A 60-year-old prison inmate in Cameron has died in custody of apparent natural causes.
In a news release, the Missouri Department of Corrections says Chris Westerman, 60, died at 5:47 a.m. January 14 at the Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron.
Department officials say Mr. Westerman was a 60-year-old male serving a six-year sentence for unlawful use of a weapon from Lafayette County. He was received in the Missouri Department of Corrections on August 22, 2012.
Two $50,000 winning Powerball tickets were sold in northwest Missouri.
One ticket was sold at the Union Star Station located at 9031 Highway 169 in Union Star and a second was sold at the Trex Mark located at 17605 Highway Z in Dearborn.
In total 15 tickets that matched four numbers and the Powerball to win $50,000 were sold in Missouri.
Winning ticket’s for Wednesday’s record $1.5 million jackpot were sold in Chino Hills, California, Munford, Tennessee, near Memphis and the third was sold in Florida.
The winning numbers from last night’s drawing were: 4, 8, 19, 27, 34 and the Powerball number was 10.
St. Joseph, Mo. — Political commentator Cokie Roberts will be the featured speaker at the 23rd R. Dan Boulware Convocation on Critical Issues at Missouri Western State University this fall. The Convocation at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13 in the M.O. Looney Complex Arena is free and open to the public.
“With a very important presidential election coming up Nov. 1, we are fortunate to have one of the country’s leading political commentators to reflect on it,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “I am particularly looking forward to her insights on what is shaping up to be the most unusual presidential race of my lifetime.”
In addition to the Convocation, Roberts will be the guest of honor at the annual Convocation Luncheon at noon Sept. 13 in the Fulkerson Center. Ticket and sponsorship information for the luncheon will be announced at a later date.
Cokie Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News and NPR. From 1996 to 2002, she and Sam Donaldson (who was the Convocation speaker in 2007) co-anchored the weekly interview program “This Week.” In her more than 40 years of broadcasting, she has won countless awards, including three Emmys. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the fifty greatest women in the history of broadcasting.
In addition to her appearances on the airwaves, Roberts and her husband, Steve Roberts, write a weekly column syndicated in newspapers around the country by United Media. They are also contributing editors to USA Weekend Magazine, and together they wrote “From this Day Forward,” an account of their more than forty-year marriage and other marriages in American history. The book immediately went onto The New York Times Bestseller list, following Cokie Roberts’ number one bestseller, “We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters,” an account of women’s roles and relationships throughout American history. Her earlier books, “Founding Mothers” and “Ladies of Liberty” (published in 2004 and 2008 respectively), also became instant bestsellers.
Cokie Roberts holds more than twenty honorary degrees, serves on the boards of several non-profit institutions, and on the President’s Commission on Service and Civic Participation. In 2008, the Library of Congress named her a “Living Legend,” one of the very few Americans to have attained that honor.
A St. Joseph man has been charged in Andrew County for weapon violations after he allegedly said his brother called and told him that people were coming to harm him.
Thomas Richard Broce, 56 is charged with a felony for unlawful possession of a firearm and a felony for unlawful use of a weapon – loaded weapon while intoxicated.
According to court documents on Tuesday Andrew County deputies were dispatched to 9001 County Road 375 around 8 p.m. in reference to a man calling 911 stating that someone was on the way to hurt him and that he had no idea why.
“I saw 2 W/M in the front yard one was walking around with a knife in each hand and another was walking towards a trash barrel,” said K-9 Deputy Daniel Glidden with the Andrew County Sheriff’s Dept. “We gave commands for both subjects to put their hands up and to stop where they were.”
Glidden said one of the men listened and dropped his knives and went to the ground after several commands but Thomas did not and authorities assisted the man to the ground.
“Trooper Selsor then inspected the area where Thomas had placed something behind the trash barrel. A visual inspection behind the trash barrel revealed a black in color revolver with a wooden handle. The revolver was a Smith and Wesson 22 long rifle caliber 6 shot revolver, all 6 chambers of the pistol was loaded,” Glidden said. “The subject stated that the hand gun was his but that it was an heirloom from his father. Thomas admitted to us that he tossed the gun behind the barrel to not cause any more problems.”
“Thomas stated that he brought the gun down to his brother’s residence because his brother also called and told him that people were coming to harm him,” Glidden said. “While we were talking to Thomas he had watery blood shot eyes, mumbled his words and also had problems walking and standing. He stated that he was very intoxicated.”
Court documents said Broce blew above a .08. Also, after running his records it showed that Broce had a convicted felony for D.U.I. He was arrested for felon in possession of a firearm and taken to the Andrew County Jail.
Bond was set at $25,000.
Court documents assert that Trevor Keith was shot after an argument in a vehicle December 15 in the 3000 block of Parkway A. Two men were charged with 2nd Degree Assault and Armed Criminal Action in connection with the shooting. Each defendant waived his preliminary hearing this week in Buchanan County court.
