Seven of all-time top 10 Turner Report posts published this year

This morning, I was looking at some Turner Report posts from December 2016. One of them featured the top 10 posts for that week and most of them were about the Joplin R-8 School District, including one about the final payment being made on former Superintendent C. J. Huff's "retirement' pay.

That same week, I published the top 10 visited posts all time on the Turner Report.

To give you an idea of how the readership of this blog has improved during 2017, seven of those 10 posts are no longer on the list, which, of course, means that only three of the top 10 posts were published before 2017.

No longer in the top 10 are the indictment of Neosho businessman Blake Altman on child pornography charges, the death of Arkansas sisters in an auto accident, an FBI/SEC investigation into Northpark Mall's owners, the probable cause statement in the murder of a Golden City girl, Billy Long's campaign donors paying for nearly $20,000 in meals for him over a three-month period, and "The Books that Got Me Fired," the 2013 recording of my four-and-a-half minute interrogation by former Joplin R-8 H. R. Director Tina Smith.

The most-visited post of all time, at the current time 13,000 visitors over number two, was published three days ago and featured Children's Division documents concerning the murder of three-year-old Jayda Kyle.

Other new entrants into the Top 10 include the arrest of a North Middle School reading teacher on sex charges involving a student, my September 11 assault, the connection between Betsy DeVos and the Blunt family, details on sex charges against a Joplin doctor and lawsuits against the Rangeline Sonic and Exploration Station.

Both lists are featured below:

1. Children's Division documents: Grandfather attempting to manipulate Jayda Kyle murder investigation

2. Child pornography scandal erupts at Joplin High School

3. Probable cause statement: North Middle School teacher, 37, had sex with 13-year-old student

4. Lawsuit claims: Exploration Station pre-school teachers resigned rather than lie about abuse to two-year-old

5. Donald Trump Jr. attacks teachers in convention speech

6. Probable cause statement: Teacher shot Hailey Owens, stuffed her body in trash bags

7. Joplin doctor pleads not guilty to statutory rape, sodomy charges

8. Explosive lawsuit claim; Pervasive sexual harassment at Rangeline Sonic led to rapes of two underage girls

9. Thirty minutes ago, I was attacked

10. Betsy DeVos and the Blunt connection


Top 10 All-Time At This Time Last Year


1. Child pornography scandal erupts at Joplin High School

2. Donald Trump Jr attacks teachers in convention speech

3. Probable cause statement: Teacher shot Hailey Owens, stuffed body in trash bags

4. Grand jury indicts Neosho businessman on child pornography charges

5. Report: FBI, SEC investigating Northpark Mall owners

6. Arkansas sisters killed in three-car accident in Pineville

7. 2012 probable cause statement: Suspect in Golden City girl's kidnapping, death, assaulted child

8. Billy Long report: Nearly 19K in meals, multiple trip to Las Vegas, Florida

9. The books that got me fired

10. Former Webb City High School principal charged with murdering Springfield couple

Need last minute gifts? Turner books, Turner Report t-shirts on sale at local stores

If you are looking for last minute holiday gifts, prices on all of my books have been reduced at Always Buying Books and Changing Hands Book Shoppe in Joplin and Pat's Books in Carthage.

Turner Report t-shirts are also available for $5 in medium, large and extra-large sizes at Changing Hands and Pat's Books.

The prices for my books at all three stores are as follows:

$15

5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado
Spirit of Hope: The Year After the Joplin Tornado
Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud: Greed, Corruption and the Joplin Tornado

$10

Classroom Confidential
Sports Talk Memories
Devil's Messenger
Scars from the Tornado: One Year at Joplin East Middle School
No Child Left Alive
Let Teachers Teach

$5

Small Town News
The Turner Report
Newspaper Days

State treasurer urges legislature to provide Missourians with tax relief

(From State Treasurer Eric Schmitt)

Missouri State Treasurer Eric Schmitt today sent a letter to all members of the Missouri General Assembly urging them to allow tax relief to take effect by not decoupling Missouri’s standard deduction from its federal counterpart.

The standard deduction, which makes a portion of a taxpayer’s income exempt from taxation, will nearly double under the federal tax reform bill passed by Congress yesterday. Since Missouri’s standard deduction is linked to the federal figure those changes will automatically carry through to the state tax code, barring legislative action.

