(UPDATE 2 p.m. ) – 77-year-old Darlene McDonald has been identified as the woman whose remains was found in a fire Thursday morning in St. Joseph.

The St. Joseph Fire Department was called out to a home at 3304 E. Devonshire Dr. just before 7 a.m.

Mike Neylon with the St. Joseph Fire Department said crews have found McDonald’s remains inside of the home.  He said an autopsy to determine the cause of death will be performed.  McDonald was living with her daughter and grandson.

A cause of the fire is still undetermined.

“We have not found an ignition source at this time so we don’t know why the fire happened,” Neylon said. “One of the ladies that lived there had left a few minutes before and when she came back it was completely engulfed.”

He said the resident had left for about 30 minutes.

“Not sure where the fire started.  It came in as the back of the house was on fire and it quickly went straight up into the structure,” Neylon said. “These new homes once they get a good hold going on fires they burn rapidly.”

Neylon said CSI was called in as standard procedure to investigate the fatality.

 

 

A man police said is tied to numerous purse snatching incidents in St. Joseph has been charged.

Jordan L. Pinzino, 21 of St. Joseph has been charged in one case with a felony for theft/stealing. Capt. Jeff Wilson said Pinzino was arrested in connection with numerous purse snatching incidents which have taken place at both North and South Belt Walmarts as well as other businesses around the North Shoppes.

Capt. Wilson said the vehicle used during the incidents has also been located.

“He is also the suspect in numerous other stealing related offenses that have recently occurred,” Wilson said. “Some property reference these cases has been recovered and the owners of the recovered property have been notified.”

According to court documents, on Feb. 2 around 4 p.m. witnesses saw Pinzino at S. Belt Walmart driving a Gray Mazda car.

“The witness advised Jordan reached out the driver side window when driving by an elderly female who was unloading her shopping cart and and stole her purse which was still in the shopping cart before speeding away from the area,” said Det. Jeremy Peters with the SJPD. “Pinzino is the suspect in approximately six purse snatching incidents where elderly women who are by themselves are being targeted.”

Wilson said the investigation is still ongoing and anyone with additional information is requested to contact the Detective Division at the Saint Joseph Police Department at (816) 271-4777.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 1.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday afternoon to mark the renaming of Saint Francis Xavier’s early childhood center.

The center has been renamed the Saint Francis Xavier Fox-Liles Early Childhood Center.   St. Francis principal Darren Pollard said the renaming is in honor of two former teachers.

“Our early childhood center is being renamed after Margret Fox and Mary Liles.  They were both early childhood and Kindergarten educators for many years here at St. Francis.  Margret Fox started our program 40 years ago this year and brought in 3 and 4-year-olds and Mrs. Liles taught here for about 20-years.  Both of them passed away in recent years and it was a great idea that many of our parents had to rename the center in honor of their great work,” Pollard said.

The ECC is also expanding its hours this year to 7:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The St. Francis Parish and School are also celebrating 125 years of existence in St. Joseph this year.

 

The St. Joseph YWCA is holding a baby derby to help raise funds for several agency programs.

“We are going to race babies to raise money for the JUMP program, Diaper Depot and Discovery Childcare,” said Jamie Noble, Baby Derby creator/organizer with the YWCA. “The babies will be divided into categories based on age and ability and so there will be one winner from each race and they’ll win prizes.”

The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 20th at the YWCA located at 304 N. 8th St from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Babies age 6 months to children age 3 will be able to participate. The cost is $15 to enter a baby in the race.  Noble said there will also be vendors, free food, face painting and balloons for anyone to attends.

“Most of our events aren’t geared around young families and so I really wanted to get the YW’s name out there and what we do for the families and so I just though ‘Hey let’s race babies!’ I’ve heard of it before so it’s not an original idea but I don’t know that it’s ever been done here,” Noble said.

The babies will take the starting line in the YWCA gym.  Noble said she hopes to get at least 70 babies signed-up.  Sign-ups can be made by CLICKING HERE or the day of the event at the door. She said there will be one winner from each bout, with the grand prize being a portrait package from Bellflower Photography.

A vehicle has been stopped after allegedly fleeing from deputies in Buchanan County Thursday morning.

Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department said around 8:30 am a deputy with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department attempted to stop a motor vehicle after witnessing careless and imprudent driving in which three separate vehicles were nearly struck.

Upon initiation of the stop the vehicle, in an attempt to elude the officer the driver of the stolen truck, nearly hit several more vehicles and then was involved in a one vehicle accident near the area of I-229 and A highway. After crashing the driver continued his efforts to elude the officer leaving the crash scene in the damaged truck. Deputies continued to try and stop the vehicle for the safety of the public. The driver was taken into custody at 8:40 am after striking a Sheriff’s Department vehicle with the stolen truck he was driving. No injuries were sustained to the driver or to deputies.

A passenger who exited the stolen truck just after the crash was located and arrested by St. Joseph Police detectives and patrol personnel.

The department said the case remains under investigation.

Mosaic Life Care is continuing to monitor the Zika virus as reports of travel-related cases increase into 12 states and the District of Columbia.

Alabama health officials said Wednesday that they’ve confirmed the first travel-related case of the Zika virus. Other states reporting travel-associated cases according to the CDC include Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia and the D.C.  Puerto Rico

Dr. Scott Folk, Dir. of Adult Infectious Diseases with Mosaic Life Care said it is possible we could also see a travel-related case in St. Joseph at some point.

“With the way that people travel these days, they like to go here there any everywhere I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point we do see a traveler with Zika but none so far,” Dr. Folk said.

He said currently the virus has only been seen to spread through a certain type of mosquito.

“It’s transmitted largely by the same mosquito that transmits yellow fever,” Dr. Folk said. “These yellow fever mosquitoes are found in Central and South American and the Caribbean and also in the southeastern U.S., Florida and some of the adjoining states.”

Dr. Folk said one of the concerns is whither the Zika virus will adapt to Asian Tiger Mosquitoes because they are found in a much wider area of the U.S. more so then the Yellow Fever Mosquitoes. He said the Asian Tiger Mosquitoes are found in 32 states including Missouri.

“That’s some of the concern but some of that concern has to be tempered by the knowledge that the infrastructure that we have in the U.S. to control mosquitoes is a lot more robust then what it is in some of the countries in the Caribbean,” Dr. Folk said. “Simple use of air conditioners instead of having the windows and doors open the windows and doors are closed in the U.S. and the air conditioner is on so that will help.  Then trying to go around and eradicate any areas of standing water that will help reduce the risk of transmission because mosquitoes like to breed in those kinds of areas.”

The Zika virus is suspected of causing a defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads.

He compares the virus to Dengue and Chikungunya in the aspect that while those diseases are found spread by mosquitoes in the Caribbean they have not been a significant problem in the U.S.

“Hopefully the same scenario will play out with Zika if indeed the virus does adapt to these additional mosquitoes, these Asian Tiger mosquitoes,” Dr. Folk said. “Hopefully with the infrastructure that we have in the U.S. as far as mosquito control it won’t be a significant problem just like Dengue and Chikungunya. Although, there is ongoing transmission in the Caribbean it hasn’t been a significant problem here in the U.S. Hopefully that’s the way it will play out here.”

Right now Dr. Folk said the best thing to do to avoid the Zika virus is to to avoid traveling to countries with reported active transmission of the virus.  Pregnant women are especially urged to avoid travel.

“As far as risks to people here in the St. Joseph area right now at least that’s largely a function of travel to the areas where Zika is found and the best way to stay up on that is through monitoring CDC’s website,” Dr. Folk said. “Pregnant women are currently being advised to deffer travel to areas where Zika virus has been reported.”

(AP and Post Staff contributed to this article)