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Missouri diocese abuse inquiry names 33 priests, brothers

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Thirty-three priests or religious brothers in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri, have been “credibly accused” and/or removed from the ministry over sexual abuse of minors, the bishop of the central Missouri diocese said Thursday.

Bishop W. Shawn McKnight released a complete list of the names that followed an internal investigation begun in February. The list includes 25 priests from the diocese, three priests from other areas who previously served in the Jefferson City diocese, and five members of a religious order.

Fourteen of the 33 men named are dead. Many of them are elderly. The diocese said the most recent case of physical sexual abuse found in the investigation occurred in 1997.

“Although the incidents are in the past, the pain caused is still a present reality for the survivors of abuse and their loved ones,” McKnight said in a statement. He apologized for the actions of the priests and brothers, “and the incomplete transparency we have lived under by not making all their names public.”

McKnight also encouraged any additional victims to come forward.

David Clohessy, St. Louis director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, called the list “irresponsibly and painfully short on details.”

McKnight “should reveal where each of these men worked, when they were accused, when those allegations were deemed credible, why the years of secrecy, and where the men are now,” Clohessy said in a statement.

The internal investigation is unrelated to an investigation announced in August by Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, in which the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, the Diocese of Jefferson City, the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and the Archdiocese of St. Louis all agreed to open their records.

Hawley’s announcement came amid renewed concern about sexual abuse by priests that followed the release of a scathing report in Pennsylvania citing abuse of more than 1,000 children by hundreds of priests since the 1940s, along with cover-up by church leaders.

Mary Compton, a spokeswoman for Hawley, said that investigation is “active and ongoing,” but offered no timetable for when it will be complete.

“We are working as quickly as possible to carefully and thoroughly review all evidence obtained by our office,” Compton said in a statement. “The Pennsylvania Grand Jury completed its work in two years. Our Office believes Missourians deserve answers as soon as feasible.”

Hawley on Tuesday defeated incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill in the race for U.S. Senate. Gov. Mike Parson will name a replacement.

Jack Smith, spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, said the diocese also plans to release a list of names but will wait until the Attorney General’s investigation is complete.

Northwest to mark Veterans Day with coffee social, wreaths

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University will commemorate Veterans Day by placing wreaths at each of its military markers as a tribute to the men and women who have served the United States.

University leaders will place the wreaths, beginning at 8:45 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9. Northwest began the tribute in 2014 and has continued it annually.

Additionally, the University’s Symphony Orchestra will host a Veterans Day celebration concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, in the Charles Johnson Theater at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts building. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will feature a special “Armed Forces Salute” to honor the individuals who have served or are currently serving in the United States military.

The University also will host a Veterans Day Coffee at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 12. Free coffee will be available to veterans and active duty military members at Starbucks in the B.D. Owens Library.

Veterans Day, which falls this year on Sunday, Nov. 11, marks the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918.

Since Northwest’s founding in 1905, thousands of service men and women have called Northwest “home.” Some enlisted after coming to Maryville as a student or employee, while others enrolled or worked for the University after serving their country.

Beginning in 1918, students, alumni, employees and community members have donated and supported a variety of memorials on the campus to honor United States service men and women.

Military markers on the Northwest campus consist of the Memorial Bell Tower, the Persian Gulf War Memorial just north of the J.W. Jones Student Union, the Bell of ’48, the World War I Memorial Plaza at the corner of College Park Avenue and Memorial Drive, the Roll of Honor on the third floor of the Administration Building and the Navy Room under the west grandstand of Bearcat Stadium.

For more information, contact the University Archives at (660) 562-1974 or nwarchives@nwmissouri.edu.

– Northwest News Release –

Captain in fatal Branson duck boat accident charged with negligence, misconduct

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Charges have been filed against the captain of a tourist boat that sank in a southwest Missouri lake in July and killed 17 people, including nine members of an Indiana family, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Duck boat involved in the fatal accident- Photo courtesy NTSB

A federal indictment shows 51-year-old Kenneth Scott McKee is facing 17 counts of misconduct, negligence or inattention to duty by a ship’s officer resulting in death. The accident occurred when an amphibious vessel known as a duck boat sank when a sudden and severe storm rolled into the area.

McKee is accused of not properly assessing the weather before or after the boat went into Table Rock Lake near the tourist town of Branson, U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison said during a news conference in Springfield. McKee also allegedly failed to tell passengers to put on their flotation devices or prepare them to abandon ship as waves crashed into the boat, which was originally designed for military use in World War II but had been refurbished as a tourist attraction.

Ripley Entertainment, the company that operated the boats and suspended the operation following the accident, didn’t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment on the indictment.

The U.S. Coast Guard had found probable cause that the accident resulted from McKee’s “misconduct, negligence, or inattention to the duties,” according to an August court filing. The U.S. attorney’s office added that the captain of a second duck boat that safely made it to shore during the storm acted in a “grossly negligent manner,” though the court filing didn’t elaborate on those findings.

The sinking killed nine members of Tia Coleman’s family, including her three young children and husband, who were vacationing from Indiana. The other people killed included two couples from Missouri, an Illinois woman who died while saving her granddaughter’s life, an Arkansas father and son, and a retired pastor who was the boat’s operator on land. Several lawsuits have been filed on behalf of victims and their survivors.

A spokeswoman for Ripley Entertainment has repeatedly declined to comment on the investigation but has said the company has cooperated with authorities.

Garrison said McKee violated conditions specified in the boat’s certificate of inspection by failing to tell passengers to put on personal floatation devices and not immediately increasing speed and driving to the nearest shore, according to the indictment.

The indictment also alleges McKee allowed the boat’s plastic side curtains to be lowered, which blocked the exits, and didn’t instruct passengers to put on flotation devices or prepare them to abandon ship even after the bilge alarm sounded twice.

The vessels first take tourists on a trip through Branson, a Midwestern destination for country music shows and entertainment venues about 170 miles (274 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas. The amphibious vehicles then travel to Table Rock Lake for a short excursion on water.

Weather was calm when the vessel known as a Stretch Duck 7 began its trip on July 19, but investigators have contended that operators had ample warning that a strong storm was approaching.

The vessel’s certificate of inspection issued by the Coast Guard in 2017 established rules and limitations on when it could be on the water. It states the boat “shall not be operated waterborne” when winds exceed 35 mph and/or wave heights exceed 2 feet.

Video and audio from the boat, recovered by divers, showed that the lake was calm when the boat entered the water. But the weather suddenly turned violent and, within minutes, the boat sank.

The wind speed at the time of the accident was more than 70 mph, just short of hurricane force, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Weather forecasts had warned of an impending storm with winds possibly exceeding 60 mph.

The wave height wasn’t known, but cellphone video shot by passengers on a nearby excursion boat showed waves that appeared to be far greater than 2 feet (0.61 meters) high.

In addition to the weather, the Coast Guard has said it was looking into regulatory compliance of the boat and crew member duties and qualifications.

Branson is among several places around the country where the amphibious vehicles offer excursions. Since 1999, 42 deaths have been associated with duck boat accidents .

On May 1, 1999, 13 people died when the Miss Majestic duck boat sank on Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs, Arkansas. In 2015, five college students died and more than 70 people were hurt when a duck boat veered into a charter bus on a bridge in Seattle. Two Hungarian tourists died in 2010 when a stalled duck boat was struck by a tugboat-guided barge on the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

Missouri woman dies after I-70 Kansas crash

SALINE COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 4 a.m. Thursday in Saline County.

Car involved in Thursday morning fatal crash in Saline County -photo courtesy KWCH

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1992 Chevy Cavalier driven by Michael Rudroff, 29, Rolla, Missouri, was eastbound on Interstate 70 just east of Hedville Road.

The car left the roadway and came to rest underneath the bridge.

A passenger Stacy Crader, 44, Tipton, Missouri, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rudroff was transported to the hospital in Salina. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

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Anti-abortion activist who shot Kan. abortion doctor freed from prison

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – An anti-abortion activist who shot and wounded Kansas abortion doctor George Tiller in 1993 and committed clinic attacks in several states has been released from prison in Oregon.

