Downtown Jefferson City Conference Center Board to meet to discuss key matters

KMIZ on March 31, 2026

Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Board of Directors of the Downtown Jefferson City Conference Center Community Improvement District will hold a meeting Tuesday morning.

The meeting will begin at 11 a.m. in the Boone Bancroft Room of City Hall.

The board for “The District” is scheduled to discuss several matters related to the downtown conference center. Items on the agenda include designating the District’s principal office, adopting the District’s bylaws, adopting the District’s corporate seal, and adopting the District’s fiscal year.

Also on the agenda is the board considering a resolution to impose a Community Improvement District 1% sales and use tax before sending it to a public vote. Also on the agenda is the approval of a budget for the fiscal year ending on Oct 31.

Previous reporting says the city expects roughly $170,000 to be generated from the sales tax each year. The district and funding would run for a maximum period of 27 years before being reapproved.

The board will also consider authorizing the District’s general counsel to gather nonprofit corporation directors, along with officers and corporate indemnification insurance on behalf of the District.

The formation of the Board of Directors for the District was approved earlier this year by the city council. The downtown conference center transportation district has five board members, with two members having three-year-terms, two having two-year terms and one with a one-year term, according to court documents. The first set of board members was appointed by the mayor with City Council approval.

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Doctor, nurses, staff, arrested in patient abuse, kidnapping conspiracy case

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Allison Wise

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    FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (KHBS) — Former Northwest Arkansas psychiatrist Brian Hyatt, who has previously been accused of Medicaid fraud, was arrested again over the weekend.

According to jail records, 53-year-old Hyatt was booked into the Washington County Detention Center on March 28 and is on a federal hold.

A grand jury indictment shows multiple employees and associates with the Northwest Arkansas behavioral health unit have been accused of conspiring to abuse patients, unlawfully detain them and fraudulently bill government and private insurance programs, according to court documents.

The indictment, filed March 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, names Brian Hyatt, Devon Talbert, Lindsey Hess, Miranda Newburn, Georgette Rice, Robert Green, Owen Benjamin and Collyn Harlan as defendants.

Prosecutors allege the defendants participated in a conspiracy from about February 2018 through May 2022 at the Northwest Medical Center’s behavioral health unit in Springdale.

According to the indictment, Hyatt owned a psychiatric services clinic, oversaw care at the facility and worked with others, including nurses and staff, to carry out the alleged scheme.

The grand jury alleged that the group conspired “to confine, inveigle, decoy, kidnap, abduct, and hold” patients for financial gain, using threats and chemical restraints to control patients.

Prosecutors say the purpose of the conspiracy was to obtain money from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers by keeping patients longer than medically necessary and billing for services not provided.

The indictment claims staff ignored patient rights and professional obligations, including requirements to report abuse, and instead used coercion and punishment to prevent them from leaving the facility.

According to court documents, defendants allegedly administered medications such as Haldol, Ativan, Thorazine and Zyprexa without medical necessity and for staff convenience or discipline.

The indictment further alleges that employees falsified or altered medical records to justify treatment decisions and obscure patients’ true conditions.

In some cases, patients were placed on involuntary holds without proper legal procedures, denied access to phones, or threatened with extended confinement, according to the indictment.

In addition to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, the indictment includes a separate count alleging conspiracy to unlawfully dispense controlled substances, specifically involving medications containing lorazepam.

Federal prosecutors allege the defendants prescribed and administered controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.

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Baptist Health-Fort Smith to end pregnancy, childbirth, & NICU services

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Adam Roberts, DMM, Brett Rains

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    FORT SMITH, Arkansas (KHBS) — Baptist Health-Fort Smith will shut down its services for pregnancy, childbirth, and NICU in less than a month, according to an email sent by an executive to employees on Monday.

The email, obtained by 40/29 News, said that the obstetrics program at Baptist Health-Fort Smith is no longer sustainable.

Those services are set to end on April 28, 2026.

Doug Weeks, executive vice president of strategy and innovation, wrote in the email that the Baptist Health board is proud of the role the medical center has played in caring for mothers and newborns, but that they must focus resources in the areas of greatest ongoing community need.

Over the past five years, deliveries at Baptist Health-Fort Smith dropped form 92 a month to 20 a month, according to a spokesperson.

The teams will contact expectant mothers to make arrangements.

Hospital changes

Last week, a hospital spokesperson told 40/29’s Abner Sosa that Baptist Health-Fort Smith wouldn’t close, but warned of “operational changes” over the next 12 to 18 months.

CEO Troy Wells wrote in a statement that hospitals across the country are facing rising costs and workforce shortages.

Fort Smith Mayor George McGill issued a statement saying the reduction of health care services at the hospital would have a devastating impact on people who live in western Arkansas, especially people who can’t afford to travel.

Health care workers

Last week, 40/29’s Brett Rains spoke with registered nurse Loralee Hamman, who has worked at the hospital for 26 years and spent nearly all of her career in labor and delivery.

