The struggle is real for Missouri when it comes to a constant shortage of K-12 public school teachers. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) wants to ramp up its teacher workforce by seizing the opportunity in a relevant setting. Dr. Paul Katnik, the assistant commissioner of the Office of Educator Quality, says […]
Tag: quality
Department of Transportation FARM bridge program to replace 41 bridges in northern Missouri
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 […]
Adoption of farming technology, or precision ag, varies across generations
Farmers who fear they are falling behind in farm technology might not be as behind as they think. Kansas State University cropping system economist Terry Griffin explains that a recent Kansas Farm Management Association study of farm technologies dispels the myth that all farmers use all of the latest technology. Griffin was one of the […]
Missouri families face added pressure to meet basic needs
The ability to meet basic needs is out-of-reach for many Missouri families because of the pandemic. The challenges facing households with children are detailed in a new national report. This week, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released findings for all states, using weekly Census survey data on such topics as food insecurity and housing instability. One […]
Director of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services attends White House task force meeting on Operation Warp Speed
President Donald Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force invited a small group of private business, state, and health care leaders to the White House to brief them on Operation Warp Speed, the COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution project started earlier this year. Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Missouri Department of Health and […]
Environmental Protection Agency proposes new safety measures for Chlorpyrifos
The EPA is taking the next step in its regulatory review of chlorpyrifos, an insecticide used for a large variety of agricultural uses and non-agricultural uses. Today, EPA is proposing measures to reduce the risks identified in the agency’s September 2020 draft risk assessments to better protect human health and the environment. As outlined in the proposed […]
Census survey reveals COVID-19’s devastating impact in Missouri
(Missouri Independent) – Hundreds of thousands of Missourians are struggling to get by during our coronavirus public health emergency, including children, according to the recently released U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey. While 40.8 percent of Missouri households report losing income since March, families with children under 18 have been especially impacted, with 51.4 percent reporting […]
Audio: North Central Missouri Development Alliance calls business retention the foundation of economic development
North Central Missouri Development Alliance Director Micah Landes calls business retention the foundation of economic development. She says it does not make sense for an organization to use time and resources to attract new businesses if the organization is not helping existing businesses. Landes also calls locally-owned businesses the “lifeblood” of a stable economy. Grundy […]
Strong bred heifer demand at Kirksville Show-Me-Select replacement heifer sale
At the recent Kirksville Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer sale, 135 heifers averaged $1,952. Despite the current volatility in the cattle market, buyers were willing to invest in the future, said Zac Erwin, sale coordinator. “I had a feeling the demand was out there but wasn’t quite sure how all the outside factors would affect the market […]
USDA to open signup for the Conservation Reserve Program and CRP Grasslands in early 2021
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the signup periods for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the CRP Grasslands in 2021. Signup for general CRP will be open from January 4, 2021, to February 12, 2021, and signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15, 2021, to April 23, 2021. Both programs are competitive and […]
Carroll County Memorial Hospital joins nationwide observance of National Rural Health Day
Carroll County Memorial Hospital is proud to recognize the innovation, quality of care, and dedication of health professionals and volunteers in our community during National Rural Health Day 2020. National Rural Health Day was founded as a way to showcase rural America; increase awareness of rural health-related challenges; and promote the efforts of National Organization […]
Be prepared with holiday safety tips for your Thanksgiving meal
Due to COVID-19, many are choosing to celebrate Thanksgiving in smaller groups this year. That could mean a lot of people will be preparing a turkey and all the trimmings on their own for the first time. “I remember the first time that I prepared a Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey and all the side […]
NCMC faculty member, Dr. Susan Stull, receives Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
NCMC faculty member, Dr. Susan Stull, Life Sciences Instructor, was recently recognized for her service to North Central Missouri College and community colleges. Dr. Stull received the 2020 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at the statewide Missouri Community College Association convention held virtually November 11-13, 2020. This award is given annually to outstanding faculty […]
Audio: Pfizer in Chesterfield expects approval, vaccines should be ready by end of year
Pfizer labs in Chesterfield, Missouri are ready to mass-produce a new COVID-19 vaccine as soon as the FDA approves its success rate and safety data. Pfizer and BioNtech have teamed up to develop a successful mRNA-based vaccine and have reached a 90 percent success rate in its studies so far. At a press conference with Missouri Gov. […]
Missouri education official calls substitute teacher shortage a crisis
Missouri schools continue to struggle with having enough teachers available to educate kids in traditional classrooms this year. The Show-Me State has had a chronic problem with teacher shortages, but COVID-19 has made the can of worms open even more. Missouri has about 70,000 pre-K through 12 teachers instructing roughly 900,000 public school students. Many […]
‘Won’t be able to survive’: Childcare centers serving low-income Missourians face closure
(Missouri Independent) – Cortaiga Collins doesn’t know how much longer her childcare center will survive. Only about a dozen children have been attending regularly amid the pandemic. Under normal circumstances, she used to serve as many as 100. She’s already had to reduce the hours that Good Shepherd Preschool and Infant/Toddler Center in St. Louis […]
Voters repeal Clean Missouri redistricting plan they enacted in 2018
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri voters on Tuesday repealed a constitutional amendment they enacted in 2018 that would have required legislative districts be drawn to ensure partisan fairness. They replaced it with one that critics contend could forgo the use of total population to draw districts and instead exclude all non-voters, specifically children and non-citizens — tilting the political […]
Cobblestone Inn and Suites to hold grand opening on November 6
The former Country Home Inn in Trenton, located at 2900 Hoover Drive, will reopen their doors on November 6, 2020, as a Cobblestone Inn and Suites. Micah Landes of Landes, Urich, and Weldon LLC says the investment group selected Cobblestone after looking at several franchises. She notes the decision was based on the company’s quality […]
Beef Quality Assurance certification sessions to be held in Trenton and Princeton
Several major meatpackers require Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification from all fed cattle suppliers. It is predicted that the requirement will trickle down to all levels of cattle producers in the next few years. Beef producers may become certified by attending one of two upcoming meetings in Princeton and Trenton taught by Jenna Monnig, Livestock […]
Carroll County Memorial Hospital continues STEM partnership with Brunswick School
Carroll County Memorial Hospital and Brunswick R-II School District are continuing their partnership of providing educational opportunities for students through a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) lab. In 2019, CCMH donated funds to sponsor the Brunswick R-II’s STEM lab initiative. “CCMH is dedicated to supporting our local communities as they strive to provide high-level […]