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Missouri’s governor focusing on rural broadband, especially for schools (AUDIO)

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Governor Mike Parson (R) emphasized the importance of broadband in rural Missouri during a Jefferson City appearance on Tuesday, and is praising USDA’s announcement that the state will receive $61 million to expand it.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson delivers his State of the State Address on January 15, 2020 in Jefferson City, as House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, looks on (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The governor discussed the issue, while addressing a few hundred Missouri Farm Bureau members at Jefferson City’s Capitol Plaza Hotel. While the Farm Bureau event was closed to the news media, Parson spoke with Missourinet after his presentation.

“If we can get electricity in every home, and we did that back years ago, we can get internet to everybody’s home to where they can be out there and be competitive,” Parson says.

One of the grants announced in late January by USDA is a $2.5 million grant to help the Green Hills Telephone Corporation expand its fiber network in northwest Missouri’s Caldwell and Livingston counties. That’s expected to help a fire district and two educational facilities.

Governor Parson has noted that there are about ten Missouri school districts that still don’t have broadband. The governor says broadband ties-in with education and his workforce development initiatives.

“We’ve got to make sure we got broadband available to our schools, to give those kids a fighting chance out there in today’s world in technology and everything,” says Parson.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) also praises USDA’s announcement, calling it an important step toward ending what he calls the digital divide. Senator Blunt says one-third of rural Missourians lack access to broadband.

As for Governor Parson, he’s also emphasizing the importance of infrastructure, rural health care and the rural way of life.

“I always say the agriculture is so important to our state and what it means for the way of life for a lot of these people (Farm Bureau members), but really for what it means for everyday Missourians no matter where you’re from,” Parson says.

The governor is also concerned about possible flooding again this spring. He tells Missourinet he spoke to President Trump about the issue a few weeks ago, and that the president is engaged on the issue.

Parson’s proposed budget sets aside $4 million in disaster recovery funds.

Agriculture is an $88 billion industry in Missouri. The state has about 100,000 farms.

Click here to listen to the full three-minute interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Governor Mike Parson (R), which was recorded on February 18, 2020 at Jefferson City’s Capitol Plaza Hotel:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Repair of broken levee system in northwest Missouri hindered by weather

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By BRENT MARTIN, St. Joseph Post

Repair of the broken levee system along the Missouri River has been slow going, as a wet fall and a cold winter has delayed assessment of the damage and construction work.

Emergency Management Specialist Mike Dulin with the Kansas City District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it has been especially slow going north of St. Joseph.

“But in that Holt County area north of St. Joe it’s been a real challenge getting out there and just completing our damage assessments,” Dulin tells St. Joseph Post.

Dulin says even survey crews have had difficulty getting to some levees to assess the damage.

“With everything soggy and frozen the way it is it’s a real challenge to complete those damage assessments,” according to Dulin.

Floodwaters from a swollen Missouri River spilled over the river banks, cutting a path of destruction in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas truly breathtaking in scope.

“So, overall, we’re looking at a thousand miles of levee system on both sides of the Missouri River and some levees over in Kansas, too,” Dulin says. “I mean, it’s everything, from sod kill and erosion, scour, all the way to breaches being the worst case.”

The Kansas City District of the Corps is working on 67 repair projects, with damage estimated at $100 million. Floodwaters badly damaged 20 federal levees and took out many non-federal levees that are eligible to receive federal money for repairs. That doesn’t even count the damage done to the levee system north of Holt County, from Atchison County to Omaha, which likely will top the KC District total, according to Dulin.

The Corps of Engineers has been able to receive the amount of money needed to make repairs if the weather and conditions finally allow repair to proceed.

Dulin says it has been some time since the Corps faced such a daunting challenge.

“This is the largest levee rehab effort that we’ve seen since 1993,” Dulin says. “So, there’s a very real possibility this could take us up to two years to complete all repairs. So, obviously some repairs will be done much sooner than that, but to fix everything it could take us until the spring of 2021.”

Pork leader predicts trade deals will be big for Missouri producers (AUDIO)

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About 1,000 people from across the state have traveled to Columbia for the 2020 Missouri Pork Expo, which wraps up Wednesday afternoon. Missouri Pork Association (MPA) Executive Vice President Don Nikodim notes the state’s pork industry continues to grow. He says it contributes about $1.6 billion annually to the state’s economy.

The Pork Place restaurant is operated by the Missouri Pork Association. It’s located on the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia (2019 file photo courtesy of Missouri Pork Association)

“We’re seeing a considerable amount of growth across the board here in Missouri, have for the last several years,” Nikodim says. “I know there’s a lot of production facilities slated to be built.”

