Missouri Western State University Announced a former president of Emporia State University will serve as the Craig School of Business Dean.

Michael Lane was announced today as the new Dean.  He will start August 15th.

Lane served as the Emporia State University President for five years before stepping down and returning to a faculty position. He has also served as the vice chancellor for academics at University of Arkansas, Fort Smith and the same position at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania.

He succeeds Carol Roever, who is currently serving her second term as interim dean.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to lead an exceptional business program,”  Lane said. “I am impressed by the significant opportunities the Craig School of Business provides through its entrepreneurship program, and by its commitment to an applied learning experience for each graduate. Such opportunities serve graduates well long after they leave Missouri Western.”

The final route is ready for the Midwest Transmission Project, A transmission line extending from Nebraska City Neb.  to Jackson County Mo.

Planning the 180 mile route took a year and 20 different public meetings for residents to voice their opinions on the route that will travel through Northwest Missouri.

Organizers are hopeful the project will be  minimally obstructive as it can be, according to Midwest Transmission Project spokesperson Bill Musgrave.  

More than 2000 people attended the public meetings to voice their opinion.

“That’s exactly why we are so pleased with the process that we went through,” he said. “We feel like everybody was given a fair opportunity to have their concerns heard.  I think we came up with a project that will be minimally disruptive as possible and still accomplish the goals we have for the project.”

The project has three main goals.  Redundancy, efficiency and alternative energy options.  Upon completion, this line should allow for quicker power restoration after major storms to the area the transmission line serves.

“We’ll be bringing more 21st century technology to this new system, helping to avoid congestion along the line.  Finally, we hope to be able to provide on ramps for alternative energy in an effective way.”

Alternative energy like wind power, which is abundant throughout northwest Missouri.

The cost is reported to be near $400 million. The transmission line is a joint project by Kansas City Power and Light and The Omaha Public Power District.  It crosses 10 counties in Southeast Nebraska and Northwest Missouri, starting at Nebraska City.

That means the route will cross through Otoe, Richardson and Nemaha Counties in Nebraska, before crossing the Missouri River near the Thurnau Conservation Area near Craig in Holt County Missouri. It crosses into Nodaway, where it will connect with a substation.   It then extends to Andrew, Dekalb Clinton and Clay counties before reaching Jackson county.

Now that the final route is ready, the Environmental permits are expected to be completed by the end of next year and construction will start in the summer, 2015. The expectation is to have the 345-kilavolt line in service by summer, 2017.

 

If you do not have air conditioning you can find a cooling center anywhere in the state of Missouri online by clicking the link below, or on the picture of the map on the left.

http://gis.dhss.mo.gov/Website/coolingCenter/coolingCenter.html#

If you have to work outside, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) suggest rescheduling strenuous activities to early morning or late evening hours. Wear light and loose fitting clothing and drink plenty of water.

 

Signs of heat stroke include:

Hot, red skin which can be dry, or moist from exercise.

Changes in consciousness

Rapid, weak pulse and rapid, shallow breathing.

You can now find the St Joseph Police Department on Facebook and Twitter.

The Department officially launched pages on the social media websites Monday.

The move follows after several other agencies within in the region has done the same with success. The pages were created to assist police in reaching citizens beyond traditional means. The pages will be used for general information including crime prevention.

Police say the pages will not be constantly monitored, and if you are ever in an emergency, you should always call 911.

Find St Joseph Police on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sjpd.info or follow us on Twitter at  or on twitter at  sjpdinfo.

Five were hurt after a public fireworks display exploded on the ground in Northeast Kansas.

All the fireworks apparently went off at once in Valley Falls last night in the accident.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Herrig says that at least two people associated with the company putting on the annual fireworks show in Valley Falls were injured Thursday night.

Both were taken to a Topeka Hospital and one was later taken to the KU Med Center in Kansas city for burn treatment.  The other injuries are believed to be minor.

Sparks allegedly  got into an open or unsecured box of fireworks and started a chain reaction which ignited the other boxes of fireworks, a witness told WIBW in Topeka. 

Emergency workers remained on scene for some time, working to find and secure any un-exploded fireworks.

Valley Falls is in Jefferson County Kansas, about 50 miles southwest of St Joseph.

The bodies of two missing men were recovered Friday morning in Smithville Lake.

The recovery effort started last night after the two men disappeared while wading in the lake Thursday evening.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol identifies the two men as Gregory Weese of Plattsburg, and John Butts of Smithville. Both men were 55.

Witnesses told the patrol the men had been wading near the lake’s northern shore in Clinton County when one of the men either slipped into the water or fell in a hole. The other man then tried to help before both were swept away in the water.

The Highway Patrol dragged parts of the lake to search for their bodies before suspending the search around 9pm.  That search resumed early this morning.

The incident happened at the Arnold Road access point to Smithville Lake, near Plattsburg in Clinton County.

 

Gov. Jay Nixon has frozen $400 million of spending for education, capital improvements and state services because of concerns that lawmakers could override his veto of an income tax bill.

As a result, Salary increases for all faculty and staff at Missouri Western State University have been removed from the university’s budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, university officials announced Friday afternoon.

Nixon announced the spending restrictions while signing a nearly $25 billion operating budget for the 2014 fiscal year that starts Monday.

Earlier this month, the Democratic governor vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would have phased in a tax deduction for business income over the next five years. That bill also would have gradually reduced the income tax rate for individuals and corporations over the next decade.

Lawmakers would need a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to override Nixon’s veto during a September session.

Nixon says the bill could cost Missouri hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue.

“I can’t express how disappointed I am that this action is necessary,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president.

Salary and fringe benefits make up about 71 percent of Missouri Western’s total budget, said Cale Fessler, vice president for financial planning and administration.

“We’ve already cut operating budgets by about 40 percent in recent years, and unfortunately there’s really no place else in the budget we can make up this reduction,” Fessler said. “Our employees deserve a pay raise, and I hope we’re able to give them one this year.”

The restriction reduces Missouri Western’s anticipated state appropriation by approximately $826,000.

Police say two children believed to be endangered after being allegedly abducted by their mother in St Joseph have been located.

Police issued a Nixle alert just after 1:30 this afternoon, saying the two children were located.

In what they called a child custody issue, police issued a try-to-locate order at 11:18 this morning.

Police Detective Jennifer Protzman said earlier today they were looking for two children, 7-year-old Grace Carter and 3 year old Addison Carter. They called it a parental abduction and police had feared their mother, Megan Carter, may have been trying to take the children out of the county.

They were last seen with their mother and an adult male leaving St. Joseph in a white 2011 Ford Fusion, but were found around 1:30 in Independence, Missouri.

An adult male and an adult female were taken into custody, and were going to be transported back to St Joseph for the ongoing investigation, Police Commander Janice Rothganger said.

The case will be submitted to the Buchanan County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of formal charges.