The St. Joseph Police Department has identified the man killed in a shooting early Saturday morning.

As previously reported, shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday, in the 700 block of North 23rd Street in St. Joseph, a man in his mid-20s was shot. The man was transported to Mosaic Life Care where he later died as a result of his injuries.

Police identified the man as 26-year-old Donovan L. Smith.

According to Capt. Jeff Wilson the investigation is ongoing and there are no further updates at this time.

(UPDATE 9 a.m. Monday) At least one person was arrested after a multiple vehicle crash after a pursuit Sunday afternoon in St. Joseph.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, shortly after noon on Sunday, 17-year-old Travon D. Simmons of Kansas City, Missouri, was driving a Dodge Charger on I-29. According to the crash report, Simmons had previously been involved in a pursuit with the Highway Patrol. Simmons exited southbound I-29 and attempted to turn left to go east on Frederick when the vehicle began skidding. A Ford F-150 was heading east on Frederick and Simmons’ Charger hit the truck, which then hit a Chevy Cruze. The Charger then spun around and hit the car.

According to an arrest report, Simmons was later arrested for investigative charges of tampering with a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident and resisting arrest by fleeing.

According to online court documents, Simmons is charged in Buchanan County with a class-D felony of first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. An arraignment is scheduled for Friday.

The driver of the Chevy Cruze and three passengers in the car were taken to Mosaic Life Care for treatment of moderate injuries. A passenger in the Ford F-150 was also transported to the hospital for treatment of moderate injuries.

We will continue updating this post as we learn more.

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(3:13 p.m.) According to a Nixle alert from the St. Joseph Police Department, Frederick Avenue at I-29 is back open for traffic.

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St. Joseph Police are asking motorists to avoid the area of Frederick Avenue at I-29 due to a traffic accident.

According to a Nixle alert issued at 12:36 p.m. Sunday, police asked motorists to avoid the area until further notice.

We will update this post as we learn more.

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 Oct. 30 – Nov. 5 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.

 

Atchison County

• U.S. Route 136 – CLOSED at the Little Tarkio Creek for a bridge replacement project. The road will remain closed through December.
• Route 275 – Drainage and shoulder work from U.S. Route 136 to Red Star Road, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3

Buchanan County

• Route DD – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the bridge over Interstate 29 at Faucett at Exit 35. The bridge will remain closed through mid-November.
• U.S. Route 371 – Drainage work from Bush Road to Moore Road, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3
• Route 759 – Shoulder work, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3
• U.S. Route 36 – CLOSED for electrical work eastbound U.S. Route 36 at 9^th and 10^th Streets, Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Chariton County

• Route KK – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Cazzell Road to Flat Road, Oct. 30, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route W – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from County Road 1040 to County Road 1045 (Randolph County), Oct. 31, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Daviess County

• I-35 – Pavement repair, Oct. 30 – Nov. 2

DeKalb County

• Route EE – Milling and pothole patching, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3

Grundy County

• Route AA – Drainage work, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3

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.

Linn County

• Route C – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route V to Route 11, Oct. 31, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Livingston County

• Route D – CLOSED for railroad maintenance in the city limits of Ludlow, Oct. 31 – Nov. 1. This will be an overnight closure and the road should reopen by 2 p.m. on Nov. 1

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.
• U.S. Route 136 – Bridge maintenance at the West Medicine Creek Bridge, Oct. 30 – Nov. 2

Nodaway County

• Route YY – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Almond Street to 155^th Street, Oct. 30, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Route 46 – Shoulder work from the west city limits of Maryville to the Atchison County line, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3
• Route M – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 71 to Route N, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3
• Route KK – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route D to the Iowa state line, Oct. 31, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Route JJ – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route FF and Imperial Road, Nov. 3, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Putnam County

• U.S. Route 136 – Shoulder work, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3

Worth County

• U.S. Route 169 – Guardrail work one mile south of Route 46, Oct. 31 – Nov. 1

Fish will be stocked this week at the Krug Park Lagoon.

According to the City of St. Joseph Park’s Department, on Wednesday from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. the Missouri Department of Conservation will be stocking the lagoon with trout. Kids are invited to see, touch and learn about the fish before they are placed into the lagoon.

For more information follow the parks department on Facebook HERE.

(news release) JEFFERSON CITY – To prepare for the winter months the Missouri Department of Transportation is stocking salt and preparing equipment. To test crews’ readiness, MoDOT will hold a statewide drill on Thursday.

The drill tests MoDOT’s winter battle plan to ensure its readiness to get travelers back on Missouri roadways as quickly as possible after winter storms.

“Over 3,200 MoDOT employees are involved in our winter operations, including every maintenance crew across the state,” said State Maintenance Engineer Becky Allmeroth. “The annual drill helps to make sure we all know our roles during a storm, and we can do our jobs successfully.”

During the drill, MoDOT employees will react to a simulated forecast of significant snow for the entire state. The department’s emergency operations centers will activate and maintenance employees will be deployed to MoDOT’s 1,500 trucks. Emergency communications systems will also be tested.

“One of the most valuable parts of the drill is to measure our snowplow assignments by driving routes we may have modified since the previous winter season. As we open new roads and lanes we must modify our snow removal plans.” said Allmeroth. “It also allows our newest snow fighters the opportunity to drive a snowplow over some of their proposed routes so they are aware of obstacles and obstructions that might be hidden in a storm by snow or ice such as curbs and raised islands.”

Motorists may notice increased numbers of MoDOT vehicles on state routes during the drill. In rural areas, crews will deploy after 8 a.m. In urban areas, the drill will not begin until after 9 a.m. The exercise should be completed by 3 p.m.

The drill isn’t the only element to MoDOT’s winter weather operations. All maintenance employees complete an annual winter skills training that serves as a refresher course for plowing snow. The training assures that proper equipment operation, plowing techniques and safety measures are fresh on employees’ minds as winter approaches. Every piece of equipment – every truck, motor grader, snow blower, and tractor – is inspected to ensure proper operation.

“Our ultimate goal is to handle the first snowfall like we’ve been plowing snow all year,” said Allmeroth. “Careful planning and preparation mean our crews can mobilize when needed and our equipment will be ready.”

The Missouri Department of Transportation annually spends an average of $45 million to keep roads clear in the winter and help ensure motorists get to their destinations safely and quickly. For information on road conditions across the state, safe traveling tips, and other winter weather information, visit www.modot.org.

Some changes to the fifth annual Outlaw Film Festival in St. Joseph this year will include a change of venue.

The festival will be screening films on the Missouri Western State University campus and at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art.

Executive Director of the Outlaw Film Festival Lisa Erdman said in the past few years, Missouri Western’s 48-Hour Film Festival took place around the same time as the Outlaw Film Festival. 

“We always thought that it would make sense for us to work together and last year, Robert Hanson at Missouri Western and I started having a conversation about joining the two film festivals and we decided to make this our first year, so we’re very excited about that,” Erdman said. “In years past, we’ve always had the film festival downtown at Paradox Coffee and Theatre, which we loved, however, it was limiting us on space and screens, so this year we’ll be screening films at both Potter Hall at Missouri Western and the theater in Albrecht-Kemper Museum.”

Erdman said this year the film festival will include a special presentation to the family of Johnny Cathcart. 

“Johnny Cathcart was a St. Joseph native, a filmmaker who passed away, unfortunately, this year,” Erdman said. “He had submitted films to our film festival in the past and had won an award and gave a really inspirational commentary during our awards ceremony one year and we’re very big fans of his. So we’re honoring him this year with a Visionary Award.” 

Approximately 100 films were submitted this year and 64 were chosen for screening.

The Outlaw film festival takes place Thursday, Nov.2, through Saturday, Nov. 4th. 

For more information and a schedule, click here.

(News release) – The sixth annual Walk for the Homeless will be held on Friday, Nov. 3 in downtown St. Joseph. Registration begins at 4 p.m. at Sixth and Messanie Streets, with the walk beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The walk will follow the migration path followed by the homeless to access services in downtown St. Joseph. The walk raises awareness and funds for the Social Welfare Board’s Home Unit to help the homeless in our area with transportation costs, medical expenses, job searching and miscellaneous needs.

Register in advance by visiting www.socialwelfareboard.org and clicking on the Walk for the Homeless link at the bottom of the page. Participants donating $15 or more will receive a t-shirt.

The Walk for the Homeless is co-sponsored by the Missouri Western State University Organization of Student Social Workers; Missouri Western’s Department of Criminal Justice, Legal Studies and Social Work; and several community organizations and businesses.

A jury trial has been set in Clinton County for one of two men accused of murdering a man they allegedly thought to be a “snitch”.

As we previously reported, Joseph “Chaos” Seward and Micha Wynes are each charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Donald “DC” Hadden. Seward is also charged with armed criminal action.

Earlier this year, skeletal remains of Hadden were found by a resident near Cannonball Road and Missouri Highway 33 in Clinton County. Hadden was reported missing in 2015. According to court affidavits, the victim was a heroin user who was believed by his accused killers of being a confidential informant, a “snitch.” They believed Hadden stole identification, cash and drugs from fourth man, while that man was suffering from a heroin overdose. The defendants allegedly offered to “get DC to a bus station to get him out of town,” but “DC responded that he wasn’t going anywhere” and that “he wasn’t going to run.” Then, according to the affidavit, they drove around “in the middle of nowhere” until they ran out of gas. In an interview with investigators, Seward allegedly told authorities he saw Wynes shoot Hadden.

According to online court documents, last week a jury trial was set for May 2, 2018 for Wynes. Friday, a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Seward for Dec. 6.