The Downtown Children’s Library is introducing two programs for aspiring young movie makers. 

“Stop! Animate and Film It!” is a program for youth in grades 3-6 exploring stop motion animation. In the program, groups will work together brainstorming and filming to make short films using the LEGO Movie Maker on the iPad. Program sessions will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursdays beginning January 26 and running through February 23.

The other program, “Roll Cameras!” is geared toward youth grades 5-8. This program will incorporate acting, editing, brainstorming with groups, creating a storyboard and filming short ads for the library. Program sessions begin at 4 p.m. on Mondays January 23 through March 6. 

Jen Wildhagen is the Children’s Department Manager at the Downtown Branch of the St. Joseph Public Library. Wildhagen said she attended a workshop to explore making promotional movies for library tutorials.

“When we started playing with these apps, I saw the potential for use with children and letting them explore a different medium than they’re accustomed to,” Wildhagen said. “We offer so many different kinds of programs at the library that kids absolutely love but this is something that we’ve never had the opportunity to offer and it’s such a cutting edge kind of idea that kids can be making their own movies and learn about editing and lighting and placement. It’s really exciting for them to be able to use that part of their creativity in such a unique way.”

Wildhagen said participants need to be able to attend all sessions and they will most likely offer more sessions later in the year for anyone unable to attend the first round. The final session of each program will be an Awards Night, featuring showings of the finished projects and announcing winners of different categories. 

The library recently received an LSTA Technology Mini-Grant from the Missouri State Library providing funding to purchase iPads and other movie making equipment. 

For more information on either program or to sign up, contact the library at (816) 232-3812 or click here.

St. Joseph Police are investigating three separate incidents that took place in the span of about 20 minutes early Tuesday morning.

According to Sgt. Brett Kelley, police are searching for two male suspects after an armed robbery at the Burger King at 1212 North Belt Highway. Around 1:12 a.m., two men wearing masks entered the back door of the Burger King, displayed a semi-automatic handgun, ordered everyone to the floor and fled with an unknown amount of cash.

Around 12:51 a.m. an officer was dispatched to a single vehicle crash at 1300 South 36th street. While in route, driving east on Mitchell Avenue approaching 30th Street, a white Ford F-150 pickup pulled out in front of the patrol car. The rear passenger side of the truck was damaged and the police vehicle had front end damage and was towed to the station. The truck and driver fled the scene. The officer was not injured. The driver of the vehicle in the crash the officer was in route to was transported to Mosaic Life Care with minor injuries and taken into custody for DWI.

Officers are also searching for a driver who fled the scene of a two vehicle crash around 1:16 a.m. The crash at 2120 Alabama resulted in heavy damage to the back driver’s side corner on both vehicles. The driver of one vehicle was transported to Mosaic Life Care with apparent severe injuries and the other driver fled the scene on foot.

Anyone with information on any of these incidents is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

Police are searching for two suspects after a Dollar General was robbed at gunpoint Sunday night. 

According to Sgt. Wayne Byrom with the St. Joseph Police Department, around 10 p.m., two men wearing black ski masks entered the Dollar General at 3417 South 22nd Street. One displayed a pistol and demanded cash. The suspects took the cash drawer and fled on foot. 

Sgt. Byrom said the suspects were described as being two younger men but there’s no good description at this time.

Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

At the beginning of every new year, many people make plans to quit something, start something or make other life changes.

Health and fitness goals are often on many people’s New Year’s resolutions list.

According to Austin Evans, owner of Fit Republic and Lean Kitchen Company, with New Year’s resolutions about weight loss and other healthy changes, nutrition is 80 percent of the key to success.

“Nutrition is so important and people can take all the supplements they want, they can work out, and that’s going to help accelerate it, but if your nutrition is not on point, you’re not going to get results,” Evans said.

Fit Republic is a nutrition store in St. Joseph specializing in sports nutrition, weight loss supplements and vitamins and minerals. Evans said they also take time to help educate customers on a healthy diet.

