The City of St. Joseph is seeking volunteers to help fill sandbags this weekend.
According to a press release, with an expected river crest at 30.1 feet by early next week, it is necessary to fill a large number of sandbags as soon as possible for them to be placed at various locations.
United Way of Greater St. Joseph is leading the volunteer recruitment for sandbagging operations. Individuals and groups are encouraged to help with the effort.
The hours of volunteer operations will be from Noon – 7 p.m., Saturday, March 16, and 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., on Sunday, March 17.
Volunteers should go to the sandbag staging location at 3002 South 6th Street (intersection of 6th and Atchison streets) during the hours of operation listed above. Individuals, teams, groups and organizations are welcome. Anyone with questions may call United Way at
(816) 364-2381.
The following information is relevant to volunteers wishing to assist in sandbagging efforts:
• Must be 18 years old OR with a parent/guardian
• Must wear appropriate clothing including close-toed shoes and gloves
• Location of operations – 3002 South 6th Street (6th and Atchison streets)
• Be willing and able to commit to increments of at least 2 hours
• Please refrain from bringing young children to the sandbagging site
• Must be able to lift 25-40 pounds
• Please bring a shovel if you have one
United Way is also asking organizations and agencies that have flood specific volunteer opportunities to register their opportunities with United Way by calling (816) 364-2381.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri lawmaker who’s introduced measures that would force adults to own handguns and young adults to own AR-15 semi-automatic rifles said he’s trying to make the point that mandates are bad and doesn’t actually want to require gun ownership.
Missouri state Rep. Andrew McDaniel
“The other side of the aisle loves mandates, so I’m trying to get them to make an argument against mandates,” Republican state Rep. Andrew McDaniel, of the rural Bootheel community of Deering, said in a telephone interview.
The legislation comes amid a session in which a top aide to a Missouri state senator was arrested after a loaded gun fell to the floor during a fight at a Jefferson City bar. Two state House members also were involved in an incident at another Jefferson City bar that left one of them with a black eye. The incidents occurred after a House committee heard debate on legislation that would allow concealed weapons in public places that currently ban guns.
“From alcohol-fueled bar fights, to advancing legislation that would allow anyone to carry a concealed weapon anywhere from bars to daycares, to mandating gun ownership with a tax subsidy for gun manufacturers, the Missouri GOP rarely wastes an opportunity to embarrass themselves or our state,” the Missouri Democratic Party said in a written statement. “Republicans should regroup during the spring legislative break and come back ready to do real work that moves Missouri forward.”
The bills from McDaniel, a former deputy sheriff in Pemiscot County, would offer tax credits for people purchasing firearms. One bill would require any adult who is legally allowed to legally can possess firearms to do so. The other bill would require everyone who is 18 to 35 years old to have an AR-15. Under federal law, people must be at least 21 to buy handguns from a licensed dealer and at least 18 to buy a rifle.
McDaniel said people need to be able to protect themselves, particularly in rural areas where a single deputy may be patrolling a large geographic area. McDaniel said the legislation “points out the absurdity of the opposite side,” and their proposals to “add more requirements and barriers for law-abiding citizens.” He said he decided, “Let’s get back at them.”
He said no outside group is helping him with the legislation. The National Rifle Association didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
No hearings on either of the bills are scheduled, and McDaniel said that “of course” the legislation wouldn’t pass “as is.” He says if anything moves forward, he would focus on tax credits and strip out the other elements.
“I would never try to mandate anyone do anything against their will,” he added.
LAWRENCE COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 9:30p.m. Friday in Lawrence County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 1997 Ford Ranger driven by Grant J. Jester, 28, Stott City, was eastbound on farm road 2140 three miles north of Freistatt. The vehicle struck Corey D. Jones, 37, Monett, who was walking in a lane of traffic.
Jones was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities released no additional details early Saturday.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The Chiefs are investigating an incident in which star receiver Tyreek Hill was involved in a domestic battery episode in suburban Kansas City earlier this week.
The team said in a statement to The Associated Press that it was aware of a police report filed Thursday by the Overland Park Police Department that lists Hill’s address and identifies a juvenile as the victim. Hill’s fiancee, Crystal Espinal, is identified among “others involved.”
The couple has a 3-year-old son, Zev.
Overland Park police Officer John Lacy said the case has been turned over to prosecutors for review. No charges have been filed against Hill, and Johnson County prosecutor’s spokeswoman Kristi Bergeron didn’t immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
Chiefs spokesman Ted Crews said Friday the team has been in contact with local authorities and the NFL as it gathers more information but declined further comment.
The 25-year-old Hill has a history of domestic violence.
While starring at Oklahoma State in 2014, Hill allegedly punched and choked Espinal when she was pregnant with their son. He was kicked off the team and pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation, and received three years of probation in the case.
The conviction was dismissed in August and expunged from his record after he finished probation.
Hill transferred to West Alabama and was chosen by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, a selection widely criticized given his history. The Chiefs said at the time they had vetted Hill and were comfortable with their decision, and they put safeguards that included counseling and other checks they hoped would keep Hill on the right path.
“Tyreek has done a nice job staying on top of himself with that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said late last month. “Do we communicate with him? Yes. We have things set up for him if there are issues, but he’s been phenomenal. Every team has that, but it gives you confidence in human beings that they can make a change when they put their mind to it and do things the right way.”
It appeared to be working, too. Hill won over a skeptical fan base with his game-breaking ability and the way he interacted with them, often signing autographs for hours during training camp.
The two-time All-Pro had also positioned himself for a massive payday.
He had 87 catches for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, helping quarterback Patrick Mahomes win league MVP honors and the Chiefs win a third consecutive AFC West title. They advanced to the conference title game before losing in overtime the Super Bowl-champion Patriots.
Hill is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Chiefs had been building their roster to create enough salary cap flexibility to sign him to a long-term deal. The largest contract given to a wide receiver is the $90 million, five-year deal that the Giants gave Odell Beckham Jr., who has since been traded to the Cleveland Browns.
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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The Chiefs are investigating an incident in which star receiver Tyreek Hill was involved in a domestic battery episode in suburban Kansas City earlier this week.
The team said in a statement to The Associated Press that it was aware of a police report filed Thursday by the Overland Park Police Department that lists Hill’s address and identifies a juvenile as the victim. Hill’s fiance, Crystal Espinal, is identified among “others involved.”
The couple has a 3-year-old son, Zev.
No charges have been filed in the case, but Chiefs spokesman Ted Crews said the organization has been in contact with local authorities and the NFL as it gathers more information.
Bills on drug sentencing, probation and marijuana possession stalled in the Kansas Legislature this year. Instead, lawmakers continue to consider appointing a task force to address the criminal justice system as a whole.
A bill introduced late last month would create the Kansas Criminal Justice Reform Commission, a panel of lawmakers, law enforcement officers, legal experts, judges, lawyers, advocates, clergy and mental health providers and others.
State Rep. Russ Jennings, Republican chair of the House corrections committee, said most laws pertaining to criminal justice address only one issue at a time, rather than looking at the system as a whole. He wants the commission to address criminal justice as a system, rather than as a set of individual issues.
“The commission would be able to take it really in-depth,” he said, “not just single pieces of the system one at a time, but rather a comprehensive review of our system.”
The commission would review criminal sentencing, probation, parole, data systems and drug and job training programs for people who commit crimes. The group will also assess diversion programs intended to keep people out of prison.
The state’s prison system of more than 10,000 adult inmates is currently more than 100 people over its capacity. It’s struggled to hire corrections officers, health care workers and other staff.
Rep. John Carmichael of Wichita, a Democratic member of the House corrections committee, said a major goal is to reduce the number of incarcerated people in Kansas.
“In a global scale, which people do we need to incarcerate for the public safety?” Carmichael said. “And which people can we better treat and deal outside of the state penal system?”
A number of bills introduced and debated this session intended to do just that.
