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Ahmad Safi - Public Safety Reporter

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Local restaurant owner charged with fraud
by Ahmad Safi
Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009

Village Steakhouse & Buffet has been closed for back taxes and its owner arrested on charges he allegedly defrauded the state of 17 months of sales taxes.

Taking a holiday from sales tax
by Ahmad Safi
Friday, Aug. 7, 2009

Don’t worry. There will be no tax man at the cash register this weekend asking you to prove that laptop or iPod is for school.
Anyone can save starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday and continue through Saturday and Sunday during the annual Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. The weekend merchandising promotion saves buyers in St. Joseph from paying 7.7 percent on state, city and county sales tax.
This year’s tax holiday is different — in that it starts later than its usual July date and faces tight-fisted consumers who are learning to save money and stick to a budget.

Jemos has soles for little souls
by Ahmad Safi
Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009

Attention, moms who want comfortable footwear for babies.

Taking a caulk gun to poverty
by Ahmad Safi
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009

About half a million in mostly federal dollars will be spread throughout Northwest Missouri to make homes of low-income residents less drafty, state energy officials announced Tuesday.

FDA report highlights issues at TEVA plant
by Ahmad Safi
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009

As a government lawsuit blocks Teva Pharmaceuticals from selling animal drugs, a report on the drugmaker’s main facilities in St. Joseph highlights quality issues. Between February 2009 and April 2009, inspectors from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration visited the Teva Animal Health Inc. plant, 3915 S. 48th Street Terrace.

Help to stay home
by Ahmad Safi
Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009

In 2003, Vincent Garcia, a divorced father, bought a two-bedroom home in Midtown St. Joseph for $47,000. He moved in with his dogs.
Last year, seeing his work hours cut back and needing money to pay recurring medical bills for his diabetes, Mr. Garcia found himself without the money to make his $520 monthly mortgage payment.
He began fielding calls from creditors. He feared the phone. He would catch up on his mortgage and later fall back again.

Health Department readies for possible H1N1 outbreak
by Ahmad Safi
Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009

The potential for an early flu season without a vaccine against an H1N1 virus that may mutate has worried local health officials.

Some rural viewers left in the dark
by Ahmad Safi
Thursday, July 30, 2009

KQTV lost 25 percent of its television viewers in mostly rural areas when it made the switch to digital in June. It expects to get most of them back when it upgrades its tower in September.

KCP&L looking to do it right
by Ahmad Safi
Wednesday, July 29, 2009

To survive, newspapers have realized they can no longer be in the “newspaper business,” but instead must be in the “information business.” Similarly, electric companies have realized they need to be in the “energy business.”

Some trucks go electric
by Ahmad Safi
Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Kansas City Power & Light was one of two utilities that took delivery of electric trucks Tuesday at a ceremony in Washington, hosted by U.S. Sen. Kit Bond.

Chamber seeks to dim Kansas City's luster
by Ahmad Safi
Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The number of high-earning workers with families who work in St. Joseph but live in the Kansas City area is disproportionate compared to similar-sized cities. And the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce is making a concerted effort to get those workers to live, work and play here. On Monday, the chamber launched a promotional magazine that expounds on the vitality of St. Joseph and its neighborhoods. The magazine cites low crime, a quality education system and sporting and shopping proximity in and near St. Joseph.

County gives Lifeline a tax break
by Ahmad Safi
Saturday, July 25, 2009

Buchanan County Commissioners approved the reissue of a $15 million bond Friday that will reduce operating expenses for ethanol producer Lifeline Foods.

Grim data mark June jobless numbers
by Ahmad Safi
Thursday, July 23, 2009

When Buchanan County announced three clerk vacancies at the Courthouse on July 1, Circuit Clerk Mary Beattie expected she would get a good number of applications. But not 600.
As state data revealed that the St. Joseph area unemployment rate had risen in June to its highest level in a quarter-century, a desire for security has taken hold. Human resource directors say they are seeing applicants who want stable work with benefits.

