The fourth season of Western Playhouse, the summer theatre company at Missouri Western State University, will feature two beloved musicals.

The Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical “Into the Woods” will be produced June 19-27 in the Potter Hall Theater. The off-Broadway classic “The Fantasticks” will be produced July 10-18 in the Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall.

“We are all very excited about the upcoming season,” said Dr. Bob Willenbrink, founding dean of Missouri Western’s School of Fine Arts and producing director of Western Playhouse.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to produce two of the world’s most loved and most popular musicals. They are sure to be audience favorites.”

Equity and non-Equity auditions for roles in “Into the Woods” will be held on March 1 at Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo., and on March 8 in the Potter Hall Theater on Missouri Western’s campus in St. Joseph. Interested actors can sign up for a time slot and fill out an application at www.westernplayhouse.com/2015-auditions.asp.

Western Playhouse is also seeking technicians for both productions. Click here to apply for a spot on the technical crew. The deadline for technician applications is March 21.

After it debuted on Broadway in 1987, “Into the Woods” won three Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, and five Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical. The musical that weaves the plots of several familiar fairy tales has gone on a national tour, been revived on Broadway, produced in London and most recently was adapted for film in 2014.

“The Fantasticks” by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones is the longest-running musical in history, with more than 17,000 off-Broadway performances between 1960 and 2002. It was revived in 2006 and continues to run at the Snapple Theater Center in New York. Musical numbers include classics like “Try to Remember,” “They Were You” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.”

Western Playhouse was founded in 2012 as a unit of the Western Institute at Missouri Western. It is a resident summer theatre company utilizing professional actors.

Gov. Jay Nixon today announced that Col. Ron Replogle will retire as superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol on May 1. Replogle led the agency for more than five years. He was appointed to the post in February 2010 and has been with the patrol for 31 years.

The Governor said he would submit the name of 28-year Patrol veteran Maj. Bret Johnson to the Missouri Senate in March for confirmation as the next superintendent.

“Col. Replogle has been every bit the leader that I expected– demonstrating courage, conviction, intelligence and integrity,” Gov. Nixon said.

“Ron Replogle and the Patrol have continued to lead – not just on the roads and in criminal investigations, but through fire and ice, floods and a record drought, a historic snowfall that closed Interstate-70, one of the largest and deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history, and assisting local law enforcement agencies across the state in their times of need. I congratulate Ron on a tremendous job, and thank him for his service to the people of Missouri.”

Gov. Nixon praised Replogle not only for his leadership during times of the many and varied natural disasters to impact Missouri since 2010, but also for the Patrol’s nationally recognized work by taking drunk drivers off the road, and the work of troopers over several months in assisting St. Louis-area law enforcement during recent civil unrest.

Johnson, a native of Unionville, is currently the commander of the Patrol’s Bureau of Field Operations, a division that includes more than three-quarters of the Patrol’s 1,250 troopers and more than half of its more than 1,250 civilian employees. He was appointed to the Patrol in August 1986 and moved up through the ranks before being promoted to Major in 2007. Johnson has played a key command role in the Patrol’s day-to-day operations as well as during the Patrol’s response to provide local assistance.

“During the years I’ve been Governor, I’ve seen Bret Johnson provide outstanding leadership and service to Missouri when it was needed most,” Gov. Nixon said.

“I am proud to nominate him to be the next superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, where I know he will carry on in the finest tradition.”

Johnson currently resides in Jefferson City with his wife, Cindy. They have two adult sons, one of whom is a corporal in the Patrol.

The Highway Patrol is divided into nine troops, with troop headquarters located around the state. Created by state law in 1931, the Missouri State Highway Patrol has evolved from a highway patrolling force to a full-service, accredited law enforcement agency.

While enforcing traffic laws and promoting safety on Missouri’s 33,000 miles of state-maintained highways remains the Patrol’s primary responsibility, the Patrol has been tasked by the Governor and the legislature with many additional law enforcement duties including: homeland security, motor vehicle inspection, commercial vehicle enforcement, driver’s license examinations, criminal investigations, criminal laboratory analysis and research, public education, gaming enforcement and law enforcement training.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has received several prestigious designations reserved for the nation’s top law enforcement agencies, including being recognized by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) as a Flagship Agency. That designation acknowledges the achievement and expertise of select law enforcement agencies which provide “flagship examples” to assist other agencies. The Highway Patrol has been accredited by CALEA since 1992, and also has received the Meritorious Award, reserved for agencies that have been accredited for 15 or more continuous years by CALEA.

UPDATE 11/12/15 (10:51 a.m.) 51 year old Charles M Fox has been charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine.  Bond 75,000

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The Buchanan County Special Response Team took a man into custody Wednesday after executing a search warrant at an apartment located in the 200 block of Arizona.

According to the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Dept. a 51-year-old man was taken into custody at the apartment around 11:30 a.m.

The department said there was information that the suspects inside the residence were armed so the SRT was used in the execution of the warrant and surrounding residents were evacuated from the area.

The Sheriff’s office said after a lengthy refusal to surrender a man was taken into custody without incident.

Law enforcement official said they recovered Methamphetamines from the scene as well as evidence from other crimes that have taken place in Buchanan and Andrew counties.

The investigation is ongoing.

 

St Joe Civic Arena will host the Antique Show and Vintage Market this Saturday and Sunday.

More than 60 dealers from five states will take part “For the Love of Junk,” which will feature dozens of tables dedicated to sports cards and collectibles.

You can also find vintage, retro, re-purposed and antique furniture, glassware, advertisments, primitives and eclectic decor items. They’ll also offer free antique appraisals.

The event runs from 9am to 5pm on Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sunday at St Joseph Civic Arena, 100 N. 4th St.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested seven people, including two for driving while intoxicated, during a DWI Saturation conducted in Livingston County last week.

Captain James E. McDonald, commanding officer Troop H, four officers patrolled specific areas with a goal of detecting impaired drivers and other traffic violations that contribute to traffic crashes. The saturation was held from 11:00 p.m. on February 6, 2015, to 3:00 a.m. on February 7, 2015.

As a result of the operation, officers made 7 criminal arrests issued 13 citations and 16 warnings. The following is a list of the enforcement contacts as a result of this saturation:
2─Driving while intoxicated arrests
1─Minor in possession arrest
13─Summonses issued for traffic violations
4─Felony warrant arrests
16─Warnings

“Impaired driving poses a significant threat to motorists on Missouri’s roadways,” stated Captain McDonald. “One of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s highest priorities is removing the impaired driver from our roadways. If drinking is part of your plans, choose a sober designated driver.”

Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Scroggins has announced the filing of an additional charge against 34-year-old Daron Simpson.

Simpson was charged with second degree murder last month in connection with the shooting death of 36-year-old Andrew Clary at a home in Faucett.

Simpson was also charged Wednesday with first degree felony assault in connection with the case.  A conviction on the assault charge could carry a maximum sentence of 10 to 30 years and would require at least 85-percent of the sentence to be served before he would be eligible for parole consideration.

In court documents, officials said Simpson drove a vehicle through a garage door of the home, then made his way to the bedroom where he allegedly shot Clary and Simpson’s ex-wife Amanda.

She survived and is still under treatment for serious facial wounds.

A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m.