The Associated Press reports the closed Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron may be turned into a training academy. A proposal from Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s budget plan includes $671,714 to convert the idle prison in Cameron into an academy that would train correctional officers before they get assigned to one of the state’s 20 prisons. […]
Tag: environment
Governor Parson announces new office of childhood
Governor Mike Parson and the Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Health and Senior Services, and Social Services announced the consolidation of several early childhood programs across state government into a single Office of Childhood. The new office will be housed by DESE and provide a comprehensive approach to early childhood care and education, […]
Department of Justice arrests 11 individuals on drug conspiracy and dog fighting charges
An indictment was unsealed charging 11 individuals on a 136-count federal indictment including violations of drug conspiracy, drug possession, and drug possession with the intent to distribute, and violations of the dogfighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, and conspiracy to commit the same. The defendants include Jarvis Lockett, 40, of Warner Robins, Georgia; […]
United States reaches agreement with Midwest Can for Clean Air Act violations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement that will require Midwest Can Company, one of the largest manufacturers of portable fuel containers in the United States, to pay a $1.7 million civil penalty to resolve Clean Air Act violations. The violations resulted from failure to disclose test […]
Carroll County Memorial Hospital announces new General Surgeon on staff, Dr. Jeremy Stayton
Carroll County Memorial Hospital announces the addition of Dr. Jeremy Stayton as General Surgeon on staff at CCMH. “We are so excited to expand our General Surgery program and add a skilled doctor like Dr. Stayton,” said Jeff Tindle, CCMH Chief Executive Officer. “We have been examining the community’s need for additional general surgery care. […]
Public interest groups sue EPA for re-approving controversial herbicide dicamba
Public-interest groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency over the agency’s re-approval of products containing dicamba, a herbicide controversial for its tendency to drift into neighboring fields and damage farmers’ crops and homeowners’ gardens. Last fall, the EPA green-lighted dicamba use for five years, the third time the agency registered dicamba products. George Kimbrell, legal director at […]
EPA takes action to investigate PFAS contamination
As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) extensive efforts to address PFAS, the agency is making new information available about EPA testing that shows PFAS contamination from fluorinated containers. Through a coordinated effort with both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a pesticide manufacturer, the agency has determined that fluorinated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers that are used to […]
Audio: University of Missouri releases report on 2020 survey regarding crop and pasture land
University of Missouri extension has a report on the 2020 survey regarding crop and pasture land. MU Specialist in agriculture and the environment, Jackie Spainhauer, reports the average cropland values for eight area counties. Jackie Spainhauer noted the average 2020 land values are based on surveys among ag lenders and others in the […]
NCRS releases final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for East Locust Creek Watershed Plan
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Missouri released a final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) recently for the East Locust Creek Watershed Plan. The plan involves the construction of a proposed multiple-purpose reservoir in Sullivan County. The supplement addresses changes since NRCS prepared the East Locust Creek Watershed Plan and Environmental Impact Statement in 2006. […]
Statewide project testing wastewater for markers that cause COVID-19 underway
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and researchers at the University of Missouri – Columbia have been collaborating on a statewide project to test domestic wastewater for genetic markers of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Missouri’s Coronavirus Sewershed Surveillance Project is funded by a Centers for […]
Audio: Milan Superintendent Ben Yocum expects gym project to be finished by early February
Milan C-2 Superintendent Ben Yocom says the school district’s building project is behind but “going well” with “all things considered.” He expects the gym to be finished by the beginning of February. It will not be done by the start of the Milan basketball tournament on January 11th. He notes the weather and […]
$68 million in Federal funding announced for higher education institutions in Missouri
Governor Mike Parson announced over $68 million in Federal Budget Stabilization Fund appropriations for infrastructure and capital improvement projects at Missouri’s public universities and State Technical College of Missouri. Releasing these funds will help address major repairs and restore campus buildings to maintain a safe environment. “Public universities play a major role in their local communities, serving […]
Abandoned vehicle blocks drop off/pick up lane at Dewey School in Chillicothe
Chillicothe Police School Resource Officer Eric Menconi reports an abandoned vehicle was parked in the school bus drop off/pick up line of Dewey School in Chillicothe the morning of January 5th. Menconi says it caused a hazard by blocking the buses from safely unloading students at their designated stop. There was also traffic congestion at […]
Department of Conservation foresters suggest ways to recycle those live Christmas trees
A live Christmas tree can give your home a one-of-a-kind ambiance during the holiday season. From the natural suppleness of its needles to that majestic stature, to the unmistakable evergreen aroma. But after the holidays are over, it doesn’t mean that your natural Christmas tree needs to retire. It can find a second career in […]
EPA proposes registration of Trifludimoxazin, a new herbicide active ingredient
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes registering pesticide products containing the new active ingredient trifludimoxazin, a vital additional tool in managing resistant weeds. Trifludimoxazin is an herbicide intended for pre-and/or post-emergent control of broadleaf and grass weeds. It can be applied by aircraft on citrus fruits, pome fruits, cereal grain (except rice), tree nuts, peanuts, […]
Officials in Missouri ponder preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic
Hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 have been on the rise in Missouri and other states, and experts say the consequences of being unprepared for an infectious-disease outbreak have never been more apparent. Gov. Mike Parson has cited concerns about staffing levels with the demand hospitals are seeing from the crisis. His comments coincide with calls […]
Norfolk Island pine: A houseplant for the holidays and so much more
If you don’t have time or space for a large Christmas tree, consider a Norfolk Island pine. “Many stores sell these evergreen houseplants during the holidays,” says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Pat Miller. “These easy-to-grow plants often come decorated and are perfect for gift-giving or to keep for yourself.” Norfolk Island pines grow slowly […]
Grundy County Health Department and Health Officer Elizabeth Gibson issues “Public Health Order”
The Grundy County Health Department and Health Officer Elizabeth Gibson have issued a Public Health Order requiring face coverings or masks to be worn to prevent or limit the spread of COVID-19. The order goes into effect on December 11th. Gibson notes the intent of the order is to create safer environments for all residents […]
Audio: Missouri K-12 statewide testing to move forward, but results won’t be used for accountability purposes
The Missouri Board of Education voted Tuesday to avoid using 2021 standardized test results for state and federal accountability. Members still want the state’s K-12 public school students to take statewide tests next year, but they do not want the results to count against schools for funding and accreditation purposes. The move might lower the […]
EPA releases draft biological evaluation for Glyphosate
EPA is taking the next step in its regulatory review of glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the United States, which is used to control a variety of grasses and broadleaf weeds. Glyphosate is used on about 298 million acres of agricultural cropland every year and is effective and affordable. Building on EPA’s January […]