• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Missouri Real Estate News

Trends & Insight for Missouri Home Buyers and Sellers

MISSOURI REAL ESTATE NEWS
Trends for MO Home Buyers & Sellers

  • Home
  • Rentals
  • BUY HOME
    • INSPECTIONS
    • INSURANCE
    • MORTGAGES
  • SELL HOME
  • HOME IMPROVEMENT
  • INVESTING
    • COMMERCIAL
  • NEWS & TRENDS

fox2now

Stunning Frontenac McAlpine mansion hits the market

June 29, 2024 by Staff Reporter

 

FRONTENAC, Mo. – Celebrated architect and interior designer Bobby McAlpine designs houses to be sanctuaries of serenity for his clients, creating a detailed environment that allows the head and the heart to be at ease.

McAlpine’s deft hands were put to use, fashioning the look of an English-inspired home seated on 1.45 beautiful acres in Frontenac.

Lines of enormous trees surround the home’s expansive yard on the front, side, and back, giving it a sense of seclusion and peace. The property features a guest cottage and pool house, as well as a saltwater pool, a spa, a built-in trampoline, and a hardtop court for pickleball or basketball, all of which border the Mercy Retreat and walking trail.

Built in 2006, the 8,300-square-foot home at 42 Countryside Lane has 6 bedrooms, 5 full bathrooms, and 2 half baths.

According to the homeowners, reclaimed barnwood was used for the flooring in the great room, giving it English cottage vibes. The kitchen has two islands, two pantries, and a cozy breakfast nook that is deceptively large.

The lower level of the home was remodeled for entertainment with a movie theater, a game room, a theatre stage, and a wet bar.

  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • default42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • default42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)
  • 42 Countryside Lane, Frontenac, Missouri, 63131. (Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media)

See the full listing here.

Additional Information
Realtor: Stephanie Oliver, Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty
Photography: Brandon Monzyck, Square One Media

You can check out more of Bobby McAlpine’s work in one of his four books: “The Home Within Us,” “Art of the House: Reflections on Design,” “Poetry of Place: The New Architecture and Interiors of McAlpine,” and “McAlpine: Romantic Modernism.”

 

 

Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: fox2now, SELL HOME Tagged With: Frontenac, McAlpine, St Louis

$14.5 Missouri mansion, former home of MLB’s Cole Hamels, up for sale

April 8, 2024 by Staff Reporter

BRANSON WEST, Mo. – A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million.

Hamels and his family donated the home to Missouri’s Camp Barnabas in 2017 and have since moved from the state. The current owner bought the home from Camp Barnabas a few years later and has since worked to renovate the property.

The 36,000-square-foot mansion is located in Stone County, Missouri, off of State Highway DD, and it offers access to Table Rock Lake.

Records show Riley Strain only served one drink at bar night of disappearance

It’s currently listed for sale through Reece Nichols Real Estate and lead agent Jim Strong.

On the market since Feb. 23, the entire property includes 19 bedrooms and 24 bathrooms over two stories. There’s also an eight-car garage, an infinity pool, and a children’s playground. The listing touts “sophisticated and custom details” around the home, such as wood beams, barrel ceilings, copper guttering, and vented glass fireplaces.

The home formerly served Camp Barnabas, a Christian summer camp for children with special needs and chronic illnesses. It’s listed as a single-family residence, but the property has the potential to also serve as an event venue. There’s still some construction work to be done, but the listing says all projects are close to completion.

  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)
  • A southwest Missouri mansion, once the home of MLB All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels, has hit the market for $14.5 million. (Photos provided by: Jim Strong/ReeceNichols)

The home has been listed online for more than three weeks and is offering tours to prospective buyers. For more information on the home, click the link to the listing above or call Jim Strong at 417-337-4311.

Cole Hamels, one of the home’s previous owners, pitched 15 seasons at the MLB level. He spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, earning four All-Star nods, winning the 2008 World Series, and taking home MVP honors from that World Series.

Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: fox2now Tagged With: St Louis

EPA estimates more than 200,000 lead pipes still in Mo.

April 17, 2023 by Staff Reporter

 

More than 200,000 lead service pipes carry drinking water to Missouri families, according to a new estimate from the Environmental Protection Agency.

