Snow and bitterly
cold temperatures have combined to close schools and cause numerous
cancelations Tuesday.

St. Joseph public
and private schools are closed today.

The St. Joseph
School District has canceled classes with no AMI. St. Joseph Catholic Academy
Schools have canceled classes. Classes have been canceled for St. Joseph Christian
School. 

Savannah R3 has
closed its classes. It will hold an AMI day, virtual learning. Elementary students
should finish Snow Day Packet #5. Middle and high school students should check
Canvas for their assignments.

Missouri Western State University has closed its St. Joseph campus today.

Click <a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for a
full list of cancelations.

The National Weather
Service has issued several advisories during this harsh winter weather. A cold
weather advisory remains in effect for the entire Midland Empire until six o’clock
Wednesday evening. The Weather Service forecasts extremely cold temperatures
with wind chills dipping to as low as 25-below. NWS points out frostbite can
occur within 30 minutes of exposure in this type of weather.

An extreme Cold
Watch remains in effect from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning.

A Winter Weather
Advisory is in effect until midnight.

We won’t emerge
from these frigid temperatures until the end of the week. The National Weather
Service forecasts a high of 20 Friday with a high of 34 on Saturday,
increasingly warmer early next week.

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Bitter cold has greater St. Joseph area in its grip, causing cancelations

Governor Mike Kehoe has big plans for Missouri’s agriculture industry.

 Kehoe, a first-generation farmer, wants to borrow $55 million for new livestock buildings at the Missouri State Fair. 

Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn is excited to see the big investment.

&nbsp;“In the last couple of years, we received funding to build the new arena at the Missouri State Fairgrounds. It’s going to be 150,000 square foot in size. It’s really going to allow the Missouri State Fair to be used year-round not only for the two weeks during the fair, but for the other 50 weeks for larger events.”

It’s part of Kehoe’s proposed $53.7 billion budget for the state that lawmakers are currently working on. Kehoe’s administration says that the state fair bonding will be paid back over time by some of the revenues the buildings would generate.

&nbsp;Chinn says it would address a challenge regarding where people will stall their animals for big shows like rodeos.

“One will be a multiuse livestock barn that will have stalls in it and the other will be really focused more towards larger animals, your cattle and your horses. Each of the facilities should hold around 500 stalls. So, that will really make Missouri competitive in trying to host some of those national shows.”

The funds would be paid back over time by a portion of the revenues generated by these buildings.

Misouri is home to over 50 meat and poultry inspection locations. Kehoe wants to spend over $330,000 to expand the state’s inspection program as part of next year’s state budget. 

Chinn tells Missourinet that meat and poultry is an important part of the state’s economy.

“Currently, we have businesses that would like to go under state inspection, but we don’t have enough team members to help support their business. So, we are prohibiting commerce from being able to take place. So, he’s putting that money in the budget to allow us to help support this growing sector of our economy.”

Missouri is home to over 50 meat and poultry inspection locations.

Missouri’s Ag director praises Kehoe’s proposed agriculture investment in budget requests

In 2018, farmers in Nova Scotia, Canada, noticed a pest they hadn’t seen in a long time — the European corn borer. 

The pest was introduced to the United States in 1917 and spread to most major corn-growing regions by the 1940s. Coined “the billion-dollar pest,” the European corn borer caused yield loss by burrowing into cornstalks and feeding on them until the introduction of Bt corn in 1996.

 The main indicator of the borer is a horizontal line of shot holes in the corn leaves. The discovery in Nova Scotia led researchers to investigate throughout Canada, where they continued to find the same Cry1F resistance in the borer as they found in Nova Scotia. Cry1F is the crystalline protein used in Bt corn that keeps larvae at bay. 

In the years from 2018–2023, researchers started to make collections all across Canada and they were finding European corn borer resistance to Cry1F toxins all across the board.

