Farm Credit System institutions made almost 133,000 loans to young, beginning, or small U.S. producers in 2023, delivering on their critical mission to support rural communities and agriculture. A new Farm Credit Administration Report underscores Farm Credit’s commitment to the next generation of agricultural producers through strategic lending and support initiatives. 

Farm Credit System institutions made almost 133,000 loans to young, beginning, or small U.S. producers in 2023, delivering on their critical mission to support rural communities and agriculture. A new Farm Credit Administration Report underscores Farm Credit’s commitment to the next generation of agricultural producers through strategic lending and support initiatives.

Farm credit delivers support to young, beginning, and small farmers

(Radio Iowa) - Waterloo School board members will vote tonight (Monday) to either withdraw a 165-million-dollar plan to merge the city’s high schools or put it on the November ballot for voter approval. 

Waterloo Superintendent Jared Smith says significant updates are needed to address the old buildings and to provide easier access to the district's career center. The merger plan was to be funded with an existing statewide sales tax that didn’t require voter approval when the school board passed it in July, but voters brought a petition to the board two weeks ago asking the plan to be put on the ballot. 

Smith says the merger would improve graduation rates because more students would have easier access to the career center. The plan would have all 10th through 12th graders go to one high school that’s currently serving as Central Middle School.

(Radio Iowa) - Waterloo School board members will vote tonight (Monday) to either withdraw a 165-million-dollar plan to merge the city’s high schools or put it on the November ballot for voter approval. Waterloo Superintendent Jared Smith says significant updates are needed to address the old buildings and to provide easier access to the district's career center. The merger plan was to be funded with an existing statewide sales tax that didn’t require voter approval when the school board passed it in July, but voters brought a petition to the board two weeks ago asking the plan to be put on the ballot. Smith says the merger would improve graduation rates because more students would have easier access to the career center. The plan would have all 10th through 12th graders go to one high school that’s currently serving as Central Middle School.

Vote is tonight on proposal to merge Waterloo's high schools

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/megcunningham/">MEG CUNNINGHAM</a>

Evergy confused and angered its Missouri customers in 2023 when it rolled out time-of-use rates that meant prices would run highest when people use the most electricity.

Missourians, especially those on fixed incomes, complained of high costs and having to choose between things like groceries and their medications or powering their homes during peak hours.

Now, Evergy Missouri West, which has a monopoly on service for much of the western part of Missouri outside of Kansas City, is heading back to its regulator to ask for more from the 340,000 users in the region. (<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/08/26/evergy-west-rate-increase-2025/" target="_blank">Here’s how you can weigh in</a>.)

Evergy wants the Public Service Commission to OK a 13.99% increase in electric rates, giving the company up to&nbsp;<a href="https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/42672-evergy-files-rate-request-with-missouri-regulators/" target="_blank">$104.5 million more in revenue&nbsp;</a>a year. In 2023, the company reported&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.evergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/evergy-announces-2023-results-declares-quarterly-dividend-and" target="_blank">$731 million</a>&nbsp;in earnings.

“As people do we pick between: are we eating, or are we paying our power bill?” said Kelly Smith, who showed up to testify at a&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.mo.gov/VideoDetail.aspx?Id=6753" target="_blank">public hearing</a>&nbsp;in St. Joseph on the proposed rate hike. “My bill is just shy of $300. I work all the time. I’m hardly ever home.&nbsp; … My thermostat is set to 75 degrees.”

The Public Service Commission held several hearings across Evergy’s coverage area in late July. Dozens of Missourians, including lawmakers, showed up to argue against the rate hike. They shared stories of $700 bills, finding every energy-efficient upgrade to their home they could and making tough choices about which bills to pay.

Just because the company asked for a rate increase doesn’t mean it’ll get what it asked for. The commission started an 11-month review in February. It will decide in December how much rates might go up starting Jan. 1.

Why is Evergy asking for a rate increase?

Evergy argues it needs the higher rates to recoup money it spent on two natural-gas plants and for a range of upgrades to withstand severe weather and surges of demand for electricity.

The upgrades in the grid have already been made, said Gina Penzig, a spokesperson for Evergy.

“We make the investments and the power grid, and then we go to the commission and ask to recover those investments,” Penzig said.&nbsp; “So we are asking for money that the company has already spent.”

The company is asking for funds to aid in its purchase of part of a natural-gas plant in Pleasant Hill to generate more electricity for the region. It’s also reupping its longtime request to make back some of the cost of transporting power from a natural-gas plant in Mississippi to Missouri, a request the state regulators have previously denied.

Evergy has conducted studies that show transmitting the energy from Mississippi to Missouri is the most cost-effective method of serving some customers. If they can’t recover those costs, Evergy may have to revisit the issue in the future to find another way to transmit that energy, Penzig said.

The rate hike request alarmed some Evergy customers, which drew the attention of lawmakers. They’d already been hearing complaints about the time-based plans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/missouri-overhauls-electric-rates-raising-rewards-and-risks-for-customers/" target="_blank">mandated</a>&nbsp;by the commission.

“They said that the average customer was supposed to have a rate decrease,” said Rep. Dean VanSchoiack, a Republican who represents parts of the state north of St. Joseph. “I’ve not met that average customer yet.”

He takes issue with how Evergy is passing along the costs of its upgrades to customers, who don’t have the choice of simply switching providers if they can’t keep up with the bill.

“From what I understand right now — 13.99% — it’s mostly to cover the expenses they did upgrading their poles and lines,” VanSchoiack said. “I was in business. You have to make money…but there are certain costs of doing business that you don’t get to expense right away.”

But because utility companies are monopolies, they aren’t faced with the same burdens of a typical business in a free market.

“Utilities are basically glorified construction companies,” said Geoff Marke, the chief economist at the Missouri Office of Public Counsel, a sort of ombudsman. “When they build assets, they make a return on it. So they have a perverse incentive to build as much as they can.”

Evergy says its rates lag its peers across the country. But the OPC said that lacks context.

When Evergy was formed in 2018 from the merger of Kansas City Power and Light Co. and Westar, regulators froze its rates for five years.

In 2018, the Missouri General Assembly passed a law that allowed&nbsp;<a href="https://themissouritimes.com/four-years-after-sb564s-grid-investments-electric-rates-stagnant/" target="_blank">utilities to access plant-in-service accounting</a>, which spreads out the cost of investments over years. Those costs are typically passed on to the consumer.

“I’d say it’s much less ‘We didn’t ask for anything,’” said John Clizer, the senior counsel for the Office of Public Counsel, “and much more about ‘We delayed asking for a lot of things, but you are still going to pay for all of that.’ They may not have gotten the rate increases, but you’re also seeing all these other increases to certain charges.”

The Public Service Commission’s options&nbsp;

The Public Service Commission consists of five members and has the power to approve the rate increase as is, deny it or respond with a rate different than what Evergy asked for. The commissioners are appointed by the governor. Gov. Mike Parson has appointed all but one of the current members, who have a staff of over 200 at their disposal.

The commission is&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/01/24/kansas-city-energy-bills-regulation-utility-commissions/" target="_blank">structured like</a>&nbsp;its regulatory counterpart in Kansas, the Kansas Corporation Commission. The KCC has three members, also appointed by the state’s governor. They approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2023/11/21/kansas-regulators-give-evergy-a-smaller-electrical-rate-hike-than-it-asked-for/" target="_blank">rate increase in November</a>&nbsp;for Evergy’s central Kansas customers, also to cover costs associated with power plant investments and new infrastructure.

