Conservation officials are asking for input by the end of March on three northwest Missouri prairies.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is currently in the multi-year process of updating management plans for three conservation areas in northwest Missouri that conserve native prairies. Plans for the areas will be available for public comment through March 31.

To preview draft management plans and share comments online, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/areaplans.

The three areas available for comment include: Foxglove Conservation Area, 54 acres, Ray County; Little Tarkio Prairie, 129 acres, Holt County, and Tarkio Prairie Conservation Area, 640 acres, Atchison County.

Tarkio Prairie and Little Tarkio Prairie offer some hunting opportunities. But like Foxglove Conservation Area, a primary draw is the chance to hike and bird in grassland ecology. All three of the areas include remnant prairies. They are some of the few remaining deep soil dry-mesic prairies left in northwest Missouri. These prairies support over 100 native plant species each, including plant and animal species of conservation concern that depend on remnant prairies.

Statewide, MDC conservation areas cover almost one million public acres for the purpose of restoring and conserving forest, fish and wildlife resources, and for providing opportunities for all citizens to use, enjoy and learn about these resources.

Conservation Area Management Plans focus on natural resource management and public use on conservation areas. The plans do not address regulations on hunting, fishing and other area uses, which are set by the Conservation Commission and enforced under the Wildlife Code of Missouri. MDC will consider all ideas received and will work to balance the issues and interests identified with the responsibility of managing areas for the present and future benefits to forest, fish, wildlife, and people. Decisions on which ideas to incorporate into area plans and on how to best incorporate them will be based on the property’s purpose, its physical and biological conditions and capabilities, the best roles of the property in its local, regional and state-wide context, and on the professional expertise of MDC staff.

Northwest Missouri State art students and alumni are collaborating to host “Works on Paper,” a collection of paintings and drawings on paper this week.

The show will feature works created by Brant Weiland, Chance Allen, Dylan Mize, Emily Stark and Alexis Banegas as well as Tia Calkins, a Northwest alumna who organized and curated the exhibit. Weiland is a sculptor and recent graduate of Northwest; Stark, Banegas and Allen are students at the University.

The exhibit opens with a reception at 5 p.m. Monday, March 6, at The Pub, 414 N. Main St., in Maryville. The exhibit will continue through Saturday, March 11.

For more information, please contact Calkins at s516352@mail.nwmissouri.edu or (314) 471-9964.

The City of St. Joseph plans to educate the community about a system that aids the hearing impaired at the Missouri Theater.

In August of 2016 a hearing loop system was installed at the Missouri Theater in downtown St. Joseph for the hearing impaired community to experience programs more clearly.  However, the city said much of the community is unaware of the resource and the benefits it provides.

As we previously reported, the system cost around $15,000 and the cost was split between the St. Joseph Sertoma Club and the City of St. Joseph.  Pat Dillon with the St. Joseph Sertoma Club told us in 2016 that the system will work for anyone on the first floor of the theater and should be easy to use.

“Looping is a relatively inexpensive system that allows people living with hearing loss or hearing impairment to more comfortably enjoy events hosted in large spaces,” the city said in a news release.

To try to promote the resource, an educational event, coordinated by several community leaders, is being held Monday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Missouri Theater at 715 Edmond St. The event will feature retired audiologist and speaker, Juliette Sterkens. The intent of the event is to educate the community about looping, allow attendees to test the system, and provide more information about the opportunity to install hearing loop systems in other locations within St. Joseph, Missouri.

“Members of the community, medical and audiology professionals, and local business owners are invited to participate in this event. Increased awareness of looping and the simple steps to utilize the system will have a lasting impact on the community,” the city stated.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Guardrail repair will close a ramp at the Interstate 229 and I-29 interchange on the south side of St. Joseph, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The ramp from southbound I-229 to northbound I-29 will close Wednesday, March 8, 2017, from approximately 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Motorists will need to use an alternate route during the closures. All work is weather permitting and subject to change.

MoDOT encourages all motorists to slow down, buckle up, eliminate distractions and drive safely to ensure everyone is able to Arrive Alive.

For more information about this and other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT or visit www.modot.org/northwest and view the online Traveler Information Map. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.

(Update) Late Friday night, the Missouri American Water company lifted its boil advisory for the St. Joseph area. Tests found no contamination in the water, according to Christie Barnhart, the utility’s Communications Manager for the utility.
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A boil advisory prompted by a downtown water-main break Thursday has a lot of people asking when it will end. Christie Barnhart of Missouri American Water says it shouldn’t last much past Friday night.

“We have got samples that are processing currently,” Barnhart said . “We are very confident that the advisory will be lifted tonight around 10:30 p.m.”

On Friday morning, some water could still be seen rising through the pavement near Sixth and Edmond Streets. One lane of Edmond Street was closed at the intersection. Thursday afternoon we counted more than two dozen small water spouts in the pavement, the sidewalks and the landscaping in the area (see video below).

Barnhart points out that as of Friday morning, no contamination had been detected.