Shannon-photo KDOC

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons on Wednesday confirmed the release of 62-year-old Rachelle “Shelley” Shannon. The bureau says she’ll be on supervised release for three years. Conditions of her release aren’t public.

Shannon was sentenced to 20 years in prison for six fire bombings and two acid attacks at abortion clinics in California, Oregon and Nevada.

She received 11 years for shooting Tiller, who was fatally shot in Wichita in 2009 by another anti-abortion extremist, Scott Roeder, who visited Shannon several times in prison.

Shannon had been staying at a halfway house in Portland, Oregon, since May. She has been in custody for 25 years.

LCSO seeking tips in arson investigation

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is seeking tips in an arson investigation.

The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a fire that occurred on October 29th, just south of Chillicothe at the railroad bridge that crosses the Grand River.  

According to the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, the fire was intentionally set and they are seeking help from the public. The LCSO asks that anyone that may have been in the area of the Grand River bridge south of Chillicothe on Monday, October 29th, and may have seen anything suspicious or heard of anything about the person responsible for the fire, contact the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Arson Tip line at 1-800-39-ARSON or the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department at (660) 646-0515.

The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest.

The Fire Marshal’s Office is working the investigation with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department, Chillicothe Fire Department, Canadian Pacific Railroad Police and the FBI.

Wife of slain Missouri Klan leader says she pulled trigger, not son

FARMINGTON, Mo. (AP) – The wife of a slain Missouri Ku Klux Klan leader says in a letter from jail that she was the one who pulled the trigger, not her son.

Malissa Ancona -photo St Francois County Jail

Malissa Ancona and her son, Paul Edward Jinkerson Jr., face charges that include first-degree murder in the death of Frank Ancona, who called himself an “imperial wizard” of the Ku Klux Klan.

She agreed last year to testify against her son. She originally told police that Jinkerson shot his stepfather after he asked her for a divorce. The body of the 51-year-old was found in February 2017 outside of Belgrade, which is about 70 miles (110 kilometers) miles south of St. Louis.

Barnhart rejected a plea deal with prosecutors. Jinkerson’s trial is set for May.

Chance of rain and snow with temps near 38

Precipitation will spread from west to east across the region today. A changeover to snow is expected to occur from north to south throughout the day. Overall, light snow amounts are expected, mainly on grassy surfaces, with generally amounts around an inch. Some folks will see less and some may see upwards of 2 inches. Roads may become slick overnight as temperatures fall below freezing. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: A slight chance of snow before 9 a.m., then a slight chance of rain and snow between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., then rain likely after 11 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 38. East northeast wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Tonight: Rain likely before 7 p.m., then rain and snow likely between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., then snow likely after 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. North wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Friday: A slight chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 34. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 15. North northwest wind 13 to 18 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 36. Light south wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.

Veterans Day: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45.

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

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 37.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 36.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 24.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 50.

UPDATE: 13 dead including sheriff’s deputy after bar shooting

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — A hooded gunman dressed entirely in black opened fire on a crowd at a country dance bar holding a weekly “college night” in Southern California, killing 12 people and sending hundreds fleeing including some who used barstools to break windows and escape, authorities said Thursday. The gunman was later found dead at the scene.

First responders on the scene of the mass shooting early Thursday-image courtesy KABC

The dead from the shooting Wednesday night also included 11 people inside the bar and a sheriff’s sergeant who was the first officer inside the door, Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean said.

“It’s a horrific scene in there,” Dean told a news conference in the parking lot of the Borderline Bar & Grill. “There’s blood everywhere.”

The massacre was the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since 17 classmates and teachers were gunned down at a Parkland, Florida school nine months ago. It also came less than two weeks after a gunman killed 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. That, it turn, closely followed the series of pipe bombs mailed to prominent Democrats, CNN and former officials critical of President Donald Trump.

