A biopharmaceutical company plans to open a 180,000-square-foot facility in Elwood.

According to a news release from Doniphan County Economic Development, Kindred Biosciences, Inc., announced Tuesday that it has acquired a manufacturing facility in Elwood, Kansas. The purchase of this property, formerly owned by Boehringer Ingelheim and by Strategic Veterinary Pharmaceuticals, Inc., includes approximately 8 acres of land and two buildings encompassing approximately 180,000 square feet with clean rooms, utility, equipment, and related quality documentation suitable for small molecule and biologics manufacturing. The total purchase price was $3,750,000 and the company expects to close within 30-days.

“It was pleasure working with Kindred Bio and other area partners to help facilitate the entrance of such a fantastic company and employer to Doniphan County,” said Adrienne Korson, Director of Economic Development in Doniphan County. “We look forward to helping assist in the future success of such a promising and cutting-edge enterprise, as KindredBio grows and fortifies our area as an important part of the animal health corridor.”

The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce also sent out a release due to the proximity to St. Joseph and the impact the business will have on the area.  The St. Joseph Chamber said Kindred Biosciences selected the location due to its ability to meet the anticipated manufacturing needs of its pipeline, lower its costs of goods and increase its margins.

“We are pleased to welcome Kindred Biosciences to the St. Joseph area to join other animal health companies in the community,” said R. Patt Lilly, President and CEO of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. “The new jobs and investment will be welcomed by our neighbors in Elwood and further solidifies St. Joseph as a major player in the animal health corridor.”

According to the the company’s website, Kindred Biosciences is a development-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on saving and improving the lives of pets. Its mission is to bring to pets the same kinds of safe and effective medicines that human family members enjoy. The Company’s strategy is to identify compounds and targets that have already demonstrated safety and efficacy in humans and to develop therapeutics based on these validated compounds and targets for dogs, cats and horses. The Company has a deep pipeline of novel drugs and biologics in development across many therapeutic classes.

Both Doniphan County and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce said no information on the number of jobs to be created is available at this time.

Three teens have been identified as suspects in a suspicious fire at a playground in Chillicothe.

Authorities responded to a fire at the play area of Simpson Memorial Park on Saturday owned by the City of Chillicothe. The Missouri State Fire Marshall’s Office was subsequently called in to investigated.

Mike O’Connell, the Communications Director with the Missouri Department of Public Safety said through the course of the investigation it was determined the fire was a set fire and three juveniles were identified as the responsible parties, the oldest of whom were 13. The damage from the incendiary fire was deemed a loss of around $30,000. O’Connell said Juvenile authorities are now handling the case.

St. Joseph Police are investigating a shooting Sunday night.

According to Sgt. Brett Kelley with the police department, at 9:49 p.m. Sunday, dispatch received calls of several shots fired in the area of the 700 block of South 15th. Officers responded and found several shell casings and a blood trail in the street. At 10:04 p.m., officers were notified of a St. Joseph man in his early 20s who arrived at Mosaic Life Care with a gunshot wound to his upper left thigh and an injury to his left wrist. He was reported to be in stable condition and later transferred to University of Kansas Medical Center.

Sgt. Kelley said there are no suspects at this time and the incident is still under investigation.

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 June 26 – July 2 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.

Atchison County

• U.S. Route 136 – From Interstate 29 to the Nebraska state line for pothole patching, June 26
• Route O – At 155^th Street for drainage work, June 27 – 28

Buchanan County

• U.S. Route 36 – One mile east of Route AC for a bridge project, June 26 – July 1
• 22^nd Street – Over U.S. Route 36 for maintenance, June 26 – 28
• U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair, June 26 – 29
• Route 371 – From Route CC to Route 752 for pavement repair, June 26 – 30. One lane will remain closed overnight. A temporary traffic signal has been installed to direct traffic through the work zone.
• Route 6 – From I-29 to Woodbine Road for a sidewalk improvement and resurfacing project, June 26 – July 1

Caldwell County

• Route U – Pothole patching, June 29 – 30

Carroll County

• Route W – From Route JJ to County Road 111 for drainage work, June 26 – 27
• U.S. Route 24 – At the U.S. Route 65 Overpass for maintenance, June 26 – 28
• Route 139 – At the Hurricane Creek Bridge for maintenance, June 29

Chariton County

• Route M – Pothole patching, June 26 – 30
• U.S. Route 24 – From Route 5 to the Randolph County line for a resurfacing project, June 26 – July 1. Includes a 14-foot width restriction.

