(News release) – An investigation by agents of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) led to Thursday’s arrest of a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy.

The sheriff’s deputy, David Schmitt, age 30, from Meriden, was arrested at approximately 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 1 in Polk County, Iowa. Schmitt was arrested for alleged offenses including: aggravated battery, disorderly conduct, two counts of aggravated endangering a child, two counts of intimidation of a witness or victim, and two counts of aggravated assault.

The suspected crimes are related to an April 13, 2016 domestic violence incident, and other alleged conduct while Schmitt was released on bond following his initial arrest on April 15, 2016. Schmitt was not formally charged after his initial arrest for domestic battery, and since then has remained on administrative leave from the Sheriff’s Office.

Following his arrest today, Schmitt was booked into the Polk County Jail where he awaits extradition to Kansas.

(Missourinet) – A record 291 students, ages 6 to 15, are participating in this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, including eight Missouri students.

The 90th annual competition gets underway Wednesday and continues through Thursday.

Missouri students who will be vying for the top spot are Joel Miles of Greenwood and the Raymore-Peculiar School District, Joseph Benson of Kansas City, Jacob Muin of Sedalia, Emily King of Steele in southeast Missouri, Alice Liu of Chesterfield, Kael Miranda of Columbia, Elizabeth Tittrington of Kansas City and Congress Middle School and Deuce Ditton of Rolla.

Students from all 50 states are competing for the title.

The winner – or winners – will be awarded $40,000 in cash, a trophy and other prizes. For the past three years in a row, there has been more than one champion.

(Missourinet) – Republican Governor Eric Greitens will sign today SB 182, a bill that bans the practice of requiring that non-union contractors pay union wages to workers involved in public construction projects.

The so-called project labor agreements prohibited are for things like jails, courthouses, schools and fire stations. The measure will also cut state funding to Missouri cities and counties that force non-union contractors to pay workers union wages for such jobs.

Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker will be at today’s bill signing in eastern Missouri’s Earth City, which is an industrial/warehouse area near I-70. The sponsors of the legislation, Rep. Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, and Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, will also attend.

In a press release today from Greitens, he says the changes ensure that special advantages are not given to union bosses when negotiating government contracts.

“Project Labor Agreements drive up the cost of construction and kill jobs,” Governor Greitens said. “Our top priority is more jobs for the people. We’re eliminating this sweetheart deal for special interests, protecting taxpayers, and creating more opportunity for all workers in Missouri.”

Opponents of the measure say the quality of workers, projects completed and wages will deteriorate.

The legislation is one of two major labor bills passed earlier this year by the Missouri Legislature’s GOP supermajority. The other one, known as Right-to-Work, bars mandatory union fees in the workplace. Greitens has signed that measure into law.

(Missourinet) – A new company is looking to improve watercraft safety with an operation that just started over the holiday weekend.

It’s the brain child of Zach Hatraf, whose best friend died while intoxicated 11 years ago when his jet ski collided with a boat.

The tragic incident inspired Hatraf to come up with a way to free people from operating watercraft when drinking alcohol, and offer safe transportation on the lake.

For the past nine years, Hatraf has run “Who’s Your Captain” on Lake of the Ozarks.  The business has been successful to the point that he’s employed 35 drivers during the peak of summer season on the lake.

Now, Hatraf is starting what’s been called the Uber for boats, complete with Android and IOS Apps to order service.  Given the prevalence of nightspots and restaurant and bars on Lake of the Ozarks, it’s a given that boat rental businesses know they rent watercraft to people who will drink behind the wheel.

Hatraf said it’s a don’t ask, don’t tell policy. He calls his new operation an option to avoid drinking and driving on the lake.

“It’s a way for people to get a ride on the water right now, conveniently, safely, affordably from any dock to any dock,” Hatraf said. “If that existed, then we’d no longer have the excuse for our behavior of boating intoxicated and doing these things.”

Hatraf is seeking to revolutionize recreational boating through the use of technology and empowering entrepreneurs.  He claims to have 57 drivers prepared to serve the 250,000 people per weekend that, according to Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitors Bureau, visit the destination over the summer season.

The service, which is called “Anchor,” has started off offering trips from point A to point B, or a cruise which would have the same starting and ending spot.

“They don’t want to worry about their boat falling through,” Hatraf said.  “They don’t want to have to worry about hefty deposits. They don’t want to worry about scheduling and how many friends are going to be there. They would like a technology based service to take care of all of those problems for them. And that’s what we’re going to be building on.”

A boat ride through Anchor will carry up to 12 people, although Hatraf said larger groups can affordably order two boats at a time if two people have downloaded the app.

The business has partnered with four major entertainment spots on the water to offer Memorial Day weekend promo codes – Topsider, Backwater Jacks, Coconuts and Lazy Gators.

Hatraf said he thinks groups of people will find it more attractive to use an Uber-like water service to travel around the lake than taking a land based taxicab.

“The math, really when you simplify it, make a lot of sense for this to be slightly more expensive that traveling by land, but a whole heck of a lot more fun and entertaining,”

The 57 drivers employed through Anchor go through background checks, which includes criminal record, motor vehicle report, and in-person vessel inspections.

(Missourinet) – A group wants to ban efforts that would allow toll roads in Missouri.

Mark Stephens with A Better Road Forward said there are other ways to fund the state’s infrastructure needs and toll roads are not the answer. Stephens’s group is gathering petition signatures in hopes of asking voters next year to ban tolling on I-70 and state roads.

A group of lawmakers said toll roads would be one of several solutions that could pay for America’s seventh largest highway system in a state with one of the country’s lowest fuel taxes.

Legislative efforts to ban toll roads have been introduced but they have not been widely embraced.

“We’ve talked to legislators, but we just feel that it’s important enough that it needs to be done away with forever,” Stephens said. “The economic detriment would just be too costly.”

The state Transportation Department supports the creation of a toll road along I-70 to help fund Missouri’s deteriorating roads and bridges.

“We double-tax farmers and our small businesses too much. The initial toll road was to be between basically from Wentzville and Blue Springs,” Stephens said. “With no one else having it, that’s not right. That would put a big burden on the small towns and cities along the I-70 corridor. It might bankrupt some of them.”

Stephens said fuel taxes are one way to fund MODOT’s money problems.

“We’ve presented to MODOT a group of ideas to take small pieces to get to the point of being able to fund our transportation,” Stephens said.

Stephens points to Sen. Bill Eigel, R-St. Charles, who proposed this year using $2.7 billion in general revenue over ten years to help fund the state’s infrastructure needs. The Missouri Legislature also passed this year the creation of a task force to study the state’s transportation funding crisis and give its recommendations by January.

Missouri’s 17-cents-per-gallon fuel tax hasn’t been raised in 21 years. The last tax hike was part of bipartisan legislation passed in 1992 to increase it six-cents per gallon. It was backed by former Governor John Ashcroft (R) and the majority of state lawmakers. Ashcroft worked on the issue with then-Speaker Bob Griffin (D-Cameron) and the overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature.

(Missourinet) – Missouri officials say 3M plans a $40 million expansion at their Springfield plant.

The state Department of Economic Development says the expansion is expected to create 90 new jobs.

The Springfield plant produces industrial adhesives and tapes for the aerospace industry and heavy industrial customers worldwide.

The plant manager says the investment builds upon 50 years of successful operations in Springfield, and 3M’s commitment to the community.

3M also has operations in two other Missouri communities: Columbia and Nevada.

3M’s website says the company has 90,000 employees and $30 billion in sales. The website also says 3M has paid dividends to its shareholders without interruption for 100 years.