A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:

Missouri’s new presidential primary; Iowa’s massive fertilizer spill; Hawley signals some break with Trump on Jan 6th; Missouri town paying big for open record violation; Texas immigration law seesaw; Sustainability in St. Louis; Turns out, young white republicans at turning point events MIGHT be a bit racist

SOURCES - river front times, missouri independent, missouri democrats.org, nbc news, newsweek, and WOWT Ohama channel 6 news

1. Missouri democratic primary TOMORROW - March 23
   1. Details: https://www.missouridemocrats.org/mdp-primary-information-2024
2. Back to the poopy water in Iowa
   1. https://www.wowt.com/2024/03/19/experts-detail-environmental-impact-fertilizer-spill-southwest-iowa/
   2. Experts detail environmental impact of fertilizer spill in southwest Iowa
   3. DNR experts are still examining the environmental impacts of a massive 1,500-ton liquid nitrogen fertilizer spill near Red Oak, Iowa caused by a New Cooperative valve that was left open last Monday.
   4. They know liquid nitrogen fertilizer traveled along the East Nishnabotna River in Iowa for 50 miles down to the state of Missouri where it’s estimated to have traveled at least another 10 miles.
   5. “(It’s) probably the longest fishkill that we’ve experienced in this area,” said Brent Marten, an environmental specialist for the Iowa DNR.
   6. As the fertilizer plume swept through the water, the home of aquatic wildlife soon became their grave. Native species of varying sizes were found dead ashore and floating in the water.
   7. “Just acute toxicity basically burned tissue on the outside and if they ingested it, on the inside of the fish,” said Lorenzen.
   8. Water testing showed that where the spill happened, nitrogen levels were at least 60 times higher than they should’ve been.
3. Josh Hawley (drop) says Trump Shouldn’t Issue Blanket Pardon for Jan 6th
   1. https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article286871930.html
   2. In a rare showing of a possible spine in the face of Trump’s crazy, Missouri’s soon to be one term senator Joshua “Yes these are my boots” Hawley breaks with Trump and suggests that CRIMINALS WHO ATTACKED THE GOVERNMENT might be best to be left as criminals, real novel take
4. Missouri Town who abused open records law drops appeal of penalty
   1. https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/15/phelps-county-town-drops-appeal-of-80000-missouri-sunshine-law-judgment/
   2. Rebecca Varney sued after Edgar Springs banned her from visiting city hall to see records or attend town board meetings
   3. Edgar Springs, a town of 200 in southern Phelps County, must now pay Rebecca Varney $750, plus almost $80,000 in attorney fees, to satisfy a November court decision that found it violated Varney’s First Amendment rights and the Missouri Sunshine Law.
   4. Circuit Judge John Beger ruled that the city’s violations began in 2018 when it barred Varney from entering city hall to view records open to the public under the Sunshine Law. The initial order allowed her to attend meetings of the town’s Board of Aldermen but was expanded in 2019 to bar her from entering city hall at any time after she questioned whether a gathering that included several town officials was an unposted meeting.
   5. “Our rights are worth it,” Varney said. “It’s been hard but I go to city council meetings, I get to sit down just like everybody else. And they have to treat everybody that way.”
   6. In her lawsuit, Varney asked for only nominal damages in addition to legal vindication. Berger’s ruling gave Varney $100 for the constitutional violation, $650 for the Sunshine Law violation and $78,966 for litigation costs and attorney fees. Interest is accruing at the rate of 9% per year.
   7. “This was not a close case,” said Dave Roland, the attorney who represented Varney. “They should have seen from the very outset, it was going to be a loser and they were going to be on the hook for both their attorneys fees and ours.”
   8. Roland runs the Freedom Center of Missouri, providing pro bono Sunshine Law legal services for people unable to afford an attorney. Money gained from rulings like the one against Edgar Springs is used to support other litigation.
       
5. Texas Immigration Law Back On Hold After Multiple Court Rulings In Last Weeks
   1. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/appeals-court-blocks-texas-immigration-law-supreme-court-action-rcna144193
   2. The decision comes just hours after the Supreme Court said the measure, known as SB 4, could go into effect while litigation continues.
   3. A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals split 2-1 in saying in a brief order that the measure, known as Senate Bill 4, should be blocked. The same court is hearing arguments on the issue Wednesday morning.
   4. The state law would allow police to arrest migrants who illegally cross the border from Mexico and impose criminal penalties. It would also empower state judges to order people to be deported to Mexico.
6. Meet Me In (Sustainable) St. Louieeee
   1. https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/bloomberg-taps-st-louis-as-1-of-25-american-sustainable-cities-42136549
   2. The City of St. Louis has been selected as one of Bloomberg Philanthropies' 25 sustainable American cities and will receive resources to combat climate change locally.
   3. The three-year program will utilize federal funding in the area to “proactively build low-carbon, resilient, and economically thriving communities,” according to a news release from Bloomberg. 
   4. St. Louis was chosen to take part in the program based on the city’s leadership and ambition, according to the St. Louis Development Corporation.
       
7. Black Gay Republican Says Missouri Republican Heckled Him at MAGA Even
   1. https://www.newsweek.com/black-gay-republican-says-missouri-republican-heckled-him-maga-event-1879832
   2. Rob Smith (conservative commenter) accused a state legislator from Missouri of being among the individuals who allegedly heckled him at a MAGA event in December.
   3. Smith, a Republican who is Black and gay, alleged that Missouri State Representative Chris Lonsdale joined a group of conservatives accused of heckling him while attending a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix in December 2023.
   4. Video sent by Smith to Newsweek appears to show Lonsdale near a crowd that heckled and chanted a homophobic slur against Smith. Lonsdale was seen pointing his finger toward Smith. However, the video was taken from behind the lawmaker, and it remained unclear whether he was among the individuals chanting the slur.
   5. "One of the individuals is a Republican elected official named Chris Lonsdale, a State Rep for MO district 38," Smith wrote in an X message to Newsweek.

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