Missouri

Missouri activates National Guard as states brace for anti-Trump protests

Published

1 year ago

June 13, 2025

Press Room

Missouri activates National Guard as states brace for anti-Trump protests

The Show-Me State’s Republican governor, Mike Kehoe, joins Texas in preemptively activating the state’s National Guard ahead of ‘No Kings’ protests this weekend

Missouri has joined Texas in preemptively activating the state’s National Guard ahead of the “No Kings” protests planned at about 2,000 sites across the nation on June 14 against President Donald Trump.

Both Republican-led states followed Trump’s lead after he tapped the California National Guard to respond to protests in Los Angeles.

“While other states may wait for chaos to ensue, the State of Missouri is taking a proactive approach in the event that assistance is needed to support local law enforcement in protecting our citizens and communities,” GOP Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe wrote on social media June 12 in announcing his executive order activating the Missouri National Guard.

Kehoe’s order declares a state of emergency in Missouri “due to civil unrest.”

The move is another sign of the increasingly militarized response to unrest surrounding Trump’s policies. Responding to demonstrations against ICE raids, the president deployed the California National Guard in Los Angeles over Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s objections, and also sent U.S. Marines.

Trump’s decision to bypass Newsom and federalize the California National Guard drew protests from Democrats. Newsom described it as the act of a “dictator.”

Republican governors in Texas and Missouri are activating the Guard on their own.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced June 11 that the Texas National Guard would be deployed throughout the state “to ensure peace & order.” The move came after protesters in Austin clashed with police, and ahead of more planned protests in the state.

About 2,000 “No Kings” protests are scheduled across the country on June 14, when Trump is staging a large military parade in Washington D.C. on the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. It’s also Trump’s 79th birthday.

A map on the “No Kings” website shows dozens of protests are planned in Missouri and Texas.

With immigration enforcement protests spreading across the country and millions of Americans expected to demonstrate on June 14, governors are having to weigh calling in the National Guard in case of violence versus chancing having Trump do it for them.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, told USA TODAY that Democratic governors are speaking with one another about being prepared if Trump deploys their state National Guard over their objections.

Lujan Grisham said she expects the New Mexico protests to be peaceful and managed by local law enforcement. She isn’t preparing the Guard in case protests turn violent because that isn’t their job.

The National Guard has long been used by governors to help police protests.

When George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020, governors in 28 states had deployed the National Guard by June 3, 2020, to help contain demonstrations that erupted across the country, according to the Department of Defense. Among them was Newsom in California.

California recently sued to stop Trump from deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles. A federal judge blocked the mobilization, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 13 temporarily halted the judge’s order.

Contributing: Sarah D. Wire, Jeanine Santucci, Davis Winkie

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Missouri

10 pounds of meth found during I-70 traffic stop, Callaway County Sheriff’s Office says

Published

1 hour ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

10 pounds of meth found during I-70 traffic stop, Callaway County Sheriff’s Office says

Callaway County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested two Mexico, Missouri, residents on suspicion of possession of 10 pounds of methamphetamine, according to a social media post from the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 10:18 p.m. on Wednesday, deputies conducted traffic stops on Interstate 70 regarding an ongoing narcotics investigation by the Sheriff’s Office investigators assigned to the MUSTANG Drug Task Force, according to the social media post.

Deputies made contact with Louetta Dorsey, 43, and Brian Wilson, 41, of Mexico, in their vehicles during the investigation, according to the social media post. The two suspects were in separate vehicles, and one was allegedly acting as a decoy vehicle for the other, according to court documents.

During the traffic stops, deputies located approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. Dorsey and Wilson were arrested and taken to the Callaway County Jail, according to the social media post.

Dorsey has been charged with second-degree drug trafficking and possession of a controlled substance, according to court records. Charges for Wilson were not appearing in Missouri’s online court record system as of Friday afternoon.

A probable cause statement filed in Dorsey’s case indicates that both she and Wilson were under investigation on suspicion of distributing large amounts of methamphetamine throughout Audrain, Boone and Callaway counties.

Members of the MUSTANG Drug Task Force worked with the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office, East Central Drug Task Force and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office-MO to execute additional narcotics related search warrants, according to the social media post.

The results of the search warrants revealed firearms and drug paraphernalia commonly used for drug trafficking, according to the social media post.

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Missouri

What’s closed on Juneteenth in Missouri? Check trash, libraries, banks

Published

11 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

What’s closed on Juneteenth in Missouri? Check trash, libraries, banks

Juneteenth is marking five years since it was officially recognized as a federal holiday.

Given the holiday’s relatively recent federal designation, it may not be clear to many what will be open/closed on Juneteenth. Will the post office be open? Will my trash get collected? Can I go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew my license?

Here’s a guide to what is open and closed on Juneteenth in Missouri.

When is Juneteenth 2026?

This year, Juneteenth will be celebrated on Friday, June 19. The holiday is also often celebrated on the third Saturday of June, with many events taking place on that day.

Communities use this day to honor resilience, culture and progress through various events, gatherings and activities. These can include church services, picnics, barbecues, parades and festivals, to name a few.

Are federal or Missouri state offices open on Juneteenth?

Given that Juneteenth is a federal holiday, non-essential federal offices will be closed.

It’s also a state holiday in Missouri, so all local governments and state offices will be closed, as well.

Will major retailers be open on Juneteenth?

Most major retailers, grocery stores, warehouse clubs and restaurants should be open on Juneteenth, but you may want to check with your local stores to confirm business hours, as they can vary by location.

Is the post office open on Juneteenth? Will mail be delivered?

All post offices will be closed, and mail will not be delivered on Juneteenth, according to the U.S. Postal Service’s website.

FedEx and UPS will operate more or less as usual, and their stores will be open.

Are banks open on Juneteenth?

Most banks will be closed on Juneteenth, as most follow the Federal Reserve’s holiday schedule.

Is the stock market open on Juneteenth?

Both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market will be closed on Juneteenth.

Will trash pickup happen on Juneteenth?

Trash pickup on Juneteenth varies from city to city, so it’s best to check with your local waste management service to see whether they observe the holiday.

Trash pickup can be delayed by one day if the scheduled pickup falls on a federal holiday.

Columbia will have normal trash pickup on Friday, according to the city’s website. Each hauler in Springfield sets its own holiday schedule. Ozark Refuse, Republic Services and Waste Management are not delayed for the holiday.

Are libraries and DMV offices open on Juneteenth?

Holiday hours can vary among Missouri’s libraries, so it’s best to check whether the ones in your area will be open on Juneteenth.

The Daniel Boone Regional Library network in Columbia and Springfield-Greene County Library District branches will be closed.

All Missouri Department of Revenue offices will be closed on Juneteenth, including driver examination stations. With that being said, some license offices will be operating during the holiday, so check the Missouri License Office Locator to see if your local office is open.

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Missouri

Missouri judge strikes down nearly all state abortion regulations

Published

22 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Missouri judge strikes down nearly all state abortion regulations

Nearly all of Missouri’s abortion regulations, including laws that Planned Parenthood said made it impossible for providers to prescribe medication abortion, were struck down in a ruling Thursday by a Jackson County judge. One of the regulations most widely condemned by abortion rights supporters, a 72-hour waiting period between an initial consultation and an abortion, […]

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