Missouri State Highway Patrol Archives

New Year’s highlights focus on Missouri areas with large number of impaired driving crashes (AUDIO)

December 31, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri state troopers will be visible on highways Tuesday and Wednesday for both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day traffic enforcement.

A Missouri state trooper on-duty in 2019 (file photo courtesy of Missouri State Highway Patrol)

Missouri State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Collin Stosberg describes impaired driving as the most preventable crime there is.

“We have a zero tolerance so we’ll have troopers and our other law enforcement partners out there arresting those impaired drivers, to make sure that everyone gets to their destination safely,” Stosberg says.

This year’s 30-hour New Year’s holiday counting period begins tonight at 6 and runs through 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Day. During last year’s 102-hour holiday counting period, 11 Missouri motorists were killed and another 447 suffered injuries in 1,301 traffic crashes.

“We’ll have troopers working all over, especially those areas that are known for a high number of impaired driving crashes and incidents,” says Stosberg.

This year’s counting period is 30-hours, because New Year’s Day is a Wednesday.

Lt. Stosberg encourages anyone who drinks alcohol to use a designated driver or to use a taxi or ride share service.

Troopers are also assisting motorists who run out of gas or need assistance for things like a flat tire. Anyone who faces a traffic emergency should call *55 on their cell phone.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Missouri State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Collin Stosberg, which was recorded on December 27, 2019:

Retired Missouri state trooper serves as Santa Claus for Operation T.O.Y.S. (AUDIO)

December 24, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A retired Missouri State Highway Patrol captain says serving as Santa Claus again at the recent Operation T.O.Y.S. event in Jefferson City is a rewarding experience.

Longtime Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Tim Hull served as Santa Claus at the December 15, 2018 Operation T.O.Y.S. event in Jefferson City. He was joined by his daughter, Paige Anderson (file photo from Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth)

Tim Hull, who spent 32 years with the Patrol before retiring, met individually with about 100 children during this month’s event, which took place at Walmart East.

“I like to volunteer to do stuff in the community and get involved, and this is one way to do that,” Hull says.

Operation T.O.Y.S., which stands for Taking Our Youth Shopping, is an opportunity for children who otherwise would not be able to celebrate the holidays.

Hull says it’s a good bonding experience for the children and the officers, adding that he loves doing it. It’s his sixth straight year serving as Santa.

“Also keep my ties with law enforcement that I’ve had for so many years, so it’s a good fit for everybody,” says Hull.

Hull has participated in the Jefferson City event in various roles since 1992.

The 100 children now have Christmas presents for themselves and their families, thanks to Operation T.O.Y.S. Hull tells Missourinet that the kids bought for their families, before themselves.

“I saw one little girl in there with a hammer in her cart, so you know that’s got to be for mom or dad or grandma or grandpa or somebody in the family,” Hull says.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Scott White tells Missourinet some of the children bought shoes and coats for their siblings.

Law enforcement officers from mid-Missouri raised money throughout the year to help purchase Christmas presents at the event. Fundraising done by officers and civic groups allowed each child to purchase $150 in gifts for family members and themselves. Groups include the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #19, the Elks Lodge, Lions Clubs and Kiwanis.

Nine law enforcement agencies participated in the event. They were Jefferson City Police, Cole County Sheriff’s deputies, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Capitol Police, Lincoln University Police, Holts Summit Police and corrections officers and personnel from three Missouri Department of Corrections facilities: the Algoa, Jefferson City and Tipton Correctional Centers.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and retired Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Tim Hull, which was recorded on December 14, 2019 in Jefferson City:

Missouri state troopers will be visible on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (AUDIO)

December 23, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

You’ll notice additional Missouri state troopers on the road Tuesday and Wednesday, for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day traffic enforcement.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper speaks to a motorist in 2019 (file photo courtesy of Missouri State Highway Patrol Public Information Division)

Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain John Hotz says this year’s 30-hour counting period begins Tuesday evening at 6 and runs through 11:59 on Christmas night.

“We’re encouraging people to make sure that they allot themselves a little bit of extra time, be aware of that extra traffic, be courteous when they’re driving,” Hotz says.

State troopers say 11 Missouri motorists were killed and another 421 suffered injuries during the 2018 Christmas holiday counting period, which was 108-hours. Hotz says there were more than 1,100 traffic crashes during the 2018 holiday.

