(UPDATE) – Saint Joseph police arrested ten people early Friday morning during what amounted to a private pool party at the Aquatic Park. Sergeant James Tonn says a passerby reported hearing young people shouting and laughing in the park at 12:15 am.
Cmdr. Eric Protzman said officers arrested 7 adults and 3 juveniles inside. Unfortunately for them the pool was closed and they were trespassing. Sergeant Tonn says they tried to run but kept getting caught by the fences. Officers were able to corner them and make the arrests.
Tonn says some deck chairs had been tossed into the pool but there was no damage. The case is being sent to the city prosecutor’s office for charges of trespassing.
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Jay Nixon Thursday declared a state of emergency in Missouri as heavy rain, flooding and flash flooding continue to impact large portions of the state.
The heavy rain associated with the severe weather already has led to flooding along many streams and rivers; at least one drowning has been reported in connection with the flooding in Missouri. More heavy rain is expected across the state in the next few days in connection with the remnants of tropical depression Bill.
“As significant flooding continues to impact large portions of the state, I have directed state emergency management personnel and the Missouri State Highway Patrol to take action to assist local communities and protect the public,” Gov. Nixon said. “With more heavy rain in the forecast, we will continue to remain in direct contact with law enforcement and local officials as we work to protect lives and property.”
In addition to the Mississippi River, a number of smaller rivers and streams are expected to hit major flood stage including the Meramec River, the Bourbeuse River, the Cuivre River and Dardenne Creek.
Thousands of acres used for agriculture, especially along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, are among the areas that have been impacted or are under threat from flooding. The Governor said it includes some of the most productive farmland in the country.
Bishop LeBlond High School has announced Jeff Sullivan as its new principal.
Sillivan currently teaches physical education at Central High School, and has been the LeBlond varsity girls basketball coach for the past three years.
He earned a master’s degree in secondary education leadership from Northwest Missouri State University and his bachelor’s in science education and physical education from Missouri State University.
He and his wife Poppy Barbosa Sullivan have four children. His wife is a 1996 Bishop LeBlond graduate. Sullivan will begin work at LeBlond on July 1.
He replaces Dr. Solon Haynes, who has accepted a position with the St. Joseph School District as director of student services.
The LeBlond Advisory Board will host a welcome reception for Sullivan and his family from 5:30 to 7 on Tuesday, July 7 in the Fisher Family Commons
Today
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. East wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tonight
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. East northeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%. Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. East wind 6 to 9 mph. Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. East southeast wind 5 to 8 mph. Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. South wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Saturday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Sunday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Sunday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 90. Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 73. Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 89.
11:32 a.m. UPDATE – U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch says a suspect is in custody in the fatal shooting inside a historic black church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
“I can confirm that there is a suspect in custody,” she said.
She gave no other details.
Nine people including the pastor were killed in the Wednesday night shooting. An intense manhunt followed.
Police earlier identified the suspect as 21-year-old Dylann Roof of Lexington, South Carolina. They released surveillance video photographs of the gunman and a dark colored sedan he may have used to get away.
Charleston police Chief Greg Mullen says Roof stayed at a prayer meeting for nearly an hour before he opened fire. Among the dead was state Sen. Clementa Pinckney.
Authorities have called the shooting a hate crime.
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CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Police in Charleston, South Carolina have released photos of the suspect they believe opened fire in a historic black church last night, killing nine people. The photos were taken from surveillance video. Authorities say the man began shooting during a church service at the black Emanuel AME Church. One of the dead is the church’s pastor. Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen describes the suspect as a white man in his early 20s, with sandy blonde hair, wearing a distinctive sweatshirt. Chief Mullen says the suspect stayed for almost an hour before gunfire erupted. Mullen gave the details at a Thursday morning news conference. He didn’t elaborate. At the news conference, he also identified the victims of the Wednesday church night shooting as six females and three males. He says names won’t be released until families are notified. Mullen says the suspect is a “very dangerous individual.” Mullen says police don’t know if anyone was targeted besides the church itself. Earlier, Mullen said he had no reason to think the suspect has left the Charleston area, but is distributing information about him and the vehicle around the country.
