Several towns in northwest Missouri have landed a spot on a list of safest cities according to a 2016 study released earlier this month.

The home security and financial website CreditDonkey has ranked several cities in northwest Missouri on its tops 50 Safest Cities in Missouri for 2016.  Smithville came in seventh followed by Savannah in the eighth spot, Kearney at 12, Pleasant Hill 13, Maryville at 23, Cameron at 29, Chillicothe 42, and Trenton at 48.

The study said on a national scale Missouri’s violent and property crime rates are on par with the average figures reported across all 50 states with St. Louis regarded as being a high crime area.

Mary Ingersoll the Ex. Dir. for the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce said Savannah’s ranking on the list came as no surprise.

“One of the best draws to live in Savannah is the low crime rate and great sense of community,”she said. “Savannah embodies small-town living at its best, and the 5,100 people who live here sleep well at night knowing that crime isn’t a regular occurrence. The city’s police department provides 24/7 protection, and officers are equipped with the latest technology to aid them in heading off criminal activity.”

To see the list in full CLICK HERE.

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department is submitting charges after two inmates reported being inappropriately touched.

Sheriff Mike Strong said a complaint from a Buchanan County inmate was submitted June 27 in reference to an employee of Advanced Correctional Healthcare touching a woman inappropriately.

“An investigation was initiated and was substantiated through witnesses, statement, accounts and other corroborative evidence,” Strong said. “During the course of the investigation a second victim was discovered whose account was largely similar in content.”

Strong said two cases will be submitted Tuesday afternoon to the Buchanan County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges.

“Advanced Correctional Healthcare has been very cooperative in the investigation,” Strong said. “The employee of course was immediately suspended and it’s my understanding he’s been terminated by Advanced Healthcare.”

Strong said an investigation was launched right after a report was made and concluded Monday.  He said there are safeguards to try to prevent situations like this from happening.

“We have a healthcare facility upstairs where we do our exams and that’s where it occurred at,” Strong said. “One of the safeguards that we had in effect actually is what brought this to light.  We do and did have stuff in place.  We’re going to try to make them even better.”

Strong said the employee was not hired by the sheriff’s department but through Advanced Correctional Healthcare a contract company for the jail.

“To our knowledge and their knowledge there was not anything in this gentleman’s background that would have sent up alarms on this because if there had I can assure you I would not have allowed him into the building and Advanced Correctional Healthcare would not have hired him,” Strong said.

The charges are now being submitted for consideration by the prosecutor’s office.  We will post more on this story as more information becomes available.

Charges have been filed against five people in connection with Sunday’s double homicide investigation on Safari Dr.

Omar Martinez-Velez, 34, Luis Omar Robles-Vargas, 31, Alexi Martinez-Andino, 19, Luz A. Figueroa-Castillo, 29, and Raymond Jimenez Bencebi, Jr., 26 have each been charged with a felony for second-degree murder.  The charges are in connection with the shooting deaths of Kevilee Villegas-Melendez, 22 and Raymond Gonzalez Ortiz, 25 who were found dead Sunday morning in the 1900 block of Safari Dr. The felony charge carries a punishment range of 10-30 years or life imprisonment.

According to court documents all five of the defendants were in the area of Lion Rd. and Safari Dr. and had a loaded firearm at the time multiple rounds were fired from several weapons striking and causing the death of Villegas-Melendez and Ortiz.  Each defendant is accused of firing numerous rounds at the victims striking both of them.

Also as we previously reported, Monday morning police shut down roads in the area of Delaware and Ashland avenue for a shooting investigation after shots were found to have been fired at a home and into a vehicle in the area of Delaware. The shots were believed to have been fired sometime Sunday. Police have said they are currently investigating that case in connection with the Safari shooting investigation.

Bond has been denied for each of the defendants, arraignment dates are unknown at this time.

The St. Joseph Police Department has identified the individuals shot and killed Sunday on Safari Dr.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said Kevin Villegas Melendez, 22 and Raymond Gonzalez Ortiz, 25 were the victims found dead Sunday morning in the 1900 block of Safari Dr. As we previously reported, officers were called out around 10:15 a.m. Sunday and found one man dead inside the van and one man dead outside of the vehicle.

Four people, three Hispanic men ages 34, 31, and 26 and one Hispanic woman age 29 were taken into custody in connection with the investigation Sunday night. Officers also seized several firearms they said are believed to be connected to the case.

Monday morning police shut down roads in the area of Delaware and Ashland avenue for a shooting investigation after shots were found to have been fired at a home and into a vehicle in the area of Delaware. The shots were believed to have been fired sometime Sunday. No one was believed to be injured during that incident. However, police said they are currently investigating that case in connection with the Safari double homicide investigation.

As of 3:23 p.m. charges have not been filed.

Interpreting for the deaf is a role one local organization hopes to make a little easier through a new designation.

Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living (MERIL) said its Bridge Interpreting has now become a Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) approved sponsor.

“Interpreters are required to get professional development credit every year similar to doctors and lawyers,” said Harrison Jones an Interpreter Specialist with MERIL. “Bridge Interpreting has been providing those for several years now but we’ve always had to go through another agency to approve those for national credit. Now, Bridge Interpreting has received status where we can approve workshops and other professional development activities without having to go through another agency.”

Jones said the RID designation has been something MERIL has been working to attain for several months.

“We had to complete an online application to the national organizations that has approved us as sponsors. It required a lot of information about how we run our professional development, what our policies and procedures are and other information about what MERIL does,” Jones said.

Interpreters are needed for many different reasons.

“We send interpreters when requested for court, doctors appointments, anything like that,” Jones said. “We work with numerous different companies, businesses and things in the area.”

