A report from State Auditor Nicole Galloway finds that the city of Edgar Springs in Phelps County has implemented some recommendations from her 2020 audit, but that other concerns remain. The November 2020 audit of Edgar Springs was initiated through a petition of city residents. That audit highlighted numerous problems with the city’s accounting controls and […]
Tag: gate
Mandatory 10-digit dialing in 660, 816 and 516 area codes to begin on October 24
The Federal Communications Commission has adopted 988 as a new three-digit number to be used nationwide to reach the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline. The use of this new three-digit number will begin on July 16, 2022. The FCC is implementing this new three-digit number in an effort to simplify the hotline’s […]
Lawmakers introduce bill establishing committee to investigate withdrawal from Afghanistan
U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and a group of their Senate colleagues introduced a bill to establish a bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Afghanistan, composed of members of the House and Senate, to conduct a full investigation into President Biden’s failed and tragic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan that stranded hundreds of Americans […]
Audio: T. Graham Brown one of three performers to celebrate Chillicothe Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary
T. Graham Brown, Wade Hayes, and Bryan White will perform at an outdoor concert to celebrate the Chillicothe Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary. Hats Off to the 80s and 90s will be at the Sliced Bread Innovation Center of Chillicothe on October 9, 2021. Gates will open at 7 o’clock that night, and the show will […]
FBI to investigate threats made against school board members, teachers
(Missouri Independent) – The Department of Justice has directed the FBI to meet with local governments and law enforcement to discuss strategies for dealing with increasing threats to teachers and school board members spurred by a conservative backlash against discussions of race in public schools. “Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to […]
Lawmakers seethe at Missouri agency over failure to report missing foster kids
(Missouri Independent) – Exasperated lawmakers slammed leaders of the Missouri Department of Social Services on Tuesday, accusing them of passing off blame for a federal review that found the state fails to adequately report missing foster children. Tuesday’s hearing of the House Children and Families Committee was spurred by a report issued last week by the U.S […]
Missouri Attorney General slams Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney General for attempting to intimidate parents
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt today sent a letter to the Department of Justice and Attorney General Garland slamming their decision to publish a memo that directs the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice to work with federal prosecutors to investigate and potentially prosecute parents who show up to school board meetings to […]
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 […]
Higher loan limit now available for USDA guaranteed farm loans
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing a higher loan limit will be available for borrowers seeking a guaranteed farm loan starting Oct. 1, 2021, from $1.776 million to $1.825 million. “Farm loans are critical for our customers’ annual operating and family living expenses, emergency needs, and cash flow,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said. “Raising […]
Missouri man sentenced to 10 years in prison without parole for carrying almost 2.5 pounds of fentanyl aboard a train
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for smuggling more than a kilogram of fentanyl in his luggage aboard a train that stopped in Kansas City, Mo., from Los Angeles, Calif., bound for St. Louis, Mo. Joseph D. Christie, 43, of Poplar Bluff, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 […]
Jury convicts Missouri man of meth trafficking at Camdenton, Missouri hotel
A Missouri, man has been convicted by a federal trial jury of possessing methamphetamine to distribute. Anthony Martinez Harris, 48, of Kansas City, was found guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 29, of one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. On Sept. 26, 2019, employees at the Sleep Inn on Highway 54 called Camdenton, […]
Missouri Department of Conservation to host 35th annual Poosey Conservation Area fall driving tour
The Missouri Department of Conservation will welcome visitors to the 35th annual fall driving tour at the Poosey Conservation Area from noon until 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 17, 2021. Visitors can enjoy the annual driving tour uphill and down on winding gravel roads through forest and woodlands. MDC will provide a tour brochure at […]
Almost 50 community members attend special meeting of Grundy County Health Department Board of Trustees
Approximately 50 community members attended a special meeting of the Grundy County Health Department Board of Trustees on September 30, 2021. The meeting addressed isolation and quarantine at schools and more than a dozen individuals spoke. Before comments were made by the public, Board President NiCole Neal began the meeting by saying the health department […]
Congress passes bill to prevent government shutdown, Blunt only Missouri Republican in support
(Missouri Independent) – Congress made a last-minute dash to avert a government shutdown on Thursday, with the U.S. Senate and House approving a short-term spending bill just hours ahead of a midnight deadline. Every Democratic and independent senator and 15 Republicans supported the bill in the 65-35 vote. The GOP senators in the “aye” tally included […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to meth trafficking after high-speed chase
A Missouri man who led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing methamphetamine to distribute. Heath E. Yarger, 49, of Republic, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. By pleading guilty, Yarger admitted that he […]
Governor Parson announces grants to 19 agencies to investigate and prosecute criminals who victimize children
Governor Mike Parson announced the state of Missouri has approved more than $1.8 million in grant assistance to 19 agencies across the state to investigate and prosecute crimes that victimized children. “Criminals who victimize children must be investigated, prosecuted, and brought to justice, no matter when they commit these heinous crimes,” Governor Parson said. “The […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to murder for hire scheme
A Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to hire an undercover law enforcement agent to murder the victim in a pending statutory sodomy case. Jon Mark Wilson, 57, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr. to one count of the use of interstate facilities (the use of […]
T. Graham Brown, Bryan White, and Wade Hayes to perform at Chillicothe Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary
Country singers T. Graham Brown, Bryan White, and Wade Hayes will perform at an outdoor concert to celebrate the Chillicothe Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary. The Hats Off to the 80s and 90s concert will be at the Sliced Bread Innovation Center in Chillicothe on October 9, 2021. Gates will open at 7 pm, and the […]
Biden administration rolls out new rule to bolster DACA as lawsuit continues
(Missouri Independent) – The Biden administration on Monday unveiled a proposed new rule that would strengthen the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to protect undocumented people in the program from legal challenges. The proposed rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security, would “preserve and fortify” the DACA program, an Obama administration-era initiative that protects […]
Caldwell County Cares Coalition receives $100,000 grant to address alcohol and substance abuse issues
The Caldwell County Cares Coalition has received funding to address alcohol and substance use issues. The group received a Mega Grant Award for $100,000 from Preferred Family Healthcare Prevention. The 3C Power in Prevention project will be a joint effort of sectors of Caldwell, Daviess, and DeKalb counties. It will implement a three-fold initiative that […]