St. Joseph, Mo. —Feb. 11, 2015—The Institute for Industrial and Applied Life Sciences, a public/private cooperative effort to enhance workforce and economic development in the Midwest region, has renamed itself Innovation Stockyard.

“The new name reflects our continuing mission of nurturing innovation,” said Ronan Molloy, Innovation Stockyard president. “It fits especially well with our emphasis on animal health products. Entrepreneurs can bring their new ideas into our ‘stockyard’ and our team will help prepare them for market.”

Innovation Stockyard specializes in animal health, but can provide support services for any idea. The team can help test and develop the idea and assist with a business plan, marketing, grant writing, product distribution, securing capital and more. Innovation Stockyard operates the Kit Bond Science and Technology Incubator on the campus of Missouri Western State University. The 25,000-square-foot incubator includes office space and a community laboratory space for all clients, complete with science officer and laboratory manager.

“We’re pleased that we’ve been able to add a full-time science officer to help our clients evaluate and test the feasibility of their products and make sure their test results are accurate,” Molloy said.

Before becoming the Innovation Stockyard’s science officer, Dr. Tammy Platt was assistant professor of animal sciences at Morehead State University and worked in pharmaceutical sales for WALCO International. Her background in research, academic and sales offers a well-rounded perspective of all aspects of the animal health industry.

Laboratory training is also part of Innovation Stockyard’s mission. The team provides training to local high school and college graduates to help them gain the skills necessary to work in various industries, and works with local businesses to provide training to existing or incoming employees.

Innovation Stockyard is a partnership between Missouri Western State University, Buchanan County, the City of St. Joseph, the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and multiple private partners, including AG Processing, AgriLabs, Bayer HealthCare Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., Clipper Distributing, Mosaic Life Care, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company and the St. Joseph News-Press.

Current tenants of the Bond Incubator include the United States Animal Health Association, Method Genetics, New Functional Polymers and Sopharmia.

For more information about the Innovation Stockyard, call 816-749-4012 or visit www.innovationstockyard.com.

Budget cuts in Kansas could force the Doniphan West Primary School in Highland Kan. to close its doors.

In a letter issued to Doniphan West Patrons Tuesday the Board of Education announced a public hearing will be held to discuss the closure of the Doniphan West Primary School.

The hearing is scheduled for March 9 at 6 p.m. in the Doniphan West High School commons.

The discussion comes just days after Kansas Governor Sam Brownback released his proposed budget for K-12 Education.  According to the letter the budget will cut 1.5% from the K-12 Base State Aid per Pupil.  At Doniphan USD 111 that means a loss of around $26,085 to the school’s current budget.

During a Monday night board meeting the board talked about the cuts and the impact on students.

“All current school boards across the state are being forced to make some difficult financial decisions regarding the Governor’s cuts to education,” the letter said. “The USD 111 Board of Education is proud to represent this district comprised of great teachers, staff, and community supporting strong local education for our youth.  It is our hope that during these difficult decisions, the focus remains on what is best for our students, they are our future.”

 

 

The American Red Cross of Northwest Missouri is increasing blood supplies in the region with the implementation of its own area blood drives.

The Red Cross held a blood drive Tuesday at Missouri Western State University sponsored by the Center for Multi-Cultural Education.  The goal, to raise 85 units of blood.

“With each blood donation you can save up to three lives,” said Angie Springs, Red Cross Ex. Dir.

By 2 p.m. 45 donors had already given with many other donors lined up.

In previous years the Red Cross of Northwest Missouri did not hold its own blood drives.  However, Springs said the addition of a blood depot at the agency’s Kansas City office has changed the focus in the region.

“We’ve always collected blood with the Red Cross but we’ve never had a primary focus in St. Joe,” Springs said. “We have recently in the last couple of weeks opened a blood depot in our Kansas City office ….So we have a large demand on blood.”

Springs said the addition of blood collections by the Red Cross will add to the efforts to raise blood in the community.  The Community Blood Center had previously been the only collection center in St. Joseph.

The American Red Cross of Northwest Missouri will hold its next blood drive, March 24 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at its location at 401 N. 12th St. in St. Joseph.

 

(St. Joseph, Mo.) – Local students will take part reciting poetry for a chance at thousands of dollars in scholarships and school stipends.

The northwest Missouri regional Poetry Out Loud competition will take place Wednesday, February 11 at 4:30 p.m. at the Troester Media Center, 3401 Renick, St. Joseph, MO.  It’s the ninth year for the event hosted by the Allied Arts Council.

Competition winners from Bishop LeBlond High School, Lathrop R-II, and St. Joseph Home schools will recite three poems each.

Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the Allied Arts Council of St. Joseph, Missouri Arts Council, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.  The program encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition.

Cathy Ketter, Allied Arts Council operations manager and regional coordinator of the event, said “Poetry Out Loud is a wonderful event celebrating the spoken words of poetry. By performing great works of literature, students master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn more about their literary heritage.”

The event is free and open to the public.