The ‘Billion-Dollar Pest’ reappears in Canada, Connecticut

Brazil’s Energy and Mining Minister Alexandre Silveira said on Thursday that a potential U.S. tariff on Brazilian ethanol would be unreasonable, emphasizing that the two countries have historically negotiated ethanol and sugar trade together. 

His remarks came after President Donald Trump moved to scrap decades-old low tariff rates, raising them to match those of other countries. A White House fact sheet on the plan pointed to Brazil’s ethanol tariffs as an example of unfair trade practices. 

The U.S. tariff on ethanol is a mere 2.5%, yet Brazil charges U.S. ethanol exports an 18% tariff. As a result, in 2024, the U.S. imported over $200 million in ethanol from Brazil while exporting only $52 million in ethanol to Brazil, the document said on Thursday.

Brazil Says U.S. Ethanol Tariff Would Be Unreasonable

A major soybean research project, which collaborates with the University of Missouri (MU), will shut down April 15 due to President Donald Trump's dismantling of funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

The Soybean Innovation Lab, based at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was formed in 2011 to provide researchers and organizations with the resources needed to advance soybean development. The lab is comprised of over 100 technical soybean experts from 24 countries, each representing a variety of institutions. 

The land-grant system will lose 19 innovation labs across 17 states, including Missouri. MU has been involved in the Soybean Innovation Lab since 2013, said Kerry Clark, an MU researcher who leads the mechanization division for the lab. 

Clark said MU's sector of the Soybean Innovation Lab research received $1.2 million, or about $150,000 annually, before losing funding.

Soybean research projects shutting down as USAID funding cut off

Snowfall has been sparse across Nebraska this winter, but a cattleman said the lack of snow has made for “beautiful cattle feeding” conditions.

 Craig Uden, a fourth-generation cattleman and part-owner of Darr Feedlot in central Nebraska, said there have only been about six inches of snow all winter long. Despite the lack of snow, Uden said the weather has been “wonderful for cattle feeding conditions.” A lot of Uden’s cattle have been able to stay in the corn fields as a result of “so many 50–60 degree days. It’s actually been a tremendously easy year to winter cows,” according to Uden. 

The concern of being able to find grass increases the stress of keeping additional heifers. According to the latest drought monitor map, less than 1% of Nebraska is free from drought stress. Eight percent of the state is abnormally dry, 44% is in D1 moderate drought, 40% is in D2 severe drought, and the remaining 8% is in D3 extreme drought.

Little snow leaves nearly all of Nebraska facing drought conditions

The White House called out Brazil for its almost ten-year old tariff on US ethanol as an example of duties the US needs to fight back against with reciprocal tariffs.

“This is something that should have been done many years ago. But jobs are going to go up and prices could go up somewhat, short-term, but I think prices will also go down. And I think the farmers are going to be helped by this very much.”

President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs to match others’ duties on US goods, as the White House pointed out Brazil’s 18-percent tariff on US ethanol versus almost no duty on Brazil’s ethanol.

Trump’s pick for US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was asked about the Brazil tariff at his senate confirmation hearing.

“This is a specific kind of unfairness that drives me crazy. And it’s not just me, but the president, himself. He sees these kinds of unfairnesses and the unlevel playing field…and it’s so obvious, it’s so blatant—and it’s gone on for so long.”

But now, Greer says President Trump is ready to act.

“We need to have leverage. And, if we need to gain leverage by taking investigatory actions or other actions, we’ll do that. It’d be much better to do that on a negotiating basis, but we’ll do whatever we need to do to try to fix it.”

The US ethanol industry says its exports to Brazil have basically dried up. The Renewable Fuels Association said it hopes the president’s reciprocal tariff will finally get Brazil to return to “free and fair ethanol trade.”

White House calls Out Brazil on ethanol duty in defending Reciprocal Tariffs

USDA is withholding funds from farmers for conservation programs, despite the White House stating last week that funds to individuals would not be frozen. 

