Brian Hauswirth, Author at Missourinet

Winter weather advisories will cover most of Missouri on Thursday into Friday (AUDIO)

January 23, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service (NWS) will be issuing multiple winter weather advisories on Thursday afternoon and evening, that will impact almost all of Missouri.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill says the heaviest snow on Thursday will be in the Moberly and Macon areas (January 23, 2020 map courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter)

NWS Pleasant Hill meteorologist Spencer Mell is urging you to slow down on the road.

“Roads across, especially across northern Missouri this afternoon, are already snow-covered,” Mell says. “And it really doesn’t take much, we’ve seen a lot of accidents already out there.”

Missourinet Cameron affiliate KMRN (AM 1360) and Chillicothe affiliate KCHI (FM 102.5) report dozens of school districts across northwest Missouri canceled classes today. Many of them have been closed all week.

The winter weather advisory for northern Missouri will take effect at 3 p.m. The heaviest band of snow will impact towns like Moberly, Macon, Boonville, Fayette, and Marshall, where four to six additional inches is possible.

“As we get into this evening, the temperatures are going to cool down out there and we will see a band of heavier snow set up in that area,” says Mell.

As for the Kansas City metro over to west-central Missouri’s Sedalia, NWS meteorologist Mell expects more snow to fall tonight.

“So we’re probably looking at more of the 8 to 10 p.m. time frame before we really start to see the snow stick in the Kansas City area,” Mell says.

In mid-Missouri, Mell says snow is expected to start falling again at about 10 p.m. in Jefferson City and Columbia. Two to four inches of additional snow is expected.

In St. Louis, the NWS office there says light snow and snow will change to all snow during tonight’s evening rush hour. The NWS says it will reduce visibility for St. Louis-area motorists, and potentially create snow-covered road conditions. About an inch of snow is expected.

Snow will also impact the Ozarks tonight into Friday. The I-44 corridor between Lebanon, Waynesville and Rolla should see two to three inches.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Spencer Mell, which was recorded on January 23, 2020:

Bipartisan Missouri House resolution describes NCAA’s sanctions against Mizzou as appalling (AUDIO)

January 23, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A resolution condemning the NCAA for its sanctions against the University of Missouri has been filed by the top Democrat on the Missouri House Higher Education Committee.

State Rep. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on April 11, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, tells Missourinet the university did everything right.

“There was a tutor helping student-athletes. The tutor cheated for them,” Razer says. “The University found out, fired the tutor, suspended the students and then notified the NCAA.”

Razer’s resolution notes the NCAA says Mizzou provided “exemplary cooperation” in the case. Razer is upset with the NCAA for upholding sanctions against Mizzou’s football, baseball and softball teams, including a one-year postseason ban for the programs.

The resolution urges Mizzou and the Southeastern Conference to lead in reforming the NCAA, to ensure fairness and integrity. Representative Razer says student-athletes and member institutions must be served equally and fairly.

“And so what my resolution does would express the will of the General Assembly to the university, the (MU) athletic department, the Southeastern Conference, that they take the lead in reforming this part of the NCAA,” says Razer.

Razer notes the athletes being punished with sanctions were not involved in the infractions.

Razer, who graduated from Mizzou, also says the sanctions have created a chilling effect on member institutions which self-report violations. He describes the NCAA’s decision as “appalling.”

“And if it’s not reformable, then maybe it’s time we look at forming a new intercollegiate athletic association that we can trust,” Razer says.

A Missouri House committee hearing for Razer’s resolution has not been scheduled yet.

The measure is House Concurrent Resolution 73.

His effort has bipartisan support. State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, tells Missourinet he wants to co-sponsor Razer’s resolution. Basye’s district includes a portion of Columbia.

And Missouri Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, has also criticized the NCAA, describing the organization as a “fraud.”

Click here to listen to the interview between news director Brian Hauswirth and State Reps. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, and Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, which aired live on Missourinet on January 15, 2020:

Winter weather advisory impacting much of Missouri, including Legislature

January 22, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of Missouri.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of Missouri (January 22, 2020 map courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter)

Wednesday and Wednesday night’s heaviest snowfall will be across northern Missouri, with towns like Maryville, Bethany and Trenton expected to receive three to four inches.

Reporter Jeremy Shields at Missourinet Cameron affiliate KMRN reports there has been snow, blowing snow and sleet in northwest Missouri this morning.

Reporter Tom Tingerthal at Missourinet Chillicothe affiliate KCHI reports there is already about an inch-and-a-half of snow on the ground there, as of this afternoon. Tingerthal also notes many school districts across northwest Missouri have not been in session this week. Classes are expected to be canceled on Thursday as well, due to the winter storm.

Towns located near and along the I-70 corridor should see one to three inches of snow. They include Kansas City, Clinton, Sedalia and Columbia.

The NWS warns hazardous driving conditions will continue into this evening, and that untreated and rural roads will be very slick.

The NWS is urging you to slow down, and to give yourself extra time on the road.

The snow is also impacting legislative work at the Missouri Capitol.

The Missouri Senate has adjourned until next week. Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, tweeted today, urging lawmakers and residents to stay safe as they travel to every corner in the state.

The House will also not be in session on Thursday. Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, tells Missourinet they will have a technical session, which simply requires one member to gavel-in and out.

Retired Missouri judge: “Justice cries for Bobby Bostic to be released”

January 22, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A retired St. Louis judge who sentenced a teen to 241 years in prison in 1997 says her sentence should be overturned. Judge Evelyn Baker traveled to the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on Tuesday, in support of legislation aimed at providing a parole hearing for Bobby Bostic.

41-year-old Bobby Bostic is incarcerated at the Jefferson City Correctional Center (December 2017 file photo courtesy of Missouri DOC)

Bostic, who’s now 41, is incarcerated at the maximum-security Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC). While he was convicted on 16 felony counts, including robbery and armed criminal action, his supporters note his crime did not cause death or serious injuries to victims.

Bostic has been incarcerated since March 1997, for robbing a group of people who were delivering Christmas gifts to needy St. Louisans in 1995.

Judge Evelyn Baker briefed Capitol reporters on Tuesday, and Missourinet asked the retired judge about her 1997 sentence.

“If I knew then what I know now, I would never have sentenced that child (Bostic) to 241 years,” Baker says. “I didn’t know it then, but I do know it now. And it’s my duty to try to rectify a wrong.”

Bostic was 16 at the time of the robbery. Judge Baker says “Bobby was just a kid who was 16 years old. His brain had years to go before he became a full-fledged adult.”

Baker supports bipartisan legislation from State Reps. Nick Schroer (R-O’Fallon) and Barbara Washington (D-Kansas City) that would give Bostic an immediate parole hearing.

Bostic currently has to wait until he’s 112 years old, to get a hearing. Washington says Bostic should have never been certified as an adult, in the case.

Retired St. Louis Circuit Judge Evelyn Baker briefs Capitol reporters on January 21, 2020, as State Reps. Nick Schroer and Barbara Washington look on (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

As for Schroer, who serves on the Missouri House Judiciary Committee, he tells Capitol reporters that none of Bostic’s victims were killed or seriously injured, adding that Bostic prevented a sexual assault from happening that night.

“It is noteworthy to mention that zero of these victims from that one night have indicated that they are against Mr. Bostic being granted clemency or parole,” says Schroer.

The “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” has reported that Bostic was with an 18-year-old co-defendant during the 1995 incident, and that while two people were shot, no one was seriously injured.

The co-defendant accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to 30 years, according to the newspaper.

Representative Schroer emphasizes the legislation doesn’t guarantee Bostic parole, but simply a hearing and an opportunity to appear before Missouri’s Probation and Parole Board.

The bill is House Bill 2201.

Schroer also says Bostic has been involved in restorative justice efforts in prison.

“In the months ahead of us you will learn about how Bobby Bostic is a changed man, fully repentant, obtaining many scholastic accolades and degrees,” Schroer says. “He has taken full responsibility for his actions on that one December night in 1995.”

Judge Baker tells the Capitol Press Corps that “justice cries for Bobby Bostic to be released.”

During their press conference, Representatives Schroer and Washington also called on Governor Mike Parson (R) to grant Bostic clemency. Schroer says he spoke to Governor Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson about the case, in 2019.

In addition to Judge Baker, Schroer and Washington were also joined by several lawmakers from both parties. They included State Reps. Tony Lovasco, R-O’Fallon, Dottie Bailey, R-Eureka, Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, Rasheen Aldridge Jr., D-St. Louis, LaKeySha Bosley, D-St. Louis, and Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette. The ACLU’s Sara Baker also attended and spoke.

