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Lawmakers want to change Missouri's distracted driving law

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri has one of the laxest laws in the country for drivers on cell phones, and nearly a dozen lawmakers hope to change that in the coming months.

The Show-Me State is one of only two states in the nation without a law that bans drivers from using their cell phones while behind the wheel. For the third holiday season in a row, a Columbia family is without their husband and dad after he was hit by a driver video chatting.

Randall Siddens was picking up cones after the biking portion of a triathlon race on May 5, 2019 when a car swerved past the police escort and knocked over his coworker, and hit him head-on. 

“This was preventable, and it shouldn’t have happened,” Adrienne, Randall’s wife said. “It just shouldn’t have happened.”

Randall who was 34 at the time, was known by his family as outgoing, selfless, and the best husband and dad around.

“It was after the bike was done. Everyone was off the course and was either running or was done, and they were trying to open the course back up,” Adrienne said.

Randall was a full-time dad but worked on the weekend for Ultramax. Adrienne said, on the day of the race, Randall got to the course at 3:30 a.m. Hours later she received a handful of phone calls from numbers she didn’t know.

“As I’m listening to those, my heart just stops,” Adrienne said. “I made it to the hospital, and he was breathing still. They got him into surgery, and I didn’t see him until after.”

Video from a police officer’s dashcam shows 25-year-old Regine McCracken slamming into Randall before hitting his work truck. Police said McCracken was Facetiming and driving nearly 20 miles an hour over the speed limit when she knocked over Randall’s coworker and hit him. 

“The biggest thing was his head trauma because she hit him going so fast and he flew a good 120 feet,” Adrienne said. “Everything could have been fixed, but his brain injury was just the limiting factor. He could never talk, could never eat.”

Six months after the crash, Adrienne had to make the difficult decision of taking Randall off of life support due to his brain injury, failing kidney, and other complications. At the time of the crash, Adrienne and Randall had been married nine years and had two children under the age of three and was four months pregnant with the third. 

“She was born October 13 and he died Nov. 18,” Adrienne said. “So, he technically did hold her, or she laid on his chest.”

Randall and Adrienne’s oldest daughter Aspen is now 4 years old, their son Declan is 3 and Jemma is 2. 

“It makes you angry and I’m angry too because my kids are young enough they are never going to know who Randall was,” Adrienne said.

Under state law, only drivers 21 and younger are prohibited from texting while driving, but the law says nothing about social media like Snapchat or Facebook. The consequence for breaking the law is a fine of up to $200 and two points against the driver’s record. 

“For many people, there is stil that urge to pick up the phone, look down, type a message out, look at a video and look at an Instagram feed,” Sen. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, said. 

Razer is one of at least seven lawmakers who have filed legislation for the upcoming session to change Missouri law. Each bill looks to strengthen the existing law, one of the weakest in the country according to AAA.

“My legislation will not allow for literally picking up the phone or a wireless commuication device, look at it and being distracted,” Razer said. 

He said the current law is costing the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) federal money. 

“A couple of million dollars that could be coming into the state to help educate Missourians that we miss out on because our laws are so laxed,” Razer said. 

His proposal would allow Missouri drivers over the age of 18 to use Bluetooth or hands-free to talk or text, as long as the driver does not have his or her phone in their hand. Both Republian and Democrat lawmakers have filed bills for the upcoming session, which starts on January 5, to ban drivers from using their phones while driving. 

“Especially with the bipartisan nature of this legislation, I’m not sure what’s taking so much time to get this passed,” Razer said. “I’m hopeful that this will be the year that we can get it done.”

Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) said distracted driving caused 87 fatal accidents, more than 4,300 injury crashes and 11,000 property damage only crashes last year. 

“Our law is so, it’s just laughable and it’s pathetic, so we have to do better,” Adrienne said. “Nothing moving forward will bring him back but I wouldn’t wish this on anybody. I think something good has to surely come out of it and I don’t know what that good is yet.”

As for McCracken, who hit Randall, she pleaded guilty earlier this year to first-degree involuntary manslaughter along with driving with a suspended license. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The judge also said she had four prior convictions for driving infractions and had been given medication after an overnight stay in the hospital before the crash.

