A former Missouri, middle school teacher was sentenced in federal court for charges related to enticing one of her students to engage in illicit sex. Amanda Ruth Schweitzer, 42, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Schweitzer to 15 years of […]
Category: State News
Judge sets aside conviction: After 43-years in prison, Kevin Strickland is a free man
After spending 43-years in prison, a Kansas City man convicted of a triple murder is a free man. Judge James Welsh concluded that prosecutors met the burden of providing convincing evidence that undermines Strickland’s conviction in the 1978 murder of three people. The judge also pointed out that there was no physical evidence […]
Audio: Kansas City schools reverse book ban after complaint by ACLU of Missouri
Amid cries of “Book Ban,” the North Kansas City School District is reversing its decision to ban two books from its library. The Missouri division of the American Civil Liberty Union wrote a letter to district officials Monday asking for the LGBTQ-positive books to be returned to the shelves. Students had also petitioned […]
Nearly half of abortions in Kansas are for Missourians. A vote next year could change that
(Missouri Independent) – Patients who arrive at an abortion clinic in Overland Park, Kansas, have often traveled long distances. Many began their journeys in Missouri, sometimes driving hours to their appointment. “We’ve heard these stories from Missourians and other people in our region for years,” said Emily Wales, interim president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “They […]
Thanksgiving begins a period of higher fire risk as friends and relatives gather to celebrate the holidays
More Missourians are expected to travel and gather together this year for larger Thanksgiving and holiday celebrations after a quieter holiday season in 2020 because of COVID-19. State Fire Marshal Tim Bean is advising folks to reduce the risk of fires as we enter the five-week period of elevated fire hazards. “Thanksgiving begins a five-week […]
Man sentenced to 11 years in prison for armed robbery of a pharmacy
A man was sentenced in federal court for his role in the armed robbery of a Walgreens pharmacy in Jefferson City, Missouri. Daijahn Antwan Reed, 22, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 11 years and three months in federal prison without parole. On Aug. 17, 2021, Reed pleaded guilty […]
Audio: A former Butler County Coroner and his wife have been arrested for stealing from a funeral home
A former Butler County Coroner and his wife have been arrested for stealing from a funeral home and its investment firm in Poplar bluff. Andrew T. Moore and his wife, Amanda are accused of stealing from Moore Funeral Home. They’ve both been charged with receiving stolen property between December of 2014 and November […]
Audio: Trafficking investigation of Philippines-based church indicates there could be victims in Missouri
The investigation into alleged sex and labor trafficking by a Philippines-based church indicates there could be victims in Missouri. Administrators at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ are accused of coercing girls and women to have sex with their church leader under threats of “eternal damnation.” The federal indictment alleges they brought church members […]
Groups identify barriers to rental assistance in Missouri
Groups working to keep Missouri residents in their homes since the pandemic began are trying to identify the barriers to receiving emergency rental assistance. As of September, the state had given less than 20% of the funds it was allocated from the American Rescue Plan, despite many Missouri renters facing financial hardships and eviction notices. Katherine Fenerson, […]
USDA invests more than $350,000 to repair or rehabilitate homes in rural Missouri
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Missouri Acting State Director D Clark Thomas announced the agency is investing $358,270 to improve equitable access to safe housing for rural Missouri homeowners. USDA Rural Development has long partnered with various organizations, together making a larger impact in rural Missouri, Thomas said. The Housing Preservation Grant Program is […]
Hy-Vee now offering free COVID-19 booster vaccines to all individuals aged 18 and older
Hy-Vee, Inc. announces today that free Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen COVID-19 vaccine booster doses are now available to all individuals ages 18 and older at Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations across its eight-state region. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a booster dose for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine recipients […]
Immigrants make last-ditch plea for deportation protections, work permits in “Build Back Better”
(Missouri Independent) – Undocumented workers and immigration advocates are pushing for Democrats to keep work permits and protections from deportations in the final version of the $1.85 trillion social spending and climate package that the U.S. House is set to vote on as soon as Thursday night. Those immigration provisions face elimination when the bill […]
USDA invests $222 million in rural community infrastructure
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small announced that USDA is investing $222 million to build and improve critical community facilities (PDF, 729 KB) in 44 states, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. This community infrastructure funding will benefit nearly 2.5 million people in rural communities. It also […]
Kansas City area advisor & firm consent to $40,000 payment to settle allegations of securities violations
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division issued a consent order against investment advisor representative, Douglas W. Coe, and his firm, Moody Reid Financial Advisors, L.P. for violations of the Missouri Securities Act stemming from the respondents’ failure to comply with reporting requirements to the Missouri Securities Division. During a routine examination of Moody Reid […]
Missouri Attorney General files lawsuit against city of Moscow Mills for enforcing ticket quotas on police officers
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit against the City of Moscow Mills for allegedly enforcing a ticket quota on their officers, in violation of Senate Bill 5 and accompanying reforms. “Missourians should not be treated as cash cows to fill municipal coffers. When I was in the State Senate, I led efforts to […]
Breakthrough infection data added to Missouri’s COVID-19 dashboard
A new addition to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services statewide COVID-19 dashboard finds that vaccination remains a strong defense against the virus, and that older age and health co-morbidities are strongly correlated with “breakthrough infections.” The new data identifies COVID-19 breakthrough infections among the fully vaccinated. The analysis is the result of a partnership […]
Man from Missouri indicted for sexual exploitation of three children
A Missouri, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for the sexual exploitation of three child victims. Jake Ethan Patterson, 26, Rogersville, was charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, November 17. The federal indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against Patterson […]
Missouri woman indicted for stealing $362,000 from employer
A Missouri woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a wire fraud scheme in which she embezzled more than $362,000 from her Springfield, Mo., employer. Carrie Leigh Long, 52, Ash Grove, was charged in a 24-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, Nov. 17. […]
Missouri man who operates non-profit agency indicted for falsely claiming to hire ex-cons
A Missouri man who operates a non-profit agency has been indicted by a federal grand jury for falsely claiming to employ convicted felons who were on federal court-supervised release. Michael A. Green, 50, Kansas City, was charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Nov. 17. […]