If Gov. Mike Parson does not make changes to the Missouri Public Defender System’s next budget, the office is on track to get its largest staffing increase since about 1989. Director Mary Fox tells Missourinet 53 new public defenders would be hired statewide. “This is going to make a huge difference in terms […]
Tag: increases
May jobs report shows Missouri unemployment rate at 4.2%
Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from April 2021 to May 2021, but the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by a tenth of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 6,000 jobs over the month, with job gains in both goods-producing and service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in May […]
Newtown-Harris Board of Education accepts resignation of Principal Amy Carlson
At an executive session of the Newtown-Harris Board of Education, members accepted the resignation of school Principal Amy Carlson. Approval was given to hire Coley Hanes as a social studies teacher. The board accepted a bid to replace several doors in the school, with the bid for approximately $45,000 from Custom Glass of Chillicothe. The […]
Attorney General says Missouri lawmakers can refuse to fund Medicaid expansion
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri lawmakers were not obligated to fund Medicaid expansion, and the courts cannot force the state to pay the medical bills of people who would be eligible under an initiative that amended the state constitution, the state attorney general’s office argued in documents filed Monday in Cole County Circuit Court. The filing from Attorney […]
Lawmakers introduce legislation to maintain rural bridges
U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Bob Casey (Pa.) announced that they have introduced the Support for Community Bridges Act. The bipartisan bill would allocate more dedicated funds for bridge repair to states with more off-system bridges in poor condition. Off-system bridges are not on the federal highway system and are often left out of […]
Grundy County on track to see $500,000 in the coffers for each category of sales tax if trend continues
With an influx of quarterly payments, Grundy County sales tax figures continue to be considerably ahead of the pace of one year ago. The report received today (Monday) shows the year-to-date sales tax collections of nearly $255,000 in each of three categories, general revenue, law enforcement, and the ambulance service. The figures are almost $21,000 […]
COVID-19 detected in wastewater from Linn County sewershed
Results from community sewershed surveillance in Brookfield indicate possible increases in COVID-19 transmission. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services saw increasing and elevated trends of concentrations of COVID-19 genetic fragments in wastewater from the Brookfield (Linn County) sewershed during the weeks of May 17th and 24th. During the week of May 17th, the […]
Audio: Missouri State Auditor says state ranks 49th in nation in state aid to K-12 schools
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released a report that examined funding trends in K-12 education in the state. The report found Missouri ranks near the bottom for the portion of classroom funding that comes from state sources and the formula calculating per-student funding has not kept up with inflation. “The state is not […]
Judge sets trial date for lawsuit over Missouri Medicaid expansion
(Missouri Independent) – The lawsuit seeking to force Missouri to expand Medicaid coverage under a voter-approved constitutional amendment will go to trial June 18 in Cole County. On Wednesday morning, Circuit Judge Jon Beetem met in a conference call with Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office and attorneys for the three people suing for coverage. In an online notation with […]
North Central Missouri Board of Trustees address lengthy agenda at latest meeting on Tuesday
The North Central Missouri Board of Trustees received a consolidated budget update on May 25, 2021. The 2021-2022 budget projection includes total operating revenue of $11,111,547. With auxiliary operations of $12,151,045, the total consolidated income is projected at $13,262,592. Revenues include $7,433,078 for tuition and fees and $2,939,169 in state appropriations. The budget projection also […]
Trenton city sales taxes continue to increase during May 2021
Trenton city sales tax receipts for May are up compared to May of 2020. The increases include general purposes by more than $9,600, capital projects over $4,800, and parks by $5,500. Receipts from the sales tax for fire department needs are up nearly $2,800 this month compared to May 2020. Income from the transportation sales […]
MU research shows fungicides in soybean at R3 boost yield, reduce disease
Three years of research in the “MU Certified” Strip Trial Program shows that applying fungicides to soybean at the R3 growth stage reduces foliar disease and increases yield. University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette said the results come from 33 tests across the state from 2018 to 2020. Trials show that fungicide application […]
Missouri Jobs Report report for April, 2021, shows slight decline in unemployment rate
Missouri non-farm payroll employment showed little overall change from March 2021 to April 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by a tenth of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 600 jobs over the month. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in April 2021, down from 4.2 percent in […]
Audio: Conservative group wants to send gas tax hike to Missouri voters
(Missouri Independent) – On Monday morning, Jeremy Cady, state director of Americans for Prosperity, filed paperwork with Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office to begin the process of putting the 12.5-cents a gallon tax increase on a statewide ballot. To succeed in forcing a referendum on the bill, the campaign would have to gather about 110,000 […]
Trenton Park Board votes to increase pay rate for pool staff
The Trenton Park Board voted at a special meeting on May 14th to raise pay for pool staff. It was also announced the Trenton Family Aquatic Center’s target opening date is May 29th. The pool manager pay will be $12 per hour, and the assistant manager pay will be $10.25 per hour. Lifeguards will be […]
Lawmakers approve Missouri operating budget
Missouri foster care advocates are praising Friday’s passage of the $35.1 billion state operating budget, saying it provides unprecedented support for the foster families who care for the thousands of children in Missouri foster care. House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith (R-Carthage) tells Missourinet that the budget provides a $90 million increase for foster and adoptive […]
Missouri meat and poultry processors awarded nearly $17 million toward food supply expansions
The Missouri Department of Agriculture has awarded $16,716,406 million in CARES Act funding to nearly 150 small and medium-sized businesses. As a direct result of the reimbursement grant, more than 40 businesses were assisted in initiating or expanding their level of meat processing through a new grant of inspection or custom exempt inspection status. “As a […]
Audio: Missouri’s trucking industry is struggling to keep up with demand during the pandemic
Missouri’s trucking industry is struggling to keep up with demand during the pandemic. Ann Bauza, with MTC Truck Driver Training, says the industry continues to deal with a truck driver shortage. Bauza tells KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau that trucking companies are finding ways to recruit new drivers, including pay increases and bigger bonuses. […]
Audio: Missouri House gives initial approval to bipartisan feral hog legislation
Bipartisan legislation increasing penalties for people who knowingly release feral hogs into the wild has received initial approval from the Missouri House. The bill, which is sponsored by Portageville State Representative Don Rone, increases the criminal penalty from a class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. The Missouri Department of Conservation, the […]