Former St. Louis Officer Gets Probation In Drunk Driving Case
St. Louis, MO Â (KTRS) Â A former St. Louis police officer won’t get any jail time after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. On Tuesday, 33-year-old Jason Flanery will was sentenced to two years of probation and must pay for damage to the car he…
Illinois House committee OKs progressive income tax plan
( KTRS ) A measure asking voters in November to tax Illinois’ wealthiest residents at higher rates is heading to the full House for consideration. The current income tax rate is 3.75 percent. Under the measure most residents would see a slight decrease in what they pay. The tax rate would be 3.5 percent for…
Religious-objections supporters rally in Missouri Capitol
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment to protect businesses that deny services for same-sex weddings are lobbying Missouri legislators. About 200 backers of the amendment rallied Tuesday in the Capitol. The measure would ban government punishment of businesses that cite religion while declining goods or services of “expressional or artistic…
Missouri House advances medical marijuana bill
( KTRS ) Legislation that would legalize medical marijuana cultivation with tight restrictions on who could use the drug has won initial approval in the Missouri House. The House adopted the bill Tuesday by 91-59 vote after limiting marijuana to terminal cancer patients in hospice. The restriction caused a split among some supporters of medical…
Ferguson reform may be swift with federal agreement approval
( KTRS ) Reforms will be coming quickly now that a federal judge has approved a settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and the city of Ferguson. Ferguson saw months of unrest following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in August, 2014. Federal Judge Catherine Perry issued her ruling approving the agreement Tuesday after…
Newly Elected Ferguson City Council Members Sworn In
Ferguson, MO (KTRS)  Ferguson’s newly elected council members are officially on the job. Linda Lipka, Heather Robinett, and returning Councilman Keith Kallstrom were sworn in at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Lipka of the 1st ward says she’s ready to get to work. “My main goal is to get the consent decree moving very smoothly…
One dead after officer-involved shooting in north St. Louis
ST. LOUIS (AP) – St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson says a black male is dead after he was shot and killed by a white officer on the city’s north side. Dotson says two officers were following a suspected stolen car with three people inside Tuesday morning. He says the car pulled into an alley,…
Missouri man faces prison time for posting racist threats
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – A man charged with posting online threats to shoot black students and faculty at the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus has changed his plea to guilty. Nineteen-year-old Hunter Park admitted Monday to making a terrorist threat. Authorities say the threats showed up Nov. 10 on the anonymous location-based messaging app Yik…