Governor Mike Parson has announced the activation of Phase 1B – Tier 1 of Missouri’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. Federal partners have informed the state that they plan to significantly increase vaccine supply next week and that individuals 65 and older and those with the presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions should be […]
The Pleasant View R-6 Board of Education approved the 2021-2022 school calendar on Tuesday evening, January 12th. The first day of school will be August 25th, and the last day is scheduled for May 13th, 2022. BlueBird Networks was approved for the school’s internet service. Pleasant View will enter into a five-year contract for $510 […]
The movement to expand affordable legal services is receiving renewed focus since a U.S. Supreme Court Justice made a public endorsement of the idea. Conservative-leaning Justice Neil Gorsuch recently wrote an op-ed for USA Today, calling on states to find creative ways for more Americans to get free or affordable legal guidance, especially in non-criminal cases. […]
Governor Mike Parson announced five appointments to various boards and commissions and filled seven-county office vacancies. Governor Parson also named the new Acting Director of the Division of Professional Registration. Samuel Adams, of Ferguson, was appointed to the State Board of Mediation. Mr. Adams has served as business representative and organizer for the St. Louis – Kansas City […]
Missouri could let dentists volunteer as vaccinators during emergencies. State Representative Danny Busick, a Republican from northern Missouri’s Newtown, has filed legislation that would add dentists to the list of professionals allowed to help in the fight against COVID-19. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports other states are also considering whether dentists should be allowed to […]
The North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission has posted a Request for Qualifications for an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract for Phase 1A for timber harvest. This will be, likely, the smallest of multiple phases of timber harvest and tree clearing. It is approximately 90 acres where the future East Locust Creek Reservoir (ELCR) dam […]
The Missouri labor market showed further improvement in November 2020. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 17,400 jobs over the month. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points from October 2020 to November 2020, and the civilian labor force increased more than 23,000. However, the labor market still showed substantial losses from […]
Missouri’s rural counties lack mental health services despite growing financial stress and suicide rates with all of Missouri’s 99 rural counties facing a shortage of mental health professionals; 57 of them have none. The University of Missouri Extension hopes to change that through a multistate project to help farmers, ranchers, and farm families find affordable […]
The Fixing Access to Rural Missouri Bridge Program will replace 41 bridges primarily in Northern Missouri. The $26 million design-build project was enabled by receipt of a $20.7 million federal grant under the Competitive Highway Bridge Program. The Missouri Department of Transportation reports design-build is a delivery method that includes hiring one contracting team to […]
The superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces Major Lance M. MacLaughlin is being promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel effective January 1, 2021, and will serve as the assistant superintendent. In addition to acting in the superintendent’s absence and at his request, Lieutenant Colonel MacLaughlin has direct oversight over the Professional Standards […]
The Grundy County Commission and COVID-19 Relief Fund Task Force have distributed the $1.15 million in CARES Act funding the county received in early May. Presiding Commissioner Phillip Ray reports the funds were distributed to entities impacted by COVID-19 based on a formula that utilized assessed valuation and accounted for the portion of each taxable […]
The state health department has officially signed off on dispensing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine statewide. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services issued its standing order today. The vaccine is being dispensed this week to health care professionals who work with COVID-19 patients or those who are the most vulnerable to get it. Long term care […]
Following an executive session Tuesday evening, the Trenton R-9 Board of Education approved some personnel actions. Luke Lewis was hired as the summer school administrator and Amber Sprague was hired as the summer school secretary. Resignations were accepted from paraprofessionals Kayla Hyer, Jamie Beverlin, and Megan Lynch. Hired as a paraprofessional was Nate Udovich. December […]
Representatives from Wright Memorial Hospital, the Grundy County Health Department, and Grundy County Ambulance discussed a possible mask order with the Grundy County Commission the morning of December 8th. Wright Memorial Chief Nursing Officer Catherine Hamilton said she does not think communities understand the stresses on hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. She explained there […]
A Trenton couple has established a “GoFundMe” page to raise donations to benefit the Grundy County Rural Fire Department. Jeannie and Doug Little organized the fund drive to show what they called “gratitude” for the fire-fighters’ response to their house fire one week ago on December 1st, just outside the Trenton city limits. “Without their […]
On what turned out to be a split vote, the Trenton City Council on Monday night defeated a request to have a mask or face covering mandate due to the spread of COVID-19 within Trenton. On a roll call, which is usual for an ordinance, there were three votes in favor and five votes against. […]
The U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and six other federal law enforcement agencies announced the completion of the third annual Money Mule Initiative, a coordinated operation to disrupt the networks through which transnational fraudsters move the proceeds of their crimes. Money mules are individuals who assist fraudsters by receiving […]
A southeast Missouri lawmaker who has filed prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation for the ninth straight year says she’s thankful that God has given her the ability to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. Scott City State Senator-Elect Holly Rehder (pronounced like Raider) says Missouri’s medical professionals must have the knowledge of […]
The Missouri Livestock Symposium will be held virtually this year. “Industry Discussion on Current Issues in the Cattle Business” will be the topic of the first Zoom event on December 10th at 7 o’clock. Three cattle industry professionals will be featured during the first Zoom session. They are University of Missouri Associate Extension Professor of […]
Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Crystal Narr was recently elected to serve as President of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Missouri (CCEM) state organization for 2021. Narr has served as Executive Director of the Chillicothe Area Chamber for over six years and previously served in the same role for Main Street Chillicothe […]