The program provides translators for the deaf in English and Spanish.

“We probably have about 100 to 150 individuals in the northwest Missouri area and we serve probably two to three times that in the Kansas City area as well,” Jones said.

For more information on the program contact MERIL at interpreters@meril.org or (816) 244-0834

Thousands are anticipated to turn out in Atchison, Kan. Saturday for the city’s annual Amelia Earhart Festival.

Festivities kicked off Friday at Warnock Lake with Lakefest. Activities continue all day Saturday with the Concert in the Sky fireworks finale to wrap up the annual event drawing crowds to the banks of the Missouri River.

Saturday’s Schedule of Events according to the Atchison Chamber of Commerce is as follows:
July 16th 2016

Breakfast with the Books 9am

Benedictine College, 1020 N. 2nd

Authors discuss Amelia and her impact.

Speakers Symposium 11am

Benedictine College O’Malley McAllister Auditorium, 1020 N. 2nd

This years Speaker’s Symposium will feature returning Pioneering Achievement Award winners as we celebrate our 20thyear!

Pioneering Achievement Award Luncheon 12:30pm

Benedictine College, 1020 N. 2nd

Luncheon honoring 2016 Pioneering Achievement Award recipient Julie Krone. Reservations requested. Cost of lunch is $17.50.

 

DOWNTOWN ACTIVITIES

Children’s Activities 9am-5pm

The kids will have plenty to keep them busy in the 600 block of the Commercial Street Mall, from street performers to interactive activities.

10:00 am – Mad Science

11:00 am – Stone Lion Puppets

12:00 pm – Reptiles Up Close

1:00 pm – BJ Talley-Illusions

2:00 pm – Stone Lion Puppets

3:00 pm – Amelia Look Alike Contest

4:00 pm – Reptiles Up Close

Happy Birthday Amelia 11am-noon

500 Block of Commercial

Visitors are invited to sign a birthday card and eat cake on Amelia’s 119th birthday.

Food, Crafts & Music 9am-5pm

Browse the 500, 600, & 700 blocks of Commercial, a delight for the senses. Music schedule:

9am-11am: Turpin’ Tyme Ragsters

11am-1pm: Bill Robinson

1pm-3pm: Red Bridge Bluegrass

3pm-5pm: Boomerz

Music on the Riverfront 4:30pm-11:30pm

4:30pm-7:30pm: Jeff Lux

8pm-11:30pm: Phil Vandel

Evening Aerobatic Performances 7:55pm

Two aerobatic performance over the Missouri River with Younkin Airshows.

“Concert in the Sky” Fireworks Show

For more information on the festival CLICK HERE.

A woman is accused of prostitution after a year-long investigation into a massage parlor in Maryville.

Wei Shi, 54 of Kansas City, Mo. has been charged in Nodaway County with a misdemeanor for prostitution.

According to court documents, in June of 2015 Maryville Public Safety began investigating after a report of a massage parlor located at 1306 S. Main offering sexual contact with clients for money.

Officer Adam James with MPS said in July of 2015 he found ads online for “Sunny Massage” at that address that included pictures of women in different states of nudity along with animated characters performing sexual acts.

“I ran license plates of individuals whom appeared to be working for and living at the business,” James said. “(3) females that were able to be fully identified had prior arrests for prostitution.”

James said towards the end of 2015 through March of 2016 activity appeared to have stopped or at least slowed.

“In April of 2016, I noticed the building was back to being occupied,” James said. “The signs in the windows were updated and traffic picked back up.”

James said on June 15 he made contact with a man in a motel parking lot after watching him leave the business.

“On condition of anonymity, the adult male confirmed he went into the building and agreed to pay $60.00 for a massage,” James said. “and was sexually gratified. The male admitted to being at the business toward the end of 2015 and having the same encounter.”

Earlier this week James said he made contact with a man leaving the business who claimed to have paid $40 for a 30 minute massage.

“Once she reached the area of his penis, she stated she would continue for a tip,” James said. “He asked her how much and she stated $50.00. After negotiation, they agreed on $30.00.”

James said the man claimed to have received the same treatment on two other occasions at the same business.

“He paid for a massage up front, but was offered sexual gratification for additional money,” James said.

A search warrant was executed at the business on Wednesday.

“Among other things, a black record book was located. The book offered what appeared to be a column for the date of a massage, a column for the message time requested 30 or 60 minutes, and a column for additional money paid,” James said. “This appears to substantiate his claim of 30 minute massages for $40.00, 60 minutes massages for $60.00, and then extra money paid during the massage for sexual gratification.”

Shi is set for an initial arraignment in Nodaway County Court on Monday.  Shi is currently out on $1,000 cash bond.

After being certified as an adult in Buchanan County Juvenile court Wednesday a 16-year-old is now facing a new charge in connection with the shooting death of 18-year-old Skylar Powell.

The Buchanan County Prosecutor’s Office has charged Gabriel Dawson with a felony for first-degree attempted robbery.  The charge carries a sentence range of 5-15 years.

According to court documents, Dawson committed the crime of attempted armed robbery by helping plan a robbery and attempting to carry out the robbery at gun point.  Little other information as to Dawson’s involvement was released in the documents.

Dawson had previously been charged in Juvenile court with second-degree murder but was certified to stand trial as an adult Wednesday morning which gave the prosecutor’s office 24 hours to make a charge decision.

Four other suspects are also charged in the case including, Justin Smith, Dayne Matthews, Kyle Smith and Ashten Surritte.  Prosecutors believe Powell was killed during a drug transaction and attempted robbery May 17 in the area of 2200 Calhoun.

Dawson is being held on $20,000 cash only bail.  An arraignment is set for July 19.