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>

Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe announced Wednesday that he is appointing Jessica Bax as the next director of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

Bax, who is currently the director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities for the Department of Mental Health, will become acting director of DSS effective Jan. 13. She will then need to be confirmed by the state Senate.&nbsp;

“Jess brings valuable experience working with state and local agencies and successfully building partnerships with stakeholders to this role,” said Kehoe in a press release Wednesday.

“With her extensive knowledge of social service programs, the budget and legislative process, and her passion for providing quality service to the people of Missouri, I am confident she will bring excellent leadership to the Department of Social Services,” Kehoe added.

Prior to her time with the Department of Mental Health, Bax worked at the Department of Health and Senior Services as director of the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services.

She will replace&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/17/leader-of-missouri-social-services-agency-stepping-down-for-new-job-in-poplar-bluff/">Robert Knodell,&nbsp;</a>who served in the role for three years and recently accepted a job to be the city manager of Poplar Bluff, his hometown.

The Department of Social Services&nbsp;oversees foster care, Medicaid, other public assistance programs and services for delinquent youth.&nbsp;

“I am humbled at the opportunity to serve in the Kehoe Administration and the people of Missouri in this capacity,” Bax said in a press release. “I look forward to working on streamlining operations, program integrity, and incorporating national best practices to help all Missourians have access to the tools they need to be safe and healthy.”&nbsp;

Over the last few years, the agency has faced criticism for its administration of public benefits.&nbsp;

A federal judge earlier this year&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/09/federal-court-rules-missourians-were-illegally-denied-food-aid-by-the-state/">ruled</a>&nbsp;Missourians were illegally denied food aid by the state due to hourslong call center wait times for participants to receive a required interview.&nbsp;

The state has also struggled to meet federal guidelines for its processing of Medicaid applications. The department in its budget request to the state legislature is asking for $11 million to hire 220 new staff in the Family Support Division to help ensure the agency complies with federal and state rules on timely processing, and “maintains a reasonable wait time in the call centers,” the budget&nbsp;<a href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY26_DSS_Appropriation_Book.pdf" target="_blank">request</a>&nbsp;states.&nbsp;

And the department faced scrutiny for its handling of missing foster kids.&nbsp;A federal&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/05/23/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bfederal-watchdogs-report-sheds-new-light-on-scope-of-missouris-missing-foster-kids/">report</a>&nbsp;in 2022 found that there were 1,780 instances of foster kids going missing in Missouri over a two-and-a-half year period that spanned July 2018 to December 2020. The agency last year said it has<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-child-welfare-agency-reports-increased-efforts-to-find-missing-foster-kids/">&nbsp;increased efforts&nbsp;</a>to find missing foster kids.&nbsp;

Knodell said in an interview last week that one of the challenges as director has been balancing the desires of those who want as robust a safety net as possible with those who want to control costs.&nbsp;

“We try to build as strong a safety net as we can, being as responsible a steward of the resources that we have as possible,” he said. “But there is a push and a pull, and there are limits to what the government can do, but certainly we want to do the things that we’ve been tasked as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734542114236.png" alt="Jessica Bax, director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities, speaks during a March 8 House Budget Committee hearing with Department of Mental Health Director Valerie Huhn, center, and Molly Boeckman, director of administrative services (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Jessica Bax, director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities, speaks during a March 8 House Budget Committee hearing with Department of Mental Health Director Valerie Huhn, center, and Molly Boeckman, director of administrative services (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>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>Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe announced Wednesday that he is appointing Jessica Bax as the next director of the Missouri Department of Social Services.Bax, who is currently the director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities for the Department of Mental Health, will become acting director of DSS effective Jan. 13. She will then need to be confirmed by the state Senate.&nbsp;“Jess brings valuable experience working with state and local agencies and successfully building partnerships with stakeholders to this role,” said Kehoe in a press release Wednesday.“With her extensive knowledge of social service programs, the budget and legislative process, and her passion for providing quality service to the people of Missouri, I am confident she will bring excellent leadership to the Department of Social Services,” Kehoe added.Prior to her time with the Department of Mental Health, Bax worked at the Department of Health and Senior Services as director of the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services.She will replace&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/17/leader-of-missouri-social-services-agency-stepping-down-for-new-job-in-poplar-bluff/">Robert Knodell,&nbsp;</a>who served in the role for three years and recently accepted a job to be the city manager of Poplar Bluff, his hometown.The Department of Social Services&nbsp;oversees foster care, Medicaid, other public assistance programs and services for delinquent youth.&nbsp;“I am humbled at the opportunity to serve in the Kehoe Administration and the people of Missouri in this capacity,” Bax said in a press release. “I look forward to working on streamlining operations, program integrity, and incorporating national best practices to help all Missourians have access to the tools they need to be safe and healthy.”&nbsp;Over the last few years, the agency has faced criticism for its administration of public benefits.&nbsp;A federal judge earlier this year&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/09/federal-court-rules-missourians-were-illegally-denied-food-aid-by-the-state/">ruled</a>&nbsp;Missourians were illegally denied food aid by the state due to hourslong call center wait times for participants to receive a required interview.&nbsp;The state has also struggled to meet federal guidelines for its processing of Medicaid applications. The department in its budget request to the state legislature is asking for $11 million to hire 220 new staff in the Family Support Division to help ensure the agency complies with federal and state rules on timely processing, and “maintains a reasonable wait time in the call centers,” the budget&nbsp;<a href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY26_DSS_Appropriation_Book.pdf" target="_blank">request</a>&nbsp;states.&nbsp;And the department faced scrutiny for its handling of missing foster kids.&nbsp;A federal&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/05/23/%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bfederal-watchdogs-report-sheds-new-light-on-scope-of-missouris-missing-foster-kids/">report</a>&nbsp;in 2022 found that there were 1,780 instances of foster kids going missing in Missouri over a two-and-a-half year period that spanned July 2018 to December 2020. The agency last year said it has<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-child-welfare-agency-reports-increased-efforts-to-find-missing-foster-kids/">&nbsp;increased efforts&nbsp;</a>to find missing foster kids.&nbsp;Knodell said in an interview last week that one of the challenges as director has been balancing the desires of those who want as robust a safety net as possible with those who want to control costs.&nbsp;“We try to build as strong a safety net as we can, being as responsible a steward of the resources that we have as possible,” he said. “But there is a push and a pull, and there are limits to what the government can do, but certainly we want to do the things that we’ve been tasked as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

 Mike Kehoe appoints new leader for Missouri social services agency

Fresh off the heels of the Bill Snyder Women's basketball classic, Civic Arena will turn around and host high school basketball starting tomorrow. 

St. Joseph Sports Commission Director Brett Esely says the third annual Holiday Hoops Classic begins tomorrow and runs through this weekend.  

"16 games over three days, it tips off Thursday, December 19th, so the thing that was really important us, was we wanted to make sure our county high schools, every single one of them, got to play and that's the case for seven of the eight this year," Esely tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr.  "And you might say well what happened to the eighth, well didn't work out for East Buchanan this year, because of scheduling, and opponents, and trying to find dates." 

Esely says the action in the Holiday Hoops Classic begin tomorrow with the Lafayette girls taking on Columbia Battle 

"We're trying to bring teams in from outside the area that maybe our teams don't play that often or haven't been here, so Battle High School from Columbia will come up and play Lafayette to tip off the event at 6pm," Eseley says.  "And then the Lafayette boys will play Oak Park from Kansas City, that matchup is intriguing because the Lafayette boys, predominantly strong program, they were in the state final four in 2023, well the Oak Park boys were in the final four last year." 

Holiday Hoops will also see matchups featuring Bishop LeBlond, Savannah, Benton, St. Joseph Christian, North Platte, Mid-Buchanan, and Central. 

Esely says his team prides itself on providing an experience, saying it's a big deal for these high schools to come play at Civic Arena 

"We dress it up for them just how we would dress it up for a national championship or a division one game, or our college showcases, we treat all of these events the same, like an experience," Esely explains.  "I think our coaches and student athletes appreciate that, because what are we trying to prepare them to do? We're trying to prepare them postseason play and what they might see in March, and I think it's a big deal for them to come downtown and play in St. Joe." 

