Missourinet

Your source for Missouri News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for Health / Medicine

Missouri’s governor signs major foster care legislation into law (AUDIO)

By

Bipartisan legislation that aims to modernize Missouri’s foster care system and provides Medicaid coverage to homeless children was signed into law Monday by the governor in Jefferson City.

State Rep. Sheila Solon, R-St. Joseph, testifies before a Missouri House committee in Jefferson City on January 28, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Sheila Solon, R-St. Joseph, who chairs the House Children and Families Committee, says it’s one of the most important bills she’s passed in her eight years in Jefferson City. She’s leaving the House in December, due to term limits.

“It’s going to help children all over the state of Missouri and especially it’s going to help foster children, who are the responsibility of all of us,” Solon says.

The Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) says there were 14,043 foster care children in Missouri as of May.

Solon’s bill aims to reform Missouri’s foster care system, by requiring the creation of a response team that will review the practices of the state Children’s Division and any contractors. The Children’s Division, which is part of DSS, is responsible for the administration of child welfare services.

Chairwoman Solon tells Missourinet that the response team is a key component of her bill.

“Some of the shortcomings, and not just our foster care system here in Missouri but all across the country is a lack of transparency, a lack of sharing data and the lack of sharing information when it comes to foster children,” says Solon.

Under House Bill 1414, the new response team must meet for the first time before January 1, 2021.

Solon says her legislation improves transparency in the foster care system, and ensures that it remains focused on the best interests of each child.

Missouri’s homeless youth will be covered by Medicaid and will have access to a free birth certificate, under the 58-page bill.

“Those two provisions, believe it or not, were not as difficult as the third provision, which allows homeless youth to contract for mental health services,” Solon says.

The bill also ensures that foster parents have access to full medical records of a child placed with them, at the time of placement.

The Missouri House approved the legislation by a bipartisan 144-3 vote. Solon credits State Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville, for getting the bill through the Senate, where it also had bipartisan support.

Craig Stevenson, the policy director of “Kids Win Missouri,” also praises the bill.

“The passage of this bill is the work of passionate policymakers and it will positively impact children of all ages,” Stevenson says, in a statement.

The new law will take effect on August 28.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Sheila Solon, R-St. Joseph, which was recorded on July 13, 2020:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

MoDOT: I-44 rest areas at southwest Missouri’s Conway to re-open this weekend, following deep cleaning

By

State transportation officials say heavily-used rest areas on I-44 in southwest Missouri’s Conway are temporarily closed, after a cleaning contractor tested positive for COVID-19.

A deep cleaning is underway at both the eastbound and westbound rest areas at Conway, which is a town of about 800 residents. Conway is about 40 miles northeast of Springfield and about 15 miles southwest of Lebanon.

Thousands of truckers use those rest areas each month, while hauling freight across the country.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) says an employee with the company that cleans Missouri’s welcome centers and rest areas has tested positive for the coronavirus. That employee recently cleaned the Conway rest areas.

MoDOT says the company that cleans Missouri’s rest areas and welcome centers, DBi, notified the agency about the positive test on Thursday. MoDOT immediately closed both the eastbound and westbound rest areas at Conway.

MoDOT says the westbound rest area is being cleaned and disinfected first, and is set to reopen on Saturday. Once it opens, the eastbound rest area will be cleaned and disinfected, and should reopen on Sunday. State officials say the welcome centers are being cleaned following CDC guidance, and that the deep cleaning is being performed at no cost to MoDOT.

Parking is still available at both rest areas, and DBi has also installed portable toilets at both locations.

MoDOT says Missouri maintains eight welcome centers, 14 rest areas and 23 truck-only parking sites on seven interstates across the state.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

State answers frequently asked questions about Missouri school reopening

By

The Missouri Departments of Health and Senior Services and Elementary and Secondary Education are answering frequently asked health questions about schools reopening next month. The information is designed to help schools navigate during the COVID-19 era.

State answers frequently asked questions about Missouri school reopening

It includes details about screening, assigned seating, desk placement, requiring hand washing before and after students move from one space to another and loading buses appropriately. The guidance urges schools to keep kids in the same group of students and adults throughout the day, including during P.E., recess, lunch and music classes.

During a Capitol press conference Thursday, Gov. Mike Parson says schools should do whatever they can to get schools open again and students back in class.

“I talked to some of the school administrators, the teachers, the students. I don’t think there’s any question in the state of Missouri – we’ve got to get the schools opened back up and we’ve got to get the kids back to school. There’s a lot of things that occur by not having them in school that can be far worse than going in there and fighting a virus,” says Parson.

The five pages of answers can be found on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website and will be updated with other topics. Click here to view the information.

In May, representatives from DHSS and DESE worked with the Missouri School Boards’ Association to publish the Pandemic Recovery Consideration: Re-Entry and Reopening of Schools, a 110-page guide with more thorough information to help school leaders develop plans for returning to onsite teaching and learning.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

State health officials sending staff to northern Missouri’s Macon, following church revival

By

(Reporter Scott Lunte from Missourinet Moberly affiliate KWIX contributed to this story)

Health officials in northern Missouri’s Macon County say a church revival last week has now led to 21 confirmed coronavirus cases.

State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on July 9, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

During a media briefing with Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on Thursday, state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams told Missourinet the revival took place in Macon, which is a town of about 5,000 residents.

“There was a revival over about four days, probably involved around 100 people, 150. Came in from different counties,” Dr. Williams says.

Missourinet Moberly affiliate KWIX (AM 1230) reports 18 of the 21 cases involve Macon County residents, while three are from nearby Adair County. That’s in the Kirksville area.

DHSS is sending staff from Jefferson City to Macon, to assist health officials there with COVID-19 testing. Dr. Williams says Macon County needs help with testing.

“I think the way we’re probably leaning on that is with our Abbott machines that we have, we can go up there and do point of care testing immediately, and I think that’s the way our staff was going,” says Williams.

He also praises the job that Macon’s Samaritan Hospital is doing.

KWIX reports the revival was held from June 28 through July 1 at Macon’s Open Arms Baptist Church. The revival involved churches from both inside and outside Macon County.

County health officials are urging anyone who attended the revival to self-quarantine until July 15.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Trump threatens to cut federal funding to schools; Parson says kids need to get back to school

By

President Donald Trump is threatening to cut federal funding to schools that do not reopen their doors this fall. On Twitter, he says several other countries have reopened schools with no problems. During a meeting with education leaders in Washington, D.C., Trump says he is going to “put a lot of pressure on governors” to get schools back open again.

Mike Parson and K-12 Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven have been meeting this week with leaders in Washington, D.C. to discuss ways to help protect students, workers and their families from COVID-19. Each person at the table said a few words.

Photos courtesy of governor’s Twitter page

“He can put a little pressure on you if he decides to do that – I will say that,” says Parson. “So, sometimes we all need a little push to get things going.”

The governor says safely reopening Missouri schools is necessary to continue providing resources to at-risk students.

“I set there and I think of all the kids that need to be in school,” says Parson. “There’s the ones that have the privilege of going every day. That’s almost common that we go to school for most of the school kids, but a lot of school kids it’s a safety blanket. It’s a way to get nutrition. It’s a way to get counseling. It’s a way for somebody to help them when they cry out for help. This virus cannot shut our country down and our states down. We have to deal with it as we would anything else that we have dealt with in this country. We have to move forward and the economy and life goes on. Education is part of who we are and kids need to get back in school. Parents need to get more involved in their schools and be back involved in their schools, as I heard speakers today speak. It’s part of — it’s part of who we are. It’s how we build a future, and I think that’s so important.”

A U.S. House Appropriations Committee spokesperson tells Politico that Trump does not have the authority to withhold federal funding.

Most of Missouri’s K through 12 education is funded at the state and local levels.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Medicaid expansion is top priority for Missouri Democratic Party’s new acting chair (AUDIO)

By

The Missouri Democratic Party’s new acting chair is focusing on the August Medicaid expansion ballot measure and the November elections.

Former State Rep. Clem Smith, D-Velda Village Hills, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on May 18, 2018 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Former State Rep. Clem Smith, D-Velda Village Hills, was elected to the Missouri House in 2010. He served eight years in the House, from 2011-2018, before being forced out by term limits. Smith became acting chair of the party on Thursday.

He says access to health care is critical. He’s pushing for Amendment Two, which will be on your August 4th ballot.

“We believe the state has an appetite for it (Medicaid expansion),” Smith says. “I think the governor saw that too. We saw some jockeying of dates for that ballot initiative being moved to August.”

Medicaid, which is officially known as MO HealthNet, is a federal and state program that assists with medical costs for residents who have limited incomes.

Medicaid expansion supporters, including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, say it will create more than 16,000 new jobs annually during its first five years. Supporters also predict it will increase personal income by $1.1 billion annually.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, opposes Medicaid expansion, saying it would take dollars out of the classroom. He notes it requires a ten percent match, for the 90 percent draw down. House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, says Medicaid expansion will blow a hole in the state operating budget.

As for Clem Smith, he’s confident that Missourians will approve Medicaid expansion at the ballot box next month. He says some GOP lawmakers who oppose Medicaid expansion also supported right-to-work, which Missourians rejected during a 2018 referendum.

“We saw that with the right-to-work that went through (signed into law by then-Governor Eric Greitens in 2017),” says Smith. “The people came and spoke and said we don’t want that, after members of the Legislature voted for it.”

67 percent of Missourians voted against right-to-work, at the August 2018 referendum.

Smith is also focusing on the November elections. He’s hopeful former Vice President Joe Biden (D) will carry Missouri this fall. The last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Missouri was Bill Clinton, who won here in both 1992 and 1996.

Smith is also focusing on the gubernatorial race and the statewide races. State Auditor Nicole Galloway, the presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee, is currently the only Democratic statewide officeholder. Smith also wants to see Democrats pick up seats in the Missouri Senate and Missouri House.

Republicans currently have supermajorities in both chambers. They control the Senate 23-8, with three vacancies. The GOP controls the House 113-48, with two vacancies.

Smith is also encouraging residents to fill out the U.S. Census, which takes place every ten years. He tells Missourinet the census is a nonpartisan issue.

“That’s very important because that determines the federal dollars that are coming into our state, how they’re allocated,” Smith says.

Each year, billions of dollars in federal funding goes to hospitals, fire departments and schools based on census data. The Census results also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Missouri now has eight House seats, and has lost two since 1980. That happened in 1981 and again in 2011, when the districts of then U.S. Reps. Wendell Bailey, R-Willow Springs, and Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, disappeared.

Smith replaces former Missouri Democratic Party Chair Jean Peters Baker, who is the Jackson County Prosecutor.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Missouri Democratic Party acting chair Clem Smith, D-Velda Village Hills. It was recorded on July 6, 2020:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Funeral today for eastern Missouri firefighter who died in the line of duty

By

American and state flags at every Missouri fire house will be flown at half-staff on Wednesday to honor a firefighter from eastern Missouri’s DeSoto who died in the line of duty, two days after battling a structure fire.

Flags flying at half-staff

DeSoto, a town of about 6,300, is located in Jefferson County. In addition to the order involving fire houses, Governor Mike Parson has also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all government buildings Wednesday in Jefferson County, in honor of DeSoto Rural Fire Protection District Fire Marshal/Lieutenant Ronald Wehlage Jr.

The governor’s office says the 40-year-old Wehlage battled a structure fire on June 28 and died two days later, following a medical emergency. His death is considered to be in the line of duty, according to the governor.

“At an early age, Ronald Wehlage chose a career path based on service to others,” Governor Parson says, in a statement. “He was committed to protecting others, educating residents and children about the importance of fire safety, and improving the lives of the people he served. Lieutenant Wehlage will be remembered for his devotion to ensuring the people of the DeSoto Rural Fire Protection were safe and secure.”

As fire marshal, Mr. Wehlage was responsible for the district’s fire safety education.

The funeral will take place on Wednesday, and the governor has also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on Wednesday at the Fire Fighters Memorial in mid-Missouri’s Kingdom City.

Our Missourinet Festus affiliate KJFF reports DeSoto Rural held an apparatus procession tonight, in honor of Lt. Wehlage. It took place during visitation outside Mahn Funeral Home in DeSoto.

Mr. Wehlage became a full-time firefighter with the DeSoto district in 2004.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Justin Boots factories closing in southwest Missouri

By

Two of the largest manufacturers in southwest Missouri’s Cassville and Carthage are closing. The Justin Boots factories are closing there – putting a total of nearly 300 workers out of jobs. Many of the employees had been furloughed since March due to COVID-19.

Justin Boots factories closing in southwest Missouri

A spokesperson tells Missourinet affiliate KSGF in Springfield the Justin Boots outlet stores in Monett and Joplin will remain open.

A statement from the Fort Worth, Texas-based company says the closures were a difficult decision brought about by unprecedented times.

