A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for distributing methamphetamine, carjacking, and illegally possessing firearms after leading officers on three high-speed vehicle pursuits. Charles V. Bai, 29, of Independence, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 13 years in federal prison without parole. On Oct. 13, 2021, Bai pleaded guilty to […]
Grundy County sales tax collections for the year through April are up more than $10,900 for general revenue, ambulance, and law enforcement when compared to the same period last year. Collections for 2022 through this April are more than $170,200 for each category. Collections for this month are up more than $10,000 each from what […]
The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on April 6th of a Trenton man who allegedly broke in and stole items from a business in February. Two Spickard residents were also arrested on April 6th. Forty-eight-year-old Oliver Eugene Vandevender has been charged with the felonies of second-degree burglary, stealing $750 or more, and first-degree […]
Missourians are setting medical marijuana buying records with sales that could top 300 million dollars this year. The Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association – or MOCAAN – says patients bought more than thirty million dollars’ worth ($30.71M) of medical marijuana in March alone, which is right at a million dollars a day. The […]
The Drug Enforcement Administration sent a letter to federal, state, and local law enforcement partners warning of a nationwide spike in fentanyl-related mass-overdose events. Administrator Anne Milgram outlined the current threat and offered DEA support to law enforcement officers responding to these tragic incidents. “Fentanyl is killing Americans at an unprecedented rate,” said DEA Administrator […]
The Trenton Police Department reports an unknown vehicle struck a sports utility vehicle owned by the City of Trenton last week. Officer Jen Grider says the SUV was parked facing north on Hunter Road on March 31st, and damage was found on April 1st. The other vehicle and driver reportedly left the scene after the […]
Throughout the country, an extremely infectious disease called highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been circulating rapidly among flocks of chicken and turkeys. While the disease poses little risk to humans, it presents a serious threat to infected birds as well as the nation’s poultry industry, which is already facing supply chain disruptions. At the […]
The judge in the criminal trial of three men accused of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of 17 people in the Duck Boat Tragedy has dismissed all charges. Stone County Judge Alan Blankenship issued his ruling on Tuesday after delaying the initial hearing for his decision in March. The boat was swamped by waves caused […]
(Missouri Independent) – The Missouri House gave first-round approval Tuesday to a package of budget bills spending $46.2 billion, with Republicans defeating repeated Democratic efforts to tap the state’s record surplus. The budget includes boosts to higher education funding, both for institutions and scholarships, as well as funding one of last year’s most controversial issues, Medicaid […]
(Missouri Independent) – A Missouri task force assigned with overseeing the creation of a statewide prescription drug monitoring program has hired a former state health department veteran to serve as the program’s executive director. Dean Linneman, the former director of the Department of Health and Senior Services Division of Regulation and Licensure, was hired on […]
(Missouri Independent) – The Missouri Senate is poised to take up a long-running effort to stymie the Grain Belt Express, a massive transmission line meant to carry wind energy from southwest Kansas across three states. The $2 billion project would carry 4,000 megawatts of energy, dropping some off in Missouri before ending at the Illinois-Indiana […]
The Trenton Park Board Pool Committee on April 5th discussed raising pay for pool staff and daily rates. Information is to be presented to the Park Board on April 6th for the board to vote. The Pool Committee meeting was originally to be at the Park Office, but it was moved to Barnes Greenhouses due […]
The Grundy County Clerks’ office reports as many as 110 absentee ballots were cast in advance of Tuesday’s election. Clerk Betty Spickard said 132 requests for absentees were made including 22 that have yet to be voted and returned to the county clerk’s office. This compares to 124 absentee ballots cast last year in the […]
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Senate advanced Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic Supreme Court nomination in a 53-47 procedural vote Monday evening, hours after the Judiciary Committee deadlocked along party lines. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah voted with all 50 Senate Democrats on the procedural […]
(Missouri Independent) – In just two weeks since allegations of domestic violence surfaced, Eric Greitens’ campaign for the U.S. Senate has been under siege from fellow Republicans urging him to drop out of the race. With one notable exception. The state party, which in recent years has denounced several candidates running under the GOP banner for […]
(Missouri Independent) – Despite facing competition from the state health department, the nonprofit Missouri Family Health Council Inc. will continue to administer federal Title X family planning funds. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded more than $250 million in Title X funding this week, including $5.3 million to Missouri. That money helps pay […]
(Missouri Independent) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the government will terminate a Trump-era policy that prevented migrants from claiming asylum during a health crisis, including the coronavirus pandemic. The policy will end on May 23, the CDC wrote in its notice. “There is no longer a serious danger that the […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing the signup period for its Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative (CLEAR30) — a nationwide opportunity for certain landowners and agricultural producers currently implementing water quality practices through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to enroll in 30-year contracts, extending the lifespan and strengthening the benefits of important water quality […]
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri’s record general revenue surplus was off-limits for spending plans as the House Budget Committee worked Thursday, defeating Democratic efforts to give boost money for public schools and state colleges. The only significant addition to education budgets approved by the committee was to restart the teacher Career Ladder program, providing $21 million to give experienced […]
Additional charges have been filed against a teacher and coach for the Braymer C-4 School District who was originally charged last week after allegedly sending nude photos and videos to students. Additional charges for 29-year-old Zachary Wayman Douglas of Utica include four felony counts of first-degree sexual abuse, two felony counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, […]
