A St. Joseph man will be held without bail pending future court appearances on domestic assault charges.
Anthony Hanner was charged with 3rd-degree domestic assault, a class-e felony. A probable cause affidavit said Hanner knocked a woman unconscious by forcing her to the floor and then striking her in the head with his knee.
The court filing says the woman was struck several times during the altercation April 14, causing severe injuries including broken ribs and fractures to her jaw and eye socket.
Bail was originally set at $10,000 cash, but Prosecutor Kristina Zeit filed a motion to deny bail. Zeit said the defendant has assaulted the victim in the past and has threatened to kill her.
Court documents said Hanner has been arrested in the past for endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest, and has been arrested for failure to appear 11 times.
Associate Circuit Judge Rebecca Spencer sustained Zeit’s motion and ordered Hanner to be held without bail. Judge Spencer scheduled the case for the preliminary hearing docket May 9. Hanner was expected to file for a public defender.
(Missourinet) – It’s the time of year when heavy rain and flooding are a part of life in Missouri, according to storm watchers at the state Highway Patrol.
The National Weather Service is predicting heavy rain in areas ranging from Columbia to Joplin to St. Louis this weekend. The downpours are projected to drop two-to-seven inches of rain in parts of the state, which could threaten travel.
Captain John Hotz with the Highway Patrol said motorists too often drive into moving water, sometimes dodging around barricades, with tragic results.
“Practically half the drowning cases that we see over a year’s time actually start off with them being inside vehicles and then being swept off the roadway,” Hotz said.
The State Highway Patrol reports six drownings so far in 2017, with all of them occurring since late March. Hotz said it’s extremely dangerous and illegal to drive around barricades.
With the heavy rain will come the widespread use of windshield wipers. Many drivers are unaware that when they turn on their wipers, they are also required to have their headlights on.
Hotz said the requirement applies in every case, regardless of the technology a car is equipped with.
“It’s important,” Hotz said. “Some people have the daytime running lights, and that helps out with the front. But if you don’t actually turn your vehicle lighting system on, a lot of times your tail lights are not operational. And that helps you to be more visible to others out there on the road.”
According to a statement in a release from the highway patrol, “The one second it takes to turn on headlights marks a second that a car could be made more visible to prevent an accident.”
The patrol also enforces travel laws on waterways in Missouri. The agency is concerned boaters will inadvertently get themselves into dangerous situations over the weekend, and is urging that extra precautions be taken when boating in flooded lakes and rivers.
Hotz said fast moving water, which is prevalent during flood conditions, can force boats to capsize, and can cause fixed objects to come unhinged.
“When these lakes and rivers spill over the banks, we see a lot of erosion and other types of damage. You see things that are swept into the water that maybe normally aren’t there. There may be some structures, docks, chunks of wood, trees, those types of things.”
Boaters are advised to avoid any operations in swift moving waters over the weekend.
Sen. Rob Schaaf (R-St. Joseph). Photo courtesy Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – Governor Eric Greitens (R) said he disagrees with a political action committee releasing Sen. Rob Schaaf’s (R-St. Joseph) personal cell phone number, but he said he’s not involved in its day-to-day operations.
The PAC – A New Missouri – was created to support Greitens’ agenda. It released attack ads last week against Schaaf urging constituents to tell him to “stop siding with liberals” and blocking certain legislation.
“People are sick of watching career politicians talk and talk and talk but not getting anything done,” Greitens said. “People are standing up. They’re joining us and making sure that we get our priorities passed.”
An advisor to Greitens, Austin Chambers, heads the PAC. Schaaf said Chambers takes marching orders from Greitens.
Schaaf has taken aim this session at Greitens by calling out the governor about refusing to release some campaign donation information, or so-called dark money.
Schaaf told a publication that the governor lacks the courage to confront him directly. During an Missourinet interview in Greitens’ Capitol office, he said that’s not the case.
“We’ll have a conversation who’s willing to fight for the people of Missouri,” Greitens said. “But when you have really liberal, anti-law enforcement politicians who get up and do things like filibuster something like Blue Alert, which I think makes sense to everybody. People around the state know that we need to support our law enforcement officers.”
Schaaf successfully halted Senate business in the chamber most of last week through filibusters focused on his opposition to expanding managed care statewide. Under managed care, private companies are given a monthly fee to provide services to each of Missouri’s Medicaid recipients.
The House and Senate have both passed the expansion.
(News release) – The American Red Cross of Northwest Missouri has ended its long-time
financial partnership with United Way of Greater St. Joseph.
The Red Cross said the decision was based on the Red Cross’s
need for steady support of its entire service area consisting of 18 counties, which stretch across
Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas.
