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Rain has ended for a while, but Missouri River still expected to reach major flood stage this weekend

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

A ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy weather situation as the National Weather Service doesn’t anticipate any more rain for a while.

Weather Service meteorologist Al Pietrycha says the Missouri River is expected to reach major flood stage this weekend after reaching a record crest upstream in Brownville, Nebraska.

“St. Joe is looking, the forecast, to have major flooding to start to occur during the day,” according to Pietrycha. “We hit major flooding at 27 feet and that is projected to occur sometime tomorrow and persist through the weekend.”

The Missouri River is expected to reach a record crest at Brownville this weekend. The record level at the Rulo-Brownville area is 44.8 feet. The river is projected to reach 47.1 feet this weekend before it begins to go down.

Friday morning, the Missouri River level at St. Joseph was just below 25 feet, heading swiftly to 27 feet, considered major flood stage.

It will keep rising.

The National Weather Service expects the Missouri River to reach 30.1 feet in St. Joseph early next week and hold at near record levels until the middle of next week, when it is expected to begin to slowly recede. The record level of the Missouri River in St. Joseph is 32.1 feet, set in 1993.

Pietrycha says the heavy rain which has aggravated flooding conditions in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas has ended.

“The good news is we’re not expecting any rain or heavy rain any time over the next five to seven days or so, in the area or north of the area that would flow back down into the Missouri,” Pietrycha says. “So, that will help with the water levels.”

Widespread flooding in Nebraska prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to increase water releases upstream of the Missouri River from Gavins Point Dam. The Corps had been releasing 50,000 cubic feet per second and has nearly doubled the output to 90,000, putting extreme pressure on the federal levee system downstream.

 

Missouri woman sentenced to 19 years for firearm violation

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Missouri woman was sentenced in federal court Thursday for illegally possessing a firearm.

Smith -photo Greene Co.

According to the United State’s Attorney, Tracy Arlene Smith, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 19 years and seven months in federal prison without parole.

On Sept. 25, 2018, Smith was found guilty at trial of one count of being a felon and an unlawful user of cocaine and methamphetamine in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to evidence introduced during the trial, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence located in Joplin, on June 22, 2017.

During the execution of the search warrant, members of the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team seized Smith’s purse, which contained a CDM Prod. Inc., .22-caliber pistol, loaded with six rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Officers also seized drug paraphernalia.

Lawmakers say No to Potential EU-U.S. Trade Agreement Without Agriculture

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is demanding the Trump Administration force the European Union to include agriculture in upcoming trade talks. A group of 114 lawmakers penned a letter this week to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer stating, “an agreement with the EU that does not address trade in agriculture would be, in our eyes, unacceptable.”

The U.S. and EU recently reached a tentative agreement to allow the U.S. access to the EU hormone-free beef quota, but the EU is pushing back against talking ag in a broader trade negotiation. The group of lawmakers say any agreement between the EU and the U.S. without agriculture “would be deficient, significantly jeopardizing Congressional support.”

USTR Lighthizer does seem to agree, telling lawmakers earlier this week that the U.S. “cannot have a trade deal with the EU without agriculture,” adding “we’re at a stalemate and we’ll see how that develops.” The letter was organized by House Republicans Jackie Walorksi and Virginia Foxx, along with House Democrats Ron Kind and Angie Craig.

Records: Kan. man charged in shooting near school wanted to be killed

FAIRWAY, Kan. (AP) — Court records indicate a 26-year-old man who was shot by police near a Kansas elementary school said he wanted officers to kill him.

Ruffin -photo Johnson Co.
Law enforcement on the scene across from Highlands Elementary School image courtesy KCTV

The records say Dylan Christopher Ruffin was charged after he shot at Highlands Elementary School during the school day on March 1.

Police say three officers shot at Ruffin when he pointed a handgun at them outside his home, which was across from the school in suburban Kansas City. He was treated at a hospital and is jailed in Johnson County.

Court records say at the hospital, Ruffin talked about having police kill him and said he wished they had shot him in the head.

Students were being released from the school when the shooting occurred. No students, parents or school employees were injured.

Ruffin is jailed on $500,000 bond.

