A motorcyclist from Texas is dead after losing control of his Harley Davidson on Route-46 in Nodaway County Wednesday. The accident was located by law enforcement just after 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol identifies the victim as 52-year-old Steven Essendrup of Bulverde, Texas.

A crash report indicates the motorcycle left the highway about five miles west of Maryville and hit a ditch.

Essendrup was ejected. The bike wound up a pond.

This marks the 16th traffic fatality in Troop H this year.

The Humane Society of Saint Joseph and Buchanan County has a new program to help petowners keep their dogs or cats in a tough economy. Executive director Laurie Salanski says A Cause For Paws is temporary assistance. She says the board of the Humane Society does not want anyone to lose a pet because of financial difficulties.

To donate to A Cause For Paws, or to apply for help, click here.

Warmer and drier than normal conditions in the upper Missouri River basin are reflected in the July runoff forecast, which indicates below normal runoff for the remainder of 2012.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers predicts current calendar year funoff of 21.4 million acre-feet above Sioux City, Iowa.  That’s 87% of the normal runoff.

“The total volume of water stored in the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System on July 1 was 57.6 million acre feet, which means there is enough water to provide good service to all eight of the system’s Congressionally-authorized purposes,” said Jody Farhat, Chief of Water Management.

In accordance with the Master Manual, the water control plan that guides the operations of the six reservoirs, releases will continue to be made to provide full service flows for commercial navigation, as well as to conduct a full-service navigation season.

“In terms of weather conditions, what a difference a year makes,” said Farhat. “We are over the hump in terms of making it through the typical high runoff months: May, June and July.  Runoff so far this year has been slightly below normal. With very little mountain snowpack remaining and the continuing warmer and drier than normal conditions, we are in a more normal mode of operations.”

On April 9, snowpack in the mountains peaked at 97 percent of the normal April 15 peak above Fort Peck.  On March 22, snowpack in the Fort Peck to Garrison reach peaked at 88 percent of the normal April 15 peak. As of July 1, snowpack was 4 percent of the normal April 15 peak above Fort Peck and less than 1 percent of the normal April 15 in the Fort Peck to Garrison reach. In 2011, mountain snowpack peaked at 141 percent of the normal April 15 peak above Fort Peck and 136 percent ofthe normal April 15 peak in the Fort Peck to Garrison reach.

Gavins Point releases averaged 31,700 cubic feet per second during the month of June. The release rate is currently 32,000 cfs and is expected to increase during July in support of navigation and other downstream uses. The normal release rate for this time of year is 35,100 cfs.

The six mainstem power plants generated 950 million kilowatt hours of electricity in June. Typical power generation for the month of June is 840 million kWh. The power plants are projected to generate 9.8 billion kWh hours during calendar year 2012, which is just below the long-term average of 10.0 billion kWh.

To view the detailed three-week release forecast for the mainstem dams, click here.

The Southside Sertoma Club and the Sertoma Club of St. Joseph, will host the annual Deaf Camp at Camp Marvin Hillyard from July 8 – July 13. This camp will house 60 speech and/or hearing impaired children ages 7 – 14.

Campers will participate in a variety of activities including but not limited to swimming, crafts, archery, and movies. They will arrive at Camp Marvin Hillyard near Gower July 8 for registration.

They will then prepare for swimming and the Wings of Love bird show – a show that involves a variety of large birds that play basketball, dance, and otherwise entertain the crowd.

“Our theme this year is “Luau” so it’s all things tropical and Hawaiian – complete with leis and surfboards”, said Janice Eaton, a member of the Sertoma Club of St. Joseph.

Throughout their week at Camp Marvin Hillyard, Sertoma members will participate with the children in a luau, a trip to the aquatic park and a taco lunch.

“This is a huge but very rewarding undertaking for the Sertoma Clubs”, said Gary Riepl, President of the Southside Sertoma Club. “We raise funds all year long to support this camp and to give the normal camper experience to these children”.

Sertoma is a service organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life today, through education and support, for those at risk or impacted by hearing loss. For more information regarding Sertoma, please contact Karla Long at karla.long@redcross.org,

 

Jackson County authorities have been searching a riverside area after determining that a shoe found this week contained human remains. The county medical examiner’s office said there were remains of a human foot inside the shoe, which was found Tuesday along the Little Blue River.

Authorities say the shoe was found about 10 miles downstream from where the skeletal remains of a human hand were discovered along the river last week. Sheriff’s officers, a specially trained dog and others were searching the river’s banks Thursday for additional evidence. It’s unclear if the hand and foot are related. The foot was taken to the county crime lab, and the hand was sent to the University of Texas for possible identification.

Two Missouri children have died after coming into contact with electricity while swimming at the Lake of the Ozarks on the Fourth of July. The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified them as 13-year-old Alexandra Anderson and her 8-year-old brother Brayden, of Ashland. Police say the children were swimming Wednesday near a private dock when they were shocked by an “unknown source of electricity” just after noon.

Several adults at the scene removed the children from the water and performed CPR until medical crews arrived. The children were taken to an area hospital, where doctors pronounced them dead. Highway Patrol spokesman Sergeant Paul Reinsch said it was not clear whether the children died of electrocution or drowning and that autopsies were planned for today.

“I’ve never won anything in my life!”

That was Victor Dye’s exclamation when he was randomly chosen the winner from 29 contestants standing on the Mustangs infield at Phil Welch Stadium for the conclusion of  the Drive to the All Stars contest .

Eagle Radio’s KKJO 105.5 and KSJQ 92.7 along with Anderson Kia and 360 Mobility sponsored the event that put Dye in the drivers seat of a 2012 Kia Soul with a pair of tickets to the MLB All Stars game in the glove box.

 

 

 

A Harrison County man charged with killing his seven-year-old son appeared in a Buchanan County courtroom Tuesday.

Investigators say Tony King, 28, strangled Jeremiah Lamm in January and then set fire to a mobile home near Bethany with the boy’s body inside.

King is scheduled for trial here next March.

He is charged first degree murder, second degree arson and felony child abuse.

Circuit Judge Randall Jackson heard pre-trial motions in the case on Tuesday. Harrison County Prosecutor Johnathan Meyer asked the court for an order to preserve testimony. Meyer will interview Harrison County Sheriff George Martz on July 9.

The court also okayed a new defense lawyer for King, who is being held in the Buchanan County Jail. The case was transferred to Buchanan County earlier this year.

KCP&L is warning customers about some con artists who are targeting utility customers for their Social Security information.

The scammers claim President Obama is applying payments or credits to your utility bill.

To receive the credit, customers are asked to make immediate payment using bogus bank information supplied by con artists.

Victims are told to use the number appearing on the back of their Social Security cards as the bank account number.

They are given a tax credit number and a bank routing number, but officials say both are fraudulent and cannot be used to pay a utility bill.

According to the reports, scammers have visited customer homes, posted fliers and used social media and texting to send this false message.

“We protect our customers’ personal account information and recommend only KCP&L-authorized payment methods,” said Jim Alberts, Vice President, Customer Services.

KCP&L advises customers never to give their credit card, debit card, Social Security, ATM, checking or saving account numbers to anyone who comes to their home, calls, texts or sends an e-mail requesting this information.

Customers should also never allow anyone into their home to check electrical wiring, unless an appointment has been scheduled and the technician has proper KCP&L identification.