Business/Consumer

By Leah Rainwater With different weekend activities and festivals throughout September, Downtown St. Joseph business owners are hoping to see some new traffic. One local shop owner said Downtown hasn’t seen as many customers lately. “I think it’s vacations, school supplies, groceries have gone up and just the cost of living has gone up,” said

By Ashley Luthans A new shop on Frederick Avenue is catering to the chocolate lovers and coffee connoisseurs of St. Joseph. Chocolat, located at 1207 Frederick Ave., specializes in coffee, pastries and, of course, chocolate. The shop had its soft opening on Saturday, Aug. 17. Chocolat was created by owner of Cafe Belle Epoque, Diana

By Leah Rainwater The school year has officially started in St. Joseph, which means fall will be here in no time, and many people are already bringing out their Halloween decorations. Spirit Halloween opened its doors for its 2024 season in St. Joseph on Saturday, Aug. 17, and some people are already taking the chance

By Ashley Luthans St. Joseph residents will have a place to wash their cars — and their dogs — all while enjoying a cup of coffee in just about two months. Steven McBee, CEO of McBee’s Coffee N Carwash, said the concept for the family-owned business was brought up in 2020. The family opened their

By Ashley Luthans Elanco, an animal pharmaceutical company, will invest $130 million to expand its Elwood, Kansas, facility and improve manufacturing capabilities. Elanco officials explained in a press conference Tuesday how the investments will support the company’s innovation efforts and create 70 jobs in the area. Grace McArdle, the executive vice president of manufacturing and

By Leah Rainwater As summer is coming to an end, families around St. Joseph are taking time to indulge in some last-minute fun activities. A few entertainment hot-spots like B&J Skate Center, Cool Crest Garden Golf, Ricky Dean’s and Belt Entertainment have served as a few fun places to go around St. Joseph during the summer.

By Ashley Luthans A fire broke out at a local dry cleaning business this weekend, but due to hard work and help from a Kansas City store, it has been able to remain open. Owner of East Hills Cleaners Tonya McCrea said that she was notified around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday morning that there was

By Ashley Luthans Demolition has begun on the former St. Joseph Applebee’s, which quickly and quietly closed just a few weeks ago. But the property’s owner is already thinking of something new to go in its place. The restaurant, located at 4004 Frederick Ave., was originally listed as “temporarily closed” near the end of July,

By Cameron Montemayor With construction well underway at the Frederick Avenue location for St. Joseph’s first QuikTrip, the popular store’s anticipated opening date is slowly coming into focus. A QuikTrip official confirmed that the 5,300-square-foot store is expected to open in late January 2025, narrowing down a previous time frame eyed for early next year.

By Jenna Wilson Albaugh LLC hosted its 45th Anniversary and Sky Bridge Dedication Ceremony to celebrate the success of the company and the newly added mural overlooking the expressway. Owner Dennis Albaugh founded the private company in 1979 and purchased the St. Joseph property in 1992. It has since become the largest American-based manufacturer and

By Chris Fortune The smell of jasmine and lavender wafts through 1201 Frederick Ave. It’s owner Karyn Morrow’s White No. 3 candle burning on the counter at Clean Alchemy, which opened its doors Friday morning. “We’re a nontoxic home fragrance company, so things like phthalates and parabens, gross chemical compounds won’t be found in any

By Jazmine Knight Fans of Mexican food on the South Side can rejoice, as a new street taco spot is open for business on King Hill Avenue. Los Arcos Street Tacos, located at 6944 King Hill Ave., celebrated its grand opening Wednesday after seven months of preparation. Owner Maribel Sanchez said she’s excited to bring

By NewsPress Now Summit Truck Bodies has started constructing a new $50 million facility in Wathena, Kansas. The expansion aims to meet rising demand for service trucks and expand production capabilities, officials with the company said. The new building will be next to the company’s current facility in Wathena and is expected to be completed

By Ashley Luthans While many in St. Joseph are dreading the excessive summer heat, some businesses are actually thriving amid the high temperatures. St. Joseph is full of places to grab a cold sweet treat in order to beat the heat, including chains like Sonic and Dairy Queen or local spots like Kris and Kate’s.

