Drew Waters bat stayed hot, Bobby Witt Jr had three hits, and the Kansas City Royals opened their series with the Houston Astros on Friday night with a 2-0 shutout win, moving their win streak to five games.&nbsp;

The Royals scored first in the bottom of the fifth inning after Waters doubled to lead off the inning.&nbsp; A sacrifice bunt from Freddy Fermin advanced Waters to third, before he came home to score on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Isbel.&nbsp; 

In the sixth, Kansas City added the only other run they would need, back to back singles by Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia opened the inning before they were advanced on another sacrifice bunt, this time by Michael Massey. Pasquantino scored on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Renfroe.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Seth Lugo looked brilliant on the mound, pitching eight shutout innings and striking out eight batters and giving up just three hits while walking one.&nbsp; Lucas Erceg recorded his first save, striking out one batter&nbsp; Witt Jr led the way hitting on the day, going 3-4 at the plate.&nbsp; With his three hits, he extended his new career best hit streak to 17 games.

The Royals and Astros continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Michael Wacha starts for Kansas City, still searching for his first win of the season, taking on Framber Valdez for Houston.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:10pm, pregame coverage begins at 5:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

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

Royals win fifth in a row, shutout Astros 2-0 in series opener

July corn closed up 1 1/2 cents and December corn was down 3/4 cents. July soybeans closed down 2 3/4 cents and November soybeans were down 1/2 cents. July KC wheat closed up 1/4 cents, July Chicago wheat was up 1/2 cents, July Minneapolis wheat was down 1 1/2 cents.

July corn closed down 4 3/4 cents and December corn was down 10 1/4 cents. July soybeans closed up 11 1/2 cents and November soybeans were up 2 1/2 cents. July KC wheat closed down 19 cents, July Chicago wheat was down 17 1/4 cents and July Minneapolis wheat was down 13 cents.

Agricultural markets were mixed across the board on Friday with no sizeable price shifts to speak of as trading volumes relaxed into the weekend. Corn futures inched higher following Thursday's technical rally, while soybeans and soybean oil prices eased back following strong sessions on Thursday. Wheat markets appear to have found support for the time being near contract lows, but wheat traders are keeping their fingers close to the sell button, so far not seeing any convincing developments to break out of their bearish bias. Outside markets were also quiet for Friday, with stock indices mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down but rallying off daily lows which were set following a low Consumer Confidence reading from the University of Michigan Friday morning. There remains an undertone of optimism behind the markets to finish the week, following positive trade-related reports, including rumors that the U.S. and Japan are close to a deal, which -- given Japan's importance to the U.S. as an agricultural customer -- has great potential to include purchases of U.S. grains as a part of any agreement.

The live cattle complex has been rocked back on its heels as traders tried to patiently wait for this week's cash cattle trade to develop -- but their patience is ran thin. It's assumed cash cattle prices would trade higher this week -- which traders loved the idea of as stronger cash prices will complement their push of the contracts this past week; but they also don't want to put the cart before the horse anymore and anticipate in good faith too much. More than anything traders seemed to be holding the contracts just shy of steady until developments in the cash market surface. Bids of $210 to $212 were reported in Kansas -- but feedlot managers in the South are firm in their asking prices of $214 to $215.

The spot August feeder cattle contract is inching, slowly but surely, up to the market's resistance as the August contract has a resistance threshold at $293.70. Given the grandiose support the market has seen this past week in the countryside for both feeder cattle and calves -- it's tough to say the market doesn't possess enough support to challenge resistance, it did challenge and passed that resistance mark by the closing bell.

Following the last couple days where the lean hog complex endured some pressure, traders treated the market to a sporty rally Friday which is being well complemented as both cash prices and pork cutout values are higher. Traders have already broken through the market's resistance, so it's likely they'll maintain this rally at least in the short term.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/04/25143754/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

Commodity markets daily recap

Ethanol output jumped to the highest level in three weeks, and inventories dropped during the seven days ending on April 18. Data from the Energy Information Administration says production rose to an average of 1.033 million barrels a day. That’s up from 1.012 million barrels the week prior and the highest since March 28. 

The Midwest produces the most ethanol in the country, and output rose to 976,000 barrels a day up from 955,000 the previous week, also the highest in three weeks. Gulf Coast production increased to 25,000 barrels a day, up from 24,000 barrels a week earlier. That was all the gains, as East Coast output was unchanged for the third straight week at 12,000 barrels a day. Rocky Mountain production fell by 1,000 barrels a day to 10,000 barrels on average, and West Coast output dropped by the same amount to 9,000 barrels a day. 

Highest ethanol production in three weeks

For most U.S. farm households, income from off-farm jobs like teaching, driving a bus, or managing a bank branch helps keep an operation running. In 2023, an AFBF Market Intel Report says 23 percent of farm household income for farm families comes from farming itself, which means 77 percent of the income comes from other sources. In 2023, 96 percent of farm operators earned money from off-farm sources. 

About 72 percent of the off-farm income in recent years has come from earned sources like wages and salaries (61 percent) and non-farm business income (11 percent). The other 28 percent came from unearned sources like Social Security, veteran’s benefits, pensions, dividends, and interest. The smaller the farm, the more dependent on off-farm employment. Among farms with less than $100,000 in gross sales, over 60 percent of those operators worked at least one day off the farm. 

Off-farm income keeping some operations afloat

May corn closed up 5 1/4 cents and December corn was up 2 cents. May soybeans closed up 12 3/4 cents and November soybeans were up 8 cents. July KC wheat closed up 1/2 cents, July Chicago wheat was up 1 cents, July Minneapolis wheat was up 3/4 cents.

It was overall a strong day for U.S. row-crop markets as corn and wheat futures reversed from recent down spells in price, attracting buyers at support points on their respective charts. For wheat, prices spent much of the session lower before buyers stepped in by the early afternoon to spark a reversal. Soybean futures accelerated gains throughout the session, turning what was initially a respectable 5- to 6-cent move into a double-digit push higher, making technical headway in the process. Outside markets were mostly of a positive influence on the ag complex Thursday, with stock indices higher, a weaker U.S. dollar, and steady energy prices.

The live cattle complex yet again traded mostly higher as traders continue to believe in the market's long-term bullishness. The nearby June contract the lone exception only slightly lower, but that seems to be a mere pause in the market's rally until traders are given green-light fundamentally, which hopefully will come in the form of stronger cash cattle sales. It's fully anticipated that fed cash cattle prices will be higher again this week, but no trade has developed just yet.

The feeder cattle complex finished the session strong in the last hour of trade, eliminating red from the board. Traders are hoping more fundamental support will develop but have nothing tangible to ease their jitters. Demand still remains utterly incredible in the countryside, and that seems to be helping traders in this exact scenario.

The only real win throughout the day for the lean hog complex was the fact that midday pork cutout values were higher. But in the wake of sharply lower exports, lower cash prices and some technical hesitancy, the contracts were trading softly lower. At this point it's likely that packers have fulfilled their bulk needs in the cash market and will only vaguely participate through the remainder of the week.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/04/24145520/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

Many provisions in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire this year. The American Farm Bureau says that adds a big task to the Congressional to-do list: updating the tax code. Many of those expiring provisions provide important relief for farm families. AFBF Associate Economist Samantha Ayoub says while reductions in the corporate income tax rates were made permanent in 2017, income tax cuts for individuals began to phase out in 2022, with the biggest tax increases are coming with expirations at the end of this year. 

For some farm families, grieving the loss of a loved one comes with an additional burden, that being a hefty tax on everything their family member left to them. Without an act of Congress, the estate tax exemption will drop by 50 percent to $7.61 million on January 1, 2026, putting the future of thousands of family farms at risk.

Death taxes threaten farm families

May corn closed down 3 3/4 cents and December corn was down 3 1/2 cents. May soybeans closed up 5 1/4 cents and November soybeans were up 1 cents. May KC wheat closed down 8 1/4 cents, May Chicago wheat was down 7 1/4 cents, May Minneapolis wheat was down 4 cents.

President Trump said on Tuesday afternoon that the extremely elevated tariffs of 145% (ranging as high as 245% depending on the product in question) could possibly be reduced, likely in an attempt to bring China to the table for negotiations after Chinese officials reiterated Wednesday willingness to talks but not under the recent series of escalations and threats. No official decision has been announced but these positive comments, coupled with a similar sentiment from Treasury Secretary Bessent on Tuesday, allowed soybean prices to build off Tuesday's session to trade back among the strongest price in almost two months. Meanwhile, wheat prices continue to be pressured by the current U.S. weather forecasts, with Kansas City futures hitting a fresh contract low on the May board on Wednesday. Corn futures were down as well, pressured by wheat and good weather for development in Brazil. Outside markets were of mixed influence on ag products on Wednesday, with stock indices higher, but the U.S. dollar also higher and crude oil posting a reversal candle lower lent some pressure to the ag complex.

The live cattle complex was able to successfully maintain its higher position through Wednesday's trade which is quite commendable given that the market gapped higher at the day's start and traded slightly above the spot June contract's previous resistance level. Traders are likely to monitor fundamental support closely through the later part of the week as they're hoping to see support from both cash prices and boxed beef prices compliment their higher push this morning. Still no developments have surfaced in the cash cattle market and trade will likely be delayed until Thursday, or even Friday.