United Way’s primary focus area is Buchanan, Andrew and Doniphan counties, which does not align with
the Northwest Missouri Chapter’s service area. This means that United Way’s funding is restricted to a
small percentage of the Red Cross’s area of growing services.
Springs said the United Way has proposed a method of funding that would only partially reimburse services provided by
the Red Cross. The proposal potentially could reduce funding this year by up to 77% or $167,000. This
restricts the Red Cross’s ability to deliver its own services while adhering to fundraising restrictions
imposed on a United Way Partner Agency.
“We are saddened that we must end a great financial partnership with United Way,” Red Cross
Executive Director Angie Springs said. “We will look more to the people in our communities we serve for
direct financial support and will continue providing the help, hope and service they expect and deserve.”
The Red Cross and United Way will continue to collaborate to meet needs within the community.
Springs went on to add, “Both organizations are on the same team and are focusing on helping people in
this community. In fulfilling our missions, however, we are approaching our work from a different
vantage point.”
Lt. Governor Mike Parson. Photo courtesy Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – A veterans bill signed by President Donald Trump (R) is being praised by Missouri’s Lieutenant Governor, who says it will provide more choice for veterans.
President Trump signed the Veterans Choice Program Extension and Improvement Act this month. Lieutenant Governor Mike Parson (R) said the bill will help Missouri veterans get care in their hometowns, rather than driving for hours.
“You know to have the opportunity to have more choice in their healthcare and their care for what they’ve done for our country, I think that’s huge and I think it’s something I’ve advocated for a long time,” Parson says.
Parson says it’s “unacceptable” for veterans to have to endure long wait times for promised medical care.
The bill is designed to allow veterans to get care they need in their own community, while still allowing them to access care in the VA healthcare system.
Parson said it will help rural Missouri veterans.
“It would almost be like a voucher program where there will be some sort of identification to the veterans that they can walk in to maybe their hometown clinics or their hometown hospital or facilities and get care that they need without having to travel a long way,” says Parson.
Parson tells Missourinet that in his hometown of Bolivar, some veterans have had to travel two-and-a-half hours for care.
The federal bill allows veterans who have had to wait 30 days for an appointment or who live at least 40 miles from a VA to see a private doctor.
President Trump signed the bill on April 19 in the Roosevelt Room. The president’s remarks that day are posted on the White House website, in their entirety.
President Trump said that day, in part: “That’s why I’m pleased today to sign into law the Veterans Choice Program Improvement Act. So this is called the Choice Program Improvement Act. It speaks for itself. This bill will extend and improve the Veterans Choice Program so that more veterans can see the doctor of their choice — you got it? The doctor of their choice — and don’t have to wait and travel long distances for VA care. Some people have to travel five hours, eight hours, and they’ll have to do it on a weekly basis, and even worse than that. It’s not going to happen anymore.”
Parson describes the bill as a “big win” for veterans nationwide. The Missouri Veterans Commission is encouraging veterans to contact their local VA Hospital for more information on how to access the expanded program.
Missouri leaders fight court’s decision to make abuse victim divulge address to attacker. Photo courtesy Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – A Missouri court has denied Attorney General Josh Hawley’s motion to protect the address of a domestic violence victim from her attacker.
Hawley (R) is appealing the court’s decision.
“We disagree with the court’s ruling and will continue to litigate vigorously to defend the Safe at Home program,” Hawley said.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) said the victim is in an address confidentiality program that his office operates.
“The spirit of the law clearly says that once you are admitted to the program by the Secretary of State, you should be protected. That did not happen,” Ashcroft said. “It shouldn’t happen to a single person. These people have already been victimized with some of the most horrible crimes that can ever be committed against someone. For the state or an arm of the state to participate in re-victimization of them is atrocious.”
The “Safe at Home” program, which began in 2007, aims to shield about 1,500 addresses of domestic violence, rape, human trafficking and stalking victims.
Circuit Judge Sandra Farragut-Hemphill’s January order said a woman in a divorce case had not properly enrolled in the program. The judge said the victim did not include a sworn statement maintaining she was an abuse victim and feared additional violence from her husband.
The woman has re-applied to the program.
Ashcroft has asked legislative leaders to offer amendments this session that would prevent additional instances from happening. The legislative session ends May 12.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers have joined Ashcroft in showing their support, including Senate President Pro Tem Richard (R-Joplin), House Speaker Todd Richardson (R-Poplar Bluff), Senator Bob Dixon (R-Springfield), and State Reps. Tracy McCreery (D-Olivette) and Donna Lichtenegger (R-Cape Girardeau).
ST. JOSEPH, MO- The Allied Arts Council has announced the winner of the 2017 Trails West! ® Artwork Competition.
With nearly 40 submissions, Brittany Losensky’s artwork was selected to embody the festival theme “Total Eclipse of the Arts.”
Losensky is from Cameron, and is currently a senior graphic design student at Missouri Western State University.
“When I heard about the competition I remember getting really excited,” Losensky said. “It’s one thing to design a piece like this, but doing what you love is the best part about creating any art piece.”
Losensky said she is honored to be the featured artist for Trails West! ® 2017.
(Missourinet) – On December 7, 1941, Missouri native Jim Downing was one of the many brave Americans who defended their country
Jim Downing. Photo courtesy Missourinet.
proudly during Japan’s attack on U.S. naval base Pearl Harbor.
Downing, who is 103 years old, is the second oldest living survivor of the battle.
Part of his childhood included living in western Missouri’s Oak Grove and northeastern Missouri’s Plevna. Downing is in Missouri this week to speak with service members, veterans and religious groups about Pearl Harbor and what it means to live a life of faith.
Downing was six miles inland when he learned about Japan’s surprise military strike. He raced to defend his shipmates and rescued many of them. Downing, who was the captain of the USS West Virginia, jumped on board to try and keep the fire from reaching the lockers where live ammunition was kept.
He said he had several close calls that day.
“The first Japanese plane that got close to me, it banked, came down toward me, this machine gun opened up. The pilot was at the wrong angle. So the bullets went over my head and dug a trench behind me,” Downing said.
There were 164 ships in port – 22 were seriously damaged. Of the eight battleships, the USS Arizona and USS Oklahoma were total losses. The USS Tennessee, USS Maryland were not damaged. The USS Pennsylvania and USS California had little damage.
“Of course, they (Japan) didn’t want any aircraft to follow them back to their ships. So they destroyed almost 400 aircraft,” Downing said.
More than 2,400 people were killed and 1,100 were injured in the attack which marked America’s entry into World War Two. Downing lost about 105 crew members – 16 or 17 were his close friends.
“The way that the men responded and behaved that morning, everybody was a hero,” Downing said. “Just instinctively, without leadership, without training, they saw what needed to be done and they did it. I was very proud.”
Japan attacked eight nations on December 7, 1941. Pearl Harbor did not take the biggest hit.
“They (Japan) used 360 airplanes at Pearl Harbor. They used 500 in the Philippines at 3 ‘o clock that afternoon,” Downing said. “They attacked Guam. They attacked Indonesia, Singapore, China, and Hong Kong. The Japanese lost eight attacks because they were intent on dominating that part of the world.”
For Downing, who also recently wrote about his experiences in The Other Side of Infamy, the events of Pearl Harbor were not just a matter of the attack and military response. He made it a personal mission to reach out to the families of many of the men who were killed or injured that day, either providing information about those who had died or passing along the sentiments of survivors who were not well enough to write their own letters.
“If the Department of Defense ever decided to decorate the people who deserved it, they would have to get a copper mine in Utah and a cotton field in Texas to mold the medals because everybody was a hero,” Downing said. “I think you can say that about all wars.”
His book has sold more than 10,000 copies. The message he wants to spread to the nation includes inspiration from President Ronald Reagan. He cites a speech by Reagan called “Peace through Strength,” which coined the phrase weakness invites aggression.
“Keep America so strong in cyberspace, in space, in the skies, on the ground, on the sea and under the sea that no nation will think about attacking us,” Downing said.
The 2017 Trails West! line-up has been announced which includes a mix of country, funk rock, and blues-pop.
This year’s festival will take place August 18-21 in Civic Center Park in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Here Come the Mummies, takes the stage Friday night; country music stars Clare Dunn and Trace Adkins will play Saturday; and Sunday’s entertainment includes the Grand Funk Railroad.
Here Come the Mummies Courtesy Photo
Here Come the Mummies return this year after they were set to perform at the festival in 2016 and the show was cancelled due to dangerous weather. According to a news release, the band is an eight-piece rock band with a “terrifying funk from beyond the grave” sound. They have opened for P-Funk, Al Green and Cheap Trick, and they rocked Super Bowl Village 2012.
Clare Dunn Courtesy Allied Arts Council
Clare Dunn is an energetic, guitar-playing country music singer and songwriter from a small farm-town, Two Buttes, Colorado. Dunn made her debut in 2015 and has shared the stage with Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Bob Seger and many more popular artists. She was named one of Rolling Stone’s “Best Things We Saw at CMA Music Fest 2015” and her hit “Tuxedo” is currently being played on country radio across the nation.
Trace Adkins Courtesy Allied Arts Council
Trace Adkins’ trademark baritone has powered countless hits to the top of the charts and sold over 10 million albums, cumulatively. He recently released a new hit album, “Something’s Going On,” in March 2017. His hit list includes “You’re Gonna Miss This,” “Ladies Love Country Boys,” “Songs About Me,” “Every Light In The House,” “Hillbilly Bone (Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins),” and “Just Fishin’,” to name a few.
