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Former northwest Missouri college wants to reopen as technical school

Photo courtesy of Tarkio College Alumni Association | Missourinet.

(Missourinet) – Efforts to reopen Tarkio College as a two-year technical institution took a step forward this week.

At a special presentation inside Thompson Hall on the Tarkio College campus, assistant to the college president, John Davis, says an application for certification has been submitted to the Missouri Department of Higher Education. Davis says the decision to open the college’s doors now lies in the state’s hands.

“We believe it will take anywhere from 45 to 90 days,” Davis says on the state’s application process. “We will keep the pressure on the state. One of our board members, who actually is kind of our chief engineer when it comes to the buildings, lives right outside of Jefferson City. He’ll be going in on a regular basis to visit and make sure they are moving along on that. We’re optimistic it will be closer to 45 (days) than the 90.”

To finalize certification, the state requires the college to have $150,000 in escrow. Davis says a “Founder’s Fund” campaign was kicked off in June and has raised $212,000 toward a year-end goal of $250,000. Those funds will help keep the college open for the first year and maintain lower costs for students.

In the meantime, Davis says work will continue to shore up a few facility needs inside Thompson Hall, which already has an entire floor of classrooms fully equipped for student use.

“We have some classrooms identified on the first floor for some of our technical programs that still need to be outfitted with the equipment to teach those classes,” Davis says. “We’ll also need to clean them up and paint them. The biggest hurdle right now is that we have a fire alarm system that was built in 1968 that has to be updated.”

Davis believes regional businesses need workers with specialized training and skills, which led to the idea for Tarkio College to become a two-year technical institution rather than a four-year college.

“The programs we’ve identified for our application are plumbing, wind energy, and computer technology,” Davis says. “Also, we’ll have a series of academic development courses for students that do not have the skills to compete at a two-year or four-year college.”

Various regional businesses and manufacturers attended this week’s presentation about plans to reopen the school, which closed in 1992. Davis says it was important to host a wide variety of employers to gauge expectations from students entering a technical institution.

“It was really a combination of two groups,” he says. “One group was business and industry, and the other group was different economic development groups. We had the Missouri Department of Economic Development here, Northwest Development, and Atchison County Development Corporation. All of those groups have access to funding for some of the repairs we have to do, and some of the money we need for startup costs.”

Pending the state’s decision on certification, Davis says the vision is to reopen Tarkio College sometime during 2019, specifically the summer semester. Within five years, the goal is to offer technical and career-oriented certificates in five areas to 200 students a term.

By Brent Barnett of Missourinet affiliate KMA in Shenandoah, Iowa

Watch Replay: President Trump in Kansas City to address national conference on crime

KANSAS CITY (AP) — President Donald Trump was in Kansas Friday to address a national conference on crime.

 

Trump delivered the closing address at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. The meeting is sponsored by the Justice Department.

The White House says Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the department’s strategy for reducing violent crime. The program encourages federal, state and local law enforcement officials to work together on crime-reduction strategies.

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker addressed the conference and highlighted record violent crime prosecutions, including federal firearm charges and drug defendants.
Whitaker said that, while “the numbers speak for themselves,” the goal is not to fill up jails or the courts, but to reduce crime.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein also addressed the conference.

———

Kansas City (AP) – President Donald Trump will visit Kansas City today for a conference on crime.

According to the White House, Trump will speak at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference in Kansas City. He is scheduled to speak just at 11:50 a.m.

The event has drawn hundreds of law enforcement officials, prosecutors and others focused on cutting back on crime.

The George W. Bush-era Project Safe Neighborhoods faded during former President Barack Obama’s administration. Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions revived it last year.

Through the initiative, federal prosecutors have worked with local law enforcement agencies to target offenders in cases involving guns, drugs and gangs.

Sunny with temps in the 30s through the weekend

A quiet but chilly weekend ahead as high temperatures are only expected to reach the 30s across eastern Kansas and western Missouri. Nighttime temperatures will fall back into the lower teens across northern Missouri and mid-teens to lower 20s further to the south. Skies will be mostly sunny for much of northern Missouri with a bit more cloud cover working northward into central Missouri as a storm system passes to the south over the weekend. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 31. Light and variable wind.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. East northeast wind 3 to 5 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 35. East wind 5 to 7 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 17. East northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 36. Light and variable wind.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 36.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 21.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 45.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44.

