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More roads once closed by floodwaters reopen in northwest Missouri

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

More highways in northwest Missouri have reopened after floodwaters receded.

Many more remain closed due to high water.

The Missouri Department of Transportation reports road crews were able to reopen U.S. Route 24 and Route 5 east of Brunswick this morning after floodwaters from the Grand River receded and the roadways were cleared. Part of U.S. Route 24 west of Brunswick between Routes 22 and 41 remains closed.

Route 41 to Miami and U.S. Route 65 south of Carrollton remain closed due to flooding.

Also, MoDOT reports the Third Fork Platte River Bridge on U.S. Route 169 east of Union Star is open. The old bridge, built in 1931, was replaced by Boone Construction Company along with MoDOT. MoDOT closed the bridge April first.

MoDOT reports approximately 185 roads remain closed throughout the state, due to flooding. Some of those roadways are closed in more than one place.

Click here for special MoDOT website on roads affected by flooding in northwest Missouri.

 

Longtime St. Joseph Parks Dir. Bill McKinney dies at the age of 82

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Bill McKinney, speaking at the opening of the Remington Nature Center/Photo courtesy of the St. Joseph Parks & Recreation Dept.

Bill McKinney, longtime St. Joseph Parks Director, known for his love of the city and passion for softball, has died at the age of 82.

McKinney guided the city Parks and Recreation Department for nearly 30 years. He retired in 2015 and shortly after his retirement, the city named the Heritage Park Softball Complex after him. The honor was appropriate for a man recognized as one of the premier fast-pitch softball pitchers in the nation. McKinney was a member of the Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame.

Current Parks Director, Chuck Kempf, worked for McKinney for 10 years and took over the department after McKinney retired.

“Bill was an extremely resourceful and creative person who was able to get the most out of physical, financial and human resources to create facilities and programs for the benefit of the citizens of St. Joseph. People enjoyed working with Bill due to his infectious personality and his passion and commitment to make St. Joseph a better place to live,” Kempf told St. Joseph Post in an email statement.

During his tenure, McKinney became a driving force in creation of the Remington Nature Center as well as the St. Joseph Aquatic Park and St. Joseph REC Center.

McKinney’s presence was well known in St. Joseph for his great love of the community, his projects and the great legacy he’s left behind.

A graduate of Lafayette High School, McKinney earned both a bachelors and a masters degree in education from the University of Missouri, where he played football on a scholarship.

Farewell Services are scheduled at 1pm Tuesday at McCarthy Baptist Church with interment at Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held at Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory this evening, beginning at 5pm. The family requests donations be made to the St. Joseph Parks & Recreation Department – Special Park Projects fund, the mission fund at McCarthy Baptist Church or to Samaritan’s Purse – Operation Christmas Child.

Click here for the obituary.

 

Temperatures in the 70s this week

A nice week is in store temperature-wise, with a couple of non-severe storm chances Tuesday night through Wednesday morning and then again on Friday. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 79. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Light south wind increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.

Tuesday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind 5 to 8 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Wednesday: A chance of showers, mainly before 8 a.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind 5 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 50.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 77.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers after 2 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday: A chance of showers before 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night: A chance of showers after 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sen. Luetkemeyer pleased with legislative session with one big disappointment

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer speaks on the Missouri Senate floor./Photo courtesy of the Missouri Senate

A state senator says Missouri took a step in the right direction this legislative session to improve its roads and bridges and increase economic development opportunities.

Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville says the $351 million project, a top priority of Gov. Mike Parson, will help Missouri take advantage of its prime location.

“We’re in the center of the country, meaning that we should be a hub for manufacturing and shipping just because we have a strategic advantage of where we are put on the map, but we rank near the bottom of states in terms of funding for infrastructure,” Luetkemeyer tells St. Joseph Post.

The legislature approved 7-year bonds totaling $350 million to upgrade 250 of the state’s worst bridges. Lawmakers appropriated another $100 million in General Revenue with $50 million going to roads and bridges and the remaining $50 million providing matching funds to local governments for road repairs.

Luetkemeyer says the General Assembly took a big step toward helping public education in Missouri with passage of a $30 billion state budget. Legislators fully funded the Foundation Formula, the formula Missouri uses to pay for public schools.

