Before you dig on that next project, make sure you call Missouri 811.  

The hotline, established in 1986, locates utility lines so you don't cut into any cables or pipes.  

Executive Director Randy Norden says the hotline has been very effective 

"In 2023 we received nearly 1.2 million excavation requests," Norden tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so, in the form of notifications as a rule of thumb it's about 5-1, so for every request we get that's about five utilities that we're notifying." 

April is Safe Dig Month, and the Missouri 811 hotline is using that platform to remind everyone that it's the law to contact the hotline before you dig.  

Norden says if you hit a line, you can be held liable. 

"Now for something like an old copper wire phone line, it's fairly inexpensive, but if you happen to break into fiber that can get into thousands of dollars to repair," Norden explains. "Then there's the element of striking a gas line, or an electric line, which can really ruin someone's day, so we really don't want anybody striking those." 

"Where an excavator did damage to a gas line, which blew up a house," Norden says. 

Fortunately, Norden says, no one was inside the home.  Norden also recalls smaller instances, such as recently in Springfield 

"Where a gas line was struck, and although nobody was hurt, a backhoe was burned," Norden says. 

Norden reminds everyone it's the law to contact Missouri 811 before you dig either by phone or online.

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

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Before you dig on that next project, make sure you call Missouri 811. The hotline, established in 1986, locates utility lines so you don't cut into any cables or pipes. Executive Director Randy Norden says the hotline has been very effective "In 2023 we received nearly 1.2 million excavation requests," Norden tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so, in the form of notifications as a rule of thumb it's about 5-1, so for every request we get that's about five utilities that we're notifying." April is Safe Dig Month, and the Missouri 811 hotline is using that platform to remind everyone that it's the law to contact the hotline before you dig. Norden says if you hit a line, you can be held liable. "Now for something like an old copper wire phone line, it's fairly inexpensive, but if you happen to break into fiber that can get into thousands of dollars to repair," Norden explains. "Then there's the element of striking a gas line, or an electric line, which can really ruin someone's day, so we really don't want anybody striking those." Norden recalls an instance in O'Fallon. "Where an excavator did damage to a gas line, which blew up a house," Norden says. Fortunately, Norden says, no one was inside the home. Norden also recalls smaller instances, such as recently in Springfield "Where a gas line was struck, and although nobody was hurt, a backhoe was burned," Norden says. Norden reminds everyone it's the law to contact Missouri 811 before you dig either by phone or online.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Call-Missouri-811-before-you-dig-e2iapoj" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Don't dig until you know - call Missouri 811

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

The Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee briefly debated a House crime bill this week that mirrors legislation vetoed by Gov. Mike Parson last year.

The sponsor of the bill, Republican state Rep. Lane Roberts of Joplin, said he crafted the bill to update Missouri criminal law in multiple ways while avoiding the veto that befell last session’s version.

One new provision added to the bill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills241/hlrbillspdf/3849H.02P.pdf">would keep 12- and 13-year-old felony offenders</a>&nbsp;from being tried as adults.

Currently, offenders between the ages of 12 and 18 can be certified to stand trial as adults if they are charged with a “dangerous felony,” defined as murder, serious injury, or an attempt at either.

This bill would raise the minimum age to 14 for a child to be charged as an adult.

Marcia Hazelhorst, executive director of the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association, testified in favor of raising the minimum age.

“Certifying a young person as an adult is a pretty serious event,” Hazelhorst said. “One that you only do as the last resort when the court has determined there are no existing resources within the juvenile court system to support trying to rehabilitate a young person.”

Legislative leaders hope to pass an omnibus crime bill that would address a variety of issues without drawing Parson’s veto.

While the governor was largely in favor of last year’s omnibus crime bill, his office took umbrage with a provision that would require the state to pay out restitution to offenders who were exonerated with DNA evidence after their initial trial.

The governor’s office highlighted that such trials take place on the local level, with a locally elected prosecutor and locally selected jury, so the burden of paying restitution to exonerated offenders should come from local budgets — not the state’s.

Finally, there was concern that it would be possible for some sex offenders, including those who committed sexual exploitation of a minor, to have their records expunged.

The bill doesn’t include any of the same provisions that caused the governor heartburn.

However, a Senate version of the crime bill with a similar focus includes a criminal exoneration provision&nbsp; that would disallow expungement for sex offenders convicted of promoting sexual performance of a child.

