Month: March 2021

The Lebanon School District Board held a special session Wednesday morning and accepted the resignation of high school principal Kevin Lowery.

The board voted unanimously to accept Lowery’s resignation and approval of Kati O’Quinn as interim principal through the end of the school year.

Lowery was first suspected in February of an improper relationship with a student. The district placed him on administrative leave in February after police began investigating the allegations.

The investigation started when a high school counselor called the Department of Social Services.

Lowery is not currently facing any charges, however the case has been referred to the Camden County Prosecutor’s office by Laclede County officials. A representative from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office told KWTO the case is still under review.

He’s been hinting at it for two weeks, but Missouri Attorney Eric Schmitt has officially announced a run for the United States Senate in 2022.

Here’s the press release sent from the Schmitt campaign Wednesday morning:

ST. LOUIS – Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced today that he is running for the U.S. Senate in 2022.

“With the radical left controlling all of the levers of power in Washington, we can already feel our values, our culture and our country slipping away.  Now more than ever Missourians need a conservative leader willing and able to take on the left, protect our values and be a voice for all Missourians.  

“We also need a leader who can hold this Senate seat in firm Republican hands without giving Democrats any chance to take this seat back.  Republicans won the last two U.S. Senate seats in Missouri by approximately 3 percent and 6 percent. In my public service, I have never quit fighting for Missouri and our conservative values. Missourians deserve a life-long conservative who they know will never quit fighting for them.

“Missourians know from my public service that they can count on me to stand up to the Biden administration, fight to preserve President Trump’s America First agenda and keep this seat in safe pro-Trump Republican hands.

“We need more fighters in Washington willing to stop the radical cancel culture agenda being advanced by the left that is destroying lives and suppressing speech.

“I am fighting every day to protect and defend our constitution in my service to Missourians as their Attorney General.  I fought alongside President Trump in defending election integrity, championing pro-growth economic policy, protecting our energy independence, and standing up to radical prosecutors who have allowed violent crime to rule our cities instead of upholding the rule of law.  As Attorney General, I’ve already sued the Biden administration and I’m going to keep suing Joe Biden to protect all Missourians when necessary.  I’ve been holding the Biden administration and the Democrats accountable on important issues like border security, the Second Amendment and regulations that cripple our economy.  

“In the U.S. Senate, I will continue the fight to preserve the conservative policies championed by President Trump that built the strongest economy in American history.”

Attorney General Schmitt is a sixth-generation Missourian. He and his wife, Jaime, are the proud parents of Stephen, Sophia and Olivia.

For more information go to SchmittForSenate.com, @Eric_Schmitt and @SchmittforSenate on Twitter, and SchmittForSenate on Facebook.

The city of Branson’s Board of Aldermen voted to repeal the city’s masking mandate but it won’t take effect for 60 days.

The Board voted 4-2 for a repeal on May 24. The no votes came from Alderman Larry Milton, running for the Mayor’s seat against incumbent Edd Akers, and Julia King.

CoxHealth physician Shawn Usery spoke to the Board asking for them to extend the mask mandate a “little longer” because of the impact visitors coming to Branson could have on the spread of the virus.

“As more people come to Branson, it is likely without a mitigation strategy that number of cases will begin to rise again for both locals and for visitors,” Usery said. “In addition to putting our community at risk, this could possibly hurt Branson’s desirability as a tourist destination.”

“We need a masking ordinance for just a bit longer,” Usery added. “Until we get sufficient numbers of our community members vaccinated.”

Councilman Milton objected to the process, saying most citizens were not aware of what was going on with the bill because of the changes being made so close to the meeting.

“The majority of the people about to speak are unaware of these changes to this ordinance,” Milton said during discussion of the issue. “I’m trying to let the public know before they start to speak what it is that we just proposed because they don’t know. Our agenda on the website did not say it was revised. So anyone who read this ordinance…has no idea.”

