North Central Missouri College Website V2 (NCMC)

NCMC Board of Trustees approve renewal of health insurance, presented report from Faculty Senate Negotiations Committee

The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees heard a report from the Faculty Senate Negotiations Committee on April 27th. History and Spanish Faculty Member Maryellen Harman and Psychology Faculty Member Lindsay Oram presented a proposal for a faculty salary schedule for 2021-2022. The proposal includes adding $1,000 to the salary base and continuing to […]

USDA Sign

USDA invests $35 million in rural water, energy, and biofuel infrastructure in Missouri

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Missouri Acting State Director D Clark Thomas announced the agency is investing $35,046,000 in critical infrastructure that will help rural Missouri communities build back better and stronger while prioritizing climate-smart solutions and environmental stewardship. USDA is making the investments under the Water and Environmental Program, the Rural Energy for […]

Religious Boarding School

Audio: Faith-based boarding school bill heads to Missouri Senate Committee

Bipartisan legislation aimed at regulating faith-based boarding schools like the now-defunct Circle of Hope Girls’ Ranch in southwest Missouri’s Humansville will be heard this (Wednesday) afternoon by a Missouri Senate committee.     The Senate Seniors and Families Committee will hear the bill from Wardsville State Representative Rudy Veit and Lee’s Summit State Representative Keri […]

President Joe BIden (Official White House photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Biden to unveil $2 trillion plan to rebuild infrastructure, move to clean energy

(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden on Wednesday will unveil a nearly $2 trillion infrastructure package to rebuild highways and bridges, along with funding programs for housing, broadband, and schools and increasing U.S. manufacturing jobs over the next eight years, an administration official told reporters on Tuesday night. Alongside the expansive infrastructure plan, the president will […]

Wright Memorial Physicians’ Group and Mercer County Clinic offering COVID-19 vaccinations to Phase 2 population

Wright Memorial Physicians’ Group in Trenton and Saint Luke’s Mercer County Clinic in Princeton are now scheduling COVID-19 vaccination appointments for established patients who fall under the Phase 2 population, as designated by the State of Missouri. Phase 2 opens vaccination eligibility to a much larger group of the population, including faculty and staff of […]

Sex Offender

Audio: Missouri Senate gives final approval to legislation keeping sex offenders away from Missouri conservation areas

Legislation aimed at keeping registered sex offenders away from state Conservation areas has been given final approval today (Thursday) by the Missouri Senate. Riddle notes current Missouri law bans sex offenders from being 500 feet of public parks with playground equipment, public swimming pools, and children’s museums.     The only exception would be a […]

Doctor with Stethascope

Lawmakers introduce legislation to protect rural health clinics from added financial strain during COVID-19 crisis

U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Mark Warner (Va.) introduced legislation to prevent further financial instability for rural health clinics and safeguard the care they provide to underserved communities. The bipartisan Strengthening Rural Health Clinics Act of 2021 would make a technical fix to protect existing rural health clinics from a sudden and unexpected Medicare […]

Private School

Audio: Lawmakers to question Missouri DSS chief about boarding school abuse investigations

The head of the Missouri Department of Social Services is scheduled to appear before a panel of lawmakers Wednesday about the agency’s handling of abuse investigations within boarding schools. The Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight has called a Wednesday afternoon hearing to question the department’s acting director, Jennifer Tidball. The Kansas City Star has […]

Pigs at a factory

Rural Iowa communities urge more factory-farm regulations

Advocates for family farms, rural neighborhoods, and the environment are asking Iowa lawmakers to find a more equitable balance between the interests of factory farms and of the communities they’re in.  Research has shown higher levels of nitrates and phosphorus in the water, as well as air quality issues, in communities with nearby concentrated animal feeding […]

Sex Offender

Audio: Missouri Department of Conservation backs legislation keeping registered sex offenders away from conservation areas

The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri support legislation aimed at keeping registered sex offenders away from state Conservation areas. House Bill 1090 is sponsored by State Rep. Barry Hovis (R-Whitewater), a former law enforcement officer with more than 30 years of experience. The House Public Safety Committee approved the bill 8-0, and it’s […]

Audio: Roll up your sleeves, Missourians, new virus vaccination phases to begin earlier than expected

Governor Mike Parson has announced a new coronavirus vaccination phase will open on March 29 – earlier than originally anticipated. During a Capitol press conference today, Parson says Missouri is well ahead of schedule in its vaccination plan. “The federal government has informed us that COVID-19 vaccine allotments to Missouri are projected to increase significantly […]

Power Outage

USDA invests $15 million to improve and modernize electric infrastructure in rural Missouri

U.S.Department of Agriculture Rural Development Missouri Acting State Director D Clark Thomas announced the agency is investing $15 million to build and improve electric infrastructure in Missouri through its Electric Loan Program. “For nearly 85 years—since the inception of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936—USDA has played a role in bringing electricity to rural areas,” […]

Trenton Utility Committee

Trenton Utility Committee presented details on financial impact of extremely cold weather in February

Trenton’s Utility Committee heard details Tuesday evening on the preliminary financial impact for TMU regarding substantially-increased prices for natural gas and the electric market due to the prolonged extreme cold weather last month. Trenton Municipal Utility Comptroller Rosetta Marsh says having a large reserve in the electric department will help Trenton withstand the higher costs […]