LIVINGSTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 2:30p.m. Saturday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by a 90-year-old Chillicothe man was traveling on Walnut Street and turned westbound into the parking lot of a business in Chillicothe. The diver mistook the brake for the gas pedal. The car accelerated and struck a 26-year-old Festus man who was exiting the business. The car came to rest on its wheels in the business.

Livingston County EMS transported the pedestrian to Hedrick Medical Center. He was later airlifted to Truman Medical Center. The driver was not injured.&nbsp;

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 2:30p.m. Saturday in Livingston County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by a 90-year-old Chillicothe man was traveling on Walnut Street and turned westbound into the parking lot of a business in Chillicothe. The diver mistook the brake for the gas pedal. The car accelerated and struck a 26-year-old Festus man who was exiting the business. The car came to rest on its wheels in the business.Livingston County EMS transported the pedestrian to Hedrick Medical Center. He was later airlifted to Truman Medical Center. The driver was not injured.&nbsp;

90-year-old Mo. driver strikes man in crash into business

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4WExW0XBtlIUPkNWB8nD0e?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Week in Review

EDITOR'S NOTE: The story has been updated. The Missouri State Highway Patrol crash log originally indicated a child was involved in the accident.

MERCER COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Friday in Mercer County.

THe Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Polaris Sportsman 500 driven by a 21-year-old Princeton man was eastbound on Desoto Avenue three miles SW of Mercer. The vehicle skidded, crossed the center of the road and overturned.

Mercy helicopter transported driver to Mercy One in Des Moines, Iowa for treatment of serious injuries. He not wearing a helmet, according to the patrol. The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The story has been updated. The Missouri State Highway Patrol crash log originally indicated a child was involved in the accident.MERCER COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Friday in Mercer County.THe Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Polaris Sportsman 500 driven by a 21-year-old Princeton man was eastbound on Desoto Avenue three miles SW of Mercer. The vehicle skidded, crossed the center of the road and overturned.Mercy helicopter transported driver to Mercy One in Des Moines, Iowa for treatment of serious injuries. He not wearing a helmet, according to the patrol. The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man air lifted to hospital after ATV accident

The YWCA has made upgrades to its facilities, updating the bathrooms for the people that live inside the emergency shelter.  

Originally, the facility had community style bathrooms.  CEO Danielle Brown says one of the first projects that came across her desk when she joined the YWCA, was updating the facilities 

"We now have eight individual bathrooms, so we have a place where each person who lives in our shelter, so mother, woman, child, can go and have their own space,” Brown tells reporters.  “And you know a lot of us we cry, we laugh, we dance, we have so many emotions in a bathroom just because it is a private place, and now everybody that we serve who is surviving domestic violence and sexual assault has that private place as well.” 

Brown says having that personal space can help give someone going through trauma a more positive perception 

"So, it's not just about the external factors of somebody telling me I’m great, but it’s also your surroundings, and if I’m surrounded by good things and I know then that I deserve them because they continue to come to me, then it’s just another step on that healing process,” Brown explains. 

Brown says the upgrade has helped provide individual space for each person that comes into the shelter but has also helped staff understand where they are trying to go with taking care of survivors.  

Brown says having that space gives individuals a space for privacy and dignity to have a little bit of individualism 

"To be able to take care of personal care needs every single day,” Brown says.  “The other thing that it’s done is it’s really helped staff understand where we’re trying to go, and where we’re going, where we’ve been with taking care of survivors, and making sure that we know that we have to meet them where they’re at and we just have to continue to add to their lives, and this project was one that we’re able to say hey you matter, we’re going to invest in you.” 

Brown says it also shows the community that they are investing in the shelter and helping survivors now and into the future. 

Next, the YWCA will work to upgrade its office facilities for its staff that work overnight at the shelter.

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

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe YWCA has made upgrades to its facilities, updating the bathrooms for the people that live inside the emergency shelter. Originally, the facility had community style bathrooms. CEO Danielle Brown says one of the first projects that came across her desk when she joined the YWCA, was updating the facilities "We now have eight individual bathrooms, so we have a place where each person who lives in our shelter, so mother, woman, child, can go and have their own space,” Brown tells reporters. “And you know a lot of us we cry, we laugh, we dance, we have so many emotions in a bathroom just because it is a private place, and now everybody that we serve who is surviving domestic violence and sexual assault has that private place as well.” Brown says having that personal space can help give someone going through trauma a more positive perception "So, it's not just about the external factors of somebody telling me I’m great, but it’s also your surroundings, and if I’m surrounded by good things and I know then that I deserve them because they continue to come to me, then it’s just another step on that healing process,” Brown explains. Brown says the upgrade has helped provide individual space for each person that comes into the shelter but has also helped staff understand where they are trying to go with taking care of survivors. Brown says having that space gives individuals a space for privacy and dignity to have a little bit of individualism "To be able to take care of personal care needs every single day,” Brown says. “The other thing that it’s done is it’s really helped staff understand where we’re trying to go, and where we’re going, where we’ve been with taking care of survivors, and making sure that we know that we have to meet them where they’re at and we just have to continue to add to their lives, and this project was one that we’re able to say hey you matter, we’re going to invest in you.” Brown says it also shows the community that they are investing in the shelter and helping survivors now and into the future. Next, the YWCA will work to upgrade its office facilities for its staff that work overnight at the shelter.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761323637407.jpeg" alt="A before and after of the bathroom renovation project at the YWCA/ Photo courtesy of the YWCA" />
 <figcaption>A before and after of the bathroom renovation project at the YWCA/ Photo courtesy of the YWCA</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

YWCA bathroom project helps give individuals more privacy

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0cb16dVYyk1OzYHllxsfrJ?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning Sports

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0ESlJEjjuZ86Vfl7Ijubgp?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning News

A group of
Savannah residents has taken on a huge task:&nbsp;
raising the money needed to build a new pool.

It will take
approximately $5 million to build a new aquatic center in Savannah.

Diane Gould with
Andrew County Aquatics Initiative says the current pool, built 61 years ago,
simply has served as long as it can.

“We have been
seeing escalating maintenance and it’s just gotten to the point where keeping
it open is becoming cost prohibitive,” Gould tells KFEQmmunity.

The group hopes to
raise $500,000 by the middle of next month to match a $500,000 Land and Water
Conservation Fund Grant. It has raised $340,00 so far.

The group reports
more than 30 local businesses and 350 individuals have donated to the campaign.

Gould manages the
pool and is a member of the Andrew County Aquatics Initiative. She says she is
motivated by the children who rely on the pool every summer.

