St. Joseph city officials face a deadline to plan how to use federal COVID relief funds but do have some plans in place where that money could go. 

City manager Bryan Carter is hoping to pair demolition of dilapidated buildings with a housing initiative that will satisfy federal guidelines. 

"So we know that we're short on housing in St. Joseph at various different levels, from top to bottom, and one of the pieces that we would like to do with the demolition fund is where possible focus on an area town, be it a block, a couple of blocks, that we can go in and really kind of change the dynamic of that area," Carter tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. 

Carter says removing a number of dilapidated structures could make prime land for redevelopment but adds there's a lot that goes into it. 

"You can't just knock down four houses and know that four more or two more will pop up in their place, the location has to be right, the utilities and infrastructure have to be right, you just have to have a lot that's right and that's in place," Carter explains. 

Carter says the city has put a request for qualifications for a study to evaluate where housing would be most likely to be successful. 

The deadline to obligate funds is the end of this year, with the deadline to spend that money coming in 2026.  

Carter says there will be a lot of discussions between June and the end of the year about getting funds obligated. 

"That's something we'll be looking at on the staff level on a weekly basis, at the council level probably on a monthly basis, and reevaluating how to move those funds around," Carter says. "Because ultimately what we want to do is make the best use of the most amount of funds that we have rather than lose the opportunity to do something just because we ran out of time." 

Carter says if the city does not plan well, it could get to October or November and rush the process of spending the money, adding that when the objective becomes beating a deadline, it might not be spent in the most efficient way.

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

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post St. Joseph city officials face a deadline to plan how to use federal COVID relief funds but do have some plans in place where that money could go. City manager Bryan Carter is hoping to pair demolition of dilapidated buildings with a housing initiative that will satisfy federal guidelines. "So we know that we're short on housing in St. Joseph at various different levels, from top to bottom, and one of the pieces that we would like to do with the demolition fund is where possible focus on an area town, be it a block, a couple of blocks, that we can go in and really kind of change the dynamic of that area," Carter tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. Carter says removing a number of dilapidated structures could make prime land for redevelopment but adds there's a lot that goes into it. "You can't just knock down four houses and know that four more or two more will pop up in their place, the location has to be right, the utilities and infrastructure have to be right, you just have to have a lot that's right and that's in place," Carter explains. Carter says the city has put a request for qualifications for a study to evaluate where housing would be most likely to be successful. The deadline to obligate funds is the end of this year, with the deadline to spend that money coming in 2026. Carter says there will be a lot of discussions between June and the end of the year about getting funds obligated. "That's something we'll be looking at on the staff level on a weekly basis, at the council level probably on a monthly basis, and reevaluating how to move those funds around," Carter says. "Because ultimately what we want to do is make the best use of the most amount of funds that we have rather than lose the opportunity to do something just because we ran out of time." Carter says if the city does not plan well, it could get to October or November and rush the process of spending the money, adding that when the objective becomes beating a deadline, it might not be spent in the most efficient way.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Deadline approaching for St. Joseph city officials to obligate COVID relief funds

A massive anti-crime measure is working its way through the
Missouri legislative session, hoping to avoid death through a filibuster or by
veto.

State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville succeeded in guiding
his legislation through the General Assembly last year only to see it vetoed by
Gov. Mike Parson.

Luetkemeyer is working on two fronts to get the legislation to
the finish line with less than a month left in the session, with his bill now
in the House and a nearly identical House bill in the Senate.

“We feel like we’re in a pretty good position right now,
having both my Senate bill over in the House and then having Rep. (Lane) Roberts’
companion bill over in the Senate and through committee,” Luetkemeyer tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “That’s a pretty good spot to be in this part of session.”

The bill contains Max’s Law, named after St. Joseph’s K-9 Max
killed in the line of duty chasing a suspect in the summer of 2021. It would
increase the penalty for killing a police animal. It also contains Blair’s Law.
It is named after an 11-year-old Independence girl killed by celebratory gunfire
on Independence Day 2011. It would
create a felony for shooting off celebratory gunfire that results in the death
of someone.

Luetkemeyer worried earlier in the session that filibusters in
the Senate might derail his bill. Luetkemeyer says he feels better now, because
his bill has moved on to the House and a similar measure has moved from the
House to the Senate.

“I still feel pretty good about the fact that we’ve got both my
bill already safely over in the House and then a House version of my bill over
here that’s moving through the process.”

Luetkemeyer first attempted to pass Max’s Law in the 2022
legislative session. Filibusters in the Senate prevented the bill from passing,
though Luetkemeyer made a last-ditch effort that session to get the bill
through. Last year, Gov. Parson vetoed the anti-crime message on an unrelated
matter. Luetkemeyer has stripped the provision in the bill that prompted the
veto.

This year, the early pace of the session worried the senator.

“At the beginning of session, we got out to probably the
slowest start that the Senate has had in recent history,” according to
Luetkemeyer. “We got about a month into session before a single piece of
legislation passed out of the chamber. It was about a month-and-a-half into the
session before anything significant passed out of the chamber. That is a
historic slow start.”

Luetkemeyer says that began to change the week before the
legislative spring break. Since, the Senate has approved and sent to the House
a major anti-crime bill, an education package, and a tax bill.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713800719633.jpeg" alt="Memorial for K-9 Max/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Memorial for K-9 Max/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA massive anti-crime measure is working its way through the
Missouri legislative session, hoping to avoid death through a filibuster or by
veto.State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville succeeded in guiding
his legislation through the General Assembly last year only to see it vetoed by
Gov. Mike Parson.Luetkemeyer is working on two fronts to get the legislation to
the finish line with less than a month left in the session, with his bill now
in the House and a nearly identical House bill in the Senate.“We feel like we’re in a pretty good position right now,
having both my Senate bill over in the House and then having Rep. (Lane) Roberts’
companion bill over in the Senate and through committee,” Luetkemeyer tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “That’s a pretty good spot to be in this part of session.”The bill contains Max’s Law, named after St. Joseph’s K-9 Max
killed in the line of duty chasing a suspect in the summer of 2021. It would
increase the penalty for killing a police animal. It also contains Blair’s Law.
It is named after an 11-year-old Independence girl killed by celebratory gunfire
on Independence Day 2011. It would
create a felony for shooting off celebratory gunfire that results in the death
of someone.Luetkemeyer worried earlier in the session that filibusters in
the Senate might derail his bill. Luetkemeyer says he feels better now, because
his bill has moved on to the House and a similar measure has moved from the
House to the Senate.“I still feel pretty good about the fact that we’ve got both my
bill already safely over in the House and then a House version of my bill over
here that’s moving through the process.”Luetkemeyer first attempted to pass Max’s Law in the 2022
legislative session. Filibusters in the Senate prevented the bill from passing,
though Luetkemeyer made a last-ditch effort that session to get the bill
through. Last year, Gov. Parson vetoed the anti-crime message on an unrelated
matter. Luetkemeyer has stripped the provision in the bill that prompted the
veto.This year, the early pace of the session worried the senator.“At the beginning of session, we got out to probably the
slowest start that the Senate has had in recent history,” according to
Luetkemeyer. “We got about a month into session before a single piece of
legislation passed out of the chamber. It was about a month-and-a-half into the
session before anything significant passed out of the chamber. That is a
historic slow start.”Luetkemeyer says that began to change the week before the
legislative spring break. Since, the Senate has approved and sent to the House
a major anti-crime bill, an education package, and a tax bill.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Senator-Tony-Luetkemeyer-on-legislative-session-e2inl66" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Crime bill containing Max's Law looks in good shape to pass

Longtime St. Joseph resident and historian, Bob Slater, has
been honored by the Kansas City Royals, which named Slater a Buck O’Neil Legacy
Seat recipient.

Slater, a former reporter for the St. Joseph News Press and
Vice President of the then-St. Joseph Light and Power Company, was honored
Sunday for his numerous volunteer activities throughout the years.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostLongtime St. Joseph resident and historian, Bob Slater, has
been honored by the Kansas City Royals, which named Slater a Buck O’Neil Legacy
Seat recipient.Slater, a former reporter for the St. Joseph News Press and
Vice President of the then-St. Joseph Light and Power Company, was honored
Sunday for his numerous volunteer activities throughout the years.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Slater honored at Royals game with Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat

St. Joseph police are investigating what the police department
describes as a potential kidnapping.

Police say two people are in custody while the child has been
returned to the family, unharmed.

Police received a call about a potential kidnapping shortly after
10 o’clock Sunday night. Arrests were made and the child reunited with the
family.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph police are investigating what the police department
describes as a potential kidnapping.Little is being released at this time.Police say two people are in custody while the child has been
returned to the family, unharmed.Police received a call about a potential kidnapping shortly after
10 o’clock Sunday night. Arrests were made and the child reunited with the
family.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph police investigating potential kidnapping

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/quinncoffman/">QUINN COFFMAN</a>&nbsp;

The Missouri House gave initial approval last week to a bill that could protect pesticide manufacturers from some cancer lawsuits.

The debate on the House floor wasn’t split along party lines however, as several Republicans cautioned against the risk of cancers caused by pesticides.

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Dane Diehl, a Republican from Butler, would protect pesticide manufacturers from claims that they failed to warn consumers of possible cancer risks in their products as long as the federal Environmental Protection Agency has approved those products.

Much of the debate focused on a specific pesticide manufacturer: Bayer, the company with U.S. headquarters in St. Louis that purchased Monsanto, the original manufacturer of RoundUp pesticide.

Bayer has pursued similar legislation in other agricultural states like Iowa and Idaho. According to The Associated Press, the company is seeking to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-legislation-glyphosate-roundup-lawsuits-cancer-warning-4fa2e6662479f3e60a409ce4439a40ed">stem a tide of lawsuits claiming that Bayer’s products cause cancer</a>.

To date, the company has been embroiled in over 167,000 suits claiming that RoundUp is responsible for causing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Some cases have been dismissed, but Bayer has also been forced to pay billions of dollars in restitution for others, according to the Associated Press.

Diehl, a farmer, said he drafted the legislation out of fear that Bayer would be forced to pull RoundUp off of the market. He pointed out that glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp, has been regulated by the federal government for decades and that the product is critical for one of Missouri’s largest industries.

Other Republicans even raised the question of whether farmers would have to turn to other pesticide producers, possibly Chinese producers, if Bayer ceases production of RoundUp.

But Diehl got some pushback from fellow Republican Rep. Tricia Brynes of Wentzville, who criticized her party’s trust in the safety guarantees given by the EPA. She cited her experience working with the EPA and what she called its excessive bureaucracy.

“What I’m trying to say is this body hasn’t experienced that the EPA does not always have the ability that we think they have to protect people,” Brynes said.

The EPA has ruled in the past that glyphosate is not carcinogenic to humans.

Other Republicans in opposition voiced concerns that the legislation could have broader effects on how Missourians can exercise their 7th Amendment right to a trial by their peers.

Debate on the floor also took a somber tone, as representatives from both parties spoke about the toll of seeing their family members fight cancer or in fighting it themselves.

Rep. Jamie Johnson, a Democrat from Kansas City, pointed out what she termed the hypocrisy of her colleagues for pursuing this legislation after wishing her good health during her own fight with cancer.

“As I walked these halls, day by day, Mr. Speaker, fighting the side effects from chemotherapy,” Johnson said. “Every day not knowing if I was going to make it. With a burn from radiation that smelled and reeked of flesh, with a smile on my face, Mr. Speaker, no one knew what I was going through.”

The bill was approved on a voice vote and needs one more vote before it can go to the Senate for consideration.

This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/house-gives-initial-ok-to-bill-protecting-pesticide-makers/article_a74f2c2e-fcda-11ee-a81f-b3e296216d83.html#tncms-source=Top%20Story">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/quinncoffman/">QUINN COFFMAN</a>&nbsp;The Missouri House gave initial approval last week to a bill that could protect pesticide manufacturers from some cancer lawsuits.The debate on the House floor wasn’t split along party lines however, as several Republicans cautioned against the risk of cancers caused by pesticides.Legislation sponsored by Rep. Dane Diehl, a Republican from Butler, would protect pesticide manufacturers from claims that they failed to warn consumers of possible cancer risks in their products as long as the federal Environmental Protection Agency has approved those products.Much of the debate focused on a specific pesticide manufacturer: Bayer, the company with U.S. headquarters in St. Louis that purchased Monsanto, the original manufacturer of RoundUp pesticide.Bayer has pursued similar legislation in other agricultural states like Iowa and Idaho. According to The Associated Press, the company is seeking to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/bayer-legislation-glyphosate-roundup-lawsuits-cancer-warning-4fa2e6662479f3e60a409ce4439a40ed">stem a tide of lawsuits claiming that Bayer’s products cause cancer</a>.To date, the company has been embroiled in over 167,000 suits claiming that RoundUp is responsible for causing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Some cases have been dismissed, but Bayer has also been forced to pay billions of dollars in restitution for others, according to the Associated Press.Diehl, a farmer, said he drafted the legislation out of fear that Bayer would be forced to pull RoundUp off of the market. He pointed out that glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp, has been regulated by the federal government for decades and that the product is critical for one of Missouri’s largest industries.Other Republicans even raised the question of whether farmers would have to turn to other pesticide producers, possibly Chinese producers, if Bayer ceases production of RoundUp.But Diehl got some pushback from fellow Republican Rep. Tricia Brynes of Wentzville, who criticized her party’s trust in the safety guarantees given by the EPA. She cited her experience working with the EPA and what she called its excessive bureaucracy.“What I’m trying to say is this body hasn’t experienced that the EPA does not always have the ability that we think they have to protect people,” Brynes said.The EPA has ruled in the past that glyphosate is not carcinogenic to humans.Other Republicans in opposition voiced concerns that the legislation could have broader effects on how Missourians can exercise their 7th Amendment right to a trial by their peers.Debate on the floor also took a somber tone, as representatives from both parties spoke about the toll of seeing their family members fight cancer or in fighting it themselves.Rep. Jamie Johnson, a Democrat from Kansas City, pointed out what she termed the hypocrisy of her colleagues for pursuing this legislation after wishing her good health during her own fight with cancer.“As I walked these halls, day by day, Mr. Speaker, fighting the side effects from chemotherapy,” Johnson said. “Every day not knowing if I was going to make it. With a burn from radiation that smelled and reeked of flesh, with a smile on my face, Mr. Speaker, no one knew what I was going through.”The bill was approved on a voice vote and needs one more vote before it can go to the Senate for consideration.This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/house-gives-initial-ok-to-bill-protecting-pesticide-makers/article_a74f2c2e-fcda-11ee-a81f-b3e296216d83.html#tncms-source=Top%20Story">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

Missouri House gives initial OK to bill protecting pesticide-makers

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

A bill winding its way through the legislature seeks to ease backlogs in child abuse and neglect investigations by allowing Missouri’s social services agency to outsource some work involving child abuse and neglect investigations to private contractors.

Sponsored by Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=190">bill</a>&nbsp;was voted out of committee unanimously in January and is awaiting consideration by the full Senate.

Elements of Missouri’s child welfare system are already handled by private companies — including some foster care case management and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/iisar.htm">in-home services</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp; but not abuse and neglect investigations. Those are&nbsp;handled by state employees, sometimes with assistance from local law enforcement.&nbsp;After the state receives a hotline call, Children’s Division workers are responsible for assessing a child’s safety.&nbsp;

In&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/04/05/missouri-caseworkers-drowning-as-childrens-division-plagued-by-staff-shortages/">recent</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/19/this-job-is-impossible-high-turnover-low-morale-plague-missouri-child-welfare-agency">years</a>, staffing shortages have led Missouri’s child welfare investigators to face mounting caseloads, contributing to rapid employee turnover and delayed investigations.&nbsp;

There has been improvement over the last year, DSS spokesperson Chelsea Blair told The Independent. The department is now “on the upswing” with staffing, Blair said.&nbsp;

Children’s Division has also adopted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/cd/docs/A-plan-to-Rebuild-and-Reform-Childrens-Division.pdf">strategies</a>&nbsp;to address overdue cases, Blair said, and&nbsp;“this plan is currently in action and working,” though the agency is still working through nearly 6,000 overdue reports.

Coleman said in an interview last week that the state continues to face a backlog of abuse investigations.

“Missouri is not responding quickly to our hotlines, and I think that’s really inappropriate,” she said. “We want to make sure that kids are safe and get to them quickly.”

Under the bill, the state would be allowed to use contractors to assist with investigations, meaning workers from private companies would help assess a child’s safety after a hotline call.&nbsp;

In practice, Coleman said, the contractors under the bill would do “a lot of administrative functions” to sort through lower-risk hotline reports and help connect families with resources, freeing up state staff to focus on the higher-risk cases.

State workers, she said, would still have the final say in whether a child is removed from the home.

“It’s helping with some of the administrative functions, helping on the front end, to make sure that we’re able to get to credible abuse allegations and to help keep kids safer, faster, because we are not currently,” Coleman said.

Coleman said the bill “doesn’t allow us to offload that as a state. It’s just allowing contractors to be able to assist in the process.”

Clark Peters, an associate professor of social work at the University of Missouri-Columbia whose research specializes in foster care, said he was concerned to learn about the proposal.

“Given the stakes involved for children and families. I would tread very carefully in pursuing privatizing this important activity,” Peters said.

Investigations serve as the entry point into the foster care system for children, Peters added.

“What’s concerning to me is this is a tremendously fraught point in the child welfare system: You’re making a decision whether to investigate and ultimately whether to remove a child,” he said. “It’s the initial few steps that are so critical…So handing this off to private agencies seems really disturbing to me.”

Coleman started working on this legislation around three years ago, she said, and filed it as a standalone bill for the first time&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/23info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44604">last year</a>.

David Willis, a lobbyist for KVC Missouri, a nonprofit child welfare organization that provides the state with contracted foster care services, has testified in support of Coleman’s efforts. He said during a hearing last year that KVC Missouri had been working with the Department of Social Services “and this specific piece of legislation was kind of the result of those discussions.”

In an email to The Independent, KVC Missouri President Lindsey Stephenson said what prompted the discussion was “the state approaching us about some of the challenges Missouri has experienced in processing all cases of suspected child abuse or neglect in a timely manner.”

KVC, which is a national health system with a network of nonprofits in various states, works in Kentucky to help with investigations as well, Stephenson said, and that didn’t require a change in state law. State investigators in Kentucky make final recommendations based on comprehensive assessments.&nbsp;

Blair&nbsp;said the agency cannot comment on pending legislation. But DSS has been working to address the overdue cases and making progress, she said.&nbsp;There has been an 11% increase in hiring among Children’s Division frontline workers since this time last year and an 8% reduction in turnover.

There are currently 5,942 child abuse and neglect assessments and investigations that have been open 46 days or longer, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24554306-4-17-24-child-welfare-investigation-sunshine">records</a>&nbsp;obtained Wednesday by The Independent through Missouri’s Sunshine Law. The Kansas City region has the most (3,036) followed by St. Louis (2,074). In St. Louis, that’s an improvement from over 7,000 in January, according to reporting from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2024-02-15/missouri-childrens-division-head-sees-progress-on-st-louis-abuse-and-neglect-case-backlog">St. Louis Public Radio earlier this year.</a>

“DSS understands the importance of addressing every case of child abuse and neglect promptly and effectively,” Blair said. “By working diligently to close cases where possible, we are not only providing resolution for the children and families affected but also preventing further harm and promoting a safer environment for all.”

There are 36 vacancies as of late last month among the frontline Children’s Division workers, Blair said, which includes investigators, foster care case managers and family centered service workers, who do prevention.

Richard Wexler, who runs the nonprofit National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, a Virginia-based advocacy group, said by email that sometimes privatization can mean state agencies shift blame to contractors — and vice versa.

“There is no reason to think private contractors would be any better, or any worse, than Children’s Division employees per se,” Wexler said. “ I do worry, however, that it may add even greater potential for buck passing.”

He added that that is the situation in Florida’s highly-privatized system — where everything except the investigations are privatized and where the state and contractors have pointed fingers at each other. State investigators and sheriffs have also pointed fingers at one another, Wexler said: In Florida, some investigations were, until a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/04/14/child-welfare-gualtieri-desantis-records-sheriffs-wells/">legislative change</a>&nbsp;enacted last year, overseen by sheriffs’ offices.&nbsp;

“The other question is whether this further reduces accountability,” Wexler said. “Will investigators for a private contractor have even more ability to hide what they do when things go wrong?”&nbsp;

Coleman said “in the bureaucracy, often we have a lack of accountability anyways, because you have very little oversight,” she said, adding that she was speaking in general, rather than specifically about Children’s Division.&nbsp;

“The state has an ability to be more responsive if a contractor is not meeting their needs, than, you know, trying to have bureaucracies go in and get entrenched people who have been doing these jobs for a long time and are underperforming,” Coleman said.

The bill stipulates that the contractor who handles the investigation can’t be the same one that then takes on managing the foster care case, which Coleman said is designed to avoid misaligned incentives that could cause more kids to be taken into state care.

There are other bills related to children attached to Coleman’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=190">bill</a>&nbsp;now, including a provision to allow the state to grant temporary child care licenses. In the two times it has come up on the Senate floor, debate has largely surrounded amendments, not the substance of the privatized investigations provisions.&nbsp;Coleman referred to the bill as “bipartisan non-controversial provisions” during Senate debate last month.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713781648408.png" alt=" Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman enters the Missouri Senate on the first day of the 2023 legislative session (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman enters the Missouri Senate on the first day of the 2023 legislative session (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By CLARA BATES&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>A bill winding its way through the legislature seeks to ease backlogs in child abuse and neglect investigations by allowing Missouri’s social services agency to outsource some work involving child abuse and neglect investigations to private contractors.Sponsored by Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=190">bill</a>&nbsp;was voted out of committee unanimously in January and is awaiting consideration by the full Senate.Elements of Missouri’s child welfare system are already handled by private companies — including some foster care case management and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/re/iisar.htm">in-home services</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp; but not abuse and neglect investigations. Those are&nbsp;handled by state employees, sometimes with assistance from local law enforcement.&nbsp;After the state receives a hotline call, Children’s Division workers are responsible for assessing a child’s safety.&nbsp;In&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/04/05/missouri-caseworkers-drowning-as-childrens-division-plagued-by-staff-shortages/">recent</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/19/this-job-is-impossible-high-turnover-low-morale-plague-missouri-child-welfare-agency">years</a>, staffing shortages have led Missouri’s child welfare investigators to face mounting caseloads, contributing to rapid employee turnover and delayed investigations.&nbsp;There has been improvement over the last year, DSS spokesperson Chelsea Blair told The Independent. The department is now “on the upswing” with staffing, Blair said.&nbsp;Children’s Division has also adopted&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/cd/docs/A-plan-to-Rebuild-and-Reform-Childrens-Division.pdf">strategies</a>&nbsp;to address overdue cases, Blair said, and&nbsp;“this plan is currently in action and working,” though the agency is still working through nearly 6,000 overdue reports.Coleman said in an interview last week that the state continues to face a backlog of abuse investigations.“Missouri is not responding quickly to our hotlines, and I think that’s really inappropriate,” she said. “We want to make sure that kids are safe and get to them quickly.”Under the bill, the state would be allowed to use contractors to assist with investigations, meaning workers from private companies would help assess a child’s safety after a hotline call.&nbsp;In practice, Coleman said, the contractors under the bill would do “a lot of administrative functions” to sort through lower-risk hotline reports and help connect families with resources, freeing up state staff to focus on the higher-risk cases.State workers, she said, would still have the final say in whether a child is removed from the home.“It’s helping with some of the administrative functions, helping on the front end, to make sure that we’re able to get to credible abuse allegations and to help keep kids safer, faster, because we are not currently,” Coleman said.Coleman said the bill “doesn’t allow us to offload that as a state. It’s just allowing contractors to be able to assist in the process.”Clark Peters, an associate professor of social work at the University of Missouri-Columbia whose research specializes in foster care, said he was concerned to learn about the proposal.“Given the stakes involved for children and families. I would tread very carefully in pursuing privatizing this important activity,” Peters said.Investigations serve as the entry point into the foster care system for children, Peters added.“What’s concerning to me is this is a tremendously fraught point in the child welfare system: You’re making a decision whether to investigate and ultimately whether to remove a child,” he said. “It’s the initial few steps that are so critical…So handing this off to private agencies seems really disturbing to me.”<h2>Timely investigations&nbsp;</h2>Coleman started working on this legislation around three years ago, she said, and filed it as a standalone bill for the first time&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/23info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44604">last year</a>.David Willis, a lobbyist for KVC Missouri, a nonprofit child welfare organization that provides the state with contracted foster care services, has testified in support of Coleman’s efforts. He said during a hearing last year that KVC Missouri had been working with the Department of Social Services “and this specific piece of legislation was kind of the result of those discussions.”In an email to The Independent, KVC Missouri President Lindsey Stephenson said what prompted the discussion was “the state approaching us about some of the challenges Missouri has experienced in processing all cases of suspected child abuse or neglect in a timely manner.”KVC, which is a national health system with a network of nonprofits in various states, works in Kentucky to help with investigations as well, Stephenson said, and that didn’t require a change in state law. State investigators in Kentucky make final recommendations based on comprehensive assessments.&nbsp;Blair&nbsp;said the agency cannot comment on pending legislation. But DSS has been working to address the overdue cases and making progress, she said.&nbsp;There has been an 11% increase in hiring among Children’s Division frontline workers since this time last year and an 8% reduction in turnover.There are currently 5,942 child abuse and neglect assessments and investigations that have been open 46 days or longer, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24554306-4-17-24-child-welfare-investigation-sunshine">records</a>&nbsp;obtained Wednesday by The Independent through Missouri’s Sunshine Law. The Kansas City region has the most (3,036) followed by St. Louis (2,074). In St. Louis, that’s an improvement from over 7,000 in January, according to reporting from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2024-02-15/missouri-childrens-division-head-sees-progress-on-st-louis-abuse-and-neglect-case-backlog">St. Louis Public Radio earlier this year.</a>“DSS understands the importance of addressing every case of child abuse and neglect promptly and effectively,” Blair said. “By working diligently to close cases where possible, we are not only providing resolution for the children and families affected but also preventing further harm and promoting a safer environment for all.”There are 36 vacancies as of late last month among the frontline Children’s Division workers, Blair said, which includes investigators, foster care case managers and family centered service workers, who do prevention.<h2>Accountability</h2>Richard Wexler, who runs the nonprofit National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, a Virginia-based advocacy group, said by email that sometimes privatization can mean state agencies shift blame to contractors — and vice versa.“There is no reason to think private contractors would be any better, or any worse, than Children’s Division employees per se,” Wexler said. “ I do worry, however, that it may add even greater potential for buck passing.”He added that that is the situation in Florida’s highly-privatized system — where everything except the investigations are privatized and where the state and contractors have pointed fingers at each other. State investigators and sheriffs have also pointed fingers at one another, Wexler said: In Florida, some investigations were, until a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/04/14/child-welfare-gualtieri-desantis-records-sheriffs-wells/">legislative change</a>&nbsp;enacted last year, overseen by sheriffs’ offices.&nbsp;“The other question is whether this further reduces accountability,” Wexler said. “Will investigators for a private contractor have even more ability to hide what they do when things go wrong?”&nbsp;Coleman said “in the bureaucracy, often we have a lack of accountability anyways, because you have very little oversight,” she said, adding that she was speaking in general, rather than specifically about Children’s Division.&nbsp;“The state has an ability to be more responsive if a contractor is not meeting their needs, than, you know, trying to have bureaucracies go in and get entrenched people who have been doing these jobs for a long time and are underperforming,” Coleman said.The bill stipulates that the contractor who handles the investigation can’t be the same one that then takes on managing the foster care case, which Coleman said is designed to avoid misaligned incentives that could cause more kids to be taken into state care.There are other bills related to children attached to Coleman’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=190">bill</a>&nbsp;now, including a provision to allow the state to grant temporary child care licenses. In the two times it has come up on the Senate floor, debate has largely surrounded amendments, not the substance of the privatized investigations provisions.&nbsp;Coleman referred to the bill as “bipartisan non-controversial provisions” during Senate debate last month.

Missouri bill would let private contractors assist in child abuse investigations

WORTH COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Saturday in Worth County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1991 Honda 4-Trax 300 driven by Cael D. Schmitz, 21, Lebanon, was northbound on a private grass runway at 140th Lane three miles northeast of Grant City.

The ATV was towing a person in a parachute with approximately 110 feet of rope.&nbsp; The tow rope snapped and the parachuter identified as Jacob W. Dickinson,37, Fort Collins, Colorado, fell from the sky and landed in a nearby hayfield.

Dickinson was air-lifted to University Health Truman Medical Center. Schmitz was not injured.

WORTH COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Saturday in Worth County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1991 Honda 4-Trax 300 driven by Cael D. Schmitz, 21, Lebanon, was northbound on a private grass runway at 140th Lane three miles northeast of Grant City.The ATV was towing a person in a parachute with approximately 110 feet of rope.&nbsp; The tow rope snapped and the parachuter identified as Jacob W. Dickinson,37, Fort Collins, Colorado, fell from the sky and landed in a nearby hayfield.Dickinson was air-lifted to University Health Truman Medical Center. Schmitz was not injured.

