Columbia Archives - Missourinet

Parson emphasizes violent crime and homicides during Kansas City visit (AUDIO)

July 20, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

(Audio is courtesy of Missourinet Kansas City television partner KMBC)

Saying that violent crime and homicides are escalating across Missouri, Governor Mike Parson traveled to Kansas City and Springfield on Monday afternoon to meet with local leaders and law enforcement officers about next week’s special session.

Law enforcement officers from across Missouri joined Governor Mike Parson at his special session call regarding violent crime on July 15, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

The special session about violent crime starts Monday in Jefferson City.

“There’s no doubt with the homicide increases across the state, especially St. Louis, Kansas City, even Columbia and Springfield Missouri, across our state. It’s something we don’t want to be happening every day,” Parson tells Kansas City reporters.

The governor was joined in Kansas City by state lawmakers from both parties, who listened to his presentation. Parson was also joined by state Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Sandy Karsten and by Kansas City Police Chief Richard Smith, who notes there was another homicide while the roundtable meeting was about to begin.

Kansas City has had 105 homicides in 2020, a 35 percent increase from last year. Chief Smith says there is a sense of urgency in Kansas City, and that action must be taken. The chief thanks the governor and state lawmakers for addressing the violent crime issue.

As for Governor Parson, he says witness protection and juvenile certification will be key parts of the upcoming special session. He also says eliminating the residency requirement for St. Louis Police officers is another key part of the call.

“One of the reasons since I’ve been governor that’s been an issue for the last two years since I’ve been there (as governor), they have run consistently about 150 to 200 officers down in their police department,” says Parson.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden testified in January that the residency requirement is the greatest challenge that his department has with recruitment and retention.

There have been at least 135 homicides in St. Louis this year.

DPS Director Karsten says witness protection is essential to reducing Missouri’s homicide rates.

“We need our communities’ help in solving the violent crime that we’re seeing. We need people to come forth as witnesses,” Karsten says.

A key part of the governor’s January State of the State Address was $1 million in funding for witness protection. Despite bipartisan support in both chambers, the measure did not pass this year.

Click here to watch the full Kansas City media briefing, courtesy of Missourinet Kansas City television partner KMBC.

State Reps. Ashley Bland Manlove, D-Kansas City, Richard Brown, D-Kansas City, Jerome Barnes, D-Raytown, and Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, were among the lawmakers who listened to the governor’s Kansas City presentation. They also participated in the roundtable discussion.

Representative Bland Manlove tells Missourinet that witness protection is a bipartisan issue. She also says that while she supports Governor Parson on the issue of witness protection, she would much rather see the special session address issues such as mental health, education and health care. She also notes that the Legislative Black Caucus requested a special session last year, about violent crime.

Governor Parson also traveled to Springfield on Monday, where he met with Police Chief Paul Williams, Springfield officers and Greene County Sheriff’s deputies. State lawmakers also joined the governor at the Springfield visit.

Springfield has had 15 homicides this year, and the “News-Leader” reports the city is on pace to break its previous yearly record of 16.

The governor will travel to northeast Missouri’s Hannibal on Tuesday afternoon to meet with leaders there about the special session.

Cristobal expected to bring heavy rain and possible flash flooding to parts of Missouri (AUDIO)

June 8, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service (NWS) says Tropical Depression Cristobal will cause widespread rain across the state, especially in mid-Missouri. Columbia, Jefferson City, Sedalia and Lake of the Ozarks are expected to receive two to three inches, by Tuesday evening.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis says Tropical Depression Cristobal is expected to bring heavy rainfall, severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes to parts of Missouri (June 8, 2020 map courtesy of NWS St. Louis Twitter)

NWS St. Louis meteorologist Sally Johnson says rain should begin falling in far southern Missouri by 6 p.m. Monday. The rain should arrive in Jefferson City by midnight.

“It continues through most of the day (Tuesday), but it does move through fairly quick,” Johnson says. “By Tuesday evening, we only have a 30 percent chance and that’s by 7 o’clock,” Johnson says.

Tropical Depression Cristobal is expected to bring heavy rainfall, severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes to parts of Missouri. Johnson tells Missourinet that flash flooding is also possible.

“Since a lot of this is falling at night, if you are driving at night, it is very difficult to tell how deep the water is you’re about to drive through. So, make sure that you know your routes,” says Johnson.

The NWS also says the heavy rains will likely cause new river flooding.

The St. Louis and Kansas City areas should see less than an inch of rain.

The NWS St. Louis office says while it’s not rare to see the remnants of tropical systems impacting Missouri, they normally happen in late summer or early fall.

The NWS says this is the earliest a tropical system has impacted the area on record. Before today, the two earliest occurrences were for remnants of unnamed storms that impacted far eastern Missouri on June 14, 1906 and on June 15, 1901.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with NWS St. Louis meteorologist Sally Johnson, which was recorded on June 8, 2020:

Former Missouri lawmaker who championed jobs for the disabled dies

May 20, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A former Missouri state senator and representative who championed disability rights has died, after suffering a heart attack.

Then-State Rep. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, briefs Missouri Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on February 16, 2004 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Former State Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, died this morning at the age of 55, according to his wife, Kate. She posted on Facebook that he died at home, after suffering what’s believed to be a massive heart attack.

Graham served 12 years in the Missouri Legislature: eight in the House and four in the Senate.

Graham was first elected to the House in 1996 and served four terms. He was forced out by term limits, and ran for an open Missouri Senate seat in 2004. The incumbent that year, former State Sen. Ken Jacob, D-Columbia, was term-limited as well. Graham won the 2004 race and served one term, losing a 2008 re-election bid to Columbia Republican Kurt Schaefer.

The top issue that Graham championed in both chambers was disability rights. Graham, who used a wheelchair, emphasized the importance of job opportunities for disabled residents in his district, and across the state.

Graham successfully led the bipartisan legislative effort in 2001 to obtain money for construction for a new Mizzou basketball arena in Columbia. Graham’s legislation provided $35 million in revenue bonds for construction of the new arena, which replaced the Hearnes Center as the home for Tiger men’s and women’s basketball.

Political figures on both sides of the aisle have been praising Graham’s service and focus on disability rights.

U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, who served with Graham in the Legislature for four years, tweeted today that Graham was a “great Missouri Democrat, and even a better man. Proud to call him my friend. He will be deeply missed.”

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, who now holds the Senate seat Graham once did, tweeted his condolences as well.

“Chuck served our community in a number of meaningful ways while always staying focused on protecting our community’s most vulnerable citizens. His passion to help those in need serves as a reminder and motivation to each of us. I will be praying for his family as they mourn his passing,” Rowden tweets.

Rowden tells Missourinet that he and Graham talked numerous times in various settings. Rowden notes that Graham moderated a few disability-themed forums, when Rowden ran for the Missouri House and Senate.

Former U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) praises Graham too. She served as the Missouri state auditor for eight of the years that Graham served in the Legislature.

“A fearless advocate for stem cell research, mental health coverage, and for those with disabilities,” McCaskill tweeted Wednesday.

UPDATE: Missouri House gives final approval to budget; feral hog debate gets heated

May 8, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri House voted Friday afternoon in Jefferson City to give final approval to a $35.2 billion state operating budget, after some heated discussion earlier in the day about feral hogs and other issues relating to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, (right) and House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, discuss the state budget in Jefferson City on May 8, 2020 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The budget is now in the Missouri Senate, which must approve it by 6 p.m. tonight.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, says the compromise budget between the House and Senate contains $20 million for Missouri meat processing facilities, impacted by COVID-19. Smith says it’s for plants with less than 200 employees, for support, workforce assistance, equipment and capital improvements.

