RIVER RADIO NEWS 032614
CHARLESTON MAN IN CUSTODY ON MURDER CHARGE
A Charleston man has been taken into custody for murder.
Few details have been released at this time, but it is known that 19 year old Evan M. Herandez was arrested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol yesterday shortly before 11 am on a Mississippi County Warrant for first degree murder and a Mississippi County Warrant for armed criminal action.
We’ll bring you more details on this story as they become available.
KENNETT MAN SENTENCED IN RAPE CASE
A Kennett man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison on sex charges.
Authorities say James Jarrett received the sentence Tuesday after being found guilty of rape and two counts of sodomy.
Jarrett was accused of sexually assaulting a 17 year old girl, a 13 year old girl and a 12 year old boy in 2010.
PARAGOULD POLICE HAVE SUSPECT IN SHOOTING THAT INJURED TWO
Police in Paragould, Arkansas say they have a lead in the case of a Monday night shooting that injured two men.
Authorities say the incident happened just after 8:30 pm Monday at an apartment in Pecan Grove. Both victims were taken to area hospitals for treatment.
Police say the investigation is ongoing.
POPLAR BLUFF MAN ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES
A Poplar Bluff man has been arrested on drug related charges.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that 30 year old Adam W. Wuesthoff was taken into custody yesterday afternoon in Ripley County. He has been charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
OVER 10,000 TIRES BURNING IN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY
A fire at a Mississippi County Highway Department site started yesterday evening and is still burning. Authorities say the site is where old tires are collected and stored, and that at least 10,000 tires are fueling the fire.
KFVS reports that representatives with the Department of Natural Resources were on the scene yesterday and will return today.
JONESBORO WOMAN WRITES BAD CHECKS FOR THOUSANDS TO SEND TO SCAM ARTISTS
A Jonesboro, Arkansas woman has been charged with theft after she allegedly wrote bad checks worth thousands of dollars and sent the money to scam artists.
Authorites say 69 year old Linda Kay Panneck was taken into custody Monday afternoon. They say since March 16th, Panneck wrote checks worth over $5000 on an empty account.
The woman’s husband told investigators that his wife had been sending all of her money to Jamaica and other countries, in an attempt to collect sweepstakes winnings.
According to authorities, the bank involved has decided not to pursue charges and Panneck has been released.
MISSOURI SENATE ENDORSES HEALTHY EATING PROGRAM
Legislation to give food stamps users an incentive to buy pharmacy healthy foods at farmers markets has been endorsed by the Missouri Senate.
Under the bill advanced Tuesday, the state would create a test program for participating markets where food stamp users could be reimbursed up to $10 per week for buying meat, fruit and vegetables.
The provision was attached to a broader bill that would give a state and local sales tax exemption for goods purchased at farmers markets.
Supporters say the reimbursement program would cut down on obesity in low-income households and reduce costs for obesity-related illnesses.
The bill needs one more affirmative vote before moving to the House.
MISSOURI AUDITOR DRAWS NO DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION
Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich will be running for re-election without any Democratic or Republican opposition.
Missouri's candidate filing period ended Tuesday afternoon with Libertarian Sean O'Toole and Constitution Party candidate Rodney Farthing as Schweich's only challengers.
The Republican auditor is seeking his second four-year term. Schweich's campaign team said this marks the first time since at least 1878 that Democrats have failed to field a candidate for a statewide office in Missouri.
A total of 429 candidates filed for federal and state offices. That's the lowest number in at least a couple of decades.
Missouri's 2014 ballot will include races for half the state Senate and all of Missouri's U.S. and state House seats. There is no election for U.S. Senate, governor or most other statewide executive offices.
MISSOURI SENATE ENDORSES TAX EXEMPTION FOR OLDER CARS
Missouri senators have endorsed legislation that could make it cheaper to buy older cars.
The bill given first-round approval Tuesday would exempt decade-old cars with a price under $15,000 from sales taxes on the titling of the motor vehicle. Under the measure, a 2004 model bought in 2014 would be exempt from state and local sales taxes.
The measure is sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Parson, of Bolivar. Parson says vehicles in service for 10 years have already had taxes paid on them.
The bill needs a second affirmative vote in the Senate before moving to the House.
HOUSE REJECTS FUNDING FOR MEDICAID EXPANSION The Republican-led Missouri House has rejected a Democratic attempt to expand the state's Medicaid health care program for the poor.
Democrats on Tuesday sought to include funding for Medicaid expansion in the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Supporters argue the expansion would improve health care access for low-income Missourians and note the federal government would pick up the cost for the first two years.
The Republican-led Legislature has repeatedly rejected Medicaid expansion proposals during the past two years. Many have cited concerns about the potential long-term costs to the state.
Missouri's Medicaid program currently covers about 830,000 people at an annual cost of about $9 billion.
