One man is dead and a woman injured following a shooting Saturday night at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, according to KY3:
Police say a man, 79, and a woman, 69, were wounded in the shootings. The man died a little more than 30 minutes after that initial call. The woman was treated for her wounds. Police have yet to release her condition. Police did not say what the relationship was between the two.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Black Friday Week starts Monday at Always Buying Books in Joplin
Black Friday Week begins Monday at Always Buying Books in Joplin.
It's an all-store sale with items priced at up to 50 percent off.
The sale includes gift certificate specials, tables of Christmas gift ideas and stocking stuffers.
Two customers each day will receive copies of Angling in the Archives, the book collection of Joplin Globe news from a half century ago.
The store is open from 9 to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week and 9 to 5 p.m. Saturday. It will be closed Thanksgiving.
Copies of Randy Turner's books, 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado, Spirit of Hope: The Year after the Joplin Tornado, Scars from the Tornado: One Year at Joplin East Middle School, No Child Left Alive, Newspaper Days, The Turner Report, and Small Town News, are also available.
For more information, call 417-781-1720.
It's an all-store sale with items priced at up to 50 percent off.
The sale includes gift certificate specials, tables of Christmas gift ideas and stocking stuffers.
Two customers each day will receive copies of Angling in the Archives, the book collection of Joplin Globe news from a half century ago.
The store is open from 9 to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday of this week and 9 to 5 p.m. Saturday. It will be closed Thanksgiving.
Copies of Randy Turner's books, 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado, Spirit of Hope: The Year after the Joplin Tornado, Scars from the Tornado: One Year at Joplin East Middle School, No Child Left Alive, Newspaper Days, The Turner Report, and Small Town News, are also available.
For more information, call 417-781-1720.
Friday, November 22, 2013
After Gib Garrow's death, Neosho Chamber seeks new economic development director
A report from KSN's Jennifer Penate
Brad's Beat: Carthage Salvation Army providing Thanksgiving baskets
A report from KSNF's Brad Douglas
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Homeless Springfield man to serve nine years for armed robbery
Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a homeless Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robbery of Great Southern Bank.
Dale C. Barkfelt, 35, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to nine years and seven months in federal prison without parole.
On May 8, 2013, Barkfelt pleaded guilty to using a handgun to rob Great Southern Bank, 1615 W. Sunshine St., Springfield.
According to court documents, Barkfelt entered the bank at approximately 2 p.m. on April 9, 2012, and placed a white plastic grocery bag on a teller counter. Barkfelt pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the teller and told her to “Put it in there.” The teller handed Barkfelt $966 and he left the bank.
Approximately three hours after the robbery, a Springfield police officer recognized Barkfelt in a bank surveillance photo. The officer was familiar with Barkfelt from previous police-related contacts and had been in contact with Barkfelt within the previous week. Barkfelt, who is homeless, was staying at an outdoor camp site near Kansas Expressway and West Sunshine Street, which is in the vicinity of the bank. Barkfelt was arrested the following day.
Springfield man sentenced to 72 years for bank robberies
Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robberies of two Springfield banks and a drugstore in November 2008.
Mark Joseph Morris, 49, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 72 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Morris to pay $5,632 in restitution. Morris was sentenced as a career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
On March 21, 2013, Morris was found guilty of three counts of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. Morris had earlier pleaded guilty (on Jan. 11, 2013) to committing the three robberies related to the firearm charges. Morris went to trial on the firearm charges, claiming the gun he used in the robberies was a BB gun. Video surveillance at the banks and drug store confirmed Morris’ use of a firearm. However, the firearm used by Morris to commit the robberies was never recovered.
Morris admitted that he robbed Bank of America, 2633 W. College Rd., on Nov. 7, 2008. Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Morris handed a note to a bank teller and then revealed a handgun concealed in his waistband. He tapped on the handgun with one hand and pointed to the cash drawer with the other. The teller removed a cash drawer and placed it on the counter. Morris took $3,208 from the drawer and ran out of the bank.
Morris also admitted that he robbed the Walgreens Drug Store at 1930 W. Grand St. on Nov. 17, 2008.