Some measures would have reduced the state’s prison population by hundreds, according to the Kansas Sentencing Commission, which has warned lawmakers about rising population projections. But the bills didn’t get a hearing in committee or didn’t meet the Legislature’s deadline for a floor vote — meaning the ideas are unlikely to advance this year:
Striking down felony possession of marijuana, estimated to reduce the state’s prison population by at least 92 in a year
Letting people on probation potentially get time off their sentences in exchange for good behavior, estimated to reduce the prison population by at least 121 in a year
No longer requiring people convicted of drug crimes to register in a state database, estimated to reduce the prison population by at least 54 in a year
The bill creating the criminal justice commission remains on the table, awaiting discussion in the House Committee on Appropriations.
Lauren Bonds, interim executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said she was disappointed that many of the bills didn’t make it through.
“We’re missing opportunities here,” Bonds said. “That being said, we’ve seen success of commissions and task forces in the past.”
Bonds said she was optimistic about the people appointed to the commission, and its potential to change the state’s criminal justice system on many levels, including probation, diversion, mental health and prisons.
“It’s a kind of a tacit admission that the problem is big and it’s pervasive,” she said. “We’re messing up and we’re not providing people with realistic opportunities to avoid prison.”
BENTON COUNTY— Two people died and a driver was arrested after an accident just after 2:30p.m. Friday in Benton County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford F150 driven by Kurt B. Eisenger, 62, Warsaw, was westbound on Highway H just east of Heits Pointe Avenue.
The vehicle traveled off the right side of the road. The driver overcorrected and the pickup traveled off the left side of the road, hit a rock cliff and overturned.
Passengers Barbara S. Adams, 66, and Johnnie R. Adams, 64, both of Warsaw were pronounced dead at the scene. Warsaw Fire and EMS transported 5-year-old passenger Rodney Pettis of Sedalia to Bothwell Regional for observation.
The MSHP arrested Kurt Eisenger and transported him to the Benton County jail on requested charges of involuntary manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and endangering the welfare of a child
Eisenger and the other occupants of the pickup were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.
SALLISAW, Okla. (AP) — Authorities say a knife-wielding Oklahoma man who was fatally shot by police had been reported as a possible Missouri jail escape.
Davis-photo Pettis Co.
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Brook Arbeitman says 27-year-old Shawn Taylor Watie of Stilwell was shot by two officers in Sallisaw Thursday when he “came after” them with a knife. He died at a hospital.
Watie’s brother-in-law, Jerod Neal, told KFSM-TV that Watie was walking to work when he was shot. Neal said he doesn’t believe the police account because Watie was not combative.
Arbeitman says police found Watie while investigating reports of a man thought to be 30-year-old Travis Lee Davis, who escaped Sunday from a jail in Sedalia, Missouri. Davis was last seen Wednesday after authorities say he stole a police car while handcuffed in Heavener, Oklahoma, then disappeared after crashing the vehicle.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a state of disaster emergency declaration on Friday for Doniphan County affected by flooding this week.
The declaration authorizes the use of state resources and personnel to assist with response and recovery operations in affected counties that meet certain criteria.
In a media release the Governor said, “We urge residents to be aware of their safety. Flood waters can be deceptive; it only takes 18 inches of water to float a car. Although people often think of tornadoes as the big destructive force of nature in Kansas, floods can be just as damaging, if not more so. While tornadoes are generally limited in scope, floods affect many, many square miles, destroying or damaging roads, bridges, power lines and other vital infrastructure. I am signing this declaration to help these county governments quickly restore infrastructure and get things back to normal for their citizens.”
The Kansas Division of Emergency Management has activated the State Emergency Operations Center to a partial level and is working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Weather Service to provide support to Doniphan County. KDEM has sent three regional coordinators to assist Doniphan county emergency management officials.
Other state agencies that have reported to the SEOC are State Fire Marshal’s Office, Kansas Highway Patrol and Department of Children and Families.
The Kansas State Animal Response Team has been requested to deploy to assist with sheltering of evacuated pets.
The state declaration may be amended to include any additional counties that may experience flooding.
For Kansas road information go online to www.KanDrive.org. The site displays information from KDOT’s traveler information technology, including highway cameras, dynamic message signs, traffic management centers and 511 phone, online and mobile (http://511mm.ksdot.org).
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., joined the HACC Chamber Chat Friday morning at FHSU.
By BECKY KISER
Sen. Jerry Moran was in Hays on Friday morning to get his hair cut and then swung by the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce Chamber Chat at Fort Hays State University.
The weekly event featured executive staff members of the FHSU Student Government Association, who explained the organization’s purpose and how it works.
Community Relations Director Jacki Dougherty, Wichita junior, talked about the outreach programs she coordinates, including partnerships.
Moran, one of the two Republican U.S. senators for Kansas and a former Hays resident, noted he had served in SGA when a student at FHSU.
“There’s nothing more important than what happens here at Fort Hays State University for the benefit and future of western Kansas. What takes place on this campus matters greatly,” Moran told the crowd. “It’s great to see the chamber of commerce, the business community of Hays, and the students come together.”
Moran visits with constituents at FHSU Friday morning, including Hays City Commissioner Ron Mellick.
After the Chamber Chat, Moran talked with many of the attendees and then sat down for a short interview with local media representatives.
Moran was asked about his vote Thursday for the Emergency Declaration Resolution of Disapproval to block President Donald Trump from using emergency powers to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Moran is one of just 12 Republicans who joined with Democrats in the 59-41 vote. The other Kansas senator, Pat Roberts, voted against the resolution.
The Democrat-controlled House approved the resolution last month, 245-182.
“I and many of my colleagues have been interested in more border security. … I’ve introduced legislation related to strengthening our borders, including money necessary for a wall to be built,” Moran said. “The question is, how do we get there since Congress rejected that?”
After the Senate vote, President Trump tweeted “VETO!”
Moran believes Trump has been “unfairly treated by Democratic leadership” that previously voted for funding for a wall and supported it.
“Perhaps because it’s now President Trump, they’re unwilling to do so,” he said.
The contention that building a wall across the southern border is immoral is “just wrong” in Moran’s view. “It is important to have border security and to know who’s coming across our borders.”
It’s also important, Moran says, that Congress abide by the U.S. Constitution.
Moran believes strongly the method of a president declaring an emergency and spending the money is a violation of the Constitution, which Moran has sworn to uphold.
“This can become a precedent for other presidents and emergency powers have certainly been used by previous presidents,” he said. “When (Democratic) President Obama was using executive orders to negotiate an agreement with Iran on its nuclear abilities, that should have been a treaty subject to Senate confirmation. I and many of my colleagues pushed back strenuously on his, in my view, excess use of executive power. The Democrats were in the majority and the votes weren’t there for success in the Senate.
“Other presidents have worked around Congress to do things that requires Congress to be engaged in. It was wrong then and it will be wrong in the future. Having taken that position with President Obama, I can’t pick and choose at which points in time I think the Constitution is important. I think it’s important always.”
The president is acting under an emergency powers act, a law that is unconstitutional, according to Moran, and needs to be repealed or amended.
“That’s where the focus was in advance of this vote and that’s where the focus is today after this vote, is to have a different set of criteria that guides a president’s ability to declare an emergency in what circumstances.”
Moran said he thinks there is sufficient Republican Congressional support to “rein in” the law that allows presidential emergency powers regardless of the circumstances. “I don’t know about Democratic support, but there ought to be to do so.”
Moran acknowledged the difficulty in amending the law.
“Probably no president will ever agree to sign a law that restricts their authorities,” he said with a wry smile. “It’s a really old law and being used in ways suggesting that it must be amended. It will take a president or a super majority of House and Senate members to alter the law.”
According to Moran, the president on Thursday “indicated that he would consider” signing an amended law “in the future.”
Mid-afternoon Friday, President Trump signed the first veto of his administration, overriding Congress to protect his emergency declaration for redirecting more than $6 billion in federal funds for the border wall.
Friday morning Moran predicted there would not be a vote in the Senate on the override and that a vote would fail in the House.
“But I intend to be consistent with my past votes,” he added.
Trump’s national emergency declaration still faces legal challenges. Sixteen states filed a lawsuit last month challenging the declaration as unconstitutional.
Below is the statement Moran issued yesterday regarding his vote on the Emergency Declaration.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Committee – Thursday announced he will support H. J. Res. 46, the Emergency Declaration Resolution of Disapproval.
“President Trump is correct, there is a need for better border security,” wrote Sen. Moran. “…I have introduced legislation and voted many times for greater funding for border security, including President Trump’s border wall.”
“Upon my election to public office, I take one oath – to uphold the Constitution of the United States,” continued Sen. Moran. “I believe the use of emergency powers in this circumstance violates the Constitution. Allowing the use of such power establishes a precedent for future presidents to further act against laws and appropriations approved by Congress. This continues our country down the path of all powerful executive – something those who wrote the Constitution were fearful of.”
Sen. Moran’s full written thoughts can be found here and below.
1. President Trump is correct, there is a need for better border security.
2. Our borders are a matter of national sovereignty and control over who enters our country is vital in our fight against terrorism and battle against drugs and human trafficking.
3. Many Americans and most Kansans agree with the President that this is an important issue and must be dealt with.
4. The President has not been fairly treated by Democrats in Congress – a wall is not immoral and democrats have previously supported funding border barriers.
5. I have introduced legislation and voted many times for greater funding for border security, including President Trump’s border wall.
6. The President can advance the building of a wall with the funding just approved by Congress and can increase the funds available by reprogramming other accounts.
7. Therefore, the declaration of an emergency is not necessary.
8. The declaration of an emergency under these circumstances is a violation of the U.S. Constitution. The laws passed by Congress years ago allowing the president emergency powers is flawed and needs to be repealed or amended.
9. In high school government class we all learned about our Founding Fathers and the three separate, but equal branches of government. This concept is one of the most significant in protecting America as a republic and maintaining citizen freedoms & liberties. Both government structure and the Bill of Rights matter.
10. Upon my election to public office, I take one oath – to uphold the Constitution of the United States. I believe the use of emergency powers in this circumstance violates the Constitution.
11. Allowing the use of such power establishes a precedent for future presidents to further act against laws and appropriations approved by Congress. This continues our country down the path of all powerful executive – something those who wrote the Constitution were fearful of.
12. Kansans have criticized President Obama for abuse of executive orders, ignoring the laws and avoiding the requirements of negotiating a treaty when dealing with foreign powers. I agree and fought it.
13. I aggressively opposed the overreach of past presidents and believe that I can not pick and choose to now look the other way.
14. If the Constitution means one thing in the Obama administration and another in the Trump administration, the enduring value of the Constitution disappears and another generation of Americans will be less free.
15. The number one responsibility we have as American citizens is to pass to the next generation of Americans our constitutionally guaranteed liberties. There are days where it seems clear we are failing greatly.
16. How we do things – even good things – matters. We were raised that the ends don’t justify the means.
17. To find a loop hole on this issue and to vote another way might be an easier course. But my gut, my intellect, my understanding of history, tells me use of emergency powers is wrong. It can’t be an option to support something I believe wrong.
18. This country is filled with people who care, who are patriots, who served in our military. I try never to let anyone down. On my watch I always want to do right as I see it.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump issued the first veto of his presidency on Friday, overruling Congress to protect his emergency declaration for border wall funding.
Flanked by law enforcement officials as well as the parents of children killed by people in the country illegally, Trump maintained that he is not through fighting for his signature campaign promise, which stands largely unfulfilled 18 months before voters decide whether to grant him another term.
Trump said: “It is a tremendous national emergency,” adding, “our immigration system is stretched beyond the breaking point.”
A dozen defecting Republicans joined Senate Democrats in approving the joint resolution on Thursday, which capped a week of confrontation with the White House as both parties in Congress strained to exert their power in new ways. It is unlikely that Congress will have the two-thirds majority required to override Trump’s veto, though House Democrats have suggested they would try nonetheless.
Trump wants to use the emergency order to divert billions of federal dollars earmarked for defense spending toward the southern border wall. It still faces several legal challenges in federal court.
Trump is expected to issue his second veto in the coming weeks over a congressional resolution seeking to end U.S. backing for the Saudi Arabian-led coalition fighting in Yemen. The resolution was approved in the aftermath of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
