Post Staff – Page 680 – St. Joseph Post Archive

UPDATE: Northwest Missouri roads closed due to flood waters

Posted on May 27, 2015May 27, 2015

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – A third Buchanan County route has closed due to flooding, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. The routes listed below are still closed until further notice. Motorists will need to use alternate routes. MoDOT encourages everyone to pay attention to barricades and Turn Around! Don’t Drown!

NOW CLOSED:

Andrew County:

Route 48 on the east side of Rosendale (One Hundred and Two River)
Route C at the junction with Route 48 (One Hundred and Two River)
Route C on the east side of Rosendale (One Hundred and Two River)

Buchanan County:

Route H at Agency (Platte River)
Route C at U.S. Highway 36 (Platte River)
NEW – Route MM from Loutermilch Road to Route 116 (Platte River)

DeKalb County:

Route W between Hedge Road and Hebron Road (Lost Creek)
Route W between Hedge Road and Hebron Road (Lost Creek)

Northwest plants garden to help feed community

Posted on May 27, 2015

Northwest Community Garden. Photo courtesy Northwest

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University’s School of Agriculture Sciences has planted a garden with roots that will extend beyond the campus.

The community garden was completed last fall and is located near the Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It will grow produce for the Maryville Ministry Center and the Nodaway County Senior Center. It also will provide opportunities for students and community members to observe various production practices used in gardening.

Combined, the Ministry Center or Nodaway County Senior Center serve an estimated 200 seniors and 200 families each week.

This summer, Maryville Hy-Vee and Northwest are partnering to provide an opportunity for individuals and organizations to contribute to the garden by donating seeds and plants. Additionally, Hy-Vee employees and volunteers are assisting with planting and maintaining the garden.

“We have been donating produce to various organizations for several years and the new additions to our community gardening efforts will only enhance the objectives we are attempting to accomplish,” Rod Barr, director of Northwest’s School of Agricultural Sciences said. “To assist in our efforts, the School of Agricultural Sciences partners with local organizations and individuals to assist in the cultivation of crops grown in the garden.”

The school said the community garden was designed in 2012 by Grace Becker, then a graduate assistant in the School of Agricultural Sciences, who sought to create a produce and sensory garden that was accessible to students and community members. Northwest received a $50,000 grant from the Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service for the project to fund most of the building and construction materials.

Consisting of raised beds and a pavilion, the garden also includes solar-powered lights, compost bins and recycled or repurposed building materials, rain-collection barrels and a drip irrigation system.

Ray County Coroner accused of smoking meth in hearse outside casino

Posted on May 27, 2015May 27, 2015

The Ray County Coroner has been accused of smoking methamphetamine in his hearse while sitting outside the Argosy Casino. Toby L. Polley, 46, of Lawson, Missouri was charged in Platte County on May 19 with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested May 22.

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said Polley was allegedly seen on surveillance video smoking a glass pipe inside a white hearse in the Argosy Casino parking lot just before midnight on February 24.

According to court documents, a Riverside police officer arrived at the scene. Polley allegedly told the officer there was a pipe in the middle console but nothing else illegal in the vehicle.

Upon searching the vehicle, however, the officer located a white crystal substance tucked in the passenger seat. Court documents say Polley admitted the white substance was methamphetamine.

After being arrested on a warrant in Taney County on May 22, Polley posted a $10,000 cash bond and was released. If convicted of possession of a controlled substance, he faces up to seven years in prison.

This case was investigated by Riverside Department of Public Safety. It is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Megan Benton.

The charges against Polley are merely accusations, and he is considered innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The probable cause statement is attached. If you need additional information, please contact Jill Baker, our office’s media liaison.

Vehicle vs. Deer accident sends Chillicothe man to hospital

Posted on May 27, 2015May 27, 2015

A Chillicothe man was taken to the hospital Wednesday morning after his vehicle hit a deer in Livingston County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 54-year-old Jeffrey Reed was driving his 2012 Ford Focus around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, nourthbound on US65 when he hit a deer in the roadway just 2 miles north of Chillicothe.

Reed was transported by private vehicle to Hedrick Medical Center with minor injuries.

He was reported to be wearing a safety belt. Reed’s vehicle sustained moderate damage.

One killed, three “serious” after rollover crash

Posted on May 27, 2015

Tragedy strikes a Nebraska family along I-29 in Northwest Missouri Tuesday. A woman was killed and four family members were injured in a crash along the interstate near Rock Port.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, Jason Pace, 34, of Columbus, Nebraska, lost control of his Dodge Caravan at shortly before 1pm Tuesday afternoon. The vehicle careened into the media and rolled over several times.

Cristyna Pace, 30, was not wearing a safety belt. Ms Pace was ejected and killed in the crash.

Jason Pace was seriously injured, and was flown by helicopter ambulance to Mosaic Life Care in St Joseph. Two children, ages eleven and four, were seriously hurt in the crash as well. A newborn baby suffered minor injuries. All three children are being treated at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Royals, Hosmer make cover of Sports Illustrated

Posted on May 26, 2015May 27, 2015

It remains to be seen if this is good news or bad news. Eric Hosmer and the Kansas City Royals are featured on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated magazine. Some people insist that appearing on the cover of the sports weekly falls under the category of “curse.”

But the Royals are getting a lot of mileage out of it anyway.

According to SI, the Royals have found success with a balanced team, leading the majors in batting average and ranking second in slugging and OPS and third in on-base percentage.

Kansas City is getting multiple contributions from several players, including first baseman Eric Hosmer. Hosmer, who graces the national cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated, leads the team in home runs, hits, slugging, OPS and on-base percentage.

“These aren’t the soft Royals of years past,” the magazine continues.

“In a 12-day span last month, the Royals were involved in five bench-clearing incidents, resulting in nine ejections, multiple suspensions, fines and a warning to the rest of the league that they don’t care what you think about them.

“They don’t back down,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “If other teams were trying to get us so mad we couldn’t be successful, the opposite happened. We actually got better after one of those incidents. I think teams started to see, ‘You want to stir up the beehive? Go ahead. But you’re going to get stung.'”

Western Board authorizes $15 million in bonds for Spratt Stadium and refinancing

Posted on May 26, 2015May 26, 2015

St. Joseph, Mo. —The Board of Governors at Missouri Western State University has authorized a bond issue of up to $15 million. The bond issue includes $5.5 million to fund the renovation of Spratt Memorial Stadium, up to $7.66 million to refinance a 2010 bond issue, and any applicable bond issuance costs.

The project to improve Spratt Stadium was initially approved by the board last November. The board awarded a contract of approximately $7 million to E.L. Crawford on April 27 and construction began earlier this month.

The stadium project includes the demolition of the existing concourse, concessions area, restrooms and press box; construction of a new concourse, concessions area, restrooms, press box and club level, including suites; repairs and improvements to the home grandstand seating; removal of the old track and relocation of the field closer to the home stands; relocation of the visitors’ side grandstands to be closer to the relocated field; and new field turf.

The 2010 bond issue is itself a refinance of a 1998 bond issue, which in turn refinanced earlier bond issues to fund housing and recreation construction in the early 1990s and funded an expansion of the Blum Student Union. The refinancing will allow the university to achieve interest savings and bonding flexibility. The university may elect not to refinance the full amount of the outstanding bonds, because interest rates have been slowly rising. The resolution provides flexibility to make the final decision when rates are locked in next month.

The finalized bond purchase agreement is expected to be put before the Board of Governors at their next regular meeting June 25.

Union Star woman injured in one vehicle crash on Memorial Day

Posted on May 26, 2015May 26, 2015

A Union Star woman was taken to the hospital Monday with minor injuries after crashing her vehicle in DeKalb, Mo.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 22-year-old Aubrey Kimbrell of Union Star, Mo. was driving her 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier around 11 p.m. Monday on RT H at Fairmount Rd, just six miles west of Maysville when she lost control off the vehicle allowing it to travel off the west side of the the roadway, down and embankment, across Fairmount road and off the south side of the road. It hit a stop sign and a street sign before coming to rest off the south side of Fairmount Rd.

