A former paraprofessional at Blue Springs High School was sentenced in federal court for producing and distributing child pornography. Steven B. Allen, 46, of Independence, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 22 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Allen to spend the rest of his life on […]
Tag: Blue
36th Annual Chautauqua in the Park kicks off Saturday in Chillicothe
The 36th Annual Chautauqua in the Park will be held September 11 and 12, 2021, at Simpson Park in Chillicothe. This annual event, sponsored by the Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce and the Chillicothe Area Arts Council, and presented by Hedrick Medical Center, has various entertainment, activities, artists, crafts, and food. “We have well over […]
Missouri will become the last state to enforce federal mental health parity act
(Missouri Independent) – Under a new state law that went into effect late last month, Missouri will become the final state to enforce a federal law designed to ensure mental health care is covered by insurance providers the same as treatments for physical ailments. The provisions were included in House Bill 604, an omnibus insurance bill […]
House reconciliation package would provide path to citizenship for millions
(Missouri Independent) – A provision tucked in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package would direct Congress to chart a path for citizenship for millions of undocumented people. If passed, the House provision would provide a pathway to citizenship for those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, often referred to as Dreamers, farmworker workers; those […]
Celebrate grasslands at Prairie Day on September 11 at Dunn Ranch Prairie near Eagleville
Native warm-season grasses and wildflowers retain a place in Northwest Missouri pastures because they benefit cattle forage, scenery, and wildlife habitat. The Missouri Department of Conservation and The Nature Conservancy invites the public to enjoy grasslands at a free Prairie Day event on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, at Dunn Ranch Prairie and Pawnee Prairie west […]
Audio: Another 180 Missourians are preliminary winners in COVID-19 vaccine incentive program
Another 180 Missourians are preliminary winners in the ‘MO VIP’ coronavirus vaccine incentive program. The Department of Health and Senior Services says more than 566,000 entries were included in the second drawing on Friday night. Eighty winners randomly selected from each of the Red and White categories will receive a $10,000 prize and […]
Bob Ross Cherrywood Challenge quilt exhibit on display at Missouri Quilt Museum in Hamilton
The 2020 Bob Ross Cherrywood Challenge quilt exhibit is now on display at the Missouri Quilt Museum. Each year, Cherrywood Fabrics of Brainard, Minnesota, conducts a themed quilting challenge. Quilters are provided a color palette of fabric, a theme, and a deadline. The theme of the 2020 challenge was the artist Bob Ross. Quilters must […]
Dream Factory Volunteer Ron Dougan presents program to Trenton Rotary
Dream Factory Volunteer Ron Dougan presented information on the organization to the Trenton Rotary Club on August 26th. The Dream Factory grants wishes to serious and chronically ill children. Dougan has volunteered with the organization since 1990 and currently works with fundraising and organizing “dreams” for area children. He said when he first got involved, […]
Five Points Festival slated for August 28 in Trenton
Multiple activities are planned in Downtown Trenton on August 28, 2021, as part of the Five Points Festival. The Throwdown for Downtown Cornhole Tournament will be held on Main Street that morning, with warm-ups at 10 o’clock and the first toss at 11 o’clock. Cash prizes will be awarded for the first through third-place teams […]
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 […]
Highway Patrol provides a summary of new laws related to public safety, transportation, watercraft, & protection of children
The abbreviated descriptions below are intended to make the public aware of some of the new legislation enacted by the Missouri General Assembly, which is related to crime and motor vehicles. The listed legislation has been signed into law. Unless otherwise noted, these laws will go into effect on August 28, 2021. SB 26 PROVISIONS […]
Audio: Roots and Blues Festival in Columbia to require vaccinations or negative COVID-19 test
After more than a year without live music, the driving beat of a snare drum, the pulsing rhythm of a bass guitar, and sweet vocal melodies floating through the air around Stephens Lake Park will be welcome sounds as the Roots N Blues Festival makes its highly anticipated return to Columbia September 24-26, 2021. This year, however, […]
Two face multiple charges in Daviess County after burglary investigation
Two Independence men face charges in Daviess County after an alleged burglary the morning of August 14. Thirty-nine-year-old David Alan Grant has been charged with the felonies of possession of a controlled substance, attempted second-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, first-degree property damage, and driving while revoked or suspended. He also faces misdemeanor charges of […]
Missouri Department of Conservation to host free Prairie Day event September 11 at Dunn Ranch near Bethany
A free Prairie Day event on Saturday, Sept. 11, at Dunn Ranch Prairie and Pawnee Prairie west of Bethany in Harrison County. Bison tours and grassland conservation exhibits will be among the activities hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, and the Loess Hills Missouri Master Naturalists. Prairie Day celebrates the grazing […]
Study finds children returning to school 4-5 months behind
A new study from the consulting firm McKinsey finds that American kids are returning to school on average 4 to 5 months behind in their education – and 5 to 7 months behind for children from low-income areas and communities of color. As a result, many non-profits have stepped in to help, providing meals, school supplies, […]
Governor Parson announces nearly 500,000 MO VIP entries
Governor Mike Parson announced an official total of 495,296 MO VIP entries for the first drawing, which will take place today. The MO VIP incentivizes vaccination for those who have not yet been vaccinated, as well as provides an opportunity for rewards for the more than 3 million Missourians who have already made the decision […]
Northwest Missouri Steam and Gas Engine Association to hold annual show near Hamilton
The Northwest Missouri Steam and Gas Engine Association will hold its 58th Annual Show near Hamilton next weekend. Daily exhibits and demonstrations, a flea market, and live music will be at 834 Northwest Osage Drive from August 20th through 22, 2021. Exhibits and demonstrations will include sawmills, blacksmiths, threshing, gas engines, draft horse fieldwork, historical […]
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 […]
Smithfield’s natural gas project implements manure-to-energy technology across northern Missouri’s hog farms
Monarch Bioenergy, a joint venture between Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Roeslein Alternative Energy, has finished installing manure-to-energy technology on nearly all of Smithfield’s Northern Missouri hog finishing farms. The new technology captures methane emissions and converts them into carbon-negative renewable natural gas to power homes, vehicles and businesses. “We are delighted to reach this exciting milestone, which is a significant step toward […]
North Central Missouri Fair announces results of exhibit judging at Rock Barn
The North Central Missouri Fair accepted a variety of exhibits in the Rock Barn on Tuesday, August 3 in the areas of youth, as well as adult household arts and science. Also on display were a variety of crafts from the Grundy County Opportunity Center. In the adult household/science section, the Bessie Chambers Memorial awards […]