(Radio Iowa) - Forecasters say it'll be a very windy Wednesday in Iowa as a cold front blows in. 

Lows tonight are predicted in the single digits while highs tomorrow may only be in the teens and 20s statewide. Wind chills on Thursday could be well below zero. National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donavon says a wind advisory covers 94 of Iowa's 99 counties through midnight tonight, as gusts may exceed 50 miles an hour.

 Iowans who have Christmas inflatables in their yards might want to double-check the bungee cords, and anyone driving a high-profile vehicle will need to use extra caution. Donavon says wind chills Thursday morning could hit 15 below zero, though highs by Sunday may be back in the low 50s.

(Radio Iowa) - Forecasters say it'll be a very windy Wednesday in Iowa as a cold front blows in. Lows tonight are predicted in the single digits while highs tomorrow may only be in the teens and 20s statewide. Wind chills on Thursday could be well below zero. National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donavon says a wind advisory covers 94 of Iowa's 99 counties through midnight tonight, as gusts may exceed 50 miles an hour. Iowans who have Christmas inflatables in their yards might want to double-check the bungee cords, and anyone driving a high-profile vehicle will need to use extra caution. Donavon says wind chills Thursday morning could hit 15 below zero, though highs by Sunday may be back in the low 50s.

Wind chills of 15 below are possible by Thursday

Farmer sentiment jumped again in November as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose 30 points to 145. That’s the highest level of farmer optimism since May 2021. The Future Expectations index saw the largest jump, rising 37 points to 116, while the Current Conditions Index increased 18 points to 113. The November sentiment boost reflects growing optimism about a more favorable regulatory and tax environment for agriculture following the November election. 

Farmer sentiment jumped again in November as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose 30 points to 145. That’s the highest level of farmer optimism since May 2021. The Future Expectations index saw the largest jump, rising 37 points to 116, while the Current Conditions Index increased 18 points to 113. The November sentiment boost reflects growing optimism about a more favorable regulatory and tax environment for agriculture following the November election.

Farmer sentiment highest since 2021

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Education Department called on every state, school and district on Tuesday to adopt policies on cellphone use in schools.

The department asks schools to have well-thought-out policies on the matter, but does not dictate exactly what those policies should be. An accompanying resource for schools notes the risk social media can pose to students’ mental health.

“In this digital age, every elementary, middle, and high school should have a clear, consistent, and research-informed policy to guide the use of phones and personal devices in school,” U.S Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a written statement.

“The evidence makes clear: there is no one-size-fits-all policy,” Cardona added, noting that “different school communities have different needs, and the nuances of this issue demand that local voices — parents, educators, and students — inform local decisions around the use of personal devices in school.”

The department acknowledged the role cellphones can play in keeping parents connected to their kids, especially in emergency situations, while also highlighting the increasing evidence on the harms social media can have on youth mental health, such as sleep deprivation and depression.

An increasing number of states and school districts have enacted policies either prohibiting or restricting students from using their cellphones in the classrooms.

Across the country, schools and districts continue to grapple with how to deal with kids’ cellphone use, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/29/cell-phone-schools-bans-states" target="_blank">more than half of all states</a>&nbsp;have sought to ban or restrict cellphone use in classrooms.

As of early November, at least eight states have passed statewide policies that either limit or prohibit cellphone use in the classrooms, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/a-look-at-state-efforts-to-ban-cellphones-in-schools-and-implications-for-youth-mental-health/" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

That includes California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia. A Minnesota law forces schools to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2024/08/29/minnesota-now-new-school-cellphone-policy-landscape-across-minnesota-locked-pouches" target="_blank">adopt a policy on cellphone use</a>&nbsp;by March 2025.

A handful of other states’&nbsp;<a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/11/01/oregon-department-of-education-offers-schools-guidance-on-limiting-student-cell-phone-use/" target="_blank">education departments</a>&nbsp;have issued&nbsp;<a href="https://alaskabeacon.com/2024/10/24/alaska-joins-growing-number-of-states-considering-crackdown-on-cellphones-in-schools/" target="_blank">policy recommendations</a>&nbsp;or pilot programs, while lawmakers in several more have introduced statewide legislation regarding cellphone use.

The guidance from the U.S. Education Department coincides with the release of a&nbsp;<a href="https://tech.ed.gov/device-policy-playbook/" target="_blank">resource</a>&nbsp;for education officials and local communities on adopting cellphone use policies.

In the playbook, Cardona points to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf" target="_blank">public warning</a>&nbsp;in 2023 on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/prodded-fed-parents-some-congress-try-curb-kids-use-social-media" target="_blank">social media’s effects</a>&nbsp;on youth mental health.

Murthy warns: “More research is needed to fully understand the impact of social media; however, the current body of evidence indicates that while social media may have benefits for some children and adolescents, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”&nbsp;

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Education Department called on every state, school and district on Tuesday to adopt policies on cellphone use in schools.The department asks schools to have well-thought-out policies on the matter, but does not dictate exactly what those policies should be. An accompanying resource for schools notes the risk social media can pose to students’ mental health.“In this digital age, every elementary, middle, and high school should have a clear, consistent, and research-informed policy to guide the use of phones and personal devices in school,” U.S Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a written statement.“The evidence makes clear: there is no one-size-fits-all policy,” Cardona added, noting that “different school communities have different needs, and the nuances of this issue demand that local voices — parents, educators, and students — inform local decisions around the use of personal devices in school.”The department acknowledged the role cellphones can play in keeping parents connected to their kids, especially in emergency situations, while also highlighting the increasing evidence on the harms social media can have on youth mental health, such as sleep deprivation and depression.<h2>Increasing state policies</h2>An increasing number of states and school districts have enacted policies either prohibiting or restricting students from using their cellphones in the classrooms.Across the country, schools and districts continue to grapple with how to deal with kids’ cellphone use, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/29/cell-phone-schools-bans-states" target="_blank">more than half of all states</a>&nbsp;have sought to ban or restrict cellphone use in classrooms.As of early November, at least eight states have passed statewide policies that either limit or prohibit cellphone use in the classrooms, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/a-look-at-state-efforts-to-ban-cellphones-in-schools-and-implications-for-youth-mental-health/" target="_blank">KFF</a>.That includes California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia. A Minnesota law forces schools to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2024/08/29/minnesota-now-new-school-cellphone-policy-landscape-across-minnesota-locked-pouches" target="_blank">adopt a policy on cellphone use</a>&nbsp;by March 2025.A handful of other states’&nbsp;<a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/11/01/oregon-department-of-education-offers-schools-guidance-on-limiting-student-cell-phone-use/" target="_blank">education departments</a>&nbsp;have issued&nbsp;<a href="https://alaskabeacon.com/2024/10/24/alaska-joins-growing-number-of-states-considering-crackdown-on-cellphones-in-schools/" target="_blank">policy recommendations</a>&nbsp;or pilot programs, while lawmakers in several more have introduced statewide legislation regarding cellphone use.The guidance from the U.S. Education Department coincides with the release of a&nbsp;<a href="https://tech.ed.gov/device-policy-playbook/" target="_blank">resource</a>&nbsp;for education officials and local communities on adopting cellphone use policies.In the playbook, Cardona points to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf" target="_blank">public warning</a>&nbsp;in 2023 on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/prodded-fed-parents-some-congress-try-curb-kids-use-social-media" target="_blank">social media’s effects</a>&nbsp;on youth mental health.Murthy warns: “More research is needed to fully understand the impact of social media; however, the current body of evidence indicates that while social media may have benefits for some children and adolescents, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”&nbsp;

U.S. Education Department pings states, schools to set policies on cellphone use

Eagle Days is happening this weekend at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City.  

Refuge Manager William Kutosky says the event is a wonderful time for wildlife observation, and not just eagles but several ducks and geese as well 

"We're going to potentially have hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese to view from our 10 mile auditory loop on the refuge, and kids that have never had an opportunity to see wild water fowl or eagles can get up close and personal and get behind a spotting scope with a biologist and see an eagle out there on the wetlands in their natural environment," Kutosky tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. 

The event will also feature several displays and hands-on activities for visitors to Loess Bluffs.  Kutosky says one of the attractions during eagle days will be a live eagle show, with three breeds of eagles 

"They will be bringing an adult bald eagle, an adult golden eagle, and then a South American species an adult harpy eagle, so you get to see three different eagles up close and personal," Kutosky explains.  "I've seen quite a few different live eagle shows in my life and this is hands down one of the best, they do a phenomenal job." 

The live eagle show will be presented by the World Bird Sanctuary from near St. Louis in the Visitors Center at the refuge, every hour on the hour. 

Kutosky says the event is one of the best across the country to get up close and personal with a large number of eagles 

"It's a great opportunity to bring out kids and family, a completely free event, and just a great family experience for folks," Kutosky says.  "So, I highly recommend it if you're in the St. Joseph area, we even get a lot of visitors from Kansas City regularly and Omaha, so not a bad drive." 

Eagle Days will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.  On Friday, the refuge will host area schools for guided bus tours around Loess Bluffs. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733333312055.jpeg" alt="Bald_Eagle_prey.JPG" />
 <figcaption>Bald_Eagle_prey.JPG</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Eagle Days is happening this weekend at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City. Refuge Manager William Kutosky says the event is a wonderful time for wildlife observation, and not just eagles but several ducks and geese as well "We're going to potentially have hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese to view from our 10 mile auditory loop on the refuge, and kids that have never had an opportunity to see wild water fowl or eagles can get up close and personal and get behind a spotting scope with a biologist and see an eagle out there on the wetlands in their natural environment," Kutosky tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. The event will also feature several displays and hands-on activities for visitors to Loess Bluffs. Kutosky says one of the attractions during eagle days will be a live eagle show, with three breeds of eagles "They will be bringing an adult bald eagle, an adult golden eagle, and then a South American species an adult harpy eagle, so you get to see three different eagles up close and personal," Kutosky explains. "I've seen quite a few different live eagle shows in my life and this is hands down one of the best, they do a phenomenal job." The live eagle show will be presented by the World Bird Sanctuary from near St. Louis in the Visitors Center at the refuge, every hour on the hour. Kutosky says the event is one of the best across the country to get up close and personal with a large number of eagles "It's a great opportunity to bring out kids and family, a completely free event, and just a great family experience for folks," Kutosky says. "So, I highly recommend it if you're in the St. Joseph area, we even get a lot of visitors from Kansas City regularly and Omaha, so not a bad drive." Eagle Days will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday, the refuge will host area schools for guided bus tours around Loess Bluffs. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733333368478.jpeg" alt="Bald_EagleII.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Bald_EagleII.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>

Want to see a bald eagle up close and personal? Here's your chance at Eagle Days

(Radio Iowa) - With Thanksgiving behind us now, many Iowans are turning their thoughts to decorating their houses for the holiday season ahead. 

Andrea Vastis, spokeswoman for the National Fire Protection Association, says those colorful lights can be a beautiful accent to your home, but they can also pose a serious fire hazard. Vastis says to make sure the lights are approved by a testing laboratory and that they're rated for outdoor use. 

Putting lights outside that are supposed to be for indoor use only could quickly lead to an electrical short -- and a fire. Some newer L-E-D-style lights allow you to connect a few dozen strings of lights and plug them into just one outlet, but she says to read the labeling very carefully.

(Radio Iowa) - With Thanksgiving behind us now, many Iowans are turning their thoughts to decorating their houses for the holiday season ahead. Andrea Vastis, spokeswoman for the National Fire Protection Association, says those colorful lights can be a beautiful accent to your home, but they can also pose a serious fire hazard. Vastis says to make sure the lights are approved by a testing laboratory and that they're rated for outdoor use. Putting lights outside that are supposed to be for indoor use only could quickly lead to an electrical short -- and a fire. Some newer L-E-D-style lights allow you to connect a few dozen strings of lights and plug them into just one outlet, but she says to read the labeling very carefully.

Check the labels before hanging holiday lights to avoid a fire

A
28-year-old St. Joseph man faces several charges after allegedly injuring a St.
Joseph police officer while fleeing in a vehicle from a fight with another man
very early Tuesday morning.

Tyler
Allan Armstrong has been charged with aggravated fleeing a stop, driving while
intoxicated leading to physical injury, and third-degree assault.

St.
Joseph police say officers responded to break up a fight in the 1000 block of Corby Street when Armstrong jumped in a car and fled the scene.
Armstrong struck two patrol cars, injuring an officer in one of the cars.
Officers pursued. The pursuit ended when Armstrong crashed into a parked car at
9th and Church where he was arrested.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733330616696.jpeg" alt="Tyler Allan Armstrong/Buchanan County Sheriff's Office photo" />
 <figcaption>Tyler Allan Armstrong/Buchanan County Sheriff's Office photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA
28-year-old St. Joseph man faces several charges after allegedly injuring a St.
Joseph police officer while fleeing in a vehicle from a fight with another man
very early Tuesday morning.Tyler
Allan Armstrong has been charged with aggravated fleeing a stop, driving while
intoxicated leading to physical injury, and third-degree assault.St.
Joseph police say officers responded to break up a fight in the 1000 block of Corby Street when Armstrong jumped in a car and fled the scene.
Armstrong struck two patrol cars, injuring an officer in one of the cars.
Officers pursued. The pursuit ended when Armstrong crashed into a parked car at
9th and Church where he was arrested.Armstrong
is being held without bond.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph man charged for hitting patrol car, injuring officer

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education believes that lowering a GPA requirement for teachers will improve teacher recruitment and retention without reducing educator quality

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

Missouri educators will no longer need a 3.0 grade-point average in their subject area to teach in public schools beginning in July,&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/consideration-notice-proposed-rulemaking-amend-5-csr-20-400530-certification-requirements" target="_blank">the State Board of Education</a>&nbsp;unanimously voted Tuesday.

The threshold to be qualified to teach in the state is now a 2.5 grade-point average in the teacher’s content area. The only exception will be special-education teachers, who will still be required to meet the 3.0 mark.

Officials with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Educations say the change is intended to increase the number of certificated teachers coming into public schools. Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger said in a statement that the change would remove “unnecessary barriers to the teaching profession.”

“There is no evidence tying a particular GPA in the content area to more effective teaching,” Daryl Fridley, the department’s education preparation coordinator, told the board on Tuesday. “Most of the non-teaching professional options in sciences, math and history do not require such a high GPA.”

A 3.0 GPA requirement most impacts teachers in STEM subjects, he said. When the department looked at teacher candidates who met other requirements but didn’t meet the GPA standard, nearly a quarter of those disqualified were in STEM.

Teacher candidates still must pass a performance assessment, with a test of subject knowledge, to be certified. Of those who didn’t meet the GPA requirements, 90% passed the performance assessment, Fridley said.

The department hopes the new requirements will bring more teachers into the profession. Currently, almost 44% of first-year teachers are certified in Missouri. Over a quarter are serving as a substitute teacher, 6% have no certification and the rest have alternative certifications.

“Discussions about this issue often include the question, ‘Isn’t this a case of lowering standards?’” Fridley said. “We maintain that with a third of the state’s first year teachers having no more than a substitute teacher certificate and some with even less, any action that leads to a higher proportion of first-year teachers completing the preparation program is actually a net gain for the overall quality of teachers.”&nbsp;

In the midst of low teacher retention rates and poor recruitment, the change is welcome, the department reiterated.

“Both quantity and quality of teachers are really important to the learning of students,” Paul Katnik, assistant commissioner of educator quality, said during Tuesday’s meeting.

