Former Northwest Missouri State player Bennett Stirtz and former coach Ben McCollum have earned honors in their first year at Drake University as the Missouri Valley Conference announced it's league awards on Wednesday.&nbsp;

McCollum was named the Missouri Valley Coach of the Year.&nbsp;McCollum joins 21 other coaches to a win an MVC men's basketball title in his first year in the league. He's the 14th rookie coach to win the league's Coach of the Year award, which was first presented in 1949.

With 27 wins, he's among the most successful first-year league coaches. Drake, 27-3 overall and 17-3 in the MVC, is tied for the national lead in victories and is second in winning percentage behind Auburn. Drake is the only team in the NCAA that has a perfect record against the top two quadrants.

Stirtz has been named the MVC Larry Bird Player of the Year.&nbsp;&nbsp;Stirtz is just the third player in league history to earn the Larry Bird Trophy in his first season in the MVC. Player of the Year was not the only honor given to the Liberty, Mo., native, however. Stirtz was also named Newcomer of the Year, selected First Team All-MVC, and named to the All-Newcomer Team.

Stirtz leads the MVC in scoring (18.93), assists (5.93) and steals (2.20). Stirtz, who leads the nation in minutes per game, is the only player in the NCAA to lead his league in scoring, assists, and steals.

Two other former Northwest players who followed McCollum to Drake earned honors as well.&nbsp; Mitch Mascari earned an MVC All-Third Teams Selection, while Daniel Abreau was named to the MVC All-Defensive Team.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634064862076.jpeg" alt="Northwest Missouri State men's basketball coach Ben McCollum enters his 12th season as head coach of the Bearcats, having already won three national titles, including in 2021. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Northwest Missouri State men's basketball coach Ben McCollum enters his 12th season as head coach of the Bearcats, having already won three national titles, including in 2021. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostFormer Northwest Missouri State player Bennett Stirtz and former coach Ben McCollum have earned honors in their first year at Drake University as the Missouri Valley Conference announced it's league awards on Wednesday.&nbsp;McCollum was named the Missouri Valley Coach of the Year.&nbsp;McCollum joins 21 other coaches to a win an MVC men's basketball title in his first year in the league. He's the 14th rookie coach to win the league's Coach of the Year award, which was first presented in 1949.With 27 wins, he's among the most successful first-year league coaches. Drake, 27-3 overall and 17-3 in the MVC, is tied for the national lead in victories and is second in winning percentage behind Auburn. Drake is the only team in the NCAA that has a perfect record against the top two quadrants.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741196162442.jpeg" alt="Bennett Stirtz/ Photo courtesy of Ginnie Coleman with Drake Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Bennett Stirtz/ Photo courtesy of Ginnie Coleman with Drake Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Stirtz has been named the MVC Larry Bird Player of the Year.&nbsp;&nbsp;Stirtz is just the third player in league history to earn the Larry Bird Trophy in his first season in the MVC. Player of the Year was not the only honor given to the Liberty, Mo., native, however. Stirtz was also named Newcomer of the Year, selected First Team All-MVC, and named to the All-Newcomer Team.Stirtz leads the MVC in scoring (18.93), assists (5.93) and steals (2.20). Stirtz, who leads the nation in minutes per game, is the only player in the NCAA to lead his league in scoring, assists, and steals.Two other former Northwest players who followed McCollum to Drake earned honors as well.&nbsp; Mitch Mascari earned an MVC All-Third Teams Selection, while Daniel Abreau was named to the MVC All-Defensive Team.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Former NWMSU coach McCollum named Missouri Valley Coach of the Year; Stirtz Player of the Year

President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports went live at 12:01 am on Tuesday. 

The 25 percent tariffs on imports from America’s neighbors were joined by an additional ten percent duty on Chinese goods, bringing that total to 20 percent. Reuters says the tariff actions launched new conflicts with the top three U.S. trading partners and may interrupt more than $2 trillion in two-way trade. 

China immediately responded, implementing additional 10-15 percent tariffs on certain U.S. imports and a series of new export restrictions for designated U.S. companies. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa would respond with immediate 25 percent tariffs on $21 billion worth of U.S. imports and another $86.2 billion if the tariffs are still in place in 21 days. 

“Tariffs will interrupt a very successful trading relationship,” said Trudeau, adding that they violate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement signed during Trump’s first term.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741037134328.png" alt="Image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>Image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports went live at 12:01 am on Tuesday. The 25 percent tariffs on imports from America’s neighbors were joined by an additional ten percent duty on Chinese goods, bringing that total to 20 percent. Reuters says the tariff actions launched new conflicts with the top three U.S. trading partners and may interrupt more than $2 trillion in two-way trade. China immediately responded, implementing additional 10-15 percent tariffs on certain U.S. imports and a series of new export restrictions for designated U.S. companies. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa would respond with immediate 25 percent tariffs on $21 billion worth of U.S. imports and another $86.2 billion if the tariffs are still in place in 21 days. “Tariffs will interrupt a very successful trading relationship,” said Trudeau, adding that they violate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement signed during Trump’s first term.-NAFB

Trade wars underway as U.S. Tariffs take effect

St. Joseph, Mo ---Mark Patrick Seminars is set
to host a weight loss seminar on March 11 at the Stoney Creek Hotel in St.
Joseph, Missouri. The program employs hypnosis techniques aimed at assisting
participants in achieving their weight loss goals. Registration is currently
open for those interested in attending.&nbsp;

Mark Patrick Seminars has conducted numerous
sessions nationwide, focusing on weight loss and smoking cessation through
hypnosis. The organization claims that over 500,000 individuals have
participated in their programs, which are designed to help attendees lose
weight without hunger or starvation dieting.

The seminar offers a one-year money-back
guarantee for participants who are not satisfied with the results. .
Additionally, attendees are provided with free resources, including the
"Wake Up Skinny" best-selling book, "The Psychology of Losing
Weight" audio program, and a video titled "#1 Way to Quit Smoking (#2
is better)."

While many participants have reported positive
outcomes, it's important to note that individual results may vary.&nbsp;

For Early Bird s discount register online here: <a href="https://markpatrickseminars.com/register.php">https://markpatrickseminars.com/register.php</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740583298926.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SPONSORED CONTENT&nbsp;St. Joseph, Mo ---Mark Patrick Seminars is set
to host a weight loss seminar on March 11 at the Stoney Creek Hotel in St.
Joseph, Missouri. The program employs hypnosis techniques aimed at assisting
participants in achieving their weight loss goals. Registration is currently
open for those interested in attending.&nbsp;Mark Patrick Seminars has conducted numerous
sessions nationwide, focusing on weight loss and smoking cessation through
hypnosis. The organization claims that over 500,000 individuals have
participated in their programs, which are designed to help attendees lose
weight without hunger or starvation dieting.The seminar offers a one-year money-back
guarantee for participants who are not satisfied with the results. .
Additionally, attendees are provided with free resources, including the
"Wake Up Skinny" best-selling book, "The Psychology of Losing
Weight" audio program, and a video titled "#1 Way to Quit Smoking (#2
is better)."While many participants have reported positive
outcomes, it's important to note that individual results may vary.&nbsp;For Early Bird s discount register online here: <a href="https://markpatrickseminars.com/register.php">https://markpatrickseminars.com/register.php</a>

Mark Patrick Seminars coming to St. Joseph

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

Low-income Missourians who receive food assistance would be prohibited from buying soda and candy with their benefits under a bill debated Tuesday.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1222&amp;year=2025&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill</a>, sponsored by state Rep. Jamie Gragg, a Republican from Ozark, would restrict food purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously called food stamps, if approved by the federal government.

The bill would “get us back to where the original program was meant to go,” Gragg argued in Tuesday afternoon during a hearing of the House Committee on Government Efficiency. “The program’s been bastardized.”&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program" target="_blank">purpose of the SNAP program</a>&nbsp;is to help low-income families supplement their grocery budgets to afford nutritious food. As of&nbsp;<a href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fsd_mhdmr/0125-family-support-mohealthnet-report.pdf" target="_blank">last month,</a>&nbsp;over 320,000 households in Missouri received SNAP benefits, loaded onto electronic benefits transfer cards used to purchase groceries. The average value of benefits per household was $396.&nbsp;

Proponents argue that taxpayer dollars, through the SNAP program, shouldn’t subsidize unhealthy food and beverages, which worsen people’s health.&nbsp;

Opponents called the proposal government overreach — limiting low income families’ freedom to choose their food — and overly broad, potentially banning SNAP access for things like granola bars and electrolyte drinks.

