November 07, 2009
Clinton Thomas - City Government Reporter
Agencies get $1.2M technology grant
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009
City Council approves alcohol license measure
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009
Soldier’s life was a ‘success story that ended too soon’
Friday, Oct. 30, 2009
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009
Developers present plans for low-income housing
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009
Monday, Oct. 26, 2009
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009
Monday, Oct. 19, 2009
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009
City aims to refurbish Downtown parking lot
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009
Work begins to establish Downtown quiet zone
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009
Friday, Oct. 9, 2009
Painters pitch in on project
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009
Longtime Fairview pro faces uncertain future
Monday, Sept. 28, 2009
Friday, Sept. 25, 2009
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009
City approves stimulus grants for downtown
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009
Friday, Sept. 18, 2009
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009
Friday, Sept. 11, 2009
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009
Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009
Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009
Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009
Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009
Friday, Aug. 21, 2009
Friday, Aug. 21, 2009
Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009
Monday, Aug. 17, 2009
Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009
Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009
In modern law enforcement, a laptop computer is just as useful a tool as a squad car or a handgun. Laptops help officers respond to calls, write tickets, identify suspects in the field and communicate with other agencies. The City Council voted to accept a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday that will streamline communication among four law enforcement agencies in Buchanan County. The grant will buy equipment and software to install mobile data centers in vehicles for the St. Joseph Police and Fire departments, the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri Western State University police department.
City Council approves alcohol license measure
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009
When someone tries to buy alcohol, most establishments will ask to see a license.
Now the guy behind the counter needs a license of his own to make the sale.
The St. Joseph City Council approved a change to the city’s liquor laws Monday that requires all people who serve or sell alcohol to obtain a city license proving they have taken a mandatory server training course.
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009
A neighborhood geared toward senior citizens is poised for growth in eastern St. Joseph.
Council renews push to hire internal city auditorSaturday, Oct. 31, 2009
With just a few months left in their terms, St. Joseph’s mayor and City Council members have renewed their push to hire an internal city auditor.
Soldier’s life was a ‘success story that ended too soon’
Friday, Oct. 30, 2009
Just a few short months ago, Afghanistan was a forgotten war.
Clinton County soldier reportedly killedThursday, Oct. 29, 2009
A soldier from Clinton County was among the nine U.S. military personnel killed in action Tuesday, according to numerous non-official sources.
The Department of Defense had not yet named the soldiers who died, but Bailey and Cox Funeral Home in Lathrop, Mo., will handle arrangements for Issac Jackson, 27, a U.S. Army infantryman from Lathrop and Plattsburg, Mo.
Lathrop High School principal Stan Elliott said family members contacted him about holding Mr. Jackson’s funeral at the school, though no time or date will be set until they claimed the soldier’s remains from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Developers present plans for low-income housing
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
A pair of projects could provide options for low-income housing in St. Joseph. Two developers pitched their proposals to the City Council’s Community Development Block Grant Committee on Monday. The groups do not seek local tax dollars, only a council resolution that would help them apply for tax credits from the Missouri Housing Development Commission. MRE Capital of Prairie Village, Kan., wants to build 58 single-family houses on a tract of land west of Kovac’s Grocery Store in South St. Joseph. The development, called Meadowbrook Heights, would include 19 three-bedroom homes and nine two-bedroom houses in its first phase, along with a community building. Phase 2 would add 18 three-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom houses.
Charter commission seeks election changesTuesday, Oct. 27, 2009
The 2010 March primary election may be the last one St. Joseph ever holds.
Lawmakers propose solution to ‘stacked’ taxesMonday, Oct. 26, 2009
Two state legislators have proposed a solution to a fight dozens of Missouri communities face concerning millions of dollars in tax revenue.
House Majority Leader Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, and Sen. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, announced last week that they will propose a resolution in the upcoming legislative session to resolve disputes concerning the use of “stacked” sales taxes.
A stacked tax refers to the practice of communities passing multiple taxes of the same type. For example, St. Joseph has separate general sales taxes of one cent and one-half cent.
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009
The light is always greener in the other lane.
All motorists have experienced their share of frustration on the road. Like the driver who won’t signal for a turn, the guy who tailgates with his high-beams on, or the person who slows to 10 mph at the first hint of rain.
But for many drivers, the most annoying part of a trip is a red light. Either they last too long or turn at the wrong time.
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009
The rolling ridges of the countryside aren’t the only pieces of Northwest Missouri real estate ripe for wind power development.
City Council approves new set of rules to aid Fire DepartmentTuesday, Oct. 20, 2009
The St. Joseph City Council added a new tool to its fire prevention arsenal Monday at City Hall.
