JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri candidates are officially filing to run for governor, U.S. Senate and other elected positions.
Candidate filing launched Tuesday morning at the secretary of state’s office in Jefferson City. Candidates started lining up more than an hour before filing began at 8 a.m.
Those who arrive Tuesday will draw numbers to determine the order of ballot placement on the August primary ballots.
Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt is expected to file for re-election and face a challenge from Democratic Secretary of State Jason Kander.
At least four Republicans and one Democrat have said they will run to replace term-limited Gov. Jay Nixon.
The ballot also will include other statewide offices, federal and state legislative seats and some judgeships.
An Edgerton man has been charged with stealing a car from the scene of a fatal fire in rural Platte County. Grayden L. Denham, 24, is accused of stealing a car from Russell and Shirley Denham, who lived at the location.
Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said the charge was filed the evening of February 21, as part of an ongoing homicide investigation involving the death of three adults and one infant and a fire that started on February 19 on property located on Buena Vista Road in Edgerton.
According to court documents, Grayden Denham allegedly stole a 2012 brown Nissan Versa, which was owned by Russell and Shirley Denham.
The investigation began on February 20, when Platte County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a structure fire at 4170 Buena Vista Road, in Edgerton. During the course of the investigation, deputies found the bodies of one adult male, two adult females, and one infant child. They also discovered that one vehicle, a brown 2012 Nissan Versa with handicapped license plates, was missing from the residence.
Records from the Missouri Department of Revenue show the owners of the vehicle are Shirley and Russell Denham. Grayden Denham, who normally stayed at the residence, was not located there.
Investigators determined from relatives and neighbors that Grayden Denham was not allowed to drive the Nissan Versa or any of the other vehicles from that location because his driver’s license had been suspended.
A records check revealed that Grayden Denham’s driving status has been revoked by the State of Missouri due to points violations and child support enforcement issues.
Grayden Denham was located in Arizona along with the 2012 Nissan Versa. The Nissan Versa’s Missouri license plates had allegedly been removed and replaced with stolen Oklahoma license plates.
Judge Tom Fincham issued a warrant for Grayden Denham’s arrest. He set bond on the case at $100,000 cash only. Grayden Denham is currently in custody in Yavapai County, Arizona.
The stealing charge is a Class C felony. It is punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Platte County Sheriff Mark Owen provided additional details regarding the ongoing homicide investigation.
When Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived at the location on February 20, the home was fully engulfed in flames. Deputies saw three bodies in the front yard, two adults and one infant. A dog was also dead in the yard. All of the bodies had been burned.
A male body was found by an out building east of the home. The body was laying on its back and was badly burned.
A red plastic gas container was found approximately four to five feet from the body.
A witness indicated that an older couple lived at the location, possibly with a granddaughter, grandson, and great-granddaughter.
Owen said the homicide case remained under active investigation by the Platte County Sheriff’s Department, Metro Squad, and State Fire Marshall’s office. He said the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed the manner of death of the four victims is homicide.
Authorities are awaiting examination of dental records before confirming the identities of the homicide victims.
Two investigators from the Metro Squad are already in Arizona, and two more will be traveling to Arizona to recover evidence there.
Zahnd said he was handling the case personally, with First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mark Gibson and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Megan Benton.
Tweets from press conference in reference to the ongoing instigation:
Sheriff: Bodies were burned on the outside of the Edgerton home @41ActionNews
Prospectors still saying Grayden is a person of interest in Edgerton murders, won’t call him a suspect @41ActionNews — Ali Hoxie (@ali_hoxie) February 22, 2016
New court documents just released in Edgerton fire case. Four deaths confirmed as homicides. pic.twitter.com/dzmQAX5CZt
All 4 fire victims found badly burned outside of home. Gas can found near one of the bodies. All were family members pic.twitter.com/rRh4uziQGS — Tom Dempsey (@KCTomDempsey) February 22, 2016
(UPDATE) – Alarms were never triggered during an early morning K-Mart break-in according to the St. Joseph Police Department.
Capt. Jeff Wilson said officers responded at 3:55 a.m. Monday to the store located at 2901 North Belt to a report of a break-in after an employee reported a window broken out on the front.
“We conducted a search and we set of the motion sensor but never received an alarm prior to that,” Wilson said.
Sergeant James Tonn said the perpetrators left behind several damaged displays and a lot of broken glass.
Wilson said an unknown amount of jewelry was taken during the break-in.
Investigators are looking at several pieces of evidence as well as the store’s surveillance video. Wilson said they are still trying to access the surveillance footage at this time. There have been no arrests.
Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.
Temperatures will be closer to normal this week with most of the area remaining dry. But a storm system well south of Kansas City may spread light rain to area south of I-70 Tuesday. Tuesday night, this may become a rain/snow mix. No accumulating snow is expected for the western portions of the Show-me State or for eastern Kansas. Although if traveling to St. Louis, and points east, there may be several inches of snow.
Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 49. East southeast wind around 6 mph.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. East northeast wind 5 to 7 mph.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. North northeast wind 5 to 11 mph.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. Blustery, with a north wind 11 to 20 mph becoming south after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. North wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
EDGERTON, Mo. (AP and Post) — Authorities investigating the deaths of four people in a northwest Missouri fire have found a 24-year-old man who was wanted as a person of interest.
The Kansas City Metro Squad identified the man Sunday as a “person of interest” and said investigators want to question him in the deaths of three adults and an infant. The fire was reported just before midnight Friday at a rural home south of Edgerton in Platte County.
Authorities said Saturday that they are investigating the deaths as possible homicides. Sheriff’s Captain Erik Holland said there were “suspicious situations around the burning of the building and the deaths of the four individuals.”
Authorities didn’t immediately release the names of the victims.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Fatal Edgerton, Mo Fire – Person/Vehicle of Interest Located
Grayden Denham, the subject that the Metro Squad was attempting to locate, has been found by authorities outside of Missouri on Sunday with the brown 2012 Nissan Versa sedan. Grayden Denham is safe and unharmed. The Platte County Sheriff’s Office and the Metro Squad wish to thank the public for their assistance and support in this ongoing investigation. If anyone has additional information that can aid this investigation please call The Metro Squad at 816-876-7970 or the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
The Heartland Foundation plans to offer around $50,000 in grants through the 2016 Healthy Partnership grant cycle in Northwest Missouri.
The Heartland Foundation along with North Kansas City Hospital and Mosaic Life Care have announced the opening of their 2016 Healthy Partnerships grant cycle.
Proposals for these matching grant funds must be submitted by two or more organizations partnering to propose new solutions that address opportunities for promoting healthy eating and active living in their communities. This year, approximately $50,000 is available to award to
selected grantees. Grants of up to $25,000 are possible; however, average awards are in the range of $5,000 to $10,000. Projects must exhibit creative thinking and may be focused on one community or serve several neighboring communities throughout the region.
The Healthy Partnerships program was created in 1990 to offer matching grants to collaborative groups testing innovative programs to impact their communities’ health. The program continues to encourage and fund innovative outcomes-based, collaborative initiatives to benefit the 19-county northwest Missouri region.
Hosea Elementary students will get their chance to shine Saturday night during the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra.
In October, the orchestra gifted 30 ukuleles, through the Performing Arts Association. Those instruments were then donated to students at Hosea Elementary School. Music teacher Joshua Lock has been working with the students with the instruments and now they kids will be taking the stage with the Orchestra Saturday at the Missouri Theatre.
“This is just part of their educational outreach,” said Beth Sharp with the Performing Arts Association. “We have a lot of groups when they tour through St. Joseph they’ll do some sort of outreach and this was particular to this group in which they will send ahead Ukuleles so they kids can preform with them on stage.”
The St. Joseph School District said on Twitter Friday that students had their last practice Friday.
The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra will perform Saturday at the Missouri Theatre starting at 7:30 p.m. Sharp anticipates Hosea students will get their chance to perform after intermission.
Tickets range from $12-$42 and can be purchased through the Performing Arts Association at (816) 279-1225.
WESTON, Mo. (AP) — Firefighters are dousing hotspots at the site of a northwest Missouri grass fire that damaged up to 1,500 acres of land and briefly spawned a so-called “fire tornado.”
Officials say the blaze was largely contained by late Thursday but hotspots likely will continue until the area gets precipitation or colder temperatures. The region is experiencing unusually high temperatures and low humidity.
The fire started when a large mower attached to a hauler malfunctioned and threw sparks, burning mostly on Federal Bureau of Prisons. Two old outbuildings were destroyed but no injuries were reported.
Onlookers captured photos and video of at least one funnel of flames that looked like a small, orange tornado moving across the site.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri candidates are officially filing to run for governor, U.S. Senate and other elected positions.
