■ If you’ve already got your tax refund in the bank, consider yourself lucky. By mid-April, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and municipal police departments had received 2,609 reports of tax return fraud this year, more than five times the number of reports they received in 2014, when there were 504 cases in the county. See the Page 1 story compiled by our staff, which shows how many cases have been reported in each town.
■ Each of our three papers offers a different Page 1 feature story this week. The West Side Leader has a historical feature by Tracey Bruce about Morse Mill Baptist 125th anniversary celebration; the Arnold-Imperial Leader has a story by Kim Robertson about a greenhouse staffed by students at Fox Elementary School; and the Jefferson County Leader has a story by Kevin Carbery about a homework-assistance program at Pevely Elementary School that is helping students gain better grades and confidence in themselves.
■ A group of three law enforcement officers has targeted the site of a would-be golf course for a shooting range in Dittmer, and has received preliminary approval from the Jefferson County Council for their proposal. The officers have formed a company, 0311 Tactical Solutions, and are looking to buy a 167-acre property at 7440 Hwy. B for the shooting range. They are seeking a conditional-use permit to open the range on the property, which was partially developed as a golf course in 2003 but never opened. Steve Taylor talked to proponents and opponents for his story.
■ Mike Genge, who apparently has lost his teaching/coaching job in the Grandview R-2 School District, said he was touched by the show of public support at the April 16 school board meeting. Almost 200 district residents attended the meeting, with 20 parents and students speaking in support of Genge, who has coached in the district for seven years and taught for three years. For his story, Kevin Carbery talked to Genge, Grandview leaders and some of Genge’s supporters.
■ Jefferson College is searching again for someone to direct its Area Technical School, which offers career and technical education for high school students. Former Grandview Superintendent Michael Brown has handled the work on a temporary basis for the last year, but a committee is trying to find a qualified candidate to take on the job permanently.
■ Patrick Martin writes about a proposal to increase the state’s 17.3-cent gasoline tax, maybe by only two pennies. The idea came from a Republican and was shot down by a Republican. Meanwhile, the Missouri Department of Transportation says by mid-2016, it won’t have enough budget to qualify for matching federal highway dollars. Scary? Yes.
■ Sports editor Gordon Bess writes about pitching this week – his own long-ago aspirations and the throwers who are winning games for county prep baseball teams.
*** It’s almost time for the Leader Pet Expo on May 3. Come, and bring your pet!