State Senator Dan Hegeman has pre-filed Senate Bill 633 regarding election integrity and reform. While it contains some familiar language, Hegeman said it also embraces new technology, with what he called “voter safety” in mind. The legislative proposal would allow a local election official to oversee ballot-counting machines and ensure these machines are not connected […]
The student nursing class of 2021 used class funds to donate an automated external defibrillator for use in Cross Hall on the North Central Missouri College Main Campus in Trenton, Missouri. “We felt that an AED was important to us because we felt there should be one in every building in the case of a […]
(Missouri Independent) – The omicron variant of COVID-19 has made its way to Missouri, with the first case announced Friday. In a news release, the Department of Health and Senior Services said it was notified by public health partners of a presumed positive case for the variant that came from a St. Louis resident who […]
(Missouri Independent) – Attorney General Eric Schmitt will not appeal a consequential court ruling that strips powers from local health departments, despite a request from Missouri’s state health director to do so. In an email to The Independent, Schmitt’s spokesman said the attorney general’s office notified the Department of Health and Senior Services of its […]
(Missouri Independent) – Smithfield Foods agreed this week to pay the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration $13,494 to settle a citation for failing to protect its meatpacking employees in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from exposure to the coronavirus last year, but the company didn’t admit it did anything wrong. As such, the settlement can’t […]
(Missouri Independent) – The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill isn’t just about roads and bridges — it also spends billions to address wildfire, drought, flooding, and other effects from climate change, Interior Department officials said Wednesday. The $1.2 trillion measure, which is awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature after the House cleared it last week, includes pay […]
Governor Mike Parson celebrated Missouri’s strong economic position as the number of Missourians on unemployment decreases, businesses continue to invest and expand in Missouri, and the state earns several economic recognitions. “Throughout the pandemic, we took a balanced approach that protected the health and safety of Missourians without sacrificing their livelihoods,” Governor Parson said. “We didn’t […]
The U. S. Drought Monitor Map for this week indicates hardly any abnormally dry conditions remain in the Green Hills Area. The map was released the morning of November 4 and is based on conditions as of November 2. For the Green Hills, there are only abnormally dry conditions in the northeastern part of Linn County. […]
The Missouri Supreme Court is considering whether local elected officials should be banned from spending public money to campaign in support of or opposition to candidates and ballot measures. Some St. Louis County area elected officials filed a lawsuit in 2019 saying the state law violates the free speech rights of local leaders. Attorney Paul […]
Several measures are on the ballot for a special election in Clinton County November 2. Proposition 1 asks if the county should impose a county-wide sales tax of half of a percent for 10 years beginning April 1st, 2022 and expiring April 1st, 2032 for the purpose to improve county law enforcement services. Additional revenue […]
Women and young people have faced increased behavioral health challenges since before the pandemic, according to a new report, which assessed the state of well-being for women and children. The study from the United Health Foundation looked at more than 100 measures, from physical health to emotional, social, and behavioral health determinants. Dr. Ravi Johar, chief […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, along with the Texas Attorney General’s Office, filed suit against the Biden Administration for refusing to spend money appropriated to continue to build the wall on the southwest border as the border crisis continues to worsen. The lawsuit aims to force the Biden Administration to resume construction on the border […]
Snowy weather is just around the corner. In preparation, the Missouri Department of Transportation will hold its annual winter operations drill on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. With high turnover rates and many positions still open, the training is more critical than ever. “With nearly 20% of our plow operators with less than one year of […]
Flu season has arrived in Missouri, and state health officials are urging individuals to get vaccinated now to protect themselves and their families, prevent the spread of flu, and ease the burden of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses that have and continue to impact the healthcare system. Although the number of flu cases reported through […]
Olivia Carter is the 2021 School Counselor of the Year, Missouri School Counselor of the Year, and the school counselor at Jefferson Elementary School in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Carter, who has been a counselor for ten years, says she thinks she was chosen for the national award after helping her elementary school reduce in-school discipline […]
Local government agencies in Missouri can avoid common mistakes and take several steps to safeguard electronic data from hacking, theft, and other disruptions, State Auditor Nicole Galloway said. The Auditor today released her annual summary of the most common cybersecurity risks found by her audits of local governments and courts, along with recommendations those agencies […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a 19-state coalition urging Congress to reject burdensome legislation that would increase fees on energy producers and hit American consumers with even greater price hikes. The two bills in question are the Methane Emissions Reduction Act in the Senate and a provision of the Build Back Better Act in […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway released today her regularly scheduled audit of Schuyler County, located in northern Missouri. Schuyler County received an overall rating of “good” in the audit, which matches the “good” rating received by the county in a 2015 audit. “My audit recommended several areas for improvement that county government officials have shown a willingness […]
A two-mile guided hike will be held at Crowder State Park west of Trenton October 23rd. The Redbud Fall Hike will start at the campground amphitheater that morning at 10 o’clock. Park staff will discuss plants, trees, and animals along the way. Crowder State Park describes Redbud Trail as moderately rugged. It allows visitors to […]
(Missouri Independent) – Face masks will stay on for students and teachers in districts requiring them, a Boone County judge ruled Tuesday, handing Attorney General Eric Schmitt a defeat in his efforts to use the courts to block mask mandates. Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs denied Schmitt’s effort to use a single case, filed against Columbia […]