Tickets can be purchased online at the St. Joseph Sports Commission website, or on the day of at Civic Arena. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734540029337.jpeg" alt="The third annual Holiday Hoops classic, hosted by the St. Joseph Sports Commission tips off tomorrow at Civic Arena in downtown St. Joseph/ Photo courtesy of the St. Joseph Sports Commission" />
 <figcaption>The third annual Holiday Hoops classic, hosted by the St. Joseph Sports Commission tips off tomorrow at Civic Arena in downtown St. Joseph/ Photo courtesy of the St. Joseph Sports Commission</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Fresh off the heels of the Bill Snyder Women's basketball classic, Civic Arena will turn around and host high school basketball starting tomorrow. St. Joseph Sports Commission Director Brett Esely says the third annual Holiday Hoops Classic begins tomorrow and runs through this weekend. "16 games over three days, it tips off Thursday, December 19th, so the thing that was really important us, was we wanted to make sure our county high schools, every single one of them, got to play and that's the case for seven of the eight this year," Esely tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "And you might say well what happened to the eighth, well didn't work out for East Buchanan this year, because of scheduling, and opponents, and trying to find dates." Esely says the action in the Holiday Hoops Classic begin tomorrow with the Lafayette girls taking on Columbia Battle "We're trying to bring teams in from outside the area that maybe our teams don't play that often or haven't been here, so Battle High School from Columbia will come up and play Lafayette to tip off the event at 6pm," Eseley says. "And then the Lafayette boys will play Oak Park from Kansas City, that matchup is intriguing because the Lafayette boys, predominantly strong program, they were in the state final four in 2023, well the Oak Park boys were in the final four last year." Holiday Hoops will also see matchups featuring Bishop LeBlond, Savannah, Benton, St. Joseph Christian, North Platte, Mid-Buchanan, and Central. Esely says his team prides itself on providing an experience, saying it's a big deal for these high schools to come play at Civic Arena "We dress it up for them just how we would dress it up for a national championship or a division one game, or our college showcases, we treat all of these events the same, like an experience," Esely explains. "I think our coaches and student athletes appreciate that, because what are we trying to prepare them to do? We're trying to prepare them postseason play and what they might see in March, and I think it's a big deal for them to come downtown and play in St. Joe." Tickets can be purchased online at the St. Joseph Sports Commission website, or on the day of at Civic Arena. <div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstjomosportscommission%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0yiETXVEsjPPoGKAzFWUUhMwgq1ZgVs3g4GCBCsS7dUJPQTWyyM2dS5zUZ4HBXLS4l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="792" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Third annual Holiday Hoops tips off tomorrow at Civic Arena

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Board of Directors sent a letter to Congressional leadership on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act being included in the Omnibus Continuing Resolution. The CR will be introduced before the end of the Lame Duck Session. The letter points out that for over 80 years, the NAFB’s broadcasters have worked hard to serve rural and urban residents with timely and accurate information in daily programming.

 “Failure to approve this critical AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act will allow automakers to eliminate access to critical information to the people we serve,” the letter says. “Rural and urban residents should not be forced to subscribe to an unreliable data stream for urgent information.” Radio access is especially important for America’s producers and rural audiences in times of emergency. For people working out in the open and miles from home, response time is critical.

The National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Board of Directors sent a letter to Congressional leadership on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act being included in the Omnibus Continuing Resolution. The CR will be introduced before the end of the Lame Duck Session. The letter points out that for over 80 years, the NAFB’s broadcasters have worked hard to serve rural and urban residents with timely and accurate information in daily programming. “Failure to approve this critical AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act will allow automakers to eliminate access to critical information to the people we serve,” the letter says. “Rural and urban residents should not be forced to subscribe to an unreliable data stream for urgent information.” Radio access is especially important for America’s producers and rural audiences in times of emergency. For people working out in the open and miles from home, response time is critical.-NAFB

NAFB letter supports AM radio in the continuing resolution

Lebanon, Missouri City Administrator Mike Schumacher has been named the
new St. Joseph City Manager.

Schumacher has more than 34 years experience in local government,
including a stint as Kansas City, Missouri Assistant City Manager. 

St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale says Schumacher’s background
in public safety, labor relations, fiscal management, and housing makes him the
ideal person for the job.

“Mike exhibited all the qualifications City Council members
were looking for in a candidate.” Josendale said in a written statement released by the city.
“Council is looking forward to supporting his efforts in leading our organization,
and the difference he will make in the community. I am confident he will excel in
this role.”

The city hopes to have a contract confirmed by January 6th
with Schumacher’s beginning work at St. Joseph City Hall on January 21st. He
will be paid $190,000 annually.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734520648231.jpeg" alt="Mike Schumacher/Photo courtesy of St. Joseph" />
 <figcaption>Mike Schumacher/Photo courtesy of St. Joseph</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostLebanon, Missouri City Administrator Mike Schumacher has been named the
new St. Joseph City Manager.Schumacher has more than 34 years experience in local government,
including a stint as Kansas City, Missouri Assistant City Manager. St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale says Schumacher’s background
in public safety, labor relations, fiscal management, and housing makes him the
ideal person for the job.“Mike exhibited all the qualifications City Council members
were looking for in a candidate.” Josendale said in a written statement released by the city.
“Council is looking forward to supporting his efforts in leading our organization,
and the difference he will make in the community. I am confident he will excel in
this role.”The city hopes to have a contract confirmed by January 6th
with Schumacher’s beginning work at St. Joseph City Hall on January 21st. He
will be paid $190,000 annually.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Lebanon City Administrator chosen as next St. Joseph City Manager

New Northwest Missouri State football coach John McMenamin has announced the addition of two new assistant coaches, and the retention of four others for his staff in the upcoming football season. 

McMenamin has named Collin Prosser as his offensive coordinator as well as the offensive line coach, and Jake Willrich as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach. 

Prosser joins the Bearcats after serving three seasons as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Wayne State College. Prosser also worked five seasons at Minnesota State where he served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for two seasons and offensive line coach for three years. 

Prosser spent two seasons at the University of South Dakota where he coached special teams, offensive line and defensive line. Prosser coached four seasons at Morningside College following work as a graduate assistant coach at South Dakota. Prosser played at Wayne State from 2005 to 2008 where he helped the Wildcats to a berth into the NCAA Div. II playoffs in 2008 as a team captain.

"Coach Prosser is a masterful technician who demonstrates an exceptional commitment to developing student-athletes," McMenamin says in a news release. "His extensive experience in leading some of the nation's top offenses will be an invaluable asset to the Bearcats."

Willrich served as an assistant coach at Wayne State College in 2024. The Wildcats ranked No. 3 in the country in net punting (41.94 yards/punt) and No. 6 in the nation in kick return coverage (14.53 yards/kick return). 

Willrich is no stranger to Northwest or the MIAA having been a graduate assistant coach at Northwest in 2003 and 2004 and was an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska-Kearney from 2014-2022. 

Willrich spent five seasons at Austin College (NCAA Div. III) as defensive coordinator, secondary coach and strength &amp; conditioning coach. He also gained coaching experience at Hastings College where he was a part of a turnaround of a program that culminated with a berth into the 2009 NAIA playoffs. Willrich played college football at Truman State University.

"Coach Willrich brings extensive experience coaching special teams and the secondary in the MIAA, consistently producing some of the nation's top-performing units," McMenamin said. "With 18 years of experience coaching defensive backs, his ability to connect with student-athletes sets him apart as one of the best in the field."

McMenamin also announced that Chad Bostwick, Ryan Gent, Roberto Davis, and JMychal Grau were all retained from last years coaching staff. Bostwick will serve as McMenamin's defensive coordinator while continuing as the linebackers coach.

Gent will also continue to serve as the wide receivers coach while also serving as the recruiting coordinator.  Davis will move up to coach the defensive line, after coaching running backs since 2021.  Grau will continue in his role as Director of Equipment Operations and Tight Ends Coach. 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostNew Northwest Missouri State football coach John McMenamin has announced the addition of two new assistant coaches, and the retention of four others for his staff in the upcoming football season. McMenamin has named Collin Prosser as his offensive coordinator as well as the offensive line coach, and Jake Willrich as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach. Prosser joins the Bearcats after serving three seasons as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Wayne State College. Prosser also worked five seasons at Minnesota State where he served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for two seasons and offensive line coach for three years. Prosser spent two seasons at the University of South Dakota where he coached special teams, offensive line and defensive line. Prosser coached four seasons at Morningside College following work as a graduate assistant coach at South Dakota. Prosser played at Wayne State from 2005 to 2008 where he helped the Wildcats to a berth into the NCAA Div. II playoffs in 2008 as a team captain."Coach Prosser is a masterful technician who demonstrates an exceptional commitment to developing student-athletes," McMenamin says in a news release. "His extensive experience in leading some of the nation's top offenses will be an invaluable asset to the Bearcats."Willrich served as an assistant coach at Wayne State College in 2024. The Wildcats ranked No. 3 in the country in net punting (41.94 yards/punt) and No. 6 in the nation in kick return coverage (14.53 yards/kick return). Willrich is no stranger to Northwest or the MIAA having been a graduate assistant coach at Northwest in 2003 and 2004 and was an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska-Kearney from 2014-2022. Willrich spent five seasons at Austin College (NCAA Div. III) as defensive coordinator, secondary coach and strength &amp; conditioning coach. He also gained coaching experience at Hastings College where he was a part of a turnaround of a program that culminated with a berth into the 2009 NAIA playoffs. Willrich played college football at Truman State University."Coach Willrich brings extensive experience coaching special teams and the secondary in the MIAA, consistently producing some of the nation's top-performing units," McMenamin said. "With 18 years of experience coaching defensive backs, his ability to connect with student-athletes sets him apart as one of the best in the field."McMenamin also announced that Chad Bostwick, Ryan Gent, Roberto Davis, and JMychal Grau were all retained from last years coaching staff. Bostwick will serve as McMenamin's defensive coordinator while continuing as the linebackers coach.Gent will also continue to serve as the wide receivers coach while also serving as the recruiting coordinator. Davis will move up to coach the defensive line, after coaching running backs since 2021. Grau will continue in his role as Director of Equipment Operations and Tight Ends Coach.

Northwest coach John McMenamin announces coaching staff additions

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers released the November 2024 Ag Tractor/Combine Sales Report that shows lower numbers than November 2023. U.S. sales of tractors in all classes dropped 14.5 percent compared to the same time last year. U.S. combine sales remain soft, showing a decline of 24 percent year to date in 2024. 

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers released the November 2024 Ag Tractor/Combine Sales Report that shows lower numbers than November 2023. U.S. sales of tractors in all classes dropped 14.5 percent compared to the same time last year. U.S. combine sales remain soft, showing a decline of 24 percent year to date in 2024.

November tractor and combine sales fall

(Radio Iowa) - Paddlefish licenses are now on sale for the Missouri and Big Sioux River season which starts in February.

 Iowa D-N-R Western Iowa Regional Fisheries Supervisor, Chris Larson, says they have 950 resident licenses that will be sold in the first round through December 31st. If all the resident licenses aren't sold, you can buy a second license from January 1st to January 7th. 

Larson says they also have 50 nonresident licenses, and they come close to or have sold out of those almost every year. He says they average around 300 resident licenses sold each year.

(Radio Iowa) - Paddlefish licenses are now on sale for the Missouri and Big Sioux River season which starts in February. Iowa D-N-R Western Iowa Regional Fisheries Supervisor, Chris Larson, says they have 950 resident licenses that will be sold in the first round through December 31st. If all the resident licenses aren't sold, you can buy a second license from January 1st to January 7th. Larson says they also have 50 nonresident licenses, and they come close to or have sold out of those almost every year. He says they average around 300 resident licenses sold each year.

Paddlefish Licenses Now On Sale For Missouri And Big Sioux River

WASHINGTON —There are more than one million drones lawfully registered with the FAA in the United States and there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones lawfully in the sky on any given day, according to a joint statement from Office of Homeland Security and the FBI.

With the technology landscape evolving, we expect that number to increase over time.FBI has received&nbsp;tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated, and the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports. 

Consistent with each of our unique missions and authorities, we are quickly working to prioritize and follow these leads. We have sent advanced detection technology to the region. And we have sent trained visual observers.Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones. We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.

That said, we recognize the concern among many communities. We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement. We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.&nbsp;

Additionally, there have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted air space. Such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new. 

DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate. Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place.

WASHINGTON —There are more than one million drones lawfully registered with the FAA in the United States and there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones lawfully in the sky on any given day, according to a joint statement from Office of Homeland Security and the FBI.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President-elect Trump on drones: &quot;They happen to be over Bedminster. They&#39;re very close to Bedminster. I think maybe I won&#39;t spend the weekend in Bedminster. I&#39;ve decided to cancel my trip.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/twHoUM2lLw">pic.twitter.com/twHoUM2lLw</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1868835001409667172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">DHS, <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FAANews</a>, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofDefense</a> released the following joint statement on the ongoing response to reported drone sightings. ⤵️ <a href="https://t.co/ihGcGbjOEy">pic.twitter.com/ihGcGbjOEy</a>&mdash; Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1868853164151120317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With the technology landscape evolving, we expect that number to increase over time.FBI has received&nbsp;tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated, and the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports. Consistent with each of our unique missions and authorities, we are quickly working to prioritize and follow these leads. We have sent advanced detection technology to the region. And we have sent trained visual observers.Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones. We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.That said, we recognize the concern among many communities. We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement. We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.&nbsp;Additionally, there have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted air space. Such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new. DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate. Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place.

🎥Homeland Security, FBI and Trump issue new statements on drone mystery

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump pledged Monday to keep the polio vaccine available throughout his presidency, but didn’t extend that protection to other vaccines, saying he expects his administration will look closely at safety — something the U.S. Food and Drug Administration already does before granting approval.

Trump’s comments came during an hour-long press conference where he hinted at trying to privatize the Postal Service and said he planned to file a lawsuit against a presidential preference poll published by The Des Moines Register that found him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris in the last days before the election.

Trump, who will take the oath of office on Jan. 20, also said he would solve the war between Ukraine and Russia and establish the Middle East as a “good place,” though he declined to provide details.

“Starting on day one, we’ll implement a rapid series of bold reforms to restore our nation to full prosperity,” Trump said in his first formal back-and-forth with reporters since the Nov. 5 election. “We’re going to go full prosperity and to build the greatest economy the world has ever seen, just as we had just a short time ago.”

Trump said he expects Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the vaccine denier he has said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-taps-vaccine-skeptic-rfk-jr-lead-department-health-and-human-services" target="_blank">he will nominate&nbsp;</a>to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, will be “much less radical” than some people expect.

Trump said Kennedy and others in his administration will file reports sharing what they think about vaccines, but didn’t say what actions might be taken after those reports are released.

Trump said he didn’t like the idea of mandating vaccines, but didn’t go as far as saying he’d change vaccine policy for parts of the federal government, like the Defense Department, which has numerous requirements for troops, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.military.com/off-duty/2020/02/10/why-most-dreaded-injection-called-peanut-butter-shot.html" target="_blank">the so-called peanut butter shot.</a>

Kennedy is notorious for spreading misinformation about vaccine safety, one of the many issues that could imperil his attempts to garner U.S. Senate confirmation and actually lead HHS.

Trump said he wanted this administration to look at why autism rates have increased in recent decades.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/autism-vaccine-link-debunked" target="_blank">Multiple research studies have debunked&nbsp;</a>any connections between vaccines and autism.

His administration, Trump said, would also look at ways to lower the costs of health care and prescription drugs within the United States, but he didn’t provide details.

Trump doubled down on his grievances with news organizations during the press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, saying he planned to file several lawsuits in the days and weeks ahead against people or organizations he believes have wronged him.

The announcement came just days after Trump’s legal team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68" target="_blank">reached a settlement with ABC News</a>&nbsp;in which the news organization agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library.

