TWO FOUND DEAD IN POSSIBLE MURDER/SUICIDE
Cape Girardeau police have identified two bodies that were found the night of Christmas Eve.
According to Cape Girardeau Police, 40 year old Demetrius Beasley, of St. Louis, and 6 year old Markell Beasley, of Jefferson City, were found dead at a residence on South Hanover. An initial investigation by authorities indicated that it was a possible murder suicide.
According to the Jefferson City Police Department, Markell had been allowed by his mother to travel to St. Louis to be with his father, Demetrius, for a holiday party. Markell’s mother later found out that there was no holiday party, and that the father allegedly did not intend to bring the child back.
The exact manner that the two had died was not available, and police are still investigating the incident. PARMA WOMAN KILLED IN NEW MADRID COUNTY WRECK
One woman has died after her car hit a tree.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 68 year old Mary A. Fortner, of Parma, was driving on Highway 153 near Tallapoosa in New Madrid County, when she travelled off the side of the road, overturned, and hit a tree.
The wreck occurred Tuesday evening and Fortner was pronounced dead at a Dexter hospital. Fortner was allegedly not wearing a safety device at the time of the wreck. ONE ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO STABBING
Kennett authorities have taken a person into custody following a stabbing report.
According to the Kennett Police Department, early Wednesday morning officers were dispatched to a location on east Second Street. At the location, officers found a black male that had been stabbed in the leg.
Following an investigation, officers arrested 36 year old Elissa K. Adaway, of Kennett, on the charge of first degree domestic assault.
The victim, whose name and current condition was not released, was taken to an area hospital. WRECK ON CHRISTMAS EVE LEAVES ONE DEAD
A single vehicle wreck on Christmas Eve resulted in the death of a New Madrid woman.
According to the Highway Patrol, 51 year old Georgia M. Halford was pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck five miles west of Lilbourn. Halford had been driving on Route E when her vehicle ran off the roadway, hit a utility pole, overturned, and submerged into a ditch of water.
Halford was allegedly not wearing a safety device at the time of the wreck.
SIKESTON WOMAN ARRESTED ON ROBBERY CHARGE
A Sikeston woman has been taken into custody for an alleged robbery.
According to the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, 20 year old Tyangela Gibson was arrested during a stop in connection to an investigation into two iPhones that had allegedly been taken by force from an individual.
The stolen phones were reportedly recovered during the traffic stop.
Gibson is facing a felony charge of second degree robbery. MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL WARNING OF SCAMS IN CONNECTION TO TARGET SECURITY BREACH
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster tells us that victims of the recent security breach at Target stores are being targeted by scammers.
On Monday, Koster warned consumers to be cautious in providing personal or financial information over the phone or in response to emails related to the Target credit and debit-card breach.
Thieves pretending to be from Target or a consumer's bank or credit-card company have been contacting consumers by phone or email and asking for their personal and financial information.
Koster says that neither Target nor financial institutions would ask for personal information over the phone or by email. OPERATION JUMPSTART IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AWARDED OVER 7 THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT
The Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce and Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission have been awarded over 7 thousand dollars in grant money for operation jumpstart.
According to Steve Halter, the Chamber and OFRPC were awarded $7,481 to offer potential start-ups the opportunity to get trained for free and compete for $2,000 seed money.
The training will be hosted at the Chamber of Commerce, however a date was not released. LIGHTNING SUSPECTED TO CAUSE FIRE AT VACANT SCHOOL BUILDING
Authorities suspect lightning is to blame for a fire that destroyed a vacant school building in rural Greene County, Arkansas.
The former Stanford High School building burned to the ground over the weekend. Western Greene County Volunteer Fire Department Chief James Potter says the cause of the fire hasn't been determined, but no investigation will be conducted because the building wasn't insured.
Potter says lightning most likely sparked the blaze early Saturday that destroyed the school.
The Paragould Daily Press reports that the school has been vacant since the 1990s when Stanford was consolidated with the Paragould School District. MISSOURI GETS FEDERAL GRANT TO HELP LOW ACHIEVING SCHOOLS
Missouri has been awarded a $7.5 million federal grant to continue a program that helps the state's lowest-achieving schools.
The U.S. Department of Education announced the award from the federal School Improvement Grants program on Monday. In all, the agency awarded more than $43 million in such grants to seven states.
Missouri's education department will distribute the federal funds to districts showing the greatest need and strongest commitment to improving achievement at their lowest-performing schools.
This is the third year Missouri has received a grant from the federal program. OVER 40 MILLION DOLLARS RELEASED FROM STATE BUDGET
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has released $40.1 million that he previously froze from the current year's state budget.
The largest amount is $18 million for repair work at the Missouri Capitol. The money will be used for sealing and waterproofing the exterior of the Capitol's south side that faces away from the Missouri River toward the state Supreme Court building.
Nixon also is releasing $7 million for state facilities maintenance and repair and $5 million for projects at state parks.
Nixon announced Tuesday that $10 million would be released for various state programs. That includes $750,000 for small business programs through the Missouri Department of Economic Development and $500,000 for dental programs at rural health clinics.
