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After 10 years leading the state agency that investigates complaints against Missouri’s Children’s Division, Kelly Schultz’s final day on the job will be Nov. 30.  In an interview Wednesday morning, Schultz would not comment on the circumstances behind her sudden departure or on who Gov. Mike Parson has chosen to replace her as director of […]

The post Gov. Mike Parson is replacing leader of Missouri’s child advocacy agency appeared first on Missouri Independent.

For much of October, there were so few new COVID-19 cases in Knox County, Health Director Lori Moots said she began to hope the pandemic was almost over for her constituents. The early September Knox County Corn Festival, she said, didn’t produce the feared spike in cases. And by Oct. 8, the health department was […]

The post COVID-19 cases rising rapidly in Missouri as cooler weather forces activities indoors appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Smithfield Foods agreed this week to pay the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration $13,494 to settle a citation for failing to protect its meatpacking employees in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from exposure to the coronavirus last year, but the company didn’t admit it did anything wrong. As such, the settlement can’t be “used or […]

The post Smithfield Foods settlement with feds can’t be used in COVID lawsuits appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Days after global leaders agreed for the first time to decrease coal usage and subsidies for fossil fuels, U.S. senators battled over rising gasoline prices and urged action on the high cost of energy—including by increasing production of coal, oil and gas. The Tuesday hearing, led by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Joe Manchin […]

The post Senators urge increased production of fossil fuels in reaction to spiraling energy costs appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The new acting director of Missouri’s troubled Department of Social Services pledged to lawmakers Tuesday that he would work to address the agency’s long list of challenges and “tears in our safety net.” The Joint Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect heard for the first time from the new acting department director, Robert Knodell.  Knodell […]

The post New director vows changes at Missouri’s troubled social services department appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers and Virginia parents trying to capitalize on their success in the November election on Tuesday gathered across from the U.S. Capitol to voice their opposition to mask mandates and critical race theory. The ranking Republican on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, told the small […]

The post Virginia parents, GOP lawmakers vow national push for ‘parents’ rights’ in public schools appeared first on 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 […]

The post Missouri AG sues Springfield schools in quest to find critical race theory documents appeared first on Missouri Independent.

This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News and KSMU. At the Access Family Care clinics in southwestern Missouri, the next available nonemergency dental appointment is next summer. Northwest Health Services, headquartered in St. Joseph, is booked through May. The wait is a little shorter at CareSTL Health in St. Louis — around six […]

The post Missouri’s thin dental safety net stretched amid Medicaid expansion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

One of the top Republican lawmakers in the Missouri General Assembly filed paperwork Monday declaring his intention to run for the U.S. Senate. Senate President Pro Tem David Schatz, a Franklin County Republican, told The Independent in April that he was considering running to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt. At the time, he said […]

The post Missouri legislative leader joins crowded U.S. Senate race appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill during a ceremony at the White House packed with some 800 supporters, heralding what he said was a “truly consequential” spending bill that will improve Americans’ day-to-day lives. But Democrats also emphasized that there is more to come—a $1.85 trillion […]

The post Biden signs $1.2T infrastructure bill: ‘America is moving again’ appeared first on Missouri Independent.

An environmental organization is demanding Spire Missouri cease and desist its campaign warning customers of dire consequences this winter if the Spire STL pipeline is shut down.  The Environmental Defense Fund, which challenged the pipeline’s permit to operate, wrote to Spire on Friday saying the company’s “false and defamatory” comments had inspired area residents to […]

The post Environmental group demands Spire halt ‘false and defamatory’ messaging about pipeline appeared first on Missouri Independent.

With over 40% of Missouri’s nursing home staff still unvaccinated, the state health department is giving long-term care facilities a route to avoid losing their license if they shut down due to staffing shortfalls after a federal vaccine requirement kicks in next month. On Friday, the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) published an […]

The post Missouri gives nursing homes a way to temporarily close in face of federal vaccine rule appeared first on Missouri Independent.

State Sen. Rick Brattin became the fifth Republican to enter the 4th Congressional District Republican primary on Monday, announcing his bid by declaring that his conservative record outshines his GOP rivals. As he announced his campaign, Brattin said he didn’t believe Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and that he would have voted against […]

The post Cass County lawmaker joins crowded GOP contest in Missouri’s 4th Congressional District appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Just as the school year was ending this past spring — and with it, free school lunches — Erin Bay learned that her monthly food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was cut off.  She was informed by the state that her son’s federal disability assistance put her about $65 over the income […]

The post Missourians say they can’t get federal food assistance due to long call wait times appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt wants to know what four Democratic executives in Missouri’s largest metro areas said in emails, texts and other communications about mask mandates to fight the spread of COVID-19. His office said Friday seeking the records is part of Schmitt’s determination to fight “tyrannical government overreach.” A spokesman for St. Louis […]

The post Missouri Attorney General seeks texts, emails about metro mask mandates appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Is it safe to say that most Americans are sick and tired of all the partisan fighting dominating the national political landscape, causing gridlock and preventing virtually any progress in the halls of Congress? No matter what side of the political spectrum you land, you must be feeling at least a sigh of relief, if […]

The post Celebrate the bipartisan infrastructure bill for more than new roads, bridges, jobs | Opinion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Denial, said Missouri’s greatest export to the world, Mark Twain, ain’t just a river in Egypt. It’s also a problem plaguing major factions of both of our political parties. A lie that a politician tells publicly can be dangerous, as we all witnessed on January 6. But lies that politicians tell themselves — wishcasting, if […]

The post The biggest lies Missouri politicos tell themselves (and others) | Opinion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

With $6.5 billion on the way from the federal infrastructure bill and a newly increased gas tax, Missouri is ready to take a big bite out of $4.5 billion in unfunded highway needs, Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, said this week. But that doesn’t mean the state is ready to tackle […]

The post Billions headed to Missouri transportation fund from gas tax hike, infrastructure bill appeared first on Missouri Independent.

As federal energy regulators prepare to decide the fate of a St. Louis natural gas pipeline, Spire Missouri is warning customers their gas service could fail this winter.  Business industry groups and the utility maintain it’s their responsibility to keep customers informed. But environmental groups and some local elected officials — who note federal regulators seem […]

The post Spire Missouri’s warning of natural gas outages a ‘manufactured crisis,’ critics say appeared first on Missouri Independent.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Mo. — It was already 1 p.m., and Sheri Noble’s Monday was just getting started. There were prescriptions to call into the pharmacy, times to coordinate for people to pick up donated supplies, and a schedule of about 30 patients she had to prepare for.  In many ways it was business as usual […]

The post After more than 17 years, a free health care clinic in southern Missouri shuts its doors appeared first on Missouri Independent.