KSN removed from DISH Network

Only a few seconds after the Pittsburgh Steelers completed a 19-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens in a COVID-19 delayed game that was originally scheduled to be played on Thanksgiving, the picture froze for DISH Network customers who were watching on KSNF and was then replaced by a DISH official claiming KSN's owner, Nexstar, removed the programming.

Of course, Nexstar is claiming DISH removed the programming.

No matter, KSN is not on DISH Network.

KSN's sister station, KODE, owned by Mission Broadcasting, but managed by Nexstar, has not been on DISH for the past several weeks.

MSSU fires football coach Jeff Sims

(From Southern News Service)

Missouri Southern State University has made a change in the leadership of its football program. Director of Athletics Jared Bruggeman announced today that Jeff Sims, head football coach, has been relieved of his duties.

Joe Bettasso, linebacker coach, will serve as interim head coach through the upcoming spring football season, which begins in February.

“We have every confidence in Coach Bettasso that he will be committed to growing a successful program, leading with integrity, and putting our student-athletes first,” said Bruggeman. 

“Bettasso has served as interim head coach before and we feel he is the right person to step in as we search for a new leader for Southern football.”

Missouri Southern President Dean Van Galen and Bruggeman will meet with football student-athletes, this week, regarding the change.

A national search will begin soon.

“We will be looking for someone who has built a winning program, is high-energy, and has strong organizational skills," said Bruggeman. “A healthy athletics program is vital to the college experience and we are looking forward to the upward momentum of the program for all of our Lion community.”

Twenty-seven COVID-19 cases confirmed in Newton County

The Newton County Health Department confirmed 27 new cases of COVID-19, putting the total at 3,206.

A total of 386 are in isolation, up from 380 the previous day.

The county has recorded 49 deaths due to COVID-19.

The statistics do not include the portion of Newton County that is located in the Joplin city limits.

Jasper County reports two COVID-19 deaths, 65 new cases

The Jasper County Health Department reported two deaths due to COVID-19.

The victims were men in their 80s, according to a department news release. The deaths bring the county's toll to 77.

Sixty-five new cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours, putting the total at  5,600.

The statistics do not include Jasper County residents who live in the Joplin city limits.

Joplin confirms 41 new COVID-19 cases

Forty-one COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Joplin over a 24-hour period, bringing the city's total to 3,615, according to statistics posted on the city's COVID-19 dashboard.

Of the cases, 286 are active.

Joplin has been averaging slightly more than 40 cases per day for the past two weeks.

The city has recorded 62 deaths due to COVID-19.

Missouri Republicans hope to limit local control over public health orders

By Jason Hancock

Missouri Independent

A group of Republican lawmakers joined together on Tuesday to announce they will pursue legislation aimed at curbing the authority of local governments to shut down businesses to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The GOP legislators, led by state Sen. Andrew Koenig of Manchester, were inspired by the public health order issued in St. Louis County last month that temporarily closed indoor dining in bars and restaurants.

The order came as COVID-19 continued to spread unabated in Missouri.

In November, the state reported 116,576 new COVID cases — more than double the 57,073 reported in October. On Tuesday, the state topped 4,000 COVID-related deaths. Hospitals around the state are sounding the alarm that they are dangerously close to being overwhelmed.

Koenig said that there is no doubt that the virus is real and it is dangerous. But he argued there is no evidence that shutting down restaurants will have an impact. Additionally, he said St. Louis County Executive Sam Page overstepped his authority in issuing the order.

“The county executive doesn’t have the right to create law,” he said.

Under Koenig’s legislation, a local government would only be able to issue an order shutting down businesses for two weeks. At that point, both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly would have to approve, and the governor would have to sign, any extension.

The House and Senate only meet January through May, but Koenig argued that either the governor or lawmakers could call a special session should a need arise while the legislature was adjourned.

Among the other provisions in Koenig’s bill include a prohibition on imposing restrictions on religious institutions and a waiver of property taxes on a business shut down by a health order.

Rep. Jim Murphy, R-St. Louis, filed a similar bill earlier this year that would have allowed for businesses to be ordered closed for 15 days. Longer orders would have to be approved by the local governing body, the state department of health, or, if more than 90 days, the General Assembly.

“Killing small business will not kill COVID,” Murphy said Tuesday.

In a statement to St. Louis Public Radio, Page accused the group of legislators of playing politics.

“I will continue to support the recommendations of our public health directors and the pandemic task force,” he said. “Hospitals are overrun and our healthcare workers are begging for reasonable public health decisions. The election is over. Stop politicizing the pandemic.”

The GOP push to limit local control sets up potential conflict with Republican Gov. Mike Parson.

Parson’s strategy throughout the pandemic has largely been to rely on local governments to enact restrictions for their own communities. With that philosophy in mind, he’s strenuously resisted calls to enact statewide restrictions or mask mandates, and has also defended local officials who enact their own regulations.

Last month his office reiterated that the governor “has been very clear and consistent about his support for local control.”

Jason Hancock has been writing about Missouri since 2011, most recently as lead political reporter for The Kansas City Star. He has spent nearly two decades covering politics and policy for news organizations across the Midwest, and has a track record of exposing government wrongdoing and holding elected officials accountable.

Parson’s spokeswoman didn’t respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Joplin Christmas Parade canceled

(From the City of Joplin and Freeman Health)

Freeman Health System and the City of Joplin jointly decided it is in the best interest of public safety for the community to cancel this year’s Christmas parade.

“We are sad to cancel it, but feel citizens are being responsible in their actions by avoiding gatherings due to the pandemic,” said Paula F. Baker, Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer. “Those who regularly participated found it difficult to do so because their groups are not meeting.”

While coordinators are disappointed, they are looking forward to next year.

“We truly appreciate the staff members of Freeman who have worked on this project this year and in prior years,” said Joplin Mayor Ryan Stanley. “Their initiative to bring the parade to the public in such a challenging year demonstrates their commitment to bring a quality event to our citizens. They share our community spirit, and it is our goal to partner again with Freeman Health System to have the parade next year. We are confident that with Freeman as the host, the parade will be a spectacular event that everyone can enjoy as we have in years past.”

State auditor releases report on Missouri's use of federal stimulus dollars

(From State Auditor Nicole Galloway)

State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released her sixth report detailing state government's use of federal stimulus dollars intended for the COVID-19 response. 

In March, Auditor Galloway announced that her office would examine the state's distribution and spending of funding received under the CARES Act and other federal assistance programs recently passed by Congress.

The most recent report shows Missouri's spending of federal assistance for the month of October, as well as the cumulative expenditures since the state began receiving funding in April. Through Oct. 31, Missouri has received $3.01 billion and spent $1.51 billion of this assistance. In October, the state spent $188.5 million.

The majority of the expenditures to date were for services through the state's Medicaid program, MO HealthNet and other programs receiving federal matching funds ($340 million), and funding passed through to counties and the City of St. Louis ($521 million). 

Other funding has been provided to schools, institutions of higher education, child care providers and nursing facilities; and used for food and nutrition programs, mental health services, purchase of personal protective equipment and other disaster relief purposes. 

The state also is currently using $250 million of COVID-19 relief funding for cash management needs in the General Revenue Fund. The General Assembly has authorized up to $750 million for that purpose; those funds must be repaid to the State Emergency Management Federal Stimulus Fund prior to June 30, 2021.

In addition to the monthly report examining the state's spending, the Auditor's Office also has an online tool to give Missourians a detailed look at expenditures. 

The COVID-19 Response page tracks not only how much is received and expended in relief funds, but also lists which state and local government departments, vendors and expense categories are receiving the most funding. The information on the website provides data on expenditures and is updated daily.

Auditor Galloway's efforts are similar to work performed by the previous State Auditor's administration, which reviewed the state's use of funds received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Under Article IV, Section 13 of the Missouri Constitution, the State Auditor has a duty to ensure the accuracy of the state's accounting of its spending.

A copy of the report on Missouri spending of federal assistance can be found here.

 

Oklahoma reports 15 COVID-19 deaths

(From the Oklahoma State Department of Health)

As of this advisory, there are 199,482 cases of COVID-19 in Oklahoma. 

There are 15 additional deaths identified to report.

One in Bryan County, one male in the 50-64 age group.
Two in Canadian County, two females in the 65 or older age group.
One in Carter County, one male in the 50-64 age group.

One in Coal County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
One in Creek County, one male in the 50-64 age group.
One in Garvin County, one male in the 65 or older age group.
One in Jackson County, one male in the 65 older age group.
One in Major County, one female in the 65 or older age group.
Four in Oklahoma County, two females in the 50-64 age group, two males in the 65 or older age group.
One in Stephens County, one female in the 65 or older age group.
One in Tulsa County, one male in the 65 or older age group.

There are 1,758 total deaths in the state.

Additional hospitalization data can be found in the Hospital Tiers report, published evenings Monday through Friday.

For more information, visit coronavirus.health.ok.gov.

COVID-19 cases double in Missouri during November

By Rudi Keller

Missouri Independent

At the beginning of November, more than twice as many Missouri school districts were conducting all classes in-person as were providing education remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Because the in-person districts were generally smaller than those in virtual education, the number of students learning online was about 50 percent higher than the number in districts with only in-seat classes.

As November ends, the situation has flipped.

There are more districts with virtual learning — 151 — than providing on-site instruction. And the number of students attending classes online — 316,116 — is more than four times the number enrolled in districts with in-seat classes.

That was one impact of the worst month yet for new COVID-19 infections in Missouri, with 116,576 new cases reported by the Department of Health and Senior Service, more than double the 57,073 reported in October. The first day with more than 3,000 new cases was Oct. 29 and only five days in November recorded fewer than 3,000 cases.

The health agency recorded 39 percent of the total 299,762 COVID-19 cases during November.

The state reported 806 deaths in November, about 100 fewer than reported in October but both months’ totals include several large adjustments as the health department reviewed past death reports to identify cases that had not been included in daily reports.

There have been 3,829 deaths since the first was reported in mid-March.

During November, the per-capita infection rate statewide was 1,861 per 100,000 people. Of the 117 local heath jurisdictions tracked in by the state health agency, 62 had infection rates above the state average, with the highest, Cole County, more than double that rate at 3,840 per 100,000 people.

Of the 20 counties with the highest infection rate, most are rural. Only three have a population of 50,000 or more. Along with Cole, the local jurisdictions counties with the highest infection rates, are Perry, Gentry, Moniteau and Ste. Genevieve counties.

The situation in Missouri hospitals, already dire at the end of October, continued to deteriorate during November. When the month began, there were 1,632 people being treated as inpatients, 226 were on ventilators and the Missouri Hospital Association was reporting that 32.3 percent of intensive care beds were available. As of Friday, there were 339 COVID-19 patients on ventilators, with only 21.3 percent of all ICU beds and 17.2 percent of adult ICU beds available as of Thursday.

In other evidence of an overwhelmed health system, many health departments around the state are giving up on contact tracing, telling residents to inform their friends, family and coworkers that they have COVID-19. Without a statewide mask order, more and more local governments are issuing local mask orders, most with penalties that include fines for individuals and businesses that don’t comply.

The Missouri Senate is scheduled to meet this week to complete work on a $1.3 billion spending bill that mainly adds new spending authority for federal CARES Act funding received in April. The bill also includes $18.7 million in new funding for grants to local agencies to prevent homelessness and $96 million so the state can distribute child support payments to custodial parents.