Former McDonald County sheriff candidate Randy Hance has retained the services of one of southwest Missouri's top criminal lawyers to defend him against federal weapons charges.
According to a document from the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Hance will be represented by Shawn Askinosie of Springfield, who has been the lawyer in many of the biggest criminal cases in this region over the past few years.
Hance was arraigned Dec. 30 in Springfield before Judge James C. England.
***
Today's Globe indicates that Cox Cable viewers are about to go through the same extortion techniques employed by Nexstar, owner of KSNF and operator of KODE (but de facto owner of both) during its battle with Cable One. Nexstar claims the cable company should not be allowed to carry the two local stations, while Cox claims it has another 30 days. Maybe I will be proven wrong, but I thoroughly expect KODE and KSNF to suffer from these tactics. I don't expect to see a massive turn toward satellite dishes in this area. Nexstar has already lost the public relations battle. Of course, it is the poor receptionists at the local stations who are suffering for Nexstar's tactics. I am sure they are receiving one phone call after another. It won't do any good to call Nexstar COO Duane Lammers on the number being shown on Cable One Channel 6. It's easy to hold your position when you don't bother to answer your own phone and I would be very surprised if Mr. Lammers is personally fielding any of the complaint calls.