The Missouri House of Representatives is near final approval on a bill to enable more people to become trained as substitute teachers. This bill provides a four-year certificate for individuals with a background check and 36 college hours or a 20-hour online training, Bill Sponsor Ed Lewis – Republican from Randolph recites how the current […]
(Missouri Independent) – With a change of just a few words, a bill to expand the sales tax exemption for food purchases became a bill virtually ending the exemption, infuriating its sponsor and forcing a Missouri House committee to give it another look. On Monday, the House Rules – Administrative Oversight Committee voted to send state Rep. […]
(Missouri Independent) – A bill that would decriminalize needle exchange programs that aim to reduce the spread of infectious diseases was voted out of the Senate General Laws Committee Tuesday. Needle exchange programs allow drug users to swap out used syringes with clean, new ones in an effort to decrease the chances of contracting or […]
A man serving with the Army National Guard pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually exploiting an 11-year-old southwest Missouri victim to produce child pornography. Christian Sinclair, 21, of Chanute, Kansas, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of the sexual exploitation of a child. By pleading guilty, Sinclair […]
On Monday, February 28, 2022, Governor Mike Parson granted 29 pardons and approved one commutation pursuant to Article IV, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Missouri. Official documents have been filed with the appropriate government agencies and are being sent to the individuals. Pardons: Robert Midgyett Jeffrey Bragg Sharr Ford Lawrence Tindall Angela […]
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden used his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night to reassert America as a leading global voice for democracy and condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin for starting an “unprovoked” war in Ukraine. “Throughout our history, we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price […]
A Missouri man who has been involved in several shootings was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing firearms. Zecheriah D. Stewart, 24, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to nine years in federal prison without parole. On Jan. 20, 2021, Stewart pleaded guilty to two counts of being […]
(Missouri Independent) – Approving video lottery would produce more than 10 times the new state revenue of sports wagering and drive cash-prize video games of debated legality out of Missouri, a newly updated report contends. The report, prepared by Morowitz Gaming Advisors LLC and Global Gaming & Hospitality Capital Advisors LLC and paid for by companies that […]
A man pleaded guilty in federal court to smuggling more than 10 kilograms of methamphetamine aboard a bus traveling through Kansas City, Missouri, from Los Angeles, California, to New York. Douglas D. McDowell, 63, of New York, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to […]
Eminent-domain concerns are a focal point as Iowa considers the idea of allowing underground pipelines to transfer carbon dioxide for storage. Summit Carbon Solutions recently filed its initial permit request with state regulators. If approved, the pipeline would run through several states to gather carbon from ethanol plants, eventually storing it underground in North Dakota. As […]
(Missouri Independent) – With a deadline looming that could cost Missouri almost $2 billion in federal education aid, the bill to distribute the money passed the state Senate on Wednesday after Democrats slammed a zero-dollar funding line as a partisan attack on Planned Parenthood. The $4.6 billion spending bill approved on a 25-7 vote is the first legislation requiring […]
The owner of a Missouri gun store pleaded guilty in federal court to selling components to convert firearms into machine guns, which he marketed on his website as “cell phone holders.” Charles Lee Weston, 37, of Kansas City, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays […]
A Missouri man was charged in federal court on Wednesday, February 23, 2022. The man attempted to rob an Independence, Missouri restaurant but was thwarted when employees wrestled him to the floor and took away his gun. Bryan C. Byers, 23, of Kansas City, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. […]
A Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to pay more than $2.8 million in payroll taxes from his business and more than $1.1 million in personal income taxes. Rex Tarwater, 66, of Sunrise Beach, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count […]
Among cases in the Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court, Kyle Ray Graves of Trenton waived a preliminary hearing on three felony counts and was bound over to the March 10th docket for Division One of Grundy County Circuit Court. Graves is charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia on both March 17th and […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, along with 13 other attorneys general are calling for U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ resignation. In a letter, citing the continued failure to enforce federal law and secure the southwest border, the coalition of 14 state attorneys general is demanding that Secretary Mayorkas leave office as his […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that his Office has finalized opioid settlements with Johnson & Johnson and major opioid distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen. The Attorney General was joined by families of victims of opioid overdose and representatives from treatment centers and nonprofits across the state. Combined, these settlements bring a total of […]
(Missouri Independent) – Leaders of faith organizations and Historically Black Colleges and Universities told members of a U.S. House panel on Thursday how their institutions and places of worship have been roiled by bomb threats and extremism. They talked about the recent waves of bomb threats aimed at HBCUs, a terrifying hostage-taking at a Texas […]
The Meadville Lions Club will hold a fish fry to raise funds for recreational items for Meadville. The meal will be served at the Meadville Community Center on March 19, 2022, from 5 to 7 pm. Carryout will be available and free-will donations will be accepted. Proceeds will assist in the funding of batting cages […]
(Missouri Independent) – On the Friday before a drawn-out confirmation battle ended with his ouster from office, Missouri state Health Director Donald Kauerauf wrote an impassioned letter meant to convince conservative legislators who were on the fence about his appointment. The message: While he believed in vaccines and data and science, he didn’t believe in vaccine […]
