St. Joseph Streets Department and emergency personnel are on day two of responding to winter driving conditions that took many by surprise.

Keven Schneider Interim Superintendent with the Streets Department said the first truck went out Friday at 1:15 p.m.

“We got a report of some mist in Manhattan but they said it was a small band and they thought it might get here at 11 but 11 came and went and noon came and went around 12:30 it started misting so we started looking at it. But they just said it was misting they didn’t say it was doing anything,” Schneider said. “We started watching it and boy it wasn’t 15 minutes and we said boy we’ve got to run. So we cleared phase one and started in.”

Schneider said if crews would have tried pretreating the roads based on the forecast they had they wouldn’t have started until 4 p.m.

“Our forecast was really nothing until freezing drizzle at 6 and that was only a 30 percent chance,” Schneider said.

Sgt. Quentin Abbott with the St. Joseph Police Department said from about 1 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday morning officers have responded to 75 crashes and 49 assist motorists.

“A lot of the calls we’re getting now are hit and run calls where maybe overnight some vehicles were struck and the people are just getting up and around and noticing it,” Abbot said. “It looks like we’re starting to get caught up.”

Mosaic Life Care told us by 9 p.m. Friday they had already seen around 50 people come into the Emergency Room for winter weather related incidents. Both Schneider and Abbott are urging St. Joseph residents to stay home if they don’t have to go out.

“I would only go out If I needed to and even then I’d be very cautious because most of the residentials have not gotten anything. If you’re close to an emergency route those aren’t too bad,” Schneider said. “We’re now on secondaries which go into the residentials but even those got covered over again last night.”

Schneider said crews are now concerned with overnight temperatures and snow in the forecast.

Abbott said if someone has to get out to use commonsense driving.

“It’s starting to snow and some snow moving into the forecast,” Abbot said shortly after 9:30 Saturday. “With the additional snow on the way and accumulation if people don’t need to get out I wouldn’t. It’s probably a lot safer to stay home.”

Abbot said Friday night there was a least one emergency vehicle that hit ice overnight and was damaged.

JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Department of Transportation warns motorists to avoid travel if possible in Missouri through Sunday due to incoming ice and snow and single digit temperatures. Travel on Missouri’s roads should be restricted to necessary trips only. If travel is necessary, great caution should be taken and travelers should plan ahead using MoDOT’s online traveler information map, http://traveler.modot.org/map/.

“Despite treating the roads Friday, lower than forecasted temperatures paired with wet conditions in advance of the temperature drop resulted in road conditions that greatly impeded traffic and made travel difficult through most of Missouri,” said MoDOT State Maintenance Engineer Becky Allmeroth. “MoDOT crews and law enforcement worked throughout the night repeatedly freeing cars and trucks stuck on slick, hilly locations.”

Overnight, temperatures increased to above freezing and vehicles were able to get moving again. However, mist and rain continued to make the treatment of the roadways with chemicals challenging again.

“Today, temperatures will plummet to arctic levels making travel very dangerous again. We expect flash freezing situations on Missouri highways starting early Saturday,” said Allmeroth. “Pavements will change from wet to ice in an instant, and our road treatment chemicals are not as affective in the extreme cold. Once temperatures drop below 20 degrees in your area today, motorists should strongly consider postponing travel.”

MoDOT’s highway digital message signs will inform motorists of closed sections of interstate. Motorists should heed those warnings and exit the highway before the noted closure.

To check road conditions including winter weather conditions and traffic speeds, please check MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map at http://traveler.modot.org/map/. The map is also available as a free app for Apple and Android devices. The map denotes locations where the road is closed with a red exclamation point.

If you have to travel, please use proper winter safety precautions and make sure you have a full tank of gas, extra blankets and gloves and provisions like water and snacks. Please wear your seat belt and don’t drive distracted. If you encounter car troubles or are involved in a crash, please remain in your vehicle.

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Northwest Missouri State University’s football team will play in their 10th Division II championship game this weekend.

The Bearcats are undefeated this season, coming into Saturday’s game as defending national champions and having won 29 straight games. The Bearcats will take on the University of North Alabama in Kansas City. North Alabama’s only loss this season was their first game against Jacksonville State.

