RIVER RADIO NEWS 081214
DECOMPOSING BODY FOUND IN POPLAR BLUFF
An investigation is ongoing into a dead body found in Poplar Bluff.
According to Poplar Bluff Police, the body was found Monday afternoon in a wooded area near the Poplar Bluff Junior High School.
The body was in an advanced stage of decomposition, and authorities say no cause of death was immediately apparent. The identity of the body has not released.
SCOTT CITY MAN FACING SODOMY AND SEXUAL MISCONDUCT CHARGES
A Scott City man is facing sex related charges in connection to an incident that occurred last December.
According to KFVS, 33 year old Justin Bailey allegedly exposed himself and inappropriately touched a girl under the age of 14. The girl reportedly then stabbed Bailey in the hand with a pencil after telling him to stop.
Bailey is facing charges of first degree statutory sodomy and sexual misconduct.
PERSON OF INTEREST SOUGHT IN CONNECTION TO NEW MADRID COUNTY THEFT
Authorities in New Madrid County are seeking a person of interest in connection to an theft on Sunday.
According to New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens, an officer attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding and the driver tried to flee.
The deputy pursued the vehicle into rural Mississippi County, where it traveled off the roadway and the driver fled the scene.
While investigating the vehicle, officers found numerous items, including tools, that had been reportedly stolen from a New Madrid County business.
Formal charges are pending in the case.
TWO WOMEN ARRESTED ON BURGLARY AND TRESPASSING CHARGES
Two women were taken into custody last week after being caught in the middle of a reported burglary.
According to the Caruthersville Police Department, officers were dispatched to a residence on Franklin Avenue Friday morning in connection to a reported burglary in process.
Two females were found in the residence and taken into custody on charges of burglary and trespassing. Their names have not yet been released.
WOMAN CAUGHT ALLEGEDLY DRIVING STOLEN TRACTOR
A woman was caught Friday driving a stolen tractor.
According to the Caruthersville Police Department, a 39 year old female from Caruthersville was stopped at an intersection driving a tractor that had been reported stolen earlier that day.
The woman was taken into custody pending the filling of formal charges.
TWO ARRESTED IN WAYNE COUNTY ON METH CHARGE
Two people were taken into custody Monday night on a drug charge.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 33 year old Constancia M. Gonzales, of Chaffee, and 37 year old Adrian J. McFall, of Lowndes, were arrested at around 8:30 pm in Wayne County.
They are each facing felony charges of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine; and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia.
MISSOURI SUPREME COURT RULING STRIKES DOWN RULE IN CONNECTION TO SEX CRIME CASES
Prosecutors and victims' advocates are hailing a Missouri Supreme Court ruling as a positive step for prosecuting sex crimes.
The ruling, which received little public attention when it was issued July 29, struck down a rule that allowed appellate judges to set aside convictions on sex crimes if they thought the victim's testimony wasn't credible.
The state Supreme Court said the rule required appellate judges to make determinations they were not equipped to make.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports prosecutors and advocates say the ruling removes an obstacle that often factored into decisions on whether to file charges in sex abuse cases.
Boone County prosecutor Dan Knight says the ruling could prompt prosecutors to consider whether old cases could have a chance of success at new trials.
OVER 37 THOUSAND PEOPLE DROPPED FROM MISSOURI MEDICAID ROLL
Missouri's Medicaid program is leading the nation in the number of people dropped from its rolls.
New figures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show that Missouri's Medicaid enrollment dropped by 37,260 people in June, compared with its average enrollment from July through September of last year.
That was the largest numerical decrease of any state, though it ranked second behind Nebraska in terms of the percentage decline.
Missouri, Nebraska, Alabama and Wyoming were the only states that reported enrollment declines during that period, which coincided with the launch of new online insurance marketplaces required under the federal health care law.
Missouri's Medicaid program switched to a new computer system during that time and also experienced delays in verifying referrals from the federally run insurance website.