“There’s still plenty of time left in the session. If (the legislation) could get out of the Senate in its current position, then it has a real shot,” Roberts said. “I think the governor will look at this bill, and the provisions that are in the bill are such that he would sign it.”

Other provisions in the crime bill include:

This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/senate-committee-hears-omnibus-crime-bill/article_9afcc226-f5df-11ee-b82e-87885819ea37.html#tncms-source=Top%20Story">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712918938798.png" alt=" State Rep. Lane Roberts, R-Joplin, speaks on the House floor during the 2022 session (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption> State Rep. Lane Roberts, R-Joplin, speaks on the House floor during the 2022 session (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/quinncoffman/">QUINN COFFMAN</a>The Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee briefly debated a House crime bill this week that mirrors legislation vetoed by Gov. Mike Parson last year.The sponsor of the bill, Republican state Rep. Lane Roberts of Joplin, said he crafted the bill to update Missouri criminal law in multiple ways while avoiding the veto that befell last session’s version.One new provision added to the bill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills241/hlrbillspdf/3849H.02P.pdf">would keep 12- and 13-year-old felony offenders</a>&nbsp;from being tried as adults.Currently, offenders between the ages of 12 and 18 can be certified to stand trial as adults if they are charged with a “dangerous felony,” defined as murder, serious injury, or an attempt at either.This bill would raise the minimum age to 14 for a child to be charged as an adult.Marcia Hazelhorst, executive director of the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association, testified in favor of raising the minimum age.“Certifying a young person as an adult is a pretty serious event,” Hazelhorst said. “One that you only do as the last resort when the court has determined there are no existing resources within the juvenile court system to support trying to rehabilitate a young person.”Legislative leaders hope to pass an omnibus crime bill that would address a variety of issues without drawing Parson’s veto.While the governor was largely in favor of last year’s omnibus crime bill, his office took umbrage with a provision that would require the state to pay out restitution to offenders who were exonerated with DNA evidence after their initial trial.The governor’s office highlighted that such trials take place on the local level, with a locally elected prosecutor and locally selected jury, so the burden of paying restitution to exonerated offenders should come from local budgets — not the state’s.Finally, there was concern that it would be possible for some sex offenders, including those who committed sexual exploitation of a minor, to have their records expunged.The bill doesn’t include any of the same provisions that caused the governor heartburn.However, a Senate version of the crime bill with a similar focus includes a criminal exoneration provision&nbsp; that would disallow expungement for sex offenders convicted of promoting sexual performance of a child.“There’s still plenty of time left in the session. If (the legislation) could get out of the Senate in its current position, then it has a real shot,” Roberts said. “I think the governor will look at this bill, and the provisions that are in the bill are such that he would sign it.”Other provisions in the crime bill include:<ul>
 <li>“Blair’s Law,” which would create harsher punishments for those who endanger others with celebratory gunfire.</li><li>“Max’s Law,” which would create harsher punishments for offenders who injure or kill law enforcement animals.</li><li>Creation of a “Stop Cyberstalking and Harassment Task Force,” responsible for making recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly on how to prevent specific cyber crimes.</li><li>A provision that would allow a municipality to create a division of civilian oversight within its police department.</li>
 </ul>This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/senate-committee-hears-omnibus-crime-bill/article_9afcc226-f5df-11ee-b82e-87885819ea37.html#tncms-source=Top%20Story">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

Missouri Senate committee debates wide-ranging crime legislation

Federal hearing delves into allegations of loan mismanagement and servicer’s role in a U.S. Supreme Court case

BY:&nbsp;<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>

A U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday dug into complaints against a Missouri-based student-loan servicer, though the organization’s executive director refused to attend.&nbsp;

Wednesday’s meeting of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs focused on the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, or MOHELA, and other loan servicers that have received widespread criticism in recent years.&nbsp;

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, is the committee’s chair and has made student loan cancellation a key part of her political platform.

The hearing follows an explosive&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mohelapapers.org/">investigative report</a>&nbsp;by the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) and the American Federation of Teachers alleging four in 10 people with a loan serviced by MOHELA have been impacted by servicing failures.

MOHELA, in a cease-and-desist letter dated March 25 to the SBPC, said the report contained “false, misleading and sensationalized claims.”

