Hundreds turned out to the Civic Arenea Saturday for the 95th annual St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce banquet.

More than 800 people attended the event which had a 1950s theme of “An Evening in Old Hollywood.”

The Event serves as an annual meeting for chamber members.

The Civic Arena was decorated to fit the glamorous 1950s theme, guests were asked to dress in 1950s attire and the Griffey School for the Arts provided song and dance numbers to fit the theme.

The program included a year in review video, which noted highlights from 2014, as well as a brief preview of plans for 2015. Some of the main points from the video include:
• 2014 was a year dedicated to retention and growth, in jobs and membership in the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce;
• The Chamber launched two new events in 2014: Ladies on the Links and Speed Networking;
• Growing the community was an important part of the year. A new video and brochure aimed at attracting new residents was developed to help entice those who work in St. Joseph to live here as well.
• Six St. Joseph companies celebrated 100 years of Chamber membership. These companies are: American Electric Company/Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Heaton-Bowman-Smith & Sidenfaden Chapel, Hillyard Companies, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory, St. Joseph News-Press and Seaman & Schuske Metal
Works Co.
• The St. Joseph economy saw many companies grow and invest in 2014:
Schütz Container Systems, Inc., a German-based packaging company with locations worldwide will locate in St. Joseph. This will result in 50 new jobs and $20 million in investments. The company purchased Eastowne Business Park’s shell building, the 7 acres it sits on and 6.25 acres west of the
building for future expansion.
Bayer Healthcare, Protein LLC, Nor-Am Ice and Cold Storage, Triumph Foods, Albaugh LLC, Bluetree Casework and the 139th Airlift Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard all had project announcements in 2014.
The meeting was the ceremonial changing of the guard for officers. Dr. Mark Laney, of Mosaic Life
Care, was honored as the Chairman of the Board for 2014. Todd Meierhoffer, of Meierhoffer Funeral Home and Crematory, is the 2014 Chairman.

American Traffic Solutions could be paying back thousands in red-light violation in St. Joseph.

According to the Associated Press nearly 900,000 people who paid fines for red-light violations in Missouri can apply for partial refunds as part of a proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit filed against ATS.

ATS operated cameras in 27 Missouri cities including St. Joseph.

The red-light cameras were operational in St. Joseph for nearly a 9 months time span from February of 2013 until the cameras were turned off at the end of October that same year.

The city suspended it’s red-light camera program after conflicting appeals court rulings arose.

St. Joseph Chief of Police Chris Connally said during that time span 3,137 tickets were issued.

ATS operated the cameras 24 hours a day and capture images of every vehicle running a red light at the intersection.  Violators were sent citations via first-class mail.  Tickets cost $100 each.

ATS has sent out postcard notices alerting people they can recover a cash payment of 20-percent of any fine they paid and provided information to apply for a refund.

If all of the tickets issued in St. Joseph were refunded at 20-percent ATS could be paying out $62,740 just in St. Joseph.

Connally said the city is not responsible for any portion of the payments and that it is all going through ATS.

Individuals who wish to preserve their right to sue individually can opt out of applying for a refund.

The Kansas City Star reports a response is due by  Feb. 28, and a court hearing is scheduled March 13 to consider the final settlement. More information is available at 1-866-681-9151.

Connally said the city has not yet decided to completely remove the cameras.

“We’re not going to do anything until we know what the Missouri Supreme Court decides,” said Connally.  “Then we’ll bring it to council to make a decision.”

 

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University will honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of events, including its fourth annual peace brunch and a march from the University campus to the Nodaway County Courthouse in downtown Maryville.
The annual peace brunch begins at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19, in the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom. A free hot breakfast buffet will be served and multicultural organizations will perform.
The peace march will follow at 1 p.m., beginning in the Student Union Ballroom and concluding on the steps of courthouse. Participants also are encouraged to make and bring signs that promote peace, equality, justice and unity. A short presentation by Northwest’s Minority Men’s Organization also will take place at the courthouse.
The University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Week begins Sunday, Jan. 18, with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Church Service from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the J.W. Jones Student Union Boardroom.
The week continues with a series of discussions and presentations centered on the theme “Beyond the Dream.”
The Northwest community is invited at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, in the Student Union’s Student Engagement Center for a discussion about how race, class and gender impact the dream of equity, justice, peace and unity.
As part of Northwest’s Career Pathing Session, Northwest Director of Intercultural Affairs Steven Bryant will give a presentation Wednesday, Jan. 21, titled, “Making the Dream a Reality, How are you showing up in the world?” The presentation will be offered at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom.
Also on Wednesday, State Rep. Courtney Allen Curtis will give a presentation at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. Curtis represents St. Louis North County (District 73), which includes Ferguson, where he also resides. Curtis has been vocal during the unrest in the aftermath of the death of Michael Brown, and he has collaborated on initiatives and legislation aimed at protecting at-risk youth and salvaging communities.
The week’s activities conclude with a screening of “Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, in Student Union Meeting Room D. The documentary explores race, racism and history in the United States.
Although Martin Luther King Jr. was born on Jan. 15, 1929, his birthday has been observed as a national holiday, Martin Luther King Day, on the third Monday of each January since 1986. In observance of the holiday, Northwest will not have classes Monday, Jan, 19, and all University offices will be closed.
King effort to lead the American civil rights movement during the 1950s and ‘60s included the 1963 March on Washington. There, he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, which dramatically raised public consciousness about civil rights and established King as a world figure. He was assassinated April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn.

The YMCA on the northeast side of St. Joseph officially opened to the public Friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the occasion.

More than 50 people were in attendance during the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce’s a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the new Campus Family Y Branch at 3601 N. Village Drive, near the Shoppes of North Village..

Tours of the new facility were given.

The Y is now open to the public.

The St. Joseph Salvation Army has put away its red kettles but the organization is still asking for help to meat its $350,000 goal.

“There’s still plenty of time to donate if you haven’t already and help those who are less fortunate in our community,” said Captain Chuck Cook. “Our Christmas Campaign runs through January 31 and these last few weeks are critical toward helping us reach our goal”

Funds raised go to support Salvation Army programs in St. Joseph for the entire year.

“We are thankful to everyone who supported us during the Christmas season, whether they dropped money in a kettle, volunteered to bell ring or helped us provide Christmas gifts to underprivileged children,” said Captain Cook. “We are bracing for even greater need throughout the state of Missouri this coming year and are depending on the generosity of others in the community to help us provide support for families and individuals in crisis.”

Anyone wishing to donate by credit card may call 816-232-5824 or go online to www.salarmymokan.org. Checks may be mailed to The Salvation Army, P. O. Box 1417, St. Joseph, MO 64502

For the second year in a row, Saint Joseph School District Counselor Dee Anna Kelley was selected an American School Counselor of the Year semi-finalist.

Kelley will travel to Washington DC later this month to attend several events in her honor including a Recognition Ceremony at the White House on January 30th.

Kelley will represent the counseling department, the St. Joseph School District, and the state of Missouri.

Homes were evacuated on the Northeast side of St. Joseph Thursday morning after a water company crew struck a gas line while tearing out a portion of the street to get to the water main.

A Nixle message was sent out at 10:28 a.m. to warn people to avoid the area of Safari Dr. and Antelope Cir. because of the leak.  Six homes in that area were also evacuated as a precaution.

St. Joseph Fire Department Battalion Chief, Russell Moore said Street Crews were digging up a portion of the roadway on Safari Dr. and struck a service line that provide gas to the homes in that area.

The street was closed down while crews with Missouri Gas and Energy worked to contain the leak.

“Obviously the big concern is that there might be some gas that explodes or ignites and causes further damage,” said Moore.  “They identified and found the line that was broke.”

Issues with maneuvering around the water main prevented crews from accessing the leak initially.

Moore said a backhoe was brought out to dig up a portion of the ground to access the line below the water main.

No injuries were reported.

The intersection of Safari Cir. and Antelope Dr was reopened more than two hours later at 12:51 p.m.

 

Missouri saw a decrease in drownings, boating fatalities and traffic fatalities in 2014.

According to numbers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol there were a total of 29 drownings occurred in Missouri’s lakes and rivers during 2014, compared to 38 in 2013.

There were 15 boating fatalities in 2014, compared to 17 in 2013.

Preliminary statistics indicate that Missouri recorded 753 traffic fatalities in 2014, compared to 757 fatalities in 2013. This is a 40 percent decrease from the 1,257 fatalities recorded in 2005. The number of traffic deaths has dropped each year since 2005, with the only exception being 2012’s slight increase. Of those required to be restrained, approximately 63 percent were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Missouri State Highway Patrol superintendent, Colonel Ron Replogle said it’s a trend he hopes to see continue.

“Every trooper is committed to working with other agencies to make Missouri a safer place to work and raise a family. I want to thank the public for helping to make this year safer than last year,” said Col. Replogle.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST THURSDAY.

* WIND CHILLS…10 TO 25 BELOW ZERO THROUGH MID-MORNING THURSDAY.

* TEMPERATURES…IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TODAY…FALLING TO BETWEEN
ZERO AND 5 BELOW TONIGHT.

* WINDS…10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH THROUGH THIS EVENING
BEFORE BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE TONIGHT. WINDS WILL PICK UP AGAIN
THURSDAY MORNING OUT OF THE SOUTH AROUND 10 MPH.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around -4. Wind chill values between -9 and -17. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. Wind chill values between -8 and -18. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 21 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 7. Wind chill values between -8 and 2. North northwest wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Friday: Sunny and cold, with a high near 14. Northwest wind 8 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 2.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 27.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 17.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 32.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 26.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31.

The first weigh-in of the 2015 Pound Plunge took place Wednesday at the St. Joseph REC Center with nearly 1500 people signed up.

“12 weeks of having fun, losing weight, getting fit, looking good and getting in your skinny jeans,” said Gregg Lynn, KJO 105.5 program director.

Lynn said the idea to hold Pound Plunge started 10-years-ago when the Biggest Loser had just come out on TV.

“We came up with this idea that we should do some sort of weight-loss competition and we partnered with Heartland at the time, now Mosaic” said Lynn.  “We were hoping we’d get 100 people, we were praying we’d have a 100 people and we had 1200 show up.”

KJO 105.5 partnered with Heartland to host the Pound Plunge, since then Lynn said the program continues to have more than 1200 participate every year.

2015 Pound Plunge Participant Betty Akard said it’s her first time taking part in the program.

“I’m looking forward to the different activities that it will allow me to experience and also give me the accountability to weigh-in,” said Akard.

Over the next 12 weeks Plungers will be taking part in weekly weigh-ins as they work to lose excess weight and get physically fit.

“It takes about 12 weeks for somebody’s habits to really form,” said Lynn. “So we figure give you 12 weeks of starting to do things the right way, do a little exercise, eat a little better.”

Mosaic Life Care is also providing resources to help Plungers improve their heath during the program.

The Pound Plunge celebration is scheduled for April 8 at the St. Joseph Rec Center.  The Plungers who have lost the most weight in different categories will be announced and recognized.  Prizes will also be awarded.