November 22, 2009
R.J. Cooper - Courthouse Reporter
Rumors surround 1980 killings
Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009
The crickets chirp among themselves, while wind whispers through the trees down this rural Andrew County road.
The gravel gave way to pavement awhile back. A few years ago, someone demolished that one-story, white house to make way for the Oakmont Hills subdivision and its pastoral homes and painted wood fences.
With each passing year, life sweeps away a little more of the scene 22-year-old Rose Burkert left for a romantic getaway in a hotel in Amana, Iowa, 29 years ago. In its place remains only the murmur of rumors.
Friday, Sept. 18, 2009
After the flurry of settlements finally subsides, it appears only Triumph Foods and Missouri Gas Energy will head to trial in the aftermath of a 2005 explosion during the construction of the pork plant.
Heartland close to settling lawsuitThursday, Sept. 17, 2009
Heartland Regional Medical Center and a former employee appear close to a settlement in the St. Joseph woman’s lawsuit against the hospital.
County raises property tax levyWednesday, Sept. 16, 2009
The Buchanan County Commission raised the county’s general fund tax levy to .0845 on every $100 in 2009, from .0689 in 2008.
Even with decreases to the road and bridge and handicap tax levies, the general levy will go up slightly more than 1 cent per $100 evaluation for 2009.
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009
Law enforcement officials practically lined up to arrest Jeremy Hicks on Tuesday morning.
Third suspect arrested in robberyTuesday, Sept. 15, 2009
The third suspect in a Wal-Mart parking lot robbery last week turned up for his arraignment Tuesday morning.
Triumph close to settlement with insurersTuesday, Sept. 15, 2009
Triumph Foods and three insurance companies could complete a settlement between them within the next two weeks, attorneys told Buchanan County Circuit Judge Randall Jackson on Monday morning.
Expo Center plans making progressMonday, Sept. 14, 2009
The plans for an agribusiness expo center sit somewhere between the dugout and third base.
At any rate, that’s progress.
Marty Grey, the chairman of the Buchanan County ag/expo center board, articulated the project’s status in a stream of sports analogies last week.
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009
Just four days from his scheduled jury trial, Walter Ross, 50, opted to plead guilty Friday in Buchanan County Circuit Court for his role in a 2007 robbery.
Commission seeks new bid processThursday, Sept. 10, 2009
The Buchanan County Commission opted to reopen the bid process for the county employees’ health and dental insurance.
Triumph nearing settlement in lawsuitThursday, Sept. 10, 2009
Judge Randall Jackson made it for the trial setting in Triumph Foods’ lawsuit against three insurance companies.
Mandates add to sex offender registrySunday, Sept. 6, 2009
Ever-shifting legislative and judicial landscapes have required the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department to retread its steps in registering sex offenders.
In 2006, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that laws can’t retroactively apply to people. Sex offenders whose crimes came before the state’s Megan’s Law in 1995 didn’t have to register, the court said.
So Buchanan County removed about 130 names from its sex offender registry.
Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009
John Everett, 19, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a St. Joseph woman on Friday in Buchanan County Circuit Court.
Budget figures come up shortSaturday, Sept. 5, 2009
August took the silver lining from July’s sales tax figures and tore it to shreds.
Funds allow court to hire more helpSaturday, Sept. 5, 2009
Establishing and running the first domestic violence court in Missouri about three years ago required the work of about 100 people.
Clark convicted of statutory sodomyThursday, Sept. 3, 2009
A Buchanan County jury deliberated for a little more than an hour before finding Roger Lee Clark guilty of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old St. Joseph girl.
Clark convicted on statutory sodomyWednesday, Sept. 2, 2009
A Buchanan County jury deliberated for a little more than an hour before finding Roger Lee Clark guilty of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old St. Joseph girl.
Mr. Clark, 65, faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison with no ceiling for a maximum. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. in front of Circuit Judge Dan Kellogg.
Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009
The two defendants in the slaying of local businessman Larry Norris made their first appearance in court Tuesday morning, via video conference from the Buchanan County Jail.
Jury deliberates in sexual assault trialWednesday, Sept. 2, 2009
A 65-year-old St. Joseph man accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl awaited his fate Tuesday night after his two-day trial concluded in Buchanan County Circuit Court.
A jury of eight women and four men began deliberating a little before 4 p.m. Tuesday but didn’t reach a verdict by Tuesday evening.
Murder suspects arraigned
Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009
The two defendants in the murder of local businessman Larry Norris made their first court appearance Tuesday morning, via video conference from the Buchanan County jail.
Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009
St. Joseph could put itself on the map of the global software community.
The Buchanan County Commission is prepared to provide Jumbofox Inc. with up to $200,000 in forgivable loans to chase that possibility.
The commission voted on Friday, 2-1, to move forward with the start-up software company, which must provide a letter of intent and a promissory note for the loan to begin. The county will loan the money in four, $50,000 milestones — provided Jumbofox meets its requirements at each level. The money will come from the county’s economic development fund.
Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009
The Shoppes at North Village opened nearly four years ago, but the final bill for the project remains open. The contractor, Clarkson Construction Co. of Kansas City, claims Buchanan County owes an outstanding balance of $564,084 for work it did on North Village Drive and some sewer work. The county isn’t so sure.
Griffons’ WR Mead out indefinitelySaturday, Aug. 22, 2009
Missouri Western receiver Andrew Mead is out indefinitely with a concussion.
The senior suffered a concussion in high school and then another during spring ball. On Tuesday night, Mead was involved in a helmet-to-helmet collision that knocked him out.
Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009
When Otis Redding sang (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay, the song ended up at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 100 chart.
Roger Allen’s rendition of The Dock of the Bay was somewhat less well received.
Allen went undrafted in April and signed with the St. Louis Rams as a free agent. One of the first tastes the former Missouri Western right guard got of the NFL came in the familiar form of rookie hazing.
Monday, Aug. 3, 2009
KANSAS CITY — The MIAA’s coaches preseason poll edged a little closer to death-and-taxes status Monday — at least as its relates to the member schools from this part of the state.
The conference unveiled its 2009 poll during the annual football luncheon Monday at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, and in a result that’s about as shocking as sun rises and steroid revelations, the coaches picked Northwest Missouri State to finish first and Missouri Western to place fifth.
The Bearcats received eight first-place votes, while the other two went to Pittsburg State. Coaches can’t vote for their own teams.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tom Smith spent much of last season lamenting the bruising schedule he assembled for his inexperienced team.
The Griffons emerged with a 3-4 record in 2008-09 from a nonconference slate that featured four contests against NCAA tournament teams. But despite Smith occasionally expressing regret over the Griffons’ tough road last season, the Griffons coach didn’t exactly change his approach for the upcoming campaign.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Only the most devoted tennis fan likely will recognize many of the players who will spend the next week competing in the USTA Pro Circuit event in St. Joseph.
But as the competition begins its fourth decade in St. Joseph, it still remains a bargain and window for the future of the game.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Missouri Western finally found a way to make the trip to Hays, Kan., seem shorter.
Contrary to the original schedule, the Griffons football team now will travel to Mesa State in Grand Junction, Colo., for the Sept. 5 matchup this season. Western plans to fly into Denver and then take a four-hour bus ride through the mountains to the western edge of the state.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Todd Throckmorton’s first office at Missouri Western contained about 36 square feet of space in a shared room in the basement of the Looney Complex.
“Man, they were small,” Throckmorton said of the current basketball offices and former home of Western football. “It seemed like you were right on top of each other.”
The longtime football coach need not worry about space in his third stint at Western. He returned to St. Joseph this spring to plans of a more spacious tomorrow.
Bearcats, Griffons get chance to fight it out on digital turf
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The race for Division II football supremacy kicked off on campuses across the country Tuesday.
Northwest Missouri State fans should be pleased to learn the national title is coming back to Maryville — at least in virtual form.
EA Sports launched its NCAA Football 10 video game Tuesday. And while the annual release date is always cause for celebration among gamers, this year’s new Team Builder mode means the virtual world is no longer the exclusive playground of Division I schools.
Monday, July 13, 2009
With two holes to go, Gary Kirkpatrick Jr. didn’t believe victory was possible — a view shared by those gathered at the Moila Country Club for the final round of the 2009 Club Championship on Sunday.
Former coach Keister opens about Western investigationFriday, July 10, 2009
Josh Keister kept quiet for nearly two years, waiting for the investigation to conclude into allegations that the former Missouri Western women’s coach and assistant Joey Wells paid players during their time in St. Joseph.
The NCAA released its findings Wednesday, exonerating Keister and Wells of the major allegations despite Western’s previous investigation that concluded “more probably than not” Keister and Wells paid at least a $1,000 to three former players. Cleared but not content, Keister is ready to say his piece.
Friday, July 10, 2009
When Cory Frederick first arrived at Missouri Western, success and the volleyball program went together pretty well.
The Griffons had just made an NCAA tournament appearance and continued to be competitive while Frederick served as an assistant coach from 2001-2003. Frederick left to be the head men’s coach at Park University (NAIA) in Parkville, Mo., and the program to which he returned this year bore little resemblance to those Western squads from the early part of the decade.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The NCAA released the findings of its investigation into the Missouri Western women’s basketball team Wednesday, revealing a different major violation but essentially agreeing with the university’s self-imposed penalties.
The Division II Committee on Infractions concluded that Western used an ineligible player during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons — a major violation.
Three sources, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed for the News-Press that the player in question was 2006-07 MIAA MVP Inga Buzoka, who apparently sacrificed her amateur status by playing professionally in Europe from 2000-2003.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The NCAA cleared former Missouri Western assistant Joey Wells of any wrong doing when it released the findings of its investigation into the Griffon women’s program.
