November 22, 2009
Ahmad Safi - Public Safety Reporter
Breadeaux opening Italian cafe
Friday, Nov. 13, 2009
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009
New owners envision lofts
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009
Water rate increase would fund upgrades
Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009
Friday, Nov. 6, 2009
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009
Monday, Nov. 2, 2009
Monday, Nov. 2, 2009
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009
Friday, Oct. 30, 2009
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009
St. Joseph’s economic health improving
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009
Friday, Oct. 23, 2009
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009
Monday, Oct. 12, 2009
Recession spurs local entrepreneurship
Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009
Friday, Oct. 2, 2009
Friday, Oct. 2, 2009
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009
Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009
Car sales thrown into reverse
Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009
Monday, Sept. 21, 2009
Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009
Friday, Sept. 4, 2009
Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009
Friday, Aug. 28, 2009
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009
Shooting victim found dead at Belt and Gene Field
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009
Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009
Friday, Aug. 21, 2009
Friday, Aug. 21, 2009
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009
Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009
Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009
Smokers burned up over ‘fire safe’ cigs
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
Friday, Nov. 13, 2009
Breadeaux Pizza fans can expect a crisper crust on its new stone-baked pizza as the chain re-brands its local operation into an Italian café.
$50M pork buyThursday, Nov. 12, 2009
The U.S. government will buy $50 million worth of pork for federal food programs that will help struggling hog producers, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday in St. Joseph.
New owners envision lofts
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009
Sitting in a roach-filled and disheveled apartment, Ray Melton, a 38-year-old man who says he previously worked as a drug dealer and pimp in California, is in the way of market forces.
The historic Robidoux Apartments is getting another face-lift — this time as a loft building to attract yuppies to Downtown St. Joseph.
Low-income residents like Mr. Melton are finding that their leases aren’t being extended and eviction hearings are speeding up.
Water rate increase would fund upgrades
Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009
St. Joseph residents may need to brace for another double-digit increase in their water rates — one that the water company says it needs desperately to upgrade its aging infrastructure.
The 28 percent increase would add $100 to the annual water cost of the average single-family homeowner in St. Joseph and give Missouri American Water’s local operations millions more in revenue each year.
The utility cites roughly $2.6 million in improvement projects in the past year and scheduled for the next six months that it must recoup with its latest water hike:
Friday, Nov. 6, 2009
The Internal Revenue Service is looking for 27 local taxpayers, and it’s to tell them some good news.
In Buchanan County, the IRS has been unable to deliver refund checks to 27 taxpayers, totaling $29,026, for an average refund of $1,075. Another 32 taxpayers in other counties in Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas are being sought by the IRS.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009
Folding carton manufacturer St. Joseph Packaging has been acquired by a New York-based packaging company. Several local employees were laid off.
Three Halloween offenders released without chargeMonday, Nov. 2, 2009
Two sex offenders arrested on Halloween night for violating a law that requires them to stay home were released on Sunday without charge. A third sex offender also was released without charge.
Remington Nature Center celebrates first birthdayMonday, Nov. 2, 2009
Among the museums in St. Joseph that tout its architectural and industrial history, a small building settled on the banks of the Missouri River has helped generations get in touch with nature.
Chick-fil-A announces opening dateSunday, Nov. 1, 2009
Chick-fil-A, the nation’s second-largest chicken restaurant chain, plans to open a restaurant at The Shoppes at North Village in July.
Tapping the Hispanic consumer marketSunday, Nov. 1, 2009
When the cupboards are bare and Armando Garza feels the munchies, he is not going to the closest grocery store or Wal-Mart. He walks to the local “tiendita” or small store.
Water company seeks 28 percent rate increaseSaturday, Oct. 31, 2009
The Missouri American Water Co. filed a request to raise rates on Friday. The typical St. Joseph residential customer would pay an additional $8.38 a month if the application is approved by the Missouri Public Service Commission. Missouri American Water said it needs the increase to contend with higher operating costs and investments in infrastructure upgrades.
Commons to unveil 2 eateries in MarchFriday, Oct. 30, 2009
Two new restaurants will open in The Commons shopping development in March — King Kong Fast Food and Mr. Goodcents Subs & Pastas.
Gas prices surge in St. JosephWednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
Retail gas prices in St. Joseph rose 15 cents in the past week, the biggest jump in more than a year, raising fears that consumers could curtail holiday spending just as the recession eases. The average retail price for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.54 per gallon on Tuesday, passing the peak summertime level of $2.51 per gallon, according to AAA Missouri. The auto club bases its survey on credit card transactions at gas stations. “This is an anomaly,” said Mike Right, a spokesman with AAA Missouri. “Going forward for the rest of this year, we’re likely to be paying higher prices for gasoline than what we paid last year."
