Local News

By Harry Loomis Public schools across the nation have struggled with finding substitute teachers, and the St. Joseph School District is no exception. In Tuesday’s finance committee meeting for the SJSD, assistant superintendent Robert Sigrist noted that the costs for substitute teachers are up $330,000 this year. Despite this, the district is still struggling to

By Riley Funk College students from St. Joseph expressed mixed emotions after the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to possibly ban the social media app TikTok. The vote passed in Washington D.C. with 352 in favor and 65 against. Many lawmakers are concerned about the app being a tool for the Chinese Communist

By Marcus Clem Local authorities found a small pipe bomb in the North End of St. Joseph earlier on Wednesday, and determined it did not pose a serious threat to the public, before calling for outside help to make sure. The Kansas City (Missouri) Police Department responded to the 500 Block of Shady Avenue, in

By Riley Funk Residents will have the opportunity to learn about the different aspects of law enforcement through a program put on by the police department and sheriff’s office. The Joint Citizen’s Law Enforcement Academy, which begins April 2, is a nine-week seminar that gives residents a look behind the curtain of day-to-day operations locally.

By Cameron Montemayor Officials and experts with law enforcement, education and health gathered for the first official meeting to discuss long-awaited opioid settlement fund requests from local organizations working to combat the opioid crisis. Representatives on the Opioid Settlement Review Board met for nearly two hours at the St. Joseph Health Department on Monday to

By Jenna Wilson Spring break has started for many, and travel experts say vacationers can expect a busy travel season once again through the month of March. According to AAA, for cruise bookings, there’s a 28% increase for March and April compared to last year and cruises headed toward southern Florida are up 60%. Travel

By Harry Loomis The Parks Department has proposed a $1.2 million project designed to benefit parks and businesses on the river front. In that proposal, $700,000 will be devoted to Heritage Park, and $575,000 will go toward flood prevention efforts. A concrete spillway will be added to reduce the water accumulation in the event of

By Harry Loomis AR Workshop held a Paint and Sip event Saturday afternoon at Felix St. Gourmet’s Room 108. It was the organization’s first such event since 2022. Guests at the event were invited for an afternoon of drinks and wood tray crafting. Options for what to craft included a lazy susan, a tray with

By Chris Fortune A 40-year-old St. Joseph man was killed in an apparent stabbing on Saturday. St. Joseph Police Department Capt. Jeff Wilson said police responded to 2201 S. Eighth St. around 12:50 a.m. Saturday and found Aaron B. Osborn with an apparent stab wound to the abdomen area. Osborn was transported by EMS to

By Kyle Schmidt A second chance is never guaranteed, but a Family Guidance Center employee equipped with Narcan was able to offer one to a man who had overdosed near her work. Miranda Humbert, case manager at the Family Guidance Center, was leaving work one night when she noticed somebody on the ground. “Somebody walking

By Harry Loomis As the St. Joseph Police Department continues to investigate the stolen statue at Corby Park, an anonymous resident has provided an extra incentive to those with information to provide. A $1,000 reward has been offered to anyone who can provide information that leads to an arrest. “It’s not something that happens often

By Jazmine Knight Britt Reid, son of the Chiefs head coach, was recently released from prison after his sentence was commuted by Gov. Mike Parson. Gov. Mike Parson recently commuted the sentence of the son of the Chiefs head coach who seriously injured a young girl in a drunken driving crash, and his decision has

By Harry Loomis The annual Conference on Applied Learning in Higher Education kicked off Thursday at Missouri Western State University, where students and representatives from other universities gathered to share research and network with one another. For students, the opportunity to interact with a professor or mentor they would otherwise never meet is unique, as there

By Kyle Schmidt March 6 marks Black Balloon Day across the world, a day for people to remember loved ones who have died due to drug overdoses or other substance-related harm. “It is important for those families to recognize those that have been lost as well as bringing light into the recovery community for resources

By Riley Funk Civic Arena has seen various improvements over the past few years, but even minor upgrades, like the latest approved projects, can make a difference when it comes to meeting standards for events. The St. Joseph City Council approved Monday $9,785 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to help purchase 60 team chairs

By Harry Loomis Blending new amenities with a historical feel is the aim of a project to upgrade Krug Park. Headlining the $9 million in work planned to begin late this spring are improvements to the amphitheater and castle. Stone walls also will be restored and amenities including the shelters and restrooms will be refurbished.

By Chris Fortune An apartment complex plagued with issues in recent years has new owners and management, which is giving the city hope that it will see improvements. Brittany Village has been under new ownership for around two months, and city officials met with the new management group, Friedman Communities, a few weeks ago. The

By Harry Loomis Second Harvest Community Food Bank is getting the ball rolling on its facility expansion, with a groundbreaking ceremony planned later this month. The organization is preparing to add an 11,500-square-foot cold storage, high dock and agency loading expansion to its longtime location on Douglas Street. The groundbreaking ceremony is set for March

By Riley Funk Rosecrans Memorial Airport has the funding in place to move into the next phase of upgrades thanks to city council approval Monday night. City council officials unanimously approved Bill No. 713-22, which grants $19.7 million for the Rosecrans Memorial Airport Aviation Complex project, which includes a new air traffic control tower and

By Riley Funk A captain for the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office is looking to use his vast experience in the area in a new endeavor as he runs for the spot of Holt County sheriff. Capt. Tiger Parsons is no stranger to the Holt County area. As a current resident, his intention is to return

By Cameron Montemayor The first round of more than $2 million in opioid settlement funding is one step closer to going to local organizations working to combat the crisis in St. Joseph and Buchanan County. The St. Joseph Health Department received 10 applications for opioid settlement funding requests. The six-week window closed on Feb. 29

By Chris Fortune A local man’s goal of starting a flight school is beginning to take off, with a new home expected to land at Rosecrans Memorial Airport next month. Lute Atieh became interested in flying more than 10 years ago when he had to drive to Jefferson City once a month for his job.

By Harry Loomis Saturday afternoon, the northwest Missouri regional spelling bee took place at emPowerU. Twenty-six students in the area participated in Saturday’s competition, with the winner advancing to the national competition on Memorial Day weekend. While some success can be based on luck of the draw, typically the district is well-represented at the national

By Riley Funk An upcoming 5K will give community members the chance to enjoy the spring weather while giving back to a local after-school program. The Outlaw Adventure Run will take place for the eighth time at the start of April. The 5K run, which benefits the YWCA Grit Center, provides participants with many challenges

By Harry Loomis The Missouri Department of Transportation will start resurfacing three busy roads in the St. Joseph area next week. Work will take place at Pear Street from Belt Highway to 22nd Street, on South Route 59 from U.S. 71 to Country Club Road and on Route 752 from 22nd Street to Route 59.

By Harry Loomis The Allied Arts Council kicked off its Arts Fund Campaign on Thursday, hoping to raise $300,000 for arts programming and activities in St. Joseph. The 42nd year of the campaign kicked off with a party at the Trail Theatre. This year’s theme is “Leap Into an Art-Venture.” “We try to take the

By Harry Loomis As March quickly approaches, postseason college basketball is right around the corner, and anticipation is building for the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Elite Eight at Civic Arena. The tournament plays March 25, 27 and 29 at the Civic Arena. After a successful tournament this past year, the St. Joseph Sports Commission

By Cameron Montemayor New mountain biking tracks and improvements to a popular local softball complex could be on the horizon as part of $1.2 million worth of proposed projects discussed at City Hall on Monday. St. Joseph Assistant Parks Director Jeff Atkins led a presentation with council members and city leaders during a work session