Preliminary hearings were waived by four defendants when they appeared Tuesday in the Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court. Chillicothe resident Tesse Janell Carman faces two felony drug possession counts and three misdemeanor counts stemming from a June 25 arrest. Tristan Lee Vencill of Trenton is charged with delivering a controlled substance from August […]
Tag: January
Fate of Missouri Medicaid expansion in the hands of the state Supreme Court
(Missouri Independent) – After an eight-year fight over Medicaid expansion, the arguments are over. The question of whether 275,000 people will receive state-paid health care coverage is in the hands of the Missouri Supreme Court. Oral arguments took place Tuesday in an expedited appeal. The seven judges must decide whether Medicaid eligibility will expand, as directed by the […]
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 […]
“Surge response team” arrives in Missouri amid COVID-19 spike caused by Delta variant
(Missouri Independent) – As federal officials land in Missouri at the request of the state to assist with combatting a wave of new COVID cases spurred by the Delta variant, Gov. Mike Parson publicly rebuffed outreach strategies President Joe Biden touted. On Tuesday, a member of the newly-created federal surge response team arrived 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 […]
Delta variant spread means Missouri COVID cases may ‘double or triple’ in July
(Missouri Independent) – During June, as the Delta variant of COVID-19 took hold in Missouri, the seven-day average of new cases doubled. And now that the easily spread mutation has reached every corner of the state, July will be a repeat of June, or worse, according to the University of Missouri professor monitoring wastewater for the […]
Jobs report for May 2021 shows slight increase in Missouri unemployment numbers
Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from April 2021 to May 2021, but the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by a tenth of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 6,000 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 May […]
U.S. Attorney General imposes moratorium on federal executions; orders review of policies and procedures
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued a memorandum imposing a moratorium on federal executions while reviewing the Justice Department’s policies, and procedures is pending. “The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States but […]
Missouri woman pleads guilty to sexually assaulting children and producing child pornography; faces 15 years in prison
A Missouri woman pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually assaulting two children to produce child pornography and to receiving and distributing child pornography. Tara Sau Millman, 41, Merriam Village, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of the sexual exploitation of minors and one count of receiving and distributing […]
‘A highway away’: Delta variant, low vaccine rates cause COVID spike across Missouri
(Missouri Independent) – Kendra Findley had thought the Springfield area had seen the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in December — a month when cases regularly surpassed 200 a day and that saw a record 98 residents die of the virus. Looking back, that was when the Alpha variant, first identified in the U.K., was […]
Missouri Attorney General obtains $150,000 Medicaid fraud settlement
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has obtained a $150,000 settlement against a former Poplar Bluff Medicaid provider for falsely billing services that weren’t provided. “My Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works tirelessly to root out, investigate, and prosecute instances of Medicaid fraud across the state of Missouri,” […]
Rains Heating and Cooling in Princeton files suit against Grundy County Nursing home District
A petition for damages has been filed against the Grundy County Nursing Home District relating to bidding for a partial HVAC system replacement in the 1972 section of Sunnyview Nursing Home and Apartments of Trenton. Rains Heating and Cooling in Princeton filed the petition, which involves five counts, including breach of contract, unjust enrichment, money […]
Apply online for Missouri Department of Conservation managed deer hunts beginning July 1
Beginning July 1, 2021, deer hunters can apply online through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s website for a shot at more than 100 managed deer hunts throughout the state this fall and winter. MDC offers managed deer hunts for archery, muzzleloading, crossbow, and modern firearms from mid-September through mid-January at conservation areas, state and other […]
Parson gives Missouri Legislature deadline of high noon Tuesday to reach deal on healthcare tax proposal
(Missouri Independent) – Gov. Mike Parson gave lawmakers a deadline of noon Tuesday to strike a deal to renew medical provider taxes vital to funding Medicaid or accept responsibility for more than $700 million in cuts from the state budget that takes effect July 1. If not, the governor says he will freeze funding in Missouri’s […]
Audio: Missouri Public Defender System prepares to hire 53 new attorneys, biggest staffing increase since around 1989
If Gov. Mike Parson does not make changes to the Missouri Public Defender System’s next budget, the office is on track to get its largest staffing increase since about 1989. Director Mary Fox tells Missourinet 53 new public defenders would be hired statewide. “This is going to make a huge difference in terms […]
Versailles man arrested on Grundy County warrant for failure to appear in court
The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Versailles man on June 16 on a capias warrant for failure to appear in court. Fifty-nine-year-old James Leon Baker’s original charge in Grundy County was felony failure to register as a sex offender. He posted bond in Morgan County of $5,000, 10% cash approved. He […]
Grundy County Health Department to host baby shower for new and expectant mothers
The Grundy County Health Department will host a baby shower for new and expectant mothers who have had babies since January or are due through August. Grundy County residents can attend the free event on July 16 at 10 a.m. The event may be held online, in person, or in a hybrid format. Prize bags […]
May jobs report shows Missouri unemployment rate at 4.2%
Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from April 2021 to May 2021, but the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by a tenth of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 6,000 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 May […]