Preliminary hearings are scheduled early next month for a St Joseph woman and a Wathena man charged with burning a mattress in the parking lost of the Kmart on the South Belt Highway.
Sharon Reynolds, 27, and Ronald Bohon Jr., 19, were each charged with a Class D felony count of knowlingly burning. The pair are accused of trying several times to set fire to a mattress at the store’s donation area at 3909 Pear on Tuesday . Police say they finally succeeded in igniting the mattress. Officers were able to put the fire out before the fire department arrived. In court documents, investigators say the couple tried to set another fire a short distance away before they were caught.
Bond was set at $7,500 for each defendant. Both are free on bond.
According to court records, Reynolds will apply for a public defender. Bohon told the judge he would retain legal counsel.
Reynolds’ preliminary hearing is scheduled January 6. A hearing is scheduled for Bohon January 2.
First-time St. Joseph Councilman Kent “Spanky” O’Dell was charged with excessive blood alcohol content on Nov. 21.
However, Friday Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Scroggins charged O’Dell with a misdemeanor BAC.
In a new release sent out by the prosecutor, the charge can carry a possible punishment of 0-$500 fine and/or a County jail sentence of a maximum of six months.
As we previously reported O’Dell was arrested by the St. Joseph Police Dept. in the area of 22nd and Garfield.
The release states that tests showed O’dell with a BAC of 0.08 at the time he was stopped by the officer.
Online court documents show a summons was personally mailed to O’Dell.
LENEXA- A Kansas man died in an accident just before 4 a.m. on Friday in Johnson County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Mitsubishi passenger car driven by Arnulfo V. Ramirez, 32, Bonner Springs, was westbound on the ramp from Interstate 435 westbound to Kansas 10 westbound in Lenexa.
The driver lost control in the rain. The vehicle spun to the right, left the roadway and struck a bridge pillar.
Ramirez was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to First Call Morgue.
The KHP reported he was properly restrained at the time of the accident.
Linda Burns has been named the 2014 United Way Leadership St. Joseph Distinguished Leader.
During the 2014 United Way Leadership graduation Thursday Burns, a 2000 program class alumna was recognized as the 2014 United Way Leadership St. Joseph Distinguished Leader. The Distinguished Leader Award is given at the conclusion of each United Way Leadership St. Joseph year to an alumni of the program who has gone on to use his/her leadership training as a volunteer for the betterment of our community in an especially beneficial way.
Burns, Director of Community Engagement for United Way of Greater St. Joseph, was selected to receive this honor in recognition of the community leadership she exemplifies. The award committee chose to recognize Linda this year for her role in shaping hundreds of community leaders through her oversight of United Way Leadership St. Joseph for the last 14 years. Under her leadership, the program has evolved into a year-long class, filling capacity regularly. Her efforts have given United Way Leadership St. Joseph a solid foundation and direction for the future. She has also managed United Way Volunteer Center that connects the community through volunteerism since its establishment in 2009. The most notable project has been the creation of United Way STUFF THE BUS! which has collected tens of thousands of school supplies for local children and has introduced hundreds of individuals and families to the joy of volunteering.
United Way Leadership St. Joseph builds the skills of individuals to be effective leaders in the community. The 2014 graduates join 31 preceding years of participants, more than 700 graduates over the years, who have completed year-long leadership development training. The program helps create a network of trained individuals willing to engage in leadership and community service with enhanced knowledge of our community’s opportunities, realities, and challenges.
2014 United Way Leadership St. Joseph graduates are: Michael Belding, Ally Browning, Kelsey Echterling, Brent Eddington, Josh Emberton, Bill Gall, Christy George, Jessica Gould, Tyler Graff, Jessica Hagey, Sarah Hatten, Nici Hayes, Ryan Hook, Nathan Howell, Scott Hudson, Mike Hurst, Amy Kotwani, Melissa Lawyer, Bryan LeRette, Matt Mays, Jeff McCoy, Rich Mense, Gayle Stowers, Doug Tschauder, John Voss, Connie Werner, Andy Windhorst, and Justin Wright.
Sponsoring businesses and organizations that supported individual class members for the year were: American Family Insurance; Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica; City of St. Joseph; CliftonLarsonAllen LLP; Commerce Bank; Green Acres Redevelopment; Hillyard Companies; Johnson Controls; Junior League; KCP&L; Legal Aid of Western Missouri; Liechti, Franken & Young, LLC; Missouri Western State University; Mosaic Life Care; Northwest Health Services; Polsinelli P.C.; Progressive Community Services; St. Joseph Habitat for Humanity; St. Joseph PTA Council; St. Joseph Public Library; St. Joseph Regional Association of Realtors; Second Harvest Community Food Bank; and United Way of Greater St. Joseph.