“Unfortunately, the economic reality has forced us to make hard decisions that are necessary to sustain the legacy of our brands long into the future. We recognize the skill that has gone into the footwear produced in Missouri over the years, which is why we have asked our Missouri workers to consider the possibility of relocating to one of our other factories. Making high quality boots is an art, and we value their skills, loyalty, and dedication.”

The American western boot company has been around since 1879 and is owned by Berkshire Hathaway.

Missouri’s governor to call special legislative session about violent crime (AUDIO)

By

Missouri’s governor confirms he plans to call a special session later this year, to address violent crime in the state. Governor Mike Parson (R) made his comments Monday at the Statehouse in Jefferson City, in response to a question from Missourinet.

Missouri Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe (right) applauds as Governor Mike Parson delivers his State of the State Address on January 15, 2020 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The governor says it’s a critical issue.

“I think I’ve talked to most of the mayors for weeks now, about the issue of crime,” Parson says.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is asking the governor to call a special session about crime, saying his city is at a “crisis point”. There have been at least 101 homicides in Kansas City this year, and the “Kansas City Star” reports 2020 is on pace to be the city’s deadliest year on record.

Across the state in St. Louis City, Missourinet contributor Jill Enders reports 24 people were shot over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, seven of them fatally. One of them was a four-year-old boy.

The governor says he had a good phone conversation this weekend with Kansas City’s mayor.

“We talked about some of the officer shootings they’ve had, more on the violent crime side,” says Parson. “I emphasized to him I thought through the legislative process last year we should have got some key elements done. He agreed that that should have been done.”

Mayor Lucas notes two Kansas City Police officers were shot last week. He also says criminals shot into an apartment building last week, killing a four-year-old sleeping inside.

Mayor Lucas wants to see funding increased for witness protection, and wants more tools for law enforcement to be able to interrupt conspiracies to commit murder.

It’s unclear when the special session will start.

One of the key proposals in Governor Parson’s January State of the State Address was about $1 million in funding for witness protection, in an effort to battle increasing violence in urban cities.

Despite bipartisan support in both chambers, the measure did not pass.

State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, is a strong supporter of witness protection, telling Missourinet at the January State of the State that witnesses fear retribution.

“I hear law enforcement say that very thing that there are people that they know that know who these individuals are that are committing these crimes but they’re scared to death to come forward because they don’t want to be the next victim,” Basye said that day.

Mayor Lucas, Kansas City Police Chief Richard Smith, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, St. Louis Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones were special guests at the January State of the State Address.

There were 194 homicides in St. Louis and 148 in Kansas City in 2019.

Click here to listen to Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s response to Brian Hauswirth’s question about a special session on violent crime, and about the governor’s phone conversation this weekend with Kansas City’s Mayor:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Beef plant that opened in March in western Missouri now has 175 employees

By

A veteran Missouri lawmaker who serves on the House Agriculture Policy Committee says the newest modern beef processing plant built in the United States now has about 175 employees in western Missouri’s Lone Jack.

The Republic Foods beef facility is located in far western Missouri’s Lone Jack, a town of about 1,000 residents (June 2020 photo courtesy of Rep. Warren Love)

Lone Jack is a small town of about 1,000, and is southeast of Lee’s Summit. It’s located in Jackson County.

State Rep. Warren Love, R-Osceola, tells Missourinet that Republic Foods started operating the plant in March. He says it is processing about 250 head of beef cows per day. Missourinet contacted the company, which confirms the numbers provided by Love.

“These are what you call hamburger cows,” Love says. “They come in, they’re completely deboned, the meat is, then it’s processed into hamburger. They call it lean-trim.”

Love says about 75 percent of the cows are purchased in Missouri.

Love and other state lawmakers toured the plant in June, and were joined by representatives of the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA). Love says the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association and Missouri Farm Bureau also participated in the tour.

“I think there were eight legislators, seven of them from the House, all serve on the Ag (House Agriculture Policy) Committee,” says Love. “And then we had one senator, Senator Justin Brown from Rolla.”

Senator Brown co-chairs the Joint Committee on Agriculture.

Love, who’s finishing his eighth and final year in the House because of term limits, is a member of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. He says it’s possible that the Lone Jack plant could receive some of the $20 million in assistance appropriated by the Legislature this year for meat processors dealing with COVID-19.

The $20 million is for plants with less than 200 employees. It’s designed for support, workforce assistance, equipment and capital improvements.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and State Rep. Warren Love, R-Osceola, which was recorded in June 2020:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet