Power of Attorney, Living Will and Estate plan

Missouri attorneys say you should make your end-of-life care wishes known

Saturday is National Health Care Decisions Day, and groups in Missouri urged residents to make a plan for their end-of-life care in case they are not able to express their wishes. Some 120,000 Missourians age 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia in older adults. John Grimm, president of the […]

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 […]

Trenton R-9 School District

Trenton R-9 Board of Education address full agenda at meeting on Tuesday

At the Trenton R-9 Board of Education meeting on April 12th, Superintendent Mike Stegman discussed the school district’s bomb threat on March 30th. He said a threat came into the Trenton Police Department regarding a suspicious package at the high school, and the police informed the school district. Trenton Middle School and High School were […]

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 […]

North Central Missouri College Website V1 (NCMC)

NCMC Business Department to host alumni speakers during Career Week

The North Central Missouri College Business Department will host Career Week for students from April 9th-13th. During the week, business students will have resume writing workshops, mock interviews, internship opportunities, and guest speakers. Guest speakers, alumni Olivia Helmandollar and Aubrey Nelson will speak on Wednesday, April 13th, in Cross Hall 208, with Olivia speaking at […]

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 […]

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 […]

Photo of crappie (Photo courtesy Mo Dept of Conservation)

New Smithville Lake crappie regulation showing good results, similar change considered for Mozingo Lake

Smithville Lake currently has a special crappie regulation that allows anglers to keep 30 crappies but no more than 15 over nine inches long. The change was made in 2019 and allows anglers to harvest more undersized black crappie while protecting the white crappie numbers. White crappie generally grows to a larger and more desirable […]

Planned Parenthood

Control of Title X federal family planning funds remains with Missouri nonprofit

(Missouri Independent) – Despite facing competition from the state health department, the nonprofit Missouri Family Health Council Inc. will continue to administer federal Title X family planning funds. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded more than $250 million in Title X funding this week, including $5.3 million to Missouri. That money helps pay […]

Man with fingers through fence also immigration or immigrants

Biden administration to halt pandemic policy blocking migrants who claim asylum

(Missouri Independent) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the government will terminate a Trump-era policy that prevented migrants from claiming asylum during a health crisis, including the coronavirus pandemic. The policy will end on May 23, the CDC wrote in its notice. “There is no longer a serious danger that the […]

USDA Sign

USDA offers CLEAR30 option for producers to enroll land with expiring conservation contracts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing the signup period for its Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative (CLEAR30) — a nationwide opportunity for certain landowners and agricultural producers currently implementing water quality practices through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to enroll in 30-year contracts, extending the lifespan and strengthening the benefits of important water quality […]

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 […]

State Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern makes a plea for increased funding for public schools during Thursday’s House Budget Committee markup session. (Rudi Keller - Missouri Independent)

House Budget Committee rejects adding surplus revenue to Missouri public schools, colleges

(Missouri Independent) – Missouri’s record general revenue surplus was off-limits for spending plans as the House Budget Committee worked Thursday, defeating Democratic efforts to give boost money for public schools and state colleges. The only significant addition to education budgets approved by the committee was to restart the teacher Career Ladder program, providing $21 million to give experienced […]

Gavel with word indictment news graphic

Nine indicted for creating blockade to prevent services at reproductive health care clinic; all facing 11 years in prison

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia announced a two-count indictment charging Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia; Jonathan Darnel, 40, of Arlington, Virginia, Jay Smith, 32, of Freeport, New York; Paulette Harlow, 73, of Kingston, Massachusetts; Jean Marshall, […]

Abortion Graphic

Missouri House blocks effort to limit access to out-of-state abortions

(Missouri Independent) – A bill that would make it a felony to donate fetal tissue from abortions for research or therapies won first-round approval in the Missouri House Tuesday, but lawmakers blocked an effort to make it illegal to help women obtain an abortion outside the state. The bill sponsored by Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, […]

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt

Missouri Attorney General joins multistate action to end CDC’s mask mandate on public transportation

The Missouri Attorney General joined 20 other states in a multistate action against President Biden’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s continued use of the unlawful mask mandate on public transportation. The attorneys general argue that the mandate exceeds the authority of the CDC. The Biden administration continues to use a failed interpretation of a […]