(Missouri Independent) – As federal officials land in Missouri at the request of the state to assist with combatting a wave of new COVID cases spurred by the Delta variant, Gov. Mike Parson publicly rebuffed outreach strategies President Joe Biden touted. On Tuesday, a member of the newly-created federal surge response team arrived in the […]
Tag: Columbia
Big rig driver injured in rollover crash near Meadville
An out-of-state truck driver was injured Wednesday afternoon in a single-vehicle rollover accident three miles east of Meadville. Sixty-seven-year-old Michael Kolpin of Versailles, Kentucky, was taken by ambulance to Pershing Memorial Hospital, then transferred to University Hospital in Columbia with moderate injuries. The tractor-trailer was eastbound when it went out of control on a rain-covered […]
Bob Griffin, longest-serving Missouri House speaker, has died at age 85
(Missouri Independent) – Bob F. Griffin, who served as speaker of the Missouri House for 15 years until he was forced to resign in the face of a federal criminal investigation, died Wednesday in Columbia. He was 85. Griffin was the longest-serving speaker in the state’s history. During his tenure as speaker from 1981 to 1996, the […]
USDA invests $910,000 to improve rural water infrastructure in Jackson County
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Missouri Acting State Director D Clark Thomas announced the agency is investing $910,000 to modernize rural drinking water infrastructure in Jackson County, benefitting nearly 3.000 rural Missourians. “Every community, large and small, needs safe, reliable access to necessities like clean water,” Thomas said. “Rural Development congratulates Public Water Supply […]
Audio: Kirksville man loses hand in fireworks accident
A Kirksville man from northern Missouri is recovering after losing his hand in a fireworks accident. The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. Friday. Kirksville police say a 30-year-old man was lighting fireworks in his hand when the explosive went off. He was transported by medical helicopter to University Hospital in Columbia, where he […]
Delta variant spread means Missouri COVID cases may ‘double or triple’ in July
(Missouri Independent) – During June, as the Delta variant of COVID-19 took hold in Missouri, the seven-day average of new cases doubled. And now that the easily spread mutation has reached every corner of the state, July will be a repeat of June, or worse, according to the University of Missouri professor monitoring wastewater for the […]
Free plant diagnostic services offered during July 8 MU Field Day
Farmers can bring samples of damaged soybean, corn, and wheat crops for free diagnosis at the University of Missouri Extension Pest Management Field Day on July 8. MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic director Peng Tian and other MU scientists will check plants on-site for damage by diseases, herbicides, insects, and weeds, says MU Extension weed specialist […]
Audio: October execution date set for convicted triple killer Ernest Lee Johnson
A convicted triple killer from Columbia is set to be executed in October at the state’s maximum-security prison in Bonne Terre. The Missouri Supreme Court has scheduled an October 5 execution date for 60-year-old Ernest Lee Johnson. The Supreme Court scheduled the execution date on Tuesday. He’ll be executed by lethal injection at the southeast […]
Audio: Missouri’s COVID-19 cases spiking with the new Delta variant.
New coronavirus cases nationwide have plummeted since vaccinations became widely available, but in Missouri, cases have spiked 52% over the past week, according to a new report. The data from the New York Times says Missouri has the most cases per 100,000 residents. The Department of Health and Senior Services issued a news […]
Two injured in two-vehicle crash in Keytesville
A two-vehicle accident in Keytesville, in Chariton County, resulted in two people being taken to the University Hospital in Columbia. Sunday afternoon’s accident at 2:12 pm occurred at the junction of Highway 24 and Water Street. A car attempted to cross the street and pulled into the path of a truck. According to the patrol, […]
Special session on tax crucial for Medicaid in doubt over Planned Parenthood amendment
(Missouri Independent) – Last Tuesday, Republicans appeared to have reached a fragile consensus around extending a tax crucial to Missouri’s Medicaid finances — opening the door for Gov. Mike Parson to call lawmakers into a special session this week. By Friday afternoon, June 18, that consensus appears to have been derailed, at least temporarily, by disagreements […]
Audio: Death of missing Columbia man being investigated as a murder
Authorities in west-central Missouri are now investigating the death of a missing Columbia man as a homicide. Brent Palm has details: The Benton County Sheriff’s Office says the mother of 28-year-old Cody Garrett reported him missing on June 12. She said that Cody went to do some shooting in the area with friends […]
Two from Macon injured in crash west of Atlanta
Two Macon residents were hurt in the collision of a pickup truck and a sports utility vehicle on Route J in northern Macon County. The driver of the pickup, 20-year old Nikolus Hulett, was taken to University Hospital in Columbia with moderate injuries. The driver of the SUV, 27-year old Lindsey Rhoades, was taken to […]
Missouri 4-H’ers flock to new American Sign Language project
Aynsley Harmon, a 12-year-old from Kahoka, Missouri, wanted to be able to talk with a deaf relative she sees at family reunions. So she did what any resourceful 4-H’er does: She looked for a project to help her accomplish her goal. With a lot of support and collaboration along the way, her determination resulted in […]
Governor Parson fills five county office vacancies
Governor Mike Parson filled five-county office vacancies. Densil Allen Jr., of Knob Noster, was appointed as the Johnson County Presiding Commissioner. Dr. Allen is a former veterinarian and owned and operated Warrensburg Animal Hospital until his retirement. He has also owned and operated Allen’s Auction Service and taught animal science courses at the University of Central […]
MFA Oil raises more than $1 million for military families
MFA Oil announces its Seventh Annual Charity Golf Scramble and Concert benefitting Operation Homefront raised $150,000 in donations and more than $1 million of support for America’s military families since the inaugural event in 2015. Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit that provides financial assistance to the families of U.S. military service members and veterans. […]
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 […]
As massive livestock operations move in, fighting them gets harder for rural neighbors
(Missouri Independent) – Jeff Jones has lived on his family’s land east of Columbia, Missouri, his entire life. Some of the family’s farms are more than 150 years old. And Jones, who raises cattle and grows row crops, has no intentions of going anywhere. But after years of fighting, his community is home to a […]
Vicky Hartzler makes it official, joining 2022 Missouri GOP Senate primary
(Missouri Independent) – Vicky Hartzler made her entry into the 2022 U.S. Senate race official Thursday, kicking off her campaign at a firearms store surrounded by supporters. One day before Republicans gather in Kansas City for their annual Lincoln Days meetings, Hartzler said her experience in Congress will make her the best candidate over the […]
University of Missouri report looks at population trends in Missouri
Missouri’s population grew by about 11,000 people from 2019 to 2020. This 0.2% increase is only half the national rate of 0.4%, though it is typical of the modest growth experienced by many other Midwestern states. But the picture gets more complicated when you zoom in to specific regions and counties. “This growth is uneven,” […]