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Attorney General settles with fundraiser that pocketed Joplin tornado response donations

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The Attorney General’s Office says it has recovered more than $39,000 of money donated to help Joplin recover from the May, 2011 tornado, but used by a fundraiser for personal expenses.

Attorney General Chris Koster says Sidney Ray-Bazan agreed to pay $39,200 to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks for rebuilding efforts in Joplin. His office’s investigation revealed that she had taken a large portion of the $133,000 she collected as the owner of Relief Spark.

“The money was diverted by an unscrupulous fundraiser from donations intended to help tornado victims, but was instead diverted for her personal use,” says Koster.

He says Ray-Bazan spent that money on things including meals at restaurants, coffee shops, upscale children’s clothing boutiques, veterinary offices, grocery stores and her children’s babysitter.

Koster says the check will be turned over to Rebuild Joplin, a non-profit agency dedicated to the Joplin rebuilding effort.

Ray-Bazan also agreed not to solicit funds for any charitable purpose in Missouri for five years.

“I felt that the just thing to do was simply to make things right, put things back where they should have been,” says Koster, “So we’re going to close the prosecution at this point.”

The agreement is subject to court approval.

Joe Lancello, KZRG in Joplin contributed to this report

Report: better building codes, public shelters could have saved lives in Joplin tornado

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A federal report on the May 2011 Joplin tornado says better building code standards and public shelters could save lives when storms like that happen.

The May 22, 2011 Joplin Tornado killed 161 people and injured 1,000 and caused $3-billion in property damage, destroying about 7,500 homes and 553 businesses.

The May 22, 2011 Joplin Tornado killed 161 people and injured 1,000 and caused $3-billion in property damage, destroying about 7,500 homes and 553 businesses.  (photo courtesy; Naitonal Weather Service)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a nearly 500-page report containing 47 findings and 16 recommendations.

The Institute began its study within days of that EF-5 tornado, that killed 161 people.

It learned that many people in Joplin tried to ride out that storm in homes, public buildings and businesses. Its report says fewer people would have died if those structures were built to resist tornadoes.

According to the Institute’s Director of Disaster and Failure Studies Eric Letvin, “Neither residential nor large commercial buildings in Joplin adequately protected building occupants. There were no community shelters in Joplin in May 2011 and residents had limited access to underground or tornado-resistant structures.”

The Institute recommends the development of national performance-based standards for tornado-resistant building designs, installation of tornado shelters in buildings, and the creation of national codes and standards for clear, consistent and accurate emergency communications.

Joplin City Officials have received that report. City Manager Mark Rohr says the City’s view is that residents should find shelter in a storm as close as possible to where they are when it hits.

“We’re not convinced that exposing themselves to the elements by getting out in the car and going to some kind of public shelter is the best idea given all the circumstances that are surrounding a tornadic-type event,” Rohr says.

Rohr says he will have city staff go over the report and prepare recommendations to present to the city within the next month.

See the report here.

Jason Rima, KTTS in Springfield and Darrin Wright, KZRG in Joplin contributed to this report.

 

Missouri Southern football assistant dies in Joplin shooting

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Missouri Southern assistant coach Derek Moore

Missouri Southern assistant coach Derek Moore

Joplin police said Saturday that the Jasper County prosecutor’s office has charged 39 year old Jeffery L. Bruner of Joplin with felony murder and armed criminal action in the death of 37-year-old Derek Moore. Moore died from injuries after he was shot Friday night as he left a Joplin movie theater.

“It is not a random shooting. It was targeted,” Sgt. Jared Delzell told media outlets. Delzell said the motive is under investigation.

Bruner is being held without bond in Joplin. Jail officials say it’s not clear if he has a lawyer.

Moore was in his first year as a Missouri Southern offensive line coach. He came to MSSU after three seasons at Western Illinois.

The university canceled homecoming activities and said in a statement the school was “stunned and deeply saddened” by Moore’s death.

“The Missouri Southern athletics community is deeply saddened by the events that have occurred,” said Athletics Director Jared Bruggeman. “In times like this, our priority is to make sure we are there for our student-athletes, coaches and support staff in whatever way necessary.”

Missouri Southern was scheduled to host Lindenwood University from St. Charles, Mo.

 

 

 

Cardinals present big check to Joplin children

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Members of the St. Louis Cardinals (L to R) hitting coach Mark McGwire, manager Mike Matheny and General Manager John Mozeliak, pound nails into boards as they help rebuild homes in Joplin on August 20, 2012. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Following their marathon 19 inning, six hour, seven minute game on Sunday, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, hitting coach Mark McGwire and several other staff flew to Joplin to help build for Habitat for Humanity on Monday, as part of the Governor’s Joplin Challenge to build 35 houses.  The Cardinals also presented a check for $200,000 that will be spread out to four children’s charities in Joplin.

The donations to Children’s Haven, Bright Futures, Ronald McDonald House of Joplin and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jasper & Newton Counties/Joplin were made possible by the generosity of fans who donated money to Cardinals Care’s Joplin Recovery fund as part of the Teams Unite for Joplin effort last summer.

“It’s unbelievable how far they’ve come since the devastation last year,” McGwire said. “It’s really cool that we’re a part of it. Mike Matheny and I were asked by general manager John Mozeliak and we said, ‘Absolutely, let’s go.’ How could we not? My brother back in California does this line of work. I have a lot of respect for these hard-working men and women who do this. It’s a lot of work.”

The checks were presented to four agencies who work with children in Joplin — $70,000 to Children’s Haven, $40,000 to Bright Futures, $20,000 to Ronald McDonald House, and $70,000 to Big Brothers & Big Sisters.

Surveillance cameras catch images of possible Joplin mosque fire suspect (PHOTOS)

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Jasper County authorities are investigating a fire at a mosque in Joplin as a case of arson. The Islamic Society of Joplin was damaged by an early morning fire Wednesday. Sheriff Archie Dunn says the facility’s security camera caught photos of a suspect they’d like to talk to.

“We’re hoping somebody can help us identify that person so we can interview them to see if they have any part in this.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has called for state and federal agencies to investigate the case as a possible hate crime. The FBI has been called in to join the investigation.

Darrin Wright at KZRG in Joplin contributed to this report.

Obama, Nixon speak at Joplin High School graduation (VIDEO, AUDIO)

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The Joplin High School Class of 2012 has graduated in a ceremony that took on a double meaning, as President Barack Obama and Governor Jay Nixon helped to celebrate the class and to mark the one year anniversary of the tornado that devastated the community.

The President greeted the 431 members of the Joplin Class of 2012 ahead of the ceremony. Then in his address, he recalled what happened nearly a year earlier only hours after the Class of 2011 graduated.

“The most powerful tornado in six decades tore a path of devastation through Joplin that was nearly a mile wide and thirteen long. In just 32 minutes it took thousands of homes and hundreds businesses and 161 of your neighbors, friends and family.”

Some of those killed were close to the graduates. “It took a classmate, Will Norton, who had just left this auditorium with a diploma in his hand. It took Lantz Hare, who should have received his diploma next year.”

 

The night was also marked with humor. Class President Chloe Hadley recalled how her senior year had been spent in makeshift facilities, including a local shopping center. “With all confidence I can say I am proud to be a member of the North Park Mall graduates of 2012.”

Superintendent C.J. Huff told the graduates he is proud of them. “If I could have picked a motto for this class, it would simply be this, ‘No excuses.’ Class of 2012, you have shown amazing leadership and character in the face of overwhelming adversity. You have shown the world not only that of which you are capable but also that of which you are made.”

AUDIO:   Hear Governor Nixon’s speech, 9:18

AUDIO:   Joplin School District Superintendent C.J. Huff, 7:13

Royals team with MLB to build houses in Joplin (AUDIO)

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Major League Baseball and the Players Association is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to build nine houses in Joplin and Tuscaloosa, AL, towns ravaged by deadly tornadoes. The Royals are taking part of the project called the “All-Star Build.” Two of the new houses will be framed outside Kauffman Stadium in the backdrop of the 2012 All-Star Game.

Joplin’s mayor Melodee Colbert-Kean, was at Kauffman during Wednesday’s press conference to plead for help for those families that are still living in temporary housing.

