A man who fled from police through the aisles of the South Belt Walmart, only to trip and fall on a shopping cart, will serve two more years in prison. That sentence for Christopher Amos will be served after any other prison time he has coming for a parole violation and other charges.

Amos, 32, pleaded guilty Thursday to one class-e felony count of resisting arrest. Detective Jeff Pearl said in a probable cause statement that officers at the store made contact with Amos at the store on May 3.

But when they asked for his identification, “…he ran through the store as officers were telling him to stop,” according to the statement.  “He continued to run until he tripped and fell over a shopping cart and was no longer able to run.”

Upon searching him, Pearl said officers located about 14 grams of a crystal like substance which field tested positive for methamphetamine. No drug charges were filed in the case, but there were three outstanding warrants for Amos’es arrest including one for a parole violation.

In a deal with prosecutors, Amos entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to two years in prison, to be served consecutively to any sentence he is presently serving. According to the Dept. of Corrections Web site, Amos is serving 13 years for drug and burglary charges.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about individuals calling and posing as representatives from a local utility provider.

Sheriff John Merchant on Thursday, said he has been notified by several businesses and residents who have been contacted over the phone by a person claiming to represent Westar Energy. The caller ID even shows the call is from Westar, the largest electric provider in Kansas.

“The caller is stating that the electric bill has not been paid and unless payment is received, electrical service will be disconnected within a short amount of time. A number and extension is given and so far, all people reporting the scam have given the same call back number of
1-866-377-5292 extension #1 and they are being told to ask for Rachel Bankes,” Merchant said. “DO NOT RETURN THIS CALL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!! I am advising residents NOT to trust what your caller ID says, any persons name or phone number can be programmed to show up on your caller ID.”

This is not a new scam. Westar Energy, after receiving reports of impostors in the past said customers who may have received a suspicious call should hang up and call Westar at 800-383-1183. The utility company said suspicious activity should also be reported to local law enforcement. CLICK HERE for more information.

Anyone who may have fallen victim to the scam is asked to notify local authorities.

A man facing child porn charges appeared in court Thursday. Anthony Kromko waived formal arraignment in the courtroom of Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg.

A charge of possession of child pornography was filed more than a year after police seized electronic devices from Kromko’s home in February of 2015. Forensic examination of the devices revealed what police said were more than 1,300 images of “prepubescent females.”

A court affidavit asserts at least 19 of the images were confirmed as known child pornography through a national database.

Judge Kellogg scheduled Kromko to appear in court again July 27 at 9:00 am. Possession of child pornography is a class-c felony.  Kromko remains in custody, unable to post $25,000 cash bail.

Circuit Court arraignment for a woman accused of killing her husband was delayed Thursday, as lawyers decide whether the case should be tried here.

Defense lawyer Bert Godding on June 23 filed a joint motion for a change of judge and a change venue in the case of Angela Mason. The change of judge is viewed as automatic under state statute, but a change of venue would require a ruling from a judge, and until one is assigned, the case is on hold.  By Thursday morning the case had not been reassigned to a new judge, according to online court records.

The second part of the motion asks the court to move the case to another county “…for the reason that the inhabitants of Buchanan County are prejudiced against the Defendant.” Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Scroggins filed court documents urging the court to reject that part of the motion. No hearing date has been scheduled.

As we reported, prosecutors now charge Mason with armed criminal action, as well as alternative counts of second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter.

Mason is accused of the fatal shooting of her husband Jeffery Mason on March 3 during an argument at the couple’s home. The defendant told police the pair had struggled over the firearm and it went off. But during a preliminary hearing this week, a judge heard testimony about some incriminating comments indicating the shooting may not have been an accident.

Mason remains free on $25,000 bond.

There are no reports of any human casualties, but some livestock in Northwest Missouri was not so lucky.  Reports to the National Weather Service from law enforcement, emergency management, trained spotters and the public indicate extensive flooding and other storm damage overnight.

Wind gust reports of 60 miles-per-hour or more were common. Hail up to 1.75″ and tornadoes were reported in Mercer, Harrison, Gentry and Nodaway counties.

And there was one report of cows floating across the highway.

A public safety official reported six inches of rain northeast of Bethany, and about three inches in Grundy County.

There was widespread flooding reported across northern Missouri. Numerous roads were closed across the area. Law enforcement in Nodaway County reported numerous road closures in an around Maryville. They also reported water rescues, and cows floating across the roadway along U.S. Highway 136.

Several roads, including Highway 136 were closed in Albany. In Bethany, streets were flooded and water was reported entering the basement of Harrison County Community Hospital. There was six inches of water covering 69 Highway.

Emergency management reported several trees and power poles down across Trenton, Missouri. A spotter near Macon reports multiple large trees down.

A tornado was on the ground for a couple of minutes along US 136 near the Nodaway and Gentry County line. A storm chaser posted photographs of a tornado near Conception Junction.  Another twister was reported near Cainsville.

In Grundy County, an emergency manager reported numerous large trees down, and hail from one inch to 1.75″ was reported. In Mercer County, a barn was destroyed and power lines were down, which law enforcement blamed on a possible tornado.

A 19-year-old St. Joe man will be allowed to post bail as he awaits further court proceedings in connection with the explosion of a bomb last month at a home on the Parkway. That, after a judge ruled he’s seen no evidence that there is a continuing threat to the victims.

Edward Catron is charged with knowingly burning or exploding, a class-e felony, for allegedly detonating an improvised explosive device at the home at 2402 NE Parkway May 29. As we reported, another judge had denied bond in the case.

In testimony during a bond hearing Wednesday, police investigators said they found a recipe for an explosive device, and an order receipt for potassium perchlorate in Catron’s bedroom area after a search of his home.  The compound is a rapid oxidizer frequently used in explosives. They say they also found firearms, drugs and paraphernalia in the bedroom.

The owner of the home that was bombed testified that the explosion caused between $22,000 and $31,000 damage to the porch and front door area of his home. Josh Nelson said one piece of shrapnel went through the inside of the house and left a dent in a dishwasher 30 feet from the front door. Nelson said the explosion left a debris field that extended some 60 yards into the front yard. He says he heard a motion detector, and then footsteps from the porch, and got up to investigate just before the bomb went off.

Nelson said he and his wife were in bed about six feet from the front door just before the explosion. Josie Nelson testified that she is terrified at the prospect of Catron being freed on bail, saying he places himself above the law and there’s nothing to prevent him from doing this sort of thing again.

But Circuit Judge Patrick Robb told the lawyers in the case that Catron has a right to an appropriate bond under the Constitution, and that Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Scroggins had failed to produce evidence Catron posed a continuing threat to the victims. Nevertheless, the judge did order Catron to stay away from the victims and their homes as one of many conditions for bail. Catron would live with his parents if freed, and they live about a half mile from the bomb site.

Judge Robb set bail at $50,000 cash or surety and  scheduled the case for a status review July 19 at 1:30 pm.

The case was originally assigned to Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg. But in a hearing June 22, Judge Kellogg recused himself from the case, saying he’s acquainted with the families of the victim and the defendant.