Josh Hawley Courtesy of Missourinet

Hawley introduces bill to strengthen investigations of fraud in COVID-19 relief programs

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced new legislation to continue to fund and restore the jurisdiction of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery so that it can investigate fraud within the Treasury Department’s pandemic programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This anti-fraud legislation comes as the Biden Administration is lobbying for more federal […]

Class Action Lawsuit Graphic

St. Louis jail inmates file class action lawsuit alleging guards torture them with mace

(Missouri Independent) – Inmates at St. Louis’ primary jail filed a federal class-action lawsuit Tuesday accusing guards of torture with mace and depriving them of water for days. The inmates are represented by a team of attorneys from the MacArthur Justice Center, ArchCity Defenders, the SLU Law Legal Clinics, and Rights Behind Bars.  “They spray chemical agents […]

Governor Mike Parson (Photo by (Rudi Keller - Missouri Independent)

Parson digs in against evidence absolving reporter he accused of being a ‘hacker’

(Missouri Independent) – Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday once again refused to accept the conclusions of an investigation by the highway patrol and Cole County prosecutor surrounding a reporter who uncovered a security flaw in a state website.  Speaking to a gathering of reporters and editors in the governor’s mansion for Missouri Press Association Day, […]

Patricia “Tricia” Ashton Derges former State Representative

Audio: GOP Party moves to block lawmaker’s attempt to run for office

The Missouri Republican Party has refused to take a required filing fee from a southwest Missouri lawmaker attempting to run for office.      Charlie Dalton, with the Missouri Republican Party, confirmed the move to block Representative Tricia Derges from running for office this year. Derges, of Nixa, has been indicted on federal Medicaid fraud […]

Missouri State Highway Patrol Website New 2021 (MSHP)

Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the arrest of five individuals on Monday and Tuesday

The Highway Patrol in Adair County reports the arrest of two individuals from Kirksville on warrants issued by other counties. Thirty-eight-year-old Yvonne Hampton was arrested Tuesday on a felony warrant for alleged theft of a motor vehicle in Jackson County. She also was arrested on a warrant at Kirksville for alleged driving while revoked. Hampton […]

Medical Marijuana

Criticism of Missouri medical marijuana system seeps into initiative petition debate

(Missouri Independent) – A handful of Republican lawmakers lashed out at the state’s medical marijuana industry Thursday, lobbing accusations of corruption into a Missouri House debate over whether to make it harder to amend the state’s Constitution.  On a mostly party-line 98-53 vote, the Missouri House signed off on legislation Thursday that would require a two-thirds […]

(Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler photo courtesy U.S. House of Representatives website)

Josh Hawley endorses Vicky Hartzler in GOP primary for Missouri U.S. Senate seat

(Missouri Independent) – U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler scored a major victory on Saturday in her quest for Missouri’s open Senate seat, winning the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in the crowded GOP primary. Hawley made the announcement at the Missouri GOP’s annual Lincoln Days event in St. Charles. Hartzler is part of a six-way primary, […]

Missouri State Highway Patrol Website New 2021 (MSHP)

Missouri State Highway Patrol reports one arrest on Friday

The Highway Patrol arrested a Van Meter, Iowa man in Linn County on Friday, February 4, 2022. He has been accused of multiple allegations. Thirty-two-year-old Kyle McGrath was accused of felony driving while intoxicated as a persistent offender, driving while suspended, not having insurance, and careless and imprudent driving involving a crash. He was taken […]

Screenshot of Team PAC Advertisement V2

Video: Pro-Greitens PAC hits Schmitt on China in ad airing during Olympics opening ceremony

(Missouri Independent) – Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s record on China is once again coming under fire, with a political action committee supporting one of his rivals in the GOP Senate primary launching an attack ad during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics Team PAC, which was formed to support the U.S. Senate candidacy of former […]

Audio: Former Missouri deputy arrested for stealing prescription drugs from residents

A former Jefferson County deputy has been arrested for stealing prescription medicine from residents while claiming to be a detective following up on police reports.      TV station KFVS reports Michael Filsinger of Arnold, near St. Louis, is charged with four counts of felony stealing, one count of misdemeanor stealing, and one count of […]

Medical Marijuana

Reversing state’s decision, Missouri panel awards marijuana license to jilted applicant

(Missouri Independent) – In a rare move, a Missouri commission granted a medical marijuana license to an applicant after discovering irregularities with how state regulators evaluated applications. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) decided to forgo appealing the ruling, announcing Tuesday that it had reached a settlement with the jilted applicant to […]

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner. (Photo by Rebecca Rivas.)

Appeals court orders St. Louis Circuit Attorney to turn over Eric Greitens case records

(Missouri Independent) – A circuit judge will determine whether St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is entitled to claim privilege for her communications with political donors and key figures in the 2018 investigation of former Gov. Eric Greitens, the Eastern District Missouri Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. The court affirmed a 2020 decision by St. Louis […]

Missouri State Highway Patrol Website New 2021 (MSHP)

Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the arrest of two on Wednesday

The Highway Patrol reports the arrest of two individuals at the same time in Sullivan County on Wednesday morning, January 19. The two individuals were accused of multiple allegations. Twenty-year-old Christianvie Ndaye of Kirksville and 19-year-old Madison Morris of Milan were both accused of possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana, unlawful possession of […]

MSHP Cruiser and Boat

Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the arrest of 7 people over the weekend

Highway Patrol troopers in northeast Missouri made seven arrests over the weekend. In Sullivan County, 33-year-old Edgar Matos of Browning was accused of driving while intoxicated early Saturday evening, Matos was taken to the Sullivan County Jail. In Linn County, 31-year-old Gara Curtis of Macon has been accused of driving while intoxicated early Sunday morning. […]

Missouri State Highway Patrol Website New 2021 (MSHP)

Missouri State Highway Patrol arrests Unionville man on multiple drug-related allegations

The Highway Patrol reports the arrest of a Unionville man in Putnam County Thursday night January 13 on multiple drug-related allegations. Forty-year-old Nathan Wharton was accused of felony possession of a controlled substance except 35 grams of marijuana, felony possession of the controlled substance methamphetamine, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also accused […]

Navient Website

Missouri Attorney General obtains $53 million settlement from student loan servicer Navient

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers, entered into a civil settlement agreement with his office and 38 other states for abuses originating in predatory student loans. The agreement resulted in a $53 million settlement for Missourians: $2.5 million in restitution and $51 million in private […]