Low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to certain private nonprofit organizations in Missouri following President Biden’s federal disaster declaration for Public Assistance as a result of severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that occurred June 24 – July 1, 2021, announced Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Private nonprofits […]
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Missouri fielding “high volume” of calls for rental assistance as evictions resume
(Missouri Independent) – Calls from tenants seeking emergency rental assistance are escalating in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that blocked a national eviction moratorium. The Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) has 60 application processors working to distribute hundreds of millions in federal aid and has been fielding about 500 calls and responding to […]
Audio: FEMA providing financial aid for some COVID-19-related funerals
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing financial aid for some COVID-19-related funerals in Missouri. Bryon Boka, with FEMA, says the agency is covering up to $9,000 per person. The financial relief is just for people who paid the funeral costs for a loved one without life insurance policies or a prepaid funeral. […]
USDA updates pandemic assistance for livestock, poultry contract producers and specialty crop growers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is updating the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) for contract producers of eligible livestock and poultry and producers of specialty crops and other sales-based commodities. CFAP 2, which assists producers who faced market disruptions in 2020 due to COVID-19, is part of USDA’s broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers […]
Governor Parson mobilizes Missouri National Guard to support Hurricane Ida relief effort
Governor Mike Parson announced that he has mobilized the Missouri National Guard to assist in post-Hurricane Ida recovery efforts in Louisiana. In support of the relief effort, the Missouri National Guard will alert, mobilize, and deploy approximately 300 Soldiers to assist. “As our fellow states never fail to come to our aid in times of […]
Supreme Court rejection of eviction ban increases pressure to dole out rental aid money
(Missouri Independent) -The U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of the Biden administration’s last-ditch effort to extend a federal ban on evictions has put hundreds of thousands of American renters at risk of losing their housing — and is increasing pressure on states and localities to get rental assistance dollars distributed faster. In an eight-page majority opinion […]
Multi-state human trafficking operation, originating in Missouri, rescues 47 victims including 2 minors and leads to 102 arrests across 12 states
A 12-state human trafficking operation led by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol has led to 102 arrests and the rescue of 47 victims and sex workers including 2 minor victims. Operation United Front entailed simultaneous state-level human trafficking operations throughout the night on Thursday and into the early morning […]
Schools to continue mask rules despite legal challenge from Missouri Attorney General
(Missouri Independent) – The schools in Gov. Mike Parson’s hometown will continue to require students, teachers, and staff to wear masks indoors despite a lawsuit filed by the Missouri attorney general challenging public school mask mandates across the state. The Bolivar R-1 Board of Education in Polk County voted in a special meeting this month to […]
Department of Natural Resources awards $24,000 grant to Sullivan County Public Water Supply District No. 1
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $24,000 Drinking Water Engineering Report Grant to the Sullivan County Public Water Supply District No. 1 to evaluate the district’s drinking water system. The grant offers funding to qualified small communities to help cover engineering costs for evaluating drinking water system improvements. The district will use […]
Biden administration to restart oil and gas leasing
(Missouri Independent) – The Interior Department will make significant steps toward restarting its leasing programs for onshore and offshore oil and gas development in the coming months, the Biden administration said in a court filing Tuesday. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management anticipates holding a sale for offshore leases in October or November, the administration […]
Gallatin Board of Aldermen approve repairs at Dockery Park and picnic liquor license for Daviess County Country Club
The Gallatin Board of Aldermen approved matters on August 23 regarding repairs at Dockery Park. The park board recommended the action. Jones Power Washing Services, LLC was hired to complete power washing and painting on the grandstand and the deck behind the shelter house for $3,100. Matthew Barlow was hired for concrete flatwork at the grandstand […]
Missouri State Auditor finds improvements needed in data security for Missouri WIC Information Network System
State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released an audit of the Missouri WIC Information Network System. This system manages data for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — better known as the WIC program — which provides nutritional benefits to more than 90,000 participants. The report made recommendations for improvements in several […]
Missouri Public Service Commission sets deadline in Empire District Gas rate case
The Missouri Public Service Commission has established the deadline for those wishing to intervene and participate in a natural gas rate case filed by The Empire District Gas Company d/b/a Liberty. Applications to intervene and participate in this case must be filed no later than September 27, 2021, with the Secretary of the Missouri Public […]
USDA accepts 2.8 million acres for the Conservation Reserve Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has accepted 2.8 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment into the Conservation Reserve Program in 2021. This year, almost 1.9 million acres in offers have been accepted through the General CRP Signup, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency has accepted over 897,000 acres for enrollment […]
Missouri Attorney General joins 20 state coalition fighting unlawful rewrite of federal gun laws
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a 20-state coalition led by West Virginia and Arizona in arguing against the Biden administration’s proposed regulation of firearm parts. In addition to joining the coalition’s comment letter, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office filed a separate, but similar, comment letter. The coalition’s comment letter can be found at this […]
FDA gives full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
The U.S. has its first fully approved vaccine against COVID-19, with federal health officials announcing Monday the approval of Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose vaccine. The green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to move Pfizer’s vaccine from emergency use to full approval is a milestone in the national pandemic response, and one that comes as the […]
Meatpacking plants have long relied on immigrant labor. Some now turn to foreign visa workers
(Missouri Independent) – Colored hard hats distinguish different roles and jobs at Seaboard Foods, a major meatpacking plant in Guymon, Oklahoma. Senior management have green. Supervisors wear dark blue. Foreign workers on visas don yellow-green. But Seaboard is part of a small but growing trend in the meatpacking industry, which already largely relied on an […]
Missouri State Fair auction results from the Sale of Champions
The Missouri State Fair celebrated youth in agriculture on Saturday, Aug. 21. The annual Sale of Champions highlighted the day, breaking records from previous sales, raising a total of $185,948 for Youth in Agriculture. The Grand Champion Steer was exhibited by Payton Rodgers of Savannah, MO. Payton is the daughter of Blaine and Melissa Rodgers, […]
USDA accepting applications to help cover costs for organic certification
Organic producers and handlers can now apply for U.S. Department of Agriculture funds to assist with the cost of receiving or maintaining organic certification. Applications for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) are due Nov. 1, 2021. “USDA is here to help all producers, including those who grow our nation’s organic food and fiber. Many farmers have told […]