A group of horse riders are hoping to be the difference when it comes to searching for individuals who go missing in rural places.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office is offering the service of its Mounted Search and Rescue Unit to area agencies that may one day need help locating children who are lost, elderly people with Alzheimer’s, disoriented individuals or other victims.

“Maybe a child wanders off.  Especially in an agricultural community like we have; as the summer gets longer the corn gets taller,” said John Merchant, Brown County Sheriff. “We have the ability to activate this team and they’ll bring out their horses. They have the ability to cover a lot of ground, a large vantage point on top of the horse and the horses even pick up on humans.”

Sheriff Merchant said the group of mounted volunteers was formed in 2014. He said the sheriff’s department wants to make sure other area agencies know if needed, the group is willing to assist.

Jeff Spiker is the President of the Brown County Mounted Search and Rescue Group. He said the group consists of around a dozen riders who are trained and certified.

“Horses and riders have to go through a series of courses,” Spiker said. “Everybody that we have ,currently are from Brown County or Doniphan County.”

Spiker said the group meets every quarter for meetings and participates in mock rescues two to three times each year. The most recent mock rescue was held April 30 at the Brown State Lake. The group went through two training scenarios in an attempt to locate a missing 5-year-old hearing impaired child (portrayed by Andrew Clary of Hiawatha) who had wandered off and could not be located..

“We wanted to make it as difficult as possible and we didn’t want to put any children out there,” Sheriff Merchant said. “We basically had him go find some of the roughest terrain and heaviest brush and everything else and gave him a blanket and said you just lay there and let them find you. So he went and hid and we gathered up all the riders.”

Sheriff Merchant said on the first scenario he was found in the first 25 minutes and the horse actually alerted the rider of his presence in the brush.

The group has not yet been used in a real-life situation.  Spiker said the group was activated last year for a search but before they were deployed the individual had been found.

Anyone in need of the Brown County Mounted Search and Rescue Team or who would like to join to assist the team in a time of need is asked to call the Brown County Sheriff’s Department.  Sheriff Merchant said because the group is made up of volunteers it will not be used in a situation that could be life-threatening for the searchers.

(2:54 p.m.) – The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department said numerous individuals were taken into custody Thursday at a home on Faraon St.

Around 1 p.m. law enforcement officials closed off the road in the area of 30th and Faraon St. due to police activity taking place at a home in the 2900 block of Faraon.

Col. Bill Puett with the Sheriff’s Dept. said officers have been investigating a drug house and observed a stolen vehicle in the driveway.

“When multiple occupants came out of the house, they contacted those individuals,” Puett said. “One of the individuals ran, that subject was caught and arrested.  There were multiple arrests for a variety of things.”

Puett said arrests were made for investigation of drugs, weapons were recovered one possibly stolen, and some warrants were executed.

“Also some folks that were hiding in the house were located,” Puett said. “One juvenile was arrested and transported to juvenile detention.”

The case remains under investigation.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

(1 p.m.) – Police activity is impacting drivers on Faraon St. in St. Joseph.

The St. Joseph Police Department had closed off the road in the area of 30th and Faraon St. as of 1 p.m. However at 1:15 p.m. the north lane was reopened but was closed again a short time later.

St. Joseph Post’s Rob Horning is on scene and reports several individuals have been taken out of a house in handcuffs at a home located in the 2900 block of Faraon St.  Also, a vehicle in that location is being towed.

He said several St. Joseph Police vehicles were on scene as of 1 p.m. As we learn more we will update this story.

A man is accused of punching a St. Joseph Police Officer in the face causing serious injuries.

Marcus Paden, 27 is charged in Buchanan County with a felony for assault on a law enforcement officer.

According to court documents, on Tuesday an officer stopped a vehicle driven by Paden speeding in the area of Ashmat Ln. and Gene Field Rd.

“Upon conducting a traffic stop for the violation, the defendant was uncooperative and refused to identify himself,” said Det. Chase Cotter, with the St. Joseph Police Dept. “A second officer arrived on scene to assist and advised the defendant he was under arrest for obstructing.”

Another officer arrived on scene to assist and allegedly ordered Paden to exit the vehicle and Paden refused.

“He attempted to roll the windows on the vehicle up to further resist arrest,” Cotter said. “When a passenger attempted to exit the car, the defendant yelled at him to not get out.”

Chase said the officer at the driver’s side was able to open the door and deploy OC spray on Paden.

“When the officer removed the defendant from the driver’s seat, the defendant intentionally struck him on the head and face multiple times with a closed fist until he was tased by the other officer,” Chase said. “The officer who was assaulted sustained serious injuries to his head and hands which required immediate medical care, a brace and a CT scan.”

As we previously reported, Sgt. Steve Smith was injured during a traffic stop Tuesday night.

Chase said there was also a toddler in the vehicle with no child seat or seat belt on.

Paden has a prior felony conviction for tampering with a motor vehicle and an active case for non support.  Also, court documents state Paden is from St. Louis and does not currently have a job.

Bond for Paden has been set at $35,000.  An arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.

 

The St. Joseph Police Department is investigating a rollover accident on Belt Highway that sent a woman to the hospital Wednesday.

Officer Jordan Lowe said around 11:40 a vehicle driven by a 29-year-old St. Joseph woman rolled over going northbound on Belt Highway. The accident took place near Messanie St.

Police said the woman was transported by ambulance to Mosaic Life Care with what was described as moderate injuries.

Lowe said the accident is still under investigation but there is the possibility that another vehicle may have been involved in the wreck and left the scene.

A St. Joseph Police Officer was injured during a traffic stop Tuesday night.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said Sgt. Steve Smith was involved in a traffic stop shortly before 7 p.m. when he was allegedly physically assaulted by a 27-year-old man.

Sgt. Smith was assisting another officer with the stop in the area of Gene Field and Ashmat Roads.  Capt. Wilson said the suspect was asked to exit the vehicle and that’s when the altercation took place.  No weapons were reported to have been used.

Sgt Smith was treated for a minor injury at the hospital.

As of Wednesday morning charges have not been filed in this case.

 

JEFFERSON CITY–The Missouri Public Service Commission has determined Kansas City Power & Light Company (KCP&L) and KCP&L-Greater Missouri Operations Company (GMO) violated Commission rules by making customer-specific information available to a third-party, Allconnect, Inc. (Allconnect) without the consent of their customers.

The Public Service Commission Staff filed a complaint against the two electric companies on May 20, 2015, alleging that the transfer of customer information was occurring without customer consent in violation of Commission rules.

The Commission found that the transfer of customer-specific information occurred when new customers were placing Missouri residential electric service orders or existing customers were placing transfer service orders. KCP&L and GMO customer service representatives instruct individuals requesting these services to remain on the line so that their calls could be transferred to an Allconnect customer service representative who would provide a confirmation number regarding their start service order, verify the accuracy of the customer information provided and help connect them to other services for their home.

Once the caller was transferred to an Allconnect representative, Allconnect offered customers other services such as household products and services (such as phone, wireless, cable TV, satellite TV, high-speed internet and home security systems), as well as promotions such as movers programs and coupons.

“If KCP&L and GMO wish to continue their contractual relationship with Allconnect by transferring customer calls and related information, they must ensure that customers understand that they have the option to transfer to Allconnect; that they can complete their business with KCP&L or GMO without having to transfer to Allconnect; and that Allconnect is a third-party that offers services separate and apart from the services offered by the utility,” said the Commission. “KCP&L and GMO will need to modify the script used by their customer service representatives regarding the proposed transfer to Allconnect to obtain the informed customer consent.”

In addition to changing the script, the Commission said KCP&L and GMO need to modify how they account for the revenues and expenses associated with the Allconnect relationship. Revenue and expense, the Commission said, should be treated as regulated revenue and expense and brought “above the line” so they may be considered when the companies’ rates are set in a general rate case.

During proceedings before the Commission, KCP&L and GMO indicated a willingness to change the Allconnect program.

(Press release)