New lead water pipes have been banned for more than 30 years. But the EPA estimates that 9.2 million American households still get their water through aging lead pipes.

Just over 2% of those are in Missouri, ranking the state 14th in the country for its number of lead service lines. The EPA announced Tuesday that the state would get $106.4 million to update its water infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Over the next 20 years, the EPA estimates the U.S. will need $625 billion to update water infrastructure.

The EPA’s regional administrator, Meghan McCollister, said in a news release that the funds would go to “ensure that Missourians have access to clean drinking water.”

“Missouri’s investments through this fund will aid in securing needed resources to address critical infrastructure needs, threats to drinking water systems such as lead pipes, and emerging contaminants such as (forever chemicals).”

The funding allotment prioritized states according to need, something that the Natural Resources Defense Council applauded. The environmental organization published a report last year saying the states that most needed funds to replace lead service lines were getting shortchanged.

“EPA’s changes will ensure a fairer and more equitable distribution of funding dollars to replace the nation’s millions of lead pipes,” said Cyndi Roper, one of the authors of last year’s analysis. “It’s good news for communities with the highest need that will now have access to more funding to get lead pipes out of the ground.”

The EPA banned new lead service lines — the pipes that carry water from water mains into people’s homes — in 1986 in an effort to combat lead poisoning.

Lead is a neurotoxin that, even at low levels, can harm children’s developing brains. Exposure to lead through water accounts for 20% of a child’s overall exposure, on average. For fetuses and formula-fed infants, leaded water is the No. 1 source of exposure.

President Joe Biden’s administration has pledged to remove the country’s lead service lines. But for now, little is known about where they are.

The EPA’s new estimates are projections based on a survey that water utilities filled out in 2021. But not every utility was required to fill out the survey. And some that did respond reported not knowing what their service lines are made of.

The EPA estimated Missouri has 202,112 lead service lines while the NRDC estimated in 2021 that the state had more than 330,000.

Water utilities treat their water to be non-corrosive so that lead won’t leach from the service line into people’s drinking water.

But a change in the water chemistry or construction that shakes up a pipe can cause it to start leaching the toxin into drinking water.

That’s what happened in Flint, Michigan, the most prominent case of lead-contaminated water in recent years.

But the issue isn’t unique to that high-profile situation. A pediatrician who helped uncover the Flint water crisis said it wasn’t the first, worst or last.

Something similar happened in Trenton, Missouri, where the water utility switched chemicals used to disinfect the water and the lead levels spiked. Trenton, like many other water utilities, doesn’t know where its lead service lines are.

Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: COMMERCIAL, fox2now, HOME IMPROVEMENT, NEWS & TRENDS Tagged With: St Louis

Mo. Senate approves sales tax cut on diapers, guns

April 13, 2023 by Staff Reporter

 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Legislation to exempt guns, ammunition, diapers and feminine hygiene products from sales tax is moving forward in the Missouri Capitol.

It was a deal between political parties to approve the two tax cuts. Senate Democrats would not filibuster the legislation to exempt firearms and ammunition from sales tax as long as they could get a clean tax cut bill on diapers and feminine hygiene products, while giving tax credits to grocery stores built in food deserts.

“Your priorities tell you who you kind of are,” Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, said. “We are fighting for working families, they [Republicans] are fighting to make sure you can buy unlimited rounds with no sales tax.”

The upper chamber passed the two separate plans aimed at cutting taxes Thursday within minutes of each other.

One bill, sponsored by Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, would drop local and state sales tax on the purchase of firearms and ammunition. Senate Bill 131 would also give gun manufacturers tax credits in hopes of bringing more gun-makers to the state.

“This is an offset of an imposed taxation from the federal government to impose that sort of taxation,” Brattin said Thursday. “This is a way to help offset something that the government is doing to a constitutional right.”

Five GOP members, including Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee’s Summit, joined the 10 Democrats in voting no on the bill.

“A guy goes into a story and he buys a gallon of milk and a box of cereal for his kids and next to him is a guy buying a box of ammunition,” Cierpiot said. “Why is the guy buying food for his kids paying taxes and the guy buying the bullets is not? I just don’t understand the concept of carving out this one little area.”

Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, also voted against the legislation, in fear it would later be vetoed by the governor.

