Hundreds of people stood in line Thursday for donated school supplies for kids whose families may not have been able to afford them.

More than 1,000 people are estimated to go through the Salvation Army’s Back to School Fair. During the fair, school supplies collected through the United Way of Greater St. Joseph’s Stuff the Bus program were distributed to help give children whose families may not be able to afford it the tools they need for the upcoming school year.

Salvation Army Major Abe Tamayo said it’s a much needed resource in the community.

“Children in need are as essential of any other person and we want to give them an even playing,” Tamayo said. “We want to help break the cycle of poverty and help a family out or a single mother, whatever the event may be to assist these children.”

Around 700 children were signed up for the fair.  Tamayo said there are hundreds more who were not signed up that will go through Thursday and Friday.

Last weekend around 300 volunteers helped to collect school supplies from the community with the Stuff the Bus campaign at both Walmart locations.  23,234 school supplies and nearly $1,800 were donated.  Then earlier this week volunteers spent time sorting and packing backpacks for the distribution.

“There are little kids who need to start school with all the supplies that they need and some people their income is already stretched as far as it can go and to add school supplies for two or three children could mean their lights didn’t get paid that month or something,” Hobson said. “It’s very important for those families whose budgets are just stretched as far as it can go.”

The school year begins Monday, Aug. 17 in the St. Joseph School District.

 

A northwest Missouri school teacher has been accused of rape and sexual conduct with a student.

31-year-old Christopher Hensley of Albany was was arrested and charged Saturday in Gentry County with four second-degree felonies of statutory rape and four felonies of sexual contact with a student.

The incidents allegedly took place in May and July.

Hensley had been the Alabany R-III High School band director.  The school said he was immediately place on leave by the district following his arrest.

“The school district was made aware of the situation, took immediate action to ensure the safety of students, and is working closely with the Sheriff’s Department,” said Superintendent Erin Olingschlaeger in a news release.  “Mr. Hensley will not return to work nor be present on school district property while the matter is being investigated.”

The district said arrangements are being made to continue the band program in his absence and plans to increase administrator supervision over the band program to ensure a smooth transition to new staff and provide support to students.  School will resume on Thursday for the new school year as planned and all back-t0-school events will be held as scheduled.

Hensley is slated for an arraignment on August 19.

He is currently being held on $50,000 bond cash or surety in the Harrison County Jail.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo.  – The following is a listing of general highway maintenance and construction work in the Northwest Missouri region for the week of Aug. 10 – 16, from the Missouri Department of Transportation. Many projects will include lane closures, and delays can be expected. MoDOT reminds the public to buckle up, slow down, and drive with extreme caution through work zones.

For more information about a project, please contact MoDOT at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT(888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/northwest/. You can also follow MoDOT’s Northwest Missouri District on Twitter @ModotNorthwest and on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.

Atchison County

• Route U – Pothole patching, Aug. 10 – 11
• Various routes – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 14
• Route E – Pothole patching, Aug. 12 – 13
• Route D – Pothole patching, Aug. 14

Buchanan County

• Route 116 – CLOSED from SE 65^th Road to Route MM; culvert replacement, Aug. 10, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• U.S. Route 169 and Route P – Drainage work, Aug. 10 – 13
• U.S. Route 59 – CLOSED at the Bankers Crossing Bridge; new bridge construction, Aug. 10 – 14
• Routes FF, H, E and 116 – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 14
• I-229 – From just after the St. Joseph Avenue on ramp to just before U.S. Route 36; bridge maintenance, Aug. 10 – 14 (10-foot width restriction)
• U.S. Route 36 – At the Platte River Bridge; bridge deck replacement, Aug. 10 – 16. Traffic is head to head in the eastbound lanes with a 14-foot width restriction.
• Route 371 – From Route H to Route A; culvert repair, Aug. 11 – 13

Caldwell County

• Route A – From U.S. Route 36 to the Ray County line; mowing, Aug. 10 – 14
• Route F – From Route 13 to Route A; shoulder work, Aug. 10 – 14
• Route 116 – From Route 33 (Clinton County) to Route D; resurfacing project, Aug. 12 – 15.  A pilot car will direct motorists through the work zone.

Carroll County

• Routes C, T and Z – Sign operations, Aug. 10 – 11
• Routes J, YY and WW – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 14
• U.S. Route 65 – At the U.S. Route 24/Route 10 Bridge; bridge maintenance,Aug. 10 – 14
• Route  139 – From Route J to County Road 120; drainage work, Aug. 13 – 14

Chariton County

• Routes B, N, P, Y, DD and 139 – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 13
• Route M – From Route 11 to Route F; pothole patching, Aug. 10 – 14
• Route O – Pothole patching, Aug. 10 – 14
• Route 129 – From U.S. Route 24 to Route P; pothole patching, Aug. 10 – 14

Clinton County

• I-35 – Striping, Aug. 10 – 13
• Routes C, K, U and 33 – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 14
• Route M – Pothole patching, Aug. 11
• Route 116 – From Route 33 to Route D (Caldwell County); resurfacing project, Aug. 12 – 15. A pilot car will direct motorists through the work zone.

Daviess County

• Route TT – Pothole patching, Aug. 10
• I-35 – Spraying, Aug. 10 – 14
• Route B – At the I-35 Bridge; bridge maintenance, Aug. 10 – 14 (16-foot width restriction)
• Route M – From Route 13 to the Caldwell County line; mowing, Aug. 10 – 14
• Routes B, C, K and UU – Pothole patching, Aug. 10 – 14

DeKalb County

• Route J – Pothole patching, Aug. 12 – 13

Gentry County

• Route FF – From Route C to Route EE; pothole patching, Aug. 10
• Route J – From Route C to Route EE; pothole patching, Aug. 11

Grundy County

• Route E – From Route 6 to Route 139; pothole patching, Aug. 10 – 14
• Routes B, C, O and Y – Shoulder work, Aug. 10 – 14

Harrison County

• Route B – CLOSED at the intersection of Route A; culvert replacement,Aug. 10, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• U.S. Route 69 – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 11
• Route 146 – Mowing, Aug. 12 – 13
• Route D – From Route M to U.S. Route 136; pothole patching, Aug. 12 – 14
• Route 46 – Mowing, Aug. 13 – 14

Holt County

• U.S. Route 59 – CLOSED at I-29; bridge deck replacement, Aug. 10 – 15. No access to I-29 northbound.
• I-29 – The northbound driving lane at the 71.1 mile marker; pavement repair,Aug. 10 – 12
• Route T – At the Mill Creek Bridge; bridge maintenance, Aug. 10 – 14
• U.S. Routes 59, 159 and Route 118 – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 14

Linn County

• Route P – Pothole patching, Aug. 10
• Route M – Pothole patching, Aug. 10 – 12
• U.S. Route 36 – From Route CC (Livingston County) to Route 139; mowing,Aug. 10 – 12
• Routes E, JJ, TT and 139 – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 13
• Route U – From U.S. Route 36 to Route 129; pothole patching, Aug. 12 – 13

Livingston County

• Route DD – Pothole patching, Aug. 10 – 11
• U.S. Route 36 – From Route CC to Route 139 (Linn County); mowing, Aug. 10 – 12
• Route KK – Pothole patching, Aug. 12
• U.S. Route 65 – From Route 190 to the Grundy County line; mowing, Aug. 13 – 14
• Route BB – Pothole patching, Aug. 13 – 14

Mercer County

• U.S. Route 65 – Striping, Aug. 10 – 13
• U.S. Route 65 – Pavement repair, Aug. 10 – 14
• Routes K and M – Drainage work, Aug. 10 – 14
• Various routes – Sign operations, Aug. 10 – 14

Nodaway County

• U.S. Route 136 – From Liberty Road to Route 46; shoulder work, Aug. 10
• Route 113 – From Route V to 295^th Street; drainage work, Aug. 10
• Various routes – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 14
• Route J – Pothole patching, Aug. 11
• Route M – CLOSED from 160^th to 150^th; culvert replacement, Aug. 11 – 12,7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
• Route P – Pothole patching, Aug. 12 – 14

Putnam County

• Routes FF and W – Pothole patching, Aug. 10 – 14
• U.S. Route 136 and Route 5 – Drainage work and spraying, Aug. 10 – 14

Sullivan County

• Route K – CLOSED from Route BB to Route ZZ; culvert replacement, Aug. 10, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Routes PP and W – Drainage work, Aug. 10 – 14
• Routes E, K, P, O, V, ZZ and 5 – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 14
• Route DD – CLOSED from Vermont Road to Vawter Road; culvert replacement, Aug. 11, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Route Y – CLOSED from Field Drive to Route RA; culvert replacement,Aug. 12, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Worth County

• Routes 46 and 246 – Mowing, Aug. 10 – 12
• Route T – Drainage work, Aug. 11
• Route F – From Route 46 to one-half mile north of Route 46; drainage work, Aug. 12

MARYVILLE, Mo. – A six-person delegation of students, faculty and staff members from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, visited Northwest Missouri State University last week with hopes of learning more about the Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and modeling some of its approaches to enhance Kenyatta’s Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (BIIC).

