The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, and the St. Charles County Department of Public Health have been notified of an internationally-imported confirmed case of measles. The departments are waiting for the completion of tests to determine the strain of disease from the Centers for Disease […]
Category: State News
Three from Romania sentenced to prison sentences in Missouri for nationwide fraud
Three Romanian citizens have been sentenced in St. Louis for running a “short-change fraud” in stores across the country. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Monday sentenced Daniel Rostas, 30, to 15 months in prison and Loredana Angel, 35, to 10 months in prison. On May 31, Judge Pitlyk sentenced Legenda Rostas, 28, to […]
A quarter of Missouri nursing homes haven’t had a health inspection in years
(Missouri Independent) – One in four Missouri nursing homes hasn’t had a standard inspection in two or more years, according to recently-updated federal data. Federal law requires states to conduct an unannounced comprehensive inspection for each long-term care facility at least every 15 months to assess compliance with federal health and safety rules. During those visits, […]
Missourians face extended delays in U.S. passport applications
(Missourinet) – The long wait continues for many Missourians who have applied for U.S. passports. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, said there has been a 371 percent increase in the number of requests for help his office has received from Missouri residents needing their passports. “They come to me and say, ‘Listen, I applied for […]
American Red Cross of Missouri reports blood donations slow during summer and holidays
The American Red Cross of Missouri has reported a significant drop in blood donations during specific times of the year. Sharon Watson, a representative of the American Red Cross of Missouri, emphasized the importance of blood for various medical procedures. “Blood is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries,” Watson stated. She […]
132nd Jameson Picnic pushes through despite rainy setbacks
Despite heavy rainfall, the annual Jameson Picnic, sponsored by the Jameson Lions Club, successfully carried on its long-standing tradition. While the inclement weather forced the cancellation of several events, Saturday’s improved conditions allowed for a full schedule of activities. Unfortunately, due to the rain, the Thursday and Friday night bands, the baby show, lawn tractor […]
Big rig overturns on Highway 29 near St. Joseph
An accident occurred on Highway 29, four miles south of St. Joseph, on August 6, 2023, around 3:13 PM, as reported by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The accident involved a 2023 Freightliner, which was traveling southbound on Highway 29. According to the accident report provided by Corporal J.D. Maudlin (805) of the Missouri State […]
Court allows Biden rule limiting asylum at the border to be kept in place for now
(Missouri Independent) – A federal appeals court last week decided to allow the Biden administration to keep in place a temporary two-year rule that restricts asylum at the U.S. border, while the legal challenges to a lower court’s ruling play out. The decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals aids the Biden administration, […]
Missouri takes steps to address school safety, largely through its budget
(Missouri Independent) – The top priority of many Missouri parents and educators is school safety, according to a survey presented at the latest State Board of Education meeting. But statewide safety improvements for schools didn’t garner much traction during the legislative session that ended in May, with most proposals dying without ever making it to the full […]
Missouri woman pleads guilty to fraudulently obtaining pain pills meant for animals
A woman who worked for a pet food company in Montgomery City, Missouri on Friday admitted fraudulently obtaining pain pills meant for animals. Mackenzie Noel Deeker, 39, of Montgomery County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to a felony count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, […]
Second man pleads guilty to drug conspiracy that killed three in Missouri
A second man involved in a drug robbery conspiracy that resulted in the fatal shooting of three people in 2021 pleaded guilty Friday to federal drug and gun charges. Demorion Little, 24, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to one felony marijuana distribution conspiracy count and one count of aiding […]
Missouri man sentenced to 27 years in prison for statutory rape of foster child
U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri who impregnated a minor and sexually abused her when she was in foster care to 27 years in prison. Edward L. Wiseman, 43, sexually abused a minor for multiple years and impregnated her when she was 14. After […]
Jewelry store owner in Missouri pleads guilty to evading cash reporting rule
The owner of two jewelry stores in the Independence Center Mall in Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court to evading federal reporting requirements for cash transactions. Junaid “Jay” Sahibzada, 37, of Lenexa, Kan., waived his right to an indictment and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to a federal information that […]
Securities fraud case results in $350,000 return to Missouri investors in hemp producer project
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s securities division announced that Kansas resident MacKenzie S.C. Hoambrecker and two Missouri-registered entities, H & Z Enterprises HI, LLC and H & Z Cultivation, LLC, have settled charges that they misrepresented and omitted material information in the course of raising capital from investors. The consent order, signed on June 15, […]
New report indicates top causes of pregnancy-related death are mental health, cardiovascular issues and homicide
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has published A Multi Year Look at Maternal Mortality in Missouri: 2018-2020 Annual Report on behalf of the state’s Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (PAMR) Board. The report is an aggregate of three years’ worth of work of the PAMR and is based upon the most recent data available. […]
Missouri man sentenced to serve nearly 11 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Jammie Renfro, 35, of Kennett, Missouri, was sentenced Thursday to 130 months in federal prison for the offenses of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. Renfro appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in […]
Missouri man sentenced to 71 months in prison for making rape threats to five women
U.S. District Court Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man from St. Louis, Missouri who repeatedly harassed and threatened to rape five women to 71 months in prison. After his release from prison, Robert D. Merkle, 54, will be on supervised release for three years, during which he will be barred from using or […]
Missouri man sentenced to prison for illegally possessing machine gun used in fatal shooting of KC fireman
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing the firearm used in the fatal shooting of an off-duty Kansas City, Mo., firefighter. Ja’Von L. Taylor, 24, Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to seven years in federal prison without parole. On March 8, 2023, Taylor pleaded guilty […]
Navigating your Medicaid renewal? Missouri advocates offer advice
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri has begun checking the eligibility of everyone on its Medicaid rolls — a review process that was paused for three years because of pandemic-era federal protections. Many advocates hope to continue to get the word out about how to navigate what is, for many, an unfamiliar process, will help those who are eligible […]
Railroad safety crossing plan, unveiled one year after Mendon crash, focuses on 47 crossings, on three passenger rail lines in Missouri
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has released an independent report outlining recommendations to enhance safety at passive rail crossings in the state. The report focuses on the three rail lines that carry passenger rail, a response to the tragic Amtrak crash near Mendon, Missouri, on June 27, 2022, which claimed four lives. The new […]