New transit facility planned for East Hills Library lot space
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — An underutilized parking lot next to East Hills Library is set to become a new-and-improved hub for transit riders.
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St. Joseph to offer Civic Center Park balusters to the public
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Local residents will get the chance to make a new home for balusters that were recently removed from Civic Center Park. Kim Schutte, St. Joseph historic preservation planner, with the support of the St. Joseph Landmark Commission, will be coordinating interest from those wishing to have one of the
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Mayor touts community investments, support in State of the City address
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — As he stood at the podium to deliver his closing remarks, Mayor John Josendale ended his address with a call to action, challenging those in the audience to continue rallying for St. Joseph. In his eyes, success … and challenges, will be accomplished and overcome with the help of
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Budget work sessions conclude with Public Works and Transportation
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) —Â Four days of public budget discussions for fiscal year 2026 wrapped up Tuesday evening with a closer look at the city’s Public Works and Transportation Department. The department is expected to command the largest share of department funding in the upcoming fiscal year with a proposed budget of $94.2 million,
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Crews begin removing Civic Center Park balustrade, upgrading stairwell
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A historic and deteriorating piece of Civic Center Park and City Hall is coming to an end as crews began the process of removing the park’s balustrade on Tuesday. Crews with Auxier Construction Company were on scene Tuesday morning removing the roughly 87-year-old sandstone structure that lines much of
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New Community Aquatic Center inches closer to reality as City Council mulls latest proposal
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (NEWS-PRESS NOW) — Plans for a new $15.6 million indoor aquatic facility in north St. Joseph took a sizable step forward Monday as City Council members weighed the latest proposal for a potential joint partnership. YMCA officials presented a vision and new details for the state-of-the-art aquatic facility to council members as
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Small police departments struggle for personnel
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The statewide personnel struggles affecting police departments have been particularly challenging for smaller ones, such as the Hamilton Police Department.Last December, Hamilton saw its police chief and two police officers resign on the same day. Within a month, Hamilton had hired a police chief with a long law enforcement
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St. Joseph eyes wholesale changes to address critical housing gap, improve population
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — As the weeks eventually turned to months in his pursuit of a suitable place to rent, Missouri Western State University senior Abakhaye “AB” Anetekhai, a 23-year-old manufacturing/engineering major, thought his luck was finally starting to change. “I actually found a place,” said Anetekhai, a native of Chicago and president
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Longtime deputy to assist with Operation Relentless Pursuit
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — As the details of Operation Relentless Pursuit continue to unfold, a longtime Buchanan County deputy will head up local efforts. Investigator Billy Paul Miller, who has spent over 35 years in law enforcement, will be the designated investigator for the coordinated law enforcement effort created through Governor Mike Kehoe’s
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Recycling Center drop-off entrance to change
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Starting Wednesday, May 14, residents will use a new entrance to drop off items at the St. Joseph Recycling Center on 3405 S. Belt Highway. This change is planned to be permanent and comes to accommodate the construction of the city’s new Animal Shelter on the property. Traffic will
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New fire station talks continue as budget discussions focus on public safety
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Public safety funding for fiscal year 2026 took center stage at City Hall on Thursday evening as budget planning shifted to St. Joseph’s police, fire and health departments for day three of discussions. Councilmembers and city leaders returned from a one-day break Thursday for the third of four planned
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Animal Shelter development to kickoff next week, opening now eyed for 2026
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — City leaders provided an update on the progress of a new animal shelter on South Belt Highway during Thursday’s budget work session. Officials with the St. Joseph Health Department confirmed that internal demolition work is slated to begin next week. Construction crews with E.L. Crawford Construction are expected to
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Savannah Parks and Recreation to close Aquatic Center
In a Facebook post Wednesday, Savannah Parks and Recreation announced its 2025 season will be the final summer for the Savannah Aquatic Center.
