In this photo from Wednesday, patrons waited in line at Chick-fil-A for National Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day as proclaimed by talk show host Mike Huckabee.
The Chick-fil-A restaurant in St Joseph is enforcing a strict no-media policy today during the “Kiss-More-Chiks” day.
The manager of the branch would not comment on the events of today however an employee did say they don’t expect anything big to happen at the St Joseph branch.
Opponents against Wednesday’s “National Chik-fil-A Appreciation Day” had planned a nationwide movement for those of the same-sex to kiss inside Chick-fil-A restaurants. Hundreds packed the restaurant Wednesday in St Joseph to show their support of free speech and the comments from the company president.
President Dan Cathy said he believes marriage to be one man, one woman. Business was strong during today’s lunch hour with a full restaurant and parking lot.
The manager stated media-coverage was not allowed on the property.
NWMSU President John Jasinki poses with a graduate Thursday, Photo from NWMSU.
More than 240 students received a degree at Northwest Missouri State during the summer graduation Thursday.
Those graduating included 128 undergraduate degrees, 106 graduate degrees and seven specialist in education degrees. Graduates ranged in age from 21 to 64 and represented four countries, including India, China and Morocco.
“You all have accomplished so much,” Northwest President John Jasinski told the graduates. “Let’s keep in mind, this ceremony is called a commencement because we celebrate not only a chapter in your life that will culminate today, but also what is to begin today and what you will accomplish in the years ahead.”
Second Harvest Community Food Bank CEO David Davenport delivered the commencement speech. Davenport told the graduates to “seek to be special, and I promise whatever your definition of success it will come true.”
Second Harvest distributes emergency food and offers programs serving more than 13,000 people each week throughout the organization’s 19-county service territory, Davenport is a veteran of the social sector. He previously spent 11 years in international service with the YMCA, was executive director of End Hunger Network in Houston and chief executive officer of the Capital Area Food Bank in Austin, Texas.
In his address, Davenport reflected on his work in the social sector as well as the impacts of his experience as a bilateral lung transplant survivor.
“Class of 2012, make sure you have an image in your mind of the pathway to success you wish to take,” Davenport said. “If that path brings joy and inspiration, I encourage you to embrace it. I also want to challenge you to be special. You see, success can come and go, but being special in the lives of others lasts forever. Seek to be special, and I promise whatever your definition of success it will come true.”
The bus that slammed into an Illinois highway piller in a crash that killed one passenger and injured dozens of others was manufactured last year and passed a maintenance check days ago.
State police are investigating reports that a blown tire caused the double-decker Megabus to crash Thursday near Litchfield, about 55 miles northeast of St. Louis.
A 25-year-old passenger who died in the crash of a double-decker Megabus in Illinois was a native of India traveling to central Missouri.
Aditi R. Avhad was headed to Columbia, Mo., when the bus slammed into an interstate bridge support pillar Thursday near Litchfield. Dozens were sent to hospitals with injuries.
The bus was en-route to Kansas City from Chicago with planned stops in St Louis and Columbia.
Illinois State Trooper Brad Lemarr said he didn’t know where Avhad was seated on the bus, which was traveling between Chicago and Kansas City. The city in which she lived was also not immediately known.
Some hospital officials said early Friday they still were treating patients, though none were reporting any of the injuries to be life-threatening.
Troopers had reported that 38 people were taken to hospitals for injuries.
St Joseph teens have the chance to win a car in an annual safe driving campaign.
The “I’m A Safe Driver” program kicks off its sixth year at high school registration events.
MoDOT, along with the St Joseph Police Department sponsor the event to educate teen drivers and keep the driving safely, according to officer Brendan McGinnis.
“We are excited to work on this program that helps save lives on our roads,” McGinnis said. “Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for people 15 to 20 years old, and this program has proven to help educate young drivers and keep them driving safely.”
Students pledge to drive responsibly and can win monthly prizes throughout the school year. At the end of the year, all the students with a clean driving record have a chance to win a car.
The program has a proven track record. Tin the first year, 2002, there were 651 drivers in the target age group involved in crashes in St. Joseph. In 2010, there were 432, a decrease of 33.6 percent.
Additional information about the “I’m a Safe Driver” program can be found on the St. Joseph Police Department’s website at http://www.stjoepd.info/safedriver.pdf.
Click the logo to sign-up for the new alert program.