“We are not voting on something tonight to repeal it immediately, which the public believes,” Milton said, “We’re talking about something that’s effective May 9th.”

Milton moved after public comment to have the ordinance take effect immediately, but the motion died from a lack of second.

Alderman Jeff Seay made a motion to move the date from May 9th to May 24th, because he said that vaccines may not be available to get the city’s front-line workers their second shots.

Alderman King said that working in healthcare she can’t vote for something that would harm her field of work the next day. She said she can’t support a repeal until the statistics show it would be safe to get rid of masks.

Milton then had city staff confirm that a “future” board could revisit the delay and was informed that a future board could bring a new ordinance to supercede this ordinance.

Anonymous texts were sent to Springfield voters attacking two candidates for the school board, claiming their support of “Critical Race Theory” and “drag queen values.”

The texts, which do not identify the sender or who paid for the messages, read: “Critical Race Theory & drag queen values…that’s what your children will get with school board candidates Danielle Kincaid and Daniel Ogunyemi. We can do better, Springfield!” A photo showed candidate Danielle Kincaid and others at a drag queen event.

When recipients of the messages would respond to ask for the sender to identify themselves, they would receive no response. The message appeared to be sent from a variety of phone numbers.

The texts then spread across social media, with many residents and opposing candidates expressing their anger at the unsolicited messages.

“Two of my fellow candidates for school board (Daniel Ogenyumi and Danielle Kincaid) were attacked by text messages today, implying they would not be suited for school board service because they support racial equity and inclusion and support of LGBTQ+ friends,” school board candidate Brandi VanAntwerp posted on Twitter. “I do not support these smear tactics. I stand with my fellow candidates in solidarity and want to confirm my support for equity and inclusion in our schools. I support the rights of LGBTQ+ students. As a school board member I pledge to support ALL students, teachers, and staff. Public schools must abide by the Equal Educational Opportunities Act to prohibit discrimination on all accounts.”

Neither Kincaid nor Ogunyemi posted a personal response on social media, although the campaign page for Kincaid posted this statement:

Earlier today an unknown opponent of Danielle’s campaign for Springfield Public Schools Board of Education spent the afternoon harassing voters with an unsolicited mass text message containing hateful and divisive language about Danielle and another candidate in a desperate attempt to distract from the important issues facing voters on April 6th. Danielle will never apologize for her commitment to upholding the dignity and value of every child in our school district. Danielle has and will continue to run a positive campaign focused on supporting all students, educators, staff, and parents in our school district.

City Council candidate Justin Burnett posted on Facebook: “Today, two excellent candidates for SPS Board (Daniel Ogunyemi & Danielle Kincaid) were smeared by text message with racist & anti-LGBTQ propoganda. I believe in an inclusive school system, as these two candidates do, & reject these hateful, disgusting smear tactics.”

Burnett encouraged those who received the texts to report them to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

The city of Springfield could start lifting COVID-19 restrictions in a matter of weeks.

The possible plan is based on three key indicators, including vaccination rates. the seven-day average of new cases, and the dropping number of COVID-19 patients in Springfield hospitals.

Currently, Springfield is still in what’s known as the “red phase,” meaning occupancy restrictions and mask-wearing are still required.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol rescue team found a body Monday evening during the search for a missing kayaker on the James River near Nixa.

The team found the body about 100 yards from where the kayaker was reported to have disappeared.

The body has not been positively identified as the missing man.

A higher than normal water level hampered the search, and rescuers searched areas with slower river flow.

MoDOT announced that a series of lane closures planned for James River Freeway between Kansas Expressway and the Scenic Avenue bridge, and Golden Avenue under Route 60. The closures were originally scheduled for March 10-16, but were delayed because of weather issues.

• U.S. Route 60 (James River Freeway) westbound driving lane closed between Kansas Expressway and the Scenic Avenue bridge over U.S. Route 60; 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tuesday & Wednesday, March 23 & 24
• U.S. Route 60 (James River Freeway) eastbound driving lane closed between Golden Avenue under Route 60 and the Scenic Avenue bridge over Route 60; 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Thursday & Friday, March 25 & 26

Contractor crews will be repairing components under the Scenic Avenue bridge over James River Freeway.

The construction will have the following impacts:

• Route 60 westbound and eastbound reduced to one lane during the day
• One lane of Route 60 will remain open in each direction
• All lanes of Route 60 open during nighttime hours
• Scenic Avenue bridge over Route 60 (James River Freeway) open
• Drivers urged to find alternate routes. No signed detours are planned.
• Electronic message boards located near the planned road work will alert drivers to any changes in the work schedule

Weather can delay the project.

The man who shot and killed his wife and in-laws Saturday night near Strafford told the dispatcher when he called 911 that he did because his in-laws wouldn’t leave.

Jesse Huy, 50, is facing three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his wife Tonya, 48, and her parents Ronald L. Koehler, 71, and Linda Koehler, 78, both of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Huy responded to the dispatcher’s question about why he committed the crime by saying the in-laws had in his view overstayed their visit.

“Well, they wouldn’t leave,” Huy told the dispatcher. “I’ve been waiting for a week for them to leave and they wouldn’t leave. I’ve had enough.”

Huy expanded on his reasons for committing the crimes after he was taken into custody and read his Miranda rights. He said the in-laws had come to help his wife after back surgery but then just seemed to move in.

“I felt intruded on, I felt disrespected, you know,” Huy told investigators. “I pay the fucking bill on that place so that gives me some say. [Linda Koehler] burrowed in like a tick and made it obvious she wasn’t going anywhere and she knew I wasn’t happy about it.”

Huy said that his wife was siding with her parents, saying she owned half the house and therefore her parents could stay as long as they wanted to stay.

When asked to describe the actual murders, Huy said he had come home to find the trio gone. He was in the upstairs portion of the home with his father when the three returned and went into the home’s basement. Huy confronted them, telling the in-laws they would have to leave, but his wife again defended her parents and said they could stay as long as they wanted to stay.

“So I went outside. I got my gun,” Huy said. “I walked back in. I shot them all in the head. Then I shot them all in the head again to make sure they were down.”

Huy then went into detail. He said he walked in and found Ronald Koehler in his chair at the table, so he shot him first. He said Linda Koehler “was surprised” that he shot her husband, and that’s when he shot her. He then turned and shot his wife. Investigators asked if anything was said, and Huy said there was nothing more than a little bit of a squeal.

“It was over real quick,” he said.

Huy was asked if he wished he could have chose a different action.

“You know, I wish I could take it back, but on the other hand I really wish I hadn’t been put in that position,” he responded.

Huy said if someone disrespects him three times he’ll “fix that problem.” He then requested to be placed in a cell alone because “now that I’ve murdered three people I’ve got nothing holding me back.”

Huy’s father, who was upstairs when the shooting took place, confirmed his son’s story when questioned by investigators.

Huy is in the Greene County Jail without bond. He currently has no attorney of record. He could face the death penalty in the case if convicted on all charges.

A man is charged with first degree murder, armed criminal action and burglary after authorities found a woman dead Saturday afternoon outside of her home in Humansville.

The Polk County sheriff says deputies pulled over Kaleb Stamper after getting a warrant for his arrest.

Stamper apparently knew the victim, whose name has not been released.

The victim was found in the 600 block of Mill Street.

Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe has made an announcement that instead of making a bid for Roy Blunt’s U.S. Senate seat in 2022, he will instead run for governor in 2024.

The Missouri Times is quoting Kehoe as saying while he’s been honored by the encouragement and offers of support to help him serve as Missouri’s next U.S. Senator, his true calling remains working on behalf of Missourians as lieutenant governor and as a candidate for governor in 2024.

Governor Parson appointed Kehoe as lieutenant governor on June 18, 2018 after Parson vacated the position to become Governor following the resignation of Eric Greitens.