From Area Wide News: A dispute at a recent Morriston (Mo.) Volunteer Fire Department meeting led to a vote to remove Chief Curtis Raines and his wife, Angie, from the board of directors and dismiss them as firefighters. Raines resigned during the meeting instead.

The board elevated Capt. Marshall Armstead to interim chief, a move that shocked many in the firefighting community, because Armstead is a convicted sex offender, required to register with the state sex offender registry.

Trouble began on July 5. when Armstead criticized Raines for failing to remove an unsafe tanker truck from service. Raines denied knowledge of the problem and asked Armstead why he had not immediately removed the truck from service himself.

Board President Al Poole joined the discussion, claiming Raines had placed firefighters in danger by allowing an unsafe vehicle to operate since March.

Poole then turned his attention to Angie Raines saying, as safety officer, she failed to do her job, since an unsafe truck remained in use. Read the entire article here.