Missouri

Abuse at a Missouri Christian camp lasted decades, but a new bill would only help some victims

Published

2 years ago

March 5, 2024

Abuse at a Missouri Christian camp lasted decades, but a new bill would only help some victims

Victims of abuse at one of the largest Christian camps in the country are backing a Missouri bill that would allow older adult victims to seek legal action. But even an expanded statute of limitations would likely leave out victims who are now too old to sue under state law.

HB 1617 would add 10 years to the existing statute of limitations, allowing victims to file lawsuits until they reach age 41. The bill was passed out of the state House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 27.

“It would give them more time to work through their own pain and suffering,” said Bobby Thrasher, an attorney for a former Kanakuk camper abused by counselor Pete Newman.

After his arrest in 2009, Newman admitted to sexually abusing more than a dozen campers at the Branson-based summer camp. Prosecutors argued the number is likely far higher. Under current Missouri law, those victims must take legal action before they turn 31.

For many victims abused as children, that’s not enough time. Thrasher’s client, who was abused by Newman from 2005 to 2008, is now in his late 20s. The bill would give victims like him additional years “before re-traumatizing themselves and trying to bring a lawsuit against an organization — or re-face the perpetrator themselves,” Thrasher said.

But as uncovered by journalist Nancy French, accounts of abuse at Kanakuk go back decades, meaning some victims are already over 31. In one case, almost 40 years has passed since former Kanakuk camper Jody Jones was abused by a counselor named Chuck Price in 1985. Jones was 8 years old at the time.

“They let him pack his bags and walked out the door. But there was no investigation. There was no police report,” she told St. Louis on the Air in 2022, describing what happened after she alerted the camp to the abuse in 1990.

Thrasher, the attorney, said that while limited, the proposed bill is an important step, though there would be no retroactivity.

“We would have to amend the state constitution. There’s more steps involved,” Thrasher said. “It just becomes a bigger fight in order to get a law like that.”

Not all victims of abuse can be described as survivors. Elizabeth Phillips’ brother, Trey Carlock, was abused by Newman as a camper at Kanakuk. As an adult, Carlock took his own life at age 29. His family chose to disclose his abuse in his obituary, naming Kanakuk in the process.

“Because we were public about his abuse in that obituary, other families began reaching out and sharing their stories,” Phillips said. “And it became this mini ‘Me Too’ movement around Kankuk victims connecting for the first time.

Along with Thrasher, journalist Nancy French joined Monday’s St. Louis on the Air to share her insights from her investigations into Kanakuk and to discuss what’s happened since her 2021 reporting revealed evidence that the camp had ignored warnings about Newman and other counselors.

“I have heard a gigantic collective shrug of the shoulders from the American church,” French said. “I thought that if I could prove even a fraction of what I’ve speculated about this camp, that it would be a bombshell in the evangelical church — that they would react vociferously and with righteous indignation. Instead, people have not responded in the way that I anticipated. It’s almost like evangelical Christians can believe that Catholics have a sex abuse problem, but not them.”

To hear the full discussion with attorney Bobby Thrasher and journalist Nancy French, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast or by clicking the play button below.

“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Roshae Hemmings is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for Jan. 8, 2026

Published

10 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 8 drawing

Midday: 3-5-3

Midday Wild: 9

Evening: 6-3-9

Evening Wild: 3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 8 drawing

Midday: 7-1-3-4

Midday Wild: 4

Evening: 9-6-9-8

Evening Wild: 9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Jan. 8 drawing

27-28-39-47-58, Cash Ball: 04

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 8 drawing

Early Bird: 14

Morning: 07

Matinee: 06

Prime Time: 07

Night Owl: 11

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Jan. 8 drawing

02-26-28-29-34

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.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Missouri

Missouri Democrats vow to fight increased taxes on sales or services

Published

22 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Missouri Democrats vow to fight increased taxes on sales or services

Jason Hancock and Steph Quinn
| Missouri Independent

Missouri lawmakers returned to work Wednesday, Jan. 7, to kick off the 2026 legislative session, with Republicans determined to eliminate the state income tax and Democrats vowing to oppose any effort to replace it with increased taxes on sales or services.

Missing from the first day were the partisan fireworks that defined the end of last year’s session and a special session in September. Instead, both the House and Senate functioned normally on Wednesday, quickly running through motions of a first-day and adjourning with little fanfare.

But the partisan schism simmered under the surface.

Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe is pushing for elimination of the state’s income tax and is expecting to lay out his plan next week when he speaks to a joint session of the legislature for his annual State of the State address.

Democrats — still smarting from last year’s GOP moves to cut off debate to pass bills repealing expanded paid sick leave, gerrymander the state congressional map, change the initiative petition process and reimpose an abortion ban — said they are withholding judgment until they see the details of Kehoe’s plan.

But they note the income tax represents 65% of last year’s $13.4 billion in state revenue.

Democrats will not support raising taxes that disproportionately impact lower-income Missourians to pay to eliminate the income tax, said Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat.

“People are already having a really hard time making ends meet in this state,” Beck said. “People are living paycheck to paycheck. So if anyone wants to raise taxes on those folks, that is unacceptable to us. As Democrats, we say there should be no new taxes.”

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said that while the possible elimination of the income tax is “being sold as … getting rid of your taxes,” most Missourians will see little benefit.

“What they’re not telling you is how much more you’ll have to spend every time you swipe your card,” Aune said, adding: “The next time you have an expensive car repair or costly emergency visit from a plumber to fix a broken pipe, you’ll also be paying double digit sales taxes on that bill. Struggling to pay your rent? The struggle will get even harder when Republicans add a sales tax onto that.”

Democrats will lay out their own income tax proposal next week, Aune said, that will offer “targeted tax relief for those who need it most.”

State Rep. Mark Boyko, the Kirkwood Democrat who will sponsor the measure, said that while Missourians earning over $250,000 could end up paying more under the Democrats’ tax plan, it would generate much-needed revenue.

The proposal, Boyko said, “will actually lower your costs.”

Senate President Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, urged her colleagues in an opening day speech to work together to “find solutions that move Missouri forward.”

While tax cuts weren’t directly mentioned in her speech, O’Laughlin left little doubt where she stood.

“Taxes, regulations, red tape and bureaucracy do not make Missouri better,” she said. “In every case, they take from Missouri families, they also take from Missouri small businesses. And our job is to reduce that impact. We must make sure what we take is as limited as possible.”

Missouri families want results, O’Laughlin said.

“They want better roads, better schools,” she said. “They want more private home ownership. They want safe streets and neighborhoods. They want better jobs and stronger job skills. They want thriving communities, and they want less dependence on the government at all levels.”

Hovering over the income tax debate is a state budget picture looking gloomier than it has in years.

General revenue is projected to be $400 million below estimates made a year ago. Part of the reason is that a capital gains tax cut passed last year that was estimated to reduce revenue by $111 million annually is now believed to cost as much as $500 million the first year and $360 million a year moving forward.

Beck said that while Democrats decided against using procedural maneuvers to gum up the Senate on the first day, the chamber will move much more slowly this year — not only in response to last year’s GOP moves quash Democratic filibusters, but also to avoid mistakes like the cost of the capital gains tax cut.

“When you shut off debate or refuse to engage with the other side to just rush things through, mistakes happen,” he said. “We were screaming from the hilltop that the capital gains cuts were going to cost way more. But we went too fast, and senators weren’t allowed to do their jobs.”

This story was first published at missouriindependent.com.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for Jan. 7, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 7, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

15-28-57-58-63, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

Midday: 7-2-8

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 7-4-8

Evening Wild: 8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

Midday: 6-0-8-6

Midday Wild: 7

Evening: 7-8-2-6

Evening Wild: 6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

01-07-30-41-56, Cash Ball: 01

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

Early Bird: 04

Morning: 08

Matinee: 13

Prime Time: 08

Night Owl: 10

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

03-05-09-10-36

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

28-41-50-61-68, Powerball: 05

Check Powerball Double Play 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

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

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

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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