Judge allows former Webb City R-7 janitor to remove ankle monitor while awaiting trial for enticement of a child

A former Webb City Junior High School janitor will no longer have to wear an ankle monitor as he awaits trial on a charge of enticement of a child.

During a hearing in Jasper County Circuit Court Friday, Judge Joseph Hensley sustained an oral motion by  attorney Jonathan Pierce representing Logan Blake Duncan to allow his client to remove the monitor.

Duncan, 25, Joplin, still has to remain in his parents' custody at all times, according to online court records. In addition to the house arrest, he is not allowed to have contact with anyone under age 18 or have access to the internet.

Duncan was charged after he allegedly arranged to meet someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl and have sex. His arrest was part of a sting operated by Bikers Against Predators.

While he was communicating with someone he thought was a 13-year-old, Duncan allegedly sent a picture of his genitals, according to the probable cause statement.

After learning that the decoy was 13 years of age, Mr. Duncan asked if he she had received the picture and if she liked it.

Bikers Against Predators posted a video, which has since been taken down, of group members confronting Duncan.

In the janitor's conversation with the girl, according to the Bikers Against Predators representative, he told her she could "come to the school,' and described the room where he would have sex with her. The "girl' was taking an Uber to the school to meet with him.

The janitor told the Bikers Against Predators representatives that he watched pornography and preferred "lesbian pornography," but that "I'm more hetero."

The video confrontation, which was livestreamed on Bikers Against Predators Facebook page, came to a close with Webb City Police officers arriving, being told the situation and also being told that all conversations with the janitor had been recorded.

Duncan was bound over for trial after waiving his preliminary hearing August 20. His next hearing is scheduled for March 27 in Carthage.

Nancy Hughes: Jerry's Christmas

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12 (NIV)

I’ll never forget that precious little boy: freckles scattered like tiny raindrops across his entire face, including his ears. Big brown eyes partially obscured by wispy blonde hair that brushed against an ever-present smile minus two front teeth.

Jerry was a first-grade student at the elementary school where I worked. He came from a home that was short on money but long on love. His clothes were always someone else’s property first, but he never seemed to care. And this Christmas season was no different.

As a mother of three, I was frantically trying to balance home, husband, kids, and job while I shopped endlessly for the perfect “only thing I want” gifts for my family. Somewhere in the rush of the season, my focus shifted from the birth of a baby in a manger to the number of presents under our Christmas tree.

There was some success but at a price . . . a high price. My Christmas budget was shrinking rapidly. “Why couldn’t my children want something a little cheaper?” I kept thinking. “Why do they think they have to have everything they see on television?”

Those questions were occupying my thoughts as I walked down the first-grade hall and saw Jerry coming toward me in worn tennis shoes minus the laces and a winter coat that was about three sizes too large.

“Hey, Jerry! How are you?” “I’m good, Miss Nancy. It’s almost Christmas . . . Jesus’ birthday . . . did you know?” I couldn’t help but smile at that comment. “Yes, I have heard that. So what do you want for Christmas, Jerry?”

He quickly replied “Oh, I already know what I’m getting. It’s the same every year.” At this point, I would have expected a child making that statement to duck his head in disappointment and go on, but not Jerry.

As I bent down to hug and encourage him, Jerry put his hands on my shoulders and, with a huge smile, continued. “When I wake up on Christmas morning, there will be a BIG candy cane under my pillow!” he exclaimed as he licked his lips and rubbed his tummy in anticipation of that moment. “And then, under the tree, I will get a little Matchbox car to add to my others. I can hardly wait, Miss Nancy!”

As I hugged Jerry and sent him on to class, I could not hold back the tears of sadness – not for Jerry but for my attitude. Instead of focusing on Christ and His birth, I had gotten caught up in the world’s view that the number of gifts you have under the Christmas tree determines your happiness.

Christmas at our home would never be the same again. All because of a candy cane under a pillow, a Matchbox car under a tree . . . and a very thankful little boy named Jerry.


Father, thank you for the most priceless gift of love you could ever send – the gift of your Son - from a manger to the cross for us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

Do you find yourself focused more on gifts than the Giver of Life at Christmas?

Have you talked with your children about the Ultimate Gift that Jesus gave each of us?

Apply

Help your children write on slips of paper the gifts that they can give Jesus this Christmas, like trusting Him, being obedient, and sharing Him with friends.

Have them wrap each of their gifts for Jesus in a box and offer each one to Him on Christmas morning in prayer.

Power

Luke 2:11-12 (NIV) “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.”

2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

John 1:14 a (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

***

It's not too late to order a copy of Nancy's new book, There's Not a Minute That God Isn't in It in time for Christmas.