A school employee was injured Wednesday morning in a mishap with a lawn mower. Tarkio Police Chief Tyson Gibbons said in a news release that the victim’s name is not being released pending notification of family. He was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for treatment.
Gibbons says paramedics and officers were called to a location near 13th and Pine Streets in Tarkio for what was reported as a man that had been run over by a mower.
The chief says the victim, a school staff member, was mowing an embankment when the accident occured. Chief Gibbons says it is unclear how the accident unfolded or how the victim was hurt.
He was found in a ditch with numberous sever injuries. There have been no updates on the victim’s condition.
Grammy Award-winning singer Melissa Manchester performs in St Joseph Thursday night as part of the Missouri Western State University Centennial Art Series. The show begins at 7 p.m. with performances by the Griffon Junior Singers, under the direction of Darren Verbick and Ashley Kempt, and the Missouri Western Faculty Jazz Ensemble.
All proceeds will benefit the Missouri Western State University Centennial Capital Campaign.
Earlier in the day, Ms Manchester will be the featured speaker at the YWCA Women of Excellence Awards in St. Joseph. That event starts at 11:30am at St Joseph Civic Arena. Officials at the YWCA say the theme for the annual luncheon this year will be “Writing Our Song.”
The organization says music is “woven into the warp and woof of the YWCA,” and that their century-old building has been the stage for recitals, concerts, children’s voices, and even singing in the shower.
For information on YWCA event, visit their Web site here.
Two southeast Nebraska prison inmates who died in a riot May 10 died from “blunt force” head injuries. That’s according to the official death certificates obtained this week by the Omaha World-Herald newspaper.
The death certificates indicate the inmates died within minutes of sustaining their injuries. Each was struck with an object, but officials have not said what kind of object was involved. The report said both Donald Peacock and Shon Collins were victims of homicide.
Johnson County Attorney Julie Smith says her office will request a grand jury be impaneled to hear evidence once the Nebraska State Patrol completes its investigation into the riot and the deaths of the two inmates. The state’s corrections director says the formal investigation is nearly complete. Director Scott Frakes hoped to have the final report in hand by the end of the week.
Both Peacock and Collins were serving time for child-sex charges, and many have speculated that was the reason they were killed.
Ms Smith is resigning her post effective Friday to become take a job as the top attorney for the Department of Correctional Services, which operates the prison in Tecumseh, Nebraska.
Inmates took over housing units, started fires, destroyed plumbing and tore down walls during the riot, which started May 10 and continued into the early morning hours of May 11. Peacock and Collins were found in their cells after the situation was brought under control.
Thursday, June 18, is “Dump the Pump Day” in St Joseph. You can ride St Joseph Transit free all day, on all routes, as often as you like. St Joseph Transit is offering a free tote bag to first 500 passengers (limit one per customer).
“The Ride” operates eight fixed routes in St. Joseph and Elwood, Kansas.
(find your route here).
Mitchell and Belt Hwy Accident. Photo by Miles RamseyMitchell and Belt Hwy Accident. Photo by Miles Ramsey
(UPDATE) Two women were injured Wednesday afternoon in a multi-vehicle accident in St. Joseph.
Sgt. Keith Dudley with the St. Joseph Police Department said two St. Joseph women in their early 20s were taken to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries after an accident on Mitchell and Belt Hwy.
Dudley said a 20-year-old St. Joseph woman was driving a yellow Pontiac G6 westbound on Mitchell when she failed to yield and turned left at the Belt Highway intersection and a blazer headed eastbound on Mitchell driven by a 20-year-old St. Joseph woman crashed into the Pontiac.
Dudley said a ticket was issued to the driver of the Pontiac.
The St. Joseph Police Department had issued an alert to drivers to avoid the area of Belt Highway and Mitchell Avenue around 3:50 p.m. The intersection was reopened to traffic by 5:54 p.m.
(UPDATE) – Saint Joseph police arrested ten people early Friday morning during what amounted to a private pool party at the Aquatic Park. Sergeant James Tonn says a passerby reported hearing young people shouting and laughing in the park at 12:15 am.