Yet committee members often looked to the SBPC’s deputy executive director and managing counsel, Persis Yu, to describe MOHELA’s conduct during Wednesday’s hearing.

Yu repeated elements of the SBPC’s report, saying Wednesday that, “MOHELA chose a complex call-deflection scheme, a Byzantine loop of misinformation and false promises.”

MOHELA’s “call deflection” was outlined in a playbook for the return-to-repayment period in the fall, but the servicer said it was given directions to use call deflection from the federal government. In fact, the FSA’s communications playbook sent to servicers in July 2023 mentions call deflection 13 times.

Some witnesses on Wednesday called for statutory fixes, saying that complaints against MOHELA stem from problems at a federal level.

There are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/29/mohela-faces-accusations-it-mismanaged-federal-student-loan-forgiveness-program/">two class-action lawsuits alleging MOHELA mismanaged loans</a>. One additionally names the federal government as a plaintiff.

“Recent accusations suggesting servicers are responsible for a large backlog of public service loan forgiveness applications and that the backlog is intentional are also false,” Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, told the committee. “Today, FSA makes all decisions about whether to approve or deny forgiveness. So the vast majority of the backlog resides at a resource-constrained FSA.”

The latest&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://studentaid.gov/data-center/student/loan-forgiveness/pslf-data">Public Service Loan Forgiveness report</a>, dated June 2023, shows a backlog of almost 890,000 applications. This report does not say where the applications are in the approval process and whether they are waiting on federal approval or action from MOHELA.

MOHELA said in its March 25 letter to the SBPC that it has fewer than 15,000 new forms to process.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, said he felt like Buchanan was making excuses for MOHELA.

“​When I hear (issues) with this frequency and depth and stories, then you know something is wrong,” he said. “I support additional funding for the Office of Student Aid, but I don’t believe MOHELA was living up to its customer service commitments under its existing contract.”

Menendez mentioned legislation, like one that sought to eliminate student-loan relief as taxable income. The concept and perceived perks of loan forgiveness was part of the discussion.

Mayor of Kansas City Quinton Lucas was in Washington, D.C., to testify on Wednesday, telling the committee&nbsp; he had a loan serviced by MOHELA but focusing primarily on federal relief programs.

“Student debt relief fundamentally would alleviate the financial burden on our residents, helping families cover rising costs of living and encouraging them importantly to invest in our local economies and their own futures,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat from Georgia, lauded President Joe Biden’s administration’s efforts to trim student debt, adding the administration had “its hands tied behind its back” after a first attempt at loan forgiveness.

He brought up&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/30/missouri-company-plays-central-role-in-downfall-of-biden-loan-forgiveness-program/">Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s successful case</a>&nbsp;before the U.S. Supreme Court last year that blocked pandemic-induced loan forgiveness.

Warren noted that MOHELA was the crux of that case.

“The Republican states challenging President Biden’s plan basically couldn’t explain how they were harmed by student debt cancellation, and without an explanation of how they were harmed, they didn’t have legal standing to sue,” she said. “So their answer was MOHELA.”

Warnock had a similar view of the court’s decision, adding he believes MOHELA was “complicit” in the takedown of loan forgiveness because the company “stayed silent” during legal proceedings.

Internal communications released last year show employees were troubled about the quasi-governmental nonprofits inclusion in the lawsuit.

Tuesday,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/09/missouri-attorney-general-leads-coalition-challenging-biden-student-debt-relief/">Bailey filed a lawsuit against another student-debt-relief plan</a>, also naming MOHELA. It does not appear that the nonprofit consented to this lawsuit, either.