The suit centered on anchor George Stephanopoulos saying during an interview that a New York state jury had found Trump liable for the rape of writer E. Jean Carroll, when the jury had found him civilly liable for “sexual misconduct.”

Trump said during his press conference that he would likely file lawsuits against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, the news show “60 Minutes” and the Pulitzer Prize organization for awards given to the New York Times and Washington Post.&nbsp;

“In my opinion it was fraud and election interference,” he said of the Iowa Poll published by the Des Moines newspaper. “She’s got me right, always. She’s a very good pollster. She knows what she was doing, and she then quit before and we’ll probably be filing a major lawsuit against them today or tomorrow.”

Selzer, a longtime pollster, said last week on Iowa PBS that she hadn’t yet figured out what went wrong with the poll she released just ahead of Election Day that showed Democratic presidential nominee Harris outperforming Trump in the state by 3 percentage points. Trump won Iowa in the election with 56% of the vote to her 42.7%.

“There wasn’t anything that we saw that needed to be fixed. The reality is that more people supporting Donald Trump turned out,” she said. “I’m eagerly awaiting the secretary of state’s turnout reports that will happen in January to see what we can glean from that.

“But there wasn’t an adjustment to my data when we saw that it was going to be a shocker that I would have said okay, let’s adjust it. It’s not like I know ahead of time what the right numbers are going to be in the future. So, you kind of take the data designed to reveal to me our best shot at what the future is going to look like.”

Selzer said during the PBS interview that she was “mystified” about allegations that she sought to interfere in the election results through the poll. Carol Hunter, executive editor of The Des Moines Register, could not be reached for comment.

Trump said he also planned to sue the CBS News program “60 Minutes” over how it edited an interview with Harris that was released before the election.

He said he wants to sue the Pulitzer Prize organization&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/staffs-new-york-times-and-washington-post" target="_blank">for awarding&nbsp;</a>staff at The New York Times and The Washington Post the national reporting award in 2018 for their reporting on “Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration.”

“I want them to take back the Pulitzer Prizes and pay big damages,” Trump said.

The Pulitzer Prize Board&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/news/statement-pulitzer-prize-board-2" target="_blank">announced in July 2022</a>&nbsp;that it would not revoke the prizes in response to an inquiry from Trump and two independent reviews of the work.

“Both reviews were conducted by individuals with no connection to the institutions whose work was under examination, nor any connection to each other,” the board wrote. “The separate reviews converged in their conclusions: that no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes.

“The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in National Reporting stand.”

Trump said during his press conference that he would address the ongoing Israel-Gaza war as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine once he takes office, but didn’t say exactly how he’d encourage those countries to end their conflicts.

Trump said he believed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing a “fantastic job” and said he thinks his second administration will be able to solve longstanding issues throughout the Middle East.

“I think the Middle East will be in a good place,” Trump said. “I think actually more difficult is going to be the Russia-Ukraine situation. I see that as more difficult.”

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has refused to leave the country’s borders. In the years since Russia launched a war, numerous organizations, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/10/un-commission-concludes-war-crimes-have-been-committed-ukraine-expresses" target="_blank">United Nations,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/11/ukraine-russian-strikes-amounting-to-war-crimes-continue-to-kill-and-injure-children/" target="_blank">Amnesty International</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/03/ukraine-apparent-war-crimes-russia-controlled-areas" target="_blank">Human Rights Watch</a>&nbsp;have all made allegations of war crimes against Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/crimes-against-humanity-in-ukraine/" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;in February 2023 that “Russia’s forces and other Russian officials have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine.”

Russia, he wrote, had engaged in torture, rape, execution-style killings and “deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians to Russia, including children who have been forcibly separated from their families.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trump said during his press conference that he didn’t believe the Biden administration should have allowed Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c" target="_blank">to shoot long-range missiles into Russia’s sovereign territory&nbsp;</a>and said he may reverse the policy once in office.

“I thought it was a very stupid thing to do,” Trump said of the Biden administration’s policy.&nbsp;

On the Israel-Hamas war, Trump declined to clarify exactly what he meant when he said there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas had not released the remaining hostages abducted in October 2023 before Trump took over the Oval Office. He simply added that it “would not be pleasant.”

Postal Service, TikTok, primary challengers

Trump left many questions about his agenda unanswered following the press conference.

He declined to clarify whether he would press to privatize the U.S. Postal Service, saying only that there was “talk” about severing the agency and that his team is “looking at that.”

He didn’t divulge whether his administration would seek to force social media giant TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company if it wants to remain operational within the United States. TikTok on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-rapidly-approaching-tiktok-ban" target="_blank">an appeals court order</a>&nbsp;preserving a bipartisan law forcing ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to cease operations in the United States.

“We’ll take a look at that,” Trump said.

He left open supporting Republican primary challenges against GOP senators who don’t support his nominees to lead federal departments and agencies.

A senator voting against one of his nominees “for political reasons or stupid reasons” would likely earn them a primary challenger, he said. But Trump added that wouldn’t have anything to do with him.

Trump also declined to say whether he expected Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration after extending an invitation.

“If he’d like to come, I’d love to have him, but there’s been nothing much discussed,” Trump said. “I have had discussions with him, letters, etc, etc, at a very high level. You know, we had a very good relationship until COVID. COVID didn’t end the relationship, but it was a bridge too far for me.”

