MARYVILLE, Mo. – International educators from throughout the state and region will gather at Northwest Missouri State University next week.

The annual NAFSA Association of International Educators Region IV Missouri International Educators Meeting will be held June 15-16 for participants to learn, network and share best practices as the University hosts Study Missouri.

The meetings offer professional development for higher education employees who work in education abroad, international student and scholar services, international enrollment management, intensive English preparation and international education leadership.

More than 75 international education professionals from throughout the state as well Minnesota and Iowa are expected to attend.

The two-day conference begins with a Study Missouri meeting from 1-4 p.m. Monday at The Station conference center on the Northwest campus. NAFSA sessions are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at The Station and the B.D. Owens Library.

Study Missouri, through the Missouri Department of Higher Education, is a consortium of 39 public and private two- and four-year universities aligned to enhance awareness of international educational opportunities and exchange in the state of Missouri.

NAFSA Region IV – which consists of the states of Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota – is one of NAFSA’s 11 geographic regions and is chaired by Dr. Jeffrey Foot, director of international affairs and the English as a Second Language program at Northwest. Each NAFSA region is governed by an elected chair and a team of representatives from the various NAFSA professional sections and educator groups.

The 21st annual Juneteenth Festival kicked off Friday in St. Joseph and will run through the weekend.

According to Juneteenth.com, Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.

The St. Joseph Juneteenth Parade will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. It will start at 28th and Noyes and travel down Sylvanie St. to finish at the John Lucas Park where the event will be held at 409 South 18th St.

There will be vendors, pony rides, drill team performances and jazz entertainers.

Festivities on Sunday will start at 2 p.m. with a picnic and finish around 6 p.m.

For more information CLICK HERE

A Mock Dig will be held this weekend at Remington Nature Center to get kids hands-on with archaeology.

The activity will be held this Saturday June 14 at 11 a.m. at the museum located at 1502 MacArthur Drive.

The dig is for children 6 to 12.  However, the museum said space is limited and an RSVP and advance payments are required. Admission is $10 per child.  Call (816) 676-3204 for more information.

The Nature Center said the Mock Dig is a way to experience the proper way to excavate the site and learn what to look for.  All participants can take home authentic Native American artifacts.

A second dig will be held Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m.

 

Daron Simpson has a new lawyer to go with a string of new charges stemming from the shooting of his ex-wife and her boyfriend January 24. It’s not clear yet if prosecutors will seek the death penalty in the case.

On Friday the 35-year-old St Joseph man waived formal arraignment and his right to a preliminary hearing on new charges filed this week by prosecutors, and Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg scheduled the case for a trial setting on June 12.

Mr Simpson is now charged with first degree murder, first-degree assault, first degree burglary and two counts of armed criminal action. Prosecutors have not announced if they will seek the death penalty in the murder.

Judge Kellogg also issued an order allowing Mark Wissehr of St Joseph to withdraw from the case. Mr Simpson is now represented by Daniel Ross and Craig Divine of Kansas City.

Prosecutors say the defendant drove his vehicle through the garage door of a home north of Faucett where his ex-wife Amanda Simpson lived with her boyfriend Andrew Clary. He’s accused of going to the bedroom and shooting the pair. Mr Clary was killed. Ms Simpson suffered severe facial injuries.

Simpson is being held in the Buchanan County Jail, unable to post $75,000 bail.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – A resurfacing project will necessitate the closure of several ramps at the Interstate 29 and U.S. Route 36 interchange in St. Joseph, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. The closures will begin at 6 p.m., after peak travel hours. Only one ramp will be closed each night at 6 p.m. and should reopen by 6 a.m. the following day.

Below is the planned schedule of closures. All schedules closures are subject to change

June 18 – Westbound U.S. Route 36 ramp to southbound I-29

June 19 – Southbound I-29 ramp to eastbound U.S. Route 36

June 20 – Eastbound U.S. Route 36 ramp to northbound I-29

June 22 – Northbound I-29 ramp to westbound U.S. Route 36

Motorists will need to use an alternate route during the closures.

Platte City, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has closed a boat launch ramp on the Platte River at the Sharp’s Station Access due to flood damage.

It is uncertain when the ramp will be reopened for use. The access is east of Platte City off the Interurban Road in Platte County.

