St Joseph police are hoping you can help find a man suspected of trying to kidnap a young girl here Wednesday afternoon.

Captain Kevin Castle says a young Hispanic man pulled up to a 12-year-old girl Wednesday afternoon at about two p.m. near Carnegie and Phillip streets.

The girl was able to get away unharmed.

Police now describe the vehicle as a white or light colored, four-door midsized car with possible damage to the rear end. The vehicle was described as having “purplish” tinted windows and possibly an antenna on the roof.

If you have information that can help police, call the Tips Hotline at 816-238-TIPS or call Sgt. Jennifer Protzman of the Family Crimes unit at 816-271-4747.

The Andrew County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control are investigating a homicide after a man’s body was found in his driveway just north of the Buchanan County line on Andrew County Road 361.

Sheriff Bryan Atkins identified the victim as 41-year-old Kenneth Dale Wilson.

Atkins says they received a 911 call just before 6am Thursday after a family member arrived at Wilson’s home and found his body.

Atkins says they are following up a few leads which are being investigated. An autopsy was scheduled Thursday afternoon from which they hope to determine the cause of death and how long the victim had been dead.

“There’s evidence to show that other-than-normal causes of death were evident at the scene,” Atkins said. He would not reveal additional details, saying the investigation was still in the early stages.

Twelve officers from the two agencies are investigating Wilson’s death.

If you have information that could help, call the Andrew County Sheriff’s Office at 816-324-4114 or the TIPS hotline at 238-TIPS.

Andrew County deputies found a body this morning in a rural area driveway.

Authorities found the body laying in a driveway along a county road around 6:15 this morning.

The body is a 41 year old male.  An autopsy is pending. Authorities are treating the incident as a homicide.

The Missouri Highway Patrol is assisting the Andrew County Sheriff’s office in the investigation.

If you have any information you asked to call the Tips Hotline at 238-TIPS.  Check back for updates this afternoon.

 

 

Faced with the loss of essential campus services, the Student Government Association at Missouri Western State University this week voted to raise student fees.

The plan establishes a $75 per semester fee for students taking 12 or more credit hours.

Part-time students would pay $50. Summer school students will be charged $25.

 

Jacob Scott, a junior from Savannah, is the current student body vice president, and will become president of S.G.A next year. Scott says the level of state funding has dropped dramatically, from about 70% of the university’s budget, to about 305.

For the last three months S.G.A. has been looking at the possibility of losing some programs on campus. Scott listed several programs that could be affected, including tutoring, advising, career services, student life activities.

“With a $1.6 million shortfall, we honestly could have seen a lot of that go away, and as students, we had to make a decision as to whether we wanted to see those things next year,” Scott said.

The plan, which still requires the signature of the SGA and university presidents, would raise an estimated $750 thousand dollars a year, based on enrollment.

Scott points out the General Assembly is moving to restore funding that was cut from next year’s budget, and he says he’s hopeful the governor will sign off on that.

“A cut to Missouri Western is not just a cut to the university itself,” he said.

“It’s really a cut to the St Joseph community and to northwest Missouri. The services we provide are for everyone. Equal access to education are important to everyone in this community, and I think we should all stand behind that.”

A St Joe man made his probation a little tougher by showing up drunk to court Wednesday.

Thomas Mitchell was charged with drunk driving last month and was facing a probation violation for a prior conviction on charges of receiving stolen property.

Judge Dan Kellogg ordered a blood alcohol test, which Mitchell failed.

According to court documents,  Mitchell tested at .147%, which is more than twice the legal driving limit.

Judge Kellogg tossed him in the clink to sober up and ordered continuing alcohol testing.

Buchanan County Sheriff Mike Strong on Wednesday unveiled a new feature on his departments Web site.

Click on the “Wanted” link and you’ll find photos and information about the department’s most-wanted fugitives.  Currently, there are two men listed, one on a robbery warrant and another for failing to register as a sex offender.

Strong reminds you to call law enforcement if you know their whereabouts, and not to try to apprehend these men.

The robbery suspect is Oscar Neal, a man authorities warn has violent tendencies.   Keith Moser is listed as a probation/parole absconder, for allegedly failing to register as a sex offender.

 

 

 

East Hills Shopping Center announced two new tenants Wednesday. Mall officials say a Golden Corral restaurant and retail fashion outlet Charlotte Russe will open stores at East Hills this fall.

Officials with the mall’s leasing firm say the two merchants being East Hills one step closer to fullfilling their goal of offering the very best selection of shopping, dining and entertainment to the community.

Golden Corral prides itself in having an endless buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a family-friendly atmosphere. The new restaurant will be located on the Belt Highway just south of the Texas Roadhouse.

 

 

Charlotte Russe offers fashion-forward clothing and accessories for young women in their teens and twenties. The 6000 square foot store will be located between Champs and Lady Footlocker.

Construction is expected to begin this summer on both facilities, which are expected to open this fall.

Voters in the St Joseph School District Tuesday approved the district’s $42 million bond issue request.

The district will soon move forward with plans to build two new schools here and install air conditioning in several others.

 

The bond issue passed by a 65.49% to 34.51% margin. 8,145 people voted yes, while only 4,292 people voted no.

Voter turnout was less than predicted at 12,696 voters (25.74%). That’s higher than is typical in a spring election.

Savannah residents ousted two incumbents on the City Council. Don Dillman replaces Connie George and Joy Thompson takes over for Curtis Wandfluh.

The City of Maryville approved a $13.75 million sewerage and waterworks revenue bond issue by a vote of 750-116.

Harrison County residents approved a 1/2% sales tax renewal.

Mound City passee $750,000 bond issue for street improvements.

The Platte County R-3 School District’s request for a 17 percent tax increase went down to defeat by a 56% to 44% margin.

A $4.2 million bond issue for school improvements in the South Harrison R-II School District was also narrowly beaten.

In Country Club Village, where there’s been so much acrimony in Village Government over the last two years, Bill Schellhorn and Charles Compton won seats on the Board of Trustees.