July 7, 2019

Federal Legislation Expected Soon To Make Cahokia Mounds A National Park

Federal legislation to make Cahokia Mounds part of a new national park could soon be introduced in Congress, according to proponents of the plan.

Heartlands Conservancy, which has led the effort, has been working on the wording of the bill with the staff of U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, said Ed Weilbacher, vice president of the nonprofit based in Belleville.

The Cahokia Mounds and Mississippian Culture National Historic Park would also include ancient mounds in St. Clair and Madison counties and Sugarloaf Mound in St. Louis, the last remaining mound in the city.

“We're getting very close to having it introduced,’’ Weilbacher said. “We've had really good cooperation from the congressman's office, and they have been meeting with the Department of Interior.’’

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/federal-legislation-expected-soon-make-cahokia-mounds-national-park

July 7, 2019

Rolla City Councilman Daniel Jones Faces Possible Ouster Over Marijuana Past

Phelps County Prosecutor Brendon Fox filed a petition in court this week to remove Daniel Jones from the Rolla City Council.

He cited Jones’ 2012 guilty plea to a felony charge of cannabis possession as a violation of state law that prohibits convicted felons from holding public office.

The state statute in question reads:

“No person shall qualify as a candidate for elective public office in the state of Missouri who has been found guilty of or pled guilty to a felony under the federal laws of the United States of America or to a felony under the laws of this state or an offense committed in another state that would be considered a felony in this state.”

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/rolla-city-councilman-daniel-jones-faces-possible-ouster-over-marijuana-past

July 6, 2019

Dispute Between USDA And Iron County Medical Center Could Lead Hospital To Close

Iron County is one of the state’s least healthy counties, according to the Missouri Health Atlas.

So when Iron County Medical Center in Pilot Knob, about 85 miles southwest of St. Louis, filed for bankruptcy protection last year, there was great concern.

“We’re all people around here have. It’s a very impoverished area,” said Joshua Gilmore, the CEO of the hospital.

Gilmore met with creditors, Medicare and Medicaid officials, and created a plan to return to solvency in five years.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/dispute-between-usda-and-iron-county-medical-center-could-lead-hospital-close

July 6, 2019

Quincy Catholics To Honor The Life Of The Nation's First Black Priest

Catholics in Quincy will come together Saturday to commemorate the 122nd anniversary of Father Augustine Tolton’s death. He is widely regarded as the nation’s first black priest.

A mile-long pilgrimage procession will start near the statue of Father Tolton outside of St. Peter Catholic School.

Father Daren Zehnle, with the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, said the pilgrimage recognizes a man who lived by the Bible’s example.

“It’s a way for us to walk from a statue of Father Tolton outside of St. Peter’s School in Quincy to walk about a mile along the streets of the city as a public witness to the holiness of this priest and as a way of inviting others to join us and to pray with us and so that we might imitate him as he imitated Christ,” he said.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/quincy-catholics-honor-life-nation-s-first-black-priest

July 6, 2019

Quincy Catholics To Honor The Life Of The Nation's First Black Priest

Catholics in Quincy will come together Saturday to commemorate the 122nd anniversary of Father Augustine Tolton’s death. He is widely regarded as the nation’s first black priest.

A mile-long pilgrimage procession will start near the statue of Father Tolton outside of St. Peter Catholic School.

Father Daren Zehnle, with the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, said the pilgrimage recognizes a man who lived by the Bible’s example.

“It’s a way for us to walk from a statue of Father Tolton outside of St. Peter’s School in Quincy to walk about a mile along the streets of the city as a public witness to the holiness of this priest and as a way of inviting others to join us and to pray with us and so that we might imitate him as he imitated Christ,” he said.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/quincy-catholics-honor-life-nation-s-first-black-priest

July 6, 2019

Thousands push for imprisoned Missouri pot farmer's freedom

SPRINGFIELD — More than 30,000 people have signed an online petition for the release of a blind, 79-year-old Missouri pot farmer in federal prison.

The Springfield News-Leader on Wednesday reported that the Change.org petition is in support of Charles F. White. White was sentenced in 2017 to 10 years in prison for growing more than 1,700 marijuana plants on his southwestern Missouri farm.

The newspaper previously reported that a federal judge denied White's motion for compassionate early release. White's attorneys argued that White's vision impairment makes it hard for him in "an aggressive prison population."

Federal prosecutors opposed his early release.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/thousands-push-for-imprisoned-missouri-pot-farmer-s-freedom/article_629673d8-a177-50a7-be80-120d3de6c60b.html

July 6, 2019

Ameren says Missouri customers should see slight rate cut

ST. LOUIS — Ameren Missouri says its customers in the state should see a slight reduction in their electric rates next spring.

The utility filed a proposal Friday with the Missouri Public Service Commission for a $1 million reduction in its revenues from rates. The company said a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours a month would see a decrease of about 3 cents a month starting in May 2020.

It would be the second rate decrease for its 1.2 million Missouri customers in less than two years. A decrease of $167 million, or 6%, took effect in August 2018, with monthly savings of $6.21 for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours.

The company said the proposal would keep rates stable as pursues $5.3 billion worth of upgrades to its system.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/ameren-says-missouri-customers-should-see-slight-rate-cut/article_f4292c1d-90ec-5857-925a-768c09ab283a.html

July 6, 2019

Ameren says Missouri customers should see slight rate cut

ST. LOUIS — Ameren Missouri says its customers in the state should see a slight reduction in their electric rates next spring.

The utility filed a proposal Friday with the Missouri Public Service Commission for a $1 million reduction in its revenues from rates. The company said a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours a month would see a decrease of about 3 cents a month starting in May 2020.

It would be the second rate decrease for its 1.2 million Missouri customers in less than two years. A decrease of $167 million, or 6%, took effect in August 2018, with monthly savings of $6.21 for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours.

The company said the proposal would keep rates stable as pursues $5.3 billion worth of upgrades to its system.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/ameren-says-missouri-customers-should-see-slight-rate-cut/article_f4292c1d-90ec-5857-925a-768c09ab283a.html

July 5, 2019

Missouri pays $500,000 after losing campaign finance lawsuit

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri taxpayers footed a more than $500,000 legal bill after the state attorney general lost a case defending a new campaign finance law.

Taxpayers paid attorneys for two lobbying groups that opposed the limits a combined total of roughly $508,000, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday.

Attorney Chuck Hatfield represented the Association of Missouri Electrical Cooperatives in a lawsuit to overturn the ban.

Todd Graves represented the American Democracy Alliance. The attorneys charged up to $575 an hour for their work against the law.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/missouri-pays-after-losing-campaign-finance-lawsuit/article_461b014d-99d8-5647-ad0e-385281fe8d0a.html

July 5, 2019

Study: Kansas benefits most from federal disaster grants

TOPEKA, Kan. — A study has found that Kansas saves more money, on average, than any other state that uses federal grants to mitigate natural disasters.

The Pew Charitable Trusts recently released its data analysis showing that for every $1 of federal funds spent on protecting against flood and tornado damage, Kansas avoided $6.81 in potential recovery costs. Researchers drew from a previous study of federal disaster mitigation grants between 1993 and 2016.

The data shows Missouri trailed close behind, with each federal dollar saving $6.72, the Kansas News Service reported.

The findings come after Kansas saw heavy rain and flooding this spring, delaying wheat harvests. A May tornado near Pittsburg damaged buildings and toppled power lines and trees.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/study-kansas-benefits-most-from-federal-disaster-grants/article_594570ea-2353-5316-9e7e-02de2efc247a.html