Missouri
Nelly's dilemma no more: Rapper cleared in ecstasy possession case in Missouri
“Hot in Herre” rapper Nelly is no longer feeling the heat from Missouri prosecutors three months after he was arrested on suspicion of possession of ecstasy.
The Times confirmed Wednesday that the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will not charge the Grammy-winning musician. “We don’t believe the facts in this case warrant the issuing of charges,” a spokesperson told The Times in a statement.
A legal representative for Nelly (real name Cornell Iral Haynes Jr.) did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.
The 50-year-old rapper, also known for hits “Dilemma” and “Ride Wit Me,” was arrested Aug. 7 in his home state at a St. Louis-area casino where he was allegedly carrying four ecstasy pills. He was held and released by police in Maryland Heights, a city northwest of St. Louis. At the time, the Missouri State Highway Patrol database also listed a citation for operating a vehicle without proper proof of insurance. Nelly initially received this citation in June 2018 in Maryland Heights. A judge issued a warrant in December 2023, and it remained outstanding.
Attorney Scott Rosenblum said in August that his client had won several casino jackpots and when he sought to collect them, the officer who would have supervised the transaction “needlessly” ran a search for warrants.
Once the officer found the outstanding warrant, he cuffed Nelly’s hands behind his back and, Rosenblum said, “felt compelled” to “parade him through the casino in front of other customers.” He also alleged at the time that the officer had no probable cause to justify the search and expressed confidence that the case would “go nowhere.”
Nelly dodged the charges a little less than three months after he and singer Ashanti welcomed a baby boy, Kareem Kenkaide. After dating on and off for 11 years and then splitting in 2013, the “Body on Me” collaborators rekindled their romance in September 2023.
The musicians secretly married in December 2023, according to a Missouri database.
“I’ve been waiting to be a mom for a long time now but nothing could prepare me for EVERYTHING motherhood brings!” Ashanti wrote in August on Instagram, adding, “I’m so proud of my body for giving me my baby, baby, baby, baby, boy.”
Nelly shares two grown children — Chanelle and Cornell Haynes III — with ex-girlfriend Channetta Valentine. He also adopted his late sister Jackie’s two children after she died of leukemia in 2005.
“Having kids is always a blessing and seeing how dope Ashanti is as a mother is awesome,” he said in a statement shared with The Times in August.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Missouri
Groundbreaking date announced for Springfield Missouri Temple
In 1838, the governor of Missouri ordered members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to leave the area or face death. Nearly two centuries later, the church is preparing to build its third temple in the state.
The Church of Jesus Christ announced Monday that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Springfield Missouri Temple will be held on Saturday, June 6; Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante, a General Authority Seventy and member of the church’s United States Southeast Area Presidency, will preside.
Missouri holds an important role in the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ. From 1831 to 1838, thousands of Latter-day Saints worked to “build up the land of Zion” in the state, according to the church’s overview of the Missouri historic sites. They were largely unwelcome, with several instances of mobs driving out church members from established cities.
The Church broke ground for a temple in Far West, Missouri, in the summer of 1838. However, the temple was never constructed, as early members were expelled from the state shortly thereafter. The executive order was not formally rescinded until 1976.
Late church President Russell M. Nelson announced the Springfield Missouri Temple in April 2023 general conference, making it the third in the state. A temple in St. Louis was dedicated in 1997 and one in Kansas City was dedicated in 2012.
As of April 2026, more than 84,000 Latter-day Saints live in Missouri and meet in around 180 congregations.
“Jesus Christ is the reason we build temples,” President Nelson said when announcing the Springfield temple. “Each is His holy house. Making covenants and receiving essential ordinances in the temple, as well as seeking to draw closer to Him there, will bless your life in ways no other kind of worship can.”
Missouri
Missouri Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for April 21, 2026
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 21, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 21 drawing
01-36-43-56-58, Mega Ball: 07
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 21 drawing
Midday: 0-0-9
Midday Wild: 9
Evening: 0-7-4
Evening Wild: 0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 21 drawing
Midday: 4-2-2-8
Midday Wild: 4
Evening: 9-4-7-5
Evening Wild: 9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 21 drawing
Early Bird: 14
Morning: 05
Matinee: 03
Prime Time: 02
Night Owl: 12
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 21 drawing
17-19-22-25-29
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
Bill requiring sex-based restrooms, dorms clears Missouri House
The Missouri House passed a bill Monday that would force entities receiving state funding to restrict usage of restrooms, changing areas, and sleeping accommodations based on biological sex and codify definitions for “female,” “male,” and “sex” throughout state statute.
State Rep. Becky Laubinger, a Republican from Park Hills, pitched the legislation as a “vital protection for women.” Lax policies and all-gender restrooms, like facilities in the Kansas City International Airport, invite predators, she argued.
“This is about our government facilities forcing people to share those spaces by creating all gender spaces where you don’t have the option in those spaces to go to a single sex space,” Laubinger said.
But during a House debate over the bill’s language last week, Democrats raised numerous issues with the legislation, saying it would be used to target transgender people.
“If you can just call the police and accuse someone of using the wrong bathroom, think about the implications of that,” said state Rep. Wick Thomas, a Kansas City Democrat and the House’s first transgender member.
The bill lacks an enforcement mechanism, other than allowing people to sue state-funded entities that do not “take reasonable steps” to designate single-sex spaces.
The bill’s fiscal note reflects concerns about costly litigation, though state departments could not estimate how much they will be impacted.
The University of Central Missouri projected “an indeterminate fiscal impact,” pointing to the “costs associated with enforcement of the regulations.”
The bill would require public universities to restrict dorm rooms, bathrooms, and locker rooms based on biological sex. It states that, “no individual shall enter a restroom, changing room or sleeping quarters that is designated for females or males unless he or she is a member of that sex.”
State Rep. Keri Ingle, a Democrat from Lee’s Summit, asked if this would bar college students from having students of the opposite sex in their dorm rooms overnight.
Laubinger said she had heard complaints from college students who felt uncomfortable when their roommate allowed a significant other to sleep over.
“I understand someone not wanting a boy over,” Ingle said. “I don’t know why we would legislate that. I don’t know why we would put that in the statute.”
State Rep. Mark Boyko, a Democrat from Kirkwood, said the bill would bar men from visiting women’s dorm rooms at any time. He wouldn’t be allowed to help his daughter set up her dorm room as a man, he said.
“I understand the intention you’re having,” he told Laubinger. “But the words don’t match your intention of this bill.”
House Republicans offered broad support, calling the bill a basic safety measure.
State Rep. Carolyn Caton, a Blue Springs Republican, said she thinks the legislation would be a “good protection.
“If nothing else, I think it just eases some young ladies’ minds,” she said.
The bill passed along party lines Monday, apart from a lone Republican “nay” from state Rep. Tara Peters of Rolla, who also voted against the bill at the committee level.
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