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(Update) – More than a dozen students in the St. Joseph School District are just weeks away from getting up close and personal with Marine Biology life in the Bahamas.

Betsy Bing, a science teacher at Benton High School said for more than 15 years now, the district has been offering a unique course on Marine Biology.  Students from all three public high schools can take part in the course.  Classes are held at night at Benton in preparation for a week-long sailing trip over spring break to the Bahamas.  It covers Oceanography and reef ecology.

“We talk about how things we do here impact the ocean, like agricultural, we talk about the importance of the reefs,” Bing said. “And then that cumulates in a week-long sailing trip where we snorkel several times every day in places that most people will never, ever get to.”

Sabrina Quick is a Junior at Central H.S. and one of 17 students in this year’s class.

“We’ve been learning about all the different things, we’re learning about fish and corals and sponges, and the habitats and how to protect them,” Quick said. “I’ve always wanted to try Marine Biology so I thought this class would be fun.”

Bing said while the course itself is free, in order to take the trip to the Bahamas students have to pay around $1,900 for travel expenses. This year, she was able to save students around $400 in booking airfare.

“There’s an application process in the spring that we start.  Once those kids are chosen a lot of them will work over the summer to raise their funds,” she said. “Then we start class the end of August/beginning of September.”

Students tried out their snorkeling skills Monday at the downtown YMCA.  Bing said it’s a way to give them time to practice before they have to snorkel in the actual reefs.

“To see what it feels like to have the mask and breathe through the mask and snorkel just so that when they get there it’s that much less of a surprise,” Bing said. “Most of the reefs that we go to it’s clear, the reefs are about six feet from the top.”

She said in the years the district has offered this course they have graduated several students who have gone on to earn their college degrees in Marine Biology.  The class also counts as a half credit for a college elective.  Quick said she’s thinking about becoming a Marine Biologist.

“I’m looking forward to our trip.  It’s going to be like really fun.  I’m excited to see all the fish and actually know what they are and study them and write them down and take pictures,” Quick said. “It has made me think more about becoming a Marine Biologist in my future.”

Bing said it’s a once in a lifetime experience for the kids.

“The beaches that we go to are not the beaches that the normal tourists go to. When we go the only way we can get to the reefs we go to is you sail there.  The way the reefs are set up cruise ships can’t get in there,” Bing said. “The beaches that these kids go to are truly pristine, tourist free, not loads of people, not bumper to bumper towels.  They are just pristine beaches.  They’re seeing an area that most people can’t even fathom that they get to go see.”

Students take the trip over spring break.  This year’s spring break in the St. Joseph School District is at the end of March.

Last year, students also got to swim with pigs off of an island in the Bahamas. Bing shared a video of last year’s trip to the Bahamas with us CLICK HERE to view the video on YouTube. Bing said the video was put together by a student, courtesy Madeline Brownfield.

The St. Joseph Police Department is warning area residents about a phone scam circulating in which the scammer records your agreement then demands payment for unwanted purchases.

“People call and ask ‘If you can hear me okay?’ or ‘Can you hear me now?’; kind of like the old commercial to make it seem like maybe there’s a bad connection,” said Sgt. Roy Hoskins, Crime Prevention Officer with the St. Joseph Police Department. “Then when you say ‘Yes’ they record that and later use it as a form of consent in agreeing to a product or a service.”

He said they use the recording to claim you signed up for something and then bill you.

“Make sure you don’t answer any questions from someone you don’t recognize,” Hoskins said. “If it’s something out of state or out of the area you don’t recognize it or you aren’t expecting that call, a lot of times I don’t even answer it.”

The Better Business Bureau on Monday, issued an alert regarding the old scam with a new twist.  It said historically the scam has been directed towards business but BBB has been hearing the phone reported from consumers.  Hoskins said as of yet, the St. Joseph Police Department has not heard of anyone locally that has been impacted by the scam.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we got something like that around here,” Hoskins said. “The scammers are always trying to stay a step ahead of us.  Specifically with technology we’re always trying to catch up to what they’re doing and figure out how to defeat that type of scam.”

Hoskins said the best thing to do is to not answer the phone if you don’t know the number and never answer questions if you are unsure who you are dealing with.

For more information on the scam CLICK HERE to read the warning from BBB.

