News

The U.S. Department of Education announced it’s giving $7.7 million to the state of Missouri to improve low achieving schools through the Department’s School Improvement Grant program.  

In Jordan this week, dozens of journalists demonstrated near the royal palace in Amman. They were protesting against the government’s decision to block access to about 300 of the country’s 400 local news websites.

Governor Jay Nixon signed two bills today to better assist children in foster care with the transition to adulthood. 

A large jar sits inside a white refrigerator in the pharmacy at Mercy Springfield.  Inside that jar are what are classified as medical devices by the US Food and Drug Administration:  about 20 medical grade leeches that are kept in case they’re needed, which is usually once or twice a year.

Liliane Sparks of Hollister has health problems that prevent her from using a hyperbaric chamber to help heal her wounds.  But without the proper treatment of the deep wounds on her feet, she faced amputation.  Her doctor, Bob Dorsey at CoxHealth in Branson, suggested maggot debridement therapy.

After just a few months as head of the state’s Emergency Management Agency, Ryan Nicholls is leaving to resume his former role in southwest Missouri. 

Missourians wanting to earn their high school equivalency certificate will need to pass a new test beginning January first. The new exam, called HiSET, will replace the current GED test. Sarah Potter is a spokesperson with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. She said the state’s current contract for GED testing was due to expire at the end of this year.

Potter says the state evaluated several competing bids based on the quality of testing, price, and whether the testing was computer based. HiSET will cost a maximum of $95 to take.

Columbia’s Commission on Cultural Affairs is considering a proposal to increase the funding for the Short Street Parking Garage sculpture, "Tidal Murmur."

The additional money would be used to pay for specialty LED lighting for the sculpture.  Chris Stevens, manager of the Office of Cultural Affairs, presented the proposal from artist Beth Nybeck. He says that the extra money would help to improve the project.

If you've experienced sticker shock shopping for ground beef or steak recently, be prepared for an entire summer of high beef prices.

Multi-year droughts in states that produce most of the country's beef cattle have driven up costs to historic highs. Last year, ranchers culled deep into their herds — some even liquidated all their cattle — which pushed the U.S. cattle herd to its lowest point since the 1950s.