(Missouri Independent) – Across Missouri, local election officials have received 628,395 mail-in and absentee ballots, according to the Secretary of State’s Oct. 27 report. Already, that’s more than twice the total absentee ballots counted in the November 2016 election. While many Missourians have already voted by mail or in-person absentee, many more will head out […]
Tag: Issues
Election Preview: Voters in the Green Hills to decide outcome of several “questions” in Tuesday election
While voters across Missouri decide the fate of constitutional amendments one and three, there are a few ballot issues with the Green Hills counties and towns. Sullivan county votes Tuesday on a proposition to impose a tax on agricultural or horticultural property at a rate not to exceed one dollar per acre. If passed, proceeds […]
Mercer County Public Water Supply District issues boil advisory
Mercer County Public Water Supply District Number 1 has issued a 48-hour boil advisory due to customers having low water pressure or no water. The advisory affects the area from the north edge of the Princeton city limits along U. S. Highway 65 and goes south along Highway 65 to the intersection with Route E. […]
Gallatin Board of Aldermen to consider purchases in 2021 budget
Gallatin Public Works Director Mark Morey provided various purchases Monday, October 26th for the Gallatin Board of Aldermen to consider in the 2021 budget. Morey talked about purchasing a new dump truck and buckets for the 2003 and blue bucket trucks. The board agreed for Administrator Lance Rains to collect interest rate bids for purchasing […]
Sullivan County Public Water Supply District issues boil advisory due to water main break
Sullivan County Public Water Supply District Number 1 has issued a precautionary boil advisory due to a water main break. The advisory will continue until further notice for customers in Pollock as well as those on Route M east of Highway 5 to the Route B intersection and on Route B north of Kentucky Road. […]
Missouri teachers work two jobs for the price of one
(Missouri Independent) – Two minutes into our interview, I counted five yawns as the young teacher from southwest Missouri caught herself, and apologetically assured me that my questions weren’t dull. “I just feel like I am working all the time,” she added. “I don’t know how I am going to keep doing this for the […]
Missouri continues to lead nation in Registered Apprenticeship efforts
For the second year in a row, Missouri ranks second in the nation for completed apprenticeships. Missouri saw 3,388 Registered Apprenticeships completed in FY 2020, more than any other state except California. Missouri currently has more than 13,560 active apprenticeships, participating in 489 registered programs. Through Registered Apprenticeships, workers obtain on-the-job training through a paid […]
Garland Joseph Nelson appears in court, has several motions denied, others are granted
A motion hearing was held in Johnson County Tuesday, October 20th for a Braymer man charged with two felony counts of murder—first degree in the deaths of two brothers from Wisconsin. Online court information shows the court ruled on seven motions regarding Garland Joseph Nelson after hearing arguments. Motions denied included for an order permitting […]
USDA Issues $1.68 billion in payments to producers enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is issuing $1.68 billion in payments to agricultural producers and landowners for the 21.9 million acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which provides annual rental payment for land devoted to conservation purposes. “CRP is one of the many ‘tools’ that USDA offers to producers and private landowners to […]
Grundy County Public Water Supply District issues boil order
Grundy County Public Water Supply District Number 1 has issued a precautionary boil advisory until further notice due to a break in a main line. The boil order affects residents of Spickard and in the Fork of the River area. The advisory area goes from the Grundy/Mercer county line to Route A and from the […]
Missouri Governor continues efforts to combat violent crime
Combating violent crime has been a priority for Governor Mike Parson and his administration. Over the past year alone, he and his administration have taken several steps to address the issue, invest state resources, and protect the safety of Missourians. “As Governor and a former law enforcement officer for more than 22 years, protecting the […]
Newtown-Harris Board of Education discusses parent-teacher conferences, changes to staff sick day policy
The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education discussed various matters at its meeting Monday, October 12th. One topic was options for parent-teacher conferences. The district will keep normal procedures, given low grouping in the high school in already existing procedures and scheduling meetings in the elementary school. The board discussed implementation issues with the new virtual […]
Federal leader looks to Missouri as model for post-incarceration success
About 96% of people incarcerated in Missouri eventually return home to our communities. More than 15,000 Missourians are released from state prisons each year. To help boost their chances of success, the Missouri Department of Corrections partners with fellow state agencies and community nonprofit organizations to build a network of support in areas such as […]
Department of Health and Senior Services addresses State of Missouri COVID-19 data concerns as it transitions to automatic reporting
Providing real-time information and reporting about COVID-19’s impact on Missouri remains a top priority for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. DHSS works diligently each day to provide transparent and actionable data to Missourians to help mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. The amount and types of information create a dynamic, complex situation that […]
Opioid Manufacturer Mallinckrodt to pay $1.6 Billion in settlement
Attorney General Schmitt announced an update to a global settlement framework agreement between state attorneys general, local subdivisions, and the opioid manufacturer Mallinckrodt (MNK), its subsidiaries, and certain other affiliates. Under the new settlement, MNK will pay $1.6 billion into a trust as described below. MNK is currently the largest generic opioid manufacturer in the […]
Missouri’s new version of “Show Me Strong” COVID-19 Dashboard has reporting errors
Missouri launched a new version of the Show Me Strong COVID-19 Public Health Dashboard Sept. 28 to integrate pandemic response data across public health, economic, employment, and social impact indicators. This single point of access provides recovery information with greater detail and specificity across the various sectors and also seeks to streamline data reporting, however, […]
Parson and Galloway blast each other repeatedly during Missouri gubernatorial debate
Missouri’s two major gubernatorial candidates clashed during a Friday afternoon debate in Columbia on numerous issues, including Clean Missouri, COVID, Medicaid expansion, and valet parking at the Capitol. The debate, which took place at the Missouri Theatre in Columbia, was sponsored by the Missouri Press Association. Missouri voters approved Clean Missouri in November 2018. It had […]
USDA issues first Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments
USDA has issued its first report on payouts under the second Coronavirus Food Assistance Program which is also known as CFAP 2. As of October 6th, the agency had distributed nearly two billion dollars of the 14 billion available for CFAP 2. Payments to corn growers topped the list at more than 687 million dollars […]
Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission to require annual de-escalation and implicit bias training
The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission has voted to require annual training in de-escalation techniques and recognizing implicit bias for all Missouri law enforcement officers. Missouri officers will take a one-hour course in each area as part of their required 24-hours of annual continuing education training. “At its June meeting, I challenged the […]