Charges filed against Rolla man in Saint Robert pool hall shooting SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Feb. 8, 2010) — A Rolla man faces charges of both first-degree and second-degree assault in connection with an early Monday morning shooting at OB’s Billiards that sent one victim to the intensive care unit at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital with a bullet wound to his abdomen. St. Robert Police Chief Curtis Curenton confirmed media reports that Erick Carrasco, 23, was arrested by his department and that the two felony charges against Carrasco stemmed from the pool hall shooting. Online court records indicate that Carrasco is being held on a $250,000 cash or surety bond on a Class A felony charge of first-degree assault causing serious physical injury and a Class C felony charge of second-degree assault and that he was charged on Monday, but don’t give details of the reasons for the two charges filed by Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Deborah Hooper. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Fort Leonard Wood announces two-hour delay; only Plato schools closed PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Feb. 8, 2010) — When snow hit Pulaski County last week, schools closed throughout the county but Fort Leonard Wood remained open or was among the last organizations to send personnel home early. However, post personnel decided at 3:40 a.m. today to announce a two-hour reporting delay despite no schools in the county closing their doors. The reporting delay applies only to non-mission-essential personnel; a liberal leave policy is also in effect. Those who have hospital or doctor appointments prior to 9:30 a.m. at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital will have their appointments cancelled and rescheduled. According to post personnel, the reporting delay is due to expected inclement weather rather than current problems. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

One person shot at OB's Billiards in Saint Robert; charges expected soon SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Feb. 8, 2010) — One person is in the intensive care unit at Fort Leonard Wood following an early Monday morning shooting at OB’s Billiards in St. Robert. Names of the victim and alleged shooter have not yet been released by St. Robert police pending filing of charges. According to Det. Doug Cooley, his department has requested that prosecutors file charges of first-degree assault in connection with the 12:08 a.m. shooting. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Gas prices sponsored by Yvonne Reeves-Chong/Auto Financial February 2010 gas prices - Updated Friday, 2/5 Click this line to talk to Yvonne at AutoFinancial/Sellers-Sexton PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (UPDATED Feb. 5, 2010) — Gas prices in the Fort Leonard Wood area declined slightly from Thursday to Friday. The high price on Friday, 2/5, remained at $2.599 at one gas station where it has been since Monday, 1/4. The low price dropped to $2.439 at one gas station, down from $2.459 where it had been since Saturday, 1/30. Two stations lowered their prices by up to 3 cents while no stations raised their prices. Oakwood Service station’s sign has been blown down by wind and employees have refused to disclose their price upon request. Click to see a chart with a complete table of 14 area gas station prices. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ...

Facing $17,000 overage charge, county decides to rent backhoe for $10,500 PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Feb. 8, 2010) — Faced with a choice between spending more than $17,000 for overage charges on a leased backhoe that Eastern District road crews used for more hours than agreed or spending $10,500 to rent a backhoe for one more year, Pulaski County Commissioners agreed Monday to pay $60,300 for a new Western District backhoe, transfer a lightly used backhoe from the Western District to the Eastern District, and pay the one-year rental fees for a second backhoe in the Eastern District. All of the backhoes will be Caterpillar equipment sold or rented to the county by Benny Walker of Fabick, Inc. Western District Commissioner Rick Zweerink won’t be left with only one backhoe in his district; he plans to investigate purchasing a new John Deere backhoe from a different dealer. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Pulaski County isn't planning to ban smoking in bars and restaurants WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Feb. 6, 2010) — Contrary to a recent media report, Pulaski County government leaders have no plans to make county bars and restaurants smoke-free. At Wednesday’s county commission meeting, Commissioner Bill Farnham questioned an article in the Feb. 3 edition of the Waynesville Daily Guide. “In this article which doesn’t have a name of who wrote the story, it says ‘Pulaski County doesn’t currently have any laws regarding smoking in bars and restaurants, although there have been rumblings during the past of a possible effort to make the county smoke-free,’” Farnham said. “We’ve never discussed this down here in the five years I’ve been on this board, unless they’ve talked about it down at the health board meeting. I’m just curious.” Rep. David Day, R-Dixon, also said he was surprised by the newspaper article and its statements about a possible effort to make Pulaski County smoke-free and will vote against pending state legislation on the matter if it comes to the House of Representatives floor in its current form. “If somebody owns a bar or restaurant or sports arena or whatever, I feel if somebody owns private property, they have the option to decide if they want smoking there or not,” Day said. “If somebody owns a restaurant and they want to allow smoking, then if somebody else is bothered by that smoke they just don’t have to go there. If somebody wants to have a totally smoke free restaurant, then smokers have that same option.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

The Waynesville Animal Shelter would become a joint facility for Waynesville and St. Robert if the cities approve a new proposal. Waynesville proposes joint animal shelter with Saint Robert for dogs WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Feb. 6, 2010) — Members of the Waynesville Police and Emergency Services Committee approved a joint intergovernmental agreement Thursday afternoon that, if also approved by the Saint Robert City Council, could lead to a joint animal shelter that would have space for more than twice the number of dogs as the current facility. Located in the terminal building for what was once the Waynesville Municipal Airport at the top of the Waynesville Hill on Ousley Road behind the stations for the Pulaski County Ambulance District and Waynesville Rural Fire Protection District, the Waynesville animal shelter currently has seven dog runs that typically can hold two dogs per run, or sometimes a mother dog and her puppies. The proposed intergovernmental agreement between the two cities would add an additional 10 runs. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Fort Leonard Wood, most area schools allowing early outs Friday afternoon PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Feb. 5, 2010 UPDATED 3:45 p.m.) — Fort Leonard Wood officials have announced that an early staggered release for non-essential personnel is being authorized due to the weather. According to a post press release, supervisors are encouraged to manage early release beginning at 3 p.m. today. A liberal leave policy is in effect; those with questions should check with their supervisor. Many local school districts including Waynesville, Laquey, Crocker, and Dixon have also authorized early release. Richland schools had a planned early-out day anyway on Friday and released students as planned. In addition, at 3 p.m. post officials announced that many Morale Welfare and Recreation facilities will close early and Saturday youth sports may be affected. Click here for a complete list. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Bill Ransdall Governor pulls Ransdall's nomination and 83 others from senate review JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Feb. 4, 2010) — Gov. Jay Nixon has pulled 84 names back from Missouri State Senate consideration for various boards and commissions, including former Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner Bill Ransdall. The governor’s decision came Wednesday, just one day before the nominations would have died. Ransdall was appointed last fall to one of three seats on the Missouri State Tax Commission, which pays $106,000 per year and by state statute must be a full-time position. As a condition of his appointment, Ransdall was required to give up numerous positions including his elected office. It’s not clear whether Ransdall’s name would be coming back to the state senate with the governor’s recommendation for appointment — but that’s the case for the other 83 people, too. “There has not been any decision made on individual names that were withdrawn as far as whether they will be resubmitted,” said Scott Holste, a spokesman for Nixon’s office. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Saint Robert staff offer help for those with unusually high heating bills SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Feb. 4, 2010) — Utility billing staff in St. Robert knew Monday would be a bad day when they came into the office and found 56 messages on their answering machine from residents questioning a note on utility bills saying their bills were overdue. The city’s utility bills arrived in most residents’ mailboxes during the weekend when city hall was closed. Unfortunately for city staff and the utility customers, many and perhaps most of the city’s nearly 5,000 utility bills were printed and mailed with an incorrect notice that the bill was overdue. That, combined with severely cold temperatures that sent some residential utility bills over a thousand dollars for the month, generated numerous questions about the bills. city staff members work hard to accommodate customers facing an unexpectedly high bill. Rather than just failing to pay their bill, they said customers who have questions about the accuracy of their bill or who expect to have difficulty paying the bill should contact Lee Whitely by calling city hall at (573) 451-2000, ext. 1104. “Every year when we have had high bills in the winter, we have tried to help make arrangements,” said City Clerk Debra Adkins. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

George Harry Widener Coach Don Nelson's family seeks punitive damages; Widener wants case moved away from Pulaski County WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Feb. 3, 2010) — Lawyers for George Harry Widener, a Jerome man accused of killing former Waynesville High School baseball coach Don Nelson by running over his motorcycle, failed Wednesday morning in an attempt to get Circuit Judge Tracy Storie to send the civil portion of the case to another county. Rather than ruling on the motion from Lawrence R. Smith, Widener’s civil lawyer from the St. Louis suburban law firm of Brinker and Doyen, Storie disqualified himself, which means the civil case will have to be heard by a different circuit judge. The criminal case of involuntary manslaughter against Widener is also stalled with no action since September when Storie disqualified himself from that case after Widener’s lawyers requested a change of judge from Presiding Judge Mary Sheffield, who had originally been scheduled to hear his case. The case has been sent to the Missouri Supreme Court for assignment of another judge, but according to records in the Pulaski County Circuit Clerk’s office, they haven’t yet acted. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Laura Huffman reviews county records of the Pulaski County Poor Farm. Historical Society members continue efforts to research county poor farm WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Feb. 3, 2010) — Two members of the Pulaski County Historical Society have been working each Wednesday to review old county records of what was once the Pulaski County Poor Farm, but so far haven’t been able to identify any of the unmarked graves in the Poor Farm Cemetery. “We’re finding lots of records of burials, and sometimes (the county commission minute book) has records of names of burials, but when I look up the death certificates there is no record, so we don’t know if they’re buried there,” historical society member Laura Huffman told Presiding Commissioner Don McCulloch during Wednesday morning’s special meeting of the county commission. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Bill Ransdall Ransdall likely to lose $106,000 post on Missouri State Tax Commission JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Feb. 2, 2010) — To avoid conflicts of interest, longtime Waynesville politician Bill Ransdall had to resign not only from his seat on the Pulaski County Commission but also numerous other local boards and organizations last fall when he accepted an appointment by Gov. Jay Nixon to the Missouri State Tax Commission. However, recent developments in the Missouri State Senate mean Ransdall could be returning to Pulaski County without Senate confirmation of his appointment to the state post paying $106,000 per year. It’s not clear what will happen next. Even though Ransdall and another gubernatorial nominee received a majority recommendation by the committee reviewing gubernatorial appointments, if the state senators don’t act, their nominations will die without a vote. Any senator could also filibuster against a nominee and obtaining the large majority needed to break a filibuster by a Republican would be unlikely in a Republican-controlled chamber. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Waynesville schools on snow routes; Fort Leonard Wood on schedule WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Feb. 1, 2010) — After a weekend of melting which cleared most paved roads but turned some outlying gravel roads to ice, Waynesville R-VI School District officials have decided to hold classes Monday but send buses on snow routes only for both morning and afternoon student pickups. As of 4 a.m., Fort Leonard Wood officials reported no crashes on post and no delayed reporting has been announced. A liberal leave policy had been in effect for most of the weekend on Fort Leonard Wood, which was open Friday but allowed personnel to leave by 3 p.m. that day, with road conditions at “red” levels on Saturday. The Waynesville school snow route list can be found on the internet at this link: Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Waynesville woman killed in Sunday night Highway 17 hit-and-run crash WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Feb. 1, 2010) — Local police and state troopers are hunting for the driver who struck and killed a Waynesville woman late Sunday night. According to Waynesville Police Chief Robert Carter, Rhonda West, 51, was struck and killed by an unidentified vehicle while walking on North Highway 17. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

MoDOT personnel are clearing area roads. Waynesville schools close early; all other area districts also cancel classes PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Jan. 29, 2010 UPDATED 11:15 a.m.) — Overnight snow dumped several inches throughout the Ozarks and has closed all seven school districts in Pulaski County, though three tried to hold classes but decided to close early. Buses in the Waynesville R-VI School District will be running snow routes only. The last district to close was Waynesville, where school officials decided shortly before 11 a.m. to let students out two hours early. By 9:50 a.m., school officials in Laquey and Plato had decided to close school at 11 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., respectively. Plato day care will get out at 4 p.m. Officials in the Richland R-IV School District and Swedeborg R-III School District cancelled school early on Friday morning; Crocker R-II School District officials initially planned to run snow routes but later decided to close school entirely. The Dixon R-I School District is also closed. Click here for the snow route list and further details. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

This military museum and its eagle are expected to be visible up to five miles away from Waynesville. $9.5 million military museum, $6 million hotel coming to Waynesville WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Jan. 28, 2010) — Following months of work by heavy equipment on the northwest corner of the Exit 156 overpass at Ichord Avenue, Waynesville city officials have announced that what’s now bare dirt and rock will soon become the site of the National Military Artifacts Museum. Partners in the Waynesville museum project include the owner of the Branson veterans museum; a companion $6 million hotel is under contract and will be added later, city officials said. The $9.5 million museum project in the West Gate Subdivision will feature 16 life-size sculptures by sculptor Fred Hoppe, memorial walls with the names of all servicemembers killed in action for World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and other 20th Century conflicts. However, the most visible part of the museum will be an 11-story tall copper and bronze eagle, scheduled to be added in 2011 and expected to be visible from up to five miles away. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Benjamin Morrow Pulaski County resident facing seven felony child pornography charges SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Jan. 28, 2010) — Photography of a mother having sex with her pre-teen daughter. Children tied or in handcuffs. Oral and anal sodomy involving children, vibrators, and candles. A nine-year-old girl tied up with straps, rope, and a collar waiting for a dog to sexually penetrate her. Those were just a few of the images in six movies and 26 photographs Pulaski County deputies say they found on three computers of Benjamin Morrow, 42, who they arrested Thursday at his home near St. Robert after Pulaski County Prosecutor Deborah Hooper approved a seven-count felony warrant for child pornography. Morrow, who is being held in the Pulaski County Jail in lieu of a $500,000 cash-only bond, pleaded innocent to seven separate Class B felony charges accusing him of knowingly or recklessly possessing obscene material involving sexual conduct of minors under 18 years old. Each of the seven charges could lead to him spending five to 15 years in state prison. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Fort Leonard Wood officials release name of Polla Road fatal crash victim FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Jan. 27, 2010) — Officials at Fort Leonard Wood have released the name of the man who died last week in a crash on Polla Road that shut down the West Gate for hours leading out of Waynesville and snarled main gate traffic from Saint Robert due to the higher number of vehicles. Post spokesman Jeff Maddy said the Jan. 20 crash remains under investigation, but the fatality victim was Adam William Owens, 28, a civilian contract employee on the post. Information on Owens’ job duties or home city wasn’t immediately available. The other person hurt in the crash was Melvin Wright, 34, who suffered only minor injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Last-day filers swell ranks of school board, city council candidates PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Jan. 21, 2010) — A rush of last-day filings on Tuesday led to a considerable expansion in the number of candidates running for school board and city council positions in the April 6 election. The last-day rush to file was especially noticeable in Richland, where none of the three incumbent aldermen decided to file for re-election and until Jan. 15, nobody had turned in any candidacy papers at all. On the last day of filing, candidates Jason Lobland and Paul Geddes Jr. filed on the last day to run against Ronny Leonard, who filed on Jan. 15 for the seat being vacated by Ward III Alderman Nathan Sheridan. Also on the last day, Leroy Stenson filed for the Ward I seat now held by Alderman Chris Lane and Cory Rowden filed for the Ward II seat now held by Alderman Gary Brown, neither of whom are running for re-election. Other last-day filers included Dorsey Newcomb in the Waynesville R-VI School District, Crockr Ward I Alderman Jeff Curry and Crocker Ward II challenger Denise York, Crocker R-II School Board candidate Kelly Newcomb, Waynesville Ward II Councilman Tim Mann, Swedeborg R-III School Board candidate Libby Poulson, and Plato R-V School Board candidate Mickey Bowers. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Crocker's H&L Supermarket was struck by a car Wednesday morning. Car crashes through front window of Crocker H&L Supermarket Wednesday CROCKER, Mo. (Jan. 20, 2010) — A vehicle plowed through the front door of H&L Supermarket in Crocker Wednesday morning, but police say nobody was hurt and any structural damage to the building was minor. “The two window panes and the footing that holds the window panes up were damaged, along with gumball and toy machines. We also had some possible minor structural damage, along with a register and counter,” said Police Chief Stephen North. “The windowpanes were completely smashed; half of the vehicle entered the building through the damaged window panes.” No citations are expected and North said the name of the driver would not be released. “It’s uncertain at this time what the cause was, but we have no reason to believe alcohol or other substances were involved,” North said. “We’re just happy no one was injured, and that’s it.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

One man killed in Wednesday morning Fort Leonard Wood head-on wreck FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Jan. 20, 2010) — Post officials have confirmed that one civilian male was killed in an early Wednesday morning traffic crash on Polla Road between Waynesville and Fort Leonard Wood that shut down the West Gate from Waynesville and snarled traffic for hours at the main gate from Saint Robert. Early reports indicate that the crash happened near a bridge on Polla Road; Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel confirm that they were called at 6:52 a.m. to assist in transporting an additional patient, Melvin Wright, 34, from the crash site. In a Wednesday afternoon media release, post spokesman Jeff Maddy said the fatality crash victim was a civilian but the name is being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin. The incident remains under investigation, he said. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Crocker officers shut down Highway 17 while stopping man at gunpoint CROCKER, Mo. (Jan. 19, 2010) — An emergency situation with a man stopped by police at gunpoint shut down the main road through Crocker for more than half an hour late Saturday night and early Sunday morning until police used a Taser to stun the suspect and clear the roadway. Crocker Police Chief Stephen North said the man isn’t being identified pending filing of charges; circuit court offices were closed Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday. “It’s been a rather hectic weekend and the holiday threw in a few things as well,” North said. According to police logs, Pulaski County 911 personnel reported at 11:23 p.m. that Crocker police were requesting assistance with a traffic stop in which the officer had a suspect in his car at gunpoint near Newcomb Hardware and Crocker City Hall on Highway 17. Numerous other agencies were summoned to assist including Crocker firefighters, who blocked Highway 17 until the incident ended at 12:09 a.m. Sunday. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Swedeborg plans $10,000 payment tonight on tuition bill to Richland PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Jan. 19, 2010) — When the Richland R-IV School Board meets tonight, it will be offered a $10,000 payment on more than $26,000 owed by the Swedeborg R-III School District in tuition. Swedeborg District Administrator Joe Dunlop strongly recommended at Monday night’s Swedeborg school board meeting that his district make the payment to show a good-faith attempt to pay its bills since the Richland board will vote tonight on whether to grant a tuition payment deferral to the cash-strapped Swedeborg district. One option, Dunlop said, is to cash in a $12,000 certificate of deposit to pay the bills due to Richland. “We have one remaining CD in the bank. I’ve guarded it like a mother hen but I think it’s time,” Dunlop said. “They aren’t expecting us to make it all up but they are expecting us to make some type of payment … When I talked to (Richland Superintendent Joe) Ridgeway, I asked how he would assess the situation, and he said Richland doesn’t even have any CDs right now.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

PTO representative Kristi Cargill explains her playground proposal. Swedeborg PTO has almost enough money for new playground equipment SWEDEBORG, Mo. (Jan. 19, 2010) — Representatives of the Swedeborg PTO told school board members Monday night that their school is less than $500 away from obtaining heavily-discounted playground equipment from Fry and Associates of Kansas City for $11,749, including a $650 supervised installation fee. All of that money will be paid by community residents and supporters rather than from taxpayer funding, said PTO representative Kristi Cargill. So far, $11,293 of the needed funding has been raised. The deadline for the special discount price is Jan. 29 but Cargill said meeting that deadline shouldn’t be difficult with a basketball game, chili cookoff, and several other fundraisers in the near future. “This was by far, especially for the price that we were given, the nicest set of equipment that we could find for that,” Cargill said. “It’s much lower than comparable pieces of equipment that we have been able to look at so we have been really pleased by that.” Raising the money from private donations is especially important because of a proposal on the April election ballot for a substantial tax levy to pay off tuition deficits and put the school district on a sound financial footing, she said. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Many races for city councils, some school boards, have little opposition PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Jan. 18, 2010) — With only one day left to file, numerous municipal and school board seats appear to be going without significant challenges in the April election. Candidates for school boards, city councils, fire districts, water districts, ambulance districts and the county health board have only until the close of business on Jan. 19 to file their candidacy papers for the April 6 election. Voters have until March 10 to register for the April 6 election. In most cases, that means candidates should file at their city hall, school district offices, or other administrative building; the only candidates who should turn in papers at the Pulaski County Courthouse are those running for the Pulaski County Health Board. It’s become common practice for some candidates to turn in their candidacy papers shortly before the deadline, but since not all offices close at the same time, those who intend to file late in the afternoon on Tuesday should verify the last time their governmental agency will accept filings. Click here for a complete list of incumbents and candidates who had filed as of Monday afternoon. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Justin Jay Hinkle Sheriff joins drug task force in felony drug arrest of man living near Dixon DIXON, Mo. (Jan. 16, 2010) — Pulaski County Sheriff J.B. King announced Friday that his deputies, working with the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group, arrested Justin Jay Hinkle, 24, near Dixon on Thursday for possession of marijuana, hashish, and other drug paraphernalia. Associate Circuit Judge Greg Warren set his bond at $30,000 cash or surety. King said his officers and LANEG personnel seized about 12 ounces of marijuana and “a small amount” of processed hashish, along with firearms, more than $900 in cash and the drug paraphernalia. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Ashley Gilbert Teenage girl charged with murder could be bailed out with $5,000 cash DIXON, Mo. (Jan. 16, 2010) — Over the objections of Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Deborah Hooper, a teenage suspect in the beating death of a Dixon man has had her bond reduced to the point that she could bail out with as little as a $5,000 cash payment by her parents. That’s the second time Circuit Judge Tracy Storie has reduced Ashley N. Gilbert’s bond; on Aug. 5, Storie reduced what was initially a $1 million cash-only bond down to $100,000, and now has reduced it further. Meeting with attorneys in his chambers without the media present, Storie decided Thursday morning that Gilbert, 18, would be allowed to post bond of $50,000 cash or surety, with 10 percent payment allowed if posted by her parents. “If she does bail out, she will be required to be on house arrest,” said Brendon Fox, a Rolla lawyer who represents Gilbert. “She does have a good family support structure that will help assure that she follows all the conditions of her bond.” As of Saturday evening, jail personnel confirmed that Gilbert is still in jail and no one has yet posted bond for her. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Military Police company protecting VIPs to be given farewell Saturday FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Jan. 14, 2010) — A squad-sized unit of military police tasked with protecting VIPs will soon deploy to Iraq from Fort Leonard Wood, and post personnel will hold a farewell ceremony at 9 p.m. Saturday evening at Pippin Youth Center for the soldiers. The 13th Military Police Company is a relatively new unit at Fort Leonard Wood and is part of the new “go-to-war” units coming to Fort Leonard Wood’s 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade from other installations. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Cities lose power supplier; Waynesville wants to keep its own electric utility WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Jan. 13, 2010) — Members of the Waynesville Utility Committee received a report Tuesday afternoon from City Administrator Bruce Harrill warning that they’ll have to find another supplier for their city’s electric power within three years. Harrill told committee members that Sho-Me Power, a large electric power supplier that primarily serves electric cooperatives such as Laclede Electric and Gascosage Electric, has decided to stop supplying power to municipal utilities. That’s not a problem for Crocker or Dixon which rely on Gascosage Electric, but it does create problems for Waynesville, Saint Robert, and Richland which have their own electric utility operations. “We discussed different options; one of the options that we’re going to look at is joining a collection of cities under the Missouri Public Utility Alliance umbrella,” Harrill said. “We’re also going to look at some other options as well such as getting supplied through the bigger utilities.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Dogwood Trailer Court finally closed; two housing developments OKed WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Jan. 13, 2010) — A troubled trailer court on the north end of Waynesville is finally vacant and the developer, Tom Townsend, says he should soon be able to start building infrastructure for a new 15-unit residential housing development. Members of the Waynesville Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday evening to approve Townsend’s final plat for the new Townsend Subdivision, which will replace Dogwood Trailer Court. Located on Booker Street off Highway 17 near the old Rice’s Cleaners building, City Administrator Bruce Harrill said the development should be a welcome change. “We did have a definite eyesore down there and this will be a great improvement,” Harrill said. Planning and Zoning Commission members also approved a small expansion to Curt Cox’s Woodland Hills subdivision in West Waynesville. Don Mayhew, Cox’s project engineer, said when the Woodland Hills development is finally finished it should have about 166 homes in total. “I think most developers, with the economy the way it is, are approaching the problem from saying they will develop what they can afford to develop at a time. Ten or 15 lots seems like about what people can do, depending on topography and other issues,” Mayhew said. “For a while, I think the days of doing a hundred lots at a time are probably over until the economy turns around and money becomes available.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Wayne Morgan Economic developer outlines goals to improve Pulaski County economy PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Jan. 13, 2010) — When Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber of Commerce officials announced their lineup of speakers for an upcoming televised community forum on economic and community development, they included one participant whose primary duties focus on that work. Wayne Morgan, the executive director of the Pulaski County Growth Alliance, will join Col. Charles Williams, the Fort Leonard Wood Garrison Commander, St. Robert Mayor George Sanders, Waynesville Mayor Cliff Hammock, Waynesville R-VI School Superintendent Judene Blackburn, and U.S. Census Bureau Partnership Specialist Laurie Patton-Glasson at the Jan. 25 forum held at the Waynesville High School Library. Participating in the televised forum will be a first for Morgan, who said he looks forward to what he sees as an opportunity to explain his role with the Pulaski County Growth Alliance to the community. “The organization itself is still at its fairly infant stages,” Morgan said. “We’re working for the next three years with those individuals who are in private enterprise as well as the municipalities and the county to work to bring new business here ... I think what you will see as a determining factor of whether this program goes or doesn’t is one, whether the sales tax dollars continue to increase, and two, if the unemployment numbers go down. Those are the two real indicators of whether a program is working or not.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Water cascaded out of Laquey ceilings and closed the school Monday. Water line break drenches Laquey classrooms, closes school Monday LAQUEY, Mo. (Jan. 13, 2010) — Students in the Laquey R-V School District had an unplanned vacation Monday when water lines in a ceiling deluged four classrooms and one counselor’s office. Classes had been cancelled for most of last week, but Superintendent Bob Boulware said his staff members had been concerned about cold temperatures and were checking each day last week — except for the one day the break occurred in the water lines. “We’d been in every day, but it was so cold that they didn’t thaw out until sometime Saturday night,” Boulware said. Classes missed Monday will be made up on Martin Luther King Day, he said. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Chamber of Commerce receives three nominations for Citizen of the Year WAYNESVILLE/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Jan. 12, 2010) — This year’s selection as Waynesville-St. Robert “Citizen of the Year” might be a police officer, Daniel Wogan, who has worn his St. Robert police uniform longer than many of his colleagues on the force have been alive. Or it could be Kim Hawk, who has seen her volunteer program at the Waynesville R-VI School District dramatically expand in her six years of service. Alternatively, the selectee could be Kimberly Fuhr, a volunteer who dedicates her life to helping abandoned or abused animals as well as autistic and other special needs children. The three candidates will be honored Feb. 19 at the Chamber’s annual banquet in the St. Robert Community Center. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Maj. Gen. David Quantock (courtesy FLW public affairs) Fort Leonard Wood gets first military policeman as commanding general FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Jan. 12, 2009) — Department of Defense personnel announced Monday that Maj. Gen. David E. Quantock, who currently heads American prison facilities in Iraq, will succeed Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin as Fort Leonard Wood’s commanding general. Quantock, a career military policeman who previously served as the commandant of the Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, is known as the American commander brought in to repair the damage caused by the 2004 detainee abuse scandal at the Abu Ghraib prison in which several American soldiers abused Iraqi detainees and photographed them in various sexually humiliating positions. More recently, Quantock has been working to release detainees or transfer them to the control of Iraqi security forces and was responsible for the Sept. 17 shutdown of Camp Bucca, a large American-run prison in Iraq that once housed more than 21,000 inmates. “We understand at some point many of these detainees will be released and it does no good to improperly treat detainees who will someday be released,” Quantock said in an interview with Arab media. “Our focus inside our facilities is to separate extremists from moderates, to give them some educational and vocational training so that when they leave our facilities, they can positively contribute to the future of Iraq and to themselves. And that’s why, as we start to transition Taji, one of our main efforts is to put a vocational training center at Taji that, when we leave, that will not stop because we would like to leave, at Taji, a model facility that can be replicated throughout Iraq.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Sgt. Brian Harvey tests a drop of an unknown substance. Guard uses creativity to train safely despite severe weather conditions FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Jan. 11, 2010) — Severe winter weather last week handicapped many civilian government agencies and came close to cancelling a planned Branson training exercise for a Missouri Natiional Guard unit based at Fort Leonard Wood. However, with a little creativity, the 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team was still able to execute its first training exercise of the new year. Not wanting to unnecessarily risk the health of its 22 Missouri National Guard soldiers and airmen through exposure to frigid temperatures and potentially hazardous over-the-road travel, the unit utilized technology and some clever planning by its deputy commander, Maj. Jeffrey Ford, to conduct what was originally designed as a “Branson-based” exercise at its home facility on Fort Leonard Wood instead. The original plan called for the team to respond to an incident where a pair of laboratories was discovered by civilian authorities at a storage facility in Branson. The unit’s objective was to determine what potentially hazardous materials were being used or created in the labs, and then recommend the best way to safely clean up those materials. Ford had previously set up the labs in Branson and used still and video photography to provide visual data the team would need to complete its objective. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Laquey schools closed Monday; FLW personnel should report as scheduled PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Jan. 11, 2010) — Weather continues to cause problems for the Laquey R-V School District and for roads on Fort Leonard Wood. Due to broken pipes, the Laquey R-V School District has cancelled classes on Monday though other area schools are open. Fort Leonard Wood officials reported at 3:30 a.m. Monday that while road conditions are considered “amber,” civilian and military personnel should report at their scheduled duty time with no weather delays authorized. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

All area schools still closed but FLW personnel to report as scheduled PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Jan. 8, 2010) — Bad weather conditions closed all school districts in the Fort Leonard Wood area for another day on Friday, and also led to most on-post roads being considered either “difficult to hazardous” or “extremely hazardous.” However, as of 3:30 a.m., post officials said military and civilian personnel should report for duty at their regularly scheduled times. The Waynesville R-VI School District is usually one of the last to close but school officials had already decided by 4:30 p.m. Thursday not to hold classes on Friday; many other districts had already made the same decision. Schools are closed in Laquey, Richland, Swedeborg, Crocker, Dixon and Plato. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Snow shutters all Fort Leonard Wood area schools; post on two-hour delay PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Jan. 7, 2010) — Bad weather conditions including significant overnight snowfall have closed all seven school districts serving the Fort Leonard Wood area, as well as the Pulaski County Courthouse. On the fort, military and civilian personnel who are not considered “key and essential” have a two-hour delayed report time with a liberal leave policy in effect for those unable to report. Key and essential personnel have a normal report time. School districts in Laquey, Richland, Swedeborg, Crocker, Dixon and Plato had all announced Thursday closures by 9:50 p.m. Wednesday. Officials with the Waynesville R-VI School District announced their closure later. Click here for additional closure announcements and weather-related alerts. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin Fort Leonard Wood commander assigned to Kuwait for Iraq drawdown FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Jan. 4, 2010) — The commanding general of Fort Leonard Wood announced Monday afternoon that he will be leaving the installation later this month for a new assignment in Kuwait. Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin, who has served at Fort Leonard Wood’s commander since October 2008, said that on Jan. 27 he will become the deputy commanding general of the Third Army, US Army Central Coalition Forces Land Component Command. Martin saw the beginning of the Iraq war and his new assignment is likely to correspond to the end of major American troop operations in Iraq. “The success of the responsible drawdown of US forces from Iraq by 2011 has been placed in the hands of Third Army,” according to the Third Army website. “In the year falling between fall 2009 and summer 2010, Third Army will facilitate the closure or handover of hundreds of military bases and camps in Iraq, entailing the movement, refurbishment, and possible redeployment to Afghanistan of thousands of end items and millions of pieces of equipment.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Most schools except Waynesville closed Monday; FLW liberal leave in effect PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Jan. 4, 2010) — Poor weather conditions in rural areas led school officials in most of the six rural school districts serving the Fort Leonard Wood area to call a snow day for what was supposed to be their first day back from class after Christmas break. However, the Waynesville R-VI School District will be in session with buses traveling on snow routes only. As of 5 a.m. Monday morning, school officials for the Crocker R-II School District, Dixon R-I School District, and Laquey R-V School District had announced that they will not hold classes. Classes in the Plato R-V School District and Richland R-IV School District were not scheduled to begin until Tuesday; Monday was a scheduled teacher in-service date for both districts. No information was immediately available regarding classes in the Swedeborg R-III School District. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Skelton plans Pulaski County meetings about economic and military issues SAINT ROBERT/DIXON, Mo. (Jan. 2, 2010) — U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton announced Wednesday that he will hold a three-day series of meetings next week on job creation and the economic impact of military installations with local leaders in several communities of his district, including St. Robert, Dixon and Lebanon. The St. Robert meeting will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, sponsored by the Waynesville Chamber of Commerce in the Hampton Inn located at 103 St. Robert Plaza off St. Robert Boulevard. Those who want more information may contact Mike Dunbar at (573) 451-2265. Another meeting will be the same day at 3 p.m. at Greater Ozark Enterprise Center in Dixon, located at 400 South Elm Street. Those who want more information may call (573) 759-6096. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Marge Scott and Laura Huffman present their Poor Farm proposal to the county commissioners. Commissioners OK effort to research history of Pulaski County Poor Farm PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Dec. 31, 2009) — In one of their last actions for 2009, Pulaski County Commissioners voted Thursday to approve a request by Laura Huffman and Marge Scott to do research in the county archives for the history of what was once the Pulaski County Poor Farm. Located on Superior Road, the low-level bottomland road between Waynesville and Saint Robert that parallels the higher-level ridge road that later became Route 66, the Pulaski County Poor Farm was a place where indigent residents went to earn a living if they couldn’t do so on their own. Developed prior to Depression-era concepts of welfare and public assistance, most counties once had poor farms so people would have a place to live while working to support themselves. Located near what’s now the Laughlin family farm, the Pulaski County Poor Farm also had a cemetery for its residents; Huffman and Scott said many of the cemetery graves are in disrepair and others aren’t marked with headstones or their locations aren’t known at all. “This is mostly so we can document those cemetery plots and know where they are,” said Pulaski County Courthouse Museum Curator Marge Scott. “We just need to see the books and if after those two days (the researcher) feels she needs more time, we’ll get back with you and schedule a day.”  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

County Clerk Diana Linnenbringer Diana Linnenbringer won't seek re-election as Pulaski County Clerk PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Dec. 31, 2009) — Despite having one of the county’s highest margins of victory in her 2004 re-election campaign, Pulaski County Clerk Diana Linnenbringer announced at the last county commission meeting of the year that she won’t be running for re-election. Linnenbringer acknowledged that despite her high re-election margin, her duties as county clerk have been difficult. “I told the girls here I like my job but it doesn’t outweigh some of the other things I have to go through around here,” Linnenbringer said. “I’m not sure I’m ready to totally hang it up, but I’m going to look for a stress-free job and hopefully one that is flexible.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Trees kept cars sliding off Longview Road from careening down a ravine. Dixon wreck hurts one, Longview Road slide-off snarls long line of traffic DIXON/WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Dec. 31, 2009) — Icy roads Tuesday night and Wednesday morning led to numerous slideoffs and one major traffic backup north of Waynesville. The only crash that caused injuries happened on Highway 28 about a mile east of Dixon when Donley O. Baker, 26, of Dixon, was eastbound at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday in a 1999 Jeep Cherokee, ran off the right side of the roadway, and struck a tree. Most slideoffs caused little damage to vehicles or injuries to their drivers, but one wreck on Longview Road, the only open entrance to the Shalom Mountain and Northern Heights Estates residential subdivisions north of Waynesville off Highway 28, snarled traffic more than an hour and backed up 46 cars after Waynesville firefighters shut down the road so Rothmund’s Towing workers could remove the vehicles and Pulaski County Road and Bridge Department personnel could apply additional salt to the road. According to Sgt. Darryl Suhr of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the wreck involved a 2003 Kia Spectra driven by Maria Pfeiffer and a 2006 Dodge Durango driven by Chastity Still. “The Durango (driver) was going along fine and the car in front of her skidded and they both went off the road,” said Sgt. Darryl Suhr of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

County Collector Terri Mitchell receives a tax payment from Leon Layman. Tax payment deadline draws closer as courthouse closes at 4:30 p.m. today PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Dec. 31, 2009) — Pulaski County residents have less than two hours left to pay their personal property and real estate taxes if they want to do it in person at the courthouse in Waynesville, which closes today at 4:30 p.m. Lines in County Collector Terri Mitchell’s office have been lengthening in recent days as the tax deadline approached, but are traditionally the longest on Dec. 31. People living in cities such as St. Robert which also charge property tax must pay municipal property tax bills as well and usually must pay those bills in their local city halls to the local city collector. This year, Crocker aldermen voted to delegate their city property tax collection to Mitchell’s office, so Crocker city residents need to pay their city taxes to the county collector, who then processes the payments and passes them on to Crocker. Those who miss the 4:30 p.m. deadline can still use electronic payments or the post office, as long as the checks are postmarked or electronically processed today. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Commissioners ask whether county should require posting home addresses PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Dec. 28, 2009) — After receiving notice earlier this month from the lawyer for the Missouri Association of Counties that third-class counties such as Pulaski do have the legal right to adopt ordinances, commissioners debated Monday whether they ought to adopt an ordinance to deal with an ongoing problem of residents who fail to post their home addresses or, in at least one case, have posted an address that isn’t theirs. That originated with a specific problem near Dixon where one person is using the address of another person and has posted an incorrect address, contrary to a written decision by Pulaski County 911 addressing officials that he’s using the wrong address. “I’m not real big on wanting to impose on people, but it’s for their own safety,” said Eastern District Commissioner Bill Farnham. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Firefighters weren't able to save this home on Christmas night. Richland woman loses home to attic electrical fire on Christmas night RICHLAND, Mo. (Dec. 28, 2009) — Tri-County firefighters nearly saved the home of a Richland woman whose attic caught fire late Christmas night, but as they were finishing their work, the weakened attic beams gave way and sent flaming debris crashing down into the living room. Tri-County Fire Chief Rick Hobbs said the blaze broke out about 11:30 p.m. Christmas night and when his department personnel and Hazelgreen firefighters arrived, they found that about half to three-quarters of attic of the home on 210 East McClurg Avenue was on fire. “There was actually no fire in the living area at all,” Hobbs said. “The guys went in and got a pretty good knockdown, and as they were extinguishing the fire, the ceiling in the living room area fell in which made it a little more difficult to get it fully extinguished.” Once the attic beams collapsed, Hazelgreen and Richland firefighters spent considerably more time working to put out the blaze. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

County Commissioner Ricky Zweerink reviews budget data. Zweerink says careful budgeting now could prevent county layoffs later PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Dec. 28, 2009) — As the county commissioners prepared Monday to begin work on the 2010 budget, Western District Commissioner Ricky Zweerink warned that it’s important to have county officeholders submit budgets staying within 1 percent of last year’s budget, and if possible, to show no growth at all. While union representatives have asked for a pay increase in the Road and Bridge Department, Zweerink said that probably won’t happen — and can’t, considering the county’s financial condition. “My guys are just happy to have a job, to a man,” Zweerink said. While local media have been reporting large increases in revenues for some cities, especially Saint Robert but also Waynesville, County Clerk Diana Linnenbringer noted that the cities have revenue sources such as taxes on utilities that the county doesn’t have. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Station Capt. Jeff Porter wants residents to practice fireplace safety. Crocker fire on Christmas leads to warning: Don't burn paper in fireplace CROCKER, Mo. (Dec. 25, 2009) — Station Capt. Jeff Porter of the Crocker Rural Fire Protection District has a warning for people who want to get rid of Christmas wrapping paper: Don’t try to burn it in a fireplace. A family on Highway 17 south of Crocker learned that the hard way on Christmas night when their chimney flue caught on fire about 6 p.m. Putting out the chimney fire required dropping chemical bags down the chimney, Porter said, which wasn’t easy because of the Christmas snowfall. Porter said flue fires are a common but usually preventable problem. “A wood stove is made for wood only. You don’t want to throw things in there that don’t need to be put in there ... That’s the main thing that we need to deal with: the amount of green wood that the people have been burning poses more of a problem for buildup in the pipe,” Porter said. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Otisha Desir, wife of Pfc. Mackendy Desir, speaks to her husband by cell phone. 50th Multirole Bridge Company returns Christmas Eve from Iraq deployment FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Dec. 24, 2009) — Many family members have already gathered at Nutter Field House awaiting the Christmas Eve return of more that 150 soldiers from the 50th Multirole Bridge Company, which deployed to Iraq last December. The unit’s military mission was “full spectrum bridging operations in support of the 555th Engineer Brigade and Central Command Forces,” according to Fort Leonard Wood spokesmen. The company is part of the 5th Engineer Battalion, most of which returned from a 15-month Iraq deployment earlier this summer. Military personnel do not routinely announce the precise arrival time of returning units for security reasons and because travel plans can change rapidly due to weather and air traffic conditions, but Fort Leonard Wood spokesman Jeff Maddy said the unit arrived earlier today in the United States and will be home on Christmas Eve. Click here for comments from two military spouses, Otisha Desir, wife of Pfc. Mackendy Desir, and Mary Magnia, wife of Staff Sgt. Jess Magnia. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Dixon man wrecks pickup Tuesday DIXON, Mo. (Dec. 23, 2009) — Timothy D. McKinnon, 36, of Dixon, wrecked his 1987 Chevrolet pickup Tuesday morning. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, McKinnon had been eastbound approaching Dixon from the west on Highway C about 7 a.m. when he lost control of his pickup, ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree. In an unrelated incident, troopers arrested Adam W. Hance, 21, of Dixon, at 2:05 a.m. Wednesday on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

This crash snarled I-44 for more than an hour Wednesday. Nine hurt in three Wednesday wrecks PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Dec. 23, 2009) — Three separate one-vehicle wrecks in and near Pulaski County sent nine people to area hospitals on Wednesday for treatment, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports. State troopers reported that Sophie N. Samb, 36, of St. Robert, had been westbound on Interstate 44 near Exit 161 when she ran her 2001 Toyota off the right side of the road at 12:55 p.m., struck the median cable and overturned, with the SUV coming to rest on its side. The driver suffered moderate injuries but her six passengers, Monar T. Samb, 37, Amfatou Samb, 2, Fatou L. Samb, 6, and two infants, Coumba M. Samb and Touty Samb, all of St. Robert, suffered minor injuries; the SUV was totaled. An hour earlier, troopers responded to a wreck on Highway T about four miles north of Waynesville where they found that Brittany Grunwaldt, 22, of Lebanon, had been southbound in a 2008 Pontiac at noon when she lost control on a wet roadway, ran off the left side of the roadway and struck a tree, suffering moderate injuries. In the area’s last wreck of the day just outside Pulaski County to the southeast of Dixon, troopers later Wednesday evening reported that Kate A. Lair, 19, of Dixon, suffered minor injuries after being westbound on Highway D about 2.2 miles east of the Gasconade River in Phelps County when she ran her 2006 Mercury Milan off the right shoulder at 9:30 p.m., struck an embankment, came back onto the roadway, left the roadway again, and struck an embankment a second time before coming to rest. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

This car rolled over after its driver hit a semi while merging onto I-44. Two drivers hurt in separate Monday crashes in Crocker, Saint Robert SAINT ROBERT/CROCKER, Mo. (Dec. 22, 2009) — Two separate crashes on Monday wrecked two vehicles and sent two drivers to area hospitals for treatment. Emergency personnel responded to a 3:30 p.m. rollover wreck just west of the Interstate 44 westbound on-ramp at Exit 161. According to state patrol reports, Aaron C. McVey, 30, of Fort Leonard Wood, was driving a 2008 Hyundai and entering westbound I-44 from Highway Y when he failed to yield to a 1999 Peterbilt semi truck driven by Larry D. Farley, 36, of Redbud, Ill., who was also driving westbound, and struck the semi in the side before skidding into the roadside ditch and overturning. Farley was not hurt. McVey suffered minor injuries but his car was totaled. Later that night, Jeremy M. Herron, 20, of Crocker, suffered moderate injuries and his 2001 Dodge pickup was extensively damaged when he ran off the left side of Highway 17 about 9:55 p.m. about three miles north of the Crocker city limits and collided with a fence. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

MoDOT snowplows arrived to clear Highway O after a Saturday morning crash. Passenger car, Dixon ambulance both hit Saturday in crash on Highway O DIXON, Mo. (Dec. 21, 2009) — The first winter weather crash in Pulaski County happened Saturday morning on slippery roads south of Dixon and damaged not only a passenger car but also an ambulance sent to rescue the car’s driver. A single-vehicle slideoff on Highway O about 2.5 miles south of Dixon left a white 2008 Pontiac G6 partway down an embankment at a low water crossing. According to the state patrol report, Sommer M. Heidle, 21, of Dixon, had been northbound on Highway O when she tried to avoid another vehicle at 7:25 a.m., skidded on the snow-covered roadway, ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a highway sign and culvert, causing Heidle to suffer minor injuries. When Dixon Ambulance District personnel responded, they became stuck in a roadside ditch on the opposite side of Highway O and their ambulance sustained minor damage when hit by another car. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Crocker city clerk resigns; special council meeting called for Sunday CROCKER, Mo. (Dec. 19, 2009) — The Crocker City Council will hold a highly unusual Sunday afternoon meeting to review city clerk candidates. According to Mayor Linda Wilson, City Clerk Rita Bomar has resigned and the 1 p.m. Sunday session will evaluate several candidates to replace her. “We had a whole stack full of candidates, but we will only be interviewing a few of them, maybe four or five,” Wilson said. City officials also learned recently that their newly hired police chief, Stephen North, will be delayed in his arrival to Missouri. North is currently on the Tulane University police department in New Orleans and has had delays in selling his house and moving back to Missouri, Wilson said, but he should still be able to arrive in Crocker by the end of the year. North replaces longtime Police Chief Robert Ishmael, who resigned this fall to accept a position at Fort Leonard Wood but will continue as a volunteer captain on the fire department. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Rex A. Pennebaker Pennebaker pleads guilty Friday to 2008 close-range gunfight with deputy DIXON, Mo. (Dec. 18, 2009 UPDATED Dec. 19, added photo) — The man accused of shooting a Pulaski County deputy during a 2008 trailer court gunfight south of Dixon had been expected to go to trial in January but pleaded guilty instead on Friday. According to Pulaski County Circuit Court records, Rex A. Pennebaker, 33, of Dixon, entered an Alford plea to six criminal charges accusing him of numerous felonies including shooting Deputy Don Hayden and assaulting two other people last year on June 10. An Alford plea is treated by the court as a guilty plea for the purpose of sentencing. Hayden, a retired Army CID agent, had become a full-time sheriff’s deputy just two days before he was shot. Circuit Judge Tracy Storie sentenced Pennebaker to two consecutive terms of 25 years each in state prison for the Class A felony of first degree assault of a law enforcement officer and a related charge of armed criminal action, with additional concurrent time for felony domestic assault of a woman and felony assault of a man that same evening. Sheriff J.B. King said he expected Pennebaker to spend a total of about 46 years in prison, which would make him nearly 80 years old before his release. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Scurlock files seeking to regain prior seat on Plato R-V School Board PLATO, Mo. (Dec. 18, 2009) — Only one more candidate turned in nomination papers on Friday. That candidate, Pete Scurlock, filed for the Plato R-V School Board where he previously served after a disputed election but was then defeated when he ran for re-election. Scurlock, who works in the heating and air conditioning business, was appointed in June 2008 to fill a vacancy due to the resignation of board member Lori Crabtree who failed to file a mandatory report with the Missouri Ethics Commission. Board members also interviewed Kim Hodges, who previously worked in a local bank as a loan officer and was also a former board member. Scurlock ran for a full three-year term in April 2009 but was defeated; Hodges ran for the unexpired two-year portion of the term and was elected. A complete list of incumbents and declared candidates for school and city elections follows. Most school board races are for three-year terms and most city council races are for two-year terms. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Four candidates file for Crocker, Dixon, Laquey, St. Robert elected posts CROCKER/DIXON/LAQUEY, Mo. (Dec. 17, 2009) — Three more candidates have turned in papers for the Crocker, Dixon and Waynesville school boards. On Thursday, Crocker R-II School Board President Don Mayhew and Dixon R-I School Board challenger Steve Roberson turned in their candidacy papers. State law allows school boards, fire boards, water boards, and some other special districts to avoid the expense of holding an election if the same number of candidates file as are to be elected. Since three candidates have filed in Crocker and Dixon for only two seats, those districts are the first in the county for which there will definitely be an election if all candidates who have filed remain in the race. Elsewhere in the county, Laquey R-V School District officials have confirmed that Mary Ann Miller, a former board member, has filed for election, and Gerald Marker created the first contested race in any of Pulaski County’s five cities when he filed papers Thursday to challenge incumbent St. Robert Municipal Judge Thomas Julian, who filed Wednesday for re-election. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

National Forest Service officials want to find a way to preserve the historic Forner house. Mark Twain National Forest officials want ways to preserve historic sites BROWNFIELD/SLABTOWN, Mo. (Dec. 17, 2009) — Want a house that’s about a hundred years old, hasn’t been maintained for years, has partially collapsed, but is eligible for historic designation on the National Register of Historic Places? If so, personnel at the National Forest Service want to hear from you. On Monday, Charlotte Wiggins from the Mark Twain National Forest administrative office in Rolla announced that her agency is seeking proposals to redevelop five properties, including what’s known as the “Forner property” in far southwest Pulaski County near the Laclede County line and the “Kofahl Farmstead” between Big Piney and Slabtown just south of the Pulaski County line in Texas County. Both are eligible for a number of historic preservation tax credits and grants which, according to Forest Service officials, “can reduce restoration costs.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Deputy Christinia Nettles Tompkins serves pizza as part of a Shop with a Cop fundraiser. Shop with a Cop raises enough funds to help 164 local children this Saturday PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Dec. 17, 2009) — A last-minute fundraising push assured that 164 children will receive Christmas presents this Saturday from the Shop with a Cop program, according to Waynesville Police Department Sgt. Gwen Brankel. “We are within budget; we made our final collection yesterday,” Brankel said. “The whole program is brining the community together and helping out to provide a better Christmas.” As recently as Tuesday, Brankel had feared that the popular program would only be able to provide $80 per child instead of the $100 per child which has been standard in recent years, but the funding which came in near the end of the campaign ensures that each child will be able to receive the full amount. During Saturday morning’s Shop with a Cop event, officers from all five city police departments in Pulaski County, the sheriff’s department, local troopers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and military police from Fort Leonard Wood will join children in pushing carts through Wal-Mart to buy Christmas gifts. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Three law enforcement agencies responded to the Lions Den robbery. Sheriff releases description of suspect in second Lions Den armed robbery BUCKHORN, Mo. (Dec. 16, 2009 UPDATED 8:50 a.m.) — Just days after Pulaski County deputies lost a case in which they tried but failed to prosecute a woman accused of robbing the Lion’s Den adult store, the same business has been hit with another armed robbery. Shortly before 1 a.m., sheriff’s deputies received a report of an armed robbery and are currently on the scene of the Lion’s Den, along with backup from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and a canine unit from the Waynesville Police Department. Sheriff J.B. King issued a press release Wednesday morning with a description of the suspected robber. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Thomas Julian files for re-election to Saint Robert municipal judge position SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Dec. 16, 2009) — The second day of candidate filings for school boards and city councils was even slower than the first, with only incumbent Municipal Judge Thomas Julian of St. Robert filing candidacy papers on Wednesday. Julian joins nine other candidates, all but three of them incumbents, who turned in candidacy papers on Tuesday, which was the first day of candidate filings. Candidate filing runs until Jan. 19 for the April 6 election. Voters have until March 10 to register for the April 6 election. Unlike county elections where candidates must register with the county clerk’s office in the courthouse, candidates for school boards, city councils, fire districts, water districts, and other special districts go to their city clerk, school board secretary, or other designated official to turn in their candidacy papers. The only candidates who must register with the county clerk are those running for the Pulaski County Health Board. A complete list of incumbents and declared candidates for school and city elections follows. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Nine school, city candidates turn in candidacy papers on first filing date PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Dec. 15, 2009) — Candidate filings for school boards and city councils were mostly quiet on Tuesday, the first day people could file for positions in the election that will be held in April. Candidate filings run until mid-January. In the Crocker R-II School District, board president Don Mayhew and board member Kris York are both up for re-election. York filed on Tuesday along with challenger Mark Sasfy but Mayhew hasn’t yet filed. In the Dixon R-I School District, board members Tina Vrba and Donny Miller are both up for re-election. Vrba filed along with challenger Tommy Nichols, but Miller hasn’t yet filed. In the Waynesville R-VI School District, board members Lori Laughlin and Janice Dye are both up for re-election; Laughlin filed along with challenger Nathan Purdome, but Dye has not yet filed. Nobody filed candidacy papers for city races in Dixon, Crocker or Richland or for school races in Plato, Richland or Swedeborg, but the county’s two largest cities, St. Robert and Waynesville, both had candidates file. In St. Robert, Ward III Alderman Todd Williams and Ward I Alderman Ralph Cook both turned in their candidacy papers; nobody has filed yet to run against either candidate. Ward II Alderman Ed Spotts, Ward IV Alderman Bill Urena, and Municipal Judge Thomas Julian are also up for re-election this year. In Waynesville, Ward III Councilman Ed Conley is the only candidate who has filed. Ward I Councilwoman Twyla Cordry, Ward II Councilman Perry Roberts and Tim Mann, and Ward IV Councilman Butch O’Riley are all up for re-election this year but none have filed yet. In addition, the Pulaski County Health Board has three members, Paul Beydler, Phyllis Graves and Alice Roam, up for re-election. None have yet filed. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Brig. Gen. Dave Enyeart, MANSCEN deputy commanding general for the Army National Guard, talks about the importance of celebrating the Guard’s birthday. Fort Leonard Wood celebrates the 373rd birthday of the National Guard FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Dec. 14, 2009) — The post commander of Fort Leonard Wood helped wish the National Guard a happy 373rd birthday Friday during a cake-cutting ceremony at the Engineer Hall of Flags in the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence. Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin called the Guard a national treasure. “It’s the foundation of our nation’s defense,” Martin said. “The thing that really strikes me about the Guard is that it’s all about great people who are excellent citizens of our country. There’s the tradition of Citizen-Soldier embedded all the way from the top of the government down to the local community. Then in time of war, they go off and fight wherever the country needs them.” Martin, who is from Massachusetts, said he understands the history of the Guard very well. “They teach it to Massachusetts kids,” he said. “The Guard is just a tremendous powerhouse of national security. I’m proud to serve with you all as members of one Army team.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Six injured, one killed during three separate wrecks on Friday night DIXON/SAINT ROBERT/PLATO, Mo. (Dec. 12, 2009) — Three separate Friday evening wrecks injured six people and killed one, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports. State troopers reported that Russell J. Kane, 26, of Plato, ran his 2006 Chevrolet off the left side of Highway 17 at 10:49 p.m. about nine miles north of Houston in Texas County and struck a tree, killing himself and totaling his vehicle. Earlier in the evening, a two-vehicle crash on Highway 133 about two miles west of Dixon injured four teenagers, none of whom had been wearing seat belts and three of whom were ejected. Taylor W. Carson, 17, of Dixon, had been driving a 1996 Pontiac Sunfire westbound at 8:35 p.m. when he attempted to pass a westbound 2009 Ford Taurus driven by Brent S. Archer, 44, also of Dixon, swerved, and struck Archer’s car. Carson’s Pontiac then rolled over and ran off the roadway, causing moderate injuries to Carson and a passenger, Gage M. Wilson, 18, minor injuries to another passenger, Robert W. Ambrosia, 17, and serious injuries to Rebekah D. Woody, 15, all of Dixon. Archer was not hurt. Less than an hour later, Francine M. Henry, 17, of Devil’s Elbow, had been westbound in a 2002 Pontiac on Hardwood Road north of St. Robert about a tenth of a mile to the east of Highway Y when she drove off the right side of the roadway at 9:21 p.m. and struck a tree. Henry and her passenger, Harley L. Brouk, 17, of Dixon, suffered minor injuries. In an unrelated incident, troopers arrested Jeremiah N. Cochran, 26, of Dixon, at 12:01 a.m. Friday on numerous charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Missouri National Guard personnel unload pillows donated to the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Leonard Wood. National Guard delivers ‘mountain of pillows’ from radio DJ to wounded vets FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Dec. 10, 2009) — More than 300 pillows were donated by the residents and businesses in the Eagle 93.9 FM listening area and delivered by the Missouri National Guard on Wednesday to the Warrior Transition Unit on post. The Columbia radio station received the donations after their program, “The Drive,” hosted by Gary Nolan, spoke live with a Missouri National Guardsmen from Afghanistan on Veterans’ Day. On Nov. 11, Veterans’ Day, Nolan had Staff Sgt. Norman Robert Proctor of the 1140th Military Police Company as a call-in guest from Afghanistan on his program, which runs from 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. “I asked him if there was anything he needed,” Nolan said. “He said when GIs are wounded, they get sent back to Germany or the states. Once they heal and are released, they take their pillow with them, so there is a shortage of pillows. Right then, Operation Pillow began. People just really came together. It was really impressive.” Nolan said after pillows began pouring into the station, they became a challenge to work around. “It got to the point where I couldn’t get into my office,” Nolan said. “It was like a mountain of pillows.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Rollover wreck causes minor injuries SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Dec. 10, 2009) — A midmorning Thursday crash near St. Robert on Highway Z totaled a SUV. According to Missouri State Highway patrol reports, Wilber L. Smith, 46, of Newburg, was driving a 1998 Isuzu Trooper SUV eastbound at 11:45 a.m. about a mile east of the St. Robert city limits when he turned left in front of an eastbound 2003 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Charles B. Smith, 32, of Richland, striking the pickup and causing it to roll over. Wilber Smith and his passenger, Leslie R. Smith, 18, also of Newburg, both suffered minor injuries; Charles Smith was unhurt. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

