Local News – Friday, June 9th, 2023

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a suit of quo warranto to remove Iron County Sheriff Jeffery Burkett from office. The quo warranto holds that Burkett “has knowingly or willfully failed and refused to perform official acts and duties with respect to the execution or enforcement of criminal laws of the State, and has engaged in willful acts of misconduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance in office.” The petition alleges that Burkett is unfit to hold office after allegedly helping Rick Gaston, an Iron County resident, with a plot to kidnap Gaston’s children from their mother after a domestic dispute. Following this incident, the Washington County Prosecutor criminally charged Iron County Sheriff Jeffery Burkett with one count of participating knowingly in criminal street gang activities, a class B felony; one count of tampering with a victim, a class D felony; one count of attempted kidnapping in the third degree, a class B misdemeanor; one count of stalking in the first degree, a class E felony; one count of stalking in the second degree, a class A misdemeanor; one count of unlawful obtaining of criminal history information, a class A misdemeanor; one count of unlawful disclosure of criminal history information, a class A misdemeanor; one count of misuse of emergency telephone services, a class B misdemeanor; and one count of making a false report, a class B misdemeanor. The Attorney General’s Office argues that Burkett “abused his power and authority as an elected sheriff by encouraging other law enforcement officers to make illegal arrests and detentions, knowing that he had no jurisdiction or authority and knowing that the arrests and seizures lacked any probable cause or reasonable suspicion.” The petition further asserts that Burkett’s “actions of utilizing his office and its resources, including two deputies, to further criminal acts and conspiracies, were willful acts of misconduct, malfeasance, and misfeasance, and constitute willful and fraudulent violations of his official duty to enforce the criminal laws of the State in direct violation of Section 106.220, RSMo, and outside his jurisdiction granted by Section 57.010, RSMo.” The petition also asks the Court to remove Burkett from office immediately due to the Department of Public Safety’s temporary suspension of his peace officer certification.

The new Missouri Drought Mitigation and Response Plan is now complete after more than two years of study and development. The update replaces the previous 2002 drought plan and uses modern tools for enhanced monitoring and assessment of all types of droughts. It also gives everyone from government officials, to water users, the water suppliers and the leaders of industry guidance for adopting water conservation best practices to grow their drought resiliency. Michael Weller of the department’s Water Resources Center said that this new drought mitigation and response plan allows us to be much more proactive in how we prepare for and respond to droughts as opposed to just reacting to their negative impacts. The primary goals of the Missouri Drought Mitigation and Response Plan are increasing public awareness, serving as an information source for reducing drought impacts, enhancing resiliency, promoting water conservation, improving monitoring, facilitating response planning, as well as clarifying roles and responsibilities. Among the metrics the updated drought plan uses that were unavailable 20 years ago are data from remote sensing of rainfall amounts and satellite measurements of soil moisture. The plan’s new matrix of drought actions is designed to rapidly assess what areas of the state are most affected by drought as well as what industries are either most susceptible or at risk under different conditions. A comprehensive list of actions and initiatives further outlines what measures can be taken at all levels before and during drought. Visit www.dnr.mo.gov to learn more about drought in Missouri. The current drought conditions for Missouri and other states are available to view at www.drought.gov.

Missouri Mines State Historic Site invites the public to the return of the annual Rock Swap from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon this0 Saturday. Attendees will have the opportunity to buy, sell, swap or admire rocks, mineral specimens, fossils, rock jewelry and rock art at this event on the historic site’s grounds. During the event, there will be free admission to the historic site museum for self-guided tours. The museum interprets Missouri’s mining history and displays restored old mining machinery and an outstanding mineral collection. A free guided tour led by interpretive team members will be provided at 2:00. Rock hobbyists and vendors wishing to set up a booth must complete an application. Booth spots are free, but are limited and must be reserved in advance. All booth spots will be outdoors in an open area, approximately 12 feet by 12 feet. There will be no electricity or amenities provided at booth spots; vendors will need to bring their own tables, chairs and shade tents, if desired. For an application or more information about this event, contact the historic site office at 573-431-6226. Missouri Mines State Historic Site is located at 4000 Highway 32 in Park Hills. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com.

An accident happened in Crawford County on the I-44 South Outer Road just east of Bourbon at 7:41 Thursday morning. According to the highway patrol report, a 2019 Buick Encore driven eastbound by 80-year-old Lawrence Daulby of Steelville, went off the right side of the roadway and struck several trees. Daulby suffered minor injuries and was taken to the Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan by the North Crawford County Ambulance. He was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Buick sustained moderate damage and was removed from the scene by Chuck’s Towing.