Mid-Missouri

Warm Springs Ranch, the home of the Budweiser Clydesdales, opens for the season March 25

The ranch is celebrating the birth of four new Clydesdale foals

Updated: 11:43 AM CDT Mar 24, 2023

It’s a family-favorite attraction and it’s just a short car ride away from Kansas City.Officials have announced Warm Springs Ranch, the home of the Budweiser Clydesdales, will open for the 2023 season on Saturday, March 25.The ranch, about a two-hour drive from Kansas City in Boonville, Missouri, has new experiences to offer this year, including four new Clydesdale foals born earlier this year. Officials said the adorable, but big, babies can be seen on a variety of tours at the ranch.“We’re excited to provide brand-new features and returning guest-favorite experiences for the 2023 season at Warm Springs Ranch,” said Amy Trout, herd supervisor at Warm Springs Ranch. “Whether you’ve been here before or new to the ranch, we provide one-of-a-kind experiences you will find nowhere else.” New for the 2023 season is also the “Build Your Own Clydesdale Party.” Officials said this event includes dinner, ice-cold beer for those 21 and older, and one-on-one time with one of the brand’s world-famous Clydesdales. Other options include photo ops, grooming lessons, a hitch-driver training experience, and more. Prices start at $1,000 per group of 15 people. Warm Springs Ranch sits on 300-plus acres in central Missouri and serves as the breeding farm for the commercial-famous Clydesdales. The ranch has a mare/stallion and foaling barn, an on-site veterinary lab, and 10 pastures that each have their own customized walk-in shelter.In all, more than 70 Clydesdales currently call Warm Springs home. Click here to learn more or to purchase tickets.

BOONVILLE, Mo. —

It’s a family-favorite attraction and it’s just a short car ride away from Kansas City.

Officials have announced Warm Springs Ranch, the home of the Budweiser Clydesdales, will open for the 2023 season on Saturday, March 25.

The ranch, about a two-hour drive from Kansas City in Boonville, Missouri, has new experiences to offer this year, including four new Clydesdale foals born earlier this year.

Officials said the adorable, but big, babies can be seen on a variety of tours at the ranch.

“We’re excited to provide brand-new features and returning guest-favorite experiences for the 2023 season at Warm Springs Ranch,” said Amy Trout, herd supervisor at Warm Springs Ranch. “Whether you’ve been here before or new to the ranch, we provide one-of-a-kind experiences you will find nowhere else.”

New for the 2023 season is also the “Build Your Own Clydesdale Party.” Officials said this event includes dinner, ice-cold beer for those 21 and older, and one-on-one time with one of the brand’s world-famous Clydesdales.

Other options include photo ops, grooming lessons, a hitch-driver training experience, and more. Prices start at $1,000 per group of 15 people.

Warm Springs Ranch sits on 300-plus acres in central Missouri and serves as the breeding farm for the commercial-famous Clydesdales. The ranch has a mare/stallion and foaling barn, an on-site veterinary lab, and 10 pastures that each have their own customized walk-in shelter.

In all, more than 70 Clydesdales currently call Warm Springs home.

Click here to learn more or to purchase tickets.

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA − Primary and secondary schools around the country are facing food prices that have increased more than 300% from the year before, according to the consumer price index.

That’s a number that translates to what a majority of school districts are seeing. A recent survey from the School Nutrition Association found that 60.5% of school meal program directors said they had increased prices this year. 

During the pandemic, schools had waivers that allowed free meals for all students, including Columbia Public Schools, but that program ended this school year.

However, debt regarding school food is still a large problem. 

In November, the School Nutrition Association found that school debt topped over $19 million. Eight-hundred and fifty schools participated in that survey.

Laina Fullum, the director of nutrition services for CPS, said there are times when a person is behind paying for their child’s meals. The district has made sure that those students still have the opportunity to have the foods that they need. 

“For free [meal assistance] students, we typically take care of their bill with donated funds,” Fullum said. “In terms of full-priced and reduced [meal assistance] families, there are some who struggle as well, so we try to help them as much as possible and [offer] payment plans.”