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Department leaders provide budget breakdowns as work sessions hit day two
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Budget preparations for fiscal year 2026 continued for a second day with finances for some of the city’s key departments taking center stage at City Hall. Tuesday’s work session opened with a breakdown of spending and revenue plans for City Hall’s administrative departments, including the City Manager’s Office, City
Continue Reading City proposes 2026 budget with near 12% reduction in total revenue
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — City leaders unveiled a proposed budget on Monday that includes roughly $25 million less in projected revenue for fiscal year 2026, largely the result of anticipated changes in the city’s year-to-year budgeting practices designed to increase transparency and accuracy. The city’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget includes $190 million
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City plans new grant program to spur rental rehab and development
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph is opening new doors in an effort to boost the development of middle to high-income rental properties, a growing need in the community. City officials are proposing a new grant program that would make federal funds available as early as July for developers to either rehab existing
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Mayor to give annual State of the City address at Public Affairs Coffee
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Mayor John Josendale will present his annual State of the City address at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce’s next Public Affairs Coffee. The event will be held at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at the inspireU Children’s Discovery Center, located at 521 Felix St. Chamber members
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Signal project to disrupt traffic on North 22nd Street for several weeks
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Drivers commuting along North 22nd Street across Frederick Avenue will see notable detours lasting for more than a month, starting in May. Starting at 8 a.m. on Monday, May 5, North 22nd Street will be closed on both sides of Frederick Avenue as crews work to upgrade a traffic
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City eyes sewer rate changes, public hearing set for June
News-Press NOW stormwater sewer is shown on South Eighth Street on Thursday in Downtown
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Council OKs key grant for water plant upgrade, funds for sewer repairs
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Upwards of $3 million in funds to upgrade the city’s Wastewater Treatment Facility and various sewer main lines received the green light from City Council on Monday. Councilmembers unanimously approved an ordinance to accept a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the blower replacement
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League of Women Voters NW-MO Community holds forum
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The League of Women Voters of NWMO hosted a forum Friday night, with multiple state representatives in attendance, to discuss current news and information about state offices. “We’ll be talking about what’s going on down in Jefferson City on a couple of the bills that, I’ve been handling and
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Colemans Hawkins Park redevelopment project delayed
Last summer local architects helped downtown visitors imagine a redeveloped Coleman Hawkins Park with a relocated stage. Goldberg Group Architects gathered community feedback on three concept designs last August at a Sounds of Summer concert.Â
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Bill passes for costs related to new Mosaic Life Care building
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Mosaic Life Care received a promising update regarding its new facility being built on a street to be named Mosaic Court, or a plot of land named University Hills. The new building is set to cost $12,522,359 to construct. An ordinance has been authorized to accept payment from Lehr
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City elects to hold off on Sports Complex bond decision until 2026
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph residents will not see a bond measure at the polls this year to help finance a large-scale youth sports complex on the campus of Missouri Western State University, but key discussions and project planning will continue. City officials have elected to push back their timeline by at
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Local groups sponsor community forum featuring state leaders
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Local groups will be sponsoring a community forum featuring Buchanan County and Missouri state leaders. The League of Women Voters of Northwest Missouri, along with Missouri Western State University Foundation, NAACP St. Joseph Chapter and the St. Joseph Retired School Personnel Association are co-sponsoring the forum. Missouri 10th District
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Upgrades on deck for Phil Welch following stadium analysis
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A structural analysis of St. Joseph’s historic ballpark has helped identify key improvements that officials plan to tackle after the upcoming Mustangs season. City councilmembers authorized a $613,000 contract on Monday with Lawhon Construction for the Phil Welch Stadium Structural Improvements Project using Parks Sales Tax funds. “The original
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Attorney, Laura Chavez, assumes Municipal Court Judge position
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — In a social media announcement on Friday, April 18, the City of St. Joseph announced attorney, Laura Chavez will assume the role of Municipal Court Judge. Chavez is assuming the position, following the untimely death of Judge Ted Elo. Chavez is a St. Joseph native, graduating from Bishop LeBlond
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City facilities closed in observance of Easter Sunday
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — City of St. Joseph facilities normally open on Sunday’s will be closed in observance of the Easter holiday. With Easter Sunday being on Sunday, April 20, all City offices, the landfill, recycling center, REC center and the Remington Nature Center will be closed. City facilities will resume to normal
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Vision grows for Robidoux Hotel as City Council shows support for $60 million plan
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Local elected officials signaled their approval of a plan to help finance two state-of-the-art hotels and a new conference center on Frederick Avenue, with new designs showing the scale of the proposed facilities. Councilmembers on Monday approved a resolution of intent to issue $60 million in industrial revenue bonds to
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St. Joseph begins renovations to historic Pony Express Monument
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — An iconic symbol of St. Joseph’s history is getting a much-anticipated tune-up today in the form of a brand new statue base. Contractors with Brooner Construction & Crane are on site in Downtown St. Joseph, replacing the 45-ton granite base that holds the bronze Pony Express Rider statue. The
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