Photo of cattle (cows) by Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

Beef processing facility near KC in violation of Missouri regulations for polluting waters

(Missouri Independent) – A beef processing facility 40 miles southeast of downtown Kansas City polluted at least a mile of nearby streams and allowed septic tanks of sewage and entrails to overflow, state regulators found this month.  The facility, the former site of a beef operation that neighbors felt threatened a nearby botanical garden, was referred […]

Gavel and Law book news graphic

State judges across the U.S. face growing GOP pushback against rulings in election cases

Missouri Independent) – In mid-December, Texas’ highest criminal court revoked the state attorney general’s ability to use his office to prosecute election-related cases without the request of a district or county attorney. In an 8-1 opinion, the all-Republican court weakened Attorney General Ken Paxton’s power to independently go after perpetrators of voter fraud, a problem he says […]

Prison Sentence news graphic

Missouri man sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole for $4 million meth conspiracy and illegal firearms

 A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a $4 million drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than 520 kilograms of methamphetamine over three years. Christapher Dean Parton, also known as “Big Baby,” 32, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by United States District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years in federal prison […]

Donald Kauerauf, the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, speaks during a press conference at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on July 21, 2021

Before ouster, Missouri health director drafted a letter to senators that was never sent

(Missouri Independent) – On the Friday before a drawn-out confirmation battle ended with his ouster from office, Missouri state Health Director Donald Kauerauf wrote an impassioned letter meant to convince conservative legislators who were on the fence about his appointment.  The message: While he believed in vaccines and data and science, he didn’t believe in vaccine […]