Nikodim says recent trade agreements are an opportunity for growth in the state’s pork industry. The theme of this year’s conference at the Holiday Inn Executive Center is “Competing Globally.”

“I think one trade agreement that didn’t get as much attention as maybe it should have is the Japan trade agreement. It’s really big for our industry,” says Nikodim.

Nikodim is also excited about USMCA, which is the free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada.

He notes the China agreement is in the early stages. He notes China is dealing with the coronavirus, and that there are huge problems in China with dock workers.

Closer to home, Nikodim says flooding this past year has impacted some of his producers across the state.

“Some of the farms in the (river) bottoms, it’s been a real hassle for them,” Nikodim says. “We have a few producers that do that, and it was just a tough year on the crop guys that had to be engaged in that.”

Despite flooding, Nikodim says there has been a good corn crop and ample feed supply for Missouri pork producers.

Nikodim is also pleased that many 4H and FFA students are at the conference. He notes the Missouri Pork Association has always supported the youth groups.

The average age of a Missouri farmer is 58, and Governor Mike Parson has credited the state’s pork industry for helping young people stay on the farm.

The governor proclaimed October as “Pork Month” in Missouri. Governor Parson notes more than 3.5 million hogs are raised in Missouri, and that the Missouri’s pork industry ranks sixth in the nation.

The trade show, which took place on Tuesday, has gotten bigger every year. A Missourinet reporter walking through the Expo Center saw exhibitor booths all the way near the hotel doors.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Missouri Pork Association (MPA) Executive Vice President Don Nikodim, which was recorded on February 11, 2020 at Columbia’s Holiday Inn Executive Center:

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Corps of engineers pledges to work with states on flooding factors

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An officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the corps is receptive to input from the states in assessing what went wrong this year to spawn the widespread flooding in the lower Missouri River basin.

Officials from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa are demanding more input into the management of the Missouri River and protection from future flooding.

Governor Mike Parson and some key members of Congress from Missouri have been critical of the corp’s priorities in managing the watersheds that affect their state.

Planning Section Chief John Grothaus in the Corps’ Kansas City office says there are lessons to be learned from this year’s floods.

READ MORE of the story from our affiliate KFEQ.

 

Mississippi River flood waters receding in Hannibal, northeast Missouri must assess damage

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Riggs (right) with Mayor James Hark and Gov. Mike Parson (far left) during a recent disaster briefing

The Mississippi River has been receding in Hannibal, where the levee held and the town was protected. The river topped at one foot shy of the record flooding in 1993.

After hundreds of volunteers, National Guard troops and inmates helped flood-threatened areas in northeastern Missouri, residents are expressing their thanks and relief.  (See coverage from TV partner WGEM)

Now the next step: the damage must be assessed and cleaned up. State Representative Louis Riggs, R-Hannibal, tells Missourinet “the damages are considerable.”

“The cleanup itself is the easy part, assessing the damage is not.”

This will be considered the second major flooding event for the state, and a second, separate disaster declaration and federal aid request.

“The process itself is rather burdensome,” Riggs says, “and involves crunching numbers, authenticating them and six to nine months, even up to a year.”

For farmers, the harvest is missed or cannot get down the river.

River traffic is slowly returning, but not the most important water transportation to this area: barges to carry grain to market.

“I have not seen any barges on the Mississippi now for months, Riggs says.  “Hundreds of thousands of some of the best acreage in the world will not be producing this year so that is one set of damages to sort out.”

In the meantime, Riggs and Hannibal residents are looking to the river to relinquish some ground for something to celebrate.

“We’ve been told that we can expect to be down to normal flood stage as early as June 29, depending on rainfall, so probably close to July 1. July 4th is the biggest event of the year, so it would be nice to have our riverfront back by then,” Riggs adds.

More than 300 roads closed in flooding across Missouri (Links to maps)

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“Every region of our state is affected by flooding,” says Becky Allmeroth, the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Chief Safety and Operations Officer.

And conditions are changing rapidly.

There are currently more than 300 roads in Missouri that are closed due to flooding, including:

  • Interstate 29 at the Missouri/Iowa border due to flooding in Iowa
  • U.S. Route 54 at Louisiana
  • U.S. Route 36 west of Bevier at the Chariton River in Macon County
  • I-29 traffic is being rerouted at U.S. Route 71 (mile marker 57). Motorists should expect delays and should choose a different route at their earliest possible turn-off point. I-29 detour information is as follows:  Kansas City area thru traffic – use I-35 to Iowa. St. Joseph area thru traffic – use U.S. Route 71 north
    Local traffic is able to utilize I-29 to reach their homes and businesses by either going north on U.S. Route 71 and west on U.S. Route 59 or northbound I-229 to northbound I-29.
  • Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner train service has also been suspended until further notice.

Link to the Traveler Information Map

Link to the Current Flood Information list

Governor Parson activates National Guard in storm recovery and preparation

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From the Governor’s Office

Governor Mike Parson today activated the Missouri National Guard as the state continues to respond to damage from flooding, tornadoes, and severe storms — while still under the threat of additional flooding and severe storms this week.

Governor Parson said in a press release, “Missouri has been battling historic flooding since March, which is depleting local resources, and now flooding conditions in many parts of the state are only getting worse. In addition, communities from Carl Junction to Jefferson City are facing the challenge of recovering from tornadoes and severe storms, further challenging civilian resources. The Guard has demonstrated its capabilities in response to natural disasters across Missouri, and I know they’ll make a difference at this critical time.”

Guard units will be deployed to support Chariton County, by sandbagging to reinforce a stressed levee near Brunswick. The Guard will also be staging and utilizing high-water vehicles to support flood response operations in Jefferson City.

Governor Parson says additional severe storms are possible for parts of Missouri on Memorial Day, and there is an elevated risk of potentially damaging severe storms for much of the state on Tuesday, May 28.

 

Interstate 29 open again in Northwest Missouri

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Compiled with information from Missouri Department of Transportation

Interstate 29 reopened today to all traffic between Exit 56 and the Iowa state line. The roadway has been closed since late March for massive flooding.

According to MoDot, the closure on the Missouri side was extended, with the exception of local traffic accessing their homes and businesses, until the Iowa Department of Transportation was able to reopen its section of I-29 Wednesday morning.

There are possible delays approximately eight miles north of the Missouri border, where traffic moves head-to-head with a 12-foot width restriction in place. Loads larger than those dimensions must use an alternate route.

Many other routes throughout the region remain flooded, both in Missouri and Iowa. Travelers do not have access to several roads west of I-29 in Atchison and Holt counties due to flooding and damage. These include U.S. Routes 159 and 136, commonly referred to as the Rulo and Brownville Missouri River Crossings, which remain closed.

For updated information regarding route restoration and flooding, visit the Northwest Missouri Flooding webpage and interactive map.

Governors of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska meet with Army Corps officials to discuss flood-prevention

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Three governors feeling the pain of major flooding recently are calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to change its management of the Missouri River. The governors of Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa met Wednesday in Iowa with Corps and Federal Emergency Management officials to talk about growing flooding problems. At a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Council Bluffs, Governor Mike Parson says something needs to change.

Three governors at meeting with Army Corps and FEMA officials (photo from @GovParsonMO twitter account)

“For far too long, we’ve had these incidents occur and we’ve had meeting after meeting, but it seems to be the same results all the time. I think it’s time that we need some straight up answers from the Corps of Engineers of how they’re managing the river,” says Parson.

Northwest and southeast Missouri have especially been hit hard by recent flooding. Parson has made a couple of trips to northwest Missouri to view the damage. About half of Nebraska has been devastated by flood waters.

“First of all, we’ve got to find out just kind of what happened. I think we are still looking for those answers,” says Parson. “But more importantly, what can we do in the short-term and what can we do in the long-term. We’re still not out of the woods yet. We still have got water coming out, snow melt and ice coming out, plus spring rains that could really affect us.”

Parson, a Republican, says the management of the river is key to the citizens of each state.

“When you look at the states that are involved here of the Missouri River, it has a huge impact on the United States of what it is we do,” Parson says. “We are totally dependent on the management of those rivers for a lot of reasons. When you talk about that livelihood, that economic development side of it, it is really centered around the management of the rivers. That affects every one of us and the people of our states and the economy of our states. That’s really how important this is.”

From left to right, Governors Parson of Missouri, Ricketts of Nebraska & Reynolds of Iowa (Photo from @GovRicketts Twitter account)

He says there need to be other solutions to prevent further flooding issues.

“You look at the reservoir situation. Can we have more reservoir space to be able to handle this water that we know is going to be coming here every year? Can we build maybe more levees,” asks Parson. “But I think more importantly, does the state take more of an active role in these decisions instead of just leaving it up to one agency? I think the states will have to take more of a role in the management of the river and the Corps is going to have to work with us from a different perspective of what we’ve done than in the past.”

Last Friday, Parson signed an executive order giving the Missouri Department of Natural Resources some flexibility in easing requirements during and after recent Missouri flooding.

He says river management needs to get back to the basics by prioritizing flooding and safety.

Travel problems prevented the governor of Kansas from attending the gathering, but she plans to be part of the next meeting in three weeks.

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet