By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

St. Joseph School Board President Seth Wright says voters sent a clear message with their overwhelming support of a 61-cent increase in the school levy.

“What it says to me is this community is ready to move forward,” Wright tells St. Joseph Post. “They’re ready to take a step forward. They’re ready to leave the past behind them.”

In November of 2017, voters soundly rejected a proposed tax increase of a $1.15.

This year, 7,819 voted in favor of the tax hike with 4,323 voting against, a margin of 64.4% to 35.6%.

School Superintendent Doug Van Zyl says now it’s the district’s responsibility to use the money wisely.

“And that’s what we’ve been saying from the beginning, just give us a chance, give us an opportunity to be able to show you the plan and now you have a plan in black-and-white that you can hold us accountable to,” Van Zyl tells St. Joseph Post. “And now it’s my administrative team and the board’s responsibility to stick to that and be able to move this district forward.”

Wright says the results overwhelmed him.

“My reaction is ‘wow.’ I mean, unbelievable how our community came out tonight, supporting our schools, supporting our community, supporting our teachers, our staff, and our students,” Wright says.

Van Zyl says the margin of victory really didn’t matter to him.

“To me, I’m just thankful it was one vote more than what we needed, because that’s what we needed in order for it to pass,” according to Van Zyl. “But I do think this helps send a message to our board and to our community that public schools are important and they want their students to be successful and they want this community to be successful and the margin of victory, I think, sends that message.”

There was a light turnout in Buchanan County with only 26.4% of the registered voters casting ballots at the polls.

A St. Joseph School District tax levy proposal was passed by voters on Tuesday.

With a 26.4% voter turnout, unofficial results Tuesday night show 7,819 ‘Yes’ votes and 4,323 ‘No’ votes.

The proposed 61-cent tax levy has a five-year sunset provision and the increase is projected to general $6.5 million. The district proposes using the money for teachers and staff, security upgrades, and operational costs.

Also Tuesday, Tami Pasley and Bryan Green won the two open seats on the St. Joseph School District Board of Education. Pasley received 7,502 votes and Green received 6,800.

For full results, go to the Buchanan County Clerk’s website.

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Very light turnout today for a light General Municipal Election ballot with one high-profile item to be decided.

Buchanan County Clerk Mary Baack-Garvey predicted a 40% voter turnout, but by 3pm, polling place officials reported only a 15% turnout so far.

“It’s very low compared to what I thought it was going to be,” Baack-Garvey tells St. Joseph Post. “I was still hoping we would hit 40%.  Now, it’s looking like we may not even hit 20% at this rate.”

Voters in the St. Joseph school district will decide a 61-cent tax levy increase which school officials say is necessary to attract and retain quality teachers. St. Joseph school board members will also be chosen, as well as other issues throughout the county.

Buchanan County poll workers reported slightly more than 4,000 voters cast ballots by 11 o’clock this morning, or 8.3% of the registered voters. By 3pm, 7,626 voters cast ballots, or 15.1%. Buchanan County has 50,642 registered voters.

Baack-Garvey is at a loss to explain the light turnout so far.

“The weather is great outside. Everybody has an election in the county to go vote on,” Baack-Garvey says. “I really don’t know why, maybe lack of interest or maybe people haven’t voted yet. They are still at work. So maybe there’s still hope.”

There is still time. Polls don’t close until 7 this evening.

“I highly recommend you get out there and voice your opinion on that ballot,” Baack-Garvey says. “This is your one time to have an opinion and it’s your right to vote and I wish everybody would get out there and do that.”

By SARAH THOMACK
St. Joseph Post

Tuesday’s General Municipal Election ballot is short, but Buchanan County Clerk Mary Baack-Garvey is predicting a 40% turnout at the polls.

“I think people are going to show up, it’s going to be a nice day and I just think this election is pretty darn important and I think they’re going to show up and cast their votes,” Baack-Garvey said.

Voters will cast a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ vote on the proposed 61-cent tax levy and they will be deciding on who will fill two open seats on the St. Joseph School District Board of Education.

Baack-Garvey said voters need a form of ID to get checked in to vote at their polling place.

“If they’re unsure as to where they need to go to vote, they should call our office and we will direct them to the correct polling location,” Baack-Garvey said. “Any questions that they have, I advise they should call us.”

Visit the Buchanan County Clerk’s Office website or call (816) 271-1412.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Voters in the St. Joseph school district will decide a 61-cent tax increase tomorrow.

