The last day to request an absentee ballot be mailed for the Nov. 8 General Election is Wednesday in Buchanan County.

“It usually takes about a day or two to get the request and then once we get the request we’ve got to mail the ballot,” said Mary Baack-Garvey, Buchanan County Clerk. “I would highly recommend folks that do need to have their ballots mailed that they fax or email us their request that way we get the ballot out as soon as we see their request come through.”

Baack-Garvey said while the last day to mail a ballot is Wednesday, absentee voting will continue until the close of business on Monday, Nov. 7.

“If you are going to be out of town or away from your jurisdiction on election day you can vote absentee,” Baack-Garvey said. “We have basically your three main excuses to vote absentee; the main one is if you’re going to be out of town or our military folks who are deployed overseas or another state and lastly ours that are on the permanent list are those who have trouble getting out. Maybe they can’t drive anymore, or maybe a physical confinement keeps them in their home.”

So far, Baack-Garvey said around 2,200 ballots have been cast absentee.

“Don’t think that absentee voting is completely done.  That only means that we can’t mail anymore out,” Baack-Garvey said.  “They can still come in and vote absentee.”

The Buchanan County Clerk’s Office will hold special hours for absentee voting ahead of the election.  Saturday, Nov. 5 the office will be open from 8 a.m. to noon.  The last day to vote absentee is Monday, Nov. 7 until the office closes at 5 p.m.  Absentee ballots can still be turned in by a relative or the actual voter until 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters will be able to cast a regular ballot Tuesday, Nov. 8 at the polls which are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.  For more information CLICK HERE.

A rollover crash in downtown St. Joseph sent two people to the hospital Friday afternoon.

Officer Lucas Winder with the St. Joseph Police Department said the crash took place around 2:30 p.m. in which a pedestrian was hit by the vehicle.  The St. Joseph Fire Department was called for extrication. Winder said both the pedestrian and the driver were transported by ambulance with unknown injuries.

Jordan Fueston said he met the driver of the car a short time earlier at the post office.

“He was trying to get to his home in Olathe.  He couldn’t read any maps or directions and so I was just going to guide him down there.  He was following me,” Fueston said. “We were getting ready to get on 229 and he was behind me.  I didn’t see what happened I heard the sound and looked in the back and I saw the car flip up.”

Chris Martin said he was working downtown and witnessed the whole incident. Martin said the driver of the blue car was heading north on 4th Street and cut the corner too hard hitting the curb then veered off to the right, hit the wall and flipped over. He said when he and a fellow coworker went to go help the driver they found another man laying in front of the car.

Winder said the crash is still under investigation.

 

 

A Doniphan County man was killed in a farming accident Thursday.

Deputy Raymond Hall with the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Office said authorities responded to a tractor rollover near the area of Monument Road and 130th Rd about 7 miles south of Wathena.  Hall said they arrived shortly before 10 p.m. after receiving a call from family members of the deceased.

Hall said Morris Miller, 80 left around 3 p.m. to go mow his pasture. Sometime between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. the tractor rolled over and pinned Miller underneath. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man was arrested after a high-speed chase in northwest Missouri that crossed three county lines.

Sheriff Steve Cox with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office said early Thursday afternoon the office was notified of a vehicle pursuit that began in Linn County when a Linn County Deputy tried to stop a driver who fled the deputy driving at high speeds and erratic.

Deputies assisted the Linn County Deputy as the chase entered Livingston County. Sheriff Cox said Chillicothe Police tried to use spike strips on the suspect vehicle near Chillicothe’s eastern City limits but the suspect avoided the spikes. However, an officer from another department did not.

Livingston County then took over the pursuit which continued west past Chillicothe on U.S. 36.

“Chief Deputy Claypole noted the suspect appeared alone in the vehicle but kept reaching way over in the passenger area as if attempting to retrieve a firearm or tossing items he did not want to be caught with,” Cox said. “There was also concern the vehicle was possibly stolen at the time of the attempted stop.”

He said suspect was unable to completely avoid the Missouri State Highway Patrol spike strip deployment on U.S. 36 in Caldwell County. However, he allegedly continued westbound until the tire(s) deflated. He was arrested in Caldwell County by the LCSO, MSHP, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, and a Chillicothe PD officer.

“Chief Deputy Claypole said the suspect commented he thought he had an arrest warrant in Independence and was planning to keep driving to Kansas City where pursuits are not allowed,” Cox said. “The suspect allegedly had a revoked license and several other problems in addition to a history of violence.”

The investigation continues.

(News release) Buchanan County, MO- Around 11 am this morning, Drug Strike Force Investigators received a citizens complaint about subjects wanted on felony warrants in a vehicle driving around the south end.    

