The St. Joseph Police Department is asking for help identifying a person of interest in a financial crime investigation.
According to Detective Chase Cotter with the police department, the person or persons pictured were involved in a financial crime that occurred between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m. at the North Belt Walmart and Sam’s Club gas station on Oct. 27.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Cotter at (816) 236-1456.
Barton “Bart” Steven Courtney
1962-2017
Barton “Bart” Steven Courtney 55, of Savannah, Missouri passed away Sunday November 12, 2017 at his home. He was born April 29, 1962 in King City, Missouri son of the late Mariel “Midge” & Henry Courtney. He married Joetta Cotter on August 8, 1986 and she survives of the home. He attended Rosendale High School, and was a Union Iron Worker for the Union Local in Kansas City, MO. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, mushroom hunting, and spending time with his grandkids. Bart was preceded in death by his parents, grandson, Rhett Hall, and a sister. Survivors include wife, Joetta of the home, sons, Craig (Cathy) Courtney, and Ryan (Taylor) Courtney both of Savannah, MO, step daughter, Angie (Josh) Hall, Mound City, MO, grandchildren, Cole Courtney, Rhylan Hall, and one on the way, a brother and a sister. The will be a celebration of life at the family home at a later date, Mr. Courtney will be cremated under the care and direction of the Rupp Funeral Home.
Donna Marie Bennett
1937-2017
Donna Marie Bennett 80, of Saint Joseph, Missouri passed away Tuesday November 14, 2017 in a local health care center. She was born January 19, 1937 in St. Joseph, Missouri daughter of the late Mary & Donald Montgomery Sr. She graduated from Central High School, and the St. Joseph Junior College, and worked at Sherwood Medical until it closed. She loved kids, especially volunteering at school reading, she also liked playing cards and bingo. She was a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church. Donna was preceded in death by her husband, Woodrow Bennett Jr., and her parents. Survivors include daughters, Karen Bechtold, and Connie (Bert) Hawk, sons, Philip (Melinda) Bennett all of St. Joseph, MO, and Ricky (Lynn) Bennett, Naples, FL, 5 grandchildren, Dylan Bechtold, Kellie Miller, Karrie Bennett, Jennifer Potts, and Larry Potts II, 5 great grand children, brother, Donald (Linda) Montgomery Jr., Virginia Beach, VA, several nieces and nephews, and former son-in-law, Larry Bechtold. The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm on Friday, with a memorial service to be held Friday, November 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm at the Rupp Funeral Home. She will be cremated under the care and direction of the Rupp Funeral Home. The family wishes a special thank you to the staff of Carriage Square and Mosaic Life Care Hospice.
Ruth M. Drury
1931-2017
Holton, KS Ruth M. Drury, 86, of Holton, formerly of Hiawatha, surrounded by family, died peacefully Wednesday morning, November 15, 2017, at the Holton Community Hospital.
Ruth was one of four children born to Robert and Edna York Foster, October 2, 1931, in Kansas City, Kansas. She grew up in Kansas City where she attended schools, later graduating from Wyandotte High School with the class of 1949. She married her childhood sweetheart Woodward “Woody” Drury, September 21, 1952 in Kansas City. They lived in the Shawnee/Merriam area prior to moving to Hiawatha in 1970 where they lived, worked, and raised their family. Ruth spent much of her working life as a certified nurse aid (CNA) for area nursing homes. However, her family was most important and was dedicated to them and their care and needs. They moved to Holton about 12 years ago to be near Ruth’s doctors. Woody survives.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Hiawatha.
Other survivors include five sons: Bob Drury (Lois) of Lawrence, Gerald Drury of Holton, Ed Scott of Hiawatha, Steve Drury (Sherilyn) of Gladstone, MO, Zoe Drury of Holton; two brothers: Don Foster of Colorado Springs, CO, Bill Foster of Apache Junction, AZ; 9 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; infant sister Wanda Lea Foster; and a daughter Stephanie.
A Celebration of Ruth’s life is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday, November 18, at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center in Hiawatha, with Pastor James Callaway. Interment will follow at Hiawatha Cemetery.
Friends may call at Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Hiawatha after 10 Friday where the family will meet from 6 until 7:30 that evening.
Memorial contributions are suggested Jackson County Meals on Wheels Program, sent in care of funeral home, 124 S 7th St., Hiawatha 66434.
