The Chillicothe School District has two questions for voters to decide. One question asks whether the district should borrow $9,000,000 and issue general obligation bonds to construct, equip and expand the elementary school. Promoters say authorization of the bonds is expected to result in no increase in the debt service tax levy which is .966 […]
Tag: funds
Preferred Family Healthcare to pay more than $8 million in fines related to embezzlement, bribery investigation
Springfield, Missouri-based nonprofit Preferred Family Healthcare will pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement announced, which acknowledges the criminal conduct of its former officers and employees. “Preferred Family Healthcare must relinquish the illegal profits it garnered from […]
House Budget Committee rejects adding surplus revenue to Missouri public schools, colleges
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri’s record general revenue surplus was off-limits for spending plans as the House Budget Committee worked Thursday, defeating Democratic efforts to give boost money for public schools and state colleges. The only significant addition to education budgets approved by the committee was to restart the teacher Career Ladder program, providing $21 million to give experienced […]
Grand Jury indicts former CEO of major construction company in Missouri in Minority Business Enterprise fraud scheme
A federal grand jury indicted Brian Kowert, Sr., former Chief Operating Officer of the HBD Construction Company, on March 30, 2022, for five counts of wire fraud relative to his falsifying of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) participation in several construction and redevelopment projects from 2014 through 2022. Kowert, Sr. was an owner, executive vice president, […]
Missouri House blocks effort to limit access to out-of-state abortions
(Missouri Independent) – A bill that would make it a felony to donate fetal tissue from abortions for research or therapies won first-round approval in the Missouri House Tuesday, but lawmakers blocked an effort to make it illegal to help women obtain an abortion outside the state. The bill sponsored by Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, […]
Missouri House bill would cut down on poisonous lead in school drinking water
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri children would be better protected from lead poisoning under a state legislative bill to require schools to nearly rid their drinking water of the dangerous toxin. The bill, heard Monday by the House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee, would require schools to test drinking water, remove old coolers and filter water where […]
North Central Missouri Development Alliance holds annual meeting
Grundy County’s assets were discussed at the North Central Missouri Development Alliance’s annual meeting on March 29th. The Grundy County Industrial Development Corporation, Grundy County Commission, Trenton City Council, and other community members attended and shared ideas. NCMDA Executive Director Scott Sharp and Secretary Jackie Soptic talked about a Missouri Partnership representative being in Trenton […]
Nine addresses on tap for demolition this year in Trenton
Subject to bids and cost-sharing between the city and owners, as many as nine structures could be demolished this year in Trenton. Four of the locations also include a garage. Bids are due at the Trenton City Hall by 2 pm on April 19th. Interested contractors are to attend an April 12th meeting at 9 […]
Trenton City Council addresses employee raises, animal welfare committee and more at Monday meeting
A variety of topics came to the Trenton City Council Monday night for a meeting that had to be moved due to lack of electricity at city hall while TMU spent much of Monday replacing a power pole at the parking lot and getting electricity back on. The council, as the Building and Nuisance Board […]
Audio: Missouri River repairs continue three years after the “Great Flood of 2019”
Repairs continue to and along the Missouri River from the Flood of 2019. The disaster dubbed by the New York Times as “The Great Flood,” affected missions of people and caused serious damage to the Missouri River and its supporting structures. Dane Morris, the program manager for the Missouri River, says the agency’s Kansas City […]
North Central Missouri College “Pirate’s Ball” honors three on Saturday evening
The North Central Missouri College Foundation March 26th recognized three individuals who attended Trenton Junior College or North Central Missouri College. Distinguished alumni John Hunolt, Janet Lake, and Nick Sottler were honored at the Pirates Ball. NCMC Athletic Director Nate Gamet introduced each honoree. John Hunolt graduated from TJC in 1971. He worked in Ottumwa, […]
United Way of Grundy County fundraising drive is underway
The United Way of Grundy County’s business campaign fundraising drive is underway. Funds donated locally stay in Grundy County to help organizations that focus on youth, education, the elderly, and the underserved. More than $3,960 has been collected so far, and the goal is $25,000. Anyone who would like to donate to the United Way […]
NCMC Board of Trustees approve increases in tuition and fees, as well as, room and board
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees on March 22nd approved increases in tuition and fees as well as room and board. Tuition for NCMC district students will stay the same at $92 per credit hour for the 2022-2023 academic year. However, there is a $5 per credit hour increase for other Missouri residents, […]
Republicans push work requirements for coverage under Missouri Medicaid expansion
(Missouri Independent) – When the Good Samaritan Care Clinic opened in 2006 in Mountain View, only about 5% of the free clinic’s clients were eligible for Medicaid. When it closed late last year, that number had risen to 70%, Dr. John Roberts, one of the clinic’s founders, told the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. Medicaid […]
Former Missouri police officer sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison on multiple counts of fraud
United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Brad Stephens to one year and one day in federal prison for 3 counts of Mail Fraud by obtaining taxpayer money from the Tower Grove South Concerned Citizen Special Business District (“Tower Grove South”) by means of material false representations. […]
Temporary benefit increase extended through September for Missouri WIC participants
Missouri WIC is extending the temporary increase of the Cash Value Benefit for Fruit and Vegetable Purchases (CVB) through September 2022. The increase will continue to be $24 per month for child participants, $43 per month for pregnant and postpartum women participants, and $47 per month for breastfeeding women participants. Standard CVB values range from […]
Audio: What could Missouri’s lawsuit against school board group mean for other nonprofits?
The state Attorney General’s Office has sued the Missouri School Boards’ Association claiming the nonprofit is withholding open records. The school board group is a nonprofit – and the question is whether it is subject to the state’s open records laws known as the Sunshine Law. The Attorney General’s Office says MSBA is a quasi-public […]
Audio: Grundy County Jewett Norris Library staff announces building improvements, readies for Summer Reading Program
Grundy County Jewett Norris Library Director Theresa Hunsaker says a lot has been done at the library in Trenton since it was closed due to the pandemic and now that it has reopened. One of those things was replacing elevator boards, which took about six weeks and another was the addition of curbside service, which […]
Audio: Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce honors “Pillars of the Community” and Businesses of the Year
BTC Bank and Mid-States Services received awards for Businesses of the Year at the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet on March 18th. The Green Hills Animal Shelter was also recognized as the Organization of the Year. Chamber Board Member Andy Cox presented the awards to the Businesses of the Year. He said the […]
Hawley introduces bill to strengthen investigations of fraud in COVID-19 relief programs
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced new legislation to continue to fund and restore the jurisdiction of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery so that it can investigate fraud within the Treasury Department’s pandemic programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This anti-fraud legislation comes as the Biden Administration is lobbying for more federal […]