The Allied Arts Council reminds us that Trails West! t-shirts are only available by pre-order, and your deadline is coming up next week. This year’s limited edition t-shirt, exemplifying this year’s theme “Yesterday’s Heritage, Tomorrow’s Dream,” can be used as a ticket to the festival and as a fun way to show your support for the festival.
The dark gray t-shirt featuring a light blue logo is only available through pre-order until July 7th. Prices for regular and women’s tees range from $15-$22. To pre-order your shirt or to view the design, please visit www.trailswest.org.
Now in its 24th year, Trails West!® promises to be an excellent venue for fun, food and entertainment! This year’s main stage offers Here Come the Mummies, Farewell Angelina, Steve Moakler, Sawyer Brown, and John Waite.
Opponents of the Grain Belt Express power-line project are disappointed to learn the governor of Missouri is now supporting the project. Nixon on Wednesday announced Clean Line Energy Partners has promised to adopt what he described as landowner protections. (read more here)
The project would transmit electricity from wind farms in Kansas, across northern Missouri and Illinois to Indiana. Electricity would be available for Missouri utilities.
The group Block Grain Belt Express issued this statement in response to the governor’s endorsement.
“We are disappointed that our Governor has turned his back on farmers and ranchers, and on individual property rights. Governor Nixon has pledged support for setting a precedent to allow a for-profit company to claim eminent domain and take the private property of Missourians for out-of-state corporate gain. The evidence was clear in the first Grain Belt Express battle at the PSC that any purported benefits were handily outweighed by the harm done to Missouri farmers and ranchers. Missouri Farm Bureau has been unwavering in their opposition to Grain Belt. We feel Governor Nixon needs to let the public service commissioners he appointed do their jobs free from political pressure.”
Secretary of State Jason Kander announced Wednesday that a joint resolution on voter identification requirements has been certified for the November 2016 ballot.
The official ballot title for Constitutional Amendment 6 (HJR 53) reads:
Shall the Constitution of Missouri be amended to state that voters may be required by law, which may be subject to exception, to verify one’s identity, citizenship, and residence by presenting identification that may include valid government-issued photo identification?
The Missouri Constitution empowers the General Assembly to refer proposed constitutional amendments and general laws to voters. The amendment will take effect if a majority of voters approve.
File PhotoThe Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to be vigilant after reports of a vehicle flashing its headlights behind drivers.
Sheriff Steve Cox said the warning is for drivers to stay safe.
“If this happens to you, do not stop for these people, call 911 and report your location and information. We do not know if this is some kids playing a joke or some creeper with bad intentions,” Cox said.
The office said it has received information of two recent incidents at night on Route Z south of Chillicothe.
“People were driving on highway Z after dark and both experienced a car, possibly Ford Taurus, pull up behind them and begin flashing their headlights as if trying to stop the citizen,” Cox said. “One motorist reported the car behind them even had their headlights off and on repeatedly.”
Cox said information suggests both drivers were alone when this happened and one of the drivers thought there may have been 3 occupants in the car behind them.
One incident reportedly happened on June 24th and the other was June 28th.
(News release) – A Kansas City, Kan., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a large-scale conspiracy that distributed more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine in St. Joseph, Mo., and across a four-state region.
Anselmo Salazar, also known as “Crazy Eyes,” 49, of Kansas City, Kan., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
On Dec. 2, 2015, Salazar was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2009, to Nov. 12, 2013. Salazar was also found guilty of participating in a money-laundering conspiracy that involved financial transactions of the proceeds of illegal drug-trafficking.
In 2010, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated an investigation into a drug-trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine in northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas, southern Iowa and Nebraska.
Salazar is among 24 defendants charged in a Nov. 15, 2013, federal indictment. Salazar, along with co-defendants Carlos Alberto Yanez, 33, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., and Marvin Carl Rogers, 54, of Gladstone, Mo. were the primary sources of supply for methamphetamine for the entire organization. Yanez has been sentenced to four years and seven months in federal prison without parole. Rogers has been sentenced to 16 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
Yanez and Salazar obtained methamphetamine in up to pound quantities and then delivered the methamphetamine to co-defendant Shannon Martinez (also known as “Big Homie”), 38, of St. Joseph, and another man charged in a separate case. Martinez, in turn, sold the methamphetamine to others to distribute. Martinez has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On Oct. 11, 2011, Salazar was arrested after a traffic stop in Platte County, Mo. Salazar, who was was driving Yanez’s vehicle, was in possession of 42 one-pound bundles of marijuana, 25 grams of cocaine and 80 grams of methamphetamine. Salazar was on his way to deliver the methamphetamine to St. Joseph for Yanez, and to pick up cash payment for the delivered methamphetamine.
Salazar was ordered to forfeit to the government a money judgment of $680,800, which was received in exchange for the unlawful distribution of methamphetamine, based on a conservative purchase price of $1,850 an ounce (for 50 percent pure methamphetamine) and the distribution of 23 pounds of methamphetamine by Salazar and others.
