ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Crews working with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad plan to close Route U (Alabama Street) in St. Joseph this week.
Route U will close between U.S. Route 59 and Stockyards Expressway. The road will close between 9 and 11 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 25, to replace a cross arm that was recently knocked down. During the closure, motorists will need to use an alternate route.
All scheduled roadwork is weather permitting and subject to change.
For more information on this and other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest and view the online Traveler Information Map. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook.
A St. Joseph man has been charged after using a meat cleaver to rob a smoke shop earlier this month.
According to Capt. Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Department, 46-year-old Nick A. Avila was charged with first degree robbery.
As previously reported, officers responded on the afternoon of January 11th to MSA Smoke Shop and Groceries at North Belt Highway and County Line Road. Avila reportedly entered the shop with a meat cleaver and demanded money from the clerk. Money from the drawer and a couple items were taken from the store. No one was injured in the incident.
According to online court documents, Avila is being held on $50,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 1st.
A warming trend will begin today and continue well into next week. Light rain and a possible wintry mix will affect areas mainly south of the Missouri River Friday into Saturday, though overall rainfall totals will remain below a tenth of an inch. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 46. West northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. South wind 6 to 8 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 58. South southwest wind 6 to 15 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. South wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 57. South wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 24.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 42.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 21.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29.
The St. Joseph School District Board of Education Monday night considered revenue proposals for the ballot and ultimately voted against them.
According to Superintendent Dr. Robert Newhart, the board had to make a decision Monday night because anything that is to be on the ballot for the April election has to be submitted to the county clerk today.
“As I’ve stated previously, coming off the November 7th defeat, it was not in our best interest, my opinion, to run an issue and I was not going to recommend that. It was not on the agenda originally, Kappy Hodges made the motion to add it… (it) was voted on to run a 63-cent operating revenue issue with a 10 year sunset and it was defeated 5 to 2,” Newhart said. “Then they turned around and made another motion to run a Prop C waiver and it was defeated 6 to 1. So there will not be a revenue issue on the April ballot.”
Newhart said the district is still approximately $7 million short in the budget and they are working to balance the budget for the 2018-2019 school year. Newhart adds budget reductions will be discussed further at the February 12th board meeting.
Photo courtesy American Red Cross of Northwest Missouri
A blood drive will be held Tuesday afternoon in St. Joseph amidst what the Red Cross is calling a critical donation shortage.
Ongoing severe winter weather has more than doubled the number of canceled American Red Cross blood drives and the resulting blood and platelet donation shortfall since earlier in the month.
According to a press release, the Red Cross considers the situation critical and is reissuing an urgent call for blood and platelet donors.
More than 550 blood drives have been forced to cancel due to winter weather in January, causing over 16,500 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected through last week. In addition, bitter cold and widespread flu have contributed to low turnout at many blood drives.
A blood drive will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23, at the Northwest Chapter of the Red Cross in St. Joseph at 401 N. 12th St.
Light snowfall has resulted in slick spots on area roadways – use caution and slow down if traveling this morning. Otherwise cloudy skies will give way to peaks of sunshine this afternoon. Look for a steady increase in temperatures to end the work week. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 36. Northwest wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. West wind 3 to 8 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 47. West wind 5 to 7 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. South wind around 7 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 56. South southwest wind 5 to 11 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 25.
Authorities are urging motorists to use caution Tuesday morning while driving on Easton Road.
According to Sgt. Brett Kelley with the St. Joseph Police Department, a car crashed into an electric pole overnight in the 2900 block of Easton Road. There were no injuries, but Sgt. Kelley said, as of 6:30 a.m., KCP&L was repairing the pole and one lane of the road would be closed until further notice.
Two people were killed and one seriously injured in a crash Friday afternoon in Daviess County.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 21-year-old Brent A. Murphy of St. Joseph was driving a Toyota Camry north on US 69 in Winston at 3:22 p.m. Friday. The vehicle crossed the center line, went off the south side of the road, hit a tree and came to rest on the tree.
Murphy and a passenger in the front seat, 37-year-old Nicole J. Burleson of St. Joseph, were pronounced deceased at the scene at 4 p.m. Another passenger, 25-year-old Devin A. Royle of St. Joseph, was transported to Truman Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries.
According to the crash report, none of the occupants were wearing seat belts.
Senate floor late Monday morning during the vote to end the Government shutdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the budget battle (all times local):
12:55 p.m.
It looks like the government shutdown will end soon.
The Senate has advanced a bill reopening federal agencies through Feb. 8 after Democrats relented and lifted their blockade against the legislation.
The shutdown began Saturday after Democrats derailed a Republican measure that would have kept government open until Feb. 16. Democrats wanted to pressure the GOP to cut a deal protecting young immigrants from deportation and boosting federal spending.
Moderates from both parties pressured leaders to end the shutdown and compromise.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats agreed to back the bill reopening government after he and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to begin debating an immigration bill by Feb. 8.
The Senate vote was 81-18 — well above the 60 votes needed. The Senate still must vote on final passage to send the bill to the House.
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12:35 p.m.
Senate leaders have reached an agreement to reopen the government.
Democrats have yielded and ended their delaying tactics against a bill financing federal agencies through Feb. 8.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says in exchange, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has agreed to begin debating immigration by that date.
McConnell says the end to the standoff shows “the American people didn’t understand” why Democrats shut down the government because they wanted to help “illegal immigrants.”
The Senate has started a vote to advance the bill reopening government. It is expected to pass easily, and House approval is expected later.
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt. Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at Missouri House Communications | Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – The U.S. Senate is expected to vote Monday on a three-week funding resolution that would reopen the federal government for business.
Republicans and Democrats have been clashing over items to include in the measure. Democrats want protection from deportation of more than 700,000 undocumented immigrants who came to America as children. Republicans want increased military funding, changes to immigration laws and funding for border security, including the wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, tells Fox News, Democrats should not be trying to resolve other issues through government spending.
“The number one responsibility of the federal government is to defend the country. With our important leadership in the world, it’s also to help do what we can to maintain a peaceful world. We’re not prepared to do that,” says Blunt. “We are asking young men and women to step forward and defend us without giving them what they need. We should never want an American service person to be in a fair fight. We want them to have every possible advantage and they are clearly moving away from that long advantage that they’ve had.”
Blunt, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, says Congress must stop passing short-term budgets.
“We need to get back to where we openly debate these appropriations bills and get them to the president’s desk one or two at a time, rather than every year have this issue that frankly empowers the minority leader in ways that shouldn’t happen,” says Blunt.
Western Missouri Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver tells CBS News he agrees that a long-term budget must be passed.
“We are in our third continuing resolution. That’s killing not only the military, it’s everybody else. Every time we do a continuing resolution, it means we continue the previous year’s funding level. That doesn’t factor in the cost of living,” says Cleaver. “It’s not indexed to anything. So, every time we pass a continuing resolution, it means there’s no funding increase for the military or anybody else. We need to figure out a way in which we can look at this as a time to put all of our energy into passing a budget. A budget. The most powerful nation on the planet has not had a budget in three years. That is insulting to the American public and everybody ought to be embarrassed who raised their hands and took the oath of office.”
Cleaver says the partisan blaming must end and lawmakers should work together.
“If you give me six Republicans and I’ll take six Democrats, they don’t even have to be in leadership, we’ll go in the bathroom and I think we can solve this matter. What we have right now is people in there fighting each other, trying to see who can better politicize this issue. It’s not helpful to the people in this country,” says Cleaver.
On Friday, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, was one of five red-state Democrats who voted in favor of keeping the government open. During the early hours of Saturday, McCaskill also moved for immediate Senate approval of a measure that would guarantee members of the military their pay, on time, and guarantee continued military death benefits during the shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, objected – leading to the proposal’s defeat.
McCaskill, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, says she is also donating her pay to charity and Eastern Missouri Republican Congresswoman Ann Wagner says she has requested to have her pay withheld during the shutdown. Southeast Missouri Republican Congressman Jason Smith says he will donate his pay to Missouri charities in his district while the government is closed.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Crews working with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad plan to close Route U (Alabama Street) in St. Joseph this week.
