Stop The Data Dump on New Florence

08/20/2026

The question doesn’t have to be, “Are you for data centers or against data centers?”
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A better question might be, “If one comes to our community, what rules should be in place before the application ever lands on someone’s desk?”

Had this governance /transparency been in place, our current commissioners terms would have a better chance of being extended.

The City of Troy is now the latest municipality in our region to put a temporary pause on data centers.
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Troy has approved a data center moratorium through January 1.
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This gives Troy’s elected officials, staff, and most importantly its citizens time to have a conversation about what regulations and safeguards make sense specifically for their community.
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There is also an important distinction here.
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This moratorium applies only inside the City of Troy. It does not apply to unincorporated Lincoln County.
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Its important to point that out, because Lincoln County is in a somewhat unique position. Unlike Troy, the county does not currently have countywide planning and zoning. Troy, as an incorporated city, does.
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And there is a lot happening in Lincoln County right now!
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Ameren is pursuing a battery energy storage facility. There has been discussion surrounding potential solar development. There has also been considerable conversation and concern about the possibility of data center development.
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All of these projects raise different questions about land use, infrastructure, utilities, emergency services, neighboring property owners, economic development, and local control.
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This is why I keep encouraging people to pay attention to local government.
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The question doesn’t have to be, “Are you for data centers or against data centers?”
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A better question might be, “If one comes to our community, what rules should be in place before the application ever lands on someone’s desk?”
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Troy is giving itself until January to start answering that question.
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Now is the time for citizens to participate in that conversation, not after a project has already been proposed and everyone is scrambling to figure out what can and cannot legally be done!

08/19/2026

Data centers may be digital demand, but their bottlenecks are physical. Water is one of the least forgiving ones

Coming to an aquifer near you!

AI data center growth is clashing with U.S. groundwater, as proposed sites over the Ogallala Aquifer raise water security concerns.

08/14/2026

Daily Inspiration.

One down….two to go!

08/10/2026

Recent news from the ‘good neighbor’ brought into our back-yard courtesy of Marks Nelson (Steve Etcher), EDC and the Commisioners .

More work to do MOCO. Getting rid of Ryan Poston was only step one.

Google wants to fill more than two acres of protected wetlands to expand its $2 billion data center in Indiana.

Hatchworks LLC, the developer behind Google’s Project Zodiac campus near Fort Wayne, has applied for permission to fill 2.13 acres (0.86 hectares) of forested wetlands with soil.

If Indiana regulators approve the application, three new data center buildings and supporting infrastructure would be constructed on the filled land.

Google’s developer says avoiding the wetlands is not feasible because of the required size and layout of the buildings. The expansion would extend the campus south of existing transmission lines as part of its third phase.

But the proposal has not yet been approved.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management will hold a virtual public hearing on August 25 before deciding whether the project can proceed. Construction is currently expected to begin September 14 if approval is granted.

Wetlands are not simply unused patches of waterlogged land.

They absorb rain, slow flooding, filter pollutants and provide habitats for plants and animals. Forested wetlands can be particularly difficult to replace because their trees, soils and ecological networks may take decades to develop.

To compensate for the damage, Hatchworks would be required to purchase credits protecting or restoring 4.26 acres (1.72 hectares) of forested wetlands elsewhere. That is twice the area it plans to fill.

However, mitigation credits do not preserve the original wetland or guarantee that a replacement will provide the same habitat and flood protection in the same community.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already approved a separate permit involving impacts to nearby federally regulated wetlands and waterways, including Adams Ditch and a tributary of Doctor’s Ditch.

Indiana must now decide whether another section of protected wetland can be filled to make room for Google’s expanding data center.

Learn more:
"Google data center developer applies for more land, public hearing to be held." Wane

07/11/2026

Latest Data Center Contractor Safety Updates

07/02/2026

Lawmakers left the K-12 foundation formula short by about $190 million, meaning schools are not receiving the state aid increases anticipated to cover costs like transportation and teacher salaries.

The good news! The MOScholars program (often referred to phonetically as the "voucher" program) was fully funded and received a $10 million increase for the fiscal year 2027 state budget.

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget Tuesday, including millions of dollars in cuts through dozens of line-item vetoes as well as pausing hundreds of millions of …