The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education took action on Wednesday, April 14 on several personnel matters. Special Education and Process Coordinator Jerry Kiger’s resignation was accepted. Josie Hinkle was hired as the kindergarten through 12th-grade special education teacher and process coordinator. All classified staff members were rehired with the board approving an increase in hourly pay for […]
(Missouri Independent) – Help may be coming for Missouri homeowners behind on their mortgage payments because of COVID-19 income losses. The Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday added $150 million in federal mortgage assistance funds to the supplemental spending bill for the current fiscal year, one of several new sections using money from pandemic relief bills passed by Congress […]
U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.), Rob Portman (Ohio), James Lankford (Okla.), and James Inhofe (Okla.) announced that they have introduced the Permanently Preserving America’s Investment in Manufacturing Act of 2021. The bill would ensure that American manufacturers can continue to make large investments, hire workers, and produce goods in the United States. “The strength of […]
The Grundy County R-5 Board of Education April 14th approved increases in pay for 2021-2022. Six hundred dollars was added to the base, which raises the base to $31,200. The increase for certified and non-certified staff is 2.4%. The high school principal base salary was raised to $65,600, elementary school principal to $66,400, and superintendent […]
Missouri non-farm payroll employment recovered strongly in March 2021 after a loss in February, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by a tenth of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 15,400 jobs over the month. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in March 2021, down from 4.3 percent in […]
The Laredo Board of Aldermen approved two salary increases on April 12th. Maintenance/Water and Wastewater Operator Adam Cooksey is fully certified in all departments. Laredo City Clerk Ashley Bonnett reports he received a $1.00 per hour raise, making his new rate $14.76 per hour for the part-time position. City Treasurer Lena Cooksey received a $10.00 […]
The Laredo R-7 Board of Education on April 12th approved a salary proposal that increased the base rate. The base was raised by $1,700 to $31,000. Steps 21 to 30 will be $550. The career ladder will be replaced with hourly tutoring rates. The rates will be $20 per hour for one to five-year probationary […]
With the requested $300,000 in asphalt sales added to budgeted revenues, the Trenton City Council Monday night approved the amended city budget for the fiscal year beginning May 1. The additional sales of asphalt raise the expected total sales to $1,300,000. Sales from Trenton’s new asphalt plant last year generated nearly $1,800,000 with expectations for […]
The Jamesport Tri-County R-7 Board of Education approved an increase in the health insurance contribution, increased some extra duty payments, and accepted multiple bids April 8th. The health insurance contribution was increased from $500 to $525 for 2021-2022. Recommendations were approved to increase extra duty payments for assistant varsity basketball and softball umpires. Superintendent David […]
Missouri 4-H’ers across the state need generous donors to give a hand in the final weeks of the 4-H Feeding Missouri food drive, which ends April 30. To help reach its 2021 goal, Missouri 4-H asks Missourians to donate online at this link or text “4HFM2021” to 44-321 to donate. “Every $1 donated buys 10 […]
The Trenton Park Board approved the 2021-2022 budget on April 7th. The budget includes total anticipated expenditures of $571,504.55 and total expected revenues of $529,600. That leaves a projected deficit of $41,904.55. The anticipated expenditures for 2021-2022 are up by $726.64 from the current Park Budget. Expected revenues are down $5,500 from the current budget. […]
(Missouri Independent) – The biggest item in a $1 billion supplemental spending bill would set aside money for a new method of making Medicaid payments, but exactly how it would work or how much it would cost is unknown. The House Budget Committee on Tuesday held a public hearing on the bill that would also […]
A coalition that’s dedicated to improving the well-being of Missouri children is praising the Missouri House’s bipartisan approval of a 76-million dollar increase for foster and adoptive children. Kids Win Missouri policy director Craig Stevenson says the House budget includes unprecedented support for the kinship and foster families who care for the 14,000 children in […]
A rise in speeding and other reckless driving behaviors continues to be a disturbing trend in 2021. During the first quarter of the year, there were 176 fatalities in Missouri as a result of traffic crashes. Though down slightly from the first quarter of 2020, officials remain concerned increases in speed observed during the early […]
Trenton City Council meets in special session Tuesday evening, March 30, for what’s described as amending the next fiscal year budget initially approved at a March 22nd meeting. The 6:30 meeting will be held at City Hall and is open to the public and can be viewed online via the Zoom web application. Contact the […]
Missouri’s COVID-19 vaccination dashboard was updated this afternoon to reflect the current state of COVID-19 demographics among Missourians. When Missouri’s vaccination dashboard was initially created, the method used relied on national population demographic percentages which were attributed to Missouri, and not taking into account the differences between Missouri’s demographic landscape and national averages. Going forward, Missouri-specific demographic […]
Governor Mike Parson announced that he has authorized a transfer of $300 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds from the State Treasury into the state’s UI Trust Fund to help keep the Trust Fund balance above the level that would trigger an increase in contribution tax rates for Missouri businesses. “With over 96 percent of […]
Governor Parson is proposing an even bigger pay raise for some Missouri Department of Corrections jobs. On top of the requested two-percent salary boost for all state workers, some Corrections food service workers, officers, sergeants, and lieutenants will get anywhere from a nearly six-percent to an almost 15-percent pay hike. In a staff […]
Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri will activate Phase 2 of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan on Monday, March 29, 2021, and Phase 3 on Friday, April 9, 2021. “With the progress we are currently seeing and vaccine supply expected to increase significantly in the coming weeks, we are well ahead of schedule with our […]
Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased in January 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by a tenth of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 5,900 jobs over the month, but over-the-year job losses were back above 100,000 following benchmark adjustments to 2020 estimates. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent […]
