With New Year’s celebrations in the works for many the Missouri State Highway Patrol is encouraging safe driving practices.

Last year over the New Year’s holiday counting period, there were 954 traffic crashes, which injured 364 people. There were seven fatalities during the 2016 New Year’s holiday counting period. The 2017 New Year’s holiday counting period is from 6 p.m. on Friday, December 30, 2016, until 11:59 p.m.on Monday, January 2, 2017.

The Patrol said many Missourians will plan special gatherings to welcome 2017.

“If your plans include alcohol, remember that nothing ruins a party like a DWI arrest or a drinking-related traffic crash on your way home. Designate a sober driver before the party starts,” the Patrol said. “The roadway is no place for a driver who has been drinking. If you cause a traffic crash, your New Year might begin with being arrested, facing legal fees and medical bills, and perhaps jail time! You could lose your license and will have to face your family and friends. If you kill or injure someone, you’ll pay the price for the rest of your life. No one wants to begin 2017 in jail. Be smart! Designate a sober driver or take a taxi.”

in addition officers are asking people to remember to buckle up and obey traffic laws.

“Be a courteous driver: When in doubt, yield the right-of-way. Pay attention and use your turn signal to communicate your intentions to other drivers. The posted speed limit reflects the roadway’s classification and is not a suggestion! There’s no reason to speed—the party starts after you arrive safely,” the Patrol said.

Buchanan County has transferred land to the Missouri National Guard for the construction of a new training site in northwest Missouri.

Maj. Gen. Stephen Danner said the around 46 acres near the intersection of Interstate 29 and North 169 Highway on the northeast corner will eventually become a training site similar to Camp Clark in Neveda, Mo.

“We don’t have anything in northwest Missouri so as we continue to build our Army strength and Air quite frankly we need to have a training camp that our soldiers and airmen can use,” Danner said. “Camp Clark has barracks, training areas, firing ranges etc. We hope to build this piece of ground into a similar configuration.”

During a ceremony Thursday, Buchanan County Commissioners signed the paperwork to transfer the land.

“It’s going to be a big boost for the economy and the community,” said Dan Hausman, Eastern District Commissioner. “It’s great to be the commissioner that makes it happen.  It was a group effort and there were a lot of people involved. I’m going out of office tomorrow and I’m glad we got it done before I left.”

Engineers with the guard will now need to work on a strategy for the future on how to configure the camp. However, Danner said the land could be used as soon as 2017.

“In the army we do things in tents. So being in the field etc. is what we do every day. The piece of ground that we have here is already a training ground for us to be able to use,” Danner said. “This won’t happen overnight but we will be able to utilize it very quickly so I can see us next summer being able to do things here.”

Around 2,000 army units located in northwest Missouri would utilize the site. Danner said he’s also looking at bringing in additional units into the state.

“I think it will be hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in savings to the tax payers in reduced travel costs and fuel costs. Plus it will give me an opportunity to bring more units in,” Danner said. “Each of those units brings in $3-to-$3.5 million in payroll every year. So when I’m talking about bringing in five new units to the state that’s a lot of payroll to our folks and a lot of jobs.”

In order to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that a proposed asset swap with Sanofi would be anti-competitive Boehringer Ingelheim has agreed to divest several animal health products in the United States.

The FTC announced the agreement Wednesday.

As we previously reported, Boehringer announced in November asset swap plans with Sanofi. The FTC said under the proposed swap, Boehringer will acquire Sanofi’s animal care subsidiary, Merial, valued at $13.53 billion, and Sanofi will obtain Boehringer’s consumer health care business unit, valued at $7.98 billion, as well as cash compensation of $5.54 billion.

However, the FTC filed a complaint alleging that without Boehringer divesting its animal health products the asset swap would harm competition in the U.S. markets for various vaccines for pets and certain parasite control products for cattle and sheep.  The transaction would also lead to higher prices and reduced services in the markets.  Under the proposed consent order Boehringer will divest the companion animal vaccines to Eli Lilly and the company’s Elanco Animal Health division, and the parasite control products to Bayer AG.

Earlier this month, Bayer announced it signed an agreement to acquire Boehringer’s CYDECTIN bovine and ovine endectocide products.

“This transaction underlines our strategy to strengthen our portfolio with bolt-on acquisitions,” said Dr. Dirk Ehle, Head of Bayer Animal Health. “The U.S. is our most important market, and the addition of the CYDECTIN products will help further strengthen our position in cattle parasiticides in the U.S.”