<h2>Federal hearing delves into allegations of loan mismanagement and servicer’s role in a U.S. Supreme Court case</h2>BY:&nbsp;<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>A U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday dug into complaints against a Missouri-based student-loan servicer, though the organization’s executive director refused to attend.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’ve been blessed, being able to pay off student loans and live the American dream 80,000 Kansas Citians, however, hold $575M in student loan debt—many in vital roles like healthcare, public safety, and teaching. Debt relief and better lender oversight helps all in our community <a href="https://t.co/hKgN3yLjUU">pic.twitter.com/hKgN3yLjUU</a>&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1778377617361535233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Wednesday’s meeting of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs focused on the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, or MOHELA, and other loan servicers that have received widespread criticism in recent years.&nbsp;U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, is the committee’s chair and has made student loan cancellation a key part of her political platform.The hearing follows an explosive&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mohelapapers.org/">investigative report</a>&nbsp;by the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) and the American Federation of Teachers alleging four in 10 people with a loan serviced by MOHELA have been impacted by servicing failures.MOHELA, in a cease-and-desist letter dated March 25 to the SBPC, said the report contained “false, misleading and sensationalized claims.”Yet committee members often looked to the SBPC’s deputy executive director and managing counsel, Persis Yu, to describe MOHELA’s conduct during Wednesday’s hearing.Yu repeated elements of the SBPC’s report, saying Wednesday that, “MOHELA chose a complex call-deflection scheme, a Byzantine loop of misinformation and false promises.”MOHELA’s “call deflection” was outlined in a playbook for the return-to-repayment period in the fall, but the servicer said it was given directions to use call deflection from the federal government. In fact, the FSA’s communications playbook sent to servicers in July 2023 mentions call deflection 13 times.Some witnesses on Wednesday called for statutory fixes, saying that complaints against MOHELA stem from problems at a federal level.There are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/29/mohela-faces-accusations-it-mismanaged-federal-student-loan-forgiveness-program/">two class-action lawsuits alleging MOHELA mismanaged loans</a>. One additionally names the federal government as a plaintiff.“Recent accusations suggesting servicers are responsible for a large backlog of public service loan forgiveness applications and that the backlog is intentional are also false,” Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, told the committee. “Today, FSA makes all decisions about whether to approve or deny forgiveness. So the vast majority of the backlog resides at a resource-constrained FSA.”The latest&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://studentaid.gov/data-center/student/loan-forgiveness/pslf-data">Public Service Loan Forgiveness report</a>, dated June 2023, shows a backlog of almost 890,000 applications. This report does not say where the applications are in the approval process and whether they are waiting on federal approval or action from MOHELA.MOHELA said in its March 25 letter to the SBPC that it has fewer than 15,000 new forms to process.U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, said he felt like Buchanan was making excuses for MOHELA.“​When I hear (issues) with this frequency and depth and stories, then you know something is wrong,” he said. “I support additional funding for the Office of Student Aid, but I don’t believe MOHELA was living up to its customer service commitments under its existing contract.”Menendez mentioned legislation, like one that sought to eliminate student-loan relief as taxable income. The concept and perceived perks of loan forgiveness was part of the discussion.Mayor of Kansas City Quinton Lucas was in Washington, D.C., to testify on Wednesday, telling the committee&nbsp; he had a loan serviced by MOHELA but focusing primarily on federal relief programs.“Student debt relief fundamentally would alleviate the financial burden on our residents, helping families cover rising costs of living and encouraging them importantly to invest in our local economies and their own futures,” he said.U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat from Georgia, lauded President Joe Biden’s administration’s efforts to trim student debt, adding the administration had “its hands tied behind its back” after a first attempt at loan forgiveness.He brought up&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/30/missouri-company-plays-central-role-in-downfall-of-biden-loan-forgiveness-program/">Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s successful case</a>&nbsp;before the U.S. Supreme Court last year that blocked pandemic-induced loan forgiveness.Warren noted that MOHELA was the crux of that case.“The Republican states challenging President Biden’s plan basically couldn’t explain how they were harmed by student debt cancellation, and without an explanation of how they were harmed, they didn’t have legal standing to sue,” she said. “So their answer was MOHELA.”Warnock had a similar view of the court’s decision, adding he believes MOHELA was “complicit” in the takedown of loan forgiveness because the company “stayed silent” during legal proceedings.Internal communications released last year show employees were troubled about the quasi-governmental nonprofits inclusion in the lawsuit.Tuesday,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/09/missouri-attorney-general-leads-coalition-challenging-biden-student-debt-relief/">Bailey filed a lawsuit against another student-debt-relief plan</a>, also naming MOHELA. It does not appear that the nonprofit consented to this lawsuit, either.

U.S. Senate committee critical of MOHELA after widespread complaints

Buchanan County fire crews are battling a grass fire near Sugar Lake in Buchanan County.

The Missouri Highway Patrol Troop H was notified of the fire around 1:45pm today (Thu.)  The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.  

Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports around 4pm, the fire had begun to spread south into Platte County, due to high winds making the fire difficult to control.  

