DeKalb County
Presiding Commissioner, Kyle Carroll, says county officials saw no other
recourse than to join a lawsuit against the Missouri Tax Commission to block
its demand to increase the assessments for commercial property in the county.

DeKalb has joined
other counties in filing suit against the commission, asking the judge to block
the commission’s demand that commercial property assessments be increased by 15%.

Carroll says the
timing of the commission’s order is the problem. It leaves no time for appeal
and comes after local taxing entities in the county, such as school districts,
are well into setting their levies for next year, according to Carroll.

“We weren’t saying
to the State Tax Commission, hey, we’re not going to do this,” Carroll tells
KFEQmmunity. “We’re saying, we can’t do this this year without creating all
kinds of chaos.”

DeKalb County has
been joined by Polk, Audrain, Pike, and Reynolds counties in the legal action
against the Missouri Tax Commission. The lawsuit has been filed in Bolivar, the
Polk County seat. Carroll says he believes another county will join the
lawsuit.

Carroll says the
DeKalb County Clerk traveled to Jefferson City to personally lobby for a delay
of its order, which the Tax Commission refused to grant. The Missouri Tax
Commission has ordered counties to bring property valuations within 90-110% of
market rates. The Commission has threatened to withhold state funding from
counties that fail to comply.

The lawsuit
challenges the State Tax Commission’s authority to impose property valuation
adjustments. It charges the directive undermines local control and taxpayer
rights. The counties argue property value assessments should be determined
locally, not by a state mandate.

Carroll says
county officials feel compelled to stand up for those they represent.

“If the State Tax
Commission would just get on a schedule and send out their recommendations and
orders in a timely manner, we wouldn’t probably have this issue,” Caroll says. “So,
I don’t think it’s going to be too hard to resolve. I don’t know how it will go
on the lawsuit, but that’s why we did it.”

Carroll says the
county felt compelled to take legal against the Tax Commission.

“I’m in hopes of a
resolution that will be better for everybody,” Carroll says.&nbsp; “It’s just kind of something we had to do. We
were going to either just comply and put a bunch of our folks in a bad spot or
we could do what we thought we’re supposed to be doing is represent them and
kind of stand up to them (Missouri Tax Commission) a little bit and that’s how
you establish sometimes where the guardrails are.”

The dispute
between the counties and the State Tax Commission has drawn the attention of
the state legislature. The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules held a
hearing in Jefferson City last week during the special legislative session to
review the issue.

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

Officials say timing is issue in DeKalb CO lawsuit against Tax Commission

Programs at the Houlne Center for
Convergent Technology on the Missouri Western State University campus might
soon offer training for workers within the animal health corridor.

Workforce Development Director, Rebecca
Lobina, says the center is working toward offering a bio-manufacturing series.

“That corridor right there has so many
animal health products that are related, everything from creating immunizations
for animals to producing the food that they eat,” Lobina says during a visit to
KFEQmmunity.

St. Joseph is part of the largest animal
health corridor in the world, which includes the area from Kansas State to Iowa
State to the University of Missouri; three major agricultural research
universities. St. Joseph companies such as Nestle Purina, Elanco Animal Health,
and Boehringer Ingelheim all produce animal health products.

Lobina says Missouri Western officials
have been in discussions with executives from those companies.

“These folks are telling us, hey, we need
something for our frontline workers, the production line workers. So that they
have a set amount of skills when they first come in the door,” Lobina says. “So,
that’s what this bio-manufacturing training is.”

The series would fit with the Houlne
Center objective of not just training young people straight out of high school,
but training those already in the workforce who need additional training.
Lobina says the businesses see the need.

“And they’re willing to pay for it for
their people to go through, because they want them to have this training,”
Lobina says.

The Houlne Center is operated jointly by
Missouri Western and North Central Missouri College of Trenton.

Houlne Center contemplates animal health worker training courses

Harrison County Prosecutor,
Michael Wulff of Bethany, has been appointed Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney
by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

Wulff had served as
Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney while practicing privately at the Office
of Michael Wulff. Wulff earlier served as Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for
Harrison County.

Wulff received a
political science degree from the University of Missouri. He received his law
degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.

Harrison County Prosecutor Wulff becomes Putnam County Prosecutor

Missouri Gov. Mike
Kehoe has appointed Christopher Kendall of Farley Platte County Treasurer,
promoting Kendall who had served as interim county treasurer.

Kendall is the pastor
at the Salem Christian Church. Previously, he served as a controller at the International
Charolais Association in Kansas City. He also served as a bank consultant for
Paladin, LLC.

Kendall serves as
a substitute teacher for the West Platte R-II School District in Weston.


Kendall received a degree in accounting from the University of Missouri –
Kansas City. He holds a masters in ministry from Colorado Theological Seminar.

Kendall appointed by Gov. Kehoe as Platte County Treasurer

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

A 33-year-old has
been charged with armed carjacking after allegedly stealing a car Sunday morning
in the 800 block of South 24th Street in St. Joseph.

