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Missouri launches coronavirus information hotline

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The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has activated a statewide public hotline for citizens or providers needing guidance regarding the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. The hotline opened and can be reached at 877-435-8411. It is being operated by medical professionals and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Missouri launches coronavirus information hotline

“Communication is vital to our response to this rapidly-evolving situation,” says Dr. Randall Williams, director of DHSS. “For several weeks, our COVID-19 webpage has been and continues to be a great resource for the public, but having the hotline as an additional resource will likely be invaluable as citizens seek guidance for their concerns.”

To date, 46 patients in Missouri have been tested for the virus; one of those has tested positive. DHSS says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed the case. A St. Louis County woman in her 20s who returned last week from studying abroad in Italy tested positive.

“For those who may be at risk for COVID-19, we encourage them to utilize this hotline or call their health care provider or local public health agency to inform them of their travel history and symptoms. They’ll be instructed on how to receive care without exposing others to the possible illness,” says Williams.

Two St. Louis area schools have been closed this week in connection with the confirmed case.

Suburban St. Louis company Bayer is closing its campus until further notice due to an employee under investigation for the coronavirus. The pharmaceutical and life sciences company has also closed the Creve Coeur campus of its subsidiary, The Climate Corporation.

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Missouri S & T celebrates 150th anniversary

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In 1870, legislation was signed into law creating what is now called the Missouri University of Science & Technology – making it one of the first higher education technology institutions west of the Mississippi River. Previously, the school, located in central Missouri’s Rolla, was called the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy and then the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Photos by Tom Wagner/Missouri S&T

During a celebration today at the state Capitol in Jefferson City, University of Missouri System President Mun Choi says the next 150 years will be bright and strong for Missouri S & T.

“During the past 150 years, I can’t think of a university that had more of an impact in the scientific and engineering breakthroughs that fuel the economy of Missouri and the country,” says Choi.

He cites university researchers developing many things, including TheraSphere, a radiotherapy treatment to save liver cancer patients, and ways to prevent and find traumatic brain injuries in America’s warfighters.

Chancellor Mohammad Dehghani says Missouri S & T is a “crown jewel of American engineering, science and education”.

“The average number of job offers that our graduates get is seven,” he says. “We have a sold out crowd of international companies that come to campus to recruit our graduates.”

Dehghani says the university’s graduates are the second-largest supplier of engineers and scientists to aerospace manufacturer Boeing’s worldwide operations and John Deer tractors.

Pictured are: Avery Welker, student representative to the University of Missouri Board of Curators; Missouri S&T Chancellor Mo Dehghani; UM System President Mun Choi; Robin Wenneker, UM System Curator designee; Missouri S&T mascot Joe Miner (Photos by Tom Wagner/Missouri S&T, Missouri S&)

Larry Gragg, a Missouri S & T history professor Emeritus, has written a book about the university’s 150-year history. Forged in Gold comes out this fall.

Gov. Mike Parson has made February 25 Missouri S & T Day. He signed a proclamation making the historic day the real deal. Missouri S & T Day at the Capitol includes displays and hands-on activities for science and history lovers, like extracting wheat germ DNA and a S & T pop-up museum.

Special guests at the Capitol event included Missouri S & T graduates State Auditor Nicole Galloway, Rolla State Senator Justin Brown, and State Representatives Jason Chipman of Steelville and Don Mayhew of Crocker.

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PDMP legislation could get final Missouri House approval on Monday

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The Missouri House is expected to give final approval to prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) legislation this week in Jefferson City, possibly as early as Monday afternoon.

State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Scott City, briefs Capitol reporters on February 13, 2020 in Jefferson City. House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, and Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann, R-O’Fallon, look on (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Missouri is the only state in the nation without a PDMP, which is an electronic database that collects data on controlled substance prescriptions within a state. State Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Scott City, the bill sponsor, says we must listen to addiction specialists and doctors.

“We have to allow our recovery people to be the ones that tell us what they need for the tools in their toolbox, not those of us in the Legislature,” Rehder tells Capitol reporters.

The House voted last week 95-56 to give initial approval to the bill. Rehder’s bill had bipartisan support, with every House Democrat voting for it, including House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield.

The debate took about five hours and was emotional at times, as Representative Rehder talked about getting her grandchild out of a meth lab. She also talked about the impact the opioid epidemic is taking on Missouri families.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, voted for Rehder’s bill, as he has every year. He’s a longtime PDMP supporter.

The 56 no votes came from Republicans, including House Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann, R-O’Fallon, and House Majority Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold.

State Rep. Justin Hill, R-Lake St. Louis, criticizes PDMP legislation on the Missouri House floor on February 12, 2020 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Rep. Justin Hill, R-Lake St. Louis, and other PDMP opponents say it would not stop illegal drug problems.

As for Rehder, she says Missouri Senate leaders would like to get it off the table earlier this session. She notes Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, and Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, back PDMP.

“I’m so hopeful that possibly it will come to the floor early (this year) in the Senate and that it will be allowed the time for a filibuster,” says Rehder.

Rehder’s 2019 bill was approved by the House on a bipartisan 103-53 vote, but it died in the Senate, primarily because of opposition from State Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, and other members of the Senate Conservative Caucus.

Hoskins, who has privacy concerns, tells Missourinet that state government databases haven’t worked in other states. He says PDMP “has a long way to go to become law.”

“I’m not in favor of passing a bill that doesn’t work just to say we’ve ‘done something.’ Simply said, state government databases have not worked well in other states that have them. I, as well as many of my Senate colleagues, have concerns about this legislation as currently drafted. The Conservative Caucus has some ideas on how to make this House bill better to protect the privacy of Missouri citizens and we look forward to working on the bill during the upcoming weeks,” Senator Hoskins said on Sunday.

Rehder disagrees with Hoskins’ privacy concerns, saying 49 other states have PDMP. She says Missouri needs to battle drug addiction problems on the front end, and that PDMP gives physicians and medical professionals easier access.

Before Thursday’s adjournment, Floor Leader Vescovo told House members to be ready for PDMP on Monday afternoon. The House gavels-in at 4 p.m.

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Mizzou esports program, among others in state, competes nationally, awards scholarships (VIDEO)

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In the first semester of its esports program, the University of Missouri brought home a national win. The school’s Rocket League video game team is the national champion and the first SEC university to join the National Association of Collegiate Esports.

“Every single school in the next 10 years is going to have a program that resembles something like what we have here and we are the innovators in this space,” says program coach and general manager Kevin Reape. “I have no doubt that this is going to be the future: football, basketball and esports.”

Reape explains that esports gamers are treated like other university athletes. Some get academic scholarships or housing and they must attend regular practice and review tape of their games as a team.

“We will have students that will graduate from here and go on and play these games professionally and we’ll have students that don’t,” he says. “But it’s no different than a traditional sport where students can go, can come here, they can have some of their college paid for because of their experience with our esports program while they are majoring in whatever they want to major in. Then they can graduate and do whatever they want to do. But esports is a way for them to connect to the community and make friends and represent the university while they are here on campus.”

And these teams represent their schools in a live arena environment with at least 20,000 people watching online.

Reape says the school is not looking for elite gamers only.

“A young kid that wants to get involved in esports at the collegiate level should focus on proper behavior when they do play, that’s important to me and every other college coach across the country. They should make sure their grades are good. I want students that are not just good enough to get accepted into Mizzou but want to come here and to accomplish great things after college as well. I want students that are driven to graduate.”

View the  University of Missouri esports program web site

See video of Mizzou esports training room

Later this month, Drury University varsity esports will co-host the Springfield Esports Festival – a tournament for competitors and casual gamers- as well as a scouting opportunity for esports programs.

According to Drury, the festival is part of a circuit of events for the Midwest Esports Conference, of which Drury is a member. The Midwest Esports Conference is the first esports specific collegiate conference of its kind and includes the University of Missouri, Wichita State University, Robert Morris University, Midland University, Grandview University, and Illinois College.

Secretary Ashcroft calls for eliminating Missouri’s presidential preference primary

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The Secretary of State wants to do away with Missouri’s presidential preference primary (PPP), saying it would save taxpayers millions of dollars.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (right) applauds First Lady Teresa Parson in the Missouri House chamber in Jefferson City on January 16, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Republican Jay Ashcroft made his comments about the PPP, while testifying last week before the House Budget Committee in Jefferson City.

“An election that has really no bearing on the presidential race,” Ashcroft testifies.

He tells Budget Committee members that Missouri is using a caucus system now, to choose delegates.

“You all know that we have a presidential primary, we spend $9.1 million of taxpayer money,” says Ashcroft. “And then we ignore the results and we have a caucus that actually chooses delegates to choose who goes to the national conventions.”

If state lawmakers approve Mr. Ashcroft’s call, it would not impact this year’s PPP, which will take place on March 10 across Missouri.

None of the Budget Committee members from either party had follow-up questions for Secretary Ashcroft, about his call.

Ashcroft says doing away with the PPP would save $9.1 million ever four years, plus interest.

Missouri’s Legislature adopted the presidential preference primary in 1986, for one PPP to be held in 1988. Some at the time said it was aimed at helping then-U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-St. Louis County, in his 1988 presidential campaign. Congressman Gephardt ended his presidential run in March 1988, and ran again and was re-elected for his congressional seat.

Missouri used caucuses in 1992 and 1996. Then in 1998, the Legislature approved a PPP with no expiration date. That was Senate Bill 709, which was signed by then-Governor Mel Carnahan.

The state has held presidential preference primaries five straight times: in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.

During his testimony, Secretary Ashcroft also emphasized the importance of technology, in his office and in libraries.

Ashcroft testifies his office is willing to absorb the cost of the Legislative Library, which is located at the State Capitol.

“It’s not a lot of money, but we would allow you (state lawmakers) to zero out the budget for the Legislative Library. We would absorb the cost of that into our own budget,” Ashcroft says.

Ashcroft wants to use his office’s technology trust fund to update the Legislative Library, which he says it not electronically cataloged. He tells lawmakers it would provide a better library experience for them and for their constituents who visit the Capitol.

Ashcroft’s technology trust fund is supported by business filing fees. He notes it funded a complete overhaul of what he calls an outdated Secretary of State’s office phone system. Ashcroft tells lawmakers that under the old phone system, it was difficult to transfer calls from St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield to the Jefferson City office. Many callers were cut off, because of the old technology.

He also testifies that filing fees collected by his office added $8.8 million to general revenue in the last fiscal year.

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Missouri gets another $61 million in federal broadband money to connect rural areas

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USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy. Photo by Jeremy Shields KKWK

Compiled from press release and on-site reports

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy joined Governor Mike Parson in Trenton, Missouri to announce another $60.9 million for high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve e-Connectivity for more than 11,000 rural households, 81 farms, 73 businesses, 16 educational facilities, 12 critical community facilities, and two health care facilities in rural Missouri. The USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program will support another five projects in Missouri:

  • Mid-States Services LLC will use a $3 million loan to provide unserved and underserved members in and around Trenton, Mo., with Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband services. This investment is expected to reach 566 households, a highway patrol office, and an elementary school.
  • Total Highspeed LLC will use a $20.1 million loan and a $20.1 million grant to build a Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to improve broadband services to families and businesses in rural Greene County. This investment is expected to reach 8,683 households, 20 pre-subscribed farms, 15 pre-subscribed businesses, eight critical community facilities, 12 educational facilities, and a health care center.
  • Gascosage Electric Cooperative, serving Camden, Maries, Miller, Phelps, and Pulaski counties, will use a $7 million loan and a $7 million grant to develop a Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network for its most rural areas. The investment is expected to reach 20 pre-subscribed farms, 20 pre-subscribed businesses, 1,177 households, and two fire protection districts.
  • Green Hills Telephone Corporation will use a $2.6 million grant to expand its Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to rural areas in Caldwell and Livingston counties. This investment is expected to reach 20 pre-subscribed farms, 20 pre-subscribed businesses, 546 households, a fire protection district and two educational facilities.
  • Marshall Municipal Utilities will use a $575,000 loan and a $575,000 grant to provide high-quality internet access to rural areas of Saline County. By expanding its current service area, an additional 21 pre-subscribed farms, 18 pre-subscribed businesses, 763 households, a private school, and a nursing home will have access to broadband.