John Coffey is the Sports and News Director at KXCV/KRNW Radio in Maryville and the Voice of the Bearcats. He said he thinks he’s done play-by-play for most, if not all of the Bearcat’s championship games through the years.   

“I think the main thing that really stood out to me for this season is just how dominating they’ve been through virtually every game, they’ve very rarely been challenged, even in some games where I thought they would receive a challenge,” Coffey said. “They’ve gone through this season relatively unscathed. The one thing that was the toughest was from last week’s game in the semifinals with Ferris State, really for the first time, a number of injuries in one game hit them and we’ll just have to see how that will affect play on Saturday and who’s able to come back from those injuries.”

Coffey said at the beginning of the season he thought this team had a good chance of making it back to the championship game.

“Going into the season I felt like this was a team that had a chance if they could stay healthy they could make it back there,” Coffey said. “They had pretty much all the key players back from last year and there’s a little bit more depth than what they had a year ago so I really felt going in that they were going to be very strong. Defensively, they’re probably as strong as I’ve ever seen them and offensively it’s been a team that really from the first game was hitting on all cylinders which is something they didn’t do a year ago. This year, from day one they’ve been focused in and playing very well and I really felt like they were probably the favorite to make it back to the championship game from the very start this year.”

Coffey said the forecast for Saturday is, “Cold, cold cold and I think a chance of some snow and maybe some sleet or light rain at some point, so it’s going to be a cold one.”

Coffey said he’s not looking forward to the cold but he’s looking forward to Saturday’s matchup.

“It’s been a fun season where they’ve accomplished pretty much every goal they set up to the championship game, we’ll see how that turns out.”

The game kicks off at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.  When we contacted Northwest Friday night they said they still planned on having the game even with the winter weather conditions.

(7:53 p.m.) – The St. Joseph School District said all children have officially been picked up from school.

Bridget Blevins with the district said shortly before 8 p.m. Friday that all of the kids have been picked up. She said right now the district’s top priority is making sure that they all get home safe.

“When that happens, we will review the steps taken, before, during and after the winter weather moved in,” Blevins said.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(Update 7:31 p.m.) – The St. Joseph School District said there are around now 27 kids left to be picked up from school.

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

(Update 7:15 p.m.) – The St. Joseph School District said there are around now 47 kids left to be picked up from school.

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(Update 6:29 p.m.) – The St. Joseph School District said there are around now 181 kids left to be picked up from school.

All elementary kids.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(Update 6:15 p.m.) – Shortly after 6 p.m. there were still around 280 kids in the St. Joseph School District remaining at school.

Bridget Blevins with the District said at this point all of the kids remaining are in elementary schools. She said all of the high school, middle and Hillyard Technical Center have been taken care of. Blevins said staff members have remained at school and they are feeding the kids. Some parents have opted to pick up their children. Blevins said the district will update news media outlets when all of the kids are dropped off or picked up.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(Update 4:50 p.m.) – Bus routes in the St. Joseph School District have been delayed due to slick conditions on city streets.

Some of the drivers have not yet begun their routes because they are unable to make it to the schools.

Principals at the schools have been instructed to contact parents and let them know they can come pick up their kids if they are able.

If not, the kids can remain at the schools with staff until the buses are able to pick up students. However, the bus routes will be significantly delayed.

Bridget Blevins, Communications Dir. with the district said the school is providing food for the kids who are still at the schools

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(2:40 p.m.) – The St. Joseph School District is canceling all after-school activities for Friday due to inclement weather.

Bridget Blevins, Dir. of Communications with the district said school is dismissing at regular time – HOWEVER – buses will be running extra slow due to the slick conditions. They will be using extreme caution while transporting students and students might arrive home later than normal.

The St. Joseph Streets Department implemented Phase 1 of its Emergency Snow Ordinance at 1 p.m. and began salting roadways.  The St. Joseph Police Department is urging drivers to use extreme caution if they have to go outside due to road conditions on all city streets and highways.  Police were responding to crashes all over town more than a dozen at once at one point in time.