The suspect,
Devontra Hughes, also faces the possibility of additional charges after
allegedly shooting a man in the hand and fleeing from police before his capture
at a major St. Joseph intersection.

The St. Joseph
Police Department reports the victim said the suspect pointed a gun at him
before driving off with his 2014 Honda Accord shortly before 7:30 Sunday
morning. Later that morning, a disturbance call came in to the St. Joseph Comm
Center. Police say Hughes allegedly shot a man in the hand in the 4500 block
of Orchard Road, then fled in the stolen vehicle.

The car fled to
Andrew County and took off when Savannah police attempted to stop it. The
pursuit ended when the suspect crashed near Frederick Avenue and I-29. Hughes
was taken into custody. Officers located a handgun and a loaded magazine.

Man charged in St. Joseph carjacking; shooting charges pending

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

DAVIESS COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 6p.m. Sunday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Honda Rubicon driven by a 69-year-old Jamesport woman was westbound on private property on 314th Street on mile west of Jamesport.&nbsp; At the vehicle stopped, a 6-year-old passenger hit the accelerator. The driver overcorrected and the ATV overturned the the overturned. The driver and passenger were ejected.

A private vehicle transported the boy to Wright Memorial Hospital. Daviess County ambulance transported the driver to Wright Memorial Hospital

Mo. woman, 6-year-old hospitalized after ATV overturns

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Sunday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Kia 4K driven by a 20-year-old Plattsmouth, Nebraska man was westbound on U.S. 36 approximately three miles north of Ludlow. The driver lost control of the vehicle as he attempted to pass a semi.&nbsp; The car struck a MODOT sign and traveled off the west side of the road.

Livingston County EMS transported to driver to Hedrick Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Driver hospitalized after car strikes MODOT sign

BUCHANAN COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 4p.m. Saturday in Buchanan County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2025 International Straight Truck driven by a 38-year-old Westport, Washington man was northbound on Interstate 29 one mile south of Faucett. The truck crossed the center line, traveled off the west side of the road, returned to the road, crossed the center line again, traveled off the east side of the road, started to skid and overturned.

Buchanan County EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Driver hospitalized in St. Joe after truck overturns

With more than 6,000 open food service job listings and no coordinated plan to address staffing, Kansas City restaurant leaders worry they won’t be ready for the massive influx of World Cup visitors in 2026

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/thomaswhite/">Thomas White</a>

It’s a good idea to make dinner reservations for parties of more than six people. It allows the restaurant to be staffed and prepared for larger-than-usual groups.

Well, FIFA has made a reservation for up to 650,000 visitors to Kansas City for the six World Cup matches played at Arrowhead Stadium in 2026.

As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/sports/2025-09-09/kansas-city-world-cup-tickets-sale-buy-fifa-kc-2026-soccer-football" target="_blank">ticket sales begin</a>&nbsp;— including four group-stage matches, one round of 32 match and one quarterfinal match hosted in KC — some restaurant leaders are nervous that the area’s hospitality industry isn’t ready for the flood of guests that the World Cup will bring.

“I fear for Kansas City a year from now,” said Jenn Tosatto, beverage director for Penny’s Restaurant Group. “We’ve worked really hard to show that we aren’t just a flyover city and that we have things to offer in our food and beverage scene. But we’re not at our strongest right now.”

Chef Shanita McAfee-Bryant, founder of The Prospect KC, a hospitality workforce development nonprofit, also is worried. She points to the job listing site Indeed, which currently shows more than 6,000&nbsp;<a href="https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=food+service&amp;l=Kansas+City%2C+MO&amp;radius=25&amp;from=searchOnDesktopSerp&amp;vjk=efb4275ee2ca79da" target="_blank">food service job openings</a>, as a cause for concern.

“We have a shortage of 6,000 jobs,” said McAfee-Bryant with the first World Cup match less than a year away. “So how prepared do you think that is? Not prepared at all.”

According to the Mid-America Regional Council, the area’s food service industry employment never fully recovered from COVID. The area is still roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marc.org/economy-housing/workforce-development/regional-occupation-report" target="_blank">1,100 jobs short</a>&nbsp;of the pre-pandemic employment level. Bureau of Labor Statistics data also shows that the larger hospitality and leisure sector in the KC area has&nbsp;<a href="https://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet" target="_blank">shed thousands of jobs</a>&nbsp;each month this year when compared to 2024.

McAfee-Bryant said those numbers mean that if the World Cup started today, Kansas City would be caught short-staffed.

“I know that the city is going to see a surge in demand for hospitality talent,” said McAfee-Bryant. “So what’s the plan to make sure that Kansas Citians reap the benefit of that surge?”

Despite&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/06/19/is-kansas-city-world-cup-ready-2026/" target="_blank">regional cooperation</a>&nbsp;to address transportation, infrastructure, public safety and small-business readiness ahead of the World Cup, there’s currently no formal citywide or regional plan to address a potential boom in demand for hospitality workers.

