(Missourinet) – Missouri residents devastated by flooding during April and early May have one last chance to apply for disaster relief.

Monday is the deadline for homeowners and renters in 35 counties to seek individual federal assistance.

Those living in the following counties are eligible to apply: Bollinger, Butler, Carter, Christian, Crawford, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Howell, Iron, Jasper, Jefferson, Madison, Maries, McDonald, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Phelps, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, Ste. Genevieve, St. Louis, Stone, Taney, Texas, Wayne and Wright.

President Donald Trump issued a Disaster Declaration for the state on June 2nd, freeing up federal funds to provide assistance. State Disaster Recovery Coordinator Patrick Baker said people often mistakenly assume they can’t get federal assistance if they’re protected by disaster insurance.

“It’s important that even if an applicant has flood insurance that they still call and register,” said Baker. “We don’t want anybody to disqualify themselves. Let those officials on the phone walk you through what programs and assistance is available, see what you might qualify for.”

Since disaster assistance has been available for victims of the spring floods, grant money has been issued to nearly 1,900 individuals and families in the 35 counties for items such as emergency home repairs and rental assistance.

Mike O’Connell with the Missouri Department of Public Safety said the dollar figure for individuals is substantial.

“There’s almost $12 million in grant money that’s gone to them,” said O’Connell.

O’Connell said the federal money is meant to simultaneously help people and the cities they live in recover from disasters.

“This is essential for families to recover, and then that helps Missouri communities recover. We just don’t want anybody to miss out on this opportunity to apply,” said O’Connell.

Homeowners, renters and businesses in Missouri have also received low interests loans totaling $15.6 million from the Small Business Administration as a result of the floods.

Further information during the last day to apply for aid is available here of by calling 1-800-621-FEMA.

(Missourinet) – An estimated 2,500 people attended Saturday’s funeral to pay their respects to a Clinton police officer who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Thirty-seven-year-old Gary Michael was shot twice in the chest with a rifle on Sunday night after he pulled over a vehicle for a registration violation.

He’s the first officer in the town of about 9,000 people to die in the line of duty.

Michael’s service was held at the Benson Center in Clinton. Missourinet radio affiliate KDKD in Clinton said the center was filled and additional seating was opened up in an adjacent community center.

Michael served in the U.S. Army as a military police officer. After leaving the Army, he pursued other careers. He followed in his family’s footsteps for a while by selling cars. During the funeral, his younger brother, Chris Michael, said it was evident that his brother had ambition to do more than sell cars.

“It wasn’t that Gary wasn’t good at it, it just didn’t satisfy his heart,” he said.

Chris Michael said being a police officer was his big brother’s dream job.

“Everyone has learned this week that my brother is a hero, but he’s been my hero for a long, long time,” said Chris Michael.

Governor Eric Greitens, R, also spoke at the service. He said police work is what Michael felt called to do.

“The day he went into give his resignation and to tell Greg, his boss, that he was going to become a police officer, Greg asked him why. Gary said ‘I want to try and make a difference.’ Today, we can say to officer Michael, mission accomplished, sir,” said Greitens.

A procession to the cemetery spanned for miles with law enforcement officers, soldiers, patriotic motorcyclists and others saluting along the route.

Two people have pleaded not guilty for their suspected roles in the shooting. Ian McCarthy, 39, has been charged with first-degree murder. William Grant Noble, 35, has been charged in connection with disposing of the rifle believed to have been used in the slaying.

(Missourinet) – A group that supports Missouri’s new right to work law filed to have a court case moved to the state Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Shortly after Governor Greitens signed the right to work bill in February, labor unions sought to place the law before a public vote.

A Kansas City attorney and The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation represent plaintiffs who are trying to thwart a union signature gathering campaign that, if successful, would secure a spot on the ballot for the law.

They’ve targeted language in a ballot summary, which is attached to documents canvassers carry as they’re gathering signatures.

They claim the language in the summary is vague, misleading and confusing.

A circuit court judge in Jefferson City agreed with them and rewrote the summary. The unions responded by appealing to a higher court.  A three judge panel at the state’s Western District Court of Appeals in Kansas City sided with the unions and reinserted the language they favored.

The Kansas City attorney, Edward Greim, and the Right to Work Foundation then asked the appeals court to transfer the case to the state Supreme Court. After having their request declined, Greim and the foundation applied Wednesday directly to the high court to consider the case.

Greim contends lower benches have misinterpreted a 2012 Supreme Court case known as Brown versus Carnahan, which set standards for how ballot summaries should be drawn up.  He said he thinks the high court should once again take up the issue.

“If they don’t, then the courts below, the way they’ve read Brown vs. Carnahan, is going to lead to ballot titles that make no sense” said Greim.  “People will be signing petitions and voting in the voting booth, casting votes that they don’t really intend to cast.”