The proposed rate increase comes as many Republicans in Jefferson City are looking to regulate the regulator. After frustration over the time-based plans, some lawmakers want to add two more people to the commission and require more varied professions. &nbsp;Some proposed legislation looks to require some members to have farming or utility backgrounds.

Kayla Hahn is the current chair of the commission. She was most recently Parson’s policy director. Three other members previously served in the Missouri General Assembly. The most recent addition to the commission is John Mitchell, who spent over three decades in various roles at Burns &amp; McDonnell Engineering in Kansas City.

Renew Missouri, a group that advocates for the state to move toward cleaner energy sources, says the most recent appointment is breaking from the traditional model.

“Generally it’s been lawmakers and aides to the governor who are on there,” said James Owen, the group’s executive director. “I think it’s good to see different professions represented there.”

Some lawmakers, like VanSchoiack, want to see commissioners who aren’t necessarily politicians.

“They’re working too much for the power companies, not enough for the people,” VanSchoiack said.

Owen said the commission is “pro-utility.”

“They need to be confronted with the fact this is not just some line on a balance sheet,” Owen said. “It is actually real people who are struggling and suffering.”

VanShoiack isn’t confident that all of the legislature or Republican leadership sees the need to take another look at the structure of the commission.

“We need to be looking at things that really do truly help people,” VanShoiack said. “I think we’d be better off if we did try to focus more on some of these issues and less on the political issues.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/08/26/evergy-west-2025-rate-increase/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Missouri</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669224062037.png" alt="Evergy headquarters in downtown Topeka, Kansas (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)." />
 <figcaption>Evergy headquarters in downtown Topeka, Kansas (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/megcunningham/">MEG CUNNINGHAM</a>Evergy confused and angered its Missouri customers in 2023 when it rolled out time-of-use rates that meant prices would run highest when people use the most electricity.Missourians, especially those on fixed incomes, complained of high costs and having to choose between things like groceries and their medications or powering their homes during peak hours.Now, Evergy Missouri West, which has a monopoly on service for much of the western part of Missouri outside of Kansas City, is heading back to its regulator to ask for more from the 340,000 users in the region. (<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/08/26/evergy-west-rate-increase-2025/" target="_blank">Here’s how you can weigh in</a>.)Evergy wants the Public Service Commission to OK a 13.99% increase in electric rates, giving the company up to&nbsp;<a href="https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/42672-evergy-files-rate-request-with-missouri-regulators/" target="_blank">$104.5 million more in revenue&nbsp;</a>a year. In 2023, the company reported&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.evergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/evergy-announces-2023-results-declares-quarterly-dividend-and" target="_blank">$731 million</a>&nbsp;in earnings.“As people do we pick between: are we eating, or are we paying our power bill?” said Kelly Smith, who showed up to testify at a&nbsp;<a href="https://psc.mo.gov/VideoDetail.aspx?Id=6753" target="_blank">public hearing</a>&nbsp;in St. Joseph on the proposed rate hike. “My bill is just shy of $300. I work all the time. I’m hardly ever home.&nbsp; … My thermostat is set to 75 degrees.”The Public Service Commission held several hearings across Evergy’s coverage area in late July. Dozens of Missourians, including lawmakers, showed up to argue against the rate hike. They shared stories of $700 bills, finding every energy-efficient upgrade to their home they could and making tough choices about which bills to pay.Just because the company asked for a rate increase doesn’t mean it’ll get what it asked for. The commission started an 11-month review in February. It will decide in December how much rates might go up starting Jan. 1.<h2>Why is Evergy asking for a rate increase?</h2>Evergy argues it needs the higher rates to recoup money it spent on two natural-gas plants and for a range of upgrades to withstand severe weather and surges of demand for electricity.The upgrades in the grid have already been made, said Gina Penzig, a spokesperson for Evergy.“We make the investments and the power grid, and then we go to the commission and ask to recover those investments,” Penzig said.&nbsp; “So we are asking for money that the company has already spent.”The company is asking for funds to aid in its purchase of part of a natural-gas plant in Pleasant Hill to generate more electricity for the region. It’s also reupping its longtime request to make back some of the cost of transporting power from a natural-gas plant in Mississippi to Missouri, a request the state regulators have previously denied.Evergy has conducted studies that show transmitting the energy from Mississippi to Missouri is the most cost-effective method of serving some customers. If they can’t recover those costs, Evergy may have to revisit the issue in the future to find another way to transmit that energy, Penzig said.The rate hike request alarmed some Evergy customers, which drew the attention of lawmakers. They’d already been hearing complaints about the time-based plans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/missouri-overhauls-electric-rates-raising-rewards-and-risks-for-customers/" target="_blank">mandated</a>&nbsp;by the commission.“They said that the average customer was supposed to have a rate decrease,” said Rep. Dean VanSchoiack, a Republican who represents parts of the state north of St. Joseph. “I’ve not met that average customer yet.”He takes issue with how Evergy is passing along the costs of its upgrades to customers, who don’t have the choice of simply switching providers if they can’t keep up with the bill.“From what I understand right now — 13.99% — it’s mostly to cover the expenses they did upgrading their poles and lines,” VanSchoiack said. “I was in business. You have to make money…but there are certain costs of doing business that you don’t get to expense right away.”But because utility companies are monopolies, they aren’t faced with the same burdens of a typical business in a free market.“Utilities are basically glorified construction companies,” said Geoff Marke, the chief economist at the Missouri Office of Public Counsel, a sort of ombudsman. “When they build assets, they make a return on it. So they have a perverse incentive to build as much as they can.”Evergy says its rates lag its peers across the country. But the OPC said that lacks context.When Evergy was formed in 2018 from the merger of Kansas City Power and Light Co. and Westar, regulators froze its rates for five years.In 2018, the Missouri General Assembly passed a law that allowed&nbsp;<a href="https://themissouritimes.com/four-years-after-sb564s-grid-investments-electric-rates-stagnant/" target="_blank">utilities to access plant-in-service accounting</a>, which spreads out the cost of investments over years. Those costs are typically passed on to the consumer.“I’d say it’s much less ‘We didn’t ask for anything,’” said John Clizer, the senior counsel for the Office of Public Counsel, “and much more about ‘We delayed asking for a lot of things, but you are still going to pay for all of that.’ They may not have gotten the rate increases, but you’re also seeing all these other increases to certain charges.”<h2>The Public Service Commission’s options&nbsp;</h2>The Public Service Commission consists of five members and has the power to approve the rate increase as is, deny it or respond with a rate different than what Evergy asked for. The commissioners are appointed by the governor. Gov. Mike Parson has appointed all but one of the current members, who have a staff of over 200 at their disposal.The commission is&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/01/24/kansas-city-energy-bills-regulation-utility-commissions/" target="_blank">structured like</a>&nbsp;its regulatory counterpart in Kansas, the Kansas Corporation Commission. The KCC has three members, also appointed by the state’s governor. They approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2023/11/21/kansas-regulators-give-evergy-a-smaller-electrical-rate-hike-than-it-asked-for/" target="_blank">rate increase in November</a>&nbsp;for Evergy’s central Kansas customers, also to cover costs associated with power plant investments and new infrastructure.The proposed rate increase comes as many Republicans in Jefferson City are looking to regulate the regulator. After frustration over the time-based plans, some lawmakers want to add two more people to the commission and require more varied professions. &nbsp;Some proposed legislation looks to require some members to have farming or utility backgrounds.Kayla Hahn is the current chair of the commission. She was most recently Parson’s policy director. Three other members previously served in the Missouri General Assembly. The most recent addition to the commission is John Mitchell, who spent over three decades in various roles at Burns &amp; McDonnell Engineering in Kansas City.Renew Missouri, a group that advocates for the state to move toward cleaner energy sources, says the most recent appointment is breaking from the traditional model.“Generally it’s been lawmakers and aides to the governor who are on there,” said James Owen, the group’s executive director. “I think it’s good to see different professions represented there.”Some lawmakers, like VanSchoiack, want to see commissioners who aren’t necessarily politicians.“They’re working too much for the power companies, not enough for the people,” VanSchoiack said.Owen said the commission is “pro-utility.”“They need to be confronted with the fact this is not just some line on a balance sheet,” Owen said. “It is actually real people who are struggling and suffering.”VanShoiack isn’t confident that all of the legislature or Republican leadership sees the need to take another look at the structure of the commission.“We need to be looking at things that really do truly help people,” VanShoiack said. “I think we’d be better off if we did try to focus more on some of these issues and less on the political issues.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/08/26/evergy-west-2025-rate-increase/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Missouri</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<figure>
 <img src="https://thebeaconnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/iconbeacon-150x150.png?crop=1" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://thebeaconnews.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=24033" alt="" />
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Evergy is hoping its regulators OK higher electric bills for its Missouri customers