At the event, Linda Burns, alumna of the 2000 program class, was
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man convicted of murder in a 2000 death in Atchison County will get a new trial.
A Kansas Court of Appeals panel said in an opinion issued Friday that it upheld a county court’s decision to order a new trial for Kirk Wilson in the March 2000 shotgun death of 38-year-old Kurt Boldridge.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Wilson is serving a Hard 25 sentence after being convicted in 2001. The Atchison County court ordered a new trial last year, saying Wilson’s attorney was ineffective. The state appealed that ruling.
Boldridge was shot in the head as he slept at his rural Atchison home in March 2000. Wilson was one of four people, including the victim’s ex-wife, who were convicted in the homicide.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Scores of people protesting the police shooting of Michael Brown have arrived at the Missouri Capitol after a 130-mile march from the shooting site in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson.
About 100 protesters marched down a street Friday past the Missouri Governor’s Mansion to the Capitol, where they gathered with others for a rally.
The march began Saturday and was organized by the NAACP. Along the way, protesters were opposed by some people in the rural town of Rosebud who yelled obscenities and displayed a Confederate flag.
As they reached the Capitol, marchers chanted that they were “justice warriors.”
A grand jury decided last week not to indict Ferguson officer Darren Wilson, who is white, in the Aug. 9 fatal shooting of the black 18-year-old. Wilson has since resigned.
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — About 50 people protesting the police shooting of Michael Brown are expected to arrive at the Missouri Capitol after a 130-mile march from the shooting site in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson.
Protesters plan to arrive at Jefferson City around noon Friday and gather at a garden near the governor’s mansion. Later, they plan to walk up a short hill for a rally at the Capitol.
The march has been organized by the NAACP and the walk began Saturday. On Wednesday as the march passed through the rural town of Rosebud, some people yelled obscenities and displayed a Confederate flag.
A grand jury decided last week not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson, who is white, in the Aug. 9 fatal shooting of the black 18-year-old.
2013 family who received furnace giveaway. Photo courtesy Q-Country
Applications are being accepted for a family in need of a little warmth this winter.
“Just trying to help out the community by giving away a furnace to somebody who really needs it,” said Greg Kerns, Comfort Heating and Cooling Co-Owner.
It’s the forth year for Comfort Heating and Cooling to team up with Q-Country to give away a furnace to a family in need.
2013 Furnace giveaway. Photo courtesy Q-Country
“You read the stories and it wrenches at your heart and you want to help everybody,” said Shelley Kerns, Comfort Heating and Cooling Co-Owner. “We just can’t so we do our best to pick the one that seems most deserving and meets all of our qualifications.”
The high efficiency furnace is valued at $3,380 and is being provided by Lennox and installed for free by Comfort Heating & Cooling.
The deadline the apply to enter to win the furnace is midnight Dec. 15.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge says Kansas and Planned Parenthood have settled a lawsuit filed by the group over a requirement enacted last year for abortion providers.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Vratil’s one-page order Friday closing the case did not provide any details. The lawsuit concerned a requirement that website home pages for abortion providers link to state materials on abortion and fetal development.
An attorney representing Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri declined comment. The organization didn’t provide details in a statement.
The Kansas attorney general’s office did not immediately return a telephone messages.
Planned Parenthood argued the requirement violated its free speech rights because providers must declare that the state’s material is objective and accurate. The state contends the rule falls within its power to ensure women have adequate information.
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — After more than 30 years of waiting, Pittsburg State University plans to officially open its new performing arts center.
The Bicknell Family Center for the Arts will open Sunday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the building.
The Joplin Globe reports the center will be the university’s first specific performance venue since 1978, when Carney Hall was closed and razed because of deterioration.
The $33 million performing arts center will include a 1,100-seat performance hall and a 2,000-square-foot art gallery. It also will offer a grand lobby, reception hall, multi-use rehearsal space and a 250-seat theater.
Defense Sec. nominee Carter at Friday’s announcement
JULIE PACE, AP White House Correspondent
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is calling Ashton Carter one of the nation’s foremost national security leaders as he nominates him as secretary of defense.
Carter was deputy defense secretary from 2011-2013 and previously was the Pentagon’s technology and weapons-buying chief.
Obama says Carter knows the Pentagon “inside and out,” which means “on day one, he’ll be ready to hit the ground running.”
Carter would replace Chuck Hagel, who resigned last month under pressure from the president. He is staying on until his successor is confirmed by the Senate.
Hagel did not attend the announcement. But Obama quoted Hagel’s praise for Carter when Carter left the Pentagon a year ago.
