The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation today announced the 2022 crop loan rate differentials for upland and extra-long staple cotton which are applied to the crop loan rate to determine the per bale actual loan rate. The differentials, also referred to as loan rate premiums and discounts were calculated based on market valuations […]
Tag: 2018
Missouri man sentenced to 30 years in prison for crack cocaine trafficking and an illegal Firearm
A Missouri man with an extensive history of violent crime was sentenced in federal court for trafficking crack cocaine and illegally possessing a firearm. Mitchell B. Byrd, 43, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 30 years in federal prison without parole. This sentence is an upward variance from the […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to $10 million conspiracy to distribute 1,000 kilos of meth
A Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a nearly $10 million conspiracy to distribute almost 1,000 kilograms (2204 pounds) of methamphetamine. Michael B. Becher, 40, Raytown, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019. […]
Missouri man sentenced to 13 years in prison, without parole, for meth conspiracy
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Darrell Lynn Ferguson, 57, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 13 years and one month in federal prison without parole. On Oct. 6, 2021, Ferguson pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy […]
Marceline man facing multiple felony sexual abuse charges
A Marceline man faces multiple counts of felony sexual abuse in Linn County. Online court information shows 45-year-old Michael Thomas Gulley has been charged with four counts of first-degree sexual abuse involving a victim less than 14 years of age, stemming from January 2018 to July 2019. He has also been charged with three counts […]
Democrats file suit to keep two-time Republican candidate off ballot for Missouri House seat
(Missouri Independent) – Democrats want to kick a candidate off the ballot in the race for a Kansas City-area Missouri House seat, claiming the Grandview man who filed in the 36th District contest is actually “a longtime Republican and vocal opponent of the Democratic Party.” John D. Boyd Jr. filed for the seat on Feb. […]
Count Basie Orchestra to play at Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre on April 24
The legendary Count Basie Orchestra comes to the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre for a show on Sunday, April 24, 2022. Featuring members personally chosen by him, more than 30 years after his passing. Pianist and bandleader William James “Count” Basie was and still is an American institution that personifies the grandeur and excellence of jazz. […]
No signs of support for Greitens in Missouri county where abuse charges will be heard
(Missouri Independent) – A smattering of giggles greeted the name of former Gov. Eric Greitens Friday evening when emcee Branden Rathert called for the U.S. Senate candidates invited to speak at Boone County Republican Lincoln Days to come forward. Up to that point, there had been no trace of Greitens or his campaign at the […]
Missouri Attorney General obtains judgment and full restitution for victims in “Lantern Fest” lawsuit
Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced the entry of a consent judgment against Happy Fun Events, LLC, Owen Spencer Hunn, and Martha Hunn. The Hunns owned Happy Fun Events, a Utah-based company, that put on “Lantern Fest” events around the country. Happy Fun Events had scheduled an event in Jefferson County for November 2018 that it […]
Audio: U.S. Senator Josh Hawley says duck boat safety law must happen
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley spoke to Missourinet after a judge dropped the criminal charges in the 2018 deadly duck boat tragedy in Branson. Senator Hawley was Missouri’s attorney general when the amphibious craft capsized during severe weather on Table Rock Lake killing seventeen people. In one of his first official duties in Congress, […]
Jury convicts University of Kansas researcher for hiding ties to Chinese government
A former University of Kansas (KU) professor was convicted by a federal jury on three counts of wire fraud and one count of false statements after he deliberately concealed that he was also employed by a government-affiliated university in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) while working on U.S. government-funded research at KU. Feng Tao, […]
Audio: Judge dismisses criminal charges in Ride The Ducks deaths in Branson
The judge in the criminal trial of three men accused of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of 17 people in the Duck Boat Tragedy has dismissed all charges. Stone County Judge Alan Blankenship issued his ruling on Tuesday after delaying the initial hearing for his decision in March. The boat was swamped by waves caused […]
Women within Missouri GOP speak out against Eric Greitens as party remains silent
(Missouri Independent) – In just two weeks since allegations of domestic violence surfaced, Eric Greitens’ campaign for the U.S. Senate has been under siege from fellow Republicans urging him to drop out of the race. With one notable exception. The state party, which in recent years has denounced several candidates running under the GOP banner for […]
Control of Title X federal family planning funds remains with Missouri nonprofit
(Missouri Independent) – Despite facing competition from the state health department, the nonprofit Missouri Family Health Council Inc. will continue to administer federal Title X family planning funds. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded more than $250 million in Title X funding this week, including $5.3 million to Missouri. That money helps pay […]
U.S. House votes to decriminalize marijuana in federal law
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. House passed legislation Friday to legalize marijuana nationally, but its future is much less clear in the Senate. The House voted 220-204 to approve the measure, which would fix the split between federal law and 19 states where recreational marijuana is legal. Three Republicans joined all but two Democrats in approving the measure. […]
USDA offers CLEAR30 option for producers to enroll land with expiring conservation contracts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing the signup period for its Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative (CLEAR30) — a nationwide opportunity for certain landowners and agricultural producers currently implementing water quality practices through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to enroll in 30-year contracts, extending the lifespan and strengthening the benefits of important water quality […]
Trenton Rotary Club presented information on agriculture project by Trenton FFA President Colton Roy
Trenton FFA President Colton Roy discussed his supervised agriculture experience project at the Trenton Rotary Club meeting on March 31st. The Trenton High School senior’s project involves the development and operation of a beekeeping operation, Sugar Creek Apiaries. Roy began his project as a freshman in 2018 with one hive. He now has 50 hives. […]