Air Ambulance Bill of the month

Missourians face large bills, aggressive collection tactics from air ambulance transports

Missourians are frequently subjected to aggressive collection efforts by air ambulance providers totaling tens of thousands of dollars in a practice called balance billing, according to a detailed report released today by the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration (DIFP). To assess the scope of the problem, the DIFP initiated a data call for […]

Mike Parson Governor of Missouri

Governor Mike Parson makes appointments to commissions and offices in area counties

Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced Wednesday appointments to various commissions and offices. Those appointments included Randy Huffman of rural Galt as the Sullivan County Western District Commissioner. Huffman replaces Danny Busick who resigned from the commissioner position and was to be sworn in today (Wednesday) as the Second District State Representative for Mercer, Sullivan, and […]

Missouri flag with money

Audio: Study says most neighboring states pay their teachers more than Missouri

Niche.com ranks Missouri 39th in the nation in teacher pay. Paul Katnik, Assistant Commissioner of Missouri’s Office of Educator Quality, says the state’s school teachers make roughly 49,000-dollars annually.     A Vanderbilt University study says teacher merit pay for student performance has merit. During Tuesday’s State Board of Education meeting,  Katnik discussed the study […]

Tax Form

Despite government shutdown, IRS confirms tax filing season to begin January 28

Despite the government shutdown, the Internal Revenue Service today confirmed that it will process tax returns beginning January 28, 2019, and provide refunds to taxpayers as scheduled. “We are committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds notwithstanding the government shutdown. I appreciate the hard work of the employees and their commitment to the taxpayers […]

MoDOT Road Work

Audio: Counties continue to warn Missouri lawmakers against transferring road maintenance to local governments

Local county officials continue to push back against any effort on the state level to transfer maintenance of roads to them. Opposition to any transfer of the “lettered roads” to local governments is reflected in unbending comments by Randolph County Commissioner Wayne Wilcox in northeast Missouri.     Wilcox says handing over those roadways to […]

Typical pen style CAFO ( Photo by Darrell Hoemann - Investigate Midwest)

Western District Court of Appeals affirms decision, potentially opening the way for CAFO in southwest Grundy County

Online court information shows a ruling has been issued regarding a CAFO that has been proposed for southwest Grundy County. Docket information reports the Western District of Missouri, Court of Appeals, has affirmed a decision by the Missouri Clean Water Commission which (in November 2017) had approved a permit for a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (also […]

Waterfowl at Fountain Grove Conservation Area

New pump and drainage system planned for Fountain Grove Conservation Area of Livingston County

The Missouri Conservation Commission has approved a contract for a project to install a pump station and drainage system to improve wetland habitat management at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Fountain Grove Conservation Area in Livingston County. The contract for the eight point three million dollar project was approved with Lehman Construction, LLC of California, […]

Grundy County Missouri Courthouse

Christmas lights added to Grundy County Courthouse

Christmas lights have been put up on the Grundy County Courthouse in Trenton.  Presiding Commissioner Rick Hull says the Grundy County Commission tried to find someone to install the Christmas lights earlier in the year. The county commission helped park buses during the Trenton Marching Festival in October, and some of the proceeds from the event […]