The department reiterated that it doesn’t believe the lower GPA threshold will affect teacher quality.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733328661240.png" alt=" Governor-elect Mike Kehoe stops by the State Board of Education meeting Tuesday. During the meeting, board members unanimously agreed to lower the GPA requirement for teacher certification (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Governor-elect Mike Kehoe stops by the State Board of Education meeting Tuesday. During the meeting, board members unanimously agreed to lower the GPA requirement for teacher certification (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education believes that lowering a GPA requirement for teachers will improve teacher recruitment and retention without reducing educator quality</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri educators will no longer need a 3.0 grade-point average in their subject area to teach in public schools beginning in July,&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/consideration-notice-proposed-rulemaking-amend-5-csr-20-400530-certification-requirements" target="_blank">the State Board of Education</a>&nbsp;unanimously voted Tuesday.The threshold to be qualified to teach in the state is now a 2.5 grade-point average in the teacher’s content area. The only exception will be special-education teachers, who will still be required to meet the 3.0 mark.Officials with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Educations say the change is intended to increase the number of certificated teachers coming into public schools. Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger said in a statement that the change would remove “unnecessary barriers to the teaching profession.”“There is no evidence tying a particular GPA in the content area to more effective teaching,” Daryl Fridley, the department’s education preparation coordinator, told the board on Tuesday. “Most of the non-teaching professional options in sciences, math and history do not require such a high GPA.”A 3.0 GPA requirement most impacts teachers in STEM subjects, he said. When the department looked at teacher candidates who met other requirements but didn’t meet the GPA standard, nearly a quarter of those disqualified were in STEM.Teacher candidates still must pass a performance assessment, with a test of subject knowledge, to be certified. Of those who didn’t meet the GPA requirements, 90% passed the performance assessment, Fridley said.The department hopes the new requirements will bring more teachers into the profession. Currently, almost 44% of first-year teachers are certified in Missouri. Over a quarter are serving as a substitute teacher, 6% have no certification and the rest have alternative certifications.“Discussions about this issue often include the question, ‘Isn’t this a case of lowering standards?’” Fridley said. “We maintain that with a third of the state’s first year teachers having no more than a substitute teacher certificate and some with even less, any action that leads to a higher proportion of first-year teachers completing the preparation program is actually a net gain for the overall quality of teachers.”&nbsp;In the midst of low teacher retention rates and poor recruitment, the change is welcome, the department reiterated.“Both quantity and quality of teachers are really important to the learning of students,” Paul Katnik, assistant commissioner of educator quality, said during Tuesday’s meeting.The department reiterated that it doesn’t believe the lower GPA threshold will affect teacher quality.

Missouri education officials lower GPA threshold for teacher certification

Military families struggling to find weekend child care have a
few more options.

A federally subsidized program run by Upwards has expanded
child care for military families.

Upwards provides subsidies and even business advice to child
care providers which serve military families looking for child care during drill
weekends.

Upwards Program Director, Lilly Alexander, says military
families face difficulties in finding child care others don’t face.

“So, this program in particular is for weekend care,”
Alexander tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, when the Reserve and the Guard go
off on drills, battle assemblies, and emergency deployments weekend care is particularly
difficult to find. And we’ve been able to help child care providers expand
their hours of operation so that they can meet these specific weekend needs of
military families.”

A key to the program, according to Alexander, is that Upwards
can guarantee reimbursement to child care providers within two business days,
rather than the 30-to-90-day lag of some reimbursement programs.

“The state of Missouri we are aware there’s a crisis going on
where providers haven’t been paid for months,” Alexander points out. “So, when
we can guarantee that we can pay providers within two business days, they are
very excited to support military families with these specific weekend child
care needs.”

Missouri state officials say a computer glitch caused the delay
in payments and that a solution is being worked out.

Not only does Upwards provide financial incentive for child
care providers to open their doors on the weekend, the company also consults
with providers on the best way to run their business, such as streamlining
processes to become more efficient.

“And when child care providers can operate their businesses
more efficiently, then that makes an impact on the cost for families,” Alexander
says.

Alexander encourages interested military families to visit the
Upwards website by clicking <a href="https://upwards.com/benefits/military">HERE</a>.

You can also call Upwards at 816-670-3286 or email the company:&nbsp; <a href="mailto:heroes@upwards.com">heroes@upwards.com</a>.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMilitary families struggling to find weekend child care have a
few more options.A federally subsidized program run by Upwards has expanded
child care for military families.Upwards provides subsidies and even business advice to child
care providers which serve military families looking for child care during drill
weekends.Upwards Program Director, Lilly Alexander, says military
families face difficulties in finding child care others don’t face.“So, this program in particular is for weekend care,”
Alexander tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, when the Reserve and the Guard go
off on drills, battle assemblies, and emergency deployments weekend care is particularly
difficult to find. And we’ve been able to help child care providers expand
their hours of operation so that they can meet these specific weekend needs of
military families.”A key to the program, according to Alexander, is that Upwards
can guarantee reimbursement to child care providers within two business days,
rather than the 30-to-90-day lag of some reimbursement programs.“The state of Missouri we are aware there’s a crisis going on
where providers haven’t been paid for months,” Alexander points out. “So, when
we can guarantee that we can pay providers within two business days, they are
very excited to support military families with these specific weekend child
care needs.”Missouri state officials say a computer glitch caused the delay
in payments and that a solution is being worked out.Not only does Upwards provide financial incentive for child
care providers to open their doors on the weekend, the company also consults
with providers on the best way to run their business, such as streamlining
processes to become more efficient.“And when child care providers can operate their businesses
more efficiently, then that makes an impact on the cost for families,” Alexander
says.Alexander encourages interested military families to visit the
Upwards website by clicking <a href="https://upwards.com/benefits/military">HERE</a>.You can also call Upwards at 816-670-3286 or email the company:&nbsp; <a href="mailto:heroes@upwards.com">heroes@upwards.com</a>.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Program seeks to help military families with weekend child care

On Wednesday, a Jackson County judge will hear Planned Parenthood’s attempt to overturn a number of laws regulating abortion. Meanwhile, several legislators have already filed bills hoping to reinstate an abortion ban

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

On the eve of a Wednesday hearing seeking to strike down most Missouri abortion restrictions, GOP lawmakers and anti-abortion activists assembled outside five Planned Parenthood clinics around the state to call on the courts to leave abortion regulations in place.

At the same time, Republican lawmakers have begun filing some of their first pieces of legislation aimed at weakening or overturning Amendment 3, which was narrowly approved by voters last month and enshrines the right to reproductive health care in the state constitution.

The constitutional amendment, which received<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/missouri/?r=83071" target="_blank">&nbsp;51.6% of the nearly 3 million votes</a>&nbsp;cast, goes into effect Thursday. It prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.

Already, at least 11 lawmaker-proposed amendments have been prefiled seeking to reverse Amendment 3 through another vote of the people.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One such bill, filed by Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, would ask voters to ban gender-affirming surgeries for minors and all abortions with exceptions for medical emergencies and rape.

“Missouri families deserve clarity and compassion in our laws when it comes to protecting

women and safeguarding innocent life like our children from danger,” Coleman said in a statement Tuesday. “These constitutional amendments align with the beliefs of the majority of Missourians when it comes to supporting the dignity and value of all life.”&nbsp;

State Rep. Justin Sparks, a Wildwood Republican, is proposing his own version of a repeal amendment. He said he was inspired to take action by Amendment 3’s close margin of victory.&nbsp;

Sparks’ proposed constitutional amendment would define a “person” as “every human being with a unique DNA code regardless of age, including every in utero human child at every stage of biological development from the moment of conception until birth.”

State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, filed a proposed amendment similar to Coleman’s, but one that also included abortion exceptions for fetal anomalies. It would limit abortions in the cases of rape or incest to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=412" target="_blank">and only if the victim filed a police report.&nbsp;</a>

Such requirements have been widely-criticized in other states, with victim advocates calling such reporting requirements&nbsp;<a href="https://victimrights.org/2023/04/14/abortion-care-is-central-to-rape-survivors-reclaiming-their-power/" target="_blank">harmful to survivors.</a>

But on Tuesday, standing outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City with other anti-abortion activists, Brattin said his immediate focus was appealing to the courts to uphold the state’s current “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws, which previously made it all but impossible for doctors to provide abortions in Missouri.&nbsp;

The laws, enacted over the last several years by the legislature, include a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion, mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions and requirements that providers report all abortions to the state.&nbsp;

“That’s going to be first and foremost, making sure that if they’re operating, they’re operating at the highest level of standard of care,” Brattin said.

Less than 24 hours after Amendment 3 was approved by voters, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers announced a lawsuit seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/06/missouri-abortion-access-planned-parenthood-lawsuit-amendment-3/">strike down several of these TRAP laws</a>.&nbsp;

The first hearing in the case is set to take place Wednesday afternoon in Jackson County.&nbsp;

The Missouri Secretary of State’s office filed a motion requesting the proceedings be moved to Cole County. Earlier this year, a Cole County judge&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/missouri-supreme-court-opinions-amendment-3-abortion/">struck Amendment 3 from the ballot,</a>&nbsp;a decision that was quickly overridden by the Missouri Court of Appeals.

