JEFFERSON CITY — In a direct challenge to the top Democrat in the Missouri House, a Springfield businessman on Thursday announced his campaign for Missouri governor.
Michael Hamra, the CEO of Springfield-based Hamra Enterprises, said he would run against House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, also from Springfield, for the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nomination in August.
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“I’m running for governor because our political leaders in Jefferson City seem out of ideas, with partisan food fights, ideological warfare and a rush to score points, instead of serving the people who elected them. It’s time we change things,” Hamra said in a campaign launch video.
Hamra’s campaign said he knows how to create jobs and “work with people he doesn’t always agree with.”
As governor, Hamra’s campaign said he would work on workforce development, growing small businesses, lowering household costs and “restoring the right for women to make their own reproductive health care decisions,” according to his campaign.
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Hamra said earlier this month he was considering a bid for governor and would likely announce his plans at the end of October.
The company he runs, Hamra Enterprises, is a franchisee of Panera Bread, Wendy’s and Noodles and Co. restaurants.
In a swing at Hamra earlier this month, Quade charged Hamra had “a record of paying low wages and denying sick leave.”
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“I’m proud of my record of standing up for workers’ rights,” she said.
Hamra said in response, “Treating our team well has been a key part of our company’s growth.”
Hamra’s father is Sam Hamra, founder of Hamra Enterprises and longtime Democratic politico from Springfield.
Photo courtesy of the Missouri State Highway Patrol
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The Missouri State Highway Patrol says three people died during the Christmas holiday travel period, which ended just before midnight on Wednesday.
All three deaths were from one crash that happened Christmas Eve in St. Francois County. A 28-year-old woman and two boys, ages six and four, died after the car they were in left the road and struck a tree east of Farmington. The Highway Patrol no longer releases the identities of traffic victims.
During this year’s shorter 30-hour holiday period, state troopers investigated 65 traffic crashes and made 17 arrests for driving while intoxicated. Three people died during last year’s Christmas enforcement period, which lasted 78 hours because it fell on a weekend.
Meanwhile, a 37-year-old man from southwest Missouri is dead following a fatal DWI crash in the town of Fidelity east of Joplin. It happened Tuesday afternoon before the start of the Christmas travel holiday period.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said a 43-year-old woman from Oklahoma was attempting to pass another car and hit the male driver head-on and killed him. The woman suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital but was also arrested and charged with felony DWI death of another. A third person crashed while trying to avoid the wreck but was not injured.
We’ve gone through signing day, a Christmas break and most of portal season, but it’s time to get back to getting ready for the final football game of the season.
The Missouri Tigers (9-3) take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4) in the Music City Bowl at 1:30 p.m. Monday (ESPN).
The Tigers enter on a two-game winning streak and looking for their second-consecutive 10-win season as they face Iowa in a rematch of the 2020 Music City Bowl that never came to be.
Iowa enters on a two-game winning streak and is playing in its 11th bowl game (and 12th bid) in the past 12 years. Iowa is 4-6 in the 10 bowl games it has played since 2014.
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Missouri opened as a four-point favorite according to Circa sports but is now a 2.5-point favorite.
Here’s a glance at Iowa and what Missouri will face in the Music City Bowl.
When: 1:30 p.m., CT, Monday
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
TV: ESPN
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Radio: Tiger Radio Network
The Tigers and Hawkeyes have faced off 13 times, but only once in the past 100 years.
The teams faced off every year from 1892-1896, then again in 1902 and 1903 before a series from 1906-1910.
After that, it took 100 years to match up on the gridiron again with the teams facing off in the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, in 2010.
Missouri holds a 7-6 lead in the all-time series, but Iowa won 27-24 in 2010.
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Scoring offense: 28.0 (No. 69)
Scoring defense: 17.1 (No. 9)
Rushing offense: 199.8 (No. 20)
Rushing defense: 117.5 (No. 27)
Passing offense: 131.7 (No. 130)
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Passing defense: 196.1 (No. 36)
Brendan Sullivan, QB
With regular starter Cade McNamara still in the transfer portal, the Hawkeyes are set to turn to junior Brendan Sullivan (6-foot-4, 220 pounds), who is returning from an ankle injury that forced sophomore Jackson Stratton (6-4, 193) into the final two games of the regular season after McNamara missed the final four games with a concussion.
Sullivan played in nine games this season, starting two and completing 24-of-35 passes for 344 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
In the three games he attempted more than five passes, Sullivan completed 22-of-33 passes for 330 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions, while rushing for 108 yards and two touchdowns on 26 attempts.
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His best performance yards wise came against UCLA, the game he injured his ankle, when he completed 6-of-9 passes for 157 yards, but threw both of his interceptions.
While leading the Hawkeyes to a win against Northwestern, he completed 9-of-14 passes for 80 yards, while rushing for 40 yards and a score on eight tries. Then in a win against Wisconsin, he completed 7-of-10 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts.
