Police say Michael Courter is a person of interest in the death of Clyda Spurgeon Friday
A man being sought as a person of interest in connection with the death of an elderly woman in St. Joseph has been arrested.
Sunday morning the St Joseph Police Department was notified that Michael R Courter, the person of interest in the death of Clyda Spurgeon, was taken into custody after a routine traffic stop in Northern Michigan. Courter was driving the 2004 Mitsubishi belonging to Clyda Spurgeon.
Spurgeon, 81, was found dead at 108 East Highland Ave. just after 11:30 a.m. Friday. Police said she had visible signs of trauma.
Commander Eric Protzman said detectives are following up on this case and that this continues to be an active investigation.
Savannah, MO. –The Rosendale Garden Club will present “Grow Native! Walk and Talk” at the Andrew County Museum on May 2, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
Betty Grace, Executive Committee Chair of Grow Native!, will speak on endangered species, plants for butterflies, identification of species, management of invasive species, and propagation of wildflowers. After the talk, guests are invited to tour the Andrew County Museum’s garden of native plants and flowers with Grace, the designer of the garden.
Betty Grace lives outside of Albany, MO. She and her husband, Jim, raise and sell native grass and wildflower seeds and plants through Grace Native Seed. They have been active members of the Missouri Native Seed Association—where Betty just completed her term as president—and Grow Native!, where Betty currently serves as Executive Committee Chair. Grace has worked extensively with native seeds and plants, and she is informed about their successful propagation in the greenhouse and their value and performance in gardens and landscapes. She has hands-on experience planning, planting and maintaining native gardens. Grace had an early interest in biology and conservation. She worked as a seasonal ranger for the National Park Service and as a naturalist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The Rosendale Garden Club, established in 1939, has been maintaining the Andrew County Museum’s garden of native flowers for three years. The Club is affiliated with the Northwest District of Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri, Inc., and the Central Region of National Garden Club, Inc.
Andrew County Museum is a Blue Star museum that preserves the history and culture of Northwest Missouri and its agricultural roots and specializes in Andrew County genealogy research services. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm and occasionally on Monday for special programs. The museum is ADA accessible.
Contact the Museum at 816-324-4720 for further information on this program. For driving directions, visit our website www.andrewcountymuseum.org or call 816-324-4720. The Andrew County Museum is located at 202 E. Duncan Drive, Savannah, Missouri, 64485.
ST. JOSEPH, MO—The Allied Arts Council of St Joseph, Missouri is looking for young artists to submit artwork that exemplifies the Trails West!® 2016 theme: “Yesterday’s Heritage, Tomorrow’s Dream.”
Artwork will be reviewed and judged to determine division winners. The divisions include K-6th, 7th-8th, 9th-12th and Best in Show. Winners from each division will be announced Saturday, August 20 during the Fine Arts Brunch beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the fine arts area on the festival grounds.
All artwork submitted will be displayed during Trails West!®, August 19-21. The top three finalists in each division will be displayed separately in gallery form, and the three winners will be announced on Saturday, August 20 around 9:45 a.m. The top three winners will receive ribbons and awards.
Entries must be received no later than May 2 at 5:00 p.m. Entries may be dropped off at the Allied Arts Council located at 188 S. 8th Street in St. Joseph. No late entries will be accepted. Winners will not be announced until the first week of Trails West!®.
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is reminding motorists and motorcyclists alike during the month of May to “Watch for Motorcycles” in order to help prevent motorcycle crashes, deaths and injuries on Missouri roadways.
“Approximately 11 percent of Missouri traffic fatalities in 2015 involved a motorcycle, with 92 motorcyclist lives lost” said Bill Whitfield, executive committee chair of the coalition. “We want to see that number decrease this year by reminding all drivers to follow basic safety rules and never drive distracted or impaired.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers the following tips to drivers on how to prevent a fatal crash with a motorcycle:
Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times.
Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic.
Check all mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections.
Never drive distracted or impaired.
Motorcyclists must also take precautions to remain safe on the road. Motorcyclists can increase their safety by following these steps:
Wear a DOT-compliant helmet and other protective gear.
Obey all traffic laws and be properly licensed and trained.
Wear brightly colored clothes and reflective tape to increase visibility.
Ride in the middle of the lane where you will be more visible to drivers.
Never ride distracted or impaired.
Anticipate the moves of other drivers and be extra cautious of road conditions and debris. Alive.
The coalition said motorcycle experts recommend motorcyclists also complete some type of training before getting out on the road. There are 31 training locations in Missouri. CLICK HERE for more information.
Once falcon eggs hatch, the parents will hunt and bring food such as small birds for the young eyasses to eat. This photo was taken in a prior year at the Iatan Power Plant nest. Photo courtesy MDC
Kansas City, Mo. – Nesting peregrine falcons are live and on camera once again this spring in the Kansas City area over streaming video on the Internet.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) works with conservation partners to restore the high-flying falcons as resident birds in the state. Two nests in the metro area have cameras set up for streaming video.
Onlookers can currently see falcons sitting on eggs in nests at the Iatan Power Plant north of Weston and at the American Century Investments building near the Country Club Plaza. Both nests appear to have four eggs. The eggs were laid in March.
Baby falcons, also called eyasses, should start hatching any day now, said Joe DeBold, MDC urban wildlife biologist. They likely will fledge, or start flying, in June.
Peregrine falcons are endangered in Missouri. They originally nested on cliffs and bluffs. MDC introduced a recovery program for them with releases in downtown Kansas City in 1991. The area’s first nest site was on a ledge at the Commerce Tower skyscraper. That nest site is not active this spring.