“We have an uncertain future,” Hamman said. “I haven’t had to look for a job in 26 years. I’ve been only there. That’s where my whole heart has been.”

The email from Weeks said that, when possible, Baptist Health would prioritize the 40 impacted workers for placement elsewhere in the company.

Weeks recommended they call the human resources department with concerns.

“I’m going to have to find somewhere to go,” Hamman said. “And whenever you find the kind of nurse you want to be, you typically aren’t happy being another kind of nurse.”

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Novo Nordisk to cut 400 jobs at Bloomington facility

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By WRTV Staff

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    BLOOMINGTON, Indiana (WRTV) — Novo Nordisk will eliminate about 400 positions at its Bloomington facility in early May, the company announced.

The pharmaceutical company will retain approximately 1,400 employees at the site following the workforce reduction.

The company said it remains committed to the Bloomington location as part of its U.S. manufacturing network.

Novo Nordisk manufactures diabetes and obesity medications including Ozempic and Wegovy.

The company said it will provide severance, outplacement assistance and transition support to affected workers.

“We are deeply grateful to every impacted colleague and are committed to treating them with respect and dignity through this process,” the company said.

Novo Nordisk said it continues to invest in the Bloomington site despite the layoffs.

The company did not specify which positions would be eliminated or provide a timeline beyond early May.

Full company statement:

“Novo Nordisk remains committed to Site Bloomington, where we will continue to employ approximately 1,400 people following a workforce reduction of approximately 400 positions at the beginning of May.

Despite this difficult decision, Novo Nordisk continues to invest in Site Bloomington as a critical part of our U.S. manufacturing network and our commitment to the people who depend on our medicines.

We are deeply grateful to every impacted colleague and are committed to treating them with respect and dignity through this process, including severance, outplacement assistance, and transition support.

Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions! If you can, please copy USMediaRelations@NovoNordisk.com“

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In-home daycare loses license after cocaine purchase

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Ryan Jeltema

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    FLINT, Michigan (WJRT) — Plans to open an in-home daycare on Flint’s south side are off after police say they purchased cocaine from two women at the residence.

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said members of the GHOST team completed a controlled purchase of drugs from the residence in the 1900 block of Eckley Avenue a short distance west of Center Road.

They found 3 ounce of cocaine and two handguns in the house after completing the controlled purchase, Swanson said. A 38-year-old woman and a 34-year-old woman were arrested on drug and weapons charges.

The women obtained a state license last year from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential to open a daycare in the home.

Swanson said no children were attending the daycare and state regulators revoked the license after the women’s arrests.

“They were going to have an active daycare,” he said. “They were going to have a daycare where kids were going and people were absolutely going to buy and sell dope out of that house. So we stopped it.”

Swanson credited the GHOST team for taking down the drug trafficking operation before any children were endangered by narcotics activity at the daycare.

“No kids were at risk because GHOST was proactive in doing it,” he said.

ABC12 is not identifying the women Monday because they have not appeared in Genesee County District Court for arraignment.

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Mother admits to killing 14-year-old daughter ‘to protect her,’ prosecutors say

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Chad Thompson

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    JANESVILLE, Wisconsin (WKOW) — A woman accused of killing her own teenage daughter, then trying to kill herself, appeared in Rock County Court on Monday.

Tyiece Oninski, 41, of Beloit, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Kuren Rein, 14. Rein was a freshman at Beloit Memorial High School.

The court ordered Oninski to be held on a $1 million cash bond.

According to the criminal complaint, Oninski called Rock County Dispatch on March 20 to explain that she killed her daughter the previous night at their home in the 2000 block of E. Gorton Street in the Town of Turtle.

During the 13-minute call, Oninski told dispatch she murdered her daughter to “protect her from somebody else,” eventually explaining that she did it to protect her daughter from Elon Musk, the complaint states.

She told dispatch she needed an ambulance and a hearse. Oninski said she also tried to take her own life, but she did not die.

When deputies arrived at the home, they found Oninski with a deep neck laceration, wrist lacerations and what appeared to be a stab wound on her temple. Rein was found deceased, face down, surrounded by a large amount of blood, according to the complaint. A black pocket knife and an empty leather sheath were found near her body.

As law enforcement was processing the scene, a partial barefoot footprint was found inside the home. A detective then looked at Oninski’s foot and saw red staining on the bottom of her left foot, according to the complaint.

The homeowner and grandfather figure to Rein told officers he had just woken up and believed Rein was at school. His bedroom was separate from Oninski and Rein’s sleeping area.

Oninski was taken to Beloit Memorial Hospital, then transferred to Madison for further treatment. Toxicology reports showed she had benzodiazepines, amphetamines, and THC in her blood.

The Rock County Medical Examiner’s Department determined the cause of death was deep incise wounds to the right side of Rein’s neck. There were no defensive wounds.

First-degree intentional homicide is a class A felony that is punishable by life in prison.

An adjourned initial appearance in the case is set for April 14.

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Axe-wielding man torches home after hours-long standoff

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Kaleb Clark

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    ASHLAND, Oregon (KDRV) — A man armed with an axe barricaded himself inside a vacant home on Church Street and threatened to blow up the house, leading to a hours-long standoff that ended with the suspect setting the building on fire.

Officers from the Ashland Police Department responded to 137 Church Street on March 28 for a report of a trespasser. When they arrived, they found a man inside who refused to come out and claimed he had firearms and explosives. The man said the only way he would leave was if officers used fatal force against him and threatened to set the house on fire with explosives if they tried to remove him.

Police called in the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team while officers tried to talk the man into surrendering. Negotiators continued working to resolve the situation peacefully after the SWAT team arrived.

Officers applied for and received a search warrant. Because of the ongoing threats to burn down the house, which posed a major risk to the neighborhood, SWAT team members moved in to make contact with the suspect around 5 p.m.

As the SWAT team approached, the suspect used accelerants to set the house on fire. He then climbed onto the roof, where SWAT team members used a ladder to reach him and take him into custody.

Ashland Fire & Rescue crews were already staged at the scene and quickly worked to put out the fire. The house sustained heavy damage because of the accelerants used to start the blaze.

The suspect was taken into custody with significant burn injuries and is being treated at an area hospital. He remains under guard and will be taken to the Jackson County Jail after his release.

Police identified the suspect as Fedish Llewellyn Ford, 41 years old. He will be charged with arson, burglary, trespassing and criminal mischief.

The Talent and Phoenix Police Departments, along with the Jackson County District Attorney’s office, assisted Ashland police during the incident.

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Dog rescued from pond by quick-thinking neighbors

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Elizabeth Klinge

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    ELGIN, Iowa (KWWL) — A dog fell through the ice on a pond last week while his owner was out of town, prompting a dramatic rescue by two neighbors.

Huck, a 70-pound dog, wandered onto the frozen pond after his owner, Lizz Johnstone, left a door with a dog flap open on what seemed like a nice day. Johnstone was out of town when the incident happened.

“The weather was so nice that day that I had left one of the doors open that has a dog flap in it for them to go in and out,” Johnstone said.

Cody Halverson was driving past Johnstone’s house when he spotted Huck struggling in the icy water.

“So I was leaving and I have to come past Liz’s house to get home,” Halverson said. “And I just happened to look out on her pond and I could see the ice and the black dog head sticking up out of the ice.”

Halverson and his sister-in-law Lori grabbed a boat and paddled out to reach the dog. Lori broke through the ice as Halverson steered the boat toward Huck.

“As soon as we got there, his front feet were resting on the ice and he let go of the ice and then that’s when he grabbed him,” Halverson said.

Pulling the soaking wet dog into the boat proved difficult. But adrenaline helped them lift Huck to safety.

“Yeah, it’s funny what your adrenaline can do,” Johnstone said.

Once they reached the dock, Huck jumped out and shook himself off.

“As soon as we got to the dock he jumped right up on the dock and that was it,” Halverson said. “He shook a few times and he was happy to be on shore.”

Johnstone said Huck has fully recovered.

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Man jailed after sewage leaked into county waterway

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By KEZI News Staff

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    COOS COUNTY, Oregon (KEZI) — Deputies arrested a man and are seeking a woman after finding dozens of garbage bags and sewage leaking into a creek at an illegal campsite in the Elliott State Forest, according to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office.

CCSO officials said a deputy responded to Marlow Creek on March 25 at 11:15 a.m. after getting a complaint about illegal camping. Campers had stayed beyond the maximum camping limit and thrown debris everywhere, according to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy found six dogs alone at the site. Between 30 and 40 garbage bags were pitched over a bank behind a trailer, sitting between the camper and the creek. A putrid smell of sewage and gray water leaked from underneath the camper. A large amount of fecal matter, either animal or otherwise, was also scattered around the trailer.

Deputies arrested 27-year-old Zackary Graves for placing offensive substances in a waterway. He was taken to the Coos County Jail. Further investigation revealed some of the dogs were injured and unattended. Animal control came to the location and removed all six dogs.

Another suspect, identified as 45-year-old Jennifer Patterson, was not at the location while deputies were on scene. Authorities will seek probable cause for her arrest on the charge of placing offensive substances in a waterway.

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Boy pulls fire alarm to get real firefighters at party

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By KWWL staff

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    JESUP, Iowa (KWWL) — A boy’s fire department-themed birthday party took an unexpected turn when he pulled a fire alarm to get real firefighters to show up.

The child wanted actual firefighters at his celebration. He pulled a fire alarm, thinking it would be the fastest way to make that happen.

First responders arrived to find a birthday party instead of an emergency. The crew turned the false alarm into a teaching moment.

The incident ended with a photo, a tour of the fire truck and a reminder about when it’s appropriate to pull a fire alarm. Firefighters told the boy to only pull the alarm during a real emergency.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.