Officials break ground Wednesday on a $5.8 million runway replacement project for the 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Airport.

According to an airfield assessment in 2009 , the existing Assault Strip and the remaining pavement of runway 13/31 have deteriorated and must be replaced to be brought up to minimum standards.

The replacement project will give the airport a standard day/nighttime instrument capable runway. The current status of runway 13/31 is nonstandard and is not recognized by the FAA as a Part-139 regulated surface. Officials say the upgrade will allow all users of our airport to utilize the facility in a more efficient manner.

The 139th Airlift Wing needs a minimum of 458 passes per annum to remain short field qualified. The Assault Strip supports over 2,500 short landings/touch and go’s per year which includes visitors who utilize Advanced Airlift Tactical Training Center.

The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled at 10:30 Wednesday morning. Construction is expected take 120 days.

A new playground is coming to Hillcrest Transitional Housing of Buchanan County this weekend, and you’re invited to help build it!

The work day will start at 7:30AM and will conclude at 5:00PM on Saturday, October 3 at 3000 Parkway A St. Joseph, MO.

The apartments are just west of Mark Twain school.

Employees of Johnson Controls will be present to volunteer during the build. Johnson Controls came up with the idea of building the playground and donated the first $10,000 to the project. Mosaic Life Care also donated $10,000. Show Me Women Who Care donated nearly $5,000 to the project. All 3 phases will be built on October 3rd. Ashland United Methodist Church donated a security fence that will be put in place later in the month so the children of Hillcrest will be safe playing on the Hillcrest playground.

“We are thrilled that this new playground will serve both the children at Hillcrest Transitional Housing and the St. Joseph community with a safe environment to play,” said Shannen White, Affiliate Director, Hillcrest Transitional Housing. “Playgrounds help with imagination, creativity and problem solving.”

Hillcrest Transitional Housing offers homeless families, singles and youth a place to stay while they go through a disciplined education program aimed at self-sufficiency within 90 days.

“Children develop a sense of self when they master a new skill and play with others,” said White. “All of these benefits from the new playground are a vital part of helping children as they transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency right along with their parent(s).”

Missouri Western State University will hold its nineteenth annual Reading of Challenged and Banned Books at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29 in the Enright Community Rooms, Spratt Hall rooms 214-216. The event, in recognition of the American Library Association’s Banned Book Week, is free and open to the public.

Missouri Western students and faculty as well as members of the St. Joseph community will read selections from books that have been either banned or challenged in U.S. schools in recent years. Refreshments will be served following the readings.

The event is sponsored by the Department of English and Modern Languages, the Department of Education, the Missouri Western State University Library, Prairie Lands Writing Project and SNCTE.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. –The Josephine Expo for women is set for Saturday, October 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.

The Expo is an annual event now in its eleventh year and is an extension of the magazine Josephine.

“The Josephine Expo is a day for area women, giving them an opportunity to shop, to talk to local vendors, organizations and home­based businesses face­to­face, to to grab a bite to eat and to be entertained,” said Carole Dunn, Expo coordinator.

This year’s theme, “A salute to her!,” will give the Expo a vintage patriotic feel.

Both floors of the Civic Arena will be filled with an array of booths, including ones from retail shops, service providers, non­profits and home­based merchants. The food court will include some new options this year.

“We have many returning favorites but also a number of new vendors, which should make for a fun show this year and one you won’t want to miss,” Ms. Dunn said. “The Expo is also a part of First Saturdays Downtown, so you’ll be able to make a full day out of coming down here.”

New to the Expo this year will be two sessions of make and take art, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., led by The Wooden Nickell Studio artist Megan Thomas. No artistic skill is needed. Sessions will be by a $15 suggested donation to the Griffey School for the Arts, to help cover costs.

Entertainment on the stage will have the following schedule:
10 a.m. – Phil Vandel
11 a.m. – Under The Big Oak Tree
Noon – East Hills Fashion Show
1 p.m. – Stephanie Gummelt
2 p.m. – East Hills Fashion Show
3 p.m. – The Wood Pile

Admission is $5, kids 12 and under are free.

For more information CLICK HERE.

MARYVILLE, Mo. – A centralized application form for high school students in the region seeking scholarships has been undertaken by the Community Foundation of Northwest Missouri and Northwest Missouri State University.

Northwest said Scholar-Link lifts the burden from prospective scholarship recipients who might otherwise need to complete multiple applications. Through Scholar-Link, students may fill out one application form for all available scholarships in the northwest Missouri region.

Community Foundation created Scholar-Link through a partnership with Northwest and the University’s computer science graduate students. Graduate students developed the application during a three-year period.

“We all are focused on access and affordability, and Community Foundation obviously is helping drive such as we all work on higher degree attainment rates,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinki said. “Northwest Missouri State University is proud to be a solution-provider as we assist the Foundation and regional students and families.”

The project began in August 2012 and 53 graduate students have worked on it to date, according to Community Foundation Administrative Director Stacey Helfery.

Community Foundation began research for the project in 2011 and identified 360 scholarships offered in northwest Missouri. Staff developed one scholarship application that included standard questions asked on all applications.

“Three factors made the Scholar-Link web platform a success,” Northwest Provost Dr. Timothy Mottet said. “First, it was a great idea. Second, the team invested considerable time assessing the needs of students and the application process. Third, a great team of computer science graduate students at Northwest Missouri State University, partnering with Community Foundation of Northwest Missouri, designed and developed a user-friendly scholarship platform. It was an impressive partnership with great synergy and an excellent example of how Northwest provides profession-based learning.”

Helfery said the Community Foundation hopes to offer a soft launch of Scholar-Link by early 2016.

The St. Joseph Post is giving away a pack of four tickets to watch the Celts perform lively traditional Irish and Scottish music next weekend.

Jamie Barnes was drawn as the winner Tuesday morning.

The Celts will perform at the Historic Missouri Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

The Celts are a Nashville based combination of Irish born and Irish-American musicians each accomplished in their own rights. Founder Ric Blair credits the group’s popularity to their unique blending of Celtic traditional instruments and modern hit songs and sounds.

“I’m proud of my Irish/Scottish roots,” Blair said. “But I am equally proud of my American music roots. So our music has become a product of merging the two cultures.”

Tickets for the performance may be purchased by phone at the Performing Arts Association, 816-279-1225 or at the office, 719 Edmond Street or online: saintjosephperformingarts.org.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol took a motorist into custody after a rollover accident in Nodaway County Monday night.

A crash report says a 35-year-old Skidmore woman lost control of her vehicle along Delta Trrail east of Skidmore at about 7:50 p.m. Monday. The Ford Focus traveled off the roadway and overturned. The driver suffered minor injuries but refused medical treatment at the scene.

An arrest report from the patrol indicates she was taken into custody at the Nodaway County Jail. The report lists possible charges of driving while intoxicated, misdemeanor child endangerment, careless and imprudent driving involving an accident, and failure to wear a seat belt.

No charges have been filed.  The arrest report indicates the woman was placed on a 12-hour hold in Nodaway County.