State Rep. Jim Murphy, a Republican from St. Louis, asked whether “any pre-process food could be deemed unhealthy” and added to the list of banned purchases.

“Do we want to be the nanny state that says, ‘you can eat this and you can’t eat that?’” Murphy said. “Where does that end?”&nbsp;

Rep. Darin Chappell, a Republican from Rogersville, said the list of unhealthy foods could keep growing.&nbsp;

“My concern is we can add to this list ad infinitum,” Chappell said. “The United Nations tells us that red meat is a carcinogen…at what point do we stop micromanaging this list?”&nbsp;

Similar bills have been proposed in other states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://azmirror.com/2025/02/04/republicans-follow-lead-of-rfk-jr-with-effort-to-ban-snap-users-from-buying-soda-candy/" target="_blank">Arizona</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://westvirginiawatch.com/2025/02/19/wv-house-committee-considers-make-america-healthy-again-bill-restricting-snap-purchases/" target="_blank">West Virginia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/03/03/idaho-house-narrowly-passes-bill-to-ban-snap-coverage-for-candy-soda/" target="_blank">Idaho</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/05/buying-candy-soda-with-food-stamps-banned-under-proposed-kansas-bill/" target="_blank">Kansas</a>.&nbsp;

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., health and human services secretary, has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/trump-officials-want-to-ban-junk-food-from-snap-but-past-efforts-show-its-not-easy" target="_blank">said he supports restricting SNAP for junk food,&nbsp;</a>and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-cuts-candy-soda-food-stamps-b6351b86a17b281b67480fe2d24b54f4" target="_blank">agriculture secretary</a>, Brooke Rollins, has signaled interest.&nbsp;

The conservative national think tank Foundation for Government Accountability has helped push for the change.&nbsp;

“Food stamps have fueled the junk food epidemic, with soda ranking as the number one commodity bought with food stamps,” Gragg told the committee — a direct quote from a report&nbsp;<a href="https://thefga.org/research/make-america-healthy-again-stop-taxpayer-funded-junk-food/" target="_blank">published by the Foundation for Government Accountability</a>&nbsp;earlier this year.

James Harris, a lobbyist for the Foundation for Government Accountability, called the bill common sense.

“If this were to pass and it helps one child have a little more milk or something of actual nutrition in their home, that’s great,” Harris testified. “…This just would allow Missouri to hopefully help some children have access to more nutritional food, besides maybe what they get at school.”

Those testifying in opposition included the progressive anti-poverty nonprofit Empower Missouri, along with industry groups such as the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Missouri Grocers Association and the Missouri Beverage Association.&nbsp;

Nationally, beverage groups have been lobbying to keep sodas in the program,<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/rfk-jr-soda-snap-food-stamps-coke-pepsi-9bd9a872" target="_blank">&nbsp;the Wall Street Journal reported late last year.</a>

A&nbsp;<a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/ops/SNAPFoodsTypicallyPurchased-Summary.pdf" target="_blank">2016 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>, which oversees SNAP, found that the households that rely on the program have similar spending patterns to non-SNAP households. For both SNAP and non-SNAP households, the report stated, “more money was spent on soft drinks than any other item.” SNAP households spent 5% of their grocery budget on soft drinks, and non-SNAP households spent 4%.&nbsp;The percent spent on candy, 2%, was the same between both groups.

The bill defines candy as a food product “containing sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruit, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the forms of bars, drops, or pieces.”

It defines a soft drink as “nonalcoholic beverages that contain natural or artificial sweeteners” but does not contain milk or milk substitutes or beverages that are more than 50% fruit or vegetable juice by volume.&nbsp;

The definition would prevent the purchase of Powerade with SNAP funds, but allow sugary bottled coffee drinks with milk, said Katie Gamble, a lobbyist for Missouri Beverage Association.&nbsp;

State Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, a Republican from Savannah, said it seems that granola bars would fall under the candy definition, “and I always thought they were supposed to be healthy.”&nbsp;

Christine Woody, director of food policy for Empower Missouri, said individuals could cross the border into neighboring states and spend their SNAP dollars on banned items there.&nbsp;

She added that a better strategy would be to incentivize the purchase of healthy food, by “really investing in some of the programs that are successful,” such as by incentivizing the purchase of fruits and vegetables.

Those opposed said any changes should be federally decided, rather than having each state determine what is healthy or not.

Missouri would submit a waiver to the federal government requesting this change, if the bill is passed, but there’s no guarantee it’d be approved. States’ previous attempts to limit SNAP purchases in this way have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/well/eat/food-stamp-snap-soda.html" target="_blank">rejected by the federal government</a>, including because of being complex to implement, having vague standards of what is defined as healthy, and failing to show they would reduce obesity.&nbsp;

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Low-income Missourians who receive food assistance would be prohibited from buying soda and candy with their benefits under a bill debated Tuesday.The&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1222&amp;year=2025&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill</a>, sponsored by state Rep. Jamie Gragg, a Republican from Ozark, would restrict food purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously called food stamps, if approved by the federal government.The bill would “get us back to where the original program was meant to go,” Gragg argued in Tuesday afternoon during a hearing of the House Committee on Government Efficiency. “The program’s been bastardized.”&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program" target="_blank">purpose of the SNAP program</a>&nbsp;is to help low-income families supplement their grocery budgets to afford nutritious food. As of&nbsp;<a href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fsd_mhdmr/0125-family-support-mohealthnet-report.pdf" target="_blank">last month,</a>&nbsp;over 320,000 households in Missouri received SNAP benefits, loaded onto electronic benefits transfer cards used to purchase groceries. The average value of benefits per household was $396.&nbsp;Proponents argue that taxpayer dollars, through the SNAP program, shouldn’t subsidize unhealthy food and beverages, which worsen people’s health.&nbsp;Opponents called the proposal government overreach — limiting low income families’ freedom to choose their food — and overly broad, potentially banning SNAP access for things like granola bars and electrolyte drinks.State Rep. Jim Murphy, a Republican from St. Louis, asked whether “any pre-process food could be deemed unhealthy” and added to the list of banned purchases.“Do we want to be the nanny state that says, ‘you can eat this and you can’t eat that?’” Murphy said. “Where does that end?”&nbsp;Rep. Darin Chappell, a Republican from Rogersville, said the list of unhealthy foods could keep growing.&nbsp;“My concern is we can add to this list ad infinitum,” Chappell said. “The United Nations tells us that red meat is a carcinogen…at what point do we stop micromanaging this list?”&nbsp;Similar bills have been proposed in other states, including&nbsp;<a href="https://azmirror.com/2025/02/04/republicans-follow-lead-of-rfk-jr-with-effort-to-ban-snap-users-from-buying-soda-candy/" target="_blank">Arizona</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://westvirginiawatch.com/2025/02/19/wv-house-committee-considers-make-america-healthy-again-bill-restricting-snap-purchases/" target="_blank">West Virginia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/03/03/idaho-house-narrowly-passes-bill-to-ban-snap-coverage-for-candy-soda/" target="_blank">Idaho</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/05/buying-candy-soda-with-food-stamps-banned-under-proposed-kansas-bill/" target="_blank">Kansas</a>.&nbsp;Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., health and human services secretary, has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/trump-officials-want-to-ban-junk-food-from-snap-but-past-efforts-show-its-not-easy" target="_blank">said he supports restricting SNAP for junk food,&nbsp;</a>and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-cuts-candy-soda-food-stamps-b6351b86a17b281b67480fe2d24b54f4" target="_blank">agriculture secretary</a>, Brooke Rollins, has signaled interest.&nbsp;The conservative national think tank Foundation for Government Accountability has helped push for the change.&nbsp;“Food stamps have fueled the junk food epidemic, with soda ranking as the number one commodity bought with food stamps,” Gragg told the committee — a direct quote from a report&nbsp;<a href="https://thefga.org/research/make-america-healthy-again-stop-taxpayer-funded-junk-food/" target="_blank">published by the Foundation for Government Accountability</a>&nbsp;earlier this year.James Harris, a lobbyist for the Foundation for Government Accountability, called the bill common sense.“If this were to pass and it helps one child have a little more milk or something of actual nutrition in their home, that’s great,” Harris testified. “…This just would allow Missouri to hopefully help some children have access to more nutritional food, besides maybe what they get at school.”Those testifying in opposition included the progressive anti-poverty nonprofit Empower Missouri, along with industry groups such as the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Missouri Grocers Association and the Missouri Beverage Association.&nbsp;Nationally, beverage groups have been lobbying to keep sodas in the program,<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/rfk-jr-soda-snap-food-stamps-coke-pepsi-9bd9a872" target="_blank">&nbsp;the Wall Street Journal reported late last year.</a>A&nbsp;<a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/ops/SNAPFoodsTypicallyPurchased-Summary.pdf" target="_blank">2016 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>, which oversees SNAP, found that the households that rely on the program have similar spending patterns to non-SNAP households. For both SNAP and non-SNAP households, the report stated, “more money was spent on soft drinks than any other item.” SNAP households spent 5% of their grocery budget on soft drinks, and non-SNAP households spent 4%.&nbsp;The percent spent on candy, 2%, was the same between both groups.The bill defines candy as a food product “containing sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruit, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the forms of bars, drops, or pieces.”It defines a soft drink as “nonalcoholic beverages that contain natural or artificial sweeteners” but does not contain milk or milk substitutes or beverages that are more than 50% fruit or vegetable juice by volume.&nbsp;The definition would prevent the purchase of Powerade with SNAP funds, but allow sugary bottled coffee drinks with milk, said Katie Gamble, a lobbyist for Missouri Beverage Association.&nbsp;State Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, a Republican from Savannah, said it seems that granola bars would fall under the candy definition, “and I always thought they were supposed to be healthy.”&nbsp;Christine Woody, director of food policy for Empower Missouri, said individuals could cross the border into neighboring states and spend their SNAP dollars on banned items there.&nbsp;She added that a better strategy would be to incentivize the purchase of healthy food, by “really investing in some of the programs that are successful,” such as by incentivizing the purchase of fruits and vegetables.Those opposed said any changes should be federally decided, rather than having each state determine what is healthy or not.Missouri would submit a waiver to the federal government requesting this change, if the bill is passed, but there’s no guarantee it’d be approved. States’ previous attempts to limit SNAP purchases in this way have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/well/eat/food-stamp-snap-soda.html" target="_blank">rejected by the federal government</a>, including because of being complex to implement, having vague standards of what is defined as healthy, and failing to show they would reduce obesity.&nbsp;No action was taken on the bill Tuesday.

