08/26/2026
WRJE News — Wednesday, August 26, 2026
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A highway maintenance project that has already been postponed twice is affecting one of St. Joseph’s busiest interchanges Wednesday, while the city moves closer to opening its new animal shelter and northwest Missouri emerges from a morning of exceptionally dense fog.
Here’s what WRJE is following across St. Joseph and Buchanan County.
I-29 bridge work moves forward after repeated delays
Motorists traveling through the Interstate 29 and U.S. 36 interchange received several different schedules for the same maintenance project this week.
The Missouri Department of Transportation originally planned maintenance on the northbound I-29 bridge over U.S. 36 for Monday. Equipment problems first pushed the work to Tuesday, and MoDOT subsequently delayed it again until Wednesday, August 26.
Under Wednesday's official schedule, northbound I-29 is reduced to one lane between mile markers 45.8 and 46.2 from 6 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Two interchange ramps are also scheduled to close during the work: the northbound I-29 ramp to westbound U.S. 36 and the eastbound U.S. 36 ramp to northbound I-29. Motorists needing either connection should use an alternate route.
The repeated postponements make Wednesday's update particularly important. Drivers who heard earlier announcements could reasonably believe the project had already been completed.
Other construction continues around Buchanan County. MoDOT's weekly schedule lists the long-term I-29 resurfacing project between Pigeon Creek at mile marker 39.8 and the Platte County line at mile marker 31 through mid-October. That project can reduce I-29 to one lane overnight between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. and carries an 11-foot width restriction.
Dense fog dropped St. Joseph visibility below one-quarter mile
Anyone who drove through St. Joseph early Wednesday didn't need a forecast to know visibility was poor.
The National Weather Service St. Joseph forecast and observations reported visibility at Rosecrans Memorial Airport at just 0.15 mile at 7:53 a.m., with 100-percent humidity and calm wind. A Dense Fog Advisory for St. Joseph and Buchanan County remained in effect until 9 a.m.
The fog has since cleared, meaning the advisory is no longer an active afternoon hazard.
Conditions are expected to remain considerably quieter. The official St. Joseph forecast calls for mostly clear skies Wednesday night with a low around 62 degrees, followed by sunshine Thursday and a high near 86.
A St. Joseph resident has been sentenced to federal prison following an illegal-reentry case.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri, Byron Perez-Roblero, 39, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for reentering the United States after deportation.
Federal prosecutors describe Perez-Roblero as a Guatemalan national who had been deported five times—in 2009, 2011, 2017, 2020 and 2021—and who had a previous 2021 federal conviction for illegal reentry in Arizona.
Authorities encountered Perez-Roblero in St. Joseph on September 18, 2025, while Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Buchanan County Sheriff's Department were serving a federal warrant for another person.
Animal Services relocation continues
St. Joseph Animal Services remains in the middle of its move to the city's new animal shelter.
Public-facing shelter operations, including adoption processing, are unavailable through Thursday, August 27, while animals and equipment are transferred to the new facility. Field-service complaints are continuing during the transition.
The move sets the stage for the new shelter at 3409 S. Belt Highway to be introduced to the community Friday. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, August 28, followed by public tours.
For residents considering an adoption or other in-person shelter business, the important point Wednesday is simple: the temporary service interruption remains in effect.
Adult Education continues in St. Joseph
Education opportunities aren't limited to traditional classrooms as the new school year begins.
The St. Joseph School District's Adult Education and Literacy program has an evening enrollment session scheduled from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday for participants in the current enrollment group.
The district's adult-education offerings include programs aimed at helping adults continue their education as well as English-language and citizenship instruction.
Thursday brings city meetings and local-history programming
Several community and civic events are scheduled Thursday.
The city's calendar lists the St. Joseph Planning Commission at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, followed by a Library Board meeting at 6 p.m.
Earlier in the day, the Joyce Raye Patterson 50+ Activity Center is scheduled to host “Dear George: History of the Declaration of Independence” from 1 to 2 p.m. The historical presentation is listed as free.
Looking toward Friday, high-school volleyball also takes center stage at the Civic Arena with the High School Volleyball Classic.
No new emergency development in Heritage Sports Complex investigation
WRJE-LP 96.1 FM — Where St. Joseph Comes First.
