Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that Kansas-City-area contractor Brian S. Pummell will pay back over $26,000 in restitution to Missourians who paid Pummell for work he never performed. “Protecting consumers is an important duty of the Attorney General’s Office, and the dedicated investigators, hotline operators, and attorneys in the Consumer Protection Section of my […]
Tag: invest
Kansas man sentenced in Missouri to 12-years in prison for Payday Loan fraud and tax evasion
A Kansas man was sentenced in federal court for engaging in two separate fraud schemes related to millions of dollars in false payday loan debt and for tax evasion totaling more than $8 million. “After raking in millions of dollars from the victims of his fraud scheme, the defendant lied repeatedly and used every trick […]
Governor Parson signs SB 262 into law, increasing transportation funding for critical infrastructure projects
Governor Mike Parson has signed SB 262 into law, which will increase transportation funding for critical state and local infrastructure projects across the state of Missouri. “With nearly $1 billion in unfunded transportation needs each year, we can no longer wait for another day or another generation. We must change course and address these problems head-on,” Governor Parson said. “SB […]
USDA announces dates for Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands signups
Agricultural producers and landowners can apply for the Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands signup from today until August 20. This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated signup options to provide greater incentives for producers and increase the program’s conservation and climate benefits, including setting a minimum rental rate and identifying two national priority zones. […]
Landowners and tenants invited to respond to 2021 Missouri rental rate survey
Landowners lease roughly 35% of Missouri crop, pasture, and woodland acreage to renters every year. Rented acreage has increased in recent years as more land has transitioned to the next generation, interest rates have incentivized land investments, and interest in carbon markets and working land conservation has grown, said Ben Brown, extension economist with the […]
Body of Trenton man discovered at entrance of rock quarry
Grundy County Sheriff Rodney Herring, on Monday afternoon, announced the discovery of a body identified as the man who was said to have last been seen in downtown Trenton on June 23. The sheriff reports the body of William Christopher Harville was discovered at a rural Grundy County location Sunday. Herring said Harville was found […]
If arrested, 17-year-olds in Missouri now will be treated as juveniles, not adults
In Missouri’s courts, 17-year-olds will now be automatically treated as juveniles rather than adults if they’re taken into custody. It’s the tenth state in the country to raise the age of criminal responsibility. Opponents of “raise the age” laws predicted it would increase juvenile caseloads and overwhelm capacity in youth detention centers. Still, the number […]
Biden administration defends push to boost COVID vaccinations after Parson criticism
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden’s key COVID-19 advisers on Thursday defended the administration’s strategies for boosting vaccinations in the states after Missouri’s governor said federal door-to-door outreach efforts are not welcome there. Top Biden adviser Jeff Zients said anyone mischaracterizing the administration’s attempts is “doing a disservice to the country.” Gov. Mike Parson voiced his […]
Mexican national sentenced to 6-years in federal prison for $10 million marijuana growing operation in Daviess County
A Mexican national who has been deported seven times after illegally entering the United States was sentenced in federal court for his role in a Daviess County, Missouri, marijuana-growing operation where law enforcement officers seized nearly $10 million worth of plants. Sergio Medina-Perez, 47, of El Monte, California, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg […]
Livingston County Sheriff releases information on recent investigations and incidents
Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox has released information about recent incidents involving the sheriff’s office. One incident involved grandparents reporting a juvenile running away from home. Cox says the sheriff’s office responded to a rural area July 4th, and a deputy located the pre-teen. The youth was caught after a reported foot chase of about […]
Man found guilty by Sullivan County jury given life in prison
A man found guilty by a Sullivan County jury in March on felonies of statutory rape, and patronizing prostitution was sentenced July 7. Rodger Gannan was sentenced in the Linn County case to life in prison plus five years, according to the Linn County Prosecuting Attorney, Shiante McMahon. The Brookfield Police Department investigated the case.
Biden-Harris Administration invests $307 million in rural water and wastewater infrastructure improvements in 34 states
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the United States Department of Agriculture is investing $307 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in 34 states and Puerto Rico (PDF, 224 KB). The investments being announced follow President Biden’s announcement last week of a Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework that will make the largest investment in clean […]
Farm Service Agency now accepting nominations for county committee members
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency began accepting nominations for county committee members on June 15. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2021 election must be postmarked or received in the […]
Missouri man defrauds St. Louis residents out of $81,000
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division is seeking penalties and restitution from a Missouri man and his Chesterfield-based company after St. Louis residents were allegedly defrauded out of $81,000. Between January 2017 and June 2018, Loy Dennis Maxey and his company, Fresh Start Credit Services, LLC, allegedly sold promissory notes and misappropriated a […]
Bob Griffin, longest-serving Missouri House speaker, has died at age 85
(Missouri Independent) – Bob F. Griffin, who served as speaker of the Missouri House for 15 years until he was forced to resign in the face of a federal criminal investigation, died Wednesday in Columbia. He was 85. Griffin was the longest-serving speaker in the state’s history. During his tenure as speaker from 1981 to 1996, the […]
USDA invests $910,000 to improve rural water infrastructure in Jackson County
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Missouri Acting State Director D Clark Thomas announced the agency is investing $910,000 to modernize rural drinking water infrastructure in Jackson County, benefitting nearly 3.000 rural Missourians. “Every community, large and small, needs safe, reliable access to necessities like clean water,” Thomas said. “Rural Development congratulates Public Water Supply […]
Cameron Police Department arrest suspect wanted in Iowa
The Cameron Police Department took someone into custody on July 6th who was wanted on several warrants from Iowa. Cameron Police Chief Rick Bashor reports the Cameron Detectives Division was contacted by law enforcement officers from Ames, Iowa in reference to a subject wanted on warrants from that jurisdiction. One of the charges was for […]
Groups say postal reform Bill would benefit rural Missouri
Supporters of the U.S. Postal Service are pressing for passage of a bill to shore up the troubled agency. Twin versions of the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act of 2021 are winding their way through committees in the U.S. House and Senate. John McHugh, a former congressman from New York who served as Secretary of the Army until […]
Steve Maxey gives presentation on Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City at Rotary meeting
Former Trenton resident Steve Maxey spoke at the Trenton Rotary Club meeting on July 1st. He is a sales manager for the Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City, which was previously the Kemper Arena. He gave the history and personal stories of the former Kemper Arena, which hosted events including the 1976 Republican National Convention, the […]