St. Joseph, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation plans to offer fishing lessons in northwest Missouri during the month of May.

MDC said the lessons are free and all necessary equipment is provide and takes participants fishing at ponds after class time.

“I prefer the hands-on approach,” said Tori McNutt, MDC angler education assistant.

Discover Nature — Fishing is offered in four lessons. Lesson 1 covers equipment, casting and proper fish handling. Lesson Two teaches the proper knows for fishing line and how to bait a hook. Lesson 3 covers common Missouri fish and their habitats and life cycles. In Lesson 4, participants learn about various fishing lures and about fishing regulations. MDC staff and volunteers provide instruction in the classroom and then accompany participants to a pond where they try out their new fishing skills.

“More than likely they will catch fish,” McNutt said. “Over the course of the classes, so far everybody has caught fish.”

MDC will offer Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 on May 11 at the Hartell Conservation Area northeast of Plattsburg. Then Lessons 3 and 4 will be offered May 12 at the Hartell area, which has an indoor classroom and several stocked ponds. Both sessions are from 5 to 7 p.m.

A series of Discover Nature — Fishing classes will also be offered at MDC’s Northwest Regional Office in St. Joseph. Lessons 1 and 2 will be offered on May 23. Lesson 3 will be offered May 24, and Lesson 4 will be offered on May 25. The office is located on the campus of Missouri Western State University. A pond on campus will be utilized for fishing. All sessions are scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Pre-registration is required for the classes. Registration for the lessons at Hartell Conservation Area are due by May 5. Registration for the classes at the Northwest Regional Office are due by May 19. To register or for more information, call 816-271-3100.

The St. Joseph Police Department has release a photo of a man wanted for questioning in connection with the death of an elderly woman Friday.

As we previously reported, officers began investigating just before noon Friday at 108 E Highland Ave. after EMS found an 81-year-old woman dead with visible signs of trauma.  Authorities are currently treating the case as a homicide investigation.

Detectives are wanting to speak with 40-year-old Michael Ray Courter. He is described as being 5’ 6” in height, 230 lbs with green eyes and red hair.

Police said the deceased vehicle is missing from the residence and it is believed that Courter is in possession of the vehicle. The vehicle is a 2004 Mitsubishi utility style vehicle, blue in color, Missouri license number UC5N7M.

Anyone with information regarding the vehicle or Courter is asked to call the St. Joseph Missouri Communications Center at 816 271 4777 or the Tips Hotline (816) 238-TIPS.

 

A person of interest is being sought after an elderly woman was found dead in St. Joseph Friday morning.

The St. Joseph Police Dept. said Friday just after 11:30 a.m. Buchanan County EMS responded to 108 E Highland Ave. in reference to an unattended death. There they reportedly found an 81-year-old woman with visible signs of trauma.

“Responding officer’s secured the scene and requested the St. Joseph Police Crime Scene unit for crime scene processing,” said Commander Eric Protzman. “A search warrant was obtained and the Crime Scene Unit remains on scene as of this time collecting evidence.”

Police said the scene is being treated as a homicide and a person of interest has been developed.

Detectives are wanting to speak with 40-year-old Michael Ray Courter. He is described as being 5’ 6” in height, 230 lbs with green eyes and red hair.

Police said the deceased vehicle is missing from the residence and it is believed that Courter is in possession of the vehicle. The vehicle is a 2004 Mitsubishi utility style vehicle, blue in color, Missouri license number UC5N7M.

Anyone with information regarding the vehicle or Courter is asked to call the St. Joseph Missouri Communications Center at 816 271 4777 or the Tips Hotline (816) 238-TIPS.

A St. Joseph man was sentenced Thursday in connection with a shooting incident in December that left another man in serious condition.

Brandon Scott Parker was sentenced in Judge Daniel Kellogg’s court to serve 9-years consecutive with another case he’s currently serving 7-years on.

Parker is one of three suspects charged in connection with a shooting that took place Dec. 15 at 3000 Parkway A in which Trevor Keith was seriously hurt.

Parker pleaded guilty to felony second-degree robbery in February. Two other defendants, Adrian Taylor and Gerald Johnson Jr. were also charged in connection with the incident. Taylor pleaded guilty to felony second-degree assault and armed criminal action earlier this month. Johnson rejected a plea deal in March.

According to an affidavit from St. Joseph Police Detective Frank Till, the robbery attempt was drug-related, and  Parker had an “active role” in the incident. Taylor and Johnson are both accused of shooting Keith as he sat in a vehicle and then fleeing the scene. Parker was accused of driving the vehicle in which the shooting suspects fled.

Parker was out on probation at the time of the shooting incident after pleading guilty in 2014 to distribution.  According to online court documents he had been sentenced to serve 7-years behind bars in that case but was released on four years supervised probation four months later.  His probation in that case has been revoked and the previous sentence of seven years was ordered.

 

The St. Joseph School District Foundation announced this year’s “…of the Year” awards to area educators Thursday during its annual Tribute to Teachers and Staff event.

Awards were given out for Teacher of the Year, Support Staff of the Year, Innovator of the Year and Volunteer of the Year at a reception Thursday night in the Fulkerson Center at Missouri Western State University.

