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Murder charge filed in drive-by shooting death

Khaury E. El-Amin

A murder charge has been filed against a St. Joseph man in reference to a shooting death last month.

According to the Buchanan County Prosecutor’s office, 19-year-old Khaury El-Amin is charged with second degree murder in the death of Donovan L. Smith on October 28th.

According to the probable cause statement, in the area of 724 North 23rd Street, El-Amin was a passenger in a vehicle and he was seen firing a handgun at Smith, hitting the victim at least once. El-Amin fled the scene and Smith later died as a result of the gunshot wound.

Murder in the second degree is a Class A felony and carries a penalty of 10-30 years or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole until after 85% of any sentence ordered has been served.

Bond has been set at $250,000. An arraignment is scheduled for December 5th.

Cool temps today before warming up for Thanksgiving

After a cold start to the morning, the cool weather will remain in place with below normal high temperatures this afternoon. Warmer days are ahead with temperatures flirting near 70 degrees on Friday. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 43. Calm wind becoming south southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. South southwest wind around 8 mph.

Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 58. West southwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the evening.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 70. South wind 8 to 18 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 56.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 55.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 60.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.

Roller coaster temperatures for the next week

Temperatures are certainly going to be on a roller coaster ride for the next seven days along with dry weather. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 45. Breezy, with a north wind 11 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 19. North wind 8 to 13 mph becoming light northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.

Wednesday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 43. Calm wind becoming south southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming west southwest after midnight.

Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 57. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 54.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 48.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 54.

 

Governor removes Mo. education board appointee

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has removed a State Board of Education appointee the night before members are expected to discuss firing the state’s top education official.

The governor on Monday withdrew his appointee John “Tim” Sumners. Sumners had said he would not vote out Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven, whom Greitens is trying to replace.

The new governor had filled five seats on the board with his appointees, including Sumners. That’s enough of a majority to vote to fire Vandeven, and three of Greitens’ appointees called for the closed meeting Tuesday.

But without Sumners’ support, it had appeared unlikely that Vandeven’s opponents would have the votes to oust her. Replacing Sumners with a new Greitens’ appointee could bring the pivotal fifth vote needed to remove her.

Missouri State under Title IX investigation

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – Missouri State University is under a Title IX investigation, and a field hockey player says it involves the decision to discontinue her team.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Education told the Springfield News-Leader that the Office of Civil Rights has been investigating the university since June 29, but declined to discuss the reason for the investigation.

But field hockey player Paige Pashea told the newspaper the field hockey team filed a complaint soon after Missouri State announced its decision to cut the team.

In April, the university announced it was discontinuing field hockey and beach volleyball in response to Gov. Eric Greitens’ budget recommendations for fiscal year 2018.

Missouri State general counsel Rachael Dockery says the university is cooperating with the investigation, and stands behind its decision.

Interstate ramp closure in St. Joseph postponed

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Due to the chance of high winds, local crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation have postponed the closure of both the driving and passing lanes of westbound U.S. Route 36 at the Interstate 229 interchange on Tuesday, Nov. 21.

Crews will reschedule the sign work at a later date.

For more information about this and other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest and view the online Traveler Information Map. In addition, MoDOT provides updated information on Twitter @MoDOTNorthwest and Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOTNWDistrict.

UPDATE: Teen killed in Kansas City laundromat

Photo courtesy GoFundMe

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — School officials say a teenager found fatally shot inside a Kansas, laundromat was a high school sophomore at J.C. Harmon High School.

Police are investigating the shooting  of December Htoo as a homicide and asking the public for information. Friends of Htoo have established a GoFundMe page to assist his family.

Police were called to the laundromat in the Argentine neighborhood after the body was discovered Saturday morning. Police said they think the shooting occurred Friday night.

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Police were on the scene at this strip-mall early Saturday -google image

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Police are investigating after officers found a teenager dead inside a Kansas City, Kansas, business.

Officers were called to business around 7:15 a.m. Saturday to check on a person who had been shot.

Arriving officers found the teen, who had been shot at least once, already dead.

Police have not released the teen’s name or another other details about the shooting.

Police have asked anyone with information on the shooting to call the police tips hotline.

Greitens fights against child abuse review delays

Eric Greitens
courtesy photo

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – The governor of Missouri has appointed 16 people to help review child abuse cases after the state delayed dozens of hearings because review boards lacked enough members to meet.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that four of the six state Child Abuse and neglect Review Boards didn’t have enough members to meet before Gov. Eric Greitens’ appointments. A spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Social Services says the regional boards are supposed to have nine members each, and at least five must be present to form a quorum necessary to meet.

State law says the purpose of the boards is to “provide an independent review of child abuse and neglect determinations in instances in which the alleged perpetrator is aggrieved” by a state decision. Members volunteer for appointments.

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