RIVER RADIO NEWS 073013

RIVER RADIO NEWS 073013

EX-CARTER COUNTY COLLECTOR ACCUSED OF THEFT

A former southeast Missouri county collector is facing felony charges of stealing.

Carter County prosecutor Rocky Kingree on Tuesday filed stealing charges against 39 year old Jennifer Clark-Williams, of Van Buren. She resigned as Carter County collector in October after authorities discovered that more than $5,000 was missing from county coffers.

Kingree says that when he took office in 2011 he found a 2009 state audit showing the missing money. He asked the Missouri State Highway Patrol to investigate.

Clark-Williams did not yet have a listed attorney.

TWO ESCAPE FROM NORTHEAST ARKANSAS DETENTION CENTER, ONE BACK IN CUSTODY

Authorities are searching for an inmate who went missing from a northeast Arkansas jail.

KAIT reports that 39 year old Steven Mitchell and 22 year old Steven William Reed were discovered missing from the Jackson County Detention Center early on Monday morning. Reed has since been found and taken back into custody.

According to the report, Mitchell should be considered dangerous and is awaiting trial for first degree battery.

CAPE GIRARDEAU POLICE LOOKING FOR FLAG THIEF

Authorities in Cape Girardeau are looking for a man who is accused of stealing an American Flag from an area residence.

According to Patrolman Darin Hickey, the theft occurred at around 1:30 am on Tuesday, July 16th from a residence near North Lorimer and Bellvue.

Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to contact the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

A picture of the alleged suspect is available on our Facebook page.

OVER 30 ARRESTED AS PART OF WEEKEND MARINE SATURATION

Over 30 people were arrested Saturday in connection to a Marine Operations Saturation on Black River in Reynolds County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 27 of the arrests were for misdemeanor drugs. Four were misdemeanor criminal arrests, and there was one felony drug arrest.

In addition, there were 19 summonses issued for minor in possession.

MEDICAID REFORM GROUP TO HOLD HEARING TOMORROW IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

A group focusing on Medicaid reform is planning a meeting in Kennett tomorrow.

The Citizens and Legislators Working Group on Medicaid Eligibility and Reform will hold its fourth in a series of public hearings tomorrow at 9 am at the Bootheel Area Independent Living Services Center in Kennett.

Missouri Representative Noel Torpey, who chairs the working group, and Representative Kent Hampton, who serves as vice chair, say the group’s goal is to bring together private citizens from all walks of life to engage in a productive discussion meant to generate ideas to transform Missouri’s Medicaid system into one that capably serves the state’s most vulnerable citizens

The Bootheel Area Independent Living Services Center is located at 719 Teaco Road in Kennett.

REGISTRATION EVENT FOR THREE RIVERS COLLEGE TO BE HELD AT CLEARWATER HIGH SCHOOL

The Three Rivers College Center at Piedmont will be holding a registration event next week to help area residents get registered for classes.

The event will be held at Clearwater High School from 4 to 6 pm on Thursday, August 8th. Prospective students attending the event can register for classes offered at any of the college’s locations, as well as those offered at the Piedmont site, or online.

Fall classes begin on August 19th.

$45 MILLION TO BE INVESTED IN NEW MADRID PLANT

Almost 30 new jobs could be on the way to New Madrid as a part of the expansion of an area smelter.

Governor Jay Nixon announced last week that the expansion is due to a $45 million capital investment by Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation. The project will significantly expand the footprint of the smelter in New Madrid and is expected to create 29 new jobs.

PARAMOUNT APPAREL TO EXPAND TO ELLINGTON

A job fair is coming up today for possible positions at a new facility in Ellington.

According to the Ellington Chamber of Commerce, Paramount Apparel recently announced that Ellington was chosen as the site for a new manufacturing facility.

The company has leased a building located near the intersection of Highway 21 and Y Highway in Ellington for the expansion.

A job fair will be held today at the location for the purpose of accepting applications, interviewing prospective employees and potentially offering jobs in anticipation of an August 12th startup date. The job fair will run from 4 to 7 pm.

OLD TIME SCHOOL DAY TOMORROW AT ALLEY SPRING

Ozark National Scenic Riverways is hosting a blast to the past for area students tomorrow.

A free Old Time School Day is being held tomorrow 9:30 am until noon at the Alley Spring pavilion. The event will include traditional daily school activities, spelling bees, chalk board games, and other old time games, such as stilt walking, sack races and barrel ring rolling.

To register, or for additional information, call the Alley Spring Visitor Center at 573-226-3945 and ask for Ranger Sarah Morris.

PAVEMENT REPAIRS SCHEDULED FOR TODAY IN WAYNE COUNTY

Highway 143 in Wayne County will be reduced to one lane today while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs.

The section of road to be reduced is located between Sam A. Baker Park and the Des Arc City Limits.

Weather permitting, work will take place today from 7 am to 5 pm.

HIGHWAY 25 SET TO BE REDUCED THIS WEEK IN STODDARD COUNTY

Highway 25 in Stoddard County is scheduled to be reduced to one lane this week so crews can mill the roadway.

The project is scheduled to be done from 5:30 am to 5 pm daily through Thursday.

GOVERNOR TELLS LEGISLATORS TO NOT ENDANGER MISSOURI’S CREDIT RATING

Governor Jay Nixon is pointing to Missouri's credit rating in defending his veto of tax cutting legislation.

Nixon sent lawmakers a letter Monday that said enacting the tax cuts could jeopardize Missouri's AAA-credit rating. Nixon says credit rating agencies noted the legislation in reports this month.

The legislation would cut tax rates for individuals and corporations and create a new deduction for business income reported on individual tax returns. When fully phased in, it has the potential to reduce state tax revenues by hundreds of millions of dollars.

However, some of the tax cuts depend upon continued growth in state revenues.

SENATE PANEL REVIEWS MISSOURI CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS

A report says that state-owned buildings in Missouri have about 20,000 things that need repairs.

The figures from the Office of Administration were reviewed Monday by an interim state Senate committee studying the state's construction needs.

The report says completing all the repairs would cost about $662 million.

As part of Monday's meeting, the Senate committee toured the headquarters of the Department of Natural Resources and the former Missouri State Penitentiary, both in Jefferson City.

The prison closed in 2004. A new federal courthouse sits on part of the land, and tours take visitors through some of the remaining buildings at the old prison.