Sam Graves: We can't get inflation under control until we clean up the Biden's mess

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

Back in March, I wrote about the devastating impact inflation was having on our infrastructure dollars and how rising prices are threatening to squander that funding. 

Since then, things have only gotten worse. Inflation just hit 9.1 percent last month with no signs of slowing down. It’s eating away at our infrastructure dollars even more and depleting Americans’ bank accounts. We have to turn this around.

As Republican Leader of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I hosted infrastructure industry leaders from across the country to sit down and discuss the challenges they’re facing and what we can do to get these rising costs under control.

We heard the same thing over and over again: this problem started in Washington. We aren’t going to get these issues under control unless we clean up the mess the Biden Administration has made.

First, we’ve got to reign in this out-of-control spending spree that’s driving inflation. Then, we need to get to work cutting through some of the ridiculous red tape and regulations that are making this problem worse. Furthermore, we need to get back on the road to energy independence to help drive down the cost of fuel.

Until that happens, we’re going to keep seeing these same challenges holding America back. That’s unacceptable. We all know what the problem is. It’s long past time for the Biden Administration to join us in working to fix it.

Mediation date scheduled for former prisoner's lawsuit against former Barton County Sheriff, jailer

A November 16 date has been scheduled for a mediator to work with both sides in a lawsuit filed by a woman who claims she was sexually harassed and assaulted while she was a prisoner in the Barton County Jail in Lamar.

Both sides are asking the judge to allow discovery to take place during the next four months to prepare for the mediation session.

Springfield attorney Mike Patton was designated as the mediator and the session will be held at the office of his law firm, Turner, Reid, Duncan, Loomer & Patton, PC in Springfield.

Listed as defendants in the lawsuit are former Sheriff Mitchell Shaw and former jailer Antonio Azua.

According to the petition, this is what the woman says happened while she was in the Barton County Jail:

Sheriff Shaw, either through tacit acceptance; failure to train, failure to supervise, and/or deliberate indifference to the right of inmates, allowed his deputies, including Deputy Azua to

(1) hold inmates in inhumane conditions;

(2) barter with inmates for more humane conditions, such as taking a shower or not drinking out of a pitcher that was used as a urinal;

(3) engage in sexual assault, rape, and forced coercion of inmates, including the plaintiff;

(4) coerce inmates into sexual conduct by allowing them contact with their children through the use of a cellular phone;

(5) photograph inmates that offend their human dignity;

(6) forcing inmates to have sexual contact with one another;

(7) exposing inmates to venereal disease from a jailer;

(8) failing to ensure that inmates receive adequate food, clothing, shelter, and take reasonable measure to guarantee the safety of the inmates.

The above acts violated (plaintiff's) rights under the Fourteenth Amendment due process clause to be free from cruel and unusual punishment; and further violated her rights under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution to have equal protection of the law and thereby not suffer the sexual degradation, humiliation and criminal behavior described herein.

Sheriff Shaw failed to adequately, hire, train, retain, and supervise its employees, including Deputy Azua, and thereby showed a conscious indifference to (her) clear Constitutional right to be free from inhumane conduct, rape, sodomy, and degradation.

Sheriff Shaw, in his official capacity, was required to follow the Prison Rape Elimination Act, 34 U.S.C 303; §§ 30301 – 30309, including the national standards adopted therein.

That (she) was an inmate of the Barton County jail from September 10, 2018 to September 21, 2018. While there, she learned that defendant Azua was bartering with female inmates whereby the inmates would receive snacks, cigarettes, and showers in exchange for sexual and/or sexual favors.

That at said time and place, it was common knowledge in the jail, amongst inmates and staff, that defendant Azua would provide privileges in exchange for sexual favors.

That defendant Shaw knew and/or was consciously indifferent to the barter exchange system being perpetrated by defendant Azua.

(She)was again incarcerated at the Barton County jail from December 8, 2018 to December 18, 2018. (She)was again subjected to inhumane and unsafe living conditions at the Barton County Jail.

During this stay, Deputy Azua offered to take (plaintiff) and another inmate to shower. (She) was not able to shower for days prior to the offer.