Sunny with temps in the 40s and 50s through the weekend

While temperatures will remain below normal through the weekend, cloud cover and winds will be on the decrease Friday, with only partly cloudy skies expected Saturday and Sunday. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 46. Northwest wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light in the evening.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 53. Light and variable wind becoming west southwest 6 to 11 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 28. North northwest wind around 7 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 28.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 49.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 55.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 61.

3 sentenced in torture of Missouri man over drug debt

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three 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, Mo., man.

Randall Holmes “Peckerwood” -photo courtesy Independence PD

According to a media release from the United State’s Attorney, Randal G. Holmes, also known as “Peckerwood” or “Wood,” 54, of Kansas City, Mo., and Michael C. Borrusch, also known as “Birdie,” 43, of Lakewood, Colo., were sentenced today in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays. Holmes was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Borrusch was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.

Jeremy R. Bond, 40, of Independence, was sentenced on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, to two years and six months in federal prison without parole.

On July 10, 2018, Holmes pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, one count of kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana and one count of brandishing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Borrusch and Bond pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

Holmes’s son and co-defendant Gerald L. Holmes, also known as “Jerry” or “Joker,” 27, and co-defendant Richard M. Phoenix, also known as “Snake,” 77, both of Kansas City, Mo., have also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

During the conspiracy, which lasted from May 1 to Sept. 13, 2016, Bond invested $10,000 into the marijuana operation. In return, he received $1,000 a week as interest and free marijuana until the entire principal investment was repaid in full. This investment allowed Gerald Holmes and a co-conspirator, identified in court documents as “C.H.” (who had made four trips to Colorado with Gerald Holmes), to purchase greater quantities of marijuana per trip. Once it reached the greater Kansas City metropolitan area, the marijuana was then resold by Gerald Holmes and C.H.

Conspirators purchased at least 120 pounds of marijuana from Borrusch, for which they made more than a dozen trips between Colorado and Kansas City. Gerald Holmes paid Borrusch between $1,600 to $2,400 per pound, depending on the type and quality of marijuana available. Randal Holmes received $100 for every pound of marijuana brought back to Kansas City because of his prior connection to Borrusch, who was previously his supplier.

On Sept. 12, 2016, Randal and Gerald Holmes agreed to kidnap C.H. because he stole money that was intended for the purchase of marijuana.

They arrived at the Independence, Mo., residence of the victim’s father, identified as “W.H.,” on Sept. 12, 2016. During their conversation, Gerald Holmes removed a firearm from his waistband and placed it on a table in front of W.H. They told W.H. to call C.H. and tell him he was being held at gunpoint and that C.H. needed to come to the residence right away. When C.H. arrived at the residence, Randal Holmes pointed a firearm at him and told him to get into his vehicle. While in the vehicle, Gerald Holmes struck, punched and choked C.H. as Randal Holmes drove away.

They took C.H. to Randal Holmes’s residence, where they were met by Phoenix. C.H. was taken to the basement, where he was assaulted with fists, a hammer and tin snips/clippers. During the assault, Holmes repeatedly demanded that C.H. disclose where the duffle bag containing the money was located. Randal and Gerald Holmes left to retrieve the duffle bag while Phoenix held C.H. at gunpoint.

Randal Holmes later drove C.H. to a rural residence near Edwards, Mo. As Randal Holmes drove them to the residence, Gerald Holmes continued to strike C.H. with fists and the butt of a firearm. When they arrived at the residence, C.H. was told to call his father and to tell him that he was okay, that he had taken a beating, that he would be home in a couple of days and that he deserved what had happened.

Law enforcement officers were able to trace the telephone call and on Sept. 13, 2016, officers were able to locate C.H. and arrest the conspirators. Officers observed that C.H. had suffered multiple, visible injuries to his face, head, hands and feet. Officers noted that C.H. had trouble walking, that his face was black and blue, as well as swollen with traces of dried blood. Upon receiving medical treatment, it was determined that C.H. had also suffered a fracture in his left hand.

Officers found a Jimenez Arms 9mm pistol in Randal Holmes’s vehicle and a Hi-Point 9mm pistol in the residence where C.H. had been held. Officers also found an FN Herstal .40-caliber pistol, a Remington .270-caliber rifle, an RG .22-caliber revolver, a Ruger .22-caliber rifle, a Mossberg .20-gauge shotgun, 36.4 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in another residence.