Lawmakers also approved providing each four-year college and university $1 million in additional funds for their core budgets. Luetkemeyer says it is important Missouri begin to play catch-up with higher education funding.

“We don’t want to get ourselves in a situation where tuition has to increase at such a rate where there is no distinction between what’s charged at a private university and what is charged at a public university, because then it undermines the ability of a lot of people to be able to go out and get an education,” according to Luetkemeyer.

The legislature also approved Gov. Parson’s $10 million “fast track” proposal, which will fund scholarships for non-traditional students to get vocational training.

Luetkemeyer says workforce development is vital for Missouri’s economic growth.

“One of the things that I learned about whenever I was campaigning for this office in St. Joe in particular is that people will say, ‘Look, we have good quality jobs in our community.’ And people talk about there not being enough employment, but when you talk to employers, different small business owners, they say, no we’ve got the jobs here, we just need to make sure that we have a well-trained workforce with the types of skills that we need in order to fill the existing jobs,” Luetkemeyer says.

Luetkemeyer says previously it was assumed that high school graduates should go to college. He says, now, those graduates can get high-pay jobs through vocational training.

Luetkemeyer is disappointing the legislature failed, once again, to approve a prescription drug monitoring program. He says it is important to monitor prescriptions of pain relief to combat the growing opioid epidemic. Missouri is the only state that does not have some form of drug monitoring program.

 

Planned road work for northwest Missouri, June 10 – 16

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The following is a list of general highway maintenance and construction work the Missouri Department of Transportation has planned in the Northwest Missouri region for the week of June 10 – 16.

Continued flooding may cause schedule changes in some of the planned work. There may also be moving operations throughout the region such as pothole patching, striping, signal work, etc., in addition to the work mentioned below.

All work is weather permitting and subject to change.

Andrew County

Route O – CLOSED at the Platte River Bridge for a bridge replacement project. The bridge will be closed through the end of September. More info: modot.org/route-o-platte-river-bridge-replacement.

Interstate 29 – Bridge deck replacement at the Nodaway River Bridge, June 10 – 16

Atchison County

Route CC – CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE due to a damaged culvert under the roadway.

Route J – CLOSED at the Tarkio River Bridge for a bridge replacement project through the end of August. More info: modot.org/atchison-route-j-tarkio-river-bridge-replacement.

U.S. Route 136 – Pavement repair at the I-29 overpass. U.S. Route 136 will be narrowed to one lane with traffic signals to direct motorist through the project. The lane closures and traffic signals will remain in place overnight, June 10 – 11.

I-29 – Pavement repair at the Mill Creek Bridge (mile marker 102.2), June 11 – 12. I-29 will be narrowed to one lane each direction with a 12-foot width restriction. This includes overnight lane closures.

Buchanan County

U.S. Route 36 – CLOSED at the ramp from eastbound U.S. Route 36 to Route 759 through June 13

Route DD – Chip seal from Route 371 to Route MM, June 10 – 11. A pilot car will direct motorists through the work zone.

Route YY – Resurfacing project, June 10 – 14

Route H – CLOSED for a culvert replacement 0.5 mile east of I-29, June 12, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Route DD – Chip seal from Route H to Route E, June 12 – 13. A pilot car will direct motorists through the work zone.

Route FF – CLOSED for a culvert replacement 1 mile north of Route O, June 13, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

I-229 – CLOSED at the ramp from northbound I-229 to U.S. Route 36, June 13 – July 3

U.S. Route 36 – CLOSED at the ramp from westbound U.S. Route 36 to southbound I-229, June 13 – July 3

Caldwell County

Route D – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from NW Kerr Drive to NW Far West Drive, June 10, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route 116 – Shoulder work from U.S. Route 69 (Clinton County) to Route A, June 10 – 14

Route A – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from SE Pleasant Hill Drive to SE Sader Drive, June 11, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Carroll County

Route C – CLOSED until further notice at the Branch of Turkey Creek Bridge due to damage from flooding.