Wednesday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday: A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

UPDATE: Woodbine and Gene Field intersection back open after crash

Wreck at Woodbine and Gene Field.

(UPDATE Friday) A teenager was transported to the hospital for minor injuries after the crash at the intersection of Woodbine Rd and Gene Field Rd Thursday afternoon.

Police say the teen was a passenger in the car involved in the crash and traffic violation tickets were issued to the driver of the car.

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(UPDATE 5:04 p.m.) According to police, the Woodbine Rd and Gene Field Rd intersection is open to normal traffic.

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St. Joseph Police are asking motorists to avoid the area of Woodbine Rd and Gene Field Rd due to a traffic crash Thursday afternoon.

According to a witness in the area, the crash at the intersection shortly before 4:30 p.m. was between a school bus and a car. It’s unknown yet if there are any injuries.

This post will be updated as we learn more information.

Annual St. Joseph Mayor’s Children’s Christmas Party takes place this weekend

St. Joseph Mayor Bill McMurray, the staff of Bode Ice Arena and the City of St. Joseph Parks Department invite residents to attend the annual Mayor’s Children’s Christmas Party this weekend.

According to a press release from the Parks Department, the Mayor will be welcoming everyone, and the Griffon Gliders Synchronized Skating Teams will be providing a short program. Guests can skate for free with Santa and the Apple Blossom court, pick up a balloon animal, and participate in some fun activities with the Environmental Protection Agency. There will be door prizes and each child will receive a hot dog and drink, a t-shirt and a small gift as they leave the party, while supplies last.

Doors open at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday for the Mayor’s Children’s Christmas Party at the Bode Ice Arena. Festivities will take place between 10 a.m. and noon.

MDC launches ‘MO Outdoors’ mobile app


MDC’s new, free mobile app, MO Outdoors makes discovering nature and enjoying outdoor activities easier. Image courtesy MDC.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) now offers its new, free mobile app – MO Outdoors.

According to a press release, MO Outdoors users can quickly and easily find MDC outdoor offerings based on the types of outdoor activities they want close to home, work, or even while traveling.

MO Outdoors can help users find MDC outdoor places around the state based on their desired types of outdoor activities such as birdwatching, camping, hunting and more. Image courtesy MDC.

MO Outdoors can help users find MDC conservation areas, fishing accesses, hiking trails, shooting ranges, and nature centers around the state based on their desired types of outdoor activities including birdwatching, camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, or shooting. Users can also mark “favorite” locations to quickly find them in future searches.

MO Outdoors also connects users to area regulations and season information, hours of operation, images, area closings, and interactive maps of area boundaries and features. The map function also displays features such as parking lots, boat ramps, and wildlife viewing areas, and allows users to easily navigate to the features using their device’s GPS. Users can also download maps for offline use.

MO Outdoors and MDC’s other free apps — MO Hunting, MO Fishing, and MO Con Mag – are available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.

Light snow in the morning with temps near 30

A cold front is sweeping across the region, which will bring a little light rain and snow to parts of eastern Kansas and Missouri. Temperatures this morning will start above freezing in many locations, but the cold north wind behind the front will push those temperatures down as well as helping generate some light snow across the region this morning. Highest accumulations –of one to two inches– will be in central Missouri later this morning, with a dusting to a few tenths of an inch of snow farther west; including the Kansas City area. This may making the morning, or early afternoon, drive a bit slick. Otherwise, expect it to remain cool and cloudy going into and through the weekend, with the sun returning late Sunday or Monday, which will help support afternoon highs next work week in the upper 30s and 40s. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: A chance of snow showers, mainly before 9 a.m. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 30. North wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 13. North northeast wind 3 to 8 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 30. Light and variable wind.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. East northeast wind 3 to 5 mph.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 33. East northeast wind around 7 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 34.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 15.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 36.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 22.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 43.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 43.

CORRECTION: Police identify body found Sunday in St. Joseph

CORRECTION: St. Joseph police have identified the body found late Sunday in a shed as 50-year-old Lonza Eugene Distafino Cunningham.

As previously reported, police responded to the 100 block of Gideon Lane on Sunday and found the body.

