U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (Screenshot via USDA Facebook page)

Biden administration announces boost for rural health care in midterm election push

(Missouri Independent) – As the midterm election season ramps up, the Biden administration wants rural Americans to know it’ll be spending a lot of money to improve health care in rural areas. It has tasked Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack with delivering the message that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed long-standing problems with health care infrastructure in […]

Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority website or MSASBDA

Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority announces funding of projects

The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority announced it has invested more than $2 million in projects that increase the distribution and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel in the State of Missouri. Expenses incurred during the construction, installation, upgrade, or retrofit of fuel dispensers/pumps, storage tanks, and other infrastructure located in Missouri […]

Second Harvest Food Bank

Second Harvest Community Food Bank receives $211,000 grant

The Second Harvest Community Food Bank has received a $211,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to assist the food bank with increased expenses due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Emergency Rural Health Care Grant will also facilitate mobile food distributions in Northwest Missouri. Emergency Rural Health Care Grants are part of […]

Cim-Tek or Cimtek website

Cim-Tek Filtration to expand in Kennett, Missouri, creating up to 77 new jobs

Cim-Tek Filtration, a leading manufacturer of filtration products, recently announced that it will expand in Kennett, creating up to 77 new jobs. Cim-Tek Filtration’s expansion will allow the company to continue to innovate in filtration and develop new products available worldwide. “Cim-Tek Filtration’s expansion in Kennett is an exciting development for the Southeast region and […]

Medicaid Expansion in Missouri

Senate committee approves bill that could overturn Missouri Medicaid expansion

(Missouri Independent) – A constitutional amendment asking Missourians to let lawmakers decide year-to-year whether the state will offer Medicaid to working-age adults moved closer to passage on Wednesday. By an 8-5 vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee sent the House-passed proposal to the full Senate for debate. Only Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, voted with Democrats to oppose the measure, which […]

Children eating lunch in a school cafeteria (Photo by CDC on Unsplash)

Advocates worried more rural kids may go hungry this summer

Federal waivers put in place at the height of the pandemic allowed federal child nutrition programs more flexibility in delivering meals to households because kids were not at school. Those waivers are set to expire in a few months, and in states like Arkansas, groups working to fight hunger warn that more children, especially in rural areas, […]

Jamesport Tri-County School

Jamesport Tri-County Board of Education approves summer school program, updates extra duty positions

The Jamesport Tri-County R-7 Board of Education approved a summer school program and an updated list of extra duty positions on April 7th. Summer school will be held July 11th through 22nd. The program will be funded with Learning Loss money from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief 3 funds. The list of extra-duty positions […]

Landes Oil Jamesport

Landes Oil in Jamesport to receive funding to increase availability of biodiesel

An area business will receive funds from the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority to increase the availability of biodiesel blends B6 or higher. Landes Oil Incorporated of Jamesport will receive $95,464.87 for the installation of an above-ground biodiesel storage tank and blending controller equipment to allow for sales of higher biodiesel blends. The […]

Dr. John Owen

Mosaic Medical Center in Albany receives gift from local physician

Mosaic Foundation in Albany recently received a $26,000 contribution from Mosaic Medical Center, Albany physician, John Owen, MD, to establish the Dr. John Owen Endowment for Caregiver Excellence. The endowment will provide financial assistance for Mosaic Medical Center – Albany caregivers who wish to pursue additional education/credentials but are hindered by financial hardships. Dr. Owen […]

Election Results

Election results in the Municipal Election for Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Three individuals were elected to the Trenton R-9 Board of Education, three for the Grundy County Health Department board, and three members of the Trenton City Council won re-election with a former councilman returning to a council seat. Each of the winners led from start to finish, meaning from the absentee ballots through the final […]

Veterans and services news graphic

University of Missouri School of Law to offer free virtual legal consultation for veterans

Veterans in several area counties are eligible to receive assistance from The University of Missouri School of Law Veterans Clinic, through its Tigers for Troops program. Virtual legal consultation is offered for veterans regarding United States Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits, discharge upgrades, and VA healthcare. The service on Friday, April 22nd from 8 […]

Doris Rider Art Gallery

New exhibition at North Central Missouri College Rider Gallery features Nora Othic

A collection of works by an area artist will continue the 2021-2022 exhibition schedule in the Dorris Rider Art Gallery at North Central Missouri College in Trenton.  “More Cowbell!” by Nora Othic is now open and runs through June 10. The Rider Art Gallery is located in the Frey Administrative Center on the NCMC Main […]

RootED Alliance website

Career, college readiness program in Missouri expands statewide

An increasing number of jobs across Missouri require some level of training or education beyond high school, but rural students are less likely than their urban or suburban peers to enroll in and finish college. The rootEd Alliance wants to change it, by bringing career counselors into school districts to complement the work guidance counselors are already […]

Rotary Website

Trenton Rotary Club presented information on agriculture project by Trenton FFA President Colton Roy

Trenton FFA President Colton Roy discussed his supervised agriculture experience project at the Trenton Rotary Club meeting on March 31st. The Trenton High School senior’s project involves the development and operation of a beekeeping operation, Sugar Creek Apiaries. Roy began his project as a freshman in 2018 with one hive. He now has 50 hives. […]

Chillicothe Fire Department

Chillicothe Fire Department responds to house fire on Bryan Street and to rural address for fire threatening a residence

A structure in Chillicothe was described as fully engulfed on Tuesday afternoon prompting the Chillicothe Fire Department to respond to the scene. The alarm came in at 2 pm and sent firefighters to 1555 Bryan Street. The owners were listed as Steven and Gloria Drechsel. A spokesman reported heavy fire and smoke coming from two […]

North Central Missouri Development Alliance or NCMDA

North Central Missouri Development Alliance holds annual meeting

Grundy County’s assets were discussed at the North Central Missouri Development Alliance’s annual meeting on March 29th. The Grundy County Industrial Development Corporation, Grundy County Commission, Trenton City Council, and other community members attended and shared ideas. NCMDA Executive Director Scott Sharp and Secretary Jackie Soptic talked about a Missouri Partnership representative being in Trenton […]

USDA US Department of Agriculture

USDA extends to May 11 the application deadline for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program funding

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Department is extending to May 11, 2022, the application deadline for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program, which provides funding to expand meat and poultry processing capacity. The decision to extend the deadline comes after Rural Development heard directly from applicants about challenges with […]