Marshall Griffin

Back-to-school shoppers in Missouri are getting a break this weekend, as the state’s annual sales tax holiday is in effect.

Today through Sunday, shoppers don’t have to pay the state sales tax on clothing items under $100 a piece, school supplies of up to $50 per purchase, computer software purchases up to $350, and computers and accessories up to $3,500.

Ted Farnen is with the Missouri Department of Revenue.

It appears that the record-setting heat wave may have finally let up in portions of Missouri, which is good news for State Fair organizers.

The annual event begins one week from today in Sedalia, and forecasters are predicting high’s in the low 80’s for opening day.

Governor Jay Nixon says there’ll be plenty of emergency responders on hand if the excessive heat returns.

MoDOT does not have enough money budgeted to finish reducing the number of rest areas along Missouri’s interstate highways.

A plan adopted 11 years ago called for reducing the number of facilities from 34 down to 24.  Today, there are 27 facilities open at 17 sites.

MoDOT Assistant Chief Engineer Don Hillis says it’ll take more than $96 million to finish the work.

The month of July was the sixth-hottest month on record for the state of Missouri, dating back to 1895 -- and it was the hottest month overall in the Show-Me State since the 1980 heat wave.

Pat Guinan is both the state's official climatologist and a climatology professor at the University of Missouri -- Columbia.  He says there have been numerous days this month where much of the state experienced triple-digit temperatures.

A Missouri House committee looking at how state and local officials responded to several natural disasters this year is recommending a special session to deal with storm costs.

Committee members want to use a special session to discuss accessing the state's Rainy Day fund to help storm and flood-battered cities and counties.