Construction drops sharply
by Ahmad Safi
Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The value of commercial building permits issued by the city of St. Joseph so far this year has dropped by about $70 million, compared to the same period in 2008. City records show that, as of Monday, the city has issued 104 commercial building permits, valued at about $30.6 million this year. That compares to 97 permits issued during the same period in 2008, valued at about $100.8 million. City officials cite last year’s renovation of East Hills Shopping Center, at nearly $63 million, as a major factor in the disparity. However, general contractors and union workers in town say they have been hurt by a recession in which restaurants and stores are showing reluctance to open new locations, and some big companies are holding off on major renovations and expansions.

More layoffs at Harley-Davidson
by Ahmad Safi
Friday, July 17, 2009

Harley-Davidson Inc. announced Thursday it will lay off 400 workers at its Kansas City plant and drastically scale back production in 2009.
The news sent a ripple to St. Joseph, from where 150 workers travel to well-paying jobs at the North Kansas City plant.
Harley is in a tough economic rumble, as recession-ridden consumers cut discretionary spending on its high-end motorcycles. It announced its plans Thursday for another round of layoffs after reporting a 91 percent drop in second-quarter profits.

Victoria's Secret leaves mall deal
by Ahmad Safi
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Victoria’s Secret, the first store to signal its intent to join in on the massive face-lift at East Hills Shopping Center, has pulled out of the deal, citing a need to be strategic about where it opens new stores. The news ends months of speculation following major completion of a $131 million mall renovation in April. Local leaders gave East Hills more than $46 million in public fund titles to create a mix of retail stores to offer a fresh shopping experience. Victoria’s Secret, an upscale women’s lingerie shop, had been the first to announce it would be a tenant in the new mall.

County aims tax breaks at Lifeline Foods
by Ahmad Safi
Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Buchanan County has guaranteed $25 million in bonds in order to provide tax breaks on equipment for St. Joseph’s first ethanol plant, Lifeline Foods.

River recovery brings hope for barge traffic
by Ahmad Safi
Sunday, July 12, 2009

Unpredictable and low water flow levels that have impeded barge traffic on the Missouri River for nearly a decade are leveling, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said last week.
That has reinvigorated prospects that freight operators will return to higher river waters since they won’t scuff the bottom of their barges. The St. Joseph Regional Port Authority has not had a barge dock at its port in nearly two years.
“Hopefully, we continue to have adequate rainfall in the north, which would mean consistent navigation on the Missouri River,” said Brad Lau of the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce, which works alongside the port authority.

U.S. Oil owner to open restaurant, laundromat
by Ahmad Safi
Friday, July 10, 2009

Defying some of his fellow businessmen in St. Joseph, a gas station owner will open a takeout fried-food restaurant in Midtown on Saturday and has plans to open a laundromat later this summer.

New county inspector takes on variety of tasks
by Ahmad Safi
Saturday, July 4, 2009

Animal control, sewer inspections, surprise visits to food establishments — on Wednesday it fell to one man.
Buchanan County ended a long-standing contract with the city of St. Joseph to care for health safety issues of residents living outside city limits. County commissioners hope the split will eventually save the county money and improve county oversight.
But the consolidation of services has come with several changes and hurdles.

Commissioner questions inspection
by Ahmad Safi
Saturday, July 4, 2009

One main goal Buchanan County commissioners have for their new inspector is to build better rapport and offer food safety classes to restaurant owners.

Jobless rate up nearly 1%
by Ahmad Safi
Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The total number of people without a job in St. Joseph returned to the 8 percent mark in May after dipping the month prior for the first time in 2009, the government said Tuesday.

Captain D’s closes on Belt
by Ahmad Safi
Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The Captain D’s Seafood franchise ended in St. Joseph with the closing Friday of the restaurant at 2709 N. Belt Highway. The restaurant is expected to reopen under a new brand and new owner.

First Ward House to reopen
by Ahmad Safi
Saturday, June 27, 2009

First Ward House, a storied saloon/restaurant on St. Joseph Avenue that attracted increasingly younger crowds until it closed earlier this year, has been bought by a local ethnic restaurateur.

