A truck driver from St Joseph who was already a registered sex offender will serve nearly 21 years in prison for transporting a minor across state lines for prostitution.

Tony Eugene Wardlow, 56, of St. Joseph, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple to 20 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.

Mr. Wardlow was convicted at trial on Dec. 17, 2014. He also pleaded guilty on Feb. 14, 2014, to interstate transportation for prostitution.

US Attorney Tammy Dickinson says Wardlow was self-employed as a commercial truck driver, doing business as Prideco, LLC. He is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 1997 in Nodaway County, Mo., of sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child and sexual misconduct (involving two separate child victims). Wardlow also has prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of firearms and possessing methamphetamine.

Evidence submitted during the trial indicated that Wardlow paid the minor victim for sex on multiple occasions while she was working as a prostitute on Independence Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. She was under 18 years of age at this time. Wardlow took her out of town in his truck on several occasions, including a trip to Texas in September 2011. During the trip, Wardlow engaged in prostitution activity with the minor victim multiple times, both in Wardlow’s truck and in hotels.

The minor victim testified at trial that Wardlow threatened her with violence. There was evidence presented at trial that Wardlow made threats towards this victim should she ever contact law enforcement.

A teenager accused in the death of his grandparents was certified Wednesday to stand trial as an adult.

That ruling came from Buchanan County Circuit Judge Dan Kellogg Wednesday after he heard testimony from officials involved in the case of Joseph Johnson.

Johnson, 16, was charged with two counts of second degree murder as a juvenile.

Early in the morning on July 4, sheriff’s deputies found the bodies of his grandparents, James and Beverly Johnson, at the couple’s home on Hurlingen Road in eastern Buchanan County.

The Buchanan County prosecutor must decide whether to file charges in the case. Prosecuting Attorney Dwight Scroggins tells us his office now has 24 hours to make the decision whether to file charges.

In the meantime, Mr Johnson has been moved to the Buchanan County Jail where he was expected to be book Wednesday afternoon.

Millions of dollars in renovations are coming to Missouri Western State University, thanks to tens of millions of dollars in new state bonding authority.

Governor Jay Nixon visited the campus Wednesday to announce the benefits of “Building Affordability,” a new state funding mechanism approved by the General Assembly this year.

Nixon pointed out that the General Assembly raised the cap on the state’s bonding authority two years ago. Since that time his administration has met with school officials from across the state, to make sure they had concrete plans ready to go.

“Here at Missouri Western, Building Affordability will provide more than $4.8 million to make needed repairs and improvements,” Governor Nixon said. “These investments will also allow for the replacement of fiber optic cable to support faster Internet connection speeds.”

“My sense is that this Internet thing is here to stay, it appears to be growing, ” he deadpanned to an appreciative audience in an engineering training room. “This stuff is really important, especially to young students.”

“If they don’t have access to high speed, they will drive at their speed to get somewhere else to get that high speed. It’s just that simple. To compete for students, you have got to be technologically prepared.”

Missouri Western State University President Dr. Robert Vartabedian agreed.

“It’s a very important piece of the puzzle to be on top of your game when it comes to high tech,” Dr. Vartabedian said. “It’s certainly central to what we’re doing here.”

Dr. Vartabedian called the new state funding for improvements a milestone in his career at the university.

“This is absolutely huge for our university and the surrounding area. This is the biggest thing that has happened to us in my seven-plus years here, to have nearly five million dollars to do what we need to do on renovation projects.”

“In addition to providing students with the state-of-the-art facilities they need to prepare for the jobs of the future, this effort will also help our colleges and universities hold down tuition,” said Gov. Nixon. “Building Affordability will strengthen Missouri’s position as a leader in college affordability and ensure our students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed – not mountains of unsustainable debt.”

At Missouri Western, these improvements will include remodeling Popplewell Hall, Wilson Hall, the Hearnes Center library, Eder Hall, Potter Hall and the Looney Complex by replacing entryways, flooring, and drop ceilings and renovating restrooms with ADA accessible stalls and fixtures. In addition, the initiative will allow the university to upgrade to digital HVAC controls, and replace old air-cooled rooftop chillers. The renovations will begin this summer and be completed by early 2018.

Building Affordability is a component of Build Missouri, a capital improvements initiative that will fund nearly 500 projects in every corner of the state through bond proceeds and other sources. Build Missouri includes bond proceeds for repairs and renovations at state facilities, veterans homes, state parks and higher education campuses, and for the completion of a new state-of-the-art mental hospital in Fulton along with non-bonding sources for other projects, including conservation areas, highway patrol facilities, and other facilities.

A man accused of distributing campaign widgets during methamphetamine sales learns next month when he’ll have his preliminary hearing. Donnie Swartz will remain in custody until then.

43rd Circuit Associate Circuit Judge J. Bartley Spear this week denied a motion to modify the bail ordered for Donnie Swartz.

Swartz, 43, is charged in Dekalb County with three Class-A felony counts of distributing controlled substances near a school. He remains behind bars, unable to post $75,000 bail.

Judge Spear denied the bond motion and continued a scheduling hearing until September 22, at which time a preliminary hearing date will be set.

According to court documents, Mr. Swartz allegedly sold methamphetamine to an undercover informant on at least three occasions. During one of the buys, the informant said Swartz gave him a campaign pen, pamphlet and bumper stick bearing the “Swartz4Congress” logo.

Mr. Swartz has not officially filed as a candidate for Congress.

St Joseph police are investigating after at least four motorists reported their vehicles being hit by chunks of asphalt. The reports started coming in shortly after 4am Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear if the objects were thrown at the vehicles or fell on their own.

Deputies first responded to an area near the North Junction of I-29 and I-229, but soon there were reports as far south as I-29 and Pickett Road. Investigators zeroed in on a pile of concrete near the bridge over I-29 at Cook Road.

The St Joseph Police Department is now investigating.

No injuries are reported.