Crash involving KCFD firetruck and SUV ends inside building, kills 3 people

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City police say three people are dead after a KCFD firetruck crashed into an oncoming vehicle and into a building in Midtown near Westport Wednesday night.

The driver and passenger from a Honda SUV in the collision are dead and the pedestrian that is believed to have been helping someone get into a car has now been confirmed dead Thursday.

The incident was reported just before 10:30 p.m. at a building near 40th Street and Broadway Avenue.

Emergency crews are still on scene Thursday securing the area after the building partially collapsed from the crash.

The pedestrian has been identified as an adult woman and was located hours after the collapse of the building.

According to Sgt. Bill Mahoney with KCPD’s Accident Investigation Unit, a fire truck collided with a Honda headed the opposite direction on Broadway, causing both the truck and the vehicle to crash into a nearby building.

Fire Capt. Jason Spreitzer said that the scene would be active for some time and that drivers should expect lane closures.

FOX4 will continue to keep you updated on fox4kc.com and on air.

Alleged Northpark Mall robber changes plea deal before trial

JOPLIN, Mo. — A Joplin robbery suspect changes his plea just before his trial was scheduled to begin.

Terrence Tinsley entered an Alford plea on charges of First Degree Robbery and Armed Criminal Action. A third charge against him was dismissed as part of the plea.

As a result of his plea, a judge sentenced him to ten years in prison on the robbery charge and three years in prison for the other charge. Those sentences will run consecutively.

These charges are from an incident in November 30th of last year when JPD were called to an armed robbery in the parking lot of Northpark Mall.

Victims say they were approached by three men who demanded their wallets at gunpoint. Those suspects took off in a vehicle, but were later taken into custody following a pursuit. One of the other suspects in the case was sentenced for his role in the crime on Monday.

Southeast Kansas Parks and Recreation Department looking for community input

PITTSBURG, Ks. — The Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Department is looking for community input.

It hosts a number of programs through the year, and currently has an opening for one that will be held on Tuesday nights from 6 pm until 8, beginning in February.

Officials now want to hear from the public when it comes to exactly what the focus of that program would be.

“It’s so important because our community members are the ones attending these events, so it’s just more important that we get their input so we’re doing something that they want rather than something we think they want,” says Ashten Graham, Recreation Program Manager.

Suggestions will be taken through the end of the month, and can be emailed or posted to the department’s Facebook page.

Grave plot for brother of Langston Hughes given headstone thanks to local group and business

JOPLIN, Mo. — Langston Hughes is one of the most famous poets in American history. And, of course, he was born in Joplin. But he wasn’t the only member of the family that was born here,

Langston Hughes was born in a house at 1046 Joplin Avenue in February of 1901. The house no longer exists, but members of the Langston Hughes cultural society want to place a historical marker on the site in the future.

“And it also shows there’s Black History you know, here in Joplin that ranges back that far,” said Melissa Swindell, President of the Langston Hughes Cultural Society.

But about a year before Langston was born, another child, also a boy, and his brother, whose name is unknown, came into the world. Sadly, he never had the chance to impact American culture like Langston did, he died just weeks after being born.

Most of the young children and infants buried in this particular part of the cemetery died from one of three diseases that was rampant at the time.

Will Martin, also a member of the Langston Hughes cultural society, says the likely culprit was smallpox. It wasn’t until last year that his group even learned of the firstborn son to Carrie and James Hughes.

And it took more research before he could say for sure what part of Fairview Cemetery he was laid to rest.

“And finally we came out to the Joplin cemetery office, went through the records and they had it misspelled, instead of Hughes, they left off the “E” on the end and this is where he is buried,” said Martin.

Thanks to the donation from Joplin Granite Company, the Hughes child finally has a headstone to call his own, which Swindell says would make Langston happy.

“That’s what makes it the best, that’s what makes us happy because we got that accomplished for him because he had came back here at one time to try and get a headstone but he couldn’t afford to get it,” said Swindell.

CHS students learn about marketing and munching with food truck project

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Food trucks have been around for years, and on Thursday students in Carthage were asked to dream up their own.

High school students in Carthage as well as those in the culinary arts program put their heads together to create their own mythical restaurant on wheels.

Carthage High School teacher Monica Curl says the exercise is ideal for helping students in her marketing class, as well as those that might make food service their career.

“My class created food trucks and then they worked on the design, the menu, the logo and what they would use to advertise it, and then we paired with Mrs. Jones culinary kids to actually like produce a product from their truck, so each group made one food product from each truck,” said Curl.

