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Pelosi visits Missouri to bolster support for ethics, voting rights bills

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, made a stop in the St. Louis-area on Monday afternoon to gather support for two key pieces of Democratic legislation. The trip was Pelosi’s first stop to Missouri since Democrats regained control of the lower chamber.

From left: Urban League President Michael McMillan, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Missouri Congressman Lacy Clay

Pelosi joined Congressman Lacy Clay, D-Missouri, and other elected officials as well as community leaders at the Urban League Empowerment Center in Ferguson to rally for final congressional approval of two bills: HR. 1, “The For The People Act of 2019” and HR. 4, “The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019″. Both landmarks bills are part of what Pelosi calls efforts to restore ethics and government transparency.

“The voice and the vote belongs to the people and people can have whatever they want as long as they vote,” said Pelosi to a room full of supporters. “If you don’t vote, you don’t count and that’s why the other side wants to suppress the vote, to impact the policy.”

The proposed plans would expand voting rights and change laws about undisclosed campaign donations.

“We are going to the heart of the Constitution of the United States – the right to vote, which our founders in their wisdom enabled the Constitution to be amended to do,” said Pelosi.

Clay, a co-sponsor of both measures, stressed there is a lot at stake with the passage of this pair of proposals.

“This is worth the fight and why is it that the other side don’t want these people to vote, to have a stake in their own government? Because they want to keep things the same,” said Clay.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has criticized H.R. 1, calling it a “power grab” because it would make Election Day a holiday.

Clay represents St. Louis and St. Louis County in the U.S. House.

By Missourinet contributor Jill Enders

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet

Photos from Gov. Parson’s March 15 flyover of flooding in St. Joseph

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Courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office

Levees breached in Atchison County

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-KMA News

At least two levees breached in Atchison County Sunday morning.

Atchison County Emergency Management Coordinator Rhonda Wiley says a 40-foot full breach was located 2 miles north of U.S. Highway 136. Another 20-foot breach was reported a quarter-mile south of the Watson boat dock. Wiley says a big concern is the rapid rate at which the water is moving.

“Prior to the breach, we had had overtoppage,” said Wiley, “which is kind of a slower flow of water. The main channel was really fast up the rivers. On the outer side of the levees, it wasn’t as fast as it was in 2011. But, out on the outer side of the levees, it wasn’t as fast as what we were looking at in 2011. But, out on the outer side of the levees, it wasn’t as fast as what we were looking at in 2011. But now that we’ve had the breaches, the water is starting to move faster, and the faster these breaches become, the faster that the water is going to move–which is a big concern for personal safety for people that want to look around the water’s edge, and look at the damage.”

In fact, Wiley says incorrect detours are a problem around the county’s dangerous areas.

“Part of the problem is from people who are not from this area, that are rerouting through our area,” she said, “even though they have had to pass barricades, and pass detour signs. They just keep coming out to where they’re trying to find a way around to get to Nebraska, to get to Omaha. They’re even going down to the bottoms on 111, where there’s water over the road, and asking for directions, saying ‘we’re trying to get over to the 75 Highway.’ Well, if you were over the 75 Highway, you couldn’t go north that way, either, because of the floods.”

Fortunately, Wiley says most residents west of Interstate 29 have cooperated with evacuation orders.

“We do have two people were still staying in Watson,” said Wiley. “I’m hoping that they move out today. If something should happen there, then we at least know where their homes are. For the most part, I believe everyone was out. They’ve done a really fantastic job of getting themselves out. Some started a few days prior to the flood actually happening, That was the big thing–because the earlier start, the quicker you can get everything out.”

Wiley reminds residents to stay off the river bottoms, as well as away from the flooded areas.

More than 200 Missouri cattle die of nitrate poisoning

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More than 200 Missouri cattle die of nitrate poisoning

Nitrate poisoning has killed more than 200 head of cattle in Missouri in about the last 30 days. University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist Eric Bailey tells Brownfield Ag News the problem has become worse because of the extended winter.

