The Jackson County prosecutor in western Missouri, Jean Peters Baker, has filed a motion to free Kevin Strickland from a Missouri prison. Prosecutors Jean Peters Baker says The Missouri General Assembly and Governor Parson deserve credit for creating a new legal avenue for a local prosecutor to seek relief. The passing of Senate […]
A bill that went into effect over the weekend makes the first reforms to Missouri’s HIV criminalization laws since they were passed in the 1980s. Among other measures related to prosecutors and police, the bill requires prosecutors to prove someone knowingly exposed someone who contracted HIV before getting a felony conviction and reduces the minimum sentence […]
(Missouri Independent) – New cases from the Delta variant wave that has killed more than 1,150 Missourians since June 1 have plateaued, but hospital ICUs continue to fill — and small, rural hospitals are among the hardest hit. There were 690 patients in ICU beds across the state on Tuesday, the most recent day reported by the state Department of Health […]
(Missouri Independent) -The U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of the Biden administration’s last-ditch effort to extend a federal ban on evictions has put hundreds of thousands of American renters at risk of losing their housing — and is increasing pressure on states and localities to get rental assistance dollars distributed faster. In an eight-page majority opinion […]
A 12-state human trafficking operation led by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol has led to 102 arrests and the rescue of 47 victims and sex workers including 2 minor victims. Operation United Front entailed simultaneous state-level human trafficking operations throughout the night on Thursday and into the early morning […]
Governor Mike Parson terminated Executive Order 2002 ending the State of Emergency that had been in effect since March 13, 2020. “In the nearly 18 months we operated under this Executive Order, we have responded to the COVID-19 crisis by providing unprecedented levels of resources and support,” Governor Parson said. “This Order enabled us to respond to the […]
The CDC has issued a Health Advisory pertaining to the use of Ivermectin and the use of products containing Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. Ivermectin is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA-approved prescription medication used to treat certain infections caused by internal and external parasites. When used as prescribed for approved indications, it […]
(Missouri Independent) – Attorneys who successfully sued to force Missouri to enact voter-approved Medicaid expansion argued in a letter to state officials Thursday that delays in implementation violate not only the court order but also federal law. The plaintiffs’ attorneys, Chuck Hatfield and Lowell Pearson joined with Joel Ferber, director of advocacy for Legal Services […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released an audit of Macon County, located in north-central Missouri. The report, which gives a rating of “fair,” makes several recommendations to improve efficiency in county government operations. “Audits help local governments better serve citizens by pointing out areas where taxpayer dollars can be more effectively used,” Auditor Galloway said. […]
Governor Mike Parson announced the winners of the first drawing of the MO VIP. At the time of the August 13 drawing, a total of 495,296 MO VIP entries were received. The MO VIP incentivizes vaccination for those who have not yet been vaccinated, as well as provides an opportunity for rewards for the more […]
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees heard reports on housing and other matters on August 24. Resident Life Director Donnie Hillerman reported one new residence hall is open, and he hopes the other new residence hall will open September 1st. There are some displaced students currently staying in Selby Hall in the wing […]
The waiver that allowed Missouri restaurants to sell “to-go” alcoholic drinks beginning on April 14, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, will become permanent when Senate Bill 126 takes effect on August 28, 2021. The administrative waiver was granted because many restaurants were severely strained as business dropped off or shifted to take out […]
On August 23, 2021, The Empire District Gas Company (d/b/a “Liberty”) filed a request with the Missouri Public Service Commission to adjust natural gas base rates. The new rates would take effect in 2022 and reflect Liberty’s efforts to maintain a safe, reliable natural gas system, enhance the customer experience, and expand support for limited-income […]
A new boil advisory has been issued for a portion of Mercer County following water line repairs made on Monday. The precautionary boil advisory will affect rural water customers within the clockwise boundaries of Highway 136 on the north, Route U on the east, the Grundy County line on the south, and the Harrison County […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has accepted 2.8 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment into the Conservation Reserve Program in 2021. This year, almost 1.9 million acres in offers have been accepted through the General CRP Signup, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency has accepted over 897,000 acres for enrollment […]
To date, more than 540,000 vaccinated Missourians have entered the MO VIP, Missouri’s COVID-19 vaccine incentive program, for a shot at $10,000. Governor Mike Parson announced the launch of the statewide program on July 21. Approximately 45,000 Missourians have entered to win since the date of the first drawing–winners of this drawing will be announced Wednesday, […]
The U.S. has its first fully approved vaccine against COVID-19, with federal health officials announcing Monday the approval of Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose vaccine. The green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to move Pfizer’s vaccine from emergency use to full approval is a milestone in the national pandemic response, and one that comes as the […]
(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 […]
(Missouri Independent) – Nursing homes will be required to ensure their staffers are vaccinated against COVID-19, or risk losing federal Medicare and Medicaid dollars, the Biden administration announced Wednesday in a major move on vaccinations as the Delta variant sweeps many states. Under the new nursing home policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human […]
(Missouri Independent) – A Missouri law prohibiting state and local police from enforcing certain federal gun laws has already undermined drug and weapons investigations, the U.S. Department of Justice argued in documents filed Wednesday in Cole County Circuit Court. As part of an ongoing lawsuit set for a hearing Thursday afternoon, the Justice Department is asking Cole […]
