Generic City Water

Experts say federal funds for lead pipe replacement needed in Missouri

Missouri has roughly 330,000 lead service lines, the pipes connecting water mains to buildings including people’s homes, and federal funding could help speed up the process of removing and replacing them. The bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress last year includes $15 billion for lead-pipe replacement, building on funds from the American Rescue Plan. Erik D. Olson, senior strategic director at […]

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall spoke at the organization’s 2022 annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia (photo provided by American Farm Bureau Federation)

American Farm Bureau Federation claims it’s the ‘voice of agriculture,’ Others beg to differ

(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published as a collaboration between Investigate Midwest and Watchdog Writers Group. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls itself the “voice of agriculture,” a slogan it trademarked in 2007. But as the divide between agribusiness and small farmers has grown in recent decades, a unified voice of agriculture has become harder to […]

State of Emergency

Governor Parson declares a State of Emergency, activating Missouri National Guard, in preparation for severe winter storm

Governor Mike Parson signed Executive Order 22-02 declaring a State of Emergency in Missouri and activating the Missouri National Guard in preparation for the severe winter storm forecasted to affect most of the state over the next two days, including significant accumulations of snow, sleet, and ice.  “Severe winter weather isn’t something we are strangers to here in the […]

Donald Kauerauf, the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, speaks during a press conference at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on July 21, 2021

Anti-vaccine protesters rally against Senate confirmation of Missouri health director

(Missouri Independent) – State health director Donald Kauerauf adamantly spoke against mandating face masks and COVID-19 vaccines during a hearing Monday, as anti-vaccination demonstrators protested his confirmation in the halls outside. While protesters chanted outside the Capitol hearing room, senators inside grilled Kauerauf for nearly two hours on his views on how best to mitigate […]

Law book with gavel and document labeled Restraining Order on a desk

Missouri Attorney General begins filing motions for temporary restraining orders in school mask mandate lawsuits

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced his Office has begun filing motions for temporary restraining orders in his lawsuits against school districts illegally enforcing mask mandates. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office filed suit against 45 school districts for continuing to enforce mask mandates. The Office filed motions for temporary restraining orders in the lawsuits against […]

University Of Missouri

University of Missouri President Choi won’t ask curators to reconsider vote against mask rule

(Missouri Independent) – The University of Missouri’s Columbia campus will begin the spring semester as planned Tuesday with no option for online classes, masking, or vaccination requirements, UM System President and campus Chancellor Mun Choi wrote to faculty leaders Friday. Choi’s response to concerns raised in a letter from the Executive Committee of the campus […]

Emilia Gailbraith NCMC Outstanding Student

Emilia Galbraith selected as NCMC Outstanding Student

Emilia (Rosie) Galbraith from Hamilton, MO, has been selected as North Central Missouri College’s Outstanding Student for January. Emilia is a sophomore in the Missouri Health Professions Consortium pursuing a degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. After graduating from NCMC, Emilia plans to enter a career close to home wherever her experience and educational pursuits […]