COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – A report says Missouri residents should be on the lookout for diseases caused by mosquito, flea and tick bites.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that the 12-year study by the Centers for Disease Control found that bug-borne diseases have more than tripled across the U.S. from 2004 to 2016. During that time period, nine new bug-borne diseases have been introduced.
Missouri ranks around the average for mosquito-borne diseases, but is in the top 40 percent in cases of disease caused by tick bites.
Kathy Kinnaman is a nurse practitioner at the Boone County Medical Group in Osage Beach. She says she believes increased awareness is causing more patients to seek treatment for bug-borne diseases. She says the most comment cases she sees deal with tick bites.
DOUGLAS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities arrested a suspect after standoff and shooting in Lawrence.
Just before 10p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to the 400 block of North Crestline in reference to a disturbance with weapons.
The officer arrived on scene and the suspect fled in a vehicle to the 600 block of Stowe Court where he was contacted.
At some point a struggle ensued and the suspect retreated into the house for a short period of time. The suspect then returned outside and brandished a weapon at the officer who fired their duty weapon.
The suspect fled back into the house and three and a half standoff followed before the suspect was taken into custody without injury, according to the release.
The involved officer is on paid administrative leave pending the investigation. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the investigation. Authorities have not released the suspect’s name, the weapon used or possible charges.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Latest on allegations against former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (all times local):
A lawmaker who led an investigation into former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is releasing new information highlighting the political benefit Greitens received from a book he wrote.
Rep. Jay Barnes
Rep. Jay Barnes provided a memo Friday to The Associated Press outlining how Greitens used nonprofit grant funds to promote his book “Resilience” to conservatives as he was preparing to run for governor in 2015.
Earlier in the day, Washington University in St. Louis told the AP that an internal review found “nothing improper about the administration or use of the grant funds.”
Barnes says his panel has additional documents and testimony that the university did not possess.
Greitens resigned June 1 while facing potential impeachment over various misconduct allegations.
Sparklers are one of the leading causes of fireworks injuries and a reminder of the dangers consumer fireworks can pose.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, across the U.S., an average of 250 people a day go to emergency rooms with fireworks related injuries in the month around July 4th.
“Public fireworks shows are the safest way to enjoy fireworks,” State Fire Marshal Tim Bean said. “If you are thinking about using consumer fireworks, it is essential that you consider how to eliminate the many risks they present – from dangerous burns and other injuries to house fires. Also, find out whether fireworks are even legal to use where you live.”
Bean said nationally, fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires per year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires with an average of $43 million in direct property damage from those fires.
“Shooting the fireworks inappropriately or in inappropriate areas causing grass fires and those fires spread to structures or vehicles, that’s the most common error when it comes to fireworks,” Bean said. “You want to keep your fireworks away from young children. Always wear eye protection, make sure you have a garden hose or a bucket of water nearby in case something goes wrong. A common mistake is… attempting to relight a firework that has malfunctioned… you should wait a period of time and then dispose of that in a bucket of water so you know it’s safe.”
Fireworks sales at licensed seasonal retailers are legal in Missouri through July 10.
For more fireworks safety tips, click here. To report illegal fireworks sales, contact the Division of Fire Safety at (573) 751-2930.
On Monday, the Kansas Supreme Court issued a ruling that effectively said the state’s public schools could open in the fall. Yet the same decision left local district officials with continued, long-term uncertainty.
Funding for local school districts remains an ongoing uncertainty, even after a court ruling this week. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
The high court’s decision could lead to continued fighting over school funding and the topic will likely serve as political fodder in state elections.
“To me, it’s no different than where we were six months ago,” said Justin Henry, the superintendent at Goddard Public Schools. “If anything, it gives you a chance to hit pause and maybe restart.”
The long wait for the court’s decision — it said the state still needs to send more money to local districts, but has a year to come up with a fresh plan — also caused districts to hold off on some financial decisions until after Monday’s ruling. That included union contract negotiations. Now those districts have much less time to plan a budget.
“In the perfect world, you would want to have your contract settled with your teaching staff before they leave in May and that would allow you the opportunity to plan the remainder of your budget throughout the summer,” Henry said. “It’s almost impossible to present and ratify a contract when there’s so much uncertainty until you get to the end of June.”
Other districts started planning their budgets at the end of the school year, assuming the Legislature’s funding plan would remain intact.
“You have to move forward with your planning, so we do that based on the resources we had,” said David Smith, the chief of public affairs at the Kansas City, Kansas, school district. “It’s just a realization that things may change, you just go with the resources that you have.”
Most school districts expressed support for the court’s decision and the Legislature’s efforts in the last session to raise school funding. They were also eager to continue the push for more money.
There was the possibility that the court’s decision could have forced a special legislative session if the court found the state’s school funding plan fell short of a constitutional mandate. While that was the court’s judgement — saying the legislature failed to account for inflation when calculating the plan to increase the annual school funding budget by over a half billion in five years — the court ruled that the Legislature would have another year to get the amount right.
