Two teenagers from Des Moines, Iowa, were arrested Tuesday night by the Highway Patrol in Clinton County. Seventeen-year-old Brandon Cameron has been accused of being a fugitive out of state, two counts of unlawful possession of firearms, two counts of possessing defaced firearms, and being a minor in possession. At the same time, 18-year-old Alok […]
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Missouri man pleads guilty to marijuana grow operation and dozens of illegal firearms
A Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court to growing marijuana and illegally possessing dozens of firearms. Darrin Dale Smithee, 55, of Auxvasse, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. to one count of manufacturing marijuana and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Sept. 21, 2018, […]
Biden administration opens civil rights investigation into states banning school mask mandates
(Missouri Independent) – Federal education officials have launched civil rights investigations in five Republican-led states that have prohibited school districts from mandating mask-wearing, saying those policies could amount to illegal discrimination against students with disabilities. The Biden administration notified the education chiefs in Iowa, Tennessee, South Carolina, Utah, and Oklahoma of the investigations through formal letters Monday. The new investigations will examine […]
Bob Ross Cherrywood Challenge quilt exhibit on display at Missouri Quilt Museum in Hamilton
The 2020 Bob Ross Cherrywood Challenge quilt exhibit is now on display at the Missouri Quilt Museum. Each year, Cherrywood Fabrics of Brainard, Minnesota, conducts a themed quilting challenge. Quilters are provided a color palette of fabric, a theme, and a deadline. The theme of the 2020 challenge was the artist Bob Ross. Quilters must […]
Missouri man sentenced prison for tax evasion
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for tax evasion. Duane Dixon, 59, of Sedalia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to three years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Dixon to pay $639,733 in restitution to the IRS. On Feb. 2, 2021, Dixon pleaded guilty to one […]
Nine area schools report student enrollment on first day of school
Multiple area schools have begun classes for this academic year. Milan C-2 began August 23rd with a first-day enrollment of 662 in kindergarten through 12th grade. That is made up of 355 students in the elementary school and 307 at the high school. Green City R-1 began August 23rd with an opening day enrollment of […]
New Missouri “to-go” alcohol sales law takes effect August 28
The waiver that allowed Missouri restaurants to sell “to-go” alcoholic drinks beginning on April 14, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, will become permanent when Senate Bill 126 takes effect on August 28, 2021. The administrative waiver was granted because many restaurants were severely strained as business dropped off or shifted to take out […]
Deadline for entries for second “MO VIP” drawing is Wednesday
To date, more than 540,000 vaccinated Missourians have entered the MO VIP, Missouri’s COVID-19 vaccine incentive program, for a shot at $10,000. Governor Mike Parson announced the launch of the statewide program on July 21. Approximately 45,000 Missourians have entered to win since the date of the first drawing–winners of this drawing will be announced Wednesday, […]
Meatpacking plants have long relied on immigrant labor. Some now turn to foreign visa workers
(Missouri Independent) – Colored hard hats distinguish different roles and jobs at Seaboard Foods, a major meatpacking plant in Guymon, Oklahoma. Senior management have green. Supervisors wear dark blue. Foreign workers on visas don yellow-green. But Seaboard is part of a small but growing trend in the meatpacking industry, which already largely relied on an […]
Gilman City Board of Education approves property tax levy; accepts resignations, hires two
Gilman City’s Board of Education has approved the property tax levy of $5.03 (5.0298) on the 100 dollars of assessed valuations. School officials say that’s the same as levy as last year. Assessed valuation in the Gilman City school district comes in with a total of $12,509,025. In personnel, the board accepted the resignations of […]
Missouri pharmacy filled forged prescriptions
A Missouri pharmacy is prohibited from continuing its past practice of filling prescriptions without verifying whether they were issued by a DEA-authorized practitioner under a consent decree approved yesterday in federal court. Spalitto’s Pharmacy, L.C., of Kansas City, a retail pharmacy at 3801 Independence Avenue operated by Peter A. Spalitto as the pharmacist in charge, […]
Jamesport Board of Education approves property tax levy
The Jamesport Tri-County Board of Education has approved a property tax levy totaling nearly 4.33 cents on the 100 dollars of assessed valuation, which is a decline of slightly over 23 cents on the 100 dollars compared to 2020. The breakdown of this year’s levy shows the regular rate at nearly 4.08 on the 100 […]
Masks optional in school buildings for students and staff, mandatory on school buses in Grundy R-5 School District
The Grundy R-5 Board of Education has approved a resolution for COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Masks will be optional in all school buildings for students and staff. Masks will be required for students and the driver to ride on school buses. Other strategies include social distancing when possible, extra cleaning of all surfaces, and assigned seats […]
Mosaic Life Care Healing Garden named for the Heckman family
Mosaic Life Care was recently awarded a $100,000 gift from Dan and Kerry Heckman. The gift will name Mosaic Life Care’s Cancer Care Healing Garden the “Heckman Family Healing Garden” in memory of Dan’s parents, Daniel and Carol Heckman. The Heckman’s financial support is in honor of the courageous cancer battles that Daniel and Carol […]
Certain immunocompromised individuals can now receive third dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Missouri
Following recent announcements from the US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, certain immunocompromised individuals can begin receiving third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Missouri. A third dose of the PfizerNBioTech or Moderna vaccines may be administered to moderately to severely immunocompromised people due to a medical condition […]
Man pleads guilty in Missouri to armed robbery of a pharmacy
A man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in the armed robbery of a Walgreens pharmacy in Jefferson City, Missouri. Daijahn Antwan Reed, 22, of Indianapolis, Indiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. on Tuesday, Aug. 17, to one count of armed robbery and one count of brandishing […]
Spickard R-2 Board of Education sets tax rate, votes to designate school employees as essential
The Spickard R-2 Board of Education on August 16th set the tax rate and voted to deem school employees as essential. The tax rate was set at $4.6604 per $100 of assessed valuation. Deeming school employees essential means if an employee has a known COVID-19 exposure and does not exhibit symptoms, he or she may […]
Attorney General announces 72-year-old Missouri landscaper sentenced for fraud
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that John L. Cazzell, 72, was sentenced last month for felony charges of defrauding customers in connection with his business, Four Seasons Lawn & Landscape. Cazzell promised extensive landscaping services in exchange for large advance payments. After taking money from several consumers, including elderly Missourians, Cazzell never followed through […]
AARP calls for vaccine mandates as COVID re-enters Missouri nursing homes
(Missouri Indepentent) – With cases on the rise among both residents and staff, the nation’s leading advocacy group for retirees is calling on nursing homes to mandate COVID-19 vaccines. The number of COVID-19 cases reported each week in Kansas and Missouri nursing homes is rising again for the first time in months. Missouri, where weekly […]
Governor Parson announces nearly 500,000 MO VIP entries
Governor Mike Parson announced an official total of 495,296 MO VIP entries for the first drawing, which will take place today. The MO VIP incentivizes vaccination for those who have not yet been vaccinated, as well as provides an opportunity for rewards for the more than 3 million Missourians who have already made the decision […]