The Milan City Council voted on Monday, April 4, 2022, to authorize an employment agreement with Crystal Bupp as the city’s next city administrator, effective April 6, 2022. “The City of Milan welcomes Crystal as our next city administrator,” said Mayor Andy Herington. “Crystal’s institutional knowledge of our community, experience, and diverse skill set will […]
Tag: Cities
DEA warns of increase in mass-overdose events involving deadly fentanyl
The Drug Enforcement Administration sent a letter to federal, state, and local law enforcement partners warning of a nationwide spike in fentanyl-related mass-overdose events. Administrator Anne Milgram outlined the current threat and offered DEA support to law enforcement officers responding to these tragic incidents. “Fentanyl is killing Americans at an unprecedented rate,” said DEA Administrator […]
Missouri House signs off on $46.2 billion budget, leaves most of huge state surplus untouched
(Missouri Independent) – The Missouri House gave first-round approval Tuesday to a package of budget bills spending $46.2 billion, with Republicans defeating repeated Democratic efforts to tap the state’s record surplus. The budget includes boosts to higher education funding, both for institutions and scholarships, as well as funding one of last year’s most controversial issues, Medicaid […]
Missouri Senate committee takes up bill targeting Grain Belt Express transmission line
(Missouri Independent) – The Missouri Senate is poised to take up a long-running effort to stymie the Grain Belt Express, a massive transmission line meant to carry wind energy from southwest Kansas across three states. The $2 billion project would carry 4,000 megawatts of energy, dropping some off in Missouri before ending at the Illinois-Indiana […]
Meta, formerly Facebook, to open data center in Kansas City
Governor Mike Parson announced that Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, Inc., will locate a nearly one-million-square-foot data center in Kansas City, investing more than $800 million and supporting up to 100 jobs. The data center, a first of its kind in Missouri, is expected to be operational in 2024. “We’re proud to welcome Meta […]
Ketanji Brown Jackson defends her record under grilling from U.S. Senate Republicans
(Missouri Independent) – Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday sharpened their criticisms of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, probing her work as a public defender on behalf of terrorism suspects, the judicial sentences she has handed down for child pornography offenses, and her views of critical race theory. Jackson defended her […]
More Missourians commuting outside their counties for work
While the past two years have fueled growth in remote work, most workers in Missouri still commute to their jobs. And some are opting for longer commutes: A new report from the University of Missouri Extension shows that more workers in the state are commuting to jobs outside their home counties compared to 20 years […]
Missouri man and woman indicted for armed robbery of banks and businesses
A Missouri, man and woman have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to commit armed robbery at four businesses and two banks in six different cities. Drake Adam Stockton-Kenney, 30, of Columbia, and Mary Catherine Sumpter, 28, of Moberly, were charged in an eight-count indictment returned under seal […]
Audio: Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce honors “Pillars of the Community” and Businesses of the Year
BTC Bank and Mid-States Services received awards for Businesses of the Year at the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet on March 18th. The Green Hills Animal Shelter was also recognized as the Organization of the Year. Chamber Board Member Andy Cox presented the awards to the Businesses of the Year. He said the […]
Biden urges city leaders to take advantage of billions in federal relief funds
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden on Monday urged local and city governments to continue to use the $130 billion in funds allocated to them from the American Rescue Plan to help during the pandemic. The president of the National League of Cities, Vince Williams of Union City, Georgia, introduced the president to attendees of […]
North Central Missouri College to host Diversity and Inclusion Alumni panel
North Central Missouri College will host a Diversity and Inclusion Alumni panel on Thursday, March 24, at 1:00 p.m. in Cross Hall 208 or virtually. Students, staff, and the public are invited to attend. The panel will feature three alumni Cle Ross, Donovan Thompson, and Dr. Cassie (Hunt) Williams. Panelist will share their story and […]
Biden in State of the Union urges ‘unmistakable’ support for democracy in Ukraine
(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 […]
Treasurer calls on Missouri pension funds to sell Russian investments in wake of Ukraine war
(Missouri Independent) – State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick wants Missouri to join other states that are dumping Russian investments from retirement funds. In a news release Tuesday, Fitzpatrick called for an emergency meeting of the Missouri State Employees Retirement System (MOSERS) Board of Trustees for votes to block future purchases of Russian securities and consider how to divest […]
Vilsack: Fertilizer prices are biggest worry for farmers after Russian invasion
(Missouri Independent) – The Russian invasion of Ukraine this week might drive up the costs of farm fertilizers globally — which nearly quadrupled last year in price in the United States and remain high — and presents an opportunity for unscrupulous companies to artificially inflate those prices further, according to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “That’s […]
Experts say federal funds for lead pipe replacement needed in Missouri
Missouri has roughly 330,000 lead service lines, the pipes connecting water mains to buildings including people’s homes, and federal funding could help speed up the process of removing and replacing them. The bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress last year includes $15 billion for lead-pipe replacement, building on funds from the American Rescue Plan. Erik D. Olson, senior strategic director at […]
Missouri bill to prevent hair discrimination advances on eve of Black History Month
(Missouri Independent) – As a young girl, state Rep. Raychel Proudie remembers when the beads in her hair would clap together as she walked. Her teachers would call it a “distraction” — the same way they did when her hair was “too high.” “You would come home and tell your mom, or she would get […]
Status of Trenton’s medical marijuana facility now unknown
In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that a lower court was justified in ordering the state health department to disclose medical marijuana application info that it had argued was confidential. The Department of Health and Senior Services refused to provide applications of businesses that were awarded licenses to grow and […]
Missouri bills would offer incentives for grocery stores, urban farms to eliminate food deserts
(Missouri Independent) – The closure of Save A Lot in Pagedale left a hole in northern St. Louis County. Beyond Housing, a community-building group that serves about two dozen cities in the area had worked through the Great Recession to bring a grocery store closer to low-income residents in a part of the St. Louis area dotted with […]
Several file for positions on area boards and governing bodies that require no election
Some governmental jurisdictions in Grundy County will forgo an election on April 5th. That is because of a law that allows them to go without an election when the number of candidates is equal to the number of positions to be filled. The candidates will assume the responsibilities of their offices at the same time […]
Election Officials to Missourians: “Become a poll worker”
It is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, and with April municipal elections coming up, clerks and boards of election across the state are looking for poll workers to help them run as smoothly as possible. Poll workers, sometimes known as election judges, have a number of responsibilities on Election Day. They set up the polling place, […]