Missouri

St. Louis Boarding House Explosion Possibly a Meth Lab Fire, Burn Victim "Evasive, Police Say

Police say that a 44-year-old man suffered burns on his face and chest from a fire over the weekend, which occurred in the basement kitchen of a boarding house in the Shaw neighborhood. The victim, however, was "evasive" in detailing how he was burned, police say. And that might be because the e ... More >>

Missouri Hate Tweets: State Has High Rates of Homophobia, Racism, N-Word Usage (MAPS)

Compared to many other states in the country, Missouri has a high concentration of racist, homophobic tweets that include offensive, hateful language. And the tweeters are located all over the state. So says a neat new interactive map called the Geography of Hate, which analyzes geocoded tweets tha ... More >>

Puppy Mills: Missouri, Worst State In U.S., Passes Bill To Block Anti-Cruelty Efforts?

Missouri has the worst puppy mills in the nation -- and lawmakers in the state are working hard to make sure it stays that way! So says the Humane Society, which announced this week that Missouri ranks No. 1 for terrible puppy farms in the United States and is now going after a piece of legislation ... More >>

Humane Society: Missouri Still Has Nation's Worst Puppy Mills

Three years after Missourians voted to crack down on disreputable dog breeding operations, the Show-Me State continues to lead the nation in the number of dangerous and unsanitary puppy mills. So says the Humane Society of the United States, which last week issued a report highlighting the nation' ... More >>

Meth Explosion Sends Suspect Running Naked Through Streets

Police say they've located the nude man seen fleeing an explosion early Wednesday morning in Farmington. The suspect, a 22-year-old male from the nearby eastern Missouri town of Bismarck, checked himself into Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis last week and is undergoing treatment for severe burns ... More >>

Cycling: Missouri Ranked Poorly in Bicycle Friendly States Report, Lowest Score Ever

As cycling advocates in St. Louis push to revive the Penrose Park velodrome, a new report says that Missouri on the whole is not a great place for cyclists -- in large part because the state lacks key bike-friendly policies and funding opportunities. Missouri's score as 30th in the nation is the s ... More >>

Gun Owner Privacy Debate Prompts Budget Proposal To Kill Missouri License Bureau

This is a new one. Missouri lawmakers concerned that the government is violating the privacy of concealed-carry permit holders have come up with a unique way to express their frustration: a budget proposal that entirely defunds the state's license division. The State Senate yesterday passed a bu ... More >>

Caleb Rowden Courts Gun Industry: "Missouri is an Ideal Location for Your Firearms Business"

No one will try and grab your guns in Missouri! Such is the underlying message of a letter from Republican State Representative Caleb Rowden, who is trying to woo gun companies to bring their business to Missouri, a state that does not tolerate any threats to the Second Amendment. "Missouri's Re ... More >>

Humane Society: "Right to Farm" Bill Would Protect Puppy Mills, Block Anti-Cruelty Efforts

Is a so-called "right to farm" bill in Missouri just a front to protect the controversial puppy mill industry in Missouri? The Humane Society of the United States is going on the offense against proposed legislation -- versions of which both the Senate and House have now approved -- that the organi ... More >>

Gun Violence: Missouri One of Worst States With High Crime Rates, Weak Laws (REPORT)

Though top Republicans in Missouri are devoting a lot of time and money to protect the privacy of gun owners, a new report says that officials in the state have a much bigger problem they need to address: really high rates of gun violence supported by very weak laws. The Center for American Progre ... More >>

Happy April Fools' Day! Top Ten Missouri Pranks Gone Wrong (PHOTOS)

Today is April Fools' Day, the horrible day each year when it's socially acceptable to deceive people and do mean things. But in Missouri, folks don't just wait for April 1 to pull their pranks. They do it year round! Which is why we thought -- as a cautionary list perhaps -- we'd take a look back ... More >>

Cannabis: Missouri Bill Would Legalize Hemp ("Trying to Get High Off It...Is Not a Good Idea")

Some polls show that a majority of Missouri residents support the legalization of marijuana in the state. But what about hemp? "If you're trying to get high off it...it's not a good idea," John Payne, executive director of advocacy group Show-Me Cannabis Regulation tells Daily RFT, emphasizing t ... More >>

