As lawmakers in Congress work to expand access to voting, members of the Missouri Legislature are proposing laws their critics say would limit people’s ability to vote. State legislative committees on elections convened last week to discuss measures that would impose a stricter voter ID law, require election officials to purge voter rolls more frequently, and others. Luz […]
Princeton Superintendent Jerry Girdner reports a high school student made a verbal threat on Thursday, September 16, 2021, allegedly about bring a weapon to school and causing harm to multiple students. Girdner, in a letter Thursday night to Princeton patrons, wrote that students reported the incident to school administrators after school had been dismissed for […]
The Mercer County Health Department and GRM Networks will sponsor a free program on internet and phone safety. The Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force will present the program at the North Mercer gym on October 6, 2021, from 5:30 to 6:30 in the evening. Topics to be discussed include internet safety, photos on the cloud […]
Six COVID-19 cases have been added in Harrison County. The county’s COVID-19 dashboard shows that, as of September 14th, there were 1,220 total cases. Nineteen cases were active. There had been 987 confirmed cases and 233 probable cases. Twenty COVID-19-related deaths had been reported for Harrison County. COVID-19 cases have increased by nine in Putnam […]
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, heard a report on the mentoring program for new teachers in the district. District Instructional Coach Doctor Jill Watkins reported she developed the Trenton program based on what she has implemented in the past. She said teachers have to complete first and second-year tutoring. She […]
More than a year after the police killing of George Floyd that sparked nationwide protests, a professor in St. Louis is taking on a project to figure out what support systems Black parents have to talk with their kids about racial violence. Missouri has been a central point of the movement against police brutality after […]
A Unionville resident faces five felonies after he allegedly had sexual intercourse with a juvenile who was less than 15 years old. Twenty-year-old Jack Isaac Daniel Rogers has been charged with two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child involving physical injury and sexual conduct, two counts of fourth-degree child molestation, and one […]
Parents of children ages four and under are welcome to join us for “Toddler Stay and Play.” Families are welcome to enjoy this self-guided come-and-go-style event. The program will be open for puzzles, blocks, a ball pit, various learning activities, and stories for families to enjoy together. For more information about this program and upcoming […]
To mask or not to mask is a question that many local leaders have had to decide, including Tuesday night in Missouri, where that question fueled a rowdy response from some parents. Fights broke out, and one person was handcuffed after a school board meeting in western Missouri’s Pleasant Hill. KMBC-TV in Kansas City reports […]
“I am so thankful for this program and all they have done for all of my children that have completed it. They know all of those hard college questions, and what they don’t know, they help you figure it out. They are also amazing when your student enters college, and they are overwhelmed and have […]
Beware of what you and your kids are signing up for when it comes to apps on your phone. Consumer protection expert Lara Sutherlin says parents need to make sure that their kids understand how to examine the fine print when they sign up for something and not give out their email for things they […]
The Missouri State Highway Patrol joins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Safety Council, Safe Kids Worldwide, and other safety advocates to commemorate National Child Passenger Safety Week which is September 15-21, 2021. The primary goal of this program is to remind all parents and other adults responsible for children traveling in motor […]
(Missouri Independent) – Clay LaRue, superintendent of the Van Buren R-1 School District, made a tough decision Sunday. With COVID-19 cases spiking in Carter County in southeast Missouri, and many of those infections among very young children, LaRue shut down the district’s pre-kindergarten program for two weeks. He had previously directed faculty, staff, and students […]
Infestations of fall armyworms have shown up recently in area pastures and hayfields. Be sure to scout your fields in the coming weeks, as a second generation is likely to appear in September. Fall armyworms are a periodic pest in Missouri that feed on over 100 plant species but prefer lush, green pastures and fields, […]
(Missouri Independent) – Federal education officials have launched civil rights investigations in five Republican-led states that have prohibited school districts from mandating mask-wearing, saying those policies could amount to illegal discrimination against students with disabilities. The Biden administration notified the education chiefs in Iowa, Tennessee, South Carolina, Utah, and Oklahoma of the investigations through formal letters Monday. The new investigations will examine […]
State Attorney General Eric Schmitt is suing Columbia Public Schools and any Missouri K-12 public school requiring students and staff to wear masks. Schmitt, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, says a mask mandate “flies in the face of science, especially given children’s low risk of severe illness and death and their low risk of […]
With new teachers, classmates, and expectations, back to school is full of uncertainties and anxieties. Stressful transitions increase the chances that a teen will turn to drugs or alcohol to cope. Geena Crosby, prevention coordinator for youth and young adult services with the Prevention Action Alliance, said there are many ways to support teens during […]
(Missouri Independent) – The schools in Gov. Mike Parson’s hometown will continue to require students, teachers, and staff to wear masks indoors despite a lawsuit filed by the Missouri attorney general challenging public school mask mandates across the state. The Bolivar R-1 Board of Education in Polk County voted in a special meeting this month to […]
Governor Mike Parson announced the winners of the first drawing of the MO VIP. At the time of the August 13 drawing, a total of 495,296 MO VIP entries were received. The MO VIP incentivizes vaccination for those who have not yet been vaccinated, as well as provides an opportunity for rewards for the more […]
Hy-Vee KidsFit launches a free yearlong program for schools to promote health, fitness, and nutrition. The Hy-Vee KidsFit School Wellness Club allows students to build healthy lifestyles through educational programming and consistency throughout the school year. School administrators can enroll an individual school or a full district into the program now through October 11, 2021. […]
