Savannah will not be getting a new aquatics facility after all.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Instead, after several discussions with professionals, the Andrew County Aquatics Initiative has decided to keep and renovate the current pool facility in Savannah.&nbsp;&nbsp;

President Diane Gould says after reviewing the pool with the professionals, it showed the&nbsp;facility&nbsp;was in&nbsp;good shape, but needed some work&nbsp;

“They came to the conclusion that we could have a really nice facility that, to anyone who didn’t know, will appear to be and will function like&nbsp;a&nbsp;brand-new&nbsp;facility for under $1 million,” Gould tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post&nbsp;

Gould says a new facility, that was&nbsp;essentially the&nbsp;same as what already existed in Savannah, would have cost around&nbsp;$6 million&nbsp;to build.&nbsp;

The fundraising goal for the project is still short by around&nbsp;$165,000.&nbsp; A trivia night will be held on March 21st, which is also when the Andrew County Aquatics Initiative hopes to hit the goal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gould says today will begin the first steps towards reopening the pool as they get ready for renovations at the facility.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“There is a company coming out to do what is called a pressure test on the pool to make sure that&nbsp;we’re&nbsp;leak tight,&nbsp;we’ve&nbsp;done a few things to get prepared for that,&nbsp;change some&nbsp;valves and&nbsp;fixed a few things,” Gould explains&nbsp;

Gould says once that test gets passed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“As long as we get an A+ on&nbsp;that,&nbsp;we will be pushing forward and probably, hopefully breaking ground in a few weeks,” Gould says.&nbsp;

Gould says the hope is to be able to have the Savannah Pool open by the Memorial Day holiday.&nbsp;

Gould says the way things have fallen into place with this project have been&nbsp;really exciting&nbsp;

“I got a call from a company who renovates old water slides &nbsp;just a couple days ago, and they were interested in coming, and it’s like things are just falling into place in such a way that I’m like&nbsp;man I feel like God’s just shining down on this project and&nbsp;its&nbsp;opening all the doors and making the right decisions really obvious,” Gould says.&nbsp;

(You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.)

Savannah pool hopes to be open by Memorial Day following renovations 

ATCHISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 8p.m. Tuesday in Atchison.

A 2017 Dodge Ram pickup&nbsp; driven by Matthew Carr, 40, Atchison, was northbound on 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

The pickup turned west onto U.S.59, crossed the median and left the roadway on the south side of U.S.59.&nbsp; The vehicle continued southbound down an embankment, across a parking lot and then struck the north side of Hotel Eastin,&nbsp;401 S 10th Street.&nbsp;

The hotel room that was struck was unoccupied. 

EMS transported Matthew Carr, the only occupant in the vehicle, to Amberwell Hospital for examination. It is believed that the driver suffered some type of medical episode prior to the accident, according to Wilson.

Kansas man injured after pickup crash into hotel room

The Missouri Department of Transportation and Evergy will host a public meeting today to discuss a planned intersection improvement project on U.S. Route 71 at 340th Street, south of Maryville.

The meeting is scheduled for Jan. 21, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Maryville Public Safety Training Room, located at 101 N. Vine St. The event will follow an open-house format with no formal presentation, allowing residents to view project plans and speak directly with representatives from MoDOT and Evergy.

The proposed upgrades are designed to accommodate a projected increase in traffic following the construction of a new natural gas plant in the area. MoDOT officials recommend replacing the existing crossover at 340th Street with J-turns to improve traffic flow and reduce the risk of high-speed collisions.

Under the J-turn design, motorists on side roads will no longer cross multiple lanes of fast-moving traffic to turn left or travel straight. Instead, drivers will turn right in the direction of traffic, merge into the passing lane, and use a dedicated lane to make a U-turn into the opposite direction of travel.

The project is currently scheduled to be made available for contractor bids during MoDOT’s April 2026 letting.

Community members are encouraged to attend the meeting to share concerns or submit comments. Those unable to speak with project leaders directly will have the opportunity to provide feedback via written comment forms.

Nodaway U.S. Route 71 Intersection Improvement

Missouri Department of Transportation

All comments must be postmarked by Feb. 4, 2026.

MoDOT and Evergy to host public meeting for U.S. 71 intersection upgrades south of Maryville today

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ News 01/21/2026

A long-term narcotics investigation spanning two counties resulted in the seizure of drugs and firearms and the arrest of two individuals last week, according to the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation, conducted in cooperation with the Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force, began in 2025 following a traffic stop. That initial stop led to a search warrant at a rural Nodaway County residence, where authorities seized approximately one ounce of methamphetamine and packaging materials.

