Weston 1 News

08/21/2024

NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL: The East Buchanan Board of Education approved a guaranteed maximum price agreement Monday for the district’s new middle school.

The agreement with Al J. Mueller Construction Company caps construction costs at $15.5 million.

The district broke ground on the project in April. The new middle school will be located just west of Heritage Park in Gower.

District Superintendent Josh Newell told the board rain has impacted construction this summer, but the project remains on track to be completed before the 2025-26 school year. Foundation work is set to begin next week.

08/20/2024

UPDATE: The City of Plattsburg has lifted its citywide boil advisory after tests confirmed the water is safe.

The advisory was first issued on Friday after crews identified a leak in a water line leading to a storage tank. The pipe was repaired Saturday morning after crews located it beneath a creek.

The City of Edgerton, which purchases water from Plattsburg, has also lifted its boil advisory.

08/20/2024

NOW OPEN: Route N has reopened south of Platte City following a months-long construction project.

The project included stormwater improvements and resurfacing between 136th Street and Seven Bridges Road. The road was reopened over the weekend.

Crews will return after September 1 to complete final grading and seeding.

08/20/2024

Happy First Day of School, West Platte! Expect some clouds, but most areas should stay dry despite a slight chance of sprinkles.

Most area districts head back to school on Tuesday. A stray sprinkle is possible, but many will stay dry.

08/19/2024

The sturgeon moon will rise in the southeastern sky on Monday night. August's full moon gets its named from peak fishing for giant sturgeons in the Great Lakes. This year's sturgeon moon is the first of four supermoons in 2024. It will appear up to 16% brighter and 7% larger than an average full moon.

Tonight's moon is also a seasonal blue moon, the third of four full moons this summer season.

Viewing conditions will be fair with a few clouds across northwest Missouri.

08/19/2024

TRAFFIC ALERT: First responders are on the scene of a crash on Route K near 78th Terrace in southern Platte County.

Evergy is reporting a handful of customers without power near crash.

08/19/2024

It's the last night of summer for the East Buchanan and Park Hill school districts. Lots of sunshine is on tap for the first day of classes.

Almost perfect weather is expected as some area districts kick off the school year on Monday.

08/19/2024

UPDATE: The crash has been cleared.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Law enforcement is on the scene of a crash on southbound Interstate 29 past Rochester Road in St. Joseph.

08/18/2024

UPDATE: The road is open.

TRAFFIC ALERT: St. Joseph Police are telling drivers to avoid northbound Interstate 229 past Route A due to a crash.

08/17/2024

HOT SUMMER NIGHT: The Downtown Platte City Association will host a free event on Main Street this weekend.

The event, dubbed Hot Summer Night, will run from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Organizers said Main Street will be closed to build a 120-foot slip-and-slide.

The festivities will also include a water bounce house for kids, live music from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and axe throwing.

A pyro performance by Pyro Flow is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m.

Smash burgers, barbecue, and alcohol will be available for purchase.

According to a special event application, Main Street between Second and Fourth streets will be closed starting at 3 p.m. Saturday.

08/17/2024

UPDATE: The boil advisory has been lifted.

BOIL ADVISORY: The City of Plattsburg remains under a boil advisory after a water line was repaired.

According to an alert sent to residents, water flowing back into the system, and customers should have service back soon. A storage tank must fill to a certain level before all customers regain water service.

Plattsburg is asking residents to conserve water on Saturday to help increase system pressure, advising against activities like watering lawns and running washing machines.

Crews had been working around the clock since 8 a.m. Friday to repair a major water leak. The repairs involved replacing a water line located deep underground beneath a creek.

The City of Edgerton, which purchases water from Plattsburg, is also under a boil advisory.

Residents are advised to boil water for at least three minutes before using it for drinking, food preparation, or brushing teeth. They should also discard ice cubes and avoid using ice from automatic ice makers.

08/17/2024

ICYMI: The Missouri State Fair broke ground on a new climate-controlled indoor arena.

The 2024 Missouri State Fair concludes on Sunday.

NEW ARENA: The Missouri State Fair Commission broke ground Thursday on a new indoor arena at the state fairgrounds in Sedalia.

The 150,000-square-foot arena will be located in the southwest corner of the fairgrounds, replacing the old outdoor facility. The new arena will be climate-controlled and available to host events year-round, in addition to its use during the state fair.

