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Two Crawford County crisis centers receive just over $430K in funding for victim help

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TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that more than $22 million will help groups including law enforcement organizations and sexual assault crisis centers that support crime victims and survivors. The funding is provided by the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Assistance grant program. 

Two crisis centers in Crawford County received grants totaling just over $430,000:

Children’s Advocacy Center — $87,480
Safehouse Crisis Center —$344,211

“Survivors of crime deserve the resources and support they need to overcome trauma, achieve stability and independence, and see justice served,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This funding goes directly to organizations across the state working to accomplish that mission.” 

VOCA grants support the emotional, psychological, and physical needs of crime victims and survivors through direct services such as court advocacy and criminal justice support, provided by law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices; crisis counseling, provided by rape crisis centers and mental health centers; forensic interviews, provided by children’s advocacy centers; and shelter, transportation, and transitional housing, provided by domestic violence programs. 

A total of $22,045,285 was awarded to 65 agencies.

Driver delivering for Amazon found dead after suspected animal attack in Missouri

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EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. — The Ray County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a driver delivering for Amazon was found dead following a suspected animal attack Monday night.

Ray County deputies responded to a call about an Amazon truck that had been parked in front of a house off Highway O for several hours.

When deputies arrived on scene they found the driver dead in the front yard.

The sheriff’s office said the victim had injuries consistent with an animal attack and two dogs were spotted on scene that appeared to be aggressive.

“Due to the fact of the nature of some of the injuries to the male driver, we can’t confirm or deny if they were the cause of the death of the driver however we wanted to be safe,” Sheriff Scott Childers said.

Deputies shot one dog, which went in through a dog door and the fire department said they could hear dogs in the house with blood observed on the dog door.

The sheriff and two others went inside the house and killed the dogs.

The sheriff’s office can’t confirm at this time if the dogs were the cause of death but they were aggressive to their personnel.

Amazon tells FOX4 “they’re looking into this horrible tragedy and will work with law enforcement as they continue to investigate.”

FOX4 has a crew on the scene and will have the latest tonight on FOX4 News at 9 and 10.

Wrap-up of this week's top Northeast Oklahoma news

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Grove High School Football _-7498921741248149338

Grove Ridgerunners are in the driver’s seat to be crowned Class 5A-4 District Champions.

Authorities continue to search for the remains of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman, two 16-year-old best friends missing for almost 23 years.

Chief Follis leaves behind a great legacy that will impact the next seven generations of the Modoc people.

Grove bringing ice skating to Grand Lake just in time for the holiday season.

(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Election Day Information.

Director Jeff Reeves free on $15,000 bail.

George Washington Carver's influence on higher education

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DIAMOND, Mo. — Some history on George Washington Carver’s role in higher education was shared this afternoon.

A presentation was held at the George Washington Carver National Monument, detailing his time at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

Carver was offered a position as the head of the agriculture department by Booker T. Washington in 1896. Carver then spent the next 47 years working, living, and teaching at the institute while serving his tenure.

This presentation described how the next generation of students were greatly influenced by Carver’s teaching. The Tuskegee Institute offered many opportunities to Carver that were not all just based in science.

“It was through them that he ended up going on speaking engagements, it was through Tuskegee that they encouraged him for interracial relations, it was actually from Tuskegee that he ended up going to Washington D.C. and speaking in front of Congress on behalf of the peanut farmer,” said Valerie Baldwin, Park Guide.

Carver would receive much of his fame while at Tuskegee and his legacy is still remembered by many in Alabama.

Volunteers needed at Peace Church Cemetery

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JOPLIN, Mo. — A local historic cemetery is on the look out for some helping hands.

“Peace Church Cemetery” in Joplin is looking for some volunteers to help clean up. Cemetery staff have been working to completely reopen the grounds for the public to visit during the day, but it’s required some work.

The cemetery itself dates back to before the 1840s. The staff is now offering tours to showcase its entire history, including burial sites of veterans from the Civil War and the Battle of Carthage.

“This is one of the ones that has a very long, historical value of this area. And so, we wanted to bring it to life again,” said Jim Beeler, Caretaker, Peace Church Cemetery.

The next volunteer clean up work day is Saturday, October 29th, from 8 a.m until 12 p.m. It is the last clean up day until next spring.

For more information on tours and clean up days for volunteers, you can visit the cemetery’s Facebook page, here.

The Redings Mill Fire Department has been busy this weekend

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REDINGS MILL, Mo. — Redings Mill Fire Department has been busy battling area fires this weekend. Multiple fires began on Friday in the area of Highway C, Highway 43 and another near Gum Road and Drake Drive in the Redings Mill Area.

On Saturday, there were 4 fires, all burning at the same time, spreading fire crews thin.

Eight different fire departments along with the Redings Mill Fire Department assisted each other in putting the flames out. However, the biggest challenge this weekend were those strong wind gusts.

“The wind was probably the biggest challenge. Just being able to try to catch up with the fire with the strong winds, the fire tends to run very quickly. And it’s hard for us to catch up to the head of the fire with the fuel conditions that are out there in a low humidity, the dead grasses and that limbs logs and stuff on the ground. Just trying to spend time and extinguishing all those fires been a real struggle. And so for the public just to be smart about the fires and absolutely contact the fire department and watch that weather because a lot of these can be preventable. There are accidental fires. But you know if we can hold off on burning our trash and burning our lens ditches and leaves, hold that kind of stuff off. Properly discarded cigarettes and that type of thing would be a great help to the community,” said Tyler Hailey, Redings Mill F.D. Battalion Chief.

Both McDonald and Barry Counties are currently under burn bans.

Historic church tour in Carthage

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CARTHAGE, Mo. — Community members got a chance to see the inside of a historic Carthage church.

This two-story church is located in downtown Carthage at the corner of South Main and East 11th Street. Established in 1892, the church has had many different names and served many denominations and purposes.

It’s about 6,000 square feet of victorian-style wood work, colorfully stained glass windows and the original pews. The church had no electricity for over 20 years until Rick Maynard purchased this building just a couple of months ago.

Dozens of community members reached out asking to see the inside the 130-year-old church, so Maynard decided to host a two hour open house today. Over 100 people stopped by for a look inside.

Maynard is working to restore the church and keep it as original as possible, and he’s doing it all by himself.

“For me, it was just kind of a life long dream to own it. Even if I don’t live in it or whatever, just to own it and do the work, since it’s been such a big part of my life to be in church. So now, I get to be in church everyday,” said Rick Maynard, owner of the historic church.

Rick is almost positive that this church will become a place of residence someday.

Update: Carthage cleans up after a devastating fire Saturday evening

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CARTHAGE, Mo. — An entire block in Carthage is gone after devastating structure fires took out two buildings last night.

It took 5 fire departments to put out the raging flames that destroyed the block between Central and Grant Street. The fire started around 8 p.m. at “Henson Metal Building Supplies”.

High winds caused the fire to spread to the neighboring church, “Casa De Sanidad”. Grant Street and Howard Street are both closed tonight From East 2nd Street to East Central Avenue.

“Carthage Street Department” crews spent most of the day Sunday marking off the block with tape and using machinery to push burnt debris and glass toward the center of the block, away from roads.

Surrounding power lines were destroyed, and neighboring buildings show visible smoke damage.

Crews from the Missouri State Fire Marshall’s office were on scene throughout the night.

They are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Rainy and windy Monday; Cooler temperatures on the way

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Temperatures will drop from the 70s this morning into the middle 60s this afternoon with the help of a big rain system. Heavy rain is on the way to the Four States and should start for all of us by 8-9 AM. Once it begins, we won’t have many breaks in the rain through midday tomorrow. We could also hear some thunder and feel some strong winds with this rain system. Overnight, we’ll cool into the 40s before only warming into the 50s Tuesday.

We’ll see a lot of sunshine on Wednesday before clouds increase ahead of another chance for rain on Thursday night. Most of this system is expected to stay to the south right now, but a few showers are possible for some of the Four States Thursday night and into Friday. Some clouds will stick around through the weekend as we settle into the 60s.

Oklahoma man expected to plead guilty in the death of his wife; couple reportedly were fighting over ranch property prior to fatal shooting

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JAY, Okla. — A Delaware County man is expected to enter a plea on Monday in connection to the fatal shooting of his wife.

The criminal trial of John Hackathorn, 54, of Zena, was expected to start on Monday. Instead, Hackathorn will enter a plea in Delaware County District Court in Jay to murder in the first degree with deliberate intent in the November 2020 death of his wife, Mary Ann Hackathorn, 60.

An autopsy report shows Mary Hackathorn died of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and stomach and listed the manner of death as a homicide

Online court records show Mary Hackathorn had filed for divorce in April 2018, but no divorce was ever granted. The couple had been married for 15 years, according to court testimony.

Prior to the fatal shooting, the couple had been fighting, and “John Hackathorn had been upset with Mary Hackathorn because most of the ranch’s properties were in Mary Hackathorn’s name,” according to a witness list pleading.

Probate records show the appraised value of the Hackathorn estate was estimated to be worth over $11 million.

In December 2021 Hackathorn was offered a plea deal to life with the possibility of parole. The plea offer included unknown restitution but was estimated to be $20,000, according to court records. The agreement also acknowledged should Hackathorn elect to have a jury trial, there was a possibility of the jury returning a verdict of life without the chance of parole, court documents show. The state was expected to call 15 witnesses.  

Hackathorn confessed to Dr. Kathryn Dunaway-Knight, a Grove veterinarian and Brandon Bronaugh, one of the Hackathorns’ ranch hands, to fatally shooting his wife four times in the chest, according to court testimony.

After calling Dunaway-Knight and Bronaugh, Hackathorn threatened to harm himself, court testimony showed. Knight said in a previous hearing, the victim had expressed fears for her safety to her as early as April 2018.