HOLT COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just after 12:30p.m. Wednesday in Holt County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Chevy Silverado driven by Stacey J. Smith, 41, St. Joseph, was eastbound on U.S. 59 three miles east of Oregon. The pickup traveled across the westbound lanes, struck a snow embankment and overturned.
Smith and a passenger and Shelly R. Fleck, 43, St. Joseph, were transported to Mosaic Life Care. They were not wearing a seat belts, according to the MSHP.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A University of Missouri student has been charged with providing the pain medication Percocet to a classmate from Illinois who died in his dorm room.
Boston Perry -photo courtesy Elias, Kallal & Schaaf Funeral Home
Nineteen-year-old Carson Latimer was charged Monday with a felony count of delivery of a controlled substance. His attorney didn’t immediately return a phone message.
University police say Latimer sold Percocet to 19-year-old Boston Perry, of the St. Louis suburb of Bethalto, on Jan. 21. Perry was found unresponsive the next afternoon in his room at the Mark Twain Residence Hall. Emergency medical services were unable to revive him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Charging documents say a Percocet pill found in Latimer’s room had the same imprint as the pills found near Perry’s body. Perry’s toxicology report has not yet been returned.
KANSAS CITY (AP) — Two police officers won’t face charges in the fatal shootings of two men who were struggling over a handgun last summer in a downtown Kansas City square.
Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in a letter to the police chief that the officers were compelled to fatally shoot 33-year-old Timothy Mosley in June because he ignored officers’ repeated demands to drop his weapon and attempted to fire it.
She said 34-year-old Robert White was killed because he was too close to Mosely. Her review showed that Mosley kept his arm around White as they wrestled. The men were killed less than an hour after city officers fatally shot a woman seen brandishing a sword.
Baker’s letter was dated Jan. 9 and posted to the prosecutor’s office website Tuesday night.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas officials say crimes reported on the Lawrence campus in 2018 dropped to the lowest level in 10 years.
The Office of Public Safety said in a news release Wednesday that 619 crimes were reported last year, down 8 percent from 670 in 2017.
The report found theft continues to be the most common crime, with 150 reported in 2018. That was followed by drug crimes, with 113 reports, and property damage, with 91 reports.
Assault reports rose significantly from 2017, with a total of 34, up from 14 in 2017.
Nine sex offenses were reported in 2018, up from five from the previous year. Reported rapes dropped from four to two.
Sexual assaults that are reported to university administration or other law enforcement departments aren’t included in the report.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City, Kansas, fire officials say woman and a dog died in a house fire.
Photo courtesy KCKFD
Assistant Fire Chief Morris Lechter says a man was able to escape the fire early Wednesday.
The house was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. The woman and dog were discovered after firefighters knocked down the blaze.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Missouri man who was in a vehicle that led police officers in a pursuit pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to illegally possessing a firearm, according to the United State’s Attorney.
Ewing -Boone Co.
Justin Craig Ewing, 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ewing admitted that he was in possession of a loaded Browning .40-caliber handgun.
On Dec. 22, 2017, police officers attempted to stop a 2006 Chevy Impala driven by Jeremy Wade Gerlach, 36, of Harrisburg, Mo., in which Ewing was the passenger. Officers, who were seeking to arrest Gerlach, pulled in behind the parked vehicle at the Days Inn Motel, 900 I-70 Drive Southwest, Columbia, Mo. As officers approached the vehicle on foot, the Impala fled north through a grassy area next to the motel. As another patrol vehicle arrived from the east side of the motel, the Impala swerved left to go around them and crashed into an electric pole. An officer ran up to the vehicle and pointed his gun at the occupants. When the officer realized Gerlach was trying to put the vehicle in reverse, he ran back to his patrol vehicle and used it to pinch in the rear of the Impala to prevent escape and further jeopardy to officers.
When officers approached the vehicle, the driver’s side windows were up and the doors were locked. An officer used his baton to break the driver’s window, and officers pulled Gerlach out of the Impala through the broken driver’s side window.
When officers removed Gerlach and Ewing from the vehicle, they saw the Browning handgun (which had been reported as stolen) lying on the floorboard where Ewing had been sitting. Ewing was wearing a shoulder handgun holster. Officers also found a loaded Rock Island Armory .45-caliber handgun wedged between the driver’s seat and center console.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Ewing has four prior felony convictions for forgery and prior felony convictions for burglary, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Gerlach pleaded guilty on Oct. 9, 2018, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Under federal statutes, Ewing and Gerlach are each subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
Periods of light freezing rain/drizzle will persist across the area now into Thursday morning. The heaviest period of freezing rain is expected to occur this evening into tonight. Hazardous road conditions will develop, especially on bridges and overpasses. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: A chance of freezing drizzle. Cloudy, with a high near 27. North northeast wind 5 to 8 mph.
Tonight: Freezing rain likely before 3 a.m., then a chance of freezing rain and sleet between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., then a chance of snow and freezing rain after 4 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 18. North wind 6 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New ice accumulation of around a 0.1 of an inch possible. Little or no snow and sleet accumulation expected.
Thursday: A slight chance of snow before 9 a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 19. Wind chill values between -2 and 4. Blustery, with a northwest wind 18 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 4. Wind chill values between -3 and -12. Northwest wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 20. Northwest wind 5 to 11 mph.
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 8.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 35.
Saturday Night: A chance of snow after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Monday: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Tuesday: A chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 31. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
WASHINGON —President Donald Trump called for optimism and unity in Tuesday’s State of the Union address, using the moment to attempt a reset after two years of bitter partisanship and deeply personal attacks.
Members of the Missouri and Kansas congressional delegations had a wide variety of thoughts on Trump’s address.
Strong words tonight from @realDonaldTrump. Time now for Democrats to come to the table to secure the border, bring down prescription drug costs, and keep wages rising. Let’s get to work
In the #SOTU, I was pleased to hear @POTUS recognize the importance of trade, but I continue to have concerns about the value & practice of tariffs, especially when our agriculture exports end up in the retaliatory crosshairs. 1/2
Senator Jerry Moran said, “President Trump is right to focus on rebuilding our nation’s crumbling infrastructure – an issue that can garner broad support from Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate – which ought to include a plan to expand broadband in rural areas.
I was also pleased to hear the president’s commitment to work with Congress to ratify the USMCA and expand trade for Kansas farmers and ranchers, expediently implement the VA MISSION Act to help provide our veterans with accessible healthcare, lower the rising cost of healthcare and prescription medication, and aggressively fight cancer and deadly diseases.
President Trump during Tuesday’s State of the Union address- White House courtesy image
Additionally, I share the president’s goal of better securing our borders and I was pleased he did not declare a national emergency at our border, instead opting to allow Congress to continue our work and negotiate a solution.President Trump’s message regarding his hope for bipartisan policy achievements was an important step in the right direction, and I am committed to working with my colleagues and the administration on delivering positive results for Kansans and for the American people.”
First District Congressman Roger Marshall said, “Since elected, this Administration has been focused on lifting regulatory and tax burdens, unleashing our economy, and most importantly keeping our country safe. Tonight, we heard President Trump discuss American exceptionalism and the endless opportunities for success that our nation has when we put politics aside and work together. President Trump made it clear that his vision for success is only possible when both parties come to the table. I am hopeful that we can take President Trump’s call for unity and begin to work closer with each other understanding that we have one goal, a better America,” Rep Marshall said. “We must secure our border; we must address this national crisis and work together on finding a solution by the February 15th deadline.”
The President called for Congress to ‘show the world that America is committed to ending illegal immigration and putting the ruthless coyotes, cartels, drug dealers, and human traffickers out of business.I am standing with the President, and we must secure our border by building the wall.”
We must come together – both as a nation, and as a body. Tonight, the President outlined a path forward, not for a Party, but for a nation.
In media row discussing the #SOTU. I applaud President Trump’s leadership and will work with him to secure our border, grow our economy and support families in Kansas and throughout our country. pic.twitter.com/NmAI14rFop
Kansas 4th District Congressman Ron Estes said, “President Trump set clear goals to build on the progress we’ve made to grow our economy at historic levels, rebuild our military, and invest in our communities to address serious issues like the opioid crisis,” said Rep. Estes. “Tonight, the president also clearly made the case for achieving strong border security that includes a wall, affordable health care, decisive foreign policy and legislation which protects the unborn. I applaud the president’s leadership and will work with him to secure our border, grow our economy and support families in Kansas and throughout our country.”
Third District Congresswoman Sharice Davids has not released a statement on the address.
LAFAYETTE COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just after 6:30p.m. Tuesday in Lafayette County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Pontiac driven by Samantha D. Rios, 20, Kansas City, Kan., was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of Johnson Drive.
The driver lost control of the vehicle on the ice-covered roadway. It skidded into the median. The vehicle traveled out of the median into the left lane and into the path of a semi.
A passenger in the Pontiac Wendy R. Rios, 19, Altamont, IL., was pronounced dead at athe scene.
Passenger Kaleb A. Huddlestun, 21, Effingham, IL., was transported to Centerpointe Hospital where he died
Samantha Rios and a third passenger Ryan M. Kumm, 19, Independence, MO., were transported to Centerpointe Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The semi driver from New York was not injured. All five were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.