“Having this experience and knowing what how we can bring that together, what we need to do, what we need to learn, and this is just the mild step that we have and that insight was just so like relieving like just made it feel a lot better for my future, and I’ve had a lot of other students also say the exact same thing, so it was really helpful,” said Kyli McNee, a student at CHS.

McNee added she was excited for this project because she want’s to start her own business some day.

Pittsburg PD receives new body cameras

PITTSBURG, Kans. — The Pittsburg Police Department will soon receive an upgrade in the fight against crime

On Tuesday night the Pittsburg City Commission approved the purchase of 32 body cameras.

It was made possible through funds from the Pittsburg Public Safety Sales Tax. The cameras will be worn by officers in the department’s patrol and investigations divisions.

“These cameras help ensure agency transparency is going on, there’s individual officer accountability for actions, and it also helps with evidence collection, more and more we’re seeing video is being in court to help proceed cases further,” said PPD Deputy Chief of Police, Major Ben Henderson.

The department could start integrating the body-cameras by March or April of next year.

Pittsburg FD teams up with kids in Shop with a Firefighter

PITTSBURG, Kans. — A southeast Kansas fire department held a special shopping spree Thursday.

The Pittsburg Fire Department held its annual holiday shopping event. Ten students from George Nettels Elementary School joined members of the department at the Walmart Supercenter on Broadway.

The kids spent the day going down the aisles of the store and filling up their carts with holiday gifts. The event was made possible through the fire department’s charity fund, which originally started back in 1997.

“Each fireman will pitch in $60 a year and this will go for taking the kids shopping and also will take in needy families, if they have a house or something burns, we have gift cards that we hand out,” said Cpt. Rich Wood of the Pittsburg Fire Department.

A fire truck delivered the gifts to the student’s homes that same night.

WANTED: Man suspected of assault with a weapon near Carthage

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Jasper County authorities are asking for help in locating a man they say assaulted two people with a weapon early Friday morning.

Deputies with the department were dispatched to an area east of Carthage near the intersection of CR 118 and Jolt Ln. At the scene they learned a man assaulted two people by use of a weapon, according to a Facebook post by the department.

Bryan Gomez-Perez

The man, 19 year-old Bryan Gomez-Perez, has not yet been located and is considered armed and dangerous. He was last seen wearing a dark colored jacket, black jeans with a flower pattern on them.

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The sheriff’s office ask that you not approach Gomez-Perez, but instead contact them at (417) 625-4331 or dial 911.

News to Know (12/17/21)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three people are dead after a fire truck collided with another vehicle, then plowed over a sidewalk and into a building in a Kansas City entertainment district. Two people in a sport utility vehicle hit by the fire truck Wednesday night died in the crash and a pedestrian was buried under the wreckage and rubble from the partially-collapsed building. That pedestrian, a woman, also died. Police say the crash happened when the fire truck was headed to an emergency call with its lights and siren on. The truck hit the SUV at an intersection in the Westport entertainment district.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Kan. – The omicron variant, that’s already been detected in Missouri, is officially confirmed in Kansas. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced that a person in Franklin County in Northeastern Kansas is infected with the variant. The person has not received a booster. The health department says no additional details will be released about the person to protect their privacy. Janet Stanek, the acting head of the department, says the detection of the variant comes as no surprise.

CENTRAL KANSAS – A series of grass fires in central kansas has scorched more than 200-square miles, leaving tens of thousands of people without power. The wildfires, fueled by wind gusts of up to 100 miles per hour, broke out Wednesday and have claimed several homes and other structures. At least one person is being treated at a hospital burn unit. Livestock, including cattle and horses, were killed. The damage is so extensive, there is no firm estimate yet on when power can be restored to the area.

CARTHAGE, Mo. – Before Wednesday’s storms even arrived, strong winds caused damage in the 4-states. Near Carthage, Missouri, the winds picked up a metal building which got caught on an electric pole leaving it looking like what our photographer described as a “teepee”. The property owner says no was hurt.

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: How do you prepare for extreme weather? Do you have an emergency kit on hand? Do you have plans to go to a shelter? Perhaps you trim your tree branches ahead of the storm? Or maybe you just plan to deal with what comes? Join our KOAM Facebook discussion and cast your vote @ koamnewsnow.com/vote.

Your Toybox donations are being distributed

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Your Toybox Donations are now in the hands of Santa’s helpers at the Pittsburg Salvation Army, among many other places around the four-state area.

Staff from the Pittsburg School District and the Pittsburg Area Young Professionals helped receive the donations.