A rainy day field trip sparks the opening of a new library in Community Action Partnership’s Head Start Center located at 812 Sacramento, in St. Joseph.

Head Start and Early Head Start programs serve around 375 children from birth to age five in Andrew, Buchanan, Clinton, and DeKalb counties. Almost 300 of those children are served in St. Joseph.

Head Start Director, Whitney Lanning said it all started last year on  a day when children at the South 9th St. Head Start location were stuck inside because of a storm.

“They went on a field trip throughout the center,” said Lanning. “During their adventure they found a box of books which sparked conversation between them and their teachers about what you do with books, how you use them, and where they belong.”

The children learned that books belonged in a library, so the teachers made a makeshift library in a small space in the hallway of the center.

“The space included a bench, a bookshelf of used books and a small rug,” Lanning said.

But the students and teachers quickly grew out of the small space as classes began to meet and read as a group and children would stop to have their parents read to them.

“We soon realized they needed a larger space,” said Lanning. “We asked the children to start the planning process which lead to them drawing pictures and writing stories of what they wanted the library to look like.”

The agency then began to work clearing out an unused room to renovate for the construction of a library.

The Library officially opened last week at the Head Start on South 9th street.

“We are excited to have been able to give our children a space that they designed and that they and their families can enjoy,” said Lanning. “We hope that it will be a space that promotes our mission of early learning, school readiness and support our children and their families or years to come.”

Dr. David McIntire, director of music technology in the Department of Music at Missouri Western State University, will present a lecture titled “John Cage After 100: Legacy and Influence” followed by a recital featuring Dr. McIntire’s own composition “One Gate, 100 Paths, One Arrival” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11 in the Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall. The presentation is free and open to the public.

John Cage was one of the most influential American composers of the 20th century who sought to broaden the definition of music. During his 20-minute lecture, Dr. McIntire will address Cage’s influence on the music world and offer some little-known but revealing anecdotes about the man, told to Dr. McIntire by eyewitnesses. The lecture will include score images and some brief examples of Cage’s music.

“One Gate, 100 Paths, One Arrival” is a piece for electronic sounds presented in a 5.1 surround mix. This piece took longer than four months to realize. Nearly all sounds are made from two hand-built synthesizers and presented in a different mix each time.

In addition to leading music technology studies at Missouri Western, David McIntire leads the Ensemble of Irreproducible Outcomes (EIO) an improvisational trio based in Kansas City. He also runs Irritable Hedgehog Music, a small label devoted to minimal and electroacoustic music. Several of their releases have been widely praised for their sound quality, historical importance and musical content.

Dr. McIntire holds music degrees from Nazareth College of Rochester, Ithaca College, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he was a Preparing Future Faculty Fellow. He is also completing a master’s degree in musicology at UMKC.

HARD FREEZE EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING…

.VERY COLD AIR WILL FILTER INTO THE REGION ON FRIDAY…AND WILL
COMBINE WITH LIGHT WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES TO ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO
FALL BELOW FREEZING BY 10 PM FRIDAY NIGHT…AND DROP INTO THE 20S
THROUGHOUT THE AREA BY SUNRISE ON SATURDAY. THESE TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED TO EFFECTIVELY END THE GROWING SEASON FOR THE REGION.

An accident in Midtown St. Joseph Thursday afternoon sends two women to the hospital.

St. Joseph Police Department Traffic Officer Brad Kearnes said the driver of the Chevy Malibu sped through the intersection of 25th and Messanie and hit a Dodge Dakota Truck as the driver of the Malibu tried to turn right onto Messanie St.  The accident took place around 2 p.m.

Kearnes said the man driving the Malibu ran from the scene of the crash before officers arrived.

Two women who were in the Malibu were transported to heartland with minor injuries.

Kearnes said the 49-year-old man who was driving the truck sustained minor head injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene.

Police are currently investigating the crash.

Messanie and 25th Street have been reopened to traffic.

 

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – A resurfacing project on southbound Interstate 29 continues this week in Holt and Andrew counties, moving to the exit and entrance ramps, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. On Friday, Oct. 31, 2014, contractors plan to resurface the southbound I-29 ramps at Route K (Exit 60). These ramps are currently closed for guardrail installation and will remain closed through Friday to allow for the resurfacing.

Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014, contractors will pave the southbound I-29 ramps at U.S. Hwy 59 (Exit 65) and 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 Monday, Nov. 3, 2014, the contractors plan to pave the southbound ramps at the I-229 and I-29 interchange on the north end of St. Joseph (Exit 56) and will also pave 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.

A snowplow rodeo was held Thursday in the Heritage Park parking lot for city workers to prepare for the onset of winter weather.

“It kind of gets the guys in the mind of snow removal after a spring, summer and fall of street repairs,” said Assistance Superintendent of Streets Keven Schneider. “Now it’s time to start thinking about snowplowing.”