Clinton County

• Route K – From U.S. Route 36 to Route NN for pothole patching, June 28 – 30

Daviess County

• Route MM – CLOSED from Route 13 to the end of state maintenance for a resurfacing project, June 26, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Route TT – Chip seal, June 26 – 27
• Route D – From Route J to Route CC for pothole patching, June 26 – 28
• U.S. Route 69 – From Pence Road (DeKalb County) to I-35 for a resurfacing project, June 26 – July 1. Includes a 10-foot width restriction.
• Route 190 – From Route 6 to Route U for a resurfacing project, June 26 – July 1. A pilot car will direct traffic through the work zone. Includes a 10-foot width restriction.
• Route N – CLOSED from I-35 to U.S. Route 69 for a resurfacing project, June 28, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

DeKalb County

• U.S. Route 69 – From Pence Road to I-35 (Daviess County) for a resurfacing project, June 26 – July 1. Includes a 10-foot width restriction.
• Route H – CLOSED from Route E to Crabill Road for a resurfacing project, June 29 – 30, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily

Gentry County

• Route A – CLOSED from Route A to 450^th Street for a culvert replacement, June 28, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Grundy County

• Routes B, W and Y – Pothole patching, June 19 – 23

Harrison County

• Route D – CLOSED from Route M to Route 46 for chip sealing, June 26, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route M – CLOSED from Route EE to 182^nd Road for a culvert replacement, June 26, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• U.S. Route 69 – In the city limits of Bethany for drainage work, June 26 – 28
• Route N – At the I-35 Overpass for maintenance, June 26 – 28
• Route 46 – From the city limits of Hatfield to County Road 150^th Avenue for drainage work and culvert repair, June 27
• I-35 – At U.S. Route 136, Route 13 and Route H for slope repair, June 29 – 30

Holt County

• Route A – At the Nodaway River Bridge for maintenance, June 26 – 27
• U.S. Route 59 – From the city limits of Oregon to the city limits of Mound City for shoulder work, June 26 – 30

Linn County

• U.S. Route 36 – At the Locust Creek Bridge for maintenance, June 26 – 29. This will include overnight lane closures.
• U.S. Route 36 – From Meadville to the Macon County line for pothole patching, June 27 – 29

Livingston County

• Route JJ – From Route H to U.S. Route 65 for pothole patching, June 26 – 27
• U.S. Route 36 – From U.S. Route 65 to Route CC for pavement repair, June 26 – 29
• Route D – From U.S. Route 36 to Route C for pothole patching, June 28 – 29

Mercer County

• Route D – Pothole patching, June 26 – 30
• Route B – From the Iowa state line to U.S. Route 136 for a resurfacing project, June 26 – July 1. Includes a 10-foot width restriction.

Nodaway County

• U.S. Route 136 – From the 102 River Bridge to Route 46 for shoulder work, June 26 – 30. Includes a 9-foot width restriction.
• U.S. Route 136 – At the Mozingo Creek Bridge for maintenance, June 28 – 29

Putnam County

• Route 149 – Pothole patching and drainage work, June 26 – 30

Sullivan County

• Route 129 – CLOSED at the North Spring Creek Bridge for maintenance, June 26, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route C – From Route 5 to Route 129 for a resurfacing project, June 26 – July 1. Includes a 10-foot restriction.
• Route 129 – CLOSED at the Spring Creek Bridge for maintenance, June 27, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Worth County

• Route 46 – CLOSED at the West Fork of the Grand River for a bridge replacement project. The bridge will be closed through June.
• Route 246 – CLOSED at the Platte River Bridge for a bridge replacement project. The bridge will be closed through September.
• Route M – CLOSED from Utah Street to Urchin Lane for a culvert replacement, June 27, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Route M – At the East Fork Grand River Bridge for drainage work, June 28
• Route B – From Route W to 180^th Road for drainage work, June 29
• Route M – CLOSED from Urchin Lane to Umpire Avenue for a culvert replacement, June 29, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol will be asking the public to weigh-in on a number of issues surrounding law enforcement duties during the month of July.

Colonel Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, invites the public to take part in a public opinion survey regarding safety and security, officers’ attitudes and competency, overall agency performance, and concerns regarding crime and social issues.

The 2017 Public Opinion Survey opens JULY 1, and runs the entire month. Members of the public will find the survey on the Patrol’s website at www.mshp.dps.mo.gov on July 1. Click on the link at the top, left of the Patrol’s home page to initiate the survey or you can visit the survey link directly via https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MSHP_PUBLIC_OPINION_SURVEY from any computer or mobile device.

St. Joseph Chief of Police, Chris Connally said auto theft and theft from autos has been a growing problem over the past year and a half. He’s reminding drivers to lock the doors.

“Most of these are vehicles where the cars are still running and most of the thefts from autos are unlocked cars,” Connally said. “Some of the thefts that aren’t unlocked are oftentimes when there’s something that someone considers worth stealing in sight.”

Connally is telling people to remember not to make it easy for thieves.

“Lock your car. Don’t make it easy,” Connally said. “Don’t leave valuables in your car.”

Connally suggests investing in a remote start if drivers want to leave their vehicles running. On public streets in St. Joseph it is illegal to leave a vehicle unattended and running.

“In some of these cases the person who’s stealing is riding in another car and it only takes as long as it takes the person to exit that car, jump in the driver’s seat and go,” Connally said. “We can help ourselves an awful lot in some of these cases just by taking the time to shut off the car. Yes, it might be a little bit warmer, but it’s a lot less of a hassle.”

Connally said the trend in increased thefts isn’t just in St. Joseph.

“It’s not really unique to us.  I’ve talked to chiefs from a lot of our jurisdictions and they’re seeing a similar pattern,” Connally said. “The county has seen a bit of a spike also and we’re also recovering some cars that are from outside of St. Joe in St. Joe.”

The Salvation Army will be handing out fans to those who qualify starting Monday in St. Joseph.

According to a news release, the annual fan distribution will begin Monday at 1 p.m. Those seeking a new box fan can apply Monday through Friday between 1 p.m. at 3:30 p.m. The Salvation Army said IDs and Social Security numbers are required. For information on the application process call (816) 232-5824.

Fan donations are also needed. The agency said fans can be donated at Ace Westlake Hardware store in St. Joseph. New fans can also be donated directly to the Salvation Army as well as cash contributions.

The Salvation Army also acts as a cooling and hydration station daily Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Corps Community Center and Saturday and Sunday at the Booth Center for Homeless from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A man received a life sentence as a predatory sex offender in Platte County after sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl.

Shannon Langley, 35, was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty that same day in Platte County Circuit Court to statutory sodomy in the first degree and enticement of a child.

In addition to the victim in Platte County, prosecutors also showed that Langley had abused several other children in Jackson County. Prosecutors used those other criminal acts to charge Langley as a predatory sexual offender under Missouri law. The seldom-used provision requires a life sentence for offenders who commit multiple serious sexual offenses.

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said, “We used every tool the law gives us make sure that this defendant has molested his last child. His days of hurting kids are finally over.”

Langley has two pending cases in Jackson County. In one, he is charged with sexual misconduct involving a child. In the second, he is charged with three counts of statutory sodomy in the first degree. Platte County prosecutors used the facts of those cases to secure the life sentence.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office said a man allegedly armed with a knife was tazed Thursday after refusing to show his hands to a deputy.

Sheriff’s Steve Cox said Thursday afternoon a Missouri Parole Officer was on U.S. 36 and located Nathan Osborne, 30 from Chillicothe who had an outstanding Chillicothe Municipal warrant for possession and a warrant for child neglect from Buchanan County. Cox said Osborne ran into the brush and timber to elude law enforcement officers.

Later that day, around 6:50 p.m. Cox said a deputy located Osborne walking on U.S. 36 west of Chillicothe.

“The suspect was now also wanted on a Probation Violation Arrest Warrant,” Cox said. “Upon approaching the area Mr. Osborne took off running towards the timber.”

Cox said the deputy yelled at Osborne and chased after him.

“Osborne tripped and fell in the timber area and refused orders to show his hands. The suspect would only show his left hand and kept his right hand hidden from the deputy,” Cox said. “The Taser was properly deployed and the deputy then saw a large knife near where the subjects’ right hand was. The suspect continued to ignore commands from the deputy to roll away from the knife and was told he would be Tazed again if he did not comply. The suspect rolled away and was handcuffed and ultimately transported to Hedrick Medical Center to be cleared for confinement.”

Osborne was transferred to the Daviess Dekalb County Regional Jail. Cox said additional charges may be filed.