SJPD investigating after shots fired at house

St. Joseph Police are investigating after shots were fired at an occupied house Thursday evening.

According to the St. Joseph Police Department, around 5 p.m., shots were fired at a house in the 3600 block of South 31st Street. Police say there were people inside the house, but no one was injured.

Police say they believe the shooting was not random and that the suspects drove away in a vehicle. There is no suspect information to be released at this time.

Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

More water coming; Corps of Engineers increases releases upstream on the Missouri River

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Gavins Point Dam/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo

Worries about flooding have been rising the past few days, now another concern has been added.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is increasing water releases from Gavins Point Dam at Yankton, South Dakota into the Missouri River.

Chief of Missouri River Basin Water Management for the Corps, John Remus, admits the Corps doesn’t know exactly what impact that will have on the already swollen Missouri River.

“I do want to say, though, that we really don’t have an option when it comes to Gavins Point,” Remus tells St. Joseph Post. “There’s very little flood control storage in that reservoir and the runoff is pretty excessive coming in just to that reservoir itself. So, we really had no choice but to increase the releases.”

The Corps of Engineers had increased releases from Gavins point to 50,000 cubic feet per second. The Corps had planned to increase releases to 60,000 today, but last night announced it would increase flows to 90,000 to ease widespread flooding in Nebraska that has prompted evacuations of cities and left at least one person dead. Snowpack melt in the Upper Missouri Basin and recent area rain have increased the amount of water pouring into the upstream dam system. Five of the six upstream dams have been able to handle the excess water, but not Gavins Point.

Remus says the Corps is well aware of flooding fears along the Missouri River.

“We’re concerned with that all the time,” Remus says. “The water that people are going to see flooding, whether it’s on the Missouri River main stem or tributaries, is really coming from uncontrolled basins, basins without reservoirs on them. So, there’s really not a whole lot anybody can do to prevent that type of flooding.”

While confident about the federal levee system, Remus worries some of the smaller levees might not hold.

“There are some levees that may not, some privately owned levees or some non-federal levees that may not be able to handle this water,” Remus says. “It kind of depends on the timing of the runoff from the various tributaries.”

Remus says the Corps understands the anxiety its action causes and will strive to keep from worsening flooding in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas.

 

Kan. legislators send governor tax bill that could undercut school funding plan

By JOHN HANNA

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas helped advance Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan to boost funding for public schools Thursday before sending her an income tax relief bill that could make it harder for the state to sustain the new spending.

The GOP-controlled Senate voted 32-8 to approve Kelly’s proposed education funding increase of roughly $90 million a year, sending the plan to the House. Top Republican senators backed the plan as the most straight-forward fix, putting them at odds with conservatives who want new money tied to policy changes , including a voucher program to allow bullied students to move to new schools, public or private.

Kelly’s plan is designed to satisfy a Kansas Supreme Court order last year requiring legislators to increase the state’s education funding, currently at more than $4 billion a year. Attorneys for four local school districts that sued the state in 2010 are pressing for a larger increase and Democrats who voted as a bloc for Kelly’s plan Thursday had supported the districts. Top Republicans argue that even Kelly’s plan would be a financial stretch.

But the Senate also approved, on a 24-16 vote, a bill pushed by GOP leaders and aimed at preventing individuals and businesses from paying higher state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. Republicans said the issue is fairness, while Democrats excoriated the bill as a budget buster, particularly after senators approved more money for public schools.

“How you turn around and vote for this thing, I don’t understand,” said Sen. Tom Holland, a Baldwin City Democrat. “It doesn’t add up.”

The tax measure is headed to Kelly because the House approved it last week. She and other Democrats have said the bill would repeat the failed fiscal policies of her Republican predecessors.

Kelly stopped short Thursday night of saying she would veto the measure but said it would create a “self-inflicted budget crisis.” Neither chamber passed the bill with the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.

“Our recovery is tenuous; our budget is fragile,” Kelly said in a statement. “This is not the time to make significant changes to our tax code.”

Republican leaders see no contradiction in considering Kelly’s school funding plan and the tax relief bill at the same time. GOP lawmakers argue the tax bill heads off an unlegislated tax hike that would occur otherwise because the state and federal tax codes are tied. They also argue that tax relief will stimulate the economy.

