An Iowa woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to hate crime charges for attempting to kill two children because of their race and national origin. According to admissions Nicole Poole Franklin, 42, made during the hearing, on the afternoon of December 9, 2019, Poole Franklin was driving her Jeep Grand Cherokee on Creston Avenue […]
The Missouri FFA Association will honor fellow members for outstanding achievements April 30 – May 1 at the Mathewson Exhibition Center on the Missouri State Fairgrounds, Sedalia. Due to COVID-19-related health concerns, attendance at the 93rd Missouri FFA Convention will be by invitation only. Sessions will be live-streamed at THIS LINK. Convention results will be online […]
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA will open enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program with higher payment rates, new incentives, and a more targeted focus on the program’s role in climate change mitigation. Additionally, USDA is announcing investments in partnerships to increase climate-smart agriculture, including $330 million in 85 Regional Conservation Partnership Program […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Missouri Acting State Director D Clark Thomas announced the agency is investing $35,046,000 in critical infrastructure that will help rural Missouri communities build back better and stronger while prioritizing climate-smart solutions and environmental stewardship. USDA is making the investments under the Water and Environmental Program, the Rural Energy for […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general in writing to President Joe Biden and congressional leaders to voice opposition to the recent steps towards packing the U.S. Supreme Court. “President Biden’s and Congressional leaders’ attempts to pack the United States Supreme Court will undermine the independence and impartiality of […]
Life Options Green Hills Pregnancy and Health Center of Trenton provides free and confidential services to residents in the nine-county Green Hills area. Services include pregnancy testing, limited first trimester ultrasounds, and pregnancy, prenatal, and parenting education. Executive Director Rachael Brothers says the center also provides a fatherhood education program. She explains that […]
The Grain Belt Express project plans to run wind power transmission lines across eight rural counties in northern Missouri—from Buchanan through Ralls. Though the Public Service Commission has approved it and the commission’s approval won a court challenge, agricultural opponents have once again found support in the Legislature. The Missouri House passed HB 527 to stop utility […]
The Jamesport City Council on April 19th approved purchasing fireworks and set the time for the city’s sesquicentennial celebration. Five hundred dollars worth of fireworks will be purchased for an Independence Day celebration scheduled to be at the city park on July 5th. The city council agreed the best time to hold the sesquicentennial celebration […]
Farmers from across the state will rally this (Wednesday) afternoon at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, for private property rights. Holcomb GOP State Senator Jason Bean will present his bill today to the Missouri Senate Commerce Committee. Under his bill, the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) could not issue a certificate of […]
An Arkansas man pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally damaging and removing more than two dozen trees from a national forest. Jamie R. Edmondson, 46, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of depredation of government property. By pleading guilty, Edmondson admitted that he illegally cut and removed […]
The Grundy County Commission accepted a proposal and applied for funding on April 20th. Presiding Commissioner Phillip Ray reports the proposal was for a 911 recorder license from Command 1 for $3,600. The commission applied for annual state funding for the local emergency planning commission of approximately $2,600. The Grundy County Commission had a conference […]
(Missouri Independent) – Help may be coming for Missouri homeowners behind on their mortgage payments because of COVID-19 income losses. The Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday added $150 million in federal mortgage assistance funds to the supplemental spending bill for the current fiscal year, one of several new sections using money from pandemic relief bills passed by Congress […]
(Missouri Independent) – On the heels of a historic cold snap that left thousands across the Midwest without power, Kansas and Missouri residents could soon reap the benefits of a massive high-powered transmission line delivering renewable energy. Grain Belt Express, a project a decade in the making, is starting to acquire land along its route spanning […]
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Bust Up Big Tech Act, new legislation to restore accountability and competition to Big Tech. Senator Hawley’s bill would break up Big Tech companies seeking to dominate multiple industries simultaneously, by banning companies like Amazon from marketing their own retail goods alongside those of other sellers or providing online hosting or cloud services to an ever-growing swath of the internet—including competitors. The […]
Missouri Director of Agriculture, Chris Chinn and Dr. Davin Turner, Chief Medical Officer and President of Mosaic Life Care Medical Center in St. Joseph will give the commencement addresses at North Central Missouri College in Trenton, Missouri on May 8, 2021. Director Chinn will speak at the 9:00 a.m. morning ceremony and Dr. Turner will […]
(Missouri Independent) – As bills expanding charter schools and creating new scholarship accounts for private school tuition make their way through the process, one piece of legislation is trying to give students more options within the public schools that already exist. House Bill 543, sponsored by Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, would establish the “Public School […]
Dockery Chapel Church on Route W near Trenton will hold a free event related to teen purity, pro-life, and discussion from a Biblical perspective. Youth at least 13 years old are invited to Unplanned/God’s Plan on April 17th from 1 to 5 o’clock. Melissa King, Mark Overton, and Rachael Brothers with Life Options Green Hills […]
United Hog Systems, LLC has withdrawn its permit application to build a concentrated animal feeding operation in northern Livingston County. Presiding Commissioner Ed Douglas says the Livingston County Commission got word April 14th from the Department of Natural Resources. Douglas explains United Hog originally applied for a CAFO in February 2020 but withdrew that application. […]
Twenty-five people have applied to fill a Missouri Supreme Court judge vacancy. The Appellate Judicial Commission says it will interview all 25 applicants. A press release from the Missouri Supreme Court says 15 of the candidates are judges. The commission is expected to hold interviews on May 19, 20, and 21. Interviews will […]
Missouri State Parks is sponsoring a virtual art contest for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The theme is “Earth Day Art in Missouri State Parks.” Art can be any medium and must be submitted as a jpeg image. Participation prizes will be given to the first 500 submissions. Prizes will also be awarded to a grand […]