Last week, deputies executed a follow-up search warrant in Clearmont, MO. During the search, officers recovered additional controlled substances, multiple firearms, and packaging material consistent with the distribution of narcotics.

A suspect, identified by authorities as a convicted felon, was taken into custody and is being held on a $100,000 bond. The individual faces several charges, including distribution of a controlled substance in a protected location, unlawful possession of a firearm, and driving while revoked or suspended.

The Clearmont investigation provided leads that prompted a second search warrant in neighboring Atchison County. That operation resulted in the arrest of a second subject.

The second individual faces charges of distribution of a controlled substance in a protected location, possession of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence, and resisting arrest for a felony.

Nodaway County Sheriff seizes drugs and weapons; two arrested

NODAWAY COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before noon Tuesday in Nodaway County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Toyota Tundra driven by a 68-year-old Fridley, Minnesota man was southbound on Interstate 35 seven miles north of Winston. The driver had a medial emergency. The pickup traveled off the west side of the road, struck a culvert, a fence and came to rest.

Daviess County Ambulance transported the driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; NTA Ambulance transported a 77-year-old female passenger to Cameron Regional Medical Center. Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Two hospitalized after pickup strikes a fence in Nodaway County

Policies aim to get ahead of Legislature’s debate about weakening tenure rights

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">Tim Carpenter</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Board of Regents ordered state public universities to implement faculty workload and tenure review policies that will bring underperforming professors to remediation, with termination a potential consequence for failure to address deficiencies.

The mandate applied to thousands of faculty employed at Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, Pittsburg State University, Fort Hays State University, Emporia State University and Wichita State University. Expectations for nontenure, tenure-track and tenured faculty wouldn’t be identical from university to university, but all would be assigned annual course instructional loads and undergo yearly reviews in terms of teaching, research and public service.

Faculty at the state’s three research-oriented universities — KU, K-State and WSU — would be expected to teach six to nine credit hours per semester. Annual reviews of these faculty would be based on teaching at 40% to 55% of the workload. Research obligations would range from 35% to 45% of the total. Public service would be 5% to 20% of the job.

Faculty at the three regional universities — PSU, ESU and FHSU — would be assigned 12 credit hours of instructional course work each semester. The faculty evaluation breakdown: teaching, 60% to 75%; research, 15% to 30%; and public service, 5% to 20%.

Tenured university faculty in the Board of Regents system would undergo performance assessments by a campus committee every five years. Those determined to be less than satisfactory would be placed on self-improvement plans. If a faculty member earned a second unsatisfactory annual review, the policy said, the individual would be subject to dismissal, reassignment or other personnel action.

Rusty Monhollon, vice president of academic affairs for the Board of Regents, said the post-tenure and workload policies would help administrators identify faculty falling short of standards and those exceeding those metrics. The goal was to make evaluation of faculty less subjective and to address consternation about the rigor of decisions about faculty appointments, he said.

He expected few university faculty to fail to abide by new productivity standards because the “work they do is good.”

“These are very important policies that are impactful. We want to make sure we get it right,” said Alysia Johnston, a member of the Board of Regents.

Johnston, a former president of Fort Scott Community College, said the final version of policies approved by the Board of Regents left the analysis of tenure review cases to university administrators because the state board didn’t have the expertise to make scholarly judgments. She said the Board of Regents would consider tenure appeals based on claims that due process rights were violated by university administrators.

The Board of Regents voted unanimously at its January meeting to require the six universities to begin documenting and reporting faculty performance data that would be shared with legislators and others to enhance transparency and accountability in higher education.

University reporting would include statistics on student credit hours produced, percentage of credit hours by full-time faculty, bachelor’s degrees awarded, student retention, faculty scholarship and faculty research funding. Information about the number of people granted and denied tenure and the number of faculty who left each university must be documented.

Board of Regents member Matt Crocker, a Manhattan businessman, said he appreciated that the development of a systemwide faculty review policy involved considerable effort by the Board of Regents. He said there was an expectation among members of the Kansas Legislature that faculty workload policies would be rigorous. In the past two years, members of the Legislature raised the possibility of modifying tenure at the state universities.

“The question I seem to get all the time, especially here in Topeka, is making sure I’m a good steward for the state’s funding for higher education,” he said.

