United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Nicholas M. Ray to a term of 15 years in federal prison. Ray previously pleaded guilty to attempting to persuade or coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity and distribution of child pornography in a court appearance held in October 2021. In 2014, Ray was convicted […]
Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn announced that 16 youth groups from across Missouri were awarded grants from the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s 2022 Building Our American Communities grant program. Eight local chapters of the National FFA Organization and eight Missouri 4-H clubs statewide have been awarded funds for their community service projects this year. “We […]
A former Kansas man pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling $3.1 million from his employer and failing to pay nearly $1 million in taxes owed to the federal government and the state of Kansas. Richard Scott Simkins, 56, now residing in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty […]
Millions of families will have to adjust their budgets as monthly child tax payments will stop for the first time in months; however, Joey Parker reports, they could resume. Congress failed to pass an extension to the program but are in talks about reviving it as more than 30 million families were getting the […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers, entered into a civil settlement agreement with his office and 38 other states for abuses originating in predatory student loans. The agreement resulted in a $53 million settlement for Missourians: $2.5 million in restitution and $51 million in private […]
A Missouri business owner who failed to pay taxes on nearly $1.5 million of income pleaded guilty in federal court to filing a false tax return. “When businesses and individuals don’t pay their fair share in taxes, they are breaking the law and cheating their law-abiding neighbors,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “This business owner […]
The Gallatin Board of Aldermen on Monday, January 10th approved a resolution involving funding for a street project and an ordinance regarding an equipment sales agreement. The resolution states the intent to seek funding through the Community Development Block Grant Program and authorizes the mayor to pursue activities in an attempt to secure funding for […]
The Grundy County R-5 Board of Education on January 11th approved an increase in driver pay for trips. The pay was raised by $2 per hour to $12.50 per hour. The board approved the school calendar for the 2022-2023 school year. Grundy R-5 classes are scheduled to start on August 23rd, 2022, and end on […]
Three defendants waived preliminary hearings on Tuesday in the Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court. Trenton resident Travis Vasey is charged with driving while intoxicated, serious physical injury, and driving in a careless and imprudent manner involving an accident on September 14. Vasey is scheduled for Division One of the circuit court on February […]
The Grundy County Commission signed an agreement on January 11th with North Central Missouri Business Facilitation. The county will provide $2,500 per year to the organization to help fund the organization’s services. Grundy County Clerk Betty Spickard reports the person originally offered the full-time ambulance director position did not accept, and the county commission is […]
A Missouri, man who was arrested with 19 firearms and quantities of illegal drugs in his home pleaded guilty in federal court to trafficking methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms. Rusty W. Snow, 28, Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of […]
The Gallatin Board of Aldermen on December 13th approved an ordinance involving an agreement with Allstate Consultants LLC. The ordinance authorized the city to enter into an engineering service agreement for street and drainage improvements. City Administrator Lance Rains reported the City of Gallatin has received notice that D. A. Davidson and Company is willing […]
(Missouri Independent) – If school districts want to take advantage of a lower interest rate on bonds, Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick is requiring them to certify compliance with a recent court ruling targeting local health orders before his office will approve of the deal. Fitzpatrick detailed the decision he described as “unprecedented” in an interview Wednesday […]
A Missouri, man who belongs to the Aryan Brotherhood pleaded guilty in federal court to methamphetamine trafficking. Jimmy Jack Pinkley, 44, of Billings, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. By pleading guilty Pinkley admitted that he was in possession of […]
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education on December 14th heard about the implementation of the SafeDefend system for the district. Superintendent Mike Stegman reported employee training for the system was December 6th. Law enforcement and fire and rescue members were also invited to participate. On-site employees were fingerprinted into the system, and it is now […]
Members of the Trenton City Council Monday night heard about plans for Rapid Removal Disposal to change the collection date on two of its residential routes beginning in January 2022. A safety concern was expressed by the Jewett-Norris Library Director regarding motorists not halting for the 3 way stop at Main and Crowder, and the […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new program to assist hog producers who sold hogs through a negotiated sale during the period in which these producers faced the greatest reduction in market prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program (SMHPP) is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative and addresses […]
A former Kansas City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to robbing Arvest Bank. Jamarious K. Braxton, 32, of Memphis, Tennessee, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of bank robbery. By pleading guilty, Braxton admitted that he walked into Arvest Bank, 8959 E. 40 Hwy., on Oct. 21, 2017, […]
A Missouri, physician pleaded guilty in federal court to making a false statement to Medicare to obtain insurance coverage for a fentanyl prescription and to conspiring with others to use his DEA registration number to issue Schedule II controlled substances to patients in his absence. Randall Halley, 65, Nixa, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate […]
(Missouri Independent) – Faced with over a year’s delay from the state social services department on implementing extended mental health care for new moms, a bipartisan effort now aims to expand health care coverage more broadly for low-income pregnant women. Legislation filed last week by Sens. Elaine Gannon, R-De Soto, and Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, would extend […]