(Radio Iowa) - The last holiday of summer is just ahead and tens of thousands of Iowans will hit the road for the Labor Day weekend. 

Triple-A-Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner says the record-breaking summer travel season will wrap up with Labor Day weekend travel expected to be up nine percent compared to last year. He says the cost of domestic travel is down two percent. He says with most Iowa kids are already back in school, regional road trips tend to be the most popular Labor Day option for families. 

Gas prices vary widely across Iowa. The most expensive fuel is reported in Dubuque at three-45 a gallon, while Sioux City has the cheapest gas at two-98.

(Radio Iowa) - The last holiday of summer is just ahead and tens of thousands of Iowans will hit the road for the Labor Day weekend. Triple-A-Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner says the record-breaking summer travel season will wrap up with Labor Day weekend travel expected to be up nine percent compared to last year. He says the cost of domestic travel is down two percent. He says with most Iowa kids are already back in school, regional road trips tend to be the most popular Labor Day option for families. Gas prices vary widely across Iowa. The most expensive fuel is reported in Dubuque at three-45 a gallon, while Sioux City has the cheapest gas at two-98.

Labor Day Travel Expected To Be Up

(Radio Iowa) - The latest data from the Iowa Association of Realtors shows home prices are up by more than six percent last month compared to July of last year. 

There was a two-point-seven percent increase in the total number of homes sold in Iowa and the median price was 15-thousand dollars higher when this July's prices are compared to prices in July of 2023. However, from June to July, pending home sales declined about two percent. 

The president of the Iowa Association of Realtors says inventory is the bright spot in Iowa's housing market. Over 77-hundred Iowa homes were on the market in July. That's 22-point-six percent more than July of last year.

(Radio Iowa) - The latest data from the Iowa Association of Realtors shows home prices are up by more than six percent last month compared to July of last year. There was a two-point-seven percent increase in the total number of homes sold in Iowa and the median price was 15-thousand dollars higher when this July's prices are compared to prices in July of 2023. However, from June to July, pending home sales declined about two percent. The president of the Iowa Association of Realtors says inventory is the bright spot in Iowa's housing market. Over 77-hundred Iowa homes were on the market in July. That's 22-point-six percent more than July of last year.

Home prices, number of listings are up in Iowa

The state constitution now requires regulators to put more rules in place to protect children from accidental consumption and poisoning

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

Marijuana companies face a hard deadline to meet Missouri’s new plain packaging requirements on Sept. 1 — more than a year after the rule was initially put in place.&nbsp;

For decades, there’s been a&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120320142534/http://www.acosh.org/resources/GenericPackaging.pdf" target="_blank">global movement</a>&nbsp;urging “plain packaging” on tobacco products — or packaging with limited colors and frills — after numerous studies found it makes cigarettes less appealing to young people.&nbsp;

Missouri is now a<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">&nbsp;testing ground</a>&nbsp;to see if plain packaging has the same impact for recreational marijuana.

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

Now under new state rules, packaging can only be one primary color, and it can have up to two logos or symbols that can be a different color or several different colors.

“This approach to packaging is familiar to all of us,” said Amy Moore, director of Missouri’s Division of Cannabis Regulation, during a legislative committee hearing last year. “You think about the cereal aisle versus tobacco packaging or over-the-counter medicines.”

The initial deadline for compliance was May 1, but regulators heard from licensees that potential delays in global shipping could impact their ability to receive the packaging in time.&nbsp;

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

Dispensaries can continue to sell non-compliant products they already have in the store until Nov. 1.

The new rules also require the division to pre-approve the labels, a process that didn’t exist under medical marijuana rules.&nbsp;

Nick Rinella,&nbsp;CEO of Hippos Cannabis, said companies have seen delays in the state’s approval of their submitted designs.

“The state just doesn’t have the manpower to go through and approve them,” Rinella said. “And until they’re approved, they can’t go onto the shelves in their new packaging.”

Since the approval process opened on Sept. 1, 2023, the division has received nearly 150,000 submissions, said Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the division.

Half of those were submitted within the last 60 days.

“Licensees have had a year to submit applications for approval,” Cox said, “and five months’ notice that they should not expect another extension.”

Cox said all applications are being processed within 60 days.

The constitution says that no marijuana facility can sell edible marijuana-infused candy in shapes or packages that are attractive to children or that are easily confused with commercially sold candy that does not contain marijuana. Penalties include fines of up to $5,000 and a loss of a business license.&nbsp;

The packaging requirements are part of Missouri’s new&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/19csr100-proposed-rules-filed-051523.pdf" target="_blank">cannabis regulation rules&nbsp;</a>that went into effect on July 30, 2023.&nbsp;

In the division’s first draft of proposed rules last year, it required companies to have only one color on the label.&nbsp;

That&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/08/marijuana-industry-state-regulators-at-odds-over-rules-targeting-packaging-aimed-at-kids/">caused an uproar</a>&nbsp;from the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, which argued in a letter to lawmakers that marijuana businesses had already invested “many millions” in packaging designs. And companies did so, the trade association contends, because “attractive, interesting, and attention-grabbing packaging is essential to effectively advertise and promote marijuana product sales.”

After the pushback from both MoCann Trade and some legislators, the agency changed the rule to allow “limited colors.” Another compromise, Moore told lawmakers, was allowing for QR codes on the labels to send consumers to their website for more information.&nbsp;

Missouri becomes one of few states that require plain packaging in the adult-use cannabis market, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.networkforphl.org/resources/cannabis-regulation-resource-collection/" target="_blank">Network for Public Health Law</a>. The others include Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey.&nbsp;

Moore said the rules align with what voters asked for in the constitutional amendment. The requirements regarding children’s safety are more stringent than what was included in the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV++++1&amp;bid=51540&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana</a>&nbsp;in 2018.