Route UU – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from County Road 240 to County Road 244, June 11, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Chariton County

U.S. Route 24 – Bridge maintenance at the Long Creek Bridge and Chariton River Bridge near Keytesville. The bridges will be narrowed to one lane with a 15-foot width restriction through June.

Route M – Shoulder work from Route 11 to the city limits of Triplett, June 10 – 12

Route 5 – Resurfacing project from the city limits of Marceline to the city limits of Keytesville, June 10 – 15. This includes a 10-foot width restriction.

Clinton County

U.S. Route 169 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the Castile Creek Bridge south of Gower through September.   More info: modot.org/us-route-169-castile-creek-bridge.

Route 116 – Shoulder work from U.S. Route 69 to Route A (Caldwell), June 10 – 14

Route A – Shoulder work from U.S. Route 36 to the Ray County line, June 10 – 14

Route Z – Chip seal from U.S. Route 169 to the Platte County line, June 14. A pilot car will direct motorists through the work zone.

Daviess County

Route KK – CLOSED for bridge rehabilitation at the I-35 overpass through mid-July. More info: modot.org/bridge-deck-replacements-over-i-35.

Route P – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route 13 to Route K, June 10, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route 6 – Bridge maintenance at the Grand River Bridge and the Overflow Bridge, June 10 – 14. This includes a 12-foot width restriction.

I-35 – Bridge maintenance at the Grand River Bridge and the Overflow Bridge, June 10 – 14

Route AA – Pothole patching 2 miles north of Route Z, June 12

Route PP – Pothole patching, June 13

DeKalb County

U.S. Route 169 – CLOSED at the Third Fork Platte River Bridge for a bridge replacement project through the early July. Detour along Routes 48 and M. More info: modot.org/third-fork-platte-river-bridge-dekalb-county-us-route-169.

Gentry County

Route C – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 235th Road to 230th Road, June 10, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route EE – Pothole patching 1 mile north of Route T, June 11

Harrison County

Route EE – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 136 to Route J, June 10

Route F – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route D to Route W, June 10 – 11, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily

I-35 – Resurfacing project from Eagleville to the Iowa state line, June 10 – 14. A 14-foot width restriction is in place.

Route W – CLOSED for a culvert replacement at 255th Road, June 11, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Access to 255th Road will be closed during this time.

Route W – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route F to Route M, June 12, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Route EE – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Washington Street to Duncan Street, June 13, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Holt County

Route T – Open to one lane only until further notice at Mill Bluff Road due to roadway damage. Use caution.

Route B – Pothole patching from Route 120 to Route H, June 10

I-29 – Pavement repairs at the bridge over U.S. Route 59 at the north Oregon exit (Exit 75), June 10 – 15

I-29 – Guardrail work, southbound only, between Exit 75 and Exit 67, June 10 – 15

I-29 – Bridge deck replacement at the Nodaway River Bridge, June 10 – 16

Route H – Pothole patching, June 11

Route D – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route 113 to Route HH, June 12, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route T – Pothole patching from Route O to Route 111, June 12

Livingston County

Route C – CLOSED for bridge maintenance at the Shoal Creek Drain Bridge through late June. The bridge was closed after flooding damage.

Route W – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route Y to 508th Street, June 10, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Mercer County

Route 145 – CLOSED until further notice due to culvert damage from Route B to U.S. Route 136

Nodaway County

Route H – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 390th Street to 400th Street, June 10 – 11. Route H will be closed overnight and should reopen by 3 p.m. on June 11.

Route 148 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to U.S. Route 71 near Maryville, June 10 – 14. A 12-foot width restriction is in place.

Route FF – CLOSED for a resurfacing project from 110th Road to Route JJ, June 12, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Route V – Shoulder work from Icon Road to Hawk Road, June 12

Route O – Drainage work in the city limits of Ravenwood, June 13

Route P – Drainage work and culvert repair in the city limits of Clyde, June 14

Putnam County

Route KK – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 143rd Road to 150th Road, June 10, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

U.S. Route 136 – Scrub seal project from the city limits of Mount Moriah to Route FF, June 10 – 15. This includes a 12-foot width restriction with a pilot car directing traffic through the work zone.