Originally, police had released a different name Wednesday afternoon, but later made the correction.

Capt. Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Department said there will be more information as to the cause of death after results come in from the toxicology report.

A previous version of this story stated the body was identified as 54-year-old Bobby Gene Cunningham Jr. Police later made the correction to the name.

Food safety inspections for November

The City of St. Joseph has released its Food Safety Inspections for the month of November 2018.

 

WALMART SOUTH BELT

3022 S Belt Hwy

No observations.

 

WALMART SOUTH BELT, WALMART DELI

3202 S Belt Hwy

Observations:

Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils.

-All food contact surfaces and equipment that contacts food must clean, free of debris, and sanitized after each use

 

Repairing

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

 

FIRST AND LAST CHANCE TAVERN

1817 Garfield

Observations:

Washing,Rinsing,Sanitizing Procedures*

-Proper order for washing wares in a 3 compartment sink is WASH, RINSE, SANITIZE

*According to the report, issues noted in this section were corrected.

 

TOPSY’S POPCORN

3702 Frederick #45

Observations:

Food Storage

-Popcorn containers stored on the floor

-At least 15 cm (6 inches) above the floor.

-Food must be stored off the floor

 

CABBAGE ROLL

2641 Lafayette

No observations.

 

THE DINER AT ROSECRANS

100 NW Rosecrans

No observations.

 

ARBYS ROAST BEEF – LEONARD

4601A S Leonard Rd

No observations.

 

LEAN KITCHEN COMPANY

1401 S Belt

No observations.

 

BRIOCHE

114 N 7th

Observations:

Eating, Drinking, or Using Tobacco*

-Employee drink cup has no lid or straw

-An employee shall not, eat, drink, or use any form of tobacco only in designated areas where the contamination of exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; unwrapped single-service and single-use articles; or other items needing protection can not result. Drinks must have lids and straws to prevent hand to mouth contact.

*According to the report, issues noted in this section were corrected.

 

TACO BELL #24467

320 N Belt Hwy

No observations.

 

FROG HOP BAR & C-STORE

2001 Messanie

Observations:

Ready-to-Eat, Potentially Hazardous Food, Date Marking.

-Chicken in cold case not dated

-Must be dated with discard date and not just date made, can be kept for 7 days if held at 41F or 4 days if held at 45F

-Undated food must be discarded

 

Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils.

-Dirty ice machine

-All food contact surfaces and equipment that contacts food must clean, free of debris, and sanitized after each use

-Must be cleaned every week

 

Hand Drying Provision.

-No paper towels at restroom sink

-Each hand washing sink or group of adjacent sinks shall be provided with disposable hand towels, dryer, or other acceptable means to dry hands.

 

Good Repair and Proper Adjustment -Broken ice machine lid

-Equipment components such as doors, seals, hinges, fasteners, and kick plates shall be kept intact, tight, and adjusted in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications

-Lid must be replaced

 

SONIC DRIVE IN

5810 Lake Ave

No observations.

 

SONIC DRIVE IN

4303 2A Commonwealth Ct

Observations:

Backflow Prevention Device, When Required

-Back flow preventer in mop sink is broken

-System/Equipment can not be used until it is repaired or replaced

-Replace back flow preventer

 

Repairing

-Damaged tiles in kitchen Floor; stagnant water on the floor

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

-Replace damaged tiles

 

SIMPLE SIMONS PIZZA

5123 Lake Ave

No observations.

 

GREEN HILLS FIFTH AVE, GREEN HILLS DELI

1004 Fifth Ave

No observations.

 

GREEN HILLS FIFTH AVE

1004 Fifth Ave

No observations.

 

CHILI’S GRILL & BAR

5105 N Belt Hwy

Observations:

Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils

-Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.

 

Cleaning Ventilation Systems, Nuisance and Discharge Prohibition

-Intake and exhaust air ducts shall be cleaned and filters changed so they are not a source of contamination by dust, dirt, and other materials. If vented to the outside, ventilation systems may not create a public health hazard or nuisance or unlawful discharge

 

Repairing

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

 

BARBOSAS – Food Production

4804A Frederick Ave

No observations.

 

BARBOSAS

4804 Frederick Ave

No observations.