58th Transportation unit at FLW wins award for maintenance excellence FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Dec. 9, 2009) — The 58th Transportation Battalion, part of the 3rd Chemical Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, has been awarded the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Army Award for Maintenance Excellence (AAME). The AAME was established in 1982 to recognize units from all Army components for outstanding maintenance programs that increase and enhance mission capability. Units that received the award displayed competence in maintenance above the standard regulations by improving technical proficiency, increasing operational readiness, and enhancing mission capability. The unit is now competing with other units across the Army to win the award at the Department of the Army level. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Jeff Maddy/Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs

Fort Leonard Wood, Lion’s Club prepare to hold St. Nick’s Benefit on Dec. 15 FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Dec. 9, 2009) — The Maneuver Support Center (MANSCEN) and Fort Leonard Wood, in conjunction with the Fort Leonard Wood Lions Club, will hold a St. Nick’s Benefit ceremony on Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Grant Hall, building 2100. Now in its 29th year of operation, the purpose the Lions Club program is to provide gifts to less fortunate children and special needs adults from Fort Leonard Wood and the surrounding communities. It is anticipated that over 800 gifts will be presented. The Boys and Girls Town Choir of St. James and the 399th Army Band are scheduled to provide entertainment during the ceremony. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Marti Yoshida/Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs

Three Pulaski residents injured by Wednesday wrecks outside county DIXON/RICHLAND, Mo. (Dec. 9, 2009) — Three Wednesday morning crashes, all north of Pulaski County, injured two Richland residents and one Dixon resident within an hour of each other. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Merrel M. Breyer, 46, of Richland, had been northbound on Highway 17 in Miller County at Route A when he ran his 2004 Chevrolet off the right side of the roadway in a curve at 6 a.m., struck an embankment and overturned, totaling his vehicle and suffering moderate injuries. The other two wrecks caused only minor injuries. At 6:40 a.m., Marlene Blackburn, 47, of Dixon, was northbound on Highway 133 about ten miles north of Dixon in Maries County when she lost control of her 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier, crossed the centerline, ran off the left side of the roadway and struck a ditch. A second wreck on Highway 17 in Miller County happened at 7 a.m. when Jennifer L. Cole, 31, of Richland, lost control of her 2008 Ford on an ice-covered roadway while driving westbound a mile south of Route C, ran off the right side of the roadway, and struck an embankment. In an unrelated incident, Tonya F. Mann, 34, of Richland, was arrested by state troopers at 6:45 a.m. in Laclede County on misdemeanor warrants. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

St. Robert firefighter Ralph Alkire discusses removal of a wreck with Jack's Towing personnel. Ambulance personnel couldn't convince ejected rollover driver to get help SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Dec. 8, 2009) — The victim of a rollover wreck in St. Robert is lucky to be alive, according to Pulaski County Ambulance Director Gary Carmack. State troopers reported that Aaron D. Bottoms, 27, of Bentonville, Ark., had not been wearing his seat belt when his eastbound 2001 Toyota pickup overturned at 2:43 p.m. Tuesday about a half-mile from Exit 161. Bottoms was ejected from his pickup but suffered only minor injuries and paramedics said he refused medical treatment. Rollover wrecks almost always injure unbelted passengers, and Carmack said injuries following an ejection are usually serious and often fatal. “He was ejected at a high rate of speed, about 70 mph, we think,” Carmack said. “He did not want to go to the hospital ... since he was conscious, alert, and able to communicate, we could not make him go.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

St. Robert firefighter Ralph Alkire discusses removal of a wreck with Jack's Towing personnel. Interstate 44 pickup rollover snarls Saint Robert traffic Tuesday afternoon SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Dec. 8, 2009) — A Tuesday afternoon rollover wreck snarled the passing lanes of both eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 44 just west of Exit 161 in front of Wal-Mart in St. Robert. Based on preliminary information, St. Robert police and firefighters joined Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel and state troopers in responding about 2:43 p.m. to a report of a rollover wreck in the westbound lanes with a person ejected from the vehicle. No information is immediately available on the identity or extent of injuries of the motorist. This breaking story will be updated as information becomes available from emergency personnel. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Weekend rollovers injure passengers DIXON/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Dec. 7, 2009) — Two one-vehicle weekend rollover wrecks close to but outside Pulaski County’s borders spared both drivers but injured one passenger in each vehicle. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Michael J. Keaton, 19, of St. Robert, had been southbound at 8:55 p.m. Saturday night on Phelps County Road 7610 about three miles south of Route J east of Fort Leonard Wood when he ran his 1994 Chevrolet Blazer off the right side of the road, overcorrected, ran off the left side of the road, struck a tree and overturned. His passenger, Judy L. Abbey, 28, also of St. Robert, suffered minor injuries. At 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Benjamin E. Lake, 16, of Vienna, was driving a 1996 Ford southbound on Highway N about 12 miles east of Dixon when he ran off the right side of the roadway and overturned, totaling the vehicle and moderately injuring his passenger, Shelby Wulff, of Koeltztown. In unrelated state patrol weekend incidents, troopers arrested Terry J. Pettyjohn, 41, of Plato, and Desherick A. Barr, 27, of Fort Leonard Wood, on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Saturday St. Robert wreck injures two SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Dec. 5, 2009) — Two people suffered undetermined injuries following an early Saturday afternoon wreck in St. Robert. St. Robert police, firefighters, and Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel all responded to a 1 p.m. wreck at the corner of Old Route 66 and J.H. Williamson Drive. According to police reports, Brandson M. Anderson, 16, of Waynesville, had been exiting Reed Park and entering Old Route 66 in a 2008 Dodge Ram pickup truck while a 2008 Cadillac STS driven by Joanell P. Word, 50, also of Waynesville, was eastbound on Old Route 66 approaching the same intersection. “Anderson failed to see the approaching vehicle and continued pulling onto the roadway causing the Anderson vehicle to impact with the Word vehicle,” according to the report. Joanell Word and a passenger in her vehicle, Xavier Purdy, were both transported to General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

National Guard 373rd birthday celebration to be held next week FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Dec. 4, 2009) — A cake cutting in celebration of the National Guard’s 373rd birthday is scheduled for 3 p.m on Friday, Dec. 11, at the Engineer Hall of Flags in the Maneuver Support Center Complex on Fort Leonard Wood, and is open to the public. The National Guard traces its history back to the earliest English colonies in North America, when on Dec. 13, 1636, three regiments of militia were formed in Massachusetts. Responsible for their own defense, the colonists drew on English military tradition and organized their able-bodied male citizens into units. Those three regiments still exist as part of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Today, National Guard units represent 55 percent of total Engineer Corps strength, 37 percent of the Chemical Corps, and 50 percent of the Military Police Corps.  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Vienna rollover totals pickup truck, moderately injures driver from Dixon DIXON, Mo. (Dec. 4, 2009) — A Dixon man, Jared A. Humphrey, 21, totaled his pickup Thursday afternoon west of Vienna and suffered moderate injuries in a rollover wreck while trying to avoid a deer. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Humphrey was westbound on Highway 42 about seven miles west of Vienna when he swerved his 1995 Chevrolet S-10 pickup at 5:45 p.m., ran off the roadway, struck a ditch, and overturned. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Downtown parkers need to move cars by 5 pm for Christmas on the Square WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Dec. 3, 2009) — Waynesville motorists who haven’t yet moved their cars from the downtown area need to do so soon, according to city police, to make room for the annual Christmas on the Square event. Municipal and county parking lots immediately adjacent to the Pulaski County Courthouse have already been closed with police tape and orange cones, since many of them will be used for vendors or other activities at tonight’s Christmas on the Square event. The courthouse closes at 4:30 p.m., and drivers have until 5 p.m. to remove their cars from on-street parking spaces on a stretch of Historic Route 66 running from Downtown Service Station to Highway 17. Cars are also barred on the west, east and north sides of the courthouse square, except for vehicles of vendors or participants in tonight’s activities. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Trooper S. Crabtree examines a wrecked recreational vehicle RV wreck on I-44 snarls traffic near Exit 159 five hours on Thursday SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Dec. 3, 2009) — A crash on Interstate 44 on the westbound approach to the Roubidoux Bridge has snarled traffic since 9:43 a.m. today; Missouri Department of Transportation personnel reported the blockage continued until 3:05 p.m. Emergency personnel responded to a wreck at westbound mile marker 159.2 and found that a black late-model Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck driven by Amanda R. Childress, 27, of Brookfield, Wis., pulling a large white recreational vehicle was westbound when the RV trailer started fishtailing, causing her to lose control of the vehicle and run off the right side of the roadway and down a steep ravine, throwing a tire of the vehicle all the way across to the left side of the roadway as the vehicle careened down the ravine. In an unrelated state patrol incident, troopers in Pulaski County arrested Thomas F. Crnkovich, 58, of Sparta, at 3:48 p.m. Tuesday on an outstanding Crawford County traffic warrant. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

McCulloch said this tree has become his major cause of complaints. County Christmas tree becomes main complaint on McCulloch’s first day WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Dec. 2, 2009) — The new Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner, Don McCulloch, knows that his most problematic agenda item in coming months will be the dire state of the county’s budget, but that’s not what people want to talk to him about right now. Responding to concerns about overgrowth, the county’s landscaper aggressively trimmed an evergreen on the southwest side of the courthouse square, commonly known as the “Courthouse Christmas Tree,” leading to concerns at Monday morning’s county commission meeting and complaints by the Old Courthouse Museum curator, Marge Scott, that the tree had been destroyed by improper trimming. “I don’t mind saying that the main question I’ve had today, especially in my first day as presiding commissioner, has been the Christmas tree in the square on which the branches have been raised,” McCulloch said. “It doesn’t look like there’s any way to salvage it, from my point of view.” McCulloch said he didn’t yet know what solution he’ll propose to the tree problem, or to prevent similar problems in the future. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

County Clerk Diana Linnenbringer swears in Don McCulloch as Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner. Governor appoints McCulloch as new Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Dec. 2, 2009) — It took almost a month, but Gov. Jay Nixon finally decided on Tuesday to appoint Don McCulloch to replace Bill Ransdall as Pulaski County’s presiding commissioner. In a press release issued Tuesday but not officially posted to the gubernatorial website until Wednesday morning, Nixon announced that he has named McCulloch, 64, to fill a vacancy created on Nov. 3 when Ransdall accepted Nixon’s appointment to the Missouri State Tax Commission. McCulloch was the Democratic nominee for the position and has agreed to run for re-election in 2010 as a Democrat. McCulloch is a career law enforcement official who retired in 2008 after 14 years as the Waynesville police chief; he previously served as the Pulaski County sheriff who filled that position after Sheriff Paul Long but was defeated for re-election in 1992 by J.T. Roberts, at that time a retired state trooper, who served three terms as sheriff until 2004. Before serving as sheriff, McCulloch had been the Waynesville police chief and returned to that position after he was defeated. He also owned the City Barber Shop in Waynesville for many years and served as chairman of the state’s regulatory board for barbers. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin signs a copy of "Going Rogue” Wednesday at Borders. Palin draws plenty of people to today’s Springfield book-signing at Borders SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Dec. 2, 2009) — Dirk Gress spent hours in line to get his copy of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s new book signed by her today in a Springfield appearance at Borders Books and Music, but it wasn’t his only purchase on Wednesday morning. Gress also purchased a copy of “Great Joy” by Kate DiCamillo at Borders alongside his copy of Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue.” The first book would join the boxes of others collected at Borders for the children of soldiers stationed at Fort Leonard Wood who are deployed overseas. Palin’s book was to be signed. When asked why he purchased the additional book to donate, Gress had a simple answer: “Christmas!” Gress’ donated book joined many others bound for Fort Leonard Wood families, according to store manager Gary Selby. “Today was a fantastic day for that. We have boxes and boxes to give them,” Selby said. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Blaine Falkena

Art Anderson gets his H1N1 flu shot. Pulaski Health Department H1N1 flu clinic in St. Robert ends at 7 p.m. SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Dec. 2, 2009) — Those who haven’t gotten their H1N1 flu shot yet have about two hours left before today’s health department clinic at the St. Robert Community Center shuts down at 7 p.m. However, Donna Brashear, director of the Pulaski County Health Department, noted that her staff will hold a second clinic on Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Pulaski County Health Department’s main offices at 101 12th Street in Crocker from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. While many local schools have been administering special clinics to administer the H1N1 flu vaccine to local children, the public clinics this week in Saint Robert and Crocker offer the vaccine for essentially the entire local population over the age of 6 months, with free H1N1 shots regardless of income due to special public health provisions triggered by the pandemic nature of the current H1N1 influenza. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Christmas on the Square to be held Thursday evening in Waynesville WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Dec. 1, 2009) — Most downtown Waynesville businesses aren’t open after hours, but this Thursday night, most storefronts around the courthouse square will be sparking with lights as they welcome evening customers to kick off the Christmas season. Scheduled to run from 6 p.m. until at least 8 p.m., and possibly later depending on crowds, the event is a small-town American tradition that dates back to the days when downtown business districts were the center of community shopping. “I think it’s a great opportunity for the community to come together,” said Mayor Cliff Hammock. “It gives them the opportunity to gather, renew old acquaintances, and make new friends. We want to welcome not only ‘Waynesvilleians’ but ‘Pulaski Countians’ — it’s a great event and there’s a lot to do.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Dixon passenger airlifted following Monday rollover wreck near Iberia DIXON, Mo. (Dec. 1, 2009) — A Monday night crash north of the Pulaski-Miller county line sent a Dixon man to University Medical Center in Columbia via helicopter for treatment. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Dennis W. Anderson, 29, of Eldon, had been driving westbound on Highway 42 about 1.5 miles east of Highway 17 at 8:45 p.m. when he rounded a corner at a high rate of speed in his 2004 Ford, lost control, ran off the left side of the road, overturned, and struck a tree. Anderson suffered moderate injuries; his passenger, Matthew G. Schubert, 21, of Dixon, also suffered moderate injuries but was airliftd by Staff for Life Helicopter to Columbia. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Some don't like the way the county's Christmas tree was trimmed just days before Christmas on the Square. Commissioners question aggressive chopping of county Christmas tree WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Nov. 30, 2009) — Cell phones, wine bottles and knives. Those are just some of the items found during the weekend under an evergreen tree or stuck in its branches near the Old Courthouse Museum that is sometimes known as the County Christmas tree. “I guess some of the people on their way to court knew they couldn’t have those things, so they just threw them into the tree and never came back to pick them up,” said Bill Farnham. Commissioners said during Monday morning’s meeting that the tree, which has traditionally been trimmed with lights by Waynesville volunteers in preparation for the “Christmas on the Square” event that showcases downtown Waynesville businesses on the first Thursday of December, has been aggressively trimmed. Courthouse Museum curator Marge Scott said there’s no going back since the branches cut from the bottom of the tree won’t regrow. “It looks terrible in my opinion,” Scott said. “The historical society, in the midst of summer, thought it would be nice to have it cut maybe four or five feet off the ground, nothing ever happened, and then yesterday I went down to put up the Christmas lights and my heart sank. It has to be at least 10 feet off the ground, and the top was cut off, too.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

County health department will offer free H1N1 flu clinics twice this week SAINT ROBERT/CROCKER, Mo. (Nov. 30, 2009) — While many local schools have been administering special clinics to administer the H1N1 flu vaccine to local children, two public clinics will be held this week in Saint Robert and Crocker for essentially the entire local population over the age of 6 months. Both clinics provide free H1N1 shots regardless of income due to special public health provisions triggered by the pandemic nature of the current H1N1 influenza. The first clinic on Wednesday, Dec. 2, is at the St. Robert Community Center on Old Route 66 and runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The location is not at the St. Robert Municipal Center at 194 Eastlawn Avenue, which was incorrectly posted on some versions of the clinic announcement. The second clinic on Saturday, Dec. 5, is at the Pulaski County Health Department at 101 12th Street in Crocker from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “It is important to protect everyone from getting the H1N1 flu, especially those in the high risk categories since it seems they are the ones who are getting sicker if they get it,” said Patty McClendon, the public health nursing supervisor for the Pulaski County Health Department. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Four wrecks injure seven on Sunday PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Nov. 30, 2009 UPDATED 3 p.m.) — Thanksgiving weekend’s previously calm roadways changed into a mass of squealing tires and smashing cars on Sunday as four separate wrecks injured seven people. The wrecks began at 12:20 a.m. when state troopers received a report of a rollover wreck on Route AB in the Laquey area, about five miles south of Interstate 44. When troopers and other emergency personnel arrived, they found a westbound 2005 Mazda driven by Jason E. Green, 23, of Waynesville, had run off the right side of the roadway, struck a concrete culvert and overturned, causing moderate injuries to Green and totaling his vehicle. Troopers reported that Green was arrested at 12:50 a.m. for driving while intoxicated, first offense. Later in the morning, troopers reported that Anthony E. Bickley, 24, of Waynesville, had been driving a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu at 8:40 a.m. when he lost control of the vehicle at mile marker 159 of Interstate 44, ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a ditch and overturned, totaling his car. Bickley and two passengers, Stephanie R. Hill, 21, of Arnold, and their son, Trevon E. Bickley, 1, of Arnold, suffered minor injuries. Two separate crashes in Phelps County on Sunday also injured Pulaski County residents. According to state patrol reports, Bobbie J. Morris, 73, of Devil’s Elbow, was westbound on Interstate 44 in a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu when she stopped at 1:08 p.m. due to traffic congestion at mile marker 197.8. A 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by John O. Hannemann, 24, of Town and Country, stopped behind Morris, but his vehicle was struck by a 1995 Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by Cody P. Murphy, 19, of St. Peters, which forced the Santa Fe into Morris’ Malibu. Murphy’s pickup was then was struck in the rear by a 2001 Ford F250 pickup driven by Jeremy M. Romine, 34, of St. James. Morris and a passenger in Jeremy Romine’s pickup, Heather Romine, 35, of St. James, both suffered minor injuries. Later in the evening, Luke C. Demers, 21, of Waynesville, was westbound on Interstate 44 at mile marker 191.8 when he stopped his 1994 Chevrolet S-10 pickup for traffic congestion at 6:50 p.m. and his pickup was struck in the rear by a 1998 Chrysler Sebring driven by Timothy J. Edmondson, 21, of St. Charles. Demers suffered minor injuries. In unrelated arrests reported by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Sgt. Anthony W. Wheeler of the 3rd Chemical Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood fled law enforcement and was arrested at 5:31 p.m. Saturday by state troopers in Laclede County following a crash, and Daniel J. Richey, 27, of Waynesville, was arrested at 2:06 a.m. Sunday on multiple charges including drunk driving. NOTE: Updates to article reflect additional information provided by Fort Leonard Wood public affairs personnel confirming that Wheeler is an Army sergeant assigned to the 3rd Chemical Brigade. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Much of the Ramada Inn would be torn down under a redevelopment proposal. Ramada Inn approved for $8.6 million tax financing redevelopment project SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Nov. 30, 2009) — The Ramada Inn, one of St. Robert’s oldest chain hotels, is positioned at one of the city’s most prominent intersections facing Missouri Avenue between Old Route 66 and Interstate 44. It’s still generating $1.2 million per year in revenue, though there’s been a slow downward trend in recent years. However, members of the St. Robert Tax Increment Financing Commission voted unanimously on Monday evening to recommend that the city designate the five-acre parcel as a “blighted area” eligible for special tax benefits that would redirect $2.5 million worth of property and sales tax revenue over a period of up to 23 years to the hotel company owned by Steve Ehrhardt, who runs a number of other hotels on St. Robert Boulevard and has proposed to buy the Ramada Inn and redevelop it at a cost of $8.6 million, of which $3.55 million represents the cost to purchase the hotel from its current owner, TW Cloud, Inc. The owners of TW Cloud also own the Area 151 nightclub and a restaurant formerly known as Adonia’s, and plan to remain in business in the St. Robert community. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Second Saint Robert crash sends one to hospital on mostly quiet weekend SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Nov. 28, 2009) — Thanksgiving weekend generates a large police presence with many state troopers and local police waiting in the wings to stop speeders and respond to crashes in heavier-than-usual holiday traffic with more drivers on the road. However, this holiday weekend has been quieter than expected. So far the county has seen only two injury crashes, both of them in St. Robert. According to a report issued Saturday evening by Sgt. Butch Hohman of the St. Robert Police Department, Officer Jennifer Hicks responded to the crash and determined that Giselle A. Nightingale, 45, of Waynesville, had been southbound on Missouri Avenue driving a 2002 Dodge Neon, failed to stop for a red light, and continued into the intersection directly into the path of a 2001 Chevrolet van driven by Matthew W. Harper, 25, of Dixon, who was eastbound on Old Route 66 and had a green light allowing him to go through the intersection. Neither driver was hurt, but Nightingale’s passenger, Marshall Nightingale, 14, suffered undetermined injuries and was transported by Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel to St. John’s Hospital in Lebanon. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

State troopers say this driver fell asleep before going airborne on Interstate 44. Sleepy driver totals car Thanksgiving morning in Saint Robert on interstate SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Nov. 26, 2009) — State troopers and local police are out in force this Thanksgiving holiday weekend to catch problem drivers, and so far local authorities have arrested two motorists on drunk driving charges along with one driver who fell asleep and totaled his car after going airborne. State troopers reported that Maximino R. Rocha, 51, of Findlay, Ohio, was westbound Thursday morning on Interstate 44 near Exit 161 in St. Robert when he ran his 2004 Honda Accord off the right side of the roadway about 7:30 a.m., struck an embankment, and became airborne, suffering moderate injuries. State troopers in the area made two unrelated arrests on Thanksgiving evening, Jeffrey N. Ransick, 29, of Plato, and Herbert M. Mize, 48, of St. Robert, both on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Plato driver strikes deer, rolls pickup FAIRVIEW, Mo. (Nov. 24, 2009) — A Sunday evening car-deer crash southwest of Fort Leonard Wood resulted in a pickup rollover that sent its driver, Isaiah M. Gardea, 32, of Plato, to General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital with minor injuries. Troopers reported he had been southbound on Highway 17 driving a 1997 Ford Ranger pickup at 5:30 p.m. when he struck the deer and rolled the pickup. In an unrelated state patrol action, troopers in Pulaski County arrested Matthew W. Sutton, 37, of Edgar Springs, on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Two motorcyclists suffered moderate injuries in a St. Robert wreck on Saturday. Two motorcyclists hurt Saturday in wreck on St. Robert North Outer Road SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Nov. 21, 2009 UPDATED 4 p.m., Nov. 25) — A group of motorcyclists traveling on St. Robert North Outer Road suffered two injuries when one motorcyclist tried to pass another on Saturday morning near Hex Road and hit an oncoming car. According to St. Robert Police, James S. Baurley, 29, of St. Robert, had been riding a 1991 Harley-Davidson motorcycle westbound at 11:50 a.m. when he attempted to overtake another motorcyclist in the group, crossed the centerline, and sideswiped the eastbound 1997 Mercury driven by Ralph A. Bush, 62, of Dixon. “The impact was at such an angle it caused the left front tire of the Bush vehicle to blow out, causing Mr. Bush to lose control, cross over the centerline and (hit) the third vehicle, a 2007 Harley Davidson driven by Gary C. Blackwood, 63, of Hermann,” Hicks reported. Bush was not hurt, but both Baurley and Blackwood suffered injuries that were initially reported by police as undetermined but later described by ambulance personnel as moderate. In an unrelated Saturday incident, state troopers in Laclede County arrested Harold J. Reynolds, 61, of Plato, at 2:18 p.m. on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Missouri National Guard names its first director of psychological health JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Nov. 20, 2009) — Michelle Hartmann, of Jefferson City, has been named the Missouri National Guard's first-ever director of psychological health. Hartmann oversees the Missouri Guard's psychological health program. The program, which is funded through the National Guard Bureau, is designed to promote readiness through psychological fitness. Hartmann said the program's guidelines are intentionally vague, which allows each state's director to tailor it to the specific needs of each state. Hartmann said one of her goals is to make mental health a more normal part of conversation. To some extent, Hartmann said, the stigma associated with psychological issues is unique to the military. This stigma can prevent soldiers or airmen from seeking help when they need it, she said. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Silas Allen/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Missouri National Guardsman charged with terror threats at Sedalia school FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Nov. 20, 2009) — A Missouri National Guardsman in training to become a military truck driver faces charges of making a terrorist threat in a school near Whiteman Air Force Base. According to court records, the trainee, Pfc. Michael John Frederick, 19, went into a Sedalia high school during a Saturday evening event and told the superintendent that the Army had told him to warn area schools that escaped prisoners might be trying to kidnap students. Frederick was wearing his military uniform when he made his warning about escaped inmates. However, there were no escaped inmates and he hadn’t received an order from the Army to warn school personnel. In fact, Frederick was absent without leave from the 58th Transportation Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood. Frederick had completed his basic training and was in the advanced individual training portion of his preparation for military service. It wasn’t immediately clear from Fort Leonard Wood or Missouri National Guard sources how long Frederick had been AWOL. Trainees in AIT have greater privileges after completing basic training Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

1st Lt. Matthew Marks ensures his microscope is aligned properly as he prepares to identify a chemical agent. National Guard’s 7th Civil Support Team completes internal training FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Nov. 20, 2009) — The 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team completed two days of internal training that focused on mission essential tasks this week at Fort Leonard Wood. The Missouri National Guard team responded to an “incident” at Abrams Theater and another at the training tunnels at the 1st Lt. Joseph Terry Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Responder Training Facility. The first exercise was coordinated by 1st Lt. Richard Sambolin, the unit’s reconnaissance section officer in charge. In this scenario, the theater was set in Anywhere, USA. A chief of a fire department requested support after six youths presented themselves at a local hospital with signs and symptoms of some type of chemical exposure after attending an evening movie at a local theater. The next day, 30 more people who had been at the same screening became ill. The second exercise was facilitated by 1st Lt. Matthew Marks, the unit’s nuclear medicine science officer. The scenario involved a pair of ‘disgruntled employees’ from the facility who were using a training area to produce drugs, hazardous chemicals and explosives. The drugs were to be sold to fund the production of weapons of mass destruction. The labs the fictional characters used were full of potential hazards. “The premise of the exercise was to almost overwhelm the reconnaissance team with the number of chemicals and equipment they saw in the labs,” said Marks. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Two Saint Robert wrecks damage five vehicles Friday afternoon, evening SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Nov. 20, 2009) — Two separate crashes on Friday in and near St. Robert totaled one vehicle and damaged four more, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol and St. Robert Police Department reports. Emergency personnel responded to a 2:40 p.m. wreck on Texas Road about a fifth of a mile outside the St. Robert city limits where they found two St. Robert teenagers had totaled their 2000 Ford after running off the left side of the roadway as they were rounding a curve on their way southbound out of St. Robert and then struck several trees. State troopers reported that Leigh D. Dean, 18, had been driving but had not been wearing his seat belt, and suffered minor injuries. His passenger, Matlin A. Dean, 13, had been wearing his seat belt but suffered moderate injuries. A few hours later, St. Robert police and firefighters responded to a four-vehicle crash at 5:14 p.m. on the northbound lanes of Missouri Avenue about a fifth of a mile north of Bosa Drive near CarStar Motors. St. Robert police reported that the crash involved a 1999 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Cindy M. Griffin, 28, of Crocker, a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup driven by David P. Lutman, 43, of St. Robert, a 2000 Toyota MR2 driven by Nancy C. Carlson, 57, of Waynesville, and a 1999 Mercury Sable driven by Daniel L. Lucas, 26, of Fort Leonard Wood. “The accident occurred when the Lucas vehicle, the Carlson vehicle, and the Lutman vehicle were all stopped in traffic when the Griffin vehicle was in the process of changing lanes from the center lane to the far left lane and failed to see the stopped vehicles in enough time to stop, causing the Griffin vehicle to impact with the Lutman vehicle,” according to Murphy’s report. That crash caused Lutman’s vehicle to hit Carlson’s vehicle, which then hit Lucas’ vehicle. None of the drivers has significant injuries, but a passenger, Ramona Lucas, 24, reported neck pain and was transported to General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital with undetermined injuries. In an unrelated Thursday incident, state troopers arrested Warren T. Sergent, 33, of Dixon, on outstanding warrants including one for drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

A medical condition caused a driver to lose control of his car Wednesday in Waynesville. Two hurt in separate Wednesday morning wrecks in Waynesville WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Nov. 18, 2009) — Two separate Waynesville wrecks injured two people on Wednesday morning, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports. The first wreck happened when a driver suffering from an unknown medical condition veered off the eastbound lanes of Historic Route 66 about 7:30 a.m. west of the Bank of Iberia building, ran into an open field, and careened down a ravine into a water-filled ditch after clipping an electric pole. The blue Dodge Caravan landed on the passenger side on an angle in the water-filled ditch, sustaining extensive damage. The driver, Jeffrey Grube, of Waynesville, was transported to General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital for emergency treatment. Later in the morning, emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle wreck on Highway 17 at 10:10 a.m., about five miles north of Waynesville in which Lloyd K. Davis, 75, of Crocker, was northbound when he slowed for traffic ahead and his 2004 Chevrolet was struck in the rear by a northbound Nissan driven by Tyler G. Pierce, 24, also of Crocker. Neither driver was hurt but a passenger in Pierce’s car, Landon J. Pierce, 2, also of Crocker, suffered minor injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Motorcyclist dies following Dixon crash DIXON, Mo. (Nov. 17, 2009) — State troopers have reported that a motorcyclist died of injuries suffered in a wreck earlier this month. Jason S. Teo, 27, of Waynesville, had been southbound on Highway 28 about four miles south of Dixon at a high rate of speed at 5:56 p.m. on Nov. 7 when he was unable to negotiate a curve and ran off the roadway. His 2006 Kawasaki motorcycle overturned several times and he was ejected from the motorcycle, suffering what were initially described as serious injuries that led to him being airlifted to University Medical Center in Columbia via helicopter. Teo was pronounced dead at 1:18 a.m. on Nov. 15 at the hospital. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Two locals involved in out-of-county crashes during Monday and Tuesday CROCKER/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Nov. 17, 2009) — Two separate out-of-county crashes injured local residents on Monday and Tuesday. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, the Monday evening wreck was a four-vehicle crash on U.S. Route 54 just north of Interstate 70 in Calloway County involving a St. Robert driver, Michael R. Kampmeier, 51, who was not hurt. Troopers reported that Patricia L. Clay, 44, of Mexico, Mo., had been westbound on Route 54 in a 1996 Dodge Intrepid when she struck a 1997 Ford Expedition at 5:45 p.m. driven by Jonathan J. Tharnstrom, 23, of Wheaton, Ill., pushing the Expedition into the rear of Kampmeier’s 2001 GMC pickup, which was then pushed into the rear of a 2007 Suzi Forenza driven by Kelsey K. Simcoe, 16, of Auxvasse, all of which had been travelling westbound. Simcoe suffered minor injuries. On Tuesday, troopers reported that Melinda A. White, 25, of Kaiser, had been eastbound on Highway 42 a half-mile east of Miller County Road 42-3 when she stopped her 1999 Pontiac Grand Am at 12:45 p.m. to make a left turn and was struck in the rear by a 1996 Toyota Tacoma driven by Brandon M. Chaffin, 26, of Crocker. Chaffin was not hurt but White suffered minor injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Firefighters work to extricate a driver from his pickup early Saturday morning. Laquey man totals pickup Saturday LAQUEY, Mo. (Nov. 16, 2009) — An early Saturday morning wreck on Highway 17 between Highway NN and Highway AB in the Laquey area totaled a pickup truck and required firefighters from two departments to extricate the elderly driver. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Allen L. Link, 84, of Laquey, had been southbound on Highway 17 about two and a half miles south of Interstate 44 when he ran off the right side of the roadway at 4:55 a.m. while negotiating a curve, ran up an embankment and struck a tree, suffering moderate injuries. In an unrelated weekend incident, state troopers in Pulaski County arrested James G. Dougherty, 37, of St. Robert, at 1:55 a.m. Sunday on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Two wrecks outside county injure locals Friday morning, afternoon EVENING SHADE/ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Nov. 13, 2009) — Two separate wrecks outside Pulaski County on Friday injured local residents. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Michael R. Stroud, 30, of Lynchburg, had been northbound on Highway 17 about a mile south of Evening Shade, which is south of Fort Leonard Wood’s south gate off Highway AW, when he ran his 2003 GMC off the left side of the roadway at 5:50 a.m. and struck a tree. Stroud, who had been wearing his seat belt, suffered minor injuries. Outside the local area, a St. Louis rollover wreck involving a 2007 1114 up-armored Hummer vehicle injured two people but caused only moderate damage to the Hummer, which was able to be driven from the scene after it was turned upright. Troopers reported that Cai M. Zhao, 35, of Bennettsville, S.C., was westbound on Interstate 44 west of Antire Road in St. Louis at 12:05 p.m. when she lost control of her Hummer, ran off the right side of the roadway, returned to the roadway, struck a curb and overturned. Zhao and her passenger, Thomas W. Hinchen, 25, of St. Robert, were both taken by ambulance for treatment of minor injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Staff Sgt. Christopher Fierce, left, of Dixon, and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Dan Milberg stand in front of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. FLW helicopter crews celebrate ‘Alive Day’ of VA official Tammy Duckworth FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Nov. 12, 2009) — Tammy Duckworth is now a major in the Army National Guard, a former Democratic Party congressional candidate, and an assistant secretary in the Department of Veterans Affairs. But on Nov. 12, 2004, Duckworth’s life was likely saved by the quick action of other National Guardsmen when she was piloting a helicopter that insurgents shot down in Iraq. Those Missouri National Guardsmen assigned to helicopter duty at Fort Leonard Wood attended Duckworth’s fifth “Alive Day” Thursday in Washington, D.C. Staff Sgt. Christopher Fierce, a Dixon resident who was also wounded that day, has celebrated Alive Days with Duckworth in the past, but was not able to attend the festivities this year. “Alive Days” commemorate the anniversary of a near-death combat experience as part of the healing process and have been observed by American service members since before the Vietnam War. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Roadway safety group gives grants to police in Waynesville, Saint Robert WAYNESVILLE/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Nov. 12, 2009) — Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety personnel announced Thursday that city police in both Waynesville and Saint Robert have been awarded grants for emergency road safety equipment. The larger of the two grants will go to St. Robert, where police in that city will get $3,808 to purchase two TruSpeed Laser Lidar Detectors to identify speeding drivers that. The presence of the new laser speed detectors won’t be seen on radar detectors “which makes all detectors completely useless,” said Kelly Martin, the South Central Regional Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Transportation. The smaller grant will provide $1,351.71 for the Waynesville Police Department to purchase two sets of rechargeable emergency turboflares. Assistant Police Chief Clarence Liberty confirmed that the turboflares are as tough as advertised. “A vehicle did derive over it and it is still intact,” Liberty said. “It left a pretty substantial rubber mark but it didn’t crack it or nothing ... I am told that if something does go wrong with it, it has a lifetime guarantee.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Today’s Veterans’ Day ceremony will be held outside St. Robert City Hall Waynesville-Saint Robert Veterans’ Day honors female Vietnam-era vet SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Nov. 11, 2009) — Today’s Veterans’ Day ceremony takes place at 11 a.m. next to the St. Robert city hall flag, which will still be at half-staff in remembrance of the killing of 13 soldiers at Fort Hood by an Army psychiatrist. “I think it had touched our community; being right here at Fort Leonard Wood, there are a lot of people here that know people at Fort Hood,” said Cecilia Murray, executive director of the Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber of Commerce. “We’re hoping that people are going to line the streets during the parade and wave their flags and cheer on our veterans.” The ceremony will focus on honoring veterans with a speech by the parade grand marshal, Marge Scott, a Vietnam-era veteran and curator of the Pulaski County Courthouse Museum. Unlike prior years, the event will begin with the memorial ceremony at the St. Robert Municipal Center on Eastlawn Avenue and be followed by a parade, rather than with the ceremony following the parade. Temporary road closures will be in place on parts of Missouri Avenue and Old Route 66 from about 11:30 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Woman hurt in head-on Crocker crash CROCKER, Mo. (Nov. 11, 2009) — A head-on crash just south of the Pulaski-Miller county line sent an Iberia woman for emergency treatment Wednesday morning. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Ruby L. Ross, 76, of Iberia, was southbound on Highway 17 about four miles south of Crocker when she swerved her 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix in an attempt to miss a deer in the roadway at 8:10 a.m., struck the deer anyway, lost control of her vehicle, skidded across the centerline and struck a northbound 2005 Ford Focus head-on that was driven by Rachelle M. Steen, 22, of Dixon. Neither Ross nor Steen were hurt. However, Ross’ passenger Cynthia S. Ponder, 53, of Iberia, suffered moderate injuries. In unrelated incidents on Nov. 9, by state troopers in Pulaski County arrested Christopher B. Wright, 25, of Richland on outstanding warrants and arrested Kyle Florea, 24, of Fort Leonard Wood, on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Dennis Thornsberry listens during a December 2008 county commission meeting. Republicans ask governor to put Dennis Thornsberry back on commission PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Nov. 10, 2009) — Former Western District Commissioner Dennis Thornsberry of Crocker could be back on the county commission if Gov. Jay Nixon decides to pick the Republican nominee to fill Bill Ransdall’s post as Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner. Democrats have already selected retired Waynesville Police Chief Don McCulloch as their candidate. Meeting Sunday afternoon, members of the Pulaski County Republican Central Committee chose Thornsberry over another candidate, Saint Robert Alderman Gene Newkirk, as their nominee for the vacancy caused by Ransdall’s appointment by Nixon to a $106,000 job as a member of the Missouri State Tax Commission. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Spc. Erin Raymond, left, of St. Robert, and Staff Sgt. Lavern Peart, of Waynesville, evaluate potential threats during a building clearing exercise. Missouri Guardsmen refresh on how to clear rooms during weekend drill FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Nov. 9, 2009) — Even for a combat medic like Spc. Erin Raymond, knowing how to clear a room is a fundamental soldier task. “I have to be a soldier before I’m a medic,” said Raymond, who lives in Saint Robert. “It’s important because, even though I am a medic, if I’m put in a situation where one of our members is wounded and I have to help clear a building, I need to know my basic soldiering skills before being a medic. Also, if by chance I ever need to go into a building to get a casualty out or provide care, I have to know the proper way to do it without getting myself or any of my other team members injured.” Raymond joined members of her new unit, the Missouri National Guard’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company in the 35th Engineer Brigade of Fort Leonard Wood, for some military operations on urbanized terrain training during monthly drill. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Lt. Col. John Bjarnason explains the role of chaplains in caring for Army families. Chaplain explains Army’s support for soldiers following Fort Hood attack FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Nov. 7, 2009) — Shortly before Army personnel nationwide conducted a moment of silence for the 13 soldiers and others killed by an Army psychiatrist Friday afternoon at Fort Hood in Texas, an Army chaplain assigned to family life issues at Fort Leonard Wood explained how the Army tries to help soldiers and families. “Our military is grieving now this great loss at Fort Hood,” said Lt. Col. John Bjarnason. “We feel very sad for the families that have lost a dear one there.” Bjarnason, 64, entered the Army during the Vietnam era, returned to active duty military service as a chaplain in 1982, retired after serving in both Gulf Wars in 1991 and 2003, and was recently called back to active duty to help respond to family life issues caused by the stress placed on Army families. “I have been recalled back to the Army because of our two-front war,” Bjarnason said. “I am one of many who sit on a task force that began earlier this year tasked with taking care of people.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Diversity of worship poses challenges for chaplains at Fort Leonard Wood FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Nov. 7, 2009) — American society may be less religious than it was a few generations ago, but its religious diversity has greatly increased. That change has dramatically impacted the Army, which must now offer religious services not only for Roman Catholics and mainline Protestants but also for a wide variety of different Christian denominations and minority faiths. That’s far different from what Lt. Col. John Bjarnason, Fort Leonard Wood’s family life chaplain, saw when he joined the Army in 1969. “We have a wide range of all kinds of different choices for our trainees to go to church. When I first came into the military, we had a choice: Catholic or Protestant,” Bjarnason said. “Actually there were three choices: drill sergeant time, Catholic time, or Protestant time, but who would ever choose drill sergeant time if they could choose Catholic time or Protestant time?” That diversity includes Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. “Today is Friday, Friday is the Muslim day of worship,” Bjarnason said. “Today there are two groups of Muslims meeting and one of them is right here in this (chaplain’s office) building.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Lynzie Bailey, 6, came to the Hallelujah Harvest dressed as an angel. Hallelujah Harvest raises $2,300 for sheriff deputy bullet-resistant vests BUCKHORN, Mo. (Nov. 7, 2009) — A Halloween alternative party at Grace Covenant Church of Buckhorn has raised $2,300 for bullet-resistant vests and other equipment in the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff J.B. King, who is a Southern Baptist, said he and his deputies greatly appreciate the help from the independent charismatic church. “It’s been a godsend,” King said. “During the past four years, this has amounted to a very healthy amount of money. We placed this donation into our equipment fund and it has helped us buy all kinds of equipment for our vehicles; for the officers, we have bought bullet-resistant vests.” Two of his deputies have been shot in the last five years, and while both suffered injuries, their vests likely saved their lives. Those deputies were wearing vests obtained through other donation programs, but many other deputies are wearing vests purchased through the church’s contributions. “I am not looking forward to the day that one of those officers takes a round, but they have the protection courtesy of this church and that is a very big deal,” King said. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

A rollover wreck blocked Superior Road for nearly an hour on Friday morning. Two separate Saint Robert wrecks injure four Friday morning, evening SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Nov. 7, 2009 UPDATED 11:30 a.m., Nov. 24) — Two separate crashes in or near St. Robert on Friday wrecked four vehicles, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol and St. Robert police reports. The day’s first wreck happened at 9:14 a.m. near the salvage yard of Poor Boy’s Towing on Superior Road just west of the St. Robert city limits when a black 1993 Ford Bronco pickup truck driven by David T. Ballantyne, 20, of Waynesville, ran off the gravel road and landed on its top, with gasoline rushing out of the fuel tank. Ballantyne suffered only minor injuries, but a three-car pileup Friday night on Highway Y north of the Interstate 44 overpass sent one person to an area hospital with serious injuries and caused undetermined injuries to others. According to Sgt. Butch Hohman of the St. Robert Police Department, the crash happened at 7:20 p.m. when Tito O. Maher, 17, of Fort Leonard Wood, was driving about 250 feet north of the overpass, diverted his attention from the roadway to adjust his stereo, failed to see several vehicles stopped at the traffic light, and struck the back of a 2008 Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by Theresa L. Perret, 47, of Waynesville, causing Perret’s pickup to strike a third vehicle, a 2009 Toyota Prius driven by Kelly C. Sipe, 40, of St. Robert. Two of Maher’s passengers, Cory Lange, 19, and Shelly Lange, 16, both of Fort Leonard Wood, were transported to General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. According to the reporting officer, Jennifer Hicks, Maher showed no indications of injury but was also transported due to his age; ambulance personnel said he reported neck and back pain. Perret was transported to St. John’s Hospital in Lebanon with what St. Robert police reported as undetermined injuries, later clarified as moderate by ambulance personnel. Cory Lange’s injuries resulted in Fort Leonard Wood medical personnel sending him to University Hospital in Columbia, where he remained in serious but stable condition. Shelly Lange's injuries were reported by ambulance personnel as moderate to serious. Sipe, who is active duty military, was transported to General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital with moderate to serious injuries, according to ambulance personnel. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Don McCulloch (left) and Don Parsons speak to local Democratic leaders. McCulloch endorsed by Democrats for Pulaski Presiding Commissioner post PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Nov. 6, 2009) — Retired Waynesville police chief Don McCulloch won the recommendation of Pulaski County Democrats on Thursday night to replace Bill Ransdall as the county’s presiding commissioner. Clara Ichord, chairwoman of the Pulaski County Democratic Central Committee, said both McCulloch’s name and that of the second candidate, retired Army lieutenant colonel and Waynesville High School track coach Don Parsons, will be forwarded to Gov. Jay Nixon who makes the final decision on who will be the county’s presiding commissioner until the 2010 election. “They are both good candidates but either one would do a great job,” Ichord said. Both candidates answered numerous questions from central committee members, and both took a strong stance in favor of building a new jail for the county and finding a solution to animal control problems. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Bill Ransdall is sworn in as the newest Missouri State Tax Commission member. Ransdall will be only State Tax Commissioner with agriculture background PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Nov. 5, 2009) — In his new role on the Missouri State Tax Commission, Bill Ransdall will be the only person with an extensive agricultural background on the three-member board that supervises setting of property values. That’s a key issue for many rural Missouri counties where agricultural land value is a significant part of tax assessments. “I think I’ll be working on setting the agriculture prices of land or at least working on getting indoctrinated on that,” Ransdall said. “It’s going to be very interesting; we don’t set tax levies, we set values and assist the assessors in doing their job. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be challenging, it’s a lot of work.” Ransdall, who is a cattle rancher and owned several other local businesses for many years, has been a fixture in local politics for more than three decades and until this week was the county’s presiding commissioner. He’s also been a city councilman and mayor of Waynesville and served eight years as a state representative for Pulaski County. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Don McCulloch Retired Waynesville police chief seeks county presiding commissioner post PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Nov. 5, 2009) — The central committees for the Pulaski County Democratic Party and Pulaski County Republican Party both meet tonight in Waynesville to select their nominees to replace Bill Ransdall, who resigned Tuesday morning as the county’s presiding commissioner to accept Gov. Jay Nixon’s appointment to the Missouri State Tax Commission. So far there’s only one announced candidate: Don McCulloch, who confirmed Tuesday that he’s seeking the Democratic nomination for Pulaski Presiding Commissioner. McCulloch currently serves as the Waynesville municipal judge after retiring as the city’s police chief, a position in which he served while Ransdall was mayor of Waynesville. Many years ago, McCulloch also served as the county sheriff. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Single-vehicle wreck south of post injures Plato woman, totals car PALACE, Mo. (Nov. 3, 2009) — A single-vehicle wreck south of Fort Leonard Wood totaled a Plato woman’s vehicle Tuesday afternoon and sent her to the post hospital with minor injuries. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Angela G. Kolb, 36, had been driving her 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer southbound on Highway AW about three miles south of the installation when she ran off the right side of the roadway at 4:48 p.m., stopping only after she struck an embankment and two trees. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

St. Robert firefighters removed a burned laptop from a house. Frayed cord may have contributed to computer blaze, SR firefighters say SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Nov. 3, 2009) — Quick response saved a home from a Tuesday afternoon fire after a computer blew up while a resident was sleeping, but firefighters say the incident illustrates the importance of safety precautions with electrical equipment. The 12:45 p.m. blaze at a home on the 100 block of Shara Drive off Eastlawn Avenue in St. Robert destroyed the Dell Latitude laptop computer but caused only minimal damage to the home, according to Deputy Fire Chief Drew Cassidy of the St. Robert Fire Department. “She said it looked like a fountain of flames coming out of the laptop, but the fire was out before we got here; she just threw a towel on it,” Cassidy said. “She said when she woke up, she heard a popping sound, and there were purple sparks coming out.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Missouri State Tax Commission appointment forced five resignations PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Nov. 3, 2009) — Speaking Tuesday morning before an audience of family, friends, and other elected officials at the county courthouse in Waynesville, Bill Ransdall announced that he has resigned not only as the county’s presiding commissioner but also from the chairmanship of the Pulaski County Growth Alliance, as a board member of the State Soil and Water Districts Commission and the Leonard Wood Institute, and from his compensated employee role as co-founder of Rastur Inc. All those resignations are necessary, Ransdall said, to avoid conflicts of interest in his new full-time role as an interim appointee by Gov. Jay Nixon to the Missouri State Tax Commission. The appointment of Ransdall, a Democrat, is subject to confirmation by the Republican-controlled State Senate when the legislature convenes in January. State law requires that no more than two members of the three-member commission be from the same political party; Ransdall would be the commission’s second Democrat. The term of the other Democrat on the commission expired earlier this year but she will continue to serve until she is reappointed or replaced. Ransdall will earn slightly more than $105,000 per year in his new position. His salary as Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner was $34,670. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Presiding Commissioner Bill Ransdall outlines county accomplishments during his term in office. Pulaski County progressed significantly during last three years, Ransdall says PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Nov. 3, 2009) — Bill Ransdall, who won his seat as Pulaski County’s presiding commissioner in 2006 and would have been up for re-election next year, thanked area voters Tuesday morning for repeatedly electing him to a variety of local and state offices for 31 years. He’ll soon be taking his seat in Jefferson City as a full-time member of the three-member Missouri State Tax Commission, earning a salary of $105,000, and had to resign from the county commission and numerous other posts due to conflicts of interest. Reflecting on his three years as presiding commissioner, Ransdall cited the creation of the Pulaski County Growth Alliance as one of the county’s “great accomplishments.” Creating an internet presence to market Pulaski County for economic development will be one of its major functions. “When I came in here, if you pulled up Pulaski County, the first thing you got was Pulaski County, Arkansas. The second thing you got was the Pulaski County Web site that somebody runs that has all the gossip stuff on it and I took a lot of heat over saying that to the public one day,” Ransdall said. Other major accomplishments, Ransdall said, included bringing professionalism to the office of presiding commissioner, open meetings, bidding out of county services, and purchasing a Missouri Department of Transportation road shed for Western District county road workers in Swedeborg that replaces a rented shed with a dirt floor in Crocker. However, Ransdall acknowledged that the county also faced major challenges over the last three years, some of them caused by natural disasters that seriously damaged the countys road system. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Bill Ransdall Ransdall resigns from Pulaski County Commission, will take state tax post PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Nov. 3, 2009) — Bill Ransdall resigned this morning as Pulaski County’s presiding commissioner to accept an appointment by Gov. Jay Nixon to the Missouri State Tax Commission. Ransdall has scheduled an 11:30 a.m. press conference today to provide further information on his resignation. Ransdall, who was elected to the county commission in 2006, also resigned as a member of the State Soil and Water Districts Commission, a position to which he was appointed in September. According to a press release from the governor’s office, in his new role, Ransdall will be a member of a board that “supervises assessment and equalization practices, conducts hearings for individual cases from local Boards of Equalization, assesses railroad and utility distributable property, and determines the level and quality of assessments in 114 counties and the City of St. Louis.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Two drivers injured by single-vehicle wrecks during Halloween weekend PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Nov. 2, 2009) — The Halloween weekend was mostly quiet, but included several crashes in Saint Robert and south of Fort Leonard Wood. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Anthony J. Gifford, 25, of Waynesville, was eastbound on Highway Z about a half-mile east of the St. Robert city limits, crossed the center line at 11:50 a.m. in a 1997 Ford Escort, ran off the left side of the roadway, overturned, struck an embankment, and came to rest in the westbound lanes. Gifford suffered minor injuries; the vehicle he was driving was totaled. Gifford was cited for driving while intoxicated, driving while suspended, and careless and imprudent driving. On Sunday, Katherine L. King, 23, of Dixon, was driving her 2005 Jeep Liberty southbound on Highway 17 about eight miles north of Evening Shade at 5:38 p.m. when she failed to negotiate a curve and ran off the roadway south of Fort Leonard Wood. Her Jeep was totaled and she was airlifted to Springfield with moderate injuries. In an unrelated incident, troopers arrested a Fort Leonard Wood man, Cory F. Bove, 22, at 4 p.m. Sunday on felony charges of leaving the scene of an accident. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Rylan Acheson, 5, and Aubrey, 3, exit a fire truck themed bounce house at Westside Baptist Church. Alternative fall festival sponsored today by Westside Baptist Church WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Oct. 31, 2009) — Pixies, astronauts, police, and cheerleader costumes are plentiful today at Westside Baptist Church’s alternative fall festival, but according to children’s pastor Chris Johnson, scary costumes are discouraged. “We don’t focus on costumes here, but we don’t discourage them either,” Johnson said. “We mostly want to provide a fun place.” As of 4:45 p.m., Johnson said 50 families with an estimated 150 to 200 children had already come to his church’s event, which will run until 8 p.m. Children go to various carnival games and try their hand at winning various prizes, standing at different distances from their targets depending on their age. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Firefighters Mikal Stillwell and Jeffery Teeters help put up a tombstone. City-sponsored haunted hay ride in Saint Robert open to all area kids SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Oct. 31, 2009) — Firefighters and city hall employees in St. Robert have worked for weeks to put together a greatly expanded haunted hay ride this year. This year, just a few months after public works department personnel cleared out large amounts of brush and undergrowth from the east side of city-owned property behind the community center to expand the park system, much of that territory will be on display for an expanded hay ride. Firefighter Joe Krill said the free event will offer hot dogs, chips and soda for families in the community center rather than the haunted house that was there in previous years. City workers will also have a large bonfire outside the community center to help families warm up. While the event officially runs from 6 to 8 p.m., the same hours as the city’s trick-or-treat functions, Krill said families are welcome to bring young children early to see fire trucks and other equipment on display. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Fort Leonard Wood haunted house actors actively try to scare soldiers FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Oct. 31, 2009) — Not all Halloween activities are intended for young children. When the sun goes down tonight at Fort Leonard Wood, members of the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) program will begin a haunted house that’s not for the faint of heart, and not intended for those under 12 years old. Sgt. Shane Larson, the BOSS president, cautioned parents that the people putting on the BOSS haunted house are “actively trying to scare soldiers.” While parents aren’t prohibited from bringing young children, he cautions parents to consider what they’ll see first. “We try to keep the energy high,” Larson said. “It’s a fine line to keep it a family-oriented haunted house, because we do get some traffic from the families, while trying to scare soldiers. We don’t want them to actually cross over the line to the point where they’re going to hit somebody or have a flashback.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Haunted Village hosted by Shrine Club, Freedom of the Road Riders tonight BUCKHORN, Mo. (Oct. 31, 2009) — If a haunted house is too small, what about an entire haunted village? That’s what members of the Pulaski County/Fort Leonard Wood Shrine Club and Freedom of the Road Roaders Local 28 plan this year for their thirteenth annual “Halloween Bash,” held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. tonight at the Shrine Club off Highway NN, just south of Exit 153 within sight of Highway 17. According to event organizers, the haunted village is spread out over 20 acres with “numerous haunted houses, goblins everywhere, and a good spooky hay ride.” Admission is $2 per person with proceeds going to the Shrine Children’s Hospital. Those attending will be able to play games, get candy, and go through a House of Doom. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Rear-end wreck south of Crocker injures four people Friday afternoon CROCKER, Mo. (Oct. 31, 2009) — An early afternoon rear-end crash on Friday injured four people and damaged three vehicles. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Jo A. Bishop, 55, of Waynesville, and William L. Crawford, 48, of Crocker, were driving northbound on Highway 17 about a mile south of the Crocker city limits when Bishop slowed her 2003 GMC and Crawford slowed his 2001 Ford for congested traffic at 12:35 p.m. Another approaching northbound vehicle, a 2007 Ford driven by Gary L. Crawford, 70, also of Crocker, failed to slow for the traffic ahead, ran into Bishop’s vehicle, and that impact caused Bishop’s vehicle to hit the back of William Crawford’s 2001 Ford. Neither of the drivers of the struck vehicles were hurt, but Bishop’s two passengers, Marsha A. Bishop, 56, of Waynesville, and Valerie A. Lebeda, 58, of Van Horn, Iowa, suffered minor injuries, as did Gary Crawford. All three sought their own treatment, but Gary Crawford’s passenger, Sandra K. Walker-Crawford, 67, of Crocker, suffered moderate injuries and was transported by ambulance. In an unrelated incident, state troopers in Pulaski County arrested Ashanti S. Vance, 23, of Waynesville, at 2:47 a.m. Saturday on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Kylee Gravette, granddaughter of courthouse employee Sharon Green, shows off her costume. Area cities announce Halloween hours PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Oct. 30, 2009) — Area cities and Fort Leonard Wood officials have announced the designated Halloween hours for trick-or-treating this Saturday. “We ask that everyone be aware of the ghosts, goblins, ballerinas and superheroes that will be out and about,” Waynesville city officials said in a prepared statement. “We hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween and that there are more treats than tricks.” Click here for designated hours for Waynesville, Saint Robert, Fort Leonard Wood, Dixon, Crocker and Richland. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Randall Holyfield Five felony charges filed following wild police chase west of Waynesville BUCKHORN, Mo. (Oct. 30, 2009) — A man accused of attacking a woman and children and leading five officers from three police agencies on a wild chase last week though the county’s back roads north of Witmore Farms pleaded innocent on Tuesday to five felony charges. Randall Lee Holyfield Jr., 38, has been charged with second-degree assault, two counts of child abuse, unlawful use of a weapon, and resisting arrest by fleeing while causing a substantial risk of serious injury or death. Those charges are considerably less than what sheriff’s deputies originally requested from Pulaski County prosecutors. The missing charges requested but not filed include those steming from allegations that Holyfield drove his 1997 Chevrolet Suburban SUV toward a deputy’s patrol car “in an aggressive manner in an attempt to ram the front end of the patrol car” and verbally stated that “if he rammed the patrol car we would shoot him,” but “changed his mind at the last moment” and “had the thought of provoking law enforcement to shoot him.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Car-deer crash totals sheriff’s patrol car after out-of-town inmate transport PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Oct. 29, 2009) — A decision by county commissioners to purchase only liability coverage on the older sheriff’s deputy patrol cars means Sheriff J.B. King won’t have funds available to replace a vehicle wrecked Wednesday night by a car-deer crash. However, King said it appears the more expensive equipment on the patrol car — the light bars, radio, and similar items — are probably salvageable even though the 2001 Ford Crown Victoria with more than 200,000 miles will be totaled. “With both airbags deployed and the front end destroyed, the repair cost greatly exceeds the cost of the vehicle so we are going to have to use it for spare parts,” King said. State troopers didn’t release a report, which is standard for non-injury crashes, but according to King’s report, Deputy Holly Wiseman was returning from Columbia about 7 p.m. when she struck the deer on U.S. Route 54 in Cole County after driving to Columbia transporting an inmate to a medical facility there under court order. The inmate had already been dropped off and was not in the patrol car at the time of the crash. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

