USDA Sign

USDA opens 2020 enrollment for Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs

Agricultural producers now can enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs – two U.S. Department of Agriculture safety net programs – for the 2020 crop year. Meanwhile, producers who enrolled farms for the 2018 crop year have started receiving more than $1.5 billion for covered commodities for which payments […]

Great American Shakeout Earthquake Drill Website

Earthquake drills scheduled for today

Earthquake drills will be held Thursday as part of the Great Central United States Shakeout. The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance reports nearly 500,000 Missourians will participate in the shakeout at 10:17 in the morning. The department encourages consumers to consider their plan for financial recovery if a major earthquake event occurs in Missouri. […]

Generic City Water

Lead levels in Trenton water supply continues to drop

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has notified Trenton Municipal Utilities (TMU) of the official results from the most recent round of testing for lead in drinking water. The tests, which were conducted at 40 Tier One locations, showed a continued reduction in lead levels. The system tested below the Environmental Protection Agency’s 90th percentile […]

Obama administration: Reduce focus on student loan collections

Missouri student loan default rates continue to decrease

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Missouri’s three-year loan default rate decreased four-tenths of a percent, keeping Missouri’s rate below the national average and lower than most of its neighboring states. Missouri’s student loan default rate dropped from 10.3 percent to 9.9 percent. The national rate decreased from 10.8 percent to 10.1 percent. More […]

Lions Club Graphic

Laredo Lions Club to sponsor Ozark Supper

The Laredo Lions Club will sponsor an Ozark Supper to raise funds for disaster relief and other Lions projects. Soups and ham and beans will be served at the Laredo Community Center on October 26, 2019, from 11 to 7 o’clock. The menu will also include cornbread, applesauce, and desserts. Those attending can eat and […]

Gas Tax

Missouri Lt. Governor says Missourians to decide if gasoline tax increase is needed

The state’s lieutenant governor says Missourians will have to decide whether a gasoline tax increase is needed. Missouri’s 17-cent gasoline tax has remained the same since 1996. Last November, voters rejected a proposed ten-cent gas tax increase. At his campaign announcement, last week at Jefferson City’s Memorial Park, Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe (R) told the audience […]

Fiber Optic Internet Access

The net neutrality battle moves to the states, and to 2020

Net neutrality suffered a significant blow on Tuesday as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the Trump administration’s rollback of Obama-era consumer protections. Because the court upheld the repeal, it remains legal for internet service providers such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon to block or throttle any sites they want, and […]

Grundy County Courthouse Trenton Missouri

Grundy County Commission takes part in Incident Command System training

A class was held in Trenton this week covering the National Incident Management Command System. Grundy County Emergency Management reports chief elected officials, emergency response personnel, dispatchers, and emergency managers from the state attended the multi-day class. Grundy County Clerk Betty Spickard previously said the Grundy County Commission attended the training at the North Central […]

Corn in the field

Monthly grain crop review for September, 2019

September had several warmer than normal days, breaking records in some parts of the state. The high temperatures helped the corn crop dry. However, harvest progress is trailing last year’s pace and the five-year average. The late-planted corn is still too wet to combine unless there are dryers available. Nationally, 11 percent of corn has […]

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

FEMA approves state’s request to add 14 additional counties to disaster declaration

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved Missouri’s request to expand the federal major disaster declaration for Missouri to include assistance for local governments and nonprofit agencies in 14 additional counties and the City of St. Louis. FEMA’s approval means Benton, Boone, Callaway, Clay, Cooper, Dunklin, Gasconade, Howard, Lafayette, Lincoln, Pulaski, Scott, St. Charles, and St. […]

Disaster Relief

USDA to provide $150 million in help for rural communities affected by natural disasters

U.S. Department of Agriculture Missouri State Director Jeff Case highlighted $150 million in grants available through the Community Facilities Program to help rural communities continue their recovery from the devastating effects of hurricanes, fires, and other natural disasters such as the recent severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding in Missouri. This announcement is in conjunction with […]