Transgender Students Graphic

Bill banning trans students from sports teams by gender wins support of Missouri House

(Missouri Independent) – After hours of fierce debate that spanned the course of two days, the Missouri House on Wednesday signed off on a prohibition on transgender students participating on the sports teams that match their gender identity. The provision, offered as an amendment by Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, to House Bill 1141 was adopted by a vote […]

Traffic Alert or Bridge Open or Road Open graphic version 2

Livingston County Route C now open

– A section of Livingston County Route C at the Shoal Creek Bridge, northwest of Dawn, is now open to all traffic. On Tuesday, April 6, local maintenance crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation discovered an issue on the bridge’s driving surface that prompted the immediate closure of the bridge. Crews were able to […]

Pigs at a factory

Rural Iowa communities urge more factory-farm regulations

Advocates for family farms, rural neighborhoods, and the environment are asking Iowa lawmakers to find a more equitable balance between the interests of factory farms and of the communities they’re in.  Research has shown higher levels of nitrates and phosphorus in the water, as well as air quality issues, in communities with nearby concentrated animal feeding […]

Pasture with stone wall

University of Missouri study looks at nitrogen products for pastures

University of Missouri Extension forage researchers studied the effects of treated urea products on soil fertility, forage yield, and quality.  This information can help producers control risk on nitrogen investments, improve tall fescue forage yields and improve water quality. MU Extension specialist Ryan Lock led the study to evaluate commercial nitrogen products in unbiased, replicated […]

Eaglepicher Technologies website (built mars rover batteries)

Made in Missouri: Batteries that power Mars rover, Perseverance, made in Joplin

The new Mars rover is powered by batteries manufactured by EaglePicher Technologies in Joplin, Missouri. There were 14 EaglePicher silver-zinc batteries on the Atlas V launch rocket. Two of the company’s thermal batteries powered the spacecraft during entry, descent, and landing stages, including igniting the pyrotechnics that opened parachutes. The rover’s main power system consists […]

Unemployment Graphic

Missouri House committee votes to forgive federal unemployment debts

(Missouri Independent) – Thousands of Missourians facing repayment of mistakenly paid unemployment benefits would get some relief under legislation passed with a bipartisan vote Wednesday in a Missouri House committee. The bill, which will likely be debated on the House floor next week, would forgive debts due to overpayments from federal coronavirus relief programs but would not […]

MoDOT Snowplow (Photo courtesy MoDOT)

Chemicals used to treat the roads lose their effectiveness in the bitterly cold temperatures

Light snow and periods of freezing drizzle create slippery road conditions through the evening hours. Though minimal accumulation is anticipated, the Missouri Department of Transportation warns that glazing of the pavement along with bitterly cold temperatures could impact travel along the I-44 and I-70 corridors today especially during the evening peak traffic times in the […]