Missouri Soybean Hall of Fame 2019 inductee Gary Riedel says demand for soybean increased greatly since farmers approved checkoff dollars to fund research and promotion. Riedel served as head of Missouri Soybean Association in the early 1980s and was president of the American Soybean Association when the national soybean checkoff went into effect. This year, […]
Tag: billion
Missouri suffers major shortage of affordable housing
Missouri’s low-income housing crunch shows no sign of abating, according to a new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Researchers found that there are almost 196,000 low-income households in Missouri, but there are just under 83,000 affordable rental homes. So about 113,000 are forced to pay way more than they can afford just to […]
Audio: Missouri House approves $29.2 billion state operating budget
The Missouri House has voted to approve a 29-point-two BILLION dollar state operating budget, which includes a 100-million dollar transportation infrastructure plan. House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith says it’s the first time in recent history that general revenue would be used for transportation. The Carthage Republican tells House colleagues he opposes placing […]
Missouri opioid use disorder costs to exceed $14 billion
New research from the Missouri Hospital Association identifies the nationwide economic cost of the opioid crisis at $685 billion in 2017, or 3.5 percent of GDP, with overdose deaths accounting for 93 percent of the cost. Missouri’s toll is 20th highest among the states, with a total burden of just more than $14 billion. Throughout […]
State Auditor finds continued failure to adequately review child care providers during statewide review
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released an audit that detailed an ongoing failure by the state to address concerns with providers of the Child Care Subsidy Program that are at high risk of noncompliance. The report also found a continued failure by the state to properly account for federal dollars in several state programs. The […]
Missouri River floods prove the need for more protection
For as long as man has been measuring the Missouri River, the stretch flowing through northwest Missouri has never been this high. The third week of March, farmers watched helplessly as their homes, land, buildings and stored crops went under water. With very little warning, the river went from normal levels to breaking all-time records. […]
Missouri to receive nearly $10 million in additional opioid grant funding
The Department of Health and Human Services’ announced that Missouri will receive $9.6 million in State Opioid Response Grant funding. The funding is the first of two expected grant announcements from the $1.5 billion for State Opioid Response Grants that Senator Roy Blunt worked to include in the FY2019 Labor/HHS appropriations bill, which was signed […]
Tax return preparer fraud makes IRS’ 2019 ‘Dirty Dozen’ list of tax scams
The Internal Revenue Service has included tax return preparer fraud on its “Dirty Dozen” list of common tax scams for 2019 and offered tips to help taxpayers avoid unscrupulous tax preparers. With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the most sweeping tax reform legislation in more than 30 years now in effect, some taxpayers may […]
Missouri hospitals’ community benefit exceeded $3.3 billion In 2017
New data from the Missouri Hospital Association reveals that in 2017, the state’s hospitals provided more than $1.4 billion in uncompensated care and exceeded $3.3 billion in total community benefit — record totals for both categories. The report and hospital-specific data are available on the association’s consumer data site, FocusOnHospitals.com. “Hospitals are committed to building […]
Researchers use UAVs to track insect dispersal patterns
In a paper to be released soon, researchers tell how they used drones to track migration patterns of pests. “This research will help us quickly determine habitat preference and dispersal patterns for newly detected invasive insect species,” says University of Missouri Extension field crops entomologist Kevin Rice. That information can help farmers decide how to […]
Audio: Blunt says Trump does not need national emergency to fund extra federal money
President Trump is reportedly signing a deal to keep the federal government open, but he will declare a national emergency to get more border wall funding. The compromise includes 1.3 billion dollars, instead of 5.7 billion Trump wanted. U.S. Senator Roy Blunt tells Missourinet previous presidents have taken extra money from the federal budget to […]
Audio: Nikodim says future is bright for Missouri’s pork industry
The longtime Missouri Pork Association (MPA) leader says things are good in the pork industry. MPA Executive Vice President Don Nikodim spoke to Missourinet at this week’s Pork Expo in Columbia. Nikodim notes pork producers dealt with last summer’s drought, and have been dealing with snow and ice in many parts of the […]
Audio: Additional details released on proposed shuttering of Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron
Story by Alisa Nelson of Missourinet The Crossroads Correctional Center in northwest Missouri’s Cameron could be closing. Governor Mike Parson’s state budget proposal includes shuttering the prison and moving the inmates and many of the workers to the other prison in town – the Western Missouri Correctional Center (WMCC). “As governor, I am […]
Audio: Missouri Republican Congressman says border agents want wall
The partial government shutdown is in day 25 over President Trump’s demand for $5.7 billion to build a southern border wall. Northern Missouri Republican Congressman Sam Graves says border security agents support the wall. Democrats, including Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, claims more technology is needed at the border. They say the wall would […]
New report on the Health Insurance Market in Missouri released by Missouri Department of Insurance
A new report on the health insurance markets in Missouri was recently released by the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions, and Professional Registration. The report, which focuses on major medical coverage, makes use of diverse data sources to provide an overview of Missouri’s health insurance market. In addition to data possessed by the DIFP, […]
Princeton couple win $50K in Powerball drawing
A Princeton couple recently won $50,000 through Powerball. A news release says James and Pam Hamilton decided to “throw in” a Quick Pick ticket for a Powerball drawing while buying Mega Millions tickets during the record-breaking 1.5 billion dollar jackpot run in October. Pam Hamilton says the couple plans to use some of their prize […]
Audio: Lucrative deer hunting season kicking into gear in Missouri
The archery deer season is underway in Missouri, with the firearms season coming up in 11 days. Conservation Agent Zach Barnes in north-central Missouri’s Macon County says the agency is always looking for the public’s help to identify violations, and one way to do that is to make a phone call. The Missouri […]
Audio: Missouri’s New Medicaid Director Todd Richardson to Face Challenges
Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson will resign his seat in the Legislature on Thursday to become the new MO HealthNet Director. Medicaid provides low-income families and individuals with health care coverage. Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) Director Steve Corsi says Richardson will face challenges. Rural hospitals in Farmington, Kennett, Osceola, and Reynolds […]
Audio: Missouri public education wins big in this week’s Mega Millions lottery
Missouri public education wins big in this week’s Mega Millions lottery. Alisa Nelson with Missourinet files this report. Missourians dished out nearly 36 million dollars to try and win the record 1.5 billion dollar Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday night. About 13.5 million of the ticket sales goes to Missouri’s public education programs. […]
Audio: McCaskill thinks she would “win in a walk” if people knew who paid for political ads against her
Missouri U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill says she thinks she would “win in a walk” if people knew who paid for political ads against her. The Democrat is seeking re-election next month. McCaskill, who faces Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley, is considered one of the most vulnerable U.S. Senate incumbents. She has taken on […]