State Auditor Tom Schweich announced Tuesday that a routine audit of the Missouri Department of Agriculture is underway.
The last audit of the entire department was released in 2008.
Those who would like to provide information during the audit process of the Missouri Department of Agriculture are encouraged to contact the State Auditor’s office at 800-347-8597 or by email at[email protected].
(AP) – Missouri lawmakers open their annual session Wednesday with some different priorities than those of Gov. Jay Nixon.
Republican legislators plan to pursue an income tax cut again after the Democratic governor vetoed last year’s attempt.
House Speaker Tim Jones wants to consider “right to work” legislation that prohibits union bargaining fees from being a condition of employment. Nixon has said he would veto such legislation, so lawmakers may consider bypassing Nixon by referring it to the ballot.
Nixon has made Medicaid expansion a priority for a second straight year. But it’s still not a priority for Republican legislative leaders.
There is agreement among the governor and some lawmakers that Missouri should change its student transfer law affecting unaccredited school districts. But so far, there is no consensus on a specific plan.
A variety of issues await Missouri lawmakers returning Wednesday to the state Capitol for the 2014 legislative session. The session runs through mid-May. Here are five things to know about the Missouri legislative session:
1. FORMALITIES _ Little legislative heavy lifting is expected on opening day. The House and Senate convene at noon and are likely to spend the first day with formalities. No legislators require swearing-in, and House Speaker Tim Jones and Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey were elected to two-year tenures at the start of the 2013 session. Committee assignments also remain in place from the 2013 session.
2. MONEY AND SCHOOLS _ The Republican-led Legislature plans to try again at enacting an income tax cut after their proposal last year was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. Disagreement also has arisen about how much money is available for the state budget taking effect July 1. Legislative budget leaders have said they agreed to an estimate without Nixon and that the governor wanted a higher number. Nixon already has said his budget will include tens of millions of dollars focused on higher education. Dempsey has made addressing a student transfer law for unaccredited districts a key priority. About 2,000 students already have transferred from their home districts near St. Louis and more could follow suit in Kansas City. Jones would like to prohibit payment of union fees as a condition for employment.
3. THE CALENDAR _ Legislative hearings can begin once the session starts. Nixon is to release his budget recommendations and deliver his State of the State speech on Jan. 21. The next benchmark is a weeklong break in March that has marked the session’s traditional halfway point. After spring break will come crunch time and deadlines: May 9 for passage of a state budget and May 16 to pass legislation.
4. PARTISAN IMBALANCES _ Republicans hold overwhelming majorities in the Senate and House but no longer can count upon a veto-proof supermajority in the House because one GOP member left for Congress and a second resigned after he was appointed to the state parole board. House Republicans hold a 108-52 majority with three vacancies. The GOP controls the state Senate by a veto-proof 24-9 margin with one vacancy.
5. THE POLITICS _ Many lawmakers will be able to kick off their next political campaigns during the legislative session. Candidacy filling runs Feb. 25 to March 25. One House Democrat is planning to skip re-election to run for state auditor. Legislative term limits mean others will be barred from remaining in their current chamber. Three senators and 10 House members cannot seek re-election to their current seats.
MANHATTAN – Kansas Farm Bureau has released a new educational app based on its best-selling children’s book series.
The free app, which is available for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets, focuses on the popular “Milk Comes from a Cow?” children’s book written by retired KFB CEO Dan Yunk.
Readers can follow Kailey as she learns that milk comes from a cow, not the grocery store. The app comes with a host of bonus features and videos.
“We’ve had tremendous luck with our book series and connecting with children and parents,” Yunk says. “The time was right to move in to the electronic era and build upon what’s worked—telling the story of agriculture in a fun way.”
Also recently released is a Kansas Farm Bureau governmental relations app that includes tools and information on the latest issues affecting agriculture.
Both apps are available in the Apple and Google online stores.
Kansas Farm Bureau represents grassroots agriculture. Established in 1919, this non-profit advocacy organization supports farm families who earn their living in a changing industry.
BOYS
Lafayette 73, Maryville 21
Liberty 74, Central 42
GIRLS
Lafayette 48, Lawson 29
University of Missouri junior tailback Henry Josey (Angleton, Texas) has decided to bypass his final year of eligibility and make himself available for the 2014 NFL Draft. Josey, fresh off being named the offensive player of the game in Mizzou’s 41-31 win over Oklahoma State in Friday’s 2014 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, joins fellow junior teammate Kony Ealy, a defensive end from New Madrid, Mo., who announced following the game that he would be declaring for the draft.
Josey starred for the Tigers in their dramatic Cotton Bowl win, as he ran for three touchdowns, including the game-winning score from 16 yards out with 3:08 left in the contest. He also scored from 25 yards out earlier in the quarter to break a 17-17 tie, after he opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 3-yard run that staked Mizzou to a 7-0 lead. Josey finished the game with 92 yards rushing, and also caught a pass for 10 yards. He ended his junior season with 1,166 yards rushing and ranked second in the Southeastern Conference with 16 touchdowns.
He is only the second Mizzou running back to post two 1,000-yard seasons, as he ran for 1,168 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore in 2011 before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in game #10 against Texas. That injury kept him out all of the 2012 season.
“This is really a bittersweet decision to make,” said Josey. “I’m so grateful to Mizzou and my coaches and teammates and fans for all of their support and everything they’ve meant to me these past four years. It’s difficult to think I won’t be with them next year. But I’m really excited to have a chance to play professionally and work on fulfilling a dream I’ve had since I was a little kid. I can’t possibly express how much I owe to so many people for helping me get to this position, my doctors, trainers, strength coaches, everyone who pushed me and helped me and believed in me, and of course my coaches for trusting me. To the Mizzou fans, thanks so much for all of your prayers and thoughts the past couple of years, you truly inspired me to get back on the field. I’m going to miss my teammates but I know they’ll do great things and I will always be a Mizzou Tiger.”
Head Coach Gary Pinkel said that while his program would miss Josey, he supports his decision.
“Henry Josey is a first-class person any way you cut it, and anytime you take that out of your program, it leaves a void,” said Pinkel. “He is such an amazing competitor, and I’ve said time and again just how inspiring he has been for our team the last two years. We were so proud of him for overcoming everything he had to deal with, and to be such a positive influence on and off the field. We’re going to miss him, no question, but Henry wants to pursue his dream of playing professionally and we wish him nothing but the best and we’ll do everything we can to help him reach that goal. The Mizzou Football program is in better shape because of his efforts, so we’re grateful for the time he spent with us, and we know he’ll represent Mizzou well going forward,” he said.
— MU Sports Information —
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Thomas Gipson scored 19 points, Marcus Foster added 16 and No. 25 Kansas State ran its winning streak to 10 games with a 65-47 victory over TCU on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats (12-3, 2-0 Big 12), who made their way into the Top 25 for the first time this season on Monday, played their first true road game of the season.
Amric Fields scored 14 points and Kyan Anderson added 12 for TCU (9-5, 0-2), which trailed 31-21 at halftime.
The Horned Frogs used a 10-2 run to get within 36-33 with 13:45 to play, but Kansas State responded with a 9-3 run – keyed by a wide-open 3-pointer by Shane Southwell – and the Wildcats’ lead wouldn’t dip below seven points for the rest of the game.
Foster, the reigning Big 12 newcomer of the week, hit two 3-pointers in a one-minute span late in the second half. The Wildcats hit 7 of 15 3-pointers overall.
— Associated Press —
The Kansas City Royals announced Tuesday that the club has signed veteran catcher Ramon Hernandez to a minor league contract for 2014. The Royals plan to announce all of the club’s Major League camp non-roster invitees at a later date.
Hernandez, 37, has spent 15 seasons in the Majors Leagues and is a career .263 hitter with a .327 on-base and a .417 slugging percentage for Oakland (1999-2003), San Diego (2004-05), Baltimore (2006-08), Cincinnati (2009-11), Colorado (2012) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2013). His 757 RBI since the start of the 1999 season rank fifth among Major League catchers in that time, while his 169 homers are seventh-most among big league backstops. He played in 17 games for the Dodgers in 2013, batting .208 (10-for-48) with two doubles, three homers and six RBI, before being released on June 22.
An All-Star in 2003, Hernandez hit .273 in 140 games that season for the A’s, belting 21 homers and collecting 78 RBI, helping the team to its fourth-straight postseason appearance. He collected a career-high 23 homers and 91 RBI in 2006, his first year with the Orioles. Hernandez has participated in six postseason series, reaching the playoffs with Oakland (2000-03), San Diego (2005) and Cincinnati (2010).
— Royals Media Relations —
(AP) — A 41-year-old Independence man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of his 35-year-old girlfriend.
Russell McQueen Arndt was arrested early Monday in the death of Rebecca Ann Whittley.
Montgomery County prosecutor Larry Markle says the stabbing death occurred sometime over the weekend, but Whittley’s body wasn’t found until 2:30 a.m. Monday when officers went to the couple’s home to check on her.
Earlier that night Arndt was picked up in the northern part of the county and told deputies his girlfriend may have been injured at their residence.
Arndt was being held on $1 million bond. The Southeast Kansas Public Defender’s office has been appointed to represent him, but nobody was available Tuesday to discuss his case.
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement today regarding his opposition to the confirmation of Janet Yellen as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve:
“As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, I had the opportunity to ask Dr. Yellen direct questions about her views of our monetary policy. Her answers did nothing to alleviate my concerns about current Federal Reserve policies, including quantitative easing. For five years, the Fed’s asset-purchasing program has masked the true size of our deficit and made it easier for Washington to spend money it does not have. While it has been good for Wall Street, Main Street has been left with limited credit, a higher cost of living, and a lack of job opportunities. We cannot continue on this path without regard to the consequences; massive inflation is around the corner.
“I also remain unconvinced that Dr. Yellen will provide the leadership needed to relieve the regulatory burden on community banks, which play an important role in our financial system. Federal regulators continually fail to take into account the unique characteristics of community banks when rulemaking.
“A new direction is necessary. Unfortunately, Dr. Yellen’s nomination demonstrated a commitment to the status quo. With that in mind, I voted against advancing the nomination out of the Senate Banking Committee and was opposed to the final confirmation.”
AP— The University of Kansas School of Medicine has named a professor of medicine at Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic as its new executive dean.
Dr. Robert Simari will be the permanent successor to Barbara Atkinson, who retired in 2012. The appointment was announced Tuesday by Douglas Girod, executive vice chancellor of the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Simari earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas in 1986. At the Mayo Clinic, he is vice chairman of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and co-director of the Mayo Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences.
Simari is also the co-founder of Anexon, a company licensed to develop a method of protecting kidney function during heart
