(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 […]
Tag: concern
Trenton Building and Nuisance Board declares five locations a nuisance
Five locations in Trenton have been declared a nuisance by the Trenton Building and Nuisance Board, four of them have had property damaged by fire. Added to the nuisance list last night was 213 East Crowder Road with Building Inspector Wes Barone reporting the owners, Russell and Bea Shaw, signed a letter of intent to […]
Billions in U.S. aid for Ukraine eyed in struggle against Russian invasion
(Missouri Independent) – Congress is working quickly to determine how much military and humanitarian aid it should send to Ukraine as the war in that country continues to claim lives and send hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing as refugees. Lawmakers are working with the Biden administration to provide billions in funding at the same […]
Video: Biden taps Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as first black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden formally announced the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday afternoon. “President Biden sought a candidate with exceptional credentials, unimpeachable character, and unwavering dedication to the rule of law,” the White House said in a statement. If confirmed by the Senate, Jackson, 51, […]
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 […]
Landowner rights at the center of Iowa’s carbon pipeline debate
Eminent-domain concerns are a focal point as Iowa considers the idea of allowing underground pipelines to transfer carbon dioxide for storage. Summit Carbon Solutions recently filed its initial permit request with state regulators. If approved, the pipeline would run through several states to gather carbon from ethanol plants, eventually storing it underground in North Dakota. As […]
Missouri Senate passes $4.6B spending bill with pay raises, federal school funds
(Missouri Independent) – With a deadline looming that could cost Missouri almost $2 billion in federal education aid, the bill to distribute the money passed the state Senate on Wednesday after Democrats slammed a zero-dollar funding line as a partisan attack on Planned Parenthood. The $4.6 billion spending bill approved on a 25-7 vote is the first legislation requiring […]
State judges across the U.S. face growing GOP pushback against rulings in election cases
Missouri Independent) – In mid-December, Texas’ highest criminal court revoked the state attorney general’s ability to use his office to prosecute election-related cases without the request of a district or county attorney. In an 8-1 opinion, the all-Republican court weakened Attorney General Ken Paxton’s power to independently go after perpetrators of voter fraud, a problem he says […]
Disability advocates say to focus on accessibility in voting reforms
Experts say Missouri ranks low among states when it comes to steps it has taken to improve accessibility in voting. Denise Lieberman, director and general counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, which has a disability-rights committee, said people with disabilities face barriers at all stages of the voting process, from registering to vote to […]
Wife of nuclear engineer pleads guilty to espionage-related offense; will serve 3-years in federal prison
A woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to communicate Restricted Data related to the design of nuclear-powered warships. Her husband pleaded guilty to the same offense on Monday, Feb. 14. Diana Toebbe, 46, of Annapolis, Maryland, was arrested on Oct. 9, 2021, for knowingly and voluntarily joining a conspiracy with her husband, Jonathan Toebbe, to communicate […]
Missouri state health agency seeks control of Title X funds that go to Planned Parenthood
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri’s state health department has applied to oversee federal family planning funds, a move reproductive health advocates fear would give the state power to cut off funding for providers who refer patients for abortion services. During his confirmation hearing late last month, former Department of Health and Senior Services Director Donald Kauerauf’s […]
Princeton Board of Education approves school calendar for 2022-2023; changes time school is to begin and end
The Princeton R-5 Board of Education on February 14th approved the 2022-2023 school calendar and changed school hours. The first day of school will be August 23rd, and the last day is scheduled for May 19th, 2023. Snow days are built into the calendar that totals 1,109 hours. For the 2022-2023 school year, the day […]
Wright Memorial Hospital and Grundy County Health Department to offer free sports physicals
Wright Memorial Hospital and the Grundy County Health Department are once again working together to offer sports physical exams for Trenton Middle School and Trenton High School students who plan to participate in athletic/cheerleading activities during the 2022-2023 school year. Sports physical exams at Pleasant View, Spickard, Laredo, Galt, and Humphreys schools will be scheduled […]
Criticism of Missouri medical marijuana system seeps into initiative petition debate
(Missouri Independent) – A handful of Republican lawmakers lashed out at the state’s medical marijuana industry Thursday, lobbing accusations of corruption into a Missouri House debate over whether to make it harder to amend the state’s Constitution. On a mostly party-line 98-53 vote, the Missouri House signed off on legislation Thursday that would require a two-thirds […]
Audio: Missouri prosecutor declines to charge reporter for finding state website flaw
A Missouri prosecutor has declined to file charges against a reporter for finding a data flaw in a state Department of Education website. The Cole County Prosecutor’s Office is not charging a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter for finding the state’s glitch that had the ability to publicly show the social security numbers of […]
Cori Bush leading push for Biden to pick Supreme Court nominee with civil rights track record
(Missouri Independent) – U.S. Rep. Cori Bush on Thursday led a coalition of Black women members of the U.S. House in a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to pick a Black woman for the U.S. Supreme Court — which he has promised — who has a track record of protecting civil rights. “The […]
Audio: Senator Roy Blunt expresses concern of police officer shortages
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt says he’s concerned about the shortage of law enforcement officers in Washington, D-C, and here in Missouri. The Republican says the U.S. Capitol Police force is about 200 officers below the authorized level of two thousand, but it’s not just a problem there. The city of St. Louis and […]
Trenton Board of Education hears presentation from Trenton Teachers Association on 4-day school week
Joel Hultman with the Trenton Teachers Association presented preliminary research regarding a four-day school week during the Trenton R-9 Board of Education meeting on February 8th. The board took no action on the matter. Hultman reported a survey of teachers showed many wanted more information on a four-day school week. None of the questions specifically […]
U.S. House advances marijuana banking bill, though final passage uncertain
(Missouri Independent) – Cannabis dispensaries throughout the country came one step closer to using banks the way many other businesses can when the U.S. House on Friday cleared a bill with sweeping changes to banking regulations. Colorado Democrat Ed Perlmutter and Ohio Republican Dave Joyce, co-sponsors of the legislation, said Friday their proposal would allow […]