The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department said it’s searching for Leonard T. Barr as a person of interest in connection with an incident Tuesday at the mid-belt Taco Bell.

As we previously reported, deputies responded to the Taco Bell around 10:15 a.m. in reference to a report of a stolen vehicle in the drive thru.

“The officers attempted to stop the vehicle which was in the drive thru, at which time the suspect began ramming the patrol vehicles forward and reverse,” said Col. Bill Puett. “The suspect attempted to ram one of the officers at which time the officer defended himself and fired rounds at the vehicle.”

The suspect was able to get away from deputies in the stolen vehicle which was later found unoccupied.

Barr is being sought by the sheriff’s department as a person of interest in the case.  Anyone with information is asked to call the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office at (816) 236-8800 or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

 

 

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department is investigating after a suspect in a stolen vehicle got away from deputies Tuesday morning at the mid-belt Taco Bell.

Col. Bill Puett with the Sheriff’s Department said deputies responded to the drive thru at the Taco Bell around 10:15 a.m. in response to locating a stolen passenger vehicle.

“The officers attempted to stop the vehicle which was in the drive thru, at which time the suspect began ramming the patrol vehicles forward and reverse,” Puett said. “The suspect attempted to ram one of the officers at which time the officer defended himself and fired rounds at the vehicle.”

The suspect was able to get away from deputies in the stolen vehicle which was later located unoccupied.  Puett said it did not appear that the suspect was injured.

Authorities are searching for Leonard Barr as a person of interest in the case.  CLICK HERE for details and a photo provided by the department.

The owner of St. Joe Guns is facing multiple felony charges after being accused of failing to pay more than $329,000 in sales tax to the State of Missouri.

Eric Worsham, 27 of St. Joseph was charged Friday in Buchanan County with three felonies for filing false sales tax returns, and five felonies for with intent to defraud.

According to court documents obtained by the St. Joseph Post, Special Agent Brittany Davenport with the Missouri Department of Revenue, Criminal Tax Investigation Bureau began investigating Worsham and St. Joe Guns located on Southwest US Highway 59 in St. Joseph for filing false sales tax returns and for failure to remit sales tax due.

In the probable cause documents, Davenport said she looked at sales tax that should have been collected from consumers from January 2013 through Sept. 2015.

“The total criminal sales tax liability of underpaid sales tax for Worsham of St. Joe Guns is three hundred eighty-eight thousand twent-nine dollars and sixty-one cents ($388,029.61),” Davenport said. “This figure includes the sales tax due, interest, additions and fraud penalties of Worsham.”

She said that tax registration records show St. Joe Guns has been in business as a gun store, selling merchandise to consumers since at least 2012.

“Worsham has filed seven (7) out of eight (8) annual and quarterly sales tax returns required since the inception of St. Joe Guns in 2012.  Worsham has only remitted the correct sales tax payments for three (3) sales tax periods out of eight(8) sales tax periods due to the state of Missouri,” Davenport said. “Since the proper sales tax amount has not been fully paid since 2012, Worsham has personally benefited from the tax dollars that were not remitted.”

Davenport said Worsham has used the money to pay for expenses and personal expenditures.

“For instance, recurring expenses including purchases to various retailers and eating establishments, including, but not limited to Wal-Mart, Menards and Amazon.com,” Davenport said.

In addition, she states that the department of revenue shows that in 2013 he purchased a 2003 Pace Trailer and a 2000 GMC Truck.

“This shows Worsham’s disregard of the laws of the state of Missouri, as related to the remittance of sales tax,” Davenport said. “Worsham purchased a vehicle and a trailer in 2013, but Worsham failed to pay the sales tax due on retail sales from St. Joe Guns in 2013.”

Davenport said on Dec. 8, 2015 she went to St. Joe Guns to try to make contact with Worsham.

“Upon my arrival, I made contact with an employee, who indicated that Worsham was the owner of the business, but that he worked full time for Gray Manufacturing,” Davenport said. “The employee advised that Worsham typically works at St. Joe Guns on the weekends.  I left a copy of the sales tax revocation letter previously mailed to Worsham of St. Joe Guns and my contact information.”

Then on Dec. 17 Davenport said she spoke with St. Joe Guns’s power of attorney and advised that she would like to set up a time to meet with Worsham.

“As of the date of this report, I have been unable to make contact with Worsham directly, in regard to an interview,” Davenport said.

