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 Nov. 21 – 27 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.

MoDOT will halt temporary lane closures throughout the state to accommodate an increase in traffic due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Most temporary lane closures will stop at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 23, and resume again Monday morning, Nov. 28.

 

Andrew County

Route 48 – CLOSED at the Platte River Bridge near Whitesville for a bridge replacement project. The road will be closed through November.

U.S. Route 71 – From Route B to 340^th Street (Nodaway County) for pothole patching, Nov. 21 – 23

Routes J and M – Pothole patching, Nov. 21 – 23

Atchison County

Interstate 29 – From mile marker 110 (Rock Port Exit) to the Iowa state line for pavement repairs, Nov. 21 – 23

Buchanan County

U.S. Route 36 – Northbound ramp to I-229 CLOSED for sign installation, Nov. 21, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

I-229 and U.S. Route 36 – Flushing bridges, Nov. 21 – 23

U.S. Route 36 – Eastbound under the Route AC overpass for pavement repair, Nov. 21 – 23. This includes a 12-foot width restriction.

Route HH – From Route 116 to 56^th Road for drainage work, Nov. 21 – 23

U.S. Route 36 – One mile east of Route AC for a bridge project, Nov. 21 – 23

Route 116 – From I-29 to Route 371 for guardrail repair, Nov. 21 – 23

Caldwell County

Route P – CLOSED at the intersection of Route P and Old Highway 36 for a culvert replacement, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Chariton County

Route 129 – From Colley Road to Torch Road for drainage work, Nov. 21 – 23

Route U – From Colley Road to Conrad School Road for drainage work, Nov. 21 – 23

Clinton County

Route 33 – From Isley Road to SE Valley View Road for drainage work, Nov. 21 – 23

DeKalb County

U.S. Route 36 – Traffic will be head-to-head at the overpass over I-35 for a bridge replacement project. During this project, no left turns from U.S. Route 36 onto I-35 will be permitted, as the medians between east and westbound U.S. Route 36 will be closed. Please follow the signed detour route. Normal traffic patterns could resume this week.

I-35 – One lane may be closed under the U.S. Route 36 overpass for a bridge deck replacement project. During this project, traffic exiting I-35 will not be permitted to turn left onto U.S. Route 36, as the medians between east and westbound U.S. Route 36 will be closed. Please follow the signed detour route. Normal traffic patterns could resume this week.

Gentry County

Route A – Shoulder work, Nov. 21 – 23

Harrison County

Route 13 – At the Pole Cat Creek Bridge for maintenance, Nov. 21 – 23. A temporary traffic signal is in place to direct traffic.

U.S. Route 69 – From the Bethany city limits to the Iowa state line for shoulder work, Nov. 21 – 23

Holt County

U.S. Route 59 – From the Atchison County line to the south Oregon exit (Exit 67) for pothole patching, Nov. 21 – 23

Route 111 – From the city limits of Forest City to the Oregon city limits for shoulder repairs, Nov. 21 – 23

Linn County

Route 5 – Form U.S. Route 36 to the Browning city limits for shoulder repair, Nov. 21 – 22

Mercer County

Route C – CLOSED from Route E to Foghorn Road for a culvert replacement, Nov. 21, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Nodaway County

Route C – Two miles west of Clearmont at the Nodaway River Bridge for a stream bank stabilization project, Nov. 21 – 23

U.S. Route 71 – From 340^th Street to Route B (Andrew County) for pothole patching, Nov. 21 – 23

Route 246 – From Route E to Route 46 (Worth County) for pothole patching, Nov. 21 – 23

Putnam County

U. S. Route 136 and Route 5 – Pothole patching, Nov. 21 – 23

Sullivan County

Route EE – CLOSED from Route KK north to Route KK south for a culvert replacement, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Worth County

Route 246 – From Route 46 to Route E (Nodaway County) for pothole patching, Nov. 21 – 23

An increase in crashes involving deer is being seen by authorities in northeast Kansas.

Brown County Sheriff John Merchant said Tuesday that in the past few weeks deer non-injury accidents have increased in the county.  He said in most cases the accidents were unavoidable.

“Over the weekend we had like four or five,” Merchant said. “I know with people in the field, the farmers out combining and doing work I know that the deer tend to get up and travel more and with the rut I know there’s a lot of factors that contribute to the activity of the deer.”

He said the best advice is to drive at a reasonable speed for road conditions and not to try to avoid hitting the deer.

“The major issues are when people leave the roadway.  That’s when a majority of the bad injuries and more damage to the vehicle.  Also, there are times when people are driving too fast,” Merchant said. “You just have to drive with caution and make sure that you’re aware of everything.”

The Second Harvest Community Food Bank is gearing up for its annual Thanksgiving distribution.

Michelle Fagerstone is the Dir. of Marketing for the agency.  She said around 1500 meals will be handed out during Monday’s distribution in St. Joseph.

“On Super Turkey Day we are scheduled to distribute right at 1500 full family turkey meals.  So they will get a frozen turkey and they will get a box of food that has basic Thanksgiving Day menu items in it.  So there will be some stuffing, some canned yams, some pie mixes, there will be some vegetables in there,” Fagerstone said.

The agency has also distributed 548 turkey meals through partner agencies in its service area.  Fagerstone said the effort is a way to make sure even those who may not be able to afford it can have a Thanskgiving meal.

“Even the cost of turkey which is generally pretty affordable with their limited income it is not affordable,” Fagerstone said. “We give the meals specifically to people who have qualified for what we call a yellow card.”

Volunteers will hand out the meals at Second Harvest starting at noon.  Fagerstone said families will drive-thru to pick-up their birds until all of meals are accounted for.  She said all of the meals have already been claimed so if someone has gotten their voucher they are guaranteed a meal.

For more information contact Second Harvest at (816) 364-3663, Ex. 218.

A historic mansion in St. Joseph will be decorated for the Thanksgiving holiday and open for a tour Saturday.

The Saint Joseph Symphony Thanksgiving Historical Mansion Tour takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at a mansion that Sharon Kosek with the Symphony said they’ve been trying to get on the tour for the last three years.

“They have large family gatherings, beautiful, historical, festive times and they decorate splendidly for the Thanksgiving holiday and we have wanted so much to have this gorgeous mansion on the tour,” Kosek said. “It takes so much time to go through it and see all the beautiful things they have inside that we decided this would be a great time to have this fabulous home called “The Pines” on the tour.”

Kosek said the house was built in 1850 as a wedding gift from former U.S. Senator Robert Wilson of Andrew County to his daughter Mary Ann McDonald. Kosek said Senator Wilson brought guests from Jefferson City to the mansion in St. Joseph.

“Fort Sumter had just been bombed and they were afraid of staying in Jefferson City so they moved the meeting to this beautiful home in the front yard and they decided there that Missouri would go with the North. So it has this very historic presence,” Kosek said. “Back then they had many a historic party and political meeting and they still today have many a party and historical meeting by the way of political meetings at this home because it’s a very spacious home and makes for a beautiful location to have gatherings.”

The tour takes place from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday. The house is located at #3 Hundley Dr., north of the Noyes Boulevard-Ashland Ave. intersection west off of Ashland.

Advance tickets are $20 and tickets at the door are $25. Tickets are available at the St. Joseph Hy-Vee store service center, Jamie’s Secret Garden, at the Saint Joseph Symphony Office or online.

All the proceeds from the tours will benefit the Saint Joseph Symphony and its programs.

A St. Joseph man is facing multiple charges after police responded to a shooting incident Thursday.

Terry Labrozzi has been charged with felonies for second-degree domestic assault and unlawful use of a weapon in connection with an incident that took place Thursday in the 6400 Block of Grant.

As we previously reported, authorities responded to that location around 11 a.m. after a report of a disturbance with possible shots fired.

According to court documents, two victims were at that location when Labrozzi arrived and shoved one victim into a fence and hit another in the face with his hand while holding a firearm. Sgt. Daniel Sweiger said Labrozzi then allegedly got into a physical fight with one of the victims and shot the weapon injuring that victim with a bullet.

Labrozzi is being held without bail.  An arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.

 

 

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man who died Wednesday afternoon after being tased by officers during a drug investigation in St. Joseph.

39-year-old Bruce Lee Edward Johnson, a south St. Joseph resident has been identified as the man who died after allegedly resisting officers on McKenzie Dr.

As we previously reported, Col. Bill Puett with the sheriff’s office said investigators with the Drug Strike Force were conducting a warrant operation Wednesday afternoon on MacKenzie Dr. Puett said investigators were looking for an individual involved in drug activity and outstanding warrants when a man confronted officers as they approached the house.

“He came out of the house as the officers were approaching the house,” Puett said. “He became combative with officers and tried to attack the officers with a ball bat and fight with them. After he did that he was tased and then arrested and later died at Mosaic after he was transported.”

Puett said it’s unknown if the taser contributed to the man’s death. The Missouri State Highway Patrol has been requested to investigate.

Cpl. Sarah Hardin said an autopsy is scheduled for Friday morning. Anyone with information is asked to call the Criminal Investigations Division at (816) 236-8872.

An administrator and two teachers have been placed on paid leave while an investigation into the restraint of a child is conducted.

Dr. Robert Newhart said Thursday, Nov. 10 an incident took place at Webster Learning Center in which an elementary student was restrained.

“To make sure we do this by the book we have placed three staff members on administrative leave pending the investigation of the incident and the incident has been hotlined and will be investigated by the division of social services,” Newhart said. “Webster deals with a lot of behavioral situations and behavioral issues with kids and we just want to make sure the appropriate and required training and restraint procedures were used.”

Newhart said the length of the investigation is unknown.

“We want to do this by the book. Again the whole reason for this is protecting all individuals involved just to make sure that everybody’s rights and procedures have been taken care of and are in place,” Newhart said.

Little other information was released

The St. Joseph Police Department is investigating a report of shots fired Thursday morning on Grant St.

Authorities were on scene in the 6400 block of Grant around 11 a.m. after a report of a disturbance with possible shots fired.  Commander Eric Protzman said officers have determined there have been some shots fired.

“We’re talking to neighbors to try to determine exactly what happened. Trying to put the information together to determine what took place here this morning,” Protzman said. “They have some indication that maybe some bullets possibly struck a residence down here.”

Police are currently investigating a home with a possible bullet hole and are trying to determine if shots may have been fired from inside or outside.  No one has been reported injured.  The investigation is ongoing.

A mailman delivering in the area heard the shots from next door.  A neighbor invited him inside.

Grant St. is closed off at Rhudy while police investigate.