WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;Pushing ahead with articles of impeachment, the House Judiciary Committee will formally receive the investigative findings against President Donald Trump as the White House and its allies launch an aggressive attack on Democrats and the proceedings. Click here to <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?467123-1/hearing-evidence-impeachment-inquiry&amp;live" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Watch the hearing</a> Chairman Jerrold Nadler expects the committee to vote soon, possibly this week, on at least two or more charges against the Republican president. Democrats say Trump’s push to have Ukraine investigate rival Joe Biden while at the same time withholding U.S. military aid ran counter to U.S. policy and benefited Russia. It could result in impeachment charges of abuse of power, bribery and obstruction. “The central allegation is that the president put himself above his country several times, that he sought foreign interference in our elections several times, both for 2016 and 2020, that he sought to cover it up,” Nadler said. “All this presents a pattern that poses a real and present danger to the integrity of the next election, which is one reason why we can’t just wait for the next election to settle matters,” he said. Chairman Jerrold Nadler expects the committee to vote soon, possibly this week, on at least two or more charges against the Republican president. Democrats say Trump’s push to have Ukraine investigate rival Joe Biden while at the same time withholding U.S. military aid ran counter to U.S. policy and benefited Russia. It could result in impeachment charges of abuse of power, bribery and obstruction. “The central allegation is that the president put himself above his country several times, that he sought foreign interference in our elections several times, both for 2016 and 2020, that he sought to cover it up,” Nadler said. “All this presents a pattern that poses a real and present danger to the integrity of the next election, which is one reason why we can’t just wait for the next election to settle matters,” he said.

Watch: Judiciary Committee hears Trump impeachment evidence

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575895211895.png">Robert Shinneman photo courtesy<a href="https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansascity/obituary.aspx?n=robert-d-shinneman&amp;pid=193981799&amp;fhid=6339"> Park Lawn Northland Chapel</a> JACKSON COUNTY— A Missouri man has been charged with murder after authorities say a person he was with during a home invasion was fatally shot. Richard Saettone, 39, of Independence, stands charged with felony murder and second-degree burglary, according to a media release from the Jackson County Attorney's office. Police said Saettone told officers he and 45-year-old Robert Shinneman went to an apartment in September to steal drugs and money when a resident shot and killed Shinneman. The resident told police he was watching television at the apartment when he heard his windows rattling. Believing someone was trying to break in, he said he pulled back the drapes and announced he had a gun. The resident said he then heard someone behind him and saw a person wearing a mask and holding a gun. The resident fired one shot, and the person fell to the floor. Police later identified the masked man as Shinneman. Police said they were tipped to Saettone’s alleged involvement in the break-in by a confidential informant. Saettone remains in federal custody, according to the release.

Confidential informant led to arrest of Missouri murder suspect

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575651717705.png">Simms photo Clay County LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City area man has been sentenced to life in prison plus 107 years for killing his girlfriend and is awaiting trial on charges that he strangled a fellow inmate. Marcus Simms, 36, of Lee's Summit, was sentenced Thursday for first-degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with a vehicle in the 2014 death of 31-year-old Michele Boldridge. Police found her body while responding to reports that a bloody, naked man was running around a northern Kansas City apartment complex. Police say Boldridge died from a snapped neck and had multiple stab wounds, along with a missing eye. Court records say the naked man, later identified by police as Simms, drove to a school bus parking lot, where a driver told him to go away. But Simms yelled: “You don’t understand. Someone just killed my girlfriend!” Simms was arrested after driving a stolen minivan off a road, according to prosecutors. In a car parked in the area, police found Simms’ DNA as well as a human eyeball. Simms is scheduled to be tried in June in the 2017 strangulation death of 26-year-old Brian Parisi, who was killed while jailed in Clay County on a drug charge.

Nude KC killer sentenced for girlfriend's violent murder

DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is recalling nearly 262,000 heavy-duty pickup trucks in the U.S. and Canada because the tailgates can open unexpectedly. The recall covers F-250, F-350 and F-450 trucks from the 2017 through 2019 model years. All the trucks have electric tailgate latch release switches in the tailgate handle.Ford says water can get into the electrical wiring and cause a short circuit, activating the switches and releasing the latches. That could allow loose cargo to fall onto the road.The company says it has no reports of crashes or injuries. Trucks with mechanical tailgate latches are not affected. Dealers will fix the tailgate frame wiring harnesses and install a new tailgate handle release switch. Owners will be notified by mail during the week of Jan. 20.

Ford recalls big pickups; tailgates can open unexpectedly

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police in Kansas City no longer will provide suspects with a written copy of their rights and instead will give them a verbal Miranda warning as part of changes aimed at tackling violent crime. Two Los Angeles murder investigation experts recommended the change, arguing that written warnings could deter suspects from talking to police, public radio station KCUR-FM reported.The experts noted that keeping suspects talking is key because "confessions may occur, but admissions, lies or false alibis, can also be important." At least 134 people have been murdered in Kansas City so far this year, up from about 121 at this time last year, according to police reports. Homicides are also up in St. Louis and Springfield, and the killings of close to two dozen children in St. Louis put intense pressure on officials to act.But it's unclear how much of an impact the change to Miranda warnings will have. "It hasn't made a significant change, but we're hoping to see more of that over time," Kansas City police Deputy Chief Roger Lewis, who commands criminal investigations, told KCUR.City District Public Defender Ruth Petsch warned that “it puts you at risk of eroding your right to remain silent." She said a written waiver, in contrast, clearly shows that the Miranda warning was given. National Association of Police Organizations Executive Director Bill Johnson told The Associated Press that police often read Miranda warnings to suspects while in the field and also provide written copies during more formal interviews. Johnson, a former police officer and prosecutor, said verbal warnings ensure that suspects who struggle reading are still properly informed of their rights. But either way, Johnson said most people are already aware of their right to remain silent because of the phrase's popularity in crime shows and movies. He added that suspects often don’t take time to more deeply reflect on their rights after being arrested or while being interviewed by police, regardless of how they’re informed. The consultant's report also called for Kansas City police to increase staffing. The agency in response plans to end its mounted division and shift eight officers to homicide starting in January.

Kansas City Police end written miranda warning for suspects

CRAWFORD COUNTY &nbsp;— One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Saturday in Crawford County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Buick Century driven by Matthew C. Miavez, 39, Cuba, was southbound on South Outer road just west of Highway H.&nbsp;The vehicle struck a pedestrian identified as Melissa A. Stricklin, 36, Leasburg.&nbsp; She was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Hudson Funeral home.

