5
an i
deli ered ere in issouri ou subscribe o.
ink
GPC
No.
Missourian North
ontinuous
co
GALLAT N PUBL S
in
ort
NG CO.
ur
isso rian co
st to ou a h
REE it
o r rint s
scri tion
Valor Award to Trooper Neely for local incident Trooper Matthew W. Neely, Troop H, was among 31 Highway Patrol employees who were recognized at an annual awards ceremony on April 13. The banquet was held at the Drury Plaza Hotel Cape Girardeau Conference Center, Cape Girardeau. The awards were presented by Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The Honorable Michael L. Parson, 57th governor of Missouri, provided the keynote address. The Valor Award was presented to Trooper Neely for an incident which occurred in Daviess County. Trooper Neely of Cameron was a member of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s 102nd Recruit Class and began his duties with Zone 10, which serves the citizens of DeKalb and Daviess counties, in July 2016. On March 19, 2018, the Harrison County Sheriff ’s Department advised Troop H Headquarters of a theft in progress at a residence in Ridgeway. Trooper Neely observed a vehicle matching the suspect’s vehicle description traveling southbound on Interstate 35 and attempted to overtake
Trooper Matthew W. Neely it. The vehicle exited Interstate 35 and traveled westbound on Missouri Route N in Daviess County, then slid through the intersection of Route N and U.S. Highway 69 and crashed into a utility pole. As Trooper Neely arrived, the male driver and female passenger exited the vehicle. The male driver fled on foot. Trooper Neely advised the passenger she was under arrest and to
stay with the vehicle before beginning a foot pursuit after the driver. As Trooper Neely chased the driver across an open field, the subject turned, raised a Glock handgun, and fired multiple shots at the trooper. Trooper Neely obtained cover behind a field terrace. When the shooting stopped, he notified Troop H of shots fired and advanced on the subject while issuing commands that he drop his weapon. The suspect failed to comply and attempted to re-engage Trooper Neely. Trooper Neely then fired his Patrol issued weapon striking the suspect twice and stopping the threat. He and other officers on scene then provided first aid to the suspect until medical personnel arrived and transported the suspect to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. The suspect, Elmer Martin Sorrell of High Ridge, MO, is currently scheduled for a jury trial in Daviess County on Sept. 12-13, 2019, on charges of assault first degree, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of firearm, stealing firearm, stealing and resisting arrest.
(
Family History Night at library on April 25 The Daviess County Library in cooperation with the Gallatin Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints is introducing a Family History Night at the Daviess County Library, dedicated to assisting community members in Daviess County find their ancestors and to organize and protect their valuable family history. The service begins Thursday, April 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Jan and Curly Johnson Conference Room. There is no charge for consultation with the genealogy specialists and no fee for access to the family search genealogical database. All interested participants must arrive at the library prior to its 6 p.m. close. The doors will not be opened to late arrivals. Library cards are not mandatory for this event; however, all county residents or property owners are welcome to apply for a library card at no cost. The database used is Family Search, one of the world’s largest databases of genealogical information. The data submitted by users includes hundreds of millions of ancestors, including names, family relationships, and dates and places of events. Also included is access to the International Genealogical Index (IGI) that contains data for more than 430 million ancestors ( continued on page 3 )
Wild Time for over 500 during Family Fun Night reading About 63% of the preschool through fourth grade student body (150 students)participated in Family Fun Night at Searcy R-5 Elementary School. “Where the Wild Things Are” was the theme for the event promoting reading skills held April 4. Including students, community members, student volunteers from the middle school and high school, adult volunteers, and the faculty and staff, over 500 people were involved in the evening activities. This number represents the best attendance since the school changed to a PK-4 building. Door prize winners, front from left, are: Braylee Prestwich, Evan Lawinger, Axton Story, Cambree Crose, Rilynn Wood; second row, Liam Heldenbrand, Olivia Gillette, Sophie Hunt, Gracey Rouber, Aginah Jones, Declan Freeman, Lexi Appley; back row, Olivia Schweizer, Damon Wayne, Jax Adkison, Arieonna Rainey, Kendell Jones, Aurora Kamden, Rairdan Clevenger, Daycee Swalley, Tagen Eversole, Brooklyn Middaugh-Curtis, Danika Mowre, Colton Kenyon.
Unusual habeas corpus case to be heard in local court
Antiquated ‘outdoor kitchen’ destroyed by fire
On April 13, at approximately 2:04 p.m., Gallatin Fire Protection District was dispatched to 111 N. Willow Street in Gallatin (Stephanie Dowell residence) for a brush fire that spread to a building. Engine 101 and Brush 104 responded with six
personnel. A high column of black smoke was noticed in the vicinity of the reported address. Upon arrival on scene firefighters found a 14x16 foot brick outbuilding with a wood framed ( continued on page 3 )
Scheduled next week in Daviess County Circuit Court is a hearing on a writ of habeas corpus, a case which originated in Jackson County in 2015. In March 2015, Plaintiff Ricky L. Kidd filed a writ of habeas corpus in Jackson County. A writ of habeas corpus is an extraordinary remedy because it gives a court the power to release a prisoner after the prisoner has been processed through the criminal justice system with all its procedural safeguards and appeals. Kidd is presently serving life without the possibility of parole, and has been struggling to prove his innocence since he first became a suspect in the case 19 years ago. He was convicted in 1997 of two counts of first degree murder in a Kansas City double homicide. Kidd’s petition claims that there is no physical evidence that linked him to the crime, and names three subjects that he claims to be the perpetrators of the crime. The case is drawing attention on a very broad basis. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) out of New York has inquired and is planning to attend the four-day session which will be conducted in Daviess County Circuit Court from April 23-26 with Judge Daren L. Adkins presiding. According to the Midwest Innocence Project website, Kidd has spent the last 20 years fighting to prove his innocence from inside prison walls. The Midwest Innocence Project, along with co-counsel Sean O’Brien and Cindy Dodge, now represent Ricky Kidd in the case which will be heard in Daviess County. ( continued on page 3 )