Kamari Moulton, Jaziun Patterson, RBs
With starting running back Kaleb Johnson missing the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft, the Hawkeyes will turn to redshirt freshman Kamari Moulton (5-11, 206) and sophomore Jaziun Patterson (5-10, 195) to power the rushing attack that led the Hawkeyes to most of their wins this year.
Johnson took the vast majority of the carries and created the vast majority of the production this season, running for 1,537 of the team’s 2,398 rushing yards this season on 240 of the teams 463 attempts.
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Moulton was next on the team with 70 attempts for 377 yards and two touchdowns, while Patterson had 54 carries for 235 yards and two touchdowns.
Moulton produced a 114-yard performance on 12 carries against Maryland, breaking a 68-yard touchdown run in the process. He also had 74 yards on nine attempts against Wisconsin and had 65 yards on 19 attempts against Illinois State.
Otherwise, he did not reach 50 yards in any of his other eight games and rushed for -4 yards on three attempts against Nebraska his last time out.
Patterson had 72 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts against Troy and 66 yards on 18 tries against Minnesota. He also rushed for 56 yards and a score on 10 tries against Wisconsin.
Otherwise, his game-high was 11 yards in his other six games, including one rush for no yards against Nebraska last time out.
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Jacob Gill, WR
Gill, a 6-0, 185-pound junior, was the team’s leading receiver at 382 yards and 32 catches to go with two touchdowns.
His best performance, by far, was six catches for 138 yards against UCLA, otherwise he didn’t reach 50 yards in a game.
His other touchdown came against Illinois State when he had three catches for 46 yards. He also added four catches for 47 yards against Iowa State and five catches for 44 yards against Troy. Then his high for a game drops to 29 against Maryland.
DEFENSE
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Jay Higgins, LB
Fifth-year linebacker Jay Higgins (6-2, 232) was the most productive member of the Hawkeye defense with 118 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one sack. He also batted five passes, intercepted four more and forced two fumbles.
His interceptions came against Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Maryland. His sack came against Ohio State.
He had a run of three consecutive games, Ohio State, Washington and Michigan State, where he recorded 14 tackles in each performance, while adding 11 against Iowa State and 10 against Wisconsin.
Ethan Hurkett, DL
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The 6-3, 260-pound defensive lineman led Iowa with 6.5 sacks to go with 11.5 tackles for loss.
He recorded 55 total tackles and had three tackles for loss and two sacks against both Maryland and Nebraska to end the season.
He also forced three fumbles, one against Nebraska and two against Troy.
Nick Jackson, LB
With defensive back Jermari Harris not playing as he prepares for the draft, graduate linebacker Nick Jackson (6-0, 235) leads the Hawkeye defense with seven passes batted.
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He also recorded 83 tackles, including five for loss and 2.5 sacks. He intercepted one pass against Wisconsin and produced 12 tackles against UCLA and 11 each against Washington and Michigan State.
Nate Noel and Marcus Carrol vs. Iowa’s run defense
When taking Johnson leaving into consideration, the Hawkeye run defense is its best unit on the field.
The Tigers should be able to throw a bit with a more healthy Brady Cook for the first time in a handful of games, but Missouri has based its offense off the run during the final few games of the regular season and it worked very well.
To do that again, it will be strength on strength with the Iowa defense.
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Mizzou’s run defense vs. Iowa’s offensive line
I don’t know how much to expect from the pair of Iowa running backs we’re likely to see, but the offensive line is still stacked and third-string running backs can look great if the offensive line gets them 4 yards before contact.
The Tiger defense that has struggled against the run this season is going to need to force Iowa to throw.
If it can, the Tigers will be in about the best position they can be.
As we head into the holidays, there are tons of tournaments in the state with many teams in the Top 25 taking part in them. The Visitation Academy Tournament started before Christmas and will pick up after the holiday. Meanwhile, the 16-team Pink & White Classic in Springfield will feature plenty of top teams in the state.
The second Top 25 Missouri Girls High School Rankings saw a lot of shakeup as the initial poll debuted after the first week of the season. Now, almost a month into games we have a clearer picture and teams are starting to pull away from one another.
Incarnate Word keeps on doing what they do and the St. Louis powerhouse are nearing 140 wins in a row. There are five new teams in the poll this week
Previous ranking: 1
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After a nine-day layoff, the Red Knights are still winning. In the 86-37 win over Nerinx Hall on Dec. 21, four players scored in double figures, led by Nevaeh Lucious scoring 18.
Previous ranking: 5
Jordan Spiesier (26 points) and Kennedy Stowers (14) paced the Cougars in a close 60-58 win over Hickman on Dec. 17. The only loss has been to Incarnate Word.
Previous rankings: 20
The Lady Panthers are idle until Jan. 4, when they play Blue Valley (Kansas) in the 810 Varsity Showcase. In a win against state-ranked St. Joseph Benton, Addison Bjorn had 26 in the 78-66 win.
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Previous ranking: 3
The Lady Bruins rolled in their Central Missouri Activities Conference opener against Sedalia Smith-Cotton, winning 77-23. Rock Bridge led 37-9 after the first quarter in the Dec. 16 game. Rock Bridge plays in the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational Dec. 27-30.
