(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden used his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night to reassert America as a leading global voice for democracy and condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin for starting an “unprovoked” war in Ukraine. “Throughout our history, we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced loan interest rates for March 2022, which are effective March 1, 2022. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) 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 […]
(Missouri Independent) – State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick wants Missouri to join other states that are dumping Russian investments from retirement funds. In a news release Tuesday, Fitzpatrick called for an emergency meeting of the Missouri State Employees Retirement System (MOSERS) Board of Trustees for votes to block future purchases of Russian securities and consider how to divest […]
Curtis Cain, superintendent of Wentzville School District, in Wentzville, Mo., has been named the 2022 AASA National Superintendent of the Year. The announcement came at the National Conference on Education, hosted by AASA, The School Superintendents Association. The other National Superintendent of the Year® finalists were: Quincy Natay, Chinle Unified School District No. 24, Chinle, Ariz. Kamela Patton, Collier County […]
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address is set to focus significantly on the economy, with the former member of the U.S. Senate calling on Congress to pass much of the agenda stalled in the so-called Build Back Better bill. During the Tuesday night speech, which begins at 9 p.m. […]
(Missouri Independent) – The Russian invasion of Ukraine this week might drive up the costs of farm fertilizers globally — which nearly quadrupled last year in price in the United States and remain high — and presents an opportunity for unscrupulous companies to artificially inflate those prices further, according to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “That’s […]
(Missouri Independent) – Americans may be tempted to view the war in Ukraine as an unfortunate, but far away, crisis. As an economist, I know the world is too connected for the U.S. to go unaffected. On Feb. 22, 2022, President Joe Biden warned Americans that a Russian invasion of Ukraine – and U.S. efforts to thwart or […]
Hog producers who sold hogs through a spot market sale during the COVID-19 pandemic now have until April 15, 2022, to submit their applications for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program. SMHPP, which is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, originally had a deadline to submit applications by Feb. 25, […]
Mid-America Music Festival organizers have announced the weekend lineup, which features 12 country music artists. Celebrating its fifth year, the festival will be held Friday through Sunday, August. 5 through August 7, 2022, at the Black Silo Winery in Trenton. Headlining Friday, Aug. 5 is country music artist, Lauren Alaina. Alaina was recently inducted as […]
The Spickard R-2 Board of Education on February 21st adopted the school calendar for 2022-2023. School will start on August 24th with dismissal at 1 pm. The last day of school is scheduled for May 17th, 2023. The calendar includes full-day professional development once a month instead of early dismissal Wednesdays. There will not be […]
The Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce will honor two individuals, two businesses, and a local organization during its annual membership dinner meeting scheduled for Friday night, March 18, 2022. Selected as the “Businesses of the Year” are Mid-States Services and BTC Bank while the Green Hills Animal Shelter is the “Organization of the Year.” As […]
The Gallatin Board of Aldermen approved bids for a skid loader and roof repairs on February 14th. The purchase of a Cat skid loader was approved from Foley Equipment for $88,951.15 with an extended warranty and delivery in one week. Three other bids were submitted and ranged in price from $61,000 to $74,538.62 for other […]
Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2022 crop year have until March 15, 2022, to sign a contract. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers these two safety net programs to provide vital income support to farmers experiencing substantial declines in […]
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a $4 million drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than 520 kilograms of methamphetamine over three years. Christapher Dean Parton, also known as “Big Baby,” 32, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by United States District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years in federal prison […]
(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published as a collaboration between Investigate Midwest and Watchdog Writers Group. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls itself the “voice of agriculture,” a slogan it trademarked in 2007. But as the divide between agribusiness and small farmers has grown in recent decades, a unified voice of agriculture has become harder to […]
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) objected to the unanimous consent of several Department of Defense nominations, followed by remarks that outlined the Biden administration’s failures and lack of accountability in the aftermath of the botched Afghanistan withdrawal last summer. He also reiterated how the administration is on the brink of another disaster, this time with […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new USDA Market News Mobile Application, providing producers and everyone else in the supply chain with instant access to current and historical market information. The initial version of the free app includes nearly 800 livestock, poultry, and grain market reports, with additional commodities added throughout the coming year. […]
You’ve likely noticed just about everything is more expensive these days, but it could be worse. According to the Missouri Economic Research and Info Center, the most expensive areas to live in were Hawaii, Alaska, the Northeast, and the West Coast. The least expensive areas were the Midwest and Southern states. The U.S. […]
Missouri is among the states set to receive infrastructure funding for plugging what are known as an orphan, or abandoned, oil and gas wells. Uncapped orphan wells release methane, which is 80 times more potent at trapping heat than carbon dioxide over its first 20 years in the atmosphere. Amber Steele, geological survey program director of […]
The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education approved the district health insurance provider on February 9th. The provider will be the Ozarks School Benefits Association, and the district will pay $575.82. Contract extensions were approved for Superintendent Doctor Lucas McKinnis and Kindergarten through 12th Grade Principal Kim Palmer. Counselor Megan Brown’s resignation was approved. The board […]
