Local News

By Chris Fortune It’s not a result of dredging, but Lake Contrary is filling with water again. Buchanan County Commissioner Ron Hook and a couple of workers cleared 34 relief wells last week at Lake Contrary with a mini excavator as water levels in the Missouri River continued to rise. “If you go down now,

By Ashley Luthans July is National Parks and Recreation Month, and the city is celebrating the parks facilities of St. Joseph. St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities is planning several events throughout the month of July to bring people out to the parks facilities, including free and discounted activities at the St. Joseph REC

By Cameron Montemayor Four of St. Joseph’s historic neighborhoods will see new beautification projects after getting a boost from local grants. St. Joseph City Council gave the green light at its last meeting for four $20,000 grants as part of the city’s Urban Homestead rehabilitation program. The American Rescue Plan Act-funded program offers reimbursement grants

By Leah Rainwater As people prepare for America’s 248th birthday, fireworks are a must-have to celebrate Independence Day.  When asked what their favorite fireworks were, some shoppers and employees at Kovac’s Firework Stand were excited to share their love for sparklers, smoke bombs, bottle rockets and more. Callie Farrell, a manager at Kovac’s, said she enjoys

By NewsPress Now Lt. Daniel Zeigler, the Savannah police officer in charge of K-9 officer Horus, who died last month, has been put on paid administrative leave until the investigation is complete, according to a press release from the city of Savannah. The city council made the decision after going into a closed session during its

By Leah Rainwater When people think of safety on the Fourth of July, they’re probably not thinking about what’s happening on their grill. For years, especially during the summer, the American Medical Association has warned anyone who uses a wire bristle brush to use caution. A wire-bristled brush can cause an array of health and

By Ashley Luthans Whether residents celebrate Independence Day with a barbecue or a baseball game, fireworks displays will light up the sky in several spots around St. Joseph on Thursday. The City of St. Joseph will host a fireworks show in the North Shoppes at 9:30 p.m. on July 4. The fireworks are set to

By Kyle Schmidt Water levels in the Missouri River are creeping toward the moderate flood stage, and officials are keeping their eyes open for any risk the river can have to the land above. “There are a couple of areas that we want to watch out for,” said Bill Lamar, emergency manager. “Obviously we’re going

By NewsPress Now A former Maysville police chief is suing the city over his termination in a lawsuit filed on June 14. The complaint, filed by James Baker and his attorney in DeKalb County, names the mayor, city council members and the city clerk as defendants. It alleges that the city council did not follow

By Chris Fortune Members of the Maryville community honored an infant who was found dead at Mozingo Lake as the investigation into the case continues. The city of Maryville organized a graveside memorial service for the baby boy Thursday at Oak Hill Cemetery, where a crowd gathered and silently listened as a local pastor shared

By Chris Fortune As the Mustangs find success on the diamond, they are also covering their bases by helping kids in the community develop their reading skills. St. Joseph Reads partnered with the team for the Mustangs Neighborhood Hit, Read, and Eat program for a day of learning and fun. Players read baseball-themed books to

By Ashley Luthans St. Joseph Museums hosted a book launch and signing with the authors on Tuesday. “St. Joseph State Hospital — 150 Years” dives into the history of the hospital in St. Joseph from 1874 to now. Authors of the book, Scott Clark and Michelle “Shelly” Haynes, were present at the museum location at

By Kyle Schmidt St. Joseph will be the backdrop of a new comedy movie, which began filming this week. The movie, titled “25 Miles to Normal,” was written and directed by Josh Brandon. It was described as a family/comedy by Christian Mengel, director of communications at the Convention and Visitors Bureau “So far I only

By Chris Fortune Public officials are declining to comment as an investigation into the death of Savannah K-9 officer Horus continues. The K-9 died Thursday after completing an overnight shift in Savannah, according to a press release from the Savannah Police Department. Media outlets have reported that K-9 Horus died after being left in a

By Cameron Montemayor A popular St. Joseph fishing and walking destination on the Northwest Parkway could receive a new amenity following approval from city council to move forward. At Monday’s meeting, council members authorized the filing of a $100,000 grant with the Missouri Department of Conservation for the purchase and installation of a new educational/recreational

By Ashley Luthans The Savannah Police Department declined to offer a statement Monday after it was announced this weekend that K-9 officer Horus had died. Neither the police nor Andrew County prosecutor Monica Morrey would comment on the circumstances surrounding Horus’ death. Savannah Police Chief David Vincent said no other details will be released until

By Kyle Schmidt A Missouri woman who has been in jail for more than 40 years for a St. Joseph murder could be free in less than a month, depending on the Buchanan County prosecuting attorney’s next steps. Livingston County Presiding Judge Ryan Horsman overturned a ruling in the 1980 murder case that originally found

By Charles Christian The Missouri Department of Transportation can provide child safety seats free of charge upon referral from local nonprofit agencies. Through a federal grant, MoDOT will provide suitable and safe car seats that meet the safety standards for the height and weight of the child when needed. Agencies like Community Action Partnership, Catholic

By Kyle Schmidt The adventure began at Camp Courage on Thursday as campers filed in for a weekend full of fun activities. Camp Courage is a summer camp for adults with special needs. Co-director of Camp Courage, Britton Fields, talked about the activities going on throughout the weekend. “We come every year just to have

By Cameron Montemayor Long-range transportation improvement plans for St. Joseph and surrounding areas received the green light Thursday at City Hall. A committee meeting of the St. Joseph Area Transportation Study Organization saw officials unanimously approve the newest Transportation Improvement Plan, a priority list of projects to be carried out over the next four years.

By Ashley Luthans The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art began its first summer camp session this week. The summer camp is designed for children ages 6-12 and helps them to create, explore and appreciate art. Belinda Burgiss-Hall is an art teacher at the camp, and she explained that she loves helping the children get more into

By Leah Rainwater A $3,500 grant was given to St. Joseph Museums to help fund their free programming initiative with the St. Joseph School District at the early childhood learning centers. Walmart North Belt contributed $1,000 and Walmart South Belt contributed $2,500. For the past year, St. Joseph Museums has been providing hands-on, in-person programs

By NewsPress Now Motorists using the Cook Road Bridge will need to find a new route for the foreseeable future with significant road work scheduled to begin Thursday. Cook Road from 38th Street down east to the driveway entrance of Renovations Church will be closed starting Thursday, part of a large bridge rehabilitation project that

By Chris Fortune Residents seeking relief from the summer heat may have some help on the way. Evergy and the Salvation Army teamed up to distribute box fans in the St. Joseph community. Representatives dropped fans off at the following community agencies in St. Joseph: Grace House, 2638 Lafayette St. AFL-CIO, 1203 N. Sixth St.

By Cameron Montemayor City Hall and Civic Center Park could be in line for renovations in the coming years after city leaders discussed dual-project proposals Monday evening.   City Hall is set to turn 100 years old in 2027. With its centennial on the horizon, city leaders and elected officials gathered for a work session Monday

By Leah Rainwater Hundreds gathered at the Patee House on Monday afternoon for the official kick-off of the annual National Pony Express Association’s Re-Ride. Attendees were able to write commemorative letters, take pictures and pet the horses starting the long trek across the country. “This building was the headquarters for the Pony Express 164 years