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U.S. Ag Secretary attends grand opening of new St. Louis food tech company’s headquarters

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Benson Hill grand opening

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn gave remarks during the grand opening of food tech company Benson Hill’s headquarters in St. Louis Monday.

Perdue said the work of Benson Hill will go a long way in helping feed the estimated 9 billion people on the planet by 2050.

“The kind of things we know about different genes and genomes and germplasm today based on what companies like Benson Hill do, and what they will know more in the future about affecting the palatability, the flavor and nutritional qualities will go a long way,” he said.

Chinn said the 39 North Innovation District in St. Louis is the perfect location for Benson Hill.

Benson Hill

“The culture of ag innovation and ag business in Missouri is thriving and it’s strong. St. Louis has more plant scientists than any other place in the world, so this is a great fit for Benson Hill,” said Chinn.

The 160,000 square foot building will be the home Benson Hill’s team of experts in plant biology, agronomy, data analytics, machine learning and food science all focused on the innovation of better food and ingredient options from plant to plate.

By Rhiannon Branch of Brownfield Ag News

Trucking industry still looking for more Missouri drivers

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COVID-19 has put a spotlight on the importance of many Missouri industries, including those sitting behind the wheel of big rigs. Dave Pfiffner, the director of the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Transportation Institute, says truckers have been going the distance to try and get essential items to consumers.

Trucking industry still looking for more Missouri drivers

“There were shortages of a lot of different things, meats, if you look at foodstuffs and consumable supplies — those seemed to be the areas where there were issues,” Pfiffner says.

He says the industry has been dealing with a shortage of drivers with no change in sight.

“If you look at the average age of a truck driver out there now — it’s in the mid-50s — so it’s a very grey fleet. A lot of folks looking to retire over the next five to ten years,” according to Pfiffner. “And there’s not as many people coming in on the other end to make up for those losses.”

Pfiffner says those looking to get into the industry can pretty much determine what they want to do – everything from driving a big rig to delivery, cement mixers and garbage pick up.

“There are jobs available in really every segment of the industry right now,” he says. “Some people think of truck just as you’re over the road, you’re away from home all the time. That’s not actually the case, there’s a huge number of jobs out there that are considered local jobs.”

Pfiffner says industry workers can make a decent living, with some earning $60,000 annually within two years.

By Dar Danielson of Radio Iowa

St. Joseph leaders say spike in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations prompted mask order

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The northwest Missouri city of St. Joseph has issued an emergency order requiring individuals to wear masks or face coverings at all indoor public places. The order began today and will be in place for 30 days.

St. Joseph leaders say spike in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations prompted mask order

St. Joseph Mayor Bill McMurray says the number of COVID-19 patients at Mosaic Life Care is what prompted the expansion of the mask order.

“They’ve gone from like 16 up to 36 and that’s a huge spike, so we have to tamp those numbers back down and this is just a risk management method to do that,” McMurray says. “We’ve built in some exceptions, but we really need people to take this seriously. This virus has had a huge spike here in our community and we have to fight back, we cannot just go on with business as usual, at least for the next 30 days, and hopefully by doing that, we’ll get these numbers back down.”

Health Director Debra Bradley says they are very concerned at the St. Joseph Health Department about the spike in COVID-19 cases and individuals in the hospital.

“We want to do what we can to protect our community as a whole so that’s why we’re supporting this mask mandate, we’ve been asking for it for a while anyway, hopefully this will help turn the corner on the numbers while also keeping our businesses open,” Bradley says. “They’re not the most comfortable thing to wear, but we’re in this together, we’re here to help each other out.”

The mask mandate put in place July 13 in St. Joseph required individuals to wear a mask in retail stores of 10,000 square feet or more. The new emergency declaration requires masks be worn in all indoor public places if a six-foot distance cannot be maintained. Exceptions include children under the age of five, those with certain medical conditions or while eating food at a restaurant or bar.

Deputy Mayor Kent O’Dell says, in recent meetings, he was on the side of not issuing a more expanded measure.

“We’ve tried holding back the city mandates for five, six weeks now and I’ve been a big part of that, but the numbers have gotten out of hand so therefore, the time has come,” O’Dell says. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s time for everybody to show a little compassion, a little consideration for others for a small period.”

During a press conference Tuesday at City Hall, O’Dell said he wanted to apologize to healthcare professionals.

“I never thought that this would happen or it would explode like the way it has,” O’Dell says. “I was planning on acting before these kind of (COVID-19) numbers hit. It’s unfortunate now that nurses and doctors are being hit, overwhelmed with these numbers now. Normal hospital operations and now 36 COVID patients on top of everything else so I want to apologize to those guys for what’s happening.”

Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph has 48 rooms on the 4th floor and 48 rooms on the 5th floor that are negative pressure rooms available for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, if needed.

By Sarah Thomack of Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph

Missouri study projects 13,000 annual job openings in agriculture over next decade

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A study by the Missouri Agriculture Foundation and University of Missouri Extension is projecting 13,000 annual job openings in ag over the next decade. MU Extension’s Mark White says Missouri’s agriculture industry is a mix of ag focused jobs like farming and jobs indirectly tied to ag, such as accounting.

Missouri study projects 13,000 annual job openings in agriculture over next decade

“We have some jobs that are unique that we need to create a pipeline and talent for and other jobs that are in demand throughout the economy that you know, we need to compete for those folks,” he says.

White says that pipeline for jobs includes programs like 4-H and FFA that foster interest in the ag sector.

He says demographics moving away from rural areas has caused headaches for ag based employers.

“The real challenge is just finding people because you are not necessarily looking for people with four-year degrees,” he says. “You’re looking for people with a strong work ethic who can be reliable.”

White says businesses like large meat processors have struggled to find employees, pushing them towards automation to fill those jobs. He says the COVID-19 pandemic has sped up that process.

The study can be found at MU Extension’s website.

By Will Robinson of Brownfield Ag News

Better Business Bureau has online safety reminder for Missouri parents with kids learning online

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Most Missouri students are back to school and some are settling in for distance learning amid COVID-19. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is cautioning about a different virus–the kind that can impact your home computer. The Bureau’s Bao Vang says the same phishing scams that parents deal with can be sent to our kids.

Better Business Bureau has online safety reminder for Missouri parents with kids learning online

“Online learning will play a big role this year as we all adjust to the new normal. BBB urges parents to watch of risks to your child’s online safety and it’s just a few simple steps to keep them safe online so they can avoid being easy targets for online fraud,” says Vang.

She recommends parents use parental controls if necessary, especially for young kids.

“Because our children are inexperienced and they may not be educated in scam prevention, we have to help our children understand that there some bad people out there with bad intentions, and they’re going to do some bad things to get our personal information to steal our money,” she says.

Vang says parents should remind their kids not to click on spam and junk mail. She encourages parents to know what their children are doing online–and to keep track of social media sites and accounts.

By Scott Peterson of Minnesota News Network

Survey shows economy improving in Missouri and Midwest

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The economic picture is brightening for both Missouri and the Midwest. Creighton University’s August survey of supply managers and business leaders across the nine-state region finds the financial situation slowly improving.

Dr. Ernie Goss

Economist Ernie Goss of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska says the survey’s leading economic indicator for the region climbed.

“The index from that survey rose to its highest level in two years. In fact, it was well above growth neutral at 60.0 and that’s up from July’s number of 57.4,” Goss says, “so it was a good reading.”

Goss says the survey found manufacturing is steadily picking up, but still has not fully recovered from the downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Even despite the increases that we’ve seen over the last couple of months, we’re still below levels of production and overall economic activity in the regional manufacturing sector,” Goss says. “We’re still not back to pre-COVID levels but we’re moving in the right direction.”

The unemployment rate for the nine-state region hit a high of 9.7% in May and has fallen in the new August survey to 5.8%, but Goss says there’s still trouble with hiring.

“Four out of five of the manufacturers reported finding and hiring qualified workers restrains growth in the region in their companies,” Goss says. “Even despite the higher levels of unemployment, we’re still seeing companies having difficulties finding and hiring those qualified workers to fill open positions.”

A report from the U.S. Bureau Labor Statistics says the region has lost about one-million jobs since the onset of COVID-19, for a 7.3% decline.

By Matt Kelley of Radio Iowa

Missouri Education Board President pleased with school preparation

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Many Missouri schools have kicked off fall classes and others will soon start. Missouri Board of Education President Charlie Shields says board members have been impressed with the plans schools have made to reopen this fall amid a pandemic.

Missouri Education Board President pleased with school preparation

“The thing that we have been impressed with is the local schools, the school boards and the educators, have been very thoughtful in how they’re doing this and they’ve spent a lot of time over the summer trying to figure out how to do this and I think you’re going to see some of them, if not most of them, be very successful,” Shields tells KFEQ in St. Joseph.

Shields says the methods local school districts have adopted range widely with many rural districts simply going back to the classroom while a few urban districts open only online. Most Missouri districts are in between, blending both classroom instruction with virtual learning.

Missouri more than 500 public school districts.

Shields says with most districts are incorporating some online learning at home, he doesn’t see such so-called virtual learning going away.

“But I think you will not see the genie put back in the bottle when it comes to virtual learning. I think that’s the thing that’s going to be here to stay,” Shields says. “I think parents embrace it, I think students embrace it, and I think some educators embrace it as a great way to teach.”

Shields says school districts across Missouri have taken their responsibility during the coronavirus pandemic seriously.

“What I have seen from educators and school districts is a lot of creativity. I think they’ve spent a lot of time in the summer trying to get ready for this,” Shields says. “I think things obviously can change along the way, but I think they’ve done a great job. They’re ready. And we’re going to see it work and I think for the most part we’re going to see them be effective.”

Shields says the Missouri State Board of Education agrees with the American Academy of Pediatrics that it is very important school children return to school, not just to further their education, but for their overall well-being.

By Brent Martin of Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph

SBA disaster loans available to Missourians impacted by severe storms July 19 and 20

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From the SBA:

Low-interest federal disaster loans are available to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters whose property was damaged or destroyed by severe storms, flooding and flash flooding that occurred July 19-20, 2020.

The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Andrew, Boone, Buchanan, Callaway, Clinton, Cole, DeKalb, Miller, Moniteau, Osage and Platte counties in Missouri.

Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans for working capital needs caused by the disaster, regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

 

Southeast Missouri getting $3 million in CARES Act funding to expand rural broadband

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing nearly $3 million in the expansion of rural broadband internet service to southeast Missouri. During a Zoom call Wednesday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Senator Roy Blunt and Missouri Ag Director Chris Chinn announced the federal CARES Act funds are going to Big River Communications for the expansion.

Southeast Missouri getting $3 million in CARES Act funding to expand rural broadband

Chad Rupe, the USDA’s administrator for rural utilities service, says the funding will provide broadband to thousands of Missourians.

“Big River Communications is receiving a $2.9 million award to lay over 53 miles of high-speed fiber broadband to connect 4,839 people,” he says.

Perdue says the funding will help to sustain rural communities.

“We’ve got some wonderful communities out hear in which many people love to live but if they’re disadvantaged and cannot connect to the global marketplace, that’s a real disadvantage,” says Perdue.

Chinn says the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s goal is to have 90% broadband coverage in the state by 2025 and the CARES Act funding will help to speed up the timeline.

Construction is set to start next month, and the first availability of the new broadband is expected by the end of the year.

By Will Robinson of Brownfield Ag News

Business picks up at Missouri’s 13 casinos since reopening in June

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Operations at Missouri’s 13 casinos are getting back to normal, at least as normal as they can be during the ongoing spread of COVID-19. Due to the pandemic, they were closed from mid-March through May 31.

Business picks up at Missouri’s 13 casinos since reopening in June

St. Jo Frontier Casino officials in northwest Missouri has welcomed its customers back, while working to maintain safe conditions both for the slots players and its workers. It allows staggered entry. Meals are being offered once again, but no buffet.

Roxanne Miller with the casino tells Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph that customers have returned to play and to eat.

“We’ve pivoted with the times and we’re doing new things to keep the property clean,” she says. “We’re just are making adjustments as we move forward just like any company.”

Chef Victor Luna says it appears customers are becoming more comfortable with dining at the casino.

“The beginning was quite challenging because people were not very comfortable coming in in a restaurant setting,” he says. “But as they progressed and see how we take care of the customers when they come in, they feel more confident coming in. And now they are getting a little more comfortable in coming in, and sitting down, and seeing what we’re doing.”

Luna says his employees have been trained well on how best to sanitize the kitchen each day with tables kept separate to maintain social distance.

“And so far right now, the feeling that I get from our employees and customers is that we are doing the right thing to keep everybody safe,” he says.

Casinos can also be found in St. Charles, St. Louis, Kansas City, central Missouri’s Boonville, southeast Missouri’s Caruthersville and Cape Girardeau and La Grange in northeast Missouri.

Brent Martin of Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph contributed to this story.

Earlier stories:

Missouri Gaming Commission to allow casinos to reopen Monday  https://wp.me/p16gMv-wAc

Missouri’s casinos to remain closed through May 31  https://wp.me/p16gMv-wwM

Missouri’s casinos to temporarily close  https://wp.me/p16gMv-win

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