“I really worry that we’re not going to put our best face forward when the entire world is watching, and that’s scary,” Tosatto said.

The World Cup dwarfs every major event Kansas City has hosted.

The 2026 World Cup is expected to be the largest sporting event in history with an expanded field of 48 countries playing 104 matches in 16 host cities sprinkled across North America. Each match captures Super Bowl-level television ratings worldwide.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-white-house-task-force-on-the-fifa-world-cup-2026/" target="_blank">The White House said</a>&nbsp;that each of the 16 host cities will see an influx of at least 450,000 visitors and a net potential economic impact of $480 million on average.

A spokesman for&nbsp;<a href="https://kansascityfwc26.com/" target="_blank">KC2026</a>, the regional nonprofit group in charge of area World Cup preparations, said that 650,000 visitors are expected across Kansas and Missouri with a projected economic impact of $650 million.

For comparison, the Big 12 Basketball Tournament brings roughly 100,000 ticketholders to downtown for two weeks and generates $23 million to $33.5 million annually.

Using KC2026’s figures, hosting the World Cup is like having nearly seven Big 12 tournaments at once — and it lasts nearly three times as long.

The closest example in Kansas City is the 2023 NFL Draft, which brought an estimated 302,000 visitors to a concentrated area of the city over three days. The World Cup matches are expected to bring more than twice that amount to the region over the tournament’s 39 days.

The 2023 NFL Draft was viewed by some in the local restaurant scene&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article274923706.html" target="_blank">as a dud</a>&nbsp;that failed to live up to expectations for their businesses. Some fear that restaurant owners will hear the World Cup hype and dismiss it, anticipating a repeat of the draft experience.

“We were very — very times a thousand — very, disappointed in our city and how the draft was communicated and marketed to our restaurants,” said Trey Meyers, director of marketing and communications with the Missouri Restaurant Association. “They were lied to, and we were very upset, disappointed, and we raised hell about that.”

He said that restaurants and vendors within the draft’s enclosed physical perimeters and immediate surrounding area saw a substantial boost in sales, but that not all the restaurants in the area saw the increased business that they were promised.

“We’re not going to have that same problem with the World Cup,” said Meyers.

Meyers said his trade group, which represents 12,000 restaurants in the region, has been in communication with City Council members, tourism bureaus and the sports commission. A KC2026 spokesman referred questions around hospitality readiness to the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association and Meyers. A spokesman for Kansas City, Missouri, did not respond for comment.

Meyers said a softening labor market may help resolve the staffing issue heading into the World Cup. He has observed staff reductions and an abundance of applications. Anecdotally, he said that one recently opened restaurant in Olathe, Kansas, saw 92 applications for their staff positions.

“I’d say we aren’t in a hospitality worker shortage,” Meyers said. “I’d say quite the opposite.”

He doesn’t dispute the government statistics or Indeed numbers but offers a different perspective. He said that due to high staff turnover rates in the industry, many employers don’t remove job listings because they are always looking for workers. He also said that the restaurant industry may never fully recover from pandemic job losses. He blames recent staff layoffs on a litany of issues including crime, inflation, third-party delivery charges and other increased operating costs.

“We’ve been having a massive staff overage because of all the layoffs from other industries,”&nbsp; Meyers said. “Everyone defaults to the hospitality industry just to make ends meet and we’ve always seen ourselves as an industry of opportunity.”

The job market here and across the country is beginning to soften. The Kansas City area unemployment rate, which was just 2.5% in May 2022, crept up to 4% in July 2025. In the same month, the number of job seekers outnumbered job listings nationwide for the first time since April 2021.

Restaurateurs who are worried about the World Cup staffing are fretting about the quality, not just the quantity of workers.

“I am getting a huge percentage of applications coming in from people who have never worked in the industry before at all,” Tosatto said. “We don’t just need to get a body in the building, we need someone with skills, ready to go, that can come in and get going. Those people just really aren’t out there right now.”

Demand for workers will rise no matter what

Regardless of whether area restaurants are over- or understaffed today,&nbsp; demand for service industry workers will increase ahead of the World Cup.

Missouri passed legislation allowing businesses to serve alcohol nearly 24/7 during the tournament. Extended hours mean extended staffing needs. Further, Kansas City’s population is 506,032, meaning that if projections are correct, more than a second city full of visitors will swarm the area for more than a month.

Meyers said the exact number of visitors can’t really be estimated until we figure out who’s coming to town when the World Cup draws matchups at random in December.

“It really depends on who’s coming here and who we are catering to,” said Meyers. “If we land a group of major soccer nations like England, Brazil, France and the Netherlands, we’re probably looking at close to a million people here over the 40 days.”

McAfee-Bryant said the situation may seem intimidating but it also presents an opportunity. She sees the World Cup as Kansas City’s chance to lift vulnerable residents out of poverty permanently.

