DEXTER MAN CONVICTED ON CHILD MOLESTATION CHARGE A Dexter man was convicted Tuesday on a child molestation charge.
According to Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russell Oliver, Jessie Mann was found guilty on a charge of 1st degree child molestation. The charge was in connection to an alleged incident involving a then 3 year old child in 2011.
Mann’s sentencing was set for April 14th. He faces 5 to 15 years in prison and mandatory life-time supervision. PARAGOULD MAN SENTENCED TO 17 YEARS IN PRISON ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE A Paragould man has pled guilty to child pornography charges.
According to Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington, 33 year old Clint Everett Fields pled guilty on Tuesday to four counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving children.
While executing a search warrant in April of 2013, authorities reportedly found numerous videos of child pornography on a computer Fields was using.
Fields was sentenced to 17 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections to be followed by 15 years suspended imposition of sentence. POPLAR BLUFF MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO GUN CHARGE A Poplar Bluff man faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a gun related charge.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, 31 year old Artari J. Amos pled guilty on Monday to one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Police reportedly found a firearm with Amos DNA on it while investigating a report of shots being fired in 2012.
Amos’s sentencing is scheduled for May 27th. He faces a maximum punishment of ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. TWO CHARLESTON MEN SENTENCED ON FEDERAL GUN CHARGES Two Charleston men have been sentenced on separate unrelated indictments for their distribution of heroin in Mississippi County.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Adrian Lewis was sentenced to seven years in prison and Melvin Quinn was sentenced to six years in prison on Monday.
Both men pled guilty last December to use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug crime. POPLAR BLUFF FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADERS VOW TO TAKE PLEDGE AGAINST BULLYING Fifth and Sixth graders in Poplar Bluff vowed to take a pledge against bullying last week during a rally at the 5th and 6th grade center.
Kirk Smalley of the international anti-bullying movement spoke with the students on Friday, February 21st, about how bullying destroys lives. The Oklahoma man’s tragic story was featured in the critically acclaimed documentary “Bully.”
Poplar Bluff Schools’ Human Heroes Chapter of Stand for the Silent is expanding to the 5th & 6th Grade Center after previously being established at the Junior and Senior high during the 2011/2012 school year. PARAGOULD TEENAGER REPORTED MISSING A Paragould teenager has reportedly been missing since last week.
According to KAIT, 15 year old Mariah Fraine has been missing after last being seen on Friday at Paragould Cinema 8.
Another teenager who had been missing since last Thursday, Morgan Price, of Ravenden Springs, reportedly turned herself in to Paragould police Tuesday night. ABSENTEE VOTING BEGINS FOR UPCOMING MUNICIPAL ELECTION Absentee voting has begun for the upcoming general municipal election.
According to the Butler County Clerk website, the election will be held on April 8th and the last day to register to vote is March 12th.
If you want to vote absentee, the final day to request an absentee ballot to be sent in the mail is April 2nd. The last day for citizens to vote absentee is April 7th. ACLU FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST KELSO POLICE CHIEF A Cape Girardeau man is suing a southeast Missouri police chief who obtained a protection order after the man posted an online video of his arrest for disturbing the peace.
Jordan Klaffer was arrested by Kelso Police Chief Jerry Bledsoe in May 2013 after neighbors complained that he was firing his gun outside his family's home. Klaffer was charged after he declined to turn over his guns to Bledsoe.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Bledsoe on Klaffer's behalf. The federal suit claims the protection order violated the free speech rights of Klaffer, who subsequently removed the video and social media postings critical of his arrest. NEW BILL COULD CHANGE SOME FOOD PREPARATION REGULATIONS Nonprofit organizations could prepare food in private homes to serve at public charitable events under legislation endorsed by the Missouri Senate.
Current law requires such food must be prepared in a kitchen regulated by state health authorities. But the measure given first-round approval Monday would allow nonprofit groups to forgo that requirement if they notify people at the event.
The bill would not apply to events in St. Charles, Jefferson and St. Louis Counties, as well as St. Louis City.
The legislation needs one more vote before moving to the House.
MISSOURI PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY COULD BE HELD LATER IN THE YEAR A Missouri House panel has endorsed legislation that would move the state's presidential primary to March 15th.
The primary is currently scheduled for February but sponsoring Rep. Tony Dugger says keeping that date could cause Missouri to lose delegates at the 2016 national party conventions.
Dugger, a Hartville Republican, says moving the date would avoid a repeat of 2012, when the state held a non-binding presidential primary. Faced with losing delegates, state Republican officials decided that year to select convention representatives with a caucus system held after the election.
National party rules allow only certain states to hold contests before the March 15th date.
The House Elections Committee voted 10 to 0 on Tuesday to adopt the legislation. It now heads to the Rules Committee.
