Business Archives - Missourinet

Lone grocery store in southern Missouri town, struck by May tornado, reopens

October 20, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A small southern Missouri town whose only grocery store was struck by a May tornado has good news.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield issued a tornado warning for Hartville on May 21, 2019. They issued seven other tornado warnings that day as well (file May 21, 2019 map courtesy of NWS Springfield Twitter}

Hartville’s Town and Country Supermarket re-opened on Thursday, almost five months after taking a direct hit from the May 21 tornado. The storm caused the grocery store’s ceiling to cave in and windows to blow out.

Hartville is about an hour east of Springfield. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield issued eight tornado warnings that day.

State Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, whose district covers Wright and Webster counties, says the grocery store’s re-opening is crucial to her constituents in Hartville, especially elderly residents and those without transportation. Kelly tells Missourinet residents have had to drive 45 minutes to Lebanon or 40 minutes to Mountain Grove to get to another grocery store.

Hartville has about 600 residents. There were no fatalities nor serious injuries in the May tornado.

Kelly has credited the Town and Country Supermarket’s manager for saving lives during the tornado, by huddling everyone inside the freezer. Manager Josh Dugger told Missourinet Springfield television partner KOLR-10 in May that 25 employees and customers went inside the produce cooler to wait out the storm. He said the storm “popped all our ears.”

The May 21st tornado also caused damage outside the Wright County Courthouse, where people huddled inside the basement during the storm.

State program aims to help Missourians with disabilities save without fear of losing federal benefits

October 18, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

The state manages about 1,100 accounts for Missourians with disabilities and their families to save money and invest, tax-free. The MO ABLE program is one of the largest of its kind in the country. State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick’s office oversees the program, which allow users to save without fear of losing their federal needs-based benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income.

Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick (Photos courtesy of the Treasurer’s Office)

Fitzpatrick tells Missourinet MO ABLE works like a college savings account or a 401K. He says says Missourians with disabilities can be very valuable in the workplace.

“ABLE is kind of a financial tool that allows some people that may not work because of fear of having assets and those assets causing them to lose access to benefits like Medicaid and SSI. ABLE is a program that lets people establish an account to save for the future and the money that goes into that account is not part of the asset test that is done to determine whether or not somebody is eligible for those federal benefits,” says Fitzpatrick.

He says the government-sanctioned accounts can be used for saving but it also can be used like a checking account. A loadable debit card can be attached to the account. Qualified expenses must improve the quality of life, independence or help to provide care for the individual with a disability.

“I mean it can be used on housing. It can be used on transportation. It can be used on education. It can be used on personal care assistance,” says Fitzpatrick. “It can be used on just a huge variety of things. The things we use as an example of like what is not a qualified expense would be like going to the casino and gambling with it or going to the liquor store and buying alcohol.”

The program gives account holders a tax deduction when money is deposited – up to $15,000.

“Those contributions, for whoever contributed to them, would reduce their Missouri taxable income up to that 15,000 dollars that they put into that account,” he says. “So, it would reduce their tax bill basically by their marginal rate times the contribution.”

Fitzpatrick, who previously served as the Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman, is also encouraging Missouri businesses to add payroll deductions for MO ABLE accounts to company benefits packages.

To learn more about MO ABLE, click here.

St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Springfield mayors to discuss crime with Governor Parson

October 17, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The mayors of four large Missouri cities will be in southwest Missouri’s Springfield on Friday morning to have a closed-door meeting with Governor Mike Parson about crime and violence in their communities.

State Rep. Richard Brown, D-Kansas City, briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on September 10, 2019. House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, is at right (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Governor Parson (R) will meet with Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson and Columbia Mayor Brian Treece. They’ll meet Friday morning from 10:30 until 11:15, and then they’re expected to come out of the meeting and address reporters.

U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison has told Missourinet that Missouri has three of the top 15 most violent cities in the nation, on a per capita basis. Those three cities are St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield. Garrison told that to then White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly last July, and Garrison says Kelly was “floored.”

