Cleaver discusses problems with student loan debt

(From Fifth District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver)

It was a small request to ask but it could have enormous results. This week, amidst the talk of indictments and tax plans, I called for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate an area that affects nearly 44 million Americans. It is the reason why so many people are inundated with evening phone calls from collectors. Why working families and young people -just starting out - are troubled with their daily finances. Why some people think twice about going to college. I’m talking about student loans.

When hundreds of people showed up at my town hall this past summer, the one thing they stressed was their frustration with the rising costs of student loan debt, and the continued lack of transparency with the implementation, collection, and servicing of student loans.

This week, Congressman Sanford Bishop of Georgia and I called on the GAO to investigate the Department of Education’s student loan services and industry practices. We wanted to know if things were being handled differently since the GAO had previously looked into the Department of Education’s management of the student loan program. Their earlier report from 2016 found that there was need for improvement. There was a lack of set hours for providing effective customer service and weaknesses in the management of the Direct Loan Program.

This is one of the reasons why so many people who were struggling with their student loans could not get the help they were seeking. We asked that the GAO conduct an update on their report and further evaluate if the Department of Education has made any changes as to how it deals with student loan borrowers.

I understand this is not the hottest topic in the news right now but it is an important one because it touches so many lives. I will continue to make sure that those of us who are counting every dollar are able to experience some relief.

Joplin man pleads guilty to role in large-scale meth conspiracy

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

A Joplin, Mo., man has been convicted by a federal trial jury of his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.

Santiago Soto-Garcia, 24, of Joplin, was found guilty on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, of one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Soto-Garcia was also convicted of a forfeiture allegation that requires him to forfeit to the government $7,000 that was seized by law enforcement officers and was derived from the proceeds of the conspiracy.

Co-defendants Destiny O’Brien, also known as “Destiny Smith,” 21, of Joplin, and Michael L. Gonzalez, also known as “Chavez,” 24, of Texas, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to possessing firearms in furtherance of the conspiracy.

Evidence introduced during the trial proved to the jury that Soto-Garcia and O’Brien, assisted by Gonzalez, were multiple-pound distributors of methamphetamine in the Joplin area from late 2014 to August 2015.

After an investigation that began in February of 2015, Soto-Garcia, O’Brien, and Gonzalez were arrested on Aug. 11, 2015, following a traffic stop by a Joplin Police Officer. Soto-Garcia was the driver of a silver 2006 BMW, with O’Brien a passenger in the front seat and Gonzalez in the rear driver’s side passenger seat. When Gonzalez rolled down his window, the officer saw two pistols on the floorboard by Gonzalez’s feet and all three defendants were instructed to get out of the vehicle. The Hi-Point .40-caliber firearm and the Kel-Tec .223-caliber firearm, along with loaded magazines, were removed from the vehicle.

After the occupants and the firearms were removed from the vehicle, a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the BMW from outside of the vehicle. When the officer attempted to open the door of the vehicle to conduct an interior search, he found the doors were locked.

The officer determined that Soto-Garcia had locked the doors with the key fob for the BMW and asked Soto-Garcia for the key fob. Instead of handing the fob to the officer, Soto-Garcia took the fob out of his pocket and threw it under the patrol vehicle. As Soto-Garcia began struggling with the officers, O’Brien ran over to the patrol vehicle and obtained the key fob. O’Brien then resisted officers as well. After obtaining the fob and arresting O’Brien and Soto-Garcia, officers searched the vehicle. Joplin police officers found a package that contained approximately a pound of methamphetamine and then arrested Gonzalez as well.

That same day, investigators searched Soto-Garcia’s residence and found a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber handgun, a Tanfoglio .40-caliber handgun, a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun, a North American Arms 22-caliber magnum revolver, ammunition, a bullet-proof vest, a money counter, and approximately five grams of methamphetamine. Investigators then searched another residence being used as a stash house by Soto-Garcia and found a Phoenix Arms .22-caliber handgun and approximately 852.3 grams of methamphetamine hidden in an air vent.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated less than two hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 30, 2017.

Under federal statutes, Soto-Garcia is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jody Larison, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Garrison, and Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Randy Eggert. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, ATF, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Joplin Police Department, and the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team.

(Soto Garcia is the smaller male, Gonzalez is heavier set male)

Billy Long: We need to put more beef in school lunches

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

Each day, over 30 million students eat school lunches, which is nearly 5 billion lunches annually. Ensuring they have access to a healthy lunch is vital to these students’ health and success. There have been numerous efforts made at the federal, state and local levels to encourage not only balanced eating, but having foods included that are locally grown.

