January is Human Trafficking Awareness month. 

Law enforcement has worked to combat the nationwide problem of human trafficking.  And while it's a problem nationwide, being a transportation hub there are a large number of cases in Missouri. 

St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says we have not been immune to the problem, and the training to combat it for officers is critical

"What to look for, what laws apply when you do run across it, what resources are available for victims, and so the more information, the more training you can get the officers and even the community of what to look for is a really good thing to combat this issue," Luster tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. 

Luster says many times these investigations will lead to things that happened online, so things quickly become a computer forensic type of investigation

"Where you're trying to get data extracted from a cell phone or computer, and so you can see just from me saying that how that could really start to tax a local agency," Luster explains.  "We're lucky here in St. Joseph we have an Electronic Crimes Unit, we have a cell phone examiner and a computer examiner, but there's a lot of smaller agencies in Missouri that don't have that."

Luster says training officers, as well as the community, on what to look for is also key in helping combat human trafficking

Some of the warning signs of potential trafficking situation include signs of physical abuse, branding tattoos, wearing clothing inappropriate for the weather or location, not being in possession of their money or identification, body language indicating discomfort, lack of eye contact with anyone except their trafficker, or not being allowed to speak for themself.

Luster says while there are resources to help law enforcement agencies combat human trafficking, it can also become a very complex investigation.

"It can get very large, it can start crossing jurisdictional boundaries, city limits, county lines, state lines, even sometimes outside of the country, so you can see how if we opened an investigation in St. Joseph and we started getting something that big, that could really tax our resources," Luster says.

According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there were 249 human trafficking cases identified in Missouri in 2023, involving 356 victims.

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

Law enforcment continues work to combat human trafficking

Trump administration has announced additional nominees for key positions within the United States Department of Agriculture. The selected individuals bring a wealth of experience and leadership in agriculture, business, and government. Richard Fordyce has been nominated as the USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. Fordyce previously served as the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency during Trump’s first term. And is the former Missouri State Director of Agriculture. Fordyce and his wife run a farm in North Missouri that produces soybeans, corn, and cattle.

Other nominees include: Luke Lindberg for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Dudley Hoskins for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, and Michael Boren nominated for Natural Resources and Environment. All nominees will work alongside Secretary of Agriculture nominee Brooke Rollins, whose Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for next Thursday. These appointments aim to strengthen the USDA’s ability to support farmers, ranchers, and agricultural industries across the country.

Missouri native tabbed by Trump administration for USDA role

Farm Action reacted to the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against John Deere over the right to repair. The Commission alleges John Deere is illegally driving up costs by forcing farmers to repair their equipment at authorized dealers. Farm Action’s Chief Strategy Officer Joe Maxwell says they applaud the FTC for taking this bold action to bring justice to farmers who have been stripped of the right to repair their own equipment. “That robs them of time and money as a result,” Maxwell says. “By withholding software information to diagnose and repair equipment, manufacturers are forcing farmers to often face long wait times and sometimes drive hundreds of miles to find an authorized dealer.”

FTC right to repair lawsuit against Deere & Co.

In 2023, roughly 86 percent of all farms were small family farms. A USDA report says these farms have a gross cash income below $350,000 and operate on 41 percent of all U.S. agricultural land. The family farms produced 17 percent of the total value of U.S. agricultural production. Large-scale family farms, those with gross cash income above $1 million, represented four percent of farms and accounted for 31 percent of agricultural land and 48 percent of the total value of agricultural production in 2023. 

Mid-sized family farms, with income between $350,000 and $999,999, represented six percent of farms and accounted for 18 percent of agricultural land and 18 percent of the total value in agricultural production. In total, family farms accounted for about 96 percent of total farms, 90 percent of agricultural land, and 83 percent of the total production value in 2023. The remaining four percent are corporate owned, non-family farms.

U.S. agriculture dominated by family farms

The latest report on foreign ownership of U.S. agriculture land shows that nearly 46 million acres of U.S. farmland were held by foreign investors in 2023. That represents 3.6 percent of total privately-held agricultural land. This marks a 1.58-million-acre, or nearly 4 percent increase from 2022 and a 12 percent rise since the American Farm Bureau’s last analysis in 2021. 

