■ Jefferson County has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of a mentally ill man who was shot twice by deputies responding to a call about a disturbance at a Fenton-area home in November 2015. The county’s insurance provider will pay the settlement to Lucas Hinkebein of unincorporated Fenton. However, a letter from the law firm that represented Hinkebein and his family – Blitz, Badgett and Deutsch of Clayton – indicated it was working on a contingency basis and would receive 40 percent of the settlement, plus expenses. As part of the settlement, the county has denied any wrongdoing in the incident. See Steve Taylor’s Page 1 story.
■ After 10 days of silence from Jefferson R-7 officials, a school board member has confirmed that Superintendent Clint Johnston is on paid administrative leave. Board member Tracey Perry said April 26 that Johnston, who makes $147,050 and has two years remaining on his contract, has been on paid administrative leave since the April 16 board meeting. However, Perry declined to say whether the board took a vote at that meeting. Johnston could not be reached for comment, and neither interim Superintendent Cindy Holdinghausen nor board president Wayne Surratt has returned calls requesting further information. The Leader has sent two Sunshine Law requests for more information about Johnston’s leave, with no success.
■ Nine flu-related deaths have been reported in Jefferson County this flu season, including one person younger than 18. The rest of the victims were older than 25, the Jefferson County Health Department reported. The end of the flu season is in sight; however during the week of April 14 to April 20, seven new laboratory-positive influenza cases were reported. That was lower than the week before, though, when 10 cases were reported between April 7 and April 13, the report said. “We’re probably seeing the end of the flu season,” said Dylan Steigerwald, county Health Department epidemiologist. “I won’t expect anymore (spikes in cases) in the last weeks of the flu season. I would expect that number (of cases) to go down or stay pretty low.” See Katelyn Mary Skaggs’ story.
■ Mercy Hospital Jefferson, in the latest chapter of its physical transformation begun in 2013, opened its new outpatient Behavioral Health Center on Monday. The center, 1420 Hwy. 61, in Crystal City occupies the building previously used by the hospital’s cancer center, which moved into a new facility at the other end of the hospital campus last spring. “The need is significant for behavioral health services in our community for adults and adolescents,” said Eric Ammons, Mercy Jefferson president. “This new center provides a healing location for those patients in a facility that is uniquely their own. Our caring and dedicated co-workers will be able to provide for those needs with even greater resources available.” See Gordon Bess’ story.
■ Army veteran Chris Miller said he “was pretty messed up” when he returned from serving in the Middle East with a traumatic brain injury. But, Miller, 36, said he got the help he needed to get his life back on track. “My wife and God helped me get through,” he said. “Once I got through that rough spot, I got connected with the Wounded Warrior project. It got me refocused on what kind of purpose I had in life.” It turned out that purpose, Miller said, was to help others. He and his wife, Stephanie, who live in Hillsboro, formed Endless Opportunities Worldwide, a nonprofit organization that helps people by “leading community service projects and trips” and by “assisting communities, both local and abroad, by providing the laborers, finances and knowledge needed in order for them to continue to thrive long after our boots are off the ground,” according to the organization’s mission statement. See Kevin Carbery’s story.
■ Just in time for Harry Truman’s 135th birthday, the Missouri Legislature is finally poised to place a statute of him in National Statuary Hall. See Gordon Bess’ column in the Editorial section.
■ There will be no instant replay in high school football games. That’s the word from Greg Stahl, executive director for the Missouri State High School Activities Association. In January, the rules committee for the National Federation of State High School Associations told states they could adopt instant replay during postseason games. But at its April board meeting, MSHSAA members discussed and quickly shelved the idea of using instant replay. See Russell Korando’s column in the Sports section.
*** See you at the Leader Pet Expo, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 5 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 10349 Business 21, in Hillsboro. Bring Fido or Fluffy. Pet calendars will be on sale to benefit the veterinary technology program at Jefferson College.