Two men have been sentenced in federal court this week for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that led to the kidnapping and torture of an Independence, Missouri, man. Gerald L. Holmes, also known as “Jerry” or “Joker,” 27, and Richard M. Phoenix, also known as “Snake,” 77, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. […]
Tag: two years
Trenton man placed on probation after court accepts plea agreement
A Trenton resident, Isaac James Wattenbarger, has been placed on probation after the Associate Circuit Court accepted a plea agreement involving four cases. Wattenbarger pleaded guilty to each of the charges and on the charge of assault in the third degree, he was sentenced to 15 days in the Grundy County Jail. Credit was given […]
Food safety workshops to be held in area communities
The University of Missouri Extension and Kansas State University will hold a food safety workshop in several locations in Missouri and Kansas next month. Tim Baker with the University of Missouri Extension says the class will help farms successfully complete a United States Department of Agriculture Good Agricultural Practices audit, assist in creating a food […]
Court news in the Associate Division from Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Among cases on Wednesday in the Associate Division of the Grundy County Circuit Court: Milan resident Georgeanna Kay Courtney pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor stealing. Four other counts were dismissed by the Grundy County prosecuting attorney. Associate Judge Steve Hudson accepted a plea agreement and sentenced Ms. Courtney to 60 days in the […]
Livingston County Route C bridge repair work underway
Repairs are now underway on the bridge on Livingston County Route C over Shoal Creek, just south of Utica. Crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation closed the bridge on April 9 after a regularly scheduled inspection revealed critical deterioration to the structure. Flooding has caused some delay to the repair work, which began in […]
Former Maysville teacher sentenced to jail time and $6,000 fine on 13 counts of sexual contact and assault
A former Maysville teacher has been sentenced to jail and been fined after pleading guilty last week to 13 criminal counts stemming from incidents in 2015 and 2016. Rodney David Thomas appeared Wednesday in Clinton County Circuit Court in Plattsburg for a sentencing hearing on one charge of attempted sexual contact with a student and […]
Seven face judge in Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court
Seven defendants facing various charges have waived preliminary hearings in the Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court with each having their cases bound over to Division One of the circuit court. Kevin Michael Miller of Harrisonville has five counts: tampering with a motor vehicle, resisting or interfering with an arrest, stealing, distribution of a […]
Employee insurance top discussion at Trenton R-9 Board of Education meeting
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education discussed health insurance options at its meeting on Tuesday evening. Superintendent Dan Wiebers reported if the district stayed with Blue Cross Blue Shield next school year, the basic plan would cost $658.34 per month per employee. That is an increase of about 15% of what the district currently pays. […]
Trenton Park Board sets admission prices for Trenton Family Aquatic Center
The Trenton Park Board approved admission prices for the Trenton Family Aquatic Center as well as lifeguard wages at its meeting Wednesday evening. The daily admission prices will be the same as last year: free for children younger than two years old, $5 for anyone age two to 54, and $2.50 for seniors age 55 […]
Audio: Missouri’s state workers could be getting a pay boost soon
The Missouri Senate has passed a 30 billion dollar state budget this week that includes a three-percent raise for state workers. Corrections workers would get another one-percent pay increase for every two years of service, not to exceed 20 years. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dan Hegeman of Cosby thinks the changes will be enough to […]
Judge deals with light docket in Tuesday session of Grundy County court
Among cases Tuesday in Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court, Jameson resident Jonathon Ruch waived a preliminary hearing on two counts of first-degree property damage. The case was bound over for the docket of May 16th in Division One of Circuit Court at Trenton. A resident of Buckner, Robert Faris pleaded guilty to driving […]
Livingston County, Route C, Shoal Creek Bridge to open in late May
The Livingston County Route C Shoal Creek Bridge, just south of Utica, was closed Tuesday, April 9 after a regularly scheduled inspection revealed critical deterioration to the structure. Crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation are working to complete necessary repairs and plan to reopen the bridge late May. Motorists are encouraged to use an […]
Prison sentences handed down in Division One of Grundy County Circuit Court
Some defendants received prison sentences, others were placed on probation during Thursday’s session of Division One of Grundy County Circuit Court on April 11, 2019. April Dawn Hanson of Trenton pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance. A drug paraphernalia charge was dismissed. She was sentenced to four years with the Department of Corrections. […]
Judge has busy docket in Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court
Numerous cases were processed Tuesday in the Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court including six defendants who waived preliminary hearings. Each was bound over to appear tomorrow in Division One of the circuit court at Trenton. Bryant Olan Ellis of Trenton has eight felony counts: possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of […]
Bridge on Livingston County Route C over Shoal Creek closed until further notice
The bridge on Livingston County Route C over Shoal Creek, just south of Utica, is now closed, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. The bridge was closed this afternoon after a regularly scheduled inspection revealed critical deterioration to the structure. The anticipated closure time will not be known until further assessments can be completed. […]
Missouri suffers major shortage of affordable housing
Missouri’s low-income housing crunch shows no sign of abating, according to a new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Researchers found that there are almost 196,000 low-income households in Missouri, but there are just under 83,000 affordable rental homes. So about 113,000 are forced to pay way more than they can afford just to […]
Audio: State Representative Bruce Franks optimistic Missouri Senate will fund Summer Jobs Program
The only Democrat to chair a Missouri House committee is optimistic the Senate will fund a four-million dollar summer jobs program. The House has voted 81-56 against the measure after members discussed a January KMOV-TV news report that quoted current and former employees at the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) as saying […]
Missouri opioid use disorder costs to exceed $14 billion
New research from the Missouri Hospital Association identifies the nationwide economic cost of the opioid crisis at $685 billion in 2017, or 3.5 percent of GDP, with overdose deaths accounting for 93 percent of the cost. Missouri’s toll is 20th highest among the states, with a total burden of just more than $14 billion. Throughout […]
North Central Missouri College selected to participate in college-level “mathematics pathways” initiative
Students at North Central Missouri College along with eight other universities and community colleges in Missouri will soon receive expanded options for mathematics courses that are more aligned to their intended majors. A new initiative, led by the Missouri Department of Higher Education in collaboration with the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of […]
Governor Parson visits three Missouri prisons to meet with DOC staff
Governor Mike Parson visited three Missouri prisons on Friday to meet with Department of Corrections staff to continue to focus on restructuring state government and discuss proposed changes designed to improve conditions for corrections workers and boost safety for Missourians. Parson said the efforts to restructure state government are driven by the administration’s “dedication” to […]