Jeffco This Week 2020 V2.1

February 1st – February 8th, 2020

Cop Shop🚔

Police believe they have a suspect in the case where a taxi driver was stabbed in Jefferson County. They don’t have a name but they have a picture of a woman who Police say matches the description of a suspect who stabbed a taxi driver in the Imperial area. A cab driver picked up a female fare in St. Louis County late Tuesday night. She asked to be taken to an address in Imperial in Jefferson County. When got they got there, Police say she stabbed the male driver 10 to 12 times. The cabby was able to run away to call for help while she took off in the cab. Police now have the cab after it was left abandoned and are gathering evidence. The woman is still at large but photos were captured inside a grocery store just before the woman got into the taxi cab. Police are not sure what the driver was stabbed with but his wounds were not life threatening.

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A bold burglar broke into a home while the owners were still inside in Arnold. It happened in a home on Red Aire Court where the homeowners heard a noise upstairs first thinking it was a cat. After learning someone was in their home they fled only later to return to find a window had been broken out and their TV and PlayStation had been stolen. Police have no suspects at this time.

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The lawsuit against former Pevely Police Officer Wayne Casey, claiming he illegally detained a man from Texas and sized his cellphone, comes to an end with a $75,000 settlement. Matthew Rankin of Corpus Christi, Texas, sued in U.S. District Court in St. Louis back in June of last year, claiming that Officer Casey had aggressively taken his phone out of his hand and reportedly threatened him with arrest after Casey noticed Rankin had been filming him conduct a traffic stop on January 16th of 2019. In the settlement, Casey and the City of Pevely deny Rankin’s allegations. Casey was eventually fired from the police department back in May of last year after he was seen on video sitting at a desk in the departments booking area while another officer shoved and choked a person in custody. That officer, Robert Watson, pleaded guilty last month to a federal misdemeanor civil rights offense.

Government🏙️

No more horses allowed in Jeffco parks. The Jefferson County Council passed an ordinance banning ATV’s, motorcycles, and horses from all county owned parks. However, horses are still permitted in Big River Saddle Club Park in Dittmer. The ban of horses also includes Pleasant Valley Nature Preserve in High Ridge. The County Council voted 4-3 in favor of bill 19-1042 during their monthly meeting back on January 27th. The ban of ATV’s, motorcycles, and horses at county parks will take full effect beginning in March.

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A bill seeking to offer tax credits to adoption parents was heard in committee on Tuesday. The Adoption Tax Credit Act, sponsored by State Representative Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, would reform state statutes regarding child protection, foster care, and adoption moved through the legislative process. The bill would eliminate the requirement for adoption parents to pay for the legal fees for the birth parents, open all adoption records in cases of involuntarily termination of parental rights, and lower the time limit for willful abandonment to 60 days. The bill would also modify and refine goals and priorities for the Department of Social Services to ensure the safety of children, as well as increase the data collection, with several other stipulations.

Community News🤝

There are some leadership changes at Festus Manor Nursing. Longtime Administrator Sharon Greco has left Festus Manor and is moving to St. Joe Manor in Bonne Terre. Greco says after 35 years at Festus Manor, it was not an easy decision, however she likes the challenge of the change. Her replacement Jeanne Dirschuweit was promoted to Administrator. She had been the Assistant Administrator at Festus Manor for eight years.

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Two medical pot shops are coming to Festus. City Administrator Greg Camp says they will be licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. Other than Festus, Jefferson County will be home to dispensaries in House Springs, Imperial, Hillsboro, Pevely.

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The City of Pevely is doing the prep work for some street improvements slated to start this spring. City officials says they will first replace water main on Riverview, El Camino, and Alta Drive then lay the street on top. As money allows, they will add some storm water control curbing and inlet boxes. The work should begin in April.

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Two local families were presented with gifts and a 5,000 dollar check, to help with medical expenses, during a basketball game at Jefferson High on Monday. Hoops for Hope was started by Bill and Andrea Hammock with the idea in mind to raise money through donations for families within the R-7 community who have someone going through an illness or cancer. The recipients, Matt Bates, along with his daughter Amanda, and Becky Huskey were recognized with a standing ovation during the 6th annual event.

Side Note📝

After hearing about Kirk Douglas passing away this week, it brought to mind three of my favorite movies of his. In War Wagon, Douglas plays a gunslinger named Lomax. He and John Wayne plan to rob a heavily fortified horse draw wagon in revenge. Seven Days in May is a political-thriller with Burt Lancaster where the military wants to take over the government after a nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia is signed. My absolute favorite is The Final Countdown. Douglas plays the commanding officer of an aircraft carrier that time warps to Pearl Harbor before the Japanese attacked in December of 1941. Sadly, it has nothing to do with the hit song by Europe.

Kirk Douglas was 103.