St. Joseph will likely have one less pizza restaurant after this weekend.

According to an employee at CiCis, located at 2207 B N. Belt Highway the store is closing. When our staff called the store an employee said the store is closing on Saturday, the 23rd.

We have sent an email to the corporate office to try to learn more. At this time, little other information is known.

Due to a large number of cats being housed at the St. Joseph Animal Shelter its supply of kitty litter is running low and it’s asking the public for help.

According to a news release, donations of non-clumping cat litter are being requested to aid the shelter in its effort to provide temporary housing for 54 cats.

“We have received a limited amount of litter through community and business donations, which we appreciate greatly, but due to the number of cats we currently have it has been difficult to keep up. We appreciate all who provide donations and assistance,” said Stephanie Malita, Public Information Officer with the City of St. Joseph Health Dept.

Anyone who wants to assist is asked to contact Jenna Keyes with the St. Joseph Animal Shelter at (816) 271-5327.

(3:45 p.m.) – Advisory Update: Noyes Blvd between Edmond St and Messanie St is back open
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The St. Joseph Police Department is advising drivers to avoid the area of Noyes Boulevard between Edmond and Messanie streets due to a traffic accident.

Around 3:25 p.m. Wednesday authorities had the area blocked off while crews were on scene.

When police advise the road is clear we will update this post.

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said, “In this case, the State never alleged the defendant fired the shots that killed the victim. Instead, we presented extensive evidence proving the defendant aided and assisted another person in planning and carrying out the murder. This was a textbook case of accomplice liability.”

Evidence at trial showed that on November 1, 2014, a family member of Vargas found him lying face down on the floor of his residence in a large pool of blood. Platte County Sheriff’s Department deputies later determined Vargas had been shot several times, finding eight .40 caliber shell casings near his body.

A neighbor reported seeing a gray vehicle at Vargas’ residence on the day he was shot. Investigators later determined that a 2008 gray Dodge Charger reportedly seen at the house was registered to a relative of Mergy.

Forensic analysis of a cell phone belonging to Mergy’s revealed deleted text messages during the time frame of the homicide. A special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team testified that Mergy’s phone was in the Northland utilizing cell towers in close proximity of Vargas’ residence at the time of murder. Mergy had earlier told investigators he was in Kansas City, Kansas at that time.

Mergy was interviewed on multiple occasions regarding Vargas’ death. He eventually admitted he knew Vargas was killed with a Springfield .40 caliber XDM handgun. He told investigators that he had been given the gun by someone following the murder and that he wrapped the gun in several plastic bags before burying it in his mother’s back yard.

Investigators recovered a Springfield .40 caliber XDM handgun from Mergy’s mother’s back yard. Forensic analysts with the Kansas City Police Department Crime Lab determined the cartridge cases and bullets recovered at the crime scene were from that gun. DNA test results on the gun, trigger and magazine showed Mergy as the major contributor.

During the execution of a search warrant at Mergy’s residence, investigators found a jar that a witness said he had seen at Vargas’ residence two days before Vargas’ murder.

Because he was convicted of first degree murder, Mergy must serve a sentence of life in prison without the eligibility of probation or parole. Jurors also recommended Mergy be sentenced to 30 years in prison for armed criminal action. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30 at 10:00 a.m.

“This defendant might not have pulled the trigger, but he aided and encouraged the murder and deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison,” Zahnd said.

A 19-year-old woman was injured Tuesday evening in an ATV crash in Caldwell County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Brandi Warzala of Braymer was driving a 2001 Bombardier ATV around 6:30 p.m. northbound on Route A when she lost control and ran off the east side of the road and hit a ditch.  The ATV rolled over and Warzala was thrown.  She was taken by ambulance to Liberty Hospital for treatment of what was described as a moderate injury.