Baker notes Bostic has written poetry and has been teaching other inmates how to read. The Missouri Department of Corrections (DOC) says Bostic has also been involved in the Puppies for Parole program.

Missouri Attorney General and St. Louis Police Chief backing officer residency bill (AUDIO)

January 20, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Legislation that would allow St. Louis City police officers to live outside the city is expected to be voted on Tuesday evening in Jefferson City, by the Missouri House Judiciary Committee.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden testifies before the Missouri House Judiciary Committee in Jefferson City on January 14, 2020 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The bill is a top priority for St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson (D) and the city’s police chief, as well as for state Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R).

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden traveled to Jefferson City last week to testify for the bill, saying the residency requirement is the greatest challenge the department has with recruitment and retention.

“We have the greatest need for officers and the most demanding criminal environment in the state of Missouri, yet we have the greatest barrier to becoming an officer by discouraging applicants with the residency requirement,” Hayden tells lawmakers.

Chief Hayden testifies the department is currently down 138 officers, emphasizing that’s both an officer safety issue and a public safety issue. He says having more officers will increase public safety.

St. Louis Police say there were 194 murders, 2,600 shootings and 349 carjackings in 2019.

Chief Hayden testified for House Bill 1604, which is sponsored by State Rep. Ron Hicks, R-Dardenne Prairie.

Hicks describes St. Louis as the murder capitol of the nation. He testifies that the residency requirement is hurting officer recruitment, which impacts public safety.

“Right now, we are lacking I believe it’s close to 150 pairs of boots on the ground, in our law enforcement community in St. Louis City,” says Hicks.

There is opposition to the bill, from some members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen and from some residents. Critics say it’s important to have police officers who live in and know the neighborhoods they patrol.

The one resident who testified against the bill at last week’s hearing said the issue should go to a citywide vote in St. Louis, adding that Representative Hicks’ home in Dardenne Prairie is two counties away.

Hicks tells Missourinet that the St. Louis Board of Aldermen opposed the bill and that Mayor Krewson and Chief Hayden came to him to request help. Hicks also says the title of his office is State Representative, not Dardenne Prairie.

As for Attorney General Schmitt, he says the residency requirement for St. Louis Police officers stifles recruiting efforts and has led to a downturn in the number of officers working in the city. Schmitt emphasizes that the bill doesn’t prevent officers from living in the city.

“This would just provide an opportunity for law enforcement officials who live in St. Louis County or Jefferson County or St. Charles County who are dedicated law enforcement officials who want to do police work in the (St. Louis) city to be able to do that,” Schmitt testifies.

Mayor Krewson and St. Louis Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards also testified for the bill, which has the backing of Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan.

Hicks testifies he believes there is a “path to passage” in the Senate, and says Governor Mike Parson (R) told him that he would sign the legislation, if it reaches his desk.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Ron Hicks, R-Dardenne Prairie, which was recorded on January 14, 2020 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City:

Snow-related crashes close westbound I-70 near mid-Missouri’s Rocheport (AUDIO)

January 20, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service (NWS) says the highest snow totals from Monday’s winter storm extend from the Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit to Sedalia.

The National Weather Service is urging motorists to slow down in the snow (January 20, 2020 map courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter page)

NWS Pleasant Hill meteorologist Sarah Adkins says while snow is ending north of the Missouri River, it’s still snowing in many locations across western, west-central and mid-Missouri.

“We’re seeing the Kansas City area over to Warrensburg and Sedalia into Columbia, Jefferson City and again down into the Lake of the Ozarks and over west in Clinton,” Adkins says.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol also says highways in Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in the Kansas City metro have been slick, because of snow. Blowing snow has also been causing visibility issues.

Meantime, the Highway Patrol says about a dozen vehicles are involved in several snow-related crashes on westbound I-70 near mid-Missouri’s Rocheport. Several tractor trailers are involved, and westbound I-70 is closed there.

The I-70 Rocheport bridge is heavily-traveled. U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, has said more than 12 million vehicles cross the bridge annually, including three million trucks.

Rocheport is just west of Columbia.

As for Adkins, she’s urging motorists to slow down and to give themselves extra time.

“It is accumulating on the roadways and that is going to make them slick,” says Adkins. “So while we don’t anticipate multiple inches of snow, still take it easy. It’s going to be slick.”

Some areas have received an inch of snowfall. Missouri state troopers are urging you to stay focused on the road.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Sarah Adkins, which was recorded on January 20, 2020:

Schatz: The Stanley Cup is coming to the Missouri Capitol this month (AUDIO)

January 20, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The state Senate leader says the Stanley Cup will be coming to the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City by the end of January.

Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, visits with House members on May 17, 2019 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, made the announcement during a live interview on Missourinet, after the governor’s State of the State Address.

“We may not get the Blues (to the Capitol), obviously they’re in the middle of the season,” Schatz says. “But I do believe we’re going to see the Stanley Cup, will be sitting in this building towards the end of the month.”

Pro Tem Schatz predicts fans will want to head to the Statehouse, to see the Cup.

“I don’t know the exact day, but it’s coming,” says Schatz. “And I’m kind of hesitant to put it out there (on a live statewide radio interview) because you know what, a lot of people could show up that day if we told them exactly what day it’s going to be here.”

The Blues beat the Boston Bruins last year, to capture the Stanley Cup for the first time in their 52-year history.

Meantime, thousands of hockey fans from North America will be traveling to St. Louis for this weekend’s NHL All-Star Game at the Enterprise Center.

The game, which will be broadcast nationally on NBC, will be played Saturday night at 7 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

All-Star weekend will also feature a Fan Fair at Union Station, and a 5K run Saturday morning in downtown St. Louis.

There will also be an NHL learn-to-play skills jamboree this weekend at the Winterfest Rink in Kiener Plaza.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, which was live on Missourinet on January 15, 2020. The discussion about the Stanley Cup and the Blues is near the end of the interview:

KMRN: Five tractor trailers jackknifed Friday on icy I-35 in northwest Missouri (AUDIO)

January 17, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Law enforcement officials in northern Missouri’s Harrison County are asking residents and travelers to stay off the roads there, until heavy freezing rain and sleet stops.

A Missouri state trooper assists a motorist who slid off the road in mid-Missouri on January 17, 2020 (photo courtesy of MSHP Troop F Twitter)

National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Andy Bailey notes heavily-traveled I-35 runs through Harrison County.

“Lots of slide offs, lots of accidents there and Harrison County has actually put out a request for people not to travel,” Bailey says.

Harrison County is located on the Missouri-Iowa border. Impacted towns include Bethany, Brooklyn and Gilman City.

The freezing rain also caused conditions to deteriorate Friday morning on I-35 between Cameron and Kearney. Reporter Jeremy Shields from Missourinet Cameron affiliate KMRN (AM 1360) reports he saw five tractor trailers jackknife this morning in that area. Shields says truck drivers struggled in the ice.

The NWS warns that road conditions across northern Missouri will be treacherous throughout the afternoon, because of heavy freezing rain and sleet. Bailey is urging motorists to stay off the road, if possible.

“If it is still snowing in northeast Missouri, that will probably change in the coming hours as that warm air overspreads the area turning things over to freezing rain up there,” says Bailey.

Freezing rain has also been happening in Trenton today.

As for mid-Missouri, Bailey says temperatures in Jefferson City and Columbia will stay at or below freezing until about 5 p.m., when they are expected to go above freezing. He emphasizes that one degree is critical.

Ice has been reported across central Missouri today, including Jefferson City, Columbia and Boonville.

Bailey also says overpasses and side streets were problematic earlier today in the Kansas City metro. A Lee’s Summit fire truck overturned this morning.

Meantime, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield has issued a flood watch through Saturday morning, across the Ozarks. Impacted towns include Springfield, Branson and Lebanon.

More than an inch of additional rainfall is possible tonight, into Saturday.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Andy Bailey, which was recorded on January 17, 2020:

Poplar Bluff, Sedalia, Bloomfield, Columbia and Wentzville highlighted in Missouri State of State (AUDIO)

January 17, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor says more than 40,000 new jobs have been created since he took office in June 2018 and that the state’s 3.1 percent unemployment rate is at a historic low.

North Carolina-based Nucor is building a $400 million steel rebar manufacturing plant in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia (August 2019 file photo courtesy of Nucor)

During this week’s State of the State Address, Governor Mike Parson (R) emphasized the success of Missouri’s economy, and took the opportunity to highlight rural Missouri towns that are seeing capital investment.

