MU Health Care’s Children’s Hospital is the only facility in mid-Missouri that offers urgent transport services, child life and music therapy and neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. The 18th annual 939 the Eagle Missouri Credit Union Miracles for Kids Radiothon wraps up today (Friday) at 6 pm. EVERY dollar raised stays in mid-Missouri. Last year’s radiothon raised a record $260,000. You’re hearing from more Miracle families today, as they share inspiring stories about health and healing. The 18th annual 939 the Eagle Missouri Credit Union Miracles for Kids Radiothon raises money to cover the cost of lifesaving equipment and to support program needs at the hospital. MU Health Care child life specialists Erica Thurman and Tailor Schlotzhauer joined Gary Nolan and Brian Hauswirth live on 939 the Eagle’s this morning to discuss the importance of the radiothon: Erica and Tailor both grew up in mid-Missouri’s Cooper County:
Author of Wooldridge fire book plans presentation tonight in Jefferson City
Tonight is your opportunity to learn new details about the great Wooldridge fire of 2022, a fire that literally burned half of the mid-Missouri village off the map in less than two hours.
Columbia resident Tim Scherrer, who’s written a 350-page book about the fire called “Half the Town Burned”, will speak tonight at 6:45 at the Jefferson City public library. Mr. Scherrer tells 939 the Eagle that he plans to cover the disaster from all aspects tonight, including the 911 call, radio traffic and updates on the outcomes of the fire. The October 2022 blaze shut down busy I-70 in mid-Missouri’s Cooper County for several hours.
Mr. Scherrer notes it was the largest fire mutual aid response in Missouri history. The blaze destroyed at least 23 structures in Wooldridge. 161 firefighters from 63 departments from across Missouri battled the blaze. He says 120 years of Wooldridge history disappeared in flames that Saturday afternoon, as firefighters battled the greatest fire of their careers.
Mr. Scheerer doesn’t mince words about the impact of that blaze on Wooldridge. He writes that the blaze left most residents, living on the edge of poverty, struggling to meet basic needs. He’s sold more than 300 copies of his book in mid-Missouri. Mr. Scherrer’s presentation tonight at the Jefferson City library is open to the public.
(LISTEN): Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden discusses committee chairmanships and 2024 session on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”
Missouri’s Senate President Pro Tem has stripped three fellow Republicans of their committee chairmanships, describing them as “the “Chaos Caucus.” While Republicans have a 24-10 supermajority in the Senate, GOP infighting has led to gridlock in Jefferson City. Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) made the announcement during a Tuesday afternoon Statehouse press conference. He’s stripped State Sens. Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg), Bill Eigel (R-Weldon Spring) and Andrew Koenig (R-Manchester) from their chairmanships. Senator Rowden joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”, telling listeners that he took action due to years of disrespect toward the Missouri Senate and colleagues. He also says the Freedom Caucus senators have tried to break the Senate. Senator Eigel, who’s seeking Missouri’s GOP gubernatorial nomination in August, has issued a statement to 939 the Eagle, after he was stripped from his chairmanship. Senator Eigel, writes, in part: “Jefferson City is ruled by a uniparty cartel of special interests, RINOS and Democrats, who band together to crush the voice of the people. These are the same tactics the Swamp uses against President Trump.” Senator Hoskins’ district includes Cooper and Howard counties in the 939 the Eagle listening area:
(LISTEN): Bipartisan child care tax credit legislation will pass Missouri House easily next year, area lawmaker says
A key mid-Missouri state lawmaker is optimistic about bipartisan child care tax credit legislation being approved by the Missouri House in 2024, but he’s not sure about the Senate. Missouri House Workforce and Infrastructure Development Committee vice chair Willard Haley (R-Eldon) represents three mid-Missouri counties in Jefferson City.
“I know that we’re going to face some challenges this next session probably again in the Senate. It seems like there is quite a few individuals running for statewide offices that might want to kind of hold things up again,” Representative Haley says.
A bipartisan bill died on the 2023 session’s final day in May due to a Missouri Senate filibuster on unrelated issues.
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the Show-Me State has a child care crisis that is costing Missouri more than $1-billion annually. That number doesn’t surprise Representative Haley, who tells 939 the Eagle that child care is a top priority for voters and businesses in his bright-red GOP district.
“I hear as a number one complaint from both employers and also those in the workforce that affordable and safe child care is a very big concern. And it’s a critical factor in getting our workforce back to where it needs to be,” says Haley.
Haley represents Moniteau, Morgan and Cooper counties in Jefferson City. State Rep. Brenda Shields’ (R-St. Joseph) bipartisan child care tax credit bill died on the 2023 session’s final day in May due to a Missouri Senate filibuster on unrelated issues.
State Sen. Lauren Arthur (D-Kansas City) was the Senate sponsor of the same bill that Representative Shields carried in the House.
(LISTEN): Missouri’s Rowden, Hoskins clash again over sports wagering
Two Missouri GOP state senators who are running for secretary of state next year are blaming each other for the defeat of sports wagering legislation in Jefferson City this year.
Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) spoke Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable” program.
“We had the ability to cut property taxes, legalize sports betting and do some other things in the tax realm all in one fell swoop, and Senator Hoskins decided to kill all of that because they want slot machines in gas stations,” Senator Rowden says.
Senator Rowden tells listeners that the legality of these slot machines in gas stations is questionable, noting the issue is currently in litigation.
State Sen. Denny Hoskins (R-Warrenburg), who represents mid-Missouri’s Cooper County in the listening area, disagrees. He’s issued a statement to 939 the Eagle, which says “the Missouri Constitution says state tax revenue from gaming must be used for education and veterans and currently that tax revenue does not fully fund our veterans homes and cemeteries. As a veteran of the Missouri Army National Guard, I will continue to fight to find a dedicated funding source for our veterans homes and cemeteries. Unfortunately, as a former pop singer, Rowden’s loyalties lie with getting the best deal for casinos, not the best deal for Missouri veterans and taxpayers.”
Meantime, Senate President Pro Tem Rowden says term limits are good but that Missouri’s term limits are bad. Missouri voters approved term limits in 1992, and state lawmakers can serve up to four terms in the House (eight years) and up to two four-year Senate terms (eight years) for a maximum of 16 years in Jefferson City. Senator Rowden tells 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable” he’d like to see that tweaked and sent back to voters.
“I love the idea or I like the idea of saying ok you can just serve 16 years (in the Missouri Legislature) but you can do it wherever you want. Because instead of saying you can only serve eight and eight in either chamber, there’s a bunch of House members that are never going to run for the (Missouri) Senate, but if they’re there for 16 years they have the ability to really kind of put their roots down and figure out those ways to really serve their community well,” says Rowden.
You can listen to host Fred Parry’s full interview with Senator Rowden here.
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