The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office began investigating on Saturday after a local landlord discovered someone else was attempting to rent their property to others.

According to a press release from the LCSO, the scammers used photos and information about the rental property from Facebook and Zillow to create a listing under a false name.

According to Sheriff Steve Cox, the scammer gave a local person permission to go onto the property and look through the windows, claiming he was out of the country and had the keys with him. The intended victim notified the actual property owner.

Sheriff Cox said the scammer would have requested the intended victim transfer money for deposit to rent or initiate the purchase of the home.

The same scammer also had a listing for a property in Cameron and the LCSO notified that property owner of the incident.

The LCSO also notified Facebook of the fraudulent account for removal.

Sheriff Cox said no one involved lost money due to the scam.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The following is a listing of general highway maintenance and construction work in the Northwest Missouri region planned for the week of April 9 – 15 from the Missouri Department of Transportation. In addition to the work listed below, there may be pothole patching, shoulder work, bridge maintenance, striping, brush cutting, guardrail repairs, litter pick up and other road work conducted throughout the region. Many of these will be moving operations and could include lane closures with delays. All scheduled maintenance and construction projects are subject to change.

MoDOT reminds the public to stay alert, watch for road work, buckle up, slow down, and drive with extreme caution through work zones and in changing weather conditions.

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

Andrew County

• U.S. Route 71 – Pothole patching from the city limits of Maryville (Nodaway County) to Route B, April 10 – 13

Buchanan County

• Interstate 29 – CLOSED for guardrail work on the ramp from northbound I-29 to northbound I-229, April 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route DD – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from I-29 to Route MM, April 10 – 12, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily

Caldwell County

• Route D – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 36 to Route 116, April 9 – 13

Carroll County

• Route J – Milling and resurfacing project from U.S. Route 65 to Route J, April 11 – 13. This includes a 10-foot width restriction.

Chariton County

• Route KK – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route VV to Moses Hurt Road, April 11, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

DeKalb County

• U.S. Route 36 – Eastbound narrowed to one lane around the Route 33 north/Route M interchange at Osborn for turn lane construction and median work, April 9 – 13, daylight hours
• Route F – Pothole patching, April 9 – 13

Gentry County

• Route 111 – Bridge maintenance at the Grand River Creek Bridge, April 9 – 12

Harrison County

• Route EE – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the Muddy Creek Bridge. The road will be closed through May.
• Route NN – CLOSED for a culvert replacement two miles south of Route 46, April 11, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Holt County

• U.S. Route 59 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the Davis Creek Bridge. The road will be closed through June.
• I-29 – Shoulder work north and southbound from mile marker 67 near the Oregon exit to mile marker 84 near Mound City, April 9 – 13

Linn County

• Route 11 – Bridge maintenance at the U.S. Route 36 overpass, April 9 – 12
• U.S. Route 36 – Flushing bridges, April 9 – 13
• Route M – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between Halley Road and Hahn Drive, April 12, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route M – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between Hiver Road and Indigo Road, April 13, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route B – Pothole patching between U.S. Route 36 (Livingston County) and Route 139, April 12 – 13

Livingston County

• Route H – Milling and resurfacing project from U.S. Route 65 to Route 139, April 11 – 13. This includes a 10-foot width restriction.
• Route B – Pothole patching between U.S. Route 36 and Route 139 (Linn County), April 12 – 13

Nodaway County

• Route C – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between Route YY and Route UU, April 10, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• U.S. Route 71 – Pothole patching from the city limits of Maryville to Route B (Andrew County), April 10 – 13
• Route 113 – Shoulder and drainage work between U.S. Route 136 and Route 46, April 10 – 13
• Route YY – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between 180th Street and 155th Street, April 11, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• U.S. Route 71 – Bridge maintenance at the White Cloud Bridge, April 12
• Route YY – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between Route C and 180th Street, April 12, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Putnam County

• U.S. Route 136 and Route 5 – Shoulder work, April 9 – 12

Worth County

• U.S. Route 275 – Pothole patching, April 9
• Route 46 – Pothole patching, April 10

Several events will be held this week to recognize National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in Buchanan County.

Debbie Wells is a Paralegal with the Buchanan County Prosecutor’s Office, which is sponsoring the events this week. Wells said Missouri was one of the first states to have crime victims’ rights put into their constitution.

“It’s only the right thing to do that they be allowed to be in court hearings, that they be notified of court hearings, that they have a say in their case where at least you can have a discussion with who is handling your case on the prosecution end and that, at sentencing of a defendant, you have the right to come in and speak to the judge and tell them what you would like to see happen,” Wells said. “It’s always been important to us and so, during this one week during the year, when…things are going on regarding crime victims and everyone is recognizing this throughout the nation, we want to do our part too.”

As part of the week, on Tuesday, the Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center will be holding a pinwheel event in front of the courthouse. Wells said pinwheels will be displayed to represent every abused child in Missouri last year.