Ban on use of food stamps for candy, soda debated by Missouri lawmakers

Missouri Gov. Mike
Kehoe has appointed a Chillicothe man as an associate circuit judge.

Kehoe appointed
Livingston County Prosecuting Attorney, Adam Warren, as Associate Circuit Judge
for Sullivan County in the 9th Judicial Circuit.

Warren has been
the Livingston County Prosecutor since 2011. He earned his law degree from the
University of Missouri School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science in
hospitality and restaurant administration from Missouri State University.

Warren ran a
private practice, Warren Law Office. He served in the Missouri Army National
Guard from 2004 to 2011 before being honorably discharged.

Warren fills the
vacancy left by the death of Judge Tracey Mason-White.

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

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri Gov. Mike
Kehoe has appointed a Chillicothe man as an associate circuit judge.Kehoe appointed
Livingston County Prosecuting Attorney, Adam Warren, as Associate Circuit Judge
for Sullivan County in the 9th Judicial Circuit.Warren has been
the Livingston County Prosecutor since 2011. He earned his law degree from the
University of Missouri School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science in
hospitality and restaurant administration from Missouri State University.Warren ran a
private practice, Warren Law Office. He served in the Missouri Army National
Guard from 2004 to 2011 before being honorably discharged.Warren fills the
vacancy left by the death of Judge Tracey Mason-White.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Gov. Kehoe appoints Warren as Associate Circuit Judge

(Radio Iowa) - At one minute past midnight Tuesday morning, President Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on all goods being brought into the U-S from Canada and Mexico, Iowa's two largest trading partners. 

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley predicts it will likely mean Iowa consumers will soon start having to pay more for a wide range of products. Grassley expects both nations to impose their own tariffs on products from the U-S. Iowa businesses ship more products to Canada than anywhere else, while Mexico is Iowa’s second-largest trading partner. Grassley says he's already hearing from Iowa hog farmers about the tariffs, especially those who get baby pigs from Canada.

 Iowa sends all types of products to our neighbors to the north and south, including: pork, beef, corn, dried distillers grains, soybeans, soybean meal, and ethanol.

(Radio Iowa) - At one minute past midnight Tuesday morning, President Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on all goods being brought into the U-S from Canada and Mexico, Iowa's two largest trading partners. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley predicts it will likely mean Iowa consumers will soon start having to pay more for a wide range of products. Grassley expects both nations to impose their own tariffs on products from the U-S. Iowa businesses ship more products to Canada than anywhere else, while Mexico is Iowa’s second-largest trading partner. Grassley says he's already hearing from Iowa hog farmers about the tariffs, especially those who get baby pigs from Canada. Iowa sends all types of products to our neighbors to the north and south, including: pork, beef, corn, dried distillers grains, soybeans, soybean meal, and ethanol.

Grassley: Tariffs on Iowa's biggest trading allies may impact profits

U.S. pork exports to Central America were record-large last year, breaking previous highs in both volume and value. Lucia Ruano represents the U.S. Meat Export Federation in Central America. Ruano says consumer education programs, made possible through support from USDA and the National Pork Board, have helped position U.S. pork as a high-quality, center-of-the-plate protein. The record performance was achieved despite some obstacles in Panama, which has imposed a cap on pork imports that is inconsistent with its obligations under the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement. 

This has frustrated importers in Panama and led to some product shortages, including pork ribs sought by the country’s restaurants. U.S. pork has full, duty-free access to all other Central American countries under a separate Free Trade Agreement. In 2024, pork exports to Central America increased 21 percent, reaching 166,000 metric tons. Export value climbed 29 percent to $523 million.

U.S. pork exports to Central America were record-large last year, breaking previous highs in both volume and value. Lucia Ruano represents the U.S. Meat Export Federation in Central America. Ruano says consumer education programs, made possible through support from USDA and the National Pork Board, have helped position U.S. pork as a high-quality, center-of-the-plate protein. The record performance was achieved despite some obstacles in Panama, which has imposed a cap on pork imports that is inconsistent with its obligations under the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement. This has frustrated importers in Panama and led to some product shortages, including pork ribs sought by the country’s restaurants. U.S. pork has full, duty-free access to all other Central American countries under a separate Free Trade Agreement. In 2024, pork exports to Central America increased 21 percent, reaching 166,000 metric tons. Export value climbed 29 percent to $523 million.

U.S. pork exports to Central America reach record levels

Yet another major winter storm is set to hit the area tonight (Tues) into tomorrow morning (Wed.). 

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning between 9pm tonight until 5am tomorrow morning.  

Senior Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill Chris Bowman says the most dangerous part of this storm will be the heavy winds. 

"We might see some dangerous wind gusts of 60 to 70 miles per hour with this really powerful storm system," Bowman tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "The secondary thing is the snow fall, and up there it looks like you could get several inches of snow." 

Bowman says with those high winds and blowing snow will come reduced visibility 

"Near whiteout conditions with falling and blowing snow, so people on interstates that's going to be problematic for people driving and not being able to see very far," Bowman explains.  "One of the criteria for a blizzard is visibility less than a quarter mile, and that's in the realm of possibility with this system." 

Bowman advises that if anyone is traveling and gets stuck in this storm, slow down and increase your driving distance to avoid any accidents.  

Bowman says blizzard warnings like this are not super frequent 

"Every four to six years you might get a storm that strong," Bowman says.  "For this particular system, I've been in the Kansas City office since 2009, and I can't remember a system as strong as this one producing the magnitude of winds for as long as we have forecast." 

