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Audit: Missouri Sheriff’s Office made ‘questionable’ buys of TVs, hams, beer, cigarettes

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Audit: Missouri Sheriff’s Office made ‘questionable’ buys of TVs, hams, beer, cigarettes


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – An audit found a Missouri Sheriff’s Office may have misused thousands of dollars in taxpayer money when it bought 15 TVs, dozens of hams, beer, cigarettes, and other items.

The Missouri State Auditor reviewed financial records belonging to the Ray County Sheriff’s Office and says it discovered several oversight issues.

It points to nearly $3,000 in missing funds and more than $5,500 in questionable purchases made by the sheriff’s office in 2020.

In addition to the TVs, food, and beer, the audit determined the sheriff’s office also bought scented oil air fresheners, soda, energy drinks, personal grooming tools, barbeque seasoning rubs, lotion, skin cleaners, and other beauty items that were not included on commissary inventory lists. The audit also found office employees bought game cameras, a GPS unit, CD player, and speakers, according to the audit.

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ALSO READ: Former school teacher denied bond reduction in murder charges of stepson

While some of the items bought may be appropriate, the auditor said the office did not save, or submit, documentation to show why the items were purchased. It also said the Sheriff’s office did not retain receipts, invoices, and other supporting documentation for most purchases made from the commissary account.

The audit calls for the sheriff’s office to put checks and other procedures into place to account for all purchases. It also found the Ray County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office needs to take steps to ensure money is accounted for going forward.

While the audit determined that the questionable spending took place during former Sheriff Garry E. Bush’s term from 2018 to 2020, Sheriff Scott Childers also needs to imperilment oversight in the department, according to the auditor.

During Bush’s term, the audit found that office personnel did not turn over $2,549 in conceal carry permit fees and $443 in sex offender registration fees to the County Commission. The audit shows that money is now missing.

ALSO READ: Nationwide emergency alert to hit cell phones, TV, radio this week

Because of the turnover in the office the auditor could not determine who may have taken, or misused, the money.

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The audit also pointed out that the sheriff’s office did not ensure bills were paid on time and had to pay more than $400 in late fees on credit cards in 2020, as well as overdraft fees in 2021.

Current Ray County Sheriff Childers responded to the audit. He wrote that the office implemented a plan to ensure all adjustments made to inmates’ commissary accounts are properly reported.

ALSO READ: Kansas City-area schools to split millions in Missouri safety grants

Sheriff Childers also said the office agrees that documentation is needed when items are purchased through the office’s account. Childers said that his administration has not made any questionable or unnecessary purchases and he plans to continue to prohibit any new requests that fall into those categories.

The full audit can be found on the Missouri State Auditor’s website.

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Missouri

Hancock & Kelley: Gardner meets with Missouri Auditor, Bailey blasts Bragg over Trump prosecution

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Hancock & Kelley: Gardner meets with Missouri Auditor, Bailey blasts Bragg over Trump prosecution


It was another Sunday morning of sometimes heated but always civil political debate on Hancock and Kelley for Sunday, June 16, 2024.

Republican consultant Jean Evans (in for John Hancock) and Democratic consultant Michael Kelley discuss the following topics:

  • Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick essentially put out an APB for Kim Gardner. After months of delays, the former St. Louis Circuit Attorney finally surfaced and met with Fitzpatrick.
  • No tickets for expired temp tags in St. Louis; how about a loan instead?
  • Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey goes to Washington to blast Trump prosecutor Alvin Bragg.
  • Our quote of the week is from the Supreme Court ruling upholding access to abortion medication, mifepristone.



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Real Deals: Missouri buyer orders up Burger King investment in Bentonville – Talk Business & Politics

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Real Deals: Missouri buyer orders up Burger King investment in Bentonville – Talk Business & Politics


A 3,014-square-foot retail building in Bentonville’s Commerce Centre development recently sold for $2.2 million, or $729.92 per square foot.

Curtis Jared, a commercial real estate investor in Springfield, Mo., bought the single-story building at 1700 S. Walton Blvd. The Christoffers Revocable Trust, led by trustee Debra Christoffers, was the seller.

Guaranty Bank in Springfield, Mo., backed the deal with a $1.32 million loan. City Title & Closing of Fayetteville was the title agent.

The single-story building was built in 2000 and remodeled in 2015. It is triple-net leased to Burger King, which has approximately 11 years left on a 20-year lease. The building sold with a cap rate of 6.56%. The restaurant is operated by a franchisee.

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In 2019, Christoffers paid $2.57 million for the property, which equaled $852.68 per square foot. Kwangho Taehee LLC, managed by Kwang Ho Cha, was the seller.

BEAVER LAKE ABODE
A 2,728-square-foot residence on Beaver Lake in Benton County sold recently for $1.32 million. The purchase price equals $468 per square foot.

Stan and Kelly Fulk bought the three-bedroom residence on Ravenshoe Road. Erin Kyle was the seller.

HSBC Bank USA of New York backed the deal with a 30-year, $993,750 loan. Harbor Closing & Title of Rogers was the title agent. The Limbird Team with Limbird Real Estate Group of Rogers represented the buyer. Jan Holland with Coldwell Banker Harris McHaney & Faucette of Bentonville represented the seller.

The 1.16-acre development was built in 2008. It includes a private boat dock with four slips. Kyle paid $1.1 million for the property in December 2022. Josh and Shannon MacNeel were the sellers. MacNeel paid $90,000 for the land in March 2007. Marc and Brenda Riney were the sellers.

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Riney paid $75,000 for the lot in March 2004. Will and Libby Green were the sellers.

PINNACLE RESIDENCE
A 5,858-square-foot residence inside the gated Pinnacle Country Club neighborhood in Rogers sold recently for $1.3 million. The purchase price equals $222 per square foot.

Casey and Brittany Flippo bought the five-bedroom home on West Champions Boulevard. Barnes Ventures LLC, led by Rodney Barnes, was the seller.

Central Bank in Little Rock backed the deal with a 30-year, $1.28 million loan. Advantage Title in Bentonville was the title agent. The Limbird Team with Limbird Real Estate Group in Rogers was the listing agent. Jackson Hogue with Collier & Associates in Fayetteville represented the buyer.

Camelot Construction built the home in 2006 on a 0.37-acre lot. Barnes Ventures paid $1 million for the property in September 2021. Michael Cattaneo was the seller. Cattaneo bought the residence in September 2017 for $649,000. National Equity Inc. was the seller.

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HUDSON HOLDINGS
Commercial acreage north of West Hudson Road (Highway 62) near the entrance to Lost Springs Golf & Athletic Club in Rogers sold recently for $1.2 million.

Knuckleheads Investments LLC, a Texas company, bought the 2.57-acre site, which is bordered to the west by North 23rd Street and to the east by North 22nd Street. Ashley Rehabilitation and Health Care Center is to the north.

Louis and Shannon Froud were the sellers. The purchase price equals $10.72 per square foot.

Real Deals submissions: Submit tips about lease activity, construction, transactions or upcoming projects valued at $300,000 or more to Paul Gatling at [email protected]. Please write ‘Real Deals’ in the subject line.

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Missouri mushroom hunters are being enlisted to help scientists find every fungi in the U.S.

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Missouri mushroom hunters are being enlisted to help scientists find every fungi in the U.S.


The world of fungi is all around us, but it’s largely undocumented. Millions of species are still waiting to be identified. This year, as part of an ambitious project that’s seeking to identify every single mushroom in North America, Missouri mushroom hunters are being enlisted to join the effort by collecting samples of what they find in the wild.

The effort is a partnership between the Missouri Mycological Society and Indiana-based MyCota Labs. To participate in the project, foragers should photograph and log their findings, then dry and ship the samples to the lab.

The undertaking is ongoing in multiple states. The expansion to Missouri comes at a time of notable popularity for mushrooms — what some are calling a “shroom boom.”

“I think a lot of it has to do with the mystery of fungi,” Mike Snyder, president of the Mid-Missouri chapter of the Missouri Mycological Society, told St. Louis on the Air. “New species of fungi are being found all the time, and there’s just a lot to learn about mushrooms.”

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He added, “And, of course, a lot of wild mushrooms are delicious.”

So, what makes this mycological mapping necessary? It turns out that even the edible mushrooms typically found in Missouri, like chanterelles, have been misidentified. It’s part of a larger problem facing mycologists, said Steve Russell, the founder and president of MyCota Lab.

“Most of the species identified in most field guides in print today — I often say they won’t withstand the test of time,” Russell explained. “There were a lot of Europeans that came to North America and described species and applied European names to our North American species.”

As an example, Russell pointed to a common forager favorite:

“Most of the yellow golden chanterelles in North America went under a single scientific name. And now we’re discovering that there are probably dozens of different species that were all hidden under that one European species name.”

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Russell estimates that it will take ten years to document all species of mushrooms in North America. In Missouri, mushroom hunters do not need to be members of the Missouri Mycological Society to participate. More details on the project, including how to log and ship samples, can be found on the MyCoMap Missouri website.

To learn more about the ongoing “shroom boom,” and why mycologists like Steve Russell and Mike Snyder are excited about the prospects of fungi DNA, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts,  Spotify or YouTube, or click 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 WoodburyDanny 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.

Copyright 2024 St. Louis Public Radio

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