The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art is closed as crews work to clean-up after a weekend fire in the loading dock area.

Sunday around 8 a.m. the St. Joseph Fire Department responded to the museum located at 2818 Frederick Ave. to find large amounts of smoke in the loading dock area, but no active flames.

Jane Graves with the museum said the fire was electrical in nature and was quickly contained.  However, she said the smoke did spread through the museum.

“A professional cleaning service is at the museum this week to help with the restoration and clean-up,” Graves said. “We are fortunate there was no significant damage.  The permanent collection of artwork was in storage because of the Sugarplum Festival last week.”

The dates for three exhibitions that were scheduled to open Sunday are being postponed.  The museum is currently closed, Graves said updates will be given as clean-up progresses.

 

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A reward is being offered after items were found stolen on Veteran’s Day from the American Legion in Wathena.

Duston Hansen with the Legion said a cash reward of $1,500 is being offered for the return of items or failing that, the prosecution of those responsible. 

In a social media post Hansen posted items that were taken; a clock, oval framed portraits (2, Black Jack Pershing and Arthur Wakeman) and 4 simple frames with individual WWI veterans posing.
As we previously reported, Wathena Chief of Police Jason Pendleton said the police department was notified after the American Legion was opened up Friday morning. He said the break-in is believed to have taken place sometime late Thursday night to early Friday morning. Currently police have no suspects.

“As we get further information we are going to continue to put it out on social media and things of that nature and if anybody might recognize anything we put on social media or hears anything we’d sure like to know,” Pendleton said. “It’s a disgrace and to believe that somebody would do that on Veteran’s Day is heartbreaking.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Wathena Police Department at (785) 989-4521 or the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 985-3711.

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. 14 – 20 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.

 

Andrew County

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

Business U.S. 71 – Southbound from County Road 365 to County Road 363 for shoulder work, Nov. 8 – 10

Buchanan County

Interstate 229 and U.S. Route 36 – Flushing bridges, Nov. 14 – 18

U.S. Route 36 – One mile east of Route AC for a bridge project, Nov. 14 – 18

Route DD – At the Malden Creek Bridge for sealing, Nov. 15 – 16

Route 116 – At the Castile Creek Bridge for sealing, Nov. 15 – 16

Caldwell County

Route D – CLOSED from SW Pikes Drive to SW Colt Drive for a culvert replacement, Nov. 14, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route D – CLOSED from SW Colt Drive to SW Ana Drive for a culvert replacement, Nov. 15, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route D – CLOSED from Route 116 to SW Colt Drive for a culvert replacement, Nov. 16, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Chariton County

Route 129 – From Colley Road to Torch Road for drainage work, Nov. 14 – 18

Route U – From Colley Road to Conrad School Road for drainage work, Nov. 14 – 18

Clinton County

U.S. Route 169 – Northbound in the city limits of Gower from Field Street to Smith Avenue for drainage work, Nov. 14

Daviess County

I-35 – CLOSED at the southbound Coffey truck parking lot for pavement repairs, Nov. 14 – 16. The lot will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. on Nov. 14 and will reopen on Nov. 16 at 8 a.m.

Route Y – One-half mile north of U.S. Route 69 for pothole patching, Nov. 16

Route KK – One-half mile west of I-35 for pothole patching, Nov. 16

Route N – Pothole patching, Nov. 16

Route P – From Route YY to Route 13 for pothole patching, Nov. 17

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. This project will continue through November.

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. This project will continue through November.

Route 6 – One mile west of Route J for milling and pothole patching, Nov. 15

Route C – One and one-half mile south of Route 6 for milling and pothole patching, Nov. 15

Gentry County

U.S. Route 136 – In the city limits of Albany for drainage work, Nov. 15

Grundy County

U.S. Route 65 – From the city limits of Trenton to the city limits of Spickard for pothole patching, Nov. 14 – 16

Route 6 – From the city limits of Trenton to the Daviess County line for pothole patching, Nov. 16 – 18

Harrison County

Route 13 – At the Pole Cat Creek Bridge for maintenance, Nov. 14 – 17. A temporary traffic signal is in place to direct traffic.

I-35 – Southbound from the Iowa state line to mile marker 84 (Routes H/AA) for pavement repair, Nov. 14 – 18

Route 46 – From Route NN to Route U.S. 69 for pothole patching, Nov. 17 – 18.

Holt County

U.S. Route 59 – From the Atchison County line to the south Oregon exit (Exit 67) for pothole patching, Nov. 14 – 18

Livingston County

U.S. Route 36 – From one miles west of U.S. Route 65 to one mile east of U.S. Route 65 for sealing, Nov. 14 – 16

U.S. Route 36 – At the Coon Creek Bridge for sealing, Nov. 17

Mercer County

U.S. Routes 65 and 136 – Pothole patching, Nov. 14 – 18

Nodaway County

Route E – At the intersection of Route NN for pothole patching, Nov. 14

Route OO – Pothole patching, Nov. 14

Route C – Two miles west of Clearmont at the Nodaway River Bridge for a stream bank stabilization project, Nov. 14 – 17

U.S. Route 71 – From 340^th Street to Route B (Andrew County) for pothole patching, Nov. 15 – 18

Putnam County

Route EE – CLOSED from U.S. Route 136 to 190^th Street for a culvert replacement, Nov. 14 – 15, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Route EE – CLOSED from 190^th Street to Foxtail Trail for a culvert replacement, Nov. 15, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

U.S. Route 136 – Shoulder repair, Nov. 15 – 18

Sullivan County

Route P – CLOSED from Pacific Road to Oakhill Road for a culvert replacement, Nov. 15, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Worth County

Route 46 – From U.S. Route 169 to the Nodaway County line for pothole patching, Nov. 14 – 15

Route 246 – From Route 46 to Route E for pothole patching, Nov. 16

Route 46 – From Route NN to U.S. Route 69 for pothole patching, Nov. 17 – 18

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Evening signal work will affect motorists at two locations in St. Joseph this week.

The intersection of U.S. Route 169 and North Village Drive and the intersection of U.S. Route 169 (Belt Highway) and Faraon Street will both receive new electrical cabinets and have flashing yellow arrow signals installed.

At U.S. Route 169 and North Village Drive, near Interstate 29 north, contractors will work Monday, Nov. 14, beginning at 8 p.m. to install a signal mast arm, signal heads and signs. During this work there will be some intermittent lane closures until approximately 2 a.m. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, the intersection will again see crews at work between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. as they install the new signal cabinet and flashing yellow arrow left-turn signals. During Tuesday night’s work the signals will be out of service and dark for approximately three hours. Temporary stop signs will be in place and law enforcement will be present.

Also on Tuesday night, Nov. 15, crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation will install flashing yellow arrow left-turn signals and a new signal cabinet at the intersection of the Belt Highway and Faraon Street. The work will begin at approximately 10 p.m. and should be complete by 1 a.m. The signal will be out of service and dark during a portion of this time and temporary stop signs and law enforcement will also be present during this work.

Drivers are reminded that whenever a signal is dark or in flash mode, the intersection should be treated as a four-way stop. Even after the signals are operational, workers will be present at these intersections performing maintenance work. Motorists should use extra caution and may encounter delays throughout the night.

All work is weather permitting.

Students, community groups and businesses will take part in a walk next week in St. Joseph to benefit the homeless.

The fifth annual Walk for the Homeless will start at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 at the corner of Sixth and Messanie Streets in downtown St. Joseph and will follow part of the migration path followed by the homeless to access services.

The walk to raise awareness and funds for the Social Welfare Board’s clinic is co-sponsored by the Missouri Western State University Organization of Student Social Workers; Missouri Western’s Department of Criminal Justice, Legal Studies and Social Work; and several community organizations and businesses.

Participants will receive a T-shirt and invitation to join a barbecue dinner following the mile-and-a-half walk. To register in advance, go to www.socialwelfareboard.org and click on the Walk for the Homeless link.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, underwent some changes this year, but many places offer help for anyone needing to apply.

Northwest Missouri State University Director of Financial Assistance Charles Mayfield said the “FAFSA Frenzy” is a statewide initiative.

“The goal is to allow families to come in and get help, ask questions, we’ll sit down with them at a computer and help them through the process start to finish,” Mayfield said. “We host one of those events on the campus at Northwest in Maryville. To attend that event, it doesn’t matter where the family plans to go to school, we’re just there to help them get the application submitted.”

Participants should bring their 2015 W-2 forms, copies of their 2015 tax forms and student and parent FSA IDs.

FAFSA Frenzy at Northwest takes place at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the B.D. Owens Library on campus.

For more information, go to Northwest’s website and for other FAFSA Frenzy locations and dates, click here.

Authorities are investigating after the Wathena American Legion was found broken into and burglarized Veteran’s Day morning.

Wathena Chief of Police Jason Pendleton said the police department was notified after the American Legion was opened up Friday morning.

“They were there actually picking up flowers to put in the cemetery and that’s when they noticed the damage,” Pendleton said.

He said they are still trying to determine what all was taken but the door was broken, photos of WWI veterans were stolen, as well as a clock and some larger photos were taken from off the wall.

“It was mostly photos from what I understand,” Pendleton said. “They threw some mail around and of course the damage they did to the door was significant. I don’t know if they were looking for anything in particular but they were looking through everything to see what they could find.”

Pendleton said the break-in is believed to have taken place sometime late Thursday night to early Friday morning. Currently police have no suspects.

“As we get further information we are going to continue to put it out on social media and things of that nature and if anybody might recognize anything we put on social media or hears anything we’d sure like to know,” Pendleton said. “It’s a disgrace and to believe that somebody would do that on Veteran’s Day is heartbreaking.”

Since Pendleton has worked for the department he said there have been at least two other break-ins reported at the Legion in the past.  Duston Hansen with the Legion posted photos of the aftermath of the most recent break-in on social media asking for anyone with information to contact authorities.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Wathena Police Department at (785) 989-4521 or the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Office at (785) 985-3711.

The St. Joseph Police Department has arrested a man in connection with an investigation into shots fired Friday morning.

Sgt. James Langston said officers responded to the 3600 block of Doniphan Ave. around 6:15 a.m. in reference to shots fired. Langston said a man reported that another man fired at least five times at him.

“Officers arrived on scene and determined no one was struck,” Langston said. “They did contact a suspect and took him into custody. Officers are still looking for evidence.”

The investigation is ongoing.