Thursday, February 04, 2010

Feb. 22 arraignment set for former Neosho city manager

The arraignment for former Neosho City Manager Jan Blase, charged Wednesday with official misconduct, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 22, in Newton County Circuit Court.

The misdemeanor charge was filed following an investigation by the Newton County Sheriff's Department into Blase's use of city money, including shifting money legally earmarked for specific accounts into general revenue to cover budget shortfalls.

In city documents, Blase blamed some of these moves, including the use of a Transportation Department loan specifically designated for airport hangar improvements, on mold spores in city offices- the same mold spores that required a quarter of a million dollars worth of renovations to city offices, only $32,000 of which was covered by insurance.

No word yet on whether any of the mold spores will be charged as accomplices.

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