Trump then added he believes Xi is “an amazing person.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch reporter Robin Opsahl contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734381784631.png" alt="Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump pledged Monday to keep the polio vaccine available throughout his presidency, but didn’t extend that protection to other vaccines, saying he expects his administration will look closely at safety — something the U.S. Food and Drug Administration already does before granting approval.Trump’s comments came during an hour-long press conference where he hinted at trying to privatize the Postal Service and said he planned to file a lawsuit against a presidential preference poll published by The Des Moines Register that found him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris in the last days before the election.Trump, who will take the oath of office on Jan. 20, also said he would solve the war between Ukraine and Russia and establish the Middle East as a “good place,” though he declined to provide details.“Starting on day one, we’ll implement a rapid series of bold reforms to restore our nation to full prosperity,” Trump said in his first formal back-and-forth with reporters since the Nov. 5 election. “We’re going to go full prosperity and to build the greatest economy the world has ever seen, just as we had just a short time ago.”Trump said he expects Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the vaccine denier he has said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-taps-vaccine-skeptic-rfk-jr-lead-department-health-and-human-services" target="_blank">he will nominate&nbsp;</a>to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, will be “much less radical” than some people expect.Trump said Kennedy and others in his administration will file reports sharing what they think about vaccines, but didn’t say what actions might be taken after those reports are released.Trump said he didn’t like the idea of mandating vaccines, but didn’t go as far as saying he’d change vaccine policy for parts of the federal government, like the Defense Department, which has numerous requirements for troops, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.military.com/off-duty/2020/02/10/why-most-dreaded-injection-called-peanut-butter-shot.html" target="_blank">the so-called peanut butter shot.</a>Kennedy is notorious for spreading misinformation about vaccine safety, one of the many issues that could imperil his attempts to garner U.S. Senate confirmation and actually lead HHS.Trump said he wanted this administration to look at why autism rates have increased in recent decades.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/autism-vaccine-link-debunked" target="_blank">Multiple research studies have debunked&nbsp;</a>any connections between vaccines and autism.His administration, Trump said, would also look at ways to lower the costs of health care and prescription drugs within the United States, but he didn’t provide details.<h2>Lawsuit threats</h2>Trump doubled down on his grievances with news organizations during the press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, saying he planned to file several lawsuits in the days and weeks ahead against people or organizations he believes have wronged him.The announcement came just days after Trump’s legal team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abc-trump-lawsuit-defamation-stephanopoulos-04aea8663310af39ae2a85f4c1a56d68" target="_blank">reached a settlement with ABC News</a>&nbsp;in which the news organization agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library.The suit centered on anchor George Stephanopoulos saying during an interview that a New York state jury had found Trump liable for the rape of writer E. Jean Carroll, when the jury had found him civilly liable for “sexual misconduct.”Trump said during his press conference that he would likely file lawsuits against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, the news show “60 Minutes” and the Pulitzer Prize organization for awards given to the New York Times and Washington Post.&nbsp;“In my opinion it was fraud and election interference,” he said of the Iowa Poll published by the Des Moines newspaper. “She’s got me right, always. She’s a very good pollster. She knows what she was doing, and she then quit before and we’ll probably be filing a major lawsuit against them today or tomorrow.”Selzer, a longtime pollster, said last week on Iowa PBS that she hadn’t yet figured out what went wrong with the poll she released just ahead of Election Day that showed Democratic presidential nominee Harris outperforming Trump in the state by 3 percentage points. Trump won Iowa in the election with 56% of the vote to her 42.7%.“There wasn’t anything that we saw that needed to be fixed. The reality is that more people supporting Donald Trump turned out,” she said. “I’m eagerly awaiting the secretary of state’s turnout reports that will happen in January to see what we can glean from that.“But there wasn’t an adjustment to my data when we saw that it was going to be a shocker that I would have said okay, let’s adjust it. It’s not like I know ahead of time what the right numbers are going to be in the future. So, you kind of take the data designed to reveal to me our best shot at what the future is going to look like.”Selzer said during the PBS interview that she was “mystified” about allegations that she sought to interfere in the election results through the poll. Carol Hunter, executive editor of The Des Moines Register, could not be reached for comment.Trump said he also planned to sue the CBS News program “60 Minutes” over how it edited an interview with Harris that was released before the election.He said he wants to sue the Pulitzer Prize organization&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/staffs-new-york-times-and-washington-post" target="_blank">for awarding&nbsp;</a>staff at The New York Times and The Washington Post the national reporting award in 2018 for their reporting on “Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration.”“I want them to take back the Pulitzer Prizes and pay big damages,” Trump said.The Pulitzer Prize Board&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/news/statement-pulitzer-prize-board-2" target="_blank">announced in July 2022</a>&nbsp;that it would not revoke the prizes in response to an inquiry from Trump and two independent reviews of the work.“Both reviews were conducted by individuals with no connection to the institutions whose work was under examination, nor any connection to each other,” the board wrote. “The separate reviews converged in their conclusions: that no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes.“The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in National Reporting stand.”<h2>Israel and Ukraine</h2>Trump said during his press conference that he would address the ongoing Israel-Gaza war as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine once he takes office, but didn’t say exactly how he’d encourage those countries to end their conflicts.Trump said he believed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing a “fantastic job” and said he thinks his second administration will be able to solve longstanding issues throughout the Middle East.“I think the Middle East will be in a good place,” Trump said. “I think actually more difficult is going to be the Russia-Ukraine situation. I see that as more difficult.”Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has refused to leave the country’s borders. In the years since Russia launched a war, numerous organizations, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/10/un-commission-concludes-war-crimes-have-been-committed-ukraine-expresses" target="_blank">United Nations,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/11/ukraine-russian-strikes-amounting-to-war-crimes-continue-to-kill-and-injure-children/" target="_blank">Amnesty International</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/03/ukraine-apparent-war-crimes-russia-controlled-areas" target="_blank">Human Rights Watch</a>&nbsp;have all made allegations of war crimes against Russia.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/crimes-against-humanity-in-ukraine/" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;in February 2023 that “Russia’s forces and other Russian officials have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine.”Russia, he wrote, had engaged in torture, rape, execution-style killings and “deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians to Russia, including children who have been forcibly separated from their families.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Trump said during his press conference that he didn’t believe the Biden administration should have allowed Ukraine&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ukraine-long-range-weapons-russia-52d424158182de2044ecc8bfcf011f9c" target="_blank">to shoot long-range missiles into Russia’s sovereign territory&nbsp;</a>and said he may reverse the policy once in office.“I thought it was a very stupid thing to do,” Trump said of the Biden administration’s policy.&nbsp;On the Israel-Hamas war, Trump declined to clarify exactly what he meant when he said there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas had not released the remaining hostages abducted in October 2023 before Trump took over the Oval Office. He simply added that it “would not be pleasant.”<h2>Postal Service, TikTok, primary challengers</h2>Trump left many questions about his agenda unanswered following the press conference.He declined to clarify whether he would press to privatize the U.S. Postal Service, saying only that there was “talk” about severing the agency and that his team is “looking at that.”He didn’t divulge whether his administration would seek to force social media giant TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company if it wants to remain operational within the United States. TikTok on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-appeals-court-upholds-rapidly-approaching-tiktok-ban" target="_blank">an appeals court order</a>&nbsp;preserving a bipartisan law forcing ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to cease operations in the United States.“We’ll take a look at that,” Trump said.He left open supporting Republican primary challenges against GOP senators who don’t support his nominees to lead federal departments and agencies.A senator voting against one of his nominees “for political reasons or stupid reasons” would likely earn them a primary challenger, he said. But Trump added that wouldn’t have anything to do with him.Trump also declined to say whether he expected Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration after extending an invitation.“If he’d like to come, I’d love to have him, but there’s been nothing much discussed,” Trump said. “I have had discussions with him, letters, etc, etc, at a very high level. You know, we had a very good relationship until COVID. COVID didn’t end the relationship, but it was a bridge too far for me.”Trump then added he believes Xi is “an amazing person.”Iowa Capital Dispatch reporter Robin Opsahl contributed to this report.

Trump at press conference backs polio vaccine but won’t commit to others, attacks media

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds has chosen a state senator from Le Claire to be her lieutenant governor. 

Fifty-four-year-old Chris Cournoyer took the oath of office in a ceremony at the statehouse this morning. Cournoyer has served in the Iowa Senate since 2019. Iowa has not had a lieutnenant governor since September 2nd when Adam Gregg resigned to become C-E-O of the Iowa Bankers Association. 

The governor says Cournoyer will support a wide range of policy priorities given her experience in computer science and artificial intelligence. Cournoyer, who says she's been a computer nerd since the 1980s, says she's ready to advance the governor's agenda in any way that she can.

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds has chosen a state senator from Le Claire to be her lieutenant governor. Fifty-four-year-old Chris Cournoyer took the oath of office in a ceremony at the statehouse this morning. Cournoyer has served in the Iowa Senate since 2019. Iowa has not had a lieutnenant governor since September 2nd when Adam Gregg resigned to become C-E-O of the Iowa Bankers Association. The governor says Cournoyer will support a wide range of policy priorities given her experience in computer science and artificial intelligence. Cournoyer, who says she's been a computer nerd since the 1980s, says she's ready to advance the governor's agenda in any way that she can.

Governor Reynolds chooses State Senator Cournoyer as lieutenant governor

(Radio Iowa) - Forecasters say more wintery weather is likely in the week ahead, after a weekend punctuated by an ice storm that coated many areas of the state in ice a quarter-inch thick, which brought travel to a standstill in many communities. 

National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Fowle says the next storm system will move in tomorrow, bringing a chance or snow, or rain and snow. Fowle says another weather front will cross Iowa Thursday that could be stronger, with the potential for heavier snowfall and gusty winds.

(Radio Iowa) - Forecasters say more wintery weather is likely in the week ahead, after a weekend punctuated by an ice storm that coated many areas of the state in ice a quarter-inch thick, which brought travel to a standstill in many communities. National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Fowle says the next storm system will move in tomorrow, bringing a chance or snow, or rain and snow. Fowle says another weather front will cross Iowa Thursday that could be stronger, with the potential for heavier snowfall and gusty winds.

More snow possible for Iowa tomorrow and Thursday

The U.S. continues benefiting from solid economic growth, low unemployment, and moderating inflation, and the overall economy will likely continue on that trajectory next year. However, the rural economic outlook is more uncertain. According to a comprehensive year-ahead outlook report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the high level of policy uncertainty facing rural industries adds to their already long list of headwinds. 

The U.S. continues benefiting from solid economic growth, low unemployment, and moderating inflation, and the overall economy will likely continue on that trajectory next year. However, the rural economic outlook is more uncertain. According to a comprehensive year-ahead outlook report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the high level of policy uncertainty facing rural industries adds to their already long list of headwinds.

