Reporting
Refugees came to Noel for opportunity. Tyson’s plant closure leaves their futures uncertain
For three decades, migrants have been drawn to rural Noel, MO to work at the Tyson chicken processing site. Its abrupt closure may mean those days are over.
Missouri child care deserts include nearly half of kids 5 and under, new data shows
with Dillon Bergin, in partnership with MuckRock
An investigation by The Missouri Independent and MuckRock found that despite hundreds of millions in federal pandemic relief money pouring into the state, child care facilities are facing huge staffing shortages and parents are struggling with long waitlists for care.
‘This job is impossible’: High turnover, low morale plague Missouri child welfare agency
More than half the frontline staff working in the Children’s Division at the start of the last fiscal year left by the end of the year. Some who remain take second jobs or sell plasma to make ends meet. It’s a situation advocates warn puts Missouri’s most vulnerable children at risk.
Missouri children are losing Medicaid coverage at rate that is alarming pediatricians
The state’s Medicaid rolls are down by roughly 136,000 kids since June 2023, and Missouri’s worst-in-nation processing delays make it arduous to re-enroll — causing many to miss doctor’s appointments, prescriptions.
More:
“Missourians waiting in jail for court-ordered mental health care reaches all-time high,” Missouri Independent, January 27, 2025
*“Kurtis Watkins asks federal court to free him from prison, citing revelations about St. Louis cop,” Missouri Independent, January 9, 2025
*“Kerwin Harris died after a St. Louis cop held him in a chokehold. It was ruled an accident,” Missouri Independent, December 17, 2024
*“A St. Louis cop sent a Black man to prison, but the jury never heard about the officer’s past,” Missouri Independent, December 15, 2024
“Disabled Missourians and seniors could lose at-home care under new eligibility algorithm,” Missouri Independent, October 2, 2024
“Missouri bill would loosen child labor law by removing work permit requirements,” Missouri Independent, April 29, 2024
“Hopes still high for bills to stop Missouri from seizing benefits owed to foster kids,” Missouri Independent, March 22, 2024
“‘Perfect storm’: Missouri advocates decry Medicaid application delays, coverage losses,” Missouri Independent, January 23, 2024
“‘Broken system’: Call center backlogs impede Missouri families seeking food assistance,” Missouri Independent, November 2, 2023
“‘Trying to set the example’: Wentzville GM strike enters its second week,” Missouri Independent, September 22, 2023
“Bureaucratic hurdles stymie Missouri families seeking help affording child care,” Missouri Independent, May 3, 2023
“How despite losing multiple rulings, Station keeps fending off a Culinary contract,” Nevada Current, July 14, 2021
“Our Divided Education System,” Democracy, September 2018