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 Feb. 6 – 12 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. With the possibility of winter weather, scheduled maintenance and construction projects may be postponed.

 

Atchison County

U.S. Route 275 – Shoulder work, Feb. 6 – 7

U.S. Route 59 – Pothole patching, Feb. 8 – 9

Buchanan County

Route 6 – Pothole patching, Feb. 6 – 10

Route 116 – From Rushville to DeKalb for sealing, Feb. 6 – 10

Caldwell County

U.S. Route 36 – CLOSED at the Route 13 overpass for bridge maintenance, Feb. 6 – 10, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m daily. Traffic will be directed up and over the ramps at Hamilton during the closure.

Route 116 – From Route A to U.S. Route 69 (Clinton County) for shoulder work, Feb. 6 – 10

Chariton County

Route 129 – CLOSED from Hickory Avenue to Little Creek Road for a culvert replacement, Feb. 6, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Clinton County

Route 116 – From U.S. Route 69 to Route A (Caldwell County) for shoulder work, Feb. 6 – 10

DeKalb County

Route J – CLOSED from U.S. Route 36 to Route 6 for a culvert replacement, Feb. 6 – 10, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily

Gentry County

U.S. Route 136 – From the Nodaway County line to the city limits of Stanberry for crack sealing, Feb. 6 – 10

Holt County

U.S. Route 59 – From the city limits of Mound City to the city limits of Craig for shoulder work, Feb. 6 – 10

Mercer County

U.S. Route 136 – From Route A to the Harrison County line for sealing, Feb. 6 – 10

Route P – CLOSED at the Brushy Creek Bridge for a bridge replacement. The road will be closed through February 2017.

Nodaway County

U.S. Route 136 – From the One Hundred and Two River Bridge to Route 46 for shoulder work, Feb. 6 – 10

Route 46 – From Icon Road to Fillmore Street in the city limits of Maryville for tree trimming, Feb. 7 – 8

Route 46 – In the city limits of Ravenwood for tree trimming, Feb. 9

Worth County

Route 46 – From U.S. Route 169 to Route C for sealing, Feb. 6 – 10

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is urging drivers whose Super Bowl plans may include alcohol to plan ahead.

According to the Coalition, throughout the weekend of February 5, there will be numerous Super Bowl celebrations happening across the state. Many of these celebrations may include alcohol. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety urges football fans to get their game plan established ahead of time: plan a sober ride home.

In 2016, 179 people were killed and 643 seriously injured in Missouri crashes that involved a substance-impaired driver. “One careless act affects all of us,” said MoDOT Director of Highway Safety Bill Whitfield. “Help save lives – don’t drink and drive, and don’t let friends drink and drive.”

Hundreds of people turned out Saturday at Civic Center Park in St. Joseph for a demonstration of support for local immigrants and Muslims.

Organizer Derek Evans hoped the rally would ensure that our Muslim neighbors and immigrant neighbors in St. Joseph feel welcome, and are aware there are folks here who want to make them feel welcome.

Evans said he also hopes the rally will increase local participation in the political process. The group Our Revolution St. Joseph put together the rally with relatively short notice via social media, and came up with a list of speakers from various community organizations who took part.

Speakers from various community organizations took part in the rally.

As we reported, Evans says that both groups feel a little uneasy with the current administration and the executive orders that were issued last week. (Read more here)

Supporters and co-workers gathered at the Buchanan County Courthouse Friday to honor Joyce Estes, who recently retired after 23 years with the Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center.

We asked Estes to reflect on the growth of the center, from its humble beginnings in 1993 in the basement of the Noyes Home with a part time staff.

“We now have a director, office manager, three counselors, a full-time forensic interviewer, and a part-time victim advocate, so our staff has increased a lot,” Estes said.

“We’re seeing probably five times as many kids as we saw when we first started.”

During her career at the center, they added an agreement with Children’s Mercy Hospital in which specialists in Kansas city are able to use “tele-medicine” video conferencing to conduct sexual assault “safe exams.”

“A safe exam is like a sexual assault forensic exam, and has to be done by a specialized person,” Estes said. “We don’t have anyone here who is willing to do those, so somebody from Children’s Mercy will help the nurse practitioner here with the child.”

“That’s a very big accomplishment, because before everybody had to go to Kansas City to get an exam,” she said.

The center is the first of its kind in Missouri. Estes says they helped more than 600 child victims last year, and 570 the year before that. Estes says they have a multi-disciplinary team that works together, so the child is only interviewed once.

“Instead of the police interviewing, the Children’s Division interviewing, the school nurse interviewing, the child comes to the center and gets one interview, and everyone gets that information, and we can do what’s best for the child,” Estes said.

“Probably the most important thing to me is that we do what’s best for the child. That’s our motto, that’s our goal, that’s it, period.”

Estes believes the search for her replacement will get underway soon. We asked if she had any advice for her replacement.

“Be prepared to work hard,” she said, “and make time for yourself. You’ve got to be able to do some stress relief.”

“It’s a very stressful job, but it’s a very, very rewarding job,” she said, and one she has loved since “day one.”

Theatre classes geared toward people age 50 and up started in the fall and will begin the next act this month. 

The “Stepping into Theatre” workshops are an introductory class for those with no previous theatrical experience. The next step is the “Curtain Up” workshops for anyone who took the “Stepping into Theatre” workshops or has previous theatre experience. Both groups will meet for 90 minutes once a week February through April. 

Cheryl Wood is the coordinator for Second Act Players at Robidoux Resident Theatre.  

Wood said the fall group for “Stepping into Theatre” ranged in age from 52 to 81. 