Parachuter pulled by ATV injured after tow rope snaps

ANDREW COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 3:30a.m. Saturday.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2014 GMC Sierra driven by Blaydan R. Basler, 19, Savannah, was eastbound on Route C at CR 177 one mile east of Rosendale.

The driver failed to negotiate a curve. The&nbsp; pickup traveled off the left side of the road, struck an embankment, became airborne, traveled over CR 177 and came&nbsp; rest of the left side of the road.

Basler was arrested on requested charges of driving while intoxicated, failure to register a motor vehicle, failure to report an accident, no seat belt and operate a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner involving an accident, according to the MSHP.

A private vehicle transported Basler to Mosaic Life Care.

ANDREW COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 3:30a.m. Saturday.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2014 GMC Sierra driven by Blaydan R. Basler, 19, Savannah, was eastbound on Route C at CR 177 one mile east of Rosendale.The driver failed to negotiate a curve. The&nbsp; pickup traveled off the left side of the road, struck an embankment, became airborne, traveled over CR 177 and came&nbsp; rest of the left side of the road.Basler was arrested on requested charges of driving while intoxicated, failure to register a motor vehicle, failure to report an accident, no seat belt and operate a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner involving an accident, according to the MSHP.A private vehicle transported Basler to Mosaic Life Care.

Savannah man accused of DWI after violent pickup crash

Some suspect AG Andrew Bailey intended to target the state’s two largest intoxicating hemp businesses, but went after the wrong company

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

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey launched an investigation into four companies Wednesday as part of an effort to crack down on intoxicating hemp products.

The problem, according to Bailey, is the products in question — such Delta-8 edibles and vape pens — are not clearly labeled to indicate that they’ll get you high.

“When purchasing products, Missourians have a right to know if they will be subject to serious and potentially dangerous side effects,” Bailey stated in his press release, “like psychotic episodes, severe confusion, hallucinations and other life-threatening problems.”&nbsp;

Intoxicating hemp products are completely unregulated but can still be sold in places like bars and gas stations — because&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/11/farm-bill-debate-includes-hemp-regulation-as-issue-takes-center-stage-in-missouri-recall/">hemp is federally legal</a>.&nbsp;

However, everyone from the companies making these products to stores selling them to elected officials want to see age restrictions put in place by the state, along with label and testing requirements.

Two Republican lawmakers have proposed legislation to do that, but the bills would also likely&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/01/proposed-legislation-could-ban-the-majority-of-delta-8-drinks-and-edibles-in-missouri/">ban a majority of the intoxicating hemp products</a>&nbsp;currently on the market — putting hundreds of companies out of business.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/13/push-for-restrictions-on-intoxicating-hemp-products-spurs-clash-over-who-should-regulate/">large divide</a>&nbsp;in how regulations should happen has essentially tanked the bills’ chances of making it to the governor’s desk.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bailey seems to be joining the push to regulate the products. However, it’s unclear exactly who he’s targeting.

Bailey issued a “civil investigative demand,” which are essentially subpoenas, to CBD Kratom Connect LLC of St. Louis, a company that several leaders in the hemp industry say they’ve never heard of and which has virtually no online presence indicating it is operating in Missouri.&nbsp;

Some wonder if Bailey meant to target CBD Kratom, which is one of the largest intoxicating hemp companies in the state and country.&nbsp;

When asked for clarification, Madeline Sieren, spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s office, said: “Unfortunately because the investigations are ongoing, I cannot comment beyond what is written in the CIDs.”

Also based in St. Louis, CBD Kratom has over 60 retail locations throughout Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis. And it has no connection to CBD Kratom Connect, the company’s owner David Palatnik told The Independent Thursday.&nbsp;

During hearings regarding the proposed legislation, Palatnik testified in support of banning products that look like candy and are attractive to children — the exact issue Bailey is hoping to address by the investigations.&nbsp;

“It’s an issue in the industry that some people sell child-looking packaging that is also fraudulent and is also a violation of federal laws,” Palatnik said. “So we’d agree with the attorney general on that front.”

His company ensures all its products have transparent labeling, he said. Palatnik says he opposed the legislation proposed in the Missouri General Assembly because of the harmful impact it would have on hemp businesses.

On Wednesday, Bailey also ordered an investigation into American Shaman, one of the largest intoxicating hemp companies in the state and country.&nbsp;

Vince Sanders, owner of American Shaman, told The Independent Thursday that his company makes gummies and chocolates made with hemp-derived THC, but they’re sold in child-proof containers, similar to what is required by state law for marijuana products.

“They all say ‘21-plus,’” Sanders said. “If you’re in one of our stores, you actually have to sign a document that says you understand that these are psychoactive.”

Sanders has also been a vocal and influential opponent to the proposed legislation.

Two individuals also received investigation notices from Bailey: Cara Buchanan with Smoke Smart LLC in St. Louis and Tariq Zeiadeh with Vape Society Supplies in Columbia.&nbsp;

An employee at the Smoke Smart location in St. Peters said Buchanan no longer owns the business or lives in Missouri, and the current owners do not operate as Smoke Smart LLC. Zeidadeh has not responded to a request for comment.

In his press release, Bailey states that he’s received reports that businesses were “potentially violating the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, which grants Missourians the right to a marketplace free from fraudulent or deceptive business practices.”

Bailey also pointed to the six elementary-age children in St. Louis County who became sick and intoxicated at school after&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ago.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=55bd24fd8f5e7d3dc227d1072&amp;id=b9bad048b2&amp;e=34f783ca45">reportedly</a>&nbsp;ingesting Delta-8 products that were packaged as “Nerds Rope Bites and Mad Monkey Sour Strawberry Premium Gummies.”

The attorney general’s office didn’t respond to The Independent’s question on whether any of the four companies under investigation made the products in the St. Louis County incident.

Among the biggest supporters of the proposed legislation are leaders of the marijuana industry. The intoxicating hemp industry poses a major threat to marijuana businesses.&nbsp;

Hemp is often known for being the part of the cannabis plant that doesn’t get people high. It’s full of CBD, a nonpyschoactive cannabinoid that helps people relax and often found in massage oils and sleep aids.

However, hemp was taken off the controlled substance list in 2018 by the last&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2">U.S. Agriculture Improvement Act</a>, more commonly known as the farm bill.&nbsp;Since then, people have found numerous ways to make intoxicating products from hemp — largely through a chemical process of converting CBD to THC. The market for things like&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/14/missouri-lawmakers-take-aim-at-unregulated-delta-8-thc-hemp-products/">Delta-8 drinks</a>&nbsp;and edibles is one of the fastest growing markets in the country.

Because of the farm bill, there’s no state or federal law saying teenagers or children can’t buy them or stores can’t sell them to minors — though some stores and vendors, including American Shaman and CBD Kratom, have taken it upon themselves to impose age restrictions of 21 and up.&nbsp;

Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical, said at a recent industry summit that the intent of the bill was to put the hemp-derived products under the strict packaging and other requirements that marijuana companies must go through.&nbsp;

“So that’s why we’re just in complete amazement that this stuff just can be out there without any of these checks and balances,” Meyers said.

The Missouri Hemp Trade Association has continuously advocated for measures such as prohibiting sales to minors and mandating clear user instructions and rigorous product testing.

The big problem the hemp industry has with the legislation is that it would place these products under the same constitutional framework and rules that the marijuana industry must abide by — including the mandate that products are only sold at licensed marijuana dispensaries regulated by the cannabis division within the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.&nbsp;

There are no new marijuana facility licenses available currently, so there would be no way for the current hemp storefronts to sell these products.

Last week, Republican state Rep. Barry Hovis of Whitewater offered a different draft of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1781&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">House</a>&nbsp;legislation — backed by the hemp industry — that would allow the Division of Cannabis Regulation to issue licenses to companies that sell intoxicating hemp products, as well as oversee age restrictions and labeling requirements.&nbsp;

Under Hovis’ proposal, the licensees would not come under other marijuana rules, which includes a ban on the “chemical conversion” process used to create the majority of hemp-derived THC products. The state rules also&nbsp;require that THC may only come from cannabis cultivated by a Missouri-licensed cultivation facility. Most hemp-derived THC is currently brought in from other states.

Few products currently on the market would meet these requirements.&nbsp;

Hovis’ proposal failed, largely because the division said the licensing fee he proposed wouldn’t produce enough revenue to cover the division’s costs.&nbsp;

“There’s something we need to do because of the unregulated market that we have right now,” Hovis said. “I do feel that for the safety of children… this would be a good move.”

State Sen. Karla May, a Democrat from St. Louis, said she plans on offering an amendment to Republican Sen. Nick Schroer’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=834">bill</a>&nbsp;to regulate these products, which will likely be similar to Hovis’ proposal. May said the license fees in her proposal will be higher.

Schroer’s bill could be brought up on the Senate floor for debate any time, May said, and that’s when she’d offer her proposal.&nbsp;

“My only concern is that we get an independent structure for these businesses,” May said, “and that they don’t have to come up under marijuana. Because the only license they will be given is a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/28/missouri-holds-outreach-events-in-run-up-to-lottery-for-cannabis-microbusiness-licenses/">microbusiness license</a>&nbsp;and that is not fair to them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681466878038.png" alt="&nbsp;Attorney General Andrew Bailey -courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Attorney General Andrew Bailey -courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Some suspect AG Andrew Bailey intended to target the state’s two largest intoxicating hemp businesses, but went after the wrong company</h2>By REBECCA RIVAS,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey launched an investigation into four companies Wednesday as part of an effort to crack down on intoxicating hemp products.The problem, according to Bailey, is the products in question — such Delta-8 edibles and vape pens — are not clearly labeled to indicate that they’ll get you high.“When purchasing products, Missourians have a right to know if they will be subject to serious and potentially dangerous side effects,” Bailey stated in his press release, “like psychotic episodes, severe confusion, hallucinations and other life-threatening problems.”&nbsp;Intoxicating hemp products are completely unregulated but can still be sold in places like bars and gas stations — because&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/11/farm-bill-debate-includes-hemp-regulation-as-issue-takes-center-stage-in-missouri-recall/">hemp is federally legal</a>.&nbsp;However, everyone from the companies making these products to stores selling them to elected officials want to see age restrictions put in place by the state, along with label and testing requirements.Two Republican lawmakers have proposed legislation to do that, but the bills would also likely&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/01/proposed-legislation-could-ban-the-majority-of-delta-8-drinks-and-edibles-in-missouri/">ban a majority of the intoxicating hemp products</a>&nbsp;currently on the market — putting hundreds of companies out of business.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/13/push-for-restrictions-on-intoxicating-hemp-products-spurs-clash-over-who-should-regulate/">large divide</a>&nbsp;in how regulations should happen has essentially tanked the bills’ chances of making it to the governor’s desk.&nbsp;&nbsp;Bailey seems to be joining the push to regulate the products. However, it’s unclear exactly who he’s targeting.Bailey issued a “civil investigative demand,” which are essentially subpoenas, to CBD Kratom Connect LLC of St. Louis, a company that several leaders in the hemp industry say they’ve never heard of and which has virtually no online presence indicating it is operating in Missouri.&nbsp;Some wonder if Bailey meant to target CBD Kratom, which is one of the largest intoxicating hemp companies in the state and country.&nbsp;When asked for clarification, Madeline Sieren, spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s office, said: “Unfortunately because the investigations are ongoing, I cannot comment beyond what is written in the CIDs.”Also based in St. Louis, CBD Kratom has over 60 retail locations throughout Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis. And it has no connection to CBD Kratom Connect, the company’s owner David Palatnik told The Independent Thursday.&nbsp;During hearings regarding the proposed legislation, Palatnik testified in support of banning products that look like candy and are attractive to children — the exact issue Bailey is hoping to address by the investigations.&nbsp;“It’s an issue in the industry that some people sell child-looking packaging that is also fraudulent and is also a violation of federal laws,” Palatnik said. “So we’d agree with the attorney general on that front.”His company ensures all its products have transparent labeling, he said. Palatnik says he opposed the legislation proposed in the Missouri General Assembly because of the harmful impact it would have on hemp businesses.On Wednesday, Bailey also ordered an investigation into American Shaman, one of the largest intoxicating hemp companies in the state and country.&nbsp;Vince Sanders, owner of American Shaman, told The Independent Thursday that his company makes gummies and chocolates made with hemp-derived THC, but they’re sold in child-proof containers, similar to what is required by state law for marijuana products.“They all say ‘21-plus,’” Sanders said. “If you’re in one of our stores, you actually have to sign a document that says you understand that these are psychoactive.”Sanders has also been a vocal and influential opponent to the proposed legislation.Two individuals also received investigation notices from Bailey: Cara Buchanan with Smoke Smart LLC in St. Louis and Tariq Zeiadeh with Vape Society Supplies in Columbia.&nbsp;An employee at the Smoke Smart location in St. Peters said Buchanan no longer owns the business or lives in Missouri, and the current owners do not operate as Smoke Smart LLC. Zeidadeh has not responded to a request for comment.In his press release, Bailey states that he’s received reports that businesses were “potentially violating the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, which grants Missourians the right to a marketplace free from fraudulent or deceptive business practices.”Bailey also pointed to the six elementary-age children in St. Louis County who became sick and intoxicated at school after&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ago.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=55bd24fd8f5e7d3dc227d1072&amp;id=b9bad048b2&amp;e=34f783ca45">reportedly</a>&nbsp;ingesting Delta-8 products that were packaged as “Nerds Rope Bites and Mad Monkey Sour Strawberry Premium Gummies.”The attorney general’s office didn’t respond to The Independent’s question on whether any of the four companies under investigation made the products in the St. Louis County incident.<h2>The great divide</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713628004108.png" alt="John Pennington, CEO of Proper Brands; Jamey Murphy, Sen. Nick Schroer’s chief of staff; Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical; Amy Moore, Director, Division of Cannabis Regulation; and John Payne, managing partner at Amendment 2 Consultants, discuss legislation on intoxicating hemp products at an industry summit in downtown St. Louis on March 28 (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>John Pennington, CEO of Proper Brands; Jamey Murphy, Sen. Nick Schroer’s chief of staff; Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical; Amy Moore, Director, Division of Cannabis Regulation; and John Payne, managing partner at Amendment 2 Consultants, discuss legislation on intoxicating hemp products at an industry summit in downtown St. Louis on March 28 (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Among the biggest supporters of the proposed legislation are leaders of the marijuana industry. The intoxicating hemp industry poses a major threat to marijuana businesses.&nbsp;Hemp is often known for being the part of the cannabis plant that doesn’t get people high. It’s full of CBD, a nonpyschoactive cannabinoid that helps people relax and often found in massage oils and sleep aids.However, hemp was taken off the controlled substance list in 2018 by the last&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2">U.S. Agriculture Improvement Act</a>, more commonly known as the farm bill.&nbsp;Since then, people have found numerous ways to make intoxicating products from hemp — largely through a chemical process of converting CBD to THC. The market for things like&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/14/missouri-lawmakers-take-aim-at-unregulated-delta-8-thc-hemp-products/">Delta-8 drinks</a>&nbsp;and edibles is one of the fastest growing markets in the country.Because of the farm bill, there’s no state or federal law saying teenagers or children can’t buy them or stores can’t sell them to minors — though some stores and vendors, including American Shaman and CBD Kratom, have taken it upon themselves to impose age restrictions of 21 and up.&nbsp;Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical, said at a recent industry summit that the intent of the bill was to put the hemp-derived products under the strict packaging and other requirements that marijuana companies must go through.&nbsp;“So that’s why we’re just in complete amazement that this stuff just can be out there without any of these checks and balances,” Meyers said.The Missouri Hemp Trade Association has continuously advocated for measures such as prohibiting sales to minors and mandating clear user instructions and rigorous product testing.The big problem the hemp industry has with the legislation is that it would place these products under the same constitutional framework and rules that the marijuana industry must abide by — including the mandate that products are only sold at licensed marijuana dispensaries regulated by the cannabis division within the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.&nbsp;There are no new marijuana facility licenses available currently, so there would be no way for the current hemp storefronts to sell these products.Last week, Republican state Rep. Barry Hovis of Whitewater offered a different draft of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1781&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">House</a>&nbsp;legislation — backed by the hemp industry — that would allow the Division of Cannabis Regulation to issue licenses to companies that sell intoxicating hemp products, as well as oversee age restrictions and labeling requirements.&nbsp;Under Hovis’ proposal, the licensees would not come under other marijuana rules, which includes a ban on the “chemical conversion” process used to create the majority of hemp-derived THC products. The state rules also&nbsp;require that THC may only come from cannabis cultivated by a Missouri-licensed cultivation facility. Most hemp-derived THC is currently brought in from other states.Few products currently on the market would meet these requirements.&nbsp;Hovis’ proposal failed, largely because the division said the licensing fee he proposed wouldn’t produce enough revenue to cover the division’s costs.&nbsp;“There’s something we need to do because of the unregulated market that we have right now,” Hovis said. “I do feel that for the safety of children… this would be a good move.”State Sen. Karla May, a Democrat from St. Louis, said she plans on offering an amendment to Republican Sen. Nick Schroer’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=834">bill</a>&nbsp;to regulate these products, which will likely be similar to Hovis’ proposal. May said the license fees in her proposal will be higher.Schroer’s bill could be brought up on the Senate floor for debate any time, May said, and that’s when she’d offer her proposal.&nbsp;“My only concern is that we get an independent structure for these businesses,” May said, “and that they don’t have to come up under marijuana. Because the only license they will be given is a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/28/missouri-holds-outreach-events-in-run-up-to-lottery-for-cannabis-microbusiness-licenses/">microbusiness license</a>&nbsp;and that is not fair to them.”

