A landmark in downtown Albany for decades collapsed overnight. City Administrator Derek Brown tells us the building is about a block north of the town square.

There was no one inside the structure when it fell down at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday. There were no injuries.

Brown didn’t know exactly how old the building was, but speculated it was in the 100-year range.

 

 

“It formerly been a cafe, and was truly an iconic building for that matter,” Brown said in an interview. “For decades it had been kind of the cafe downtown.”

“Nobody was home. Nobody was hurt. Basically, overnight we spent the time getting all the utilities disconnected and away from the building, and getting the area roped off to keep people out of there. This morning we spent a little time trying to evaluate the integrity of the buildings adjacent to it, and at this point we’re still keeping everybody out of the two adjacent buildings.”

Brown says they are calling in a structural engineer to help evaluate the safety of the beauty shop and flower shop next door.

A Trenton man faces charges for a bank robbery earlier this month in Jamesport.

38-year-old William Wade Hutchison was to appear in federal court Thursday.

Prosecutors allege he stole more than $2,600 from the Home Exchange Bank on August 8th. He was charged Wednesday.

The charges stem from a robbery in which a man entered the bank demanding a teller to put money into a plastic bag.

A couple days later the same man was seen at a Trenton store wearing the same helmet and trench coat as seen in video surveillance.

 

Two anglers from St Joseph have won a fishing tournament based in Waverly, Missouri.

According to the web site kccatfish.com, Larry Bowles and Justen Smith won first place with a record stringer weight of 234.1 pounds.

They also took Big Fish honors with what was described as “a 78.4 pound pig.”

 

The tournament offered a guaranteed first prize of one thousand dollars.

A judge in Cole County has issued a temporary restraining order against Secretary of State Robin Carnahan over the ballot language in an initiative to slow down the effects of the Affordable Care Act.

You’re scheduled to vote on the measure in November.

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder says the words used by Carnahan in the ballot question would unduly influence voters to vote against the measure.

The ballot question seeks to stop the implementation of health insurance exchanges under the law, unless they are first approved by the General Assemly or a vote of the people.

Shane Schoeller, R-Willard, a candidate for Secretary of State, issued a statement in response:

“Today’s decision is the first step in ensuring that Missourians can vote on fair and honest ballot language to, again, reject Obamacare this November,” Schoeller said.

Carnahan’s office earlier this year released this statement:

“It’s our obligation to make sure voters have a fair, accurate summary of what they’re voting on and our summary provides that.”

Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green will hold a complete hearing on the case on August 28th.

A motorcyclist from Country Club Village was hospitalized after an accident caused by a coyote.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says Randall Carver was riding his Honda three miles north of St Joseph on I-29 when he hit the coyote in the roadway.

 

Investigators say Carver, 43, lost control of the bike and was ejected. Both came to rest on the pavement of the interstate highway.

Carver was taken to Heartland with moderate injuries shortly after midnight Thursday morning.

An unusual accident in Atchison County, Missouri sent a Craig woman to the hospital with serious injuries.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports 26-year-old Melissa Last was driving a forklift along Route-W north of Corning at about 2:15 Wednesday afternoon when the vehicle came out of gear and started rolling down a hill. The woman jumped off the forklift while it was still in motion, but it then ran over her.

The forklift then continued rolling before landing in a farm pond.

Last was flown by helicopter ambulance to a hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Kansas City police are warning about a serial robber who has been impersonating a police officer. Officials hope you can help identify the man who has robbed four women and sexually assaulted one of them during arranged meetings at hotels in the Kansas City area.

All the victims had previously arranged to meet the suspect by phone at area hotels throughout the city. The victims all invited him into their rooms.

The suspect has been described as a black male with a light complexion in his mid 20’s. He is 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall and weighs about 150 to 160 pounds. He has a tattoo on his inner right forearm. The pictures here was taken from hotel surveillance video. (click to enlarge)

In all four incidents, the suspect was wearing a sleeveless vest over a gray “Police KC/MO” T-shirt. The suspect had a generic badge (not a KCPD badge) and was armed with a black handgun.

A metallic blue Chevy Equinox may be connected to this suspect. The vehicle was described as having dark tinted windows and a damaged or missing front bumper.

Police believe there may be more victims who are afraid to report the incidents due to the suspect identifying himself as a police officer. Anyone with information is urged to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

If someone says they are a police officer but you suspect they are not, call 911.

On May 11, at about 7:30 pm, the suspect met a 26-year-old female victim at her hotel room in the 3800 block of Blue Ridge Cutoff. Once inside, the suspect identified himself as a KCPD detective and handcuffed the victim. The suspect searched the hotel room, took items, and then left.

On June 25, at about 8:30 p.m., the suspect met a 32-year-old female victim in front of her hotel in the 500 block of East 105th Street. The victim walked the suspect up to her room and, once inside, the suspect identified himself as a KCPD officer and handcuffed the victim. The suspect searched the hotel room, took items, and then left.

On July 20, at about 4:30 a.m., the suspect met an 18-year-old female victim at her hotel room in the 1600 block of Parvin Road. Once inside the room, the suspect pinned the victim down and raped her. Afterward, the suspect identified himself as a KCPD officer, took items, and then left.

On August 19, at about 5:20 a.m., the suspect met a 27-year-old female victim in front of her hotel in the 500 block of East 105th Street. The victim walked the suspect up to her room and, once inside; the suspect identified himself as a KCPD officer and handcuffed the victim. The suspect searched the hotel room, took items, and then left.

The St Joseph Fire Department responded shortly after two p.m. to 207 South 12th, at the southeast corner of 12th and Edmond, to the report of a structure fire with a possible explosion.

After an initial interior attack, firefighters pulled out because of extreme heat in the brick building. After pouring a lot of water on the building from the outside, they resumed fighting the fire on the upper floors of the building from the inside.

By 4 p.m. fire crews were still inside the house putting out hot spots and small flare-ups.

One neighbor told us she heard a boom and came out to investigate, and spotted flames coming from the roof in the back of the structure.

Fire Inspector Bob Blizzard says the explosion was caused when the valve popped off the propane tank on a barbecue grill. Blizzard says the fire started on the back porch, outside the home, and spread to the yard and the upper floors of the structure. There was fire damage throughout.

Blizzard says the cause of the fire will be listed as “undetermined” because part of the second floor porch collapsed during the fire. He estimates damage at $130 thousand.

One family, four adults and two children, lived in the home. Two adults were at home at the time the fire broke out, but were able to get out safely. There were no injuries.

The American Red Cross is providing assistance to the family as they rebuild their lives and look for another place to live.