After two years in a row with more than 1,000 fatalities on Missouri’s roadways, Gov. Mike Parson signed the Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law on Monday, Aug. 28. The law prohibits all drivers from using handheld electronic communication devices while driving. Distracted driving is a leading cause of crashes in Missouri. Between 2012 and 2021, nearly […]
Category: State News
St. Louis Mayor’s proposed legislation concerning gun rights under fire from Missouri Attorney General
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has put St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura Jones on notice, stating that her office’s proposed legislation would violate Missourians’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms. In his letter, Attorney General Bailey notes, “Our state constitution guarantees that the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms ‘shall be unalienable,’ and […]
Missouri woman sentenced to 3 years in prison for committing both bank and pandemic fraud
A woman from St. Louis, Missouri was sentenced Monday to 37 months in prison for committing both check fraud and pandemic fraud. U.S. District Judge John A. Ross also ordered Nikia A. French, 30, to repay $57,173. French pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud in March and admitted recruiting people on Instagram who […]
Man who claimed $10,000 bounty for St. Louis murder sentenced to 9 years in prison
U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a man who claimed the $10,000 bounty for a 2017 murder to nine years in prison. Delvin Bost, 28, pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He admitted calling to confirm […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to robbing two banks and a fast-food restaurant
A man from Florissant, Missouri on Tuesday admitted robbing two area banks and a fast-food restaurant with what appeared to be a handgun. Ricardo Rusan, 56, of Florissant, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of bank robbery and one other robbery charge. As part of his plea, he admitted robbing the Church’s […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to stealing from QuikTrips five times
A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted stealing cigarettes or cash from area QuikTrip stores five times. Terrence Gleason, 52, of Bel-Ridge, pleaded guilty to three robbery charges and two charges of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted stealing cigarettes from or robbing three […]
Missouri State Highway Patrol outlines upcoming changes in public safety laws that go into effect on August 28, 2023
The Missouri State Highway Patrol has provided a synopsis of several new laws related to public safety that are set to go into effect on August 28, 2023. These new laws aim to enhance various aspects of public safety, from traffic regulations to child protection. Automated Crash Reports and Missouri Rap Back Program Senate Bill […]
New dialing procedure coming to the 573 area code in Missouri
The Missouri Public Service Commission, the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), and the telecommunications industry remind customers to continue preparing for a new area code, 235, in the current 573 area code in Missouri. As part of that process, customers should prepare for 10-digit local dialing. The 235 area code will be added as […]
Missouri officials divided on abortion exceptions for rape and incest
(Missourinet) – Missouri’s abortion ban currently includes an exception for health emergencies of the mother but does not include exceptions for rape and incest. The topic was a point of discussion at the Missouri State Fair last week, where several Republican Missouri elected officials were asked for their opinions. Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe said he […]
Enforcement unclear as Missouri approaches transgender athlete restrictions
(Missouri Independent) – Students are returning to the classroom around Missouri this week, and new laws go into effect Monday. But state officials are still not clear on how they will enforce restrictions on transgender athletes – one of the most controversial new laws approved by Missouri legislators this year. Neither the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education nor […]
“You’re an ***hole, police chief”: 98-year-old Kansas newspaper owner defiant in video of home invasion
(Missouri Independent) – Marion County Record co-owner Joan Meyer leaned into her walker and stood up to at least six law enforcement personnel executing a search warrant in her living room during a bizarre series of legally questionable raids of her residence, the newspaper’s office and a city council member’s home. Meyer, 98, died of […]
Missourians segregated due to disability may have discrimination claims
In Missouri and around the country, people with disabilities are living in institutions that could successfully live in the community with the right support. According to the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, they may even be victims of discrimination. Attorney M. Geron Gadd, senior attorney, National Health Law Program, said the U.S. Department of Health and […]
Missouri Attorney General’s office assists Boone County prosecutor in obtaining second degree murder conviction
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that his office assisted the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office in obtaining a second-degree murder conviction against Samuel Brotherton in connection to the shooting death of his stepfather in 2022. “As Attorney General, I want to enforce the laws as written and prosecute Missouri’s most dangerous criminals,” said Attorney General […]
Missouri man sentenced to nearly 3 years in prison in fraud case involving Home Depot and Missouri’s unemployment program
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp sentenced a man from Ste. Genevieve County to 34 months in prison on Monday for defrauding both Home Depot and Missouri’s unemployment insurance program. Arthur Grass, 36, was also ordered to repay $207,000. Grass filed false unemployment claims for approximately 10 people beginning in May 2020, claiming that the […]
Missouri man charged with assisting two convicted individuals to escape jail is sentenced to prison
An Indictment from earlier this year in the Western District of Missouri Federal Court charging individuals with escaping confinement and other individuals with assisting them resulted in an incarceration sentence of 40 months for one of those charged. Trevor Scott Sparks, 33, Kansas City, MO, and Sergio Perez Martinez, 43, Panorama City, CA, were charged […]
Missouri Department of Conservation unveils changes to deer hunting rules for upcoming 2023-2024 season
The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds deer hunters of regulation changes for the upcoming 2023-2024 deer-hunting season. The changes include a new firearms early antlerless portion, a new firearms CWD portion, changes to firearms antlerless permit numbers, and the addition of 14 new counties to the MDC CWD Management Zone. “The changes to deer hunting […]
Navigating nature at Missouri State Parks made easier with new track chairs
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources Division of State Parks recently received new chairs for visitors with mobility challenges. Using these chairs, visitors can now navigate both land and water. Produced by the Action Trackchair company, track chairs are electric all-terrain wheelchairs that offer guests with mobility challenges the opportunity to partake in outdoor activities. […]
Missouri cannabis regulators target ‘lab shopping’ in new rules
(Missouri Independent) – In the marijuana industry, they say potency is king. Producers all over the country are competing to put the most intoxicating product on the shelves. And that can leave the labs that test these products in a tough spot. At least, that’s been the case in California and other states where marijuana is […]
Audio: Missouri man takes home top prize in Missouri State Fair’s largest pumpkin contest
(Missourinet) – Nick Voss, a regular participant in the Missouri State Fair’s contest to see who can grow the largest pumpkin, has once again taken the top prize. This year, his orange giant tipped the scales at an impressive 725 pounds. Voss attributes his success to a combination of factors. “You know, it takes a […]
Kansas newspaper raid draws plenty of attention, but journalists defy threats across U.S.
(Missouri Independent) – After Kansas Reflector reported on the ignominious and unconstitutional raid of the Marion County Record on Aug. 11, news outlets and commentators from across Kansas and the nation followed suit throughout the weekend. The voices of those who value a free press and free expression were overwhelming in their force and intensity. Eight days later, with […]