RIVER RADIO NEWS 032515
ADVANCE MAN DIES WHILE DRIVING, AUTHORITIES SEEK CAUSE OF DEATH
Authorities are attempting to figure out what caused the death of an Advance man as he drove down a Sikeston road Monday.
According to Captain James McMillen with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, officers responded to a call about what appeared to be a vehicle accident near Highway HH and North Ingram Road. When officers arrived, they found a truck in a field.
The driver of the vehicle, 36 year old David Allen Leonard was deceased in the driver’s seat. Captain McMillen says there was no damage to the truck and no obvious evidence of trauma to Leonard.
According to authorities, it is believed that Leonard suffered some sort of medical event that led to his death.
BOLLINGER COUNTY MAN ACCUSED OF HITTING SON WITH PIECE OF TRIM
A Gipsy, Missouri man was recently taken into custody after his son told authorities that the man had hit him repeatedly with a piece of trim board.
According to the Southeast Missourian, Brian Elsworth is facing a child abuse charge in connection to the incident. Elsworth allegedly struck his son three times in the head with his hand, before using a piece of trim board to hit him three times on the buttocks causing the board to break.
The 13 year old child reportedly had substantial bruising.
- LOUIS MAN ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE DRUG CHARGES IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
A St. Louis man is facing multiple drug charges following his arrest Tuesday afternoon in New Madrid County.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 36 year old John Montgomery was taken into custody on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of marijuana; and possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine.
GROUNDBREAKING HELD FOR NEW POPLAR BLUFF JUNIOR HIGH ADDITION
Work started earlier this month on a new addition to the Poplar Bluff Junior High School.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held last Friday for the addition, which will include a FEMA safe room and nine new classrooms, among other renovations.
The project will also feature new restroom facilities, locker rooms and a road that encircles the campus. The safe room portion, which will double as a gym, is funded by a $1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The current gym will be converted to a shop classroom.
The deadline for the project’s completion is March 2nd, 2016.
FORMER COUNTY COMMISSIONER CHOSEN FOR INTERIM BUTLER COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR
A former county commissioner will be taking over as interim Emergency Management Director in Butler County.
According to a report from the Daily American Republic, Robbie Myers will be filing the spot on an interim basis. Myers had previously served as interim director in late 2012 and early 2013, along with his tenure as a county commissioner for 12 years.
Officials say they want to wait until after the storm season before a final decision will be made.
NEW COLLECTOR OF REVENUE APPOINTED FOR CARTER COUNTY
Governor Jay Nixon has named a new Collector of Revenue for Carter County.
Van Buren resident Lisa Goodwin was appointed to the position, which was made vacant by the resignation of Deborah Turley.
Goodwin is a former city clerk for the City of Van Buren, a post she held from 1997 until 2012.
SHOW TO BE PERFORMED THURSDAY AT JOHN J PERSHING VA MEDICAL CENTER
An entertainment show is scheduled to be performed Thursday for hospitalized veterans and guests at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center.
Re-Creation’s “40 Years of Entertainment” show will begin at 2 pm Thursday at the Medical Center’s main lobby.
Local VA Voluntary Services Officer, Donna Reynolds says the show is like a mini-Broadway performance featuring a group of talented young entertainers.
The public is welcome to attend the show and there will be no charge.
MISSOURI AUDIT FAULTS ATTORNEY GENERAL ON LOBBYIST POLICY
(AP) - A state audit says Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster hasn't adopted a policy to address concerns that he's been influenced by lobbyist perks.
Koster was criticized after a New York Times article in October listed him among a group of attorneys general who were soft on companies facing litigation after receiving campaign contributions and perks.
Koster later promised not to accept lobbyist gifts and put a freeze on campaign contributions from organizations under investigation by his office.
An audit released Tuesday says his office hadn't formally adopted those policies as of February. Koster's campaign spokesman Andrew Whalen says a policy is in place through his political committee.
Koster's office says attorneys don't pay attention to who contributes to his campaign.
Koster is the only Democrat running for governor in 2016.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER HARBORS TO BE DREDGED IN FOUR STATES
(AP) - A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official says 10 harbors on the Mississippi River in Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee are scheduled for dredging this year.
Col. Jeff Anderson, commander of the corps' Memphis District, updated stakeholders and area officials on flood and water management projects during a meeting of the Mississippi River Commission in Memphis on Tuesday.
Anderson said dredging of silt and sediment deposits in ports and harbors is important because it clears them for barge traffic, which in turn bolsters commerce.
The meeting on the Motor Vessel Mississippi was part of the corps' annual high-water inspection trip. The commission met Monday in New Madrid, Missouri.
MISSOURI MEDICAID PROGRAM DID NOT RECOVER FROM DECEASED
(AP) - An audit of federal funds says Missouri's Medicaid program failed to recover as much as $27 million in medical expenses from deceased participants in the program.
The audit released Tuesday found claims were not filed quickly enough in more than 30,000 cases where the state may have been able to recover money.
Missouri law allows the state to recover Medicaid funds spent on a participant as a state debt. The state must file a claim against the person's estate in probate court within a year of their death.
The Department of Social Services unit responsible for filing claims says it does not have sufficient staff to review all of the cases of deceased patients.
The audit also found continued eligibility verification problems in welfare programs overseen by the department.