Contractors for conservation programs also have been affected by a funding freeze. The Iowa Soybean Association, for instance, cited in a letter to lawmakers that $11 million owed to farmers is at risk. Farmers are learning their conservation payments are frozen because those contracts were funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Two federal judges over the past week have ruled that the Trump administration did not have authority to block funding that was appropriated by Congress.  Repeated efforts to question USDA over which programs are frozen and questioned why payments to individual farmers were frozen. 

USDA's press office did not respond. Officials with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) also did not respond. At least one Missouri producer posted videos on TikTok worried he could lose his farm because USDA "reneged" on his cost-share contract with NRCS under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Farmers still caught in USDA funding freeze

The Trump administration has disrupted the U.S. response to bird flu as the outbreak worsens, leading to confusion and concern among federal staff, state officials, veterinarians, and health experts.

 Since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, two federal agencies responsible for monitoring and responding to the epidemic have withheld bird flu reports and canceled congressional briefings and meetings with state health officials. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) withheld two weekly reports, one on bird flu transmission and another on surveillance, and canceled several meetings on bird flu with state officials. 

The CDC and U.S. Department of Agriculture held no congressional briefings for three weeks, and the USDA did not respond to a state official’s request for information on a new program to protect the nation’s food supply. 

 The result has been anxiety among federal health staff that critical information about bird flu will not be disseminated in a timely manner or at all, even as more people and livestock test positive for the virus.

U.S. bird flu response disrupted in early weeks of Trump Administration

Brooke Rollins won confirmation as the new Secretary of Agriculture by a 72-28 Senate vote. Several U.S. ag groups congratulated the Texan on her confirmation. “America’s pork producers are eager to work with Secretary Rollins to fix the multitude of problems caused by California’s Prop 12 and ensure farm families have reasonable policies to pass down our farms to future generations,” says NPPC President Lori Stevermer. 

Rollins confirmed as Ag Secretary

The Food Price Index increased nearly a half percent in January. The food at home index rose more tha a half percent over the month, as four of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased. The indexes for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.9 percent for the month, as the index for eggs led the way by rising 15.2 percent. This was the largest increase in the eggs index since June 2015 and accounted for about two-thirds of the total monthly food-at-home increase. 

Food Price Index moves higher in January

A Winter Weather
Advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for the entire area,
one of several advisories issued by the Weather Service due to this bitterly
cold winter weather.

The Weather
Service warns travelers of slippery road conditions throughout northeast Kansas
and northwest Missouri as well as southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

The hazardous
conditions will impact the morning and even tonight’s commute.

The Missouri State
Highway Patrol Troop H reports it answered 67 calls for service on Monday and early Tuesday,
responding to 18 crashes, two involving injuries as well as 24 stranded motorists.
The patrol along with the Missouri Department of Transportation cautions
motorists to be careful during this stretch of snow and bitter cold. Drivers
should slow down and use caution.

The latest road
conditions in Kansas can be obtained by calling 5-1-1. In Missouri, visited
<a href="https://traveler.modot.org/map/index.html">traveler.modot.org</a>.

This article has been updated since first published.

Travel advisory issued during bitterly cold weather

Click <a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for a full list of winter weather cancelations.

Winter weather cancelations

More than 100 homeless
residents have sought shelter from the bitter cold weather in St. Joseph.

The United Way of
Greater St. Joseph reports 94 men and 38 women have taken advantage of the Cold
Weather Shelter operated by Community Missions.

St. Joseph's Cold Weather Shelter has been active

PLATTE COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 8p.m. Monday in Platte County.&nbsp;

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Buick LeSabre driven by an 80-year-old St. Joseph man was northbound on Interstate 29 just north of Fair Township.

The car traveled off the left side of the road, returned to the road and traveled southbound in the northbound lanes.&nbsp; A 2019 Peterbilt semi driven by a 44-year-old Topeka, Kansas man struck the car head-on.

EMS transported the Buick driver and a 72-year-old female passenger in the car to Mosaic Life Care.&nbsp; The semi driver was not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; 

The Patrol no longer releases the identity of accident victims.

2 from St. Joe injured after wrong-way crash with a semi

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent crime.

