(Missourinet) UPDATE: Henry County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that Hannah Sue Kennish was found safe in New Mexico. Police said she was found with 55-year-old, Raymond Vallia, during a traffic stop on a highway near Albuquerque. Police credited a tip generated by the Amber Alert that helped lead to their location. Investigators believe that Hannah Sue was not taken by force. Police said Hannah Sue and Vallia had been in contact online at least four months prior to her disappearance.
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(Missourinet) – An Amber Alert has been issued for a 13-year-old girl missing from Montrose in west-central Missouri’s Henry County. Authorities say she disappeared from her home some time Sunday morning.
Hanna Sue Kennish is described as white, five feet, two inches tall weighing 130 pounds, last seen wearing a pink short-sleeved shirt and pink Capri pants.
She reportedly did not take a cell phone with her. Police say the back door of the home was open when she disappeared.
Authorities are looking for a 2013 Black Ford F-150 Truck with Texas license plate C-G-L-8981, and 55-year-old Raymond Vallia, described as a white male, five feet, nine inches tall, weighing between 230 and 250 pounds with grayish-brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Henry County Sheriff’s Department at (660) 525-1544.
Raymond Vallia Suspect in abductionSearching for Black 2013 Ford F150
A Linn, Mo., man has been indicted for illegally possessing firearms.
Charles Howard Trimble, 58, of Linn, was charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm in an indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., on Feb. 25, 2015. The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Trimble’s arrest and initial court appearance.
The federal indictment alleges that Trimble was in possession of 12 firearms on Dec. 4, 2012, including a Gewehr bolt-action 8mm rifle, an Armscor .38-caliber revolver, a Winchester semi-automatic .22-caliber rifle, a Harrington and Richardson .30-06-caliber rifle, a Remington semi-automatic .22-caliber rifle, a Mossberg pump action .410-caliber shotgun, a Mossbergt pump action 12-gauge shotgun, a Marlin bolt action .22-caliber rifle, a Remington semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun, a Ruger semi-automatic .40-caliber pistol and an EIG .22-caliber revolver with no serial number.
The federal indictment also alleges that Trimble was in possession of two firearms on Sept. 20, 2013, including a Taurus .357-caliber revolver and a Mossberg pump action 12-gauge shotgun.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Trimble has two prior felony convictions for driving while intoxicated and prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon and forgery.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill will travel the state this week to hear about the concerns of senior citizens in Missouri on retirement, fraud and healthy living.
McCaskill will hold eight events on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the upcoming priorities in Congress that would affect seniors.
McCaskill says she wants to hear directly from seniors about how Congress can live up to promises made to older Americans, especially in regards to health and retirement.
The Democrat is the ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which she says has allowed her to investigate scams targeting seniors, retirement security issues and concerns about Alzheimer’s disease.
Events will be held in St. Louis, Macon, Columbia, Chillicothe, Kansas City, Branson, Springfield and Farmington.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri farmers could get money back for certifying their products as organic.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture this week announced farmers could get as much as $750 back for certification costs.
The department says the state received $127,800 in federal funds, which will pay producers and handlers 75 percent of expenses to certify their products as organic.
Businesses must renew or obtain certification and document costs to participate. Those who certify between October 2014 and Sept. 30 are eligible.
Money is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
MARYVILLE, Mo. – Faculty in Northwest Missouri State University’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts will perform their third annual April Fools’ Day Concert Wednesday, April 1.
The concert, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Charles Johnson Theater.
The program features music faculty giving a light-hearted performance with unconventional instruments and improvised acts.
“Music faculty will be performing silly musical pieces and perhaps doing other tomfoolery on stage, including limericks with audience participation, and possible hijinks in animal costumes,” said Dr. Charles Badami, an instructor of music at Northwest. “This is the third annual presentation of the concert, and it has been really popular all over campus.”
For more information, contact the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at 660.562.1326.
(Missourinet) – Jefferson City Police say they are aware of the suicide of Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich just over a month before the suicide of his communications director, Spence Jackson, but say they will investigate Jackson’s death as they would any other.
Jefferson City Police Captain Doug Shoemaker Courtesy Missourinet
“It doesn’t mean we do anything more or less on this investigation in terms of initially, than we would anyone else,” Police Captain Doug Shoemaker said in a media conference Monday morning. “We try and look into the investigation the same. If there are more complexities that come about as a part of this investigation due to the very nature of it, then we’ll certainly investigate those as well and that’s our intent.”
Shoemaker acknowledged that there are possible complexities, in that Schweich’s death February 26 has been the subject of controversy in the past month and Jackson was one of those who had spoken to the media about who he thought was to blame.
“We’re very aware of the political issues surrounding Mr. Schweich’s death, and then within a month we have the death of his spokesperson, so we’re clearly of the understanding of what’s taking place,” said Shoemaker. “We are doing everything possible to try and make sure that we do this investigation the best way we can, and if that involves other things that we normally would not look into simply because of his profession, then we’ll do that, but we’re not quite as of yet.”
