Desks in classroom of school or education or student

Missouri agency begins implementation of new law to regulate unlicensed boarding schools

(Missouri Independent) – Unlicensed youth residential facilities across Missouri are expected to submit materials notifying the state of their existence by mid-October, but background checks for facility staff required under a new law likely won’t be completed by that time. That’s because the Department of Social Services (DSS) is still working to make hires in […]

North Central Missouri College Website V2 (NCMC)

North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees approve bids and personnel matters

The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees approved bids and purchases as well as personnel matters July 27th. Athletic insurance was purchased through Dissinger Reed of Overland Park, Kansas for the 2021-2022 sports year at a cost of $31,467. That was for $26,980 for secondary accident insurance and $4,487 for catastrophic accident insurance with […]

Power Outage News Graphic

Fuel shortages drove February blackouts, Southwest Power Pool investigators find

(Missouri Independent) –  Rolling outages that left thousands without power in February were driven overwhelmingly by fuel shortages — especially in natural gas, executives with the Southwest Power Pool said Monday. This winter sustained frigid temperatures across the Midwest and South forced huge demand for energy while the weather made generators struggle to keep up. The Southwest Power […]

Chicken CAFO (Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash)

While Cedar County, Missouri awaits ruling in CAFO lawsuit, a large chicken operation moves in

(Missouri Independent) – When the attorney general’s office asked a judge in 2019 to lift a temporary restraining order blocking a Missouri law pre-empting county regulations on concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, that were stricter than the state’s, the argument was straightforward. No one was trying to build a large animal feeding operation in Cedar […]

U.S. Senate Building

Coalition of lawmakers introduce SHIELD Act to preserve Title 42 expulsions of illegal immigrants

Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in introducing the Securing the Homeland from International Entrants with Life-threatening Diseases (SHIELD) Act to codify the Trump administration’s public health order under Title 42 that required U.S. border officials to promptly remove illegal immigrants to stop the spread of COVID-19.  Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Tom Cotton […]

Linn County Prosecuting Attorney Shiante McMahon speaks during an April 23 mock trial of the Big Bad Wolf put on for students in local schools. (Photo courtesy Linn County Prosecuting Attorney's Office via Facebook)

Linn County roiled by prosecutor’s charge of racism, sexism in Marceline Police Department

(Missouri Independent) – When Linn County Prosecuting Attorney Shiante McMahon saw a photo of one of her campaign shirts defaced with obscene, racist, and sexist writing — and learned it had been on display in the headquarters of the Marceline Police Department — she decided a complaint with the city wouldn’t do any good. So she posted the photo […]

Parson signing new legislation

Governor Parson signs SB 51 into law giving healthcare providers and others protections against COVID-19 related civil action

Governor Mike Parson signed SB 51 into law, which protects health care providers, businesses, religious organizations, and others from being held liable in COVID-19 exposure civil actions.  “When COVID-19 first struck Missouri, health care providers, manufacturers, businesses, churches, schools, and other entities quickly altered their operations to protect public health and accommodate the needs of […]

Audit Graphic

Missouri State Auditor makes recommendations to improve spending practices at Western Cass Fire Protection District

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released a citizen-requested audit of the Western Cass Fire Protection District, which is located in western Cass County. The audit made recommendations related to spending and budgeting to ensure transparent and effective use of taxpayer dollars. “The citizens served by the Western Cass Fire Protection District requested this audit to […]

Execution Table in a prison

U.S. Attorney General imposes moratorium on federal executions; orders review of policies and procedures

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued a memorandum imposing a moratorium on federal executions while reviewing the Justice Department’s policies, and procedures is pending. “The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States but […]

OSHA Website

US Department of Labor cites grain facility for workplace safety failures following dust explosion that severely injured worker

Had MFA Enterprises Inc. – operating as West Central Agri Services – addressed potential dust ignition sources, an explosion that seriously injured an employee and caused the destruction of the main elevator at an Adrian grain loading facility might not have happened. OSHA cited the grain-handling facility for one willful and six serious safety violations, […]

Parson signing new legislation

Governor Parson signs four Bills into law today

Missouri’s Governor has signed a bill that could allow robots to deliver goods to your doorstep in Missouri. Another bill he signed will allow Missouri pharmacists to dispense HIV post-exposure drugs without a prescription. Parson has also signed legislation that allows car dealers to boost vehicle prices by as much as 300-dollars to pay for […]