On August 23, 2021, The Empire District Gas Company (d/b/a “Liberty”) filed a request with the Missouri Public Service Commission to adjust natural gas base rates. The new rates would take effect in 2022 and reflect Liberty’s efforts to maintain a safe, reliable natural gas system, enhance the customer experience, and expand support for limited-income […]
Tag: approve
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 […]
Trenton City Council looks at creation of a “Social District,” discuss increasing monthly base rate of water meter charge
The Trenton City Council Monday night reviewed a preliminary report on proposed improvements to the aging water treatment plant, including an initial discussion on how to pay for an anticipated loan to finance the projects. The council also endorsed a developer’s application seeking funding for senior citizen housing, the creation of a social district for […]
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 […]
Gilman City Board of Education approves property tax levy; accepts resignations, hires two
Gilman City’s Board of Education has approved the property tax levy of $5.03 (5.0298) on the 100 dollars of assessed valuations. School officials say that’s the same as levy as last year. Assessed valuation in the Gilman City school district comes in with a total of $12,509,025. In personnel, the board accepted the resignations of […]
Missouri pharmacy filled forged prescriptions
A Missouri pharmacy is prohibited from continuing its past practice of filling prescriptions without verifying whether they were issued by a DEA-authorized practitioner under a consent decree approved yesterday in federal court. Spalitto’s Pharmacy, L.C., of Kansas City, a retail pharmacy at 3801 Independence Avenue operated by Peter A. Spalitto as the pharmacist in charge, […]
Trenton City Council meeting agenda calls for review of proposed development for senior housing complex
Developers of a proposed senior housing complex in Trenton are seeking support from the Trenton City Council. A resolution of support is to be presented at Monday nights’ 7 o’clock meeting at Trenton City Hall. The resolution, a tax rate public hearing, a preliminary engineering report for water plant improvements, and three ordinances are on […]
Jamesport Board of Education approves property tax levy
The Jamesport Tri-County Board of Education has approved a property tax levy totaling nearly 4.33 cents on the 100 dollars of assessed valuation, which is a decline of slightly over 23 cents on the 100 dollars compared to 2020. The breakdown of this year’s levy shows the regular rate at nearly 4.08 on the 100 […]
Governor Parson announces $400 million plan to improve broadband infrastructure in Missouri
During a press conference at the Missouri State Fair hosted by the Missouri Farm Bureau, Governor Mike Parson announced plans to deploy more than $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to increase broadband internet access, adoption, and assistance statewide. “Investing in our broadband infrastructure is critical to unlocking our full economic potential […]
Masks optional in school buildings for students and staff, mandatory on school buses in Grundy R-5 School District
The Grundy R-5 Board of Education has approved a resolution for COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Masks will be optional in all school buildings for students and staff. Masks will be required for students and the driver to ride on school buses. Other strategies include social distancing when possible, extra cleaning of all surfaces, and assigned seats […]
Department of Justice asks court to block Missouri’s ‘Second Amendment Preservation Act’
(Missouri Independent) – A Missouri law prohibiting state and local police from enforcing certain federal gun laws has already undermined drug and weapons investigations, the U.S. Department of Justice argued in documents filed Wednesday in Cole County Circuit Court. As part of an ongoing lawsuit set for a hearing Thursday afternoon, the Justice Department is asking Cole […]
Spickard R-2 Board of Education sets tax rate, votes to designate school employees as essential
The Spickard R-2 Board of Education on August 16th set the tax rate and voted to deem school employees as essential. The tax rate was set at $4.6604 per $100 of assessed valuation. Deeming school employees essential means if an employee has a known COVID-19 exposure and does not exhibit symptoms, he or she may […]
Sullivan County Health Department reports new cases of COVID-19, seven breakthrough cases
The Sullivan County Health Department August 17th reported two additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 1,086. Thirty-eight of the cases were active. Health Department Administrator Deborah Taylor reports about .6% of the total cases have been breakthrough cases. She says cases are milder for vaccinated residents than those who were not vaccinated. The health […]
Gallatin Board of Education approves bus routes; three new employees hired
The Gallatin R-5 Board of Education approved the proposed tax rate on August 16th. The total rate was set at $4.4709 per $100 of assessed valuation. That included $4.2984 for the incidental fund and $.1725 for the capital projects fund. The board approved bus routes and the Special Education Compliance Plan Part B Option A […]
Tax rate set by Newtown-Harris Board of Education; meal prices increased by ten cents
The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education set the tax rate and approved meal prices on August 13th. The tax rate was set at $6.6331 per $100 of assessed valuation. That is $.0726 higher than last year’s. Meal prices were increased by 10 cents for all categories. Prices for breakfast will be $1.70 for kindergarten through […]
Lawmakers request information on Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehensions under Biden Administration
In light of the massive surge of illegal border crossings reported last week, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), joined by Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting critical information on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s record of apprehensions during the Biden Administration. Interior […]
Hy-Vee now offering free third COVID-19 vaccine doses for eligible patients
Hy-Vee, Inc. announces today that free, third Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses are now available at Hy-Vee’s more than 275 Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations across its eight-state region. The new doses, recently approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are only recommended for severely to moderately immunocompromised […]
Missouri requests federal disaster declaration to receive reimbursements for damage to public infrastructure
Governor Mike Parson requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approve a major disaster declaration for Missouri to provide federal assistance to a total of 21 counties in response to severe storms and flooding that began on June 19 and continued through July 1. “Due to extremely heavy rains and significant flash flooding in late June, Missouri experienced […]
Chillicothe City Council approves the sale of old prison property
Information has been released on action taken during an executive session of the Chillicothe City Council on August 9th. The council approved an ordinance regarding the sale of old prison property and the hiring of a street maintenance worker. The ordinance authorized an option for the sale of real estate with MBL Development Company of […]