Drivers are advised to avoid the area of 45 Highway near the Sugar Lake area.  Residents are advised to evacuate the area if necessary. 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostBuchanan County fire crews are battling a grass fire near Sugar Lake in Buchanan County.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We assisted fire crews and the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office with tackling a large grass fire near Sugar Lake. Evacuations were necessary, &amp; some residences sustained minor damage. Both lanes of MO 45 will remain blocked overnight. Stay vigilant in these dry, windy conditions. <a href="https://t.co/7y4pybRaYx">pic.twitter.com/7y4pybRaYx</a>&mdash; MSHP Troop H (@MSHPTrooperH) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperH/status/1778576622209081616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Missouri Highway Patrol Troop H was notified of the fire around 1:45pm today (Thu.) The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports around 4pm, the fire had begun to spread south into Platte County, due to high winds making the fire difficult to control. Drivers are advised to avoid the area of 45 Highway near the Sugar Lake area. Residents are advised to evacuate the area if necessary.

Fire crews battling grass fire near Buchanan County's Sugar Lake

Missouri Western State University says its nursing program is
growing, both in popularity and in success.

Department of Nursing chair Heather Kendall says Missouri
Western teaches both the nursing practice and how to apply it.

“So, application of knowledge is really at the core of Missouri
Western’s mission,” Kendall tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “And I
think the nursing program and the nursing profession is an excellent example of
that.”

Kendall says the school seeks to prepare nurses for the real
world.

“We teach students pieces of knowledge, but we always expect
them to be able to apply it in a real-life situation with real people,”
according to Kendall.

All 40 of the Missouri Westerns students receiving a nursing
degree at the St. Joseph school passed the federal licensure exam on their
first attempt, unprecedented among Missouri colleges. The 44 graduates in 2022
also attained a 100% first-try success rate. It is rare for each graduate of a
nursing school to pass the federal licensure examination, known as NCLEX. In fact, it is nearly unprecedented.

Missouri Western instructs in a wide variety of nursing
fields.

“I think a lot of people think of nurses as practicing in
hospitals and there are a lot of specialties in hospitals that nurses can
pursue:&nbsp; emergency department, critical
care, obstetrics, pediatrics, medical/surgical, telemetry,” Kendall explains. “Really,
the opportunities are boundless.”

Kendall says that in addition to medical instruction, Missouri
Western instructs students on the importance of nurses to a community.

“People trust us to provide not just quality care, but
evidence-based information that they can trust.”

Missouri Western also received a $386,780 grant from the
Missouri State Board of Nursing for its program that prepares students to teach
in Missouri schools of nursing. The money will fund 10 scholarships for
students who agree to teach in a Missouri school of nursing for at least three
years after completing their degree.

The grant is one of 20 totaling $5 million announced by Gov.
Mike Parson’s office last month.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712853460471.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Missouri Western State University" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Missouri Western State University</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri Western State University says its nursing program is
growing, both in popularity and in success.Department of Nursing chair Heather Kendall says Missouri
Western teaches both the nursing practice and how to apply it.“So, application of knowledge is really at the core of Missouri
Western’s mission,” Kendall tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “And I
think the nursing program and the nursing profession is an excellent example of
that.”Kendall says the school seeks to prepare nurses for the real
world.“We teach students pieces of knowledge, but we always expect
them to be able to apply it in a real-life situation with real people,”
according to Kendall.All 40 of the Missouri Westerns students receiving a nursing
degree at the St. Joseph school passed the federal licensure exam on their
first attempt, unprecedented among Missouri colleges. The 44 graduates in 2022
also attained a 100% first-try success rate. It is rare for each graduate of a
nursing school to pass the federal licensure examination, known as NCLEX. In fact, it is nearly unprecedented.Missouri Western instructs in a wide variety of nursing
fields.“I think a lot of people think of nurses as practicing in
hospitals and there are a lot of specialties in hospitals that nurses can
pursue:&nbsp; emergency department, critical
care, obstetrics, pediatrics, medical/surgical, telemetry,” Kendall explains. “Really,
the opportunities are boundless.”Kendall says that in addition to medical instruction, Missouri
Western instructs students on the importance of nurses to a community.“People trust us to provide not just quality care, but
evidence-based information that they can trust.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712853970093.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Missouri Western State University" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Missouri Western State University</figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri Western also received a $386,780 grant from the
Missouri State Board of Nursing for its program that prepares students to teach
in Missouri schools of nursing. The money will fund 10 scholarships for
students who agree to teach in a Missouri school of nursing for at least three
years after completing their degree.The grant is one of 20 totaling $5 million announced by Gov.
Mike Parson’s office last month.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/MWSU-Nursing-growing-exponentially-e2i9bmn" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

MWSU School of Nursing growing, succeeding

St. Joseph city officials have canceled open burning for today due to high winds.

