Jury convicts Granby man in Texas strip club murders

A Bell County, Texas, jury found Timothy Doan Payne, Granby, a 2004 graduate of East Newton High School guilty Thursday on two counts of first degree murder:

While the jury was out, deliberations became so heated within the jury chambers that voices could be heard inside the courtroom. Bell County sheriff's deputies cleared the courtroom so that the content of those discussions could remain private.

Payne, a former soldier at Fort Hood, was charged with capital murder in the Nov. 26, 2004, deaths of Mohammed-Amine Rahmouni, 28, and Haitham Zayed, 25, and faces an automatic life sentence.

Payne's Granby background was employed by his attorney in an attempt to sway the jury:

"He's a farm boy from Missouri," Lee said. "He had graduated in May and found himself in Fort Hood in September. His own father was murdered. He had every reason in the world not to do it. There is no way that my client ever acted with the intent to aid in the commission of capital murder. This is a bad case."

Defense attorney Paul LePak painted a picture of Tabler as a criminal mastermind who planned every element of the operation, and attempted to pin the murders on Payne, who was young and naive.

"This is the benchmark, this kind of case. There are no greater stakes than capital murder," he said. "I'm glad KPD did such a good job on this case because there would be a lot more people dead. And it would have been Richard Tabler that killed them."

McWilliams argued that the charge sheet detailing the crime provided multiple avenues for the jury in the event they found Payne guilty. He said Payne made the decision to associate himself with Tabler, and that decision led to a chain of events that left two men dead.

McWilliams said Payne's guilt was clear. He used Payne's own testimony, namely the search for Rahmouni, to show that Payne helped Tabler bring the victims together.

Rowan Ford child service calls involved head lice

Calls made to Child Services about Rowan Ford involved head lice and not abuse, according to documents released by the Children's Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services Thursday:

The first of the two calls was placed in March 2000, when Rowan was living in Neosho with her mother, Colleen Spears, then Colleen McLeod, and her husband at the time, Adam Chicanowski. The second call was placed in January 2006, when Rowan, her mother and David Spears were living at the family’s current address in Stella.

After both of the hot-line calls, state investigators met with Rowan and her parents, and did not find evidence of any intentional neglect, according to the documents.

The names of the people who placed the calls were redacted for confidentiality purposes.

In the March 2000 report, the investigator attributed the presence of the lice in Rowan’s hair to the family’s “limited lack of resources” and limited “knowledge of existing services in the area.”

In the January 2006 case, the state was contacted because Rowan had “chronic head lice” and her last five absences from Triway Elementary School in Stella were because of lice. The person who made the report acknowledged that Rowan’s family usually had the problem resolved so that she could be back at school the next day.

The investigator also noted that the family was closely bonded, had good communication skills and two working parents. Both David and Colleen Spears worked at the Wal-Mart in Jane at the time, according to the report.

David Spears, of course, along with his friend, Chris Collings, are charged with raping and murdering Rowan Ford on Nov. 2.

Government E-mails must be retained

Governor Matt Blunt finally came to the right decision (albeit under considerable pressure) that all government e-mails should be retained.
In this day and age when the traditional letter is fast becoming obsolete, historians, media, and the general public will have no way of keeping track of what elected and appointed officials are doing if these all-important records are not maintained.

In his most recent column, Springfield News-Leader Editorial Page Editor Tony Messenger reveals that despite the governor's decision, Matt Blunt's chief of staff and deputy chief of staff are still sending out contradictory signals:

The other thing that's clear is that (Chief of Staff Ed) Martin and Deputy Chief of Staff Chuck Pryor still don't understand the very laws they proclaim to be following.

During the call, state Sen. Norma Champion, R-Springfield, asked the two men how public officials could determine which e-mails are public and which ones aren't. Pryor offered this answer:

"The transitory e-mails back and forth to your assistants, your research people, constituents just asking questions, those are basically considered transitory which are not required to be retained under the Sunshine Law."

Sounds OK. But wrong again.

First, the Sunshine Law says nothing about transitory e-mails. It's the state's records retention policy maintained by the Secretary of State's office that defines what is or is not a transitory e-mail. According to that policy, transitory e-mails which can be deleted by state officials include: "Documents of short-term interest that have no documentary or evidentiary value ..." Examples include: " ... quasi-official notices including memoranda and other records that do not serve as the basis of official actions, such as holiday notices, charitable campaigns, etc."

That's not what Pryor and Martin told lawmakers on the phone. In fact, Pryor described a situation in which officials e-mailed with staff and constituents in the process of putting together a "white paper" on official state policy. He suggested the final product would be a public record, but not all the work leading up to it.

