Spickard School

Spickard Board of Education adopts new salary schedules

The Spickard R-2 Board of Education this week adopted new certified and support staff salary schedules and amended the policy on unused sick leave compensation. Superintendent Erika Eakes reports the certified base salary was raised to $28,125. Support staff hourly wages were raised based on position and years of service. The dollar amounts per day […]

CAFO or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation

Some of Missouri’s largest CAFOs are seeking less stringent state regulation

Eleven of Missouri’s largest concentrated animal feeding operations are working to reduce the state’s oversight of their hog facilities despite a record of manure spills and clean water violations.  Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, has 11 CAFOs seeking new state permits.  The facilities, dotted across northern Missouri, combined are capable of raising more […]

Tax Graphic

State Auditor’s Office notifies local government entities that recent court ruling will impact allowable local tax rates

The State Auditor’s Office is notifying more than 2,800 local taxing authorities in Missouri that they no longer have the option to calculate local tax rates using a subsection of state law a recent court ruling found to be unconstitutional. The taxing authorities include local government entities such as counties, municipalities, and school and fire […]

Change to Electric Vehicle Now

Investment in EV infrastructure could add $1.3 trillion to U.S. Gross Domestic Product

As the Biden administration and Congress continue to wrangle over the size and scope of a federal infrastructure package, a new report showed how investing $274 billion to electrify the nation’s transportation system, including electric school busses, 18-wheelers, charging stations, and more would yield a five-fold return for the overall economy. Sam Shriver, strategy and content […]

Prison Healthcare or medical

Missouri prison healthcare contract won by a company accused of bid-rigging in Tennessee

(Missouri Independent) – The long-time contractor for medical services in Missouri’s prisons is protesting the state’s decision to award the business to a company that will charge more than lawmakers appropriated and is accused of bid-rigging to obtain a contract in Tennessee prisons. Centurion Health, a Virginia subsidiary of St. Louis-based managed care company Centene, beat […]

Gun On American Flag (shooting) (Mass Shooting) (Violence)

Missouri Attorney General, Governor send letter to Biden DOJ, fighting encroachment on Second Amendment rights

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Governor Mike Parson sent a letter to President Biden’s Department of Justice fighting back against potential federal overreach and encroachment on Missourians’ Second Amendment rights. The full letter can be found here “Missourians’ and Americans’ Second Amendment rights are enshrined in the Constitution – I will defend those rights […]

Disabled Veterans graphic

Owner of school sentenced to prison for defrauding program dedicated to rehabilitating disabled military veterans

A Maryland man was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution for defrauding a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program dedicated to rehabilitating military veterans with disabilities.  According to court documents, Francis Engles, 65, of Bowie, was the owner and operator of Engles Security Training School (Engles […]