But Wednesday still wasn’t exactly a day to celebrate for Wells, who is now an assistant at Division I Lamar in Beaumont, Texas.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Ron Selkirk spends 30 hours, seven days each week giving tennis lessons at the St. Joseph Tennis and Swim Club. He also manages the club, oversees its finances and reports to its board.
Meet Missouri Western’s women’s tennis coach.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Last season was not the year of the Griffon. Missouri Western’s women’s athletics suffered through an unprecedented stretch of futility during the 2008-09 year, with two-thirds of its programs bringing up the rear in conference play — the most since the Griffons went up to six women’s teams in 2005.
NCAA panel proposes shorter sports seasonsWednesday, July 8, 2009
Looking for a better balance in student-athletes’ lives, the NCAA wants to lighten scheduling scales for Division II.
Mustangs cruise to victory before 2,587Saturday, July 4, 2009
When Sam Lind agreed to come play for the St. Joseph Mustangs, it seemed like a solid opportunity to hone his skills this summer before heading back to the University of Missouri.
Layout for Chiefs training camp venue at Missouri Western all but finalizedThursday, June 4, 2009
After the plans for a proposed indoor practice facility underwent more face lifts than Joan Rivers, Missouri Western has all but finalized its layout for the venue that will host the Chiefs training camp.
Williams: 5-year pact with Chiefs OKWednesday, June 3, 2009
Western athletic director Dave Williams stressed Tuesday that it’s in the Chiefs’ and university’s best interests to agree to a five-year deal for the NFL team’s training camp and then reevaluate the partnership each of the ensuing five years, as the Chiefs and Western apparently have agreed to in principle.
Williams: Agreement on Chiefs camp $100,000 awayWednesday, June 3, 2009
Missouri Western athletic director Dave Williams said Tuesday that less than $100,000 stands between the university and an agreement to bring the Kansas City Chiefs training camp to St. Joseph. The negotiations appeared to be at a stalemate last week when Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s office threatened to sit on the money the Missouri Development Finance Board authorized for the Chiefs this winter unless the team committed to 10 summers at Western. The board approved $25 million in tax credits for the Chiefs, who then in turn pledged to donate $10 million to Western to construct an indoor practice facility.
Stymied Savannah erupts for district titleFriday, May 22, 2009
Jeff Leake feared it, Eric Bodenhausen anticipated it and Caleb Riekhof and company delivered it.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Missouri Western doesn’t know where its home softball field will sit next year, but the Griffons intend to host the South Central regional regardless.
The Griffons’ season ended with a 5-1 loss to host Southeastern Oklahoma State on Sunday in the South Central regional. Western finishes up the year 47-12, buoyed by an MIAA-record, 32-game win streak.
The Griffons placed second in the conference after a preseason coaches’ projection of sixth and beat every team in the MIAA. But Western probably won’t surprise anyone next year. The Griffons return six of their eight position starters and all three pitchers.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
KANSAS CITY — Add Tuesday to the growing list of highlights for the 2009 Royals.
The clips of Mike Jacobs’ mammoth home run and the Royals mobbing John Buck after his game-winning single in the 11th inning against the Chicago White Sox are welcome sights for a beleaguered fan base.
The Royals also drew 11 walks in that game, and while those free passes didn’t make for such great television, they were as important, if not more so, to Kansas City’s stirring comeback. And they’re just another sign that this is a changed ball club.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
DURANT, Okla. — Missouri Western’s clutch-hitting woes followed the Griffons to Oklahoma.
The Griffons’ bats generated plenty of hits but not enough in succession during a 2-1 loss to Abilene Christian in the opening round of the South Central regional on Friday.
Royals react to Dodger slugger’s 50-game drug suspension
Friday, May 8, 2009
Royals manager Trey Hillman received the biggest baseball news of the day moments before he walked into the interview room at Kauffman Stadium for his pregame press conference Thursday. News broke late in the morning that Major League Baseball had suspended Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez for 50 games for violating its policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Ramirez released a statement claiming that the substance was not a steroid and prescribed by a doctor. Ramirez opted to forgo an appeal of the suspension and will forfeit nearly $8 million of his $25 million this season as a result.
Royals manufacture enough runs to support Bannister's gemFriday, May 8, 2009
KANSAS CITY — Trey Hillman knew after the Royals’ first at-bat Thursday that it was going to take a finite approach to beat Seattle’s Jarrod Washburn.
Jones has it, in the circle and in her purseFriday, May 8, 2009
With another MIAA tournament game approaching last weekend, Keri Franks grabbed all of her catcher’s gear and headed down to the bullpen for warm-ups.
Friday, May 1, 2009
While the Kansas City Chiefs and the state of Missouri wrangle over the details of bringing the NFL team’s training camp to St. Joseph, Missouri Western continues to proceed as if it’s a done deal.
The Chiefs committed to bringing their camp to St. Joseph for at least five years with an option for five, one-year extensions after that. The state wants a straight 10-year commitment.
But Western doesn’t have the luxury of waiting for a final verdict.
JOB SEARCH
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