St. Robert city police don't yet have a report on this Friday crash that injured two people. Four wrecks last week injure six people near or from Saint Robert SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Oct. 29, 2009) — Four separate crashes last week near St. Robert or involving St. Robert residents wrecked seven vehicles and sent six people to area hospitals with a variety of injuries. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, April M. Adams, 19, of Cuba, had been westbound on Interstate 44 just east of the Phelps/Pulaski county line eight miles away from St. Robert when she ran her 1998 Chrysler off the left side of the roadway at 3:50 a.m. Tuesday, struck the median cable barrier, and suffered moderate injuries. On Thursday, St. Robert resident Lori L. Peterson, 47, was driving her 2003 Ford Taurus southbound on Highway 17 southwest of Fort Leonard Wood two miles north of the Texas-Laclede county line when she ran off the right edge of the road at 2:10 p.m., overcorrected, skidded off the left side of the road, and struck an embankment, suffering minor injuries. Sgt. Butch Hohman of the St. Robert Police Department said this week that he doesn’t yet have complete information about a Friday afternoon crash in front of the Road Ranger truck stop at the junction of Highway 28 and Interstate 44 that sent two people to General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital with undetermined injuries. Based on information gathered at the crash scene, a black Dodge Caliber SUV and a white Ford F-150 pickup both sustained front-end damage; both injured people were from the SUV. Last week’s final wreck involving St. Robert residents happened on Saturday in Phelps County when Frances L. Skouby, 61, of St. Robert, was eastbound approaching the stop sign at the intersection of Eisenhower and Highway T in Doolittle at 11:02 a.m., pulled his 2001 Buick Regal into the path of a northbound 1995 Geo Prism driven by Laurance E. Lee, 43, of Newburg, and was struck. Skouby’s vehicle then spun and struck a westbound 2005 Dodge Ram driven by Barbara A. Guyton, 48, of Doolittle. Skouby and Lee both suffered minor injuries. In an unrelated incident, state troopers arrested Benjamin B. Woody, 20, of Dixon at 11:57 p.m. Friday on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

This car received extensive damage after smashing into the rear end of a Waynesville fire engine. Trooper says fire truck placement likely saved his life during interstate wreck PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Oct. 29, 2009) — Rain-slicked roads on Thursday sent numerous cars into minor crashes, and also contributed to a wreck involving a Waynesville fire truck with two serious injuries that officers say could easily have become fatalities. Troopers responded about 9:34 a.m. to a crash blocking the left lane of eastbound Interstate 44 at mile marker 157, about a mile east of the Waynesville exit. That crash turned out to be a non-injury wreck but firefighters and medical personnel didn’t know that at the time, so Waynesville firefighters sent Engine 1952, a rescue truck, and six firefighters to the crash scene to assist medical and tow company personnel. Missouri Department of Transportation personnel reported the roadway had been cleared by 10:07 a.m. and emergency personnel prepared to leave the crash scene, but rapidly ran into problems. “We were on the scene getting ready to merge into traffic and then I checked my mirrors and saw a Ford LTD coming up very quickly,” said Firefighter Tanner Hunt. “I didn’t see them slow down at all. I told my guys, ‘Oh, shit, hold on!’” According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Hunt, 24, had his engine struck in the rear by what was actually a 1986 Ford Crown Victoria. Driven by Jason W. Foalden, 31, of Springfield, the car sustained extensive damage when it struck the 1999 model fire truck. None of the firefighters on board were injured, but Foalden and his passenger, Malorie L. Thomas, 23, also of Springfield, both suffered serious injuries. Trooper C. Stallcup said the incident is a good example of how difficult driving conditions can quickly become dangerous or even deadly with a moment’s lack of attention. “I basically felt that fire truck saved my life and that of the passerby who stopped to help,” Stallcup said. “It was apparent to me that (the driver) basically was inattentive. It’s a huge fire truck with lights, and he may have been travelling too fast, too.” In other business, state troopers arrested Kyle M. Brandt, 24, of Temple, Texas, at 12:41 a.m. Thursday on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

7th CST members extract an "injured" person from a collapsed structure. Missouri National Guard trains with Oklahoma City bombing responders FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Oct. 27, 2009) — Teamed with several military organizations, the 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team from Fort Leonard Wood participated in confined space training on Oct. 20 and 21 as part of Operation Joint Eagle in Camp Gruber, Okla. The exercise was conducted by Response International Group, an organization composed of several of the firefighters who responded to the Oklahoma City bombing. The unit worked with the Illinois National Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package. “Working side by side with the CERFP helped each team understand its roles and capabilities,” said Lt. Col. Raymond White, the unit commander. “It was a good exercise to learn to work as a joint team.” A civil support team’s mission is to assess suspected or known terrorist threats, advise civilian authorities of appropriate responses, and assist local emergency responders in incidents involving weapons of mass destruction and both natural and man-made disasters. The 22-person team, made up of both Army and Air National Guardsmen, must be capable of rolling out an advance group within 90 minutes at all times to investigate potential hazards including mass sickness, mysterious white powders and unidentified contaminations.  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Richland woman faces drunk driving charge after totaling pickup in rollover RICHLAND, Mo. (Oct. 26, 2009) — A Richland woman suffered minor injuries and faces drunk driving charges after totaling her pickup early Sunday morning in a rollover wreck on Historic Route 66 in Laclede County. State troopers reported that Amber A. Williams, 21, was driving a 2000 Ford F-150 eastbound near Redwood Lane when she drove off the north side of the roadway at 4:05 a.m., returned to the roadway, overcorrected, skidded off the north edge of the roadway again, struck several trees and overturned. In an unrelated Sunday morning incident, state troopers in Texas County arrested Jason C. Hathaway, 28, of Plato, at 12:38 a.m. on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Dixon firefighters inspect a rollover wreck. Dixon head-on crash sends driver to Columbia by helicopter on Monday DIXON, Mo. (Oct. 20, 2009) — A head-on wreck late Monday afternoon sent two drivers to hospitals, one with serious injuries that required emergency transport by helicopter. Dixon firefighters and Dixon Ambulance District personnel received a report about 4:45 p.m. that a crash northeast of Dixon on Highway 28 near Highway MM had sent one car into the treeline and that people were trapped inside. Rescue personnel found a silver 1999 Mercedes SUV driven by Janna M. Mosley, 39, of Saint Robert, had overturned, run off the east side of the roadway, and come to rest on its wheels in the treeline. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Mosley had been southbound on Highway 28 when she crossed the centerline in a curve and struck a 1999 Ford Explorer nearly head-on that was driven by Catherine G. Thomas, 22, of Dixon. Thomas suffered only minor injuries; Mosley’s Mercedes was totaled. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Gary Porter is the newest board member of the Pulaski County Sewer District. Retired city administrator joins struggling sewer board today PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Oct. 20, 2009) — When its board convenes today, for the first time in months, the Pulaski County Sewer District will have a full complement of five board members. The newest member, Gary Porter, will join a sewer board that has been a target of controversy for years. County commissioners have had considerable difficulty finding people willing to serve on a board that has been subjected to widespread public criticism for various reasons and is also involved in a lawsuit against the city of Waynesville over who can provide sewer service in areas which are now inside the city limits but were not at the point the sewer district was organized. Porter, now retired, had been the city administrator for St. Robert and later for Waynesville. He’s also been an advocate of expanding sewer service for many years. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Waynesville woman lies roadside for hours following motorcycle wreck WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Oct. 20, 2009) — A Waynesville woman, Christina M. Howell, 29, totaled her motorcycle and lay off the roadway for hours Saturday evening until she was found. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Howell had been northbound on Highway 17 about six miles north of the city limits when she ran her 2006 Suzuki motorcycle off the right side of the roadway, struck a mailbox and overturned her motorcycle, suffering moderate injuries. When troopers responded to the crash, there was frost on Howell’s helmet and her entire motorcycle. In unrelated incidents, state troopers in Pulaski County arrested Dennis D. Shattuck, 50, of Dixon, Jake R. Halvorsen, 19, of Fort Leonard Wood, and Victor M. Gonzalez, 32, of El Paso, Texas, on various charges. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Crocker Lady Lions win at softball sectional despite flu, lose quarterfinal CROCKER, Mo. (Oct. 17, 2009 UPDATED 4:45 p.m.) — The Crocker Lady Lions softball team won the state sectional competition in Bolivar against Montrose by a score of 2 to 0 Friday night and advanced to quarterfinal competition Saturday in Jefferson City against the Clopton Lady Hawks at 3:30 p.m., but lost to Clopton by a score of 1 to 0 Saturday. The state sectional victory happened despite a flu outbreak that closed classes for the last three days of the week and prevented the Crocker softball team from practicing. Crocker R-II School Board President Don Mayhew, whose daughter is one of the softball players, said about two dozen fans travelled with the team to Bolivar, which had dry fields unlike St. Elizabeth where the state sectional was expected to be played. “We would have had more people if we could have played at St. Elizabeth as was originally scheduled, but pretty much all the parents were there and we had a good crowd,” Mayhew said. “The reason we made the decision to cancel classes was to get ahead of the contagion so the students who had been exposed could work through their illness without infecting others ... Our janitorial staff did an amazing job of trying to get the school ready for Monday. They spent the last couple of days working like little busy bees.”  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Local police join statewide crackdown on unsafe driving along I-44 corridor WAYNESVILLE/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Oct. 17, 2009) — Area residents driving tonight have likely already seen a stepped-up police presence in and near Interstate 44. According to press releases issued earlier this month by both Waynesville Police Chief Bob Carter and Sgt. Butch Hohman, St. Robert’s head of traffic enforcement, the two agencies are involved in a statewide crackdown along the Interstate 44 corridor, known as “The Heat is On,” targeting drivers who don’t wear their seat belts, speed, or are impaired by alcohol, drugs or other substances. Hohman’s press release indicated that the enforcement effort began at 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and will end at 6 a.m. on Sunday. Results of the enforcement operation will be forthcoming, Hohman said. Next week, state officials begin programs seeking to improve traffic safety for teen drivers and commercial motor vehicle drivers. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Annexing Fort Leonard Wood could complicate elections, Ransdall warns PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Oct. 16, 2009) — Efforts by city officials in Waynesville and Saint Robert to annex Fort Leonard Wood’s housing areas could substantially increase the cities’ populations for the 2010 census and spur economic development, but Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner Bill Ransdall warned Thursday that there could also be unforeseen complications. Ransdall advised County Clerk Diana Linnenbringer to seek legal advice on how the proposed annexation would affect her work. “It would be my suggestion that you call the secretary of state’s office as the chief election authority; somebody needs to do some research on how state law affects annexing federal property,” Ransdall said. “I guess I need to get off my chest — and it falls on the clerk, this isn’t the presiding commissioner’s responsibility — but somebody has to ask the question that if you go out there and establish the lines and put half the population in one city and half in the other, how does that affect elections? ... I want to make it perfectly clear that I am in favor of doing this for the cities to better market themselves ... The problem I see is that (the county clerk) can’t divide municipalities for the purpose of commissioners or for state representatives.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Calculating Fort Leonard Wood’s on-post population could be complex FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Oct. 16, 2009) — City officials in Saint Robert and Waynesville believe annexing the housing areas of Fort Leonard Wood would help the cities attract new businesses while not requiring military personnel to pay more taxes or requiring the cities to provide more services to their new on-post residents. However, calculating precisely how many people would actually be brought into the new city limits isn’t easy. Fort Leonard Wood officials released estimates Friday morning of how many housing units are available in three main categories of on-post housing with a total of 21,250 available bedrooms in permanent party housing or beds in barracks for trainees. If that population were to be evenly divided between the two cities of Waynesville and St. Robert, it could add about 10,000 people to each city, giving each city a population of about 14,000. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Crocker disinfects and deep-cleans school buildings after flu outbreak CROCKER, Mo. (Oct. 16, 2009) — Following a flu outbreak that cancelled three days of school, Crocker R-II School District officials have thoroughly disinfected the school and plan to reopen the building for classes on Monday. The extensive cleaning program has given the school buildings a strong smell of disinfectants, according to school bookkeeper Stephanie Knudsen, who was herself away from work for several days with a sick grandchild. “Students and staff and everyone was asked to stay out of the buildings,” Knudsen said. “We could definitely tell it had been disinfected when we came in. It is clean, not that it wasn’t before, but the custodians have been going room to room with Lysol, Clorox, all the good stuff.” The cancellation of classes directly affected state sectional softball competition between Crocker and Montrose, which had been scheduled for Wednesday night, was rescheduled for Thursday, and finally set on Friday at a different location in Bolivar rather than St. Elizabeth; while the competition was rescheduled, the flu outbreak prevented Crocker team members from practicing. Knudsen said district officials are confident they’ll be able to hold classes on Monday, but if that doesn’t happen, they’ll use the district’s “School REACH” phone messaging system to alert all parents to the change. “Rest assured that every effort was made to clean and disinfect the building,” Knudsen said. “I feel every effort has been made, and if they’re going to get a virus, they aren’t going to get the virus because of the building.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Command Sgt. Maj. Will Pierce, left, accepts a sword from retiring Command Sgt. Maj. Ray Harding. Missouri National Guard’s 35th Engineer Brigade gets new top NCO FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Oct. 16, 2009) — The Missouri National Guard’s 35th Engineer Brigade welcomed its new top non-commissioned officer, Command Sgt. Maj. Will Pierce, of Camdenton, in a recent change of responsibility ceremony. Pierce took over from Command Sgt. Maj. Ray Harding, of Saint Robert, who is retiring this month after 37 years in the Guard. “Command Sgt. Maj. Pierce has several qualities that will make him an excellent command sergeant major,” said Brig. Gen. David Irwin, brigade commander. “He has deployed multiple times with both an engineer battalion and the engineer brigade. He knows what it feels like to lose a soldier, so he understands the importance of individual and unit readiness.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

A wreck in heavy rain snarled Wednesday night traffic in Waynesville. Separate Wednesday wrecks snarl traffic in Waynesville, St. Robert SAINT ROBERT/WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Oct. 16, 2009) — Separate two-vehicle crashes on Wednesday snarled traffic at major intersections in both Saint Robert and Waynesville, but crash reports with driver names weren’t available as of Friday morning from police in either city. Shortly after 3 p.m., Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel responded to a crash at the junction of North Outer Road and Highway Y in St. Robert and transported the female driver of a gold Pontiac Grand Prix which was rear-ended by the male driver of a black Oldsmobile Aurora, both of which had been westbound approaching the stop light. Later Wednesday night, a crash about 8:30 p.m. in heavy rain snarled the intersection of Ichord Avenue and Historic Route 66 while emergency personnel treated the victims of a crash between a blue Pontiac G8 passenger car and a gold Ford F-150 pickup truck. According to Officer Sharon Miller of the Waynesville Police Department, the driver of the gold pickup truck “thought that the blue Pontiac had a red light, so he went ahead and attempted to make the turn when the Pontiac had a green light and it turned yellow once he got into the intersection.” Lt. Mike Shempert of the Waynesville Rural Fire Protection District said injuries to people in both vehicles were minor. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Staff Sgt. Robyn Boatright sits "injured" at the bottom of a staircase after she "fell" during an exercise. Training takes unexpected turn while Guard works with civilian agencies FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Oct. 16, 2009) — While training with civilian agencies in Columbia to clean up a mock terrorist lab producing chlorine gas, the Missouri National Guard’s 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team had to handle serious injuries sustained by one of its members. The injuries were only simulated but weren’t expected by those participating in the training of the Fort Leonard Wood unit with Columbia-area civilian firefighters, police, members of HAZMAT and SWAT teams, and FBI and bomb squad members. “There were a couple of hiccups, but that’s to be expected when you get that many different agencies involved,” said Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Uptegrove, the 7th’s decontamination section noncommissioned officer in charge who helped coordinate the exercise. “We’re normally dealing with the technical, HAZMAT-kind-of stuff and we wanted to try something a little different on these guys — a scenario that they don’t train on every day, but one that is very important. We have to be able to sustain the ability to extract one of our own team members should something go wrong.” Staff Sgt. Robyn Boatright, one of the unit’s reconnaissance team chiefs, played the part of the injured person after she fell down a flight of steps in the scenario while making entry in her HAZMAT suit with a member of the civilian authorities to investigate a potentially hazardous agent. At the bottom of the steps, Boatright found herself with a compound fracture in her right forearm that was bleeding profusely. She also was unable to feel her legs. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Adding on-post residents still won’t push population over Rolla or Lebanon FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Oct. 15, 2009) — While Waynesville and Saint Robert officials said Wednesday they expect annexing Fort Leonard Wood’s on-post housing areas will help attract new development by substantially boosting their Census 2010 population statistics, post officials aren’t yet able to give solid estimates of how many more people would actually be added to the two cities by the proposed annexation. However, it’s very unlikely that even the highest estimates of increased population would bring the populations of either Waynesville or St. Robert up to the level of Lebanon or Rolla, the closest cities on the I-44 corridor. Waynesville’s population in the last federal census for the year 2000 was 3,507 and St. Robert’s population was 2,760; the estimated combined population for both cities had grown to 7,217 in 2007, according to the Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber of Commerce. Fort Leonard Wood’s 2000 census population was 13,666, but civilian and military officials believe that number represented an undercount of at least 23 percent. By comparison, Lebanon’s population was 12,155 in the 2000 census with a projected 2009 population of 12,295, according to the county’s economic development organization, America’s Heartland Economic Partnership. Rolla had a population of 16,367 in the 2000 census and an estimated population of 17,817 in 2008, according to the Rolla Regional Economic Commission. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Waynesville Councilwoman Luge Hardman and St. Robert City Administrator Alan Clark present annexation plans. Annexing Fort Leonard Wood proposed to increase cities’ Census 2010 stats FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Oct. 15, 2009) — In a bid to increase Census 2010 population statistics for Waynesville and Saint Robert, officials from those two cities announced Wednesday that they plan to seek voluntary annexation of housing areas on Fort Leonard Wood so both cities will have a larger population and be more attractive to potential developers. “A while back, I kind of alluded to something that was in the works,” said St. Robert City Administrator Alan Clark at Wednesday’s monthly lunch meeting of the Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber of Commerce. “I pray to God this thing comes to fruition where that annexation will be completed before the 2010 census so those numbers will now start being counted, both equally, in Waynesville and St. Robert, because you know how important those numbers are when it comes to economic development.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Two Dixon drivers wreck vehicles; third Dixon man arrested after fleeing DIXON, Mo. (Oct. 15, 2009) — Crashes this week outside Pulaski County involving Dixon residents wrecked four vehicles and sent two people to hospitals for emergency treatment. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Steven A. Davis, 18, of Dixon, was southbound Monday in Maries County on Route 63 about a mile north of Vichy at 5:55 p.m. when he attempted to turn his 1995 Toyota Corolla left into a private drive but turned into the path of a northbound 2001 Hyundai Accent driven by James R. Perkins, 23, of Columbia and was struck in the side. Both vehicles were totaled and Davis suffered serious injuries. The next day, Christiane A. Martin, 33, of Dixon, was stopped at the westbound stop sign in the Phelps County community of Doolittle at the intersection of Eisenhower and Route T driving a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu at 3:25 p.m. when she failed to yield to an approaching 2007 Jeep Wrangler driven by Jenna C. Snodgrass, 18, of Duke, who was northbound on Route T. Both vehicles collided and ran off the roadway with extensive damage to both vehicles; Martin was not hurt but Snodgrass suffered minor injuries. In an unrelated incident, state troopers arrested a Dixon man, David E. Davignon, 30, at 11:35 p.m. Wednesday in Pulaski County on drug charges.  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Crocker flu outbreak cancels church service, sporting events Wednesday CROCKER, Mo. (Oct. 14, 2009) — Wednesday night services at Crocker Christian Church and Wednesday’s state sectional competition between the Crocker and Montrose softball teams are the latest casualties of the flu outbreak hitting the Crocker R-I School District. Due to large numbers of flu cases, both events have been cancelled, along with the rest of the week’s classes in the Crocker R-I School District, which had seven teachers and 170 of the district’s 540 students call in sick on Tuesday with flu-like symptoms. It’s not yet clear whether the flu outbreak in Crocker is due the seasonal flu which hits each year or the new H1N1 flu strain, originally called “swine flu,” which hit dozens of people at Fort Leonard Wood before the Centers for Disease Control stopped reporting county-by-county H1N1 flu statistics. Pulaski County Public Health department spokeswoman Deborah Baker said she isn’t sure how many of the county’s flu cases are in Crocker compared to the rest of the county. “We don’t have a physician here so we don’t have people coming in to be seen,” Baker said. All seasonal flu vaccine supplies are exhausted in the health department, she said, and while some H1N1 flu mist doses arrived Tuesday and were immediately shipped to doctors, no public H1N1 flu vaccination clinic is planned until December. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Brig. Gen. Larry Kay shakes hands with Capt. Nicholas Pianalto of Waynesville, commander of Company C, 1st Battalion, 106th Assault Helicopter Battalion. Fort Leonard Wood-based Guardsmen honored after deployment to Iraq OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Oct. 14, 2009) — Returning from a year-long deployment to civilian life can sometimes be daunting for Missouri National Guardsmen. On Saturday, about 100 citizen-soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood-based Company C, 1st Battalion, 106th Assault Helicopter Battalion, and its detachments, along with Springfield-based Detachment 3, 1st Battalion, 185th Theater Aviation Company, and their family members were honored with a Yellow Ribbon and Freedom Salute program at Tan-Tar-A Resort. “The Freedom Salute is extremely important because it’s the final event that marks the completion of our postmobilization,” said Capt. Nicholas Pianalto, Company C commander. “It’s a chance for everybody to get together and have the families, VIPs and distinguished guests show up and celebrate the many accomplishments that have taken place over the past 15 months.” The 1-106th and its detachments are a UH-60 Black Hawk unit that served in southeast Iraq, while the 1-185th is a fixed wing, C-23 Sherpa unit, that served in Balad, Iraq. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Shooter probably not a danger to public, Pulaski County sheriff says BUCKHORN, Mo. (Oct. 14, 2009) — Pulaski County Sheriff J.B. King says he’s fairly sure the person who was shot in the leg west of Waynesville on Tuesday afternoon knows who shot him, but that Tony Trotter, 50, isn’t telling everything that could be said about the incident. Pulaski County deputies, Waynesville firefighters and Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel responded after the Pulaski County 911 Center received a 3:49 p.m. call from a woman who came to the old Witmore Farms restaurant and said a male passenger in the car with her had been shot in the leg and “lost a lot of blood.” Emergency personnel tried to get a medevac helicopter to respond but the local helicopter couldn’t fly due to bad weather conditions, so ground ambulance personnel took him to Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla for emergency treatment. The victim turned out to be Trotter, who lives on Roscoe Road where the shooting was reported to have taken place. The shooting touched off an extensive manhunt Thursday evening by numerous police agencies whose officers combed the county’s back roads for an older-model black Dodge Dart or similar vehicle, but weren’t able to locate the shooter. “We have no reason to believe that this was a random act of violence. We believe that there is more to the incident then we have been told and Trotter was the specific target of the shooter,” King wrote Wednesday in a prepared statement. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Buckhorn shooter on the loose BUCKHORN, Mo. (Oct. 13, 2009) — A shooter appears to be on the loose in the Buckhorn area near the old Witmore Farms restaurant. “At this point we don’t know what we’ve got,” said Sheriff J.B. King. “But we do advise everybody who has heard about the shooting to keep their eyes open and use common sense.” Based on victim reports, a woman came to Witmore Farms about 3:45 p.m. Tuesday and said a man in the car with her had been shot in the leg by a person firing from an older model black vehicle, possibly a Dodge Dart. Emergency personnel attempted to call for a helicopter ambulance to airlift him for treatment but the rescue helicopters could not fly due to weather conditions; ground ambulance crews transported him to an unidentified hospital for treatment. As of 5 p.m., King said the vehicle has not been located despite an extensive manhunt by deputies and other law enforcement agencies. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Flu cases cancel classes in Crocker schools, shutter city council session CROCKER, Mo. (Oct. 13, 2009) — The Crocker community has been hit by a series of flu cases so numerous that the school district shut down classes for the rest of the week and the city council cancelled its session tonight because too many aldermen need to stay home with sick children. Crocker R-I School District bookkeeper Stephanie Knudsen said 170 of the district’s 540 students called in sick on Tuesday with flu-like symptoms, along with seven teachers. Rather than trying to hold classes with large numbers of students and teachers unavailable, district officials decided today to cancel classes until next week Monday. No other district in the Fort Leonard Wood area has experienced a similar number of flu cases and none have plans to cancel classes. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

FLW-based National Guard unit honors Neosho YMCA for supporting soldiers NEOSHO, Mo. (Oct. 13, 2009) — The Missouri National Guard’s 140th Regiment Missouri Regional Training Institute of Fort Leonard Wood recently recognized the Neosho YMCA for its support of the Army. Lt. Col. Michael Winkler presented a community service award recognizing the Freeman Southwest Family YMCA for its outstanding support of soldiers attending military specialty training at Camp Crowder. “For the past few years, the YMCA has made its Neosho facility available at no charge to the soldiers attending the engineer and transporter training conducted by the institute at Camp Crowder,” said Winkler, the institute’s administrative officer. “This provides the opportunity for soldiers to enjoy outstanding facilities and recreational opportunities not available at Camp Crowder.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Hazelgreen firefighters help Rothmund's Towing workers remove a rollover wreck. Two separate Richland rollovers wreck vehicles Sunday and Monday afternoon RICHLAND, Mo. (Oct. 12, 2009) — Two different one-vehicle rollover wrecks south of Richland on Sunday and Monday afternoon seriously injured a driver who had not been wearing her seat belt but left a different driver unhurt who had been wearing his seat belt. The worst of the two wrecks happened Sunday in the Turkey Ridge area on Highway W about eight miles south of Richland when, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Penni L. Vess, 40, of Waynesville, was northbound in a 2004 Ford Ranger, ran off the right side of the roadway at 4:14 p.m., collided with a mailbox and overturned, ejecting Vess from the pickup. Vess, who had not been wearing her seat belt, was flown by St. John’s LifeLine helicopter ambulance to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield for treatment of serious injuries. Another wreck the next day near the same area of the Highway 7 exit at mile marker 150 totaled a white 2001 Toyota Tacoma driven by a California man, Kenneth Martin Hoage, 62, about 4:45 p.m. Monday but Trooper C. Stallcup said his seat belt saved him from any significant injuries despite the pickup having landed on its roof in the median. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Jack's Towing personnel remove a wrecked motorcycle. Highway 7 crash kills motorcyclist RICHLAND, Mo. (Oct. 10, 2009) — For the second time in a week, emergency personnel closed Highway 7 south of Richland due to a crash that claimed the life of a motorist. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Saturday’s fatal crash happened when Randy L. Fishback, 52, of Richland, was northbound on Highway 7 riding a 2005 Iron Horse motorcycle about 5:30 p.m. and and passed a northbound 1998 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Connie L. Shrewsbury, 54, of Waynesville, at the base of a hill. Fishback’s motorcycle overturned, throwing him from the motorcycle into the path of the pickup truck which then struck him. The motorcycle was totaled and removed by Jack’s Towing. Shrewsbury’s pickup truck sustained only minor damage and was driven from the scene; she was not hurt by the crash. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

St. Robert Assistant Fire Chief Doug Cage helps remove a wreck from the Ramada intersection. Rollover wreck Saturday snarls Saint Robert traffic at Ramada intersection SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Oct. 10, 2009 UPDATED 10 p.m.) — A three-vehicle crash at the Ramada intersection in St. Robert snarled traffic for about half an hour while emergency crews and tow company personnel removed a rolled-over blue 1994 Ford Explorer driven by James Shepherd, 70, of Dixon, and a silver 2007 Toyota RAV4 SUV driven by Catina S. McReynolds, 20, of Dixon, that remained on its wheels during the crash. Neither driver was hurt, but Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel transported two passengers in Shepherd’s vehicle, Crystal Davis, 20, and Aiden G. Garn, 3, both of Dixon, who suffered undetermined injuries. Police reported that McReynolds entered the Ramada intersection from Highway Z on a green light, continued traveling west, and was struck by Shepherd who was southbound on Missouri Avenue approaching the same intersection but failed to notice that his light was red. The collision resulted in Shepherd’s Ford overturning onto its right side while the McReynolds vehicle continued westbound and hit a white 1993 Dodge Spirit driven by Kevin W. Candler, 26, of Laquey, who was stopped at the traffic signal. He suffered no injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Crocker crash wrecks pickup Friday CROCKER, Mo. (Oct. 9, 2009) — An early Friday morning crash wrecked a pickup but caused only minor injuries to its driver, who refused medical treatment. State troopers reported that Donny L. Bailey, 53, of Richland, had been driving his 1996 Ford Ranger pickup truck southbound about a mile north of Crocker when he slid off the right side of Highway 17 in the rain at 5:45 a.m. and struck a culvert. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Missouri National Guardsman Gregory Rhodes prepares to rappel down a tower during officer candidate school training at Fort Leonard Wood. Inner-city native travels arduous path to become National Guard officer FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Oct. 8, 2009) — Most people probably don’t know Gregory Rhodes, but his story, which can be considered inspirational, is worth a look. It starts with humble beginnings, continues with a long battle through adversity, and culminates where it is today — with Rhodes as a happily married family man and a graduate of the Missouri National Guard’s officer candidate school. “I understand that everything I have overcome has led me to where I am today. I am a survivor,” Rhodes said. “Even before joining the Missouri Army National Guard, without realizing it, I have been living by the warrior ethos and the Army values. I want to inspire others to do the same. I know that I can and will fulfill that duty as an officer in the United States Army.” Rhodes had to struggle and fight to survive from day one. He was born three months premature in October of 1970, the youngest of six children. Often sick as a child, Rhodes required braces to strengthen his legs due to his premature birth, and by the age of 4, he needed glasses. His home was on Newberry Terrace in inner city St. Louis, a place he calls one of the poorest and rundown neighborhoods around. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Rainy roads, wet weather conditions contribute to two Thursday wrecks HAZELGREEN/DIXON, Mo. (Oct. 8, 2009) — Rainy roads and wet weather conditions contributed to two different wrecks on Thursday, one involving a state trooper. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, William E. Wilson, 48, of Lebanon, suffered minor injuries and wrecked his 2001 Dodge Dakota about 4:49 p.m. when he had been westbound on Interstate 44 at mile marker 143 near Hazelgreen in Laclede County, just west of the Pulaski County line, lost control on wet pavement ran off the road into the median, and struck the barrier cables. Later that night, Cpl. Donald M. Hedrick, 39, of Waynesville, was westbound in his 2007 Ford Crown Victoria state patrol car on Route D about four miles south of Dixon when he attempted to make a left-hand turn into a private business at 7:20 p.m., but due to heavy rain, was unable to see the driveway and drove into a ditch. Hedrick suffered no injuries and his patrol car sustained minor damage estimated at $600 to the bumper cover. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Tri-County firefighters from Richland respond to a fatal wreck on Highway 7. Richland woman killed in Highway 7 wreck with pickup pulling hog trailer RICHLAND, Mo. (Oct. 8, 2009) — A Richland woman is dead and three vehicles wrecked following a Wednesday evening head-on crash on the “S-curves” south of Richland on Highway 7. Cleaning up the crash was complicated by livestock: one of the vehicles was a pickup truck pulling a hog trailer, so personnel from Rothmund’s Towing entered the hog trailer, tied down the pig, carried it to a waiting pickup truck, and held the pig down while sitting in the pickup truck bed and driving to the farm of the person who had sold the pig. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports and information obtained at the crash scene, Tracy L. Rider, 42, of Richland, had been northbound in a blue 2005 Toyota Camry LE when she lost control of her car about 6:30 p.m., crossed the centerline, and struck a southbound black 2009 Hyundai Elantra driven by Natalie M. Thode, 37, of Waynesville, causing moderate damage to the Elantra. The Hyundai driver wasn’t hurt, but Rider’s Toyota continued northbound and struck a southbound silver 2001 Dodge 4x4 SLT pickup truck pulling the hog trailer and driven by Michael J. Miller, 44, of Newburg, totaling both vehicles, killing Rider, and causing minor injuries to Miller. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

From left, Pfcs. Adam Brumble and David Eley and Spc. Scott Darby use a first aid dummy to simulate treating wounds to extremities. Missouri National Guardsmen refresh on first aid and soldier care at drill JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Oct. 7, 2009) — Members of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 35th Engineer Brigade worked on several different Army Warrior tasks in the field Saturday at their monthly Missouri National Guard drill. Spc. Scott Darby, of Waynesville, and Pfc. David Eley, of Springfield, both saw the exercise as a refresher after recently completing their Combat Lifesaver Course. “This is an opportunity to help out those who are not Combat Lifesaver Course certified,” Darby said. “We are pretty much touching base on everything,” Eley added. “We’re getting to keep up on the training, so that way we actually retain some of the information we learn.”  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Rep. David Day Rep. David Day seeks re-election, won’t challenge Sen. Frank Barnitz PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Oct. 7, 2009) — Rep. David Day, who lives in Dixon and represents most of Pulaski County in the Missouri House of Representatives, announced Monday that he will seek re-election in 2010. Day’s decision to run for re-election to the State House of Representatives means he won’t be running as a Republican against State Sen. Frank Barnitz, the incumbent Democrat from the rural Dent County community of Lake Spring, who was first elected in a special 2005 election when State Sen. Sarah Steelman from Rolla, a Republican, resigned her seat after winning election as the Missouri State Treasurer. Barnitz was re-elected in 2006 to a full four-year term and will be eligible to run again in 2010, but hasn’t yet announced whether he will seek re-election. In his Monday announcement, Day said he wanted to make his intentions known to avoid misunderstandings and rumors. “I feel that the citizens of the 148th District deserve to know what my intentions are and it will also help address some of the rumors that are starting to surface, as they do with any campaign,” Day said in a prepared statement. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Lt. Col. Regina Kilmer hands off the 5th Ordnance Training Battalion guidon. Vienna woman assumes command of 5th Ordnance Training Battalion FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Oct. 7, 2009) — Lt. Col. Regina Kilmer, a Vienna resident, returned to her roots in the 140th Regiment Missouri Regional Training Institute when she assumed the role as commander of the Missouri National Guard’s 5th Ordnance Training Battalion. Lt. Col. Ronnie Mast relinquished command of the 5th Ordnance Training Battalion in August as part of his transition into his new role as commander of the Missouri National Guard’s Agribusiness Development Team III. As commander of the 5th, Kilmer will oversee four Regional Training Site Maintenance Companies — one each in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Minnesota — in her new position. “This is a really exciting day,” said Kilmer. “Having commanded the Regional Training Site Maintenance Company a few years ago as a new major, it’s just a well-oiled machine and a wonderful group of professionals. Now to have that opportunity with four Regional Training Site Maintenance companies in four different states is just great.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Former Waynesville coach’s sex-with-student case set for trial next spring VIENNA, Mo. (Oct. 5, 2009) — A former Waynesville High School assistant football coach will stand trial next spring on accusations of sexual misconduct with a female student. Associate Circuit Judge John Wiggins decided during a brief Monday morning hearing that Scott S. Ballard, who is now 24 but was 22 years old at the time of the first of three incidents for which he faces charges, will have a two-day jury trial beginning May 27 of next year. Ballard has pleaded innocent to three Class D felony charges of second-degree attempted statutory rape of a Waynesville High School student, then 16, in connection with a series of three incidents in late 2007 that were reported to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department on Jan. 16, 2008. None of the sexual activity alleged by prosecutors happened on school grounds, but happened at various locations in Pulaski County outside city limits. The case was nearly dismissed two months ago by Circuit Judge Tracy Storie after Pulaski County Prosecutor Deborah Hooper took no action for more than a year. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Plato man seriously injured Monday in motorcycle wreck on Highway 17 FAIRVIEW, Mo. (Oct. 5, 2009) — A motorcycle wreck on Highway 17 about six miles south of the Buckhorn exit on Interstate 44 seriously injured a Plato man. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Carlo J. Adame, 33, had been riding a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle southbound from the Waynesville area at 6:40 p.m. when he hit a deer in the roadway and ran off the right side of the roadway, overturning his motorcycling, throwing him off, and totaling the cycle. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Rothmund's Towing personnel work to remove a rolled-over pickup from I-44. Two Saturday evening crashes damage three vehicles on I-44, injure two PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Sept. 5, 2009) — Two separate Saturday evening wrecks on Interstate 44 damaged three vehicles and sent two people to area hospitals with injuries. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Steven V. Addison, 35, of Fort Leonard Wood, had been attempting to merge into westbound traffic on Interstate 44 in Rolla at 5:35 p.m. when his 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe was struck in the rear end by a 1995 Mitsubishi driven by Blake A. Davis, 17, of Rolla. Neither driver was hurt but Addison’s passenger, 6-year-old Kaylanyi A. Addison, also of Fort Leonard Wood, suffered minor injuries. Just five minutes later and twenty miles away, troopers received a report of a rollover wreck in the median of Interstate 44 east of St. Robert. When they arrived at mile marker 165.4, they found a white 2002 Chevrolet 1500 pickup truck had rolled over onto its passenger side and was leaning against the median guard cables. The driver, Jeffery A. Jacques, 50, of Kimberling City, suffered moderate injuries. In unrelated incidents, trooopers arrested Donald R. Cain, 49, and Stephen A. McGhghy, 21, both of Dixon, on various charges. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Four crashes involving area residents injure seven on Thursday and Friday PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Oct. 2, 2009) — Three Thursday crashes and one Friday night crash involving area residents sent seven people to hospitals or clinics with various injuries. All happened outside the immediate area except for an early morning wreck on Highway 28 about three miles south of Dixon in which Cherita R. McLaughlin, 22, of Saint Robert, was driving a 2003 Dodge Neon northbound at 1:30 a.m. Thursday when she ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a sign and some small trees, and stopped off the roadway, suffering minor injuries but totaling her car. Later in the afternoon, state troopers in St. Francois County, which is south of St. Louis, responded to a 1:55 p.m. crash in which Shelly R. Odgers, 43, of Dixon, had been northbound in a 2006 Ford Taurus on Old Bonne Terre Road when she failed to negotiate a curve, crossed the center line, and struck a southbound 2003 Chevrolet 1500 head-on driven by Phylis R. Rodgers, 59, of Cannon City, Colo., causing minor injuries for both women. A 4 p.m. Thursday crash involving a school bus in Maries County wasn’t initially reported as causing injuries, but troopers received a late report that Von A. Brown, 9, of Belle, had received minor injuries after the school bus driver, Chasity D. Honse, 28, of Dixon, had backed her 1996 International school bus northbound out of a driveway on Maries County Road 317 about a third of a mile from Highway 42 and struck a tree. The worst wreck involving local residents happened on Interstate 44 in Lawrence County, about three miles west of Mt. Vernon. Troopers reported that Jasmina N. Sutton, 27, of Waynesville, had been westbound on I-44 in a 1994 Cadillac when she ran off the roadway at 10:05 p.m. Friday, struck a roadside and the guardrail, and then after striking the guardrail, overturned down an embankment, totaling her vehicle. Sutton and one of her passengers, Phabeyonne Williams, 33, of St. Robert, suffered minor injuries; her other passenger, Marcellus J. Watson, 36, also of St. Robert, suffered moderate injuries. In an unrelated arrest, state troopers in Phelps County arrested Dorothy M. Taylor, 60, of St. Robert, at 6:44 a.m. Friday on speeding charges and for outstanding warrants. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

The driver of this car escaped unharmed after a head-on crash with a cement truck. Head-on crash with cement truck wrecks car, leaves driver of car unhurt SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Oct. 2, 2009) — A head-on Friday afternoon crash between a cement truck and a passenger car didn’t hurt the car driver but sent the cement truck driver to Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla for treatment of apparent rib injuries. City police haven’t yet issued a report on the incident and the names haven’t been released, but according to St. Robert Fire Chief Chuck Fraley, the crash between a gray Ford Mustang and a Kenworth cement truck happened at 3:48 p.m. in front of the McDonald’s restaurant on Highway Z. St. Robert police and firefighters responded, as did two ambulances from the Pulaski County Ambulance District due to what was expected to be a much more serious crash, but the car driver didn’t require medical treatment after he was removed from his car which sustained massive front-end damage. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

National Guardsmen work with chemicals used to produce meth as part of a lab identification course at the Missouri Highway Patrol headquarters. Missouri Guardsmen make meth to learn how to identify meth labs FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Oct. 1, 2009) — Four Missouri National Guardsmen in the 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team based at Fort Leonard Wood recently participated in clandestine lab training at the Missouri Highway Patrol headquarters. The four men, 1st Lt. Nathan Looper of Lynchburg, 1st Lt. Matthew Marks and 1st Lt. Richard Sambolin of Waynesville, and Staff Sgt. Jason Allabaugh of Chadwick, took the course as part of their training, along with law enforcement officials from across the state. The class was primarily geared toward the detection and cleanup of methamphetamine labs. “Now we can look at photos of labs taken by our reconnaissance team and identify whether it is a terroristic lab or a meth lab,” Looper said. Being able to tell the difference is important for the team because their mission is to focus on detecting, identifying, and neutralizing weapons of mass destruction. Meth labs, however, are generally left to law enforcement.  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Rick Fry works to remove a vehicle tangled up in a median cable. Emergency response personnel say MoDOT road improvements helped WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Sept. 30, 2009) — Few people see the effects of road work more than tow truck drivers and emergency responders, and most Pulaski County people in those categories appreciate the work Missouri Department of Transportation personnel have been doing on area roadways. Rick Fry of Jack’s Towing said the median guard cables on Interstate 44 have been especially helpful in preventing crashes by cars that otherwise would have ended up in the opposite lane of oncoming traffic. “These cables are good; they’ve just gotten them a little bit too close to the highway,” Fry said. “They serve the purpose, they keep cars from going through the median and having a head-on crash, but they’re also tough on automobiles.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Waynesville firefighters work to extinguish a Brookview Apartments blaze. Brookview blaze kills Waynesville woman early Tuesday morning WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Sept. 29, 2009) — An early morning Tuesday fire sent emergency personnel to the Brookview Apartments for the second blaze in eight days, this time involving the death of a woman who lived in the bottom set of apartments closest to the apartment complex entrance. According to County Corner Mikel Hartness, next-of-kin have been notified that Jimmie L. Turk, 58, was pronounced dead at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. Waynesville Rural Fire Chief Doug Yurecko said she was transported from her apartment by Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel after having been found unconscious and unresponsive and suffering from severe smoke inhalation. “The damage was confined mostly to the bed; she fell asleep smoking,” Yurecko said. Tuesday morning’s fire had no connection to a Sept. 21 blaze caused by a lightning strike in the 300 block of apartments that also led to the evacuation of eight apartments but no injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

State troopers wait while Jack's Towing clears a semi wreck. Crash sends semi across I-44, carries median guard cables into traffic lanes WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Sept. 29, 2009) — Separate one-vehicle crashes on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning snarled traffic on two roads near Waynesville. Tuesday morning’s crash could easily have been far worse. Tri-County firefighters from Richland and Hazelgreen firefighters responded to a report of an eastbound semi truck that had crashed through the median guard cables of Interstate 44 about six miles west of Waynesville, ran across two lanes of oncoming westbound traffic dragging cables across the interstate, ran off the north shoulder onto the north outer road, and was blocking outer road traffic west of Exit 150 at Route 7. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, William L. Baumgarte, 46, of Springfield, had been eastbound in his 2007 Freightliner semi truck at 8:50 a.m. Tuesday when he tried to avoid another vehicle, ran off the left side of Interstate 44, struck the median cables, crossed over the westbound lanes, and came to rest on the north outer road, suffering moderate injuries. On Monday, troopers reported that Billy J. Long, 33, of Crocker, had been southbound at 3:20 p.m. on Highway T about 3.5 miles north of Waynesville driving a 1999 Dodge pickup when he ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a ditch, suffering minor injuries. In an unrelated arrest, state troopers announced that they arrested Jason H. Roe, 29, of St. Louis, at 7:43 a.m. in Pulaski County on various charges.  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Jack's Towing personnel remove a car wedged underneath another car Monday night. Five-vehicle crash in St. Robert sends car “up in the air like a balloon” SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Sept. 28, 2009) — A five-car pileup on Missouri Avenue at Gateway Circle stopped most traffic exiting Fort Leonard Wood for nearly an hour on Monday night and sent at least one motorist to General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital for treatment. One patient was trapped inside a silver 2005 Dodge Neon vehicle after the force of vehicles smashing into the Neon from behind shoved it under a white 1989 Buick LeSabre, but was not seriously hurt. Karen Williams said she was facing northbound on Missouri Avenue about 8:30 p.m. and was stopped at a red light when the crash happened next to her. “We heard a real hard boom; we were at the light and the light was red,” said Williams. “It was ready to turn green, but at the time it had turned green, the car behind it had got hit from the back … the car just went up in the air like a balloon.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Missouri National Guard reaches out through internet-based social media JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Sept. 28, 2009) — When the Missouri National Guard delved into the world of social media in February by launching Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and MySpace pages all within a single month, no one could predict the impact the sites would have on the way the Guard did business as usual. The one thing everyone was certain of, however, was that the online media movement was much too big to ignore. “Utilizing new media is a great way to spread our messages,” said adjutant general Brig. Gen. Stephen Danner. “It is important that the Missouri National Guard has a presence in the same place that our members are.” And with more than a 300 million active users on Facebook alone — half of whom log in to the site at least once a day — Danner knew the site, and others like it, were worth exploring. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Ashley N. Ward//Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Jack's Towing personnel remove a car from Highway T. Weekend wrecks injure two drivers WAYNESVILLE/BRUMLEY, Mo. (Sept. 28, 2009) — Two one-vehicle weekend wrecks injured two drivers from Waynesville and Saint Robert, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports. A Saturday morning crash on Highway T four miles north of Waynesville snarled traffic nearly an hour while emergency personnel removed a red 1999 Chevrolet Prizm from the roadway. Troopers reported that Carol I. Brown, 31, of Waynesville, had been southbound on Highway T about 11:50 a.m. when she hydroplaned on wet pavement, lost control of her car, ran off the right side of the road and struck a tree, suffering moderate injuries. A much more serious Sunday afternoon wreck resulted in a St. Robert man being airlifted from the Brumley area for medical treatment. Troopers reported that Luis A. Matos, 28, had been northbound on Highway U in Miller County about 3.5 miles south of Highway 42 riding a 2004 Honda motorcycle. As he was riding northbound at 3:05 p.m., Matos lost control on a curve, skidded off the left side of the road and overturned, suffering serious injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Earthquake workshop gives states a chance to plan for New Madrid disaster ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Sept. 25, 2009) — More than 200 National Guard officials and representatives of civilian agencies from eight states attended the New Madrid Seismic Zone Workshop sponsored by the Missouri National Guard. The event’s purpose was to coordinate the National Guard response to a catastrophic earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Missouri adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Steven L. Danner, said the reason for the workshop — which drew participants from Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, and Arkansas — was preparedness. “We want the citizens to have the knowledge that the National Guards of each of these states is prepared to act resolutely to assist them,” Danner said. Since a large-scale earthquake would quickly overwhelm the response capabilities of any one state, the conference aimed to help participants identify and solve gaps in their capabilities, said Col. Mark A. McCarter, head of strategic plans, policy, joint training and exercises for the Missouri National Guard. For example, while one state might need additional troops, another might need additional helicopters or communications equipment. The idea, said McCarter, is to fill those gaps with assets from other states or from the Department of Defense. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Bill Phelan/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Missouri National Guardsmen in the 1438th Engineer Multi-Role Bridge Company push away from shore in preparation to build an assault float bridge during an exercise on the Osage River, east of Bagnell Dam. Guard’s bridging unit helps Fort Leonard Wood validate training site FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Sept. 25, 2009) — The Missouri National Guard is in the process of helping the Army decide if Osage River, east of Bagnell Dam, is an appropriate training venue for multi-role bridge units. At the request of Fort Leonard Wood’s Directorate of Plans, Training and Mobilization office, the Guard’s 1438th Engineer Multi-Role Bridge Company, of Macon, and its Detachment 1, of Kirksville, tested the site Tuesday and Wednesday. “The idea is to bring mobilizing bridge units down here so that they could do their collective training on fast water,” said Capt. Kelly Messerli, the 1438th’s company commander. If approved, Fort Leonard Wood could start using the site as early as November. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Two suffer minor injuries in Thursday rollover, Friday motorcycle wreck RICHLAND/WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Sept. 25, 2009) — A rollover wreck Thursday morning northwest of Richland and a Friday evening motorcycle wreck north of Waynesville caused minor injuries for two Pulaski County residents. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Loretta D. Jeffries, 35, of Richland, was northbound on Route A two miles south of Route E in Camden County when she lost control of her 1993 Mazda at 8:20 a.m. Thursday, ran off the left side of the roadway, overturned into a ditch, and totaled her vehicle. The next evening, David L. Maxwell, 48, of Waynesville, was southbound on Highway T about 3.5 miles north of Waynesville riding his 2004 Yamaha motorcycle when he struck a deer in the roadway at 8 p.m. and was thrown from his motorcycle. In unrelated state patrol arrests, troopers arrested Andrew J. Mattison, 49, of Newburg, and Deborah A. Snincsak, 43, of Dixon, on various charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Returning Iraq veterans invited to October event at Lake of the Ozarks OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 22, 2009) — The Missouri National Guard will host two events near the Lake of the Ozarks that are designed to assist and recognize soldiers who recently returned from supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. About 100 soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 106th Assault Helicopter Battalion, of Fort Leonard Wood, and Detachment 3, 1st Battalion, 185th Theater Aviation Company, of Springfield, are expected to attend the Yellow Ribbon and Freedom Salute programs on Oct. 3 and 4 at Tan-Tar-A Resort. Yellow Ribbon is a reintegration program for soldiers returning from a long deployment. As part of the program troops will receive in-depth briefings on health and educational benefits they are entitled to under the GI Bill. Soldiers can also receive information on everything from dealing with stress to issues with their civilian employers. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Saint Robert police car hit by woman later charged with drunk driving SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Sept. 22, 2009) — Police department officials in St. Robert reported Tuesday that an officer was injured in a patrol car wreck early Sunday morning. According to a police department press release, Officer Philip Meckem, 24, was slowing his patrol car down and approaching a red light at the Ramada intersection northbound on Missouri Avenue, while Michelle M. Huerth, 30, of St. Robert, was southbound in the left turn lane driving a 2002 Jeep. “When the light turned green to allow the traffic to proceed north, the police vehicle entered the intersection, while the Huerth vehicle failed to stop for the red light and proceeded to make a left turn directly in front of the police vehicle causing the police vehicle to impact with the Huerth vehicle,” according to the press release. Huerth sustained no injuries while Meckem was transported by ambulance to St. John’s Hospital in Lebanon with undetermined injuries. St. Robert police arrested Huerth, transported her to the city police department, and subsequently cited her for driving while intoxicated, failure to stop at a red light, and careless and imprudent driving causing an accident. In unrelated arrests reported by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Rollin E. Kelly, 19, of Dixon, Lindy A. Mason, 51, of Dixon, Jay E. Thompson, 51, of Waynesville, Kevin J. Malone, 39, of Dixon, Jake M. Davidson, 24, of Indian Head, Md., Brian K. Beck, 42, of Plato, Lance W. Atterberry, 24, of Roby, Austin M. Hinrichs, 18, of Lake Ozark, and Justin D. Hartwick, 17, of Lake Ozark, were arrested on various charges. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Seperate rollovers wreck car and motorcycle on Thursday and Friday WAYNESVILLE/FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Sept. 18, 2009) — Two separate one-vehicle rollovers on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon totaled two vehicles and sent four people to area hospitals with various injuries. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Alexandrea A. Alexander, 16, of Waynesville, was eastbound at 7:15 p.m. on London Lane a fifth of a mile east of Longview Lane in the Shalom Mountain/Northern Heights Estates area north of Waynesville when she ran her 2008 Chevrolet Malibu off the right side of the roadway, overturned and struck a tree, moderately injuring herself and her two passengers, Danielle M. Williams, 16, also of Waynesville, and Tanisha C. Williams, 18, of St. Robert. Friday’s crash happened in Phelps County on Route AA about seven miles south of Newburg when Garrett A. Dean, 22, of Fort Leonard Wood, was riding a 2006 Ducati motorcycle southbound at 12:20 p.m., lost control on loose gravel, overturned, and was thrown from the motorcycle, suffering minor injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Highway 17 wreck injuries minor, Plato wreck causes extensive damage WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Sept. 15, 2009) — A single-vehicle crash Monday evening near the Gasconade River Bridge between Crocker and Waynesville caused minor damage to the vehicle and minor injuries to two of its occupants, but a head-on wreck south of Fort Leonard Wood early Tuesday morning caused extensive damage to both vehicles. State troopers reported that Eric H. Vorum, 29, of Crocker, had been northbound on Highway 17 about three miles north of Waynesville when his 2005 Dodge ran off the right side of the roadway at 5:40 p.m. Vorum overcorrected, continued off the right side of the roadway and struck a utility pole. On Tuesday morning, Julie M. Wright, 44, of Plato, had been southbound on Palace Road in Texas County about a quarter-mile north of Evening Shade at 7:08 a.m. when her 2001 Ford Mustang met a northbound 1999 Chevrolet Lumina driven by Tyler E. Williams, 18, of also of Plato, in a curve and the two vehicles hit head-on in the center of the road, causing minor injuries to Wright, Williams, and Williams’ passenger, Ariana F. Woods, 17, of Roby. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Staff Sgt. Chuck Call, of Company C, 1st Battalion, 106th Assault Helicopter Battalion, of Fort Leonard Wood, hangs from a UH-60 Black Hawk hoist during training in Springfield. (Photo by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Steven Haley) Missouri Guard gains ability to perform Black Hawk helicopter hoist extraction FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Sept. 14, 2009) — The Missouri National Guard now has the capability and training to provide hoist extractions with some of its UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 106th Assault Helicopter Battalion of Fort Leonard Wood and the Springfield-based 1107th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group trained using hoists from Aug. 28 to 30 in Springfield. The hoists can be used to extract up to 600 pounds of personnel or cargo per lift into a Black Hawk during appropriate state or national emergencies. Possible uses are lifting stranded people off cars and rooftops during floods or failed river crossings, as well as pulling injured or stranded hikers out of difficult terrain, like a ledge on the side of a bluff. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Missouri Veterans Commission brings listening post to St. Robert Sept. 28 SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Sept. 14, 2009) — Members of the Missouri Veterans Commissionare asking all veterans for their help this fall in “listening posts” that will be held at locations across the state, including one on Monday, Sept. 28 in St. Robert. The St. Robert listening post will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the St. Robert Community Center located at 114 J.H. Williamson Drive, which is off Old Route 66. While numerous other listening posts are scheduled around Missouri, none of the others are in the Fort Leonard Wood area. The events will provide opportunities for veterans to address their needs and wants in confidence on topics including healthcare, long-term care and veterans benefits. They will also give veterans services providers a chance to educate their partners how they can work together to close gaps and increase services to veterans. That information will then be passed on for the governor’s review and consideration. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Angela Jean/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Weekend crashes in Pulaski County injure four, wreck three vehicles WAYNESVILLE/CROCKER, Mo. (Sept. 14, 2009) — Two weekend crashes wrecked three vehicles and sent four people to area hospitals with various injuries, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports. Troopers reported that a head-on crash on Spring Road about 12 miles west of Waynesville happened when Ryan D. Maness, 21, of Richland, was northbound in a 2001 Ford Taurus, rounded a curve at 6:20 p.m. Saturday, and met a southbound 2009 Mazda 3 driven by Elizabeth M. Marks, 25, of Waynesville. Maness’ car was totaled but he suffered only minor injuries; Marks and her passenger, Alexander Hubler, 8, of St. Louis, both suffered moderate injuries. A Sunday afternoon motorcycle wreck totaled a 2008 Honda and moderately injured its rider, Germaine Wilson, 33, of Fort Leonard Wood, who had been westbound on Highway U about eight miles west of Crocker at 2:55 p.m. when he ran off the right side of the roadway while rounding a curve, overturned, and was thrown from the motorcycle. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Jack's Towing personnel remove a pickup following a wreck in Buckhorn. Four wrecks total three cars, injure six people on Wednesday and Thursday PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Sept. 10, 2009) — Four separate wrecks injured six people and totaled three vehicles on Wednesday and Thursday in and near Pulaski County, many of which were complicated by rainy weather conditions. Both Wednesday wreck happened just outside Pulaski County, the first one east and the second west of the county line. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Charles H. Clay, 19, of Rolla, had been westbound on Interstate 44 when he lost control of his 1996 Chevrolet S-10 pickup at 9:10 a.m. on wet pavement, ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a highway sign, then continued a short distance before striking some trees and coming to rest. Clay suffered minor injuries; his pickup was totaled. Waynesville firefighters assisted at the crash scene. Hazelgreen firefighters responded to a one-car wreck on Interstate 44, where state troopers reported that Robert L. Shields, 31, of Lebanon, had been eastbound in a 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix at 11:42 a.m. when he attempted to slow down and change lanes, lost control, slid off the left side of the roadway, struck a guard rail, came back onto the roadway, slid off the right side of the roadway, struck another guard rail, crossed the roadway again, and came to rest against a guard rail off the left side of the road. Shields and his two passengers, Bill Fell, 37, and Craig K. Garrels, 57, all of Lebanon, all suffered minor injuries. Shortly after midnight Thursday, Gregory W. Johnson, 51, of Baldwin Park, Calif., had been eastbound on Interstate 44 at mile marker 155 in Waynesville when his a 1999 Volvo Conversional ran off the left side of the roadway at 12:30 a.m., struck the median cables, ran off the right side of the roadway, and jackknifed. Johnson was not hurt, but his passenger, Raymond Prieto, 72, also of Baldwin Park, suffered minor injuries. At 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Daniel D. Zornes, 18, of Waynesville, was southbound on Highway 17 a fifth of a mile south of Buckhorn when he made a left-hand turn in his 1995 Dodge Stratus and struck a 2004 Ford Ranger in the right side driven by Glen J. Arrington Jr., 59, also of Waynesville, who had been northbound on the same road. Both vehicles were totaled and removed by Jack’s Towing. Arrington wasn’t hurt but Zornes suffered minor injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Missouri National Guard Sgt. Brian Harvey, of the 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, boards a Missouri Water Patrol boat during an exercise at Lake of the Ozarks. 7th Civil Support Team conducts first waterborne exercise in Missouri OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 8, 2009) — With the possibility of a terrorist attack on one of the state’s waterways, the 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team from Fort Leonard Wood spent two days earlier this month training on the Lake of the Ozarks to respond to waterborne threats. The Missouri Army and Air National Guard unit teamed with the Missouri Water Patrol and its SWAT team for a joint exercise put on by the Center for National Response. It was the team’s first exercise that involved a body of water. “There were lots of challenges,” said Maj. Jeffrey Ford, the team’s deputy commander. “Up until this point, all of our tactics, techniques and procedures were designed for a ground entry.” The reconnaissance team members normally load up an all-terrain vehicle with their equipment, drive close to the target area, and walk back and forth to the vehicle as necessary for equipment. “In this case, we had to put everything into smaller containers, load it onto a boat and then move on to the target,” said Ford. “When you get to the target, you don’t have everything that you’re used to having. You have to adapt to that.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Dixon crash totals car on Tuesday DIXON, Mo. (Sept. 8, 2009) — A rear-end crash west of Dixon totaled one car on Tuesday morning and sent its driver, Josephine O. Ogle, 82, of Dixon, to Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla with minor injuries. State troopers reported that Jerry D. Nelson, 68, of Dixon, had been stopped in traffic at the junction of Highway 133 and Highway C waiting to make a left-hand turn when his 2000 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck was struck in the rear at 9:30 a.m. by Ogle’s 1991 Oldsmobile. Nelson was not hurt and his pickup could still be driven.  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Multi-vehicle pileup on Interstate 44 snarls traffic for hours in Saint Robert SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Sept. 5, 2009) — Multi-vehicle crashes snarled traffic for hours on Interstate 44 on Saturday, blocking westbound traffic for miles from Exit 159 in St. Robert almost to Exit 163 and causing major damage to four different vehicles. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Timothy I. Orr, 34, of Highlandville, was westbound on Interstate 44 at 2:38 p.m. in a Honda car when he lost control on wet pavement, struck a concrete median barrier, and came to rest in the roadway. Orr suffered only minor injuries, but that wreck led to a much more serious crash 12 minutes later when a westbound 2008 Mercury Mariner driven by Janet M. Salzman, 71, of Queen Creek, Ariz., struck Orr’s car. Monika Q. Mallory, 27, of Waynesville, attempted to take evasive action but her 2007 Buick Rendezvous was struck by a 2007 Peterbuilt semi tractor and trailer driven by James C. Scott, 70, of Lebanon; Scott’s semi truck then struck Salzman’s Mercury and Orr’s car from the previous crash. Mallory’s Buick was then struck by another semi truck which continued westbound on Interstate 44. Missouri Department of Transportation personnel, working together with Mark Twain REACT and police and firefighters from both Waynesville and St. Robert, had set up a detour sending traffic onto Old Route 66 through the two cities and back onto Interstate 44 at Exit 156 via Ichord Avenue — a move which snarled traffic within the two cities not only on Old Route 66 but also on St. Robert Boulevard. MoDOT reported that all lanes of interstate traffic were reopened by 5:07 p.m., and traffic within the city limits cleared shortly thereafter. Janet Salzman and James Scott were not hurt, but Janet Salzman’s passenger, James C. Salzman, 67, also of Queen Creek, Ariz., suffered minor injuries. Mallory suffered moderate injuries and her passenger, Claudell Q. Haggard, 9, of Waynesville, suffered minor injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Richland child seriously injured by rollover in Camden County on Friday RICHLAND, Mo. (Sept. 4, 2009) — A rollover wreck northwest of Richland seriously injured a child Friday morning. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Kaleb L. Jones, 3, was airlifted by helicopter to University Medical Center in Columbia following a 7:20 a.m. crash on Highway A2, nine-tenths of a mile from Route A in Camden County, when a 1991 Pontiac driven by Airin M. Holloway, 26, of Richland, ran off the left side of the roadway. Holloway had been eastbound when she went off the roadway, overcorrected, swerved back onto the road, went off the left side of the road again, struck a tree and overturned, totaling the vehicle and causing minor injuries to Holloway as well as serious injuries to the child. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Brumley firefighters work to remove a pickup from trees off Highway U. Weekend wrecks total two vehicles, one found after miles of hunting BRUMLEY/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 31, 2009) — Weekend wrecks totaled two vehicles on Friday night and Sunday afternoon in and near Pulaski County. Incorrect location reports of a late Friday night crash sent Crocker firefighters up and down Highway U trying to find a pickup truck that had crashed into a group of trees. Initial reports indicated that the pickup had crashed a few miles northwest of Crocker on Highway U but wouldn’t be immediately visible from the roadway. After extensive searching along many miles of Highway U between Crocker and the Miller-Pulaski county line, the crash was located in the Brumley fire district one mile south of Highway 42 in Miller County instead of a few miles outside of Crocker. Brumley and Crocker firefighters assisted Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel in extricating two seriously injured men from the pickup truck, Michael J. Downing, 22, and his passenger, David E. Drace, 24. Troopers reported that Downing had been driving his 2003 Chevrolet pickup southbound at a high rate of speed when he skidded off the left side of the roadway at 11:12 p.m. and struck several trees. In an unrelated Sunday afternoon crash, troopers reported that Margie M. Velishek, 47, of St. Robert, had been driving a 2001 Toyota Camry southbound on Highway 17 south of the Gasconade River Bridge when she ran off the right side of the roadway at 3:20 p.m., returned to the roadway, crossed the centerline, began sliding, then went across the centerline again, ran off the right side of the roadway, and struck a tree, suffering minor injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Fort Leonard Wood soldier gets 30 years for killing another soldier's wife FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Aug. 28, 2009) — Spec. Jermaine Johnson, 26, will spend 30 years in military prison following his guilty plea during a Friday court-martial for killing another Fort Leonard Wood soldier’s wife last year while her husband was deployed to Iraq. Johnson, 26, admitted to having an affair with Myria Silva, who was 23 at the time of her death and was married to Pfc. Benjamin Silva of the 94th Engineer Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood. Silva was deployed to Iraq when his wife was killed on Oct. 10, 2008, in an abandoned farm shed in Webster County, about an hour west of the installation. Johnson was a member of the Alabama National Guard who had been called to active duty and assigned as a medical specialist at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Soldier pleads guilty to killing Fort Leonard Wood soldier's wife with knife FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Aug. 28, 2009) — An Army medical specialist accused of killing another soldier’s wife broke down in tears today as he pleaded guilty this afternoon at Fort Leonard Wood to a lesser charge of unpremeditated murder, in return for military prosecutors dropping other charges and a recommendation of a lighter sentence than the maximum of life in prison with no possibility of parole. “I know it happened in a remote area on a dirt road … I was sitting there and watched her bleed after I cut her with the knife,” said Spec. Jermaine Johnson, 26, in open court during a military trial. Johnson had originally been charged with intent to deceive or provide false statements, premeditated murder, sodomy, assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, adultery, kidnapping, and obstruction of justice. All charges except the murder charge were dropped by military prosecutors, and the murder charge was changed to a lesser included offense of non-premeditated murder. A sentence is expected later today or tomorrow. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Lt. Col. David Lowe Local lawyer promoted to Missouri National Guard’s top legal position FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Aug. 28, 2009) – A soldier with deep roots in the local community was recently promoted to the top legal position in the Missouri National Guard. Lt. Col. David Lowe, the command judge advocate for the 35th Engineer Brigade on post for the past 10 years, has accepted the state judge advocate position at Guard headquarters in Jefferson City. “It is certainly an honor and a privilege after serving almost 20 years, first on active duty and the last 12 in the Missouri Guard,” Lowe said of his promotion. In his former position, Lowe worked with the commander and command group of the 35th Engineer Brigade, as well as the unit’s subordinate commands, as a legal advisor. Now Lowe, who lives south of Dixon, will take on that role for the entire state. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

