The Brown County Sheriff’s Office has a new K-9 vehicle to aid in drug enforcement efforts.

The sheriff’s office on Friday, received a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe from the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska.

Sheriff John Merchant said the vehicle has around 45,000 miles and is fully equipped with a K-9 box, heat sensors, door popper and general equipment that would be found in a law enforcement K-9 vehicle.

“This generous donation will allow us to replace our current K-9 vehicle which has nearly 150,000 miles,” Merchant said. “The Brown County Sheriffs Office has been very blessed to have such notable community minded safety partners and this vehicle will be put to good use to assist in locating drug offenders in our county.”

(News release) PAWNEE COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) identified 30-year-old Jason Dale Smith of St. Joseph, Missouri as the man killed following a highway chase involving the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Edwards County Sheriff’s Office, which ended Thursday, Aug. 17 east of Garfield, Kansas.

Preliminary information suggests that Smith died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. No shots were fired by law enforcement officers during the incident.

Two St. Joseph men are facing felonies after shots were allegedly fired at authorities Sunday during a police pursuit near downtown.

Dakota Sears, 25 is charged with a class-A felony of assault and Preston Funk, 26 is charged with a class-E felony of resisting arrest. Commander Eric Protzman with the St. Joseph Police Department said the charges are in connection with a police incident that took place around 1 p.m. Sunday when officers responded to the 900 block of Corby. Both men are being held without bond.

As we previously reported, when officers responded, Capt. Jeff Wilson said three suspects ran and fled into a vehicle and left the area. Officers pursued and around the area of 13th and Ridenbaugh Wilson said at least one of the three suspects opened fire on officers shooting at least four times in one location and possibly more times in another area. No one was hit.

In the area of 13th and Faraon Streets, Wilson said the suspect vehicle hit a curb and the three St. Joseph men ran from the vehicle and were taken into police custody. Wilson said, police also recovered a controlled substance believed to be methamphetamine.

A third person was arrested but as of Monday no charges have been filed.

Traffic started out fairly normal for a Monday morning on the day of the total solar eclipse and has been slowly picking up as the morning continues. As of 10:30 a.m. Monday, the Remington Nature Center was full, traffic was backing up on 229 and the East Hills Mall parking lot is filling up with eclipse viewers hoping for clear skies. 

Barry Birr with 680 KFEQ is broadcasting live through the eclipse from Rosecrans Memorial Airport with Michael Bakich, senior editor of Astronomy magazine.

Charlie from Eagan, Minnesota, and Gary from River Falls, Wisconsin, made the drive to St. Joseph for the eclipse. Gary said he’s 64-years-old and has had an interest in astronomy his whole life. He’s been planning to see the eclipse for five years and brought cameras with him to capture the celestial event.

“I’m going to use two cameras today. One is going to be for wide shots and the other one’s going to be for very very narrow shots,” Gary said. “I have the times of the eclipse, when it starts, when it ends, all that stuff. Of course I’ll take a picture of the sun before to get any sun spots and take a picture of the after just to complete a collage. I’m going take pictures and put them together so that they’re the sequence of events.”

Listen to the full interview below and for more on the eclipse in St. Joseph click here.

 

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/338853481″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

One man is dead after an apparent shooting Sunday night.

According to the St. Joseph Police Department, dispatch received a call at 8:40 p.m. Sunday referencing a shooting at a residence in the 2600 block of Mary Street. Officers arrived to find a man with an apparent gunshot wound was deceased in the house.

No one is in custody at this time and the incident is under investigation.

(Update) –  Officers have taken three people into custody after shots were allegedly fired at authorities during a police pursuit near downtown St. Joseph.

Capt. Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Department said around 1 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to the 900 block of Corby in an alley in reference to a call of individuals possibly wanted on felony warrants behaving suspiciously.   When officers responded, Wilson said the suspects ran and fled into a vehicle and left the area.  Officers pursued and around the area of 13th and Ridenbaugh Wilson said at least one of the three suspects opened fire on officers shooting at least four times in one location and possibly more times in another area.  No one was hit.

