “Fabulous 50s: At the Hop,” an outdoor event featuring vintage 1950’s cars, music, dancing and other activities.
Dance instructors from Mega Mix Ballroom Services will be leading a lesson in 1950’s dance steps and Keven Schneider and Traci Huffman, along with high school and middle school students, will be performing songs from that era.
The family friendly event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on June 18th in the Andrew County Museum’s parking lot.
For more information, contact the museum at (816) 324-4720 or go to their website. The Andrew County Museum is located at 202 E. Duncan Drive, Savannah, Missouri, 64485.
Hundreds of cyclists converge on St Joe this weekend for the first leg of the Bicycle Across Missouri event, also called the “Big BAM.”
The official Big BAM Pre-Party begins in St. Joe Saturday evening at Heritage Park. However, local events organizers have come together to make a full weekend of entertainment for visitors and residents alike.
On the 12th, cyclists will embark on the first leg of the 6-day, 300-mile trek. The route crosses through Hamilton, Chillicothe, Brookfield, Macon, Shelbina and ends in Hannibal June 17.
Beth Carmichael with the St. Joseph Visitors Bureau said “We’re calling it Jammin’ & Bammin’ in Saint Jo!”
Carmichael says the bicycle events will draw about 600 cyclists into the area.
There are a lot of events planned that weekend:
Kick off of the 2016-17 Sculpture Walk (Opening reception Friday, June 10th)
Saturday offers a walking tour of the new sculptures.
The St. Joseph Bicycle Club is hosting a Mystery History Ride.
A wine tasting and farm to table dinner hosted by the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art.
The 2016 Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival at Coleman Hawkins Park all weekend.
Juneteenth commemoration including the Down to Earth Riders and a picnic.
Midwest Artists Association hosts Art in the Park sale at Civic Center Park.
The Big Bam party at Heritage Park includes live music from the Kris Lager Band.
All of the activities are open to the general public.
For more information on weekend events in St. Joseph go to www.StJoMo.com/BigBam.
According to Don Ledford, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Missouri, the Waiver and Plea Hearing is scheduled on Monday morning at 10 a.m. before U.S. Judge Dean Whipple in Kansas City.
Ledford says he cannot say what charge will be brought, because technically Dr. Colgan hasn’t waived his grand jury rights yet. But Ledford confirmed that a plea deal has been negotiated.
“First, the defendant will waive his right to the grand jury process,” Ledford said in an interview. “Then the government will file a criminal information.”
“After that we expect the defendant to plead guilty.”
Dr. Colgan has been the focal point of some extreme controversy within the St. Joseph School District, beginning with an investigation into administrative stipends that dates back twenty years, to improperly reported pension information. Earlier this year, state officials ordered Colgan to repay nearly $600,000 in pension funds.
The FBI has been investigating the school district for more than two years.
After nearly two months authorities have arrested a fifth suspect in a home invasion investigation in Andrew County.
The Andrew County Sheriff’s Department said Richard Wayne Weyer Jr. was arrested Wednesday afternoon on warrants for first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, first-degree burglary and various other felony and misdemeanor charges.
Weyer is one of five defendants charged in connection with a home invasion case in rural Andrew County that took place on April 26. The department said during the home invasion five suspects entered the home of an elderly male victim with weapons, tied the victim up in a chair and proceeded to burglarize and steal articles from the residence.
Also charged in connection with the case is Tiffany Cruz, 35, Bradley Henley, 28, Jason Laughlin, 36 all of St. Joseph and Eileen Schussler, 20 of Wathena. All are of which are charged with more than half a dozen felonies in Andrew County including felonies for first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, first-degree burglary, felonious restraint and unlawful use of a weapon.
The sheriff’s department said Weyer has been on the run and hiding from authorities since the incident took place. The other four suspects were taken into custody the day of the home invasion. Weyer is currently being held in the Andrew County Jail without bond. No court date or time has been set.
After losing its license Ashland Cemetery will not be allowed to take on new contracts.
The state of Missouri has revoked the cemetery’s license as an Endowed Care Cemetery. The Missouri Division of Professional Registration released findings Friday on its website from April 8 when a probation violation hearing was held over a March 4 filing of a probation violation complaint.
According to the document, the cemetery’s license was current and active at all times until Aug. 31, 2014 and has not been renewed since. Cora Bullock Opuiyo serves as both owner and operator of Ashland. The cemetery had been placed on probation for five years after a settlement agreement between the office of Endowed Care after several complaints were filed.
According to the disciplinary order Ashland’s license as an Endowed Care Cemetery from April 8 was revoked and Ashland cannot re-apply for licensure for three years. The cemetery is allowed to remain open but the only business it can conduct is what is required to maintain the grounds and to fulfill existing contracts for the burial and interment. No new cemetery sales or preneed contracts are allowed unless the proper licensure is obtained.
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A Unionville, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to possessing child pornography.
Joel R. Bremer, 50, of Unionville, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to the charge contained in an April 15, 2015, federal indictment.
According to the plea agreement, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department received a report in February 2013 from a 19-year-old female that she had been sexually abused by Bremer for a period of time when she was a child. She also stated that Bremer had taken nude photographs of her when she was a minor and that she had recently seen those pictures on his laptop computer, which he kept in his home.
Investigators with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and the Kirksville Regional Computer Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at Bremer’s residence on Feb. 11, 2013, and seized a laptop computer and several CD/DVDs, which Bremer must forfeit to the government. A forensic analysis was conducted at the Kirksville Regional Computer Crime Laboratory. No pornographic images of the reporting party were located; however, the analysis located approximately 1,472 photos and 40 videos which contained child pornography that appeared to have been obtained via the Internet. The content of the numerous images and video files include depictions of adults engaging in sexual conduct with prepubescent children, including toddlers.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the government will seek a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office said a woman died shortly after arriving at the Sheriff’s Office earlier this week.
The department said Monday, that a 50-year-old woman who had been arrested was found in medical distress in the back of a transport van about five minutes after transport. Lifesaving efforts were attempted but the department said the woman could not be revived.
Sheriff Mark Owen said in a news release that he has asked the Clay County Sheriff’s Office to investigate.
The name of the woman has not been released.
