Rogers man pleads not guilty to attempted kidnapping of teen former co-worker

BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Rogers man has entered a not guilty plea in a case alleging that he attempted to kidnap a teenage former co-worker.

Dennis Mulhern, 49, was arrested on September 5 and charged with attempted kidnapping and second degree stalking after an incident involving a 19-year-old woman outside the Red Lobster restaurant in Rogers.

Dennis Mulhern, 49, was arrested on September 5 and charged with attempted kidnapping and second degree stalking after an incident involving a 19-year-old woman outside the Red Lobster restaurant in Rogers.

Mulhern entered the plea in the Benton County Circuit Court on October 11. Judge Brad Karren scheduled an omnibus hearing for November 14.

On September 3 around 11:59 p.m., a 19-year-old female reported she was getting off work at Red Lobster and was walking to her vehicle when Mulhern, a “previous work acquaintance,” came up behind her and attempted to put a cloth bag over her head. The female resisted and both she and Mulhern fell to the ground.

The victim told investigators that Mulhern said “I just want to talk” after they fell to the ground. She reported watching him walk to another business as she got away and ran back to the restaurant.

Officers questioned Mulhern at his residence, where he initially denied seeing or speaking to the victim “in months.” He later changed his story and admitted to being at the restaurant that night.

He told officers that “he was upset” with the victim because “she was telling people at Red Lobster he had raped her and he wanted to talk to her about it.” He denied putting a bag over her head or “doing anything like that.”

The victim was 16 years old when she began working with Mulhern and she told officers that he “had always attempted friendship with her” but that they had never been in “a dating relationship.” She added that he “continued to bother her” for approximately a year after he stopped working there.

Missouri + 5 states cite 'harms' over Biden's student loan plan

ST. LOUIS – Missouri and five other states have filed a joint lawsuit against President Joe Biden and others in an effort to stop the president’s college loan forgiveness program.

In a hearing Wednesday at the Downtown Federal Court Building in St. Louis, plaintiffs spent several hours arguing in support of the lawsuit, citing “irreparable harm” to student loan agencies in Missouri and beyond. The hearing is currently in recess and accessible only through audio.

The Biden Administration’s student loan forgiveness plans calls for forgiving up to $20,000 of student loan debt for certain individuals who make less than $125,000 annually or $250,000 annually as a married couple.

Two speakers Wednesday contended that the plan would lead to tax harms, consolidation harms and harms in public interest.

Some states tied to the lawsuit, like Nebraska and Kansas, do not collect taxes when student loans are discharged. Plaintiffs argue the Biden administration’s plan would lead to millions in lost revenue for such states and that states should not have to change laws to avoid such losses.

“Forcing a state to change its laws in itself is an injury,” said one speaker Wednesday on behalf of the plaintiffs.

Plaintiffs also noted consolidation harms, or alleged losses based on multiple debts being combined into one loan. In such cases, borrowers might have lower interest rates. The lawsuit contends MOHELA is authorized by the state of Missouri to “engage in loan servicing, among other revenue-producing activities, to fulfill the ‘essential public function[s].'” Plaintiffs say consolidating would lead to losses the state could not recover once the Biden administration’s plan takes effect.

“The amount of authority the defendants have through the HEROES Act, there’s nothing stopping them,” said one plaintiff.

A judge later noted that Missouri hasn’t established that it can sue for MOHELA’s losses unless the state claimed legal liability to pay judgment.

As for public interests, the plaintiffs allege that while the goal is protect student loan borrowers, millions would be “better off with continued forbearance rather than cancellation because it’s preferable to have no payment instead of a reduced payment,” according to the lawsuit.

Through the arguments, attorneys general from Missouri and other states are requesting a federal judge in Missouri to block the start of the student loan cancellation program. The complaint leading to Wednesday’s proceedings was filed on Sept. 29.

Missouri Task Force 1 returns home following Hurricane Ian

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Members of Missouri Task Force 1 returned home after spending days searching and rescuing people following Hurricane Ian.

The team was deployed to the Fort Myers area for 12 days.

While in Florida, the team worked on Fort Myers Beach. The group said it was one of the hardest hit areas. They saw boats pushed into houses and buildings and cars and debris all over the island.

Members spent days using heavy machinery to dig through debris piles looking for victims. They also searched hundreds of buildings and vehicles while there.