Eastowne’s first tenant: KCP<uesday, Oct. 27, 2009
Bucolic countryside has been transformed into “shovel-ready” business sites in St. Joseph’s new Eastowne Business Park.
As the recession eases, the plan is to attract companies wanting to expand or relocate. For months, its first tenant has been tearing up ground and laying infrastructure near the intersection of Pickett and Riverside roads.
Kansas City Power & Light announced Monday that it intends to buy about 23 acres in the sprawling 350-acre business park. Its future substation will meet electric demand as industry and suburbs push east.
St. Joseph’s economic health improving
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009
Jobs are still being shed — but the local economy may finally begin emerging from the cellar. St. Joseph is one of six cities in Missouri and 79 cities in the nation that went from “recession” to “recovery” mode in August, according to the most recent analysis by Moody’s Economy.com.
Patriotic farmer’s life ends at 83Friday, Oct. 23, 2009
Elbert Dixon was a successful farmer who encouraged young men to stay away from farming. There are so many other ways to make a living.
Workplace bias complaints on riseThursday, Oct. 22, 2009
Women alleging sexual harassment or general discrimination practices in the workplace predominated Carol Barnett’s caseload when she began her labor law practice in St. Joseph about 15 years. Today, the trend has shifted.
Disability discrimination charges are leading other workplace complaints in her practice that covers Northwest Missouri. In other parts of Missouri and the nation, increased diversity in the work force has created higher race, religion and national original claims.
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009
Nearly 1,100 newspapers in smaller suburban and rural communities have partnered in a Web site that offers Sunday print circulars, coupons and business promotions for the towns they serve.
Zip2Save.com is considered both an offensive and defensive move by an industry of community newspapers and niche publications that face declining print and digital ad revenue as they struggle with falling circulation. The site was launched Oct. 1 by a group of 19 community newspaper companies and the Suburban Newspapers of America, a trade organization.
NPG Newspapers Inc., which publishes 16 community newspapers in Missouri and Kansas including the News-Press, is an owner in Zip2Save.
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009
An antiques mall with more than 50 vendors has opened on the Belt Highway — containing a mix of crafts, vintage and antique items.
Economy creates new landlordsThursday, Oct. 15, 2009
Homeowner David Lau faced two less-than-ideal choices this summer: either put his home on the market and risk a $10,000 to $15,000 equity hit, or become a landlord.
Today, there is a “For Rent” sign on the front lawn of his three-bedroom, California-style home. In a sluggish market, he’s part of a trend of homeowners-turned-landlords awaiting a rebound of home prices.
“Just about every way you look, you see ‘For Sale’ signs,” said Mr. Lau, who faces the prospect of acquiring another home soon through marriage. “I just think it’s a wiser opportunity for me to keep the house as an investment property.”
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009
Terrible’s St. Jo Frontier Casino took in nearly $3.1 million in September, up 5 percent from a year ago, as its revenues rebounded from a rare drop in August.
Local call center expands, add jobsMonday, Oct. 12, 2009
A beep in Virgina Marshall’s headset abruptly ends a conversation with a co-worker in mid-sentence, and a screen pops up on her computer monitor. She leans into her workstation. This Tuesday morning, she is taking calls from food stamp recipients in Missouri and Alabama. Many have problems using their debit cards, including a man in St. Louis who is inquiring why a welfare card he had reported missing isn’t working. Others call to pre-order Christmas cards. Ms. Marshall reads a script on her computer monitor that opens with the politically correct, yet unseasonable “Happy Holidays” greeting.
Recession spurs local entrepreneurship
Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009
At the end of his unemployment benefits, 27-year-old Eric Clark took $4,000 out of his savings and opened an auto service shop. It was a dream fulfilled.
But the current economic climate has been particularly harsh on Main Street. Since he opened his small business this summer, there have been several days when not a single customer has walked into his garage.
“The economy sucks. It’s not the best time to do this at all,” Mr. Clark said Thursday at his business, The Garage. “But there are a lot of people trying this stuff. Like ma and pop shops popping back up, probably for the same reason as me: It’s hard to find a job.”
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009
General Motors hasn’t responded to personal pleas or a 5,200-signature community petition. Official inquiries from Capitol Hill haven’t borne fruit either. Now, a national dealership group is negotiating on their behalf.