“We just want all ages in there, so age is not really a factor, other than 50 and up,” Wood said. “It is a warm, inviting environment, a place to learn of theatre, to perform, just a place to grow, something different to do. A person may want to take all of the classes, a person may say, ‘Well this satisfied that interest of mine and now it’s time to pursue something else.’ We just want folks to come and enjoy what RRT can provide for them.”

Evening or morning “Stepping into Theatre” classes will be offered beginning with evening classes February 6 in the Rolling Hills Consolidated Library’s Upper Story Room. “Curtain Up” begins classes on February 14 at in the East Hills Public Library’s Conference Room. 

For more information, visit the Robidoux Resident Theatre website or call the Theatre Office at (816) 232-1778.

(Update 12:24 p.m.)Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett has called in outside investigators to help his office look into issues relating to the destruction of former inmate property at the county jail.

Puett told reporters Friday that what he called “some employee performance issues of concern” were discovered during internal auditing and reviews in late December, 2016. An internal investigation was undertaken, and Puett said that probe uncovered the issues with inmate property.

When we asked whether theft was involved, Puett said they were trying to determine that through the investigation.

Puett says when jail detainees are transferred to the Missouri Department of Corrections to serve a prison sentence, they are asked to sign a form naming one individual to pick up their personal property being held at the jail. He said that property could be just about anything the detainees had in their possession when they were booked into jail, including jewelry and clothing. After seven days, if the property is not retrieved by the person named in the form, it becomes “abandoned,” and is marked for destruction.

Puett said some of the internal investigations have been completed, and the issues resolved, but he said other internal investigations continue, and the Missouri State Highway patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control is investigating for potential improprieties.

“We called them in for transparency,” Puett said. He would not offer specific comments on the ongoing investigations.

“Personnel issues are confidential, and I cannot discuss issues relating to the discipline or dismissal of members of the Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “I can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.”

Puett says some of the issues were discovered during the tenure of former Sheriff Mike Strong. Puett says Strong was involved with starting the investigations and that the two law officers are both “on the same page.”

“He was very well aware, and a part of making sure those issues were investigated,” Puett said. “Sheriff Strong is completely supportive of the investigation and the issues that were discovered.”

Puett said that back in December, then-Detective Tom Cates was named Acting Captain at the jail.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(Update 10:20 a.m.) – Sheriff Bill Puett has called in outside investigators to look into issues relating to inmate property in the Buchanan County Jail.

According to a news release, during some internal auditing and reviews in late December of 2016 the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office discovered some employee performance issues of concern and an internal investigation was undertaken.

“The investigations recently uncovered some issues relating to the destruction of former inmate property from inmates who abandoned their property after being sent to the Department of Corrections,” Puett said.

He said currently, some of the internal investigations have been completed and issues resolved, however, some internal investigation are still ongoing. He said the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control is investigating for potential improprieties and that investigation is ongoing.

“Personnel issues are confidential and I cannot discuss issues relating to the discipline or dismissal of members of the sheriff’s office,” Puett said.

When St. Joseph Post’s John P. Tretbar asked if theft was involved Puett said they are trying to determine that.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(10 a.m.) – Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett is addressing the media this morning in reference to investigations ongoing involving the Buchanan County Jail.

The media availability was scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday.  Our own John P. Tretbar is attending and will update with more information after the conference.

Refresh this post for more information as it becomes available.

 

The United Way of Great St. Joseph held its annual meeting Thursday at Missouri Western State University.

According to a news release, the community stepped into a second century of caring, looked back at the last year and century, and elected leadership for 2017.

Special award winners were announced: Spirit of Community Award (honoring one exemplary business each year for outstanding community service and support of United Way)-American Family Mutual Insurance Company; Outstanding Partner Award (honoring one area business or organization each year that has shown an exceptional history of partnership with United Way)-City of St. Joseph; and the Outstanding Volunteer Award (honoring exemplary volunteers each year for outstanding volunteer service through United Way)-Chris Connally.

The event officially released the 2016 United Way Annual Report and included the first United Way Board meeting of 2017, recognizing retiring Board members and electing new Board members and officers.

Retiring United Way Board members were: Mike Dalsing, Jason Horn, and Bob Pritchett.

Volunteers who led United Way Committees in 2016 were: Tom Burke-Profit In Education Council Co-Chair; Pat Dillon-Success By 6 Partners Chair; Steve Johnston-Marketing Committee Chair; Michelle Margulies-Community Investment Co-Chair; Roger Martin-Funding Model Review Team Chair and Community Initiatives Chair; Brad McAnally-Nominating Committee Chair; Bob Pritchett-Finance Committee Chair; Dennis Rosonke-Campaign Chair; Mark Wyble-Community Investment Co-Chair; and Betty Wymore- Profit In Education Council Co-Chair.
At the meeting, Renee Hurd, Gia Scruggs, Gary Silvey, and Mark Wyble were elected to the United Way Board, and the following Board members were elected for a second, three-year term: Ron Auxier, David Brax, Patti Eiman, Ron Hook, Dennis Rosonke, and Lisa Weil.

2017 United Way Board officers elected at the meeting are: Debra Bradly, Chair; Dennis Rosonke, Vice Chair; Tom Burke, Secretary; and Ann Hoy, Treasurer.

This year’s annual meeting highlighted United Way’s progress over the past year and concluded the agency’s centennial year while stepping into a new century, emphasizing that caring never grows old. More than 600 people who volunteered their time through United Way in 2016 were thanked. Special guests for the event were 24 Lafayette and Benton High School freshmen students participating in United Way BEST (Business and Education Succeed Together), a program of United Way Profit In Education©.

The public was invited to the event, and 233 people RSVPed.