Morris also admitted that he robbed Bank of America, 710 W. Sunshine, on Nov. 21, 2008. Morris approached a bank teller and showed her a black pistol that was in his waistband. When the teller did not immediately respond, Morris removed the pistol from his waistband, pointed it at the teller and demanded, “Give me all your money.” The teller removed $8,957 from her teller drawer and placed it on the counter. Morris tucked the pistol back into his waistband, grabbed the cash from the counter, and ran out of the bank.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013
No Child Left Alive 99-cent e-book sale begins Saturday morning
The book will be available, in e-book format, for 99 cents, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday and continuing for the next three days.
No Child Left Alive is the story of one year in a dysfunctional public high school where the teachers are caught in the middle between out-of-control students and clueless upper level administrators.
The lead characters in the book include Assistant Superintendent Abigail Saucier, who fosters a culture of meetings, meetings, and more meetings, whether they accomplish anything or not, and creates one new program after another, even some that conflict with each other, but look impressive on the resume.
After the death of the school's superintendent, Abigail expects to be promoted to the job and already has her action plan ready when she learns that Carlton Dunn, a younger man with plans to increase the school district's graduation rate has been hired for the position. Dunn puts public relations ahead of everything, including having his picture taken with kindergarten students at the beginning of the school year so they will grow up to be just like him.
When the teacher of the year is arrested for having a relationship with a student, he is replaced by English teacher Walter Tollivar, whose ideas directly conflict with Abigail's and set them on a collision course.
Meanwhile, as the new administration cuts down on discipline and hamstrings the teachers, second-year teacher Kayla Newman becomes so afraid of her students that she begins to carry a gun to class.
With bullying at an all-time high at the high school, one student plans a bloody revenge that will make the world forget about Columbine.
Among the things some area residents might find familiar that you will find in the book:
-Students can come and go as they please and are not counted tardy or absent
-If students are failing, the blame is placed on the teachers, rather than the students
-Teachers are pulled out of classes time after time during the year for "professional development" meetings
-Education plays second fiddle to public relations and boosting administrators' careers
-Teacher meetings include "team builders" in which the teachers are treated like children
-Administrators lie to board members and tell them the teachers are supporting their initiatives when, in fact, they do not.
-Much, much more.
No Child Left Alive will be available for 99 cents as an e-book, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday and continuing until 10 a.m. Tuesday.
For those who prefer the paperback version, it is available at this link.
Gov. Nixon recognizes Forsyth Schools
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Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Friday, November 8, 2013
Carthage child killer appeals case to Missouri Supreme Court
Eddie Salazar Sr., the man who killed his infant child and threw him in Spring River is appealing his conviction to the Missouri Supreme Court.
The request for a hearing was filed today.
The Southern District Court of Appeals rejected Salazar's appeal in October.
Salazar’s crime was described in the appellate court’s opinion:
On the evening of February 4, 2010, Child was in Defendant’s care. Shortly after 11:00 p.m., an officer made contact with Defendant at a Carthage residence in response to a 9-1-1 call in which Defendant stated that two men had entered his home and had taken Child. Defendant subsequently gave differing accounts of the event — including that he had found Child dead in his crib — but he eventually told law enforcement that he had shaken Child because he was frustrated that Child would not stop crying, and Child slipped from his hands, striking his head on the tile floor. Defendant admitted throwing Child’s body into a river, and Child’s body was eventually recovered from the river. Recorded statements from Defendant were admitted into evidence as State’s Exhibits 3, 6, 8A, and 9. The jury also heard a recording of Defendant’s 9-1-1 call, admitted as State’s Exhibit 2.3
The pathologist who performed the autopsy on Child testified that the cause of death was “blunt head trauma” and that Child had three fractures to his skull, accompanied by “swelling of the brain and bleeding inside of the head as well.”
Salazar’s attorney asked for a new trial, claiming that the public was wrongly kept out of the courtroom during jury selection because so many people were brought in due to the nature of the trial.The opinion suggested that there was no evidence that anyone wanted to attend and was kept from doing so because of the judge’s decision.
The seating of a juror who had indicated she was not sure she could render an impartial decision was also rejected as a reason for the mistrial since Salazar’s attorney could have exercised one of his peremptory challenges to have that juror removed. During further questioning, the juror, who was a teacher who had students who had been victims of child abuse, said she thought she could put that aside and make her decision based on the evidence.
