ANDREW COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 5a.m. Friday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Chevy Silverado driven by Douglas C. Ward, 64, Conway, AR., was northbound on Interstate 29 just north of the U.S. 169 exit.

The pickup traveled off the road, struck a guardrail and came to rest in the ditch.

Andrew County EMS transported Ward to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

ANDREW COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 5a.m. Friday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Chevy Silverado driven by Douglas C. Ward, 64, Conway, AR., was northbound on Interstate 29 just north of the U.S. 169 exit.The pickup traveled off the road, struck a guardrail and came to rest in the ditch.Andrew County EMS transported Ward to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Driver hospitalized in St. Joe after pickup strikes a guardrail

By MATT PIKE&nbsp; St. Joseph Post&nbsp;

The tourism season is not yet in full swing in St. Joseph, but St. Joseph Visitors Bureau officials are hoping to see a continued rebound. &nbsp;

St. Joseph Visitors Bureau spokesperson Beth Conway says that the tourism season does not usually go into full swing until March or April, but she points out that last year saw a nice rebound to tourism, following a rough 2020.&nbsp;

"As soon as we start warming up a little bit more, we'll get a better idea," Conway tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "I can tell you, last year's tourism numbers did bounce back from the COVID year of 2020, our museum attendance was up about 63% between 2020 and 2021, so we are definitely seeing a rebound."&nbsp;

Conway says even with the emergence of the Omicron COVID variant, tourism numbers at St. Joseph museums stayed consistent in the midst of the rebound. &nbsp;

Conway says museums around St. Joseph have been doing the proper things to keep people safe, which has brought people back out, as evident in the tourism trends.&nbsp;

"People are getting back out, they want to travel, they want to have these experiences, and I don't like to say return to normalcy necessarily because I think we're always going to be living in some form with COVID," Conway says. "You know, we all have to adapt and stay safe the best way that we can."&nbsp;

Conway says the visitor’s bureau is encouraged that it will see numbers close to 2019, or at least an increase from the rebound in 2021.&nbsp;

The St. Joseph Visitors Bureau sees a recent recognition as a great opportunity to boost tourism in St. Joseph. &nbsp;

True West Magazine has named St. Joseph the 'Best of the West' as the 'Best Architecturally Preserved Western Town'.&nbsp;

St. Joseph Visitors Bureau spokesperson Beth Conway says that honor could boost tourism, because many people may not associate St. Joseph with the Wild West&nbsp;

"When you think of the Wild West, and you think of historic preservation, you don't necessarily think of Missouri cause you kind of think of further out west," Conway says. "But truly, St. Joseph was at a unique place at the time of western expansion."&nbsp;

Conway says the types of architecture you see around St. Joseph makes the city unique. &nbsp;

"We're unique because we have so many different types of architecture," Conway says. "There's European influence, there's Victorian influence, so many different types of immigrants settled here and built these fantastically, marvelous homes."&nbsp;

Conway says it's significant that the community has stepped up to preserve its history, adding coming here is a great opportunity to step back in time and see how it used to be.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644606840719.jpeg" alt="The Pony Express museum is one of many attractions that draws tourists to St. Joseph/ Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>The Pony Express museum is one of many attractions that draws tourists to St. Joseph/ Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE&nbsp; St. Joseph Post&nbsp;The tourism season is not yet in full swing in St. Joseph, but St. Joseph Visitors Bureau officials are hoping to see a continued rebound. &nbsp;St. Joseph Visitors Bureau spokesperson Beth Conway says that the tourism season does not usually go into full swing until March or April, but she points out that last year saw a nice rebound to tourism, following a rough 2020.&nbsp;"As soon as we start warming up a little bit more, we'll get a better idea," Conway tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "I can tell you, last year's tourism numbers did bounce back from the COVID year of 2020, our museum attendance was up about 63% between 2020 and 2021, so we are definitely seeing a rebound."&nbsp;Conway says even with the emergence of the Omicron COVID variant, tourism numbers at St. Joseph museums stayed consistent in the midst of the rebound. &nbsp;Conway says museums around St. Joseph have been doing the proper things to keep people safe, which has brought people back out, as evident in the tourism trends.&nbsp;"People are getting back out, they want to travel, they want to have these experiences, and I don't like to say return to normalcy necessarily because I think we're always going to be living in some form with COVID," Conway says. "You know, we all have to adapt and stay safe the best way that we can."&nbsp;Conway says the visitor’s bureau is encouraged that it will see numbers close to 2019, or at least an increase from the rebound in 2021.&nbsp;The St. Joseph Visitors Bureau sees a recent recognition as a great opportunity to boost tourism in St. Joseph. &nbsp;True West Magazine has named St. Joseph the 'Best of the West' as the 'Best Architecturally Preserved Western Town'.&nbsp;St. Joseph Visitors Bureau spokesperson Beth Conway says that honor could boost tourism, because many people may not associate St. Joseph with the Wild West&nbsp;"When you think of the Wild West, and you think of historic preservation, you don't necessarily think of Missouri cause you kind of think of further out west," Conway says. "But truly, St. Joseph was at a unique place at the time of western expansion."&nbsp;Conway says the types of architecture you see around St. Joseph makes the city unique. &nbsp;"We're unique because we have so many different types of architecture," Conway says. "There's European influence, there's Victorian influence, so many different types of immigrants settled here and built these fantastically, marvelous homes."&nbsp;Conway says it's significant that the community has stepped up to preserve its history, adding coming here is a great opportunity to step back in time and see how it used to be.&nbsp;

St. Joseph Visitors Bureau hopes for successful tourism season

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas president and CEO Matt All.

<div><iframe title="Forward Ever: BCBS of Kansas president and CEO Matt All" allowtransparency="true" height="450" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=i6yhw-11a35c2-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=ffffff&btn-skin=3267a3&size=450" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times host Gary Shorman speaks with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas president and CEO Matt All.

🎤Forward Ever: BCBS of Kansas president and CEO Matt All

St. Joseph teachers deciding to return to the classroom could
earn a nice bonus.

The St. Joseph School Board has approved a teacher incentive
program that will provide a $1,000 bonus to teachers informing the district
prior to March 1st that they will return.

Superintendent Doug Van Zyl says it will help the district
with its planning and hiring process.

“And we also feel like it’s a way to thank our folks that are
staying with us by giving them the opportunity to get a little bit of money in
their pocket,” Van Zyl tells the KFEQ Hotline. “It’s a thousand dollars, but
it’s minus your taxes and withholdings and things you have to have come out of
that. So, it’ll still be a nice little sum, but it does give us the opportunity
to be a little more proactive in that process.”

The St. Joseph district has more than 700 teachers.

Van Zyl says the district is finding it harder to replace
teachers who leave.

Van Zyl says teachers leave the district for a variety of
reasons.

“And that’s from retirements to folks that go someplace else,
folks that leave the district or go into some other type of job field,” Van Zyl
says. “That’s a pretty big chunk of our folks when you consider we’ve got about
700, 750 teachers in our school district.”

The St. Joseph School District received a grant from the state
that will pay for the bonuses.

The bonuses aren’t just for teachers. They also will be given
to any of the district’s certified personnel who inform the district of their
plans to return before the first of next month.

Van Zyl says the district has found that if they can retain
new teachers for a couple of years or so, they tend to want to stay.

“Once people get into the system and see what we’re trying to
do and what we’re doing to try to meet the needs of our kids and our staff, I
think after the first couple of years, they’re like, this isn’t exactly what
people make it out to be. It’s better. So, I do think that helps if they’re
able to hang around for a couple of years.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644595758211.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Schools Supt. Doug Van Zyl/file photo" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Schools Supt. Doug Van Zyl/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph teachers deciding to return to the classroom could
earn a nice bonus.The St. Joseph School Board has approved a teacher incentive
program that will provide a $1,000 bonus to teachers informing the district
prior to March 1st that they will return.Superintendent Doug Van Zyl says it will help the district
with its planning and hiring process.“And we also feel like it’s a way to thank our folks that are
staying with us by giving them the opportunity to get a little bit of money in
their pocket,” Van Zyl tells the KFEQ Hotline. “It’s a thousand dollars, but
it’s minus your taxes and withholdings and things you have to have come out of
that. So, it’ll still be a nice little sum, but it does give us the opportunity
to be a little more proactive in that process.”The St. Joseph district has more than 700 teachers.Van Zyl says the district is finding it harder to replace
teachers who leave.Van Zyl says teachers leave the district for a variety of
reasons.“And that’s from retirements to folks that go someplace else,
folks that leave the district or go into some other type of job field,” Van Zyl
says. “That’s a pretty big chunk of our folks when you consider we’ve got about
700, 750 teachers in our school district.”The St. Joseph School District received a grant from the state
that will pay for the bonuses.The bonuses aren’t just for teachers. They also will be given
to any of the district’s certified personnel who inform the district of their
plans to return before the first of next month.Van Zyl says the district has found that if they can retain
new teachers for a couple of years or so, they tend to want to stay.“Once people get into the system and see what we’re trying to
do and what we’re doing to try to meet the needs of our kids and our staff, I
think after the first couple of years, they’re like, this isn’t exactly what
people make it out to be. It’s better. So, I do think that helps if they’re
able to hang around for a couple of years.”

$1K bonuses offered to St. Joseph teachers returning to the classroom

By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-02-10/a-small-kansas-community-college-tried-to-get-rid-of-its-black-student-athletes-lawsuit-charges">Kansas News Service</a>

An explosive lawsuit alleging a small northeast Kansas community college sought
 to reduce the number of its African American student-athletes follows 
disclosures that the president of the school compared a Black football 
player to Hitler, whom she praised as “a great leader.”

The 
lawsuit, filed in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, last week, says 
that Highland Community College conducted a 
concerted campaign to discourage African Americans from attending the 
school, intimidated Black student-athletes into leaving and told its 
coaching staff to refrain from recruiting African Americans.

“The 
HCC administration acted in a concerted fashion to discriminate against 
Black student-athletes, and when challenged by coaches trying to do the 
right thing, reacted by smearing the reputations of those coaches, 
depriving them both of due process and future work possibilities,” 
William Odle, the lawyer representing the three plaintiff coaches, told 
KCUR.

The plaintiffs — B.J. Smith, the former women’s basketball 
head coach; Bradford Zinn, a former assistant coach; and Jered Ross, 
also a former assistant coach —  are suing HCC; its president, Deborah 
Fox; its athletic director, Bryan Dorrel; and a member of its board of 
trustees, Russell Karn.

The suit says the defendants worked to 
transform HCC into “a racially homogenous campus with fewer African 
American athletes” and to “make Highland white again.”

“The Board 
selected both Fox and Dorrel despite their glaring lack of qualification
 for their positions because they enthusiastically agreed to execute the
 racially discriminatory policies alleged here by aggressively 
retaliating against coaches, including Plaintiffs, who resisted the 
administration,” the lawsuit alleges.

In
 a phone interview with KCUR, Smith, who is white, said that what 
happened at HCC “is one of those things that a lot of people will 
initially go, ‘Well, that can’t be true in today’s world, that can’t 
happen.’”

Smith said that shortly after Dorrel became athletic 
director, “he told me I had to recruit more players the culture of our 
community could relate to. And I actually said, ‘I don’t think I 
understand what you mean.’ And he very aggressively said, ‘You know 
exactly what I mean.’"

“And that’s when I went, okay, hold on. I 
think they want to change the color of our school. And I don’t mean the 
colors on the uniform.”

Smith became head coach of the women’s 
basketball team, known as the Scotties, in 2011. Before his arrival, the
 team had not had a winning season in over 15 years. In 2017-2018 they 
compiled a 35-1 record, in 2018-2019 they went 24-5 and in 2019-2020 
they went 21-3 before the COVID-19 pandemic cut the season short. Smith,
 according to the lawsuit, is the winningest coach in the program’s 
history, with a 228-35 record overall.

He also graduated 100% of 
his players, some of whom went on to play at NCAA Division I schools 
such as Kansas, Oklahoma and Memphis, the lawsuit says.

HCC
 has about 3,200 students. Fewer than 6% are African American, according
 to the lawsuit. But half or more of the student-athletes at HCC, at 
least until recently, were African American, most of them recruited from
 out of state.

Fox, HCC's president, was formerly a director of 
business operations in Independence, Kansas, and before that a vice 
president of finance and operations at HCC. She was hired as president 
in March 2019 after her predecessor of 38 years retired. The lawsuit 
says she circumvented the search committee to hire Dorrel, her friend, 
as athletic director.

An unsigned Feb. 8 editorial in The Kansas 
City Star called for Fox to resign or be fired after she told a former 
assistant football coach in October that Hitler was “a great leader.”

The
 editorial was accompanied by a half-minute-long audio clip during which
 Fox is heard to say: “You know leadership, I mean for certain people 
that emerge as leaders, good or bad. You know, even though we don’t like
 it, Hitler was a great leader. I mean, I’m not saying … I don’t, to 
emulate in any way, but he somehow, even for evil, moved and were able 
to do these things, and, you know, it’s terrifying. But that’s what can 
happen when leadership isn’t acknowledged and goes untapped or 
undirected.”

According to The Star’s editorial, Fox made the 
remarks during a meeting about the alleged harassment of Black 
student-athletes. She reportedly had questioned a Black football 
player’s leadership skills and his influence on other Black teammates.

Asked
 to explain her remarks, Fox told KCUR in an email that she had 
apologized to the students, faculty and college “for my poor choice of 
words.”

“In trying to describe negative leadership in a lengthy 
conversation lasting over an hour, I used a horrible description,” she 
said. “We were discussing our responsibility as educators to students in
 developing leaders in a positive way and steer clear of reinforcing 
negative leadership. I regret that it has affected the college, its 
students, and staff. I am deeply sorry to the college and its 
community.”

In a separate email addressing the allegations in the lawsuit, she said HCC “adamantly denies” them.

“Plaintiff
 Smith, Zenn and Ross’s lawsuit in federal court paves the way for 
Highland Community College to explain the circumstances surrounding the 
departure of Smith, Zenn, and Ross; to explain the diversity of the 
student body, the student athletes, and the coaching staff; and it will 
give Highland the opportunity to demonstrate how proud the College is of
 the student athletes that have chosen Highland Community College,” Fox 
said.

Fox said the college had been aware of the plaintiffs’ allegations “for some time” because of activity on social media.

“Unlike
 social media comments and postings, the United States District Court 
for the District of Kansas provides a procedure in which Highland 
Community College can ‘set the record straight’ regarding their 
allegations,” she said.

Dorrel, the athletic director, did not 
respond to a request for comment. Karn, the board of trustees member, 
declined to comment.

Dorrel previously was an athletic trainer for
 Northwest Missouri State University’s football team, where his brother 
was head coach, according to the lawsuit. It says he had been unemployed
 “for some period” before Fox tapped him to be athletic director. His 
bio on Highland’s website says he completed a Ph.D. in athletic training
 from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2015.

Karn
 was responsible for hiring Fox, according to the lawsuit, and falsely 
accused Smith of acquiring a car for a onetime player from a stolen car 
syndicate. The suit says Karn made that accusation to members of the 
community “with malicious intent” and that it “constituted defamation per se under Kansas law.”

The
 lawsuit is not the first time HCC has been accused of pressuring its 
coaches to recruit more white athletes and singling out Black students 
for heightened scrutiny.

In March 2020, the ACLU of Kansas filed a
 similar lawsuit on behalf of four Black students alleging HCC 
instituted a plan in late 2019 to reduce the number of its Black 
students. Like the lawsuit filed last week, it alleged that the college 
expelled Black students for minor or bogus infractions and singled them 
out for arbitrary searches, surveillance and harassment in their dorms 
and elsewhere on campus.

The school settled the lawsuit eight 
months after it was filed, agreeing to pay up to $15,000 to each of the 
four students and pledging to provide anti-discrimination and Fourth 
Amendment training to staff and administrators.

Sharon Brett, 
legal director of the ACLU of Kansas, said in an email that the 
allegations in the new lawsuit were “concerning, especially allegations 
that HCC is not following the terms of the settlement agreement it 
reached with the ACLU in prior litigation. We will continue to follow 
the case.”

HCC suspended Smith, Zinn and Ross in December 2020, accusing them of
 academic misconduct, including doing homework for the students. No such
 violations were ever found by the National Junior College Athletic 
Association (NCJAA).

“One of the amazing things to me is they did 
an investigation on academics and literally never interviewed one 
student,” Smith said. “Even if you’re trying to perpetrate a lie, at 
least put on the façade of something.”

Unlike the NCAA, Odle, the 
coaches' attorney, said the NJCAA has no enforcement staff and relies on
 member schools to self-police bylaw violations.

“Critically, an 
accused coach has zero recourse to challenge the decision,” Odle said. 
“Only the institution can appeal. If used in bad faith, this process 
gives an institution perfect pretextual grounds to threaten discipline 
or termination to silence dissent. That’s what HCC tried to do here.”

Fox
 fired Zinn and Ross in March 2020 after telling them HCC was not 
renewing their contracts and giving them the opportunity to resign 
first. Zinn and Ross are Black.

That same month, Smith complained 
to the NAACP about possible Title IX violations at Highland. The Kansas 
City Star reported on the complaint, which prompted HCC to ask a lawyer 
at the Kansas City law firm of Husch Blackwell to investigate. The 
lawyer, Demetrius Peterson, found no Title IX violations.

Peterson did not return calls seeking comment.

Fox sought Smith’s resignation sometime in mid-2020. He refused and HCC declined to renew his contract.

“I was never given a reason why my contract was not renewed,” Smith said.

Smith told KCUR that he’s been unable to find a job since then.

“I’ve applied for probably every women’s basketball coaching position at a variety of levels that’s been out there,” he said.

