POPLAR BLUFF MAN SENTENCED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE
A Poplar Bluff man has been sentenced on a child pornography charge.
According to the Poplar Bluff Police Department, 33 year old John Barnett was recently sentenced to six years in the Missouri Department of Corrections on a conviction for possession of child pornography.
The conviction was made following an investigation by the Poplar Bluff Police Department and the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
TWO ARRESTED ON CHILD ENDANGERMENT CHARGES IN POPLAR BLUFF
Two Poplar Bluff residents are facing child endangerment charges.
According to KFVS, two small children were found Saturday in a home with William and Heather Dugger. The children were wearing nothing but dirty diapers and reportedly had red marks that appeared to be an infection or medical issue.
The house was also dirty with old food items scattered around the living room and overflowing trash cans.
A puppy was also found in a bathtub that contained a large amount of feces and urine stains.
William and Heather Dugger are each facing two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO ROBBERY OF CAPE GIRARDEAU RESTAURANT
An Illinois man faces a possible life sentence in connection to the robbery of a Cape Girardeau restaurant.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, 33 year old Otha Don Watkins, III, pled guilty Monday to interference with commerce by threat or violence; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Watkins reportedly admitted to robbing a Cape Girardeau McDonald’s at gunpoint before fleeing with approximately $9,000. He was later found hiding in a drainage ditch.
Watkins sentencing was scheduled for June 15th.
TRAIN HITS SEMI TRAILER IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
No injuries were reported after a train hit a semi trailer Monday in Craighead County.
According to KAIT, the collision occurred south of Otwell. The semi was hauling grain at the time of the incident.
MARK TWAIN NATIONAL FORREST ROAD STUDY OPEN HOUSE TO BE HELD IN POPLAR BLUFF
Representatives of Mark Twain National Forrest will be holding a road study open house next month in Poplar Bluff.
The study will analyze all forest system roads for their existing use and characteristics, need for management activities and public access, benefits, environmental risks and maintenance costs. The open house will provide additional opportunities for the public to participate in the process.
The open house will be held from 5 pm to 8 pm on April 8th, at the Holiday Inn in Poplar Bluff.
MOBILE OFFICE TO BE HELD THIS WEEK IN ELLSINORE
Staff members of United States Senator Roy Blunt will be in Ellsinore later this week to conduct a Mobile Office.
The meeting is scheduled from 3 to 4 pm Thursday at the Ellsinore City Hall.
Mobile Offices are opportunities for Missourians to discuss their questions or concerns with the federal government one-on-one with members of Senator Blunt’s staff.
MAN GETS TWO LIFE TERMS FOR DOUBLE KILLING
(AP) - A southeast Missouri man has been sentenced to two terms of life in prison for killing two people at a Cape Girardeau apartment in 2013.
The Southeast Missourian reports that a judge on Monday overruled Kenneth Bell's motion for a new trial and sentenced him on two first-degree murder convictions. Bell is not eligible for parole.
Misty Cole and Shannon James were shot to death in February 2013, after Bell and James had argued on a sidewalk.
During the court hearing, Cole's mother, Julia Myers, called her daughter's death "a reality no parent should have to face."
But Myers said she favored life in prison for Bell instead of the death penalty.
MISSOURI HOUSE PANEL CONSIDERS ELIMINATING DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
(AP) - A Republican lawmaker says Missouri should lead the way in eliminating the annual ritual of switching clocks an hour forward and then back again.
Representative Mike Kelley of Lamar is sponsoring a constitutional amendment that would ask voters whether Missouri should use daylight savings time all the time.
Under his measure, Missouri residents would switch to daylight savings time in March 2017 and never turn their clocks back again.
During a committee hearing Monday, some House members questioned how putting Missouri on a different schedule from neighboring states would affect businesses. One lawmaker suggested that Missouri should wait for other states to act so businesses are not placed at a disadvantage.
But Kelley said Missouri businesses already operate globally and other countries do not follow daylight savings time.
MISSOURI BILL TO BAN AID FOR IMMIGRANT STUDENTS ADVANCES
(AP) - A bill to prevent immigrants without lawful status from receiving in-state tuition or state aid for higher education has won initial approval from the Missouri House.
House members approved the measure in a voice vote Monday. The legislation needs another vote before it can move to the Senate.
The measure would stop the Department of Higher Education from granting the A+ Scholarship to those spared deportation through the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
It also would require public colleges to charge certain immigrant students international tuition.
Bill sponsor and Republican Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick says it's unfair to grant those students scholarships when money for A+ already is strained.
Immigration advocates say it could create financial hurdles for immigrants who want a degree and could hurt the economy.
