Watch Joplin R-8 Board of Education meeting live at 7 p.m.

Joplin man who broke six-week-old baby's leg may only spend 120 days behind bars

A Joplin man who broke his six-week-old child's leg may only spend 120 days in prison.

Jasper County Circuit Court Judge Gayle Crane sentenced David W. Gordon, 26, to seven years in prison on an amended charge of second degree domestic assault Monday morning, but placed Gordon in the Shock Incarceration Program, which places him behind bars for 120 days and then reevaluates his progress.

At that point, the judge will either allow Gordon to be placed on supervised probation or have him continue serving his sentence.








The Joplin Police Department initially arrested Gordon after officers were called to Mercy Hospital October 7, 2017 on a child abuse report. A six-week-old baby had been brought to the hospital with "a broken leg and other injuries that were consistent with child abuse," according to a JPD news release.

Gordon was originally charged with felony child abuse.

Seventy-five years ago this week- Harry Truman returns to the city where he was born

This column ran this week in the Lamar Democrat to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Senator Harry S Truman's return to the city where he was born, Lamar, Missouri, to offer the speech that served as the first speech in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's campaign for a fourth term.

The information comes from research I have done for my upcoming book, The Buck Starts Here: Harry S Truman and the City of Lamar.

It would have been an ideal spot to see the biggest political event to ever hit Lamar, but it had been years since Mattie had seen much of anything.

The date was August 31, 1944, decades before laser surgery, and by the time a woman lived 92 years, it was only natural her vision would be fading.

Mattie’s hearing was as sharp as ever, however, and from her vantage point in an open car directly beside the makeshift platform on the west side of the Barton County Courthouse, she could hear every word.

Mattie had always been interested in politics, so she jumped at the opportunity to ride across the state at a time when gasoline was being rationed for the war effort. 

It wasn’t the first time Mattie had been in Lamar. She and her late husband lived there for a brief time shortly after their marriage.

She was not alone in making the trip to a small community that had never played host to this kind of event. Representatives of every major radio network and newspaper were also in attendance.

Sen. Harry S Truman, President Roosevelt’s choice to serve as vice president, was delivering the first major speech of the presidential campaign.

FDR made it clear he would not be campaigning while the nation was at war. The president’s health was also deteriorating, something that was obvious to those in the nation’s capital.

The speech in Lamar was likely to be the nation’s introduction to the man who would be the next president, well before Roosevelt’s fourth term ended.

Mattie was sitting a few feet from history.

She was not the only one who had an ideal vantage point to hear Truman.

Those who served on the committee arranging for the Truman visit were close to the platform.

A stocky man in his early 70s, with once jet black hair that now had a prominent streak of gray, Arthur Aull, editor of the Lamar Democrat, was poised to record the event in the pages of his newspaper. Until Truman’s nomination, Aull had been the best-known person from Lamar.

The two men who were responsible for issuing the invitation to Truman, Mayor Guy Ross and Chamber of Commerce President Raymond River, were there. 

They knew how much bringing Truman to Lamar would mean to the community and did not hesitate to extend the invitation, even though they were Republicans.

Henry Columbus Chancellor, known as H. C., owner of the Travelers Hotel, had arranged for a banquet for Truman and other dignitaries earlier in the evening.

For Lamar, Truman’s return was more than just a political event.

The speakers and the festival atmosphere, complete with food stands circling the square, were a welcome break for a community marked by recent tragedy.

Two weeks earlier, three men held up a filling station and were confronted by Barton County Sheriff Roy Patterson, who was with his son Sammie. Somehow the men got the drop on Patterson and murdered him and his son.

It had been the duty of Chamber President Raymond River, who was coroner and owned the funeral home, to deal with the grisly discovery of their bodies and conduct the inquest.

It had only been a few days since the death of Donald Quillin, Lamar’s first war casualty.

Parents and spouses feared hearing from the War Department that their sons and husbands had been killed or wounded.

H. C. Chancellor was one of those who received a message from the War Department a few days earlier. His son, Richard, who had been cited for bravery a few months earlier, was missing in action.

It was into this atmosphere that Harry S Truman arrived to offer a battered community a welcome diversion.

Truman devoted most of his speech to a ringing endorsement of Roosevelt and why it was important to keep FDR’s steady hand at the helm while the nation was at war.

More than 10,000 people crowded onto the Lamar Square to hear Truman speak.