A new program will offer customized training sessions for businesses in northwest Missouri.

Rebecca Lobina said she is taking on a role in Client-Based Training with Northwest Missouri State University in addition to her position as the Associate Regional Director for the Small Business and Technology Development Center.

“Client-Based Training is essentially customized training for businesses and organizations.  It’s not a canned program,” Lobina said. “We go to the client, we find out what their needs are and we can customize a program that specifically meets their needs.”

Lobina said the first step is meeting with the client and finding out what the gaps in their workforce are then they put together a proposed outline for training based on what their needs are.

“We would reach out and find speakers to present on those topics.  Some of those presenters may be individuals from the University.  The University is fortunate to have many people who are professors there who also have what we call real-world experience,” Lobina said. “When you’re talking about training businesses it’s nice if it’s somebody who has that experience.”

Lobina said she is currently working with several clients.  Anyone with questions can contact her at the Small Business and Technology Development Center (816) 364-4105.

 

The St. Joseph Police Department is investigating after a driver in a stolen pickup truck crashed into a detective’s vehicle Thursday evening.

Sgt. Kevin Cummings said shortly after 5 p.m. they responded to the area of Ken Smith Auto Body in the 1600 block of Frederick after a caller reported someone prowling around the vehicles. Cummings said when officers responded two suspects got back into a stolen truck and took off.

That same truck was also reportedly involved in a high-speed chase with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The vehicle was reported stolen Jan. 24 from the area of Karnes and Miller roads. Later, Thursday evening around the 2300 block of 759 highway the stolen pickup was spotted again. The driver of the stolen truck allegedly backed into the detective’s car in an effort to flee the area causing minor damage to the police vehicle.

No one is currently in custody in connection with the investigation. No suspect description was available. The stolen truck was described as a gray Ford F-150 with a super crew cab, running boards and a bug screen. As of Friday morning the truck had not been recovered.

(3:03 p.m.) – The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office said one person is in custody in connection with a shooting investigation that took place Sunday morning.

According to Sheriff Bill Puett, deputies responded to a large underage drinking party in the 100 block of Mount Zion Road shortly after 2 a.m. in reference to a 20-year-old St. Joseph man who had sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.

Puett said at this time the victim is recovering in a Kansas City hospital with what appears to be a non-life threatening wound.

A 17-year-old Wathena, Kan. boy was taken into custody in connection with the investigation.

Authorities from the sheriff’s patrol and Criminal Investigation division as well as the Drug Strike Force, St. Joseph Police Department, Wathena Police Department and Brown County Sheriff’s Office are investigating.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(12:33 p.m.) – The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an overnight shooting.
Sheriff Bill Puett said more information will be released later today.

As we learn more we will update this story.

Handing out coats and extending the number of hot meals provided at the Open Door Food Kitchen all started after an area business man took a drive through downtown St. Joseph.

“We just noticed that there were a lot of people standing in line waiting to eat at Open Door that didn’t have coats,” said Brad Derr, owner of Derr Equipment Case IH in Savannah. “They weren’t going to the places that had them so we felt the need to just get it right to them.”

So Derr said, he and his two boys, Garrett and Culter started a program to try to get clothing and coats into the hands of the homeless.

“It started out just to clean out my closets and turned into a rather large situation and we’re getting donations from all over the place,” Derr said. “Over 300 coats given away in about five times in the past three weeks.  I can tell you 60 percent of the time the faces on the street are new.”

They have been taking in donations at their family business located at 11001 Hwy 71 in Savannah.  Derr said he’s been overwhelmed by the number of donations.  They started a Facebook Page titled “Help the Homeless of Northwest Missouri.”  In a post on Facebook, Derr said as of January 5 they had already raised $1,892.18 in cash over a three week time span.  

“I have purchased $1,774.68 in goods. I have $117.50 in the fund,” he said. “One of my donors gave me their tithing with a warning I had better do right with it since this was the lords money. They had heard what we were doing & felt the need to make this donation. So with the thought of an unusual lightening strike in the winter directly on my head, I have paid all the sales tax out of my pocket. That means that not one cent has been spent or will ever be spent on anything other than goods for the homeless.”