St. Joseph School Superintendent Doug Van Zyl says the increase in the school levy is needed to stabilize the district’s finances. He says public opinion polling indicates voter favorability falls with anything larger than 65 cents.

“And it’s still probably going to be close the way it is,” Van Zyl says. “People don’t necessarily like to pay taxes, but 61 cents generates for us what we feel comfortable being able to say will at least get us through the five-year sunset portion of this.”

The levy increase does have a five-year sunset provision. Again, Van Zyl indicates any school tax increase won’t pass without a sunset provision.

The increase is projected to general $6.5 million. The district proposes using the money for teachers and staff, security upgrades, and operational costs.

Voters soundly rejected a proposal to increase the levy by $1.15 in November of 2017. More than 70% of the voters cast “No” ballots in that election, perceived by many as a referendum on past financial problems at the district.

St. Joseph School Board President Seth Wright says the district understands it must repair its image and a sunset clause is designed to be a step in that direction.

“Sunset clauses are really about accountability,” according to Wright. “We have a trust and credibility problem at the school district. There is no other way to put it, except to be a straight shooter about that and this is part of that plan to try to rebuild that trust and credibility over the next five years.”

Van Zyl says a 61-cent increase will allow him to address some issues on the stove top.

“Right now, there are just so many pots on top of the stove I can’t get them all to the front burner,” Van Zyl says. “This allows us to stabilize that and start addressing some of those things, behavioral issues and academic issues and attendance and the age of our buildings and the things that we need for safety and security above and beyond this.”

 

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The following is a listing of general highway maintenance and construction work the Missouri Department of Transportation has planned in the Northwest Missouri region for the week of April 1 – 7.

Continued flooding may cause schedule changes in some of the planned work. There may also be moving operations throughout the regions such as pothole patching, striping, signal work, etc., in addition to the work mentioned below:

Andrew County

• Route O – CLOSED at the Platte River Bridge for a bridge replacement project. The bridge will be closed until the end of September, weather permitting.
• Interstate 29 – Bridge maintenance at the Nodaway River Bridge, April 1 – 4
• Business Route 71 – Resurfacing project from Main Street in Savannah to just south of Interstate 29, April 4 – 5. The contractor will begin at the northern end of the project and work south in approximately two-mile sections. One lane, each direction will remain open at all times. This project will continue, Monday through Friday, through mid-May. A 14-foot width restriction will be in place around the lane closures.

Atchison County

• Route B – CLOSED for pothole patching from I-29 to U.S. Route 275, April 1 – 5

Buchanan County

• U.S. Route 36 – Joint repair between Route C/Z and Route 31 south, April 1 – 5. One lane each direction of U.S. Route 36 will remain open throughout the work. A 14-foot width restriction is in place.
• U.S. Route 59 – Pothole patching from Route 752 to U.S. Route 45, April 1 – 5
• Route 752 – Joint repair over I-229, April 1 – 5. One lane at a time will be closed throughout the work. A 17-foot width restriction is in place.
• Route H – Bridge inspection a the Platte River Bridge, April 1 – 5

Caldwell County

• Route 13 – Bridge maintenance at the Shoal Creek Bridge, April 1 – 5

Carroll County

• U.S. Route 65 – Bridge maintenance at the Wakenda Creek Bridge, April 1 – 5
• U.S. Route 65 – Bridge maintenance at the Missouri River Overflow Bridge, April 1 – 5

Chariton County

• U.S. Route 24 – Bridge maintenance at the Long Creek Bridge and Chariton River Bridge near Keytesville. The bridges will be narrowed to one lane with a 15-foot width restriction through May 31.
• Route D – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Tonka Lane to Route DD, April 1 – 2, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily
• Route D – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route DD to County Side Avenue, April 3, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route J – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from U.S. Route 24 to Jordan Road, April 4, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Daviess County

• Route 6 – Bridge maintenance at the Grand River Bridge, April 1 – 4
• Route Z – Bridge inspection at the Grand River Bridge, April 1 – 5

DeKalb County

• U.S. Route 169 – CLOSED at the Third Fork Platte River Bridge for a bridge replacement project. The contractor plans to have work completed by July, weather permitting. Motorists should follow detour signs along Routes 48 and M to navigate around the closure. For more information visit the project’s web page.

Gentry County

• U.S. Route 136 – Pothole patching from the Harrison County line to Route C, April 2 – 3
• U.S. Route 136 – Pothole patching from Route C to Route F, April 4 – 5

Grundy County

• Route C – Bridge inspection at the Weldon Fork Creek, April 1 – 5

Harrison County

• U.S. Route 136 – Pothole patching, April 1
• I-35 – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 136 to Route C, April 4 – 5. A 14-foot width restriction is in place.

Holt County

• Route A – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 71 (Nodaway County) to Route 113, April 1
• Route A – Bridge maintenance at the Nodaway River Bridge, April 1 – 4

Linn County

• U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair from the Mussel Fork Bridge (Macon County) to Route 129, April 1 – 4
• U.S. Route 36 – Pothole patching from the Macon County line to Route 139, April 1 – 5

Nodaway County

• Route A – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 71 to Route 113 (Holt County), April 1
• U.S. Route 136 – Bridge maintenance at the Mozingo Creek Bridge, April 1 – 2. This includes a 10-foot width restriction. A temporary traffic signal will be in place to direct motorisists through the work zone.
• Route MM – Driveway entrance repairs from U.S. Route 136 to 270th Street, April 2
• Route 46 – Pothole patching from the city limits of Maryville to Route 113, April 3
• Route NN – Bridge maintenance at the Platte River Bridge, April 3 – 5. This includes a 9-foot width restriction. A temporary traffic signal will be in place to direct motorists through the work zone.
• Route A – Driveway entrance repair just east of Route ZZ, April 4 – 5

Sullivan County

• Route 139 – CLOSED at the Newtown Branch Bridge for a bridge replacement project. The contractor plans to have work completed mid-April, weather permitting. For more information, click here.
• Route PP – CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE at the East Medicine Creek Bridge after a regularly scheduled inspection revealed critical deterioration to the structure. The bridge is currently scheduled for replacement in fiscal year 2020. For more information, click here.
• Route D – Drainage work from Maryland Road north 2.5 miles north of Maryland Road, April 1 – 5

Worth County

• Route YY – CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE at the Middle Fork of the Grand River after a regularly scheduled inspection revealed critical deterioration to the structure. The bridge is currently scheduled for replacement in fiscal year 2021. For more information, click here.
• Route 246 – Pothole patching, April 1 – 2
• Route F – Drainage work two miles south of the Iowa state line, April 3 – 5

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

United States Sen. Roy Blunt came to St. Joseph to attend the Special Olympics Missouri Indoor Games.

Blunt remembers pushing through the “healthy athletes” initiative which provided routine health examinations for Special Olympians, such as eye screenings. He says he heard about the impact of the initiative while on a college campus which sponsored a Special Olympics event.

“Some young man walked up to me who had just gotten glasses that day, probably in his early 20s, and he said, ‘Man, softball’s a lot easier if there is only one ball,’” Blunt recalls with a chuckle. “He had been playing this sport for years as a Special Olympic athlete and nobody had ever caught the fact, and he wasn’t able to quite communicate the fact, that he was not seeing the ball like other people were seeing it. He didn’t know he wasn’t seeing it like other people were seeing it.”

The Special Olympics Missouri Indoor Games being held this weekend at the Southside Family Fun Center on King Hill Avenue in St. Joseph incorporates basketball and bowling.

Blunt has long supported Special Olympics and, as chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies he championed federal funding for Special Olympics.

Blunt is not surprised President Donald Trump rejected a proposal from his administration to cut $17.6 million dollars in federal funding for Special Olympics.

Blunt says the proposed cut was a non-starter in Congress.

“Again, it’s a very small part of Special Olympics’ total funding, but still important,” Blunt says. “And, I said we’re clearly not going to eliminate Special Olympics funding and the president the next day agreed with me and said, I think this is a great program, I think my staff’s wrong, and of course we’re going to continue to recommend that Special Olympics be funded at this small federal level that is has been in recent years”

 

By SARAH THOMACK
St. Joseph Post

Opening Day will be Friday for a renovated movie theater in Atchison.

Atchison Chamber of Commerce President Jacque Pregont said the Fox Theatre Atchison underwent a restoration project and there are three individual theaters within the building.

“There’s one downstairs and there’s another one upstairs and those both seat 120-140 people and then there’s a real small theater that just seats about 20… we’ll have three films in it this Friday when it opens, but it can also be used for a private event,” Pregont said. “(It has) fantastic comfortable seats, it’s just beautiful to see an old building brought back to life and we’re so excited to have a movie theater open again in town.”

Showing this weekend will be Dumbo, Captain Marvel and How to Train Your Dragon 3. For more information about Fox Theatre Atchison, visit their Facebook page.