A Richland teen totaled his car but was not hurt after a motorcyclist crossed the centerline and died in a head-on crash. Motorcyclist killed in head-on crash south of Richland Thursday afternoon RICHLAND, Mo. (Aug. 27, 2009) — A head-on crash between a motorcyclist and a Lincoln Continental on the “S” curves about four miles south of Richland killed the motorcyclist and totaled both vehicles. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, William D. Swingle, 66, of Richland, had been northbound on a 2003 Yamaha motorcycle at 1:20 p.m. when he crossed the center line of Highway 7 into the path of a southbound 1985 Lincoln Continental driven by Damon T. Cohen, 18, also of Richland. Cohen was not hurt. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

St. Robert city police investigate a Wednesday wreck in front of McDonald’s. Three Saint Robert wrecks damage five vehicles, send three to hospitals SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 26, 2009) — Three separate crashes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in and near St. Robert injured three people. Officer Dan Wogan of the St. Robert Police Department reported that a Monday motorcycle crash injured a German man. Wogan reported that Claretta T. Crawford, 49, of Dixon, had been eastbound in a 2009 Nissan at 1:35 p.m. on Old Route 66 near Peggy Drive when she failed to see an oncoming 2008 Harley-Davidson motorcycle ridden by Edgar K. Schild, 45, of the German city of Modeglaugach. Schild was thrown from the motorcycle and suffered undetermined injuries; Crawford was not hurt. According to state patrol reports. Charles M. Lengele, 20, had been westbound in a 2003 Ford Focus at 8:10 a.m. Tuesday when he ran off the right side of Highway Z two miles east of the St. Robert city limits at Exit 163, overcorrected, returned to the roadway, and collided with a bridge, suffering minor injuries. According to city police reports, Eric McGillivey, 22, of Fort Leonard Wood, was exiting the McDonald’s parking lot at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday in a 2006 Ford F-150 pickup when he failed to see an approaching 2007 Ford Mustang driven by Ellen Greer, 53, of St. James, entered the roadway, and his pickup was struck by Greer’s car. McGillivey was not hurt but Greer was transported to Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla with undetermined injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Richland man trains to become trooper RICHLAND, Mo. (Aug. 25, 2009) — A Pulaski County man, Douglas W. Pfeifer Jr., of Richland, is among the 28 members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s current recruit class to make it through the first eight weeks of his training. The 25-week class began on July 1; members are scheduled to graduate on Dec. 18 and then become state troopers. Outside the immediate area, the current recruit class also includes Michael K. Martin Jr., of Rolla. None of the other 26 members of the class have hometowns near Pulaski County. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Wreck totals Lynchburg teen’s Taurus BUCKHORN, Mo. (Aug. 25, 2009) — A Tuesday evening rollover wreck on Highway 17 a half-mile south of the Waynesville city limits at Exit 153 totaled a 1998 Ford Taurus and moderately injured its driver, Benjamin J. Turvin, 18, of Lynchburg. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Turvin was southbound at 6 p.m. when he ran off the right side of the road, returned to the road, overcorrected, began skidding and sliding, went off the right side of the roadway, and overturned. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Weekend wrecks send five to hospitals CROCKER/SWEDEBORG/EDGAR SPRINGS, Mo. (Aug. 24, 2009) — Three weekend wrecks totaled two vehicles, damaged an ATV, and sent five people to area hospitals. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, a Saturday afternoon ATV crash on Blue Jay Road a half-mile west of Crocker caused moderate injuries to tChristopher M. Haggith, 19, of Dixon, and serious injuries to his passenger, Elizabeth K. Faulkner, 19, of Crocker, who had been northbound on Blue Jay Road at 6:55 p.m. when their 1999 Polaris ATV began sliding on the gravel road, ran off the left side of the roadway, and overturned, ejecting both riders. Shortly before midnight on Sunday, Randall R. Ludtke, 54, of Waynesville, suffered moderate injuries and totaled his 2005 GMC when he was driving southbound on Highway 63 about two miles north of Edgar Springs, reached down to retrieve an item, swerved off the roadway, struck a guardrail, continued down an embankment and struck a tree. Slightly more than two hours later, troopers responded to Boston Road about a mile and a half north of Swedeborg where they found a 1986 Ford F-150 pickup truck propped against a guardrail and two Crocker residents seriously injured inside. Dennis A. McMurtrey, 49, had been northbound at 2:05 a.m. when he skidded in a curve, ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and his pickup landed on its side against a guardrail, badly injuring both himself and his passenger, Shawn A. Pierce, 33. The pickup was totaled. In unrelated weekend incidents, state troopers arrested Erick Carrasco, 22, of St. Robert, Stella M. Harper, 32, of Waynesville, Marcin Radwan, 29, of Rolla, David A. Kwiatkowski, 43, of St. Louis, and James T. Narvarro, 23, of Richland, on various charges. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Gene Whittle of Gene’s Towing works to pull a car out of a creek. Crocker crash sends driver into creek CROCKER/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 22, 2009) — A sleepy driver totaled his car but avoided serious injury Friday night despite careening into a creek outside Crocker and landing upside down. Kurt M. Willis, 20, of Murfreeboro, Tenn., called 911 dispatchers about 11:15 p.m. to report that he had managed to get out of his overturned car after crashing about a mile northwest of Crocker on Highway U. When Pulaski County Ambulance District paramedics and Crocker firefighters arrived, they found his navy blue Crown Victoria on its top in the creek but determined that Willis hadn’t suffered significant injuries beyond some minor bleeding. Earlier Friday evening, multiple agencies responded to a report of a wreck on Zeigenbein Road about a half-mile outside the St. Robert city limits from which all the vehicle occupants had fled. The wreck was eventually located and all the occupants eventually came back to the vehicle. According to state patrol reports, Michael L. Warren, 37, of St. Robert, had been northbound on Laramie at 10:45 p.m. in a 1996 Jeep Cherokee when he began skidding and sliding on the gravel road, ran off the left side of the roadway and struck a ditch. Warren was not hurt but two passengers, Eric E. Brown, 21, and David A. Timmons, 20, both of St. Robert, suffered moderate injuries. The Jeep was totaled and removed by Jack’s Towing. Saturday in Pulaski County, troopers arrested Jose R. Fuentes-Lopez, 29, of St. Robert, at 1:48 a.m. on multiple charges including drunk driving and arrested Latasha D. Anderson, 27, of St. Louis, at 11:30 p.m. on three felony warrants. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Friends of Earl Shipman help remove his motorcycle following a Friday evening crash south of Richland. Motorcyclist airlifted after Friday night crash on Highway 7 south of Richland RICHLAND, Mo. (Aug. 21, 2009) — A motorcyclist has been airlifted to Springfield with serious injuries after a crash one mile south of Richland that totaled his 2007 Harley Davidson Crossbones and left him laying on Highway 7 with serious injuries. A resident on the 22000 block of Highway 7 called 911 dispatchers shortly before 8 p.m. to report the crash in front of her home. A Richland city policeman found Earl C. Shipman, 53, of Linn Creek, in the roadway and stopped traffic until Tri-County firefighters and Pulaski County Ambulance District paramedics could arrive. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

St. Robert firefighters help clean up crash debris near the wreckage of Waynesville High School teacher Seth Sowers' car. Waynesville teacher among three seriously injured in Thursday wreck SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 21, 2009) — A Waynesville High School math teacher is in a Springfield hospital after suffering serious injuries in a Thursday afternoon crash on Interstate 44 just east of Exit 161. Seth N. Sowers, 32, of Rolla, had just begun his second year teaching Algebra II at Waynesville High School. He’s also well-known in the local area as the former sports editor of the Rolla Daily News and the son of former Rolla Daily News publisher Steve Sowers. His injuries were serious enough that he was airlifted by helicopter ambulance for emergency treatment. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, the crash happened at 3:20 p.m. when Dennis R. Glenn, 59, of Garfield, was eastbound in a construction zone and his 2009 Volvo tractor-trailer truck struck the rear end of a 1994 Toyota driven by Hannah E. Berg, 20, of Springfield, who had been slowing down in the work zone. That initial crash caused a chain reaction crash involving three more eastbound vehicles, a 2003 Toyota driven by Sowers, a 2008 Chrysler driven by Larry Turrentine, 49, of Cedar Hill, Texas, and a 1999 Ford pickup pulling a horse trailer driven by Billie J. Saebens, 20, of Peru, Kan. Glenn and his passenger, Jay D. Wright, 26, of Seymour, both suffered moderate injuries; Berg suffered serious injuries. Larry Turrentine and one of his passengers, Cornelia B. Turrentine, 80, of Lawton, Mo., suffered moderate injuries; his other passenger, John Turrentine, 79, of Lawton, Okla., was seriously injured and flown to University Medical Center in Columbia by air ambulance. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

State troopers investigate a car that was rear-ended in Thursday's wreck. Five-vehicle pileup snarls traffic for hours Thursday on I-44 in St. Robert SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 20, 2009) — A five-vehicle pileup on Interstate 44 in front of the St. Robert McDonald’s critically injured one person and sent at least five others to General Leonard Wood Community Hospital with undetermined injuries on Thursday afternoon, while also snarling traffic on Old Route 66 and Missouri Avenue for nearly five hours. St. Robert Fire Chief Chuck Fraley said the 3:20 p.m. crash involved three passenger vehicles, a tractor-trailer and a second truck hauling three horses. “We flew one patient out and transported five to Fort Leonard Wood’s hospital at this time,” Fraley said. “I don’t know the status of any of them besides the one who was critical and was flown out.”  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Semi truck wreckage littered the roadway Thursday morning in Buckhorn. Four Thursday wrecks damage six vehicles, hurt eight people around area BUCKHORN/CROCKER/STOUTLAND, Mo. (Aug. 20, 2009) — Two early morning wrecks in Buckhorn and two nighttime wrecks injured eight people and damaged six vehicles on Thursday. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, the two morning wrecks happened within just a few minutes of each other at 6:10 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., both around mile marker 155. The first wreck involved a 2008 Acura driven by Jerry S. Koplan, 56, of Scottsdale, Ariz., who had been eastbound when he ran off the left side of the roadway, collided with the median cables, and suffered minor injuries. The second wreck happened when a 2007 International semi truck driven by Craig A. Swinehart, 36, of Mishawaka, Ind., was eastbound when he ran off the left side of the roadway, struck the median cables, ran off the right side of the roadway, and struck a sign before overturning. Swineheart suffered moderate injuries; the semi was totaled. The two evening wrecks also happened within a brief time period. David Etheridge, 22, of Crocker, was eastbound on Brooklyn Road a mile west of Crocker at 7:34 p.m. when his 2003 Dodge rounded a blind corner and struck a westbound 1992 Cadillac Deville head-on driven by George O. Myers, 69, also of Crocker. Neither driver was hurt but two passengers in Etheridge’s vehicle, Jeffrey Franklin, 7, and Amber Ransome, 28, all of Crocker, both suffered minor injuries. East of the county line, a crash on Laclede County Route FF about two miles east of Route T extensively damaged two vehicles and injured four Richland residents. Linda S. Owen, 50, was westbound in a 1995 Chevrolet S-10 when it was struck in the left side by a 1993 Mazda Protégé driven by William S. McDonald, 19, while turning into a private driveway. Both drivers suffered minor injuries, as did Owen’s passenger, Margaret Lytell, 47; McDonald’s passenger, Michael L. Robinson, 23, of Richland, suffered moderate injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Jack's Towing personnel disentangle a wrecked vehicle from the median cables near Buckhorn. One vehicle damaged, three totaled during separate wrecks on Wednesday BUCKHORN/DIXON/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 19, 2009) — Troopers responded to one Wednesday afternoon wreck and then three more in just an hour and a half Wednesday night. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Amber N. Farrar, 18, of Cuba, had been eastbound in a 1999 Dodge at 1:45 p.m. about half a mile east of the Buckhorn exit at mile marker 153 when she ran off the left side of the roadway, overcorrected, came back onto the roadway, then again ran off the left side of the road and struck the concrete median barrier, suffering minor injuries. Later that evening, troopers responded to three crashes, all of which totaled the vehicles, beginning at 8 p.m. when Paul D. Massey, 28, of St. Robert, lost control of his 1995 Toyota pickup on wet pavement while driving southbound on Highway O about a mile south of Dixon. Massey’s pickup then ran off the right side of the roadway and overturned several times, causing moderate injuries to himself. Six miles north of Dixon on Highway 28, Barbara F. McNamara, 28, of Dixon, had been driving a 1991 Plymouth westbound when she crossed the centerline at 8:45 p.m., ran off the left side of the roadway and overturned, suffering moderate injuries. Wednesday night’s final wreck happened at 9:15 p.m. on Interstate 44 inside the St. Robert city limits when Steven R. Cox, 19, of Devil’s Elbow, was driving eastbound and lost control of his 1998 Ford Mustang, ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a highway sign and two trees, and suffered minor injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Four wrecks in two hours keep troopers racing Monday afternoon PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Aug. 17, 2009) — Four separate wrecks in or near Pulaski County kept emergency personnel racing to respond for two full hours Monday afternoon. The first wreck happened at 1:30 p.m. on Interstate 44 about 10 miles east of Lebanon in Laclede County near Hazelgreen. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Ronny T. Ross, 22, of Fort Leonard Wood, had been eastbound in a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix and was passing a tractor-trailer when the truck began to change lanes. Ross ran off the left side of the road and struck the median cables, suffering minor injuries. Just an hour later, troopers received a report of a two-vehicle head-on crash about three miles north of Crocker on Highway 133. Daniel J. Boyd, 48, of Waynesville, had been northbound in a 1988 Ford pickup when he lost control on wet pavement at 2:30 p.m., crossed the center line, and struck a southbound 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix head-on that was driven by Jennifer K. Jones, 51, of Crocker. Boyd wasn’t hurt but Jones and her passenger, Payton Jones-Green, 7, also of Crocker, both suffered moderate injuries. Both vehicles were totaled. Rain also contributed to a one-vehicle rollover wreck on Interstate 44 near the Phelps/Pulaski county line about 15 miles west of Rolla. Troopers reported that James Zaverdas, 49, of Schaumburg, Ill., had been westbound at 2:53 p.m. in a 2002 GMC Safari when he lost control on wet pavement, crossed the center line, and entered the median. His vehicle then struck the median cable and overturned, causing minor injuries to himself and his passenger, Michael S. Staley, 43, of New Lennox, Ill. A wreck just south of the Pulaski/Maries county line on Highway 133 about 10 miles south of Meta caused serious injuries to Richard F. Bax, 69, of St. Elizabeth, who had been driving a 2003 Ford northbound at 3:30 p.m. when his vehicle ran across the roadway to the left, went off the road and then struck a fence and a tree before stopping. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Weekend wreck hurts Waynesville woman Sunday near Devil’s Elbow DEVIL’S ELBOW, Mo. (Aug. 17, 2009) — Only one weekend crash caused injuries in Pulaski County, according to state patrol reports. Troopers reported that Shawna R. Stinson, 22, of Waynesville, had been westbound on Temporal Road about five miles east of Devil’s Elbow when she ran her 2003 Ford off the road at 6:05 p.m. Sunday and struck a tree stump. Stinson suffered moderate injuries. In an unrelated weekend arrest, state troopers reported that they arrested Samuel H. Steward, 35, of Dixon, at 2:18 a.m. Saturday on DWI charges. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Thefts from unlocked cars connected, St. Robert, Waynesville police say WAYNESVILLE/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 14, 2009) — Local police agencies have a warning for residents of Waynesville, Saint Robert, and adjacent areas of Pulaski County: somebody spent many hours on Wednesday night and Thursday morning stealing items from parked cars. The thief isn’t breaking in, however: in most and possibly all cases, the thefts happened from unlocked cars parked near the home of the vehicle owner. Detective Sgt. Doug Cooley from the St. Robert Police Department said his officers are “asking the general public to take the time to ensure their vehicles are locked and items are not left in the vehicle.” The problem isn’t confined to St. Robert. Cooley said Waynesville police and Pulaski County deputies had “also taken several reports of the same type of thefts” and officers of all three agencies believe the thefts are connected. The thefts were reported to have happened between 10 p.m. Wednesday night and 7 a.m. Thursday morning. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