Planned Parenthood leadership has said they hope a quick decision from the judge will allow them to start performing abortions at three health centers across the state —&nbsp;Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City —&nbsp;as soon as the new amendment goes into effect.

“Abortion is safe and a very common healthcare procedure,” Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates the St. Louis clinics, said in a statement Tuesday. “We know that Missourians across the political spectrum support access to this life-saving care, but anti-abortion extremists are again resorting to false, tired, and previously litigated scare tactics, trying to subvert the will of the people and keep abortion banned.”

<a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24950/the-safety-and-quality-of-abortion-care-in-the-united-states" target="_blank">A 2018 study</a>&nbsp;by the&nbsp;National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine&nbsp;concluded that abortion complications are rare, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/key-facts-on-abortion-in-the-united-states/#:~:text=Studies%20on%20procedural%20abortions%2C%20which,complications%20of%20less%20than%201%25." target="_blank">complications during childbirth remain more common</a>.

Outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis’ Central West End, Brian Westbrook, executive director of Coalition Life, called for the TRAP laws to remain in place “to make sure that women do not go into a place like this and leave in an ambulance headed to the hospital.”

“We stand here today with real, clear evidence that Planned Parenthood is not safe for women and requires serious oversight and inspections, not immunity,” he said.

Westbrook also referenced a 2018 health inspection report that determined equipment in the Columbia clinic included tubing that contained “black mold and bodily fluid.” Planned Parenthood officials later said the equipment had been replaced and the issue resolved.

The Columbia health center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/10/03/654030995/one-abortion-clinic-remains-open-in-missouri-following-new-state-requirements" target="_blank">ended the procedure in fall 2018</a>&nbsp;when 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. After that, until the U.S. Supreme Court decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/24/abortion-is-now-illegal-in-missouri-in-wake-of-u-s-supreme-court-ruling/">overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022,</a>&nbsp;only one Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri, located in St. Louis, continued to perform abortions.

The St. Louis clinic temporarily lost its licensure as well until May 2020, when then-Missouri Administrative Hearing Commissioner Sreenivasa Rao Dandamudi<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article243089401.html" target="_blank">&nbsp;ruled that the state health department had to re-issue the license</a>.

“​​Planned Parenthood has demonstrated that it provides safe and legal abortion care,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/98/18/9818b15d-4ecd-4281-bb30-620c5ea9e567/19-0879.pdf" target="_blank">Dandamudi’s ruling concluded.</a>&nbsp;“In over 4,000 abortions provided since 2018, the Department has only identified two causes to deny its license.”

Westbrook ended Tuesday’s press conference saying he is hopeful the Trump administration will enforce the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/21/missouri-senate-race-abortion-hawley-kunce/">Comstock Act,&nbsp;</a>an&nbsp;1873 law that bans the mailing of obscene material, including medications used for abortion.

He also said he supports Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s efforts to hold Planned Parenthood accountable.&nbsp;

The Missouri Attorney General’s office recently posed a court challenge to the Planned Parenthood suit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3370878" target="_blank">The latest lawsuit,</a>&nbsp;filed Wednesday in Cole County, questions Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ ability to sue, claiming a 2010 settlement agreement prevents them from doing so.&nbsp;

Bailey, in a recent<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/22-2024.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;official opinion from his office</a>, argued that while Missouri statutes prohibiting abortion prior to fetal viability will no longer be enforceable in their entirety,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/27/missouri-attorney-general-andrew-bailey-amendment-3-enforcement/">the state can still enforce other laws on the books related to abortion.</a>

“In a contest where the ‘yes’ side was able in effect to rewrite the ballot summary language, received<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/missouri-abortion-amendment-3-fundraising-election/">&nbsp;tens of millions of dollars</a>&nbsp;in funding from out of state, and outspent the ‘no’ side 6 to 0,” Bailey wrote, “This tight margin suggests the result may be very different if a future constitutional amendment is put up for a vote.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733311945101.png" alt="State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, protests outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, ahead of a hearing in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood seeking to overturn the state’s TRAP laws (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, protests outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, ahead of a hearing in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood seeking to overturn the state’s TRAP laws (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>On Wednesday, a Jackson County judge will hear Planned Parenthood’s attempt to overturn a number of laws regulating abortion. Meanwhile, several legislators have already filed bills hoping to reinstate an abortion ban</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>On the eve of a Wednesday hearing seeking to strike down most Missouri abortion restrictions, GOP lawmakers and anti-abortion activists assembled outside five Planned Parenthood clinics around the state to call on the courts to leave abortion regulations in place.At the same time, Republican lawmakers have begun filing some of their first pieces of legislation aimed at weakening or overturning Amendment 3, which was narrowly approved by voters last month and enshrines the right to reproductive health care in the state constitution.The constitutional amendment, which received<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/missouri/?r=83071" target="_blank">&nbsp;51.6% of the nearly 3 million votes</a>&nbsp;cast, goes into effect Thursday. It prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.Already, at least 11 lawmaker-proposed amendments have been prefiled seeking to reverse Amendment 3 through another vote of the people.&nbsp;&nbsp;One such bill, filed by Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, would ask voters to ban gender-affirming surgeries for minors and all abortions with exceptions for medical emergencies and rape.“Missouri families deserve clarity and compassion in our laws when it comes to protectingwomen and safeguarding innocent life like our children from danger,” Coleman said in a statement Tuesday. “These constitutional amendments align with the beliefs of the majority of Missourians when it comes to supporting the dignity and value of all life.”&nbsp;State Rep. Justin Sparks, a Wildwood Republican, is proposing his own version of a repeal amendment. He said he was inspired to take action by Amendment 3’s close margin of victory.&nbsp;Sparks’ proposed constitutional amendment would define a “person” as “every human being with a unique DNA code regardless of age, including every in utero human child at every stage of biological development from the moment of conception until birth.”State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, filed a proposed amendment similar to Coleman’s, but one that also included abortion exceptions for fetal anomalies. It would limit abortions in the cases of rape or incest to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=412" target="_blank">and only if the victim filed a police report.&nbsp;</a>Such requirements have been widely-criticized in other states, with victim advocates calling such reporting requirements&nbsp;<a href="https://victimrights.org/2023/04/14/abortion-care-is-central-to-rape-survivors-reclaiming-their-power/" target="_blank">harmful to survivors.</a>But on Tuesday, standing outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City with other anti-abortion activists, Brattin said his immediate focus was appealing to the courts to uphold the state’s current “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws, which previously made it all but impossible for doctors to provide abortions in Missouri.&nbsp;The laws, enacted over the last several years by the legislature, include a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion, mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions and requirements that providers report all abortions to the state.&nbsp;“That’s going to be first and foremost, making sure that if they’re operating, they’re operating at the highest level of standard of care,” Brattin said.Less than 24 hours after Amendment 3 was approved by voters, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers announced a lawsuit seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/06/missouri-abortion-access-planned-parenthood-lawsuit-amendment-3/">strike down several of these TRAP laws</a>.&nbsp;The first hearing in the case is set to take place Wednesday afternoon in Jackson County.&nbsp;The Missouri Secretary of State’s office filed a motion requesting the proceedings be moved to Cole County. Earlier this year, a Cole County judge&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/missouri-supreme-court-opinions-amendment-3-abortion/">struck Amendment 3 from the ballot,</a>&nbsp;a decision that was quickly overridden by the Missouri Court of Appeals.Planned Parenthood leadership has said they hope a quick decision from the judge will allow them to start performing abortions at three health centers across the state —&nbsp;Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City —&nbsp;as soon as the new amendment goes into effect.“Abortion is safe and a very common healthcare procedure,” Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates the St. Louis clinics, said in a statement Tuesday. “We know that Missourians across the political spectrum support access to this life-saving care, but anti-abortion extremists are again resorting to false, tired, and previously litigated scare tactics, trying to subvert the will of the people and keep abortion banned.”<a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24950/the-safety-and-quality-of-abortion-care-in-the-united-states" target="_blank">A 2018 study</a>&nbsp;by the&nbsp;National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine&nbsp;concluded that abortion complications are rare, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/key-facts-on-abortion-in-the-united-states/#:~:text=Studies%20on%20procedural%20abortions%2C%20which,complications%20of%20less%20than%201%25." target="_blank">complications during childbirth remain more common</a>.Outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis’ Central West End, Brian Westbrook, executive director of Coalition Life, called for the TRAP laws to remain in place “to make sure that women do not go into a place like this and leave in an ambulance headed to the hospital.”“We stand here today with real, clear evidence that Planned Parenthood is not safe for women and requires serious oversight and inspections, not immunity,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733311589200.png" alt="Kendyl Underwood, a 20-year-old Saint Louis University student, sits outside of the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis on June 24, 2022 after the release of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Kendyl Underwood, a 20-year-old Saint Louis University student, sits outside of the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis on June 24, 2022 after the release of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Westbrook also referenced a 2018 health inspection report that determined equipment in the Columbia clinic included tubing that contained “black mold and bodily fluid.” Planned Parenthood officials later said the equipment had been replaced and the issue resolved.The Columbia health center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/10/03/654030995/one-abortion-clinic-remains-open-in-missouri-following-new-state-requirements" target="_blank">ended the procedure in fall 2018</a>&nbsp;when 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. After that, until the U.S. Supreme Court decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/24/abortion-is-now-illegal-in-missouri-in-wake-of-u-s-supreme-court-ruling/">overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022,</a>&nbsp;only one Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri, located in St. Louis, continued to perform abortions.The St. Louis clinic temporarily lost its licensure as well until May 2020, when then-Missouri Administrative Hearing Commissioner Sreenivasa Rao Dandamudi<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article243089401.html" target="_blank">&nbsp;ruled that the state health department had to re-issue the license</a>.“​​Planned Parenthood has demonstrated that it provides safe and legal abortion care,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/98/18/9818b15d-4ecd-4281-bb30-620c5ea9e567/19-0879.pdf" target="_blank">Dandamudi’s ruling concluded.</a>&nbsp;“In over 4,000 abortions provided since 2018, the Department has only identified two causes to deny its license.”Westbrook ended Tuesday’s press conference saying he is hopeful the Trump administration will enforce the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/21/missouri-senate-race-abortion-hawley-kunce/">Comstock Act,&nbsp;</a>an&nbsp;1873 law that bans the mailing of obscene material, including medications used for abortion.He also said he supports Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s efforts to hold Planned Parenthood accountable.&nbsp;The Missouri Attorney General’s office recently posed a court challenge to the Planned Parenthood suit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3370878" target="_blank">The latest lawsuit,</a>&nbsp;filed Wednesday in Cole County, questions Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ ability to sue, claiming a 2010 settlement agreement prevents them from doing so.&nbsp;Bailey, in a recent<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/22-2024.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;official opinion from his office</a>, argued that while Missouri statutes prohibiting abortion prior to fetal viability will no longer be enforceable in their entirety,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/27/missouri-attorney-general-andrew-bailey-amendment-3-enforcement/">the state can still enforce other laws on the books related to abortion.</a>“In a contest where the ‘yes’ side was able in effect to rewrite the ballot summary language, received<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/missouri-abortion-amendment-3-fundraising-election/">&nbsp;tens of millions of dollars</a>&nbsp;in funding from out of state, and outspent the ‘no’ side 6 to 0,” Bailey wrote, “This tight margin suggests the result may be very different if a future constitutional amendment is put up for a vote.”

