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Dec. 16 marked the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which regulates drinking water quality across the United States. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) The state Environmental Protection Commission focused on Iowa drinking water at its December meeting with a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled in favor of Tad Mayfield, a former Missouri legislative assistant clerk who was fired after voicing concerns about not mandating masks in the state Capitol building. Mayfield had worked as a nonpartisan legislative specialist in the assistant chief clerk’s office of the Missouri House since

Rep. Shannon Francis, R-Liberal, and a member of the Kansas Legislature’s auditing committee said he was disturbed by a report on personnel security problems at the Osawatomie State Hospital serving adults in mental health crisis. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Inadequate physical security systems, erosion of workplace culture and persistently high staff turnover jeopardizes the

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy regulates the profession and imposes disciplinary action against licensed pharmacists. (Photo by Clark Kauffman/Iowa Capital Dispatch; board seal courtesy State of Iowa) An Iowa pharmacist is facing possible disciplinary action for incorrectly filling a prescription. The Iowa Board of Pharmacy has charged pharmacist Heather Henkelvig of Danville with the regulatory

Jack Vanderflught, one of Iowa’s six presidential electors, showed Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate his driver’s license for identity verification as he and the other electors met to cast their votes for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance to the electoral college for the 2024 presidential election Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by

TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature’s budget committee chairs pushed back recently against the notion of implementing a road usage fee to create more sustainable state funding for transportation system upgrades. The Kansas Department of Transportation completed a pilot program to gather input on alternatives for capturing new revenue, but that report won’t be shared with

State and federal agencies say poultry products are still safe to eat, despite recent outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza. (Photo by USDA) The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced the highly pathogenic avian influenza had been detected in commercial and backyard flocks in Sioux, Worth and Monona counties. The bird flu

The director of Missouri’s Department of Social Services will resign next month, allowing Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe to choose a new leader for the embattled agency. Robert Knodell’s last day as director of the department — which oversees foster care, Medicaid, other public assistance programs and services for delinquent youth — will be Jan. 13. He

Members of Kansas’ congressional delegation celebrated the federal government’s decision Monday to remove a proposed electric transmission line route from a program offering assistance for power infrastructure projects. But the project will still move forward. The U.S. Department of Energy earlier this year announced a list of preliminary “National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors” to offer

A second suspect has been arrested in connection to the fatal shooting Oct. 20 on Clark Lane, according to the Columbia Police Department. Daevion McCray, 21, of Columbia was arrested Tuesday and charged with second-degree felony murder, two counts of first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon, according

Between Nov. 2 and Nov. 29, the Salem Police Department fielded a total of 389 calls for service. Officers with the Salem Police Department conducted 40 traffic stops for various traffic violations with four resulting in summons or arrest. Officers conducted six traffic accident investigations, along with five informational reports. Of the calls for service,

According to reports from the Dent County Sheriff’s Department: • deputies took a report for an assault that occurred in the 1800 block of W. Highway 32 Dec. 8. Investigation revealed that a 28-year-old Salem man was struck by a 28-year-old Salem woman. The investigation is ongoing. • deputies conducted a traffic stop at Doss

The Elgin City Council met in their regular session Monday December 16th, 2024 at the Kohler Memorial Building meeting room. Mayor ProTem Barbara Wenger called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. With only the Mayor ProTem and Councilmember Wachal present the meeting was adjourned due to lack of quorum. The next regular Council meeting

The Grain Belt Express transmission line can still move forward despite removal from a Department of Energy program meant to help spur transmission development in areas with limited infrastructure (Robert Zullo/States Newsroom). Members of Kansas’ congressional delegation celebrated the federal government’s decision Monday to remove a proposed electric transmission line route from a program offering

(Creston) — A Creston man faces an assault charge following his arrest Monday afternoon. The Creston Police Department says Dakota Wayne Brooks was arrested shortly before 4:30 p.m. for domestic abuse assault and obstructing emergency 911–purposely interfere or obstruct. Authorities say the arrest occurred near the intersection of Eagle Avenue and 140th Street in Union

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 17, the 352nd day of 2024. There are 14 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History On Dec. 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright of Dayton, Ohio, conducted the first successful manned, powered airplane flights near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, using their experimental craft, the Wright Flyer. Also on

A Brumley man accused of shooting at an vehicle during an argument was released Monday after posting a $10,000 bond.According to court records, Brandon Whittle, 49, was charged with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree property damage, and armed criminal action following an incident Saturday in Miller County.According to the probable cause statement,

The congressional delegation appears poised to help rescue mobile homes in this area at Swanson Reservoir near Trenton, on land currently owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the lake. (Courtesy of Jason Frederick/Hitchcock County News) LINCOLN — A political barrier fell, and the U.S. Senate on Monday passed a bill that would

COLUMBIA — A city of Columbia survey found residents who responded were dissatisfied with public safety services and felt unsafe around the city, according to a report released by the city. The city said 855 households filled out the 2024 City of Columbia Community Survey, which assessed residents’ satisfaction with city services to “ensure alignment

The mother of the baby who was found dead inside a backpack inside a tire was sentenced to five years of probation Monday. Lavosha Daniels pleaded guilty to abandonment of a corpse and first-degree involuntary manslaughter in November. Boone County Circuit Judge Kevin Crane presided over the hearing and issued the sentence. If Daniels violates

Every time Missouri lawmakers have proposed legislation to essentially ban intoxicating-hemp products in the last few years, the hemp industry has mounted a united opposition to stop them. Products like Delta-8 THC drinks can currently be bought everywhere from bars to coffee shops statewide. Year after year, hemp business owners and distributors have asked the

Tim Clark, who threatened to sue the small western Kansas town of Quinter for free speech violations after he was banned from his son’s sporting events, sits for a Dec. 12, 2024, interview for the Kansas Reflector podcast. (Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Conflict in a small Kansas town that began at youth football games

High grocery prices have been a defining economic story in recent years, driven by a combination of factors including pandemic-related supply chain breakdowns and labor shortages. However, an increasingly critical driver of food price inflation has been the impact of natural disasters—such as droughts, floods, and hurricanes—on the nation’s agricultural output. In Florida, a devastating