In Missouri, ballot measures such as the one now being litigated, are written by the Secretary of State.  Several other state departments, including the Attorney General, must approve the language before the Secretary of State gives the final go-ahead for signatures to be gathered.

In the document asking the Supreme Court to take up the case, Greim includes political research showing that voters either stop casting a vote or vote no once they encounter confusing language on a ballot.

In addition to their claim that the ballot summary is confusing, Greim and the National Right to Work Foundation object to its use of the phrase “fair share.”  Greim contends the term is appropriate for election campaigns, but has no place on the ballot.

“It is actually a talking point that unions use to say that, when people are forced to pay dues for the union representation, that is their fair share.  You should make them pay their fair share.”

Right to work proponents hope the Supreme Court will quickly toss out the ballot summary language. Otherwise, the unions will likely meet an August 28th deadline to have the necessary signatures to get the law before a vote.

The canvassers need to gather roughly 100,000 valid signatures to make that happen.

 

TOPEKA – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has released the 2016 Kansas Crime Index Report. The report compiles crime statistics reported to the KBI by local and state law enforcement agencies across Kansas, which are submitted through the Kansas Incident Based Reporting System (KIBRS).

Violent crime analysis
The 2016 Kansas Crime Index Report reflected an overall increase of 4.2% in violent crimes such as murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults and batteries. This increase occurred even after a sharp 11.2% increase for these violent crimes in 2015.

Further, the incidence of murder continued to rise in 2016. Kansas had a total of 148 murders reported, an increase of 12.1% over the number reported in 2015. Of these, 14.3% involved multiple murders in a single incident. The murder rate in 2016 is as high as Kansas has seen since 2000, when 156 murders were reported. The highest murder rate recorded in the state was in 1993 with 188 murders reported.

Property crime analysis
Property crimes in Kansas have tended to decline in the past several years. However, this year’s 2% increase in the overall property crime rate is driven by a significant increase in the number of motor vehicle thefts.

Find the full 2016 Kansas Crime Index report at: http://www.kansas.gov/kbi/stats/stats_crime2016.shtml.

(Missourinet) – Two men have pleaded not guilty for their suspected roles in the killing of a western Missouri police officer. Ian McCarthy, 39, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Clinton police officer Gary Michael. William Grant Noble of Clinton, 35, has been charged with felony tampering with evidence. He is accused of throwing the rifle used in the murder into a body of water north of Clinton. It’s unknown what connection McCarthy has to Noble.

Henry County Prosecutor Richard Shields says charges against other individuals could be announced as an investigation continues.

Michael, 37, was gunned down during a traffic stop on Sunday. During an exchange of gunfire, both Michael and McCarthy were shot. The bullets that hit Michael ultimately killed him. It’s unknown which part of McCarthy’s body was struck by a bullet or bullets.

McCarthy crashed his car about two blocks away from the scene of the shooting. Police are investigating how McCarthy traveled 13 miles after being shot by Michael. He was found near a resort on Truman Lake two days after the shooting occurred. About 100 law enforcement officers helped with an intense two day search for the suspect.

Michael’s funeral will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. in Clinton. The service will be broadcast on Missourinet Clinton affiliate KDKD and live-streamed at westcentralmoinfo.com.

Governor Eric Greitens’ spokesman tells Missourinet the governor will be attending the funeral. Greitens has also ordered U.S. and Missouri flags at state buildings in all 114 counties and the City of St. Louis to be flown at half-staff on Saturday in honor of Officer Michael.

A police academy scholarship fund has been set up in Michael’s name.

(Missourinet) – The body of Clinton Police Officer Gary Michael was returned to the western-Missouri town Wednesday.

The 37-year-old officer was allegedly gunned down late Sunday night by 39-year-old Ian McCarthy during a traffic stop.

A candle light vigil was held in Michael’s honor Wednesday night. More than a thousand people gathered in the center of the small town of 9,000 to pay respects in front of the Henry County Court House.

Officers from across the state escorted Michael’s body into the Vansant-Mills Funeral Home.

Visitation will be held Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home in Clinton. A second public viewing will be held at the Benson Convention Center in Clinton from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday.

Michael’s funeral will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the convention center.

McCarthy has been charged with First Degree Murder for the shooting, which carries a possible death sentence.

Questions involving the incident remain unanswered. Law enforcement personnel haven’t publicly identified the gun used in the shooting of Michael.

Also, it is not known how McCarthy traveled on foot 13 miles after being shot by Officer Michael during the incident Sunday night.

McCarthy crashed and disabled his vehicle two blocks away from where his alleged encounter with Michael took place. He then alluded law enforcement personnel for most of two days before being captured.

Henry County Sheriff Kent Oberkrom said he thinks McCarthy may have been aided by another person during his time at large. Oberkrom suggested it’s possible the other person wasn’t aware McCarthy was being pursued by police.