Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) joined more than 200 colleagues today in calling on Speaker Pelosi to direct her committee chairs to look into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic started, the House of Representatives has held zero hearings on the origins of the virus and the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup. “Americans deserve […]
(Missouri Independent) – From statehouses to Congress, Republicans have launched into a fight against the teaching of “critical race theory,” which just a year ago was a niche academic term. Experts in critical race theory say it’s about acknowledging how racial disparities are embedded in U.S history and society, and the concept is being mischaracterized […]
A Clarence man has been charged in Linn County with seven felony counts of delivery of a controlled substance following a narcotics investigation and vehicle stop on May 24th. Twenty-five-year-old Joshua Heath Barry has also been charged with the felonies of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. […]
The North Central Missouri Board of Trustees received a consolidated budget update on May 25, 2021. The 2021-2022 budget projection includes total operating revenue of $11,111,547. With auxiliary operations of $12,151,045, the total consolidated income is projected at $13,262,592. Revenues include $7,433,078 for tuition and fees and $2,939,169 in state appropriations. The budget projection also […]
The former secretary/treasurer of the Plattsburg Special Road District has been ordered to pay restitution of more than $100,000 for defrauding taxpayers. Ava L. Langner was sentenced on the charge of theft brought by the U.S. Attorney. After receiving a whistleblower complaint, a 2019 audit by Auditor Galloway’s office detailed how Langner defrauded the district in […]
An Independence man has been charged in Livingston County with four counts of felony possession of child pornography. Online court information shows no bond is allowed for 33-year-old Zachary Ryan Kerns. A probable cause statement says a search of cloud service URLs on a computer belonging to Kerns using the program Axiom located more than […]
(Missouri Independent) – Republicans in the Missouri Senate should move to shut off debate if a filibuster blocks anti-abortion lawmakers from putting their stamp on provider taxes that fund Medicaid, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said in an interview with The Independent this week. The advice was not, however, well received by the Senate’s Republican or […]
The North Central Missouri Mental Health Center in Trenton will provide information and resources on suicide prevention mental health awareness at an event next week. Training will also be provided on several topics on May 25th from 6 to 8 p.m. Topics to be covered include suicide prevention; Question, Persuade, Refer and Crisis Access for […]
Without regular policy checks, farm liability insurance might be like a hospital gown – not enough coverage where you need it most. Thoroughly read your policy regularly and check for gaps and needed updates says University of Missouri Extension economist Ray Massey. “Planning is important, but even the best plans do not always succeed in […]
A Milan man has been charged with first-degree murder after his wife was found dead in the couple’s apartment with an apparent gunshot wound to her face. Twenty-year-old Edward James Elijah “Eli” Withey has also been charged with armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse. He is to be held without bond. A probable […]
A case has been bound over to Division One of the Linn County Circuit Court for a Brookfield man charged with 33 counts of felony possession of child pornography—first offense. Forty-four-year-old James Dean Jackson waived a preliminary hearing on May 6th. He is to appear for an arraignment in Division One on June 8th. Jackson […]
A report from State Auditor Nicole Galloway says progress is being made in the city of Parma after an audit last year discovered more than $115,000 was misappropriated through payroll overpayments and improper payments and purchases. The audit, which also found that meeting minutes and financial reports were falsified to conceal the misappropriations, led to criminal charges against […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that on April 27, 2021, Healthy Home & Family, Inc., an in-home health care provider, and its owners, Belinda Bivens and Mary Stockson, have entered into a civil settlement agreement totaling $302,127 in restitution and penalties, with his office for submitting 114 false claims to Missouri Medicaid (MO HealthNet). […]
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri lawmakers must finish work on the fiscal 2022 budget by Friday. And while the biggest spending issue of the session, Medicaid expansion, is off the table, there are other big issues to resolve in the state-run health care program. One of the largest is whether to provide a cushion for hospitals that […]
Chillicothe Police Department K-9 Enoch and Handler Sergeant Jeremiah Grider assisted the Carrollton Police Department in finding a fugitive on April 30th. The Carrollton Police reports 50-year-old Steven Bittiker of Carrollton was taken into custody after a pursuit and is being held pending formal charges. He was wanted on outstanding felony warrants. The suspect allegedly […]
A Coffey man faces multiple charges after a Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division investigation at a residence in Coffey on April 28th. Forty-five-year-old David Jonathan Girsch has been charged in Daviess County with the felonies of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, and two counts of […]
The Department of Public Safety announced details of two ceremonies to be held on April 30 and May 1 at the Law Enforcement Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol to honor Missouri law enforcement officers who paid the ultimate price for protecting their communities. DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Deric Clark will be one […]
(Missouri Independent) – With the Missouri Senate poised for what promises to be a lengthy debate over Medicaid expansion, legislative Democrats said Tuesday that the fight over funding will move to the courts if lawmakers don’t approve money for the new coverage. During a rally on the Capitol Building lawn, Senate Democrats promised to push […]
As the state Senate debates Missouri’s budget for next year, groups are urging lawmakers to learn from the 38 states that have expanded their Medicaid programs. The budget passed by the Missouri House leaves out the $130 million needed to fund expansion. The remainder of the costs would be covered by the federal government. Joan Alker, executive director […]
A California man was charged in federal court with transporting more than four kilograms of fentanyl from Los Angeles, California, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, aboard a bus that stopped at a Kansas City, Missouri station. Miguel Angel Duran, 28, was charged with one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute in a criminal complaint […]
