An executive order signed by Gov. Mike Parson extends Missouri’s drought alert to September 1. The order directs continued coordination of state resources and combined response efforts until conditions improve in drought-impacted areas.

Zach Leasor, state climatologist, catches up with Anthony Morabith, and he says that spring showers need to continue.

The Missouri baseball team suffered a series loss to the No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks 9-4 on Sunday afternoon. 

The Gamecocks took Game 1 on Friday 10-2, then the Tigers fought back to even the series on Saturday 8-3 and forced the rubber match. 

South Carolina struck first and scored on a wild pitch in the top of the second inning. The Tigers responded by plating four runs in the home half of the inning on a two-run home run by Danny Corona, a drawn walk by Brock Daniels with the bases loaded, and a sacrifice fly by Jackson Lovich. 

However, the Gamecocks scored eight unanswered runs in the last three innings to seal the series victory. 

With this loss, the Tigers sit at 7-17 in SEC play, placing the team at No. 13 in the conference standings, only ahead of the Auburn Tigers. 

Tigers Results:

Did You Notice? 

• The Missouri Tigers softball team finished its regular season on Sunday with 40 wins, the most since 2021. 
• The 2024 SEC Softball Tournament will be played from Tuesday to Saturday in Auburn, Ala. The Tigers will be the No. 5 seed and play the winner of No. 12 Kentucky and No. 13 Ole Miss on Wednesday afternoon. 
•  Former Missouri running back Larry Rountree III is headed to the UFL playoffs with the undefeated Birmingham Stallions. So far this season, Rountree has recorded nine rush attempts for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Countdown to Missouri’s football season opener: 

117 days. 

Special Media: 

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A new political party will appear on Missouri’s ballot this year, the brainchild of a candidate hoping to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in November.

Jared Young, an attorney and businessman from Webb City, last year announced he would run as an independent candidate in the Senate race. In April, he decided to instead submit signatures to create a new political organization, the Better Party, and invited other candidates to join.

Under Missouri law, an independent statewide candidate must submit 10,000 signatures from registered voters to the secretary of state’s office. That is the same number required to form a new political party.

Young submitted signatures April 19, and of 21,587 signatures checked, 10,696 were valid, Madison Walker, spokesman for the office, wrote in an email. The results were certified Wednesday.

Along with Young, the Better Party has nominated Blake Ashby of Ferguson as its candidate for the 1st Congressional District seat currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Cori Bush.

Those are the only two candidates the party will field this year. Candidate filings had to be submitted with the petitions, Walker wrote.

Young is campaigning as an alternative to politicians out-of-touch with voters.

“Both parties have become overly obsessed with holding onto or regaining power at all costs,” Young wrote on Facebook after the signatures were confirmed. “In their current form, they no longer represent the hopes and beliefs of most Americans.”

According to his first-quarter campaign finance report, Young has raised $364,377 for his campaign and had $110,650 on hand. Young will be listed fourth on the November ballot for Senate.

Hawley, unopposed for renomination, has raised $7.6 million since January 2023 for his campaign committee and had $5.5 million on hand March 31. Democrat Lucas Kunce leads a four-person field for the Aug. 6 primary with $7.7 million raised and $3.3 million on hand.

The other Democratic candidates are state Sen. Karla May of St. Louis, December Harmon of Columbia and Mita Biswas of St. Louis.