CoBank report shows forces shaping the 2025 rural economy

The USDA’s Economic Research Service’s 2024 edition of America’s Farms and Ranches at a Glance says most U.S. farms, 86 percent, are small family farms. These farms operate on 41 percent of U.S. agricultural land and account for 17 percent of the total value of American production. Large-scale family farms accounted for 48 percent of the total value of production and 31 percent of agricultural land in 2023. 

In total, family farms accounted for about 96 percent of total farms and 83 percent of the total production in 2023. Large-scale farms accounted for the majority of the value of cash grains and soybeans (52 percent), cotton (71 percent), and dairy (77 percent). Small family farms produced 45 percent of the value of hay and 46 percent of the total value of U.S. poultry and egg output in 2023.  Small farms accounted for 22 percent of the overall U.S. beef production.

The USDA’s Economic Research Service’s 2024 edition of America’s Farms and Ranches at a Glance says most U.S. farms, 86 percent, are small family farms. These farms operate on 41 percent of U.S. agricultural land and account for 17 percent of the total value of American production. Large-scale family farms accounted for 48 percent of the total value of production and 31 percent of agricultural land in 2023. In total, family farms accounted for about 96 percent of total farms and 83 percent of the total production in 2023. Large-scale farms accounted for the majority of the value of cash grains and soybeans (52 percent), cotton (71 percent), and dairy (77 percent). Small family farms produced 45 percent of the value of hay and 46 percent of the total value of U.S. poultry and egg output in 2023. Small farms accounted for 22 percent of the overall U.S. beef production.

Almost all U.S. farms are family-owned

(Radio Iowa) - A first-in-the-state combination store and craft studio is now open in central Iowa that's geared towards people with A-D-H-D. 

The Glitter Factory in Des Moines offers classes, crafts and activities like moss art, button making and beading at what are called “hyper fixation stations.” Store founder Britney Brown works as a neurodiversity consultant and says she’s constantly honing her techniques for making the place more neurodivergent-friendly. Brown was diagnosed with autism and A-D-H-D as an adult and she says she saw the demand for a store like hers from the neurodivergent community online. 

The shop also offers “Blind Date with a Hobby” sessions where people can sign up for a random craft that will be revealed to them in class. In addition, there's a subscription service for $25 that will deliver a new craft to your home every month.

(Radio Iowa) - A first-in-the-state combination store and craft studio is now open in central Iowa that's geared towards people with A-D-H-D. The Glitter Factory in Des Moines offers classes, crafts and activities like moss art, button making and beading at what are called “hyper fixation stations.” Store founder Britney Brown works as a neurodiversity consultant and says she’s constantly honing her techniques for making the place more neurodivergent-friendly. Brown was diagnosed with autism and A-D-H-D as an adult and she says she saw the demand for a store like hers from the neurodivergent community online. The shop also offers “Blind Date with a Hobby” sessions where people can sign up for a random craft that will be revealed to them in class. In addition, there's a subscription service for $25 that will deliver a new craft to your home every month.

New Glitter Factory shop caters to Iowans with ADHD

KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge sentenced to 18 years in prison two men convicted in November of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges in connection with a gun battle on a January afternoon inside Crown Center in Kansas, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

In November, following a bench trial, the judge convicted Brian Favela, 23, and Joel Olivas, 24, identified by prosecutors as East Side gang members of two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Class B felonies, and two counts of Armed Criminal Action, as well as three misdemeanor counts of Harassment in the 2nd Degree. 

The judge dismissed one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Armed Criminal Action finding not enough evidence was shown to overcome Missouri's self-defense laws on those two counts.

An agreement among parties capped a prison sentence for these defendants at 25 years. Prosecutors, in a sentencing memorandum, asked the judge to impose that maximum amount due to the devastating nature of the shootings. On Thursday, the judge set the sentence at 18 years for each defendant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709159804082.png" alt="Favela photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Favela photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge sentenced to 18 years in prison two men convicted in November of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges in connection with a gun battle on a January afternoon inside Crown Center in Kansas, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705578003872.png" alt="View of Crown Center business with police crime scene tape -image courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>View of Crown Center business with police crime scene tape -image courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>In November, following a bench trial, the judge convicted Brian Favela, 23, and Joel Olivas, 24, identified by prosecutors as East Side gang members of two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Class B felonies, and two counts of Armed Criminal Action, as well as three misdemeanor counts of Harassment in the 2nd Degree. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709159745533.png" alt="Olivas photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Olivas photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The judge dismissed one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Armed Criminal Action finding not enough evidence was shown to overcome Missouri's self-defense laws on those two counts.An agreement among parties capped a prison sentence for these defendants at 25 years. Prosecutors, in a sentencing memorandum, asked the judge to impose that maximum amount due to the devastating nature of the shootings. On Thursday, the judge set the sentence at 18 years for each defendant.

Two going to prison for gang gun battle at Crown Center

The only thing the Chiefs had to worry about in the final minutes Sunday was Patrick Mahomes' ankle.

Mahomes threw two touchdown passes before limping off with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter, Xavier Worthy ran for a score and Kansas City finally had a relatively easy win, 21-7 over the mistake-prone Cleveland Browns.

Mahomes connected for TDs in the first half with Juju Smith-Schuster and Noah Gray as the Chiefs (13-1) built a 21-0 lead and then slogged their way through an ugly second half.

The defending Super Bowl champions have 10 wins by seven points or less, with six coming on the game's final play.

Mahomes didn't finish the game, leaving when he got his ankle rolled up on while being tackled by Dalvin Tomlinson on a fourth-down incompletion. Carson Wentz replaced him for the final 5:23. Mahomes finished 19 of 38 for 159 yards.

After the game, Mahomes said X-rays were negative. He said he would have lobbied harder to stay in if the Browns had gotten within one score.

“We'll get into the rehab part, the treatment part and try to get back on a short week,” said Mahomes, noting the Chiefs will play again Saturday — the second of three games in 11 days. “With all the adrenaline from the game, it's hard to tell now (if he can play). Usually, it's the day after when you get a good sense of it."

Before Wentz went in, Mahomes had his left ankle re-taped while on the bench. He walked gingerly off the field but didn't favor it while in the locker room or going to his postgame news conference. He was driven to the Chiefs' buses on a cart.

Coach Andy Reid was relieved Mahomes was not more seriously hurt.

“It's not broken, that's all I can tell you,” Reid said. “We'll have to see how it goes down the road.”

The Browns (3-11) tried to put up a fight, but had six turnovers. Other than a 62-yard TD run from Jerome Ford, Cleveland had few offensive highlights and too many self-inflicted miscues.

Jameis Winston threw more three interceptions — two in the end zone to give him eight in his last three games — and the Browns had two fumbles. The five turnovers made things much easier on Mahomes and the Chiefs, not that they needed a lot of help.

Cleveland running back Nick Chubb suffered a broken foot. It's another setback for the star, who had a devastating knee injury last season.

Winston was pulled after his third pick and replaced by second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who also was intercepted. Coach Kevin Stefanski would not commit to a starter for next week.

“You can not turn the ball over six times and expect to win,” Stefanski said. “At any level.”

Cleveland's Jerry Jeudy had 11 catches for 108 yards and went over 1,000 for the season.

The Chiefs' second TD — Mahomes' 6-yard pass to Gray with 4:46 left in the first half — came on the same play Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett left the field in extreme pain with an apparent eye injury.

Garrett was rushing Mahomes and being blocked by Chiefs left tackle Joe Thuney when he suddenly stopped. The league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year immediately grabbed his face mask and pulled off his helmet, flinging it away before dropping to the turf.

He was face down for several minutes before being helped off. As Garrett walked toward the locker room holding a towel to his face, Thuney came over and patted him on the back. Garrett was only gone for a short period before he ran back on to the field and finished the game.

“Thank God, he's OK,” Stefanski said.

The Chiefs took a 21-0 lead early in the third, capitalizing on a pick by Winston that went off Chubb's hands. Four plays later, Worthy took a deep pitch from Mahomes, turned the corner and scored.

Kansas City's first score was set up by Cleveland's first turnover.

After the Browns forced a three-and-out on Kansas City's first possession, Cleveland's James Proche II fumbled during a punt return and the Chiefs recovered at the 21.

Mahomes then connected with Schuster for a 7-yard TD with 12:12 left in the first quarter.

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe only thing the Chiefs had to worry about in the final minutes Sunday was Patrick Mahomes' ankle.Mahomes threw two touchdown passes before limping off with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter, Xavier Worthy ran for a score and Kansas City finally had a relatively easy win, 21-7 over the mistake-prone Cleveland Browns.Mahomes connected for TDs in the first half with Juju Smith-Schuster and Noah Gray as the Chiefs (13-1) built a 21-0 lead and then slogged their way through an ugly second half.The defending Super Bowl champions have 10 wins by seven points or less, with six coming on the game's final play.Mahomes didn't finish the game, leaving when he got his ankle rolled up on while being tackled by Dalvin Tomlinson on a fourth-down incompletion. Carson Wentz replaced him for the final 5:23. Mahomes finished 19 of 38 for 159 yards.After the game, Mahomes said X-rays were negative. He said he would have lobbied harder to stay in if the Browns had gotten within one score.“We'll get into the rehab part, the treatment part and try to get back on a short week,” said Mahomes, noting the Chiefs will play again Saturday — the second of three games in 11 days. “With all the adrenaline from the game, it's hard to tell now (if he can play). Usually, it's the day after when you get a good sense of it."Before Wentz went in, Mahomes had his left ankle re-taped while on the bench. He walked gingerly off the field but didn't favor it while in the locker room or going to his postgame news conference. He was driven to the Chiefs' buses on a cart.Coach Andy Reid was relieved Mahomes was not more seriously hurt.“It's not broken, that's all I can tell you,” Reid said. “We'll have to see how it goes down the road.”The Browns (3-11) tried to put up a fight, but had six turnovers. Other than a 62-yard TD run from Jerome Ford, Cleveland had few offensive highlights and too many self-inflicted miscues.Jameis Winston threw more three interceptions — two in the end zone to give him eight in his last three games — and the Browns had two fumbles. The five turnovers made things much easier on Mahomes and the Chiefs, not that they needed a lot of help.Cleveland running back Nick Chubb suffered a broken foot. It's another setback for the star, who had a devastating knee injury last season.Winston was pulled after his third pick and replaced by second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who also was intercepted. Coach Kevin Stefanski would not commit to a starter for next week.“You can not turn the ball over six times and expect to win,” Stefanski said. “At any level.”Cleveland's Jerry Jeudy had 11 catches for 108 yards and went over 1,000 for the season.The Chiefs' second TD — Mahomes' 6-yard pass to Gray with 4:46 left in the first half — came on the same play Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett left the field in extreme pain with an apparent eye injury.Garrett was rushing Mahomes and being blocked by Chiefs left tackle Joe Thuney when he suddenly stopped. The league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year immediately grabbed his face mask and pulled off his helmet, flinging it away before dropping to the turf.He was face down for several minutes before being helped off. As Garrett walked toward the locker room holding a towel to his face, Thuney came over and patted him on the back. Garrett was only gone for a short period before he ran back on to the field and finished the game.“Thank God, he's OK,” Stefanski said.The Chiefs took a 21-0 lead early in the third, capitalizing on a pick by Winston that went off Chubb's hands. Four plays later, Worthy took a deep pitch from Mahomes, turned the corner and scored.Kansas City's first score was set up by Cleveland's first turnover.After the Browns forced a three-and-out on Kansas City's first possession, Cleveland's James Proche II fumbled during a punt return and the Chiefs recovered at the 21.Mahomes then connected with Schuster for a 7-yard TD with 12:12 left in the first quarter.

Chiefs move closer to clinching first round bye with 21-7 win over Browns

Three bills are backed by hemp industry leaders, while one has the support of the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Every time Missouri lawmakers have proposed legislation to essentially ban intoxicating-hemp products in the last few years, the hemp industry has mounted a united opposition to stop them.

Products like Delta-8 THC drinks can currently be bought everywhere from bars to coffee shops statewide.&nbsp;

Year after year, hemp business owners and distributors have asked the state to impose age restrictions and testing requirements, rather than ban the products outright.

“We don’t have any mechanism to regulate them right now, and so they’re in no man’s land,” said Steven Busch, owner of Krey Distributing, one of the state’s alcohol distributors. “And that’s our biggest problem right now — that there are no rules. The 21-plus rule isn’t even law, though everyone’s doing it.”

Now for the first time, leaders of the hemp industry are pushing their own legislation to establish business licenses and regulations.

But the industry is far from united.&nbsp;

Three bills have been pre-filed — one backed by Busch, one supported by the Missouri Beer Wholesalers Association and one backed by the Missouri Hemp Trade Association. Other bills are waiting in the wings to potentially be added as amendments.

The beer wholesalers’ legislation, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Barry Hovis of Whitewater, lays out regulations only for hemp beverages, which would regulate popular bar drinks like Missouri-based Mighty Kind cannabis seltzers. It would also establish the same three-tier distribution system that the alcohol industry has long abided by.

The bill backed by Busch and sponsored by Republican state Rep. Dave Hinman of O’Fallon would regulate beverages as well, but it also includes guidelines for edibles, vapes and tinctures.&nbsp;

The hemp trade association believes both bills set the maximum THC content for all items too low. The association also vehemently opposes the three-tier system.

“It creates a monopoly on behalf of the distributors,” said Craig Katz, spokesman for the Missouri Hemp Trade Association. “It may have worked over decades in the alcohol industry and they’re used to it, but it doesn’t really work for the hemp industry.”

It’s not only the alcohol industry that’s used to the system.&nbsp;

All three bills direct the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control to regulate hemp licensees, and the state agency has used the three-tier system since prohibition ended in the 1930s. It prohibits distribution companies from holding a license for retail or manufacturing facilities. Back then, it was intended to prevent market domination by restricting any one tier from having financial interest in another.

On the other end of the spectrum, Republican state Sen. Nick Schroer of Defiance has once again proposed legislation that would essentially ban a good portion of intoxicating hemp products outright and require the eligible ones only to be sold in regulated marijuana dispensaries.&nbsp;

His bill is supported by the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association.&nbsp;

Andrew Mullins, executive director for MoCannTrade, said all sides agree that unregulated, intoxicating products are a health and public safety risk. The “only real question” for policymakers, he said, is whether the state should establish a “dual, parallel, expensive system of regulation” for these intoxicating products, which often have the THC potency as those found in highly-regulated dispensaries.&nbsp;

“Hemp and marijuana come from the same plant,” Mullins said. “If it’s non-intoxicating, it’s hemp. If it comes from the cannabis plant and it’s intoxicating – it’s marijuana and Missouri law should treat it as such.”

Busch and the hemp trade association worked together over the summer to&nbsp; write one piece of legislation, but then a rift over distribution and THC content severed the groups in September. And it’s evident in the nearly-identical language in the two bills.

“We were working with them for almost four months, trying to gather feedback and get in alignment,” Busch said. “One of their board members took our bill, our work product, and decided that they were going to use whatever parts of it they wanted.”

Katz doesn’t deny that they included some of the language, but said the association also sourced from other places.

Busch’s bill proposes to limit edibles to only 5 mg of THC per serving and beverages to 10mg of THC per serving.

The association’s bill would limit it to 100 mg of THC per serving, saying that some people who use the products medicinally require a higher dose.

Brian Riegel, owner of South Point Hemp manufacturer, said some of his customers use the products for arthritis and other pain.&nbsp;

“If they were taking something that’s been federally legal for the last six years,” he said, “in August they’re going back to being a criminal again.”&nbsp;

Katz said the three-tier system prevents small businesses from selling their products online to customers, and it might be difficult for them to get picked up by distributors.&nbsp;

Another major difference is that Busch’s proposal would essentially ban THCA flower, which makes up nearly 50% of the industry, Katz said, and is growing.&nbsp;

Missourians can walk into a CBD shop right now and buy something that looks just like the canisters of marijuana buds and joints sold in state-regulated dispensaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Busch said he has no problem with the beer wholesalers’ bill, as it’s closely aligned with his. However, he doesn’t believe Missouri lawmakers can “responsibly” stop at beverages.&nbsp;

“Let’s say that bill passed, then we still haven’t addressed what the governor identified this summer as illicit products being sold to children,” Busch said. “We’re not going to have anything different than we have right now.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734358244994.jpeg" alt=" Year after year, hemp business owners and distributors have asked the state to impose age restrictions and testing requirements, rather than ban the products outright (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> Year after year, hemp business owners and distributors have asked the state to impose age restrictions and testing requirements, rather than ban the products outright (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Three bills are backed by hemp industry leaders, while one has the support of the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Every time Missouri lawmakers have proposed legislation to essentially ban intoxicating-hemp products in the last few years, the hemp industry has mounted a united opposition to stop them.Products like Delta-8 THC drinks can currently be bought everywhere from bars to coffee shops statewide.&nbsp;Year after year, hemp business owners and distributors have asked the state to impose age restrictions and testing requirements, rather than ban the products outright.“We don’t have any mechanism to regulate them right now, and so they’re in no man’s land,” said Steven Busch, owner of Krey Distributing, one of the state’s alcohol distributors. “And that’s our biggest problem right now — that there are no rules. The 21-plus rule isn’t even law, though everyone’s doing it.”Now for the first time, leaders of the hemp industry are pushing their own legislation to establish business licenses and regulations.But the industry is far from united.&nbsp;Three bills have been pre-filed — one backed by Busch, one supported by the Missouri Beer Wholesalers Association and one backed by the Missouri Hemp Trade Association. Other bills are waiting in the wings to potentially be added as amendments.The beer wholesalers’ legislation, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Barry Hovis of Whitewater, lays out regulations only for hemp beverages, which would regulate popular bar drinks like Missouri-based Mighty Kind cannabis seltzers. It would also establish the same three-tier distribution system that the alcohol industry has long abided by.The bill backed by Busch and sponsored by Republican state Rep. Dave Hinman of O’Fallon would regulate beverages as well, but it also includes guidelines for edibles, vapes and tinctures.&nbsp;The hemp trade association believes both bills set the maximum THC content for all items too low. The association also vehemently opposes the three-tier system.“It creates a monopoly on behalf of the distributors,” said Craig Katz, spokesman for the Missouri Hemp Trade Association. “It may have worked over decades in the alcohol industry and they’re used to it, but it doesn’t really work for the hemp industry.”It’s not only the alcohol industry that’s used to the system.&nbsp;All three bills direct the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control to regulate hemp licensees, and the state agency has used the three-tier system since prohibition ended in the 1930s. It prohibits distribution companies from holding a license for retail or manufacturing facilities. Back then, it was intended to prevent market domination by restricting any one tier from having financial interest in another.On the other end of the spectrum, Republican state Sen. Nick Schroer of Defiance has once again proposed legislation that would essentially ban a good portion of intoxicating hemp products outright and require the eligible ones only to be sold in regulated marijuana dispensaries.&nbsp;His bill is supported by the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association.&nbsp;Andrew Mullins, executive director for MoCannTrade, said all sides agree that unregulated, intoxicating products are a health and public safety risk. The “only real question” for policymakers, he said, is whether the state should establish a “dual, parallel, expensive system of regulation” for these intoxicating products, which often have the THC potency as those found in highly-regulated dispensaries.&nbsp;“Hemp and marijuana come from the same plant,” Mullins said. “If it’s non-intoxicating, it’s hemp. If it comes from the cannabis plant and it’s intoxicating – it’s marijuana and Missouri law should treat it as such.”<h2>‘No way to police it’</h2>Busch and the hemp trade association worked together over the summer to&nbsp; write one piece of legislation, but then a rift over distribution and THC content severed the groups in September. And it’s evident in the nearly-identical language in the two bills.“We were working with them for almost four months, trying to gather feedback and get in alignment,” Busch said. “One of their board members took our bill, our work product, and decided that they were going to use whatever parts of it they wanted.”Katz doesn’t deny that they included some of the language, but said the association also sourced from other places.Busch’s bill proposes to limit edibles to only 5 mg of THC per serving and beverages to 10mg of THC per serving.The association’s bill would limit it to 100 mg of THC per serving, saying that some people who use the products medicinally require a higher dose.Brian Riegel, owner of South Point Hemp manufacturer, said some of his customers use the products for arthritis and other pain.&nbsp;“If they were taking something that’s been federally legal for the last six years,” he said, “in August they’re going back to being a criminal again.”&nbsp;Katz said the three-tier system prevents small businesses from selling their products online to customers, and it might be difficult for them to get picked up by distributors.&nbsp;Another major difference is that Busch’s proposal would essentially ban THCA flower, which makes up nearly 50% of the industry, Katz said, and is growing.&nbsp;Missourians can walk into a CBD shop right now and buy something that looks just like the canisters of marijuana buds and joints sold in state-regulated dispensaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;Busch said he has no problem with the beer wholesalers’ bill, as it’s closely aligned with his. However, he doesn’t believe Missouri lawmakers can “responsibly” stop at beverages.&nbsp;“Let’s say that bill passed, then we still haven’t addressed what the governor identified this summer as illicit products being sold to children,” Busch said. “We’re not going to have anything different than we have right now.”He believes this session will be different because all parties – from regulators to hemp retailers – believe that some legislation must get passed this year.“The regulated marijuana side and our side,” Busch said, “we want to get something done because otherwise, every month or year that goes by… the market gets bigger and bigger. And there’s no way to police it.”<h2>The state fights back</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725657142729.png" alt="Gov. Mike Parson speaks at his Capitol press conference announcing Executive Order 24-10 that bans the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Missouri “until such time approved sources can be regulated by the FDA or State of Missouri through legislative action,” he said (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office)." />
 <figcaption>Gov. Mike Parson speaks at his Capitol press conference announcing Executive Order 24-10 that bans the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Missouri “until such time approved sources can be regulated by the FDA or State of Missouri through legislative action,” he said (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office).</figcaption>
 </figure>The argument that banning these products would harm thousands of small businesses in Missouri and further feed what critics call the marijuana “monopoly” was largely successful in blocking proposed legislation in the past.However, the state has upped the stakes this year.While Gov. Mike Parson’s attempt this summer to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/12/hemp-industry-leaders-call-missouri-governors-order-banning-thc-products-an-overreach/">ban intoxicating hemp</a>&nbsp;through an executive order remains on hold, administrative rules are currently making their way to accomplish that goal.The Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control proposed new state rules in November that would ban the sale of hemp-derived products for any licensed liquor retailer. Those rules must be approved by a legislative committee that oversees administrative rules.&nbsp;The Missouri Hemp Trade Association’s attorney Chuck Hatfield submitted a public comment to the division, saying it doesn’t have the authority to implement a ban through rules — only legislation.The division is authorized to “issue, suspend, or revoke liquor licenses, enforce Missouri’s alcohol and tobacco laws, and collect revenue from alcoholic beverage excise taxes and license fees,” Hatfield states in the comment.&nbsp;“Until the legislature acts,” it states, “[the division’s] hands are tied with respect to hemp-derived products.”&nbsp;The division was only one part of the enforcement efforts outlined in Parson’s order.The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ preliminary budget requests&nbsp;<a href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY26_DHSS_Appropriation_Book.pdf" target="_blank">$877,000&nbsp;</a>to fund more food inspectors to implement Parson’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/library/reference/orders/2024/eo10" target="_blank">executive order</a>.&nbsp;Those funds would become available on July 1, if lawmakers approve the request as part of the state budget.&nbsp;The department estimates that 40,000 food establishments and smoke shops and 1,800 food manufacturers could potentially be affected by the governor’s order, the budget request states, “but the majority of these facilities are at low-risk of requiring investigation.”“It is estimated that all seven inspection staff can conduct 2,900-3,500 site visits annually,” it states.&nbsp;The department also budgeted $160,000 to hire two full-time attorneys, in the event that business owners challenge enforcement actions.

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