The St. Joseph School District Board of Education is praising the Governor for his veto of a bill members said would have caused issues within the district.

“We are thankful for strategic partnerships across the state that helped us encourage the governor to veto house bill 42, which would have been a burden on the St. Joseph School District,” said Brad Haggard, board president.

On Monday the board voted unanimously to approve a resolution asking the Governor to veto House Bill 42. The bill was aimed at revamping the state’s student transfer system.

The board said the bill does little to address the problems in the current student transfer law, unnecessarily expands charter schools not governed by locally elected boards of education in numerous school districts in the state without adequate accountability, unnecessarily expands student transfers into school districts that are performing well and fails to meet the goal of providing quality educational opportunities for all students in the state.

“I’m also thankful for our school board that unanimously passed a resolution encouraging the governor to veto this bill,” Haggard said.

Nixon on Friday criticized expanded options for virtual schools and said the bill didn’t address key issues with current law.

Failing schools now must pay tuition if students decide to transfer elsewhere. Many districts said that’s caused financial hardship as they work to regain accreditation.

Nixon also cited the lack of a tuition cap in his veto. He said without that, schools that are struggling the most would continue to lose resources.

(AP contributions to this story)

Several road closures in Buchanan County after heavy rains.

Buchanan County Emergency Manager Bill Brinton reports parts of several roads have been closed in the county due to the rains we received Thursday night.

Eastern District Closures:

–  Horn Road

–  115^th Rd. north of State Route 116

Western District Closures:

– Cotter Road

– 70^th Road

– Mud Lake Road

Brinton said all roads will be closed over the weekend.

 

The Buchanan County Courthouse is now issuing same-sex marriage licenses.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday to legalize same-sex unions across the nation.

In anticipation of the ruling the Buchanan County Recorder’s Office had everything ready to go to issue the licenses as soon as the ruling was announced.

“We have prepared the license application and license accordingly.  The changes have been first party, second party,” said Judy Anderson, Chief Deputy Recorder. “Now that it has been upheld in the Supreme Court and it’s come forth we are ready to go.”

As of noon Friday no same-sex licenses had yet to be issued.  However, Anderson said there have been numerous calls.

“We’re anticipating we’ll have quite a few people coming in,” she said. “We’ve received quite a few calls inquiring.”

In order to apply for a license same-sex couples have to follow the same guidelines as everyone else.

“They both have to come into the office together to apply, the marriage license fee is $51-dollars in cash, we do them at a certain time during the week, the have to have a valid photo ID and social security,” Anderson said. “They get it the same day and they can use it in the State of Missouri only.  So the biggest change has just been from bride and groom to first party/second party.”

The office is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A 38-year-old St. Joseph man on parole has been charged after allegedly exposing himself while watching a teenage girl.

Timothy Davis has been charged with a B misdemeanor for first-degree sexual misconduct in Buchanan County.

Court documents allege that on Monday, Davis was standing on the sidewalk in front of a residence in the 2400 block of Jules St.  A witness reported Davis has the front of his sweatpants pulled down and was holding his penis which was out of his pants and exposed. The witness said that while Davis was exposing himself he was looking towards a teenage girl who was standing on her porch across the street.

Officers later caught up with Davis who had been involved in a separate disturbance at another location.

“Upon attempting to stop Davis and make contact, he picked up a brick, stood in a throwing stance and made a throwing motion and threatened to throw the brick at the officers and their vehicles,” said Quentin Abbott, police officer with the St. Joseph Police Department.

Davis was out on parole and had been living in a halfway house at the time of the incident but has since been kicked out of the residence according to court documents.

He has prior convictions for burglary, stealing, resisting arrest, property damage and possession of a controlled substance.

Davis is currently being held in the Buchanan County Jail on $7500 cash bond.  An arraignment is set for Friday.

Changes to the way the St. Joseph School District Board of Education holds its meetings could give the public more insight into decisions made by members.

“In the past what we’ve done is we have our board meeting on the second Monday of the month but the week before we have all these committee meetings,” said Kappy Hodges, school board member. “One of the hang-ups with that is that when people come to watch the board meeting when you’re using that format is that they see the board just saying ‘okay, okay, okay,’ and they don’t know anything that was discussed during the committee meetings.”

Now, instead of having multiple committee meetings and a school board meeting the board has voted to change its policy to hold two school board meetings each month.  The meetings are now held on the second and fourth Monday every month.

“We decided to try it and we knew a good part of that would be that everyone could get to see the discussion,” Hodges said.

The committee meetings were open to the public before, but Hodges said she didn’t feel much of the public got a chance to see what was taking place unless it was at a board meeting.