The feeder cattle complex did not see quite as much momentum in its market as compared to the live cattle contracts, but they still traded higher, nonetheless. The feeder cattle complex seems more concerned about its technical resistance pressure as traders haven't taken on the looming resistance at $293.00 in the spot August contract.

The lean hog complex's rally has been slightly broken as the nearby contracts traded softly lower while the deferred months continued to push mildly higher. It was pretty impressive that the lean hog complex had a nine straight day consecutive rally which helped propel the spot June contract to the highest price the market has traded since late February. But after such aggressive technical footwork, the market seemed to cool its momentum as traders look around to see if the markets' fundamentals are going to support such a move.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/04/23150333/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

U.S. egg production totaled 8.63 billion during March 2025, down seven percent from last year. Production included 7.35 billion table eggs and 1.28 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.18 billion were broiler-type and 104 million were egg-type. The average number of layers during March totaled 351 million, down eight percent from last year. March egg production per 100 layers was 2,458 eggs, up slightly from March 2024. Total layers in the U.S. on April 1, 2025, totaled 351 million, down eight percent from last year. 

The 351 million consisted of 287 million layers producing table or market-type eggs, 60.4 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and four million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. The rate of lay per day on April 1 averaged 79.1 eggs per 100 layers, down slightly from April 1, 2024. Egg-type chicks hatched during March totaled 60.7 million, up 11 percent from March 2024.&nbsp;

March egg production down seven percent

Farm bankruptcies grew 55 percent from 2023 to 2024 and are trending even higher in 2025. Farmers are continuing to struggle with low prices for their agricultural commodities and the high costs of inputs needed to grow those crops. Reports say unpredictable tariffs, immigration overhauls, federal programs being cut, and frozen USDA funding are now part of the challenges farmers face as they look for financial assistance. 

The Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago says the share of the district’s farm loan portfolio assessed as having “major or severe” repayment problems was 4.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, the highest point it reached since late in 2020. The Kansas City Fed said at the end of March that as farm debt grew and conditions in the farm economy deteriorated, delinquency rates increased modestly from historic lows. The American Farmland Owner says Iowa leads all other states with 12 bankruptcies this year.  

Farm bankruptcies to climb in 2025

May corn closed down 6 cents and December corn was down 6 1/2 cents. May soybeans closed up 5 1/2 cents and November soybeans were up 3/4 cents. May KC wheat closed down 4 3/4 cents, May Chicago wheat was down 3 cents, May Minneapolis wheat was down 4 1/2 cents.

Ag markets continued their subdued, choppy nature Tuesday, with soybean prices showing life to recover Monday's losses. Meanwhile corn futures broke to their lowest price since April 10 but also held chart support. Wheat prices traded lower despite slightly declining conditions reported by the USDA in Monday's Crop Progress report, as rainfall remains in the forecast across the Midwest, with coverage stretching into western hard red growing areas, many of which had been dry through the winter. Overall, Tuesday's trade continued to be driven by mainly technical features as fresh fundamental drivers were lacking. In outside markets, it was a day of recovery as stocks rebounded from the Trump-versus-Powell-induced selloff to begin the week, helped along by positive trade comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The U.S. dollar also posted a modest move higher as a result.

The live cattle complex was back in action as the market was fronting a promising $1.00 to $2.50 push heading into Tuesday's close. The market is close to nearing resistance pressure in the spot June contract, but if fundamental support is ample this week (especially in the form of strong box prices and fed cash cattle prices) there's a chance that traders could take on the market's resistance. The only other key fundamental component that needs to be monitored this week is throughput, as Monday's slaughter was light at just 100,000 head.

The bullish front of the cattle complex is being spurred on by the feeder cattle complex as all of its contracts traded higher into the day's closing bell. Like the spot June live cattle contract, the spot May feeder cattle contract is nearing market resistance that could be problematic for traders if they don't see continued fundamental support later this week.

The lean hog complex also enjoyed a fruitful day where the front four contracts were trading above $1.00 higher. It's rather impressive to see the spot June contract trading at the highest it's been since the end of February, and the market is also on its ninth consecutive day of higher trading. The additional support of stronger pork cutout values is lending a helping hand as well, which is mainly to thank again this morning because of the $3.47 jump in the belly.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/04/22141443/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

The USDA reminds agricultural producers that the final date to apply for or make changes to their existing crop insurance coverage is quickly approaching for summer planted crops, annual forage, and forage seeding. Sales closing dates vary by crop, but the next major sales closing dates are May 1, July 15, and July 31. Producers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agents soon to learn specific details for the 2025 crop year. 

Important crop deadlines drawing closer

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">Mary Sanchez</a>&nbsp;

Five international college students in Missouri have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the termination of their student registrations by the Department of Homeland Security — a revocation that essentially threatens their ability to legally remain in the United States.

The students believe that prior nonviolent incidents might have triggered DHS to revoke their records in a government database that tracks international students.

An international student in Missouri from Nigeria, for example, had once paid a $50 fine for playing music too loudly.

Another student, also from Nigeria, had once been cited for improperly passing a streetcar and paid a $80.50 fine.

And yet another, from Bangladesh, had been charged with public intoxication but believed that the issue was resolved years ago after he completed six months of probation and 75 hours of community service.

The complaint was filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri by Kansas City immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford, who is representing the students.

A hearing April 24 will determine if a request for a temporary restraining order will be granted, said Sharma-Crawford.

The complaint joins a flurry of similar challenges nationwide.

According to The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chronicle.com/?utm_campaign=che-eng-cr-remark-ba-2&amp;utm_medium=p-srch&amp;utm_source=ggl&amp;utm_content=25-01-07&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAo7p3j5XLQd_62JJ5zNtKCvPZmtXO&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwn6LABhBSEiwAsNJrjigosmiF8ozmCPhq5ugWtSBWOTToEuM4oJwb9tGM3gJSwJ9vA_Qk2hoCAMsQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Chronicle of Higher Education</a>, there are more than 1 million international students in the U.S.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aila.org/" target="_blank">American Immigration Lawyers Association</a>&nbsp;has noted that more than 4,700 international students had records that were canceled, according to reporting by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/international-students-u-s-are-reeling-amid-revoked-visas-and-terminated-records#:~:text=By%20itself%2C%20a%20termination%20does%20not%20end,the%20student%20at%20risk%20of%20deportation%20proceedings." target="_blank">Science</a>.

In a separate case brought in Atlanta, a graduate student from Bangladesh studying at Missouri State University was among 133 international students who had their<a href="https://apnews.com/article/international-student-visa-status-restraining-order-64a97b4fabc5264ed20b179952cdabff" target="_blank">&nbsp;status restored</a>&nbsp;this week after a temporary restraining order was approved.

The students represented in the local lawsuit involve a range of universities and nationalities.

The terminations came “without notice and without cause,” the Missouri suit alleges, and caused immediate and irreparable harm.

“In essence, they took students lawfully here on their student visas and stripped them of their legal status,” the complaint reads. “They did this to create chaos and uncertainty and cause some students to abandon their studies and leave the United States.”

Sharma-Crawford said about 40 such cases have been filed nationwide, challenging the government’s actions targeting international students.

The Missouri complaint is against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security and Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In early April,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/international-students-u-s-are-reeling-amid-revoked-visas-and-terminated-records#:~:text=By%20itself%2C%20a%20termination%20does%20not%20end,the%20student%20at%20risk%20of%20deportation%20proceedings." target="_blank">thousands of foreign college students</a>&nbsp;began discovering that the Trump administration had terminated their student records, which are tracked within DHS by the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS.

Fear of retaliation among international students

The five Missouri students are anonymous in the lawsuit, citing fear of retaliation or harassment and blacklisting by third parties.

The complaint alleges that the students have lost jobs, health care and their student status and suffered stress from not being able to pay for their rent or basic needs, in addition to upending their career goals.

Homeland Security has not initiated removal proceedings, colloquially referred to as deportation, against any of the students, said Sharma-Crawford.

The lawsuit alleges that DHS terminated the students’ registrations without sufficient notice and opportunity to be heard, a violation of their Fifth Amendment right to due process.

Several of the students had previously left the U.S. and reentered without any issues with U.S. Customs and Border Protection after the minor criminal incidents.

In response to similar court challenges, the government has taken what some see as a contradictory stance, emphasizing that it has merely terminated a record in a government tracking database, nothing more.

And yet, some students have then been advised by emails that they must leave the U.S.

For universities, some do not want to risk their own funding by being accused of harboring an immigrant not legally able to study or reside in the U.S.

Requests for comment from several Missouri university offices that oversee international students were not returned.

There is no publicly accessible database to track the status of international students.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/global/international-students-us/2025/04/21/five-key-takeaways-tracking-student-visa" target="_blank">Inside Higher Ed</a>&nbsp;and The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/tracking-trumps-actions-on-student-visas?resetPassword=true&amp;email=msanchezcolumn%40gmail.com&amp;success=true&amp;bc_nonce=8vwz6z7huutikd8hjf4ac9" target="_blank">Chronicle of Higher Education</a>&nbsp;have been compiling listings, reporting that at least 1,500 students have been affected as of April 21.

The sites note that Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville had 716 international students last fall and 43 recent revocations.

Other regional campuses listed include: Webster University, with 24 students affected; Missouri State University, with six students affected; and Park University, with at least one student affected.

The Missouri complaint also notes that the students’ schools also were not given a rationale for the decisions.

The five students listed in the lawsuit learned of the terminations from their universities, according to the complaint. School officials received emails advising that ICE had terminated the student’s SEVIS registration.

The complaint also details the process that international students use during their studies:

“Foreign students who wish to study in the United States apply to schools which are part of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (“SEVP”). This program is monitored within the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”). ICE, through SEVP, uses the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems (“SEVIS”), a government database that tracks international students’ compliance with their student visa status. Student visas are commonly referred to as F-1 visas.”

The complaint alleges: “Yet, each Plaintiff, once terminated in the SEVIS system, even wrongfully, would be left without status and their presence becomes immediately unauthorized. Any work authorization for on and/or off campus is immediately terminated, they are unable to re-enter the U.S. on a terminated SEVIS record and they become subject to arrest, detention and deportation.”

Court challenges joined by university pushback

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, believes that bipartisan leverage might be possible to address unfair targeting of international students.

Davids said some Republicans in the House could be engaged on the issue.

“This is one of those areas where every single state — red states, blue states, it doesn’t matter — they benefit from having robust universities,” Davids said during a town hall hosted by KCUR on April 21.

She added that in some areas with Republican representation the affected universities are “the economic driver of their communities.”

Universities nationwide have been under intense scrutiny by the Trump administration.

Some have seen grants canceled, often involving research, with the allegation that an institution hadn’t done enough to protect Jewish students from antisemitism that allegedly occurred during student protests against Palestinian deaths in Gaza that were inflicted by the U.S.-backed Israeli military.

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/21/us-university-presidents-trump-administration" target="_blank">Critics</a>&nbsp;allege that President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants now appears to include gathering up those legally present, or maneuvering to alter their status and encourage self-deportation, without due process.

The American Association of Colleges and Universities released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-call-for-constructive-engagement" target="_blank">“A call for constructive engagement”</a>&nbsp;on April 22, signed by more than 100 college and university presidents, including President Fred P. Pestello of Saint Louis University.

The lengthy statement sought to “speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.”

“Our colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/04/23/international-students-in-missouri-sue-trump-administration/" 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&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

International students in Missouri sue Trump administration over revoked status

The Shakespeare Chateau Guild will feature six historic locations around St. Joseph this Sunday that feature some of the finest examples of stained glass.  

Isobel McGowan, owner of the Shakespeare Chateau, says the guild is very excited to get a chance to show off some of the stain glass in St. Joseph 

"Because stained glass is such a great feature," McGowan tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "The title of our tour is Architectural jewelry, and really when you walk into one of these places with all this stained glass you can see why it's called that, it's been referred to that for many, many, many years, and you can see why it's called that." 

McGowan says the windows are like little jewels that catch the light and create beautiful effects on the interior, depending on the angle of the sun.  

McGowan says there are many things' people appreciated about stained glass, one being its intrinsic beauty 

"But it also has these special effects that are created, the glinting and glistening and the prisms that are cast across walls," McGowan explains.  "It just changes the lighting of the interior space very dramatically." 

McGowan says stained glass can create magical effects within a home depending on the weather condition and time of year 

"It's jaw dropping really to appreciate and to see it in person," Mcgowan says.  

McGowan says people come from all around for these types of tours in St. Joseph's historic buildings 

"We are so fortunate to have such an inventory of historic buildings built during that period of prosperity and exuberant design that we know as the Gilded Age," McGowan explains.  "And we are so lucky to have these, and people will come from all over." 

The tour will be held on Sunday from noon to 5pm beginning at the Shakespeare Chateau.  Tickets can be purchased in advance for 20 dollars, or on the day of the tour for a slightly higher price. 

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

St. Joseph's architectural jewelry on display Sunday 

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

A St. Joseph woman
who drove the wrong way on an Interstate 229 exit causing a deadly crash in
downtown St. Joseph will spend four months of shock time in the Buchanan County
Jail.

Buchanan County
Circuit Judge Dan Kellogg sentenced Katherine Deweese in the wrong-way crash
last May that killed 33-year-old motorcyclist, Ryan Coffman.

Deweese, found
guilty of second-degree involuntary manslaughter, is prohibited from drinking
or going to bars, must submit to regular substance abuse testing, and can only
drive with an alcohol ignition interlock device. Deweese also must perform 250
hours of community service.

Deweese claimed in
court she didn’t see the wrong-way signs when she took the I-229 exit ramp at
Edmond and South Third Streets crashing into Coffman’s motorcycle in the early
morning hours of May 17th of last year.

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

St. Joseph woman, convicted in deadly wrong-way crash, gets jail time

This is your
invitation to join Eagle Media News Director, Brent Martin, in August for great,
guided walleye fishing.

We leave early on
Sunday, August 10th, from St. Joseph and travel to beautiful Lake of
the Woods in Minnesota for three days of fishing, all with expert guides who
know the lake and, more importantly, know the fish!

Ballard’s Resort is
famous for saying all you need to bring is your toothbrush. That’s just the
resort’s way of saying, they provide everything. Just get on the bus and get
ready to fish. Boats are provided. Gear is provided. Ballard’s will even feed
you. All you have to do is provide the fish stories! And there will be plenty
of those!

Join Brent Martin
August 10th through the 14th at Ballard’s Resort at
beautiful Lake of the Woods. Register by May 1st for the full
discount.

Go to <a href="https://ballardsresort.com/">Ballardresort.com</a>
or call 1.800.776.2675 for all
the details and to book your reservation.

Join Eagle Radio's Brent Martin for walleye fishing at Lake of the Woods

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/hannahtaylor/">Hannah Taylor</a>

Disagreement over two competing versions of legislation designed to “protect ideological perspectives” in college campus-based organizations surfaced during a Senate committee hearing Wednesday.

Both bills were created to prohibit public institutions taking “adverse action” against belief-based organizations. As defined in the bills text, belief-based organizations are, “any political or ideological student association or any religious student association.”

“There is not a single student association in existence that is not protected by this bill,” said state Rep. Darin Chappell, a Republican from Rogersvilleand sponsor of the bill. “This bill just simply says that freedom of association is one of the premier fundamental rights of this country, and you do not lose that simply because you enrolled in a higher institution.”

But critics say Chappell’s bill could force schools to support groups that discriminate against students who weren’t allowed to join such groups, such as LGBTQ+ students who could be prohibited from joining certain religious-based groups. They prefer a Senate version of the bill that includes an anti-discriminatory provision.

Both bills prohibit enforcing any policy that denies certain “benefits” to these organizations that are readily available to other student associations.

“Benefits,” as described in the bill, are any type of recognition, registration, use of facilities for meetings or speaking purposes, communication channels that are sanctioned by a public institution of higher learning, other assistance and aid.

The House approved the bill in late February with a vote of 108-47.

Most of the discussion Wednesday centered around the protection of free speech and funding these organizations with student fees.

“We’re not discriminating against anyone,” said state Sen. Brad Hudson, a Republican from Cape Fair. “We’re wanting everyone to have equal protection under the First Amendment as it should be.”

Sharon Jones, who testified in opposition on behalf of the Missouri NAACP State Conference, requested the committee look at the language added to the Senate version of the legislation. It is an anti-discriminatory clause stating that if there is evidence that an organization’s viewpoint would cause campus disruption or “interfere with the rights of others,” the protections would not apply.

If included, Jones said it would, “make us neutral on the bill.”

That sentiment was shared among other witnesses who testified in opposition Wednesday.

“It’s something we think balances the needs of all groups on campus and doesn’t do anything to impact the underlying intent of the two bills,” Jones said.

Another concern brought up by those in opposition was that leadership in university-sanctioned student groups could be restricted to leaders who shared the ideology of those groups.

Chappell said this bill doesn’t mean students “can’t choose their leaders.”

“It means that students cannot be compelled by the university to choose leaders that do not represent their views and desires,” Chappell said. “Not just in religion, but politically, economically (and) sociologically.”

This story originally appeared in the<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/questions-of-discrimination-raised-over-bill-focused-on-university-campus-groups/article_baa7c3ce-f2f8-4d31-9c15-f8e8a0aa6d0e.html#tncms-source=topstory" target="_blank">&nbsp;Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

Questions of discrimination raised over Missouri bill focused on campus groups

ATCHISON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement are investigating alleged sex crimes involving a teen suspect.

On Wednesday, police arrested a&nbsp;17-year-old boy on a District Court warrant for unlawful voluntary sexual relations and sexual exploitation of a child, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson. The teen is being held in a juvenile detention facility.&nbsp; &nbsp;Wilson released no additional details.

Teen accused of child sex crimes

A search warrant executed by the Buchanan County Special Operations Unit earlier this month resulted in the arrest of three individuals.  

The Buchanan County Special Operations Unit along with the St. Joseph Police Department's Special Response Team executed a search warrant on April 18th at 144 Turner Road pursuing an ongoing investigation into stolen property, illegal drugs, and weapons.  

While searching the home, officers found methamphetamine, prohibited weapons, as well as two stolen motorcycles, one stolen ATV, one stolen pickup, a stolen flatbed trailer along with a motor and transmission.  

A 51-year-old male, a 36-year-old male, and a 38-year-old female were arrested at the scene, the identities have not been released with the investigation ongoing.   

St. Joseph search warrant results in arrest of three

Area voters,
interested citizens, anyone who wants to know more about their local government
are invited to a community forum Friday in St. Joseph.

The League of
Women Voters of Northwest Missouri will host the forum at the Upper Story Room
at the Rolling Hills Library on North Belt Highway, beginning at 5:30 Friday
evening.

Sharon Kosek with
the League says this is one in a planned series of community forums.

“Well, our hope as
the League of Women Voters group, is for more people to be informed within our
St. Joseph, Buchanan County, and surrounding area,” Kosek tells KFEQmmunity. “We
want folks to know what’s going on. If they have questions, to ask those
questions. We want people to be more in touch with their leaders.”

The forum Friday will
feature St. Joseph state Rep. Bill Falkner, Buchanan County Presiding
Commissioner Scott Nelson, and Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett.

Kosek says those
with the League of Women Voters hopes that such forums stir more interest among
citizens and motivate them to vote.

“And we certainly
would like to have that percentage increase,” Kosek says referring to the low
voter turnout percentages from recent elections. “And the more comfortable or
familiar people are with issues or what’s going on, we think they’re more
likely to vote and be inquisitive about what is happening.”

Kosek says
questions will be taken from the audience.

“As well as I
always bring a few questions of current events or things that are going on that
people are probably interested in in order to get people into that arena or
thinking, ‘Okay, I never thought about that. Maybe I should ask a question
about that.’”

Kosek says such
community forums can give citizens a better perspective on issues.

“You might hear a
snippet of this and a snippet of that, but you don’t have the whole story,”
Kosek says. “And it’s so important to listen to that entire story or more of
the story than what you just heard from maybe your next door neighbor or
somebody else that might be concerned or upset, because there’s always the
other side to the story. There’s never just not one.”

The community forum
will run from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. It will be held in the Upper Story Room of the
Rolling Hills Library on the North Belt Highway. The League also will be
registering people to vote.

Community forum gives St. Joseph folks chance to ask questions of leaders

The St. Louis Cardinals narrowly escaped, but held on to top the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Friday night in the opener of the three game series against their NL Central rivals.&nbsp;

The Cardinals scored first in the bottom of the fourth inning.&nbsp; Brendan Donovan led the inning off with a walk and advanced to third base in the next at bat on a single by Nolan Arenado.&nbsp; Nolan Gorman pushed Donovan across to score on a deep fly ball to right field that was caught by Jackson Chourio, taking the 1-0 lead on the sacrifice fly.&nbsp;

Two more runs scored in the fifth for the Redbirds, the first coming thanks to the speed of Masyn Winn.&nbsp; Winn singled after Victor Scott II flew out to start the inning, and then stole second base with Lars Nootbaar at the plate, advancing to third on a fielding error by Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz.&nbsp; Nootbaar singled to drive in Winn extending the lead.&nbsp; After Willson Contreras doubled, advancing Nootbaar to third, Donovan hit a single to score Nootbaar, pushing the Cardinals lead to 3-0.&nbsp;

The Brewers narrowed the lead, scoring their runs in the sixth and seventh innings.&nbsp; In the sixth, with two outs Chuorio doubled into center field with two outs, before scoring on a single by Christian Yelich.&nbsp; Then, in the seventh, Sal Frelick led the inning off with a double, chasing Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore from the game and bringing Kyle Leahy on.&nbsp; With the bases loaded, after a single by Rhys Hoskins and a walk to&nbsp;Isaac Collins, a ground out by Jake Bauers scored Frelick.&nbsp;

Liberatore earned the win in the game, improving to 2-2 on the season, pitching six innings and giving up two runs, just one earned, on five hits and striking out four.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley notched his fourth save, giving up just one hit in the ninth inning.&nbsp; At the plate, Nootbaar (2-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB) and Donovan (2-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB) led the way.&nbsp;

St. Louis and Milwaukee continue their series tomorrow at Busch Stadium.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (3-0, 3.41 ERA) starts for the Cardinals against&nbsp;Quinn Priester (1-0, 1.93 ERA) for the Brewers.&nbsp; First pitch is at 1:15pm, pregame coverage will be joined at 1:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).

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

Cardinals hold on for series opening win over NL Central rival Brewers 3-2

With the final pick traded to the Chicago Bears as part of the Bryce Young trade, with the 39th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft the Bears selected Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III.&nbsp;

Burden was a three-year starter at Missouri, working primarily in the slot for the Tigers, and a two-time first-team All-SEC selection (in 2023 and 2024). In 12 games last season, he caught 61 passes for 676 yards and six touchdowns, while adding 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In Missouri’s early-season win over Boston College, Burden had a season-high 117 yards on six catches and a touchdown.

As a sophomore in 2023, Burden had his most productive season as he topped 100 yards in six games, totaled 86 receptions for 1,212 yards, 14.1 yards per reception and nine touchdowns. That performance earned him a second-team All-America selection from the Associated Press, and he was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award (given to the most outstanding receiver in college football). 

For his three-year college career, Burden tallied 192 receptions for 2,263 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns — 21 of which were receiving TDs. He was the third-highest rated wideout — behind Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan and Texas’ Matthew Golden — on The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler’s big board.

LBIII should fit well into the Bears offense.&nbsp;&nbsp;Chicago got their slot receiver to complement Rome Odunze and DJ Moore. In 2024, 85.3 percent of Burden’s snaps came from the slot. New Bears head coach Ben Johnson had a ton of success with Amon-Ra St. Brown as the slot receiver in Detroit. While those are lofty expectations to put on Burden, it’s a sign of how Johnson can try to incorporate him in the offense to help quarterback Caleb Williams.&nbsp;

Missouri WR Luther Burden III selected on day two with pick 39 by Chicago Bears

The Kansas City Chiefs traded pick 31 to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for pick 32, and chose Ohio State offensive lineman Josh Simmons as the final pick of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.&nbsp;

Simmons was projected as a potential top 10 pick coming into this year, before suffering a season ending injury against Oregon.&nbsp; Regardless of the injury, Simmons was one of the more popular mocked players to get drafted by the Chiefs to help solidify their offensive line.&nbsp;

Simmons spent the past two seasons as the Buckeyes’ starting left tackle after transferring from San Diego State, where he played on the opposite end of the line.&nbsp; He was limited to just six games during Ohio State’s national championship-winning season due to a knee injury suffered in his team’s 32-31 loss to Oregon in October.

Simmons, however, participated in the Buckeyes’ pro day and posted 33 reps on the bench press, which would’ve been tied for the most at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Head Coach Andy Reid says Simmons could have been a top five or ten pick had he been healthy.

"We felt was a phenomenal athlete...would have been a higher pick if he would not have been hurt," Reid says.

Reid also adds it's unknown if Simmons will participate in the rookie minicamp, but he should be available soon after.

"He will definitely be ready for training camp," Reid said. "He'll be able to do stuff before then."

Kansas City signed Jaylon Moore this offseason to help out at the left tackle position, so Simmons is most likely to compete with him if he is able to play this season after the knee injury.&nbsp;&nbsp;Moore was the backup to Trent Williams in San Francisco and looked solid in a handful of late-season starts for the 49ers. But the small sample size doesn't engender confidence for some fans, and it's hard to know the level of belief in Moore from the team's front office.

The Chiefs have seven additional picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including three picks on Day 2 on Friday. In round two, Kansas City holds the 63rd overall pick, and in round three, the franchise holds both the 66th overall pick and the 95th overall pick.

Additionally, the Chiefs hold the 133rd overall pick in the fourth round, as well as the 164th pick from the Eagles. They also hold three picks in the seventh round of the draft. Kansas City holds the 226th overall pick, the 251st overall pick, and the 257th overall pick in the back half of the NFL Draft.

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

Chiefs close out first round of NFL Draft by selecting Ohio State OL Josh Simmons

For the second time in as many years, the New York Jets used their first round pick to bolster their offensive line and looked to the University of Missouri to do it.&nbsp;

Mizzou offensive lineman Armand Membou was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night by the Jets.&nbsp; Being picked seventh overall ties Membou for the second highest pick in the draft, tied with Aldon Smith who was drafted seventh overall by the San Fransisco 49ers in 2011.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Measuring in at a powerful albeit slightly undersized 6-foot-4 and 332 pounds with 33-and-a-half inch arms at the NFL Combine, Membou is an athletic freak, running a 4.91 40-yard dash with a 34-inch vertical. What he may lack in height, Membou makes up for with quickness, agility, and excellent hand usage.

While the Jets will likely say there is an open competition, it’s fair to assume that the team will want to plug Membou in at right tackle right away. With Tyron Smith retiring and Morgan Moses gone, it’s time for a youth movement at both tackle spots — and last year’s first-round pick Olu Fashanu on the left and Membou on the right could make up a very talented pair of bookend tackles for years to come in New York.

On paper, a starting offensive line of Fashanu, John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Membou, from left to right, would give the Jets a very talented, and relatively young, offensive line, which could be exactly what the doctor ordered for Justin Fields as he learns a new offense.

Mizzou OL Armand Membou selected 7th overall by New York Jets

The Kansas City Royals achieved their first series sweep of the season, beating the Colorado Rockies in both games of Thursday's doubleheader, winning game one 7-4 and game two 6-2.

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