The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Greater St. Joseph are partnering to lead the community, businesses and non-profits through a visioning process to determine what residents want St. Joseph’s future to look like and what steps need to be taken to achieve that future.

The process, called Imagine St. Joseph 2040, has included more than 500 residents who have spent time analyzing trends and discussing how St. Joseph can prepare now for a better future.

“This is really a fact-driven process, we’re not just looking for opinions on what we’ll look like in 20 years,” said St. Joseph Chamber Director of Communications and Marketing Kristi Bailey. “We are looking at the facts, what’s happening around us and what we need to do to prepare ourselves for a better future.”

Throughout a series of meetings and analysis from March through May, these areas have been identified as priorities (*in alphabetical order):

 

• Actively engage community in a positive, proactive way
• Be proactive toward start-ups and existing businesses to stay and grow here
• “Better together” – leverage and strengthen partnerships, e.g. public/private/non-profit
• Communicate: transparency and trust
• Develop a first responder team to retain or retrain the newly unemployed
• Develop a reputation that values education and lifelong learning
• Emphasize downtown development – housing and business
• Engage community in crime prevention efforts
• Frame issues clearly with the public on critical and future issues
• Identify and develop strong new leaders
• Improve conditions for a thriving animal health industry
• Increase intergenerational mentoring
• Invest in and improve infrastructure
• Make St. Joseph a place where people want to come and stay, e.g. livability
• Poverty intervention – address root causes and best practices
• Support and encourage new and innovative ideas

St. Joseph residents are asked to help prioritize these issues by going to imaginestjoseph2040.com/getinvolved and taking a survey.

Also, residents are asked to participate in a Facebook Live event on Monday, July 16, at 6 p.m., to discuss these priorities and plans for the future with Rebecca Ryan, nationally-recognized futurist and economist who is leading the visioning process. Find Imagine St. Joseph 2040 on Facebook and RSVP to the event.

For more information on Imagine St. Joseph 2040, go to imaginestjoseph2040.com. 

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is accepting nominations for individuals, organizations and events to be recognized for efforts to promote safe driving.

“The goal of our Coalition is to reduce fatalities on Missouri roads, and we know there are a lot of people in Missouri who contribute to the success we’ve had to lower the number,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer Nicole Hood. “This is an opportunity to recognize those who are helping to save lives by encouraging safe driving.”

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety has seven regions it serves including Northwest, Northeast, Kansas City, Central, St. Louis, Southwest and Southeast. According to a MoDOT press release, there are five statewide awards and two awards for each of the seven Coalition regions. The statewide awards include:

• the Lay Down the Law Award recognizing an individual or a group in law enforcement
• the Tempe Humphrey Award recognizing an individual or group who have focused efforts on our younger drivers
• the Arrive Alive Award recognizing an individual or group for their leadership and dedication to reducing fatalities
• the “Show Me Safety” Award recognizing an individual or group for an event
• the Safety-Neer (Engineering) Award:  recognizes an engineer(s)/team who has incorporated a unique or proven safety feature in a highway project that has resulted in reduced fatalities.

The regional awards include the Arrive Alive Award and the “Show-Me Safety” Award. Details about the awards can be found at www.savemolives.com, and the form is online and simple to complete. Nominations are due by July 15, and five individuals with an interest in transportation safety have been selected throughout the Midwest to judge the awards. Regional awards will be judged by the regional coalitions or independent judges they choose. The winners will be recognized at the 2018 Traffic Safety and Blueprint Conference in Columbia in September.  Award winners and those who nominate them will be notified in early August.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The following is a listing of general highway maintenance and construction work in the Northwest Missouri region planned for the week of June 18 – 24 from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

In addition to the work listed below, there may be pothole patching, mowing, shoulder work, bridge maintenance, striping, brush cutting, guardrail repairs, litter pick up and other road work conducted throughout the region. Many of these will be moving operations and could include lane closures with delays. All scheduled maintenance and construction projects are subject to change.

MoDOT reminds the public to stay alert, watch for road work, buckle up, slow down, and drive with extreme caution through work zones and in changing weather conditions.

For more information about a project, please contact MoDOT at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest. You can also follow MoDOT’s Northwest Missouri District on Twitter @ModotNorthwest and on Facebook.

