KXEO

NEWS – Audrain County

  • MMA names new Commandant
    Missouri Military Academy has named retired First Sergeant William Ramos as its new Deputy Commandant for Transportation, Security, and Support. A 25-year Army veteran, Ramos also joins the faculty as an AJROTC instructor and coach for the MMA Fusileers drill team. Academy President Richard Geraci says Ramos’s leadership and combat experience make him an exceptional role model. Ramos will oversee campus safety and fleet operations while mentoring cadets in leadership and discipline. Ramos says his priority is maintaining a safe, structured environment to prepare cadets for college and beyond.
  • Audrain County Senior Expo Set for Thursday
    The annual Audrain County Senior Expo is being held tomorrow at the Mexico Area YMCA. The event runs from 9-11am Thursday morning, and according to Tad Dobbins, with the Mexico Area Health, it is normally well attended. The Expo is a great resource for those aging members of the workforce, or those dealing with elderly people.
  • Two cover fires keep MPSD busy over weekend
    Mexico Public Safety was busy over the weekend with two fire calls. MPSD responded to assist on medical call with the Audrain Ambulance District on Saturday. At approximately 12:43pm, a call came in for the 3900 block of East Liberty Street. On the way to the scene, a natural cover fire was reported as sprea ding and nearing some vehicles. Responding personnel found that a controlled burn had spread and burned a about a quarter acre. The fire was extinguished before any personal property was damaged. The burn got out of hand after a woman, who was burning some yard waste, experienced a medical emergency unrelated to the fire. As she attempted to get help, the fire spread. Audrain Ambulance transported her to Boone Hospital where she was treated and released. On Sunday, March 22, at approximately 1:45 PM, the Mexico Public Safety Department responded to the 1600 block of Sherwood Street in reference to a grass fire. Responding personnel found the residents of a home extinguishing a fire along the fence line between them and a neighboring home. MPSD helped complete the extinguishment and no personal property was damaged. That fire came from a fire pit, which the residents had used the night before and had thought the fire was extinguished when they went inside for the night. As they returned to the house in the afternoon, they had noticed the fire had rekindled and was spreading outside the pit. There were no injuries from the incident.
  • Accident in Audrain County leaves one dead, two with serious Injuries
    The Missouri State Highway Patrol says one person was killed and two others were seriously hurt in a crash Wednesday evening in Audrain County. Troopers report a 16-year-old boy from Mexico was driving a 1998 Chevrolet 1500 east on Highway 22 near Audrain Road 215 around 6:10 p.m. when his pickup ran off the road. The teen overcorrected, crossed the center line, and hit a westbound 2014 Toyota Sienna. The Sienna’s driver, a 36-year-old woman from Thompson, died at the scene. Her 11-year-old passenger and the teen driver were both taken to University Hospital in Columbia with serious injuries. Authorities say it’s Troop F’s fifth traffic fatality this month and the eleventh so far this year.
  • Mexico Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Child Exploitation Crime
    A Mexico, Missouri man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for producing child pornography involving a 9-year-old girl. Forty-year-old Emrah Eymez (M-RAH EYE-MEZ) pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography. Prosecutors say he used a child under 12 to create explicit material between March and April of 2024. Investigators report the child’s mother contacted law enforcement after discovering more than 1,800 text messages between Eymez and the victim, including nude photos and a video. Eymez will also spend the rest of his life under supervised release and must register as a sex offender. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation.
  • Fugitive Arrest Leads to Major Drug Bust in Mexico
    The Audrain County Sheriff’s Office, with help from the East Central Drug Task Force, arrested a fugitive and made a drug bust Tuesday in Mexico. The two cases were connected as authorities were actively searching for Kenadi Lovelace, a fugitive wanted on three (3) felony Audrain County arrest warrants. During their investigation, the found that Joseph Lovell was actively assisting her in avoiding law enforcement and concealing her at a Mexico motel. As they watched the motel property, they observed Lovell leaving and later observed a traffic violation. Lovell was stopped, and during the course of the traffic stop, he was found to be armed with a firearm. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of approximately 195 grams of methamphetamine and psilocybin mushrooms. He also admitted that Lovelace was in their shared motel room, which allowed authorities to obtain a search warrant. Lovelace was located inside and taken into custody without incident. A search of the motel room netted trafficking amounts of fentanyl capsules along with miscellaneous drug paraphernalia. Lovell and Lovelace were both arrested. They are currently in the Audrain County Jail pending filing of charges by the Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
  • Mexico Man Faces Multiple Charges in Combined Court Hearing Today
    A combined hearing scheduled for 1:00pm Today in Audrain County Court, for a 46-year-old Mexico man currently being held without bond in Boone County. Jeremy Ryan Behlmann was arrested by Columbia authorities on a series of failure to appear warrants tied to four separate cases. Jail records show that Behlmann was booked this week on warrants connected to charges of fourth degree assault and stealing, as well as a second case involving fourth degree assault, second degree property damage, leaving the scene of an accident, and resisting. Two additional cases involve failure to appear on a peace disturbance charge and two counts of violating an order of protection.
