A Unionville resident faces five felonies after he allegedly had sexual intercourse with a juvenile who was less than 15 years old. Twenty-year-old Jack Isaac Daniel Rogers has been charged with two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child involving physical injury and sexual conduct, two counts of fourth-degree child molestation, and one […]
Tag: initial
Missouri will become the last state to enforce federal mental health parity act
(Missouri Independent) – Under a new state law that went into effect late last month, Missouri will become the final state to enforce a federal law designed to ensure mental health care is covered by insurance providers the same as treatments for physical ailments. The provisions were included in House Bill 604, an omnibus insurance bill […]
Livingston County Sheriff reports on incidents and arrests
Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox has released information on recent incidents involving the sheriff’s office. Cox reports the sheriff’s office assisted a conservation agent at the Grand River Access in Chillicothe on August 28th. A Polo man allegedly attempted to flee from officers, and investigation led to the arrest of that man. Online court information […]
Missouri man sentenced to 15 years in prison without parole for meth trafficking and illegal firearm
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm. Maxwell L. Fleming, 25, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On April 7, 2021, Fleming pleaded guilty to one count […]
USDA updates pandemic assistance for livestock, poultry contract producers and specialty crop growers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is updating the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) for contract producers of eligible livestock and poultry and producers of specialty crops and other sales-based commodities. CFAP 2, which assists producers who faced market disruptions in 2020 due to COVID-19, is part of USDA’s broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers […]
Lawsuit filed over $1.4 billion contract for Missouri prison healthcare
(Missouri Independent) – The dispute over the $1.4 billion contract to provide prisoner health care in Missouri is moving into the courts. Corizon Health, which has held the Department of Corrections contract since 1992, filed a lawsuit Monday in Cole County alleging that unfair treatment and improper scoring gave the contract to Centurion Health, a Virginia subsidiary of […]
Attorneys argue Missouri is violating federal law, courts on Medicaid expansion delays
(Missouri Independent) – Attorneys who successfully sued to force Missouri to enact voter-approved Medicaid expansion argued in a letter to state officials Thursday that delays in implementation violate not only the court order but also federal law. The plaintiffs’ attorneys, Chuck Hatfield and Lowell Pearson joined with Joel Ferber, director of advocacy for Legal Services […]
Restaurant owner and managers in Missouri among 19 charged in RICO Indictment
The owner of dozens of Mexican restaurants in several states, along with the company’s president, CFO, controller, and sales manager are among 19 defendants charged in a federal racketeering conspiracy to hire undocumented workers. Also among those charged are eight current or former managers of restaurants located in Butler, Springfield, Lebanon, West Plains, Willow Springs, […]
Trenton man charged with making a terrorist threat in Daviess County
A Trenton man has been charged in Daviess County with felony second-degree terrorist threat after he allegedly said he was a fugitive and would shoot any cops who tried to arrest him. The alleged incident involving 30-year-old Todd McDowell at the Southside Tavern of Gallatin happened on August 22. Online court information indicates McDowell has […]
Missouri Steer Feedout accepting entries through October 10
Entries will be accepted through Oct. 10 for the next Missouri Steer Feedout, with weigh-in on November 2, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Eldon Cole. An entry consists of five or more head of steers born after January 1, 2021. At delivery, they should be weaned at least 45 days, weigh over 500 […]
Trenton City Council looks at creation of a “Social District,” discuss increasing monthly base rate of water meter charge
The Trenton City Council Monday night reviewed a preliminary report on proposed improvements to the aging water treatment plant, including an initial discussion on how to pay for an anticipated loan to finance the projects. The council also endorsed a developer’s application seeking funding for senior citizen housing, the creation of a social district for […]
FDA gives full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
The U.S. has its first fully approved vaccine against COVID-19, with federal health officials announcing Monday the approval of Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose vaccine. The green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to move Pfizer’s vaccine from emergency use to full approval is a milestone in the national pandemic response, and one that comes as the […]
Meatpacking plants have long relied on immigrant labor. Some now turn to foreign visa workers
(Missouri Independent) – Colored hard hats distinguish different roles and jobs at Seaboard Foods, a major meatpacking plant in Guymon, Oklahoma. Senior management have green. Supervisors wear dark blue. Foreign workers on visas don yellow-green. But Seaboard is part of a small but growing trend in the meatpacking industry, which already largely relied on an […]
Missouri unemployment rate drops to 4.2 percent in July
Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from June 2021 to July 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by a tenth of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 15,000 jobs over the month, with job gains in both goods-producing and service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in July […]
Afghan evacuees to arrive in the U.S. through Virginia and Wisconsin military bases
(Missouri Independent) – The first U.S. stop for the nearly 2,000 Afghan interpreters and other refugees evacuated so far amid the collapse of the Afghan government has been central Virginia’s Fort Lee military base. Tapped for its East Coast location and its ability to quickly ramp up to serve as a temporary host installation, the Army […]
Duane Urich gives presentation on Mid-America Music Festival to Trenton Rotary members
Duane Urich of the Black Silo Winery of Trenton spoke to the Trenton Rotary Club on August 12th about the Mid-America Music Festival. The event was held at the winery in July. It was the fourth year for the festival because it was not held in 2020 due to COVID-19. Approximately 3,000 to 3,300 individuals […]
Missouri Attorney General files charges in 2004 Jefferson County murder
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced his office has filed charges against Alice Weiss for the 2004 murder of James Summers. Weiss was charged last night with Murder in the 2nd Degree. The case was handled through the Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit, which was established in December of 2020, with help from investigators with […]
Vehicle stop in Livingston County results in seizure of drugs and arrest of Texas man
Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox reports a vehicle stop in Livingston County August 10th resulted in the seizure of drugs and the arrest of a Texas man. Deputy Jordan Williams stopped the vehicle on U. S. Highway 36 near Utica for an alleged traffic violation or violations. Cox says the deputy seized a significant number […]
Lawmakers say special session likely unneeded to fund Missouri Medicaid expansion
(Missouri Independent) – Legislative leaders of both parties said Tuesday that a special session is likely not needed to appropriate additional funds following a court order to begin covering Missourians who are eligible under voter-approved Medicaid expansion. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, and Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis and […]
Unionville man drowns at Thousand Hills State Park
The Highway Patrol reports a Unionville man has drowned at Thousand Hills State Park near Kirksville the afternoon of August 9 after he voluntarily left a pontoon boat in an attempt to rescue another swimmer. Sixty-four-year-old Steven Puckett was taken to the Travis Noe Funeral Home. Puckett went under the water at Forest Lake and did […]