Stan Unruh – Page 696 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Bill Could Allow Alcohol Sales at Missouri Capitol

Posted on March 5, 2014

(AP) – Legislation passed by the Missouri House could allow alcohol sales at the state Capitol during events celebrating key moments in the state’s history.

The bill approved Tuesday would allow contracts with vendors to sell food, alcohol, other drinks and souvenirs at events commemorating the anniversary of the Capitol’s construction and Missouri statehood.

It also would allow such vendor sales at the former Missouri penitentiary site in Jefferson City, which is now used for tours.

Sponsoring House member Tom Flanigan, of Carthage, said the vendor contracts could help raise money for state celebrations.

The current Capitol was constructed between 1913 and 1917 after a fire destroyed the previous building.

Missouri’s bicentennial of statehood is coming up in 2021.

Federal recovery plan for endangered fish updated

Posted on March 5, 2014March 5, 2014

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released an updated recovery plan for an endangered fish species found in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

The pallid sturgeon is a bottom-feeding fish that traces its origins to the dinosaur era. It’s been listed as a federal endangered species since 1990.

The federal agency first developed a plan to bolster the pallid sturgeon population two decades ago. An updated plan released on Tuesday calls for further conservation efforts and habitat restoration.

Man Admits Leaving Fake Bomb on Independence Bus

Posted on March 4, 2014March 4, 2014

KANSAS CITY (AP) – A western Missouri man has admitted placing a phony explosive device on a public bus out of frustration with unreliable service.

The U.S. Attorney’s office says 37-year-old Scott Gene Bradley, of Independence, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to committing a hoax.

A driver for the Independence public bus service found the device last August under a passenger seat. Investigators said it consisted of a cellphone taped to a black metal box, with a wire running from the phone into the box.

Authorities determined the device was harmless. They also traced the phone to Bradley, who told agents he was frustrated with several aspects of his life – including the failure of the bus to run on schedule.

Bradley faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

Missouri has backlog of Medicaid applications

Posted on March 4, 2014

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri has a backlog of about 22,000 parents and children waiting to learn whether they will be covered by Medicaid.

The backlog has developed after the Missouri Department of Social Services transitioned in January to a new computer system for some Medicaid participants.

Acting Department Director Brian Kinkade said Tuesday the new system will eventually be more efficient. He said he’s “very sensitive” to the needs of families seeking Medicaid coverage.

The backlog is on top of the thousands of Medicaid applications that typically are pending each month. But the delay is affecting only parents and children because the agency hasn’t shifted disabled and senior applicants to the new computer system yet.

Kinkade said the delay was exacerbated because the computer changeover came as the agency also was reorganizing its offices.

Rep. Graves on President’s FY2015 Budget

Posted on March 4, 2014March 4, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s FY2015 budget which was released today, a month past the February 3rd deadline:

“A budget is an outline of one’s priorities, and President Obama’s budget – delivered late once again – demonstrates that his priorities remain both higher taxes – to the tune of $1.8 trillion – and bigger government in the form of new spending. It does nothing to control the costs of our nation’s entitlement programs, and makes no attempt to stop the reckless spending and get our debt under control. His proposal totals $3.9 trillion at a time when our federal government collects roughly $3 trillion in revenues – meaning more borrowing from countries like China will be required to finance his government spending. With the federal debt totaling roughly $17.5 trillion, I had hoped that the president would do more to address our nation’s fiscal irresponsibility. Instead, this budget once again does not balance, it adds $8.3 trillion to the debt over the next 10 years, and it does more to grow the government rather than growing the economy.”

RadioShack to close up to 1,100 stores; St. Jo locations not talking

Posted on March 4, 2014March 4, 2014

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — RadioShack plans to close up to 1,100 of its underperforming stores in the U.S. and reported a wider loss for its fourth quarter as traffic slowed during the critical holiday season.

“A manager of the St Joseph location said they were not allowed to give any comments.” Other managers hinted there was a list of stores set to close.

Officials at Radio Shack did not immediately identify which stores would close,. Calls to the corporate headquarters have been returned.

The company stock tumbled more than 24 percent in Tuesday premarket trading.

The store closings would leave RadioShack with more than 4,000 stores.

For the period ended Dec. 31, the electronics retailer lost $191.4 million, or $1.90 per share. That compares with a loss of $63.3 million, or 63 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, RadioShack Corp. lost $1.29 per share. Analysts expected a loss of 16 cents per share.

Revenue declined to $935.4 million from $1.17 billion. Sales at stores open at least a year fell 19 percent on weaker traffic and the soft performance of its mobility business. Analysts expected revenue of $1.12 billion.

Increasing clouds overnight; cold wet Wednesday

Posted on March 4, 2014

Tonight Increasing clouds, with a low around 20. South southeast wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
Wednesday A slight chance of snow and sleet before 9am, then a chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 31. Northeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wednesday Night A slight chance of snow before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Light and variable wind becoming south 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. South wind around 10 mph.
Friday Partly sunny, with a high near 43.
Friday Night A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 26. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

No. 2 Wichita State dominates Valley awards

Posted on March 4, 2014March 5, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Wichita State sophomore Fred VanVleet has been voted the Missouri Valley player of the year, leading a strong showing by the unbeaten Shockers in the league’s postseason awards.

VanVleet received 22 of a possible 36 votes cast by coaches, athletic department officials and the media on Tuesday, easily outdistancing teammates Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker.

It’s the first time in the award’s history that a school swept the top three spots.

VanVleet, Baker and Early were joined on the all-Missouri Valley first team by Evansville’s D.J. Balentine, Jake Odum of Indiana State and Seth Tuttle of Northern Iowa.

Wichita State’s Tekele Cotton was voted second-team all-conference, while Darius Carter made the all-newcomer team. Cotton and VanVleet were picked for the all-defensive team.

Missouri revenues up over last year

Posted on March 4, 2014

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A new report shows Missouri revenues were up slightly as the state reached the two-thirds mark of its budget year.

State figures released Tuesday show that Missouri’s net general revenues had risen 2 percent through February compared with the same point the previous fiscal year.

Sales taxes were up by more than 4 percent and individual income taxes were up 2.5 percent. But those gains were partially offset by a growth in tax refunds.

The 2 percent overall revenue growth matches the forecast embraced by the Republican-led Legislature but is slightly less than what Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration projected.

Missouri’s 2014 budget year began last July and runs through June 30.

St. Joseph man injured in Tuesday crash

Posted on March 4, 2014

One person was injured in a Tuesday afternoon crash in Buchanan County

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports a 2013 Honda SUV driven by Edward W. Roe, 60, of St. Joseph was northbound on US 169, 2 miles south of St. Joseph at 12:00 p.m.

The vehicle crossed the centerline and struck the rear driver’s side tires of a 2012 Kenworth Semi Truck. The Honda came to rest on its wheel in the northbound lane. Roe was transported to Heartland Regional Medical Center.

The MSHP said he was wearing a seat belt.