Missouri News & Current Events | Public News Service

A yearlong study of the use of seclusion and restraint in U.S. schools found that some states track both, some track only the use of restraint, and some track neither. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, January 30, 2023

MO Schools' Seclusion, Restraint Incidents Shared for First Time

Missourians can now see how often their schools use seclusion and restraint to address student behavior. A 2021 law requires that schools report …

Anyone can get lung cancer from radon, including people who have never smoked. (Adobe Stock)

Officials Encouraging Missourians to Test for Radon

January is National Radon Action Month, and officials are getting the word out. Radon is a radioactive gas produced by the natural breakdown of …

The Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model ranks Missouri 14th among states for numbers of children who will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18, at 9.1%. West Virginia is the highest, at 12.4%. (Adobe Stock)

MO Expert: We Can Do More to Help Grieving Kids

One in 11 Missouri children, and one in 13 nationally, will lose a parent or sibling by age 18. Childhood grief that is not dealt with can have …

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11,258 people were killed in crashes that involved speeding in 2020. (Adobe Stock)

MO DOT Urges Buckling Up, Other Changes to Curb Fatal Crashes

Traffic fatalities in Missouri rose in 2022 for the third year in a row, with preliminary data showing 1,028 people died on Missouri roads. It's …

Most glaucoma cases occur in adults, but children can also get the disease. (Adobe Stock)

Glaucoma Awareness Month Brings Attention to Preventable Vision Loss

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and with no symptoms, experts say it's important for Missourians to get regular eye exams. Glaucoma is the …

Community Health Centers provide care at more than 14,000 locations across America. (Adobe Stock)

States Take Action Against PBM's 340b Workarounds

With Community Health Centers' funding facing challenges from pharmacy benefit managers, some state lawmakers are getting involved. The centers are …

Don't Neglect Heart Attack Warning Signs Over the Holidays

The American Heart Association is drawing attention this holiday season to a startling study conclusion: More people have fatal heart attacks on Dec…

MO Project to Disrupt 'School-to-Prison Pipeline' Gets a Boost

A new federal grant is giving schools in three Missouri counties and St. Louis City a fresh look at the challenges of students of color living with …

Nationally, the number of uninsured children fell by more than 200,000 during the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Health Insurance Coverage Increases for MO Kids During Pandemic

A new Georgetown University report showed the number of uninsured children in Missouri dropped during the pandemic thanks to a shift in federal policy…

Book bans occurred in 138 school districts in 32 states between 2021 and the middle of 2022. These districts represent 5,049 schools with a combined enrollment of nearly 4 million students, according to PEN America. (Adobe Stock)

Librarians Lament Censorship in MO

In what the American Library Association has called an unprecedented year of censorship, libraries in Missouri are fighting a rule proposed by the …

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Service reports there have been more than 8,200 flu cases so far this season. (Tyler Olson / Adobe Stock)

Missouri Health System Facing Potential 'Tripledemic' Amid Staffing Challenges

As winter looms in Missouri, health officials are expressing concern over the potential for three viruses to impact facilities. This season has …

More than 25% of Missourians will be older than 60 by 2040. (Adobe Stock)

HCBS Cuts Threaten Services for Aging Population in Missouri

November is National Family Caregivers Month, which focuses attention on the unpaid care work of family members. The care provided by families …

Every dollar spent at small businesses creates an additional 48 cents in local economic activity, according to an AMEX study. (Adobe Stock)

Small Business Saturday Promotes Spending in the Local Economy

Holiday shoppers this week have no shortage of options with Small Business Saturday being observed Nov. 26. Sandwiched between Black Friday and …

Wild turkeys in Missouri are the eastern subspecies, one of five subspecies in North America. (Alison Toon/Adobe Stock)

Turkey Population Restoration a Model for New Conservation Efforts

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, many may not realize a century ago, wild turkeys were near extinction. Conservation groups point to their …

In 2021 74% of Missouri's electricity was generated by coal-fired power plants. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Most Coal-Ash Storage Causing Toxic Groundwater Pollution

A new report found nearly all Missouri coal plants are releasing toxins into the local groundwater. The report from two nonprofits, the …

The program focus on spirituality is broad and not limited to traditional religious faiths. (Adobe Stock)

MSU Offers 'Mental Health and Spirituality' Undergrad Certificate

Missouri State University is offering a new option for students: a certificate that blends psychology with religious studies. The Mental Health and …

Another 63 Missouri School Districts are on the EPA Clean School Bus wait-list. (Maksym Yemelyanov/Adobe Stock)

EPA Awards Missouri School Districts $21 Million for Cleaner Buses

Missouri is joining the transition from diesel to electric school buses, as 26 school districts have been awarded $21 million in federal funds…

Sampling stations are open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., test results will be available within four weeks. (Adobe Stock)

Some MO Deer Hunters Face Mandatory CWD Sampling This Weekend

As the November portion of firearms deer season opens in Missouri, the Department of Conservation is reminding hunters about mandatory sampling for …

Missouri ranks last in the United States in the percentage of education funding provided by the state. (Adobe Stock)

Panel on Teacher Hiring, Retention to Hold Public Meetings Across MO

The Missouri state commission on teacher recruitment and retention has released its recommendations and will now be holding a series of public-engagem…

Research indicates kids of middle-school age are most frequent victims of bullying. (Waseem Ali Khan/Adobe Stock)

Preventing Bullying: The Importance of Social-Emotional Learning

October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, and experts are reminding Missourians to be aware of the patterns within bullying. One in …

This is the first election to be conducted under the new voter-ID rules in Missouri. (Adobe Stock)

No-Excuse Absentee Voting Under Way in Missouri

This Friday - October 28 - is Vote Early Day, and with early voting already under way in Missouri there's a few things to remember. Missourians can …

More than 345,000 Missourians are registered to participate in the 2022 Great Central U.S. ShakeOut. (Adobe Stock)

Thousands of Missourians to Participate in Great Central U.S. 'ShakeOut'

Missourians may not think much about earthquakes, but experts say it is important to be mentally prepared. This morning, hundreds of thousands of …

About 227,000 Missouri kids live in poverty. (Adobe Stock)

Programs Target Improving Economic Security for Missouri Families

Missouri has made strides in recent years when it comes to the economic stability of families, but advocates stressed there is more work to be done…

Prenatal home-visitation programs are connected to reduced low birth-weight deliveries. (Adobe Stock)

Partnerships Focus on Building Healthy, Resilient Missouri Children

A strong future for Missouri depends on ensuring its youngest residents grow up healthy and resilient, and partnerships are helping children grow up …

Young adults can benefit from mentoring in career development, and sometimes that one-on-one relationship is just the push they need to help them succeed. (Adobe Stock)

Graduation Rates: Putting MO Teens, Young Adults on the Right Path

Understanding future success is closely linked to educational outcomes, organizations in Missouri are helping teens and young adults meet their …

LPI reports annual teacher turnover rates are highest in the South and lowest in the Northeast. (Adobe Stock)

Missouri School Districts Face Ongoing Teacher Shortage

School districts nationwide are struggling to meet student needs with a teacher shortage made worse by COVID. The Missouri Department of Elementary …

Planned Parenthood hopes this is an approach that can be replicated in other parts of the country. (Planned Parenthood)

Planned Parenthood to Open Mobile Abortion Clinic in Southern IL

With the Dobbs ruling allowing states to restrict abortion access, health care practitioners have been forced to innovate in order to deliver care…

The Help America Vote act of 2002 requires each polling place have at least one accessible voting system. (Adobe Stock)

Voting Access Better for MO People with Disabilities; Challenges Remain

With absentee voting under way, election season has arrived in Missouri, but voters with disabilities still face challenges. While poll workers can …

KFF reports MO HealthNet covers two thirds of all Missouri nursing home residents. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates: Missouri Medicaid Expansion Helping Citizens, Saving Jobs

With health care as a hot topic of debate in the contest for Missouri's U.S. Senate seat, attention is being drawn back to the state's Medicaid …

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that each year, 21 million American adults experience a major depressive episode. (Adobe Stock)

MO Mental Health in Focus for Depression Screening Day

With many people still struggling in the wake of the pandemic, this week's National Depression Screening Day Oct. 6 is a reminder to Missourians to …

Data from a national survey of adults found that excessive drinking increased 21% during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Sober October Highlights Health Benefits, Raising Money for Charity

Missourians who want a new health challenge can participate in Sober October. In addition to the sobriety pledge, it offers the chance to raise money …

According to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, co-ops power 56% of the nation's landmass. (Adobe Stock)

Missouri Electric Co-ops Poised to Benefit from Inflation Reduction Act

Within the Inflation Reduction Act are provisions to help rural electric co-ops in new ways. Rural electricity generation often is structured as a …

Trouble sleeping and insomnia are often overlooked symptoms of anxiety disorders. (Adobe Stock)

Treating Anxiety Not Seen as One-Size-Fits-All Solution

Expanded anxiety screenings could have a long-term positive impact on the health of Missourians, according to mental-health advocates. The U.S…

An estimated one in five families skipped preventive checkups during the pandemic, so health experts encourage families to get back on track. (Adobe Stock)

Health Advocates Call for Back-to-School Checkups for Kids

As summer draws to a close, experts are reminding parents not to overlook health screenings for kids. Back-to-school time brings a lot of additions …

Community Health Centers in Missouri serve a disproportionate level of uninsured and Medicaid patients. (Adobe Stock)

Celebrating the Medical Home of 600,000 Missourians

During National Health Center Week, health-care advocates are highlighting the work Community Health Centers are doing to improve access to care …

While child poverty has improved in Missouri, still 23,000 kids live in families with incomes below the poverty line. (Adobe Stock)

Annual Child Well-Being Report Ranks Missouri 27th Among States

Children in Missouri are facing unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression - that's according to the 2022 Kids Count Data Book, released today by …

As of 2020, more than 4.3 million Missourians were registered to vote. (Adobe Stock)

Missouri Primary Voter ID Rules and Beyond

Despite all the news of recent changes to Missouri voting laws, some things remain the same for the Aug. 2 primary. Voters going to the polls this …

Missouri has no waiting period to enroll children in the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Adobe Stock)

Pediatricians Celebrate CHIP Turning 25, Urge Improvements

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Children's Health Insurance Program. Since its start in 1997, the child uninsured rate in the U.S…

Chronic wasting disease has been detected among cervids; deer, elk and moose. So far, there is no cure or treatment. (Drake Fleege/Adobe Stock)

MO Conservation Dept. Updates Plan to Combat Fatal Disease in Deer

The Missouri Department of Conservation wants public input on changes to its plan to manage Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), among white-tailed deer…

St. Louis city government is among localities in abortion-restrictive states seeking to help their residents access reproductive care. (Ted/Adobe Stock)

Missouri AG Sues St. Louis Over Reproductive Equity Fund

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is suing the City of St. Louis for its Reproductive Equity Fund, which Mayor Tishaura Jones signed into law …

Just a few large corporations control the vast majority of the food supply, and many operate concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFOs. (agnormark/Adobe Stock)

Testimony from MO Farmer: Bolster Regenerative Practices, Not CAFOs

Farmers and ranchers are raising red flags about the need for more regulation of concentrated animal feeding operations, known as CAFOs, and …

The St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield regions are set to lose the largest number of affordable housing units in the next year. (sommart/Adobe Stock)

MO Group Warns of Rental Units Losing Affordability Requirements

In the next five years, roughly 8,000 affordable housing units in Missouri may no longer be affordable. The state's Low Income Housing Tax Credit …

Nearly 40% of meat-packing workers in the United States are immigrants. (Artem Merzlenko/Adobe Stock)

MO Group Receives Grant to Support Immigrant, Refugee Meat-Plant Workers

An organization in rural Missouri is getting a funding boost to empower workers at meat-processing plants, especially immigrants and refugees…

In the August primary, Missourians still can use student IDs and current utility bills, bank statements, paychecks or other government checks as identification for voting. (sos.mo.gov)

Last Chance to Register to Vote in MO August Primary

Today is the deadline for Missouri residents to make sure they are registered to vote if they want to cast a ballot in the August primary. Eligible …

At least part of every county in Missouri, except one in the Kansas City area, has a doctor shortage, and mental health professionals can be especially hard to find. (loreanto/Adobe Stock)

MO Residency Training Program to Help Relieve Doctor Shortage

Nearly every county in Missouri faces a doctor shortage, and the Ozark Center in Joplin for behavioral health is getting a funding boost to help …

More than a quarter of LGBTQ students were bullied in school because of an actual or perceived disability, according to the National LGBTQ Task Force. (mbolina/Adobe Stock)

MO Advocate: Connect With Disability Issues During Pride Month

As Pride Month comes to a close and Disability Pride Month begins, advocates are raising awareness about the intersection of being LGBTQ+ and having …

Report Urges Supports for Young People, Not Tough-on-Crime Policies

New research found reports of skyrocketing youth crime are not only unfounded, but are fueling calls for stricter punishments. Data from The …

Twenty-six states are poised to ban abortion following the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. (Adam Fagan/Flickr)

As MO's Abortion Ban Goes Into Effect, Advocates Turn to IL

When Friday's Supreme Court decision came down overturning Roe v. Wade, Missouri's attorney general took action to put the state's trigger law into …

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