According to the FTC to ensure the consent order is achieved Boehringer is required to provide technical assistance and other transition services so the companies can independently manufacture and sell the products. The FTC order also includes an asset maintenance order and it appoints a monitor to oversee the divestiture process.

CLICK HERE to read the FTC release on the divestitures conditions.

The City of St. Joseph is now accepting live Christmas Trees for disposal.

Residents can drop off their trees until January 17 at Drake Softball Complex located at 22nd and SW Parkway.  The city said there is no cost to drop off trees but they are asking people to make sure all ornaments are removed as well as tree stands and that there is no tinsel or other decorations.

It’s a service the city provides every year.  The Parks Department said the trees will be hauled away to the landfill.  The trees will be ran through a chipper for composting.

A chase out of Doniphan County ended in a crash in front of South Belt Walmart Tuesday night.

The St. Joseph Police Department shutdown South Belt Highway for about an hour Tuesday after the crash.  An advisory was issued shortly before 9:30 p.m. warning drivers to avoid the 3000 block of S. Belt.

Sgt. Roy Hoskins with the St. Joseph Police Department said the pursuit started in Doniphan County and the St. Joseph Police Department was assisting when it crossed into their jurisdiction.

Officer Patrick Zemer with the St. Joseph Police Department Traffic Unit said they were called in to work the crash.

“The vehicle was trying to elude them and went through a red light and struck a vehicle in the intersection and hit a median,” Zemer said. “All parties involved went to the hospital.”

Zemer said an adult and a small child in the other vehicle both from St. Joseph were transported with what police described as minor injuries.  The suspect, also a St. Joseph resident was also transported with what was described as a minor injury.

Authorities are still investigating.  Zemer said charges in reference to the crash in St. Joseph have been submitted to the prosecutor’s office for consideration. Both Zemer and Hoskins said they could not comment on the pursuit.  We are currently awaiting a call back from the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Office for further details in the case.

A man has been charged in Platte County after a more than 4 hour long standoff Friday that shutdown I-29.

Khrurshed Haydarov, 25 of Pennsylvania was charged Christmas Eve with a felony for making a terrorist threat.  That charge stems from an incident that took place Friday in Platte County.

As we previously reported, authorities took an armed trucker into custody after an hours-long standoff at a rest stop on I-29 in Platte County.  The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the standoff began shortly before 9 a.m. following reports of a man pointing a rifle at traffic. Authorities evacuated the rest area, leaving only the unidentified trucker and officers.

According to court documents, after a caller reported a person allegedly pointing a long gun out of the window and ‘trackin’ cars a deputy with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office believed he saw Haydarov pointing the barrel of a shot gun out the driver’s side window at passing cars.

“After several hours and many attempts to get Haydarov to respond to negotiators, the decision was made to breach a window on the sleeper cab on the passenger side of the tractor.  He moved to the front of the cab sat in the driver’s eat, grabbed a long gun from the right of where he was sitting and threw it backward to the sleeper compartment of the tractor,” said Det. Nancy Penrod.  “When he was handcuffed the deputies noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.”

No injuries were reported.  Haydarov’s blood alcohol content was reported at .0381.

Haydarov is being held on $100,000 cash on bail in the Platte County Jail.

An armed robbery early Tuesday morning in Andrew County could have ties to recent St. Joseph robberies.

Andrew County Sheriff Bryan Atkins said Tuesday around 12:41 a.m. an armed robbery took place at the Jessie’s Last Stop Convenience Store, located at 6101 North Belt Highway and County Line Road in Country Club Village.

Atkins said the store clerk notified officials of the robbery. The suspects were described as one white man and two black men wearing bandanas and ski masks. The only clothing description provided was that one of the suspects had on a blue hoodie.

“The suspects entered the store, displayed a weapon and demanded money from the register. During the robbery, one of the suspect fired a round from his gun,” Atkins said. “Suspects took an undetermined amount of cash, a few cartons of cigarettes, and some potato chips.”

No injuries were reported. The suspects fled the store on foot into the dark.

“Investigators are continuing to work on the case,” Atkins said. “It is believe that the suspects could be the same individuals responsible for the robberies that have occurred in St Joseph the past few days.”

As we previously reported, the St. Joseph Police Department is investigating after two gas stations were held up at gunpoint over the past several days.

The Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with any information regarding this case to call the Sheriff’s Office at 816-324-4114 or the St Joseph Tips Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.