Many parents did not realize that the free lunch waiver expired this year. Some families in CPS are a few hundred dollars above the required threshold for school meal assistance, leading to higher debt for the district. 

“We [nutrition services] are not allowed to cover the cost of the debt of our full-priced families,” Fullum said. “That rolls over to the district by federal law.” 

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CPS currently has a negative balance of $228,955.18 for student meals, according to Fullum. Their bill for groceries from their vendor was $11,000 more in October 2022 compared to October 2019.

School districts are also finding it hard to supply certain foods to students with dietary restrictions or allergies. If vendors do not supply allergen-free foods, districts have to find an alternative to ensure those students eat. 

“We have our own line of allergy goods,” Fullum said. “While the foods may be redundant, we actually have something we can feed them.”

With food shortages and the rise in food costs, many families have to decide where they can spend their money. 

Glenda Curnutte, food service director for the Boonville School District, said they are also seeing the impact of increased food prices.

“The costs have gone up quite a bit. Some of the stuff has gone up nearly 30%,” Curnutte said. “A lot being the meat items.”

It’s an increase that families in Missouri are seeing at home, too. Feeding America found that one in seven children face hunger in Missouri, and 44.8% of households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have children. 

Fullum said CPS may raise meal prices by five to 10 cents next school year if the school board approves the proposal. 

Currently, the Missouri General Assembly has introduced House bill 172, which would require public schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students in schools. If passed, it will go into effect for the 2023-24 school year. 

Originally Appeared Here

Too stunned to speak, Beth Whitaker tearfully mustered up the words “Do I have to talk?” after she was surprised with the prestigious Kemper award Tuesday.

Whitaker is among five MU educators awarded each year a William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence.

Nominated by their peers, honorees each receive a $15,000 stipend. University administrators and executives from Commerce Bank surprised all five honorees with the award Tuesday, according to an MU news release. The award was established in 1991 in honor of the late William T. Kemper.

S. David Mitchell

One of this year’s recipients, S. David Mitchell, is known for his passion and attention to the well-being of his students, according to an MU news release. Many of his qualities are esteemed by students, especially how he “inspires his students to challenge themselves outside the classroom.”

Mitchell is a law professor and teaches topics including torts and criminal law classes. He also received the MU Gold Chalk Award in 2009.

“Professor Mitchell’s passion for and thoughtfulness about teaching are exceptional,” Paul Litton, interim dean of MU Law School, said in the news release. “Students recognize his excellence immediately.”

Lea Ann Lowery

Lea Ann Lowery, another recipient, is a clinical professor of occupational therapy and a 1988 alumna from the same occupational therapy program in the School of Health Professions.

Lowery often attends training workshops, conferences, courses and has obtained additional degrees, according to an MU news release.

“She teaches with the intention and understanding that her students are training to be health care providers,” Timothy Wolf, associate dean for research in the MU School of Health Professions said in the news release. “After they leave us, they will enter the workforce helping to care for people at perhaps the lowest, most vulnerable point of their lives.”

Lowery developed the first clinic for the MU Department of Occupational Therapy, Tiger OT, according to the news release. She also helped launch Swimming and Water Instruction Modified for Autism (SWIM) at MU.

Beth Whitaker

Beth Whitaker called the award “an honor of a lifetime.”

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Whitaker is an assistant teaching professor in the College of Education and Human Development.

According to an MU news release, Whitaker has taught 42 total courses within the College of Education and Human Development. She has received a perfect score of 5.0 on evaluations in all courses, with the exception of one class with a score of 4.9.

“It has filled my cup in ways that I never could have imagined,” Whitaker said. “And every turn I’ve made in my life that I thought I could do something different, I’ve found my way back to teaching.”

Lee Manion

While in a meeting, Lee Manion was interrupted by Cooper Drury, the dean of the College of Arts and Science, other administrators and a crew of reporters.

“This is one of those ambush shows, right?” Manion said, to which the room erupted in laughter.

Manion is an associate professor of medieval and early modern English and Scottish literature at the College of Arts and Science.

According to an MU news release, Manion is skilled in “presenting complex ideas, creating critical learning environments and giving students confidence and control over their learning.”

Currently, he serves as the director of undergraduate studies for the College of Arts and Science.