The task force said there are buildings that are no longer standing on their foundations and instead in piles. Another member described the damage as some of the worst he’s ever witnessed.

The crew worked in tandem with other emergency responders and a drone team to identify and search areas where victims may have been located.

The following pictures were provided by members of Missouri Task Force 1 during their deployment.

Additional members of Missouri Task Force 1 are scheduled to participate in a deployment exercise next week in Georgia.

Joplin construction company celebrates seven decades; a look back at their beginning

JOPLIN, Mo. — A lot can happen in seven decades, and nobody knows that better than one local construction company.

This month, R.E. Smith Construction Company celebrated its 70th year in business.

Three generations of Smiths have seen a lot over several decades in the construction business.

As the years passed by, much of what the Smiths began to see was their own work shaping the city where their company was founded, and still operate out of today.

“It really makes me feel good to drive through Carthage, Springfield and of course Joplin, and see all the project’s that we’ve built and all that our company has done to contribute to the landscape, especially here in Joplin,” said Dick Smith, President of R.E. Smith Construction Company.

R.E. Smith is a family business, dating back to 1952 when Dick Smith’s father, Richard Smith started the business out of the family garage with just one other employee.

“My dad (Richard) came back from World War II and immediately began working at a local cabinet shop. After doing several odd jobs involving woodworking, Dad eventually drummed up enough of his own business to start doing full home construction. All of it in the beginning was on his shoulders, along with the one other employee he had to help out,” said Dick Smith.

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In its infancy, R.E. Smith Construction was known for building homes, and eventually small commercial projects, like grocery stores.

After moving the business out of the family garage, Richard Smith purchased property on 2nd street in Joplin (1036 West 2nd Street) where he built the first official office for R.E. Smith Construction. After many add-ons and renovations, the company headquarters still exists at the original 2nd Street location.

After opening its new office, the company’s first big projects would come from another business that’s also rooted in Southwest Missouri: Eagle Picher.

In the 1960’s, the battery technology company hired R.E. Smith to construct several of their Joplin facilities.

As with all things, it took time for R.E. Smith Construction to become a name that Four State residents and businesses came to know.

Dick Smith, who runs the company with his brother Dave Smith, says their 96-year-old father, Richard, couldn’t be more proud of what R.E. Smith Construction Company has become.

“Over the last 70 years, R.E. Smith has gone from just two employees in 1952, to approximately 50 who work for us full time. To date, we’ve constructed 8,000 projects in eight states. We’re doing several projects now that are in the $20 to $22 million range. So, we’ve come a long way over seven decades, and I know Dad is very proud of the growth of this business that he started so many years ago,” said Dick Smith.

Out of the 8,000 construction projects that R.E. Smith has worked on over the years, there’s a few of those projects that the Smith family says they are especially proud of.

“Missouri Southern is probably one of our proudest projects. We’ve built a number of projects out there for the University. We’ve actually done quite a few projects on that campus. We’re also very proud of the Joplin Library projects, too. Anytime we can contribute to making Joplin, our home, a better place to live and to work, it’s a big deal for us,” said Dick Smith.

You can find more information on R.E. Smith Construction Company, HERE.

With flu season underway, what precautions can you take?

NEOSHO, Mo. — If you haven’t received your flu shot yet, experts say, now’s the time.

Flu season typically runs from October through March, although the number of patients affected can fluctuate.

Overall cases have been lower in the last two years, likely due to pandemic precautions.

But this year, experts are worried numbers could rebound.

“Mid October to November, that is the best time to get vaccinated for the flu. That will give you the longest protection to last through the remainder of the flu season,” Larry Bergner, Newton Co. Health Dept.

The Newton County Health Department has a walk-in flu shot clinic every day from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and again from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Folks don’t have to live in the county to get a shot there.

Iconic Joplin landmarks to be reimagined in LEGO brick

JOPLIN, Mo. — Some of Joplin’s landmarks will be rebuilt brick-by-brick. LEGO bricks, that is.

Applications are now available for the Joplin LEGO Build Competition through a program called Iconic Joplin.

The Joplin Public Library, Joplin History & Mineral Museum, and Creative Learning Alliance are hosting the competition.

Each of those sites will host up to three teams of eight teens, between 12 and 16 years old.

Over the next six months, the teams will research a city landmark… Then design and build it using LEGO.

“Then, we’re going to take all the completed builds on tour throughout the city of Joplin, and people can also virtually tour them at landmark-builds.com. And, we’ll have a People’s Choice vote award and several other awards for the builds, as well,” said Lisa Nelson, Landmark Builds Founder,

The competition is free for participants and is part of the city’s 150th birthday celebration.

The deadline to apply is November 14th.

Apply by visiting www.Landmark-Builds.com and click on “Apply Today” under
“Become an Iconic Joplin builder.”

The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas taking over "CareVan" program

PITTSBURG, Kans. — Changes are coming to the way some Pittsburg area residents get to and from their medical appointments.

For many years, patients that require help with transportation to Ascension Via Christi were able to contact the hospital for rides, but beginning November first, the CareVan program will be taken over by the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.

Hospital officials say they are happy to see the transportation service continuing for anyone in need.

To use the free service, patients will need to call “CHC-SEK” at 620-231-9873 to schedule their ride.

An economic forecast for the Sunflower State

PITTSBURG, Kans. — One day of year, area business owners and community leaders gather to take a peek into their state and regional Southeast Kansas economic crystal ball.

It’s called the “Pittsburg Economic Outlook Conference” and is hosted by members of the Wichita State University Center for Economic Development and Business Research. The leader of which is Dr. Jeremy Hill.

“It sounds negative but I think we will go in recession in Kansas in the first part of this next year, but I think we’re going to bounce back towards the second half or the end of the second half of year so our forecast for Kansas is zero growth next year,” said Dr. Jeremy Hill, Wichita State University,

He says factors occurring outside the Sunflower State have combined to have a major impact on the state’s economy, including the war in Ukraine, increasing interest rates, and the reduction in the supply of oil on the world market by oil producing countries in the Middle East.

But, Craig Van Wey with the Kansas Department of Commerce says that doesn’t mean local businesses can’t thrive.

“With our transportation network and the lot of the amenities we have here, Pittsburg State University, our Community Colleges, we’re well suited for continued economic growth into the future,” said Craig Van Wey, Kansas Department of Commerce.

Outlook conferences like this one are held in a number of Sunflower State cities by Wichita State with area universities like Pittsburg State University crunching local numbers, which is what Dr. Michael Davidsson does.

With the shortage of housing in Pittsburg being addressed by new home construction, he says only one factor is holding back the region from even more economic growth, but it’s a familiar one.

“And there is like, 7, 8 hundred jobs according to the Kansas Labor Market Information Center that are open and unfilled and of course that is an impediment,” said Dr. Michael Davidsson, P.S.U. Economics Professor.

Property tax "freeze" for Pittsburg metal fabrication company

PITTSBURG, Kans. — Atkinson Industries was founded in Pittsburg more than 100 years ago, and has facilities across the country.

This city-approved tax freeze involves the company’s $2,000,000 manufacturing expansion project in Pittsburg.

“By being able to essentially freeze their property taxes at their current rate, it allows them to recoup the cost that they put into the expansion, so it obviously benefits the company, but it also benefits the community because this enlarges the company’s foot print in our community and obviously they’re adding jobs, adding to our local economy,” said Blake Benson, President, Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

It’s predicted to add 10 initial jobs, and at least 20 more in the next 10 years, resulting in up to 35 new Pittsburg residents.

“Among the benefits would be, $9,000,000 in new personal incomes, almost $13,000,000 in new local retail sales tax generation. So, it’s certainly a project that’s good for the community and this is a tool that will be very helpful to them,” added Benson

It will also result in more people becoming Pittsburg residents, which has been a focus recently for city officials.

“That’s how cities, you know, foster and grow is by that revenue generation. So, the more employees we bring in, whether we get them to house in the city or not, they’re buying fuel at the local stores and you know, supporting the local restaurants,” said Jeremy Hoffman, General Manager, Atkinson Industries, Inc.

The expansion project is expected to be finished by February.

One person airlifted after vehicle strikes pedestrian

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GALENA, Kans. — A vehicle strikes a pedestrian on a residential street in Galena, sending one person to a Joplin hospital.

It happened this evening (Tuesday, October 11th) near the intersection of East 22nd Street and South Wood Street.

Galena Police Chief, Billy Charles said the pedestrian was then airlifted to Freeman Hospital.

The extent of the injuries to either the pedestrian or the driver of the vehicle involved, are unknown at this time.

Galena Police are now investigating the incident.

This is a developing story, and we’ll have more information as it becomes available.