The swimming pool inside the M.O. Looney Complex at Missouri Western State University will remain open.

Missouri Western’s Board of Governors authorized nearly $600,000 in renovations to the pool, and approved a five-year programming and use agreement with the City of St. Joseph.

That agreement is subject to the approval of the St. Joseph City Council and was expected to be addressed by the council later this month.

“When we first started discussing the future of the pool, we heard loud and clear that it is a valued asset to the community, and we’re grateful that Mayor Bill Falkner brought many interested parties together to keep our pool open,” said Shana Meyer, vice president for student affairs. “We think the facility improvements and additional programming will make it a more attractive recreation option for both the campus and the community.”

E.L. Crawford Construction of St. Joseph won the bid to provide renovations with a low bid of $582,991. The work will include renovation of the entire pool shell interior and pool deck, the addition of a new storefront entryway and ticket office that will allow patrons to enter directly from the outside, renovation of the locker rooms and the addition of a family restroom and changing area, among other improvements. The replacement of the facility’s roof will be bid separately.

The pool will be closed for construction in May after the spring semester ends, with completion expected before school starts in August.

Under the operations and maintenance agreement, the city will make an annual payment to Missouri Western to offset part of the pool’s operating expenses, provide programming in the pool, and make the city’s aquatic recreation supervisor available to help manage the pool during the months of September through March. The payment for the first year will be up to $61,400, with subsequent years based on a percentage of expenses that exceed revenues.

Missouri Western agrees to have Looney Pool open from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with at least 30 hours per week available for “open swim” recreational use by the general public. The agreement was on the city council’s agenda for first reading Feb. 16, and is expected to be up for passage at the next regular council meeting.

Missouri Western has also worked with the YMCA, St. Joseph School District, Buchanan County and others to be sure all local pool users can be accommodated.

A inmate in the Western Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center in St. Joseph has been charged in connection with stabbing a fellow inmate to death.

Lawrence Logan, 39 is charged in Buchanan County with a felony for murder in the second degree.

According to court documents on Dec. 9 at 9:09 the Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to the WRDCC to investigate the death of an inmate, Christopher DeBoe, 39 after he was stabbed multiple times.

“The suspect,” said Corporal D. L. Lyle. “Was observed by a staff member with what appeared to be blood on his pants.”

Lyle said Logan was then seen inside a dayroom bathroom a short while after where blood covered items and a sharpened metal object was found.

“Metal object which appeared to have been shaped into a knife like weapon. The object also had what appeared to be blood on it,” Lyle said.

An autopsy determined DeBoe’s death as a homicide from multiple stab wounds.

The charge of second degree murder carries a sentence of 10-30 years or life if convicted.

An arraignment for Logan has not yet been set.

(YouTube video uploaded Feb. 18 with edits.  Craft’s face is blurred.)

A white St. Joseph police officer no longer works for the department after he appeared in a racially charged music video wearing his uniform and carrying a sign reading “cop lives matter.”

St. Joseph patrolman Zackary Craft also is seen reaching for his gun in the video for “Before This Bomb Blows Up (Racism Goes Both Ways)” by Josh Smith, a white suburban Kansas City rapper who performs as J.Smitty.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said that as of Wednesday Craft is no longer employed by the City of St. Joseph.

Previously, Craft’s attorney, Morgan Roach, said Craft allowed himself to be filmed “without knowing the words, content, or context” and was “appalled” when he saw the video.

Smith took down the original version of the video and re-posted it with Craft’s face blurred after Craft was placed on unpaid leave at the beginning of the month.

(AP and POST)

Two people were killed Wednesday in a crash in Brown County, Kan.

According to the Kansas State Highway Patrol 80-year-old James Hunter of Iowa and 47-year-old Douglas Rehfeld of Overland Park died Wednesday afternoon in a two vehicle-crash on U 75 at the K 246 junction.

The Patrol said just before noon Hunter was driving a 1998 truck southbound on U75 and Rehfeld was driving a Ford SUV westbound o K246 when Rehfeld failed to stop at a posted stop sign and his vehicle was hit broadside by Hunter’s vehicle as he entered U75 highway. A passenger in Hunter’s vehicle, 70-year-old Carol Martin of Iowa was taken to Sabetha Hospital with an injury.

All of the occupants were reported to be wearing seatbelts.

Three men are facing numerous felony charges after a drug bust on I-29 in Andrew County.

Kyle Landaverde, 22 of Oregon, Cody Casada, 24 and, Christopher Muse, 24 both of Kentucky are each charged in Andrew County with three felonies for distribution, two felonies for possession, one felony for unlawful use of a weapon, a misdemeanor for possession, and three misdemeanors for unlawful use of drug paraphernalia.

According to court documents on Tuesday just before 12:30 p.m. Sgt. M. Wilhoit with the Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped a 2012 Nissan Maxima on southbound I-29 just past the 59 Hwy turnoff for speeding.

“Upon contact with the driver from the front passenger side window, I detected the odor of raw marijuana from inside the vehicle,” Wilhoit said. “I conducted a probable cause search of his vehicle.”

Muse was reported to be driving the vehicle with Casada as the front seat passenger and Landaverde seated in the left rear.

“I asked both passengers to step out of the vehicle and stand at the front.  A thorough search of the vehicle revealed several different luggage bags with marijuana inside plastic containers that Muse and Casada admitted to purchasing in Colorado,” Wilhoit said. “I also located a container of pills and a folded sheet of wax paper which contained a large piece of manufactured THC shatter.”

Wilhoit said he found a Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun inside Casada’s bag.

All three are being held in the Andrew County Jail each on $100,000 bond.

KCP&L has filed a request with the Missouri Public Service Commission to raise rates.

The Company is requesting to combine the two jurisdictions in the KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company area (Missouri Public Service and St. Joseph Light & Power) and is requesting an 8.2 percent rate increase. If approved, the increase would result in an average residential customer* paying approximately $9 more each month. The rate request process takes approximately 11 months in Missouri.

New rates would be expected to take effect in January 2017.

KCP&L said it has been four years since it’s asked for a rate increase in this part of its service territory.

KCP&L said the proposed increase is needed to recover costs associated with additional regional transmission lines and for the numerous infrastructure and system improvements in the last several years to maintain the reliability of the electrical system, modernize the grid and enhance customer service.

“Our employees work hard to manage costs and ensure we provide electricity at competitive rates,” said Terry Bassham, President and CEO of Great Plains Energy and KCP&L. “However, in order to continue to provide reliable power and excellent customer service we’ve recently upgraded infrastructure and other critical systems. This request is a reflection of those significant investments that allow us to better serve our customers.”

Part of the 8.2 percent increase request is an increase to the Customer Charge to $14.50 a month. The Customer Charge is a fixed monthly charge that includes the cost to provide service for each customer. The Company has also asked the Commission to continue reflecting fuel and purchased power increases and decreases in the Fuel Adjustment Clause on customer bills.

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A Missouri man has pleaded guilty in connection with a fatal shooting outside of an Atchison, Kan. convenience store last fall.

Terell Dixon, 19 of Clinton pleaded guilty Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated battery. Prosecutors say he shot Winston Dowling, 24 of Atchison, Kan. in September at the convenience store.

He was initially charged with one count of second-degree murder.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 1 at 9 a.m.

There’s a slight chance for snow Wednesday night, but weather prognosticators say there’s a warmer weekend on the way.

Here’s the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. North northwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tonight: A slight chance of snow before 3am, then a slight chance of light snow after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. North northwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 40. North northwest wind 14 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 25. North northwest wind 5 to 11 mph becoming west southwest after midnight.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Southwest wind 6 to 11 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 65.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 33.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.

Tuesday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

As the St. Joseph School District discusses cuts from the budget, here are some of the measures approved by the Board of Education meeting on February 22, 2016:

1) The Board of Education approved freezing all administrative salaries (in addition to the elimination of mileage stipend for administrators). The freeze also includes no movement on steps on the salary schedule for the 2016-17 school year.

2) The Board of Education chose to replace the Director of Human Resources and the Director of Secondary Education, and not add an associate superintendent position at this time. Savings: $24,798

3) The Board of Education eliminated all Instructional Coaches of the St. Joseph School District. Tenured teachers will have positions in the district and a plan to move forward during the transition phase is being discussed. Savings: $692,000

4) The Board of Education engaged J.W. Terrill as the new benefit/broker consultant. Savings: $250,000

5) The Universal Breakfast program was eliminated. Students at high percentage free and reduced lunch schools will still receive breakfast and the district will be reimbursed. Savings: $250,000

6) Moving forward with the closing of the Colgan Alternative Resource Center and authorizing the sale of the building are included in savings measures for the school district. Savings: $350,000

7) Total savings as of 2/22/16: $1.5 million +

As directed by the Board of Education, cost savings measures will continue to be brought before the board for discussion.

Future date:
A work session on the Compensation Study has been set for March 5, 2016 from 8am-11am in the Board of Education room at 925 Felix. The discussion will focus on the potential $4.1-$4.5 million to fund salaries for underpaid staff, as pinpointed in the study. Those positions include teachers, paraprofessionals and support staff.