CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man whose initial death sentence for killing his grandparents was overturned has now been sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Barnett photo MDC
43-year-old David Barnett was resentenced by a St. Louis County judge on March 15. Barnett’s attorney has filed a notice of appeal.
Barnett broke into the Glendale home of his adoptive grandparents on Feb. 4, 1996. When 82-year-old Clifford Barnett and his 75-year-old wife, Leona, returned from a church brunch, David Barnett fatally stabbed them and stole their car and cash.
He confessed to the crime and was sentenced to death. A judge in 2015 overturned the sentence, saying Barnett’s trial lawyers should have presented more evidence about the “horrors” he suffered as a child.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is assisting the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Cherryvale Police Department with an investigation into a shooting that occurred Monday afternoon at a grocery store in Cherryvale.
G&W grocery store in Cherryvale, Kansas google image
According to a media release, just after 3:30 p.m., Monday, the Cherryvale Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the report of a man with a gun in the G&W Foods grocery store. When they arrived at the store at 216 N. Liberty St., they learned the armed man was an employee who was holding a coworker in an office in the northwest area of the store. They began to quickly evacuate employees and customers.
Soon after, gunshots were heard from the office. As authorities entered the office, they witnessed the 28-year-old suspect shoot himself. They also located his 39-year-old coworker suffering from gunshot wounds.
The male victim was flown to a hospital in Joplin. He underwent surgery, and his condition is unknown at this time.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital where he was stablized and then flown to a Tulsa hospital. He later died from his injuries.
The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time.
The illegal pork discovered by border agents from China could lead to fines for the importer of the products. However, the exporter, being China, is not likely to be penalized, according to officials, who say “It’s very difficult to penalize an exporting country,” adding “You have to have a very large burden of proof to prove what they’re doing,” as reported by Reuters. The U.S. and other nations remain on high alert to illegal imports of pork from nations with African swine fever. Customs Border and Protection say the shipment recently found included pork, but not all items in the one-million-pound shipment were pork, as previously announced. The containers seized also had noodles and tea bags that were used to facilitate the unlawful import of pork products. Because China has wide-spread African swine fever, U.S. agriculture and border officials say the imported pork may contain the virus, which is a threat to the U.S. pork industry. However, the U.S. will not test the product to confirm that, as officials say all products found in violation of U.S. regulations are destroyed.
Farmers indicate they may plant less corn than previously thought by the Department of Agriculture, according to the annual Farm Futures planting survey. The survey of 1,000 producers nationwide says that after planting more soybeans than corn in 2018 for the first time in 35 years, farmers want to return to more normal rotations this spring. However, with the impact of trade tariffs, weather and current conditions in the farm economy, many are looking for alternative crops. The survey reported corn acreage at 90.9 million, up 1.7 million from last year. The 1.9 percent increase was less than the 92 million in the USDA forecast over the winter. Farmers expect soybean plantings at 85.9 million, down 3.3 million, or 3.7 percent from last year. Still, soybean acres are reported higher than the 85 million USDA forecasted recently. The survey also found winter wheat plantings are expected at 31.3 million acres, which would drop all-wheat seedings to 45.9 million, down 2.4 million or 5.1 percent from 2018. That would be the lowest total since at least 1919.
Missouri River levels might be falling in northwest Missouri, but Holt County continues to fight the flood.
Holt County Presiding Commissioner Tom Bullock says though the Missouri level has dropped, floodwaters are receding very slowly at Big Lake, around the town of Craig, and elsewhere. Bullock says efforts have been ongoing the past couple of days to keep floodwaters from breaching a levee protecting the town of Fortescue.
“There’s so much current going down through it. It’s already washed the Highway 159 bridge out south of town here,” Bullock says. “Just too much current, too much water.”
Bullock says the flood breached several levees in Holt County, leaving the county “fully exposed” to flooding this spring.
“When usually the river runs high anyway and we have a report from the Corps of Engineers that they’re already opening up the gates a little bit up north,” Bullock says. “That water should be getting here in about three days. So, that will come about the same time the rains are supposed to come this weekend. It just keeps people nervous all the time.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers increased releases from Gavins Point Dam from 50,000 cubic feet per second to 90,000 cfs on March 14th after the Spencer Dam in northern Nebraska failed, sending water from the Niobrara River into the Missouri River system. The Corps intended to bring releases down to 20,000 cfs, but stopped just short of that, reducing releases from Gavins Point to 24,000 cfs. Releases have been steadily increasing, from 27,000 cfs to a projected 36,000 cfs on Thursday.
Northwest Division Chief John Remus with the Army Corps Missouri River Management Division says the Corps is increasing the releases to prepare the upstream dam system for northern Missouri basin snowmelt. He says the system has 85% of its flood storage remaining.
The Missouri River dropped below major flood stage this morning, falling below 27 feet at St. Joseph. It crested just over 32 feet on Friday.
Bullock says floodwaters have receded enough for some residents to return to their homes in Craig and Big Lake.
An informational meeting for flood victims will be held in Rock Port Thursday. The multi-agency information meeting begins at noon at the Velma Houts Building in Rock Port. The meeting runs until 8pm. The meeting is sponsored by the Atchison-Holt Disaster Relief Committee.
For more information about the meeting, click here for the Holt County web page.
Damages from flooding in the Midwest are now estimated to top $3 billion, with threats of more flooding on the horizon. President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster declarations for counties in Iowa and Nebraska. Iowa officials say agriculture losses are at least $214 million. The Missouri River flooding will continue as an above normal snowpack in the North begins to melt and move downstream. Forecasters warn the flooding could continue through May. Meanwhile, other states in the region have also experienced severe flooding, including Illinois, Missouri, South Dakota and Wisconsin. With Congress back in session, the growing price tag could ramp up pressure on lawmakers to offer additional aid, according to Politico, as flood relief will be in the mix when the Senate takes up a House-passed $14.2 billion disaster aid package. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure this week.
People take part in the 13th annual career and resource fair at the Civic Arena. File photo by Shannon Diggs.
By SARAH THOMACK St. Joseph Post
Job seekers can begin polishing their resumes for the region’s largest career fair next month.
According to Kristi Bailey with the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, each year, about 70 employers, along with educational providers and social service resources set up booths at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.
“When people are there, if they need training for something, they could talk to a school about how to further their training to get a position,” Bailey said. “So it’s a great event for businesses, as well as those wanting to get a job or to change positions, because it’s also a great spot to talk about maybe advancing in your career and switching jobs.”
Bailey said the Chamber helps plan the event, which is put on by the St. Joseph Employment Coalition. Employers are encouraged to register to attend the event on April 23rd.
“This really is a great chance for companies that are needing employees to come together in one spot, so job seekers can talk to a lot of different companies at one time and right now we’re really looking to talk to businesses that are needing to fill some spots,” Bailey said. “We know that there are a lot of jobs open to fill in St. Joseph, so this is definitely a great time to take a few hours out of your day and come talk to a large group of potential employees.”
The 14th annual Career Fair takes place from 2 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, April 23, at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.
Businesses interested in setting up a booth at the Career Fair can contact the Chamber at (816) 232-4461 or register at saintjoseph.com.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri lawmaker from the Kansas City area has been hospitalized following a car accident.
Rep. Rebecca Roeber
University Hospital confirmed that Lee’s Summit Republican Rep. Rebecca Roeber was in critical condition as of Tuesday morning.
Missouri State Highway Patrol records show the 60 year old was driving eastbound on U.S. 50 around noon on Monday when her sedan crossed the center line. She hit an oncoming car traveling west.
The 58-year-old man driving the other car was taken to Bothwell Hospital in Sedalia for minor injuries.
Roeber has been hospitalized in Columbia since Monday.
ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western baseball team has added a previously unscheduled series to its schedule. Missouri Western will host Illinois-Springfield in a doubleheader on April 30 at the Spring Sports Complex.
The twin bill will begin at 3 p.m. and will help to make up for 11 home games the team had to either cancel or move to an off-campus site due to weather conditions.
This week the Griffons are scheduled to play four games, beginning with a non-conference game at Northwest Missouri Tuesday followed by a three-game home series against Central Oklahoma. That weekend series is scheduled to begin Friday, but is subject to change based on the forecast.
The level of the Missouri River at St. Joseph has dropped out of the major flood stage.
The National Weather Service reports the river at St. Joseph at 26.8 feet at 7:30am as the crest flows downstream, to central Missouri.
The Weather Service considers the Missouri River at St. Joseph to enter major flood stage when the crest tops 27 feet. The crest reached an unofficial record Friday, when it nudged above the crest of 32.1 feet set in the 1993 flood. Moderate flood stage is between a crest of 21 feet to 27 feet.
Click here for the latest on the Missouri River from NWS.
ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western baseball team has added a previously unscheduled series to its schedule. Missouri Western will host Illinois-Springfield in a doubleheader on April 30 at the Spring Sports Complex.
The level of the Missouri River at St. Joseph has dropped out of the major flood stage.