The nest box at Iatan is near the top of a smokestack at the power plant. To see the nest CLICK HERE.
American Century’s nest is on a rooftop. The camera there offers high definition video. To view that nest CLICK HERE.
Police say Michael Courter is a person of interest in the death of Clyda Spurgeon FridayThe St. Joseph Police Department on Saturday released the name of an elderly woman who died Friday in what police are investigating as a homicide.
According to Commander Eric Protzman, Clyda L. Spurgeon, 81, was found dead at 108 East Highland Ave. just after 11:30 a.m. Friday. Police said she had visible signs of trauma.
They’ve been hoping to speak with a person of interest in the investigation, identified as Michael Ray Courter. The 40-year-old man was described as being 5’ 6” in height, weighing 230 pounds, with green eyes and red hair.
Police released this booking photograph of Mr. Courter.
Police said a vehicle belonging to Ms Spurgeon is missing from the residence. It is believed that Courter is in possession of the 2004 blue Mitsubishi utility-style vehicle, with Missouri license number UC5N7M.
Anyone with information regarding the vehicle or Courter is asked to call the St. Joseph Missouri Communications Center at 816 271 4777 or the Tips Hotline (816) 238-TIPS.
A free session of Adult Mental Health First Aid Training is being offered by the NWMO Medical Reserve Corps of St. Joseph in recognition of Mental Health Month (May).
The City of St. Joseph Health Department is host to the Northwest Missouri Medical Reserve Corps of St. Joseph, which has supported the process for two instructors to become certified to train others in Mental Health First Aid.
The Mental Health First Aid Training session is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and conclude on
Wednesday, May 11 from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The eight-hour course is open to the public but limited to the first 30 people. Pre-registration ends May 6th, reserve a spot by calling 816-271-4725, option 2. The training will be held at Woodson Chapel Christian Church at 2525 St. Joseph Avenue, Saint Joseph, MO.
“This important training helps dispel the stigma associated with mental illness, it provides support, and by offering Mental Health First Aid training to people with a variety of life perspectives, our community is better equipped and informed,” said Kelly Kibirige, RN, and coordinator for the NWMO Medical Reserve Corps of St. Joseph.
The Mental Health First Aid course teaches how to recognize and assess substance abuse & mental health conditions; how to help someone developing a mental health problem or experiencing a related crisis; and how to assess and respond in an escalating situation.
The Kansas City Aviation Department has raises parking rates effective May 1
The new parking rates will include a $1 per-day increase to the maximum daily rate in Garage Parking and a fifty-cent per day increase to the maximum daily rate for Circle and Economy lots. The hourly accrual rates do not change.
“While we regularly review our parking rates, this represents our first rate increase since 2012,” said Katy Sell, manager of parking services. “We have increasing capital and maintenance costs that need to be incorporated into the price so we can maintain the quality of services and facilities that our customers have grown to expect. This includes two new low-emission compressed natural gas buses at $410,000 each this budget year and three more in the new budget year May 1.”
The St. Joseph Public Library is hoping questions will aid in the quest for more books.
The St. Joseph Public Library is presenting the 6th Annual Library Trivia Night, Saturday, May 21st at 7:00 p.m. Proceeds from this event will be used to purchase books for the library.
This event will be held at the Fairview Golf Course Banquet Room, 33rd and Pacific.
This fundraising event features ten rounds of questions on general trivia with prizes for the best team after each round. There will also be a silent auction and a 50/50 draw. Prizes and auction items have been donated by numerous local businesses, organizations and individuals.
The cost to participate is $60 per table with teams of up to six people. The first question will be read at 7:10 p.m.
No need to register, however reserving a table by paying in advance is highly recommended. Contact Crystal Stuck at 236-2136 to get more information about reserving a table.
Amy Wilsdorf (green jacket) takes her family to a Discover Nature Fishing clinic at Busch Memorial Wildlife Conservation Area. Photo courtesy MDC
St. Joseph, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation plans to offer fishing lessons in northwest Missouri during the month of May.
MDC said the lessons are free and all necessary equipment is provide and takes participants fishing at ponds after class time.
“I prefer the hands-on approach,” said Tori McNutt, MDC angler education assistant.
Discover Nature — Fishing is offered in four lessons. Lesson 1 covers equipment, casting and proper fish handling. Lesson Two teaches the proper knows for fishing line and how to bait a hook. Lesson 3 covers common Missouri fish and their habitats and life cycles. In Lesson 4, participants learn about various fishing lures and about fishing regulations. MDC staff and volunteers provide instruction in the classroom and then accompany participants to a pond where they try out their new fishing skills.
“More than likely they will catch fish,” McNutt said. “Over the course of the classes, so far everybody has caught fish.”
MDC will offer Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 on May 11 at the Hartell Conservation Area northeast of Plattsburg. Then Lessons 3 and 4 will be offered May 12 at the Hartell area, which has an indoor classroom and several stocked ponds. Both sessions are from 5 to 7 p.m.
A series of Discover Nature — Fishing classes will also be offered at MDC’s Northwest Regional Office in St. Joseph. Lessons 1 and 2 will be offered on May 23. Lesson 3 will be offered May 24, and Lesson 4 will be offered on May 25. The office is located on the campus of Missouri Western State University. A pond on campus will be utilized for fishing. All sessions are scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Pre-registration is required for the classes. Registration for the lessons at Hartell Conservation Area are due by May 5. Registration for the classes at the Northwest Regional Office are due by May 19. To register or for more information, call 816-271-3100.