“This is an opportunity for Kansas City to intentionally build a more diverse hospitality workforce,” she said. “There’s a lot of people who could really use this uptick in commerce and additional funds in their pocket to get on the path towards economic mobility.”

Her organization, The Prospect KC, runs a 16-week training program combining food service skills with wraparound support services to bring people in the urban core out of chronic poverty and into a more stable hospitality career. The nonprofit operates a community kitchen at 750 The Paseo and a coffee shop in Kansas City’s Central Library that offer on-the-job training.

McAfee-Bryant wants to see community-based recruitment in neighborhoods with high unemployment, taking opportunities directly to residents most affected by unemployment and poverty.

“The city has used the World Cup to attract funding for a lot of other things in the city,” said McAfee-Bryant. “So why can’t we use the same World Cup to attract funding and support to help the city strengthen its workforce development pipeline?”

McAfee-Bryant said her organization has limited space and could only train 100 people at a time. She envisions a group of nonprofits, governments, hotels, restaurants, large employers and hiring managers that come together to coordinate a plan to get at least 1,000 workers trained, ready and secure in a new career.

“It’s not something that one organization could take on all alone,” she said. “Everyone is going to have to come to the table to figure it out.”

While larger hotel and restaurant chains can bring in workers from other cities, McAfee-Bryant and Tosatto would like to see local long-term skilled hospitality workers come out of the World Cup.

Mike Burris, the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association’s executive director, tends to agree. He acknowledges World Cup staffing concerns but emphasizes quality over quantity of hospitality jobs going forward.

“I want to make sure that when we put people into the industry that we’re not looking for temporary help, but we’re looking for long-term help,” said Burris. “That’s always been an issue in the restaurant business.”

Boosters say the World Cup represents Kansas City’s chance to cement its status as a destination for more international events. The city has invested heavily in preparations like infrastructure and logistics.

But McAfee-Bryant said if the area doesn’t address the supply of hospitality workers, the World Cup in Kansas City will be like a beautiful wedding that has slow service and gross food.

“Poor hospitality is the thing that will ruin this experience for everybody,” McAfee-Bryant said.

The clock is ticking. Kansas City has less than a year to prepare for the biggest food service industry challenge in its history. The reservation for 650,000 is confirmed.

The world will be watching next summer. Visitors to the area will talk about their experience for years. Their reviews could influence Kansas City’s reputation — and its future as a host city — for decades to come.

“What do you think all the people are going to talk about?” McAfee-Bryant asks.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/09/10/kansas-citys-hospitality-industry-braces-for-world-cup/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</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>.

Reservation for 650,000: KC's hospitality industry braces for World Cup workforce scramble

December corn closed down 6 3/4 cents and March corn was down 6 1/4 cents. November soybeans closed down 3 1/2 cents and January soybeans were down 3 1/2 cents. December KC wheat closed down 3/4 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 1 1/2 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was down 0 cents.

U.S. crop prices fell to begin the new week, led by corn which was met with fresh selling following an impressive double-digit surge Friday, which put December futures at a two and a half month high. Soybean and wheat futures were lower as well but in much quieter fashion as traders look past Friday's WASDE report and ahead to U.S. harvest reports which will begin to flow in over the next several weeks. Outside markets for Monday were mostly a positive influence on agricultural markets with a softer U.S. dollar, and firmer energy markets. Monday news was headlined by reports that the U.S. and China had reached a tentative agreement over the weekend regarding TikTok, with President Trump announcing he and President Xi of China are planning to speak on Friday, which the soybean market in particular will surely be watching closely.

It was a breath of fresh air to see the live cattle complex trade higher Monday, as last Friday the market closed just slightly below the 40-day moving average in the spot October contract, which caused some anguish heading into the weekend. Whenever the market closes below a major threshold like that, there's a strong chance traders could deem that a technical reason as to why the contracts should continue to trade lower. But, thankfully, that hasn't been the case as the live cattle contracts are traded mostly $4.00 higher into Monday's closing bell. New showlists appear to be mixed, higher in Kansas, but lower in Texas and Nebraska/Colorado. Last week Northern dressed cattle traded at mostly $375 to $378, which is $5.00 to $8.00 lower than the previous week's weighted average, and Southern live cattle traded at mostly $238 to $240, which is $2.00 to $4.00 lower than the previous week's weighted average.

The feeder cattle complex also rallied aggressively through Monday's session as the contracts saw an overabundance of support from traders. The uptick in the board could help feeder cattle prices in the countryside too, even though the fall run is fully underway.

The lean hog complex seems to be appraising the marketplace early this week to see if there's going to be enough support to allow the contracts to trade higher. Pork cutout values are up slightly, but given their mixed nature last week, it will be important that traders see stable support this week.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/09/15142000/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

Fertilizer prices aren’t at historic highs, but relative to last year’s prices and the current prices for crop commodities, they are elevated. According to data from USDA and analysis by University of Illinois Farmdoc, fertilizer prices in are 6% to 20% higher than early fall 2024. High yields lead to high nutrient removal rates, but next year, nutrient replacement and feeding a new crop will come at a higher cost. 

Pro Farmer reports the price trends weigh heavier on farmers who are starting next year’s crop with what could be a lower nutrient baseline. Karl Wyant, Nutrien’s director of agronomy says, “We have two realities here. We have the reality of economics, and we have the reality that crops have a core need for nutrients.” Wyant says therein lies the balance for farmers — keep soils productive while considering the cost to do so. His best advice — root your decision in data.

Fertilizer decisions for 2026 crop will be a balancing act

Net farm income in the United States is projected to reach $177 billion in 2025, a sharp increase from $128 billion in 2024. This is according to the latest update of the annual U.S. farm income and consumer food price report by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Record cattle prices and large one-time government payments have boosted 2025 income but declines in crop prices and projected reductions in future government support raise concerns about the outlook for 2026. The report incorporates data available in August, including the USDA crop production estimates and economic forecasts from S&amp;P Global. It also accounts for modifications in key farm programs and tax credits related to biofuel production that were included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law in July.

Mizzou economists: 2025 farm income boosted by high cattle prices and one-time payments

December corn closed up 10 1/4 cents and March corn was up 10 cents. November soybeans closed up 12 3/4 cents and January soybeans were up 12 3/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 4 3/4 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 2 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was up 1/4 cents.

December corn closed up 12 cents and March corn was up 10 3/4 cents. November soybeans closed up 19 1/4 cents and January soybeans were up 19 3/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 5 1/4 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 2 cents and December Minneapolis wheat was up 5 3/4 cents.

The feature of Friday's session was the release of USDA's September WASDE and Crop Production reports, offering their estimates of how fall crops in the U.S. will turn out as well as a look into world grain supplies and usage. For the most part, I would classify the report as neutral, as in a way it didn't offer traders a whole lot that wasn't already expected or known. As is the case with many crop reports, there were bearish and bullish aspects that could be found within the fine details of Friday's numbers, some of which are discussed in more detail below. As for outside markets, it was mostly a quiet session with little news, but a weak consumer confidence reading from the University of Michigan weighed on investors' minds. Meanwhile, energy markets were higher into the weekend, but well off their daily highs with a mixed tone overall.

The live cattle contracts were back to trading lower as the market did not to see the support it needs to continue to drive prices higher. But with cash prices trending lower this week, and boxed beef prices seasonally softening as well, it's not bewildering to see the markets weaker again. It will be interesting to see if traders are able to keep the spot October contract above the market's 40-day moving average. If the market happens to close below that price point, more downward pressure could come.

Friday's WASDE report shared mixed news for the cattle and beef markets for 2025. Beef production for 2025 is expected to decline by 100 million pounds as both fed and non-fed slaughter speeds are expected to continue to decline through the year's end. The projected quarterly steer prices were bullish for the market as steers in the third quarter of 2025 are expected to average $240 ($2.00 higher from last month), steers in the fourth quarter of 2025 are expected to average $244 (up $4.00), steers in the first quarter of 2026 are expected to average $246 (up $5.00 from last month) and steers in the second quarter of 2026 are expected to average $248 (up $5.00 from last month). Beef imports for 2025 increased by 90 million pounds as the demand for lean processing beef is still high, but beef exports for 2025 decreased by 40 million pounds amid thin supplies and historically high prices.

The feeder cattle complex was again trading lower as the market struggles to find stable support in the futures complex. Not helping matters either is the fact that fed cash cattle prices are trading lower and boxed beef prices are softer, which has put a lower waning attitude across all of the marketplace.

The lean hog complex struggled to find upward momentum, as the market ran past resistance on Thursday but didn't finding enough support in the market's sphere today to push any higher. One may point to the uptick in pork cutout values on today's midday report as a reason why the hog contracts should be higher, but traders seem to find the technical resistance as more of a limiting factor.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/09/12145521/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

The Bureau of Land Management has begun the process of rolling back the Biden Administration’s rule allowing conservation leases on its land. The agency on Wednesday released a proposal to rescind the 2024 Public Lands Rule, which aimed to put conservation uses of land on equal footing with grazing, energy production, mining, and recreation. 

Bureau of Land Management plans to scrap conservation leasing rule

Farm Equipment manufacturers say they are struggling under the high tariffs set by President Trump. Case IH’s Kurt Coffey, who serves as the company's vice president of its North America division, says the executive team he is on meets daily to unpack global trade developments. Case IH is in a good position overall, he says, with 80% to 90% of its machines produced in one of four U.S. production facilities, and 95% of its machinery base material, steel, is sourced domestically. 