“They may not even be aware there were committee meetings even though those meetings, every meeting the board has is posted on the website,” Hodges said. “So to them it just looked like we got up there and whatever the administration recommended that’s what we did and it was set up that way just so it would go quicker but it just gives the wrong impression.”

June was the first month for the change.  The first board meeting which was followed by an executive session went almost until midnight, the second Hodges said went until around 10:30 p.m.

“It takes longer if you’re going to talk about everything all at once,” Hodges said. “But I like it because, A. I only have to go to a couple of meetings a month and B. I really like that the public can see all the discussion that takes place.”

Normally the board doesn’t meet in July but the board voted to hold a work session scheduled for July 13 at 4:30 p.m. and a Special Board of Education meeting starting at 5:30 p.m.

The new schedule will resume in August.  All board meetings are streamed live by the St. Joseph School District online.

 

FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PLEASANT HILL HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF KANSAS AND MISSOURI…
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS…IN KANSAS…ATCHISON KS…
DONIPHAN…JOHNSON KS…LEAVENWORTH…LINN KS…MIAMI AND
WYANDOTTE. IN MISSOURI…ADAIR…ANDREW…ATCHISON MO…
BATES…BUCHANAN…CALDWELL…CARROLL…CASS…CHARITON…
CLAY…CLINTON…COOPER…DAVIESS…DE KALB…GENTRY…
GRUNDY…HARRISON…HENRY…HOLT…HOWARD…JACKSON…JOHNSON
MO…LAFAYETTE…LINN MO…LIVINGSTON…MACON…MERCER…
NODAWAY…PETTIS…PLATTE…PUTNAM…RANDOLPH…RAY…SALINE…
SCHUYLER…SULLIVAN AND WORTH.

* FROM THIS 7 PM CDT THURSDAY THROUGH 1 PM CDT FRIDAY AFTERNOON

* WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL MAY IMPACT THE AREA STARTING THIS EVENING
AND CONTINUING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

* RIVERS…CREEKS AND STREAMS WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE FLOODING WITH
THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. IN ADDITION…MANY LOW WATER CROSSING MAY
BECOME FLOODED AND IMPASSIBLE.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

FORECAST
AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER 90S WILL LEAD TO
DANGEROUSLY HIGH HEAT INDEX VALUES SOUTH OF ROUTE 36. HEAT INDEX
VALUES WILL RANGE FROM 96 TO 101 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON.

A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SAG SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. AS THIS
OCCURS…THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS
EASTERN KANSAS AND MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MISSOURI. SOME OF
THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE…WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
REMAINING THE BIGGEST THREATS. IN ADDITION…HEAVY RAINS MAY LEAD TO
FLASH FLOODING…ESPECIALLY ACROSS AREAS THAT HAVE NEARLY SATURATED
SOILS FROM HEAVY RAINFALL IN RECENT WEEKS.

This Afternoon
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Heat index values as high as 95. North northwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 7pm. Low around 71. East northeast wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Friday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. East northeast wind 7 to 15 mph becoming north in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. North northeast wind 8 to 13 mph becoming light north after midnight.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. North wind 6 to 8 mph.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Tuesday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

A Kansas City man has been sentenced to 36 years in prison for having deviate sexual intercourse with two girls under the age of twelve.  Jerry L. Snodgrass, 58, received the sentence in Platte County Circuit Court on June 19.  Snodgrass had previously been convicted of sexual misconduct with a child in Kansas.

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said, “It is heartbreaking that this man had the opportunity to hurt more children after being convicted of a sex crime in Kansas.  I hope this sentence will end his abuse of children once and for all.”

In December 2013, the mother of one of the victims reported to Riverside police that Snodgrass had inappropriate sexual contact with her daughter.  In January 2014, another mother reported to Riverside authorities that Snodgrass had molested her daughter.

The victims were both interviewed by the Child’s Advocacy Center at Synergy Service, and they disclosed sexual abuse by Snodgrass.  One of the victim’s mothers said her daughter told her she didn’t want to go to Snodgrass’ apartment and would sit in the corner and not move.  The victim also disclosed that Snodgrass told her not to tell anyone about the abuse.

Snodgrass admitted to having several children at his apartment and some of them stayed the night.  Snodgrass stated the victim wanted to come to his residence because she gets attention there.

Snodgrass was sentenced to 18 years on each count of statutory sodomy.  The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively to one another.

In 1995, Snodgrass was found guilty of indecent liberties with a child in Kansas.  The victim in that case testified at sentencing that Snodgrass had sexually abused her from the time she was 4 until she was 14 years old.

