St. Louis County Police say an officer who came under heavy gunfire returned shots amid a protest in Ferguson.
Chief John Belmar says two groups of people exchanged fire near where protests were taking place, but says the shooters were not protesters.
“No, they were criminals, they weren’t protesters,” Chief Belmar said at a news conference. “Protesters are people that are out there talking about a way to affect change, whatever that may be.”
Chief Belmar said 45 to 50 shots were fired in about 45 seconds, between the two groups. One officer was struck in the face with a brick and some stores were looted overnight. The police department tweeted that at least two unmarked cars were hit by gunfire.
Those incidents took place near where protests were taking place marking the one-year anniversary of the Michael Brown shooting.
Police shot one man that they say opened fire on an unmarked police SUV. The man, 18-year-old Tyrone Harris, was reported to be in critical and unstable condition early Monday morning.
For the first time in three nights of protests, some officers were dressed in riot gear, including bullet-proof vests and helmets with shields.
A grand jury and the U.S. Department of Justice declined to prosecute Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson, who shot Brown, but the shooting touched off a national “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Traffic investigators in Northwest Missouri and northeastern Kansas had a busy weekend.
A Kansas City man is being treated for serious injuries he sustained when his motorcycle hit a deer. The accident happened along I-29 in Buchanan County shortly before 10pm Friday. Michael Simons was transported to Mosaic Life Care.
A woman from Ridgeway, Missouri was hospitalized Saturday morning after crashing her SUV into a tree in Harrison County. According to the crash report, 68-year-old Dianna Leonard was transported to Harrison County Community Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Investigators say she failed to negotiate a curve along Route-Y west of Mt. Moriah at about 8:15am.
A Lawson, Missouri man suffered moderate injuries in a rollover crash Saturday morning east of Holt, Missouti. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says 72-year-old James Sells lost control of his pickup truck along Route-PP at about 10:20am. The vehicle left the roadway, hit a mailboax and overturned. Mr Sells was transported to Liberty Hospital.
A Holton, Kansas man was killed late Saturday night in a single vehicle crash just east of Circleville in Jackson County, Kansas. Gary Michael Swindale was killed. Officials say Mr Swindale lost control of his vehicle along 254th Road. The vehicle rolled several times, ejecting Mr Swindale. The vehicle wound up in a farm field.
Two people were seriously hurt in a rollover crash north of Maryville on Ideal Road Sunday morning. The pair were not wearing safety belts when the vehicle they were riding in hit a driveway, then became airborne and overturned. One passenger was ejected and another was partially ejected. Johnathon Riley of Bedford, Iowa, and Lukas Riley of Polo, Missouri were transported to SSM Healthcare in Maryville with serious injuries. The driver, Daniel Baumli of Ravenwood, suffered minor injuries and refused treatement.
A crash Sunday afternoon in Harrison County injured four people including a one-year-old child. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says Eugene Pilcher of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was driving along I-35 when a semi in front of him slowed down for another accident. Mr Pilcher’s Ford Focus hit the rear end of the tractor-trailer. He suffered moderate injuries. The crash report indicates minor injuries suffered by his two passengers, Beth Pilcher and the baby Calvin Pilcher, as well as the driver of the semi, Darin Huitt of Eagleville, Missouri. All four were transported to Harrison County Community Hospital.
A single-vehicle crash in Andrew County Sunday afternoon sent three people to the hospital. The Missouri State Highway patrol says the injuries were believed to be minor. The crash report says Eddie Young of Topeka, Kansas lost control of his van along I-29 five miles north of St Joseph just before two pm Sunday. The van left the roadway and hit a telephone pole, then re-entered the highway where it came to a stop on the shoulder. Mr Young, along with passengers Timothy Gwyn of Kansas City and Frederick Kent of Parkville, Missouri were transported to Mosaic Life Care.
A DWI Saturation is planned in Clinton County in September.
Captain James E. McDonald, commanding officer of Troop H, made the announcement Friday.
He said the area selected for enforcement is based on a high number of drinking-related crashes, high number of contacts with drivers who have been drinking, and officers’ input as to probable contact with DWI violators.
