Month: April 2023

Republican State Senator Lincoln Hough, of Springfield, who chairs the State Senate Appropriations Committee, is pushing to expand Governor Parson’s I-70 project to extend across the entire state.

Governor Parson had requested to use $860 million of state funds to expand I-70 around the areas of St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City. Hough wants to add a lane to the entirety of the Missouri section of I-70.

“If we’re going to spend almost a billion dollars in the governor’s request, why don’t we package this in a way that actually gets this project completely done,” Hough said.

A child was hit by a car on I-44 in Pulaski County near Waynesville Wednesday evening.

It happened at the 157-mile marker around 6 pm.

Investigators found the child unconscious and had the boy airlifted to a hospital in Columbia.

Investigators are trying to figure out how the boy made it onto the Interstate and what kind of vehicle hit the child.

The parents were notified.

They lived near the Interstate.      

Crane, Mo. – Roundhouse Services and Storage, a steel pipe storage and fabrication manufacturer, announced today it will expand to Crane, investing nearly $400,000 and creating 10 new jobs. The company will refurbish a 25,000-square-foot facility on 30 acres of land to function as a trans-loading facility.

“Missouri continues to attract leading employers who recognize our state as an ideal business location,” said Governor Mike Parson. “Our low costs, dedication to a stronger workforce, and commitment to improving infrastructure are producing results and growing our economy. We welcome Roundhouse Services and Storage to Crane as it creates jobs and improves lives for Missourians in the area.”

“After running similar successful operations in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Montana, we felt that Missouri would be a great choice for our next venture as it has so many resources to offer,” said Bert Cohen, President of Roundhouse Services and Storage. “Roundhouse Services and Storage has been welcomed into the state with open arms. Our business, steel pipe storage and trans-loading, fills a gap that has been lacking for some time in the Midwest and central regions of the United States. We feel the greater Springfield area is centrally located and has a wonderful mix of talented people and great infrastructure. We look forward to our growth in the city of Crane, and we encourage other enterprises to consider Missouri for their expansion plans.”

“Roundhouse Services and Storage’s new facility is great news for Crane and the Southwest region,” said Maggie Kost, Acting Director of the Department of Economic Development. “To create opportunities for Missourians to prosper, it’s vital that we support the growth of both new and existing businesses. We look forward to the positive impact this company investment will bring to the local community and its families.”

For this expansion, Roundhouse Services and Storage will benefit from the Missouri Works program, a tool that helps companies expand and retain workers by providing access to capital through withholdings or tax credits for job creation.

Another man is facing charges in connection with the shooting near Glendale High School in January.

Prosecutors say Gary McElroy has been charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and weapons charges.

His brother, Keyshawn, is facing the exact charges, which were charged to him in February.

According to investigators, the brothers were involved in a gun deal that went bad and opened fire on a car in the Glendale High School parking lot, shooting a nearby car multiple times.

A short time after the shooting, a man showed up in the hospital with a gunshot wound.

Police determined it was related to the incident at Glendale.

Investigators say they discovered Gary’s connection to the shooting through his social media activity.

Arrest warrants have been issued for two former Drury University students in regards to an alleged rape from 2018.

Lawyer Terrell Morgan-Beckum and Jacob Austin Willhoite have both been charged with felony first-degree rape and felony first-degree sodomy.

According to reports, the victim had reported the rape in 2018. The victim had been pregnant, and DNA was preserved from the pregnancy.

Willhoit and Beckum’s bonds were set at $25,000. Willhoit has a hearing scheduled on April 14th, but Beckum has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.

An inmate at the U-S Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield was indicted for assaulting the warden.

36-year-old Omar Romero-Morales was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield Tuesday.

According to investigators, Romeo-Morales punched the medical center warden in the face.

The incident was investigated by the F-B-I, the Federal Medical Center and Bureau of Prisons.

The former owner of a Springfield car dealership will spend several years in prison for charges of fraud.

Prosecutors say Chris King, the former owner of Queen City Motors, pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and identity theft.

He was sentenced to four years in prison, plus three additional years of probation.

Investigators say King submitted close to 30 automobile loans using potential customers personal information between November of 2018 and November of 2020 and keeping the money for himself.

The total amount was close to $800,000.

The judge also ordered him to pay back over $646,000 back to the victims.