(Missouri Independent) – The first U.S. stop for the nearly 2,000 Afghan interpreters and other refugees evacuated so far amid the collapse of the Afghan government has been central Virginia’s Fort Lee military base. Tapped for its East Coast location and its ability to quickly ramp up to serve as a temporary host installation, the Army […]
Category: State News
U.S. House Democrats unveil new voting rights bill named for John Lewis
(Missouri Independent) – At the base of the bridge in Selma, Ala., where the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia almost died while marching for civil rights, congressional Democrats announced Tuesday the introduction of legislation that aims to protect voting rights across the country. Rep. Terri Sewell, an Alabama Democrat, unveiled what will be […]
Audio: Missouri’s governor signs deal with newly formed organization aimed at boosting the state’s sluggish vaccination rate.
Governor Mike Parson’s administration has signed a deal with a newly formed organization aimed at boosting Missouri’s stagnant COVID-19 vaccination rate. The $2.5 million contract with the Missouri Immunization Coalition is the latest attempt by the administration to jumpstart vaccinations in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The hiring of […]
Graves presses Biden for a plan on Afghanistan
Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) joined Republican colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee today in pressing the Biden administration for a plan on Afghanistan. In the letter, the members wrote, “For months, we have been asking you for a plan on your withdrawal from Afghanistan. You failed to provide us with one, and based on the […]
Missouri contractor charged with fraud by Attorney General
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that Jeffrey J. Anderson of Manchester, Missouri, has been charged with contractor fraud in St. Charles County relating to his unregistered businesses All Star Basements, West County Basements, and West County Concrete. Anderson faces three felony counts of deceptive business practices. The Attorney General’s Office also has a pending […]
Missouri Department of Conservation reminds hunters that dove season opens September 1
The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds hunters that dove season in Missouri opens September 1 and runs until November 29, 2021. Seasons for other migratory birds run September 1 through November 9 for sora and Virginia rails, September 1 through December 16 for Wilson’s common snipe, and October 15 through November 28 for American woodcock. […]
Audio: Missouri Congressional Representatives sound off on Afghanistan
As the United States evacuates citizens and allies from Afghanistan following a Taliban takeover, members of Missouri’s Congressional delegation are speaking out. “Fourth District Republican Representative Vicky Hartzler called the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan “bungled” and said in a statement “gone and lost are decades of progress for women, who will now see […]
Audio: Missouri Chamber of Commerce opposes calls to ban businesses from requiring coronavirus vaccinations
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry says it opposes calls to ban coronavirus vaccination requirements in the private sector. The Republican-leaning business group’s position follows six conservative state senators calling for a special session to ban public and private sectors from requiring vaccinations. Matt Panik, with the state’s largest business group, says businesses should […]
Senator Roy Blunt: “Afghanistan was an unforced error”
Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), who has served on the Intelligence Committee in both the House and Senate, released the following statement on Afghanistan: “The catastrophe that has unfolded in Afghanistan was an unforced error. We are now faced with a devastating collapse of our intelligence gathering capabilities while terrorists regain a foothold to launch attacks […]
Attorney General announces 72-year-old Missouri landscaper sentenced for fraud
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that John L. Cazzell, 72, was sentenced last month for felony charges of defrauding customers in connection with his business, Four Seasons Lawn & Landscape. Cazzell promised extensive landscaping services in exchange for large advance payments. After taking money from several consumers, including elderly Missourians, Cazzell never followed through […]
Charles Dayoub named as Special Agent in Charge of the Kansas City Field Office
Director Christopher Wray has named Charles A. Dayoub as the special agent in charge of the Kansas City Field Office in Missouri. Dayoub most recently served as a section chief in the Counterintelligence Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Dayoub joined the FBI as a special agent in 2005. He was first assigned […]
Missouri State Highway Patrol reminds school personnel, parents and students about Courage2Report program
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reminds school personnel, parents, and students the Courage2ReportMO program provides a safe and confidential way to report any concerns regarding their safety or the safety of others. These concerns may include assault, bullying/repeated harassment, cyberbullying, fighting, guns, homicide, human trafficking, knife, planned school attack, imminent school shooting, school shooting threat, […]
AARP calls for vaccine mandates as COVID re-enters Missouri nursing homes
(Missouri Indepentent) – With cases on the rise among both residents and staff, the nation’s leading advocacy group for retirees is calling on nursing homes to mandate COVID-19 vaccines. The number of COVID-19 cases reported each week in Kansas and Missouri nursing homes is rising again for the first time in months. Missouri, where weekly […]
Study finds children returning to school 4-5 months behind
A new study from the consulting firm McKinsey finds that American kids are returning to school on average 4 to 5 months behind in their education – and 5 to 7 months behind for children from low-income areas and communities of color. As a result, many non-profits have stepped in to help, providing meals, school supplies, […]
New report finds voting laws hamper access to ballot box in Missouri
A new report finds Missouri lags behind many other states in voting access. The Campaign Legal Center graded states on whether they have 10 key voting practices, from no-excuse absentee voting to online tracking of mail-in ballots and ballot drop boxes. Missouri received a score of four out of 10. Denise Lieberman, director of the […]
Audio: Missouri University of Science and Technology holds unique explosives camp
Missouri University of Science and Technology held an explosives camp for high schoolers from all over the country. The one-of-a-kind camp is a recruitment tool for the university and attracts students who want to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math. Bo Bryan came all the way from Las Vegas to get some hands-on […]
Audio: Online pet product retailer Chewy to hire 1,600 employees in western Missouri’s Belton area
The governor traveled to rural western Missouri’s Belton this week to help cut the ribbon on an 800-thousand square foot new e-Commerce fulfillment center that’s located near I-49. State Department of Economic Development Director Rob Dixon says Chewy has seen enormous growth. Dixon says Chewy plans to hire 1,600 employees in the Belton […]
Audio: Missouri Board of Education to vote on effort to boost substitute teacher pool
The Missouri Board of Education is expected to vote Tuesday on a recommendation to get more K-12 substitute teachers in the classroom. Last August, the board voted to temporarily give prospective substitute teachers the choice to take an online training course of about 20 hours or fulfill the standard 60 college credit hours. […]
Governor Parson announces nearly 500,000 MO VIP entries
Governor Mike Parson announced an official total of 495,296 MO VIP entries for the first drawing, which will take place today. The MO VIP incentivizes vaccination for those who have not yet been vaccinated, as well as provides an opportunity for rewards for the more than 3 million Missourians who have already made the decision […]
Missouri Attorney General scores massive win in “Remain in Mexico” lawsuit
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that his office, along with the Texas Attorney General’s Office have prevailed in their lawsuit against the Biden Administration over President Biden’s cancellation of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), or “Remain in Mexico” policy. A federal court in northern Texas, where the case was filed, issued a nationwide permanent […]