The Wyeth-Tootle Mansion of the St. Joseph Museums will open for the tourism season on Friday, April 6.

The Mansion, which illustrates the cultural, architectural, and economic history of 19th century St. Joseph, will be open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through October.

According to a press release, the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion was built for William and Eliza Wyeth, who arrived in St. Joseph in 1858.  William ran his own wholesale-retail business called the Wyeth Hardware and Manufacturing Company and Wyeth Saddle Factory.  The Wyeths hired architect E. J. Eckel to design the 43-room home and it was completed in 1879.  The couple asked Eckel to create a design that resembled the castles they had seen on the Rhine River as they were traveling in Germany.  In order to create that effect, Eckel incorporated a unique north side turret into his design.   Over one million bricks were used in the construction, and the front portion of the building was covered with native sandstone.

An exhibit on the career of the architect Edmond J. Eckel is featured on the second floor of the Mansion.  The exhibit focuses on his many contributions to the landscape of St. Joseph. All three floors of the Mansion are open to the public. The first floor features changing exhibits in the former library, a Victorian dining room, hand-painted ceilings, and walnut woodwork. Exhibits on the second and third floors explore historic preservation in St. Joseph, the life and career of Ruth Warrick, and the history and science of flooding on the Missouri River.

On the third Saturday of the month, beginning April 21, there will be a Coffee and Gingerbread program at the Mansion at 10 a.m.  This year, topics in the series include:  Stained Glass versus Art Glass Care and Repair; History on a Postcard; Restoring Hardware; Let there Be Lighting; Stripping Wood, Metal, & More; and Where to Find Cool Stuff.

The Wyeth-Tootle Mansion is located at 1100 Charles in St. Joseph.  Admission is $6 for adults $5 for seniors, and $4 for students between the ages of 7 and 18.  Children under six and Museum Members are admitted free of charge.

For additional information and scheduling of group tours or an event, please call (816) 232-8471 or visit stjosephmuseum.org.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Work to roadway lighting will cause ramp and lane closures next week along the Interstate 229 corridor through St. Joseph.

Workers from the Missouri Department of Transportation plan to work on overhead lighting on Tuesday, March 27. Drivers may experience lane closures on both directions of I-229 between 6th Street/Atchison and U.S. Route 59 (St. Joseph Avenue) and the ramp from I-229 northbound to U.S. Route 59 northbound (Exit 6B).

As part of the lighting work, four ramps will be closed throughout the morning. All closure start times are approximate. The closures could last up to 30 minutes at each location.

• I-229 southbound ramp to Route 759 (Exit 5) – 8:30 a.m.
• Route 759 northbound to I-229 northbound – 9:30 a.m.
• U.S. Route 59 (6th Street) to I-229 northbound – 11 a.m.
• U.S. Route 59 southbound (St. Joseph Avenue) to I-229 southbound – noon

Motorists may want to plan an alternate route during the work as there will be delays.

All work is weather permitting and schedules are subject to change.

For more information call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook.

The Junior League of St. Joseph will be providing an opportunity for community members to discuss issues and ask questions at their annual “Wine About Public Issues” event.

Junior League Public Issues Chairperson Teresa Shirrell said the Junior League is an organization of women that does volunteer work around the community and gives back through events and more. Shirrell said women and children are the primary focus of the Junior League and they put on various programs including Cinderella’s Closet.

Shirrell said “Wine About Public Issues” will feature a panel of five guests including Judge Rebecca Spencer, Missouri Western State University Political Science Professor Dr. Melinda Kovacs, Tiger’s Den Business Owner Brian Meyers, InterServ Associate Director of Operations Randy Sharp and Webster School Principal Dr. Michele Thomason.

“We wanted to get a variety of individuals… we sent out surveys within our organization asking people what are their concerns, what do they see that they would like to improve in St. Joe, so that’s what kind of made up our panelists,” Shirrell said. “The School Board election is a big thing, having a business in St. Joe for it to succeed, mental health is a huge concern in our society and then, of course, crime, and all the elections, and that’s how we kind of made up our panel.”

Shirrell said the event gives area residents the opportunity to be involved in the community and discuss the issues in a relaxed social atmosphere.