The gunman at the country dance bar was tall and wearing all black with a hood over his head and his face partly covered, witnesses told TV stations at the scene. He first fired on a person working the door, then appeared to open fire at random at the people inside, they said.

Many more people had more minor injuries, including some that came from their attempt to flee, Dean said.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus and a passing highway patrolman were responding to several 911 calls when they arrived at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks at about 11:20 p.m., the sheriff said. They heard gunfire and went inside.

Helus was immediately hit with multiple gunshots, Dean said. The highway patrolman cleared the perimeter and pulled Helus out, and then waited as a SWAT team and scores more officers arrived. Helus died early Thursday at a hospital.

By the time they entered the bar again the gunfire had stopped. They found 12 people dead inside, including the gunman.

It’s not yet clear how the gunman died, and authorities do not yet know his name or have any idea of a motive, Dean said.

It was college night and country two-step lessons were being offered Wednesday at the Borderline, according to its website.

The bar, which includes a large dance hall with a stage and a pool room along with several smaller areas for eating and drinking, is a popular hangout for students from nearby California Lutheran University. It’s also close to several other universities including California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, Pepperdine University in Malibu and Moorpark College in Moorpark.

When the gunman entered, people screamed and fled to all corners of the bar, while a few people threw barstools through the windows and helped dozens to escape, witnesses said.

Tayler Whitler, 19, said she was on the dance floor with her friends nearby when she saw the gunman shooting and heard screams to “get down.”

“It was really, really, really shocking,” Whitler told KABC-TV as she stood with her father in the Borderline parking lot. “It looked like he knew what he was doing.”

Sarah Rose DeSon told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she saw the shooter draw his gun.

“I dropped to the floor,” she said. “A friend yelled ‘Everybody down!’ We were hiding behind tables trying to keep ourselves covered.”

Shootings of any kind are very rare in Thousand Oaks, a city of about 130,000 people about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Los Angeles, just across the county line.

Helus was a 29-year veteran of the force with a wife and son and planned to retire in the coming year, said the sheriff, who choked back tears several times as he talked about the sergeant who was also his longtime friend.

“Ron was a hardworking, dedicated sheriff’s sergeant who was totally committed,” Dean said, “and tonight, as I told his wife, he died a hero because he went in to save lives.”

——————

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on a shooting at a bar in Southern California (all times local):

A sheriff says 13 people are dead, including a sheriff’s sergeant and the gunman, after a shooting inside a crowded Southern California bar late Wednesday.

Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean says sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus responded to the scene and was shot after he entered the building. He died at a hospital early Thursday.

Authorities did not say how the gunman died.

Dean says around 10 other people were shot and wounded. No other information on the victims was immediately known.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Garo Kuredjian said the first reports of shots fired came around 11:20 p.m. at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles.

The bar’s website says its hosts “College Country Night” every Wednesday. Police said hundreds were inside when the shooting occurred.

___

2 a.m.

Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Eric Buschow says the gunman is dead inside a Southern California bar where 11 people were injured late Wednesday.

Authorities say a responding deputy was shot and taken to a hospital. No other information on the victims was immediately known. 

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Garo Kuredjian said the first reports of shots fired came around 11:20 p.m. at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles.

The bar’s website says its hosts “College Country Night” every Wednesday. Police said hundreds were inside when the shooting occurred.

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4-year-old Missouri boy dies in accidental shooting

Henry County, Mo. — Law enforcement authorities are reminding parents to lock their guns after a boy’s accidental death.

Just after 12:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to the 500 block of South 11 Street Terrace in the city of Clinton in reference to a four-year-old boy who had been shot in the head, according to a media release from police.

When officers arrived, they found the boy on the floor of the kitchen area where his mother was attempting first aid.

The boy was breathing and had a pulse. Officers assisted in first aid until Golden Valley Memorial Hospital Paramedics arrived on the scene and transported the boy to a waiting Life Flight helicopter.

He was then flown to a hospital in the Kansas City area but he did not survive his wound.

Preliminary investigation by Clinton Police Detectives revealed that the boy apparently located a firearm in the kitchen area of the home and accidentally discharged it with the bullet striking him in the head.

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