Another session of the Missouri Legislature has come and gone. Of the 1,559 House bills and 689 Senate bills filed this time around, 69 bills will make it to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk. Here are some key bills left up to the governor to sign or veto: Missouri lawmakers vote to pump up […]
The Columbia Police Department, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and a multitude of other local, state, and federal agencies conducted a successful joint human trafficking operation at the Holiday Inn East hotel in Columbia, Missouri on Friday night. The joint operation, organized by the Columbia Police Department, the […]
The North Mercer R-3 Board of Education accepted a resignation May 13th from Janet Searcy from music. Searcy has been with the district for more than 20 years. A contract was offered to Alyssa Craig of Mercer as a paraprofessional. Nellie Henley was designated as the head cook. Henley has been with North Mercer for […]
The Walkin’ Paws for a Cause fundraiser for the Green Hills Animal Shelter has been postponed due to the weather forecast. The event was originally scheduled for the morning of May 15th. A reschedule date has yet to be announced.
The Trenton Park Board voted at a special meeting on May 14th to raise pay for pool staff. It was also announced the Trenton Family Aquatic Center’s target opening date is May 29th. The pool manager pay will be $12 per hour, and the assistant manager pay will be $10.25 per hour. Lifeguards will be […]
The Missouri Senate has passed a contentious gun rights bill. The “Second Amendment Preservation Act” attempts to invalidate federal gun regulations. Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo of Independence spoke in favor of an amendment that would have closed a loophole letting convicted domestic violence abusers own a gun. The amendment to the overall bill failed. […]
Bright Futures Trenton has set the date for its Grundy County Back to School Event. Students from Grundy County can participate in the event on August 12th from noon to 7 o’clock. Locations have not yet been announced. Items to be available that day will include school supplies, backpacks, new shoes, haircuts, hygiene items, and […]
As the school year ends, you can expect young people to start applying for summer jobs. For agricultural employers, these young workers can provide extra capacity at a time when farms and agribusinesses often have more work than they have employees to get that work done. “Labor is tight as the economy picks up steam […]
A North Carolina man pleaded guilty to a bribery and smuggling scheme. He abused his position as a prison official to funnel drugs and other contraband into Caledonia Correctional Institution. According to court documents, Ollie Rose III, 62, of Pleasant Hill, worked as a case manager at Caledonia Correctional Institution, a state prison in Halifax […]
The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education approved the 2021-2022 salary schedule May 10t. It is the same salary schedule as for the 2020-2021 school year, which Superintendent Doctor Lucas McKinnis notes has a base salary of $31,000 for a first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree. The salary schedule is expected to change after further review […]
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education on Tuesday, May 11, discussed non-certified payroll annualization with district Bookkeeper Mona Loyd and Administrative Assistant Susan Leeper. Loyd started by saying she had been willing to try annualization at the time the board originally voted to implement it for non-certified staff. She did not have the forethought to […]
Missouri is designating 50-million dollars in federal coronavirus aid to create K-12 teacher recruitment and retention grants. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will make 10,000-dollar grants available to all Missouri public school districts and charter schools to create or expand local teacher recruitment programs. Currently, 20 percent of Missouri school […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit against St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, Dr. Faisal Khan, and the St. Louis County Department of Public Health for the arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable application of COVID-19 restrictions in St. Louis County. Specifically, the suit takes issue with the restrictions on religious institutions, masking requirements for […]
Carroll County Memorial Hospital Board of Directors announces Scott Thoreson has accepted the position as CCMH’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2021. “We had an extremely difficult decision to make due to the number of highly qualified candidates we interviewed,” said Rex Buhrmester, CCMH Board of Directors president. “Jeff has set this hospital […]
Entries are now being accepted online for all State Fair livestock shows and competitive exhibits. Complete rules and regulations for all shows and contests are available in the online Premium Guide. All entrants must complete the vendor input form to receive premium payment(s). Most shows and competitions have entry deadlines. Important competition updates are available […]
The Laredo R-7 Board of Education approved building improvements and the purchase of a bus on May 10th. Administrator Misty Foster reports straightening basketball goals and patching the existing blacktop will cost $5,500. A used Bluebird bus will cost $14,900. The board also approved the purchase of Big Ideas’ fifth-grade math curriculum, but there is […]
The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education will consider approval of the salary schedule next week. The board will meet in the high school Family and Consumer Sciences room on May 10, 2021, at 7 o’clock in the evening. The agenda also includes extracurricular trips, new board member training, summer personnel, and programming dates, and facility, […]
The Grundy County R-5 Board of Education will open and review bids next week. Bids to be opened May 12, 2021, at 6 o’clock in the evening include propane, fuel, and milk. Bus barn bids will be reviewed. The agenda also includes Missouri Consultants for Education policy updates, a Princeton transportation agreement, voluntary student insurance coverage, […]
The Community Action Partnership of North Central Missouri provides various services in the Green Hills area. One of those services is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps households in need with utilities. Executive Director Chris Small reports Community Action works with more than 40 utility vendors. Some of the vendors are municipal […]
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for transporting a Kansas minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity. Nathan Roger Belcher, 31, of Carl Junction, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Belcher to serve 20 years on […]
