Vote Graphic with flag for Elections

A listing of area candidates who have filed for office today

Candidates filed in area counties on February 22nd for the August 2nd Primary Election. Candidates in Grundy County include incumbents Phillip Ray for presiding commissioner, Steve Hudson for associate circuit court judge, and Becky Stanturf for circuit clerk and recorder. Courtney Campbell filed for county clerk. Candidates in Livingston County include incumbents Sherry Parks for […]

Gavel and Law book news graphic

State judges across the U.S. face growing GOP pushback against rulings in election cases

Missouri Independent) – In mid-December, Texas’ highest criminal court revoked the state attorney general’s ability to use his office to prosecute election-related cases without the request of a district or county attorney. In an 8-1 opinion, the all-Republican court weakened Attorney General Ken Paxton’s power to independently go after perpetrators of voter fraud, a problem he says […]

Local Emergency Planning Committee

Grundy County Local Emergency Planning Committee approves officers

The Grundy County Local Emergency Planning Committee approved officers on February 15th. They are Chairperson Phillip Ray, Vice-Chairperson Ron Urton, Secretary Kelli Hillerman, and Coordinator Glen Briggs. Alan Barnett was approved to fulfill the representation of LEPC community member. Jim Skipper will be the LEPC hospital representative. The committee voted to pre-approve the Community Emergency […]

Winter Storm Watch

Winter Storm Watch issued for counties in north Missouri as system with rain, snow, sleet and ice approaches on Wednesday

Wintry storm chances will increase from late Wednesday evening through the day on Thursday. Rain is likely on Wednesday with that rain changing over to a mix Wednesday night and eventually snow on Thursday. Heavy mixed precipitation is possible with total snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches and ice accumulations of around one-tenth of […]

Guilty Plea news graphic

Two women, former federal correctional officers, plead guilty to bribery and contraband smuggling scheme

Two former correctional officers pleaded guilty to engaging in bribery and smuggling contraband into Leavenworth Detention Center. According to court documents, Jacqueline Sifuentes, 26, of Laredo, Texas, and Cheyonte Harris, 29, of Raytown, Missouri, previously worked as correctional officers at Leavenworth Detention Center, a privately-run maximum-security federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas. Sifuentes used her position […]

Kyle Ray Graves Booking Photo

Trenton man arrested on three drug-related charges

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Department reports the arrest on Friday of a Trenton man on three drug-related counts from 2021. Thirty-eight-year-old Kyle Ray Graves has been charged with possession of a controlled substance listed as methamphetamine and two counts of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use. The meth possession charge and one […]

Medical Marijuana

Criticism of Missouri medical marijuana system seeps into initiative petition debate

(Missouri Independent) – A handful of Republican lawmakers lashed out at the state’s medical marijuana industry Thursday, lobbing accusations of corruption into a Missouri House debate over whether to make it harder to amend the state’s Constitution.  On a mostly party-line 98-53 vote, the Missouri House signed off on legislation Thursday that would require a two-thirds […]

Accident-Crash graphic

Man from Polo injured in crash on Highway 13

The Highway Patrol reports a Polo man sustained moderate injuries when the car he drove hit a pickup truck in Ray County on Friday morning, February 11th. An ambulance took 44-year-old Matthew Fleener to the Ray County Memorial Hospital. No injuries were reported for the pickup driver, 28-year-old Whitney Marrant of Richmond. The car traveled […]

Governor Mike Parson

Governor Parson appoints temporary acting director of Department of Health and Senior Services

Governor Mike Parson accepted the resignation of Department of Health and Senior Services Director Don Kauerauf. Governor Parson has temporarily appointed Richard Moore to lead the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) as Acting Director. Richard serves as General Counsel for DHSS. The Governor will further evaluate the state’s options in the coming days. Governor Parson released the […]