The delegation spent Tuesday talking with CIE Director Larry Lee and touring the facility as well as the University’s R.T. Wright Farm and the Northwest campus. Their Northwest visit was part of a tour of business incubation facilities in the Midwest.

Dr. George Kosimbei, director of the Chandaria BIIC, said the delegation sought to visit Northwest because of its ranking on the University Business Incubator (UBI) Index and positive reputation for assisting entrepreneurs. The UBI Index ranked the Hubbard CIE at No. 21 in its University Global Top 25 Rankings, which surveyed more than 300 incubators in 67 countries.

While the delegation also included Kenyatta Deputy Vice Chancellor P.K. Wainaina and Chief Finance Officer J.I. Gitahi, Kosimbei said Kenyatta and its Chandaria BIIC look forward to future collaboration with Northwest and its CIE.

“We will keep in touch and we are ready to explore new opportunities for collaboration,” Kosimbei said. “As an incubator, we want to improve mankind. Because we are based in Kenya we are not saying we will be confined in Kenya or Africa. We want to support businesses that will also have an impact in this part of the world.”

The Hubbard CIE, located on the north edge of the Northwest campus, is a mixed-use incubator with emphasis on technology-based, start-up companies. It provides assistance to existing small businesses and encourages development of new small businesses.

Currently, six tenants occupy the CIE’s business wing. Additionally, the CIE is partnered with seven affiliates who receive guidance and use resources at the CIE but do not lease space.

“Our mission is one of helping entrepreneurs,” Lee told the delegation. “We want to furnish a facility, an area … where they can grow, where they can learn and where we can, in some ways, short-circuit their growth so they don’t have to make all of the mistakes that others have made.”

Designated a Missouri Innovation Center, the 46,679 square-foot CIE includes three lab analysis research areas, a shared scientific instrument room and 9,000 square feet of tenant office space. The academic wing contains more than 16,000 square feet of highly specialized teaching and research labs and offices.

The CIE is positioned within a two-hour driving radius of Kansas City, Des Moines and Omaha, providing companies with access to more than 1.5 million people. At the same time, companies located at the CIE enjoy the benefits of a consistently strong work-ethic and business friendly environment in a smaller rural setting.

Sunday is the last day for back to school shoppers to get a break on taxes in Missouri.

The back to School Sales Tax Holiday began at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 9.

Over past several days shoppers have not had to pay sales tax on certain back-to-school purchases like clothing, school supplies, and computers and more.

CLICK HERE to see what items are exempt by state law.

School officially beings in the St. Joseph School District Aug. 17.

 

…Heat Advisory In Effect From 11 Am To 9 Pm Cdt Saturday…
The National Weather Service In Kansas City/pleasant Hill Has Issued A Heat Advisory…Which Is In Effect From 11 Am To 9 Pm Cdt Saturday.
* Temperatures…High Temperatures Saturday Afternoon Will Warm Into The Lower To Middle 90s Across Much Of The Area. These Temperatures Combined With High Relative Humidity Values Will Result In Heat Indices Exceeding The 100 Degree Mark Saturday Afternoon.
* Impacts…Oppressive Heat Will Result In An Increased Risk Of Heat Related Illnesses.

Shoppers are being asked to help stuff the bus this tax-free weekend in an effort to give school supplies to students in need.

The United Way of Greater St. Joseph and the Salvation Army are partnering once again to collect donated school supplies and distribute them to area children whose families can’t afford to buy them. The Stuff the Bus school supplies drive will be held August 7 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and August 8 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at both Walmarts in St. Joseph to collect the supplies.

Jay Martin, United Way Program Dir. said volunteers will be out helping with the drive.  This year more than 300 volunteers will assist in the drive.

“We’ll be handing out flyers at the doors and talking to people going into the Walmarts,” Martin said.

The collected school supplies will be distributed during the Salvation Army’s Back to School fair on Aug. 13 to area children who may otherwise start the school year off without the tools they need.

Martin said he hopes the tax-free weekend will give shoppers an additional incentive to help out.

“Whatever money they might be saving on taxes maybe buy a little something extra with and donate it to our bus so kids in the area who cant afford supplies can get supplies donated to them,” he said.

The Back to School Sales Tax Holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 9.

For more information about Stuff the Bus call the United Way at (816) 364-2381.