The Dance Arts Center celebrates 40 years of teaching dance to students this weekend at the historic Missouri Theatre.  

During its annual dance recital, on Friday and Saturday, the studio will celebrate its 40th season, welcoming back several alumni during the final performances of the weekend.  

Owner Marla Heeler, whose owned the studio for 21 years, says it's amazing it's been 40 years and adds that even now things feel like they did when she was a student 

"When we go to the Missouri Theatre, Frank Pollock is still there, and Frank Pollock was there when I was a kid and I love him so much, and I love the theatre so much," Heeler says on the KFEQmunnity show.  "And there are smells people talk about, and when you walk in the theatre in the spring, you know it's recital, and I still have that same excitement of going in the theatre and getting it ready and watching the kids come in." 

Heeler took over the studio in 2004, from founder Lynn Fankhauser, who opened the studio in 1984.   

Heeler says she believes the legacy of the studio is teaching students to be good humans, more than good dancers 

"Being involved in the community, trying to make a difference, trying to teach kids that it's ok to have hard conversations," Heeler explains. 

Heeler says it's also the value of teaching students the value of hard work, and persistence, with students practicing nine months before ever performing 

"Not many things in life do you still have to wait that long for it seems like in this instant gratification world, and I'm so proud of instilling that discipline in them and being a part of their life and all that," Heeler says. 

A free performance will be held on Friday at the Missouri Theatre at 6:30, featuring Dance Arts high school seniors among others.  

On Saturday, three performances will be held at the theatre, at 10am, 2pm, and 6pm.   

Several alumni will perform during the final performance of the weekend, kicking off the show with the performance 'Legacy in Motion: 40 years of Dance'  

Heeler, an alumnus herself who will perform, says she was blown away by how many former students signed up to come back 

"I believe that as of right now, like 60 to 70 have responded that they will be coming back, which I think is amazing, and I'm so excited," Heeler says.  "We'll have a rehearsal after the 10'o clock show actually at the theatre on Saturday, and I hope we actually get time to rehearse because I'm just so excited to get to see them all." 

Tickets are still available and can be purchased online or at the doors of the Missouri Theatre. 

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

Dance Arts Center celebrating 40 years in St. Joseph

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

Corn, soybeans, and wheat markets closed higher Wednesday amid technical support as well as trade optimism as the U.S. enters a busy second half of the week with trade talks taking place Wednesday with European Union representatives in Paris and President Trump reportedly scheduled to speak on the phone with China's President Xi on Friday. Macro markets were more on edge for Wednesday, with the U.S. Dollar Index continuing to drift lower and back amongst its lowest level since late April amid tariff concerns, a move which has likely offered some support to Ag futures especially wheat prices. Equity markets for Wednesday were mostly steady, while energy markets were mixed with NYMEX crude oil futures correcting lower after hitting chart resistance near $64 per barrel, a level that has kept prices in check on multiple tests since mid-April as OPEC+ production concerns linger over the market.

The live cattle complex traded higher into Wednesday's closing bell as the market is hopeful that fundamental support will arise later this week, but currently, no cash cattle trade has developed and boxed beef prices are mixed. More than anything, traders are merely keeping the contracts steady in their current sideways trading range until they have a better idea of what the cash market is going to do this week. Asking prices are noted in the South at $226, but otherwise the market is still silent otherwise.

The feeder cattle complex was again following in the live cattle market's direction as all are hopeful that traders will later in the week find the fundamental support that they're hopeful to see, but at this point, it's still too early in the week to know. Demand in the countryside has been strong again this week other than feeders weighing 600 to 700 pounds as grass buyers have largely fulfilled their needs already for the week.

With the help of strong cash prices and a slight improvement in consumer demand, the lean hog complex once again traded higher on Wednesday's session. The biggest help this morning in regard to pork demand was the $3.80 increase in the belly.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/06/04144945/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

Commodity markets daily recap

Thousands of FFA members from across the U.S. will be in Washington, D.C., June 3-July 11. The Washington Leadership Conference offers five week-long blocks that students can choose from. The premier leadership experience for more than 1,600 high school students exposes them to the rich history of the nation’s capital. WLC, which has been taking place for more than 50 years, inspires FFA members to become changemakers in their communities. 

A key aspect of the conference is for the students to learn how to advocate for agriculture and agricultural education, and this is accomplished through congressional visits and meeting in person with their state representatives and senators. Each day of the conference focuses on a different principle taught in the context of the nation’s capital, including exploration, encouragement, advocacy, and service. At the end of the week, attendees leave with a Living to Serve plan they can implement in their communities.

FFA members attend Washington Leadership Conference

Purdue University researchers have developed an innovative, paper-based diagnostic test for rapidly detecting avian influenza. The novel test addresses the urgent need for an efficient and cost-effective surveillance tool to combat the global threat posed by avian influenza viruses. The test is suitable for use in field settings, including areas with limited access to advanced laboratory facilities. A key advantage of the test is its potential use across a variety of species. 

It works by using an oral or nasal swab and then transferring the sample to paper-based devices. The test should work across different livestock species like poultry and dairy animals, wildlife like birds and rodents, and even humans. The role of avian flu is contributing to the higher cost of eggs due to the falling levels of supplies in the country. Other factors add to the costs, including rigorous and expensive protection measures for enhanced sanitation on farms. 

Purdue researchers develop a new avian influenza test

DETROIT&nbsp;– Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.

Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division and Marty C. Raybon, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The FBI arrested Jian in connection with allegations related to Jian’s and Liu’s smuggling into America a fungus called Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon. This noxious fungus causes “head blight,” a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year. Fusarium graminearum’s toxins cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock.

According to the complaint, Jian received Chinese government funding for her work on this pathogen in China. The complaint also alleges that Jian’s electronics contain information describing her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. It is further alleged that Jian’s boyfriend, Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen and that he first lied but then admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into America—through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport—so that he could conduct research on it at the laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked.

United States Attorney Gorgon stated: “The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns. These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.”

“The federal charges announced today against Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, both residents of the People’s Republic of China, signify a crucial advancement in our efforts to safeguard our communities and uphold national security,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety. Thanks to the exceptional investigative efforts of the FBI Detroit Counterintelligence Task Force, in close cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations these dangerous activities have been effectively halted. The FBI remains resolutely committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to protect the residents of Michigan and defend the United States against such grave threats.”

U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon stated, “Today’s criminal charges levied upon Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu are indicative of CBP’s critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate our agricultural economy and cause harm to humans; especially when it involves a researcher from a major university attempting to clandestinely bring potentially harmful biological materials into the United States. This was a complex investigation involving CBP offices from across the country, alongside our federal partners. I’m grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders remain secure from all types of threats while safeguarding America’s national security interests.”

Jian will be appearing this afternoon in federal court in Detroit for her initial appearance on the complaint.

A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.

The FBI and CBP are investigating this case.

Chinese couple charged with smuggling biological pathogen into the U.S.

July corn closed up 1/4 cents and December corn was up 2 3/4 cents. July soybeans closed up 7 1/4 cents and November soybeans were up 4 1/2 cents. July KC wheat closed down 3 cents, July Chicago wheat was down 3 cents, July Minneapolis wheat was down 9 1/4 cents.

Corn and soybean markets found technical support Tuesday after sinking back to multi-week lows amid ongoing rainfall across the U.S. grain belt and few perceived "big" issues with spring planted crops thus far. Wheat prices corrected following a string of sessions higher as the Black Sea spark from Ukraine's weekend drone bombing campaign has faded, and improved overall crop conditions through the past week also pressured prices for Tuesday. Outside markets were mixed with the U.S. dollar rebounding from the weekend's trade anxiety, while energy markets were again mostly higher. NYMEX crude oil futures are working toward their highest close in three weeks currently.

Following last week's dynamic trade, the live cattle complex is continued to rally early today as traders believe that the momentum that fueled last week's market will sustain into this week's marketplace. That optimistic view faded after the noon hour and the complex ended red across the board. Asking prices are noted in Texas at $226 but otherwise, the fed cash cattle market hasn't had any other asking prices or bids develop.

The feeder cattle complex was again pleased to be trading higher as the market is grateful to see the added support of the live cattle contract's higher trend. However, the momentum come to a close and finished the day lower across the board. The market's resistance threshold is around $305 in the spot August contract, so the market has some upward room to trade after this pressure from a technical sense.