Andrew County

• Interstate 29 – Bridge deck replacement project at the Nodaway River Bridge. (Traffic is head-to-head in the northbound lanes.) This traffic pattern will be in place through August and includes a 13-foot width restriction.
• U.S. Route 71 – Resurfacing project from Route 48 to Route A (Nodaway County), June 18 – 22

Atchison County

• I-29 – Pavement repair from mile marker 124 near the Iowa state line to mile marker 111 near Route 111, June 18 – 22
• U.S. Route 275 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to U.S. Route 136, June 18 – 22

Buchanan County

• Route 759 – Pavement repair of railroad crossing northbound from Hickory Street to Florence Road, June 18 – 21. This includes overnight lane closures.

Caldwell County

• U.S. Route 36 – Bridge maintenance on the Brushy Creek Bridge, June 18 – 21. This includes overnight lane closures.

Carroll County

• U.S. Route 65 – Sealing and resurfacing project from the Missouri River to the Iowa state line, June 18 – 23. This project includes a 12-foot width restriction.

Chariton County

• Route E – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route JJ/F to Route 5, June 19, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Route 11 – Bridge maintenance at the Salt Creek and Brush Creek Bridges, June 19

Clinton County

• Route 116 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the McGuire Creek Bridge. The road will be closed through July. A signed detour is in place.
• Route C – Shoulder work from Route 116 to Route CC, June 18 – 20
• Route C – Resurfacing project from Route 116 to Route CC, June 21 – 22. (A pilot car and a flagger will direct traffic through the work zone.)

Daviess County

• Route 13 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the Honey Creek Bridge. The road will be closed through September. A signed detour is in place.
• I-35 – Pavement repair from mile marker 58 near Route BB to mile marker 51 near Cameron, June 18 – 22

DeKalb County

• U.S. Route 36 – Pavement resurfacing and realignment project at the Route 33 North/Route M junction. Traffic is head-to-head in the eastbound lanes. This traffic pattern will be in place through July 3 and includes a 14-foot width restriction.

Gentry County

• Route H – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Ettieville Road to 520th Road near Darlington, June 19, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Grundy County

• U.S. Route 65 – Sealing project from the north city limits of Chillicothe to the Iowa state line, June 18 – 23. This includes a 12-foot width restriction.

Harrison County

• Route AA/H – CLOSED for a bridge deck replacement at the I-35 overpass. The bridge will be closed through July. One lane of I-35 may be closed in each direction during the project.
• I-35 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to Route N at Eagleville, June 18 – 23. This includes a 16-foot width restriction and will include overnight lane closures.
• Route YY – CLOSED for a resurfacing project, June 22, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Holt County

• I-29 – Bridge deck replacement at the Nodaway River Bridge. Traffic is head-to-head in the northbound lanes. This traffic pattern will be in place through August and includes a 13-foot width restriction.
• Route UU – Pothole patching, June 18
• Route B – Bridge maintenance at the I-29 Bridge, June 18 – 19
• I-29 – Resurfacing project from Route W to Route 118, June 18 – 22
• U.S. Route 159 – Bridge maintenance at the Little Tarkio Creek Bridge, June 20 – 21

Linn County

• U.S. Route 36 – Shoulder improvements from just east of Route 11 to Route 5, June 18 – 23. This project includes a 16-foot width restriction.

Livingston County

• U.S. Route 65 – Sealing and resurfacing project from the north city limits of Chillicothe to the Iowa state line, June 18 – 23. This includes a 12-foot width restriction.
• Route A – Pothole patching from Route 190 to Route W, June 19 – 20
• Route Y – Pothole patching from Route 190 to Route W, June 21 – 22

Mercer County

• Routes C and JJ – Pothole patching, June 18 – 22
• U.S. Route 65 – Sealing project from the north city limits of Chillicothe to the Iowa state line, June 18 – 23. This includes a 12-foot width restriction.

Nodaway County

• U.S. Route 71 – Resurfacing project from Route A to just north of Route 48 (Andrew County), June 18 – 22
• U.S. Route 136 – Shoulder improvements from east of the city limits of Maryville to Route 46 in Ravenwood, June 18 – 22

Putnam County

• U.S. Route 136 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the West Locust Creek Bridge. The road will be closed through September. A signed detour is in place.

