Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a motion to renew and enforce the preliminary injunction in his lawsuit against St. Louis County following County Executive Page’s attempt to illegally impose a second mask mandate. The motion was filed in the existing case against St. Louis County and asks the court to apply the existing preliminary […]
Tag: Bureau
Judge rules against Missouri Attorney General challenge to masks in Missouri schools.
(Missouri Independent) – Face masks will stay on for students and teachers in districts requiring them, a Boone County judge ruled Tuesday, handing Attorney General Eric Schmitt a defeat in his efforts to use the courts to block mask mandates. Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs denied Schmitt’s effort to use a single case, filed against Columbia […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to murder for hire scheme
A Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to hire an undercover law enforcement agent to murder the victim in a pending statutory sodomy case. Jon Mark Wilson, 57, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. to one count of the use of interstate facilities (the use of […]
Leadership Northwest Music Jam draws over 300 raising almost $10,000
Country music recording artist, Sunny Sweeney, and local Trenton resident, Salem Croy, drew a crowd of approximately 300 attendees to the first-ever Leadership Northwest Music Jam on Saturday night. All ticket proceeds benefited the Leadership Northwest Missouri program and raised $9,881 for the organization. The show was hosted at Black Silo Winery in Trenton, Missouri […]
Department of Justice announces Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Grants awarded to Missouri in 2021
The Department of Justice announced that the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component of the department’s Office of Justice Programs, has awarded almost $187 million to support state, local, and tribal public safety and community justice activities. The awards, from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, are going to all 50 states, […]
Video/Audio: Missouri’s effort to get thousands of rape kits tested is making progress
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt gave an update on the SAFE Kit Initiative, reporting positive progress in clearing the backlog of untested sexual assault kits through the initiative. The Springfield Police Department also announced that they have completely cleared out their backlog, leaving zero untested sexual assault kits in their inventory. “As a husband, father, […]
Missouri Attorney General files brief in support of Rae’s Café arguing that it is a private club
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed an amicus brief in support of Rae’s Café in their lawsuit against Jackson County. The brief, which was filed earlier in the case Jackson County v. Rae’s Café, argues that Rae’s Café, now Rae’s Private Club, is in compliance with the mask mandate and that Jackson County has violated […]
Jury convicts Missouri man of illegal firearm
A Missouri man has been convicted by a federal trial jury of illegally possessing a firearm. Jeremiah Ezekiel Brown, 36, of Columbia, was found guilty on Monday, Sept. 20, of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Brown was arrested by a Columbia police detective during a traffic stop on Nov. 24, 2020. The […]
Governor Parson announces three appointments to various boards, fills two county office vacancies
Governor Mike Parson announced three appointments to various boards and commissions and filled two-county office vacancies. Teresa Creek, of Memphis, was appointed as the Scotland County Recorder of Deeds. Ms. Creek has served as the Deputy Recorder for the Scotland County Recorder of Deeds Office since 2019. Prior to joining the Recorder’s Office, she worked as […]
Struggle over tax break for inherited farmland churns below surface in reconciliation bill
(Missouri Independent) – Agricultural groups and farm-state lawmakers notched a significant win when U.S. House Democrats chose not to touch a big tax break for inherited property, avoiding, for now, a confrontation. But opponents remain wary that the idea could come back at any time as Democrats shape their massive $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, and […]
Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins to be featured speaker in Sullivan County
Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins will be the guest speaker at the Sullivan County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting on September 16th evening. The meeting will be at the Milan Community Center. The Sullivan County Farm Bureau will provide dinner at 6 p.m. Sullivan County Farm Bureau members will also vote on county board members […]
Leadership Northwest Music Jam at Black Silo Winery quickly approaching
Country music star, Sunny Sweeney, will be headlining the first-ever Leadership Northwest Music Jam with ticket proceeds benefiting the Leadership Northwest Missouri program. The show will be hosted at Black Silo Winery in Trenton, MO on Saturday, September 25, 2021. Trenton local, Salem Croy, will be the special guest opening the music event. Tickets are […]
Missouri Governor condemns Biden’s vaccine mandate, vows legal fight against federal overreach
Governor Mike Parson announced that his administration will reject the Biden Administration’s attempt to enforce an unconstitutional, federal vaccine mandate for Missourians and private businesses. The Office of the Governor has been in communication with leadership from the Missouri General Assembly and the Attorney General’s Office to align resources for a pending legal fight. “This […]
Audio: Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins addresses members at annual meeting in Trenton
Grundy County Farm Bureau members heard Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins addressed multiple topics at the county organization’s annual meeting in Trenton on September 9, 2021. One of the topics was climate change. Hawkins said he is tired of people “pointing fingers” at farmers and ranchers and saying they are the problem. […]
Missouri woman sentenced to 15 years in prison without parole for meth conspiracy
A Missouri woman was sentenced in federal court for her role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine. Cassidy R. Clayton, 25, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On Oct. 31, 2019, Clayton pleaded guilty to participating in the drug-trafficking […]
Parson’s rationale for removing LGTBQ exhibit from Missouri Capitol called into question
(Missouri Independent) – Fireworks, this week over the sudden removal of an LGBTQ history exhibit from the museum in the Missouri Capitol caught the attention of John Cunning. For 24 years before he retired in 2018, Cunning oversaw the museum as part of his job at Missouri State Parks. So when he read Gov. Mike […]
Missouri Attorney General sends letter to KC Mayor and Jackson County executive providing “legal direction” on mask mandates
While litigation over the mask mandates continues, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sent a letter to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Jackson County Executive Frank White noting the exceptions to the City and County’s mask mandates and providing “legal direction” to the public on these important exceptions, specifically for those with disabilities or those […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to marijuana grow operation and dozens of illegal firearms
A Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court to growing marijuana and illegally possessing dozens of firearms. Darrin Dale Smithee, 55, of Auxvasse, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. to one count of manufacturing marijuana and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Sept. 21, 2018, […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to illegal firearm
A Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm. Desmond L. Washington, 22, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Washington was arrested on Sept. 7, 2019, when Kansas City police officers […]
Supreme Court rejection of eviction ban increases pressure to dole out rental aid money
(Missouri Independent) -The U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of the Biden administration’s last-ditch effort to extend a federal ban on evictions has put hundreds of thousands of American renters at risk of losing their housing — and is increasing pressure on states and localities to get rental assistance dollars distributed faster. In an eight-page majority opinion […]