Here's the Amazon link

There's Not a Minute That God Isn't in It

 

Carthage man charged with assaulting girlfriend after she refuses to quit her job

A Carthage man choked his girlfriend after she refused to quit her job, according to a probable cause statement filed Friday in Jasper County Circuit Court.

Dustin Michael Dague (DOB 1977) was charged with domestic assault with bond set at $100,000 cash or surety.

From the probable cause statement:

The Victim and Dustin are in an intimate relationship. During an argument over the Victim refusing to quit her job today.

Dustin shoved, kicked, and strangled the Victim. The Victim had visible marks across {her} throat consistent with strangulation and the size of Dustin's hand. The Victim informed me that during the assault, {she} lost the immediate ability to breathe. 

When speaking with Dustin, he confirmed an argument had taken place, but would not go into further detail. The Victim is a witness to a previous domestic assault against Dustin, as he is the suspect. The Victim stated that Dustin attempted to dissuade {her}  from testifying after being served a witness subpoena today (12/11/2025).

Probable cause: Avilla man threatened to kill shooting victim, witness if they called the law

Bond has been set at $500,000 cash or surety for Ryan Allen Schrader, 34, Avilla, who is being held in the Jasper County Detention Center following a shooting Friday.

The Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office charged Schrader with five felonies- first-degree assault, armed criminal action, possession of an illegal weapon, possession of a controlled substance and tampering with a witness.

According to the probable cause statement after shooting Tyler Lee, Schrader allegedly threatened to kill both Lee and a witness if they said anything to law enforcement.

From the probable cause statement:

On December 11, 2025, Jasper County Deputies were dispatched to Avilla, Jasper County, reference a male subject being shot and bleeding from the head. 

Victim 1, Tyler Lee advised he and witness 1, Arleasha Kindred went to 9245 County Road 40 Avilla, Jasper County to speak with the homeowner Ryan Schrader. Mr. Lee stated that when they arrived Ryan Schrader exited the rear door of the residence and started cursing and yelling at him and witness 1, Arleasha Kindred. 

Mr. Lee stated Ryan Schrader told him to leave the property, so he walked to County Road 40 and was standing in the roadway waiting for Arleasha Kindred. Mr. Lee stated he noticed Ryan Schrader go back inside the residence and then exit the rear door with what he described as a bolt action light green. 410 shotgun with the buttstock removed or cut and the barrel cut or shortened. 

Mr. Lee stated that Ryan Schrader went into the front yard and pointed the shotgun at him and fired a round, striking him in the face and left leg with pellets from the shot. 

Mr. Lee stated Ryan Schrader said “I will kill you or I will shoot you” before he fired the shot, but he wasn’t sure. Mr. Lee said once he left the residence Ryan Schrader called Arleasha Kindred and told her if they called law enforcement he would kill them. 

Mr. Lee was taken to Mercy Hospital and hospital staff were able to remove a shotgun pellet from his left leg but advised the pellet embedded in the left side of his face couldn’t be removed safely. 

Witness 1, Arleasha Kindred stated Ryan Schrader fired the shotgun at victim 1, Tyler Lee and after they had left the residence, she received information that Ryan Schrader threatened to kill her if they told law enforcement.

On December 12, 2025, I Detective Calvin #249 responded to 9245 County Road 40 Avilla, Jasper County to serve search warrant 25AO-MC00411 on the listed address regarding the incident. 

During the search a modified bolt action .410 shotgun with a cut barrel, was located under the bed in Ryan Schrader’s room along with unfired .410 shotgun rounds. Also located in Ryan Schrader’s bedroom was a clear plastic bag with a crystal substance, three glass pipes with burnt residue and scale with white residue on it. Based on my training and experience I was able to identify the substance as methamphetamine a controlled substance weighing approximately 4.4 grams. 

Two other handguns were also located inside Ryan Schrader’s bedroom and one of the pistols had no visible serial number. A discharged .410 shotgun casing was also found in the driveway around fifty feet from County Road 40, around the same area the victim said Ryan Schrader fired from. 

Ryan Schrader refused to provide a statement about the incident and was taken into custody for assault 1st degree, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia at 0634 hours. 

The case was investigated by the Jasper County Sheriff's Office.

Earlier post- Avilla man arrested following shooting incident

Carthage woman charged with murder awaiting trial for allegedly choking daughter

Candida Hudson, 39, Carthage, who was charged with second-degree murder following a shooting Friday night on West Fir Road, was free on $50,000 bond after being charged with domestic assault and child abuse for allegedly choking her 16-year-old daughter.

Hudson waived her preliminary hearing September 9 and was bound over for trial. Her next hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. January 20 in Jasper County Circuit Court.

The allegation against Hudson was detailed in the probable cause statement.

I was dispatched to 41 O W Fir Rd Apt C211 for a Physical Domestic in progress. Dispatch advised that the Reporting Party was a 16 year old female. 

Upon arrival I made contact with Candida Hudson. Hudson told me her side of the events. I spoke with the victim, who is Hudson's daughter, who advised that she had come home late and Hudson started yelling at her.

The victim advised that her mom told her to leave the residence. The victim advised that when she tried to leave Hudson pulled her back and told her she could not leave.
The victim advised that when she stayed in the residence Hudson was furious and kept telling her to leave. The victim advised that when she tried to get away from Hudson her hair was pulled and she was drug to the front door by Hudson.

The victim advised that this happened twice. The victim advised that on the second time Hudson threw her to the ground and got on top of {her}. Hudson then put both her hands around the victim's throat and started choking the victim. The victim advised that Hudson was restricting her airway for approximately 20 to 30 seconds before Hudson got off of her. The victim advised that she was pushed out of the residence by Hudson and she fell to the ground.

The case was investigated by the Carthage Police Department.

Carthage woman charged with murder after shooting on West Fir Road

(From the Carthage Police Department)

The Carthage Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on December 12, 2025, at an apartment complex in the 400 block of West Fir Road.

Officers responded to a medical call at approximately 6:22 p.m. and located Donald Webb, 51, of Carthage, Missouri, suffering from a gunshot wound inside a second-floor apartment. Despite life-saving efforts, Webb was pronounced deceased. 

Following the investigation, Candida Hudson, 39, of Carthage, Missouri, was arrested and charged by the Jasper County Prosecutor’s Office with Murder in the Second Degree and Armed Criminal Action. Hudson is currently being held at the Jasper County Jail with no bond.

This remains an ongoing investigation. No further information is available at this time.

(Note: Hudson was free on bond while awaiting trial for assault and child abuse for allegedly choking her 16-year-old daughter. You can find the story at this link.)

As homeless population rises, Joplin confronts ‘drop-offs’

By Meg Cunningham

Beacon Missouri

For years, stories circulated around Joplin, Missouri, about the city’s homeless population and how they arrived in the city.

(Photo- Officials collected video evidence of out-of-state law enforcement vehicles dropping people off at truck stops. Some medical systems seemed to be involved, too.-Naomi O’Donnell/The Beacon).

Calls would come in to city officials following a recurring theme.

“People were coming to the City Council meetings and saying, ‘I don’t know why you guys don’t know this, but I’m witnessing busloads of people being dropped off in our town,’” said Joplin Mayor Keenan Cortez. “‘Buses are coming in, stopping at gas stations, unloading and the buses are turning around and going back.’”

The city commissioned a study to investigate. But it came back with no hard evidence.

Still, the reports kept coming in. So the city took a deeper look.

Officials collected video evidence of out-of-state law enforcement vehicles dropping people off at truck stops. Some medical systems seemed to be involved, too. They also gathered signed affidavits from people who were new to Joplin, saying they were given promises of a shelter bed or resources at the end of their ride.

“We were starting to hear from people in our community that, ‘I was brought to Joplin and just dropped off. I was in trouble over there. That community didn’t deal with me. They put me in a car, a van, a bus and said there’s help for you,’” Cortez said.

Instead, they were left without their support system, in a new city with limited resources and few places to turn.

Cortez said city officials aren’t sure how many people shared similar stories.

“At the end of the day, I don’t know if it was 15, if it was 50,” Cortez said. “As a mayor, it doesn’t matter.”

Joplin officials put their heads together with the city’s legal team. After sending cease-and-desist letters to the organizations they believed were dropping people off in the city, the City Council started considering legislation to ban the practice.

The City Council passed an ordinance at the beginning of November. It isn’t uncommon for medical systems to refer patients needing specialized treatment, or for victims of domestic violence, to be sent to a shelter in another town. The ordinance includes exemptions for those situations.

So far, Cortez and city officials think the letters and new ordinance appear to be working. They haven’t had any reports of people being dropped off since the ordinance was passed. But the trend points to a larger problem Missouri’s cities are facing as homelessness rises across the state.

Missouri’s reliance on larger cities for services for the homeless population

It is fairly common for smaller, rural areas to rely on the services in larger cities for things like shelters, medical care or mental health treatment.

From 2023 to 2024, the number of unsheltered people grew 9% in Missouri, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development point-in-time counts. In Kansas, the number grew by 6%, while Oklahoma saw an 18% jump.

Columbia is similar to Joplin when it comes to being a regional hub for services and shelter beds.

Columbia began working more closely on reducing homelessness in 2023 by establishing a program within Boone County’s Department of Public Health to connect people with resources. City officials also created a homeless outreach team within the police department to try and divert people from the justice system.

Now, the city has launched the Ride Home program, which gives homeless or impoverished community members free rides back to their hometowns or to support systems up to three hours away. If someone needs to travel farther, the city will purchase a bus ticket to get them to where they need to go.

Since the launch in October, the city has provided three rides, said Austin Krohn, public information specialist at the Columbia & Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services.

“People come in for mental health services, or if there is a facility that can only do a certain type of screening for them,” Krohn said. “People are coming here from all over Missouri to get services, and then they’re stuck here.”

Local service providers and shelters can refer people to the program to receive a free ride. People must have verifiable support at the destination, a referral, photo ID and no outstanding warrants in the county.

Studies have shown that voluntary transport to a support system can be instrumental in improving someone’s housing situation.

San Francisco runs a robust transportation program, similar to Ride Home in Columbia. In fiscal year 2024, the agency that runs the program gave 230 rides.

San Francisco officials followed up with riders 90 days after their ride, and found that of the 230 served, 61 found housing, while 29 had another or unknown location. The remaining riders were unreachable or declined to be surveyed as part of the program.

“When I was doing direct service 30 years ago, people called it Greyhound therapy,” said Jeff Olivet, the former executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. “Get a bus ticket to another town, just get out of here, basically. Sometimes that can be incredibly helpful if people are really wanting and needing to get back to family and social supports.”

But if someone is transported or coerced to leave town against their will, it can lead to poorer outcomes, Olivet said.

“Transportation can be critical,” Olivet said. “But if it’s basically, ‘Get out of town or we’re going to arrest you,’ that doesn’t solve homelessness for anybody. It just moves the problem around.”

One 2023 study modeled over 20 U.S. cities concluded that involuntary displacement of people experiencing homelessness — things like encampment sweeps or involuntary transport to another area — could lead to substantial increases in morbidity and mortality.

The study linked involuntary displacement with worse outcomes for overdoses and hospitalizations and a decrease in getting connected with treatment for opioid use. It said the displacements could contribute to deaths of homeless people who use drugs.

A 2017 investigation from The Guardian analyzed nearly 35,000 relocation journeys over a six-year period. The investigation found that most riders were relocated to places with a lower median income.

How Missouri fares

And as homelessness rates rise across all of Missouri, cities may need to start thinking about how to address these gaps, Olivet said.

“In the case of rural areas, or even suburban areas, where there aren’t as many shelter options for people, there aren’t as many mental health treatment programs, there aren’t as many supportive services. Oftentimes, the only way to get help is by going to a larger urban area,” Olivet said.

“That speaks to a tremendous gap when we don’t have good services, support and housing options for people in rural areas. They have to go somewhere else, even if they are from that rural area.”

In Missouri, the numbers aren’t improving.

The state’s continuum of care — a group of agencies that work under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address homelessness — found in its most recent report that homelessness is rapidly increasing across the state.

In Region 9, which includes the southwest corner of the state (but does not include metro areas like Joplin or Springfield, which run their own continuums of care outside of the statewide framework), 2023 data found a 133% rise in unsheltered homelessness and a 100% rise in sheltered homelessness from 2022 to 2023.

The area also saw family homelessness increase by 100% from 2022 to 2023.

Region 10, which represents the counties surrounding the Kansas City area, 2023 point-in-time data showed a 3% increase in unsheltered homelessness and a 119% increase in sheltered homelessness from 2022. Family homelessness increased by 173%.

In the group’s annual report, every region saw at least one metric of homelessness, sheltered or unsheltered, increase from 2022 to 2023.

It rings alarm bells with Mary Kenion, the chief equity officer at the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

“At least half of all people experiencing homelessness in largely rural continuums of care do so outdoors, in unsheltered locations,” Kenion said. “We’re also seeing family homelessness on the rise, in rural communities specifically.”

And in their report, the Missouri continuum of care providers noted that while larger towns were better equipped to handle homelessness, it highlights the lack of resources in more rural areas.

The report found a positive relationship between the number of beds available in permanent housing situations and the length of time someone was homeless. For every 1% increase in permanent housing beds, there was a 54-day decrease in the length of time someone was homeless.

Although solutions like access to permanent housing show promise, roadblocks remain.

A coalition of nonprofits and local governments recently sued the Trump administration, arguing it created unreasonable restrictions on state continuums of care across the country. The lawsuit argues that the administration is looking to shift funding away from proven solutions that improve homelessness and that it could force up to 170,000 Americans into homelessness.

The new rules change what types of projects are eligible for funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the criteria for selecting projects and the conditions grantees have to accept to receive the funding, the lawsuit argues.

Ultimately, Joplin Mayor Cortez and other experts said that following up with someone after they receive care or resources is key in reducing homelessness.

Cortez is excited about a new development of 16 tiny homes dedicated to providing permanent housing situations for Joplin. But addressing the issue takes everyone coming together, he said.

“This is an ongoing thing that everybody in the community is involved in —– the health care community, the religious community,” Cortez said. “We have some passionate champions in our community working to resolve this problem.”

Civil rights lawsuit filed against Seneca Police Department, Newton County Sheriff's Office

 

A Seneca police officer broke a man's arm while taking him into the Newton County Jail following a 2020 DWI arrest, according to a civil rights lawsuit filed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Listed as defendants in the case, which was filed by Leonard Raines, a former Seneca resident who now lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, are in addition to the officer, R. McNamara, are the Seneca Police Department, Newton County Sheriff's Office, former Newton County Sheriff Ken Jennings and 20 John Does.

The lawsuit, according to the petition, "arises out of an unprovoked and malicious physical assault perpetrated by Officer R. McNamara and others against Plaintiff Leonard Raines. It was filed less than two weeks before the five-year deadline.

From the petition:

On or about December 24, 2020, Plaintiff was stopped by Officer R. McNamara. Officer McNamara arrested and detained Mr. Raines for driving while intoxicated. Plaintiff was booked into and detained in the Newton County Jail at approximately 11 p.m. that evening.

The booking process was done without any restraint except for very briefly being cuffed to a bench. Mr. Raines peacefully and voluntarily answered questions and completed a blood alcohol test.

After the booking process, three officers which included Officer R. McNamara escorted Plaintiff unrestrained to the "drunk tank."

On the way from the booking area to the holding cell (drunk tank) the three escorting officers places Mr. Raines forcefully against a wall.

While doing so, with no reasonable justification or cause, Officer McNamara used an arm bar to Plaintiff's left arm with such excessive force as to break Plaintiff's left arm in half and injure his shoulder.

None of the other officers tried to stop or prevent the incident.

On information and belief, Officer McNamara can be heard on video talking to Plaintiff after the injury saying, "If you would have went and stopped mouthing.."

Officer McNamara, thereafter, took Plaintiff to the hospital where he was diagnosed with left humerus fracture and a rotator cuff injury.

Neither Seneca Police Department nor Newton County Sheriff's Department followed up on Mr. Raines with his medical care.

As a result of the unprovoked assault, Mr. Raines has suffered great pain, discomfort and severe limitations, which have made it impossible to do the same physical labor jobs he was physically and intellectually able to perform prior to his injury. This lost employment and ability to produce income has caused severe emotional distress due to Mr. Raines' inability to find and perform his vocation and the ability to provide for his family.

The lawsuit alleges three claims:

-Use of excessive force by the defendants

-Cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment

-Violation of civil rights against defendants, including alleging the Newton County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Jennings, the Newton County Jail and the Seneca Police Department for not training McNamara or the other officers properly.

Raines, who is represented by Springfield attorney Nicholas C. Lunnen of Lunnen Law Firm, is asking for compensation for physical injuries, pain and suffering and attorney fees and is requesting a jury trial.

Avilla man arrested following shooting incident

(From the Jasper County Sheriff's Office)

On 12-11-2025 at approximately 11:30 AM, Jasper County Deputies were notified of a man walking on Highway 96 near Avilla with injuries to his face. It was reported that he stated he had been in disturbance where a shot had been fired.

A short time later the male was located. He had minor injuries which appeared to be from a shotgun pellet to his cheek, chest and leg. The male appeared to be intoxicated and was uncooperative on initial contact. 

During the investigation it was learned that the male had gone to a residence south of Avilla and got into a disturbance with an acquaintance and was told to leave. As the male was leaving, the suspect fired a shotgun and struck the victim with some of the birdshot pellets.

On the morning of 12-12-2025 Jasper County Deputies served a search warrant at the home where the
assault took place, 9245 County Road 40, Avilla. 

The suspect was arrested at the residence and transported to the Jasper County Detention Center in Carthage. The suspect was identified as Ryan A. Schrader, 34, of Avilla.

Charges of Assault, Armed Criminal action and Unlawful use of a weapon on Schrader have been sent
to the Jasper County Prosecutor for review.

This investigation continues and more charges may be filed later.

Agenda posted for Carthage R-9 Board of Education meeting