“Our hay feeding season is getting essentially stretched out a little longer and we’re down to sort of some of our more marginal feed stuff that we’re feeding out to our stock,” he says.

Bailey says weather extremes have contributed to toxic levels of nitrate in grass hay. He recommends testing hay for nitrates and limiting access if levels are high and adding some starch to the diet with corn.

“We’re trying to basically make the bugs in the room and use up that nitrate before it can ever be absorbed out of the room and go into the blood and cause the toxicity issues,” Bailey says.

He says bad calving weather and short feed supplies are also causing livestock health issues.

By Tom Steever of Brownfield Ag News

Southern Missouri church pastor fired, allegedly admits to sexual acts with a minor

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Southern Missouri church pastor charged with alleged sexual abuse of a minor

The pastor at the First Assembly of God church in southern Missouri’s Mountain View has been charged with alleged sexual abuse of a teenage girl. Online court records indicate 45-year-old Gregory Reese was charged Sunday with alleged child molestation and three counts of statutory sodomy.

A probable cause statement in the case says that a 14-year-old girl reported to authorities in February that Reese had sexual contact with her.

Reese reportedly admitted to having oral sex with the girl at his Shannon County home after a polygraph test. He was fired from the church when criminal charges were filed.

Reese posted bond and is scheduled to appear in court April 23.

By Ed Button of Missourinet affiliate KWPM in West Plains

Columbia man charged in arson attack at Planned Parenthood clinic

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A Columbia man is charged in federal court with the February 10 arson at the Columbia Health Center, operated by Planned Parenthood Great Plains.

Wesley Brian Kaster, 42, faces one count of maliciously damaging a building, owned by an organization the receives federal financial assistance, by means of fire or an explosive.

Kaster, who was arrested on Saturday, March 2, 2019, remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Thursday, March 7, 2019.

Federal prosecutors say surveillance video from Planned Parenthood and from neighboring businesses recorded Kaster beginning at about 2:30 a.m. on February 10, when he allegedly broke the front door, placed a bucket inside the building that was later found to be filled with gasoline.  After a couple of attempts over the next hour, and he allegedly ignited a Molotov cocktail-type device inside.

According to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Timothy A. Garrison:

Investigators contacted Kaster’s employer, a light manufacturing business in Jefferson City, where he works as a floor supervisor in the welding shop. According to the affidavit, Kaster had acquired a pair of Ansell HyFlex gloves, which are cut and abrasion resistant, which were the same make, model, color and size gloves recovered from the Planned Parenthood building.

Investigators searched social media accounts connected to Kaster. On Oct. 25, 2015, a picture was posted to the Facebook page of Kaster’s wife depicting a handgun and the words, “Guns Don’t Kill People, Planned Parenthood Kills People.”

Multiple federal search warrants were executed on Saturday, March 2, 2019. Investigators searched Kaster’s minivan a few minutes after he left his workplace that morning and took Kaster to obtain hair specimens. Investigators searched Kaster’s residence, the affidavit says, where numerous items of evidence were collected that definitively tied Kaster to the crime scene at Planned Parenthood.

Man dies from officer-involved shooting in southwest Missouri

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Photo courtesy of KSGF in Springfield

Springfield police officers shot and killed a man Monday evening during a disturbance at an apartment complex in southwest Missouri. When officers arrived on the scene of a disturbance call, Lt. Chad Mcintyre says they were confronted by an armed suspect.

“One of the responding officers was forced to use his firearm to protect himself,” Mcintyre says. “The suspect has been pronounced dead at this time.”

The officer involved was not hurt.

Police have not released the name of the man killed.

By Mike Volding of Missourinet affiliate KSGF in Springfield

Missouri man marks anniversary of his historic free speech case

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Reported by O. Kay Henderson, Radio Iowa

A Missouri man has marked the 50th anniversary of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that came four years after he wore a black armband to school.  John Tinker, who now lives in Fayette, created a free speech case that is still cited today.

