FOUR PEOPLE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER CHILDREN FOUND IN HOME IN EXTREMELY POOR CONDITION Scott County authorities have taken four people into custody after several children were found in a home that was allegedly in extremely poor condition.
According to Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter, during a search of a residence outside of Benton, investigators discovered that two small children were residing in a home that had no running water and numerous exposed electrical wires. Two additional children were also being dropped off daily.
Trash, spoiled food, and feces was scattered throughout the home attracting flies, gnats, and cockroaches. There were no clean dishes or eating utensils, and it appeared the family was using a bucket in the bathroom to collect bodily waste.
Authorities located numerous pipes, straws, and assorted drug paraphernalia which contained visible residue. Field testing on these items indicated the residue to be methamphetamine and marijuana.
According to Walter, the children were taken into protective custody.
48 year old James Richardson and 51 year old Tammy Richardson, of rural Benton, were arrested along with their son 26 year old Zachary Richardson, also of rural Benton, and daughter 24 year old Lindsay Cobbins, of Sikeston. ARKANSAS MAN FACING METH CHARGE OUT OF WAYNE COUNTY
An Arkansas man was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Wayne County on drug charges.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 47 year old Darrell G. Lawrence, of St. Francis, Arkansas, is facing charges of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine; possession of marijuana and excessive vision reducing material applied to window. SIKESTON POLICE RECEIVE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS CONCERNING PARENTS PICKING UP THEIR SCHOOL CHILDREN CAUSING TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
Sikeston police have received several complaints of illegally parked parents waiting to pick up their children from two area schools.
The complaints are saying that the parents are blocking the view of motorists trying to pull out onto roads. The city has put out no parking signs, but it has not solved the issue. The main problem areas are near Southeast Elementary and Lee Hunter Elementary.
The Sikeston Police Department says officers will start issuing warrants and at some point, citations, if necessary.
Police say that it you are in line to pick up your child, adhere to the no parking signs and yield to the passing vehicles when you pull forward. SIX PEOPLE INJURED IN TWO VEHICLE WRECK IN SCOTT COUNTY
Six people suffered minor injuries in a two vehicle wreck Wednesday night in Scott County.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the wreck occurred when a vehicle driven by 22 year old Zoila I. Cuello, of Indianapolis, was merging from I-55 to I-57 and struck another vehicle. This caused Cuello’s vehicle to run off the right side of the road, overturn, and hit a light pole.
Cuello, along with five other people in her vehicle suffered minor injuries. TWO AREA LEGISLATORS AWARDED FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Two area legislators have been recognized for their support of community colleges.
State Representative Steve Cookson and State Senator Doug Libla were recently awarded the Missouri Community College Association's Distinguished Legislator Award.
The awards were handed out at a ceremony last week in St. Louis. CRAIGHEAD COUNTY SCHOOL GIVEN TOP HONORS IN ARKANSAS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT
Nine Arkansas schools have been singled out for high honors in a state Education Department accountability report.
Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell announced Wednesday that the schools earned "exemplary" status.
The report was issued Tuesday, but the department was still working to determine which schools deserved the exemplary designation.
Among the schools earning top honors was Brookland Elementary in Craighead County.
To earn top status, the schools had to demonstrate high levels of progress by students, including those from families living in poverty, disabled students and children with limited English proficiency. PIPE REPLACEMENT TO CAUSE ROAD CLOSURE IN WAYNE COUNTY
Crews with the Missouri Department of Transportation will be in Wayne County today to replace a pipe under Route U.
During the replacement, Route U will be closed between County Roads 361 and 378. The repair is scheduled to be done today between 8 am to 3 pm. MISSOURI COURT STRIKES BLOW AGAINST RED LIGHT CAMERAS
The future of red-light cameras in Missouri communities could be in jeopardy after a state appeals court panel ruled that most municipal ordinances governing the cameras are not enforceable.
A Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District panel said Tuesday that Ellisville's red-light ordinance conflicts with state statutes governing moving violations and assessing points against drivers.
Although the town's ordinance considers red-light violations caught by the cameras as non-moving, the judges said running a red light is clearly a moving violation under state law.
An attorney for four couples who challenged Ellisville's ordinance says the ruling has broad implications statewide. A lawyer representing the company that operates the red-light cameras disagrees with the court's decision and predicts the matter will ultimately be decided by the Missouri Supreme Court. POTENTIAL MEDICAID CHANGES OUTLINED DURING MISSOURI HOUSE PANEL
The chairman of a special Missouri House panel is outlining potential Medicaid changes that could expand coverage to lower-income adults while reducing it for children.
Jefferson City Republican Representative Jay Barnes offered a detailed financial estimate Wednesday showing the potential changes could save about $42 million in revenues by the time the changes are fully implemented in 2021.
That figure assumes Missouri would spend more money to add adults living in poverty to its Medicaid rolls and subsidize private insurance policies through a federal online marketplace for adults earning slightly more than the poverty level.
It assumes savings to the state by eliminating Medicaid coverage for some children and blind adults. Barnes says they could get policies through the federally run health insurance exchange.
