A former Country Club Village police officer has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars from the department’s evidence room.
33-year-old Dustin M. Kirschner of St. Joseph has been charged in Andrew County with felony stealing.
According to court documents Kirschner allegedly stole a total of $4,101 between July 10, 2007 and February 25, 2013.
Sergeant Tyson Gardner said in the statement that “On December 30, 2014, I conducted an interview with Mr. Kirschner who admitted he took an unknown amount of money from the evidence room on 12 to 25 different occasions over a period of 1 1/2 to 2 years.”
Kirschner has a court date scheduled for Tuesday, March 31.
Ford Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle. Photo courtesy wikipedia California Highway Patrol
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford is recalling about 213,000 police vehicles in North America to fix springs that may not keep doors closed in a crash.
The recall affects Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor utility vehicles from the 2011 through 2013 model years.
The company traced the problem to a spring that controls the interior door handles. The spring can become unseated and may become unlatched in a side-impact crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Ford said it doesn’t know of any crashes or injuries from the problem.
Dealers will inspect all four doors and fix or replace the handles if needed, free of charge.
Ford also is recalling about 6,500 Super Duty ambulance and emergency vehicles from 2011 through 2015 with 6.7-Liter diesel engines. The exhaust gas temperature sensors can malfunction.
The St. Joseph School Board will review letters of intent for 19 candidates that have submitted to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Dr. Dan Colgan.
Due to the resignation of Dr. Dan Colgan, the Board needs to fill the remainder of his term, which is until April 2016. According to Board policy the selection process will be in open session of the Board.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Governor Sam Brownback has signed a $4.1 billion plan to overhaul Kansas’ school funding system.
The governor signed the bill into law Wednesday during a private ceremony in the presence of GOP leaders.
It scraps the current formula for determining state aid and replaces it with “block grants” to school districts based on their current aid. The grant system will be in place for two years while the Legislature develops a new formula.
The state’s 286 school districts lose $51 million in aid they expected to receive for the current school year under the plan. The bill has been lauded by the conservatives and business groups.
Brownback said in a statement that the plan will give more direct spending control to officials closest to the classroom.
The St. Joseph Police Department took several individuals into custody Wednesday night at a home in midtown.
According to Capt. Jeff Wilson officers responded to a house located at 208 S. 20th St. where they observed a subject inside the home wanted on a felony warrant.
Wilson said officers obtained a search warrant for the residence and entered where they arrested three individuals for outstanding warrants.
Wilson said William Dickens III of St. Joseph was arrested at the residence for several felony warrants.
38-year-old Candice Edwards was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant.
Wilson said a 34-year-old Trever Ashworth was also arrested at the home for a felony warrant that originated in Doniphan County, Kan. for a burglary charge.
He said the individuals are currently being held on investigation charges because officers found what they suspect to be illegal drugs and weapons inside the residence.
The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department is seeking information from a burglary that occurred at the Rushville Liquor Mart, 13595 S.W. 59 Highway, at about 4:00 a.m. Monday, March 16th.
During the burglary several items, including lottery tickets, were taken from the business.
There were several vehicles that passed by the business when the burglary occurred and we are seeking the public’s help.
Anyone with information is asked to please contact Investigator Hess at 816-236-8889 or contact the TIPS hotline at 816-238-TIPS.
Central High School Academic Hall of Fame Induction. Photo courtesy SJSD/Stephanie Lux
The unveiling of Central High School’s Hall of Fame was held Wednesday morning and dedicated in the name of William Enright.
According to the St. Joseph School District Bill Enright (1920-1998) was known statewide for his work in the banking and financial industry. Bill served his county in WWII and Korea. He was a member of the Board of Regents and Trustees for Missouri Western State University and had five kids, three of which attended Central High School. He also, established a trust to provide financial support for St. Joseph School District educational and infrastructure projects.
The district said in recognition of the Enright family the Academic Hall of Fame was established to honor Central High School graduates for significant contributions in their career and academic endeavors.
Three Central alimni were inducteed into the Hall of Fame following the dedication ceremony.
Daniel Belcher
Those inductees include, Daniel Belcher who graduates in the class Salutatorian at Central and went on to graduate from William Jewell and then Julliard. Belcher won his first Grammy Award in 2011 in the category of Best Opera Recording for his work on “Saariaho: L’Amour de Loin.”
Robert Duncan graduates from Central and earned his Ph.D. in physics
Robert Duncan
from the University of California-Santa Barbara in 1988. He went on to work for NASA and led research groups at the University of New Mexico and the California Institute of Technology where he discovered a new phenomena associated with the superfluid transition in liquid helium.
Kristi Kirschner was also inducted Wednesday. She graduated in the top 10 at Central then graduated magna com laude from Carleton College in 1982 and earned her M.D. degree at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She is a national leader and pioneer in the field of disability ethics. In 1996 she was featured as one of the 50 Most Positive Doctors in America. She has also contributed to several books and published many journal articles.
FILE PHOTO Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon Speaks at Boehringer Vetmedica Inc. Photo Courtesy Scott Holste
MUNICH, Germany – Following the best year for manufacturing job growth in Missouri since 1995, Gov. Jay Nixon today announced that Missouri’s bipartisan delegation to Europe has held a number of productive meetings with global manufacturers that have or may be considering investments in Missouri. Missouri added 9,900 manufacturing jobs in 2014, the largest annual increase in that sector since 1995.
“Missouri manufacturing is staging a major comeback, and this week’s trade mission is a great opportunity to build on this success by attracting even more jobs and investments to the Show-Me State,” said Gov. Nixon. “Creating jobs in today’s fiercely competitive global economy requires a proactive, forward-looking approach – and that is exactly what this trade mission is all about. We’re making sure businesses worldwide understand that with a highly skilled workforce, business-friendly climate, and a perfect AAA credit rating, Missouri is an ideal location to make long-term investments and create high-paying jobs.”
In Milan, Italy on Monday, the Governor received a briefing from Ambassador Philip Reeker, the U.S. Consul General in Milan, and met with the leadership of Gruppo Fontana, a leading manufacturer of industrial fasteners that supplies a number of automakers including General Motors. The delegation also met with the leadership of Buzzi Unicem, a global cement producer with two facilities in Missouri, and Bomi Italia, a biomedical logistics company. Gov. Nixon also addressed Italian business leaders and investors at a reception hosted by the U.S. Commercial Service in Milan.
On Tuesday, Gov. Nixon and members of the delegation arrived in Frankfurt, Germany and met with leaders from global chemical manufacturer BASF, whose Hannibal facility the Governor visited last week. Gov. Nixon also met with the CEO of Schütz, a German-based packaging company that is investing $20 million and creating 50 jobs to open a facility in St. Joseph, Mo.
Earlier today in Munich, the Governor met with senior executives at BMW and visited the headquarters of Siemens, Europe’s largest engineering company that has a number of facilities in Missouri. Ambassador William Moeller II, the U.S. Consul General in Munich, hosted a reception in honor of the Governor and the Missouri delegation.
Tomorrow, the Governor is scheduled to meet with Franz Joseph Pschierer, the Secretary of State of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy & Technology. The delegation will then travel to Madrid, Spain for meetings with government officials and business leaders. On Friday, Gov. Nixon and Director of Economic Development Mike Downing will present at a roundtable for investors at the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade.
In addition to recruiting new and expanded investments to the state, another goal of the trade mission is to increase Missouri exports. Last month, the Governor announced that Missouri export sales reached $14.1 billion in 2014, the second highest year on record after 2012. Exports of Missouri products were up 9 percent over the previous year.
Missouri exports to Germany, Italy and Spain totaled more than $577 million in 2014. Germany was the state’s seventh-largest trading partner last year, purchasing $402 million in Missouri goods. Italy purchased $131 million in Missouri goods, ranking 17th; and Spain purchased more than $44.6 million, ranking 32nd.
Joining Gov. Nixon on the delegation are First Lady Georganne Nixon; Mike Downing, Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development; Richard Fordyce, Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture; Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey; House Speaker John Diehl; State Sen. Jill Schupp; and State Rep. John Rizzo.
“In order to grow and create jobs, businesses across the state need strong demand from global markets,” said Senate President Pro Tem Dempsey (R-St. Charles County). “That’s why I’m very proud to represent the people of St. Charles County on this trade mission and help market Missouri to the world.”
The Missouri delegation also includes representatives of several businesses and organizations, including Blakemore Ag-Plastics, Intek Corp., Shiloh Innovations, Healthy Harvest Products, Missouri Corn Growers, Masterclock, and Enginuity Worldwide.
The Governor, First Lady and other members of the delegation will return to the United States on Saturday, March 28. Travel costs for Governor and Mrs. Nixon are being covered by the Hawthorn Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting economic growth in Missouri. State taxpayer funds will not be used.
“These European countries are important markets for Missouri products, and they’re also major sources of foreign investment into our state,” said House Speaker John Diehl (R-St. Louis). “I’m confident that the contacts we’ve made this week will yield dividends for Missouri’s economy for many years to come.”
“In Kansas City and across the state, we’re making huge gains in manufacturing but there’s always more work to do,” Minority Whip John Rizzo (D-Kansas City). “In the global economy, standing still means falling behind and that’s why proactive efforts like this week’s trade mission are so important.”
“When it comes to creating jobs and recruiting new businesses, there’s just no substitute for the kind of direct, in-person relationships we’re building this week,” said Sen. Jill Schupp (D-St. Louis County). “I could not be more proud to be helping to present a united, bipartisan front on behalf of the people of St. Louis County and all Missouri citizens.”
Gov. Nixon has made creating opportunities for Missouri businesses to sell their products around the globe and promoting Missouri as an ideal location for investment by foreign companies a top economic development priority for his administration. The Governor has led successful trade missions to China (October 2011); Brazil (April 2012); the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Republic of Korea (March 2013); western Europe (June 2014); and eastern Canada (March 2014). Those trade missions resulted in agreements calling for consumers in other countries to purchase more than $9.7 billion in Missouri goods over the next few years.
In addition, earlier this month a Missouri delegation led by the First Lady traveled to Cuba on a historic trade mission to further the sale of Missouri agricultural products. The Missouri team was the first U.S. state trade delegation to visit Cuba since the announcement by President Obama in December that the U.S. was working to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba
A Pineville, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to producing child pornography.
Jeremy Wayne Law, 30, of Pineville, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to attempting to use a minor to produce child pornography. Law, who was previously convicted of sexual abuse with a minor in New York, is a registered sex offender.
By pleading guilty, Law admitted that he communicated via text messages with a 16-year-old female, identified as “T.C.,” who resided in New York. Investigators found pornographic images and videos of T.C. on Law’s computer. Law also admitted that he had twice engaged in sexual intercourse with T.C. in a vehicle and that he had sent her an image of his genitalia.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the court is requested to impose a sentence of at least 25 years in federal prison without parole and not more than 35 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