East Hills mall manager focused on growthSaturday, Oct. 3, 2009
Young and bubbly, Ashley Albers walks through a shopping center that she describes with soft words. There is a clean, modern feeling about this mall.
There are specialty ceramics, real wood veneers, some high-end finishes. Natural light drenches the mall in sunshine on brilliant fall shopping days and causes delicate shadows to fall on real bamboo floors. No laminate flooring here.
Ms. Albers has come from Southern California to manage East Hills Shopping Center on the tail end of its $131 million makeover.
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009
Encountering a language barrier during a medical emergency can be a daunting ordeal. A new company aims to address that in St. Joseph.
School bus drivers eye unionFriday, Oct. 2, 2009
School bus drivers in St. Joseph will decide today whether to unionize their work force.
Food court gets new tenantsFriday, Oct. 2, 2009
A new restaurant is opening at East Hills Shopping Center’s new food court, and another restaurant is relocating to the food court.
Businesses urged to prepare for swine fluTuesday, Sept. 29, 2009
Many local businesses risk severe operational problems if they don’t adequately prepare for a possible widespread H1N1 outbreak.
Low-ball offers increase in buyer's marketSaturday, Sept. 26, 2009
Low-ball. In a soft real estate market that continues to favor the buyer, a low-ball offer on the table can give you a steal on a home.
But not in St. Joseph, real estate agents say.
Car sales thrown into reverse
Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009
The frenzy of new-car shoppers has wilted with the end of the government’s cash-for-clunkers program, and most area dealerships that sell foreign-made vehicles are nostalgic for the good ol’ days of July and August.
“My lots are just bare right now. Everything we had we literally just about sold out,” said Mike Williams, general manager at Rolling Hills Auto Plaza, which sells Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Scion vehicles. He watched Tuesday as the last of 147 mostly domestic vans, trucks and sport-utility vehicles were towed away.
Monday, Sept. 21, 2009
Christina Burns can afford her children’s back-to-school clothing, meals and basic needs. It’s after-school activities, such as karate and gymnastics classes, that she can’t pay for.
Her ex-husband is ordered to pay $891 per month to support their 8-year-old and 9-year-old children. He hasn’t been paying regularly and has a warrant out for his arrest. Ms. Burns says he owes her more than $21,000.
After their divorce in 2004, she struggled while waiting tables at a restaurant and a casino. Ms. Burns recently got an associate degree in nursing, and hopes her financial worries will begin to slacken.
Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009
Using nearly 2 tons of sugar per season, Roxann Shook expects to withstand the global increase in sugar prices this year. She has a contract that allows her to buy sugar at last year’s price.
Should health insurance be mandatory?Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009
Nearly 5 percent of patients to St. Joseph’s free clinic are eligible for health insurance through their employer but choose to opt out so their paycheck is bigger.
Clinic staff intently look for these violators and, when caught, urge them to sign up for a medical plan through their employer. Only the uninsured poor are eligible for free health care at the Social Welfare Board.
But under a new proposal, the government could fine such violators up to $3,800 for failing to buy health insurance, essentially requiring that everyone have medical coverage, much like car insurance.
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009
A $25,000 state tourism grant is helping create regional buzz around St. Joseph as the new training camp for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The live spots on the Chiefs Radio Network are aimed at changing perceptions about St. Joseph and creating the city as a fan destination ahead of the Chiefs’ training camp opening next summer.
The 15- and 30-second spots have aired during the Chiefs’ four preseason games and will continue on 14 other Chiefs games when the regular season opens Sept. 13.
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009
Eight-year-old Chloe Hubbard shrieked Monday as she caught a glimpse of her father waving from a military bus. Other eager families stood beside her jumping up and down, waving banners and snapping pictures as the bus passed on the runway.
The bus stopped at the mess hall. Ryan Hubbard, a 28-year old crew chief, rounded a corner and saw Chloe and other family members.
“I missed you, Daddy. Are we going to swim when we get home?” Chloe asked, hugging her father.
Friday, Sept. 4, 2009
When Tammy Sakaguchi took her 89-year-old father to a veteran’s home in Cameron, Mo., earlier this year, she learned about his quiet past through government discharge papers.
Hotel inspectors won't let bedbugs biteTuesday, Sept. 1, 2009
Housekeeper Denise Cannon pulls out a crease in a bed, tidies up the nightstand and places fresh linens in a guest bathroom at Stony Creek Inn. It’s a common, ritualistic cleaning that goes on daily at St. Joseph’s 11 hotels and motels. But city lodging inspectors later come in looking for more. During surprise annual visits since 2008, health inspectors have ordered mattresses be destroyed due to bedbugs, found mildew growing in guest bathrooms and discovered emergency lighting not functioning, a News-Press review found.