Grand Funk Railroad Courtesy Allied Arts Council
The festival’s entertainment concludes Sunday evening with Grand Funk Railroad, a classic American pop rock band. According to the Allied Arts Council, Rolling Stone magazine once said “You cannot talk about rock in the 1970s without talking about Grand Funk Railroad!”
Admission to the festival is by souvenir button or 2017 Trails West! ® T-shirt. All festival guests over the age of 10 will need a button for admission. Trails West! ® T-shirts must be purchased in advance and can be worn to the festival as an alternative option to purchasing an admission button. Buttons will go on sale July 1. They will be available for sale online and at various locations across St. Joseph. Buttons locations will be announced at a later date.
Sen. Rob Schaaf (R-St. Joseph). Photo courtesy Missourinet.
(Missourinet) – Missouri State Senator Rob Schaaf (R-St. Joseph) hasn’t ruled out further obstructing activity on the chamber floor after single-handedly grinding it to a halt last week.
He claims Governor Eric Greitens and special interests are trying to ramrod spending through the legislature.
Schaaf says the roll-out of managed care is being done in an unconstitutional manner. He contends managed care providers – specifically Centene Corporation – have donated heavily to Greitens for the purpose of extracting state funds.
“I mean it’s outrageous,” said Schaaf. “Centene was listed as a contributor in the governor’s inaugural program, but the governor won’t reveal how much money Centene contributed. And he’s received millions in dark money. We don’t know how much the managed care companies contributed in that.”
Schaaf says Greitens and the managed care industry are holding a gun to the heads of lawmakers to earmark funding or leave senior and disabled people without medical coverage.
The roll-out to expand managed care delivery of Medicaid benefits from its current implementation in what’s called the “I-70 corridor” to the entire state is scheduled to take effect May 1st. The state won’t have a set budget to present to the governor until May 5th.
Schaaf claims a number of requirements haven’t been met as the roll-out approaches, including obtaining a waiver, adopting a state plan amendment, conducting a network adequacy study and getting approval for new contracts with providers.
An outspoken critic of managed care, Schaaf says he was using techniques available to him to draw attention to the issue when he read passages from the book “Influence” while filibustering the Senate.
“When I see things that I think are corrupt, I use the power available to me to grind things to a halt and bring attention to it. You know, I’ve become very good at that.”
Schaaf launched a number of solo filibusters which effectively blocked almost all Senate floor activity last week. He says he obstructed action last Thursday because the House killed a measure he’s sponsoring in the upper chamber having to do with weigh stations.
“I have this bill. It’s an anti-corruption bill. It’s an ethics bill in reality, and the House killed it. That’s why I stood up and ground the Senate to a halt for an hour.”
The Senate adjourned for the week during Schaaf’s filibuster. The chamber had planned to hold a long session Thursday and reconvene for business Friday before abruptly closing shop.
After fellow Republican Caleb Rowden questioned Senator Schaaf about renting a room from a lobbyist who represents a company in which Schaaf serves as a board member, Schaaf vowed to examine of all Rowden’s legislation for connections to campaign contributions. The Senate adjourned within 45 seconds after the exchange.
Friday, Governor Greitens PAC was criticized for distributing Schaaf’s personal phone number on the internet with a caption asking constituents to tell Schaaf to “stop siding with liberals.”
The message said “Schaaf is attempting to shut down conservative action in the Senate because of personal political games he’s playing along with the liberals.”
The connection of Schaaf to liberals doesn’t take into account other Republicans who spoke at length about legislation they disagree with.
Senator Doug Libla of Poplar Bluff and Senator Gary Romine of Farmington both strongly oppose a bill to restructure utility negotiations with the state’s Public Service Commission over rate hikes.
Schaaf said he would join the two other GOP members and Senate Democrat Jill Schupp in vocally opposing the measure on the Senate floor.
Governor Greitens office hasn’t responded to a request for comment by Missourinet.
When the Senate returned to session Monday afternoon, Schaaf was allowed to make a statement on the floor.
In it, he said he had discontinued his room rental arrangement with the lobbyist. He criticized Greitens, claiming the ad was misleading, and stated he was a strong proponent of banning lobbyist gifts.
He called on Greitens to return a $1 million campaign contribution from Joplin roofing supply magnate David Humphreys, return contributions from Centene and stop the roll-out of the managed care expansion.
Schaaf said Greitens should stop calling senators “corrupt career politicians,” and instead should lead the state in stamping out corruption.
He echoed a common notion among lawmakers about Greitens’ future aspiration by saying “If you ever want to go to the White House, you need to start now.”
Schaaf finished by offering a substitute for Senate Bill 305, which originally prohibited lobbyists from spending more than $10 in any day on behalf of a lawmaker.
