Chillicothe Police School Resource Officer Eric Menconi says he has talked with law enforcement officers, school officials, and health professionals about everyday issues children face. About 70% of the conversations occurred because of incidents in which a student was found using alcohol, tobacco products, or other illicit drugs. He notes the most common problem is […]
A Missouri man whose lost cell phone containing child pornography was found at a truck stop was sentenced in federal court. Christopher Lee Caven, 40, of Belton, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Caven to 12 years of supervised release […]
The administrative committee will recommend changes in the city ordinance regarding exotic animals including reptiles. The revisions are designed to have the Trenton ordinance be more similar to state law. Adam Clear had requested a review of the city code in his hope of having a reptile type of zoo in Trenton. Clear has stated […]
A 21-year-old who pleaded guilty to the shooting death of a two-year-old northwest Missouri girl has been sentenced to 26 years in prison. Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg sentenced Marcain Kimbrough-Ballard of St. Joseph after an emotional hearing in a Buchanan County courtroom. Kimbrough-Ballard, in an earlier court hearing, admitted to firing shots into […]
(Missouri Independent) – More than 70 million Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine — and along with that shot, a small paper card with the CDC’s label detailing the timing and manufacturer of the dose. Those paper cards at the moment are the only proof readily available to Americans of […]
The American Pickers are planning to return to Missouri, and while here, plan to film episodes of The History Channel television series throughout this area in May 2021. American Pickers are taking the pandemic very seriously and will be following all guidelines and protocols for safe filming as outlined by the state and CDC. While […]
(Missouri Independent) – U.S. Rep. Debra Haaland made history on Monday when she became the first Native American to ever be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold a position in a president’s Cabinet. In a narrow 51-40 vote, senators confirmed Haaland, a New Mexico Democrat, to serve as secretary of the interior, where she […]
Webmasters note: This article is a commentary by Tim Gibbons of the Missouri Independent. Tim Gibbons is communications director for the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, a statewide farm and rural organization dedicated to preserving family farms and promoting stewardship of the land and environmental integrity. The comments in the article are those of the author, […]
The state of Missouri, along with some local agencies, are organizing several mass coronavirus events this week around the state. The clinics are planned in Benton, Jackson, Chariton, Putnam, McDonald, Bollinger, Cole, Buchanan, Mercer, Pulaski, St. Charles, and St. Louis counties. A mega vaccination event is planned at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City this Friday […]
(Missouri Independent) – Roy Blunt’s announcement that he won’t seek a third term certainly shook up Republican politics in Missouri, sparking nearly every GOP elected official in the state to publicly mull jumping into the campaign. Democrats aren’t immune from the speculation. While any Democrat would face an uphill fight, the chance of a messy […]
A dual U.S.-Mexican citizen pleaded guilty today to willfully engaging in financial dealings with Mexican companies that had been identified as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). According to court documents, Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez, 34, of Guadalajara, Mexico, violated the criminal penalties of […]
The owners of the now-defunct Circle of Hope Girls Ranch in southwest Missouri’s Humansville remain jailed without bond on Thursday morning, after pleading NOT guilty in Cedar County Court. Boyd and Stephanie Householder are from Nevada, near Humansville. Attorney General Eric Schmitt had to stop speaking at one point during his Wednesday press conference, to […]
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for receiving and distributing child pornography. Brian M. Turner, 38, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On Sept. 14, 2020, Turner pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. The investigation began in December […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced in a press conference that his office has filed a total of 102 criminal charges against Boyd and Stephanie Householder, who were the owners and operators of the now-defunct Circle of Hope Girls Ranch and Boarding School. Boyd and Stephanie Householder have been arrested and are in custody. […]
A suspect is in custody, and a body was recovered after a law enforcement pursuit that ended in Ray County on March 8th. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year-old Tyler Gooding of Pleasant Hill was reported missing in Cass County on March 5th and identified as the victim of a homicide in Lafayette County. […]
(Missouri Independent) – Roy Blunt’s decision not to seek a third term in the U.S. Senate will have cascading effects across Missouri’s political universe. The state has no shortage of ambitious Republican officials, each of whom can make a legitimate claim at being the strongest candidate. So will the 2022 GOP primary turn into a […]
CrimeStoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information about who killed a 9-year-old last weekend in St. Louis. On March 7th, officers received a call for “Shots Fired” in the 900 Block of Lasalle Park. At approximately 10 pm, followed by a call for a “Shooting” after Victim Caion Green, who was 9 […]
The Missouri K-12 Education Department has been reviewing whether federal coronavirus aid can be used to give teachers a bonus next school year if they stick around. The state already has a persistent teacher shortage and COVID-19 has made the problem even worse. During a Missouri Board of Education meeting, Deputy Finance Commissioner Kari Monsees […]
A 20-year chapter ends today for Missouri Supreme Court Judge Laura Denvir Stith. After serving on the high court for two decades, Stith is retiring. The photos have come down off her office walls. Stith has packed up her certificates and awards she proudly showcased in her third-floor office along West High Street in Jefferson […]
Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley voted Friday against adding a minimum wage hike to the current COVID-19 relief bill in the Senate but is calling for a higher minimum wage — and a tax credit for some blue-collar workers. Hawley, in a stand-alone bill, would require companies that make more than $1 billion annually to […]