AUDIO Mayor Colbert-Kean’s comments (:30)

Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur shared the mayor’s sentiment. Francoeur is traveling to Joplin after the season to put on a camp.

AUDIO Jeff Francoeur (:25)

Weather Service begins test of new warnings today

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Beginning today and for the next few months, when weather turns severe the National Weather Service will be trying some new things with the warnings it issues in most of Missouri.
 

The National Weather Service will use new language to tell the public when events like this tornado near Bellflower on May 25, 2011 are happening. (photo courtesy, tNational Weather Service)

These warnings will include new hazard, impact, source information and updated Call to Action statements. The weather service hopes the new warnings will get members of the public to take potentially life-saving actions faster.

St. Louis Warning Coordination Meteorologist Jim Kramper says this is the beginning of a test. “We think the warning process and the result is going to be overhauled eventually in a bigger fashion, but we just can’t do it at once. We’re going to take steps, and this is probably the first step.”

The warnings are being tested in five weather service offices covering most of Missouri and parts of Illinois and Kansas. Kramper explains why the Weather Service chose these offices. “They wanted to try to get offices that have been effected by strong tornadoes recently, and try to get a variety as well. Kansas sometimes looks at their storms differently than a lot of people in St. Louis do. So we’ll have a lot of variety in terms of the people that are going to be exposed to this new type of warning.”

Those offices’ coverage areas do not include the Bootheel and Scotland and Clark counties in far northeast Missouri.

The updates are based on the findings of the Weather Service and social scientists, who have studied people’s behavior when severe weather hits in events like the May 22, 2011 Joplin tornado.  Kramper says they’ve learned that most people, upon hearing a warning, will look for more information.

“They hear ‘tornado warning,’ in most cases they’re going to take a look outside, they’re going to see what’s going on. Is there anything right there in the vicinity or does it look clear? Maybe they can see the dark cloud off in the distance. Or, maybe all of a sudden they can see the wind howling outside. That’s what we have found people do. They don’t really take action just because they hear this warning. They’re going to assess the situation their situation and find out, ‘What do I really need to do?'”

See our earlier story on the new warning language.

Some things might not change, however. Kramper says for instance, the Weather Service has no say in what county and city officials do with local outdoor warning sirens.

“The local warning systems are controlled by local authorities. We’re hopeful that they will take this additional information that we’re going to try and make it easy for them to see the warnings and they’ll use that when they make their decisions … but what they decide in terms of turning them on or not is still going to be totally up to them.”

Much of the time, the public does not read these warnings with their own eyes. Rather, they get the information from media outlets. Kramper says how media outlets will pass it along is up to them. Then, it’s up to the public what they do with that information.

See examples of the warnings being tested, with the new language highlighted:

 

World Record set in St. Louis for longest basketball game (AUDIO)

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Players gather after completing their 112 hour basketball game

“We did it!” Those were the first words I heard from Steve Pona, one of the 24 basketball players, who finished the world’s longest basketball game on Sunday night at the Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis. The game started at 5 a.m. Wednesday morning and wrapped up 112 hours and 13 seconds later.

AUDIO Steve Pona recaps the marathon basketball game (8:30)

The group, which included Joplin native and former Missouri Tiger Jeff Hafer, played the game to help raise money for the Joplin Chamber of Commerce. Final figures on just how much money was raised will come out later this week, but the figure will be well over $100,000.

[Read more…]

Marathon basketball game makes it through the first 24 hours

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A player attempts a three-pointer during the 110-hour basketball game.

We’ve been following the attempt by 24 basketball players in St. Louis to break the Guinness Book of World Records mark for the longest basketball game to be played. Team Joplin and Team St. Louis have completed a little more than the first 24 hours of a planned 110 hour game at the Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis.

The group is raising money for the Joplin Chamber of Commerce to distribute to businesses and families still trying to recover last year’s tornado. Former Missouri Tiger Jeff Hafer, a Joplin native and JV basketball coach for Joplin, is leading all scorers with 604 points. Team Joplin leads Team St. Louis 2,611 to 2,584.

Check their official Facebook page for updates.