DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler is bowing to demands from U.S. safety regulators and will add about 179,000 vehicles to a recall for air bags that could explode with too much force.
The expansion covers the Ram pickup from 2003 to 2005 model years, as well as the 2004 and 2005 Dodge Durango, 2005 Chrysler 300 and 2005 Dodge Magnum.
At first Chrysler agreed to replace the passenger air bag inflators made by Takata Corp. in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
But under pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the company added more states with high humidity. The new boundaries are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and five U.S. territories.
The air bags can explode with too much force and spew shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
COLUMBIA (AP) – The Missouri Supreme Court will not hear a public records lawsuit filed by an education advocacy group that wanted access to professors’ copies of course outlines.
The National Council on Teacher Quality sued in October 2012 to compel the release of University of Missouri course plans. A Boone County court ruled that the course plans are closed records protected by federal copyright law and an appeals court upheld that ruling.
The council sought the records as part of a nationwide project to evaluate what aspiring teachers learn in college.
Several journalism organizations had supported the council’s efforts, arguing the lower court ruling restricted Missouri’s open records law. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported Thursday that the state Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The city of Topeka and the school district have agreed on the number of city police officers that will work in the district’s schools.
The city and district announced Thursday that 10 city police will work in the schools for the rest of this school year, then the number will drop to seven next year.
The city had a contract to provide four officers but had assigned 11 to the district. Chief James Brown said earlier this week he wanted to take some officers out of the schools and put them back on the streets.
The new agreement calls for eliminating the truancy officer position this year.
School officials said they will study ways to expand the district’s 12-person security force to provide security at its middle and high schools.
BRANSON (AP) – Prosecutors in southwest Missouri have arrested a man who they say fatally slashed his girlfriend’s throat.
Thirty-three-year-old Jerry Norton was being held at the Taney County jail Friday morning. His charges include second-degree murder and resisting arrest.
Branson police say they found Norton and 46-year-old Melissa Sheridan at an area hotel Wednesday. They say Norton was yelling and screaming and that Sheridan had wounds on her neck, back and arms.
Police say Norton had been staying with Sheridan at the hotel and they had been in a relationship for the past month. Police didn’t release a suspected motive.
Online court records didn’t indicate an attorney for Norton.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Sam Graves made the following statement after voting to fund the government through fiscal year 2015.
“By passing today’s spending measure, we have averted a government shutdown, while also allowing for action to be taken to address the President’s executive amnesty early next year when we will finally have a working partner in the U.S. Senate,” said Rep. Graves. “This legislation contains many positive provisions for the people of North Missouri, such as reining in the EPA’s ability to infringe on private property rights of farmers and ranchers, prioritizing the Army Corps of Engineers funding for navigation and flood control, and increasing pay for our military service members,” he continued.
Background:
The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, provides $1.013 trillion for the federal government. This is consistent with the Ryan-Murray Agreement’s caps of $521 billion for defense and $492 billion for non-defense spending. H.R. 83 fully funds 11 of the 12 regular Appropriations bills through September 30, 2015, and funds the Department of Homeland Security under a Continuing Resolution (CR) until February 27, 2015.
Highlights:
No new funding for ObamaCare
Requires HHS and Treasury to report to Congress on improper payments of ObamaCare tax subsidies
Obamacare transparency – requires ObamaCare healthcare plans to tell customers if they provide abortion services
Cuts EPA $60 million (fifth consecutive year of cuts, totaling a 21% reduction since FY10, and a decrease in 2,000 positions – 1989 levels)
Prohibits regulation of farm ponds and irrigation ditches
Fully funds our troops’ pay raise
Includes $94 billion for new equipment and upgrades of attack submarines including EA-18G Growlers, which are manufactured in Missouri
Protects Second Amendment rights and prohibits EPA to regulations of lead content in ammunition or fishing tackle
Prohibits IRS targeting organizations based on their ideological beliefs or for exercising their First Amendment rights
Provides $2.5 billion for processing VA disability claims to end the backlog and rescinds $41 million in performance bonuses at the VA
A suburban Kansas City, Kansas man was arrested after a non-injury accident Wednesday in Buchanan County. He’s now being held as an illegal immigrant.
According to an arrest report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Victorino Ortega-Martinez was taken to the Buchanan County Jail for a 24-hour hold on suspicion of DWI, Careless and Imprudent Driving and not having a valid license. A Buchanan County judge ruled there was insufficient probable cause for a warrant, but bond was denied when it was learned that Ortega-Martinez was in the country illegally.
ST. JOSEPH- A Savannah woman was injured in an accident just after 11 a.m. on Thursday in Andrew County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Saturn driven by Shawna R. Johnson, 24, was southbound on Interstate 229 two miles north of St. Joseph. The driver reportedly had a medical issue.
The vehicle traveled off the left side of the road, crossed the northbound lanes, traveled down an embankment and struck a tree.
Johnson was transported to Mosaic Life Care.
The MSHP reported she was properly restrained at the time of the accident.
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – Missouri cities no longer could use traffic cameras to catch drivers speeding or driving through stoplights under a proposed bill.
State Rep. Paul Curtman of Pacific filed legislation this week that would prevent the practice, which has fallen under legal scrutiny.
The Missouri Supreme Court this month heard arguments in three separate cases challenging traffic-camera ordinances by St. Louis and two cities in St. Charles and St. Louis counties.
Lower courts have invalidated the local ordinances partly because they said the ordinances conflict with state laws on traffic violations.
Curtman’s bill would prevent municipalities from enforcing violations using the traffic cameras.
Cities no longer could collect fines for violations caught on camera.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), who serves as a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, applauded the inclusion of a Missouri River Study in the bipartisan Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2015 and 2016. The bill passed both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate this week. Blunt worked to get the “Report Reconciling Maintenance and Operational Priorities on the Missouri River” included in the bill.
“The Missouri River is an essential asset to our state’s economy and competitiveness, as well as our nation’s security,” Blunt said. “I’m pleased this important Missouri River Study was included in the bill, and I look forward to the report addressing several critical issues. Specifically, I hope to learn more about the consistent failure of the Coast Guard to accurately find and mark a safe channel with buoys and to properly schedule maintenance for cutter boats in accordance with the Missouri River navigation season.”
Language in the bill states that no later than one year after the law is enacted, the Coast Guard Commandant will provide a report outlining a course of action to reconcile general maintenance priorities for cutters with operational priorities on the Missouri River. The report will be submitted to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – A new report ranks Missouri near the bottom nationally in efforts to discourage smoking.
The report by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says Missouri’s budget includes $70,788 in state spending for programs to help people quit smoking or prevent them from starting. It says that ranks 50th among all states and the District of Columbia.
The only state ranked worse is New Jersey, where no spending is listed. But the report says the New Jersey figure hasn’t been confirmed by the state health department.
Missouri lawmakers had included an additional $150,000 in state revenues for anti-tobacco initiatives. But Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed that along with various other spending increases.
The report says 22 percent of Missouri adults and 15 percent of high school students smoke tobacco products.
DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler is bowing to demands from U.S. safety regulators and will add about 179,000 vehicles to a recall for air bags that could explode with too much force.