  • City Council temporarily votes down payment for design/build on new City Hall
    About 50 people packed the Mexico City Council chambers tonight. The hot-button topic was the possibility of turning the old Audrain County Hospital cancer center into a suitable location for a Mexico City Hall.
    The council discussed and then voted down paying for a preliminary build/design work concept known as Bill No. 2026 – 09. It was a resolution to authorize Mexico City Manager Bruce Slagle to sign an order with Navigate Building Solutions, LLC.
    The passage of the bill would have sent $366,000 in city money to the group to begin plans on redesigning the old Audrain County Hospital’s cancer wing into a new City Hall.
    The bill ran into problems on two fronts. Councilman Larry Webber felt like he wanted to see more options for where City  Hall could be built, while Councilman Chris Miller and Mayor Steve Haag both felt that procedurally the city needed to be on the record  that they are ready to move forward with the plans for either building a new City Hall (projected at $18.6 million), restructuring the current facility ($18.7 million) or restructuring the cancer wing at an estimated $12.8 million.
    In order to do that, Roberts Rules of Order, would require them to actually put one, or all, of those options on the council’s agenda, which will probably happen at a meeting in the foreseeable future.
    Mexico Public Safety Director Brice Mesko also addressed the assembly reiterating that Public Safety has needed a new home for some time and his most recent employee that quit, mentioned the lack of up-to-date facilities as a reason as to why they left the department.
    Several community members also spoke on both sides of the issue including Donna Corrado, Alex Finck, Linda Reid, Michael Daugherty and Mike Briggs.
    In other business, Bill No. 2026 – 10, which was a resolution authorizing the City to pay Lumix Electrical, LLC for replacement of the Small Press Control Panel at the Wastewater Treatment Plant passed unanimously. The tab for the part was just over $106,000, and according to Assistant City Manager Drew Williford, was already part of the city’s 2026 budget for the plant.
    Bill No. 2026 – 08 was also considered. It was a resolution authorizing the City to execute a Contract of Obligation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources regarding Post-Closure Expenditures for the City of Mexico Sanitary Landfill (Permit No. 0100703).
    There are currently two vacancies with unexpired terms on the Mexico Parks and Recreation Board. Kathy Hopkins and Terry Henage have both submitted their resignations and their terms were set to expire in June 2028. The city received an application from Regina Johnson for the positions and, upon the suggestion of City Manager Bruce Slagle, Johnson was unanimously approved to fill one of the positions.
  • Dahl to face more sentencing
    A Sentencing Hearing scheduled for this afternoon at 1:00 PM in Audrain County Circuit Court for William Dahl. He’s the Rush Hill man who placed on Alford Plea in the case of of 1st Degree Promotion of Child Pornography.  He will be sentenced today. Dahl is already incarcerated on numerous other charges related to pornography.  
  • New City Hall discussion expected at tonight’s Mexico City Council Meeting
    The Mexico City Council set to meet in regular session on tonight. A group of Mexico residents expected at tonight’s meeting to ask the city to postpone converting the former Audrain County Hospital Cancer Center into a new City Hall. On the agenda, is a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources on estimated post-closure expenditures for the City of Mexico Sanitary Landfill. A resolution authorizing the City Manager to sign an order with Navigate Building Solutions, LLC for Owner Representative Services. and a resolution authorizing the City Manager to sign an order with Lumix Electrical, LLC for replacement parts at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.  
  • Audrain Humane Society Hosts 14th Annual Trivia Night Tonight
    The Audrain County Humane Society is hosting their 14th annual Trivia Night tonight at the 4-H Center just south of Mexico on Route D. The event is the main fund-raiser for the Humane Society. Board President Marilyn Niekamp says it helps to fund a needed service in the area, the spay and neuter program. Walk-ins are welcome. Doors open at 5:30. The event gets underway at 7pm.
  • Mexico City Council to meet Monday night.
    The Mexico City Council set to meet in regular session on Monday night. On the agenda is A Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Contract of Obligation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Regarding Estimated Post Closure Expenditures for the City of Mexico Sanitary Landfill A Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Sign Task Order No. 3 with Navigate Building Solutions, LLC for Owner Representative Services. . A Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Sign Task Order No. 1 with Lumix Electrical, LLC for Replacement of the Small Press Control Panel at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.