Under the Board of Regents policy, each university would craft faculty workload expectations that were “equitable, fair and balanced, and aligned with the unique needs of each department and the whole institution.” While all faculty would be assigned teaching loads, the policy said, exceptions would be permitted for clinical or research faculty, librarians and other personnel in noninstructional roles.

The new systemwide policy was developed by Board of Regents’ staff, university administrators and faculty as well as state politicians. At least four drafts were circulated for review and comment during the past seven months.

Kansas adopts faculty workload, post-tenure review system for public universities

The Mosaic Life Care Foundation will host a free community night at the inspireU Children’s Discovery Center Jan. 22, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The event is the latest in a series of four free nights made possible by a gift from the Leah Spratt Charitable Trust. Foundation officials credited committee members Rhonda Rochambeau, Rick Rochambeau and Rene Rochambeau McCrary for their commitment to providing local families access to the facility.

Located at 521 Felix St. in downtown St. Joseph, the center focuses on physical health, mental wellness and educational enrichment. The facility is designed for children from birth to age 10 and their families.

The discovery center features more than 20 core exhibits, including a rooftop exploratorium and various interactive play areas. Mosaic Life Care Foundation representatives said the gift aims to encourage a fun evening of play and learning for the entire community.

For more information about the first community night, <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/f01407ae-4f75-4909-85d7-e5d613a8b251">visit here</a>.

Free family night scheduled for Thursday at inspireU in St. Joseph

It has been a relatively mild winter thus far, but temperatures are expected to take a major dive by this weekend throughout the Midland Empire.

Meteorologist Dan Holiday says extreme cold air could reach the area by Thursday. "There is a significant arctic air mass coming down from Canada and we'll really start to feel the effects of that Thursday night with lows forecast anywhere from zero to 5 above."

While it will be bitterly cold, Holiday says snow chances are light for northern Missouri. "There are low-end snow chances for Friday and Saturday. Most of the heavier snowfall should be south of us, but its still too early to tell for sure."

With such low temperatures, Holiday says to keep an extra eye on your pets. "If you have outdoor pets or even livestock, its going to be really important to watch them carefully from Thursday through the remainder of the weekend because temperatures will be frigid combined with gusty winds."

Friday's high is forecast between 10 and 15 degrees with a low of negative 2. Saturday will be in the single digits with a 30% chance of snow.

Holiday emphasizes that while northern Missouri may not get as much precipitation, motorists should stay cautious as weather conditions can change quickly.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol recommends packing extra blankets and pillows in case you become stranded in your vehicle. Drivers can also call Star 55 to be connected with the nearest Patrol headquarters.

The area will see a slight warm-up early next week with temperatures in the low to mid 30s.

Frigid temps expected this weekend in the Midland Empire

A new year is bringing new opportunities in some new realms, as a national study has shown how affordable a place St. Joseph can be to live.  

City Manager Mike Schumacher says in talking to realtors they seem constantly amazed at what is available here in St. Joseph 

“They’re amazed at the price points compared to the KC metro as a whole,” Schumacher says on the KFEQmunnnity show.  “So, we need to tell our story on that.” 

Schumacher says people need to know about the opportunities they have in finding housing here 

“Where perhaps you can purchase a home considerably less, have the lowest taxes around the KC metro by far, including the county just to the south of us, significantly lower taxes,” Schumacher explains. 

Schumacher says the current median pricing in St. Joseph of $227,000 remains well below the national average, and rental costs remain accessible as well.  

The city has also gone to lengths to support growth in the community, creating a business liaison, that focuses solely on the needs of businesses and how the city can help.  

Schumacher says one of the biggest things they've heard from builders and business owners is speed to market 

"How soon can they get a house build and get it on the market and sold so they can move onto the next one and cut down on the overhead of construction loans, et cetera,” Schumacher says.  “So, waiting on the city for a week to come out and do something is money to them, so those are the gaps and opportunities.” 

Schumacher says while it wasn't a big problem before, he says the focus is about continuing to improve and make things easier for residents.  

Property taxes in St. Joseph remain the most affordable throughout the metro Kansas City area, making it easier to purchase or build a home in the area. 

Schumacher says at a time where finding housing is crucial for that workforce to live in 

"Folks don’t want to drive 45 minutes to work, they just don’t, it may sound great in the beginning but ultimately it’s like hey wait a minute I could live in St. Joseph and get an hour and half of my life back every day,” Schumacher says.  “But in order to do that, we need good, quality, affordable, safe housing.” 