Jennie Enola Bozarth
1924-2017
Jennie Enola Bozarth 93, of Saint Joseph, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, November 15, 2017 in a Saint Joseph, MO hospital. She was born January 26, 1924 in St. Joseph, MO, daughter of the late Bessie and Charles Trammell. She graduated from high school, and worked as telephone operator in Portland Oregon, and at Westab in St. Joseph, she was also a Homemaker, who loved her family and was very engaged with their lives. She loved going to church, volunteering, and baking, and was a member of the North Church of God. Jennie was preceded in death by her parents, daughter Gail Waggoner, brothers; Bob and Earl Trammell, sisters, Hazel McDowell, Vernie Groshong, Maxine Whitmore. Survivors include, sons, Charles “Chuck” Waggoner (Pamela Hieb), St. Joseph, Charles M. (Marty) Groves, Maysville, MO, Mark Waggoner and Joe Bozarth, St. Joseph, MO, daughter, Cathy Bozarth, St. Joseph, MO, sisters, Lucy Cantebury, St. Joseph, MO, and Jerianne Waggoner, Oregon, MO., as well as numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be conducted at 10:00 am, on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at Rupp Funeral Home, with Pastor David Chairez officiating, The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Friday at the Rupp Funeral Home. Memorials are requested to the Jennie Bozarth Memorial Fund in care of Rupp Funeral Home.
Donald Lee Trimble
1932-2017
Donald Lee Trimble, 85, of Atchison KS died on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at the Atchison Hospital.
Private family graveside services and burial will be 12:00 noon on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at the Humboldt Cemetery, Humboldt NE with Rev. Nancy J Kollhoff officiating. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Monday, Nov. 20th, 2017 at the Becker-Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Atchison United Methodist Church or the Atchison Lions Club and may be sent in care of the funeral home. Condolences to the family may be left online at www.beckerdyer.com.
Don was born on July 18, 1932 in Pawnee City, NE the son of Harland James and Anna Ruth (Voeller) Trimble. He graduated from Humboldt High School in 1950. He was married to Joyce D. Clift on July 28, 1951 in Humboldt, NE. Don served in the United State Army from 1953-1955. They moved to Atchison from Falls City, NE in 1964. He worked as the manager of the Firestone Store in Atchison for 38 years retiring in 1998. He then worked as a salesman for B&D John Deere Dealer in Atchison for 17 years. He was a member of the Atchison United Methodist Church, the Atchison Lions Club, and the American Legion Post # 6, Atchison. He enjoyed fishing, and time spent with his family.
Survivors include his wife Joyce Trimble of the home in Atchison, KS, two sons, Eric R. (Sharon) Trimble, Peculiar, MO and David D. (Terry) Trimble, Platte City, MO, a daughter, Teresa L. Trimble, Kansas City, MO, a brother, Ronald E Trimble, Provo, UT, six grandchildren, Jordan, Michalyn , & Jace Trimble, Erin (Anthony) Grisafe, James and Jared Wheeler, and two great grandchildren, Payton & Paxton Grisafe. His parents, a brother, Harland “Dee” Trimble, and a sister, Ruth Ann Trimble, preceded him in death.
The Bushman Planetarium at Missouri Western State University will have a public showing of “Wonders of the Universe” next week.
Peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and travel back billions of years in time to witness the birth of the universe. Witness the formation of galaxies, explore some of the most wondrous nebulae and astronomical structures yet discovered, fly deep into the Milky Way galaxy and return home to Earth on a spectacular tour through the solar system.
The Bushman Planetarium features a Digistar 4 projection system and a dome that is tilted slightly, rather than directly overhead, making viewing easier. A 17-channel stereo sound system enhances the viewing experience.
“Wonders of the Universe” will be shown at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21. The planetarium is located inside Agenstein Hall.
According to a press release, planetarium tickets must be purchased in advance, either online at missouriwestern.edu/
Please note the office will be closed Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 20 and 21, for Missouri Western’s Fall Break.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children, students, seniors and military.
A warm but wet Friday will greet you as you head out the door this morning. Temperatures overnight have risen into the 50s and will continue to rise into the 60s this afternoon. Drizzle or light rain showers will be possible through the day today before a break this evening. However, late tonight, light rain will move back into the area. Showers will continue into Saturday morning before finally clearing out by Saturday afternoon. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: A chance of showers or drizzle, mainly before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 65. South wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight: Rain likely, mainly after 3 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. Breezy, with a southwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming north northwest 18 to 23 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday: A chance of showers before noon. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 48. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 17 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 28. Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 51. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 58.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 45.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.
Thanksgiving Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.
One of the biggest food days is coming! How does your personality match up with the foods of Thanksgiving? Find out by taking our fun quiz and don’t forget to share your results with your friends and family to see what they think of your results. Happy Thanksgiving!
Students in the St. Joseph School District who took the 2017 ACT saw improvement across the board this year.
According to a press release, more than 720 students took the ACT, earning an average composite score of 19.6. That number, up from 18.8 last year, moves to close the gap between the district composite and the state composite average of 20.4.
