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Authorities conducting investigation after human remains found in Union Star; Two arrested on unrelated charges

Northwest Missouri authorities are investigating a possible homicide after discovering a body this week at Union Star in DeKalb County. Sheriff Kasey Keesaman reports his office received information Monday from an outside agency regarding a death that occurred on South 7th Street in Union Star. Since that lead, Keesaman said law enforcement has executed several […]

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USDA awards funds to 13 organizations to create livable communities attracting people and jobs

U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small announced that USDA is awarding $3 million in cooperative agreements to 13 organizations. These organizations will provide technical assistance to people living in rural and Tribal communities so they can apply for and access government resources for projects that will attract jobs and […]

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MOST 529 and Sallie Mae to host free webinar for National Scholarship Month

In partnership with Sallie Mae and the MOST 529 Education Plan, Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick will host a free webinar focused on finding scholarship opportunities and paying for higher education. The webinar will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, November 10 at 7 p.m.                November is National Scholarship Month which raises awareness about scholarship opportunities for […]

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Corizon loses challenge to Missouri prisoner medical care contract award worth $1.4 billion

(Missouri Independent) – The company providing health care to state prisoners failed to prove a competitor misled state purchasing officers to win the $1.4 billion contract, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled Thursday. Corizon Health, which has been the state’s vendor for prisoner medical needs since 1992, accused the state Purchasing Division of giving the contract […]

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Federal grand jury subpoenas sought records from Missouri medical marijuana regulators

(Missouri Independent) – Twice last year a federal grand jury demanded the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services turn over records pertaining to the medical marijuana program.  The pair of subpoenas, issued by the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri in September 2020, were redacted by the department at the […]

Immigration

Coalition of lawmakers rebuke biden plan to pay illegal immigrants with taxpayer dollars

U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Kennedy (R-La.), and the nine other Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans wrote to President Joe Biden to oppose his administration’s reported plan to offer illegal immigrants up to $450,000 per person in taxpayer dollars to settle lawsuits resulting from those individuals’ violating U.S. immigration law. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), […]

Missouri Department of Insurance website

Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance announce health insurance rates for 2022

Chlora Lindley-Myers, the director of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, announced final health insurance rates for the individual market in 2022 for the State of Missouri.   “The health insurance market in our state and our country continues to be challenging, however, I’m pleased by the significant increase in competition we’ve seen in Missouri […]

Governor Parson signs a bill into law at his desk

Governor Parson issues Executive Order 21-10 fighting federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Governor Mike Parson announced that he has issued Executive Order 21-10 to protect the individual rights of Missourians against overreaching federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates.  Governor Parson released the following statement regarding the Order: “As the Governor of the State of Missouri, I stand with concerned Missourians and will do all I can to stop federal […]

(Official portrait of President Joe Biden in the White House (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Biden pitches new $1.75 trillion spending blueprint to Democrats that drops paid family leave

(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden is meeting with congressional Democrats on Capitol Hill Thursday morning to pitch lawmakers on a new slimmed-down framework for what would be included in a massive social reform package, according to senior administration officials. The $1.75 trillion blueprint that Biden is presenting to Democrats includes a universal pre-K program for 3-and-4 […]

Audio: Hawley pushing back against Biden’s vaccine mandates because of how religious exemptions are handled

Senator Josh Hawley is pushing against President Biden’s vaccine mandates – because of how they handle religious exemptions. The guidance also allows agencies to determine if “the nature of the employee’s job may be such that no safety protocol other than vaccination is adequate.”  Hawley says there must be more of a process, even a […]

Severe Weather

Grundy County Emergency Manager on confusion over severe weather warnings

Grundy County Emergency Management Director Glen Briggs explained the warning process and what goes into the activation of outdoor warning sirens for Trenton. During a severe weather threat, Grundy County Emergency Management is in constant contact with the National Weather Service, storm spotters, storm chasers, local media, and the public. Sunday’s storm threat as identified […]

Network cables (RJ45 ) connected to a switch

USDA to make up to $1.15 billion available to help people living in rural communities access high-speed internet

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a significant expansion of access to high-speed internet, health care, and educational services for millions of rural Americans nationwide. Today’s announcement continues to move forward President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda by prioritizing economic growth in rural America and investing in the backbone of our country […]