Route Y – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 163rd Street to 170th Street, June 12, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sullivan County

Route 6 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the West Locust Creek Bridge, east of Humpreys, and West Yellow Creek Bridge, east of Milan, through late August. More info: modot.org/route-6-bridge-replacements-near-milan.

Route N – CLOSED until further notice between Route B and Route Y due to damage from flooding.

Route EE – CLOSED until further notice at the Medicine Creek Bridge due to damage from flooding. The bridge is scheduled for a rehabilitation project that is set to begin in June. The roadway will remain closed until the rehabilitation project is complete.

Route PP – CLOSED until further notice at the East Medicine Creek Bridge after a regularly scheduled inspection revealed critical deterioration to the structure. The bridge is currently scheduled for replacement in fiscal year 2020. More info: modot.org/sullivan-county-route-pp-east-medicine-creek-bridge.

Route ZZ – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the West Fork Locust Creek near Harris through mid-July.

Route 139 – Intersection and sidewalk improvements through Newtown beginning on the south end of town working north (east side of road) then south (west side of road), June 10 – 14. More info: modot.org/route-139-newtown-ada-improvement.

Route V – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Shelby Road to Glacier Road, June 10, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Route FF – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route H to Route BB, June 11, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Route U – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route NN to Shelby Road, June 12, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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. The bridge is currently scheduled for replacement in fiscal year 2021. More info: modot.org/worth-county-route-yy-bridge-replacement-over-middle-fork-grand-river.

Missouri man hospitalized after car rear-ends semi

CALDWELL COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 7p.m. Saturday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1994 Toyota Camry driven by David B. Bannister, 69, Odessa, was eastbound on MO. 116 at Brangus Road.

The Camry rear-ended a semi that was stopped in the eastbound lane. Visibility was obstructed by dirt and debris from another vehicle not involved in the crash.

Tri-County Ambulance transported Bannister to Liberty Hospital. The semi driver Emery B. Engelhardt, 35, Butler, was not injured.

Bannister and Engelhardt were not wearing a seat belts, according to the MSHP.

89-year-old NW Missouri man dies after pickup hits a golf cart

GENTRY COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Gentry County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported an Easy Go Golf Cart driven by Ralph O. Pierce, 89, Stanberry, was eastbound attempting to cross the road the road three miles north of Stanberry.

The golf cart crossed into the path of a southbound 2008 Toyota pickup driven by David R. Newton, 60, Albany. Pierce was ejected from the golf cart. Gentry County Ambulance transported him to Mosaic in Albany and where he was pronounced dead.

The MSHP released no additional details.

Man hospitalized after crash on I-35 exit ramp

HARRISON COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 10p.m. Friday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by George King, 47, Oskaloosa, IA., was southbound on Interstate 35 exiting onto the ramp at the Missouri Welcome Center rest area. The driver failed to negotiate a curve. The motorcycle left the road, rolled and the driver was ejected.

North Harrison Ambulance transported King to Harrison County Community Hospital. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP.

One person hospitalized after 2-vehicle DeKalb Co. crash

DEKALB COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 6p.m. Friday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Toyota Tacoma driven by Craig N. Vulgamott, 56, Union Star, was eastbound on Glennwood Road six miles south of Union Star. The driver failed to yield and struck a 2013 Lincoln MKZ driven by Sandra F.  Ueligger , 66, Clarksdale, that was northbound on Willard Road.

DeKalb County Ambulance transported a passenger in the Lincoln Ernest F. UELIGGER, 76, to Mosaic Life Care.

Vulgamott and Sandra Ueligger were not injured. All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.

Free Fishing Days in Missouri are this weekend

An opportunity to fish for free is coming up this weekend.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, Free Fishing Days in Missouri are Saturday and Sunday, June 8th and 9th. On those two days, anyone may fish state waters without a permit, trout permit and prescribed area daily tag. This is a chance to try fishing before buying a permit.

MDC’s mobile app, MO Fishing includes a fish identification guide, as well as MDC-identified fishing locations closest to you and navigation to those areas. The app also includes fish attracters’ locations within the fishing areas.

For more information about Free Fishing Days, go to mdc.mo.gov/fishing.

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