No, not the firetruck parked out front. Something less flashy, but every bit as important.
The City Council approved a set of rules that will increase the department’s ability to enforce health and safety violations.
Monday, Oct. 19, 2009
A lack of foresight decades ago caused the current problems in St. Joseph’s sewer system.
Now the city looks to the future to make sure each new project addresses as many needs as possible.
Consider the $2.5 million work order the City Council will review at tonight’s meeting. If the council passes the ordinance in two weeks, the city will pay Black & Veatch to design a disinfection system that will meet recent permit requirements from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The disinfection project technically is unrelated to the city’s combined sewer overflow problem. However, the city plans to install ultraviolet reactors 15 to 16 years from now to treat its overflows.
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009
The secret to writing was right there for the taking.
City aims to refurbish Downtown parking lot
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009
Private business owners can do only so much for Downtown. If the City Council wants to blot out blight, it must dip into its own pocketbook so city facilities can match the aesthetic improvements of nearby businesses. By its own admission, the city has long neglected the parking lot it operates on Edmond Street between Fifth and Sixth streets. Visitors who pull off Interstate 229 into Downtown don’t immediately see the streetscape of decorative brick and flowers along Felix Street. Instead, they form a first impression based on the view of Edmond Street from the base of the exit ramp: a cracked asphalt parking lot and the unsightly backsides of buildings.
Work begins to establish Downtown quiet zone
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009
Let the real work begin.
After months of planning from city, state and corporate officials, BNSF Railway Co. began last week to install new signals at its Fourth Street railroad crossing. The work is part of the larger plan to implement a Downtown quiet zone that will allow trains to travel through the area without blowing their whistles.
Once the railroad completes signal upgrades at the Fourth Street and Francis Street crossings, the city will construct concrete medians that will prevent vehicles from driving around the crossing arms to beat a train.
Friday, Oct. 9, 2009
When citizens bring a problem to City Hall, they’re likely unaware of the urgent issue that sits above their head.
It’s time for a new roof.
Scott Barnard, maintenance technician at City Hall, faces the job of patching holes when water leaks through the roof. When the moisture reaches the ceiling on the fourth floor, pieces of plaster flake off and fall into the stairwell. Rust stains on a ceiling grate in the council chamber show where water drips through to the floor below.
Painters pitch in on project
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009
With all the talk about spending money on Downtown revitalization, it’s worth remembering what a group of volunteers can do with a few cans of paint.
AmeriCorps, the St. Joseph Youth Alliance and students from St. Joseph Christian School descended upon the Shooters building on Wednesday to spruce up an eyesore in the middle of the city’s multimillion-dollar Felix Street Entertainment District.
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009
The average Joe rarely notices Whitehead Creek as it crawls under much of southern St. Joseph. But when it rains, the small stream causes big problems for the city. The creek’s tributaries flow from the hills southeast of St. Joseph along Ajax and Easton roads before they join and enter a large diameter sewer line that flows under industrial areas and empties into the Missouri River south of U.S. Highway 36. The city — and the Environmental Protection Agency — want to make changes in the Whitehead Creek watershed to remove as much wastewater as possible from the city’s sewer system.
Two join Falkner in mayor’s raceSaturday, Oct. 3, 2009
Two new names will join the race to become St. Joseph’s next mayor.
Golfers stand up for longtime Fairview proWednesday, Sept. 30, 2009
City Council members listened for more than two hours Tuesday as golfers defended their local golf pro. Depending on which rumor one had heard in recent weeks, negotiations between Fairview Golf Course professional Mike Habermehl and the city were either dead in the water, or the pro had already been terminated. The Council Parks & Recreation Committee held a meeting before a standing-room-only crowd in the council chamber so Parks Director Bill McKinney could explain the negotiations to the council and the public.
Shearin not planning to run for re-electionTuesday, Sept. 29, 2009
The Ken Shearin countdown threatened to run four more years last week.
Despite repeated statements that he will not seek re-election in April, the mayor hinted at a change of heart after City Manager Vince Capell’s appearance Thursday on a local radio show.
“After listening to your uncontrolled and unsubstantiated rant this morning on the ‘Barry Birr Show’, I am not sure about my decision on NOT (sic) running for the mayor position next election,” Mr. Shearin wrote in a memo to Mr. Capell.
Longtime Fairview pro faces uncertain future
Monday, Sept. 28, 2009
A golfer’s anger flies in as many directions as a poorly struck 3-iron. A putt that won’t break brings gasps to the green. A slice with the driver triggers a tirade on the tee. And a rumor about the golf pro’s job security brings madness to the microphone at City Hall. Mike Habermehl has spent the past 24 years as PGA golf pro and manager at Fairview Golf Course. His performance recently earned him recognition as the PGA’s Midwest Section Professional of the Year.
Landfill loses biggest customerFriday, Sept. 25, 2009
Those who see trash as treasure may have noticed that the pile of riches at the St. Joseph Sanitary Landfill didn’t grow quite as fast last month.
That’s what happens when the biggest customer takes its business elsewhere.
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009
Federal funding could give St. Joseph a financial shot in the arm in the fight against the H1N1 virus. The St. Joseph Health Department will receive nearly $109,000 through the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services to vaccinate residents for H1N1 — also known as swine flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will fund the national campaign.
City approves stimulus grants for downtown
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009
Stimulus money could bear fruit this week in Downtown St. Joseph.
The St. Joseph City Council approved contracts for four economic development projects Monday that will move forward thanks to more than $475,000 in federal stimulus money. The city voted to accept the funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in June, then chose the five projects that would receive money in July. After Monday’s vote, work can begin.
Friday, Sept. 18, 2009
Mayor Ken Shearin’s handling of a controversial police stop involving a black businessman has given the City Council the chance to make a big decision.
The council, however, seems content to sit back and let the controversy pass.
In a memo to the council, City Manager Vince Capell suggested the mayor’s actions in a phone call last week to City Prosecutor Rebecca Spencer violated the City Charter, giving the council the authority to ask for the mayor’s resignation. Ms. Spencer told Mr. Capell the mayor asked her to pull a ticket, and then became combative when she refused to do so.
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009
A host of new programs and upgrades has earned St. Joseph Animal Control and Rescue statewide recognition. The Missouri Animal Control Association named the facility the state shelter of the year earlier this month.
Timing debated in ticket incidentWednesday, Sept. 16, 2009
Marcell Jackson and the St. Joseph Police Department each have their own story to tell about an alleged case of racial profiling that occurred earlier this month in Midtown. Aside from the race issue, the accounts are nearly identical. Both sides agree that Mr. Jackson was walking down the middle of the road when he met a police cruiser going the opposite direction at 5 a.m. Sept. 1 in the 500 block of South 20th Street. Mr. Jackson kept walking in the street until the police turned around and pulled up behind him, at which point he stepped onto the curb. Mr. Jackson and two police officers then argued about the validity of the ordinance in question — “walking in the street when a sidewalk is provided” — and Mr. Jackson accused the officers of racial profiling. At some point, officer Jason Wilhoit issued Mr. Jackson a ticket, and there lies the difference in the two stories: timing.
Ticket fuels latest dust-up at City HallTuesday, Sept. 15, 2009
A minor non-traffic ticket, allegations of racial profiling, and an angry phone call to the city prosecutor have turned up the heat on the contentious relationship between St. Joseph’s mayor and city manager. The latest spat began at 5 a.m. Sept. 1 when Marcell Jackson walked down the street to start another day of work at his restaurant, Big Daddy’s & Sons BBQ. His walk was interrupted when a police officer pulled up and issued Mr. Jackson a ticket for “walking in the street when a sidewalk is provided” in the 500 block of South 20th Street. Mr. Jackson, a black man, thought the ticket was a classic example of racial profiling and brought his concerns to Mayor Ken Shearin.
Two wheels only on some streets SaturdayFriday, Sept. 11, 2009
Drivers will encounter a few road closures when the Tour of Missouri comes to town Saturday.
St. Joseph Streets Superintendant Gary Leftin said the city will work with the Missouri State Highway Patrol to ensure roads are closed for as short a time as possible.
When riders reach Savannah at about 5 p.m., the patrol will call the city, which will close all roads along the race course from the city limits to 22nd Street near Corby Pond. When the race closes to within 10 miles of the city, workers will close the rest of the course, from 22nd Street to the finish line on Francis Street near Civic Center Park.
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009
Court cases and warehouse fires have dragged hazardous chemicals from their hiding places into the public eye in recent months.
Now that the city knows of the problem, it needs the tools to crack down on companies that store dangerous materials without proper permits.
Under current ordinances, city inspectors cannot issue anything more than a warning for many offenses. The City Council reviewed a bill this week that would allow citations — and fines — to be issued without prior warning.
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009
Jeff Penland might have spent more time putting on his suit than he did in his new City Council chair Tuesday.
Penland joins City CouncilWednesday, Sept. 2, 2009
No need to worry about hanging chads in St. Joseph. Jeff Penland edged Steve Haskey for the vacant City Council seat Tuesday, thanks to a tie-breaking procedure the council established in advance. The two men and eight other finalists sat expectantly in the council chambers as Mayor Ken Shearin prepared to name the winner.
Council expected to name new member tonightTuesday, Sept. 1, 2009
St. Joseph has its Top 10.
Four small words, so much controversySunday, Aug. 30, 2009
Four little words in a thousand-page health-care bill have sparked outrage in America’s town halls.
End-of-life care.
The treatment itself already receives Medicare funding. The idea that has created controversy would use government money to reimburse health care providers for the time they spend discussing end-of-life care options with patients.
Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009
Alcohol caused more than a few outbursts Wednesday at City Hall. Good thing the crowd wasn’t drinking the stuff.
City to use federal grant to fund bridgeTuesday, Aug. 25, 2009
Use it or lose it. The St. Joseph City Council passed an emergency ordinance Monday to make sure a federal grant didn’t slip through its fingers. The bill awarded a $1.1 million contract to Loch Sand & Construction Co. to construct a new bridge on 18th Street over Corby Parkway.
Native American artifacts on displayFriday, Aug. 21, 2009
There’s more than one show in town this weekend.
Council decides on selection method for empty seatFriday, Aug. 21, 2009
The St. Joseph City Council didn’t arrive at a decision to fill its vacant seat, but it knows how it will get there.
On Thursday, the council finalized the process it will use to fill the seat that opened after Mike Hirter’s death in July.
Mayor Ken Shearin pitched his idea for the selection method and — with a few minor tweaks — the council unanimously approved it.
Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009
One of the city’s most persistent rumors has been verified.
City catches break on overflow woesMonday, Aug. 17, 2009
The city may gain a bit of relief from its massive sewer problem. The city’s sewer consultant outlined changes to the City Council in the $450 million, 100-plus year plan to reduce combined sewer overflows last week. The amount of work the Environmental Protection Agency initially asked the city to complete within 20 years may be cut by about 15 percent.
Diversity marks council hopefulsSunday, Aug. 16, 2009
Prospects of long hours and low pay haven’t stopped a crowd from lining up for St. Joseph’s City Council vacancy.
Chiefs camp raises tax discussionSaturday, Aug. 15, 2009
In the near future, St. Joseph voters could decide on a tax increase on the ballot that won’t cost most locals a dime.
City and county officials discussed the idea of raising St. Joseph’s hotel/motel tax Wednesday at City Hall. The revenue would replenish coffers emptied to pay for the Chiefs training camp.
While hotel/motel taxes are paid almost entirely by tourists, local decision-makers predict the public will view any tax increase with skepticism, no matter whose pocket the money comes from.
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
City Hall could soon find itself in another lawsuit.
Corby building developer meets with residentsTuesday, Aug. 11, 2009
Residents of The Fountains at Corby Place no longer need to fear the next rumor.
Charter group sets a slow courseSunday, Aug. 9, 2009
A year of scrutiny has yet to yield any significant changes to St. Joseph’s City Charter. The City Council formed a 14-member task force to review the charter in August 2008 after Mayor Ken Shearin proposed two changes to the document: staggered terms for council members and a change in the annual budget-approval process. Instead of voting on individual issues itself, the council established a group to review the entire document and make recommendations.
City sues governor over vetoThursday, Aug. 6, 2009
The city of St. Joseph has filed suit against Gov. Jay Nixon over an “incomprehensibly unfair” veto that would force the city to lower its voter-approved property tax.
House Bill 148, which the legislature passed this year, would have negated language in a 2007 Senate bill that, if implemented, would force the city to lower its tax levy ceiling from 70 cents to 67 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The governor vetoed HB 148, which means the Senate bill could go into effect and cost St. Joseph more than $300,000 a year in lost revenue to its general fund.
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009
Word of a federal funding hiccup sparked speculation last week that plans for a South Side overpass had jumped the tracks. Officials from the city, Missouri Department of Transportation and the federal government said Tuesday that citizens can rest easy. With a little patience, the money and bridge will come.
Repair bid higher than anticipatedTuesday, Aug. 4, 2009
A bigger-than-expected price tag has delayed repairs at the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion.
The city initially hoped to begin work on the building’s aging exterior in mid-August so the project would be complete in time for the holiday lighting ceremony in December. Plans changed when the city reviewed the only bid for the project. At $808,147, it was more than double the $350,000 the city budgeted for the job.
The city will use a base bid and a deductive alternate bid in an effort to work around high costs. Public Works Director Bruce Woody explained the process.
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