The St. Joseph Police Department is investigating an armed robbery that allegedly took place Tuesday afternoon on the north end of town.

Commander Eric Protzman said officers responded to K-2 Smokes and Gifts located at 1602 St. Joseph Avenue in reference to an armed robbery.  Protzman said around 2:30 p.m. a man reportedly entered the store and displayed a weapon then made off with cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of cash.  The suspect was described as possibly, a white man, 5’6″ to 5’8″ slender build, wearing a mask. He left the scene on foot. No injuries were reported.

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

Preliminary information has been released into the crash of a historic military airplane that killed two people in Atchison County, Kansas earlier this month.

The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary aviation accident report Monday for the P-51 Mustang that crashed around 10:30 a.m. July 16, one day after it flew in the Amelia Earhart Festival. As reported, the pilot and a passenger both died in the crash. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol crash report, they were identified as 34-year-old Bethany L. Root of Atchison and 64-year-old Vlado Lenoch of Burr Ridge, Illinois.

According to the report, the plane was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain around 2.5 miles northeast of Cummings. It stated, according to several witnesses located between K59 and the accident site, the airplane was observed performing aerobatics at a high altitude. A witness, located further to the south of K59, and several hundred feet from the accident location, observed the airplane fly over nearby power lines between 25 ft and 30 ft above the ground. The airplane pitched up to climb in a near vertical attitude and then the nose turned to the left and the airplane turned and pitched down in a nose low attitude. The airplane descended towards terrain and just prior to impacting the ground the tail of the airplane came up.

The airplane impacted the ground just short of a grove of trees. A large crater marked the initial ground impact point and contained bent and torn metal, the engine, transmission, and propeller assembly. The empennage and fragmented pieces of the fuselage were located 25 feet northwest of the propeller assembly. Fragmented pieces of both wings, the rudder, and the fuselage were scattered in the debris field that extended over 400 feet from the initial impact point.

 

 

The City of St. Joseph is seeking vendors for eclipse viewing locations.

According to a news release, the City of St. Joseph Parks, Recreation & Civic Facilities Department is searching for food and drink vendors for the public viewing locations at Hyde Park, Bartlett Park, Krug Park, Downtown Riverfront Park, the Remington Nature Center Parking Lot and the Northeast Park near the North YMCA. The city said vendors must be self-sufficient because parks staff will be fully extended with the eclipse event. Vendors will need to provide their own equipment, supplies, water and generators, since water and electricity will not be available at these viewing locations.

Interested parties should contact Kim Hurt at 816-271-4757 about any licensing and permits required for vending at the eclipse event locations and contact Julie Noel at 816-271-5516 to provide information about what vending services will be provided and be assigned to an available location.

You should be careful where you get those glasses for viewing the total eclipse next month. NASA is putting the word out about unsafe paper solar glasses being distributed and offering tips on how to confirm you have the real thing to protect your eyes.

For starters, your glasses should bear the logo of ISO, the international organization of standardization. They should also bear the ISO reference 12312-2. NASA also notes in its warning that you should be able to see the name of the manufacturer.

If the lenses are wrinkled or have scratches they are not safe for viewing the eclipse. If the glasses are older than three years, they are not recommended.

A St. Joseph man was sentenced Monday for a murder he claimed was self-defense. A jury thought otherwise, and Charles Coats will serve life without parole as a result.

After a trial last month, a jury found Coats, 32, guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the fatal shooting of Jason Ginn on August 1, 2015. The trial featured cell-phone video of what the prosecutor called “cold blooded murder,” in the 300 block of South 15th Street. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kate Schaefer said Coats climbed on top of a vehicle to fire the fatal shot as Ginn lay face down on the pavement.

An autopsy found Ginn suffered four gunshot wounds to various parts of his body and died from a fatal gunshot wound to his head. Police said Coats fled the area after the shooting. He surrendered to law enforcement in Columbia, Mo. five days later.

Circuit Judge Patrick Robb on Monday ordered the only sentence available for first-degree murder, which is life without parole. He added 20 years for armed criminal action.

Defense Lawyer Kenton Hall said he believes Coats has a valid basis for appeal, and on Monday filed court documents to prepare for the appeal.

The St. Joseph Police Department has released the identities of the three victims who were shot last week at Brittany Village Apartments.

As we previously reported, one person died and two others were hospitalized with serious injuries Thursday after a shooting at the apartment complex located at 1605 N. 36th St.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said Kias Bernard, 42 is the individual who died after the shooting incident. The other two victims were identified as Jass Walter, 31 and Fasios Bernard, 37. Wilson said Walter has been treated and released. Wilson said Fasios Bernard may or may not still be hospitalized. The men were from Micronesia. The relationship between the victims was unknown, however, Wilson said it is believed they were all residents at Brittany Village.

As of Monday afternoon no one was in custody in connection with the shooting. The case is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office said that a more than three-month-long fugitive investigation that began after a man jumped off of the Grand River Bridge in an escape attempt is now over.

