Missouri State Fair Archives

UPDATE: Haug to present 124-page supplemental budget request to Missouri lawmakers on Monday

January 31, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s state budget director will testify Monday morning in Jefferson City about a proposed supplemental budget. Budget director Dan Haug will summarize a 124-page report, and we’ll learn the final details about the total amount of the supplemental at that time.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks on the Missouri House floor on November 9, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The House Budget Committee meets Monday morning at 11 at the Statehouse, and they’ll hear Director Haug’s budget presentation and testimony. No public testimony will be taken, at the hearing.

Missouri’s current state operating budget is about $38 billion, which includes about $7.4 billion in supplemental budgets with federal money. The proposed supplemental budget that will be outlined on Monday is in addition to that.

Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, tells Missourinet that the supplemental “will be a cross section of the overall budget,” adding that there will be a little bit of everything in it.

For instance, the Parson administration is requesting $6.4 million in supplemental funding for the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Office of Special Education.

The 124-page report says the supplemental funding is needed due to a shortfall in funding for early childhood special education (ECSE) reimbursement from fiscal year 2020 and an anticipated shortfall in funding for FY 2021 ECSE reimbursement. The ECSE program provides individual instruction and therapy services to preschool aged children with disabilities.

Governor Mike Parson’s (R) administration is also recommending $1.6 million to cover COVID-19-related revenue losses impacting the Missouri State Fair fee fund. The report says the State Fair in Sedalia has lost significant revenue due to cancellations of off-season and fair events. That includes event rental fees, gate admissions, camping fees, entry fees and sponsorship fees.

The report also notes the Missouri State Fair has had to buy substantial amounts of janitorial and sanitizing supplies, along with a large quantity of additional signage to help ensure the safety of staff and event participants. The report notes that the State Fair has a long history of meeting its operational costs with its own fee revenues, which is the State Fair fee fund.

But because of COVID losses, the Parson administration says additional funding is needed to sustain State Fair operations through FY 2021 and to ensure that a full fair week can be done this year, including grandstand events and a carnival.

The supplemental budget request also includes about $223,000 for the Missouri Secretary of State’s office, for the April municipal election.

The report notes that state law requires mailing envelopes used for returning ballots to local election authorities to incorporate a business reply permit so that no ballot that’s returned by mail requires postage. Missouri law requires that all fees and costs for establishing and maintaining the business reply permit be covered by the Secretary of State’s office. The report says that because of the pandemic, more voters than ever will vote using the absentee option.

Missouri State Fair cancels many activities, remains youth livestock show

July 17, 2020 By Ashley Byrd

The Missouri State Fair will feature the outdoor youth livestock showings, but the other traditional activities have been called off, because of COVID-19 safety concerns from vendors, guests and state agricultural officials.

The event runs Aug. 13-23, 2020 in Sedalia. In 2019, 337,112 individuals attended the fair. Youth livestock showings allow Future Farmers of America and 4-H Club members to compete for nearly $125,000 in premiums.

The Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia (2018 file photo courtesy of State Fair)

Opening Day Ceremony, Governor’s Ham Breakfast, the carnival midway and all other non-youth livestock-related events are canceled.

The state fair’s marketing director said in a press statement today:

The Fair takes pride in hosting a quality outdoor experience for all fairgoers. That success relies heavily on the support of our partners, sponsors and vendors. As those supporters have evaluated the effect the pandemic has had on their ability to participate, many have had to limit or cancel their participation. Limited concessions will be on grounds to service our exhibitors and their families.

Read history of Missouri State Fair.

Chinn: 2020 Missouri State Fair to continue with everything but concerts

June 19, 2020 By Ashley Byrd

Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn says the Missouri State Fair will take place as scheduled from August 13-23 in Sedalia. The concert lineup will be the only regular feature not included. She says that many performers have been backing out of shows this year because of COVID-19 concerns, so that helped the decision.

