U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) objected to the unanimous consent of several Department of Defense nominations, followed by remarks that outlined the Biden administration’s failures and lack of accountability in the aftermath of the botched Afghanistan withdrawal last summer. He also reiterated how the administration is on the brink of another disaster, this time with […]
A Missouri task force is working to address the state’s supply chain slowdowns. More than 70-percent of Missouri communities rely solely on the trucking industry to get their goods delivered to them. During this week’s task force hearing, Tom Crawford of the Missouri Trucking Association said the ongoing truck driver shortage cannot keep up with […]
A Missouri prosecutor has declined to file charges against a reporter for finding a data flaw in a state Department of Education website. The Cole County Prosecutor’s Office is not charging a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter for finding the state’s glitch that had the ability to publicly show the social security numbers of […]
A federal jury convicted a Florida doctor in the Southern District of Florida for a health care fraud scheme that billed private health insurance companies approximately $110 million for addiction treatment services that were not medically necessary. This is the second trial conviction to arise out of the Justice Department’s Sober Homes Initiative. According to […]
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt says he’s concerned about the shortage of law enforcement officers in Washington, D-C, and here in Missouri. The Republican says the U.S. Capitol Police force is about 200 officers below the authorized level of two thousand, but it’s not just a problem there. The city of St. Louis and […]
A former National Football League player was sentenced to five years in prison for orchestrating a nationwide scheme to defraud a healthcare benefit program for retired NFL players. According to court documents, Robert McCune, 42, of Riverdale, Georgia, defrauded the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan (the Plan). The Plan was established […]
Arson charges have been filed against two suspects in connection with a fire Saturday morning at the Days Inn Motel in the one thousand block of South Washington Street in Chillicothe. Chillicothe firefighters reported damage occurred to an exterior wooden staircase and siding. Occupants of the motel were alerted by smoke detectors and by motel […]
The Trenton Park Board February 2nd voted to move forward with and submit a Recreational Trail Program grant application. Twenty-six thousand dollars will be allocated for the matching portion. The Missouri State Parks grant would be used to repair and replace part of Trenton’s walking trail and requires a 20% match. Park Superintendent David Shockley […]
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is looking for non-profit organizations throughout the state to help feed thousands of children who would otherwise go without meals during the summer months and during times of public emergencies when children do not have access to free or reduced-price meals at school. The Summer Food Service […]
The Grundy County Commission adopted a deficit budget for 2022 on January 31st. The budget estimates total revenues of $7,218,191 and expenditures of $9,019,582. A balance deficit of $1,801,391 is expected for 2022. The county begins the year with carryover funds of $5,297,100.98. The estimated ending balance is $3,495,709.98. In her budget message, Grundy County […]
Seven Rogersville, Missouri, and Springfield, Mo., residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to transport thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines as part of a multi-million-dollar business. “A scourge of catalytic converter thefts on a breathtaking scale had a significant impact on the Springfield community […]
(Missouri Independent) – A pair of Missouri counties are asking the state Supreme Court to overturn a 2019 law that stripped them of their ability to set their own rules for concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFOs. Under the law, county commissioners are prohibited from setting policies that are “inconsistent with or more stringent than” state […]
(Missouri Independent) – In a rare move, a Missouri commission granted a medical marijuana license to an applicant after discovering irregularities with how state regulators evaluated applications. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) decided to forgo appealing the ruling, announcing Tuesday that it had reached a settlement with the jilted applicant to […]
United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Nicholas M. Ray to a term of 15 years in federal prison. Ray previously pleaded guilty to attempting to persuade or coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity and distribution of child pornography in a court appearance held in October 2021. In 2014, Ray was convicted […]
(Missouri Independent) – The push to legalize recreational marijuana use in Missouri is coming from multiple directions, with a handful of proposed initiative petitions and at least one bill, and potentially more, backed by Republican lawmakers. Each hopes to place the issue on the 2022 ballot for voter approval. And each proposal also includes a […]
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for growing marijuana and illegally possessing dozens of firearms. Darrin Dale Smithee, 56, of Auxvasse, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 years in federal prison without parole. On Aug. 31, 2021, Smithee pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing marijuana and one […]
Missouri has set another record, his time its firearms seized at airports. Transportation Security Administration officers at Missouri airports say they’ve found 183 firearms in travelers’ carry-on luggage last year. St. Louis Lambert International Airport broke the statewide record with officers finding 102 guns found, that’s more than all Missouri airports combined in […]
(Missouri Independent) – Gov. Mike Parson praised his administration’s handling of the still-unfolding COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday, telling a joint session of the Missouri General Assembly that the state has emerged ready to make long-term investments in its future. “The bottom line is Missouri’s economy is strong,” Parson said in his annual State of the State […]
A Missouri House committee has released its report about ways to boost broadband internet access across the state. The Special Interim Committee on Broadband Development says 2020 FCC data shows about 400-thousand Missourians do not have access to broadband internet access. The committee report says Missouri is ranked 32nd in the nation in […]
(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt a blow to the Biden administration’s fight against the pandemic, blocking a federal mandate that workers be vaccinated or regularly tested for COVID-19 — though the court allowed a separate rule requiring vaccinations for some health care workers. The two rulings represented a split victory for Republican attorneys general […]
