Missouri GOP vow to push back against Biden’s announced vaccine mandate

(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Republicans assailed President Joe Biden’s push to require employees of private businesses to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing, vowing a legislative response and legal action. Gov. Mike Parson promised to “fight back against federal power grabs and government overreach” in a tweet Thursday afternoon, calling Biden’s plan “an […]

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Trenton police report no injuries, but issue citation to driver after trailer comes loose from pickup, striking utility pole

The Trenton Police Department reports there were no injuries, but one driver was issued a citation after a trailer struck a utility pole on September 8, 2021. Officer Jeff Spencer’s crash report says 78-year-old Larry Eugene Dannar of Trenton drove a pickup truck south on Princeton Road. The towed unit came unhooked near 19th Street, […]

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Audio: State Appeals court upholds another employee discrimination case against the Missouri Department of Corrections.

A state appeals court has upheld another employee discrimination case against the Missouri Department of Corrections.     The case could potentially cost taxpayers more than $700,000. The St. Louis Post Dispatch says it’s the latest in a series of big-ticket judgments against prison system administrators revolving around an employee’s concern about an attempt to […]

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Virginia’s black farmers push lawmakers to provide debt relief, end lawsuits delaying USDA loan forgiveness

Farmers of color are urging Congress to end a slew of lawsuits delaying a loan-forgiveness program designed to make amends for years of loan discrimination against minority farmers. White farmers are claiming in court Congress’s $4 billion debt relief for Black farmers, part of a COVID-19 stimulus package, amounts to reverse discrimination. John Boyd Jr., president of […]

Audio: Two hundred plus attend vaccine mandate protest at Wright Memorial Hospital

It is estimated more than 200 people attended a rally near Wright Memorial Hospital in Trenton on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, to show support for personal choice involving whether to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Spokesperson Nathan Rorebeck said the rally was for the vaccine mandate involving employees for the Saint Luke’s Health System, which includes Wright […]

Medical Marijuana and Veterans

Veterans Administration sending mixed messages to vets about cannabis use to treat PTSD

(Missouri Independent) – Despite increasing legal access to medical and recreational cannabis in states across the U.S., veterans face unfair treatment and stigmatization because the U.S.  refuses to recognize marijuana as a viable treatment option.  While the VA has embraced the federally illegal status of the drug, agency policy does not allow discrimination against veterans […]

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Missouri Attorney General sends letter to KC Mayor and Jackson County executive providing “legal direction” on mask mandates

While litigation over the mask mandates continues, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sent a letter to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Jackson County Executive Frank White noting the exceptions to the City and County’s mask mandates and providing “legal direction” to the public on these important exceptions, specifically for those with disabilities or those […]

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Charges filed against victim of shooting in Mercer County

The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office reports charges have been filed against the victim of a gunshot in an incident on August 30, 2021. David Walton has been charged with the felonies of second-degree kidnapping, armed criminal action, third-degree domestic assault, and unlawful use of a weapon. He also faces misdemeanor fourth-degree domestic assault. The sheriff’s […]

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Audio: Judge upholds Governor Parson’s decision to terminate pandemic-related unemployment benefits

The Cole County Circuit Court sided with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office in our defense of the Governor’s termination of federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits. “As Missouri’s economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are still struggling to hire workers for a large number of open, available jobs. Too often, businesses can’t compete with […]

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Biden administration opens civil rights investigation into states banning school mask mandates

(Missouri Independent) – Federal education officials have launched civil rights investigations in five Republican-led states that have prohibited school districts from mandating mask-wearing, saying those policies could amount to illegal discrimination against students with disabilities. The Biden administration notified the education chiefs in Iowa, Tennessee, South Carolina, Utah, and Oklahoma of the investigations through formal letters Monday. The new investigations will examine […]