The fair will still feature carnival, exhibits, contests, livestock showings, vendors, and food.

Chinn says fair organizers are working with vendors to make sure they have safety measures in place.

It also includes the Governer’s Ham Breakfast, says Gov. Parson. About a thousand people mingle at the breakfast gathering with state and national leaders of both parties.

“They have a new facility there, we’re thinking about ways that we can control the crowd size to that and alternative things,” Parson said. “We may change things as we move forward about what attendance looks like— are we going to let people be bunched up or are we going to let them be separated by bleacher rows or whatever that is.”

Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Chris Chinn is recognized during a groundbreaking ceremony for Ranken Technical College’s new Troy campus on June 17, 2020 (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s Flickr page)

The governor notes that the state fair, which started in 1901, has only been canceled one time. That was during World War II.

More than 337,000 people attended the 2019 state fair.

Parson: Missouri State Fair will happen in August, likely without concerts (AUDIO)

June 11, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

While the governor says the Missouri State Fair will take place in August in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia, he says it will look different than previous years because of COVID-19 concerns.

The Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia (2018 file photo courtesy of State Fair)

Governor Mike Parson (R) made the announcement during a statehouse press conference in Jefferson City on Thursday.

“The state fair has only been canceled one time in over 100 years and it was during World War II,” Parson says. “As an ag governor, I guess I want to say somebody that comes from the farm, I don’t want it to be the second time on my watch that it’s canceled.”

The state fair will take place August 13-23. In response to questions from Missourinet, Governor Parson says there could be shorter hours and that some popular events may not happen.

“I doubt there will be a ham breakfast because it’s the governor’s ham breakfast so I doubt that I’m going to be asking for that, that I know of for that,” says Parson.

The 2019 governor’s ham breakfast was a sellout, with 1,000 tickets sold. The event is popular because of its food, but also because it’s an opportunity for Missouri voters to meet the governor, their congressional delegation and state lawmakers from both parties.

Governor Parson says details for vendors and other partners are still being worked out.

“More than likely there’s not going to be concerts there, there may not be a lot of vendors there, but again we haven’t sat down with (Missouri State Fair Director) Mark Wolfe and the (State Fair) Commission, so I don’t want to jump in front of them, we’re all trying to plan that together,” Parson says.

Governor Parson emphasizes the state fair is about supporting agriculture and youth in agriculture.

The Missouri State Fair has issued a statement, which says the fair’s mission has always been to showcase Missouri agriculture, “so our livestock shows will continue to honor that tradition.”

The statement also says they know the “countless hours our exhibitors and Fair families have put in to taking care of the livestock and 4-H and FFA projects,” and that their priority continues to be the promotion of excellence in Missouri agriculture and our future agriculture leaders.

More than 337-thousand people attended the 2019 State Fair.

The first Missouri State Fair took place in 1901, when Missouri’s population was two-thirds rural.

The state fairgrounds, which covers 396 acres, is open year-round in Sedalia. It also provides facilities for horse and livestock shows, arts and craft festivals and camping.

Click here to listen to Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s comments about the 2020 Missouri State Fair in Sedalia to Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and other Capitol reporters. The governor spoke in Jefferson City on June 11, 2020:

Parson Thursday briefing: Missouri is fully open, State Fair will go on in some form (VIDEO)

June 11, 2020 By Ashley Byrd

Missouri’s governor announced today that he thinks the state is better prepared to handle the COVID-19 virus and will be fully open for business June 16. The phase 2 step should still include social distancing and other precautions, he says, especially for people with health conditions that make them vulnerable.

That includes nursing homes, said Parson, so his office will publish a plan for long-term care facilities “in the next few days.”

In the briefing, state Economic Development Director Rob Dixon said “signs are pointing toward recovery” in the state’s business activities.

WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE:

Missouri K-12 districts can request to start school year earlier this fall

May 12, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

A new state statute requires Missouri K-12 districts to start 14 days prior to Labor Day or later, unless the state Board of Education waives the regulation. Today, the board voted to give the State Education Commissioner temporary authority to decide whether districts can start the school year earlier this fall. Under today’s action, schools interested in starting earlier must first get input by holding a public hearing at the very least and explain how an exemption would benefit the students and reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Missouri K-12 districts can request to start school year earlier this fall

Some models show an uptick in coronavirus cases is projected in the fall – possibly affecting learning for kids. During today’s board meeting, President Charlie Shields, who runs Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, says schools play a big role in the community rates of the coronavirus infection.

“Our infectious disease people – they would tell you that while children are not particularly susceptible to COVID-19, although the science is changing on that rapidly, they are very good at transmission,” says Shields.

Member Mary Schrag of southern Missouri’s West Plains says she’s been asked whether schools are liable if they start earlier and an outbreak happens.

“I really like the idea of the public hearing because I think it allows people the option to be involved in the conversation,” she says. “And then it also, I hope, prevents people from immediately going ‘Well they started too soon. Are they liable?’”

Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven says one comment received about letting schools start earlier is the impact it could have on tourism revenue. The new state statute emerged from tourism and the Missouri State Fair being affected by kids going back to school earlier. But, Vandeven says options would be good for schools.

“But all the research and everything on the national circuit of what they’re talking about how to minimize this what they’re calling COVID loss, instead of learning loss, is to really grant schools flexibility to find the right time to re-enter. Summer school would allow for optional summer schools to be taking place in August already,” says Vandeven. “So, I think some are considering looking at summer school, but there are many who are saying ‘We need to get our teachers and our students and everybody back in place in early August.’”

Speaking of summer school, the board also voted today to give the commissioner the ability to lift a state regulation this year requiring summer school to last a minimum of 120 hours. If a school makes a request to waive the requirement, it would have to demonstrate why doing so is in the best interest of the students.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is reviewing ways to narrow the digital divide among students. The COVID-19 outbreak led to Missouri’s K-12 schools shuttering their doors in mid-March and coming up with a way to reach students in a matter of days. The pandemic has shined a light on the internet connectivity gap felt by Missouri students and shows that the problem stretches through rural and urban Missouri.

Some Missouri kids are learning the old school way through packets of educational materials because they don’t have access to broadband internet. That takes a Zoom class session out of the picture for some students and so is downloading school work or having coursework emailed.

Perry County School District in southeast Missouri took the bull by the horns during the coronavirus closure. It teamed up with area organizations to deploy school buses equipped with internet hotspots to designated locations in the county. Parents and students can drive up and access the internet to get learning materials needed.

A survey the department has conducted is helping to shape the way the state tries to narrow the gap. It shows the problem runs deeper than lack of service available.

The survey provided to the board shows one in five Missouri students – about 200,000 – do not have broadband internet access and cannot learn online. The survey, with responses from the state’s 555 school districts and charter schools, says affordability of internet service and devices is the main problem.

“That’s too many. One in five. We have to work together because who’s going to tolerate one in five kids,” asks Vandeven.

To view the survey, click here.

Is the Missouri State Fair up in the air this year?

May 6, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The Missouri State Fair Board of Directors meets tomorrow to discuss plans for this year’s event. During today’s press conference, Gov. Mike Parson says he’s reviewing coronavirus data this month before giving his recommendations on how to handle the State Fair this year.

Is the Missouri State Fair up in the air this year?

“Right now, we will plan like a Plan A and a Plan B to have the fair or maybe a shortened version of it,” says Parson. “But again, I don’t think there’s anything concrete until we get a little closer to the first of June to see where we’re headed in the state.”

The State Fair is currently scheduled for August 13 – 23 in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia. The event usually draws about 350,000 spectators annually.

The current calendar of events does not list any live concerts – one of the major attractions of the fair.