“This new arena is a significant investment in the future of the Missouri State Fairgrounds,” said State Fair Commission Chairman Kevin Roberts.

Fair officials announced the arena will be named the Governor Michael L. Parson Arena, in recognition of the governor’s dedication to the Missouri State Fair during his time in office.

Events typically held in the outdoor arena have been canceled for the 2024 fair as construction begins.

The arena is expected to be completed in 2026.

08/17/2024

UPDATE: The boil advisory has been lifted.

BOIL ADVISORY: The City of Plattsburg notified customers no water is available after a storage tank ran out of water.

According to an alert sent to residents, crews worked through the night to repair a broken water line. The pipe is difficult to access as it is located deep underground beneath a creek.

The city expects water service to be restored once the water line is fixed.

A citywide boil advisory will remain in effect after service is restored.

08/16/2024

BRIDGE CLOSED: 29th Street is closed to through traffic between Commercial and Pear streets in St. Joseph due to a damaged bridge.

Road closed signs were posted at the bridge Friday afternoon.

Weston 1 News has reached out to the City of St. Joseph Public Works Department for more information but has not heard back.

08/16/2024

UPDATE: Weston 1 News has updated this story with new information.

The City of Plattsburg is under a boil advisory, not a boil order as previously reported. This change reflects new information released by the city.

UPDATE: The boil advisory has been lifted.

BREAKING: The City of Plattsburg is under a citywide boil advisory after a drop in water pressure, according to an alert sent to residents.

Public works crews have been working on a major water leak since 8 a.m. Friday. The city is awaiting a decision from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources on whether a boil order will be issued.

Residents are advised to boil water for at least three minutes before using it for drinking, food preparation, or brushing teeth. They should discard ice cubes and avoid using ice from automatic ice makers. New ice should be made with boiled water.

The City of Edgerton, which purchases its water from Plattsburg, notified residents on Friday morning a water main break in Plattsburg could result in low or no water pressure for some residents.

08/16/2024

NEW WEBSITE: The City of Weston plans to roll out a new website in the coming months.

On Monday, the Board of Aldermen approved an agreement with Hannah Magee to redesign the city's website and provide training for city staff on maintaining it.

Magee’s proposal was selected during a closed session in July. According to the agreement, the city will pay Magee $4,800 for the development of the new site.

Residents have expressed concerns on social media about difficulties in accessing meeting agendas and minutes on the current city website.

"This is a great step forward to ensure the citizens of Weston are educated on a variety of topics and hopefully provide easier access to agendas, meeting minutes, downloadable forms that the city uses, ordinances, resolutions, and budget-related items to ensure accountability," said Weston resident Jerry Gross.

Also at the meeting, the board approved a request from property owners to replat lots in the 1000 block of Spring Street.

The city scheduled a public hearing on the proposed property tax rate for 6 p.m. on August 29 at City Hall.

08/16/2024

UPDATE: The boil advisory has been lifted.

BREAKING: The City of Plattsburg is under a citywide boil advisory after a drop in water pressure, according to an alert sent to residents.

Public works crews have been working on a major water leak since 8 a.m. Friday. The city is awaiting a decision from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources on whether a boil order will be issued.

Residents are advised to boil water for at least three minutes before using it for drinking, food preparation, or brushing teeth. They should discard ice cubes and avoid using ice from automatic ice makers. New ice should be made with boiled water.

The City of Edgerton, which purchases its water from Plattsburg, notified residents on Friday morning a water main break in Plattsburg could result in low or no water pressure for some residents.

08/16/2024

BACK TO SCHOOL: Area school districts are set to start classes next week. Below is a list of start dates for local districts:

Monday, August 19:
• East Buchanan C-1 School District
• Park Hill School District

Tuesday, August 20:
• Buchanan County R-IV School District
• Cameron R-I School District
• Clinton County R-III School District
• Kearney R-I School District
• Lathrop R-II School District
• Lawson R-XIV School District
• North Platte R-I School District
• Osborn R-0 School District
• Platte County R-III School District
• Smithville R-II School District
• Stewartsville C-2 School District
• West Platte R-II School District

Wednesday, August 21:
• Mid-Buchanan R-V School District
• St. Joseph School District

Next week, we will explore how districts are handling phones in classrooms.

08/16/2024

FINAL COUNTDOWN: You have just days left to view the hearts scattered across the Kansas City metro before they are removed.

The 101 heart sculptures in the 2024 Parade of Hearts will be taken down over a three day period, starting Sunday.

The iconic KC Heart design will be retired after this year. The public art display will take a hiatus in 2025 before returning with a new art form in 2026.

An online auction is underway, with more than 80 hearts available for purchase. Proceeds from the auction will support local nonprofits.

The auction ends at noon on August 23.

08/16/2024

ORDERED TO STOP: A Bitcoin farm in Platte County has been ordered to stop operations after violating zoning regulations, according to county officials.

The facility, located at 19500 Humphrey’s Road, sits behind a power substation owned by NW Electric Cooperative. The county issued a Zoning Violation Stop Order in May after receiving a complaint.

A Bitcoin farm is a facility where computers mine cryptocurrencies by solving complex mathematical puzzles. Evolution Technology, LLC, which operates the farm, subleases 0.4 acres of the property and uses five shipping containers to house its computers.

The company appealed the stop order to the Platte County Board of Zoning Adjustment. At a meeting last week, neighbors urged the board to deny the appeal, citing constant noise from the cooling equipment for the computers. Evolution Technology argued the farm is an accessory use permitted by zoning regulations because it helps manage the electrical grid by drawing power from the substation. The board rejected the appeal.

Weston 1 News reached out to attorneys representing Evolution Technology but did not receive a response.

County officials plan to revisit the property Friday to assess whether the violations have been addressed. If not, the case will be forwarded to the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office to determine if charges should be filed.

08/16/2024

UPDATE: The road is open.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Missouri Route 31 is shut down between O'Brian Road and Kerns Road, south of Easton, due to a crash.

08/16/2024

PUBLIC MEETING: Dozens attended a public meeting Thursday to discuss the environmental assessment of the Interstate 229 double-decker bridge in St. Joseph.

Since 2018, Hg Consult has led the assessment to identify a long-term solution for the aging bridge. The process narrowed the alternatives from 21 to five.

Alternative D emerged as the recommended alternative after receiving support from local leaders. This plan calls for demolishing the existing double-decker bridge and replacing it with a four-lane arterial road. The new road would be near ground level, with the necessary elevation to meet floodplain and stormwater requirements

Two new bridges would span the railroad tracks at the north and south ends of the existing bridge. A new four-way intersection would be built at Fourth Street and Missouri Route 759. The plan also includes modifications to the St. Joseph Avenue interchange to allow traffic to enter and exit in both directions.

Existing access to downtown St. Joseph via Edmond and Felix streets would be eliminated.

The Federal Highway Administration is expected to review the recommended alternative this fall. If it issues a Finding of No Significant Impact, the Missouri Department of Transportation may proceed with the design process.

MoDOT will accept public comments on the environmental assessment for the next 10 days.

08/16/2024

8:25 PM LIVE Severe Weather Update

08/16/2024

Wow! Check out this view looking east from Weston at a thunderstorm near Smithville Lake.

08/15/2024

NEW ARENA: The Missouri State Fair Commission broke ground Thursday on a new indoor arena at the state fairgrounds in Sedalia.

The 150,000-square-foot arena will be located in the southwest corner of the fairgrounds, replacing the old outdoor facility. The new arena will be climate-controlled and available to host events year-round, in addition to its use during the state fair.

“This new arena is a significant investment in the future of the Missouri State Fairgrounds,” said State Fair Commission Chairman Kevin Roberts.

Fair officials announced the arena will be named the Governor Michael L. Parson Arena, in recognition of the governor’s dedication to the Missouri State Fair during his time in office.

Events typically held in the outdoor arena have been canceled for the 2024 fair as construction begins.

The arena is expected to be completed in 2026.

08/15/2024

Here’s the view from St. Joseph around 5 p.m. as a severe storm passed just north of the city.

08/15/2024

UPDATE: The crash has been cleared.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Northbound Interstate 29 is slow going just north of Frederick Avenue in St. Joseph due to a crash.

08/15/2024

Thunderstorms could develop after 5 p.m. as a weak cold front moves through northwest Missouri.

A few storms may be severe, with quarter-sized hail and winds up to 60 mph. While the tornado threat is very low, a tornado or two cannot be ruled out.

Storms will likely be isolated to scattered, so some areas might stay dry.

08/15/2024

Most areas picked up at least three-quarters of an inch of rain.

We had a solid round of rain across the area last night!