SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – The Illinois Labor Relations Board has declared contract negotiations between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration and the state’s largest public-employees union at an impasse. Tuesday’s decision allows Rauner to impose his terms on the 38,000-member state council of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. That gives the union…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri’s minimum wage will rise by a nickel when the new year begins. The state labor department said Tuesday that the minimum wage will rise from $7.65 an hour to $7.70 an hour, effective Jan. 1. The increase is the result of a law approved by voters 10 year ago.…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway says most audited local governments didn’t fully comply with open-records requests and about 16 percent didn’t respond at all. Galloway’s office released findings Tuesday from a sampling of Missouri’s more than 4,100 local governments. Her office in August sent Sunshine Law requests to more than 300…
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – The mayor of a West Virginia town has issued an apology for her response to a racist post on Facebook about first lady Michelle Obama. Clay Mayor Beverly Whaling says her comment wasn’t intended to be racist. Clay County Development Corp. director Pamela Ramsey Taylor made the post following Republican Donald…
OREM, Utah (AP) – Utah police say a 16-year-old boy is in custody after five male students were stabbed at a high school. Orem police Lt. Craig Martinez told reporters on Tuesday each victim was stabbed at least once at Mountain View High school and their conditions range from critical to fair. Martinez says it…
St. Louis, MO  (KTRS)   A fundraiser dedicated in memory of murdered St. Louis hotel manager is being held today. More than 85 area restaurants are participating in the 2nd annual Scott Knopfel Memorial Dine-Out event. A portion of the proceeds will go to a scholarship fund for restaurant and hotel workers. “We wanted to continue…
BALDWIN, Ill. (AP) – A new plant to be built in southern Illinois is expected to employ 100 workers to turn coal ash into building materials. The (Belleville) News-Democrat reports that Randolph County officials lured the Australian company, Nu-Rock Technology, with a 100 percent property tax reduction for five years. The company plans to build…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Republican leaders who met with Gov. Bruce Rauner to discuss Illinois’ budget stalemate say Democrats’ absence is inexcusable and won’t help negotiations. GOP leaders state Rep. Jim Durkin and state Sen. Christine Radogno said Monday after their meeting with the Republican governor that their discussion was productive. But Durkin and Radogno…
WENTZVILLE, Mo. (AP) – A Missouri father is facing child abuse charges after allegedly shoving his fingers down his infant son’s throat to make the baby stop crying. Investigators say 19-year-old Robert Burnette of Wentzville also threw his 6-week-old son onto a bed, violently shook him and picked him up by the back of his…
( KTRS ) Authorities have issued an Endangered person advisory for a missing 56 yr old woman. Missing is Kerry Lee Brueggeman, she was last seen around 12:30pm Monday afternoon in her room at the Tesson Heights Senior Living Center. Police say Kerry has been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder, needs a walker or wheelchair to…