99 cents for 3 days: A chapter-by-chapter breakdown of Spirit of Hope
A chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the book is featured below:
Preface- Joplin Fire Chief Mitch Randles offers the introduction to the book.
1. Spirit of Hope- Randy Turner's introductory story and thoughts about how the people of Joplin have provided an example for the nation.
2. Historic Storm, History Reoovery- John Hacker relives the moment he arrived at the tornado site moments after it occurred.
3. One Year, One Community, One Direction- John Hacker's coverage of the Day of Unity
4. I'm Proud of Joplin- The transcript of City Manager Mark Rohr's speech from the Day of Unity
5. God Was With Me- Randy Turner's story on the Joplin High School Graduation, featuring senior Sarah Kessler, who lost her home during the tornado
6. St. John's Has Been Hit That's All We Know For Sure- Rebecca Williams of Joplin Tornado Info tells the story of how that innovative and essential web page began.
7. A Lazy Afternoon- One of the most searing memories of the days after the tornado was the viral video of people inside Fastrip when the tornado hit. One of those people, Carthage Press Sports Editor Brennan Stebbins, tells the story.
8. Love Led Me Through- Former East Middle School teacher Andrea Thomas told her tornado story in 5:41. In this stirring story of faith, Andrea tells the story of what has happened to her and her husband Joe since May 22, 201, and what she has seen while helping others.
9. Pancakes, Prayers, and Progress- Former reporter Rick Nichols relives the tornado as it hit the International House of Pancakes.
10. The House of Bricks- Randy Turner's journey to the apartment complex behind the 15th Street Wal-Mart after the tornado and his conversation with a father whose son died at Pizza Hut.
11. A Tale of Survival- Andrea Queen writes about how she and her family survived the tornado.
12. Ground Zero- Former Joplin Tri-State Business Editor Jeff Wells describes the helplessness of being in Texas while his mother and grandmother are fighting for their lives in Joplin.
13. Will There be a Christmas Tree?- Marty Oetting's moving essay on the items left behind after the tornado.
14. We Were All Affected- Joplin Tornado Information's Rebecca Williams shares stories from her website.
15. This Town is My Home- Joplin High School junior Laela Zaidi's story was told in 5:41. This time, she writes the story of how she wanted nothing more than to remain in Joplin.
16-17- The Peace in the Midst of the Storm/Miracles at Walmart- A two-part story with two friends offering their versions of what happened at the 15th Street Walmart.
18. My Tornado Story: A Story About the Heart of America- An eighth grader at the time she wrote this, former East Middle School student Jennifer Nguyen tells a harrowing story of a birthday party that turned into a nightmare.
19. Big Builds- John Hacker's coverage of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Ten for Joplin, two building projects that brought the nation's attention to Joplin.
20. Pushed to the Breaking Point- John's story on Joplin Emergency Management Director Keith Stammer and what happened May 22 and in the days afterward.
21. Local Radio's Finest Hour- In this speech to the Missouri Broadcasters Association, Gov. Jay Nixon praises the work done by the Zimmer radio stations during and after the tornado.
22. Miracle of the Human Spirit- The transcript of City Manager Mark Rohr's speech at Cunningham Park one week after the tornado
23. Sometimes, Love Is All You Have- Amy Gilbert's family lost its home in the tornado, but her survival story has a twist when the band Sugarland invites her daughters to appear with them at the Country Music Association Awards.
24. I'll Never Forget- Pittsburg State University student Amy Herron's touching essay about the tornado.
25. Coming Together- John Hacker's story about how the tornado has affected three hospitals, Mercy (St. John's), Freeman, and McCune-Brooks
26. Autistic Children Benefit from Ozark Center- John Hacker tells another story of how the local health industry was affected by the tornado.
27. Mercy Joplin Opens Component Hospital- A few months after the tornado, Mercy offers a new temporary structure for its patients in this story written by John Hacker
28. An End and a Beginning- John Hacker's portrait of the day the wrecking ball hit St. John's
29. We Will Have School- Randy Turner's story of the Joplin Schools family gathering at the site of the destroyed high school where Superintendent C. J. Huff promised that school would begin on time.
30. Will Norton is With Us In Spirit- This is an article that Turner wrote for the magazine at Chapman University about the effect Will Norton's death had on the campus though he never had a chance to go to school there. It includes Turner's interview with Will's father, Mark Norton.
31. I Will Keep The Spotlight on Joplin, Missouri- The transcript of Rush Limbaugh's July 4 speech in Cunningham Park
32. Blessing in Disguise- John Hacker's story of the incredible job Samaritan's Purse has done in Joplin
33. We Will Not Be Kept Down- Mary Jean Miller, who was president of Joplin High School's Key Club, tells her own tornado story and then writes about how Key Club did everything it could to help the recovery effort.
34. These Are My Students: This Is My School- Randy Turner's essay on the difficulty he had getting ready to teach school in a converted warehouse
35. School Begins Today in Joplin- Randy Turner's story on the day teachers returned to duty and found themselves greeted by a hundreds of community members
36. The Toughest Town on God's Green Earth- The transcript of Gov. Jay Nixon's speech to returning Joplin Schools staff members
37. An Opportunity to Move Forward Together- The transcript of Superintendent C. J. Huff's speech as staff returned to duty
38. A Day of Miracles, Joplin Schools Start on Time- Randy Turner writes about the first day of classes.
39. Back to the Country- In 5:41, Gary Harrall wrote the shortest story, telling about how he wanted to leave the city after the tornado. Continuing the tradition, Gary has the shortest story in this book, too, with a much happier ending.
40. Nothing Stops Us- Denton Williams, another contributor to 5:41, offers an update and a tribute to those who have helped Joplin recover.
41. Tornado-Battered Joplin Honors Victims of Terrorists Attacks- John Hacker writes about the moving ceremony held in Joplin on Sept. 11.
42. Anti-Muslim Sentiment Clouds Gift to Joplin Schools- In every success story, there are a few discordant notes and they were offered here by some people who were not happy about the gift of laptops to Joplin High School students. Randy Turner takes on that sentiment in this story.
43. I'm Proud to be a Rising Joplin Eagle- Joplin High School student Micaela Tennis writes about the first day of school.
44. The Six-Month Anniversary: Nov. 22, 2011, in Cunningham Park- John Hacker's coverage of the activities on that eventful day, including the texts of speeches by Mayor Mike Woolston, Billy Long, Jay Nixon, and Chris Cotton
45. Come Home to Joplin- The text of Mark Rohr's speech at the six-month anniversary observance in Cunningham Park
46. Cunningham Park: Joplin's First Park- John Hacker writes the history of the park.
47. God Bless the People of Joplin, Missouri- In 5:41, Rose Fogarty wrote about how the story of Will Norton brought her to Joplin. Since then, she has continued her volunteer work and she offers a moving story about that volunteer work.
48. Remembering the Forgotten School- Not much attention was paid to the desruction of the old South Middle School, where Randy Turner taught. In this essay, he offers a tribute to it.
49. A Day in the Life of a Joplin Student- Karissa Dowell offers a different look at going to the mall high school- the feeling of a being on display in a glass house with different visitors every day.
50-51. Student to Student: Sharing Stories/College Students Forego the Beach to Help with Recovery- John Hacker writes about college students giving up their spring breaks to volunteer in Joplin.
52. A New Hope High School for Joplin- Randy Turner writes about the passage of the bond issue for new schools in Joplin.
53. A Seventh Grader's Gift That Keeps On Giving- Randy Turner's story about how a seventh grader from New York contributed to my students.
54. Avenue of Hope- John Hacker's story about Peace Lutheran Church, which had its building destroyed, beginning with outdoor services a week later and ending with outdoor services one year later
55. God Remains With Us in Joplin- Peace Lutheran Church's interim pastor Bill Pape writes about those first outdoor services.
56. Thanks Be To This Ever-Present God- A transcript of Pastor Kathy Redpath's sermon at the outdoor service at Peace Lutheran Church one year later.
57. Rejoicing, Remembering, and Rebuilding- Laela Zaidi's thoughts after the Joplin High School commencement program about how far this city has come.
58. Tornado Teaches the True Meaning of School- Randy Turner's story about the last day of the 2011-2012 school year in our East Middle School warehouse
59. Joplin High School Prom Photos- taken by John Hacker
The following items are featured in the back of the book:
Death Doesn't Get the Last Word: Life Wins- The text of Rev. Aaron Brown's sermon at the Joplin Tornado Memorial Service
The Long Journey- The text of Gov. Jay Nixon's speech at the Joplin Tornado Memorial Service
Joplin Taught the World- The text of President Barack Obama's speech at the Joplin Tornado Memorial Service
The World Will Never Forget What You Achieved- Gov. Jay Nixon's speech at the Joplin High School Graduation
Because You Are From Joplin- President Barack Obama's speech at the Joplin High School Graduation
Center for Disease Control Report on Fungal Infections from Joplin Tornado
National Weather Service Central Region Assessment- The Joplin Tornado
The book is also available in paperback at this link.
Spirit of Hope: The Year After the Joplin Tornado available for 99 cents for next three days
My original idea was to do 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado with Carthage Press Managing Editor John Hacker and then use the proceeds from that book to publish the story of what happened to my students during the tornado- the book that later became Scars from the Tornado: One Year at Joplin East Middle School.
Two things changed my plan.
1. John Hacker kept telling me that while he was making his rounds, people would tell him we really needed to write a book about the recovery and the remarkable things that had happened since the tornado.
2. I still did not have enough money to go through with my plan of publishing a book with my students and giving each of them a copy.
So we began working on the book that we eventually titled Spirit of Hope.
The book was intended to combine with 5:41 to provide readers with the most comprehensive record of the Joplin Tornado available.
-John was involved in the coverage of nearly every major event from the high school graduation to the six-month anniversary to the Extreme Makeover and Habitat for Humanity construction.
-I collected transcripts and documents of every major speech and event, including Presidnet Obama's speeches at the graduation and the memorial service, Mark Rohr's six-month anniversarry speech, C. J. Huff's press conference when he announced school would start on time and Rush Limbaugh's Fourth of July speech.
-We had first person stories that had arrived too late for inclusion in 5:41 and updates from some of those whose stories were featured in the first book.
-I added some original reporting, including a feature on a Joplin High School graduate and the magazine article I did on the late Will Norton for the Chapman University Magazine.
By the time the book was completed, I thought it was as good and possibly better than 5:41.
Naturally, it was greeted by the reading public with a resounding thud. Because of unsuccesful efforts to push it through advertising, I ended up accidentally paying $4,000 to Google, something from which I have yet to recover and it delayed the publication of Scars from the Tornado, which finally saw the light of day when I realized I could keep my promise by providing all students with an e-book and limit the paperbacks to those who had contributed chapters.
Despite al of that, I still have faith in Spirit of Hope and would like for more people to see for themselves how good the book is.
For the next three days, from approximately 10 a.m. today to 10 a.m. Monday, the e-book version of Spirit of Hope will be available on Amazon Kindle for 99 cents (the regular price is $5). Give it a try and if you like it, please spread the word about this book.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Carthage men indicted on child porn charges
Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that four southern Missouri men were indicted by a federal grand jury today in separate and unrelated cases for downloading and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
James Hayden McClelland, 20, of Billings, Mo., was charged with one count of receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet between July 27, 2011, and Aug. 16, 2012.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the FBI and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Adam Headley, 34, of Springfield, was charged with one count of receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet between Jan. 1, 2012, and Feb. 13, 2013.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kirksville, Mo., Police Department.
Luis Eduardo Martinez, 22, of Carthage, Mo., was charged with one count of receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet between May 16, 2012, and Dec. 19, 2012.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Cassville, Mo., Police Department and the Nixa, Mo., Police Department.
Ricardo Vargas-Villalobos, 24, of Carthage, Mo., was charged with one count of receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet between May 16, 2012, and Dec. 19, 2012.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Cassville, Mo., Police Department and the Nixa, Mo., Police Department.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Missouri Heroes: John Clark
The second in the Veterans Day week salute to Missouri heroes focuses on John Clark of Columbia.
Remembering Rowan Ford
It has been almost a decade since I last visited Triway Elementary/Junior High School in Stella
At the time I was teaching atDiamond Middle School
The school was almost the same, though three decades had passed. I looked in the room where Mrs. Jean Rowe with her honey sweet, magnolia-dripping voice had entertained us daily with the reading ofThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A few doors down was where Mrs. Dorothy Reynolds had taught us about nouns and verbs and other things for which we did not see any use as we entered our teenage years.
I walked by the principal’s office, a place where, thankfully, I did not spend much time in junior high (I made up for that in high school). No one wanted to have to face our principal, that stern disciplinarian, Mr. Orvie Walker.
Our basketball teams did not do well that night, but the trip down memory lane was worth it. Even though I did not arrive at Triway until fifth grade, I even looked at the area where the fourth graders attended classes in the late ‘60s, a section of the building that was new at the time.
To me, junior high school was an enjoyable time, one I would not trade for anything. It was a time when I never had to deal with anything sordid or sinister, a time when I simply enjoyed being a child.
That childhood innocence was stripped away from those who attended Triway in 2007.
One of those classrooms in that fourth grade section was likely the place that nine-year-old Rowan Ford spent the most enjoyable moments of her days. Rowan Ford loved school. She arrived long before the first bell rang and stayed long after her classmates had gone home for the day.
At least that’s what they said after Rowan was found, brutally raped and murdered, in nearby Barry County
Rowan’s stepfather, David Wesley Spears, and his friend, Chris Collings, were arrested. According to law enforcement officials, both men confessed to the crime.
And while both of them have been behind bars since their initial arrest, neither man is anywhere close to trial. For the past three and a half years, the court dockets show changes of venues, various and sundry motions over the admissibility of those confessions, and all kinds of delaying tactics.
The prosecution, as you might expect, is seeking the death penalty for the two men.
Collings’ trial was scheduled for May in a different county, but there were not enough people in the jury pool who were not familiar with the case. Even though Collings had already received one change of venue, his lawyer asked for another. The judge, instead, opted to bring in potential jurors from another county.
Collings’ trial is scheduled for early 2012.
The wait for justice for Rowan Ford’s stepfather will take even longer. His trial, also being held elsewhere on a change of venue, is scheduled to begin Nov. 5, 2012- five years and two days after the fourth grader was murdered, three months into what would have been her freshman year at East Newton High School
I wrote the following words more than two years ago on The Turner Report and if anything, the situation has only grown worse:
Life has gone on in Stella since the community was shaken to the core by the murder, but there is never a day when Rowan Ford is far from the townspeople’s thoughts.
Visitors still flock to a memorial webpage for Rowan, with condolences continuing to pour in and pages filled with pictures of Rowan and images of cartoon characters like Winnie the Pooh, a direct contrast to the violence that ended Rowan’s life.
When the community recently dedicated a memorial park for veterans, a tribute to the child was included. In her absence, she remains a part of Stella’s everyday life.
Rowan Ford was robbed over and over during her young life. She was deprived of her normal childhood, her innocence, and eventually, her life.
Meanwhile, the hourglass of justice continues to turn at a glacial pace, as the years pass since Rowan Ford, forever nine, was taken from us.
Visitors still flock to a memorial webpage for Rowan, with condolences continuing to pour in and pages filled with pictures of Rowan and images of cartoon characters like Winnie the Pooh, a direct contrast to the violence that ended Rowan’s life.
When the community recently dedicated a memorial park for veterans, a tribute to the child was included. In her absence, she remains a part of Stella’s everyday life.
Rowan Ford was robbed over and over during her young life. She was deprived of her normal childhood, her innocence, and eventually, her life.
Meanwhile, the hourglass of justice continues to turn at a glacial pace, as the years pass since Rowan Ford, forever nine, was taken from us.
Monday, November 4, 2013
30th Road/I-49 interchange south of Lamar open
(From MODOT)
30th Road/I-49 Interchange OPEN
South of Lamar by 4:30 p.m. Today
Where: 30th Road/I-49 interchange south of Lamar
When: By 4:30 p.m. today (Monday, Nov. 4)
What: New interchange to OPEN to traffic
Traffic Impacts: Drivers on I-49 should be aware of vehicles entering and leaving the interstate at 30th Road south of Lamar. Clean up work will continue at the interchange for the next several weeks.
Weather and/or construction delays could postpone the project.
Follow MoDOT's Southwest District: facebook.com/MoDOT.Southwest, twitter.com/MoDOT_Southwest and pinterest.com/modotsouthwest
Missouri Heroes: Ralph Kalberloh
The first in a series of portraits of Missouri heroes focuses on Ralph Kalberloh of Jefferson City
Silver Dollar City makes holiday season bright with $5 million worth of lights
I certainly miss the days when people remembered that Thanksgiving takes place between Halloween and Christmas.
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