Poinsettia

Poinsettia: America’s most popular flower

Poinsettia is our nation’s most popular potted flowering plant. What makes this remarkable is that most poinsettias are sold between the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Despite its short sales period, poinsettia contributed $170 million to the U.S. economy last year, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Native to southern Mexico and […]

Training Graphic

EPA awards $2.5 million to the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs for farmworker pesticide training

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs to receive up to $500,000 annually to conduct pesticide safety training across the country over the next five years. With EPA funding, AFOP will administer this grant to provide occupational health and safety training to migrant and seasonal farmworkers in more than […]

Dr. Alex Garza of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force

Video: ‘The virus is winning’: Health officials call for statewide mask mandate in Missouri

(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Gov. Mike Parson needs to issue a statewide mask mandate and “safer-at-home” policy to prevent the state’s health system from becoming overwhelmed, Dr. Alex Garza, the incident commander of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, said Friday. “Unfortunately, as has been painfully obvious to even a casual observer, we are […]

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MoDOT planned road work in Northern Missouri for the week of November 16, 2020

The following is a list of general highway maintenance and construction work the Missouri Department of Transportation has planned in Northern Missouri for the week of November 16 – 22. All road closures and planned roadwork may be viewed on the Traveler Information Map at http://traveler.modot.org/map/. Inclement weather may cause schedule changes in some of […]

State of Missouri with Flag Background

Missouri receives national “Innovation In State Government” award for professional development

The National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) awarded one of four 2020 Innovations in State Government Awards to Missouri, the state’s first time receiving the award. Missouri was recognized for its distinctiveness and innovation in the “Personnel Best Practices” category for its professional development transformation. Criteria included program innovation, transferability to other state governments, […]

School Bus

Missouri schools allowed to relax COVID-19 quarantine rules if both people properly wearing masks

Governor Mike Parson and state education director Margie Vandeven have loosened the guidelines for making students and staff quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19 if both people were properly wearing masks. Vandeven explained at a press conference Thursday: “Under the updated guidance, proper mask-wearing may now prevent individuals from being identified as close contacts in […]

Drought Graphic

Rain earlier this week not enough to relieve drought conditions in northern Missouri

Northern Missouri is currently experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions. The United States Drought Monitor map of Missouri released November 12th shows abnormally dry conditions in all of the Green Hills. Moderate drought was reported for portions of Adair, Macon, Chariton, Knox, Shelby, and Scotland counties. Moderate drought was also shown for all of […]

Budget news graphic

Missouri House gives initial approval to $1.2 billion supplemental budget

The Missouri House voted Tuesday to give preliminary approval to a proposed $1.27 billion supplemental budget, a supplemental that is the reason for the special session. The supplemental budget includes funding for school nutrition programs, job training grants, $1 million for witness protection funding, and money for child support payments. Governor Mike Parson (R) called […]