“We know this time of year a lot of people are celebrating a lot of different things,” says Hotz. “A lot of family gatherings, office parties, those types of things.”

Captain Hotz is also urging you to use a designated driver if you drink during the Christmas period. He tells Missourinet that troopers are participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign during the Christmas holiday counting period. The campaign focuses on removing drunk drivers from the road.

“The Patrol is out there looking for those violators to get them off the road before they can be involved in a traffic crash and injure or kill someone,” Hotz says.

Troopers arrested 106 Missouri motorists for driving while impaired, during the 2018 Christmas holiday period.

Hotz also emphasizes that troopers are on the road to assist motorists who run out of gasoline or need other assistance for things like a flat tire. He encourages anyone who needs assistance or who faces a traffic emergency to call *55 on their cell phone. You can also dial 1-800-525-5555.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain John Hotz, which was recorded on December 23, 2019:

Missouri state offices to close at 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve

December 23, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor has signed an executive order that closes most state offices on Christmas Eve at 1 p.m.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson speaks to Missourinet on September 23, 2019 at Jefferson City’s Memorial Park (Brian Hauswirth file photo)

“Teresa and I hope this gives our state team members extra time to spend with their loved ones, as it is our family and close friends who truly make Christmas a joyful time of year,” Governor Parson said in a statement. “May we take a moment over the holiday to rejoice, give thanks and reflect on the special relationships we have in our lives. From our family to yours, we wish everyone peace, joy and a very merry Christmas.”

The order does not impact emergency services such as the Missouri State Highway Patrol and state prisons, which operate 24 hours a day.

There are more than 14,000 state employees in Jefferson City, making state government the town’s largest employer. State offices are also closed on Christmas Day, which is one of 12 official state holidays.

Click here to read Governor Parson’s executive order.

Operation T.O.Y.S. gives mid-Missouri children opportunity to celebrate Christmas (AUDIO)

December 15, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

More than 100 needy children in mid-Missouri’s Cole, Callaway and Osage counties have Christmas presents for themselves and their families, thanks to the annual Operation T.O.Y.S. event at Jefferson City’s Walmart East.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Scott White shops with a child during Operation T.O.Y.S. on December 14, 2019 in Jefferson City (Brian Hauswirth photo)

Saturday’s event featured a law enforcement convoy stretching more than a mile-and-a-half long, with lights and sirens activated. Operation T.O.Y.S., which stands for Taking Our Youth Shopping, is an opportunity for children who otherwise would not be able to celebrate the holidays.

Jefferson City Police officer Les Martin, who coordinates the program, says it continues to grow.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I just love doing this,” Martin says. “It’s about the kids, it’s how we can give back to the kids.”

Fundraising done by Mr. Martin and other officers throughout the year allowed each child to purchase $150 in gifts for family members and themselves.

Nine law enforcement agencies participated in Saturday’s event. They were Jefferson City Police, Cole County Sheriff’s deputies, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Capitol Police, Lincoln University Police, Holts Summit Police, and corrections officers and personnel from three Missouri Department of Corrections facilities: the Algoa, Jefferson City and Tipton Correctional Centers.

The officers who took the children shopping say the kids were buying for their brothers and sisters, before themselves. Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Scott White tells Missourinet some of the children bought shoes for their siblings.

“The young man that I had today, the very first thing he picked up was for his one-year-old little brother. So that really shows you where the hearts of these kids are,” says White.

Organizers say the event ensures that children in need are able to have a memorable Christmas. Sergeant White says events like Operation T.O.Y.S. are why most officers became officers.

JCPD officer Martin also noticed the purchasing habits, noting most of the children bought presents for their brothers, sisters and parents.

“It’s about the gift of giving and that’s nice to see in a younger child that they know what that means,” Martin says.

A Missourinet reporter also saw some of the officers dig into their own pockets, to get extra items for the children. Sergeant White says it’s the officers’ pleasure to cover the difference. He says the officers do it with a grateful heart.

The children were also able to meet Santa Claus, elves and McGruff the crime dog.

