(Missouri Independent) – Politicians are fighting over masks. Public health officials are begging people to get vaccinated. And meanwhile, the Delta variant continues to spread almost unchecked in the state. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones defended their mask mandates during separate appearances Wednesday. Page held a press conference […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released an audit of the government of Dade County, located in southwest Missouri. The report highlighted the need for improvements in several county offices and gave a rating of “fair.” “Dade County has made improvements from the 2018 audit which gave a rating of poor, but there are still areas […]
The North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees approved bids and purchases as well as personnel matters July 27th. Athletic insurance was purchased through Dissinger Reed of Overland Park, Kansas for the 2021-2022 sports year at a cost of $31,467. That was for $26,980 for secondary accident insurance and $4,487 for catastrophic accident insurance with […]
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued updated COVID-19 guidance last week. Missouri School Boards Association Deputy Executive Director Brent Ghan, early in the afternoon of July 27, said the association supported the guidance and urged school districts to look at it. He called vaccination a public health prevention strategy to help end […]
(Missouri Independent) – Rolling outages that left thousands without power in February were driven overwhelmingly by fuel shortages — especially in natural gas, executives with the Southwest Power Pool said Monday. This winter sustained frigid temperatures across the Midwest and South forced huge demand for energy while the weather made generators struggle to keep up. The Southwest Power […]
The state has new coronavirus guidance out to help Missouri’s K-12 schools reopen safely this fall. The guidance aligns with the CDC recommending masks be worn indoors by anyone age 2 and older who is not fully vaccinated. The state says mask requirements should be made by local school boards, after consideration of […]
A new state task force is seeking comments and suggestions from the public on how to strengthen protections and services for Missouri sexual assault victims. Comments and suggestions are being gathered through an online survey at this link. The survey closes on September 30, 2021. The Missouri Rights of Victims of Sexual Assault Task Force […]
We often think of the period from July 3rd to August 11th as the “Dog Days of Summer.” Some say that it signifies hot sultry days “not fit for a dog.” The Dog Days of Summer describes the most oppressive period of summer and it is certainly going to feel that way over the next […]
Wright Memorial Hospital and Hedrick Medical Center have revised their visitor guidelines to allow Level 3 limited visitation, as of July 23. Wright Memorial and Hedrick were previously at a ‘Level 4’, which allowed patients only one visitor per day. Level 3 visitor guidelines allow two visitors per patient per day in inpatient areas and […]
While no official recommendation was made due to the lack of a quorum Tuesday night for the Trenton Utility Committee, the City Council will take a look at increasing the base electric rate by seven dollars for residential customers in Trenton. This is primarily a monthly charge for having an electric meter. The current rate […]
A Webb City, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to the sexual exploitation of two victims, an 8-year old and a 16-year old. Harley Wayne Schrader, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to two counts of the sexual exploitation of a child. By pleading guilty, Schrader admitted that he […]
Redistricting reformers urged the people charged with drawing new voting-district maps in Missouri to commit to putting the voters over partisan interests. Governor Mike Parson has appointed a bipartisan group of commissioners to draw state legislative maps. The Legislature draws congressional maps. Caroline Fan, founder and president of the Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation said in […]
Visitors to a popular tourist destination in Omaha-Council Bluffs may have been exposed to a dangerous disease, and it’s not COVID-19. The Henry Doorly Zoo held an event over the 4th of July weekend where guests stayed overnight in the aquarium complex. One woman reportedly awoke to find a wild, brown bat near her head. […]
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s Local Records Division is pleased to announce 23 grants totaling $283,584. These awards include 17 Local Records Grant Program awards totaling $144,809 and 6 Electronic Records Grant Initiative grants worth $139,775. “My office is pleased to help local communities in our state with records preservation,” Secretary Ashcroft said. “It’s a […]
Missouri’s Medicaid expansion lawsuit case is now in the hands of the seven-member state Supreme Court. The court heard about 35 minutes of oral arguments Tuesday morning in Jefferson City. This case will likely come down to the definition of “appropriation.” Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem ruled in June that Missouri’s August Medicaid expansion […]
Spickard’s Board of Aldermen were told Monday evening that products not meant to be flushed were being flushed down toilets causing damage and additional expenses for the pumping stations. Problems are being experienced at the south lift pump station and it is being recommended that the pumps be replaced along with the electrical panel. Aldermen […]
The Missouri Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Tuesday morning, July 13, 2021, in Jefferson City in one of the biggest cases the court has faced in recent memory: Missouri’s Medicaid expansion lawsuit case. Oral arguments will begin Tuesday at 11 a.m. Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem ruled in late June that […]
At least nine states and the District of Columbia have recently reported numerous unexplained sick and dying songbirds. To date, avian and wildlife health experts with the Missouri Department of Conservation have not received similar reports, and there are no other indications of unexplained death or illness in Missouri’s wild birds. “Though we have not […]
In Missouri’s courts, 17-year-olds will now be automatically treated as juveniles rather than adults if they’re taken into custody. It’s the tenth state in the country to raise the age of criminal responsibility. Opponents of “raise the age” laws predicted it would increase juvenile caseloads and overwhelm capacity in youth detention centers. Still, the number […]
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released an audit of Henry County, located in western Missouri. The audit received an overall rating of “good”, an improvement since a 2015 audit that found several reoccurring issues throughout county government. The audit made recommendations to improve financial oversight in the Prosecuting Attorney’s office. The audit also recommended […]
