(Missouri Independent) – The National School Boards Association is walking back its letter to President Joe Biden asking for federal help for school board members who have been harassed and threatened over masking requirements and discussions of race in public schools. The shift came after Republican members of Congress led by Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley raised strong […]
Senator Josh Hawley is pushing against President Biden’s vaccine mandates – because of how they handle religious exemptions. The guidance also allows agencies to determine if “the nature of the employee’s job may be such that no safety protocol other than vaccination is adequate.” Hawley says there must be more of a process, even a […]
Halloween isn’t just for children. Many adults enjoy dressing up and visiting haunted houses or attending gatherings of friends. If you are driving to a costume party, the Highway Patrol says to make sure your costume doesn’t hamper your vision. If you attend a Halloween party that includes alcohol, designate a sober driver for the […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a significant expansion of access to high-speed internet, health care, and educational services for millions of rural Americans nationwide. Today’s announcement continues to move forward President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda by prioritizing economic growth in rural America and investing in the backbone of our country […]
Snowy weather is just around the corner. In preparation, the Missouri Department of Transportation will hold its annual winter operations drill on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. With high turnover rates and many positions still open, the training is more critical than ever. “With nearly 20% of our plow operators with less than one year of […]
One driver was injured early Tuesday evening in a motorcycle-deer accident on Highway 6 in Adair County. Sixty-six-year-old Walter Green of Kirksville received moderate injuries and was taken to the Northeast Regional Medical Center in Kirksville. The westbound motorcycle struck a deer in the road, two miles west of Kirksville. Extensive damage was noted for […]
U.S. Senator Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to co-chairs of the Safer Federal Workforce Taskforce – the Office of Personnel Management Director, Kiran Ahuja; General Services Administrator, Robin Carnahan; and Covid-19 Response Coordinator, Jeff Zients – demanding answers on President Biden’s vaccine mandate, which fails to provide adequate safeguards for the sincerely held religious beliefs of federal […]
Gov. Mike Parson has proclaimed Oct. 22 as Buckle Up Phone Down Day in Missouri in an effort to encourage Missourians to take two simple actions to save lives on the state’s highways – fasten their seat belts and put their phones down while driving. For the fifth straight year, the Missouri Department of Transportation […]
The Spickard R-2 Board of Education voted October 18, 2021, to DECLINE the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education COVID-19 Test to Stay option for students and staff. The board accepted a bid from Ace Roofing for cafeteria roof repairs for $11,172. A Princeton bus mechanic proposal was approved. Superintendent Erica Eakes reports the Princeton […]
The Medicare open enrollment period has opened; however, the window also comes with a safety warning. Missourians eligible for Medicare are being urged by the state to review and choose a plan that works best. That window closes on December 7th. The enrollment period offers Missourians a chance to change their Part D […]
The Highway Patrol reports a Brashear man sustained moderate injuries when he was ejected from the motorcycle he drove six miles west of LaPlata on Wednesday night, October 13. A private vehicle transported 23-year-old Lucas Grgurich to the Northeast Regional Medical Center of Kirksville. The motorcycle traveled north on Hilton Avenue before he reportedly lost […]
The Missouri Department of Conservation congratulates 15 new conservation agents upon their graduation from MDC’s 2021 Conservation Agent Training Academy. The agent class of 2021 took the Conservation Agent’s Oath during a special graduation ceremony Tuesday, Oct. 12 at Richardson Fine Arts Center on the Lincoln University campus in Jefferson City. MDC Director Sara Parker […]
The Newtown-Harris R-3 Board of Education approved hiring and substitutes October 12th. Molly Norman was hired as a paraprofessional. Substitutes approved were Jasey Wollenzien and Cindy Hartman. The board also approved the Local Compliance Plan for Special Education. Superintendent Doctor Lucas McKinnis reported the roof was completed and is in better condition. Work was scheduled […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Missouri Acting State Director D Clark Thomas announced that the USDA is investing an additional $15,018,000 to Great Northwest Wholesale Water Commission for the development of a regional water distribution system. This funding brings USDA’s total investment for this project to $46,945,210. “Some areas of rural Missouri suffer significantly […]
Additional agents could be on the horizon to police Missouri’s new law allowing restaurants to sell to-go cocktails. In a proposed budget for the next fiscal year, the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control is asking Governor Parson and the state Legislature for an extra four agents to help ensure that restaurants […]
Saturday, October 16, 2021, has been designated National Move Over Day to remind drivers to help protect emergency personnel working on the side of the road. In 2020, three people were killed and 51 injured in the 231 traffic crashes involving parked emergency vehicles displaying emergency lights. Preliminary statistics indicate there have been 168 traffic […]
A Maryville resident received serious injuries when a utility terrain vehicle crashed north of Maryville. Sixty-year-old Phillip McGinley was ejected from the UTV and flown by medical helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Mcginley was a passenger on the UTV, which was operated by 31-year old Adam Mattson of Maryville. Mattson […]
The State of Missouri has created and made available spending toolkits to help local governments identify allowable uses for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) local funds. “We want to assist our local partners in making strategic, responsible investments that will serve Missourians for generations to come,” Governor Mike Parson said. “Our first priority is to ensure taxpayer […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Missouri Acting State Director D Clark Thomas announced 19 organizations statewide are being awarded a total of $1,006,698 to create jobs and increase economic opportunities throughout the state. “USDA Rural Development has worked tirelessly to support rural Missouri businesses throughout the pandemic,” said Thomas. “The Rural Business Development Grants […]
The Federal Communications Commission has adopted 988 as a new three-digit number to be used nationwide to reach the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline. The use of this new three-digit number will begin on July 16, 2022. The FCC is implementing this new three-digit number in an effort to simplify the hotline’s […]
