Nevada Police Department arrests absconded sex offender

In early August Nevada Police received information from the Missouri State Highway Patrol that a subject on the sex offender registry who had absconded may be living in Nevada.

Nevada Police started following up on the information and was able to develop a lead on the subject's whereabouts. On August 17th Nevada Police went to the area where they believed the subject was staying at.

While in the area, officers were able to locate the subject in the 1700 block of N. Washington Street. Further follow up by officers revealed the subject had absconded and not registered since May of 2020. Through additional investigation, it was determined the subject had been in Nevada for only a few months until his capture.

Nevada Police took custody of the subject and he was transported to the Vernon County Jail for holding.

On August 18, 2023, Nevada Police followed up with the St. Francois County Circuit Court and discovered the subject had an additional Probation Violation warrant for his arrest that had been issued in May 2022. The subject has been identified as follows:

Joe M. Harrison, age 59 of Bismarck, Missouri.
On August 17, 2023, the following charges were filed against Joe Harrison through the Vernon County Associate Court: One (1) Count of Fail to Register as a Sex Offender – E Felony. Harrison is being held in the Vernon County Jail in lieu of a $25,000 cash only bond.

Citizens are encouraged to contact the police if they have any information that would be helpful to combat crime.

To report criminal activities call 911, contact the Nevada Police Department at (417) 448-5100 or use the Nevada Police Department’s Tip Hotline (417) 667-8477. Any and all information can be kept confidential if requested.

BREAKING: Charles Reece sentenced to 120 days MOSOP

Former Butler high school teacher Charles O. Reece was sentenced today in Cass county court after pleading guilty to four counts of second-degree statutory rape and two counts of sexual contact with a student in incidents that occurred during 2018 and 2019.

Following hearing statements by Defendant attorney Scott Friedrich and Plaintiff attorney Lynn Ewing, Judge Michael Wagner upheld the plea agreement by both parties and sentenced Reece to 120 days in the Missouri Department of Corrections Sexual Offender Treatment Unit.

 Mid America Live was present during sentencing and will provide additional details soon.

BREAKING: Council opts to not renew contract with Butler City Administrator Mike West

 

Through information obtained via a FOIA request of minutes of the closed session of the Butler city council meeting on August 15, 2023 it was revealed that the city of Butler will not be renewing a contract with city administrator Mike West following a 4-3 vote. 

More information forthcoming.

Deepwater man escapes serious injured in Benton County motorcycle wreck

On Thursday August 17th around 12:35 p.m. the Missouri State Highway Patrol in Benton County along with Benton County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a motorcycle accident on Old Balltown Ave. just south of Route H in rural Benton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the accident occurred when the southbound 2003 Yamaha driven by 24 year old Hunter C. Green of Deepwater, Missouri lost control and laid the motorcycle down in th roadway.

Hunter C. Green sustained moderate injuries however he refused medical attention at the scene of the accident.

View crash report below:

https://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/HP68/AccidentDetailsAction?ACC_RPT_NUM=230444854

Pittsburg Kansas man arrested for sexual exploitation of a child

On July 7, 2023, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force out of Wichita, Kansas received information indicating an unknown suspect had downloaded and shared child pornographic images from the Internet. An investigation was initiated by the ICAC Task Force and it was determined the images were being uploaded from an address in the City of Pittsburg.

On July 19, 2023, Pittsburg Police Department took over the investigation. On August 16, 2023, detectives and officers from the Pittsburg Police Department arrested 47 year-old Gilbert A. Smith Jr. at his Pittsburg residence for sexual exploitation of a child, specifically related to the possession of sexually explicit images of children under the age of eighteen. 

Mr. Smith was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Crawford County Jail where he was booked in and is being held without bond.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing at this time. Anyone having information related to this incident, or other incidents, is urged to contact the Pittsburg Police Department at 620-231-1700, or at our tip line, 620-231-TIPS (8477). Callers may remain anonymous.

Disclaimer: Arrest records are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Proposed Dance...

Proposed Dance

There is some talk of having a dance on September 30. This dance would be open to the community but is being considered to allow class reunion members an opportunity to socialize and catch up. 

The Butler Alumni Association will now be holding their Alumni Association meetings on the same weekend as Homecoming each year. It is hoped that class reunions will be held on this weekend, so alumni can take in the Homecoming festivities on Friday with the parade and football game. 

The yearly Alumni Meeting will be held on Saturday with the proposed dance on Saturday night. The proposed band is Honky Tonk Dream featuring Jake Duvall. 

The doors would open a couple of hours before the music. Those interested in hosting the dance would like to know what the response would be for this dance. 

Please click the link below by August 18th and tell us if you would be interested in coming to a dance. Thanks for helping out!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kBexR09bafToDk_vl-2BwE-Jig3hQdT7veBFL3RtBdg/edit

Excessive heat builds in this weekend

Today and tomorrow temperatures will be seasonable if not a few degrees below normal with highs in the upper 70s to upper 80s. However, as we get into the weekend, dangerous heat will move into the region. 

Heat index values will rise over 100 for much of the area on Saturday and between 100 to 110 on Sunday. If you are planning outdoor activities this weekend, prepare for the heat!

Obituary - James Edward Rainey

James Edward Rainey, 71, of Spring, TX, passed away on August 13, 2023 after a brief illness. He was surrounded by his wife, Gail, and their children as he passed.

James, or Jim, was born on October 25, 1951, in Butler, Missouri, to Helen Louise Kessler Rainey and Hollis Edward Rainey. Jim was preceded in death by his parents.

Jim graduated from Butler High School. After high school, he served in the United States Marine Corps. Following his service, he returned home to Missouri where he met Gail through mutual friends.

After moving to Houston, Texas, in 1999 to be near his family, Jim worked for nearly 15 years at the VA Medical Center. He was well-known and liked by his coworkers and received numerous awards for outstanding service at the hospital.

Jim was a longtime fan of the Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs and reveled in both teams’ championships during the last decade.

A gifted storyteller, Jim would entertain family and neighbors alike with humorous tales from his life, especially stories about adventures with his friends. Jim maintained close ties with several friends in Missouri, regularly talking with them and occasionally traveling to see them. He loved movies and music, especially rock music of the 1970s and 80s, and could still occasionally be heard mourning the loss of cassette tapes.

Jim is survived by his wife, Gail, of Spring, Texas; his son, Jason, of Austin, Texas; his son, Jonathan, of Cypress, Texas; and his grandchildren, Josslyn, Stephan, and Abigail.

Per Jim’s wishes, a cremation will take place, and no service will be held.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.CalvaryHillFuneralHome.com for the Rainey family.