October unemployment rates among area counties remain fairly steady when compared to September. The latest county by county unemployment rates were released on Tuesday, November 24, by the Missouri Division of Employment Security. The majority of area counties have rates below the Missouri unemployment rate of 3.8%. Grundy County’s October rate is 3.4% which is […]
Tag: Major
USDA forecasts ag exports to increase by nearly eight percent for 2021 fiscal year
The USDA is calling for ag exports to increase by nearly eight percent for the 2021 fiscal year largely because of Chinese demand. USDA’s November ag export forecast increased by $11.5 billion from August to $152 billion. If realized it would be the second-highest export total on record with China accounting for most of the increase, […]
Audio: Nursing homes need funding, staff relief as COVID-19 rates increase
Missouri CARES Act funding allotted to nursing homes is running out – while needs for staffing and testing increase. Nikki Strong, the executive director of the Missouri Healthcare Association. She says homes have had to rely on more expensive temp agencies and to cover staff and nursing shortages. Because of the case rates […]
State of Missouri recognizes National Small Business Week
This week, the state of Missouri joins many others across the nation in recognizing National Small Business Week. Small businesses have a major impact on Missouri’s economy, as more than 45 percent of employed Missourians receive a paycheck from working at a small business. In 2019, Missouri’s small businesses created 13,855 net new jobs. More […]
Gallatin Board of Aldermen, with lengthy agenda, approve ordinance related to commercial structures billed for utility cost
The Gallatin Board of Aldermen approved an ordinance on November 23rd establishing rules related to multiple-unit commercial structures to be billed for utility cost of service. City Clerk Hattie Rains explains the ordinance provides a definition and acknowledges that multiple units within the same commercial structure would have to adhere to additional cost of service […]
With no statewide mandate in Missouri, more local governments are requiring masks
(Missouri Independent) – In early July, the Columbia City Council passed an ordinance requiring everyone over 10 years old to wear a face mask when in close contact with someone from outside their household. Since that vote, a requirement for face masks has been in every health order issued for the city of 123,000 by the Columbia-Boone […]
Governor Parson signs Executive Order 20-19 extending state of emergency in Missouri
As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in Missouri and across the Midwest, Governor Mike Parson signed Executive Order 20-19 extending the state of emergency in Missouri through March 31, 2021. This will allow continued flexibility in deploying critical resources around the state as well as the continued utilization of the Missouri National Guard […]
Missouri’s unemployment rate in October up slightly compared to 2019
The Missouri labor market showed mixed results in October 2020. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 6,400 jobs over the month, but over-the-year job losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic remained stubbornly high. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points from September 2020 to October 2020, but the civilian labor force decreased […]
FBI releases 2019 Hate Crime Statistics
The FBI released Hate Crime Statistics, 2019, the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program’s latest compilation about bias-motivated incidents throughout the nation. The 2019 data, submitted by 15,588 law enforcement agencies, provide information about the offenses, victims, offenders, and locations of hate crimes. Law enforcement agencies submitted incident reports involving 7,314 criminal incidents and 8,559 related […]
2020 was a bloodbath for Missouri Democrats. Will 2022 be any better?
(Missouri Independent) – There’s no point trying to spin it: While the 2020 election was a mixed verdict nationally, with Republicans gaining congressional seats and minimizing Senate losses even as Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump, the Missouri verdict was unequivocal. It started atop the ticket with Trump’s dominance. He and Gov. Mike Parson set […]
State Auditor issues 5th report on Missouri’s use of stimulus dollars received through CARES Act funding
State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released her fifth report detailing the state government’s use of federal stimulus dollars intended for the COVID-19 response. In March, Auditor Galloway announced that her office would examine the state’s distribution and spending of funding received under the CARES Act and other federal assistance programs recently passed by Congress. The […]
Biden wants mask mandates nationwide: ‘We can save tens of thousands of lives’
(Missouri Independent) – President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus response plan seeks to put a national mask mandate in place by calling on all governors to require face coverings in their states. It’s a move that public health experts say could dramatically reduce the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths. But putting wider mask laws in place […]
Video: ‘The virus is winning’: Health officials call for statewide mask mandate in Missouri
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Gov. Mike Parson needs to issue a statewide mask mandate and “safer-at-home” policy to prevent the state’s health system from becoming overwhelmed, Dr. Alex Garza, the incident commander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, said Friday. “Unfortunately, as has been painfully obvious to even a casual observer, we are […]
Mayor Linda Crooks receives Missouri Community College Association Distinguished Alumni Award
Mayor Linda Crooks, from Trenton, Mo, was recently recognized by the Missouri Community College Association for her outstanding alumni support of North Central Missouri College and Missouri community colleges. Linda received the 2020 Distinguished Alumni award at the statewide MCCA convention held virtually November 11-13, 2020. This award is prestigiously selected and given annually to […]
Missouri State Highway Patrol Assistant Superintendent, Malik Henderson, to retire after 32-years of service
Lieutenant Colonel Malik A. Henderson, assistant superintendent, will retire effective December 1, 2020, after over 32 years of service. Henderson was appointed to the Patrol on July 1, 1988, as a member of the 60th Recruit Class. Upon graduating from the Patrol’s Law Enforcement Academy in Jefferson City, Henderson was assigned to Troop E, Zone […]
Community Resource Center in Chillicothe to participate in #GivingTuesday
The Community Resource Center is responding to meet the needs of homeless and low-income individuals and families in Livingston County and the surrounding area. #GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world. #GivingTuesday will kick off the generosity season this year by inspiring […]
Missouri House gives initial approval to $1.2 billion supplemental budget
The Missouri House voted Tuesday to give preliminary approval to a proposed $1.27 billion supplemental budget, a supplemental that is the reason for the special session. The supplemental budget includes funding for school nutrition programs, job training grants, $1 million for witness protection funding, and money for child support payments. Governor Mike Parson (R) called […]
Long-time employee of Trenton Hy-Vee receives keys to new car
A long time employee of the Trenton HyVee Food Store, Keith Herring, was presented with a major prize as part of the company’s 90th anniversary year During an outdoor ceremony in front of family, friends, and store employees, Herring received the keys to a brand new, two-door, mini Cooper car which was red in color. […]
Missouri voters pick Donald Trump over Joe Biden
(Missouri Independent) – President Donald Trump once again easily picked up Missouri’s 10 electoral votes on Tuesday, cruising to victory over former Vice President Joe Biden in the Show-Me State. The Associated Press called the race for the president shortly after 9:30 p.m. with roughly half the precincts reporting and Trump leading by 20 percentage points […]
Mike Parson defeats Nicole Galloway in race for Missouri governor
(Missouri Independent) – Republican Mike Parson has secured a full four-year term as Missouri’s governor, scoring victory Tuesday night over his Democratic challenger Nicole Galloway. Parson, 65, led Galloway, 38, by more than 442,000 votes with over 95 percent of the state’s precincts reporting shortly after midnight, according to the Secretary of State’s unofficial results. The […]