Treasurer Zweifel announces reduction in MOST administrative fees

Missouri Treasurer Clint Zweifel visited Missouri campuses on Tuesday touting a large reduction in administrative fees for the state's college savings program, known as MOST. 

At his stop at UMKC, Zweifel rattled off the big numbers, percentage points and statistics, emphasizing that the fees would be reduced by 44 percent. But he called for staff help when asked how much that would benefit an individual saver.

"The individual saver will save about 25 basic points," Zweifel said. "It comes to $25 for every ... ten thousand dollars."

Zweiful was focused on the big picture – $18.5 million in savings spread among 113,00 savers – plus a half-million-dollar assistance package... the details of which will be announced at a future Zweifel news conference.

Zweifel was scheduled to appear at a news conference at Southeast Missouri State University today, but ended up canceling his visit to Cape Girardeau.

Steve Bell, KCUR Kansas City

Read More

Secretary of State approves five initiative petitions

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced yesterday that five initiative petitions met criteria for circulation.

One petition would allow for more early voting options, instead of relying purely on absentee ballot voting. It would amend the Missouri Revised Statutes.

Two similar petitions for a constitutional amendment would facilitate early voting and change election procedures by including, “certain procedures relating to voter identification affidavits, voting address updates, and provisional ballots.” All the early voting initiatives were submitted by Matt Cologna of Springfield.

Two petitions would shrink the size of the Missouri House of Representatives from 163 seats to 103 beginning in 2023. According to the petition language, reducing the house by 60 representatives would yield $4.7 million in savings for the state government. The petitions were submitted by Russell Purvis of Kansas City.

In order for constitutional changes to make it to a ballot, they must contain signatures equal to 8% of the number of votes cast in the last gubernatorial election in 6 of Missouri’s Congressional districts. Statutory changes require 5%.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

Read More

Missouri Land Reclamation Commission grants one hearing, denies the other

The Missouri Land Reclamation Commission made a decision Monday regarding formal hearings for two quarry companies, Strack Excavating and Heartland Materials, who are trying to obtain permits to put quarries in Fruitland.

The Commission granted a formal hearing regarding the permit proposal for Strack Excavating but denied a hearing for the Heartland Materials proposal.

Heartland Materials will now be able to move forward and obtain a mining permit from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Strack Excavating will now have to go through a formal hearing which will mean more in-depth testimony from both Strack and the people of Fruitland.

The decision to grant a hearing for the Strack Excavating quarry proposal came as a response to concerns about proximity to Saxony Lutheran High School and the lack of a buffering zone along the property line of the high school.

The hearing officer can also take into account the company's two notices of violation and two letters of warning that the company has received in the last 10 years. These violations include emissions violations and a failure to submit paperwork.

The hearing will take place in front of an independent hearing officer appointed by Missouri's Administrative Hearing Commission.

Katie Long, KRCU

Read More

Cape Girardeau City Council repeals flag desecration, looks at historic corridor zoning changes

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Southeast Professor Dr. Steven Hoffman and Marla Mills, Executive Director of Old Town Cape answered questions last night during the Cape Girardeau City Council study session, concerning zoning changes to the Central Business District.


Within the proposed Downtown Commercial Corridor District, buildings can have residential space in the rear of the first floor, something that current zoning does not allow without a special use permit.


Dr. Hoffman believes by allowing residency in the lower rear sections of buildings and keeping commercial space in the front, the result will increase pedestrian traffic and business.


"When you have residential uses right up against the curb on the first floor it depresses pedestrian activity which has a negative effect on the commercial activity alongside," Hoffman said.


The Downtown Commercial Corridor encompasses parts of Broadway, Sprigg, Good Hope, Morgan Oak, and Main Street.


The City Council is scheduled to vote on these changes at their next meeting on Tuesday, February 22.


The Cape Girardeau City Council voted last night to pass an ordinance that repeals a city law against the desecration of flags.


In 1989 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that flag desecration was an act of free speech and protected under first amendment.


The repeal was prompted by a current lawsuit against the City of Cape Girardeau filed by Frank L. Snider III, who was arrested for flag desecration in October of 2009. Snider was released when Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle, who had filed the charges, was informed of the Supreme Court’s ruling.


Matthew Caldwell, KRCU

Read More

Southeast HEALTH's Cancer Center opens its door today

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Cape Girardeau's health care industry will welcome its newest addition today...the Southeast HEALTH Cancer Center.


The $33 million facility, Southeast HEALTH's most expensive project to date, took two years to build.


Executive director Judy Aslin says that it isn't necessarily that cancer patients need a separate facility, but that Southeast HEALTH needed to expand. 


"Its become outpatient driven, and we could have done this on the hospital campus. We looked at facilties there and didn't have the space to do it. Many of the cancer patients either are debilitated or have become debilitated sometime with their disease and so the access is much easier at our free standing facility," Aslin says. 


Each year the center can tend to 800 oncology patients. In addition, the center will be capable of handling non-cancer patients, like people who need blood transfusions, hydration, and treatment for arthitis. The center will have medical oncologists who are also hematologists to treat amenia and blood disorders.


The center tends to cancer patients who need radiation oncology and medical oncology, among others.


The center will typically be used for outpatient care.


Rachel Weatherford, KRCU

Read More

Packers win Super Bowl 31-25 over Pittsburgh

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers last night to hoist the Lombardi Trophy as NFL Champions. The Packers built a commanding lead, but let it dwindle to a mere six point victory, winning 31-25.

The Super Bowl is more than just a football game. Tina Eaton of Cape Girardeau says that she has always been attracted to the event.

"I went to Port Cape this year to watch the Super Bowl. I watch it pretty much every year, basically just for the commercials, but this year they didn't seem as good. The halftime show was pretty entertaining, though," Eaton said.

The half time show was a performance by the Black Eyed Peas.

Ryan Paluczak, KRCU

Read More

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra thrills audience at Bedell

Classical music was in the air when the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra performed at the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall in the River Campus yesterday afternoon.

Musical Conductor Robert Franz led the orchestra through three compositions from the 19th and 20th centuries ... Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream Overture, Copland's Appalachian Spring, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major.

Many local fans of the symphony were in attendance, such as Elaine Pinar of Perryville.

"It's worth a trip to St. Louis for this. And the conductor, Robert Franz, you can feel that he just lives that music," Pinar said.

The next symphonic performance at Bedell will be the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra on March 1.

Daniel Rohr, KRCU

Read More