State of Missouri Government

By Cameron Montemayor A local state senator is rising in the ranks within Missouri’s senate leadership in advance of the next legislative session. Members of the Senate Majority Caucus elected Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, as the next majority floor leader on Thursday, the second highest ranking position within Missouri Senate leadership. “I am excited for

By Jenna Wilson Missouri driver’s license offices will be closed for several days next month to implement driver’s license testing process changes in an effort to streamline and modernize the system. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri Department of Revenue has secured a new modernized system for driver licensing, and driver examination

By Chris Fortune As infrastructure upgrades continue at Rosecrans, one U.S. senator paid a visit to see how he could support the base. U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt toured Rosecrans Air National Guard Base on Thursday and met with leadership to discuss their needs. Schmitt serves on the Armed Services Committee and helped secure funding for

By Jenna Wilson Two St. Joseph residents who are running for higher offices are showcasing their skills ahead of the Aug. 6 primary election as they look to represent the state of Missouri. St. Joseph resident and Democrat Pam May is running for the U.S. House of Representatives to represent the 6th Congressional District in

By Cameron Montemayor New developments on the future of replacing the Interstate 229 double-decker bridge in St. Joseph are painting a clearer picture for the next steps and vision for the aging structure. Missouri Department of Transportation and St. Joseph officials have, for some time, had a favored alternative for replacing the double-decker bridge, but

By Chris Fortune The lieutenant governor made a return to St. Joseph with less than two weeks to go before the primary election, when a Republican candidate will be selected in the race for Missouri governor. Mike Kehoe’s campaign bus arrived at Room 108 at 722 Felix St. on Thursday morning to speak with supporters

By Cameron Montemayor Recent developments at the state and federal levels are strengthening the outlook for potentially acquiring the coveted C-130J Super Hercules for the 139th Airlift Wing based at Rosecrans Memorial Airport. Appropriations approved by Gov. Mike Parson will see $7.5 million designated for the design of a new aircraft maintenance hangar and $2

By NewsPress Now Several Missouri bills became laws Tuesday after receiving approval from Gov. Mike Parson at a signing at the State Capitol in Jefferson City.  Last year, a law was put into place that approves a property tax credit for seniors who are eligible for Social Security. Senate Bill 756 specifies the definition of

By Marcus Clem In backing President Joe Biden’s request for military aid for Ukraine after months of delays, Congress saw Democrats unified, but regional Republicans had different policy preferences. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, the Republican who represents St. Joseph and all of northern Missouri, voted in favor of H.R. 8035, worth more than $61 billion

By Marcus Clem Area legislators called for a St. Joseph Board of Education member to quit her role as a nonprofit administrator after prosecutors charged her with alleged criminal harassment last week. Whitney Lanning is awaiting judicial proceedings on the single Class A misdemeanor filed after a Feb. 26 dispute with board colleague Isaura Garcia

By Marcus Clem The City of St. Joseph is asking a federal judge to either throw out claims against it by a former member of the St. Joseph Public Library governing body or consider a jury trial to get the matter resolved. Brian Kirk sued the municipal government in February, naming Mayor John Josendale, each

By Jenna Wilson Gas prices in Missouri continue to shift, and there’s no certainty of them dropping anytime soon. Statewide, gas prices have jumped eight cents over the last week. The statewide gas price average in Missouri is $2.87 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel, according to the AAA Missouri Weekend Gas Watch. “We’ve

By Marcus Clem The Great Northwest Days event, in which community leaders travel to the state capitol, is underway with a multi-tiered list of policy priorities for lawmakers to consider. The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce is one small part of the 19-county effort that undergirds the Great Northwest Days Priorities Committee, which defined housing,

By Charles Christian Missouri families will receive a new summer grocery benefit starting in 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Missouri is one of 35 states, along with all five U.S. territories and four Tribes, that will receive a new grocery benefits program for the summer. It is a permanent program known as

By Jazmine Knight Gov. Mike Parson proposed a $15,000 increase to the minimum pay for Missouri teachers in his State of the State address, which could be the first step in improving teacher retention in the state.  Currently the base pay for teachers in Missouri is about $25,000. Parson’s proposed increase would make it $40,000.

By Chris Fortune Rosecrans Air National Guard Base secured $2 million for security improvements thanks to an act signed into law in December, and one U.S. senator is already working to bring in more funding to keep safety a priority at the base. U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, is

By Chris Fortune A new road is being paved for a former Missouri state representative and senator who will continue serving the public in another role. Gov. Mike Parson appointed Dan Hegeman to the State Highways and Transportation Commission on Tuesday. The commission consists of six members who govern the Missouri Department of Transportation. No