Circuit Court News Feb. 28th - Mar. 4th

CIRCUIT COURT OF BATES COUNTY, COURT NEWS 
JAMES K JOURNEY, JUDGE 
Diana L Rich, Clerk 
FEB 28 – MAR 4, 2011

Shauna Mae Sterner v Timothy Lee Sterner, Petition for Dissolution of Marriage  filed. 

St v. Donald G Greathouse, Felony distribution/delivering controlled substance, set for 3-21-11. 

Shawna Leister v James Leister, Petition for Dissolution of Marriage filed. 

Rebecca Utterbeck v Kenneth L Simmons, Jr., Dissolution of Marriage granted. 

Tammy Stump v Charles Stump, Petition for Order of Protection is dismissed by Petitioner. 

St v. Stefanie M Fender, Felony stealing, found guilty, sentenced to 6 years in MDOC, given SES, placed on 5 years probation, conditions of probabion:  to pay restitution in sum of $22,000 and court costs,  Defe. Shall successfully complete any counseling/treatment ordered,  Defe. Shall be subject to random drug tests, random home/vehicle searches,  Defe. Shall not consume alcoholic beverages or be upon premises where served/sold. 

Stacy Ackerman v Joshua Ackerman, Request for Dismissal of Petition for Order of Protection filed by Petitioner, approved by Judge. 

St v. Josh A Moreland, probation revoked, sentenced to 5 years in MDOC on Ct. I; sentenced to 5 years in MDOC on Ct II, given SES,  placed on probation for 5 years, sentences ordered to run concurrently with each other, Defe. Shall pay court costs, make restitution, if any, Defe. Shall successfully complete counseling/treatment that is ordered, Defe. Shall be subject to random drug testing, random home/vehicle searches, Defe. Shall not possess/consume any alcohol or be upon premises where alcohol sold/served. 

St v. Joshua L Bearden, probation revoked, previous sentences imposed, Ct I: Felony unlawful use of a weapon—sentenced to 4 years in MDOC; Ct II: Felony property damage—sentenced to 4 years in MDOC, sentences to run concurrently. 

St v. Kenyon Reed, probation revoked, previous sentences imposed, Ct I: Felony passing bad checks—sentenced to 3 years in MDOC; Ct II: Felony passing bad checks—sentenced to 3 years in MDOC, sentences to run concurrently with each other. 

St v. Cory P Lane, probation revoked, Ct I: Felony assault on a Law Enforcement Officer—sentenced to 5 years in MDOC,  Ct II: Felony assault on a Law Enforcement Officer—sentenced to 5 years in MDOC; Ct III: Felony Resisting Arrest—sentenced to 4 years in MDOC; Ct IV: Felony assault of a Law Enforcement Officer—sentenced to 5 years in MDOC, sentences to be run concurrently with each other, 120 day call back option. 

St v. William C Deghelder, Felony DWI, found guilty, sentenced to 5 years in MDOC, given SES, placed on 5 years probation, standard conditions: pay court costs, Defe. Shall successfully complete any counseling/treatment as ordered, Defe. Shall be subject to random drug tests, random home/vehicle searches, Defe. Shall not be upon premises where alcohol is sold/served. 

St v. William C Deghelder, Felony assault, amended to Misd. Assault, found guilty  per plea agreement,  sentenced to 6 mos. In Bates County Jail, given SES of jail sentence, placed on 2 years probation, to have employment, to pay court costs by 4-18-11 at 10 am or appear in court. 

St v. William C Deghelder, Felony DWI, found guilty, sentenced to 5 years in MDOC, given SES, placed on 5 years probation,  to pay court costs, Defe. Shall successfully complete any counseling/treatment as ordered, Defe. Shall be subject to random drug tests, random home/vehicle searches, Defe. Shall not be upon premises where alcohol is sold/served. 

Dana Leigh Plough v Michael Thomas Plough, Petition for Order of Protection is Dismissed by Petitioner. 

Chris Hubbard v Samantha Schmitt, Petition for Order of Protection is dismissed by Petitioner. 

Samantha Schmitt v Chris Hubbard, Petition for Order of Protection is dismissed by Petitioner 

Bobby  D Fennewald v Amber M Fennewald, Dissolution of Marriage is granted. 

St v. Douglas K Stone, Ct I: Felony possession of controlled substance, methamphetamines, guilty plea, given SIS, placed on probation for 3 years, to pay $150 for State Forensic Lab, to pay cout costs, to successfully complete counseling/treatment as directed, Defe. To be subject to random drug testing, random home/vehicle searches, Defe. Shall not possess or consume alcoholic beverages or be upon premises where alcohol sold/served. 

Candice Marie Smith v Aaron James Smith, Petition for Dissolution filed. 

Angela Deckert v Cory Stephen Deckert, Petition for Order of Protection filed. 

