A Missouri man who fled from police officers on a stolen motorcycle and fought with several officers as he resisted arrest was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm. Michael S. Reaves, 35, of Independence, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to five years in federal prison without parole. […]
(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 […]
A bill that went into effect over the weekend makes the first reforms to Missouri’s HIV criminalization laws since they were passed in the 1980s. Among other measures related to prosecutors and police, the bill requires prosecutors to prove someone knowingly exposed someone who contracted HIV before getting a felony conviction and reduces the minimum sentence […]
(Missouri Independent) -The U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of the Biden administration’s last-ditch effort to extend a federal ban on evictions has put hundreds of thousands of American renters at risk of losing their housing — and is increasing pressure on states and localities to get rental assistance dollars distributed faster. In an eight-page majority opinion […]
A 36-year-old man has been charged in Livingston County with three felonies after a two-county law enforcement pursuit that began in Chillicothe the night of August 26. Bobby Wayne Jones has been charged with second-degree assault involving a special victim; resisting arrest, detention, or stop by fleeing; and driving while revoked or suspended. Bond was […]
A man from Florida has been arrested following a two-county law enforcement pursuit that began in Chillicothe. It was late Wednesday night on August 25, at 11:52 pm, when a police officer stopped a motorist for excessive speed in the 1000 block of South Washington Street. As the officer contacted the driver, the vehicle sped […]
Churchgoers in Chillicothe have reported receiving text messages from their pastor asking for gift cards to benefit cancer patients. Chief John Maples confirmed the text messages were part of a widespread scam, and the Police Department has taken reports of this as well. If a pastor texts or emails asking for money or a gift card, […]
(Missouri Independent) – Attorneys who successfully sued to force Missouri to enact voter-approved Medicaid expansion argued in a letter to state officials Thursday that delays in implementation violate not only the court order but also federal law. The plaintiffs’ attorneys, Chuck Hatfield and Lowell Pearson joined with Joel Ferber, director of advocacy for Legal Services […]
There are a few area winners in the drawing for residents who have received a COVID-19 vaccine and entered a state drawing. The Missouri V I P Lottery held the first of five drawings with 180 winners of a cash prize or education savings account. The cash prize is listed as $10,000 for eligible adults […]
(Missouri Independent) – The Interior Department will make significant steps toward restarting its leasing programs for onshore and offshore oil and gas development in the coming months, the Biden administration said in a court filing Tuesday. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management anticipates holding a sale for offshore leases in October or November, the administration […]
Governor Mike Parson announced the winners of the first drawing of the MO VIP. At the time of the August 13 drawing, a total of 495,296 MO VIP entries were received. The MO VIP incentivizes vaccination for those who have not yet been vaccinated, as well as provides an opportunity for rewards for the more […]
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees heard reports on housing and other matters on August 24. Resident Life Director Donnie Hillerman reported one new residence hall is open, and he hopes the other new residence hall will open September 1st. There are some displaced students currently staying in Selby Hall in the wing […]
How can small towns and rural areas promote entrepreneurship to drive economic growth and revitalize their communities? University of Missouri Extension and partners in the Hannibal area will explore that question at the first Creating Entrepreneurial Communities Conference, Sept. 29-30 in downtown Hannibal. The two-day conference is open to anyone interested in learning more about […]
Congressman Sam Graves (R-MO) released the following statement after voting against S.Con.Res. 14, which paves the way for liberals to ram through their $3.5 trillion spending spree without any Republican support. “We’ve got a crisis in Afghanistan, a crisis at the border, an inflation crisis right here at home, and this bill does nothing to […]
The new Missouri National Guard Hall of Fame was formed by a group of Missouri Veterans in 2020. The new Hall of Fame will be physically located in Kirksville, MO. Missouri National Guard Hall of FamChairman John J. Sastry, Esq., CFP® announces a list of 10 Finalists for the Hall of Fame inaugural class. From […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a 20-state coalition led by West Virginia and Arizona in arguing against the Biden administration’s proposed regulation of firearm parts. In addition to joining the coalition’s comment letter, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office filed a separate, but similar, comment letter. The coalition’s comment letter can be found at this […]
An Iowa woman was sentenced on two hate crimes charges for attempting to kill two minor victims because of their race and national origin. Nicole Poole Franklin, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 304 months in federal prison on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently to each other […]
The Missouri State Fair celebrated youth in agriculture on Saturday, Aug. 21. The annual Sale of Champions highlighted the day, breaking records from previous sales, raising a total of $185,948 for Youth in Agriculture. The Grand Champion Steer was exhibited by Payton Rodgers of Savannah, MO. Payton is the daughter of Blaine and Melissa Rodgers, […]
During a press conference at the Missouri State Fair hosted by the Missouri Farm Bureau, Governor Mike Parson announced plans to deploy more than $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to increase broadband internet access, adoption, and assistance statewide. “Investing in our broadband infrastructure is critical to unlocking our full economic potential […]
A former assistant principal at Nixa Junior High School in Nixa, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal court to soliciting sexually explicit photos from a 13-year-old victim by posing online as a teen girl. Colby Fronterhouse, 41, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of receiving child […]
