Feature

By Kyle Schmidt A studio fire in late February put a pause on yoga classes for Evolve owner Jessica Bledsoe, but it didn’t hold her back for good. “The biggest thing is keep going cause if you give up then you start going down a route of negativity,” Bledsoe said. “I’m a pretty positive person

By Leah Rainwater Ten years ago, East Hills Shopping Center hoped to get some traffic with a back-to-school commercial featuring mall employees. Little did they know, the advertisement would become known worldwide, even a decade later. Tyson Huff-Garza, who was “boots and pants,” is a Realtor for the St. Joseph Real Estate Group. He said

By Charles Christian A Canadian sport that owes its popularity to the Winter Olympics is launching a new season in St. Joseph. The St. Joseph Curling Club started its summer/fall season this week, and club president Patrick Turner said that he hopes the sport will continue to grow in popularity. “Like most people around here,

By Cameron Montemayor Nearly 450 miles away from home, Chris and Mike Tonn stood inside the Robidoux Row Museum on a late July evening surrounded by a group of people they had just met for the first time, but one they somehow already felt so close to. With the help of a stethoscope and with

By Kirsten Stokes Kamia Bradley and Amelia Rose Earhart have piloted in the air and have made inspiring moves on the ground, accomplishing what they want and encouraging others to do the same. But their connection to one another didn’t start on the tarmac. Rather, a scholarship brought them together. “A pilot is more than

By Ashley Luthans An unusual pet was rescued earlier this month thanks to the help of people in the community. Maya the parrot is 10 years old and lives with Cindy Majors. Majors and Maya are best friends, spending most of their time with each other. One recent evening, Majors decided to bring Maya outside

By Charles Christian If you take a trip out to Rosecrans Memorial Airport, you might come across a 93-year-old man providing guidance to younger mechanics or newly-licensed pilots about how to do their jobs safely and effectively. Ralph Holaday has been working on all kinds of airplane engines for over 60 years. He works six

By Kyle Schmidt Joshua Brandon, director and writer of “25 Miles to Normal,” and stars Bruce Davison and Lucas Bryant visited News-Press NOW morning edition Thursday. The men said everyone on the crew is enjoying their time in St. Joseph and added that the community has been great to them.  They will film in Kansas City

By Kirsten Stokes A Missouri Western State University graduate and upcoming author is releasing his memoir, “25 to Life,” later this month. “I kind of still don’t believe in my life. Sometimes you wake up and it’s very difficult. You never not think about it,” Corey Blevins said. What was supposed to be a birthday

By Kyle Schmidt Players from all over the country come to St. Joseph to play for the Mustangs in the summertime, and while they bond with each other, sometimes the strongest bonds are formed off the field. “We treat them like we do our kids,” said Larry Orth, who has been hosting Mustangs players for

By Kirsten Stokes A Bishop LeBlond student is sharing her story and raising awareness for childhood cancer. Isabelle Giles is a 16-year-old athlete in St. Joseph, but she’s not had the easiest path. Giles has dealt with microblastoma since the age of 6, when they first discovered a tumor in her brain. “So, the first

By Riley Funk St. Joseph Habitat for Humanity and community members welcomed a St. Joseph mother and her children to a new home Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting and house blessing ceremony. Samanta Mujagic, along with her three children, will now live at a house on East Highland Avenue, which was once a dream. “It feels

By Cameron Montemayor When Ryan Coffman saw an opportunity to help, loved ones say he jumped at it without hesitation. When he sensed something was wrong, his infectious smile, compassion and sense of humor shined through like few others could. Going above and beyond for others was simply in his nature. Brittany and Tyler Ziolkowski

By Kirsten Stokes As part of its continuing efforts toward inclusiveness, a well-known youth leadership organization is changing its name, drawing praise locally. Boy Scouts of America will become Scouting America, leaders announced this week at a national meeting in Florida. The organization began allowing girls to join about five years ago after a decline

By Riley Funk A police K-9 is putting his best paw forward to protect the Buchanan County community. Blaize is a K-9 with the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force that assisted in a drug bust that located nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine on Monday. A 37-year-old woman was arrested in connection to the drug recovery.

By Jazmine Knight A St. Joseph home and its owners will be seen on nationwide TV later this month. Will and Amanda Unzicker will be featured on season 5 of Magnolia Network’s hit show, “First Time Fixer,” with their episode airing on Friday, April 26. Will, the owner of Upstanding Contracting, and Amanda, the owner

By Kendra Simpson Earning a degree isn’t always an easily achievable task, and historically, it’s been even less accessible for women. Today, women at Missouri Western State University are taking the higher education journey in stride, and supporting each other along the way. Missouri Western student Patty Lashbrook is seeking her bachelor’s degree while also

By Kirsten Stokes Basketball is about more than making every shot. For Bishop LeBlond head coach Jackie Steltenphol, it’s about the legacy and the family that you build along the way. “It’s definitely been an honor to coach at my alma mater and I feel like it’s been my home since being in high school,”

By Charles Christian Spring brings out a specific type of hunter in Northwest Missouri, one who is armed with a bag and a keen eye. Morel mushrooms are considered a delicacy by many and places to find them are often a closely guarded secret. These honeycombed, capped mushrooms grow from 2 to 12 inches high

By Ashley Luthans A St. Joseph leader was one of 10 to receive a statewide Women of Achievement Award. Natalie Hawn, the president of the Chamber of Commerce in St. Joseph, was awarded the honor from Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe this year out of more than 500 women nominated from across the state. Hawn was

By Ashley Luthans With fewer stores in St. Joseph selling formal dresses as prom season approaches, a local business is turning to an unconventional source for affordable options — the closets of area residents. Landers Flowers in St. Joseph is hosting a pop-up prom shop where dresses can be bought and sold by locals. There

By Kirsten Stokes A Lafayette High School sophomore has made it her mission to share the story of Lloyd Warner, a Black 19-year-old who was lynched by an angry mob in St. Joseph in 1933. Through her research and activism, Nevaeha Leidy hopes to teach others, state and nationwide, about Warner and advocate for Black

By Jazmine Knight Being born on leap day might sound unappealing to some since it only comes around every four years, but for one St. Joseph woman, it makes her birthday all the more special. Claudia Tapia De Dominguez will be enjoying a dinner with her children and loved ones for her “17th” birthday on

By Kirsten Stokes A good morning message played over the intercom on Wednesday as Lindbergh Elementary cafeteria worker Heather Steele greeted students and asked what they would like for lunch that day. “Would you like chicken nuggets or a deli sandwich?” Steele asked as kids filtered into school. At around 8:40 a.m. each day at

By Kirsten Stokes A good morning message played over the intercom on Wednesday as Lindbergh Elementary cafeteria worker Heather Steele greeted students and asked what they would like for lunch that day. “Would you like chicken nuggets or a deli sandwich?” Steele asked as kids filtered into school. At around 8:40 a.m. each day at

By CAMERON MONTEMAYOR Newfound author Carley Smith is proof that it’s never too late in life to pursue a dream. “There was a saying my mom always said, ‘Do what you love and love what you do,’” Smith said. After a long career as a special education teacher, the 77-year-old Smith is following her late

By Kirsten Stokes A group of women who have dedicated their time and donations to local charities for the last 16 years recently added another local organization to their growing list of recipients. “Thank you for thinking of us,” said Trenisha Thomas, Community Missions coordinator and latest donation recipient. “I’m overwhelmed and my cup is

By Jenna Wilson Travis Kelce may or may not be the one some fans are looking forward to seeing the most at Super Bowl LVIII. If you’re a Kansas City Chiefs fan, you’ve probably heard the name ‘Taylor Swift’ countless times to this point. Swift’s high-profile relationship with the Chiefs’ tight end has generated Kansas