Other events during the week include a balloon release on Wednesday to honor homicide victims, the annual Crime Victims’ Rights breakfast on Friday and a dance recital on Saturday to raise funds for the Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center.

For more information on National Crime Victims’ Rights Week events, contact the Buchanan County Prosecutor’s Office at (816) 271-1481  or visit the Children’s Advocacy Center Facebook page.

A walking program on St. Joseph’s urban trail system is set to begin next week.

St. Joe Fit is a free walking program provided to the public by the City of St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities and Health Departments. Participants meet from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursdays between April 12th and July 26th to walk different sections of St. Joseph’s trail system. According to a press release, staff is available each Thursday evening from 5-6:30 p.m. to answer questions and provide information about upcoming programming.

Available again this year will be an opportunity to participate in Aqua Zumba classes. Classes will be offered every other Monday beginning June 4th and running through July 30th, weather dependent. Classes will run from 6-6:45 p.m. at the Aquatic Park and is open to all registered St. Joe Fit participants. A small admission fee will be charged to pay for the instructor.

New to St. Joe Fit this year are fitness information sessions and fitness class opportunities provided by the St. Joseph REC Center and the St. Joseph YMCA.

For more information, visit the St. Joe Fit Facebook page or contact Julie Noel at (816) 271-5516 or [email protected].

Click here to register online. 

 

A free educational event just for children will be offered later this month.

The annual Children’s Fair at the St. Joseph Civic Arena is organized by the St. Joseph Youth Alliance. The fair offers a wide variety of activities for children from birth to six-years-old.

Linda Midyett is the Educare Director at St. Joseph Youth Alliance. Midyett said they have put on the fair for several years as something for families to do at no cost.

“There’s just not a lot of free things that are educational, so we really want to provide that for our community as well as just modeling ideas about play as a learning opportunity, that’s how that age group learns is through their play,” Midyett said. “(In) each of the activity areas, they provide something that links in to a children’s book that shows how they can expand that book and the children can learn while they’re actively involved in something.”

The theme of this year’s fair is “Mix it Up.”

“We are focusing on all the different arts such as music, art itself, dance, just a variety of areas that fit in with that theme and then each agency picks a book that goes along with that theme and designs their activity around it,” Midyett said. “So it’s another way for parents, or adults, whoever brings the child, they can learn how to expand a book beyond just reading it, to really make an activity around it.”

Midyett said several agencies will be at the fair this year including Parents As Teachers, the St. Joseph Public Library, the Noyes Home and more. The Conservation Department will be bringing a large aquarium with live fish, the University of Missouri Extension will bring live animals and members from the fire department, police department, highway patrol and sheriff’s department will be there with their vehicles.

The Children’s Fair will take place on Tuesday, April 17th, at the Civic Arena.

It will be open from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 5 to 7:30 p.m. that day.

For more information about the event or to volunteer, contact the St. Joseph Youth Alliance at (816) 232-0050.

Nominations are being sought for awards to honor northwest Missouri residents who serve others.

Elaine Ingle is the Chair of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities in St. Joseph. According to Ingle, the Reflections of Hope luncheon will be held later this month as a fundraiser, but also to honor those nominated for the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Service Award.

“We try to encourage people to look around them and see the people in their communities who serve others, but do so in a selfless and a humble way as in the way of Mother Teresa,” Ingle said. “We would like for people to nominate… somebody that doesn’t necessarily want the attention, but you feel that they serve others and would be worthy of this honor. We’ve had people (nominated) that… clean sidewalks, pull weeds and things, they’re not paid to do that, but they just come in and do that out of the goodness of their heart. There’s people who organize food drives or clothing drives in their communities, there’s just so many different ways that we can serve one another and it’s done without any prompting, they just, on their own, decide that they want to do something to help out.”

Ingle said anyone in the 15-county area that they serve can be nominated and they don’t have to be Catholic Charities volunteers.

Nominations along with reservations for the luncheon are due Monday, April 9th.

The luncheon will be held April 30th. For more information, or to nominate someone, call (816) 390-4040.

Maryville, Mo. – An assistant professor at Northwest Missouri State University has received the 2018 Governor’s Award for Excellence.

Dr. Katy Strickland, an assistant professor of music in Northwest’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts, received the 2018 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education Thursday during a ceremony with Lt. Gov. Mike Parson in Jefferson City.

The Governor’s Award is sponsored by the Missouri Council on Public Higher Education and presented annually to an outstanding faculty member from each of Missouri’s four-year higher education institutions. Northwest’s recipient is chosen from faculty members who receive the University’s Faculty Excellence Award for teaching. Northwest announced Strickland as its recipient of the Governor’s Award last August.

Strickland, who joined the Northwest faculty in fall 2013, also is the director of athletics bands at Northwest and began service last fall as chair of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts.