Governor Mike Parson (Photo courtesy Missouri Governor's office

Missouri governor vows criminal prosecution of reporter who found flaw in state website

(Missouri Independent) – On Tuesday, a reporter with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch alerted the state that Social Security numbers of school teachers and administrators were vulnerable to public exposure due to flaws on a website maintained by Missouri’s department of education. The newspaper agreed to hold off publishing any story while the department fixed the problem and […]

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 […]

Grundy County Health Department Website

Grundy County Health Department Board of Trustees discusses “Test to Stay” and updated COVID guidelines

Updated Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Department of Health and Senior Services guidance was discussed at the Grundy County Health Department Board of Trustees on October 13th. The board also accepted a draft audit report for 2019 and 2020. Other than board members, a few health department employees and community members attended. […]

Trenton R-9 School District

Trenton Board of Education approves after school tutoring pay rate, hear presentation on Summer School program

The Trenton R-9 Board of Education approved an adjustment to after-school tutoring pay on October 12, 2021. The pay rate was changed from $25 to $30 to match the quarantine tutoring program. Trenton Middle School Principal Daniel Gott said teachers select students to be tutored in the after-school program. Superintendent Mike Stegman reported there were […]

Megan Pester Director of Marketing NCMC

NCMC Director of Marketing and Admissions graduates from MCCA Leadership Academy

Megan Pester, Director of Marketing and Admissions at North Central Missouri College recently participated and graduated from the Missouri Community College Association Leadership Academy. During her involvement in the academy, Megan attended sessions on leadership aspects, presentations from community college administration, legislators, and industry leaders on various components of leadership growth.  “I was selected to […]

USDA Sign

USDA to launch loan guarantee initiative to create more market opportunities, strengthen food supply chain

As part of the Administration’s efforts to address food systems challenges arising from the pandemic as well as those going back decades, United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA plans for another $100 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The funding would leverage hundreds of millions more in […]

Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots now being administered to eligible missourians

Following federal guidance issued from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has amended the state’s standing order for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administration for those who are eligible for a booster shot. Missourians who received the Pfizer vaccine can receive a booster shot at least six months after their […]

Coronavirus News Graphic

Sullivan County Health Department conducting a COVID-19 contact investigation at Milan United Methodist Church

As part of an ongoing COVID-19 contact investigation, the Sullivan County Health Department advises any individual who attended the Milan United Methodist Church on Sunday, September 26 to monitor for symptoms related to possible COVID exposure. The health department says the notice is only for people to be “informed” of the current situation. It emphasized […]

Nurse Filling Syringe with COVID-19 Vaccine at MU Health Care (Photo Courtesy of MU Health Care

Who will get a booster shot? A Question and Answer about what the feds are saying

(Missouri Independent) – Booster shots soon will begin rolling out to some Americans who received the two-shot vaccine made by Pfizer—after a contentious and confusing federal approval process that isn’t over yet. Determining who exactly should be rolling up their sleeves for an additional dose was tricky. The Biden administration had leapfrogged federal regulatory panels […]

Hy-Vee now offering free Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster vaccines to eligible individuals

Hy-Vee, Inc. announces that free Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster doses are now available at Hy-Vee’s more than 275 Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations across its eight-state region. The new booster, recently approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommended for the following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients at least six months […]

Coronavirus News Graphic

Sullivan County Health Department conducting COVID-19 contact investigation at Sullivan County Poker Run

The Sullivan County Health Department is conducting a COVID-19 contact investigation involving the Sullivan County Poker Run at the Expo Center of Milan September 18th. The health department advises anyone who attended the event to monitor for symptoms related to possible COVID-19 exposure. Anyone who attended the event and feels he or she might have […]

Face Mask photo from Unsplash

Study: Saint Louis University face mask policy reduced quarantines, COVID cases

(Missouri Independent) – Tying quarantine requirements to the Saint Louis University face mask requirement successfully reduced the number of students sent to isolation and helped cut COVID-19 infections this spring, according to a study published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under the university’s rules, students without masks who had close contact […]

Michael Lee Cooper

Man from Chula charged with sexual misconduct after exposing himself to restaurant employee

Chillicothe Police Chief Jon Maples says officers located a suspect vehicle on September 7th regarding a call on September 3rd about someone in a restaurant drive-through exposing himself to an employee. The alleged incident happened in the 1000 block of South Washington Street. Maples says a 37-year-old man was arrested for sexual misconduct after officers […]