Nadia Thacker – Page 153 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Cardinals top two starters say they’re healthy heading into 2015. Wacha’s MRI comes back clean, Wainwright ready for a full slate

Posted on January 19, 2015

January 19, 2015 by Bill Pollock

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright talks with fans during Day 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals Winter-Up in St. Louis on January 18, 2015. Warm-Up allows fans to get close up to their favorite players of the past, present and future. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

The St. Louis Cardinals were possibly interested in adding another starting pitcher to their already solid rotation. It looks like they are not in the running for former Missouri star Max Scherzer. He’s about ready to sign on for seven years with the Washington Nationals. If Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha remain healthy for 2015, Scherzer would have been an expensive insurance policy.
Wainwright underwent elbow surgery and for those fans concerned, consider this. Wainwright, speaking at the Cardinals Winter Warm Up, told the media he started his offseason throwing program at the same time that he does every year. While he had to make minor adjustments int he second half of the season, throwing more cutters and curves, Wainwright says he will back to his full potential.

Wainwright also says he’s not ready to slow down or let up on the number of innings or starts he’ll make, but the coaches and management will look for ways to cut down on his workload. Wainwright, as noted on STLCardinals.com, has thrown 520 innings over the last two seasons, most by any pitcher in baseball.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha talks with fans during Day 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals Winter-Up in St. Louis on January 18, 2015. Warm-Up allows fans to get close up to their favorite players of the past, present and future. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

The last time we saw Wacha, he served up the season ending homer in San Francisco. He contends he was healthy enough to pitch, but an MRI just yesterday confirmed his shoulder is back to 100%. Wacha was limited to 107 innings over 19 starts in 2014. His season then ended with Travis Ishikawa tagging him for a game-winning homer following the right-hander’s 20-day layoff. He too has no concerns about putting in a heavy number of innings. In fact, he says he wants to be the type of pitcher the club can rely on every fifth day. It’s a simple goal.

Free-agent pitcher Max Scherzer has agreed to a seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals. The 30-year old Scherzer is 91-50 with a 3.58 ERA in seven seasons with Arizona and Detroit. He won the 2013 American League Cy Young Award and has made the All-Star team in each of the past two seasons.
He was 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 2014, a year after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and being voted the best pitcher in the American League.

“No call list for minors’ proposed in Missouri

Posted on January 19, 2015January 19, 2015

January 19, 2015 by Kyle Loethen

A bill has been filed that would create a no call list for minors. It calls for the Department of Public Safety to establish the Missouri Child Protection Registry: a secure list of contact points that belong to or are available to minors.

Senator David Sater’s (R-Cassville) proposal would prevent marketers of adult products from contacting minors through electronic devices. Marketers who send out pornography, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drug advertisements would not be allowed to send electronic messages to those registered on the list.

Sater says it’s becoming more common to see children communicating via cell phone or computer. Missouri has a no-call list for Missourians that don’t want calls from telemarketers, and Sater thought a similar approach would be a good way to protect children from certain advertisements.

“All these marketers would have to scrub their list against the registry,” Sater told Missourinet.

Adult marketers would pay 7/10 of a penny per contact point to verify compliance when they want to send such a message. Sater said that money would go into a child protection fund.

“This program would be neutral in cost. In fact, in some instances, it might even make a little bit of money,” Sater said.
Sater said participation in the program would be voluntary. Parents, guardians, or schools would be able to register a child’s phone number or email with The Department of Public Safety. Registration would be good for three years.

“The reason I’m putting this bill into law is to make sure if there is a violation, if the adult marketer does not scrub their list against the protection registry, that there are penalties involved,” said Sater.

Violators would be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and could face up to one year in jail, and/or a fine up to one thousand dollars. Civil action could be taken against offenders, allowing plaintiffs to recover $5000 for each message received or $250,000 for each day the violation occurs.

The legislation is SB 179.

Mosaic Life Care donates $1.5 million to Missouri Western State University

Posted on January 19, 2015January 19, 2015

MWSU, Missouri Western — MWSU File Photo

Mosaic Life Care is donating $1.5 million to create a position to teach population health at Missouri Western State University.

The donations will be distributed over a five year span of $300,000 each year and is part of the university’s Centennial Capital Campaign.

“As one of the first successful Accountable Care Organizations in the country, Mosaic Life Care is on the forefront of developing and implementing population-health programs and initiatives that are truly innovative,” said Mark Laney, MD, president and CEO of Mosaic Life Care. “Population health and accountable care is where the industry is heading for the future and to address increasing needs, we need tomorrow’s population-health experts.”

The Mosaic Life Care Professorship for Population Health is the first endowed professorship at Western.

“We are extremely grateful for Mosaic Life Care’s generous gift, which will enable us to recruit and retain a highly qualified faculty member in this growing field,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “In turn, we envision tremendous strides in population health outcomes for our region and beyond. I believe this gift has the potential to produce truly pioneering work and be a ‘game-changer’ for Missouri Western.”

According to a new release from Mosaic, the population-health initiatives and programs by this delivery model improves health and wellness of individuals and communities, while controlling health-care costs, delivering high quality care and creating an exceptional patient experience.

“The vision and mission of Mosaic Life Care is illustrated by our long commitment to being one of the leading health-care organizations in terms of providing community benefit to our region,” said Laney. “By this investment, Mosaic Life Care not only supports a valued community partner (MWSU), but adds to our long list of investments in northwest Missouri.”

Missouri Western’s proposal to create a Bachelor of Science in Population Health Management will be considered by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education in early 2015. Coursework would include biology, sociology, psychology, medical terminology, epidemiology, health-care policy, ethics, analytics, communication and business. If approved, it will be the first undergraduate degree program in population health in Missouri.

St. Joseph police search for armed robber

Posted on January 16, 2015January 16, 2015

The St. Joseph Police Department responded to an armed robbery at a home located in the 6500 block of Lake Avenue.

According to Capt. Jeff Wilson officers responded around 5:30 p.m. after a man allegedly forced his way into the home and demanded money.

Wilson said the man also demanded prescription narcotics and a cellphone from the residents.

The suspect is described as a white man around 5’8″ to 5’10” and weighing around 135 pounds.

No on was injured.

Wilson said the suspect may have drove away in a Chevrolet Tahoe.

3-Year Extension of Chiefs Training Camp approved

Posted on January 15, 2015January 15, 2015

St. Joseph, Mo. —Jan. 15, 2014—The Board of Governors at Missouri Western State University has approved a contract amendment that will keep the summer training camp of the Kansas City Chiefs in St. Joseph for three more years, through 2017. The contract also includes two additional extension terms of one year each at the option of both the Chiefs and Missouri Western.

“We are thrilled to be the ‘Summer Training Camp Home of the Kansas City Chiefs’ for the next three years,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “As a campus, we have benefited from the increased exposure of the training camp and from physical improvements like the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex that would not have been possible without the support of the Chiefs. The St. Joseph region has also benefited from the thousands of fans who have visited training camp during the last five years.”

“We were pleased we were able to reach an agreement with Missouri Western State University,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “As an organization, we’ve really enjoyed the relationships and the support that we have received from the St. Joseph community and Missouri Western. It’s a privilege for us and our fan base to continue to hold camp in Chiefs Kingdom.”

“From a football perspective, continuing to hold camp at Missouri Western State University makes sense for us,” Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said. “The school and the community take great care of us, the people are phenomenal and it provides our team the resources and facilities necessary to build momentum towards the season. We are excited to be back.”

Dr. Vartabedian credited a five-way partnership between Missouri Western, the Chiefs, the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County and the State of Missouri for bringing the Chiefs to St. Joseph initially, and for bringing them back for at least three more years.

“I am very appreciative of everyone who has worked so hard to make this a reality,” Dr. Vartabedian said. “My thanks to Mayor Bill Falkner, County Commissioners Harry Roberts, Dan Hausman and Ron Hook and past Commissioner R.T. Turner for having the vision to see what hosting the Chiefs training camp can do for our region. On the state level, Gov. Jay Nixon, Sen. Rob Schaaf and past Sen. Charlie Shields have been special champions of this project, and we appreciate their support. I also want to thank Mark Donovan and his staff at the Chiefs, our Board of Governors Chair Dirck Clark and Athletics Director Kurt McGuffin for working so hard over these past few months to bring about this extension.”

“Hosting the Chiefs’ annual training camp has been of tremendous value to the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County, and the region as a whole,” said Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon. “I am pleased that the Chiefs will continue to make Missouri Western State University their summer home and that the State of Missouri could assist in securing this commitment.”

“It’s an honor to work alongside Missouri Western, Buchanan County and the state to help continue the partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs, helping them reach their goal of winning another Super Bowl by providing them with the finest training camp facility in the National Football League,” said Bill Falkner, St. Joseph’s mayor.

Under the contract extension, Missouri Western will design and install improvements to the practice fields used by the Chiefs, acquire and use certain equipment to maintain the fields, and reimburse the Chiefs for some expenses related to preparing and maintaining the practice fields. The extension will also freeze the Chiefs’ food costs at 2014 levels for the next three years and provide additional residence hall space and additional security. Other conditions of the original 2009 contract remain the same.

A study by the St. Joseph Convention & Visitors Bureau estimated that the approximately 40,000 visitors to training camp last year had a local economic impact of about $6.3 million.

The Kansas City Chiefs have held training camp at Missouri Western every year since 2010.

Law Enforcement pursuit causes lockdowns in Trenton

Posted on January 15, 2015

A voluntary lockdown was placed on North Central Missouri College and other Trenton, Mo schools Thursday as law enforcement official chased an armed suspect.

According to Sgt. Jake Angle with the Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers to an assault suspect into custody after a short pursuit that ended outside of Trenton, Mo.

The pursuit took place on several roads near the schools which long said were placed on voluntary lockdown during that time.

The suspect was capture on foot after running from his vehicle which was disable by spike strips.

Refresh this page for more information as it becomes available.

Industrial Hemp Legislation Introduced by St. Joseph Senator

Posted on January 15, 2015January 15, 2015

JEFFERSON CITY — Senator Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, introduced legislation on the floor of the Missouri Senate today (Jan. 15) that would make the growth of industrial hemp legal in Missouri.

Senate Bill 255 would restore an industry that once thrived in Missouri. Industrial hemp was among many vital resources that helped the United States war efforts in WWII. It was the main resource for making rope.

“I remember growing up in Buchanan County and seeing hemp plants everywhere along the sides of rural highways and back roads. It was commonplace. Farmers were encouraged by the government to grow the plant,“ Sen. Schaaf said. “Passage of this legislation would help rural areas where these plants grow quite well.”

If this bill passes, Missouri will be one of the first states to enact legislation allowing the legal growth of hemp plants for industrial use.
“This legislation is about helping far mers take advantage of an additional market,” Sen. Schaaf stressed. “This bill would help spur economic growth in small communities.”

Co-sponsor of the bill is Sen. Jason Holsman, D- Grandview.

To read more about Sen. Schaaf’s legislative efforts, visit www.senate.mo.gov/schaaf.

Transitional housing to offer accessible apartment space in St. Joseph

Posted on January 15, 2015January 15, 2015

Hillcrest Transitional Housing. Photo by Nadia Thacker

Hillcrest Transitional Housing and the St. Joseph Habitat for Humanity celebrated a new partnership Thursday in efforts to help families in need.

“We are partnering with Blue Skies Home Care LLC and Habitat for Humanity to construct a universal design apartment to be able to house anybody who has any type of disability,” said Shannen White, Affiliate Dir. of Hillcrest Transitional Housing of Northwest Missouri. “Wither it be a sight impairment, hearing impairment or anybody who has to utilize a wheelchair.”

Hillcrest is a 90 day transitional housing facility that tries to take homeless individuals or families and help them to become self-sufficient.

“It takes six to eight weeks to get into the program,” said White. “All their finances are strictly tracked by our case management department and we dive into their finances and we have a priority where they pay off certain bills so they can be self-sufficient. A lot of our residents are homeless because they have a $1,000 utility bill that they can’t pay of off to be able to go into a lease of their own.”

In order to offer Hillcrest services to everyone included families and individuals with physical disabilities, the agencies are teaming up to renovate an apartment on 3000 Parkway A in St. Joseph.

“We’re going to widen all the doorways, upgrade some of the flooring, give it a good new paint job, lower and redo the kitchen, we have to put some new plumbing and electrical in the kitchen to allow the washer and dryer in there, and obviously new cabinets that are universal and we also have to create an ADA and accessible bathroom so we’ll have to do a roll-in shower,” said Melissa Koch, St. Joseph Habitat for Humanity Dir.

Koch said she expects the entire protect to take six to eight months to complete.

For more information, to donate or to volunteer, call 816-689-1383, stop by the office at 3000 Parkway A.

UPDATE – Woman transported with moderate injuries, tickets issued

Posted on January 14, 2015January 14, 2015

Motorcycle accidents shuts down S. Belt Hwy. Photo by Nadia Thacker. Click to enlarge.

According to the St. Joseph Police Department 27-year-old Kylee Walker was transported to Mosaic Life Care Wednesday with Severe to moderate injuries after losing control of a motorcycle.

Traffic Officer Brad Kerns said Walker was driving the 2003 Harley Davidson when she lost control of the motorcycle as she turned onto the Belt Highway from a private parking lot in the 2800 block of S. Belt and lost control as she was traveling westbound, struck a raised curb, traveled off the roadway and hit a parked vehicle and was thrown from the motorcycle.

While police investigated the accident all lanes of traffic on S. Belt highway was closed from Pickett Road to S. Belt Walmart for nearly an hour.

Kerns said Walker was admitted to the hospital with only moderate to severe injuries.

Walker was issued tickets for careless operation of a motor vehicle for failure to maintain safe and proper control and a ticket for not having a valid operators license.

The Belt highway was reopened just before 3 p.m.

Nixon talks mental health

Posted on January 14, 2015

During roundtable discussions with local law enforcement and mental health care professionals in Hannibal and Chillicothe Tuesday, Gov. Jay Nixon discussed how a strategic initiative launched two years ago to strengthen Missouri’s mental health system is continuing to yield significant results. To date, there have been more than 14,000 contacts between Community Mental Health Liaisons, law enforcement and the courts, with 7,500 referrals to mental health services.

“Our mental health care initiative supports health and safety by connecting people in crisis with a health care professional, before a situation becomes dangerous for law enforcement officers or the public,” Nixon said. “In just over a year since its implementation, this initiative is already producing meaningful results in communities across the state.”

In Fiscal Year 2014, the Governor proposed and implemented a strategic initiative to help communities identify and care for Missourians with severe mental illness. One key goal was to provide additional training and resources to local law enforcement officers who are often called to respond to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

In addition to placing mental health liaisons at the state’s 29 Community Mental Health Centers, the initiative also included an expansion of Crisis Intervention and Mental Health First-Aid training and resources for emergency room intervention teams to work with patients needing coordinated care.

Joining the Governor at both stops today was Dr. Daniel Isom, director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Director Isom is a veteran law enforcement officer, having joined the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in 1988, and was promoted through the ranks before being appointed as the department’s 33rd Chief in October 2008, a post he held until his retirement in 2013.

“In both rural and urban communities, there are Missourians who need access to mental health care, and in many cases, have needed it for quite awhile,” Isom said. “Often times, law enforcement officers know these folks, and have struggled to get them the help they need. But with this initiative, law enforcement officers, the courts, and health care providers are able to work together to help get people the care they need, before they harm themselves or others.”

The State of Missouri is also moving forward with rebuilding the crumbling Fulton State Mental Hospital. Opened in 1851, Fulton State Hospital is the oldest state psychiatric hospital west of the Mississippi River and houses the state’s only maximum security psychiatric facility. The Biggs Forensic Center at Fulton treats patients with serious mental illness who are committed by Missouri courts for evaluation and treatment related to a crime, or who have seriously assaulted patients or staff in other state psychiatric hospitals. Since 2007, Fulton State Hospital has taken in more than 1,500 admissions from 100 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.

Nixon’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget included the funds for a strategic bond issuance to support the construction of a new high security forensic psychiatric facility in Fulton that will be safer and more conducive to modern treatment. The Legislature agreed with this priority and appropriated the necessary funding. In the fall of 2014, Missouri’s Office of Administration announced the issuance of an initial $92 million in bonds to support the rebuilding of Fulton State Hospital. Construction of the facility is expected to begin in the late spring/early summer of 2015 and be completed in 2017.

The Governor also spoke about the need to stop the flow of Missourians’ tax dollars to other states by expanding and reforming Medicaid. A report from the Missouri Department of Mental Health found that nearly 50,000 of the 300,000 working Missourians who would gain coverage under Medicaid expansion need mental health services.

“At the end of the day, we cannot fully address Missourian’s mental and physical health care needs without reforming and strengthening Medicaid,” Nixon said. “I am hopeful that this session, Missouri lawmakers will search their hearts and listen to their constituents, and finally move forward on Medicaid reform.”