36-year-old Missouri woman struck, killed on highway

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575630530707.png">Montgomery County Courthouse google image By ROXANA HEGEMAN, Associated Press&nbsp; WICHITA, Kan. — A foul-mouthed Kansas judge accused of bigotry and racism who cursed at courthouse employees so often that a trial clerk kept a "swear journal" documenting his obscene outbursts is facing complaints that his conduct violates the central judicial canons of independence, integrity and impartiality. The Kansas Commission on Judicial Qualifications will next week consider whether Montgomery County Judge F. William Cullins performs his duties with sufficient competence and diligence that he can continue on the bench. According to a filing, Cullins is accused of mistreating employees; fostering a hostile relationship with the county attorney's office; lacking patience and decorum; exhibiting disdain toward attorneys; and treating some bondsmen with hostility. Other allegations purport he showed bias or prejudice in the courtroom based on race, sex, socioeconomic status or political affiliation, and denied some defendants or their lawyers the right to be heard. Cullins has acknowledged that he needs "a more effective management style," according to the judicial panel's pretrial order. Cullins declined to comment to The Associated Press on the upcoming proceedings, referring the call to his attorney, Christopher Joseph, who also declined to comment . Several attorneys and others who practice before the judge either didn't return calls or refused to talk about Cullins' behavior. Court documents detail instances in which Cullins directed foul, derogatory language at women, as well as specific allegations of racism. In one instance, Cullins was recorded referring to an out-of-state black athlete as "not even a Kansas boy" and telling a black male resident, "you're a Kansas boy" — language that could be considered demeaning to an African American man. Cullins argued in a filing that this was not a manifestation of racial bias and said the attorney who raised objections has since testified that it appeared no racial connotation was intended.The judge has acknowledged that he curses frequently and "bitches at people to try to get them to correct their ways." As his relationship with Montgomery County Attorney Larry Markle deteriorated, Cullins wrote expletives on documents sent to Markle's office and he allegedly belittled the prosecutor before law enforcement officials in open court. Cullins has acknowledged in court filings that his communications indicate his frustration with Markle's office, but denies that his emotions affected his rulings. He contends that the county attorney's office has failed to file charges in a timely manner against jailed defendants and misused subpoenas. Markle also declined to comment to The Associated Press on the upcoming proceedings against Cullins or his dealings with the judge. Cullins was elected in 2006 to the bench in Montgomery County, a mostly rural area dotted by small towns that is home to slightly more than 32,300 people. Cullins served as the county's chief judge from 2015 until last year and remains on the bench. Before his election to the judgeship, he was in private practice for more than a decade and was the city prosecutor for Independence and city attorney for the small community of Cherryvale. The five-day public hearing is scheduled to start Monday in Topeka, and could feature as many as 37 witnesses and more than 58 exhibits that lay bare the tumultuous justice system in the rural southeast Kansas county. If the judges and lawyers on the panel find the charges are proven, they can admonish Cullins, issue a cease-and-desist order or recommend the Kansas Supreme Court discipline the judge or require him to retire. Discipline can include public censure, suspension or removal from office. Three former court employees said Cullins' demeanor contributed to their decisions to quit their jobs. One of them, Lance Carter, was the clerk who kept the swear journal that is now an exhibit. Cullins argues that his speech is protected by the First Amendment and that his cursing does not diminish his integrity or keep him from performing his judicial duties with impartiality and competence. Joni Pratt said she left her job as a courthouse clerk for a new position elsewhere at a lower salary. After she resigned, as she walked from the judge's office, Pratt said Cullins "shouted 'yahoo' or 'yippee' (or some similar expression) loud enough for others in the courthouse to hear." The filings do not identify who filed the original complaints against Cullins, but only those allegations that investigators determined merit further action will be included in the formal proceedings. <img src="http://assets.bounceexchange.com/assets/uploads/clients/1682/ads/e0dd2acd3574679864cd76965aa5dce2.png">

Kansas judge accused of bigotry, profanities in courthouse

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575762384564.png">Kaiser photo KDOC TOPEKA —Kansas offender Joshua Kaiser, 44, died early Saturday at the Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF), according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp;Joshua Kaiser recently paroled to a consecutive determinate sentence of 32 months out of Reno County Kansas for Aggravated Battery. Kaiser's criminal history includes the following convictions from Shawnee County, Kansas: Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Kidnapping, Sale/Manufacturing/Purchase/Possession/Carry Unlawful Firearm and Murder 1st.&nbsp; The Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigates all KDOC offender deaths. Mr. Kaiser's cause of death is considered pending at this time, based on the results of this investigation and autopsy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Inmate dies at Kansas prison

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A University of Missouri student has died after being hit by a vehicle while trying to cross at city street, police in Columbia said. Police said in news release that Logan Warnecke, 21, of Columbia, was running across College Avenue around 7 p.m. Friday when he was hit by a sport utility vehicle. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died. Police say the 21-year-old driver of the SUV was not hurt.Officials say no arrests have been made or charges brought in the case. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Student jogging across street in Columbia hit, killed

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575745979378.png">First responders on the scene Friday photo<a href="https://www.wvtm13.com/article/naval-air-station-pensacola-deadly-shooting-suspect-saudi-terror-investigation/30148653"> courtesy WTVM</a> PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;The Saudi student who fatally shot three people at a U.S. naval base in Florida hosted a dinner party earlier in the week where he and three others watched videos of mass shootings, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Saturday. One of the three students who attended the dinner party videotaped outside the building while the shooting was taking place at Naval Air Station Pensacola on Friday, said the U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity after being briefed by federal authorities. Two other Saudi students watched from a car, the official said. The official said 10 Saudi students were being held on the base Saturday while several others were unaccounted for.U.S. officials had previously told the AP they were investigating possible links to terrorism. The student opened fire in a classroom at the base Friday morning, killing three people. A U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Friday identified the shooter as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The official also said the FBI was examining social media posts and investigating whether he acted alone or was connected to any broader group. The assault, which prompted a massive law enforcement response and base lockdown, ended when a sheriff’s deputy killed the attacker. Eight people were hurt in the attack, including the deputy and a second deputy who was with him. Family members on Saturday identified one of the victims as a 23-year-old recent graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who alerted first responders to where the shooter was even after he had been shot several times. “Joshua Kaleb Watson saved countless lives today with his own,” Adam Watson wrote on Facebook. “He died a hero and we are beyond proud but there is a hole in our hearts that can never be filled.” Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott issued a scathing statement calling the shooting — the second on a U.S. Naval base this week — an act of terrorism “whether this individual was motivated by radical Islam or was simply mentally unstable.”During a news conference Friday night, the FBI declined to release the shooter’s identity and wouldn’t comment on his possible motivations. “There are many reports circulating, but the FBI deals only in facts,” said Rachel L. Rojas, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the Jacksonville Field Office.

Official: Suspect watched shooting videos before U.S. navy base attack

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri's minimum wage is set to increase again as part of a voter-approved plan to gradually hike pay.The minimum wage rate will hit $9.45 an hour beginning Jan. 1, up from the current $8.60 an hour mandated by the state.Voters in 2018 approved a plan to raise wages for some of the state's lowest-paid workers. The plan requires wages to go up by 85 cents an hour every year until the minimum wage rate hits $12 an hour in 2023.<a href="https://www.apnews.com/5a60e204d2584982949dd0d4bca3fca2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 125, 165);">New minimum wage requirements took effect in 20 states</a>&nbsp;and nearly two dozen cities at the start of 2019, affecting millions of workers. The state wage hikes range from an extra nickel per hour in Alaska to a $1-an-hour bump in Maine, Massachusetts and for California employers with more than 25 workers.

Missouri minimum wage rate set to increase

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — More than 3,000 sexual assaults were reported during U.S. Uber rides in 2018, the company said in a long-awaited safety report. That figure includes 229 rapes across the company's 1.3 billion rides. Uber noted that drivers and riders were both attacked, and that some assaults occurred between riders. In 2017, the company said 2,936 sexual assaults were reported.Uber and competitor Lyft have faced a backlash for not doing enough to protect the safety of its riders and drivers. In 2017, the company said 2,936 sexual assaults were reported. Uber bases its numbers on reports from riders and drivers - meaning the actual numbers could be much higher. Sexual assaults commonly go unreported.“I suspect many people will be surprised at how rare these incidents are; others will understandably think they’re still too common,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted about the report. “Some people will appreciate how much we’ve done on safety; others will say we have more work to do. They will all be right.”Uber's share price dropped more than 1% in after-hours trading.Uber and competitor Lyft have faced a backlash for not doing enough to protect the safety of its riders and drivers. Dozens of women are suing Lyft, claiming the company should have done more to protect them from driver assaults. A Connecticut woman sued Uber last month, claiming she was sexually assaulted by her driver. Uber's safety report is the first of its kind, the company said.“Keeping this information in the dark doesn’t make anyone safer,” Uber said in a statement announcing the report. It plans to release its safety report every two years going forward. Lyft said last year it would also release a safety report. A company spokeswoman confirmed Thursday that it "remained committed" to releasing a report, but did not say when. Mike Bomberger, a lawyer representing more than 100 victims of sexual assault in lawsuits against Uber and Lyft, said he applauds Uber for releasing the numbers. “One of the problems with both of these companies is that they have hidden and have tried to conceal the number of sexual assaults that occur in their vehicles,” he said. Bomberger said he believes 80% to 90% of the assaults in the Uber report could have been prevented by measures such as cameras in the cars recording rides and the companies reporting each assault it learns of to the police. The Rape, Abuse &amp; Incest National Network said it appreciated Uber's transparency. "This is an issue that affects every institution in America," RAINN press secretary Emily Robinson said in a statement. She added that organizations in every industry, including education, should "make a similar effort to track and analyze sexual misconduct within their communities.” There were 107 deaths from crashes in 2017 and 2018, from 97 crashes reported to Uber. Uber says this represents about half of the national rate for fatal crashes. Sexual assault in the report is defined broadly into categories including non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part, attempted non-consensual sexual penetration, non-consensual touching of a sexual body part, non consensual kissing of a sexual body part and non-consensual sexual penetration.The company also said Uber rides were involved nine murders during 2018. Uber noted that the vast majority - 99.9% - of rides did not have any reported safety issues.

