A St. Louis area woman is in trouble, accused of leading police on a dangerous chase while having child in the car. Police say she was driving northbound in a southbound lane of the interstate Monday and wouldn’t stop after they tried to pull her over. Court documents claim 26-year-old Daysha Addison sped […]
Category: State News
Ronald robs McDonald’s, gets 9 years in Missouri prison
A former employee of a downtown McDonald’s restaurant and the man who helped him rob the restaurant at gunpoint in 2019 were sentenced in U.S. District Court to federal prison. U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced the former employee, Ronald Scott, 23, of St. Louis County, to nine years and four months in prison. […]
New report says Missouri food pantry clients face hard choices
A new report finds many Missourians still struggle with food insecurity, and at much higher levels than before the pandemic. Food pantries are seeing demand at 50% over what it was pre-COVID, and 70% of food-pantry clients surveyed by the University of Missouri said they often don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Kim […]
Missouri governor signs law shielding doctors prescribing Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine
(Missouri Independent) – A bill signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson Tuesday will shield healthcare providers from losing their medical licenses when prescribing ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine, two medications that have not been shown to be effective in treating COVID-19. The language was included in a bill dealing with professional licensing regulations, and it was not highlighted in […]
Missouri man sentenced to four years in prison on child pornography and homemade explosive device charges
U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a Jefferson County, Missouri man who was caught with child pornography and homemade explosive devices to four years in prison. Nathan L. J. Baucom, 26, pleaded guilty in October to possession of child pornography and possession of an unregistered firearm or destructive device. He admitted receiving […]
Missouri man gets nearly 5 years in prison for jail escape and gun charge
U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a man who escaped from the St. Ann jail while awaiting trial on a gun charge to four years and nine months in prison. Jason W. Woolbright, 48, of Jefferson County, arranged for the purchase of a 1996 red Ford Mustang in June of 2021 and […]
Osteopathic physician pleads guilty to illegally prescribing Xanax in Missouri
An osteopathic physician from Collinsville, Illinois pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Tuesday and admitted illegally prescribing an anti-anxiety drug. Matthew Steven Miller, 43, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of making a false statement concerning a […]
Governor Parson Signs HB 2149 and six other pieces of legislation into law
During a signing ceremony at the State Capitol, Governor Mike Parson signed seven pieces of legislation into law, including HB 2149, which modifies provisions relating to professional licensing. HB 2149 – Modifies Provisions Related to Professional Licensing: Exempts military employees and contractors participating in the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program from Missouri occupational licensing requirements […]
Worth County receives rating of “good” from Missouri State Auditor
State Auditor Nicole Galloway announced today that her office has issued a rating of “good” in a regularly scheduled audit of Worth County, located in northwest Missouri. A September 2018 audit of Worth County gave the same rating. Auditors found that the Prosecuting Attorney’s office does not issue receipt slips for all money received and that the […]
Appeals court finds Greitens’ use of self-destructing text message app wasn’t illegal
(Missouri Independent) – Though the use of self-destructing text-messaging apps has the practical effect of “side-stepping the reach of Missouri’s Sunshine Law,” their use by former Gov. Eric Greitens and his staff was not illegal, a panel of appeals court judges ruled Tuesday. While Greitens was still serving as governor, he and his staff used a […]
Water safety tips ensure a summer of fun when swimming, floating or boating
Nicer weather means an increase in activity regarding boating, swimming, and floating. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is reminding everyone that troopers patrol the state’s waterways to enforce Missouri’s boating laws and assist where needed. Everyone is asked to do their part to help ensure a safe summer. Swimming Safety Missouri’s lakes and rivers can […]
OSHA requires JBS to implement disease preparedness measures at seven plants
(Missouri Independent) – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is requiring JBS, one of the largest meatpacking companies in the country, to take steps to prevent future disease outbreaks at seven of its plants. The settlement announced Friday signals the resolution of two OSHA citations issued to JBS for failing to protect workers from the coronavirus at […]
Pair of lawsuits expose a potentially massive hole in Missouri’s Sunshine Law
(Missouri Independent) – In 2017, in two different state government agencies, Missouri’s Sunshine Law was put to the test. Just weeks after Josh Hawley was sworn in as attorney general that year, his staff began using private email accounts — instead of government-issued addresses that are automatically subject to the Sunshine Law — to discuss public business […]
Missouri State Treasurer calls for passage of legislation to assist in finding owners of unclaimed savings bonds
In a letter to Senators Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley, Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick today urged the United States Senate to pass the Unclaimed Savings Bond Act of 2021. The legislation would empower states to act on behalf of the Treasury Department to find owners of matured, unredeemed U.S. savings bonds and facilitate the […]
Missouri State Auditor begins requested audit of community of Holland
State Auditor Nicole Galloway today announced her office has begun an audit of the community of Holland, located in Pemiscot County. The city Board of Aldermen passed a resolution requesting the review by the State Auditor’s Office. “I appreciate the Board of Aldermen formally requesting this independent audit, and my office will conduct a thorough […]
Audio: Missouri man draws 50-year prison sentence for statutory sodomy and exposing his victim to HIV
A Missouri child sex offender is sentenced to half of a century in prison for statutory sodomy and knowingly exposing the victim to HIV. St. Louis County prosecutors say 39-year-old Deonte Taylor also pleaded guilty `to two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and will serve two five-year sentences at the same time […]
Audio: Kansas City Mayor says the time is now to take action against gun violence
Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas says he is examining ways to reduce gun violence in his city as well as the state and nation. He talks with Joey Parker about why the mayor is taking the problem on regardless of what’s happening on Capitol Hill. Mayor Quinton Lucas says the recent focus […]
USDA provides $700 million to help lower costs and support biofuel producers
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Department has provided $700 million to help lower costs and support biofuel producers who faced unexpected market losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are being made available through the Biofuel Producer Program, which was created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and […]
$2M Missouri witness protection fund finds few takers in second year of operation
(Missouri Independent) – In 2020, amid the worst wave of violent crime in almost 15 years, Missouri lawmakers set up a new witness protection program proponents said would break down barriers of silence that left perpetrators unpunished. But since its creation, the program has gone almost unused. Despite being authorized to spend $2 million annually, only $14,647 has been […]
Missouri man admits selling fentanyl that killed pregnant woman in 2018
A Missouri man on Thursday admitted selling the fentanyl that killed a pregnant woman in 2018. Raymond Blankenship, 27, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to a felony charge of distribution of fentanyl. He admitted in his plea agreement that he sold fentanyl capsules to a St. Louis County woman on […]