Wellness Challenge

Green Hills Wellness Challenge winners announced

The 12th Annual Green Hills Wellness Challenge had it’s final weigh-in last Thursday, April 4th and Friday, April 5th. The Grundy County Health Department reports 23 participants obtained 10% or greater weight loss from their initial weigh in. The individuals in the top five with the highest percentage of weight loss were Tona Crawford with 16 […]

Laredo R-7 School

Laredo Board of Education approves salary increases

The Laredo R-7 Board of Education voted to increase the certified base salary and increase pay for several other positions at a meeting Monday evening. The certified base salary was increased by $500 to $28,900. The office aid and part-time custodian position were increased to $8.60 per hour. The bookkeeper, head cook, head custodian, and […]

Mercer School District Website

North Mercer R-3 Board of Education approves salary increase

The North Mercer R-3 Board of Education approved offering contracts to all non-certified staff members at its meeting Monday evening. Non-certified staff will receive a two percent salary increase and the supplemental pay schedule was also approved. Lankford Flooring was approved to sand and refinish the gym floor for $21,100. The Missouri State High School […]

Missouri Department of Conservation Trim Grant website

Missouri Department of Conservation offering TRIM grants

The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering its annual cost-share grants to assist government entities and non-profits with management, improvement, and conservation of trees and forests on public land. The Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) cost-share grants can help communities fund tree inventories, removal or pruning of hazardous trees, tree planting, and the training […]

Kids posing for photo

Missouri foster kids flourish in families

Despite a nationwide increase in the number of kids in foster care, Missouri has made inroads in placing more kids who would otherwise remain in institutional or group settings with families.  A nationwide Annie E. Casey Foundation report looked at foster-child placement data over a 10-year period. Missouri reported about 12,000 kids in the child welfare system, […]

Cattle in ring at sale

Show-Me-Select spring heifer sales set at four auction barns across Missouri

Spring sales of Show-Me-Select replacement heifers are set in four auction barns across the state in April, May, and June. Spring sales offer bred replacement heifers for fall-calving herds, says Dave Patterson, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist.  All heifers sold meet strict standards taught in MU Extension’s Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program. Only owners enrolled […]

Trenton Police Department to participate in “Occupant Protection Seat Belt Enforcement Day”

The Trenton Police Department will participate in Occupant Protection Seat Belt Enforcement Day next week. Trenton police officers will conduct extra enforcement April 11th regarding seat belt compliance. The police department reports 160 were killed in Missouri crashes as of March 31st compared to 190 for the same period last year. Sixty-three percent of vehicle […]

For Rent Sign in Yard

Missouri suffers major shortage of affordable housing

Missouri’s low-income housing crunch shows no sign of abating, according to a new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.  Researchers found that there are almost 196,000 low-income households in Missouri, but there are just under 83,000 affordable rental homes. So about 113,000 are forced to pay way more than they can afford just to […]