The incident occurred just after 9p.m. December 30, near U.S. 83 and the East Front Street crossing, according to Union Pacific spokesperson Hannah Bolte.
Union Pacific conductor 34-year-old Jeffrey Hague of Bennington Kansas died from his injuries. He was from Newtown, Missouri, a Missouri Western grad and had worked at Union Pacific for 10 years.
Bolte released no additional details Monday as their investigation continues.
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OAKLEY — Officials from the Union Pacific Railroad are investigating an accident in Logan County that resulted in the death of a railroad employee.
UP spokeswomen Hannah Bolte said Monday the incident occurred just after 9 p.m. Sunday in Oakley near the crossing of U.S. 83 and East Front Street.
Bolte said she couldn’t go into detail about the incident because the investigation is ongoing and the company is making notifications to family.
“Right now, our thoughts and prayers are with that employee’s family,” Bolte said.
STOCKTON, Mo. (AP) — New murder charges have been filed against a fleeing motorist whose passenger was involved in a deadly shootout with a southwest Missouri sheriff’s deputy.
Joshua Brown photo MDOC
Thirty-two-year-old Joshua Brown, of El Dorado Springs, was charged Friday with second-degree murder counts.
Authorities say Brown sped off in November 2014 when Cedar County Deputy Matthew Chism tried to stop him for a traffic violation. Chism chased the vehicle through El Dorado Springs, where 28-year-old William Collins jumped out as the car drove away. Chism and Collins fought before exchanging gunfire that killed both of them.
Charging documents say Brown knew there was a semi-automatic pistol inside the vehicle while fleeing. Brown previously was found guilty of second-degree murder, but the conviction was overturned in 2016. He’s imprisoned for drug distribution and evidence tampering.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran says he wants the shutdown to come to end, saying it will soon start to affect farmers and aircraft manufacturers.
Senator Moran discussed the government shutdown on a tour in NW Kansas -photo courtesy Sen. Jerry Moran
Moran said Friday after touring three Wichita businesses that he’s “sorry” the government is in a shutdown. He added that people who are dissatisfied with the government sometimes say, “Shut her down, it doesn’t matter.” But Moran says “the things that government does are important to many people.”
He says one effect of a protracted shutdown will be that aircraft manufacturers will be unable to deliver planes because the Federal Aviation Administration office in Oklahoma City that issues aircraft titles is closed. He says farmers hurt by the trade battle with China also will have to wait for federal aid.
KEOSAUQUA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have recovered the body of a Missouri man who was in a vehicle that crashed into the Des Moines River in southeast Iowa.
The body was found around noon Sunday east of the crash site near Keosauqua. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office identified it as that of 22-year-old Gavin Hannah, who lived in Memphis, Missouri.
A female traveling with him was rescued shortly after the crash Friday night. Her name and other information about her haven’t been released.
A Van Buren County dispatcher said Monday morning that she couldn’t provide any more details.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Shady telemarketers would face a tougher time operating in Kansas under a new bill.
Rep. Rhiley -courtesy photo
Incoming Republican Rep. Bill Rhiley, of Wellington, says he pre-filed the bill after getting complaints about calls that appear to be from Kansas, but instead are automated sales pitches from telemarketers in other states or overseas.
The bill would set limits on the use of robocalling equipment and crack down on “neighbor spoofing,” the practice of making distant calls display as local numbers on caller ID. Rhiley says he’s recently had telemarketers spoof his own phone number.
One provision of the bill would prohibit anyone, including a phone company, from providing local phone numbers to an out-of-state entity unless the number is openly listed. Rhiley wants consumers to share their stories .
Missouri state capitol. Photo courtesy Missourinet.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers will consider whether to collect sales taxes on online purchases, allow sports gambling and overhaul legislative redistricting when they return for the start of the 2019 session.
Actions by the U.S. Supreme Court and Missouri voters last year are dictating top issues for the Republican-led Legislature during the roughly five-month annual session, which starts Wednesday.
Those include a high court ruling allowing states to require out-of-state retailers to collect what could be millions of dollars of new tax revenue from online sales to Missouri residents.
“We all agree we want online retailers in parity with Missouri retailers, (the) brick and mortar stores,” Acting House Speaker Elijah Haahr said.