District scores were higher in every subject:
“The data are encouraging,” said Dr. Marlie Williams, Assistant Superintendent. “The SJSD saw an increase in the overall composite score of nearly a point +(.8), while state increase was only +( .2). The greatest increase was realized in English, with a +(.9) improvement for the SJSD, with the state at a +(.1) increase. The gap between the state and the SJSD composite scores was cut nearly in half as compared to last year. Additionally, all three high schools saw an improvement in composite scores in 2017 as compared to 2016.”
Statewide, more than 68,000 students took the college-readiness exam, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). DESE also reports that nationwide, 60 percent of the class of 2017 took the ACT® with a composite score of 21.0. In the St. Joseph School District, approximately 95.4% of the class of 2017 took the ACT.®
Several merchants have decided to offer a second chance prize as part of Shop St. Joseph, which kicked off last week.
According to the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, when collecting Shop St. Joseph tickets, shoppers are encouraged to keep their tickets after the $10,000 grand prize number is announced on Dec. 20. A list of second chance prize winning numbers will also be released, so even if a shopper doesn’t win $10,000, they may win one of more than 30 other prizes.
To see a list of merchants offering second chance prizes, click here.
The parking garage in downtown St. Joseph is scheduled to open at the beginning of January.
That’s according to St. Joseph City Manager Bruce Woody who said they are starting to put the final touches on the new parking garage, finish up tenant space and work on the restoration of the roads on three sides of the building at 9th and Felix.
“It’s been, certainly, an inconvenience, understandably, for the circulation downtown and, more importantly, to some of the businesses that are immediately nearby and adjacent… we certainly appreciate their patience and tolerance as that’s occurred,” Woody said. “In the early stages of designing the whole concept… I was excited about two things. Number one, elevating the parking spaces and returning some retail to that first floor. Number two, the aesthetics of the outside of the building, bringing back brick, something we lost too much of during urban renewal and getting rid of some of the 70s, 80s look that kind of cluttered downtown.”
Woody said by Thanksgiving they anticipate having at least one or two of the roads around the building back open.
Maryville, Mo. – Two Northwest Missouri State University students are the first to graduate from the Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) program.
According to a press release from Northwest, the program is a partnership that develops commissioned officers for the Missouri Army National Guard (MOARNG) and provides a pathway to degree completion.
Dylan Richardson, a senior nutrition and dietetics major from Savannah, Missouri, and Kylee Lang, a senior criminology major from Hinton, Iowa, were commissioned in September at the state capitol building in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Being one of the Northwest program’s first commissioned officers is meaningful, Lang said, and it laid a foundation for her leadership and future.
“I am setting a standard, and I can lead others to do the same,” Lang said. “I hope that people can look up to me and see that this can be the end goal.”
Richardson added, “The GOLD Program is a great way for people to gain leadership experience and further their career in the Army National Guard. It also gives you the tools to succeed through Officer Candidate School (OCS) and get your commission.”
Northwest and the MOARNG launched the GOLD Program in 2016. It develops qualified Missouri citizens into commissioned officers through classroom instruction, leadership laboratories and a physical conditioning program.
MOARNG administers the program at Northwest and provides a commissioned captain or major to serve as professor of military science while Northwest provides a primary instructor to oversee the academic areas of the program. Northwest’s program operates out of the Garrett-Strong Science Building, where Capt. Tamir Middleton serves as the officer in charge.
Participants attend military science classes during their freshman, sophomore and junior years at Northwest. During the summer between their junior and senior years, participants are required to attend accelerated OCS training, which consists of eight weeks of intensive leadership training in South Dakota.
“When Officer Richardson and I went to OCS, we had skills that we had learned from going through the GOLD Program that others didn’t,” Lang said. “I see the GOLD Program as a milestone. Anyone I talked to at OCS who went through the GOLD Program previously, you could definitely see a difference. They were more confident, more prepared and less stressed.”
Richardson plans to pursue a dietetics internship with his active duty Army at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Lang plans to stay in the military and continue her education by pursuing a master’s in forensic psychology.
Another day of sunny fall weather is on tap today with temperatures near seasonal levels. Look for the gloomy cloudy skies to return with a chance of light rain and drizzle back in the forecast on Friday. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 52. Northeast wind 5 to 11 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon.
Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 45. South wind 9 to 11 mph.
Friday: A chance of drizzle before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 65. South wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Friday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, then a chance of showers after 9 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Breezy, with a southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north northwest 15 to 25 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday: A chance of showers before noon. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 49. Breezy, with a northwest wind 22 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. Blustery.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 49.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 57.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.
