Northwest Missouri State University has announced that there will be a leadership change for the football program next season.&nbsp;

Head Coach Rich Wright's contract will not be renewed, effective December 31st, after serving as head coach for eight seasons.&nbsp; Northwest closed out the season with a 23-7 loss to Pittsburg State, leaving the final record at 6-5 overall, 6-4 in the MIAA.

Athletic Director Andy Peterson says a national search for the next head coach will begin immediately.&nbsp; In the interim, Co-Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers coach Chad Bostwick will serve as the interim head coach.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629154053586.jpeg" alt="Rich Wright / File photo" />
 <figcaption>Rich Wright / File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostNorthwest Missouri State University has announced that there will be a leadership change for the football program next season.&nbsp;Head Coach Rich Wright's contract will not be renewed, effective December 31st, after serving as head coach for eight seasons.&nbsp; Northwest closed out the season with a 23-7 loss to Pittsburg State, leaving the final record at 6-5 overall, 6-4 in the MIAA.Athletic Director Andy Peterson says a national search for the next head coach will begin immediately.&nbsp; In the interim, Co-Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers coach Chad Bostwick will serve as the interim head coach.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Northwest football announces leadership change, Rich Wright out

(Radio Iowa) - A report shows a state pilot program raised the number of children who could enroll in childcare services in select communities, which improved wages and benefits for local childcare workers. 

The “Iowa Childcare Solutions Fund: A Model for Closing the Childcare Gap” report analyzed the effect the Childcare Solutions Fund had in pilot communities, matching private investments from businesses and individuals with state funding. Iowa Women’s Foundation president and C-E-O Deann Cook says she's proud to see a public-private partnership address the issue. 

The report shows if the pilot program was expanded statewide, it would create eight-thousand new jobs, enable five-thousand more parents and guardians to join the workforce, add 11-thousand childcare slots, and increase Iowa’s gross domestic product by 13-billion dollars.

(Radio Iowa) - A report shows a state pilot program raised the number of children who could enroll in childcare services in select communities, which improved wages and benefits for local childcare workers. The “Iowa Childcare Solutions Fund: A Model for Closing the Childcare Gap” report analyzed the effect the Childcare Solutions Fund had in pilot communities, matching private investments from businesses and individuals with state funding. Iowa Women’s Foundation president and C-E-O Deann Cook says she's proud to see a public-private partnership address the issue. The report shows if the pilot program was expanded statewide, it would create eight-thousand new jobs, enable five-thousand more parents and guardians to join the workforce, add 11-thousand childcare slots, and increase Iowa’s gross domestic product by 13-billion dollars.

Report: Iowa's childcare pilot program boosted kids enrolled, wages for workers

Buchanan County Western District Commissioner Ron Hook had a
longer election watch party than expected.

Hook has won re-election, edging out challenger Everett
Goodard, Jr. by 25 votes after a recount. Hook acknowledges it has been a
stressful week.

“I think it’s more stressful on my family, but you know I like
the outcome,” Hook tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “I’m very humbled by the
outcome. I’m very humbled by the constituents that put their faith in me and
voted for me and got us over the threshold of winning this.”

Initial totals on election night had Hook winning by 23. That
margin, well within one percent, triggered an automatic recount.

After the day-long recount Monday by the Buchanan County Clerk’s
office, Hook, a Democrat, came out on top with 7,869 votes to 7,844 cast for Goddard,
the Republican challenger.

Hook remains one of the few Democrats in the Buchanan County
Courthouse. Hook contends his party affiliation had an effect in the race,
saying he’s disappointed that many Buchanan County voters apparently looked at
the political party after the name rather than the individual on the ballot.

“That’s what’s disappointing,” Hook says. “And I’d feel the
same way whether I lost. It’s just disappointing to know that people go out
there and just vote for a party and not vote for a person.”

Unofficial results released by the Buchanan County Clerk’s
office show Republicans received big majorities from county voters on the 5th.
President-elect Donald Trump won nearly 63% of the vote. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley,
a Republican, won more than 60% of the Buchanan County vote. Republican Congressman
Sam Graves received more than 65% of the vote. Buchanan County voters favored
Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mike Kehoe, with nearly 64% of the vote.

Hook, who has served as Western District Commissioner since 2009,
barely won re-election to another four-year term over a political newcomer.
Still, win re-election he did, if only by 25 votes.

“This job is a great job for somebody that doesn’t like to sit
around,” according to Hook. “There’s always something going. There’s always
something happening. There’s something different every day. And I’ll tell you
what it’s something that I’ve just cherished, I really have.”

Hook says he enjoys who he works with in the courthouse and
enjoys who works for him in the Western District.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732046000824.jpeg" alt="Buchanan County Western District Commissioner Ron Hook (left) participates in a St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce candidate forum with challenge Everett Goddard, Jr./file photo" />
 <figcaption>Buchanan County Western District Commissioner Ron Hook (left) participates in a St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce candidate forum with challenge Everett Goddard, Jr./file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostBuchanan County Western District Commissioner Ron Hook had a
longer election watch party than expected.It lasted a week.Hook has won re-election, edging out challenger Everett
Goodard, Jr. by 25 votes after a recount. Hook acknowledges it has been a
stressful week.“I think it’s more stressful on my family, but you know I like
the outcome,” Hook tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “I’m very humbled by the
outcome. I’m very humbled by the constituents that put their faith in me and
voted for me and got us over the threshold of winning this.”Initial totals on election night had Hook winning by 23. That
margin, well within one percent, triggered an automatic recount.After the day-long recount Monday by the Buchanan County Clerk’s
office, Hook, a Democrat, came out on top with 7,869 votes to 7,844 cast for Goddard,
the Republican challenger.Hook remains one of the few Democrats in the Buchanan County
Courthouse. Hook contends his party affiliation had an effect in the race,
saying he’s disappointed that many Buchanan County voters apparently looked at
the political party after the name rather than the individual on the ballot.“That’s what’s disappointing,” Hook says. “And I’d feel the
same way whether I lost. It’s just disappointing to know that people go out
there and just vote for a party and not vote for a person.”Unofficial results released by the Buchanan County Clerk’s
office show Republicans received big majorities from county voters on the 5th.
President-elect Donald Trump won nearly 63% of the vote. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley,
a Republican, won more than 60% of the Buchanan County vote. Republican Congressman
Sam Graves received more than 65% of the vote. Buchanan County voters favored
Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mike Kehoe, with nearly 64% of the vote.Hook, who has served as Western District Commissioner since 2009,
barely won re-election to another four-year term over a political newcomer.
Still, win re-election he did, if only by 25 votes.Hook says he has enjoyed the job.“This job is a great job for somebody that doesn’t like to sit
around,” according to Hook. “There’s always something going. There’s always
something happening. There’s something different every day. And I’ll tell you
what it’s something that I’ve just cherished, I really have.”Hook says he enjoys who he works with in the courthouse and
enjoys who works for him in the Western District.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Commissioner Hook has to wait through recount to celebrate re-election

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

President-elect Donald Trump tapped two Missouri members of the legal team for jobs in the new administration, naming D. John Sauer solicitor general and Will Scharf assistant to the president and White House staff secretary.

Sauer, who lives in the St. Louis suburb of Town and Country, was Missouri solicitor general from 2017 through 2022 under Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt. In that job, he led Missouri’s unsuccessful effort alongside other GOP attorneys general to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/subscriber/messenger-who-provided-the-legal-fuel-for-the-insurrection-missouri-attorney-general-eric-schmitt/article_8d4280f8-95cf-5c6e-a328-4265a70669f7.html" target="_blank">keep Trump in power by challenging the 2020 election results</a>.&nbsp;

More recently, Sauer successfully represented Trump at the U.S. Supreme Court in his bid for immunity from being criminally charged for trying to overturn the 2020 election. The justices voted 6-3 along ideological lines in July to give Trump immunity from some official acts he took as president.

As solicitor general, Sauer will be responsible for litigating the federal government’s positions at the U.S. Supreme Court.

“He is a legit genius, an incredible lawyer and I’m thrilled for him and his family,” Schmitt&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1857203172831384019" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>.&nbsp;

Scharf, who ran&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/19/trumps-lawyer-will-scharf-pegs-bid-for-missouri-ag-on-alleged-jeff-city-corruption/">unsuccessfully against Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey</a>&nbsp;in the GOP primary, briefly served in the administration of former Gov. Eric Greitens before moving to Washington, D.C., to work for the advocacy organization Judicial Crisis Network, focused on judicial confirmations and nominations, most notably Justice Brett Kavanaugh.&nbsp;

In 2020, he returned to Missouri to work as an assistant U.S. attorney in St. Louis. Alongside Sauer, Scharf was part of the team advising and defending Trump in his myriad criminal trials over the last year.&nbsp;

In his new job, Scharf will decide which memos, briefings and reports will go to the president and who should weigh in on issues and speeches.

“Will is a highly skilled attorney who will be a crucial part of my White House team,” Trump said in announcing Scharf’s appointment, later adding: “Will is going to make us proud as we Make America Great Again.”

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>President-elect Donald Trump tapped two Missouri members of the legal team for jobs in the new administration, naming D. John Sauer solicitor general and Will Scharf assistant to the president and White House staff secretary.Sauer, who lives in the St. Louis suburb of Town and Country, was Missouri solicitor general from 2017 through 2022 under Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt. In that job, he led Missouri’s unsuccessful effort alongside other GOP attorneys general to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/subscriber/messenger-who-provided-the-legal-fuel-for-the-insurrection-missouri-attorney-general-eric-schmitt/article_8d4280f8-95cf-5c6e-a328-4265a70669f7.html" target="_blank">keep Trump in power by challenging the 2020 election results</a>.&nbsp;More recently, Sauer successfully represented Trump at the U.S. Supreme Court in his bid for immunity from being criminally charged for trying to overturn the 2020 election. The justices voted 6-3 along ideological lines in July to give Trump immunity from some official acts he took as president.As solicitor general, Sauer will be responsible for litigating the federal government’s positions at the U.S. Supreme Court.“He is a legit genius, an incredible lawyer and I’m thrilled for him and his family,” Schmitt&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1857203172831384019" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>.&nbsp;Scharf, who ran&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/19/trumps-lawyer-will-scharf-pegs-bid-for-missouri-ag-on-alleged-jeff-city-corruption/">unsuccessfully against Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey</a>&nbsp;in the GOP primary, briefly served in the administration of former Gov. Eric Greitens before moving to Washington, D.C., to work for the advocacy organization Judicial Crisis Network, focused on judicial confirmations and nominations, most notably Justice Brett Kavanaugh.&nbsp;In 2020, he returned to Missouri to work as an assistant U.S. attorney in St. Louis. Alongside Sauer, Scharf was part of the team advising and defending Trump in his myriad criminal trials over the last year.&nbsp;In his new job, Scharf will decide which memos, briefings and reports will go to the president and who should weigh in on issues and speeches.“Will is a highly skilled attorney who will be a crucial part of my White House team,” Trump said in announcing Scharf’s appointment, later adding: “Will is going to make us proud as we Make America Great Again.”

Missouri members of Trump legal team score high profile jobs in administration

A long-time observer of the Missouri River believes the Army
Corps of Engineers has begun to change how it manages the river now that the
right pressure has been applied.

Tom Waters of Orrick chairs the Missouri Levees and Drainage
District Association. Waters says change began after governors from Missouri,
Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa joined forces in demanding change.

“Since the 2019 flood, when the governors from four states got
together and told the Corps we’ve got to do something different here, what they’ve
been doing isn’t working,” Waters tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.&nbsp; “And so those four governors coming together
and then eight senators from those states talking to the Corps and saying we’ve
got to move in a different direction. I think the Corps has listened.”

Since the four states banned together to ask for change, the
Corps has been concentrating on points along the Missouri River that
recurrently flood, often called choke points along the river. Floodwaters in
2019 spilled out in the same areas they had in 2011 and 1993, causing widespread
damage to property and crops, disrupting transportation along I-29 and other
major roadways; disrupting lives.

Waters credits officials from the four lower Missouri River
states, who set aside regional interests and together asked the Corps of Engineers
to reexamine its management as well as the flood prevention structures on the
river.

“Isn’t that funny how four governors and eight senators can encourage
the Corps to do a little better job of listening?” Waters jokes. “That’s what’s
happening. They’ve really made a real effort to reach out to stakeholders and to
talk to people and try to find ways to do some positive things. So, I’m
encouraged.”

Waters says the Corps has already made changes to the Kansas
City levees and has launched a feasibility study to address problems in Holt
County, where the Corps is considering setbacks and levee changes at a
particularly troublesome area. Feasibility studies also are underway in
Jefferson City and Brunswick, which have both experienced recurrent flooding.

“It’s a slow, slow process as anything is with the government,”
Waters says. “But we’re going to get there, I think, and things look more
positive now than in the 30 years I’ve been dealing with the river.”

Waters says the efforts have spawned real change, not just
superficial action.

“In my mind, we’re moving forward in a direction that we’re
going to see some positive changes. It’s been 30 years since we’ve seen them talk
about building a new levee or improving levees.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732029603091.jpeg" alt="File photo from 2019 Missouri River flood" />
 <figcaption>File photo from 2019 Missouri River flood</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA long-time observer of the Missouri River believes the Army
Corps of Engineers has begun to change how it manages the river now that the
right pressure has been applied.Tom Waters of Orrick chairs the Missouri Levees and Drainage
District Association. Waters says change began after governors from Missouri,
Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa joined forces in demanding change.“Since the 2019 flood, when the governors from four states got
together and told the Corps we’ve got to do something different here, what they’ve
been doing isn’t working,” Waters tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.&nbsp; “And so those four governors coming together
and then eight senators from those states talking to the Corps and saying we’ve
got to move in a different direction. I think the Corps has listened.”Since the four states banned together to ask for change, the
Corps has been concentrating on points along the Missouri River that
recurrently flood, often called choke points along the river. Floodwaters in
2019 spilled out in the same areas they had in 2011 and 1993, causing widespread
damage to property and crops, disrupting transportation along I-29 and other
major roadways; disrupting lives.Waters credits officials from the four lower Missouri River
states, who set aside regional interests and together asked the Corps of Engineers
to reexamine its management as well as the flood prevention structures on the
river.“Isn’t that funny how four governors and eight senators can encourage
the Corps to do a little better job of listening?” Waters jokes. “That’s what’s
happening. They’ve really made a real effort to reach out to stakeholders and to
talk to people and try to find ways to do some positive things. So, I’m
encouraged.”Waters says the Corps has already made changes to the Kansas
City levees and has launched a feasibility study to address problems in Holt
County, where the Corps is considering setbacks and levee changes at a
particularly troublesome area. Feasibility studies also are underway in
Jefferson City and Brunswick, which have both experienced recurrent flooding.“It’s a slow, slow process as anything is with the government,”
Waters says. “But we’re going to get there, I think, and things look more
positive now than in the 30 years I’ve been dealing with the river.”Waters says the efforts have spawned real change, not just
superficial action.“In my mind, we’re moving forward in a direction that we’re
going to see some positive changes. It’s been 30 years since we’ve seen them talk
about building a new levee or improving levees.”You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Real change seems to be coming to management of Missouri River

(Radio Iowa) - A Drake University study finds a major need for more emergency family shelters in central Iowa. 

Researchers followed ten homeless families living in shelters across the Des Moines metro last year as they navigated housing resources. Drake sociology professor Elizabeth Talbert says discrimination from landlords against low-income renters and “exorbitant” application fees made the housing search even more difficult for families. Talbert says one of the largest stressors for families was figuring out how to navigate homeless services. 

The study recommends limiting the number of application fees low-income families need to pay, and creating tougher regulations to hold landlords accountable for predatory pricing.

(Radio Iowa) - A Drake University study finds a major need for more emergency family shelters in central Iowa. Researchers followed ten homeless families living in shelters across the Des Moines metro last year as they navigated housing resources. Drake sociology professor Elizabeth Talbert says discrimination from landlords against low-income renters and “exorbitant” application fees made the housing search even more difficult for families. Talbert says one of the largest stressors for families was figuring out how to navigate homeless services. The study recommends limiting the number of application fees low-income families need to pay, and creating tougher regulations to hold landlords accountable for predatory pricing.

Study: Iowa needs more emergency shelters, guardrails for landlords

Washington, D.C.-&nbsp; Kansas&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and other members of the Senate Ag committee are not happy with Democrat Senate Agriculture Chairman Debbie&nbsp;Stabenow. According to Marshall, she blindsided the Republicans on the bipartisan Ag committee dropping a 1,400-page Farm Bill with no advance notice or cooperation."