Indeed, the state's policy doesn't say that at all.

The kind of records Pryor referred to are absolutely related to public business and they're supposed to be kept for three years, according to the state's general retention policy. In fact, those are the same sorts of documents the Republican Party sought this week in a wasteful Sunshine Law request sent to most Democratic lawmakers in Missouri.

It is important that Missourians, the media that covers the governmental process, and historians who will give the final verdict at a later date have access to everything, especially in a business where it is so easy for special interests and back room deals to play a huge role in the final result.

But the importance of maintaining all documentation goes beyond just uncovering scandal and corruption. Fourteen years ago, when I interviewed former Congressman Gene Taylor about the five presidents, with whom he had worked, I pored through the Congressman's records on file at Missouri Southern. Some of the most fascinating materials were the congressman's letters to constituents concerning the events of the day, especially around the time of Watergate and President Nixon's eventual resignation.

Just as fascinating were the everyday details of Congressman Taylor's attempts to help constituents with seemingly minor problems. From those documents, I had a much more complete view of the service that Gene Taylor provided to his constituents and to his country.

That kind of portrait would not have been possible if his correspondence had not been saved. The last people who should be making decisions about what letters and documents should be maintained are people who are trying to put the best spin on issues that affect the public.

Government e-mails should not be deleted.

Charges may be refiled in McDonald County sex cult case

McDonald County Prosecuting Attorney Janice Durbin finally broke her silence concerning the dismissal of all felony sex charges against members of the Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church.
Joplin Globe ace reporter Jeff Lehr elicited the following information from Ms. Durbin:

-The case was dismissed due to "technical" reasons, according to Ms. Durbin, and not because of lack of cooperation from complaining witnesses.
-Charges may be refiled.
-Ms. Durbin fired the assistant prosecuting attorney who had been handling the case and plans to add a new assistant prosecutor- the attorney who represented Laura Epling, one of the defendants:

Durbin said she recently committed to hiring Sherrie Hansen to replace her part-time assistant prosecutor, Ray Gordon, when he leaves as planned at the end of the year. She said she intends to keep the full-time assistant prosecutor position vacant through the end of the year.

Durbin also acknowledged that the hiring of Hansen could have affected her office’s handling of the church sex-abuse case because Hansen at one time represented Laura Epling. But, she said, as long as Hansen herself does not handle the case, her office might not need to be disqualified.

She said the sex-abuse case remains under review.

It appears Ms. Durbin has rightfully been receiving a considerable amount of heat for her decision to drop the charges and the extraordinary amount of time it has taken her to talk about that decision. This interview does not appear likely to end that criticism.

Initially, church pastor Raymond Lambert, his wife Patty, and sister-in-law Laura Epling had been charged with felonies in connection with ritual sex with children. Charges had been dropped earlier against Patty Lambert's brothers (and Raymond Lambert's stepbrothers) Tom Epling and Paul Epling.

Only four defendants left in Bowman bank, credit card fraud case

Monica Gholson, 31, pleaded guilty to bank and credit card fraud during a 15-minute session today in U. S. District Court in St. Louis, leaving only four defendants in the case, including Rep. John Bowman, D-St. Louis.
Sentencing for Ms. Gholson is scheduled for 11 a.m. Feb. 6, according to court documents. The four remaining defendants, Bowman, former Bank of America Vice President Robert Conner, Joanna Davis and Max Davis, will be tried in three separate trials, thanks to a ruling by Judge Henry E. Autrey Friday. Conner's trial is set for Nov. 26, to be followed by a trial for the Davises, and finally, the Bowman trial.

Bowman was indicted in January by a federal grand jury, which said Bowman and his co-defendants agreed to a scheme in which Conner took a bank lending program which provided money to small businesses by offering a $25,000 credit limit. Conner then arranged with the other defendants to apply for the loans, often with fictitious companies, then give Conner kickbacks ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 on each loan.
According to the indictment, Conner approved $1,213,970 in fraudulent loans.

CFI introduces new driver compensation package

Joplin-based CFI issued the following news release concerning a new drivers' compensation plan earlier today:

JOPLIN, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Contract Freighters, Inc. (CFI), a Con-way (NYSE: CNW) company and international truckload carrier based in Joplin, Mo., today unveiled a new driver pay package that increases pay by $.01 per mile across the board and offers numerous other driver-requested enhancements. Company representatives solicited driver opinions while drafting the unified compensation plan aimed at maintaining the best elements of existing CFI and Con-way Truckload offerings after Con-way’s July 2007 acquisition of CFI. The new pay package will go into effect Jan. 1, 2008.

“Our new, combined compensation package was designed from behind the wheel — not from behind the desk — to be one of the best and most competitive in the industry,” said Herb Schmidt, president of CFI, a Con-way company. “We’re proud to be able to offer our drivers an improved compensation package and several other amenities despite the challenging economic conditions facing our industry.”

The blended pay package includes many driver favorites, including:

* Pay raise: pay for all drivers will increase by $.01 per mile across the board — when combined with CFI’s long length of hauls and Con-way’s predictable miles, this creates one of the most comprehensive and attractive pay packages in the industry.
* Enhanced military pay: CFI drivers called to military service in the National Guard and reserves will receive differential compensation (the difference between military pay and previous earnings) and continued full health benefits to the employee’s family throughout the deployment. A longtime element of Con-way’s benefits package, this program was a key factor in the company’s 2007 Secretary of Defense Freedom Award from the U.S. Department of Defense.
* Weekly pay schedule: the driver pay schedule will switch from every two weeks to every week.
* Raise in student pay: less experienced and student drivers will have the ability to earn the compensation of experienced drivers more quickly.
* Health savings accounts: drivers can choose to contribute to these tax-advantaged medical savings accounts designed to cover the costs of approved medical expenses.
* Roomier, more comfortable trucks: the company is transitioning to the Freightliner Cascadia and Kenworth T660 truck models featuring a combination of expanded and studio sleeper accommodations designed expressly for more room and improved driver comfort.
* Increased Hazardous Materials Endorsement: drivers certified to carry hazardous materials will be reimbursed up to 100 percent for certification costs and will receive an additional $.03 per mile when hauling placarded hazardous materials.
* Increased stop pay: drivers will be paid $35.00 per stop, eliminating the previous graduated system in which average per-stop pay totaled $29.00.
* Detention pay: after three hours, drivers will receive $12.00 per hour to help alleviate the frustration of extended delays. Detention pay will be automatic and will no longer depend on customer payments received.
* Canada routes optional: while travel into Canada was previously mandatory for some drivers, those routes will now be voluntary and drivers who choose to go to Canada will be paid $25.00 additional pay for each loaded dispatch that crosses the U.S./Canada border (both north- and south-bound). This additional pay will be expanded to include all U.S./Canadian border crossing locations.
* Ability to bank days: drivers will have the opportunity to accumulate days off during extended periods on the road for later use, and those days will carry over year to year.

”I’m grateful to the 750 drivers who helped us craft this package. Our goal was to offer a package that was superior to the compensation package our professional drivers enjoy today and we clearly met that goal,” said Schmidt.

CFI officials plan to hold meetings to explain the new offerings to company drivers. Any driver interested in joining the CFI team or learning more about the enhanced compensation package should visit www.cfidrive.com or call 800-CFI-DRIVE (800-234-3748).

Eagle Picher announces $3.92 million defense contract

EaglePicher issued the following news release today:

EaglePicher Technologies, LLC, an EaglePicher company, today announced it has received a $3.92 million defense contract as part of the 2008 Defense Appropriations Bill. The appropriation was granted by Congressman Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
The $3.92 million will fund EaglePicher's continued research and development of advanced lithium-carbon monoflouride (Li-CFx) combat portable batteries for the United States Army. The government defense contract specifically supports a development effort to reduce the battery's internal impedance resulting in a higher discharge rate capability.
The change from the current lithium-sulfur dioxide (Li-SO2) system to a Li-CFx system in batteries such as the BA-5590 will reduce some of the burdens on today's soldier - battery power and how much weight to carry while on patrol. Successful research and development on CFx systems will produce a lighter weight battery and one with a higher magnitude of increased amp-hour capacity versus Li-SO2. The very low self discharge rate of this system, coupled with the much increased battery capacity,
translates into a much longer runtime meaning the soldier would not have to discard a battery and obtain a fresh one for every daily mission. With a shelf life greater than ten years, the logistics of battery handling and warehouse storage could be significantly improved.
Once demonstrated, CFx technology could be transitioned into other classes of batteries to bring similar benefits to a wider grouping of the family of batteries used by the U.S. Army.
"We're pleased to have the support of Congressman Blunt and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense," said Steve Westfall, EaglePicher Technologies president. "EaglePicher has decades of experience with Li-CFx technology, so this advanced research and development fits nicely with our
core competencies.
"This partnership proves EaglePicher's commitment to being at the
forefront of the government's technology development efforts," he
continued. "Ultimately, the benefit to the soldier means more battery
energy, lighter weight, a safer battery system and longer shelf life
storage without deterioration."

