Your Wednesday Morning News Update with Maria Neider

and Brandon Beck's forecast

Your Wednesday Morning News Update with Maria Neider

By Gene Hartley

MARSHFIELD, Mo. -- A Fordland Police is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl twice. A probable cause statement shows the girl told a detective that Earl Thompson told her to "let it go" or she would never see her parents again. The statement also says the teenager said she asked him to stop but he wouldn't.

Thompson is suspended from the Fordland Police Department. His next court appearance is scheduled for next month.
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Hundreds of people are still without power after the deadly EF4 tornado in Newton and Barry counties and a smaller one in Jasper County.

Empire District Electric company reports fewer than 100 of its customers in the dark, mostly between Seneca and Granby in Newton County. New Mac Electric Coop is working to restore service to fewer than 500 customers.

Emergency Management officials say at least 100 people were injured by the tornado, and more than 200 homes were damaged or destroyed.
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PURDY, Mo. -- Seniors at Purdy High School will receive their diplomas tonight after a delay caused by the tornado. The graduation ceremony was about to start Saturday when a tornado touched down on the north side of town, damaging homes and a church.

The tornado killed one person near Purdy. No one at the school was hurt.
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YELLVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- Authorities say a woman jailed after a standoff with police died in the Marion County jail. The sheriff's department says 52-year-old Lynn Cayia apparently killed herself in her cell late Monday night.

Cayia faced charges including felony aggravated assault, terroristic threatening and residential burglary.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) -- Inflation pressures eased a bit in April despite the biggest jump in food prices in 18 years. The Labor Department reports consumer prices edged up 0.2 percent last month, compared to a 0.3 percent rise in March.

The lower inflation reflects a flat reading for energy. That helped offset a 0.9 percent jump in food costs as the prices of many basic items, from bread and milk to coffee and fresh fruits, all increased.
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to see Brandon's forecast, click on the video icon.

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