Nancy Hughes: No more rooftops or desserts for me

“Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.”

Proverbs 21:9 (NIV)

I wasn’t the only person in the long checkout line who tried to casually peek around to see the owner of the woman’s voice. At any given time, hundreds of people are shopping and talking in this department store. But the one-sided conversation began to feel like an annoying bee that keeps trying to nest in your hair on a hot summer day as you balance on a tall ladder with a paintbrush. You just want it to stop. Immediately.

The longer this woman spoke, the higher the pitch of her voice. The higher the pitch, the harsher the comments. These were some of her nicer comments to her husband: “You never take me anywhere. All you do is work in the yard or play golf with your buddies. But THIS woman has needs, too. I need to go shopping. I need to see MY friends. I need to have a social life. Why can’t you understand that?” His response was a mumbled “yes” or “okay” or an occasional nodding of his head. 

While I admit I had no idea what caused this woman’s observations, I did have a few of my own. First, he HAD taken her somewhere – shopping – which covered two of the “needs” on her list. Secondly, I silently wondered if she even HAD any friends or social life, if she spoke as negatively around them as she did her husband.

I glanced one last time at him: shoulders drawn together and hunched over the cart, eyes glancing at her with a silent pleading to at least stop the negative talking until they could be out of the store, teeth clenched together so tightly that water could not get between them. His body language was more deafening than his wife’s shrill voice.

Solomon must have been married to a woman just like the one I listened to in the checkout line. Not once but four times in Proverbs, he wrote about a woman who made him long for solitude in a desert or on the corner of a roof rather than living with her. He even wrote that she reminded him of a constant dripping that wouldn’t stop.

But Solomon also wrote about a precious woman in chapter 31 of Proverbs. He described her as being like a rare and priceless jewel. She was a woman who worked hard in her home and her community and loved her family, but what he admired most about her was her love and reverence for the Lord.

I wonder . . . if Proverbs were written about me, what might it say? Would my neighbors look out the window and exclaim, “Oops. There’s LeRoy on the corner of the roof of the house again. Must be another crabby, nagging day for Nancy!” Or would they see my love for the Lord and how I am doing everything I can to honor my husband and respect him as Scripture teaches? 

My prayer for each of you is that, in your marriages, there would be no references to corners of roofs or deserts or constant drips, but instead, it would be spoken: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but (insert your name) is a woman who fears the Lord and is to be praised.”

Father, forgive me for the times I have spoken to my husband in such a way that would make him want to be on a roof or desert alone. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

Have you ever listened to conversations around you that were like the one described in the devotion?

Did you consider that you have had similar conversations with your husband without realizing how they sounded?

Apply

Memorize Proverbs 21:9. Write it on note cards and place it around your home.

When you are tempted to speak like the quarrelsome wife in that Scripture, picture your husband sitting on a roof corner rather than with you. Then ask the Lord to help you become a Proverbs 31 woman and wife to your husband.

Power

Proverbs 21:9 (NIV) “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.”

Proverbs 31:30 (NIV) “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

Proverbs 21:19 (NIV) “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.”

(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement from the War Room.)

Joplin man charged with molesting 14-year-old girl

A felony child molestation charge was filed in Newton County Circuit Court against a Joplin man who allegedly committed the crime against a 14-year-old girl in 2020 at a Fairview home.

An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for Kenneth Wayne Ball (DOB 1964) with bond set at $10,000 cash or surety.

From the probable cause statement:

A forensic interview was conducted on April 23rd, 2026, at the Joplin Children's Center with V1. During the forensic interview, V1 disclosed that Kenneth W. Ball molested and raped V1 while at VI's home located in Fairview Missouri. 

V1 disclosed that while lying on an air mattress at VI's home, Mr. Ball came to VI's air mattress and put V1 on him. V1 disclosed that Mr. Ball told V1 to take off {her} shorts and underwear and his penis went inside VI's vagina. 

V1 disclosed that it hurt and if felt like something sharp went into {her} when Mr. Ball inserted his penis inside VI's vagina. V1 disclosed that Mr. Ball told V1 to move up and down and that his hands were on VI's waist while he was groaning.

V1 disclosed that this continued until the door to the room where they were located was knocked on. V1 disclosed that Mr. Ball got V1 off him and told V1 to get dressed at which time Mr. Ball told V1 to pretend to be asleep and he opened the door.

