Bipartisan legislation increasing penalties for people who knowingly release feral hogs into the wild has received initial approval from the Missouri House. The bill, which is sponsored by Portageville State Representative Don Rone, increases the criminal penalty from a class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. The Missouri Department of Conservation, the […]
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office and Chillicothe Police Department have announced plans to operate out of the same building. Sheriff Steve Cox and Police Chief Jon Maples brought the plans to the city administrator and county commission, and the plans are moving forward. The goal date for moving is May 10th. The Chillicothe Police Department […]
Missouri farmers can submit two free tests to beat the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) by contacting their county University of Missouri Extension center or the SCN Diagnostics laboratory. Testing soil before planting soybean is vital, says MU Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette. SCN is the No. 1 soybean disease in the U.S. and Canada, with […]
Apprenticeship programs at community colleges are poised for a big investment under President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan. The plan includes $12 billion dollars for community colleges. At a recent congressional hearing, members from both parties expressed support for targeting some of those funds at apprenticeship programs within community colleges. Shalee Hodgson, associate dean for technology, applied […]
The Missouri House and the Senate Appropriations Committee have voted against Governor Parson’s request to fund Medicaid expansion. Parson, a Republican, asked for more than 100-million dollars to fund the voter-approved measure that would allow other 275-thousand low-income adults to become eligible for government-funded healthcare. During a press conference at the Missouri Capitol, Governor Parson […]
The House of Prayer of Chillicothe will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a new facility at 209 Henry Street. The event will be at the fundraising sign southwest of the old Garrison School gym on April 28th at 11 o’clock in the morning. Soft drinks and cookies will be available after the event. The House […]
On a tie vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee has rejected a compromise proposal that would have funded Medicaid expansion on a smaller scale. The effort, led by Springfield Republican Lincoln Hough, would have designated 60-million dollars in state funding to the expansion. Republican Governor Parson requested more than 100-million dollars and the House chose not […]
A Missouri, man has been sentenced in federal court for his leadership role in a multi-million dollar conspiracy that distributed more than 2,000 kilograms of cocaine in the metropolitan area. “This heavily-armed drug dealer was still on court-supervised release for a prior federal drug-trafficking conviction while he was engaged in this drug trafficking conspiracy,” said […]
The Jamesport City Council on April 19th approved purchasing fireworks and set the time for the city’s sesquicentennial celebration. Five hundred dollars worth of fireworks will be purchased for an Independence Day celebration scheduled to be at the city park on July 5th. The city council agreed the best time to hold the sesquicentennial celebration […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway announced that her office has begun a regularly scheduled audit of Caldwell County, located in northwest Missouri. The most recent audit of Caldwell County was issued in December 2016, with the county receiving an overall rating of good. “Audits can help government agencies be more efficient and effective with taxpayer dollars,” Auditor Galloway […]
(Missouri Independent) – As bills expanding charter schools and creating new scholarship accounts for private school tuition make their way through the process, one piece of legislation is trying to give students more options within the public schools that already exist. House Bill 543, sponsored by Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, would establish the “Public School […]
The Grundy County R-5 Board of Education April 14th approved increases in pay for 2021-2022. Six hundred dollars was added to the base, which raises the base to $31,200. The increase for certified and non-certified staff is 2.4%. The high school principal base salary was raised to $65,600, elementary school principal to $66,400, and superintendent […]
The on-season begins April 15th at Crowder State Park west of Trenton. The campground shower house and lake restroom have been opened. April 15th is also the first day of camping reservations at Crowder. Reservations can be made one day to 12 months in advance by calling 1-877-422-6766 or going to the Crowder State Park […]
U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced a bill to remove the antitrust exemption that has been in place for Major League Baseball to subject them to existing law. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), with over 20 cosponsors, has produced companion legislation in the House. “MLB […]
The state Board of Education has signed off on permanently allowing an accelerated substitute teacher training option. Aspiring substitutes will be able to fulfill the standard 60 college credit hours or they can complete an online training program of at least 20 hours. Last fall, the board temporarily allowed the online course to help close […]
The U.S. Department of Education says Missouri’s K-12 schools will get nearly two billion total dollars in federal aid from the latest coronavirus plan. State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spokeswoman Mallory McGowin says health experts suggest spending some of the virus funding on the basics instead of the pricey items and services. […]
The chairman of a Missouri House oversight committee says the case of a bus driver who won his appeal with the state Department of Labor over unemployment overpayments will have large implications. Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight Chair Jered Taylor of Nixa tells the state labor director there are hundreds of cases just […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit against President Joe Biden, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, and several other members of President Biden’s administration to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) enacted by President Trump and work toward combating migrant trafficking, securing the border, and ending the border […]
A jury trial has been scheduled in Caldwell County for a Polo woman charged with involuntary second-degree manslaughter after her mother’s death. The trial for 42-year-old Rachel Nichols is scheduled for October 25th. A pre-trial conference is on October 12th. She waived formal arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty on April 13th. A […]
The Grundy County Commission on April 13th went over election results and terminated the county’s emergency declaration in regard to the pandemic. Presiding Commissioner Phillip Ray reports the county will follow state statutes on the ordinance involving enforcement of brush control adjacent to county roads. Landowners will be allowed 30 days from the delivery of […]