 

Information provided was that the subjects were last seen south on Lower Dekalb Road from Highway JJ.

 

At approximately 1131 hours, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department received a call of a vehicle accident on Lower Dekalb Road.  Information provided was that the vehicle had rolled over and two male subjects ran from the car.

 

Drug Strike Force Investigators who had responded to the area where the vehicle was last seen arrived at approximately 1137 hours and located the vehicle and one male subject who was taken into custody for a felony warrant for possession of controlled substance.  

 

Drug Strike Force Investigators, Sheriff’s Department Road Patrol Deputies, and Conservation Agents began a search of the area for the other male subject.  That male subject was located approximately one mile away hiding in a ditch in a field.  He was also found to have a felony probation/parole warrant.

 

Joseph M. Huff (Driver)

Rocky L. Jackson 

 

Information obtained from the scene led investigators to the area of Kovac’s shopping center looking for a female who had previously been in the vehicle and was known to have a felony warrant.

 

Investigators checked three subjects in this area, one female was arrested on a city warrant and one male subject was arrested for a city warrant.

 

Levi Coon city warrant

Kirstan Canterbury city warrant 

 

Investigators responded to 5306 Pryor Avenue to search for the female subject and others wanted on outstanding warrants.  Once at the address four subjects were detained and a search of the residence was conducted where a fifth male subject was detained.  Two males were arrested on outstanding felony warrants and one female was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant.

 

Lindsay M. Brown was arrested for a felony possession of controlled substance warrant

Gerald Williams was arrested on a felony non support warrant

Harry R. Watson was arrested for a felony non support warrant.

(News Release) ATCHISON, Kan., October 27, 2016 — As previously reported, a chemical release occurred at MGP Ingredients’ (Nasdaq: MGPI) plant in Atchison, Kan., at approximately 8 a.m. CT last Friday, Oct. 21. The reaction resulted in emissions venting into the air. As of 11 a.m. that morning, based on observations by local officials, the emissions had dispersed.

“As is always the case, the health and safety of our employees and the communities in which we operate are our top priority,” MGP said.

MGP’s management issued the following updates Thursday:

•  During a routine chemical delivery by an MGP supplier to a secured portion of MGP’s property, two commonly used chemicals, sulfuric acid and sodium hypochlorite (bleach), were inadvertently mixed, causing a reaction. This reaction led to emissions of chlorine gas being released into the air.
•  Local officials reported the plume that resulted from the chemical release blew over an area north and west of the plant.
•  MGP employees took immediate action, as outlined in our safety protocols, by shutting down plant operations. Our employees also assisted first responders with evacuation procedures in the immediate vicinity of the plant.
•  Per protocol, MGP reported the chemical release to the EPA and to Kansas and local authorities. The EPA, as well as the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, conducted monitoring at the plant and in the community following the incident. Local officials issued the “all clear” for residents and local employees within three hours of the incident occurring.
• Based on information we have at this time, approximately 100 people, including three MGP employees, sought medical treatment related to respiratory concerns. We understand that all who required treatment at local hospitals have been released.
•  MGP has and will continue to closely cooperate to investigate and to fully understand the cause and ensure that all appropriate response actions were taken. An investigation by the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is underway. Results of the CSB’s investigation are expected to be released at a later date per that agency’s schedule and procedural practices. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have also investigated. At this time, we are unable to comment
  on investigations by various agencies, as investigations are ongoing.
•  Our plant operations are fully functional. However, this week our plant is undergoing previously planned, regularly-scheduled annual maintenance.
• Based on testing and analysis, we are confident our inventories of protein and starch ingredients, as well as distilled spirits, were unaffected and are safe for consumption.
•  All MGP employees undergo extensive and recurring training in line with federal, state and local regulations to ensure their well-being and the well-being of the communities in which we operate. We are cooperating with the ongoing investigations, which will inform us of any procedural modifications we may implement in response to this incident.
• Since 2011, annual food and beverage safety audits have been conducted at our Atchison facility by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Each year, the facility has received the BRC’s highest rating. Theseaudits are approved by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). The GFSI benchmarks food safety standards for third-party audits that can be conducted and recognized worldwide. In addition, the facility
  has been ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified since 2009. ISO 14001 is an Environmental Management System which provides a standard for measuring and improving an organization’s environmental impact. OHSAS 18001 is the Health and Safety Management System, which provides a system for measuring and improving an organization’s Health and Safety Standards.
• We understand residents may have questions related to the chemical release. The City of Atchison has established a hotline in conjunction with the Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry to field questions about the chemical release. Residents are advised to call 1-800-232-4636.