Friends and colleagues, including Jackson, say Schweich believed he was the target of a whispering campaign by Missouri Republican John Hancock and say that contributed to his decision to take his own life. Jackson was one of the first to publicly call for Hancock to resign because he, too, believed Hancock had been telling potential donors Schweich was Jewish. Schweich believed that was intended to hurt him among Evangelical Christians. Schweich was actually Episcopalian.
“Our agency won’t comment or really entertain questions that might link Mr. Jackson to any type of political issue whether it’s perceived or real,” said Shoemaker.
Shoemaker said investigators are reaching out to the state auditor’s office and Clayton police, but would not speak about what those contacts would be about.
Police say they were called Sunday evening by Jackson’s mother, who had been unable to reach him. She was with officers when they went to his apartment to check on his well-being, but Shoemaker said she did not go inside with them when they found his body.
Spence Jackson Courtesy Missourinet
“Initial assessment of the scene indicated that Jackson died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Police said in a statement released Monday morning. Shoemaker said a .357 Magnum revolver was found “in the vicinity” of his body with one round having been fired.
One reporter said he had been told Jackson did not own a gun, and Shoemaker told him police have not established who owned the one that was found.
A note was found with Jackson, but Shoemaker would not discuss what it said. He could not confirm whether its contents would be released.
“We’ll see how the investigation goes, but again we try and focus these investigations out of courtesy to the family,” said Shoemaker. “We’ll obviously comply with any laws with regard to the release of that information at a later time, but since this is an open investigation we won’t comment as to what’s contained.”
Shoemaker said investigators are still trying to determine who was the last person to have contact with Jackson. He said authorities will be closer to identifying a time of death when the autopsy is complete, but said, “We believe most likely [his death] occurred early in the weekend, most likely Friday possibly into Saturday.”
He could not confirm when the results of the autopsy might be released. Toxicology tests can take weeks to be completed.
A grant will allow for more affordable lifeguard training in St. Joseph this spring.
The City of St. Joseph, along with Missouri Western State University and American Red Cross, will be offering lifeguard training this spring for a reduced fee of $100 in part due to a grant from Mosaic Life Care. This program is designed to offer an affordable lifeguard training program to the St. Joseph community with the hope of increasing the number of certified lifeguards in Northwest Missouri.
Interested candidates must be 15 years of age by May 22, 2015. Anyone who desires American Red Cross Lifeguard certification is invited to participate in the community lifeguard program.
Interested candidates can register free of charge for the pre-test at www.stjoeparks.info. Pre-tests will be held May 15-16, with lifeguard classes to begin the week of May 18.
Upon successful completion of the pre-test, individuals will then register for one of the lifeguard class options available. After successful completion of the lifeguard course, participants will receive an American Red Cross certificate for Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED.
American Red Cross lifeguarding course prerequisite skills and requirements
• Must be 15 years old (verification by official birth certificate or state issued ID) by May 22,
2015.
• Swim 300 yards continuously demonstrating breath control and rhythmic breathing.
Candidates may swim using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both but
swimming on the back or side is not allowed. Swim goggles may be used (must be provided
by the candidate).
• Tread water for 2 minutes using only the legs. Candidates should place their hands under the
armpits.
• Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds.
1) Starting in the water, swim 20 yards. The face may be in or out of the water. Swim
goggles are not allowed.
2) Surface dive, feet-first or head-first, to a depth of 7-10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.
Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point with
both hands holding the object and keeping the face at or near the surface so they are able
to get a breath. Candidates should not swim the distance under water.
3) Exit the water without using a ladder or steps.
To successfully complete the lifeguarding course, the participant must:
• Be 15 years old by May 22, 2015 (verification by official birth certificate or state-issued ID).
• Attend and participate in all class sessions.
• Demonstrate competency in all required skills and activities.
• Demonstrate competency in all required final rescue skill scenarios.
• Pass:
Section 1—CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer and First Aid
Section 2—Lifeguarding Skills final written exam
Minimum grade of 80 percent on each test
For more information, contact Jende Smith, city of St. Joseph aquatics supervisor, at 271.5519 or
email jsmith@ci.st-joseph.mo.us
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union plans to testify before a Kansas legislative committee against a bill designed to protect religious groups on public college campuses.
The House Federal and State Affairs Committee is holding a hearing Monday on the bill. The Senate approved the measure earlier this month.
The bill would prohibit state universities, community colleges and technical colleges from refusing to recognize or from denying campus resources to groups that won’t let non-believers join.
The ACLU of Kansas contends the measure would require public colleges to provide support to groups that discriminate.
Supporters say the bill protects groups’ religious liberties. It’s a response to a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision saying that universities can adopt anti-bias policies requiring groups to accept anyone who wants to join.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Three Mississippi River ports in Arkansas will be dredged this year as part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to open channels that are often clogged by silt and sediment from upstream.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports two ports in Helena-West Helena and one in Osceola are among 10 in several states set for work this summer and fall. The Corps will spend about $7.4 million for the project that includes ports in Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee.
Jim Pogue, the Corps’ spokesman in Memphis, says the project is one of the largest undertakings of dredging by the Corps in years.
Pogue says waters move slower when the river level is low, allowing the silt to settle and accumulate at entrances to harbors. It hinders barge traffic from entering or leaving.