Governor Parson told Capitol reporters in September that the violent crime issue will take a coordinated effort among federal, state and community leaders.

“This will never be fixed by one agency. It won’t. It’s going to take a lot of people a long time to try to fix this problem,” Parson said that day.

Kansas City Police say there have been 118 homicides in 2019, and five of them were children.

During last month’s special session, State Rep. Richard Brown, D-Kansas City, told Capitol reporters that the time for action is now, adding that God wants state lawmakers to take action instead of praying.

“In Kansas City in the month of August, we had a double homicide in the Power and Light district. A patron was shot and killed in the 18th and Vine Jazz District,” Brown said in September. He’s the ranking Democrat on the Missouri House Special Committee on Tourism, and says violent crime is hurting business in Kansas City.

During the special session, State Sen. Jamiliah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, noted at least 13 children have been killed in St. Louis city shootings in 2019. Senator Nasheed has called on the Senate to hold a hearing in St. Louis, where the parents of murdered children can testify. Nasheed has described the gun violence in her hometown as an epidemic.

In mid-Missouri’s Columbia, there were five murders during the month of September.

Missourinet Springfield affiliate KSGF will be outside of Friday morning’s meeting, and will talk to participants as they come out.

Parson calls youth vaping figures an ‘epidemic’; orders campaign about youth vaping dangers

October 15, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

The governor has signed an executive order today requiring three state agencies to develop a public service campaign about the dangers of vaping among youth. During a press conference at the Missouri Capitol, Gov. Mike Parson calls youth vaping an epidemic. He points to data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey that says the use of vaping devices among high school students increasing by 80% nationally from 2017-18.

Gov. Parson at podium speaking to reporters during a Missouri Capitol press conference on Oct. 15, 2019 (Photo courtesy of Missourinet)

“I think the whole concept of vaping was to try to keep people from smoking and I’m not sure that that’s what it’s really done,” says Parson. “I’m not sure we haven’t created more problems. I don’t know that there’s been enough research on that to have the answers to what all that affect is. We know there’s problems.”

State Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams says 23 vaping-related illnesses and one vaping related death have been reported in Missouri. Most of the cases involve patients between the ages of 15 and 24. He says Missouri’s cases reflect the national trend in the use of illegal vaping cartridges.

“If you look nationally, about 70% of those are associated with THC and illegal cartridges. The other 30% is unknown,” says Williams. “These appear to be tampered products, but that’s not to conflate that the normal products are leading to an increased risk of addiction. There are really two issues here – one is the illegal products and the other one is the ones that are legal, but we think that many parents and friends think do not hold harm and we don’t believe that to be true.”

Williams says vaping has been around for about 12 years. He’s says over the last two years, the number of young people who are vaping has doubled.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety says the state has about 6,000 retailers selling tobacco products and some of those sell vaping merchandise. Those under the age of 18 are banned from buying nicotine vaping products in Missouri.

Missouri K-12 Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven says a child’s brain develops until they are 25 years old.

“Children and adolescents who are exposed to toxins or additive drugs through vaping, risk damage to areas of the brain that specialize in attention, learning and mood – all of which play key factors in the academic and personal well-being of our students,” says Vandeven.

Will Missouri join a chorus of other entities suing e-cigarette companies? Parson says it might happen.

“I think some of the school districts have already started that from that level,” says Parson. “I would assume the state, I’m assuming there will be – just because of this issue and where it’s going. I’ll go back to what I said earlier, it’s just such an unknown right now.”

According to Chris Nuelle with the Missouri Attorney General’s office, no pending lawsuits on the issue are out there but he says nothing is off the table.

Parson also says some of the issues surrounding vaping might have to go through the legislative process, but it’s too early to tell.

The Francis Howell School District in St. Charles County has sued e-cigarette maker Juul claiming Juul Labs has harmed its students through deceptive marketing and misconduct. The district has joined several others across the country, including one near Kansas City, to sue the company.

President Donald Trump has said he plans to ban the vaping products that attract kids, including the flavored nicotine products.

Parson: rebuilding collapsed railroad bridge in north Missouri is critical (AUDIO)

October 15, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Rebuilding the heavily-traveled Norfolk Southern railroad bridge in northern Missouri’s Brunswick is a priority for Governor Mike Parson, who toured the area last week.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Missouri Basin River forecast center says backwater from flood debris caused a rail bridge to collapse in northern Missouri’s Brunswick (October 2, 2019 graphic courtesy of NWS Twitter page)

Parson says crews can’t even get to the area yet.

“We’re still just now now repairing levees from back earlier (this year), but the bridge is going to take a priority,” Parson says. “We’re going to try to get that bridge back up and running.”

The bridge washed out two weeks ago today on October 1, after a debris strike caused by heavy rainfall. Governor Parson tells Missourinet that Brunswick residents can’t catch a break.

“And we’ve been fighting this (flooding) since March 11 and still continue to fight it up there, and we’re just doing everything we can to try to help those people up there, but it’s tough right now,” says Parson.

There were no injuries in the bridge collapse.

Parson says his “heart goes out” to farmers in that area, noting that it’s been a difficult year with massive flooding. He says even when the waters recede, it will be a long way before things get back to normal.

The governor says state officials are doing everything they can to get needed resources to Brunswick, a small farming community between Carrollton and Moberly.

Governor Parson spoke to Missourinet on Friday, after a ceremony at the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) in Jefferson City. The governor reminded a Missourinet reporter that they had spoken about a drought in the Brunswick area, just one year ago.

Meantime, Norfolk Southern has suspended freight train service between Moberly and Kansas City along that route, because of the collapse.

Virginia-based Norfolk Southern operates in 22 states, including Missouri. Their website says they are “a major transporter of industrial products” like chemicals and agriculture.

Click here to listen to Governor Mike Parson speak to Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Brownfield’s Julie Harker after an October 11, 2019 ceremony at the Missouri Department of Agriculture:

Missouri’s governor to discuss vaping illnesses at Tuesday press conference

October 14, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

We will learn new details Tuesday morning in Jefferson City about Missouri’s vaping issues with young people.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson signs legislation on July 10, 2019 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s office)

Governor Mike Parson has called a Statehouse press conference for Tuesday morning at 8:30, where he will be joined by Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner Dr. Margie Vandeven and Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control State Supervisor Dottie Taylor.

Governor Parson says there have been 22 reports of vaping-related illnesses in Missouri since October 4, including one death. The majority of the illnesses involve people ages 15-24.

The DHSS announced on September 19 that a man in his 40’s died that week at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, due to an illness associated with the use of e-cigarettes. DHSS investigated and concluded that it was a vaping-related lung injury after lung samples were taken of the man, who started vaping in May.

DHSS and Mercy St. Louis say the man had no prior illness, and began vaping because of chronic pain issues. Mercy says the man’s lungs were unable to provide enough gas exchange, leading to heart failure and cardiac arrest.

There’s no word on whether the man was vaping a nicotine e-cigarette or an illegal THC cartridge.

“We are sad to report that this illness associated with vaping has now resulted in a death in Missouri and extend our condolences to his family,” DHSS Director Williams said in a September news release. “As previously stated, we encourage Missourians to follow the CDC guidance to refrain from using e-cigarette products if you are concerned about these specific health risks, especially while the investigation is ongoing.”

DHSS says the illness doesn’t spread from person to person. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. The department encourages anyone who’s concerned about their health after using e-cigarettes to call the local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.

Hundreds apply for Missouri’s new ‘Fast Track’ grant program

October 14, 2019 By Alisa Nelson

About 400 Missourians have applied so far for the state’s new Fast Track financial aid program. Fast Track is designed to fill Missouri’s greatest workforce needs by covering the full cost of schooling for adults 25 or older pursuing a certificate, an industry-recognized credential or bachelors in a high demand field.

Zora Mulligan (Photo courtesy of Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development)

The grants are being distributed beginning this month to students attending Missouri’s public colleges and universities. Missouri Higher Education and Workforce Development Director Zora Mulligan tells Missourinet funds are still available for people to apply.

“We can serve many more than 400 students. So, we are looking forward to getting lots and lots more students signed up, either for sessions that start kind of in the mid Fall or for sessions that start in January and beyond,” says Mulligan. “One of the neat things about Fast Track is that it covers a lot of programs that are not on a traditional academic calendar.”

The program’s budget this year is $5 million. Some of the industries it centers around are teaching, skilled trades, agriculture, allied health and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) related jobs.

Some of the key requirements include a maximum household income of $80,000 per year if filing taxes jointly or $40,000 annually for a single income household. Those awarded a grant must work in Missouri for three calendar years or pay interest. Fast Track is primarily for adults 25 years or older, but some provisions allow Missourians younger than 25 to get grants if they have been out of school for at least two years.

“Many, many of these are likely to be people who were not seriously considering getting a degree or certificate without this incentive,” she says. “We have a huge population in the state of Missouri – lots of smart and very capable people – but for one reason or another, they either didn’t start college or didn’t finish college when they were younger. The ability to send a message to them that the state of Missouri is willing to invest in their talent and willing to see what they can do if they get one of these degrees or certificates, I think will be an important message that will help people think maybe this is the moment.”

The program was one of Gov. Mike Parson’s priorities outlined in his January State of the State address. He also talked about the importance of Fast Track during a ceremony Friday at the Missouri Department of Agriculture headquarters in Jefferson City.

Mulligan says the program has the power to change lives, help the state and its communities.

“An adult who goes back and gets a degree or certificate that allows them to make 10 or 15,000 dollars a year more, that really has the ability to change the trajectory to change that family’s outcomes,” she says. “It’s also important to take a step back and think about what it means for the state overall in terms of general revenue. Each of those people who’s earning a higher salary is paying more taxes, which goes back into the state general revenue. I think it’s a win from both perspectives.”

Mulligan says the program is also valuable from a community perspective.

“One of the things that you hear when you visit with people around the state is that either there aren’t options for their young people there locally or they’re afraid that if young people leave to go get an education, they won’t come back. Many, many of these programs are offered in rural communities around the state,” she says. “People will have an opportunity to stay in their community, to work in the community and help make sure that it remains vibrant.”

Mulligan’s department is asking for about $19 million next fiscal year to fund the program and include Missouri’s private colleges and universities.

“It’s a substantial investment but it reflects the power of a degree or certificate to the individual who earns it as well as the severity of the workforce needs that our employers around the state face,” she says.

For more information about Fast Track, click here.

Most government offices are closed in Missouri for Columbus Day

October 13, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Monday is Columbus Day, which is a federal, Missouri and county holiday.

Seal of Missouri

It’s one of ten federal holidays and is one of 12 Missouri state holidays. It celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492.

Most federal, state and county offices will be closed on Monday, with the exception of emergency services such as the Missouri State Highway Patrol and county sheriff’s departments. County and federal courthouses are closed, and there will be no regular mail delivery.

Most banks and financial institutions will also be closed.

Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation into law in 1934, making Columbus Day a federal holiday. It’s been observed on the second Monday in October, since 1970.

Illegal gambling complaints in Missouri have almost quadrupled in one year

October 11, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri State Highway Patrol testified Thursday in Jefferson City that the number of complaints it’s received about illegal gambling has increased from 39 in 2018 to 145 so far this year.

Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Gaming Chairman Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, speaks during a hearing on August 22, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Most of those complaints are about alleged illegal slot machines. Highway Patrol Lieutenant Roger Phillips tells state lawmakers the Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) only has two full-time investigators to handle these complaints.

“In recent months, we’ve had such a volume of complaints that we’ve had to pull investigators from other assigned duties to come and help investigate these complaints,” Phillips testifies.

The Patrol’s DDCC is the Patrol’s criminal investigation bureau’s investigative branch. Phillips testified Thursday before the House Special Interim Committee on Gaming.

