(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 […]
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 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 […]
A drug trafficker and money launderer for the Sinaloa Cartel was sentenced yesterday to 188 months in prison for supervising the smuggling of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin from Mexico into the United States and the smuggling of drug proceeds from the United States to Mexico. Roberto Gallegos-Lechuga, 39, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was […]
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 […]
Due to heavy winds across Kansas and Missouri, Evergy crews are responding to power outages to restore power to affected customers. As of mid-afternoon Wednesday, outages were limited and scattered, but gusty winds (up to 70 mph) are expected to become more intense through midnight Wednesday. Proactive maintenance work, including tree trimming, helps reduce 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 […]
A Missouri husband and wife were sentenced in federal court for their involvement in a five-year-long scheme to embezzle more than $235,000 from a Joplin, Mo., business owner. Jeanine A. Poe, 52, and William Poe, 58, of Carthage, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips. Jeanine Poe was sentenced to […]
City officials in Forsyth have implemented or are in the process of implementing the recommendations of a state audit from March that gave the lowest possible rating. State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released a follow-up review of the city’s progress on the audit’s 12 recommendations. The audit, which gave a rating of “poor,” found numerous […]
Defendants involved in a romance fraud scheme that victimized a Taney County, Missouri, woman and an email hacking scheme that targeted a program at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., were indicted in federal court in the Western District of Missouri as part of the Department of Justice’s fourth annual Money Mule Initiative. The Money Mule Initiative […]
After admitting to illegally having several thousands of rounds of ammunition in Missouri, among other crimes, a member of the Proud Boys extremist group is set to serve 87 months (7.25 years) in prison. Jonathan Cuney of New York state said he bought the ammunition at a Columbia, Missouri firearms store through a […]
(Missouri Independent) – The Supreme Court is weighing potentially sweeping changes to the right to an abortion, after two hours of arguments Wednesday morning on a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The court’s conservatives, who hold a 6-3 majority, appeared through their questions to be sympathetic to Mississippi’s arguments […]
(Missouri Independent) – Attorney General Eric Schmitt alleges in a newly filed lawsuit that Springfield Public Schools wants to avoid scrutiny of its curriculum and training materials — and is violating the Missouri Sunshine law to do it. The district improperly demanded a deposit of more than $37,000 to search its records for instances where it incorporated elements […]
(Missouri Independent) – The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill isn’t just about roads and bridges — it also spends billions to address wildfire, drought, flooding, and other effects from climate change, Interior Department officials said Wednesday. The $1.2 trillion measure, which is awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature after the House cleared it last week, includes pay […]
(Missouri Independent) – Nearly a month after a reporter identified a security flaw in a state website that exposed teachers’ social security numbers, the state announced Wednesday it was offering a year of credit monitoring services to hundreds of thousands of teachers whose personal information was put at risk According to the Department of Elementary […]
Governor Mike Parson celebrated Missouri’s strong economic position as the number of Missourians on unemployment decreases, businesses continue to invest and expand in Missouri, and the state earns several economic recognitions. “Throughout the pandemic, we took a balanced approach that protected the health and safety of Missourians without sacrificing their livelihoods,” Governor Parson said. “We didn’t […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt co-led an eleven-state coalition with Montana, Arizona, and Nebraska in filing a lawsuit against Joe Biden and the Biden Administration to halt their vaccine mandate on private employers with more than 100 employees. Missouri and the coalition of states are the first states to file suit against the vaccine mandate […]
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that he will sue to halt the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate on private employers first thing on Friday morning when OSHA’s ETS is officially published in the federal register. “The federal government does not have the authority to unilaterally force private employers to mandate their employees get vaccinated or […]