A special prosecutor has been assigned to the case.  Andrew County Prosecuting Attorney, Steven Stevenson has been assigned by Judge Patrick Robb.

 

A woman who blazed a path for future women lawyers and a St. Joseph resident is being honored during Women’s History Month by the St. Joseph YWCA.

An event called the Amazing Grace Luncheon is being held in honor of Grace Day March 16th from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the YWCA in the Terrace Room. YWCA program director, Ellen Kisker said the luncheon will feature a showing of the documentary “Amazing Grace” which follows Day’s story as a local celebrity and a trailblazer for women.

“When she went to Law School at the university of South Dakota she was the only woman in her class of 170. That’s courageous. She faced many taunts and jeers and snide comments expecting her to quit anyday and she just wouldn’t put up with that,” Kisker said. ” She showed them that she was perseverant and determined to receive her degree and she did extremely well in that class.  I think she opened that field for many more women after her.”

Kisker said Day ended up in St. Joseph after meeting her future husband in law school.

“Out of the 170 men who probably did no want her there was one gentleman who did like her and was happy to know her, Milton Day and he was from St. Joe,” Kisker said. “He fell in love with her and she fell in love with him and when they graduated they moved back to St. Joseph.”

She passed the bar in 1959 and became one of the first women to practice law in St. Joseph However, graduating with a law degree and working in the field was a little more difficult at that time for a woman. Kisker said Day found a way to make it work.

“She couldn’t find a job because that was unheard of to have a woman in a law firm at that time and they were afraid that would drive away clients,” Kisker said. “She finally found a job but they expected her to do secretarial duties. That’s not what she wanted to do. She and her husband discussed it and she decided she was going to open her own practice. She couldn’t get any clients so she told the judges she would take client who couldn’t pay and of course this was back before we had public defenders. She became well-known quickly.”

Soon Kisker said, Day was recognized by a valuable lawyer and was then hired.  After working in the field for nearly 64 years Day retired in 2013 at the age of 88.

In honor of Day’s contributions the YWCA will honor her on March 16th with a luncheon. RSVPs for the luncheon are due by March 9th to the YWCA.  The cost is $10 dollars with lunch served by Pronto Cafe.  Individuals who simply want to view the documentary can do so free of charge. For more information CLICK HERE.

The St. Joseph School District is giving students another day of spring break due to some unused snow days.

The District said it will not be in session on Friday, March 18, 2016 and all offices will be closed that day as well.

Since the district did not use any snow days this school year, an additional day was added to the spring break vacation time.

The City of St. Joseph installed two bicycle repair stations Thursday along the Parkway.

“They are a single post but inside of the post there are several cables that have a variety of tools with them that bicyclists can use to preform a variety of different kinds of repairs,” said Chuck Kempf, St. Joseph Parks Director. “Tools that can really deal with any variety of bicycle issue while folks are out on the trail system.”

One station was installed near the St. Joseph REC Center, the other station was installed near Corby Pond.

“A lot of cyclists knew that we had received them…and that the stations were going to be installed and there was a lot of good feedback on that,” Kempf said. “This morning when they were putting in the unit to the north of Corby Pond quite a few people slowed down just to see what we were doing there.”

Kempf said the St. Joseph Health Dept. received a grant to pay for the stations and around 10 new bike racks that will be installed at a later date. He said it’s all part of an effort to make St. Joseph a bicycle friendly community.

“Also another effort to encourage people to get out to make things easier for them to exercise, to get fit, to enjoy the beautiful parks and trails that we have to offer,” Kempf said. “We’re just really encouraging our own citizens to get out and take advantage of the great opportunities that they have in their own backyard.”

The St. Joseph Police Department is searching for several individuals after shots were fired at a trailer Wednesday morning.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said Officers responded to the 5000 block of Faraon around 7:20 a.m. in reference to a call of shots fired.

“Upon arrival we did locate evidence of a shooting,” Wilson said. “Shell casings were located as well as the trailer appeared to have been struck at least once.”

No one was reported to be injured and no one was at home when officers arrived.

Capt. Wilson said a witness reported seeing a green Toyota late model car leaving the scene at the time.

“It is a four door with three subjects occupying.  Possible suspect vehicle,” Wilson said. “Witness also stated that shortly thereafter they saw two subjects leave the trailer.  We have not been able to locate any of those subjects at this time.”

Detectives are continuing to investigate.