(Missouri Independent) – Most of the enormous surplus accumulating in Missouri’s general revenue fund will be off-limits to members of the House Budget Committee when it prepares the fiscal year 2023 spending plan for floor debate. Gov. Mike Parson’s $47.3 billion budget proposal projects a $1.6 billion general revenue surplus at the end of June 2023. […]
Tag: impact
House Republicans renew calls for the Biden administration to drop “Waters of the United States” expansion
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO), Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member David Rouzer (R-NC), and Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-WA) are leading 201 House Republicans in renewing calls for the Biden administration to drop its plan to expand the scope of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). House […]
Upcoming winter storm prompts Winter Storm Warning in northern Missouri
A Winter Storm is set to track through northern Missouri tonight (Wednesday) through Friday Morning. Accumulating Snowfall is expected tonight through early Friday morning with the greatest Snowfall into west and northwest Missouri. Periods of moderate to heavy bands of snowfall are possible. Depending on the track of the storm, residents may find their Thursday […]
11 Missouri school districts receive a total of $535,000 in school bus rebate opportunities
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the winners of two school bus rebate opportunities which include the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Electric School Bus Rebates, and the 2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) School Bus Rebates. The $7 million in ARP funding is directed toward school districts in underserved communities to replace old diesel […]
National Weather Service releases information on strength of tornados that rolled through Iowa
The National Weather Service office in Des Moines has released information on the strength of tornadoes Saturday that impacted portions of Iowa. The most devastation and loss of life was in the Winterset area southwest of Des Moines. At about 4:30 pm an EF 4 tornado, with speeds up to 170 miles an hour, followed […]
Public comments sought on Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge headquarters and visitor facility relocation
A draft Environmental Assessment for Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Sumner, Missouri is available for public review on March 4, 2022. The comment period will extend until April 4, 2022. The Environmental Assessment provides an environmental analysis and cumulative impacts of alternatives for the new headquarters office at Swan Lake NWR. During the floods […]
Audio: Mid-America Music Festival moves to August, but features a full slate of artists that will appeal to everyone
Changes have been made to the Mid-America Music Festival at the Black Silo Winery in Trenton. Spokesperson Andrea McKown says the biggest changes for this year were moving the dates of the event and having country music both days. She explains the date change to August 5th through 7th was not made lightly. The festival […]
House grants initial approval to bill that would allow prison nurseries in Missouri
(Missouri Independent) -The House gave initial approval Wednesday to a bill that would allow newborns to remain with their incarcerated mothers for the first year and a half of the baby’s life. The bill would permit the Missouri Department of Corrections to establish nurseries within the state’s correctional facilities, allowing children born to incarcerated women to […]
Missouri Attorney General joins nationwide investigation into TikTok
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a nationwide investigation into TikTok for providing and promoting its social media platform to children and young adults while use is associated with physical and mental health harms. Attorneys General nationwide are examining whether the company violated state consumer protection laws that put the public at risk. Attorney General […]
Missourians can now apply for mortgage assistance via federal COVID-relief funds
(Missouri Independent) – Missourians who experienced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to pay their mortgage can now apply for help through the State Assistance for Housing Relief (SAFHR) program. Starting March 1, the federally-funded SAFHR for Homeowners program will begin to provide nearly $140 million in assistance to homeowners to pay past-due mortgage […]
Biden OKs release of 30 million barrels of oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden authorized on Tuesday the release of 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, part of an international boost to the global oil supply that has been disrupted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The reserve is a complex of four sites with deep underground storage caverns in salt […]
Missouri receives $42.2 million federal grant through the NTIA’s Broadband Infrastructure Program
The Department of Economic Development (DED) announced today that Missouri has been awarded a $42.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for broadband expansion. The funds received through the NTIA’s Broadband Infrastructure Program will be used for projects benefiting more than 13,000 households in 12 Missouri counties: […]
Amount of copper and lead in water lines to have significant impact on operation of Trenton Municipal Utilities
At Monday night’s meeting of the Trenton City Council, Utility Director Ron Urton presented information that he says will have a significant future impact on Trenton Municipal Utilities, particularly with operations, projects, and funding. Urton said he’s been viewing webinars on the new EPA lead and copper rule regarding underground mains. Urton indicated an inventory […]
Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority opens grant opportunities for Missouri producers
The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority (MASBDA) announces the opening of two funding opportunities, while also announcing recipients of the most recent grant cycle. MASBDA is accepting applications for two programs that add value to Missouri agricultural products and aid the economy of a rural community. The Missouri Value-Added Agriculture Grant can be used for […]
Vilsack: Fertilizer prices are biggest worry for farmers after Russian invasion
(Missouri Independent) – The Russian invasion of Ukraine this week might drive up the costs of farm fertilizers globally — which nearly quadrupled last year in price in the United States and remain high — and presents an opportunity for unscrupulous companies to artificially inflate those prices further, according to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “That’s […]
How the Ukraine invasion could affect you: Higher food, gas prices, risk of recession
(Missouri Independent) – Americans may be tempted to view the war in Ukraine as an unfortunate, but far away, crisis. As an economist, I know the world is too connected for the U.S. to go unaffected. On Feb. 22, 2022, President Joe Biden warned Americans that a Russian invasion of Ukraine – and U.S. efforts to thwart or […]
North Central Missouri College scholarship recipients recognized at reception
The 2021-2022 North Central Missouri College Scholarship Reception was held on Wednesday, February 16th, in the Jeanette Hoffman Robison Auditorium at the Ketcham Community Center. Over 260 students were recognized for receiving an NCMC Foundation, Athletic, SSS, or other institutional scholarships. The North Central Missouri College Foundation hosts this annual event. Phyllis Jackson, NCMC Foundation […]
Misinformation fuels false belief that Missouri COVID death figures are being inflated
(Missouri Independent) – On a recent Tuesday evening in southeastern Missouri, John Freeze stood in front of yet another angry group of constituents. Some here believe the number of COVID-19 deaths are being purposefully inflated for financial gain. Among the culprits, in their mistaken view: Hospitals seeking Medicare reimbursements; The federal government, led by Dr. Anthony […]