Christmas shopping online brought a lot of frustration to customers who didn’t get their gifts on-time in Northwest Missouri.

Listen: KFEQ Journal.
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More than 600 packages were not delivered in Maryville.

They were shipped through FedEx Smart Post. An outside contractor was supposed to take them from Kansas City to Maryville. The Post Office in Maryville was supposed to finish the delivery. But, those packages never made it to the Post Office, Postmaster Paul Eshbacher said.

“People have called saying they had tracking that FedEx shows they dropped off to Maryville that we never received,” He said. “And then about the 20th of November on, we started noticing we were only getting about 50 or so packages a day when we should have been getting which would have been around 100.”

So, if they didn’t make it to the Post Office, even though tracking says the did, then where are they packages? The problem lies in the subcontractor and FedEx, according to Eshbacher.

“I asked the driver,” Eshbacher said. “He said there are many packages in Kansas City that won’t fit into my van.”

So that leaves 625 or more packages possibly in Kansas City Warehouse. luckily, the merchants have helped many of the customers, he said.

“But all I could tell the customer is please be patient, contact your retailer, and if this shows up we will get it delivered and you’ll wind up with two of the item because Amazon has told people if and when it shows up, go ahead and keep both items just for your inconvenience.”

And according to Amazon.com, this problem is not just in Maryville, or the Midwest. It’s a nationwide problem.

“I think it has overwhelmed FedEx, and they’re not even sure where the stuff’s at,” Eshbacker said. “I don’t care who delivers the package, we got to take care of the customer. The fact that the customer is not handled on this and has been completely thrown to the wolves, that’s the part that I’m upset about.”

He says if you one of those affected, call the company you bought the merchandise from. At the very least, they should send you a new package. And if those packages eventually make it to Maryville, the Post Office will deliver them.

Livingston County officials announced Tuesday the county jail will close.

The jail, which opened in 1978, will close due to high maintenance cost and additional staffing needs to safely run the facility.

The county cannot afford to finance a new jail facility from it’s reserves of the Law Enforcement Sales Tax or the General Revenue fund.  The funds also are not enough to cover maintenance cost of the current facility.

The County Commission , County Clerk and Sheriff have agreed they are not willing to ask for additional bond or tax issue’s to cover the repair cost and staff of the facility.

Their jail needs will be contracted to the Daviess-Dekalb County Regional Jail.

The five full time detention officers were notified their position are being eliminated in the process.

The county will periodically review the new process.

A Livingston County Deputy and Conservation agent rescued a Bald Eagle from a trap this week.

On Monday, a trapper in Livingston County reported an unintended catch in one of his traps for legal game.

Deputy Sheriff Eric Menconi and Missouri Conservation Agent Jake Strozewski responded to the scene. They used a blanket to cover the bird, which had a six foot wing span.

The officers were then able to free the bird. The deputy said the eagle appeared exhausted but uninjured.

The officer took a photo of the eagle on his phone, as seen on this page.

More than 500 students are expected to graduate over the weekend at both Northwest Missouri Universities.

The first commencement, Friday at Northwest Missouri State, will feature State Agriculture Director Jon Hagler as the speaker.

More than 350 undergraduate students are expected to receive bachelor’s degrees. More than 100 additional candidates are expected to receive master’s degrees and specialist degrees.

The ceremony begins at 1:00 Friday afternoon at Bearcat Arena.

On Saturday, the fall commencement for Missouri Western will feature Don Boulware of a St Joseph Law Firm as the speaker. He will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane letters degree.

The ceremony at Western starts at 11 Saturday morning in the M.O. Looney Complex Arena.

The quarterly St Joe Rising event Friday feature’s St Joseph School District’s Superintendent as the speaker.

Dr. Melody Smith will give a presentation called Promises Kept.

She will discuss the construction of the first new elementary schools to be constructed in St. Joseph in nearly 40 years.

The event is organized by the St Joseph Metro Chamber of Commerce. St. Joe Rising events feature issues involving social, economic, governmental, legislative and corporate activities of concern to Chamber of Commerce members.

It starts at 7:30 Friday morning at the Holiday Inn Conference Center on South Third Street. RSVP’s for the event however are closed.

St Joseph Police have located a missing St Joseph man and say he was found safe.

Police sent out a Nixle alert around 9:30 Wednesday morning.

In the alert, Police say they were looking for 79-year-old Ralph Robbins, missing since midnight.  He suffers from dementia, according to police.

He was last seen at his residence in St Joseph before police declared him missing.  A second Nixle alert sent at 11:30 stated the man was found to be safe and back with his family.

A former St Joseph License office employee pleaded guilty Tuesday to participating in a false ID scheme.

US Western District Attorney David Ketchmark announced Tuesday Thomas Richard McNamara the third, pleaded guilty to his part of the conspiracy.

The 26-year-old from St Joseph entered a plea agreement to pay a fine of $125,000 or more. He could be sentenced up to five years in federal prison.

McNamara pleaded guilty to his part in the conspiracy to unlawfully produce identification documents,unlawfully transfer the means of identification of another person and to commit Social Security fraud.

McNamara said it was common knowledge among the employees at the license office that co-conspirators were assisting illegal aliens to obtain licenses. McNamara admitted he was paid $50 to $100 each time he accepted identification documents from illegals aliens escorted to the office by co-conspirators.

He admitted accepting the documents two to three times a week.