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 […]
(Missouri Independent) – The dispute over the $1.4 billion contract to provide prisoner health care in Missouri is moving into the courts. Corizon Health, which has held the Department of Corrections contract since 1992, filed a lawsuit Monday in Cole County alleging that unfair treatment and improper scoring gave the contract to Centurion Health, a Virginia subsidiary of […]
A bill that went into effect over the weekend makes the first reforms to Missouri’s HIV criminalization laws since they were passed in the 1980s. Among other measures related to prosecutors and police, the bill requires prosecutors to prove someone knowingly exposed someone who contracted HIV before getting a felony conviction and reduces the minimum sentence […]
(Missouri Independent) – New cases from the Delta variant wave that has killed more than 1,150 Missourians since June 1 have plateaued, but hospital ICUs continue to fill — and small, rural hospitals are among the hardest hit. There were 690 patients in ICU beds across the state on Tuesday, the most recent day reported by the state Department of Health […]
(Missouri Independent) -The U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of the Biden administration’s last-ditch effort to extend a federal ban on evictions has put hundreds of thousands of American renters at risk of losing their housing — and is increasing pressure on states and localities to get rental assistance dollars distributed faster. In an eight-page majority opinion […]
A 12-state human trafficking operation led by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol has led to 102 arrests and the rescue of 47 victims and sex workers including 2 minor victims. Operation United Front entailed simultaneous state-level human trafficking operations throughout the night on Thursday and into the early morning […]
A man pleaded guilty in federal court to the armed robbery of a female Z-Trip driver whom he shot approximately 26 times with a rifle from the back seat. Derron D. Nevels, 20, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of robbery and one count of […]
The CDC has issued a Health Advisory pertaining to the use of Ivermectin and the use of products containing Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. Ivermectin is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA-approved prescription medication used to treat certain infections caused by internal and external parasites. When used as prescribed for approved indications, it […]
A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for illegally selling more than a dozen firearms and a large amount of methamphetamine and heroin to undercover federal agents. Heladio Lezama-Palma, 36, a citizen of Mexico who was residing in Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 15 years […]
(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 […]
The latest judge to be announced for the 2021 Missouri Days Marching Festival is a midwest resident with experience in many states as a director, educator, facilitator, musician, and experienced festival judge. Kehan Knapp is a member of the Central States Judges Association and a judge for numerous competitions, including Winter Guard International, Drums Corps […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and the Texas Attorney General’s Office have prevailed over the Biden Administration for a 3rd time in their lawsuit over the “Remain in Mexico” policy as the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Missouri and Texas in a 6-3 denial of the Department of Justice’s appeal for an emergency stay. […]
The owner of dozens of Mexican restaurants in several states, along with the company’s president, CFO, controller, and sales manager are among 19 defendants charged in a federal racketeering conspiracy to hire undocumented workers. Also among those charged are eight current or former managers of restaurants located in Butler, Springfield, Lebanon, West Plains, Willow Springs, […]
Missourians who have received COVID-19 vaccinations can enter to win the Missouri Vaccine Incentive Program Lottery – 900 winners will receive $10,000 in cash, in an education savings account or a Missouri ABLE Account, between now and October. Missouri ABLE provides people with disabilities an account to save and invest money without losing eligibility for public benefits, like […]
The 45th Great Pershing Balloon Derby will be held near Brookfield Labor Day Weekend. Activities suspended last year due to the pandemic will return this year, including the Friday Night South Main Night Flame September 3rd and the Saturday Twin Parks activities on September 4. The Myron Peacher Memorial Launch Field will also be open […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt today filed a class-action lawsuit against school districts forcing a mask mandate on schoolchildren and teachers. The lawsuit, which is a reverse class action that was filed earlier this morning, names Columbia Public Schools, the Board of Education for the School District of Columbia and their board members, and the […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has accepted 2.8 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment into the Conservation Reserve Program in 2021. This year, almost 1.9 million acres in offers have been accepted through the General CRP Signup, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency has accepted over 897,000 acres for enrollment […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt joined a 20-state coalition led by West Virginia and Arizona in arguing against the Biden administration’s proposed regulation of firearm parts. In addition to joining the coalition’s comment letter, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office filed a separate, but similar, comment letter. The coalition’s comment letter can be found at this […]
A Missouri man who was beaten and shot during a robbery that resulted in police officers discovering illegal drugs at his residence pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing methamphetamine and heroin to distribute. Daniel A. Briscoe, 45, Raytown, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the […]
