Missouri
Ethics committee dismisses complaint against Missouri speaker
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A panel of lawmakers dismissed on Monday an ethics complaint against Speaker Dean Plocher, breaking from a Republican who argued that Plocher used his power as the House leader to block an investigation.
Members voted 7-2 to dismiss allegations against Plocher for misuse of taxpayer dollars, using his influence to push a pricey contract with a company with ties to his employer, and retaliating against staffers who raised complaints. One Democrat voted present.
“From the outset of this investigation, I’ve maintained my innocence,” Plocher told reporters after the hearing. “The Ethics Committee has finally reached the very same conclusion that I offered everybody back in November, and they vindicated me.”
Plocher is running as a Republican for Missouri secretary of state.
Republican Ethics Committee Chair Hannah Kelly, appointed to the position by Plocher, sought to dismiss the case “due to the inability of the committee to finish the investigation as a direct result of obstruction of the process and intimidation of witnesses by the respondent.”
Other committee members, led by Republican Rep. John Black, voted to strip Kelly’s addendum from the official report. Black declined to comment to reporters about his decision.
Another Republican lawmaker in October had filed the wide-ranging ethics complaint against Plocher, alleging that he improperly accepted taxpayer dollars as reimbursement for business trips that he had already paid for with his campaign funding.
Plocher admitted to wrongfully being reimbursed for a business-class flight to Hawaii and other work trip expenses, and records show he repaid the House.
Plocher also faced claims that he used his influence as speaker to push the House to contract with a company connected to the law firm where he worked, and that he retaliated against staffers who pushed back against the proposal.
Ethics Committee members voted on April 15 against recommending that the House send a letter to Plocher denouncing his conduct and directing him to hire an accountant.
Since then, Plocher’s lawyers have pushed the Ethics Committee to close the case against him.
In an unusual move that appears to violate the House’s self-imposed ethics rules, Republican Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson tried to force the committee last week to meet by scheduling an ethics hearing.
Kelly canceled the hearing but called for Monday’s meeting amid mounting pressure.
Only Kelly and Democratic Vice Chair Robert Sauls voted against dismissing the case.
“My vote speaks for itself,” Kelly said before adjourning the committee.
A draft committee report released earlier this month, which was voted down by members, outlined the speaker’s lawyer’s refusal to talk to an independent investigator, Plocher’s reluctance to sign off on subpoenas for the investigation, and his refusal to approve payment for the independent investigator.
Plocher later recused himself, allowing the speaker pro tem to sign off on subpoenas.
In a report to the committee, the independent investigator wrote that she had never encountered “more unwilling witnesses in any investigation in my career.”
“The level of fear expressed by a number of the potential witnesses is a daunting factor in completing this investigation,” investigator Beth Boggs wrote March 2.
On Monday, Kelly tried to read a letter she said she received from someone documenting retaliation for participation in the Ethics investigation but was silenced by an 8-2 vote.
Missouri
Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for Feb. 26, 2026
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Feb. 26, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing
Midday: 9-4-0
Midday Wild: 0
Evening: 5-3-9
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing
Midday: 9-7-1-7
Midday Wild: 5
Evening: 4-8-6-3
Evening Wild: 8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Feb. 26 drawing
Early Bird: 10
Morning: 10
Matinee: 14
Prime Time: 10
Night Owl: 12
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Feb. 26 drawing
05-20-24-28-33
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.
Missouri
Missouri lawmakers propose water and power usage requirements for data centers
Data centers in Missouri would have to follow a set of requirements on electricity and water usage under legislation recently introduced in the House.
“It’s going to work on keeping our utility rates stable so that our folks throughout Missouri, not just St. Charles, but throughout Missouri, are not subject to price jolts and shocks,” said Rep. Colin Wellenkamp, R-St. Charles.
Wellenkamp and another St. Charles County Republican, Rep. Mike Costlow of Dardenne Prairie, have filed legislation titled the AI Infrastructure, Grid Integrity and Water Resource Protection Act. They spoke to reporters about the bill on Wednesday.
The legislation focuses on both electricity and water regarding data centers and, according to the sponsors, extends off a utility bill passed last year in the legislature.
On the electric side, the legislation requires large-load consumers, like data centers, that come to Missouri to pay for the necessary costs to provide them with electricity, including grid infrastructure upgrades.
“We have to make sure that that cost is not passed on in any situation to consumers. We want to protect our residents first, before we start to look to reap the benefits of this kind of investment into our state,” Costlow said.
The water infrastructure section of the bill involves a permit requirement from the Department of Natural Resources for large water users.
“If your facility is going to use more than 2 million gallons of fresh water per day, which is a lot, or 80% of the available capacity of that locality, you have to seek a DNR permit to do that,” Wellenkamp said.
If water usage goes even further, Wellenkamp said the bill would require the building out of freshwater capacity for the locality so that “no one is left in an insecure water environment.”
“We want AI infrastructure. We want a data driven economy. We want that development in our city. We want it in our county. It has to be done right,” Wellenkamp said.
According to Wellenkamp, doing it right means not compromising resources.
Cities are grappling with how to proceed concerning the increase in data centers in Missouri.
Wellenkamp’s district includes part of the city of St. Charles, where a yearlong moratorium on data centers was enacted last year. The St. Charles Planning and Zoning Commission voted this month to delay a vote on a proposed ban on data center development.
In March, St. Louis’ Zoning Section will hear a data center proposal after months of debate over the project.
Ultimately, Costlow said his bill is not intended to be against data centers or AI.
“We have a lot of the strengths that data centers are looking for. We have a lot of water. We have some of the cheapest power in the United States. We have some of the best data connectivity on long haul, dark fiber of anywhere in the Midwest,” Costlow said. “This is a place that data centers can come with very little impact, as long as we put the right guardrails around them.”
The legislation in the House hasn’t been sent to a committee yet, meaning it still has a long path to passing both the House and Senate.
Wellenkamp hopes the legislation gets a hearing quickly.
“It has a lot of interest. It has a lot of movement. But I would say, more importantly, and this is the best arrow in the quiver, it has a lot of urgency,” Wellenkamp said.
The legislation is HB 3362 and HB 3364
Missouri
Kansas City man faces charges in 2025 shooting death of Missouri State student
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, man faces charges in the November 2025 shooting death of Elayjah Murray, 18.
Eric R. Phillips II is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse.
He was previously identified as a person of interest in the case.
Phillips was charged on Dec. 3, 2025, in Jackson County under seal. The case was unsealed Feb. 25.
Kansas City, Missouri, police were notified early Nov. 28 of the shooting, which took place in Independence.
The reporting party told police Phillips shot her girlfriend, Murray, three times in the face, according to a court document.
RELATED | Family seeks answers 2 months after Missouri State student found shot to death in Independence
While officers were speaking with the victim, a witness came up to police and said she had video from a Ring device that covers the hall between her apartment and the apartment the victim was in.
The witness told police she heard Phillips and the victim arguing, with Phillips saying he would “take care of it” after mentioning there was a dead person in the backseat of his car, per the court document.
Multiple reports were made to the Independence Police Department on the morning of Nov. 28 by family members of Murray, who were worried she had possibly been shot or was dead.
Because of the circumstances, Independence police entered Murray as a missing person.
The following day, Nov. 29, Independence was notified about a death investigation in Kansas City. Investigators were able to match the description of the deceased to Murray.
Murray’s girlfriend told investigators the night, Nov. 27 into Nov. 28, started with her, her cousin, Murray and Phillips going to multiple family locations, having a good time listening to music and taking shots.
Shortly before 3 a.m., Phillips said he had to abruptly take everyone home.
Phillips dropped off the cousin before heading toward Independence to take Murray home.
When he arrived, the girlfriend got out to open the door for Murray to exit. That’s when Phillips shot Murray.
RELATED | KSHB 41 confirms murder suspect worked for Raytown School District in 2025
The girlfriend told police Phillips said he was told to kill her, and he refused to go to a hospital. She also said Phillips threatened she would be next if she didn’t get back in the car.
Phillips drove the two to their uncle’s residence, where the victim ran inside. Once Phillips left, she called police.
Surveillance video from the intersection of 23rd Street and Liberty in Independence captured the shooting, which happened shortly before 4 a.m. Nov. 28.
A court document stated the footage captured the sound of three gunshots and at least two muzzle flashes from inside the vehicle.
Investigators located the phones of Murray and Phillips in gas station trash receptacles. But through historical cell phone data, investigators were able to determine Phillip’s phone pinged in the area where Murray’s body was located about 90 minutes after the shooting.
Additionally, the neighbor’s Ring video captured Phillips telling a story around 10:15 p.m. Nov. 27 about a gay man who was shot in the face in Florida.
The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office reports Phillips is not in custody.
As law enforcement continues to work to locate him, anyone with information is urged to call Independence police at 816-325-7300.
Anonymous tips can be called in at 816-474-8477 or submitted online at kccrimestoppers.com.
—
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.
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Oklahoma1 week agoWildfires rage in Oklahoma as thousands urged to evacuate a small city
-
Louisiana4 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology6 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology6 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making