Today Increasing clouds, with a high near 84. East southeast wind 3 to 8 mph.

Tonight A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 64. East southeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. East southeast wind 5 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday Night A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind 6 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Sunday A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. West southwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

The Statewide Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Missouri, founded by the Missouri Police Chiefs Association, will begin on May 21st.

The Torch Run continues through June 1st at the Opening Ceremonies for State Games in Springfield. 

According to a press release, local routes from Maryville to Pumpkin Center to Savannah to St. Joseph will be on May 22nd.

Law Enforcement officers from around the state will be running the torch to raise awareness for Special Olympics Missouri and the 2018 State Summer Games.  The State Summer Games will be held in Springfield June 1-3, 2018. The culmination of the Torch Run – the lighting of the Flame of Hope – will take place during the Opening Ceremonies, on June 1st.

Participating local agencies include the Maryville Treatment Center, Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop H, Savannah Police Department, WRDCC and the St. Joseph Police Department.

The local routes on May 22nd for the torch run are as follows:

• Maryville to Pumpkin Center – 9:00 a.m.
• Pumpkin Center to Savannah – 10:00 a.m.
• Savannah to St. Joseph – 12:30 p.m.
• St. Joseph – 3:00 p.m.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is an annual event with the purpose of the event being to raise funds and awareness for over 15,000 athletes who participate in the Missouri program. Special Olympics is law enforcement’s charity of choice, not only in Missouri, but throughout the United States and in 45 countries worldwide.  More than 1,000 runners from 187 agencies from across the state will participate in the 2018 Torch Run. These runners will complete 42 different routes and cover over 1,000 miles across Missouri.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Legislature has approved a bill aimed at directing more people away from prisons and toward treatment programs.

The bill, approved by the House Wednesday 138-11, creates a pilot program in Buchanan, Butler and Boone counties to treat people struggling with addiction who might otherwise be incarcerated.

The bill also mandates that the attorney general create an electronic monitoring system to track rape kits, among other provisions.

Proponents say the bill improves the criminal justice system. Opponents say it would give emergency medical personnel too much power to detain people against their will.

The Senate had previously approved the bill. It next goes to the governor.

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office is working to establish a permanent prescription drug dropbox program.

Discussions on crime trends in the area tend to begin with talking about the opioid crisis. That’s according to Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett, who said the crime side is just one side of the effects of drug abuse.

“The opioid issue is going to be something that has to be addressed, not only by the law enforcement… but in public health and the legislature and various other avenues. It’s not just a law enforcement issue, it’s an issue that’s affecting our community that has to be approached from all angles,” Puett said. “If you have information please call us. We have the TIPS Hotline, we have various avenues for people to give us information and the more information we can get, the more effective we can be in the enforcement strategies whether it’s us, the police department, Highway Patrol.”

One of the ways to help combat prescription drug abuse can be through prescription take back programs. A take back day is held twice a year in St. Joseph, but Puett said an idea in the works for awhile has been a dropbox program where people can dispose of unwanted or expired prescription drugs anytime.

“It may be in the lobby of the Law Enforcement Center so it can be secured… but we are going to, in the future, have a dropbox someplace so, year-round, folks can come and drop off those pills and things… they’ve had in their cabinets or whatever and we’ll deal with those,” Puett said. “This way, it takes more and more off the street, it makes it less available and that type of stuff that has the potential for abuse if it’s not handled correctly so, it’s just another way of trying to whittle away at the problems. We’ll have to have a structure made… but it will be a very small cost for a very large gain.”

Puett said they are looking into ways to safely dispose of prescription drugs and they hope to have the dropbox program set up soon.

The St. Joseph School District is seeking a Coordinator of Early Childhood Services following the resignation of Tammy Flowers this week.

According to a press release from the district, Flowers has accepted a position at Springfield Public Schools as the Assistant Director of Early Childhood.

“I have grown as a professional and educator during my time with the St. Joseph School District,” said Flowers. “I commend the District and my colleagues for shaping me into the leader that I am today.”

Flowers has been with the SJSD for more than 18 years. During her time with the District, Flowers helped implement and design a new early childhood curriculum, assisted in the program’s growth and was an advocate internationally to provide training in early childhood data analysis and assessment.

The St. Joseph School District’s Board of Education is expected to approve her resignation during Monday’s
meeting. Flowers is scheduled to begin her new role with Springfield Public Schools on July 1, 2018.

The theme and Main Stage artists for this year’s Trails West! Festival were announced Tuesday night.

Trails West! takes place August 17-19, 2018.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band will perform Friday and Chase Rice will take the stage on Saturday.

“Our Main Stage acts are two really dynamite acts,” Colleen Kowich, Chair of the Trails West! Festival said. “Robert Randolph and the Family Band is a blues act, multi-Grammy nominated act, really appeals to cross-generational, cross-cultural. I think a lot of our jazz followers here in St. Joe (are) really really going to like him.”

Faren Rachels, an up-and-coming country artist, will be the opening act for Chase Rice Saturday.

The theme of the 2018 festival will take after the St. Joseph brand, ‘Made with Uncommon Character.’

“The Trails West steering committee decided that they loved the Uncommon Character brand so much,” Natalie Redmond, Trails West! Entertainment Co-Chair said. “You’ve probably seen it in different stores, different ads, different t-shirts. It’s just going to be a lot of fun this year to really piggyback on this community brand that St. Joseph has really taken as their own and been able to have a lot of fun with. Now we’ll be able to do the same thing with Trails West and give the brand a little more exposure.”  

More information about City and Family Stage artists, vendors and other Trails West! activities will be announced as the event draws closer and updates can be found on the Trails West! Facebook page.

Northwest Missouri State University’s Alumni Association works to keep Bearcats connected and a couple events will be offered this summer as a way for alumni to get together and enjoy baseball.

The third annual Northwest Day at the K takes place Saturday, June 2. The Kansas City Royals will take on the Oakland Athletics at Kauffman Stadium with the first pitch set for 1:15 p.m.

“The Northwest Alumni Association is always looking for different ways to engage with our alumni, friends, students and future students,” Bob Machovsky, Northwest’s director of alumni relations and annual giving, said. “The Northwest Day at the K event allows for all Bearcats to come together to enjoy one of the region’s most cherished pastimes by watching the Kansas City Royals. Being able to enjoy a Royals game with people you have something in common makes this event truly special.”

The Northwest tailgate is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hall of Fame Pavilion, located on the west side of Kauffman Stadium. 

The deadline to purchase ticket packages is Friday, May 18, or while supplies last. Tickets may be purchased online at nwmissouri.edu/alumni/events or by calling the Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends at (660) 562-1248. 

Fans who already have tickets to the game and want to attend the tailgate can contact the Northwest Alumni Association.

Northwest will also be sponsoring the eighth annual Northwest Night at the St. Joseph Mustangs on Saturday, June 9.

The baseball game featuring the St. Joseph Mustangs and the Jefferson City Renegades begins at 7 p.m. at Phil Welch Stadium, 2600 SW Parkway in St. Joseph.

Alumni and friends also are invited to a tailgate party from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Northwest Alumni Association tent outside the stadium.

There are 300 free tickets available for reservation to Northwest fans. Additional game tickets will be available to purchase through the Northwest Alumni Association for a discounted price after all free tickets are redeemed. Fans may reserve tickets by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations at (660) 562-1248 or [email protected].

For more information about either game, contact the Northwest Alumni Association at [email protected] or at (660) 562-1248, or click here.