A Kansas City, Mo., man has been charged with three fentanyl overdose deaths in Belton, Mo., alongside six other metropolitan area residents indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that included illegal firearms and money laundering. Tiger Dean Draggoo, 23, his brother, Colt Justin Draggoo, 20, Jose Amparan, also […]
An Ottawa, Kansas, man who was apprehended after he called a tow truck for his getaway car has pleaded guilty in federal court to robbing a Mound City, Mo., bank. Marvin J. McWhorter III, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Thursday, Sept. 28, to one count of bank robbery. By pleading […]
For the month of September 2023, Governor Mike Parson granted 19 pardons pursuant to Article IV, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Missouri. Official documents have been filed with the appropriate government agencies and have been sent to the individuals. Pardons: Mark McLane Dennis Meisel Michael Dale Kurt Conger Daren Wilson Jerry […]
A high school English teacher from St. Clair, Missouri, has been placed on administrative leave after it was discovered she was performing on an adult content website to supplement her income. Brianna Coppage, 28, an educator at St. Clair High School, acknowledged the potential risks of her actions and believes her teaching career may be […]
(Missouri Independent) – Artificial intelligence could be used to disrupt U.S. election campaigns, members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration said during a Wednesday hearing. However, the hearing showed that imposing laws and regulations on campaign content without violating constitutional rights to political speech will be difficult. Elections pose a particular challenge […]
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed suit against a Branson, Missouri-based company and its two owners for violating the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act in selling timeshare exit services to consumers across the country. RSI, LLC, which sometimes operated under the name Relief Solutions International, is alleged to have charged several thousand dollars each to a […]
A former officer with the North County Police Cooperative was accused in an indictment Wednesday of sexually assaulting men that he’d detained or arrested. Marcellis Blackwell, 34, of St. Louis, was indicted on 21 felony counts: 16 counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to bodily integrity, and five counts […]
U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced a woman from Kennett, Missouri to 10 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a felon. Paula J. Laboone, 64, Laboone has previous felony convictions for possession of controlled substances in Dunklin County and is […]
Following the federal disaster declaration for multiple severe weather systems that impacted Missouri July 29 – August 14, the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) will conduct applicant briefings Oct. 3 and 4, 2023, for local governments and nonprofit agencies applying for assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). SEMA strongly encourages all eligible […]
A Missouri Department of Conservation agent has received the Medal of Valor for responding to a train crash near Mendon last year. Donald Fessler was awarded the medal by Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe on September 28. The Medal of Valor is Missouri’s highest award recognizing public safety officers. It honors officers who exhibit courage, decisiveness, […]
Pivot Bio, a cutting-edge leader in ag-tech, recently announced that it will expand in Hazelwood, investing more than $20 million and creating 41 new jobs. The sustainable agriculture company’s expansion includes the establishment of an approximately 47,000-square-foot facility that will increase its capabilities for research, testing, and development of product applications. “Pivot Bio’s growth in […]
Missouri non-farm payroll employment decreased by 13,700 jobs in August 2023, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point. Private industry employment decreased by 16,100 jobs, and government employment increased by 2,400 jobs. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.8 percent in August 2023, up from 2.7 percent in […]
NBC’s hit show “The Voice” kicked off its new season, and among the standout performances was 16-year-old Ruby Leigh from Foley, Missouri, during the much-awaited blind auditions. The stakes are high this season with country music icon Reba McEntire joining the panel, taking her place in the iconic red chair. She’s in good company with […]
In a novel approach to address staffing shortages in its prisons, Missouri has established special mobile units of correctional officers. These units are designed to bolster staffing levels at the state’s 19 correctional facilities. Travis Terry, Director of the Division of Adult Institutions with the Missouri Department of Corrections, detailed the initiative. Officers in these […]
(Missouri Independent) – A law requiring cities to cover costs of damages when individual officers are found liable in police misconduct cases should be thrown out because it illegally imposes new duties and expenses on local governments, lawyers for St. Louis argued to the Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday. In defense of the law, Assistant […]
(Missouri Independent) – The Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments over the constitutionality of a wide-ranging law passed by the legislature last year banning sleeping on public land. Missouri lawmakers made sleeping on state-owned land a Class C misdemeanor, along with a slew of other provisions such as restricting state funding for permanent supportive housing […]
While large hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers battle over drug costs, community health centers in Missouri view themselves as collateral damage. Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act of 1992 allows small community health centers and hospitals to purchase pharmaceuticals at highly discounted prices. Colleen Meiman, the national policy adviser for the State Association of […]
From October 7 – 12, Governor Mike Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson will travel to Japan for an international Trade Mission. Japan is a top source of foreign direct investment and a key trade partner for Missouri, with more than $455 million in exports in 2022. Consistent with Governor Parson’s infrastructure and economic development […]
Two Kansas City, Mo., men who were part of a violent street gang have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy and other violent criminal behavior that included illegal firearms and a drive-by shooting outside a daycare center where children were present. David J. Duncan, IV, also known as “Deej” […]
A Strafford, Mo., business owner pleaded guilty in federal court to filing a false tax return. Philip Russell Turner, 53, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of filing a false tax return. Turner is the co-owner and president of a business identified in court documents as “Company A.” […]
