GREENFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri lawmaker says forcing a tiny church to have its chair lift inspected every year is a “true example of government stupidity” and has asked that it be exempted from mandatory inspections.

Greenfield Church of Christ leader Don Adams told a House committee this week that the chair lift installed in 2012 has been inspected twice by the state, at a cost of more than $450 each time.

The Joplin Globe  reports Rep. Mike Kelley, a Lamar Republican, on Monday offered legislation to exempt the Greenfield church from the inspections, saying if something was wrong with the lift, the church would fix it.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety says state law clearly says that no elevator or related equipment can operate without a state operating permit.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a speech on the U.S. Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) discussed his efforts to stop President Barack Obama’s executive amnesty.

During his remarks, Blunt discussed the ENFORCE the Law Act, legislation he introduced to ensure the president upholds his constitutional obligation to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” Blunt also noted that he joined an amicus brief led by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (Texas) and co-signed by U.S. Senator John Cornyn (Texas) in support of a lawsuit brought by the State of Texas against the president’s illegal amnesty.

 

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A federal review of a walkway collapse at a University of Missouri student housing complex has found deterioration of the walkway, a lack of information and lack of situational awareness contributed to the death last year of a Columbia firefighter.
The Columbia Tribune reports Lt. Bruce Britt was killed when a walkway at University Village apartments caved in beneath him on Feb. 22, 2014. The report issued late last month by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says Britt’s cause of death was suffocation due to being crushed by debris.
The report attributed his death to collapse of the walkway, the department’s lack of knowledge of the building’s condition and inadequate information from callers who reported the initial collapse that brought firefighters to the complex.

LAWRENCE – A Kansas man died in an accident just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday in Douglas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Dodge pickup driven by Timothy A. Lang, 50, Perry, was westbound on Interstate 70 just north of Lawrence. The driver lost control of the vehicle on an icy road. It traveled across all lanes and struck a bridge support.

Lang was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is unknown whether Lang was wearing a seat belt according to the KHP

KANSAS CITY (AP) – Authorities say a man rescued by firefighters from a burning home in Kansas City has died at a hospital.

A fire department spokesman says the Wednesday night fire started in a back bedroom, but the cause remains under investigation.

The man was found near the living room. The Kansas City Star reports he was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.

His identity hasn’t been released.

The Associated Press

Health insurer Anthem says hackers infiltrated its computer network and accessed a swathe of personal information about current and former customers including their incomes and street addresses.

The company says in a statement that the cyberattack was “very sophisticated.”

It says credit card information wasn’t compromised and so far it has not found evidence that medical information such as insurance claims and test results was targeted or obtained.

Anthem says the FBI is investigating and it has hired Internet security company Mandiant to improve its network defenses.

Information stolen included names, birth dates, social security numbers, street addresses, email addresses and employment details including income.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – A Missouri bill to limit the amount cities can collect in traffic fines has support from a state Senate panel.

Senators approved legislation Wednesday by Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Glendale to prevent municipalities from funding more than 10 percent of their budgets with traffic fines.

Current law allows cities and towns to collect traffic fines amounting to as much as 30 percent of their budgets.

Traffic fines are among the issues cited by protesters after the fatal police shooting of black 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson. Brown was shot while walking, but protesters have raised concerns about frequent police stops.

Schmitt and some protesters say the traffic tickets also can unfairly hurt low-income residents, who might face jail time or increased fees if they don’t pay fines in time.