Contractor chosen for Chiefs’ training facility
by Ahmad Safi
Friday, June 26, 2009

Missouri Western State University officials formally chose Kansas-based Crossland Construction Co. Thursday as the general contractor for the new Kansas City Chiefs’ summer training camp facility.

Union leaders concerned over Chiefs bid
by Ahmad Safi
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Union leaders are concerned that a Kansas-based company chosen to construct the new Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp facility will use out-of-town tradesmen over local workers. Officials representing nearly 1,200 skilled union workers met in St. Joseph Tuesday for their monthly meeting, where the discussion centered around disappointment over a local company not winning the bid. Missouri Western State University officials say they would have liked to use local labor, but they were bound by state statute to use the lowest bidder. State tax credits will pay for construction.

Parolees face challenges paying child support
by Ahmad Safi
Sunday, June 21, 2009

Feeding his crack habit in a known drug house when law officers kicked in the door about two years ago, Kenton McGaughy was swooped up, convicted of possession and sent to prison. He was paroled in March. Today, he’s escaped the cold walls of a state penitentiary, but there is no escape from paying child support — of which owes more than $27,000. He’s paying it down with a $9-an-hour job as a short-order cook. Re-entry officials say ex-convicts like Mr. McGaughy emerge from prison facing menial employment, lowered earning power and a policy that may whisk them back to prison for debts built while behind bars. That contrasts with a tough prosecutor in St. Joseph who is unapologetic about recovering child support.

Lights go out on tens of thousands
by Ahmad Safi by Marshall White
Thursday, June 18, 2009

A power outage hit St. Joseph Wednesday morning, spreading north into areas near Maryville, Mo., and south toward Gower. Kansas City Power & Light said the outage that started shortly before 10 a.m. affected about 48,800 customers in Andrew, Buchanan, Clinton and DeKalb counties.
Power for most residents was out for between one hour to 90 minutes.

Runoff hoped to be minimal
by Ahmad Safi
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

A hazmat crew bulked makeshift dikes and dams near the Missouri River on Tuesday as they awaited lab results of water and soil samples from a chemical fire at a chemical warehouse.

Near road's end, GM dealership asks why
by Ahmad Safi
Tuesday, June 16, 2009

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Father and son once believed in the General Motors brand. Now their dealership is on its hit list. The struggling automaker has told Boyles Motors Inc. to sell its last new Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac or GMC vehicle by October 2010. A 37-year bond between the small dealership and GM will officially end. Boyles Motors is one of about 1,300 so-called “underperforming, low-volume dealerships” in the United States. The bankrupt auto giant has shed those GM dealerships as part of its survival strategy to become more nimble.

Governor signs jobs legislation
by Ahmad Safi
Saturday, June 13, 2009

St. Joseph is poised to be more of a national player in animal sciences with help from Missouri’s new economic development bill, Gov. Jay Nixon said during a visit Friday.
Touting a jobs bill that creates tax breaks and incentives for thousands of Missouri businesses, Mr. Nixon said the legislation will spur thousands of new jobs in high-tech fields and entice the unemployed into school to fill those jobs.

Locally owned eateries learn from inspections
by Ahmad Safi
Saturday, June 13, 2009

Betty is known for her biscuits and gravy. Connie cooks up fattening catfish that calls in hungry grain haulers and farmers.
Both women manage South Side eateries in St. Joseph that elicit memories of grandma’s kitchen: feel-good, home-style cooking from scratch.
And with their old-fashioned food comes cleanliness. Both diners have done well on surprise kitchen inspections by health inspectors.

Former prisoners facing tough job market in recession
by Ahmad Safi
Thursday, June 11, 2009

After 25 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery, Kenneth Clay came to St. Joseph two years ago. He had a job in two days. In today’s recession-racked economy, re-entry officials say that’s rare. A newly released convict’s job quest is hindered by few job prospects, distrust of felons and a lack of real-world skills — all challenges that widen an ever-revolving door to re-offend or violate probation and return to prison.