Missouri Congressman Long and House Agriculture Committee chair to tour Ozarks (AUDIO)

August 19, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A southwest Missouri GOP congressman is bringing in a key Democrat on Capitol Hill for this week’s farm tour across the Ozarks.

U.S. Rep. Billy Long (second from right) visits Edgewood Farms in Purdy in August 2018 (file photo courtesy of Congressman Long’s office)

U.S. Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, conducts the farm tour every August. Long’s guest this year is House Agriculture Committee Chairman Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minnesota.

Long says Peterson, a founding member of the Democrats’ “Blue Dog” Coalition, understands agriculture.

“He’s a buddy of mine and he’s what I call a DINO, because he’s a Democrat in name-only, he votes pretty much like Republicans,” Long says. “But Collin is going to come down and be on our ag tour with us, which is really exciting for people.”

Long says they’ll be visiting several farms, and rural broadband is expected to be a main topic during the tour.

“Springfield and then we go out to Rogersville and then down to College of the Ozarks (in Point Lookout), so we do a east side, west side rotate every year and this is our east side of my district year,” says Long.

Long tells Missourinet farmers in his district are excited that Peterson is visiting. Long’s district includes Springfield, Joplin, Bolivar and Branson.

He and Peterson just returned from Brazil, where they toured a massive soybean and cotton farm. Long says Brazil is “ramping up production” of soybeans.

Peterson’s committee has jurisdiction over numerous issues, including the farm bill, disaster assistance and international trade.

Long spoke to Missourinet at Thursday’s governor’s ham breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. He describes the state fair as one of the best in the nation.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with U.S. Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, which was recorded on August 15, 2019 at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia:

From the State Fair: Teen take her responsibilities with great pride as this year’s Missouri Angus Beef Princess (VIDEO)

August 15, 2014 By Bill Pollock

Andrea Larson, the 2014 Missouri Angus Princess.

On the Missouri Angus Beef website, it says the Missouri Angus Queen and Princess program is designed in an effort to create a program that supports the growth and education of young women in Missouri who are involved in the production and/or promotion of Angus cattle.

Andrea Larson, the 2014 Missouri Angus Princess, puts in a lot of hours fulfilling her duties and takes great pride in her position.

The process young girls must go through to apply for their position, shows their dedication. Andrea was selected in June after a lengthy process that includes answering a questionnaire. Some of the requirements for the applicants are listed below:

–Listing community activity/service organizations followed by the year(s) they were
involved.

–Listing the MJAA and NJAA activities followed by the year(s) you were involved, including leadership positions, honors and awards.

–Explaining how one of their MJAA or NJAA experiences positively impacted them and/or another person.

–Explaining why they would like to be selected as the Missouri Angus Auxiliary Princess and how you would help promote the Angus breed through this honor.

In addition to the State Fair, Andrea will be present at the Missouri Angus Futurity in February, as well as taking part in option shows around the state such as Ozark Empire Fair, Springfield, MO (August), American Royal Livestock Show, Kansas City, MO (October),
and the National Junior Angus Show (July).

Check Missourinet.com for all of our videos from this year’s State Fair.

From the State Fair: 4-H kids show off their skills proving there is something for everyone (VIDEO)

August 14, 2014 By Bill Pollock

The 4-H building at the State Fair

4-H exhibits and competitions are part of the fun of the Missouri State Fair. Make sure to visit the 4-H building to see the projects of 4-H youth or catch the judging competitions. Whatever your niche, there is something for everyone.

As the fair winds down you can check out a couple of events that are still on the schedule.

Thursday, August 14
· Missouri Afterschool Network activities for kids. Staff available to answer any questions about finding or funding quality afterschool programs.

Saturday, August 16
· Agri-Missouri Foods Demonstration Contest

Missourinet has been exploring the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia to meet participants and competitors, learn about longtime traditions and to try out some new things. Follow us each day to see what Bill Pollock has discovered next.