RIVER RADIO NEWS 100214
HEAD-ON COLLISION KILLS TWO NORTHEAST ARKANSAS MEN
A head-on collision early yesterday morning has claimed the lives to two Northeast Arkansas men.
The Arkansas State Police report the crash occurred south of Marmaduke on Highway 49 in Greene County, Arkansas, when a vehicle driven by 29 year old Andrew Paul Mross, of Paragould, crossed the centerline and struck a second vehicle, driven by 25 year old Adam Gore Wheeler, of Rector.
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
BIRCH TREE MAN ARRESTED ON METH CHARGE IN SHANNON COUNTY
A Birch Tree man is facing multiple felony charges after his arrest Tuesday evening in Shannon County.
According to the Highway Patrol, 44 year old Timothy L. Bryant has been charged with possession of methamphetamine and violation of the national firearms act.
Bryant was also charged with driving while suspended and possession of drug paraphernalia.
HOME AND VEHICLE SAFETY TIPS
October is National Crime Prevention Month and the Missouri State Highway Patrol has released some tips to help residents keep their homes and vehicles safe.
The Highway Patrol says that you should have good locks on all of your exterior doors and windows and also make sure that you use them. Be sure to keep your vehicle locked, as well.
Don’t hide a house key under the doormat or in a flowerpot. Give a key to a trusted neighbor instead.
If your car breaks down, raise the hood or tie a white cloth to the street side door handle. Stay in your locked car. Call *55 on your cellular telephone to reach the nearest Missouri State Highway Patrol headquarters and ask for assistance.
If you don’t have a cell phone with you, wait in your car. If someone stops and offers assistance, ask them to make the call for you.
Tomorrow we will finish up our series on National Crime Prevention Month with tips on keeping your child safe.
THREE RIVERS RAIDER RODEO KICKS OFF TONIGHT
The first annual Three Rivers Raider Rodeo will kick off tonight at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff.
There will be multiple competitions spread out over the three night event, including bull riding, barrel racing, and bronco riding.
The event is National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association-sanctioned, and will feature top competitors from 16 college rodeo teams in the Association’s Ozark Region.
Participating colleges include Arkansas State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Tennessee at Martin and Knoxville, as well as Three Rivers College.
Doors will open at 6:30 pm tonight, tomorrow and Saturday, with the rodeo starting at 7 pm each night. Tickets will available for $10 for adults and $7 for children ages 12 and under.
MOBILE OFFICE TO BE HELD IN RIPLEY COUNTY ON WEDNESDAY
A Mobile Office will be held next week in Ripley County.
During the Mobile Office, area citizens will have the opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns they have with the federal government with members of Senator Roy Blunt’s staff.
The Mobile Office has been scheduled for October 8th, from 10 am to 11 am at the Ripley County Courthouse in Doniphan.
REGULATORS REJECT COMPLAINT AGAINST AMEREN MISSOURI
Missouri utility regulators have rejected a complaint alleging that Ameren Missouri has been earning more than it's entitled to on its electric rates.
The Missouri Public Service Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to dismiss the case brought by Noranda Aluminum and various individual electric customers.
Commissioners said the complaint had focused on Ameren's earnings through 2013 but failed to take into account additional costs incurred this year by the St. Louis-based utility.
State regulators also rejected a request by Noranda to reconsider its decision denying an electric rate reduction for the company. Had it been approved, Noranda's requested rate cut could have resulted in higher rates for other Ameren customers.
Ameren Missouri is the state's largest electricity provider, with about 1.2 million customers.
MISSOURI LAWMAKER WANTS CITIZENS TO VOTE ON ABOLISHING THE STATE LOTTERY
House Majority Leader John Diehl wants to let voters decide whether to abolish the Missouri Lottery.
Diehl wants the Legislature to refer a measure to the 2016 ballot that would ask whether the 30 year old lottery should continue.
Diehl told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he believes the lottery is an "unstable and "inefficient" source of funding for public education. He also questioned the lottery's $16 million advertising budget.
The lottery had record sales in the 2014 budget year but transferred less money to education than the previous year.
That prompted Governor Jay Nixon to order a review of the lottery's operations and replace all five of its commission members.
A little less than one-quarter of the lottery's proceeds go to education. The rest goes to prizes and operations.
TROOPERS TRAINING UNDER QUESTION BY MISSOURI LAWMAKERS
State representatives are raising concerns over whether troopers patrolling Missouri's waterways were properly trained following a 2011 highway and water patrol merger.
During a hearing Wednesday at the Capitol, lawmakers questioned Missouri State Highway Patrol officials on how much training troopers receive before heading onto the water.
The review comes after the death of a 20 year old man who drowned May 31st in the Lake of the Ozarks. A state trooper had arrested the man for drunken boating and handcuffed him before the man slipped into the water and out of his lifejacket.
The hearing is the first of several intended to review management and training in the Highway Patrol since the water patrol was folded into its operations.