In November of 2019, USDA awarded about $42 million to the Grand River Mutual Telephone Corporation to serve rural areas of Missouri and Southern Iowa.

Missouri U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt has pushed for broadband funding in the federal budget, supporting the $600 million for the program in 2018. The Blunt-backed FY2019 and FY2020 agriculture funding bills provided a total of $1.1 billion for the ReConnect Pilot Program.

Blunt said in a press statement, “The investment announced today marks another important step toward ending the digital divide that has left about one-third of rural Missourians without access to broadband. I’ll continue working with local, state, and federal officials to ensure every community has access to high-speed internet.”

Governor Mike Parson at the announcement in Trenton reiterated that there are ten school districts in Missouri that do not have broadband yet.

The state has given $5 million to match construction costs for broadband connections in Missouri. He has asked for another $5 million in the new state budget.

“If the rural coops can get electricity to every house in the state of Missouri, then we can get broadband to every house and every business in the state of Missouri,” he said.

Jeremy Shields of KKWK radio contributed to this report. 

 

Missouri Farm Bureau wants state’s newly-created broadband program to be permanent

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The Missouri Farm Bureau says the state’s broadband grant program should stick around. Unless the legislature takes action, the newly-created effort expires in August 2021. In 2018, state lawmakers passed legislation to create the program and in 2019, they funded the effort with $5 million.

Missouri Farm Bureau wants state’s newly-created broadband program to be permanent

The Missouri Farm Bureau’s director of public affairs and advocacy, Eric Bohl, tells Brownfield Ag News it is asking the legislature to continue to fund rural broadband in the state.

“Hopefully we’ll also be able to remove a sunset that was in that initial bill that set up the office so that that office can move forward indefinitely because it’s going to be something that we need for the indefinite future,” he says.

Bohl says the $5 million is solely for the grant program, not the office. The office is funded within the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

He says the $5 million in matching grants will lead to at least $10 million in broadband internet upgrades.

Missouri is one of the worst states in rural broadband reach. Bohl says rural broadband is critical to making farming more efficient and improving the quality of life for rural residents.

“Unfortunately, there are over a million people in rural Missouri that do not have broadband internet access and there’s only two other states that have more than a million people, and those are California and Texas,” Bohl says.

He says the lack of broadband in rural areas hinders the economic development of rural communities and makes them less attractive for younger people to return to the farm.

For internet service to be considered broadband, it must have speeds of at least 25 megabits per second download and three megabits per second upload.

Will Robinson of Brownfield Ag News contributed to this story

Missouri center unveiled to expand transportation research and development

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The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and University of Missouri System have launched a new center to expand transportation research and development. University of Missouri System President Mun Choi hopes the Missouri Center for Transportation Innovation will lead to groundbreaking innovations, like the first flight by the Wright Brothers 116 years ago.

Photo courtesy of MODOT

“Just like what they did at Kitty Hawk, we have an opportunity to use innovation to make a lasting mark in creating revolutionary transportation technologies right here in Missouri,” says Choi.

MoDOT Deputy Director Ed Hassinger says innovation is a cornerstone of the department’s work.

“When we look at doing research, we’re looking at research that’s practical, that’s implementable quickly and that the citizens of Missouri can get the value out of very quickly,” says Hassinger. “The research that we do on things like pavement life and making bridges last longer is vitally important for us to be able to even survive with the level of funding we have.”

Missouri has about 34,000 miles of roads and 10,000 bridges. It ranks about 48th in the nation in revenue per mile in transportation funding. The last time Missouri increased its fuel tax to boost infrastructure funding was more than 20 years ago.

Hassinger says the state should be researching how Missouri roads perform here – not in other states.

The center will work with the Federal Highway Administration and other transportation stakeholders. Jen Harper with MoDOT says the center will also focus on attracting other research and development funding.

“The hope is that through those collaborations, that they start forming those teams, that they are going to be able to bring in more national research, as well as some pooled funds with other states that we’re going to bring in other states’ research funds and start doing projects here in Missouri instead of us sending money to other states to do those projects,” she says.

Harper says as the center grows, bigger research projects like Hyperloop could be involved. Hyperloop is a futuristic tube travel system that is said to haul people from Kansas City to St. Louis in about 30 minutes. Some state officials want to build a Hyperloop along I-70 and have a private company run the operation.

Bill Buttlar, an engineering professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, will serve as the center’s director. He calls Missouri a “hotbed for innovation”.

“Transportation can have a tremendous impact on economies,” Buttlar says. “When we invest in transportation and infrastructure the states economies just boon. Research itself has like a 17 to 1 return on investment.”

According to Harper, the startup costs for the center are minimal and will be mostly absorbed through existing funding.

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Nice electrical savings inspires Missouri school district to expand solar panel project

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In February, the Kirskville School District in northeast Missouri installed 200 solar panels on top of the Kirksville Vo-Tech Building. Since the panels went online, the district has saved $28,000 in electrical costs. Kirksville Superintendent Bob Webb says the savings are resulting in plans to expand the project. He says the panels could end up on top of the primary school.

Kirksville Area Technical Center (Photo courtesy of Kirksville Public Schools)

“It’s the next biggest and best opportunity to do that,” he tells Missourinet affiliate KWIX in Moberly.

The school board has already approved the planning process for the expansion.

“It’s just a matter now of reaching out and engaging the vendors for the materials, looking at some other parts that might need to be put in place,” he says. “The hope would be to again perhaps even start during this coming summer and get them online over the fall/winter.”

The project timeline will depend upon the length of a school roof repair project.

By Colin Schowe of Missourinet affiliate KWIX in Moberly

Wagner gives shout out to St. Louis region’s ‘Silicon Valley’ for ag tech work

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The U.S. House has passed the long-awaited trade deal with Canada and Mexico. The state’s Republican House members, along with Kansas City Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, voted for the agreement and St. Louis Democrat Lacy Clay opposed it.

Wagner gives shout out to St. Louis region’s ‘Silicon Valley’ for ag tech work

On the House floor, eastern Missouri Republican Ann Wagner gives some love to the St. Louis area for its work in the future of agriculture.

“It’s the first time that a U.S. trade agreement is specifically addressing biotech and the St. Louis region is the Silicon Valley for ag tech,” she says.

Wagner was able to include a piece in the agreement to address one of her priorities.

“I worked with Ambassador Lighthizer to guarantee that the USMCA holds my Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, FOSTA, to stop online sex trafficking here at home and now throughout North America,” says Wagner.

The deal would also increase U.S. access to Canadian dairy markets, labor enforcement measures and include new chapters on digital trade and e-commerce.

Congressman Clay does not think the labor tools included go far it.

“Just like the original NAFTA, which was a slap in the face to working Americans, NAFTA 2.0 is a deeply-flawed agreement that fails to protect key skilled manufacturing sectors like aerospace and automobiles from even more foreign outsourcing of good jobs. NAFTA 2.0 fails to provide the improvements that we were promised, including: Raising labor standards to livable wages in all signatory nations; guaranteeing the Right to Organize; and protecting human rights,” he says. “This is a bad deal for American workers and for their counterparts in Mexico and Canada. We can and we must do more to protect American jobs and to lift up the lives of workers across North America as well.”

The Senate is not expected to consider the deal until January.

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