New research from the Missouri Hospital Association identifies the nationwide economic cost of the opioid crisis at $685 billion in 2017, or 3.5 percent of GDP, with overdose deaths accounting for 93 percent of the cost. Missouri’s toll is 20th highest among the states, with a total burden of just more than $14 billion. Throughout […]
Tag: increased
North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees approve tuition and personnel changes
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees approved tuition and fees as well as room and board for the 2019-2020 academic year at its meeting Tuesday evening. Tuition and fees increased for everything, except Dual Credit and Early College. Tuition will be $87 per credit hour for NCMC district students, $148 for other Missouri […]
Improving cattle grazing fescue pastures with legumes
Cattle producers see more profit when they add legumes to fescue pastures and manage grazing systems properly, says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist. Fescue remains the hardy mainstay of southwestern Missouri pastures. Adding legumes gives fescue fields more nutritional punch and profit, Davis says. Proper management is key to making grasses and […]
Canadian Pacific Railroad racks up complaints on railroad crossing in Laredo
Grundy County Sheriff Rodney Herring reports he has received an increased number of complaints lately regarding trains stopping on the tracks and blocking the Route E crossing in Laredo. Herring says the Canadian Pacific Railroad claims the reason trains are stopping in that location is because of flooding, traffic backups, and work on the rails. […]
IRS offering free March 28 webinar: Understanding how to do a ‘Paycheck Checkup’
The Internal Revenue Service will provide a free online, web-based information session in two languages on Thursday, March 28, 2019, to help people understand how to do a ‘Paycheck Checkup.’ Doing a Paycheck Checkup means checking tax withholding using the IRS Withholding Calculator and making any necessary adjustments to avoid having too little or too […]
Missouri to receive nearly $10 million in additional opioid grant funding
The Department of Health and Human Services’ announced that Missouri will receive $9.6 million in State Opioid Response Grant funding. The funding is the first of two expected grant announcements from the $1.5 billion for State Opioid Response Grants that Senator Roy Blunt worked to include in the FY2019 Labor/HHS appropriations bill, which was signed […]
Second Harvest Community Food Bank collecting to assist those affected by flooding
Second Harvest Community Food Bank of Saint Joseph is collecting products and monetary donations to assist communities affected by flooding. Communications Coordinator Blake Haynes says the need for Second Harvest’s services in those areas has increased with the flooding. He notes the organization has received some donations but needs assistance to help those in need. […]
Missouri’s unemployment rate remains at 3.2% in latest jobs report
Missouri’s unemployment rate remained at 3.2 percent in February, while employment decreased slightly. This marks the 31st consecutive month in which Missouri’s unemployment rate has been lower than the corresponding U.S. rate, which was 3.8 percent in February. Missouri nonfarm payroll employment decreased slightly over the month. The seasonally adjusted jobs estimate was 2,898,600, down […]
Missouri Department of Conservation forecasts challenging spring turkey season
Missouri turkey hunters can expect a challenging spring season according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The spring turkey hunting season starts with a youth-only weekend April 6-7. The regular spring season runs April 15 through May 5. Although the good hatches of 2011, 2012, and 2014 helped bolster turkey numbers in much of […]
Audio: Missouri Health Department releases study of hunger in aging population
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services released its 2018 Senior Food Insecurity Report– calling it the first of its kind in the nation. Ashley Byrd explains. Hunger is a serious threat facing millions of seniors in the United States. In Missouri, as many as one in eight seniors are struggling from […]
Trenton R-9 Board of Education addresses salary schedules
The 2019-20 salary schedule was adopted during a meeting last night of the Trenton R-9 Board of Education. The schedule follows the requests submitted last month by the salary and welfare committee; and endorsed by the superintendent. Superintendent Dan Wiebers reported the increases noted for the salary schedule will cost more than $177,000 which is […]
Use sound grazing practices to reduce overgrazing and weeds
Weed problems may explode this year thanks to the drought of 2018 and residual problems associated with overgrazing in parched pastures, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Valerie Tate. Last year’s extreme weather conditions created a forage shortage. As a result, many pastures were overgrazed. When pastures are overgrazed, there is little green leaf material […]
Missouri unemployment rate edges up slightly in January
Missouri’s unemployment rate edged up a tenth of a point to 3.2 percent in January, increasing slightly from 3.1 percent in the final two months of 2018, though the current rate is still three-tenths of a point lower than the year-earlier value. Missouri’s rate has now been at or below the corresponding U.S. rate, which […]
Audio: House votes to increase poaching fines in Missouri
It’s cheaper for a non-Missourian to come into the state, poach an animal, and pay the fine for that than it is to buy an out-of-state hunter tag. The Missouri House has voted to change that. The House voted to send to the Senate House Bill 260, which would increase the fines for poaching wild turkeys, […]
Trenton Finance Committee to reccommend borrowing of money from TMU to cover wastewater plant costs
The finance committee at a meeting Tuesday night decided to recommend to the full city council that money be borrowed from one department of Trenton Municipal Utilities to assist another department in paying costs of a major project. Such action is being recommended after the committee and council members were discouraged from doing so by […]
Missouri hospitals’ community benefit exceeded $3.3 billion In 2017
New data from the Missouri Hospital Association reveals that in 2017, the state’s hospitals provided more than $1.4 billion in uncompensated care and exceeded $3.3 billion in total community benefit — record totals for both categories. The report and hospital-specific data are available on the association’s consumer data site, FocusOnHospitals.com. “Hospitals are committed to building […]
Hy-Vee expands list of discount medications
Hy-Vee announces the expansion of its discount medications list to assist customers with lowering healthcare costs. The new medication list went into effect February 1st and is available to all patients with no enrollment fees. The new list includes an increased number of cholesterol, diabetes, gastrointestinal, mental health, women’s health and men’s health medications offered at […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway releases results of citizen-requested audit of Hamilton
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released a citizen-requested audit of the City of Hamilton, located in Caldwell County. The audit recommended better planning to ensure adequate street repair and recommended better processes to avoid conflicts of interest in city business. “Citizens deserve government that functions efficiently and transparently, but processes were not in place […]
Audio: Missourians encouraged to file income taxes as soon as possible
Missourians are being encouraged to file income taxes as soon as possible this year. Financial advisor Marshall Mennenga says Congress and the Trump administration wanted a smaller, easier tax form. The two-page 1040 has increased to eight pages and Mennenga advises taxpayers to file income taxes as early as possible.