A storm spotter training class is being held as the first day of spring nears and the chance for severe weather increases.

Wednesday, March 16 a Weather Spotter Training Class will be held at the Missouri Theatre in Downtown St. Joseph starting at 7 p.m.  The event is free and open to the public, registration is not required.

Buchanan County Emergency Management Dir., Bill Brinton is urging everyone to attend.

“We encourage people to come because if a tornado is coming in your neighborhood it’s going to effect everyone,” Brinton said. “It’s about informing people not to be the victim of a bad storm.”

He said the National Weather Service is going to teach the class.

“They make it on a level where you can understand what you’re looking at and how to keep your family safe,” Brinton said.

He said the yearly training brings in on average between 150 to 200 people.

Hillcrest Transitional Housing is boasting about the success of its recent program graduates work in becoming self-sufficient.

Hillcrest focuses on the growth of individuals, reunification of families and ending generational poverty. In 2015, residents at Hillcrest paid off nearly $70,000 in debt and saved an astounding $10,095.60. Hillcrest graduated 22 adults and 33 children to self-sufficiency in 2015. In 2016, Hillcrest has already successfully graduated five adults and six children into self-sufficiency. So far in 2016 residents have paid off $6,015 in back debt and saved a total of $4,345.

“I am so proud of these residents,” said Shannen White, Affiliate Director of Hillcrest Transitional Housing of Buchanan County. “They have gone through difficult life changes and the end result is amazing. They have all regained self-sufficiency and continue to thrive and give back to our community.”

Tierra Nunn has overcome several barriers while in the program at Hillcrest. As a single mother of four, Tierra has struggled with a lack of transportation to get her son, who was born premature, to his doctor’s appointments. She managed to make it to her appointments with the help of her friends and her apartment sponsors at Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church.

“It is indescribable the help that I have gotten from everyone at Hillcrest,” Nunn said. “Not only physically and financially, but emotionally as well. The support is overwhelming.”

Hillcrest provides a disciplined 90-day program for homeless families and individuals seeking self-sufficiency in the St. Joseph community. Each resident has their own unique situation and barriers to overcome during the transition. Some are furthering their education and working while providing a stable environment for their children. Others have changed jobs to bring in money to pay off back debt that keep them from getting their own place they call home. Some residents have fallen on hard times or made poor financial decisions that have kept them down. White said all the families at Hillcrest have a common goal when they come through the doors of Hillcrest and that is to turn their lives around and make tremendous progress towards the future.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) accepted a key to the City of St. Joseph Friday morning from Mayor Bill Falkner at the 12th annual Farm City Breakfast.

Mayor Falkner noted that Blunt has been to St. Joseph 45 times since 2011 and thanked him for his service and friendship to the city.

“I am surprised and honored to receive the key to the City of St. Joseph from Mayor Falkner,” Blunt said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed all forty-five visits to St. Joseph and I plan to keep coming back as long as the city will have me. Although now that I have the key, I can just let myself in anytime.”

At the breakfast, Blunt discussed critical steps to advance Missouri’s agriculture leadership in the 21st Century, including reining in excessive regulations, investing in agriculture research and technology, and harnessing American energy to drive economic growth.

“Whether it’s providing good-paying jobs, putting healthy food on our tables, educating our children, or developing the next generation of technology, agriculture is at the heart of who we are as Missourians, and will continue playing a critical role in our communities,” Blunt said. “As the son of dairy farmers, I have a profound respect for the hard work our farmers and producers do, and I could not be more honored to receive a key to the City of St. Joseph, one of the nation’s leading agriculture communities. I will continue working to advance solutions that will allow our agriculture industry to grow and thrive for decades to come.”

MARYVILLE, Mo. –  Tuition will remain the same for the upcoming year at Northwest Missouri State University.

Northwest’s Board of Regents, during its regular meeting Monday, unanimously approved a zero percent increase of the University’s tuition for the 2016-2017 academic year while also approving a package of fees to enhance the campus’ infrastructure and cultural climate.

Northwest’s tuition will remain $180.61 per credit hour for in-state undergraduate students and $391.29 for out-of-state undergraduate students. For graduate students, tuition is $252.86 for in-state students and $505.72 for out-of-state students.

“One of the things that we continue to be proud of is that we’ve had the lowest tuition increase in the nation over the last six years,” Northwest Vice President of Finance Stacy Carrick told the Board. “Many of these factors play into our decisions as we move forward with tuition and fees and room and board rates.”

In addition to approving the University’s recommendation to hold tuition for undergraduate and graduate in-state and out-of-state residents, Regents approved the University’s proposed and Student Senate-approved fees to support implementation of a campus master plan ($20 per credit hour), technology upgrades ($2 per credit hour) and enhancing the campus climate ($2 per credit hour).