Regional winners will travel to Jefferson City March 12th for the Missouri State Championship. The winner receives a plaque, traveling trophy and all-expense-paid trip (with two parents or chaperones) to Washington, DC for the national finals taking place in April. A total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded at the national finals, and the national champion receives a $20,000 college scholarship. For more information about the national competition, visit www.poetryoutloud.org.

Missouri Western State University has announced students selected for the fall semester 2014 Dean’s Honor Roll.

663 students made the list carrying 12 hours or more graded credit hours and earning a GPA of 3.5 or better.

Click here to see the Fall 2014 Dean’s List ll 2014

Western saw 354 student make its President’s Honor Roll for the 2014 fall semester who carried 12 hours or more of graded credit and were able to earn a GPA of 4.0.

Click here to see the fall 2014 President’s List

 

AMAZONIA, Mo. – The southbound driving lane of Interstate 29 is now closed near Amazonia, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Local maintenance crews have one narrowed southbound I-29 at the Hopkins Creek Bridge near mile marker 58 for routine maintenance.

The lane will remain closed overnight and should reopen around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11, weather permitting.

The St. Joseph School Board of Education met behind closed doors again Monday but no votes were cast.

According to Joey Austin, SJSD Communications Dir. no votes were taken during the closed executive session that followed Monday night’s regularly scheduled board meeting.

Missouri Sunshine Law only allows Board meetings to be closed for records and votes for certain reasons.  According to the notice, Monday night’s session was closed for (1) which includes legal actions, (3) which includes hiring, firing disciplining or promotion of particular employees, (13) records protected from disclosure by law, and (14) Scientific and technological innovations in which the owner has a proprietary interest.

Click here to see the full list of why meetings can be closed.

Austin confirmed that the board did review some legal documents during the meeting.

During the last closed meeting on Jan. 23 the board passed a resolution to authorize attorney Duane Martin of Columbia to talk with attorney Joseph Hatley with the firm of Spencer Fane regarding an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by Chief Financial Officer Beau Musser.

Musser claimed he was placed on leave for continuing to question the practice of handing out stipends to administrators without the knowledge or approval of the school board.

Musser filed suit in May 2014 against the district, Superintendent Dr. Fred Czerwonka, Human Resources Director Doug Flowers, and School Board Member Dennis Snethen.

State audit results of the St. Joseph School District were given to the School Board last month.  The audit findings will be presented to the public by State Auditor Tom Schweich Tuesday Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. at Oak Grove Elementary.  The public is invited to attend and Schweich has said he will answer questions from the audience.

 

The St. Joseph School Board of Education voted Monday night to eliminate the district’s Summer Explorers Program.

“It was not a part of the regular summer school program,” Jake Long, Acting Superintendent said. “It was a childcare program that took place after summer school was over.”

The cut comes because the district is no longer able to get reimbursement from the state for the program.

“We know it’s something that’s been around for awhile and we know it’s something that our community and our patrons have learned to utilize,” Long said. “But it was a paid program and because of it being a paid program that was the I would say trigger that would no longer allow the state to reimburse for it.”

It has been a program offered through the school district for around 20-years.  The district said on average around 270 children participate in the program and paid $80 per week.

“It was going to become a pretty heavy financial burden on the district to still be able to offer that program but yet receive no state financial reimbursement for those students being there,” Long said.

The district will still continue to offer its regular K-12 summer school courses.

“It’s just one portion of the summer school program that we’re no longer offering,” said Joey Austin, Communication Dir. “All those other things that parents are used to those will still be offered.”

Austin said summer school catalogs with this year’s course offerings will be out soon.

 

The Maryville Department of Public Safety has arrested two individuals in connection with a home burglary.

23-year-old Gloria Clark of Maryville and 24-year-old Eric Supinger of Maryville have both been charged with first degree burglary according to online court documents.

The two were arrested Feb. 5, by the Maryville Department of Public Safety after officers responded to a call of a residential burglary taking place at an apartment in Maryville.

The department said on social media that the pair had attempted to run from the responding officers and were then taken into custody.

Clark is being held on $100,000 cash bond.  The Maryville Department of Public Safety said Clark had been out on bond from a burglary investigation that took place in October 2014 so her bond has been suspended in that case.

Supinger is being held on $20,000 cash bond.

The man charged with unlawful use of a weapon in connection with a shooting that took place outside North Belt Walmart made his first court appearance Friday.

According to online court documents, 56-year-old DeWayne Burch of St. Joseph appeared on video conference for his arraignment.

Burch was charged with unlawful use of a weapon in connection with the alleged shooting that took place last month at N. Belt Walmart.

According to the probable cause statement DeWayne shot a subject identified by police as 29-year-old Richard Ellege in the abdomen after a verbal altercation outside of the the store just after 8 p.m. Jan. 19, using a 22-calibre handgun he was carrying concealed without a permit.

Elledge was treated at Mosaic Life Care.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for February 17.

Burch remains in custody on $25,000 bond.