“I sincerely believe letting Missourians keep more of their hard-earned money is always the right thing to do,” wrote Schmitt. “Allowing Missouri’s standard deduction to be nearly doubled is one way to achieve that goal, and I encourage you to remain steadfast in your opposition to any measure that would reverse or prevent that automatic change.”

The full text of the letter is available here.

Southwest Missouri Democrats: Call your legislator about CHIP

(From Southwest Missouri Democrats)

Speak Out -- Call Your Legislators
Don't Be A GRINCH Re-Authorize CHIP!

We know the passage of the GOP Tax Scam is a major disappointment but "the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." Please call our legislators TODAY,  regarding CHIP (The Children's Health Insurance Program). 

Please call Senator Roy Blunt and Congressman Billy Long and let them know only a GRINCH would let 900, 000 kids lose their healthcare for the holidays!  Ask them to open their hearts and pass a full Re-Authorization for CHIP, before leaving on their holiday break.

Senator McCaskill is a champion of the Children's Health Insurance Program and we thank her for having a heart this Holiday Season!

Senator Roy Blunt 
Springfield
Phone: (417) 877-7814                                     

Senator Claire McCaskill
Springfield
Phone: (417) 868-8745

Congressman Billy Long
Joplin, MO Office
(417) 781-1041
 Springfield, MO Office
(417) 889-1800

Graves: Tax reform is finally here

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

As a child, all I ever wanted for Christmas was a model airplane. Now that I’m a little older, I’d settle for a nice pair of socks and less taxes. While I’m unable to deliver on the socks, I’m pleased to say that Americans will receive a tax cut that will put more money in your pocket.

This week, I voted to send President Trump the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a comprehensive tax reform plan that will cut taxes across the board for Missourians. I voted for this bill because it puts more money in your pocket, creates economic growth, and repeals parts of Obamacare.

Moreover, both the standard deduction and the child tax credit are doubled! As a result, the average American family of four will receive an estimated tax cut of $2,059!

Farmers and small businesses will benefit too by being able to fully expense their new equipment allowing them to grow and create jobs.

And finally, we eliminate one of the most expensive parts of Obamacare, the individual mandate. In doing so, we are providing families with much-needed relief and flexibility to buy the health insurance that best meets their needs.

For over 30 years, the tax code has grown out of control. I’m proud to say we’ve now fixed that and replaced it with a tax code that is simpler and fairer for all; our economy is poised to thrive like never before!

Let’s be honest, it wasn’t the government’s money in the first place so it’s hard to call tax reform a gift. However, in keeping with the giving spirit, more families from all across Missouri will keep more of their money. For the first time in a generation, tax reform is finally here.

Preliminary hearing scheduled for accused killer of three-year-old Jonathan Munoz-Bilbrey

A 10 a.m. February 1 preliminary hearing has been scheduled before Judge Joseph Hensley in Jasper County Circuit Court for Leonard Valdez, 21, Joplin, who is charged with second degree murder and felony child abuse in connection with the November 12 death of three-year-old Jonathan Munoz-Bilbrey.

The three-year-old was taken to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City after he suffered brain injuries, facial bruising and a laceration at his home at 1502 S. Michigan Avenue November 10.

The boy died 22 days after the Joplin Police Department arrested Valdez for domestic assault at the same addres, 1502 S. Michigan Avenue, where police say the child abuse took place. The victim was the boy's mother, Natasha Michelle Bilbrey, 22, according to the JPD incident report.

Valdez is being held without bond in the Jasper County Jail.

Juvenile Office documents: Jayda Kyle suffered bleeding from brain, severely torn retina, likely already brain dead when she arrived in K. C.

Jasper County Juvenile office documents dated November 30 reveal that three-year-old murder victim Jayda Kyle was likely already brain dead when she arrived at Children's Mercy Hospital, but she was not stable enough for doctors to do the test. They were able to determine that she appeared to have no brain activity:

"Initially, the ED doctor stated he believed the child had suffered an aneurysm. Jayda was then seen by a neurosurgeon with the SCAN team who reported the amount of brain bleed and retinal damage is non-natural causes."

The tests showed that Jayda had a severely torn retina.

"Due to this, she is reportedly blind."

Medical personnel were in and out of Jayda's room Nov. 29 as she kept coding, according to the report. She was officially pronounced dead December 1.

Family members indicated it was common for Jayda to have headaches, the report said. The child's mother, Devyn Kyle, said "Jayda has been having fevers frequently the last month and has been bruising easily. Devyn said the last two weeks have been worse with Jayda reporting pain. Friday night, Jayda was crying an hour and a half prior to bed time due to pain. She had sleep apnea issues at 10 months old and had her tonsils removed and was 'a new kid' after that."

The story Devyn Kyle and her live-in boyfriend at 405 Meadow Lake Drive, Carl Junction, Jalen Vaden, told investigators at the time of the initial investigation was considerably different than the one that eventually led to Vaden's arrest on charges of second degree murder and felony child abuse.

From the Juvenile Office documents:

"Devyn reported Jalen put Jayda to be around 8-8:15 p.m. and Devyn went in after that to tell her goodnight, but she was covered and (she) really didn't see her body. They did some laundry then Jalen went to Jayda's room around 9 p.m. to put laundry away and he came out cradling (Jayda) in his arms. Devyn reported there was blood in her mouth and she was unresponsive. Jalen told Devyn (Jayda) was face down on the floor. Her limbs were stiff, but her body was limp. Devyn stated Jalen then called 911.

The story was subtly different as told by Vaden to the investigators, according to the documents.

"He reports around 8 p.m. (the older brother) and Jayda put themselves to bed. Jalen states he was doing laundry in the living room at this time. He went to check on Jayda because when he is up he checks on all the kids and she was on the floor. He rolled her over and saw blood and picked her up in the cradling position. He then stated when he walked in, she was gulping for air. He called 911 and they walked him through mouth to mouth and chest compressions. They instructed him to wipe the blood out of her mouth, but he couldn't because her mouth was clenched shut. EMS was there in three minutes. He recalled her slipping in the bathtub earlier that evening, but that he caught her and she was not hurt.

"He then talked about an argument between him and Devyn that day/evening. It is unclear what that argument was about at this time."

According to the probable cause statement for Vaden's arrest, Vaden told the police he became upset over the child not being dressed in the pajamas he instructed her to put on." He picked the child up and threw her, causing her to hit her head on the floor, according to the probable cause statement.

A short time later, Vaden said, Jayda left the room still not wearing the pajamas. He said he threw her on the bed, then grabbed her by the leg and threw her face first on the floor.

When he returned, Vaden told the officers, he found Jayda "bleeding and unresponsive."

The Jasper County Sheriff's Office and Carl Junction Police Department are continuing to investigate Jayda Kyle's murder, but have faced obstacles. A Children's Division report alleged Jayda Kyle's maternal grandfather, attorney Judd McPherson, has "attempted to manipulate/direct the investigation."

State auditor supports legislation providing more tools to fight public corruption

(From State Auditor Nicole Galloway)

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway is giving strong support to newly introduced legislation that would provide law enforcement additional tools to hold accountable public officials who abuse their authority. Senate Bill 552, sponsored by state Sen. Bob Dixon of Springfield, includes greater penalties in public corruption cases and allows increased partnerships between the State Auditor and prosecutors and law enforcement in such cases.

"Missouri public officials at every level are entrusted with authority and responsibility," Auditor Galloway said. "When that authority and responsibility are abused, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors need a variety of tools to seek justice and restore public trust. Having the ability to work in greater partnership with law enforcement is a clear step forward in that direction."

"Protecting taxpayers from fraud and misconduct via the very public servants they elect or hire is job number one," Sen. Dixon said. "Auditor Galloway and Missouri Prosecutors are to be commended for their successful efforts this session. It's been my honor to work with them to protect taxpayers."

“When intentional misconduct happens, it's a matter of ethics and integrity," said Amy Fite, President of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorney and Christian County Prosecuting Attorney. "When public officials breach the public trust, prosecutors, law enforcement and the Auditor need to be able to effectively work together to protect citizens and remove bad actors from office.”

During the 2017 General Assembly, Auditor Galloway worked on anti-corruption, good-government legislation with Sen. Dixon, state Rep. Joe Don McGaugh and other legislators, as well as the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. In a bipartisan vote, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 128, an omnibus bill that included provisions of the new legislation, which contained the provision for increased partnerships also contained in the new legislation. That bill was vetoed.

This summer, Auditor Galloway met with prosecutors and community leaders throughout Missouri to discuss issues related to public accountability, including the ongoing efforts to strengthen penalties for wrongdoing.

In addition to increasing accountability in public officials, Auditor Galloway's legislative priorities for the 2018 session also include restoring and improving protections for government whistleblowers, and better safeguarding the data of students through increased cyber awareness.

Sarcoxie woman arrested with 29 grams of meth and four-year-old in car had five children taken from her in 2004

When the Joplin Police Department arrested Brandie McLean Sunday night at 7th and Byers t with 29 grams of meth in her pants and a four-year-old child in the car it was not the 40-year-old Sarcoxie woman's first run-in with the law and it was not the first time she has run into problems while having children under care.

McLean, formerly a Joplin and Webb City resident, had her five children removed from her care on September 20, 2004, after she fell asleep due to use of a prescription drug and somehow her two-year-old son found his way onto the roof.

One of the five children, Braxton Wooden, 8, was later shot to death by another child while living with a foster family in Alba.

McLean's latest arrest was described in an incident report posted today on the Joplin Police Department Facebook page:

Yesterday evening at 8:12 p.m. one of our officers stopped a vehicle at 7th and Byers for lane use.

The 40-year-old female driver from Sarcoxie lied to the officer about where he saw her leaving, and then stuffed a box containing a glass pipe down into the passenger seat.

The female had a second glass pipe and about 29 grams of meth (approximate $2,900 value) down the front of her pants. She was arrested for drug charges.

The 4-year-old child who was in the car was turned over to a different family member, who was called to the scene, and division of children's services was notified to begin an investigation.

The four-year-old's presence was not mentioned in the probable cause statement:

On 12-17-2017 at 7th Street and Byers Ave. in the city of Joplin, Jasper County Missouri, Brandie McLean committed the offenses of possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a forging instrumentality and delivery or concealment of premises of narcotics.

While on routine patrol, I observed a Black Audi A4 pull out of the Budget Inn on West 7th Street. While following behind the vehicle, I observed the vehicle weave from the inside to the outside lane multiple times. I stopped the vehicle for this reason, the final stop being 7th Street and Byers Ave. I made contact with the driver, Brandie McLean.

After my initial contact with Brandie, when I went to run her information through dispatch, I had another officer watch her. Officer Taber advised me that as soon as I walked away from the vehicle, Brandie pulled an item from her pocket and attempted to hide it on the passenger side of the vehicle.

The item Brandie attempted to conceal was a box for a glass pipe, commonly used for smoking methamphetamine.

With this information and Brandie's demeanor, I called a K-9 officer to the scene. K-9 Officer Brown advised me that his K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics on the vehicle.

A hand search was then completed of the vehicle. I also called a female officer to the scene to perform a more thorough search of Brandie's person. Officer Jones advised me after the search that Brandie was concealing items in the crotch area of her pants.

During the hand search of the vehicle, a pink lunch box was located in the trunk of the vehicle. Inside the pink lunch box were multiple pieces of paper cut to the length and width of U. S. currencty. Also printed on the pieces of paper were stencils of U. S. currency that I believed were to be used in the production of counterfeit money. Brandie was arrested for possession of a forging instruentality on scene and was transported to the Joplin City Jail.

While at the jail, a search of Brandie's peron was completed by jail staff. In the crotch area of Brandie's pants, a glass pipe was located, commonly used for smoking methamphetamine. Also located in the crotch area of Brandie's pants was a zip lock bag filled with a white substance that filed tested positive for methamphetamine. The bag weighed 29.1 grams.

McLean's history of run-ins with the law spans most of the 2000s, with a guilty plea for possession of drug paraphernalia in 2002, for which see received one year of unsupervised probation.

Though no arrest was involved, her five children were removed from her home after the 2004 incident when authorities checking on the report of the two-year-old child on the roof found McLean and a 16-year-old girl asleep in the living room. She told police she had been prescribed the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel a week earlier to treat depression and stress and the drug made her sleepy.