In addition to manning a booth for Derr Equipment at the Ag & Rural Lifestyle Show scheduled for January 27- 28 at the Civic Arena, Derr said they will also be manning a donated booth to collect coats.   Clothing donations can be dropped off upstairs, cash donations to help with the effort should be left at the ticket window.

While talking with the homeless in downtown, Derr said he realized the Open Door Food Kitchen doesn’t offer a hot meal on Sundays.

“They were suggesting they needed a hot meal on Sunday, where they get a sack lunch on Sunday,” he said.  “We were given permission by Open Door Food Kitchen to start a breakfast brunch on Sundays.  Every Sunday of the year.”

He said the will start hot meals February 5th, Superbowl Sunday at 11 a.m.

He said they have a church group manning one Sunday a month every month, and that he plans to man two Sundays a month himself.  He said cash donations, volunteers, travel size hygiene products and kits, shoes, socks, and other clothing items are needed.

For more information CLICK HERE for a link to the Help the Homeless of Northwest Missouri Facebook Page.

St. Joseph Chief of Police, Chris Connally said a federal RICO indictment last week that charged eight people as members of a violent St. Joseph gang was the result of around three years of investigations.

In an interview with KFEQ’s Barry Birr, Connally said he isn’t allowed to go into details on the case.  However, he said the indictments were a result of a lengthy investigation between the St. Joseph Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, investigators from the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Buchanan County Prosecutor’s office and the U.S. Attorney’s offices.

“I think that’s a good example of all those entities coming together.  A lot of work went into it to get some dangerous people off the street,” Connally said.

As we previously reported, Victor Matias-Torres, also known as “Papo” and “King Fenese,” 35, Luis Alfredo Villegas-Rosa, also known as “Puerto Rico,” and “Rico,” 28, his brother, Luis Gabriel Villegas-Rosa, also known as “Conan,” 35, Angel Antonio Martinez-Torres, also known as “Tony,” 37, Angel Rios-Rosa, also known as “Gato,” 30, Jose Morales-Delgado, also known as “Beto,” 32, Luis Calderon-Oliveras, 26, and Ismael Marquez, 29, all of St. Joseph, were charged in a 34-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., last Thursday.

The indictment alleges they committed murder, five attempted murders, drug trafficking and armed robberies, among other crimes, as part of a criminal enterprise. It alleges that all eight of the defendants were involved in a conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). According to the indictment, the criminal enterprise, which began in 2010, was led by Matias-Torres, formerly a high-ranking member of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation. Matias-Torres’s gang allegedly engaged in acts of violence, including murder and attempted murder, armed assault, armed robbery, extortion and witness intimidation. The gang allegedly trafficked in heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.

Connally said investigating cases like this takes time.

“There’s a lot of arrests and things made in between but bringing it all together to bring the larger organization off the street is another story,” Connally said. “You have to continue to work diligently for those things to come together.  They always take time.  Complicated cases take time.”

Although the gang was based in St. Joseph, the indictment said it also operated in Kansas, Iowa and Massachusetts, among other places, and recruited many of its members and associates from Puerto Rico.

 

The Missouri Department of Transportation is patching potholes throughout northwest Missouri after winter weather.

“When you start having a lot of winter weather, in this case even worse, when you have a lot of rain and freezing rain the condition of those roads afterwords from the freeze and thaw creates a lot of potholes,” said Marty Liles, MoDOT Northwest District Maintenance & Traffic Engineer. “As that moisture freezes it expands and as it expands that pressure has to go somewhere so it starts popping out the asphalt and other materials and creating those potholes we see today.”

Liles said crews have been out since Tuesday evaluating pothole locations and working to patch things up after freezing rain moved through the area.

“This past weekend was one of those that’s really hard on our pavements anyway because we had so much moisture that got soaked into the pavement in those cracks and crevasses and then we had a lot of freezing and thawing which takes a toll on our roads,” Liles said. “Anything that we do right now is very difficult to get a permanent fix.  We hope that we can get them to last as a temporary measure until we can get in there and do a more permanent fix.”

Liles said they are out looking for potholes and are also encouraging people to report them.

“It’s just like any other customer concern that we have,” Liles said. “We take those very seriously and we log those in.”

He said people can let them know about potholes on MoDOT roads by calling (888) ASK-MODOT.  CLICK HERE for a link to MoDOT’s website to report a road repair.