 

CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE

915 N Woodbine Rd

Observations:

Cleaning, Frequency and Restrictions

-Clean walls, floors, ceiling on a regular basis.

-1. Need to clean under shelves in dry storage

 

LE PEEP

919 N Woodbine

Observations:

Eating, Drinking, or Using Tobacco

-A drink cup with no lid or straw in food prep area

-An employee shall not, eat, drink, or use any form of tobacco only in designated areas where the contamination of exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; unwrapped single-service and single-use articles; or other items needing protection can not result. Drinks must have lids and straws to prevent hand to mouth contact.

-Drink Cup voluntarily discarded

*According to the report, issues noted in this section were corrected.

 

Manual and Mechanical Warewashing Equipment, Chemical Sanitization Temperature, pH, Concentration, and Hardness

-Dishwasher is not sanitizing -Chlorine 50-100ppm but not >200ppm Quaternary 200ppm but not >400ppm

-Repair dishwasher before use

 

Using a Handwashing Facility

-Sink used for dumping ice, storing fork and wiping cloths

-A handwashing facility may not be used for any purposes other than handwashing

 

SAKURA

2209 N Belt

Observations:

Cleaning Ventilation Systems, Nuisance and Discharge Prohibition

-Dirty air vents

-Intake and exhaust air ducts shall be cleaned and filters changed so they are not a source of contamination by dust, dirt, and other materials. If vented to the outside, ventilation systems may not create a public health hazard or nuisance or unlawful discharge

 

CHINA SUPER BUFFET INC

617 N Belt Hwy

Observations:

Cooling*

-Cooked food stored in cooler before cooling down to 70 degrees

-It is very important to cool foods as rapidly as possible to prevent bacterial growth. You must cool hot foods to 70F in first 2 hours then to 41F over the next 4 Hours. You can do this by ice bathing, ice paddles, using shallow containers, blast chillers or freezer/cooling. Be careful not to overload a cooling unit. If after 2 hours you are not at 70F you must either rethermalize to 165F then recool or discard and denature product. You only rethermalize ONCE!! -Use ice always

*According to the report, issues noted in this section were corrected.

 

HOOF AND HORN

429 Illinois

No observations.

 

BIG BISCUIT

139 N Belt Hwy

No observations.

 

GROUND ROUND

123 S 6th St

Observations:

Repairing

-Damaged floor tiles in bar

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

-Replace tiles within 60 days

 

SENIOR CENTER

100 S 10th St

No observations.

 

LUNAS FINE DINING INC

214 N 20th St

No observations.

 

JAKES RESTAURANT

620 Edmond

Observations:

Repairing

-Follow up on kitchen floor- still chipped and not cleanable in several spots

-The physical facilities shall be maintained in good repair at all times to insure they are cleanable and not a source of possible contamination

-Floor is set to be replaced and two walls moved. Submit architectural plans for review prior to embarking on any remodeling of the food prep area or any other areas

 

TACO BELL #24472

3301 N Belt Hwy

Observations:

Controlling Pests.*

-Pest control is a must, any sign of pest can signal a possible major problem as pest are known to harbor and spread bacteria and virus, and must be dealt with immediately

-1. Too many flies, use pest strips

 

Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils.

-Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.

-1. Cart needs cleaning

*According to the report, issues noted in this section were corrected.

 

PANDA EXPRESS #1087

5301 N Belt Hwy, Suite 101

No observations.

Sunny skies today with temps in the 40s

The sun makes a return today. A cold front will sweep across the Plains States tonight, likely bringing an inch, or less, of snow to areas of west central and central Missouri Thursday morning. This snow might make the morning commute a bit tricky Thursday; especially in areas to the east and to the south of Kansas City. The front will take the snow east with it by Thursday afternoon, but cloud cover and cold temperatures will linger to start the weekend as a significant winter storm system moves across the southern Missouri. But, there is hope. The sun may poke it’s head out from behind the clouds late this weekend, which will help with a modest warm up as we start next work week. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 42. South southwest wind around 7 mph.

Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 26. South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming north northwest after midnight.

Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers before noon. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 29. North wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 12. North wind 3 to 7 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 28. Northeast wind 3 to 5 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 16.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 30.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 33.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 15.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 36.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 17.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 40.

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