Economy

Governor Mike Parson made a rare visit to Joplin Thursday to announce the 100,000-square-foot expansion. Parson also touted the 83,000 new jobs in Missouri over the past 12 months adding that the jobs were not people returning to work from the pandemic, but brand new employees.

If approved, it would be the second time Joplin residents have re-authorized the Capital Improvement Projects tax after it was first approved in 2004, going into effect the following year. Recent tax increases have been a mixed bag. Proposition Public Safety in August of 2022 and the Memorial Bond in April of the same year failed.

This year, on average Joplin is paying 112% of the Overall Market Average, or 12% higher salaries than nearby cities for similar positions.

The timing of the report is interesting considering that the City Council provided a comprehensive report two weeks ago from a consultant group regarding million-dollar improvements needed to the city’s mineral museum. Could Joplin attract more international visitors with an overhaul and advertisement of its unique city resources and history?

The number of registered nurses is expected to grow by 6% from 2021 to 2031, adding 195,400 jobs. This growth is expected to be driven by an aging population and an increasing demand for healthcare services.

The alliance consists of SPS, MSU, OTC and CoxHealth.

Refugees often struggle to get to jobs, school or the store without adequate transportation. But getting a driver’s license in Kansas City is hard enough without the added barriers of a new language and culture. That's where Justin Bilombele comes in.

The industry has sold more than $715 million of marijuana in the nearly 7 months since recreational sales began in February. Adult-use products account for almost $550 million of that total.

During the past two legislative sessions, the Missouri House of Representatives has passed bills legalizing sports betting in the state. However, its continued failure to advance in the Senate could lead to the issue being decided by voters instead.

The Nursing School expansion at PSU couldn’t have come at a better time. At a press conference, last week Freeman Health System of Joplin announced plans to construct a 168 million dollar 170,000 square foot hospital in Pittsburg, directly competing with Ascension Via Christi and the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.