Missouri AG launches investigation of intoxicating hemp products

HOLT COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Friday in Holt County.&nbsp;

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Honda Civic driven by Esteban Sanchez Hernandez, 44, Kansas City, Kansas, was southbound on Interstate 29 seven miles northeast of Oregon.

The car traveled off the east side of the highway. The driver overcorrected and the car began to skid.&nbsp; The car traveled off the west side of the highway, struck an embankment and rolled.

Holt County EMS transported Hernandez to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

HOLT COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Friday in Holt County.&nbsp;The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Honda Civic driven by Esteban Sanchez Hernandez, 44, Kansas City, Kansas, was southbound on Interstate 29 seven miles northeast of Oregon.The car traveled off the east side of the highway. The driver overcorrected and the car began to skid.&nbsp; The car traveled off the west side of the highway, struck an embankment and rolled.Holt County EMS transported Hernandez to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Kansas man hospitalized in St. Joe after rollover crash

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.

Just aft 10:00 p.m. April 17, Sheriff's Deputies initiated a welfare check of a child at a residence&nbsp; in Morrill, Kansas, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

Upon conclusion of the investigation, deputies arrested 31-year-old Samantha Losson and&nbsp; 34-year-old Todd Cain 34both of Morrill on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Obstruction and Aggravated Child Endangerment.&nbsp; 

Cain was additionally charged with Posssession of Marijuana.&nbsp; DCF assisted in the case, according to Merchant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713466728229.png" alt="Cain photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Cain photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.Just aft 10:00 p.m. April 17, Sheriff's Deputies initiated a welfare check of a child at a residence&nbsp; in Morrill, Kansas, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713466682449.png" alt="Losson photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Losson photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon conclusion of the investigation, deputies arrested 31-year-old Samantha Losson and&nbsp; 34-year-old Todd Cain 34both of Morrill on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Obstruction and Aggravated Child Endangerment.&nbsp; Cain was additionally charged with Posssession of Marijuana.&nbsp; DCF assisted in the case, according to Merchant.

Kansas DCF assists in drug bust at Kansas home 

Two Missouri Western State University music majors get to
perform with the St. Joseph Symphony Saturday evening in a concert
appropriately entitled The Future’s So Bright.

Senior soprano Sara Poet of St. Joseph will sing, “Sorry Her
Lot Who Loves Too Well” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore.

“I have been working on this piece for two-and-a-half years, really
working to hone in and perfect it,” Poet tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ
Hotline. “I’ve taken it to competitions. I’ve done it in recitals; a lot of it
in preparation for this.”

Junior trombone player, David Welter, who is from
Stewartsville, will perform “Concerto for Trombone” by Rimsky-Korsakov.

“I’ve been working on this piece for about a year now,” Welter
tells Birr. “So, it’s nice to finally unveil it on a more grand scale than just
a brass studio recital.”

Welter and Poet won a young artists competition during
auditions held in December for the honor of sharing the Missouri Theater stage
with the St. Joseph Symphony.

As for her choice of songs, Poet says the song has grown on
her as she has grown as a music major.

“That’s really my connection with it. It’s kind of a lament
between loyalty to her father and a new found love with a sailor and she’s
caught in between those tides,” Poet says. &nbsp;“Getting to explore those emotions and her
heart cry has been really interesting.”

Poet says she expects to be blown away by the experience of
performing with the symphony.

Welter says he took up the trombone, because his father, a
music teacher, is a trombone player.

“I picked it mainly because I was inspired by my Dad’s work,
but then as time went on, I just kind of started to fall in love with the
instrument and thought, I made the right choice,” Welter says. “Instead of doing
something like trumpet or tuba, I made the right choice by doing trombone. It’s
something that fits me.”

The symphony will conclude the concert with “The Ukrainian,”
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2.

