A man who escaped from a Springfield, Missouri, halfway house 17 months ago pleaded guilty in federal court after being caught crossing the border from Mexico into San Diego, California. Benjamin E. Garnica, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to escaping from federal custody. Garnica was sentenced on March 20, 2014, […]
A Chicago, Illinois, man who was arrested while driving through northern Missouri was sentenced in federal court for possessing nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine to distribute. Kevin M. Phyfiher, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On Oct. 29, 2019, Phyfiher pleaded guilty to one […]
A judge in Caldwell County has approved a settlement of two million dollars in a lawsuit filed last fall by the family of two missing brothers from Wisconsin. Circuit Court Judge Ryan Horsman entered the judgment Friday after the parties came to an agreement. He wrote that the plaintiffs are to collect and receive that […]
The governor says the execution of a convicted southwest Missouri killer will move forward, clearing the way for Tuesday evening’s scheduled execution in Bonne Terre. Governor Mike Parson told Capitol reporters on Monday in Jefferson City that he hasn’t seen any reason to intervene in Walter Barton’s scheduled execution, saying “that will move forward as […]
A federal judge has issued a stay of execution in the case of a convicted southwest Missouri killer, who was scheduled to be executed Tuesday evening at the maximum-security prison in Bonne Terre. 64-year-old Walter Barton was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1991 killing of 81-year-old Gladys Kuehler. She managed a mobile home park […]
Prison sentences were announced on four defendants during Thursday’s session in the Grundy County Circuit Court. Trenton resident Timothy Persell Junior admitted to probation violations. His probation was revoked and he was sentenced to seven years with the Department of Corrections on each of three counts of distributing or delivering drugs early in 2016. The […]
Presiding Judge Thomas Alley of the Third Judicial Circuit Court reports he’s reviewed COVID-19 health conditions and received guidance from the Missouri Supreme Court to begin the process of re-opening local courts. This applies to the counties of Grundy, Mercer, Harrison, and Putnam which are in the third circuit of Missouri. Judge Alley stated these […]
A Hale man facing felony charges following an investigation into an alleged incident in Bedford this weekend has been found in contempt of court. Online court information shows 39 year old Gary Forrest Goodhart has been charged with the felonies of driving while revoked or suspended and resisting arrest, detention, or stop by fleeing—creating a […]
Legislation that would create a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) is now heading to a Missouri House-Senate conference committee. While both chambers have approved PDMP, they’ve approved different versions. Scott City GOP State Representative Holly Rehder delivered a passionate floor speech on Monday, urging colleagues not to judge people “unless you’ve walked a mile in […]
The Missouri Supreme Court has assigned a new judge to hear the court cases involving Garland Joseph Nelson of Braymer who faces ten felony counts from last July – among them the deaths of two Wisconsin brothers. Kevin Walden, the presiding judge of the 8th Circuit Court which is in Carroll and Ray Counties, was […]
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed on behalf of workers at the Smithfield Foods meatpacking plant in Milan. In a 24-page order Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Greg Kays declined to hear the case, which had alleged that working conditions at the plant have left its workers dangerously exposed to the COVID-19. The […]
A Braymer farmer entered a plea of not guilty in Division One of Caldwell County Circuit Court on Monday to 10 felony charges stemming from July ultimately resulting from the discovery of the bodies of two missing brothers from Wisconsin. Online court information shows Garland Joseph Nelson waived formal arraignment. An application for change of […]
An attorney representing a Braymer farmer has filed requests in his Caldwell County cases for a change of venue and judge. Garland Joseph Nelson faces ten felony counts stemming from July 21, 2019, that ultimately resulted in the discovery of the bodies of two missing brothers from Wisconsin. It will be up to 43rd Judicial […]
A Columbia, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing methamphetamine and a firearm. Anthony Maurice Malin, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. A […]
A rural Bethany resident, 35-year-old Joseph Borntreger has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to multiple sex-related counts. Borntreger entered guilty pleas to four counts of statutory rape in the second degree; two counts of statutory sodomy; three counts of sexual misconduct involving a child under the age of 15; and one count of […]
Six area schools have been judged to be within the top ten percent of Missouri FFA Chapters across the state. There are 348 FFA chapters within Missouri with 35 were recognized this week with a “Top Chapter” award. The media website for the Missouri FFA Convention has an alphabetical listing of the top chapters including […]
FCS Financial is recognizing 26 different 4-H clubs and FFA chapters with $500 grants for submitting outstanding Shaping Rural Missouri grant applications. This is the first round of awards. Due to school closures, the second round of funding was issued with an application deadline of May 1. In the nine years of its existence, more […]
The Missouri Supreme Court heard remote oral arguments on Wednesday in a high-profile case involving the Cole County circuit court’s 2018 decision to award more than $113 million in overtime pay for Missouri corrections officers. It’s a case that’s been working its way through the court system for eight years, and it’s a case that could […]
Video conferencing was used on Monday for the criminal cases of seven defendants in Division One of the Grundy County Circuit Court. Probation violation hearings were held, and dispositions announced, regarding five of those defendants. Each of them admitted to violations of their probation. Judge Thomas Alley presided in court. A resident of Dawn, Rodney […]
The Missouri Bicentennial Commission has announced the Bicentennial Poster contest is open to all students in third through 12th grade in the state through October 31st. Judges will select two posters from third through sixth grades and two from seventh through 12th grades to commemorate Missouri’s bicentennial of statehood. The posters will be selected on […]
