A resurfacing project on southbound Interstate 29 continues this week in Andrew County, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. Due to weather, some work will be completed this week, instead of Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014, as previously planned.

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, contractors will complete the paving of the southbound I-29 ramps at Business 71 (Exit 53). These ramps will not be closed, as the contractors plan to pave one half of the ramp at a time. Motorists may experience delays and should exercise caution through the work zone.

On Wednesday, Nov. 5 and Thursday, Nov. 6, crews will pave the southbound ramps at the I-229 and I-29 interchange on the north end of St. Joseph (Exit 56) and finish paving the acceleration and deceleration lanes for all other interchanges. These ramps and lanes will also remain open with the contractor paving half the ramp at a time to allow for traffic flow.

Pavement Repairs Planned on Northbound Interstate 29

Interstate 29 will be narrowed starting Tuesday as crews begin pavement repairs. Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, contractors will be working from mile marker 67 near the south Oregon exit to the Iowa state line. The work will start at mile marker 67 in the northbound lanes and continue north to the state line. Crews will then move to the southbound lanes and work south from the state line to mile marker 67. The driving lane will be narrowed during the work, which should take approximately three days to complete, weather permitting.

I-29 will also be narrowed Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014, for additional pavement repairs in the northbound driving lane from Business 71 at the north end of St. Joseph (Exit 53) to the south Oregon exit (Exit 67). The driving lane will be closed during the project, which should take one day to complete, weather permitting.

County Clerk Mary Baack-Garvey said she expects turnout in Tuesday’s election to be down 20-percent from 2010.

“You have to go with what happened four years prior to get the same races on the ballot so that’s why you look at it that way,” said Baack-Garvey. “four years back the same offices were on the ballot.”

She is predicting voter turnout at around 40-percent. Absentee voting is also down.

Baack Garvey said as of 3 p.m. Monday there were only 1197 ballots submitted. That’s down by 403 absentee ballots from 2010.

“None of the State Reps are opposed,” said Baack-Garvey. “You just get down to the local level and there’s just not as many contested races as there were 4-years-ago.”

Polls will open at 6 a.m. Tuesday for voters to start casting ballots. However, Baack-Garvey said many locations have changed.

“In April of 2013 we decided to get out of all the schools as polling locations,” said Baack-Garvey. “If people are unsure where they vote, if they haven’t voted in awhile they can call the office or look on my website as well.”

Polls will close at 7 p.m.  Stay-tuned with StJosephPost.com, and 680 KFEQ for the results as they came in with constant update also available on KJO 105.5 and QCountry 92.7

Here’s a list of precincts in Buchanan County:
PCT # Polling Place Name & Address
1 St Peter Lutheran Church, 3524 St. Joseph Ave 1st 10th Western
2 Savannah Ave Baptist Church, 1825 Savannah Ave 1st 10th Western
3 Central Assembly of God, 1222 N 18th Street 1st 10th Western
4 St Joseph City Hall, 1100 Frederick Ave 2nd 10th Western
5 Wyatt Park Christian Church, 2623 Mitchell Ave 2nd 10th/11th Western
6 Brookdale Student Ministry, 3015 Felix Street 1st/2nd/5th 10th East/West
7 Pony Express Museum, 914 Penn Street 2nd 10th Western
8 Copeland Baptist Church, 2009 Walnut Street 3rd 11th Western
9 Huffman United Methodist Church, 2802 Renick St 3rd/5th 10th/11th Eastern
10 The Connection at Hyde Valley, 202 W Hyde Park Ave 3rd 11th Western
11 The Keys Christian Fellowship, 6002 S 9th Street 3rd 11th Western
12 Faith United Church, 3025 Karnes Road 1st 9th/10th East/West
13 Ashland United Methodist Church, 2711 Ashland Ave 1st/5th 9th/10th East/West
14 Wesley United Methodist Church, 3409 Ajax Road 5th 11th Eastern
15 Bible Baptist Temple, 5401 Mitchell Ave 5th 9th/11th Eastern
16 Missouri National Guard, 301 N Woodbine Road 4th 9th Eastern
17 Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 4503 Frederick Blvd 4th 9th/10th Eastern
18 Agency Methodist Church, 10740 SE State Route FF 9th/11th Eastern
19 DeKalb Community Center, 105 Locust St 11th Western
20 Willowbrook Community Center, 4020 SE State Route H 9th/11th Western
21 Faucett Lions Club, 617 SE Grand DD 11th East/West
22 St Joseph Catholic Church, 109 N Shortridge St 9th Eastern
23 Frazier Baptist Church, 13601 SE State Route E 9th/11th Eastern
24 Rushville Masonic Lodge, 201 Market St 11th Western
25 Clair United Methodist Church, 2 SE 68th Road 9th Eastern
26 Grace Evangelical Church, 5103 S 50th Road 9th/11th Eastern

