Mentally disabled woman and nurse or caretaker wearing a surgica

Missouri launches apprenticeships for direct-support professionals

Missouri is launching an apprenticeship program to expand talent pipelines for Direct Support Professionals, who work with people with developmental disabilities. The Show-Me State, like many others, is facing a serious direct-care workforce shortage. To answer the need, the program Missouri Talent Pathways was recently approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. Duane Shumate, the state coordinator […]

Newtown-Harris School Website

Newtown-Harris Board of Education approves meal prices for next school year

The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education on April 13th approved meal prices for next school year. Breakfast will cost $1.80 daily for kindergarten through sixth grade, $1.90 for seventh through 12th grade, $2.45 for an adult, and 30 cents for reduced. Lunch will cost $2.55 daily for kindergarten through sixth grade, $2.70 for seventh through […]

Audio: Missouri Senate gives initial approval to effort to freeze property tax rates for senior citizens

The Missouri Senate has given initial approval to a proposal that would ask voters to freeze residential property tax assessments for senior citizens. State Senator Steven Roberts, a Democrat from St. Louis, is co-sponsoring the proposed ballot measure.     One more vote of support would send the proposal to the House.

Hospital Bed (Photo by Frederic Köberl on Unsplash)

Legislators weigh blocking COVID visitor restrictions at Missouri hospitals, nursing homes

(Missouri Independent) – State Rep. Ed Lewis had just hours to say goodbye. In March 2020, his 89-year-old mother had to go to the hospital after suffering from a fall. Lewis’ sister was their mother’s primary caregiver, but in the pandemic’s first days as hospitals restricted visitors, family members weren’t allowed to stay with her. Lewis […]

Photo of handgun and ammunition (Photo by Thomas Def on Unsplash)

Department of Justice rule cracks down untraceable firearms known as ‘ghost guns’

(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden Monday unveiled the Department of Justice’s plan to regulate untraceable firearms known as ghost guns, as well as announced his nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Department of Justice’s final rule bans the business of manufacturing ghost guns, such as “buy build shoot” kits […]

Republican Party

Grundy County Republican Central Committee to host “Lincoln Days” luncheon

The “Lincoln Days” luncheon, presented by the Grundy County Republican Central Committee, has been scheduled for Saturday, April 23rd. The event will be held at the NCMC Ketcham community center in Trenton. Doors open at 11:30 and the lunch begins at noon. Organizers of the event say it’s for the 2nd and 7th legislative districts […]

Branson Duck Boat

Audio: U.S. Senator Josh Hawley says duck boat safety law must happen

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley spoke to Missourinet after a judge dropped the criminal charges in the 2018 deadly duck boat tragedy in Branson.     Senator Hawley was Missouri’s attorney general when the amphibious craft capsized during severe weather on Table Rock Lake killing seventeen people.  In one of his first official duties in Congress, […]

Crystal Bupp New City Administrator Milan 2022 final

Crystal Bupp named as new City Administrator in Milan

The Milan City Council voted on Monday, April 4, 2022, to authorize an employment agreement with Crystal Bupp as the city’s next city administrator, effective April 6, 2022. “The City of Milan welcomes Crystal as our next city administrator,” said Mayor Andy Herington. “Crystal’s institutional knowledge of our community, experience, and diverse skill set will […]

Josh Hawley Courtesy of Missourinet

Hawley rips Biden administration over plans to allocate veteran resources to illegal immigrants

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, expressing deep concern with the administration’s decision to rescind the Title 42 order amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis – with numbers surging at the southern border. Senator Hawley also inquired about disturbing new reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) […]

Mendy Loja 2021 WMH Employee of the year

Mendy Loja named Wright Memorial Hospital 2021 Employee of the Year

Wright Memorial Hospital recently announced its 2021 Employee of the Year. Mendy Loja, a medical laboratory scientist coordinator at Wright Memorial Hospital, was presented with the award at a ceremony held in her honor on March 31. The other finalists for the award were 2021 Employee of the Quarter recipients Maryke Willis, Kari Smith, and […]

Budget news graphic

Missouri House signs off on $46.2 billion budget, leaves most of huge state surplus untouched

(Missouri Independent) – The Missouri House gave first-round approval Tuesday to a package of budget bills spending $46.2 billion, with Republicans defeating repeated Democratic efforts to tap the state’s record surplus. The budget includes boosts to higher education funding, both for institutions and scholarships, as well as funding one of last year’s most controversial issues, Medicaid […]

Democrats block Hawley’s bill to get tough on child sex offenders

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) went to the Senate Floor on Tuesday to call for unanimous consent to pass his “Protect Act of 2022” which protects children from sexual exploitation by enhancing the penalties for possessing child pornography and preventing judges from sentencing offenders below federal guidelines. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) objected and blocked the […]

Rape Kit or DNA Testing

Missouri clearing backlog of untested, unreported rape kits, getting FBI matches on suspect DNA

In a major milestone, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced at a press conference earlier that the Attorney General’s Office has worked with 169 law enforcement agencies to clear their backlogs of untested, report sexual assault kits. In total, 3,298 untested, reported kits have been sent to the lab to be tested. Further, because of […]

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson photo courtesy Wikipedia

Jackson wins 3 GOP votes as U.S. Senate advances her Supreme Court nomination

(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Senate advanced Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic Supreme Court nomination in a 53-47 procedural vote Monday evening, hours after the Judiciary Committee deadlocked along party lines. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah voted with all 50 Senate Democrats on the procedural […]

Eric Greitens (Photo is screenshot from Eric Greitens YouTube channel)

Women within Missouri GOP speak out against Eric Greitens as party remains silent

(Missouri Independent) – In just two weeks since allegations of domestic violence surfaced, Eric Greitens’ campaign for the U.S. Senate has been under siege from fellow Republicans urging him to drop out of the race.  With one notable exception. The state party, which in recent years has denounced several candidates running under the GOP banner for […]

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

Audio: Missouri U.S. Senators announce votes against Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson

It’s two Missouri thumbs down from our state’s U.S. Senators on the possibility of the nation’s first black female Supreme Court associate justice. Joey Parker tells us why our federal delegation is saying “nay” even before today’s (Monday’s) Senate Judiciary Committee vote.   (Audio credit ABC News) U.S. Senator Roy Blunt announced his intent on […]

Josh Hawley Courtesy of Missourinet

Hawley introduces “PROTECT Act of 2022” which will toughen sentences for child porn offenders

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the PROTECT Act of 2022, which protects children from sexual exploitation by enhancing the penalties for possessing child pornography and by preventing judges from sentencing offenders below federal guidelines. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). Representative Ken Buck (CO-4) is […]

Preferred Family Healthcare

Preferred Family Healthcare to pay more than $8 million in fines related to embezzlement, bribery investigation

Springfield, Missouri-based nonprofit Preferred Family Healthcare will pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement announced, which acknowledges the criminal conduct of its former officers and employees. “Preferred Family Healthcare must relinquish the illegal profits it garnered from […]

Candidates Forum

Audio: Candidates for Trenton R-9 School Board answer questions from the public during forum on Wednesday

Three candidates for the Trenton R-9 Board of Education participated in a forum in the Rissler Elementary School Library on March 30th. Incumbent Dorothy Taul, Toby Havens, and Jeff Spencer are running for two three-year terms. The forum was relocated after the evacuation of Trenton High School, where the event was originally to be held. […]