“And those kids
don’t have a voice. But, at the pool, they would ask, what can I do? What can I
do to help? Are you sure it’s going to close? My heart bled for them every day,”
Gould says. “We are the voice for hundreds and hundreds of kids in our
community who cannot have a voice for themselves.”

As the Andrew
County Aquatics Initiative works to secure the entire grant, member Christie
Lightle says there is a special tie-in with this particular grant.

“And the
interesting about that grant is that that very grant is what funded the original
build of our pool back in 1964,” Lightle says. “So, there’s a lot of interest I
think on their part in us succeeding and getting that as well, because that’s a
great legacy to carry on.”

Children fanned
out across Savannah Thursday night, a special trick-or-treat night during which
the children asked for donations rather than candy.

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761161215654.jpeg" alt="Andrew County Aquatics Initiative photo" />
 <figcaption>Andrew County Aquatics Initiative photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA group of
Savannah residents has taken on a huge task:&nbsp;
raising the money needed to build a new pool.It will take
approximately $5 million to build a new aquatic center in Savannah.Diane Gould with
Andrew County Aquatics Initiative says the current pool, built 61 years ago,
simply has served as long as it can.“We have been
seeing escalating maintenance and it’s just gotten to the point where keeping
it open is becoming cost prohibitive,” Gould tells KFEQmmunity.The group hopes to
raise $500,000 by the middle of next month to match a $500,000 Land and Water
Conservation Fund Grant. It has raised $340,00 so far.The group reports
more than 30 local businesses and 350 individuals have donated to the campaign.Gould manages the
pool and is a member of the Andrew County Aquatics Initiative. She says she is
motivated by the children who rely on the pool every summer.“And those kids
don’t have a voice. But, at the pool, they would ask, what can I do? What can I
do to help? Are you sure it’s going to close? My heart bled for them every day,”
Gould says. “We are the voice for hundreds and hundreds of kids in our
community who cannot have a voice for themselves.”As the Andrew
County Aquatics Initiative works to secure the entire grant, member Christie
Lightle says there is a special tie-in with this particular grant.“And the
interesting about that grant is that that very grant is what funded the original
build of our pool back in 1964,” Lightle says. “So, there’s a lot of interest I
think on their part in us succeeding and getting that as well, because that’s a
great legacy to carry on.”Children fanned
out across Savannah Thursday night, a special trick-or-treat night during which
the children asked for donations rather than candy.You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

Savannah group works to raise money to build $5M pool

Soybeans are Missouri’s most valuable agricultural product. The state produced nearly $2.9 billion worth of the crop last year, which ranked sixth nationally

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/patrickhatzis/">Patrick Hatzis</a>

U.S. tariff measures, combined with China’s halted soybean purchases, are hitting Missouri farmers where it hurts, threatening billions of dollars in export revenue and shaking Missouri’s agricultural backbone.

Since April 2, the day President Donald Trump dubbed “Liberation Day” and imposed sweeping tariffs on America’s trade partners, businesses have been scrambling to adapt. Missouri is no different, with its agriculture sector being heavily strained.

Soybeans are Missouri’s most valuable agricultural product. The state<a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=MISSOURI&amp;year=2024" target="_blank">produced nearly&nbsp;$2.9 billion</a>&nbsp;worth of the crop last year, which&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lngBEpqHyk5VbVJQszVbjZ74uVn003qWw5zwW16I16o/edit?gid=0#gid=0" target="_blank">ranked sixth nationally</a>.

But amidst tariffs and a trade dispute with China, which previously was the biggest importer of U.S. soybeans, American farmers are seeing a steep drop in exports.

Bryant Kagay owns Kagay Farms in Maysville, where he primarily grows corn, soybeans and wheat. Kagay said he has experienced a “significant” drop in soybean prices.

“Over the past several months, there’s been a pretty good decline through the growing season for the expected cash price of soybeans,” Kagay said.

At the center of this struggle is the tense trade relationship between the U.S. and China. In 2024, U.S. farmers sold more than $12.6 billion worth of soybeans to China, making up more than half of all American soybean exports,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/commodities/soybeans" target="_blank">according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>.

China was one of the first major targets of tariffs after Trump began his second term. Following a series of trade escalations earlier in the year, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods reached as high as 125% in April. However, a temporary agreement reached in May significantly rolled back many of those increases.

Currently, the baseline import tax on Chinese products stands at 10%, though certain products still face additional duties above that level.

In response, Beijing not only has utilized reciprocal tariffs, but also has stopped purchasing U.S soybeans, which has been detrimental to American farmers.

“Trade wars are harmful to everyone, and these latest developments are deeply disappointing at a moment when soybean farmers are facing an ever-growing financial crisis.” Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association, said&nbsp;<a href="https://soygrowers.com/news-releases/asa-statement-on-canceled-u-s-china-meeting-and-rising-trade-tensions/" target="_blank">in a statement</a>&nbsp;issued Oct. 10.

While global demand for U.S soybeans shrinks and prices decline, many producers are struggling to cover their costs. Currently, soybean prices are hovering around $10 per bushel, well below their $13 per bushel level in December 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/graphics/data/pricesb.txt" target="_blank">according to the USDA</a>.

“The fact that China is not buying soybeans now has been a very big negative for the market, causing prices to be lower and their producer returns to be far less than they would have been otherwise,” said Pat Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri.

In addition to torpedoing demand for U.S. soybeans, the Trump administration’s trade measures have posed challenges for farmers and business owners because of their unpredictable nature.

Tariff policies have changed rapidly, and court cases against some tariffs are still pending, leaving many Missouri farmers left without a clear roadmap.

“Farmers are trying to decide which crop to plant next spring, which investments to make. It’s really hard to know for sure what to do,” Westhoff said. “Producers have to make choices about what they’re going to do in 2026 and beyond. … That’s hard to do when the environment is as uncertain as it is today.”

Many Missouri farmers may face difficult choices about how to stay profitable amid the shifting trade landscape. With global demand becoming less predictable and more scarce, farmers and policymakers are being forced to start considering ways to strengthen the domestic soybean market.

One promising area of growth lies in the expanding biofuel industry, which experts say has the potential to create more stable domestic demand for agricultural commodities.

“If there were more demand for biofuels, that would result in increased demand for corn to make ethanol, and increased demand for soybean oil to make biodiesel,” Westhoff said. “So if we were to have policy changes that encourage the use of those biofuels, that could be a positive to demand for agricultural products and support prices in the face of lost markets overseas.”

Despite the potential to develop a bigger domestic market in the future, farmers are struggling right now. To ease the burden, the federal government has discussed deploying trade relief packages, including payments under programs like the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/protection-recovery/mfp" target="_blank">Market Facilitation Program</a>, which was used when Trump imposed tariffs on China in his first term.

