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Obituary: Thomas Shane Grooms

Thomas Shane Grooms, born May 10th, 1972, unexpectedly passed away at his home in the early hours of April 4th, 2022. He was 49 years old, one month shy of his 50th birthday. Shane was born in Hood River, Oregon with his twin sister, Sonja, to Annis and Edward Grooms, the 6th and 7th children of the […]

Crystal Bupp New City Administrator Milan 2022 final

Crystal Bupp named as new City Administrator in Milan

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 […]

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Pause on federal student loan repayments extended by Biden through August 31

(Missouri Independent) – The Biden administration Wednesday announced its plans to extend the pause on federal student loan repayments until the end of August. “I recognized in recently extending the COVID-19 national emergency, we are still recovering from the pandemic and the unprecedented economic disruption it caused,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.  “If loan […]

Oil rig with American flag background

Coalition of 27 state treasurers and auditors call on the Biden administration to promote American energy production

Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick joined 26 other state financial officers in calling on the Biden Administration to promote American energy production. In a letter to the President, the state leaders emphasized the need to re-establish American energy independence amid the massive increase in the price of gas and diesel, which is contributing to the […]

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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 […]

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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 Treasurer's Financial Literacy Portal website

Missouri State Treasurer kicks off Financial Literacy Month with new resources for Missourians

Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick recognized April as Financial Literacy Month, a month dedicated to promoting the importance of financial literacy and financial education. The Treasurer kicked off the month by announcing that new free resources for Missourians are now available on the Financial Literacy Portal. These engaging resources include helpful and concise articles on […]

Josh Hawley Courtesy of Missourinet

Hawley introduces “PROTECT Act of 2022” which will toughen sentences for child porn offenders

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the PROTECT Act of 2022, which protects children from sexual exploitation by enhancing the penalties for possessing child pornography and by preventing judges from sentencing offenders below federal guidelines. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). Representative Ken Buck (CO-4) is […]

Candidates Forum

Audio: Candidates for Trenton R-9 School Board answer questions from the public during forum on Wednesday

Three candidates for the Trenton R-9 Board of Education participated in a forum in the Rissler Elementary School Library on March 30th. Incumbent Dorothy Taul, Toby Havens, and Jeff Spencer are running for two three-year terms. The forum was relocated after the evacuation of Trenton High School, where the event was originally to be held. […]