Public Safety

By Jenna Wilson Teenagers will have a chance to learn from the experts before they take their driver’s tests thanks to the St. Joseph Safety and Health Council’s summer driving courses. Registration is now open for the two summer sessions. The first session runs from 8 a.m. to noon on June 3-7, with driving times

By Jenna Wilson Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett formally announced his plans to seek reelection as sheriff in 2024. Puett said during his seven years leading the department, he’s accomplished and will continue to accomplish many of the goals he set forth in the beginning. This includes engaging with the community, enhancing training for fellow

By NewsPress Now A Ridgeway, Missouri, woman and juvenile suffered injuries in a single-vehicle crash around 3:26 p.m. Thursday in Harrison County. Angelina Dull Knife, 66, of Ridgeway, was southbound on Interstate 35 near mile marker 95, three miles north of Bethany, Missouri, when the vehicle traveled off the west side of the roadway. The

By Jenna Wilson St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster and other members of the police department gathered with community members on Thursday, offering open conversation and a chance for residents to express concerns. The open forum held at Hazel’s Downtown coffee shop marked the second “Coffee with the Chief” event held this year, alongside other

By NewsPress Now Those who drive in the area near the Webster Learning Center and Mt. Mora Cemetery should be aware of an upcoming road closure. The intersection of North 18th and Highly streets will close to all traffic for replacement of water valves beginning Monday, Feb. 26. Work is expected to last approximately two

By New-Press NOW A St. Joseph School District school bus collided with a city street-sweeping vehicle at the intersection of Noyes Boulevard and Faraon Street on Thursday morning. The St. Joseph Police Department confirmed a school bus rear-ended a city street-sweeping vehicle that was stopped at the intersection around 8:30 a.m. The school bus was

By NewsPress Now One person was taken to Mosaic Life Care on Wednesday night after a crash between a motorcycle and a car on South Belt Highway.  St. Joseph police told News-Press NOW that the motorcyclist was traveling north on the Belt Highway when it struck a car turning into Tractor Supply Co. at 3027

By Jenna Wilson Before doing something as simple as paying at the pump, St. Joseph residents may want to double-check that nothing looks suspicious at the card reader. Some community members have expressed worries over their credit card information being compromised after using their cards in area gas stations. The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office is

By Jenna Wilson Missouri reported a decrease in vehicle fatalities during 2023, but the number of motorcyclists killed hit an all-time high, which calls for concern on the roads. According to preliminary data from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 989 people died on Missouri roads in 2023, which is a 6% decrease compared to 2022.

By Jenna Wilson After a trend of rising overdose deaths in Buchanan County in previous years, the area saw the number decrease during 2023. In 2022, 42 overdose deaths were reported in Buchanan County. During 2023, the county saw a 33% decrease, with 28 overdose deaths being reported. During the beginning of the 2023 year,

By Riley Funk Law enforcement officials in Buchanan County are sharing their disappointment over Wednesday’s shooting at what was meant to be a community celebration. According to information shared by Kansas City police on Thursday, the shooting on Wednesday started from a dispute among several people at the rally. Police Chief Stacey Graves also said

By NewsPress Now Kansas City police said Wednesday’s shooting appeared to have started from a dispute among several people. This story is being continuously updated Thursday. Stephanie Meyer, senior vice president and chief nursing officer with Children’s Mercy, spoke Thursday afternoon around 2 p.m. and said of the 11 children being treated at Children’s Mercy,

By Riley Funk Law enforcement is encouraging fans to be prepared for crowds and to have patience if they are traveling to Kansas City for the Chiefs victory parade. Sgt. Shane Hux of the Missouri State Highway Patrol volunteered his time last year at the parade to keep players and fans safe along the route.

By NewsPress Now A 19-year-old former Missouri Western State University student has been missing since Feb. 1 in Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City Police Department confirmed that T’Montez Hurt is listed as a missing person, and the case has been assigned to a detective. Hurt was last seen at the Greyhound Bus Station at

By NewsPress Now A St. Joseph police officer was taken to the hospital after a crash near South Belt Highway and Sacramento Street on Tuesday. St. Joseph Police Sgt. James Tonn said an officer was responding to the scene of a crash at South Belt Highway and Pear Street with sirens on when a collision

By NewsPress Now Two Maryville, Missouri, men sustained serious injuries in an early morning crash Sunday in Worth County, five miles north of Sheridan, Missouri. Donato I. Chesnut, 20, and Dakota J. McMahon, 21, both of Maryville, Missouri, were northbound around 2:20 a.m. on Cedar Avenue at 100th Road when the driver, Chesnut, failed to

By Jenna Wilson A federal report shows that hate crimes across schools in the U.S. are increasing, but St. Joseph School District officials emphasize student safety remains a priority, and these types of crimes won’t be taken lightly should they arise. The U.S. Department of Justice defines a hate crime as a “crime motivated by

By Jenna Wilson If you’ve seen officers with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office patrolling the streets this week, you may have noticed them sporting Chiefs gear in addition to their everyday uniforms. “We just want to show support for our hometown team, the Kansas City Chiefs,” said Matt Gilpin with the sheriff’s office. “Officers that

By NewsPress Now One person sustained minor injuries and another was seriously injured in crashes Thursday morning on Interstate 29, four miles south of St. Joseph. Mulin Celestin, 40, of Miami, was northbound on I-29 at about 1:07 a.m. near mile marker 40.8 when he lost control of a 2024 International semi. The semi overturned,

By NewsPress Now A 70-year-old Lathrop, Missouri, man has died after a weekend ATV accident in Clinton County. David W. Blackman, 70, was pronounced dead at Truman Medical Center on Tuesday, according to an updated Missouri State Highway Patrol report. The accident occurred on Feb. 3 near Turney, Missouri. Blackman lost control of the vehicle

By NewsPress Now An inmate at the Chillicothe Correctional Center has died of apparent natural causes. Barbara Banning, 78, had been serving a 25-year sentence for second-degree murder and first-degree arson from Lawrence County when she was pronounced dead on Sunday evening, according to a Department of Corrections release. She entered the Missouri Department of

By Riley Funk The St. Joseph Fire Department is hoping to cut down on response time thanks to alert system improvements after the city council approved nearly $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for the project. The council unanimously approved $191,818.52 in ARPA funds for a maintenance project of the fire station dispatch and

By NewsPress Now One person was taken to the hospital after a two-vehicle collision Monday afternoon at Faraon and North 19th streets. A gray Hyundai Sonata allegedly ran a stop sign around 3:30 p.m. and collided with a black mini-SUV, according to the St. Joseph Police Department. Officers were able to move the Sonata out