A former St. Joseph Firefighter pleaded guilty Thursday with the attempted rape of a 15-year-old girl.

During a hearing Jeremy Wigchert plead guilty to the felony charge of first-degree attempted rape stemming from an incident that took place in February.

According to court documents, Wigchert is accused of using sexually-explicit emails to arrange a sexual rendezvous with the victim.

A sentencing hearing is set for June, 30.

The suspect in an attempted robbery earlier this month at a convenience store in downtown St. Joseph was arrested Tuesday.

20-year-old Austin Leroy Fones of Stanberry was charged in Buchanan County with a Felony for First Degree Attempted Robbery. According to Detective Jeremy Peters with the St. Joseph Police Department, Fones entered Wood’s Mini Mart on 1334 Frederick and purchased a bottle of soda.

“The defendant then walked outside the store,” Peters said. “According to the witness, the defendant then re-entered the store and displayed a knife to the clerk demanding he put his hands up and open the register drawer, attempting to rob the business. The defendant was then chased from the store by the clerk after defending himself with a golf club. The defendant fled the scene on foot.”

Fones is being held on $5,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for May 27th.

Real estate sales figures for April were up from March, but lower than the figure from April of last year.

According to figures released by the St. Joseph Regional Association of Realtors, total sales across its ten-county area for April of 2016 were $13.8 million, compared to $12.7 million in March. The total is 18.4% lower than the $16.9 million reported in April of last year.

The total so far this year is also lagging behind last year. 2016 residential sales through April totaled $45.5 million. By April of last year that total was $47.5 million, down 4.12%.

But the number of homes sold so far this year is higher than the total at this time last year. By the end of April the assocation reports 389 homes sold, compared to the 381 residential units sold through April of last year.

One local distillery will be providing the official vodka for Sporting Kansas City.

MGP Ingredients based in Atchison, Kan. said its Till American Wheat Vodka made from Kansas Wheat will be the club’s official vodka.

“We are honored to help launch the newest MGP product, Till Vodka, to the market and it’s a great start to the relationship for our fans as well,” said Jake Reid, Sporting KC President. “Sporting Kansas City supporters will be among the first to have the opportunity to try this new premium vodka produced in Atchison, Kansas.”

Till Vodka will be initially available in both 750 ml and one liter bottles and will be sold regionally starting in Kansas and Missouri. Sporting Kansas City supporters will also have the opportunity to taste the product during home matches.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has created a new, free app for your mobile devices.

Colonel J. Bret Johnson, superintendent of the MSHP, says in a news release the app provides quick access to the Patrol’s emergency line or use another function to find addresses, phone numbers, emails, and web pages for all nine troop headquarters. There are multiple ways to contact the MSHP, and you can also get directions to a troop headquarters.

The mobile app also provides instant access to send and receive information through the following applications:

* Alerts — Find out what’s happening! Check for Amber alerts or major road closures.
* See Something — This enables you to record details about criminal behavior or safety concerns. It will help you remember everything you need to tell us when you call.
* Photo Tip — Send us a picture of any crime you witness and include incident information.
*Crime Tips — Provides a way for you to submit crime tips to us.
* News Feed — Our news releases are a click away through this portal.
* Thank A Trooper — Troopers across the state serve and protect with integrity and compassion. If you’d like to let us know about your experience with a trooper, use this portal.
* Driver Examination — This section contains a digital copy of the Missouri Driver Guide, Motorcycle Operator Manual, and the Commercial Driver License Manual.

Other portals take users to the sex offender registry, career opportunities with the Patrol, and the agency’s main website. The MSHP mobile app allows you to pinpoint your exact location, in order to inform emergency services when you call for help. You can also visit our social media sites or connect directly to tributes for the Patrol’s heroes who have died in the line of duty through the app.

“The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s long tradition of service and protection has included community policing. A personal relationship with those we serve is important to us,” said Colonel Bret Johnson. “In today’s world, technology is a big part of our lives. The Patrol’s presence on social media and this new mobile app helps us to better serve the public.”

This app is available to the public for both Android and Apple products. When downloading the MSHP app, select “public access.” No password is required.

The Patrol reminds the public that mobile technology should not be used while driving. Inattention continues to be a leading cause of traffic crashes in Missouri. Please use the MSHP mobile app–and all mobile technology–responsibly.