Kansas City man Andrew Lester dies days after pleading guilty to shooting Black teen Ralph Yarl after he rang doorbell

Kansas City man Andrew Lester dies days after pleading guilty to shooting Black teen Ralph Yarl after he rang doorbell

Andrew Lester, the 86-year-old Missouri man who pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in the 2023 shooting of a Black honor student who rang the White man’s doorbell in Kansas City by mistake, has died, prosecutors announced Wednesday. Lester was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of then-16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who…

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'Life-threatening cold' hits parts of U.S.

‘Life-threatening cold’ hits parts of U.S.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Harsh cold descended on the nation’s midsection Monday as a polar vortex gripped the Rockies and Northern Plains on the heels of weekend storms that pummeled the Eastern U.S. with floods, killing at least 14 people. What You Need To Know The National Weather Service is warning of life-threatening cold Extreme cold warnings have been…

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Kansas City retiree who shot Ralph Yarl, Black teen who mistakenly rang his doorbell, pleads guilty to lesser charge

Kansas City retiree who shot Ralph Yarl, Black teen who mistakenly rang his doorbell, pleads guilty to lesser charge

An 86-year-old Kansas City man pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser charge in the 2023 shooting of Ralph Yarl, a Black honor student who rang his doorbell by mistake. Andrew Lester, who is White, was scheduled to stand trial next week on charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of the then-16-year-old,…

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Nick Chabarria, spokesperson for AAA, describes how to use a variety of cellphone mounts that people can use in their cars Monday morning. The new Missouri "Siddens Bening Hands Free" law went into effect, which prohibits all drivers from manually typing, scrolling or holding a cellphone or another wireless device while their car is in motion. (Spectrum News/Elizabeth Barmeier)

Missouri hands free driving law update

ST. LOUIS—Missourians are prohibited from texting, scrolling and holding a phone while driving under the Siddens Bening Hands-Free Laws. It started Jan. 1, sticking distracted drivers with fines and citations.  The law went into effect in August 2023, but officers couldn’t issue citations until this year. In the last two weeks, the Missouri State Highway…

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