Deputy Azua would stand adjacent to the shower and watch (her) and the other inmate shower. Deputy Azua would consistently offer to allow (her) to shower in exchange for him watching her.

(Plaintiff) would sent (sic) multiple requests to speak with the Sheriff Shaw. Sheriff Shaw never agreed to meet with or hear what (she) had to say.

On information and belief, the multiple requests would go through Sheriff Shaw’s jail administrator, Deputy Azua.

(Plaintiff) was again incarcerated in the Barton County Jail from January 26, 2019 to March 28, 2019. During this stay, Deputy Azua became more aggressive with his requests for sexual favors in exchange for favorable treatment, including requiring (her) to expose her breasts and genitals.

On one occasion while showering, Deputy Azua became more aggressive. He put his hands on her body and onto her buttocks. (Plaintiff) asked him to stop and he threatened her by reminding her that she was the inmate and should comply.

Defendant Azua would bring (plaintiff) and other inmates into the shower together. He would then require the inmates to perform sex acts on each other for his benefit.

(Plaintiff) felt threatened by Deputy Azua’s advances and thought her best course of action would be to play along. She feared the repercussions of failing to comply with Deputy Azua’s advances. Deputy Azua continued to up the sexual advances and offered to provide a cell phone for use in the jail. Deputy Azua required (plaintiff) to take sexual photos on the phone and send them to his cell phone. (She) complied in fear.

Shortly after providing the cell phone, Deputy Azua took (her) into the basement and raped her while she was shackled.

The following day, (she) was interviewed by Sheriff Hill and she told him about Deputy Azua and the rape she incurred.

Sheriff Hill refused to allow Tiffany to undergo a rape testing kit at a hospital.

The barter system Deputy Azua was running in the jail was common knowledge in the Baron County jail throughout the guards and inmates. Sheriff Hill either knew, should have known, or was consciously indifferent to providing appropriate supervision and training to prevent the abuse.

Despite being forced to live in deplorable conditions and being subjected to rape, (plaintiff) was billed for her time in prison.

During the times mentioned herein, Sheriff Hill failed to have written policies and procedures to prevent the precise abuse (she) was subjected to.

During the times mentioned herein, Sheriff Hill failed to supervise the jail and was consciously indifferent to the safety and well-being of the inmates, including but not limited to (plaintiff).

Deputy Azua, under the color of law enforcement, consciously violated (plaintiff's) Constitutional Rights by sexually abusing her and forcing her to bow to his sexual depravity. Deputy Azua’s conduct was inhumane and served no penile purpose.

As a direct and proximate result of the clear constitutional violations by defendants, (plaintiff) was raped, forced to be photographed in sexual positions, was subject to inhumane conditions, and was stripped of her dignity and independence. Further, Deputy Azua, by sexually abusing (her), subjected her to venereal disease.

Barton County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Smalley dismissed one of two rape charges against Azua in October 2019, the one involving this woman, for lack of evidence. The second charge appears to have also been dismissed since it has been removed from online records.

Neosho man sentenced to 10 years for receiving child pornography

A Neosho man who had more than 2,000 images and 24 child pornography videos on his phone involving children as young as infants was sentenced to 10 years in prison during a hearing this morning in U. S. District Court in Springfield.

Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark ordered Michael Wayne Stillwagon, 26, to enter a sex offender treatment program.

Stillwagon was arrested in March 2021 in a case that originated in Utah, according to the probable cause affidavit. Investigators there traced child pornography to an IP address belonging to Stillwagon.

State correctional officer, wife charged with producing child pornography

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

A corrections officer at the Jefferson City Correctional Center and his wife were charged in federal court today with video recording their sexual assault of a 4-year-old victim.

Paul Emerson Schofield, 33, and his wife, Sara Ellen Schofield, 29, of Jefferson City, each were charged in separate criminal complaints filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City. The federal criminal complaints charge the Schofields with using a minor to produce child pornography.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaints, the investigation began when law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 25, 2022. Kik, a free online social media platform, reported that a user later identified as Paul Schofield had uploaded multiple videos of child sexual exploitation material.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Schofield’s residence on June 7, 2022. A forensic examiner conducted a preview of Paul Schofield’s cell phone and located several videos of child pornography, including infants engaged in sexual contact with adults. Examiners later found videos on the phone of both Paul and Sara Schofield sexually assaulting an unconscious 4-year-old victim.

