Monday, March 18, 2024

Joplin R-8 Board accepts 13 teacher "separations," hires 12 teachers

 During a March 12 closed session, the Joplin R-8 Board of Education accepted 13 teacher separations, including one that took effect immediately and hired 12 teachers.

According to the minutes, Shawna Brooks asked to be released from her 2023-24 contract and the administration recommended that the board accept the resignation, which the board did in a unanimous vote.

The board also took the following actions:

Certified Separations

Leah Gurley, Sara Ruth-Farris, Nichole Perng, Sharon Krolman, Ranesa Ward, Jared Cristy, Sheila Dilley, Mia Bowers, Gina Pendrak, Brandi Shipley, Kevin Vannoy, Belinda Vane







Classified separations not requiring BOE Action

Anna Harmon, Kellah Mason, David Shaw, Kaelie Burk, Taylor Box, Jack Long

Certified Hire

Lisa Whitaker, Dorotha Polok, Carissa Wood, Kaitlyn Cox, Nicole Junge, Hannah New, Harris Allen, Tiffany Pepper, Emily Killion, Linda Moncado, Alex ONelio, Shawsha Newcomb

Certified Renewals

Brad MacLaughlin, Shelby Trimble, Rhonda Derryberry, Alyssa Taylor, Elizabeth Anderson, Stephanie Berliew, Jessica Davis, Shirley Kittrell, Madison Leonardi, Amanda Rich, Julie Russell, Elizabeth Sanders, Michelle Vega, Benjamin Davis, Lori Situ, Rhoda Swann, Chee Harris, Heidi Hedrick, Haleigh Leisure,

Juneau Lopez, Sylvia Neal, Tawnee Parker, Debra Radigan, Shawna Sampson, Julie Thongsavanh, Sydni Beck, Jacquelyn Bradley, Kari Dietrich, Madison Fowler, Morgan Frossard, Johnathan Gardner, Jessica Irvin, David Smith, William Braun, Joshua Doak, Elijah Eminger, Craig Gullet, Tristan Routledge, James Charles, Jason McKinney, Dorotha Polok 

Morgan Schlueter, Trista Dyer, Nicole Hubbard, Claire Raum-Miranda, Annie Stover, Kerry Webster, Leann Young, Kevin Hawkins, Heather Hofer, Elise Ashworth, Ali Gould, Laitlyn Welch, Kristin Carter, Ruben Galve Rivera, Kevin Back, Laurel Cook, Justin Larsen, Tom Walters, Laura Carrell, Juliana Fontenot, Reagan Fowler, Stephanie Lynch, Shamera Moss, Rebecca Neel, Tula Presley 

Jessica Slayton, Elizabeth Stevens, Taylor Tyrrell, Bailey Wallace, Megan Welch, Noah Andrews, Taylor Bond, Leanne Burus, Joshua Carter, Daisy Crawford, Andrea Day, Bridgett Dillingham, Erica Etuonu, Micheala Glensky, Amanda Hutcheson, Lauren Lant, Marissa Mitchell, Amanda Trevino, Joseph Ballard, Tyler Barron, Alec Basye, Abigail Beldon, Shahida Birkhead, Chandler Brower 

Sabrina Buzzard, Sarah Campbell, James Cessna, Tiffany Chiles, Leslie Coleman, Amy Cooper, Whitney Cummings, Renae Duncan, Jenteal Engberg, Stacie Frieze, Alan Good, Linda Gray, Meggan Hall, Lucy Hamilton, Kelsey Harmon, Alice Haverly, Adrianna Hendrix, Abbey Holloway, Heather House, Kyle Jones, Courtney Krug, Lauren Lamaster, Nicole Lamont, Bethany Lawson

Kari Lewis, Erika Lutgen, Ralph Maness, Katia Martin, Tara Marty, Martha Mayberry, Sarah Mayfield, Catherine McCombs, Colin McElligott, Dallas Motierth, Dana Orcutt, Maniya Pullum, Melanie Ramos, Deanna Reed, Shandon Reed, Heather Roush, Kelli Schamber, Katie Scheurich, Ashley Tucker, Scott Corner, Krista Fassis, Kristi Mickey, Judith Mills, Christine Roll, Jennifer Shannon, Julie Sinclair 








