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Missouri governor weighs in on St. Louis and Kansas City gun laws

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:51 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Governor Mike Parson is weighing in on proposed St. Louis and Kansas City gun bans. Mayor Tishaura Jones and other St. Louis leaders are pushing for legislation to prohibit “military-grade weapons” on city streets. It would make it a crime for “insurrectionists” and those convicted of hate crimes to possess firearms. Five new Missouri laws to know that become official Monday "I think you have to be very careful to stay in your lanes. Cities can’t just go out there and do what they want to do, and when there is a constitutional issue to it, or state legislature do it, they can’t supersede that. Just like we can’t supersede the federal government," said Gov. Parson. "Whether you like it or not, when the law is passed, you’ve got to obey the law, is the way I look at it, and there are no exceptions."Mayor Tishaura Jones announced the wide-ranging legislation last week, noting support from several members of the Board of Aldermen. The board could begin ...

Trump's federal Jan. 6 case set for trial on March 4

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:51 GMT

Former President Trump is set to face trial in March 2024 in the Justice Department’s case targeting his efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election.The decision from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to begin jury selection on March 4 comes after special counsel Jack Smith’s team asked for a Jan. 2, 2024, trial date, while Trump’s team suggested a trial date in April 2026."These proposals are very far apart and for reasons I'll get into shortly none of them is acceptable," Chutkan said at the start of the hearing.“While Mr. Trump has the right to prepare, the public has a right to prompt and efficient resolution of this matter,” she added later. In setting the date, Chutkan noted Trump would face trial more than three years from the day a mob of his supporters ransacked the Capitol after attending his rally.Chutkan at turns criticized both prosecutors and Trump’s legal team for proposing a trial date either too soon or too distant, risking either faili...

Man charged in St. Louis Place police chase

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:51 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- A man is accused of leading police on a high speed chase with a stolen car over the weekend. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office is charging Treveon Horton, 19, with burglary, resisting arrest, property damage, and leaving the scene of an accident. He is currently in jail with no bond allowed.Officers spotted someone driving a stolen Dodge Durango in the St. Louis Place neighborhood at around 9:45 p.m. Saturday. The vehicle sped off when officers tried to pull it over. They followed in a "Tactical Pursuit." Five new Missouri laws to know that become official Monday The stolen vehicle ran over spike strips placed by police at the intersection of 11th and Madison. The driver continued to drive through the St. Louis Place neighborhood as the tires deflated to avoid officers and ran over more spike strips.The Durango eventually hit a St. Louis Forestry vehicle while speeding through the alley in the 1300 block of Clinton. This disabled the stolen SUV and Horton rand f...

What is fentanyl?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:51 GMT

Fentanyl is a highly addictive, synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Here’s what you need to know about it:There is pharmaceutical fentanyl prescribed to treat pain and illicitly manufactured fentanyl.Illicit fentanyl can be found both as a white powder and a clear liquid. It is frequently mixed into drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, or pressed into pills made to resemble other prescription opioids.Fentanyl is tasteless and odorless. The only way to determine whether it is in a drug is using fentanyl test strips.Smoking is the primary method used to deliberately consume illicit fentanyl. Fentanyl can be injected, but this poses a higher risk of overdose due to the drug’s potency.Illicit fentanyl is mainly manufactured in foreign labs and smuggled into the United States through Mexico.Illicit fentanyl first arrived in Los Angeles around 2016, but its use started increasing exponentially in 2019 and has continued growing e...

Colorado AG confirms Wyatts Towing investigation: “You shouldn’t have to be a state senator to be treated fairly”

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:51 GMT

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on Monday took the unusual step of publicly acknowledging his office’s investigation into Wyatts Towing, days after a state senator who helped write last year’s towing legislation said she was illegally towed.Weiser told The Denver Post in an interview that Sen. Julie Gonzales’ case exemplifies the concerning behavior from Colorado’s largest towing company that prompted his office’s probe last year.“You shouldn’t have to be a state senator to be treated fairly,” Weiser said. “Sen. Gonzales didn’t have to pay the substantial fee only because she had the knowledge and ability to advocate for herself. Most people wouldn’t be in that position.”State investigators will be contacting Gonzales, Weiser said, and adding her testimony to the growing body of evidence the office has collected.“We want to make sure we’re protecting consumers and taking on any company that pre...

“I still get joy from my life”: Blind former inmate reflects on life after Boulder jail settlement

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:51 GMT

On Wednesday, Ryan Partridge received about $1.5 million of his $2.5 million settlement after a lawsuit against Boulder County Jail for employees’ “excessive force” and “deliberate indifference” against him while he was an inmate facing serious psychiatric needs in 2016.Partridge, 37, settled the lawsuit Aug. 9, almost seven years after he was released from Boulder County Jail. Throughout his stay, Partridge made multiple suicide attempts and committed forms of self-harm, including gouging his eyes out, which led to permanent blindness, and banging his head on a metal toilet that caused him to break seven teeth.Today, Partridge lives with his two divorced parents, who got back together to help care for him. He is on medication to treat his schizophrenia and is seeing a local care team. However he will likely remain blind for the rest of his life.Ryan Partridge with his father, Richard, left, and mother, Shelley, at their home in Boulder on Wednesday. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photograp...

State targets 'forced outing policy' of Chino Valley school board

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:51 GMT

The state of California is taking action in an attempt to stop a controversial Chino Valley Unified School District policy involving transgender students from being enacted.Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday announced that the state Department of Justice is suing the CVUSD board over its requirement that parents be notified if their child asks to use a name or pronoun other than that listed on their birth certificate or school records, something described as a "forced outing policy.""The policy also requires notification if a student requests to use facilities or participates in programs that don't align with their sex on official records," Bonta's office said in a press release. The policy was approved last month with a 4-1 vote, despite a decidedly mixed response from those in attendance at the meeting.School boards nationwide have been urged by conservative parents and groups to enact such policies, though their efforts haven't always been successful at higher levels.For instan...

Green Day capitalizes on Trump's viral mugshot with new merchandise benefiting Maui wildfire victims 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:51 GMT

Donald Trump became the first former president to have his mugshot taken on Thursday, and the image has quickly become a viral sensation. Within days of the photo's release, it was plastered all over shirts, posters, mugs and even beverage coolers. And while some merchandise is for sale on Trump’s Save America fundraising committee website, others are making their own custom shirts featuring the now-infamous mugshot. California's own Green Day, the alternative band known for their songs “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Basket Case,” is one of the groups that have joined in on the viral merchandising trend.As a play on their 1997 album "Nimrod," which features two men with their faces obscured by a yellow circle bearing the word "nimrod" on it, Green Day adapted the shirt to feature Trump’s mugshot instead, with his face obscured by the same yellow "nimrod" circle featured on the original cover.Proceeds from the shirt will be donated to the Greater Good Music cha...

Local police department sends off retiring K9 cop in style

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:51 GMT

With a touching final radio call and a cake, police in Placentia, California honored a beloved K9 officer who retired last week.“We would like to thank K9 Kyra for her 38-and-a-half dog years … otherwise known as eight human years of distinguished service to the Placentia Police Department,” the dispatcher says in a video posted to social media featuring the nine-year-old Belgian Malinois and her handler, Officer Jeff Irvine.“You can now take your well-deserved rest, chase squirrels instead of bad guys and enjoy some belly rubs and back scratches. Your presence will be greatly missed. Go enjoy being a dog. Good girl, Kyra. Good girl.”Members of the Placentia Police Department pose with K9 Kyra. Aug. 25, 2023. (Placentia PD)Placentia Police shared a photo of local children sharing messages of gratitude to retiring K9 Kyra. Aug. 25, 2023. (Placentia PD)K9 officer Kyra enjoys her retirement cake. Aug, 25, 2023. (Placentia PD)In her eight years of service, Kyra recovered $10 million to ...

Jose Martinez Killed after Vehicle Crashed into Home near 31st Avenue [Phoenix, AZ]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:22:51 GMT

66-Year-Old Man Dies after a Vehicle Crashed into His Home near Southern AvenuePHOENIX, AZ (August 28, 2023) – Early Wednesday morning, a crash near 31st Avenue claimed the life of Jose Martinez.The incident happened on August 23rd, just after 1:00 a.m. Deputies received a call involving a vehicle that slammed into a home near 31st Avenue and Southern Avenue.According to reports, an SUV, driven by 38-year-old Aaron Johns, was traveling in the area when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed through the downstairs bedroom.In the house, Cynthis Cerecero and David Perales heard a loud bang and went downstairs. There, they found Martinez pinned underneath the SUV.First Responders pronounced 66-year-old Jose Martinez dead at the scene.Following the collision, police arrested Johns and charged him with manslaughter and suspected DUI.No words can mend the broken hearts and sorrow felt during this delicate moment. The Sweet James team sends their deepest condolences and sympathies...