Anti-abortion lawmakers, activists call on Missouri court to rule against Planned Parenthood

JERUSALEM —U.S. forces destroyed imminent threats to&nbsp;U.S. and Coalition forces near military support site Euphrates.

On Tuesday, U.S. forces successfully destroyed several weapon systems in the vicinity of Military Support Site Euphrates that included three truck mounted Multiple Rocket Launchers, a T-64 tank, an armored personnel carrier and mortars that presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and Coalition forces, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

The self-defense strike occurred after the truck mounted Multiple Rocket Launcher, armored personnel carrier and mortars were fired toward U.S. forces.

The U.S. mission in Syria remains unchanged as U.S. and Coalition forces continue to focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS.  The ongoing support of regional partners and operations in Syria are unrelated to recent events in northwest Syria.

U.S. forces continue to monitor the situation and remain in constant communication with our other forces in the region as the situation develops.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728066701383.png" alt="A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor -photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor -photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM —U.S. forces destroyed imminent threats to&nbsp;U.S. and Coalition forces near military support site Euphrates.On Tuesday, U.S. forces successfully destroyed several weapon systems in the vicinity of Military Support Site Euphrates that included three truck mounted Multiple Rocket Launchers, a T-64 tank, an armored personnel carrier and mortars that presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and Coalition forces, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.The self-defense strike occurred after the truck mounted Multiple Rocket Launcher, armored personnel carrier and mortars were fired toward U.S. forces.The U.S. mission in Syria remains unchanged as U.S. and Coalition forces continue to focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS. The ongoing support of regional partners and operations in Syria are unrelated to recent events in northwest Syria.U.S. forces continue to monitor the situation and remain in constant communication with our other forces in the region as the situation develops.

U.S. military destroys imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces

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>

Flora Farms took more than 3,000 Zen-brand cannabis gummy products off the shelves last month, after state regulators received a complaint the food-coloring ingredient wasn’t listed on the label.

The food coloring is not a banned ingredient, said Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and the Flora Farms manufacturing facility in Springfield that’s the target of the product recall doesn’t have to stop using it.

“Food coloring must be disclosed in the ingredient list in order to be used in a product,” she said. “This helps consumers know that if they have an allergy to it, that they should not consume that product.”

Only one adverse reaction was reported, she said. The consumer reported the reaction did not require hospitalization, but Freeman said she could not provide the consumer complaint to protect the person’s privacy.

The problem wasn’t caught during the extensive review process required under the new recreational marijuana rules.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

As of Sept. 1, marijuana manufacturers must now package and label all products in division-approved designs before sending them to a dispensary.&nbsp;

But catching this type of error is not what the pre-approval process was intended for, Freeman said.&nbsp;

“Verification of whether information is accurate occurs through other processes, such as inspections, complaints and investigations,” Freeman said.&nbsp;

The review process for packaging and labeling, she said, is to ensure that all types of required information are included on the package.&nbsp;

And it’s also to make sure the numerous prohibited things – such as excessive colors, depictions of candy or cartoon characters – stay off.&nbsp;

When voters passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana in 2022, it included a provision that labels and packaging for marijuana-related products, “shall not be made to be attractive to children.”

Missouri is now a<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">&nbsp;testing ground</a>&nbsp;to see if plain packaging for recreational marijuana will meet this constitutional mandate. Under new state rules, packaging can only be one primary color, and it can have up to two logos or symbols that can be a different color or several different colors.&nbsp;

Mark Hendren,&nbsp;president of Flora Farms cannabis company, said the facility has addressed the labeling issue.&nbsp;

“DCR requested that Zen labels more specifically identify the food coloring used,” he said. “So that’s what we have done.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733259188705.png" alt="photo Zen-brand&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>photo Zen-brand&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>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>Flora Farms took more than 3,000 Zen-brand cannabis gummy products off the shelves last month, after state regulators received a complaint the food-coloring ingredient wasn’t listed on the label.The food coloring is not a banned ingredient, said Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and the Flora Farms manufacturing facility in Springfield that’s the target of the product recall doesn’t have to stop using it.“Food coloring must be disclosed in the ingredient list in order to be used in a product,” she said. “This helps consumers know that if they have an allergy to it, that they should not consume that product.”Only one adverse reaction was reported, she said. The consumer reported the reaction did not require hospitalization, but Freeman said she could not provide the consumer complaint to protect the person’s privacy.The problem wasn’t caught during the extensive review process required under the new recreational marijuana rules.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As of Sept. 1, marijuana manufacturers must now package and label all products in division-approved designs before sending them to a dispensary.&nbsp;But catching this type of error is not what the pre-approval process was intended for, Freeman said.&nbsp;“Verification of whether information is accurate occurs through other processes, such as inspections, complaints and investigations,” Freeman said.&nbsp;The review process for packaging and labeling, she said, is to ensure that all types of required information are included on the package.&nbsp;And it’s also to make sure the numerous prohibited things – such as excessive colors, depictions of candy or cartoon characters – stay off.&nbsp;When voters passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana in 2022, it included a provision that labels and packaging for marijuana-related products, “shall not be made to be attractive to children.”Missouri is now a<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">&nbsp;testing ground</a>&nbsp;to see if plain packaging for recreational marijuana will meet this constitutional mandate. Under new state rules, packaging can only be one primary color, and it can have up to two logos or symbols that can be a different color or several different colors.&nbsp;Mark Hendren,&nbsp;president of Flora Farms cannabis company, said the facility has addressed the labeling issue.&nbsp;“DCR requested that Zen labels more specifically identify the food coloring used,” he said. “So that’s what we have done.”