The lean hog complex was mixed bag as futures contracts are trading on both sides of steady. There hasn't been enough trade in the cash market for prices to even be reported, and pork cutout values were a tick lower. Pork cutout values are trending mostly lower as the only cut that was printing higher at the noon hour was the rib, which is up just $0.70.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/06/03140727/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

The 2025 annual survey of cash rental rates for Iowa farmland shows that rates decreased, on average, by 2.9 percent in 2025 to $271 per acre. It’s the first decline in cash rents since 2019, after a peak of $279 per acre during the previous two years of the survey. Crop reporting districts saw different results in cash rents, ranging from a drop of 6.9 percent in South Central Iowa to an increase of 2.8 percent in Southeast Iowa.

There was considerable variability across the counties in year-to-year changes, as is typical of survey data. A total of 68 of Iowa’s 99 counties reported decreases in average rents for corn and soybean acres. High-quality land experienced a decrease of 3.4 percent, from $328 an acre last year to $317 in 2025. Medium-quality land dropped 2.5 percent to $271 in 2025, while low-quality land experienced a three percent decrease to $225 per acre.

Iowa cash rents drop in 2025

The U.S. has churned out record levels of ethanol since late 2024, largely due to a rise in exports and steady domestic demand. But Reuters said output has dropped from record levels during the last two weeks, which coincides with the buildup of the summer driving season. The U.S. does have large stockpiles of ethanol that can offset some of the lower production levels in the short term. 

Exports and domestic travel trends will have to be watched in the coming weeks and months when fuel demand typically hits its highest point of the year. During the last four weeks ending on May 23, America’s ethanol production averaged about 1.026 million barrels per day. That’s the best for the period in the last six years but behind the levels of six and seven years ago. U.S. gasoline demand hasn’t been as impressive, with rates similar to year-ago levels.

Record ethanol production slows ahead of Summer driving

The Des Moines region is now home to the first above-ground B99 fueling pump, an action that was celebrated Thursday morning by leaders in the biofuels, trucking, and soybean industries. 

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the new pump, which allows certain semi-trucks to fill up with a 99% biodiesel blended fuel, shows a completion of the ag supply chain, from the field to the biofuel refineries and now into a truck. 

"Every time I see this, or think of an infrastructure investment, I just know that that’s more demand pulling through, and what that ultimately means is more demand for the things that we grow, "Naig said. "It adds value every single step throughout the chain. "

The pump is located at a Pilot fuel station in Urbandale, near the intersection of Douglas Avenue and Interstate 35, and for now will be used primarily by PepsiCo trucks which are equipped to utilize the fuel.

Iowa opens first of its kind biodiesel pump in Urbandale

A federal court ruled Wednesday that an emergency law does not provide President Trump with unilateral authority to impose tariffs on nearly every country. 

The interruption was short-lived after a federal appeals court granted the Trump administration’s request to temporarily pause a lower-court ruling. A federal appeals court has now granted the Trump administration’s request to temporarily pause the Wednesday lower-court ruling that declared an emergency law does not provide President Trump with unilateral authority to impose tariffs on nearly every country — a decision that would have blocked reciprocal tariff announcements dating back to February. 

The original ruling was issued by a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade. The judges said the sweeping tariffs and other global levies imposed under the International Emergency Economic Power Act were unlawful, which invalidates President Trump’s April 2 reciprocal tariff order. 

That order included 30% tariffs on Chinese imports, 25% tariffs on select goods from Mexico and Canada, as well as a blanket 10% tariff on most imported goods.

Trump’s aggressive trade agenda is back on

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the release of congressionally-mandated Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) payments to cover grazing losses due to eligible drought or wildfire events in 2023 and/or 2024. 

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is leveraging existing Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) data to streamline payment calculations and expedite relief. Emergency relief payments are automatically issued for producers who have an approved LFP application on file for 2023 and/or 2024, and they do not have to contact USDA to receive payments. 

The Department of Agriculture is stepping up to support livestock producers by expediting disaster payments when drought and wildfires strike. On May 7, it launched its 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance public landing page where the status of USDA disaster assistance and block grant rollout timeline can be tracked. 

The page is updated regularly and accessible through fsa.usda.gov.

USDA to provide $1 Billion to livestock producers impacted by drought or wildfire

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

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>

The three bills ready for action in the special session called by Gov. Mike Kehoe face a fractured Senate. The test comes Wednesday with leaders needing to quiet GOP factions and Democratic distrust

The first two days of the special legislative session&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/27/missouri-governor-calls-special-session-for-kansas-city-stadiums-st-louis-disaster-funding/">called by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe</a>&nbsp;to allocate state money for Kansas City sports stadiums, disaster recovery and unfinished spending bills have gone as well as could be expected.

