A Missouri woman was sentenced in federal court for methamphetamine trafficking after she received a large package of methamphetamine shipped from California to distribute locally. Cassiopeia Marie Blaise, 37, Columbia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to eight years in federal prison without parole. Blaise pleaded guilty on Aug. 31, 2021, to […]
Tag: neighbor
U.S. Senate panel bickers over Supreme Court nomination but sets vote next week
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee reopened partisan disagreements Monday as members scheduled a vote for April 4 on Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Republicans’ criticisms of Jackson’s record and responses were either untrue or disingenuous. Meanwhile, ranking Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa again raised […]
Meta, formerly Facebook, to open data center in Kansas City
Governor Mike Parson announced that Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, Inc., will locate a nearly one-million-square-foot data center in Kansas City, investing more than $800 million and supporting up to 100 jobs. The data center, a first of its kind in Missouri, is expected to be operational in 2024. “We’re proud to welcome Meta […]
Former Missouri police officer sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison on multiple counts of fraud
United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Brad Stephens to one year and one day in federal prison for 3 counts of Mail Fraud by obtaining taxpayer money from the Tower Grove South Concerned Citizen Special Business District (“Tower Grove South”) by means of material false representations. […]
As CAFO lawsuit heads to Missouri Supreme Court, counties weigh options
(Missouri Independent) – As a fight over who can regulate industrial hog and cattle operations awaits action by the Missouri Supreme Court, counties that sought more stringent protections against them wait in limbo. The Missouri Supreme Court is expected to hear an appeal by county commissioners who sought to regulate concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, […]
Missouri Lieutenant Governor seeks nominations for Senior Service Award
State Rep. Rusty Black is encouraging citizens from House District 7 to submit their nominees for the 2022 Lieutenant Governor’s Senior Service Award. First created in 2005, the Lieutenant Governor’s Service Award acknowledges senior citizens who provide their local communities with at least 40 hours of community service per year. Recipients are individuals who epitomize […]
House grants initial approval to bill that would allow prison nurseries in Missouri
(Missouri Independent) -The House gave initial approval Wednesday to a bill that would allow newborns to remain with their incarcerated mothers for the first year and a half of the baby’s life. The bill would permit the Missouri Department of Corrections to establish nurseries within the state’s correctional facilities, allowing children born to incarcerated women to […]
Trenton firefighters respond to 12th Street address
A shed in Trenton is considered a total loss after a fire on Thursday night, February 24. Trenton Firefighter Alex Lovell reports that, when the fire department arrived, the shed built to enclose a wood stove at 705 West 12th Street was fully involved in fire. Firefighters deployed a one and three-quarter-inch attack line and […]
Missouri man charged with illegal firearms after police pursuit
A Missouri, man who caused an accident while fleeing from a police helicopter, then ran from police officers through the backyards of a residential neighborhood before being apprehended, was charged in federal court with illegally possessing firearms. Jonathon M. Pentlin, 24, of Belton, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of […]
Students at Rissler Elementary School raise over $6.500 through Kids Heart Challenge
Students from Rissler Elementary School in Trenton raised $6,629.54 this year for the American Heart Association through the Kids Heart Challenge. Physical Education Teacher David Sager reports the grade that raised the most money was first with $2,749.15. The class that raised the most money was Alexandria Neighbors’ first-grade class with $1,359.10. The top student […]
Beef processing facility near KC in violation of Missouri regulations for polluting waters
(Missouri Independent) – A beef processing facility 40 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City polluted at least a mile of nearby streams and allowed septic tanks of sewage and entrails to overflow, state regulators found this month. The facility, the former site of a beef operation that neighbors felt threatened a nearby botanical garden, was referred […]
Experts say federal funds for lead pipe replacement needed in Missouri
Missouri has roughly 330,000 lead service lines, the pipes connecting water mains to buildings including people’s homes, and federal funding could help speed up the process of removing and replacing them. The bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress last year includes $15 billion for lead-pipe replacement, building on funds from the American Rescue Plan. Erik D. Olson, senior strategic director at […]
Misinformation fuels false belief that Missouri COVID death figures are being inflated
(Missouri Independent) – On a recent Tuesday evening in southeastern Missouri, John Freeze stood in front of yet another angry group of constituents. Some here believe the number of COVID-19 deaths are being purposefully inflated for financial gain. Among the culprits, in their mistaken view: Hospitals seeking Medicare reimbursements; The federal government, led by Dr. Anthony […]
Missouri Attorney General announces finalization of opioid settlement
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that his Office has finalized opioid settlements with Johnson & Johnson and major opioid distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen. The Attorney General was joined by families of victims of opioid overdose and representatives from treatment centers and nonprofits across the state. Combined, these settlements bring a total of […]
New dates announced for Mercer Homecoming
New dates have been announced for the Mercer Homecoming celebration this year. The Mercer Homecoming Committee has decided to move away from Labor Day weekend and hold the Homecoming events the last weekend in July. This year, those dates are July 28th through the 30th. According to Jeff Girdner, the change occurred because the committee […]
Missouri health centers continue to vaccinate, despite staffing shortages
As Community Health Centers (CHCs) mark a year of administering vaccines to underserved Missourians, the needs of the pandemic have strained their services. More than 40% of centers report they do not have enough staff to keep up the vaccination pace. Rodney Hummer, vice president of strategy for the Missouri Primary Care Association and a registered nurse, […]
Missouri man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole for meth trafficking
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for methamphetamine trafficking after he received a large package of methamphetamine shipped from California to distribute locally. Bryan Patton Tullous, 39, of Columbia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 10 years and 11 months in federal prison without parole. On Sept. 2, 2021, […]
Fire at Fifth and Elm streets in Milan destroys house
A vacant house in Milan is considered a total loss after a fire early in the morning of February 8, 2022. Milan Fire Chief Rick Gardner reports the fire at Fifth and Elm streets was reported around midnight, and the house was fully involved in flames before the fire department arrived on the scene. The […]