John and Mary Beth Tinker with current Des Moines area high school students. Photo by O. Kay Henderson

In December 1965, Tinker, his sister Mary Beth, along with a friend, wore black armbands to high school in Des Moines to protest the Vietnam War. John Tinker said black armbands have been worn as a symbol of mourning for centuries.

“It’s a silent, non-disruptive symbol and so we thought it fit what we were trying to do very well,” Tinker said.

The Tinker siblings and their friend were sent home and threatened with expulsion for wearing the armbands. The parents of the three teens sued on their behalf and four years later the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District that a student’s right to free expression doesn’t end “at the schoolhouse gate.”

“It declared that students in the public schools are persons under the law and are endowed with their First Amendment rights,” Tinker told Radio Iowa.

Tinker and his sister were featured in a day-long event at the State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines on Friday. More than 200 Iowa students attended. There was a national live stream discussion with students in other states as well.

“Having stood up for what we believed way back then about the war in Vietnam and having the courts vindicate us — I think that helps the students today understand that if they’ve thought about an issue and if they feel strongly about it, that they do have the right to speak out about it,” Tinker said, “and I encourage them to do that.”

Tinker and another high school student were 15 years old when they wore black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. His younger sister, Mary Beth, also wore an armband to school. She was 13 and in junior high.

The Tinkers will speak at Iowa State University tonight, at the University of Iowa Tuesday evening and at Drake University Wednesday evening.

Parson’s tractor ride kicks off FFA week

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National Future Farmers of America Week celebrations are being held across the country, including in Missouri. Governor Mike Parson, a Republican and farmer from southwest Missouri’s Bolivar, found a special way to kick off the week.
On Tuesday, Parson rode a John Deere tractor between the governor’s mansion and the state Capitol in Jefferson City to celebrate Missouri FFA.

“Well, you know, every day you’re on a tractor is a good day for me. I enjoy it. I was on one this weekend but it wasn’t near as nice as this one,” Parson said.

Alongside the governor in that tractor was Missouri FFA president Paxton Dahmer of southwest Missouri’s Nevada.

“It was remarkable – definitely a once in a lifetime experience and awesome for FFA members to see what it’s like to have a farmer in the governor’s mansion,” said Dahmer.

Governor Parson and Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn presented Dahmer with a proclamation, in the Captiol Rotunda, recognizing Missouri FFA during National FFA Week this week.

Parson, a cow-calf producer who continues to work his farm, has advice to young people involved in agriculture – the number one industry in the state.

“Learn as much as you can. Understand where the future of agriculture’s going, through science, through math, through technology,” said Parson. “All of those things are going to play a huge role in how we produce and how we meet the demands of the future. So, if there’s a young kid I’ll be talking out here it’s just tell them how important that role is and remember where they came from. Remember where those roots started.”

The National FFA was first organized in Kansas City in 1928 and is now more than 669,000 members strong. Missouri has 27,104 FFA members.

By Julie Harker of Brownfield Ag News for America

NGA partnering with SLU to address issues like poverty

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(Story is written by Missourinet St. Louis contributor Jill Enders)

St. Louis University and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency are using technology to address poverty and crime.

NGA geographer Becky Jones and Dr. Ness Sandoval speak on February 18, 2019 (Jill Enders photo)

St. Louis University (SLU) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) four-part series “Geospatial 101” explores how geospatial data is used to visualize patterns of poverty, crime and unemployment.

During the second part of the series presented on Monday at Saint Louis University, experts discussed how this data is applied to combating these social challenges. Dr. Ness Sandoval, an associate professor of Sociology at SLU, was one of the experts who spoke during the presentation.

“It’s choosing technology I would say in two ways. One is to identify spacial patterns within neighborhoods or within municipalities that are important, that we should be focusing on from a policy perspective, but second is, once you identify those patterns, being able to give the data and make it transparent to everybody.” Sandoval explains.

Back in January, St. Louis University signed a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency to establish a new relationship that will allow SLU to collaborate with the NGA on geospatial research, training and innovation initiatives.

The next presentation will address mapping health and disease. It will be held on March 4 at St. Louis University’s Salus Center Auditorium.

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet