(Missourinet) – Missouri’s Secretary of State predicts some counties will see a 60 percent voter turnout on Tuesday.

Hotly-contested races for U.S. Senate and State Auditor top Missouri’s ballot Tuesday, and ballot measures on issues like medical marijuana and transportation are also boosting voter interest.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) has been in frequent contact with county clerks across the state.

“I think we’re going to be over 50 percent,” Ashcroft says. “We’re going to have some counties that may be even over 60, 65 percent. Some counties that may be more close to 40 percent. But overall we are going to be over 50 percent.”

Ashcroft says that would be a higher-than-average turnout for a midterm election.

“This should be well above 2014, maybe above the 2016 midterm. We may be looking more around 2010,” says Ashcroft.

The ballot includes four constitutional amendments and three propositions. Ashcroft says Tuesday’s election ballot will be one of the longest in Missouri history. The “Clean Missouri” ballot measure alone is seven paragraphs. That’s Constitutional Amendment One.

Ashcroft is urging you to request a sample ballot from your local election authority, and to read it before you get to your polling place.

“If they want, they can go ahead and educate themselves about the issues and the candidates, they can go ahead and mark that sample ballot. And when they go to vote, they can just pull that out of their pocket, refer to it,” Ashcroft says.

Ashcroft says you can also visit govotemissouri.com to read the full texts of each ballot measure. The Proposition C medical marijuana measure’s full text is 50 pages.

Secretary Ashcroft also notes that your polling place Tuesday may be different than the one you voted at during the August primary.

While Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan recently upheld Missouri’s photo ID measure, he stripped several key provisions from it. Ashcroft notes the state is appealing that decision.

Ashcroft emphasizes that if you are registered to vote, you can vote Tuesday. He encourages anyone with election questions to call his office at (866) 868-3245.

Polls open statewide Tuesday morning at 6 and close at 7 p.m.

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 Nov. 5 – 11 from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

In addition to the work listed below, there may be other road work conducted throughout the region. Many of these will be moving operations and could include lane closures with delays. All scheduled maintenance and construction projects are subject to change.

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 U.S. Route 136 to the Holt County line, Nov. 5 – 9

Route 46 – Shoulder work from U.S. Route 59 to Route EE, Nov. 5 – 9

Interstate 29 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to Rout

U.S. Route 169 (Belt Highway) – Pedestrian crossing improvement project at Faraon Street and U.S. Route 36, Nov. 5 – 10

Route O – Driveway entrance repair one mile east of Route A, Nov. 6

Carroll County

Route P – Drainage work from County Road 204 to County Road 214, Nov. 5 – 7

Route 10 – Resurfacing project from Route FF to Business U.S. 65 near Carrollton, Nov. 5 – 10. Flaggers and pilot cars will direct motorists through the work zone.

U.S. Route 65 – Bridge maintenance at the Moss Creek Drain Ditch Bridge south of Route B, Nov. 8

Route WW – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from County Road 281 to County Road 261, Nov. 8, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Chariton County

Route 11 – Pothole patching and shoulder work from Route M to Route E, Nov. 5 – 9

Clinton County

Route NN – CLOSED for culvert repair from Route K to Keller Road, Nov. 8, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

DeKalb County

U.S. Route 36 – Signal work at I-35, Nov. 5 – 9

U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair westbound at Castile Creek near Stewartsville, Nov. 5 – 6 This will include overnight lane closures.

U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair eastbound from Route 33 to Baker Road, Nov. 5 – 9. This will include overnight lane closures.

Route EE – Drainage work and driveway entrance repair at Wamsley Road, Nov. 5 – 9

Grundy County

Route 6 – Shoulder work from Route 146 to Route WW, Nov. 5 – 9

Harrison County

Route 46 – Shoulder work, Nov. 5 – 7

U.S. Route 136 – Shoulder work, Nov. 5 – 9

I-35 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to Route N at Eagleville, Nov. 5 – 10. This includes a 14-foot width restriction.

Holt County

I-29 – Pavement repair from U.S. Route 59 (Exit 67) to Route 118 (Exit 84), Nov. 5 – 9

I-29 – Resurfacing project from Route W to Route 118, Nov. 5 – 10

Linn County

U.S. Route 36 – Pothole patching from Route 139 to the Macon County line, Nov. 5 – 8. This includes overnight lane closures.