“We have to notice that,” she said, “and say, ‘Apparently we’re to do more, we’re to do better for children and for health.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724690719448.png" alt=" Under Missouri’s new cannabis regulations, labels and packages for marijuana-related products must have limited colors and can’t appeal to children or resemble candy. (Photo by Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> Under Missouri’s new cannabis regulations, labels and packages for marijuana-related products must have limited colors and can’t appeal to children or resemble candy. (Photo by Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The state constitution now requires regulators to put more rules in place to protect children from accidental consumption and poisoning</h2>By REBECCA RIVAS &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Marijuana companies face a hard deadline to meet Missouri’s new plain packaging requirements on Sept. 1 — more than a year after the rule was initially put in place.&nbsp;For decades, there’s been a&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120320142534/http://www.acosh.org/resources/GenericPackaging.pdf" target="_blank">global movement</a>&nbsp;urging “plain packaging” on tobacco products — or packaging with limited colors and frills — after numerous studies found it makes cigarettes less appealing to young people.&nbsp;Missouri is now a<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">&nbsp;testing ground</a>&nbsp;to see if plain packaging has the same impact for recreational marijuana.When voters passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana in 2022, it included a provision that labels and packaging for marijuana-related products, “shall not be made to be attractive to children.”Now under new state rules, packaging can only be one primary color, and it can have up to two logos or symbols that can be a different color or several different colors.“This approach to packaging is familiar to all of us,” said Amy Moore, director of Missouri’s Division of Cannabis Regulation, during a legislative committee hearing last year. “You think about the cereal aisle versus tobacco packaging or over-the-counter medicines.”The initial deadline for compliance was May 1, but regulators heard from licensees that potential delays in global shipping could impact their ability to receive the packaging in time.&nbsp;Now starting on Sept. 1, marijuana manufacturers must package and label all products in division-approved designs before sending them to a dispensary.&nbsp;Dispensaries can continue to sell non-compliant products they already have in the store until Nov. 1.The new rules also require the division to pre-approve the labels, a process that didn’t exist under medical marijuana rules.&nbsp;Nick Rinella,&nbsp;CEO of Hippos Cannabis, said companies have seen delays in the state’s approval of their submitted designs.“The state just doesn’t have the manpower to go through and approve them,” Rinella said. “And until they’re approved, they can’t go onto the shelves in their new packaging.”Since the approval process opened on Sept. 1, 2023, the division has received nearly 150,000 submissions, said Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the division.Half of those were submitted within the last 60 days.“Licensees have had a year to submit applications for approval,” Cox said, “and five months’ notice that they should not expect another extension.”Cox said all applications are being processed within 60 days.The constitution says that no marijuana facility can sell edible marijuana-infused candy in shapes or packages that are attractive to children or that are easily confused with commercially sold candy that does not contain marijuana. Penalties include fines of up to $5,000 and a loss of a business license.&nbsp;The packaging requirements are part of Missouri’s new&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/19csr100-proposed-rules-filed-051523.pdf" target="_blank">cannabis regulation rules&nbsp;</a>that went into effect on July 30, 2023.&nbsp;In the division’s first draft of proposed rules last year, it required companies to have only one color on the label.&nbsp;That&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/08/marijuana-industry-state-regulators-at-odds-over-rules-targeting-packaging-aimed-at-kids/">caused an uproar</a>&nbsp;from the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, which argued in a letter to lawmakers that marijuana businesses had already invested “many millions” in packaging designs. And companies did so, the trade association contends, because “attractive, interesting, and attention-grabbing packaging is essential to effectively advertise and promote marijuana product sales.”After the pushback from both MoCann Trade and some legislators, the agency changed the rule to allow “limited colors.” Another compromise, Moore told lawmakers, was allowing for QR codes on the labels to send consumers to their website for more information.&nbsp;Missouri becomes one of few states that require plain packaging in the adult-use cannabis market, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.networkforphl.org/resources/cannabis-regulation-resource-collection/" target="_blank">Network for Public Health Law</a>. The others include Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey.&nbsp;Moore said the rules align with what voters asked for in the constitutional amendment. The requirements regarding children’s safety are more stringent than what was included in the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV++++1&amp;bid=51540&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana</a>&nbsp;in 2018.“We have to notice that,” she said, “and say, ‘Apparently we’re to do more, we’re to do better for children and for health.”

Deadline for Missouri’s new marijuana plain packaging is Sept. 1

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>

A pair of Republican state legislators and an anti-abortion activist filed a lawsuit Thursday asking a judge to block an abortion-rights constitutional amendment from appearing on the Nov. 5 ballot.&nbsp;

State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, state Rep. Hannah Kelly and Kathy Forck<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/07/gop-legislators-file-lawsuit-challenging-cost-estimate-of-missouri-abortion-rights-amendment/">&nbsp;sued last year challenging the cost estimate for a proposed constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;rolling back Missouri’s ban on abortion.&nbsp;

The campaign behind the proposal ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/missouri-voters-will-decide-whether-to-legalize-abortion-in-november/">turned in enough signatures to earn a spot on the November ballot</a>, where it is set to appear as Amendment 3.&nbsp;

On Thursday, Coleman, Kelly, Forck and Marguerite Forrest, the operator of a shelter for homeless pregnant women in St. Louis County, filed a new lawsuit in Cole Circuit Court arguing that the decision to place the amendment on the ballot should be reversed.

The amendment violates the Missouri Constitution, the lawsuit argues, because it illegally includes more than one subject. It also fails to specify the laws and constitutional provisions that would be repealed if it were approved by voters, the lawsuit argues.&nbsp;

In a joint statement released to the media, the plaintiffs said Amendment 3&nbsp;is a “direct threat to the lives of Missouri women by erasing the will of voters who chose to protect the safety of women and the child by electing strong pro-life leaders.”

Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, which is supporting Amendment 3, called Thursday’s lawsuit “yet another baseless and desperate attempt from politicians to silence Missouri voters and prevent them from being heard. We will not let that happen.”

Sweet said she is confident the courts will “see through this thinly veiled effort to block Missouri voters and dismiss it swiftly.”

Missouri was the first state to ban abortion after the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning the constitutional right to the procedure. Since then, abortion has been virtually illegal, with limited exceptions only in cases of medical emergencies. There are no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest.

If approved by voters, Amendment 3 would legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability, an undefined period of time generally seen as the point in which the fetus could survive outside the womb on its own, generally around 24 weeks, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.&nbsp;

Such an amendment would return Missouri to the standard of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which also legalized abortion up to the point of fetal viability. Missouri’s amendment also includes exceptions after viability “to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”

Missouri’s amendment also states that women and those performing or assisting in abortions cannot be prosecuted. Under current Missouri law, doctors who perform abortions deemed unnecessary can be charged with a class B felony and face up to 15 years in prison. Their medical license can also be suspended or revoked.

The lawsuit filed Thursday argues that Amendment 3 illegally includes more than one subject, in part because of its use of the phrase “fundamental right to reproductive freedom.”&nbsp;