The ruling removed the possibility of imminent school closures. But school districts still face uncertainty about the future of school funding. Kansas Secretary of State and Republican candidate for governor Kris Kobach wrote on twitter that the state needs a constitutional amendment to take the school funding issue out of the court’s hands.
Uncertainty about the future of state funding beyond the approaching school year is causing trepidation for school officials looking to make long-term plans.
Chad Higgins, the superintendent for the Maize Unified School district northwest of Wichita, said he has more confidence in his district’s finances than he has had in years. But the looming school funding questions cool that enthusiasm.
“We can grow some things, but to create significantly new programs that will be beneficial to students that are also going to be expensive — I think we’re going to be reluctant to do that just yet,” Higgins said.
Stephan Bisaha reports on education for the Kansas News Service. Follow him on @SteveBisaha.
(Update 9:15 p.m. Saturday) Due to the Saturday game being cancelled because of weather, Regan Nash will make her debut during Tuesday’s game.
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The St. Joseph Mustangs announced that, for the first time, a woman will play in a Mustangs Game.
According to a press release, Regan Nash, Mustangs intern and All-SEC Mizzou Softball Player will join the team Saturday at Phil Welch Stadium.
“I want to do this for women’s sports and prove that we exist,” Nash said. “I just want them to know that I can do it. College leagues like this don’t exist for women’s sports.”
Nash, a native of Camden Point, led the North Platte Panthers with a career batting average of .540, ranked seventh-best in Missouri State softball history. Following her high school career, Nash joined the Mizzou Softball program where she earned All-SEC Freshman Team, Second Team All-SEC as a sophomore and Preseason All-SEC Honors as a junior.
Nash will not only be the first woman to play for the Mustangs, but join a select group of women to ever play in a Summer Collegiate Wood Bat game.
“Mustangs baseball is a fun, family friendly experience,” said Mustangs GM Ky Turner. “We want everyone to be able to have a good time. This is a great example that Mustangs baseball is for everyone. Regan is a great person, and fantastic ambassador for both Mizzou softball and the Mustangs. She’s a very talented player as well, and I couldn’t be more excited to watch her play this Saturday.”
The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce announced a new company coming to town is expected to create 50 new jobs.
According to Chamber Director of Communications and Marketing Kristi Bailey, Yellow Frog Graphics will build a nearly $4 million facility in Mitchell Woods Business Park.
Bailey said the company will take up the last available spot in the business park and offer jobs with high paying wages.
“This is really just a great example of how the chamber is working with our partners, with the city, county, state and KCP&L to bring quality jobs to the community,” Bailey said. “These jobs at Yellow Frog Graphics are engineers, managers, designers, installers, so, a wide variety of jobs and a really great opportunity for St. Joseph.”
Currently, Yellow Frog Graphics operates out of its sister company facility, Summit Truck Bodies, in Wathena, Kan.
Yellow Frog Graphics specializes in custom vehicle graphics and wraps. With the new facility in St. Joseph, it will have room to expand its product offering to include apparel, embroidery, commercial window tinting and more.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has signed the state’s $28.6 billion budget and released millions of additional dollars that had been withheld from state programs under his predecessor.
Gov. Parson applauds the General Assembly for putting together a fiscally-responsible, balanced budget – highlights improving infrastructure, increasing workforce development, curbing opioid abuse, and funding education. #MissouriForwardhttps://t.co/R3HulPfoBNpic.twitter.com/dsm5GCZdrS
Parson announced Friday that he had approved the budget passed by the Legislature for the 2019 fiscal year that starts Sunday. The annual spending plan increases funding for K-12 schools and generally holds funding stable for public colleges and universities.
Parson made 21 line-item vetoes totaling about $12 million.
The Republican governor also announced that he had released all the spending restrictions that former Gov. Eric Greitens had placed on the 2018 budget amid concerns that revenues would fall short of projections. Parson’s action released about $195 million.
Parson took over after Greitens resigned June 1 while facing potential impeachment for alleged misconduct.
WARRENSBURG, Mo. (AP) – The president of the University of Central Missouri is leaving to become CEO and president of an education nonprofit.
Charles “Chuck” Ambrose told the UCM Board of Governors on Friday that he will begin at KnowledgeWorks in Cincinnati on Sept. 1. The organization’s website says it has created opportunities for more than 135,000 students in 20 states through competency-based learning and early college.
Ambrose has been president of the University of Central Missouri since August 2010. He played a key role in creation of the Missouri Innovation Campus, a partnership involving the university, the Lee’s Summit School District in suburban Kansas City, Metropolitan Community College and nearly 50 Kansas City-area corporations. The program was touted by former Gov. Jay Nixon and former President Barack Obama.
JOHNSON COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 4a.m. Friday in Johnson County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Jeep driven by Susan L. Price, 63, Windsor, was eastbound on U.S. 50 at 171st Road. The Jeep rear-ended a 2014 Kia driven by Corbin T. Garry, 22, Warrensburg. After impact both vehicles began to slide off the road, went airborne and hit trees.
Price was pronounced dead at the scene. Garry was transported to Centerpointe Medical Center. A passenger in the Kia Manuel Huerta, 20, Warrensburg, was transported to Research Medical Center. The occupants of the Kia were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.
