KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Jackson County jury has returned a split verdict in a lawsuit accusing a pastor who’s also a past president of the Missouri State Board of Education of sexual exploitation.
The Kansas City Star reports the jury ruled Thursday that the Rev. Stan Archie’s Christian Fellowship Baptist Church has to pay a former staffer and her husband $350,000 for misrepresenting that a 2007 church investigation of her abuse allegations was aimed at learning the truth.
Jurors rejected claims alleging that Archie and the church had defrauded the staffer by misrepresenting Archie as a “safe and competent” counselor. The jury declined to consider punitive damages.
Lawyers for the couple, who were not identified, had been seeking $1.5 million.
Archie resigned as Missouri State Board of Education president in January 2013.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The State Historical Society of Missouri will offer two stipends to encourage study of the state’s environmental history and a new approach to studying state history.
Society President Stephen Limbaugh Jr. said in a news release that the $5,000 stipends will be offered in 2015 to two scholars for the new “Center for Missouri Studies” program. The program is in preparation for the 2021 bicentennial of Missouri statehood.
Gary Kremer, executive director of the historical society, will be the first senior fellow of the program, and will help shape the new center. His fellowship is in addition to the two competitive fellowships.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports applications for the fellowships must be submitted by Nov. 1. The winners will be announced no later than Jan. 1.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Members of a Kansas City Council committee say they are impressed with a proposal to turn Kemper Arena into a youth sports complex.
Developer Steve Foutch detailed his plans for Kemper Thursday to the council’s planning and zoning committee. He says the complex would include a new second floor in the arena, with 12 basketball courts, fitness rooms and the region’s largest indoor running track.
Foutch says the idea is to draw thousands of kids and their families to the area, while also saving the arena from demolition.
The Kansas City Star reports (http://bit.ly/1oLdUD0 ) the Foutch proposal is competing with a plan from the American Royal, which would replace Kemper with a smaller building for equestrian events, and use the building at other times for youth soccer and different sports.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas inmate is suing the Shawnee County Jail saying his religious rights were violated while he was incarcerated.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Eddie A. Gordon Sr. is a practicing Muslim.
Gordon has filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday in a 15-page handwritten petition. He acted as his own attorney. Gordon seeks $2 million in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit is against the jail, the jail’s food service provider and other officials. It says Gordon wasn’t fed for 28 hours during Ramadan, a Muslim holy month marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset.
Shawnee County counselor Rick Eckert says the jail is confident Gordon was treated in an appropriate manner.
Gordon was sentenced to 23 years in 2011 for second-degree murder.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City on Thursday announced the election of two new members to its Board of Directors.
Ann Mesle, a retired Jackson County Circuit Court judge, was elected to complete the term of Ed Galan, who resigned in May from the board due to new job responsibilities.
Zori Rodriguez, executive director of SAVE Inc., was elected to complete the term of Susan Wilson, who resigned in March to take the position of vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
HCF also is accepting applications to fill seven upcoming vacancies on its 2015 board. Interested applicants should review the online nomination packet for a list of qualifications.
Qualified candidates should complete an online application by Aug. 30.
HCF was created in 2002 as part of the Hospital Corporation of America’s purchase of Health Midwest. It began grantmaking in 2005 and has invested more than $160 million into its service area of Kansas City, Mo.; Cass, Jackson and Lafayette counties in Missouri, and Allen, Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas.
BLUE RIDGE- A teen driver was injured in a Thursday evening accident in Harrison County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 GMC truck driven by Terrance J. Niemeier, 66, Pleasant Valley, was southbound on MO. 146 just south of Blue Ridge.
The truck crossed the center line and sideswiped a 1996 Ford Crown Victoria driven by Breanna R. Elder, 18, Gillman City that had also crossed the centerline.
The impact caused the truck to run off the east side of the road, strike a ditch and a fence before it came to rest in a pasture. The Ford ran off the west side of the road and came to rest in a bean field.
Elder was transported to the hospital in Bethany. Elder was not injured.
The MSHP reported both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident.
TARKIO- A Missouri woman was injured in a Thursday evening accident in Atchison County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Chevy Cavalier driven by Megan L. Carter, 36, Burlington Junction, was westbound on U.S. 136 three miles east of Tarkio. The vehicle ran off the north side of the road, skidded, and then ran off the road. The vehicle impacted the ground, overturned and hit a utility pole.
Carter was transported to community hospital in Fairfax.
The MSHP reported she was not wearing a seat belt.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man has been found guilty of multiple charges in a home invasion last fall in which one person was shot multiple times but survived.
The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/1mqu3te ) reports 26-year-old Marlyn Standifer was convicted Thursday of attempted first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, kidnapping and two counts of armed criminal action. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 10.
A man who was shot during the attempted robbery testified that Standifer approached him with a gun on Sept. 20 and ordered him to knock on a neighbor’s door. The witness said Standifer and two accomplices made it inside the house but fled after a man who lived there started shooting at them.
The witness was hit by four bullets during the exchange of gunfire.
Anita Jo Albano, Photo Courtesy Kan. Department of CorrectionsEric D Lipp, photo -Kan. Department Corrections
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Riley County police say they’ve arrested three people in connection to an ongoing investigation into cocaine and methamphetamine distribution.
Police say they made the arrests on Tuesday and Wednesday in Manhattan. They seized nearly 54 grams of meth, nearly 5 grams of cocaine and 37 meth hydrochloride pills. About $2,000 in cash and a handgun were also confiscated.
Police say the drugs have a street value of approximately $7,000.
Eric D. Lipp (43) of 2108 Mikes Place Manhattan, Kansas was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, felon in possession of a firearm, criminal use of a weapon, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and interference with law enforcement. Lipp is currently being held at the Riley County Jail in lieu of a $70,000 bond.
Anita J. Albano (47) of 208 Riley Avenue Ogden, Kansas was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful use of a telecommunications device, and possession of a controlled substance. Albano is currently being held at the Riley County Jail in lieu of a $10,000 bond.
Catherine A. Hopkins (45) of 2108 Mikes Place Manhattan, Kansas was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Hopkins is currently confined at the Riley County Jail in lieu of a $5,000 bond.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – A Missouri judge has ruled in favor of teachers who filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit when they were laid off from the state’s online instruction program.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that Boone County Circuit Judge Jodie Asel ruled Wednesday that the teachers had an enforceable contract for the entire 2009-2010 school year.
The 21 plaintiffs began working in the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program in August 2009 but were let go four months later when the state stopped funding the program. It’s now a tuition-based program.
The teachers’ lawyer, David Brown, said he expects a settlement on monetary damages without a trial on that issue.
Defendants included the University of Missouri, whose spokesman declined to comment Thursday, and a nonprofit based at the university that hired the teachers.