Chemical plant lays off 37 workers
by Ahmad Safi
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Blaming unfair trade practices from China, crop chemical company Albaugh Inc. laid off 37 workers at its St. Joseph facility Monday.
Albaugh eliminated its weekend production shift that makes glyphosate — a popular herbicide that the company says is being unfairly subsidized by the Chinese government or is being priced by Chinese companies at below fair market value.
Stuart Feldstein, vice president in Akneny, Iowa, said Albaugh is one of two manufacturers in the United States that makes glyphosate.

First Bank of Missouri to build new facility in South Side
by Ahmad Safi
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

First Bank of Missouri has began construction on a new South Side branch to replace its aging facility and alleviate traffic hazards.

Summer sweetness
by Ahmad Safi
Monday, June 8, 2009

For the last six years, milk drinkers standing at dairy cases in the St. Joseph and Kansas City areas sent Leroy Shatto a message: Give us old-fashioned milk without the fat.
Skim milk in glass bottles has become one of Shatto Milk Co.’s top sellers since it launched its farm-fresh brand in 2003. Mr. Shatto, a dairy farmer in Osborn, Mo., saw the trend and upped skim milk orders to grocery stores. The health-conscious city folk had spoken.
But a problem quickly developed: what to do with all the leftover cream (the fatty part of milk).

Still riding in a son’s memory
by Ahmad Safi
Sunday, June 7, 2009

Each time Janis Consolver mounts her yellow Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, she goes for a ride with her son. After his fatal motorcycle accident in 2002, she decided she would learn to ride in his honor.

Recovery seen in jobless numbers
by Ahmad Safi
Thursday, June 4, 2009

The unemployment rate in St. Joseph dropped in April for the first time in 2009, indicating that early signs of economic recovery may begin to be felt in the labor market.
Preliminary government data released Wednesday show the jobless rate in St. Joseph was 7 percent in April, a surprising 1.5 percent improvement from March when the jobless rate hit its highest in nearly 15 years.

Internship program aligns youths, in-demand jobs
by Ahmad Safi
Tuesday, May 26, 2009

At 6-foot-6, 21-year-old Steven Jones looks every part a football offensive lineman.
In high school, he hefted construction materials in his hometown of Palmyra, Mo. In college in St. Joseph, though, his dreams have turned to the wood-paneled offices and white collars of the business world.
But Mr. Jones’ break into a local company — like so many youths — coincides with an economic downturn. This month, he applied for eight summer jobs. He’s received no callbacks. Prospects were equally sparse last summer, he said.
“Most want work experience that I don’t have,” said Mr. Jones, a senior at Missouri Western State University.

One kick at a time
by Ahmad Safi
Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Inspiring low-income Head Start kids to kick off the couch this summer was the message at Bartlett Park on Monday.
Chris Listau, a 6-foot-7-inch inspiration in cleats and soccer uniform, worked through simple drills with 13 high-spirited children between 3 and 5 years old.
A lifelong soccer enthusiast, Mr. Listau said soccer is one sport that doesn’t require a lot of costly equipment and is easy to play when the children’s parents are at work this summer.

Inspectors quietly do the job
by Ahmad Safi by Clinton Thomas
Monday, May 18, 2009

Some people will always do the right thing — inspector or no inspector. For others, the “bubble gum and duct tape” method is the way of the world. They’ll do anything to get the job done cheap.
That’s why the city of St. Joseph employs inspectors in four trades: plumbing, mechanical, building and electrical.

Stimulus funds soften school cuts
by Ahmad Safi
Sunday, May 17, 2009

Federal stimulus money may save some of the 98 jobs lost by the St. Joseph School District after voters rejected a 63-cent school levy in April.
The district will receive about $5 million over two years from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which district and school officials have earmarked for helping poor students in several elementary schools and improving services for the district’s about 1,500 special-needs students.
Already, two staff positions in special education have been saved for two years, but officials say it’s unclear how many more jobs can be saved.