Alleged illegal slots can be found in bars, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores.

The Missouri Prosecutors Association also testified at Thursday’s hearing. Prosecutors Association legal counsel Steve Sokoloff says the first criminal case in the state involving alleged illegal slots will go to trial in December in western Missouri’s Platte County.

“I think everybody is waiting to see once there’s a definitive statement I think you’ll find that there will be a lot more willingness to prosecute those cases,” says Sokoloff.

House Special Interim Committee on Gaming Chairman Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, predicts the alleged illegal slot machine issue will end up at the Missouri Supreme Court. Representative Shaul tells Mr. Sokoloff that whichever side loses the Platte County case will appeal.

“It’s a good chance it’s going to end up over here (across the street at the Missouri Supreme Court in Jefferson City). There’s enough money on each side of this argument,” Shaul tells Sokoloff.

“They’re going to try anyway, let’s put it that way,” Sokoloff responds.

“Either side, win or lose, they’re both,” Shaul says. “Right,” Sokoloff responds.

Sokoloff tells lawmakers that all gambling is illegal in Missouri by the Constitution, unless specifically provided for.

State Rep. Jeff Shawan, R-Poplar Bluff, says prosecutors in his southeast Missouri district are dealing with more important violent crime issues than slot machines.

The Missouri Gaming Association describes the slot machines in gas stations and truck stops as illegal, adding that they bypass Missouri voters. The Gaming Association opposes legalizing the video lottery terminals, saying Missouri casinos generated $370 million in state tax revenue in 2018.

The Missouri Gaming Commission has testified that any illegal gaming machines used in Missouri negatively impact casinos and the state Lottery, reducing taxes and funding for education and veterans.

The House committee’s next hearing will be its fourth, and is scheduled for October 24 at the Statehouse. It will be on sports betting.

Thursday’s Missouri House hearing on alleged illegal slots expected to draw crowd

October 9, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Prosecutors Association will testify Thursday in Jefferson City before a House gaming committee investigating the issue of alleged illegal slot machines.

State Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, speaks at the August 22, 2019 Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Gaming hearing. State Rep. Robert Ross, R-Yukon, is behind him. (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

A large crowd is expected to attend the House Special Interim Committee on Gaming hearing, which begins at noon at the Statehouse.

The committee will hear testimony from Missouri State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Justin McCullough and from Missouri Prosecutors Association legal counsel Steve Sokoloff.

During the committee’s last hearing in September, Missouri Lottery Executive Director May Scheve Reardon testified that illegal slot machines are hurting public education in the Show-Me State. She says the I-44 corridor has many of them, and told lawmakers about one Lottery sales representative whose territory goes from St. James to Lebanon.

“Down that I-44 corridor in six months, her route alone was down $800,000. That’s an estimated $3.2 million sales lost for six months,” Scheve Reardon testified on September 5.

Alleged illegal slot machines can be found in bars, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores.

Committee Chairman Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, tells Missourinet that illegal slot machines cost Missouri education at least $50 million last year. He says the illegal machines “are everywhere” in the state and in his district in eastern Missouri’s Jefferson County.

“But I think what we have to worry about is not what happened last year, it’s what’s going to happen next year because this is not a plateau. We are going to continue to see the loss,” Chairman Shaul told Missourinet after the September hearing.

Missouri Gaming Commission Executive Director David Grothaus testified in August that any illegal gaming machines used in Missouri negatively impact casinos and the state Lottery, reducing taxes and funding for education and veterans. Grothaus has called for the state to develop a coordinated effort to stop illegal slot machines.

Grothaus notes there’s one pending criminal case in western Missouri’s Platte County, in the Kansas City area.

Thursday is also your first opportunity to testify before the committee, and House officials have encouraged those who want to testify to call ahead. The hearing is expected to last for two to three hours.

Anyone who wants to testify Thursday should call E.J. Fleischmann in Chairman Shaul’s office. That number is (573) 751-2504.