Photo courtesy Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
PRATT – Deer hunters in northeast Kansas with unfilled 2015 deer permits have one more chance to put venison in the freezer this January.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism shows the 2016 Extended Firearm Season for Unit 10 which includes Doniphan, Brown and Atchison counties in Kansas is scheduled for Jan. 1-3.
All unfilled deer permits are valid; however unit restrictions listed on the permits are still in effect. Those who didn’t purchase a permit in 2015 or may have already filled a permit, can purchase whitetail antlerless-only permits valid for the January seasons. Whitetail antlerless permits can be purchased over the counter by anyone during the extended season.
Any unfilled either-sex permit converts to a white-tailed antlerless only permit in January, and hunters may purchase up to five additional whitetail antlerless-only permits. However, unit and public land restrictions apply. For example, a hunter with an unfilled Any Season Either-sex Whitetail permit can use that to harvest an antlerless white-tailed deer statewide on private and public land. And the first whitetail antlerless-only permit a hunter purchases is valid statewide on public and private land, except Unit 18. A hunter can purchase up for four additional whitetail antlerless-only permits valid only in specified units. Season lengths also vary based on unit location. See your2015 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary, or visit ksoutdoors.com and click “Hunting/Big Game Information/Deer,” for details.
2016 Extended Firearm Season dates, by DMU, are as follows:
Jan 1-3, 2016 – Units 6, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17
Jan. 1-10, 2016 – Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 14
Jan. 1-17, 2016 – Units 10A, 15, and 19:
No whitetail antlerless only permits are valid in Unit 18 (southwest).
The Kansas City Aviation Department is anticipating one of its biggest travel days this year to bring in thousands Sunday.
During the 2015/16 winter holiday KCI anticipated to will serve more than 509,000 passengers on 4,780 arrivals and departures. Sunday is one of the peak days that will see approximately 37,000 travelers in and out of KCI.
Consistent with historical patterns, the lightest travel days were expected to be Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The total number of revenue passengers boarding aircraft in scheduled service volumes are expected to range from 1.9 million to 2.4 million during the 17-day period, with the busiest days seeing more than 10 percent more passengers than the average day in 2015.
The other busiest travel days were Sunday, January 3; Friday, December 18, and Wednesday, December 23, respectively.
Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, projects that 38.1 million passengers will fly on U.S. airlines during the 17-day period from Friday, December 18 through Sunday, January 3. That is an increase of more than three percent or approximately 73,000 more travelers nationwide each of those days from the comparable period a year ago. Last year, 36.9 million customers were estimated to have traveled by air. A4A projects that 12 percent of those traveling will be on international flights.
One man was injured in a shooting early this morning at the Broadmoor Apartments in Saint Joseph.
Police Sergeant Brett Kelly says the incident began as an argument between two men in an apartment in Building D. The argument became an altercation that led to a shooting shortly before 12:30 am.
Sergeant Kelly says the victim was shot at least once and was taken to Mosaic Life Care for treatment of injuries that appeared to be non-life-threatening.
A suspect was taken into custody and booked for investigation of domestic violence. Police are not looking for any other suspects. The investigation continues.
James Earl Eackles pleaded guilty Wednesday for beating his longtime girlfriend to death earlier this year.
Eackles, 46 pleaded guilty in Buchanan County Court to felony second degree murder.
As we previously reported, in February officers with the St. Joseph Police Department responded to the 2200 block of S. 15th St. to find Carol Cunningham, 40 dead in the home
The probable cause statement said Eackles admitted to striking his girlfriend several times. Officers found her with significant injuries to her face and body which resulted in her death. Eackles and the victim have lived together for several years.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 29 at 3 p.m.
Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign. Photo by Nadia Thacker
The Salvation Army in St. Joseph said it’s crossed the half-way mark in its 2015 Red Kettle Campaign.
The agency said Tuesday $190,000 of the 2015 $375,000 has been raised.
“Christmas is the largest, single fund drive for The Salvation Army, providing the means to providing thousands of critical services to local families,” said Major Abe Tamayo, Corps Officer. “We here at the army depend on Christmas approximately one-third of its 1.2 million dollar operating cost, providing us with the financial resources to run our 24 hour operations, serving the poorest of local families.”
Red Kettle Bell Ringers will be out through Christmas Eve at location throughout the Belt. The campaign itself runs until Jan. 15, 2016. The Salvation Army said postal mailed and walk in donations can be sent to:
The Salvation Army
PO Box 1417
602 Messanie
Saint Joseph, MO 64502
For more information on how to give or volunteer call LeeAnn at 816.232.5824.
Today
Showers likely, mainly before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 55. Breezy, with an east wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest 15 to 25 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tonight
A slight chance of snow showers after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. West northwest wind 13 to 18 mph becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday
A slight chance of snow showers before 9am. Partly sunny, with a high near 44. East southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Christmas Day
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night
A chance of rain after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 41. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday
A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 49. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night
Rain showers likely before midnight, then rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 31. Blustery. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday
A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 34. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday Night
Rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 29. Blustery. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday
Snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 35. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night
A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 22. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
File PhotoMost roads are back open after flooding force many closures around the area.
The Missouri Department of Transportation said as of Tuesday all Northwest Missouri routes are now open after closing due to flooding. Crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation were able to open the last three closed routes, Buchanan County Routes C, H and MM, Tuesday morning.
In Buchanan County Emergency Management Dir. Bill Brinton said SE Horn Rd. and SE Mitchell Rd. remain closed.
Video board groundbreaking. Photo courtesy MWSUSt. Joseph, Mo. — A groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday formally marked the beginning of construction for the next phase in the renovation of Missouri Western State University’s Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium – a $2.6 million video scoreboard that will rise seven stories above the playing surface. The LED video display, at approximately 2,500 square feet, will be the largest in NCAA Division II.
Steve Craig, founder and CEO of Craig Realty Group and benefactor of the Craig School of Business, will contribute $1.1 million toward the project, the largest individual gift in the history of Missouri Western athletics. With this gift, Craig has now donated $8.9 million to the university. In recognition of his support, the playing surface at Spratt Stadium was named Craig Field earlier this year.
“We are in the last few days of our university’s centennial celebration, with the theme of ‘100 Years of Transforming Lives,’” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “I can’t think of a better way of concluding our centennial year than thanking an individual, Steve Craig, who has been such an important part of that transformational process.”
Craig said he wanted to provide Griffon coaches with a “dynamic asset” to help recruit student-athletes, enhance the overall fan experience for football and soccer games and strengthen the relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs. He also wanted to nurture some much-needed community pride.
“Not only can northwest Missouri residents be proud of these fantastic new facilities, but the players who compete here will also be very happy,” Craig said. When plans for the scoreboard were announced in August, he said, “I spoke about some of those great civic projects of the past, and I’m hopeful that this new scoreboard along with these other improvements will be looked upon as some of the best as well.”
Student athletes spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony about their excitement.
“We’ve always been proud to play for Missouri Western, but now we’re so excited to play at home and see other teams come out and see our facilities,” said Taylor Gant, women’s soccer. “These enhancements will improve the experience for both the players and the audience.”
“These additions make Missouri Western’s facilities one of the tops in the nation by far,” said Michael Hill, former Griffon running back and NFL player. “I was really stoked to see all this construction going on, and I’m excited to see the scoreboard go up. The environment on game day will be superb.”
The video board will stand at the south end of the stadium, near the Baker Family Fitness Center. At a little more than 65 feet wide and 38 feet tall, or approximately 2,500 square feet, the video display will be the largest in NCAA Division II. It will be larger by area than many Division I schools, including the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas.
The brick structure built to house the scoreboard will be approximately 72 feet tall, with storage rooms inside, static signs and displays, and a rooftop fireworks launchpad. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the Spring Commencement Ceremony in May 2016.
In addition to Craig, other private donors have pledged through the Missouri Western State University Foundation’s Centennial Capital Campaign to complete the scoreboard. Major donors include Al and Gracie Landes, Randy and Mary Herzog, Sunshine Electronic Display, O’Malley Beverage and Nodaway Valley Bank. Other donors have provided leadership support for the Spratt Memorial Stadium renovation project.
E.L. Crawford Construction is the general contractor for the scoreboard project and the Spratt Stadium renovation, which includes corporate suites, additional chair-back seating for fans, elevator and other accessibility improvements, additional restrooms, expanded concessions area, new ticket office, a team store to sell Griffon merchandise, new press box and fencing.
A crash Monday night in Buchanan County sent a St. Joseph man to the hospital with moderate injuries.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Travis Mitchell, 21 was driving a 2005 Kia Spectra southbound on Route A two miles south of St. Joseph around 10 p.m. when he went off the east side of the road, hit a culvert and overturned.
Mitchell was taken by ambulance to Mosaic Life Care for treatment moderate injury.
He was reported to be wearing a seat belt. The vehicle was listed as totaled.
Gary Becerra receiving $10,000 Shop St. Joe check from Jeff Heitman, owner of Ray’s Green Hills
The winner of the Shop St. Joseph Holiday Program $10,000 grand prize threw away tickets at the beginning of the program.
“I’m not a big gambler,” said Gary Becerra. “I didn’t really think I’d win. I thought I was too busy to worry about collecting tickets.”
The 48-year old Ag Processing employee said he only had 16 tickets that he collected while doing his routine grocery shopping at Ray’s Green Hills. But his unlucky feeling changed on Dec. 21.
“For some reason, I had a feeling I had the winning ticket,” he said. “I made a point to be home to watch the 5 o’clock news to see the winning ticket number.”
His ticket number, 1085698, was drawn by Todd Meierhoffer, Chairman of the St. Joseph Board of Directors, on Dec. 21, which was the end of the ninth annual Shop St. Joseph program. The program is designed to keep holiday shopping dollars in St. Joseph. This year 96 merchants participated in the program and roughly 1.6 million tickets were distributed, which is more than the 700,000 tickets distributed in 2014.
Mr. Becerra is a lifelong resident of St. Joseph and has worked for Ag Processing for six years.
“I’m very into that the money I make here, I spend here,” he said.
When it comes to his plans for his winnings, he and his wife and 13-year-old daughter went out for a steak dinner Monday night to celebrate.
“Certainly, I’ll pay a percentage forward and it’ll definitely make Christmas a little brighter at our house,” he said.
Mr. Becerra’s daughter is a competitive cheerleader, so part of the winnings will go toward her upcoming competitions.
“Anything left over will be spent in St. Joseph, that’s for sure,” he said.
Ticket holders are encouraged to keep their tickets because a list of second chance prize numbers will be announced later today. Those numbers will be posted on saintjoseph.com.
