(Missouri Independent) – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack faced questions on how his agency is doling out emergency pandemic aid and fostering collaboration with historically Black colleges during a Thursday hearing before the House Agriculture Committee. Committee Chairman David Scott, a Georgia Democrat, asked Vilsack for “critical updates on the implementation of pandemic relief programs, including […]
Community leaders in six northwest Missouri counties were part of Maximize Northwest Missouri’s 2021 Regional Learning Collaborative that wrapped up late last summer. “Some of the keywords that participants used to describe their learning experience include: enlightening, motivating, empowering, informative, inspiring, insightful, and team-building,” shared Mary Hinde, president of The Community Foundation of Northwest Missouri. […]
Increases in fertilizer prices add to the cost of growing forage for grazing. This leads farmers to ask if they should buy hay or fertilizer, says University of Missouri Extension nutrient management specialist John Lory. Comparing the benefits of buying hay vs. applying fertilizer for better yields is complicated, but it is crucial to the […]
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released her citizen-requested audit of the City of Homestead Village, a small community near Excelsior Springs in Ray County. This audit was initiated when qualified voters in the village gathered the required number of petition signatures to trigger an audit under Missouri law. Auditors identified at least $4,348 in customer sewer payments […]
(Missouri Independent) – Two years ago, a company led by an influential Republican businessman faced off with the state’s environmental regulators over whether it needed to do additional testing for a chemical that health officials worried could pose a cancer risk to the company’s workers. The Moberly manufacturing facility, Orscheln Products LLC, is owned by […]
Governor Mike Parson announced five appointments to various boards and commissions and filled two-county office vacancies. Robert Connell, of Troy, was appointed to the Amber Alert System Oversight Committee. Mr. Connell has been with the City of St. John Police Department since 2002 and has continuously advanced through the ranks to his current position as Police Chief. […]
Trenton’s Building and Nuisance Board learned Monday evening that two properties of concern are in the process of being sold. The Walden Apartments at 1010 Avalon Street have Connie Lasher as the general manager representing Action Management and Consulting Services LLC. In an e-mail to the city, she wrote Walden Apartments is being purchased by […]
A Kansas City, Missouri, man who was charged in two separate federal indictments pleaded guilty in federal court to the armed robberies of a local business and a family in their residence. Chase M. Murphy, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to two counts of robbery and one count of using a […]
(Missouri Independent) – Smithfield Foods agreed this week to pay the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration $13,494 to settle a citation for failing to protect its meatpacking employees in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from exposure to the coronavirus last year, but the company didn’t admit it did anything wrong. As such, the settlement can’t […]
(Missouri Independent) – Twice last year a federal grand jury demanded the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services turn over records pertaining to the medical marijuana program. The pair of subpoenas, issued by the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri in September 2020, were redacted by the department at the […]
(Missouri Independent) – The global meat producer operating some of Missouri’s largest industrial hog operations has withdrawn requests to convert 10 of its permits to what environmental groups say would be more lenient ones. Smithfield Foods Inc., which has a history of environmental violations in Missouri, operates some of the largest concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in the […]
(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 […]
Portions of the KTTN/KGOZ listening area were under tornado warnings on Sunday afternoon and evening. The warnings affected southeast Harrison County, northern Grundy County, and southern Mercer County. Another warning included Livingston and Linn Counties. Severe weather reports relayed by the National Weather Service include a report of a tornado six miles west southwest of […]
(Missouri Independent) – Exasperated lawmakers slammed leaders of the Missouri Department of Social Services on Tuesday, accusing them of passing off blame for a federal review that found the state fails to adequately report missing foster children. Tuesday’s hearing of the House Children and Families Committee was spurred by a report issued last week by the U.S […]
The Columbia College Board of Trustees unanimously named Dr. David Russell the college’s 18th president on Friday afternoon. Russell has served as interim president since January 2021, and the promotion to president is effective October 1, 2021. Russell’s appointment will add three years to his current contract, which will now run through 2025. “This […]
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reminds drivers that deer are more active and create hazards for Missouri motorists this time of year. Deer behavior changes due to mating season, which may cause an increase in sightings and roadway crossings. Hunting and crop harvesting may result in these animals being in places they aren’t usually seen. […]
After an audit last year determined the former city clerk of Center misappropriated more than $300,000, State Auditor Nicole Galloway has issued a follow-up report measuring the progress made to implement the audit’s recommendations. While officials in the Ralls County town of 500 have taken some measures to better safeguard public funds, the follow-up report […]
State Auditor Nicole Galloway announced today the results of a citizen-initiated audit of the Marshall Public Schools in Saline County. Galloway announced in February that a petition of qualified voters within the Marshall School District boundary triggered an audit by her office. The report, which gives a rating of “fair,” makes several recommendations to improve accounting controls and […]
The Bethany Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance as it conducts investigations regarding motor vehicle break-ins from the weekend. The Bethany Police Department, via Facebook, says the department received a large number of calls regarding vehicles being broken into. Vehicle owners are reminded to lock their vehicles when unable to secure the vehicle inside […]
U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and eight colleagues sent a letter to Senate Armed Service Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) calling for hearings on the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Specifically, the senators requested sworn testimony from senior military leaders, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General […]