“Intoxicated drivers are a danger on Missouri roadways, please assist the Missouri State Highway Patrol in removing impaired drivers from our roadways by contacting us toll-free 1-800-525-5555 or cellular *55,” said Captain McDonald.
Volunteers helping out with the 2013 festival. Photo courtesy Allied Arts Council
ST. JOSEPH, MO- With less than two weeks left Trails West!® is still looking for volunteers for the 2015 festival.
The festival with this year’s theme of “heART for the City” runs August 21-23, 2015.
“This is a great opportunity for volunteers this year, because they can easily sign up to be a part of Trails West!®and show their heART for the City,” said Jolene Dempster, festival volunteer chair.
The festival is looking for volunteers to help with festival set up, clean up in the food court, site preparation, site decorations, removal of decorations, and delivery of Trails West!® marketing materials.
To volunteer fill out a volunteer application on the Trails West!® page CLICK HERE.
Admission to the festival is by souvenir button or 2015 Trails West! ® T-shirt. The buttons, good for admission to all three days of the festival are on sale now and are $8 in advance and $10 at the festival gates.
All guests over the age of 10 need a button for admission.
Northwest Administration Building. Photo courtesy Darren Whitley/Northwest Missouri State University
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University celebrated the University’s accreditation this week by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) for its duel credit courses.
Northwest’s dual credit program allows high school students to earn college credit from the University while still in high school. Courses are taught by high school faculty at the enrolled students’ home high schools, and Northwest is piloting online courses taught by campus faculty. To enroll, students must be recommended by their high school and meet Northwest admission standards.
NACEP granted national accreditation to concurrent enrollment programs offered by 12 colleges and universities, including Northwest, last spring. The accredited institutions provide college credit-bearing courses taught by college-approved high school teachers to high school students.
Loralee Stevens, who serves on NACEP’s Board of Directors and as assistant dean of community outreach at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., coached Northwest through the rigorous accreditation process and congratulated Northwest on its success.
“NACEP accreditation is a really important and good way to set yourself apart from other concurrent enrollment programs in the nation,” Stevens said.
NACEP accreditation is based on 17 national standards of quality that ensure high school students enrolled in dual credit courses receive college level coursework. Institutions receiving NACEP accreditation are expected to hold dual credit high school students to the same standards expected of college students.
Saturday is the last day for shoppers to help stuff the bus for students in need.
The United Way of Greater St. Joseph is asking for donations of school supplies through its annual STUFF THE BUS School supplies Drive.
The agency started the drive Friday and it continues again Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. School buses will be parked outside both St. Joseph Walmart stores. The agency is asking shoppers to purchase and drop off items at either location. Volunteers wearing white LIVE UNITED t-shirts are working with the agency to collect the donated school supplies from the community during the tax-free weekend.
This year, more than 300 volunteers will lend their time to help with the drive.
The collected school supplies will be distributed through United Way Partner Agencies and programs to area children who would otherwise start the school year off without the tools they need. Salvation Army’s Back to School fair on Aug. 13 will be the main point of distribution.
ST. Joseph, MO – From henna tattoos to photography and paintings Trails West!® 2015 has new artists and vendors as well as familiar faces coming to this year’s event.
The festival welcomes several new artists. Paola, Kansas artist Cynthia Schmidt’s booth, Discovery Art, is full of wheel-thrown and hand-built pieces of pottery. Each piece is an original with hand carved patterns and rich textures. All of her work is mid-fire stoneware, dishwasher and food safe.
From Kansas City, Missouri, Jeremy Morton brings his unique acrylic screen print on paper. Jeremy is a freelance visual artist with a focus in screen printing and multi-media painting. Be sure to stop by his booth in the fine art section area.
St. Joseph Woodworkers Guild consists of multiple local woodworkers demonstrating how to use different tools to carve pieces of wood. The woodworkers have a full schedule all three days of the festival. The Guild showcases a number of different tools and strategies which includes demonstrating a Beall Buffing System, a Scroll Saw, Wood Lathe, Pen Making, Scroll Saw Puzzles, Carvings, and much more. Visitors will be able to watch the woodworkers put their talents in action while teaching the crowd along the way.
The fine arts area also showcases two artists in the arts incubator, Aaron Schmidt and Colby Walter. The goal of the incubator is to provide emerging artists a space to showcase their talents before a large, diverse crowd to help further their creative endeavors. Aaron Schmidt works with pencil on paper. Many of Schmidt’s pieces are meant to convey normal subject matters and setting. However, upon closer examination one will find one or two articles in the drawing that may not seem normal components of the scene being portrayed. Colby Walter refers to his paintings as geometric abstractions. They call to mind the mathematical drawings of M.C. Escher and the meditative pattering of Mandalas.
The festival also welcomes several new folk artists to the west side of the grounds. “In My Second Life” creates new bracelets, necklaces, rings, and earrings from vintage pieces. These pieces range from old watch parts, typewriter keys, and old beads. Stop by and see how “In my Second Life” turns the old into new.
Also demonstrating this year in the folk art area is a local organization, The Crossing Outreach Ministry, with five vintage rag rug looms. They use the looms to make rag rugs, rag bags, and laptop bags. Each rug is unique from the other to give you a personal look in your home. The Crossing also takes tires and paints them to make a unique planter. All proceeds from their art goes towards The Crossing Outreach Ministries to give back to the community and to help the homeless, veterans, and ex-offenders.
Also new to the folk art area is Bloom Wildly with handmade women’s accessories and beauty products. Barnboard Creations creates birdhouses, feeders, benches, etc. out of wood, and Quirky Creations uses glass to make anything from bird feeders to glass flowers. For a full list of artists at Trails West!®, visit trailswest.org and go to the folk artists and fine artists tabs.
Admission to the festival is by souvenir button or 2015 Trails West! ® T-shirt. The buttons, good for admission to all three days of the festival are on sale now and are $8 in advance and $10 at the festival gates. All guests over the age of 10 need a button for admission.
Trails West!® is an outdoor arts festival, hosted by the Allied Arts Council, celebrating the unique cultural heritage of St. Joseph, Mo. Now in its 23rd year, the festival features fine arts, folk arts, culinary arts, music, dance, and theatre. The 2015 festival will be held August 21-23 at Civic Center Park.
As schools prepare to start the upcoming school year the Missouri State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to watch for kids.
“It will be a big change for these young people after the summer break of fun in the sun, sleeping in, going to camp, or summer employment,” the MSHP said in a news release. “Instead, young people will be walking, biking, and driving to school, which brings a change in traffic patterns.”
The agency said it’s critical for drivers to be alert, especially near school zones, playgrounds and bicycle paths.
According to the MSHP most traffic crashes involving young drivers (under the age of 21) in 2014 occurred between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., when school typically lets out.
“Drivers need to be aware of the increased traffic during this time—not just in areas around school, but all around town,” the agency said. “Remember: Many of these drivers are inexperienced. It is important to encourage those young drivers to remember driving is a full-time job. Using a cell phone, texting, or adjusting the radio can be the distraction that leads to a traffic crash. Texting is against the law for anyone under the age of 22.”
In 2014, four people were killed and 374 people were injured in school bus crashes.
Photo courtesy American Red Cross of Northwest Missouri
The American Red Cross is calling for help from the St. Joseph Community to fill a blood donation shortage.
Kim Scott with the Red Cross says the agency is currently facing a looming shortage of the most needed blood types and, therefore, has an urgent need for eligible donors with O negative, B negative and A negative blood types to give to prevent an emergency situation.
A blood drive is being held today (Friday) in St. Joseph at St. Peter Lutheran Church 3524 St. Joseph ave. from 3-7 pm. All presenting donors will receive a free Worlds of Fun ticket. (while supplies last).
A blood drive is also being held in Wathena, Kan. today at the Wathena Community Center located at 303 E St. Joseph St. Wathena, KS 66090 until 7 p.m. Free t-shirts are being given away at that location.
Scott said summer shortage are not uncommon as regular givers participate in summer activities.
Tonight
