SAM RICHARDSON "Coast-to-Coast"

SENATOR BRIAN MUNZLINGER (R-Williamstown) WILL KEYNOTE THE TUESDAY NIGHT, MAY 22 DINNER MEETING OF THE RANDOLPH AREA PACHYDERM CLUB AT NELLY’S IN MOBERLY. A ne...w video history of the 18th District Senator’s 16 years in the General Assembly will be screened for the audience. Munzlinger will retire at the conclusion of the Senate’s 2018 business, returning to his row crop farm in the far northeastern corner of Missouri. The Tuesday meeting is open to the general public. All interested citizens are encouraged to attend, especially public officials with and for whom Munzlinger has toiled in his time at the Capitol. Pictured: Senator Brian Munzlinger receives a special artistic tribute by famed Jefferson City cartoonist Jim Dyke earlier this year on the occasion of a banquet celebrating Munzlinger’s career-long service to Missouri agribusiness. At left is his chief of staff Pat Thomas.

An honor to have the faculty and senior cadets of the Moberly High School JROTC chapter with Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler and Supt. Matt Miller at today's lunch...eon hosted by The Friends of Genral Bradley. Cadet Shelby Noel delivered a great solo performance of The National Anthem to start the event. See more

Randolph County Eastern District Commissioner Wayne Wilcox (R-Moberly) is quoted in this story about Governor Eric Greitens visit to Economy Products in Macon Monday morning. Wilcox, a distinguished 40-year Army combat aviator, describes himself as a retired grain farmer.

The University of Missouri Randolph County Extension Council, meeting in emergency session Tuesday night at its office in downtown Moberly, voted unanimously to... create a committee which will recommend a permanent funding strategy to address its current budget crisis. The committee will be appointed at a regular meeting of the council Thursday, February 8, and will report its findings within 30 days. Specifically, the special committee will examine Senate Bill 9, passed by the 97th Session of the General Assembly in 2013. SB 9 empowers local county Extension councils to create an Extension Tax District and place a property tax levy proposal on the ballot in any municipal election. A 3-cents per $100 of assessed valuation levy would generate about $149,000 for local Extension personnel, facilities, services and programming. Just hours before the meeting, the County of Randolph Board of Commissioners had reversed course from seven days ago and voted to appropriate $30,000 for University of Missouri Extension (MU Extension) programming in 2018. Last week, Presiding Commissioner John Truesdell (R-Clark) and Western Commissioner John Hobbs (R-Huntsville) had voted to pare that stipend to $10,000. Eastern District Commissoner Wayne Wilcox (R-Moberly) dissented in that proposal. All three of the commissioners attended the Tuesday night meeting. Truesdell opened the 90-minute gathering with comments reflecting his lifelong support for Extension and all of its programs, including the popular 4-H clubs which operate statewide through the county Extension councils. He apologized for any controversy created by last week's budget decision and pledged to work with the council to find a permanent solution to the funding crisis it faces in future years. He emphasized that the agreement by the commissioners to provide the $30,000 this year is only a short-term and temporary fix, not a long-term solution to the problem Truesdell also said he and the commission were willing to discuss moving the offices of the council into the new Randolph County Courthouse and Justice Center in Huntsville. Many county Extension offices around the state are in the courthouses in their respective counties. The Randolph County Extension Council rents space at $700 a month from Cole Davis. If funding is available, the council has indicated an interested in purchasing the well-maintained space for a permanent headquarters. Click for KWIX KRES news director Bob Ehle's report on the Tuesday meeting.