Additionally, the Board voted to hold room rates and increase meal plans by an average of 2.2 percent, depending on the range of meal plans students may select.

Among the curriculum changes approved by the Board, Northwest will replace the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) requirement for English graduate programs with a writing sample and a statement of intent to more accurately evaluate potential students’ readiness for graduate work. The Board also voted to eliminate the wait period to supersede a course.

Hillyard Industries is purchasing the property owned by WireCo Worldgroup as WireCo announces plans to shutdown its St. Joseph facility.

WireCo WorldGroup (“WireCo”) announced Thursday that it is selling its steel wire rope manufacturing facility in St. Joseph, Missouri to Hillyard Industries, a manufacturer and distributor of cleaning and hygiene products.  WireCo said it will maintain production through the final closure of the manufacturing facility, which will occur over the next several months to be completed by March 2017.

As part of this agreement, Hillyard said it plans to build a new manufacturing and national distribution center on 25 acres directly to the north of their current facilities.

Hillyard plans to use the facility to relocate and modernize their manufacturing and warehousing operations, which have been located downtown since the 1930s. Administrative offices will remain in their current location.

“WireCo has a long history in St. Joseph and we wanted that legacy preserved to the best of our ability. Hillyard Industries is a natural fit as their continued commitment to downtown and the local community is an optimal next step for the WireCo property. While we are very disappointed that our St Joseph employees are so negatively affected by the plant closing, we will be pleased to see this redevelopment come to fruition,” said Chris Ayers, CEO of WireCo.

Demolition and construction is slated to begin between 2019 and 2020, with the goal of Hillyard being fully operational in their new facility beginning in 2021 or 2022. WireCo plans to close its manufacturing facility, while continuing the fabrication division of its business in its current location.

WireCo said it will provide transition assistance to the 49 employees affected by this decision.  

“It is difficult to close any manufacturing plant, because of the impact to good people, their families and the community. The harsh reality is the global oil, gas, and crane rope markets are facing economic challenges, and every company in these industries is being affected,” said Chris Ayers, WireCo’s President and CEO.  “This sale and consolidation of our production facilities enable us to continue to service our customers at the highest quality level despite an increasingly challenging market for WireCo and our customers. We continue to focus on developing innovative products and building upon the strong WireCo brands.”

Hillyard plans to retain approximately 200 jobs in St. Joseph.

“When conversations with WireCo began, it was immediately apparent that we shared the same vision and goal of making decisions that benefit downtown St. Joseph. We want to provide opportunities for growth and reinvestment among our employees and in the downtown area where Hillyard has thrived for several generations. We are excited about this project and the vitality it will add to our local community,” said Jim Carolus, president of Hillyard.

A St. Joseph man has been charged after the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department released surveillance photos taken during a theft at a Fast-Gas convenience store over the weekend.

Michael Draik Ruddock, 27 is charged with a felony for physically taking property appropriated from victim.

According to court documents, Sunday just before 7 p.m. Ruddock is accused of entering the Fast Gas Conoco gas station located at 2005 S.E. 85th Road in Buchanan County.

“While in the gas station, Mr. Ruddock knowingly and physically took three (3) $20.00 bills from the cash register drawer that was being immediately tended to by the female gas station attendant,” said Investigator Michael Hess with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Dept. “Mr. Ruddock took the $20.00 bills by reaching over the counter, into the cash register drawer, all while the cash register drawer was open and a transaction was occurring.”

Hess said Ruddock then ran from the gas station and into a nearby vehicle.

In a statement, Sheriff Mike Strong thanked the public for their assistance in the case after surveillance photos from the convenience store were released and a suspect later arrested.

Bail for Ruddock has been set at $5,000.  An arraignment is set for Friday.

Police have arrested a man thought of be part of a Kansas City gang and accused of robbing a victim in St. Joseph at gunpoint.

Capt. Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Dept. said Tyreese Thompson, 26 was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Kansas City.

Thompson was charged in Buchanan County Friday with a felony for second-degree robbery.

According to court documents on Feb. 27 around 12:30 p.m. officers with the St. Joseph Police Department responded to the 2300 block of Herman in reference to a robbery.

Det. A. King said in court documents that the victim met with Thompson to exchange money for back rent.

“The defendant pointed a 9MM handgun at the victim’s right knee and took $525.00,” King said. “The defendant threatened to shoot the victim if they resisted. The defendant exited the victim’s vehicle and fired a single round towards the victim. The round struck the dirt.”

King said evidence of the shooting was found including a live 9MM round, spent shell casing and a slug covered from the ground.

He said Thompson is believed to be a member of the Crip Street Gang out of Kansas City.

Thompson is being held on $50,000 cash only bond. A court date has not yet been set according to online court documents.