By Cameron Montemayor Emotions ran high at City Hall on Monday as concerned residents voiced their opposition to a proposed Evergy utility rate increase eyed for 2025.  Evergy is requesting an increase to base rates for Evergy Missouri West customers by about 13.42%, which equates to a roughly $17 a month increase, or $204 annually.

By NewsPress Now Interlock Steel Structures has announced an expansion in St. Joseph that will invest $773,000 and create new jobs. The company’s facility will be expanded to “increase productivity while enhancing quality and innovation” according to a press release from the company. The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development team, along with the

By Kirsten Stokes In the wake of extended travel disruptions from last week’s CrowdStrike failure, many spent more time inside airports than expected and in some cases were left without luggage due to delays. With situations like these generally coming without warning, it’s key to have certain items on hand to make travel bumps smoother.

By Kendra Simpson Big Lots has announced it will be closing between 35 to 40 of its locations this year, including St. Joseph’s. The St. Joseph Big Lots, located at 1417 N Belt Highway, will be closed by September or when they run out of products. The company claims the closings are due to inflation

By NewsPress Now The Applebee’s restaurant in St. Joseph is currently closed, although it’s unknown for how long. The business’ website says the store, which is located at 4004 Frederick Boulevard, is “temporarily closed.” News-Press NOW has reached out to the manager for comment, and we will follow up as more information becomes available.

By Charles Christian Coffee drinkers have plenty of options in St. Joseph, leaving local shops to set themselves apart by emphasizing quality and community. Because St. Joseph boasts several large national brand coffee establishments, locally owned shops have to rely on more than just name recognition to attract customers. Heather Mitchell, owner of Hazel’s Coffee,

By Cameron Montemayor From St. Joseph to Kansas City and across the globe, widespread disruptions from significant IT outages impacted everything from airlines and public transit to businesses and emergency services. The disruptions were the result of a failed software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike and its compatibility with computer systems that use the popular

By Leah Rainwater A longtime café employee is looking forward to the future after recently taking over the reins of 7th Street Café in Downtown, St. Joseph. New owner Brennon Calvin has been working at the café for four years and says owning a restaurant has always been one of his goals. “I’ve always been

By Charles Christian As revitalization efforts continue in St. Joseph, a storefront on the South Side is trying to do its part. Adam Marriott recently purchased the storefront on South 22nd Street across from Dollar General. At first, he leased the space for his Time Out event and activity business. However, he ended up purchasing

By Ashley Luthans In today’s financial climate, the idea of retirement may seem out of reach to many working-class Americans. Many members of Generation X are getting ready to retire, yet they don’t know if they will be able to comfortably support themselves without a job. According to Northwest Mutual’s 2024 Planning and Progress study,

By Leah Rainwater Reed Chevrolet held its official opening ceremony on Monday morning, and the rain didn’t stop the community from celebrating the growth happening in St. Joseph. “If you haven’t had a chance to come out to the new Reed Chevrolet, it’s absolutely beautiful,” said Natalie Hawn, president and CEO of the St. Joseph

By Leah Rainwater Frederick Avenue may look a little emptier without one familiar dealership. Reed Automotive Group relocated its Chevrolet dealership from Frederick Avenue to Commonwealth Court, 4525 Commons Drive, about three weeks ago. One of Reed’s owners, Trevin Reed, said it all has to do with better serving the St. Joseph area. “The building

By Leah Rainwater Employers and job seekers alike had a chance to connect with each other and explore available employment resources on Wednesday. The Missouri Job Center hosted an open house event at its 2202 Frederick Ave. location. Not only did the center cater to those seeking employment opportunities, benefits and resources, but it also

By Leah Rainwater Dick’s Bait and Tackle in St. Joseph has had a rocky year, but its owner is still giving his all to his business even after facing hardships. “Ohhhhh man, it’s … it’s been rough you know, with all of the adversity we’ve been through in the past year and, you know the

By Chris Fortune Fireworks fanatics can rejoice, as retail sales in Missouri are set to begin Thursday. The sale of fireworks at seasonal retailers is permitted from June 20 to July 10 in Missouri, but the job continues year-round for local shop owners. “We have everything ordered here in the next couple of months for

By Charles Christian Although the funeral industry has seen costs rise due to inflation, local experts and residents are recommending ways to reduce costs for final arrangements. Todd Meierhoffer of Meierhoffer Funeral Home and Crematory said that even though the death of a loved one can be emotionally devastating, there are ways to ease the