On June 9, 2022, law enforcement officers executed another search warrant at the Schofield’s residence. Officers seized Sara Schofield’s cell phone, which contained another sexually explicit video of the same 4-year-old victim in which the voices of Paul and Sara Schofield can be heard.

The charges contained in these complaints 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 Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Agenda posted for Joplin City Council meeting

JOPLIN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
MONDAY, JULY 18, 2022
5th FLOOR COUNCIL CHAMBERS
602 S. MAIN ST. JOPLIN MO
6:00 P.M.

1.

Call To Order

Invocation
Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America

2.

Roll Call

3.

Presentations

1.

Proposition Public Safety Presentation

Documents:

1. PROP PUBLIC SAFETY 6-9-22.PDF

2.

Prioritization Of Community Project List For ARPA/Other Funding Opportunities

Documents:

1. ARPA PROJECT PRIORITIZATION.PDF

3.

Vehicle Replacement Presentation

Documents:

1. VEHICLE REPLACEMENT PRESENTATION JUNE 2022.PDF

4.

Finalization Of Consent Agenda

5.

Reports And Communications

1.

News From The Public Information Office

6.

Citizen Requests And Petitions

1.

June Blakely Requested To Speak On Inquiries About City Finances Regarding Allocation And/Or Determination Of City Income From All Sources (Not At The Department Level)

7.

Public Hearings

1.

Public Hearing Procedures

Documents:

1. PUBLIC HEARING PROCEDURES.PDF

2.

Public Hearing For Application For Vehicle For Hire Business License - Cross Taxi

3.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2022-274

AN ORDINANCE repealing Ordinance No. 2004-257, passed by the Council of the City of Joplin, Missouri, November 15, 2004, and adopting a new Zoning ordinance to be codified as Appendix 29-A of the Joplin Municipal Code.

Documents:

1. CB2022-274.PDF
2. CB2022-274SUMMARY.PDF
3. CB2022-274STAFFREPORT.PDF
4. CB2022-274NEWZONINGCODE.PDF
5. CB2022-274PZMINUTES.PDF

8.

Consent Agenda

1.

Minutes Of July 5, 2022 City Council Meeting

Documents:

1. JULY 5, 2022 MINUTES.PDF

2.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2022-137

AN ORDINANCE approving a Work Authorization AMA-OC-22-013 with Allgeier, Martin and Associates in the not to exceed amount of Ninety-Six Thousand and 00/100 dollars ($96,000.00) for professional engineering consulting services for engineering design services associated with the Tin Cup Trail Phase II design; and authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute the same by and on behalf of the City of Joplin.

Documents:

1. CB2022-137.PDF

3.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2022-272

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 (Single-family Residential) and including in District M-2 (Heavy Industrial) property as described below and located at 4579 Hwy. 43, City of Joplin, Newton County, Missouri.

 

Documents:

1. CB2022-272.PDF

9.

Resolutions

10.

Ordinances - Emergency

1.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2022-450

AN ORDINANCE authorizing a Program Services Contract, by and between the State of Missouri, Department of Health and Senior Services, and the City of Joplin, Missouri, for the City of Joplin Health Department to receive compensation, for Forty-Eight Thousand, Nine Hundred Seventy-Four Dollars, no cents, ($48,974.00); and, authorizing the City Manager to execute the same by and on behalf of the City of Joplin, Missouri; and, containing an emergency clause.  

Documents:

1. CB2022-450-SUMMARY SHEET.PDF
2. CB2022-450-COUNCIL BILL.PDF
3. CB2022-450-SUPPLEMENTAL ITEM CONTRACT.PDF

2.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2022-607

AN ORDINANCE approving the issuance of a Purchase Order to SHI/Microsoft Corporation to cover the annual support payment for the Public Safety and Financial software, as approved in the Annual Budget of the City of Joplin for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 as adopted by Ordinance 2021-523 on October 18, 2021, to adjust appropriations and containing an emergency clause.