Carterville woman charged after hit and run at W. Junge and S. Schifferdecker

The Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney filed felony charges Friday against a Carterville woman who allegedly caused a traffic accident, injuring the driver and a passenger in the other vehicle, abandoned her injured daughter at a gas station and fled the scene.

Shayla Kay Louise Tilton (DOB 1994) was charged with two felonies, endangering the welfare of a child and leaving the scene of a crash and two misdemeanors, driving while suspended and operating the vehicle of another knowing the owner hasn't maintained financial responsibility.

From the probable cause statement:

On May 9, 2026, in the City of Joplin, Jasper County. officers were dispatched to the area of W. Junge
Blvd. and S. Schifferdecker Ave. In reference to an injury motor vehicle crash. 

Upon arrival, officers observed a red Toyota Grand Highlander occupied by Frank Tisdale (driver) and Patricia Tisdale (passenger). Both occupants sustained serious injuries and were transported by METS ambulance to Freeman Hospital for treatment.

The second involved vehicle, a tan Lincoln MKX, was located abandoned at the scene. A juvenile
passenger, identified as J1, was located nearby. J 1 stated she had been a passenger in the Lincoln MKX, which was being operated by her mother, Shayla Tilton. 

J 1reported she did not know the events leading up to the crash, but stated that following the collision, Tilton exited the vehicle with her, walked to a nearby gas station, and then left J 1behind before fleeing the area. J 1 was observed to have injuries to her lower torso and face.

Officers obtained video surveillance from the Mac Stop gas station, which showed Tilton operating the Lincoln MKX southbound on S. Schifferdecker Ave. The video showed Tilton fail to stop for a steady red traffic signal, entering the intersection and striking the passenger side of the Toyota Grand Highlander. The impact caused the Toyota to roll before coming to rest upright. 

The video further confirmed that Tilton fled the scene on foot after leaving the juvenile at the gas station.

Further investigation revealed that Shayla Tilton's driving privileges were suspended at the time of the
crash. Tilton fled the scene prior to officer arrival and has not been located at this time. No proof of
insurance was provided, and no valid insurance information was located for the Lincoln MKX.

Frank Tisdale advised he wished to pursue charges and was found to have serious injuries, including
four fractured ribs and a right-sided pneumothorax. Patricia Tisdale was also found to have serious
injuries, including a brain bleed, liver and spleen lacerations, and shoulder injuries.

Missouri bill aims to make it easier to dismiss lawsuits that punish public criticism

By Jason Hancock

Missouri Independent

A Missouri bill awaiting action from Gov. Mike Kehoe would give judges broader power to quickly dismiss lawsuits designed to chill speech, replacing what supporters have long described as among the weakest anti-SLAPP laws in the country.

The legislation, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Mike Henderson of Desloge, would repeal Missouri’s current anti-SLAPP law and replace it with the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, a model statute meant to curb lawsuits filed to intimidate critics, activists, journalists or others speaking on matters of public concern.

So-called SLAPP lawsuits — short for strategic lawsuits against public participation — are generally claims brought not necessarily to win in court, but to burden defendants with legal costs and pressure them into silence or settlement.

Missouri has had an anti-SLAPP law on the books for years, but it applies narrowly. Henderson’s bill would expand the law to cover civil actions based on communications in government proceedings, speech about issues under consideration by government bodies and the exercise of speech, press, assembly, petition or association rights on matters of public concern.

The bill passed the Senate 31-0 in April and cleared the House 135-4 on the final day of the legislative session earlier this month. The proposal was also added as an amendment to a larger bill pertaining to civil proceedings.

If signed by Kehoe, it would apply to civil actions filed, or claims asserted, on or after Aug. 28.

Supporters say the change would bring Missouri closer to states with stronger protections against lawsuits that use litigation itself as punishment.

“This bill at long last gives it some bite, and would cause Missouri to catch up with the roughly 30 other states with strong laws protecting citizens’ right to free speech,” Eric Weslander, a Kansas attorney who has handled prominent anti-SLAPP cases, previously told The Independent.

Under the bill, someone sued over speech covered by the law could file a special motion to dismiss within 60 days of being served. Once that motion is filed, discovery and most other court proceedings would generally pause while the judge decides whether the case can continue.

A hearing would generally have to be held within 60 days of the motion, with a ruling due within 60 days after the hearing.

For a lawsuit to survive, the plaintiff would have to show enough evidence at the outset to support each required element of the claim. A judge also could dismiss the case if the defendant shows the claim is legally deficient or that there is no genuine dispute over material facts.

