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Multiple arrests after separate stolen vehicle crashes over the weekend

One woman is in custody after crashing a stolen vehicle early Monday morning.

According to the St. Joseph Police Department, shortly before 2 a.m., a vehicle was stolen in the area of Binswanger and Block Streets and crashed about a block later.

A woman was arrested for investigative charges.

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Two people are in custody after crashing a stolen car on Frederick Avenue Sunday afternoon.

According to the St. Joseph Police Department, around 1:30 p.m., an officer attempted to stop a silver Pontiac which drove off at a high rate of speed. A short time later it was reported that the Pontiac had crashed into another vehicle and then hit Frederick Inn Steakhouse at 1627 Frederick Ave. The car reportedly was on fire after the crash, but the flames were extinguished before damaging the building.

According to police, the car was believed to be stolen. The occupants of the vehicle, a male and a female, attempted to leave the scene but were later taken into custody.

Sunny and breezy with temps in the 60s

Warm and windy conditions will be the story today, with highs in the 60s in most areas. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 62. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 14 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. South southwest wind 7 to 14 mph becoming west northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 48. North northwest wind 8 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 21. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 42. Light and variable wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 55.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 55.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.

 

Planned road work for northwest Missouri, Nov. 20 – 26

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 Nov. 20 – 26 from the Missouri Department of Transportation. In addition to the work listed below, there may be pothole patching, bridge maintenance, striping, brush cutting, mowing, 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 will halt temporary lane closures throughout the state to accommodate an increase in traffic due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Most temporary lane closures will stop at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 22, and resume again Monday morning, Nov. 27.

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 at www.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.

Andrew County

  • U.S. Route 71 – Pothole patching from Route B to Route U (Nodaway County), Nov. 20 – 21

Atchison County

  • Interstate 29 – Pothole patching, Nov. 20
  • Routes M and N – CLOSED in two-mile sections for a resurfacing project, Nov. 20 – 22, 24, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
  • U.S. Route 59 – Pothole patching, Nov. 21
  • U.S. Route 136 – Pothole patching from Route M to the Brownville Bridge, Nov. 22

Buchanan County

  • I-29 Striping on the ramps to Route DD at Exit 35 (Faucett), Nov. 20
  • U.S. Route 36 – CLOSED for sign installation at the ramp from westbound U.S. Route 36 to northbound I-229, Nov. 20, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Route A – Shoulder work from I-229 to Route 371, Nov. 20 – 22
  • Route 371 – Shoulder work from Route 752 to the Platte County line, Nov. 20 – 22
  • U.S. Route 36 – Sign installation on westbound U.S. Route 36 at the I-229 interchange, Nov. 21, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The driving and passing lanes will be closed and traffic will be directed through the intersection using the turn lane.

Carroll County

  • Route KK – Drainage work from County Road 101 to County Road 121, Nov. 20 – 22
  • Route W – Drainage work from County Road 191 to County Road 209, Nov. 20 – 22

Chariton County

  • Route FF – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Indian Grove Road to Enyeart Road, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Route KK – Shoulder work just south of U.S. Route 24, Nov. 22

DeKalb County

  • U.S. Route 36 – Drainage work one mile west of Route J, Nov. 20 – 22

Gentry County

  • Route FF – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 615th Road to 610thRoad, Nov. 20, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Grundy County

  • U.S. Route 65 & Route 6 – Pothole patching, Nov. 20 – 21
  • U.S. Business Route 65 – Drainage work in the city limits of Trenton, Nov. 20 – 22

Harrison County

  • Route Z – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 69 to the end of state maintenance, Nov. 20 – 22

Holt County

  • Route 118 – The ramp from Route 118 to southbound I-29 is CLOSED for the Davis Creek Bridge replacement project through mid-December.
  • I-29 – Bridge replacement project at the Davis Creek Bridge near Exit 84. I-29 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction. This includes a 12-foot width restriction. The lane closures will remain in place through mid-December.
  • I-29 – Pavement repair southbound from mile marker 99 (Corning Exit) to mile marker 84 (Mound City), Nov. 20 – 22, 24 – 25

Linn County

  • U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair eastbound from Route F to Route 5, Nov. 20 – 21. This includes an overnight lane closure.
  • U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair westbound from the Mussel Fork Bridge (Macon County) to Route 129, Nov. 21 – 22. This includes an overnight lane closure.

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.
  • Route M – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Bugle/Buck Avenue to Bronco Place, Nov. 20, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Nodaway County

  • U.S. Route 71 – Pothole patching from Route B (Andrew County) to Route U, Nov. 20 – 21
  • U.S. Route 71 – Signal and intersection work at Main Street in Maryville. Most work will be off the roadway, but there may be some lane closures with flaggers at the intersection, Nov. 20 – 22, 24 – 25

Putnam County

  • Route NN – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 120th Street to 135thStreet, Nov. 20, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Route EE – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route BB to Route K, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Route 129 – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route CC to Route Y, Nov. 22, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sullivan County

  • Routes K, TT, W, WW and ZZ – Pothole patching, Nov. 20 – 22

Worth County

  • Route 246 – Shoulder work, Nov. 20 – 22

Northwest professor contributes to book project

Dr. Katsion. Photo courtesy Northwest Missouri State University.

Two chapters authored by Dr. John Katsion, associate professor of communication at Northwest Missouri State University, are being published in an upcoming book, “Communication in the Classroom: A Collection of GIFTS.”

According to a press release, the book is a compilation of more than 100 Great Ideas for Teaching Students, or G.I.F.T.S.

Katsion contributed text about a classroom activity for teaching the concept of power dynamics within a small group. He also submitted an idea for teaching non-verbal communication that aims to help students understand the way nonverbal immediacy cues work and uses an episode of TV’s “The Bachelor.”

Both of these teaching activities were ones I created while teaching at Northwest,” Katsion said. “I was asked to submit G.I.F.T.S. that I presented at various conference for this book project, along with a lot of other scholars in communication studies. Thankfully, two of my activities were chosen out of a very large pool of great ideas.”

Katsion joined the Northwest faculty in 2010 and teaches communication courses. He taught previously at Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal, Missouri, and at Multnomah University in Portland, Oregon. He has a Ph.D. in communication studies from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia; a master’s degree in speech communication from Minnesota State University, Mankato; and a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, Minnesota.

Bike share program working on improvements

Pony Express Bike Share Program bikes are currently undergoing repairs and should be back out in a couple weeks.

The Pony Express Bike Share program has experienced both good times and flat tires in its first few months.

The program launched in August as a free program allowing people to borrow bikes from a rack and take short trips within St. Joseph.

Health Educator with the City of St. Joseph Health Department Nancy Taylor said they’ve heard positive feedback from people enjoying the bikes, but the biggest issues so far with the program have been maintenance related.

“We’re running across some issues with flat tires and some other maintenance problems, loose handlebars and pedals, things of that nature,” Taylor said. “So we’ve pulled the fleet, we have over 30 bikes back in the shop and we’re doing some extended maintenance based on some suggestions from the folks with Green Apple Bikes that we are modeling our bike share program after, there in Manhattan, Kansas.”

Taylor said they plan to put out a reduced number of bikes as the “winter fleet” in the next couple of weeks. In the spring, they plan to add more bikes with better quality tires and Taylor said they’re learning as they go with the program.

Taylor said the program got started with a Healthy Eating Active Living grant through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. From there, local businesses sponsored or adopted bike racks. Taylor said expanding the bike program to more locations in St. Joseph depends on sponsorships.

“A business or organization would adopt a bike rack and the bikes that go with it,” Taylor said. “So every year your sponsorship would pay for the repairs to replace parts or whatever for those six bikes and then it would buy six more bikes that next coming year and then to help some of the other operational costs that may be incurred with running the program.”

Taylor said, in reference to some initial reactions to the program, so far, stolen bikes do not seem to be a big issue.

“Our theft prevention is really the citizens in our community, they’ve done a great job of calling, texting the phone number, sometimes the police, when they see a bike abandoned or… needs to be repaired,” Taylor said. “We feel pretty good about the program. I’m not really concerned that just because the bike racks are empty, doesn’t mean that they’re stolen. I think it’s just they’re being used.”

Taylor said community members have also used the phone number on the bike to voice their appreciation.

“They’re just really thankful that we’re able to offer this to our community so that’s been really good to hear the feedback from that. People have posted pictures on our Facebook page (saying) they haven’t been on a bike in a long time or they just think it’s really cool, so we’ve gotten lots of good feedback,” Taylor said. “(Also) we’ve identified, through this program, that there is a large need for people that are needing bikes as a regular means of transportation to get around town.”

For more information on the bike program, click here.

Northwest graphic design student adds to community art with mural

Emily Stark downtown Maryville mural Nov. 14, 2017 (Photo by Todd Weddle | Northwest Missouri University)

Maryville, Mo. – A Northwest Missouri State University student was inspired to create a mural this fall in downtown Maryville after a summer internship that exposed her to public artwork.

Emily Stark, a senior graphic design major from Holt, Missouri, painted the mural on the exterior wall of Northwest Audio Visual, on Market Street near the downtown square.

“I tend to gravitate toward drawing women a lot, and I just sort of wanted to have something that looked hopeful,” Stark said, adding the title of her mural is “Nurture and Grow.” “I want to plant a seed in Maryville that will nurture and grow the artistic community within the city.”

The mural is Stark’s senior show, a requirement of art majors to display a final piece of artwork prior to graduating.

Stark decided to create the mural after she interned during the summer with InterUrban ArtHouse in Overland Park, Kansas, and saw a need in Maryville for more murals and public artwork. She interned with muralist Nicole Emanuel and mosaic artist Julie Forsyth, and the internship provided her with experiences in design, website management and social media. She assisted on three public art collaborations, including a 16-foot mosaic mural installation.

The mural was Stark’s first experience working with a mosaic, and Forsyth taught her how to work with the materials.

“Throughout the duration of these projects I just I fell in love with public art,” Stark said. “I was incredibly inspired and motivated by the talent and passion of both Nicole and Julie, which led me to want to create a public art piece of my own. If I had not done the internship, the thought to paint this mural in Maryville probably never would have occurred to me.

To create the mural, Stark completed a series of approval processes. She contacted Joyce Cronin, president of the Maryville Public Arts Committee (MPAC), who helped Stark push to get the project approved and find a location. They met with Maryville City Manager Greg McDanel, who viewed Stark’s sketches and ideas and approved the project. Cronin and MPAC contacted several local businesses, and Northwest Audio Visual agreed to provide an exterior space for the mural.

Stark says she has gained experience beyond displaying her artistic talents and developed more confidence as an artist.

“The process of gaining approval taught me a lot about being able to advocate for myself as an artist and the ability to demonstrate the confidence and pride that I have my work,” Stark said.

Emily will host her senior show from 2 to 4 p.m.Saturday, Nov. 18 at the completed mural at 202 E. Third St. in Maryville.

Driver sentenced for crash that killed four

Skylar Lucas-Cox

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP, Post Staff) — The driver of a stolen vehicle involved in a crash that killed four people has been sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Eighteen-year-old Skylar Lucas-Cox was sentenced Friday for two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of second-degree assault. As previously reported, he pleaded guilty in September.

Lucas-Cox told the judge he was driving a stolen car that collided with a pickup truck on Riverside Road near Cook Road in St. Joseph on April 14. The crash claimed the lives of Karlo Ginn, Dayton Crockett, Dasean Darden and Javion Thompson. Court documents assert that after the crash, Lucas-Cox tested positive for cocaine, marijuana and benzodiazepines.

The judge sentenced Lucas-Cox to eight years for each count of manslaughter and six years for assault. He could be eligible for probation after the first eight-year sentence.

SJPD asking for help identifying person of interest

The St. Joseph Police Department is asking for help identifying a person of interest in a financial crime investigation.

According to Detective Chase Cotter with the police department, the person or persons pictured were involved in a financial crime that occurred between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m. at the North Belt Walmart and Sam’s Club gas station on Oct. 27.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Cotter at (816) 236-1456.

Chance of rain with a high near 65

A warm but wet Friday will greet you as you head out the door this morning. Temperatures overnight have risen into the 50s and will continue to rise into the 60s this afternoon. Drizzle or light rain showers will be possible through the day today before a break this evening. However, late tonight, light rain will move back into the area. Showers will continue into Saturday morning before finally clearing out by Saturday afternoon. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: A chance of showers or drizzle, mainly before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 65. South wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Rain likely, mainly after 3 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. Breezy, with a southwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming north northwest 18 to 23 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday: A chance of showers before noon. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 48. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 17 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 28. Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 51. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 58.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 45.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Thanksgiving Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.

 

Downtown parking garage almost ready to open

Parking garage and retail space under construction at 9th and Felix in St. Joseph.

The parking garage in downtown St. Joseph is scheduled to open at the beginning of January. 

That’s according to St. Joseph City Manager Bruce Woody who said they are starting to put the final touches on the new parking garage, finish up tenant space and work on the restoration of the roads on three sides of the building at 9th and Felix.

“It’s been, certainly, an inconvenience, understandably, for the circulation downtown and, more importantly, to some of the businesses that are immediately nearby and adjacent… we certainly appreciate their patience and tolerance as that’s occurred,” Woody said. “In the early stages of designing the whole concept… I was excited about two things. Number one, elevating the parking spaces and returning some retail to that first floor. Number two, the aesthetics of the outside of the building, bringing back brick, something we lost too much of during urban renewal and getting rid of some of the 70s, 80s look that kind of cluttered downtown.” 

Woody said by Thanksgiving they anticipate having at least one or two of the roads around the building back open.

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