Martin tells Missourinet he is appreciative to the numerous companies, individuals and fraternal organizations that donated. They include the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #19, the Elks Lodge, Lions Clubs and Kiwanis.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Jefferson City Police officer Les Martin, which was recorded on December 14, 2019 inside Jefferson City’s Walmart East:

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Scott White, which was recorded on December 14, 2019 inside Jefferson City’s Walmart East:

Parson: Missouri Highway Patrol’s surge on St. Louis interstates has led to 300 arrests

November 26, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The mayors of Missouri’s four largest cities and Governor Mike Parson outlined their top priorities for battling violent crime in Jefferson City on Monday.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson visits with
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and their four respective police chiefs on November 25, 2019 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of the governor’s office)

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and their four respective police chiefs met with Governor Parson behind closed doors at the Statehouse.

The governor and mayors briefed the Capitol Press Corps after the meeting, inside the governor’s office.

Springfield Mayor McClure says their top three priorities are witness protection and relocation, mental health treatment and keeping guns out of the hands of those under 18. Krewson says protecting witnesses is key to solving more crimes and obtaining more convictions.

Governor Parson also says the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s “surge” on St. Louis interstates is taking criminals and guns off the streets. In response to a question from Missourinet, the governor says the Patrol has made about 300 arrests since the operation began a month ago.

“So the important thing to take out of that (300 arrests), we are getting people off the streets,” Parson says. “And that’s just counting what we (state troopers) did, that’s still not counting what the cities are doing everyday up there. But all of that helps.”

The arrests announced by the governor also don’t include this month’s massive federal special operation called “Operation Triple Beam”, where 69 alleged St. Louis-area gang members were arrested. 16 of those arrests were for murder-related warrants.

Mayor Krewson tells Missourinet she “begged” the governor to send troopers to St. Louis, and praises his response.

“I drive on Highway 70 regularly and I always see one, two maybe three Highway Patrol officers out there, trying to make a difference on our highways,” says Krewson.

She says the operation has been successful, adding that some of the 300 arrests during the surge involve guns and drugs.

The governor also discussed the importance of education and workforce development during the meeting, along with battling poverty.

Parson also says he’s open to the idea of Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s (R) call for lawmakers to approve a statewide carjacking statute.

Schmitt told reporters last week that there have been 305 carjacking incidents in the St. Louis metro area this year. Schmitt notes there is currently no uniform charge for carjacking, adding that the new statute would bring clarity to charging and sentencing carjackings.

Man pleads guilty to throwing Molotov cocktail inside Columbia’s Planned Parenthood facility

November 21, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A Columbia man will be heading to federal prison, after admitting in a Jefferson City courtroom on Thursday that he threw a Molotov cocktail inside the Columbia Planned Parenthood facility in February.

Federal prosecutors say 42-year-old Wesley Brian Kaster faces a minimum of five years in federal prison, after pleading guilty to two counts. Kaster pleaded guilty to two counts of a superceding information. The first count is maliciously using explosive materials to damage a building owned by an organization that receives federal financial assistance. The second count is violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

U.S. Attorney’s office spokesman Don Ledford tells Missourinet those two counts replaced the federal indictment, which will be dismissed at sentencing.

Kaster faces a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison. He told U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie Epps Jr. today in Jefferson City that he took the actions because Planned Parenthood provided reproductive health services at that facility.

Kaster was arrested in March, after federal agents served multiple search warrants. He admits that he made a Molotov cocktail on February 10 and threw it into the Columbia Health Center, which is operated by Planned Parenthood Great Plains. There were no injuries in the incident, which happened at about 4:10 a.m.

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

Kaster has been in federal custody, without bond, since his March 2 arrest. A sentencing date hasn’t been set yet.

The case was investigated by Columbia Police, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and by the FBI.

Missouri Senate President Pro Tem to file slot machine legislation for 2020

November 14, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Senate leader will file legislation in December in Jefferson City to increase penalties for alleged illegal slot machines, setting the slot machine issue up as a major one for the 2020 legislative session.

Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz (R-Sullivan) visits the House chamber on May 17, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, told Missourinet on Wednesday that his legislation will enhance the penalties for the alleged illegal slot machines, which are also known as video lottery terminals (VLTs).

They can be found in bars, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores.

Missouri’s first criminal case involving the alleged illegal slots will go to trial in December in western Missouri’s Platte County.

Pro Tem Schatz says the Missouri Gaming Commission has received multiple reports of sites that have these machines. The Missouri State Highway Patrol testified in October that the number of complaints it’s received about illegal gambling has increased from 39 in 2018 to at least 145 this year.

Most of those complaints are about alleged illegal slots.