That also has the backing of Republican Gov. Mike Parson and other lawmakers, but there’s no consensus on what to do with the new revenue. Haahr said many lawmakers want to return any online sales tax revenue to Missourians through a tax cut, but he said that’s challenging because at this point it’s unclear how much money the taxes would bring to the state.
Lawmakers also will have the option to legalize sports betting following another court ruling last year that paved the way for it in all 50 states.
Several lawmakers have filed bills that would allow and regulate sports betting, but there’s disagreement between casinos and sports leagues, which want a cut of the profits.
Sports leagues last year told lawmakers that they’d use the money to ensure players and teams don’t throw or manipulate games. But Missouri Gaming Association Executive Director Mike Winter blasted the so-called “integrity fees” as unwarranted.
“The leagues and those who are supporting the integrity fee should already be doing those functions,” he said.
Haahr said he’s fairly pessimistic on a sports wagering bill advancing until casinos and sports leagues reach an agreement.
Lawmakers also plan to discuss a voter-approved constitutional amendment that limited lobbyist gifts to lawmakers, subjected lawmakers to the state open-records law and changed the process for redrawing legislative districts after the 2020 census.
An Associated Press analysis found the new formula for drawing maps would likely increase Democrats’ chances of winning elections and cut into Republicans’ supermajorities in the state House and Senate.
The changes have drawn the ire of Parson and other top Republicans, who want to ask voters to change redistricting yet again.
“I certainly believe that what is on the docket, should nothing change, is the most egregious license to gerrymander our districts that anybody could have,” Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden said.
Other issues that likely will crop up include capping or otherwise overhauling tax credits that subsidize low-income housing development, expanding access to charter schools and other nontraditional schooling, and boosting workforce development.
Parson and GOP legislative leaders have also cited work on transportation and infrastructure as a top priority, although resources to address those issues are limited after voters in November turned down a proposed gas-tax increase that would have gone toward repairs and maintenance for roads and bridges.
Sen. Dave Schatz, Republicans’ pick to be the next Senate president pro tem, cited fees or public-private partnerships as one possible way to pay for repairs. Haahr said new revenue from online sales taxes or other sources could be earmarked.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford passenger vehicle driven by Matthew C. Tate, 19, was westbound on Route N and failed to negotiate a curve at Naylor Road. The vehicle crossed the center line and struck a 2008 Pontiac driven by Aaron L. Lancaster, 31, Platte City.
Lancaster was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.
Tate was transported to North Kansas City Hospital.
PHOENIX (AP) — Kwamie Lassiter, the former Arizona safety who had four interceptions in the Cardinals’ season-ending victory that clinched a playoff berth in 1998, died Sunday. He was 49.
Kwamie Lassiter played at Butler County and then for the Jayhawks from 1992-94 and then played 10 seasons in the National Football -League-image courtesy University of Kansas Athletics
The Cardinals announced Lassiter’s death without providing details. Arizona Sports, the website of the team’s flagship radio station, said Lassiter had a heart attack while working out.
“We were all devastated to learn of Kwamie’s passing today and our hearts go out to all of his family and friends,” Cardinals President Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “Kwamie came to the Cardinals, as an undrafted rookie free agent. He not only became a key contributor to our team for eight seasons but continued to make an impact on this community after his playing days ended. He will be missed greatly.”
Lassiter had had eight interceptions in 1998, the last four against San Diego to help the Cardinals reach the playoffs for the first time since moving to Arizona. The former Kansas Jayhawk had nine interceptions in 2001 and was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl.
After eight seasons with the Cardinals, Lassister played for San Diego in 2003 and St. Louis in 2004. He had 25 career interceptions, 25 with the Cardinals, returning two for touchdowns.
Lassister starred at Menchville High School in Newport News, Virginia, and played two years at Butler County Community College in Kansas before transferring to Kansas, where he played from 1992 to 1994.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — State education officials say results of tests given to Missouri public school students in April and May will be released Feb. 1.
The Springfield News-Leader reports reading and math scores previously were released to the public as early as August. The tests are intended to give a snapshot of academic achievement at the grade, subject, school, district and state levels.
Deputy education commissioner Stacey Preis said the delay in releasing this year’s results was caused by changing to new exams based on new academic standards.
The state assesses student performance through reading and math tests in grades 3-8 and the end-of-course exams in high school math, science, English and history classes.
Preis said she hopes the next round of exams in April and May will be made public more quickly.