The lawsuit argues this phrase is “unlimited in scope” and is “systematically neutralizing all laws, existing or future, that attempt to limit this new, limitless ‘right to reproductive freedom.’” It lays out numerous restrictions on abortion and other laws that could be repealed by Amendment 3 if it were approved by voters, including restrictions on when abortions can be performed and bans on certain stem cell research.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724676157886.png" alt="Students hold up anti-abortion signs at the Midwest March for Life on May 1 at the Missouri State Capitol (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Students hold up anti-abortion signs at the Midwest March for Life on May 1 at the Missouri State Capitol (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>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>A pair of Republican state legislators and an anti-abortion activist filed a lawsuit Thursday asking a judge to block an abortion-rights constitutional amendment from appearing on the Nov. 5 ballot.&nbsp;State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, state Rep. Hannah Kelly and Kathy Forck<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/07/gop-legislators-file-lawsuit-challenging-cost-estimate-of-missouri-abortion-rights-amendment/">&nbsp;sued last year challenging the cost estimate for a proposed constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;rolling back Missouri’s ban on abortion.&nbsp;The campaign behind the proposal ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/missouri-voters-will-decide-whether-to-legalize-abortion-in-november/">turned in enough signatures to earn a spot on the November ballot</a>, where it is set to appear as Amendment 3.&nbsp;On Thursday, Coleman, Kelly, Forck and Marguerite Forrest, the operator of a shelter for homeless pregnant women in St. Louis County, filed a new lawsuit in Cole Circuit Court arguing that the decision to place the amendment on the ballot should be reversed.The amendment violates the Missouri Constitution, the lawsuit argues, because it illegally includes more than one subject. It also fails to specify the laws and constitutional provisions that would be repealed if it were approved by voters, the lawsuit argues.&nbsp;In a joint statement released to the media, the plaintiffs said Amendment 3&nbsp;is a “direct threat to the lives of Missouri women by erasing the will of voters who chose to protect the safety of women and the child by electing strong pro-life leaders.”Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, which is supporting Amendment 3, called Thursday’s lawsuit “yet another baseless and desperate attempt from politicians to silence Missouri voters and prevent them from being heard. We will not let that happen.”Sweet said she is confident the courts will “see through this thinly veiled effort to block Missouri voters and dismiss it swiftly.”Missouri was the first state to ban abortion after the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning the constitutional right to the procedure. Since then, abortion has been virtually illegal, with limited exceptions only in cases of medical emergencies. There are no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest.If approved by voters, Amendment 3 would legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability, an undefined period of time generally seen as the point in which the fetus could survive outside the womb on its own, generally around 24 weeks, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.&nbsp;Such an amendment would return Missouri to the standard of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which also legalized abortion up to the point of fetal viability. Missouri’s amendment also includes exceptions after viability “to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”Missouri’s amendment also states that women and those performing or assisting in abortions cannot be prosecuted. Under current Missouri law, doctors who perform abortions deemed unnecessary can be charged with a class B felony and face up to 15 years in prison. Their medical license can also be suspended or revoked.The lawsuit filed Thursday argues that Amendment 3 illegally includes more than one subject, in part because of its use of the phrase “fundamental right to reproductive freedom.”&nbsp;The lawsuit argues this phrase is “unlimited in scope” and is “systematically neutralizing all laws, existing or future, that attempt to limit this new, limitless ‘right to reproductive freedom.’” It lays out numerous restrictions on abortion and other laws that could be repealed by Amendment 3 if it were approved by voters, including restrictions on when abortions can be performed and bans on certain stem cell research.&nbsp;

Lawsuit seeks to knock Missouri abortion-rights amendment off Nov. 5 ballot

HOLT COUNTY—One person died and two were injured in an accident in an accident just before 3:30a.m. Sunday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Chevy Malibu driven by Chelsey J. Guyer, 21, Fillmore, was northbound on U.S. 59

The car crossed the center line and struck a southbound 2018 Ford Ecosport driven by Angela S. Woods, 57, Oregon, Missouri.&nbsp; After impact both vehicles traveled into the ditch.

Woods was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Chamberlin Funeral Home in Oregon.&nbsp; Atchison-Holt ambulance transported Guyer to Mosaic in St. Joseph. She was later air-lifted to Truman Medical Center.

Andrew County EMS transported a passenger in the Chevy Peyton A. Ohnemus, 28, Oregon, Missouri, to Mosaic Life Care. Guyer was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

HOLT COUNTY—One person died and two were injured in an accident in an accident just before 3:30a.m. Sunday in Holt County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Chevy Malibu driven by Chelsey J. Guyer, 21, Fillmore, was northbound on U.S. 59The car crossed the center line and struck a southbound 2018 Ford Ecosport driven by Angela S. Woods, 57, Oregon, Missouri.&nbsp; After impact both vehicles traveled into the ditch.Woods was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Chamberlin Funeral Home in Oregon.&nbsp; Atchison-Holt ambulance transported Guyer to Mosaic in St. Joseph. She was later air-lifted to Truman Medical Center.Andrew County EMS transported a passenger in the Chevy Peyton A. Ohnemus, 28, Oregon, Missouri, to Mosaic Life Care. Guyer was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Missouri woman dead, 2 injured after car, SUV crash

WASHINGTON —While talks continue to accomplish a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, U.S. forces continue to face attacks in the Red Sea and Yemen.

On Friday&nbsp;U.S. forces killed&nbsp;Abu-’Abd al-Rahman al-Makki, a senior leader and commander with the Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group, Hurras al-Din, in a U.S. drone Strike in northwestern Syria, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

He was responsible for overseeing terrorist operations from Syria.

Also on Friday, U.S. forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi missile system in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen and on August 22, destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi drones over the Red Sea and and another in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.  

On August 21, U.S. forces successfully destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi surface-to-air missile and radar system in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.

WASHINGTON —While talks continue to accomplish a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, U.S. forces continue to face attacks in the Red Sea and Yemen.On Friday&nbsp;U.S. forces killed&nbsp;Abu-’Abd al-Rahman al-Makki, a senior leader and commander with the Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group, Hurras al-Din, in a U.S. drone Strike in northwestern Syria, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.He was responsible for overseeing terrorist operations from Syria.Also on Friday, U.S. forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi missile system in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen and on August 22, destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi drones over the Red Sea and and another in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen. On August 21, U.S. forces successfully destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi surface-to-air missile and radar system in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.

Deadly week for U.S. forces in the Middle East

(Radio Iowa) - At least two more Iowa schools have recently moved to ban smart phones from high school classrooms. 

Cell phones were already prohibited in elementary and middle school classrooms in the Carroll Community School District, but the ban now extends to the high school. High schoolers WILL be allowed to put their cell phones, smart watches and ear buds in their lockers -- and check them during lunch or between classes. 

In May, Des Moines Hoover High School administrators announced students would not be allowed to use smart phones, AirPods or other personal electronics during the school day. High schoolers in Ottumwa may take their phones to school, but have to store the devices in their locker all day.

(Radio Iowa) - At least two more Iowa schools have recently moved to ban smart phones from high school classrooms. Cell phones were already prohibited in elementary and middle school classrooms in the Carroll Community School District, but the ban now extends to the high school. High schoolers WILL be allowed to put their cell phones, smart watches and ear buds in their lockers -- and check them during lunch or between classes. In May, Des Moines Hoover High School administrators announced students would not be allowed to use smart phones, AirPods or other personal electronics during the school day. High schoolers in Ottumwa may take their phones to school, but have to store the devices in their locker all day.

More schools move to ban cell phones, smart watches

(Radio Iowa) - A sweltering, late summer heat wave that would've been expected during the Iowa State Fair will arrive this weekend instead.

 Meteorologist Marvin Percha, at the National Weather Service, says most of the state will see high temperatures this afternoon in the 70s and low 80s, but that will change tomorrow, as highs again climb into the mid to upper 90s, and heat indices bound into triple digits. 

Percha says Sunday may be the hottest day, and he anticipates the steamy weather will last well into next week.

(Radio Iowa) - A sweltering, late summer heat wave that would've been expected during the Iowa State Fair will arrive this weekend instead. Meteorologist Marvin Percha, at the National Weather Service, says most of the state will see high temperatures this afternoon in the 70s and low 80s, but that will change tomorrow, as highs again climb into the mid to upper 90s, and heat indices bound into triple digits. Percha says Sunday may be the hottest day, and he anticipates the steamy weather will last well into next week.

Steamy, summertime heat returns to Iowa for an extended stay

Registration is now open for CattleCon 2025, which is in San Antonio, Texas, February 4-6. This annual event is where the beef industry meets to conduct business, attend educational sessions, experience engaging speakers, and enjoy family fun. “CattleCon is the biggest industry event of the year,” says Mark Eisele, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “Cattle producers from across the country will gather to make decisions, network, learn, and have some fun.” 

For those arriving early, there will be an immersive grazing management workshop and tour on Monday, February 3. The pre-convention tour is tailored for cattle producers aiming to deepen their expertise in effective grazing strategies. CattleCon officially kicks off on Tuesday, February 4, and the cattle industry will be hard at work guiding both Beef Checkoff and NCBA policy programs. Several registration options are available. For more information or to register and reserve housing, go to convention.ncba.org.

Registration is now open for CattleCon 2025, which is in San Antonio, Texas, February 4-6. This annual event is where the beef industry meets to conduct business, attend educational sessions, experience engaging speakers, and enjoy family fun. “CattleCon is the biggest industry event of the year,” says Mark Eisele, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “Cattle producers from across the country will gather to make decisions, network, learn, and have some fun.” For those arriving early, there will be an immersive grazing management workshop and tour on Monday, February 3. The pre-convention tour is tailored for cattle producers aiming to deepen their expertise in effective grazing strategies. CattleCon officially kicks off on Tuesday, February 4, and the cattle industry will be hard at work guiding both Beef Checkoff and NCBA policy programs. Several registration options are available. For more information or to register and reserve housing, go to convention.ncba.org.-NAFB

CattleCon 2025 registration is now open

JOHNSON COUNTY —Ohio Senator and Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance made a campaign fundraising stop in Mission Hills Thursday evening.

Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall shared on social media a photo welcoming Vance to Kansas.

The campaign charged $5,000 per couple to attend the fundraiser and $10,000 per couple for photos.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724374186136.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Ohio Senator and Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance made a campaign fundraising stop in Mission Hills Thursday evening.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724427243614.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall shared on social media a photo welcoming Vance to Kansas.The campaign charged $5,000 per couple to attend the fundraiser and $10,000 per couple for photos.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trump's running mate makes campaign stop in Kansas

Optimism seems to be fading that a cease fire proposed by the
United States will be accepted to pause the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Kansas U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican member of the
Senate Intelligence Committee, says these are difficult negotiations between
long-time enemies.

“Well, I don’t know, there have been lots of efforts at trying
to put in place a cease fire. None of them have worked to date. And it seems
both sides are difficult to deal with,” Moran tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post during
a recent visit to Elwood.

Moran is doubtful this latest attempt by the United States to
bring the two sides together will work.

“I hope that there can be some kind of coming together for
peace or a better circumstance for people,” Moran says.

Still Moran holds out hope the United States can bring the two
sides together this time.

“So, we hope and pray that there’s solution that protects the
Israeli citizens and provides a safe and secure place for everyone.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East and
had thought Israel and Hamas had agreed to terms for a pause in the fight and
the release of hostages.

The conflict ignited after Hamas attacked Israeli citizens in
October, killing more than a thousand, taking more than 100 hostage. Israel
launched an all-out war against Hamas. It is estimated more than 40,000 have
been killed in the war.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716140421905.png" alt="Sen. Jerry Moran/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Jerry Moran/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostOptimism seems to be fading that a cease fire proposed by the
United States will be accepted to pause the fighting between Israel and Hamas.Kansas U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican member of the
Senate Intelligence Committee, says these are difficult negotiations between
long-time enemies.“Well, I don’t know, there have been lots of efforts at trying
to put in place a cease fire. None of them have worked to date. And it seems
both sides are difficult to deal with,” Moran tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post during
a recent visit to Elwood.Moran is doubtful this latest attempt by the United States to
bring the two sides together will work.“I hope that there can be some kind of coming together for
peace or a better circumstance for people,” Moran says.Still Moran holds out hope the United States can bring the two
sides together this time.“So, we hope and pray that there’s solution that protects the
Israeli citizens and provides a safe and secure place for everyone.”Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East and
had thought Israel and Hamas had agreed to terms for a pause in the fight and
the release of hostages.The conflict ignited after Hamas attacked Israeli citizens in
October, killing more than a thousand, taking more than 100 hostage. Israel
launched an all-out war against Hamas. It is estimated more than 40,000 have
been killed in the war.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Sen. Moran cautious on whether Israel/Hamas cease fire will be reached

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds says she has not opted out of a federal program to provide food to needy Iowa child next summer, she's just waiting to see if the U-S-D-A will let her use the money to set up a new system in Iowa for distributing it. 

Iowa was one of 13 states that did not participate in THIS summer's U-S-D-A program which provided families with an extra 140 dollars in grocery money for each child who qualifies for free or reduced price school lunches. 

Reynolds has drawn up a plan to distribute the 29 million dollars in benefits by having the state buy the food and box it up. She says boxes would be distributed by the 12-hundred food banks and food pantries in Iowa as well as the 500 sites, mostly schools, that provided summer meals this summer.

(Radio Iowa) - Governor Kim Reynolds says she has not opted out of a federal program to provide food to needy Iowa child next summer, she's just waiting to see if the U-S-D-A will let her use the money to set up a new system in Iowa for distributing it. Iowa was one of 13 states that did not participate in THIS summer's U-S-D-A program which provided families with an extra 140 dollars in grocery money for each child who qualifies for free or reduced price school lunches. Reynolds has drawn up a plan to distribute the 29 million dollars in benefits by having the state buy the food and box it up. She says boxes would be distributed by the 12-hundred food banks and food pantries in Iowa as well as the 500 sites, mostly schools, that provided summer meals this summer.

Reynolds lobbying for USDA waiver for distributing food to needy next summer

St. Joseph's Noah Cameron has had quite the journey since being drafted by the Royals in 2021.  

An alum of Central High School, Cameron jumped from High A Quad Cities to Double A Northwest Arkansas last year. 

Cameron finished last year 3-10 with a 6.10 ERA, striking out 74 batters in 17 starts.  After the season, Cameron made some adjustments, including adding a new pitch, the cutter. 

A new pitch and a better feel for better talent led to better results for Cameron who went 4- 4 for Northwest Arkansas in 16 starts.  Then, came the call from Triple A Omaha  

Cameron had a no decision in his first game with Omaha throwing 6.2 innings, striking out 10, giving up one run.  

The first win for Cameron, a left-handed pitcher, evaded him through his first three starts, before finally earning it this past Sunday.  

Cameron says it felt good to get that first win. 

"You know to have that record, just on record and you get six wins in a row and you're like wow that's awesome and you're 6-0 and it looks good and all that stuff for sure," Cameron tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post during a phone interview while the Stormchasers are in a series in Buffalo,. "So, it's definitely nice."

In the win, Cameron pitched six innings and gave up just one hit while striking out seven and walking three.&nbsp; Before giving up a triple to the second batter he faced in the sixth inning, Cameron pitched 5.1 hitless innings.

Cameron says since arriving in Omaha, he's leaned on a number of veterans, who have various years of major league experience such as Alec Marsh, Daniel Lynch, and Dinelson Lamet. 

"They're at the same level as I am right now, so it's interesting to just see how it's like they were in the big leagues for years and years and their experience up there, and then it's like ok now they're kind of on the grind of they're not happy to be here cause they want to be up in the big leagues cause that's where they were," Cameron explains. "So, it's definitely really cool to just talk to them and see how everything works." 

Along with working alongside many veterans in Omaha, he also gets to work with legendary manager Mike Jirschele, who has won over 1,000 games in Omaha, and also has a World Series ring. 

Cameron says working with 'Jirsch', as he's more commonly known, has been amazing 

"You know the first thing he told me when I came in, he was like "Noah, we win here, you ready to do that?" and I was like absolutely let's do it," Cameron says. "So, it was cool to just see that's just the culture he wants to just have in the clubhouse, and obviously that's what we're doing this year, which is awesome, so yeah he's a good dude."

The Stormchasers clinched a playoff spot after a 9-4 win over the Louisville Bats on June 18th, also securing home field advantage in the International League Championship series, it's the teams first playoff trip in 10 years.

In four starts with Omaha, Cameron is 1-0 with a 1.07 ERA and 30 strikeouts. He currently ranks as the Royals #12 prospect

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724357942438.jpeg" alt="Noah Cameron/ Photo courtesy of the Omaha Stormchasers" />
 <figcaption>Noah Cameron/ Photo courtesy of the Omaha Stormchasers</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post St. Joseph's Noah Cameron has had quite the journey since being drafted by the Royals in 2021. An alum of Central High School, Cameron jumped from High A Quad Cities to Double A Northwest Arkansas last year. Cameron finished last year 3-10 with a 6.10 ERA, striking out 74 batters in 17 starts. After the season, Cameron made some adjustments, including adding a new pitch, the cutter. A new pitch and a better feel for better talent led to better results for Cameron who went 4- 4 for Northwest Arkansas in 16 starts. Then, came the call from Triple A Omaha Cameron had a no decision in his first game with Omaha throwing 6.2 innings, striking out 10, giving up one run. The first win for Cameron, a left-handed pitcher, evaded him through his first three starts, before finally earning it this past Sunday. Cameron says it felt good to get that first win. "You know to have that record, just on record and you get six wins in a row and you're like wow that's awesome and you're 6-0 and it looks good and all that stuff for sure," Cameron tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post during a phone interview while the Stormchasers are in a series in Buffalo,. "So, it's definitely nice."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Noah has been lights out 😤 <a href="https://t.co/TUvOYDlMoK">pic.twitter.com/TUvOYDlMoK</a>&mdash; Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) <a href="https://twitter.com/OMAStormChasers/status/1825573942993605095?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In the win, Cameron pitched six innings and gave up just one hit while striking out seven and walking three.&nbsp; Before giving up a triple to the second batter he faced in the sixth inning, Cameron pitched 5.1 hitless innings.Cameron says since arriving in Omaha, he's leaned on a number of veterans, who have various years of major league experience such as Alec Marsh, Daniel Lynch, and Dinelson Lamet. "They're at the same level as I am right now, so it's interesting to just see how it's like they were in the big leagues for years and years and their experience up there, and then it's like ok now they're kind of on the grind of they're not happy to be here cause they want to be up in the big leagues cause that's where they were," Cameron explains. "So, it's definitely really cool to just talk to them and see how everything works." Along with working alongside many veterans in Omaha, he also gets to work with legendary manager Mike Jirschele, who has won over 1,000 games in Omaha, and also has a World Series ring. Cameron says working with 'Jirsch', as he's more commonly known, has been amazing "You know the first thing he told me when I came in, he was like "Noah, we win here, you ready to do that?" and I was like absolutely let's do it," Cameron says. "So, it was cool to just see that's just the culture he wants to just have in the clubhouse, and obviously that's what we're doing this year, which is awesome, so yeah he's a good dude."The Stormchasers clinched a playoff spot after a 9-4 win over the Louisville Bats on June 18th, also securing home field advantage in the International League Championship series, it's the teams first playoff trip in 10 years.In four starts with Omaha, Cameron is 1-0 with a 1.07 ERA and 30 strikeouts. He currently ranks as the Royals #12 prospect<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724358099235.jpeg" alt="Noah Cameron leaves the mound after striking out seven over six innings /Courtesy of Omaha Stormchasers" />
 <figcaption>Noah Cameron leaves the mound after striking out seven over six innings /Courtesy of Omaha Stormchasers</figcaption>
 </figure>Journal<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Noah-Cameron-journeys-through-the-Royals-farm-system-e2ngihi" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>Full Interview with Noah Cameron<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Full-Interview-Noah-Camerons-journey-through-the-Royals-farm-system-e2nge10" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Royals prospect, St. Joseph's own Noah Cameron thriving in Omaha

COCHISE COUNTY, Arizona —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for a a threat to kill Donald Trump and after a manhunt took him into custody. The former President visited the border Thursday and will hold a rally there Friday.

Early Wednesday, the Cochise County, Arizona Sheriff's office issued an alert&nbsp; and asked for help searching for a 66-year-old Ronald Lee Syvud of Benson, Arizona for threats to kill a presidential candidate, according to a media release.

Late Thursday afternoon the sheriff's office reported Syvrud had been taken into custody without incident in Cochise County.&nbsp;

Syvrud also has outstanding warrants from the state of Wisconsin for DUI / Failure to Appear for DUI and from Graham County Arizona for Hit/Run and Felony Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office also has an absconder hold for him for failing to register as a sex offender.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724366666958.png" alt="Ronald Lee Syvrud photo Cochise County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Ronald Lee Syvrud photo Cochise County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>COCHISE COUNTY, Arizona —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for a a threat to kill Donald Trump and after a manhunt took him into custody. The former President visited the border Thursday and will hold a rally there Friday.Early Wednesday, the Cochise County, Arizona Sheriff's office issued an alert&nbsp; and asked for help searching for a 66-year-old Ronald Lee Syvud of Benson, Arizona for threats to kill a presidential candidate, according to a media release.Late Thursday afternoon the sheriff's office reported Syvrud had been taken into custody without incident in Cochise County.&nbsp;Syvrud also has outstanding warrants from the state of Wisconsin for DUI / Failure to Appear for DUI and from Graham County Arizona for Hit/Run and Felony Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office also has an absconder hold for him for failing to register as a sex offender.

Sex offender accused of threatening to kill Trump captured after manhunt 

(Radio Iowa) -&nbsp;Governor Kim Reynolds has unveiled a state website that lists child care openings. 

A couple of years ago, the state created an online platform that licensed child care providers could use to track enrollment and manage payroll. The governor says the 35-hundred child care providers using that system are now part of this new website that shows child care openings and the range of services provided, although pricing is not listed. 

State officials believe Iowa is the first state to offer this kind of real-time data in one place online. The website is called Iowa Child Care Connect.

(Radio Iowa) -&nbsp;Governor Kim Reynolds has unveiled a state website that lists child care openings. A couple of years ago, the state created an online platform that licensed child care providers could use to track enrollment and manage payroll. The governor says the 35-hundred child care providers using that system are now part of this new website that shows child care openings and the range of services provided, although pricing is not listed. State officials believe Iowa is the first state to offer this kind of real-time data in one place online. The website is called Iowa Child Care Connect.

New state website tracks Iowa child care openings

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed today that he will sit out the season-opening game on August 31st as a self-imposed penalty for a recruiting violation. 

Ferentz says he cannot go into further detail as the investigation is ongoing. He says he made a mistake during the recruiting process and apologized to the players, coaching staff, administration, and fans. 

Hawkeye wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr will also be suspended for Iowa's season opener against Illinois State on August 31st.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed today that he will sit out the season-opening game on August 31st as a self-imposed penalty for a recruiting violation. Ferentz says he cannot go into further detail as the investigation is ongoing. He says he made a mistake during the recruiting process and apologized to the players, coaching staff, administration, and fans. Hawkeye wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr will also be suspended for Iowa's season opener against Illinois State on August 31st.

