Bankruptcy news graphic

Bankruptcy of failed Moberly factory project nears end after 10 years in court

(Missouri Independent) – Unsecured creditors will get less than a nickel on the dollar for debts left by a Moberly economic development project that went bust in 2011 as Missouri lawmakers worked on a plan to finance air freight shipments from China. A final report pending before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Dow describes how $2.1 million […]

Figure of Justice holding the scales of justice

Missouri company ordered to pay restitution and civil penalties after misleading investor

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s securities division issued a final cease and desist order awarding civil penalties, restitution, and costs against a St. Louis start-up company, Fango, LLC, and its founder Imani Butler. Missouri Securities Commissioner David Minnick issued the order following a contested hearing in October 2021. The commissioner found that between August 2015 […]

Prison Sentence

Judge sentences Missouri man to 15 years in prison for child exploitation crimes

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 […]

Justin Stephenson Booking Photo via Vinelink

Trenton man arrested on warrants for failure to appear

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Trenton resident on January 19th on two capias warrants for failure to appear. Thirty-six-year-old Justin Wayne Stephenson was arrested in Wyandotte County, Kansas, and picked up from there. His original charges were the felonies of stealing all other property, stealing involving a fourth or subsequent […]

COVID-19 or Coronavirus Update

Daviess County reports COVID-related death; four area health departments report on new cases of COVID-19

A COVID-19-related death has been added for Daviess County since January 6th. The health department reports the total as 23. COVID-19 cases increased by 110 from January 6th to 18th, raising that total to 1,411. Seventy-six of the cases were active and 22 active cases were fully vaccinated. One of the eight current COVID-19-related hospitalizations […]

Jobs Report

Missouri monthly job report shows unemployment rate at 3.5 percent

Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from October 2021 to November 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 7,600 jobs over the month, with job gains in both the goods-producing and service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in November […]

Robert Ewing Booking Photo courtesy Trenton Police Department via Vinelink

Trenton man arrested for failure to register as a sex offender

A Trenton resident has been charged with four counts of felony failure to register as a sex offender. The Grundy County Sheriff’s Department reports 41-year-old Robert Eugene Ewing was arrested on December 15th. His bond is $5,000 cash only, and he is scheduled for the Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court on December 28th. […]

Jobs Report or unemployment

Missouri’s unemployment rate drops two-tenths of a percentage point in November to 3.5%

Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from October 2021 to November 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 7,600 jobs over the month, with job gains in both the goods-producing and service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in November […]

Guilty Plea

Iowa man pleads guilty to selling misbranded vitamin B12 injectables

An Iowa man pleaded guilty to a felony charge related to the sale of misbranded vitamin B12 injectable drugs, the Department of Justice announced. Brady Tomlinson, 46, of Des Moines, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa to one count of introducing a misbranded drug into interstate commerce with […]

Theodore Eddings Booking Photo

Missouri man who operated guided hunting tour company ordered to repay investors

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division and Republic, Missouri resident, Theodore Jay Eddings, recently entered into a consent order to settle allegations against Eddings by the Division involving investor fraud.   In the first portion of October 2021, the Missouri Secretary of State issued a cease and desist order that required Eddings to show […]

Pleasant View R-6 School

Pleasant View R-6 School District sets candidate filing dates; announces dates and times of upcoming activities

Board candidate filings in the Pleasant View R-6 School District will occur from December 7 through the 28. According to the school, board terms of Danny Westcott and Laurie Frisbie expire with the election in April 2022. During a Board of Education meeting on Thursday night, it was noted school officials are looking to get […]

A gavel and a name plate with the engraving Lawsuit

Gun safety group files suit alleging NRA illegally coordinated with Hawley campaign

(Missouri Independent) – The Giffords gun safety organization has sued the National Rifle Association and the campaigns of U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, alleging the group used shell corporations to improperly aid the Republican lawmakers in 2018. The suit alleges two NRA affiliates made up to $35 million in illegal […]

Jobs Report or unemployment

Missouri unemployment rate drops to 3.8% in September

Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from August 2021 to September 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 7,500 jobs over the month, with job gains in service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in September 2021, down from 4.0 […]

Fraud News Graphic

Missouri hunting guide allegedly solicits more than $50,000 from investors in five states

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s securities division issued a cease and desist order against a Republic, Missouri hunting guide.  Theodore Jay Eddings is required to show cause why civil penalties, restitution, costs, and other administrative relief should not be imposed against him after several investors were allegedly defrauded. Between April 2017 and October 2018, […]

Dream Factory Website

Audio: The Dream Factory makes dreams come true for chronically ill children

Children who are seriously or chronically ill can participate in a “dream vacation” thanks to the efforts of the Dream Factory. One of the volunteers for the Dream Factory of Northwest Missouri is Ron Dougan of Trenton who describes some of the “dreams come true.”     Dougan noted the Dream Factory coordinates all trips […]

Unemployment rate

Missouri’s unemployment rate drops by two-tenths to four percent in August, 2021

Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from July 2021 to August 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 7,300 jobs over the month, with job gains in both goods-producing and service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in August 2021, […]