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The Public Defender Commission has taken a drastic step, declining new cases in its Springfield office, a drastic step that one prosecutor believes isn’t necessary.
Public Defender Deputy Director Cat Kelly says the Springfield office has exceeded its maximum case load and simply can’t take on new clients. Kelly says the office will operate on a month-by-month basis. [Read more...]
An admittedly drastic step has been taken by the State Public Defender’s office: closing its Springfield office to new cases.
Public Defender Deputy Director Cat Kelly says Greene County courts have been taking a number to steps to reduce the workload on the Public Defender office in Springfield to avoid closing the doors.
“There aren’t any other options,” Kelly tells the Missourinet.
Efforts to lessen the workload on the 20 public defenders in Springfield had some effect, but couldn’t keep the number of cases from reaching the maximum.
“When all other options fail, the only remaining option is to close the doors,” according to Kelly.
Kelly says public defenders simply cannot take on more clients than they can effectively represent. [Read more...]
Weather remains a concern for Missouri as the Christmas Eve/Christmas Day storm moves through the area.
The Missouri Department of Transportation’s traveler information map indicates that most roads in the Western part of the state are snow covered. I-70 just east of Columbia west on into Kansas City is covered. I-35 and I-29 are snow covered as rain turned to freezing rain overnight, then into snow through the western part of the state. MoDOT also says that southern Missouri, around the Branson area west into Oklahoma, has been hit hard by this storm. High winds have made visibility difficult. MoDOT expects the conditions to remain problematic throughout today, tapering off this evening and improving greatly tomorrow.
To view the radar or forecasts online, click the following links according to which part of the state you’re in … or might be traveling to:
NOAA National Weather Service — St. Louis … Kansas City … Springfield.
MoDOT reminds motorists they can view the road conditions prior to travel at http://www.modot.org/ . Those already en route can call the 24-hour hotline and speak to someone about road conditions at 888-Ask-MoDOT.
Brent Martin interviews Forecaster Chris Bowman (4:30 MP3)
Brent Martin interviews MoDOT’s Mike Bolt about Christmas Day road conditions (5:30 MP3)
The design of a highway interchange in southwest Missouri has won the State Transportation Department acclaim from Popular Science magazine. Each year, the science and technology magazine picks what it considers to be “the 100 fastest, biggest, safest, greenest and most powerful innovations of the year.” Popular Science calls the concept behind the new intersection design in Springfield one of the best innovations of the year. [Read more...]
The Missouri Arts Council honored cities and individuals at the Capitol today.
Missouri’s First Lady Georganne Nixon, legislators, Economic Development Director Linda Martinez, artists and art advocates gathered to recognize those furthering the arts in Missouri.
Missouri Arts Council chairwoman Sharon Beshore says during a faltering economic climate, the arts remain a steady revenue-driving attraction for the state.
She says arts in Missouri are funded in part through the non-resident athletes’ and entertainers’ income tax and credits legislators for securing funding that has moved the state up on a list put out by the National Assembly of State Art Agencies.
Missouri was 49th on that list just five years ago and now is No. 9 in the U.S.
The Kansas City Art Insitute was recognized for its contributions to education; The city of Springfield was honored for drawing on the arts to promote economic growth and tourism; and the Allied Arts Council of St. Joseph received an award for its dedication to bringing the arts and people together.
Visit missouriartscouncil.org for more.