Iowa Football Coach Suspended For Season Opener

The Department of Mental Health said the number of people waiting in jail to be transferred to psychiatric hospitals will continue to rise because inpatient beds are at capacity

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

The number of people languishing in Missouri jails in need of court-ordered mental health treatment currently stands at 344 — and the wait time for a hospital bed averages one year.&nbsp;

That’s up from 254 people this time last year, according to Missouri Department of Mental Health data provided to The Independent. A&nbsp;spokeswoman for the department said that because the agency’s inpatient beds are at capacity, the number of people waiting in jails for treatment will continue to rise.

Debra Walker, the department’s spokeswoman, said February was the first month the number of individuals waiting ever exceeded 300.

None of the people on the waitlist have been convicted of a crime. They were arrested, found incompetent to stand trial and ordered by the court into mental health treatment,&nbsp;designed to allow them to stand trial, a process called competency restoration that generally includes therapy and medication.&nbsp;

“We do want to increase the number of individuals who are getting competency restoration,” said Jeanette Simmons, deputy division director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Division of Behavioral Health, during a mental health commission meeting earlier this month.&nbsp;“We have a growing number of individuals who are waiting for those services.”

Missouri has faced a years-long struggle with this issue, due to increasing numbers of court referrals for competency restoration, staffing issues and limited psychiatric hospital capacity. It’s worsened over the last year.

The legislature appropriated $300 million this year for Department of Mental Health to open a new hospital in Kansas City, but it could be around five&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/12/285-missourians-waiting-in-jails-to-be-moved-to-hospitals-for-mental-health-services/">years</a>&nbsp;before construction is complete.

State officials are also working to implement the “jail-based competency restoration” program approved by the legislature this year in response to the issue.&nbsp;This year’s budget set aside $2.5 million for the jail-based competency programs to be established in jails in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jackson County, Clay County and Greene County.

Services in jail-based competency restoration will include room and board, along with medical care for 10 slots at each jail, contracted staff from a local behavioral health organization, and psychiatric care from “mobile team practitioners.”

The department is currently training two agencies in Kansas City that will be going into county jails to provide jail-based treatment. Clay County has a “tentative go live date” for September, Simmons said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724349973891.png" alt=" Missouri's Department of Mental Health building in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri's Department of Mental Health building in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Department of Mental Health said the number of people waiting in jail to be transferred to psychiatric hospitals will continue to rise because inpatient beds are at capacity</h2>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>The number of people languishing in Missouri jails in need of court-ordered mental health treatment currently stands at 344 — and the wait time for a hospital bed averages one year.&nbsp;That’s up from 254 people this time last year, according to Missouri Department of Mental Health data provided to The Independent. A&nbsp;spokeswoman for the department said that because the agency’s inpatient beds are at capacity, the number of people waiting in jails for treatment will continue to rise.Debra Walker, the department’s spokeswoman, said February was the first month the number of individuals waiting ever exceeded 300.None of the people on the waitlist have been convicted of a crime. They were arrested, found incompetent to stand trial and ordered by the court into mental health treatment,&nbsp;designed to allow them to stand trial, a process called competency restoration that generally includes therapy and medication.&nbsp;“We do want to increase the number of individuals who are getting competency restoration,” said Jeanette Simmons, deputy division director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Division of Behavioral Health, during a mental health commission meeting earlier this month.&nbsp;“We have a growing number of individuals who are waiting for those services.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724349935850.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri has faced a years-long struggle with this issue, due to increasing numbers of court referrals for competency restoration, staffing issues and limited psychiatric hospital capacity. It’s worsened over the last year.The legislature appropriated $300 million this year for Department of Mental Health to open a new hospital in Kansas City, but it could be around five&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/12/285-missourians-waiting-in-jails-to-be-moved-to-hospitals-for-mental-health-services/">years</a>&nbsp;before construction is complete.State officials are also working to implement the “jail-based competency restoration” program approved by the legislature this year in response to the issue.&nbsp;This year’s budget set aside $2.5 million for the jail-based competency programs to be established in jails in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jackson County, Clay County and Greene County.Services in jail-based competency restoration will include room and board, along with medical care for 10 slots at each jail, contracted staff from a local behavioral health organization, and psychiatric care from “mobile team practitioners.”The department is currently training two agencies in Kansas City that will be going into county jails to provide jail-based treatment. Clay County has a “tentative go live date” for September, Simmons said.“So we're really looking forward to that and getting that launched, because we do believe that it's going to take a multifaceted approach to target those numbers,” she said.Simmons said the agency has mobile teams of doctors going into county jails prescribing medications “to try and get folks started on those medications that they need to stabilize their mental illness.” The department is working with community behavioral health liaisons as well as jail mental health or medical staff, she said, to get people services.The Department of Mental Health is also working on trying to get information to the courts about outpatient restoration, for those who can be safely treated in the community and don't require hospital-level care.&nbsp;A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/23info/pdf-bill/tat/SB106.pdf" target="_blank">law</a>&nbsp;passed this year gives the agency the authority to treat certain arrested people on an outpatient basis.“Sometimes I think the courts don’t really consider that as an option,” Simmons said of outpatient treatment. “It’s something very new.”In other states, including some bordering Missouri, lawsuits have been filed over similar wait times, alleging they violate individuals’ rights to due process and the Americans with Disabilities Act.A federal lawsuit filed last year in Oklahoma&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomawatch.org/2023/03/01/oklahomans-languish-in-jail-awaiting-mental-health-care-federal-lawsuit-claims/" target="_blank">alleged</a>&nbsp;jails are holding patients for three months to one year. A&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/oag/documents/news-documents/2024/june/Joint%20Motion.pdf" target="_blank">proposed settlement</a>&nbsp;set a benchmark of a 60 day maximum wait and ultimately a goal of 21 days, but it has faced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-a-political-fight-is-delaying-timely-mental-health-treatment-in-oklahomas-jails" target="_blank">opposition</a>&nbsp;from the governor.A lawsuit filed in Kansas in 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclukansas.org/en/press-releases/aclu-kansas-sues-over-unconstitutionally-long-wait-times-competency-evaluations-and" target="_blank">alleged</a>&nbsp;that individuals are detained for longer waiting for a psychiatric bed than they would be if they had been convicted. Many of the charges are for low-level crimes, national&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/12/when-mental-illness-becomes-jail-sentence/603154/" target="_blank">investigations</a>&nbsp;have found.County sheriffs and jail administrators in Missouri have raised the alarm about challenges caring for individuals who are being detained pretrial. And state officials have acknowledged the long waits contribute to mental deterioration.The Missouri Sheriffs’ Association recently published an issue of their&nbsp;<a href="https://mosheriffs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Misssouri-Jails-Magazine-0624.pdf" target="_blank">‘Missouri Jails’ magazine</a>&nbsp;focused on managing mental health challenges in county jails, which shared several examples of local issues, including that one county spent $30,000 to provide around-the-clock guarding over a suspect for two months, because the secure medical centers didn’t have any openings.Some county sheriffs are looking to build or expand jails to combat the issue, according to the magazine, including by increasing the number of solitary cells to keep those with mental health diagnoses out of the general population. Others have contracted with private health provider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/07/30/oklahoma-jail-turn-key-health-deaths" target="_blank">Turn Key Health</a>&nbsp;Clinics to provide increased mental health care while people are awaiting transfer.&nbsp;“As mental health professionals and legislators struggle to find solutions to the crisis,” magazine contributor Michael Feeback wrote, “sheriffs and other agencies are looking for answers on their own.”&nbsp;

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