The concert begins at seven o’clock Saturday night at the
Missouri Theater. A public social time will follow at Felix Street Gourmet, at
8th and Felix.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostTwo Missouri Western State University music majors get to
perform with the St. Joseph Symphony Saturday evening in a concert
appropriately entitled The Future’s So Bright.Senior soprano Sara Poet of St. Joseph will sing, “Sorry Her
Lot Who Loves Too Well” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore.“I have been working on this piece for two-and-a-half years, really
working to hone in and perfect it,” Poet tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ
Hotline. “I’ve taken it to competitions. I’ve done it in recitals; a lot of it
in preparation for this.”Junior trombone player, David Welter, who is from
Stewartsville, will perform “Concerto for Trombone” by Rimsky-Korsakov.“I’ve been working on this piece for about a year now,” Welter
tells Birr. “So, it’s nice to finally unveil it on a more grand scale than just
a brass studio recital.”Welter and Poet won a young artists competition during
auditions held in December for the honor of sharing the Missouri Theater stage
with the St. Joseph Symphony.As for her choice of songs, Poet says the song has grown on
her as she has grown as a music major.“That’s really my connection with it. It’s kind of a lament
between loyalty to her father and a new found love with a sailor and she’s
caught in between those tides,” Poet says. &nbsp;“Getting to explore those emotions and her
heart cry has been really interesting.”Poet says she expects to be blown away by the experience of
performing with the symphony.Welter says he took up the trombone, because his father, a
music teacher, is a trombone player.“I picked it mainly because I was inspired by my Dad’s work,
but then as time went on, I just kind of started to fall in love with the
instrument and thought, I made the right choice,” Welter says. “Instead of doing
something like trumpet or tuba, I made the right choice by doing trombone. It’s
something that fits me.”The symphony will conclude the concert with “The Ukrainian,”
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2.The concert begins at seven o’clock Saturday night at the
Missouri Theater. A public social time will follow at Felix Street Gourmet, at
8th and Felix.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Future's So Bright:  MWSU students prepare to perform with St. Joseph Symphony

As the weather begins to warm up, road construction workers will be out, vulnerable to drivers not paying attention.  

Missouri Department of Transportation District Engineer Marty Liles says last year a record number of work zone fatalities happened in Missouri.  

"35 fatalities occurred in work zone crashes, which is the highest number of work zone fatalities in Missouri history," Liles tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. 

MoDOT is wrapping up Work Zone Awareness week, which Liles says they hold every year around this time as construction ramps up 

"Just trying to make awareness of the upcoming work zones and why it's so important for motorists to pay attention," Liles explains. 

Distracted driving contributed to 588 work zone crashes, five of which resulted in fatalities.   

Liles says after a record number of work zone fatalities in the state last year, there's a fear it will continue to trend upward 

"We've already had our maintenance forces out there doing work, we've already had in the last month two of our attenuators that have been hit trying to protect our workers and the traveling public," Liles says. 

Liles says those protective vehicles were hit locally during bridge work on I-29 south of St. Joseph.

Liles says one effort to protect both workers and drivers in work zones is giving plenty of advanced warning 

"So as the traveling public is coming up on the work zones, they're seeing well in advance the signage that some kind of work zone is happening," Liles explains.  

Liles says work zones are also required to have protective vehicles in place.  

"Those protective vehicles are vehicles that if a crash occurs it's there to take the energy of that crash before it gets into the zone and hits one of our workers," Liles says. 

Liles reminds drivers as you hit the roads to plan accordingly, buckle up, put your phone down, and be aware of your speed in work zones.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713540736027.jpeg" alt="An attenuator that was hit during bridge work on I-29 south of St. Joseph/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>An attenuator that was hit during bridge work on I-29 south of St. Joseph/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post As the weather begins to warm up, road construction workers will be out, vulnerable to drivers not paying attention. Missouri Department of Transportation District Engineer Marty Liles says last year a record number of work zone fatalities happened in Missouri. "35 fatalities occurred in work zone crashes, which is the highest number of work zone fatalities in Missouri history," Liles tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. MoDOT is wrapping up Work Zone Awareness week, which Liles says they hold every year around this time as construction ramps up "Just trying to make awareness of the upcoming work zones and why it's so important for motorists to pay attention," Liles explains. Distracted driving contributed to 588 work zone crashes, five of which resulted in fatalities. Liles says after a record number of work zone fatalities in the state last year, there's a fear it will continue to trend upward "We've already had our maintenance forces out there doing work, we've already had in the last month two of our attenuators that have been hit trying to protect our workers and the traveling public," Liles says. Liles says those protective vehicles were hit locally during bridge work on I-29 south of St. Joseph.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713540785154.jpeg" alt="Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>Liles says one effort to protect both workers and drivers in work zones is giving plenty of advanced warning "So as the traveling public is coming up on the work zones, they're seeing well in advance the signage that some kind of work zone is happening," Liles explains. Liles says work zones are also required to have protective vehicles in place. "Those protective vehicles are vehicles that if a crash occurs it's there to take the energy of that crash before it gets into the zone and hits one of our workers," Liles says. Liles reminds drivers as you hit the roads to plan accordingly, buckle up, put your phone down, and be aware of your speed in work zones.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713540827658.jpeg" alt="Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Dont-be-distracted-Roadwork-ramps-up-as-weather-gets-warmer-e2ik36k" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

MoDOT plea: Drivers pay attention in work zones

Missouri U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt says he will continue to press
the Air Force and the Air National Guard on why the 139th Airlift
Wing has not yet received the latest version of the C-130 cargo plane.

Schmitt, during a hearing in Washington, questioned why the
139th, based at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, didn’t
receive the new C-130J models in the first round of allocations. Schmitt points
out the current federal budget has money for eight more C-130J models. 

“There have been eight J’s, essentially, appropriated for.
There are eight available in the next round (of funding) and Rosecrans should
get those,” Schmitt tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.

A recent evaluation of Air Guard bases appears to have the 139th
as the next-in-line to receive the modern cargo planes.

Federal, state, and city money has been poured into Rosecrans
to upgrade the military base to meet federal criteria for the new planes.

Schmitt points out the 139th trains pilots from
around the globe at its Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center at Rosecrans.

“Like, when the Indian, the country of India’s Air Force,
comes in for training, they ‘ve got the newer model and we’ve got the H’s from
the 1980s. And we’re training these folks,” Schmitt says. “And so, it just
makes all the sense in the world for those J’s to be home there at Rosecrans
and we’re going to do everything we can to continue to press on that issue.”

Schmitt, a Republican, serves on the Senate Armed Services
Committee and recently brought up the issue to Air Force Secretary Frank
Kendall during a committee hearing on Capitol Hill.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713535487033.jpeg" alt="139th Air Guard C-130H cargo planes at Rosecrans Memorial Airport/file photo" />
 <figcaption>139th Air Guard C-130H cargo planes at Rosecrans Memorial Airport/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt says he will continue to press
the Air Force and the Air National Guard on why the 139th Airlift
Wing has not yet received the latest version of the C-130 cargo plane.Schmitt, during a hearing in Washington, questioned why the
139th, based at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, didn’t
receive the new C-130J models in the first round of allocations. Schmitt points
out the current federal budget has money for eight more C-130J models. “There have been eight J’s, essentially, appropriated for.
There are eight available in the next round (of funding) and Rosecrans should
get those,” Schmitt tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.A recent evaluation of Air Guard bases appears to have the 139th
as the next-in-line to receive the modern cargo planes.Federal, state, and city money has been poured into Rosecrans
to upgrade the military base to meet federal criteria for the new planes.Schmitt points out the 139th trains pilots from
around the globe at its Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center at Rosecrans.“Like, when the Indian, the country of India’s Air Force,
comes in for training, they ‘ve got the newer model and we’ve got the H’s from
the 1980s. And we’re training these folks,” Schmitt says. “And so, it just
makes all the sense in the world for those J’s to be home there at Rosecrans
and we’re going to do everything we can to continue to press on that issue.”Schmitt, a Republican, serves on the Senate Armed Services
Committee and recently brought up the issue to Air Force Secretary Frank
Kendall during a committee hearing on Capitol Hill.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

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