“I hope we have a strong economy for a long time so we can afford the school funding bill,” Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Wichita Republican, said before the chamber’s debates.

Wagle and other Republicans contend the income tax measures would merely keep Kansas from getting a “windfall” in revenues it isn’t collecting now.

“This bill keeps companies, individuals and families in business, and a vote against this bill is a vote for a tax increase,” Wagle said during her chamber’s debate.

Kelly’s administration sees the potential revenue picture differently, projecting that the state would give up $209 million during the budget year beginning in July.

Much of the tax savings are going to large businesses with operations outside the U.S. The bill also would provide relief to taxpayers who have claimed itemized deductions on their state returns in the past but no longer can because of federal changes discouraging itemizing on federal returns.

Before approving the bill, the House married its Senate-approved income tax measures to a cut in the state’s sales tax on groceries to 5.5 percent from 6.5 percent. Kelly pledged during her successful campaign for governor last year to lower the tax on groceries.

Still, legislators in both parties expect Kelly to veto the bill after she repeatedly urged them to hold off on considering tax proposals and focus instead on quickly meeting the court mandate on schools.

The state Supreme Court has ruled six times since 2013 that legislators weren’t fulfilling their duty under the Kansas Constitution to provide a suitable education for every child. A 2018 law phased in a $548 million increase in education funding by the 2022-23 school year, but the court ruled that it didn’t adequately account for inflation.

GOP conservatives remain frustrated with the continued demands from the Supreme Court and the school districts suing the state for more money.

“It’s ‘Peanuts,’ Charlie Brown. Every time you go to kick the ball, Lucy pulls it away,” said Sen. Ty Masterson, a conservative Andover Republican, referring to the classic comic strip. “I can see the lawyers laughing at us all the way to the bank.”

___

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas helped advance Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan to boost funding for public schools Thursday before sending her an income tax relief bill that could make it harder for the state to sustain the new spending.

The GOP-controlled Senate voted 32-8 to approve Kelly’s proposed education funding increase of roughly $90 million a year, sending the plan to the House. Top Republican senators backed the plan as the most straight-forward fix, putting them at odds with conservatives who want new money tied to policy changes , including a voucher program to allow bullied students to move to new schools, public or private.

Kelly’s plan is designed to satisfy a Kansas Supreme Court order last year requiring legislators to increase the state’s education funding, currently at more than $4 billion a year. Attorneys for four local school districts that sued the state in 2010 are pressing for a larger increase and Democrats who voted as a bloc for Kelly’s plan Thursday had supported them. Top Republicans argue that even Kelly’s plan would be a financial stretch.

But the Senate also approved, 24-16, a bill pushed by GOP leaders and aimed at preventing individuals and businesses from paying higher state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. The measure is headed to Kelly, who has said the bill repeats the failed fiscal policies under her Republican predecessors.

“We’re excited that they’re actually talking about school finance — that’s good,” said Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers, a former Democratic state senator. “It’ll be difficult to balance the budget and repair the damage of the last years with the tax bill.”

Republican leaders see no contradiction in considering Kelly’s school funding plan and the tax relief bill at the same time. GOP lawmakers argue the tax bill heads off an unlegislated tax hike that would occur otherwise because the state and federal tax codes are tied. They also argue that tax relief will stimulate the economy.

“I hope we have a strong economy for a long time so we can afford the school funding bill,” said Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Wichita Republican, adding that the tax bill “keeps Kansas business-friendly.”

The House approved the tax bill last week after marrying its Senate-approved income tax measures to a cut in the state’s sales tax on groceries to 5.5 percent from 6.5 percent.

Wagle and other Republicans contend the income tax measures would merely keep Kansas from getting a “windfall” in revenues it isn’t collecting now. Kelly’s administration sees it differently, projecting that the state would give up $209 million during the budget year beginning in July, with much of the tax savings going to large businesses with operations outside the U.S.

Legislators in both parties expect Kelly to reject the bill. She has said repeatedly that legislators should “let the dust settle” on tax policy and focus on meeting the court mandate on schools.

The Supreme Court has ruled six times since 2013 that legislators weren’t fulfilling their duty under the Kansas Constitution to provide a suitable education for every child. A 2018 law phased in a $548 million increase in education funding by the 2022-23 school year, but the court ruled that it didn’t adequately account for inflation.

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