Three other MDC ramps on the Platte River in Platte County remain open. The Schimmel City Access and two ramps at the Platte Falls Conservation Area are usable.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – One Holt County road reopened overnight after being closed due to flooding, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. With more rain predicted, motorists are advised to consult the Traveler Information Map or the most up-to-date information on all road closures.  Click the MoDOT logo to access that map.

Several routes in Northwest Missouri remain closed due to water over the road. MoDOT encourages everyone to pay attention to barricades and Turn Around! Don’t Drown!

NOW OPEN
Holt County:
U.S. Route 59 on the north side of Mound City between Route N and Jamboree Road (Squaw Creek)

The following routes are closed until further notice:
Andrew County
Route 48 on the east side of Rosendale (One Hundred and Two River)
Route C on the east side of Rosendale (One Hundred and Two River)

Atchison County:
U.S. Route 59 between U.S. Route 136 (south of Tarkio) and Route TT (Tarkio River)
Route C between W Avenue and Route M (Tarkio River)

Gentry County
Route H between U.S. 136 and Route E (Grand River)

Holt County
Route N between Route C and Juniper Drive (Squaw Creek)

Linn County
Route C east of Purdin between Hawk Drive and Grand Drive (Long Branch)

Nodaway County:
Route 246 west of Sheridan between Noble Road and Olympic Road (Honey Creek)
Route 46 between Empire Road and Festival Road (Florida Creek)
Route 46 between Route PP and Route 113 (Sand Creek)
Route DD between the west city limits of Skidmore and Canyon Road (Nodaway River)
Route JJ between Fortune Road and Galaxy Road (culvert washout)
Route U between Arkoe and Keystone Road (One Hundred and Two River)

For more information, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/northwest and view the online Traveler Information Map. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.

(MoDOT News Release)

Tornadoes were reported in Atchison, Holt and Nodaway counties Thursday evening, but no serious damage or injuries had been reported to law enforcement by early Friday morning.

Citizens and law enforcement reported a tornado on the ground northeast of Tarkio and just west of Clearmont. A funnel cloud was reported north of Mound City. Officials also reported some downed trees and power lines in Clinton County.

In the Savannah and Amazonia area, hundreds of customers were left in the dark for a couple of hours by a KCP&L power outage caused by a downed tree.

A number of roads remained closed by flooding. I-29 reopened after being shutdown by flooding and a pair of accidents involving semis.

One semi jackknifed near mile marker 70. High winds blew over another big rig near mile-marker 95. Flooding along Squaw Creek shut down the interstate as well as US-59 highway last Thursday night. I-29 has since reopened. According to MoDOT in an update at about 1am, US-59 remained closed on the north side of Mound City between Route-N and Jamboree Road.

Three more charges have been filed against a man accused of shooting his ex-wife and shooting and killing her boyfriend.

According to court documents, Daron Simpson, 34 was charged with additional counts Thursday in Buchanan County.  He was charged with felony first-degree assault, felony armed criminal action, and a felony for first-degree burglary.

As we previously reported, Simpson was already facing charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action for the shooting incident January 24th that left his ex-wife Amanda Simpson seriously hurt and her boyfriend Andrew Clary dead.

Amanda survived and had to undergo treatment for serious facial wounds.

Simpson has a plea hearing slated for Friday at 12:30 p.m.

TORNADO WATCH 285 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT Thursday FOR THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
MISSOURI COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ANDREW ATCHISON GENTRY
HARRISON HOLT NODAWAY
WORTH

 

 Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms expected to initially develop or move into northwest MO & far northeast KS mid to late afternoon. Large hail, damaging
winds, very heavy rains probable. There is a small risk of isolated tornadoes within the “Enhanced” area.
 Individual storms should move to the east while the entire area shifts southeast with a cold front. The severe threat will spread east and south during the evening as the front slides southeast.
 As the evening progresses the threat of large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes will diminish but the threat for heavy rainfall will continue.

Forecast

Tonight Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3am. Low around 63. South southwest wind 8 to 13 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Friday A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. North northwest wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. North wind 5 to 7 mph becoming east after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 79. East southeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tuesday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Tuesday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83.