Missouri

Education officials say Missouri's statewide cellphone ban at public and charter schools has brought consistency, focus and more social interaction. Some students agree, while others say they feel bored or limited.

The move comes after weeks of consternation from residents, reports alleging pollution concerns, and allegations that the data center site was largely owned by a relative of St. Charles’ mayor.

About a year after Independence police officers started wearing body cameras, the department says that the program has changed the way its staff interacts with residents and collects evidence.

Officials in Indiana and Missouri said technologists remain watchful, but their states so far seem to have avoided compromise. The latter’s Office of Administration credited a layered security approach for helping deflect bad actors.

Starting this fall, every K-12 district in Missouri, including charter schools, will need a written policy prohibiting students from using personal devices during the school day, with some circumstantial exceptions.

The data tool and interface, which was built in-house to flag crime and misuse, has saved the state millions and ensures benefits go to those in need. Created with federal funding, it recently earned a governor’s award.

A bill heading to Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk will require school districts to draft their own policies enacting a total cellphone ban for students during the school day, starting in the fall.

The library has added Visual Accessibility Kits and more specialized items to its collection, in an effort to make content more easily accessible to patrons with low vision or blindness. The kits can be checked out at its 20 branches.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins canceled state funding to OverDrive, a digital platform that lets users download and read books on their personal devices, over concerns about inappropriate material.

The agency, which oversees permits to hunt and fish in the state, was hit with an attack Friday and has activated its Incident Response Team. Cybersecurity units are continuing to investigate activity on a data server.

The state has faced a massive backlog of payments to child-care providers following the launch of a new child care data system in 2023, after which several technical problems were discovered.

Missouri is joining other states tackling income verification for the gig economy, investing in new tech backed by basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal to reduce caseworker processing times and get faster assistance to those in need.

A former public school teacher filed a proposal last week for the upcoming 2025 session that would require public school districts and charters to adopt policies that largely prohibit use of smartphones during class.

While cybersecurity remains a high priority for many CIOs, we spoke to technology leaders to understand what other skills are difficult to find when recruiting new talent.

The $63 million upgrade began in 2021 and will replace 50 separate computer systems dating to the 1980s. Offices will be closed Nov. 8, giving officials a four-day weekend with the planned Nov. 11 Veterans Day closure to install and test new software and components.

A state-level Cybersecurity Commission, enacted by law in 2021, is required to meet quarterly at a minimum, and to report annually to Gov. Mike Parson. The governor, however, has not appointed any commission members.

The state hasn't broadly promoted the service yet, but Deputy CIO Paula Peters hopes one day residents across Missouri will also be able to access local government services through the platform.

Some school districts in southwest Missouri are transitioning their bus fleets to propane or electric, citing long-term savings, lower carbon emissions, rebates to reduce costs and an overall quieter ride for students.