Previous ranking: 16
The Lady Lions opened the Visitation Christmas Tournament with a win over Cape Girardeau Notre Dame on Dec. 21. When the tournament resumes on Dec. 26, the St. Louis school will play Hickman. Nyla Scales had 16 points in the win against Notre Dame.
Previous ranking: 10
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The Trojans won the 37th Annual Troy Buchanan Pepsi-Cola Invitationalin early December and are back in the Visitation Academy Tournament this week. The tournament started on Dec. 21 with a 63-42 win over Father Tolton Regional Catholic.
Previous ranking: 21
For the second straight year, the Lady Vikings are off to a torrid start. After starting last year 11-0, Francis Howell is at 7-0 heading into a game on Dec. 27 against Farmington. Six players average at least 6 ppg so far.
Previous ranking: 8
The Lady Falcons won the Liberty North Tournament and won six in a row before losing to Farmington, Ark., on Dec. 21.
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Previous ranking: NR
The Longhorns are off to their best start since 2007-08. Parkway West beat Highland in the first round of the Visitation Academy Tournament on Dec. 21 behind 25 points from Jordan Bircher. A big test looms in the semifinals against Lift For Life.
Previous ranking: 7
The Chargers opened the year with 7 wins in a row before losing to Edwardsville, Ill., on Dec. 21 in the Visitation Academy Tournament. Lauren Ortwerth is averaging 18.1 points per game.
Previous ranking: 9
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The Jaguars showed balance in a 68-31 win against Clayton on Dec. 20 with four players scoring in double figures. Heidi Pickett had a season-high 25 in the win.
Previous ranking: 4
The Lady Hawks are 5-0 vs. Missouri teams. In the last game before the break, Lift for Life won 100-20 against Visitation in the Visitation Tournament on Dec. 21. Zha Harris scored 22, one of three with 20 points.
Previous ranking: 2
The Lady Chiefs have gone 2-1 in two tournaments and will play its third when they compete in the Pink & White Classic on Dec. 27 in Springfield.
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Previous ranking: 11
The Rebels host the 69th Annual Bob Sechrest, Jr. Central Christmas Tournament and is the No. 1 seed in the field. Central has won 5 in a row since losing the opener to St. Vincent.
Previous ranking: 15
A winning streak to start the season ended with a loss to Link Academy on Dec. 20 in Springfield. Dasia Scott (18.3 ppg) and Loganne Love (12.6) are pacing the offense.
Previous ranking: NR
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The first part of the season is over for the Titans and they are perfect so far but will get test playing Staley on Jan. 2. After a slow start, Dareion Hunt has posted back-to-back double-digit scoring games.
Previous ranking: 6
The Class 5 state champions lost to Civic Memorial (Ill.) on Dec. 7 but bounced back with a win against Parkway South. The Bombers will be in the Midwest Invitational from Dec. 28-30.
Previous ranking: NR
The Lady Hornets open the Pink & White Classic on Dec. 27 facing Sarcoxie, a 6-1 squad. According to MSHSAA records dating back to the 2008-09 season, this is the best start in that span.
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Previous ranking: 22
The Class 3 state champions have lost twice but they were against Class 6 Rock Bridge and Park Hill South. Fair Grove opens play in the Pink & White Classic on Dec. 27 in Springfield.
Previous ranking: 18
The Tigers are seeded third in the Pink bracket at the Pink & White Classic in Springfield. Skyline has given up more than 24 points in a game this year.
Previous ranking: 13
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Nixa went to Florida before Christmas and went 2-1 in the KSA Tournament. Next up is the Pink & White Classic starting on Dec. 27 in Springfield.
Previous ranking: 14
Like about every other team in Southwest Missouri, the Lady Blue Jays will be in the Pink & White Classic this week. Marshfield enters on a 5-game winning streak. Quinn Aldridge was the MVP in a win over Parkway South in the Bill Rowe Queen City Shootout on Dec. 21.
Previous ranking: 24
The Angels closed out the first part of the season with a win over the top-ranked team in Class 4 — Ursuline Academy. Piper Mooney led the way with 16 points in the win. St. Joseph’s plays Parkway South on Dec. 28 in the SJA/Principia Tournament.
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Previous ranking: NR
In five of six games, the Lady Eagles have scored 60 or more points. Grain Valley draws Hazelwood East on Dec. 26 in the Rolla Holiday Tournament.
Previous ranking: NR
A perfect start to the season ended with a loss to St. Vincent in the First State Community Bank Holiday Classic on Dec. 20. However. the Lady Indians defense has allowed 30 or fewer points in four games this year.
Dropped out: Eureka, Smithville, Helias Catholic, El Dorado Springs, Chillicothe
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Also considered: Ursuline Academy, St. Teresa’s Academy, Parkway North, Hannibal, Hillsboro, Branson, Rolla, Dophian, St. Joseph Bent
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