Indictment graphic with gavel and file folder

Missouri man who contacted hundreds of children through a teen dating website indicted on child sexual exploitation charges

A Missouri, man who contacted hundreds of children through a teen dating website was indicted by a federal grand jury on child sexual exploitation charges. Kody Ryan Kelso, 30, Springfield, was charged in a five-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. The superseding indictment replaces the original indictment that was […]

Children playing on floor

Audio: New report says childcare breakdowns cost Missouri’s economy $1.35 billion annually

A new report says childcare breakdowns have cost Missouri’s economy an estimated 1.35-billion dollars annually.     The report, released by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, says the lack of affordable and accessible childcare has driven many Missouri parents to quit their jobs in recent years. It says 61-percent of Missouri parents reported missing work […]

Vaccine Mandate News Graphic

Missouri among first states to file suit challenging CMS vaccine mandate

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson led a coalition of 10 states in challenging the vaccine mandate propagated by the Biden Administration’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on healthcare workers across the nation, becoming the first states to file a lawsuit challenging this mandate. Attorney General Eric Schmitt […]

Kids age 5 to 11 next in line for COVID-19 vaccines as White House rolls out plans

(Missouri Independent) – Smaller needles. Redesigned shipments to ease the storage needs in pediatricians’ offices. And enough vials of the COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate the 28 million U.S. children between ages 5 and 11. Those are among the plans announced by the White House on Wednesday as federal and state officials prepare for a regulatory decision to […]