RIVER RADIO NEWS 010314
FLORIDA MAN KILLED IN MADISON COUNTY WRECK
A Florida man was killed Thursday in a wreck on US Highway 67 in Madison County.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 65 year old Newell G. Gillenwater, of Coconut Creek, Florida, was driving on Highway 67 when his vehicle ran off the road and hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A passenger in the vehicle, 69 year old Charles F. Gillenwater, of Piedmont, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital.
SIX THOUSAND POUNDS OF COPPER REPORTEDLY STOLEN FROM BUSINESS
Six thousand pounds of copper was reportedly stolen earlier this week from a Cape Girardeau County business.
According to the Southeast Missourian, the owner of Strack Stone Company, J.W. Strack, said the copper was taken Sunday or Monday night. Strack says the copper is worth about $20,000.
Anybody who has information about the incident is asked to contact the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department at 243-3551.
SEVEN PUPPIES FOUND TAPED INSIDE A BOX ON THE SIDE OF A NORTHEAST ARKANSAS INTERSECTION
A Jonesboro Police officer reportedly found seven puppies trapped inside a box near an area intersection earlier this week.
According to KAIT, it was 35 degrees on Wednesday when the officer found the dogs, who were taped inside a cardboard box with no food or water. One of the puppies later died. They were discovered near the intersection of North Church and Coleman Street.
The dogs were taken to animal control. Anyone with information about the puppies is being asked to call the Jonesboro Police Department.
SNOW IN THE FORECAST FOR THIS WEEKEND
If you have not gotten your cold weather clothes out of storage yet, you might want to get that done before the weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for Southeast Missouri that says accumulating snow is expected Saturday night into Sunday as a large storm system makes its way across the area. When the outlook was issued it was still too early to pinpoint exact amounts.
Following the snow over the weekend, an arctic cold will come in on Monday and Tuesday which will see highs in the single digits and teens in some areas and lows down to around zero to negative digits. Wind chills could bottom out at minus 10 to minus 20 Monday night and early Tuesday.
TRAFFIC FATALITIES DOWN IN MISSOURI
For only the second time since 1949, Missouri experienced less than 800 traffic fatalities in a year.
According to preliminary statistics released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri recorded 741 traffic fatalities in 2013. This is a 41 percent decrease from the 1,257 fatalities recorded in 2005. Each year for the past seven year period, with the exception of 2012's slight increase, the number of traffic deaths has dropped.
The Highway Patrol says that of the 741 people killed in traffic crashes in 2013, 63 percent of those required to be restrained were not at the time of the crash.
The Patrol is encouraging motorists to protect themselves by making sure everyone in the vehicle is properly restrained in a seat belt or child restraint.
LAWSUIT AIMS TO FORCE MISSOURI GOVERNOR TO SET SPECIAL ELECTIONS FOR VACANT SEATS
A new lawsuit seeks to compel Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to call special elections to fill four vacant legislative seats.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in Cole County claims Nixon is shirking his duties by not setting special elections.
One of the seats is the 120th House District, which has been vacant since June when Republican Representative Jason Smith, of Salem, won a special election to Congress.
The other three seats just became vacant in December, including the former seat of Republican Representative Dennis Fowler, of Advance, who resigned from the 151st House District after being appointed by Nixon to the parole board.
SUPPLY MANAGERS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MIDWEST ECONOMY ACCORDING TO NEW SURVEY
A monthly economic report suggests supply managers surveyed in nine Midwestern and Plains states are optimistic about the regional economy over the next six months.
The confidence index for the Mid-America Business Conditions Index jumped to 66.5 last month from 57.2 in November. However, the overall index rose just 2 points, to 53.2 from 51.2 in November.
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says businesses tied to agriculture continue to report softer economic conditions.
The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth, while a score below that suggests decline.
The survey covers nine states including Arkansas and Missouri.
MISSOURI REVENUES UP JUST UNDER THREE PERCENT
Missouri revenues have grown by slightly less than 3 percent through the first half of the state's budget year.
Figures released Thursday by the state Office of Administration show Missouri's general revenues stood at nearly $3.9 billion at the end of December. That was up more than $100 million from the same period a year earlier - a growth rate of 2.8 percent.
Missouri's 2014 fiscal year began last July and ends this coming June 30th.
Individual income tax collections mirrored the growth rate in total revenues. Sales taxes grew at a faster rate of 6.4 percent.
Corporate taxes, which comprise a smaller portion of the budget, were up nearly 22 percent compared with the first half of the previous fiscal year.
