Princeton R-5 School District website 2021 -2022

Audio: Princeton Board of Education votes to remain in the Grand River Conference East, will play 11-man football

The Princeton R-5 Board of Education on March 14th voted six to one to remain in the Grand River Conference East and to continue to play 11-man football. Board Member Marcie Davis voted no. Superintendent Jerry Girdner says discussion about the potential change to the GRC West and to eight-man football came after Head Football […]

Broadband Internet Access

Expanded rural broadband likely a focus of federal farm bill

(Missouri Independent) – The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the need for federal assistance to develop high-speed internet connectivity in all parts of the country, members of a U.S. House subcommittee agreed this week as they reviewed provisions that are likely to be included in the next farm bill. “I represent a largely rural district in north-central, […]

Hospitalist Byron Thornton, MD

Hospitalist Byron Thornton, MD joins staff at Wright Memorial Hospital

Wright Memorial Hospital is pleased to welcome hospitalist Byron Thornton, MD, to the medical team. Hospitalists are physicians and advanced practice providers who specialize in hospital-based care. They coordinate all aspects of care for patients who are in the hospital. The hospitalist, along with the patient’s primary care provider and other specialists involved with treatment, […]

Smithfield Food Logo

Missouri fines CAFO, owned by Smithfield Foods, $18,000 for polluting streams with 300,000 gallons of waste

(Missouri Independent) – Regulators ordered an industrial hog farm in northern Missouri to pay more than $18,000 for spilling 300,000 gallons of manure into miles of nearby streams.  An advocate for environmentally responsible agriculture called that “pathetic,” noting the fine amounted to less than $0.04 per gallon of waste spilled.  “You’re talking about a multi-billion […]

Sleeping Baby in dark room (Photo by Kevin Keith on Unsplash)

House grants initial approval to bill that would allow prison nurseries in Missouri

(Missouri Independent) -The House gave initial approval Wednesday to a bill that would allow newborns to remain with their incarcerated mothers for the first year and a half of the baby’s life. The bill would permit the Missouri Department of Corrections to establish nurseries within the state’s correctional facilities, allowing children born to incarcerated women to […]

City of Trenton Website

Trenton City Council investigating possibility of full-time prosecuting attorney

The Trenton City Council is requesting more information before it can decide whether to give an endorsement allowing a public vote to make the Grundy County Prosecuting Attorney position full-time instead of the current part-time. Kelly Puckett is the Prosecuting Attorney and prosecutes cases investigated by Trenton Police that result in felony charges. That’s in […]

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

Video: Biden taps Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as first black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court

(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden formally announced the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday afternoon. “President Biden sought a candidate with exceptional credentials, unimpeachable character, and unwavering dedication to the rule of law,” the White House said in a statement. If confirmed by the Senate, Jackson, 51, […]

Kids Heart Challlenge

Students at Rissler Elementary School raise over $6.500 through Kids Heart Challenge

Students from Rissler Elementary School in Trenton raised $6,629.54 this year for the American Heart Association through the Kids Heart Challenge. Physical Education Teacher David Sager reports the grade that raised the most money was first with $2,749.15. The class that raised the most money was Alexandria Neighbors’ first-grade class with $1,359.10. The top student […]

Spickard School

Spickard Board of Education adopts school calendar for 2022-2023 school year

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 […]

Coronavirus News Graphic

Two area health departments report on new cases of COVID-19

The Livingston County Health Center on February 16th reported 10 COVID-19 cases had been added since February 14th. That raised the total to 3,326. The number of active cases decreased by 15 to 44. The Sullivan County Health Department February 16th confirmed three additional COVID-19 cases since February 15th, bringing the total to 1,690. The […]

Screenshot of USDA or United States Department of Agriculture website

United States Department of Agriculture pledges $1B for ‘climate smart’ ag products

(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to spend up to $1 billion to foster the creation of climate-friendly agricultural and forestry products by offering grants to facilitate their production and the markets to sell them. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or sequester carbon in those industries. “Agriculture is such […]

Figure of Justice holding the scales of justice

Missouri company ordered to pay restitution and civil penalties after misleading investor

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s securities division issued a final cease and desist order awarding civil penalties, restitution, and costs against a St. Louis start-up company, Fango, LLC, and its founder Imani Butler. Missouri Securities Commissioner David Minnick issued the order following a contested hearing in October 2021. The commissioner found that between August 2015 […]

Donald Kauerauf, the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, speaks during a press conference at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on July 21, 2021

Anti-vaccine protesters rally against Senate confirmation of Missouri health director

(Missouri Independent) – State health director Donald Kauerauf adamantly spoke against mandating face masks and COVID-19 vaccines during a hearing Monday, as anti-vaccination demonstrators protested his confirmation in the halls outside. While protesters chanted outside the Capitol hearing room, senators inside grilled Kauerauf for nearly two hours on his views on how best to mitigate […]