Due to the 4th of July holiday, the following Parks, Recreation, and Civic Facilities will be closed or have reduced hours.
Aquatic Park – Open 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Bode Sports Complex – Closed
Civic Arena – Closed
Fairview Golf Course – Open from 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Heritage Park – Open from 7:30-11:30 p.m. for 4th of July Concert and Fireworks Show
Joyce Raye Patterson Senior Center – Closed
Krug Park Pool – Open noon-4:00 p.m.
Missouri Theater – Closed
Parks Administration – Closed
REC Center – Closed
Remington Nature Center – Open from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
A bookkeeper from Kansas has admitted writing herself hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus checks.
Dorothy Kay Lean, 56, of Tonganoxie, Kansas entered no contest pleas to five counts of felony theft Wednesday morning in Leavenworth District Court.
The charges arose out of her employment as the bookkeeper for McGraw Fertilizer in Tonganoxie.
Prosecutors say the woman wrote herself paychecks and other checks without the authority of the owners of the company for the time period January 1, 2011 through July 16, 2015. The amounts for those checks exceeded her salary from the company. A sentencing date was set for September 1st. At that time, the parties will present evidence of how much restitution Lean will have to pay to the company.
Assistant County Attorney Michael Jones says the parties believe it will be between $110,000 and $300,000.
A man reported missing Tuesday night was found dead Wednesday morning in the roadway near Faucett. Sheriff’s deputies and first responders were dispatched to the area west of Route MM and Route DD at about 8:15am Wednesday when a passerby spotted the body and a scooter.
Colonel Bill Puett of the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office identifies the victim as William Frederick, 54, of Faucett. Mr. Frederick was reported missing Tuesday night after leaving the area of SW 45th road on his scooter and not returning.
Col. Puett says the investigation continues, and would not say if there was anything more than a traffic accident.
“It looks that way, but we’re not prepared to make a complete decision on it yet,” Puett said in an interview.
“Right now we have investigators and deputies on scene. They’re working the scene, and they will determine whether an autopsy is needed,” he said. “If an autopsy is conducted we’ll wait on the results of that.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office said a statewide search has resulted in the arrest of a man considered dangerous to law enforcement officials.
The sheriff’s office said it began investigating Tuesday after receiving information that a fugitive allegedly was considering killing certain officials in the judicial and/or law enforcement system. The office said it quickly coordinated with area and statewide law enforcement, notifying those potentially in danger, and increasing security at its courthouse.
Cody McClintick was arrested without incident Tuesday afternoon in Marion County on a felony warrant for probation violation of a felony drug conviction. The office said McClintick has been a fugitive since June 17.
Law enforcement from the Linn County and Marion County Sheriff, Missouri State Highway Patrol, MIAC, NITRO Task Force, the Brookfield, Chillicothe, and Hannibal Police and dispatch, and the Missouri Probation and Parole Office took part in the investigation.
LCSO said McClintick will be extradited back to Livingston County in the near future and an investigation into the potential for additional charge(s) is taking place.
AFL-CIO Community Services is once again asking for your donations to its Soles for Christ Shoe Program.
The goal of the program is to provide a new pair of shoes for each child to start school in and, in turn, boost the child’s self-esteem and enthusiasm for the coming school year. Any school age child in need is eligible.
The group invites you to participate in this program by donating new shoes to be given away to those children in need. When purchasing your donations please keep in mind that athletic (tennis) shoes are best, as some schools do not allow flip-flop or slip-on styles. Toddler’s size 5 to 10, youth sizes 11 to 6 and all adult sizes are recommended (no infant sizes please).
You are welcome to drop off your donations at the agency, 1203 North 6th Street. Hours for drop off are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. If possible, we are asking that donations arrive no later than Wednesday, August 3 so we can get a good count on the number of shoes that will be available. We are hoping to reach 1,500 donated shoes.
Since its inception in 2003, the program has distributed over 10,295 pairs of shoes. Last year, 1,179 pairs of shoes with a value of $29,475 were distributed.
The shoe distribution will be Monday, August 8 from 8 am to 4 pm and Tuesday, August 9, 8 am to 6 pm. There is no pre-registration needed. Parents or guardians need to bring children with them to the distribution. They also need to furnish socks for trying on the shoes.
The program will serve children entering preschool through 12th grade in Andrew and Buchanan Counties in Missouri and Doniphan County in Kansas. This includes public and parochial children. Parents or guardians need to bring their child(ren) with them to the distribution. Parents will be required to show proof of residency and the child’s age. Preschoolers must have proof of enrollment in a preschool.
For other questions, please contact AFL-CIO Community Services Agency, 364-1131.
The Allied Arts Council reminds us that Trails West! t-shirts are only available by pre-order, and your deadline is coming up next week. This year’s limited edition t-shirt, exemplifying this year’s theme “Yesterday’s Heritage, Tomorrow’s Dream,” can be used as a ticket to the festival and as a fun way to show your support for the festival.
