SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE IN
NORTHWESTERN MISSOURI AND NORTHEASTERN KANSAS THROUGH TONIGHT. WHILE
SEVERE WEATHER CHANCES ARE LOW…SOME STRONGER STORMS CANNOT BE
RULED OUT. PRIMARY HAZARDS FROM ANY STRONGER STORM THAT DOES DEVELOP
INCLUDES HAIL…GUSTY WINDS…MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL…AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING.
Today
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. South southeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind around 7 mph.
Thursday
Partly sunny, with a high near 79. South southeast wind around 8 mph.
Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. East southeast wind around 6 mph.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. East southeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 80.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 57.
Northwest Missouri State University Police are investigating after two students reported being sexually assaulted over the weekend.
According to an alert sent out by the university two students said they were sexually assaulted Saturday, Sept. 19 at 530 W. Ninth St. The school said neither victim provided a description of the two unknown males.
In addition, University Police said two female students reported drugs being placed in their drinks at 622 N. Walnut.
The Title IX office is investigating the cases.
The school said the information is being provided to the community in an effort to keep individuals informed of crimes on or near campus.
University Police are encouraging all victims of crime to report the incident so they may receive assistance, counseling, and help with the incident in addition to apprehending the suspect(s) and providing accurate crime statistics to the community.
MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Foundation, the fundraising arm of Northwest Missouri State University, secured $5.7 million in donor funding during the 2015 fiscal year, exceeding its goal for the year by more than $1.5 million.
The university said scholarship support remains a central mission of the Foundation, which awarded a record $741,000 in scholarships to 1,159 students during FY15. That is an increase of 110 scholarship awards and nearly $100,000 more than the previous record.
In addition to scholarship support, recent upgrades and amenities throughout campus – including the video board at Bearcat Stadium and new furnishings in the B.D. Owens Library and academic classrooms – were fully funded through donor gifts.
“We’re elated by the support shown to Northwest, its scholarships and programs during the last fiscal year,” Vice President of University Advancement Mike Johnson said. “The continued success of our giving programs is due to the tremendous support of thousands of alumni and friends as well as Northwest’s dedicated faculty and staff.”
The City of St. Joseph is encouraging vaccination against this year’s flu strain which could include worse illness and a higher mortality rate.
The Health Department will hold its annual flu clinic Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Green Valley Baptist Church located at 3110 Cook Road. The clinic will run from 9 a.m. to noon or while supplies last.
This year’s flu vaccine is a closer match for the H3N2 strain according to the city.
“The H3N2 strain associated with worse illness and higher mortality from the 2014-2015 flu season,” the department said in a news release. “According to the latest surveillance data, the same H3N2 strain continues to circulate. Manufactures have prepared 171 million doses of influenza vaccine, of which 40 million have already been distributed.”
Everyone over the age of 6 months is being encouraged to get the vaccine.
The city’s free clinic on Oct. 7 is open to Buchanan County residents age 18 and older and who are not pregnant.
SJSD Press Release on Insurance Payments for Colgan
The St. Joseph School District announced Monday that the Board of Education has voted to stop current and future payments for health care coverage for former Superintendent Dr. Dan Colgan, effective immediately.
The decision was made during an Executive Session Monday, Sept. 14.
The district said under Colgan’s superintendent contract for the 2004-05 school year, item #4 states: “The Board agrees to purchase the Superintendent a $25,000 taxable annuity for each year of this contract that is executed. In addition, medical insurance for life will be provided when the contract is completed. This medical insurance will be secondary after Medicare coverage becomes available. After completion of this contract, the Superintendent will provide consulting services to the new superintendent for six months at no charge to the District.”
Board member Lori Prussman made the motion to discontinue payments; Chris Danford seconded and was passed unanimously.
“When Dr. Colgan retired, it was permitted for the board to give him access to the district’s health plan because that was required under Missouri law. However, Dr. Colgan, like any other retired employee with access to the district health plan, should have been required to pay premiums for the coverage and not been reimbursed for it by the district,” said W. Joseph Hatley, Partner with Spencer Fane and attorney for the SJSD Board of Education.
“The Board of Education has taken the legal recommendation that they have the right to stop payments,” said Dr. Robert Newhart, Superintendent. “Based upon the information we now have, it is the right and ethical decision for the board to make. This reflects the changes in culture we are undergoing; it’s another step in the right direction.”
The district said the board has asked legal counsel whether or not previous payments can be recouped from Dr. Colgan.
A Trenton man is facing numerous charges after allegedly leading an officer on a high-speed chase in Daviess County, threatening to kill the officer and jumping into a river in an escape attempt.
24-year-old Zachariah O’Neal is charged in Daviess County with three felonies for assault or attempted assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, and resisting or interfering with a arrest. He is also charged with seven misdemeanors for operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license, two for exceeding the posted speed limited by 20-25 mph, operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner involving an accident, possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana, unlawful use of drug paraphernalia and resisting or interfering with arrest.
According to court documents on Saturday just before 2:30 p.m. Officer Larry Watson with the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office said he saw a silver 2006 Ford Crown Victoria traveling west on Missouri 6 at 304th street 10 miles over the posted speed limit of 60MPH.
“I turned my patrol vehicle around and proceeded after the vehicle,” Watson said. “As we traveled west on Missouri 6, I observed I was not gaining on the vehicle as I was traveling 120 MPH. I caught up to the vehicle near Missouri 6 at Missouri Route K and observed we were traveling 130 MPH when limited to 60 MPH.”
Watson said he turned his lights and siren on and initiated a pursuit.
“I followed the vehicle west on Missouri 6 to Missouri 13 North, when I observed the vehicle abruptly attempt to turn north onto Missouri 13,” Watson said. “The vehicle lost control and spun around within the intersection. The vehicle accelerated and began coming at me head-on. I was able to successfully drive defensively and avoided a head on collision.”
Watson said the chase went through the Village of Jameson at a high-rate of speed and continued until the vehicle became disabled on Kodiak Avenue at the Grand River Bridge.
“Upon the vehicle stopping, I approached the vehicle with my duty weapon drawn,” Watson said. “I gave the driver several commands, but he refused to comply.”
Watson said O’Neal threatened him.
“The driver, who was the only occupant within the vehicle, threatened to kill me once he got his gun,” Watson said. “The driver began reaching around within the vehicle. I continued to yell at the driver to keep his hands in view, to open the doors and exit the vehicle. All the time the driver continued to yell back for me to shoot him.”
During that time Watson said the driver was also attempting to smoke what appeared to be a blunt, a cigar mixed with tobacco and marijuana.
“I was able to break a hole into the driver’s side door glass, where I deployed my Taser into the driver,” Watson said.
But Watson said O’Neal took off out of the passenger side and ran into the timber.
“I proceeded after the driver and gave chase on foot,” Watson said. “I pursued the driver to the Grand River, at which time I observed him jumping into the river.”
Watson said he called for additional assistance from law enforcement to search for O’Neal.
“11:02 hours, the driver was apprehended after the assistance of a Missouri State Highway Patrol personnel, Helicopter and river boat,” Watson said.
O’Neal is currently being held on $100,000 cash only bond.
Gas prices are dropping in Missouri but prices are a little slower to fall in St. Joseph.
According to AAA the National Average for a gallon or regular unleaded was $2.30. That’s a drop of .6 from a week ago and $1.00 from the same time last year. Missouri’s average was at $2.09, down .4 from a week ago and $1.06 in a year time span. However, St. Joseph’s average was higher than the state’s Friday at $2.19. While St. Joseph showed a drop of .10 in a week the trend looked to lag slightly behind the state’s drop. In fact, the cheapest metro in the state to buy gas on average Friday was Springfield with an average of $2.01.
Gas prices are looking to fall under the $2 mark. As of Sept. 14 three southern states had already posted averages below $2. Those included South Carolina, Mississippi and Alabama. It’s the first time that three states had averages below $2 since February.
AAA said gas prices remain much cheaper than last year due to the relatively low price of crude oil with drivers saving an average of $1.06 per gallon compared to a year ago.
Barring any unexpected disruptions in supply or spikes in the price of crude oil, AAA said the national average is expected to keep moving lower as we head into the fall. Pump prices typically decline during this time of year due to lower driving demand after the busy summer driving season and the changeover to cheaper to produce winter-blend gasoline, which took place in many parts of the country on September 16.
A change a venue has been granted for a Gallatin man charged with more than 30 felony counts for allegedly possessing hundreds of photos and videos of child porn and showing a Juvenile images of nude minors.
During an arraignment held Wednesday in Daviess County 32-year-old Cameron Curtis Wilson learned a change of venue motion submitted by his attorney was upheld and that his case will be transferred to Livingston County.
Wilson was charged in Daviess County with a misdemeanor for Furnish Pornographic Material Or Attempt To Furnish To A Minor, a Felony for first degree Promote Child Pornography To A Minor and 30 felonies for Possession Of Child Pornography.
The case will be continued to Oct. 13 for a plea/trial setting.
According to court documents, in March Wilson invited a 12-year-old Juvenile into his apartment to look at a knife collection.
“While in the apartment, Wilson showed the Juvenile numerous adult pornographic magazines. Wilson then showed Juvenile images of nude minors, ranging from the age range of 6 to 12 years of age, via his cellular telephone,” said David Vaughn, a law enforcement officer with the Gallatin Missouri Police Department in court documents.
The documents also state that after searching Wilson’s residence in Gallatin officers reportedly found numerous media storage devices containing hundreds of images identified as minors from age 12 to five engaged in sexual acts and more than one hundreds videos of minors ranging in the age of infants to age 12 engaged in sexually explicit acts were.
1966 Ford Mustang in crash on King Hill Ave. Photo by Nadia Thacker
A St. Joseph man was injured in a late morning crash Wednesday in the South End.
A 58-year-old was injured after crashing a 1966 Ford Mustang on King Hill Ave. near Lake around 10:30 a.m.
“He just pulled out of Bill’s Auto Repair here, hit the accelerator rather hard, lost control of his vehicle, when it crossed the road, hit the embankment, hit the utility pole and rolled his vehicle,” said Scott Gary, Traffic Officer with the St. Joseph Police Department.
He said the man was taken by Ambulance to Mosaic Life Care for treatment but appeared to be doing okay.
“He’s got some lacerations to his arm,” Gary said. “But all things considered he’s in decent shape.”
Police directed traffic at King Hill and Lake for a short period of time while crews worked the accident.
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE IN
