The Empty Bowls event Thursday set a record. Marketing chair Dan Michaels says it raised about $30,000 for the Saint Joseph Hunger Coalition. The soup-sampling fundraiser, now in its 8th year, supports programs at InterServ, the Open Door Food Kitchen, Catholic Charities, and Second Harvest Community Food Bank.

A man accused of operating a meth lab in Chillicothe also faces charges of child endangerment.

Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox says William Knouse, 33, of Wheeling is being held under 100-thousand dollars bond on one count of Manufacturing Meth and three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

Officers noticed a suspicious smell and investigated Knouse’s home in Wheeling early Wednesday. They found an active meth lab and related equipment and other items associated with methamphetamine.

The children are 16, 8 and 5 years old. They were left at the home with a relative. The Division of Family Services was contacted and visited the home on Wednesday.

Knouse is due back in court June 13.

Cameron officials are looking for information about a vandalism act from early May.

A flier released earlier this week ask citizens for tips about the vandalism that occurred May 4^th around 9:45 pm.

A white full sized truck drove on the field of the Cameron Soccer Complex. The vehicle caused damage to the field.

Officials are asking for information about the vandalism and offering a reward through WeTip.  Calls are anonymous.

The number to call is 1800-782-7463.

Find more information here.

 

 

 

A pastor in Seneca, Kansas is drawing national attention for saying the government should kill gays during a recent online sermon.

Curtis Knapp is the pastor of the New Hope Baptist Church in Seneca, Kansas. In audio posted online, he said “Oh, so you’re saying we should go out and start killing them? No, I’m saying the government should. They won’t, but they should.”

You can listen to the entire sermon here.

Knapp compares homosexuality to the sexual assault of children.

In an interview with KWCH-TV, he said “we punish pedophilia, we punish incest, we punish polygamy and various things. It is only homosexuality that is lifted out as an exemption.”

Knapp says he simply preaches God’s word but added, “I don’t think homosexuals have anything to worry about. I don’t think the government is going to do that. They don’t have anything to worry about from me. I don’t believe I should lay a finger against them. My hope is for their salvation, not for their death.”

Knapp’s comments come after video of a pastor in North Carolina calling for gays and lesbians to be put in an electric pen and allowed to die off went viral on YouTube. Charles L. Worley gave his sermon after President Barack Obama said he supports gay marriage.

Days later another video, this time from a church in Indiana, went viral. It shows a young boy singing “I know the Bible’s right, somebody’s wrong…ain’t no homos gonna make it to heaven.” The congregration stood up and applauded.

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. (AP) — The Carl Junction post office had some special guests to unveil some new stamps.

At a ceremony Wednesday, three dogs helped pull the cover off four news stamps that celebrate working dogs.

The stamps, painted by New York artist John Thompson, depict guide dogs, therapy dogs, tracking dogs and search dogs.

One of the dogs at the ceremony was a Labrador named Huey. He helps Carl Junction resident Daryl Felkins, who has multiple sclerosis.

Felkins once was barred from taking Huey into area businesses.

He has worked to educate the public about federal law, which allows service dogs into buildings. Huey now delivers mail to offices and visits schools.

Felkins says Huey saved his life, and made children and others less afraid to approach him.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri hospitals have been writing off more “charity care” for patients while also reporting a greater amount of unpaid bills.

Charity care is provided by hospitals without any expectation of payment.

A new report released by the Missouri Foundation for Health says that hospitals’ charity care costs rose from about $62 million in 2004 to nearly $160 million in 2008, which was the latest year analyzed.

The increase in charity care came as the percentage of people without insurance also rose slightly.

Hospitals also saw an increase in their “bad debts” for patients, where payment is expected but not fully collected.

The study found that bad-debt expenses for hospitals increased from $137 million in 2004 to nearly $257 million in 2008.

The Saint Joseph jobless rate is headed down. It dropped to 5.8 percent in April, compared to 6.6 percent in March. It’s the lowest rate since the end of 2008.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says just over 63-thousand people had jobs in April in the Saint Joseph Metropolitan Area.

Saint Joseph police are looking for a suspect who rammed a patrol car with another vehicle this morning. Officers answering a domestic disturbance call in the 100 block of North 13th shortly after midnight saw a man jump from a second floor balcony and drive off.

An officer got behind the vehicle at 16th and Felix and the driver stopped, then backed into the patrol car. Nobody was injured. The driver fled on foot.

 

The Coalition to Protect Missouri Jobs wants voters to ask candidates if they support “ambush” elections on unionization. Jim Kistler of Associated Builders and Contractors says there’s nothing fair about requiring the elections in 7 to 10 days, instead of the current 30 to 40 days. Kistler says union bosses counted on the shorter time frame to effectively gag business owners.

The provision was one of several that employers disliked in the Employee Free Choice Act. Congress did not approve the bill, but the Obama Administration put parts into effect anyway through rules enforced by the National Labor Relations Board.

St Joseph were called to an accident Wednesday morning in which a female pedestrian believed to be in her eighties was hit by a pickup truck.

Authorities say the accident happened in the parking lot of the Hardee’s restaurant at 911 Frederick Ave.

The woman was transported to Heartland Regional Medical Center with what were believed to be minor injuries. Friends of the victim at the scene said she suffered a gash to her leg and arm. St Joseph Police Officer Justin Bever says the driver of the pickup truck was not ticketed and was allowed to leave.