Eight-term U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) will be retiring in December, after 16 years on Capitol Hill. Missouri’s new third congressional district includes Columbia south of Broadway, Ashland, Hartsburg, Fulton, Boonville, California, Kingdom City, Holts Summit, Jefferson City, Linn and New Florence. It also includes Wentzville and O’Fallon. Former Boone County clerk Taylor Burks announced his run to try to replace Congressman Luetkemeyer, during a live interview on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” this morning. Mr. Burks tells listeners that he’s the only candidate who’s looking at this race from mid-Missouri, and that the district should be represented by someone from central Missouri. State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Arnold) and former State Sen. Bob Onder (R-Lake St. Louis) are also running. Mr. Burks criticized the redistricting process that drew the new boundaries, saying central Missouri “got sliced up by some jokers in Jefferson City.” National security is a top priority for Mr. Burks, who’s a veteran. He’s also touting transportation, saying service roads along I-70 from St. Louis to Columbia literally run out and that must change:
(LISTEN): Former Boone County clerk Taylor Burks announces congressional run on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”
Eight-term U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) will be retiring in December, after 16 years on Capitol Hill. Missouri’s new third congressional district includes Columbia south of Broadway, Ashland, Hartsburg, Fulton, Boonville, California, Kingdom City, Holts Summit, Jefferson City, Linn and New Florence. It also includes Wentzville and O’Fallon. Former Boone County clerk Taylor Burks announced his run to try to replace Congressman Luetkemeyer, during a live interview on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” this morning. Mr. Burks tells listeners that he’s the only candidate who’s looking at this race from mid-Missouri, and that the district should be represented by someone from central Missouri. State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Arnold) and former State Sen. Bob Onder (R-Lake St. Louis) are also running. Mr. Burks criticized the redistricting process that drew the new boundaries, saying central Missouri “got sliced up by some jokers in Jefferson City.” National security is a top priority for Mr. Burks, who’s a veteran. He’s also touting transportation, saying service roads along I-70 from St. Louis to Columbia literally run out and that must change:
(LISTEN): Missouri Congressman Graves says $93-million in extra money for I-70 will also help I-44
The dean of Missouri’s congressional delegation who’s the powerful U.S. House Transportation Committee chair has helped Missouri land $93-million in additional funds to be put toward I-70.
Construction will start this summer between Columbia and Kingdom City on Missouri’s $2.8 billion plan to rebuild aging I-70 and expand it to six lanes between St. Louis and Kansas City. Governor Mike Parson announced the $90-million-plus in funding during his January 24 State of the State address. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (Tarkio), who chairs Transportation, describes the additional money as huge.
“And it’s going to go to three segments on I-70. With the improvements that I-70 is going to be doing as a result of the work that the governor did and as a result of the work that the (state) Legislature did when it comes to getting more money into highway projects,” Graves says.
The $93-million will also free up money to go to other projects. Congressman Graves says it will also help heavily-traveled I-44. Governor Parson wants to use the additional money to establish the I-44 improvement fund. Chairman Graves, whose district includes mid-Missouri’s Moberly and Mexico, explains how that will work.
“And so what that does is it does allow for money that would have been used on those particular segments of I-70 (across Missouri) to now being moved over to I-44, the state dollars that were going to be used. So it does supplant a lot of those dollars and it’s just going to make the whole process that much better and get that much more done,” says Graves.
While some GOP members of Congress have criticized U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Chairman Graves praises the Secretary’s accessibility.
“You know the Secretary has been very open to talk to and easy to find. If I need to talk to him about anything, I just call his cell phone,” Congressman Graves says.
Graves says he’s spoken to the Secretary about the $93-million in additional funding that Missouri has received.
Congressman Graves also tells 939 the Eagle that we’ll see a lot of transportation improvements due to actions in the past few years from Governor Parson and from state lawmakers.
(LISTEN): Mid-Missouri tow truck drivers staying busy in ice storm
The National Weather Service’s (NWS) winter weather advisory for Columbia and mid-Missouri remains in effect until 6 pm this evening.
NWS St. Louis meteorologist Lydia JaJa says the freezing rain should exit Columbia and Jefferson City within the next 30 minutes. ABC-17’s Marina Diaz from our news partner KMIZ was in Kingdom City this morning covering a deadly crash that closed westbound I-70. Marina tells 939 the Eagle that she saw numerous semis and other vehicles that had crashed in the ice before 10 am.
“I was driving from Kingdom City to Columbia and on my drive we counted 13 cars and semi-trucks that were in the grass and like slid off the roadways. Some of them had extensive damage and most of them were semi-trucks,” says Diaz.
Marina had a difficult time standing up during her live shots this morning near Kingdom City.
“Our photographer, he was carrying our gear back to the car at one point and he slipped. And we were on gravel and you would think gravel would give you a little more traction with all the rocks and stuff. But even that was completely iced over. It was hard to just stand there, let alone walk. Earlier this morning, I slid down my driveway,” Diaz says.
Ice and freezing rain continues this afternoon to our east, in Montgomery, Warren and St. Charles counties. Keep your radio tuned to 939 the Eagle for updated forecast information.
(LISTEN): State Rep. Jim Schulte (R-New Bloomfield) discusses massive I-70 project on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”
State Rep. Jim Schulte (R-New Bloomfield) says state transportation officials will begin the state’s $2.8 billion I-70 expansion plan in mid-Missouri. Representative Schulte joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”, telling listeners that he expects construction on I-70’s Columbia to Kingdom City stretch to begin this summer. While he knows traffic will be difficult, Representative Schulte says the project must happen. He also has concerns about illegal immigration, and expects that issue to come up during the 2024 session:
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