A Missouri House gaming committee has held five hearings since August, and the slot machine issue has dominated discussion at three of them. House Special Interim Committee on Gaming Chairman Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, predicts the slot machine issue will end up at the Missouri Supreme Court. He told the audience during an October hearing that whichever side loses the Platte County case will appeal.

Schatz’s proposal will likely face some opposition. During a committee hearing last week in Jefferson City, representatives from convenience stories and restaurants testified they support legislation to allow the machines in their establishments.

The company that operates 74 Break Time convenience stores in Missouri says video lottery terminals have saved convenience stores in other states.

MFA Oil Company vice president James Greer of Columbia tells state lawmakers that Break Time would probably use the terminals in 25 of their 74 stores, if Missouri lawmakers approve legislation to do so.

“We are open to a separate room. We are open to a cordoned-off area, we will live with whatever rule comes out of that,” Greer testifies.

The co-owner of six St. Louis-area restaurants also wants Missouri lawmakers to allow the VLTs in establishments like his, saying it will help restaurants attract new customers and keep up with minimum wage increases. Webster Groves resident Chris Marshall, who co-owns Llywelyn’s Pub, testified last week before the House gaming committee, saying the machines can also help managers invest money in restaurant renovations.

“In documents I have seen, the average restaurant in Illinois that has five video game machines can average additional revenue of approximately $5,000 per month,” Marshall testifies.

He tells lawmakers he’s had to close a restaurant and diversify. Llywelyn’s Pub has six St. Louis locations: Soulard, Webster Groves, St. Peters, St. Charles, O’Fallon and Wildwood.

But opponents say the machines are illegal and are hurting public education.

The Missouri Gaming Association, which represents the state’s 13 casinos, opposes legalizing the VLTs, saying they are illegal and bypass Missouri voters.

And the Missouri Lottery has testified that alleged illegal slot machines are hurting public education in the Show-Me State. Lottery executive director May Scheve Reardon testified in September, telling lawmakers there’s a major issue with the alleged illegal slots along the I-44 corridor, from St. James to Lebanon.

Patrol: Deer-vehicle collisions peak in November in Missouri (AUDIO)

November 5, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri motorists are being urged to be on the lookout for deer this month, with November seeing the largest number of deer-vehicle strikes.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol logo (courtesy of Patrol Lieutenant Collin Stosberg)

Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain John Hotz cites harvest time, mating season and the firearms deer season.

He says there were officially 4,090 traffic crashes involving deer in Missouri in 2018.

“Well you look at that and that’s roughly one deer strike every 2.1 hours in the state and we know that number is probably, actually a lot higher,” Hotz says.

Captain Hotz tells Missourinet that’s because many motorists contact their insurance company directly, and won’t file a report with law enforcement.

He says six motorists were killed and another 415 were injured in 2018 in Missouri deer-vehicle strikes.

“Most of these folks who are injured or killed are actually in vehicles who take some sort of corrective action and unfortunately they over correct and they lose control of their vehicle,” says Hotz.

He says most deer strikes in Missouri happen between 5 and 6:59 a.m. and from 6 to 8:59 p.m.

Hotz also notes that deer behavior changes due to mating season, which could cause an increase in deer sightings and roadway crossings.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain John Hotz, which was recorded on October 25, 2019:

Most Missouri state employees will be off on both Thanksgiving and the following day

November 4, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor has signed an executive order closing state offices on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson speaks to Missourinet on September 23, 2019 at Jefferson City’s Memorial Park (Brian Hauswirth file photo)

Thanksgiving is one of the 12 official state holidays, so Governor Mike Parson’s executive order means most state employees will be off on both Thanksgiving and the following day.

Governor Parson describes Thanksgiving as a time to remember the good things in our lives.

“Thanksgiving is a time to count our blessings and be with family and friends. Teresa and I hope this day will be a reminder of all the good that fills our lives. To all of our state team members, we are thankful for your hard work and dedication to serving Missouri. From our family to yours, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving Day weekend and pray that you will continue to be blessed throughout the coming year,” Parson said in a statement.

Click here to read the governor’s executive order.

The order impacts state employees in all 114 counties and St. Louis City. The largest impact is in Jefferson City, which has more than 14,000 state employees. State government is the largest employer in the Capital City.

State prisons will still operate on Thanksgiving Day and Friday, and the order does not impact emergency services such as the Missouri State Highway Patrol.