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/rural_prosperity_and_food_security_act_of_2024.pdf">here to read&nbsp; the full text of the bill</a>&nbsp;or <a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/summary_of_the_rural_prosperity_and_food_security_act.pdf">here to read the summary</a>

“This morning, Chairwoman Stabenow released her Farm Bill text—a 1,400-page document that no Republican committee member has reviewed or had the opportunity to collaborate on. This is not a sincere or transparent effort to address the urgent needs of Rural America. Instead, it is a last-minute power play in the final hours- manipulating her majority power in the Senate Ag Committee before losing the gavel. Today's move shows that Senate Democrats have walked away from meaningful bipartisan negotiations that are a tradition in this committee and have opted to play politics with the livelihoods of hard-working farmers and ranchers at a time when Rural America needs real solutions.”&nbsp;

Senator Marshall continued, “Thoughtful negotiation and bipartisan cooperation are essential to delivering a&nbsp;Farmers First&nbsp;Farm Bill that Kansans deserves. Despite Stabenow's attempt to upend the process, as a member of the Senate Ag Committee representing Kansas agriculture, I remain committed to reviewing this bill and advocating for the needs of our farmers and ranchers. With farmers facing record decreases in net farm income, we must put&nbsp;FARM back in the Farm Bill&nbsp;by increasing crop insurance coverage and reference prices for the American farmer.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731969781719.png" alt="Senate Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow of Michigan- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Senate Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow of Michigan- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington, D.C.-&nbsp; Kansas&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and other members of the Senate Ag committee are not happy with Democrat Senate Agriculture Chairman Debbie&nbsp;Stabenow. According to Marshall, she blindsided the Republicans on the bipartisan Ag committee dropping a 1,400-page Farm Bill with no advance notice or cooperation."Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/rural_prosperity_and_food_security_act_of_2024.pdf">here to read&nbsp; the full text of the bill</a>&nbsp;or <a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/summary_of_the_rural_prosperity_and_food_security_act.pdf">here to read the summary</a>“This morning, Chairwoman Stabenow released her Farm Bill text—a 1,400-page document that no Republican committee member has reviewed or had the opportunity to collaborate on. This is not a sincere or transparent effort to address the urgent needs of Rural America. Instead, it is a last-minute power play in the final hours- manipulating her majority power in the Senate Ag Committee before losing the gavel. Today's move shows that Senate Democrats have walked away from meaningful bipartisan negotiations that are a tradition in this committee and have opted to play politics with the livelihoods of hard-working farmers and ranchers at a time when Rural America needs real solutions.”&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Disappointed Congress is unable to deliver certainty to Kansas farmers &amp; ranchers by passing a new Farm Bill. Chairwoman Stabenow’s legislation is over a year late and missed the opportunity for bipartisan outcomes. We now focus fully on the Senate Appropriations Committee to…&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1858882846242251086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Senator Marshall continued, “Thoughtful negotiation and bipartisan cooperation are essential to delivering a&nbsp;Farmers First&nbsp;Farm Bill that Kansans deserves. Despite Stabenow's attempt to upend the process, as a member of the Senate Ag Committee representing Kansas agriculture, I remain committed to reviewing this bill and advocating for the needs of our farmers and ranchers. With farmers facing record decreases in net farm income, we must put&nbsp;FARM back in the Farm Bill&nbsp;by increasing crop insurance coverage and reference prices for the American farmer.”

Read the latest Farm Bill proposal that has Kan. U.S. Senators unhappy

RAY COUNTY —Law enforcement&nbsp; conducting an officer-involved shooting and a death investigation surrounding a domestic disturbance in Lawson, Missouri have identified the man who died as 26-year-old Brett Yager of Lawson, Missouri and the the child who died wasa 3-year-old boy, according to a media release from he Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Just after 7:30p.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a domestic disturbance at a home in the 200 Block of Montgomery Street in Lawson.

Lawson Police requested assistance from the Ray County sheriff's office. An officer and sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene and were informed a man had been assaulting woman inside the residence. They also learned a child was inside the residence. The male suspect, later identified as Yager, presented a firearm and fired at the officers, striking the Ray County deputy. Officers returned fire and retreated outside the home.&nbsp;

Multiple law enforcement agencies from surrounding jurisdictions responded to assist, including the Clay County Sheriff's Office STAR team.&nbsp; With information that additional gunfire had been heard from inside the home and a child may be held hostage, the Clay County STAR team entered the residence just after 9p.m.&nbsp; Deputies found Yager and the 3-year-old deceased.&nbsp;

EMS transported the deputy to the&nbsp; hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; The deputy was treated and released&nbsp; Police also found the woman victim from the original call and she was safe.&nbsp; Lawson is located approximately 35 miles north and east of Kansas City, Missouri.

RAY COUNTY —Law enforcement&nbsp; conducting an officer-involved shooting and a death investigation surrounding a domestic disturbance in Lawson, Missouri have identified the man who died as 26-year-old Brett Yager of Lawson, Missouri and the the child who died wasa 3-year-old boy, according to a media release from he Missouri State Highway Patrol.Just after 7:30p.m. Sunday, police responded to report of a domestic disturbance at a home in the 200 Block of Montgomery Street in Lawson.Lawson Police requested assistance from the Ray County sheriff's office. An officer and sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene and were informed a man had been assaulting woman inside the residence. They also learned a child was inside the residence. The male suspect, later identified as Yager, presented a firearm and fired at the officers, striking the Ray County deputy. Officers returned fire and retreated outside the home.&nbsp;Multiple law enforcement agencies from surrounding jurisdictions responded to assist, including the Clay County Sheriff's Office STAR team.&nbsp; With information that additional gunfire had been heard from inside the home and a child may be held hostage, the Clay County STAR team entered the residence just after 9p.m.&nbsp; Deputies found Yager and the 3-year-old deceased.&nbsp;EMS transported the deputy to the&nbsp; hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; The deputy was treated and released&nbsp; Police also found the woman victim from the original call and she was safe.&nbsp; Lawson is located approximately 35 miles north and east of Kansas City, Missouri.

Patrol confirms 3-year-old Mo. boy died in domestic incident

St. Joseph Christian's Lexi McDaniel, the top softball recruit in the nation, is continuing her career at a college softball powerhouse.   

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team have won national championships four years in a row, and six out of the last eight, and have yet another number one recruiting class in the country, which includes McDaniel 

McDaniel says it's almost unexplainable of how it feels to know she'll be a part of the run Sooner's softball is on.  

"The feeling, the emotions, just everything about it is so cool and it's just an amazing opportunity that I'm so excited to be a part of," McDaniel tells reporters following her signing. 

McDaniel officially signed her letter of intent on Monday, after announcing her commitment last year. 

McDaniel says what drew her to Oklahoma was the culture 

"All of the people there were fantastic, the coaching staff was absolutely amazing, the girls who are already there just really love the program and buy into the program and I knew that that's the type of people I wanted to put myself around," McDaniel says. "And obviously, they are definitely very good, and it's just super cool that I get to experience this and work to be the best that I can." 

McDaniel is only the second Division One commit in the history of St. Joseph Christian.   

McDaniel has played solely organization softball over her career, with St. Joseph Christian not having a softball team, starting with the Aces organization out of Kansas City. 

Aces head coach Ryan Taylor says he began to see something special in McDaniel in her second year of 14U, beginning to separate herself offensively. 

"Not just within the organization, but throughout the country, to where you're like ok there's something here, right, the swings special and it's not just against a few pitchers it's against some of the kids that people are touting as the best pitchers in the country, not only at her age group but also at older age groups," Taylor explains.  "And you start to see her just really gain traction in that and start her climb." 

McDaniel began working with Aces at 12 years old.  In her career thus far, she has 578 hits, 93 home runs and has scored 461 runs to be the club's all-time leader. 

McDaniel says she'll play wherever legendary Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso needs her to, though she has primary played in the infield, and does not know if she'll play right away.  

She has one tournament left this fall for the Ace's and will play in the spring and summer as well before heading to Norman, Oklahoma to join the Sooners. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731973442427.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Christian's Lexi McDaniel, the top softball recruit in the nation, officially signed her letter of intent to join the Oklahoma Sooners softball team/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Christian's Lexi McDaniel, the top softball recruit in the nation, officially signed her letter of intent to join the Oklahoma Sooners softball team/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post St. Joseph Christian's Lexi McDaniel, the top softball recruit in the nation, is continuing her career at a college softball powerhouse. The Oklahoma Sooners softball team have won national championships four years in a row, and six out of the last eight, and have yet another number one recruiting class in the country, which includes McDaniel McDaniel says it's almost unexplainable of how it feels to know she'll be a part of the run Sooner's softball is on. "The feeling, the emotions, just everything about it is so cool and it's just an amazing opportunity that I'm so excited to be a part of," McDaniel tells reporters following her signing. McDaniel officially signed her letter of intent on Monday, after announcing her commitment last year. McDaniel says what drew her to Oklahoma was the culture "All of the people there were fantastic, the coaching staff was absolutely amazing, the girls who are already there just really love the program and buy into the program and I knew that that's the type of people I wanted to put myself around," McDaniel says. "And obviously, they are definitely very good, and it's just super cool that I get to experience this and work to be the best that I can." McDaniel is only the second Division One commit in the history of St. Joseph Christian. McDaniel has played solely organization softball over her career, with St. Joseph Christian not having a softball team, starting with the Aces organization out of Kansas City. Aces head coach Ryan Taylor says he began to see something special in McDaniel in her second year of 14U, beginning to separate herself offensively. "Not just within the organization, but throughout the country, to where you're like ok there's something here, right, the swings special and it's not just against a few pitchers it's against some of the kids that people are touting as the best pitchers in the country, not only at her age group but also at older age groups," Taylor explains. "And you start to see her just really gain traction in that and start her climb." McDaniel began working with Aces at 12 years old. In her career thus far, she has 578 hits, 93 home runs and has scored 461 runs to be the club's all-time leader. McDaniel says she'll play wherever legendary Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso needs her to, though she has primary played in the infield, and does not know if she'll play right away. She has one tournament left this fall for the Ace's and will play in the spring and summer as well before heading to Norman, Oklahoma to join the Sooners. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Joseph Christian's Lexi McDaniel officially signs to play softball at Oklahoma

(Radio Iowa) - After a fine fall weekend, forecasters say we're in for a much colder week ahead with the chance for snow in parts of Iowa midweek. 

