James River Church pastor addresses rumors, says he and his wife will step down in 2027

Rumors continue to circulate about the reason the James River Church left the Assemblies of God in April.

A statement by pastor John Lindell addressing those rumors has been posted on the church's website.

The statement is printed below:

In the coming weeks you may hear that the Assemblies of God dismissed my ministerial credentials. Prior to their decision, I had already resigned my ministerial credentials due to the Board of Trustees vote to disaffiliate from the Assemblies of God. However, dismissal of a pastor’s ministerial credentials is most often the Assemblies of God’s protocol when a church chooses to disaffiliate.

On behalf of the James River Church Board of Trustees, I want to take a moment to help you understand the circumstances surrounding our departure from the Assemblies of God and to address some of the things that have been said in the community.

One of the falsehoods being circulated is that James River Church left the Assemblies of God because we did not want to be accountable. That is completely false and was not the reason for our disaffiliation. In a meeting with the Assemblies of God General Superintendent Rev. Doug Clay, he asked me not to publicly state the specific reasons for our departure which I will continue to honor.

At the same time, we felt it was necessary to give you additional information regarding our decision.

One year ago in June, I voiced to a Southern Missouri Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God official that if things continued to occur that were detrimental to the church we would need to leave the Assemblies of God. Three months later, at a lunch with the Southern Missouri Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God Superintendent in September 2024, I expressed the same concerns again. In both instances there was no attempt on the Southern Missouri Ministry Network Leadership’s part to meet for the purpose of processing our concerns.

After much prayer, seeking counsel from godly leaders (who are part of the Fellowship and love the Assemblies of God), and with the Board of Trustees’ approval, in April 2025, we made the decision to notify the Assemblies of God of our intent to disaffiliate. Subsequently, the Southern Missouri Ministry Network officials requested a Zoom meeting with our Board of Trustees on May 12, 2025, ostensibly for the purpose of providing a rationale for why James River Church should not leave the Assemblies of God. In that meeting the Board of Trustees were disappointed by the contentious demeanor and words of the Ministry Network official who led the meeting, which only served to confirm their resolve that disaffiliation was the right decision for James River Church.

During this process of disaffiliation, an influential leader in the Assemblies of God visited with the Assemblies of God leadership. He was disappointed and felt that the way our concerns and my credentials were handled was sadly not consistent with the Assemblies of God that he has known all of his life.

Debbie and I love the Assemblies of God. We have faithfully served the Fellowship for over 41 years. During that time, we have supported the Assemblies of God leadership at both the national and district level. We have served on numerous boards and committees, as well as attended and ministered at ministerial councils and retreats across the country. And we have also led the church to give tens of millions of dollars to Assemblies of God World Missions and other related ministries. All that to say, we have been deeply involved in the Assemblies of God.

Some have suggested that my intent through the disaffiliation was to steal the church, an allegation that is without merit. In March 2023, with the Board of Trustees’ support and approval, we announced our plans to transition from the Lead Pastor role. In March 2027, Debbie and I will be stepping aside as the Lead Pastors of James River Church. The decision to disaffiliate from the Assemblies of God has not inured to the personal benefit of any individual; it was based solely on a legitimate concern that both the Board of Trustees and I had for the future vitality and well-being of James River Church.

This entire process has saddened our hearts. Because of the baseless rumors that have continued to be circulated, the Board of Trustees and I felt you needed to know these things if for no other reason than to set your hearts at ease as you hear our heart. If you have questions, please feel free to ask; we would be happy to talk with you.

At the same time, we have chosen to believe that the Lord has allowed these events to occur in much the same way as He allowed Paul and Barnabas to separate but continue to reach people for Christ. And that is what we intend to do together with you until the Lord returns.

Thank you for staying the course. Thank you for choosing not to believe the rumors. Debbie and I love you so much. With all of our hearts, we believe the best is yet to come.

The Turner Report: James River Church splits from Assemblies of God

Missouri Education Commissioner unwraps vision for state education department

By Annelise Hanshaw

Missouri Independent

Missouri should revisit the way it supports “chronically low-performing schools” over the coming year, state Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger said as she unveiled her priorities in a State Board of Education meeting Wednesday.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s current approach is “cookie cutter,” she said, lacking individual supports customized to struggling schools.

(Photo- Missouri Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger, pictured speaking during a prior state board meeting, has been in her role for a year. And Wednesday, she presented her vision for the year ahead in a State Board of Education retreat- Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

“When you have a school district in crisis, there’s not a real plan on how to address that,” Eslinger said. “So we need to have a more comprehensive plan to address that.”

Board member Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, of Pasadena Hills, underlined the importance of careful intervention.

Westbrooks-Hodge spoke about a conversation she had with a school superintendent who worked in an Illinois district east of St. Louis when it lost accreditation.

“She described an intense, hands-on approach with the state of Illinois walking hand in hand,” Westbrooks-Hodge said. “She asked why that approach wasn’t done with underperforming school districts in Missouri.”

There are also challenges coming from the federal level with “disruption” in the U.S. Department of Education, Eslinger said. The department is “struggling to draw down federal dollars more consistently.”

She suggested “a shift in the way we manage our federal programs,” such as consolidating programs in a centralized application.

The department should also improve its data handling, she said, adding that DESE “needs to be much better and much more efficient in its data system.”

“I don’t know how many times I sat on the Senate floor, and I didn’t have the ability to rebut somebody’s idea of what was happening in public education because we don’t have the data,” Eslinger said.

The department also needs to improve its website and increase connectivity with the public.

There will be noticeable changes in the communications department, she said. Currently, the department is looking for a new director of communications.

“We have been responsive to people who have questions, but we haven’t talked to the state as a whole,” she said.

She has asked the state board to conduct annual evaluations of the commissioner, which the board wasn’t doing when she took office last year.

The board is meeting Wednesday and Thursday as part of a board retreat to reorient members to the expectations and responsibilities of the board. Half of the board are new appointees, and the department has a number of high-ranking employees in new positions.

Kehoe signs bill repealing paid sick leave

By Rudi Keller

Missouri Independent

Missouri workers who started accruing paid sick leave on May 1 will lose it Aug. 28 under legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

The new benefit, linked to an increase in the minimum wage passed with 58% of the vote in November, became a target for business lobbying interests. Republican allies in the General Assembly pushed it to Kehoe’s desk by invoking a rarely used state Senate rule to shut down debate over Democratic objections.

The action followed a pattern established over the past 15 years where conservative Republicans have used their majorities in the legislature to roll back or repeal measures that became law through initiatives pushed to the ballot by progressive groups.

The minimum wage initiative was a statutory change, meaning lawmakers could make any changes that would command a majority.

In a news release issued after he signed the bills, Kehoe said he was approving the bill to defend small businesses.

“Today, we are protecting the people who make Missouri work—families, job creators, and small business owners—by cutting taxes, rolling back overreach, and eliminating costly mandates,” Kehoe said in the release.

Missouri House Democratic leader Ashley Aune of Kansas City denounced Kehoe’s decision to sign the bill as an attack on workers and voters.

“The governor’s action today demonstrates the absolute disdain Republicans have for working Missourians,” Aune said in a news release. “But in stripping workers of their legal right to earned sick leave, the governor and his allies have probably guaranteed this issue will be back on the ballot next year as a constitutional amendment that will place worker protections beyond their reach.”

Richard Von Glahn, policy director for Missouri Jobs with Justice, the organization that helped lead the campaign for the paid sick leave law, has filed a proposed constitutional amendment targeting the 2026 ballot.

The law “should not have been messed with at all by politicians in Jefferson City or their corporate lobby buddies — all of whom testified that they have this benefit,” Von Glahn said in a news release. “This makes our workplaces and communities less safe. It was passed overwhelmingly, upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court and it went into effect over two months ago as the voters intended.”

The repeal doesn’t take effect immediately because Republicans were unable to muster the two-thirds majorities needed to pass an emergency clause even though the GOP holds more than two-thirds of the seats in each chamber. It goes into effect at the same time as other bills approved this year and signed by Kehoe.

The increased minimum wage, $13.75 an hour, took effect on Jan. 1. A second increase is set for Jan. 1, 2026, when it will increase to $15 an hour. The bill signed Thursday also repeals a provision, in effect since 2006, to adjust the minimum wage annually for inflation.

Organizers of the initiative that put the measure on the ballot set May 1 as the starting date for paid leave, available for personal illness or to stay home with a sick family member. The intent was to allow more time for businesses to adjust to the new rule than the short period between the election and the new year.

Workers at businesses with receipts greater than $500,000 a year are accruing at least one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked. Employers with fewer than 15 workers must allow workers to earn at least 40 hours per year, with larger employers mandated to allow at least 56 hours.

The measure made sick leave guaranteed for 728,000 workers who lacked it statewide, or over 1 in 3 Missouri workers, according to an analysis from the progressive nonprofit the Missouri Budget Project.

The leave can be used currently, but the repeal makes it uncertain if accrued leave can be used after the law is repealed.

The battle over the leave provisions revolved around its economic effect, pitting business interests and their backers in the legislature against supporters of the law.

During a House committee hearing in February, the sponsor, Republican state Rep. Sherri Gallick of Belton, suggested that employees can’t be trusted to use paid sick leave only for the reasons allowed by the law.

“Under the mandated sick leave, potential abuse is nearly impossible to address,” Gallick told the House Commerce Committee. “Employers cannot ask an employee why they were absent, leaving them vulnerable to lawsuits for merely inquiring.”

In a news release Thursday, Kara Corches, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called the mandated paid sick leave a “job killer.”

“Missouri employers value their employees and recognize the importance of offering competitive wages and benefits, but one-size-fits-all mandates threaten growth,” Corches said in the release.

At a May news conference, state Rep. Betsy Fogle, a Springfield Democrat, said that when Missouri workers are successful, businesses will succeed.

“The idea that providing workers with more protections is a business killer is wild,” she said. “…To try to make this seem like this is something that will kill business, that will keep businesses from opening, I think it’s absurd, and I think it’s quite disappointing, and I think it sends absolutely the wrong message.”

The action on sick leave is similar to a bill in 2011 weakening provisions of a ballot measure from 2010 called the “Puppy Mill Cruelty and Prevention Act,” that specified appropriate living conditions for breeding operations and including action this year to overturn the abortion rights amendment approved in November.

 

The GOP’s willingness to overturn voter actions has led many initiative organizers to push their proposals as constitutional amendments, which require a statewide vote to repeal or revise. Amendments to legalize marijuana, expand Medicaid coverage, revise the legislative redistricting process and protect abortion rights have all been passed as constitutional amendments.

The Republican majority has responded by successfully pushing a second revision of redistricting and placing an abortion rights repeal on the 2026 ballot. A court challenge to Medicaid expansion was rejected by the Missouri Supreme Court.

Probable cause: Monett man threatened to bomb or set fire to church, kill members

A Monett man is being held in the Barry County Jail on a $250,000 cash only bond on charges of making a terrorist threat, harassment and stalking.

According to a probable cause statement filed Wednesday in Barry County Circuit Court, Gustavo Gutierrez Parra, 42, stalked and harassed a woman who was staying in a temporary shelter at Iglesia El Mesias and threated to kill her and either set fire to the church or bomb it.

The threats caused the church to be evacuated.

From the probable cause statement:

On July 9, 2025, at 0935 hours, VI reported to PSR Shroeder that Guiterez Parra had been harassing and threatening her and other temporary residents of the shelter who have resided there for the past 6 months. 

V1 reported that Gutierrez Parra had threatened to kill her, set fire to the church, and bomb the church. VI stated that Gutierrez Parra said he has killed multiple people in Mexico and would have no problem doing it again. 

Due to these threats, all members of the church no longer feel safe. 

Gutierrez Parra returned on July 9th, 2025 at 0135 hours attempting to enter the building by banging on the windows and trying to force himself through the door by repeatedly knocking and banging on it. 

Agenda posted for Joplin City Council work session

JOPLIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION 

MONDAY, JULY 14, 2025
5:45 P.M., Council Chambers

1.

Joplin Animal Outdoor Housing

Documents:

1. Joplin Animal Housing 5.19 (1).pdf

2.

Mid-Alley Streetlight Metrics Discussion

Documents:

1. Streetlight Midalley 4.29.25.pdf

3.

Proposed Stormwater Policy Discussion

Documents:

1. Proposed Stormwater ordinance updates-Final.pdf

4.

Public Works Operational Assessment

Documents:

1. Joplin, MO - Council Presentation_6.27.25 (1).pdf

1. 
   

Joplin man sentenced to 10 months in prison after probation revoked

The probation of Frank Ness, Joplin, was revoked this morning during a hearing in U. S. District Court in Springfield.

Judge Douglas Harpool sentenced to Ness to 10 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised probation.

Court records indicate Ness was charged with violating five terms of his probation. 

He admitted to two of the violations and agreed that his probation officer would testify that he also violated the other three conditions.

Ness was sentenced to 10 years in a federal prison for possession of child pornography in 2015. He served eight years of his 10-year sentence before being released in 2023.

The nature of Ness' violations is not specified in court documents.

Kehoe signs bipartisan education legislation into law

By Annelise Hanshaw

Missouri Independent

There could be more retired teachers returning as substitutes and more home-schooled students will be able to participate in sports and other school activities, thanks to a stack of bipartisan education bills signed Wednesday by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed 13 bills Wednesday, including numerous education provisions passed in a handful of bipartisan bills. Several more bill signings are planned before all work on legislation from the 2025 session hits a Monday deadline.

State lawmakers this year debated a number of controversial proposals, like opening up school district enrollment boundaries or allowing for alternative methods of school accreditation. But the majority of education legislation that made it to the governor was widely supported on both sides of the aisle.

“From implementing distraction-free classrooms to expanding school safety efforts, the legislation signed into law this afternoon impacts both K-12 students and Missourians pursuing higher and career technical education,” Kehoe said in a news release.

Here are some of the provisions Kehoe signed into law:

Encouraging retired educators to substitute teach

Retired teachers may continue to fill in as substitutes on a part-time or temporary basis until 2030 without losing their benefit from the Public School Retirement System.

The legislation is an extension of a 2022 law that was due to sunset this year. Three years ago, lawmakers saw a need to bring retirees into classrooms as COVID-19 reduced the teacher workforce and put a 2025 expiration on the provision.

But the need for substitutes still exists.

In the 2023-24 school year, 4,500 retired educators served as substitutes, according to data from the Public School and Education Employee Retirement Systems of Missouri.

State Rep. Ed Lewis, a Moberly Republican and House Education Committee chair, told The Independent last month that the law helps keep trained teachers in front of students.

“There would be open positions that would not get filled around the state (if the provision didn’t pass),” he said. “Many of them we would have completely unqualified people in those positions, when you have perfectly qualified people who might be a little bit older but have tons of experience.”

This legislation applies to part-time and temporary substitutes. A different statute allows a handful of retirees to work full-time. Since 2003, retired teachers have been able to return full-time for two years, which lawmakers increased to four years in 2023.

Cell phone limitations

School districts will be required to establish policies for the upcoming school year that restrict cell-phone usage during the school day with few exceptions.

Students with a disability that requires use of a mobile device are exempted, and cell phones are allowed during safety emergencies. Otherwise, including during lunch and between classes, students will be expected to keep their cell phones stowed unless told otherwise by a teacher.

Roughly 53% of school leaders believe that cell-phone usage has hurt students’ learning abilities and 72% say it has negatively impacted mental health, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. A St. Louis University/YouGov poll earlier this year found 76% of Missourians favor restrictions for elementary students, 75% for middle school and 70% for high school.

State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff, a Democrat from Columbia, filed the bill this session with a proposal only to ban cell phone use during instructional time. Lawmakers ultimately passed a more restrictive policy, and Steinhoff believes kids will benefit.

“The statistics really do hold that if we do the (full day), bell to bell,” Steinhoff told The Independent in May. “That’s going to have the biggest turnaround.”

Homeschoolers in extracurricular activities

Home-educated students will be able to join public schools’ extracurricular activities in the upcoming school year.

The legislation, proposed for over a decade in Missouri, will require public schools to allow homeschooled students to try out for sports teams and join clubs beginning in August.

Previously, the Missouri State High School Activities Association allowed homeschoolers to join public-school teams if they were enrolled in two classes at the school. Districts could have more restrictive policies, with many denying access to those who weren’t publicly educated full-time.

For years, families with young athletes and performers have testified at the State Capitol for access to extracurricular activities. Some lawmakers worried about homeschooled students having separate academic and attendance standards, saying their participation could be unfair.

But ultimately, it passed the Senate 30-3 and the House 94-44.

School chaplains

A new law will allow school districts to hire chaplains or accept them as volunteers.

The bill was not as widely accepted as some other education provisions passed this year and drew criticism from lawmakers who worry chaplains would use the opportunity to evangelize students instead of comforting those who already share their faith.

The bill’s sponsor state Sen. Rusty Black, a Chillicothe Republican and former educator, said he filed the bill to help students’ and teachers’ wellbeing.

“Allowing a school district to employ or have a chaplain as a volunteer would benefit students and faculty who are struggling mentally and spiritually,” he said in the Senate’s discussion of the legislation in February.

During the bill’s hearing in the Senate Education Committee, a minister with the Satanic Temple of Missouri Virgil Ovid said he would welcome the opportunity to become a school chaplain.

Lawmakers then added language that would limit chaplains to those that are members “of a Department of Defense listed religious-endorsing organization recognized by the Armed Forces Chaplains Board,” which excludes satanic ministers.

CROWN Act

Legislation also signed Wednesday will ban hair discrimination in educational settings. Dubbed the “CROWN Act,” which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, the law is part of a national movement to protect textured hair.

The cities of St. Louis and Kansas City have protections for natural hair textures, and at least 27 states have enshrined the CROWN Act.

The bill’s sponsor state Sen. Barbara Washington, a Democrat from Kansas City, told the Senate in May that she has seen people treat her and loved ones differently based on hair texture. She hopes students can be free from the pressure to change their hair and should not lose out on opportunities “simply because they chose to wear their hair in braids or an afro or dreadlocks.”

The legislation bars educational institutions receiving state funds from placing restrictions on natural styles “commonly associated with a particular race or origin.”

Safety measures, like requiring hair nets, are permitted.

Missouri State University may offer PhD programs

Lawmakers chipped away at the University of Missouri System’s exclusive rights to certain degrees, opening the doors for Missouri State University to offer doctoral degrees.

State law has historically limited certain degree programs in public universities, giving the University of Missouri System dominance over PhD programs and research doctorates. But the changes will let Missouri State offer doctorate of philosophy degrees in subjects other than engineering.

“This legislation marks a significant milestone for Missouri State University,” Missouri State President Richard B. Williams said in a May press release. “The ability to independently offer doctoral programs will help us better meet regional workforce needs across southwest Missouri and the state.”

Career-technical education scholarships

Missouri high school graduates will be able to attend career-tech programs using a grant mirrored after the state’s A+ Program beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Ann Kelley, a Republican from Lamar, will use state funds to help students pursue careers in fields like agriculture, nursing, cosmetology and other areas with career-certificate programs.

“This will increase (the workforce) astronomically,” Kelley told The Independent. “And it’s great for the kids who are in those career-tech programs. It gives them another avenue to make themselves better.”

To qualify, students will need to graduate high school with at least a 2.5 GPA, at least 95% attendance rate, 50 hours of unpaid tutoring and achieve proficiency in the Algebra I end-of-course exam. Students with high school career-tech certificates will also be eligible.

Universally transferable associate’s degrees

State-funded colleges will expand the number of courses universally transferable in Missouri with a charge from lawmakers to collaborate on five 60-credit-hour degree programs.

Since the 2018-19 school year, students have been able to transfer 42 credit hours between community colleges and universities that receive state funding. The new law will add 18 more transferable credit hours in the programs of business, biology, elementary education, psychology and nursing.

Community colleges spoke in favor of the legislation in a House hearing, while representatives from four-year institutions said they hoped existing articulation agreements could stand.

Colleges must have the degree programs negotiated and ready by the 2028-29 school year.

“If you go to a community college in southeast Missouri and you transfer to a four year school in northwest Missouri, we want it to be a seamless transition across the state,” the bill’s sponsor, Republican state Rep. Cameron Parker of Campbell, told The Independent. “So if you go to any community college, you will know what any of the four-year schools are going to take.”

Go Fund Me page raising money for family of Joplin man killed in fireworks accident

A Go Fund me page has been established to raise money for the family of Justin Rankin, Joplin, who was killed in a fireworks accident July 3 and his daughter, who was seriously injured.

From the page:

Hello, my name is Kellee Shepherd. My Best Friend is Ashley (Rankin) Flowers.

On July 3, 2025 her brother and niece were in a terrible fireworks accident at their home. Justin, her brother, did not survive. Her niece is currently in a burn center in Springfield with severe burns from the accident. She is a teenager. The primary caregiver of Justin's children is his mother. 

While she is strong and independent, she is going to need help caring for his children. The last thing anyone in the family expected was to lose Justin or for his daughter to be injured so bad that will take months to recover from.

Ashley is aware I'm doing this for them. Her mother approved this to help with his funeral/memorial costs and to help the family get back and forth from Springfield. His daughter's recovery is going to be long. The family is going to need help with the expenses of that as well as making sure they don't lose their home.

What I'm asking for people to come together to help his mother and children lay Justin to rest and for him to rest peacefully. They should not have to worry about how they are going to pay for a funeral. They should only worry about their grief and the recovery of his daughter.

Please share, donate, pass along this along. I love Joplin for many reasons, but one always sticks out. This community comes together in the wake of tragedy to help their own. It's so beautiful that it's overwhelming at times the amount of generosity there is here in Southwest Missouri.

All money raised will go for funeral costs as well as any other needs that might arise during this grieving and healing time.

Thank you.

Fundraiser for ashley hunt by Kellee Shepherd : Rally for Justin's Family After Heartbreaking Loss

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The Turner Report: Joplin man killed, female juvenile injured following explosion on South Virginia Avenue

Kehoe signs bill approving expansion of MSSU's statewide mission

(From Missouri Southern State University)

Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) will play an even greater role in shaping the future of higher education in the state, following Governor Mike Kehoe’s approval of legislation expanding the university’s statewide mission.

July 9, 2025, in a ceremony at the state capital, Governor Kehoe signed Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 (SCR3) and Senate Bill 150 (SB150), formally recognizing MSSU’s emerging leadership in health and life sciences, as well as immersive learning. This adds to the university’s mission in international education, which has been in place since 1995.

“The governor’s approval of our expanded statewide mission in SCR3 and SB150 marks an important milestone for Missouri Southern. The Coordinating Board for Higher Education, the General Assembly, and the governor have formally recognized three distinctive strengths of MSSU among Missouri’s public universities,” said Dr. Dean Van Galen, MSSU president. “We are committed to building on these strengths across our campus to provide unique opportunities and transformational experiences for our students.”

The legislation approved by the governor reads in part:

“Be it further resolved that Missouri Southern State University is hereby designated and shall hereafter be operated as a statewide institution of international or global education, health and life sciences, and immersive learning experiences.”

"This is an exciting time to acknowledge and showcase the educational strengths, opportunities and workforce produced by MSSU,” said Carlos Haley, chair of the Missouri Southern State University Board of Governors.

In 2023, MSSU submitted a proposal to the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE), demonstrating its capacity to expand its mission. The proposal was unanimously approved by the CBHE in September 2023 and efforts to gain legislative approval began in the spring of 2024. Gubernatorial approval of SCR 3 and SB150 formally designates Missouri Southern as the only public university in the state to have these three elements as part of its statewide mission.

 
“I am extraordinarily grateful not only to Governor Kehoe, but also to members of our entire legislative delegation that strongly supported the expansion of our statewide mission. Special thanks go to Senator Jill Carter and Representative Cathy Jo Loy who filed legislation and championed efforts in Jefferson City,” expressed Van Galen. “I am also very appreciative of the support of our Board of Governors, and our faculty and staff in better defining the university’s strengths and aspirations.”

(Photo Dr. Dean Van Galen, president of Missouri Southern State University, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Carlos Haley, chair of the Missouri Southern Board of Governors. Benjamin Rosenberg, vice-chair of the Missouri Southern Board of Governors)

Webb City man charged with three felonies after allegedly threatening wife with machete

A Webb City man who allegedly threatened his wife with a machete was charged with three felonies today in Jasper County Circuit Court.

Brian Kenton Depreste, Jr. was charged with third-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm.

From the probable cause statement:

On 07-08-2025 at approximately 2057 hours Brian Depreste Jr. committed the offense of Domestic Assault 3rd Degreet, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Armed Criminal Action by pulling a machete in an angry manner as he walked towards the victim saying, "You want some of this?" 

He would then put the machete back into the sheath and then strike the victim (wife) in the right thigh leaving a large mark. The mark was approximately 2"x6" and still had details showing the imprint of the sheath. 

While searching for Mr. Depreste's medication he requested, four boxes of PMC 9mm ammunition was located in the trunk of his vehicle. When checking to see if there was a firearm to go with the ammunition a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm was located in the glove box of the vehicle he claims is his and he was getting ready to leave in upon officers' arrival. 

Knowing Mr. Depreste was a felon and not supposed to have any ammunition or firearms he committed the offense of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a felon. 

A look at his criminal history shows he has a charge of a Class B Felony Burglary 1st from Jasper County Circuit Court - Joplin (case #290595002331F) from 12-27-1996 along with two class C Felony Burglary 2nd and three counts of class C Felony Stealing from Jasper County Circuit Court - Joplin (case #CR5921417FX) along with several other Felony charges that doesn't show the disposition of.

The case was investigated the Webb City Police Department.