Uber reports hundreds of sex assaults on 2018 rides

HICKORY COUNTY— One person died in an accident just before 11p.m. Friday in Hickory County The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Toyota Rav4 driven by Tommy Nasalroad, 49, Hermitage, was eastbound on County Road 220 a mile east of Carsons Corner. The vehicle ran off the road, struck a ditch, rolled and the driver was ejected.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nasalroad was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Hathaway-Peterman Funeral Home in Wheatland. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man dies after being ejected in rollover crash

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575669678272.png">CAMERON, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican attorney general is defending a local high school football coach who came under fire for allegedly leading students in prayer. At issue is a complaint against the Cameron R-1 School District from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, national association of atheists and agnostics. Cameron, Missouri is about 50 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri. The Freedom From Religion Foundation alleged that the high school football coach and assistant coach illegally lead students in prayer before and after games. In an October letter to the district, foundation attorney Chris Line wrote that the head coach violated the U.S. Constitution “because he endorses and promotes his religion when acting in his official capacity as a school district employee.”The establishment clause of the First Amendment prohibits government from favoring one religion over others.Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt in a letter to the district this week blasted the foundation as “an extreme anti-religion organization that seeks to intimidate local governments into surrendering their citizens'religious freedom and to expunge any mention of religion from the public square." “I write to assure you that the Establishment Clause does not prohibit public prayer, and that the First Amendment protects the rights of public-school students to engage in voluntary prayer in public spaces,” Schmitt wrote to the district superintendent. “In fact, public invocations to God constitute a cherished part of our national history.” Read the <a href="https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/2019/2019-12-3-ltr-cameronschooldistrict.pdf?sfvrsn=51f074f_2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">full letter here</a> Schmitt added that if the foundation "seeks to silence voluntary prayer outside of Cameron’s football games through a lawsuit, we will support your football team’s lawful, voluntary decision to pray.” Line said the foundation currently doesn't plan to sue, and he said Schmitt's letter ignores the focus of the complaint.“Students have the right to pray in school,” Line said. “What’s not OK is coaches either leading students in prayer or Bible studies, or even participating.” Schmitt wrote that “no coach or other Cameron official has forced any football player to participate in prayer or taken any action against any player who chose not to participate.”“It’s not really a choice," Line said. “They’re going to feel immense pressure and coercion to make their coach happy and to make their teammates happy." Associated Press requests for comment to Superintendent Matt Robinson were not immediately returned Friday. But in a Nov. 4 letter to the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Robinson wrote that the district “will be performing an investigation into the allegations and concerns raised in your letter, pursuant to District’s non-discrimination policy and policy regarding religious expression, to determine whether District policy has been violated.” “The District will also take immediate interim measures to protect students from further possible violations of District policy,” the letter states.

Missouri AG Backs High School Football Prayer

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575653502183.jpeg">Beaver fur shield SALINA, KAN. (AP) —&nbsp;Authorities are seeking help finding several Native American pieces that were stolen during a residential burglary near Salina. The Saline County Sheriff's Office released photos Friday of several of the items that were taken during the May heist in an effort to locate them. <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575653560399.jpeg">The hawk leg dance stick The items include a hand-carved Malaysian mask, a moose jaw dream catcher, a beaver fur shield with a feather and a dance stick made from a hawk’s leg with a talon.The loss is estimated at nearly $15,000.

Kan. authorities seek help locating stolen Native American items

BOONE COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 2a.m. Friday in Boone County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle driven by Hayden S. Holt, 17, Hallsville, was southbound fleeing from Columbia Police on Providence Road at Locust Street The vehicle traveled off the road, struck a utility pole and overturned.&nbsp;&nbsp;Holt was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the Boone County Medical Examiner’s office. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. Columbia Police spokesman Jeff Pitts said the chase began after Holt committed a traffic violation. -The AP contributed to this report&nbsp;&nbsp;

Update: Missouri teen dies after car struck utility pole, overturned

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575489324379.png">RICH HILL, Mo. (AP) — Relatives of a missing Missouri mother say they are growing increasingly concerned after deputies found the woman's phone, backpack and shoes. Nicole Mallatt's belongings were found Thursday within 100 yards of her home in Bates County, about 70 miles south of Kansas City. Mallatt, 36, went missing two days before Thanksgiving. Her mother, Debbie Lewis, said her daughter had been planning a big meal. "We're just out here trying to find her and hoping that she's still alive, which doesn't look good after finding all of her things scattered everywhere. She would not do this. It's not Nicole." Sheriff Chad Anderson&nbsp;said hat the discovery of Mallat's belongings “does not necessarily mean that there is foul play,” although he described it as ‘’suspicious in nature.'' Nearly a dozen agencies are aiding in the search, which has expanded from Mallatt's home to neighboring farms. Authorities have been using cadaver dogs, sonar, dive teams, drones and volunteers.Anderson also had a message for Mallatt, if she is OK. “If you have just decided that you are done and you want to start a new life and left on your own free will, I have one question and a favor to ask: That you go to your nearest law enforcement agency, identify yourself, let them confirm you’re who you are, and we can give your family some answers.”

Missing Missouri woman's phone, shoes found during search

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1568323544378.png">Larry Ratliff-photo Jackson Co. LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man has been sentenced to life in prison for stabbing his estranged wife to death after stalking her. Besides the life term for first-degree murder, 70-year-old Larry Ratliff, of Grain Valley, also was sentenced Thursday to 40 years for armed criminal action. Court records say Ratliff dialed 911 in January 2016 and told a dispatcher he had killed 65-year-old Carolyn Ratliff. In a statement about his sentencing, prosecutors said jurors were shown a video during the trial that showed Ratliff describing to police how he stalked Carolyn Ratliff, watched her from a distance to ensure she was alone and then approached her at a relative's home in Warrensburg. Ratlifff said he was trying to retrieve his cellphone but inadvertently pulled out his hunting knife, lost control and stabbed her, according to prosecutors. Investigators&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d7cdc187a7634e41ad7cb06569cf2500" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 125, 165);">say&nbsp;</a>he also called the couple's daughters after the stabbing to tell them he had killed their mother.

Missouri man sentenced for wife's stabbing death

KANSAS CITY (AP) — About 110 Kansas City inmates housed in a rehabilitation center since this summer will be moved to new facilities because the center will lose its insurance in January. The city has been using Heartland Center for Behavioral Change as a jail since the Jackson County Detention Center stopped taking inmates. Heartland chief executive Kyle Mead told the city in November that the agency’s liability and workers compensation policies will be canceled, effective in January. The cancellation letter indicates Heartland’s insurer canceled the liability policy after it became a jail. The center primarily provides substance abuse treatment and was not designed to be a jail. The city started sending inmates — those arrested, awaiting trial or convicted of municipal charges — to Heartland after its previous arrangement with Jackson County lapsed. Since then, several inmates have escaped from Heartland and at least one died. Fifty inmates will go back to the Jackson County jail. Vernon County will house 70 inmates, Johnson County will take 45 inmates and six to 10 inmates with drug court charges will enter into rehabilitation programs. The average cost for each inmate per day is $76.95, an increase over past arrangements.