Worth County

• Route AA – CLOSED for a resurfacing project, June 18 and June 21, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily

The St. Joseph School District was one of 281 Missouri school districts to earn the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Total Fleet Excellence Award, through the School Bus Inspection Program.

The award is obtained through an approval rating of 90% or higher with no buses placed out-of-service. The St. Joseph School District earned a 100% approval rating during the inspection of the district’s 101 buses. During the 2018-2019 school year, 6,532 buses throughout the state are eligible to display the Total Fleet Excellence sticker in the lower corner of the first window on the passenger-entry side of the bus.

Colonel Sandra K. Karsten, superintendent of the MSHP, recently announced the results of the annual school bus inspection program.

According to a news release, a total of 12,018 school buses across the state of Missouri were inspected by State Highway Patrol personnel during the Motor Vehicle Inspection Division’s 2018 program. Of all buses inspected, 90.6% were approved by inspection personnel with no defective items noted during inspection.

Buses found to have no defective items are rated as “approved.” Buses having one or more defective items which do not constitute an immediate danger are rated as “defective.” Buses with a defective item which constitutes an immediate danger are rated as “out-of-service.”

Buses rated as “defective” may continue to be operated for the purpose of transporting students until repair is made. School districts are allowed 10 days following initial inspection to repair identified defects before being re-inspected by Highway Patrol motor vehicle inspection personnel. Buses rated as “out-of-service” must be repaired, re-inspected, and placed back into service by Highway Patrol motor vehicle inspection personnel prior to transporting students. Buses not presented for re-inspection within the required 10-day period are reported to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Click here to view the full inspection results.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Several upcoming projects along U.S. Route 169 (Belt Highway) and Route AC (Riverside Road) will improve intersections along these corridors.

According to a press release, the projects are partially funded through the Transportation Alternatives Program with the Missouri Department of Transportation providing the remaining funding. The projects will bring improvements to intersections in the area of the projects to ensure they comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and help pedestrians in St. Joseph enjoy safer walking for recreation or while frequenting local businesses.

The Missouri Department of Transportation has contracted with Amino Brothers, Inc. to upgrade the pedestrian crossings at:

• Riverside Road and Pickett Road
• Belt Highway at South Walmart
• Belt Highway at Commons Drive (near Menards)
• Belt Highway and Faraon
• Belt Highway and U.S. Route 36

The intersections at Riverside Road and Pickett Road, Belt Highway and South Belt Walmart and Belt Highway at the Commons (near Menards) are scheduled to begin Monday, June 18. One lane of each direction at these three locations may be closed during the projects.

Following those three projects, the contractor will move to the intersections at Belt Highway and Faraon and Belt Highway at U.S. Route 36. That work is scheduled to begin August 2.

Motorists are encouraged to use caution during both these projects, as crews will be working in close proximity to the traveling public.

For more information call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest and view the online Traveler Information Map. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter and Facebook.

It may not officially be summer yet, but some record-breaking heat this spring is making it feel as if it is.

June 18th through the 24th is promoted as Summer Weather Safety Week by the National Weather Service, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Department of Public Safety. The week is set aside to highlight the risks and dangers associated with excessive heat. According to the National Weather Service, cities reaching all-time high average temperatures for the month of May included St. Joseph, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, St. Louis and West Plains.

St. Joseph Emergency Management Director Jada McClintick said an important thing to do, especially during the summer, is to stay hydrated.

“That doesn’t mean, coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, caffeine… none of that stuff. Stick with water, that’s probably the number one thing is to stay hydrated,” McClintick said. “Try and stay out of the sun during those hottest part of the days, 2 to 5… just limit your sun exposure and try and at least get in the shade if not into some air conditioning.”

McClintick said to watch out for each other during severe heat periods.

“Your neighbors, your co-workers, people you go to church with, if you know somebody who doesn’t have air conditioning or you see they are sitting on their porch (during) the hottest part of the day, invite them to come over, get in the air conditioning,” McClintick said. “The very young and the older community members, those are the highest risk, so just watch out for each other, take care of one another.”

According to Department of Public Safety Director Drew Juden, reminds everyone to never leave a child or a pet alone in a car in the summer heat because the temperature can rise by 20 degrees in 10 minutes and 30 degrees in 20 minutes.

Find the nearest public cooling centers by visiting mo.gov.