Christopher Josey

Christopher Josey, another recipient, is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Communication, director of undergraduate research and director of the honors program in the Department of Communication.

According to an MU news release, Josey is committed to establishing excellence in the classroom. Undergraduate students recognized him for his ability to bring about energy and engagement from students.

“It is Dr. Josey’s incredible commitment to an enriched student experience that truly sets him apart from other outstanding teachers on our campus,” Benjamin R. Warner, associate professor and awards committee chair in the Department of Communication, said in the news release. “Nowhere is this more evident than his leadership in the area of undergraduate research.”

In April 2022, Josey was selected as one of two Undergraduate Research Mentors of the Year, which is a campus-wide award.

Originally Appeared Here

The University of Central Missouri OVATION Performance Series has announced five performing arts events for the spring 2023 season.

OVATION is a curated selection of world-class dancers, musicians, and theatre performers who will bring exceptional high-energy artistry to West-Central Missouri.

The series opens at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 in Hendricks Hall with a performance by internationally renowned tap dancers Ana Tomioshi and Gerson Lanza, performing with jazz pianist James Fernando, and musicians from UCM Music. Tomioshi, a Brazilian native, and Lanza, from Honduras, will showcase a unique integration of African-inspired tap dance and jazz music. Masterclasses for UCM students as well as dance students from Warrensburg’s Center Stage Academy will provide developing dancers with a unique learning opportunity.

Commenting on this opening event, Ashley Miller-Scully, chair of UCM Theatre and Dance, noted, “What a wonderful opportunity and experience it is to have professional tap dancers visit our campus, teach master classes to our students, and perform their talents for our university and community. Live tap dancing to live music is such a rare and special event and it’s one not to be missed. I guarantee the audience is going to love it.”

OVATION continues Wednesday and Thursday, April 5-6 with second and third graders from Warrensburg elementary schools being treated to a private performance by the What If? Puppet Theater (formerly known as the Mesner Puppet Theater). The company celebrates the arts as essential for early childhood development while continuing its longstanding reputation as a leader in the field of puppetry.

Internationally renowned percussionist Yun Ju Pan will perform at 7 p.m. Monday, April 17 in Hart Recital Hall. Her solo performance career has taken her to every continent, and she is rapidly becoming known as a master educator in the field of percussion performance and teaching. While visiting Missouri, she will be a featured clinician at the Missouri Day of Percussion and will work with UCM Percussion students. Dr. Pan is currently the Director of Administration and International Arts at the Taiwan Percussion Arts Alliance, and the Founder and Director of P Play Percussion Group in Taiwan.

The Elliott Student Union auditorium stage comes to life Thursday, April 20 with a performance by the Africana Fefeworwor Dance Ensemble (AFDE). Founded in 1991, AFDE is one of Ghana’s foremost cultural groups, dedicated to preserving and celebrating diverse cultural traditions of music and dance in Ghana and greater Western Africa. AFDE has a focus on fostering musical and dancing talent among the less fortunate and encouraging connectedness across their communities, which is shown among its members, ranging from 4 to 6 years old.

The OVATION series concludes on Friday, April 21 with a performance by the Charged Particles jazz trio and saxophonist Tod Dickow at 7 p.m. in Hart Recital Hall. Celebrating their 30th anniversary performing, Charged Particles features three virtuosos from the U.S. playing jazz while crossing stylistic boundaries and blending diverse traditions to create new sounds. The trio’s repertoire blends jazz with elements of Latin music, funk, classical music, and other genres. The band brings a similar approach to playing arrangements of tunes by other jazz artists and traditional jazz standards by the composers of America’s most popular songs from decades ago, each played with a new twist.

The ensemble’s performance of this music on their new CD, “Live at the Baked Potato!” (Summit Records), has received rave reviews accolades, including being labeled as one of the “Favorite Jazz Releases of 2021” by Jazz Times Magazine; recognized by Downbeat Magazine as a performing group that brings “exciting, satisfying stuff”; and described by Jazz Podium as “a tight unit that keeps the band sound exciting throughout.”

All performances in the OVATION series are free. For more information, contact series director

Dr. Mia Kim mkim@ucmo.edu at 660-543-8900 or visit the series webpage at https://www.ucmo.edu/college-of-arts-humanities-and-social-sciences/college-highlights/ucm-ovation-series/index.php

Puppet Theater: As part of the OVATION Performance Series, Warrensburg elementary school students in grades second and third will be treated to a performance by What If? Puppet Theater (formerly Mesner Puppet Theater) April 5-6.

Yunju Pan: Internationally renowned percussionist Yun Ju Pan will perform at the University of Central Missouri on April 17 as part of the University of Central Missouri OVATION Performance Series.

Originally Appeared Here

The City of Columbia expects to reach the 100 participants it needs to provide water samples for lead and copper testing within a few weeks, according to the Utilities Department.

After receiving a notice of violation for failing to submit any samples to the state last year, the city must submit a total of 200 samples this year to return to compliance. It must first collect water samples from 100 sites that are serviced by the city’s water lines by June 30 and submit them to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Deidra McClendon, a laboratory supervisor for the city, said new samples from the same 100 sites must be collected by the end of the year.

Matt Nestor, spokesperson for the Utilities Department, wrote in an email that the city sent a letter to 1,600 customers on March 3, inviting them to participate in the study.

The letter said the city doesn’t expect problems to be found regarding lead or copper but that testing is required by the state and federal governments.

As of Friday, the city had found 49 customers that agreed to participate in the testing required by the state, Nestor wrote.

Nestor did not respond to multiple requests for a phone interview.

The sites prioritized for the testing required by the state are split into three tiers by the Lead and Copper Rule:

• Tier 1: Single-family homes that use lead service lines, lead pipes or copper pipes with lead solder constructed after 1982.

• Tier 2: The same as Tier 1, but for multiple-family housing.

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• Tier 3: Single-family homes that use copper pipes with lead solder constructed in 1982 or before.

The city can only move to lower priority sites once it has run out of higher-tier sites to use for state testing, according to the Lead and Copper Rule. For example, if the city can no longer find owners of Tier 1 sites who agree to provide water samples, it can then begin to complete its sampling with Tier 2 sites.

McClendon said the city does not want to sample sites that use water treatment, such as water softener or a home filtration system, for state testing.

“We don’t want to sample those because they fundamentally change the water,” McClendon said. “The whole point of lead and copper monitoring is to see how our water is interacting with lead within a home.”

The letter also said the city is looking to put together a list of “at least 200 different residences that would be willing to participate” in this year’s sampling or sampling needed in the future.

Water testing for lead and copper is also available to any Columbia Water and Light customers who are concerned.

“If they don’t fall into one of our priority tiers, meaning that they really don’t have any risk of lead, then we are getting that sample separately from the DNR,” McClendon said. “So, they’re still going to get their water tested; it just won’t be part of the DNR sampling.”

Customers will be able to get their water tested even after the city has found the 100 sites it needs for the required state testing, McClendon added.

If you think your home’s water qualifies for the required state testing, or if you simply want to get your water tested for lead and copper, you can contact McClendon via email at Deidra.McClendon@CoMo.gov or by phone at 573-874-6242.

Originally Appeared Here

CALLAWAY COUNTY — The commissioners of Callaway County hosted a community meeting Monday with dozens of residents concerned with the development of large-scale solar panel facilities and other electrical infrastructure projects.

Those projects include NextEra Energy Solutions’ proposed Guthrie Solar farm near New Bloomfield, Ranger Power’s proposed Show-Me State Solar farm near Kingdom City, Savion’s proposed solar farm near Hatton, Invenergy’s Tiger Connector addition to the Grain Belt Express transmission line, and the Cordelio Power-Tenaska wind turbine plans.

Last summer, residents held multiple meetings with the Callaway County Commission, which included initial talks with representatives from NextEra and Ranger Power. But after community backlash left commissioners hesitant to move forward with any plans, presiding commissioner Gary Jungermann said he now wishes more progress would’ve been made ahead of a meeting on Wednesday, March 15 at 7 p.m. with state Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R-Holts Summit).