Sara Thomasson, Deanna Hunter, Bethany Bandy, Monica Bay, Jessica Brockman-Herron, Morgan Doyle, Kimberly Dunlap, Myra Hidalgo, Anne Jakaitis, Betsy James, Elli Mason, Alexandria Murray, Staci Saunders, Chelsea Simpson, Kelsey Vene, Michelle Young, Anne Compton, Jessica Davidson, Kelly Harmon, Stacie Hayes, Shantel Mikowlski, Kira Mitchell, Whitney Terry, Jessica Tupper

Elaina Watkins, Jennifer Williams, Stefanie Wilson, Cynthia Bonds, Kylie Compton, Kelly Davis, Erica Durossette, Kristen Gavenda, Melinda Gibson, Emily Holder, Sarah Johnson, Katelin Land, Jinnifer Loum, Carrie Owen, Jennifer Sherrod, Marissa Vancleave, William Vancleave, Deborah Brill, Misty Clark, Karlee Talent, Cynthia Hilsabeck Cindy Myers, Audrey White, Juliana Hughes, Teresa Morris

Hilma Riddle, Joy Stafford, Katie Virden, Jennifer Morgan, Daphne Payne, Wendee Hughes, Heather Van Otterloo, Heather Coble, Edith Pringle, Jeremy Finley, Kevin Ogden, Wendy Henady, Kimberly Lankford, Kathy Baker, Chelsie Brooks, Amber Chandler, Katie Hadley, Shannon Harris, Holly Hasty, Bobbie Hoah, Melissa Kimberling, Amanda Pal, Nicole Thorn, Jaylee Todd, Mary White

Kimberly Alford, Amber Cooney, Brendan Cooney, Carrie Doll, Nina English, Karen Fitzsimmons, Angela Graves, Shelly Greninger, Tashena Karcher, Stephen Lynch, Angela Mense, Melissa Moseley, Laurie Olson, Lydia Rohner, Levi Reed, Brian Barham, Adam Bennett, Justina Clopton, Tarryn Gilbert, Megan Olson, Victoria Overton, Cheyanna Padilla, Jessica Sewing, Whitney Stahl, Kristen Bagby

Rachel Bowyer, Cody Brooks, Tonya Cary, Jason Cryer, Jessica Fletcher-Fierro, Zachary Gibson, Phillip Gloyer, William Keczkemethy, Darren Morgan, Brenden Schneider, Kathleen Schrader, Andrew Seavy, Lara Stamper, Crystal Stokes-Danner, Amber Davis, Sean Woods, Misti Ard, Brian Bandy, Meg Carlisle, Cyndi Conway, Brandi Davis, Janet Dowell, Amy Engelage, Heidi Fenske-Hodges








Jessica Giddens, Charity Goode, Krista Ideker, Tabitha Keiter, Teresa Lamberson, Sarah Long, Julie McCain, Teresa Meyers, Rebecca Miller, Jennifer Mock, Tina Olson, Mikka Osborn, Cheryl Parker, Micah Patteson, Nicholas Reid, Angela Sanborn, Nichole Selvey, Erin Sigars, Kim Sparks, Jordan Gossard, Ryan Burnside, Joshua Franklin, Andrea Taylor, Madison Goswick, Beverly Hayes, Donna Mitchell, Mary Isenmann

Classified Hires
Crystal Milton, Ellie Johnson, Rickey Hirshey, Kimberly Meredith, Brandon West

Joplin man accused of driving drunk on Rangeline with unrestrained child in car

The Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office filed driving while intoxicated and endangering the welfare of a child charges against a Joplin man today.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Chirosi Ichiro (DOB 1995) with his bond set at $5,000 surety or $1,000 cash.

From the probable cause statement:


On 03/17/2024, Witness 1 called the Joplin Police Department saying they were following a possible impaired driver, W1 then began to follow a Maroon Chevy Traverse on S Range Line Road. The Traverse made several traffic violations, such as failing to maintain lane, and driving in opposite lanes of travel. 








W1 followed the vehicle to the area of E Salem Ave/ N Brownell Ave, where W1 lost sight of the Traverse as it went eastbound in the alley. 

