Missouri’s population grew by about 11,000 people from 2019 to 2020. This 0.2% increase is only half the national rate of 0.4%, though it is typical of the modest growth experienced by many other Midwestern states. But the picture gets more complicated when you zoom in to specific regions and counties. “This growth is uneven,” […]
Governor Mike Parson announced fifteen appointments to various boards and commissions. Bryan Atkins, of Rea, was appointed to the Board of Probation and Parole. Mr. Atkins served as the Sheriff of Andrew County from 2009 until his retirement in 2020. Prior to being elected sheriff, he served as a Deputy Sheriff for Andrew County. He also formerly […]
Spring Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer sales saw heavy interest and strong prices, says Erin Larimore, Show-Me-Select sales coordinator, and University of Missouri Extension specialist. Larimore says beef herd owners continue to seek out SMS heifers to buy guaranteed-pregnant heifers with proven genetics. “There was excellent demand, as shown by the strength of prices in the spring […]
A Missouri man who shot a law enforcement officer before shooting himself was sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking and illegally discharging a firearm in Joplin, Mo. E.F. Fitchpatrick, Jr., 47, of St. Louis, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The court sentenced […]
FAFSA Frenzy Summer Edition offers Missouri students last-minute help filing their Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Missouri students get a second chance at free help to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) this summer. It’s all thanks to a series of events called the FAFSA Frenzy Summer Edition, hosted by the […]
(Missouri Independent) – Republicans in the Missouri Senate should move to shut off debate if a filibuster blocks anti-abortion lawmakers from putting their stamp on provider taxes that fund Medicaid, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said in an interview with The Independent this week. The advice was not, however, well received by the Senate’s Republican or […]
(Missouri Independent) – As the case counts of the novel coronavirus began to tick up last March across Missouri, providers who offer tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) found their resources were being pulled in two directions. Swabs were in short supply as they became needed for COVID-19 testing. Contact tracers, who reach out to […]
Another session of the Missouri Legislature has come and gone. Of the 1,559 House bills and 689 Senate bills filed this time around, 69 bills will make it to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk. Here are some key bills left up to the governor to sign or veto: Missouri lawmakers vote to pump up […]
Bipartisan law enforcement legislation that bans most police chokeholds and eliminates residency requirements for Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) officers is now heading to the Missouri governor’s desk after receiving final House approval Thursday afternoon in Jefferson City. Senate Bill 53 is sponsored by State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Parkville) and State Rep. Lane Roberts (R-Joplin). Representative Roberts […]
(Missouri Independent) – The fate of a wide-ranging crime bill was called into question on Tuesday over a provision that would stiffen penalties for lying under oath to the legislature or obstructing a legislative investigation. During a conference committee on Tuesday morning convened to work out differences on Senate Bill 53, House members said the bill […]
Current Missouri law allows orders of protection for one year – potentially forcing domestic violence victims to repeatedly return to court and face their abuser. The Missouri House has given initial approval to a bill that would allow the victims to get a lifetime order of protection. Representative Tracy McCreery, a Democrat from […]
A Missouri House committee on congressional redistricting will take public testimony today (Thursday) in Jefferson City from residents who live in southwest Missouri’s Seventh Congressional District. Southwest Missouri’s 7th District is a GOP stronghold and includes Springfield, Joplin, Branson, Carthage, and Table Rock Lake. In-person and written testimony will be taken at today’s […]
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing the firearm stolen from a vehicle in the parking lot at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Mo. Jeffrey Ray Dean Ford, 28, of Joplin was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to five years in federal prison without […]
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed at least 12 pounds of methamphetamine in the Joplin area, as well as for illegally possessing numerous firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Mark E. Burdge, 50, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. […]
A former Missouri governor who resigned three years ago announced Monday on national television that he’s running for the U.S. Senate in 2022. Current U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) will not seek re-election next year, which will leave the seat open for the 2022 election cycle. Republican Eric Greitens was elected as Missouri’s governor in […]
A growing southwest Missouri city is offering millions of dollars in tax incentives to General Motors (GM), in an effort to land a new GM factory. Reporter Ty Albright from our Joplin affiliate KZRG has the story. Joplin Chamber of Commerce President Toby Teeter says the city is offering a $200 Million package […]
Current state law allows orders of protection for one year – potentially forcing domestic violence victims to repeatedly return to court and face their abuser. Joplin Republican Representative Lane Roberts says that is wrong. During a state House committee hearing, Roberts, a former Missouri Public Safety Department director, says he wants to change the law […]
Spring 2021 Show-Me-Select sale dates are set, says Erin Larimore, coordinator of the University of Missouri Extension program. The sales give beef herd owners from across the nation the opportunity to bid on top replacement heifers. Bidders get a guaranteed pregnant heifer and data on her genetics. They also receive a sales catalog that gives […]
In 2019, Gov. Mike Parson closed a prison in northwest Missouri’s Cameron. Most staff and inmates transferred to the other prison in town – Western Missouri Correctional Center. Now, Parson wants to reopen the Crossroads Correctional Center and turn it into a training academy for correctional officers. During a House Budget Committee hearing, Trevor Foley […]
The new Mars rover is powered by batteries manufactured by EaglePicher Technologies in Joplin, Missouri. There were 14 EaglePicher silver-zinc batteries on the Atlas V launch rocket. Two of the company’s thermal batteries powered the spacecraft during entry, descent, and landing stages, including igniting the pyrotechnics that opened parachutes. The rover’s main power system consists […]
