(Missourinet) – The weather outside has been frightful since the state has seen drought erase away those typically expected spring showers. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center says Missouri could be in store for a wetter-than-normal summer. There’s about a 50% chance that Missouri could see above-normal precipitation this summer, according to meteorologist Jayson […]
Category: State News
Juneteenth events grow statewide, as advocates celebrate progress on reparations
(Missouri Independent) -As Missourians go out to celebrate Juneteenth this weekend and commemorate the end of slavery in the United States, local advocates say they may feel a new sense of hope brewing. In the past year, the state’s two major cities, St. Louis and Kansas City, have established reparations commissions. These groups of community […]
Evergy slashes planned renewable energy additions, proposes more natural gas
(Missouri Independent) – Kansas’ largest electric utility – also a major supplier in western Missouri – has drastically scaled back its plans to add more clean energy over the next decade and will keep open its oldest coal plant for years longer. Two years ago, Evergy announced plans to retire the Lawrence Energy Center by the end […]
Missouri State Treasurer breaks record for returned unclaimed property
Missouri State Treasurer Vivek Malek reached $51,817,543.80 in unclaimed property returned for the fiscal year 2023. This breaks the previous fiscal year’s payout record of $50.2M. The number of accounts returned record was also broken earlier this fiscal year. The record set in fiscal year 2022 was 233,769, and as of last week, Treasurer Malek […]
Republican states arm teachers, fortify buildings in another year of school shootings
(Missouri Independent) – As another school year defined by mass shootings ends in America, Republican-led state legislatures passed measures this session to fortify schools, create guidelines for active shooter drills and safety officer responses, and allow teachers to be armed. Firearm restrictions, however, were a nonstarter in red states trying to curb school shootings. The […]
Missouri governor’s office hid plans on gender-affirming care, transgender athletes bills
(Missouri Independent) – When Missouri lawmakers passed bills restricting gender-affirming care and barring transgender athletes, many wondered: When will the governor sign the much-debated legislation? Representatives and senators signed up to receive alerts about the bills from the governor’s office and asked for signed copies of the legislation. People emailed, called, and sent handwritten letters to the governor […]
Online map and text number will help families locate local summer food programs
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Summer Food Service Program is designed to provide breakfast, lunch, suppers, and/or snacks to children living in eligible areas during the summer months and during times of public emergencies, when children do not have access to free or reduced-price meals at school. An online interactive map is provided […]
Audio: Hawley says U.S. Justice Department is being misused to go after Trump
(Missourinet) – Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley is taking the U.S. Justice Department to task for indicting former president Donald Trump in connection to storing classified documents at his estate in Florida. Hawley also called it hypocritical because numerous classified documents were also found at the Delaware home of President Biden. Meanwhile, former […]
Audio: Proposed constitutional amendment would allow local governments in Missouri to enact stricter gun laws
(Missourinet) – A newly formed nonprofit wants to amend Missouri’s constitution to allow local governments to enact stricter gun laws than the state currently has. The group is called Sensible Missouri, and it’s planning to organize a petition drive to get the ball rolling on the proposed ballot measure. The group’s goal is […]
Missouri begins distributing summer 2022 food benefits as deadline for 2023 application looms
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri began distributing pandemic-relief summer food benefits that were designed to cover summer 2022 just last week. Since last fall, thousands of families have been asking the state if and when they would receive the promised benefits, called summer Pandemic EBT — a federal COVID relief program administered by states. The summer 2022 benefits […]
Missouri Public Service Commission approves $140M rate increase for Ameren Missouri electric customers
(Missouri Independent) – Ameren Missouri’s nearly 1.3 million electric power customers will be paying more in the near future but exactly how much more, and when the rates will take effect, has yet to be determined, the Missouri Public Service Commission said in a news release Thursday. The commission approved a plan for the utility […]
Former Missouri construction company owner sentenced to 18 months in prison, fined $100,000 for fraud scheme
U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a former construction company owner to 18 months in prison and a $100,000 fine for committing fraud to qualify for tax abatements designed to encourage minority-owned businesses in St. Louis. Brian Kowert Sr. “engaged in an elaborate ‘pass through’ fraud scheme where he used an elderly […]
Seattle man admits to buying 630,000 counterfeit pills on the dark web in a Missouri court
A man from Seattle, Washington on Thursday admitted buying 630,000 counterfeit Xanax and other pills on the dark web. Maximillian Gregory Verbowski, 28, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark to one count each of conspiracy to sell counterfeit drugs, selling counterfeit drugs, and using a fictitious name on mail […]
Missouri man sentenced to 12 year prison term for heroin, fentanyl conspiracy
A Missouri man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than four kilograms of heroin and/or fentanyl. Marquise D. Martin, 33, of Springfield, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Wednesday, June 14, to 12 years in federal prison without parole. On Nov. 3, […]
Missouri man sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for heroin, fentanyl conspiracy
A Missouri man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Roderick L. Stewart, Springfield, also known as “Memphis,” 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Wednesday, June 14, to 12 years and 11 months in federal prison without parole. On Nov. 8, […]
Unemployment rate holds steady at 2.5% in Missouri for May 2023
Missouri nonfarm payroll employment increased by 3,700 jobs in May 2023, while the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained steady at 2.5%. Private industry employment saw a rise of 3,300 jobs, and government employment increased by 400 jobs. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2023 remained unchanged from April 2023 at 2.5%. Over the […]
Audio: Missouri Legislature approves Bill expanding nurse practitioners’ scope of practice
A roadblock for Missouri nurse practitioners could come down soon. The state legislature passed a bill this year that would allow nurse practitioners to cover an even wider area than previously allowed. State Senator Rusty Black of Chillicothe tells Missourinet that his bill started out as a fix for nurse practitioners to practice in the […]
Eleven troopers to graduate from Missouri State Highway Patrol Law Enforcement Academy on June 23rd
Eleven troopers will graduate from the Patrol’s Law Enforcement Academy on Friday, June 23, 2023. The ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. on the south lawn of the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, MO. The graduation ceremony will be live-streamed on the Patrol’s Facebook page. The 117th Recruit Class reported to the Academy […]
Legal marijuana puts drug-sniffing police dogs out of work in Missouri
(Missouri Independent) – Now that cannabis is legal in Missouri, drug-sniffing police dogs face early retirement if they are attracted to the smell of marijuana. Because some police dogs are sensitive to the odor of pot, they can compromise an investigation and prevent a successful drug prosecution. If a dog is trained to detect marijuana […]
American Heart Association warns of health risks from extreme heat
With summer heat already here, the American Heart Association wants people to remember that extreme temperatures can put extra stress on the heart and increase the risk of death. This was the conclusion of an international study of over 32 million cardiovascular deaths over a 40-year period – published last year in the Heart Association’s journal, […]