The Missouri River continues its rapid retreat. It fell below 21 feet in Saint Joseph Saturday night and dropped below 20-and-a-half feet at 3:45 this morning.
That’s 9-and-a-half feet lower than the June 28th crest. The total flow of water past Saint Joseph now is less than half what it was then. The river is still more than 3 feet above the flood stage of 17 feet. It’s expected to reach that level sometime next month.
A ride in a stolen car turned fatal for a teenager from Holt County early Sunday morning. Sergeant Sheldon Lyon of the Missouri State Highway Patrol tells us this is the third traffic fatality in Troop-H within about a week in which the teenage victims were not wearing safety belts.
“We’d like to see parents revisit the issue with their kids,” Lyon said. “They need to wear it, not because some trooper is going to write them a ticket, but they need to wear it because it’s going to save their life in the right circumstance.”
Lyon says the patrol is still investigating the stolen car report.
Investigators say 17-year-old Kodi Parsley of Oregon, Missouri was driving the stolen 2006 Chevy Impala southbound on I-29 about 12 miles north of St Joseph at about 3 a.m. Sunday. The vehicle left the highway, struck an embankment, and rolled several times.
Parsley was not wearing a safety restraint and was ejected. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Andrew County Coroner Ron Crouse.
The Impala was reported stolen from Holt County.
On September 7, two teenagers from Princeton were killed in a rollover accident on Route-C east of Princeton in Mercer County. Troopers say neither Emily Clark, 16, nor Kelsey Purdun, 17, were wearing seat belts at the time of that crash.
FEMA experts are in Saint Joseph this week to provide free rebuilding information to strengthen property against future storms.
The “mitigation advisers” will operate a FEMA information booth at Lowe’s on the North Belt Highway from 8 am to 6 pm today through Saturday.
Mitigation advisers can provide information about mold and mildew cleanup, electrical systems, furnaces, and other appliances. They can also give advice about reinforcing a structure against high wind, and building a safe room inside a home or business.
About 200 folks showed up at the Missouri Theater Saturday night to enjoy “Trumpets, Pearls, and Swirls,” at the Second Harvest Community Food Bank “Best Party Ever.”
One highlight of the evening came when a homeless woman won a scholarship as part of the American College of Technology’s Hunger for Knowledge campaign. Joanne Thompson has spent the better part of two years living in hotels and the Salvation Army shelter.
The Second Harvest fundraiser featured a 1930s theme, including vintage clothing, music and cars.
Marketing Manager Stacy Neibling-Fisher says they had barbershop quartets and swing dancing performances, and attendees dressed in vintage furs and jewelry enjoyed period cocktails and cigars.
“The Second Harvest Community Food Bank appreciates the continuing support from the community to help us in our mission to end hunger in Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas,” Neibling-Fisher said.
The presenting sponsor was the communications firm RQ2.
Outside the theater were several period automobiles presented courtesy of Charles Nill of St. Joseph Electonics.
Part of the fun of the weekend’s Coleman Hawkins Bikes and Blues Festival was the chance to browse among some classic cars and motorcycles, while the blues wafted through the streets of downtown St Joseph.
Participants paid an entrance fee of five dollars per vehicle, and the crowd could vote on their favorites at two dollars p-er vote. Thirty percent of the proceeds will help pay for musical instruments for low-income students via the St. Joseph School District’s Music in the Schools Donation Program.
A 29-year-old St Joseph man will not face charges for shooting an intruder in his south side home. But, 29-year-old Christopher Prudden was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Prudden told police 27-year-old Joshua Smith broke into his home September 6th, after an ongoing argument.
Smith remains hospitalized with gunshot wounds. He’s been charged with 2nd Degree Burglary.
Bond was set at $25,000 for both men. Both were scheduled for arraignment September 9. Prudden’s roommate, who was taken into custody, has not been charged and was released pending further investigation.
Commander Jim Connors says the entire case is still under investigation.
A federal study says a medical helicopter pilot reported being lower on fuel than he realized before crashing southeast of Saint Joseph. All four people on board the LifeNet helicopter were killed in the August 26th crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report saying the pilot reported having two hours of fuel when he left Saint Joseph to retrieve a patient in Bethany. But at the Bethany hospital the pilot reported he had less fuel than he originally thought.
The pilot decided to stop en route for fuel and then deliver his patient to Liberty Hospital. But 30 minutes after takeoff the chopper crashed.
St Joseph has reached a settlement with family members of a police officer who was killed in a training accident last year.
Tuesday night, the City Council approved a settlement worth $300,000 to the wife of officer Dan De Kraai.
Luara De Kraai will receive the settlement stemming from the incident last September when her husband was shot in the back. Her husband asked a fellow officer to shoot him with a training round so he would know what it felt like.
The investigation found officer Jason Strong had not realized he changed to his service weapon when he shot De Kraai in the back. Buchanan County prosecutor Dwight Scroggins decided not to charge Strong, ruling the death was an accident.
A man was shot yesterday while allegedly intruding into a South Saint Joseph home. A resident of the house in the 64-hundred block of Sherman Street told police he shot the victim in self-defense.
The victim was taken to Heartland in serious condition. The shooter was taken into custody for questioning to see if there was any violation of the law. No charges have been filed. The investigation continues.
Missouri Western football players Jack Long and Shane Simpson are heroes — and not just on the field. The two defensive backs saved a child from a hot car.
They were driving from practice when they saw a woman beating on the window of a vehicle. They stopped to help Teresa Gall, who had accidentally locked her 17-month-old grandson in the car with the keys. She couldn’t break the window. But Simpson managed it with just one swing.
Gall says she offered to pay the players, but they refused.