“With a precautionary advisory, we issue those when we see a pressure drop in our water system,” she said. “Often times, as in yesterday, those are caused by when we have water pipes break underground, and this was an eight inch pipe, so that’s a pretty good sized pipe to break.”

Barnhart said the broken, eight-inch water pipe did cause a drop in pressure, which prompted the advisory as a precautionary measure.

“We do not have any evidence of contamination,” she said. “If we did, we would have issued a boil order.”

“But we do want to protect everyone, so we do ask that as a precautionary measure they continue to boil the water before drinking or cooking until this is lifted.”

The St. Joseph School District canceled classes Friday because of the water issues across much of St. Joseph. Barnhart said what the school district did is standard with what she sees across Missouri.

Barnhart advises you to bring your water to a rolling boil for three minutes before using it for drinking or cooking. Tap water is okay for washing and bathing.

As we reported, water was oozing into the street from multiple sources Thursday afternoon, as shown in this video.

Mosaic Life Care announced this week that Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed its A1 credit rating.

According to Moody’s this action affects approximately $119 million of rated debt outstanding issued through the Missouri State Health & Educational Facilities Authority and the St. Joseph Industrial Development Authority. The outlook remains stable.

“Having a strong credit rating is not something Mosaic Life Care takes for granted, and we are appreciative of the confidence Moody’s Investors Services has in our organization,” said Dwain Stilson, Chief Financial Officer with Mosaic Life Care. “Our solid balance sheet and the market share in our primary service area were key contributors in the rating outcome. We will work on our operational plans to enhance our margin, but we remain confident in the organizational planning processes we have in place and those we are implementing.”

In FY 2016, the hospital saw 15,371 inpatient admissions and 1,006,954 outpatient visits.

According to Moody’s Investors Service, A1 is based upon Mosaic’s continued growth in unrestricted liquidity, moderate debt position, and long track record of consistent operating performance. While operations continue to be challenged by the shift from inpatient to outpatient services and pressured reimbursement by government payors, management continues to implement many initiatives to preserve healthy financials including a plan to terminate the defined benefit pension plan this year. The rating continues to reflect a dominant market position as a Sole Community Hospital provider in St. Joseph, MO, though constrained by a high concentration of governmental and self-pay payors, a large employed-physician group, and expansion into the more competitive Kansas City service area.

(3:37 p.m.) – The St. Joseph Police Department has identified the man allegedly shot and killed Friday morning on the south end of town.

Jeffrey Allen Mason, 50 has been identified as the man found at the home located at 413 Ohio Street with an apparent gunshot wound.  Capt. Jeff Wilson said officers are investigating his death as suspicious.

As we previously reported, after arriving officers found Mason with a gunshot wound and he was later pronounced deceased.  The investigation continues.

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The (10:30 a.m.) – St. Joseph Police Department is investigating the death of a man found Friday morning who sustained an apparent gunshot wound.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said officers responded to a home in the 400 block of Ohio in reference to a death investigation. After arriving officers found a 50-year-old man with an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was later pronounced deceased. Detectives are in scene and conducting the investigation.

Classes for the St. Joseph School District have been canceled for Friday, March 3, 2017 due to a boil advisory impacting a large area of the city.

The boil advisory went into effect Thursday following a water main break. It is unclear when the advisory will be lifted.

Because the advisory area impacts more than half of the schools in the district, the district said it is unable to supply enough drinking water to each building in a timely manner. The advisory could also impact food services in buildings. 

“We decided it would be in the best interest and for the safety of our students to cancel classes for the day,” said Dr. Robert Newhart, Superintendent. “All twelve month employees should report as scheduled.”

The St. Joseph Police Department is trying to increase awareness of neighborhood watch groups and said participation is up.

Sgt Roy Hoskins took over the Crime Prevention Unit in January.  He said he has tried to increase the number of people involved in neighborhood watch groups and has already seen a positive response.

“We’re slowly increasing the numbers of how many we have and the attendance in just the past two months,” Hoskins said. “Safety is not always crime numbers, it’s a perception of safety. If people feel like they have a strong sense of community and they’re actively participating in crime prevention with the police it makes you feel safer.”

The department is also trying to increase the number of groups in St. Joseph.

“We have nine active groups right now and we have several that have become inactive over time,” Hoskins said. “I actually have one on Wilshire Drive that we’re getting ready to start up for the first time so they’ll have a brand new group which will put us up to 10.”

Hoskins said over the past several months the department has increased awareness of groups by using social media, Nixle Alerts, and  NextDoor, a private social media network for neighborhoods.

“I post for the neighborhood watch groups, I post where they’re having them and the time. Then the next day I post a follow up,” Hoskins said. “I get a lot more responses on the social media sites asking about things.”

With the weather warming up Hoskins said he expects attendance to increase even more.  He said there are many reasons to take part in a watch group.

“So they can learn who their neighbors are and if they have any concerns about thefts or prowlers or anything like that that they can share with each other.  It’s also a way to get information directly to me,” Hoskins said. “It’s not only an exchange of information between the residents in the neighborhood but also a direct link to me and the police department.”

He said anyone interested in getting involved in a watch group can contact him directly, (816) 236-1473.