(Missouri Independent) – Under a new state law that went into effect late last month, Missouri will become the final state to enforce a federal law designed to ensure mental health care is covered by insurance providers the same as treatments for physical ailments. The provisions were included in House Bill 604, an omnibus insurance bill […]
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Audio: Beware of what you and your kids are signing up for on apps and websites
Beware of what you and your kids are signing up for when it comes to apps on your phone. Consumer protection expert Lara Sutherlin says parents need to make sure that their kids understand how to examine the fine print when they sign up for something and not give out their email for things they […]
Roadblocks facing Kevin Strickland’s innocence claim is nothing new for Missouri
(Missouri Independent) – Kevin Strickland was hopeful Thursday was going to be his first step towards freedom after 40 years in prison. A new law that went into effect on Aug. 28 gave Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker a legal avenue to free Strickland, who she says is innocent and wrongly incarcerated. But opposition […]
Supreme Court bows out, White House wades into Texas abortion battle
President Joe Biden stepped into the abortion battle in Texas Thursday, tasking federal agencies to see what steps can be taken to, in his words, “ensure that women in Texas have access to safe and legal abortions.” The law, which took effect Wednesday, bans most abortions after six weeks before most women know they are […]
Doctor Maureen Weber receives Service Excellence Champion Program Award
A hospitalist at Wright Memorial Hospital of Trenton and Hedrick Medical Center of Chillicothe received the Saint Luke’s Physician Group Service Excellence Champion Program Award. Doctor Maureen Weber was chosen for the award based on how she communicates with her patients and family members. The Service Excellence Champion Program recognizes Saint Luke’s Physician Group employees, […]
Saint Luke’s Health System Region CEO answers employee questions on the COVID-19 vaccination mandate
Saint Luke’s Health System Critical Access Region Chief Executive Officer Steve Schieber answered questions during a conference call on September 1st regarding the COVID-19 vaccination mandate announced by Saint Luke’s on August 30th. The health system will require all employees to be fully vaccinated by October 30th. Wright Memorial Hospital of Trenton and Hedrick Medical […]
Trenton Park Board discusses installation of permanent cornhole boards
The Trenton Park Board September 1st discussed the possibility of concrete cornhole boards being installed at Eastside Park. Park Superintendent David Shockley said he had received several requests for cornhole boards. Park Board President Curtis Crawford said cornhole is a popular game, and boards could be put near the horse shoe pitching area at Eastside […]
Missouri man sentenced to five years in prison without parole for illegal firearm
A Missouri man who fled from police officers on a stolen motorcycle and fought with several officers as he resisted arrest was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm. Michael S. Reaves, 35, of Independence, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to five years in federal prison without parole. […]
Grundy County Commission receives update on streambank stabilization project
The Grundy County Commission received an update on August 31st on the streambank stabilization project near the Thompson River Bridge on Highway 6. Shannon Howe with the Howe Company reminded the commission they had opened bids on August 3rd, and the bids were good for 60 days. No action was taken on bids that day. […]
Missouri Department of Conservation reminds deer hunters to get harvested deer sampled for Chronic Wasting Disease
With deer hunting in Missouri opening for archery season on September 15 and firearms portions in the coming months, the Missouri Department of Conservation wants hunters to know key information about chronic wasting disease. MDC will be holding mandatory CWD sampling during the opening weekend of firearms season and voluntary CWD sampling all season for […]
Lawsuit filed over $1.4 billion contract for Missouri prison healthcare
(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 […]
Missouri ICUs filling as Delta variant wave moves into northeast, southeast regions
(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 […]
Audio: Standardized test scores for Missouri’s K-12 public school students are on tap to be released in October
Standardized test scores for Missouri’s K-12 public school students are on tap to be released in October. Due to the pandemic interrupting in-person schooling, many education leaders nationwide have warned that they anticipate test scores to show a learning loss. During a House Budget Committee hearing this week, state Education Commissioner, Dr. Margie Vandeven, says […]
Carroll County Memorial Hospital tightens visitor policy due to increase in local COVID-19 cases
Carroll County Memorial Hospital has experienced the highest number of COVID-19 patients since the beginning of the pandemic and locally, the cases continue to rise. Therefore, as of Saturday, August 28, CCMH will be scaling back on its visitor policies. “This change in policy is an unfortunate necessity,” said Dr. Andy Horine, Chief Medical Information […]
Dream Factory Volunteer Ron Dougan presents program to Trenton Rotary
Dream Factory Volunteer Ron Dougan presented information on the organization to the Trenton Rotary Club on August 26th. The Dream Factory grants wishes to serious and chronically ill children. Dougan has volunteered with the organization since 1990 and currently works with fundraising and organizing “dreams” for area children. He said when he first got involved, […]
Attorneys argue Missouri is violating federal law, courts on Medicaid expansion delays
(Missouri Independent) – Attorneys who successfully sued to force Missouri to enact voter-approved Medicaid expansion argued in a letter to state officials Thursday that delays in implementation violate not only the court order but also federal law. The plaintiffs’ attorneys, Chuck Hatfield and Lowell Pearson joined with Joel Ferber, director of advocacy for Legal Services […]
Schools to continue mask rules despite legal challenge from Missouri Attorney General
(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 […]
Department of Natural Resources awards $24,000 grant to Sullivan County Public Water Supply District No. 1
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $24,000 Drinking Water Engineering Report Grant to the Sullivan County Public Water Supply District No. 1 to evaluate the district’s drinking water system. The grant offers funding to qualified small communities to help cover engineering costs for evaluating drinking water system improvements. The district will use […]
State of Missouri expands access to COVID-19 treatment for high-risk individuals
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has activated a state contract with SLSCO of Galveston, Texas, to provide monoclonal antibody (mAb) infusion treatment for 30 days at sites in the following counties: Jackson, Pettis, Scott, Butler, and Jefferson. This contract follows Governor Mike Parson’s August 11 announcement that $15 million would be committed to staffing, equipment, and […]