Bender’s Home Care Teacher of the Year

Stacia Studer, Eighth Grade Communication Arts, Bode Middle School

 

Stacia Studer has been a teacher for fourteen years, all but one of them at Bode Middle School. The other year was spent as an instructional coach at Truman Middle School. Studer is a graduate of Lafayette High School, Missouri Western State University and William Woods University. She is currently working on her specialist degree from Arkansas State University.

 

“This award is not about me,” said Studer. “This award is about the mentors that my instructional leaders placed around me to grow and challenge me as an educator. This award is about my students; each one of them has shaped the educator I am today. My principal, Roberta Dias, is an amazing leader, and she places students in my classroom that I forever hold in my heart.”

 

“Stacia Studer is one of a kind, a contagious positive spirt, a passionate learner, teacher, mentor and leader,” said Bode Principal Roberta Dias. “Students crave her reflective thinking, her passion for learning and her compassion for others. In the classroom, Stacia is the ultimate example, modeling her thinking about a piece of rich text with students, sharing her own examples of writing, even poems, and continually encouraging students to become great readers and writers.

 

Hy-Vee Foods Support Person of the Year

Mary Caw, Nutrition Services Manager, Colgan Alternative Resource Center

 

Mary Caw has been the Nutrition Services Manager at the Colgan Center for thirteen years. Dr. Colleen Becker, the counselor at Colgan, who nominated Caw describes her as a “hidden treasure” and a “caped crusader.” Many days, Caw actually wears cape and super hero outfit.

 

“The students love her and interact with her on a daily basis,” said Becker in her nomination. “Even at their most difficult times, our caped crusader can get a student to settle down, or open up and talk. She knows every student in the building by name, and knows something about them, like the kind of music they like, or games they like to play, or how they are doing in a certain class. She is always positive with the students and staff and encourages them to do their best!

 

The school nurse Bev Brian describes her as, “the heart of our building. The kids trust her and she is an outspoken advocate of all the kids who attend here. She always knows all the kids by name and the needs of each child. She always attempts to make whatever she does better. She gives encouragement to everyone, she is an awesome sounding board, she is creative with her meals and she knows the likes and dislikes of all the kids. She is accommodating and thoughtful. She is sympathetic and empathetic. She is always here and never calls in sick. She is a stabilizing force for each person in this building.”

 

Susanne and Walter Meierhoffer, Jr. Memorial Innovator of the Year

Jennifer Halter, Library Facilitator, Hyde Elementary School

 

Jennifer Halter has worked for the St. Joseph School District libraries since 1998. She has worked at Hall Elementary, Benton High School and Hyde Elementary. She was the district Library Facility Coordinator for four years from 2005 to 2009. She has been the Hyde Library Media Specialist since 2013.

 

“I first met Jennifer Halter when I was the principal at Hall,” said Jeaneen Boyer, Hyde Principal. “She was just an absolutely outstanding parent who was very supportive of the school. She took over as the librarian at hall, and she was honored by the district as an outstanding librarian; she went on from there to be the district’s Library Coordinator.”

 

Halter’s innovative project is the National Park Service Centennial Learning Journey. She created a “Flat Stanley” who traveled to all the National Parks. When he arrived, the rangers sent back information, contacts and materials to be shared with all the students at Hyde. 2016 is the one hundredth anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service.

Halter and her family have always been interested in the national parks and she and her children have been part of the junior ranger program. Her daughter is now a park ranger, and offered advice and suggestions in getting the centennial project started. Halter began the project with a third grade class, but soon all of her students were asking about it, so she incorporated it into her theme for the year.

“It has been a yearlong project that the students have loved,” said Boyer. “They have learned so much about the national parks and the heritage of the United States.”
American Family Insurance Volunteer of the Year

Leslie Lotspeich, Volunteer, Pershing Elementary

Leslie Lotspeich has volunteered at Pershing Elementary for eight years, working in a variety of capacities. She is an officer in the school’s PTA as well as the volunteer coordinator, and she helps out daily throughout the school as needed. She has helped out in the office, nurse’s office, library, book fair, cafeteria and the classroom.

“Her involvement also illustrates the pride she has for our school and her passion for making our school the very best that it can be,” said Principal Tara Wells in her nomination form. “Due to her continuous presence at school, she is often perceived as one of our full-time staff. This allows her to continuously meet and interact with other parents, new and existing. She has a keen eye for recognizing and matching our school needs with the abilities and desires of those that indicate interest in becoming involved in our school… Leslie has worked relentlessly with both entities to plug individuals in to many various school events. All staff at Pershing Elementary recognize the value she adds to our school and the impact that she has on our school.”

This year Lotspeich helped integrate two brand new school business partners, St. Peter Lutheran and St. John’s Episcopal Charismatic Church. As a result, several individuals from both churches have become active volunteers at the school.

Staff members comment that she has helped them get started in new positions, that she is a regular and passionate school supporter, and that they have witnessed her helping out “under the radar” in a variety of ways.

“She gives her time without ever wanting to be recognized,” said Leighanne Hihath, the school nurse. “She truly just wants to make a difference in the lives of kids.”

Missouri Western State University is raising tuition by around 2 percent for out-of-state and graduate students and those taking classes at the Kansas City Northland campus or Penn Valley.

The Board of Governors has set its 2016-17 tuition. Rates will remain unchanged for undergraduate and in-state students at $197.79 per credit hour.

“In-state undergraduate credit hours account for about 75 percent of our total credit hours, so the majority of students won’t see a change in their tuition bill,” said Cale Fessler, vice president for financial planning and administration. “We remain committed to keeping the cost of a Missouri Western education in reach for most families. In fact, our tuition for in-state undergraduates is the third lowest among public four-year universities in the state, and this will mark the sixth time in the last 13 years that we have frozen tuition for most of our students.”

The Board of Governors also approved room and board rates for next year. Room rates will rise by 2.5 percent in Griffon Hall and 3 percent in all other residence halls. Board rates will increase approximately 3.5 percent.

For a full-time in-state student living on campus with a 21-meal plan, the total cost of tuition, room and board will increase $122 per semester, or 1.7 percent.

 

A rollover crash on southbound I-29 sent a woman to the hospital Thursday in St. Joseph.

The crash took place on Southbound I-29 near the Frederick overpass around 3 p.m.

St. Joseph Post’s Rob Horning said according to officials with the Missouri State Highway Patrol the woman driving the SUV was transported by ambulance to Mosaic Life Care with unknown injuries. Two children that were passengers in the vehicle were not injured.

The patrol said the driver was believed to have lost control of the vehicle, over-corrected causing the vehicle to go off the road, off the embankment and roll over.

 

Four people made their first court appearance Thursday after an elderly man was allegedly tied up in his own home in rural Andrew County and robbed at gunpoint earlier this week.

Tiffany Cruz, 35, Bradley Henley, 28, Jason Laughlin, 36 all of St. Joseph and Eileen Schussler, 20 of Wathena are all 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.

Online court documents said all four appeared in person Thursday morning in front of Judge Michael Ordnung in Andrew County for an arraignment. A case review for each has been scheduled for May 24. All remain behind bars in the Andrew County Jail without bond.

A fifth suspect has also been charge but as of Thursday morning the Andrew County Sheriff’s Department said he was not yet in custody. The sheriff’s department is currently withholding his name as officers are trying to find his whereabouts to make an arrest.

According to court documents, shortly after noon the Andrew County Sheriff’s Department responded to a home near Amazonia. Investigator Grant Gillett with the department said a 911 call advised that a resident had just been robbed at gun point and was tied up.

“He advised that two females first came to his house and requested to use his phone, they advised him that their vehicle broke down while mushroom hunting,” Gillet said. “Once they got the phone they advised Robert they could not get a cell phone signal and told him they were going to the road to get cell service.”

Then Gillett said the resident reportedly heard a knock on his back door and went to check to see if the women had brought his phone back.

“Once he made it to the door three males pushed their way into his house. Robert advised all were wearing dark colored clothing with what he described as mask over their faces,” Gillett said. “Robert advised they all had firearms and once inside they pushed him to the ground and then tied him up with rope from inside the house. Robert stated one of the males stood over him with a gun while the other two males stole stuff from his residence.”

Items reported stolen included prescription medication, tools, and firearms.

(Update Thursday 10 a.m. ) – The St. Joseph Police Department has determined that an intruder did not shoot a man in the foot at Gene Field Apartments Wednesday.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said police have determined that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.

As we previously reported, police began investigating a shooting Wednesday in the 3500 block of Gene Field around 6:40 a.m.  There, officers found a 22-year-old with a gunshot wound to the foot.  He was transported to Mosaic Life Care for treatment.

The man allegedly told officers that another man reported to be wearing all black and a black mask tried to force the door open, shot him in the foot and then ran.

After investigating the case Capt. Wilson confirms it is not believed there was another man present when the incident took place.

He said no charges have been filed.

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(Update Wednesday 11 a.m.) – The St. Joseph Police Department is investigating after a man was taken to Mosaic Life Care for treatment of a gunshot wound to the foot after a shooting at Gene Field Apartments Wednesday morning.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said officers responded to 3515 Gene Field around 6:40 a.m. in reference to a shooting.  He said there officers found a 22-year-old man who reported that another man came to his door and knocked then shot him after trying to force his way in.

“Subject was reported to have been wearing all black and a black mask,” Wilson said. “While trying to force door open this unknown male shot the 22-year-old victim in the foot then ran.”

The victim was transported to Mosaic Life Care with a gunshot wound to the foot.

Police are continuing to investigate.

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(Wednesday 8 a.m.) – A man was transported to Mosaic Life Care with a gunshot wound to his lower leg or foot after an incident at the Gene Field Apartments Wednesday morning.

Police were dispatched to 3515 Gene Field Road shortly after 6:30 a.m.

Investigators were piecing together what happened, including whether a gunshot might have gone through the floor of the 2nd floor apartment into the apartment below. The resident of the downstairs apartment was at work at the time.

No details were available as to the condition of the victim, or whether he knew the shooter. Police say his injuries were not life threatening.