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 5 – 11 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.

 

Andrew County

• Route E – From Route D to U.S. Route 169 near Savannah for a resurfacing project, June 7 – 10

Buchanan County

• Route 36 – Sweeping and flushing bridges, June 5 – 8
• U.S. Route 36 – One mile east of Route AC for a bridge project, June 5 – 9
• Route 6 – From Interstate 29 to Woodbine Road for a sidewalk improvement project, June 5 – 10

Caldwell County

• Route A – From U.S. Route 36 to the Ray County line for shoulder work, June 5 – 8

Carroll County

• Route T and JJ – Pothole patching, June 5 – 8

Chariton County

• U.S. Route 24 – From Route 5 to the Randolph County line for a resurfacing project, June 5 – 10

Clinton County

• Route C – CLOSED from 208^th Street to 216^th Street for a culvert replacement, June 7, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Daviess County

• Route Z – From U.S. Route 69 to Route PP for drainage work, June 5 – 7
• Route TT – From Route BB to Route J for pothole patching, June 5 – 7
• Route J – From the city limits of Kidder to Route 6 for pothole patching, June 7 – 9

DeKalb County

• U.S. Route 36 – Night work at the I-35 Overpass Bridge for painting, June 5 – 9, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Route Z – From U.S. Route 169 to the end of state maintenance near Union Star for a resurfacing project, June 6 – 10

Grundy County

• Route 6 – Within the city limits of Trenton for pavement repair, June 5
• Route JJ – Drainage work, June 6 – 9

Harrison County

• Route DD – CLOSED from Route T to Route N for a resurfacing project, June 5 – 9, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Holt County

• Route DD – Pothole patching, June 5 – 7
• Route C – Pothole patching, June 7 – 9

Linn County

• U.S. Route 36 – From the city limits of Brookfield to the Macon County line for bridge maintenance, June 5 – 8

Livingston County

• Route A – CLOSED from Route U to LIV 511 for a culvert replacement, June 5, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Route D – At the Rattlesnake Creek Bridge for maintenance, June 5 – 9

Mercer County

• Route B – From the Iowa state line to U.S. Route 136 near Princeton for a resurfacing project, June 5 – 10. Includes a 10-foot width restriction.

Nodaway County

• Route MM – CLOSED from 290^th to U.S. Route 136 for sealing, June 5, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route DD – Pothole patching, June 5 – 7
• Route AF – CLOSED from Route B (Gentry County) to Route P for sealing, June 6, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• U.S. Route 136 – At the Mozingo Bridge for maintenance, June 6 – 7
• Route FF – CLOSED from U.S. Route 71 to Route B for sealing, June 7, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route FF – CLOSED from 140^th to 150^th for a culvert replacement, June 7, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Route JJ – CLOSED from U.S. Route 71 to Route 148 for sealing, June 8 – 9, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., daily.
• Route AF – At the Wildcat Bridge for bridge maintenance, June 8
• Route FF – CLOSED from Route JJ to 130^th for a culvert replacement, June 9, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Putnam County

• Route 149 – At the Blackbird Creek Bridge for maintenance, June 5 – 6
• Route W – From U.S. Route 136 to Route 149 for pothole patching, June 5 – 9
• U.S. Route 136 – At the Elm Branch Bridge for maintenance, June 7 – 8

Sullivan County

• Route N – Drainage work, June 5 – 7

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 46 – From Route E to Route 246 for pothole patching, June 8 – 9
• Route 246 – From the city limits of Grant City to the city limits of Parnell for pothole patching, June 8 – 9

A new mix of sculptures are being installed in downtown St. Joseph for the start of the 2017-18 Sculpture Walk.

Teresa Fankhauser, Ex. Dir with the Allied Arts Council said the 4th Annual Sculpture Walk begins June 9th.  Over the next week, sculptures will continue to be installed at various locations in the downtown area.

“We have 18 sculptures that are basically on loan to us for the year,” Fankhauser said. “We will be very involved in getting the sculptures in and up.”

The sculptures entered into the one-year exhibit will be judged for cash prizes.  A reception and awards

ceremony with be held Friday, June 9.  Following the reception, patrons will take the first official sculpture walk.  Fankhauser said participants in the walk also get to vote on their favorite.

“You can get a brochure anywhere downtown.  A lot of the businesses have them and we always have them at the Allied Arts Council Office and we invite people to go around and take the Sculpture Walk and vote on their favorite,” Fankhauser said. “In January we will announce the People’s Choice winner. That winner also gets a monetary award as well.”

Part of the requirement for the sculptures is that they must be suitable for outdoor installation and able to withstand the elements.  The artwork is scheduled to be de-installed in May. Fankhauser said group tours are available. For more information contact the Allied Arts Council at (816) 233-0231.

The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce is praising the addition of more than 200 jobs and $10 million in payroll added to local companies since the beginning of 2017.

In a news release, the Chamber said It has been able to assist four local companies grow in St. Joseph adding around $85 million of capital investment into the local economy.

“It has been a very busy spring,” said R. Patt Lilly, President and CEO of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. “We’ve been able to announce four expansion projects, we’re working on several others and anticipate another announcement this month.”

Lilly said the reason for the expansions is due to an uptick in the economy and is a signal of the local companies’ abilities to continue to grow in their respective markets.

“Many of our local businesses continue to benefit from the expanding local and global market growth,” Lilly said. “The result is in the addition of employees and investment in local facilities.”

According to the Chamber, the four announced projects include:

St. Joseph Petroleum – St. Joseph Petroleum expanded its distribution of oil lubricants for the food industry with the construction of additional square footage and the creation of three new jobs. Total capital investment was $110,000. The average annual wage of the three new jobs was $43,333. The project qualified for the Missouri Works program and the local Enhanced Enterprise Zone program on the real property improvements.

Triumph Foods – Triumph Foods is expanding its ham boning line through a capital investment of $1.5 million with new machinery and equipment. The capital investment will lead to the creation of 72 jobs with an average annual wage of $35,000. The project was eligible for the Missouri Works program.

Altec Industries, Inc. – Altec is investing a significant amount of capital in personal property improvements, manufacturing and nonmanufacturing machinery and equipment, as well as real property improvements. The investment will increase the efficiencies and improve quality through advanced manufacturing processes at the main campus and at leased facilities in St. Joseph. The project is expected to create a minimum of 105 new jobs over a three-year period. To encourage the investment in St. Joseph, various local incentives were offered including real property tax abatement under the Enhanced Enterprise Zone program and personal property tax abatement under the State of Missouri Chapter 100 program. The State of Missouri also provided incentives under the Missouri Works program.

Johnson Controls – Johnson Controls will do a significant expansion of almost $36 million to expand production of a new product line that was currently in proto-type production, due to the growing demand for Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) batteries. The expansion is a result of increased popularity of start-stop vehicles and increasing power needs. The project will create an estimated 51 new, full-time manufacturing jobs with an annual average wage of $48,000, plus benefits. The City will assist the expansion with the use of Chapter 100 for personal property tax abatement and enhanced enterprise zone tax abatement on the real estate improvement.

A man is facing a felony charge after allegedly planting and igniting an explosive device at a home in St. Joseph on Memorial Day.

The Buchanan County Prosecutor’s Office said Edward W. Catron, 27 was charged Friday with a class-E felony of knowingly exploding.

According to court documents, on May 29 witness statement and video evidence indicate the defendant went to a home in the 2400 block of Northeast Parkway and planted and ignited an explosive device.

“The defendant is making explosive devices and has offered to sell them to witnesses in this case,” said Det. Frank Till with the St. Joseph Police Department.

As we previously reported, the St. Joseph Police Department began working with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms (ATF) after an explosion caused extensive damage to the front porch and entryway of a home in the 2400 block of Northeast Parkway. No injuries were reported.

Police said Catron was arrested Friday.  The prosecutor’s office said an arraignment date and bond conditions are not yet known.

 

 

(News release) – In a trial effort to save utility costs, Missouri Western State University will go to a four-day work week for four weeks in June.

The campus will be closed on four Fridays: June 9, 16, 23 and 30. The campus will also be closed on Monday, July 3 to extend the Independence Day holiday.

“We hope that a four-day work week in June will provide most of our employees an added benefit while saving money,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “This is a one-time trial; we will evaluate our savings and our productivity to decide whether we continue, discontinue or expand four-day work weeks next summer.”

Campus departments will be open extended hours Monday through Thursday during the four-day weeks, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Employee work schedules will be modified accordingly.

“We are encouraging supervisors to allow their staff to stagger their arrival and departure times, coming in before 8 a.m. or staying until after 5:30 to work the necessary hours,” said Dr. Cale Fessler, vice president for financial planning and administration.

There are some exceptions: the Baker Family Fitness Center and the Thomas Eagleton Indoor Pool will remain open on Fridays, though hours may be modified. The Walter Cronkite Memorial inside Spratt Hall will be open, but docents may not be available. Special events and conferences scheduled on Fridays will go on as planned.

A two vehicle crash sent three people to the hospital Thursday evening on US 71 just north of Maryville.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, around 6:23 p.m. Michael Hall, 32 of Hopkins was driving a 1999 Dodge 1500 extended cab truck northbound on Business 71 and failed to stop at a stop sign.  Jacki Thrasher, 58 of Clarinda, Iowa was driving a 2013 Chevrolet Impala northbound on US 71 and was struck on the left front by Hall’s vehicle and went off the roadway.  The truck rolled over and ejected a passenger before coming to rest on the driver’s side.

Keren Ebrecht, 51 and Michael Ebrecht, 28 both from Hopkins and both passengers in the truck were transported for treatment of injuries.  Karen was flown by Lifenet from St. Francis to Moasic Life Care for treatment of what was described as serious injuries. Michael was taken by private vehicle to St. Francis for treatment of what was described as a minor injury.  Thrasher was taken by ambulance to St. Francis for treatment of a moderate injury.  None of the occupants in the truck were reported to be wearing a seat belt.

Over the peak travel days during the Memorial Day weekend area troopers took part in a special enforcement operation along I-35 resulting in numerous tickets, warnings, arrests, and assisting travelers.

Captain James E. McDonald, commanding officer Troop H, St. Joseph, announces the results of the special enforcement project over the Memorial Day weekend. The project encompassed two days–May 26, 2017, and May 29, 2017–designated as the peak travel days for the holiday period. Interstate 35 was the roadway designated for this project and troopers were assigned a 20-mile stretch of the interstate from the Clinton County line to the Iowa state line. Troopers also were assigned to saturate high crash locations on U.S. highways within Troop H. As a result of the project, officers issued 142 citations and 272 warnings. Officers also made seven misdemeanor drug arrests and one misdemeanor warrant arrest, and assisted 38 motorists during the holiday period.

“Troopers were out in force over the Memorial Day weekend and their vigorous enforcement efforts along with increased visibility helped keep Missouri motorists safer while traveling through Troop H,” Captain McDonald said.