Meteorologist Dylan Dodson, at the National Weather Service, says a storm front will move in later today bringing showers, with many areas of the state facing a 100-percent chance of rain. High temps by Wednesday may only be in the upper 30s and low 40s, while lows could dip into the 20s. Dodson says a "dusting" of snow is likely over northern Iowa, with a rain-snow mix to the south and east. 

The thunderstorms later today could be severe, with strong winds gusting up to 40 miles an hour. Tornadoes are unlikely, but are always possible, even in the final months of the year.

(Radio Iowa) - After a fine fall weekend, forecasters say we're in for a much colder week ahead with the chance for snow in parts of Iowa midweek. Meteorologist Dylan Dodson, at the National Weather Service, says a storm front will move in later today bringing showers, with many areas of the state facing a 100-percent chance of rain. High temps by Wednesday may only be in the upper 30s and low 40s, while lows could dip into the 20s. Dodson says a "dusting" of snow is likely over northern Iowa, with a rain-snow mix to the south and east. The thunderstorms later today could be severe, with strong winds gusting up to 40 miles an hour. Tornadoes are unlikely, but are always possible, even in the final months of the year.

Wintery weather looms for Iowa with snow possible this week

Mosaic Life Care Trustee, Serena Naylor, has been named
Trustee of the Year by the Missouri Hospital Association.

The association presented Naylor the award during its annual
convention in Kansas City, honoring her for her service to both Mosaic Life
Care and Mosaic Medical Center-Albany.

“Serena Naylor is a tireless supporter of Mosaic Life Care and
her community of Albany, Mo.,” Jon D. Doolittle, MHA President and CEO, said in
a written statement released by MHA. “She understands the importance of the
hospital to Albany, and as a board leader in both Albany and Mosaic Life Care
in St. Joseph, translates her passion into building value and access to care in
communities throughout northwest Missouri.”

Naylor has served on the Albany hospital board since 2003 when
it was the Northwest Medical Center. She has served as chair since 2013. When
it transitioned to Mosaic, a move she supported, Naylor became chair of the hospital
foundation board. In 2014, Naylor joined the Mosaic Life Care board in St.
Joseph. 

The association says that during her tenure on the board, she
has been influential in supporting and strengthening Mosaic Life Care under her
banner of “keep local care, local.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731959551688.jpeg" alt="Mosaic Life Care Trustee, Serena Naylor, is presented the MHA Trustee of the Year Award by MHA Board Chair, Alan Greimann/Photo courtesy of MHA" />
 <figcaption>Mosaic Life Care Trustee, Serena Naylor, is presented the MHA Trustee of the Year Award by MHA Board Chair, Alan Greimann/Photo courtesy of MHA</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMosaic Life Care Trustee, Serena Naylor, has been named
Trustee of the Year by the Missouri Hospital Association.The association presented Naylor the award during its annual
convention in Kansas City, honoring her for her service to both Mosaic Life
Care and Mosaic Medical Center-Albany.“Serena Naylor is a tireless supporter of Mosaic Life Care and
her community of Albany, Mo.,” Jon D. Doolittle, MHA President and CEO, said in
a written statement released by MHA. “She understands the importance of the
hospital to Albany, and as a board leader in both Albany and Mosaic Life Care
in St. Joseph, translates her passion into building value and access to care in
communities throughout northwest Missouri.”Naylor has served on the Albany hospital board since 2003 when
it was the Northwest Medical Center. She has served as chair since 2013. When
it transitioned to Mosaic, a move she supported, Naylor became chair of the hospital
foundation board. In 2014, Naylor joined the Mosaic Life Care board in St.
Joseph. The association says that during her tenure on the board, she
has been influential in supporting and strengthening Mosaic Life Care under her
banner of “keep local care, local.”You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Mosaic's Naylor named Trustee of the Year by Missouri Hospital Assoc.

President-Elect Donald Trump’s threat of mass deportations risks hurting the domestic agriculture sector already struggling with labor shortages. That’s according to Matt Carstens, chief executive officer of Iowa’s biggest farm cooperative, who said Trump’s plan should be approached carefully. Bloomberg reports farming would be one of the biggest US sectors hit should the incoming administration move forward with kicking potentially millions of undocumented immigrants out of the country. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said nearly half of hired crop farmworkers lack legal immigration status. The share of laborers not lawfully authorized to work in the US rose from about 14% in the 1989-91 period to roughly 40% in recent years. Meanwhile, although there’s been a slight decline in the number of people moving out of rural US counties since the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the prior decade saw an overall loss of population. 

President-Elect Donald Trump’s threat of mass deportations risks hurting the domestic agriculture sector already struggling with labor shortages. That’s according to Matt Carstens, chief executive officer of Iowa’s biggest farm cooperative, who said Trump’s plan should be approached carefully. Bloomberg reports farming would be one of the biggest US sectors hit should the incoming administration move forward with kicking potentially millions of undocumented immigrants out of the country. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said nearly half of hired crop farmworkers lack legal immigration status. The share of laborers not lawfully authorized to work in the US rose from about 14% in the 1989-91 period to roughly 40% in recent years. Meanwhile, although there’s been a slight decline in the number of people moving out of rural US counties since the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the prior decade saw an overall loss of population. -NAFB

Trump’s threat of deportations risks hurting agriculture 

With little sign of a breakthrough on the farm bill in Congress, farm groups are shifting their attention to a proposed $21 billion bailout bill. Help is needed because high costs and lower commodity prices are sharply eroding farm income, they say. Successful Farming reports analysts are questioning whether the price tag for the proposed agricultural aid is too high to be accepted and say that in the relatively short lame-duck session under way, there may be room for only one piece of farm-related legislation. 

With little sign of a breakthrough on the farm bill in Congress, farm groups are shifting their attention to a proposed $21 billion bailout bill. Help is needed because high costs and lower commodity prices are sharply eroding farm income, they say. Successful Farming reports analysts are questioning whether the price tag for the proposed agricultural aid is too high to be accepted and say that in the relatively short lame-duck session under way, there may be room for only one piece of farm-related legislation.

Farm bailout bill getting renewed attention in lame duck session 

Almost 10,000 votes not reported on Election Day in Christian County go heavily against Amendment 2, while small changes elsewhere in the state add to majority.

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

A late report adding nearly 10,000 votes to Christian County’s election results has narrowed the margin&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/06/missouri-voters-narrowly-approve-sports-betting-amendment/">for Missouri’s sports betting amendment</a>&nbsp;and put it in range for a possible recount.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://ccmoelections.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/OFFICIAL_Election_Summary.pdf" target="_blank">official results</a>&nbsp;from Christian County, certified last week, increased the county’s vote total on Amendment 2 by 9,653, with a margin of 3,995 votes against sports betting among the additional ballots. Added to the statewide tally maintained by the Secretary of State’s office, just that change would shrink the statewide margin from a 4,363-vote majority on Election Day to a mere 368 votes as of Monday out of nearly 3 million votes cast.

But other changes will be made as the 116 election jurisdictions around the state certify their results, a process that must be completed by Tuesday. The Independent checked websites for the 50 counties with the highest number of votes on Amendment 2, finding official results in 25.

In most of those jurisdictions, a few dozen, or at most, a few hundred additional votes were reported in the final tallies. With those votes included, the majority for Amendment 2 stood at 720 votes.

That would be well within the 0.5% margin for a recount if it is requested. A recount would not be automatic.

None of the eight largest voting jurisdictions, representing half the total statewide vote, have certified final results. All eight passed Amendment 2 by strong majorities.

Final state certification of the results must occur by Dec. 10. Any recount would take place after that certification.

Jack Cardetti, spokesman for Winning for Missouri Education, which backed Amendment 2, said the campaign is confident the margin will hold up. The counties that have certified the Nov. 5 results include many where the majority went against the amendment but the additional votes reported favor the proposal.

“The fact that even the provisional ballots are coming in on the net side for us is good, so you can imagine what St. Louis and Kansas City will show,” Cardetti said.

The campaign is monitoring the final certifications, he said.

“We’re gonna watch them very carefully today and tomorrow as they come in,” he said.

The reason Christian County reported 40,622 ballots for Amendment 2 on election night and 50,275 in the official results is because of the huge volume of early votes received and limitations imposed by the ballot counting equipment, said Eryn Flood, deputy clerk and director of elections.

County clerks must accept ballots from overseas military voters that arrive by the Friday after an election as well as tallying any provisional ballots determined to be valid, Flood said.

“With us having such a high volume of absentees, we were running out of machines, and so we had to keep three machines open to ensure that we had enough room for Friday,” Flood said.

This was the first presidential election where Missourians had two weeks of “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/30/increasing-every-day-voters-line-up-across-missouri-for-chance-to-cast-ballot-early/">no excuse absentee voting</a>” to cast ballots before Election Day. Hundreds of thousands of voters took advantage of the law.

“We might have to look into, for presidential elections at least, having more machines,” Flood said. “I don’t think the entire state of Missouri was ready for the amount of people coming in their offices to vote.”

Of the counties that have certified their results, the largest number of additional votes for Amendment 2 were reported in Boone County, where an additional 243 “yes” votes were reported against 115 additional “no” votes.

If the margin remains at about 700 votes, that would be a majority of 0.03% of the statewide vote, well within the 0.5% margin that would&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=115.601&amp;bid=6240&amp;hl=" target="_blank">qualify it for a recount</a>. JoDonn Chaney, spokesman for Secretary of State Jay Aschcroft, said Monday that the recount must be requested by someone representing the campaign against the amendment.

“Only certain groups, not anybody, can request it,” Chaney said.

In an email, Chaney said Ashcroft and previous secretaries have interpreted the law to mean only people with a direct interest in the issue can request a recount.

“As we are not an adjudicatory body, any change in this interpretation would need to come from the courts,” Chaney said.

Winning for Missouri Education raised the most money in Missouri history for a ballot measure, spending nearly $40 million to get on the ballot and advertise during the fall campaign. The opposition, Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment, raised $15 million to defeat it but&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/opponents-of-missouri-sports-betting-amendment-pull-tv-ads-in-campaigns-homestretch/">pulled its ads</a>&nbsp;three weeks before the election.

“We have no plans to request a recount at this time,” Brooke Foster, spokeswoman for the opponents, said Monday.

The language in state law, however, doesn’t limit recount requests to groups formally organized to oppose a ballot measure. The last statewide recount of a ballot measure was in 2014, when Amendment 1, known as the Right to Farm amendment, passed by 2,490 votes during the Aug. 5, 2014, primary.

Wes Shoemyer, a former state lawmaker, was the treasurer for Missouri’s Food for America, which opposed the Right to Farm amendment. He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/ElectionResultsStatistics/RecountRequest.pdf" target="_blank">requested a recount</a>, but it was based on his status as a voter who opposed the measure, not his position with the opposition campaign.

“The voter has more rights than the treasurer,” Shoemyer said. “Anybody who wants to come out and say they voted no can ask for it.”

Recounts rarely change the outcome of an election but it was important to make sure, Shoemyer said. On the Right to Farm amendment, the majority&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/ElectionResultsStatistics/RecountCertification.pdf" target="_blank">narrowed to 2,375 votes</a>.

“You might get lucky, man,” Shoemyer said. “We were less than one quarter of 1%, and things have been counted wrong. You know, mistakes have been made.”

The backers of Amendment 2 are confident they will prevail in the official tallies and any recount&nbsp;

“We’re watching the votes come in extremely carefully here, but we feel really good about where we’re at,” Cardetti said. “We’re going to win this election when every last vote comes in.”

<h2>Almost 10,000 votes not reported on Election Day in Christian County go heavily against Amendment 2, while small changes elsewhere in the state add to majority.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>A late report adding nearly 10,000 votes to Christian County’s election results has narrowed the margin&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/06/missouri-voters-narrowly-approve-sports-betting-amendment/">for Missouri’s sports betting amendment</a>&nbsp;and put it in range for a possible recount.The&nbsp;<a href="https://ccmoelections.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/OFFICIAL_Election_Summary.pdf" target="_blank">official results</a>&nbsp;from Christian County, certified last week, increased the county’s vote total on Amendment 2 by 9,653, with a margin of 3,995 votes against sports betting among the additional ballots. Added to the statewide tally maintained by the Secretary of State’s office, just that change would shrink the statewide margin from a 4,363-vote majority on Election Day to a mere 368 votes as of Monday out of nearly 3 million votes cast.But other changes will be made as the 116 election jurisdictions around the state certify their results, a process that must be completed by Tuesday. The Independent checked websites for the 50 counties with the highest number of votes on Amendment 2, finding official results in 25.In most of those jurisdictions, a few dozen, or at most, a few hundred additional votes were reported in the final tallies. With those votes included, the majority for Amendment 2 stood at 720 votes.That would be well within the 0.5% margin for a recount if it is requested. A recount would not be automatic.None of the eight largest voting jurisdictions, representing half the total statewide vote, have certified final results. All eight passed Amendment 2 by strong majorities.Final state certification of the results must occur by Dec. 10. Any recount would take place after that certification.Jack Cardetti, spokesman for Winning for Missouri Education, which backed Amendment 2, said the campaign is confident the margin will hold up. The counties that have certified the Nov. 5 results include many where the majority went against the amendment but the additional votes reported favor the proposal.“The fact that even the provisional ballots are coming in on the net side for us is good, so you can imagine what St. Louis and Kansas City will show,” Cardetti said.The campaign is monitoring the final certifications, he said.“We’re gonna watch them very carefully today and tomorrow as they come in,” he said.The reason Christian County reported 40,622 ballots for Amendment 2 on election night and 50,275 in the official results is because of the huge volume of early votes received and limitations imposed by the ballot counting equipment, said Eryn Flood, deputy clerk and director of elections.County clerks must accept ballots from overseas military voters that arrive by the Friday after an election as well as tallying any provisional ballots determined to be valid, Flood said.“With us having such a high volume of absentees, we were running out of machines, and so we had to keep three machines open to ensure that we had enough room for Friday,” Flood said.This was the first presidential election where Missourians had two weeks of “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/30/increasing-every-day-voters-line-up-across-missouri-for-chance-to-cast-ballot-early/">no excuse absentee voting</a>” to cast ballots before Election Day. Hundreds of thousands of voters took advantage of the law.“We might have to look into, for presidential elections at least, having more machines,” Flood said. “I don’t think the entire state of Missouri was ready for the amount of people coming in their offices to vote.”Of the counties that have certified their results, the largest number of additional votes for Amendment 2 were reported in Boone County, where an additional 243 “yes” votes were reported against 115 additional “no” votes.If the margin remains at about 700 votes, that would be a majority of 0.03% of the statewide vote, well within the 0.5% margin that would&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=115.601&amp;bid=6240&amp;hl=" target="_blank">qualify it for a recount</a>. JoDonn Chaney, spokesman for Secretary of State Jay Aschcroft, said Monday that the recount must be requested by someone representing the campaign against the amendment.“Only certain groups, not anybody, can request it,” Chaney said.In an email, Chaney said Ashcroft and previous secretaries have interpreted the law to mean only people with a direct interest in the issue can request a recount.“As we are not an adjudicatory body, any change in this interpretation would need to come from the courts,” Chaney said.Winning for Missouri Education raised the most money in Missouri history for a ballot measure, spending nearly $40 million to get on the ballot and advertise during the fall campaign. The opposition, Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment, raised $15 million to defeat it but&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/opponents-of-missouri-sports-betting-amendment-pull-tv-ads-in-campaigns-homestretch/">pulled its ads</a>&nbsp;three weeks before the election.“We have no plans to request a recount at this time,” Brooke Foster, spokeswoman for the opponents, said Monday.The language in state law, however, doesn’t limit recount requests to groups formally organized to oppose a ballot measure. The last statewide recount of a ballot measure was in 2014, when Amendment 1, known as the Right to Farm amendment, passed by 2,490 votes during the Aug. 5, 2014, primary.Wes Shoemyer, a former state lawmaker, was the treasurer for Missouri’s Food for America, which opposed the Right to Farm amendment. He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/ElectionResultsStatistics/RecountRequest.pdf" target="_blank">requested a recount</a>, but it was based on his status as a voter who opposed the measure, not his position with the opposition campaign.“The voter has more rights than the treasurer,” Shoemyer said. “Anybody who wants to come out and say they voted no can ask for it.”Recounts rarely change the outcome of an election but it was important to make sure, Shoemyer said. On the Right to Farm amendment, the majority&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/ElectionResultsStatistics/RecountCertification.pdf" target="_blank">narrowed to 2,375 votes</a>.“You might get lucky, man,” Shoemyer said. “We were less than one quarter of 1%, and things have been counted wrong. You know, mistakes have been made.”The backers of Amendment 2 are confident they will prevail in the official tallies and any recount&nbsp;“We’re watching the votes come in extremely carefully here, but we feel really good about where we’re at,” Cardetti said. “We’re going to win this election when every last vote comes in.”

Margin on Missouri sports betting amendment narrows as counties tally official results

(Radio Iowa) - It's been a tough few years for Iowa's tree canopy, between terrible tornadoes, derechoes, and killer insects like the emerald ash borer wiping out tens of thousands of trees. 

Chip Murrow, an urban forestry program specialist at the Iowa D-N-R, says the agency's offering 900-thousand dollars in grants for Iowa communities to plant trees, as well as staking, mulching and watering. The grants do not require matching funds and are being awarded in amounts of between 10- and 30-thousand dollars per community. Murrow says the trees to be planted have to come from the D-N-R's list of approved species, which is on the agency's website. He says a group of Iowa foresters created the list of about 85 species, from the black maple to the Serbian spruce. 

The deadline to apply is December 30th. Learn more at the Iowa D-N-R’s Urban Forestry website.

(Radio Iowa) - It's been a tough few years for Iowa's tree canopy, between terrible tornadoes, derechoes, and killer insects like the emerald ash borer wiping out tens of thousands of trees. Chip Murrow, an urban forestry program specialist at the Iowa D-N-R, says the agency's offering 900-thousand dollars in grants for Iowa communities to plant trees, as well as staking, mulching and watering. The grants do not require matching funds and are being awarded in amounts of between 10- and 30-thousand dollars per community. Murrow says the trees to be planted have to come from the D-N-R's list of approved species, which is on the agency's website. He says a group of Iowa foresters created the list of about 85 species, from the black maple to the Serbian spruce. The deadline to apply is December 30th. Learn more at the Iowa D-N-R’s Urban Forestry website.

Project Re-Leaf: Iowa communities can apply for grants to plant trees

ATCHISON COUNTY—Three people died in an accident that occurred just after 7a.m. Sunday in Atchison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Kia Sorento driven by a 29-year-old Bellevue, Nebraska man and a 2023 Chevy Tahoe driven by a Sidney, Iowa man were southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 29 six miles north of Watson.

The KIA struck the front of a northbound 2013 Ford Focus driven by an 18-year-old from Kearney, Missouri.

After impact the Kia continued southbound, traveled off the west side of the road, struck a bridge abutment and caught fire. The Ford Focus traveled off the west side of the road, rolled and a passenger was ejected.

A northbound 2024 Volvo semi driven by a 30-year-old man from Ontario, Canada swerved to avoid the crash and struck the southbound 2023 Chevy Tahoe.

The teen driver of the Ford, an 18-year-old passenger in the Ford from Kearney, Missouri and the 29-year-old driver of the Kia were pronounced dead at the scene.

EMS transported a 1-year-old male passenger in the Kia and the driver of the Tahoe to the hospital in Hamburg, Iowa. Lifenet transported an 18-year-old female passenger in the Ford to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.&nbsp; &nbsp;The 1-year-old in the Kia and an 18-year-old in Ford were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

ATCHISON COUNTY—Three people died in an accident that occurred just after 7a.m. Sunday in Atchison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Kia Sorento driven by a 29-year-old Bellevue, Nebraska man and a 2023 Chevy Tahoe driven by a Sidney, Iowa man were southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 29 six miles north of Watson.The KIA struck the front of a northbound 2013 Ford Focus driven by an 18-year-old from Kearney, Missouri.After impact the Kia continued southbound, traveled off the west side of the road, struck a bridge abutment and caught fire. The Ford Focus traveled off the west side of the road, rolled and a passenger was ejected.A northbound 2024 Volvo semi driven by a 30-year-old man from Ontario, Canada swerved to avoid the crash and struck the southbound 2023 Chevy Tahoe.The teen driver of the Ford, an 18-year-old passenger in the Ford from Kearney, Missouri and the 29-year-old driver of the Kia were pronounced dead at the scene.EMS transported a 1-year-old male passenger in the Kia and the driver of the Tahoe to the hospital in Hamburg, Iowa. Lifenet transported an 18-year-old female passenger in the Ford to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.&nbsp; &nbsp;The 1-year-old in the Kia and an 18-year-old in Ford were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.&nbsp;

3 dead after 4-vehicle NW Missouri crash

A new program at Missouri Western State University will help students getting into nursing to make college more affordable.  

The Nursing Scholars of Promise program, a collaboration with Mosaic Life Care, will hope to address the nursing shortage at Mosaic.  

Missouri Western President Elizabeth Kennedy says one of the biggest barriers to get into nursing, is how much it costs 

"Even at Missouri Western, even though our tuition we are committed to keeping it low, we are the fourth lowest in the state, we have revamped our scholarships to be able to provide more students with more funds, but that's a barrier, how am I going to pay for college," Kennedy tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr.  

The program will provide tuition, through the first three years, as well as a career and academic support to students who agree to work for Mosaic Life Care for at least four years after graduation.  

Kennedy says students will have to apply for the program, and it is competitive, but its designed to help in a couple different ways 

"First of all, Mosaic has agreed to pay for two years of tuition and fees, and with what we can do at the University we'll be able to cover at least another year," Kennedy explains. "So that's 75% or three years of a four-year degree in nursing, and what will happen is we will have a mentor that will be working with these students." 

Kennedy says part of the program, by partnering with Mosaic, will allow students to work part time at the hospital, starting out at entry level positions 

"To learn what is a hospital like, what is the organization like," Kennedy says.  "And as they progress through the program and they gain more skills, they'll move to a nurses aid, to a nursing assistant, but all the while working 12 hours a week during the academic year, and if it works out Mosaic has even said they'll offer them part time work in the summer." 

Kennedy says the whole focus of the program is to help provide high level experienced nurses to Mosaic, and keep students in the area, with them already being part of the Mosaic system through the program. 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731949264537.jpeg" alt="Missouri Western President Elizabeth Kennedy and Mosaic Life Care CEO Mike Poore sign an agreement for the Nursing Scholars of Promise program/ Photo courtesy of Missouri Western on X" />
 <figcaption>Missouri Western President Elizabeth Kennedy and Mosaic Life Care CEO Mike Poore sign an agreement for the Nursing Scholars of Promise program/ Photo courtesy of Missouri Western on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post A new program at Missouri Western State University will help students getting into nursing to make college more affordable. The Nursing Scholars of Promise program, a collaboration with Mosaic Life Care, will hope to address the nursing shortage at Mosaic. Missouri Western President Elizabeth Kennedy says one of the biggest barriers to get into nursing, is how much it costs "Even at Missouri Western, even though our tuition we are committed to keeping it low, we are the fourth lowest in the state, we have revamped our scholarships to be able to provide more students with more funds, but that's a barrier, how am I going to pay for college," Kennedy tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. The program will provide tuition, through the first three years, as well as a career and academic support to students who agree to work for Mosaic Life Care for at least four years after graduation. Kennedy says students will have to apply for the program, and it is competitive, but its designed to help in a couple different ways "First of all, Mosaic has agreed to pay for two years of tuition and fees, and with what we can do at the University we'll be able to cover at least another year," Kennedy explains. "So that's 75% or three years of a four-year degree in nursing, and what will happen is we will have a mentor that will be working with these students." Kennedy says part of the program, by partnering with Mosaic, will allow students to work part time at the hospital, starting out at entry level positions "To learn what is a hospital like, what is the organization like," Kennedy says. "And as they progress through the program and they gain more skills, they'll move to a nurses aid, to a nursing assistant, but all the while working 12 hours a week during the academic year, and if it works out Mosaic has even said they'll offer them part time work in the summer." Kennedy says the whole focus of the program is to help provide high level experienced nurses to Mosaic, and keep students in the area, with them already being part of the Mosaic system through the program. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

MWSU and Mosaic team up to make nursing education more affordable

More money has been set aside for a treatment
seen as effective for Missouri military members and first responders suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorder.

State Sen. Rusty Black of Chillicothe
sponsored the legislation setting aside $4.3 million to pay for the treatment.

“And there’s a clinic in north Kansas City
providing this service to veterans, first responders at no cost,” Black tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “It’s about a four-week treatment and it’s been very
successful. Matter of fact, the clinic in north Kansas City – there’s 116
clinics in the world – and they were number one, in the world, with treatment
outcomes for the last two quarters.”

Black has been a champion of the treatment ever
since facing the problem close to home. Black says he and his wife went out of
state to get treatment for their son who returned from an overseas military
mission suffering from PTSD and alcoholism, threatening to take his life.

“This was a form of treatment that we found in
Texas at a facility that made a tremendous amount of difference for our son and
he’s a strong advocate for it,” Black says. “And I believe we’re seeing all
kinds of proof where this is a very good benefit – and it doesn’t mean that
there are not other good treatments – but this is one I sure have my heart and
mind set on.”

Another clinic is opening in Lee’s Summit and plans
call for a mobile unit to be funded to serve rural Missouri.

“We probably can’t start a clinic in every
community, because there’s not enough people to be able to sustain that,” Black
says. “But, if we can start a mobile unit that can move around rural parts of
the state and help veterans and first responders, it’s very valuable.”

