Suicide is on the rise and has become a public health crisis in American according to the Family Guidance Center in St. Joseph.

“In the media nationally and locally there have been a number of suicides reported,” said Kristina Hannon, Family Guidance Center Vice President. “People are concerned about what we call the contagion effect which is essentially when suicides are sensationalized or reported incorrectly in the media that people will at times mimic those suicide attempts.”

Hannon said in 2013 more than 41,000 Americans completed suicide and more than 1-million Americans attempted suicide.

She said it’s a public health crisis and that it’s important to make sure and talk openly about suicide.

“One of the biggest concerns about what we call survivors of suicide are people whose loved ones have completed suicide is the shame and loneliness that they feel,” Hannon said. “Oftentimes they don’t want to say ‘my loved one completed suicide’ or ‘my loved one attempted suicide’ if they’re in the hospital because they’re afraid of the reaction people will have towards them or towards their family member.”

She said there are warning signs people can look for.

“Some of them are subtle and of course some of them are not,” Hannon said. “Some of the more subtle clues towards people having thoughts about suicide is they may make statements that are kind of vague. They may say ‘well things would be better off if I wasn’t here’ or ‘you would be better off if I wasn’t around’.  Those statements are not necessarily suicidal statements but it can give you some idea that the person may be starting to think along those lines.”

She said increased depression, isolation, withdrawing from family and friends, not partaking in normal activities, and giving away possessions can be things to look out for.

“I’m hoping people will understand suicide is not something that happens to other people,” Hannon said. “It happens to all members of society, to all classes of society, all races of society.  It’s not something that happens just to a group of people that we can label as those people.”

Hannon said it’s the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.

“Unlike most other leading causes of death suicide deaths are not decreasing,” she said. “They’re increasing every single year.”

Hannon said she hopes that by drawing awareness to suicides people will become aware that suicide is a public health crisis.

“One of the things we’re doing locally at Family Guidance Center is that we’re trying to do more media outreach and we’re trying to talk openly about these things with people through the media and when people come into our office,” Hannon said. “Other organizations do the same thing.  Northwest Missouri State University just launched a big campaign with a #Iwilllisten it’s kind of an anti-suicide campaign.  Other colleges and organizations across the area are doing the same thing. Really trying to raise awareness of suicide as a health issue.”

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest associate professor of geology Dr. Aaron Johnson has been elected president of Sigma Gamma Epsilon at its 43rd Biennial Convention.

Johnson was elected by student delegates attending the convention and previously served two years as national vice president of the Central Region.

He was elected during the convention held March 27-29 at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan.

“I am honored and humbled to have been elected by students attending the convention, and I hope to continue the tradition of strong, forward-thinking leadership exhibit by past presidents,” he said.

Johnson joined the Northwest faculty in 2007. In addition to teaching geology courses, he serves as director of the Honors Program and helps organize Girl Scout Science Saturday to provide hands-on science activities for girls. He received the Northwest Alumni Association’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 2013.

Sigma Gamma Epsilon is the national honorary society for Earth sciences, and the convention marked the 100th anniversary of the organization, which was founded at KU in 1915. The society counts 1,500 active students and more than 10,000 alumni among its membership. For more information about Sigma Gamma Epsilon, visit http://sigmagammaepsilon.com/

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The following is a listing of general highway maintenance and construction work in the Northwest Missouri region for the week of April 4 – 12 from the Missouri Department of Transportation. Weather conditions may cause postponements in planned work schedules. Other construction or maintenance work may occur on other roadways throughout the area. Many projects will include lane closures and delays can be expected.

Andrew County

Route DD – Brush cutting, April 6 – 10

Interstate 29 – From the bridge over Route DD (mile marker 55) to the bridge over Route T (mile marker 58.6); milling and resurfacing, April 6 – 11. Includes work on the driving lanes, entrance and exit ramps and a16-foot width restriction.

Atchison County

Route C – From the Nodaway County line to Westboro; pothole patching, April 6 – 7

U.S. Hwy 136 – Sign operations, April 6 – 10

Route O – Shoulder work, April 6 – 10

Route M – From Route C to U.S. Hwy 136; pothole patching, April 8

Route M – From Route C to the Iowa state line; pothole patching, April 9

Buchanan County

U.S. Hwy 36 – At the Platte River Bridge; crossover construction, April 6 – 8. One lane will be closed in each direction, including overnight.

Loop 29 – Belt Highway from County Line Road to Ashland Avenue; sidewalk project,April 6 – 10. Various lanes will be closed at different times, including lanes on side streets.

I-229 – From just after the St. Joseph Avenue on ramp to just before U.S. Hwy 36; bridge maintenance, April 6 – 10. (10-foot width restriction)

U.S. Hwy 59 – At the Bankers Crossing Bridge; new bridge construction, April 6 – 10

U.S. Hwy 59 – Southbound on St. Joseph Avenue from Middleton to I-229; pavement repair, April 6 – 9

U.S. Hwy 36, I-29 and I-229 – Sweeping and flushing bridges, April 6 – 9

Various routes – Striping, April 6 – 9

U.S. Hwy 36 – At the Platte River Bridge; bridge deck replacement, April 8 – 12. Traffic will be head to head in the eastbound lanes with a 14-foot width restriction.

Carroll County

Route KK – From County Road 111 to County Road 121; drainage work, April 6

Routes C, T and W – County road approach repairs, April 6 – 10

U.S. Hwys 24, 65 and Route 41- Sweeping and flushing bridges, April 6 – 10

Routes D, JJ and W – Sign operations, April 6 – 10

U.S. Hwys 65, 24 and Route 10 – Litter pickup, April 6 – 10

Chariton County

U.S. Hwy 24 – Shoulder work, April 6 – 10

Routes BB, F, M and Y – Pothole patching, April 6 – 10

Routes E, JJ and TT – Sweeping and flushing bridges, April 8 – 10

Clinton County

Route V – CLOSED from Route 33 to I-35; culvert repair, April 7, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Daviess County

Route 6 – At the Grand River Bridge; bridge maintenance, April 6 – 10. Stoplights will be in place to direct traffic across the bridge during daylight hours Monday through Friday.

I-35, U.S. Hwy 69 and Routes 6 and 190 – Pothole patching, April 6 – 10

U.S. Hwy 69 and Routes B, E, KK and T – Sweeping and flushing bridges, April 6 – 10

Route E – Chipping brush, April 6 – 10

DeKalb County

Route D – CLOSED from Route W to Glenwood Road; culvert replacement, April 6, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

U.S. Hwy 36 – The westbound driving lane of the U.S. Hwy 36 bridge over I-35; bridge maintenance, April 4 – 7. The work zone will be left up overnight and includes a 12-foot width restriction.

Routes A, D, E, H and W – Sweeping and flushing bridges, April 7 – 9

U.S. Hwy 36 – The turn lane from westbound U.S. Hwy 36 to southbound I-35; bridge maintenance, April 8 – 9. The work zone will be left up overnight and includes a 12-foot width restriction.

Gentry County

Route W – Pothole patching, April 6 – 7

Routes B, BB, D, E, EE, H, M, O, U and UU – Sweeping and flushing bridges, April 6 – 10

Route H – CLOSED from Route Z and Berlin Road; culvert replacement, April 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route F – Pothole patching, April 8 – 10

Grundy County

Route J – From Route 6 to Route JJ; drainage work, April 6 – 10

Routes BB and J – Pothole patching, April 6 – 10

Route 146 – From Route 6 to Harrison County line; shoulder work, April 6 – 10

Route A – CLOSED from NW 60^th Street to NW 70^th Street; culvert replacement, April 7, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Harrison County

Route F – CLOSED at the Little Creek Bridge; bridge replacement.  Closed through July 2015.

Route H – From two miles east of Route 13 to Route 146; sealing, April 6 – 10

Route 46 – From the Worth County line to U.S. Hwy 69; pothole patching, April 8 – 10

Holt County

Route 111 – CLOSED at the Kimsey Creek Bridge; bridge deck replacement.  Closed through May 2015.

U.S. Hwy 59 – CLOSED at the Squaw Creek Bridge; bridge deck replacement.  Closed through May 2015.

Route P – Pothole patching, April 6 – 7

Route A – Under the Nodaway River Bridge; drift removal, April 6 – 10

U.S. Hwy 59 – One mile north of Craig; drainage work, April 8 – 10

Route N – Pothole patching, April 8 – 10

Linn County

Route 5 – From the city limits of Linneus to Figg Road; drainage work, April 6

U.S. Hwy 36 – From Browning to Delco Road, drainage work, April 6 – 7

Routes 11, 129, U and WW- Sweeping and flushing bridges, April 8 – 10

Livingston County

U.S. Hwy 65 – From U.S. Hwy 36 to Route J (Carroll County); sweeping and flushing bridges, April 6 – 8

U.S. Hwy 65 – From Route 190 to Route K; brush cutting, April 6 – 10

Route V – From Route K to the city limits of Chillicothe; pothole patching, April 6 – 10

U.S. Hwy 65 – From U.S. Hwy 36 to the Grundy County line; sweeping and flushing bridges, April 8 – 10

Mercer County

U.S. Hwys 65 and 136 – Litter pick up, April 6 – 10

Routes BB, D, K, N, P and V – Sweeping and flushing bridges, April 6 – 10

U.S. Hwy 65 – Brush cutting, April 6 – 10

Nodaway County

Route N – Chipping brush, April 6

Putnam County

Route E – CLOSED at the Medicine Creek Bridge; bridge replacement.  Closed through May 2015.

U.S. Hwy 136 – CLOSED at the Shoal Creek Bridge; bridge replacement.  Closed through May 2015.

Route W – Drainage work, April 6 – 10

Route 5 – Sign operations, April 6 – 10

Routes 149, FF, V and W – Pothole patching, April 6 – 10

Sullivan County

Routes 5 and 6 – Brush cutting and pothole patching, April 6 – 10

Routes 129 and FF – Pothole patching, April 6 – 10

Route C – CLOSED from Hazelwood Drive to Route 129; culvert replacement, April 7, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Route C – CLOSED from Route P to Garden Drive; culvert replacement, April 8 – 9, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily

Route U – CLOSED from Terrace Road to Vickers Road; culvert replacement, April 9, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Worth County

Route YY – From Route W to the Gentry County line; pothole patching and sealing, April 6

Various routes – Sweeping and flushing bridges, April 7 – 10

St. Joseph, Mo. —Award-winning poet Taylor Mali will give a public reading of his work at 7 p.m. Monday, April 20 in the Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall on the campus of Missouri Western State University. “The Mochila Review Presents: In the Shadow of Taylor Mali” is free and open to the public. Mali will sign copies of his books during a reception following the reading.

Mali is one of the best-known poets to have emerged from the poetry slam movement and one of the original poets to appear on the HBO series “Def Poetry Jam.” A four-time National Poetry Slam Champion, he is the author of two collections of poetry and a book of essays. In 2012, Mali completed a 12-year project of convincing 1,000 people to become teachers and marked the occasion by donating 12 inches of his hair to the American Cancer Society.

Copies of the Spring 2015 issue of The Mochila Review, Missouri Western’s national undergraduate literary journal, will also be available at the event. The issue features an interview and poem by Mali, who served as guest judge for the Review’s annual contest for undergraduate writers. Out of more than 60 applicants, he selected the winning poem, “[My grandmother says I’m cold],” by University of Alaska-Fairbanks student Eran E. Eads.

“We’re thrilled that we can not only involve such a high-profile, prestigious author in our journal, but also bring him to Missouri Western,” said Dr. Marianne Kunkel, editor of The Mochila Review. “That we’re able to give our students the opportunity to meet Mali in person is the direct result of the generosity of the Missouri Humanities Council and a testimony to the supportive environment at MWSU.”

The Missouri Humanities Council awarded a grant of $2,500 to Missouri Western in support of “The Mochila Review Presents: In the Shadow of Taylor Mali.” The MHC is the only state-wide agency in Missouri devoted exclusively to humanities education for citizens of all ages. It has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities since 1971. Mali’s appearance is also made possible through support from Missouri Western’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and its Department of English and Modern Languages.

To learn more about Mali, visit www.taylormali.com. For more information about The Mochila Review, visit www.mochilareview.com. For more information about the grants program of the Missouri Humanities Council, visit www.mohumanities.org.