According to a news release on Monday, the sheriff’s office was notified that Brian Vincent Bowman, 42 of Chillicothe was arrested by police in Raytown, Mo.

As we previously reported, the sheriff’s office said Bowman is the man who allegedly fled from a Livingston County deputy on April 29 and jumped off the 36 river bridge into the Grand River. Bowman is wanted on Livingston County warrant for alleged probation violation on an original class D felony resisting arrest/detention/stop creating substantial risk of serious injury/death to anyone. Bond was denied by the court.

Sheriff Steve Cox said currently it’s unknown if additional charges will be filed by Raytown authorities.

“Otherwise, Mr. Bowman will be extradited at the first opportunity,” Cox said. “Potential additional charges in Livingston County are pending.”

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 July 24 – 30 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.

Andrew County

• Business Loop 29 (Belt Highway) – From U.S. Route 59 to U.S. Route 169 (Rochester Road, Buchanan County) for a resurfacing project, July 24 – 30. Work will be done between the hours of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. nightly.

Atchison County

• Route B – Pothole patching, July 24 – 26
• Route J – At the Tarkio Creek Bridge for maintenance, July 24 – 27. A temporary traffic signal has been installed to direct traffic through the work zone.
• Route F – Pothole patching, July 27

Buchanan County

• Route 6 – From Interstate 29 to Woodbine Road for a sidewalk improvement and resurfacing project, July 24 – 30
• Route 371 – From Route CC to Route 752 for pavement repair, July 24 – 28. One lane will remain closed overnight. A temporary traffic signal has been installed to direct traffic through the work zone.
• Business Loop 29 (Belt Highway) – From U.S. Route 59 (Andrew County) to U.S. Route 169 (Rochester Road) for a resurfacing project, July 24 – 30. Work will be done between the hours of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. nightly.
• U.S. Route 36 – One mile east of Route AC for a bridge project, July 24 – 29
• Route MM – CLOSED from Tillery Road to Route DD for a culvert replacement, July 27, 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Caldwell County

• Route T – Pothole patching, July 24
• U.S. Route 36 – Westbound from Route B to Route 13 for pavement repair, July 24 – 27
• Route U – Pothole patching, July 25 – 26
• Route D – From U.S. Route 36 to Route HH for pothole patching, July 27 – 28

Chariton County

• Route FF – Pavement repair, July 24 – 25

Daviess County

• U.S. Route 69 – From U.S. Route 136 (Harrison County) to Route 6 for shoulder work, July 24 – 28
• Route UU – Drainage work, July 24 – 28
• Route MM – CLOSED for sealing, July 25, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route N – CLOSED for sealing, July 26, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

DeKalb County

• Route H – CLOSED from Route E to Crabill Road for a resurfacing project, July 24 and July 27, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Gentry County

• U.S. Route 169 – From the city limits of Stanberry to Route 31 for a resurfacing project, July 24 – 28

Grundy County

• Route WW – From Route 6 to Route W for pothole patching, July 24 – 28

Harrison County

• U.S. Route 69 – From U.S. Route 136 to Route 6 (Daviess County) for shoulder work, July 24 – 28
• Route P – At the White Oak Creek Bridge for maintenance, July 24 – 28
• Route 46 – Just east of the city limits of Hatfield for drainage work, July 26 – 27

Holt County

• Route 111 – From the city limits of Forest City to the city limits of Oregon for drainage work, July 24 – 28
• I-29 – At the Davis Creek Bridge for a bridge replacement project. July 24 – 28. I-29 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction, near Exit 84.

Linn County

• U.S. Route 36 – Westbound from Route FF to Route 5 for bridge deck repair, July 24
• Route 130 – From U.S. Route 36 to Route YY for pothole patching, July 24
• U.S. Route 36 – Westbound from Route 130 to Danube Drive for bridge deck repair, July 25
• Route E – From Route 139 to Route 11 for pothole patching, July 25
• Route E – From Route 11 to Route 5 for pothole patching, July 26
• U.S. Route 36 – Eastbound from Danube Drive to Route 130 for bridge deck repair, July 26 – 27
• Route EE – From U.S. Route 36 to the end of state maintenance for pothole patching, July 28

Livingston County

• Routes A, N, O and CC – Pothole patching, July 24 – 27

Mercer County

• U.S. Route 136 – Pothole patching, July 24 – 28

Nodaway County

• Route J – From Route M to U.S. Route 136 for pothole patching, July 24
• Route E – From U.S. Route 136 to Route 246 for pothole patching, July 25
• Route NN – From Route E to the Platte River Bridge for pothole patching, July 26
• Route EE – From U.S. Route 136 to Route NN for pothole patching, July 27

Putnam County

• Routes E, EE and KK – Pothole patching, July 24 – 28

Sullivan County

• Route 5 – From Route MM to the city limits of Browning for slide repair, July 24 – 29
• Route 6 – From the city limits of Milan to the city limits of Green City for slide repair, July 24 – 29

Worth County

• Route 246 – CLOSED at the Platte River Bridge for a bridge replacement project. The bridge will be closed through September.
• Route J – Drainage work, July 24 – 25