Documents:

1. 2022-607 MSEA SUMMARY SHEET.PDF
2. CB2022-607 MSEA COUNCIL BILL.PDF
3. 2022MS_EA_RENEWAL.PDF

11.

Ordinances - First Reading

1.

COUNCIL BILL NO. 2022-131

AN ORDINANCE  authorizing the approval of the 2022 Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) update detailing the safety processes and procedures for the City of Joplin, MO, Metro Area Public Transit System (MAPS) and Sunshine Lamp Trolley. This plan utilizes existing agency safety practices and Federal Transit Administration best practices to meet the regulations set in 49 CFR Part 673. 

Documents:

1. SUMMARY SHEET CB2022-131 PTASP.PDF
2. ORDINANCE 2022-131 SAFETY PLAN UPDATE.PDF
3. JOPLIN PTASP 2022 UPDATE.PDF

12.

Ordinances - Second Reading And Third Reading

13.

Unfinished Business

14.

New Business

Joplin attorney who traded drugs and legal favors for sex pleads guilty

 (From the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma)

A former Ottawa County Assistant District Attorney pleaded guilty in federal court after he provided drugs and performed favorable legal actions that benefitted defendants in exchange for sex, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Daniel Thomas Giraldi, 44, of Joplin, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute (Count 1) and four counts of honest services fraud (Counts 14-17). Giraldi will be sentenced by a federal judge at a later date.

Per the stipulations in the plea agreement, Giraldi will relinquish and forfeit his Oklahoma Bar License and never apply for reinstatement to the Oklahoma Bar. He will also never hold any public office nor any position of public trust within the state of Oklahoma.

“Daniel Giraldi disgraced the office of Assistant District Attorney,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “As a public servant, he had a duty to act with integrity and competence. Instead, he violated the law and the trust placed in him by the District Attorney and the people of Ottawa County. Investigators with the Miami Police Department, District Attorney’s Office, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and FBI were unyielding in their pursuit of justice in this case, thus ensuring Giraldi’s conviction.”

“The citizens of Ottawa County entrusted Daniel Giraldi to represent them ethically and transparently,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward Gray. “In a reprehensible misuse of public trust, he exploited his position and undermined the integrity of the District Attorney’s Office. The FBI stands firm with our law enforcement partners in rooting out all forms of public corruption, no matter the person, position, or purpose.”

In the plea agreement, Giraldi admitted that on April 19, 2022, he carried and possessed Oxycodone with intent to distribute. Giraldi had texted a defendant approximately a week earlier and agreed to bring the drug when the two rendezvoused for sex.

Giraldi further admitted to defrauding the citizens of Oklahoma and the Ottawa County District Attorney’s Office of their right to honest and faithful services that he owed to them as an Assistant District Attorney, stating that he took bribes in exchange for corrupt official acts that benefitted defendants. 

Specifically, he stated that he would receive something of value, including sexual acts with multiple women, in exchange for favorable treatment that included reduction of bond amounts on criminal defendants, the dismissal of traffic violations, and other corrupt actions. The crimes occurred from approximately February 2019 through April 19, 2022.

The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Miami Police Department, and District Attorney’s Office-District 13 conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle M. McWaters is prosecuting the case.

Grand jury indicts Joplin man on meth trafficking, weapons charges

A federal grand jury indictment of a Joplin man on meth trafficking and weapons charges was unsealed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Travis Hurlbert, 32, Joplin, allegedly possessed methamphetamine with intent to sell, possessed a handgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was a felon in possession of a firearm, on July 29, 2021, in Jasper County

A second felon in charge of a firearm charge alleges Hurlbert had a rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun in his possession January 12 in Newton County.

Watch live: January 6 Committee Hearing

 

Jason Smith: Exposing Biden's $532 billion spending spree

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

There’s no bigger challenge facing our nation right now than crippling, 40-year high inflation. These difficult economic times are forcing families to make tough financial decisions every day, whether it’s buying fewer groceries, putting less gas in the tank, or canceling family vacations.

