(Missouri Independent) – Two years ago, a company led by an influential Republican businessman faced off with the state’s environmental regulators over whether it needed to do additional testing for a chemical that health officials worried could pose a cancer risk to the company’s workers. The Moberly manufacturing facility, Orscheln Products LLC, is owned by […]
To reflect estimated changes in the wholesale cost of natural gas as well as a change in the company’s Actual Cost Adjustment (ACA) factor, Summit Natural Gas of Missouri, Inc. (Summit Natural Gas) customers will see natural gas rates change under a filing that takes effect on December 8, 2021. The ACA factor is a […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced loan interest rates for December 2021, which are effective Dec. 1. USDA’s Farm Service Agency loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment, and storage structures, or meet cash flow needs. Operating, Ownership, and Emergency Loans FSA offers farm […]
Five agriculture students from North Central Missouri College participated in the Missouri Postsecondary Agriculture Student Organization State Conference held in Ozark, MO. Students competed in career development contests, participated in leadership seminars, and toured Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Missouri. Students attending the conference were Abigail Neill, Abby Dobbins, Gabryelle Hapes, Rylee Johnson, and Tanner […]
More Missourians are expected to travel and gather together this year for larger Thanksgiving and holiday celebrations after a quieter holiday season in 2020 because of COVID-19. State Fire Marshal Tim Bean is advising folks to reduce the risk of fires as we enter the five-week period of elevated fire hazards. “Thanksgiving begins a five-week […]
A new addition to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services statewide COVID-19 dashboard finds that vaccination remains a strong defense against the virus, and that older age and health co-morbidities are strongly correlated with “breakthrough infections.” The new data identifies COVID-19 breakthrough infections among the fully vaccinated. The analysis is the result of a partnership […]
To reflect estimated changes in the wholesale cost of natural gas as well as a change in the company’s Actual Cost Adjustment (ACA) factor, natural gas customers of The Empire District Gas Company d/b/a Liberty (Empire) will see natural gas rates change under a filing that takes effect on December 1, 2021. The ACA factor […]
Join the Livingston County Library at 450 Locust Street for a special presentation by Mark H.X. Glenshaw. Glenshaw is an award-winning naturalist who has closely observed and documented the lives of Great Horned Owls at Forest Park in St. Louis since December 2005. Mark’s talk, “Forest Park Owls: Mating, Nesting, and Owlets,” will share what […]
(Missouri Independent) – With $6.5 billion on the way from the federal infrastructure bill and a newly increased gas tax, Missouri is ready to take a big bite out of $4.5 billion in unfunded highway needs, Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, said this week. But that doesn’t mean the state is ready to tackle […]
(Missouri Independent) – As federal energy regulators prepare to decide the fate of a St. Louis natural gas pipeline, Spire Missouri is warning customers their gas service could fail this winter. Business industry groups and the utility maintain their responsibility to keep customers informed. But environmental groups and some local elected officials — who note federal regulators seem […]
The Princeton R-5 Board of Education on November 8 approved a resolution regarding a United States Department of Agriculture facilities grant and an agreement involving refinancing bonds. The resolution concerned the acceptance and compliance of the grant. The district hopes to purchase an electric school bus if it can secure enough grants to reduce the […]
The Princeton City Council approved a service contract and a Princeton Housing Authority Board member on November 8. City Clerk Cory Willett reports the service contract was for $500 for the Princeton High School Band to play at a Christmas program on December 4. Debbie Goodknight was approved for a four-year term on the Housing […]
(Missouri Independent) – It’s clear that lead exposure is a problem for Missouri’s children. An estimated 4.5% have elevated levels of lead in their blood, more than almost any other state in the country. What’s far more difficult is figuring out where children are getting exposed to lead, said Carlton Waterhouse, President Joe Biden’s pick for […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small announced that USDA is awarding $3 million in cooperative agreements to 13 organizations. These organizations will provide technical assistance to people living in rural and Tribal communities so they can apply for and access government resources for projects that will attract jobs and […]
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft visited the Fisher Delta Research Center on November 2, 2021, in Portageville, Missouri, for their annual field day dinner event. The research center is part of the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. The center is working with several partners – like the state soybean and […]
(Missouri Independent) – After a historic cold snap depleted natural gas reserves in February, prices for heating could be as much as 30% higher this winter, prompting concerns about increasing bills for Kansas and Missouri customers. Kansas is already grappling with the $1 billion fallout from this winter’s cold snap when natural gas prices rose by […]
(Missouri Independent) – The global meat producer operating some of Missouri’s largest industrial hog operations has withdrawn requests to convert 10 of its permits to what environmental groups say would be more lenient ones. Smithfield Foods Inc., which has a history of environmental violations in Missouri, operates some of the largest concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in the […]
The Missouri Public Service Commission’s Cold Weather Rule, designed to help customers with heat-related utility bills, begins on November 1, 2021. The rule will remain in effect through March 31, 2022. It has been a part of the Commission’s rules and regulations since 1977. The Cold Weather Rule applies to natural gas and electric utilities […]
If you have had COVID-19, natural immunity only lasts so long. Lisa Cox, with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, says you cannot count on natural immunity to protect you long term. If you have had the virus but have not been vaccinated yet, Cox suggests getting immunized sooner rather than later. […]
Dru Buntin, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, announced 19 Missouri communities have been approved by the National Park Service to receive more than $3.3 million in federal grants to assist with park and recreation needs. The grants are part of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal program that can be […]
