Photo of cattle (cows) by Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

Beef processing facility near KC in violation of Missouri regulations for polluting waters

(Missouri Independent) – A beef processing facility 40 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City polluted at least a mile of nearby streams and allowed septic tanks of sewage and entrails to overflow, state regulators found this month.  The facility, the former site of a beef operation that neighbors felt threatened a nearby botanical garden, was referred […]

Gavel and Law book news graphic

State judges across the U.S. face growing GOP pushback against rulings in election cases

Missouri Independent) – In mid-December, Texas’ highest criminal court revoked the state attorney general’s ability to use his office to prosecute election-related cases without the request of a district or county attorney. In an 8-1 opinion, the all-Republican court weakened Attorney General Ken Paxton’s power to independently go after perpetrators of voter fraud, a problem he says […]

Missouri State Highway Patrol Website New 2021 (MSHP)

Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the arrest of three individuals on Friday and Saturday

The Highway Patrol reports the arrest of three individuals in Green Hills counties. Twenty-nine-year-old Deanna Awadallah of Campbell, Illinois was arrested in Linn County the night of February 18th. She was accused of driving while intoxicated with drugs and exceeding the posted speed limit. She was taken to the Brookfield Police Department and released. Sixty-eight-year-old […]

Planned Parenthood

Missouri state health agency seeks control of Title X funds that go to Planned Parenthood

(Missouri Independent) – Missouri’s state health department has applied to oversee federal family planning funds, a move reproductive health advocates fear would give the state power to cut off funding for providers who refer patients for abortion services. During his confirmation hearing late last month, former Department of Health and Senior Services Director Donald Kauerauf’s […]

Donald Kauerauf, the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, speaks during a press conference at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on July 21, 2021

Before ouster, Missouri health director drafted a letter to senators that was never sent

(Missouri Independent) – On the Friday before a drawn-out confirmation battle ended with his ouster from office, Missouri state Health Director Donald Kauerauf wrote an impassioned letter meant to convince conservative legislators who were on the fence about his appointment.  The message: While he believed in vaccines and data and science, he didn’t believe in vaccine […]

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall spoke at the organization’s 2022 annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia (photo provided by American Farm Bureau Federation)

American Farm Bureau Federation claims it’s the ‘voice of agriculture,’ Others beg to differ

(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published as a collaboration between Investigate Midwest and Watchdog Writers Group. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls itself the “voice of agriculture,” a slogan it trademarked in 2007. But as the divide between agribusiness and small farmers has grown in recent decades, a unified voice of agriculture has become harder to […]

Trenton Missouri Police Department (TPD)

Trenton man arrested on probation violation

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Trenton man on February 2, 2022, on a technical probation violation. Thirty-seven-year-old Cody Burchett’s alleged violation involved employment by reportedly failing to obtain employment, drugs by testing positive for methamphetamine, and reporting and directives for failing to report December 14th and failing to attend substance […]

Missouri Secretary of State website

Missouri Securities Division Partners with CFTC and 26 states to stop $68 million precious metals scheme

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Securities Division announced that it is participating in a consolidated enforcement action to stop a $68 million fraudulent precious metals scheme that, to date, has allegedly defrauded at least 450 investors nationwide, including eighteen investors from Missouri. A complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Central District […]

Governor Mike Parson

Governor Parson appoints temporary acting director of Department of Health and Senior Services

Governor Mike Parson accepted the resignation of Department of Health and Senior Services Director Don Kauerauf. Governor Parson has temporarily appointed Richard Moore to lead the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) as Acting Director. Richard serves as General Counsel for DHSS. The Governor will further evaluate the state’s options in the coming days. Governor Parson released the […]