(Missouri Independent) – A bill that would decriminalize needle exchange programs that aim to reduce the spread of infectious diseases was voted out of the Senate General Laws Committee Tuesday. Needle exchange programs allow drug users to swap out used syringes with clean, new ones in an effort to decrease the chances of contracting or […]
Tag: improve
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 […]
Biden in State of the Union urges ‘unmistakable’ support for democracy in Ukraine
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden used his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night to reassert America as a leading global voice for democracy and condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin for starting an “unprovoked” war in Ukraine. “Throughout our history, we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price […]
38th Annual Country Music Show at Tina-Avalon set to kick off March 18th
Area musicians will provide family entertainment at the 38th Tina-Avalon Country Music Show. The show will fund annual Tina-Avalon Alumni Scholarships and school improvements. It will be in the school gym on March 18th and 19th at 7 o’clock each night. A concession stand will be available. Free will donations will be accepted at the […]
Here’s what you will hear Biden talk about in his debut State of the Union address
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address is set to focus significantly on the economy, with the former member of the U.S. Senate calling on Congress to pass much of the agenda stalled in the so-called Build Back Better bill. During the Tuesday night speech, which begins at 9 p.m. […]
Farmers who plant cover crops will be eligible for crop insurance premium subsidies
Farmers who plant cover crops will be eligible for crop insurance premium subsidies worth $5 an acre for the second year in a row. To qualify for the payments from USDA, farmers must report their cover crop acreage to the Farm Service Agency by March 15. Last year, USDA made payments totaling $59.5 million for 12.2 million acres of cover […]
Missouri budget bill blocks Medicaid patients from accessing Planned Parenthood
Missouri’s supplemental budget bill signed into law Thursday includes a provision to block patients who rely on Medicaid from accessing Planned Parenthood health centers. Federal Medicaid law protects patients’ rights to choose their providers, including Planned Parenthood. Michelle Trupiano, executive director of the Missouri Family Health Council, noted because of the Hyde Amendment, Medicaid cannot cover abortions, […]
Major Michael Turner transfers to Field Operations Bureau in Jefferson City
Major Michael A. Turner, bureau commander for the Support Services Bureau, will transfer to the Field Operations Bureau, General Headquarters, Jefferson City, MO. As bureau commander for Field Operations, Major Turner will have direct oversight responsibilities for all nine troops, Aircraft Division, and Water Patrol Division. He will continue serving as a member of the […]
EPA announces availability of $20 million to reduce lead in drinking water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $20 million in available grant funding to assist communities and schools with removing sources of lead in drinking water. This grant funding, and additional funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help make rapid progress on the goal of addressing lead and removing lead pipes across the country. “A […]
Disability advocates say to focus on accessibility in voting reforms
Experts say Missouri ranks low among states when it comes to steps it has taken to improve accessibility in voting. Denise Lieberman, director and general counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, which has a disability-rights committee, said people with disabilities face barriers at all stages of the voting process, from registering to vote to […]
Missouri takes months to process Medicaid applications — longer than law allows
(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News. Aneka French applied for Medicaid in October, not long after Missouri became the 38th state to expand eligibility for the program. But her application sat for months in a backlog with tens of thousands of others. While she waited, French, 45, an uninsured medical […]
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 City Council completes financing on water treatment plant improvements
The Trenton City Council Monday night adopted two ordinances and accepted three bids. Financing is complete on $2,500,000 to make improvements at the Trenton water treatment plant. The council voted six to nothing to enter into a lease-purchase transaction with Central Bank of the Midwest at Kansas City as the lessor and Missouri Association of […]
USDA unveils resource guide to help rural entrepreneurs start and grow businesses
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small today unveiled a resource guide to help people in rural America start and grow businesses, create good-paying jobs in their communities and strengthen America’s economy. “America’s rural entrepreneurs are critical to the success of our nation’s economy,” Torres Small said. “They create jobs […]
Trenton City Council to meet on Monday
The Trenton City Council will consider ordinances regarding improvements at the water plant and the replacement of water mains. The council will meet at the Trenton City Hall on Monday, February 14, 2022, at 7 pm. The meeting will also be available on Zoom at us02web.zoom.us/j/89160427978. One ordinance would authorize the City of Trenton to […]
Verde Resources to expand to La Belle, investing more than $5.6 million and creating 32 new jobs
Verde Resources, Inc., a commercial producer, and wholesaler of regenerative compost announced that it will establish a processing and packaging facility in La Belle, investing more than $5.6 million and creating 32 new jobs. The company will establish a line using its Biofraction™ technology, capable of processing 100 tons of organic bio-waste per day into […]
North Central Missouri College receives continued accreditation
North Central Missouri College received notice that the Higher Learning Commission has continued full accreditation with reaffirmation scheduled for 2031-2032. College employees spent several years preparing materials to document that NCMC meets the standards for regional accreditation through HLC, and the college hosted an evaluation team visit in the fall. Regional accreditation is essential to […]
Department of Natural Resources awards $50,000 grant to Kidder
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources awarded a $50,000 Clean Water Engineering Report Grant to the city of Kidder to evaluate the city’s wastewater system. The grant offers funding to qualified communities to help cover engineering costs for evaluating water and wastewater system improvements. The city will use the grant to identify wastewater system improvements […]
Trenton Board of Education hears presentation from Trenton Teachers Association on 4-day school week
Joel Hultman with the Trenton Teachers Association presented preliminary research regarding a four-day school week during the Trenton R-9 Board of Education meeting on February 8th. The board took no action on the matter. Hultman reported a survey of teachers showed many wanted more information on a four-day school week. None of the questions specifically […]
Businesses in Gallatin and Cameron to receive USDA funding
A business at Gallatin and two at Cameron are among those receiving investment dollars from the USDA Rural Development department. Apex Outdoor LLC at Gallatin will use a $422,000 rural development loan guarantee to finance and purchase equipment for a startup meat processing business. A news release from USDA says the equipment will be used […]