Prince Bixler, 41, of Lexington, Kentucky, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Wier to 36 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $333,100 in restitution to three sex trafficking victims. In September 2020, a federal jury convicted Bixler of 15 federal felonies related to his […]
A Missouri, woman who led police officers on a high-speed chase down Grand Avenue was indicted by a federal grand jury for two armed bank robberies. Sarah Theresa Watkins, 41, of Kansas City, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. The indictment replaces a federal criminal […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway announced that her office has begun audits of two school districts in western Missouri. The Marshall School District and the Smithville R-II School District’s reviews were requested through petitions submitted by residents of those districts. “The petition audit process allows citizens to demonstrate that they want to be engaged in ensuring […]
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) helped introduce the Major Richard Star Act, bipartisan legislation to provide combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of military service their full benefits. “It’s long overdue that these heroes – who could no longer continue serving due to injuries they sustained in combat – get the benefits they earned,” said […]
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced he will introduce new legislation to give blue-collar workers a pay raise. For nearly four decades, workers making below the median wage have experienced stagnant wages, and this past year, the problem has been made worse by unprecedented layoffs, reduced hours, and income disruptions due to the government shutting down […]
(Missouri Independent) – The plan for distributing money directly to Missouri counties in the current version of the $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief bill is pretty simple – each gets $195.44 per person. But for cities, instead of a formula based on population, Congress divvies up the money using the method for determining Community Development Block Grant allocations. […]
Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, a major broiler chicken producer based in Greeley, Colorado, has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to pay approximately $107 million in criminal fines for its participation in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chicken products, the Department of Justice announced today. According to the plea agreement entered […]
The Gallatin Board of Aldermen approved a motion regarding electric rates on Monday evening, February 22nd. The motion was to clarify that any business outside of a commercially zoned area that is required to possess a valid business license will be required to pay a commercial electric rate for the property that is used for […]
(Missouri Independent) – Last spring, as Missouri businesses shed hundreds of thousands of jobs, Gov. Mike Parson warned that the state was headed for the worst financial crunch since the 2008 recession. Ten months later, Parson presented a budget plan that anticipates a $1.1 billion surplus on July 1, the biggest in state history. And if the $1.9 trillion pandemic […]
The Trenton City Council on Monday night tabled an ordinance, approved a resolution, accepted a bid, and agreed to buy a riding lawnmower locally. More details also were presented on TMU’s use of diesel generators during the cold weather. The council voted to table a “right of way” agreement between the city of Trenton and […]
The highway patrol troop office in St. Joseph on Monday morning released the name of the suspect who was shot and killed Friday night east of Chillicothe. The death occurred when the suspect was sitting in a deputy’s vehicle following a single-vehicle accident on Highway 36. The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified the victim as […]
On Sunday morning, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported an additional 410 confirmed cases of COVID19 in the state in the 24-hour reporting period from Saturday, bringing the total to 475,000 cases since testing began. The daily average of new cases in the seven-day period ending Thursday was 450. During that same […]
