An opportunity to learn about the history of the Apple Blossom Parade in St. Joseph is coming up this week.
Glimpses of the Past with Gary Westcott will begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Joyce Raye Patterson Senior Center, 100 S 10th street. This event is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Ann Salanky at (816) 271-4666 or visit the Joyce Raye Patterson Senior Center Facebook page.
The 4th annual Vet2Vet event takes place next weekend at the Civic Arena in St. Joseph.
The event offers a place for veterans to find resources but also includes activities for the whole family.
The Vet2Vet event gives veterans the opportunity to connect with service agencies, health benefits, educational and employment opportunities, grants and more.
It takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at the Civic Arena.
For more information, call (816) 232-0050.
GOWER, Mo. – Work to replace the McGuire Creek Bridge on Route 116 will begin soon.
The bridge, just east of the Buchanan/Clinton county line was built in 1930 and approximately 700 vehicles pass over its single-lane span each day.
A replacement project to bring the Clinton County bridge up to current standards will be led by contractors from Capital Paving and Construction, LLC, working with the Missouri Department of Transportation. Crews plan to close the bridge Monday, June 4, and will replace the bridge with a box culvert. The new roadway over the culvert will be wider to match the existing roadway to the east and west of the work. New guardrail will also be installed. The contractor plans to reopen the roadway in mid-July.
During the closure, motorists will be directed over a signed detour on U.S. Route 169, Route Z, and Route B.
For more information about this and other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook.
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University and its School of Computer Science and Information Systems will host a coding workshop later this month.
According to a press release, the workshop, titled “Putting the Fun in CS Fundamentals: A Coding Workshop for the (Very) Busy School Teacher” takes place June 18-19 and 25-26.
The free workshop, which is open to teachers and students, will cover coding, website creation, micro:bits and other aspects of computer science. The workshop is an opportunity to prepare students and teachers for the 21st century workforce.
Each day provides a hands-on introduction to a new technology, an opportunity to work through exercises pertinent to students, and the chance to develop lesson plans and test them by teaching to peers.
Three tracks are being offered.
One to two credit hours are available for graduate students at Northwest and a professional development certificate is available online.
For more information, contact Beccy Baldwin at [email protected] or (660) 562-1995 or Michael Rogers at [email protected] or (309) 825-6454. Registration is available online.
The Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Free Fishing Days provide an opportunity to get hooked on fishing.
During Free Fishing Days June 9th and 10th, anyone may fish in the Show-Me State without having to buy a fishing permit, trout permit, or trout park daily tag.
According to an MDC press release, aside from not needing permits, other fishing regulations remain in effect, such as limits on size and number of fish an angler may keep. Special permits may still be required at some county, city, or private fishing areas. Trespass laws remain in effect on private property.
Free Fishing Days encourages people to sample the state’s abundant fishing opportunities. Missouri has more than a million acres of surface water, and most of it provides great fishing. More than 200 different fish species are found in Missouri, with more than 20 of them being game fish for the state’s more than 1.1 million anglers.
For information on Missouri fishing regulations, fish identification, and more, click here.
For extensive information on getting started fishing, identifying fish species, finding places to fish, regulations, and more, visit MDC online at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/fishing.
MDC’s free MO Fishing mobile app helps anglers find the best places to fish in Missouri, access regulation information, identify fish by species, and more. Anglers can also buy, store, and show fishing permits right on their mobile devices. MO Fishing is available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on the resignation of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (all times local):
6:40 p.m.
Top Missouri Republicans are welcoming new Gov. Mike Parson to office.
Parson took office Friday, shortly after former Gov. Eric Greitens stepped down amid allegations of both personal and political misconduct. Both are Republicans.
Watch the swearing-in ceremony here
Greitens often clashed with Republican lawmakers and other members of his own party as a self-proclaimed political outsider.
Parson assumes office with more than a decade of state government experience and relationships in politics.
Parson earned praised from former Republican Missouri governors John Ashcroft and Matt Blunt, along with a number of sitting members of Congress. U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner touted him as a “seasoned statesman.”
As a county official, an effective state legislator, and Lieutenant Governor, Mike Parson understands our state in ways that few people do. He will be a great governor and I look forward to helping him in any way I can. https://t.co/9Vivo0dfPS
— Senator Roy Blunt (@RoyBlunt) June 1, 2018
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt said the two became friends in Parson’s hometown of Bolivar more than two decades ago. Blunt says Parson’s past experience as a county sheriff and legislator help him understand the state in ways few people do.
___
6:10 p.m.
A staffer who handled open-records requests for former Gov. Eric Greitens downloaded a secret message-deleting app on her phone.
Greitens’ office on Friday provided a judge with a list of 20 staffers who downloaded or used the Confide app as part of proceedings in a lawsuit over alleged records-retention law violations.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Mark Pedroli, says former records coordinator Sarah Madden, as well as Greitens, downloaded or used the Confide app.
The app automatically deletes messages after they are read and prevents recipients from saving, forwarding, printing or taking screenshots of messages.
Other top staffers who used or downloaded Confide include the office’s top attorney and Greitens’ chief of staff.
___
5:35 p.m.
Lt. Gov. Mike Parson has been sworn in as Missouri’s new governor after the state’s previous leader resigned amid scandal.
Parson replaces fellow Republican Gov. Eric Greitens, who had been facing possible impeachment in the Missouri House.
The 62-year-old Parson is a cattle farmer who spent 12 years as a county sheriff and another dozen years in the Missouri Legislature before winning election as lieutenant governor in 2016.
The Missouri Constitution automatically elevates the lieutenant governor when the governor leaves office.
Parson will serve the remainder of Greitens’ term, which runs until 2021.
Greitens had been facing allegations of sexual misconduct related to a 2015 affair and accusations of campaign finance violations. He denied criminal wrongdoing but cited growing financial and personal strains from the investigations.
___
5 p.m.
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has officially resigned from office.
The Governor of Missouri has resigned. pic.twitter.com/O2B1WwJ0Cl
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) June 1, 2018
Greitens’ resignation Friday will turn the reins of government over to Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, who was to take the oath as governor later Friday evening.
Greitens announced Tuesday that he would resign after months of fighting allegations of sexual and political misconduct.
The Republican who had campaigned as a political outsider ended up serving less than a year-and-a-half in office. He had been facing possible impeachment in the Missouri House and a felony charge in St. Louis for using a charity donor list for political fundraising.
A prosecutor agreed to drop the donor-list charge in exchange for Greitens’ resignation.
A separate prosecutor still is considering whether to refile a felony invasion-of-privacy charge stemming from an extramarital affair in 2015.
__
4:50 p.m.
About 70 people and roughly a dozen reporters gathered for a prayer service for Mike Parson, Missouri’s incoming governor.
Parson is currently the lieutenant governor and is set to assume leadership after Gov. Eric Greitens resigns at 5 p.m. Both are Republicans.
Parson’s pastor from his hometown in rural Bolivar, Missouri, opened the service with a prayer that the new leader can be a healing peacemaker.
Parson’s brother, pastor Kent Parson, also lead the gathering in prayer. He quoted scripture, country singer Tim McGraw and former President Harry Truman and preached about moving beyond the past and focusing on today.
Parson is to be sworn in shortly after Greitens officially steps down during a low-key ceremony in the governor’s office.
___
4:45 p.m.
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is exiting office amid scandal while touting a long list of things he has accomplished.
In his final moments in office, Greitens posted a nearly 1,500-word message on Facebook proclaiming that “we can look back with pride and forward with confidence.”
The post asserts that he accomplished “more than anyone ever thought possible.”
It touts economic growth, reduced government regulations, tax cuts and measures benefiting law enforcement officers and veterans. The long list also includes efforts to improve the foster care system.
Greitens did not mention the reason he is resigning in the Facebook post.
The Republican governor struck a deal to resign in exchange for a St. Louis prosecutor dropping a charge of misusing a charity donor list for his political campaign.
The St. Joseph School District announces Eric McDowell as the new head football coach at Lafayette High School, pending Board of Education approval.
McDowell has been with the district since 2005. He started his career in education at Mid‐Buchanan High School where he was a science teacher, assistant football coach and head wrestling coach. He joined the SJSD in 2005 as a biology teacher at Benton High School and assistant football coach. Most recently, McDowell was the assistant football coach and defensive coordinator for Lafayette’s football program. He also teaches physical education at Lafayette.
McDowell has a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Missouri Western State University and a master’s in education administration from William Woods University.
McDowell is replacing Bart Hardy who was recently selected to fill an open assistant principal position at Lafayette.
The Board of Education is expected to approve the position at the next meeting on June 11, 2018.
– SJSD Press release –
EAGLEVILLE, Mo. – A long-awaited project will bring a new, smoother surface to Interstate 35 in Harrison County.
The Missouri Department of Transportation contracted Herzog Construction Company of St. Joseph to resurface I-35 between Route N at Eagleville and the Iowa state line.
The contractor will first complete some concrete patching beginning Monday, June 4. They plan to begin patching in the northbound lanes, then move to the southbound lanes. The interstate could be reduced to one lane around the work through the beginning of July.
Bridge work at the state line will also be part of the project. Repair to a northbound expansion joint is scheduled to begin June 18 and continue through mid-July. Also during this time, guardrail repair and median work will take place along the entire length of the project.
The concrete patching, bridge work, guardrail and median work are to prepare the road for resurfacing, which is planned to begin after Labor Day weekend and should be complete by mid-October.
All scheduled roadwork is weather permitting and subject to change. MoDOT encourages all motorists to slow down, buckle up, eliminate distractions and drive safely to ensure everyone is able to Arrive Alive.
For more information on this and other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest and view the online Traveler Information Map. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook.
Hot temperatures are expected today with highs in the mid 90s. There is also an Air Quality Alert for today so avoid refueling vehicles, using lawn mowers, and strenuous activity until later this evening. Also, check on those that have respiratory issues such as asthma and heart disease as well as young children and the elderly. Later tonight storms are expected to move into the area. There is the chance that these storms could be severe with damaging winds and flash flooding the main threats. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming south southeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1 a.m. Increasing clouds, with a low around 69. Southeast wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. East southeast wind 8 to 18 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 59. North northwest wind 6 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Northwest wind 7 to 13 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 82.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 87.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 90.
Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
A Jamesport man was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash with a deer early Thursday morning.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 2:40 a.m., 42-year-old Joshua L. Verhagen was driving a Yamaha YZF600R south on Route EE about one mile from Weatherby at a high rate of speed. The vehicle hit a deer in the road and Verhagen was ejected from the motorcycle.
Verhagen was transported to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph for treatment of serious injuries.
According to the Highway Patrol’s arrest report, Verhagen was arrested for investigative charges of DWI, no driver’s license, no insurance and careless and imprudent driving involving an accident.
Verhagen was released to Mosaic for medical treatment.
