Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit against President Joe Biden, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, and several other members of President Biden’s administration to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) enacted by President Trump and work toward combating migrant trafficking, securing the border, and ending the border […]
The North Mercer R-3 Board of Education approved offering contracts to non-certified staff members on April 12th. Non-certified staff will receive a two-point-five percent salary increase. The supplemental pay schedule was accepted for 2021-2022. Resignations were accepted from Lisa Prichard with the library, Katie Crabtree for business, and Dana Smith for math. Nine staff members […]
The Mercer County Health Department reports it was notified on April 8th of an active COVID-19 case after several weeks of no new cases. That brings the number of confirmed cases to 168. There have been 174 probable cases and nine COVID-19-related deaths reported for Mercer County. The health department encourages the public to continue […]
A Missouri House committee working on congressional redistricting will hear public testimony today (Thursday) in Jefferson City from residents in northern Missouri’s massive Sixth Congressional District. The Sixth District includes 36 of Missouri’s 114 counties and covers more square miles than nine U-S states. The district includes St. Joseph, Cameron, Chillicothe, Bethany, Trenton, […]
(Missouri Independent) – A bipartisan coalition of state Senators was unable to stop politically connected Kansas City attorney Todd Graves from winning a seat on the University of Missouri Board of Curators. After a two-round filibuster — three hours last week and eight more hours ending around 1 a.m. Wednesday — the Senate voted 19-13 to […]
State of Missouri vaccination teams supporting mass and targeted vaccination events across the state have now administered more than one-quarter million vaccines to Missourians. This total is in addition to vaccines administered by high throughput health centers, local public health agencies, federally qualified health centers, pharmacies, and other community enrolled providers. “Our state teams have been […]
(Missouri Independent) – While playing politics with healthcare in Missouri is certainly nothing new, holding Missouri Medicaid hostage over basic birth control is a stunning — and consequential — shift. As captured in headlines across the state, state Sen. Paul Wieland has put the entire Missouri Medicaid program in jeopardy with his late-night amendment to a […]
Three people were hurt in a three-vehicle accident at a stoplight north of Maryville. Ninety-three-year-old Beverly Russell of Tarkio was taken by ambulance to Mosaic Life Care in Maryville with moderate injuries. A ten-year-old juvenile girl from Tarkio was taken by private vehicle to the hospital in Maryville with minor injuries. Both were passengers in […]
During special hours Saturday morning at the Grundy County Clerk’s office, nine people voted absentee for Tuesday’s election. That brought to 95 the number of absentee ballots returned to the county clerk’s office with another 24 ballots requested but not yet returned. Absentee voting will be held on Monday until 5 p.m. at county clerk’s […]
The Grundy County Rural Fire Protection District responded to a grass fire on the afternoon of April 1. Fire Chief Kenny Roberts reports someone was burning off grass along Southwest Elder Lane, and nine hay bales caught on fire. Two acres of grass also burned. No structures were damaged, and no injuries were reported. Firefighters […]
The Republican-controlled Missouri House has given initial approval to defunding a Medicaid expansion effort approved by voters last year. The chamber could vote to use the governor’s one-point-nine billion dollar budget request for the expansion to instead help seniors in nursing homes, the developmentally disabled, and expand mental health programs, among other things. Here is […]
The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Feed & Seed Program issued a consumer alert following a voluntary pet food recall published by Midwestern Pet Foods. No pet or human illness has been reported at this time. According to the company’s announcement, the voluntary recall applies to specific expiration dates and pet food brands, including CanineX, Earthborn […]
Residents of Chillicothe and San Antonio, Texas were arrested Tuesday night on several drug-related allegations in Caldwell and Mercer counties. Nineteen-year-old Ashley Mast of Chillicothe has been accused of felony possession of a controlled substance listed as heroin, methamphetamine, and prescription pills. She’s also accused of misdemeanor possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Mast was […]
Missouri is another step closer to getting a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. The state Senate has given initial approval to Senator Holly Rehder’s nine-year quest to require a centralized database to help the medical community look for cases of suspected misuse of painkillers. Lake St. Louis Senator Bob Onder, a fellow Republican, […]
The Missouri Conservation Commission approved Missouri’s second annual elk-hunting season at its March 26 meeting. The Commission approved the Missouri Department of Conservation’s recommendation of issuing five permits for hunting bull elk for the 2021 season. At least one permit will be for qualifying area landowners with the remainder for the general public. Missouri’s second […]
The trial of Derek Chauvin enters a new phase today, as opening statements are scheduled in the case of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd. Those demanding diversity among juries sees this trial as a step in the right direction. The 12 jurors and 3 alternates seated over the past couple of […]
The Mercer County Health Department reports it has been part of administering 2,672 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since the first week of February. Those doses of the vaccine included more for Smithfield employees on March 25th. Phase 2 will open Monday and includes library staff, higher education, and the homeless. Phase 3 will open vaccines […]
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) could be required to report annually about the number of K-12 students with limited or no access to high-speed internet at home. During a House committee hearing, Representative Louis Riggs, R-Hannibal, said he is proposing to require the department to include the total number of students […]
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees March 23rd approved tuition and fees as well as room and board rates for the 2021-2022 academic year. The majority of tuition and fees increased by $5 per credit hour. The student development, facility, and technology fees increased by $1 per credit hour. Dual credit increased by […]
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged the U.S. Senate to immediately pass legislation to close loopholes on background checks for guns and to ban assault weapons, following a mass shooting that killed 10 at a Colorado supermarket. “This should not be a partisan issue,” Biden said. “This is an American issue.” Biden’s […]