“I’m not fond of tax credits because tax credits don’t treat everyone equal,” Moon said.

During debate on the bill, some senators tried removing the sales tax on groceries.

“The grocery tax thing cost a lot, a lot, of money, as in billions of money,” Senate President Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said. “I think it needs to be part of a grander and broader discussion relative to all the tax cuts, tax credits and tax incentives that we have passed this year. I would like to do them all, but we know we can’t and so, we’ve got to be responsible about it.”

According to the fiscal note for the amendment, cutting the sales tax on groceries would have cost the state roughly $200 million and local municipalities more than $1.3 billion.

“I support that and wanted to do that, but unfortunately, it was too heavy of a lift to get that through this chamber,” Brattin said.

When it came time for the vote, Rizzo said he was surprised at the 19-15 vote count. In the upper chamber, there are 24 Republicans.

“Nineteen votes on a gun bill in the state of Missouri, maybe the pendulum is swinging a bit,” Rizzo said. “I hope people are getting more common sense on that issue because people are dying.”

Minutes later, the Senate took a vote on Senate Bill 143, sponsored by Sen. Doug Beck, D-Affton, to remove the sales tax on all diapers and feminine hygiene products, like pads and tampons. The legislation received bipartisan support, with a 28-6 vote.

Male bald eagle goes from babysitting rock to an eaglet at World Bird Sanctuary

“We agreed we would give them a path for something,” Rizzo said. “We decided we wanted to give a path for sales tax exemptions for diapers, period products and food deserts, then they decided to give a path to no sales tax on guns and ammo.”

Beck’s legislation would also provide tax credits to grocery stories and food pantries that are built in food deserts.

Together, the tax cuts would cost the state more than $140 million. When broken down, the state receives roughly $80 million on the revenue from ammunition and firearms and $60 million on diapers and feminine hygiene products.

Both bills are now in the hands of the House. There are less than five weeks left in session.

Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: COMMERCIAL, fox2now, NEWS & TRENDS Tagged With: St Louis

Task force discusses how to resolve tax issues on Missouri solar farms

October 20, 2022 by Staff Reporter

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri task force wants to know more about solar farms and how they can be taxed. 

Instead of a farm with corn, soybeans, or livestock, a solar energy farm is covered in solar panels. A new task force made up of lawmakers, local county tax assessors, and agriculture and renewable energy groups are working to resolve tax issues on renewable energy projects. 

“Of course, I have driven down I-70, and it’s just goes on forever, as far as your eye can see in some areas,” Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, R-Shelbina, said to the group Wednesday. “Thousands of acres of productive farmland is being up with solar panels.”

Top story: Man behind radioactive school report motivated by St. Louis flooding

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are more than 400 megawatts of solar installed in the Show-Me State. That’s enough solar to power 44,598 homes. There are a total of 114 solar companies within the state, but less than .1% of the state’s electricity comes from solar. 

“I’ve got some basic questions, for instance, how many megawatts do you get per acre?,” chairman of the task for Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee’s Summitt said during the meeting. “Another is the life of the panels. Is there an appreciation schedule on that the public should know? Does the industry have that?”

While Wednesday’s meeting was only organizational and no public testimony was taken, the task force was created after legislation was passed last year. The Task Force on Fair, Nondiscriminatory local Taxation Concerning Solar Energy Systems is tasked with putting a report together to find out the economic benefits and drawbacks of solar energy systems for local communities and the state. 

“The biggest one [goal] of course is how we are going to assess these for local taxing jurisdictions,” Cierpiot said. 

Other items the report must include under the legislation include compliance with existing federal and state programs and regulations, a fair and standardized assessment and taxation of solar energy systems and their equipment and potential legislation that would provide uniform assessments for the renewable energy. 

Trending: Live like rural royalty on this 50-acre estate in Labadie, Missouri

“Inevitably, what we don’t want to see is the solar industry doing it one way, some assessors doing it another way and some doing it another,” Christian County assessor Danny Gray said. 

Gray is one of two assessors on the task force, along with Jefferson City assessor Bob Boyer. 

“Those farms that are being leased out, the information on those leases would be beneficial as well to come up with for an income approach,” Boyer said. 

Back in August, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down a state law that allowed property tax exemptions for certain solar energy systems. The lawsuit involved a farm that supplied energy to Springfield. The ruling said the tax break wasn’t allowed under the state constitution, which means the company owes Green County hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes. 

“Once we hear from the assessors, I think we can mirror other states and build a formula,” executive director of the Missouri Solar Energy Industries Association Jon Dolan said while explaining why the task force needs to find a formula that works across the board.. “Get to a point where megawatt this, formula this, on the demand, on the transmission, on the product and give you a piece of legislation that works very, very well.”

Dolan, also a member of the Missouri Public Service Commission, said Wednesday that solar panels cover a little more than 1% of the state’s farmland. 

Back in 2017, the largest solar power farm in the state was built in southwest Missouri. The 72-acre farm near Nixa has more than 33,000 solar panels which generates 7.92 megawatts of AC power, roughly 9% of Nixa’s annual energy consumption. The facility is owned by Gardner Capital. Some on the task force though are concerned that solar panels taking up farmland is not a good idea. 

“It would be one thing if they were placed on land that you’re not using for something else, but it’s another thing when it’s taking up productive farmland,” O’Laughlin said. “I don’t know if that matters to anyone else, but it does matter to me.”

The group plans to tour a solar farm next week before meeting in November to take public testimony. The goal is to submit a report to the General Assembly by the end of the year. 


Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: COMMERCIAL, fox2now Tagged With: St Louis

Mobility impaired veterans hunt in Big Spring, Mo.

October 20, 2022 by Staff Reporter

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Mo. – A hunt for veterans with mobility impairments will start in the Big Spring area Friday.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is hosting the Exceptional Warrior Mobility-Impaired hunt along with the Foundation for Exceptional Warriors, the Missouri Department of Conservation, S&T Taxidermy, Quilts of Valor, Ourdoorsmen with a Mission, and Ozark Riverways Foundation.

The hunt is from Friday to Sunday. Portions of the Big Spring area will be temporarily closed to the public this week due to safety concerns. Closed areas include the Big Spring Campground, Peavine pavilion area, all hiking trails within the Big Spring area and Peavine Road. All areas will reopen on Monday.

Big Spring and the boat ramp will remain open during the hunt and can be accessed from Hwy 103.


Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: COMMERCIAL, fox2now Tagged With: St Louis

City of St. Louis looks to buyout 20 homes damage by July’s record flood

October 20, 2022 by Staff Reporter

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis City officials submitted an application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requesting more than $1 million to potentially buyout dozens of homes damaged by floods in the Ellendale neighborhood.

The historic flood in July caused damage to many homes in the St. Louis region. Homeowners that were displaced will discuss a potential buyout with city officials.

Many residential properties were condemned by the city.

Top story: Man behind radioactive school report motivated by St. Louis flooding

“Our basement was completely floor to ceiling submerged, no time to get anything out,” said Jeffrey Boschans, an Ellendale homeowner.

The Boschans have lived in the neighborhood for 30 years. Now, they are displaced and have to live at a friend’s home.

“Continuing to pay a mortgage and insurance and taxes on a place that you can’t even live, that’s very discouraging,” said Debbie, Jeffrey’s wife.

After years of potential buyouts, city officials are officially trying to get homeowners in the most high-risk part of Ellendale out of harm’s way with help from FEMA.

City officials submitted a request to FEMA for $1.7 million to buy at least 20 homes in the floodplain.

“They may not wish to experience flooding again, some people like where they live. It’s a big process for somebody to consider to move, so that’s why we’re trying to give the homeowners as much information as possible to make that decision,” said Sarah Russell, City of St. Louis Commissioner of Emergency Management.

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) is looking to buy roughly four homes with its own funding. The plan is to turn the lots into a stationing space for sewage projects in the area.

“Mother nature is kind of telling us that some of these homes shouldn’t be there, and so there’s no way to engineer our way out of this,” said Sean Hadley, a spokesperson for MSD.

“The buyout is a ray of hope, a ray of light,” said Boschans.

The city is awaiting approval from FEMA. Then they will continue the discussion with homeowners to decide whether they would like to buyout.


Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: COMMERCIAL, fox2now Tagged With: St Louis

St. Louis-based manufacturing plant receives grant to build battery components

October 20, 2022 by Staff Reporter

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis takes a leading role in powering our future. In a live-streamed event at the White House on Wednesday, President Biden announced the first grants from the Infrastructure Bill he signed into law in November.