The Missouri Senate is poised for Wednesday debates on all the legislation Kehoe wants passed. And that’s when the legislation will move from friendly committees to a chamber compromised by clear Republican factional lines and simmering Democratic anger.

Some of the potential problems could be solved by which bills go first. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=E1&amp;BillID=18267450" target="_blank">simplest bill</a>&nbsp;would alter the rules governing the&nbsp;<a href="https://mhdc.com/programs/community-programs/missouri-housing-trust-fund-mhtf/" target="_blank">Missouri Housing Trust Fund</a>&nbsp;so it could use $25 million included in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/pdf-bill/E1/intro/SB1.pdf" target="_blank">an appropriations bill</a>&nbsp;to fund home repairs and other assistance in areas hit by natural disasters this year.

The biggest gripes about that plan is that the money is too little and spread too thin — federal disaster declarations have been sought for 37 counties so far this year — to do a lot of good. The biggest disaster of the year, and one that has yet to receive a presidential directive allowing federal aid, is a May 16 tornado that carved a 22-mile path across the St. Louis region, damaging or destroying 16,000 structures including hundreds of old brick homes in North St. Louis.

People are sleeping in cars to protect their damaged property while they work to rebuild and wait for help, said state Sen. Brian Wililams, a University City Democrat.

“I’m having a severe challenge with even entertaining this, because I don’t know how anyone would be able to go back home and look at their neighbors,” Williams said.

The bill with the biggest obstacles would use tax money collected from the economic activity at Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City to finance renovated or new stadiums. The bill is estimated to divert almost $1.5 billion from state revenues over 30 years.

State Sen. Kurtis Gregory, a Marshall Republican and a former NFL player, is sponsoring the bill. The damage it will do to Missouri’s national image to lose one or both teams, especially the Chiefs, is as important as the transfer of the economic value to Kansas, Gregory said during a hearing of the Senate Fiscal Review Committee.

Kansas is offering to pay 70% of the cost for new stadiums, an offer that is “very viable,” Gregory said, and must be answered by the end of the month.

“I firmly believe these are Missouri’s teams, and if Missouri doesn’t have an offer on the table for the teams to even consider, that will speak for itself and how we view then what they bring to our state and our economy,” Gregory said.

Lobbyists for the teams would not commit to staying in Missouri if the legislation is passed. That, said state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, is hard to take for residents of eastern Missouri who remember that Chiefs owner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/chiefs-plan-to-market-team-in-st-louis-following-rams-move" target="_blank">Clark Hunt supported</a>&nbsp;moving the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles.

“There was a real begrudgement about whether we were going to root for the Chiefs after the ownership team voted to remove the Rams from this from our side of the state,” said Coleman, a Republican from Arnold.

Along with the stadium financing, Gregory’s bill includes expanded tax credits for major amateur sporting events and a tax credit of up $5,000 for insurance deductibles paid as a result of disaster damage.

The bill where Kehoe’s plan could make its biggest political gains is the spending bill. It is mirrored on a construction spending package that the Missouri House&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/09/missouri-house-republicans-surprise-senate-by-killing-500-million-construction-bill/">refused to consider</a>&nbsp;for a final vote during the regular session.&nbsp;

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved two versions Tuesday. One, based on Kehoe’s requests, has all the non-general revenue items but only $50 million of the more than $300 million in general revenue spending.

Kehoe said he left out the general revenue items because he is concerned about the trend of little growth in state revenues. He cut in half a line item to support a new research reactor at the University of Missouri, leaving $25 million and using the other half for the disaster relief funding.

Some lawmakers have called the cut a broken promise to the university. University President Mun Choi, who attended the hearing on the spending bill, said he is happy with the $25 million and the remaining funds will be welcome next year as the multi-year project progresses.

“I am not upset at all,” Choi said. “I am grateful that the governor and the legislature are considering supporting this very important project here today. There are many other competing interests, especially with the disaster relief in St. Louis, and I really feel for the St. Louisians that are affected.”

The other version of the bill is exactly the same as the bill the House spiked. It includes more than&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/20/missouri-special-session-may-provide-new-life-for-500-million-budget-bill/">60 projects added by lawmakers,</a>&nbsp;with money to rebuild a sheltered workshop that burned in December and provided needed upgrades at eight hospitals around the state.

