MERRIAM, Kan. (AP) — The owner of a Kansas City-area restaurant has pleaded guilty to impeding an investigation into the withholding of employees’ pay.
The U.S. Department of Labor says Yong Lin, president of China Garden Buffet in Merriam, Kansas, could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of $250,000.
The department said in a news release Thursday that Lin twice supplied false records to investigators, who later determined the company owed 56 employees a total of $709,539 in back wages.
Investigators say the employees earned the back wages but China Garden Buffet violated overtime, minimum wage and record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
A 2011 investigation also found that China Garden Buffet owed back wages of $15,504 to 16 employees, citing similar violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
REFORM, Mo. (AP) – Missouri’s only nuclear power plant is undergoing a nearly $130 million repair project that includes the first overhaul of its main generator since the plant began operating in 1984.
The Callaway Energy Center shut down earlier this month for a regularly scheduled refueling and is expected to be offline for 60 days while repairs are made.
Ameren Missouri’s site vice president, Tim Herrmann, said Thursday that the costs include $101 million of capital expenditures and $27 million related to operation and maintenance. That includes refurbishing the stationary part of the generator.
The power plant in rural Callaway County typically employees 750 people. But about 1,000 workers have been added to make the repairs.
The nuclear plant had run for 514 straight days – the second-longest continuous period in its history.
SHAWNEE COUNTY — The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a fatal accident that took the life of a Kansas woman.
Just after 6 a.m. Wednesday, the Topeka Police Department responded to a passenger train striking a pedestrian on the railroad tracks in the area of 37th and Kansas, according to a media release.
The victim identified as Sharon Carter, 32,Topeka, was pronounced dead at the scene.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – A Kansas City woman had pleaded guilty to failing to pay taxes on at least $466,000 in a charge related to embezzling from her family’s company.
Fifty-six-year-old Tammera Goodman pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court. She was an officer manager at Restoration Remediation Resources Corp. Prosecutors say she unlawfully used the business’ funds to pay at least seven personal credit cards she used for personal spending. She also wrote at least 26 fraudulent unauthorized checks to herself, and used business funds to pay her personal mortgage.
From 2011 to 2015, Goodman embezzled at least $466,274 from Re-Corp and used the money for personal expenses. She did not declare the embezzled income on her federal or state income tax returns.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., sex offender was sentenced in federal court Thursday for illegally possessing a firearm, according to Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.
Robbie R. Robinson, 29, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to seven years and seven months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Robinson to a three-year term of supervised release following incarceration, with the special condition that he register as a sex offender as required by state and federal law.
On June 1, 2017, Robinson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Robinson admitted that he was in possession of a loaded CW9 9mm pistol on Oct. 13, 2016.
Springfield police officers contacted Robinson at a local Wal-Mart store on that date and discovered an active warrant for his arrest. Officers asked Robinson if he possessed any weapons, and he admitted he was in possession of the pistol. An officer frisked Robinson and found the pistol in his front right pants pocket.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Robinson has prior felony convictions for the attempted rape of a child and failure to register as a sex offender. Robinson was not registered, as required by law, at the time of the offense.
Tyson Foods is considering Sedgwick County and two other locations in Kansas as possible sites for a new $320 million poultry processing complex.
The Greater Wichita Partnership confirmed Wednesday evening that Sedgwick County was selected as a finalist.
Cloud County in north-central Kansas and Montgomery County in southeastern Kansas are also among the finalists.
Heather Lansdowne with the Kansas Department of Agriculture says 16 communities submitted proposals, and Tyson picked three for further consideration.
“We expect it to take a couple of months at this point of the process to go through the evaluation of those communities and identify which one of them is the best fit for this project,” Lansdowne says.
Lansdowne says the department helped narrow the search after more than 30 communities expressed interest in the project during the past few weeks.
“Agriculture makes up 45 percent of economic contribution in the state, so to grow the economy in Kansas, we really need to grow agriculture,” Lansdowne says. “A project of this magnitude would be a big boost for Kansas and for that local community, and the region around that community.”
The project would bring 1600 jobs to the community where it’s eventually located.
Jaimie Garnett, executive vice president of strategic communications for Greater Wichita Partnership, says they’ll continue to work with other stakeholders throughout the region to offer a consolidated consortium to the company.
“We are excited to continue with this process and discuss this potential project with Tyson,” says Garnett.
Tyson originally proposed to build the facility in Leavenworth County, but local leaders withdrew support in late September following public opposition.
The company is looking at locations in Kansas and other states for a community that has the infrastructure, labor pool, farmer interest and land required for the investment.
Grants were awarded Thursday to St. Joseph School District teachers at many schools in the district.
According to a news release, Apple Seed Grants are small grants awarded to help fund innovative classroom experiences. The grants are offered yearly by the SJSD Foundation, funded by community donations, to SJSD staff.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri officials are proposing an innovation corridor between Kansas City and St. Louis for a new Amazon location instead of a single headquarters in one of the metropolitan areas.
Missouri is submitting the application on Thursday. Missouri Chief Operating Officer Drew Erdmann says an innovation corridor could also include Columbia, the home of the University of Missouri. Erdmann says the cities could be connected if a high-speed Hyperloop track is built in the state.
Amazon in September opened the search for a second headquarters and promised to spend more than $5 billion on the site. The Seattle-based company says it would bring up to 50,000 jobs.
Kansas City, St. Louis and many other North American cities have submitted individual applications to become Amazon’s second home.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Pavement repair will close a ramp at the Interstate 229 and I-29 interchange on the south side of St. Joseph tomorrow.
Local maintenance crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation will close the ramp from northbound I-29 to northbound I-229 from approximately 7:30 to 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 20. Motorists will need to use an alternate route during the closures. All work is weather permitting and subject to change.
MoDOT encourages all motorists to slow down, buckle up, eliminate distractions and drive safely to ensure everyone is able to Arrive Alive.
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.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – A woman has been charged with fatally shooting a homeless man and wounding his brother in Kansas City.
The Kansas City Star reports that 30-year-old Stephanie Sandstrom was charged Wednesday with one count each of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, unlawful possession of a firearm and two counts of armed criminal action. A warrant for Sandstrom’s arrest was issued shortly after she was charged in Jackson County Circuit Court. Prosecutors requested a cash-only bond of $250,000.
The man killed early Sunday hasn’t been identified. Court records say a witness told investigators the homicide victim was homeless and he was visiting his brother, the brother’s wife, and the couple’s 1-year-old child before the shooting.