The couple that marries together ...Friday, Aug. 28, 2009
Alena Eighmy thought a lot about the friendly maintenance man at the hotel. She wondered whether a man could actually be that nice, or whether the workplace rumor was true.
Local business owner found shot to deathWednesday, Aug. 26, 2009
A quick-lube service owner was found shot to death outside his business Tuesday morning, and police and family are unsure exactly why.
The body of Larry Norris, 64, was found shortly before 7 a.m. by a trash hauler in the parking lot behind Valvoline Express Care, 3419 Gene Field Road. His black SUV was parked just feet from his body. St. Joseph police said he suffered a single gunshot wound to the torso.
They do not have any motive or suspects in the slain businessman’s death — the first homicide in St. Joseph this year. Police are asking anyone who may have been in the Belt Highway-Gene Field Road area about 6 a.m. to contact them.
Shooting victim found dead at Belt and Gene Field
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009
St. Joseph Police are investigating a dead body found in a parking at a business at the intersection of the Belt Highway and Gene Field Road.
St. Joe comes to CraigslistSaturday, Aug. 22, 2009
A 1986 Dodge convertible in St. Joseph. A kid-broke palomino horse in Osborn, Mo. An area risqué photographer who needs a make-up artist.
All are available on Craigslist, the free online alternative to traditional classified advertisements that on Thursday gave St. Joseph its own Web page.
Friday, Aug. 21, 2009
The housing push continues east. Streets, cul-de-sacs and a home have been built — a mere skeleton of the sprawling 195-acre Greystone housing subdivision that will be completed within a decade.
On Thursday, developers and builders in the northeast St. Joseph development held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to announce the sale of its inaugural home. The first family moves in next month.
Greystone has been on a two-year journey involving voluntary annexation by the city of St. Joseph and $4.8 million tax-increment financing to build the large housing development, with homes ranging from $180,000 to perhaps $1 million.
Friday, Aug. 21, 2009
Artesian Ice & Cold Storage Co., a public cold storage warehouse that also packages bagged ice in St. Joseph, announced Thursday it has sold its local operations to an Iowa-based company.
Opt for efficiencyThursday, Aug. 20, 2009
When Todd Meierhoffer moved into his new home in March, he knew the old mercury dial thermostats on each floor of the home had to go.
They were inefficient, inaccurate and clunky. Three months later, Kansas City Power & Light happily replaced each. No charge.
In an effort to meet soaring demand for energy, KCP&L has spent the last six months installing “smart” digital thermostats in 650 homes in St. Joseph. In return for the free thermostat, which can save homeowners up to 20 percent on their electric bills, KCP&L gets access.
Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009
As food prices have risen and budgets of recession-ridden consumers have tightened, people have gone to Sack ’N Save, a no-frills discount grocery store in the South Side, where up to 25 percent of goods are salvage, surplus, damaged or expired.
On Thursday afternoon, Mary Miller was one of several discerning shoppers hungry for deep discounts of up to 75 percent. Along the aisles of Sack ’N Save, you’ll find dented cans of tomatoes, crushed cereal boxes and packs of croutons past their “sell-by” dates.
Ms. Miller has shopped there for several years and says she’s slashed her family’s grocery bill. She’s learned which grocery items are OK despite a few cosmetic problems and which items to avoid.
Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009
St. Joseph Animal Control officers laid fingers on a slippery customer Wednesday — a 9-foot python stretched out on a concrete slab along the Missouri River.
Hispanic nightclub to open DowntownWednesday, Aug. 12, 2009
St. Joseph’s first Hispanic nightclub opens in Downtown on Labor Day weekend, and adds an ethnic flavor to the Felix Street experience.
Smokers burned up over ‘fire safe’ cigs
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
Terressa Grier has noticed something strange in her Marlboro Lights. She’s puffing harder to get the full nicotine satisfaction. “I don’t know what’s in them. I thought it’s just me, but then other people are like ‘no, they do have a bad taste,’” said Ms. Grier, a 32-year-old smoker in Gower, Mo., who has smoked since she was 19.
La Dolce Vita closes; restaurant will relocateTuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
La Dolce Vita at 36th Street Restaurant closed Monday with plans to reopen elsewhere in St. Joseph while making way for a new Subway franchise. Twenty-eight employees, many of them full-time, were laid off. The plan to temporarily close and relocate La Dolce Vita — a popular haunt for area meetings and clubs — is one that is heavy-hearted.
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