Catholic Bishops Slam Birth Control Ruling: "Pray for the Protection of Religious Liberty"

The Catholic bishops of Missouri are praying that the legal fight against federal health care mandates for birth control coverage is not over. "We now call upon all people of good will to pray for the protection of religious liberty and for defense of the First Amendment freedoms we all hold dear, ... More >>

Photo: Wolf Wandering Missouri Shot Dead By Hunter Who Thinks It's a Coyote

What are you more afraid of, a coyote wandering around Missouri -- or a wolf? In this case, it doesn't really matter, because the animal on the loose was killed by a hunter, says the Missouri Department of Conservation. The canine in question, new analysis shows, was in fact a wolf, though the hun ... More >>

Black Market Caviar Ring Busted in Missouri; Investigation Snags 100 Poachers

A two-year investigation into illegal fishing and harvesting of paddlefish eggs in southwestern Missouri ended this week with citations and charges filed against more than 100 people. The suspects include eight men who face federal charges in connection with their alleged efforts to transport paddle ... More >>

Guns: Kurt Schaefer Wants Constitutional Change to Make Right to Bear Arms Stronger

Republican lawmakers in Missouri are pushing forward with yet another bill designed to fight against any gun control -- only this one requires direct buy-in from voters. That's because Republican State Senator Kurt Schaefer wants to change the Missouri constitution. "The rights [to bear arms] gu ... More >>

Top Ten Strangest Missouri Bandits: Mr. Polite, Spider-Man, Granddad and More! (PHOTOS)

This week, St. Louis County police charged a Fenton woman who allegedly walked into a smoke shop with a knife, asked for cash -- and then settled on a measly $7.50 in tip jar coins. Not really worth all the trouble, if you ask us. But the bizarre incident got us thinking about the craziest bandits i ... More >>

Snow Storm: Top Tweets From Missourians Who Think Everyone Is Overreacting

Schools are closed, City Hall is dark, flights are cancelled -- and there don't seem to be flurries yet this morning. Is this going to be legit? We take weather predictions quite seriously here in Missouri and inaccurate forecasts make people very, very upset. For your amusement, we've collected ... More >>

Photos: Top Twelve Craziest Meth Busts In Missouri, The Meth Capital Of The U.S.

In case you missed it, Missouri is, yet again, number one in the nation for meth lab busts, new data shows. This is not much of a surprise to law enforcement officials in the state who deal with this every day -- especially those in Jefferson County, which has the second highest concentration of met ... More >>

GOP Rep. Mike Leara Wants To Make It A Felony For Legislators To Propose Gun Control

Instead of literally opening fire on gun control bills, why not just ban them all together? This is the thinking behind a new Missouri gun bill introduced yesterday with a pretty simple message: If you propose a gun control measure, you will be guilty of a class D felony. Take that, Democrats! I ... More >>

Missourians Warned to Stay Away From Skunks

Skunks. So cute, so cuddly, so (if Looney Tunes is to be believed) romantic. You almost want to run out and trap your girlfriend one for Valentine's Day this Thursday, don't ya? Well, don't. Skunks are wild animals, ya'll. And they've got those musk glands they can squirt you with. That stuff will ... More >>

Abortion: Democrat Keith English Wants All Women To Hear Heartbeat, See Ultrasound

This is not the first anti-abortion bill to be proposed in Missouri this year -- but Representative Keith English's House Bill 298 stands out for a number of reasons. First of all, English is a Democrat. "I honestly believe that good fathers that want to raise...their children should have a choi ... More >>

Stacey Newman on Missouri GOP Gun Bill: "Could you imagine anything crazier?"

Gun debates are alive and well in Missouri and Representative Stacey Newman, a Democrat, is currently promoting her bill that would require all sales or transfers of firearms to go through a licensed dealer. She is also, however, speaking out about some Republican proposals that are directly in op ... More >>

[PHOTO] Big Mountain Lion on the Prowl in Southeast Missouri

The following photo was taken by a trail camera on Dec. 21, near Van Buren in Carter County. The Missouri Department of Conservation has confirmed that it's a mountain lion. This particular photo, snapped in front of a deer stand, reveals a couple things: (1) How big these cats really are, and (2) W ... More >>

As Pols Talk Tighter Gun Control, A Look at 5 Fast and Loose Firearms Laws in Missourah

Nothing wrong with a night of bullets and booze... at least in Missouri. In the wake of last week's school shooting in Newtown, Conn., St. Louis County Police Colonel Tim Fitch has said he'd like to see school officials and teachers carry concealed weapons to prevent such tragedies . Such a move w ... More >>

Missouri Legislator Wants to Shoot Down State's "Gun Show Loophole"

State Rep. Stacey Newman (D-Richmond Heights) announced today that she will file legislation in January aimed at closing Missouri's "Gun Show Loophole" that allows for the sale of weapons without background checks. "After the recent horrific massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, ... More >>

Mountain Lion in DeKalb County: The 5th Sighting Since September

This mountain lion was photographed with a wildlife cam on private land in the wee hours of Wednesday, December 12. By my count, that's the fifth sighting of a big cat in Missouri since September 10. As we've said several times before, this could be different  cougars or all the same cougar; it ... More >>

Alderwoman Krewson Will Make Her Case Today for Shining a Light on Dark Money

In Missouri, anybody can donate as much as they want to a political campaign, as long as they disclose who they are with the state Ethics Commission. Well, anybody except 501(c)(4) "social welfare" corporations. These non-profits are not required by any law to reveal where they get their cash, but c ... More >>

Deer Harvest Down This Year Due to "Freaky Weather"

Last Saturday at sunrise, firearm deer season began. It's a big deal across the state of Missourah. (Yours truly shot at a doe, but missed. No, I don't want to talk about it.)But this year was kind of a let-down, with the opening weekend harvest dropping a quarter compared to last year, thanks to wh ... More >>

Missourians for Equality Seeks LGBT Anti-Discrimination Law for 2014 Ballot

The dust has barely settled on last week's presidential election, but a new political action committee is looking ahead to 2014. Missourians for Equality are poised to begin collecting signatures for a new ballot initiative that would make discrimination based on sexual-orientation or gender identi ... More >>

Cheap Cigs Spent Big Money Defeating Missouri's Prop. B

Tobacco companies financed the bulk of the paid opposition to last week's Proposition B that would have raised cigarette taxes in Missouri.Two off-brand cigarette manufacturers -- Cheyenne International and Xcaliber International -- each contributed more than $900,000 to the Missouri Petroleum Marke ... More >>

Missourians File Petition With White House to Secede From Union

Missouri has joined a growing list of states petitioning the federal government for secession in the wake of President Obama's reelection. Residents in at least 20 states have posted petitions on the White House's "We the People" website. "We the People" allows anyone to suggest a policy initiativ ... More >>

Another Mountain Lion Sighting - This Time Near Branson!

And so it continues. The Missouri Department of Conservation has just confirmed the fourth Mountain Lion sighting in the last two months. All have occurred in southern Missouri. The most recent photo was taken by a wildlife camera in Taney County, near Branson, on Halloween night. We know mountain l ... More >>

Where To Vote, What ID You Need

Where to VoteClick here to find your polling place! Of course, this assumes you're already registered and that you know your own name, address, DOB and county in which you live. Enter those elements and the magical Internet machine will inform you of your polling station. All polling stations open a ... More >>

Hunters Will Still Have Plenty of Deer to Shoot This Season

Last year, hunters in Missouri killed more than a quarter million deer. You'd think that, after the recent (and historically bad) drought, coupled with the spread of "epizootic hemorrhagic disease" among those hoofed animals, hunters would shoot way fewer. But it turns out, no, according the Missou ... More >>

Ghostly Image is Missouri's 33rd Mountain Lion Sighting Since 1994

Related content: - Meandering Missouri Mountain Lion Last Seen in Michigan- Petition Aims to Stop Senseless Killing of Missouri's Mountain LionsThe Missouri Department of Conservation has confirmed the sighting of a mountain lion outside the town of Ellington in Missouri's Reynolds County. A trail c ... More >>

VIDEO: Missouri Bear Joins Hunter in Tree Stand

Black bears are making a big comeback in Missouri. Over the past seven years there have been dozens of sightings of the animals in the Show-Me State, including at least one report of a curious bear trying to join a hunter in his tree stand. In this month's Missouri Conservationist, hunter Daron Wi ... More >>

State Rep Jamilah Nasheed: Governor's Control of STL City Police "Built on Evil and Hatred"

This November, Missourians must will decide whether to release St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department from state control -- a vestige of Civil War politics -- and allow the city to oversee its own cops.  Few people have wanted this more than state Representative Jamilah Nasheed of the 60th di ... More >>

[VIDEO] Here's What's Really Cool About Missouri Float Trips

Float trippers in Missouri have gotten a bad rap in the last few years for being rowdy, beer-guzzling slobs who pollute the rivers, disrespect nature, and behave like they're at the local bar. A lot of them are, and do.  But not everybody's like that. The video below, just posted yesterday on Y ... More >>

You'll Feel the Effects of the Drought at the Deli (But Not Quite Yet)

This summer's drought -- one of the worst in Missouri history -- hurt corn farmers in the bi-state area, no doubt. But industry experts are telling Daily RFT that across the board, the big losers in this uber-dry weather are actually livestock producers. "The pictures you see on television are farme ... More >>

By 2030, Almost Two-Thirds of Missourians Will Be Really Fat People

Picture, if you will, that you are standing in between two people. Look to your right, then to your left. If you are standing in this little huddle in Missouri 20 years from today, more than likely two of the three of you will be obese. At least, that's the vision of the future a new report out fro ... More >>

Thousands of White-Tailed Deer Killed by Horrible-Sounding Disease

Some 2,800 deer have been killed in Missouri this year by something called "hemorrhagic disease," says the Missouri Department of Conservation. Here's the damage it does: Most deer infected with HD tend to die within one to three days. Typical symptoms include fever, excessive salivation, swollen ne ... More >>

Another Mountain Lion Caught on Camera Last Week in Shannon County

They keep coming. The Missouri Department of Conservation has confirmed that the animal in the photo to the right is indeed a mountain lion. It was photographed September 10 and 11 by a wildlife cam on public land near Eminence.  According to MDC, "widely scattered mountain-lion sightings have ... More >>

Weekly Drought Report: IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME

Would you look at that map over there? Look at the hotness -- or lack thereof. After weeks of that map's ever-increasing redness, the remnants of Hurricane Isaac blew through Missouri last weekend and dumped a couple of much-needed inches of rain on us. The result? For the first time in a long time, ... More >>

Weekly Drought Report: Well, There's Good News and Bad News

Man, this summer is never going to end, is it? Past history indicates that it will eventually, but that's feeling like less of a certainty here in Missouri. Especially after a look at the latest U.S. Drought Monitor weekly report.The spate of cooler weather and actual rain offered relief through muc ... More >>

UFO and Extraterrestrial Activity in Missouri

Your Weekly Drought Report: How Has Missouri Not Turned to Dust?

Stop me if you've heard this one before: The U.S. Drought Monitor releases its weekly report on drought conditions in America; a map is included in the report; Missouri looks like a fire-withered slice of pepperoni on that map.Yes, drought conditions have worsened. Although we experienced a marginal ... More >>

An Open Letter to Missouri Rep. Rory Ellinger, Re: Missouri State Dog

Dear Representative Ellinger, First of all, congratulations on your victory in last week's primary! Yes, yes, we know you ran unopposed -- and will run unopposed again in November -- but a lot of people came out to vote for you and only you, which must be a real self-esteem booster. We're very happ ... More >>

Weekly Drought Report, August 9: It's Worse

The U.S. Drought Monitor has released its weekly report, and I don't think any of us should be surprised that conditions have worsened. Missouri's numbers look absolutely terrible. 100 percent of the state is gripped by severe drought (D2-D4 ranking). 94.56 percent of the state is in the D3-D4 categ ... More >>

Cap the Rate! Raise the Wage! Campaign Believes Signatures Improperly Tossed

While some politicos spent last night celebrating a clear path to the November ballot, others hit an impasse. One of them was not a candidate, but a campaign coalition calling itself Cap the Rate! Raise the Wage! The campaign wants two ballot initiatives in front of voters this fall -- one to raise ... More >>