COVID-19 presented considerable challenges to Missouri schools, staff, and students in 2020, including closures, cancellations, remote learning, and more. The pandemic also presented challenges to schools and instructors teaching the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) hunter education courses. “Many schools were closed for much of the year, which reduced the number of kids who could […]
(Missouri Independent) – The eyes of the nation turned to U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley over the holidays when he became the first senator to announce an objection to the certification of presidential electors. But the eyes of local politicos turned instead to his home-state colleague, Missouri’s senior senator. How would Roy Blunt — up for […]
(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 […]
The State Highway Patrol reports 989 lives were lives in Missouri traffic crashes in 2020, up from 881 in 2019. The Missouri Department of Transportation says the preliminary reporting indicates a 12% increase compared to 2019. MoDOT says despite traffic volumes in the state being significantly lower for most of 2020, Missouri experienced its largest […]
Missouri’s transportation director says more than 600 of his employees currently have the coronavirus. State Department of Transportation (MoDOT) director Patrick McKenna testified before the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight on Monday in Jefferson City, delivering MoDOT’s annual report. “As of this moment (Monday afternoon), we’re at about 645 cases of COVID within MoDOT, MoDOT alone,” McKenna […]
Just east of Interstate 35 in Clinton County, near Lathrop, approximately 5,000 motorists drive through the intersection of Route 116 and U.S. Route 69 each day. Despite enhanced safety features, four fatal crashes have occurred there since 2011. After multiple studies, a roundabout has been proposed in an effort to further improve the safety of […]
An elected Missouri State Representative has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a fraud scheme in which she made false claims about a supposed stem cell treatment marketed through her clinics in southern Missouri, and for illegally providing prescription drugs to clients of those clinics. Derges, a Republican, represents Christian County (District 140) […]
All classes of Missouri land values grew steadily in the past year, according to the University of Missouri Extension’s annual survey of farmers, rural appraisers, and agricultural lenders. Ray Massey, MU Extension agricultural economics professor, heads the survey efforts. No governmental or public agencies in Missouri require the reporting of land values, said Massey. Despite […]
Governor Mike Parson delivered the 2021 State of the State Address to the Missouri General Assembly. Governor Parson highlighted several accomplishments the state has made in combating COVID-19 as well as major successes in infrastructure and workforce development despite the challenges of the past year. Following a recap of 2020, Governor Parson’s speech focused […]
Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased again in December 2020, but a large increase in the civilian labor force sent unemployment higher. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 10,400 jobs over the month, and over-the-year job losses from COVID-19 shutdowns fell below 100,000. However, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 1.3 percentage points from November […]
Calls for the resignation of Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley continue to trickle in, along with some Republican allies and corporate donors pulling their support for him. The political backfire follows his efforts to challenge President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory and the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol that followed last week. “I will never […]
Despite violence breaking out at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday to derail the certification of election results, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley is doubling down on his challenge to the election process. On the Senate floor Wednesday night, Hawley, a Republican, says those who engage in violence will be prosecuted. But he says millions of Americans are […]
