RIVER RADIO NEWS 051414
HEALTH WARNING ISSUED FOR WHOOPING COUGH
Recent instances of pertussis in Butler County children have caused the local health department to take notice.
According to the Sikeston Standard Democrat, recently there has been six confirmed cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, combined in Butler and Dunklin Counties.
The Butler County Health Department says that vaccinations are available at no charge at the health department. Additional information is available by calling the health department at 573-785-8478.
ONE DEAD FOLLOWING JONESBORO SHOOTING
One person has died following a shooting at a residence in Jonesboro.
According to authorities, police found 47 year old William Keith Gosney with multiple gunshot wounds Monday night. Gosney later died at an area hospital.
Police are investigating the incident.
MAN ACCUSED OF ABUSING AND THREATENING TO KILL WIFE
A Northeast Arkansas man has been arrested after allegedly abusing and threatening to kill his wife.
According to KAIT, 57 year old Charles Russell, of Brookland, is facing charges of aggravated assault and abuse of an adult.
Russell allegedly chokes and hit his bedridden wife in the head as well as choked her. She was able to get help through an emergency response system she had around her neck.
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE DONE AT NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AIRPORT
Vandals have reportedly done over $50,000 worth of damage at a Northeast Arkansas airport.
The vandals allegedly destroyed signage and damaged runway lighting at the Walnut Ridge Airport Saturday night.
Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to call the Walnut Ridge Police Department at 870-886-6073.
MAN SENTENCED ON DISTRIBUTION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE CHARGE
Two counts of distribution of a controlled substance have landed a Malden man in jail.
According to authorities, 38 year old Rommel Newton was found guilty in March on two counts of distribution of a controlled substance. He has been sentenced to 15 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
REPORT OF SHOTS FIRED IN CAPE GIRARDEAU
An investigation has started into a report of shots being fired Tuesday in Cape Girardeau.
According to authorities, the incident occurred Tuesday afternoon in the area of Jefferson Avenue. There were no injuries.
OFFICIALS LOOKING FOR VANDALS WHO DAMAGED AREA OF MARK TWAIN NATIONAL FOREST
Damage at a free camping and swimming area of Mark Twain National Forest has officials looking for vandals.
According to the Mark Twain National Forest Ranger District, the damage was done between April 28th and May 2nd at a primitive camping and swimming park area at the Dunrovin Recreation Area near Doniphan.
Anyone who has information about the vandalism is asked to contact Mark Twain National Forest Eleven Point Ranger District Office at 573-996-2153. All calls will be kept confidential.
GRANDIN RESIDENTS TO BE WITH OUT WATER FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TODAY
Grandin residents will be without water for possibly two hours today.
Water will be off for the City of Grandin sometime today between 8 am and noon due to an old well.
When the water service is back on, a boil water advisory will be in effect until further notice.
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE HAS YET TO SEND OUT OVER 300 THOUSAND INCOME TAX REFUNDS
Several hundred thousand Missouri taxpayers are still waiting for refund checks nearly a month after the tax deadline.
State budget director Linda Luebbering says the Department of Revenue has 366,000 individual income tax refunds remaining to be sent. People are owed a total of about $167 million.
Luebbering says the department appears to be behind last year's pace in issuing tax refunds. That's partly because more people waited to file their taxes and partly an effort to manage the state's cash flow.
Through the end of April, Missouri's net general revenues were up just 0.5 percent though the first 10 months of the 2014 fiscal year.
Luebbering says the lag in tax refunds means the state's finances probably are a little worse than those figures would make it appear.
NEW MISSOURI CRIMINAL CODE GOES INTO EFFECT IN 2017
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon is allowing a massive overhaul of the state's criminal laws to take effect without his signature.
Nixon faced a Tuesday deadline to act on the legislation that creates new classes of felonies and misdemeanors. The Democratic governor had expressed concern that the measure could contain mistakes and was too ambitious.
But he said his concerns were alleviated when supporters agreed to immediately advance a separate bill to correct some drafting errors. The legislative session ends Friday.
The measure reduces possible prison sentences for some nonviolent drug crimes, while imposing stiffer penalties in other areas like sexual assaults and driving while intoxicated.
The bill's provisions will take effect in January 2017. It's the first comprehensive rewrite of Missouri's criminal code since 1979.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE SLIGHTLY DOWN IN MISSOURI
A new report says Missouri gained about 8,200 jobs in April while the state's unemployment rate dipped slightly.
The state Department of Economic Development said Tuesday the growth in seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs came partly from increases in construction work, the leisure and hospitality sector and retail trade.
It said Missouri's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell by one-tenth of a percentage point to 6.6 percent in April.
Missouri's seasonally adjusted civilian labor force of about 3 million people declined by 1,456 people in April. The labor force counts people with jobs and those who are on unemployment but looking for work.