The St Joseph Police Department is searching for individuals involved in a stolen vehicle theft that was recovered at S. Belt Walmart Monday morning.

Sgt. Roy Hoskins said officers responded to S. Belt Walmart at 9:45 a.m. after a woman reported finding her stolen vehicle occupied in the store parking lot.

The Silver Honda CRV was first reported stolen Oct. 25th.

When officers arrived on scene Hoskins said the suspects, a tall thin white male wearing a gray jacket, jeans and a black hat with a green bill and a white female with dark hair, wearing a pink shirt under a black shirt, jeans and white shoes ran from the Honda and jumped into a Gold Chevy Silverado Pickup.

The driver of the pickup drove over the curb and almost struck an officer as the suspects tried to make an escape.  A description of the driver of the pickup was not obtained by police. Hoskins said police did not pursue due to safety concerns for citizens with the reckless way the driver tried to flee from police.

When officers processed the stolen Honda a variety of weapons were recovered. The individuals are currently believed to be armed and dangerous.

“Definitely don’t approach them,” said Hoskins. “Get as much information as you can, description, license plates, but definitely don’t try to approach them yourself.”

He said if anyone has information to contact the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

St. Joseph Public Library tackles health care confusion with the addition of an enrollment coordinator.

The Library will host a centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services certified Navigator with the Northwest Missouri Area Agency on aging at two of its branch location to assist patrons in selecting their health insurance plans.

Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act for 2015 starts Nov. 15. Certified Navigator Leola Baumgarden with CMS will be on hand most Mondays starting Nov. 17 at the Downtown Library located at 927 Felix Street from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and at the East Hills Library at 502 N. Woodbine Road from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The library said no registration is necessary and there is no age limit on who can come for help. However, the Affordable Care Act is not for those who qualify for Medicare.

To call and make sure Baugarden is available contact the East Hills Library at (816) 236-2136 or the Downtown Library at (816)232-7729 to make sure of her hours that day.

Appointments can also be made with Baumgarden by calling 816-244-5829, Monday through Friday starting Nov. 3.

Students enrolled in Cris Jacobson’s psychology of groups and teams course at Northwest Missouri State University are taking what they’ve learned in the classroom to make a lasting impact on the lives of people in surrounding communities.

Students were tasked with developing projects in conjunction with course material, providing them with hands-on experience in carrying out group dynamics while completing projects together as teams.

They came up with projects they could apply to surrounding communities, including supply drives, social activities and educational programs, all of which are open for residents of Maryville and surrounding communities to contribute.

“The goal is to give students a realistic experience that is both meaningful and applicable to future professional endeavors,” Jacobson, an instructor of psychology, said.

Additional details about each group project is provided below.

Pay It Forward Project

The Pay it Forward Project promotes the attitude that by giving to others, one can bring happiness into their own life. The project consists of three small events leading up to a larger-scale event. The group is selling Boo-Grams in the J.W. Jones Student Union and delivering them to residence halls.

For its second event, the group will distribute coupons from Sonic and Hardees. Members of the group will hang motivational flyers around campus as their third event.

The group’s big event will take place Monday, Nov. 17 on campus, and details will remain secret until an announcement can be made.

Money raised from Boo-Grams along with donations from random acts of kindness will be used to continue the chain of paying it forward on campus.

Paws for the Cause

Paws for the Cause is a fundraiser to collect money and supplies such as leashes, toys and food for the Humane Society. The public can drop off items from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Nov. 5, in the Student Union Living Room. The Humane Society runs solely on donations, and the cost to keep its doors open is high each month, especially with the amount of animals they rescue.

To encourage people to participate, the group will have animals that anyone may play with for a small donation. The animals will also be available for adoption. A non-monetary goal for the event is to encourage people to give support and aide to the Humane Society.

Noyes Home Collections

The Noyes Home in St. Joseph, Mo., provides a temporary home for children going through a family crisis. It facilitates a positive and safe environment for children from newborns to 17 years old. Project organizers are collecting items the home needs most at this time of year.

Items will be collected until Friday, Nov. 21, in the high-rise dorms, Colden Hall and the Maryville Dance Academy. They will be delivered to the Noyes Home Thursday, Dec. 4.

Preferred items include coats, hoodies, scarves, gloves, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner.

Soles for Soldiers

Students are collecting items to put in care packages to send overseas to soldiers. The collection will take place until Friday, Nov. 7. Boxes and posters are located in Hudson-Perrin Hall, Millikan Hall, Dieterich Hall, Roberta Hall, Franken Hall, the Student Union, Administration Building, The Station and the First Christian Church on East Third Street.

Preferred donations include socks, foot powder, “mole skin” blister protection, lip balm, sun screen, baby wipes, athlete’s foot ointment, lotion, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Crafts with the Nodaway County Association of Group Homes

Students will work with individuals with special needs at the Nodaway County Association of Group Homes and provide the group home with a creative experience by doing crafts with the residents.

The group’s final goal is making the experience a positive atmosphere for all individuals and to give residents of the group home a holiday season they will remember.

Partnering with International Students

Students will connect and build better relationships with international students on campus. As part of their project, the group meets with international friends every other week to carry out planned activities and get to know each other better.

As a result, the group wants to better understand different cultures and learn how the students are adjusting to American culture.

“Gourmet” Cookbook for a College Budget

The goal of the cookbook is to show how residence hall cooking can be inexpensive and healthy. Some of the recipes in the cookbook are themed around specific ingredients or utensils.

For example, the group will make ramen noodle sandwiches as one of their recipes. Once the cookbook is completed, the group plans to sell copies as a fundraiser for Northwest’s Emergency Disaster Management Club.

Northwest Breast Cancer Awareness Day

A Northwest Breast Cancer Awareness Day was created to encourage the Northwest community to wear pink in order to unite the various breast cancer awareness efforts on campus. Northwest students and employees were encouraged to wear pink on Friday, Oct. 24.

Aramark Employee Appreciation

Aramark Employee Appreciation was created by students to ensure that Campus Dining employees are recognized for the hard work they put into providing services on campus.

The group is giving students the opportunity to show their appreciation by offering custom cards for Campus Dining divisions. The group also will deliver baked goods to Campus Dining for employees to enjoy. The activities are taking place through Friday, Nov. 7.

Sexpardy

Sexpardy aims to inform students of safe sex practices and assist students with being more comfortable with talking about sex and testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

The group will host a jeopardy-style event at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 in the Student Union Boardroom. The game will focus on sex education and include five categories: sexually transmitted diseases, consent, protection, influences and transmissions. The winners of the game will receive prizes and candy.

Sex education pamphlets and contraceptives will be provided by Wellness Services.

Today A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 65. South southwest wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight A chance of showers before 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. South wind 9 to 15 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 37. South southwest wind 3 to 5 mph.
Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 65. South southwest wind 5 to 13 mph.
Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Thursday Sunny, with a high near 52.
Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 30.
Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.
Friday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Saturday Partly sunny, with a high near 50.
Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 29.
Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.

The Second Harvest Community Food Bank is preparing to distribute more than 1,500 Thanksgiving meals boxes in Buchanan and Andrew Counties and another 300 turkeys to partner agencies in Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas.

Second Harvest will hold its annual Thanksgiving meal distribution Monday, Nov. 24 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at its location in St. Joseph at 915 Douglas Street.

