The attorney general’s office has convinced a Jasper County jury in southwest Missouri that an 86-year-old former minister is still at risk of sexually abusing teenage boys. That’s even after he completed a 15-year prison sentence for the abuse. The unanimous verdict determined that Donald D. Peckham is a sexually violent predator who […]
Two former corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center have been convicted by a federal jury of physically assaulting an inmate in violation of his constitutional protection against unreasonable force. “These corrections officers abused their authority by physically assaulting an inmate,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “Our Constitution protects every citizen from the use […]
The Green Hills Women’s Shelter in Trenton provides support to domestic violence victims in a ten-county area including Grundy, Livingston, Harrison, Daviess, Putnam, Sullivan, Mercer, Caldwell, Clinton, and DeKalb. Cabral says the women’s shelter provides a multitude of services. Support groups at the shelter are available seven days a week with advocates also […]
Police in the community of Neosho have made little progress in their investigation of the suspected live-skinning of a pet beagle who had to be euthanized a week ago because of her suffering. Authorities hope an increased reward will lead to an arrest in a gruesome animal abuse case. Reporter Ty Albright at our Joplin […]
The Sikeston School District in southeast Missouri has hired a licensed therapist to help with an increased need for mental health services among students. Third-grade teacher Jessica Mercer says the decision is welcome news. “Just the things that they go through at home or they go through with other students, you wanna spend […]
A western Missouri woman has posted bond, after more than 100 dead dogs were discovered on her property. Forty-nine-year-old Tiffany Lynn Woodington is charged in Benton County Circuit Court with ten counts of felony animal abuse. A judge set her bond at $100,000, and online court records indicate Woodington has posted bond. Prosecutors […]
Missouri’s attorney general will release a long-anticipated report today (Friday) in St. Louis, regarding allegations of clergy abuse statewide within the Roman Catholic Church. Attorney General Eric Schmitt has called a press conference for today at the old Post Office in downtown St. Louis. His report will include all four Missouri dioceses the […]
An Altamont resident accused of stabbing a dog was arraigned in the Associate Division of Daviess County Circuit Court on Wednesday. The court denied a request for bond change for 20-year-old Bronson Wildman and set the matter for a bond hearing September 17. His bond was initially set at $15,000 cash only. Conditions include supervision […]
An Albany woman accused of subjecting an 11-year-old girl to nearly a year of abuse pleaded guilty to amended information in Division One of Gentry County Circuit Court on Friday. Jennifer Reed pleaded guilty to two felony counts of first-degree kidnapping, facilitating a felony, inflicting injury, terrorizing and two felony counts of first degree endangering […]
From September 15, 2017, to August 20, 2019, there have been 414 hepatitis A outbreak-associated cases in 35 Missouri counties. Of the cases reported, there have been 233 hepatitis A outbreak-associated hospitalizations and 2 hepatitis A outbreak-associated deaths. The disease appears to be spreading through direct person-to-person contact, mostly among people who use illicit injection […]
The Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol is seeking volunteers in the northwest Missouri area to help seniors protect their Medicare benefits. The SMP needs more volunteers for its team. The statewide SMP has a mission to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse through […]
A jury trial has been scheduled in Division 3 of Ray County Circuit Court for a Lawson man charged with 11 felony counts of abuse or neglect of a child and two counts of tampering with evidence in a felony prosecution. Online court information shows a pre-trial conference for Gary Wyant is scheduled for January […]
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released an audit of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office located in northeast Missouri. The audit came at the request of the county commission after the resignation of the former sheriff, Robert M. Becker, who stepped down after pleading guilty in December 2018 to misdemeanor counts of domestic assault and sexual […]
The widespread opioid epidemic is considered a public health crisis and for years has been an ongoing challenge in Missouri and across the nation. Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) continues to be innovative in its efforts to help people affected by this epidemic. “What we are dealing with in Missouri is an […]
The heat and humidity of Missouri can affect everyone but can be especially dangerous to small children, the elderly and the chronically ill. Currently, northern Missouri is under an Excessive Heat Warning until Saturday evening with temperatures expected to climb into the upper 90s, and heat indexes as high as 115 degrees. A break in […]
FEMA outreach teams will begin canvassing Missouri communities affected by the flooding and severe weather in the 20 counties included in this week’s federal disaster declaration to help impacted Missourians register for federal disaster assistance. The teams, known as Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams (DSATs), are working in counties designated as federal disaster areas to assist […]
The Environmental Protection Agency released the proposed Renewable Volume Obligation rule for 2020. Once again EPA has failed to account for lost volumes due to refinery exemptions and uphold the President’s commitment to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “We are frustrated the EPA did not account for potential waived gallons going forward in the proposed […]
The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Monday of one Trenton resident on various charges, including stalking and property damage, and another on a child abuse-related charge. Thirty-seven-year-old Robert Andrew Brandon has been charged with the felonies of first degree stalking—first offense and first-degree property damage as well as the misdemeanors of fourth-degree […]
A former executive of Preferred Family Healthcare, Inc., pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a conspiracy to bribe an Arkansas state senator to influence public policy for the benefit of the charity and its executives. Robin Raveendran, 63, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway praised a change to Missouri law that she said will help protect children at their schools. House Bill 604, now headed to the Governor’s desk, requires school districts to ensure that volunteers undergo criminal background checks before being left alone with children. Galloway urged legislators to add the requirement after her audit of […]