St Joseph Schools are offering a new parent alert program for the new school year.
The program, announced Thursday, allows families to select how they want to receive information from the school district.
It’s called the Parent Alert System. You can chose to be contacted by phone, text, email, or all three.
“We think that phone, text or email should cover just about everyone in terms of meeting their needs,” said Beery Johnson, Director of Student Services, Safety and Transportation for the District.
School officials say the information sent through the system will include school closings and safety-related updates.
“If we have to close school district-wide, or if an individual school is placed on ‘lock-
down,’ we’ll be able to get them that information in the way that parents want to receive it,” said Johnson. “We believe that parents will appreciate the choice.”
The new system will eventually replace AlertNow, the current system that uses automated phone calls only.
When it comes to food – consumers have a choice – but the Animal Agriculture Alliance says that choice is coming under attack from groups using campaigns to instill food safety fears in consumers. The Alliance believes it is important for the farmer’s perspective to be told – which is why it joined 15 other ag organizations in a letter to Congress responding to a recent Consumers Union report claiming food animals receive 80-percent of antibiotics used in the United States. The groups say the campaign – which is supported by anti-meat organizations – is meant to limit and eliminate meat. The Alliance has formed its first Issue Management Committee to address the many emerging issues. AAA President and CEO Kay Smith says supporting consumer choice doesn’t mean that one size fits all – but that being inclusive of all types and sizes of farmers and scientifically valid production methods. Smith says she is confident that American farmers can produce products to fit every need – safely and affordably – if people would let them.
The cattle industry gathered at its 2012 Summer Conference last Wednesday through Saturday – and members of the Federation of State Beef Councils approved changes to Joint Beef Checkoff Committees and awarded more than 46-thousand dolalrs in promotional grants to beef councils in five states with a high consumer-to-cattle ratio. As cattle numbers and checkoff collections are reduced – Federation Chairman Craig Uden says ways of increasing efficiencies need to be found. At the same time – he says the Federation can’t lose sight of the fact that consumers are expecting more information and transparency from food producers. The five states awarded grants are Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania.
The American Energy Alliance has released a series of advertisements in Iowa, Oklahoma and South Dakota attacking the farm bill renewable energy programs. National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson says the Energy Title of the current farm bill is one of the most popular titles in the farm bill – only comprising less than one-percent of total farm bill spending. Johnson says energy programs give farmers access to new markets through innovative programs that create jobs and strengthen the nation’s energy security. He says the AEA is attempting to reduce the benefits of the farm bill to corporate cronyism and taxpayer giveaways – but that is not the case. The energy programs directly benefit farmers and ranchers in all 50 states – Johnson says – creating jobs across the country.
St Joseph Police are investigating a child abduction attempt from Tuesday morning.
Police say the target was a 12-year-old boy around 10th and Olive Streets just after 8:00 a.m.
The vehicle was a white van, possibly with out-of-state license plates and all rear windows spray painted black. The van was allegedly driven by a black male with a short Afro and a patch of facial hair below his lower lip.
At least one other occupant was in the van, according to police.
The police department made the announcement Wednesday afternoon that they are seeking information from the public.
If any one has any information, they are asked to call the Tips Hotline, 238-TIPS.
Governor Jay Nixon announced $9 million dollars in Innovation Campus Grants while making stops across the state Wednesday
The Governor’s stops included St Joseph as Missouri Western and the Chamber of Commerce received $1 million.
Beginning this fall, the MWSU Innovation Campus program will enroll adults and high school students in relevant educational tracks, with financial aid of up to $7,500 for these students to pursue college degrees.
Through the Innovation Campus, high school students will be directed toward courses and programs specifically designed to prepare them for careers in science and technology and to reduce the time needed to earn their degrees.
The Governor says the program will help build Missouri’s Economy.
“This is exactly the type of strong public-private partnership we need to grow our economy and keep our state moving forward,” Nixon said.” It’s the type of cutting edge approach to higher education that we want to replicate across the state.”
The Partnership with the St Joseph Metro Chamber of Commerce includes Missouri Western and Metropolitan Community College.
“The Innovation Campus project reflects Missouri Western’s commitment to increasing the number of college graduates in the region and to providing students with real-world applied learning opportunities,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “We will work closely with our partners to help participants obtain college degrees in disciplines that align with job openings and career opportunities in high-demand fields, including the human health and animal health industries.”
