Trenton Archives - Missourinet

Northern Missouri food bank leader testifies before Congress about hunger needs, during pandemic

July 29, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The chief executive officer of a northwest Missouri food bank testifies the response and recovery effort from COVID-19 will be the largest relief assistance program in American history, by far.

Second Harvest Community Food Bank serves 15 northwest Missouri counties, along with four Kansas counties (2020 photo courtesy of Second Harvest’s Facebook page)

Second Harvest Community Food Bank CEO Chad Higdon testified Tuesday before a congressional subcommittee on emergency management. The food bank is headquartered in St. Joseph.

“We have seen a tremendous increase in need as a result of COVID-19,” Higdon testifies. “This past fiscal year, Second Harvest distributed 9.9 million pounds of food, up 31 percent from our record distribution the year prior.”

Higdon says that translates to about 8.25 million meals to needy families. He also says the food bank distributed about one million pounds of food in July.

“We understand that low-income families in general are vulnerable. One vehicle emergency or unexpected home repair can set a family back financially for months, and we know that low-income seniors often must choose between needed prescriptions and a nutritious meal,” Higdon says.

Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are praising the St. Joseph food bank for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second Harvest serves 15 northwest Missouri counties: Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway and Worth. Towns include St. Joseph, Chillicothe, Bethany and Trenton.

It also serves four Kansas counties.

Second Harvest employs a staff of 24 full-time employees, with an annual operating budget of $3.7 million. Mr. Higdon testifies that prior to the pandemic, they were serving about 45,000 individuals. He says that number is now about 64,000, about 18 percent of the population in those counties.

He testifies about 26 percent of the children in that area are food insecure.

Higdon praises the members of the congressional subcommittee for their support of food banks. He testified at the request of U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, who says Higdon’s testimony highlights how disasters impact vulnerable populations like the elderly.

Higdon testified from Congressman Graves’ St. Joseph office, because witnesses were encouraged to participate remotely due to the pandemic. He also submitted written testimony.

Second Harvest Community Food Bank’s website says its mission “is to provide nourishment and hope to the hungry in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas, while engaging and empowering the region in the fight to end hunger.”

Northern Missouri could see small tornadoes on Tuesday afternoon (AUDIO)

May 26, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

UPDATE AT 3:10 PM: The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill says the threat for severe weather over north central Missouri has diminished and moved north into Iowa. The NWS says there will still be scattered showers in the area, but that they’re not expecting them to be severe.

BRIAN’S ORIGINAL STORY:

The National Weather Service (NWS) says parts of northwest, north-central and northeast Missouri could see brief tornadoes Tuesday afternoon. NWS Pleasant Hill meteorologist Andy Bailey says damaging winds are also possible.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill says brief tornadoes are possible across north Missouri on Tuesday afternoon (May 26, 2020 map courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter page)

“And really any of the towns from, say, Carrollton to Bethany to Kirksville would kind of be in that area that are possible to see these types of storms,” Bailey says.

Maryville, Moberly, Macon, Chillicothe, Trenton and Brookfield could also be impacted by brief tornadoes.

The NWS is urging residents across northern Missouri to be ready to take shelter quickly this afternoon. Winds of up to 60 miles-per-hour are possible.

“This is going to sound contradictory, but the storms are not going to be all that strong,” says Bailey. “However, any storms (that) can get rotating will have the potential to produce a brief, relatively weak tornado.”

The NWS says lightning is also possible, through about 4 p.m.

“They (possible tornadoes) should be relatively short-lived, should be just dropping down, hitting the ground, coming back up. Whether or not they hit anything is anybody’s guess at this point,” Bailey says.

The NWS is still investigating a possible tornado that touched down Monday evening near Mendon, in north-central Missouri. That’s west of Moberly.

Click hear to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Andy Bailey, which was recorded on May 26, 2020:

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

January 28, 2020 By Missourinet Contributor

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.

Winter weather advisory impacting much of Missouri, including Legislature

January 22, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of Missouri.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of Missouri (January 22, 2020 map courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter)

Wednesday and Wednesday night’s heaviest snowfall will be across northern Missouri, with towns like Maryville, Bethany and Trenton expected to receive three to four inches.

Reporter Jeremy Shields at Missourinet Cameron affiliate KMRN reports there has been snow, blowing snow and sleet in northwest Missouri this morning.

Reporter Tom Tingerthal at Missourinet Chillicothe affiliate KCHI reports there is already about an inch-and-a-half of snow on the ground there, as of this afternoon. Tingerthal also notes many school districts across northwest Missouri have not been in session this week. Classes are expected to be canceled on Thursday as well, due to the winter storm.

Towns located near and along the I-70 corridor should see one to three inches of snow. They include Kansas City, Clinton, Sedalia and Columbia.

The NWS warns hazardous driving conditions will continue into this evening, and that untreated and rural roads will be very slick.

The NWS is urging you to slow down, and to give yourself extra time on the road.

The snow is also impacting legislative work at the Missouri Capitol.

The Missouri Senate has adjourned until next week. Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, tweeted today, urging lawmakers and residents to stay safe as they travel to every corner in the state.

The House will also not be in session on Thursday. Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, tells Missourinet they will have a technical session, which simply requires one member to gavel-in and out.

