ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The following is a listing of general highway maintenance and construction work in the Northwest Missouri region planned for the week of Dec. 24 – 30 from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

All state Offices, including MoDOT, will be closed Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 for official state holidays.

MoDOT will halt temporary lane closures throughout the state to accommodate an increase in traffic due to the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays. Most temporary lane closures will be removed by noon on Friday, Dec. 21, and will resume Wednesday morning, Dec. 26. For the New Year’s Day holiday, lane closures will be removed by noon on Friday, Dec. 28 and will resume Wednesday morning, Jan. 2.   Some long-term lane and road closures may remain in place.

MoDOT reminds the public to stay alert, watch for road work, buckle up, slow down, and drive with extreme caution through work zones and in changing weather conditions.

For more information about a project, please contact MoDOT at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest. You can also follow MoDOT’s Northwest Missouri District on Twitter @ModotNorthwest and on Facebook.

Atchison County

U.S. Route 59 – Shoulder work from the Iowa state line to the Holt County line, Dec. 26 – 28

Buchanan County

Route 116 – Shoulder work from U.S. Route 59 to Route E, Dec. 26 – 28

Daviess County

Route TT – CLOSED for a culvert replacement a 0.25 miles north of Route J, Dec. 27, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Linn County

U.S. Route 36 – Pothole patching from Route 139 (Meadville Junction) to the Macon County line, Dec. 26 – 27

Nodaway County

U.S. Route 136 – Milling from the city limits of Maryville to the city limits of Ravenwood, Dec. 26 – 28

Route 148 – Shoulder work from U.S. Route 71 to the Iowa state line, Dec. 26 – 28

Sullivan County

Route PP – CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE at the East Medicine Creek Bridge after a regularly scheduled inspection revealed critical deterioration to the structure. For more information, click here.

Worth County

Route YY – CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE at the Middle Fork of the Grand River after a regularly scheduled inspection revealed critical deterioration to the structure. For more information, visit the project’s web page.

Captain James E. McDonald, commanding officer Troop H, announced the assignment of five new troopers to Northwest Missouri.

The new troopers were members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s 106th Recruit Class that graduated from the Patrol Academy on December 21, 2018. The new troopers will report for duty on January 7, 2019.

Trooper Tyler A. Pierson, of Osborn, Missouri, has been assigned to Zone 6, which serves the citizens of Andrew and Buchanan counties. Trooper Pierson was homeschooled and attended the University of Missouri majoring in business management. Trooper Pierson is married to Hannah (Bridgman) Pierson. Trooper Pierson’s training officer will be Trooper Caleb Jeffers.

 

 

Trooper Jacob H. Hirner, of New London, Missouri, has been assigned to Zone 6, which serves the citizens of Andrew and Buchanan counties. Trooper Hirner is a graduate of Mark Twain High School and attended Moberly Area Community College. Trooper Hirner’s training officer will be Corporal Jeff Maudlin.

 

 

 

Trooper Duncan L. Hughes, of Jefferson City, Missouri, has been assigned to Zone 5, which serves the citizens of Andrew and Buchanan counties. Trooper Hughes is a graduate of Jefferson City High School and attended Missouri State University majoring in business administration. Trooper Hughes’ training officer will be Corporal Chad Dollard.

 

 

Trooper Tristan M. Royster, of Carthage, Missouri, has been assigned to Zone 8, which serves the citizens of Clinton and Caldwell counties. Trooper Royster is a graduate of Carthage High School and attended Missouri Southern State University. Trooper Royster’s training officer will be Trooper Brad Muck.

 

 

 

Trooper Bryce T. Quiring, of Windom, Minnesota, has been assigned to Zone 7, which serves the citizens of Clinton and Caldwell counties. Trooper Quiring is a graduate of Windom Area High School and attended Bemidji State University majoring in criminal justice. Trooper Quiring’s training officer will be Trooper Stephen Cool.

 

– Missouri State Highway Patrol News Release –

(UPDATE) – All 707 families who applied for the Adopt-A-Family program were adopted by 11 a.m. Saturday.

“We were really worried this year with the loss of our Secret Santa, but the community really stepped up to help fill the gap for us,” said Penny Adams, AFL-CIO Executive Director.

Adams said there are a few adopters delivering on Christmas Eve to the agency and families and there are families coming in to pick up gifts. The office will be open that day from 9 a.m. until at least 1 p.m. or until every gift is delivered.

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 The Adopt-A-Family Christmas program has twelve families or 47 individuals not adopted as of Friday night.

According to AFL-CIO Community Services Executive Director Penny Adams, of the twelve, a few of them are families with young children that are hoping to receive a visit from Santa.

If anyone would like to adopt or make a donation, the AFL-CIO offices will be open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Monday 9 a.m. to noon. They are located at 1203 N 6th St. or their phone number is (816) 364-1131. You can also go to helpmenow.org for more information.

The program in St. Joseph which works to help families who need assistance during the holidays is in its 36th year.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Conservation Commission approved recommendations by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) at the Commission’s December meeting for 2019-2020 turkey-hunting and deer-hunting season dates.

2019 SPRING AND FALL TURKEY HUNTING DATES

• Spring Youth Portion: April 6 and 7
• Regular Spring Turkey Season: April 15 through May 5
• Fall Firearms Turkey Season: Oct. 1 – 31

2019 – 2020 ARCHERY DEER AND TURKEY HUNTING DATES

• Sept. 15 through Nov. 15 and Nov. 27 through Jan. 15, 2020

2019 – 2020 FIREARMS DEER HUNTING DATES

• Firearms Deer Early Youth Portion: Nov. 2 and 3
• Firearms Deer November Portion: Nov. 16 – 26
• Firearms Deer Late Youth Portion: Nov. 29 through Dec. 1
• Firearms Deer Antlerless Portion: Dec. 6 – 8
• Firearms Deer Alternative Methods Portion: Dec. 28 through Jan. 7, 2020

Details on hunting regulations, harvest limits, allowed methods, required permits, and other related information will be available in MDC’s “2019 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” and MDC’s “2019 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklets. Both will be available where permits are sold prior to the related seasons.

Learn more about deer and turkey hunting in Missouri at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov.

Buy Missouri hunting permits from numerous vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing, available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.

– MDC News Release –

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is asking motorists to make safety a priority this holiday season.

Last year, there were 1,618 traffic crashes during the Christmas counting period. In those crashes, seven people were killed and another 541 were injured. During the 2017 Christmas holiday, troopers arrested 92 people for driving while impaired.

The patrol said a few things you can do to improve traffic safety this holiday season are to check your vehicle before you travel to ensure that it is in good working condition, to make sure you are well rested before driving to your destination, no matter how short the distance and to keep an eye on the weather. Above all, they ask that you obey all traffic laws, be a courteous driver, and drive sober.

Remember: Holiday drivers will affect traffic patterns. Check the weather forecast and plan accordingly. The Road Condition Report number is 1-888-275-6636. Allow extra time to reach your destination and obey all traffic laws.

The 2018 Christmas holiday counting period begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 21, 2018, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, December 25, 2018.

If faced with a traffic emergency, motorists can contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone. This emergency number will ring into the nearest Highway Patrol headquarters. Motorists should use this number if they are in a traffic crash, witness a crash or crime, or observe a stranded motorist in need of assistance, or other traffic emergencies.

CAMERON, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a Cameron man who is accused of threatening to shoot President Donald Trump and a Missouri sheriff had 30 firearms in his home when he was arrested.

Forty-two-year-old Christopher Kelley was charged Wednesday with possessing a firearm despite a domestic violence order of protection.

Federal charging documents say Kelley talked about killing the Clinton County sheriff and the president in October while at the county courthouse. He subsequently was banned from possessing weapons and denied having any when officers went to his home Monday. But after telling a witness he “might hurt somebody,” police obtained a search warrant. They found multiple shotguns, handguns and several M1 .30-caliber rifles.

Charging documents describe Kelley as a veteran with PTSD.

The 2018 St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Shop St. Joseph program winner may be using some of the $10,000 grand prize to purchase a much-needed new furnace.

Lindsay Verbick, 40, is an avid shopper at Consentino’s Price Chopper, where the award was given.

“I go to Price Chopper every day,” Verbick said. “If it’s not for a few groceries, it’s to go to the in-store Starbucks.”

According to a press release from the Chamber, the married mother of a 9-year-old son works and volunteers at her son’s school. She was PTA Volunteer of the Year at Oak Grove Elementary School last year. An avid shopper who loves to buy local, she said she jokes that she volunteers so much “to keep me out of the stores.”

However, most of the $10,000 prize winnings will not be going into a shopping spree. The day before the Shop St. Joseph drawing, she asked on Facebook if Santa brought furnaces for Christmas.

“Tuesday morning, our furnace went out,” she said. “Luckily, it’s been on the warmer side, but that is a huge expense that we weren’t expecting.”

Her Shop St. Joseph ticket was verified as the official ticket at the St. Joseph Chamber office Wednesday night. The winning ticket was in the middle of a long string of other tickets.

“What’s funny is, I didn’t even want to go shopping that night, but we were out of milk and really needed groceries,” Verbick said. “I’m really glad now that I went!”

After the furnace is paid for, she hopes to do something fun for her family with anything remaining.

Shop St. Joseph is in its 11th year. Dozens of second chance prizes are also being awarded. Click here to see the list.

The Shop St. Joseph grand prize was claimed, but there are still chances for more prizes with second chance numbers.

If shoppers have a winning ticket for a second chance prize they must go to the store where they got the ticket to claim their prize.

Winners have 30 days to claim the prize.

Click here to view the list.