Authorities: Officer involved in fatal shooting in Ozark

OZARK — A domestic disturbance call to a residence on West School Street in Ozark ended in an officer involved shooting Tuesday night.

Ozark Police received a call for help at approximately 10:19 p.m. and dispatched an officer to the residence.

Witnesses reported that Ronald Elliot, 49, was armed with a gun and had locked himself inside his bedroom.

Authorities say a woman entered the bedroom and tried to disarm Elliot before police arrived. Witnesses say an officer then entered the bedroom and instructed Elliot to put down the gun before a gunshot rang out.

http://www.couriernews.com/view/full_story/27528251/article-Authorities–Officer-involved-in-fatal-shooting-in-Ozark?

Former businessman gets probation for misdemeanor thefts

A former Scott County businessman is now serving six months on supervised probation for four counts of misdemeanor theft. Robert “Rob” L. Cathcart Jr., 43, has paid all restitution ordered in the case as well. He was originally charged with four counts of Level 6 felony theft and the four misdemeanor counts in June, 2016. Cathcart had owned and operated a jewelry and coin shop in downtown Scottsburg for several years. He was charged with accepting items for repair or resale from several of his customers and never returning the items nor paying the customers for their losses. One customer received a partial payment, court records revealed. In a plea agreement, Cathcart originally pleaded guilty to all of the charges filed against him. All of the felonies and one misdemeanor were dismissed per the agreement. Cathcart paid his alleged victims nearly $11,000 in restitution for jewelry, artwork and other items never returned to them. He was sentenced by Senior Judge Nicholas South to 180 days on each of the misdemeanors, with all to be served concurrently. Those 180 days were then suspended, and he was placed on 180 days of probation. Cathcart is responsible for all costs incurred because of his probation as well as court costs and fees. Judge South cited the man’s lack of criminal history as a mitigating factor in the sentencing. Another case against Cathcart filed in Washington County in March, 2017, was recently rescheduled for trial from January 2 to February 6. He is charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance and driving while his license was suspended with a prior conviction.

http://www.gbpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7252:former-businessman-gets-probation-for-misdemeanor-thefts&catid=35:giveaway&Itemid=45

Supervisor wants answers about state contractor’s slow payments to health providers

A Mohave County Board of Supervisors vote on a program agreement to provide housing for homeless and seriously mentally ill people will be delayed because the state contractor providing the services is accused of slow and non-payment to area doctors for services to low-income patients.

Documents available on the AHCCCS website show Heath Care Arizona received sanctions in the amount of $21,065 in November for failing to resolve 2,122 pended encounters within 120 calendar days of the processing date.

Health Choice Arizona attempted to make payment to several area health providers on Friday, but it wasn’t clear if the payments were rescinded or if the company was unable to transfer the funds, Wakimoto said.

“I got a text from HCA Vice President Pat Hansen,” Benedict said. “It said, ‘The (payment) problem had to do with our corporate office changing bank accounts over to Steward. They were unable to get the money reissued to the provider accounts yesterday (Friday) due to the weekend, but will be in your account Tuesday.’ I have called five other doctors’ wives and they all had rescinded payments as well.”

Wakimoto said, “I am trying to determine if there was a glitch, if the company is targeting rural Arizona and metro Arizona got paid, or if it was a statewide glitch. I would encourage any health provider in Mohave County who is having trouble with payment from Health Choice Arizona text me at 928-715-0165.”

http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/supervisor-wants-answers-about-state-contractor-s-slow-payments-to/article_0ffbf296-ef83-11e7-94b7-5fc8fb16f580.html

Teacher shortage worse 4 months after school begins

Telescope firm eyes Adrian Training School site

A telescope manufacturer is interested in buying the former Adrian Training School campus to consolidate its Deerfield and California operations.

PlaneWave sells its telescopes to NASA, foreign countries, research facilities, the military, astrophotographers and amateur astronomers.

“We’re basically the world leader in telescopes in the small to midsize instrumentation,” Iott said.

PlaneWave would build a large observatory on the property, which would house “one of the largest telescopes in the country,” the letter said.

http://www.lenconnect.com/news/20171231/telescope-firm-eyes-adrian-training-school-site

 

Crime mostly down in Vallejo, Benicia, American Canyon in 2017

 

“For homicides, we are about 25 percent lower than last year and 50 percent lower than three years ago. We have had 13 this year, (14 with the latest one over Christmas); we had 18 last year, and we had 25 in 2014,” he said.

“In 2017, we were able to utilize the funds we received from a ($400,000-plus) Board of State and Community Corrections Strengthening grant we won in late 2016,” Bidou said. “These funds were used to fund many of our outreach programs such as Late Night Basketball, Coffee with the Cops, Movie Night with the Cops, Shop with a Cop, and the many other programs we do throughout the year. These funds also supported a physical fitness program for our officers and allowed us to present state-of-the-art training.”

Another thing the grant paid for was the department’s new state-of-the-art Community Services van, which debuted in November. With speakers, lights, TV, awnings, tables and chairs, popcorn and snow-cone machines, the new van lets the VPD take its show on the road, officials there said. The idea came from Capt. John Whitney’s experience in Boston, where a similar van is being used as a mobile city hall.

Neighborhood Watch and other quality of life efforts remain a priority in Vallejo, and are primarily handled by its Community Services Section which now includes Code Enforcement, Bidou said. “Currently we have approximately 289 organized Neighborhood Watch groups,” he said. “Five years ago we had but a few.”

 

http://www.ottumwacourier.com/news/ottumwa-case-before-iowa-supreme-court-this-month/article_2ddde5e4-efec-11e7-81ac-4ba21c201fa5.html

Ottumwa case before Iowa Supreme Court this month

When the Iowa Supreme Court hears arguments in State v. Carlos Mulatillo later this month, it should jump start a stalled criminal case from 2015.

Mulatillo was arrested after a drug investigation in Ottumwa on June 15, 2015. Two and-a-half years later, he still has not gone to trial on charges of conspiracy to deliver more than five grams of methamphetamine, six counts of delivery of more than five grams of methamphetamine, and six counts of failure to affix a drug tax stamp. He pleaded not guilty.

The 13-count indictment has been stalled as the state and defense wrangle over whether Steven Gardner, Mulatillo’s attorney, can be forcibly removed. The dispute centers on an informant in the case against Mulatillo. Gardner represented that person in a different drug case beginning in September 2014, but withdrew in October of that year.

http://www.ottumwacourier.com/news/ottumwa-case-before-iowa-supreme-court-this-month/article_2ddde5e4-efec-11e7-81ac-4ba21c201fa5.html

BC considering billing insurance companies to recoup costs for emergency services

Constantly under pressure to both deliver services and hold down costs, the Brigham City Fire Department is exploring ways it can recoup at least a portion of those costs from motorists and insurance companies.

“I really like this,” said Councilmember DJ Bott, adding that most of the accidents along I-15 and other roadways involve people that don’t live in or pay taxes to Brigham City, and so the city is subsidizing those costs for accident response.

https://www.benewsjournal.com/

These 75 southern Idahoans have unclaimed property worth more than $100

Enticing industry to Dickson: County applying for ‘shovel ready’ grant

County officials are applying for a state grant to convert a 55-acre site in south Dickson County to a “shovel ready” state to attract industry.

The county commission approved the Select Tennessee Site Development grant application last month for the county-owned property, located on Old Highway 46.

The grant, which requires to county to provide a 50 percent match, was “established for the purpose of making grants to local governments for job creation and/or job retention,” according to the county resolution approved by the commission.

The county will contribute $45,000 toward the grant, should the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development approve Dickson County’s application. The money will come from the county’s Community Development Fund.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/dickson/2018/01/02/enticing-industry-dickson-county-applying-shovel-ready-grant/995138001/