At the federal level there is a program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) called the Farm to School Program. This program encourages schools across the country to include local foods in the National School Lunch Program, which provides well-balanced meals at little to no cost to students who cannot afford them. The Farm to School Program helps increase access to locally grown food through a variety of ways, including grants and technical assistance.

According to the 2015 USDA’s Farm to School Census, more than 42,000 schools brought local farm products to school benefiting over 23 million children. As this program continues, more and more schools are jumping on board. Of the schools surveyed, an additional 16 percent said they plan to participate in the Farm to School Program or related activities in the future.

In Missouri, that proportion is 43 percent. In 2015, more than $13 million was invested in local food throughout the state, with each district spending 3 percent of its budget on local products. The leading local foods were fruits, vegetables and milk.

However, Missouri did more on a state level to advance this initiative. It has a similar program called Missouri Farm to School to help school districts throughout the state connect with local farmers. Not only does it aim to connect schools and farmers, it also has a website called AgriMissouri Classifieds that helps better connect those schools with local farmers. This website allows both the schools and farmers to enter products they are looking for, display the prices of products they have available and where they are distributing them.

Not only does the Missouri Farm to School Program aim to connect, it also has a grant program for Missouri businesses to process locally grown products for schools. This grant money covers resources including coolers, freezers, washing, bagging and packing equipment as well as professional services.

But Missouri is not stopping there. Just recently the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Beef Industry Council, the Southwest Missouri Cattlemen’s Association and Opaa Food Management teamed up with the Mount Vernon School District to take part in the pilot program, MO Beef for MO Kids. This program works to get more meat into school lunches with the help of local cattlemen. Some estimates show that one out of 10 school lunches have no beef component. Missouri schools cannot afford local products high in protein – like meat and poultry – compared to other locally produced products. This program wants to change that. It aims to increase options, education and research in this area.

Missouri currently ranks third in the U.S. in cattle production with southwest Missouri producing the most beef cattle in the state. The three leading counties for beef production are Lawrence, Polk and Barry, all three of which are in Missouri’s 7th Congressional District.

The agriculture industry affects every single person and is the backbone of the 7th District, Missouri and the U.S. Programs like these are proof of that. I will continue to do my part in Washington to make sure these people have as little red tape as possible to ensure they can do their job.

Agenda posted for Monday Joplin City Council meeting

COUNCIL AGENDA
Monday, November 6, 2017
6:00 P.M., Council Chambers

1.

Call To Order

Invocation
Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America

2.

Roll Call

3.

Presentations

1.

Request For Issuance Of Additional Bonds For Ajinimoto Windsor, Inc. By Randy Whisler

Documents:

1. ORD2016-210-CHAPTER 100 BONDS TO DEF.PDF
2. AJINIMOTO WINDSOR LETTER.PDF

2.

Proclamation To Recognize Medal Of Valor Recipients Adam Brannin, Jason Francis And Rusty Rives.

4.

Finalization Of Consent Agenda

5.

Reports And Communications

6.

Citizen Requests And Petitions

1.

Mark Raines, 5860 Pearl, Request To Address Council Regarding Joplin Outlaws Community And Economic Impact, History And Future Commitments

7.

Public Hearings

1.

Public Hearing Procedures

2.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-278

AN ORDINANCE amending Ordinance No. 2004-256, passed by the Council of the City of Joplin, Missouri, November 15, 2004, by designating the Lincoln School Site as an Historic Landmark and include in a Historic Preservation Overlay District as described below and located 85’ north of East 7th Street and 20’ east of South Minnesota Avenue in the City of Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri.

Documents:

1. CB 2017-278 MINUTES.PDF
2. CB 2017-278 REPORT.PDF
3. CB 2017-278 SUMMARY.PDF
4. CB 2017-278.PDF

3.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-279

AN ORDINANCE amending Ordinance No. 2004-256, passed by the Council of the City of Joplin, Missouri, November 15, 2004, by removing from District R-1 and including in District C-1 property as described below and in the City of Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri. 

Documents:

1. CB 2017-279 MINUTES.PDF
2. CB 2017-279 REPORT.PDF
3. CB 2017-279 SUMMARY.PDF
4. CB 2017-279.PDF

4.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-280

AN ORDINANCE providing for the vacation of approximately 510 feet of 6th Street, a 60-foot wide designated right of way, in the City of Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri.

Documents:

1. CB 2017-280 MINUTES.PDF
2. CB 2017-280 REPORT.PDF
3. CB 2017-280 SUMMARY.PDF
4. CB 2017-280.PDF

8.

Consent Agenda

1.

Minutes Of The October 16, 2017 Council Meeting

Documents:

1. OCT 16 MINS.PDF

2.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-003

AN ORDINANCE enacting a new Sec. 26-104, Suspension, of Chapter 26, Buildings and Building Regulations, Article V, Contractors, for the purpose of making certain changes.

9.

Resolutions

10.

Ordinances - Emergency

1.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-011

Council Bill No. 2017-011 an ordinance approving a Purchase Order to be issued to Superion to cover the annual support payment for the Public Safety and Financial software and related systems as budgeted in the Annual Budget of the City of Joplin for the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 as adopted by Ordinance 2017-167 on October 16, 2017; and containing an emergency clause.

Documents:

1. CB2017-011 SUMMARY SHEET.PDF
2. CB2017-011.PDF
3. SUPERION2018_FINANCE.PDF
4. SUPERION2018_OSSI.PDF

2.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-164

AN ORDINANCE authorizing the City of Joplin to enter into an agreement with Ace Pipe Cleaning, Inc., for the 2018 & 2019 Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Wastewater Collection System Project; authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute the same by and on behalf of the City of Joplin; and containing an emergency clause.

Documents:

1. SUMMARY SHEET EVALUATION AND REHABILITATION OF WW COLLECTION SYSTEM 2018-2019.PDF
2. 00500 - AGREEMENT.PDF
3. BID TABULATION 101217.PDF
4. EXHIBIT MAP.PDF
5. CB-EVALUATION AND REHABILITATION OF WW COLLECTION SYSTEM 2018-2019.PDF
6. 0030_BID PRICES - ACE PIPE CLEANING.PDF

3.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-165

AN ORDINANCE approving the Transportation Municipal Agreement with Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission for the rehabilitation of the I-44 bridge over Shoal Creek and authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute the same by and on behalf of the City of Joplin; and containing an emergency clause.

Documents:

1. SUMMARY SHEET -2017-165 MODOT AGREEMENT.PDF
2. CB 2017-165 I44 - SHOAL CREEK.PDF
3. MODOT AGREEMENT-10302017165026.PDF

4.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-166

AN ORDINANCE approving an amended work authorization with George Butler Associates Inc., in an amount not to exceed Forty-Four Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty-Eight and No/100 Dollars ($44,788.00) for professional engineering consulting services for the 32nd & Main Street intersection improvement project; authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute the same by and on behalf of the City of Joplin; and containing an emergency clause.

Documents:

1. SUMMARY SHEET -2017-166.PDF
2. CB- 2017-166 32ND-MAIN INTERSECTION.PDF
3. WORK AUTH ORIGINAL-10302017125544.PDF
4. COMBINED SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT 1 - GBA SIGNED.PDF

5.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-376

AN ORDINANCE approving the contract by and between the City of Joplin and Nelson Enterprises for the demolition of the structure(s) and clearing of lot area located at 1106 S. Sergeant Ave. in the City of Joplin, Missouri, for Three Thousand Three Hundred Ninety-Nine and 00/100 Dollars (3,399.00); providing how the cost thereof shall be paid; how the assessment thereof shall be made; and containing an emergency clause.

Documents:

1. CB 2017-376 BID.PDF
2. CB 2017-376 PICTURES.PDF
3. CB 2017-376 SUMMARY.PDF
4. CB 2017-376.PDF

6.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-521

AN ORDINANCE amending the City Salary Administration Plan adopted by Ordinance No. 2016-178 and authorizing a Two Percent (2.0%) wage adjustment for eligible Classified and Unclassified employees; and containing an emergency clause.

Documents:

1. CB 2017-521 SUMMARY 2 PERCENT WAGE ADJUSTMENT FY 2018.PDF
2. CB 2017-521 WAGE INCREASE ORDINANCE.PDF
3. CB 2017-521 SCHEDULE A SALARY ADMINISTRATION PLAN EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1, 2017.PDF

7.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-522

AN ORDINANCE adopting and establishing the pay rates for the 2017-2018 Fiscal Year for certain Unclassified Council Employees; and containing an emergency clause.

Documents:

1. CB 2017-522 SUMMARY WAGE ADJUSTMENT COUNCIL EMPLOYEES.PDF
2. CB 2017-522 COUNCIL EMPLOYEES PAY ADOPTION ORDINANCE.PDF
3. CB 2017-522 EXHIBIT A COUNCIL EMPLOYEE PAY NOV 2017.PDF

8.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2017-523

AN ORDINANCE amending the Annual Budget of the City of Joplin for the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 as adopted by Ordinance 2017-167 on October 16, 2017, to adjust appropriations and containing an emergency clause.

Documents:

1. CB 2017-523 SUMMARY FY 2018 BUDGET ADJUSTMENT.PDF
2. CB 2017-523 BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE FOR FY 2018.PDF
3. CB 2017-523 SCHEDULE A 2018 BUDGET AMENDMENT NOV 2017.PDF

11.

Ordinances - First Reading

12.

Ordinances - Second Reading And Third Reading

13.

Unfinished Business

14.

New Business

1.

News From The PIO

2.

CLOSED SESSION

Vote to go into closed session, which shall pertain to the hiring, firing, disciplining, or promotion of an employee or particular employees of a governmental body involving personal information as set forth in Section 610.021(3) RSMo, as amended, 2016, more specifically for the purpose of evaluating certain Council employees.  This meeting, record, and vote to be closed to the extent provided by law. The City Council shall adjourn at the end of the session.

Joplin R-8 Board hires 12 classified employees, accepts two resignations

The Joplin R-8 Board of Education hired 12 classified employees and 23 substitute teachers and accepted two resignations during a closed session October 25.

Classified Employees- Jana Bates, Michaelle Davis, Teresa Colburn, John Gould, Mary Graves, Montrell Greenlee, Olivia Hood, Tricia Hoosier, Grant Jones, Abigail Raum, Brenda Stripling, and Adam Van Dam.

Substitutes- Maddison Barclay, Mark Bujarski, Kayla Collins, Jamie Eggerman, Kristen Geary, Marilyn Janzen, Olivia Johnson, Kimberly Kester, Moli Lewis, Jill Ludwig, Michael Manes, Lisa Morris, Lexi Pesek, Libbey Randles, Dana Reed, Deanna Reed, Leah Schmidt, Erica Sill, Jonathan Terry, Jason Vaughn, Kaitlyn Welch, Christina Yang, and Grace Yates

Resignations- Jessica Davidson and Beverly Saneman

By a 5-1 vote, the board approved a contract with clinical psychologist John Godfrey. Board members Deborah Gould, Sharrock Dermott, Derek Gander,  Lori Musser and Jennifer Martucci voted yes, with Brent Jordan casting the dissenting vote.

Appeals court rejects Joplin Islamic Center/Planned Parenthood arsonist's request for shorter sentence

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals today rejected Joplin Islamic Center and Planned Parenthood arsonist Jedediah Stout, 33, Joplin's appeal.

While Stout voluntarily pleaded guilty, he was not pleased with his sentence of five years and three months in prison or the requirement that he make $701,971.55 in restitution.

In an unpublished opinion, the appellate panel said it did not find the sentence or the restitution to be unreasonable.

Stout admitted to committing the August 6, 2012 burning of the Joplin Islamic Center and the October 4, 2013 fire at the Joplin Planned Parenthood office.

Stout was also sentenced to 12 months on a count of denying access to a clinic. That sentenced will be served concurrently with his other sentence. After his release, he will be placed on supervised probation for three years.

Sentencing date set for Neosho businessman on child pornography charges

A 9 a.m. November 29 sentencing hearing has been scheduled in U. S. District Court in Springfield for Neosho businessman Blake Altman who pleaded guilt in January to child pornography charges.

Altman's sentencing was originally planned for July 26, but was postponed.

In court documents filed before the original sentencing date, Altman's lawyer, Joe Passanise asked for a lighter sentence for Altman because he posed no danger to the community. "Child pornography offenders do not go on to molest children. (He) has no history of harming or touching children and his criminal history consists of DWI traffic offenses."


Passanise offered other reasons to offer Altman probation:

-"Child pornography offenders are punished far beyond incarceration. They suffer more collateral consequences than other offenders such as being restricted to where they can live, work, and even whether they can visit family members for the rest of their lives."

-Altman "quickly deleted" the child pornography images after he looked at them because that was not the kind of porn he was seeking.

-Counseling and treatment should be considered.

-Altman would be subject to "mistreatment" while in custody.

A federal grand jury indicted Altman, the former manager of Sam's Cellar In Neosho June 16, 2015, charging that he received and distributed child pornography from August 14 to October 1, 2014

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Altman’s home after he was identified in an undercover investigation into child pornography distribution through file-sharing software. Officers seized Altman’s laptop, which contained child pornography images and videos.

