The St. Joseph Police Department is searching for two suspects after a Thursday morning burglary.
Capt. Jeff Wilson said police responded around 8:45 a.m. to the 1200 block of N. 2nd St.
“Victim’s sister was present prior to the victim returning to the house,” Wilson said. “She noticed front door of residence open and went inside. Once inside she encountered two intruders. The sister reported that one of the intruders pointed a handgun at her and then they both fled the house and drove away in a white passenger vehicle.”
Several items of value were reported taken from the home. No injuries were reported.
Wilson said the case is being investigated by detectives. No arrests have been made at this time.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri House has passed a bill requiring union members to provide written consent for union dues to be automatically withdrawn from paychecks each year.
In a 95-60 vote Thursday, the House approved a Republican-backed bill that proponents say will give employees more freedom to opt out from unions if they don’t like the services.
Opponents argue the legislation creates unnecessary regulations that shift power away from workers to employers. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Similar legislation passed through both houses last year. It was vetoed by former Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat.
The so-called paycheck protection bill is the most recent step in a Republican push to regulate labor unions. On Monday, Gov. Eric Greitens signed so-called right to work legislation banning mandatory union fees.
It feels like it’s below zero in northern MO and single digits everywhere else. Today will be the last day of these temperatures below normal though. The main concern is the elevated fire danger Friday and Saturday which is due to gusty winds, low relative humidity and dry fuels. Therefore, outdoor burning is discouraged during this time. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 33. North northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming south in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. South southeast wind 8 to 13 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 62. Southwest wind 10 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. Southeast wind around 7 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A chance of rain after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 27.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 50.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 49.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens says his budget plan won’t take a “single penny” out of K-12 classrooms.
But school administrators from across the state say a 34 percent reduction in busing aid might keep districts across the state from hiring new staff or buying new textbooks and technology.
This year, the state covered just 16 percent of transportation costs. Next year it could cover even less if the budget proposal gets House and Senate approval.
The reduction would impact all districts that bus students, but rural districts with fewer kids could be hit particularly hard.
House Minority Leader Gail McCann-Beatty says she doesn’t know of any district “that’s going to be able to take that kind of hit and not have to pull those dollars from somewhere else.”
(Missourinet) – A 2016 review shows compliance among Missouri’s taxing authorities on property tax rates. This is the second year since the State Auditor’s Office began reviewing property tax rates in 1985 that no taxing authorities levied a tax rate above the tax rate certified. Last year was the first.
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway’s office reviews rates to determine whether they are compliant with state law and to monitor rate adjustments to ensure revenue neutrality, as required by law. The audit provides property tax rates reported to the State Auditor’s Office for local government entities, such as cities, counties, and school and fire districts. In 2016, staff reviewed 4,848 property tax rates of 2,823 taxing authorities.
The office does not make recommendations on property tax rates or increases.
The complete review of 2016 property tax rates is available online here.
Auditor Galloway also released a summary report of findings from property tax systems and county collector offices. The report is online here.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Opponents of Missouri’s new right-to-work law are trying to put it to a public vote.
Missouri AFL-CIO President Mike Louis filed a referendum petition to do so with the secretary of state Monday, the same day Republican Gov. Eric Greitens signed the ban on mandatory union fees.
If Louis’ petition makes it to the ballot, voters would decide whether to remain a right-to-work state or dump the new law.
The petition first needs to be approved by Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, then backers can start gathering signatures to try to get it on the ballot.
If enough voters sign the petition before the law is set to take effect Aug. 28, it will be delayed until the public vote.
The next statewide election is slated for November 2018.
(Update) – More than a dozen students in the St. Joseph School District are just weeks away from getting up close and personal with Marine Biology life in the Bahamas.
Betsy Bing, a science teacher at Benton High School said for more than 15 years now, the district has been offering a unique course on Marine Biology. Students from all three public high schools can take part in the course. Classes are held at night at Benton in preparation for a week-long sailing trip over spring break to the Bahamas. It covers Oceanography and reef ecology.
“We talk about how things we do here impact the ocean, like agricultural, we talk about the importance of the reefs,” Bing said. “And then that cumulates in a week-long sailing trip where we snorkel several times every day in places that most people will never, ever get to.”
Sabrina Quick is a Junior at Central H.S. and one of 17 students in this year’s class.
