Troy Archives - Missourinet

Missouri’s governor credits workforce development for projects like Amazon in Republic and Chewy in Belton

January 29, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor emphasized numerous job expansions and projects during this week’s State of the State Address in Jefferson City. Governor Mike Parson says they highlight the state’s increasingly competitive business climate.

State Sens. Barbara Washington, D-Kansas City, (left) and Angela Mosley, D-Florissant, applaud as GOP Governor Mike Parson walks into the Senate chamber for the January 27, 2021 State of the State Address (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

“Accenture Federal Services in St. Louis, Chewy Incorporated in Belton, Amazon in Republic, Kawasaki in Maryville,” Parson says.

Governor Parson is also highlighting the expansions at Boeing in St. Charles and Ford Motor Company in Claycomo.

One of the biggest projects is in southwest Missouri’s Republic, where Amazon will open its first fulfillment center this year. The facility will create more than 500 new full-time jobs, in the fast-growing community. Starting pay for fulfillment center workers will be $15 an hour.

Kawasaki, which is the largest employer in northwest Missouri’s Nodaway County, is creating 110 new jobs by adding an assembly line and a second shift.

The plant already has about 1,100 workers. It manufactures small industrial gasoline engines for lawn, garden and turf products.

During Wednesday’s State of the State, Governor Parson noted that Missouri has jumped from 21st to 11th in the nation among site selectors. He says that’s primarily due to the success of workforce development programs.

“Through Missouri One Start for example, nearly 100,000 Missourians have received training through partnerships with over 400 companies,” says Parson.

The governor says since the newly revamped program was launched, businesses have invested $2.5 billion in Missouri.

Parson is also praising Ranken Technical College’s announcement of a new $7.5 million advanced manufacturing training facility in eastern Missouri’s Troy. He says it’s a “great example of what we can accomplish when education, government and the private sector work together.”

The governor also emphasized the importance of infrastructure, during the address. He specifically focused on levee projects and major bridge projects, including the Buck O’Neil bridge in Kansas City and the I-70 Rocheport bridge.

Missouri county clerks focusing on PPE for November election (AUDIO)

October 23, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

County clerks across Missouri have been gearing up for the November 3rd presidential election, with some hiring temporary workers to handle the influx of absentee and mail-in ballots.

Missouri Association of County Clerks president Crystal Hall, who serves as the clerk in eastern Missouri’s Lincoln County, says most clerks have enough poll workers and staffers.

“There’s not one county that is in desperate need that I’m aware of that haven’t been able to find the staffing that they need for the election,” Hall says.

Missouri’s secretary of state says a combined total of about 424,000 absentee and mail-in ballots have been received by local election authorities.

Ms. Hall is thanking Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft for delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) this year to all 116 election jurisdictions. Ashcroft’s office also distributed about $4.5 million this year to local election authorities, to provide funding for them to meet their jurisdiction’s individual needs.

Hall has purchased special pens for each registered voter in her county, for COVID reasons.

“So instead of having that one pen that’s hanging on the chain that everybody that comes in there (clerk’s office) touches, you’re going to have your own pen that no one else has touched,” says Hall.

Hall also tells Missourinet that FFA high school students in Lincoln County will be cleaning machines all day long, to keep voters safe in November.

Secretary Ashcroft and his staff have delivered about 17,000 face masks, 17,000 face shields and 500 gallons of sanitizer to the clerks across the state.

Fast-growing Lincoln County is located just north of St. Charles County. Towns include Troy, Elsberry and Foley. There is no mask mandate in Lincoln County, so Hall is encouraging poll workers to wear a mask. Her staff has also installed plexiglass barriers between voters and election workers.

The county clerks association says you can expect long lines at the polls for the November election. Ms. Hall says while election judges and pollworkers are paid, they’re essentially volunteers. She notes many are elderly and will be working long hours on election day, from 6 a.m. until at least 7 p.m.

“They’re working through this because they care about our community and our country, and they’re doing their patriotic duty to help,” Hall says, urging voters to be patient and kind.

If voters are in line by 7 p.m. on election night, they are still allowed to vote.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Lincoln County Clerk Crystal Hall, who’s president of the Missouri Association of County Clerks. The interview was recorded on October 21, 2020: