Free complimentary copy January 29, 2016 • Volume 3, No. 14
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New Raytown chamber officers sworn in, 2015 accolades awarded By Kris Collins Dozens of Raytown Area Chamber of Commerce members, community leaders and elected officials were at the Four Points by Sheraton Kansas City – Sports Complex hotel Wednesday afternoon for the chamber’s 21st Annual Chamber Celebration. At the annual event, new cham-
ber board of directors officers are sworn in and awards are given out for the previous year. Mark Smith passed on the board of directors’ chairmanship to Michelle Williams and Smith assumed the role of past chair. Jeff Hirst was sworn in as chair elect and Rene Purtee as secretary/treasurer. Outgoing board of directors members were Loretha Hayden, Pat Ertz and
Shawna Burns. Williams said she hopes to grow chamber membership to 300 in 2016, calling all chamber members to action to help achieve that goal, an achievement she said could even be surpassed through commitment, cohesion and community, the three pillars of her philosophy for the chamber’s prosperity in the community. The chamber awarded the follow-
ing awards: • Chamber Business of the Year to United Consumer Credit Union • Small Business of the Year to Brian’s Car Care • Chamber Person of the Year to Loretha Hayden • Chamber Volunteer of the Year to Holly Grimwood • The Lifetime Chamber Membership to Al Brown
Garry Baker fills vacancy on Jackson County Legislature
By Kris Collins eagle@raytowneagle.com
Kaylyn Morris, branch manager, accepted the 2015 Business of the Year award on behalf of United Consumers Credit Unions.
Photos by Kris Collins The 2016 Raytown Area Chamber of Commerce Officers and Board of Directors pose together after the 21st Annual Chamber Celebration.
Raytown teen charged with distributing child pornography
Holly Grimwood was named 2015 Chamber Volunteer of the Year.
Loretha Hayden holds her plaque for 2015 Chamber Person of the Year
for a special bond condition that would prevent Nelson from having contact with Davis and other witnesses. In the state’s motion it stated Nelson, Davis and another witness “have remained in contact after the filing of this matter and that the defendant has communicated to these individuals how they should testify if they are called at the time of his trial.” Per state statue, husband and wife may not be required to testify as a witness in a criminal prosecution on behalf or against the defendant spouse. A provision of the same law states that in any criminal prosecution involving an alleged victim under the age of 18, “a spouse shall be a competent witness against a defendant spouse, and no spousal privilege … shall exist.” Two of the victims
A Raytown teen is facing federal child pornography charges following a Boston investigation that led police to Missouri. Cody Lee Davidson, 18, is charged Jan. 27 with distributing child pornography over the Internet, according to Tammy Dickinson, United States attorney for the Western District of Missouri. Davidson was arrested Tuesday and was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Davidson reportedly took pornographic photos of a 7-year-old child victim, identified as Jane Doe, and posted those images online. Davidson also is accused ot taking a video of the child victim, the affidavit states, which federal agents located on his cell phone. Davidson also allegedly took photos of an 8-year-old child victim, identified as Jane Doe 2, and sent those images to another individual via Kik Messenger. Investigators have found more than 100 images and videos of
Murder continued on page 2
Charges continued on page 2
Peggy and Brian Johnson, owners of Brian’s Car Care, won the chamber’s 2015 Small Business of the Year award
Triple murder suspect marries state’s ‘essential’ witness By Kris Collins The defendant in a triple homicide case married a witness identified by the prosecution as “essential” for the state’s case against the man, accused of killing two Raytownians and an infant, perhaps making her testimony unavailable to the state for trial. Joseph L. Nelson, 23, of Kansas City, charged with three counts of first-degree murder and four other felonies, married Shellana V. Davis, 20, who in court filings the prosecution calls “a necessary and essential witness for the state,” on Dec. 7. According to court documents, Davis was reportedly at the scene of the crime, and was Nelson’s girlfriend at the time. Nelson is charged in the deaths of his ex-girlfriend Bianca R. Fletcher, 17, of Raytown, their in-
The Jackson County Legislature voted Tuesday for Garry Baker to fill the vacancy left by Frank White after he took the role of county executive following the resignation of Mike Sanders. Baker, a Jackson County employee for 33 years before retiring in 2004, was among two others suggested by the Jackson County Democratic Committee for the job. The other candidates were Sherwood Smith and Angela Malone. The legislature voted 6-2 in favor of Baker during a second round of voting. The first round of voting did not result in the minimum five votes needed for a single candidate. Baker was a twice-elected mayor of his hometown Buckner and served on the school board for six years. He ran for Jackson County legislator unsuccessfully in 2006 and he served on the county’s board of equalization for 10 years.
Joseph Nelson
Shellana Davis
fant son, and Fletcher’s boyfriend, 19-year-old Shannon Rollins, also of Raytown. Police documents state Nelson went to Fletcher’s home on Sept. 8, 2015 to confront her because she continued to “start drama between Nelson and her new boyfriend.” Nelson allegedly shot Fletcher after she threw a diaper box at him. Nelson allegedly told
a witness he killed his infant son and Rollins because they were witnesses, police documents state. Nelson and Davis married before the court could rule on a motion filed by the prosecution to preserve her testimony in a videotape deposition. The couple was married while Nelson was in jail on $1 million cash bond. The court also denied a motion
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