In the area of 13th and Faraon Streets, Wilson said the suspect vehicle hit a curb and the three St. Joseph men ran from the vehicle and were taken into police custody.  Wilson said, police also recovered a controlled substance believed to be methamphetamine.

One suspect received minor injuries during the incident.  Also, an officer received minor injuries when his patrol vehicle crashed and the airbag deployed.

“I’m very proud of our officers.  This is a very dangerous circumstance; for them to be fired on,” Wilson said. “They continued to do their job, and do it as safe as they could and get these people in custody.”

During the incident police had the area closed off, normal travel has been reinstated.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

The St. Joseph Police Department is asking people to avoid an area near downtown St. Joseph.

Around 1:41 p.m. Sunday an alert was issued asking people to avoid the area of N. 9th St and Corby to the area of N. 15th and Faraon streets due to a police incident.

A large police presence could be seen in the area.

As we learn more we will update this post.

 

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 Aug. 21 – 27 from the Missouri Department of Transportation. In addition to the work listed below, there may be pothole patching, 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.

There will be limited general highway maintenance on Monday, Aug. 21, due to the total solar eclipse and no general highway maintenance in the path of totality. In response to the increased level of traffic, MoDOT will suspend MOST construction project work zones as well. Only permanent work zones for extended road and bridge projects will remain in place.

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 www.modot.org/northwest/. You can also follow MoDOT’s Northwest Missouri District on Twitter @ModotNorthwest and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.

Atchison County

Route N – Pothole patching, Aug. 21 – 25

Route EE – Pothole patching, Aug. 22 – 25

U.S. Route 136 – CLOSED at the Little Tarkio Creek for a bridge replacement project. The road will close on Aug. 24 and remain closed until November 2017.

Buchanan County

U.S. Route 36 – Bridge and interchange project one mile east of Route AC, Aug. 21 – 26

Route 6 – A sidewalk improvement and resurfacing project between Interstate 29 and Woodbine Road, Aug. 21 – 26. This could include occasional night work.

U.S. Route 59 (St. Joseph Avenue) – Milling and pothole patching at Maxwell Road, Aug. 22 – 24

Route DD – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project. The road will close Fridayevening, Aug. 25, at approximately 7 p.m. and remain closed through October.

I-29 – At Exit 35 narrowed to one lane each direction, Aug. 25 – 27, for a bridge replacement project. During the demolition of the interstate overpass on Route DD, interstate traffic will be re-routed up and over the on and off ramps at Exit 35 (Faucett exit). Motorists should anticipate delays.

Caldwell County

Route 116 – Drainage work from Dynamite Drive to SE Evans Road, Aug. 23 – 24

Carroll County

Route B – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 65 to U.S. Route 24, Aug. 22 – 23

Route C – Pothole patching, Aug. 22 – 24

Route DD – Pothole patching, Aug. 24

Chariton County

Route 129 – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route PP to East 6^th Street in Salisbury, Aug. 22, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route D – Bridge maintenance at the bridge over Bee Branch, Aug. 22 – 23

Route KK – Bridge maintenance at the bridge over the Little Chariton River, Aug. 24 – 25

Daviess County

Route M – Drainage work from 300^th Street to 310^th Street, Aug. 22 – 23

Gentry County

U.S. Route 169 – Resurfacing from Route 31 to Stanberry, Aug. 22 – 26

U.S. Route 136 – Chip sealing from U.S. Route 169 to the Nodaway County line, Aug. 23 – 24. A pilot car will direct motorist through the work zone. This includes a 12-foot width restriction.

Route H – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route E to McCurry Grove Road, Aug. 23, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Grundy County

Route E – Pothole patching, Aug. 21 – 25

Holt County

I-29 – Bridge replacement project at the Davis Creek Bridge near Exit 84, Aug. 22 – 27. 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 overnight.

Route 118 – The ramp from Route 118 to southbound I-29 CLOSED for the Davis Creek Bridge replacement project tAug. 22 through Nov. 30.

I-29 northbound – Pavement repair at mile marker 81, Aug. 22 – 23

Route B – Bridge maintenance at the bridge over Hickory Creek, Aug. 22 – 25

U.S. Route 59 – Pavement repair just east of the city limits of Oregon, Aug. 24 – 25

Linn County

U.S. Route 36 – Pothole patching from the Macon County line to Route 11, Aug. 21 – 22

Route CC – Shoulder work at Kaddon Road, Aug. 21 – 23

Livingston County

U.S. Route 36 eastbound – Bridge maintenance at the bridge over the Grand River, Aug. 21 – 24

Nodaway County

Route U – Slide repair from Route N to Keystone Road, Aug. 22

U.S. Route 136 – Chip sealing from the Gentry County line to Route J, Aug. 23 – 24. A pilot car will direct motorists through the work zone. This includes a 12-foot width restriction.

Route N – Culvert and slide repair from Route M to 390^th Street, Aug. 23 – 25

Putnam County

Route 149 – Resurfacing, Aug. 21 – 26

Route W – Resurfacing from U.S. Route 136 to the Schuyler County line, Aug. 21 – 26

Route U – Chip sealing from U.S. Route 136 to the Iowa state line, Aug. 22 – 23.

Sullivan County

Route 6 – Slide repair from the city limits of Milan to the city limits of Green City, Aug. 21 – 25

Routes O, V and HH – Sealing, Aug. 21 – 25

Worth County

Route 246 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the Platte River Bridge. The bridge will be closed through September.

 

Missouri officials are stressing eye safety ahead of Monday’s total solar eclipse.

“There are a number of precautions you need to follow regarding eye safety,” said Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Dr. Randall Williams. “Looking directly at the sun during most parts of an eclipse can permanently damage your vision or blind you, but there are easy ways to view a solar eclipse safely, such as through eclipse glasses or pinhole projectors. Adults should take special care to help protect the eyes of children during this event.”

Outside of totality, the only safe way to safely look directly at the sun, during an eclipse or at any other time is through special-purpose solar filters. These solar filters are used in “eclipse glasses” or in hand-held solar viewers. They must meet a very specific worldwide standard known as ISO 12312-2. Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, or homemade filters are not safe for looking at the sun.

Individuals who do not take proper precautions run the risk of damaging their retinas or possibly causing blindness. In areas outside the path of totality, where only part of the sun is blocked even at the peak of the eclipse, there is no safe time to look at the sun with the naked eye. Viewers must protect their eyes while watching the entire eclipse.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends the following steps for safely watching a solar eclipse:

· Carefully look at your solar filter or eclipse glasses before using them. If you see any scratches or damage, do not use them.

· Always read and follow all directions that come with the solar filter or eclipse glasses. Help children to be sure they use handheld solar viewers and eclipse glasses correctly.

· Before looking up at the bright sun, stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your filter—do not remove it while looking at the sun.

· The only time that you can look at the sun without a solar viewer is during a total eclipse. When the moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets dark, you can remove your solar filter to watch this unique experience. Then, as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear very slightly, immediately use your solar viewer again to watch the remaining partial phase of the eclipse.

· Never look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or other similar devices. This is important even if you are wearing eclipse glasses or holding a solar viewer at the same time. The intense solar rays coming through these devices will damage the solar filter and your eyes. Your camera, telescope or binoculars could also be damaged.

Safety precautions are also necessary if you are hoping to photograph the eclipse with your cellphone or camera. Cellphone users should consider taking photos when the sun is entirely covered by the moon, not before or after as it could damage the phone’s camera. Camera owners may take photos before or after the period of totality if they have a special solar camera filter to protect their camera from damage. Expert astronomers are the best source of information on the use of a special solar filter with a camera, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device.

AAO also points out that another way to see the eclipse is through a pinhole projection, which projects an image of the sun onto another surface, like paper, a wall or pavement. The image of the sun is safe to look at throughout the eclipse. More information on pinhole projectors and safe-viewing devices can be found at https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/.