The National Weather Service is projecting around one to three inches of snow to fall during this storm. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Yet another major winter storm is set to hit the area tonight (Tues) into tomorrow morning (Wed.). The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning between 9pm tonight until 5am tomorrow morning. Senior Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill Chris Bowman says the most dangerous part of this storm will be the heavy winds. "We might see some dangerous wind gusts of 60 to 70 miles per hour with this really powerful storm system," Bowman tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "The secondary thing is the snow fall, and up there it looks like you could get several inches of snow." Bowman says with those high winds and blowing snow will come reduced visibility "Near whiteout conditions with falling and blowing snow, so people on interstates that's going to be problematic for people driving and not being able to see very far," Bowman explains. "One of the criteria for a blizzard is visibility less than a quarter mile, and that's in the realm of possibility with this system." Bowman advises that if anyone is traveling and gets stuck in this storm, slow down and increase your driving distance to avoid any accidents. Bowman says blizzard warnings like this are not super frequent "Every four to six years you might get a storm that strong," Bowman says. "For this particular system, I've been in the Kansas City office since 2009, and I can't remember a system as strong as this one producing the magnitude of winds for as long as we have forecast." The National Weather Service is projecting around one to three inches of snow to fall during this storm.

National Weather Service issues blizzard warning

Gov. Mike Kehoe
has appointed two more members of the Missouri Western State University Board of
Governors.

Kehoe has
appointed Scott Albers of Country Club to the board.

Albers is the
president of Public Refrigerated Warehousing at Nor-Am Cold Storage and has
served in leadership roles at the company since 2009. Albers serves on the
board of the Global Cold Chain Alliance and previously held roles with the
Greater St. Joseph United Way and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce.

Albers earned a
Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master
of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Business.

Kehoe also
appointed Todd Michalski of St. Joseph to the Missouri Western Board of
Governors.

Michalski is the
senior vice president of sales and marketing at Gray Manufacturing Company. He
serves as a board member for the Missouri Western State University Foundation
and the Automotive Lift Institute.

Michalski is an
alumnus of Missouri Western. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration and minor in Marketing and Management from MWSU. 

Kehoe earlier
appointed Bill Severn to the MWSU Board of Governors.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostGov. Mike Kehoe
has appointed two more members of the Missouri Western State University Board of
Governors.Kehoe has
appointed Scott Albers of Country Club to the board.Albers is the
president of Public Refrigerated Warehousing at Nor-Am Cold Storage and has
served in leadership roles at the company since 2009. Albers serves on the
board of the Global Cold Chain Alliance and previously held roles with the
Greater St. Joseph United Way and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce.Albers earned a
Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master
of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Business.Kehoe also
appointed Todd Michalski of St. Joseph to the Missouri Western Board of
Governors.Michalski is the
senior vice president of sales and marketing at Gray Manufacturing Company. He
serves as a board member for the Missouri Western State University Foundation
and the Automotive Lift Institute.Michalski is an
alumnus of Missouri Western. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration and minor in Marketing and Management from MWSU. Kehoe earlier
appointed Bill Severn to the MWSU Board of Governors.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Gov. Kehoe appoints 2 more to MWSU Board of Governors

‘I hope people really feel how meaningful this is,’ said Dr. Iman Alsaden, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Plains who on Monday performed the first abortions in years at the Columbia clinic

COLUMBIA — The doors of the only Planned Parenthood clinic in mid-Missouri opened up on Monday morning just like they have since 1970.&nbsp;

But for the first time since 2018, pregnant women from central Missouri received an abortion at their local clinic instead of traveling across state lines.

By 10 a.m., the first two patients had received ultrasounds to confirm gestational age and were provided with educational materials in preparation for their abortions.&nbsp;By day’s end, a total of four women received dilation and curettage procedures in which the embryo or fetus (depending on the gestational age) is removed from the uterus using suction.

“I hope people really feel how meaningful this is,” said Dr. Iman Alsaden, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which runs the Columbia clinic.

Missouri’s first elective abortion since voters in November enshrined reproductive rights into the state constitution was performed last month in Kansas City. But Monday’s procedures mark a turning point as the first time abortion has been available outside the major metro areas of the state since well before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal abortion protections.

Even a year ago, as they were helping gather signatures and advocate for the abortion-rights amendment, Alsadan said the idea of restoring access in in Columbia was “completely unbelievable.”&nbsp;

Alsadan is one of five physicians at Planned Parenthood Great Plains who perform abortions across their Kansas and Missouri clinics. On Monday, they drove in from Kansas City to help re-start the procedure and re-train staff in Columbia who for the past several years have only been providing family planning services, STI testing and treatment and cancer screenings.

So did Macy Thompson, a registered nurse based in the Overland Park, Kansas, clinic who made the trek to assist Columbia staff Monday. Her job was to help prepare patients before the procedure and then provide them with the information they needed once it was completed.&nbsp;

Her bright pink hair matched her scrubs as she sat at a desk inside the two-person recovery room Monday morning. She had recently told the first patients about what medication was available to them ahead of the procedure. Then Thompson informed them of common symptoms post-procedure, like cramping and some bleeding.

Beside her were “goody bags” for the patients: pads, underwear, a heat pack and “a big handful of condoms, just in case.” In the corner a speaker played music. She usually takes requests from patients.&nbsp;

“It’s not the fanciest,” Thompson said. “But we try to do a lot for comfort.”

Thompson considers herself more than a nurse. She also described her role as “a receiver of narratives.”&nbsp;

Many of the patients are having a bad day, she said. But not every story is sad, and she often reminds patients that they don’t have to justify their decision.

Her last parting gift to patients before they head home?

“I’m a big hugger,” Thompson said. “That’s the final step of the abortion process. Or a high-five.”

By late afternoon, the inside of the clinic was quiet. In the waiting room, at least 100 colorfully wrapped condoms sat in a plastic tub. Pamphlets on puberty, sex education, birth control, HIV and syphilis lined a wall.&nbsp;

Health center manager Krissy Lincoln sat at the front desk. Purple earrings with the words “Pro Choice AF” dangled above her shoulders.&nbsp;

“It’s a normal doctor’s office clinic,” she said. “It’s nothing that is unusual. It’s just a scary word — abortion — that people don’t like.”

The only obvious difference was a computer screen with a live video stream of the entrance to the clinic, including a view of some of the protesters gathered outside.&nbsp;

Protesters, or sidewalk counselors, aren’t uncommon outside the Columbia clinic. On Monday, about 20 people gathered outside the clinic’s tall fence in rotations. Many have been coming to pray outside the clinic for years.&nbsp;

“You have another choice,” one said through the fence to a patient walking into the clinic beside a volunteer Planned Parenthood clinic escort who shielded them from view with an umbrella.&nbsp;

Some cars honked in support. Others blared angry blasts as passengers shouted out windows at the small crowd.

“Get a life,” a passerby yelled as Connie Gerling, a longtime volunteer with 40 Days for Life, bowed her head and prayed.

She repeated one verse to herself on several occasions Monday: “Everything is possible with God.”&nbsp;

“Who decides when a baby is a baby?” she asked. “God made that decision.”&nbsp;

Bonnie Lee, a retired registered nurse who has been taking up residence outside the Columbia clinic since 2009, felt the heaviness of the day as she stood beside a rotation of about 20 other anti-abortion volunteers who rotated in and out Monday, watching as staff members walked in and out of the building.

“I pray for them because they cannot comprehend what they’re bringing down on themselves,” she said. “Whether it’s in this life or afterwards.”&nbsp;

Lee remains confident that abortion won’t remain legal for long.&nbsp;

“I believe a referendum on truth is out there,” she said, emphasizing her belief that a judge’s recent ruling dissolved all oversight of Planned Parenthood clinics.&nbsp;

Last month, Jackson County judge Jerri Zhang&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/14/missouri-judge-blocks-discriminatory-abortion-clinics-rules-blamed-for-lack-of-access/">struck down the final few regulations for Missouri abortion providers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/14/missouri-judge-blocks-discriminatory-abortion-clinics-rules-blamed-for-lack-of-access/">calling them “unnecessary” and “discriminatory.”</a>&nbsp;This order opened the door for abortions to resume at every clinic in Missouri, though&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/28/planned-parenthood-abortion-appointments-columbia-kansas-city/">only the clinics in Kansas City and Columbia have re-started the procedure.&nbsp;</a>

The state previously imposed licensing laws on Planned Parenthood clinics that the organization cited as so burdensome that they weren’t able to continue offering the procedure at most of their Missouri clinics even before abortion was outlawed in 2022.&nbsp;

This included a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between seeing a provider and having the same provider perform the abortion and a requirement that physicians performing the procedure have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.&nbsp;

Abortion opponents, including Lee, often cite a 2018 state health inspection report at the Columbia clinic that found tubing used in procedural abortions contained “black mold and bodily fluid.” Planned Parenthood officials have disputed the characterization of the inspection and later said the equipment had been replaced and the issue resolved.