GateHouse CEO puts positive spin on third quarter results

GateHouse Media CEO put a positive spin Thursday on third quarter results which included nearly $9 million in losses.
In a news release filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Reed said:

“We are very pleased with GateHouse Media’s performance in the third quarter. Our strategy of focusing on strong local media franchises in geographically diverse, small markets has allowed us to significantly outperform the newspaper industry and show resilience in a challenging advertising environment.

“We believe that most of the current advertising slow down in small markets is cyclical. When the real estate and automotive categories begin to recover we will be positioned to recapture revenues due to our strong local franchises, penetration rates and our ability to deliver results to advertisers through our print and online offerings.

“I am confident that we will maintain stability in our revenue base should the economic climate worsen. Our revenues and cash flows have proven to be exceptionally consistent throughout economic cycles and this provides a strong underpinning to our dividend policy. I am pleased to announce that our board of directors approved a $0.40 per share dividend (annualized to $1.60) for the fourth quarter that will be paid on January 15, 2008.

“We continue to execute on all phases of our strategy including accretive acquisitions, realization of synergies and strategic disposal of non-core assets. For example, we shuttered eight print plants in the third quarter, merging six into other GateHouse Media press plants and completely outsourcing the printing at the other two. We also closed on the sale of The Herald Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia at a very attractive valuation. Finally, we announced entering into an acquisition agreement with Morris Publishing Group that will add meaningfully to our EBITDA and free cash flow per share.

“We also continue to execute on our online strategy. We recently added 10 full time company-wide online sales reps who have significantly strengthened our online marketing capabilities. We also launched Yahoo! HotJobs in our larger markets and initial results have been very strong. HotJobs is scheduled to be rolled out in all of our markets by the end of the year. Online revenues at those properties owned by GateHouse Media on January 1, 2007, excluding properties acquired during the year that we are currently transitioning to our platform, are up 42.3% over the same period in 2006

.”

GateHouse Media owns The Carthage Press, Neosho Daily News, Neosho Post, and Big Nickel, among other publications in southwest Missouri, and recently bought the Pittsburg Morning Sun.

Pre-order for Dec. 8 Turner Report book signing

Those wanting to buy a copy of The Turner Report book as a Christmas gift (most likely for someone you never have liked in the first place) can do so at the book's next signing, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at Hastings Books, Music, and Video in Joplin.

The store has ordered a limited number of books for the signing, so anyone who wants to make sure a copy is available, should call the store at 417-659-9828, to place an order. Anyone who wants a copy but cannot be at Hastings Dec. 8 can also pre-order, leave the name, and I will be happy to sign the book.

More information about The Turner Report book can be found at the publishing company's webpage for it.

The book is available in Joplin at Hastings, Always Buying Books, and the Changing Hands Book Shop. It can also be purchased at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million, as well as from other websites.

Payne tells court about strip club murders

The Killeen Daily Herald offers more information about East Newton High School graduate Timothy Payne's testimonty in Bell County Texas District Court Wednesday in his trial. Payne is accused of murdering four people connected to Teazers, a Killeen, Texas, strip club. Richard Lee Tabler was convicted earlier this year and sentenced to death:

Payne retold the harrowing account of his involvement the night of the shootings and admitted he was in the car with Tabler when the 28-year-old shot Rahmouni and Zayed.

Payne said the night began with an invitation from Tabler to go on a ride, one which evolved into the execution of Tabler's plot to get revenge on Rahmouni for disrespecting him and failing to pay him money. Payne said Tabler lured Rahmouni to a remote location in Killeen on a pretense of selling stolen stereos. But Tabler's true intent became known only at the end, he said.

"(Tabler) told me that he wasn't selling Amine any stolen stereo equipment; he said if Amine didn't have the money, he was going to shoot him," Payne testified. "Then I hear two gunshots I did not know that was going to happen. I was looking out the passenger window."

Payne breathed heavily as he admitted doing as Tabler demanded.

"I was freaking out and panicking," Payne said. "Richard told me to look in Amine's pockets for money. I didn't want to reach in and touch anything, (but) I did. As I was reaching, the man's head fell forward and hit my arm, and I pulled my arm back real quick. I said, 'Richard, let's get out of here.' He said he wasn't leaving yet."

Those acts left Zayed dead in the driver's seat and Rahmouni struggling for life.

"He told me to go get the video camera – I did," Payne testified. "He asked me to pull the driver out of the vehicle. I pointed the camera towards Tabler. Richard said something to Amine. Amine was gurgling and his hand was up in the air. Then Richard shot him once in the head.

"

The murders took place in November 2004. At the time, Payne was a soldier at Fort Hood.