“There’s talk these days of a possible aid package that might provide some benefits to producers of soybeans and other crops and other livestock products,” Westhoff said. “If there’s not any additional assistance provided and we continue to have the sorts of disruptions we’ve had, I’d expect fewer people to plant soybeans in 2026.”

Still, while federal aid packages may offer a temporary lifeline, many farmers say they aren’t a long-term fix.

“I think they just ultimately cause inflation,” Kagay said. “What’s going to happen ultimately, the seed, chemical, fertilizer equipment dealers are going to get that money, and it just kind of kicks the can down the road.”

This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/government/soybean-farmers-see-demand-uprooted-plans-disrupted-by-chinese-trade-dispute/article_c0dc34a8-90c2-4933-94bc-053af3ca9847.html" target="_blank">Missouri Business Alert</a>, a digital newsroom covering business and the economy in Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761302236324.png" alt=" Bryant Kagay, owner of Kagay Farms in northwest Missouri, says he has seen a “significant” drop in soybean prices with China ceasing purchases of the crop from the U.S. (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption> Bryant Kagay, owner of Kagay Farms in northwest Missouri, says he has seen a “significant” drop in soybean prices with China ceasing purchases of the crop from the U.S. (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Soybeans are Missouri’s most valuable agricultural product. The state produced nearly $2.9 billion worth of the crop last year, which ranked sixth nationally</h2>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/patrickhatzis/">Patrick Hatzis</a>U.S. tariff measures, combined with China’s halted soybean purchases, are hitting Missouri farmers where it hurts, threatening billions of dollars in export revenue and shaking Missouri’s agricultural backbone.Since April 2, the day President Donald Trump dubbed “Liberation Day” and imposed sweeping tariffs on America’s trade partners, businesses have been scrambling to adapt. Missouri is no different, with its agriculture sector being heavily strained.Soybeans are Missouri’s most valuable agricultural product. The state<a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=MISSOURI&amp;year=2024" target="_blank">produced nearly&nbsp;$2.9 billion</a>&nbsp;worth of the crop last year, which&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lngBEpqHyk5VbVJQszVbjZ74uVn003qWw5zwW16I16o/edit?gid=0#gid=0" target="_blank">ranked sixth nationally</a>.But amidst tariffs and a trade dispute with China, which previously was the biggest importer of U.S. soybeans, American farmers are seeing a steep drop in exports.Bryant Kagay owns Kagay Farms in Maysville, where he primarily grows corn, soybeans and wheat. Kagay said he has experienced a “significant” drop in soybean prices.“Over the past several months, there’s been a pretty good decline through the growing season for the expected cash price of soybeans,” Kagay said.At the center of this struggle is the tense trade relationship between the U.S. and China. In 2024, U.S. farmers sold more than $12.6 billion worth of soybeans to China, making up more than half of all American soybean exports,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/commodities/soybeans" target="_blank">according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>.China was one of the first major targets of tariffs after Trump began his second term. Following a series of trade escalations earlier in the year, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods reached as high as 125% in April. However, a temporary agreement reached in May significantly rolled back many of those increases.Currently, the baseline import tax on Chinese products stands at 10%, though certain products still face additional duties above that level.In response, Beijing not only has utilized reciprocal tariffs, but also has stopped purchasing U.S soybeans, which has been detrimental to American farmers.“Trade wars are harmful to everyone, and these latest developments are deeply disappointing at a moment when soybean farmers are facing an ever-growing financial crisis.” Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association, said&nbsp;<a href="https://soygrowers.com/news-releases/asa-statement-on-canceled-u-s-china-meeting-and-rising-trade-tensions/" target="_blank">in a statement</a>&nbsp;issued Oct. 10.While global demand for U.S soybeans shrinks and prices decline, many producers are struggling to cover their costs. Currently, soybean prices are hovering around $10 per bushel, well below their $13 per bushel level in December 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/graphics/data/pricesb.txt" target="_blank">according to the USDA</a>.“The fact that China is not buying soybeans now has been a very big negative for the market, causing prices to be lower and their producer returns to be far less than they would have been otherwise,” said Pat Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri.In addition to torpedoing demand for U.S. soybeans, the Trump administration’s trade measures have posed challenges for farmers and business owners because of their unpredictable nature.Tariff policies have changed rapidly, and court cases against some tariffs are still pending, leaving many Missouri farmers left without a clear roadmap.“Farmers are trying to decide which crop to plant next spring, which investments to make. It’s really hard to know for sure what to do,” Westhoff said. “Producers have to make choices about what they’re going to do in 2026 and beyond. … That’s hard to do when the environment is as uncertain as it is today.”Many Missouri farmers may face difficult choices about how to stay profitable amid the shifting trade landscape. With global demand becoming less predictable and more scarce, farmers and policymakers are being forced to start considering ways to strengthen the domestic soybean market.One promising area of growth lies in the expanding biofuel industry, which experts say has the potential to create more stable domestic demand for agricultural commodities.“If there were more demand for biofuels, that would result in increased demand for corn to make ethanol, and increased demand for soybean oil to make biodiesel,” Westhoff said. “So if we were to have policy changes that encourage the use of those biofuels, that could be a positive to demand for agricultural products and support prices in the face of lost markets overseas.”Despite the potential to develop a bigger domestic market in the future, farmers are struggling right now. To ease the burden, the federal government has discussed deploying trade relief packages, including payments under programs like the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/protection-recovery/mfp" target="_blank">Market Facilitation Program</a>, which was used when Trump imposed tariffs on China in his first term.“There’s talk these days of a possible aid package that might provide some benefits to producers of soybeans and other crops and other livestock products,” Westhoff said. “If there’s not any additional assistance provided and we continue to have the sorts of disruptions we’ve had, I’d expect fewer people to plant soybeans in 2026.”Still, while federal aid packages may offer a temporary lifeline, many farmers say they aren’t a long-term fix.“I think they just ultimately cause inflation,” Kagay said. “What’s going to happen ultimately, the seed, chemical, fertilizer equipment dealers are going to get that money, and it just kind of kicks the can down the road.”This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/government/soybean-farmers-see-demand-uprooted-plans-disrupted-by-chinese-trade-dispute/article_c0dc34a8-90c2-4933-94bc-053af3ca9847.html" target="_blank">Missouri Business Alert</a>, a digital newsroom covering business and the economy in Missouri.

Missouri soybean farmers see demand uprooted, plans disrupted by Chinese trade dispute

The St. Joseph Police department is investigating a hit and run incident along Frederick Avenue on Tuesday morning. 

St. Joseph Police report that around 8am on Tuesday, a light colored SUV was seen leaving the parking lot of City Star along Frederick Avenue.  Traffic in the area was backed up at the time, and the vehicle drove between a line of cars in the eastbound lane of Frederick Avenue.

