The Platte County shop with a Deputy program will kick off again this year for the 20th time but not without help from the community.

On December 6, 2014 the Sheriff’s Office will utilize a local Wal-Mart to bring holiday happiness to 35 children and their families. The program is funded by donations from citizens, deputies and businesses in our community. Each child is allowed to spend $200.00. Of the $200.00 the children must spend $140.00 on items they need, such as clothing, shoes, coats, etc.; the balance can be used to buy whatever they want with the exception of projectile items and guns.

Sheriff Mark Owen said, “From the initial $500 grant from the Missouri Deputy Sheriff’s Association to help 10 children in 1995 to the $200.00 per child today, this has been a wonderful experience for all of us at the Sheriff’s Office. Shop With a Deputy is one of the most rewarding programs that we do at the Sheriff’s Office. It’s something the deputies and civilian employees look forward to every year, giving back to children through the annual shopping event and hoping they leave a lasting positive impression on each child they help. For many for the children this is the only Christmas they will have”.

Sheriff Owen also stated, “We applaud the outstanding support and generous donations from Platte County residents, deputies, and businesses, because without them we would not have been able to make Christmas a special day for more than 400 Platte County children over the past 20 years.”

If you would like to help, you can send your donation to:
Platte County Sheriff’s Office
Shop With a Deputy Program
c/o Captain Chad Phillips
415 Third St., Suite 10
Platte City, MO 64079-8462

Or you can deliver your donation to the Platte County Sheriff’s Office, Monday thru Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm.

The United Way of Greater St. Joseph has exceeded its 2014 campaign goal of $3.1.

During the United Way Campaign Victory Dinner Thursday night, 2014 Campaign Chair Adam Stain announced the community had pledged $3,145,542 to the campaign, surpassing the $3,145,000 goal by $542.

“I’m overwhelmed by the community support I saw during this year’s campaign,” said Stein. “I couldn’t be happier with the way the volunteers came together and worked as a team this year. I’m grateful for the generosity of thousands of people who invested in the 19 Partner Agencies and 7 Initiatives. It was an honor to serve as the 2014 Campaign Chair, and I’m so thankful for all of the support we received along the way.”

During the event, donors, volunteers and advocates were recognized for their contributions to the campaign, and attendees were reminded how lives are improved through the funds secured during the annual campaign.

Guest speaker was Colton Rich, Central High School senior, whose life has been directly improved through United Way funded services and who has been a long-time, active United Way Campaign volunteer.

Close to 200 people in attendance at Missouri Western’s Fulkerson Center celebrated the generosity of thousands in our community

The St. Joseph Police Department issued a call for help on social media Thursday asking for help in identifying two individuals in connection with a stealing investigation.

The surveillance photos show a white male and a white female.

The police department said the individuals are sought in connection with  stealing investigation.  The request said the people who are shown in the photos are believed to have information that could help police in solving a case.

Anyone with information on either of the people show is asked to contact Detective Chris Davis at  816 271 5334

Two people have been arrested in connection with burglaries across more than three counties in Northeast Kansas.

Atchison County Under Sheriff Joe Butner said 23-year-old Steven Thornington of Leavenworth and 38-year-old Brenda Wilson of Leavenworth were arrested just before 8 a.m. Wednesday morning in connection with burglaries made in Atchison Co. Kan, Doniphan, and Leavenworth.  He said they may have also burglarized homes in Brown county as well.

The Atchison Co. Sheriffs office received a call of suspicious activity involving a vehicle Tuesday night near Labette and 318th Roads.   Butner said when the deputy tried to stop the vehicle the driver accelerated and sped away from the deputy who then called for backup and pursued.

The vehicle drove to Morton Road then went about a half a mile into a corn field where the suspects jumped out and ran into a wooded area.

Deputies called for assistance from other law enforcement agencies including the Kansas State Highway Patrol.  KSHP brought in a search helicopter Tuesday night and law enforcement established a perimeter.

Butner said the suspects were arrested by deputies Wednesday morning as they tried to make their way out of the corn field.

A third suspect was also believed to be involved.  and the search continued with the involvement of KSHP search dogs and handlers but troopers were unable to locate the man.  The search was finally called off just after noon Wenesday.  Burtner said the third suspect is believed to have left the area at this time.

Thornington and Wilson are being questioned by law enforcement from multiple counties for burglaries that may have occurred all across Northeast, Kan. but mainly in rural areas.

“Going to residences where no one is home and entering sheds, barns,” said Butner.

Butner said their investigation has led them to believe the items stolen by the individuals are being sold for scrap and the money is being used to purchase drugs.

“See so many cases of drug use as well known if you have drug use there’s violence and crimes associated with it,” said Butner. “We run a lot of meth cases through Atchison County courts”

Butner believes with the arrest of these individuals that many of the thefts that have been taking place around the region will stop for awhile.

The number of burglaries the individuals have committed at this time is not known.  Butner said investigators from multiple counties are still trying to connect all of the dots but that the suspects are cooperating at this time.

Thornington and Wilson both have a criminal history.

Charges in connection with the burglaries are pending at this time.

 

 

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department sent out a Nixle message this morning warning the community of a fraud.

The message urges people to beware of 34-year-old Marvin Todd Lawson of Iowa and Whitetail Construction.

According to online court documents a warrant was issued for Lawson’s arrest in Mercer County Sept. 29, 2014 in connection with passing a bad check.

However, area law enforcement agencies in Buchanan Co. were alerted to be on the lookout for Lawson in connection with fraudulent construction practices.

Buchanan County Sheriff’s Dept. Capt. Mark Brock said the message was sent out to the public to try and prevent victimization from occurring in our district.

Whitetail Construction is located out of Moulton, Iowa and was given a Better Business Bureau rating of an F on a scale of A+ to F.

There were two complaints listed against Whitetail Construction on the BBB website.

One stated that Lawson was two months behind the estimated start date and did not return calls or acknowledge requests for deposit refund with a family who wanted to build a home in Pleasant Hill, Mo. July 28, 2014.  The family said it is seeking a refund of the 15% down payment given on April 18, 2014 in the amount of $1,275.75

Another complaint on the BBS website states that a contract was signed with the owner of Whitetail Construction in May and a deposit of $1491.00 was made for a pole building to begin in July.  It also said the start date for the build was missed and the owner did not return messages, certified letters or calls.

Whitetail Construction is not BBB accredited.

Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Jake Angle said law enforcement does not know Lawson’s whereabouts but that it is completely possible he could be in our region.

Sgt. Angle said if anyone comes into contact with Lawson to contact law enforcement authorities.

Sgt. Gara Howard with the patrol said the Missouri State Highway Patrol Rural crimes investigation unit is conducting an investigation in connection with Whitetail Construction but currently no charges have been filed nor has a warrant been issued for Lawson’s arrest in connection with the investigation.

 

 

 

Former Chiefs star, and current small business owner, Will Shields will be one of two keynote speakers at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Summit onTuesday, Nov. 11. The Small Business Summit is a half-day event with speakers on interesting business topics and breakout sessions with varied topics sure to interest business owners.

 

Shields is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football for the University of Nebraska, earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Outland Trophy. He played his entire professional career for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, and never missed a game in 14 seasons and is in the Chiefs Hall of Fame, as well as the College Hall of Fame. Shields established his own foundation, The Will to Succeed Foundation, in 1993 focusing on helping primarily women and children in the Kansas City area.  He was honored for his philanthropic efforts by the NFL with the Walter Payton Award. Besides his outstanding football career, Shields is also a business entrepreneur. He currently owns and operates 68 Inside Sports, a fitness and sports facility, in Overland Park, Kansas. He will speak about how he made his transition from professional football to small business owner.

 

Henry C. “Hank” Foley, Ph.D. Academic Affairs, Research and Economic Development for the University of Missouri is the other keynote speaker. He will discuss community and university partnerships for innovation.

 

Breakout session topics include Protecting Your Intellectual Assets, Social Media, Building Your Brand and Expand Your Reach. A Resource Fair also will be offered between sessions and keynote addresses so attendees can talk one-on-one with professionals who can help businesses. Get a free consultation with the Small Business Resource and Technology Center, Craig School of Business, Mo-Kan and more.

 

After the summit, a special QuickBooks Class will be taught by Shea Mears, CPA, MBA, who is the Outsourcing Manager of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP in Des Moines, Iowa. Those who wish to attend this session, for an additional $10, should register immediately because it is limited to 50 people. They should also bring a laptop to learn how to use all of the basic functions of QuickBooks.

 

Registration and breakfast begin at 8 a.m. Breakout sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m.; Foley, the first keynote speaker, will speak at 10:30 a.m.; Shields will speak at 11:20 a.m.; and the QuickBooks class will begin at 1 p.m.

 

Price without the QuickBooks Class is $15 for Chamber members and $25 General Admission. Breakfast is included. The Summit will be held at the Fulkerson Center on the Missouri Western State University campus, 4525 Downs Drive. To register, visitwww.saintjoseph.com or call (816) 232-4461. For a direct link to the registration page online, click here. RSVPs are due Friday, Nov. 7.

The 41st annual Yuletide Feaste at Northwest Missouri State University will feature an elegant royal banquet and performances by the Northwest Madraliers, the Recorder Consort, the Royale Brass Quintet.

 

The Feaste is 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6, in the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom.

 

Tickets are $28.95 and may be purchased by check or cash in Room 101 of the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building. Northwest students, faculty and staff may charge tickets to their University account. Credit card orders may be made online at www.nwmissouri.edu/finearts/music/yuletide.htm.

 

Attendance is limited to 320 guests each evening, and all tickets are reserved. No tickets will be sold at the door.

 

“The annual Yuletide Feaste presented at Northwest is a fantastic opportunity for families to come together and enjoy the start of the holiday season,” Dr. Brian Lanier, associate professor in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, said. “The Feaste offers guests a wonderful evening of beautiful music, delicious food, comedic entertainment, and moments to reflect on things that are important to us all.”

 

At the Yuletide Feaste, guests celebrate and re-discover Christmas through the evening’s programs and festivities, highly stylized after old England. The menu, performances and decorations are reminiscent of 16th century Tudor England.

 

The menu includes winter salad with dried cranberries and celery, carved steamship of beef, brown sugar glazed turkey, cornbread dressing, sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, green beans with shallots and red peppers, thyme and honey roasted carrots, assorted rustic breads with cranberry date butter and apple cinnamon cake with caramel drizzle.

 

One of the Feaste’s appeals is the involvement of Northwest students, faculty and emeriti faculty. Together, they form a cast of more than 60 performers in character throughout the entire evening.

 

The Feaste features the Madraliers, Northwest’s award-winning chamber choir. The ensemble is a select choir of 38 undergraduate and graduate students who study and perform a variety of repertoire ranging from music of the Renaissance to contemporary composers. In recent years, the choir has been invited to perform for prestigious choral organizations, including the American Choral Directors Association and the Missouri Music Educators Association.

 

For more information, contact the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at660.562.1315.

St. Joe’s Got Talent brings a new way to enter the competition. Contestants can submit their own tape, allowing those who cannot attend the open tapings to compete! It’s not too early to start creating/submitting your own tape or perfecting your routine, so dust off your dance shoes and hula hoops and start composing!

For the 2015 competition, the open taping dates are February 10 and 12 at Potter Theater, Missouri Western State University. Tapings will go from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., and all talents are accepted at this location. For those who cannot come to the open taping dates, submit your own tape (ONLY .mpg or .avi files accepted) to the Allied Arts Council by February 11, at 2 p.m.

“There were several groups that wanted to participate, but couldn’t make the taping dates. We hope that by allowing contestants to submit their own tape we allow more groups and individuals to participate,” said Ashley Jones, Allied Arts Council Marketing Coordinator.

As in previous years, there is no age limit, all groups are welcome to participate and you do not have to be from St. Joseph. Registration forms are available at http://www.stjoearts.org/stjoesgottalent.html, and preregistration is recommended. The entry fee is $10 for acts with 1-3 performers; groups of 4 or more is $15.

St. Joe’s Got Talent is a family event, so acts must be family friendly. Each act has 3 minutes for taping, so time your performance accordingly. Any act over 3 minutes will be stopped due to time constraints. These same rules apply to the submitted tapes: all must be family friendly and no more than 3 minutes in length. Like last year, KQ2 will post acts online where viewers vote for their favorite act. Acts will be edited to or about 1 minute before posted online. Visit http://www.stjoearts.org/stjoesgottalent.html for the official rules.

The final competition has moved to Saturday this year. On March 21, at 7:00 p.m., the top voted acts perform live on the Missouri Theater stage. Each act will have up to five minutes to perform before judges and a live audience. Again, strict time adherence will be enforced.

Two awards will be handed out that evening: the Critics Award, as determined by the judges and the People’s Choice Award. The winner of the People’s Choice award will be determined by the most money contributed, so bring your friends, family and entire fan club to vote with their change, dollars, and checkbooks!

Admission to St. Joe’s Got Talent is $5 for adults, and children 12 and younger are $3. All proceeds from the night’s event benefit the 2015 Arts Fund Campaign. The Arts Fund supports a wide variety of arts activities.

Participants in the 2014 Food Fight Challenge were awarded for their efforts to fight hunger with a meal of their own.

An awards luncheon was held Wednesday at Luna’s for the participants in the 2014 Corporate Food Fight challenge to benefit the Second Harvest Community Food Bank.

Winners in each category were presented with an award by Second Harvest Ex. Dir. Chad Higdon.

The food bank wrapped up the 2014 Corporate Food Fight Challenge on Sept. 30. The food bank said the event was designed to inspire corporations and businesses in the area to compete to see who could raise the most in food donations and funds. Funds were converted to pounds to contribute toward a company’s total, with each dollar of funds representing two pounds of food donated.

Second Harvest has tallied up the final counts on donations, and announced that among 11 competing companies, there were 81,609 pounds of food donated. This total far surpassed the goal of raising 60,000 pounds of food in this year’s food fight, which represents 46,000 meals provided to neighbors in need in the Second Harvest service area.

The Food Fight was divided into divisions based on the number of employees in each company. The winner of the Spoon category, with 1 to 25 employees, was Northwest Financial Services, who edged out their competition with 514 pounds of food donations.

In the Ladle division, in which participating companies have between 26 and 100 employees, Pepsi Beverage Company again reigned supreme among their competitors with 3,169 pounds of food donations.

The Soup division included companies with between 101 and 200 employees. Apple Market came out on top among their competitors with a total of 43,739 pounds of food donated. Apple Market is also a repeat winner in their category of Food Fight.

The Stock Pot division represents the largest companies entered into the Food Fight, with organizations with more than 201 employees competing for the title. The winner for 2014 is American Family Insurance with 21,306 pounds of food donated, a repeat performance in the Food Fight.

Participants in the 2014 Corporate Food Fight Challenge:
Northwest Financial Services
Will Woods State Farm
Riverbluff Architects (runner-up in the Spoon category)
Commerce Bank (runner-up in the Ladle category)
Pepsi Beverage Company
Omnium (runner-up in the Soup category)
Hillyard Companies
Apple Market

McDonalds
American Family Insurance
Altec (runner-up in the Stock Pot category)