Power Plant via Unsplash

Missouri Attorney General joins 19 state coalition urging Congress to reject legislation that increases energy fees

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a 19-state coalition urging Congress to reject burdensome legislation that would increase fees on energy producers and hit American consumers with even greater price hikes. The two bills in question are the Methane Emissions Reduction Act in the Senate and a provision of the Build Back Better Act in […]

Grants News Graphic

USDA invests more than $1 million to support rural Missouri businesses

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Missouri Acting State Director D Clark Thomas announced 19 organizations statewide are being awarded a total of $1,006,698 to create jobs and increase economic opportunities throughout the state. “USDA Rural Development has worked tirelessly to support rural Missouri businesses throughout the pandemic,” said Thomas. “The Rural Business Development Grants […]

USDA Sign

USDA to launch loan guarantee initiative to create more market opportunities, strengthen food supply chain

As part of the Administration’s efforts to address food systems challenges arising from the pandemic as well as those going back decades, United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA plans for another $100 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The funding would leverage hundreds of millions more in […]

Amtrak Missouri River Runner train#313 pulling into Kirkwood Missouri Amtrak Station

U.S. House Democrats add more mass transit, high-speed rail into infrastructure bill

(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. House transportation panel early Wednesday passed along party lines the panel’s $60 billion slice of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget plan, adding nearly $20 billion for a new transit program and high-speed rail development in the states. Chairman Peter A. DeFazio of Oregon had considered these and other items underfunded in […]

Urban Garden

Missouri Department of Agriculture announces grants for funding of urban agriculture projects

The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced funding for the Urban Agriculture Matching Grant Program. The Department will award grants of up to $10,000 for reimbursement of expenses associated with urban agriculture. Eligible projects include urban agricultural projects, which may include introducing a new crop or product to an area, expanding the use of an agricultural […]

COVID-19 Delta Variant

COVID cases among children rising as Missouri Delta variant wave enters fifth month

(Missouri Independent) – Clay LaRue, superintendent of the Van Buren R-1 School District, made a tough decision Sunday. With COVID-19 cases spiking in Carter County in southeast Missouri, and many of those infections among very young children, LaRue shut down the district’s pre-kindergarten program for two weeks. He had previously directed faculty, staff, and students […]