St. Joseph voters will be asked to vote on only one measure Tuesday, a tax on out-of-state purchases.

“Right now there is a use tax by the state and a use tax by the county but there is not a use tax by the city,” said Bruce Woody, St. Joseph City Manager. “For most people you’ll never really have a use tax that’s applicable because most people buy things at retail and pay sales tax at the point-of-service.”

Woody said the use tax will close a loophole that allows business that buy out of the state to escape paying sales tax but not affect anyone who already pays sales tax.

“Say a construction company buys steel for a building out of Pennsylvania and brings it back to St. Joseph to build a building they would pay a use tax because they bought it out of state but the city loses out on that use tax because we don’t have a local use tax approved,” Woody said.

If passed, the tax would generate an estimated $700,000 a year to be used to repair and maintain city streets.

“The city council recognizes that they need to make a larger investment in street maintenance and they’ve dedicated all the additional revenue from the use tax to street maintenance,” Woody said. “So it would be a way for us to increase the number of miles of asphalt overlay that we do each year.”

Also, Woody said if the city use tax does not pass, by 2016 the city will lose out on about $600,000 a year dedicated to the city’s general fund which is used for public safety.

“At the present due to a senate bill that was passed in 2013 sales tax is still collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles and remitted to both the state, the county and the city but after November of 2016 they will no longer collect sales tax for any location that does not have local use tax approved,” Woody said. “There will be less income off of vehicles that are purchased out of state and brought back into the city and that would make it more difficult to cover expenses for public safety.”

Woody said that if voters have not felt an impact from Buchanan County’s use tax similarly they won’t feel an impact from a city use tax.

Wording on the ballot for Tuesday’s election reads as such, “Shall the City of St. Joseph, Missouri, impose a local use tax on out-of-state purchases for a period of 10 years at the same rate as the local sales tax rate, currently Two and Eight Hundred Seventy-Five One Hundredths of One Percent (2.875%), in order to preserve existing general fund revenues and provide revenues for streets maintenance activities and to eliminate an inequity between in-state and out-ofstate businesses due to a recent Missouri Supreme Court decision, provided that if any local sales tax is reduced or raised by voter approval, the respective local use tax rate shall also be reduced or raised by the same action? A use tax return shall not be required to be filed by persons whose purchases from out-of-state vendors do not in total exceed Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) in any calendar year.”

Buchanan County Clerk Mary Baack-Garvey said the courthouse will be open Saturday, April 4th from 8 a.m. to noon for Absentee Voting. The deadline to submit ballots absentee is Monday April 6th. Baack-Garvey said the office will be open until 5 p.m. on April 6th.

Election Day is Tuesday, April 7th. Polls will be open from 6:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

It’s the biggest year yet for the YWCA’s Women of Excellence Awards.

The YWCA said a record number of women have been nominated to this year’s awards.

“There’s a lot of new nominees this year and a lot of women who have never even been to the event before,” said Melissa Ferguson, YWCA Public Relations Manager. “I think it just speaks really highly of St. Joseph that we have so many outstanding women that we can have so many nominees.”

56 women have been nominated as well as 3 businesses.  However, only one woman or business in each category will be chosen as the recipient at the Awards Luncheon.

The public submitted nominations in several categories. Women in the Workplace, Women in Volunteerism, Women in Support Services, Emerging Leader (women under 40) and Employer of Excellence.

The event originally began as an awareness event in 2001 with around 200 attendees.  Since then it has grown to host around 1,000 guests.

Over 500 women in the community have been nominated since the event began 14-years-ago with this year breaking records with the largest number of over-all nominations.

The YWCA said a panel of community members judge the nominations with the nominees’ names removed to select the winner from each category.

All nominees will be invited to attend a reception and have their profile in the program book at the Women of Excellence event which will be held June 18 at the Civic Arena from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The YWCA said between the record number of nominees and keynote speaker, Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester a large crowd is anticipated at this year’s event.

2015 YWCA Women of Excellence Nominees:

 

Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 52. North northwest wind around 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Tonight
Clear, with a low around 31. North northwest wind 9 to 14 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 64. South southwest wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 42. South wind 10 to 13 mph.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. South southwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Monday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tuesday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. Chance of precipitation is 30%.