Before she was able to get her children back, McLean's son was shot to death while staying with a foster family in Alba. She sued the foster parents, represented by Moberly lawyer Chris Faiella and Joplin attorney Judd McPherson and received a settlement from the foster parents. The amount was not disclosed.

McLean's action against the Children's Division for placing her son with the Alba family.

McLean pleaded guilty to forgery charges in 2006 and was sentenced to seven years in prison, though she only served four months.

She pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia in 2010.

Children's Division documents: Grandfather attempting to manipulate Jayda Kyle murder investigation

While Jalen Dashawn Vaden, 22, the live-in boyfriend of the mother of murder victim Jayda Kyle is behind bars without bond facing second degree murder and felony child abuse charges, the investigation into the three-year-old's death is far from over.

Jasper County Children's Division documents allege that the child's grandfather, Joplin attorney Judd McPherson "has attempted to manipulate/direct the investigation" by the Carl Junction Police Department and Jasper County Sheriff's Office and said that McPherson and his wife Carmen, who are the parents of Jayda's mother, Devyn Kyle, have given "inconsistent statements" to investigators.

The statements were made in a report assessing who should have custody of Jayda Kyle's brother. The report determined that the McPhersons should not have contact with the child unless supervised by the Children's Division.

The report detailed the Children's Division investigator's problems with answers provided by McPherson concerning the injuries that Jayda Kyle suffered.

Children's Division is having increasing concerns as more time has been allotted to look at the facts of the case. There appears, at this time, to be several inconsistencies which would cause concern for (the child) as well as the ongoing investigation.

On 11/29/2017 at 3:46 a.m., Judd McPherson contacted me stating that all doctors had said this was a medical thing. However, medical records show that Devyn and family were notified by Dr. Michelle Pannell at Mercy in Joplin on 11/28/2017 at 10:37 p.m. that this was suspected non-accidental head trauma.

Children's Division was informed by law enforcement that while completing interviews of witnesses that Dr. Pannell stated Devyn was explaining that she found Jayda laying on the floor in her room at which point either Carmen or Judd corrected her and stated, "You mean when he found her" (talking about Jalen)."

When Children's Division determined that custody of Jayda's brother would go to another family member, McPherson did not take it well, according to the report.

When informing Judd of the current situation, he first asked who the judge was who signed the order, then he stated he would be getting that changed and ended the call. During this call, Judd did not ask any questions about the abuse and doctors have stated the family has not asked them either as to what or who could have caused it.

The report also revealed that Carmen McPherson and not Devyn Kyle rode the helicopter to Children's Mercy Hospital with Jayda.

Judd McPherson said that was due to the weight limit, according to the report, but Devyn Kyle told investigating officers and the Children's Division that she and Vaden "went home to change."

The report says McPherson received a court order allowing Jalen Vaden to have contact with Jayda at the hospital "after she had been diagnosed with abusive head trauma and knowing he was one of her caretakers at the time."

Vaden pleaded not guilty during a video arraignment last week in Jasper County Circuit Court. His next hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, December 27.

The probable cause statement for Vaden's arrest says he told police he "became upset over the child not being dressed in the pajamas he instructed her to put on." He picked the child up and threw her, causing her to hit her head on the floor, according to the probable cause statement.

A short time later, Vaden said, Jayda left the room still not wearing the pajamas. He said he threw her on the bed, then grabbed her by the leg and threw her face first on the floor.

When he returned, Vaden told the officers, he found Jayda "bleeding and unresponsive."

Despite the arrest of Jalen Vaden, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office and Carl Junction Police Department are continuing their investigation into Jayda Kyle's murder.

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Juvenile Office documents: Jayda Kyle suffered bleeding from brain, severely torn retina, likely already brain dead when she arrived in K. C.

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The story of the Joplin Tornado from May 22, 2011 through the years afterward- a comprehensive look at how the City of Joplin and the Joplin R-8 School District handled and mishandled the recovery process, telling the stories of such people as Mark Rohr, Mike Woolston, David Wallace and C. J. Huff.  Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud: Greed, Corruption and the Joplin Tornado tells the story the Joplin Globe kept from the public. The book is available in paperback and e-book formats.