At the same time when millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet, Washington Democrats and President Biden are fueling the inflation crisis by spending hundreds of billions of dollars to advance their radical agenda and reward their political allies. 

They still haven’t learned their lesson after they tanked the economy by passing their $2 trillion wasteful spending bill last year. And they are still talking about a new package that would add hundreds of billions, if not trillions, in new spending.

But that’s just the funding they’re trying to pass through Congress. Since President Biden took office, he has issued executive action after executive action to secretly put his radical agenda in place. Alarmed by this administration’s executive overreach, I asked the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to find out the real cost of his actions. What CBO found should concern all Americans: with the stroke of a pen and without any input from Congress, President Biden’s executive actions have cost taxpayers $532 billion.

So how did President Biden spend $532 billion in taxpayer funding?

Let’s start with handouts to the wealthy. President Biden spent $85 billion to continue a pandemic-era student loan payment moratorium benefitting higher income earners. An overwhelming majority of Americans - 87% - do not have federal student loans; 60% of student loan debt is held by households with incomes over $74,000. It’s unacceptable that President Biden is considering another handout to the wealthy, this time by spending an estimated $230 billion to cancel $10,000 worth of student loan debt for American households that earn as much as $300,000 per year.

Immigrants are also benefiting from President Biden’s executive actions. His administration wasted $20 billion to end the Trump-era public charge restrictions on immigration, which protected taxpayers from awarding welfare benefits to immigrants. On top of fueling the crisis at the border, his radical immigration agenda is costing taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars.

As hardworking Americans have struggled to put food on the table and clothes on their backs, President Biden has spent billions of dollars to get rid of work incentives for individuals who receive government assistance. With the stroke of a pen, President Biden threw $11 billion in taxpayer funding down the drain by eliminating strengthened work requirements in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for able-bodied adults without dependents.

President Biden has been a disaster when it comes to supporting working families. Instead of wasting hundreds of billions of dollars to reduce work incentives and benefit the wealthy, President Biden and Washington Democrats need to focus on solving the significant challenges we face, like curbing inflation, securing the border, and getting our economy back on track.

Unfortunately, the left will stop at nothing to force their radical agenda on American families. They believe that they can protect vulnerable Washington Democrats in the November elections by passing their $5 trillion Build Back Broke bill – this time by breaking it up into smaller pieces.

The bottom line is that Americans do not want – and absolutely cannot afford – Washington Democrats’ reckless spending. As your voice in Washington, I will do everything I can to protect Missourians from the left’s wasteful spending and non-stop attacks on our freedoms, values, and way of life.

Cori Bush: Connectivity Program providing affordable, high speed internet

(From First District Congresswoman Cori Bush)

The COVID-19 pandemic thrust us into a way of life that so many struggled in adapting to because of economic challenges such as access to broadband and internet services. 

So many of us were thrust into new realities: zoom school, telework, telehealth, virtual weddings – the list goes on. But not everyone in our community has access to computer or internet service.

Nearly 30 million people in America are living without internet access. In Missouri, 15% of households don’t have an internet subscription and 5% of Missourians live in areas where there is zero broadband infrastructure. 

Too often, a family’s education level, income, and region determine the quality and attainability of broadband services – and it need not be that way.

Fortunately, the Biden-Harris administration agrees. The administration’s Internet for All initiative as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will invest $45 billion to provide affordable, reliable, high-speed internet for everyone in America by the end of the decade. This is an important step towards addressing the nationwide disparities in internet access.

The official program the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will provide ACP-qualifying households high-speed internet access from 20 top internet providers. Pairing ACP benefits with one of the 20 participating companies provides low-income households with high-speed internet. The program will provide eligible households $30 per month off their internet bills.

To find out if you’re eligible and how to apply for ACP benefits visit How to Apply - ACP - Universal Service Administrative Company (affordableconnectivity.gov) , Get Internet | The White House , or call (877) 384-2575.

To find the list of eligible participating service providers visit Get Internet | The White House.

The Affordable Connectivity Program initiative will help bridge the gap between which groups of people can obtain top-rate cyber services by enabling tens of millions of people to lower their monthly internet payments. Our office wants to make sure that everyone who is eligible takes advantage of this opportunity.