The announcement put a St. Louis manufacturing plant in the spotlight. The first person called upon by the President and Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, was Phillip Brown in St. Louis. Brown is the St. Louis-based Managing Director of North American operations for Israel Chemicals Limited (ICL). The Carondelet plant in south St. Louis was once home to Monsanto.

“We’ve been manufacturing here on the Mississippi River for over 140 years,” Brown said.

Last year, ICL added a new plant-based meat division. It is now receiving $197 million of $2.8 billion in federal infrastructure grants for 20 companies, announced by the President. ICL will use its grant to build a new $400 million lithium iron phosphate battery plant on what is now a greenspace at the Carondelet campus. ICL plans to make components for batteries as demand soars for electric vehicles (EVs). The goal is to develop a complete North American supply chain and end dependence on China for batteries and battery components.

Top story: Man behind radioactive school report motivated by St. Louis flooding

The St. Louis plant will add 150 manufacturing jobs, plus a couple dozen science and engineering positions.

“For this material that we’ll be producing, lithium iron phosphate, there is none produced in the western world,” Brown said. “This grant really shows our support for bringing energy security for these new, innovative technologies for clean energy to the United States.”

Minutes later, Brown echo those words in response to President Biden.

“How is this plant going to strengthen our battery supply chain in the United States?” the President asked Brown at the event.

“It’s really going to utilize our abundant resources that we have here in North America and the USA to develop a secure supply chain that the entire industry can rely upon,” Brown said.

“We’re ready. We’ve got a whole group of people who are ready to go,” he said.

The project is now being “fast-tracked.” About two years from now, phase one of the new batter components plant should be operational, with the second and final phases coming online a year later.


Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: COMMERCIAL, fox2now Tagged With: St Louis

Commission’s report shows increasing pay will help Missouri teacher shortage

October 20, 2022 by Staff Reporter

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Roughly 8,000 Missouri teachers make less than $35,000 a year, according to a report released by the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Blue Commission. 
For months, the commission has been researching what can be done to combat the teacher shortage, and pay is an urgent priority.

On Tuesday, the Missouri State Board of Education accepted the handful of recommendations from the commission and soon will be asking the General Assembly to make immediate changes to help educator recruitment and retention. 

“More pay for more work, which sounds like a simple concept but one we still need to work toward,” State Board of Education Vice President Carol Hallquist said during Tuesday’s meeting. 

4 charged with mail thefts in St. Louis area

It’s an expensive but necessary plan of attack. In a state that is suffering a teacher shortage crisis, causing some schools to pivot to four-day weeks. Under state statute, the minimum starting salary for teachers in Missouri is $25,000, that’s about $9,000 below the state’s average living wage. 

“I don’t know what more evidence we need to suggest that we have a problem with resource deployment,” said State Board of Education member Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge. “If we attack the root cause in the structure and put earnest effort there, then we can see better outcomes overtime.”

The State Board of Education created a commission to study the shortage of teachers and how to keep them in the state. The Teacher Recruitment and Retention Blue Ribbon Commission is made up of 22 members from the business community, lawmakers and educators who were appointed in the spring by the board. After four months of research, the commission has finished its work. 

“The commission recommends that the legislature amends the Missouri statute to raise minimum starting teacher salary to at least $38,000 annually,” the Blue Ribbon Commission chairman Mark Walker told the board Tuesday. “Acknowledging that there are many factors that impact retention and recruitment, the commission believes is to increase the starting salary.”

In July, the governor approved nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to increase minimum teacher pay from $25,000 to $38,000. Under the legislation, the state pays for 70% while the rest is on the district, which means schools have to opt into the program, but the funding from the state is only for one year. DESE Commissioner Margie Vandeven previously said that heading into this year, roughly 65% of districts are participating. The commission’s recommendation is to keep it permanent. In total, the commission offered nine recommendations to the board, separated into three categories: immediate, short-term, and long-term. At least half addressed teacher pay.

