News from the South - Missouri News Feed
Missouri Supreme Court hears case on transgender student’s use of school bathrooms • Missouri Independent
Lawmakers move to ensure info is available to investigate complaints against state cabinet
by Sarah Ladd, Kentucky Lantern
February 11, 2025
After mediation and a judge’s order, Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball says the legislature needs to codify her office’s access to an important database kept by the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
During a Tuesday committee meeting, Ball told lawmakers the cabinet appears to not be forwarding every complaint it receives about itself to the ombudsman, housed in her office. She said she wants to make sure no complaints are “missing in the process.”
“Right now, the cabinet is acting as a gatekeeper on those complaints,” Ball said. “We feel like we don’t need a middleman. Things are being dropped in the handoff. So, this will resolve that situation to make sure we have access to all the complaints when they come in.”
A cabinet spokeswoman told the Lantern that the cabinet “is not aware of any complaints being withheld from the Office of the Ombudsman.”
Judge inks ceasefire in state government battle over new ombudsman’s access to information
This comes almost five months after the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the office of the ombudsman settled a dispute over access to a computer system called iTWIST, which stores information about abuse and neglect cases.
The Senate Families and Children Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 85, which clarifies the ombudsman gets “any software and access rights.”
Ball’s office assumed oversight of the ombudsman from the cabinet on July 1, thanks to a law enacted in 2023 by the legislature, Senate Bill 48. But her office did not get immediate access to iTWIST.
The ombudsman, whose job is to investigate and resolve complaints about agencies in the cabinet, including protective services for children and elderly Kentuckians, can’t do that job without access to iTWIST, (the Workers Information System), Ball has said. She eventually filed a lawsuit for the access, and the case was mediated and eventually settled in Franklin Circuit Court.
“We reached a settlement in that mediation, and we were given access with certain structures in place,” Ball told committee members Tuesday. “We feel like it is now necessary to codify it, make it abundantly clear there’s no possibility of this coming up again, that we have access to iTWIST.”
The September court order that settled the access dispute said the cabinet would have to provide the ombudsman with read-only access to iTWIST. Judge Phillip Shepherd also said the legislature and the parties would work during the 2025 session to codify any needed clarification.
A spokeswoman for the auditor said the office “can compare the number of complaints received by the ombudsman before the transition with the current number, which has drastically decreased.”
“This is due in part to the failure to transfer the previous phone number, resulting in our office not receiving all complaints,” said Joy Pidgorodetska Markland, the auditor’s director of communications. “Upon suspecting complaints were not being forwarded, we used an open records process to request all communications sent to the retained phone number and email and found many un-forwarded complaints.”
SB 85, sponsored by Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, has an emergency, meaning it would take effect immediately upon becoming law.
“This is an emergency because we know this needs to be done right away,” Ball said. “That way we can move forward without any more hang ups and make sure the public is provided everything that they need.”
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Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.
News from the South - Missouri News Feed
Jackson County lawmakers override Frank White's vetoes
SUMMARY: The Jackson County Legislature unanimously overrode three vetoes by County Executive Frank White Jr., including his veto delaying a recall election now set for August 26. Legislator Megan Smith abstained, expressing concerns about disenfranchising military and overseas voters due to federal absentee ballot timing requirements. Chair DaRon McGee defended the Legislature’s timeline, blaming White for delays. The election boards have sued over the legality of the recall election, with court hearings upcoming. Additionally, the Legislature overrode vetoes on measures to let voters decide if the county assessor should be elected and extended the property tax credit deadline for seniors. White urges a November election to ensure legality and integrity.
The post Jackson County lawmakers override Frank White's vetoes appeared first on fox4kc.com
News from the South - Missouri News Feed
Ozarks weather whiplash in 2025 explained
SUMMARY: Spring and summer 2025 in the Ozarks have seen extreme weather swings, including multiple severe wind and tornado events, especially near Springfield. Since May 1, over 40% of days had rain, often heavy, with hot, muggy dry days between. Notable events include deadly EF-3 tornadoes in March and April, significant windstorms in April and June, and record-breaking rainfall in April and May. This active pattern is linked to a disrupted Polar Vortex from sudden stratospheric warming, an amplified and slow jet stream, a La Niña to neutral ENSO transition, and elevated Gulf of Mexico water temperatures increasing atmospheric moisture. These factors combined caused the unusual weather volatility of 2025.
The post Ozarks weather whiplash in 2025 explained appeared first on www.ozarksfirst.com
News from the South - Missouri News Feed
Parking lot shoot out leaves 5 injured in Tower Grove South
SUMMARY: Five people were injured in a parking lot shootout Sunday in the Tower Grove South area of St. Louis. The incident occurred at the INAD Motor parking lot near Morganford Road and Beck Avenue. Police confirmed that at least 30 shots were fired and two vehicles were involved, including a Mercedes reported stolen on July 11. Among the victims are three juveniles and two young adults aged 18 to 24. All were transported to area hospitals and are in stable condition. The scene remains active, and investigators continue to gather details on what led to the violent exchange of gunfire.
District 2 officers were alerted to a shooting in the Tower Grove South neighborhood, leaving five injured.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD), officers were alerted to reports of a shooting around 8 p.m. Thursday at Morganford and Beck Avenue.
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