Paula Nickelson appointed director health and human services

Governor Parson announces Paula Nickelson to lead Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

During a press conference at the State Capitol, Governor Mike Parson announced that he has selected Paula Nickelson to serve as the Acting Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, effective March 1, 2022.  “Today, we are excited to announce Paula Nickelson as the new DHSS Acting Director,” Governor Parson said. “Paula was a […]

Cutis Cain Superintendent of the Year 2022 (Photo courtesy AASA)

The National Superintendent of the Year, Curtis Cain, is from Missouri

Curtis Cain, superintendent of Wentzville School District, in Wentzville, Mo., has been named the 2022 AASA National Superintendent of the Year. The announcement came at the National Conference on Education, hosted by AASA, The School Superintendents Association. The other National Superintendent of the Year® finalists were:  Quincy Natay, Chinle Unified School District No. 24, Chinle, Ariz. Kamela Patton, Collier County […]

President Joe Biden Photo provided by White House

Here’s what you will hear Biden talk about in his debut State of the Union address

(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address is set to focus significantly on the economy, with the former member of the U.S. Senate calling on Congress to pass much of the agenda stalled in the so-called Build Back Better bill. During the Tuesday night speech, which begins at 9 p.m. […]

Screenshot from Virtual press conference of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

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 […]

Gallery View of Missouri Senate

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 […]

Gavel and Law book news graphic

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 […]

Defund The Police Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

U.S. House hearing on extremism toward minorities turns into ‘defund the police’ debate

(Missouri Independent) – Leaders of faith organizations and Historically Black Colleges and Universities told members of a U.S. House panel on Thursday how their institutions and places of worship have been roiled by bomb threats and extremism. They talked about the recent waves of bomb threats aimed at HBCUs, a terrifying hostage-taking at a Texas […]

Princeton R-5 School District website 2021 -2022

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 […]

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall spoke at the organization’s 2022 annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia (photo provided by American Farm Bureau Federation)

American Farm Bureau Federation claims it’s the ‘voice of agriculture,’ Others beg to differ

(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published as a collaboration between Investigate Midwest and Watchdog Writers Group. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls itself the “voice of agriculture,” a slogan it trademarked in 2007. But as the divide between agribusiness and small farmers has grown in recent decades, a unified voice of agriculture has become harder to […]

(Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler photo courtesy U.S. House of Representatives website)

Josh Hawley endorses Vicky Hartzler in GOP primary for Missouri U.S. Senate seat

(Missouri Independent) – U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler scored a major victory on Saturday in her quest for Missouri’s open Senate seat, winning the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in the crowded GOP primary. Hawley made the announcement at the Missouri GOP’s annual Lincoln Days event in St. Charles. Hartzler is part of a six-way primary, […]

school board meeting

Newtown-Harris Board of Education approves health insurance plan; hold discussion on coop for football

The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education approved the district health insurance provider on February 9th. The provider will be the Ozarks School Benefits Association, and the district will pay $575.82. Contract extensions were approved for Superintendent Doctor Lucas McKinnis and Kindergarten through 12th Grade Principal Kim Palmer. Counselor Megan Brown’s resignation was approved. The board […]

Trenton R-9 School District

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 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 asked […]

Marijuana leaf

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 […]

Jamey Griffin Updated photo courtesy Daviess-DeKalb Regional Jail

November trial date set for case involving shooting of Trenton police officer Jasmine Diab

At the joint request of attorneys representing Daviess County and a defendant, new dates have been set for 41-year-old Jamey Griffin of Trenton to go on trial in connection with the shooting of a Trenton police officer on June 14, 2019. Circuit Court Judge Ryan Horsman on Thursday rescheduled the trial for the week of […]

Photo of Jen Psaki courtesy of Wikipedia

Audio: White House press secretary accuses Hawley of spreading Russian propaganda

Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley wants President Biden to drop U.S. support for Ukraine’s potential request to join NATO. Hawley, a Republican, says the U.S. should urgently deliver to Ukraine the assistance it needs to defend itself against Russia’s military buildup and other threats. He says our interest is not so strong, however, as to […]

Governor Mike Parson

Parson pay raise plan in limbo as $5.4 billion spending bill awaits vote

(Missouri Independent) – Missouri state employees counting on seeing a big raise in their February paychecks may be disappointed, as lawmakers fiddle with a $5.4 billion spending bill pushed by Gov. Mike Parson. When the Republican governor in December proposed a 5.5 percent pay raise for all state workers, he said he wanted it in effect by […]

Farm Lease Agreement

University Missouri Extension farm lease information sessions set for February 10

Landowners and renters can learn about farm leases from University of Missouri Extension specialists 6-9:30 p.m. Thursday, February 10, 2022. Participants can attend via Zoom or in person at one of six locations across the state, says Joe Koenen, MU Extension agriculture business specialist and longtime presenter on farm leases. “Open communication is the key,” […]