Region/state digest 02/03/06

Telephone scam attempted in Scott Co.

Scott County residents were being warned of a possible telephone scam. Thursday afternoon, a woman in rural Chaffee received a telephone call from a man stating her checking account number was "all over" the Internet, a news release from the Scott County sheriff's department stated. The man told the woman he could help get the account number off the Internet, but he needed her to get her checkbook. After failing to pressure the woman, the man became irritated and hung up, the release stated. There have not been any other incidents related to the telephone scam, according to Scott County Lt. Jerry Bledsoe. Bledsoe warned residents not to give personal information such as a bank account number to anyone. He encouraged anyone who receives a similar call requesting such information to contact the Scott County sheriff's department, (573) 545-3525.

Change of judge granted man accused of slashing

A Clubb, Mo., man accused of slitting the throats of a 22-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy was granted a change of judge motion Thursday. James W. Leach, 23, appeared in Bollinger County court on multiple felony counts of assault, armed criminal action and stealing a motor vehicle related to the Nov. 5 assault. Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis granted the change of judge motion Thursday, and scheduled a change of venue motion hearing for Feb. 10 at 9 a.m. before Circuit Judge William Syler. Leach, being held in lieu of a $500,000 cash-only bond, is accused of carrying out the attack in Bollinger County while high on methamphetamine. The victims survived.

Nine-year-old goes missing for three hours

Local authorities conducted a search along County Road 603 in Fruitland for a 9-year-old boy who ran away from his home. The boy was reported missing at 5:30 p.m. and was found approximately three hours later. "We found him near Route Y east of W," said assistant Fruitland fire chief Andy Renner. "He was unharmed, just a little wet and cold. Thank goodness he was found safe and sound; if he was out there any longer we would have started calling more people in to search because of the rain and the cold weather."

Boil-water order lifted for Dearmore Court area

A boil-water order issued Wednesday to about 150 residents in the area west of Dearmore Court off of Hopper Road has been lifted, said officials from the Cape Girardeau public works department. The order was issued due to a gasket failure on a 12-inch water main near Dearmore Court. The main was repaired and water service was restored in about an hour on Wednesday morning.

Southwest Missouri aide charged in sex case

CASSVILLE, Mo. -- A first-year teacher's aide in Washburn, Mo., is accused of having sexual contact with two middle school students. Shanna L. Angle, 38, of Cassville, was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree child molestation, one count of first-degree statutory rape and one count of first-degree statutory sodomy. Angle is accused of having sex with one male student and improperly touching another. Southwest School District superintendent Richard Asbill said Wednesday that school administrators investigated an allegation and rumors, then referred the case to the Barry County sheriff. Asbill said all new hires undergo background checks.

Foul-smelling plant has two weeks to end odors

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- State regulators are giving a Carthage plant that converts turkey waste into fuel oil two weeks to prove that new equipment will put an end to foul odors that prompted Gov. Matt Blunt to shut down the operation in December. The Department of Natural Resources said it had received 14 calls about odors Thursday as the facility owned by Renewable Environmental Solutions began getting materials ready for processing. But the DNR said the odors seemed to come from a turkey processing plant across the street. The DNR granted RES permission to restart the Carthage plant between Wednesday and Feb. 15 on a trial basis to test new odor-control equipment.

-- From staff, wire reports