“We, as a commission, need to sit down with them and have conversations,” Jungermann said. “I asked them about a lot of different things. One of them was working with a third-party… because I wanted soil samples and studies done to see what things were like. We never really advanced from there because that’s when things started going crazy, and I decided it didn’t seem like we should be talking because we were getting a lot from them, no matter which way we turned. So here we were stuck in the middle.”

Jungermann encouraged signing a joint contract with energy companies once terms are agreed upon so that companies are legally bound to their commitments. Many residents spoke about the need for road and decommission agreements, soil tests, fire plans and environmental impact statements.

“It’s a possible public health risk, and I feel like the companies that have come in just really haven’t addressed that,” New Bloomfield resident Kathy South said. The former registered nurse and her husband, a doctoral chemist, live a few acres away from the proposed NextEra Guthrie Solar project.

“At the last commissioners’ meeting that I spoke with them, I was emphatic about the fact that they needed to have an environmental impact statement, and they assured me that that would happen. But yet when I speak to my state representative or anyone else with the state or our county commissioners, they’ve heard absolutely nothing about an environmental impact statement.

“They were also supposed to tell them about what panels they were going to use. They said there were three possibilities for the panels and that they would come back to us with what panel they chose to be used in New Bloomfield. They’ve heard absolutely nothing. It’s almost like they don’t have to cooperate with the county.”

Susan Burns, her husband John and their son Joe have spearheaded the opposition to solar farm developments in Callaway County. They handed out a personally-drafted proposed conditional use ordinance at this afternoon’s meeting.

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They say Callaway County commissioners could use the eleven-section document, which addresses concerns such as taxes, location limits and water runoff compliance, among others, in negotiations with solar energy companies. They presented the document to the commissioners in October.

“We’re trying to do as much work as we can to help you,” Joe Burns said to the Commission, “but then, what we get is, ‘we haven’t read it. We don’t know. We don’t have any plans. We haven’t talked to anybody.’ At what point can we expect something to be known?”

The Commission defended criticism from community members by saying such virulent backlash is an issue unique to the county. Eastern District Commissioner Randall Kleindienst said he spoke with an Illinois county who is negotiating with Ranger Power, noting that the county has had zero problems in its relationship with the solar company.

But, Kleindienst clarified to say that each situation is different and that one positive experience can’t be the universal expectation. However, the commissioners made it clear that they expect to be informed regarding each facet of development moving forward.

“We have a specific set of rules which we lay out,” Western District Commissioner Roger Fischer said. “And it allows developers to introduce county roads that they develop, as long as they bring it up to our specifications and the commissioners approve it. And I don’t see where solar should be any different.”

The Burns family also handed out Ralls County’s utility permit application, which it used to push Invenergy away from establishing a converter station in the county. However, Callaway County does not have a planning and zoning division, which makes placing restrictions on private business operations difficult.

The Missouri Public Service Commission will hold three meetings early next week from March 6-8 to address the Grain Belt Transmission line project. One meeting will be in-person at Mexico’s Elks Lodge on March 7 at noon.  

Fitzwater’s meeting to discuss SB 549, which would restrict solar developments by requiring them to gain county permits before meeting with the Public Service Commission, will take place on March 15 at Callaway Electric Company in Fulton at 7 p.m.

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA – Farmers and researchers from around mid-Missouri gathered Friday to discuss the latest research and innovation in cover crop management and technology.

“There’s a lot of great work that’s been done,” Ryan Britt, a farmer at Britt Farms Inc. in Clifton Hill, said. “When we’re able to get together and kind of compare ideas, see what worked, what hasn’t, one of the things that our operation has learned the most from is our mistakes, and it’s nice for somebody else to make some of those mistakes so we don’t have to.”

It comes after increased federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help farm conservation. Specifically, the Inflation Reduction Act will give around $19.5 billion to conservation programs around the country. 

Recently, the MU’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture also received a $10 million grant to help double the acreage of cover crops in the U.S. by 2030. It was given by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a federal agency within the USDA.

Cover crops are plants that protect and improve soil when other crops are not being grown and can help reduce erosion, improve soil health, smother weeds, control pests and diseases and improve biodiversity.