Schumacher says before a project in partnership with the county at the North Shoppes to build a housing complex, there had not been a new apartment built in St. Joseph in 21 years.   

Schumacher also encourages people to look around, and to let people know that there is housing that can be found here, and in working with the city to build, they are working to make it painless and easy as possible. 

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

New year opens new realms and opportunities for St. Joseph

China has purchased about 12 million metric tons of soybeans. Three traders told Reuters that the total meets a U.S.-stated pledge to purchase that amount by the end of February. 

“The 12-million-ton target was met last week after bulk purchases by state buyer Sinograin and state trader COFCO, which were the only buyers of U.S. soybeans,” Reuters reported. “Private crushers continued to favor cheaper supplies from Brazil and Argentina.” Bloomberg agrees that the current total reflects continued bookings by state-owned firms in recent weeks. The USDA’s export data, which lags behind real-time totals, put China’s total purchases at just over eight million tons as of January 8. 

Hitting the 12-million-ton target will likely boost trader and exporter confidence that China could also meet the broader goal outlined by the White House of buying at least 25 million tons of U.S. soybeans through 2028.

China Meets U.S. Soybean Purchase Pledge

March corn closed down 1 cents and May corn was down 3/4 cents. March soybeans closed down 4 3/4 cents and May soybeans were down 4 3/4 cents. March KC wheat closed down 4 1/4 cents, March Chicago wheat was down 7 3/4 cents, March Minneapolis wheat was down 3 cents.

Tuesday was an overall mixed to lower day across U.S. row-crop markets, with grain futures easing and oilseed futures surrendering early gains and a selling mindset overtook most markets by early afternoon. Most of the early positive influence on the soybean complex likely came via outside energy markets on Tuesday, with crude oil futures firm on buying interest following last week's profit-taking pullback, and natural gas futures leading the sector with a 25% daily surge amid a return to very cold conditions across the U.S. after a very mild past month. Lastly, stocks and the U.S. Dollar Index both saw intense selling to start the shortened trading week following a heightening of tensions between the U.S. and Europe over President Trump's plans to acquire Greenland, with the president threatening a fresh round of tariff increases on eight countries if a deal is not reached allowing for the U.S. purchase of Greenland.

Following last Friday's sharp decline, the live cattle complex traded cautiously higher into the closing bell on Tuesday. The spot April contract is hovering above the market's 100-day moving average, which remains a very critical threshold to monitor, as a close below that price point could signal continued downward pressure. Still nothing has developed in this week's fed cash cattle market and won't likely until Thursday or Friday. New showlists appear to be mixed, higher in Kansas, about steady in Nebraska/Colorado, but lower in Texas. Boxed beef prices are mixed: choice up $1.99 ($366.32) and select down $0.79 ($359.54) with a movement of 54 loads (42.95 loads of choice, 6.13 loads of select, zero loads of trim and 5.24 loads of ground beef).

And much like the live cattle complex, the feeder cattle contracts are trading slightly higher into midday Tuesday following last Friday's severe break. The feeder cattle complex will likely continue to follow in the live cattle market's wake, waiting and hoping for increased fundamental support.

The lean hog complex is traded narrowly mixed on Tuesday, seeming technically unafraid that the market is breaking into new contract highs in the spot April contract. It is worth noting that pork cutouts were higher, but it will remain critical that fundamental support remains strong this week if traders are going to keep their momentum in the market.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2026/01/20142724/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

The U.S. Supreme Court will review the Durnell Roundup case. Monsanto had petitioned the court to hear Durnell in April 2025. The company asked the Court to address the split in authority among federal circuit courts on the application of federal preemption, a cross-cutting issue in the Roundup litigation. The company expects a decision on the merits during the Court’s 2026 session, which ends in June. 

“The Supreme Court decision to take the case is good news for U.S. farmers, who need regulatory clarity,” said Bayer CEO Bill Anderson. “It’s also an important step in our multi-pronged strategy to significantly contain this legislation.” Anderson also said it’s time for the U.S. legal system to establish that companies should not be punished under state laws for complying with federal warning label requirements, as every leading regulator in the world has concluded that glyphosate-based herbicides can be used safely.

Bayer statement on Supreme Court case

The U.S. chicken industry is on a decades-long winning streak. Steady growth in consumer demand, coupled with efficiency gains in broiler production have powered the sector’s remarkable growth during the last thirty years. According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the near-term outlook for broiler production remains exceptionally strong. But the opportunities for increasing output are becoming more limited. Higher capital costs, tight labor availability, and increased local regulation have stalled site expansions. 