Freeman Neosho revamps emergency department

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NEOSHO, Mo. — A local hospital is getting ready for an even healthier new year in 2022 with some big changes to boost patient health.

Freeman Neosho Hospital revamped its emergency department.

The changes are designed to target the fight against COVID-19. But it doesn’t stop there.

“So we’re here today to celebrate the emergency department here at Neosho hospital,” said Freeman Neosho CEO, Renee Denton.

Crucial upgrades start with negative pressure for isolation rooms.

“They really help control the pathogens such as COVID-19 and keeps our patients and staff safe.” said Paula Baker, Freeman President & CEO.

“It’s not just for COVID — it’s for any, any infectious disease. So tuberculosis, the flu, COVID-19; negative pressure rooms assist us in making sure that our air remains clean,” added Denton.

The hospital had been using some portable negative pressure units. The remodel added negative pressure to nearly a dozen rooms in the emergence department, medical surgery, intensive care, and triage. One of the biggest changes is that those areas can now be sterilized much more quickly.

“That was an hour and a half that this room remained without being able to be utilized. So as you can understand, that creates great frustration for those patients waiting to come back to the emergency department to be seen. Since the renovations that time has reduced to 20 minutes,” said Denton.

“Freeman Neosho is the heart of this community. And surrounding communities. We want to ensure that every service we provide here is up to date. It’s safe and it brings the best quality possible to our patients,” said Baker.

The emergency department also now has a new nurses station, as well as changes to storage, work spaces and cabinetry.

The project cost $1.5 million

Autistic Kansas man's eye for animal portraits gathers over 1 million TikTok followers

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EL DORADO, Kan. (KSNW) – Drawn to be different, that’s how El Dorado man Trent Landreth views life.

“He brings a lot of joy and happiness to people,” said Corey Landreth, Trent’s dad.

The 24-year-old man is doing just that one video at a time. Some might recognize him by his social media handle, @drawingsbytrent. Trent has severe autism.

“He does not have conversational speech. He knows words. He can read, he can write, he can spell, is a very good speller, but he cannot process thoughts into language,” his dad explained.

When you put a pen in Trent’s hand, though, it’s a different story.

“He’s just always drawn. He’s never had any lessons. He had just this natural kind of God-given thing that he has,” Corey said.

The 24-year-old autistic man is huge on TikTok for drawing unique animal mixes in a matter of seconds.

“It just took off, and it went from you know, just a few followers to 1000s in a very short amount of time,” said Andrea Landreth, Trent’s mom.

Trent recently passed 1 million followers on TikTok.

“They say watching Trent draw helps to calm me and brings me joy and peace and, and that is incredible,” Corey said.

Trent’s creative gift brings more than smiles but a lesson.

“Just the people in your community, the people in your family, don’t hide them or their personality from people because you don’t know who you’re going to bless,” Andrea said.

Trent’s family is in the process of releasing a book filled with his drawings called “Drawn to be You” in March.
You can find pre-order his book by clicking here or calling Kraken Books at 316-308-6945.

Parsons couple facing felony drug charges after traffic stop

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PARSONS, Kans. — A Parsons couple is facing multiple felonies after being stopped by a Cherokee County deputy Tuesday evening.

Just before 7:00 PM a deputy stopped a vehicle north of Columbus on Kansas Hwy 7. During the stop the deputy noticed the passenger and driver attempt to switch seats.

Through investigation the deputy learned the original driver, Kenneth Jarrell Jones, 31, of Parsons, was driving with a suspended license. The deputy also uncovered a “considerable amount of narcotics” which included methamphetamine and prescription drugs, hallucinogenic mushrooms, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia consistent with distribution. Nearly $2,000 worth of counterfeit money was found as well.

A child under the age of 10 was present in the vehicle during the stop.

Jones is now being held in custody on allegations of:

  • Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute
  • Possession of Methamphetamine
  • Obtaining / Selling Prescription Drugs
  • Possession of Hallucinogens
  • Possession of Marijuana
  • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
  • Counterfeiting Currency
  • Aggravated Child Endangerment 
  • Driving While Suspended

Also taken into custody was 24-year-old Bailey Britton, of Parsons.

She is being held on the following allegations:

  • Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute
  • Possession of Methamphetamine
  • Obtaining / Selling Prescription Drugs
  • Possession of Hallucinogens
  • Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
  • Aggravated Child Endangerment and Obstructing Justice

City of Joplin Names New Fire Chief

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JOPLIN, Mo.—-Joplin City Manager Nick Edwards has announced Gerald Ezell as the new Fire Chief. Ezell brings more than 33 years of fire service to the community, with 20 of those spent in Joplin. He currently serves as Fire Chief for Maumelle, Arkansas.

“Gerald brings much experience to this position and will be an excellent addition to the City’s management team,” said Edwards. “As the City progresses with building Station 7 and addressing numerous actions plans involving the Fire Department, I am confident that he will serve the community well and lead the department with the intention of efficiency and cohesiveness.”

Ezell retired as a Battalion Chief from the City’s Fire Department in 2010. During his tenure in the department, he also served as a volunteer firefighter for the Diamond Area Fire Protection District. Upon his retirement from Joplin, he became the Fire Chief in Diamond and served four years in this role. Ezell then moved to Maumelle, Ark., to serve as their Fire Chief. He also is their emergency management coordinator.

Ezell is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer program at the National Fire Academy and holds the Chief Fire Officer designation. He has extensive training in safety and high-danger emergency response from National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  He has a Bachelor of Science in management from Ashworth College in Norcross, Ga., and an Associate Degree in Fire Science.

“I am thrilled to be able to come back and continue my service to the citizens of Joplin and continue the rich tradition that the Joplin Fire Department has in providing top-notch customer service,” said Ezell. “Joplin is home and it is wonderful to bring my family back. I look forward to meeting with the tremendous employees of the Fire Department as well as the other City departments, and getting to work for the citizens. I want to thank City Manager Nick Edwards, City department heads, and employees for placing their trust in me.”

Chief Ezell’s appointment will begin Monday, February 7, 2022. He and his wife, Nancy, have two daughters, Gabrielle and Kayla, and a son, Smoke.

Double Life Sentences in 2020 Cherokee County Double Homicide

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CHEROKEE COUNTY, Kan. — A Columbus man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for a 2020 double murder. Mark Hopkins II, 30, was sentenced Monday to two life sentences. Those sentences will run concurrently.

Back in November, he plead guilty to two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. Those charges stem from a June 2020 incident at Northwest 19th and Cardinal Lane, between Columbus and Scammon.

When authorities arrived at the home that morning, they found the bodies of Blaze Swank, 27, and Kylan Shook, 19. Both had been shot.

The Stephens Unit: A closer look inside a Joplin behavior health unit

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JOPLIN, Mo. (KSNF) – A multi-day stay in the mental health unit of the hospital doesn’t have to be embarrassing or intimidating.

“People are walking around, nobody’s in straight jackets,” says Steven Dillard, Freeman Health System Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

A visit to the Stephens Behavioral Unit at Freeman Health System has a certain “stigma” attached to it.

“The biggest thing I run into is individuals that are fearful of how they’ll be perceived from being hospitalized or I think even in how they may judge themselves differently as feeling weak or vulnerable,” says Dillard.

Instead, the Stephens Unit is known as an “acute psychiatric hospital.”

“It offers that higher level of care. It is a hospital setting so there’s going to be nursing staff on hand as well as psychiatrists,” says Dillard.

While that explanation sounds so official and maybe even intimidating, staff point out it’s simply a place to plant the seed for mental health care when it’s needed the most.

“Individuals that are experiencing suicidal thoughts, or perhaps even self harming behaviors. Really that as a place to keep people safe, healthy, and alive when it comes to it,” says Dillard.

Some people go voluntarily to get the help they know they need. Others are referred by other medical professionals, because it sometimes can sound daunting to be admitted to an inpatient behavioral or mental health care unit.

“Yeah, and that’s often a big question of, ‘What’s going to happen to me if I go?'” says Dillard.

The first step is to get medically cleared to address any physical health concerns.

“Once they get cleared medically, they’ll be transported to the Stephens Unit. The first steps from there will be to meet with psychiatry staff. That will be to start the treatment plan process,” says Dillard.

After that, begins a holistic approach to treating the patient with a team of nursing staff, social workers, and a psychology team for individual therapy services.

“Addressing any of the acute factors, discussing safety plans, coping skills while they’re in the hospital and then from there, resourcing. How to connect them with outpatient providers and options that way,” says Dillard.

The length of stay varies, but a patient is usually released after 3 to 5 days. The Stephens Unit is a way to get the ball rolling to help someone get to a healthy state of mind.

“If they have outpatient providers already, they’ll reach out to set up follow-up appointments or confirm any appointments. And if they don’t have providers they’ll reach out to area resources. They’ll have options when they discharge,” says Dillard.

If you know anyone struggling with their mental health and they need someone to talk to, we urge you to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Rain before lunchtime; Clearing skies this afternoon

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A few showers and storms are moving across the Four States this morning, but we’ll finally be dry by lunchtime Tuesday. Some heavy rain is possible with rainfall totals up to 1.5″ in some areas, especially to the northwest of Joplin. Everyone else should see less than an inch of rain before clouds quickly exit behind this system. We’ll see sunny skies, a southerly breeze and high temperatures in the upper 60s this afternoon.

Clouds will increase again overnight behind the passage of a cold front, and rain is possible again near sunrise and through Wednesday morning, with the bulk staying mostly to our east. We should remain dry through Thursday and Friday morning before we’ll be tracking another rain system that may be with us as we ring in the New Year. Stay tuned for updates!

Missouri officer overwhelmed with support while waiting for a tow

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LONEDELL, Mo. – A Facebook post thanking a Missouri community for their overwhelming support is going viral. The Franklin County Sheriff’s office says that over 30 people pulled over to help an officer while he waited for his vehicle to be towed away.

Deputy Burgess’s patrol vehicle overheated because of a mechanical issue. People kept stopping to see if he needed help.

“I’m out in the middle of nowhere and that many people stopped! And it was from people of all ages too. I greatly appreciate all those who stopped to check on me. I was humbled by the outpouring of concern from the public for my safety and well being! Words cannot express how much this meant to me for them to take the time out of their day to check on me,” writes Burgess.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is thanking the community for their concern and support.

Deputy Burgess received the Purple Heart Award and the Medal of Valor with Sgt. Weggemann in 2020. A suspect opened fire in a gas station parking lot and the bullets hit the officers. The officers returned fire, striking the suspect. He later died at the hospital.

The officers eventually recovered from their injuries. Police say that the actions the men took not only saved their lives but potentially the lives of innocent people.

US home prices jumped 18.4% in October

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WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices surged again in October as the housing market continues to boom in the wake of last year’s coronavirus recession.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index, out Tuesday, climbed 18.4% in October from a year earlier. The gain marked a slight deceleration from a 19.1% year-over-year increase in September but was about in line with what economists had been expecting.

All 20 cities posted double-digit annual gains. The hottest markets were Phoenix (up 32.3%), Tampa (28.1%) and Miami (25.7%). Minneapolis and Chicago posted the smallest increases, 11.5% each.

The housing market has been strong thanks to rock-bottom mortgage rates, a limited supply of homes on the market, and pent-up demand from consumers locked in last year by the pandemic. Many Americans, tired of being cooped up at home during the pandemic, are looking to trade up from apartments to homes or to bigger houses.

“Home price growth will slow further in the year ahead, but continue to go up,″ said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “As housing costs eat up a larger share of home purchaser’s paychecks, buyers will get creative. Many will take advantage of ongoing workplace flexibility to move to the suburbs where despite home price gains, many can still find a lower price per square foot than nearby cities.″

It remains unclear if that shift is permanent or an aberration, said Craig Lazzara, managing director at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

“We have previously suggested that the strength in the U.S. housing market is being driven in part by a change in locational preferences as households react to the COVID pandemic,” Lazzara said. “More data will be required to understand whether this demand surge represents an acceleration of purchases that would have occurred over the next several years, or reflects a more permanent secular change.”

Last week, mortgage rates fell — to 3.05% for the benchmark 30-year, fixed-rate and 2.66% for the 15-year fixed-rate home loan. The persistently low rates signal that credit markets appear more concerned about the omicron variant depressing economic growth than about the highest inflation rates in nearly 40 years.

The National Association of Realtors reported last week that sales of previously occupied homes rose for the third straight month in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.46 million.