As the SUV exited the parking lot, it struck a second vehicle that was traveling eastbound in the left turn lane at 22nd Street. Following the collision, the SUV continued westbound on Frederick Avenue without stopping.&nbsp; There were no major injuries reported in the incident.

&nbsp;St. Joseph police are investigating the incident and are seeking witnesses with information. If you have any information, please contact the Traffic Office at (816) 596-8206, referencing case number 2025-062746.

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe St. Joseph Police department is investigating a hit and run incident along Frederick Avenue on Tuesday morning. St. Joseph Police report that around 8am on Tuesday, a light colored SUV was seen leaving the parking lot of City Star along Frederick Avenue. Traffic in the area was backed up at the time, and the vehicle drove between a line of cars in the eastbound lane of Frederick Avenue.As the SUV exited the parking lot, it struck a second vehicle that was traveling eastbound in the left turn lane at 22nd Street. Following the collision, the SUV continued westbound on Frederick Avenue without stopping.&nbsp; There were no major injuries reported in the incident. &nbsp;St. Joseph police are investigating the incident and are seeking witnesses with information. If you have any information, please contact the Traffic Office at (816) 596-8206, referencing case number 2025-062746.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761256622483.jpeg" alt="Person of interst in the hit and run incident along Frederick Avenue on Tuesday morning/ Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Person of interst in the hit and run incident along Frederick Avenue on Tuesday morning/ Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Joseph Police investigating Tuesday morning hit and run incident

Click below to watch. Rep. Graves begins at 21:10 of the conference.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761229306754.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Click below to watch. Rep. Graves begins at 21:10 of the conference.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">House Republican Press Conference <a href="https://t.co/EIG4Ra0nLZ">https://t.co/EIG4Ra0nLZ</a>&mdash; House Republicans (@HouseGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/1981359102011068565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Graves joins House Speaker on impacts of shutdown on air traffic controllers

Since May, food banks across Missouri have experienced severe federal food aid loss due to cuts to USDA programming by the Trump Administration. 

Nearly 1.6 million pounds have been lost from programs that buy food from farmers, such as chicken, eggs, pork, and gallons of milk.   

Second Harvest Community Food Bank CEO Chad Higdon says the food bank has seen these losses even as demand has risen. 

"Our pantries that we work with throughout the 18 counties in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas that are calling and asking if there’s any kind of additional food available or support that we can provide,” Higdon tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  “And families that are calling, with the shutdown looming both Missouri and Kansas have now kind of indicated that if the shutdown goes on past November 1st that SNAP benefits will be paused.” 

Second Harvest is planning as best it can to help offset the losses even as demand increases. 

Higdon says while the cuts and changes are having an effect on the food bank, it's really the families that rely on the programs that are going to feel it more than anyone else 

"We’re proud of being able to distribute six to seven million pounds of food every year at Second Harvest, but the reality for every one meal that a food bank provides, the SNAP program provides nine meals,” Higdon explains.  “So, there’s no way for us to pick up that kind of gap, so we’re watching this as close as anybody.” 

Higdon says several families have called asking for assistance across the 18 counties the food bank serves in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas. 

Higdon says he's been with Second Harvest for just over a decade and has seen circumstances change numerous times, but no matter the circumstance, the food bank still strives to help. 

"We’re working now to see what we can do and how responsive we can be and going to share some of that information with our coordinators at a lot of the area pantries and some of those kinds of those things,” Higdon says.  “But we’re monitoring this and going to do the best we can to just respond and be there for families that need us.” 

Higdon says now would be a critical time to reach out to Second Harvest, or your local food pantry, to see how you can help provide for local families. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

By MATT PIKESince May, food banks across Missouri have experienced severe federal food aid loss due to cuts to USDA programming by the Trump Administration. Nearly 1.6 million pounds have been lost from programs that buy food from farmers, such as chicken, eggs, pork, and gallons of milk. Second Harvest Community Food Bank CEO Chad Higdon says the food bank has seen these losses even as demand has risen. "Our pantries that we work with throughout the 18 counties in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas that are calling and asking if there’s any kind of additional food available or support that we can provide,” Higdon tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And families that are calling, with the shutdown looming both Missouri and Kansas have now kind of indicated that if the shutdown goes on past November 1st that SNAP benefits will be paused.” Second Harvest is planning as best it can to help offset the losses even as demand increases. Higdon says while the cuts and changes are having an effect on the food bank, it's really the families that rely on the programs that are going to feel it more than anyone else "We’re proud of being able to distribute six to seven million pounds of food every year at Second Harvest, but the reality for every one meal that a food bank provides, the SNAP program provides nine meals,” Higdon explains. “So, there’s no way for us to pick up that kind of gap, so we’re watching this as close as anybody.” Higdon says several families have called asking for assistance across the 18 counties the food bank serves in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas. Higdon says he's been with Second Harvest for just over a decade and has seen circumstances change numerous times, but no matter the circumstance, the food bank still strives to help. "We’re working now to see what we can do and how responsive we can be and going to share some of that information with our coordinators at a lot of the area pantries and some of those kinds of those things,” Higdon says. “But we’re monitoring this and going to do the best we can to just respond and be there for families that need us.” Higdon says now would be a critical time to reach out to Second Harvest, or your local food pantry, to see how you can help provide for local families. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Second Harvest Community Food Bank seeing demands at record highs

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3dNX1TuMNhPdK08zO0lAuZ?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0UmygoNMRF1Lo7dazBK364?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

CLINTON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Wednesday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Toyota Camry driven by a 55-year-old Lathrop man was southbound on MO 33 two miles north of Lathrop. The car traveled into the northbound lane and collided with a northbound 2014 Volkswagen Passat driven by a 58-year-old Lathrop man. After impact the Volkswagen struck a sign and came to rest partially off the road.

The Toyota driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical in Kansas City, Kansas. Tri-County transported the Volkswagen driver to Liberty Hospital. The Toyota driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

CLINTON COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Wednesday in Clinton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Toyota Camry driven by a 55-year-old Lathrop man was southbound on MO 33 two miles north of Lathrop. The car traveled into the northbound lane and collided with a northbound 2014 Volkswagen Passat driven by a 58-year-old Lathrop man. After impact the Volkswagen struck a sign and came to rest partially off the road.The Toyota driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical in Kansas City, Kansas. Tri-County transported the Volkswagen driver to Liberty Hospital. The Toyota driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man killed in 2-vehicle crash

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/aP99ShmGsH">pic.twitter.com/aP99ShmGsH</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1981087777040019858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Trump approves $2.5M for recovery after storms in Missouri

CLINTON COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just after 11a.m. Wednesday in Clinton County.&nbsp;

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Jeep Liberty driven by a 43-year-old Columbia man was southbound on U.S. 69 five miles north of Lawson. The Jeep rear-ended a 2023 Peterbilt Trash Truck driven by a 53-year-old Excelsior Springs man who had slowed to make a left turn.