Chick availability has trended downward as genetic priorities have shifted from hatchability to meat yield, and adding more pounds per bird has its limits. “The potential long-term challenge becomes how big is too big for birds on the processing line, and what will drive consumer preferences for chicken products into 2030 and beyond,” said Brian Earnest, lead animal protein economist at CoBank. With a change in genetics, producers can now get over 1,000 pounds of chicken from a single egg-laying hen. 

Chicken demand keeps rising

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/camikoons/">Cami Koons</a>

The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with soybean and specialty crop farm organizations, has asked congressional leadership for economic support to “fill in the gap of remaining losses for both field and specialty crop farmers.”&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/files/1.15.26-Ag-Letter-to-Congress-Economic-Assistance_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;follows a December announcement from the Trump administration of a&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/12/08/repub/trump-to-send-12-billion-in-one-time-payments-to-farmers-to-offset-ag-losses/" target="_blank">$12 billion</a>&nbsp;one-time package to offset farmer losses across the country.

“These funds could provide a meaningful first step but do not cover the extensive and cumulative losses that farmers have absorbed over the last several years,” the letter said after acknowledging the farmer bridge payment program.&nbsp;

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is allocating the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/farmer-bridge-assistance-fba-program" target="_blank">funding</a>&nbsp;with commodity specific payment rates and set aside $1 billion of the $12 billion for specialty crop farmers.&nbsp;

The American Soybean Association, a signee on the recently submitted letter, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://soygrowers.com/news-releases/asa-usda-farmer-bridge-assistance-payments-fall-short-for-soybean-farmers/" target="_blank">news release</a>&nbsp;the $30.88 per acre allotted for soybeans from the payment package was not enough to cover the “significant financial damage soybean farmers sustained this year due to the high cost of production and losses sustained during the China trade war.”&nbsp;

Grant Kimberley,&nbsp;Iowa Soybean Association’s director of market development, said the additional need from farmers is “complicated” and is a result of more than just one event in the past year.&nbsp;

“I think people don’t really realize this has been going on for a couple years now,” Kimberley said. “… Just about every row crop agriculture sector in the whole country has been losing money, probably, for the last three years.”

Kimberley said the ongoing downturn in the industry is due to several factors, including low commodity prices, high input costs, changes in global trade and uncertainty in domestic markets.&nbsp;

Data from Farm Bureau&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/market-intel/declining-farm-economy-continues-to-pressure-profitability" target="_blank">show</a>&nbsp;that commodity prices for major row crops like corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat have declined each year since 2022.&nbsp;

Kimberley said as the prices that farmers can get for their crops has declined, expenses have not declined, and have instead increased.&nbsp; Land, rent, equipment and inputs like fertilizer, seed and chemicals continue to squeeze farmers’ bottom lines, he said.

Farm Bureau economists found that farm expenses in 2025 were 12% higher than the previous five-year average cost.&nbsp;

Another piece to the puzzle, Kimberley explained, is the growing soybean and row crop markets in Brazil and other South American countries. He said the expansion of these markets has interrupted U.S. demand, especially with big buyers like China.&nbsp;

China also declined to purchase U.S. soybeans for the beginning part of harvest season due to President Donald Trump’s trade policies. While the country later&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/10/30/farm-groups-encouraged-by-trade-deal-with-china-for-u-s-soybeans/" target="_blank">agreed</a>&nbsp;to a trade deal, Kimberley said it’s less than what the country previously bought from the U.S. and the gap in purchasing this year has also had an effect.&nbsp;

Kimberley also pointed to the lack of finalized guidance from federal agencies on renewable fuel standards and tax credits. Many of these initiatives, like&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/briefs/biofuel-producers-stuck-in-neutral-without-finalized-tax-credit-guidance/" target="_blank">45Z tax credits</a>&nbsp;for low-carbon fuel, were initiated during the Biden administration and still do not have finalized guidelines.

Other standards, like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/06/13/epa-proposes-historic-renewable-fuel-blending-standards/" target="_blank">blending standards</a>,&nbsp;were proposed over the summer and have yet to be finalized. Kimberley, who is also executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board, said this uncertainty means overall biodiesel production has declined in the state, causing a “ripple in the pond” for soybean demand.

“You can’t really just say it’s this or that, you know, it’s all of these things that have kind of added up a little bit over time,” Kimberley said.

The letter from American Farm Bureau Federation also noted the compounding factors squeezing farmers. According to the letter, farmer bankruptcies are increasing and nationwide farmer losses are approaching $100 billion.&nbsp;

“These trends aren’t just statistics; they represent an economic crisis in rural America,” the letter said.&nbsp;

Specialty crop farmers are also struggling under similar pressures and asked Congress for relief.&nbsp;

The majority of the more than 50 organizations that signed the letter represented specialty crop growers.&nbsp;

In a news release about the letter, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance said that despite the fact that specialty crops account for more than one-third of all U.S. crop sales, the farmer bridge program from USDA allocated just $1 billion to the industry.&nbsp;

“Any agricultural aid package should reflect the economic contribution of specialty crops, which support rural communities and provide key nutrition,” the alliance leadership said in the release.&nbsp;

The letter, addressed to House and Senate leadership, ask for “immediate” congressionally approved support.&nbsp;

Kimberley said additional changes need to occur in the farm economy for farmers to be profitable, but those changes won’t happen overnight.

“None of these things make farmers whole, and (aid packages) are not preferred, but sometimes they’re necessary,” Kimberley said.&nbsp;

This story was originally produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/01/16/farm-bureau-soybean-and-specialty-ag-groups-ask-congress-for-additional-farmer-support/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kansas Reflector, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

Farm Bureau, soybean and specialty ag groups ask Congress for more support

Celebrations recognizing women’s contributions to agriculture are expected to be widespread this year as the International Year of the Woman Farmer gains momentum across the United States. 

From farm and trade association meetings to state agriculture departments and Capitol Hill, the designation highlights women who lead both on the farm and in agribusiness boardrooms. The United States proposed the resolution to the United Nations General Assembly, which adopted it May 2, 2024, with 123 co-sponsoring countries. “This is long overdue recognition for women who work in every part of agriculture,” said Krysta Harden, former U.S. deputy secretary of agriculture and now president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, speaking during a National Association of State Departments of Agriculture video. Harden said women’s contributions range from physical labor in fields and ranches to leadership and decision-making roles. 

According to the latest USDA Census of Agriculture, 1.2 million female farmers operated in the U.S. in 2022, representing 36% of producers, with 58% of farms reporting at least one female producer. Several farm and food organizations have since formed a working group to coordinate activities throughout the year.

Celebrating Women Farmers

Congress on Thursday approved a major bipartisan spending package that funds key energy, environment and science agencies for fiscal 2026, but lawmakers stopped short of including protections for a Colorado research lab sought by some Democrats. 

The Senate voted 82-15 to send the roughly $180 billion “minibus” package, covering the Department of Energy, Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency and other science programs, to President Donald Trump’s desk. The legislation locks in full-year funding after months of negotiations, rejecting deeper cuts proposed by the administration. 

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet voted against the legislation after pushing unsuccessfully for an amendment to safeguard the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, a climate and weather research facility. Supporters said the package provides stability for research and environmental programs, while critics raised concerns that it trims some funding and fails to address long-standing agency budget shortfalls.

Congress Passes Spending Package

The U.S. farm economy is showing widening signs of distress as farmers confront a toxic mix of rising production costs, weak crop prices and shrinking credit access, threatening rural communities nationwide. 

For the third straight year, growers are struggling with unprofitable operations amid record crop yields that have helped depress market values for corn, soybeans and other commodities, according to farmers and industry analysts. Reuters reports fertilizer and other input costs continue to climb in 2026, while net farm income is projected to fall sharply, prolonging financial strain on producers. The economic stress is rippling through rural America, with job losses reported in related sectors such as farm equipment manufacturing and meatpacking. 

Tractors and combines are piling up on dealer lots as sales plunge, and some lenders are tightening credit or turning away borrowers in need of operating funds. Bankruptcies are increasing, with Chapter 12 farm filings rising significantly, and many rural residents worry the downturn could deepen without stronger demand or policy support.

Farm Economy Shows Signs of Weakening

March corn closed up 4 1/2 cents and May corn was up 4 1/4 cents. March soybeans closed up 4 3/4 cents and May soybeans were up 4 1/2 cents. March KC wheat closed up 10 cents, March Chicago wheat was up 7 1/2 cents, March MIAX Minneapolis wheat was up 2 1/2 cents.

March corn closed down 21 cents and May corn was down 21 3/4 cents. March soybeans closed down 4 3/4 cents and May soybeans were down 5 3/4 cents. March KC wheat closed down 3 cents, March Chicago wheat was up 3/4 cents and March Minneapolis wheat was down 2 1/2 cents.

Markets continued recovery efforts on Friday to close the week with relatively minimized losses in wheat and soybean futures, while Monday's plunge still leaves the corn market with a significant weekly turn lower. Grain markets will be closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Wheat was the flagship of the group for Friday, moving double digits higher on increased weather risk for U.S. crops through the weekend. Outside markets were mixed to close the week, with a firm U.S. Dollar on higher Treasury yields, while energy markets recovered from Thursday's risk-off session.

It turned out to be a grim session for the live cattle complex as most of the contracts were trading $3.00 to $4.00 lower into midday and into the close on Friday. Pinpointing why the market is trading lower to such a notable degree is challenging because, up until this point this week, the market has been solely focused on its strong fundamental position. But part of the market's uncertainty could stem from the fact that Thursday afternoon, eight new cases of New World screwworm were detected in Mexico, or because there's yet to be any cash cattle traded, which causes traders to become anxious. Nevertheless, today's downturn is somewhat out of the blue, following a week of mostly bullish sentiment. Boxed beef prices are higher: choice up $1.14 ($361.91) and select up $0.59 ($360.30) with a movement of 53 loads (37.00 loads of choice, 2.54 loads of select, 4.14 loads of trim and 9.53 loads of ground beef).

If you think the downturn in the live cattle complex is steep, don't even take a glimpse at the feeder cattle contracts, as most of them are traded $7.00 to $8.00 lower for the bulk of the session. Unfortunately, given how steep the contracts have declined, it's likely that the market will continue short term downward momentum even though fed cash cattle prices are expected to trade higher.

While the cattle complex plummeted ahead of the weekend, the lean hog contracts were minding their own business, trading mildly higher into Friday's close. It is helpful to note that midday pork cutout values were a tick higher, which continues to lend traders additional fundamental support and help keep the contracts trading higher.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2026/01/16145127/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Market estimates show that Brazil surpassed the U.S. as the world’s number one beef producer in 2025. Reports said that happened after Brazil beat output forecasts by hundreds of thousands of tons, easing a global supply squeeze and helping limit a surge in meat prices. Reuters said Brazil was already the biggest beef exporter, with shipments totaling almost $17 billion in 2025. 

Reports said that “Beef production numbers are not due till February, but analysts have recently raised their estimates,” and “Farmers are sending more animals to slaughter and cashing in on high export demand from countries like China and the U.S., where low beef supplies have pushed prices to record levels.” In addition reports also show that beef demand has stayed resilient, despite high prices, and the Trump administration’s overhaul of dietary guidelines putting protein at the top of the food pyramid will likely encourage Americans to buy more meat.

Brazil passes U.S. as top beef producer

Repeated budget items in state calculations led Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office to originally project an ending balance of less than $5 million for the coming fiscal year

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri’s budget picture brightened slightly this week with the discovery of a $250 million error in state projections, though lawmakers were warned Tuesday the change isn’t enough to take tight controls off state spending.

State Budget Director Dan Haug told the House Budget Committee that more than $100 million in disaster relief appropriations were mistakenly counted in next year’s spending and in the current year.

As a result, instead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/13/missouri-revenue-surplus-nearly-gone-as-gov-mike-kehoe-unveils-his-budget-plan/">$4.7 million ending balance</a>&nbsp;in the coming fiscal year, Missouri’s general revenue fund will hold $261 million. That new projection, if accurate, would still be the lowest general revenue balance to end a fiscal year since 2018.

“While that does make our bottom line better, it does not change the fundamental issue that our ongoing expenditures are more than our ongoing revenues,” Haug said. “It doesn’t change either of those two numbers.”

The state treasury held $4.3 billion of general revenue on June 30, the final day of fiscal 2025. That is down from a historic high of $5.7 billion at the end of fiscal 2023 as lawmakers have spent more than taxes for general revenue have generated over the past two years.

The current budget continues that trend. With supplemental items requested by Gov. Mike Kehoe, the state will budget $16.2 billion of general revenue in the current year, about $3.1 billion more than is expected in revenue.&nbsp;

As a result, $2 billion will remain on June 30, the governor’s budget projects.

