Flags will be flown at half-staff Monday to commemorate those who died or were wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. A 1996 State law designates the date as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and directs that on that day, flags be flown at half-staff by all state agencies and political subdivisions of the state.

“Seventy years ago, World War II ended with the surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri,” Gov. Nixon said. “Today, our state’s namesake battleship stands silent watch over the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, where America was drawn into the war. The lowered flags on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day remind us of the sacrifices that have been made by our men and women in uniform throughout many generations to guard our nation, including the sacrifices of those who are serving now.”

More than 30 handmade pieces by the St. Joseph Woodworkers’ Guild are up for auction Saturday to benefit the AFL-CIO Adopt-A-Family program.

The 2nd Annual St. Joseph Woodworkers’ Guild Holiday Auction will take place Saturday, Dec. 5th at East Hills Shopping Center at 1 p.m.

CLICK HERE to see photos of the items up for bids.

AFL-CIO Community Services Dir. Penny Adams said all of the items are handmade.  Proceeds raised will go to help provide a Christmas for area families who may not be able to have one otherwise.

“Most of them try their best to manage their finances to make it day-to-day but to find extra dollars to purchase Christmas gifts is near impossible for them,” Adams said.

Applications for the Adopt-A-Family program began Nov. 2nd and closed Friday.  Adams said there are many stories and reasons why people aren’t able to make ends meet to provide a Christmas for their own families.  She said they range from individuals who are working multiple jobs and still unable to pay the bills and have the extra funds to buy Christmas presents to those families dealing with a health crisis who are unable to work.

Adams said the numbers are still being tallied but she anticipates around 700 families are in need of adoption this year, which is down from 2014.  Last year there were 866 families and 2784 individuals in the program, all of which were adopted by Dec. 23.

For information on how to adopt call (816) 364-1131.

(Missourinet) – Governor Jay Nixon has signed an executive order to promote equal pay among genders. The order directs state agencies and strongly encourages the private sector to use preliminary guidelines by the Women’s Foundation and the University of Missouri Institute of Public Policy to identify and address any gender wage gap and provide Missourians with equal pay for equal work.

“We need to ensure that all Missourians are getting a fair shake and an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream,” Gov. Nixon said. “Shortchanging 50 percent of the workforce is bad for women, it’s bad for families, and it’s bad for our entire economy. Equal work deserves equal pay – period. My executive order sends a strong message that Missouri intends to be a leader in creating an economy of opportunity that works for everyone.”

According to a study by the Mizzou Institute of Public Policy prepared for the Women’s Foundation, between 2008 and 2012, full-time, year-round female workers in Missouri earned 71% of men’s earnings.

“Governor Nixon’s leadership is bringing Missouri a step closer to equal pay for equal work,” said Wendy Doyle, President & CEO of the Women’s Foundation. “We commend the Governor for being a national leader in closing the gender pay gap, refusing to accept the status quo in Missouri, and creating economic opportunity for women and their families.”

A final report on the guidelines will be published in April.

Fire crews from the St Joseph Fire Department battled a blaze for about three hours early Friday at a house at 22nd Street and Duncan.  That house has been in the news before.

A listener and fellow Facebook user tells us the house was the birthplace and childhood home of Jane Wyman, the first wife of President Ronald Reagan. It was also the site of a gruesome discovery earlier this year. (click here for more)

St Joseph police found the bodies of the two most recent occupants back in May. At the time, officials say they had to wear haz-mat gear because of the bad conditions inside the house. The bodies were later identified as 79-year-old Byron R. Timmons and 80-year-old Emma L. Timmons.

At the time, neighbors told us they’d never seen anyone inside the house, for more than two years, and that the lawn went unmowed for about that time. A post-mortem examination revealed the pair died of natural causes.

The home was the birthplace and childhood home of Jane Wyman, who was the granddaughter of Joseph Pfeifer of the Pfeifer Stone company. A neighbor says Ms Wyman inherited the property upon the death of her grandparents, and it subsequently became the property of her and husband Ronald Reagan. Both their names appeared on the title documents for the sale of the home to the couple that last lived in it.