Rob Myers, the director of MU’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture and leader of the grant project, says cover crops are vital for farmers.

“If you think of like your lawn, it’s not as likely to wash away as a bare soil would be,” Myers said. “They’re protecting the soil, their roots are holding the soil in place and keeping the soil from eroding away from a field.” 

Part of the funds will go toward improving varieties of cover crops. As a result, the department hopes they will develop crops adapted to different regions, soil types and cropping systems. Overall, generating the maximum benefit farmers can obtain in them.

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“Through the process of plant breeding, we can develop new varieties of cover crops that are better suited for different soil types and regions,” Myers said. “Some of the cover crops out there were maybe developed for Florida, or the south, we want ones that are good for our region and other parts of the country.” 

According to Myers, the use of cover crops also has economic benefits for farmers. 

“Over time they can help improve the yields of crops by improving soil health,” Myers said. “With more yield, the farmer can make more income. They can also save on lower input costs.” 

There’s benefits for wildlife too. They can provide habitats for things like nesting ground birds, or food for deer and birds. Overall, providing more biological diversity for landscapes. 

According to the release, the $10 million grant is the largest grant MU has earned from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Myers recently earned a $25 million grant — the largest federal grant ever awarded to an MU faculty member — to help Missouri farmers adopt climate-smart practices. 

The grant project involves collaboration among 14 MU faculty, 38 scientists from across the country, 17 states, 12 universities, three seed companies, the American Seed Trade Association, three USDA Agricultural Research Service locations and three USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Materials Centers, according to the release.

Scott Edwards, the Missouri state conservationist for the natural resources conservation service, stated his reasoning for the influx of federal money. 

“I think there’s been a demand for conservation that just hasn’t been able to be met with current funding through the farm bill,” Edwards said. “I think congress and the department has stepped up.”

Originally Appeared Here

JEFFERSON CITY — A House committee considered a bill Wednesday evening that would put a constitutional amendment before voters to expand casino gambling.

House Joint Resolution 23 would put a measure on the ballot that, if passed, would allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to grant a license for a casino on the Osage River. Missouri has 13 casinos on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jeff Knight, R-Lebanon, cited projections that a casino in the Lake of the Ozarks area could net about $100 million in revenue annually. The gaming commission taxes 25% of casinos’ revenue, which means the state would take in about $25 million a year.

Mayor Dennis Newberry of Lake Ozark, a city of 2,000 along the Osage River considered the most likely site for a casino, said the city needs about $25 million in capital improvement projects it cannot afford. He blamed few local taxpayers and a lack of ”meaningful reinvestment” in the city’s hospitality industry in 40 or 50 years.

Newberry said the $2.5 million his city would secure in casino tax revenue yearly would bring his community many opportunities.

Krista Watts, one of Lake Ozark’s aldermen, said that when she attended a state municipal league convention, the only four representatives in the room who said they were not struggling to generate revenue had casinos in their communities.

“The challenge that we have before us with 2,000 people but yet seeing millions of visitors a year is: How do we fund our infrastructure?” she said.

Watts said a casino would also benefit the seasonal Lake Ozark economy by creating more year-round jobs.

Don Abbett, a Miller County commissioner, said his community did not seek casinos — they were dropped in its lap. He said he only supports HJR 23 because he would rather have a state-approved casino in Lake Ozark than the alternative.

The Osage Nation is vying to build a casino in Lake Ozark, but HJR 23 does not affect its development directly because Native American tribes are not subject to state law. Kimberly Pearson, CEO of the Osage Nation Gaming Enterprise Board, said the Osage have purchased land in Lake Ozark and have started clearing it for development.

Abbett said he did not support having an Osage casino in Lake Ozark because it would not have to pay taxes, giving it an unfair advantage over a possible state casino and not supporting the community.

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Pearson said the Osage would make up what they are not paying in taxes with charitable donations to the community. She said the Osage have made several donations.

Rocky Miller, a former state representative from Lake Ozark, backed a previous version of the bill but said he was against Knight’s version because it would enshrine gambling license provisions in the state constitution. Miller, who is Native American, said the assertion that the Osage would take away from the community was insulting.