A contract mail carrier rolled his jeep Wednesday south of Richland. Mail jeep rolls Wednesday south of Richland; motorcyclist wrecks Saturday RICHLAND/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 13, 2009) — Some Richland residents may have had slower mail delivery Wednesday after a contract mail carrier rolled his vehicle on Rochester Road south of Richland. According to Sgt. Darryl Suhr of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Mark Jack Geres, 56, of Crocker, was driving a 1976 Jeep CJ westbound about a fifth of a mile from Highway 7 when he veered into the ditch on the right-hand side of the roadway and lost control of the vehicle despite efforts to pull out of the ditch. “He just caught the edge of the road, travelled along the roadbed and flipped,” Suhr said. Also on Wednesday, St. Robert police released a report of a Saturday motorcycle crash in which Stanley R. Sinkler, 55, of Dixon, had been westbound on Route Z approaching the Interstate 44 overpass at Exit 163 when he lost control of his 1999 Harley Davidson motorcycle at 12:28 a.m. and overturned, suffering undetermined injuries. In unrelated arrests, state troopers arrested Taylor C. Bunn, 65, of Fort Leonard Wood, and Andrew C. Spera, 21, of Waynesville, on Wednesday and Thursday for traffic offenses. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Continuing Phelps drug arrests snag Rolla man on Fort Leonard Wood PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Aug. 13, 2009) — An ongoing drug roundup in Phelps County resulted in the midday Thursday arrest of a Rolla man while he was on Fort Leonard Wood. According to Pulaski County Sheriff J.B. King, state troopers asked for his assistance with the arrest of David Dukes, 27, of Rolla, who was wanted on a Phelps County warrant for distribution, delivery, manufacture or possession of a controlled substance. Dukes was located on Fort Leonard Wood but agreed to surrender to military personnel who then transferred custody to Pulaski County deputies. Dukes was later transferred to the Phelps County Jail where, according to state patrol reports, he was eligible for bond. King said he believes Dukes is a military dependant and not on active duty. The drug violations with which he has been charged happened in Phelps County, not on Fort Leonard Wood, King said. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Uptegrove, of the Missouri National Guard's 7th Civil Support Team, rests comfortably in a Stokes basket after he was pulled onto a cart with a hand-cranked winch by a member of the Kansas civil support team during an exercise, Guards’ 7th Civil Support Team trains for disaster at Kansas Motor Speedway FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Aug. 11, 2009) — In the event of a terrorist attack at Kansas Motor Speedway, the Missouri National Guard’s 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team would likely be called to assist first responders. The unit spent a week recently training at the speedway alongside civil support teams from Kansas and Nebraska for Operation Rolling Thunder. “It was three days of very valuable joint training,” said Lt. Col. Raymond White, unit commander. “We worked in concert with the other teams and learned a lot.” After the field training began on the second day, the Missouri team was called in to backup the Kansas squad. Its task was to investigate an explosion that sprayed what was believed to be radioactive debris within the track’s infield, as well as a pair of labs inside a nearby restroom facility. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Two from Pulaski County arrested in mass drug arrest from Phelps County PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Aug. 11, 2009) — A major drug roundup in Rolla and Phelps County spilled over into rural areas near Saint Robert and Richland Friday morning, as St. Robert police and Pulaski County deputies assisted state troopers and other law enforcement agencies in rounding up more than 70 suspected drug dealers and users. Beginning on July 27, members of the South Central Drug Task Force started to arrest people believed to be involved in drug activity following an 18-month covert investigation by a number of different agencies. Friday’s roundup began at 6 a.m. and resulted in 27 additional arrests, including Leilani A. Fuentes, 44, of Waynesville, and Nicholas J. Light, 20, of Richland, both of whom were arrested on separate Phelps County warrants for distributing, delivering, manufacturing, producing or possessing a controlled substance. None of the other people arrested Friday were from Pulaski County. All are accused of being part of a loosely connected group of people from Phelps, Dent, Pulaski and Texas counties who were indicted by a grand jury through the work of the Phelps County Prosecutor prior to the mass arrests. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Missouri National Guard warrant officer candidates make a St. Robert fire truck shine. Guard’s warrant officer class does service project at St. Robert fire station SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 10, 2009) — As part of their training, 10 Missouri National Guardsmen each donated about seven hours of work earlier this month to the St. Robert Fire Department. The soldiers, from the 2nd Battalion, 140th Regiment Missouri Regional Training Institute Warrant Officer Candidate School class 09-001, washed and waxed fire trucks, set up a swimming pool for training purposes and community events, and cleaned rooms within the fire station as part of their class civil project. It was their final drill weekend for phase II in their three-phase path toward becoming warrant officers. Warrant Officer Candidate Diana Eberharter, of Waynesville, helped coordinate the project. The idea came to her when she spoke with Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Polk, who works on post as a recruiter for the Guard, and her son, Michael. Polk is a volunteer firefighter with St. Robert, while Michael had volunteered in the past. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Fort Leonard Wood's west gate closes tonight for antiterrorism training FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Aug. 10, 2009) — Drivers tonight planning to use Fort Leonard Wood’s Waggener Gate on the west end of the post need to make other plans. Polla Road and the gate leading from the installation to Waynesville will be closed from 10 p.m. tonight until about 4 a.m. Tuesday for a training exercise as part of a weeklong antiterrorism training event that ends Tuesday. That main gate leading to Saint Robert via Missouri Avenue will remain open tonight. According to Rick Vise, chief of the Security Operations Branch in Fort Leonard Wood’s Directorate of Emergency Services, the antiterrorism exercises are part of an Army-wide plan to make sure installations are properly secured against potential threats. They’re required to be conducted at least once per year and may be conducted more often if the post commander so desires. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Waynesville, Pulaski County opt out of back-to-school weekend tax holiday PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Aug. 8, 2009) — Elected officials for most but not all governmental units in the Fort Leonard Wood area have decided to participate in Missouri’s statewide sales tax holiday this weekend for back-to-school purchasing, but Pulaski County, the city of Waynesville, and some other nearby communities won’t be participating. That means people who shop at businesses in the cities of Crocker, Dixon, Richland, and St. Robert, as well as the unincorporated communities of Big Piney, Devil’s Elbow, Laquey, and Swedeborg, will still pay a three-quarter-cent county sales tax this weekend, and those who shop in Waynesville will pay a 3 percent combined city and county sales tax. Anywhere in Missouri, the state sales tax rate of 4.225 percent has been waived for certain qualifying back-to-school purchases this weekend from Friday to Sunday such as clothing, school supplies, and computers. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Motorcyclist wrecks Friday near Laquey LAQUEY, Mo. (Aug. 8, 2009) — A Friday evening crash near Laquey caused a motorcyclist to suffer moderate injuries. Jeffrey E. Thomas, 40, of Lebanon, wasn’t able to give precise directions to 911 dispatchers but rescue personnel eventually found him on Highway AB about two miles west of Laquey. According to state patrol reports, Thomas had been eastbound at 7:30 p.m. on a 2002 Indian Spirit motorcycle when he started skidding and was struck by a deer, causing his motorcycle to run off the right side of the roadway. In an unrelated state patrol arrest, troopers arrested Brittany A. Crespo, 18, of St. Robert, at 1:50 a.m. Saturday on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Fort Leonard Wood hosts conference on helping soldiers, family members FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Aug. 7, 2009) — Suicides, divorces, drunk driving crashes, financial problems and domestic violence aren’t supposed to be a part of military life, but they’ve become a major problem for the military after nearly eight years of the War on Terror since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In response, Fort Leonard Wood is hosting a “Human Dimension Forum” today in which top military officials, including former Gulf War prisoner of war Rhonda Comum, now a one-star general in charge of mental health-related issues for the Army at the Pentagon, are meeting with local installation leaders and civilian officials in an effort to train military personnel on better ways to help soldiers. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Firefighters were unable to save this home north of I-44 Thursday morning. Three fires hit Laquey area Thursday LAQUEY, Mo. (Aug. 7, 2009) — Three fires near Laquey wrecked one home and damaged two others Thursday, tying up firefighters from four fire districts for many hours. About 10:30 a.m., Hazelgreen firefighters received a report of a fire alarm sounding at a home on 26661 Randolph Road, which is the north outer road of Interstate 44 west of Exit 150. “It started out as a fire alarm, but it was fully involved before we got there,” said Capt. Ann Price of the Hazelgreen Rural Fire Protection District. The residents of the house were present at the time of the fire, Price said, but were not hurt. The home is considered a total loss. Two more fires Thursday evening about 8 p.m. caused damage but didn’t destroy the homes. Waynesville and Hazelgreen firefighters responded to a blaze on Sunlight Lane, which is off the South Outer Road of Interstate 44 between Exit 153 and Exit 156, and found a home on fire but arrived quickly enough to confine the blaze to the room and its contents. As they were mopping up that blaze, they received a second call to 27100 Stoddard Drive, which is near the junction of Highway P and Highway 17 east in the Laquey area. That blaze was confined to an area under the porch of the home. Detailed reports weren’t immediately available on either fire.  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Two separate Monday night wrecks send motorists to area hospitals SAINT ROBERT/ROBY, Mo. (Aug. 7, 2009) — Two separate single-vehicle crashes Monday night in the Fort Leonard Wood area, one north and one south of the post and both at 8:50 p.m., wrecked vehicles and caused injuries. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Joseph L. Bell, 23, of Saint Robert, was northbound on Highland Springs Road about two miles north of St. Robert when he lost control of his 2004 Suzuki 100GSX motorcycle, was thrown off the motorcycle, and suffered moderate injuries. About the same time south of the post, Michael A. Willard, 27, of Bloomfield, was northbound on Highway 17 about three miles north of Roby at 8:50 p.m. when he hit a deer with his 2003 Dodge Caravan. Michael Willard was not hurt but his passenger, Malinda S. Willard, suffered minor injuries. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Former Waynesville coach's sexual misconduct case almost dismissed VIENNA, Mo. (Aug. 5, 2009) — Following more than a year of no court action in the case of Scott Ballard, a former Waynesville High School assistant football coach accused of multiple cases of sexual misconduct with a female student, Circuit Judge Tracy Storie considered dismissing all charges in a Monday morning hearing. However, after Prosecutor Deborah Hooper drove more than 40 miles one-way in a trip to Maries County Circuit Court in Vienna for the dismissal hearing, which had been moved to that location due to extensive pre-trial publicity in Pulaski County, she and Storie agreed to schedule a trial setting date on Oct. 5. Ballard has pleaded innocent to three Class D felony charges of attempted second-degree statutory rape of a Waynesville High School student, then 16, in connection with a series of three incidents in late 2007 that were reported to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department on Jan. 16, 2008. None of the sexual activity alleged by prosecutors happened on school grounds, but happened at various locations in Pulaski County outside city limits. CAUTION: Contains graphic information from court records. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Waynesville police, state patrol announce drunk driving crackdown PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (Aug. 5, 2009) — Two more law enforcement agencies announced Wednesday that they will be cracking down on drunk drivers in Pulaski County, in addition to the previously announced activities of the Saint Robert Police Department. Lt. Gary Brankel and Assistant Chief Clarence Liberty of the Waynesville Police Department announced that their officers will be targeting impaired drivers from Aug. 21 to Sept. 7 as part of the “You Drink and Drive, You Lose” statewide campaign, which increases efforts to reduce deaths and serious injuries caused by impaired drivers. Capt. Lee Ann H. Kenley, the commanding officer of Troop I of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, also announced Wednesday that during August, her troopers in Pulaski and Phelps counties will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint in Phelps County and a Pulaski County saturation patrol looking for those who are driving while intoxicated and those who have hazardous moving vehicle violations. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

St. Robert pool tax passes by landslide 88 percent margin in Tuesday vote SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 4, 2009) — Voters in the city which generates more than two-thirds of Pulaski County’s sales tax revenue overwhelmingly voted Tuesday to adopt a quarter-cent sales tax for pools and parks. The final vote was 218 to 17, or 88 percent in favor to 12 percent opposed. While only voters in the city limits could vote on the tax, it will be paid by anyone who shops at Wal-Mart or other businesses on St. Robert Boulevard, Missouri Avenue, or the St. Robert section of Old Route 66. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

St. Robert resident Jim Rogers prepares to vote for the proposed park and pool tax. Saint Robert park tax vote turnout light so far Tuesday; polls close at 7 pm SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 4, 2009) — If you live in St. Robert, you have less than 40 minutes left to vote on a proposed tax increase for parks and pools. Polls opened at 6 a.m. in the St. Robert Community Center on Old Route 66 and will close at 7 p.m. As of 6:10 p.m., only 218 people had turned out to vote in an election that would raise the city’s sales tax by a quarter-cent while eliminating the personal property tax on residents. Although anyone shopping in St. Robert will pay the tax, the election is open only to St. Robert residents and about a half-dozen people were turned away by poll workers because they don’t live inside the city. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Congressman Ike Skelton Skelton says he wants a responsible approach to energy legislation WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 7, 2010) — Last week, I introduced H.R. 4572, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the authority of the Clean Air Act. I submitted this legislation to the U.S. House of Representatives because, simply put, we cannot tolerate turning over the regulation of something as important as the American energy system to unelected bureaucrats. In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts v. EPA that the EPA had authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Since that time, EPA has been putting in place a framework to do just that. I, like many residents of the Fourth Congressional District, do not agree with the Supreme Court. Congress never explicitly granted EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, under the Clean Air Act. Instead, that law was meant to eliminate lead in the air and to reduce smog. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton

Two motorcyclists airlifted after separate Sunday morning wrecks LAQUEY/DIXON, Mo. (Aug. 3, 2009) — Two motorcyclists wrecked in separate crashes Sunday morning and had to be airlifted for emergency treatment. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Fort Leonard Wood resident Andrade H. Castillo, 25, was airlifted for emergency treatment following a 10:20 a.m. wreck on Highway 17 about nine miles south of Interstate 44 in which he suffered serious injuries. Michael J. Malloch, 45, of Rolla, was northbound on Highway 28 about two miles north of Dixon at 8:25 a.m. when he suffered moderate injuries. Both were transported by St. John’s LifeLine air ambulance. State troopers also made three unrelated arrests in the area late Saturday and early Sunday for alcohol-related offenses, including Toby W. Mathes, 31, of Plato, Nicholas T. Cutter, 23, of Fort Leonard Wood, and James H. Jordan, 26, of Dixon. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Congressman Ike Skelton Skelton, Emerson try to stop EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 2, 2010) — Today, Congressman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), Congressman Collin C. Peterson (D-Minn. and Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee), and Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) will introduce legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the authority of the Clean Air Act and to change federal law to strengthen America’s renewable fuels industry. “Simply put, we cannot tolerate turning over the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to unelected bureaucrats at EPA. America’s energy and environmental policies should be set by Congress,” Skelton said. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Press Office of U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton

Joe Rothmund from Rothmund's Towing helps get a rolled-over pickup upright. Quick action by tow company likely prevented worse injuries in rollover WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (Aug. 1, 2009) — Last weekend’s series of three personal injury crashes on Saturday, two on Sunday, and two on Monday doesn’t even count the many wrecks around the county that damaged vehicles but didn’t hurt people. Lt. Mike Shempert of the Waynesville Rural Fire Protection District said he doesn’t know why so many crashes happened that weekend, but does know it’s important for drivers to be more careful. “Pay attention to the road; that’s about it,” Shempert said. Shempert gave particular credit to Rothmund’s Towing, whose workers came upon a crash and prevented a pickup truck on its side from completely rolling over with a person trapped inside. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Crew Chief Jeromy Moore of the Waynesville Rural Fire Protection District gets VIN numbers from a rolled-over pickup. One dead, half-dozen hurt during long weekend filled with many wrecks WAYNESVILLE/DIXON/PALACE, Mo. (Aug. 1, 2009) — Last weekend proved to be dangerous days for drivers as numerous crashes around the area led to rollovers, serious injuries, and one death. In addition to two previously reported personal injury crashes and one rollover west of Dixon that totaled two vehicles but didn’t hurt the driver, state troopers also responded late Saturday night to a wreck on Reporter Road about a mile north of the Waynesville city limits in which Kelly Crandon, 42, of Waynesville, ran off the roadway at 11:15 p.m., causing extensive damage to her 2005 Chevrolet and suffering minor injuries. Sunday saw two crashes near Dixon, beginning at 4:30 a.m. when Andrea M. Bedrosian, 20, of Dixon, totaled her 1996 Chevrolet Beretta on Highway 133 about two miles away from Dixon across the Maries County line. Later at 2:04 p.m., Paula K. Hughes, 48, of Dixon, ran off the right side of Highway 28 about three miles south of Dixon and totaled her 2000 Oldsmobile Alero. The worst of the wrecks happened Monday morning when Charlie J. Lacaze, 57, of Plato, was northbound on a 1982 Honda V45 motorcycle and struck a deer at 6 a.m. about a quarter-mile outside Fort Leonard Wood’s South Gate on Highway AW, suffering serious injuries and later dying in Springfield. Another crash later Monday night on Interstate 44 in Waynesville totaled a 2001 GMC Sierra pickup and injured two women when Tiffany A. Monroe, 27, ran off the left side of eastbound I-44 and rolled over. In new information on an earlier crash, troopers issued an updated report on a July 24 wreck in which a Newburg motorcyclist, Jackie L. Morgan, 30, had initially been reported as having crossed the center line in a wreck on Highway J just across the Phelps County line about a quarter-mile south of Interstate 44. Following additional investigation, troopers now report that Daquanna J. Snider, 57, of Waynesville, had been stopped on the northbound shoulder facing southbound in a 2004 Cadillac at 4:55 p.m. when she entered the roadway, crossed the centerline, and struck Morgan’s southbound 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle, causing serious injuries to Morgan and minor damage to both vehicles. State troopers also reported unrelated arrests for alcohol-related offenses of Erica R. Klenk, Andres R. Lucio, and Matthew R. Thomas. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

St. Robert gears up for more drunk driving checkpoints during August SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (Aug. 1, 2009) — Police and firefighters are gearing up for another crackdown on drunk driving this month in St. Robert, according to Sgt. Butch Hohman, the head of the traffic enforcement division for the city’s police department. “A new month is coming and to try and reduce the amount of alcohol-related traffic accidents and alcohol-related driving offenses, the St. Robert Police Department will be conducting sobriety checkpoints and other enforcement activities throughout the month,” Hohman said in a prepared statement. Last month’s DWI checkpoint on the night of July 4 and early morning of July 5 showed that about 2 percent of St. Robert drivers are still drunk behind the wheel between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., despite an aggressive grant-funded program that pays overtime for local police to dedicate extra time to stopping drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

FLW announces name of sergeant accused of stabbing mess hall worker FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (July 31, 2009) — In a statement issued late Friday afternoon, Fort Leonard Wood spokesmen announced that Sgt. 1st Class Louis Sutton, a member of the 5th Engineer Battalion, has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault in connection with the Thursday morning stabbing of a dining hall worker. Early reports from off-post sources gave a wrong rank for Sutton; his name was withheld Thursday pending filing of charges. No motive for the stabbing has yet been released by post officials. The 5th Engineer Battalion returned just a few weeks ago from a year of service in Iraq. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Pound-bound dog doing fine after totaling Crocker police car Wednesday CROCKER, Mo. (July 31, 2009) — An Alaskan malamute being taken by Crocker police to the Dixon dog pound is doing fine after a Wednesday evening car crash, but the police car has been totaled and the policeman driving the car spent time in an area hospital. Crocker Police Chief Robert Ishmael said one of his officers, Rex L. Churchill, 31, had been on his way to the Dixon pound when a dog he was carrying decided it didn’t want to remain in the passenger seat of the 1997 Ford Explorer patrol car. “Basically the canine got free, it came over the console of the truck, got between him and the steering wheel and he lost control of the vehicle,” Ishmael said. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Construction ended last week on a project to repair the Spring Creek Bridge on Route K east of Fort Leonard Wood. MoDOT finishes first “Safe and Sound” bridge repair project in FLW area EDGAR SPRINGS, Mo. (July 31, 2009) — The first of several state bridge repair projects in the Fort Leonard Wood area was completed last week, Missouri Department of Transportation personnel announced Monday, and another bridge repair project in the same area should be finished later this summer. The just-finished repairs on the Spring Creek bridge on Route K and the ongoing repairs to the Corn Creek bridge on Route M, both outside Fort Leonard Wood’s East Gate, are part of MoDOT’s $700 million “Safe and Sound” bridge repair project which has identified 802 bridges around the state which need to be repaired or replaced within the next five years. Both are among the first 100 “quick start” bridge projects that are expected to begin this year. Another area bridge on Route U northwest of Crocker is also part of the “Safe and Sound” program but not the “quick start” portion planned to begin this year. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Fort Leonard Wood soldier flees after stabbing mess hall worker in neck FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (July 31, 2009) — Police and other emergency personnel around Pulaski County prepared Thursday morning to intercept a Fort Leonard Wood master sergeant after military police warned area agencies that he had stabbed another person on post and fled. The incident happened at 8:40 a.m. and initial reports indicated that the soldier was headed toward the Waggener Gate on the west end of Fort Leonard Wood, which leads toward Waynesville, Laquey, and isolated rural areas of the Mark Twain National Forest. However, off-post police avoided the need for a manhunt after the MPs alerted them that the soldier had turned himself in at the East Gate about 9:20 a.m. While the master sergeant’s name, vehicle identification, and personal description were provided to area law enforcement, Fort Leonard Wood public affairs personnel have not released his name, rank, or unit to the media pending filing of formal charges. The victim, a civilian employee working at Fort Leonard Wood, was stabbed in the neck with a knife in an on-post dining facility, and as of Thursday afternoon, was listed in stable condition. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Sgt. 1st Class Darwin Johnson enters data on the Maintenance Support Device-Version 2 while other soldiers watch during a class on the system. Missouri Guard becomes first in nation to test vehicle maintenance system JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (July 31, 2009) — Sgt. 1st Class Darwin Johnson, of Stanberry, is a Missouri National Guardsman who is among the first in the nation to work with a new maintenance diagnostic system for military vehicles. “We’re kind of the guinea pigs,” said Johnson, of the 35th Special Troops Battalion in St. Joseph. “We’ve got to find any flaws and report them.” Johnson was one of 32 soldiers from across the state who recently trained with the Maintenance Support Device-Version 2 for two days at the Combined Surface Maintenance Shops in Jefferson City. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Reserve Deputy Nathan Looper, a canine officer with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department, poses with his dog, Uli, outside a sheriff's cruiser. Looper also is a member of the Missouri National Guard's 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team. Full-time Guardsman volunteers as Pulaski County sheriff's deputy FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (July 30, 2009) — Assisting others is a way of life for 1st Lt. Nathan Looper. As a member of the Missouri Air National Guard, Looper, 31, has served on the 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team on post for more than seven years. In that same span, he has spent his spare time volunteering as a reserve deputy/K-9 officer with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department. “I enjoy helping other people and that’s the biggest reason that I’m in the military doing this job or my civilian law-enforcement life,” said Looper, a Lynchburg resident. “Public safety has pretty-much always been part of my life.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Gene's Towing personnel work to remove a rollover west of Dixon. Three crashes keep troopers, Dixon emergency personnel busy on Saturday DIXON, Mo. (July 25, 2009) — Crashes kept Dixon firefighters and other emergency personnel rushing from incident to incident throughout much of Saturday. The first wreck happened at 3 a.m. on the 22000 block of State Road 133 near Dixon whem, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Linda J. Skaggs, 37, of Dixon, was driving a 1994 Chevrolet Blazer northbound, ran off the right side of the roadway, struck a fence, crossed a field, struck a second fence and came to rest, totaling her vehicle and suffering minor injuries. A second wreck on Highway 133 about 1 p.m. injured nobody, but totaled two vehicles in a rollover that snarled traffic west of Dixon. Troopers said David Braddum, 80, of Dixon, was using a tow dolly to remove a junk car from his farm property and driving westbound in a white 2001 Toyota Tundra TRD when his load began to cause problems and flipped both the towed car and the pickup. About an hour after clearing up the rollover, Dixon firefighters received a call at 4:30 p.m. reporting a crash of a motorcycle near the junction of Highway O and Highway 28 south of Dixon. Upon arrival, troopers determined that Jock L. Simpson, 46, of St. Robert, had been southbound turning onto Highway O from Highway 28 when his 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle FLHPI slid on loose gravel, ran off the roadway, struck a ditch and overturned, suffering moderate injuries and causing minor damage to his motorcycle. In unrelated incidents, state troopers arrested Anthony J. Gifford on drunk driving charges and arrested Craig C. Wilber on a Cass County misdemeanor warrant for a log book violation. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Two crashes just outside county injure two area residents Friday afternoon PLATO/NEWBURG, Mo. (UPDATED 9 p.m., Aug. 1, 2009 July 25, 2009) — Two separate crashes on Friday just outside Pulaski County injured two area residents. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Angela K. Richards, 21, of Plato, had been southbound on Route 17 about four miles north of Roby when she ran off the right side of the road in her 1995 Chevrolet and hit a tree, suffering mnor injuries but totaling her car. About two hours later, troopers responded to another crash on Highway J about a quarter-mile south of the Interstate 44 junction at Exit 169 in which Jackie L. Morgan, 30, of Newburg, had been riding a 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle southbound on Highway J when he crossed the center line at 4:55 p.m. and struck a 2004 Cadillac driven by Daquanna J. Snider, 57, of Waynesville, who was also headed southbound but had pulled off the roadway. Troopers later released an updated report indicating that following additional investigation, they determined that Snider had been stopped on the northbound shoulder facing southbound when she entered the roadway, crossed the centerline, and struck Morgan’s southbound motorcycle. Both vehicles sustained minor damage but Morgan suffered serious injuries and was flown to Springfield for treatment. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Old Settlers Day continues Saturday despite downtown Waynesville rain WAYNESVILLE, Mo. (July 25, 2009) — Heavy rain earlier this morning didn’t stop Old Settlers’ Day in the Waynesville City Park — at least once the downpour stopped. Most events in the city park and downtown will continue until 4 p.m. today; a mountain man reunion and black powder shooting sports festival will continue through the weekend. Finals for the duck race will be held at 2:30 p.m., Howley said. “We have a lot of vendors set up, a lot of crafts set up,” Howley said. “There is something here for the whole family.”  Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Swine flu cases at Fort Leonard Wood now more than St. Louis, Kansas City FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (July 24, 2009) — Swine flu struck Fort Leonard Wood hard this month, with more confirmed cases on the military installation than in either Kansas City or metro St. Louis. State officials are reporting that there are only 80 cases of H1N1 influenza — the proper medical name for what’s been termed ‘swine flu’ — in the entire state of Missouri. That report includes one case in Pulaski County reported last month at Fort Leonard Wood. However, it apparently doesn’t include a total of 21 cases of the H1N1 influenza on the post that have now been confirmed by military doctors following testing in Texas. That number now accounts for a fifth of the total H1N1 cases in Missouri, and is higher than the 13 cases in Kansas City, five cases in the city of St. Louis, and 16 cases in St. Louis County. Greene County, which includes Springfield, has only two H1N1 cases so far. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Two separate wrecks send three people to area hospitals on Thursday WAYNESVILLE/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (July 24, 2009) — Two separate crashes on Thursday sent three people to area hospitals with injuries. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, James J. McDaniel, 23, of Dixon, was southbound on Hartford Road about four miles east of St. Robert driving a 1998 Chevrolet when he ran off the left side of the roadway at 10:35 a.m. and struck a tree, suffering moderate injuries and totaling his vehicle. McDaniel was arrested on charges including drunk driving. Later in the day, troopers responded to what was originally reported as a non-injury crash on a low-water bridge on Richland Road about two miles west of Waynesville and later determined it was a two-vehicle crash involving minor injuries to Mary L. Patton, 78, and Luke A. White, 24, both of Waynesville, Patton had been southbound in a 1993 Oldsmobile when she made a wide right turn into the path of White's 1998 Chevrolet pickup, hitting it head-on which totaled the pickup and caused extensive damage to her own vehicle. State troopers also reported the arrest of Misty B. Brooks, 48, of Waynesville, at 10:16 p.m. Wednesday on charges including drunk driving. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Sgt. James H. Carter received the Bronze Star for valor in saving Navy personnel from a blown-up vehicle in Iraq. From mortgage broker to medic: Saint Robert man receives Bronze Star SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (July 22, 2009) — A Waynesville High School graduate serving in Iraq received the Bronze Star with valor device for his role as a medic in rescuing Navy personnel from a burning explosive ordinance disposal vehicle that had been blown into the air by a roadside culvert bomb. Sgt. James H. Carter, 33, followed up on that 2007 award by recently being named Medic of the Year for the 3rd Brigade Combat Team in Iraq, to which he’s assigned as part of the 82nd Airborne in his second tour of duty in Iraq. Although he’s the son of a former Marine who transferred to the Army and retired after serving two terms during the Vietnam conflict, Carter didn’t originally plan a career wearing a military uniform. After graduating from Waynesville High School in 1994, he went to the University of Missouri in Columbia and became a mortgage broker in that city, continuing in that career until he began to reconsider the direction of his life after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. “Especially after 9/11, just realizing the vulnerability of the country, I took a step back, looked at my life, and asked what I had done. Everything I had done was geared toward me,” Carter said. “I was studying for a while and resisted but eventually I gave in. It’s the best decision I made in my life so far.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Sgt. Wesley Henderson (shown at a prior rank) is Fort Leonard Wood's soldier of the year. 399th Army Band sergeant named Fort Leonard Wood soldier of the year FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (July 21, 2009) — It’s not unusual for the person selected as soldier of the year at Fort Leonard Wood to have a hard-charging attitude and high aspirations for his future, and Sgt. Wesley D. Henderson, 24, is no exception. His military career goals include maxing the Army Physical Fitness Test, attending airborne and air assault school, and retiring as a command sergeant major; his off-duty activities include hunting, weightlifting and watching football. So what’s his MOS? He’s an Army musician in the 399th Army Band, with a bachelors’ degree in music performance as a distinguished honor graduate from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, training at the Armed Forces School of Music, and work already underway on a masters’ degree in business administration. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Crocker carp could eat algae without eating a hole in city's tight budget CROCKER, Mo. (July 21, 2009) — Crocker has at least two problems: a town lake full of algae and a city budget that isn’t full of money. Last week, city leaders tried a new tactic to solve their algae problem without making their budget woes even worse: they bought six carp, which cost Crocker only $40. “They’re there to eat and clean the algae out of the pond. We have a lot of people who use that pond out there to fish, and they said the algae has been getting really bad out there,” said Mayor Linda Wilson. “A lot of farmers in this area use these grass carp to keep the algae in their pool down, so we think it will work well for us, too.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Fort Leonard Wood soldiers thanked for role at baseball’s All Star Game FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (July 20, 2009) — While the national television and radio audience may not have known it, Fort Leonard Wood soldiers took center stage at last week’s All-Star baseball game in St. Louis, with more than a hundred personnel from the post joining in a flag ceremony in front of President Barack Obama and tens of thousands of fans. Waynesville R-VI School Board member Randy Walters, who attended the game, thanked Mike Warren, the post’s representative to the school district, during Monday night’s school board meeting. “Fort Leonard Wood had a tremendous presence there. The 5th Engineers, the way I understood it, held the flag during the national anthem and all that and also provided the color guard, I believe,” Walters said. “There were lots of soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood and that is always great to see.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Sgt. 1st Class Juan Gallego, of the 7th CST, monitors a manhole during the All Star Game. Guard’s 7th Civil Support Team supports agencies at All-Star baseball ST. LOUIS, Mo. (July 20, 2009) — For 1st Lt. Jean LeGall, spending three days with the 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team supporting civilian authorities at the Major League Baseball All-Star festivities was the right combination of work and play. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said LeGall, the unit’s physician assistant. “We got to go there and work with the secret service. That was a lot of fun, and they were very appreciative of us being there.” The team’s mission was to support the St. Louis Fire Department by checking the stadium and its patrons for potential hazards. “One of our tasks was to monitor for abnormal radiation readings,” said Lt. Col. Raymond White, the 7th CST commander. “During the course of the three days, we encountered numerous individuals who had recently had medical treatment involving radiation. We identified them and verified the authenticity of their medical treatment.” Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Matthew J. Wilson/Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Fort Leonard Wood resident wrecks vehicle early Monday near Springfield FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (July 20, 2009) — An early Monday morning crash in Springfield totaled a Fort Leonard Wood man’s car and sent him to a hospital with minor injuries. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Corey L. Murray, 21, was eastbound in a 1984 Toyota at 3:15 a.m. on Interstate 44 about a mile west of Springfield when he ran off the roadway and struck the median cable. In unrelated incidents, state troopers arrested Robert B. Allen and Eric E. Wilson on charges including drunk driving and arrested Virgil E. Smith on charges of not having a valid license. Click here to read more on Pulaski County Daily News ... Darrell Todd Maurina

Economic developer hired for Pulaski County and Fort Leonard Wood area PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (July 20, 2009) — After an extended search, members of the Pulaski County Growth Alliance have hired an economic developer to promote the county and its five cities. Wayne Morgan, a Lake Ozark resident who most recently served as the economic