Each St. Joseph member with a valid yellow card and a voucher for the Thanksgiving meal will receive a 10- to 12-pound turkey, as well as a box of food to complete the Thanksgiving meal. In order to give members time to update or renew their yellow cards, Second Harvest is notifying them with the details of the distribution throughout the months of October and November. Vouchers for the Thanksgiving meal are available at Fresh Start beginning November 3, 2014.

“Our Thanksgiving meal distribution provides a great opportunity for individuals, businesses and other groups to contribute to the fight against hunger by giving food, monetary donations or by volunteering to help,” says Chad Higdon, Second Harvest Community Food Bank executive director. “We appreciate Grace Evangelical Church, Apple Market and Heartland/Mosaic Life Care their support. It’s an event the whole community can look forward to as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.”

 

The Food Bank is asking for community support this holiday season in several different ways.:

 

Donate specific food items for the meal boxes. Donations of green beans, Jello, yams, stuffing, cranberries, chicken broth, pumpkin pie mix and cream of mushroom soup are needed. All donations should be non-perishable.

 

Volunteers are needed for a food drive on Saturday, November 8 from noon to 4 p.m. at the local Apple Market stores.

 

Help sponsor a box for $10. In addition to donations of boxed and canned goods, Second Harvest is also encouraging community residents to assist in the Thanksgiving Meal distribution effort by providing financial donations. Just $10 will sponsor a Thanksgiving box for a food insecure family in the St. Joseph area.

 

Gather to help distribute packed meal boxes. On November 24^th, volunteers are needed for distributing boxes. In order to create an orderly and streamlined process, Second Harvest sets up a drive-up assembly line so that members can receive their boxes in an efficient process.

 

For more information about Thanksgiving Meal Distribution Day, please visit Second Harvest at http://www.ourcommunityfoodbank.org or by calling 816-364-FOOD (3663).

Bishop LeBlond is now District Champs in Cross Country for the first time since 1987.

The Allied Arts Council has launched a survey on the Trails West!® festival.

The survey is directed to all patrons of the St. Joseph community, and surrounding areas. It is aimed to assist the Council on a clearer picture of what the festival looks like to the community.

The council said because Trails West!® is a community festival it wants the community to be part of the planning process.

Survey entries must be submitted by Nov. 14, 2014.

To take the survey Click Here.

Some of the greater mishaps on Halloween are not the spooky creatures out but rather, what they’re wearing.

The American Red Cross has issued tips for trick-or-treating asking parents to pay close attention to their child’s costume.

1. Use only flame-resistant costumes.

2. Plan the Trick-or-Treat route – make sure adults know where children are going. A parent or responsible adult should accompany young children as they make their way around the neighborhood.

3. Make sure the Trick-or-Treaters have a flashlight. Add reflective tape to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags. Have everyone wear light-colored clothing to be seen.

4. Visit only the homes that have a porch light on. Accept treats at the door – never go inside.

5. Instead of masks which can cover the eyes and make it hard to see, use face paint instead.

6. Walk only on the sidewalks, not in the street. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic. Look both ways before crossing the street, and cross only at the corner. Don’t cut across yards or use alleys. Don’t cross between parked cars.

7. Be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.

8. If you are welcoming Trick-or-Treaters, sweep leaves from your sidewalks and steps.

9. Clear your porch or front yard of obstacles someone could trip over.

10. Restrain your pets.

St. Joseph Police Department Sgt. Greg Gilpin said it’s best to stick to known routes when taking your kids out.

“Know where you want to go, hit the homes that a well lit up,” said Sgt Gilpin.

He said drivers need to be extra cautious.

“Slow down, avoid some of the streets that may be full of trick-or-treaters and stay very vigilant for these kids,” said Sgt. Gilpin. “It’s just a couple of hours, it’s a fun night and we want to keep it safe.”

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jake Angle said extra troopers will be monitoring roadways this evening.  He reminds parents to make sure their kids are buckles up and using the proper restraints.

“When you get to your location you need to have high visibility clothing on so we can see the kids and the parents,” said Sgt. Angle

He suggest parents inspect candy before letting their children have it.

“I would strongly encourage parents to carefully inspect children’s candy at the end of the night,” said Angle. “It’s ultimately their safety we’re concerned for.  Go through that candy inspect it thoroughly if there’s any question obviously throw it out.”