Kansas City Power and Light is warning customers of a new scam involving notifications of overdue utility bills.

KCP&L said it has seen an increase in reports of phone scams involving customers’ utility bills and other personal information. Most of those targeted have been restaurants and small businesses, but it said it wants all customers to be aware.

The utility company said with the phone scam, the caller is often a live person posing as a KCP&L employee who notifies the customer of a past due bill and demands immediate payment to avoid service disconnection. In some instances, the caller requests that the customer purchase a money gram to pay their bill. If the customer is unable to make an immediate payment or does not answer, the caller gives out a return phone number for customers to call back. When calling, customers are prompted by a recording to press two to make their payment with a live person. This phone number is not associated with KCP&L.

If customers ever have questions about the legitimacy of a bill, phone call or email regarding their utility bill, they should refrain from providing any personal or banking information, hang up and contact the KCP&L Customer Contact Center at (888) 471-5275 or (816) 471-5275.

Here are some other important safety tips to keep in mind.

Never give credit card, debit card, Social Security, ATM, checking or savings account numbers to anyone who comes to your home, calls, text and/or sends an email requesting this information in respect to your utility bill, without also verifying that person is with KCP&L by either asking to see company identification or by calling KCP&L’s Customer Contact Center.
Be suspicious if you receive an email regarding your utility bill if you have not requested online communications from KCP&L.
For customers using KCP&L’s online bill pay system, always make online payments directly through kcpl.com.
Never provide personal information via email or click any suspicious links.
If you feel you have been a victim of this scam, please work with your local law enforcement agency to report the crime. For more information, visit www.kcpl.com/scamalert.

Two men are being sought in connection with the shooting of a St. Joseph man Tuesday near the Hillcrest Transitional Housing Apartment Complex.

Capt. Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Department said 23-year-old Trevor L. Keith sustained a very serious injury from a gunshot wound.  Officers responded to 3000 Parkway A around 3:28 p.m. to find Keith with a gunshot wound. He was transported to Mosaic Life Care for treatment.

Police said they are searching for two suspects, both described as black men, one seen wearing a red jacket with a dark lining underneath, the other with a grey hoodie with a dark colored puffer vest over. No further details to their descriptions were provided at this time.

Hillcrest Transitional Housing released a statement Wednesday morning to let the public know the shooting that took place was determined to be in no way related to the residents or staff at Hillcrest.

“Upon investigation, law enforcement determined that the parties involved in the incident were in no way related to the residents or staff at Hillcrest Transitional Housing,” said Shannen White, Affiliate Dir. of Hillcrest Transitional Housing of Buchanan County. “The criminal activity was performed in the alley that is located on the property of Hillcrest, a local non-profit agency that helps the homeless of the community to regain self-sufficiency through a strict and accountability driven 90-day program”

Police are still investigating the situation.

“I thank God that none of our residents or staff were hurt,” White said. “They are shaken up, but no one is hurt from Hillcrest.”

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the St. Joseph Police Department at (816) 271-4777 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS

UPDATE: The St. Joseph Police Department is investigating a shooting that took place Tuesday in the parking lot of an apartment complex.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said officers responded to 3000 Parkway A to the parking lot next to Hillcrest Transitional Housing around 3:28 p.m. to find a man with a gunshot wound.

Wilson said the 23-year-old man was taken to Mosaic Life Care for treatment of a very serious injury.  He said the man was shot one time.

“There’s definitely suspects in this case, we’re still running leads at this time,” Wilson said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police department at (816) 238-TIPS.

Read latest story on this investigation as of Wednesday morning CLICK HERE

Candidates are now declaring their intentions to run in the 2016 election for the St. Joseph School District Board of Education.

The St. Joseph School District said Eric Bruder and Maggie Elder have placed their names in the running Tuesday, the first day declarations were accepted.

Individuals interested in running can file at the superintendent’s office located at 925 Felix St. during regular businesses hour from now until Jan. 19 at 5 p.m. There are two positions available with three-year terms.

Joey Austin with the district said Bruder filed first-thing Tuesday morning.  Bruder filled the vacant spot in April left by the resignation of Dan Colgan whose term was set to expire in 2016.  Board President, Brad Haggard’s term is also up in 2016.

CLICK HERE for more information on school board elections filing.

The Final Certification Date is January 26, 2016. Candidates in the running for a position with the school board will be placed on the April 5, 2016 election.

Bond has been raised for a St. Joseph man charged with shooting and killing another man at a home on Felix St.

During an arraignment Tuesday morning in Buchanan County Court Judge Keith Marquart raised bond to $100,000 for 36-year-old Scott L. Hollandsworth. Hollandsworth was charged last week in Buchanan County with a class B felony of voluntary manslaughter and a felony for armed criminal action in connection with the shooting death of Shawn M. Martin, 33 of St. Joseph. Bond was originally set in the amount of $50,000 on Dec. 10

According to court documents Hollandsworth got into a verbal altercation with Martin last Monday which turned physical.

“While the two subjects were in the physical altercation the suspect struck the victim in the head with an object,” Officer Greg Ogdahl with the St. Joseph Police Department said in a sworn probable cause statement. “While the two subjects were in the physical altercation the suspect struck the victim in the head with an object. The suspect then shot the victim at least one time causing fatal injuries to the victim.”

Hollandsworth turned himself into Riverside police custody two days after St. Joseph Police found Martin dead inside of the bathroom of the home located at 1519 Felix.

A counsel status hearing is set for Jan. 8 and a preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 15.

Two suspects are in custody after an attempted burglary led to a police pursuit in St Joseph. Officers were dispatched to the Auto Medics facility at 3961 Sherman after someone inside the business reported someone trying to break in. According to Sergeant Brett Kelly, when officers arrived the suspects fled.

The pursuit continued until officers deployed spike strips along Frederick Avenue near Bishop LeBlond High School. The vehicle spun out and stopped. The two suspects then fled on foot, but were soon apprehended.

Sergeant Kelly says the vehicle they were driving was stolen, and there were other items in the vehicle that investigators believe were also stolen.

The pair were taken into custody as the investigation continues.

Buchanan County has several roads and homes impacted by flood waters Monday morning after heavy rainfall hit the area over the weekend.

“At the present time, Buchanan County is experiencing some flooding from the Missouri and Platte River,” said Bill Brinton, Buchanan County Emergency Management Dir.

“With our levee system, we are not anticipating any problems,” he said. “We have notified the two houses that may be surrounded by water and will continue to monitor the river levels.”

As of 10:39 a.m. the Missouri River is at 18.73′ and is expected to crest at 24.7′.The Platte River is at 24.26′ and is expected to crest at 27.5′.

“We do have several county roads that are closed,” Brinton said.

Closures include: SE Rock Creek Rd., SE 115th Rd., SE Horn Rd., SE 80th Rd.; SE Saxton Easton Road, SE Kemmer Road’ SE 123rd Rd., SE 112th Rd; SE 68th Rd. and SE Mitchell Road.

Flooding is causing several road closures across northwest Missouri due to rising water.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said as of 1:23 p.m. 13 of the 20 counties in the northwest district have roads closed due to flooding.

NOW CLOSED:

Andrew County

• Route B between County Road 141 and Railroad Street in Bolckow (One Hundred and Two River)
• Route 48 on both sides of Rosendale (One Hundred and Two River)
• Route C at Route 48 and between Sylvan Street and County Road 177 (One Hundred and Two River)

Atchison County

• U.S. Route 59 between U.S. Route 136 and Route TT south of Tarkio (Big Tarkio River)

Buchanan County

• Route C between U.S. Route 36 and Easton Saxton Road (Platte River)

Carroll County

• Route E between Route D and Route PP (Turkey Creek)

Chariton County

• Route D between Route DD and Mussel Fork Avenue (Mussel Fork)
• Route E just east of Rothville (Yellow Creek)
• Route NN between Deer Road and Rascal Flats (East Fork Little Chariton River)
• Route O between Route 129 and Cockrell Avenue (Bee Creek)
• Route 129 between Route W and Route O (Chariton River)

Daviess County

• Route M east of Route 13 (Lick Fork Creek)

Gentry County

• Route H between Route E and U.S. Route 136 (West Fork Grand River)

Grundy County

• Route N between Route NN and the end of state maintenance (No Creek)

Linn County

• Route C between Route M and Route CC (West Yellow Creek)
• Route B 1.5 miles west of Linneus (Locust Creek)

Livingston County

• Route C between Route DD and County Road 420 (Shoal Creek)
• Route D between County Road 430 and Route DD (Shoal Creek)
• Route DD between Route C and Route D (Shoal Creek)

Nodaway County

• Route U between Arkoe and Keystone Road (One Hundred and Two River)
• Route 49 between Route PP and Route 113 (Nodaway River)

Putnam County

• Route 129 between Route Y and the Iowa state line (Shoal Creek)

Sullivan County

• Route PP between Route W and Route E (West Locust Creek)

 

Heavy rainfall has caused flooding issues along US HWY 59 forcing crews to close part of the highway.

MODOT is preparing to close US Hwy 59 between Tarkio and Fairfax due to flooding. Start finding an alternate route now.

— Atchison County (@AtchisonCounty) December 14, 2015

Atchison County posted on twitter that US Hwy 59 between Tarkio and Fairfax is being closed due to flooding.  Motorists are urged to find alternative routes.