Governor Parson photo courtesy Governor's office

Governor Mike Parson announces seven appointment to various boards and commissions

Governor Mike Parson announced seven appointments to various boards and commissions.  Deanna Bokel, of Weldon Spring, was appointed to the Board of Nursing Home Administrators. Ms. Bokel currently serves as director of corporate compliance for Stonebridge Senior Living. She previously served as a registered nurse in Acute Medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Ms. Bokel is a licensed […]

Prison Sentence News Graphic

Man from Olathe sentenced to 6-1/2 years in prison for airport disruption on downtown Kansas City airport runway

An Olathe, Kansas, man who led police officers on a high-speed chase down a runway at the downtown airport was sentenced in federal court today for disrupting airport operations as well as illegally possessing a firearm. Efren Torres-Rodriguez, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 78 months in federal prison without […]

2023 Old Farmers Almanac

The B-R-R is Back” – The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s offers a winter warning for Missouri

After a sweltering July, Missourians, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, should brace for a chilly, snow-laden winter. Sandi Duncan, Old Farmer’s Almanac managing editor, shared that the Great Plains states, including Missouri, should anticipate a cold winter with occasional snowfall. “The Farmers’ Almanac highlights ‘The B-R-R is Back,’ indicating a surge of cold temperatures […]

Marion Record Newspaper in Kansas (Photo by Sam Bailey - Kansas Reflector).

National journalism group offers $20,000 to defend Kansas newspaper raided by police

(Missouri Independent) – The Society of Professional Journalists board unanimously offered $20,000 to the family-owned Marion County Record for legal costs in the wake of the seizure of newspaper and personal property by local law enforcement investigating allegations of identity theft and illegal use of a computer. The raid undermining the operation of the weekly […]

Cannabis Recall News Graphic

Missouri’s Division of Cannabis Regulation announces product recall

Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) issued a product recall for manufactured products sold to dispensaries and manufacturers by infused product manufacturer, Delta Extraction, LLC, MAN000022. Pursuant to 19 CSR 100-1.100(4)(P), the DCR may issue a public notice of recall where marijuana product presents a potential threat to health and safety. No adverse reactions for […]

Shelves of library books (Photo by Iñaki del Olmo on Unsplash)

Push for tax hikes to fund public libraries face mixed results this year in Missouri

(Missouri Independent) – Ballot measures seeking to fund local libraries had mixed results Tuesday, with Cole County voters striking down a 15-cent tax increase and Taney County residents narrowly approving an 18-cent levy to create a public library. The votes come at a precarious time for Missouri’s libraries, as they have increasingly been pulled into […]

People with disability in wheelchairs

Americans with Disabilities Act, court ruling, protect disabled Missourians’ right to integrated living

Many Missourians with developmental and intellectual disabilities live successfully in the community. Disability advocates emphasize that this is their right under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. They aim to highlight that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is “revitalizing” its disability-rights enforcement on the 24th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Olmsted decision. […]

Audit News Graphic

Missouri State Auditor releases closeout report for Wentzville Parkway Transportation Development District

State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick issued the closeout audit of the Wentzville Parkway Transportation Development District (TDD) in St. Charles County today. State law requires an audit of a TDD prior to moving forward with dissolution. The Wentzville Parkway TDD was formed in March 2005 for the purpose of improving Wentzville Parkway, North Road, the North […]

Methamphetamine news graphic

Three sentenced to prison time in conspiracy that brought methamphetamine to Missouri

U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Friday sentenced two of the final three defendants in a conspiracy that brought methamphetamine from California to St. Louis. On Wednesday, Judge Fleissig sentenced Darius McCullum, 33, to 10 years in prison. McCullum, the Los Angeles-based supplier, provided some of the methamphetamine. In April, McCullum pleaded guilty to […]

Storm Damage News Graphic

Missouri Governor calls for joint damage assessments with FEMA, SEMA and local agencies

Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri has initiated the process to secure federal disaster assistance in response to the series of severe weather events that began affecting the state on July 29. “From July 29 onward, Missouri has been under the onslaught of damaging winds, tornadoes, and flash floods, resulting in significant destruction across 26 […]

Tyson Foods Website

Audio: Tyson Foods announces closure of four chicken plants, two in Missouri, thousands of jobs at risk

Tyson Foods Inc. announced the closure of four additional chicken plants in Arkansas, Indiana, and Missouri as part of its cost-cutting measures. This decision will significantly impact small communities in the U.S. heartland, which rely on the meatpacker for nearly 3,000 jobs. Despite enjoying substantial profits during the surge in meat prices amid the COVID-19 […]

Social Media news graphic

Appeals court weighs limits on Biden administration contact with social media platforms

(Missouri Independent) – Attorneys for the Biden administration argued Thursday that a district judge in Louisiana overstepped his authority by barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies to urge them to moderate information deemed harmful or misleading. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard […]

Student Loans or graduation cap on money

Students blocked from campus when COVID hit want money back. Some are getting refunds

(Missouri Independent) – Thousands of college students will get hundreds of dollars in compensation as colleges and universities move this summer to settle multimillion-dollar lawsuits stemming from canceled classes and activities during COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. While some of the class-action suits against the colleges and universities are still in litigation, and still others dismissed, several […]