Foreign ownership of U.S. agriculture land increases

Researchers have been updating the map of known soybean cyst nematode distribution regularly since 2000, and with each update, the threat spreads. The latest update, spearheaded by Greg Tylka, a nematologist from Iowa State University, reveals 31 counties in ten states reporting SCN for the first time between 2020 and 2023. In Canada, ten rural municipalities in Quebec and three counties across Manitoba and Ontario reported SCN for the first time during that three-year span. 

SCN continuing spread renews focus on threat

According to new data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, sales of agricultural tractors and combines fell in the United States during the month of December when compared to a year ago. U.S. sales of agricultural tractors fell more than 11 percent, while combine sales fell by 26 percent year over year. AEM Senior Vice President, Curt Blades says, “December’s sales of ag tractors and combines follow patterns we saw throughout 2024, which reflects softness in the market,” and  “While the year has been marked by high interest rates and uncertainty throughout the overall ag economy, AEM is looking forward to the potential in 2025 and will continue to advocate for policies focused on positively impacting the industry.” 

Canada’s sales of ag tractors dropped just over 3 percent, while combines fell by more than 37 percent in December when compared to the previous year. The biggest December drop was in 100-plus horsepower tractors, down 27 percent from 2023.

2024 tractor and combine sales close year in a slump

The government released short-term guidance on accessing clean fuel tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. However, the announcement fell short of finalizing the program’s details. Reports say biofuel groups were hoping for more clarity on the tax credits for fuels that help combat climate change. The groups are hopeful that more complete guidance will provide a pathway for corn-based ethanol to expand its market as a sustainable aviation fuel feedstock. 

Treasury department releases partial 45Z guidance

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/camikoons/">CAMI KOONS</a>&nbsp;-

The U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized a third regulatory reform under the Packers and Stockyards Act, with the latest regulation giving greater stability and fairness to chicken farmers working for major meat companies, according to an announcement Tuesday.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press conference Monday the regulation came from “the ground up” and reflects changes that poultry farmers across the country have said they needed.

“This rule basically addresses many of the concerns that we’ve heard from rank and file producers who just simply want a fair shake,” Vilsack said. “They don’t want the field necessarily tilted in their direction, they just don’t want to have to work uphill.”

The regulation limits some of the variability within the poultry tournament system, a system where growers are ranked against one another to determine pay. The new rule stops companies from deducting from a grower’s baseline pay because of their placement in the tournament system.

The rule sets that no more than 25% of a grower’s total compensation can be based on the tournament system and requires greater stability, and information, on the inputs producers receive.

The rule, according to Vilsack, will also provide producers with “key information” on the nature and extent of capital investments that a company would require a contract grower to make in order to extend a contract.

“This is a strong rule and a good rule, and it’s a rule that bubbled up from the ground up, not the top down, and I think those kinds of rules, ultimately, are successful and the ones that are preserved,” Vilsack said.

USDA has made two other rules to strengthen fairness and transparency under of the Packers and Stockyards Act during the Biden administration, including another poultry-oriented rule&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2023/11/08/usda-announces-progress-further-competition-agriculture-level-playing-field-farmers" target="_blank">finalized in 2023</a>&nbsp;that mandated large processing companies give “critical information” to their poultry growers related to earnings, flock placement and protocol for sickness or natural disaster.

The other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2024/03/05/usda-announces-next-major-step-promoting-competition-agriculture-and-advancing-economic-opportunity#:~:text=The%20final%20rule%20Inclusive%20Competition,retaliation%20and%20deception%20in%20contracting." target="_blank">rule prohibited discrimination and banned companies from retaliating</a>&nbsp;against farmers who communicate with government agencies or join grower associations.

Vilsack said USDA has also strengthened partnerships with state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice to better enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act.

“We try to be responsive to the field, to the ordinary folks out there working hard every day, trying to make a living and trying to take care of their family, trying to make sure their their operation remains profitable in a tough time, and that they’re in a position to be able to turn it on to the next generation in better shape than they found it,” Vilsack said, reflecting on the work of USDA during the Biden administration.

USDA additionally announced Tuesday the withdrawal of a fourth rule, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/06/28/2024-14042/fair-and-competitive-livestock-and-poultry-markets" target="_blank">Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets</a>, which it had proposed in June 2024 and would have defined general practices that were either unfair or in violation of the Packers and Stockyards Act.