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMore money has been set aside for a treatment
seen as effective for Missouri military members and first responders suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorder.State Sen. Rusty Black of Chillicothe
sponsored the legislation setting aside $4.3 million to pay for the treatment.“And there’s a clinic in north Kansas City
providing this service to veterans, first responders at no cost,” Black tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “It’s about a four-week treatment and it’s been very
successful. Matter of fact, the clinic in north Kansas City – there’s 116
clinics in the world – and they were number one, in the world, with treatment
outcomes for the last two quarters.”Black has been a champion of the treatment ever
since facing the problem close to home. Black says he and his wife went out of
state to get treatment for their son who returned from an overseas military
mission suffering from PTSD and alcoholism, threatening to take his life.“This was a form of treatment that we found in
Texas at a facility that made a tremendous amount of difference for our son and
he’s a strong advocate for it,” Black says. “And I believe we’re seeing all
kinds of proof where this is a very good benefit – and it doesn’t mean that
there are not other good treatments – but this is one I sure have my heart and
mind set on.”Another clinic is opening in Lee’s Summit and plans
call for a mobile unit to be funded to serve rural Missouri.“We probably can’t start a clinic in every
community, because there’s not enough people to be able to sustain that,” Black
says. “But, if we can start a mobile unit that can move around rural parts of
the state and help veterans and first responders, it’s very valuable.”You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

More money set aside for PTSD treatment for veterans, 1st responders

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

WASHINGTON — A measure to ensure the federal student aid form opens up annually by Oct. 1 passed the U.S. House Friday with overwhelming bipartisan support.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-118hr8932rh/pdf/BILLS-118hr8932rh.pdf" target="_blank">effort</a>&nbsp;— which passed 381-1 — came after the U.S. Department of Education faced major backlash over the botched rollout of the 2024-25&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/dont-give-fafsa-advocates-student-financial-aid-urge" target="_blank">Free Application for Federal Student Aid</a>, or FAFSA. California Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren was the only lawmaker to vote against the bill.&nbsp;

Though the form got a makeover after Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in late 2020, users faced multiple glitches and technical errors throughout the form’s soft launch in December and past its full debut in January, prompting processing delays and gaps in submissions.

The department has worked to correct these glitches and close that gap while also fixing major issues that prevented parents without Social Security numbers from completing the form.

Adding another complication, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-gradually-roll-out-new-fafsa-form-dec-1" target="_blank">department said in August</a>&nbsp;it would use a phased rollout of the 2025-26 form in an attempt to address any errors that might arise before it opens up to everyone — making the application fully available two months later than usual.

Though the department legally has until Jan. 1 to roll out the form, it typically launches Oct. 1.

U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin, an Indiana Republican and member of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, in July&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8932" target="_blank">introduced the bill</a>&nbsp;to standardize that deadline.

“I’m especially frustrated considering the Department of Education has had three years to simplify the FAFSA as Congress has dictated,” Houchin said during floor debate Friday.

She also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gaps-fafsa-rollout-are-closing-watchdog-tells-us-house-panel" target="_blank">referenced recent findings</a>&nbsp;from the Government Accountability Office, including that nearly three-quarters of all calls to the call center went unanswered in the first five months of the 2024-25 rollout.

“We want this program to work — we want to make sure that children and families that want to send their kids to college have the availability to do that and that the FAFSA is available and workable,” she added.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, ranking member of the House education panel, echoed his support during the floor debate, saying the measure will “help ensure that even more students have the information they need in a timelier manner to access Pell Grants and other vital student aid.”

Scott initially opposed the effort when the committee took it up in July out of concerns that the implementation deadline could force the department to roll out an incomplete form on Oct. 1 of this year.

“However, because we’re now considering the bill after Oct. 1, the deadline will apply next year, 2025, and that gives the department ample time to make improvements and fix any lingering issues,” the Virginia Democrat said.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4632" target="_blank">introduced a companion bill</a>&nbsp;in July.

The bill was referred to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, where Cassidy serves as ranking member. After Republicans won a Senate majority in the Nov. 5 elections,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/cassidy-to-chair-help-committee-in-119th-congress" target="_blank">Cassidy is in line</a>&nbsp;to chair the panel next year.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727807641728.png" alt=" A sign reminding people to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known as FAFSA — appears on a bus near Union Station in Washington, D.C. (Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption> A sign reminding people to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — better known as FAFSA — appears on a bus near Union Station in Washington, D.C. (Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a>WASHINGTON — A measure to ensure the federal student aid form opens up annually by Oct. 1 passed the U.S. House Friday with overwhelming bipartisan support.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-118hr8932rh/pdf/BILLS-118hr8932rh.pdf" target="_blank">effort</a>&nbsp;— which passed 381-1 — came after the U.S. Department of Education faced major backlash over the botched rollout of the 2024-25&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/dont-give-fafsa-advocates-student-financial-aid-urge" target="_blank">Free Application for Federal Student Aid</a>, or FAFSA. California Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren was the only lawmaker to vote against the bill.&nbsp;Though the form got a makeover after Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in late 2020, users faced multiple glitches and technical errors throughout the form’s soft launch in December and past its full debut in January, prompting processing delays and gaps in submissions.The department has worked to correct these glitches and close that gap while also fixing major issues that prevented parents without Social Security numbers from completing the form.Adding another complication, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-education-department-gradually-roll-out-new-fafsa-form-dec-1" target="_blank">department said in August</a>&nbsp;it would use a phased rollout of the 2025-26 form in an attempt to address any errors that might arise before it opens up to everyone — making the application fully available two months later than usual.<h2>Codified deadline</h2>Though the department legally has until Jan. 1 to roll out the form, it typically launches Oct. 1.U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin, an Indiana Republican and member of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, in July&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8932" target="_blank">introduced the bill</a>&nbsp;to standardize that deadline.“I’m especially frustrated considering the Department of Education has had three years to simplify the FAFSA as Congress has dictated,” Houchin said during floor debate Friday.She also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gaps-fafsa-rollout-are-closing-watchdog-tells-us-house-panel" target="_blank">referenced recent findings</a>&nbsp;from the Government Accountability Office, including that nearly three-quarters of all calls to the call center went unanswered in the first five months of the 2024-25 rollout.“We want this program to work — we want to make sure that children and families that want to send their kids to college have the availability to do that and that the FAFSA is available and workable,” she added.U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, ranking member of the House education panel, echoed his support during the floor debate, saying the measure will “help ensure that even more students have the information they need in a timelier manner to access Pell Grants and other vital student aid.”Scott initially opposed the effort when the committee took it up in July out of concerns that the implementation deadline could force the department to roll out an incomplete form on Oct. 1 of this year.“However, because we’re now considering the bill after Oct. 1, the deadline will apply next year, 2025, and that gives the department ample time to make improvements and fix any lingering issues,” the Virginia Democrat said.U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4632" target="_blank">introduced a companion bill</a>&nbsp;in July.The bill was referred to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, where Cassidy serves as ranking member. After Republicans won a Senate majority in the Nov. 5 elections,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/ranking/newsroom/press/cassidy-to-chair-help-committee-in-119th-congress" target="_blank">Cassidy is in line</a>&nbsp;to chair the panel next year.&nbsp;

U.S. House passes bill to move up annual FAFSA release deadline

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

Industry experts discussed the impact of hemp products on marijuana market at the MJ Unpacked Conference held in St. Louis

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

Coffee shops are selling seltzers with 5mg of Delta-9 THC — an amount that would produce a strong buzz — right next to the juices in their coolers.&nbsp;

At farmers markets, bakers are selling intoxicating brownies and other homemade treats in stands right next to farm-fresh vegetables.

Many elected officials and Missourians have publicly puzzled at how this happened in a state where voters created a marijuana program designed to be highly regulated and limited to licensed dispensaries.&nbsp;

While there’s no single explanation, industry experts and cannabis advocates say much of the blame — or credit — goes to a little noticed provision in the 2018 Farm Bill that is effectively acting as a back-door to widespread marijuana legalization.&nbsp;

“Now people are saying, ‘Well, basically all marijuana is hemp,’” said David Vaillencourt, board chair and co-founder of Denver-based S3 Collective. “It’s all legal. The Farm Bill legalized it.”

Vaillencourt spoke during a panel discussion last week at the MJ Unpacked Conference held in St. Louis, where lab experts and regulators chimed in on various panels to talk about the impact of hemp products on marijuana industry and how to regulate it.&nbsp;

Since Congress descheduled hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill, many states have been grappling with having two nearly identical intoxicating cannabis markets that are “bound by very different rules,” Vaillencourt said.