Kansas City looking for new homes for city inmates

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575632630317.png">Image courtesy Missouri Dept. of Administration JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — About half a dozen people have applied for an influential new job in Missouri to draw state legislative districts under a nationally unique mandate to achieve “partisan fairness” and “competitiveness” in elections.Missouri’s “nonpartisan state demographer” position was created by a voter-approved constitutional amendment last year to try to diminish the potential for political gamesmanship when state House and Senate districts are redrawn after the 2020 census. People interested faced a Wednesday deadline to apply to State Auditor Nicole Galloway. She said Thursday that her office will forward at least six completed applications to the top Republican and Democrat in the Senate, who can select one for the job. A seventh applicant is still under review. “The real goal here is to get an honest broker and a nonpartisan actor who can help counterbalance the partisan interests that have driven this process in the past,” said Sean Nicholson, a Democratic consultant who led the campaign for the redistricting ballot measure. Missouri is one of eight states where voters have enacted redistricting reforms targeting partisan gerrymandering during the past decade. About one-third of all states will use independent or bipartisan commissions as part of their redistricting process after the 2020 census. But Missouri is the only state to mandate the use of a specific mathematical formula to try to engineer fair and competitive elections. The new nonpartisan demographer will use that formula to create proposed maps for the state House and Senate that will be submitted to a pair of existing bipartisan state commissions. Those commissions will be able make changes to the demographer’s plans only by a 70% vote. Missouri’s districts for the U.S. House will continue to be crafted by the state Legislature, subject to veto by the governor.Republicans currently hold the Missouri governor’s office and supermajorities in both legislative chambers, though control of all of those will be at stake in the 2020 elections. Redistricting is scheduled to occur in 2021. Missouri’s current state Senate districts were adopted by a bipartisan commission after the 2010 census. Its state House districts were drawn by a judicial panel after a bipartisan commission failed to agree on a plan. In the 2018 elections, Republican candidates received an average of 57% of the two-party vote across Missouri’s 163 House districts, yet Republicans won 71% of the seats. That gave them a 116-47 majority over Democrats — about 13 more GOP seats than would have been expected based on their share of the total vote, according to an Associated Press analysis that used the same mathematical formula prescribed by the ballot measure. <a href="https://apnews.com/c49a2cf375894f539ca4aad5aafc6a74" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(16, 75, 165);">The AP analysis</a>&nbsp;of Missouri’s new redistricting formula shows it has the potential to end the Republicans’ supermajorities and move the chambers closer to the more even partisan division that is often reflected in statewide races. But the size of the likely Democratic gains remains uncertain, partly because the formula has never been put to the test.The constitutional amendment approved by voters requires the new demographer to be a Missouri resident but leaves specific qualifications up to Galloway, a Democrat who is challenging Republican Gov. Mike Parson. Galloway’s application form requires people to have a college degree with coursework in demographic or statistical analysis and several years of professional experience using geographic information systems and statistical software. The auditor’s office said one applicant appeared not to have the required professional experience but could still submit documentation showing he does.The six eligible applicants include three employees of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources — Donald Cripe, Bryan Kinworthy and Robert Zane Price; retired Air Force officer Jason Ross; city of Columbia engineering technician Damon Braidlow; and Sara Hartman, an office employee at Faith Lutheran Church in Jefferson City.

6 apply for Missouri's nonpartisan redistricting post

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575631645413.png"> Thursday night crash scene photo<a href="https://www.wibw.com/content/news/Wreck-closes-Hwy-75-near-Lyndon-565867932.html"> courtesy WIBW TV</a> OSAGE COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 8p.m. Thursday in Osage County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Silverado driven by Darian A. Hess, 20, Topeka, was &nbsp;northbound on U.S. 75 just north of west 229th Street. The driver attempted to pass a commercial motor vehicle with insufficient clearance and struck a 2008 Dodge Durango driven by Amber M. Walters, 33, Lyndon, head-on EMS transported a passenger in the Chevy Jennarene S Hawkins, 24, Burlingame, Walters and three children in the Dodge Daymian M. Walters, 9; Serenity R. Qujnonez, 2 and Cherish P. Roney, 1, all of Lyndon to a Topeka Hospital where Hawkins died. EMS transported Hess to KU Medical Center.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hawkins and Daymian Walters were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Kan. woman dead, 3 children hospitalized after head-on crash

LAFAYETTE COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 11p.m. Thursday in Lafayette County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Freightliner semi driven by Eddie L. Hughes, 47, Florissant, was eastbound on Interstate 70&nbsp;The vehicle traveled onto the shoulder, struck an unoccupied a 2007 Dodge Magnum, traveled down an embankment and overturned. ﻿Hughes was pronounced dead at the scene. The MSHP did not have seat belt usage information.

Missouri man dies after semi overturns 

HAYS – Kansas Speaks Fall 2019, a survey on issues of importance and on the attitudes of Kansans about their state, was released today by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University. Kansas Speaks is the only regular survey of Kansans on issues and opinions. Among the questions presented to respondents was the performance of Gov. Laura Kelly, who is finishing up her first year in the governor’s mansion. “This was the first rating of Gov. Laura Kelly in a Kansas Speaks survey,” said Dr. Brett Zollinger, Docking director and a professor of sociology at Fort Hays State. “More than half are satisfied with the Governor’s overall performance, the highest satisfaction among the political figures and institutions rated,” he said. Specifically, 52.7 percent of respondents to the survey are satisfied so far with Gov. Kelly, and 26.4 percent are dissatisfied. On President Donald Trump, 44.1 percent are satisfied, and 44.3 percent are dissatisfied. The 2019 survey, conducted by Fort Hays State University’s Docking Institute of Public Affairs and released today, interviewed 352 Kansans by phone (land line and cell). The survey has a 5.2-percent margin of error. The Docking’s staff and team of Policy Fellows from across the state developed 24 questions in four areas: overall quality of life in Kansas; taxes and the economy; government and politicians; and public policy issues. The series began in 2009. One hot-button issue covered in this year’s survey was Medicaid expansion. The survey found wide support in Kansas. “Almost two-thirds – 62 percent – of Kansans support Medicaid expansion,” said Dr. Jian Sun, a professor of political science at FHSU and the Docking’s assistant director. Fifteen percent of survey respondents were neutral on the issue, and 23 percent did not support expansion. Other questions on Medicaid covered perceived benefits of expansion. “Over 60 percent agree that Medicaid expansion would help rural Kansas hospitals and agree that those who might obtain health insurance from the expansion deserve this benefit,” said Sun. “Clearly this issue is on the minds of Kansans, as only 22 percent give Medicaid expansion no thought at all as a current political issue.” Gun control and prisons were among the policy issues addressed. One question sought respondents’ sentiment on seven gun control issues: Background checks; an assault weapon ban; a ban on high-capacity magazines; preventing sales of firearms to people “who have been reported as dangerous to law enforcement by a mental health provider”; an age requirement of 21 or older to purchase guns; preventing firearms sales to people convicted of violent misdemeanors; and a mandatory three-day waiting period. “Over half of Kansans support each,” said Dr. Patrick Miller, a Docking Policy Fellow, “with support on these items ranging from 52 percent in support of banning assault-style weapons to 88 percent in support of requiring background checks on all gun sales.” Miller is an associate professor of political science at the University of Kansas. One question also asked respondents to rate the frontrunners in the presidential primary for the Democratic Party. “Bernie Sanders has the highest positive and highest negative ratings of any Democratic candidate,” said Dr. Michael Smith, Policy Fellow and a professor of political science at Emporia State University. “This likely reflects the fact that voters are already familiar with him, since he ran in 2016,” said Smith. “Pete Buttigieg has the lowest positive and negative, both likely reflecting that many voters are still not very familiar with him. Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren fall somewhere in between.” Two perennial questions on the survey sought the respondents’ attitudes toward Kansas as a place to live and on whether the state is on the right or wrong track. In 2019, the results are 53.7 who see the state as a “very good” or “excellent” place to live, and only 1.5 percent who found that the state is a “poor” or “very poor” place to live. The right-track-wrong-track ratio is 77.4 percent right, 22.6 percent wrong.&nbsp;The full report can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">www.fhsu.edu/docking/Kansas-Speaks</a>.

Docking survey: Most Kansans pleased with Gov. Kelly's performance

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575587272624.png">Rothwell photo St. Louis Co. JailCREVE COEUR, Mo. (AP) — A suburban St. Louis woman whose husband is charged in her death had looked up “what to do if your husband is upset you are pregnant" on her cellphone before she went missing last month, according to search warrants. The warrants, obtained by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/jennifer-rothwell-had-researched-what-to-do-if-your-husband/article_e7cc10a4-f1ef-528f-ac09-ab230388a1a0.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 125, 165);">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>, outline the reasons detectives gave for searching the home of Jennifer and Beau Rothwell near the suburb of Creve Coeur. The couple’s cellphones, email accounts, Facebook accounts and Beau Rothwell’s SUV were also searched. Beau Rothwell, 28, is jailed without bond on charges of second-degree murder and evidence tampering in his wife's death. His lawyer previously declined to comment on the charges. Her body was found about a week after she went missing about 45 miles northwest of her home. Detectives disclosed in warrants that Jennifer Rothwell, who was also 28, had been six weeks pregnant when she died. In the newly released search warrants, investigators say Beau Rothwell called 911 at 9:44 p.m. on Nov. 12 to report his wife of four years missing, saying he last saw her that morning as she was leaving for her job as a chemical engineer. He told police that her co-workers told him she didn't show up for work that day and that they were concerned. Police found her car parked near her home, with her cellphone inside.Beau Rothwell wouldn't let police search the home, car or cellphone, or take a DNA sample from him, according to investigators. He also requested an attorney, Detectives then searched a trash can placed at the curb of the home on Nov. 13. In it they found various cleaning supplies, including rubber gloves and paper towels, the warrants state. A receipt showed cleaning items had been purchased Nov. 11 from a grocery store. “This purchase was oddly at a time during a major snow event involving dangerous driving conditions, and was also contradictory to Beau Rothwell’s statement that he was home with his wife all night,” an investigator wrote in the documents.Police also found signs that violent acts had been committed inside the home. Detectives described an “overwhelming” smell of bleach and other cleaners inside the home as well as several “large areas of red stain” at the base of the basement steps. DNA tests confirmed that the blood found in the home was Jennifer Rothwell’s. There was also damage to drywall in the basement, which had samples of human hair, the warrants state. The blood-stained areas were wet with detergent and had a circulating fan blowing air over the area, and the basement windows were open despite temperatures that were in the 30s.Beau and Jennifer Rothwell received chemical engineering degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2013. They married in 2015 in St. Louis County.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police: Slain Missouri woman was worried about pregnancy

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Washburn University School of Law will be getting a new home. Washburn's Board of Regents on Wednesday approved the plan for a $33 million building on the Topeka campus. The university will begin working on the plans immediately. A completion date is not yet set. The current law school building dates back to 1968. The new building is part of Washburn's "150 Forward" campaign. The $13 million in private donations raised for the building is the largest amount for a single project in Washburn history. Washburn President Jerry Farley said declining enrollments nationwide prompted the school to project for 300 to 325 students, rather than 450. Farley says the biggest advantage of the new building will be technological upgrades that were not financially feasible in the current building. The current law building will be used for other university programs and offices.

New law school approved for Washburn University

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575577781987.png">Photo courtesy Independence PD INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A Grinch has stolen a large Santa Claus from the porch of a historic mansion in the Kansas City area. Police in Independence say the jolly old elf was snatched Tuesday or Wednesday from the Vaile Mansion. Built in 1881, the three-story Gothic-like structure is open to the public as a museum.Police say the Santa belongs to a Parks and Recreation employee and has “much sentimental value.'' In effort to track down leads, police&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ipdinfo/posts/2842174002482091" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 125, 165);">posted&nbsp;</a>pictures showing the missing Santa posed next to a giant reindeer and beside a fireplace. Several dozen people responded to the post with outrage. One poster predicted that the thief would be ‘’on Santa's naughty list this year.''

Large Santa stolen from historic Missouri mansion

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575577863987.jpeg">After three years as Johnson County's top election official, Election Commissioner Ronnie Metsker is resigning. He was appointed by former Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Andrea Tudhope / KCUR 89.3 file photo By ANDREA TUDHOPE<a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/johnson-countys-top-election-official-abruptly-resigns#stream/0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kansas News Service</a> Johnson County's top election official, Ronnie Metsker, is resigning just over a year after former Secretary of State Kris Kobach appointed him to a new four-year term.&nbsp;Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab announced the resignation in a statement, but did not say why Metsker is stepping down. All requests for comment from Metsker were directed to the secretary of state's office. "Under his management, the Johnson County Election Office oversaw a new era of election administration with modern technology and the implementation of a new voting system," Schwab said. During his three years as election commissioner, Metsker was <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/johnson-county-promises-election-results-wont-be-late-time#stream/0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">scrutinized for serious delays in election results</a>. In the 2016 election, Johnson County was the last county in Kansas to report election results due to a <a href="http://www.kcur.org/post/huge-influx-ballots-johnson-county-delays-election-results#stream/0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">"huge influx" of advance ballots, voter registrations and higher voter turnout</a>, as well as old voting machines. In last year's primaries, even with new machines, Johnson County&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kcur.org/post/once-again-johnson-county-last-kansas-report-election-results#stream/0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">again the last to report results</a>&nbsp;to the point that several statewide results couldn't be called until the next morning. There were also concerns regarding Metsker's political ties: He had been chairman of the Johnson County GOP for seven years before his appointment. Plus, when Kobach ran for Kansas governor in 2018, he and Metsker communicated on the night of the primary, according to <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article217576410.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a Kansas City Star report. </a>That raised questions about whether Kobach, who as secretary of state would have overseen the elections, had any influence on the close race against opponent then-Gov. Jeff Colyer.&nbsp; Until a permanent replacement is named, the Johnson County Election Office will be jointly managed by county employees under the supervision of Schwab. He has appointed a six-member committee from his office and the county government to interview candidates. <a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsos.ks.gov%2FjobApp%2Fdefault.aspx&amp;data=02%7C01%7CKatie.Koupal%40ks.gov%7Cb404250c1a644b22e2df08d7799846ee%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637111567232665080&amp;sdata=LgZ5U73lA2nxHR2BE%2BZgFZetHbp445DwXm94k%2Blly4Q%3D&amp;reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The application period ends on Jan. 6.&nbsp;</a> Andrea Tudhope is a reporter at KCUR 89.3. Email her at <a href="mailto:andreat@kcur.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">andreat@kcur.org</a>, and follow her on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/andreatudhope" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@andreatudhope</a>.

Johnson County's top election official abruptly resigns 

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575576321672.png">Wednesday night crash Photo Barton County Sheriff BARTON COUNTY — Ten head of swine died in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Wednesday in Barton County. A 2008 Kenworth truck tractor and livestock semi-trailer loaded with 155 head of swine and driven by Eliseo Lozano, 26, Guymon, OK., was eastbound at the junction of U.S. 56 at Kansas 156 approximately 3 miles east of Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir. The truck overturned while the driver was attempting to make a turn. It appears the driver may have cut the turn to sharp, causing the livestock to shift and overturning the trailer, according to Belledir. The Sheriff’s office and other personnel were on the scene until approximately 2:30a.m. offloading the livestock to another truck. Approximately 10 head of swine were killed in the accident

Sheriff: Swine killed when semi overturns on Kan. highway

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575566813363.png">Photo courtesy Textron Aviation WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Textron Aviation says the company is laying off an undisclosed number of workers, with most of the layoffs at its headquarters in Wichita. The company announced the layoffs Thursday but did not say how many employees would be affected. Company spokeswoman Stephanie Harder said in a statement the job losses would be mostly in engineering and business support. She said the layoffs won’t involve the direct workforce, such as hourly manufacturing and customer support. The layoffs will be effective Dec. 31. &nbsp;Textron offered a voluntary retirement program for salaried exempt employees. Harder said Textron plans to continue hiring skilled advanced aviation manufacturing positions as they are needed.Textron Aviation employs nearly 10,000 people in Wichita.

Textron Aviation announces layoffs, most in Kansas

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575562322124.png"> Jhermeil Taylor photo Jackson County KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City man has been charged with killing a man during an argument outside a liquor store. Thirty-one-year-old Jhermeil Taylor was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Nov. 15 shooting death of 38-year-old Gerald Berry Jr. outside the Cloud 9 Liquor Store. Two witnesses told police the shooting happened as Berry was trying to intervene in an argument between his cousin and Taylor. Surveillance video shows Berry raise his hand in an apparent attempt to stop the fight, according to the probable cause statement. It says the video also shows the cousin throwing a punch at Taylor, who ducked away before pulling out a handgun and shooting Berry. Berry then took out his gun and fired shots toward Taylor as Taylor ran away. Taylor allegedly fired more shots as he ran, got into a car and drove away. A third witness said the shooting happened during a drug deal, but the other witnessed denied attempting to sell marijuana to Taylor. Taylor went to police headquarters on Tuesday with an attorney. Court records say he declined to provide a statement to police. No attorney is listed for Taylor in online court records. His bond is set at $100,000.

Missouri man charged in deadly liquor store shooting

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575554925834.png">House Speaker Pelosi during Thursday's announcement -image courtesy Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House is drafting articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.&nbsp; Watch the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NancyPelosi/videos/452401025692170/">Speaker's statement here.</a> She made the announcement in an unusual public statement Thursday morning. On Wednesday, Pelosi met behind closed doors with her Democratic caucus and asked whether they were ”ready." The answer was a resounding yes, according to those in the room. Democrats are charging toward a Christmastime vote on impeachment, a situation Pelosi hoped to avoid.&nbsp;.

Pelosi OKs drafting of impeachment articles against Trump

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575545813213.png">Photo courtesy Rep. Brandon Woodard OLATHE, Kan. (AP) The City of Olathe has approved a nondiscrimination ordinance to provide protections to LGBTQ residents.The city council's vote on Tuesday came after months of debate and before a packed meeting room. The ordinance prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It includes exemptions for educational, religious and political institutions. Olathe is the last of the major cities in Johnson County to adopt such an ordinance.&nbsp;

Another Kansas community OKs nondiscrimination ordinance

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575489051907.png">Arlandez Drew photo Jackson County KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man has been charged with killing his girlfriend's 2-month-old son. Twenty-eight-year-old Arlandez Drew was charged Tuesday with abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death. Charging documents say Jamarion Holland was rushed to a hospital in August. Drew told police he had been watching Jamarion when the baby appeared to convulse after he was fed formula. Drew said he found a neighbor who performed CPR until an ambulance arrived. The baby died two days later. Drew told police he didn't hurt the child. A medical examiner determined that the child's death was a homicide, caused by complications of head and neck trauma. A scan of the baby's brain showed bleeding in the brain and extreme swelling. Bond is set at $75,000. No attorney is listed for him in online court records.

Kansas City man charged in death of girlfriend's 2-month-old

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri has received a $500,000 grant that will help it restart a law clinic dedicated to investigating possible cases of wrongful conviction. The grant from the Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice will fund the MU Innocence Clinic. The money will pay for DNA tests on evidence involved in cases where eyewitnesses may have misidentified a suspect. Law professor Rodney Uphoff says the school will partner with the Midwest Innocence Project, a law firm that specializes in exonerating inmates who may actually be innocent. Students in the clinic will review cases of the firm's clients to interview witnesses in the case and identify possible pieces of evidence for testing. Eight students will work in the clinic during the 2020 spring semester.

$500K federal grant will help restart MU innocence clinic

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The owner of a Missouri coin-operated game company wants a judge to shut down another company's video gambling terminals, alleging they are illegal and hurting profits.TNT Amusements filed the civil lawsuit last week in Crawford County against Torch Electronic. The suit also names Midwest Petroleum Company, which replaced TNT machines with Torch machines at its Midwest Travel Plaza truck stop along Interstate 44 in the Missouri town of Cuba. The devices, which work in a similar fashion to slot machines, have been rolled out across the state by Torch and other companies.The politically connected Torch argues they are legal.“Torch machines operate statewide to the benefit of dozens of family-owned small businesses and charitable organizations in the state. We will fight all big-government crony capitalist attempts to use state power rather than free market competition to pick winners and losers,” said Torch spokesman Gregg Keller, a political consultant who is heading up President Donald Trump’s reelection effort in Missouri. The TNT lawsuit argues that slot machines are only allowed in casinos. By placing them in truck stops, gas stations and convenience stores, it is breaking state law. Turntine’s attorney, Elkin Kistner of Clayton, called Torch a “rogue operator.” “Jim is a clean operator and this isn’t fair play,” Kistner said. “To his credit, Jim and his company have said enough is enough.”But the Missouri Gaming Commission, which regulates legal gambling in the state’s 13 casinos, has said machines like the ones owned by Torch are illegal. Local prosecutors have been reluctant to step into the fray. A Post-Dispatch survey found many are awaiting the outcome of a criminal case involving video gambling machines in Platte County.Machines owned by Torch and others give players the option of viewing the outcome of a wager before placing a bet. “My view of the present state of the law is that by being able to have a predetermined outcome, that eliminates the chance aspect that would otherwise make these games illegal,” said Tim Lohmar, St. Charles County prosecutor, who is also the president of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. Among the concerns voiced by opponents of the machines are whether they are draining revenue from the Missouri Lottery and the state’s casinos, both of which contribute to education costs.At least two pieces of legislation have been filed in recent days aimed at stopping Torch and other companies. Both could be debated when the Legislature convenes in January.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Missouri lawsuit targets ‘rogue’ video gambling company

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575499053785.png"> Kameron Bynum -photo Wilson County KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A North Carolina man who claimed self-defense in a deadly Kansas City shooting has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing more than 50 stolen firearms. Twenty-four-year-old Kameron Bynum, of Wilson, North Carolina, also pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to drug trafficking. Prosecutors say he stole 52 handguns valued at more than $19,000 in May 2017 from a Kansas City pawn shop. When he was arrested in North Carolina nearly two weeks later, he was in possession of about 13 grams of marijuana and more than $900. A handgun that had been stolen from the pawn shop was found in his apartment, along with more than 400 Xanax tablets and marijuana. Police say a vehicle used in the burglary also was tied to an August 2016 homicide. Bynum's phone was found at the scene. He told police he was trying to buy Xanax from someone when the person pulled out a gun and attempted to rob him. Prosecutors say another witness backed up Bynum's account that he fired in self-defense.

Man trafficked guns stolen from Missouri gun shop

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575496325062.png">Wednesday morning assembly photo courtesy USD 330 WABAUNSEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities and USD 330 officials are working together after alleged threats involving students at&nbsp;Mission Valley School this week. On Tuesday the district alerted parents of a reported threat. It involved an individual making a threat to another student, according to Sheriff Rob Hoskins.&nbsp;The student was taken into custody and the family is working to get the student the attention they need, according to the sheriff. On Monday, the school district contacted the sheriff's office with concerns about a threat that had been posted on social media. Deputies and the Kansas Highway Patrol responded. The incident was resolved quickly without any danger to the students, faculty, staff, or public. The sheriff’s office took an individual into custody from a residence in Wabaunsee County. Following the two incidents, the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Department held an assembly at the school to discuss with students about social media, verbal threats, and the severity and the consequence of such statements. They also reminded students that the school and law enforcement will not take such issues lightly.&nbsp;

2 alleged school threats in 2 days at Kansas school

WASHINGTON —(AP) Hundreds of thousands of Americans who rely on the federal food stamp program will lose their benefits under a new Trump administration rule that will tighten work requirements for recipients. The rule announced Wednesday will limit the ability of states to exempt work-eligible adults from having to obtain steady employment in order to receive benefits. ﻿USDA officials say the rule would save roughly $5.5 billion over five years and cut benefits for about 688,000 recipients. Congressional Democrats and advocates for the poor were quick to condemn the administration's actions.&nbsp;

668,000 will lose food stamp benefits under new work rules

RICH HILL, Mo. (AP) — Dive teams, boats, drones and police dogs are searching in Missouri for a missing mother. The Bates County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BatesCountySheriffsOffice/photos/a.666881963399748/2557432284344697/?type=3&amp;theater" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 125, 165);">post&nbsp;</a>that 36-year-old Nicole Mallatt was last seen or heard from on Nov. 26. Mallatt texted one of her daughters last Tuesday saying she was leaving for a few hours, but she never came back. Her aunt, Linda Diveley Mallatt, said she is convinced something happened after Mallatt didn't call her children on Thanksgiving. "We're concerned about her whereabouts," Sheriff Chad Anderson told KMBC, while adding that there are no signs yet that a crime has happened. The search has focused on about 250 acres of farmland around her home and water on the property.Anyone with information is urged to contact law enforcement.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Search continues in Missouri for missing 36-year-old mother

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —The Kansas City school district owes the state $192,730 for falsifying its attendance data for three years in a bid to regain full accreditation. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education confirmed the amount owed on Tuesday. The district said last month that seven officials were involved in falsifying the data from 2013 to 2016 under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article237585689.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 125, 165);">former Superintendent Steve Green</a>&nbsp;’s leadership. Green has denied knowing that employees were tinkering with student attendance records under his watch.The manipulation led the state to overpay the district because it funds schools in part based on student attendance. Attendance is among the criteria the state uses in giving out performance scores that determine whether a district meets full accreditation. The Kansas City district was unaccredited from 2012 to 2014, when it gained partial accreditation. Although it continued to receive extra monitoring, it avoided being subjected to a law that allows students to transfer from unaccredited to accredited districts, with the unaccredited districts picking up the tab. School officials said the district intends to submit the repayment within the next two weeks.Considering the district’s annual operating budget is more than $257 million, the amount owed is “not catastrophic,” district spokesman Ray Weikal said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas City schools owe $200K for falsified attendance

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575404210576.jpeg">By CRISTINA JANNEYHays Post PLAINVILLE — After waiting 10 months for payment, the ranchers who sold cattle through the Plainville Livestock Commission are finally receiving payment. A settlement agreement was filed in federal court on Nov. 11. The court ordered the cattlemen to receive their full claim amounts less the payments the producers have already received through bond payments made by Hartford Insurance. Hartford will also receive a portion of the settlement for the payments it paid on the bond. Only one cattlemen is yet to be paid, Jerry Roy. A hearing is to be set in that case for the amount of $26,000. Derek Stockman, a rancher, said he had to restructure his loans as he waited for payment in the case and lost about $2,000 in interest as his payment from the Feb. 5 auction was being held by the courts. "It added a lot of financial stress ... and tension with the bankers and stuff like that," he said. "I didn’t expect that we would get it all." Stockman said he received his final check on the sale Friday. The Almena State Bank held the custodial account for the Plainville Livestock Commission. Tyler Gillum, a cattle market agent, allegedly tried to move money from the custodial account, which is by law established to hold sellers funds for the cattle, to the company's general operating account at the bank. At that time, the Almena Bank froze the account and filed an interpleader case to determine whom the money in the custodial account belonged. The court had been holding $916,652 from the custodial account as it determined who was owed money from the Livestock Commission's sale on Feb. 5. During the investigation into the interpleader case, the court determined Almena Bank was holding an additional $1.3 million that was owed to cattlemen and other parties to the sale. Stockman said he was looking forward to paying loans at the bank and getting his operation back to normal. However, he holds both the Gillums and Almena State Bank both responsible for the hardship that the case caused him and other ranchers. "All I have to say is the people who are are responsible need to held accountable," he said. "They need to pay. ... Justice needs to be served. They need to make an example of them that makes a statement." Stockman said he intends to be much more careful about where he takes his cattle for sale in the future. Neither Plainville Livestock Commission nor Almena State Bank admitted to wrongdoing in the settlement. <a href="https://archive.hayspost.com/2019/05/31/indictment-plainville-couple-stole-millions-in-check-kiting-scheme-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">Tyler Gillum, 47, and his wife, Camden Gillum, 50, were charged in May in federal court with carrying out a check-kiting scheme that cost banks millions of dollars.</a> The couple is charged with 31 counts of bank fraud, one count of making a false statement to the Small Business Administration in an application for a $1.5 million loan, and one count of making a false statement to Almena State Bank in an application for a $500,000 line of credit. The indictment alleges investigators examined unfunded checks and wire transfers totaling more $2 billion sent by Tyler Gillum as part of the scheme. The criminal case is still making its way through the court system. <a href="https://archive.hayspost.com/2019/06/28/bank-caught-up-in-plainville-livestock-check-kiting-scheme-under-fdic-scrutiny/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">Almena State Bank</a><a href="https://archive.hayspost.com/2019/06/28/bank-caught-up-in-plainville-livestock-check-kiting-scheme-under-fdic-scrutiny/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64);"> stipulated to a consent order with the FDIC in March to correct what court records called “unsafe and unsound banking practices and violations of laws and regulations.”</a> Plainville Livestock Commission also filed for bankruptcy, and its equipment was sold at auction in June. The commission's real property was sold to Flatland Holding LLC for $850,000. According to bankruptcy court documents, Plainville Livestock Commission debt was listed at almost $14.5 million. Almena Bank was listed as being owed $3.49 million in secured debt. Landmark Bank of Manhattan is listed as an unsecured creditor with the commission owing $8 million. The bankruptcy case is still making its way through the court system. Hays Post attempted to contact an attorney for Gillum; attorneys for Almena State Bank; the attorney for Hartford Fire Insurance; Michael Morris, attorney for the cattle sellers; and the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Kansas, but had not received return calls as of the time this story was published.

Cattlemen paid in full in Plainville Livestock case; bank ordered to pay $1.3M

WASHINGTON —The House Judiciary Committee is going to hear from constitutional scholars on the issue of what's an impeachable offense. <a href="https://www.c-span.org/networks/?channel=c-span-3">Click to watch the hearing </a> The committee&nbsp;is responsible for drafting articles of impeachment. It's prepared on Wednesday for its first hearing since Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee released a report that found “serious misconduct” by President Donald Trump.&nbsp; Democrats say the Republican president misused the power of his office for personal political gain and obstructed Congress' investigation. The full House will decide whether Trump's actions in his dealings with Ukraine rose to the constitutional level of “high crimes and misdemeanors" warranting impeachment. Trump has denied doing anything wrong.

Watch: Judiciary hearing on impeachment

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575468277975.png">Police on the scene of the investigation photo <a href="https://www.kmbc.com/article/kcpd-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-in-4100-block-of-college/30108353">courtesy KBMC TV</a> KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City police say a detective shot and killed a man at a home on the city’s east side. Spokesman Tim Hernandez said Tuesday’s confrontation began after officers were investigating a disturbance between two vehicles. When a police helicopter tracked one of the vehicles to a home, a detective approached a man sitting inside a vehicle and eventually shot him. Hernandez said the detective was “put in position where he had to discharge his firearm” but he did not provide further details. He said the man’s hand was hanging out of the car and a handgun was found on the ground in that area.No officers were injured. The second vehicle involved in the initial disturbance was stopped at another location. Police say everyone involved is in custody.

KC Police: Detective fatally shot man, gun found

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575379029746.png">Photo courtesy Mid Missouri Sheriff Dive Team COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The search for a missing Chinese woman in a river in central Missouri has been called off until Wednesday.Divers searched throughout the day Tuesday for Mengqi Ji Elledge, of Columbia, in the Lamine River in Cooper County. Divers also searched the river last week but didn’t find Elledge, who has been missing since Oct. 8. After the search was called off Tuesday, police spokesman Jeff Pitts declined to say if any progress was made. Police have not said what evidence prompted them to search the river. Police have identified her husband, Joseph Elledge, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b8203ea6a4a34200bdbed74653732810" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 125, 165);">a suspect</a>&nbsp;but he isn’t charged in her disappearance. He is jailed on $500,000 bond on charges of child endangerment and abuse. The couple has a 1-year-old daughter.---------------COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Divers are again searching a river in central Missouri as they look for a Chinese woman who has been missing since October. The latest search of the Lamine River in Cooper County is scheduled for Tuesday. The Mid-Missouri Sheriff's Dive Team said that it also searched the river last week for Mengqi Ji Elledge but didn’t find her. Her husband, Joseph Elledge, has been identified as a suspect. The couple has a 1-year-old daughter. He isn’t charged in her disappearance but is jailed on $500,000 bond on charges of child endangerment and abuse. Charging documents say the abuse occurred in February, and the girl's mother wanted to notify the police at the time, but she gave him another chance after he promised he wouldn’t do it again.

The Latest: Divers continue search for missing Chinese woman

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575460148884.png">Sutu Forte in the tree photo courtesy<a href="https://krcgtv.com/news/local/columbia-woman-protests-in-tree-house-to-block-construction-of-new-trail" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: blue; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;KCRG TV</a> COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Columbia woman who spent a week in a tree to protest the city’s plans to build a trail through a private nature area has been charged with trespassing. Susan Fourcade, known better as Sutu Forte, was charged Monday with first-degree trespassing. Forte began her protest Oct. 28 in in a tree on the Its Our Wild Nature group’s property. The tree was one of more than 40 trees scheduled to be removed to build a 10-foot-wide path through the property. Forte&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/27893e1535d546b8bdb0e27295aa13dd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 125, 165);">was removed</a>&nbsp;from the tree Nov. 5 with a fire truck’s hydraulic bucket after she defied a court order to climb down. The city won the right to put the trail through in an eminent domain action upheld in county and state courts.___

Missouri tree protester charged with trespassing

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have used ground-penetrating radar to search for evidence in a 20-year-old missing person case. Kansas City, Kansas, police said in a news release that officers searched Monday on an empty lot and found an anomaly in an area that once contained a home where Star Boomer stayed off and on with her boyfriend. The release says the images don’t show exactly what is under the soil, but that the investigation will continue as police work to “bring an end to this cold case and hopefully some closure to the family. Boomer was last seen in February 1999 at a bar in the area. <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575390325110.png">Two Kansas City, Kansas, men were charged in her disappearance in October 1999. The case was dismissed after witnesses refused to testify. Detectives reopened the cold case in 2017.

Police search for evidence in 20-year-old Kan. cold case

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri couple whose son was stillborn in November said the baby’s body disappeared from the hospital and no one has explained how or why it happened. Kyle and Brianna Dudley, of Springfield left the body at Cox South Hospital in Springfield after he was stillborn in early November, with hopes that an autopsy and genetic analysis would explain what went wrong, The Springfield News-Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2019/12/03/cox-tells-couple-their-babys-remains-lost/2595682001/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 125, 165);">reported</a>. They named the baby Lucas. They returned to the hospital about a week later but were told by hospital representatives that the baby was gone, the couple said during an interview Tuesday. “We were told that the day that Lucas was scheduled for an autopsy, pathology went down there and they saw that Lucas's body wasn't there,” Brianna Dudley said. The couple said they were shown video of a man in a hoodie who hospital officials believe took their son’s remains from the morgue. Dudley said she could clearly see a bulge in the man’s hoodie wrapped in white that hospital officials believe was their son.“What purpose do you have of doing that?” she asked. “That’s our child, nobody has the right to do that.” She said Cox representatives said the man was contracted with the hospital to transfer body parts to other areas but they declined to give the couple his name and said the matter had been referred to law enforcement. Grant Rahmeyer, an attorney for the Dudleys, said police told him privately that the man in the video denied the accusations and was cooperating with police, and no remains have been found. And he said the hospital’s risk manager suggested the missing remains might have been caused by a “processing issue” but refused to elaborate. CoxHealth spokeswoman Kaitlyn McConnell confirmed in a statement Tuesday that the baby’s remains are missing and that the case has been turned over to police. She said the hospital is conducting an internal review but that she could not provide more information because of the ongoing police investigation. A Springfield police spokeswoman said she couldn’t comment on an active investigation. Rahmeyer said he and his clients are still hoping for answers but would file a lawsuit if they don’t get them.Kyle Dudley said his son’s death and the ensuing confusion is a "nightmare over and over again." “We were planning on having a cremation for him and a way to honor his life because he was very loved and important to us,” Brianna Dudley said. “And we can’t do that now.”___

Missouri couple says stillborn son's remains missing

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A hepatitis A outbreak tied to blackberries sold in Fresh Thyme grocery stores now includes 16 confirmed cases in six states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 16 cases of hepatitis A, including seven in Nebraska, as part of the outbreak in Nebraska, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin. Fresh Thyme has said it's cooperating with the investigation and working with suppliers to identify the source of the contamination.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has urged consumers in Missouri. Nebraska, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania to discard any fresh blackberries bought from Fresh Thyme between Sept. 9 and Sept. 30.Hepatitis A is a virus that infects the liver and can cause mild, flu-like symptoms for several weeks.

Hepatitis A outbreak tied to berries expands

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575383925005.png">&nbsp;Beresky photo Missouri Sex Offender Registry SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Missouri man with a prior conviction for transporting child pornography pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to another child pornography offense, according to the United State's Attorney. David Todd Beresky, 42, Springfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to possessing child pornography. Beresky remains in federal custody. At the time of the offense, Beresky was on supervised release following his incarceration for a 2005 federal conviction of transporting child pornography. His probation officer learned he was working as a pizza delivery driver, which was not permitted. Beresky’s probation officer confronted him at work and inspected his cell phone. Beresky’s cell phone contained multiple images of child pornography. Beresky’s web history also showed multiple websites to forums where child pornography was shared. Under federal statutes, Beresky is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

Missouri sex offender admits having child porn on phone

<img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575398772052.png">President Trump in London Tuesday -White House courtesy photo LONDON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he would talk to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about running for an open Senate seat in Kansas if Republicans appeared at risk of losing it next year.Trump’s comments to reporters Tuesday during a NATO meeting in London came as Pompeo dismissed speculation about his seeking the seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Pat Roberts. Trump said if he thought Republicans might lose their first Senate race in Kansas since 1932, “I would have to talk to Mike.”Pompeo is a former Kansas congressman. Republicans have speculated for months that he will run for the Senate. Some Republicans fear that ex-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach will capture the party’s nomination and put the seat in play after losing the Kansas governor’s race last year.