Lawson ambulance transported the Jeep driver and a 31-year-old female passenger to Liberty Hospital.&nbsp; The trash truck driver was not injured.&nbsp; The occupants of the Jeep were not wearing a seat belts, according to the MSHP. The patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

CLINTON COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just after 11a.m. Wednesday in Clinton County.&nbsp;The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Jeep Liberty driven by a 43-year-old Columbia man was southbound on U.S. 69 five miles north of Lawson. The Jeep rear-ended a 2023 Peterbilt Trash Truck driven by a 53-year-old Excelsior Springs man who had slowed to make a left turn.Lawson ambulance transported the Jeep driver and a 31-year-old female passenger to Liberty Hospital.&nbsp; The trash truck driver was not injured.&nbsp; The occupants of the Jeep were not wearing a seat belts, according to the MSHP. The patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man, woman injured after Jeep rear-ends a trash truck

The St. Joseph Police Department is
nearly at full staff.

After struggling for years to fill
vacancies, the police department now has fewer than 10 vacancies.

St. Joseph Police Chief, Paul Luster,
says there has been fewer than 1o vacancies for the past six months.

“You always have attrition,” Luster tells
KFEQmmunity. “We’re always putting people through the academy which runs twice
a year. But I always say that it’s a lot easier to get stuff done and do meaningful
work when you have the staff to do it.”

Luster says the department has seven new
hires undergoing training at the Law Enforcement Academy on the Missouri
Western State University campus.

Luster says vacancies have fallen
consistently since exceeding 30 two years ago.

“I think really a result of a lot of hard
work and really rethinking how we hire,” Luster says. “It’s a team effort. We’ve
streamlined the process, but it’s something I think we talk about every day
with my team there.”

Luster says the department is pleased
with its progress, but doesn’t want to just deal in numbers.

“We really put an emphasis on a cultural
fit and a community fit,” Luster says. “Do they fit the culture we’re building and
do they fit to the community? So, we’re not just hiring to fill vacancies. We
really want to make sure we’re getting, what I call getting the right people on
the bus at the right time.”

Luster says that cultural and community
fit is ever important.

“So we want to make sure we’re confident
and comfortable with that person and their fit into policing the St. Joseph
community and fitting into our culture, the police department, before we move
forward.”

The St. Joseph Police Department is budgeted
for 138 commissioned officers.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostThe St. Joseph Police Department is
nearly at full staff.After struggling for years to fill
vacancies, the police department now has fewer than 10 vacancies.St. Joseph Police Chief, Paul Luster,
says there has been fewer than 1o vacancies for the past six months.“You always have attrition,” Luster tells
KFEQmmunity. “We’re always putting people through the academy which runs twice
a year. But I always say that it’s a lot easier to get stuff done and do meaningful
work when you have the staff to do it.”Luster says the department has seven new
hires undergoing training at the Law Enforcement Academy on the Missouri
Western State University campus.Luster says vacancies have fallen
consistently since exceeding 30 two years ago.“I think really a result of a lot of hard
work and really rethinking how we hire,” Luster says. “It’s a team effort. We’ve
streamlined the process, but it’s something I think we talk about every day
with my team there.”Luster says the department is pleased
with its progress, but doesn’t want to just deal in numbers.“We really put an emphasis on a cultural
fit and a community fit,” Luster says. “Do they fit the culture we’re building and
do they fit to the community? So, we’re not just hiring to fill vacancies. We
really want to make sure we’re getting, what I call getting the right people on
the bus at the right time.”Luster says that cultural and community
fit is ever important.“So we want to make sure we’re confident
and comfortable with that person and their fit into policing the St. Joseph
community and fitting into our culture, the police department, before we move
forward.”The St. Joseph Police Department is budgeted
for 138 commissioned officers.You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

After years of struggle, St. Joseph has a nearly full police force

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Missourians react to the dropping gas prices under President Trump: &quot;Cheaper is always better!&quot; &quot;It&#39;s always good... You&#39;re looking at $60 in fuel... I think today was probably half that.&quot; &quot;You feel like you can go more places — and go on vacations.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TEZ21ORrCd">pic.twitter.com/TEZ21ORrCd</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1981078235782733873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥White House features Missourians on falling gas prices

There's still plenty of time until Christmas, but it’s not too early to do some holiday shopping during the Sugarplum Festival at the Albrecht Kemper.  

For over 40 years the art museum has welcomed in several vendors that offer unique gifts, crafts, and goods for residents to buy ahead of the holidays.  

Marketing and Communications Manager Madison McKinley says the event is a fun collaboration of local businesses and small businesses  

"Working together artists and crafters and they all come together, and they sell all their goods for the weekend,” McKinley says on the KFEQmunnity show.  “You get to come, shop in the galleries, and have food, drinks, it’s just a really festive time, gets you in the spirit for Christmas, and is a good place to get Christmas gifts.” 

Executive Director Eric Fuson says what's made the festival go for more than 40 years is it's ability to get people into the Christmas spirit 

"I know it's on the early side, early November it’s before Thanksgiving, but for anybody that loves Christmas it’s just so fun, everybody really gets into it,” Fuson explains.  “We take down every piece of artwork in the main part of the gallery upstairs and down to get ready for this, we decorate up, all the vendors that come in bring in unique gifts, there are a lot of one of a kind things you’re not going to find anywhere else.” 

Fuson says you'll find gifts during the festival that you won't be able to find anywhere else 

"You know we’ll have over 30 vendors, so there will be lots to choose from, and it is early enough that technically you’re not buying a Christmas gift if you buy something for yourself either,” Fuson says.  “It’s early enough you can still buy something without anybody saying anything.” 

The festival runs November 7th and 8th.  A preview party will be held on the 6th and tickets can be purchased for $40 dollars.  