“To say that one does not contribute to the community and the other one does, that’s an out-and-out lie,” Miller said.

Bryce Crowley, legal counsel for the Osage Nation Gaming Enterprise Board, said tribal casinos have been an economic boon in Oklahoma, where all casinos are owned by tribes.

“’The number of gaming tables in an Oklahoma county is significantly related to large increases in median household income and large decreases in the unemployment rate, level of violent crime and level of property crime,’” Crowley said, reading a 2013 study of tribal casinos in the state.

Several lake-area residents testified against the bill for fear of a casino bringing crime. Pam White said a casino would attract criminals and erode safety. She criticized putting the issue up as a statewide ballot measure.

“What right do the citizens of Kansas City and St. Louis have to dictate how we live here at the Lake of the Ozarks?” she asked.

Rep. Josh Hurlbert, R-Smithville, and Rep. Jamie Johnson, D-Kansas City, said they do not believe the three casinos in the Kansas City area have created any additional crime in their districts.

Rick Moss, former mayor of Lake Ozark, said he believed a large casino would attract customers more easily than local businesses and drive them out of the market.

Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia, argued a casino would help local businesses because it would bring more tourists to town.

Originally Appeared Here

As of late February, there were 49.2% certified nursing assistant vacancies and 39.6% certified medication technician vacancies.

MEXICO – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is awarding the Missouri Veterans Commission with a grant to help combat a staffing crisis. 

“We’re in a staffing crisis, same as any other business out there, [we’re] looking to find a fine staff to take care of our veterans,” Paul Kirchhoff, executive director of the Missouri Veterans Commission, said.

Missouri Veterans Homes manages a total of 1,238 beds across seven locations in Cameron, Cape Girardeau, Mexico, Mount Vernon, St. James, St. Louis and Warrensburg.

The federal grant will allow for a one-time differential of $920.42 to be paid to all full-time support care assistants currently employed or hired between March 1 and July 1, 2023. This comes as the Missouri Veterans Commission struggles to maintain a full staff.  

According to the commission, during fiscal year 2022, the Missouri Veterans Commission had a 55.2% vacancy rate for support care assistants and a 32% vacancy rate for senior support care assistants. In this same period, the Missouri Veterans Commission saw a 104.8% turnover in support care assistants and 49.8% in senior support care assistants statewide. 

As of late February, there were 49.2% certified nursing assistant (CNA) vacancies and 39.6% certified medication technician (CMT) vacancies. 

The commission said vacancies require team members to take additional shifts to fill scheduling gaps in order to meet minimum staffing requirements. 

“It’s not just a competition among ourselves and other long-term care facilities in the private industry,” Kirchhoff said. “We’re competing against Starbucks, Walmart, all the other businesses out there for staffing, and pay is an issue we have.”

These staffing shortages are keeping eligible veterans on the waitlist for a bed. As of late February, 230 veterans were on the waitlist. 

“Instead of reducing the level of care that our veterans have earned, what we’re doing is we’re accepting less veterans into the home,” Kirchhoff said. 

Kirchhoff said he hopes a recent cost-of-living adjustment for state employees will also make a difference to increase retention. The base pay for CNAs will now be $17.61. Previously, it was $12.01. 

Tasine Hall is a CNA at the Missouri Veterans Home in Mexico. Over her 11 years working at the home, she said she’s seen a high level of turnover. She said this turnover is due to the pay and the difficult nature of the job. 

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“There’s a lot of hard work being a CNA here,” Hall said. “It’s hard day to day.”

Hall said she continues to come back to work every day because she loves the veterans she works with. 

“My favorite part is conversing with the veterans one on one as I do their showers,” Hall said. “I get to know them better… [They tell me] how they met their wives, the things that they did, and how they were brought up and how things are now and how they weren’t then.”

Hall said the veterans become more than just part of the job. 

“The hardest part is losing my veterans because they become family,” Hall said. 

Hall said the increase in her hourly salary and one-time shift differential will make a tangible difference in her life. 

“It’s going to be for me and my kids, my bills, and things that we want that maybe I as a single mother couldn’t provide,” Hall said. 

Emily Iburg has worked as a CNA and CMT at the Missouri Veterans Home in Mexico for six years. Like Hall, Iburg said she’s seen a high level of staff turnover during her tenure at the home. 

“I think the pay has some[thing] to do with it,” Iburg said. “And then I think just CNA work is pretty hard, and some people are cut out for it, and some people aren’t.”

She said she stays for the benefits state employees earn and because of the veterans she works with.  

“They served us at one point,” Iburg said. “They gave up a lot of their life so that we have what we have now.”

Applications to apply for jobs at Missouri Veterans Homes can be found here.

Originally Appeared Here

Housing the Community Jefferson City hosted city leaders Thursday evening to discuss how the city might support the new nonprofit’s efforts to overcome homelessness.

HCJC evolved from a committee within the Jefferson City Homeless Task Force, led by Stefani Thompson, community organizer for Central Community Action. A goal is to connect people experiencing homelessness in the community with resources and services.

The group has identified having a year-round daytime drop-in center as a major need for the unhoused community, according to Scott Johnston, president of the HCJC board. Asked about the need for a year-round overnight shelter, he said that is another step in providing services for the community.

“Our vision would be to have an overnight shelter connected to the drop-in center,” Johnston said. “If that opportunity presented itself, we would run with it.”

Catholic Charities of Northern and Central Missouri has generously let HCJC operate Room at the Inn at its offices, 1015 Edmonds St., but that has ended for the winter. Room at the Inn is an overnight shelter only open during the (generally) coldest months of the year. Catholic Charities uses the space during the day for programs and trainings.

“We have the opportunity to work with Catholic Charities right now with the shelter. We also feel the immediate need for the drop-in center,” Johnston said. “We’ve kind of got these two models. If you could put them together, that would be great, but right now we’re kind of gathering support for a drop-in center.”

The state of homelessness in Jefferson City boiled to the surface in May of last year, when Missouri River Regional Library Director Claudia Young had to put her foot down concerning some homelessness conduct. At one point, Young was forced to remove two people who had been fighting from the library.

But she emphasized that staff members have compassion for the homeless in the city who use the library as a place where they can take shelter during the day.

The price of compassion is high, Young told people gathered for Thursday’s community discussion. And people approach her with concerns about homeless people in the library. At the same time, other community members are grateful the library leaves its doors open to the homeless population.

The 2022 incident led the Jefferson City Homelessness Task Force to more aggressively begin seeking solutions for members’ unhoused friends.

The task force, and now HCJC, are focusing on creating a no-barrier drop-in center somewhere near downtown Jefferson City, close to where the greatest numbers of homeless people in the city live.

“Our vision, our dream, is to sometime have a drop-in shelter and an emergency shelter together. But right now, we’re focusing on a drop-in center, which would be tentatively a half-day operation, Monday through Friday where people can come in in the morning,” Johnston told Mayor Carrier Tergin and City Administrator Steven Crowell, who attended the community discussion with about 25 other people. City Councilman Ron Fitzwater, who is running unopposed for mayor, was also invited to the discussion, but didn’t show because of illness.

“What we hope to do is serve as an access point to other services in the community,” Johnston continued.

Tergin told the group that to find success with the city, it should coordinate numerous nonprofits who provide services to homeless people in the community — including churches, the faith community, Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army of Jefferson City, Common Ground Community Building, Building Community Bridges and others — and come to the city as one coordinated body.

She offered that the group should bring information about what makes a day shelter model successful. If the city can see the umbrella that is covering all those services, it would be helpful, she said.

Johnston said HCJC has found a lot of great partnerships between city and county governments and local nonprofits concerning the unhoused.

“That’s kind of what we’re looking for tonight, is kind of a commitment to work with us as a coordinating body to help address this issue,” he said.

    Mayor Carrie Tergin speaks with City Administrator Steven Crowell about issues of the unhoused in Jefferson Ciry at a forum hosted by Housing the Community JC Thursday. (Ken Barned/News Tribune)
      Scott Johnston, Board President of Housing the Community JC, speaks to the issues of the unhoused and how this new organization can help that population of Jefferson City during a forum Thursday night to try to garner the support of Jefferson City and Cole County officials. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
  

Originally Appeared Here