The St. Joseph School District is touting a new campaign surrounding attendance called, “Strive for 5.”

Superintendent Dr. Robert Newhart said attendance rates in the district are an issue.

“We see good attendance at the elementary level and then it start to wane at the middle school but our high schools have got to step up to the plate,” Newhart said. “The attendance policy that has changed this year is that there will be a loss of credit for students that miss more than eight days during a semester.” (This quote has been corrected.  The SJSD said it is actually eight days not 10 as what was said in the original interview by mistake.)

Bridget Blevins, Director of Communications with the district said a campaign to combat low attendance is launching Monday encouraging students to strive for less than five days absent.

“One of the things that we’re doing this year is rolling out a new attendance campaign and it’s called Strive For 5,” Blevins said. “It’s going to be a marketing campaign to encourage students throughout the school year.”

The first day of school for the St. Joseph School District is Wednesday.

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. 14 – 20 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.

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.

Buchanan County

U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair at the Platte River Bridge (eastbound lanes only), Aug. 14 – 17

U.S. Route 59 (St. Joseph Avenue) – Milling and pothole patching at Maxwell Road, Aug. 14 – 17

Route 371 – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between Route 116 and Route H in Platte County, Aug. 14 – 18, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

U.S. Route 36 – Bridge and interchange project one mile east of Route AC, Aug. 14 – 19

Route 6 – A sidewalk improvement and resurfacing project between Interstate 29 and Woodbine Road, Aug. 14 – 19. This could include occasional night work.

Route N – CLOSED for pothole patching between Route 31 and the Clinton County line, Aug. 17 – 18, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 daily

Caldwell County

Route 116 – Shoulder work between U.S. Route 69 in Clinton County and Route A, Aug. 14 – 18

Carroll County

Route J – Pothole patching between Route 139 and U.S. Route 65, Aug. 14 – 15

Route UU – Drainage work between Route M and U.S. Route 65, Aug. 14 – 15

Routes M & U – Pothole patching, Aug. 15 – 16

Route C – Pothole patching, Aug. 17 – 18

Chariton County

Route D – Bridge maintenance at the Clark Branch Bridge, Aug. 14

Route D – Bridge maintenance at the Bee Branch Bridge, Aug. 15

Route 5 – Pavement repair between Route E and the Linn County line, Aug. 16

Route PP – Bridge maintenance at the Chariton River Overflow Bridge, Aug. 16

Route PP – Bridge maintenance at the Middle Fork Chariton River Bridge, Aug. 17

Clinton County

I-35 – Pavement repair at the ramp from northbound I-35 to U.S. Route 36 (Exit 54), Aug. 14 – 16. This will include a 12-foot width restriction and the work zone will remain in place overnight.

I-35 – Pavement repair in the northbound lanes at mile marker 49, Aug. 16 – 17. This will include a 14-foot width restriction and the work zone will remain in place overnight.

Daviess County

Route DD – Bridge Maintenance at the I-35 overpass, Aug. 14

Route UU – Drainage work approximately two miles south of Route B, Aug. 14 – 15

Route KK – Bridge Maintenance at the I-35 overpass, Aug. 15 – 18

Gentry County

U.S. Route 169 – From Route 31 to Stanberry for a resurfacing project, Aug. 14 – 18

Route EE – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between Snead Ridge Road and 600^th Street, Aug. 16, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Grundy County

Route A – Pothole patching between U.S. Route 65 and Route C, Aug. 14 – 18

Route W – Sealing on the Hickory Creek Bridge and the Wolf Creek Bridge, Aug. 15 – 18

Harrison County

Route P – CLOSED for a culvert replacement between U.S. Route 69 and West 165^th Avenue, Aug. 14, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route A – Sealing between Route T and Route B, Aug. 14

Route N – Sealing between I-35 and Route B, Aug. 15 – 16

Holt County

I-29 – Bridge replacement project at the Davis Creek Bridge near Exit 84, Aug. 14 – 20. 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 is CLOSED for the Davis Creek Bridge replacement project. The southbound on-ramp will remain closed until Nov. 30.

Linn County

Route 139 – Drainage work between Route E and Route Y, Aug. 14

Route C – CLOSED for bridge maintenance between Route KK and Hawk Road, Aug. 15 – 16, 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Livingston County

U.S. Route 36 – Bridge maintenance in the westbound lanes at the Grand River Bridge, Aug. 14 – 17

Nodaway County

Route MM – CLOSED for culvert repairs between U.S. Route 136 and 280^th Street, Aug. 14, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route B – Pothole patching between Route 148 and Route FF, Aug. 14 – 18

Putnam County

Routes A, F and HH – Pothole patching, Aug. 14 – 18

Sullivan County

Routes D, FF, H and HH – Sealing, Aug. 14 – 18

Routes 5 and 6 – Slide repair, Aug. 14 – 19

Worth County

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

Route O – Pothole patching, Aug. 14 – 18

JEFFERSON CITY – On Aug. 21, citizens across Missouri will have the chance to see a rare celestial event – a total solar eclipse.

The moon will block the sun’s light and cause a total solar eclipse to be visible across 300 miles of Missouri. It’s possible that more than a million visitors will come to the Show-Me State to witness the event. Missourians should make plans early to determine where they will view the eclipse, where they will stay and how best to avoid the extra traffic congestion.

“We anticipate large crowds with possible heavy congestion on the interstates and major highways the weekend leading up to the event, during the event, and the day after,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Ed Hassinger. “If you are traveling for the event, leave early, stay put as long as possible and plan to stay after the end of the eclipse to avoid the peak traffic.”

Missouri will be one of 14 states from Oregon to South Carolina to experience the path of totality. Approximately 200 million people will be within a day’s drive of the path. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout the remainder of the continental United States.

The path of viewing for the solar eclipse in Missouri will cover more than 300 miles of the state. The moon will begin to eclipse the sun around 11:45 a.m. Totality of the solar eclipse enters Missouri over St. Joseph at 1:06 p.m. CDT. The eclipse will exit Missouri near Perryville at 1:21 p.m. CDT. The moon will move completely off the sun around 2:45 p.m.

Please follow these tips to drive safely on the day of the solar eclipse:

Don’t stop along the interstate and no parking on the shoulder.

Find a safe location to view the event and get there early.

Don’t take photographs while driving.

Turn your headlights on and do not rely on your automatic headlights.

Prepare for extra congestion, especially on interstates, on the day before, day of and day after the eclipse.

Watch out for increased pedestrian traffic along smaller roads. People may be randomly parking and walking alongside roads in the hour before the total eclipse to get the best viewing.

Avoid travel during the eclipse or in the area of the main path if you can.

Check traffic conditions on MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map also available as a free app at MoDOT Traveler Information.

Have a full tank of gas and bring water with you in your vehicle.

For more information on the solar eclipse, visit the state of Missouri’s website. For driving tips, visit MoDOT’s website at modot.org/Eclipse.

More information on eye safety and scientific aspects of the event can be found on the NASA website.

Locations and projects are being sought by the United Way of Greater St. Joseph for student volunteers taking part in Griffon Edge.

United Way said it’s looking for non—profits, schools, churches and other organizations that would appreciate a team of 20+ (or more) students to volunteer for two hours on Friday, August 25. Students can do general clean up, painting, landscaping, mailings, filing, read/interact with children or senior citizens, etc.

Nearly 800 Missouri Western Students will be participating in community service projects August 25, on campus and throughout the community. Organizations are responsible for providing direction, oversight and any materials needed to complete the projects.

Kylee Strough with United Way said requests will be considered on a first come, first serve basis.

For more information contact United Way at (816) 364-2381.

(news release) KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department aided in a joint operation in which 10 defendants have pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to a $1 million conspiracy to distribute at least 30 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Travis Lee Bethel, 46, of Urbana, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert E. Larson today to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and a related money-laundering conspiracy.

Kenneth Bryant Lake, 56, of Strafford, Mo.; Jake Ian Nixon, 20, and Scott Bryan Sands, 52, both of Springfield, Mo.; and Jerry Lee Brown, 43, of Lebanon, Mo.; also pleaded guilty this week to the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies. Nixon also pleaded guilty to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Kara Rene Baze, 23, of Springfield; Breann Nicole Hall, 25, of Ozark, Mo.; Tara L. Harken, 45, of Marion, Ill.; and Cindy Ann Nevatt, 63, of Gulf Shores, Ala.; each pleaded guilty this week to crossing state lines in aid of racketeering enterprises.

Michelle Vanne Gray, 50, of Springfield, pleaded guilty on Aug. 2, 2017, to maintaining drug-involved premises.

Investigators with the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration identified Lake as the original head of the organization coordinating vehicle transport shipments of methamphetamine to Springfield for distribution, as well as shipments of cash drug proceeds out of the area. Lake and Sands also coordinated shipments of methamphetamine and drug proceeds by mail and parcel service to and from the Springfield area.

Lake, Bethel, Sands and Brown admitted their involvement in distributing more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and collecting drug proceeds for the methamphetamine that was delivered.

Bethel also provided co-conspirators with salvage title vehicles, which were traded for methamphetamine and/or paid for with drug proceeds. Bethel assisted in repairing the vehicles, again paid for with the proceeds of drug-trafficking.

Nixon admitted his involvement in the distribution of more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. On July 15, 2015, Nixon was arrested by Springfield police officers for possession of approximately three ounces of methamphetamine and a .32-caliber handgun. Nixon had been purchasing quarter-pound quantities of methamphetamine in Springfield every other day for $3,400.

Nixon was arrested four more times between Jan. 18 and June 9, 2016, for possessing methamphetamine. On three of those occasions, Nixon was also in possession of a firearm.

Brown distributed methamphetamine to numerous people and recruited one of his family members to assist with transporting methamphetamine into the Springfield area.

Conspirators sent shipments of methamphetamine via U.S. Postal Service parcels to Gray’s residence. Gray admitted that she accepted at least three packages at her residence with the agreement to store the packages there until co-conspirators retrieved the packages from her residence. Gray was aware that the packages contained methamphetamine.

Baze, Hall, Harken and Nevatt each admitted that she facilitated the drug-trafficking conspiracy by traveling across state lines. Each of them also admitted that she moved and stored property purchased with drug proceeds or used in the money-laundering and drug-tracking conspiracies, stored drug proceeds, and rented and paid for rooms, cars, or other facilities used in the conspiracies.

Under the terms of their plea agreements, Lake, Bethel, Nixon, Sands and Brown must forfeit to the government up to $1,060,070, which represents the proceeds of drug trafficking based on a conservative average street price of $1,000 per ounce of 90 percent pure methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 30 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Under federal statutes, Bethel is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Lake, Sands and Brown are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Nixon is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Gray is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Baze, Hall, Harken and Nevatt are each subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole.

The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

The deadline to sign up for camping or parking passes to attend the Total Solar Eclipse at Rosecrans Memorial Airport has been extended.

According to the City of St. Joseph, the deadline to purchase the passes has been extended through midnight on Thursday, Aug. 17. However, prices increased Friday.

The city said only people with a pre-purchased pass will be admitted to the grounds on the day of the eclipse, Aug. 21. Passes can be purchased online. CLICK HERE for ticket information.

Fore information on other eclipse viewing locations and eclipse activities in St. Joseph CLICK HERE.

A 24-year-old is facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter after a man was shot and killed Thursday night on Edmond St.

A first-degree class-C felony charge of involuntary manslaughter was filed Friday in Buchanan County against Raydel Cespedes in connection with the shooting death of 27-year-old Anthony C. Minor Jr.

As we previously reported,  Capt. Jeff Wilson said officers responded to 2010 Edmond St. around 11:23 p.m. Thursday in reference to a shooting call. After they arrived, officers found Minor with a gunshot wound laying on the sidewalk in front of the residence. Officers along with EMS personnel performed CPR on Minor but were unsuccessful. Minor was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to court documents, Cespedes was in a verbal argument with the victim outside of the residence then went inside his home and got a gun and returned to the front door.

“While holding the gun the suspect again began to argue with the victim.  During the argument the suspect shot the victim at least one time while the victim was standing outside of the residence.  The victim was unarmed,” said Det. Greg Ogdahl with the St. Joseph Police Department. “The suspect and the victim knew each other.”

Cespedes is scheduled to appear for an arraignment Tuesday. Bond information was unavailable Friday afternoon on online documents.

The St. Joseph Police Department is searching for a man after a midtown shooting.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said officers responded to the area of 11th and Messanie in reference to a domestic disturbance shortly before noon Friday. Wilson said a man allegedly went outside of the residence and fired a handgun at a vehicle.

As of 2 p.m. Friday police were still searching for a suspect described as a black man with dreadlocks around six-feet tall, possibly wearing a red shirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Tips Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

(Update 9:25 a.m. Friday) – Authorities have identified a man shot and killed in an overnight shooting on Edmond St.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said 27-year-old Anthony C. Minor Jr. has been identified as the shooting victim who was killed in the incident.

Wilson said officers responded to 2010 Edmond St. around 11:23 p.m. Thursday in reference to a shooting call. After they arrived, officers found Minor with a gunshot wound laying on the sidewalk in front of the residence. Officers along with EMS personnel performed CPR on Minor but were unsuccessful. Minor was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 24-year-old man was arrest at the scene. Wilson said as of 9:24 a.m. Friday no charges have been filed at that time and the investigation is ongoing.

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(7 a.m.) – One man is dead after an overnight shooting in the 2000 block of Edmond Street in St. Joseph.

According to Sgt. Steve McClintick with the St. Joseph Police Department, officers responded to a call of a possible house break-in at 11:23 p.m. Thursday. When officers arrived, they found a man outside the residence in his late 20s had suffered a single gunshot wound to the stomach. Officer’s life-saving efforts were unsuccessful.

McClintick said the shooter, a man in his mid to late 20s who lived at the residence was taken into custody.

McClintick said it appears some kind of argument lead up to the shooting but the incident is still under investigation.