The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is giving away toys to any parents or grandparents in need of gifts this holiday season.

Sheriff Steve Cox said due to some generous area residents and businesses, the Sheriff’s Office has toys and stuffed animals available for anyone who may need them.

“Some people that we became friends with and an area business or two wanted to give us some things to help out however we could use them,” Cox said. “We had a staff meeting and decided that we wanted to have a open toy and stuffed animal give away. Hopefully we can help some people make some lifelong memories.”

The toys are new and unwrapped and for children approximately age seven and under. They are available to pick up between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Sheriff’s Office at 901 Webster St. in Chillicothe. Sheriff Cox said they are giving away the toys until they are gone.

The Sheriff’s Office said all they ask is that anyone coming to the office for toys be a Livingston County resident, come without children and pick out two toys and two stuffed animals for each child.

The Sheriff’s Office also does a Secret Santa program every year for people who are going through difficult times. Sheriff Cox said they work to build relationships with people in the community and help others through their holiday programs.

“Honestly it probably is more therapeutic for our staff than the people that we help,” Cox said. “Every day we often see the worst in humanity, people at their worst, people with huge problems, those kinds of things, but with this, I think it’s touched every deputy’s soul… it’s just refreshing and rewarding and really makes us appreciate our job.”

For more information, contact the Sheriff’s Office at (660) 646-0515 or go to their Facebook page.

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 Dec. 18 – 24 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 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.

Atchison County

• U.S. Route 59 – Shoulder work from the city limits of Tarkio to the Iowa state line, Dec. 18 – 22

Buchanan County

• U.S. Route 36 – CLOSED for sign installation at the ramp from westbound U.S. Route 36 to northbound Interstate 229, Dec. 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• I-29 – Bridge maintenance at the U.S. Route 36 overpass, Dec. 18 – 22
• Route JJ – Sealing, Dec. 18 – 22

Chariton County

• Route F – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from U.S. Route 24 to Route M, Dec. 18 – 20, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Clinton County

• Route Z – Shoulder repair from U.S. Route 169 to the Clay County line, Dec. 18
• Route 33 – Drainage work from Route PP to Isley Road, Dec. 19 – 22. A temporary traffic signal has been installed to direct motorists.

Daviess County

• Route O – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Quick Avenue to the end of state maintenance, Dec. 18 – 20, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
• Route T – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route AA to 110^thStreet, Dec. 19, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Harrison County

• Route 13 – Shoulder work from the city limits of Bethany to Route H, Dec. 19 – 21

Linn County

• U.S. Route 36 – Shoulder work from Route 11 to the West Yellow Creek Bridge, Dec. 18
• U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair westbound from Route F to Route 11, Dec. 18 – 19. This includes an overnight lane closure.
• Route V – Pothole patching from Route M to Route C, Dec. 18 – 19
• U.S. Route 36 – Sealing eastbound from Route F to Route 5, Dec. 20.

Mercer County

• U.S. Route 136 − CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the Muddy Creek Bridge. The road will be closed through February 2018.

Nodaway County

• Route N – Drainage work from 300^th Street to 310^th Street, Dec. 18
• U.S. Route 136 – Drainage work from Route 46 to Olympic Road, Dec. 18 – 19
• Route C – Shoulder and drainage work, Dec. 18 – 20
• Route AH – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route VV to 370^thStreet, Dec. 20 – 21, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
• Route 246 – Pothole patching from Route 46 (Worth County) to Route E, Dec. 21 – 22

Worth County

• Routes E, K and Z – Shoulder work, Dec. 18 – 20
• Route 246 – Pothole patching from Route 46 to Route E (Nodaway County), Dec. 21 – 22

Northwest Missouri State University awarded 495 bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and education specialist certificates Friday during its winter commencement ceremonies.

“Take the time to get to know your new colleagues, or just the folks you will interview with, as you venture into your first postgraduate positions,” Bilal Clarance said during his address to the graduates. “Listen and learn from anyone and everyone you can, from your manager to your peers. And when entry-level people like yourselves join, do not discard them, especially as you advance in your career, because if your heart is open you will learn from them as well.”

Clarance, a 2005 Northwest alumnus and software engineering manager at a Silicon Valley technology giant, reflected on his career, having found professional success as a co-founder and developer with several tech start-ups. A native of Copenhagen, Denmark, he came to Northwest as an international student and was a member of a Bearcat basketball team that advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight and was inducted into Northwest’s M-Club Hall of Fame. He continued his basketball career after earning his college degree, playing for clubs throughout Europe and he captained the Danish men’s national team.

Reflecting on Clarance’s message during his own remarks, Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski encouraged graduates to make Northwest proud and “contribute to the societal good” as they enter the workforce.

“It’s making sure that we connect, not just as Bearcats but with people worldwide,” Jasinski said. “In this day and age, Bearcats learning, connecting, caring and especially practicing civility and showing pride is more important now than ever before. Your diploma is testament to your decision to live and work as an educated person. Our society needs you now more than ever.”

Geographically, 51 percent of the graduates were Missouri residents, and another 34 percent hailed from Iowa and Nebraska. International graduates represented the countries of Argentina, Colombia, Germany, Nepal and India.

Members of the graduating class ranged in age from 20 to 69.

The Saint Joseph Community Chorus will hold two Christmas performances on Sunday and Monday.

President of the Board of Directors with the Community Chorus Janet Steury said Christmas at the Cathedral will be an event for all ages to get into the holiday season.

“This is going to be such an amazing concert. We have a beautiful selection, very familiar Christmas carols, many of them however are in little bit different arrangements than people are used to hearing and I think that’s going to be something spectacular,” Steury said. “We also have two Christmas carols that everyone in the congregation is going to sing and we’ve added some of the descants and different things that the chorus will be doing. I think it’s just going to be so much fun because everybody loves to sing carols and this is going to be a great opportunity.”

Tickets will be available at the door. The performances will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday and at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, 519 North Tenth Street.

A St. Joseph School District employee has been charged with sodomy.

The school district said it was notified late Friday that 27-year-old Cole Charboneau was arrested and charged for “allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a student.”

According to online court documents, Charboneau is charged with first degree statutory sodomy with a minor, a felony.

According to a statement from School Superintendent Dr. Robert Newhart, the district learned of an accusation against Charboneau on Nov. 17, 2017. The district immediately notified Missouri’s Family Support Division and place Charboneau on paid administrative leave pending further investigation. He has remained on leave.

“District employees, in accordance with our policy on staff/student relations, are expected to maintain courteous and professional relationships with students. All staff members have a responsibility to provide an atmosphere conducive to learning through consistently and fairly applied discipline and the maintenance of physical and emotional boundaries with students,” Newhart said. “Student safety is a primary concern for the district and we are fully cooperating with the St. Joseph Police Department during this investigation.”

Charboneau was jailed on $50,000 bond. A court date is set for December 19.

The annual fruit sale fundraiser by the St. Joseph Host Lions Club is underway.

The sale includes oranges, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Gala apples and Texas grapefruit. The fruit is available by the case or mixed cases.

Jacob Dillon with the Host Lions Club said proceeds from the fundraiser return to the local community.

“Eye research is our big thing… Our proceeds go to scholarships, specifically Missouri Western, for visually impaired and then as well as needy people who can’t afford glasses in the local community,” Dillon said. “Then we also donate to eye research centers owned by the Host Lions Club in Columbia, Missouri, but always… eye research (is) the original mission still going forward today.”

The Host Lions will have their trailer set up on the south side of the East Hills Mall parking lot along Woodbine Road next to the St. Joseph Public Library.

Doors will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The fundraiser runs through Saturday, December 23.

This is the last weekend shoppers can collect tickets in the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce’s Shop St. Joseph campaign.

The shopping program is designed to encourage residents to do their holiday shopping locally. One shopper will win a $10,000 grand prize. Shoppers also have a chance to win second-chance prizes from participating merchants. The last day to collect tickets is Monday, Dec. 18.

No purchase is required to win. Customers may receive one free ticket for visiting any participating merchant and one additional ticket for every $10 increment of purchase. A maximum of 100 tickets may be issued per transaction. To see a full list of rules, click here.

The numbers will be drawn at the Chamber office (drawing is closed to the public) and then announced through KQTV, Eagle Radio, the St. Joseph News-Press, FOX 26 KNPN, as well as posted on the Chamber’s website, www.saintjoseph.com, and on the office door at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Once a ticket has been announced for the grand prize, the winner has 24 hours to claim their prize before another number is announced. Only one number will be drawn for secondary prizes and those numbers will not be released until the $10,000 is given away to avoid confusion.