Kimbrell was transported to Cameron Hospital by private vehicle with minor injuries. Her vehicle was reported to be a total loss.

Six fatalities in Missouri traffic crashes over Memorial Day Weekend

Posted on May 26, 2015

Six people died in traffic crashes on Missouri highways over the 2015 Memorial Day weekend.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said last year, nine people were killed during the three-day weekend.

During the counting period of 6 p.m., Friday, May 22, through 11:59 p.m., Monday, May 25, 2015, the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated 298 traffic crashes which included 98 injuries and five of the fatalities. The Fulton Police Department investigated the remaining fatality. Troopers also arrested 105 people for driving while intoxicated. During the 2014 Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Patrol investigated 295 traffic crashes which included 130 injuries and eight of the nine fatalities. Last year, troopers arrested 146 people for driving while intoxicated.

Of the five traffic crash fatalities investigated by the Patrol, one occurred in the Troop C, Weldon Spring, area; and two each occurred in the Troop D, Springfield area, and Troop E, Poplar Bluff, area. [The Fulton Police Department investigated the sixth fatality.]

Three people died in traffic crashes on Saturday, May 23, 2015. George D. Jenkins, 49, of Fredericktown, MO, died when the motorcycle he was riding failed to negotiate a curve and crossed the center part of the roadway into the path of a vehicle. Dr. Kuziez pronounced Jenkins dead at Madison Medical Center. The driver of the other vehicle sustained minor injuries in the crash; he was wearing a seat belt. The crash occurred in Madison County on County Road 209 just west of Missouri Route OO.

Teddie R. Marrs, 75, of Pineville, MO, died when the vehicle in which he was a passenger drove into the path of a second vehicle. Dr. Shane Holland pronounced Marrs dead at Mercy Hospital. Marrs was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Both drivers sustained serious injuries; both were wearing a seat belt. The crash occurred in McDonald County on U.S. Highway 71 two miles north of Jane, MO.

Albert J. Begley, 30, of Advance, MO, died when the vehicle he was driving traveled off the roadway, became airborne, and struck a creek embankment. Dr. William Bowling pronounced Begley dead at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, MO. Begley was wearing a seat belt. The crash occurred in Cape Girardeau County on Missouri Route K one mile east of Gordonville, MO.

One fatality occurred on Sunday, May 24, 2015. Levi F. Wheeler, 30, of Villa Ridge, MO, died when the vehicle in which he was a passenger traveled off the roadway, struck a tree, and caught fire. Medical Examiner Investigator Theresa Lustwerk pronounced Wheeler dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle sustained serious injuries. It is unknown whether or not Wheeler or the driver were wearing seat belts. The crash occurred in Franklin County on Brinkman Road near St. Mary’s Road.

Two fatalities occurred on Monday, May 25, 2015. Vicki L. Paulus, 58, of Republic, MO, died when the motorcycle she was riding traveled off the roadway and struck a tree. Christian County Coroner Brad Cole pronounced Paulus dead at the scene. The crash occurred in Christian County on Logan Ridge Road nine miles south of Ozark, MO.

William R. Rogers, 92, died when he drove into the path of another vehicle while attempting to cross the highway. The paramedic supervisor pronounced Rogers dead at the scene. It is unknown whether or not Rogers was wearing a seat belt. The crash occurred on U.S. Highway 54 at County Road 306. The Fulton Police Department investigated the crash.

Patrol Car and Deer collided in Northwest Missouri

Posted on May 26, 2015May 26, 2015

Livingston County Patrol Car collides with deer. Photo courtesy Livingston County Sheriff's Dept. — Livingston County Patrol Car collides with deer. Photo courtesy Livingston County Sheriff’s Dept.

A Livingston County Sheriff’s Department deputy avoided injury after his patrol car hits a deer.

According to the department, Deputy Dave Bagley was responding Friday Evening in the northwest part of Livingston County to assist another officer with an investigation when a deer ran in front of his patrol car on Highway U.

The Department said the impact caused damage to the patrol car and deployed the airbag. However, Bagley was not injured in this collision.

The accident was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol based on the sheriff’s office policy.

Estimates to repair the vehicle are being obtained at this time.