When Vicki Casey started at Planned Parenthood’s Columbia clinic in 2005, she said state inspections weren’t nearly as “politicized” or “weaponized.”&nbsp;

Now director of centralized operations for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, Casey said the two-decade difference is stark. A few years into the job, she noticed more protesters gathering outside, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. Inspection reports were “a little more over the top.” Each year, the job got harder as abortion regulations approved by the anti-abortion legislature piled on.&nbsp;

Patients took the brunt of the burden, Casey said.&nbsp;

Suddenly patients had to scramble to take off work twice, get child care twice, find funds to travel to the clinic twice. In 2018 the clinic ended abortions because it could no longer meet a state requirement that doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges at a hospital no more than 15 minutes from the clinic and the clinic’s license expired.&nbsp;

Casey called the decision “devastating.”&nbsp;

Their goal is to get patients in and out in two hours. Prior to 2018, Casey said it took between four and six hours to get a patient through for an abortion procedure, pointing to the consent laws that slowed the process.&nbsp;

She’s stuck it out for two decades despite the near-constant changes.&nbsp;

“You have to believe in what you do,” Casey said. “I believe that abortion is health care and that there’s no difference between that and the other things that we do here.”&nbsp;

When Emily Wales, now CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, started at the organization nearly eight years ago, she recalled a patient who lived about 30 minutes outside Columbia calling to push her appointment to later in the day after her child care plans fell through. The clinic adjusted her appointment time, and the woman came in later that day for her abortion before making it home in time to pick her kids up again.&nbsp;

“It’s the best example of why care has to be close,” Wales said, adding that for the first time in years, mid-Missourians are among the growing number of people who have reasonable access to an abortion clinic.

Zhang’s ruling, Wales said, put Planned Parenthood clinics on the same playing field as private OBGYN offices rather than holding them to similar standards as hospitals.&nbsp;

She said while the clinic itself is no longer licensed by the state, the physicians and nurses inside the building are, and they are instructed by oversight boards. She said the clinic also has to abide by requirements in order to keep its lab license, as well as municipal building codes.&nbsp;

“We’re just like going to your normal doctor’s office without an additional level of state oversight,” she said, adding that their equipment is inspected on a regular basis through an infection control process.&nbsp;

It’s a bit hard to believe abortion has returned to the clinic, Wales said, though the fight is far from over.&nbsp;

Planned Parenthood is still waiting on the state to approve or reject a complication plan for medication abortions, the most common type of abortion and the method preferred by most patients still in their first trimester.

She’s also closely watching the state’s elected officials.&nbsp;

This legislative session, dozens of bills have been filed seeking to restrict abortion rights. This includes multiple proposed constitutional amendments seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/05/missouri-abortion-ban-constitutional-amendment-stinnett-rape-incest-exception/">put an abortion ban on the ballot as soon as this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

Wales oversees the Planned Parenthood affiliate where in 2009 Dr. George Tiller, an abortion doctor in Kansas, was shot and killed while attending church. She worries about the anti-abortion rhetoric she hears on a regular basis.

“When you have the state’s attorney general saying that Planned Parenthood should be eradicated or eliminated,” Wales said. “That kind of language does incite others potentially to violence.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741103208726.png" alt="Dr. Iman Alsaden, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, stands outside a procedure room on Monday after performing the first elective abortion in Columbia since 2018 (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Iman Alsaden, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, stands outside a procedure room on Monday after performing the first elective abortion in Columbia since 2018 (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘I hope people really feel how meaningful this is,’ said Dr. Iman Alsaden, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Plains who on Monday performed the first abortions in years at the Columbia clinic</h2>COLUMBIA — The doors of the only Planned Parenthood clinic in mid-Missouri opened up on Monday morning just like they have since 1970.&nbsp;But for the first time since 2018, pregnant women from central Missouri received an abortion at their local clinic instead of traveling across state lines.By 10 a.m., the first two patients had received ultrasounds to confirm gestational age and were provided with educational materials in preparation for their abortions.&nbsp;By day’s end, a total of four women received dilation and curettage procedures in which the embryo or fetus (depending on the gestational age) is removed from the uterus using suction.“I hope people really feel how meaningful this is,” said Dr. Iman Alsaden, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which runs the Columbia clinic.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741103177243.png" alt=" An abortion procedure room pictured on Monday at Planned Parenthood in Columbia, Missouri (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> An abortion procedure room pictured on Monday at Planned Parenthood in Columbia, Missouri (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri’s first elective abortion since voters in November enshrined reproductive rights into the state constitution was performed last month in Kansas City. But Monday’s procedures mark a turning point as the first time abortion has been available outside the major metro areas of the state since well before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal abortion protections.Even a year ago, as they were helping gather signatures and advocate for the abortion-rights amendment, Alsadan said the idea of restoring access in in Columbia was “completely unbelievable.”&nbsp;Alsadan is one of five physicians at Planned Parenthood Great Plains who perform abortions across their Kansas and Missouri clinics. On Monday, they drove in from Kansas City to help re-start the procedure and re-train staff in Columbia who for the past several years have only been providing family planning services, STI testing and treatment and cancer screenings.So did Macy Thompson, a registered nurse based in the Overland Park, Kansas, clinic who made the trek to assist Columbia staff Monday. Her job was to help prepare patients before the procedure and then provide them with the information they needed once it was completed.&nbsp;Her bright pink hair matched her scrubs as she sat at a desk inside the two-person recovery room Monday morning. She had recently told the first patients about what medication was available to them ahead of the procedure. Then Thompson informed them of common symptoms post-procedure, like cramping and some bleeding.Beside her were “goody bags” for the patients: pads, underwear, a heat pack and “a big handful of condoms, just in case.” In the corner a speaker played music. She usually takes requests from patients.&nbsp;“It’s not the fanciest,” Thompson said. “But we try to do a lot for comfort.”Thompson considers herself more than a nurse. She also described her role as “a receiver of narratives.”&nbsp;Many of the patients are having a bad day, she said. But not every story is sad, and she often reminds patients that they don’t have to justify their decision.Her last parting gift to patients before they head home?“I’m a big hugger,” Thompson said. “That’s the final step of the abortion process. Or a high-five.”By late afternoon, the inside of the clinic was quiet. In the waiting room, at least 100 colorfully wrapped condoms sat in a plastic tub. Pamphlets on puberty, sex education, birth control, HIV and syphilis lined a wall.&nbsp;Health center manager Krissy Lincoln sat at the front desk. Purple earrings with the words “Pro Choice AF” dangled above her shoulders.&nbsp;“It’s a normal doctor’s office clinic,” she said. “It’s nothing that is unusual. It’s just a scary word — abortion — that people don’t like.”The only obvious difference was a computer screen with a live video stream of the entrance to the clinic, including a view of some of the protesters gathered outside.&nbsp;Protesters, or sidewalk counselors, aren’t uncommon outside the Columbia clinic. On Monday, about 20 people gathered outside the clinic’s tall fence in rotations. Many have been coming to pray outside the clinic for years.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741103135177.png" alt="Connie Gerling, with 40 Days for Life, prays as she stands outside the Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic on Monday. A sign beside her reads: “We Care. We can Help” (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Connie Gerling, with 40 Days for Life, prays as she stands outside the Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic on Monday. A sign beside her reads: “We Care. We can Help” (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>“You have another choice,” one said through the fence to a patient walking into the clinic beside a volunteer Planned Parenthood clinic escort who shielded them from view with an umbrella.&nbsp;Some cars honked in support. Others blared angry blasts as passengers shouted out windows at the small crowd.“Get a life,” a passerby yelled as Connie Gerling, a longtime volunteer with 40 Days for Life, bowed her head and prayed.She repeated one verse to herself on several occasions Monday: “Everything is possible with God.”&nbsp;“Who decides when a baby is a baby?” she asked. “God made that decision.”&nbsp;Bonnie Lee, a retired registered nurse who has been taking up residence outside the Columbia clinic since 2009, felt the heaviness of the day as she stood beside a rotation of about 20 other anti-abortion volunteers who rotated in and out Monday, watching as staff members walked in and out of the building.“I pray for them because they cannot comprehend what they’re bringing down on themselves,” she said. “Whether it’s in this life or afterwards.”&nbsp;Lee remains confident that abortion won’t remain legal for long.&nbsp;“I believe a referendum on truth is out there,” she said, emphasizing her belief that a judge’s recent ruling dissolved all oversight of Planned Parenthood clinics.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741103083728.png" alt=" Longtime anti-abortion activist Bonnie Lee stands outside the Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic on Monday. “At the same time that I get so frustrated, I have to remember the judgement they’re calling down on themselves,” she said of those involved with abortions inside the clinic (Anna Spoerre/Missouri" />
 <figcaption> Longtime anti-abortion activist Bonnie Lee stands outside the Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic on Monday. “At the same time that I get so frustrated, I have to remember the judgement they’re calling down on themselves,” she said of those involved with abortions inside the clinic (Anna Spoerre/Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>Last month, Jackson County judge Jerri Zhang&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/14/missouri-judge-blocks-discriminatory-abortion-clinics-rules-blamed-for-lack-of-access/">struck down the final few regulations for Missouri abortion providers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/14/missouri-judge-blocks-discriminatory-abortion-clinics-rules-blamed-for-lack-of-access/">calling them “unnecessary” and “discriminatory.”</a>&nbsp;This order opened the door for abortions to resume at every clinic in Missouri, though&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/28/planned-parenthood-abortion-appointments-columbia-kansas-city/">only the clinics in Kansas City and Columbia have re-started the procedure.&nbsp;</a>The state previously imposed licensing laws on Planned Parenthood clinics that the organization cited as so burdensome that they weren’t able to continue offering the procedure at most of their Missouri clinics even before abortion was outlawed in 2022.&nbsp;This included a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between seeing a provider and having the same provider perform the abortion and a requirement that physicians performing the procedure have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.&nbsp;Abortion opponents, including Lee, often cite a 2018 state health inspection report at the Columbia clinic that found tubing used in procedural abortions contained “black mold and bodily fluid.” Planned Parenthood officials have disputed the characterization of the inspection and later said the equipment had been replaced and the issue resolved.When Vicki Casey started at Planned Parenthood’s Columbia clinic in 2005, she said state inspections weren’t nearly as “politicized” or “weaponized.”&nbsp;Now director of centralized operations for Planned Parenthood Great Plains, Casey said the two-decade difference is stark. A few years into the job, she noticed more protesters gathering outside, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. Inspection reports were “a little more over the top.” Each year, the job got harder as abortion regulations approved by the anti-abortion legislature piled on.&nbsp;Patients took the brunt of the burden, Casey said.&nbsp;Suddenly patients had to scramble to take off work twice, get child care twice, find funds to travel to the clinic twice. In 2018 the clinic ended abortions because it could no longer meet a state requirement that doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges at a hospital no more than 15 minutes from the clinic and the clinic’s license expired.&nbsp;Casey called the decision “devastating.”&nbsp;Monday was anything but for her.&nbsp;Their goal is to get patients in and out in two hours. Prior to 2018, Casey said it took between four and six hours to get a patient through for an abortion procedure, pointing to the consent laws that slowed the process.&nbsp;She’s stuck it out for two decades despite the near-constant changes.&nbsp;“You have to believe in what you do,” Casey said. “I believe that abortion is health care and that there’s no difference between that and the other things that we do here.”&nbsp;When Emily Wales, now CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, started at the organization nearly eight years ago, she recalled a patient who lived about 30 minutes outside Columbia calling to push her appointment to later in the day after her child care plans fell through. The clinic adjusted her appointment time, and the woman came in later that day for her abortion before making it home in time to pick her kids up again.&nbsp;“It’s the best example of why care has to be close,” Wales said, adding that for the first time in years, mid-Missourians are among the growing number of people who have reasonable access to an abortion clinic.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741103037580.png" alt="Emily Wales, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains (right) takes a shift as a clinic escort with Vicki Casey director of centralized operations, on March 3, 2025, outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Emily Wales, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains (right) takes a shift as a clinic escort with Vicki Casey director of centralized operations, on March 3, 2025, outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Columbia (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Zhang’s ruling, Wales said, put Planned Parenthood clinics on the same playing field as private OBGYN offices rather than holding them to similar standards as hospitals.&nbsp;She said while the clinic itself is no longer licensed by the state, the physicians and nurses inside the building are, and they are instructed by oversight boards. She said the clinic also has to abide by requirements in order to keep its lab license, as well as municipal building codes.&nbsp;“We’re just like going to your normal doctor’s office without an additional level of state oversight,” she said, adding that their equipment is inspected on a regular basis through an infection control process.&nbsp;It’s a bit hard to believe abortion has returned to the clinic, Wales said, though the fight is far from over.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood is still waiting on the state to approve or reject a complication plan for medication abortions, the most common type of abortion and the method preferred by most patients still in their first trimester.She’s also closely watching the state’s elected officials.&nbsp;This legislative session, dozens of bills have been filed seeking to restrict abortion rights. This includes multiple proposed constitutional amendments seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/05/missouri-abortion-ban-constitutional-amendment-stinnett-rape-incest-exception/">put an abortion ban on the ballot as soon as this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>Wales oversees the Planned Parenthood affiliate where in 2009 Dr. George Tiller, an abortion doctor in Kansas, was shot and killed while attending church. She worries about the anti-abortion rhetoric she hears on a regular basis.“When you have the state’s attorney general saying that Planned Parenthood should be eradicated or eliminated,” Wales said. “That kind of language does incite others potentially to violence.”

Abortion returns to Columbia, opening access for mid-Missouri for first time since 2018

(Radio Iowa) - Republicans on the Iowa House Health and Human Services Committee have voted to limit what Iowans using government SNAP benefits may buy. 

The bill originally had a permitted list of groceries like "real" eggs, meat and milk as well as bread and pasta and peanut butter and nuts. Republican Representative Carter Nordman of Adel has proposed adjusting the bill, to limit SNAP purchases to "healthy foods." He says obesity related diseases often affect low income individuals at a much higher rate and the move will promote better eating habits in kids who live in households that quality for federal food assistance. 

Democrats on the committee voted against the bill. They argued it's difficult to find affordable healthy food, like fresh fruits and vegetables, in rural Iowa stores and in urban areas as well.

(Radio Iowa) - Republicans on the Iowa House Health and Human Services Committee have voted to limit what Iowans using government SNAP benefits may buy. The bill originally had a permitted list of groceries like "real" eggs, meat and milk as well as bread and pasta and peanut butter and nuts. Republican Representative Carter Nordman of Adel has proposed adjusting the bill, to limit SNAP purchases to "healthy foods." He says obesity related diseases often affect low income individuals at a much higher rate and the move will promote better eating habits in kids who live in households that quality for federal food assistance. Democrats on the committee voted against the bill. They argued it's difficult to find affordable healthy food, like fresh fruits and vegetables, in rural Iowa stores and in urban areas as well.

Bill seeks to limit SNAP purchases to 'healthy foods'

(Radio Iowa) - A bill to make it a crime to administer M-R-N-A vaccines in Iowa -- like the Moderna and Pfizer COVID shots -- has cleared initial review in the Iowa Senate. 

However, the bill's sponsor plans to adjust the legislation and instead give Iowans a route to sue M-R-N-A vaccine manufacturers. Iowa medical groups and the association that represents Iowa pharmacists oppose the bill. 

According to the Iowa Biotechnology Association, there are Iowa companies doing research on M-R-N-A vaccines for both humans and animals -- including development of a bird flu vaccine.

(Radio Iowa) - A bill to make it a crime to administer M-R-N-A vaccines in Iowa -- like the Moderna and Pfizer COVID shots -- has cleared initial review in the Iowa Senate. However, the bill's sponsor plans to adjust the legislation and instead give Iowans a route to sue M-R-N-A vaccine manufacturers. Iowa medical groups and the association that represents Iowa pharmacists oppose the bill. According to the Iowa Biotechnology Association, there are Iowa companies doing research on M-R-N-A vaccines for both humans and animals -- including development of a bird flu vaccine.

