(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Senate leadership pulled a bill vital for funding the state’s Medicaid program from floor debate Tuesday after adopting an amendment barring the use of public money for common contraceptive treatments. The amendment, sponsored by Republican Sen. Paul Wieland, could endanger the state’s entire Medicaid program by eliminating a health care service required by federal […]
Tag: control
Missouri man sentenced to 24-years in prison for distributing 12 pounds of methamphetamine
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed at least 12 pounds of methamphetamine in the Joplin area, as well as for illegally possessing numerous firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Mark E. Burdge, 50, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. […]
Suspect dies in officer-involved shooting in Randolph County
Officers with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday responded to a call in Jacksonville to a male with a knife who was attempting to break into residences. The deputy arrived on the scene and located the suspect, who approached the deputy with a knife in a threatening manner. The deputy responded by drawing their […]
Biden calls on U.S. Senate to act on background checks after Colorado mass shooting
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged the U.S. Senate to immediately pass legislation to close loopholes on background checks for guns and to ban assault weapons, following a mass shooting that killed 10 at a Colorado supermarket. “This should not be a partisan issue,” Biden said. “This is an American issue.” Biden’s […]
Missouri’s annual “No MOre Trash! Bash” returns April 1, 2021
It spring cleaning time and the month of April marks Missouri’s annual No MOre Trash! Bash coordinated by the Missouri Department of Transportation. During the annual statewide anti-litter event, volunteers are encouraged to clean up litter adjacent to highways to help beautify Missouri. The No MOre Trash! Bash is an annual outreach of MoDOT’s year-round […]
Missouri State Highway Patrol reports arrest of one person for drugs and a teenager for speeding and DWI
The Highway Patrol arrested two area residents in area counties on March 19th on various allegations. Thirty-seven-year-old Amanda Ayer of Lancaster was arrested in Putnam County. She was accused of the felonies of possession of a controlled substance—methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance—alprazolam. Other allegations were driving while revoked, speeding, and failure to register […]
Polo woman charged with manslaughter after mother’s death bound to Division One of Caldwell County Circuit Court
A Polo woman charged with felony involuntary manslaughter—second degree after her mother’s death had her case bound over to Division One of Caldwell County Circuit Court March 18th. Forty-two-year-old Rachel Nichols is scheduled for arraignment on April 13th. A probable cause affidavit from Sergeant Tony Kirkendoll of the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office says an autopsy […]
Teen vaping on the rise in Chillicothe, even found among fourth-grade school students
Chillicothe Police School Resource Officer Eric Menconi says he has talked with law enforcement officers, school officials, and health professionals about everyday issues children face. About 70% of the conversations occurred because of incidents in which a student was found using alcohol, tobacco products, or other illicit drugs. He notes the most common problem is […]
Lawmakers say President Biden is escalating border crisis by unlawfully freezing border wall funding
Amid the rapidly escalating crisis along the southern border, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) and dozens of his colleagues joined U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, in sending a letter to Government Accountability Office Comptroller Gene L. Dodaro highlighting President Joe Biden’s suspension of border wall […]
Mask declaration order in Chillicothe set to expire
Based upon The Livingston County Health Center’s calculation of positivity rate and other risk criteria, authorities in Chillicothe feel it is safe to end the mask declaration. According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, face masks or face coverings are still strongly recommended in public places where social distancing cannot be maintained to […]
Vehicle stop leads to arrest of three on alleged drug violations
Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox reports a vehicle stop on Highway 65 for an equipment violation led to the arrest of three individuals for alleged drug violations. Online court information shows 63-year-old Daniel Leroy Walker of Bedford, 38-year-old Dawn Rachelle King of Hale, and 40-year-old Sasha Campos of Hale have each been charged with felony […]
Missouri’s groundwater threatened from corporate factory farm expansion
Webmasters note: This article is a commentary by Tim Gibbons of the Missouri Independent. Tim Gibbons is communications director for the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, a statewide farm and rural organization dedicated to preserving family farms and promoting stewardship of the land and environmental integrity. The comments in the article are those of the author, […]
States question whether new federal stimulus law rules out tax cuts
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden’s massive pandemic stimulus law pumps a welcome infusion of federal aid into state and local government coffers — but one brief section is raising questions about whether states are barred from cutting their own taxes if they accept the federal help. The Senate added language to the COVID-19 relief package […]
Jay Nixon comeback? Democrats lining up for shot at open Missouri Senate seat
(Missouri Independent) – Roy Blunt’s announcement that he won’t seek a third term certainly shook up Republican politics in Missouri, sparking nearly every GOP elected official in the state to publicly mull jumping into the campaign. Democrats aren’t immune from the speculation. While any Democrat would face an uphill fight, the chance of a messy […]
Daughter of Mexican cartel leader pleads guilty to criminal violation of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act
A dual U.S.-Mexican citizen pleaded guilty today to willfully engaging in financial dealings with Mexican companies that had been identified as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). According to court documents, Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez, 34, of Guadalajara, Mexico, violated the criminal penalties of […]
Macon woman life-flighted to University Hospital after being ejected from vehicle during crash
The Highway Patrol reports a Macon woman sustained serious injuries when the car she drove overturned three miles northeast of Elmer on March 11th, ejecting her from the vehicle. An air ambulance transported Mathis to University Hospital in Columbia. The car, driven by Thirty-seven-year-old Chrystal Mathis, traveled south on Highway 3 before running off the […]
Judge Thomas Alley hands down prison time in Division One of Grundy County Circuit Court
Three people were sentenced to prison during Division One proceedings in Grundy County Circuit Court on Thursday. Trenton resident Vance Allan Gannon pleaded guilty to three counts and had one dismissed. Gannon was sentenced to five years with the department of corrections for resisting arrest, detention or stop by fleeing creating a substantial risk to […]
Grundy County Health Department reminds residents that COVID-19 vaccinations for Phase 1B Tier 3 opens March 15
The Grundy County Health Department reports no new COVID-19 cases since its March 8th report, keeping the total at 1,057. Active cases dropped by one to one. Eight hundred 16 have been confirmed, and 241 are probable. Forty COVID-19-related deaths have been reported for Grundy County. The health department reports the Department of Health and […]