RIVER RADIO NEWS 071615
RUSHIN ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FROM POPLAR BLUFF CITY COUNCIL
Jack Rushin has announced he is resigning from the Poplar Bluff City Council.
According to the Daily American Republic, Rushin turned in his resignation Tuesday. The city council is expected to accept the resignation at a council meeting on Monday.
Rushin has been the subject of nepotism accusations in connection to the appointment of Rushin’s first cousin to a city hall feasibility study committee.
Rushin maintains that he does not believe he did anything unlawful.
POPLAR BLUFF POLICE ISSUE WARNING ABOUT PHONE SCAM
The Poplar Bluff Police Department is warning citizens to be on the lookout for a scam that was reported Wednesday.
A citizen told police she received a phone call from a person who claimed to be her grandson, saying he had been arrested. He asked her to send him $1,500 by wire transfer within two hours so that he could get out of jail.
The Poplar Bluff Police Department would like to encourage anyone who receives such a call to hang up immediately.
Do not send any money. Any unsolicited request for money sent by wire transfer should be considered suspicious.
ARKANSAS MAN KILLED IN SINGLE VEHICLE WRECK
A single vehicle wreck Tuesday has resulted in the death of a Northeast Arkansas man.
According to the Arkansas State Police, 39 year old Shannon Rainwater, of Strawberry, was ejected from his vehicle after it overturned multiple times on State Highway 230 in Sharp County.
Rainwater was later pronounced dead.
STEELE MAN’S PRISON SENTENCE COMMUTED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA
A Steele man is one of 46 individuals to have their prison sentence commuted on Monday by President Obama.
Willie C. Johnson was sentenced in 2005 to 30 years imprisonment on cocaine charges. That sentence was amended to 14 years in February.
Johnson’s sentence will now end this November.
On the White House’s Facebook page, it was posted that nearly all of the 46 individuals granted clemency would have already served their time and returned to society if they were convicted of the exact same crime today.
STEELE MAN ARRESTED ON ROBBERY WARRANT
Authorities in Steele say an area man was recently taken into custody on a robbery warrant.
According to Steele Police Chief Billy Joe Stanfield, 21 year old Marquel Lawless, of Steele, was arrested on an active warrant for first degree robbery.
The warrant stems from an incident last month where a 37 year old man was allegedly assaulted and robbed by two men as he was walking on North First Street.
2.5 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE RECORDED NEAR LILBOURN
An earthquake was recorded Wednesday morning in Southeast Missouri.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the 2.5 magnitude earthquake was located three miles south of Lilbourn and 32 miles northeast of Kennett.
The quake was recorded at 7:21 am and had a depth of just over four miles.
HUNTER EDUCATION SKILLS COURSE BEING OFFERED IN POPLAR BLUFF
Hunter Education Skills Classes will be held on August 17th, September 21st, and October 5th in Poplar Bluff.
The course will be held from 5 to 9 pm each night at the Brown-Mabry American Legion Hall on PP Highway.
The course is open to the public at no cost and students must pre-register online at mdc.mo.gov. Students must also bring proof of completion of a knowledge portion of the hunter education course along with a sharpened pencil and black ink pen.
MISSOURI EXECUTES MAN FOR KILLING TEENAGER
(AP) - A Missouri inmate who killed a 19 year old woman after sexually attacking her and tying her to a cemetery tree has been executed.
Fifty five year old David Zink was put to death by injection Tuesday at a state prison south of St. Louis after the U.S. Supreme Court and Governor Jay Nixon declined to intervene.
Zink was a paroled sex offender in 2001 when he abducted Amanda Morton after hitting her car on an Interstate 44 exit ramp a mile from her home. He told investigators he feared his drunken fender-bender could violate his parole and send him back to prison.
Jurors convicted Zink in 2004 and recommended a death sentence.
Corrections Department spokesman Mike O'Connell said Zink was pronounced dead at 7:41 pm.