Immediate priorities: 

  • Increasing starting teacher pay to $38,000 and have an annual review from the Joint Committee on Education to ensure teacher salaries remain competitive 
  • Fund the Career Ladder Program which rewards teachers for extracurricular activities
  • Establish sustainable funding for Grow Your Own programs, geared towards paraprofessionals, adults or high school students who want to become a teacher
  • Encourage districts to implement team-based teaching models 

Short-term priorities: 

  • Establish a fund to help local school districts pay for the increased minimum starting salary and to increase teacher pay overall
  • Increase support for educator mental health
  • Fully fund the scholarship program that offers tuition assistance to incoming teachers or to educators continuing their education 

Long-term priorities:

  • Offer salary supplements for filling high-need positions
  • Fund salary supplements for teachers with National Board Certification 

The commission also recommends that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) expand the annual teacher recruitment and retention report to include salary data for each local school district, teacher turnover broken down by student achievement and by race, a comparison of Missouri’s starting and average salaries with surrounding states, and openings that have been posted over the past year and the number of applications each opening received. 

Trending: Live like rural royalty on this 50-acre estate in Labadie, Missouri

“In preparing this report, we found that teachers are vital not just for student achievement but to the success of the state overall,” said Walker, CEO of TransLand, a trucking company near Springfield. “The strength of Missouri’s teacher workforce has a direct impact on the strength of Missouri’s economic development and quality of life.”

Missouri currently has the lowest starting teacher wage in the country with an average of $32,970. According to the National Education Association, the national average starting wage for educators is $41,163. The commission’s report compares teachers who make less than $35,000 to other wage earners like animal caretakers who make an average of $28,000 a year, bartenders who make around $29,000 and housekeepers who average $30,000. 

“We cannot fall behind again like we have and play catch up, it’s just not healthy,” Walker said. “The biggest surprise perhaps for business people serving on the Blue Ribbon Commission is the lack of flexibility you all [the board] has for meeting high-need positions, it’s unbelievable inappropriate in today’s highly competitive market.”

Increasing the minimum starting teacher salary comes with a hefty price tag. According to the report, about 8,000 teachers make below $38,000. In order to increase their wages, it’s estimated to cost $29.5 million which does not address the salary schedule compression issues that might be included. 

The cost to expand the Career Ladder Program, which rewards teachers for extra work like extracurricular activities or tutoring is projected to cost $56.2 million. The state statue has also been modified to lower the years of service needed to particpate in the program from five years to two which could increase the cost by $20,000. 

For now, the state does not have a cost for increasing mental health resources for educators. The commission recommends additional paid wellness days which would require more substitute teachers. 

Tuition assistance for roughly 100 educators would cost the state about $5.8 million, based on the average cost of tuition for higher education in Missouri for the 2020-2021 school year which was $14,564. 

“The actual implementation of that, the funding piece, that iskind of going to be on your plate,” Walker told the board when asked when these recommendations will go into place and be funded. “You all get to decide the timing, utimately and what will work legislatively and which year.”

According to researchers at the Missouri State University College of Education, 141 districts in 2022 will have four-day school weeks, an all-time high. 

Back in June, the State Board of Education voted to expand testing scores in hopes of getting more teachers certified. By tweaking the state’s qualifying score, more than 500 teachers could be added to the workforce. 

According to DESE, roughly 550 teachers miss the qualifying score on the certification exam anywhere between one to four questions. Those candidates have already completed their accredited program but didn’t score high enough on the exam.

Back in April, the board approved to expand the test scores for elementary certification exams by a -2 standard error of measurement (SEM) after a new assessment was implemented in August and enough educators weren’t scoring high enough.

In June, the board agreed to change the qualifying score to -1 SEM starting immediately. This means someone that missing a handful of questions would be certified.

Teachers aren’t the only ones leaving the education field. During the 2022–2023 school year, the state faced one of the largest numbers of openings for superintendents in recent history. Of the state’s 518 school districts, 104 of them spent the summer searching for superintendents. More than 53% of those openings are due to retirements from the last school year.

According to the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA), 56 superintendents retired this past school year, that number is up from 43 in 2021, 41 in 2020, and 36 in 2019. Compared to years past, in 2019 there were 76 superintendent openings going into the school year. By 2020, when most districts finished the school year virtually, that number increased to 86 but decreased back down to 83 in 2021. 

Of the 104 superintendent openings, all have been filled, but some with interims. 

To view the map made by Jon Turner at Missouri State University showing the districts that are implementing a four-day week for the 2022-2023 school year, click here.

The Blue Ribbon Commission and the State Board of Education will host eight town halls throughout the state over the next month to talk about the report and get feedback from the community and school districts. All meetings start at 6 p.m.

  • Knob Noster Middle School Cafeteria – Oct. 24
  • Dix Road Education Center, Jefferson City – Oct. 25
  • Maplewood Richmond Heights High School Auditorium – Nov. 7
  • Osage Trail Middle School Cafeteria, Fort Osage – Nov. 9
  • Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center, Chillicothe – Nov. 10
  • Parkway Welcome Center, Parkway – Nov. 15
  • Nixa Junior High – Nov. 16
  • Kay Porter Theatre, Poplar Bluff – Nov. 17 

Click here to see the commission’s full report. 


Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: COMMERCIAL, fox2now Tagged With: St Louis

St. Louis hosts national defense, transportation meeting

October 20, 2022 by Staff Reporter

ST. LOUIS – Nearly 2,000 industry and government transportation experts were in attendance for the first day of the annual National Defense Transportation Association and United States Transportation Command meeting.

United States Transportation Command Commander Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost delivered a 30-minute speech at Union Station, just 25 miles away from Scott Air Force Base, where the United States conducts all of its transportation missions.

Van Ovost pleaded for new ideas form the crowd ahead of a “decisive decade.”

“We need to work on our will,” Van Ovost said. “This is going to be a different fight. We need to think differently, and we need to recognize that we don’t have a lot of time. We need you to produce options.”

The goal of the four-day convention is to bring together two sides of the transportation equation: the private sector and those in the government.

“The risk of staying the same is worse than the risk of changing,” Van Ovost said.

Van Ovost also spoke about how big of a role USTRANSCOM plays in foreign affairs, most recently in Ukraine.

“You’re all coming up with new ideas to move very hazardous equipment,” she said. “We are making sure truck drivers are safe and we have not moved that much stuff at that kind of pace maybe since World War II.”

The convention wraps up on Thursday.


Originally Appeared Here

Filed Under: COMMERCIAL, fox2now Tagged With: St Louis

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 17
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Editor Picks

BRANSON’S OZARK MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS SEASON IS UPON US

BRANSON’S OZARK MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS SEASON IS UPON US

Ozark Mountains Provide Magical Backdrop for Unforgettable Holiday ExperiencesWhen it comes to celebrating Christmas, no place does it quite like Branson, Mo., where the entire town takes on a … [Read More...] about BRANSON’S OZARK MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS SEASON IS UPON US

Why rural Missouri schools and hospitals might become homebuyers

Why rural Missouri schools and hospitals might become homebuyers

(The Beacon) – In Kirksville, Missouri, an entire floor of the hospital sits empty. The community could easily fill beds with patients — if only it could hire nurses and other workers to tend to … [Read More...] about Why rural Missouri schools and hospitals might become homebuyers

Kansas lawmakers pass tax cuts; send bill to Gov. Kelly; stadium debate up next

Kansas lawmakers pass tax cuts; send bill to Gov. Kelly; stadium debate up next

 TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas legislators cleared the way Tuesday for a debate on trying to lure the Kansas City Chiefs from Missouri by approving broad tax cuts that many lawmakers said they needed … [Read More...] about Kansas lawmakers pass tax cuts; send bill to Gov. Kelly; stadium debate up next

Missouri’s Top 15 Places to See This Summer – Missouri Magazine

Missouri’s Top 15 Places to See This Summer

 When trying to decide on things to see or do in Missouri, try taking the road less traveled and discover some unique places that you may not see anywhere else. Whether it be historical, … [Read More...] about Missouri’s Top 15 Places to See This Summer

Zombie Foreclosures Shrinking – The MortgagePoint

Zombie Foreclosures Shrinking – The MortgagePoint

Releasing its 2024 second-quarter Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report, ATTOM Data has revealed that that 1.3 million (or 1,289,387 to be exact) residential properties in the country sit … [Read More...] about Zombie Foreclosures Shrinking – The MortgagePoint

Copyright © 2025 · Missouri Real Estate News · About/Contact · Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions · MidMO Business