The bipartisan funding for the plants is aimed at helping them address supply chain disruptions and to mitigate health and environmental impacts as a result of the pandemic.

The budget also contains $12 million for broadband expansion, relating to the pandemic. Budget Chairman Smith and ranking Democrat Kip Kendrick, D-Columbia, say that is critical.

It also includes $2 million for the Missouri Lottery to advertise. The original House budget cut it to $100,000, but the Senate allocated $3 million. Budget negotiators settled on the $2 million.

There was also heated discussion today on the Missouri House floor, after State Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood, blasted the Senate, saying they took $100,000 out of the budget for hungry women/children. Lavender called that decision shameful.

State Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, and Representative Lavender then had a heated discussion about “setting the record straight”, but disagree on what that record is. They spoke over each other at times.

State Rep. Robert Ross, R-Yukon, described Lavender’s floor comments as “factually wrong”, saying the budget expands the “Share the Harvest” program to $300,000. Ross also blasted the Missouri Department of Conservation, saying they tried to put $100,000 in the budget for a new forest service employee.

Ross tells the House that employee would have “harassed” feral hog hunters at the Mark Twain National Forest.

Normally, the Missouri Capitol’s public fourth-floor galleries are packed with lobbyists and schoolchildren, during budget debate. However, due to COVID-19 concerns, there was just one person observing today.

Bipartisan Missouri legislative effort to restore cuts to Mizzou’s NextGen Precision Health initiative

May 4, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

While the budget approved last week by the Missouri House cuts funding for the state’s public colleges and universities, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle hope some of those cuts can be restored this summer. And two key lawmakers from different parties are calling on the Senate to restore funding for the UM System’s top priority, which is a major health initiative.

The $34.9 billion state operating budget approved by the House on Wednesday includes cuts to the state’s public colleges and universities. House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, addressed the issue on the floor on Wednesday, telling colleagues that all public two and four-year schools would receive a ten percent reduction over what was appropriated last year, under the budget.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks about the budget on the House floor in Jefferson City on April 29, 2020 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

“I realize that this causes consternation across the General Assembly, and it’s not an easy thing to do,” Smith says. “But again we’re looking at a tremendously difficult budgetary outlook year.”

Chairman Smith says it’s possible that state lawmakers will be called back for a special session this summer, and says that if additional federal funding comes down, he’d like to see the money restored.

“It will be a conversation that we will need to talk about at that time, if we have some additional federal money to spend, or if we are able to reallocate some general revenue,” says Smith.

The Carthage Republican says the House may be called to return to Jefferson City this summer, for supplemental budgets.

Meantime, State Reps. Sara Walsh, R-Ashland, and Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, are calling on the Senate to restore about $700,000 in cuts to Mizzou’s NextGen Precision Health initiative. The NextGen Precision Health Institute, which is under construction, is expected to train the next generation of scientists who will help Missouri address future health care needs.

The $220 million facility is the UM System’s top capital priority. Mizzou says researchers in areas like medicine and engineering will work in the institute, to advance lifesaving research.

Representative Razer, a Mizzou graduate who is the ranking Democrat on the House Higher Education Committee, announced on the floor Wednesday that someone in his immediate family has just been diagnosed with cancer.

Razer predicts the facility will accelerate medical breakthroughs.

“This is truly a space that can cure cancer. They have the capability of curing cancer at the University of Missouri,” Razer says.

Razer tells the House that the UM System requested $10 million from the state. Governor Mike Parson’s budget recommendation reduced that to $3 million, and as of now, lawmakers have it at $0. Razer wants to see the Senate restore some funding.

Representative Walsh, who chairs the House appropriations subcommittee on transportation, is also a Mizzou graduate. She spoke on the floor after Razer, proposing using $729,000 originally intended for Fort Leonard Wood’s airport. She notes that money will lapse and won’t be needed at Fort Leonard Wood for another year.

“And that is money that I believe is a good purpose for it to be put to use for the precision medicine initiative,” says Walsh, whose district includes part of Columbia.

Walsh announced on the floor that she is working with Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, to partially restore some of the cuts to the NextGen Precision Health initiative and to Boone County Task Force One, which is a Columbia-based search-and-rescue team. She says she supports utilizing state revenues most effectively, to help ease the pain being felt now.

Mizzou says the institute will play a key role in the NextGen Precision Health Initiative, which supports the research activities of the UM System’s four campuses and health system.

University leaders broke ground on the institute last June.

“The NextGen Precision Health Initiative will help bring us bring laboratory research to effective treatments, which will benefit all Missourians as well as the rest of the world,” UM System President Dr. Mun Choi said at the 2019 groundbreaking ceremony.

The institute is being funded through a combination of private and corporate support, state support and contributions from Mizzou and the UM System.

Missouri House to vote on final approval of state operating budget on Wednesday

April 29, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri House is expected to give final approval to a proposed $34.9 billion state operating budget Wednesday in Jefferson City.

State Reps. Mike Haffner, R-Pleasant Hill, and Dean Dohrman, R-La Monte, (standing) discuss the state budget on April 27, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The House will gavel-in Wednesday morning at 10, and House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, tells Missourinet they’ll take up the budget at that time. He notes the Legislature must approve a balanced budget by May 8, under the state Constitution.

“It is the one constitutional duty of the Missouri General Assembly, and not only that but to pass a balanced budget and one that is on time,” Smith says.

The House voted to give initial budget approval on Monday. The proposed budget includes about $10 billion in general revenue, $14.5 billion in federal funding and another $10.3 billion in other funds.

The House Budget Committee’s ranking Democrat, State Rep. Kip Kendrick, D-Columbia, spoke about the budget on the House floor on Monday. He expresses his frustration, saying the process has been rushed. Kendrick wants lawmakers to wait for a special session this summer.

“This (state operating) budget is being rushed. It’s being rushed in a pretty profound manner,” says Kendrick.

Kendrick says waiting until a special session this summer would give state lawmakers and the governor’s office a better forecast for state revenue projections. He emphasizes that he is not expressing frustration with Chairman Smith.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, also spoke on the floor on Monday. She also prefers waiting for a special session this summer to approve the budget, and notes Governor Mike Parson (R) made comments at recent media briefings indicating that was a possibility.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan and other leaders in the GOP-controlled Legislature say it’s important to keep state government funded and services operating without interruption.

The next fiscal year begins on July 1.

As for Chairman Smith, he tells Leader Quade the House will likely return to the Capitol this summer, for a special session on another supplemental budget.

“And what we are doing today (Monday) I think is taking a snapshot of where we are today, based on what we can know, which is not a great deal, of how the state budget will be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Smith says.

Lawmakers and staff members are being encouraged to wear their masks today, and to continue to practice social distancing protocols.

Easterseals Midwest: there’s a workforce crisis in Missouri for direct support professionals (AUDIO)

April 12, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

An organization that provides support to more than 5,000 Missouri children and adults with disabilities continues to provide essential needs and programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is Christian (left) with his Easterseals Midwest respite provider Kyra. Kyra goes to the home on most days, and works 40 minutes with Christian on his schoolwork (photo provided by Easterseals Midwest spokeswoman Rachel McGlasson)

Easterseals Midwest executive vice president Jeanne Marshall says they provide services in hundreds of homes.

“We have individuals who live independently in their home and we provide staff, generally 24 hours a day to help them be as independent and supportive as they can,” Marshall says.

About 103,000 Missourians have an intellectual or developmental disability, according to Easterseals Midwest.

Marshall says Easterseals is in need of personal protective equipment (PPE), including gowns for disposable lab coats, masks, gloves and alcohol wipes. She says the PPE is key to protecting staff and those they serve.

Missourinet asked Governor Mike Parson about the Easterseals’ needs during a recent press conference, specifically PPE. The governor thanks the Easterseals and others who continue to go into homes to assist those with disabilities. He notes there is a shortage of PPE, but adds that many Missouri companies are stepping up to make additional personal protective equipment.

Easterseals Midwest provides services, education and outreach to Missourians with disabilities, and they’re still hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s especially the case in Columbia, Springfield and St. Louis.

Marshall says more than 15,000 Missourians work as direct support professionals.

“With that, we’ve been experiencing a workforce crisis for a couple of years now in this industry,” says Marshall. “Turnover is very high in most cases, that could be over 50 percent for turnover.”

Marshall says vacancy rates for positions range from 20 to 30 percent.

Easterseals Midwest has more than 1,000 staff members. Marshall choked-up, when speaking to Missourinet about the work her staff members do.

“Our staff go above and beyond. But we can’t thank them enough for the work they’re doing, and the impact they’re having,” Marshall says.

The organization is also providing respite care to Missouri first responders, doctors and nurses. Respite care is temporary care provided to caregivers of a child or adult.

Easterseals Midwest is also e-mailing families daily with autism strategies, especially with children home from school.

Easterseals has wait lists for most of their autism services in Springfield and southwest Missouri.

Anyone interesting in donating PPE or assisting Easterseals Midwest can check their website. You can also call them toll-free at 1-800-200-2119.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full six-minute interview with Easterseals Midwest executive vice president Jeanne Marshall, which was recorded on April 1, 2020:

Legislators to return to Missouri Capitol to vote on supplemental for COVID-19 funding (AUDIO)

April 2, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri lawmakers will return to Jefferson City next week to vote on a key supplemental budget, which includes millions of dollars in federal funds to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Missouri Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, (left) talks to House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, in the House chamber on May 9, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, says senators will come back on Tuesday.

“We will get it done. I don’t envision it becoming a hyper-partisan thing by any means,” Rowden says.

Rowden and House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, have been working with MU Health Care to make sure it’s safe for state lawmakers to get back inside the Capitol to vote.

The Capitol has been closed to the public since March 24, to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The Capitol closed after veteran State Rep. Joe Runions, D-Grandview, tested positive for COVID-19. Runions has since been released from the hospital, and continues to recover.

Leader Rowden tells Missourinet that those entering the Capitol next week will have their temperature taken. They’ll also receive health questions.

“Taking temperature, asking questions making sure they’ve not been in any of the hot spots, that they don’t have any symptoms, etc.,” says Rowden.

He says they’re taking steps to mitigate risks for senators, staff and the public. The roll call will be much slower next week.

“And people for the most part will probably be in their offices,” Rowden says. “Their name will be called and we’ll give them plenty of time to come from their office into the chamber, cast their vote and then leave again. I think the House is going to do something fairly similar.”

The Senate is expected to return Tuesday morning. The 34-member chamber now has 31 senators, with three vacancies.

The 163-member Missouri House will gavel-in Wednesday afternoon at 1. House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, and Floor Leader Vescovo say it’s imperative that “the Legislature move without delay to keep Missouri’s government operating during this crisis and provide the needed resources to those on the front lines of the pandemic.”

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says there are now 1,834 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Missouri, along with 19 deaths.

Governor Mike Parson announced this week that he’s withholding $180 million in state spending, to ensure a balanced state budget during the pandemic. The governor is warning that the state could see a $500 million budget shortfall between now and the end of June.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, which was recorded on April 2, 2020:

Missouri now has 24 confirmed cases of coronavirus; first death is in Columbia area

March 19, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor announced Wednesday evening in Jefferson City that there are now 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, and says the first recorded death has happened in the Columbia area.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson addresses Capitol reporters in Jefferson City, after he declared a state of emergency in Missouri for coronavirus (March 13, 2020 file photo courtesy of the Governor’s office)

Governor Mike Parson held two Statehouse press conferences on Wednesday. He held the first one in the afternoon, where he was joined by Columbia Mayor Brian Treece about the death. Mayor Treece says the death involves the patient who tested positive Tuesday for coronavirus, and that it’s a travel-related case.