KMRN: Five tractor trailers jackknifed Friday on icy I-35 in northwest Missouri (AUDIO)

January 17, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Law enforcement officials in northern Missouri’s Harrison County are asking residents and travelers to stay off the roads there, until heavy freezing rain and sleet stops.

A Missouri state trooper assists a motorist who slid off the road in mid-Missouri on January 17, 2020 (photo courtesy of MSHP Troop F Twitter)

National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Andy Bailey notes heavily-traveled I-35 runs through Harrison County.

“Lots of slide offs, lots of accidents there and Harrison County has actually put out a request for people not to travel,” Bailey says.

Harrison County is located on the Missouri-Iowa border. Impacted towns include Bethany, Brooklyn and Gilman City.

The freezing rain also caused conditions to deteriorate Friday morning on I-35 between Cameron and Kearney. Reporter Jeremy Shields from Missourinet Cameron affiliate KMRN (AM 1360) reports he saw five tractor trailers jackknife this morning in that area. Shields says truck drivers struggled in the ice.

The NWS warns that road conditions across northern Missouri will be treacherous throughout the afternoon, because of heavy freezing rain and sleet. Bailey is urging motorists to stay off the road, if possible.

“If it is still snowing in northeast Missouri, that will probably change in the coming hours as that warm air overspreads the area turning things over to freezing rain up there,” says Bailey.

Freezing rain has also been happening in Trenton today.

As for mid-Missouri, Bailey says temperatures in Jefferson City and Columbia will stay at or below freezing until about 5 p.m., when they are expected to go above freezing. He emphasizes that one degree is critical.

Ice has been reported across central Missouri today, including Jefferson City, Columbia and Boonville.

Bailey also says overpasses and side streets were problematic earlier today in the Kansas City metro. A Lee’s Summit fire truck overturned this morning.

Meantime, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield has issued a flood watch through Saturday morning, across the Ozarks. Impacted towns include Springfield, Branson and Lebanon.

More than an inch of additional rainfall is possible tonight, into Saturday.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Andy Bailey, which was recorded on January 17, 2020:

Funeral services set for former Missouri lawmaker Phil Tate

December 26, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday morning in northwest Missouri’s Gallatin for a former prominent state lawmaker who passed away Sunday at his home.

Former State Rep. Phil Tate, D-Gallatin (file photo courtesy of the Trenton Republican-Times)

Former State Rep. Phil Tate, D-Gallatin, was elected to six terms in the Missouri House, serving from 1987-1997. Tate, 73, was best known for championing economic development in northern Missouri and for his efforts to bring flooding relief to the region after the Great Flood of 1993. The flood destroyed towns in his district, including Pattonsburg.

Gallatin, a town of about 1,700, is northwest of Chillicothe.

Tate resigned from the Legislature in 1997, when he became the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s (DED) Director of Business Expansion and Attraction.

Former State Rep. and former State DED Director Joe Driskill, D-Doniphan, says Tate engineered the establishment of regional teams of state economic developers, the first in the state’s history. He notes that in 2019, DED reconstituted the model.

“Phil was a good and caring man, a dedicated public servant, and my friend. He will be greatly missed. My condolences to Nancy and family,” Driskill tweeted at Missourinet.

Tate graduated from Gallatin High School in 1964 and from the University of Missouri with a degree in Business Administration, according to Stith Family Funeral Home in Gallatin. He built and operated Tate Marine at Lake Viking and later became the owner-operator of Tate Oil Company.

Tate helped bring Premium Standard Farms (PSF) to northwest Missouri, which brought both praise and criticism in his district. Critics pointed to hog waste spills and odor issues. Despite the criticism, Tate won every election for his legislative seat.

After Tate retired from DED, he served as the economic development director in northeast Missouri’s Kirksville, as Interim Director of the North Central Missouri Development Alliance in Trenton and as Gallatin’s interim city manager.

“He was a hardworking dedicated official,” former State Rep. Katie Steele Danner, D-Kirksville, says. “We enjoyed working on northeast Missouri economic development projects after the Legislature.”

Steele Danner, former State Rep. Beth Wheeler and Tate shared Sullivan County in the Legislature.

One of the last projects Tate worked on was his successful effort to save the former Conagra plant in Trenton from closing. Nestle took over the facility in June 2018, keeping the assembly line flowing without disruptions.

“I’ve worked a lot of projects for the (state) Department of Economic Development where we went into Kansas City and announced maybe 500 new jobs or 700 new jobs,” Tate told Missourinet’s Alisa Nelson during a 2018 story about Nestle in Trenton. “I’ll tell you what, when you come into a small community like Gallatin or even one larger than Trenton and announce 150 jobs, you will get a whole lot more enthusiasm and energy than you will in Kansas City or St. Louis for the bigger numbers jobs because it make a big difference in a small community. Nestle is such an outstanding corporation and with a real community conscience. That’s the reason we were able to negotiate this kind of a favorable agreement for the community.”

Tate also served as a member of Gallatin’s volunteer fire department, and served on both the Gallatin City Council and School Board.

Stith Family Funeral Home says funeral services for former State Rep. Phil Tate will be Saturday morning at 11 at the Gallatin United Methodist Church. Visitation is Friday evening from 5-7 at the church. Tate will be buried at Hillcrest Cemetery in Gallatin.