Jamie Jaramillo says her daughter Kaytlin Root was her best friend.  On Tuesday, Jaramillo had to go to court again, once again listening as the prosecutor and witnesses recounted the events that led to Root’s murder in Krug Park.  Root was found by a runner along one of the park’s remote biking and running trails on October, 16, 2016.

Last week, Sebastian Dowell was sentenced to life in prison for the murder.  On Tuesday it was co-defendant Amanda Bennett’s turn. Bennett, 17, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in February after she was certified for trial as an adult. Bennett turned 17 on the day she was charged with the murder.

Prosecutor Dwight Scroggins once again laid out the circumstances that led up to the killing.

“She is no more responsible, and certainly no less responsible, than her co-defendant,” Scroggins told the judge. “If ever there were two remorseless, off-track individuals, it’s these two.”

Bennett offered a tearful apology to Root’s family, saying Kaytlin was an amazing person, and she was sad to have to learn that fact in this way.

“I apologize to you all,” Bennett said to the 40 or more supporters and family members of the victim. “I know it’s not possible, but if it was, I would gladly lay down my life for Kaytlin, and stand up to Sebastian.”

“That is the biggest crock,” Jaramillo said. “She is selfish. She shows no remorse. She is not sorry for what she did.”

Scroggins once again defended his decision not to charge Bennett and Dowell with first-degree murder, even though he told the judge it could have been charged that way.

Scroggins noted that that charge carries a mandatory sentence of life without parole for young defendants. He said it is more appropriate for a parole board 25 years from now to decide whether she has changed, and should be set free, or, if not, that she should spend the rest of her life behind bars.

“We all have strong feelings about this case now,” Scroggins said. “Over time we will become more objective, and make a better determination.”

“That makes me angry,” said Jaramillo. “I think it should have been first degree murder. It was premeditated. They initiated it. They had a plan.”

The hearing was delayed for more than an hour, owing largely to some new evidence that surfaced, a letter Bennett sent to Dowell while in jail, that apparently included a a vial of her blood that had been in a used soap wrapper. “It still has soap in it,” she wrote, “so don’t drink it.”

“I have the most amazing blood,” she wrote, “My blood won’t die. It won’t even clot.”

“We are famous capital murderers, baby, just like Bonnie and Clyde.”

During interviews, the defendants made reference to what one detective called “dark religion,” to the killing being part of a “ritual sacrifice.”

Circuit Judge Patrick Robb ordered Bennett to serve a life prison term. He told Bennett that it’s hard for him to fathom where a person develops the mindset to kill someone as part of a religious belief. He said such a person is more typically referred to as a psychopath, and told Bennett “you said so yourself, that’s what you are.”

“Noting all the circumstances, I can’t see ordering anything less than the maximum sentence,” Robb told Bennett.  He imposed a prison term of life behind bars.

Even though she says Kaytlin will always be with us, after the hearing Jaramillo said she’s not satisfied with the sentence.

“It’s not enough,” she said.

Crews are working to contain a water main break at the intersection of 7th and Highland avenue in St. Joseph.

According to Sgt. Brett Kelley with the St. Joseph Police Department, the break was reported around 3:20 a.m. Tuesday. Highland Avenue is closed from St. Joseph Avenue west to 7th Street until further notice due to significant amounts of water in the road.

Traffic was also blocked at St Joseph Avenue at Moss St. and at Grand Ave.

Access to the Second Harvest Community Food Bank from St. Joe Ave. was blocked but officials with the food bank said the incident did not disrupt their normal routine.

Motorists were streaming through the neighborhood to get around the mess. By 8:00 a.m. water was flowing over the curb and across St. Joseph Ave. into the parking lot of a nearby car wash and convenience store.

The St. Joseph School District announced there will be no school at Lafayette High School Tuesday due to the water main break.

By about 9 a.m. the geyser subsided as officials were able to shut down the water flow. They continued to drain water from the surrounding pipes from a nearby fire hydrant. A large pool of water remained as work got underway to repair the damage.

 

(News Release) – Mosaic Life Care has completed restoration of the historic German American Building after more than two years of construction. The $20 million dollar project included crafting open concept office spaces with modern amenities while protecting the architectural and historic features of the building. Hundreds of Mosaic Life Care employees will move from the Heartland Health Business Plaza to the building located in downtown St. Joseph.

“Not only are we enriching the community of St. Joseph with the restoration of a beautiful building and investing in downtown St. Joseph, we are improving the experience for our employees with a unique workspace,“ said Mark Laney, MD, CEO of Mosaic Life Care.

The German American Building was constructed in 1889 and is on the National Historic Register. During construction, crews uncovered ornate columns and tiles and even opened a wall to discover a marble staircase. The five-story building was originally a bank and includes eight or nine safes or vaults. Employees have the option to use one of the vaults in the break area.

“The is an exciting time for downtown St. Joseph. The area is ripe with potential, and the community will continue to see progress as we move ahead with the new parking garage and retail complex. It’s a new era of revitalization,” Laney said.

Along with the German American Building at 624 Felix, three other properties are part of the downtown development. A building adjacent to the German American Building, currently with storefronts identified as 620 and 618 Felix, as well as parking lot areas on the northeast and southwest corners of 7th and Edmond.

(News release) – United Way is calling for volunteers to read with children this summer and for books to be given to elementary children through United Way Reading Adventure, a program of United Way Profit In Education.

To connect children with a reading volunteer during the summer, United Way will partner with the following programs: 1) YMCA school-age summer childcare program; 2) City of St. Joseph REC Center school-age childcare program; 3) KinderCare summer childcare program; 4) Best Youth Summer Camp and 4) the St. Joseph School District extended summer program at Parkway, Lake Contrary, Lindbergh, Humboldt and Edison elementary schools. Each program is held at a different time, and volunteers are needed from May through July to read with students. Volunteers will read with students for 45-60 minutes at a time, and volunteers can sign up to read once, a few times or on a regular schedule. Students in the United Way Reading Adventure program will also receive books throughout the summer to encourage reading at home, so new and gently used books for children ages 6-12 are needed as well.

Launched in 2011, United Way Reading Adventure works to help students maintain their reading skills over the summer months when school is out. The program follows a model that has been successfully used by HOPE Outreach Ministries, Inc. for many years.

Individuals and organizations interested in volunteering to read, donating books or conducting a book drive can contact Jodi Bloemker at 364-2381 or [email protected].

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 May 8 – 14 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 with weather conditions.

 

Atchison County

Route M – CLOSED from 180^th Street to 170^th Street for a culvert replacement, May 9, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Route O – From the Iowa state line to Route C for pothole patching, May 11

Route AA – Pothole patching, May 12

Buchanan County

U.S. Route 36 – One mile east of Route AC for a bridge project, May 8 – 12

U.S. Route 36 – Sweeping and flushing bridges, May 9 – 11

Carroll County

Route UU – From U.S. Route 65 to County Road 234 for drainage work, May 9

Route J – From County Road 281 to County Road 311 for drainage work, May 10 – 11

Chariton County

U.S. Route 24 – From Route 5 to the Randolph County line for a resurfacing project, May 8 – 12

Route J – From Route MM to the end of state maintenance for chip sealing, May 10 – 12

Route Z – Chip sealing, May 10 – 12

Clinton County

Route F – CLOSED at Redbud Lane for a culvert replacement, May 10 – 12, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily

Daviess County

Route 13 – Just north of Route 6 for drainage work, May 9 – 12

DeKalb County

U.S. Route 36 – Night work at the I-35 Overpass Bridge for painting, May 8 – 12, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

I-35 – Night work at the U.S. Route 36 interchange for painting, May 8 – 12, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Route EE – CLOSED just north of Wamsley Road for a culvert replacement, May 11 – 12, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Gentry County

Route ZZ – CLOSED from Route T to Route P for a resurfacing project, May 9 – 11, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Route ZZ – CLOSED from Route P to U.S. Route 136 (Harrison County) for a resurfacing project, May 12, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Grundy County

Route JJ – CLOSED from Route J to SE 20^th Street for a culvert replacement, May 10, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Route JJ – CLOSED from SE 20^th Street to NE 10^th Street for a culvert replacement, May 11, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Harrison County

Route N – Sealing, May 9 – 12

Route DD – Drainage work, May 9 – 12

Route ZZ – CLOSED from Route P (Gentry) to U.S. Route 136 for a resurfacing project, May 12, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Holt County

Route D – CLOSED for pothole patching, May 9 – 10, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily

Linn County

Route TT – From U.S. Route 36 to the Chariton County line for pothole patching, May 9

Route TT – From the Linn County line to Route 139 for pothole patching, May 10

Livingston County

Route 190 – At the Thompson River Bridge for maintenance, May 9 – 10

Route C – At the Shoal Creek Bridge for maintenance, May 11

Nodaway County

Routes AF, M, P and 246 – Pothole patching, May 9 – 12

Route JJ – CLOSED from West Warren Street to Wolfers Street for a culvert replacement, May 10, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Route VV – At the Platte River Bridge, for maintenance, May 10 – 12

Route B – CLOSED from Hawk Road to Route FF for a culvert replacement, May 11, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Putnam County

Route CC – CLOSED at the South Branch Shoal Creek Bridge for a bridge replacement project. The bridge will be closed through May 2017.

Route 149 – CLOSED from the Iowa state line to Route DD for a culvert replacement, May 9, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Route 149 – CLOSED from Route DD to 120^th Street for a culvert replacement, May 9, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Routes W and 149 – Pothole patching, May 9 – 12

Worth County

Route W – Sealing, May 9 – 12

Troopers will be on hand later this month in northwest Missouri to inspect boats for the upcoming season.

As part of National Safe Boating Week, boaters are being encouraged to arrange for a thorough inspection of their boat prior to taking it on the water for the season. The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s marine operations troopers will be available Saturday, May 20th to inspect the required equipment on boats to make sure boaters are in compliance with state law.

At 10 a.m. on May 20th troopers will be at both the Big Lake boat ramp in Holt County and the French Bottom’s boat ramp near the Frontier Casino in St. Joseph. For other locations in the state CLICK HERE.

According to a news release, National Safe Boating Week which runs May 20 through the 26th is purposefully scheduled just prior to Memorial Day weekend, which many people consider the kickoff to the boating season.

Col. Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent with the patrol said in addition to making sure your boat equipment is in compliance with state law, make sure you are familiar with laws regarding boat operation and traditional navigational rules.

“When boaters understand and obey the law, and vessels are in good operating order, everyone’s experience on the water becomes safer.” Karsten said.

Missouri law requires everyone born after January 1, 1984, who operates a vessel on Missouri lakes to possess an approved boating safety identification card and photo ID.  According to the MSHP, in 2016, there were 182 boating accidents reported in Missouri, with 104 injuries, and 16 fatalities.

(News release) – Registration for the Summer Youth Tennis Program is available through the Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities Department until June 23, 2017. This summer program is for ages 5-10 and will occur during the months of June and July at the Noyes Tennis Center. The program will be divided into three age divisions.

The program will follow the guidelines of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) 10 and Under Tennis. This program promotes an organized process, focusing on teaching the game of tennis to youth from 5 to 10 years of age in a fun, positive environment. The city said teaching methods, modified equipment, and kid-tailored court size lead to fun and skill development from the very beginning of the program. The process of 10 and Under Tennis helps kids learn, rally, and play quickly in a way that is both enjoyable and rewarding. The Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities Department will have a supply of modified rackets and balls available for the use of the registered participants.

The St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities Department is administering this youth tennis program, with instruction provided by trained tennis staff.

Cost of the program is $30 per participant, per session. Each session will consist of two 45-minute lessons per week for a four week period. The session will begin on Monday, June 26 and run through July 20. Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday lesson times will be available and filled according to level of interest.

The city said all attempts will be made to group children according to both age and ability, but some accommodations may have to be made, depending on the number of registered participants.

To register youth into the program complete a registration form, available at the St. Joseph Parks Administration Building, 1920 Grand Avenue, St. Joseph, MO 64505. For more information about the youth tennis program, contact Jannie Castanada, 816-271-5515 or David Cavin at 816-271-5518.