Triumph, health clinic reach agreement
by Ahmad Safi
Thursday, May 14, 2009

The nation’s oldest free clinic has inked a deal with one of St. Joseph’s largest employers to care for its uninsured employees.
Triumph Foods is paying $59 for each clinic visit by a sick employee and to screen potential employees who may require medical treatment. The agreement aims to address a glut of uninsured Triumph employees that the Social Welfare Board says it’s seen since the pork processing plant opened in January 2006.

Many Hispanics worry after alleged murder plot
by Ahmad Safi
Sunday, May 10, 2009

Unwanted interest in Hispanics, brought on by an alleged contract killing, has jarred a minority population trying to assimilate in St. Joseph.
The consensus among many Hispanics has been to reserve judgment until the full facts of the alleged murder-for-hire plot become known. For now, they want to help the victim’s father get the body back to Mexico as police draw down their investigation, with charges against four men this past week.
Some Hispanic residents say they remain bewildered that a well-regarded businessman in the community could apparently orchestrate a hit on such a well-liked young man. Police and prosecutors say Antonio Onate, 44, paid $2,000 to have Antonio Jose Maravilla-Vargas, 23, killed.

Man relished new experiences
by Ahmad Safi
Friday, May 8, 2009

Born into a large, hardscrabble Pennsylvania Dutch family, John Zook lived in the era of hand-propelled washing machines and gas lamps.

4 arrests in murder inquiry
by Ahmad Safi
Thursday, May 7, 2009

An apparent love triangle among a restaurant owner, his wife and a 23-year-old guitarist she knew in the church choir may have led to a gruesome contract killing in rural Andrew County on Saturday.
St. Patrick Church choir director Louis Dominguez said rumors of the two in a romantic relationship swirled, but he did not believe them. Authorities said the husband, Antonio Onate, 44, allegedly paid $2,000 to kill Antonio Jose Maravilla-Vargas.
On Wednesday, law officers arrested Enrique Hernandez-Hernandez, 25, at his home in the 600 block of South 10th Street. Like Mr. Onate, he is charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond.
Two men and a woman were also taken into custody for questioning Wednesday during a SWAT team operation on the South Side.

Contract killing suspected in cashier's slaying
by Ahmad Safi
Wednesday, May 6, 2009

A St. Joseph restaurant owner is accused of paying $2,000 to kill a 23-year-old cashier whose body was found Saturday on an Andrew County gravel road. Antonio Onate, 44, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder for allegedly ordering the contract kill after he had a disagreement with Antonio Jose Maravilla-Vargas, Friends said Mr. Maravilla-Vargas was an amateur musician/DJ who played during special events at Mr. Onate’s restaurant, La Mesa Mexican Restaurant.

Health department hopes to take inspections online
by Ahmad Safi
Saturday, May 2, 2009

Health records for St. Joseph’s largest Chinese buffet speak dread: an allegation the owner tried to bribe an inspector, rats in the kitchen, cross-contaminated foods in the cooler, dirty utensils in the dining room, an entire buffet at an unsafe temperature.
The St. Joseph-Buchanan County Health Department file is fat. There have been about 40 surprise inspections in the last three years. But on Friday afternoon, its numerous health code violations didn’t seem to faze a steady stream of patrons walking into New Super China Buffet, 617 N. Belt Highway.

Class-action suit filed against tannery
by Ahmad Safi
Friday, May 1, 2009

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against a St. Joseph tannery on behalf of all residents in Andrew, Buchanan, Clinton and DeKalb counties.

Local health department vigilant on swine flu
by Ahmad Safi
Wednesday, April 29, 2009

As President Barack Obama’s plane touched down in Mexico two weeks ago, Abelardo Vargas was getting into Mexico City on a bus, en route to a flight back to the United States. The St. Joseph man was homeward bound. Drug violence, not a deadly virus, was on his native country’s collective conscience. Now, through media reports, he sees the world turn its collective eye on Mexico — some even with contempt.