We’ve continued to focus on how we make sure our customers have what they need as they’re going to harvest. German-based manufacturer Claas is a different story. Eighty percent of its row crop machinery portfolio is built in Europe and shipped to dealer lots in the U.S. Eric Raby, senior vice president of Claas, says, “We’ve absorbed a lot, as well. We’re not passing all of it to the customer.”

What farm equipment manufacturers are saying about 50% steel and aluminum tariffs

December corn closed up 2 3/4 cents and March corn was up 2 3/4 cents. November soybeans closed up 8 1/4 cents and January soybeans were up 7 3/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 3 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 6 1/2 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was up 2 cents.

Grain markets traded higher on Thursday as traders continue to keep corn and soybean prices within their weekly ranges ahead of USDA's September WASDE report due out Friday at 11 a.m. CDT. The soybean market in particular led the charge higher on Thursday, erasing the results of the previous two lower sessions. Outside markets on Thursday were mixed with softer energy markets, but equities surging to new records. Consumer Price Index data for August painted a picture of much more concerning inflation as compared to the PPI released on Wednesday. Meanwhile, jobless claims were a four-year high on Thursday, which could potentially set up a dichotomy when the Federal Reserve meets next week to decide on interest rates. I'd also like to point out in Wednesday's comment, I mistakenly pointed to the PPI data as the Fed's "preferred inflation gauge," which is actually the Personal Consumption data due out later this month, not the PPI data as I had mistakenly alluded to.

Again today, the live cattle complex stepped forward and traded higher as traders seem to agree that the market has seen enough downward pressure for the time being. Thankfully, again today we see that trades moved the contracts away from the market's 40-day moving average, which thankfully is happening because a close below that threshold would likely signal more downward pressure. Although there are again bids beginning to renew in the countryside, no new trade has developed. So far this week Northern dressed cattle have traded from $375 to $378, which is $5.00 to $8.00 lower than last week's weighted average. Asking prices for cattle left to trade remain firm at $243 in the South and $378 plus in the North.

Thankfully, the feeder cattle complex has now also found support as all of its contracts traded well over $1.00 higher. It's the market's nearby contracts that traded above $2.00 higher, while most of the deferred contracts are just trading $1.00 to $1.70 higher into Thursday's closing bell, but luckily, the gloomy pressure that rested above the market on Tuesday and Wednesday has seemed to fade away.

It's been noteworthy day for the lean hog complex as the market has found enough support to gingerly break above its resistance at $97.00 in the spot October contract. But surprisingly, this seems to be a move being made by traders alone, as the market isn't lending much fundamental support, the day's export report wasn't that fruitful and midday pork cutout values were lower.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/09/11144407/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

The USDA’s Economic Research Service says net cash farm income, defined as gross cash income minus cash expenses, is forecast to increase by $36.5 billion, or 25 percent, from 2024 to $180.7 billion in 2025 inflation-adjusted dollars. U.S. net farm income is forecast to increase by $48.8 billion, or 37 percent, to $179.8 billion in 2025. Net farm income is a broader measure of farm sector profitability that incorporates non-cash items like changes in inventories, economic depreciation, and gross imputed rental income. 

Most of the projected increase in 2025 corresponds with higher direct government payments to farmers, projected to increase from $10.4 billion in 2024 to $40.5 billion in 2025. The increase is expected largely because of supplemental and ad hoc disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers from the American Relief Act of 2025, which authorized economic assistance payments to producers and payments for losses in 2023 and 2024. 

USDA says farm sector profits to grow in 2025

As farmers prepare to harvest what may be a record-large soybean crop, their largest export customer has yet to make a buy. Without a deal with China, North Dakota farmers may not get a bid for their soybeans. According to North Dakota Soybean Council Chair Jim Thompson, the local cash market is pushing growers to store their beans. 

North Dakota Soybean Growers Association President Justin Sherlock says the trade dispute with China needs to end. “Maybe it’s getting an interim trade deal with a country like China so we have somewhere to just physically move and sell those soybeans,” said Sherlock. He said farmers want the export markets restored first. “We just need to get rid of the crop right now, then we can figure out where we’re at financially as we go into the winter months and loan renewal season.”

Soybean leaders see export window narrowing with China

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

Ag futures and row crops specifically were generally on the lower side on Wednesday, but still within their recent trading ranges as traders aren't really looking to commit to big position swings ahead of USDA insight into the markets on Friday. Outside markets were mixed with energy futures higher after a fresh wave of geopolitical uncertainty after Poland reportedly shot down Russian drones in their airspace Tuesday night. Meanwhile, stock indices were mixed with the S&amp;P 500 surging to a new record amid a cool reading of the PPI Index on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge for guiding rate decisions, leaving less doubt in investors' minds that the Fed will cut rates in their meeting next week.

The live cattle complex&nbsp;traded softly higher into Wednesday's closing bell as the market is recovering some position lost from Tuesday's meltdown. The spot October contract continues to trade slightly above the market's 40-day moving average ($229.74), which will be a threshold to continue to monitor. If traders let the contracts fall below that point, a downward trend will likely continue. A few bids are currently on the table at $236 in Kansas and $235 live and $375 dressed in Nebraska, but no new sales have been reported following Tuesday's business. On Tuesday afternoon, there was a thin movement in the North at $378, which is $5.00 lower than the previous week's weighted average, but there weren't enough cattle traded to say that an accurate trend has been set for the week. Asking prices in the South are firm at $243 and in the North at $380.

The feeder cattle complex&nbsp;did not recover as much as the live cattle contracts, as only its nearby contracts traded higher while the deferred months continued to trade moderately lower. It seems as though Tuesday's sharp descent took the air out of the feeder cattle contracts, which is why they were slower to recover today.

The lean hog complex was chopping merely sideways as the market traders want to support the complex, but neither do they believe that they possess enough support to really push the contracts beyond the market's resistance. It is helpful that again this morning, the carcass price was higher, which is mainly because of the ham's $3.45 jump, and the belly's $2.71 gain.

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🎥 U.S. conducted 2nd strike on alleged drug cartel boat from Venezuela

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect in connection with a violent incident in Salina.

Just after 3a.m. on Sunday, police in Salina received a a report about an 18-year old suspect, later idenfied as&nbsp;Moses Breadon, who attempted to break into a home in the 1400 block of Teakwood in Salina, according to a media release.

A 17-year old woman who lives at the residence heard banging on the front door. When she walked to the door to see who it was, she recognized the suspect.&nbsp;

Breadon wanted the 17-year-old to leave the house with him, but she refused.&nbsp; The woman told police she 'slightly cracked the door open' and Breadon&nbsp; pushed his way inside the house. He then grabbed a dog at the residence and put the dog in his truck, along with dragging the woman out of the house and throwing her onto the front porch. Breadon allegedly hit the woman as well, according to p olice.

Breadon forcibly put the woman inside his truck, but she was able to get away and ran back inside the house. The victim's family members then awoke from their sleep and realized what had happened. When the&nbsp;victim's family members called 9-1-1, Breadon left the area.

Later Sunday, police found and arrested Breadon in the 900 block of Maple. He was booked into jail on requested charges of Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Burglary, Criminal Threat, Domestic Battery and Robbery.

The victim suffered injuries with marks on her arms, along with a bloody nose. She was medically treated.&nbsp; Police did not have an update on the dog.

Police: Suspect tried to kidnap Kansas teen from her home

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Almost immediately after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">Missouri Republicans shut down debate last week</a>&nbsp;to pass a newly gerrymandered congressional map, a pair of lawsuits were filed challenging its constitutionality.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a referendum campaign seeking to repeal the map got a major financial boost over the weekend — a $500,000 donation from a national dark-money organization.&nbsp;

And a lawsuit filed last week by the Missouri NAACP claiming the governor<a href="https://naacp.org/articles/naacp-files-lawsuit-block-missouris-unconstitutional-special-session-threatening-black" target="_blank">&nbsp;illegally called lawmakers into a special legislative session</a>&nbsp;to pass the map is scheduled for a hearing Monday afternoon in Cole County Court.

The all-out assault on the congressional map in the courtroom and ballot box is the next phase of the ugly partisan war that’s raged in Missouri for weeks — with Republicans determined to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">follow President Trump’s instructions</a>&nbsp;to create a new GOP district before the 2026 midterms and Democrats denouncing the move as an unconstitutional power grab.&nbsp;

Both of the lawsuits filed after the map passed Friday — one in Jackson County and the other in Cole County — argue the Missouri Constitution prohibits the legislature from redrawing congressional districts more than once a decade.&nbsp;

“In a blatant illegal and unconstitutional power grab, the governor bowed to the whims of Washington while sacrificing representation in both urban and rural populations of Missouri,” said Gillian Wilcox, director of litigation for the ACLU of Missouri, which is representing plaintiffs in the Jackson County lawsuit.&nbsp;

Missouri has eight congressional districts, with six currently represented by Republicans.&nbsp;

The 5th District, based in Kansas City and represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver since 2005, is carved up under the new map with portions attached to the 4th and 6th Districts. Heavily Republican areas stretching along the Missouri River to Boone County would be added to the remaining Kansas City portions.

The intended result is a map where Republicans hold seven of the state’s eight seats.&nbsp;

Revising congressional district lines occurs every 10 years, after the allocation of seats following the federal census. The Missouri Constitution mandates it but is silent on whether lawmakers have the power to do so at other times, and the lawsuits challenging the map point to the lack of any mention of mid-decade redistricting as evidence that it is not permitted.&nbsp;

Republican lawmakers dismissed these arguments as they were approving the maps, saying this type of interpretation of the constitution would leave lawmakers unable to make any adjustments in between censuses, even if ordered by a court.

The last time lines were redrawn between censuses in Missouri was in the 1960s, following the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court decision that districts had to be drawn&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_v._Sims" target="_blank">as closely as possible in population to preserve equal representation</a>, known as the one person, one vote decision.

A group called People NOT Politicians Missouri attempted to file a citizen referendum on Friday shortly after the new map cleared the state Senate. The goal is to put the map on the 2026 ballot for voters to decide whether or not to implement it.&nbsp;

But the group’s attempt to get its campaign started — they must collect 100,000 signatures in 90 days to put the map on the November 2026 ballot — ran into an administrative hurdle when the secretary of state’s office refused to certify it until the governor signs the bill into law.&nbsp;

Kehoe has 45 days to sign the bill.&nbsp;

Over the weekend, however, the secretary of state’s office slightly backtracked, sending a letter to People NOT Politicians Missouri explaining that it would begin the process of certifying the referendum petition sample sheet that would be used to gather signatures.&nbsp;

The office has sent a copy to the Missouri Attorney General’s Office for legal review and the State Auditor for preparation of a cost estimate.&nbsp;

“Only after the Attorney General has rendered an opinion on legal sufficiency and the secretary of state has reviewed those comments can this office make a final determination regarding the approval or rejection of the form of the petition,” the letter states.&nbsp;

The secretary of state, the letter added, “has not yet made a final determination whether your referendum petition may be accepted for processing or circulation.”

In 2019, the secretary of state’s office used procedural maneuvers to derail a referendum campaign that sought to overturn newly-passed restrictions on abortion. The move sparked a lawsuit, and in 2022 the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the laws the secretary of state used to obstruct the citizen-initiated referendum process were unconstitutional.

A spokeswoman for Secretary of State Denny Hoskins agreed on Friday that the 2022 court ruling means signatures can be counted as valid even if they are collected prior to the certification of a ballot title, “since otherwise the full process could eat up over half of their available gathering time.”

On Saturday, the political action committee supporting the referendum received a $500,000 check from Global Impact Social Welfare Fund, a 501c4 nonprofit that is not required to disclose its donors.&nbsp;

Based in Washington, D.C., Global Impact Social Welfare Fund is a liberal advocacy organization that has spent millions in support of ballot initiatives across the country. Last year, the group donated more than $1 million to the successful campaign to enshrine abortion rights in Missouri’s constitution.&nbsp;

In addition to the gerrymandered congressional map, Republican lawmakers also approved a proposal to require any changes to the state constitution through the initiative petition process to be approved by a majority of voters statewide and in each of the state’s eight congressional districts.&nbsp;

Based on last year’s election results, that change would mean&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/04/as-few-as-5-of-voters-could-defeat-initiative-petitions-under-missouri-gop-legislation/">as few as 5% of voters could defeat any ballot measure</a>. The new requirements would only apply to citizen-led initiative petitions, not amendments placed on the ballot by the legislature.

GOP lawmakers pointed specifically at last year’s abortion amendment — and the campaign contributions of out-of-state advocacy organizations like Global&nbsp; Impact Social Welfare Fund — to justify the change.&nbsp;

A referendum was last deployed in Missouri seven years ago, when labor unions collected 300,000 signatures in 90 days — more than three times the amount required — to put a question on the statewide ballot repealing a GOP-backed right-to-work law.

The repeal push was ultimately successful, with 67% of voters rejecting the right-to-work law.&nbsp;In fact, of the 27 times a referendum has been placed on the ballot, voters have rejected actions by the General Assembly all but twice.

The AFL-CIO, which led the 2018 referendum campaign, has indicated it will support the push to put the congressional map on the ballot next year. Over the weekend, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union donated $50,000 to People NOT Politicians Missouri for the campaign.&nbsp;

Elsa Rainey, a spokeswoman for People NOT Politicians Missouri, called Missouri’s new map “an unconstitutional power grab” and a “blatant attempt to rig the 2026 elections before a single vote is cast.”

“It violates Missouri law,” she said, “slices apart communities and strikes at the core of our democratic system.”

Three lawsuits and a referendum: New Missouri congressional map faces multiple attacks

OSAGE COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating two suspect on drug allegaions.

Just before 5 pm Sept. 12, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office executed a narcotic search warrant at 12544 South Topeka Avenue, near Carbondale, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

 As a result, two subjects were taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility.

Kristina D. Smith, 47, Carbondale, is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Distribution of methamphetamine, Distribution of drug paraphernalia, Distribution of marijuana, Possession of hallucinogenic, No drug tax stamp and Use of a communication facility in commission of a felony.

Troy S. Smith, 46, Carbondale is being held on requested charges of Distribution of methamphetamine, Distribution of drug paraphernalia, Distribution of marijuana, Possession of hallucinogenic, No drug tax stamp, Battery on a law enforcement officer and Felony obstruction.

Kansas couple accused of selling illegal drugs from their home

By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/cindygonzalez/">Cindy Gonzalez</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/17/lincoln-senators-clash-over-nebraska-school-retirement-bill-as-school-leaders-weigh-in/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

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