Governor Mike Parson (Photo courtesy Missouri Governor's office

Missouri governor vows criminal prosecution of reporter who found flaw in state website

(Missouri Independent) – On Tuesday, a reporter with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch alerted the state that Social Security numbers of school teachers and administrators were vulnerable to public exposure due to flaws on a website maintained by Missouri’s department of education. The newspaper agreed to hold off publishing any story while the department fixed the problem and […]

Drought Resources news graphic

Online tool now available for drought-stricken farms to estimate compensation for feed transportation costs

An online tool is now available to help ranchers document and estimate payments to cover feed transportation costs caused by drought, which are now covered by the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated the program this year to include feed transportation costs as well as […]

USDA Sign

USDA to launch loan guarantee initiative to create more market opportunities, strengthen food supply chain

As part of the Administration’s efforts to address food systems challenges arising from the pandemic as well as those going back decades, United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA plans for another $100 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The funding would leverage hundreds of millions more in […]

Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri

Congress passes bill to prevent government shutdown, Blunt only Missouri Republican in support

(Missouri Independent) – Congress made a last-minute dash to avert a government shutdown on Thursday, with the U.S. Senate and House approving a short-term spending bill just hours ahead of a midnight deadline. Every Democratic and independent senator and 15 Republicans supported the bill in the 65-35 vote. The GOP senators in the “aye” tally included […]

National 4-H Week October 2021

Missouri observes National 4-H Week, October 3-9

“Find Your Spark” is the theme of this year’s National 4-H Week, observed October 3-9, 2021. The theme celebrates the resilience of young people who have brought about significant innovations in agriculture and technology, says Lupita Fabregas, director of the University of Missouri Extension 4-H Center for Youth Development. “In Missouri 4-H, we offer all […]

Abortion news graphic

Missouri Supreme Court mulls challenge to laws that blocked abortion bill vote

(Missouri Independent) – Making people who want to force a statewide vote on newly passed laws wait while the Secretary of State writes a ballot title undermines the constitutional right of referendum, attorneys for an abortion-rights group argued Wednesday to the Missouri Supreme Court. A ballot title was “not necessary for most of Missouri history,” […]

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley

Audio: Hawley challenges U.S. Defense Secretary about troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

America’s top military leaders are facing tough questions today from the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee about the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. The committee hearing follows the Biden Administration’s plan to withdraw troops before thousands of U.S. civilians and Afghan allies were removed from the country and 13 U.S. service members were killed by […]

Dreamer photo courtesy of Unsplash

Biden administration rolls out new rule to bolster DACA as lawsuit continues

(Missouri Independent) – The Biden administration on Monday unveiled a proposed new rule that would strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to protect undocumented people in the program from legal challenges. The proposed rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security, would “preserve and fortify” the DACA program, an Obama administration-era initiative that protects […]

Nurse Filling Syringe with COVID-19 Vaccine at MU Health Care (Photo Courtesy of MU Health Care

Who will get a booster shot? A Question and Answer about what the feds are saying

(Missouri Independent) – Booster shots soon will begin rolling out to some Americans who received the two-shot vaccine made by Pfizer—after a contentious and confusing federal approval process that isn’t over yet. Determining who exactly should be rolling up their sleeves for an additional dose was tricky. The Biden administration had leapfrogged federal regulatory panels […]

e2 Fellowship high school leadership program

Mosaic Life Care Foundation’s e2 Fellowship high school leadership program to begin Tuesday

Mosaic Life Care Foundation’s e2 Fellowship high school leadership program will begin Tuesday, September 28, 2021. e2 Fellowship is a high school intergenerational leadership program that meets four times throughout the academic year. This year, emPowerU welcomes 14 regional schools for the program. In 2020, The Foundation’s Board of Trustees approved funding to make the […]

Pleasant View R-6 School

Pleasant View Board of Education approves field trips, Superintendent reports on building projects

The Pleasant View R-6 Board of Education on September 14th approved field trips. Third through fifth grades will attend the Lathrop Heritage Festival on October 8th. Preschool through fourth grades will attend Grundy County R-5’s Agriculture Day on September 29th. Superintendent Rebecca Steinhoff went over building projects, including new paint in the sixth through eighth […]