If the defendant wins, the case is dismissed with prejudice and the defendant is entitled to recover costs, reasonable attorney fees and litigation expenses tied to the motion.

If the plaintiff defeats the motion, the plaintiff can recover costs and fees only if the court finds the motion was frivolous or filed solely to delay the case.

That difference drew questions during House debate on the last day of the legislative session. State Rep. David Tyson Smith, a Columbia, asked how the fee provision would work and whether the bill applied only to defamation and slander cases.

State Rep. Ben Keathley, a Chesterfield Republican who handled the bill in the House, said defamation and slander are examples of claims that could be affected, but the bill is broader than that.

“It’s to stop any lawsuits related to speech-based content,” Keathley said during debate.

Keathley said the bill is aimed at cases where a person is sued over constitutionally protected speech and forced into expensive litigation before a court determines whether the claim has merit.

“The idea is to avoid long, protracted litigation for things that are meant to just extract settlements rather than result in a ruling on the merits,” Keathley said.

The legislation includes several exceptions.

It would not apply to lawsuits against government bodies or public employees acting in their official capacity. It also would not apply to certain government enforcement actions brought to protect against an imminent threat to public health or safety.

The bill also excludes some claims against people or businesses primarily engaged in selling or leasing goods or services when the claim arises from communications related to those sales or leases. But the legislation specifies that “goods or services” do not include dramatic, literary, musical, political, journalistic or artistic work.

In practical terms, supporters say, the bill would force speech-related lawsuits to clear an early legal threshold before defendants are required to go through discovery, depositions and prolonged litigation.

Weslander said the attorney fee provision is central to that deterrent effect.

“If this bill becomes law, Missouri attorneys will need to sit up and take notice: don’t blindly agree to your client’s request to haul off and file a defamation lawsuit against the client’s critics if you haven’t done your homework and can’t establish each and every element of your claim,” Weslander previously told The Independent. “Otherwise you may end up with an order to pay the defendant’s attorneys’ fees.”

Weslander, a former journalist who has represented The Independent in the past, was among the attorneys awarded legal fees after Kansas Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning’s defamation lawsuit against Kansas City Star columnist Steve Rose and the newspaper was dismissed under Kansas’ anti-SLAPP law.

Missouri Right to Life and the Missouri Press Association have been among the groups that pushed for stronger anti-SLAPP protections in recent years. Similar proposals have advanced before but did not reach the governor’s desk.

During House debate, Tyson Smith noted that the bill had drawn support in committee from groups that often find themselves on opposite sides of political fights.

Keathley said that reflected the nature of the issue.

“There’s generally,” Keathley said, “been nonpartisan, broad-based support.”

Judge to decide Monday whether Missouri tax overhaul stays on August ballot

By Rudi Keller

Missouri Independent

Whether Missourians will vote on a proposal to replace the state income tax with sales taxes — and what the ballot will say if they do — must be decided by June 9, attorneys said Friday morning to a Cole County judge.

That is the deadline for courts to order changes to the Aug. 4 primary ballot under Missouri law. Gov. Mike Kehoe last week moved the measure, which would appear as Amendment 5, to the primary ballot.

At the conclusion of the trial in the lawsuit filed by opponents of the proposal, Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh said he would issue his ruling on Monday, allowing time for appeals before the ballot deadline.

The lawsuit contends the proposal passed by Republican lawmakers violates the Missouri Constitution’s prohibition on constitutional amendments that include more than one subject. If Limbaugh agrees, the measure would be stricken from the ballot barring a reversal on appeal.

If it appears on the ballot and is approved by voters the proposed amendment would give lawmakers authority to expand the sales tax to any goods or services or increase the rate without seeking voter approval. It would exempt the new sales tax from requirements that motor fuel taxes go to highway needsand direct the state auditor to set new rates for constitutionally mandated sales taxes earmarked for the Department of Conservation, state parks and protecting soil and waterways from contamination by erosion.

It does it all by using the word “notwithstanding” to say it trumps other constitutional provisions, said Chuck Hatfield, attorney for the plaintiffs.

“It’s a really interesting idea to come up with an amendment and say, notwithstanding anything else in the Constitution, here’s what we’re going to do now,” Hatfield said. “Our argument is that when you do that, you’ve got to look and see whether you’re amending other sections of the Constitution with this sort of cheat code using the word notwithstanding.”

The amendment is placed in the taxation section of the Constitution and all the provisions addressed by the word notwithstanding involve taxes, so there is no violation, said Louis Capozzi, solicitor general in the attorney general’s office.

“There’s a long line of precedent saying as long as you purport to only amend one article, that’s good enough,” Capozzi said.

Passage of Amendment 5 is Kehoe’s top priority for the year.

Three committees — one supporting Amendment 5 and two opposed — preparing to wage multi-million dollar campaigns for the summer.

Backers are using a political action committee called Missouri Promise, which so far has been entirely funded by a nonprofit established in Delaware called Missouri Promise Inc.

On Wednesday, Missouri Promise Inc. donated $1.9 million to the PAC. Spokesman Jonathon Prouty declined to disclose the donors to Missouri Promise Inc. in a statement sent via text to The Independent.

The way the money will be spent “has yet to be determined,” Prouty said, adding that all donations to Missouri Promise PAC “are reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission in accordance with state law.”

The two opposition committees are drawing from different portions of the political spectrum. The Missouri Association of Realtors is the main funder so far for Missourians for Fair Taxation, which is seeking to organize business opposition.

The Realtors are upset because the proposal would directly overturn two provisions the organization inserted into the Constitution via initiative petition — a ban on taxes that target real estate transactions and a ban on imposing sales tax on any goods or services not already taxed when the provision was written in 2015.

No Everything Tax, which lists its treasurer as Amy Blouin of the liberal Missouri Budget Project, is organizing opposition from the left and has yet to report any donations.

The measure, if passed, would require lawmakers to pass a bill setting revenue triggers for reducing the top income tax rate, currently 4.7%.

To speed up those rate cuts, lawmakers would be given five years to increase the sales tax rate or expand the list of things taxed, or both, in legislation that also cut the income tax by an equal amount.

Missouri currently charges a general revenue sales tax of 3% that generates about $3.2 billion annually out of $13.2 billion in total general revenue. To make sales tax provide the revenue to replace the income tax, the rate would have to increase by about 8.5% or the list of items tax would have to be expanded to cover about $300 billion of additional economic activity.

Missouri’s total economic output is about $350 billion per year.

If Limbaugh allows a vote, the ballot language approved by lawmakers should be changed, said Hatfield and Marc Ellinger, the attorney who represents Missouri Promise.

The ballot language written by lawmakers is misleading, Hatfield told Limbaugh, because it says it will do something — phase out the income tax — that would require additional legislative action. And it doesn’t tell voters that the sales tax base would be expanded, he said.

“They need this constitutional amendment to impose sales and use taxes that are currently forbidden,” Hatfield said.

As written by lawmakers, the ballot language states:

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:Phase-out the individual income tax based on revenue growth;
Reduce personal property and other local taxes when local revenues increase;
Modify the sales and use tax to eliminate income tax and reduce local taxes; and
Protect local funding for public schools and other purposes?”

Along with objections to the characterization of the income tax repeal, Hatfield said the provision on local taxes is misleading by focusing on personal property tax. That is one option but there is not a requirement in the proposal that personal property tax rates be cut, he said.

Hatfield asked Limbaugh to revise it to say first that Amendment 5 would allow the legislature to increase the sales tax rate and impose it on any goods and services without a statewide vote. He also said it should state that sales tax could be charged on services and real estate sales.

Ellinger said he would like to see a change to the ballot language that eliminates the idea that the measure is self-enforcing. No cuts in tax rates would occur without legislative action, he said.

But that action is a mandate, not a suggestion.

“It needs to say it requires the elimination of the income tax,” Ellinger said.

In defense of the ballot language, Capozzi said the 50-word limit on the length of the statement makes it hard to include every detail. And, he said, the question is not whether it is possible to write a better ballot summary but whether the one written by lawmakers is fair and sufficient.

“It’s a pretty difficult task to summarize a comprehensive tax overhaul for the state tax code in 50 words in a way that people can understand,” Capozzi said.

And, he said, the question is not whether it is possible to write a better ballot summary but whether the one written by lawmakers is fair and sufficient.

“You can imagine different statements that are fair,” Capozzi said, “but it’s the General Assembly’s prerogative to pick, and unless they exceed the wide range of discretion they have, this court has to respect that judgment.”

Independence Day celebration planned at Missouri Southern

(From the City of Joplin)

The 2026 Joplin Independence Day Celebration will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, at Fred G. Hughes Stadium, located on the campus of Missouri Southern State University.

This spectacular event honoring the 250th birthday of our nation will feature live music, food trucks, bounce houses, and the area’s best fireworks show. This year’s celebration recognizes the United States Semiquincentennial and is registered with America 250 – a nationwide effort to coordinate Independence Day celebrations and foster community across the country: https://america250.org/

Live music will begin at 7 p.m. Musical entertainment will be provided by Sound the Alarm, a 2000s rock-and-roll cover band from Springfield. Music will run through the start of the fireworks display (approximately 9:45 p.m.).

Free parking is located in and around the stadium. As always, the show is free for the community.

For more information and a detailed parking map, visit https://www.mssu.edu/independenceday.php., or contact the City’s Parks and Recreation department at 417-624-4750.

MissourI Hot Weather Law goes into effect June 1

(From the Missouri Public Service Commission)

The Missouri Public Service Commission reminds consumers that Missouri’s Hot Weather Law will be in effect from June 1 through September 30.

The law was created to protect residential customers of investor-owned utilities from having their electric or natural gas service disconnected due to non-payment when electricity or natural gas is used as the source of cooling or to operate the only cooling equipment at the residence. 

A change to Missouri law enacted through Senate Bill 4, passed in 2025, expanded the forecast protection period under the Hot Weather Law from 24 hours to 72 hours.

Under the updated law, regulated utility companies are prohibited from disconnecting service if the National Weather Service local forecast between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. predicts that within the following 72 hours the temperature will rise above 95 degrees Fahrenheit or the heat index will rise above 105 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The law also prohibits disconnections on days when utility personnel are unavailable to reconnect service during immediately succeeding days and the forecast predicts temperatures above those thresholds during that period. Consumers are still responsible for paying their utility bills during these time periods.

For more information on the Hot Weather Law, consumers can visit the Missouri Public Service Commission’s website at www.psc.mo.gov or call the Commission’s Consumer Services hotline at 1-800-392-4211. Consumers may also receive Hot Weather Law information from their local electric or natural gas utility company or local community action agency. Additional assistance programs may also be available for consumers needing help paying utility bills.

Personal injury lawsuit filed against Buffalo Wild Wings

A Jasper County woman filed a personal injury lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings, 1525 S. Range Line Road, Joplin, Wednesday.

According to the petition, Paulette Ash claims she slipped and fell on a slippery substance July 16, 2025.

In addition to the restaurant's owner, Buffalo Wild Wings International LLC, Jonathan Hedge is listed as a defendant.

While being seated by the host, Plaintiff was walking through a portion of the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and slipped and fell on a slippery substance that was on the tile floor of the restaurant in an area designated and intended for customer traffic. As a result of the fall, Plaintiff sustained injury.

Ash claims the fall has "caused or contributed to cause Plaintiff to experience pain, suffering, anguish, loss of enjoyment and quality of life, and garden variety emotional distress."

The four-count lawsuit alleges premises liability against Buffalo Wild Wings and Hedge and negligence against Buffalo Wild Wings and Hedge.

Ash, who is represented by Taylor D. Haas of the Joplin firm of Johnson, Vorhees and Martucci, is asking for "fair and reasonable" damages.

Neosho man charged with statutory sodomy

 The Newton County Prosecuting Attorney's office filed a statutory sodomy charge against a Neosho man today.

An arrest warrant was issued for Canyon Allen Conway, 26, with bond set at $10,000 cash or surety.

From the probable cause statement:

On May 27, 2026, deputies were dispatched to {location redacted} regarding a sexual assault. I contacted Victim 1 (V1), a juvenile, who stated a 26-year-old male grabbed his genitals by reaching into his pants.

Contact was made with Mr. Conway who was advised of his Miranda Rights and agreed to speak with me. Mr. Conway advised that he contacted V1 and asked V1 to "screw him." While speaking with Mr. Conway, Mr. Conway asked VI to perform anal sex on him numerous times prior to engaging in deviate sexual intercourse with V1.

Change of plea hearing set for Carthage man on federal weapons charges

 A change of plea hearing has been scheduled 3 p.m. June 17 in U. S. District Court in Springfield for Trenton David Fickle, 23, Carthage.

Fickle was indicted January 29 on four counts of illegally transporting firearms, three counts of making false statements to licensed gun dealers when buying guns and a single count of making a false statement to a licensed gun dealer while attempting to buy a gun.