On Sunday, police arrested 44-year-old&nbsp; Chad M. Starling, 44, Atchison, in the 1300 Block of Santa Fe, according to police Chief Mike Wilson.

Starling is being held on a requested charges of domestic battery and on a Platte County Missouri warrant for probation violation.&nbsp;

Suspect wanted in Platte County jailed in Kansas

CLINTON COUNTY—Four people were injured in an accident just after 10:30a.m. Monday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford F150 driven by a 74-year-old Chillicothe man was southbound on Interstate 35 four miles south of Cameron.

The driver lost control on the ice and snow covered road. The pickup crossed the median, entered the northbound lanes and struck a northbound 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 78-year-old Gatesville, Texas, woman.

Cameron ambulance transported the pickup driver and his 65-year-old female passenger to Cameron Regional Medical Center. EMS transported the Jeep driver and her 85-year-old male passenger to Liberty Hospital. All four were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

4 injured after pickup, jeep crash on snow covered road

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a college student for an alleged prank phone call.

Just before 9p.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;responded to a dormitory on the Benedictine College campus to investigate a report that someone was being chased with a knife, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 The investigation that followed determined the report was false and that a student had made a prank call to a college staff person resulting in law enforcement response.

Police arrested 20-year-old Lydia C. Fontenot, 20, Southlake Texas, at 1020 North 2nd Street. She was jailed on a requested charge in connection with transmitting false information to request emergency service.&nbsp;

Student jailed for alleged prank phone call on Benedictine campus

New St. Joseph
City Manager, Mike Schumacher, saw opportunity in St. Joseph, luring him away
from a city administrator role in Lebanon, Missouri.

Schumacher has
moved from southwest Missouri to northwest Missouri, officially beginning his
duties at City Hall late last month. Schumacher says he wasn’t looking for a
job when the opening in St. Joseph came up.

“It’s ready to
move forward. It’s ready to launch,” Schumacher says of the city during his
first appearance with host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “In conversations
with our elected officials and different people around the community when I was
doing my homework if you will, it was clear there was energy and opportunity.”

Schumacher says
the residents of St. Joseph are the customers for both the St. Joseph City
Council and the City of St. Joseph staff.

Schumacher says he
has observed energy and opportunity in St. Joseph.

“Where do you want
to go? What do you want to do? What do we want to be?” Schumacher says the city
needs to be asking the right questions. “And perhaps, most importantly, are we
asking our customers what they want to see? At the end of the day, the
residents of St. Joe are our customers. And if you view this as a private
business, through that lens, what (do) our customers want us to be working on?”

Schumacher says it
is vital for the city to listen to its customers, the city’s residents, if it
expects to move the community forward.

“What do they want
to see us work on? What do they feel we can do better on? Where are we falling
short? Where are we doing okay?” Schumacher asks. “Through that process you
hope to find this vision, this is what statistically our customers want to see.”

Schumacher says
the city cannot move on intuition and guessing. It must know what residents
want.

New St. Joseph City Manager Schumacher says the city must ask the right questions

St. Joseph, MO –&nbsp;As marketing and media evolve at lightning speed, Eagle
Media&nbsp;is stepping up to help local businesses stay ahead. On March 11, the
company will host a free Lunch &amp; Learn&nbsp;at the Albrecht Kemper Museum
of Art, focusing on AI’s growing influence on search, SEO, and modern marketing
strategies.

“Marketing and media are moving so quickly,”
said Liby Waltemath, General Manager of Eagle Media. “I’m glad we can host
these free events to support our local business community. They’re informative,
and fun. I love hearing the growth strategies people are using.”

The session begins at 11 AM&nbsp;in the museum’s
lower-level theater, where attendees will gain insights from local business
leaders&nbsp;who have successfully adapted their digital marketing strategies.
A catered lunch will follow at 12 PM, providing a great opportunity to network
and discuss innovative approaches in today’s fast-changing marketing landscape.

Seats are limited, so early registration is
encouraged. For more details or to reserve your spot, Click <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/c2fae922-e85f-48d7-b81b-13dc71325700#//">HERE</a>.

Eagle Media Hosts Free Lunch & Learn on AI and Modern Marketing

NODAWAY COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just after 3p.m. Sunday in Nodaway County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Ford F150 driven by an 18-year-old Maitland man was eastbound on Route A at Pumpkin Center. The driver failed to yield after stopping at the posted stop sign at U.S. 71. A southbound 2012 Ford Escape driven by a 43-year-old Bernard woman struck the drivers side of the pickup.

Nodaway County EMS transported the driver and a passenger from the Ford to Mosaic Life Care. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The teen pickup driver was not injured.

The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

2 hospitalized in St. Joe after SUV, pickup crash

Kansas City Royals prospect Noah Cameron, a Central alum, posted a breakout season in 2024, earning him an invite to major league spring training.  

Pitchers and catchers reported to Surprise, Arizona and had their first workout this week. 

Cameron says it's been really cool being in the same clubhouse and working alongside veterans like Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. 

"Just to kind of watch them work, you know obviously they're the best players in baseball for a reason and just watching them kind of do their thing and their everyday work that they put in and preparation they put in is really cool," Cameron tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "And it teaches us younger guys what to do, what not to do." 

Last year, Cameron posted a 3-2 record with a 2.32 ERA and 67 strikeouts across nine starts at Triple A Omaha. Overall, between Triple A and Double A, he was 7-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 149 strikeouts.  In November, the Royals added Cameron to the 40-man roster, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft. 

Cameron will have the opportunity to learn alongside two Cy Young finalists from last year, in Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans, as well as experienced veterans in Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen.

Cameron says even through the first days of spring training this week, he has seen the work ethic of his teammates, and is ready to learn alongside them 

"It's been really cool to get to know them a little bit, obviously I'm excited to continue growing those relationships with those guys and just being able to kind of slide right in and let them lead the way and for me to just hopefully help out and earn that spot and earn their respect," Cameron says."

Cameron knows that he's in competition with teammates for the fifth starter spot 

"We obviously are aware of it, and we know that we want to be better than each other, but at the same time encourage each other and push each other every day, which is just really awesome," Cameron explains.  "And you don't see that a whole lot, obviously if we had five starters that were all making $20 million and there's no spots open it would be a little less competitive." 

A spot in the Royals rotation opened after a trade sent Brady Singer to the Cincinatti Reds.  Cameron is in competition with teammates with major league experience, such as Alec Marsh, Daniel Lynch, Kris Bubic, and a returning from injury Kyle Wright. 

While many players are already in Surprise, Arizona for Spring Training, the first full team workout is on Monday. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

St. Joseph native on the brink of breaking into the major leagues

St. Joseph Mustangs baseball is just around the corner, and the Mustangs have announced their roster for the 2025 season, filled with several key players that were part of last year's championship winning team.&nbsp;

Two former MINK league MVPs will be returning to the team in 2025 in Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart, the 2023 MVP, and Darius Freeman, last years MVP.&nbsp;&nbsp;Luikart hit .292 with 25 RBIs in 2023 with the Mustangs and is back with the team after not playing last season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Freeman hit .327 with the Mustangs last season, and also produced a team high 25 stolen bases.

Also returning to the team are the 2024 Co pitchers of the year,&nbsp; Sam Pitts, one half of the Pitchers of the Year, threw a perfect game last season, and will be joined by his brother Max on the roster this year. The other half of the returning Pitchers of the Year duo is East Buchanan graduate Bronco Whitt, who tied for the team lead with 40 strikeouts in 2024.

The lineup will also feature several local familiar faces in 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;Local returnees include Benton alum Carson Schmidt, Bishop LeBlond alums Frank Gall and Jaren Guck, Central alum Logan Miller, Lafayette alum Jayden Little, Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen, and East Buchanan alum and Missouri Western's Gage Busby.

Mustangs Manager Johnny Coy will not be the only Coy in the dugout this season; he will be joined by current Benton senior and University of Nebraska-Omaha commit Chris Coy. Jase Johnson, son of former Mustangs Manager and St. Joseph Baseball Hall of Famer Matt Johnson, will return for his third season.

The roster has also some international flair, with pitcher Noah Thomas returning to the team. Thomas hails from British Columbia.

Also of note, several players will be returning for their third, or more, season with the Mustangs including Trevor McCollum, Easton Bruce, Michael Infranca, Aron Harrington, Ryker Curry, Andrew Clark, as well Little, Gall, and Guck.

“We’re excited to defend our title in 2025. These players are ready to get to St. Joseph and play in front of the great fans. We have some really talented players and they all have options on where they want to play each summer, and it says a lot about this community that they choose Phil Welch Stadium to spend their summers,” said Mustangs manager Johnny Coy says in a news release from the Mustangs.

Mustangs Opening Day is set for Wednesday, May 28th.&nbsp;

St. Joseph Mustangs announce roster for 2025 season. 

 Cooper DeJean, Josh Sweat and the Philadelphia Eagles’ ferocious defense denied Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat.&nbsp; It wasn’t even close.

DeJean got a pick six&nbsp; on his birthday, Sweat tormented Mahomes and the Eagles routed the Chiefs 40-22 on Sunday to secure the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship.

Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score on a tush push to earn Super Bowl MVP honors, and Vic Fangio's defense was so dominant that the Eagles didn't need much from Saquon Barkley.&nbsp; The game-changing running back finished with 57 yards, breaking Terrell Davis’ record for yards rushing in a season, playoffs included. Hurts threw for 221 yards.

“This is the ultimate team game. You can’t be great without the greatness of others. Great performance by everybody — offense, defense, special teams,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “We didn’t really ever care what anyone thought about how we won, or their opinions. All we want to do is win.”

Not in Kansas City’s worst nightmares could its fans have imagined such a lackluster performance. The Chiefs had won three of the previous five Super Bowls, losing 31-9 to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers four years ago.

Mahomes was 8-0 against Fangio’s defenses before the longtime coordinator and former Broncos head coach outcoached Andy Reid, capping his first season with his hometown team. Reid fell to 3-3 in Super Bowls, including a loss with the Eagles.&nbsp; The Eagles sacked Mahomes six times, the most of his career, including 2.5 by Sweat. And they did it without Fangio calling a single blitz.

“Defense wins championships,” Hurts said. “We saw how they played today. We saw the difference they made in the game. They gave us opportunities, gave us short fields. And we’re able to do what we do.”

The Chiefs were aiming to become the third team in NFL history to win three straight championships and the first to three-peat in the Super Bowl era.

Hurts nearly led the Eagles to victory against the Chiefs two years ago in Arizona, but Mahomes led a comeback and Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning field goal in the final minute for a 38-35 victory. Mahomes rallied Kansas City to an overtime victory over San Francisco last year for the Chiefs' second straight title.

“That’s a great football team and we had to come out and play our best, and we did,” Sirianni said.

This time, a revamped Philly defense featuring eight new starters from the 2022 team made sure Mahomes had no chance to pull off his magic.

“Today was a rough day all around. Nothing went right. I didn’t coach well. Proud of our guys for fighting. We will learn from this,” Reid said. “Too many turnovers, too many penalties. Against a good football team, can’t do that.”

Barkley helped push Hurts into the end zone from the 1 to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.&nbsp; Up 10-0 after Jake Elliott’s 48-yard field goal, Sweat and Jalyx Hunt sacked Mahomes on consecutive plays. 

Mahomes then rolled out and made an errant throw that was picked by DeJean, who returned it 38 yards for a 17-0 lead.&nbsp; It was Mahomes’ first pick six in 21 career playoff games and ended a streak of 297 straight passes without an interception.

“We didn’t start how we wanted to. The turnovers hurt. I take all the blame for that,” Mahomes said. “I didn’t play to my standard.”

All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun picked Mahomes again late in the second quarter, and Hurts connected with A.J. Brown on a 12-yard TD pass for a 24-0 lead.&nbsp; Hurts threw a perfect 46-yard TD pass to DeVonta Smith to make it 34-0 late in the third.

Mahomes fired a 24-yard TD pass to Xavier Worthy to avoid the shutout, but the 2-point conversion failed. He threw two late, mostly meaningless TD passes, one to DeAndre Hopkins and another to Worthy.

The Green Bay Packers are the only NFL team to win three championships in a row, doing it from 1929-31 and 1965-67.

Short of history, Chiefs fall to Eagles 40-22 in Super Bowl 59

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has ordered the Missouri State Capitol dome to shine red and gold beginning tonight in celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LIX appearance. The dome will shine red and gold from sunset to sunrise through Sunday, February 9. 

Governor and First Lady Kehoe will cheer on the Chiefs from Missouri on Sunday night as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, marking the Chiefs' third straight Super Bowl appearance.

"Missourians and fans across Chiefs Kingdom are once again celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs making it to the Super Bowl on this Red Friday," Governor Kehoe said in a news release. "We're proud to call the Kansas City Chiefs Missouri's team, and light our state's Capitol red and gold as the Chiefs seek a Super Bowl three-peat this Sunday." 

Governor Kehoe also announced a friendly bet with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro via social media.&nbsp; As part of the wager with Governor Shapiro, Governor Kehoe has bet Missouri-grown beef and an assortment of Kansas City favorites, including Gates Bar-B-Q Sauce, Scott's Kitchen BBQ Sauce and Rub, and Chase Candy Company Cherry Mash. 

"I'm predicting a 31-17 Chiefs Super Bowl victory," Governor Kehoe said. "I look forward to enjoying some Philly cheesesteaks from Governor Shapiro after the Chiefs bring home the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday."

Gov. Kehoe's Super Bowl bet with PA governor includes St. Joseph favorite

The Pro Football Hall of Fame committee announced on Thursday that former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen will be enshrined as part of the 2025 Hall of Fame class.&nbsp;

Allen is joined by tight end Antonio Gates, cornerback Eric Allen,&nbsp; and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe in the smallest class since 2005 which will take their rightful place in Canton, Ohio on August 2nd.&nbsp;

“My family and I are thrilled that Jared Allen has become the 20th player in Chiefs history inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a news release from the Chiefs. “From the time the Chiefs drafted Jared in 2004, we knew he was a special man with special talent."

"While wearing a Chiefs uniform, Jared was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team, he reached the first of his five Pro Bowls, he was named First Team All Pro, and he led the league in sacks for the first time. He left an indelible mark on Chiefs history, and the entire organization is excited to celebrate his induction in Canton later this year.”

Allen was selected by the Chiefs in the 2004 NFL draft with the 126th overall pick.&nbsp; He spent four seasons in Kansas City appearing in 61 regular season games.&nbsp; In that time, Allen&nbsp;recorded 230 tackles, 43 sacks, 39 quarterback hits, 26 passes defensed, 13 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries and one interception. Allen’s 43 sacks rank ninth in Chiefs history and his 26 passes defensed rank second among defensive lineman in Chiefs history, only trailing defensive tackle Chris Jones.

After being traded by the Chiefs to the Minnesota Vikings, where he spent six seasons, and spent one season with the Chicago Bears.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the 2015 season, he played in four games with the Bears before eventually joining the Carolina Panthers for the final 12 games of the season.&nbsp; Allen retired following the 2015 season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Throughout the entirety of his career, Allen appeared in 187 regular season contests and recorded 647 tackles, 136 sacks, 58 passes defensed, 31 forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries, six interceptions and one defensive touchdown. In the postseason, he appeared in seven games totaling 23 total tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defensed.