U.S. Route 36 – Pavement repair westbound from the Mussel Fork Bridge to Route 5, Nov. 5 – 9. This includes overnight lane closures.

Nodaway County

U.S. Route 136 – Shoulder work from the One Hundred and Two River Bridge to Route 46, Nov. 5

Route AC – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 142nd Street to 150th Street, Nov. 6, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

U.S. Route 71 – Drainage work at 220th Street, Nov. 7

Routes Y and ZZ – Pothole patching, Nov. 8

Route E – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route 246 to Missouri-Taylor Street (100th Street Road), Nov. 8 – 9, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily

Putnam County

Route 139 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to Route 6 (Sullivan County), Nov. 5 – 10. This includes a 10-foot width restriction.

Sullivan County

Route 139 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line (Putnam County) to Route 6, Nov. 5 – Nov. 10. This includes a 10-foot width restriction.

Worth County

Route YY – CLOSED 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.

U.S. Route 169 – Bridge maintenance at the Middle Fork Grand River Bridge, Nov. 5 – 6

Route 46 – Shoulder work, Nov. 8 – 9

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold its statewide winter operations drill this week in preparation for winter weather.

According to a press release, motorists may notice increased numbers of MoDOT vehicles on state routes during the drill on Wednesday, Nov. 7. In rural areas, crews will deploy after 8 a.m. In urban areas, the drill will not begin until after 9 a.m. The exercise should be completed by 3 p.m.

“The annual drill helps to make sure we all know our roles during a winter storm so we can do our jobs successfully,” said State Maintenance Engineer Becky Allmeroth. “More than 3,500 MoDOT employees are involved in ensuring we clear roads and bridges as quickly as possible when winter weather hits.”

During the drill, MoDOT employees will react to a simulated forecast of significant snow for the entire state. The department’s emergency operations centers will activate and maintenance employees will be deployed to their trucks. Emergency communications systems will also be tested.

The drill serves as a training reminder to make sure proper equipment, plowing techniques and safety measures are used. In addition, every piece of equipment – every truck, motor grader, snow blower, and tractor – is inspected.

Allmeroth said one of the most valuable parts of the drill is that it allows MoDOT’s  newest employees the opportunity to drive a snowplow over their designated routes so they are aware of obstacles and obstructions, such as curbs and raised islands, that might be hidden in snow or ice.

MoDOT spends about $43 million each year to keep roads clear in the winter and help ensure motorists get to their destinations safely and quickly. In an average winter, MoDOT employees plow about 6 million miles of snow and ice, which is enough to go to the moon and back 13 times.

For information on road conditions across the state, safe traveling tips, and other winter weather information, visit www.modot.org.

The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art will kick off the holiday season with the Annual Sugarplum Festival Nov. 8-10.

The festivities start Thursday evening with the Preview Party and continue through Saturday.

The “Holiday Gift Gallery” will feature local and regional vendors and will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, November 9, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 10.

Admission for the Gift Gallery is $8 and tickets will be sold at the door. Admission tickets will be available to the public for $6 until noon on November 8th at Hy-Vee, East Hills Shopping Center (Guest Services Desk), Mosaic Life Care – Sunshine Personal Assistants Desk in Plaza I
St. Joseph Convention and the Visitor’s Bureau (Downtown location only).

For more information, call the museum at (816) 233-7003 or click here.

2018 Sugarplum Vendors:
MWSU Pottery Guild
Amy’s Silks
Mommy Towne
Lane Tree & Lily
Milla’s Custom Creations
Simply Posh Boutique
Nesting Goods
Triple Image Design
KH Design Co.
Blue Willow Boutique
Two Charming Chix
102 Antiques Plasma Art
Heather Lilies Signs
S. Roth Designs
In Good Taste
Wyethwood Weavings
Kiwanis
In My Second Life
Chic Boutique
Nichole Lewis Designs
Rocky Mountain Chocolate
MJ Casady Copper Works
Gunslinger Soap
Zigba Tree
Mod Podge Boutique
HyVee Flower & Gift
Manic Snail: Paper & Gift
The Lucky Tiger
Missouri Bluffs Boutique
The Only One
The Pot Rack
Kristen’s Coin & Jewelry
Herbie O’Keefe
Felix Street Gourmet
CHEW Gourmet Dog Bones

“Home for the Holidays” Lower Level:
Scout & Cellar
Damsel in Defense
Color Street
The Cocoa Exchange
Debbie’s $5 Jewelry
Pampered Chef
Pure Romance
Lula Roe
Rodan & Fields
Scentsy

Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday at 2am. Set your clocks back 1 hour before you go to bed on Saturday.

