Proposed building draws fire 

The Jefferson County Council opted out of making a decision on the proposed construction of a Knights of Columbus Hall at a meeting on March 1. More than 100 residents that live near the site showed up to voice their concerns.
The Kimmswick Club has petitioned the county to build a 5,400-square-foot structure on a 1.78-acre [...]

JCGDA seeks input on long-term plan 

Jefferson County Growth and Development Association wants to hear from the community to help plan for future growth and development.
The organization is hosting a series of forums throughout the county to get input from residents, businesses, educators and community leaders to create a long-term plan.
The JCGDA Board of Directors is made up of business members [...]

Arnold holds summit to develop strategy  

Even with the new commercial developments in town, the city of Arnold has been affected by the poor economy with sagging sales and empty storefronts.
In an effort to seek input on future economic decisions, the city’s first economic summit was held at the Fox C-6 Service Center Feb. 18.
Mayor Ron Counts conducted the roundtable discussion [...]

Festus mail fraud scheme uncovered 

A scheme to save money on mailing costs went bust when it was discovered by federal authorities.
A former Festus postmaster, a postal employee and the owner of a direct mail company have been indicted in federal court on the $2.9 million mail fraud scheme.
Robert Scott Gray was president and owner of SG Print & Mail [...]

Court reverses officer’s murder conviction 

The Missouri Supreme Court overturned the conviction of a Jefferson County man serving a life sentence for murder, stating that his constitutional rights were violated when the prosecutor made repeated references to the defendant’s decision to remain silent.

Hillsboro dentist sues over computer system malfunction 

A Hillsboro dentist spent almost $110,000 on a computer system that would enable him to run a “paperless office.”
But Hillsboro Dental’s patient information disappeared when four computer hard drives were damaged or destroyed, and the provider Goetze Neimer Co. didn’t live up to its promises to retrieve the information at no cost, Hillsboro Dental alleges [...]

Festus Airport back on market 

The Festus Memorial Airport should be back on the market within 30 days now that the city has dealt with a number of obstacles precluding the sale.
The contract with the airport investors group that was to purchase the property was grounded when it was discovered there was no firm plat survey and certain requirements [...]

Hillsboro dentist sues over computer system malfunction 

A Hillsboro dentist spent almost $110,000 on a computer system that would enable him to run a “paperless office.”

Economy, budget cuts have impact on county crime stats 

Violent crime was up last year in many areas in Jefferson County in part due to the bad economy, but also because of a lack of adequate manpower.
Since the economy was poor, the number of deputies was down by 32, correction officers down by eight and clerical employees by two.

“It affects their ability to fight [...]