Second Harvest will also hold a food drive during the festival collecting food for local families in need. 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThere's still plenty of time until Christmas, but it’s not too early to do some holiday shopping during the Sugarplum Festival at the Albrecht Kemper. For over 40 years the art museum has welcomed in several vendors that offer unique gifts, crafts, and goods for residents to buy ahead of the holidays. Marketing and Communications Manager Madison McKinley says the event is a fun collaboration of local businesses and small businesses "Working together artists and crafters and they all come together, and they sell all their goods for the weekend,” McKinley says on the KFEQmunnity show. “You get to come, shop in the galleries, and have food, drinks, it’s just a really festive time, gets you in the spirit for Christmas, and is a good place to get Christmas gifts.” Executive Director Eric Fuson says what's made the festival go for more than 40 years is it's ability to get people into the Christmas spirit "I know it's on the early side, early November it’s before Thanksgiving, but for anybody that loves Christmas it’s just so fun, everybody really gets into it,” Fuson explains. “We take down every piece of artwork in the main part of the gallery upstairs and down to get ready for this, we decorate up, all the vendors that come in bring in unique gifts, there are a lot of one of a kind things you’re not going to find anywhere else.” Fuson says you'll find gifts during the festival that you won't be able to find anywhere else "You know we’ll have over 30 vendors, so there will be lots to choose from, and it is early enough that technically you’re not buying a Christmas gift if you buy something for yourself either,” Fuson says. “It’s early enough you can still buy something without anybody saying anything.” The festival runs November 7th and 8th. A preview party will be held on the 6th and tickets can be purchased for $40 dollars. Second Harvest will also hold a food drive during the festival collecting food for local families in need. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Christmas spirit takes over the Albrecht Kemper during annual Sugarplum Festival

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/20MbyrPOKcGjSeAAuNyOO8?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/7vZ12RIzFyRKn3nBDZwQc5?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.&nbsp;- The Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) announced that due to the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service has informed state agencies that November 2025 SNAP cannot be issued at this time, according to a media release from the agency.

SNAP benefits are 100 percent federally funded through USDA-FNS. DSS has received official communication from USDA that there is not sufficient funding to issue SNAP benefits for the month of November.

“We are closely monitoring this situation, and benefits will be issued as soon as federal funds become available," said&nbsp;Jess Bax, DSS Director. "We encourage SNAP participants to look at the potential of using their October balance to stretch into November if possible given this situation."

DSS continues to work with USDA and other federal partners to monitor developments and will keep the public informed.

“We understand the uncertainty caused by the shutdown,” said&nbsp;Director Mandi Adams, Family Support Division (FSD). “FSD’s team is committed to keeping Missourians informed of any changes.”

DSS encourages Missourians who may be affected to:

"Missouri's Food Banks have worked to prepare in anticipation of increased need caused by the federal shutdown and impacts to SNAP benefits," said&nbsp;Joey Keys, Feeding Missouri Board Chair and CEO of Southeast Missouri Food Bank. "We stand ready to help neighbors as far as our resources allow. However, we cannot do this alone. Now, more than ever we need our communities to support their Food Banks."&nbsp;

FSD will continue to accept and process SNAP applications, reported changes, and mid-certifications received on or after November 1, 2025, as normal.

For updates and resources, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://mydss.mo.gov/federal-shutdown-impacts" target="_blank">mydss.mo.gov/federal-shutdown-impacts</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689674819900.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.&nbsp;- The Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) announced that due to the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service has informed state agencies that November 2025 SNAP cannot be issued at this time, according to a media release from the agency.SNAP benefits are 100 percent federally funded through USDA-FNS. DSS has received official communication from USDA that there is not sufficient funding to issue SNAP benefits for the month of November.“We are closely monitoring this situation, and benefits will be issued as soon as federal funds become available," said&nbsp;Jess Bax, DSS Director. "We encourage SNAP participants to look at the potential of using their October balance to stretch into November if possible given this situation."DSS continues to work with USDA and other federal partners to monitor developments and will keep the public informed.“We understand the uncertainty caused by the shutdown,” said&nbsp;Director Mandi Adams, Family Support Division (FSD). “FSD’s team is committed to keeping Missourians informed of any changes.”DSS encourages Missourians who may be affected to:<ul>
 <li>Review available local food resources such as&nbsp;<a href="https://feedingmissouri.org/get-help/your-fb/">food banks and pantries</a>.</li><li>Monitor DSS social media channels and&nbsp;<a href="https://mydss.mo.gov/federal-shutdown-impacts" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;for the most up-to-date information.</li>
 </ul>"Missouri's Food Banks have worked to prepare in anticipation of increased need caused by the federal shutdown and impacts to SNAP benefits," said&nbsp;Joey Keys, Feeding Missouri Board Chair and CEO of Southeast Missouri Food Bank. "We stand ready to help neighbors as far as our resources allow. However, we cannot do this alone. Now, more than ever we need our communities to support their Food Banks."&nbsp;FSD will continue to accept and process SNAP applications, reported changes, and mid-certifications received on or after November 1, 2025, as normal.For updates and resources, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://mydss.mo.gov/federal-shutdown-impacts" target="_blank">mydss.mo.gov/federal-shutdown-impacts</a>.###

Missouri SNAP benefits on hold for November due to government shutdown

Policy proposals will be presented to a school-funding task force in December, giving the group a year to fine tune them and present them to the governor

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

The funding formula for Missouri’s public schools is poised for wide-ranging changes as work groups studying elements of the model reached the halfway point of their work at meetings on Monday.

The groups, led by the state education department’s former finance chief Kari Monsees, have convened three times each. They are scheduled to meet three additional times prior to presenting recommendations to the larger task force in December.

Proposed changes are due to Gov. Mike Kehoe by December 2026. Here is where the policy discussions are heading.&nbsp;

The funding efforts working group is primarily focused on a measure called the state adequacy target, which is intended to represent the per-pupil cost for districts to provide an adequate education.

Currently, this number is calculated by looking at the per-pupil expenditures of “performance districts,” or districts who score at least 90% of the points possible on the state’s performance review, called the Missouri School Improvement Program.

The group is not considering a dramatic shift away from this system but is instead moving toward a new way of classifying performance districts. The proposal discussed Monday would look at districts’ expenditures that score in the top 100 of the Missouri School Improvement Program.

Additionally, the calculation would be based on the districts’ enrollment numbers rather than attendance and would include extra weighting for students with disabilities, low-income students and English-language learners.

This method would be less volatile with changes to MSIP, which is on its&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/missouri-history-assessment-and-accountability" target="_blank">sixth iteration since its inception</a>&nbsp;in 1991, since the number of districts setting the average would remain steady.

During the switch from MSIP5 to MSIP6, a system deemed “more rigorous” by education officials, the number of performance districts dropped from over 200 to 23. The state adequacy target then rose from $6,375 to $7,145.

The shift added an extra $300 million to fully fund the foundation formula in fiscal year 2026. In&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/28/gov-mike-kehoe-dips-deeply-into-surplus-as-missouri-budget-grows-to-nearly-54-billion/">his budget request in January</a>, Kehoe excluded the $300 million, though lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/08/lawmakers-negotiating-missouri-budget-add-300m-to-public-schools-spending/">decided after tense negotiations to fully fund the formula</a>&nbsp;with the new boost.