It was the first time most of them had ever seen the man who eight months later would become President of the United States and bring an end to the war in Europe and the release of Richard Chancellor from the POW camp where he had been held for nine months.

Mattie was also pleased with Truman’s speech, telling a reporter, “I think it would have been worth coming from California to hear. There isn’t a finer man living than Harry Truman.”

Mattie was prejudiced.

Sixty years earlier in a small frame house four blocks east, Martha Ellen “Mattie” Truman gave birth to that fine man.

In less than eight months, Mattie would be living in the White House.

(Phoro courtesy of the Harry S Truman Library and Museum)

In latest report, Bill White previews special session, veto session

(From Sen. Bill White, R-Joplin)

UPDATE: In this report, the date for the Veterans Benefit Expo was incorrect.. The Expo will be hosted on Sept. 12, 2019 at 10 a.m.

Paul Richardson: Where is this road leading?

(Paul Richardson's column, The Horse I Rode In On, runs weekly in the Neosho Daily News, Seneca Post-Dispatch and on the Turner Report.)

The school bus traffic is a reminder that the local short people population are returning to their assigned task.

It seems so early in the year due to the fact that I can recall a day that the fall semester didn’t start until after Labor Day. Even with such a late start by today’s standards, our sentence was completed, and we were released from this obligation before Memorial Day weekend. 

Summer vacation consisted of a full three-month period filled with a variety of activities, some fun and recreational, but mostly work.

For some of us the work portion was predestined due to belonging to a family that owned a business. Others that I knew spent the summer hauling hay, working at Shank’s Farm north of Granby, or another task that seemed even less inviting. There were a few individuals that I knew that led a life of leisure, unoccupied for the entire summer vacation, but there were very few of these rare creatures. In the end, after being aware of the task that had faced the others, I was quite happy to have been mandated a job for the summer.

The beginning of the school year always marked a fresh start. This was the time of year that I received any new clothes that would be purchased. There was fresh paper, pencils, and other school supplies. 

At that time the list was not very long, requiring just a minimal number of items. When the time came that we were purchasing as parents for our own children, the list had grown considerably and included many new components that I would never have imagined as a child. 

Recently, the good wife and I were in town where I noticed that not only are lists published and located at local retailers, some had gone to the effort to simply pre-assemble the required items and package them neatly in a brand-new backpack. Everything ready to go, just buy and fly!

Every year preparations were made, school began, classes were attended, and studies were completed. 

Year after year until all of elementary and secondary education had been accomplished. Then it was off to the next stage. Applications were made, acceptance letters received, decisions, decisions, decisions, and finally a choice. The following August it was off to the University. The road extended on and the expectation was that at this point a decision had been made as to where it led. That, however, was not the case for me.

The dreams in my head were never able to settle on the path that would take me to the desired outcome. So, for the next several years I struggled with where I was headed and how to get there. Finally, I just settled. 

Don’t misunderstand me as this is not a complaint, more of a personal observation and opportunity to allow you to tag along. It’s been a good life. We have been blessed and enjoyed some good fortune, living a very comfortable life along the way.

By comparison, I just witnessed a young man that grew up in our house, graduate from University of Arkansas. This person has known since the early days of high school what he wanted to do, how he wanted to do it, and what the personal cost would be to do it his way. He has stayed focused on his goal and now has a wide spectrum of opportunities, each of which can serve as a vehicle to take him to a clear destination. We are very proud of him and are now aware that the environment that we were providing will yield a variety of outcomes.

So much of this depends on the individual, however. The good wife and I followed two different paths. Each of our children followed different paths and now our first grandson has followed a unique path to a specific end. 

The ones that reached the desired destination had a clear end result in mind. That may be my problem as I have never figured out what I want to be when I grow up. I have had the distinct and unique ability to do whatever it was that I attempted. 

Due to that I never settled on any specific destination. The grandson noted a few months back that I wouldn’t probably be able to replicate my past in today’s world. I believe that he may be correct.

A brief bit of advice: as a person, city, community, organization, church or whatever, figure out which road to follow to get to the desired destination. 

Don’t be like me, not knowing what you want to be when you grow up. Figure out where this road is leading. If it is not the right place, change roads now! Stay tuned, more to come.

Agenda posted for tonight's Joplin R-8 Board of Education meeting

The Joplin R-8 Board of Education will hold its annual tax levy hearing 7 p.m. today, in the Memorial Education Building just prior to the regular board meeting

A closed session is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. to discuss legal and personnel issues.

The agenda for the regular session is printed below:

A. Call to Order
1. Roll Call

B. Pledge of Allegiance

C. Approval of Agenda

D. Reports

1. Board President's Report
a. Celebrations - Info. (Sharrock Dermott)
b. BOE Policy Committee - Info. ( B. Jordan)
c. BOE Safety and Security Committee - Info. ( S. Dermott, L. Musser, and D. Fort)
d. BOE Finance, Salary and Benefits Committee - Info. (S. Dermott, B. Jordan, and M. Joseph)

2. Superintendent's Data Report
a. American Heart Association Presentation of CPR Kit to Joplin High School - Info. (Representatives from American Heart Association and Freeman Health System)
b. Health & Dental Plan Update - Info. (Dr. Lankford)
c. Financial Statements - Info. (Dr. Lankford)

E. Public Comments Regarding Agenda Action Items

F. Consent Agenda
1. Minutes - Action (Pat Waldo)
2. Consent Contracts - Action
a. Memorandum of Understanding for the ACCESS Mobile Dental Program - Action (Sandra Cantwell)
3. Go Guardian - Action (Dr. Sachetta)
4. Canvas and MoreNet Membership - Action (Dr. Sachetta)
5. EdGenuity Middle School Site Licenses - Action (Dr. Sachetta)
6. Non-resident Tuition 2019-20 - Action (Dr. Lankford)
7. State Compliance Plan for Special Education - Action (Sandra Cantwell)
8. Energy Performance Intelligent Services Agreement - Action (Dr. Sachetta)
9. Local Tax Effort Billback - Action (Sandra Cantwell)
a. LTE Carl Junction - Action (Sandra Cantwell)
b. LTE Carthage - Action (Sandra Cantwell)
10. Salary Adjustments for the 2019-2020 School Year - Action (Justin Crawford)
11. Policy Updates for Second Reading - Action (Dr. Moss)
a. Policy AC: Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (Dr. Sachetta)
b. Policy EF: Food Service Management (Dr. Sachetta) 

G. Regular Agenda

1. Set Tax Levy for the 2019-2020 School Year - Action (Dr. Lankford)
2. Recommendation for Architectural Services for the Design of a New Elementary School and Classroom Addition at Kelsey Norman - Action (Dr. Sachetta)
3. Construction Delivery Method New Elementary School - Action (Dr. Sachetta)
4. Accounts Payable - Action (Dr. Lankford)
5. Purchase of SimSpray 3 Virtual Reality Painting Simulator - Action (Sarah Mwangi)
6. Policy Updates for First Reading - Action (Dr. Moss)
a. Policy GBCB: Staff Conduct - Action (Justin Crawford)
b. Policy GBEBC: Criminal Background Checks - Action (Justin Crawford)
c. Policy GDBDA: Support Staff Leaves - Action (Justin Crawford) 

H. Plus/Deltas - Info. (Dr. Moss)

I. Adjourn - Action

Reeds resident sentenced to 12 1/2 years on federal weapons charge

A Reeds man was sentenced today in U. S. District Court in Springfield to 12 1/2 years in prison on a federal weapons charge.

A federal grand jury indicted James Snare, 33, in 2017 for illegally possessing a firearm after the Carthage Police Department arrested him for drunk driving.After Snare completes his sentence, he will be placed under supervised probation for five years.

Snare originally entered a guilty plea in October 2017, but withdrew the plea saying his lawyer had not explained adequately just how much time he would be serving in prison.

The 2017 sentence is exactly the same as the one Snare received today.








Snare's crimes were detailed in a sentencing memorandum filed March 5.


On November 26, 2016, at approximately 12:17 a.m., Officer Jeffrey Pinnell of the Carthage Police Department observed a vehicle cross the center line in the 2400 block of South Grand Street. The officer turned around and activated his emergency equipment. 

The officer contacted the driver of the vehicle, the defendant, James Snare, and noted that the defendant appeared to be intoxicated. 

The officer conducted a criminal history check and discovered that the defendant had a revoked driver’s license. Officer Pinnell informed the defendant that he was going to be arrested, prompting him to remove a handgun from his waistband and place it on the passenger seat. 

Officer Pinnell drew his service weapon and ordered the defendant to exit the vehicle. 

The defendant was brought to the officer’s patrol car and, after a brief struggle, secured in the backseat. 

Officers conducted a search of the defendant’s vehicle, resulting in the seizure of a Taurus, model PT 22 pistol, a CMMG, 223-5.56mm rifle, and a Colt Trooper MK III revolver. 

The rifle had a thirty round magazine affixed to it. All three firearms were loaded. 

The defendant was transported to the Carthage Jail. 

The defendant had been previously convicted of first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon in the State of Missouri. 

Snare pleaded guilty April 14, 2014 in Jasper County Circuit Court  to felony charges of first degree assault, second degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon. Judge Gayle Crane sentenced him to 10 years, seven years, and four years on those charges to run concurrently, The sentences were suspended and Snare was placed on supervised probation for five years.

Sarcoxie man pleads guilty to federal weapons charges

U S. District Court Judge David P. Rush ordered a pre-sentence investigation for a Sarcoxie man who pleaded guilty this afternoon to federal weapons charge.

Leng Lee, 35, who faced four weapons charge after a superseding indictment was filed against him in June, pleaded guilty to two counts, while the other two charges will be dismissed.

Lee was charged as a felony in possession of firearms, for illegally possessing an unregistered silencer and selector switches to convert semi-automatic firearms into machine guns.

From the June news release from the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri:

According to court documents, law enforcement officers participated in the controlled delivery of an international mail package from China addressed to Lee at his residence on April 23, 2019. The parcel contained seven parts (selector switches) that are used to convert a Glock semi-automatic pistol to fire in full-automatic mode.

Officers executed a search warrant at Lee’s residence and found numerous firearms, ammunition, firearm suppressors, suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, suspected stolen farm equipment, and a large amount of cash. According to court documents, Lee told officers that a couple of the firearms were given to him by his deceased father, but the others were purchased by him at gun shows or during hand-to-hand transactions. None of the firearms were purchased from a licensed firearms dealer. Lee also told officers that he had 10-15 past deliveries of the selector switches, and that he was able to convert and successfully fire a Glock pistol as a fully automatic firearm.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Lee has two prior felony convictions for burglary, and prior felony convictions for vandalism, criminal conspiracy, grand theft, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Newton, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Former Kansas City Chiefs player faces weapons charge after being tasered twice while resisting arrest

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A former Kansas City Chiefs football player, who was tasered twice while struggling with officers and resisting arrest, was charged in federal court today with illegally possessing firearms.

Saousoalii P. Siavii, Jr., also known as “Junior,” 40, of Independence, Missouri, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., with three counts of being an unlawful drug user in possession of firearms. Siavii remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

Today’s federal criminal complaint alleges that Siavii, an unlawful user of illegal drugs, has been arrested on three occasions in which he was in possession of both illegal drugs and loaded firearms. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is an unlawful drug user to be in possession of any firearms or ammunition.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Siavii was arrested on Saturday, Aug. 24. Independence, Missouri, police officers responded to parking lot on U.S. 40 Highway, where a witness said he located his friend’s stolen 2017 Jeep Wrangler Sport. The witness told police he saw a man later identified as Siavii getting out of the driver’s seat of the vehicle.

Officers contacted Siavii, the affidavit says, who disregarded their commands, and an officer deployed his Taser on Siavvi. Siavvi, who is six feet, five inches tall and weighs approximately 330 pounds, fell to the ground and officers attempted to gain control as he began to actively resist arrest. Siavii began pushing himself up off the ground, at which time a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol fell directly in front of him within his reach. An officer drew his duty weapon and put it to Siavii’s back, due to him not being under physical control, while another officer grabbed Siavii’s firearm and threw it several feet away. Officers continued to fight with Siavii, the affidavit says, while giving him commands to stop resisting and to place his hands behind his back. An officer deployed his Taser on Siavii again with little effect. Siavii was able to get on top of the officer, who was on the ground at this point. Another officer was eventually able to put Siavii in a neck restraint and render him unconscious long enough to handcuff him. Siavii continued to resist even after being handcuffed.

Officers searched Siavii’s backpack and found additional ammunition, 5.2 grams of methamphetamine, 12.2 grams of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.

In addition to the Aug. 24 incident, today’s complaint cites two more incidents in which Siavii was arrested while in possession of illegal drugs and firearms.