“Everybody should be educated and be aware of what’s going on in our community and in society and this is their community and they should know what’s going on in the schools… just to ask any concerns they might have in the local government,” Shirrell said. “They live here, they should be aware of what’s going on and get their questions answered.”

The Wine About Public Issues event takes place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art. There will be a cash bar and light appetizers provided.

For more information click here or go to the Junior League Facebook page.

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University will welcome Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Parson as a guest of its Distinguished Lecture Series in April.

According to a press release, Lt. Gov. Parson will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, in the Charles Johnson Theater at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building on the Northwest campus.

“We are thankful for Lt. Gov. Parson giving of his time during the 2018 legislative session,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “We appreciate his ongoing support of higher education and look forward to his talk, which will help continue enhancing the academic environment at Northwest.”

Parson was elected Missouri’s 47th lieutenant governor in 2016, receiving the most votes of any lieutenant governor in state history. Previously, he served the 28th Senatorial District in the Missouri Senate from 2011 to 2017. He served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011. He also served as Polk County sheriff from 1993 to 2005, and he served six years in the U.S. Army.

As a member of the Missouri Senate, Parson chaired the Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee and served as Majority Whip during his first two years.

While serving in the House of Representatives, he was chair of the House Rules Committee and sponsored or co-sponsored several landmark pieces of legislation, including Missouri’s Castle Doctrine, which strengthened Second Amendment rights, and the Missouri Farming Rights Amendment, a piece of legislation that changed the Missouri Constitution to guarantee all Missourians the right to farm and ranch.

Supported by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Student Involvement, the Distinguished Lecture Series presents the Northwest campus and surrounding communities with opportunities to hear from extraordinary individuals from around the globe. Scholars, world travelers and leaders in their fields visit the Northwest campus to share their wisdom, insight and experiences.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Candidates for St. Joseph mayor and city council will participate in two forums next week sponsored by the political science program at Missouri Western State University.

According to a press release, candidates for mayor and the two open at-large city council seats have been invited to participate in the Tuesday forum. Candidates for the four contested district city council races have been invited to participate in Thursday’s forum.

Each candidate will be permitted two-minute opening and closing statements. Forum organizers will ask their own questions, as well as questions submitted by the audience.

The general election ballot on April 3 will feature two candidates for mayor, four candidates for two at-large city council seats, and two candidates each in council districts 2, 3, 4 and 5.

The forums will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday in the Hearnes Center, room 102. The forums are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dr. Jon Euchner at (816) 271-4358 or by email at [email protected].

JEFFERSON CITY – A comment period is now open for the Missouri Department of Transportation Public Involvement Plan.

According to a press release, MoDOT has updated the public involvement plan it utilizes in development of its long-range transportation plan, statewide transportation improvement program and consultation with non-metropolitan officials.

Anyone interested may review the plan online and submit comments to [email protected] before the 45-day comment period ends on May 7, 2018.

(UPDATE 2:22 p.m.) Police say normal traffic has resumed at 6700 US Highway 59.

Police had asked that the area be avoided due to a police incident that began around 10:30 a.m.

We will update this post as we learn more information.

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St. Joseph Police are asking residents to avoid the area of 6700 U.S. Highway 59 due to a police incident.

Since around 10:30 a.m., police have been involved in a standoff with a suspect in that area. According to Capt. Jeff Wilson, the suspect was in a stolen car and has a felony warrant. It’s unclear at this time where the suspect is barricaded and whether or not they are armed. Police are working to get the suspect to surrender peacefully. Meanwhile, police ask that residents avoid the area.

We will update this post as we learn more information.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is testing for new troopers.

The 107th Recruit Class is scheduled to begin training on January 2, 2019. The application deadline is April 14, 2018. Interested persons are encouraged to take immediate action to apply.

To be eligible, candidates must possess a minimum of 30 college credits, or two years of federal active duty military service with an honorable discharge, or two years of full-time POST-certified experience as a law enforcement officer with arrest authority at the time recruit training begins.

The selection process is a multi-phase testing procedure including: written examination, a physical fitness for duty assessment, polygraph examination, background investigation, and oral interview board.

Interested persons can find out more about the qualifications by contacting a Patrol recruiter at telephone number 1-800-796-7000, or may apply online at motrooper.com.