John and Mae Osborn win the 2016 Shop St. Joseph grand prize.
For the first time in St. Joseph history, a second drawing of a Shop St. Joseph ticket resulted in a grand prize.
John and Mae Osborn of Savannah got their winning ticket during a trip to Sears to shop for their grandkids. Mae said she was very excited when they realized they won Wednesday night.
“He (John) picked me up off the floor last night,” Mae said.
The couple said they don’t have any plans yet for the $10,000. Mae said they plan on discussing it.
“I haven’t been told what I’m doing with my half,” John said. “I’ll find out.”
Natalie Redmond is the Vice President of Membership with the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. She said it’s been a good 10th year for the Shop St. Joseph Program.
“It’s been kind of an epic year for us,” Redmond said. “We’ve had the most merchants, 110 merchants, we gave out the most tickets, 1.2 million and it’s the first time we’ve ever had to go to day two for the winning ticket numbers so it’s definitely been a year of firsts for us, but a great year.”
Mae works at the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department and John said he works at Midwest Mobile Radio in St. Joseph.
“We have customers that come in and they support my business that I work at and it’s nice that we’re able to come back out into the community and shop and support the community,” John said. “It just shows that you need to shop locally. I’ll be honest with you, I never thought we’d win anything like this and here we are.”
The Chamber said second chance prize numbers will be displayed today, so shoppers are urged to keep their tickets because they could still be a winner.
A veteran and single mother will celebrate the holidays with her four children at the Salvation Army’s homeless shelter.
Adriane Mayfield is an honorably discharged United States Army veteran and single mother of four children ages 2, 4, 6 and 7.
Mayfield served for seven years and started suffering from PTSD and seizures about two years ago.
“I lost my job, my car and my house because of it,” Mayfield said. “Since then, all of my stuff was left in my house, I was evicted while I was in the hospital and basically I had to start over from scratch and not being able to get a job because of my seizures… It’s kind of hard.”
Mayfield said the Salvation Army is helping her work toward finding a more permanent place.
“It’s a really good program, it’s the only program I know of that will take a person in my situation,” Mayfield said. “Most of the veterans program are designated for single mothers or fathers that have two or less children. Being that I have four children, the disabled homes really won’t take me because they have a two kid per room limit. So it’s a lot harder for a person like me to find help and not really knowing where to go from here.”
Mayfield said she’s working on getting social security cards, birth certificate and other necessary items.
“I’m working on it, I already have gotten proof for HUD-VASH housing,” Mayfield said. “I’m trying to work on having a significant income because you have to be able to afford utilities in order to get a place. So I’m trying to piece everything together to get things rolling on that.”
Mayfield said the Salvation Army offers a program that helps families like hers enjoy Christmas.
“People donated so many different gifts,” Mayfield said. “They had a whole layout that you can go through, it was organized by age group and female and male. It was pretty nice and the kids got a nice variety of things that I think they’ll enjoy since we didn’t have the opportunity to get them from anywhere else.”
The Red Kettle Campaign fundraiser to benefit the Salvation Army is still underway. As of Monday morning bell ringers raised around 50-percent of its $349,000 2016 goal. Funds raised help to sustain operations for the entire year.
Statewide, Missouri set a new tourism record and locally, the tourism numbers are also showing an increase.
Executive Director of the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau Marci Bennett said this year the museums have seen an increase in attendance and the hotels are doing well. Bennett said statistics of economic impact of tourism in Buchanan County are reported by the state from the Missouri Division of Tourism and Missouri Department of Labor. Last year, according to those reports, the economic impact of tourism in Buchanan County was $175 million into the community.
Bennett said they will not have final local tourism statistics for 2016 until sometime in January but numbers are looking good so far. Bennett said this year some things that contributed to tourism numbers going up included better marketing campaigns.
“We are actively out there marketing not only for the leisure travel market but for motor coaches, athletic events and conventions and meetings,” Bennett said. “We’ve continued to do that for a number of years and it really has led to more visibility of St. Joseph as a destination.”
Bennett said one of the upcoming events next year that is already drawing interest from outside of the country in the solar eclipse in August.
“We already have booked a group of 200 people from Israel, we have some coming from Great Britain, from Japan we have three or four of our hotels are already sold out and they’re able to get a pretty good price for those rooms because we are right in the center of totality,” Bennett said. “I think we’re the fifth largest community in the United States that has that much totality of the eclipse.”
The solar eclipse takes place August 21st. Another highlight Bennett said is coming next year is a new visitor’s center downtown at Frederick and 9th.
“It’s going to be a state-of-the-art visitor’s center so those visitors that come into downtown, we can help direct them to our museums and our wonderful architecture and around the community so they get the best experience possible,” Bennett said.
The goal is to have the building open in time for the eclipse.