The Los Gatos, California, native attended Idaho State where he played football from 2000-03. While at Idaho State, the two-time All-American and three-time All-Big Sky honoree became the first-ever Buck Buchanan Award Winner in the Big Sky Conference in 2003. He tallied 102 tackles, 17.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and nine passes defensed.

Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, all in their first year of eligibility, were not selected.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Former Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen inducted into NFL Hall of Fame

The portal to nominate people for the 2025 St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame class is now open.  

St. Joseph Sports Commission Director Brett Esely says while the portal is actually always open, now is the critical time to get those names in for consideration. 

Esely says it's pretty simple to nominate someone for the hall of fame 

"Obviously we want to know who the nominee is, we want to know if they're living or deceased, we need contact information to get ahold of them because if they are selected, we obviously want to contact them before they hear it in a news release," Esely tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "But then the most important thing is people ask, what all supporting information do you need? Well, I would answer that question very simply, give us more than you think we need." 

To be eligible the nominee must meet at least one of the criteria: Be born in Buchanan County, made their sports career or accomplished their feat in Buchanan County, or be currently making their career in Buchanan County. 

Esely says if you've previously nominated someone who has not been chosen, information on the nominee can also be updated 

"All information submitted is relevant, there's no doubt about it," Esely explains.  "And I think it's important to note, sometimes people submit a nomination, they aren't selected right away, and people just assume well that person is never getting in or why doesn't this person again, well it's an active nomination for five years." 

Esely says it's important to nominate worthy people and build the nomination database, because that's how the hall of fame continues to grow 

"We have a lot of people who sit around our steering committee table that are very knowledgeable about sports from all areas of St. Joseph, but realistically there are a number of student athletes, coaches, contributors, or high-level feats that we know nothing about," Esely says.  "And that's the beautiful thing about this process is it gives others the opportunity to submit and say this person's worthy." 

Nominations must be received by April 4th.  The class will be announced in late May, a ceremony will be held on August 24th at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center. 

Nomination window open for 2025 St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame class

The Kansas City Royals made a move to bolster the back end of their bullpen, signing All Star closer&nbsp;Carlos Estévez to a two year deal.&nbsp;

The deal, originally reported on Thursday, was made official by the Royals on Friday.&nbsp; It will be worth $10.1 million the next two seasons, sources told MLB.com, and the club option is worth $13 million or a $2 million buyout if the Royals decline to pick it up.

In a corresponding 40-man roster move, the Royals designated infielder Braden Shewmake, whom they claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox in January, for assignment.

Estévez is coming off arguably his best season yet, posting a career-best 2.45 ERA across 54 appearances between the Angels and Phillies. The right-hander had a 2.38 ERA and 20 saves for the Angels before being sent to the Phillies ahead of the Trade Deadline as one of the premier relievers on the market.

The Royals had trade discussions centering on Estévez at the Deadline, but they instead acquired Lucas Erceg, who is under team control for five more years and posted a 2.88 ERA with Kansas City down the stretch, from the A's as their closer.

Now Kansas City will have both Erceg and Estévez at the back-end of their bullpen, with both likely to get save opportunities, the pair providing a dynamic threat in the eighth and ninth innings.

Estévez has been one of the more reliable closers in the Majors over the past couple seasons. He averaged a career-best 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023 en route to earning his first All-Star selection. And while his strikeout numbers dipped in '24, he also cut his walk rate by more than half while recording a career-best 0.91 WHIP.

The Royals felt good about their bullpen at the end of 2024, thanks in large part to Erceg bursting onto the scene and solid performances from Sam Long, Kris Bubic, Angel Zerpa and John Schreiber.

But Kansas City has been keeping an eye on the reliever market throughout the offseason, wanting to see if the club could add another weapon. The Royals are also bullish on a healthy return for Hunter Harvey, another late-inning reliever they acquired just before the Deadline last year.

Harvey only threw 5 2/3 innings for the Royals before missing the rest of the season with a back injury. But in 2022-23, the right-hander posted a 2.70 ERA over 100 innings. If he’s able to return to that form, the Royals are looking at a solid trio to help close out games.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;