Prince Bixler, 41, of Lexington, Kentucky, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Wier to 36 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $333,100 in restitution to three sex trafficking victims. In September 2020, a federal jury convicted Bixler of 15 federal felonies related to his […]
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced he will introduce new legislation to give blue-collar workers a pay raise. For nearly four decades, workers making below the median wage have experienced stagnant wages, and this past year, the problem has been made worse by unprecedented layoffs, reduced hours, and income disruptions due to the government shutting down […]
(Missouri Independent) – The plan for distributing money directly to Missouri counties in the current version of the $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief bill is pretty simple – each gets $195.44 per person. But for cities, instead of a formula based on population, Congress divvies up the money using the method for determining Community Development Block Grant allocations. […]
(Missouri Independent) – Last spring, as Missouri businesses shed hundreds of thousands of jobs, Gov. Mike Parson warned that the state was headed for the worst financial crunch since the 2008 recession. Ten months later, Parson presented a budget plan that anticipates a $1.1 billion surplus on July 1, the biggest in state history. And if the $1.9 trillion pandemic […]
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released a compilation of property seizures made under Missouri’s Criminal Activity Forfeiture Act (CAFA) in 2020. The Auditor’s report shows law enforcement officials seized an estimated $4.2 million worth of property in 502 seizures. In 2019, law enforcement officials seized approximately $5.9 million worth of property in 493 seizures. […]
Missouri could catch up by the end of the next state budget year on its outstanding debt owed to counties for jail reimbursements. For years, the state has been behind in paying counties and the city of St. Louis for a portion of a defendant’s entire local jail stay if the individual ends up going […]
A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing the firearm he used in a drive-by shooting. Javier Guerrero-Garcia, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to eight years and six months in federal prison without parole. On June 29, 2020, Guerrero-Garcia pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession […]
(Missouri Independent) – Thousands of Missourians facing repayment of mistakenly paid unemployment benefits would get some relief under legislation passed with a bipartisan vote Wednesday in a Missouri House committee. The bill, which will likely be debated on the House floor next week, would forgive debts due to overpayments from federal coronavirus relief programs but would not […]
The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman identified as a missing person from the Gladstone area was found deceased in northwestern Caldwell County on Tuesday afternoon, February 16th, by the Highway Patrol and deputies from the sheriff’s department. Major Tony Kirkendoll with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office reports a farmer found 84-year-old Dorothy Parker’s […]
A Milan man has been charged in Adair County after an investigation into tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in reference to social media profiles suspected of sending child pornography. Thirty-eight-year-old Billy Schrepfer faces felony enticement or attempted enticement of a child. The Kirksville Police Department reports a Kirksville Police/Kirksville Regional […]
Through the end of June, the state is offering free online IT courses to Missourians laid off or furloughed because of COVID-19. Missouri has extended its partnership with CompTIA (tee-a), a nonprofit trade association, to provide the on-demand schooling that can be completed at each student’s own pace. Dr. Mardy Leathers, director of the Office […]
If your farm has been in your family since Dec. 31, 1921, you can apply to have it recognized as a Missouri Century Farm. The University of Missouri Extension, the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and Missouri Farm Bureau sponsor the program. To qualify, the same family must have owned the farm […]
The Highway Patrol reports a Bethany woman sustained minor injuries when the sports utility vehicle she drove slid on ice and overturned into a ditch one mile north of Bethany. An ambulance transported 40-year-old Jennifer Russel to the Harrison County Community Hospital of Bethany. The SUV traveled east on Route F on Wednesday morning, February […]
Today begins a special three month enrollment period for consumers to obtain health insurance through the federal marketplace. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid determined that the COVID-19 emergency presents exceptional circumstances in accessing health insurance and provides the special enrollment period through May 15th. Consumers who are eligible to apply and enroll are in […]
Governor Mike Parson signed Executive Order 21-03 temporarily relaxing hours of service regulations for commercial motor vehicles transporting residential heating fuels. “With unseasonably cold temperatures impacting much of the state and nation, the demand for heating fuel only continues to rise. This has resulted in significant delays in the distribution of residential heating […]
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. It is also the most treatable. To prevent heart disease and increase awareness of its effects, Carroll County Memorial Hospital is proudly participating in American Heart Month. CCMH kicked the month off by decking the hospital out in […]
The Grundy County Health Department and Health Officer Elizabeth Gibson have extended the public health order requiring masks for 60 days beginning February 12th. The order originally went into effect on December 11th to limit or prevent the spread of COVID-19. The order says persons at least 10 years old in Grundy County are required […]
Governor Mike Parson has signed HB 16 into law, a bill giving $324 million in emergency aid to help struggling renters and landlords in Missouri. The plan, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), could cover some rent and utility costs. “HB 16 will provide much-needed assistance to tenants and landlords across the state. COVID-19’s economic […]
You could be voting in 2022 on a proposed constitutional amendment in Missouri, requiring health insurers to cover preexisting conditions. House Joint Resolution 50 is a two-page proposal. It’s sponsored by State Rep. Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, the powerful House Majority Floor Leader. He says the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn the Affordable Care Act this year. […]
U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced the World Health Organization (WHO) Accountability Act to hold the WHO responsible for its role in assisting China’s cover-up of the origins and early spread of the coronavirus. The WHO Accountability Act withholds U.S. taxpayer dollars from the WHO until the organization replaces its leadership, as of January 1, […]
