Missouri Western won’t be penalized for a tuition increase higher than allowed under state law.  Western got word today that Higher Education Commissioner David Russell waived the penalty.  The announcement came two days after Western’s board of governors reduced a planned tuition increase at Russell’s request. Tuition will jump 5.5 percent this fall.  Before the downward revision, the increase had been set at 6.3 percent.  Without the waiver granted by Russell today, Western could have lost up to 5 percent of its state funding.

Congressman Sam Graves and Senator Roy Blunt will look at flood damage in Northwest Missouri tomorrow.  The two Republicans will see flooding at ground-level and from the air.  They’ll start at Atchison County Emergency Operations Center in Rock Port at 8 am to hear from county officials and residents.  At 9:15 am they’ll attend a briefing with military and local leaders at Rosecrans.  They’ll wrap up with a birds-eye view of the flooding, and then talk with reporters at the Kansas City downtown airport at 10:45.

Lewis and Clark State Park near Rushville has closed temporarily because of flooding.  State Park officials closed the park today and will continue to evaluate the flood threat to decide when the park can reopen.  Campers have been relocated to Weston Bend State Park.  Other nearby parks include Wallace State Park near Cameron and Watkins Mill State Park near Lawson.

There were several new levee problems reported in Holt and Atchison counties Thursday.

River levels in Big Lake have reached record levels. At the Prop Inn Bar and Grill, only the roof was visible over the floodwaters.

Another levee breached south of Fortescue, prompting flash flood warnings between Fortescue and Forrest City, and points south and west.

In Atchison County, a levee 1.5 miles north of the Brownville Bridge, prompting renewed calls for evacuations west of I-29, including Langdon, Watson, Phelps City and Nishnabotna.

In St Joe, river levels are dropping dramatically.  Forecasters say the river will drop nearly five feet in 24 hours, from 25.78 feet early Friday morning to 21 feet Saturday morning.  The Big Muddy was expected to rise back up to 25.8 feet before levelling off Sunday evening. The river crested in Saint Joseph Thursday afternoon at 26.54 feet, well short of the major stage of 27.2 feet predicted earlier.

Levees south of St Joseph are getting new attention, with sandbagging efforts underway south of Winthrop, Lewis and Clark Village, Rushville, and at Bean Lake.

At Lake Contrary the Corps of Engineers says they’ve completed work on two of six planned relief wells along the levee.

The Corps is coming under fire for mailing out letters looking for people who want to sell their land along the river.  Some insist the search for “interested sellers” confirms they’re more concerned about the pallid sturgeon than they are about people.  The Corps admits the timing might be insensitive, but they’ve been doing this since 1986.

Northwest Missouri State University announced Thursday Adam Dorrel, the Bearcat football program’s offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, has been named the team’s 19th head football coach.

Dorrel, succeeds Scott Bostwick who died June 5 after suffering an apparent heart attack at his home.   Click play to listen to an interview with Dorrel during Friday’s Dave Riggert Show on ESPN 1550.

[audio:http://www.stjosephpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/AdamDorrel2.mp3|titles=AdamDorrel2]

Dorrel, a member of the Bearcat coaching staff since 2004, takes over a program that enters its 96th season three wins shy of 500 (497-388-33) and owns a 46-game regular season winning streak against MIAA opponents. The Bearcats have made the NCAA Division II football playoffs 13 of the last 15 seasons.

 

Charges were filed Thursday against a woman who allegedly stole from her former employer of St Joseph.

Teri Eileen Amos is in custody and charged with a Class C Felony on a $7,500 cash only bond.

It’s alleged she stole $36,367 from the St Joseph Regional Association of REALTORS, who reported the theft last month after an audit report.

Amos was arrested earlier this month at Wal-Mart for shoplifting. She was also in possession of her neighbors I.D. And credit cards at the time.

An emergency meeting of the Board of Trustees in the Village of Country Club lasted about five minutes Thursday night. When Village Attorney Ron Holliday told the three members on hand that the meeting was improperly called, they voted to adjourn.

Officials and residents have been critical of the way Chairman Roger Robbins has been conducting village business, and many are taking their complaints to the Missouri Attorney General and Auditor.

The latest conflict began Wednesday when Robbins was asked for an emergency meeting of the board to consider replacing a damaged police squad car.

Robbins asked Village Clerk Julia Elder to poll the board, but according to Elder, Robbins never officially called the meeting. The poll showed that just two members were available to join Robbins for a meeting Thursday night. That is enough to establish a quorum to consider the request from the police chief.

But Elder says she was never told to call the meeting, board members were not officially notified, the village attorney was not notified, the meeting was never posted on the Web, and no agendas were distributed.

Robbins says he posted a notice of the meeting on a bulletin board in the foyer of the Village Hall, which he said he believed was enough to notify the public, even though the notice was posted after hours.

Holliday told board members he did not believe the meeting was properly announced, that it violated the Village’s municipal code, and it should not proceed.

Board member Allen Ashelford then moved that the meeting be adjourned, and board member Juanita Herrera seconded. All three members voted to adjourn. So far, no follow up meeting has been announced.

Elder says no agenda was sent out to board members. Elder and Thompson say the meeting was improperly called, and Village Attorney Ron Holliday agrees.

There has been widespread criticism of the Robbins’ conduct in the past, including earlier meetings and meeting cancellations that were deemed improper. Observers say village business has ground to a halt under his chairmanship. Robbins insists he has done nothing wrong, and that the business of the Village of Country Club is being taken care of.

Some members of the board and village staff have contacted the State Auditor and Attorney General’s offices for possible investigations. So far no official action has been taken at the state level.

After the meeting, about twenty people met informally and agreed to form a 501(c)(4) political action committee to allow them to raise money to get the word out about their grievances. Organizers say it’s possible a formal court grievance could be filed.

A village booster has posted a blog online (at www.villagedirt.com)to publicize many of their grievances

Robbins will be up for re-election in two years.

The Missouri Highway Patrol noticed a levee being over-topped in Atchison County Missouri Thursday afternoon.

A levee along the Missouri River near Watson was first reported as broke  It was later found that it was being over-topped by water, according to the Atchison County Sheriffs department. Troopers flying the levee system spotted the problem.

Atchison County Emergency Management officials say residents of Watson should evacuate at this time. The break is 1.5 miles south of Watson.  Watson is a small town with just over 100 residents.

 

 

 

The City of St Joseph will interview five candidates interested in becoming the city’s next city manager. At least one of the names will be familiar to you, that of current Public Works Director Bruce Woody.

Here’s the short list. (click on the names for bios and photographs):

Patrick S. Banger O’Fallon, Missouri
James C. Payne Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Stephen Rasmussen Jefferson City, Missouri
Gary P. Shimun Davie, Florida
J Bruce Woody St. Joseph, Missouri

The candidates will be in St. Joseph on Friday and Saturday of this week for the two-day interview process.

The public is invited to attend a televised question and answer period with the candidates. This will be held at 4pm on Friday, June 24, in the Council Chamber at City Hall.