House Fire This Morning In Clinton

 

A residential fire brought the Clinton Fire Department to 310 North 3rd Street Tuesday morning. When firefighters arrived just after 8:15 a.m. they found the structure heavily involved. With little to no wind they also had to contend with thick smoke that hung over the otherwise quiet neighborhood. 

 According to Fire Chief Leo Huff, the lone occupant, a female, said she was sleeping on a mattress inside the house with a candle burning. Also reported was a propane heater inside the home. She was awakened by the fire and escaped unharmed. 

 Huff said when fire trucks arrived on scene they discovered, “a pretty bad fire” and moved into position to quickly bring the blaze under control. From that point crews remained on scene through much of Tuesday morning “cleaning up” and looking for potential hot spots within the debris.
No dollar value has yet been given to the level of damage but it would appear the structure is a total loss.

 

 

Courtesy of The Clinton Daily Democrat

Flu Season Could Be Rough

Flu season has arrived with a vengeance and the head of the infectious disease department at one Kansas City-area hospital expects it to be a bad one. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kansas is already experiencing a widespread influenza outbreak, and Missouri isn't far behind. Wards at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City are full. Doctors said a third of the patients there are suffering from the flu.

The most prevalent strain of flu this year is H1N1, the same strain that was widespread throughout the nation in 2009. Officials at Children's Mercy Hospital said this outbreak is hitting about a month earlier than typical years, and it's already showing its might in all age groups, especially in otherwise healthy adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s. "This year, what I've noticed is that the peak is very steep and I do not think it's gotten to the top yet," said Dr. Mary Anne Jackson, the infectious disease director of Children's Mercy Hospital. "It might actually spike, plateau off, and then we'll slowly come back down. My estimate is that our peak will come in mid-January, and so we still have a lot of patients to take care of and time to intervene with vaccines."

Experts said most people have not yet been vaccinated for the flu. Only about 40 percent of children and adults have received vaccinations this year. Jeff Hershberger of the Kansas City Health Department said it's important not to put it off any longer. "We actually so far this flu season have had over 1,000 cases of flu reported to us already," he said. "We only have reports through the 22nd of December, but even in that week, we had over 400 cases reported to us, so the flu is out there. It's really important to get the flu vaccine before they get exposed." He said there is still plenty of vaccine available at doctor's offices and local health departments.

Is Missouri Next to Legalize Marijuana?

On Wednesday, people in Colorado may ring in the New Year in a whole new way. Recreational marijuana will be legal there January 1. Some believe Missouri could be the next state to legalize the drug. Show Me Cannibis, a group that has been working for years to legalize marijuana in Missouri, said since Colorado is so close, the movement in Missouri is sure to gain momentum. According to Show Me Cannibis, 50 percent of those polled in 2013 either "strongly favor" or "lean towards" legalizing the drug in Missouri.

In that same survey, more men than women favored legalizing pot, more Democrats (69%) than Republicans (33%). Leawood attorney Brain Leininger and Show Me Cannibis supporter said full legalization could happen at the ballot box during the 2014 mid-term elections or in 2016, where a broader group of people show up to bit during the presidential election. "I think people will see California is working, Colorado is working, Washington is working, that the sky is not falling, the states aren't going down the tube and that will convince a lot more people," Leininger said.

Missouri is about to have a record five or six marijuana legalization bills before lawmakers in 2014. One of them, Leininger said, looks very much like Colorado's law, "Legalize it, regulate it and tax it to the same extent."But if someone decides he can't wait until it is passed and heads out to Colorado, Leininger offers a word of warning: federal law in Kansas and Missouri that prohibits marijuana use still applies.

"You're legal while you're in Colorado, but if you come back to Kansas or Missouri and your employer wants to do a drug test, they don't care you smoked it where it was legal."
There are still many opponents to legalizing pot, like many narcotics officers who are on the front lines of the drug war. They warn drug use will only get worse because more of the drug will be available, competition will lower the price and there will be less perception of risk.

Weather Update: Light Snow Wednesday Night

We're tracking in some light snow to begin your 2014. Expect widespread 1-2 inches, with perhaps some localized areas reaching between 2-3 inches. Snow likely begins Wednesday afternoon along and north of Interstate 70 and Wednesday evening along and south of Interstate 70. Expect it to come to an end by early Thursday morning.

Bates County Sheriff's Office Press Release: Man Accidentally Shoots Himself While Cleaning Gun

On 12/30/13, at approximately 12:30 a.m. the Butler Police Department received a call from a resident of rural Adrian in reference to a subject being shot.   The caller stated that the male subject had been cleaning his gun and the gun discharged striking him in the side.  At the time of the call the caller had advised dispatch that they were in their vehicle and headed to Adrian.  Dispatch advised that they would have fire and police meet them at Casey’s in Adrian so they could give the subject aid.

 

The driver of the vehicle failed to stop at Casey’s and drove past the First Responders and traveled north on I49.  A short time later the Sheriff’s Office received a call from Harrisonville Police Department advising that they had a male in the Emergency Room that had been shot.  We were advised that the male was in stable condition and was being transferred to a hospital in Kansas City.  The Harrisonville Police Officers interviewed the subjects and victim and advised that they also reported that the gunshot was a self-inflicted while cleaning the gun.  

 

Deputies cleared the scene at approximately 2:30 AM. 

Vernon County Sheriff's Office Advisory: 911 and Phone Systems down

The 911 system is not working right now in the Vernon County 911 center. Also  ATT is down in the tri state area as well. If you have an emergency, contact the Ambulance at 417-667-5079. We will advise when the system is back up and working.

Obituary - Judith “Judy” Rosanne Jones

Judith “Judy” Rosanne Jones, 57, Belton, Missouri, died Wednesday, December 25, 2013 at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Memorial services will be held at a later date.

Judy was born September 21, 1956 in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of John Dale and Laura June (Thrasher) Shook. She grew up in Greenwood, Missouri and was a 1974 graduate of Lee’s Summit High School. She received her LPN degree and had worked for Truman East, Cass Regional Medical Center and for nursing homes.     

Judy was preceded in death by her father, her husband, David Jones and one son, Joseph Cowan IV. She is survived by one son, Ian Jones (Mindy), Peculiar, Missouri; three sisters, Laura Joan Shook, Janette Ruth Shook, both of Greenwood, Missouri and Jacqueline Wright, Raytown, Missouri and 4 grandchildren.

Obituary - Cecil Farris DePriest

Cecil Farris DePriest, 72, Adrian, MO, formerly of Bucyrus, Kansas, passed away peacefully, after a short illness, on Saturday, December 28, 2013, surrounded by family. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, January 2, 2014 at the Atkinson Funeral Home in Adrian, Missouri with graveside services at 3:00 p.m. Thursday at the Bucyrus Cemetery in Bucyrus, Kansas. Visitation will be from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 1 at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to Adrian Lions Club or the Adrian Community Library Building Fund. 

Cecil was born January 20, 1941 in Lobelville, Tennessee, the son of William Jess and Betty (Bates) DePriest. Cecil grew up in Perry County, TN. In 1962, he moved to Kansas with his brother Bill.     On June 4, 1963, he married Kay Pulliam Holman. He and Kay lived in Kansas City, KS for 10 years. In 1974 they built a home together in Bucyrus, KS where they raised their family. In 2001, they moved to Adrian, MO.
     
Cecil was a 50-year retiree of Laborers Local 1290. The couple was very active in the Bucyrus Ruritans and the Adrian Lions Clubs, both community service groups. Cecil was very proud of his children and grandchildren.   

He was preceded in death by his parents, William Jess and Betty DePriest; 4 brothers and 2 sisters. Survivors include his wife, Kay of Adrian, Missouri; children/grandchildren, Stephen (Sherri) DePriest of Olathe, Kansas with Greg and Mitchell; Darrin DePriest of Wichita, Kansas with Kristi, Janelle, and Haelyn; Jessica (Dean) Rhein of Derby, Kansas with Leona and Liam; 4 brothers; 6 sisters, and a very large extended family.