The mandatory minimum sentence is five years, but Altman's lawyers are asking that the judge consider lesser Missouri sentences. The maximum sentence is 20 years without parole.

Altman's crimes were described in a motion for detention filed by the government, which was reported in the October 14, 2016 Turner Report.


The defendant was utilizing peer-to-peer file sharing software to receive and distribute images and videos depicting child pornography. The imagery in question depicted children, some as young as infants, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant, at the time of the search warrant, possessed a rifle loaded with armor piercing bullets, two sets of body armor, and a Kevlar helmet.

The defendant was accused by a family member of inappropriately touching her when he was 16 years old. The accusation was never reported to the police. The defendant told the investigators that his preference was for girls between 10 and 14 years old. This case involves a minor victim..The evidence against the defendant is overwhelming.

Jury finds Craig Michael Wood guilty of first degree murder of Hailey Owens

After one hour of deliberation, a Greene County jury found Craig Michael Wood, 49, guilty of the first degree murder of Hailey Owens, 10, Springfield.

The case now moves into the penalty phase where prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the former middle school coach and teacher's aide.

The defense was unsuccessful in its effort to convince the jury that Wood should be found guilty of second degree murder, which would have prevented him from the possibility of receiving the death penalty.

Wood's attorney acknowledged in his opening statement that Wood kidnapped, raped and murdered Hailey Owens then stuffed her body into a trash bag on February 18, 2014, but said it was a result of his use of meth and an uncontrollable sexual addiction.

Greitens announces recommendations to shrink government

(From Gov. Eric Greitens)

Governor Eric Greitens announced the results of a task force created to evaluate the state’s boards and commissions.

Task force recommendations include the elimination of nearly 450 bureaucratic appointments, the consolidation of boards and commissions that do duplicative work and the creation of overarching boards that can provide oversight on a number of issues. These recommendations will shrink the size of government, cut red tape and make it easier to do business in the state of Missouri.

“Government is too big, too slow, and works too poorly,” said Governor Greitens. “With these recommendations, the task force took an important first step to shrink the size of government and make it work better for people.”

The Governor signed executive order 17-11 during the 2017 legislative session in an effort to examine over 200 of the state’s boards and commissions. The committee of twelve members, comprised of legislators and outsiders, examined the purpose, necessity and cost-effectiveness of each board. The committee’s task was to find opportunities to eliminate, consolidate and modify the size, structure and mission of such boards and commissions with an ultimate goal of reducing the size of government and any unnecessary barriers to doing business in the state. The report can be found here: https://ltgov.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Boards-and-Commissions-Task-Force-Report-FINAL.pdf

Graves: It's time to make tax reform happen

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

World famous scientist Albert Einstein once said after attempting to fill out his tax returns - "This is too difficult for a mathematician. It takes a philosopher."

Indeed, we live under a tax code that is simply too complicated. Figuring out what we owe shouldn’t be so hard that we have to write another check just to fill out the form correctly.

October 22, 1986, was the last time a major reform to the American tax code was signed into law. That was over 30 years ago.

If you work hard for a day’s pay, you’ve probably felt like the system was stacked against you. While special interest groups pay their high priced lawyers to find the latest loopholes, everyday Americans just hope they get a refund to cover the cost of tax preparation. Over the last decade, too many hard-working Americans have struggled to find good-paying jobs, make ends meet, provide for their families and plan for their retirement. It’s past time to help the middle class get the upper hand!

Strengthening and growing the middle class is how we build a stronger America. With that focus in mind, we are introducing a bill that will lower the tax burden for families and small businesses. No one should have to sift through medical bills and receipts to save a few bucks on their tax returns. America’s tax code should be working for you, not against, and you should count on paying fewer taxes from the start.

Middle-class Americans shouldn’t just be hoping for a bigger tax refund at the end of the year, they should be guaranteed to pay less. That is why lowering tax rates is so important. My goal from the start was to put more money in your pocket and we accomplish this by lowering tax rates and simplifying things. With a simplified tax code, you should be able to fill out your taxes on a document the size of a postcard, saving you time and money.

While most North Missourians will get a pay raise, our small businesses stand to benefit from tax reform as well. Meaningful tax reform will allow them to expand and create more better-paying jobs right here at home.

More jobs, fairer taxes, bigger paychecks. That’s how a 21st Century tax code works for you.

We’ve talked about it long enough; now it’s time to make it happen.