RIVER RADIO NEWS 091814
CYCLIST HIT BY VEHICLE NEAR MALDEN
A cyclist suffered serious injuries after his bicycle was hit by a vehicle Wednesday morning.
According to the Highway Patrol, the incident occurred shortly after 6:15 am Wednesday, three miles west of Malden on Route J.
A bicycle, ridden by 44 year old Kevin Wheeler, of Campbell, was struck in the back by a vehicle, causing Wheeler to be ejected. Wheeler was flown to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center with serious injuries.
SEX OFFENDER ARRESTED IN STODDARD COUNTY FOR FAILURE TO REGISTER
A sex offender was recently arrested in Stoddard County.
According to the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Department, 30 year old Mark Anthony Williams, of Bernie, has been arrested on a warrant for failure to register as a sex offender.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Sex Offender Registry, Williams was convicted in 2006 of first degree child molestation.
ONE ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO KENNETT THEFT
A Kennett man is in custody in connection to a theft from a vehicle last week.
According to the Kennett Police Department, on September 12th, approximately $3000 of cash and merchandise was taken from an area vehicle.
While executing a search warrant on the 15th, officers were able to locate and recover the stolen items. 37 year old Paul Harrington was taken into custody and police say that more arrests are expected to be made in connection to the theft.
TWO CHARGED FOR THEFT OF CLASSIC VEHICLE IN CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY
Two men are facing charges for the theft of a classic vehicle.
According to the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office, 32 year old Jason Goodman, of Marble Hill, and 36 year old Jeremiah Hamilton, of Jackson, have both been charged with felony second degree burglary and stealing.
The men are suspected of breaking into a storage unit and stealing a restored Classic 1969 Dodge Charger on Monday.
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS WOMAN RECIEVES 30 YEAR SENTENCE IN HUSBAND’S MURDER
A Northeast Arkansas woman has been sentenced to prison for her part in the murder of her husband.
Michelle Despain received a 30 year sentence Tuesday. She pleaded guilty last month to three counts of hindering the apprehension and prosecution of capital murder.
Despain was accused of arranging the shooting death of her husband, Marc Despain, in 2011.
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY DECIDES AGAINST CROSSES ON FOOTBALL HELMETS
Arkansas State University says the placement of crosses on the back of its football helmets as a memorial to two students this year was inappropriate.
In a letter to a law firm Wednesday, the school rejected a demand that it restore crosses bearing the initials of a player and equipment manager who died in the past year. It said, however, that players will be allowed to come up with their own way to remember Markel Owens and Barry Weyer.
Liberty Institute on Monday accused Arkansas State of violating the rights of students who wanted to honor the pair by wearing crosses on their uniforms.
The school said Wednesday that coaches helped develop the memorial without consulting lawyers, putting the school at odds with the U.S. Constitution and court rulings.
MISSOURI OFFICIALS SEEK TO LOWER BUSINESS FEES
Secretary of State Jason Kander says he wants to reduce fees for companies doing business in Missouri.
Kander says his goal is to do away with many of the numerous different fees charged to businesses and instead charge only a processing fee for most filings with his office. Kander said he wants to make Missouri’s fees among the lowest nationally.
Missouri’s fees currently range from $7 to register a name for a business to $155 for a company based in another state or foreign country to apply to do business in Missouri.
The Democratic secretary of state said he will be working on the business-fee legislation with Republican state Senator Wayne Wallingford, of Cape Girardeau. The proposal would be considered during the 2015 legislative session.
MISSOURI BALLOTS TO BE REPRINTED FOLLOWING COURT DECISION
Missouri election officials are scrambling to reprint ballots and reprogram computers after an appeals court ordered a change to an early-voting proposal that will appear on the November ballot.
County clerks said Wednesday that the change could cost the state thousands of additional dollars and could delay the availability of absentee ballots.
An appeals court panel ruled earlier this week that the ballot wording approved by lawmakers for the proposed constitutional amendment was misleading, because it failed to note that the six-day early voting period would occur only if the state provides funding.
The court ordered that a description of the funding contingency be added to the ballot.
Many counties already had printed their ballots, because military voting starts Friday and traditional absentee voting begins next Tuesday.
