ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Two new companies in St. Joseph received project funding thanks to the recent partnership between Innovation Stockyard and Digital Sandbox KC.

“Our partnership with Digital Sandbox KC has given us an opportunity to capture the full range of innovative concepts being developed in the St. Joseph area,” said Ronan Molloy, president of Innovation Stockyard.

According to a press release, the Sandbox partnered with the Innovation Stockyard in 2017, along with the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri Western State University and other local organizations, to drive new business growth and jobs in St. Joseph and throughout northwest Missouri.

“When we launched Digital Sandbox KC in 2013, we hoped to find 10 high-growth potential companies,” said Jeff Shackelford, director of Digital Sandbox KC. “Now with more than 100 projects funded and more than $50 million raised in follow-on funding, we’ve proven by supporting early-stage ideas in Kansas City and surrounding local communities like Olathe, St. Joseph and Independence we can drive new business starts and help create new jobs.”

Digital Sandbox KC is a proof-of-concept program that significantly and rapidly moves early-stage entrepreneurs from concept to commercialization. It is a unique collaboration among private, public, university/research and philanthropic organizations.

The companies selected for support include:

Carroll’s Irish Bitters, a St. Joseph-based startup making handcrafted small-batch bitters. In addition to timeless favorites, co-founders Brian Carroll and Christina Hitch are developing new bitters recipes and formulas for bartenders across the region.

“We greatly appreciate the support from St. Joseph and the Sandbox,” said Carroll. “This unbelievable opportunity will help us get our bitters to market and the company ready to scale sooner than we originally anticipated.”

Grant Company, an entrepreneurial communications and marketing company based in St. Joseph. Established in 2017, Grant Company offers a unique marketing and advertising model for agribusiness clientele in the KC Animal Health Corridor and across North America and Europe.

“Funding from the Sandbox gives us an opportunity to expand our internship program with universities across northwest Missouri, helping us to help students in their professional development and identify top talent to ensure the continued growth of our company,” said Eric Grant, managing director of Grant Company LLC.

Carroll’s Irish Bitters and Grant Company received funding from the Sandbox partnership with the Innovation Stockyard in St. Joseph. In addition to up to $15,000 in project development funds, Innovation Stockyard, located inside the Kit Bond Incubator in St. Joseph, will offer the two startups coworking space for three to six months.

St. Joseph Police are searching for a suspect after a shooting Thursday afternoon.

According to police, a call came in at 3:45 p.m. Thursday reporting a 19-year-old had been shot in the neck and the suspect was possibly still inside the residence. Officers responded to the 1700 block of North 2nd Street and surrounded the residence. At that time, it was believed that the suspect was possibly still inside the residence with a handgun. The Special Response Team was called to the scene and it was discovered that the suspect had fled prior to officers arrival.  According to Capt. Jeff Wilson, the Police Department has identified a suspect whose location is unknown at this time.  The investigation has revealed that this incident involved the sale of illegal drugs.

The person who was injured was transported to Mosaic Life Care with what was described as a significant injury and was later treated and released.

Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

Students are preparing for Career Day next week at Northwest Missouri State University and along with updating their resume and knowing what to say and do, they will need something professional to wear.

“It’s one of those things I think sometimes we take for granted, especially if you’ve never had to wear professional attire… you get to college and you’re worried about passing biology and then suddenly you need a suit for Career Day or an interview,” said Northwest Director of Partnerships and Placement Jill Brown. “We know students tend to always borrow from one another so we thought, ‘What does this look like if we can actually just create a space?’ Because we also know that we have business professionals in this area of Missouri that have things they’re probably not wearing anymore that they would love to give to a cause like this, so it’s kind of filling two needs.”

Brown said multiple departments on campus got together to start the “Career Closet.” Brown said the idea started with faculty members at Northwest who were running a program called Teacher Threads.

“They were helping students dress professionally to go out and do student teaching. As you might imagine, that takes a lot of clothes to be a student teacher, so they’ve done that for a number of years and when I came on board to Career Services, I was getting those same kinds of requests from other disciplines of students,” Brown said. “A bunch of us got together… to brainstorm, ‘How do we help students feel confident on Career Day?’ Obviously, school is expensive and so finding the right attire to wear cannot be top priority, top priority needs to be going to class and getting good grades. So… just trying to help students check one more thing off their to-do list and make life a little easier.”

The University is inviting community members to donate gently worn professional attire for the Career Closet. They will accept suit jackets, pants, shirts and dresses as well as accessories such as professional shoes, scarves, jewelry and neck ties. Donations also may include clothing that is specific to a professional field, such as scrubs for a student entering the medical field.

All donations can be dropped off at Career Services between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Career Services is located in Room 130 of the Administration Building on the Northwest campus. Clothing should be on a hanger and ready to wear.

In preparation for Northwest’s Career Day next week, the Career Closet will be open to Northwest students from 2-5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, by appointment.

For more information, contact Career Services at Northwest at (660) 562-1250.

CAMERON, Mo. (AP) — A Cameron teacher and volunteer has been charged with child sex crimes.

William “Derek” Williams, of Cameron, was charged Wednesday with statutory sodomy and three counts each of possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a minor. No attorney is listed for him in online court records.

Williams worked with Cameron High School’s multimedia class for one hour a day. He also directed school musicals and plays.

According to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, on Sept. 6, a report was taken from a victim which opened up an investigation against Williams.

School District Superintendent Matt Robinson issued a statement Wednesday.

“The Cameron R-1 School District was notified today of serious charges filed against W. Derek Williams. At the time the District first became aware of this matter, an immediate and thorough investigation was done, and the District has determined that there is no evidence that any alleged acts were perpetrated on District property. We want to assure our staff and students that we responded to the allegations appropriately and we have fully cooperated with law enforcement’s efforts in this matter. We will continue to do so as this matter proceeds. Since the time we became aware of allegations, Mr. Williams has not been on District property and will not be permitted to return. Although we are limited in what we can say about individual personnel matters, above all else, we want to assure you that the safety and well-being of District students is our primary concern. Should your student require support of any kind, the District’s counseling staff is always available. Likewise, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Matt Robinson should you or your student have any questions or concerns.”

Earlier this month, Robinson put Williams on administrative leave, pending the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office investigation. Robinson says a process will now start with the Board of Education to determine Williams’ future with the district.

Williams also volunteered at several community organizations, including Camp Quality Northwest Missouri, a camp for children with cancer.

ATCHISON— Authorities have linked a drive-by shooting suspect to an armed home invasion near Atchison.

19-year-old Marcell Bailey made his first appearance Wednesday on 13 felony counts, including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault. He is jailed on $500,000 bond after the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him Tuesday in Topeka. He doesn’t yet have an attorney.

Atchison County Sheriff Jack Laurie says Bailey is suspected of being among the armed men who stormed into a house with children inside last month. The intruders are accused of demanding a safe containing at least $500 in cash and other valuables before fleeing. Bailey also is accused of firing into a pickup truck with five people inside on Sept. 5 in Atchison.

No one was hurt in either incident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report