“We’ve been learning about all the different things, we’re learning about fish and corals and sponges, and the habitats and how to protect them,” Quick said. “I’ve always wanted to try Marine Biology so I thought this class would be fun.”
Bing said while the course itself is free, in order to take the trip to the Bahamas students have to pay around $1,900 for travel expenses. This year, she was able to save students around $400 in booking airfare.
“There’s an application process in the spring that we start. Once those kids are chosen a lot of them will work over the summer to raise their funds,” she said. “Then we start class the end of August/beginning of September.”
Students tried out their snorkeling skills Monday at the downtown YMCA. Bing said it’s a way to give them time to practice before they have to snorkel in the actual reefs.
“To see what it feels like to have the mask and breathe through the mask and snorkel just so that when they get there it’s that much less of a surprise,” Bing said. “Most of the reefs that we go to it’s clear, the reefs are about six feet from the top.”
She said in the years the district has offered this course they have graduated several students who have gone on to earn their college degrees in Marine Biology. The class also counts as a half credit for a college elective. Quick said she’s thinking about becoming a Marine Biologist.
“I’m looking forward to our trip. It’s going to be like really fun. I’m excited to see all the fish and actually know what they are and study them and write them down and take pictures,” Quick said. “It has made me think more about becoming a Marine Biologist in my future.”
Bing said it’s a once in a lifetime experience for the kids.
“The beaches that we go to are not the beaches that the normal tourists go to. When we go the only way we can get to the reefs we go to is you sail there. The way the reefs are set up cruise ships can’t get in there,” Bing said. “The beaches that these kids go to are truly pristine, tourist free, not loads of people, not bumper to bumper towels. They are just pristine beaches. They’re seeing an area that most people can’t even fathom that they get to go see.”
Students take the trip over spring break. This year’s spring break in the St. Joseph School District is at the end of March.
2016 class got to swim with the pigs off of an island in the Bahamas. Photo courtesy Bing
Last year, students also got to swim with pigs off of an island in the Bahamas. Bing shared a video of last year’s trip to the Bahamas with us CLICK HERE to view the video on YouTube. Bing said the video was put together by a student, courtesy Madeline Brownfield.
The St. Joseph School District has plans to celebrate the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art science addition at Hillyard Technical Center.
Hillyard is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. to celebrate the completion of the Advanced Science Research Center.
According to a news release, the two-story addition includes science laboratory space, two classrooms, commons and lounge spaces on both levels as well as a new secure entry and reception office. The labs will be used by students from Benton, Central and Lafayette. The facility will host the district’s advanced science classes.
“All students will be exposed to the 18 programs Hillyard offers for its students. Many of these offerings are in high demand,” said Dennis Merritt, Hillyard Technical Center director.
The Advanced Science Research Center is designed to enhance teaching in science, technology, engineering and math while preparing students for the workforce.
“The Advanced Science Research Center will help students explore their interest in life sciences at a critical juncture in their lives – when college and career choices loom,” said Dr. Bernd Eichenmeuller, vice president of operations at Boehringer Ingelheim. “We hope that the access, experiences, and resources the center provides these students enhances their interest in careers at companies such as ours, which is creating cutting-edge medicines and technologies for the animal health industry.”
Clearing skies will give way to another mild day with highs ranging from the lower 40s to near 60 degrees. Much cooler air will overspread the area on Wednesday. Far northern MO may see some light snow with only trace amounts of accumulation. The higher chances for accumulating snow will be further north across Nebraska and Iowa. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Patchy fog before 11 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a steady temperature around 43. West northwest wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. North northeast wind 9 to 11 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. North northeast wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. North northwest wind 8 to 11 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. North northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming light and variable.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Passage of a right-to-work bill isn’t the end of Missouri Republicans’ efforts to regulate labor unions.
Proposals up for debate in the House and Senate would require public workers to annually opt-in instead of opt-out of automatic withdrawals of union dues from their paychecks.
Another would change minimum-wage requirements for some public construction workers.
Debate on some labor-related bills could come the same day Republican Gov. Eric Greitens is set to sign a measure banning mandatory union fees, making Missouri the 28th right-to-work state.
It’s unclear if other Republican-proposed labor bills will make it through the Legislature so quickly.
Sen. Dan Brown proposed right to work and now is shifting attention to the bill to change wage requirements for public construction workers. He says it likely will face more pushback.
The St. Joseph Police Department is searching for two suspects after a Thursday morning burglary.