Also remember to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and and weather radio.

MARYVILLE, Mo. – A Northwest Missouri State University student has enhanced his research skills to become a historic preservationist by nominating a local home for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.

Aaron Schmidt, a senior history major and geography minor from St. Joseph has worked for nearly a year to nominate a craftsman-style home in Barnard, Missouri.

“We are trying to get this property on the list based on its architectural merit,” Schmidt said. “It’s certainly one of the most distinguishable properties architecturally because of its scale, arts and crafts-inspired touches, and its commanding layout. The house still maintains most of its original interior and exterior features.”

The Fields House is a two-story craftsman-style home with a wrap-around platform porch. The structure was built on a concrete block foundation. The home is in strong condition and retains most of the original exterior and interior features, such as built-in light fixtures, furniture and natural wood encased doors and windows.

The process began when Rebecca Egbert, the owner of the Fields House, connected with Northwest Associate Professor of History Dr. Elyssa Ford to discuss whether the history program could help build the nomination. Schmidt took on the project and has been diligent in his work, which began last December.

Now in the final stages, the project involved creating a 40-page report outlining the home’s historical and architectural significance, including floorplans and photos. The State Historic Preservation Office will review it and determine whether the Fields House is fit to be added to the registry.

Schmidt’s first draft of the report received positive feedback from the State Historic Preservation Office in July. Schmidt and Egbert will travel to Jefferson City in November to present their findings to the State Historic Preservation Office, which will determine whether to forward the nomination to the National Register Office in Washington, D.C., for a final decision.

Schmidt worked closely with Egbert and Tom Carneal, a former chair of Northwest’s history department, key figure at the Nodaway County Historical Society and regional expert on historic preservation. Schmidt also consulted with primary and secondary sources, including preliminary research by Janet Hawley, a local historian from Nodaway County.

“Aaron took experience and ran with it,” Carneal said. “His work was first class and I doubt if a professional architect could write a better description of the architectural details Aaron found in this house. He did a semester of preparatory work reading about the history of historic preservation, learning different architectural styles and studying the National Register nomination process. Because of this firsthand, profession-based learning experience, he now has a strong base in the theory and practice of National Registrar nominations.”

Schmidt believes the pursuit of such nominations for historic properties shows pride and respect for the past.

“There is decorum associated with the National Register and having an historic property listed is something for a homeowner and for the community to be proud of,” Schmidt said. “It helps safeguard a property from historically disruptive alterations that may take place in the future.”

Schmidt is no stranger to research. He won first place in the B.D. Owens Library’s annual research contest for two consecutive years at Northwest. He earned the top prize for his paper, “Nodaway County during the Civil War: A Graphical Examination,” last year. In 2016, he earned first place for his paper, “An Analysis of the Zimmermann Telegram in the Context of German Imperialism.”

“The department of humanities really encourages students to cultivate good writing and composition skills, which are paramount to have in projects like this,” Schmidt said. “I’ve gotten the opportunity to brush up on my architectural vocabulary and polish up my research skills, have a great collaboration with Tom Carneal and homeowner of the property.”

After completing his bachelor’s degree at Northwest, Schmidt plans to attend graduate school to learn more about historic preservation.

“As a native of St. Joseph, which is largely defined by its history and architectural opulence, I have always had an interest in history and old buildings,” Schmidt said.

– Northwest News Release –

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The public is invited to a forum with the firm helping coordinate the search for Missouri Western State University’s next president.

According to a press release, Dr. Garry Owens and Kimberly Templeton, executive search associates with AGB Search, will be on campus to meet with students, faculty, administrators, alumni and community members to learn more about what Missouri Western is looking for in its next president.

The public is invited to an open forum as part of the process at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5, in the Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101.

Those who are unable to attend or who would like to provide additional information after attending the forum can submit written comments through Missouri Western’s presidential search web site.

Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s current president, has announced plans to retire July 1, 2019.