In Missouri, there’s no government agency in charge of making sure products being sold as intoxicating hemp are actually made from hemp. No agency is making sure these products are safe, and there’s no age restriction set by the government to buy them.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731864956486.png" alt=" Amy Moore, director of the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation, spoke about intoxicating hemp products during a panel discussions at the MJ Unpacked Conference, held in St. Louis on Nov. 5 (Photo by Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> Amy Moore, director of the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation, spoke about intoxicating hemp products during a panel discussions at the MJ Unpacked Conference, held in St. Louis on Nov. 5 (Photo by Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>Industry experts discussed the impact of hemp products on marijuana market at the MJ Unpacked Conference held in St. Louis</h2>Missourians can walk into a CBD shop right now and buy something that looks just like the canisters of marijuana buds and joints sold in state-regulated dispensaries.&nbsp;&nbsp;Coffee shops are selling seltzers with 5mg of Delta-9 THC — an amount that would produce a strong buzz — right next to the juices in their coolers.&nbsp;At farmers markets, bakers are selling intoxicating brownies and other homemade treats in stands right next to farm-fresh vegetables.Many elected officials and Missourians have publicly puzzled at how this happened in a state where voters created a marijuana program designed to be highly regulated and limited to licensed dispensaries.&nbsp;While there’s no single explanation, industry experts and cannabis advocates say much of the blame — or credit — goes to a little noticed provision in the 2018 Farm Bill that is effectively acting as a back-door to widespread marijuana legalization.&nbsp;“Now people are saying, ‘Well, basically all marijuana is hemp,’” said David Vaillencourt, board chair and co-founder of Denver-based S3 Collective. “It’s all legal. The Farm Bill legalized it.”Vaillencourt spoke during a panel discussion last week at the MJ Unpacked Conference held in St. Louis, where lab experts and regulators chimed in on various panels to talk about the impact of hemp products on marijuana industry and how to regulate it.&nbsp;Since Congress descheduled hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill, many states have been grappling with having two nearly identical intoxicating cannabis markets that are “bound by very different rules,” Vaillencourt said.In Missouri, there’s no government agency in charge of making sure products being sold as intoxicating hemp are actually made from hemp. No agency is making sure these products are safe, and there’s no age restriction set by the government to buy them.&nbsp;Vaillencourt said this market has eclipsed the state-regulated marijuana industry in size in some parts of the country.&nbsp;“That’s significant because that marketplace didn’t exist several years ago,” he said.&nbsp;While Delta-8 edibles or seltzers are the most recognizable products in the intoxicating hemp industry, the products are rapidly evolving — making it challenging for regulators to keep up.&nbsp;“From a health community standpoint, we are very concerned with brand new compounds coming out of these processes that we’ve never seen before,” said Amy Moore, director of the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation during one of the panel discussions at the conference. “We really have no idea what they do, either from experimentation or study.”For Moore, it’s even more concerning that these compounds are being made “in large amounts, and just see what happens.”This year, Missouri lawmakers attempted to address the issue, first with failed legislation and later with a stalled-out executive order issued by Gov. Mike Parson trying to ban the products.For the third year, the upcoming legislative session will be the battlefield between the hemp and marijuana industries. Both will be pushing for their own proposals of sensible regulations.&nbsp;This “civil war” between the two industries is happening all over the country,&nbsp; said cannabis attorney Rod Kight, who has represented hemp businesses in lawsuits nationwide.“Which one is going to win out,” he asked, “or what is the end result here?”&nbsp;On one hand, marijuana companies say it’s unfair that they “played by the rules,” Kight said, and now have to compete with purported hemp products available at gas stations.On the other side, hemp industry leaders say what they’re doing is legal under federal and state law.&nbsp;“There’s all these different things that people have in their minds about what it means to have legal hemp,” Kight said. “But the reality of the situation is, for all practical purposes, cannabis is legal in the United States. We just call it hemp.”<h2>Competing proposals</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725657142729.png" alt="Gov. Mike Parson speaks at his Capitol press conference announcing Executive Order 24-10 that bans the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Missouri “until such time approved sources can be regulated by the FDA or State of Missouri through legislative action,” he said (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office)." />
 <figcaption>Gov. Mike Parson speaks at his Capitol press conference announcing Executive Order 24-10 that bans the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Missouri “until such time approved sources can be regulated by the FDA or State of Missouri through legislative action,” he said (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office).</figcaption>
 </figure>Parson’s attempt this summer to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/12/hemp-industry-leaders-call-missouri-governors-order-banning-thc-products-an-overreach/">ban intoxicating hemp</a>&nbsp;remains on hold, perhaps indefinitely.When the order went into effect on Sept. 1, the governor was hoping to utilize compliance officers at both the state’s Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control and DHSS’ Bureau of Environmental Health Services to implement the ban.However, those plans quickly came to a halt when the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/22/ban-on-missouri-hemp-thc-products-delayed-in-dust-up-between-governor-secretary-of-state/">Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft rejected the emergency rules</a>&nbsp;that would have given the alcohol division the authority to conduct inspections.&nbsp;That meant that the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/06/missouri-regulators-visit-nearly-50-stores-to-inspect-for-intoxicating-hemp-edibles/">food inspectors</a>&nbsp;were left to handle compliance on their own.But a lawsuit by the Missouri Hemp Trade Association and a bungled “raid” for hemp seltzers at a veterans home on Sept. 11 have squashed any further actions.The two current pathways for a ban to move forward — through administrative rules and potential new legislation — won’t see any movement until the spring.&nbsp;&nbsp;They both will be met by the hemp industry’s growing political power, which includes the Missouri Petroleum &amp; Convenience Association and many liquor distributors.“Frankly, alcohol sales are off,” Chris Lindsey, director of state advocacy for the American Trade Association of Cannabis and Hemp, said during a panel discussion at the St. Louis conference. “That leaves a lot of alcohol distributors looking for new products.”The opposition also includes a number of small business owners, Kight said.“In Missouri, you wouldn’t ban these products because it would completely pull the rug out from underneath the multi-billion dollar industry, mostly consisting of small businesses,” Kight said, “and give it to the existing license holders, which tend to be huge corporate entities.”The argument that banning these products would harm thousands of small businesses in Missouri and further feed what critics call the marijuana “monopoly” was largely successful in blocking proposed legislation the last two years.&nbsp;However, the state is not backing down.The Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control proposed new state rules this month that would ban the sale of hemp-derived products for any licensed liquor retailer. Those rules must be approved by a legislative committee that oversees administrative rules.&nbsp;The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ preliminary budget requests&nbsp;<a href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY26_DHSS_Appropriation_Book.pdf" target="_blank">$877,000&nbsp;</a>to fund more food inspectors to implement Parson’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/library/reference/orders/2024/eo10" target="_blank">executive order</a>.&nbsp;Those funds would become available on July 1, if lawmakers approve the request as part of the state budget.&nbsp;The department estimates that 40,000 food establishments and smoke shops and 1,800 food manufacturers could potentially be affected by the governor’s order, the budget request states, “but the majority of these facilities are at low-risk of requiring investigation.”“It is estimated that all seven inspection staff can conduct 2,900-3,500 site visits annually,” it states.&nbsp;The department also budgeted $160,000 to hire two full-time attorneys, in the event that business owners challenge enforcement actions.&nbsp;On the other side, the hemp industry will be proposing its own legislation for regulations on these products, including testing, age restrictions and package labeling.Diana Eberlein, chair of the Cannabis Beverage Association, notes that THC seltzers and drinks are being sold at the country’s largest liquor retailers, including Total Wine.And that’s even more of a reason why states like Missouri need to pass regulations to prevent “an absolute disaster from happening.”“This has really evolved,” Eberlein told attendees at the St. Louis conference, “and it’s exciting, but we also need sensible regulation in place to make sure that the consumer is kept safe. We need to push for it, and alcohol is a power that can get behind us to really put this across the line.”<h2>New compounds</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726164449991.png" alt="A St. Louis liquor store hung a sign announcing Gov. Mike Parson’s executive order to ban intoxicating hemp beverages (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>A St. Louis liquor store hung a sign announcing Gov. Mike Parson’s executive order to ban intoxicating hemp beverages (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Moore, the head of Missouri’s marijuana regulatory agency, explained that her division has learned how to create a successful regulatory framework since medical marijuana came on line in 2018.&nbsp;If hemp products are allowed to be sold outside of dispensaries and their regulatory framework, it would be like “starting over from scratch,” Moore said.&nbsp;“It’s important to be very concerned about health and safety, which I think we all are,” she said. “I would say it’s a big project, a lot to be done there.”One of the most common ways to make these products — and is often referred to as a “loophole” — is to convert the nonintoxicating compound CBD into the psychoactive compounds Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC by using a chemical conversion.Several experts talked about this process creating new compounds that have not been tested.“You end up creating a lot of other chemicals besides the one that you’re targeting, and it’s very expensive to pull all that back out,” Lindsey said. “That’s what companies like Pfizer and pharmaceutical companies spend a lot of time on.”Because the products aren’t being regulated, consumers have a “false sense of security,” he said.And those concerns are shared by hemp leaders as well, Kight said, fueling their&nbsp; push for regulations.&nbsp;“We don’t know how they interact with humans, and safety is a big concern,” he said.&nbsp;However, Kight sees a shift in the industry moving away from conversions and “a lot of these strange sorts of cannabinoids.”“For the most part, you’re beginning to see more and more products that are just sort of Delta-9, CBD and THCA,” he said.&nbsp;THCA is a naturally abundant cannabinoid that transforms into Delta-9 THC when smoked or heated. Since the 2018 Farm Bill, botanists have figured out how to breed cannabis plants capable of passing the only federal checkpoint required on hemp plants — a visit from U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors 30 days before harvest.&nbsp;At that point, the levels of Delta-9 THC and THCA are below the federal threshold, he said, but both increase when harvested 30 days later. Kight believes there’s lots of marijuana flower sold in dispensaries that would probably meet this standard of hemp as well. It’s a point that’s being argued in court, he said.“THCA is the most abundant cannabinoid that cannabis produces,” he said. “If there’s any cannabinoid that humans have truly ingested for thousands of years, it’s THCA. The hemp industry is moving kind of back towards this more natural sort of state of affairs, and I’m very pleased with that.”

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