United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Nicholas M. Ray to a term of 15 years in federal prison. Ray previously pleaded guilty to attempting to persuade or coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity and distribution of child pornography in a court appearance held in October 2021. In 2014, Ray was convicted […]
(Missouri Independent) – A circuit judge will determine whether St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is entitled to claim privilege for her communications with political donors and key figures in the 2018 investigation of former Gov. Eric Greitens, the Eastern District Missouri Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. The court affirmed a 2020 decision by St. Louis […]
(Missouri Independent) – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack faced questions on how his agency is doling out emergency pandemic aid and fostering collaboration with historically Black colleges during a Thursday hearing before the House Agriculture Committee. Committee Chairman David Scott, a Georgia Democrat, asked Vilsack for “critical updates on the implementation of pandemic relief programs, including […]
A man was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for possessing images of the sexual abuse of children. Ian Andrew Zearley, 40, of Louisa County, Virginia, pleaded guilty to possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children in July 2021. According to court documents, Zearley […]
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for growing marijuana and illegally possessing dozens of firearms. Darrin Dale Smithee, 56, of Auxvasse, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 years in federal prison without parole. On Aug. 31, 2021, Smithee pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing marijuana and one […]
A Pattonsburg woman faces charges in Daviess County after she allegedly assaulted her grandmother on January 12th. Online court information indicates 20-year-old Rhiannon Richelle Stieh has been charged with the felonies of second-degree assault involving a special victim and stealing a controlled substance or meth manufacturing material. She also has been charged with the misdemeanors […]
The Livingston County Health Center reports 10 COVID-19 cases have been added since January 10th, bringing the total to 2,729. There are 114 active cases. The Sullivan County Health Department on January 11th confirmed 10 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 1,429. There were 43 active cases. The Linn County Health Department reports it […]
The EPA is issuing seven-year registrations for two herbicide products, Enlist Duo and Enlist One, to ensure growers have access to effective pesticide tools for the 2022 growing season. The new product labels, which incorporate robust control measures to protect non-target plants and animals, meet Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act standards and comply with […]
A man who conspired with others to control construction businesses that received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal government contracts was sentenced in federal court for defrauding the government with respect to contracts set aside for service-disabled veterans and certified minorities. “This contractor not only defrauded the government but cheated to get contracts that […]
(Missouri Independent) – If school districts want to take advantage of a lower interest rate on bonds, Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick is requiring them to certify compliance with a recent court ruling targeting local health orders before his office will approve of the deal. Fitzpatrick detailed the decision he described as “unprecedented” in an interview Wednesday […]
At the North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission meeting, the Commissioners took up the issue of adopting a “Naming Convention” that will guide the naming of approximately 113 features at or near the East Locust Creek Reservoir ELCR. Features include, but are not limited to; roads, bridges, branches, coves, points, the marina, boat launch areas, […]
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division and Republic, Missouri resident, Theodore Jay Eddings, recently entered into a consent order to settle allegations against Eddings by the Division involving investor fraud. In the first portion of October 2021, the Missouri Secretary of State issued a cease and desist order that required Eddings to show […]
(Missouri Independent) – As the Senate works to finalize a major annual defense measure, there is a bipartisan push to include a requirement that all young Americans — including women — for the first time register for the military draft. The $777.9 billion measure, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, also would allocate millions to […]
(Missouri Independent) – The omicron variant of COVID-19 has made its way to Missouri, with the first case announced Friday. In a news release, the Department of Health and Senior Services said it was notified by public health partners of a presumed positive case for the variant that came from a St. Louis resident who […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt proposed a Parents’ Bill of Rights ahead of the next legislative session in January. The Parents’ Bill of Rights would protect parents’ rights to have a well-informed say in their children’s education, strengthen parents’ abilities to take action related to their children’s education, and increase transparency in Missouri’s schools. “A […]
Numerous arrests were reported on Wednesday in area counties by troopers of the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Chillicothe resident, 25-year-old David Gamble, was arrested Wednesday morning in Grundy County. He’s been accused of driving while intoxicated for drugs, misdemeanor possession of drugs, and drug paraphernalia. Gamble was taken on a […]
(Missouri Independent) – Patients who arrive at an abortion clinic in Overland Park, Kansas, have often traveled long distances. Many began their journeys in Missouri, sometimes driving hours to their appointment. “We’ve heard these stories from Missourians and other people in our region for years,” said Emily Wales, interim president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “They […]
(Missouri Independent) – Attorney General Eric Schmitt alleges in a newly filed lawsuit that Springfield Public Schools wants to avoid scrutiny of its curriculum and training materials — and is violating the Missouri Sunshine law to do it. The district improperly demanded a deposit of more than $37,000 to search its records for instances where it incorporated elements […]
The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds deer hunters that it will be holding mandatory CWD sampling during the opening weekend of the November portion of firearms season, Nov. 13 and 14, for hunters who harvest deer in MDC CWD Management Zone counties. CWD is a deadly, infectious disease in deer and other members of the […]
(Missouri Independent) – The company providing health care to state prisoners failed to prove a competitor misled state purchasing officers to win the $1.4 billion contract, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled Thursday. Corizon Health, which has been the state’s vendor for prisoner medical needs since 1992, accused the state Purchasing Division of giving the contract […]
