JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of a man sentenced to death in the fatal shooting of a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper 14 years ago.

In a ruling announced Tuesday, the court affirmed a lower court’s finding that rejected Lance Shockley’s request for a new trial. Among other things, Shockley claimed he had ineffective counsel in his trial.

Shockley was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Patrol Sgt. Dewayne Graham outside his home in Carter County in March 2005.

Testimony at the trial indicated Graham was killed because he was investigating Shockley for involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri House has given initial approval to legislation that would block developers of a high-voltage power line from using eminent domain to string it across Missouri.

The bill endorsed Tuesday targets the proposed Grain Belt Express — a 750-mile transmission line that would carry wind power from Kansas across the Midwest to a power grid serving eastern states. A portion of the power also would be sold to municipal utilities in Missouri.

The $2.3 billion project recently received approval from Missouri regulators. That decision could allow developers to use eminent domain to acquire easement rights from landowners unwilling to sell. The legislation seeks to block that.

Chicago-based Invenergy is in the process of trying to acquire the project from Houston-based Clean Line Energy Partners.

CALLAWAY COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 1p.m. Tuesday in Callaway County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Toyota Tundra driven by Oscar A. Serrano-Guevara, 42, Costa Mesa, CA., was eastbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Millersburg exit.

The vehicle had a flat tire, traveled into median, struck the median cable and overturned.

Serrano-Guevara was transported to University Hospital where he died.
A passenger Edwin Cruz-Nedrano, 43, Costa Mesa, refused treatment at the scene. Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Two men have been charged in an 11-year-old home invasion killing in Kansas City, Kansas.

Prosecutors announced Monday that 29-year-old Corey Mason, of Kansas City, Kansas, has been charged with first-degree murder and 35-year-old Daniel Kidwell, of Kansas City, Missouri, with second-degree murder in the death of Jeff Rogers. The 25-year-old victim called 911 after the April 2008 home invasion.

The Kansas City Star reports that Rogers was suffering from gunshot and knife wounds when officers arrived and died later at a hospital. Police said at the time that four or five men had broken into his home and beat, shot and stabbed him.

The filing of charges comes shortly after officials asked for tips in the cold case.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 52-year-old Wyandotte County Sheriff’s deputy has been charged with sexual crimes involving a victim under 14.

District Attorney Mark Dupree said Wednesday that Michael Mastel is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count each of rape and aggravated criminal sodomy.

Dupree says the investigation began last year when the child came forward. He says Mastel knew the child but not through his work as a deputy.

Sheriff Donald Ash said Mastel is on leave without pay. Mastel has worked at the sheriff’s office since 2010.

The sodomy is alleged to have occurred in 2011 or 2012. The rape and the sexual exploitation allegedly occurred between March and June of 2018.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Mastel has an attorney.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Gov. Mike Parson’s appointment of Mike Kehoe as the state’s lieutenant governor.

In a 5-2 decision written by Chief Justice Zel Fischer, the Supreme Court said the state constitution gives the governor the authority to fill all vacancies in public offices unless state law lays out another way of doing so. Because state law provides no other means of filling a vacancy for lieutenant governor, “Governor Parson was within his constitutional authority when he appointed Kehoe to the office of Lieutenant Governor,” Fischer wrote.

Kehoe took office amid a shuffling of state officeholders that began after former Gov. Eric Greitens resigned in the face of potential impeachment last June. Parson had been serving as lieutenant governor and was elevated to the state’s top executive position. He appointed fellow Republican Kehoe to replace him as lieutenant governor.

Parson lauded the ruling.

“Missouri’s constitution is clear regarding the authority to make gubernatorial appointments,” he said in a statement. “It’s important that Missouri have all of the statewide offices filled, which work to provide stability and to ensure that all Missourians are being served appropriately.”

Missouri’s governor and lieutenant governor are elected separately.

The Missouri Democratic Party and a man named Darrell Cope sued hours after Parson named Kehoe as second-in-command. They alleged that the governor does not have the authority to name a lieutenant governor and asked to keep the position vacant until an election could be held to fill it.

Supreme Court Judges George Draper III and Patricia Breckenridge agreed with that argument. Draper wrote in a dissent that he believes state law prohibits the governor from appointing a lieutenant governor and that the office should have remained vacant until the next general election.

Missouri Democratic Party Executive Director Lauren Gepford in a Tuesday statement said the party respects the Supreme Court’s decision, “which clears up a grey area within the law.”

“Governor Parson has won the power to appoint the state government of his choosing, which he has done by appointing his own Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Treasurer,” she said, citing additional appointments that Parson made during the state office reshuffling. “We look forward to holding him accountable for his own performance in office as well as the performance of his appointees.”

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Operations have resumed at a Columbia library after it was evacuated because of a threatening message on social media.

Columbia Police Sgt. Chad Gooch says patrons and employees were asked to leave the library for about an hour Tuesday after staff at Daniel Boone Regional Library noticed a series of “concerning” tweets.

After a bomb-detecting unit cleared the building, Gooch said the tweets were deemed not credible. He says no further investigation is planned.

Library spokeswoman Mitzi St. John says the evacuation was made in order to err on the side of caution.

During the evacuation, no one was allowed in or out of Grant Elementary School, which is across the street from the library.

UPDATED: To reflect rescheduled show appearance.

By HANNAH BRANDT
KSNT

A Kansas woman got viral attention for donating 204 pairs of shoes to Nebraska flood victims after buying all the remaining shoes at a Payless store that was closing.

On Monday, Addy Tritt will be featured on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” A show spokeswoman said that while Tritt generously gives back to her community, she is actually in debt herself with student loan and even relies on family support to buy groceries.

Tritt, a Fort Hays State graduate, said she wanted to help others because so many people have helped her in the past. When the price at a Hays store dropped to $1 per pair, Tritt negotiated with the business to buy the remaining shoes for $100.

They included 162 pairs of baby shoes, two pairs of men’s shoes, and the rest were women’s shoes.The retail price of the shoes would have been more than $6,000.

— Republished with permission

Tritt’s story, which was originally published by Hays Post, went viral, being distributed by news outlets globally.

“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is scheduled to air at 4 p.m. Monday