Local News – Thursday, January 25th, 2018
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley announced Phelps County resident Christa Mueller has been sentenced to 20 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for her role in severely abusing her 17-month child in April of 2006. Mueller was convicted by a Phelps County jury in September 2017. Mueller and boyfriend, Calvin Alford, were both charged with Assault in the First Degree after her 17-month-old child was treated for bleeding on her brain, contusions to her brain, a skull fracture, three fractures to her right arm, two collapsed lungs, and multiple bruises and abrasions to her face, arms, legs, and back, all consistent with severe child abuse. The evidence was clear that sometime between 10:00 at night on April 5th and 11:00 in the morning on April 6th, the baby was struck or struck against something multiple times over a period of time. After sustaining these devastating injuries, the Mueller and Mr. Alford failed to seek medical treatment for between 8 to 16 hours, calling 9-1-1 only at the insistence of a neighbor. As a result of these injuries and the failure to seek medical treatment, the child is blind, unable to walk or sit up, unable to speak or understand language,requires feeding through a tube, and has seizures multiple times a day. The case was investigated by the St. James Police Department with assistance from the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department and the Rolla Police Department. The case was tried by Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Szczucinski with assistance from investigators Haley Porter, Susan Clevenger and Victim Advocate Carrie Boessen. Calvin Alford’s trial is set for trial the week of March 26th later this year.
An accident happened Tuesday morning at 7:42 in Phelps County on I-44 at the 194 mile marker. According to the highway patrol report, both vehicles were westbound with a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt, driven by 24-year old Jaclyn Thompson of St. James, in the right lane and the 2017 Peterbilt Tractor, driven by 60-year old William Casper, Jr. of Carterville, Illinois, in the left lane. The Cobalt skidded into the path of the Peterbilt and the vehicles collided. After impact both vehicles traveled off the south side of the roadway into the median. The report stated that Thompson suffered serious injuries and was flown by Phelps County Air to University Hospital in Columbia. The Chevrolet was totaled, while the Peterbilt sustained moderate damage. Both Thompson and Casper were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident.
The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports. On Friday, January 12th, deputies responded to a residence in the 17000 block of Route C in reference to a theft. It was discovered that a metal gate to the property had been damaged and ATV ramps, rolls of wire, and gas had been stolen. This report is still under investigation. On Sunday, January 14th, deputies conducted a traffic stop in the McDonald’s parking lot. As a result, the driver, a 27-year old Osceola man, was arrested for driving while being intoxicated. He was fingerprinted, issued a summons to appear in court, and released. On Friday, January 19th, Dent County Deputies conducted a traffic stop on Route O just north of Route OO. The passenger in the vehicle, a 32-year old Rolla woman, was discovered to have a Maries County warrant. She was arrested and transported to the Dent County Jail. On Friday, January 19th, deputies conducted a traffic stop on East Acuff Street in Salem. The driver, a 52-year old Salem man, was arrested after deputies found a socket with marijuana residue on him and a glass pipe with a residue that field tested positive for methamphetamine in his vehicle. He was taken to the Dent County Jail. On Sunday, January 21st, deputies responded to a residence in the 2000 block of County Road 4160 in reference to a stolen ATV. The ATV is described as a yellow 2008 90 Can-Am. This report is still under investigation. If anyone has information regarding any ongoing investigation, please contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Department at 729-3241.
Alderman Haydn Powell has called a meeting of the City of Salem Airport Board for today at 1:00 at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory. After approval of the minutes of the last meeting there will be an update on projects currently approved through FAA Grant Program that is administered through MoDOT. There will be an update on Air-Evac hangar status, as well as cold weather issues. Board President Harold Tubbs has requested consideration of the following project ideas; development of a formal policy on hangar assignment, fuel types, power gate openers, courtesy car and signage. The Thursday meeting of the City of Salem Airport Board is open to the public.