News Staff

Macon County Presiding Judge Frederick Tucker was assigned Tuesday by the Missouri Supreme Court for oversight of the close Adair County sherriff’s race. A hearing will happen today at 4pm in Adair County court.

Missouri voters will decide whether to guarantee a right to abortion with a constitutional amendment that would reverse the state’s near-total ban.

The secretary of state’s office certified Tuesday that an initiative petition received more than enough signatures from registered voters to qualify for the general election. It will need approval from a majority of voters to become enshrined in the state constitution.

Jason Underwood and Jasone Lene Adair County Sheriff’s race is still not decided. There are 13 ballots that have not been cast. 12 are provisional ballots that were essentially flagged for verification. There is also one curbside ballot that has to be counted. It may take up until Friday to be decided.

Gov. Mike Parson’s administration will spend $243,750 to purchase 21 additional license plate readers, to supplement law enforcement during a personnel shortage. A contract with Atlanta-based Flock Safety took effect Aug. 1.

the Missouri Department of Economic Development announced Thursday its initial proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program was approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

The approval allows the state access to more than $1.7 billion in program funding.

Teens from across the state recently competed and earned scholarships in the 19th Miss Missouri’s Teen competition, including students from the Webster Groves and Kirkwood areas.

The Miss Missouri’s Teen class of 2024 includes Miss Heart of the Ozarks’ Teen Autumn Grace Daras, a student at North Kirkwood Middle School, and Miss Central Missouri’s Teen Celia Madeiros, a student at Nerinx Hall High School. Both students received $300 non-finalist scholarships.

The Adair County sheriff’s race officially came down to five votes on Saturday.
Jason Lene beat Jason Underwood, unless a recount is requested, 1,826 to 1,821.

We’re still waiting for a final call on who has won the Adair County Sheriff’s race. The primary was between Jason Underwood and Jason Lene. Officially, three votes separate them, with Underwood leading by three votes. But, there are 13 ballots to be considered, including 12 provisional ballots. County officials will follow through with the process of settling the race on Friday.

A 66-year-old woman suffered serious injuries in a single-vehicle wreck that happened two miles north of Moberly on Route DD on Wednesday afternoon. The Highway Patrol says Susan Karg of Huntsville, MO, was driving an Isuzu Rodeo, and went off the right side of the roadway, hit a culvert, and overturned. She was not wearing a safety device. She was taken to University Hospital Columbia.

From August 10-13, Governor Mike Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson will travel to the Republic of Panama for an international Trade Mission. Panama is a key trade partner for Missouri, with $37 million in exports in 2023. Consistent with Governor Parson’s infrastructure and economic development priorities, the goal of the Trade Mission is to build relationships with key international figures to promote Missouri’s strong capacity for trade. Governor Parson will meet with government officials and diplomats in addition to visiting Missouri National Guard service members who are participating in a multinational exercise focused on ensuring free transit of commerce through the Panama Canal. The total of $37 million in goods exported to Panama in 2023 also show the importance of international trade to Missouri’s economic success. Among the goods exported, nonmetallic minerals, dairy products, grain and oilseed milling products, and HVAC and refrigeration equipment were among those in highest demand.