If Snodgrass’ current case had gone to trial, the jury would have been allowed to know about his prior sex crime, thanks to an amendment to the Missouri Constitution passed in November 2014.  Zahnd was a leading proponent of the amendment.

Zahnd said, “I have no doubt that the recent change to the Missouri Constitution was instrumental in the defendant’s decision to plead guilty and forgo a trial.  It spared these children the trauma of a trial and helped secure a sentence that will likely result in the defendant spending the rest of his life in prison, which is where he belongs.”

Plans for a Civil War Mural have been pulled just weeks from going up in Downtown St. Joseph.

“In light of the national tragedy in South Carolina and some local concerns that have been voiced the committee that is responsible for the commissioning has decided to pull that project,” said Rhabecca Boerkircher, St. Joseph Downtown Partnership Executive Director.

In recent days, the Confederate flag has become a flash point since the deaths of nine black people last week in a South Carolina church by a white man in a shooting police said was racially motivated.  The mural was planned to go up in July on the Ballinger Building near 7th and Edmond Streets.  It would have depicted several scenes from St. Joseph’s Civil War History.  The mural would not have shown an image of the confederate flag.

“Obviously it was never our intent to offend anyone, we simply wanted to do a historically accurate mural depicting a huge part of St. Joe’s history,” Boerkircher said. “Unfortunately, there were some people that didn’t take it that way.”

She said a group of individuals sent out a Hoax Press Release that created controversy around the mural.

“We wanted this to be a positive thing for St. Joe, worked with local historians, wanted to depict a historically accurate portrayal of what transpired in St. Joe during the Civil War and obviously that’s not going to happen now,” Boerkircher said.

She said the artist that was commissioned for the project has also taken heat off of this piece.

“I’ve seen some things on social media that have me really concerned,” she said. “Like, ‘it’s his personal agenda.’  ‘He’s trying to push his personal agenda on St. Joe’ and that is just not true.  There has never been a nicer person to work with than Sam Welty on these murals and he doesn’t have a personal agenda.  It’s not his view and it’s just unfortunate that some people have chosen to make him a target.”

Welty was also commissioned for previous work by the Downtown Partnership.

Boerkircher said there is no current plan for a new mural to go up at that location.

 

A northwest Missouri man will spend time behind bars after pleading guilty to a lesser charge in a playground bullying case.

32-year-old Justin Metcalf of Barnard pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for assault in the third degree Wednesday and will spend three days behind bars starting July 17 including credit for 13 hours already served.

As we previously reported, Metcalf was charged in March after a confrontation on the South Nodaway School District playground with a 13-year-old boy.

Court documents state Metcalf pleaded guilty to a charge that he purposely placed the child in apprehension of immediate physical injury at a school playground, then using his body pushed the child a short distance while the child extended his arm to keep Metcalf’s chest from touching his body, then Metcalf pursued the child by walking after him after the child left the playground.

Nodaway County Prosecuting Attorney, Robert Rice said surveillance footage of the incident was capture by a school camera on the playground.

“He shoved him and then pursued him,” Rice said. “It was enough.”

Rice said Metcalf tried to justify his behavior by claiming the boy told his 4-year-old daughter to “*expletive* back off.”

“There were several other boys there,” Rice said. “They said they were playing baseball down there and she wanted to play so they offered to set a tee up for her and she didn’t want to so she got mad and left.”

Rice said Metcalf was the only one claiming that the kid had said that to his daughter.

“It wouldn’t be any legal justification to go out there and behave the way he did,” Rice said.

Metcalf has prior convictions for stealing and disturbing the peace, both in 2011 in Nodaway County.

 

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a potential phone scam involving a warrant for arrest.

According to the department a Chillicothe resident reported receiving a call from “Kelly Smith” who claimed to be with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office. The number showing up on the resident’s caller id was the 660-646-0515, the same number as the Sheriff’s Office.  “Smith” allegedly told the citizen they had a warrant for their arrest and then instructed the resident to call a number in New York (917) area code and pay $601.00 to have the case put on hold.

The Sheriff’s Office warns that this is a scam.

“The criminals are using a technique to falsely display the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office phone number for caller id purposes and to bolster their criminal acts,” Sheriff Steve Cox said in an email warning. “The LCSO does not do business this way nor do we solicit money for a group in New York. All this information is being shared with the proper Federal authorities.”

In April the St. Joseph Police Department issued a similar warning.  A caller was allegedly telling residents in the St. Joseph area that they also had warrants out for their arrests and needed to pay money to take care of the situation.

Police have said this scam is taking place in many jurisdictions.