“Everything is about balance,” Evans said. “Quitting things cold turkey is very hard, you’re not going to probably be successful cold turkey, not many people are, they don’t have the discipline. If people want to take out pop from their diet if they’re drinking 120 ounces of pop a day and they go to none, they’re probably going to fail. So take it out in chunks… If you try to do everything at once, people don’t often succeed that way.”

Evans said he encourages people to get off fad diets unless they implement lifestyle changes and to stop paying so much attention to the scale.

“Pay attention to how you feel, pay attention to how your clothes fit, pay attention to how much easier that mile is getting on the treadmill, pay attention to those types of things,” Evans said.

In addition to Fit Republic, which has been open a year, Evans began a meal prep company, Lean Kitchen Company about a month ago. They offer breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks with options including low-carb, gluten-free and vegan. Evans said they’re selling about 500 meals a week just out of the cooler at Fit Republic for people dropping by to get a healthy lunch option. Meals are available to order online and pick up at Fit Republic on Sundays.

Fit Republic is located at 1331 South Belt Highway in St. Joseph. Evans said people can stop in for Lean Kitchen meals or to talk with them about setting up New Year’s fitness or health goals and plans. For more information, visit the Fit Republic Facebook page.

A new area sports facility featuring an indoor tennis court opened last week. 

Eric Thacker Tennis owns the Sports Center located on the northeast side of St. Joseph. 

Thacker said he wanted to create a multi-use facility. 

“In this facility we’ll be able to accommodate a lot of different sports,” he said. “Tennis was going to be one of the main components of it, but we’ll also be able to accommodate baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball practices, things of that nature.” 

Thacker said the facility houses one of few indoor tennis courts in the area. 

“We put a lot of work into this facility and made sure things were done correctly so it would be easy to access and easy to use,” he said. “I think there’s been a need in northwest Missouri for a long time for a place that can accommodate a lot of different sports that is easy to rent out, people can afford it. I hear of a lot of teens that want to rent a place for practice, can’t find practice space, so I think this will serve northwest Missouri very well.” 

Thacker said a batting cage will be up in the next couple of days. The facility is located off of County Road 307. 

For more information, contact Eric Thacker at (816) 629-6749 or ericthackertennis@gmail.com.

Police are investigating an armed robbery Monday night in St. Joseph in addition to a robbery on Christmas Eve.

According to Sgt. Brett Kelley with the St. Joseph Police Department, around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, three individuals entered the Trex Mart gas station at 3625 King Hill Avenue. All displayed handguns and took cash from both registers. Sgt. Kelly said a customer saw the robbery as it was happening and called it in, but the suspects took off shortly before police arrived.

Monday night, Sgt. Kelley said it was close to midnight when three individuals entered the Kwik Stop gas station at 3215 South 22nd. At least two displayed handguns and took cash from the register. The suspects left in an unknown direction on foot and police have no good descriptions at this time.

The part of 9th Street closed early Tuesday morning was reopened that afternoon.

According to Senior Communications Specialist Marcia Johnson with the Missouri Department of Transportation, the road was reopened around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday after MoDOT inspected East 36. Johnson said crews found no structural issues and necessary repairs were made.

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Motorists are being urged to avoid the 1800 to 2000 block of South 9th street in St. Joseph until further notice.

The St. Joseph Police Department sent out a Nixle alert shortly after 3 a.m. warning motorists to avoid the area due to debris in the roadway.

According to the department, concrete and a piece of rebar fell from Eastbound 36 above from what appears to be the joint area between two bridges. East 36 is still open to traffic. The Missouri Department of Transportation had crews on scene Tuesday working to make repairs.  MoDOT anticipates reopening 9th street sometime later in the day.

St. Joseph Police are investigating a hit and run crash early Friday morning.

Police responded to a call about a single vehicle crash at 1:20 a.m. in the 3400 block of South 22nd.

According to police, a driver traveling north in a Ford Expedition, lost control and ran off the east side of the road. The vehicle hit a utility pole, breaking it off and hit a single family residence. Witnesses say a male driver and at least one other person got out and fled on foot. No one in the house was injured. 

Police say there was no power loss in the area due the utility pole being hit, but KCP&L was on scene after the crash to replace the pole. Roads were blocked off but are expected to reopen by 6 a.m. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.