Credit Monitoring News Graphic

Missouri to provide credit monitoring for teachers after reporter found security flaw

(Missouri Independent) – Nearly a month after a reporter identified a security flaw in a state website that exposed teachers’ social security numbers, the state announced Wednesday it was offering a year of credit monitoring services to hundreds of thousands of teachers whose personal information was put at risk According to the Department of Elementary […]

Marijuana

Audio: Northwest Missouri State University launches online cannabis course available to anyone

As the state’s medical marijuana industry continues to grow, Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville has launched an online cannabis education program that is available to anyone – not just students enrolled at the school. The school is teaming up with Green Flower, a cannabis education platform, to offer non-credit certifications. Daniel Kalef, with Green […]

Marijuana being weighed by person on scale

Federal grand jury subpoenas sought records from Missouri medical marijuana regulators

(Missouri Independent) – Twice last year a federal grand jury demanded the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services turn over records pertaining to the medical marijuana program.  The pair of subpoenas, issued by the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri in September 2020, were redacted by the department at the […]

(Official portrait of President Joe Biden in the White House (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Biden pitches new $1.75 trillion spending blueprint to Democrats that drops paid family leave

(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden is meeting with congressional Democrats on Capitol Hill Thursday morning to pitch lawmakers on a new slimmed-down framework for what would be included in a massive social reform package, according to senior administration officials. The $1.75 trillion blueprint that Biden is presenting to Democrats includes a universal pre-K program for 3-and-4 […]

Hands holding money

Governor Parson announces $750,000 Emergency Energy Loan to Hannibal

Governor Mike Parson announced a $750,000 interest-free loan to the city of Hannibal to ease the impact of excessive wholesale electricity and natural gas costs associated with the February 2021 extreme weather event. The loan was made possible through the Municipal Utility Emergency Loan Program. “The Municipal Utility Emergency Loan Program provides municipal utilities and […]

Kids age 5 to 11 next in line for COVID-19 vaccines as White House rolls out plans

(Missouri Independent) – Smaller needles. Redesigned shipments to ease the storage needs in pediatricians’ offices. And enough vials of the COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate the 28 million U.S. children between ages 5 and 11. Those are among the plans announced by the White House on Wednesday as federal and state officials prepare for a regulatory decision to […]

Governor Parson photo courtesy Governor's office

Governor Parson doubles down on push to prosecute reporter who found security flaw in state site

(Missouri Independent) – Gov. Mike Parson escalated his war with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday when his political operation published a video doubling down on his attack against a reporter who informed the state that a state website revealed teacher Social Security numbers. The video is produced by Uniting Missouri, a political action committee created by […]

Veteran's Generic Graphic

Increasing access to counseling services for military families is goal of new bill by lawmakers

U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) introduced the bipartisan COMFORT Act to solve the current shortage of Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) and increase access to counseling services on military installations. The senators’ bill allows for license portability for MFLCs, so counselors can work outside of the state in which they are licensed. “Families […]

Trenton Utility Committee

Trenton Utility Committee reviews qualifications of two firms for water and sewer rate studies

The council committee that oversees Trenton Municipal Utilities on Tuesday evening reviewed the qualifications of two companies interested in doing studies on Trenton water and sewer rates. TMU staff reviewed the qualifications of Toth and Associates and for Raftelis. Utility director Ron Urton said the staff recommends using Toth and Associates based on good experience […]

Josh Hawley Courtesy of Missourinet

Hawley demands answers on airlines’ use of pandemic funds, widespread layoffs from Biden vaccine mandate

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Brian D. Miller, and acting Inspector General Richard K. Delmar urging an investigation into the widespread layoffs of airline workers who declined to submit themselves to President Biden’s vaccine mandate and the potential misuse of CARES Act funds by airlines. “The […]

COVID-19 or Coronaviru testing

Missouri students can now ‘test to stay’ to remain in classroom after COVID exposure

(Missouri Independent) – Missouri students and teachers identified as being exposed to a coronavirus case in school may now be permitted to remain in class if they continue to test negative for the virus and properly wear a mask. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) updated its school reopening guidance Friday to include the new […]

Drought Resources news graphic

Online tool now available for drought-stricken farms to estimate compensation for feed transportation costs

An online tool is now available to help ranchers document and estimate payments to cover feed transportation costs caused by drought, which are now covered by the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated the program this year to include feed transportation costs as well as […]

Higher Education (college)

Free online learning now available to Missourians

The Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development and the Office of Workforce Development are expanding their partnership with the online learning platform Coursera, to offer free, online education opportunities to Missourians. Coursera partners with more than 200 of the world’s leading university and industry educators to offer courses teaching job-relevant skills in fields […]