Around 35 city workers took part in the rodeo, driving snowplows through an obstacle course where they had to weave in-between cones, lowering the plow to knock off metal bars and avoid mailboxes. Schneider said the city has held the rodeo once a year for around 20 years.

“All season they have been driving around town without plows on, without spreaders on and that changes the whole dynamic of the truck,” said Schneider. “It kind of gets the feel back for what they’ll be expected to do this winter.”

The Missouri Department of Transportation is also preparing for winter weather. MoDOT will hold a statewide drill Nov. 5 for more than 3,500 of its employees.

“The annual drill helps to make sure we all know our roles during a storm, and we can do our jobs successfully,” said State Maintenance Engineer Beth Wright.

During the drill, MoDOT employees will react to a simulated forecast of significant snow for the entire state. The department’s emergency operations centers will activate and maintenance employees will be deployed to their trucks.

“One of the most valuable parts of the drill is to measure our snowplow circuits by driving routes we may have modified since the previous winter season. As we open new roads and lanes we must modify our snow removal plans.” said Wright. “It also allows our newest snow fighters one last opportunity to drive a snowplow over some of their proposed routes so they are aware of obstacles and obstructions that might be hidden in a storm by snow or ice such as curbs and raised islands.”

Motorists may notice increased numbers of MoDOT vehicles on state routes during the drill. In rural areas, crews will deploy after 8 a.m. In urban areas, the drill will not begin until after 9 a.m. Wright estimates that the exercise will take about six hours.

A dedication ceremony will be held to name the REC Center gymnasium in honor of former Chief of Police and St. Joseph Deputy Mayor Mike Hirter.

According to the City of St. Joseph Mike Hirter is a name that is well-known in the city, both for his career in law enforcement and his community service to the citizens of St. Joseph. In a news release the city said Mike committed his life to protecting the lives of our citizens as a member of the St. Joseph Police Department, mentoring many of our youth through the boy scouts and New Generation singers, and serving the residents of St. Joseph as a member of the City Council.

Mike served the city of St. Joseph for more than thirty years in the police department, proudly and respectfully as Chief of Police for the last six years of his career. On April 4, 2006, Mike was elected to an at-large position on the City Council. Receiving the highest number of votes in the election, Councilmember Hirter was voted as Deputy Mayor by the City Council, an honor that he reverently held until his passing on July 18, 2009.

His true passion was his service to others, and he touched the lives and hearts of many with his kindness and his smile. In appreciation for his service to St. Joseph, a dedication will be held at the REC Center, naming the west gymnasium in Mike’s honor. The dedication will be held on Tuesday, November 4, at 4:30pm, at the REC Center, 2701 Southwest Parkway. The public is invited to attend.

The St. Joseph Police Department responded to the 6000 block of Gordon Street Wednesday night to a kidnapping at gunpoint call.

Captain Jeff Wilson said a 21-year-old White male was kidnapped near Hosea Elementary School just before 6 p.m. Wednesday. He said there was a report of a gun being used in the incident.

St. Joseph Police arrested three individuals in connection with the kidnapping. Two white males and one white female were arrested.

Wilson said the victim is not cooperating well with investigators and prosecutors.

He said the individuals taken into custody in connection with the case are being held pending drug charges.

An investigation is ongoing.

A lot of questions will be answered next Tuesday. Will Republicans take control of the US Senate? If so, by what margin? Will they win more seats in the US House of Representatives? Here in Missouri, will Democrats break the Republican super-majority in the state house? 680 KFEQ’s Barry Birr files this report:

A former correctional officer with the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department pleaded guilty in federal court today to violating the civil rights of an arrestee by assaulting him.

33-year-old Eric M. Bottorff of St. Joseph, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to a federal information that charges him with deprivation of rights under color of law.

“This unprovoked assault was a clear violation of this victim’s Constitutional rights,” said Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. “The use of excessive force by law enforcement officers is a serious offense that strikes at the heart of Constitutional protections for all citizens.”

According to court documents, Bottorff was working as a correctional officer in the Clay County Detention Facility in Liberty, Mo., on Dec. 22, 2008. Bottorff, while in his official capacity, came into contact with the victim, identified in court documents as J.C., who was brought into the facility as an arrestee on outstanding warrants from a local municipality.

Bottorff admitted today that he physically struck J.C., resulting in serious bodily injury and thereby depriving J.C. of his constitutional right to due process of the law.

Bottorff was acquitted by a trial jury in November 2012 of a state charge of felony assault.

“This federal prosecution transcends the issue of a mere assault to address the significant Constitutional issues that are raised,” said Dickinson. “There remains a substantial federal interest in preventing law enforcement officers from using excessive force and in protecting the rights of all citizens to due process of the law under the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government agrees to request a probationary sentence. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark and Trial Attorney Sheldon L. Beer of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. It was investigated by the FBI.