While many members worried about disaster recovery or the earmarked projects have said they are ready to consider the stadium legislation after those bills are finished, the members of the Missouri Freedom Caucus who have signaled they oppose stadium funding are against it as a government subsidy to wealthy owners.

During testimony against the bill, Patrick Tuohey, a senior fellow at the Show Me Institute, summed up why conservatives oppose the bill.

“What’s happening here is that the teams want to use Kansas, and want to use fear of losing the teams, to vacuum up as much state subsidies as they can,” said Touhey, who&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/02/before-doling-out-subsidies-missouri-should-insist-john-sherman-and-clark-hunt-testify/">wrote an op-ed</a>&nbsp;about the issue published by The Independent earlier this week. “And then they are going to come to Jackson County and Clay County and do exactly the same thing, pit them against each other, and try to vacuum up as much public subsidies from taxpayers as possible,”

Stadium funding, disaster aid set to be debated by divided Missouri Senate

A new class for the St. Joseph Sports Hall of Fame is ready to be enshrined.   

Nine individuals, one team, and one Special Olympics athlete of the year make up the 2025 class for the St. Joseph Sports Hall of Fame. 

St. Joseph Sports Commission Director Brett Esely says every year when the class is brought to him, all he can say is wow 

"Every year our class has great depth, meaning it touches all areas of sport," Esely tells a crowd gathered at the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau.  "And this year we induct our first men's tennis player, we induct our first power lifter, we have two NFL football players in this class, we have a legendary coach in this class, we touch sports broadcasting in this class." 

Esely says while a lot of boxes were checked this year, there are still some areas that can be covered in the hall.  He points out the nominations cover a broad range, because it's not just about the athletes. 

"You have coaches, you have administrators, you have contributors, you have members of the media, you have sports medicine personnel, you have other categories," Esely explains.  "So, we have never received a nomination that didn't fit a category, and so we've checked a lot of boxes, there's still a number of boxes to check and we look forward to doing that." 

Esely says each class has its own personality, and each is made up of elite athletes on the court, but also excelled outside their sport, helping and mentoring people 

"I think that's indicative of a lot of our classes, a lot of people in our classes, but when I look at this class especially, not only knowing some of these folks historically, but just knowing a little bit about them, that's what this class says to me," Esely says.  "Is elite in what they did, but elite off the course, court, ring, in what they did as well." 

The class features NFL players, sports broadcasters, coaches, and a men's softball star among the nine individuals that were chosen.  One area team will also be enshrined, as well as a Special Olympics Athlete of the Year. The 2025 Hall of Fame class includes:  

Bob Boyles – Seven Time AAU Powerlifting Champion/Personal Trainer 

Mike Habermehl – PGA Club Professional/Instructor/MWSU Golf Coach 

Elijah Lee – Kansas State Football/National Football League 

Chris Miljavac – Men’s Fastpitch Softball Star 

Bob Orf – Radio Broadcasting Personality/Voice of Missouri Western Athletics 

Justin Thornton – Multisport Central High School Star/University of Kansas Football 

Adam Selkirk – Three-time Missouri State High School Tennis Champion 

Don Tabor – Bishop LeBlond/Benton High School Football Coaching Legend 

1977 Bishop LeBlond Boys Basketball State Champions 

Chris Ringot – Special Olympics Area Athlete of the Year

The Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony will be held August 24th at Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center.   

A limited number of tickets for the event will go on sale later this month for $25 per person and may be purchased at <a href="http://stjomosports.com">stjomosports.com</a>.

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

2025 St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame Class announced

A veteran
legislative reporter says a decision at the end of the Missouri legislature’s
regular session could cast a long shadow on the special session that is underway
in Jefferson City.

Missourinet News
Director, Alisa Nelson, says the decision by House Budget Committee chair, Dirk
Deaton of Seneca, to kill House Bill 19, the $513 million capital improvement
bill, set a sour tone that just might carry over.

“I mean the session
was going so well until that point,” Nelson tells KFEQmmunity. “I mean in terms
of the personalities and the dynamics and things and all the different
lawmakers working together in a pretty bipartisan fashion to some degree. It
was going so well until then and then it just really went downhill after that.”

Nelson says
tension built in the Missouri Senate even further when the House approved a tax
incentive package for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals just after killing the
capital improvement bill. Several senators questioned why House leadership
could kill a bill funding capital improvements throughout the state, claiming
the state needed to be careful about spending, then turn around and approve tax
breaks for the two professional sports teams.

Then, Senate
Republicans picked up a rarely used parliamentary procedure to cut off debate
and force a vote on two controversial issues – sending the abortion issue back
to voters and removing paid sick leave provisions from the voter-approved
minimum wage law. The move further angered Senate Democrats.

The Senate
adjourned two days early. The House adjourned a day early.

Nelson points to
the decision by Deaton to bypass HB 19 and not bring it to a vote as the
turning point. She says Deaton’s decision to kill the capital improvement
package took nearly everyone by surprise and angered many.

“So, there was definitely
some bad blood that occurred because of the timing of all of this and I think
that bad blood and that friction and all of that will spill over into this
special session.”

Nelson says Gov. Mike
Kehoe must find a way to cut through that tension and bring the legislature
back together if he is to steer the Chiefs/Royals incentives through the
General Assembly.

The special
session will also consider a much scaled down version of HB 19 along with tax breaks
for St. Louis area homeowners who suffered property damage during recent severe
storms.

One decision sent the Missouri legislative session into tailspin

Gov. Mike Kehoe’s policy director said a new formula for funding public schools should align with levels $300 million behind the legislature’s recommendations

&nbsp;BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

A group of state officials and business leaders tasked by Gov. Mike Kehoe with creating a new formula to fund Missouri’s public schools gathered for the first time on Monday under an expectation that funding should be below what lawmakers approved earlier this year.

Halle Herbert, the governor’s incoming policy director, told the group that Kehoe seeks funding “consistent with what is provided in the state fiscal year 2025 budget.”

Last month, lawmakers signed off on public education funding that was $300 million higher than what the governor recommended.&nbsp;

“A lot of times when you ask a school superintendent, ‘where are the problems?….’ They ask for more money,” Kehoe told the group Monday. “That is not a great answer to me… That can’t always be the answer to every problem.”

Between fiscal year 2025 and 2026, a multiplier in the formula called the “state adequacy target” increased. This number is the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s estimate of proper per-pupil funding and is calculated by looking at top-performing schools in the state’s annual performance reports.

The change was driven by a new iteration of the state’s accountability system, called the Missouri School Improvement Program, which was introduced in 2022 and became more “rigorous” for districts to score high and produced a smaller number of districts that could be deemed top performers.

The program is required by law to be phased in, making fiscal year 2026 the first year with the updated state adequacy target. This change requires an additional $300 million to fully fund the foundation formula.

Kehoe’s proposed budget this January did not include the $300 million increase, and his comments in Monday’s meeting show an intention to tamp down the rising costs of public education.

Kari Monsees, deputy commissioner of financial and administrative services, said part of Kehoe’s intention with calling for a change to the formula comes from the “unpredictability” of the state adequacy target.

State Rep. Ed Lewis, a Republican from Moberly and former educator, pointed out that there was a 12% increase in the multiplier this year — but before now, it had only increased 4% in 16 years.

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/29/missouri-school-boards-request-commission-to-adjust-school-funding-formula-for-inflation/">Superintendents have been asking for a formula that responds to inflation</a>&nbsp;for years, arguing lawmakers “manipulated” the formula to keep funding flat.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/missouri-school-funding-march-2023" target="_blank">study commissioned by the department</a>&nbsp;and released in 2023 concluded that the current formula hurts districts with more low-income students. Multipliers for serving sensitive student groups were “not based on any empirical analysis,” the study determined.

The study recommends looking at other states and the cost associated with desired performance outcomes to determine whether the per-pupil funding is enough.

But Kehoe is seeking financial incentives for high performance.

Monsees said there aren’t many states with performance in school funding formulas and alluded to a lack of information on that model.

The group that met Monday was created by an executive order Kehoe shortly after taking office. He appointed members representing public schools, agriculture, business and charter schools.

One member is to represent “a non-profit organization that works on expanding school choice in Missouri,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/library/reference/orders/2025/eo14" target="_blank">according to the order</a>. Kehoe chose Chris Vas, a senior director with&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/10/nonprofit-near-kansas-city-seeks-to-become-epicenter-of-the-school-choice-movement/">the Herzog Foundation</a>. The foundation “advances K-12 Christian education primarily,” Vas said Monday.

There was some discussion that the formula, which was previously intended to fund public districts, should also be responsible for funding charter schools and vouchers for private education.

Committee member Michael Podgursky, an economics professor at the University of Missouri–Columbia, said there “was an active discussion of interdisciplinary school choice.”

“How do you design a funding mechanism with school choice, which really means thinking about tying it more to kids,” he said.

Podgursky has served as a fellow with various conservative research groups, such as the Fordham Institute and the George W. Bush institute and is a director at the conservative think tank the Show-Me Institute.

The group must come up with recommendations to deliver to the governor by Dec. 1, 2026.

Missouri governor calls for task force to keep state education funding flat

Gov. Mike Kehoe wants a quick session to approve stadium financing, disaster relief and state spending that failed in the regular session. How he satisfies lawmakers demanding more could decide success or failure for the new governor

The opening of the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/27/missouri-governor-calls-special-session-for-kansas-city-stadiums-st-louis-disaster-funding/">legislative special session Monday</a>&nbsp;put partisan and intraparty fights in the Missouri Senate on display as Democrats called for expanded storm relief and Freedom Caucus members called for tax cuts as the price for supporting stadium subsidies.

Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers together just two weeks after they finished work in the regular session to consider a package of tax incentives intended to convince the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals to stay in Missouri.&nbsp;

Kehoe is also asking lawmakers for a $235 million spending bill with $25 million for disaster relief as well as a special tax deduction for the cost of meeting insurance deductibles after a disaster.&nbsp;

The brief opening session didn’t feature any sharp exchanges, but the bills filed — and the statements made about them — show where the battle lines are being drawn.

Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, a Democrat from Affton, told reporters that members of his caucus aren’t willing to talk about stadium funding until an appropriations bill and other disaster relief measures are on Kehoe’s desk.

“When that happens and it’s through the House and on the governor’s desk, then we can talk about it,” Beck said.

Members of the Freedom Caucus said they are holding out for a tax cut that benefits all Missourians before considering a stadium plan, said state Sen. Nick Schroer, a Republican from Defiance.

Schroer filed a bill to cut the top income tax rate to 4% — it is currently 4.7% — and make the tax flat across all incomes.

“​​The members of the Freedom Caucus, plus the other conservative members that are not necessarily in the caucus, they’ve all expressed that whether it’s income tax, personal property tax or real property tax, for us to sit at the table, and allow tax credits for billionaires to move forward, the little guy needs to get something in return,” Schroer said.

The regular session ended in acrimony when Republicans twice invoked a rarely used procedural move to shut off debate. Democrats had blocked a proposed ballot measure to restore Missouri’s ban on most abortions and a bill repealing the paid sick leave law passed by voters in November.

Democrats vowed that the move ended their cooperation with Republicans and gave a taste of what that meant last week when they&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/29/bipartisan-resistance-building-against-missouri-governors-stadium-funding-plan/">stalled the final paperwork</a>&nbsp;of the regular session.

Under the Missouri Constitution, lawmakers have 60 days to complete work on items in a special session and Kehoe has said he won’t try to impose an artificial deadline. Because of the uncertainty of action in the Senate, the Missouri House won’t convene until next week and will only remain in session if the Senate has passed a bill for it to consider.

But the Chiefs and Royals have only until the end of the month to answer an offer from Kansas to fund new stadiums. Kehoe hopes to have his plan for tax incentives worth about 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums to be passed by then.

The plan for the Chiefs and Royals would take tax money already generated from activities at the stadiums — $28.8 million annually as estimated by the Chiefs and $15 million annually by an estimate from the Royals — and commit it to bond payments for 30 years for the new or upgraded facilities.

The economic activity associated with the Chiefs supports 4,500 jobs, Kehoe contends, and a new stadium for the Royals would generate about 8,400 jobs.&nbsp;

The spending bill Kehoe wants passed would use $25 million of general revenue to support a new research reactor on the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus, plus funding for a new livestock display barn at the State Fairgrounds in Sedalia and about $50 million to help with construction of a new mental hospital in Kansas City.

The funding for the reactor is $25 million less than Kehoe proposed. State Sen. Stephen Webber, a Columbia Democrat, introduced an appropriations bill with $75 million for the reactor, plus all the other general revenue projects that died when Missouri House Republicans refused to bring the construction spending bill up for a vote.

“If there is going to be a $25 million variance on agreements made in this chamber, we ought to go $25 million in the other direction,” Webber said.

Webber also introduced a bill imposing a 1% income tax surcharge on incomes greater than $1 million, which he said would bring in about $400 million over three years to support disaster relief.

“There is obviously a belief, among some, that billionaires should be given a sweetheart deal. I would disagree with that,” Webber said. “There is also some concern about whether we can fund disaster relief for some communities in our state that were desperately hit. So what I’ve tried to do is build a bridge between those two issues.”

State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican who chairs the Freedom Caucus, introduced a bill to finance the stadiums entirely from donations. He called it the “No Taxation, All Donation Act” and included incentives for giving.

“So if somebody gives over $10,000 to this stadium, then they are able to obtain free parking to be able to get into that stadium,” Brattin said.

The next step will be to send the bills to committees for hearings. That will happen tomorrow and the first hearings will occur soon afterward.

Senate Majority Leader Tony Luetkemeyer, a Republican from Parkville, seemed happy to have gotten past the first day without a filibuster.

“Today went smoothly,” Luetkemeyer said. “And then we’ll just take it day by day and see where we go from here.”

Missouri special session begins with lawmakers split on stadium funding plan

A community member has stepped up and given the generous gift of free tickets to the St. Joseph Mustangs game on Saturday. 

Mustangs General Manager and Owner Ky Turner says in 2022 an anonymous donor gifted tickets to games, and wanted to do it again this year, donating 500 tickets to the Mustangs. 

Turner says the whole intent behind this is to do something nice, and hopefully have the domino effect, influencing others to go do something nice as well 

"We're very appreciative of the people involved in making this possible, but then we're also very appreciative the people who take the challenge," Turner tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "We heard so many great stories, whether it's just holding the door open for somebody, I think one person said they went to a garage sale and they bought some items for some people who couldn't afford an item and so they did something nice and purchased it for them." 

Turner says when the offer went up on social media, fans were very receptive 

"We surpassed that 500 in under the first hour, and so I actually made a phone call and I haven't made this edit online yet, I just went to the person who made that donation and I said hey this went quicker than what we thought, so they've actually upped their donation of how many tickets they're going to provide," Turner explains. "So, we're kind of reserving that number back so I can just tell them once we get there, and they say ok that's enough." 

Turner says it feels good to be able to use Mustangs baseball as a platform for this. 

"We're so appreciative of the team effort, whether it's the team on the field and playing the game but then the team off the field in our community and just doing nice things there," Turner says.  "It's really neat to use Mustangs baseball as that platform and just the domino effect it can have in our community, and St. Joe is just a wonderful community, it's full of a lot of great people, and I don't think sometimes we realize how awesome St. Joe is and can be." 

You can visit the Mustangs Facebook page to find a link to reserve tickets while they are still available. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Anonymous donor gifts free tickets to St. Joseph Mustangs on Saturday

A longtime punter for the Kansas City Chiefs is ending his career in the city that he started and spent 15 years in as Dustin Colquitt signed a one day contract so he can retire as a Chief.&nbsp;

Colquitt spent the first 15 years of his career in Kansas City from 2005 to 2020. After that, he was signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020-21 season and the Atlanta Falcons in the 2021-22 season. He has been with the Cleveland Browns since the 2021-22 season.

Colquitt was an impactful player during his time in Kansas City, setting several franchise records. He earned Pro Bowl honors twice and was a member of the winning Super Bowl 54 team.&nbsp; He is also a three-time nominee for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, the league's most prestigious honor that recognizes players who make a difference in their community on and off the field.&nbsp;

Colquitt still holds records in KC, including most games played with 238 and career punting average of 44.8 yards.

The Chiefs congratulated Colquitt on his retirement on social media.

Longtime Chiefs punter Colquitt signs one day contract to retire with team

The Kansas City Royals offense already looked different as top prospect Jac Caglianone made his major league debut in St. Louis on Tuesday afternoon, and the Royals battled back and forth with the Cardinals in an offensive duel, winning 10-7

It was an unfortunate debut for Caglianone at the plate, going 0-for-5, batting sixth in the lineup and playing designated hitter.&nbsp; General Manager JJ Picollo said earlier in the day that Caglianone would play DH to become acclimated to the big league level.&nbsp;

The Royals struck first in the game, Jonathan India singling to leadoff the game and then Bobby Witt Jr hitting his seventh home run of the season into the center field stands to give Kansas City a 2-0 lead.&nbsp; Caglianone was left in the on deck circle though in the opening inning as Salvador Perez grounded out to end the inning, three straight outs following the home run.&nbsp;

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