Missouri Senate Chamber from Visitors Gallery (Photo Courtesy Missouri Senate)

‘Clown show’ vs. ‘tyranny’: Missouri Senate GOP divide on display during veto session

(Missouri Independent) –  On one side were tyrannical oligarchs. On the other, petulant children.  Or at least that was the takeaway from the Missouri Senate’s day-long rules debate Wednesday. Gathered for the legislature’s annual veto session, the demons that have haunted the upper chamber for more than a year didn’t take long to reappear.  The […]

Amtrak Missouri River Runner train#313 pulling into Kirkwood Missouri Amtrak Station

U.S. House Democrats add more mass transit, high-speed rail into infrastructure bill

(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. House transportation panel early Wednesday passed along party lines the panel’s $60 billion slice of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget plan, adding nearly $20 billion for a new transit program and high-speed rail development in the states. Chairman Peter A. DeFazio of Oregon had considered these and other items underfunded in […]

USDA Logo

USDA launches resource guide to assist rural communities seeking disaster and recovery assistance

United States Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson today unveiled a resource guide as part of National Preparedness Month to help rural communities seeking disaster resiliency and recovery assistance. This guide follows the Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement of the American Jobs Plan, which targets investments to support infrastructure in communities that are most physically […]

Garrett Hawkins

Audio: Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins addresses members at annual meeting in Trenton

Grundy County Farm Bureau members heard Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins addressed multiple topics at the county organization’s annual meeting in Trenton on September 9, 2021.  One of the topics was climate change.     Hawkins said he is tired of people “pointing fingers” at farmers and ranchers and saying they are the problem. […]

Construction workers installing solar panels

USDA invests $464 million in renewable energy infrastructure to help rural communities, businesses and ag producers reduce energy costs

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Department is investing $464 million to build or improve renewable energy infrastructure and help rural communities, agricultural producers, and businesses lower energy costs in 48 states and Puerto Rico. “USDA continues to prioritize climate-smart infrastructure to help rural America build back better, stronger and more […]

Gavel and Missouri Flag

Judge orders no change – for now – in Missouri’s prisoner health care contractor

(Missouri Independent) – Work to bring a new contractor for prisoner health care services online in Missouri can continue, but the actual transition from Corizon, the current provider, won’t occur until at least early November, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ordered Tuesday. Green issued a temporary restraining order blocking the state from canceling its […]

Steve Schieber on Wright Memorial Background

Wright Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer issues statement on rally protesting COVID-19 vaccination mandate

Wright Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer Steve Scheiber issued a statement this morning in response to the local rally that will be held today from noon to 1 o’clock.  Rally participants are to park across the street from the hospital campus, on the Red Barn property in Trenton.  The rally itself will take place at […]

Medical Marijuana and Veterans

Veterans Administration sending mixed messages to vets about cannabis use to treat PTSD

(Missouri Independent) – Despite increasing legal access to medical and recreational cannabis in states across the U.S., veterans face unfair treatment and stigmatization because the U.S.  refuses to recognize marijuana as a viable treatment option.  While the VA has embraced the federally illegal status of the drug, agency policy does not allow discrimination against veterans […]

Notice of Eviction

Missouri fielding “high volume” of calls for rental assistance as evictions resume

(Missouri Independent) – Calls from tenants seeking emergency rental assistance are escalating in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that blocked a national eviction moratorium. The Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) has 60 application processors working to distribute hundreds of millions in federal aid and has been fielding about 500 calls and responding to […]

Chronic Wasting Disease CWD

Missouri Department of Conservation reminds deer hunters to get harvested deer sampled for Chronic Wasting Disease

With deer hunting in Missouri opening for archery season on September 15 and firearms portions in the coming months, the Missouri Department of Conservation wants hunters to know key information about chronic wasting disease.  MDC will be holding mandatory CWD sampling during the opening weekend of firearms season and voluntary CWD sampling all season for […]