Labeling error led to Missouri recall of cannabis gummies

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and 16 other Republican governors are urging congress to act now on the Farm Bill. 

The governors are not only calling for congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill this month, but for immediate assistance for farmers who've been hit by severe weather that's destroyed crops and killed livestock. The current Farm Bill expired two years ago and congress passed an extension in 2023 -- but hasn't yet taken action this year. T

he 17 governors, in a letter all have signed, say they are concerned for the future of rural America. The governor say if meaningful support is not provided soon, the governors say the well-being of the nation is at risk.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and 16 other Republican governors are urging congress to act now on the Farm Bill. The governors are not only calling for congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill this month, but for immediate assistance for farmers who've been hit by severe weather that's destroyed crops and killed livestock. The current Farm Bill expired two years ago and congress passed an extension in 2023 -- but hasn't yet taken action this year. The 17 governors, in a letter all have signed, say they are concerned for the future of rural America. The governor say if meaningful support is not provided soon, the governors say the well-being of the nation is at risk.

Iowa's governor and other GOP governors urge congress to act on Farm Bill

The American Consumers Institute is the latest organization to voice strong support for the bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. Nate Scherer, policy analyst for the group, says AM radio is vital for ensuring public safety and maintaining access to vital information for millions of Americans. More than 80 million Americans rely on AM radio each month for programming that includes weather updates, traffic reports, sports, and emergency alerts.

The American Consumers Institute is the latest organization to voice strong support for the bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. Nate Scherer, policy analyst for the group, says AM radio is vital for ensuring public safety and maintaining access to vital information for millions of Americans. More than 80 million Americans rely on AM radio each month for programming that includes weather updates, traffic reports, sports, and emergency alerts.

Consumer Institute advocates for AM radio

KANSAS CITY —A judge sentenced a Kansas City man to 40 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Shayla Curts, 22, and her unborn child, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.&nbsp;

In June. Emmett C. Williams, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of Murder 2nd Degree and two counts of Armed Criminal Action charges.

Last week, the judge sentenced Williams to 25 years on the murder convictions and 15 years on the Armed Criminal Action convictions.&nbsp;

According to court records, on Dec. 6, Kansas City police officers were dispatched to the 4900 block of Bellefontaine Avenue on a reported shooting.

Officers found Curts deceased at the scene from a gunshot wound. Witnesses placed the defendant at the scene at the time of the shooting. One reported hearing a gunshot when the victim and "EW" were in residence.

A shell casing was located in the residence. Williams told police Curtis often antagonized him with her words and normally he ignored them. This time, she was on the living room couch as he was walking past her when he made the decision to pull a 9mm handgun and shoot her in the head. Police located the weapon later in a wooded area.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670585057057.png" alt="Williams photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Williams photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A judge sentenced a Kansas City man to 40 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Shayla Curts, 22, and her unborn child, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.&nbsp;In June. Emmett C. Williams, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of Murder 2nd Degree and two counts of Armed Criminal Action charges.Last week, the judge sentenced Williams to 25 years on the murder convictions and 15 years on the Armed Criminal Action convictions.&nbsp;According to court records, on Dec. 6, Kansas City police officers were dispatched to the 4900 block of Bellefontaine Avenue on a reported shooting.Officers found Curts deceased at the scene from a gunshot wound. Witnesses placed the defendant at the scene at the time of the shooting. One reported hearing a gunshot when the victim and "EW" were in residence.A shell casing was located in the residence. Williams told police Curtis often antagonized him with her words and normally he ignored them. This time, she was on the living room couch as he was walking past her when he made the decision to pull a 9mm handgun and shoot her in the head. Police located the weapon later in a wooded area.

Prison for murder of pregnant Kansas City woman

(Radio Iowa) - A survey finds Iowa's economy further slumped during November following a "weak" showing in October. 

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the monthly survey of business leaders and supply managers in Iowa and eight other Midwestern states found the state and regional economies sputtering. Goss says they asked about the biggest challenges to manufacturing in the months ahead. Supply chain disruptions was the top concern, followed by higher inflation rates, labor shortages and cyber threats. 

Goss says the leaders of many Midwestern manufacturing businesses are concerned about next month's potential longshoremen's strike for the 17 ports on the East and Gulf coasts, and its impact on the supply chain. He says manufacturers and agricultural interests are also scared about President-elect Trump's call for tariffs.

(Radio Iowa) - A survey finds Iowa's economy further slumped during November following a "weak" showing in October. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the monthly survey of business leaders and supply managers in Iowa and eight other Midwestern states found the state and regional economies sputtering. Goss says they asked about the biggest challenges to manufacturing in the months ahead. Supply chain disruptions was the top concern, followed by higher inflation rates, labor shortages and cyber threats. Goss says the leaders of many Midwestern manufacturing businesses are concerned about next month's potential longshoremen's strike for the 17 ports on the East and Gulf coasts, and its impact on the supply chain. He says manufacturers and agricultural interests are also scared about President-elect Trump's call for tariffs.

Survey: Midwest manufacturers fear looming dockworkers' strike

A St. Joseph police officer suffered minor injuries when a man
fled the scene of a fight, hit two patrol cars, and crashed at 9th
and Church in St. Joseph very early this morning.

Police say officers responded to a call about two men fighting
in the one thousand block of Corby Street around 1:30 this morning. A
28-year-old man climbed in a car and fled the scene, hitting two St. Joseph
police cars, injuring an officer in one of them. The driver, Tyler Allan
Armstrong, hit a parked car at 9th and Church where he was arrested
after the wreck.

This article has been updated since first published.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA St. Joseph police officer suffered minor injuries when a man
fled the scene of a fight, hit two patrol cars, and crashed at 9th
and Church in St. Joseph very early this morning.Police say officers responded to a call about two men fighting
in the one thousand block of Corby Street around 1:30 this morning. A
28-year-old man climbed in a car and fled the scene, hitting two St. Joseph
police cars, injuring an officer in one of them. The driver, Tyler Allan
Armstrong, hit a parked car at 9th and Church where he was arrested
after the wreck.The investigation continues.This article has been updated since first published.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph police officer injured when fleeing suspect hits patrol car

LYON COUNTY— The City of Emporia, along with Lyon County, the Regional Development Association, Emporia Main Street, Emporia Chamber of Commerce, Flint Hills Technical College, and Emporia State University in a media release on Monday acknowledged the announced closure of Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc, 2443 West 6th, set for February of 2025.&nbsp; &nbsp;Over 800 employees will be without jobs.

"Our thoughts are with the employees and families affected by this transition. Tyson has been a valuable corporate partner over the years, and we are grateful for their contributions to our community. "

"Our collective priority is to support impacted workers. We are collaborating with local organizations, state agencies, and workforce development partners to provide resources, job placement assistance, and training opportunities."

