A crash in Livingston County between an SUV and a horse-drawn carriage has claimed the life of a ten-year-old boy and injured two other children.

The crash happened seven miles north of Wheeling on Route-B at 7:35am. The Amish buggy was carrying three children to school.

According to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, both vehicles were eastbound on Route-B when the Ford Expedition crashed into the rear of the horse-drawn buggy. The driver and occupants of the buggy were ejected in the crash.

Killed in the crash was Joshua Leinbach, age 10, who was driving the buggy. Amanda Leinbach, 7, was seriously hurt. Katelyn Leinbach, 8, suffered what were described as moderate injuries.  The children and the driver of the SUV were transported to the Hedrick Medical Center.

Katelyn Leinback was treated and released.  Amanda Leinbach was transferred to the Children’s Mercy Hospital where she was in critical condition.

Investigators say the driver of the SUV, Penny Anderson of Wheeling, was blinded by the sun just prior to the collision. She suffered minor injuries, according to the crash report.

In a news release, Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox says he and Chief Deputy Claypole were the first law enforcement officers to arrive at the scene of the crash.  By then, the injured were already being helped by citizens and three nursing students.

“Please do not rush to judgement on how this incident happened,” Cox said.  “Anyone driving east bound this morning at that time will confirm the sun was at least somewhat blinding and we will not know the facts until the reconstruction is complete.

“I do know the driver of the motor vehicle was extremely upset with what had happened. I do know that person is a good citizen and would not intentionally harm anyone.”

Cox also urged you to speak with your family and friends about the accident to discuss the dangers of being on any roadway.  He says the weather is getting nicer, school will soon be out.

“There are way too many distractions in and around all of us when we are on the roadway. I am personally going to talk with my three young drivers about this and focus their attention on how precious life is. Hopefully together we can prevent at least one horrible accident from taking place in the future,” Cox said.

A freelance weather photographer with national credits plans an exhibition and reception in St Joseph to coincide with the beginning of the severe weather season. The effort will benefit the YWCA’s Shelter for Abused and Homeless Women and Children in St Joe.

Robin Lorenson’s exhibit “Forever Following: A Natural Relationship” will be shown at the Cafe Pony Espresso at 114 South 8th Street from April 3-30.

An opening reception is planned from 6-9pm on April 3. Ten percent of each purchase will go to the YWCA shelter.

Lorenson migrates from coast to coast capturing images of landscapes and tumultuous weather. Lorenson’s newest exhibition is filled with photos of wall clouds, lightning flashes and severe storms lumbering across the Midwest sky.

Lorenson’s passion for photography inspired her to attend the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California. In April 2008, she earned a Bachelors in Professional Photography with a concentration in Industrial Science. After graduation, Lorenson moved back to the Midwest where she continues to document storms.

Lorenson’s work has been published by the Brooks Institute, Nikon, Rangefinder Magazine, Industry News, and on the cover of Jim Reed’s book, Storm Chaser: A Photographer’s Journey.

Lorenson’s video can be viewed on Geraldo, Good Morning America, Extra, Inside Edition, The Weather Channel, ABC News, Raging Planet 2 on the Discovery Channel, Dangerous Drives on the Speed Channel, Chased By A Tornado with Tom Skillings, the AP, CNN and Tornado Road which aired on The Weather Channel.

Visit her Web site at www.robinlorensonphoto.com​

The cause of the two-alarm fire that destroyed a hair salon and an adjacent building and damaged a third is still believed to be of suspicious origin, but for now the cause is listed as “undetermined, pending investigation.”

St Joseph Fire Department Inspector Steve Henrichson says a passerby captured video of the beginning stages of the fire in the 2000 block of St Joseph Avenue during the early morning hours of March 18. That video, along with some surveillance video turned over to St Joseph Police, appears to show the fire starting in a building undergoing renovation before spreading to the neighboring buildings, including the Rumours hair salon at 2002 St Joseph Avenue. The salon, and the apartment where the fire started, were destroyed.

Officials who have seen the surveillance video say that the fire at first appears as a bright glow until a “huge fireball” exploded into the neighboring structures.

There were no injuries, but two occupants of the building where the fire started, George Gray and his 12-year-old son had to evacuate in a hurry when they saw an orange glow and heard glass breaking and the fire crackling.

The St Joseph Police Department says they are not yet investigating the fire. Inspector Henrichson says surveillance video was of an old type that his team were unable to decode and view. That video was turned over to technical experts with the police department. Henrichson says that happened on Friday, and as of Wednesday evening, he had not seen the surveillance video.

Mr Henrichson was hesitant to label the fire an arson.  He says it took several hours to put it out, and then excavate the two buildings, which made it much more difficult to find the point of origin of the blaze.

The fire remains under investigation.

A St Joseph man has pleaded guilty to firearms charges stemming from a shooting in the parking lot at the North Belt Walmart in January.

Dewayne Burch was charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. He pleaded guilty on Monday before Buchanan County Circuit Judge Patrick Robb, who scheduled sentencing May 11.

According to investigators, Mr Burch shot 29-year-old Richard Ellege in the abdomen after a verbal altercation just after 8pm January 19 in the North Belt Walmart parking lot.

The judge assigned to hear criminal proceedings in a Clinton County homicide has now scheduled the next hearing in the case.

Carroll County Associate Judge Kevin L. Walden was named by the Supreme Court of Missouri to hear the case against Adam Baker after Clinton County judge Teresa Bingham recused herself.

Baker is charged with Second Degree Murder and Armed Criminal Action in connection with the fatal shooting of his wife Holly Baker last month.

Hearings in the case were canceled as prosecutors waited for the appointment of a new judge.  A hearing in the case is now scheduled April 3 at 10am. Mr Baker remains in custody in lieu of $75,000 bond.

Federal investigators have served a subpoena on the West Plains, Missouri, R-7 School District, the district where the former St Joseph superintendent worked before coming to St Joe.

Dr. John Mulford, the Superintendent in West Plains, says the FBI asked for “a relatively small amount” of personnel records.

Because it involves personnel, he was advised by the district’s lawyer not to elaborate on who was targeted. He did say that the subpoena does not focus on his district or any current employee in West Plains. He conrims that the subpoena involves former members of the administration in West Plains.

Dr. Mulford says the district intends to cooperate fully with the investigation.

“The investigators gave us a six-week deadline, but we expect to turn over all the records requested by next week some time,” he said.

Dr. Fred Czerwonka was the superintendent in West Plains before coming to St Joseph two years ago. Dr. Czerwonka was fired by the St Joseph School Board in the immediate aftermath of the State Auditor’s report that was critical of the district which received a “poor” rating in the audit report.

Dr. Jake Long came to St Joseph from West Plains as well. Dr. Long was appointed acting superintendent when Dr. Czerwonk was fired. Long is reportedly one of four finalists for the job of superintendent of schools in the Mountain Home, Arkansas school district. Mountain Home is just 30 miles from Caulfield, Missouri, which is Long’s home town. He told reporters that if he leaves the St Joseph School District it will be based on what is best for his family.

In a news release, the West Plains district announced they received the subpoena March 24 from the FBI “…requesting records of former district employee(s) in regard to the ongoing investgation of the St Joseph School District.”

In the news release, West Plains School Board President Jim Thompson said “It is important to note that this investigation is not about our school district. Openness and transparency are priorities for members of the West Plains School Board of Education and our board takes great pride in doing things the right way. Our district will work with the FBI to provide the requested documents.”

The President and CEO of the Saint Joseph Chamber of Commerce has high hopes for a new transportation funding bill, but real doubts about the political will to pass it. Patt Lilly says a proposed increase in the gas tax could clear the legislature without going to a statewide ballot, but feedback he’s hearing indicates that’s probably not going to happen this year.

Senate Bill 540 would raise the gas tax by a total of six-cents a gallon over a three year period. The sponsor is Republican Senator Doug Libla of Poplar Bluff, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. The bill had its first hearing last week. The legislature is now on Spring Break until March 30.

Lilly says it’s good to see the legislature at least discussing transportation funding.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s “Most Wanted fugitives” Web site continues to bear fruit. This week Sheriff Steve Cox announced the arrest of a fugitive in Texas.

Cox says on March 18, authorities in Harris County, Texas took Terry Andruszczak into custody. Andruszczak has been sought since February on a Livingston County warrant for the alleged Burglary of a home in Chillicothe. He’s being held in Texas in lieu of $100,000 cash bond, and possibly some additional warrants in other jurisdictions. Extradition is pending.

Cox says suspect wanted for Criminal Non-Support was arrested in Johnson County, Kansas on March 21. Matthew Cole Bonnett was wanted on a warrant dating back to August of last year. He’s being held in Johnson County pending an extradition hearing.

The Sheriff says since the LCSO launched its Most Wanted Website in January 2012, they have arrested or caused the arrest of at least 97 fugitives based on tips to the Web site. He says many of these people would not have been arrested in as timely of a manner and would have required additional investigation had law enforcement not received those tips.