First National Bank of Hutchinson, as Trustee for the H Claude Sechrest and Imogene G Sechrest Revocable Living Trust Agreement v. Missouri Farm Loan Company, Petition filed. 

BCMH book fair next week

Step in to the Bates County Memorial Hospital front lobby on March 10th and you'll find the BCMH Auxiliary book fair in full swing. Books, gifts and more will be available with huge discounts all day, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Money raised from the book fair will benefit the BCMH Auxiliary scholarship fund.

Butler Rotary Club to host pancake breakfast

It's time again for the annual Butler Rotary Club pancake breakfast at the Butler Senior Center. Mayor Don Malan will be flipping pancakes made using Freeman Stanfill's coveted recipe. Bring the whole family- $5 for adults, children 4-12 is $3, and under 3 eat for free.

Mark your calendar for the pancake breakfast on March 19th from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Senior Center located at Mill and Business 71 in Butler.

Snow and thunderstorms possible

Today

Cloudy. Chance of showers...slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning...then occasional showers and scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 60. Temperatures steady or slowly falling in the afternoon. South winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.

Tonight

Cloudy. Rain showers likely...scattered thunderstorms early in the evening...then a chance of rain in the late evening and overnight. Chance of snow after midnight. No snow accumulation. Lows around 30. North winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.

From the desk of Senator David Pearce

Proposition B Deserves Consideration

Proposition B is a measure that has become very familiar since last fall. It brings to mind the plight of animals commonly referred to as “man’s best friend.” Animal cruelty, of course, is a serious issue and one that deserves attention.

In the Senate, when a bill is brought up for debate, much time and consideration is taken to question the intent and meaning of each piece of legislation. We have committees that deal with certain areas of information, and in those committees, we hear public testimony from citizens on both sides of each issue. The reason for these steps is so that when a bill is brought forth for consideration on the Senate floor, as much information as possible is available for review so that the best possible outcome is achieved.

That being said, last year’s election contained a ballot initiative, or a citizen-proposed measure called Proposition B, which was placed on the ballot with help from special interest groups primarily from outside Missouri. When a measure is placed on the ballot like this, it is not subject to the same strenuous consideration that it would undergo in the State Capitol because special interest groups are not required to ask citizens opinions or consider both sides of an issue.                  

It is only too obvious that there are individuals in this state that require additional regulations set on their animal businesses because they don’t manage those businesses well. However, there is an economic advantage in running any business well. People that respect animals are not in the animal cruelty business, and unfortunately, parts of Proposition B do not make distinctions for that difference. The language deals mostly with those businesses that are actually certified and legal so those businesses that operate without being certified will not be affected and, therefore, corrected under Proposition B. There were also exemptions for pet stores and shelters. Doesn’t that raise the question that if the suppliers of animals are subject to regulations, shouldn’t the sellers also have to be accountable?

In the 31^st District, many citizens voted overwhelmingly not to adopt the measure. In Bates County, the measure failed by 79.8 percent, in Johnson County by 57.6 percent, and in Vernon County by 73.5 percent. By a narrow margin, Proposition B did pass in Cass County by 51.7 percent, or 1,215 votes. While I believe that the issue of cruelty to animals is important and must be examined in order for proper consequences to be put into place, just as important is the issue of responsible animal breeders and their positive effects on our society.

As lawmakers, my colleagues and I want to ensure that the agricultural way of life, so prevalent in our state, is protected from language that could be misinterpreted and harmful to agriculture. In recent years, rural Missourians have tried to maintain healthy relationships with neighbors and with the state by being good stewards of the land and its resources, including animal production.

Another unforeseen part of Proposition B is its cost. If revisions are not considered to Proposition B, it will cost approximately $800,000 to enforce. That is a large sum to try to squeeze out of an already tight budget. Where are those funds expected to come from? That is a question that has not been answered.

I believe that it is the duty of each of us to work together to make certain that actions like animal cruelty and the operation of unregulated animal businesses have consequences that are enforced. I also believe that we must all continue to work together to create a law that will do just that, while allowing responsible animal business owners to continue to contribute to our state’s economy in a responsible way. While I support the intent of  Proposition B, and am not in favor of overturning the entire measure, I do think that we can come together to make reasonable accommodations without punishing those that operate inside the law and addressing exemptions that favor shelters and pet stores.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.

Senator David Pearce serves Bates, Cass, Johnson and Vernon counties in the 31^st State Senatorial District.

Light week for the Adrian police department...

Feb. 23rd - Assisted with fire on Seventh street; warrant arrest on Hazel street.

Feb. 24th - Warning for excessive speed at Main and 71 Highway.

Feb. 25th - Citation for unregistered vehicle at Fifth and Houston streets.

Attention MEN...

A busy month ahead...

The March calendar is getting pretty full- if we've missed something, call 913-669-5848 or email us with your calendar item and put it up free of charge! View the calendar here