“You
 know, anytime you’re accused, there’s a couple of things in coaching 
that you just cannot do that are mortal sins, and cheating is one of 
them,” Smith said. "And we went through the whole scandal at Highland of
 the false charges and we really never had a chance to have a voice, 
we've never spoken up. And in lieu of the truth, people believe the 
rumors that were out there. And I know that's a big part of it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644527422247.png" alt="B.J. Smith, the fired head coach of the women's basketball team at Highland Community College, says what happened there “is one of those things that a lot of people will initially go, ‘Well, that can’t be true in today’s world, that can’t happen.’ ” Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>B.J. Smith, the fired head coach of the women's basketball team at Highland Community College, says what happened there “is one of those things that a lot of people will initially go, ‘Well, that can’t be true in today’s world, that can’t happen.’ ” Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-02-10/a-small-kansas-community-college-tried-to-get-rid-of-its-black-student-athletes-lawsuit-charges">Kansas News Service</a>An explosive lawsuit alleging a small northeast Kansas community college sought
 to reduce the number of its African American student-athletes follows 
disclosures that the president of the school compared a Black football 
player to Hitler, whom she praised as “a great leader.”The 
lawsuit, filed in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, last week, says 
that Highland Community College conducted a 
concerted campaign to discourage African Americans from attending the 
school, intimidated Black student-athletes into leaving and told its 
coaching staff to refrain from recruiting African Americans.“The 
HCC administration acted in a concerted fashion to discriminate against 
Black student-athletes, and when challenged by coaches trying to do the 
right thing, reacted by smearing the reputations of those coaches, 
depriving them both of due process and future work possibilities,” 
William Odle, the lawyer representing the three plaintiff coaches, told 
KCUR.The plaintiffs — B.J. Smith, the former women’s basketball 
head coach; Bradford Zinn, a former assistant coach; and Jered Ross, 
also a former assistant coach — are suing HCC; its president, Deborah 
Fox; its athletic director, Bryan Dorrel; and a member of its board of 
trustees, Russell Karn.The suit says the defendants worked to 
transform HCC into “a racially homogenous campus with fewer African 
American athletes” and to “make Highland white again.”“The Board 
selected both Fox and Dorrel despite their glaring lack of qualification
 for their positions because they enthusiastically agreed to execute the
 racially discriminatory policies alleged here by aggressively 
retaliating against coaches, including Plaintiffs, who resisted the 
administration,” the lawsuit alleges.HCC has denied the allegations.In
 a phone interview with KCUR, Smith, who is white, said that what 
happened at HCC “is one of those things that a lot of people will 
initially go, ‘Well, that can’t be true in today’s world, that can’t 
happen.’”Smith said that shortly after Dorrel became athletic 
director, “he told me I had to recruit more players the culture of our 
community could relate to. And I actually said, ‘I don’t think I 
understand what you mean.’ And he very aggressively said, ‘You know 
exactly what I mean.’"“And that’s when I went, okay, hold on. I 
think they want to change the color of our school. And I don’t mean the 
colors on the uniform.”Smith became head coach of the women’s 
basketball team, known as the Scotties, in 2011. Before his arrival, the
 team had not had a winning season in over 15 years. In 2017-2018 they 
compiled a 35-1 record, in 2018-2019 they went 24-5 and in 2019-2020 
they went 21-3 before the COVID-19 pandemic cut the season short. Smith,
 according to the lawsuit, is the winningest coach in the program’s 
history, with a 228-35 record overall.He also graduated 100% of 
his players, some of whom went on to play at NCAA Division I schools 
such as Kansas, Oklahoma and Memphis, the lawsuit says.<h2>Campus community</h2>HCC
 has about 3,200 students. Fewer than 6% are African American, according
 to the lawsuit. But half or more of the student-athletes at HCC, at 
least until recently, were African American, most of them recruited from
 out of state.Fox, HCC's president, was formerly a director of 
business operations in Independence, Kansas, and before that a vice 
president of finance and operations at HCC. She was hired as president 
in March 2019 after her predecessor of 38 years retired. The lawsuit 
says she circumvented the search committee to hire Dorrel, her friend, 
as athletic director.An unsigned Feb. 8 editorial in The Kansas 
City Star called for Fox to resign or be fired after she told a former 
assistant football coach in October that Hitler was “a great leader.”The
 editorial was accompanied by a half-minute-long audio clip during which
 Fox is heard to say: “You know leadership, I mean for certain people 
that emerge as leaders, good or bad. You know, even though we don’t like
 it, Hitler was a great leader. I mean, I’m not saying … I don’t, to 
emulate in any way, but he somehow, even for evil, moved and were able 
to do these things, and, you know, it’s terrifying. But that’s what can 
happen when leadership isn’t acknowledged and goes untapped or 
undirected.”According to The Star’s editorial, Fox made the 
remarks during a meeting about the alleged harassment of Black 
student-athletes. She reportedly had questioned a Black football 
player’s leadership skills and his influence on other Black teammates.Asked
 to explain her remarks, Fox told KCUR in an email that she had 
apologized to the students, faculty and college “for my poor choice of 
words.”“In trying to describe negative leadership in a lengthy 
conversation lasting over an hour, I used a horrible description,” she 
said. “We were discussing our responsibility as educators to students in
 developing leaders in a positive way and steer clear of reinforcing 
negative leadership. I regret that it has affected the college, its 
students, and staff. I am deeply sorry to the college and its 
community.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644527491615.png" alt="Ben Allen Field House is home to the Highland Community College volleyball and basketball teams. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Ben Allen Field House is home to the Highland Community College volleyball and basketball teams. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>In a separate email addressing the allegations in the lawsuit, she said HCC “adamantly denies” them.“Plaintiff
 Smith, Zenn and Ross’s lawsuit in federal court paves the way for 
Highland Community College to explain the circumstances surrounding the 
departure of Smith, Zenn, and Ross; to explain the diversity of the 
student body, the student athletes, and the coaching staff; and it will 
give Highland the opportunity to demonstrate how proud the College is of
 the student athletes that have chosen Highland Community College,” Fox 
said.Fox said the college had been aware of the plaintiffs’ allegations “for some time” because of activity on social media.“Unlike
 social media comments and postings, the United States District Court 
for the District of Kansas provides a procedure in which Highland 
Community College can ‘set the record straight’ regarding their 
allegations,” she said.Dorrel, the athletic director, did not 
respond to a request for comment. Karn, the board of trustees member, 
declined to comment.Dorrel previously was an athletic trainer for
 Northwest Missouri State University’s football team, where his brother 
was head coach, according to the lawsuit. It says he had been unemployed
 “for some period” before Fox tapped him to be athletic director. His 
bio on Highland’s website says he completed a Ph.D. in athletic training
 from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2015.Karn
 was responsible for hiring Fox, according to the lawsuit, and falsely 
accused Smith of acquiring a car for a onetime player from a stolen car 
syndicate. The suit says Karn made that accusation to members of the 
community “with malicious intent” and that it “constituted defamation per se under Kansas law.”<h2>Past allegations</h2>The
 lawsuit is not the first time HCC has been accused of pressuring its 
coaches to recruit more white athletes and singling out Black students 
for heightened scrutiny.In March 2020, the ACLU of Kansas filed a
 similar lawsuit on behalf of four Black students alleging HCC 
instituted a plan in late 2019 to reduce the number of its Black 
students. Like the lawsuit filed last week, it alleged that the college 
expelled Black students for minor or bogus infractions and singled them 
out for arbitrary searches, surveillance and harassment in their dorms 
and elsewhere on campus.The school settled the lawsuit eight 
months after it was filed, agreeing to pay up to $15,000 to each of the 
four students and pledging to provide anti-discrimination and Fourth 
Amendment training to staff and administrators.Sharon Brett, 
legal director of the ACLU of Kansas, said in an email that the 
allegations in the new lawsuit were “concerning, especially allegations 
that HCC is not following the terms of the settlement agreement it 
reached with the ACLU in prior litigation. We will continue to follow 
the case.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644527528869.png" alt="It was at Ben Allen Field House at Highland Community College, home to the Scotties volleyball and basketball teams, that former coach B.J. Smith led the women's basketball team to its winning seasons. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>It was at Ben Allen Field House at Highland Community College, home to the Scotties volleyball and basketball teams, that former coach B.J. Smith led the women's basketball team to its winning seasons. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>HCC suspended Smith, Zinn and Ross in December 2020, accusing them of
 academic misconduct, including doing homework for the students. No such
 violations were ever found by the National Junior College Athletic 
Association (NCJAA).“One of the amazing things to me is they did 
an investigation on academics and literally never interviewed one 
student,” Smith said. “Even if you’re trying to perpetrate a lie, at 
least put on the façade of something.”Unlike the NCAA, Odle, the 
coaches' attorney, said the NJCAA has no enforcement staff and relies on
 member schools to self-police bylaw violations.“Critically, an 
accused coach has zero recourse to challenge the decision,” Odle said. 
“Only the institution can appeal. If used in bad faith, this process 
gives an institution perfect pretextual grounds to threaten discipline 
or termination to silence dissent. That’s what HCC tried to do here.”Fox
 fired Zinn and Ross in March 2020 after telling them HCC was not 
renewing their contracts and giving them the opportunity to resign 
first. Zinn and Ross are Black.That same month, Smith complained 
to the NAACP about possible Title IX violations at Highland. The Kansas 
City Star reported on the complaint, which prompted HCC to ask a lawyer 
at the Kansas City law firm of Husch Blackwell to investigate. The 
lawyer, Demetrius Peterson, found no Title IX violations.Peterson did not return calls seeking comment.Fox sought Smith’s resignation sometime in mid-2020. He refused and HCC declined to renew his contract.“I was never given a reason why my contract was not renewed,” Smith said.Smith told KCUR that he’s been unable to find a job since then.“I’ve applied for probably every women’s basketball coaching position at a variety of levels that’s been out there,” he said.“You
 know, anytime you’re accused, there’s a couple of things in coaching 
that you just cannot do that are mortal sins, and cheating is one of 
them,” Smith said. "And we went through the whole scandal at Highland of
 the false charges and we really never had a chance to have a voice, 
we've never spoken up. And in lieu of the truth, people believe the 
rumors that were out there. And I know that's a big part of it.”

Suit: Highland CC tried to get rid of Black student-athletes

Tuesday's primary election in St. Joseph saw a light turnout, which was expected by Buchanan County officials. 

Buchanan County Clerk Mary Baack Garvey says she predicted voter turnout around 15%.  Buchanan County saw just under 19% of voters come to the polls. 

Baack Garvey understands the low turnout could be seen as dissapointing.

"Well we always want the turnout to be higher than expected, and it was, but for a local election like this you would hope it would be at least in the 30's or 40%." But still, Baack Garvey says she's pleased with the turnout.

Baack Garvey says that primary elections generally see a low turnout, which is reflected when you look back just four years ago to the last primary election.

"Four years ago they almost hit 16% so, these local primaries seem to hit in the teens as a trend," Baack Garvey says.

Baack Garvey says now she will begin to turn her attention to the April 5th general election, citing her formula for coming up with her prediction for voter turnout.

"Well we've got to see how the absentee's are going, let's see who comes in to vote in person, we kind of trend it on that," Baack Garvey says. "And then I also base it off what happened maybe four years prior, so that's kind of the formula I use and I stick to it."

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostTuesday's primary election in St. Joseph saw a light turnout, which was expected by Buchanan County officials. Buchanan County Clerk Mary Baack Garvey says she predicted voter turnout around 15%. Buchanan County saw just under 19% of voters come to the polls. Baack Garvey understands the low turnout could be seen as dissapointing."Well we always want the turnout to be higher than expected, and it was, but for a local election like this you would hope it would be at least in the 30's or 40%." But still, Baack Garvey says she's pleased with the turnout.Baack Garvey says that primary elections generally see a low turnout, which is reflected when you look back just four years ago to the last primary election."Four years ago they almost hit 16% so, these local primaries seem to hit in the teens as a trend," Baack Garvey says.Baack Garvey says now she will begin to turn her attention to the April 5th general election, citing her formula for coming up with her prediction for voter turnout."Well we've got to see how the absentee's are going, let's see who comes in to vote in person, we kind of trend it on that," Baack Garvey says. "And then I also base it off what happened maybe four years prior, so that's kind of the formula I use and I stick to it."

Though low, Buchanan County officials pleased with city primary turnout

A St. Joseph driver escaped serious injury after a car fleeing
from police clipped her car, flipping it over.

St. Joseph police report an officer attempted to pull over a black
sedan at 23rd and Olive around 1:20 this morning. The driver fled
south on 23rd Street, then east on Lafayette.

Though police decided against pursuit, an officer spotted the
vehicle driving west on the parkway and attempted to stop him, but the driver took
off again, this time clipping a car on Olive Street, flipping it on its roof.
The driver of that car was taken to the hospital to be treated for minor
injuries. The suspect fled on Olive and escaped.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA St. Joseph driver escaped serious injury after a car fleeing
from police clipped her car, flipping it over.St. Joseph police report an officer attempted to pull over a black
sedan at 23rd and Olive around 1:20 this morning. The driver fled
south on 23rd Street, then east on Lafayette.Though police decided against pursuit, an officer spotted the
vehicle driving west on the parkway and attempted to stop him, but the driver took
off again, this time clipping a car on Olive Street, flipping it on its roof.
The driver of that car was taken to the hospital to be treated for minor
injuries. The suspect fled on Olive and escaped.

Hit and run flips car over; driver escapes without serious injury

A St. Joseph state representative says Missouri needs to pay
teachers more.

But Representative Brenda Shields doesn’t believe pay is the
only solution to the state’s difficulty in recruiting and retaining teachers.
Shields says the problems the state has goes beyond low teacher pay.

“Pay is a small part of the equation around happiness of your
employment and I think that we need to make sure that we provide everything
that whole package of what makes teaching enjoyable,” Shields tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post.

Shields supports greatly increasing the state minimum teacher
pay. Shields adds, though, that the state needs to provide the type of
environment that attracts young people to the teaching profession.

Shields says teacher pay will receive additional attention
during the legislative session underway at the state Capitol in Jefferson City.

Other issues seek to gain the attention of lawmakers as well.

Shields says the legislature needs to address initiative
petition reform.

Shields, a Republican, says it has become too easy for groups
to mount a campaign to not only change state law, but the constitution. Shields
supports making it more difficult for groups to bring a change to the state
constitution before voters.

“Once you change it, it’s really hard to change it back. It
all has to be done with a vote of the people,” according to Shields. “So, we
need to tighten up some of that on that IT (initiative petition) reform.”

Shields also says the legislature needs to address election
integrity, an issue that has taken on national importance. Shields says that
are too many computer hackers to believe someone couldn’t hack an election
system in Missouri and change the results.

The state representative says it’s time Missouri got into
sports betting. Shields Missouri has lagged behind the national move to pave
the way to legally wager on sports.

“I think we’re one of the last two states that hasn’t adopted
sports betting in our state,” Shields says. “We’re not preventing it from
happening in our state. So, we probably just need to get onboard and allow
sports betting. It is a very big industry.”

Shields says sports betting has proven popular throughout the
country and could bring in additional dollars to state coffers.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA St. Joseph state representative says Missouri needs to pay
teachers more.But Representative Brenda Shields doesn’t believe pay is the
only solution to the state’s difficulty in recruiting and retaining teachers.
Shields says the problems the state has goes beyond low teacher pay.“Pay is a small part of the equation around happiness of your
employment and I think that we need to make sure that we provide everything
that whole package of what makes teaching enjoyable,” Shields tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post.Shields supports greatly increasing the state minimum teacher
pay. Shields adds, though, that the state needs to provide the type of
environment that attracts young people to the teaching profession.Shields says teacher pay will receive additional attention
during the legislative session underway at the state Capitol in Jefferson City.Other issues seek to gain the attention of lawmakers as well.Shields says the legislature needs to address initiative
petition reform.Shields, a Republican, says it has become too easy for groups
to mount a campaign to not only change state law, but the constitution. Shields
supports making it more difficult for groups to bring a change to the state
constitution before voters.“Once you change it, it’s really hard to change it back. It
all has to be done with a vote of the people,” according to Shields. “So, we
need to tighten up some of that on that IT (initiative petition) reform.”Shields also says the legislature needs to address election
integrity, an issue that has taken on national importance. Shields says that
are too many computer hackers to believe someone couldn’t hack an election
system in Missouri and change the results.The state representative says it’s time Missouri got into
sports betting. Shields Missouri has lagged behind the national move to pave
the way to legally wager on sports.“I think we’re one of the last two states that hasn’t adopted
sports betting in our state,” Shields says. “We’re not preventing it from
happening in our state. So, we probably just need to get onboard and allow
sports betting. It is a very big industry.”Shields says sports betting has proven popular throughout the
country and could bring in additional dollars to state coffers.

St. Joseph state rep says teacher pay among many issues facing lawmakers

Two candidates are guaranteed a spot on the St. Joseph City Council after receiving a majority of votes in Tuesday’s primary election.  

Randy Schultz won at at-large seat on the council. Schultz says it was a little bit of a shock to find out he had won.  

"Cause I mean, there was nine really good candidates out there, which we were lucky to have nine people that stood up and wanted to run and the incumbents wanted to run again too," Schultz tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. 

Schultz received 4,054 votes in the primary election out of the 7,863 votes cast. Six other at-large candidates advance to the April 5th city General Election, vying for three seats. 

Schultz believes his construction background set him apart from other candidates. 

"There's a lot of infrastructure that is going to be coming up due to the current climate and if we want our city to grow, our infrastructure has to grow," Schultz says. "And I believe that's one asset that I bring that I can examine the bids or see what kind of work that needs to be done." 

Schultz says one of his biggest goals is to make sure city funds are spent correctly. 

"We don't want to chase the wrong dollars, we want to get the right dollars, and when I say that I mean make sure the projects that come into town and businesses are a good fit for St. Joseph, Missouri and not just that quick buck," Schultz explains. 

Insurance salesman Taylor Crouse won the Second District council seat and says through his campaign, he was very determined to do the job right.  

"My mom always told me if a job is worth doing it's worth doing right," Crouse says. "I was determined to not be outworked in the campaign, and I think the results bear the fruit of that." 

Crouse won his seat receiving 964 votes, far more than the other three on the ballot. 

Crouse says while on the campaign trail he met with over 13-hundred St. Joseph residents.  

"You know I asked people what issues concern you most, I discussed the issues with the people, and I had a lot of people tell me that no one had ever bothered to do that before in a city election," Crouse explains. 

Crouse says one of his top goals now that he is on the council is to focus on making sure Jefferson City knows that St. Joseph wants Interstate 229 to remain an interstate.  

Crouse says another one of his goals revolves around funds received from the American Rescue Plan. 

"I want to make sure that the ARPA funds are used for how congress intended them to be used," Crouse says. "I want to make sure that they go to businesses and organizations that legitimately suffered harm from COVID-19." 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Two candidates are guaranteed a spot on the St. Joseph City Council after receiving a majority of votes in Tuesday’s primary election. Randy Schultz won at at-large seat on the council. Schultz says it was a little bit of a shock to find out he had won. "Cause I mean, there was nine really good candidates out there, which we were lucky to have nine people that stood up and wanted to run and the incumbents wanted to run again too," Schultz tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. Schultz received 4,054 votes in the primary election out of the 7,863 votes cast. Six other at-large candidates advance to the April 5th city General Election, vying for three seats. Schultz believes his construction background set him apart from other candidates. "There's a lot of infrastructure that is going to be coming up due to the current climate and if we want our city to grow, our infrastructure has to grow," Schultz says. "And I believe that's one asset that I bring that I can examine the bids or see what kind of work that needs to be done." Schultz says one of his biggest goals is to make sure city funds are spent correctly. "We don't want to chase the wrong dollars, we want to get the right dollars, and when I say that I mean make sure the projects that come into town and businesses are a good fit for St. Joseph, Missouri and not just that quick buck," Schultz explains. Insurance salesman Taylor Crouse won the Second District council seat and says through his campaign, he was very determined to do the job right. "My mom always told me if a job is worth doing it's worth doing right," Crouse says. "I was determined to not be outworked in the campaign, and I think the results bear the fruit of that." Crouse won his seat receiving 964 votes, far more than the other three on the ballot. Crouse says while on the campaign trail he met with over 13-hundred St. Joseph residents. "You know I asked people what issues concern you most, I discussed the issues with the people, and I had a lot of people tell me that no one had ever bothered to do that before in a city election," Crouse explains. Crouse says one of his top goals now that he is on the council is to focus on making sure Jefferson City knows that St. Joseph wants Interstate 229 to remain an interstate. Crouse says another one of his goals revolves around funds received from the American Rescue Plan. "I want to make sure that the ARPA funds are used for how congress intended them to be used," Crouse says. "I want to make sure that they go to businesses and organizations that legitimately suffered harm from COVID-19."

Two St. Joseph candidates primary candidates win outright

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri state workers would soon be guaranteed a minimum of $12 to $15 an hour under a plan advanced Wednesday in the state House.

The emergency spending plan, given an initial vote of approval in the GOP-led chamber, includes $92 million to increase state worker pay through the end of June. It needs another House vote to move to the Republican-led Senate.

Republican Gov. Mike Parson had asked lawmakers to give his administration the leeway to pay state employees a minimum of $15 an hour to help agencies that are struggling to provide basic government services.

But House lawmakers pared funding back to give workers a minimum of $12 an hour or a 5.5% raise, whichever is higher. State employees who provide health care or other services directly to the public would still be given a minimum of $15 an hour under the House plan.

“If we want to have a functional government that can serve the needs of our people, we have to pay for it,” St. Louis Democratic Rep. Peter Merideth said.

Republican lawmakers warned that hiking state pay too much could create competition with the private sector. Other GOP House members raised concerns about committing to higher pay without knowing whether the state can continue to fund those salaries in the future.

“We have to look at the possibility of having to pull more money out of paychecks, out of investment, out of retirement income, (and) out of corporate income,” said Republican Rep. Doug Richey, of Excelsior Springs. “We have to pull that money out because it has to be captured in order for us to pay perpetually into the future for the price tag of state government.”

The House plan also budgets about $2 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. Most of that money is slated to go directly to Missouri public schools, but Republican House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith is pushing for $75 million to be doled out in grants of a maximum of $1,500 per family to reimburse extra education expenses related to the pandemic.

The grants would first be available to families that bring in at most 185% of the federal poverty level, or roughly $43,000 a year for a family of three.

Smith pitched the plan as a way for low-income families to help their children with tutoring and other programs to make up for learning delays caused by the pandemic.

“A tremendous consequence of the pandemic has been learning loss,” Smith said. “So this would help hopefully catch some kids up across the state and provide relief for those families.”

House Democrats were skeptical, questioning whether the money would be better spent on services such as after-school programming and raising concerns that the money would be doled out through a third-party vendor instead of the state education department.

The emergency budget plan also includes more money for the state's Medicaid health care after voters in 2020 expanded eligibility for the program.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri state workers would soon be guaranteed a minimum of $12 to $15 an hour under a plan advanced Wednesday in the state House.The emergency spending plan, given an initial vote of approval in the GOP-led chamber, includes $92 million to increase state worker pay through the end of June. It needs another House vote to move to the Republican-led Senate.Republican Gov. Mike Parson had asked lawmakers to give his administration the leeway to pay state employees a minimum of $15 an hour to help agencies that are struggling to provide basic government services.But House lawmakers pared funding back to give workers a minimum of $12 an hour or a 5.5% raise, whichever is higher. State employees who provide health care or other services directly to the public would still be given a minimum of $15 an hour under the House plan.“If we want to have a functional government that can serve the needs of our people, we have to pay for it,” St. Louis Democratic Rep. Peter Merideth said.Republican lawmakers warned that hiking state pay too much could create competition with the private sector. Other GOP House members raised concerns about committing to higher pay without knowing whether the state can continue to fund those salaries in the future.“We have to look at the possibility of having to pull more money out of paychecks, out of investment, out of retirement income, (and) out of corporate income,” said Republican Rep. Doug Richey, of Excelsior Springs. “We have to pull that money out because it has to be captured in order for us to pay perpetually into the future for the price tag of state government.”The House plan also budgets about $2 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. Most of that money is slated to go directly to Missouri public schools, but Republican House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith is pushing for $75 million to be doled out in grants of a maximum of $1,500 per family to reimburse extra education expenses related to the pandemic.The grants would first be available to families that bring in at most 185% of the federal poverty level, or roughly $43,000 a year for a family of three.Smith pitched the plan as a way for low-income families to help their children with tutoring and other programs to make up for learning delays caused by the pandemic.“A tremendous consequence of the pandemic has been learning loss,” Smith said. “So this would help hopefully catch some kids up across the state and provide relief for those families.”House Democrats were skeptical, questioning whether the money would be better spent on services such as after-school programming and raising concerns that the money would be doled out through a third-party vendor instead of the state education department.The emergency budget plan also includes more money for the state's Medicaid health care after voters in 2020 expanded eligibility for the program.

Missouri House advances plan for smaller state worker raises

The Missouri Hospital Association is joining with its member hospitals urging people to not come to the emergency room unless absolutely necessary. 

Hospital Association spokesman Dave Dillon says hospital overcrowding is still a big problem in the state, though the numbers are starting to look a little better. 

"What we're seeing is we're down to about 32 to 33 hundred inpatients that were admitted for COVID-19, the high which was only about two weeks ago, was almost 4,000," Dillon tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. 

Dillon says the hospital association is urging people to go elsewhere to get tested if they are feeling symptoms of COVID-19, and to only come to the emergency room for serious ailments or injuries.  

Dillon says that people need to realize the resources at hospitals are limited.  

"If you need something that isn't pressing, you know, if you think you may have COVID, but you're not having the kind of symptoms that concern you from like the shortness of breath, or you know those indicators that you may need hospital services, but you just want to get tested or maybe you feel like you have the flu, because you know the flus circulating, you can get those kinds of services elsewhere," Dillon says. 

Dillon says that if you do have COVID, it will ultimately be better for you to go elsewhere, because you won't be spending time sitting around waiting to get tested. 

Dillon says as transmissible as the Omicron variant is, hospitals were not only seeing problems with overcrowding, but also within their staff that live in the affected communities. 

"And so, we were not only seeing a surge in the demand for hospital services, and to some degree depending where you are in the state we still are," Dillon says. "But we also lost a lot of our staff members to quarantine or isolation, which plummeted the number of people available to provide the care that was surging." 

Dillon says the message to not come to the emergency room is a hard one for hospitals to give, because hospitals feel an obligation to treat anyone who walks through their doors.

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Missouri Hospital Association is joining with its member hospitals urging people to not come to the emergency room unless absolutely necessary. Hospital Association spokesman Dave Dillon says hospital overcrowding is still a big problem in the state, though the numbers are starting to look a little better. "What we're seeing is we're down to about 32 to 33 hundred inpatients that were admitted for COVID-19, the high which was only about two weeks ago, was almost 4,000," Dillon tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. Dillon says the hospital association is urging people to go elsewhere to get tested if they are feeling symptoms of COVID-19, and to only come to the emergency room for serious ailments or injuries. Dillon says that people need to realize the resources at hospitals are limited. "If you need something that isn't pressing, you know, if you think you may have COVID, but you're not having the kind of symptoms that concern you from like the shortness of breath, or you know those indicators that you may need hospital services, but you just want to get tested or maybe you feel like you have the flu, because you know the flus circulating, you can get those kinds of services elsewhere," Dillon says. Dillon says that if you do have COVID, it will ultimately be better for you to go elsewhere, because you won't be spending time sitting around waiting to get tested. Dillon says as transmissible as the Omicron variant is, hospitals were not only seeing problems with overcrowding, but also within their staff that live in the affected communities. "And so, we were not only seeing a surge in the demand for hospital services, and to some degree depending where you are in the state we still are," Dillon says. "But we also lost a lot of our staff members to quarantine or isolation, which plummeted the number of people available to provide the care that was surging." Dillon says the message to not come to the emergency room is a hard one for hospitals to give, because hospitals feel an obligation to treat anyone who walks through their doors.

Hospitals urging residents to use ER only if necessary

A former southside St.
Joseph restaurant owner has been sentenced to seven years in prison for
violating probation.

Scott Rowland had been
placed on probation in April of 2019 after pleading guilty to stealing from
Applebee’s Restaurant where he had been a manager.

Testimony in court
stated Rowland, as the operator of Archie’s Restaurant, presented a nearly $1,200 check for supplies from Graves Food
Service in September of 2021, but stopped payment on the check. Rowland
promised to pay when confronted by the company, but never did. A witness
testified Rowland wrote two checks to Clayton Paper and Distribution in October
of 2021. Both were returned due to insufficient funds.

Rowland testified in
court his business started to suffer in September of 2021 after he wrote a rubber
check to an employee.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA former southside St.
Joseph restaurant owner has been sentenced to seven years in prison for
violating probation.Scott Rowland had been
placed on probation in April of 2019 after pleading guilty to stealing from
Applebee’s Restaurant where he had been a manager.Testimony in court
stated Rowland, as the operator of Archie’s Restaurant, presented a nearly $1,200 check for supplies from Graves Food
Service in September of 2021, but stopped payment on the check. Rowland
promised to pay when confronted by the company, but never did. A witness
testified Rowland wrote two checks to Clayton Paper and Distribution in October
of 2021. Both were returned due to insufficient funds.Rowland testified in
court his business started to suffer in September of 2021 after he wrote a rubber
check to an employee.

Former southside St. Joseph restaurant operator sentenced to prison

A 19-year-old St. Joseph man was injured after crashing his
vehicle on St. Joseph Avenue while fleeing from Buchanan County deputies.

St. Joseph police report the man, identified as Marquis
Wilson, couldn’t make a curve on St. Joseph Avenue, sheared through a utility pole,
and crashed into a house near Madison Street. The car was partially wedged inside the house.

Wilson was alone in the car. Buchanan County deputies took him
into custody after being treated for injuries at the Mosaic Life Care hospital
in St. Joseph.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA 19-year-old St. Joseph man was injured after crashing his
vehicle on St. Joseph Avenue while fleeing from Buchanan County deputies.St. Joseph police report the man, identified as Marquis
Wilson, couldn’t make a curve on St. Joseph Avenue, sheared through a utility pole,
and crashed into a house near Madison Street. The car was partially wedged inside the house.Wilson was alone in the car. Buchanan County deputies took him
into custody after being treated for injuries at the Mosaic Life Care hospital
in St. Joseph.

St. Joseph teen crashes through pole, into house while fleeing from officers

Eagle Communications on Monday announced Liby Waltemath as general manager of its St. Joseph, Mo., market. 

Waltemath has been with Eagle since 2015, most recently serving as director of Eagle Creative, a full-service marketing agency and division of Eagle Communications. Prior, she served as a marketing consultant and digital sales leader for Eagle Radio of St. Joseph.

"St. Joseph continues to be an important market for Eagle Communications," said Kurt David, Eagle CEO. "Under Liby's leadership, we look forward to continuing to provide outstanding service for our listeners and viewers, our clients, St. Joseph and the surrounding communities,"

In St. Joseph, Eagle operates Q Country 92.7, KJO 105.5, KFEQ 680 AM, Joe Town 107.5 and KY 102, as well as St. Joseph Post. The company has 29 employee-owners based in St. Joseph.

"I am thrilled to be back and proud to be leading the way for St. Joseph to continue doing the terrific things that matter in our community," Waltemath said.

Founded in 1948, Eagle Communications Inc. is a Kansas-based media company with over 175 employee-owners. The company operates 31 radio stations in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. In addition to radio, the company offers online solutions, web development, video production, and creative services. Eagle is the parent company of the Post News Network. For more, visit <a href="https://eagleradio.net/">eagleradio.net</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644361108002.png" alt="Liby Waltemath" />
 <figcaption>Liby Waltemath</figcaption>
 </figure>Eagle Communications on Monday announced Liby Waltemath as general manager of its St. Joseph, Mo., market. Waltemath has been with Eagle since 2015, most recently serving as director of Eagle Creative, a full-service marketing agency and division of Eagle Communications. Prior, she served as a marketing consultant and digital sales leader for Eagle Radio of St. Joseph."St. Joseph continues to be an important market for Eagle Communications," said Kurt David, Eagle CEO. "Under Liby's leadership, we look forward to continuing to provide outstanding service for our listeners and viewers, our clients, St. Joseph and the surrounding communities,"In St. Joseph, Eagle operates Q Country 92.7, KJO 105.5, KFEQ 680 AM, Joe Town 107.5 and KY 102, as well as St. Joseph Post. The company has 29 employee-owners based in St. Joseph."I am thrilled to be back and proud to be leading the way for St. Joseph to continue doing the terrific things that matter in our community," Waltemath said.Founded in 1948, Eagle Communications Inc. is a Kansas-based media company with over 175 employee-owners. The company operates 31 radio stations in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. In addition to radio, the company offers online solutions, web development, video production, and creative services. Eagle is the parent company of the Post News Network. For more, visit <a href="https://eagleradio.net/">eagleradio.net</a>.

Eagle names Waltemath general manager for St. Joseph market

Retired business executive John Josendale will face off
against former St. Joseph City councilmember Gary Wilkinson for mayor in the
April municipal elections.

Josendale received the most votes in the field of four for St.
Joseph mayor in the city primary elections, receiving 2,998 votes or 38.46% of
the vote. Wilkinson came in second with 1,706. Community Action Partnership
Executive Director Whitney Lanning placed third with 1,565 votes. Businessman
Gary Lewis received 1,526 votes.

St. Joseph Assistant City Attorney Theodore “Ted” Elo will square
off with attorney Terri Lowdon for St. Joseph Municipal Judge to replace John
Boeh, who is retiring. Elo received the most votes in the field of three with
3,088. Lowdon placed second with 2,686 votes. Assistant City Attorney Jason
Soper received 1,784 votes.

The crowded field for four at-large seats on the St. Joseph
City Council has been narrowed.

Randy Schultz received 4,054 votes, a majority of the votes
cast in the primary election and wins a seat outright. That eliminates Carl
Jennings and Andy Montee from the field. It leaves Kenton Randolph, Marty
Novak, Jeff Schomburg, Brenda Blessing, Kenneth Reeder, and Kent “Spanky”
O’Dell in the race for three at-large seats to be decided in the April 5th
city General Election.

Randoph came in second with 3,924 and Marty Novak finished
third with 3,404 votes.

Insurance agent Taylor Crouse easily won the Second District
city council seat, far outdistancing the field and being elected outright with
nearly 64% of the vote. Crouse garnered 964 votes with Aaron Armstrong a
distant second with 209 votes. Mike Bodde and Ben Burtnett each received 168
votes.

It was a light turnout for the primary election, as expected.
Only 7,863 votes were cast, not quite 19-percent of the registered voters.

The crowded field for four at-large seats on the St. Joseph
City Council has been narrowed from nine to eight. Andy Montee has been
eliminated from the field. Advancing are Randy Schultz, Kenton Randolph, Marty
Novak, Jeff Schomburg, Brenda Blessing, Kenneth Reeder, Kent “Spanky” O’Dell,
and Carl Jennings. They will be on the ballot in the April 5th city
General Election.

Schultz received the most votes, 4,054. Randoph came in second
with 3,924 and Marty Novak finished third with 3,404 votes.

Click <a href="https://www.livevoterturnout.com/buchananmo/LiveResults/en/Index_12.html">here</a> for the unofficial results tabulated by the Buchanan County Clerk's office.

This article has been updated since first published.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostRetired business executive John Josendale will face off
against former St. Joseph City councilmember Gary Wilkinson for mayor in the
April municipal elections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644374191725.jpeg" alt="John Josendale/file photo" />
 <figcaption>John Josendale/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Josendale received the most votes in the field of four for St.
Joseph mayor in the city primary elections, receiving 2,998 votes or 38.46% of
the vote. Wilkinson came in second with 1,706. Community Action Partnership
Executive Director Whitney Lanning placed third with 1,565 votes. Businessman
Gary Lewis received 1,526 votes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644374229210.jpeg" alt="Gary Wilkinson/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Gary Wilkinson/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>St. Joseph Assistant City Attorney Theodore “Ted” Elo will square
off with attorney Terri Lowdon for St. Joseph Municipal Judge to replace John
Boeh, who is retiring. Elo received the most votes in the field of three with
3,088. Lowdon placed second with 2,686 votes. Assistant City Attorney Jason
Soper received 1,784 votes.The crowded field for four at-large seats on the St. Joseph
City Council has been narrowed.Randy Schultz received 4,054 votes, a majority of the votes
cast in the primary election and wins a seat outright. That eliminates Carl
Jennings and Andy Montee from the field. It leaves Kenton Randolph, Marty
Novak, Jeff Schomburg, Brenda Blessing, Kenneth Reeder, and Kent “Spanky”
O’Dell in the race for three at-large seats to be decided in the April 5th
city General Election.Randoph came in second with 3,924 and Marty Novak finished
third with 3,404 votes.Insurance agent Taylor Crouse easily won the Second District
city council seat, far outdistancing the field and being elected outright with
nearly 64% of the vote. Crouse garnered 964 votes with Aaron Armstrong a
distant second with 209 votes. Mike Bodde and Ben Burtnett each received 168
votes.It was a light turnout for the primary election, as expected.
Only 7,863 votes were cast, not quite 19-percent of the registered voters.The crowded field for four at-large seats on the St. Joseph
City Council has been narrowed from nine to eight. Andy Montee has been
eliminated from the field. Advancing are Randy Schultz, Kenton Randolph, Marty
Novak, Jeff Schomburg, Brenda Blessing, Kenneth Reeder, Kent “Spanky” O’Dell,
and Carl Jennings. They will be on the ballot in the April 5th city
General Election.Schultz received the most votes, 4,054. Randoph came in second
with 3,924 and Marty Novak finished third with 3,404 votes.Insurance agent Taylor Crouse easily won the Second District
city council seat, far outdistancing the field and being elected outright with
nearly 64% of the vote. Crouse garnered 964 votes with Aaron Armstrong a
distant second with 209 votes. Mike Bodde and Ben Burtnett each received 168
votes.It was a light turnout for the primary election, as expected.
Only 7,863 votes were cast, not quite 19-percent of the registered voters.Click <a href="https://www.livevoterturnout.com/buchananmo/LiveResults/en/Index_12.html">here</a> for the unofficial results tabulated by the Buchanan County Clerk's office.This article has been updated since first published.

Josendale, Wilkinson advance for St. Joseph mayor's race

The St. Joseph Imagine 2040 plan was designed to help improve the community, and a big focus of it right now is on improving education in St. Joseph. &nbsp;

Director of the St. Joseph Community Alliance Tama Wagner says the 2040 plan was passed in 2018, but actually implementing the plan, is an ongoing process.&nbsp;

"But it's not prescriptive, it doesn't say if you do A, B, and C, then this is miraculously fixed," Wagner tells Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. "And anybody who has done any sort of community improvement work knows it's a process."&nbsp;

Wagner says she thinks they will always be in the implementation phase, but the alliance recognizes the successes.&nbsp;

Wagner says a lot of the plans investing in people is how to improve the community to be more livable, and a lot of that focus right now is on education.&nbsp;

"I think we all know our school district faces some challenges, and so one of the calls in the 2040 plan is to create a community that values and invests in education," Wagner says.&nbsp;

Wagner says one big way they are doing that is by supporting the Vision Forward community engagement meetings held by the St. Joseph School District. &nbsp;

Vision Forward held its first meeting last month, and will hold the second of four meetings later this month at Word of Life Church. &nbsp;

But Wagner is aware that improving the school system presents a lot of challenges. &nbsp;

By MATT PIKE&nbsp;St. Joseph Post&nbsp;The St. Joseph Imagine 2040 plan was designed to help improve the community, and a big focus of it right now is on improving education in St. Joseph. &nbsp;Director of the St. Joseph Community Alliance Tama Wagner says the 2040 plan was passed in 2018, but actually implementing the plan, is an ongoing process.&nbsp;"But it's not prescriptive, it doesn't say if you do A, B, and C, then this is miraculously fixed," Wagner tells Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. "And anybody who has done any sort of community improvement work knows it's a process."&nbsp;Wagner says she thinks they will always be in the implementation phase, but the alliance recognizes the successes.&nbsp;Wagner says a lot of the plans investing in people is how to improve the community to be more livable, and a lot of that focus right now is on education.&nbsp;"I think we all know our school district faces some challenges, and so one of the calls in the 2040 plan is to create a community that values and invests in education," Wagner says.&nbsp;Wagner says one big way they are doing that is by supporting the Vision Forward community engagement meetings held by the St. Joseph School District. &nbsp;Vision Forward held its first meeting last month, and will hold the second of four meetings later this month at Word of Life Church. &nbsp;But Wagner is aware that improving the school system presents a lot of challenges. &nbsp;"Here are the challenges that we face, currently St. Joseph ranks 377th out of 516 public schools in the state of Missouri," Wagner says. "Are you satisfied with that, do you want that to get better, if you want that to get better than what should we do, and that's all this is about," Wagner explains.&nbsp;

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