Parson tells state lawmakers that big cities aren’t the only ones generating new jobs.

“Aurora Organic Dairy opened a new processing plant in Columbia, creating over 100 new jobs,” Parson says. “And Purina invested $115 million to expand in Bloomfield, Missouri.”

Bloomfield, a southeast Missouri town of about 1,900, is north of Dexter. Parson traveled there in September to tour the Nestle Purina plant, which makes Tidy Cats brand cat litter.

The plant’s expansion is creating about 30 new jobs, and the state Department of Economic Development (DED) says the expansion is adding a 110,000 square foot processing and packaging facility.

Parson met with Nestle CEO Mark Schneider in Switzerland in June, during his first European trade mission. The governor has noted that Nestle employs more than 3,500 Missourians in Bloomfield, Chesterfield, Earth City, Gray Summit, St. Joseph, St. Louis and Trenton.

During Wednesday’s State of the State, Governor Parson also announced that North Carolina-based Nucor Steel is close to starting production at its $400 million steel mill in Sedalia. Parson also announced that gasoline engine manufacturer Briggs and Stratton is creating 130 new jobs in southeast Missouri’s Poplar Bluff.

State DED Director Rob Dixon praises the news.

“These are companies that are international companies that are looking at Missouri and looking at rural Missouri in particular because of the strength of our workforce, the quality of the people that live here,” says Dixon.

The steel mill in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia is one of the largest projects Missouri has landed in the past decade. The average salary for a Nucor steelworker will be $65,000.

The governor says the average salary for the 130 new jobs at Briggs and Stratton in Poplar Bluff will be $36,531. The company is investing $15 million in the expansion.

Briggs and Stratton is already one of the largest employers in Poplar Bluff, according to the Chamber of Commerce there.

The governor also discussed the eastern Missouri town of Wentzville, during State of the State.

Parson says the decision by General Motors (GM) to invest $1.5 billion into its plant in Wentzville represents one of the largest single-project investments from the private sector in Missouri. Director Dixon tells Missourinet that GM’s Wentzville plant supports about 12,000 jobs across Missouri.

“We secured the long-term viability of that plant in Wentzville. That benefits not just Wentzville, but the entire state,” Dixon says.

DED says out of Missouri’s 227 automotive suppliers, 178 supply GM.

The Wentzville plant produces the GMC Canyon and the Chevrolet Colorado. About 4,600 employees work there.

Wentzville, which is known as the “Crossroads of the Nation”, is one of Missouri’s fastest-growing cities. It sits on I-70 in St. Charles County.

Its current population is about 41,000. The city’s website notes Wentzville’s population jumped from 6,896 in 2000 to 29,070 in the 2010 census.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and State Department of Economic Development Director Rob Dixon, which was recorded on January 15, 2020 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City:

National Weather Service warns Friday’s commute will be hazardous across much of Missouri (AUDIO)

January 16, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter weather advisory for northern, west-central, western and southwest Missouri.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill has updated their forecast for January 17, 2020 (map courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter)

NWS Pleasant Hill meteorologist Scott Blair says Kansas City, St. Joseph, Sedalia, Columbia and Jefferson City will see snow and ice on Friday.

“What we’re looking at is a wintry mess out there and really it’s going to be a transition of precipitation types throughout this whole event,” Blair says.

He says the storm system will be moving from southwest to northeast Missouri.

The storm is expected to begin Friday morning in the 3-8 a.m. time frame. Blair tells Missourinet that Friday’s morning and evening commutes will be hazardous for Kansas City, Warrensburg, Columbia and Osage Beach.

“What we’re going to be seeing is snowfall starting out in these places Friday morning,” says Blair. “And as a little bit warmer weather moves into the area we’ll see that precipitation type change to a little bit of sleet and then eventually some freezing rain,” says Blair.

Springfield, Lebanon, Rolla and West Plains are also expected to see ice on Friday.

The Highway 63 corridor will see the heaviest amounts of ice, with up to a quarter-of-an-inch expected in Jefferson City, Columbia and Kirksville. Far western Missouri’s Butler and Nevada could also see up to a quarter-of-an-inch of ice.

The NWS says northwest Missouri will see the heaviest snowfall on Friday, with more than three inches expected in Maryville and Bethany.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Scott Blair, which was recorded on January 16, 2020: