Good morning, Saint Joseph.

The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 106th annual banquet today at 6 p.m. at the Civic Arena; the Garden Gala will celebrate 2025 achievements with speeches by Scott Gann and Nancy Potter Lyle.

Ruby Theatre invites local families to the Princess Tea Party on Jan.

17 at 1:00 and 4:30 p.m. at 615 S. 10th Street. The event offers live performances by princesses, fun activities, a formal coronation where each child receives a tiara, and tickets cost $38 with a Jan. 16 deadline.

The Wyeth-Tootle Mansion will host a soul food buffet on Monday, Jan.

19 to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Guests can choose brunch at 11:00 a.m. or dinner at 6:00 p.m. with tickets sold online that include meals, drinks + gratuity.

On Jan. 13, the Pony Express Museum will launch its 28th Tuesday Night Talks series to mark the United States 250th anniversary.

The lectures will cover local 1800s history in the museum.

Missouri Western State University will begin selling beer + wine at Griffon basketball games today at the MWSU Fieldhouse at the Looney Complex.

Service will start at the tip-off of the women’s game and end 10 minutes before the men’s contest finishes, following a new safety plan with Aramark.

St. Joseph School District is reorganizing staffing ahead of its new school model next school year as principals have been placed and teachers will soon select their preferred school (choices will consider certification and years of service).

Meetings will take place this month.

Northwest Missouri State University mourned the loss of senior Joe Huber (a mass media major from St. Joseph) who passed away on Tuesday, Jan.

6 after a brief illness. University officials urged students needing support to reach out to Wellness Services or University Police.

The North Pointe veterinary clinic held an open house yesterday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 5423 North Pointe Drive near North Shoppes - Dr. Austin Haeker will begin accepting new clients on Wednesday, Jan.

14 and offers regular clinics and 24-hour emergency care.

The December health inspections report shows that several local restaurants and retailers had no recommendations, while others faced issues like unsanitizing dishwashers and dirty food prep areas (such as at Felix and Robidoux Resident Theater).

Some establishments have already corrected minor problems, with others set to make improvements soon.

The Andrew County Health Department completed its quarterly food inspections covering October to December 2025.

The report shows that many spots, including Jesse’s Last Stop in St Joseph, had minor issues like unlabelled ice bags and dusty floors, with some problems fixed on-site (COS).

Flu cases are rising locally as Buchanan County recorded 568 cases plus Northwest Missouri reported 2,433, local health officials said.

KQ2 will update the story as more details become available.

Construction is underway at the Marriott TownePlace Suites Hotel (129-room) (valued at $10M) on 1401 N.

Woodbine Road; crews began pouring foundations in late Oct. 2025 and are now installing plumbing as the project is set to finish by June when Kansas City prepares for the FIFA World Cup.

KQ2 Sports aired the first edition of Basketball 2 Night today — Benton Cardinals beat Branson 54-40 while North Platte Panthers won overtime 53-50 for boys and 51-39 for girls in Weston.

Additional scores from over 20 high school games across northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri rounded out the broadcast.

Winter Renewal: A Wellness Retreat

10 AM – 4 PM — Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art — $125 — Experience a restorative day with yoga, meditation, and creative arts in a tranquil museum setting.

Galentine's Paint & Sip

6-8 p.m. — The Den — Ticket required — Celebrate love and friendship with a fun paint project and a welcome drink.

DiOzzy Concert

6:30-10 p.m. — Good Times Event Center — All ages welcome — Experience the debut of DiOzzy, Kansas City's tribute to Black Sabbath.