Missouri Western State University is canceling Winter Commencement scheduled for Saturday due to weather conditions.

Assistance PR and Marking Director, Kent Heier said in an email Friday afternoon that because of the hazardous weather conditions, Western will not hold the Winter Commencement Ceremony or any graduation-related activities this weekend.

“We know this is disappointing for those students who have worked hard to get to this point, but your safety is our top priority,” Heier said. “We hope to provide an opportunity for graduates and their families to celebrate their accomplishments at a later date, and will announce details of that opportunity on Monday afternoon. Thank you, and please be safe this weekend.”

Western had planned to graduate around 330 students during the ceremony.

Circuit Judge Weldon Judah was first elected to serve in the Municipal Division of the Buchanan County Circuit Court in April, 1986. He served in that capacity until November, 1988, when he was elected an Associate Division Judge. In 1995, he was appointed by the Governor as Circuit Judge, Division 2, of the Fifth Judicial Circuit. He was elected to that position in 1996 and re-elected in 1998, 2004 and 2010. His present term expires December 31, 2016.

Among his final duties was the swearing in of two county officials who won their elections last month, Western District Commissioner Ron Hook and Treasurer John Nash. Judge Judah has some kind words for Commissioner Hook.

“I didn’t know anybody could be this sincere,” Judah said. “How could anybody be such a nice, kind, generous, good looking, hard-working guy?”

The judge recounted a story to illustrate his admiration for the Western District Commissioner. Judge Judah says during a break in a jury trial some time back he took a look out of his courtroom window to check the weather and he spotted Hook outside.

“It was a cold day, he was kind of halfway jogging or running…”

“…I don’t remember that,” interrupted the commissioner. “Jogging?”

But the judge said he remembered. It was a cold day, he said, and Hook stopped to pick up some litter on the courthouse grounds.

“I saw him stop, and bend down, and pick up one of those paper things they put on a disposable straw,” the judge said. “I couldn’t see it, and I don’t know how anybody could see it.”

“But that’s the kind of pride he takes in the courthouse, in the western district, in his job, and it’s just the kind of person he is. And I went ‘how many hundreds of people, not to mention the person who threw that there, not to mention all the people that walked by, didn’t pay it a bit of attention at all? And, he did this thanklessly.”

“And, I just said what a great guy, what a sweet guy.”

A reception was held over the noon hour for Judge Judah. He says he has made no immediate plans for his retirement.

“I’m sure eventually my wife will come up with a good idea,” he said.

Judah’s seat will be filled in January by David Bolander, who defeated Gary Myers in the general election last month.

This weekend is the last weekend shoppers can collect tickets in the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce’s Shop St. Joseph campaign.

The shopping program, designed to encourage residents to do their holiday shopping. One lucky shopper will win a $10,000 grand prize. Shoppers also have a chance to win second-chance prizes from participating merchants. The last day to collect tickets is Sunday, Dec. 18.

No purchase is required to win. Customers may receive one free ticket for visiting any participating merchant and one additional ticket for every $10 increment of purchase. A maximum of 100 tickets may be issued per transaction.

The numbers will be drawn at the Chamber office (drawing is closed to the public) and then announced through KQTV, Eagle Radio, the St. Joseph News-Press, FOX 26 KNPN, as well as posted on the Chamber’s website, www.saintjoseph.com, and on the office door at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Once a ticket has been announced for the grand prize, the winner has 24 hours to claim their prize before another number is announced. Only one number will be drawn for secondary prizes and those numbers will not be released until the $10,000 is given away to avoid confusion.

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO
6 PM CST THIS EVENING…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL HAS
ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS EVENING.

* TIMING…FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL IMPACT WEST-CENTRAL AND CENTRAL
MISSOURI FROM MID MORNING THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON. FREEZING DRIZZLE
WILL CHANGEOVER TO DRIZZLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES RISE
ABOVE FREEZING.

* MAIN IMPACT…LIGHT GLAZE ICING WILL LEAD TO SLIPPERY TRAVEL
CONDITIONS LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW…SLEET…OR
FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.