Kehoe’s budget for the next fiscal year, delivered to lawmakers Jan. 13, anticipates general revenue appropriations to total $16.3 billion, with revenues expected to be $13.6 billion.

The extra money revealed by correcting the calculation error will make it easier for the state to keep up with current bills in future years but isn’t enough to add any spending beyond Kehoe’s budget proposal, said House Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel.

“It didn’t change anything, because really, $4 million wasn’t a good place to be,” Deaton said.

The variables in the forecast, which will determine the actual fund balance, are how fast the state will complete $1.3 billion of multi-year construction projects and how close the state is on estimating operating budgets.

More than $900 million set aside for state operations in fiscal 2025 was unspent, but the budget anticipates that figure will be only $350 million in the coming fiscal year and uses that money to balance spending and revenues.

The updated forecast can be debated but it is not far off, Deaton said.

“I could come up with one a little different, and reasonable people could probably argue about it,” Deaton said. “I can’t point to anything and say this is ridiculous.”

The updated forecast gives Democrats ammunition to push for their spending priorities, said state Rep. Betsy Fogle of Springfield, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

There should be more money available, Fogle said. She noted that the state Board of Education requested a $190 million boost to the foundation formula, the state’s main source of public school funding, that Kehoe did not recommend.

“What that changes is the governor signaled that he was comfortable spending down to $4.7 million, and I find it somewhat ironic that now he’s saying he needs to keep this additional $260 million on the bottom line as well, when there are things that I would argue we could be doing,” she said.

Republicans who hold all the state offices and a legislative supermajority have said for years the state should sock away money for lean times, Fogle said. But now that a budget crunch is here, she said, there’s no money to defer cuts.

Kehoe’s budget anticipates he will have to limit spending on almost $300 million in spending included his budget to produce the $261 million fund balance. The message from Kehoe and Haug is that there is no room for increases, Fogle said.

“It has been made clear by both the State of the State (address) and director Haug’s comments today,” Fogle said, “that there’s absolutely no appetite to add any spending from the governor’s original recommendations.”

Missouri discovers $250M budget mistake, but officials warn spending squeeze remains

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Over the past week, the Kansas City Police Vice Squad, in coordination with the Kansas City, Missouri's Multidisciplinary Public Safety Task Force, conducted an illegal gaming machine operation at three businesses in Kansas City.
&nbsp;
Two stores are now closed. Altogether, the KCPD&nbsp; Vice Squad issued 23 citations, according to a social media report from the KCPD.

Municipal ordinance 50-16 prohibits the operation and maintenance of certain electronic gaming machines that offer a monetary prize to the user.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police released no additional details.

Police shut down 2 KC businesses in illegal gaming crackdown

Through Operation Souther Spear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard,Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department.&nbsp; 

Tuesday morning, U.S. military forces, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended Motor Vessel Sagitta without incident, according to a social media report from the U.S. Southern Command. 

"The apprehension of another tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully."

"As the joint force operates in the Western Hemisphere, we reaffirm that the security of the American people is paramount, demonstrating our commitment to safety and stability.

These operations are backed by the full power our elite joint force team deployed in the Caribbean."

🎥 US forces seize another oil tanker linked to Venezuela 

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on multiple allegations after a high speed chase in a stolen vehicle.

According to the Saline County Sheriff's Office on Friday at around

Just after 3 p.m. January 16, a sheriff's deputy was in the area of the 10,000 block of South 81 observed a 2027 KIA sedan traveling 68mph in a 55 mph zone, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.&nbsp; .

The driver fled northbound and pursuit ensued. The vehicle turned east on Water Well Road, with top speeds at approximately 120 mph, according to Soldan.

As the vehicle, which deputies confirmed was stolen from a Salina neighborhood January 12, continued east on Water Well and as it approached the intersection of Holmes Road, the car went airborne, leaving the roadway on the north side of the travel lanes and crashed into an area of trees behind a home in the area of Water Well Road.

Two occupants in the vehicle ran from the crash.

Law enforcement then received a call from a residence on S. Holmes Road about hearing the noise of the crash and spotting a woman run across their yard. Several deputies, along with officers from the Salina Police Department and Kansas Highway Patrol arrived to the scene.

As they searched the area, they observed a man identified as 30-year-old Phoenix Leonard of Salina, on top of the roof of a home in the area of S. Holmes. Leonard voiced to officers that he was armed and refused to come down from the roof.

Officers set a perimeter around the home, as they were also actively searching for the other suspect.

Local

Region

Sports

Agriculture