A Craig, Missouri, man is dead after a one vehicle crash in Holt County Saturday afternoon.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 57-year-old Dayton D. Lawson of Craig was driving south on US 59 in Mound City around 4 p.m. Saturday when his vehicle crossed the center line, went off the east side of the road and up an embankment. Lawson was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected through the front passenger window.

Lawson was pronounced dead at the scene by Holt County Coroner Susan Lentz.

Each year, when the temperatures get high enough and the oxygen content gets low enough, the carp populations in ponds across Northwest Missouri take a beating.

On Sunday, crews from the St. Joseph Parks and Recreation Department were dispatched to Corby Pond, where the polka-dot pattern on the pond’s surface and the smell of dead fish throughout the neighborhood provided yet another sign of summer.

There were hundreds of fish floating in the pond Sunday, a regular occurrence at this time of year, according to long-time parks workers.

Around 700 bicyclists will hit the road Sunday morning in St. Joseph for the official start of Bike Across Missouri (BAM).

The event will run June 12 through June 17 as cyclists travel a route taking them across northern Missouri. Bikers will be leaving St. Joseph Sunday morning, stopping in Hamilton, Chillicothe, Brookfield, Macon, Shelbina, and ending the tour in Hannibal.

Area law enforcement agencies are warning residents to be on the lookout as cyclists pass through. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said drivers should exercise extra caution on the roadways during this time. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office has also send out an advisory.

Livingston County is warning drivers to be on the lookout Monday through sometime during Tuesday afternoon as BAM particpants pass through the county.

“Tuesday the BAM participants and support staff will leave Simpson Park and travel to Highway V where they will work their way to Chula and then travel east to Highway BB and turn south. Once they reach Highways B and BB they will turn east into Linn County,” the department said. “Most likely there will be riders strung out on the routes and touring the towns and Chillicothe for a good part of the day. Participants may get off the suggested course at any time.”

This is the second year for the event in Missouri.

 

With almost 100 degree temperatures predicted this weekend, the St. Joseph Health Department offers safety reminders for area residents.

Connie Werner with the City of St. Joseph Health Department said hot summers happen every year in Missouri but now is a good opportunity to remind everyone of how to stay safe.

“During this time period, the temperatures can get to the point that can cause damage to the body,” Werner said. “So what we want to avoid are extreme heat reactions – that would be reaching heat exhaustion and then heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is that in which your body is becoming stressed under the heat conditions – that would be the extreme perspiration, the red face – That is your body telling you that you’re heading into a medical emergency. The first thing that you need to do is to get yourself cooled off – that could lead into a heat stroke and that is a medical emergency.”

Werner said some tips to remember during this upcoming hot season include:

 

• Stay hydrated – your body needs more water than usual
• Try to stay as cool as possible – try to stay in air conditioned areas
• Avoid direct sunlight, wear light colored and lightweight clothing, have something over your head
• Remember to check on individuals at high risk of getting overheated including elderly individuals, anyone without AC, those with chronic medical conditions, anyone working outside, children and pets

Also, in a press release, the Brown County Sheriff’s Department reminds motorists to never leave children alone in a hot vehicle. Ten minutes is the amount of time it takes for a car to reach deadly temperatures. For more information click here.

 

A pair of hearings are scheduled Monday morning in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri for former St. Joseph School Superintendant and board member Dan Colgan. Dr. Colgan will first appear before a U.S. Magistrate for a bond hearing. Then he’ll appear before a district judge to waive his right to a grand jury and plead guilty to a federal crime.

According to Don Ledford, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Missouri, the Waiver and Plea Hearing is scheduled on Monday morning at 10 a.m. before U.S. Judge Dean Whipple in Kansas City.

Ledford says he cannot say what charge will be brought, because technically Dr. Colgan hasn’t waived his grand jury rights yet. But Ledford confirmed that a plea deal has been negotiated.

“First, the defendant will waive his right to the grand jury process,” Ledford said in an interview. “Then the government will file a criminal information.”

“After that we expect the defendant to plead guilty.”

Dr. Colgan has been the focal point of some extreme controversy within the St. Joseph School District, beginning with an investigation into administrative stipends that dates back twenty years, to improperly reported pension information. Earlier this year, state officials ordered Colgan to repay nearly $600,000 in pension funds.

The FBI has been investigating the school district for more than two years.

After nearly two months authorities have arrested a fifth suspect in a home invasion investigation in Andrew County.

The Andrew County Sheriff’s Department said Richard Wayne Weyer Jr. was arrested Wednesday afternoon on warrants for first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, first-degree burglary and various other felony and misdemeanor charges.

Weyer is one of five defendants charged in connection with a home invasion case in rural Andrew County that took place on April 26.  The department said during the home invasion five suspects entered the home of an elderly male victim with weapons, tied the victim up in a chair and proceeded to burglarize and steal articles from the residence.

Also charged in connection with the case is Tiffany Cruz, 35, Bradley Henley, 28, Jason Laughlin, 36 all of St. Joseph and Eileen Schussler, 20 of Wathena.  All are of which are charged with more than half a dozen felonies in Andrew County including felonies for first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, first-degree burglary, felonious restraint and unlawful use of a weapon.

The sheriff’s department said Weyer has been on the run and hiding from authorities since the incident took place. The other four suspects were taken into custody the day of the home invasion. Weyer is currently being held in the Andrew County Jail without bond. No court date or time has been set.

Officials confirm Phil Welch Stadium was vandalized overnight.

Ky Turner, St. Joe Mustangs General Manager said a group of individuals broke in overnight and vandalized some of the concessions, places around the stadium and left a mess of things.

“We discovered it pretty early this morning. As soon as police were done with their questions and evidence we had a group of people that came in an assisted us,” Turner said. “Honestly now just a couple of hours later it might be in better condition now than what it was last night.”

Turner said there were bottles all over the place, some graffiti and some doors kicked in.

“It took some time to clean up,” Turner said. “We have quite a bit of video of them. We have cameras all over the stadium.”

Turner said a police report was filed.  He said the damage is not expected to impact any upcoming events or games.

Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline (816) 344-8302.

(Photos from surveillance footage below)

A Unionville, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to possessing child pornography.

Joel R. Bremer, 50, of Unionville, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to the charge contained in an April 15, 2015, federal indictment.

According to the plea agreement, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department received a report in February 2013 from a 19-year-old female that she had been sexually abused by Bremer for a period of time when she was a child. She also stated that Bremer had taken nude photographs of her when she was a minor and that she had recently seen those pictures on his laptop computer, which he kept in his home.

Investigators with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and the Kirksville Regional Computer Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at Bremer’s residence on Feb. 11, 2013, and seized a laptop computer and several CD/DVDs, which Bremer must forfeit to the government. A forensic analysis was conducted at the Kirksville Regional Computer Crime Laboratory. No pornographic images of the reporting party were located; however, the analysis located approximately 1,472 photos and 40 videos which contained child pornography that appeared to have been obtained via the Internet. The content of the numerous images and video files include depictions of adults engaging in sexual conduct with prepubescent children, including toddlers.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, the government will seek a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.