I located the vehicle in the backyard of a residence, I approached the driver door and located Chirosi Ichiro, who appeared to be asleep, leaning against the wheel. I also located an unrestrained child V2 in the backseat, with no restraint device. 

I knocked on the door and contacted Ichiro, as he opened the door and looked up, I observed several clues of impairment, such as extremely bloodshot and watery eyes, I was also met with an overwhelming odor of intoxicants coming from the vehicle. There was an empty Heineken bottle in the center console that was cool to the touch. 

I asked Ichiro how much he had to drink, and he said a 12 pack. 

Cassville man held on no bond after allegedly attacking four people, including two children, while naked


A Cassville man is being held on no bond in the Barry County Jail after allegedly attacking four people, including two children Thursday, while he was in the nude.

The initial appearance for Kory Wayne Hilburn, 18, on charges of assault, armed criminal action (two counts), burglary, child abuse, and endangering the welfare of a child (two counts), was held this morning, according to Barry County Circuit Court online records.

A bond hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday.







Hilburn's alleged crimes were detailed in the probable cause statement:

On 03/14/2024 Kory Hilburn committed the crimes listed above when he unlawfully entered the I residence of Victim 1 through 4 located in the Cassville area in Barry County. 

Kory physically assaulted Victims 1-3 while he was in the nude. Kory reportedly assaulted the victims by physically using his hands and a rifle to beat Victim 1 about the head to the point that she had to be admitted to the hospital. 

Victims 2 and 3 are juveniles. He did strike Victim 2 in the head. Victim 4 also arrived while 'Kory was inside the residence. 







Victim 4 also stated to me that Victim 2 stated that Kory struck him in the head and used one of the guns to push against his throat,

According to a news release issued this morning by the Barry County Sheriff's Office, a gun went off and shot Hilburn while he was struggling with one of his victims, an adult woman.

The woman and Hilburn were both taken to a hospital for treatment.


Jason Smith: Biden budget plan is the wrong recipe for America


(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

President Joe Biden frequently says, “Don't tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value.”

Well, as Biden’s recently released budget proposal for next year makes clear, he is once again doubling down on the very same failed policies that are bankrupting America, waging war on U.S. energy, and fueling the most painful economic crisis in decades. There’s no question that his budget plan is the wrong recipe for America.







Biden’s budget proposal includes a $7 trillion tax increase – the largest in U.S. history. By refusing to reauthorize former President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, individuals who make under $400,000 would get hit with crushing tax increases in 2025. His plan also calls for $100 billion in new death taxes, which would be devastating to family-owned farms and small businesses. And to make sure hardworking Americans pay up, he wants a $104 billion additional cash infusion for the Internal Revenue Service to help fund its already huge number of agents. To put that massive increase into perspective, that’s more than seven times the amount than what the tax collecting agency had in its budget request for 2023 and even more than the historic $80 billion windfall Washington Democrats gave the agency in 2021.

His budget makes clear that he has no plans to abandon his radical, costly energy agenda. His call for $120 billion in new taxes on U.S. energy would kill jobs and drive-up costs for everything from the gas you put in your car and the fuel to heat your home to the products you purchase at the grocery or hardware store. The bottom line is that more American energy means more American jobs and lower costs for consumers.

Killing American-made energy isn’t the only way his budget delivers for climate extremists and wealthy donors. Biden wants to deploy a 50,000-person Climate Corps, which amounts to a taxpayer-funded jobs program for Leftist activists. Taxpayers would have to foot the bill for ridiculous things like $4.4 billion for the Department of Homeland Security – the agency in charge of keeping our nation safe – for “climate resilience programs” and $11 billion for his administration’s so-called commitment to international climate finance. But that’s not all – he also wants nearly a billion dollars to expand the Environmental Protection Agency, giving it additional resources to target and harass farmers, ranchers, and landowners.

Rather than make health care more affordable, Biden just offers false promises of Medicare solvency, inflated Obamacare subsidies for the wealthy, and Washington price controls that undermine American innovation and cut off access to life-saving medicines. And crucially, the president’s budget projects that his lack of solutions will result in a $17 billion cut to the Social Security Trust Funds over the next decade. Yet despite this looming crisis, the president has proposed that the Social Security Administration, which is currently facing a more than 1.6 million disability claims backlog, manage a new Washington-run family and medical leave program.








The last thing America needs right now is painful tax increases, higher prices, and tens of trillions of dollars in more debt. While Biden’s budget is dead on arrival thanks to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, it’s an important reminder of what he and Washinton Democrats value more than anything else: delivering for the wealthy and the most radical members of their party. 

As your voice in Congress, I’ll continue doing everything I can to stop the Left’s costly agenda and relentless pursuit to expand government command and control over our rural communities.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Commentary: Webb City administrators following same approach with Pope that they did with Rezwan Kohistani

 


Webb City R-7 Administration's handling of the controversy surrounding racist, anti-Muslim, conspiracy theory promoting hate-filled tweets that allegedly received likes or positive comments from recently hired assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction Allison Pope are reminiscent of actions the administration took following the May 5, 2022 suicide of 14-year-old high school freshman Rezwan Kohistani.

Current Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Brenten Byrd, who will become superintendent July 1, has placed blame for the Pope fiasco on district teachers.







From the Webb City Sentinel:

Byrd says the matter of the offensive tweets and retweets on X (formerly Twitter) came to light when “some of our staff” shared them with Randy Turner, of The Turner Report website.

In the Sentinel article and in the earlier message Byrd sent to staff members, he made it clear that the problem was not the hate-filled posts, but the people who brought them to light. And in this case, he also shared misinformation with the Sentinel since screenshots of the tweets were circulating through the community well before anything was posted on the Turner Report.

As noted in the March 14 Turner Report, Byrd appears to have made it known how he wanted the investigation into the tweets to turn out, judging from the message he sent to staff members, which indicated that after Pope told him her Twitter account had been hacked, he took immediate action.

Our tech department was notified and immediately started working with Dr. Pope and I to try to find out when and how.


Though Tony Rossetti was in charge and not Byrd when Rezwan Kohistani, an Afghan refugee and Muslim, committed suicide, after allegedly enduring bullying during his one year at the high school, R-7 administration used another scapegoat to avoid dealing with the situation.

They blamed it on the media.

The district did not release any information about the teen's death until 11 days after it happened when a statement was placed on the district Facebook page.

The district has been asked by local media to provide information regarding the events that took place on May 5th that resulted in the death of one of our students.

From the May 22, 2022 Turner Report:

Following that opening, which was designed to foster the thought that district officials were being forced to violate the privacy of the boy's family because they were being hounded by the media, not much was revealed.








The Webb City School District responded by contacting local authorities, emergency personnel, and followed the District’s Crisis Plan.

As part of the District’s Crisis Plan, Administration met with the parents’ representative on May 5th before releasing any information to staff and students.

Counselors have been provided for staff and students who may need additional support. This is an ongoing investigation, and the district has and will continue to fully cooperate with the local authorities throughout the process.

At that time, the community was waiting for the district to address the boy's suicide. The media was doing its job responsibly. Still, R-7 Administration made it appear that the media was the villain. They also gave the impression they had remained silent to follow the wishes of the boy's family and they were following standard procedure.

The only problem with those assertions is that the family was looking for answers and they were not following standard procedure.

Many area school districts, unfortunately, have had to deal with the deaths of students, many by suicide. Almost always, a message is posted on Facebook that day, without mentioning the name of the student, which lets parents and students know what is being done and keeps them informed without being intrusive.

On February 28, 2019, the Webb City R-7 District was faced with such a situation when another 14-year-old freshman died the same way Rezwan Kohistanti did, suicide by hanging.

Later that day, district officials posted the following statement:

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our Webb City students. Our thoughts are with the student's family and friends during this most difficult time."

That's the way it's usually done. 

Perhaps the district's policy changed.

Or perhaps when situations become uncomfortable for the officials, the policy changes and becomes "find a scapegoat and sweep it under the rug."

No bullying took place at Webb City High School in 2022.

Allison Pope was hacked in 2017, 2018, 2019, well you get the picture.







If Allison Pope was hacked, the approach Brenten Byrd has taken has made it almost impossible for anyone to believe it.

A better approach might have been to simply say, "We are concerned about this. We do not approve of these tweets. Dr. Pope says she was hacked, and we ask that you not rush to judgment. We are conducting a thorough investigation."

That might not have changed anyone's beliefs, but it sure would have been better than letting your teachers and staff know how quickly you are willing to throw them under the bus.

Preliminary hearing scheduled for former Joplin woman charged with murder of her brother


An April 25 preliminary hearing has been scheduled in Greene County Circuit Court for Tarrin Dicks, 19, a former Joplin resident who is charged with two counts of second degree murder in connection with a botched robbery February 22 that ended up with two people being killed including her brother, Trevin Dicks, 21, Joplin.

According to the probable cause statement, Tarrin Dicks was supposed to meet a man to buy marijuana, Trevin Dicks and another man were in the back of the vehicle and the plan was for them to jump the man rob him and steal the marijuana.







The alleged victim caught on and shot Trevin Dicks and Reggie Carey, 19, Springfield. Both died at a Springfield hospital.

More information from the probable cause statement can be found at the link below.

The Turner Report: Joplin man shot to death, sister charged with two counts of murder following robbery gone bad (rturner229.blogspot.com) 

Friday, March 15, 2024

Why did Evan Boettler, 16, kill himself?


From all appearances, 16-year-old Evan Boettler had everything going for him.

The Aurora High School sophomore was a member of Student Council and participated in track, baseball, wrestling, soccer and Youth Empowerment.

His true heart loved the outdoors and his favorite place was on the front deck of a boat, paddling a kayak in search of the next big one or scouting the woods looking for the next big buck. Regardless of the activity, he always gave everything he had for success.

 Those words were included in Evan's obituary following his sudden death Wednesday evening, January 3 at his home.

The obituary did not reveal how Evan died- obituaries of suicide victims often don't.







In this case, however, the family has changed its mind and asked the Aurora-Marionville Police Department and Lawrence County Sheriff's Office to tell the public the results of their investigation- reveal what led the teenager to take his life.

Earlier today, Aurora-Marionville Police Chief Wes Coatney placed the following message on the department's Facebook page.


On January 3, 2024, the Aurora-Marionville Police Department, along with the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office and medical/fire crew were dispatched to an Aurora address after a report that a 16-year-old male had apparently attempted to take his own life with a firearm.

Life-saving measures were attempted, but to no avail, and 16-year-old Evan Boettler tragically died at the scene.

It is not typical for the Aurora-Marionville Police or the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office to do a press release on suicides, particularly when it involves a juvenile death. However, in this case, Evan's parents have requested this information be released.







Following Evan's death, the Aurora-Marionville Police Department and the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office conducted a thorough investigation. 

Initially, no typical signs were apparent that Evan was suffering from depression, social or relationship issues, or any obvious struggles in life. 

A deep review of his electronic devices has now revealed that on January 3, just an hour prior to his death, an apparent extortion attempt took place over a social media platform. Evidence suggests that an individual had contacted Evan over social media and the person had photos of Evan. 

This perpetrator attempted to get Evan to send money via the internet in exchange for not releasing the photos to his parents, friends, contacts and Evan's community. They placed Evan under extreme pressure to pay this money and made numerous threats if the money was not paid. 

These events are believed to have taken place only hours before Evan took his own life, presumably believing he had no other way out.

The Aurora-Marionville Police Department, Lawrence County Sheriff's Office and Evan's family hope that the release of this information will assist the community and Evan's friends with not only healing, but with encouraging ongoing conversations about online safety, and the potential pitfalls of interacting with unknown individuals over various social platforms.

Together, we hope this tragedy can spur increased internet safety, and also help to encourage a look at our existing laws that make prosecution of those who victimize our loved ones online difficult or impossible.

Evan's family asks that their privacy be respected and that all inquiries to the family be directed to James Pettit at 417-678-2187.







If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis, please call 911 and tell us what's going on. Call 988 if you feel suicide is the only way out of a situation. Regardless of what has happened, we will work with national and local organizations to clear your name, protect your identity and dignity, and ensure you get through whatever temporary situation you are faced with.

Nothing that happens online is worth a life. Call for help; we will help you.

Inside Joplin Obituaries: Evan Boettler

Child care tax credit bill advances in Missouri Senate


By Madeline Shannon

Efforts continued Thursday to move legislation forward that would allow employers, child care providers and families a tax credit in a push to expand access to child care in Missouri.

On Thursday, the Senate Government Accountability Committee passed legislation that would establish tax credits to employers who make contributions to their employees’ child care expenses, as well as grant a tax credit to families who pay for child care and child care providers.








The Missouri House passed the legislation in early February.

The bill would allow individuals to claim a tax credit equal to 75% of their contribution as a child care provider each tax year, not to exceed $200,000 a year. The minimum contribution individuals can claim a tax credit for is $100.

Companies could also claim 30% of child care contributions when employers contribute to child care expenses for their employees’ children. Another provision of the bill would see a tax credit for child care providers up to the amount of the eligible employer withholding tax and 30% of the child care provider’s capital expenditures, which can include things like construction and renovation of a child care facility.

Those provisions are capped at $200,000 per year, with a minimum qualifying contribution of $100.

The measure is meant to curb the growth of “child care deserts.” Those are defined as areas where the poverty rate is at least 20% or the median family income is less than 80% of the statewide average, and where at least 500 people, or 33% of the population, are located more than half a mile away from a child care provider in an urban area or more than 10 miles away in rural areas.

“We heard mainly from a lot of chambers of commerce, a lot of industry leaders associated with industries in Missouri who really see the lack of child care options in the state of Missouri,” said Will Wheeler, chief of staff to Sen. Karla Eslinger, a Republican from Wasola, and chair of the Senate Governmental Accountability Committee.

“It has great bipartisan support,” he said. “This is a priority for the governor, this is a priority to the Senate Committee Chairwoman, Senator Eslinger, and we hope to get it done by the end of session.”

Gov. Mike Parson pointed to the bill as deserving the attention of the legislature in his State of the State address this year.

Testimony in support of the bill in the Thursday hearing was short, with no one testifying in opposition, underscoring its bipartisan nature. Others who testified after the initial introduction of the bill in January voiced overwhelming support for the legislation.








“A large hindrance to any workforce effort is child care,” said Allen Dillingham, director of government relations for The Builders, a chapter of the Associated General Contractors, in testimony in January. “Child care issues are becoming more and more important for every industry in the state. The construction industry is not immune to these workforce challenges.”

Parents, too, are feeling the pinch as the cost of child care goes up — making it unaffordable for many families.

“In order for my child to receive the kind of care I provided to other children, it would have taken my whole monthly paycheck,” said Alyssa Anne Morrow, who submitted testimony in support of the bill in January. “I stayed home for many reasons, but not being able to afford care was the biggest. The workforce of all industries in Missouri relies upon the availability of the child care workforce.”

The bill has received support from both Democrats and Republicans who have voiced approval for state support of child care providers.

According to previous Missourian reporting, there are about 500 fewer child care providers in Missouri than there were five years ago. Parson’s legislative director, Jamie Birch, said in a 2023 interview that 77% of Missouri’s counties were considered a child care desert, and child care providers still in business in the state can only serve 39% of children younger than 6.

Efforts to pass legislation to curtail the child care shortage in Missouri have stalled in previous years, with the House failing to pass new laws to expand child care access last year.

Parson provides update on National Guard deployment to southern border


(From Gov. Mike Parson)

 Today, Governor Mike Parson provided an update on Missouri personnel deployed to the Southern Border in Texas as part of Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star mission. 

Eleven Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) troopers have been supporting the Texas Department of Public Safety on the Southern Border since March 1, 2024. Missouri National Guard (MONG) members, totaling 48 soldiers, began supporting border security efforts this week on March 14 after receiving official orders on March 11.







 

"Missourians understand there is a crisis at our Southern Border and that it's not just impacting the State of Texas. It seems like every week we are hearing of more and more fentanyl deaths and drug trafficking instances that are ripping Missouri families and communities apart. It stems from the chaos at our Southern Border, and it must stop," Governor Parson said. "While President Biden and the federal government fail to do anything, we're proud the State of Missouri is doing something. We extend our sincere thanks to our MSHP troopers and MONG service members for their efforts in addressing this crisis. Missouri stands with Texas, and we are taking action."

On February 20, 2024, Governor Parson issued Executive Order 24-03 activating up to 200 MONG members and 22 MSHP troopers to support Operation Lone Star on the Sothern Border.

Recent polling by Saint Louis University and YouGov shows that 75 percent of Missourians believe there is a crisis at the United States-Mexico Border and that it should be addressed immediately. Governor Parson echoes Missourians' concerns and has taken action. Additionally, the Missouri House of Representatives has already approved, with a bipartisan vote, a supplemental budget request to support the deployment Governor Parson has ordered to the Southern Border.

Below are updates from both MSHP and MONG deployments to the Southern Border.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Border Deployment:

On March 1, 2024, 11 MSHP troopers traveled to southern Texas to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) in providing law enforcement services in the area of the U.S. border. The team briefed at the Texas DPS South Region Office (3) in Weslaco, Texas, on March 3 and reported to its first assigned shift on March 4.

MSHP troopers assisting Texas DPS troopers in the area of the U.S. border provided assistance with the following incidents/encounters from March 3-10:Traffic Stops - 216
Undocumented Migrant Encounters - 193
Undocumented Migrant Turn-backs - 16
Impaired Driver and Drug Arrests - 9
Other Law Enforcement Assistance - 13
In addition to the incidents above, on March 8, Missouri and Texas troopers assisted with a fatal National Guard helicopter crash that occurred within their area of operation. All five Missouri troopers working the night shift responded to the crash and assisted until released by military personnel. A Missouri trooper assisted with the scene security at the crash site the following day.















On March 14, Missouri troopers attended the funeral of Border Patrol Agent Chris Luna, 49, who was killed along with two members of the New York National Guard during the March 8 helicopter crash near Rio Grande City, Texas.

Troopers from seven of the Patrol’s nine troops, the Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC), and the Field Operations Bureau (FOB) are serving in Texas.

Missouri troopers assigned to the detail work 12-hour shifts, with each working shifts alongside a Texas DPS trooper. This allows for officer safety and operational efficiency. Routine calls for service include general law enforcement calls, traffic stops, response to alarms and camera activations, and assisting with warrant arrests. Officers routinely intercept undocumented migrants on foot and in vehicles and observe them until U.S. Customs & Border Protection officers respond to take custody. At times, officers encounter undocumented migrants who turn and cross back over the border before interception.

Marine operations-certified Missouri troopers have also joined the Texas DPS Tactical Marine Unit to familiarize themselves with DPS responsibilities on the Rio Grande River near Anzalduas Park.

Missouri National Guard:

The first group of MONG service members deployed on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, and began active support on Thursday, March 14.

Forty-eight MONG service members deployed from across the State of Missouri, most of them based at armories in Lamar and Clinton. The majority of the troops volunteered to stay for the entire duration of the mission. Seventeen members of the group will rotate out in the latter part of April after being replaced by additional MONG service members.

The initial 48 Soldiers arrived in Texas on Tuesday and rested overnight at a Texas National Guard armory. On Wednesday, they completed travel and arrived at the assigned area of operations for orientation and a mission brief.

On Thursday, MONG service members began working alongside Texas National Guard and law enforcement partners. MONG service members are assisting in the construction of physical barriers, manning observation posts, and supporting security patrols, as needed.

Joplin man who allegedly attempted to rob McDonald's on bicycle bound over for trial


A Joplin man who allegedly attempted an armed robbery of the McDonald's drive-through at 33rd and Rangeline on a bicycle November 7 was bound over for trial today following a preliminary hearing in Newton County Circuit Court.

According to the probable cause statement, Chad Lee Cargile (DOB 1979) approached the drive-through and said, "Give me all your money," then repeated what he said and "put his hand down to his waistband in a threatening manner.








The McDonald's employee secured the window, stepped away and called a manager.

Cargile left on his bicycle and was arrested shortly afterward, according to the statement.Cargile has previous convictions for Burglary 2nd Degree, Unlawful Possession of Firearm. Domestic Assault and Assault 3rd Degree.







 
The attempted armed robbery came three weeks after Jasper County Circuit Court Judge Dean Dankelson issued a warrant for Cargile's arrest for an alleged probation violation and set his bond at $5,000.

During a probation violation hearing January 24, Dankelson scheduled another probation violation for April 3 in Jasper County Circuit Court and released Cargile on his own recognizance.