Vilsack said the department chose to withdraw the rule, rather than leave it to be finalized by the incoming administration, because it was a very complex rule that could have been “fundamentally” changed by a couple of tweaks.

“If there is an intent to do that,” Vilsack said, “then it seems like it ought to start from the beginning of the process, not at the end of the process.”

This story was originally published by the&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/briefs/usda-finalizes-packers-and-stockyards-reform-to-help-chicken-farmers/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

USDA finalizes packers and stockyards reform to help chicken farmers

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency is reminding producers, including dairy producers impacted by H5N1, that the deadline to apply for assistance through the ELAP Program is January 30. 

The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program funds are for losses due to specific adverse conditions that occurred in 2024. 

“The ELAP program provides an important financial safety net, helping our producers rebound from weather and disease impacts that are out of their control and not part of their operation’s ordinary risk profile,” says Zach Ducheneaux, FSA administrator. “These events threaten producers’ economic viability, so it’s important that USDA provide support.”

 ELAP provides relief to eligible producers to assist with losses that aren’t covered by other FSA disaster programs. Producers wanting to apply for ELAP assistance for calendar year 2024 should contact the FSA at their nearest USDA Service Center by January 30. 

To find a Service Center, visit farmers.gov.

Disaster assistance application deadline approaching

The USDA will begin rebuilding its bird flu vaccine stockpile to make it match the current strain of the virus running through commercial flocks and wild birds. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the outbreak started in 2022 and has killed over 130 million birds, affecting commercial, backyard, and wild birds in all 50 states.

 In a press release, USDA says the U.S. had built poultry vaccine stocks after the last major outbreak in 2014-2015. Bird flu is also affecting U.S. dairy cattle herds and infected almost 70 people. Most of the exposed humans are farm workers who’ve been directly exposed to sick cattle or poultry. 

Egg and turkey farm groups have been calling for a vaccine, citing the severe economic toll it has taken on farmers after wiping out their flocks. In December, USDA reported infected dairy herds in California and Texas.

U.S. to rebuild bird flu vaccine stockpile

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —A school bus driver and students avoided injury after an accident that occurred just after 7a.m. Friday in Leavenworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Freightliner school bus for the USD 453 Leavenworth School District and driven by 80-year-old William Bay of Leavenworth was southbound on 20th Street and turning westbound onto Choctaw Street.

The bus rear-ended a legally parked Leavenworth Police Department 2023 Dodge Charger conducting a traffic stop. Bay and the twenty students on board the bus were not injured.&nbsp; The KHP released no additional details.&nbsp; 

Kan. school bus rear-ended police vehicle on traffic stop

Missouri Chamber
of Commerce officials say Missouri must become more competitive to expand its
manufacturing industry.

Chair of the state
chamber, Stet Schanze, president of Gray Manufacturing in St. Joseph, says while manufacturing
makes up 30% of the local workforce, it is only 10% of the state workforce. 

“In my mind, it is
absolutely the cornerstone of a healthy economy is the manufacturing that you
have in the city, the region, or the state that you’re talking about,” Schanze
tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And as a state, we’ve just got to do better.”

The Missouri
Chamber Foundation says research by Economic Leadership LLC ranks Missouri 28th
in overall manufacturing competitiveness. The neighboring states of Nebraska,
Kentucky, and Tennessee rank in the top 15. Kansas ranks close to Missouri.

Schanze says the
COVID-19 pandemic exposed a flaw in the strategy of United States manufacturers.
Many had their supply chains disrupted, because they had moved them overseas.
Schanze says Gray Manufacturing kept its suppliers close and took market share,
because production in St. Joseph could continue.

Schanze says a
changing geo-political climate should encourage the country to consider ways to
bolster the manufacturing sector.

“We’re basically
in a hot economic war with China right now,” according to Schanze. “I think it
makes a lot of sense to get supply chains back. So, thus, we’re going through
this time, and I think it’s a good time to bring manufacturing back to the United
States, and in that environment, I think Missouri has to make itself more
competitive.”

First, the state
needs to expand the workforce, in particular skilled workers, such as welders,
so in demand by manufacturers. Incentives and technical assistance need to be
provided to increase capital investment. The state, according to the Chamber, should
invest in the infrastructure needed by modern factories, such as transportation,
energy, and broadband. Other recommendations made by the Chamber include
supporting the recruitment of new manufacturers and expansion of existing
operations, increasing exports, strengthening the state legal climate, and
address public safety.

Schanze says the
state needs to consider its current ranking unacceptable.

“I just think the
state’s got to do a much better job,” Schanze says. “We shouldn’t be happy with
28th. That’s not even in the top 50% there and particularly with the
threat of those close by states that are always nipping at us and in many cases
right now ranking higher than us. We’ve just got to improve there.”

Manufacturing
contributes $50 billion a year to the Missouri gross domestic product,
employing 287,000 workers.

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

Missouri Chamber says state must improve its manufacturing competitiveness

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">SUZANNE KING</a>&nbsp;

If your mail-order prescription landed in a pile of snow on your doorstep last week, you may want to proceed with caution.

Pharmacists warn that extreme temperatures — cold or hot — can change the chemical makeup of medicine, often making it less effective. But medicine coming through the mail in overheated UPS trucks or ending up in frozen mailboxes has little in the way of temperature control — and not much regulatory oversight.

A revised prescription delivery rule in Missouri, which took effect Dec. 30, aims to address that.

The new&nbsp;<a href="https://pr.mo.gov/boards/pharmacy/20131224.pdf" target="_blank">Missouri Board of Pharmacy rule</a>&nbsp;gives pharmacies licensed in the state a list of requirements to follow when mailing prescriptions to patients, a practice that became more common during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, just over 4% of the country’s prescriptions were delivered by mail, according to the health care research company IQVIA. The number has declined from around 5% at the height of the pandemic.

But factors like more independent drug stores and chain pharmacies&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/09/23/communities-lose-health-care-with-pharmacies-closing-in-kansas-and-missouri/" target="_blank">closing&nbsp;</a>and online giant Amazon&nbsp;<a href="https://drugstorenews.com/amazon-pharmacy-bringing-same-day-medication-delivery-20-more-cities" target="_blank">moving</a>&nbsp;deeper into the business could drive growth in mailed prescriptions.

Missouri’s rule change is a major expansion of state regulations related to pharmacy delivery. For starters, the old rule didn’t mention mail — only delivery.

Under the new rule, pharmacies must attempt to contact the patient before shipping medication. The package they send also has to include information about how to contact state regulators, how to detect if medicine has been compromised in transit and what to do if it has.

In addition, Missouri’s new rule states that pharmacies must have “policies and procedures” for mailing medicine, including using “proper packaging containers and materials to maintain physical integrity and stability of package contents.”

Kansas does not have regulations specifically related to mailed prescriptions.

Kimberly Grinston, executive director of the Missouri Board of Pharmacy, said the change is a response to public feedback and part of the board’s routine review of rules.

“The rule overall adds new requirements and new safeguards for pharmacies that are mailing medications,” she said.

‘Anybody’s best guess’ if medicine is safe

But critics said it doesn’t go far enough to protect medications from extreme transit temperatures.

“These policies and procedures should already be in place,” said Loretta Boesing, a Missouri mom who founded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uniteforsafemedications.org/" target="_blank">Unite for Safe Medications</a>&nbsp;after her son nearly rejected a transplanted liver when his mail-order medication arrived damaged from extreme heat.

“The problem is it’s not being demanded of them,” she said. “I guarantee you there are still patients here in Missouri, where we’re having temperatures below freezing, (whose) medications are still going to be shipped mostly in bags.”

Boesing said regulators should require pharmacies to be sure medications stay within safe temperature ranges by doing things like shipping them with temperature sensors that could indicate if a delivery has endured extreme temperatures.

“Right now, it’s anybody’s best guess if their medications are safe,” she said.

Lori Croy, a spokesperson for the Missouri Board of Pharmacy, said in an email that the board has not made a decision about temperature sensors. Their use, she said, is being considered by United States Pharmacopeia (USP), the national organization that establishes standards for drug handling, and “the board will continue to monitor circumstances and USP recommendations/guidance to protect Missouri patients.”

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates many aspects of medications, states deal with pharmacies. The “last mile” when a medication is shipped by mail or commercial carrier directly to a consumer has had little oversight.

Regulations generally lay out temperatures required for storing drugs, but not necessarily for shipping them.

Medications that must be refrigerated have the same temperature requirements during shipping. But drugs that can be stored at room temperature have no stipulations about shipping temperatures, said Paul Abato, a pharmaceutical expert witness.

That means a prescription that should be stored at room temperature could be exposed to temperatures well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit going through the mail on summer days in Missouri.

“All bets are off when drugs that are meant to be stored at room temperature get shipped,” Abato said.

Experts agree that heat or cold can compromise the efficacy of medication.

“If you have a drug that’s exposed to temperature extremes whether hot or cold, there’s a chance the drug could not be as potent,” said Kendall Guthrie, a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy. “That could mean the drug may not be as effective.”

Patients can’t always tell that a medicine has been affected just by looking at it. They might think they’re taking the dose their doctor prescribed, but actually extreme temperature exposure has made the pill they got in the mail much less powerful, Guthrie said.

Boesing, who lives in Park Hills in the eastern part of the state, had a sense that her son’s medication was too warm when it arrived in the mail a few years ago. He needs it every 12 hours to prevent his body from rejecting a donated liver.

After she gave her now 14-year-old the medicine, it didn’t take long for his body to begin rejecting the liver. Luckily, the worst didn’t happen and her son is fine, but Boesing believes the close call wouldn’t have happened at all if her son’s medication had been protected from the heat. Or if her family’s insurance hadn’t forced her to get the drug by mail in the first place.

That’s why she dedicates so much of her time to advocating for safeguards.

“People are getting hurt because the regulators fail to enact policies and rules that have teeth,” Boesing said.

Medicine coming by mail should be protected, she said. And people should always have the choice not to get medicine by mail.

Guthrie, who also serves as president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.morx.com/" target="_blank">Missouri Pharmacy Association</a>, agreed. She said the Board of Pharmacy’s rule changes are a good step toward mail-order drug safety. But the more important change, she said, needs to come from lawmakers.

Legislation introduced in Jefferson City and backed by the pharmacy association would stop pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the middlemen who administer pharmacy insurance benefits, from forcing patients to use mail-order pharmacies in the first place.

<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/09/25/an-overland-park-pharmacist-avoids-pbms-and-cuts-costs/" target="_blank">PBMs</a>, which also own mail-order pharmacies, do this by giving patients a better deal through mail order or by refusing to cover medicine dispensed by another pharmacy.

That leaves many patients with no choice but getting their drugs through the mail, whether or not it’s a medication that can withstand the resulting uncertainty.

“I think mail is a really good option for some patients,” Guthrie said. “But I think there’s also a really big percentage of patients who want to use a community pharmacy.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/01/15/new-missouri-mail-order-pharmacy-rule-aims-to-protect-patients/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Missouri</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

New Missouri rule tries to protect mail-order medications from extreme cold and heatUntitled

&nbsp;In a&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14235QQQ9458859QQQ8237397QQQ8115301&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fyoutu.be%2fAxomQVQkLOM&amp;redir_log=503280802604190" target="_blank">hearing</a>&nbsp;on Thursday with Office of Management and Budget nominee Russ Vought, Senator Josh Hawley asked a series of questions ranging from disentangling the United States from the Chinese Communist Party to championing pro-life regulations, according to a statement from the Senator's office.

Senator Hawley explained how consulting firms like&nbsp;McKinsey &amp; Company receive multi-million-dollar contracts with the U.S. military while also doing business with some of our most lethal opponents.&nbsp;

“My view is that if they want to do business with China, I don’t recommend it, but I suppose it’s fine so long as it’s not illegal,”&nbsp;Senator Hawley said.&nbsp;“But I don’t think they should simultaneously be getting hundreds of millions, approaching a billion dollars, in federal contracts–military contracts–from our own government.”&nbsp;

Senator Hawley has a&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14235QQQ9458859QQQ8237397QQQ8115301&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fhawley-blasts-mckinseys-ties-to-china-rebukes-witness-for-equating-consulting-firms-with-soybean-farmers%2f&amp;redir_log=942608336509953" target="_blank">record</a>&nbsp;of raising concerns about McKinsey’s conflicts of interests that endanger American security. Last year, he introduced the&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&amp;cid=SenHawley&amp;crop=14235QQQ9458859QQQ8237397QQQ8115301&amp;report_id=&amp;redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.hawley.senate.gov%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2024%2f09%2fHawley-Time-to-Choose-Act.pdf&amp;redir_log=154658648464577" target="_blank">Time to Choose Act</a>, which would restrict firms like McKinsey from receiving government contracts while, at the same time, advising U.S. adversaries like China. Additionally, it would prohibit federal agencies from contracting with consulting firms that hold a contract with certain foreign entities including the CCP.

Senator Hawley also outlined the regulatory authority Vought would have including the ability to enforce the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortions.He questioned Vought as to whether family planning funds under Title X should be used for abortion, whether pregnancy resource centers should be eligible to receive funds through federal grants, and whether he would support the reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy which blocks foreign&nbsp;aid from being spent on abortions overseas.&nbsp;&nbsp;Senator Hawley has long been a champion for the sanctity of life.&nbsp;This week, he introduced the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-introduces-bill-defunding-planned-parenthood/">End Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Providers Act</a>&nbsp;which would&nbsp;defund Planned Parenthood and abortion providers across the nation.

🎥Missouri U.S. Senator questions Trump OMB nominee 

A 27-year-old Savannah man has been taken into
custody after shooting and hitting another vehicle Wednesday morning on I-29
near St. Joseph.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports Amouir
Standiford has been charged with one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon.
Standiford is being held in the Buchanan County jail on $10,000 bond.

The patrol reports a vehicle was damaged but no one
was hurt.

The patrol says the St. Joseph Police Department
alerted it to reports that shots had been fired on northbound I-29 near mile
marker 49 around eight o’clock Wednesday morning.

Troopers took Standiford into custody. The
investigation continues.

This article has been updated since first published.

UPDATE:  MSHP releases identity in I-29 road rage shooting

An important step has been cleared in the redesign of the I-229 double decker bridge in downtown St. Joseph.  

Missouri Department of Transportation District Design Engineer Shannon Kusilek says the findings by the federal highway commission that the proposed realignment would have of no significant environmental impact is a big step. 

"Moving forward now that means we can use that alignment, and we can start looking to work on a project to replace the existing bridge, as per the preferred alternate, and move forward with that," Kusilek tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  

Kusilek says the next step will be to get the project designated as a design-build project with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. 

"There's some things we have to do like risk analysis assessment and determine some of the things we need to look at, and identify a team to lead the project, it will be a project director and a few other staff members to lead the project," Kusilek explains. "And then, once we get that approved as a design-build project, then the first item of business would probably be to start working on getting design-build teams together and ideally then de-designating I-229 as an interstate." 

Kusilek says there is still funding needed for the project, and there is no set timeline at this time 

"I think in the next five years it's quite possible this is going to move forward with construction, probably sometime maybe in that five-year time frame," Kusilek says.  "The whole process for the design-build, to get that team going does take a couple years for that process, and then they'll have to start with their proposals and then actually start the construction, I'd say five years is quite possible and maybe sometime within the next five years." 

The alternative plan for I-229 is to move the road to four lanes rather than the current double decker bridge. It would also lose its interstate designation and become a federal highway. 

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

I-229 reconfiguration takes big step forward

Missouri Western State University
President Elizabeth Kennedy says the university based in St. Joseph has
undergone a significant transformation over the last five years.

“To really take a focus on that important
intersection between what students’ interests are, what they want to pursue,
and what our region, our community, our state needs in terms of workforce,”
Kennedy tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.

Kennedy, who taught in the classroom and
recruited for 17 years, says students once told her they attended college to
learn.

“If you go up to prospective students of
any age, right, and/or their families and you ask the same question, ‘Why do
you want to go to college?’ the answer that you get back is something to the
effect of I want to see what I can earn? How much money am I going to make?”

Kennedy says though the change in the
answer has changed the core values of Missouri Western have not.

“But what we’ve done is to shift our
value proposition to demonstrate here’s the tangible outcome,” Kennedy says.

Kennedy says the university has had to
adjust to changes in student attitudes and suggests higher education embrace
the change.

“Higher education is not a static
entity,” according to Kennedy. “If it’s not dynamic, if it’s not reflective of
what societal needs are, then what’s the purpose of it?”

Kennedy says the university now must
assure students a degree has tangible benefits and assure the greater St.
Joseph area that Missouri Western students will contribute to the regional
economy.

“When I talk about making sure that the
university is lined up with what students and their families and the school
districts and our community and our business and industry are looking for to
advance that’s what’s going to keep us relevant.”

Kennedy says this is just the latest in
the ongoing debate about the proper role of higher education.

MWSU shifts to meet changing student expectations

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 8a.m. Wednesday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Chevy 2500 driven by a 38-year-old Plattsburg man and a 2017 Dodge Durango driven by a 33-year-old Cameron woman were eastbound on MO 116 at Vandeau Road two miles east of Plattsburg.

The SUV stopped to wait for a vehicle to turn northbound.&nbsp; The Chevy cleared a hill crest and struck the Dodge. Tri-County EMS transported the SUV driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center. The pickup driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Mo. woman injured after pickup, SUV crash

The United Way of Greater St. Joseph is asking for volunteers to help get into St. Joseph elementary schools to read with children.  

United Way Reading Adventure, a program launched in 2011, works to help students maintain and improve their reading skills.  

Director of Community Investment Jodi Flurry says the program began as a summer reading program but has grown in recent years.  

"Probably about 2013 we expanded into reading with school age children in the schools during the school year, so that's what we're here to recruit volunteers for right now, is we need volunteers to read with children in the elementary schools here in the St. Joseph School District," Flurry tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. 

Flurry says after serving five St. Joseph schools in the fall, starting on the 27th volunteers will go into nine elementary schools.  

"This is our first time we've ever been able to reach all of the St. Joseph School District elementaries with United Way Reading Adventure, so that means we need a lot of volunteers," Flurry says. 

Volunteers will help students read at Coleman, Ellison, Gene Field, Hyde, Lindbergh, Oak Grove, Parkway, Pickett and Skaith elementary schools.  

Flurry says this program is an easy way to start if you've never volunteered before or are looking for a volunteer opportunity with a short time commitment.  

"Most reading sessions last an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, that's total, the entire amount of time that you are on site at a school, so it's a short time commitment," Flurry explains.  "And you volunteer for the sessions that work for you, so maybe you want to read at Lindbergh Elementary School, but one of the days you have a doctor's appointment, that's fine, you just don't register for that session it's based on the availability of the volunteer." 

To volunteer to read you can contact Flurry at the United Way offices or register online.  Books can also be donated to be given to students through the program. 

The program will begin on January 27th with the Oak Grove first grade class. 

St. Joseph reading program expands to all elementary schools; needs volunteers

St. Joseph is
wrapping up several capital improvement projects spurred by federal COVID-19
recovery funds.

Fourth District
Councilmember Michael Grimm says the council intends for the improvements to
make an impact, such as improvements soon to come to Krug Park.

Grimm says the
park in north St. Joseph will be undergoing a transformation.

“The castle will
be redone. The inside will be set up so that if vendors want to use that for
say a wedding or a picnic of some sort, (for) a company, it’ll be set up so they’ll
have refrigeration and they’ll have heating and cooling,” according to Grimm.

St. Joseph is
spending a total of $10 ½ million on the renovations at Krug Park. Some of the
money comes from the federal funds, some from capital improvement money, and
some from the parks sales tax.

St. Joseph has
received a total of $39 million in federal COVID-19 money. The previous city
council distributed $18 million to non-profits and charities. The current city
council took a different take and decided to spend the money on capital
improvements.

Grimm believes
residents appreciated the new focus.

“I think the
people of the city realize that we’ve got a lot of problems and we can help
rectify some of that, whether it be Civic Arena or whether it be City Hall. We’re
spending a lot of money at City Hall.”

Money spent on
upgrading City Hall comes just before it celebrates its 100th
anniversary in 2027.

New focus spends federal funds on St. Joseph capital improvement projects

The Kansas City Royals officially reunited with pitcher Michael Lorenzen on a one year deal Wednesday.&nbsp;

According to a source the deal is worth a guaranteed $7 million with a mutual contract option for 2026. Lorenzen will make $5.5 million this season as part of the Royals’ pitching staff, and the mutual option is worth $12 million with a $1.5 million buyout if the club declines. There are also performance incentives in the deal.

After being aggressive early in the offseason, checking off two major priorities in resigning starting pitcher Michael Wacha and trading for leadoff hitter Jonathan India, the Royals went quiet waiting to see how the free agent market developed.&nbsp;

But all along, a reunion with Lorenzen, whose 33 years old, made the most sense for Kansas City.&nbsp; General Manager JJ Piccollo along with manager Matt Quatraro had voiced the need of a veteran pitcher who could fill a variety of roles, ranging from starting in the rotation, to the bullpen, as well as acting as a multi inning reliever.&nbsp;

There was no better player left in the market than Lorenzen, something the Royals should know, after dealing for him at last years trade deadline to fill that very same role.&nbsp;

After being acquired from the Rangers for reliever Walter Pennington, Lorenzen posted a 1.57 ERA in 28 2/3 innings. He missed time with a left hamstring strain but otherwise impressed in a small sample size. In total with the Rangers and Royals in ’24, Lorenzen threw 130 1/3 innings with a 3.31 ERA.

Those innings should help the Royals cover some of the 179 2/3 innings lost in the rotation when they traded Brady Singer to the Reds for India. The Royals think highly of their young pitching contingent to help in the rotation, but adding a veteran arm like Lorenzen will help with depth and innings.

Kris Bubic returned to the mound as a reliever last year after Tommy John surgery, likely limiting his innings in his first year back as a starter. The same, to a greater extent, goes for Kyle Wright, who did not pitch at all in 2024 after shoulder surgery.&nbsp; Kansas City also has Alec Marsh and Daniel Lynch IV returning as competition for a rotation spot.

Lorenzen also brings value in the bullpen. Since debuting as a two-way player in 2015 with the Reds, Lorenzen performed mostly as a swingman until 2022, when he signed with the Angels as a full-time starter. Since ’22, Lorenzen has a 3.90 ERA, with a 1.24 WHIP in 381 innings, mostly as a starter.

With just over a month to go until Spring Training begins, adding Lorenzen helps the Royals shore up their pitching staff. They’re also still looking to add a middle-of-the-order bat that can inject some power into their lineup as they seek ways to improve the roster heading into 2025.

Royals bring back pitcher Michael Lorenzen on one year deal

 Rookie Bo Nix set a franchise record by completing his first 18 passes and the Denver Broncos ended an eight-year playoff drought Sunday with a 38-0 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs' bevy of backups.

The Broncos snapped a two-game skid and buried nearly a decade’s worth of futility and frustrations by returing to the postseason party for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

They'll visit Buffalo in the wild-card round next weekend after handing the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs their first shutout since Dec. 16, 2012, at Oakland.

Having already secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed and sole first-round bye in their quest for an unprecedented three-peat, Chiefs coach Andy Reid sat Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and a host of other starters.

Carson Wentz got the start at quarterback and fizzled in his first extended action since Week 18 with the Rams last season. He was 10 of 17 for 98 yards and was sacked four times by the league's best pass rush (62 sacks).

Nix threw for four touchdowns, giving him 29 for the season, second-most by a rookie in NFL history, behind only Justin Herbert's 31 in 2020.

He finished 26 of 29 for 321 yards, and his 18 consecutive completions also were the most ever by a Broncos QB. Nix hit Marvin Mims twice, Courtland Sutton (five times for 98 yards) and Devaughn Vele for scores.

Vele's TD was intended for Adam Trautman but ricocheted off cornerbacks Nazeeh Johnson (twice) and Keith Taylor before Vele cradled the catch just before tumbling out of the back of the end zone, giving Nix 17 consecutive completions at that point and extending Denver's lead to 21-0.

That wild conclusion capped an 18-play, 89-yard drive that lasted more than 11 minutes, keeping Wentz cooling his cleats on the sideline next to Mahomes, who was decked out in a white hoodie.

After Harrison Butker was wide left on a 51-yard field goal — his first miss in 18 tries at Empower Field at Mile High — Wil Lutz gave Denver a 24-0 halftime lead by nailing a 33-yarder with 3 seconds left.

The Broncos made it 31-0 on Mims' second TD catch late in the third quarter and Audric Estime punched it in from the 1 in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs won't play again until Jan. 18 or 19, meaning Mahomes, who last played on Christmas Day, and other stars who sat this one out will have at least 24 days between games.

The Broncos are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season. That’s the longest playoff drought for a team after raising the Lombardi Trophy.

The Broncos' clincher came 3,255 days after Von Miller led them to a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Feb. 7, 2016, and their reward as the AFC's seventh and final seed is a trip to Buffalo next weekend to face Miller in the first round of the playoffs.

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