Gerald Lee Johnson, 29, is being held without bail pending his formal arraignment January 28. Co-defendant Adrian Zominique Taylor, 27, is scheduled for arrainment February 8. He remains in custody, unable to post $150,000 bail.
According to court documents Johnson was sitting in the rear passenger side of the vehicle and Taylor was seen in the front passenger side both with a handgun pointed towards the driver, later identified as the shooting victim.
“A fight appears to be occurring inside the vehicle and the defendant is seen exiting the vehicle while pointing his weapon at the victim inside the vehicle and ultimately firing at the victim, still located in the vehicles drivers seat,” said Detective Frank Till with the St. Joseph Police Department.
PAOLA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a former northeast Kansas dispatcher has been charged with felony possession of methamphetamine.
Debbie Henson was a dispatch supervisor with the Miami County Sheriff’s Office until Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents arrested her this month.
The sheriff’s office says she’s no longer employed by the agency. It wasn’t immediately known if she had an attorney.
Besides the drug charge, Henson faces one count each of possession of drug paraphernalia and official misconduct, both misdemeanors.
Henson was with the sheriff’s office for about 18 years.
A Savannah, Missouri man has been missing for more than a week and family members are worried about his well being.
Michael Steeby, 46, was last seen January 4th at his home in Savannah. He is described as 6’3″, 230 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. He might be driving a 1993 GMC pickup.
If you can help, call Savannah Police at 816-324-7541.
At least three winning tickets were sold for Wednesday’s world record Powerball jackpot. One of the winners was sold at a 7-Eleven in Chino Hills, California. Another was sold in Munford, Tennessee, near Memphis. The third was sold in Florida.
The winners will share in the world record $1.5 billion jackpot.
The winning numbers were 4-8-19-27-34 and Powerball 10. Anyone with just a matching Powerball number gets four dollars. More matching numbers make you eligible for prizes of $7, $100, $50,000 or $1 million.
Officials of the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs the Powerball game, said they expected more than 85 percent of the possible number combinations would have been bought for the drawing. The odds of winning were 1 in 292.2 million. Powerball players have spent an estimated $2.6 billion on tickets since the last jackpot was claimed in November.
The Kansas Bar Association and the Topeka Bar Association will be hosting its “Call-a-Lawyer Night” on Thursday, Jan. 14. Anyone in need of legal advice is encouraged to call (800) 928-3111 between 6 and 8 p.m. Callers may speak to volunteer lawyers who are donating their time to answer questions and providing legal advice and information.
The volunteers are members of the KBA and/or the TBA and are able to provide information on many legal issues.
Those issues include probate, family law (such as child custody, divorce, and adoption), landlord-tenant issues and other matters involving real property and employment (such as wrongful termination, workplace conflicts and employment rights).
The KBA Lawyer Referral Service will not charge a fee for making a referral to one of its pre-screened, insured, experienced lawyers. Its lawyers do not offer pro bono — or free — legal services. Each lawyer will determine the fees charged for legal services, and any caller referred should discuss such rates prior to entering into a representation agreement.
“Call-a-Lawyer” repeats the second Thursday of each month and is designed to help persons in need of legal advice and information or answer questions.
Benedictine College is planning to raise $25-million as part of a capital project to renovate and upgrade its current science facilities.
In 1916, the college in Atchison, Kan. offered its first science degrees. Today, the college is looking to the next century of science with a planned new Science and Engineering building.
Benedictine College President Stephen D. Minnis sees advancement in STEM disciplines as essential to the college’s faith-based mission.
“At Benedictine College, we believe faith, morality and ethics are just as important in the sciences as in every other part of our lives. They cannot be separated,” he said. “That is why it is so important to train future doctors, engineers and scientists at a place like Benedictine College that understands the essential role of faith, morality and ethics in the sciences.”
The $25 million Benedictine science and engineering building project will be the college’s largest capital project ever. The college worked with one of the nation’s leading science and technology architects to design the best science facilities possible for the needs of the college’s engineering, biology, chemistry, physics and astronomy departments.
Physics professor Dr. Doug Brothers has taught at Benedictine College since 1968. He is a past winner of the Educator of Year Award, has received numerous National Science Foundation grants, served as department chair and even served as Interim Dean of the College for 18 months. He said the future of Benedictine College science will be shaped by the new science and engineering building.
“Our greatest needs revolve around having modern laboratory space and facilities and maintaining and upgrading our laboratory equipment to provide essential experiences for our students to pursue their research interests, to remain active in their fields, and to mentor new generations of scientists,” said Dr. Brothers.
The college is currently working to raise funds for the upgrades. CLICK HERE for more information.
