The Missouri Supreme Court has upheld state regulators’ order approving the merger of two Kansas City-based power companies.

The Public Service Commission in 2008 approved the bid by Great Plains Energy Inc., parent company of Kansas City Power & Light, to acquire Aquila, Inc.

The deal was challenged by several industrial users and the Missouri public counsel, who represents the interests of utility customers. The public counsel raised questions about private meetings between regulators and utility executives before the merger request was filed. Industrial users argued that regulators should have allowed evidence about employee gift policies.

In its ruling Tuesday, Missouri’s high court found fault with how the regulators handled evidence about gift polices but concluded the error did not substantially affect the facts relevant to the merger.

A Gentry County man is scheduled for initial arraignment Wednesday on drug-related charges.

55 year old Randal “Randy” Evans of Stanberry was arrested earlier this month by the Gentry County Sheriff’s office on four felony charges and is also a suspect in a missing persons case, Sheriff Tim Davis said.

Evans is charged with two felony counts of possession with the intent to produce and distribute methamphetamine. It’s alleged he was producing the drug in his home south of Stanberry. He’s also charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance and one felony second degree assault.

He allegedly assaulted the now missing 47 year old Daniel Lee Wolf of Stanberry. Evans allegedly waived a loaded pistol in front of Lee Wolf’s face and stuck the barrel in his mouth while the two along with another man were smoking methamphetamine, according to a probable cause statement filed by the Gentry County Sheriff’s office.

Wolf went missing in May but his disappearance was not reported until later.  

Evans initial arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 Wednesday afternoon. He’s jailed on a $500,000 cash bond.

The United Way of Greater St. Joseph is compiling a list of volunteers interested in helping with possible future sandbagging activities. They hope to have the list ready so they can activate volunteers when they’re needed.

If you’re interested in volunteering, you have to register with the United Way. Call (816) 364-2381, 24 hours a day, or visit the United Way office at 118 South Fifth, from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age, willing to work three hour shifts, and able to respond within 90 minutes of being mobilized. You must be willing to stand in shallow water, and must be able to lift sandbags weighing about 40 pounds each.

You should bring appropriate clothing, including long pants, and closed-toe tennis shoes (no boots). Bug repellant and water will be provided, but you should bring your own hat and sunscreen.

A Maryville convenience store shutdown by authorities reopened Monday.

The Finish Line convenience store on north Main St. was shutdown Friday after the Nodaway County Prosecutors office discovered the store did not a have a county liquor license.

Maryville’s City Council approved a city license earlier this summer and the state approved a liquor license but store owners did not renew the county license, Nodaway County Sheriff Darren White said.

Someone walked into the County Clerks office Monday morning to renew the permit.  It was renewed and an employee who answered the phone confirmed the store was back open by Monday afternoon.

It is against the law to operate without a liquor license and charges are expected to be filed.  However, there is some confusion as to who owns the store.

“There are dozens of convenience stores in our area that are owned by a group of Pakistani’s and I got this information from an attorney representing some of these people,” White said.

The store was raided in May after law enforcement had reason to believe the store was selling a banned synthetic drug, known as K-2.  The drug was banned by the Missouri legislature in 2010.  A similar version, K-3, was banned this year.  Law enforcement took some the alleged substance along with documents and computers from the store.

Store employee’s reportedly don’t know who owns the store either, White said.  Every permit posted in the building was issued to some employee of the business.  A man reportedly shows up once a week to pay the employees.

The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning through the weekend.

It won’t expire until Tuesday evening as hot weather once again settles in.

Temperatures in the St Joseph region are expected to be from 95 to more than 100 degree’s. The heat index will be more than 105 today and near 110 degree’s by Sunday. The high heat index may last through all of next week.

Find a cooling center in St Joseph by going the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Service website.

Click Here to find the interactive map  to search by zipcode.

 

A show dedicated to finding why states are shaped the way the are stopped by on a cold Sunday last year to film at the Patee House Museum.

The History Channel show How The States Got their Shapes stopped by to talk about the Pony Express.

The Pony Express had no impact on the shape of Missouri. It was founded after Missouri was a state. The show was doing a segment over how state’s communicated over long distance.

It will be the last show of the series. Host Bryan Unger confirmed on Twitter The History Channel will not renew the show for a second season.

It’s not the first time the musuem was featured on television. American Pickers stopped by last year and several other shows from History and Discovery Channels have stopped in, Director Gary Chicote said. They even had Home and Garden TV.

“They wanted to know what kind of furniture Jessie had, he laughed. I said you know he was an outlaw. He didn’t pick out style, it was whatever he could steal.”

If you missed the show this week, you can catch in on HULU.com.

 

 

Governor Jay Nixon did not veto, nor did he sign HB213 and SB65, and thus Missouri’s late-term abortion ban will become law.

The measure allows no abortion of a viable, unborn child except in certain specified situations.

Pam Fichter, of Missouri Right to Life called the development a victory for babies.  The two bills ban late-term abortions after 20 weeks gestation except when continuation of the pregnancy will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant mother.

In a statement, Governor Nixon pointed to the overwhelming, bi-partisan majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly that passed the measures.

According to the Planned Parenthood Action Center the bills jeopardize women’s health and do nothing to reduce the number of unintended pregnancy.

 

Governor Nixon on Thursday did sign into law four other bills passed by the General Assembly.  The Governor signed:

§  Senate Bill 54, which protects children from sexual misconduct by a teacher. It requires any school employee who learns of reported sexual misconduct by a teacher or other school personnel to report that allegation to their superintendent and the Missouri Department of Social Services within 24 hours. School districts must immediately suspend any employee whom the Missouri Department of Social Services returns substantiated findings of allegations of sexual misconduct.

Additionally, this legislation requires all school districts to provide information about former employees to other public school districts, including findings of substantiated allegations of sexual misconduct. Districts may be held liable for failing to disclose information about an employee that was dismissed or resigned due to substantiated allegations.

This legislation also prohibits registered sex offenders from serving on local school boards; strengthens criminal background checks on school bus drivers; requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to conduct annual background checks of certified teachers; and requires school districts to adopt written policies by July 1, 2012 regarding teacher-student communication addressing electronic media, social networking and various other forms of communication.

§  Senate Bill 250, which requires all sexual assault offenders to complete sex offender treatment programs prior to being eligible for parole or conditional release.

This legislation also prohibits any person registered with the Missouri Sexual Offender Program from living within 1,000 feet of any public or private k-12 school or state-regulated childcare facility. This provision is in response to a case in which a registered sex offender moved into a duplex near a church-affiliated daycare in November 2009. Because the daycare was regulated by the state but not licensed, state law did not prohibit the sex offender from taking up residence near the daycare. In February 2010, the offender was charged with multiple felony counts, including kidnapping, rape and forcible sodomy.

§  House Bill 137, which repeals the authority of certain state university boards to convey or transfer property without authorization from the General Assembly, and authorizes the Governor to convey certain state properties.

§  House Bill 641, which criminalizes the sale of bath salts and other types of synthetic marijuana. It also makes those substances a schedule 1 illegal substance with criminal penalties the same as those for marijuana. Substances falling into the “synthetic cannabinoid” category include ‘K2’, ‘K3’ and ‘Bath Salts’, among others.

This provides law enforcement with a new tool to stay ahead of criminals, by eliminating the need to seek new legislation each time a new derivative of these drugs is developed. Any cannabinoid compound that is developed in the future will fall under this new definition.

In addition, the Governor’s office announced today that House Bill 423 will be allowed to take effect pursuant to Article 3, Section 31 of the Missouri Constitution.

§  House Bill 423 authorizes Missouri, subject to federal approval, to adopt the provisions of the Health Care Compact.

“Every Missourian should have access to quality, affordable medical care, and it’s vital that every health-care dollar is spent wisely,” Gov. Nixon said in a statement. “House Bill 423, which passed with bipartisan support, reflects the shared principle of greater flexibility for Missouri. But such flexibility can’t be at the expense of limiting access to health care funding for Missourians. The bill also requires federal approval, and unless and until that happens, it will have no practical effect on the key issues of health care access, affordability and efficiency.

“We will continue to work together on both sides of the aisle and in both houses to improve health care access and affordability for all Missourians,” the Governor said. “Specifically, we need to pass legislation next session – similar to legislation that passed the House unanimously and had bipartisan support in the Senate last session – which would establish a transparent, state-run health insurance exchange giving individuals, families and businesses better access to affordable, efficient, quality health care.’’

Northwest Missouri State will continue to work with Carbolytic Materials at the university’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Maryville.

The Board of Regents approved to continue the partnership Thursday with the company that manufactures ApexCM, a carbon black replacement.

“We are pleased that Carbolytic Materials Company wished to renew its lease,” said Dr. Charles McAdams, dean of Northwest’s College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the CIE Advisory Board. “While Northwest is committed to the economic development of our region, CMC has made an important investment in the Maryville community with the building of its $19 million dollar plant. CMC continues to use the CIE for laboratory analysis and research and development. As their business grows it is anticipated that CMC’s footprint and use of the CIE will expand as well.”

The agreement allows the company to stay for another year. CMC is the first tenant of the building and is the first company to successfully recover a carbon black alternative from existing rubber products like tires.

They recycle the tires into carbon pellets or powder for use in plastics and rubber.