The governor is urging you to wash your hands and to follow the advice of health professionals.

“If the people of Missouri want to protect themselves and protect their families and their loved ones, it will be through social distancing and using common sense, and taking on personal responsibilities,” Parson says.

Parson spoke at a Wednesday evening press conference outside his Capitol office, where he was joined by state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams, State Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Sandy Karsten, State Department of Economic Development (DED) Director Rob Dixon and other officials.

Governor Parson has signed an executive order, authorizing state agencies to waive regulations that interfere with Missouri’s coronavirus response. Parson says the order also expands telemedicine.

Director Karsten has announced that DPS and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) are working to get hundreds of thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment to local law enforcement officers and other first responders.

She emphasizes the importance of equipment like masks and gowns.

“We expect the first orders of that to arrive March 24, and we’re already making plans to distribute those pieces to our partners,” says Karsten.

Karsten tells reporters her office is responding to requests from hospitals and first responders, adding the equipment will come from the National Strategic Stockpile.

Governor Parson and Mayor Treece note that the Columbia-area first responders who made contact with the coronavirus patient who died were wearing proper equipment.

The governor also discussed the economy on Wednesday evening. He is warning that thousands of Missourians will lose their jobs because of coronavirus, and says his top priorities continue to be public health and public safety.

Missourinet asked Governor Parson if he’ll need to tap into the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

“I am not worried about the funding source of it right now, to be honest about it,” Parson says. “I believe we will have the money, we’ll put the money wherever it needs to be. It’s going to be tremendously expensive to get through this next year or two, however long it might be.”

The governor also emphasizes he put $100 million into the state budget for emergencies, saying that will help.

Thousands of Missouri autoworkers at the General Motors and Ford plants in Wentzville and Claycomo will be heading home soon, as the plants close temporarily over coronavirus concerns.

Director Dixon tells Missourinet the Big Three automakers and the UAW reached an agreement, to do that.

Governor Parson’s next scheduled press conference about the coronavirus is set for Thursday afternoon at 3 at the Capitol.

Winter weather advisories and flood watch in effect for different parts of Missouri (AUDIO)

February 12, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A winter weather advisory remains in effect for west-central, central and northeast Missouri until midnight. Far northwest Missouri, the Ozarks and southeast Missouri’s Bootheel are not included in the winter weather advisory.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter weather advisory for west-central, mid and northeast Missouri (February 12, 2020 map courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter page)

Cities and towns in the impacted advisory areas include Sedalia, Marshall, Columbia, Jefferson City and Hannibal. National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Scott Blair says light to moderate snow has been falling in those areas.

“And that corridor is going to be under the gun for accumulating snowfall, with a lot of wet, slushy snowfall accumulating up to two to four inches by the time all is said and done later on this evening,” Blair says.

Blair tells Missourinet snow totals will be higher on elevated and grassy surfaces. He’s urging motorists in the advisory areas to avoid the roads, if possible.

“But if you do have to venture out, reduce your speed, use those headlights and take extra precautions as you’re driving,” says Blair.

Northeast Missouri’s Hannibal and Louisiana could see up to four inches of snow.

Blair is urging mid-Missourians to have extra coats, hats and gloves on-hand, with frigid Arctic air coming in behind the snowfall. He says the temperatures will quickly fall.

“After the snow does move out later on tonight, we’re going to be looking at some bitterly cold temperatures moving in with temperatures dropping down potentially into the single digits across portions of central Missouri,” Blair says.

Meantime, heavy rain is the biggest issue in southern Missouri. The NWS Springfield office says West Plains, Sikeston and Dexter are under a flood watch, and ponding of roadways is possible.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Scott Blair, which was recorded on February 12, 2020: