The St. Joseph Fire Department is still working to put out hot spots as the Pioneer building continues to smolder in downtown St. Joseph.

“We’re still watching this east wall.  The crack is getting a little larger which tells us that gravity may soon bring it down,” said Chief Training Officer Mike Neylon with the St. Joseph Fire Department. “We’re moving everything back as far as we can possibly move it and still get water where we need it.  It may get to the point where we have to do it from above.”

Firefighters arrived on the scene at Francis and 5th St. Monday shortly after 10:30 a.m.

“We’ve been here continuously.  Moving crews in and out so they can get something to eat and a bath,” Neylon said. “The streets are going to be blocked until this structure can either be knocked in or deemed to be not a collapse danger.  Which nobody can get in it until we put it out and we can’t put it out because we can’t get to it.”

A timeline for leaving the scene is not yet known. He said at this point the plan is to just douse it with water.

“At this point that’s all we have.  We are not going to go inside to try to move any of the stuff so we can get at the deep-seated fire.  We’re going to hit it from above and hope we can soak it out or flood it out somehow because we are not going to enter that structure,” Neylon said.

The fire department plans to keep two companies at a time at that location.

“We’ve got a new crew that came on at 7 o’clock this morning and we’ve already turned out four companies so everybody is going to get a turn today to come out and man this hose,” Neylon said. “We’ll move them in and out and bring in fresh companies so these guys can go grab some groceries.”

He said people coming to see the ruined structure is another issue authorities have been dealing with.

“We’ve got people that will just walk right up to the building.  We just kind of lose sight of them and think ‘nobody is that stupid,’ but yeah they are.  It requires constant observation and that’s another reason we’re going to have to have people down here.  We’re going to have to keep staff down here to keep the lookers out,” Neylon said.  “Everybody wants to get they best picture for Facebook and that’s what we’re dealing with.”

Authorities are asking people to avoid the area.

“There’s nothing to see it’s just a smoldering pile of rubble and you don’t want to be near it when this thing cracks,” Neylon said.

The surrounding buildings were evacuated Monday, Neylon said they are letting people back into nearby buildings.

“We are allowing them in but suggesting they don’t stay there if they are right in front of this building,” Neylon said. “We can’t guarantee their safety is the simple fact.”

Electricity was shut off to several buildings including the Montee Law Firm right next to the Pioneer building.

“Light and Power is waiting for an underground vault to clear so they can start the power again,” Neylon said. “They can’t get to it until we let them in, so it’s a nightmare.”

The cause of the fire is undetermined.  Neylon told us Monday that there were rumors of illegal occupants inside the building which could have been the reason behind the fire.  No victims have been found.

 

The historic Tootle Opera House in downtown St. Joseph where Buffalo Bill Cody once performed was destroyed by fire Monday after standing tall for more than 140 years.

The building located at 5th and Francis, was commonly known as the Pioneer Building.  Fire crews responded to the fire around 10:30 a.m. Chief Training Officer Mike Neylon with the St. Joseph Fire Department said around 60 firefighters were on scene with around 15 firetrucks.  The Savannah Fire Department and the Rosecrans Memorial Airport Fire Department assisted.

“It doesn’t impact how you put it out once it gets to the point that it was that it was obviously not going to be saved.  But initially yeah, you try to keep the historical aspect intact as much as possible.  That was a pretty special building,” Neylon said. “Another one lost.”

Sarah Elder, the Curator of Collection with Saint Joseph Museums said the Tootle Opera House was built in 1872.

“It was built by Milton Tootle Sr. and it was considered at that time to be the finest Opera House west of the Mississippi,” Elder said. “It started to have a little competition from motion pictures…I want to say as an Opera House it kind of ceased that existence in the 1920s and 1930s as motion pictures became more and more prevalent.”

Elder said Buffalo Bill Cody performed in the building twice.

“As he was getting started with his Wild West shows and he was touring the country he performed at the Tootle Opera House,” Elder said.

She said the cost to construct the building in 1872 was around $200,000.

“It had these beautiful staircases and decorative work on the inside,” Elder said. “It had a main floor and a balcony and a gallery and it could hold around 1500 people.”

She said the building was renovated and turned into office space in the 1940s.

“There are a few buildings that are older than that but not many,” Elder said. “It was a big part of St. Joseph’s golden age.”

Clint Thompson is the planning and community development director for the City of St. Joseph.  He said the building was sitting vacant and was owned by Jeff Smith with JES Development out of Columbia, Mo.

“The developer had proposed to do some low income housing units, and that goes back probably about 10 years ago,” Thompson said. “He was seeking tax credits but also support by the City of St. Joseph to endorse their application.  At the time the city denied supporting the application because the city had done a housing analysis in our downtown area and we were trying to work with private development to do market rate housing in and around downtown.  Since that application was denied the developer hasn’t done anything with the property.”

Elder said the building’s loss means a great part of St. Joseph’s history is no longer there.

Neylon said crews will likely be on scene until at least nightfall pouring water on the building; a second building located behind the Pioneer building also caught fire but was put out.  No victims have been found. The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

A man has died after being tased by officers during a drug investigation in St. Joseph.

Col. Bill Puett with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office said investigators with the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force were conducting a warrant operation Wednesday afternoon on MacKenzie Dr. Puett said investigators were looking for an individual involved in drug activity and outstanding warrants when a man confronted officers as they approached the house.

“He came out of the house as the officers were approaching the house,” Puett said. “He became combative with officers and tried to attack the officers with a ball bat and fight with them. After he did that he was tased and then arrested and later died at Mosaic after he was transported.”

Puett said authorities are still working to identify the man. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.

“Investigators are working to gather information,” Puett said. “We want to get this gentleman identified and make sure family is notified.”

Puett said it’s unknown if the taser contributed to the man’s death.

“That’s part of the investigation,” Puett said. “He continued to fight with the officers when they arrested him and became unresponsive. We’re going to continue to investigate and see what the autopsy reveals.”

Puett said the Missouri State Highway Patrol has been requested by the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the case.

 

The St. Joseph Police Department responded to an armed robbery call Monday morning in midtown.

According to police, officers were dispatched around 9:30 a.m. after a caller reported being robbed at gunpoint. A man reported he was approached by two men who asked for money around 9 a.m. in the 700 block of S. 27th.  When the man said he didn’t have any money one of the suspects allegedly displayed a handgun while the second suspect took the victim’s wallet.  They reportedly ran northbound towards Messanie.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said he does not believe anyone was injured.

The suspects are both described as white men.  One was reported to be wearing a red hoodie and jeans the other wearing a black hoodie and jeans.  Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

 

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A reward is being offered after items were found stolen on Veteran’s Day from the American Legion in Wathena.

Duston Hansen with the Legion said a cash reward of $1,500 is being offered for the return of items or failing that, the prosecution of those responsible. 

In a social media post Hansen posted items that were taken; a clock, oval framed portraits (2, Black Jack Pershing and Arthur Wakeman) and 4 simple frames with individual WWI veterans posing.
As we previously reported, Wathena Chief of Police Jason Pendleton said the police department was notified after the American Legion was opened up Friday morning. He said the break-in is believed to have taken place sometime late Thursday night to early Friday morning. Currently police have no suspects.

“As we get further information we are going to continue to put it out on social media and things of that nature and if anybody might recognize anything we put on social media or hears anything we’d sure like to know,” Pendleton said. “It’s a disgrace and to believe that somebody would do that on Veteran’s Day is heartbreaking.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Wathena Police Department at (785) 989-4521 or the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 985-3711.

Authorities are investigating after the Wathena American Legion was found broken into and burglarized Veteran’s Day morning.

Wathena Chief of Police Jason Pendleton said the police department was notified after the American Legion was opened up Friday morning.

“They were there actually picking up flowers to put in the cemetery and that’s when they noticed the damage,” Pendleton said.

He said they are still trying to determine what all was taken but the door was broken, photos of WWI veterans were stolen, as well as a clock and some larger photos were taken from off the wall.

“It was mostly photos from what I understand,” Pendleton said. “They threw some mail around and of course the damage they did to the door was significant. I don’t know if they were looking for anything in particular but they were looking through everything to see what they could find.”

Pendleton said the break-in is believed to have taken place sometime late Thursday night to early Friday morning. Currently police have no suspects.

“As we get further information we are going to continue to put it out on social media and things of that nature and if anybody might recognize anything we put on social media or hears anything we’d sure like to know,” Pendleton said. “It’s a disgrace and to believe that somebody would do that on Veteran’s Day is heartbreaking.”

Since Pendleton has worked for the department he said there have been at least two other break-ins reported at the Legion in the past.  Duston Hansen with the Legion posted photos of the aftermath of the most recent break-in on social media asking for anyone with information to contact authorities.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Wathena Police Department at (785) 989-4521 or the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 985-3711.

The St. Joseph School District is responding after former superintendent Dan Colgan was sentenced Thursday in federal court for wire fraud.

“Today’s sentencing brings a sense of closure for the St. Joseph School District,” said current Superintendent Dr. Robert Newhart. “This is just one step toward rebuilding as a district after several years of unrest. For the sake of our teachers, support staff and students, we need to continue to move forward. We know that this process is going to take time. This has not been easy on anyone and the work we have ahead to regain the trust of our employees and the community is of the highest priority for the district.”

Danny L. Colgan, 70, of St. Joseph, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to one year and one day in federal prison without parole for wire fraud. Colgan admitted his salary was improperly inflated in the last years he worked for the district to increase his retirement benefits which led to an over payment of $677,313 over a 10-year period. As part of the deal Colgan also made a final payment of $608,257 Thursday to complete his court-ordered restitution.