The Highway Patrol reports a Lancaster man sustained serious injuries when a truck overturned three miles east of Queen City the night of December 14th. An air ambulance transported 26-year-old Ethan Strunk to the University Hospital in Columbia. The truck traveled south on Germania Avenue before running off the left side, overturning, and coming to […]
Tag: Columbia
Missouri’s Electoral College members meet in State Capitol
Missouri’s Electoral College Members met in the State Capitol to cast their votes for President and Vice President of the United States. Each of Missouri’s ten electors met and cast their votes unanimously for President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. “I want to thank Secretary of State Ashcroft’s Office, county clerks, poll workers, […]
Hy-Vee donates nearly 1 million pounds of food to food banks across the Midwest
Hy-Vee, Inc. is partnering with dozens of national and regional food manufacturers and suppliers to help provide more than 1 million pounds of food to 17 food banks across its eight-state region for the holiday season. Hy-Vee collaborated with many of its supplier partners to fill more than 20 truckloads with food and supplies for […]
40 charged in sprawling criminal enterprise using inmates
A federal grand jury has returned a 147-count superseding indictment against 40 defendants across South Carolina in the largest federal racketeering conspiracy in South Carolina history. The indictment alleges a sprawling criminal enterprise whereby inmates with the South Carolina Department of Corrections, often through the use of contraband cell phones, orchestrated murder, kidnapping, firearms distribution, […]
Missouri Attorney joins multistate lawsuit seeking to end Facebook’s illegal monopoly
Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a bipartisan coalition of 48 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against Facebook Inc., alleging that the company illegally stifles competition to protect its monopoly power. The filing can be found here. The lawsuit alleges that, over the last decade, the social networking giant illegally acquired competitors in a predatory manner […]
Medical marijuana subpoena may have been connected to Independence, Missouri FBI probe
(Missouri Independent) – The head of Missouri’s medical marijuana program testified under oath that a grand jury subpoena his agency received late last year was likely connected to an FBI investigation in Independence. The revelation by Lyndall Fraker, director of medical marijuana regulation at the Missouri Department of Health and Seniors Services, is the first […]
19 Missouri residents indicted by grand jury for $1.2 million insurance fraud conspiracy
Nineteen defendants have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a $1.2 million insurance fraud conspiracy that involved false claims of injuries suffered in car accidents. Lawrence Courtney Lawhorn, 32, and Latoya Marie Brown, 35, who resided in Columbia and in the Kansas City area; Lauren Courtney Luque, 34, Michael Jadon […]
With no statewide mandate in Missouri, more local governments are requiring masks
(Missouri Independent) – In early July, the Columbia City Council passed an ordinance requiring everyone over 10 years old to wear a face mask when in close contact with someone from outside their household. Since that vote, a requirement for face masks has been in every health order issued for the city of 123,000 by the Columbia-Boone […]
Audio: Governor Parson reiterates opposition to statewide mask mandate; promotes “Show Me You Care” campaign
Missouri’s governor has been using stops this week to tout a program called the “Show Me You Care” campaign, which emphasizes the need for you to wear a mask, practice good hygiene, and to social distance. Governor Mike Parson says everyone must step up to stop the spread of COVID. The state Department of Health […]
2020 was a bloodbath for Missouri Democrats. Will 2022 be any better?
(Missouri Independent) – There’s no point trying to spin it: While the 2020 election was a mixed verdict nationally, with Republicans gaining congressional seats and minimizing Senate losses even as Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump, the Missouri verdict was unequivocal. It started atop the ticket with Trump’s dominance. He and Gov. Mike Parson set […]
Police chokeholds, no-knock warrants spark debate in Missouri House committee
(Missouri Independent) – As state lawmakers mull the idea of restricting police use of chokeholds or no-knock warrants, they are facing pushback from law enforcement organizations who contend decisions should be made at the local level. The House Special Committee on Criminal Justice met for three hours on Monday to explore the possibility of passing […]
Missouri sets new record for COVID cases; Health director warns to avoid holiday gatherings
(Missouri Independent) – Missourians should not hold big family Thanksgiving or Christmas gatherings this year, but they will likely be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine by the spring, the state health director said Thursday. In an interview on KCMO radio, Randall Williams said the rapid spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, especially in outstate […]
Open house to hear comments on East Locust Creek reservoir project to be held today in Milan
Comments will be accepted today during an open house in Milan regarding the updated environmental impact statement for the East Locust Creek reservoir project in Sullivan county. Information will be available for public review addressing the water supply, flood damage, and recreational opportunities for ten counties of north-central Missouri. The supplemental report addresses changes made […]
Mike Parson defeats Nicole Galloway in race for Missouri governor
(Missouri Independent) – Republican Mike Parson has secured a full four-year term as Missouri’s governor, scoring victory Tuesday night over his Democratic challenger Nicole Galloway. Parson, 65, led Galloway, 38, by more than 442,000 votes with over 95 percent of the state’s precincts reporting shortly after midnight, according to the Secretary of State’s unofficial results. The […]
Missouri Republicans maintain supermajorities in House and Senate
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Democrats had another disappointing night in legislative elections Tuesday, losing in two state Senate districts crucial to their hopes of cracking the Republican supermajority in the upper chamber. Republicans held a key Senate seat by re-electing Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden of Columbia in the 19th District in central Missouri. As […]
Election Preview: Voters will decide who stays and who goes in statewide races today
The months of campaigning are over and the fate of each candidate on the Missouri general election ballot today rests in the hands of voters. Here is an overview of some of the top races on today’s ballot: Republican Governor Mike Parson is seeking his first full term as Missouri’s chief executive officer. He faces […]
Audio: Political scientist in Missouri says predicting outcome of election night will be challenging this time
In previous elections, Missouri counties posted absentee ballot results first. For Tuesday’s general election, that practice will vary from county to county. Columbia College Political Science Professor Terry Smith says the change presents a new challenge. Missouri’s local election authorities have received more than 723,000 mail-in and absentee ballots so far for the […]
Four injured in crash on Highway 63 in Randolph County
Four people were injured, two of them seriously Wednesday afternoon, in an accident on Highway 63 at Jacksonville in Randolph County. The highway patrol listed the serious injuries for the driver of the car, 26-year-old Colton Hammes of Novinger, and one of his passengers, 24-year-old Andrew Morgan of Kirksville. Both went to the University Hospital […]
Missouri Medicaid expansion: Will it bust the budget or pay for itself?
(Missouri Independent) – When Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion in August, they were told by the ballot language that the price tag was unknown, with possible costs at $200 million stated alongside $1 billion in potential savings. What is known for certain is that about 250,000 Missourians will become eligible for coverage next year — […]