Bill would essentially ban COVID-19 shots and other mRNA vaccines in Iowa

St. Joseph, MO –&nbsp;As marketing and media evolve at lightning speed, Eagle
Media&nbsp;is stepping up to help local businesses stay ahead. On March 11, the
company will host a free Lunch &amp; Learn&nbsp;at the Albrecht Kemper Museum
of Art, focusing on AI’s growing influence on search, SEO, and modern marketing
strategies.

“Marketing and media are moving so quickly,”
said Liby Waltemath, General Manager of Eagle Media. “I’m glad we can host
these free events to support our local business community. They’re informative,
and fun. I love hearing the growth strategies people are using.”

The session begins at 11 AM&nbsp;in the museum’s
lower-level theater, where attendees will gain insights from local business
leaders&nbsp;who have successfully adapted their digital marketing strategies.
A catered lunch will follow at 12 PM, providing a great opportunity to network
and discuss innovative approaches in today’s fast-changing marketing landscape.

Seats are limited, so early registration is
encouraged. For more details or to reserve your spot, Click <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/c2fae922-e85f-48d7-b81b-13dc71325700#//">HERE</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739543724297.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>St. Joseph, MO –&nbsp;As marketing and media evolve at lightning speed, Eagle
Media&nbsp;is stepping up to help local businesses stay ahead. On March 11, the
company will host a free Lunch &amp; Learn&nbsp;at the Albrecht Kemper Museum
of Art, focusing on AI’s growing influence on search, SEO, and modern marketing
strategies.“Marketing and media are moving so quickly,”
said Liby Waltemath, General Manager of Eagle Media. “I’m glad we can host
these free events to support our local business community. They’re informative,
and fun. I love hearing the growth strategies people are using.”The session begins at 11 AM&nbsp;in the museum’s
lower-level theater, where attendees will gain insights from local business
leaders&nbsp;who have successfully adapted their digital marketing strategies.
A catered lunch will follow at 12 PM, providing a great opportunity to network
and discuss innovative approaches in today’s fast-changing marketing landscape.Seats are limited, so early registration is
encouraged. For more details or to reserve your spot, Click <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/c2fae922-e85f-48d7-b81b-13dc71325700#//">HERE</a>.

Eagle Media Hosts Free Lunch & Learn on AI and Modern Marketing

As they revise the $54 billion spending plan proposed by Gov. Mike Kehoe, lawmakers are striking out money unused in major programs, trimming others as they pack new items into spending bills

BY:&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>

A Missouri House budget subcommittee slashed more than $300 million from agency budgets Monday, which the chairman said is intended to align spending authority with actual spending.

Another budget subcommittee, also meeting Monday, cut $59.5 million more in general revenue from several agencies, earmarking the money instead for local projects that include&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/28/missouri-governor-slashes-1-billion-from-state-budget-approved-by-lawmakers/">several that were vetoed last year</a>.

The Subcommittee on Appropriations – Agriculture, Conservation, Natural Resources and Economic Development went first and state Rep. Darin Chappell, the chairman, said most of the cuts target lapsed funds — money appropriated but not actually spent — and should have no impact on agency operations.

Other cuts, he said, target earmarked funds that agencies say they do not need and did not request.

“Our job is to go through and find out where the money is being spent, where it’s actually going, and what it’s returning on the investment,” said Chappell, a Republican from Rogersville. “There is no ability for us to exercise legislative oversight if the budget is so muddied that we cannot see where the funds are actually going.”

The subcommittee was the first of five that are recommending changes to the $53.7 billion budget&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/28/gov-mike-kehoe-dips-deeply-into-surplus-as-missouri-budget-grows-to-nearly-54-billion/">submitted in January</a>&nbsp;by Gov. Mike Kehoe. When they are finished, the full House Budget Committee will decide whether to accept the changes as part of the spending plan sent to the House for debate.

Subcommittees meeting Tuesday will make recommendations for funding education, social services and health programs, among others.

The budget, which must be completed one week before the session ends, is moving faster than many recent years. The House gave first-round approval Monday to a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/27/budget-committee-sends-2-billion-supplemental-spending-bill-to-missouri-house/">$2 billion supplemental spending bill</a>&nbsp;for the current fiscal year, which includes $14 million for Area Agencies on Aging, which could run out of funds for senior meals and transportation by the end of the month.

Both subcommittees meeting Monday made cuts based on lapsed funds. Unlike Chappell’s subcommittee, which did not spend its cuts in other areas, the Subcommittee on Appropriations – Public Safety, Corrections, Transportation and Revenue redirected most of its cuts to earmarks.

During fiscal 2024, which ended June 30, lawmakers appropriated $52.4 billion for day-to-day operations of state government but agencies only spent $41.1 billion, or 78.4% of the total.

The cuts approved in Chappell’s subcommittee include:

The water infrastructure grants and loans are financed with dedicated funds that cannot be spent anywhere else.&nbsp;

“Is DNR ok with this or not?” state Rep. Jim Kalberloh, a Republican from Lowry City asked Chappell.

“Probably not,” Chappell replied. “I’ve talked to them, and I’m sure I’ll be talking to them very shortly here.”

The $15 million cut to the Department of Economic Development was on a list of items, totaling $144 million, that Chappell said the agency did not request or want.&nbsp;

“They’ve been moved around the budget, and I’m going after all of them,” Chappell said.

The $9.6 million grant was included last year for the&nbsp;<a href="https://blogs.umsl.edu/news/2025/01/27/api-innovation-center-funding-from-missouri-department-of-economic-development/" target="_blank">University of Missouri-St. Louis</a>&nbsp;to partner with a not-for-profit to develop processes for making pharmaceutical ingredients that are mainly made overseas. The $5.4 million was directed&nbsp;<a href="https://engineering.missouri.edu/2022/mizzou-engineers-develop-new-method-to-design-semiconductors/" target="_blank">to the university’s Columbia campus</a>&nbsp;to promote computer chip manufacturing in the state.

When departments point out places where they have excess spending authority or unwanted earmarks, the subcommittee’s job is easier, Chappell said.

“If the departments would bring me the squishy stuff, I’m happy to not dig into the heavier stuff if I don’t have to right away,” he said.

The general revenue cuts made in the second subcommittee to meet, chaired by Republican state Rep. Donnie Brown of New Madrid, were generally less than $1 million from any single budget line. The exceptions include $30.7 million for rail grade crossing improvements and $4 million from a transportation cost-share program.

The 32 earmarked items added include $1.15 million for grants to 16 volunteer fire departments, as well as $37.5 million for projects vetoed last year, including $8 million for a police training facility in O’Fallon and $5 million for the New Madrid Port Authority.

The subcommittee also tapped the state Highway Fund to earmark $88 million for improvements to U.S. Highway 412 in the Bootheel and $100 million for rural routes.

Brown’s subcommittee also recommended a major change in the language controlling how $1.4 billion of state tax funds are used for highway improvements. When first set aside in 2023, the money was part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/05/missouri-lawmakers-approve-largest-budget-in-state-history-almost-51-billion/">$2.8 billion plan</a>&nbsp;for widening Interstate 70.

The language change, proposed by state Rep. Don Mayhew, a Republican from Crocker, would make the money generally available for any road project.

Very little of the $1.4 billion has actually been spent because current work is being financed with bonds. The original set-aside has grown by $40 million because of accrued interest.

The change means the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission may keep the money in the I-70 project or redirect it, Mayhew said.&nbsp;

“We have a new (federal) highway act that will be coming out in the next couple of years, and we will need significant match money to be able to achieve some of the things, the goals that are going to be directed to us,” Mayhew said.

In an interview after the subcommittee meeting, Chappell said he will continue to push to reduce lines where a substantial amount of money isn’t being spent.

“When I see it year over year over year, they’re clearly not spending it, and that budget should reflect what we’re actually doing,” Chappell said.

During the subcommittee meeting, Chappell said he will listen if departments show why the money should remain in the budget.

“If I see any department that has lapse year over year over year, and I suggest that half of that be pulled away in appropriation authority, it’s not the equivalent of me trying to sacrifice somebody’s child on the courthouse steps,” he said, “but I’m open to discussion when the hearing is over.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741093253664.png" alt=" State Rep. Darin Chappell of Rogersville speaks in March 2024 during Missouri House floor debate (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption> State Rep. Darin Chappell of Rogersville speaks in March 2024 during Missouri House floor debate (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>As they revise the $54 billion spending plan proposed by Gov. Mike Kehoe, lawmakers are striking out money unused in major programs, trimming others as they pack new items into spending bills</h2>BY:&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>A Missouri House budget subcommittee slashed more than $300 million from agency budgets Monday, which the chairman said is intended to align spending authority with actual spending.Another budget subcommittee, also meeting Monday, cut $59.5 million more in general revenue from several agencies, earmarking the money instead for local projects that include&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/28/missouri-governor-slashes-1-billion-from-state-budget-approved-by-lawmakers/">several that were vetoed last year</a>.The Subcommittee on Appropriations – Agriculture, Conservation, Natural Resources and Economic Development went first and state Rep. Darin Chappell, the chairman, said most of the cuts target lapsed funds — money appropriated but not actually spent — and should have no impact on agency operations.Other cuts, he said, target earmarked funds that agencies say they do not need and did not request.“Our job is to go through and find out where the money is being spent, where it’s actually going, and what it’s returning on the investment,” said Chappell, a Republican from Rogersville. “There is no ability for us to exercise legislative oversight if the budget is so muddied that we cannot see where the funds are actually going.”The subcommittee was the first of five that are recommending changes to the $53.7 billion budget&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/28/gov-mike-kehoe-dips-deeply-into-surplus-as-missouri-budget-grows-to-nearly-54-billion/">submitted in January</a>&nbsp;by Gov. Mike Kehoe. When they are finished, the full House Budget Committee will decide whether to accept the changes as part of the spending plan sent to the House for debate.Subcommittees meeting Tuesday will make recommendations for funding education, social services and health programs, among others.The budget, which must be completed one week before the session ends, is moving faster than many recent years. The House gave first-round approval Monday to a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/27/budget-committee-sends-2-billion-supplemental-spending-bill-to-missouri-house/">$2 billion supplemental spending bill</a>&nbsp;for the current fiscal year, which includes $14 million for Area Agencies on Aging, which could run out of funds for senior meals and transportation by the end of the month.Both subcommittees meeting Monday made cuts based on lapsed funds. Unlike Chappell’s subcommittee, which did not spend its cuts in other areas, the Subcommittee on Appropriations – Public Safety, Corrections, Transportation and Revenue redirected most of its cuts to earmarks.During fiscal 2024, which ended June 30, lawmakers appropriated $52.4 billion for day-to-day operations of state government but agencies only spent $41.1 billion, or 78.4% of the total.The cuts approved in Chappell’s subcommittee include:<ul>
 <li>$280 million from Department of Natural Resources water and energy projects. Most of the cut, $250 million, is from water infrastructure grants and loans, where between $405 million and $695 million has been unspent in each of the past three years.</li><li>$15 million from the Department of Economic Development, with $9.6 million from a program to promote pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing and $5.4 million from a program to promote semiconductor manufacturing. Both items were added as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/27/state-budget-loaded-with-earmarks-nears-deadline-for-action-by-missouri-gov-mike-parson/">earmarks in last year’s budget</a>.</li><li>$20 million from administration at the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.</li>
 </ul>The water infrastructure grants and loans are financed with dedicated funds that cannot be spent anywhere else.&nbsp;“Is DNR ok with this or not?” state Rep. Jim Kalberloh, a Republican from Lowry City asked Chappell.“Probably not,” Chappell replied. “I’ve talked to them, and I’m sure I’ll be talking to them very shortly here.”The $15 million cut to the Department of Economic Development was on a list of items, totaling $144 million, that Chappell said the agency did not request or want.&nbsp;“They’ve been moved around the budget, and I’m going after all of them,” Chappell said.The $9.6 million grant was included last year for the&nbsp;<a href="https://blogs.umsl.edu/news/2025/01/27/api-innovation-center-funding-from-missouri-department-of-economic-development/" target="_blank">University of Missouri-St. Louis</a>&nbsp;to partner with a not-for-profit to develop processes for making pharmaceutical ingredients that are mainly made overseas. The $5.4 million was directed&nbsp;<a href="https://engineering.missouri.edu/2022/mizzou-engineers-develop-new-method-to-design-semiconductors/" target="_blank">to the university’s Columbia campus</a>&nbsp;to promote computer chip manufacturing in the state.When departments point out places where they have excess spending authority or unwanted earmarks, the subcommittee’s job is easier, Chappell said.“If the departments would bring me the squishy stuff, I’m happy to not dig into the heavier stuff if I don’t have to right away,” he said.The general revenue cuts made in the second subcommittee to meet, chaired by Republican state Rep. Donnie Brown of New Madrid, were generally less than $1 million from any single budget line. The exceptions include $30.7 million for rail grade crossing improvements and $4 million from a transportation cost-share program.The 32 earmarked items added include $1.15 million for grants to 16 volunteer fire departments, as well as $37.5 million for projects vetoed last year, including $8 million for a police training facility in O’Fallon and $5 million for the New Madrid Port Authority.The subcommittee also tapped the state Highway Fund to earmark $88 million for improvements to U.S. Highway 412 in the Bootheel and $100 million for rural routes.Brown’s subcommittee also recommended a major change in the language controlling how $1.4 billion of state tax funds are used for highway improvements. When first set aside in 2023, the money was part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/05/missouri-lawmakers-approve-largest-budget-in-state-history-almost-51-billion/">$2.8 billion plan</a>&nbsp;for widening Interstate 70.The language change, proposed by state Rep. Don Mayhew, a Republican from Crocker, would make the money generally available for any road project.Very little of the $1.4 billion has actually been spent because current work is being financed with bonds. The original set-aside has grown by $40 million because of accrued interest.The change means the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission may keep the money in the I-70 project or redirect it, Mayhew said.&nbsp;“We have a new (federal) highway act that will be coming out in the next couple of years, and we will need significant match money to be able to achieve some of the things, the goals that are going to be directed to us,” Mayhew said.In an interview after the subcommittee meeting, Chappell said he will continue to push to reduce lines where a substantial amount of money isn’t being spent.“When I see it year over year over year, they’re clearly not spending it, and that budget should reflect what we’re actually doing,” Chappell said.During the subcommittee meeting, Chappell said he will listen if departments show why the money should remain in the budget.“If I see any department that has lapse year over year over year, and I suggest that half of that be pulled away in appropriation authority, it’s not the equivalent of me trying to sacrifice somebody’s child on the courthouse steps,” he said, “but I’m open to discussion when the hearing is over.”

Missouri House budget writers target unspent funds for cuts, new earmarks

The value of U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year 2025 is expected to drop to the lowest level in five years. USDA says shipments this year are projected to be valued at $170.5 billion, up from the $170 billion in the November 2024 outlook. That would still be the lowest level since 2020. Corn exports will total $13.8 billion, up from the prior forecast of $12.4 billion. Soybean shipments will reach $21.2 billion, down from the previous forecast of $22.6 billion and well below the value of last year’s shipments. 

The value of U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year 2025 is expected to drop to the lowest level in five years. USDA says shipments this year are projected to be valued at $170.5 billion, up from the $170 billion in the November 2024 outlook. That would still be the lowest level since 2020. Corn exports will total $13.8 billion, up from the prior forecast of $12.4 billion. Soybean shipments will reach $21.2 billion, down from the previous forecast of $22.6 billion and well below the value of last year’s shipments.

Ag export values to drop in 2025

(Radio Iowa) - The Iowa legislature is considering a bill to override federal nutritional requirements for school breakfast and lunch programs. 

(Radio Iowa) - The Iowa legislature is considering a bill to override federal nutritional requirements for school breakfast and lunch programs. If the bill becomes law, the Iowa Department of Education would seek federal approval to adopt state-specific nutritional guidelines that make servings of meat and dairy products top priorities. The bill says regional food sources - like corn, pork and milk - are not adequately addressed by federal guidelines. Federal guidelines for school meals include sodium and calorie limits and emphasize whole grains, fruits, vegetable and low-fat dairy products.The bill would have state officials seek a federal waiver and the state would develop its own set of nutritional guidelines for meals served in schools.

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