2015 National Championship. Photo courtesy Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University’s football team will play in their 10th Division II championship game this weekend.
The Bearcats are undefeated this season, coming into Saturday’s game as defending national champions and having won 29 straight games. The Bearcats will take on the University of North Alabama in Kansas City. North Alabama’s only loss this season was their first game against Jacksonville State.
John Coffey is the Sports and News Director at KXCV/KRNW Radio in Maryville and the Voice of the Bearcats. He said he thinks he’s done play-by-play for most, if not all of the Bearcat’s championship games through the years.
“I think the main thing that really stood out to me for this season is just how dominating they’ve been through virtually every game, they’ve very rarely been challenged, even in some games where I thought they would receive a challenge,” Coffey said. “They’ve gone through this season relatively unscathed. The one thing that was the toughest was from last week’s game in the semifinals with Ferris State, really for the first time, a number of injuries in one game hit them and we’ll just have to see how that will affect play on Saturday and who’s able to come back from those injuries.”
Coffey said at the beginning of the season he thought this team had a good chance of making it back to the championship game.
“Going into the season I felt like this was a team that had a chance if they could stay healthy they could make it back there,” Coffey said. “They had pretty much all the key players back from last year and there’s a little bit more depth than what they had a year ago so I really felt going in that they were going to be very strong. Defensively, they’re probably as strong as I’ve ever seen them and offensively it’s been a team that really from the first game was hitting on all cylinders which is something they didn’t do a year ago. This year, from day one they’ve been focused in and playing very well and I really felt like they were probably the favorite to make it back to the championship game from the very start this year.”
Coffey said the forecast for Saturday is, “Cold, cold cold and I think a chance of some snow and maybe some sleet or light rain at some point, so it’s going to be a cold one.”
Coffey said he’s not looking forward to the cold but he’s looking forward to Saturday’s matchup.
“It’s been a fun season where they’ve accomplished pretty much every goal they set up to the championship game, we’ll see how that turns out.”
The game kicks off at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. When we contacted Northwest Friday night they said they still planned on having the game even with the winter weather conditions.
A St. Joseph man was critically injured in a one vehicle crash early Wednesday morning.
According to the St. Joseph Police Department, a 22-year-old man was driving north in his Chevrolet El Camino on Riverside at Frederick shortly after midnight when the vehicle left the roadway and hit the concrete base and traffic pole at the intersection. The man had to be extricated from the vehicle and was transported to Mosaic Life Care and then KU Medical Center with critical injuries.
The roadway was closed until around 3 a.m. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Former patient Megan Vasko and caregiver Ernie Hawkins at a ceremony honoring Hawkins with the “Law of the Heart” award. Photo by Sarah Thomack.
A caregiver in St. Joseph was nominated for an award by a former patient whose life was impacted by his care and encouragement 26 years ago.
That caregiver, Ernie Hawkins, Patient Care Coordinator at Mosaic Life Care, is the recipient of the Mosaic Life Care “Law of the Heart” award. Hawkins was nominated by former patient Megan Vasko who was run over by a car in 1990 and suffered numerous injuries including a smashed pelvis, third degree road burns and a broken arm.
“When I came to the hospital I was 15 and I was very scared,” Vasko said. “Ernie came in, he was on duty that night, and helped lift me, with a smile on his face. He was there through physical therapy, always lifting me, the one who taught me how to sit up again, how to walk and I just always wanted to tell him thank you. I spent a lot of time in a lot of different hospitals, but there was never another nurse or anybody like Ernie. Being able to tell him thank you on Facebook through messaging has just been amazing, but being able to see him face-to-face and just say thank you for the smiles, for the encouragement, for teaching me that life is hard but you can just smile through it, that it’s going to get better.”
Hawkins was honored at a ceremony Thursday morning with an award and a surprise visit from Megan who flew in from her home in North Carolina.
“Big surprise, had no idea,” Hawkins said. “It’s good though, it makes me feel good. My parents always taught me, treat people the way you want to be treated and I see why now. It really makes you feel good when people remember you. The award is just the icing on the cake but the main thing is you did something good for someone and they remember you for it and they fly across the country to thank you, that makes me feel special.”
Christine Paige is the Clinic Special Projects Manager at Mosaic. She and other staff members found out about Megan’s story and wanted to do something for Ernie. Paige said once she found out Ernie was going to get the Law of the Heart award, she worked to make sure Megan was a part of the ceremony and kept it a secret from Ernie for months.
“The Law of the Heart, I think Ernie truly embodies that when it talks about somebody who shows compassion for the community, for their fellow caregivers, for their patients and that is him,” Paige said. “He loves his patients, they love him, he will take care of any of the staff here in the clinic or anyone he’s ever worked with. When it comes to the community, he has his Harley and does the charitable rides and does a lot for feeding the homeless and he literally would give you the shirt off his back and the last five dollars in his wallet. So when the application for this award came up, there was no doubt that he embodies the Law of the Heart.”
According to Mosaic’s website, the Law of the Heart award recognizes caregivers who have shown enthusiasm and compassion for patients, fellow caregivers and/or the community and their Live Life Well quest.
“I’ve had multiple jobs, but patient care, it’s more than just fluffing a pillow or bringing a patient water,” Hawkins said. “When you connect with a patient, you get to sit and talk with them, you become that friend they don’t have at that particular time. Sometimes patients are a little cranky, but you have to understand where they’re at and what they’re going through and just be there for them. It’s great, I love it. It’s not about the money, the reward is that patient remembering what you did for them and that you did a good job. That right there says it all.”
(Update 4:30 p.m.) – Police are investigating after a St. Joseph man was shot Wednesday night in the 2200 block of Monterey Drive.
According to Sgt. Wayne Byrom with the St. Joseph Police Department, officers responded to the Mosaic Life Care Emergency Room around 12:15 Thursday morning to talk to a 19-year-old victim who had been shot once in the left thigh. The man was involved in a disturbance around 11 p.m. between him and a group of individuals when they physically assaulted him and stole from him. As the man was leaving the area, he was shot at by an unknown individual.
Police have one person in custody in reference to the assault. Capt. Jeff Wilson said police are submitting a case to the prosecutor’s office for consideration of charges in reference to the assault investigation. The shooting investigation is still ongoing.
The man who was shot was treated for minor injuries and has since been released.
Police are investigating early morning burglaries at two St. Joseph businesses.
According to the St. Joseph Police Department, a call came in at 2:14 a.m. from someone nearby the Dollar General at 3323 St. Joseph Avenue. The caller reported hearing or seeing a window being broken. Officers arrived on scene to find a broken window and say they believe a suspect entered the store but it’s unclear at this point what was taken.
At 3:33 a.m., an alarm went off at Woods Mini Mart at 1334 Frederick Avenue when a suspect broke the glass on the door and entered the business.
Police said they believe the incidents are related. There is no description of suspects at this time and police are still investigating.
Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.
Making plans for the holidays should also include plans to keep your pets safe and healthy.
St. Joseph Animal Shelter Humane Educator Jenna Keyes said wherever you end up for the Thanksgiving holiday, if there’s a lot of family and friends around, make sure your pet has a safe place to be.
“So that they’re not possibly escaping out the door, running away when somebody comes, we definitely don’t want your pet to have to stay here at the shelter over that Thanksgiving weekend and just so that they’re safe and calm, they’re not afraid, they’re not scared of all the commotion going on,” Keyes said. “So keep them in a safe, quiet part of the house, turn on the Christmas music for them, just let them be confident and cool and relaxed.”
Keyes said with the upcoming busy holiday time, it’s a good time to remind pet owners that microchipping is always a good idea for their pets.
“That’s something that you can do anytime during our open business hours, you just need to bring your pet or pets down to the shelter, we can put in a microchip for $10,” Keyes said. “That way if your pet should run away, if animal control picks up your animal, or somebody finds it and brings it to the shelter or any of the local vets, we can scan for that microchip and get your animal back to you faster.”
Keyes said microchipping also serves as a high proof form of ownership.
“I’ve heard stories about people believing that their pets were stolen or saw somebody steal their pets out of their yard,” Keyes said. “Remember, if they’re microchipped, that’s a very high proof of identification and it’s not easy to remove that from the pet either, like a collar tag might be, so definitely those microchips (are) a worthwhile $10.”
Kappy Hodges with the Friends of the St. Joseph Animal Shelter said some foods that may be around during the holiday that are toxic to pets include grapes, raisins and chocolate.
“Those are the kinds of treats that we have out when we have folks around,” Hodges said. “So you want to keep those away from the pets. If your dog ingests grapes or raisins, you definitely want to call the vet and say, ‘Hey, this much was probably eaten. What should I do?’”
Many veterinarians are on call during Thanksgiving for any holiday emergencies.
Hodges said there will be a Pet Preview coming up in December.
“This is where we bring some of the pets from the shelter out into the community for people to see them,” Hodges said.
The event will take place at Upco from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, December 10th. Also that day there will be an opportunity for pet pictures with Santa from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Three suspects were taken into custody after a burglary Sunday morning.
According to the St. Joseph Police Department, an alarm went off at 4:19 a.m. at the Sprint Store at 3715 Frederick Ave. Officers nearby were dispatched and saw two subjects running off and after a short foot chase, one was taken into custody and the two others were later taken into custody.
Police said charges have been filed against the 17-year-old and two juveniles are awaiting charges.
Police are still investigating whether or not the burglary is connected to other burglaries at businesses last week.
