RIVER RADIO NEWS 122314
ONE DEAD FOLLOWING BOLLINGER COUNTY WRECK
One person has died following a two vehicle crash Monday afternoon.
According to the Highway Patrol, 29 year old Mark Lindsey, of Park Hills, lost control of his vehicle on Missouri Highway 34 near Grassy, crossed the centerline and was hit by another vehicle.
Lindsey was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the second vehicle suffered minor injuries.
WOMAN CHARGED IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS SHOOTING
A Manila woman has been arrested in connection to a shooting last week.
According to the KAIT, Felicia Ashabranner is facing charges for the shooting of Henry Neese, of Blytheville. Neese was reportedly shot in the stomach on December 16th.
Ashabranner has been charged with domestic battery and discharging a firearm in city limits.
SUSPECT SOUGHT IN REPORTED ARMED ROBBERY
A suspect is being sought in connection to a reported armed robbery in Northeast Arkansas.
According to KAIT, two people reported to Jonesboro Police that a man came into their motel room and took their money and cell phones at gun point. The suspect also allegedly hit one of the victims with a pistol.
The incident occurred Saturday night.
KENNETT OFFICER SHOOTS AND KILLS DOG
A Kennett Police officer reportedly shot and killed a dog while on duty Sunday.
According to the Kennett Police Department, officers spoke with several citizens that had reportedly been chased or attacked by several vicious dogs.
An officer attempted to make contact at a home where the dogs resided when the pack of approximately six dogs came from the rear of the residence and charged at the officer.
The Police Department says the officer had no choice but to use lethal force to protect himself from the dogs. One of the dogs sustained fatal injuries and a second received a wound to the face, however it is expected to survive.
The dogs’ owner had been out of town and it is not clear as to exactly how the dogs were able to get free from the residence.
CABOOL MAN ARRESTED ON FIREARM CHARGE
A Cabool man was taken into custody Monday on a firearm charge.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 26 year old Luke Riley is facing a charge of felon in possession of a firearm. Riley was arrested shortly before 9 pm in Shannon County.
EDGE RUT REPAIRS SCHEDULED FOR THIS WEEK IN NEW MADRID COUNTY
Route 80 in New Madrid County will be reduced to one lane this week as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform edge rut repairs.
The work zone is located between Route B and Route AA.
Weather permitting, work will performed from 8 am to 3 pm daily through Wednesday.
HIGHWAY PATROL REMINDS MOTORISTS TO DRIVE SAFELY OVER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is reminding motorists to drive safely over the Christmas holiday.
Remember to check your vehicle before you travel to ensure that it is in good working condition. Make sure you are well rested before driving to your destination, no matter how short the distance.
According to the Highway Patrol, last year over the Christmas holiday, there were 207 traffic crashes during the 30-hour counting period. In those crashes, one person was killed and another 79 were injured.
If faced with a traffic emergency, motorists can contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on a cellular phone.
Motorists should use this number if they are in a traffic crash, witness a crash or crime, or observe a stranded motorist in need of assistance, or other traffic emergencies.
MISSOURI’S LARGEST ELECTRIC COMPANY OUTLINES PLANS FOR OVER $130 MILLION INVESTMENT
Missouri's largest electric company says it plans to invest $135 million in energy efficiency programs for customers over a three-year period.
Ameren Missouri filed information about its energy efficiency efforts Monday with the Missouri Public Service Commission. The proposal for 2016 to 2018 includes incentives for people to buy energy efficient light bulbs, appliances and air conditioners. Incentives also would be available for businesses.
Consumers would see a line item on the bills recouping the costs of the energy efficiency programs. But Ameren says customers ultimately will save money, because the utility won't have to build as many power plants.
Ameren's proposed energy efficiency program would succeed one that runs through the end of 2015.
Ameren Missouri serves about 1.2 million electric customers.
MISSOURI MINIMUM WAGE TO GO UP 15 CENTS
Missouri's low-wage workers are getting a small pay hike in 2015.
Starting New Year's Day, the state's minimum wage will increase by 15 cents to $7.65 an hour. The minimum wage for tipped workers in Missouri will rise by 9 cents to $3.83 per hour.
A law passed by voters in 2006 provides an annual cost-of-living adjustment to Missouri's minimum wage.
The National Employment Law Project said in a news release that Missouri is joined by 19 states that will also raise their minimum wage on New Year's Day.
The advocacy group for low-wage workers says the minimum wage increases will boost pay for a total of 4.4 million workers, including 136,000 in Missouri.
FRAUD SUSPECTED IN SIGNATURES FOR EARLY VOTING MEASURE
The Missouri secretary of state's office says it referred several cases of potential fraud to local prosecutors this year involving an initiative petition drive about early voting.
A report from Secretary of State Jason Kander says the names of some deceased people had been signed on petitions seeking to qualify the early voting measure for the ballot. It says other people's names also were listed who did not actually sign the petition.
Kander's office says it referred the irregularities to prosecutors in Boone, Buchanan, Cooper, Grundy, Knox, Pike and Schuyler counties.
Republican political consultant Jeff Roe says he commissioned his own review of the signatures and found an even larger number of potentially fraudulent ones than had been identified by state officials.
The early voting measure did not make the November ballot.
