Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps says missing 13-year-old Hope L. Ballard of rural Salem has been found safe in Branson, Missouri.

Detectives from the sheriff’s department will question a person of interest in the case to learn more about what happened.

Cripps says they used technology, with assistance from other police agencies, to determine where the girl may be located.  Ballard had left her home in the early morning hours of April 30th and is believed to have departed voluntarily.   The sheriff’s department was notified at 8:20 Friday night that she had been found safe.

Ballard was considered an Endangered Missing Person, and at the request of the sheriff’s department, the State of Illinois issued an Endangered Missing Person Advisory.

The girl’s family is now on their way to Missouri to pick her up.

Cripps is thanking all law enforcement agencies involved for their help.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two people have been charged in connection with a weeks-long Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department investigation of seven drug overdose cases along Prospect Avenue.

According to court documents filed Thursday, first responders were called out on March 13 to an area near 31st Street and Prospect Avenue after receiving word that four people had been hospitalized after overdosing on an unknown drug.

A few weeks later, on April 5, police learned of three additional people who had been hospitalized after overdosing on an unknown drug in the same area.

As detectives worked the case, they identified a house in the area with increased foot traffic at all hours of the day.

On April 29, police learned that a suspect, later identified as Danasia Miller, was likely involved in a transaction to sell fentanyl at a business in the area. Police and SWAT members responded to the business and took Miller into custody.

A second suspect, identified as Myran Mays, was also arrested following the April 29 incident.

A search of a vehicle connected to the April 29 incident recovered 20 grams of fentanyl, 100 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, phencyclidine and a firearm.

On Thursday, Jackson County prosecutors charged Miller with two counts of felony second-degree drug trafficking and one count of possession of a controlled substance – hydrocodone.

Mays faces three counts of felony second-degree drug trafficking, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a controlled substance – hydrocodone.

Both defendants remained in custody Friday at the Jackson County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond.

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If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at April 30, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 30 drawing

Midday: 1-3-0

Midday Wild: 1

Evening: 0-4-5

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 30 drawing

Midday: 8-0-6-1

Midday Wild: 7

Evening: 0-9-9-0

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 30 drawing

Early Bird: 12

Morning: 09

Matinee: 06

Prime Time: 06

Night Owl: 08

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 30 drawing

02-11-21-30-34

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.