Alisa Nelson, Author at Missourinet

Missouri gets $81 million grant – avoiding three to eight hour I-70 Rocheport bridge backups

July 22, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

The state has been awarded an $81 million federal grant to replace the heavily-traveled I-70 Missouri River bridge at Rocheport in the central part of the state. The Missouri Transportation Department had originally planned to repair – not replace – the poor-conditioned bridge in 2020. If the rehab would have followed through, drivers would have been faced with three to eight-hour traffic backups near the bridge for nearly one year. MoDOT says more than 12 million vehicles travel across the bridge annually. Today’s announcement allows construction of a new bridge near the existing one without causing major traffic disruptions.

Missouri River bridge at Rocheport (Photo courtesy of MoDOT)

In a press release today from Gov. Mike Parson, he says the grant will enable a $240 million project to replace the existing four-lane I-70 bridge with a six-lane structure built just to the south of the current location. He says the funding will also bankroll the reconstruction of the Route BB interchange just east of the bridge, which was built in 1960. Additionally, the grant will construct climbing lanes on I-70 at Mineola Hill in Montgomery County, which will improve safety and traffic flow through the Loutre River valley.

“Since becoming governor, improving Missouri’s infrastructure has been a major focus for our administration. The Rocheport bridge has long been in need of repair, and we’re thrilled that we now have the funds to complete this critical project and trigger our bold transportation plan,” says Parson. “Transportation drives our economy, and replacing the bridge is a major step toward maintaining our highway system and ensuring we have the framework for access and expansion in the future. We appreciate Senator Blunt, Secretary Chao, and President Trump’s continued support and commitment to infrastructure in Missouri.”

Receipt of the grant will also trigger $301 million in state bonding, authorized by the Missouri General Assembly during the 2019 session, that will repair or replace another 215 bridges across the state. The bonds will be repaid out of state general revenue over a seven-year period. It will also free up $301 million that was already committed to these bridge projects in the current Statewide Transportation Improvement Program to enable other high-priority transportation needs across the state. Projects will be identified in cooperation with local planning partners.

According to MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna, the City of Columbia, the City of Boonville, and Boone and Cooper counties are providing $4.2 million in local funds to make the new bridge a reality.

The release says the grant will enable MoDOT to begin the environmental assessment and design for the new bridge, with construction likely to begin sometime in 2021.

Missouri audit finds about 1,000 missing sex offenders – 21% decline from 2018 probe

July 22, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

State Auditor Nicole Galloway says a follow-up audit released today by her office finds the number of noncompliant sex offenders has decreased by roughly 21% since a 2018 review of Missouri’s sex offender registry. More than half of the decline attributed to reductions in Jackson County and St. Louis City. Last year’s audit uncovered 1,259 registered sex offenders failed to follow the law requiring them to register, verify their address and other information at regular intervals and notify law enforcement officials if they move.

State Auditor Nicole Galloway

According to online file information obtained from the Missouri State Highway Patrol sex offender registry, the state has about 19,100 registered sex offenders.

Galloway says today’s report highlights a need to improve management of the sex offender database and weaknesses in current state laws. She says the audit also determined that the recommendations in the original audit were either implemented, partially implemented or in progress.

Additionally, Galloway says the data suggests that law enforcement officials have increased follow-up efforts with offenders who have not checked in or verified their information as required by law. According to Galloway, there has been an increase in efforts to track down these offenders, go through the legal process to locate them and accurately update the registry to reflect their status. The number of outstanding arrest warrants for noncompliance also has increased, making it likely that other law enforcement agencies will take noncompliant offenders into custody during traffic stops and other interactions.

“This is key. If these individuals interact with law enforcement in other capacities at a traffic stop or otherwise, then other law enforcement agencies will know that they have not been in compliance with our state laws,” Galloway tells Missourinet.

The follow-up report found that the Highway Patrol has taken steps to improve its procedures for maintaining the sex offender database, including quickly updating compliance status of offenders to ensure the public notification website is accurate. The Highway Patrol also has purchased a new sex offender registration system that includes safeguards to better prevent incorrect or inappropriate data from being entered into the database.

“Our audit last year found the information available in the public sex offender registry was not accurate. That’s an issue of public safety,” Galloway says in a press release. “Following the audit, law enforcement has worked to better locate and hold accountable sex offenders not following the law, as well as taking steps to make sure information in the database is current. I greatly appreciate the work of state and local law enforcement officials to keep Missourians both safe and informed to make decisions to protect themselves and their families.”

Following the audit last October, Galloway, a Democrat, also urged Missouri legislators to strengthen the sex offender registration law by requiring background checks for school volunteers. State Sen. Lincoln Hough, a Republican from Springfield, introduced legislation requiring school districts to ensure a criminal background check is conducted for all volunteers who may be periodically left alone with students. That language was included in House Bill 604, which was signed into law.

Screened volunteers include office or library assistants, student mentors or tutors, coaches, and supervisors of activities occurring before or after school. School districts also would be prohibited from allowing unscreened volunteers to be left alone with a student.

Previous stories:

Galloway says law enforcement must step up efforts to capture 1,200 missing sex offenders
https://wp.me/p16gMv-u7D

The whereabouts are unknown for some 1,200 Missouri sex offenders
https://wp.me/p16gMv-u7j

New Missouri loan program aims to give a lift to farmers, businesses with disaster losses

July 19, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri farmers and small businesses trying to rebuild from recent disasters can get a lift through a new state low-interest loan program called LIFT. At a press conference Thursday in Jefferson City, State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick says when using linked deposits through LIFT, his office gives state funds at reduced rates to banks to offset the funds they are providing in a loan. The borrowers then get lower interest rates, allowing them to save an average of 30% on interest.

Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick and Missouri Chamber President & CEO Dan Mehan

“Too often we hear about government as a roadblock. This is a good example of government being able to work together with the private sector to try to do what we can to help assist in a recovery,” says Fitzpatrick. “We want those impacted by the storms and flooding to get back on their feet as quickly as possible. This is good for individuals, it’s good for communities and it’s overall good for the state’s economy.”

Fitzpatrick says getting a LIFT loan does not mean farmers and businesses cannot get a federal loan from the Small Business Administration.

“A lot of people will have insurance. Some people won’t have insurance. Some people will have a gap in coverage between what their loss was and what their insurance coverage is,” he says. “This is just meant to be a supplement to everything else that’s going on out there.”

Farmers and businesses can contact one of the roughly 350 participating Missouri bank branches to apply. The loan limit is $2 million and the interest rates vary on the bank and applicant.

Approval or denial of applications will be granted in about 24 hours. The program also allows refinancing of existing debt.

Fitzpatrick says LIFT differs from Missouri’s traditional linked deposit program called Missouri FIRST. He says any Missouri farmers and businesses with losses in counties not yet declared as disaster areas could take advantage of the Missouri FIRST program. It has a $1 million loan limit. The interest rates are not as steep and no refinancing of existing debt is allowed.

Officials from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Missouri Farm Bureau attended the press conference.

Missourinet 5 p.m. Newscast for 7-18-2019

July 18, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

Two northwest Missouri prisons officially consolidated

July 18, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

The consolidation has wrapped up for two prisons in northwest Missouri’s Cameron. State Corrections Department spokeswoman Karen Pojmann tells Missourinet the move of all Crossroads Correctional Center inmates to Western Missouri Correctional Center was official on Friday.

Gov. Parson signs budget bill giving Missouri Corrections workers a pay raise

“The process went very smoothly,” she says. “Now, Western Missouri Correctional Center is fully staffed, which is very exciting. It’s the first time that’s happened in years. Many staff have moved to other prisons throughout the state as well as in Cameron. Many moved to other facilities in the northwestern region, so many of those facilities are fully staffed, including Chillicothe Correctional Center.”

About a handful of workers remain at Crossroads to maintain the property, a power plant there to provide energy to both prisons, and for other purposes.

The agency closed Crossroads to prisoners to help alleviate costs, major correctional officer shortages and give most department workers statewide a pay raise. In January, Governor Mike Parson proposed the consolidation, a move that received strong bipartisan support.

The state’s prison population is about 28,000. Pojmann says the move helps to bolster safety for workers and prisoners across Missouri.

“Staff have been distributed to other prisons that were understaffed,” she says. “It helps us to reduce overtime and reduce mandatory overtime so we can cut down on staff fatigue and staff stress. It’s really a great step forward for the department.”

She says there were no layoffs, but the consolidation did cut about 370 previously open positions.

“This definitely makes a huge dent in the number of vacancies we have,” Pojmann says. “We do still have many, many openings throughout the state.”

As for the toilet paper factory at Crossroads, Pojmann says the state is looking into whether to get that back up and running for prisoners to work at again at some point.

This week, she says the department launched a new job application process online that is mobile-friendly and can be filled out online, instead of sending in a PDF form.

Governor orders Missouri healthcare task force to be formed

July 17, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

Gov. Mike Parson has signed today an executive order creating a statewide task force to address the rising costs of healthcare and increase access and competition in insurance markets.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson speaks to the Capitol Press Corps after being sworn-in as governor on June 1, 2018 in Jefferson City (file photo by Tim Bommel/UPI)

In a press release from Parson’s office, it says since 2011, Missourians have been faced with health insurance coverage premiums that have nearly tripled on the individual market. Currently, 101 Missouri counties have only one insurance carrier offering health insurance plans in the individual market.

Parson says it is imperative for the state to develop comprehensive and innovative ways to transform the health insurance market in order to meet the needs of all Missourians.

“Missouri knows best when it comes to taking care of our citizens, not Washington, D.C.,” Parson says. “Our health insurance market is not competitive, and there is no ‘one size fits all’ federal solution that addresses every issue of healthcare access and the rising cost of insurance premiums for Missourians.”

Parson is challenging the group to develop concepts that will improve access to affordable insurance options and healthcare services while reducing the state’s uninsured rates. The governor wants an emphasis on increasing access to healthcare in rural areas of the state.

The task force must submit its recommendations to the governor by January 31, 2020. Parson spokeswoman Kelli Jones says the panel is being formed and who will serve on the task force is unknown at this time.

Missouri professor says U.S. must tackle China trade dispute, but doesn’t like Trump’s approach

July 17, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

A Missouri Western State University economics professor applauds the Trump Administration for taking a strong stand against China on trade, but doubts its tactic will work. Professor Reza Hamzaee says the United States has needed to get serious with China for some time, because China doesn’t play fair with its trading partners.

Dr. Reza Hamzaee, Professor
Missouri Western State University

“They have had tariffs on American products, which are already expensive when it is converted to Yuan, their currency,” Hamzaee tells St. Joseph affiliate KFEQ during an interview in his office. “So, it’s very hard to sell American products in the first place and then putting high tariffs is not a fair game.”

Hamzaee lays out a case against Chinese trade practices.

He says China manipulates its currency, making its products cheaper when sold abroad, undercutting domestic competition. It might give a little when a country complains, but China continues to play with the value of the Yuan in violation of international trade norms.

Intellectual property has long been a sticking point between the two countries. The United States accuses China of stealing its intellectual property and using it to manufacture cheap electronics, such as computers, which it sells in America.

U.S. officials further complain China keeps such tight controls on what can be imported into the country, it makes it difficult for American businesses to sell products to Chinese consumers.

While Hamzaee says the complaints are for the most part legitimate, he doesn’t believe President Trump’s threatened tariffs will prove effective. He says increasing tariffs on Chinese imports will do little to change Chinese trade policies, but will increase prices for American consumers, businesses, and farmers.

“He is taking a wrong approach, a wrong style of tackling a right issue,” according to Hamzaee.

Much is at stake.

The United States imported $539 billion from China last year. China purchases from the United States as well, but mostly confines those purchases to agricultural goods, such as soybeans. China imported $9 billion in soybeans from China last year. In fact, Hamzaee says agricultural goods are the United States’ only net surplus in trade with China. China does import some American transportation equipment, computers, and electronics.

Hamzaee believes something has to give.

“I think it will be resolved, partially resolved, during the next few months, in my opinion, not necessarily to an ideal situation.”

Hamzaee says the Trump Administration would be better off by returning to negotiations with China, and might well benefit from having other countries participate.

By Brent Martin of Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph

How did Missouri’s U.S. House members vote on resolution to scold Trump for ‘squad’ tweet?

July 17, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

The Democratic-led U.S. House has voted 240-187 to publicly discipline President Donald Trump for telling four Congresswomen of color to leave and calling them anti-America and anti-Israel. Of the four members, three were born in the U.S. A resounding criticism of the president’s tweet is that the message was racist, even though Trump fired back on Twitter that he doesn’t have a racist bone in his body.

Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver

Tuesday evening’s House vote was mostly along party lines with four Republicans and one Independent from other states supporting the resolution. Democrats Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City and Lacy Clay of St. Louis supported the resolution and Missouri’s Republican members opposed it.

During debate, Cleaver stormed off and let a different member preside because he says the House would rather fight, instead of conduct themselves in a civil and respectful way.

“We don’t ever, ever want to pass up, it seems, an opportunity to escalate. That’s what this is,” says Cleaver. “We want to just fight. I abandon the chair.”

Cleaver, whose district is primarily Kansas City, also represents three GOP-leaning counties – Lafayette, Ray and Saline.

In a statement from U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, he does not condemn Trump’s comment, but says the focus should be about how destructive House Democrats’ policies would be for the economy, health care system and security. He says just because the so-called squad “constantly insults and attacks the president” is not a reason to adopt their “unacceptable tactics”.

According to national media reports, the resolution passed carries no legal consequences.

Missouri requests federal disaster declaration to include additional counties

July 16, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

Today, the state of Missouri requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) expand last week’s federal disaster declaration for the state in two ways. In a press release from Governor Mike Parson’s office, it says the state wants FEMA to consider making assistance available to residents and businesses in 21 additional counties and provide help to public agencies in 68 counties with repairs to roads, bridges, and other damaged infrastructure.

A view of the flooding damage in northwest Missouri (March 15, 2019 photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s office)

In the request, SEMA said that joint FEMA, SEMA, and local damage assessment teams had identified more than $26 million in infrastructure damage and emergency response costs experienced by local jurisdictions. SEMA also said the state of Missouri had damage and expenses totaling more than $23 million due to the flooding and storms.

“Many Missouri communities have been hit hard this year by flooding and severe storms that have damaged and destroyed homes and businesses. Public agencies have also been impacted by severe damage to roads, bridges, and public buildings,” Parson said. “Expanding the disaster declaration is warranted due to the extent of the damage across these additional counties and the high cost of repairs.”

The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) today requested that FEMA consider extending President Trump’s July 9 individual assistance disaster declaration for Missouri to include residents and businesses in Adair, Barton, Callaway, Christian, Clark, Cooper, Dallas, Douglas, Gasconade, Grundy, Harrison, Hickory, Howard, Jefferson, Laclede, Lewis, Macon, Polk, Saline, St. Louis, and Ste. Genevieve counties.

SEMA said that while the 21 counties requested today were denied assistance in the July 9 federal disaster declaration, additional information gathered as floodwaters receded increased the need for support. SEMA said earlier assessments, conducted by helicopter due to the flooding, did not capture all of the damage to homes. SEMA asked that FEMA re-evaluate the new damage information and that damage assessors revisit Clark, Callaway, Cooper, Gasconade, Howard, Lewis, Saline, St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve counties.

SEMA also requested that joint damage assessments for individual assistance be conducted for the first time related to this disaster in four counties: Cape Girardeau, Marion, Newton and McDonald counties. According to Parson’s office, this move is being done with the expectation that SEMA will later request for these counties to also be included in the disaster declaration.

Individual assistance would allow eligible residents to seek federal help for temporary housing, housing repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, vehicles, and other qualifying expenses as a result of this year’s severe flooding and storms.

Also today, SEMA requested that FEMA expand the July 9 disaster declaration to provide public assistance for repairs to damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure along with emergency response costs in a total of 68 counties: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Barry, Barton, Bates, Bollinger, Buchanan, Caldwell, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Cedar, Chariton, Clark, Cole, Dade, Dallas, Daviess, Douglas, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Howell, Jackson, Jasper, Knox, Laclede, Lewis, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Mercer, Miller, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, New Madrid, Newton, Nodaway, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Ste. Genevieve, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, Stoddard, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Wayne, Webster, and Wright.

The press release says additional counties may be considered for public help as floodwaters recede and more information is gathered locally.

President Trump’s July 9 disaster declaration was for flooding and severe storms and made the federal Individual Assistance program available to eligible residents in Andrew, Atchison, Boone, Buchanan, Carroll, Chariton, Cole, Greene, Holt, Jackson, Jasper, Lafayette, Lincoln, Livingston, Miller, Osage, Pike, Platte, Pulaski, and St. Charles counties.

As of July 15, FEMA has approved more than 300 households for individual assistance grants and provided more than $1.6 million directly to survivors to support with recovery.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has paid more than $18 million to Missouri policyholders for flood claims filed since March.

To register for FEMA assistance, go to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or register by phone by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362). Telephone registration is available 7 a.m. – 10 p.m., seven days a week.

Missouri high court rules in high-profile child murder case

July 16, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

Hailey Owens

The Missouri Supreme Court has upheld today a lower court’s decision in the death sentence of 51-year-old Craig Wood. In 2017, Wood was convicted of first-degree murder for the 2014 kidnapping, raping and killing of 10-year-old Hailey Owens.

Wood appealed his sentence and his public defender argued that Missouri’s death penalty system is unconstitutional. His attorney says it allows a judge to order a death sentence when the jury does not make a unanimous decision.

See earlier story:

https://www.missourinet.com/2019/04/09/missouri-supreme-court-hears-arguments-in-wood-death-penalty-case/