Kehoe, in his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/library/reference/orders/2025/eo14" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;creating the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force, asked for the group to create a formula that would provide fiscal year 2025 funding levels — prior to the $300 million boost.

But the change discussed Monday is not a cost-saving measure. Monsees estimated the proposal would drive the target to $10,367.

“If we are going to increase this side of the equation significantly, I just want to (ask) what that means for the rest of the equation,” said Don Thalhuber, policy director for the Senate Democratic caucus who helped draft the state’s current formula in 2005. “Because we don’t have infinite money.”

A deduction in the formula is likely to balance out the adequacy target’s surge, Monsees said, pointing to a factor that subtracts local funding to lower the amount due to wealthier districts.

“The local effort is tied back to 2004’s assessed values that is very much deflated as well,” he said. “So the state adequacy target is likely to go up, but then at the same time, your local effort is going to go up.”

Missouri’s formula considers local funding as a counterbalance to state aid, meaning that wealthier districts with adequate tax revenue receive less on a per-pupil basis. Finding a way to subtract local effort as part of the formula is a “conundrum,” Monsees told the group last week.

The local effort working group pointed to problems with two main models, one based on property taxes and the other on local wealth.

“We come up with these proxies that somehow represent what the capacity of a local community is to generate funds for their school, and the state’s obviously going to try to balance that across communities. But if that representation doesn’t match the actual cash that comes in in revenue, we may not be balancing the scales as much as we would want to,” Monsees said.

The group has been critical of the current formula’s reliance on property tax revenue. And with lawmakers considering changes to the property tax system, the factor feels unsteady.

“We have got something that may not be equitable and may not be stable,” said Monsees.

He suggested the group look for two to four factors so they are not reliant on just one variable, and they adjourned their discussion Wednesday without direction otherwise.

A working group looking at the way students are counted in the formula is debating a shift to enrollment-based funding rather than basing state aid on a district’s average attendance.

Enrollment-based funding is not a new concept in Missouri. A&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/school-funding-missouri-state-board-educationbaker" target="_blank">2023 study commissioned by the State Board of Education</a>&nbsp;recommended a switch away from attendance funding, saying attendance-based models disadvantage higher poverty districts.

And in 2024, state lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/12/missouri-senate-strikes-deal-to-boost-public-school-funding-in-private-school-tax-credit-bill/">passed a large education package</a>&nbsp;that included a gradual shift to funding 50% based on attendance and 50% based on enrollment by 2029.

Two other studies that the foundation formula task force has delved into&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/mo-funding-formula-alignedbellwether" target="_blank">also recommend</a>&nbsp;enrollment-based student counts.

But with state lawmakers having recently negotiated the shift to a 50/50 approach, Monsees told the group that basing the formula purely on enrollment could be “not as easy of a switch politically.”

“There is still a little bit of hesitation there to remove the financial incentive that comes with including attendance,” he said.

The group is also evaluating how different student groups pull more state money and seems likely to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/work-groups-contemplate-changing-missouri-schools-need-based-funding/">eliminate funding cliffs</a>&nbsp;that are written into the current formula.

Low-income students, those with special education services and English-language learners have an extra multiplier in the formula, giving their districts more money to provide services. But there is a threshold built in, assuming a base level of students with various needs. Only those with a higher percentage of students in these groups pull the extra funds currently.

The student counts working group has been pursuing a plan to eliminate the threshold.

“This idea of removing the thresholds and weighting all the students, it is certainly going to be a cost driver to the overall equation,” Monsees told the group.

The discussion Monday dug into the weights with more specificity, with the group considering a multi-tiered system for special education funding.

Monsees gave options of grouping types of disabilities into funding subcategories or creating a tiered system based on the amount of time a student spends out of the general education classroom. The group members preferred the latter.

Jordan Dickey, assistant superintendent of finance for Joplin Schools, said that kids with the same disabilities may not have the same support needs.

“Depending on what their label is, it doesn’t necessarily reflect the level of service that they need,” she said.

She recommended a much greater weight for students who receive educational time out of the general education classroom.

Kehoe’s executive order includes a charge to give districts with strong performance bonus funding. Performance incentives would be new in Missouri and are largely unprecedented, other than&nbsp;<a href="https://comptroller.tn.gov/content/dam/cot/orea/advanced-search/2025/TISAoutcomesfunding.pdf" target="_blank">a model in Tennessee</a>&nbsp;that awards schools when students reach certain targets.

The group studying performance incentives does not have a definitive plan, as of the conclusion of its third meeting last week, but is leaning toward promoting literacy and numeracy.

Mike Podgursky, a semi-retired economics professor from the University of Missouri-Columbia and affiliated scholar at the Sinquefield Center for Applied Economic Research, suggested the group pick one or two priorities rather than giving money for “a whole bunch of things.”

“There’s a case for really focusing on early literacy,” he said. “If these kids can’t read by grades three and four, then you forget about math at grade eight and everything else.”

The group discussed incentives for literacy at the third grade level and math performance in eighth grade at length.

Members are considering building the rewards into the formula or siloing them as a separate source of funding.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761130183666.png" alt=" Kari Monsees, the state education department’s former finance chief, discusses the state’s public education funding formula during the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force meeting Sept. 9 in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Kari Monsees, the state education department’s former finance chief, discusses the state’s public education funding formula during the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force meeting Sept. 9 in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Policy proposals will be presented to a school-funding task force in December, giving the group a year to fine tune them and present them to the governor</h2>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ahanshaw/">Annelise Hanshaw</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>The funding formula for Missouri’s public schools is poised for wide-ranging changes as work groups studying elements of the model reached the halfway point of their work at meetings on Monday.The groups, led by the state education department’s former finance chief Kari Monsees, have convened three times each. They are scheduled to meet three additional times prior to presenting recommendations to the larger task force in December.Proposed changes are due to Gov. Mike Kehoe by December 2026. Here is where the policy discussions are heading.&nbsp;<h2>Funding targets</h2>The funding efforts working group is primarily focused on a measure called the state adequacy target, which is intended to represent the per-pupil cost for districts to provide an adequate education.Currently, this number is calculated by looking at the per-pupil expenditures of “performance districts,” or districts who score at least 90% of the points possible on the state’s performance review, called the Missouri School Improvement Program.The group is not considering a dramatic shift away from this system but is instead moving toward a new way of classifying performance districts. The proposal discussed Monday would look at districts’ expenditures that score in the top 100 of the Missouri School Improvement Program.Additionally, the calculation would be based on the districts’ enrollment numbers rather than attendance and would include extra weighting for students with disabilities, low-income students and English-language learners.This method would be less volatile with changes to MSIP, which is on its&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/missouri-history-assessment-and-accountability" target="_blank">sixth iteration since its inception</a>&nbsp;in 1991, since the number of districts setting the average would remain steady.During the switch from MSIP5 to MSIP6, a system deemed “more rigorous” by education officials, the number of performance districts dropped from over 200 to 23. The state adequacy target then rose from $6,375 to $7,145.The shift added an extra $300 million to fully fund the foundation formula in fiscal year 2026. In&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/28/gov-mike-kehoe-dips-deeply-into-surplus-as-missouri-budget-grows-to-nearly-54-billion/">his budget request in January</a>, Kehoe excluded the $300 million, though lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/08/lawmakers-negotiating-missouri-budget-add-300m-to-public-schools-spending/">decided after tense negotiations to fully fund the formula</a>&nbsp;with the new boost.Kehoe, in his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/library/reference/orders/2025/eo14" target="_blank">executive order</a>&nbsp;creating the Missouri School Funding Modernization Task Force, asked for the group to create a formula that would provide fiscal year 2025 funding levels — prior to the $300 million boost.But the change discussed Monday is not a cost-saving measure. Monsees estimated the proposal would drive the target to $10,367.“If we are going to increase this side of the equation significantly, I just want to (ask) what that means for the rest of the equation,” said Don Thalhuber, policy director for the Senate Democratic caucus who helped draft the state’s current formula in 2005. “Because we don’t have infinite money.”A deduction in the formula is likely to balance out the adequacy target’s surge, Monsees said, pointing to a factor that subtracts local funding to lower the amount due to wealthier districts.“The local effort is tied back to 2004’s assessed values that is very much deflated as well,” he said. “So the state adequacy target is likely to go up, but then at the same time, your local effort is going to go up.”<h2>Local effort</h2>Missouri’s formula considers local funding as a counterbalance to state aid, meaning that wealthier districts with adequate tax revenue receive less on a per-pupil basis. Finding a way to subtract local effort as part of the formula is a “conundrum,” Monsees told the group last week.The local effort working group pointed to problems with two main models, one based on property taxes and the other on local wealth.“We come up with these proxies that somehow represent what the capacity of a local community is to generate funds for their school, and the state’s obviously going to try to balance that across communities. But if that representation doesn’t match the actual cash that comes in in revenue, we may not be balancing the scales as much as we would want to,” Monsees said.The group has been critical of the current formula’s reliance on property tax revenue. And with lawmakers considering changes to the property tax system, the factor feels unsteady.“We have got something that may not be equitable and may not be stable,” said Monsees.He suggested the group look for two to four factors so they are not reliant on just one variable, and they adjourned their discussion Wednesday without direction otherwise.<h2>Student counts</h2>A working group looking at the way students are counted in the formula is debating a shift to enrollment-based funding rather than basing state aid on a district’s average attendance.Enrollment-based funding is not a new concept in Missouri. A&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/school-funding-missouri-state-board-educationbaker" target="_blank">2023 study commissioned by the State Board of Education</a>&nbsp;recommended a switch away from attendance funding, saying attendance-based models disadvantage higher poverty districts.And in 2024, state lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/12/missouri-senate-strikes-deal-to-boost-public-school-funding-in-private-school-tax-credit-bill/">passed a large education package</a>&nbsp;that included a gradual shift to funding 50% based on attendance and 50% based on enrollment by 2029.Two other studies that the foundation formula task force has delved into&nbsp;<a href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/mo-funding-formula-alignedbellwether" target="_blank">also recommend</a>&nbsp;enrollment-based student counts.But with state lawmakers having recently negotiated the shift to a 50/50 approach, Monsees told the group that basing the formula purely on enrollment could be “not as easy of a switch politically.”“There is still a little bit of hesitation there to remove the financial incentive that comes with including attendance,” he said.The group is also evaluating how different student groups pull more state money and seems likely to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/24/work-groups-contemplate-changing-missouri-schools-need-based-funding/">eliminate funding cliffs</a>&nbsp;that are written into the current formula.Low-income students, those with special education services and English-language learners have an extra multiplier in the formula, giving their districts more money to provide services. But there is a threshold built in, assuming a base level of students with various needs. Only those with a higher percentage of students in these groups pull the extra funds currently.The student counts working group has been pursuing a plan to eliminate the threshold.“This idea of removing the thresholds and weighting all the students, it is certainly going to be a cost driver to the overall equation,” Monsees told the group.The discussion Monday dug into the weights with more specificity, with the group considering a multi-tiered system for special education funding.Monsees gave options of grouping types of disabilities into funding subcategories or creating a tiered system based on the amount of time a student spends out of the general education classroom. The group members preferred the latter.Jordan Dickey, assistant superintendent of finance for Joplin Schools, said that kids with the same disabilities may not have the same support needs.“Depending on what their label is, it doesn’t necessarily reflect the level of service that they need,” she said.She recommended a much greater weight for students who receive educational time out of the general education classroom.<h2>Performance incentives</h2>Kehoe’s executive order includes a charge to give districts with strong performance bonus funding. Performance incentives would be new in Missouri and are largely unprecedented, other than&nbsp;<a href="https://comptroller.tn.gov/content/dam/cot/orea/advanced-search/2025/TISAoutcomesfunding.pdf" target="_blank">a model in Tennessee</a>&nbsp;that awards schools when students reach certain targets.The group studying performance incentives does not have a definitive plan, as of the conclusion of its third meeting last week, but is leaning toward promoting literacy and numeracy.Mike Podgursky, a semi-retired economics professor from the University of Missouri-Columbia and affiliated scholar at the Sinquefield Center for Applied Economic Research, suggested the group pick one or two priorities rather than giving money for “a whole bunch of things.”“There’s a case for really focusing on early literacy,” he said. “If these kids can’t read by grades three and four, then you forget about math at grade eight and everything else.”The group discussed incentives for literacy at the third grade level and math performance in eighth grade at length.Members are considering building the rewards into the formula or siloing them as a separate source of funding.

Work groups zero in on proposed changes to Missouri school funding formula

HOLT COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder driven by a 45-year-old Independence man was northbound on Interstate 29 three miles north of Craig.

The SUV traveled off the west side of the road, overturned and the driver was ejected.&nbsp; &nbsp;The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and&nbsp; transported to Rupp Funeral Home. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

HOLT COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Holt County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder driven by a 45-year-old Independence man was northbound on Interstate 29 three miles north of Craig.The SUV traveled off the west side of the road, overturned and the driver was ejected.&nbsp; &nbsp;The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and&nbsp; transported to Rupp Funeral Home. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.