An investigation was underway into the cause of Friday’s fire.

 

 

An audit request of the federal programs has led to the St. Joseph School District being placed on a cash management plan.

The Office of Superintendent said it has received a letter from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for an audit request of the federal programs of the St. Joseph School District. The program audit was requested from the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Education.

“We believe this audit request stems from the current Federal Bureau of Investigation of the St. Joseph School District,” said Dr. Robert Newhart, Superintendent.

As a result of this audit, the district will be placed on a cash management plan during and pending the outcome of the audit.

“What this means is that the district will have to provide additional supporting documents when requesting funds for payment in Federal Programs such as our Title programs, Special Education, Perkins, etc. until further notice by DESE. As we’ve stated before, we understand all programs, policies and procedures are subject to review by government agencies and we will fully comply and cooperate during this time,” Newhart said.

A report that a student had brought a gun to the Colgan Alternative Resource Center this morning led to a brief lockdown at the Center.

Director of Student Services Dr. Solon Haynes says a student told a staff member about the gun report, the staff member immediately informed administration, and the school resource officer put the school on lockdown and formed a plan to search the building.

Saint Joseph police responded to to conduct the search.  Dr. Haynes says the search turned up no weapons and officers determined there was no threat to the students.

The lockdown was lifted shortly before 11 am and normal activity at the Colgan Center resumed.

 

A Kansas City, Kan., man was convicted by a federal trial jury Wednesday of his role in a large-scale conspiracy that distributed more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine in St. Joseph, Mo., and across a four-state region.

Anselmo Salazar, also known as “Crazy Eyes,” 49, of Kansas City, Kan., was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2009, to Nov. 12, 2013.

Salazar was also found guilty of participating in a money-laundering conspiracy that involved financial transactions of the proceeds of illegal drug-trafficking.

According to Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, The Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated an investigation into a drug-trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine in northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas, southern Iowa and Nebraska in 2010.

Salazar is among 24 defendants charged in a Nov. 15, 2013, federal indictment. Salazar, along with co-defendants Carlos Alberto Yanez, 33, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., and Marvin Carl Rogers, 54, of Gladstone, Mo. were the primary sources of supply for methamphetamine for the entire organization. Yanez and Rogers have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Yanez and Salazar obtained methamphetamine in up to pound quantities and then delivered the methamphetamine to co-defendant Shannon Martinez (also known as “Big Homie”), 38, of St. Joseph, and another man charged in a separate case. Martinez, in turn, sold the methamphetamine to others to distribute. Martinez has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

On Oct. 11, 2011, Salazar was arrested after a traffic stop in Platte County, Mo. Salazar, who was was driving Yanez’s vehicle, was in possession of 42 one-pound bundles of marijuana, 25 grams of cocaine and 80 grams of methamphetamine. Salazar was on his way to deliver the methamphetamine to St. Joseph for Yanez, and to pick up cash payment for the delivered methamphetamine.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for about an hour before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015.

Salazar is jointly and severally liable to forfeit to the government a money judgment of $976,800, which was received in exchange for the unlawful distribution of methamphetamine, based on a conservative purchase price of $1,850 an ounce (for 50 percent pure methamphetamine) and the distribution of more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine by conspirators.

In addition, among the property that must be forfeited to the government by Salazar’s co-defendants are three cars, a pick-up truck, a motorcycle and approximately $116,389 that was seized from several co-defendants by law enforcement officers during the investigation.

Under federal statutes, Salazar is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

A family of six including two children with disabilities is calling St. Joseph’s Salvation Army shelter home as they work to get back up on their feet.

“We’re from New Hampshire and we lost the battle with our home,” Norma Seefeldt said. “We had a week to move. We moved and got as much as we could and the things we couldn’t we had to leave.”

Seefeldt and Craig Orzechowska said they’ve been together for eight years, but because they aren’t married they said the church shelters in New Hampshire wouldn’t help them and the other ones were full. So at the beginning of October they said they headed out.

“Craig’s mom lives in Missouri and she said you know there’s more opportunity you could benefit to move to Missouri.  So here we are, in Missouri,” Seefeldt said. “Our family I think was a little too much for her and so I ended up leaving with my children.”

Seefeldt said she went to the YWCA first but because the YW is only for women and children she ran into an issue because her oldest son is 21.

Seefeldt has four children, ages 21, 11, and twins who are 7. She said two of her children have Asperger’s Syndrome.

“They’re all about structure, and routine and our life right now is out of structure and out of routine,” she said. “I was worried, I’ve never been homeless like this.”

Salvation Army Major, Abe Tamayo said the Salvation Army is the only full-time shelter in St. Joseph that takes in families.

“She was stranded with no place to stay and no resources,” Tamayo said. “She came to us. We were able to house them as a family, feed them and allow them appliance usage such as washing machines and dryers and those types of things and immediately started plugging them into resources in the community and they’re progressing quite nicely.”

Seefeldt said Orzechowska joined her and the kids in the shelter and they are now looking for ways to rebuild their lives.

“We’re in this situation trying to get jobs, Craig wants to go back to school and we’re looking for a house and not knowing the areas and we’re just searching,” Seefeldt said.

Before losing their home Orzechowska said he worked at his town’s highway department operating heavy equipment and Seefeldt said she worked at a grocery store.

“One day at a time trying to build ourselves back up there,” Seefeldt said. “Being responsible citizens.”

The couple said they hope to find a home for their family in time for Christmas.

“We’re working towards it,” Orsechowska said. “It’s a lot easier because everybody at the Salvation Army is so very nice and they know a lot of things around here that we need to reach and achieve those goals. They make it a lot easier to achieve those goals being our friend and not just a superior. Not making us feel like we’re less than and not equal to.”

“We cannot do what we do without the financial assistance in the St. Joseph community,” Tamayo said. “The Army is always proactive and reactive but never inactive.”

The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign to raise $375,000 for the agency is currently underway.  However, the agency is currently $6,000 behind in fundraising efforts from this point in the campaign last year.

“We’re still lagging behind and we need that extra support to meet our goal by Christmas,” Tamayo said. “We’re looking for volunteer bell ringers.”

To volunteer call The Salvation Army 816.233.5824 and ask for LeeAnn.

 

 

A burn victim is facing multiple felony drug charges in Andrew County after a house fire in August.

33-year-old Justin Taylor was charged Nov. 25 with a felony for manufacturing/producing or attempting to manufacture/produce more than 5 grams of Marijuana in a residence with a child, a felony for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and a felony of possession of a controlled substance.

According to court documents,  Investigator Adam Crouch with the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office responded Aug. 23 after a fire at 1004 West Chestnut Street in Savannah.

“The residence was occupied by Justin L. Taylor.  During the fire, Mr. Taylor sustained severe burns to his body as a result of the fire,” Crouch said. “It is your affiant’s opinion that Justin L. Taylor caused the fire at 1004 West Chestnut Street in Savannah, Missouri, while he was involved in the crime of Manufacturing or Attempted Manufacturing of a Controlled Substance.”

Crouch said while investigating the fire three plastic tubes were found on the floor of the second floor room.

“The tubes were determined to be consistent in appearance with items used during the extraction process of a Butane/Marijuana extraction laboratory,” Crouch said. “The cause of the fire was determined to be a flash fire caused by an ignition of the Butane fumes in the second story.  The fire was determined to be incendiary and was classified as a criminal investigation.”

According to court documents a child under the age of 17 also lived in the home.

“During the search of this residence, I seized three (3) PVC pipes used in the THC oil extraction process.  I also seized approximately fifteen (15) pounds of marijuana, THC oil, over eighty (80) butane cans, a hot plate where THC oil was being dried and marijuana paraphernalia,”John Huber with the Missouri State Highway Patrol said in court documents.

 

The St Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau will take over the site of the former Hardee’s restaurant at 911 Frederick.

Officials say the restaurant will be torn down and a new facility will be built on the site.

The new facility will also function as a tourism information center. The Buchanan County Tourism Board announced the purchase of the building Tuesday. The property sold for $190,000.