While we recognize the challenges this closure presents, Emporia’s economy remains stable and resilient. Community leaders will continue to work with key stakeholders at the local, state, and federal level to promote economic growth in Emporia. By working closely with business leaders and stakeholders, we aim to attract and retain strong and diversified industry that will provide growth and prosperity for our residents.&nbsp;

Emporia is a resilient community, and we are confident in our collective ability to navigate this transition. Our community is united and committed to building an even stronger future.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733175081207.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY— The City of Emporia, along with Lyon County, the Regional Development Association, Emporia Main Street, Emporia Chamber of Commerce, Flint Hills Technical College, and Emporia State University in a media release on Monday acknowledged the announced closure of Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc, 2443 West 6th, set for February of 2025.&nbsp; &nbsp;Over 800 employees will be without jobs."Our thoughts are with the employees and families affected by this transition. Tyson has been a valuable corporate partner over the years, and we are grateful for their contributions to our community. ""Our collective priority is to support impacted workers. We are collaborating with local organizations, state agencies, and workforce development partners to provide resources, job placement assistance, and training opportunities."While we recognize the challenges this closure presents, Emporia’s economy remains stable and resilient. Community leaders will continue to work with key stakeholders at the local, state, and federal level to promote economic growth in Emporia. By working closely with business leaders and stakeholders, we aim to attract and retain strong and diversified industry that will provide growth and prosperity for our residents.&nbsp;Emporia is a resilient community, and we are confident in our collective ability to navigate this transition. Our community is united and committed to building an even stronger future.&nbsp;

Community responds to Tyson Foods plan to close Emporia plant

Staff with the Missouri Department of Conservation delivered the annual Christmas tree to the front lawn of the Governor's mansion in Jefferson City on Monday morning, according to a social media report from the MODOC.

This year's tree is a 40-foot Norway spruce donated by the Richardsons of Boone Co. See the tree lit up during the lighting ceremony this Friday evening.

Staff with the Missouri Department of Conservation delivered the annual Christmas tree to the front lawn of the Governor's mansion in Jefferson City on Monday morning, according to a social media report from the MODOC.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733174096806.png" alt="Photos Missouri Dept. of Conservation" />
 <figcaption>Photos Missouri Dept. of Conservation</figcaption>
 </figure>This year's tree is a 40-foot Norway spruce donated by the Richardsons of Boone Co. See the tree lit up during the lighting ceremony this Friday evening.

Christmas tree arrives at Missouri Governor's mansion

A baby taken in an armed carjacking on the North Belt Highway
in St. Joseph has been recovered unharmed.

The St. Joseph Police Department reports a 31-year-old man stated three men pulled him out of his car and assaulted him. The man told
police the three got into his vehicle and drove off with his seven-month-old
baby inside. The carjacking took place shortly after 6:30 Sunday night at
501 North Belt.

The victim called police who quickly pursued the vehicle using GPS
tracking. The suspect abandoned the vehicle at 20th and Jones Streets with the seven-month-old still in
the car seat in the back.

The suspects are reported to have arrived in a late model SUV.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-238-8477 (TIPS) or you can use P3tips to report information online.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA baby taken in an armed carjacking on the North Belt Highway
in St. Joseph has been recovered unharmed.The St. Joseph Police Department reports a 31-year-old man stated three men pulled him out of his car and assaulted him. The man told
police the three got into his vehicle and drove off with his seven-month-old
baby inside. The carjacking took place shortly after 6:30 Sunday night at
501 North Belt.The victim called police who quickly pursued the vehicle using GPS
tracking. The suspect abandoned the vehicle at 20th and Jones Streets with the seven-month-old still in
the car seat in the back.The suspects are reported to have arrived in a late model SUV.The investigation continues.Anyone with information is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-238-8477 (TIPS) or you can use P3tips to report information online.<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=781">Tip
Form</a>This article has been updated since first published.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Baby found unharmed after St. Joseph carjacking

Of the 96 microbusiness licenses issued by the state through a lottery since the program’s inception last year, cannabis consultant David Brodsky is connected to seven. They are all under investigation or facing revocation

The Missouri Cannabis Trade Association describes David Brodsky as “instrumental in developing the Missouri microbusiness community” and a mentor to disadvantaged business owners.

In his cannabis consulting work, Brodsky is part of a group that charges up to $4,000 to help eligible applicants enter the microbusiness lottery. It’s a&nbsp; program intended to help steer small-scale marijuana facility licenses to disabled veterans, those with lower incomes and people with non-violent marijuana offenses.

That price doesn’t include the state’s $1,500 refundable submission fee.

“We have also assisted clients who won licenses in lottery based application systems in Ohio and Connecticut and have never had an application that did not meet the criteria to go into the lottery,” Brodsky and his partners say on&nbsp;<a href="http://momicrolicense.com/" target="_blank">MOmicrolicense.com</a>.

Yet in Missouri, microbusiness applications connected to Brodsky have repeatedly run into problems with state regulators.

Of the 96 microbusiness licenses issued by the state through a lottery since the program’s inception last year, Brodsky is connected to seven. And all of them are under investigation or facing revocation because the state questions whether a qualified applicant will actually be running the business.

In October, the Division of Cannabis Regulation sent letters of pending revocation to four of the seven licensees connected to Brodsky, stating that their agreements included “false or misleading information.”

“The licensee entered into an agreement that transfers ownership and operational control to another entity,” the letters stated.

&nbsp;Notices of investigation were issued involving the other three licenses back in July, stating regulators wanted to ensure the businesses continue “to be majority owned and operated by eligible individuals.”

For&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">more than a year</a>, The Independent has documented the pattern of well-connected groups and individuals flooding the microbusiness lottery by recruiting people to submit applications and then offering them contracts that limited their profit and control of the business.

State&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/cannabis-missouri-predatory-socia-equity/">regulators have been sounding the alarm</a>&nbsp;about the scheme, warning of potentially predatory practices in the microbusiness application process.

Financial agreements for the seven licenses connected to Brodsky are closed records. But The Independent was able to obtain a portion of one agreement connected to Brodsky through a public records request last year.&nbsp;

The agreement only provides the qualified applicant with one-third of the voting power to make company decisions.

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">An almost identical agreement</a>&nbsp;was used to recruit applicants by John Payne, who led the campaign to legalize marijuana in 2022. Payne’s listed as part of the momicrolicense.com team and is the designated contact for all seven licenses connected to Brodsky.&nbsp;

Payne has drawn scrutiny after The Independent revealed he asked at least one applicant to sign a 47-page contract that would give him and his partners 90.1% of profits and majority control of the business.

Despite only owning a fraction of the business, under state law the applicants would be seen as the owner and bear all of the regulatory scrutiny. If applicants ever want to walk away from the deal, they would be required to pay a nearly $1 million fee.

It’s unclear if the financial agreement in that contract is also in place for the licenses connected to Brodsky or his business partner, Scott Wootton. In an email to The Independent, they declined to comment on their roles in the seven licenses “due to confidentiality clauses in the agreements, which is standard practice in business contracts.”

However, they said Payne “has no involvement beyond being the designated contact to handle communications with the division” for all seven licenses.&nbsp;

Andrew Mullins, executive director of the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, said he’s seen contracts that look like Payne’s 47-page agreement. In some cases, he said if it weren’t for these types of agreements, the licensees wouldn’t have the resources on their own to make a business work.

“Were it not for some of those partners and the way that they’re doing that,” he said, “you basically would have people who have a license but no ability to do anything with it.”

If the 47-page contract was submitted to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/S3TheRealCostofDBEFraud.pdf" target="_blank">federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program</a>, it could be considered fraud, said attorney Rod Chapel, president of the Missouri NAACP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692273868300.png" alt="&nbsp;(Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;(Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Of the 96 microbusiness licenses issued by the state through a lottery since the program’s inception last year, cannabis consultant David Brodsky is connected to seven. They are all under investigation or facing revocation</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>The Missouri Cannabis Trade Association describes David Brodsky as “instrumental in developing the Missouri microbusiness community” and a mentor to disadvantaged business owners.In his cannabis consulting work, Brodsky is part of a group that charges up to $4,000 to help eligible applicants enter the microbusiness lottery. It’s a&nbsp; program intended to help steer small-scale marijuana facility licenses to disabled veterans, those with lower incomes and people with non-violent marijuana offenses.That price doesn’t include the state’s $1,500 refundable submission fee.“We have also assisted clients who won licenses in lottery based application systems in Ohio and Connecticut and have never had an application that did not meet the criteria to go into the lottery,” Brodsky and his partners say on&nbsp;<a href="http://momicrolicense.com/" target="_blank">MOmicrolicense.com</a>.Yet in Missouri, microbusiness applications connected to Brodsky have repeatedly run into problems with state regulators.Of the 96 microbusiness licenses issued by the state through a lottery since the program’s inception last year, Brodsky is connected to seven. And all of them are under investigation or facing revocation because the state questions whether a qualified applicant will actually be running the business.In October, the Division of Cannabis Regulation sent letters of pending revocation to four of the seven licensees connected to Brodsky, stating that their agreements included “false or misleading information.”“The licensee entered into an agreement that transfers ownership and operational control to another entity,” the letters stated.&nbsp;Notices of investigation were issued involving the other three licenses back in July, stating regulators wanted to ensure the businesses continue “to be majority owned and operated by eligible individuals.”For&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">more than a year</a>, The Independent has documented the pattern of well-connected groups and individuals flooding the microbusiness lottery by recruiting people to submit applications and then offering them contracts that limited their profit and control of the business.State&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/cannabis-missouri-predatory-socia-equity/">regulators have been sounding the alarm</a>&nbsp;about the scheme, warning of potentially predatory practices in the microbusiness application process.Financial agreements for the seven licenses connected to Brodsky are closed records. But The Independent was able to obtain a portion of one agreement connected to Brodsky through a public records request last year.&nbsp;The agreement only provides the qualified applicant with one-third of the voting power to make company decisions.<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">An almost identical agreement</a>&nbsp;was used to recruit applicants by John Payne, who led the campaign to legalize marijuana in 2022. Payne’s listed as part of the momicrolicense.com team and is the designated contact for all seven licenses connected to Brodsky.&nbsp;Payne has drawn scrutiny after The Independent revealed he asked at least one applicant to sign a 47-page contract that would give him and his partners 90.1% of profits and majority control of the business.Despite only owning a fraction of the business, under state law the applicants would be seen as the owner and bear all of the regulatory scrutiny. If applicants ever want to walk away from the deal, they would be required to pay a nearly $1 million fee.It’s unclear if the financial agreement in that contract is also in place for the licenses connected to Brodsky or his business partner, Scott Wootton. In an email to The Independent, they declined to comment on their roles in the seven licenses “due to confidentiality clauses in the agreements, which is standard practice in business contracts.”However, they said Payne “has no involvement beyond being the designated contact to handle communications with the division” for all seven licenses.&nbsp;Andrew Mullins, executive director of the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, said he’s seen contracts that look like Payne’s 47-page agreement. In some cases, he said if it weren’t for these types of agreements, the licensees wouldn’t have the resources on their own to make a business work.“Were it not for some of those partners and the way that they’re doing that,” he said, “you basically would have people who have a license but no ability to do anything with it.”If the 47-page contract was submitted to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/S3TheRealCostofDBEFraud.pdf" target="_blank">federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program</a>, it could be considered fraud, said attorney Rod Chapel, president of the Missouri NAACP.&nbsp;&nbsp;“When I go and I get a loan to buy a house that I don’t have the cash to actually buy, the bank does not send over two tellers and a dog to live in the house with me – not how that works,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, that’s why this is a front.”<h2>Flooding the lottery</h2>Brodsky helped establish the networking group Missouri Microbusiness Association, where he and Wootton serve as advisors. All of the association’s advisors are also advisory board members for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mocanntrade.org/team/advisory-board" target="_blank">MoCann</a>, which represents the cannabis industry overall.On a September&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/dbC0TxDiSN8?si=b2oMaFMnzGsPHJA7&amp;t=2673" target="_blank">call</a>&nbsp;with microbusiness licensees, Brodsky said Missouri is the fourth state he’s operated a cannabis business in, along with California, Colorado and Illinois. He returned to Missouri in 2020 as a dispensary owner and operator, he said on the community call hosted by a licensee.His association bio states that he sold his stake in Farmer’s Wife cannabis dispensaries in southwest Missouri in 2023, and “dove headfirst into the new Missouri microbusiness license opportunity.”Similar to most of the microbusiness licenses and their investors, Brodsky and Wootton’s connection is buried in Missouri Secretary of State business filings and documents only available through public-records requests.&nbsp;This spring, there were more than 80 dispensary applications entered into the lottery with the same St. Peters location address as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25417815-mo-microbusiness-llc" target="_blank">MO Microbusiness LLC</a>. Brodsky and Wootton are listed as organizers on the MO Microbusiness LLC business filings.Two of those applications were successful in the lottery and licenses were issued under the name “<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249908-mbd000032-nopr-10_10_24" target="_blank">Individual</a>.” Both are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249902-mbd000040-nopr-10_10_24" target="_blank">facing revocation</a>.The partners are also connected to 65 wholesale applications that all share the same Elsberry location address. They landed two of those licenses to cultivate up to 250 plants and sell to microbusiness dispensaries.&nbsp;Both are filed under the name “<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249886-mbw000065-nopr-10_10_24" target="_blank">Individual</a>” and are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249887-mbw000063-nopr-101024" target="_blank">facing revocation</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The first lottery for microbusiness licenses took place last year, and that same Elsberry address is on nearly 70 wholesale applications. They were all filed by LLCs organized by Cloverleaf Registered Agent, where Wootton is listed as president.&nbsp;&nbsp;Two of these applicants landed licenses issued to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25230857-mbw000012-notice-of-investigation-072324" target="_blank">TEB Industries LLC</a>&nbsp;and<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25230856-mbw000009-notice-of-investigation-072324" target="_blank">&nbsp;JRS Industries LLC</a>. In July, state regulators sent Payne notices of investigation for both companies, and the investigation is still underway, according to the division.A similar Elsberry address is also connected to 70 dispensary applications submitted to last year’s lottery. One license was issued to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25003021-green-zebra-llc" target="_blank">Green Zebra LLC</a>&nbsp;in October 2023. It’s been under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25002786-mbd000007-notice-of-investigation-072324" target="_blank">investigation</a>&nbsp;by state regulators since July.Brodsky mentions this license in his association bio.&nbsp;“We were fortunate,” it states, “to win a dispensary license in Congressional District 3 with the first lottery round that we will be branding as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25231741-heirloom-dispensary" target="_blank">Heirloom Dispensary</a>&nbsp;along with several others throughout the state.”The eligible applicant who won the license for Green Zebra signed a contract accepting a loan from Black Krim LLC, where Brodsky is the sole member, according to documents The Independent obtained through a public records request.&nbsp;The contract established a three-member board that would vote on all company decisions. The lender and the “consultant” each get to select a member.&nbsp;That left the qualified applicant with only one-third of the voting power.“While you are correct that technically it only takes a 2/3 vote to make day-to-day decisions for the business,” Brodsky said in an email to The Independent, “in practice we have made all day-to-day business decisions unanimously, and we do not anticipate that changing in the future.”He also said the majority of the three managers for Green Zebra “are and will continue to be” qualifying individuals for the microbusiness program.The loan information for the Green Zebra contract is a closed record. However, the available operating agreement is almost identical to the one Payne used to recruit applicants this spring that legal experts called “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">predatory</a>.”“To clarify, the rest of the Green Zebra LLC contracts, including the operating agreement, have been reviewed and approved by,” regulators, Brodsky stated.<h2>New rules</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733230828925.png" alt="John Payne, managing partner at Amendment 2 Consultants, discusses legislation at an industry summit in downtown St. Louis on March 28 with Amy Moore (middle), director of the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>John Payne, managing partner at Amendment 2 Consultants, discusses legislation at an industry summit in downtown St. Louis on March 28 with Amy Moore (middle), director of the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Division of Cannabis Regulation Director Amy Moore told The Independent&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/cannabis-missouri-predatory-socia-equity/">last month</a>&nbsp;that the state is considering making changes to the application process to curb potentially predatory practices.&nbsp;However, she said many of the possible changes would require a public hearing before a legislative committee for approval and would delay a third round of licenses.&nbsp;Mullins told The Independent he believes the association would support these changes if they&nbsp;encourage participation.&nbsp;“In some ways, I’m not sure it’s completely DCR’s obligation to be sort of in between a business owner and the business dealings that they’re doing,” Mullins said, “unless it’s something that’s in opposition to the law.”However, he believes the association would be supportive of rules that curb practices that could be “hurtful” to microbusiness owners.“We want to see the micro industry succeed in the same way that we want to see the rest of the industry succeed,” Mullins said, “and we’re supportive of all that. So if there’s an area where we can lend our voice and it helps ensure the success of those microbusiness owners’ journeys, then I don’t know why we would come out against it.”

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