On Aug. 4, 2019, Independence police officers were dispatched to the area of 24 Highway and Jennings on a stolen auto report. A 2019 Chevrolet Silverado had been stolen in Sugar Creek, Missouri, and was being tracked by On-Star to the parking lot of the Great Western Motel. When officers arrived, Siavii was walking away from the stolen vehicle, the affidavit says, and fled on foot when he saw the officers. Officers attempted to take Siavii into custody, but he resisted and fought with officers. Siavii was lying on his stomach and constantly reached towards his waistband. After a prolonged struggle with Siavii, officers were able to take him into custody. When officers rolled him to his side, a loaded Sturm Ruger handgun was located underneath him. Officers searched Siavii and found 4.4 grams of methamphetamine. Officers searched the stolen Silverado and found a Cobra Enterprises .32-caliber handgun and drug paraphernalia.

On April 7, 2019, Independence police officers attempted a traffic stop in the area of 24 Highway and Lee’s Summit Road on a silver Ford Fusion for an improperly registered license plate. The vehicle, driven by Siavii, had been observed at a known drug house. Siavii failed to stop and a pursuit was initiated. During the pursuit, Siavii’s vehicle reached speeds up to 101 m.p.h. Siavii’s vehicle eventually left the roadway on Maywood Avenue and he was seen running northbound; he was located by officers and taken into custody. Officers found a loaded Phoenix Arms .22-caliber handgun in the front cup holder of the vehicle. Also found in the vehicle was 3.8 grams of marijuana, two baggies that contained a total of .6 grams of methamphetamine, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia.

The complaint also cites two earlier incidents in which Siavii was in possession of illegal drugs when he was stopped by police officers. Siavii was arrested on Jan. 17, 2019, following a traffic stop. According to the affidavit, when he got out of his vehicle, he pulled away from officers, causing the officers to take him to the ground where he continued to resist. Officers searched him and found a Xanax pill; they also found a prescription bottle that belonged to another person and contained more pills and marijuana. Siavii also was arrested on April 21, 2018, for driving under the influence. According to the affidavit, he was in possession of a straw that contained cocaine residue.

The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

Kay Hively: Thoughts on robocalls and supporting local causes

(Kay Hively is a historian, author and former editor and reporter for the Neosho Daily News and Neosho Post.)

“Hi. This is Beckie….”

Does this sound familiar?

“Beckie” is one of those hated robo calls that comes to our house every day. These calls are selling something, trying to scare us into believing that we are in big trouble with our insurance company, or have problems with government/law enforcement.

Beckie calls us at least once a day, but sometime she rings up four or five times, from daylight until dark.

But Beckie is not the only one who disturbs our peace. We get calls wanting a donation for what seems like a good cause. But calling me on the telephone won’t get you any money. First of all, my giving is usually local or to something I am personally familiar with.

I got a call a few years ago and it was from an actual person, not a machine.

The guy was calling for a donation to a law enforcement group. When he finished his appeal, I asked if he was a law officer himself. He said that he wasn’t but worked with a company who worked for the benefit of law enforcement. I then said, you are not a volunteer so part of the donations pay your salary and fund the business operation you work for. He said yes. I asked what percent of donations actually gets to law enforcement groups. He said he didn’t know.

That ended our conversation.

Some of the strangest calls come from credit card companies. The caller says we are danger of having our credit cut off from some company whose credit card we do not even hold. I question if the call is actually from a credit card company or just someone who wants our personal information so they can unlawfully use the card.

The theft of your personal or business information can be devastating. Never give out information such as your credit card numbers, social security information, your birthdate or anything about where you bank, not even the name of your bank. And, for goodness sake, don’t talk about any medical condition you have or any treatments.

Probably the best defense against these calls is to just hang up. If you use caller identification (also known as called i.d.), don’t even answer if you don’t recognize the name or number.

For a while, people who used only cell phones didn’t have these calls. But the rise in cell phone usage has drawn the robo calls to portable phones as well.

There have been efforts to shut down these call centers by letting you opt out of robo calls. These efforts have not been very successful, but I understand someone is still trying to put an end to these constant interruptions to our daily lives.

Around our house, the philosophy is to help local fundraising efforts, as your money has a greater chance of doing the most good. I suggest that if you have money to donate, give it to your church, civic club, or to student fundraising drives. Also, some good options are local institutions such as the friends group at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery, the Neosho-Newton County Library, or to some of several worthy causes at Crowder College.

Just between you and me, you should buy local and give local as well.