Missouri is blessed with a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines that make the fall season come alive with color. You can find the best places to view the changing foliage using the Missouri Department of Conservation’s fall color report at this link. “Our fall color report is updated weekly from MDC foresters all over […]
Tag: deal
U.S. House Democrats add more mass transit, high-speed rail into infrastructure bill
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. House transportation panel early Wednesday passed along party lines the panel’s $60 billion slice of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget plan, adding nearly $20 billion for a new transit program and high-speed rail development in the states. Chairman Peter A. DeFazio of Oregon had considered these and other items underfunded in […]
Missouri lawmakers look to undermine Biden COVID vaccine mandate
(Missouri Independent) – Members of the Missouri House on Wednesday floated the idea of pursuing legislation to undermine a mandate from the Biden administration meant to increase vaccination rates in the U.S. The House Judiciary Committee held what Rep. David Evans said was the first in a series of discussions about vaccine mandates, including an executive order […]
Audio: Federal worker vaccine mandate expected to drive nursing home workers out the door
The Biden Administration is expected to require nursing home workers to get their COVID-19 vaccination. In Missouri, about 50-percent of nursing home employees have been vaccinated, one of the worst rates in the country, according to federal data. Nikki Strong with the Missouri Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes across the state, says a […]
Local elections in Iowa to Include voting changes
There is no federal or statewide race this fall, but Iowa voters in many cities will still head to the polls for municipal and school elections and county auditors hope they are informed about sweeping changes the state adopted this year dealing with voting. In March, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill, which, among other things, reduces […]
Trenton R-9 Board of Education hears numerous reports, discuss COVID-19 policy and approve bus routes
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, heard a report on the mentoring program for new teachers in the district. District Instructional Coach Doctor Jill Watkins reported she developed the Trenton program based on what she has implemented in the past. She said teachers have to complete first and second-year tutoring. She […]
Leadership Northwest Music Jam at Black Silo Winery quickly approaching
Country music star, Sunny Sweeney, will be headlining the first-ever Leadership Northwest Music Jam with ticket proceeds benefiting the Leadership Northwest Missouri program. The show will be hosted at Black Silo Winery in Trenton, MO on Saturday, September 25, 2021. Trenton local, Salem Croy, will be the special guest opening the music event. Tickets are […]
Missouri Governor condemns Biden’s vaccine mandate, vows legal fight against federal overreach
Governor Mike Parson announced that his administration will reject the Biden Administration’s attempt to enforce an unconstitutional, federal vaccine mandate for Missourians and private businesses. The Office of the Governor has been in communication with leadership from the Missouri General Assembly and the Attorney General’s Office to align resources for a pending legal fight. “This […]
In court, drug middlemen fight to limit pharmacies insured patients can use
(Missouri Independent) – In the first test of a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, drug middlemen last week argued that federal law gives them a right to limit which pharmacies patients with health insurance can use — or at least make it more expensive if patients get their medicine at a shop that isn’t preferred […]
Missouri woman sentenced to 15 years in prison without parole for meth conspiracy
A Missouri woman was sentenced in federal court for her role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine. Cassidy R. Clayton, 25, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On Oct. 31, 2019, Clayton pleaded guilty to participating in the drug-trafficking […]
Audio: Congressman says every agribusiness in Missouri is dealing with worker shortages
Southeast Missouri Congressman Jason Smith says every agribusiness in the state is dealing with worker shortages. Smith, a Republican from Salem, says the biggest problem with the worker shortage is the government is paying more people to stay home than it is for them to get a job. Federal pandemic unemployment insurance ended […]
November trial set for lawsuit challenging $1.4 billion Missouri prison health care contract
(Missouri Independent) – A trial will be held in early November to determine whether a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Centene will take over the contract for prison health care in the Missouri Department of Corrections. In a hearing Thursday, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green set Nov. 3 as the first day in the trial where current […]
Wright Memorial Hospital’s Senior Life Solutions speaks about the importance of talking about suicide
September is National Suicide Prevention and Awareness month. Wright Memorial Hospital’s Senior Life Solutions program is working to raise awareness and educate the community on the risk factors and warning signs of suicide. Talk of suicide should never be dismissed. If you, or someone you know, are thinking of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention […]
Meatpacking plants have long relied on immigrant labor. Some now turn to foreign visa workers
(Missouri Independent) – Colored hard hats distinguish different roles and jobs at Seaboard Foods, a major meatpacking plant in Guymon, Oklahoma. Senior management have green. Supervisors wear dark blue. Foreign workers on visas don yellow-green. But Seaboard is part of a small but growing trend in the meatpacking industry, which already largely relied on an […]
Audio: Temporary health workers commanding as much as $200 per hour in Missouri
Temporary health care workers are in high demand across Missouri and are commanding quite the price for their services. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports hospitals across the state need the extra staff to deal with surges of COVID-19 patients. That’s led to hourly rates that have risen to $200 an hour in some […]
Audio: Missouri’s governor signs deal with newly formed organization aimed at boosting the state’s sluggish vaccination rate.
Governor Mike Parson’s administration has signed a deal with a newly formed organization aimed at boosting Missouri’s stagnant COVID-19 vaccination rate. The $2.5 million contract with the Missouri Immunization Coalition is the latest attempt by the administration to jumpstart vaccinations in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The hiring of […]
Missouri man sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing 98 kilos of meth, illegally possessing 23 firearms
A Missouri, man who was responsible for distributing nearly 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, has been sentenced in federal court after law enforcement officers seized nearly two dozen firearms and illegal drugs from his residence. Daniel Dewayne Gregg, 58, of Bates City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Wednesday, Aug. 11, to […]
Leadership Northwest Music Jam, with Sunny Sweeney and Salem Croy, set for September 25 at Black Silo Winery
Country music star Sunny Sweeney will be headlining the first Leadership Northwest Music Jam presented by Wright Memorial Hospital and Hedrick Medical Center. The show will be hosted at Black Silo Winery in Trenton on Saturday, September 25, 2021. Ticket proceeds benefit Leadership Northwest Missouri and are on sale now. Trenton local, Salem Croy, will […]
Serve Mercer County event set for August 28
Serve Mercer County is an opportunity for neighbors to help neighbors. The event is on August 28, 2021, with a rain date of September 11. Civic groups and school groups of all ages are encouraged to participate. Register online at servemercercounty.com or by calling the Princeton Methodist church. Meet at Princeton United Methodist Church at […]