St. Joseph city officials have canceled open burning for today due to high winds.

Opening burning canceled in St. Joseph for Thursday

Federal prosecutors recommend a St. Joseph couple who
participated in the January 6th, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol should
spend time behind bars.

Both Kim Dragoo and her husband, Steven Dragoo, pleaded guilty
August 11th of last year to charges of picketing, parading, and
demonstrating in the U.S. Capitol.

Prosecutors has asked the judge presiding over their case to
sentence Kim Dragoo to three weeks in jail, to be served intermittently, and to
sentence Steven Dragoo to two weeks in jail. Prosecutors recommended a longer
jail sentence for Kim, claiming she has failed to express remorse.

The two also must pay $500 in restitution to the Architect
of the U.S. Capitol.

Sentencing is scheduled for later this month.

Kim Dragoo unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the St. Joseph
School Board.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712849708257.png" alt="Image of Kimberly Dragoo from the Jan. 6 Committee provided by the U.S. District Court" />
 <figcaption>Image of Kimberly Dragoo from the Jan. 6 Committee provided by the U.S. District Court</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostFederal prosecutors recommend a St. Joseph couple who
participated in the January 6th, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol should
spend time behind bars.Both Kim Dragoo and her husband, Steven Dragoo, pleaded guilty
August 11th of last year to charges of picketing, parading, and
demonstrating in the U.S. Capitol.Prosecutors has asked the judge presiding over their case to
sentence Kim Dragoo to three weeks in jail, to be served intermittently, and to
sentence Steven Dragoo to two weeks in jail. Prosecutors recommended a longer
jail sentence for Kim, claiming she has failed to express remorse.The two also must pay $500 in restitution to the Architect
of the U.S. Capitol.Sentencing is scheduled for later this month.Kim Dragoo unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the St. Joseph
School Board.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Prosecutors recommend Dragoo serve jail time in US Capitol riot

A bipartisan bill to ban child marriage in Missouri won initial approval in the state Senate Wednesday afternoon.

Under current law, 16 and 17-year-olds are allowed to get married with parental consent. Marriage between a minor and anyone 21 or older is prohibited.

The legislation discussed Wednesday would prohibit issuing a marriage license to anyone younger than 18 under any circumstances.&nbsp;

Under identical bills&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=226">co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Scott City</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=1604608">and Democratic Sen. Lauren Arthur</a>&nbsp;of Kansas City, Missouri would join 10&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://19thnews.org/2023/07/explaining-child-marriage-laws-united-states/">states</a>&nbsp;that have banned child marriage.&nbsp;

“We’ve heard from so many people who have endured a lot of trauma as a result of getting married at a young age and often having abusive relationships, or being forced to become pregnant,” Arthur said.&nbsp;

“There are all kinds of individual situations that have played out as a result of child marriage,” she added, “but all of them in their own way are terrible and should be warning signs to us all, that this is no longer an acceptable standard.”&nbsp;

Rehder said that she got married at 15, “and so as a child that was married, I can unequivocally say that this: It’s a terrible idea and you’re not old enough to make those type of decisions.”

“…I was very alone,” Rehder said, adding that statistics bear out that child brides often face mental health issues.

There was no opposition on Wednesday. Those who have previously opposed banning child marriage often invoke&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://19thnews.org/2023/07/explaining-child-marriage-laws-united-states/">parental rights</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/4283941-child-marriage-is-still-legal-in-most-of-the-u-s-heres-why/">religious liberty</a>. Last year, Sen. Mike Moon, a Republican from Ash Grove, garnered national attention when he&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article274244525.html#storylink=cpy">said</a>: “Do you know any kids who have been married at age 12? I do. And guess what? They’re still married.”

Arthur said Wednesday the bill adjusts the marriage age to align with children’s limited legal rights.

“We’re not telling someone that they can’t marry the person they love, we’re just saying that children aren’t allowed to engage in legal contracts until they’re 18,” Arthur said.

Rehder added that “all of us have stories of our great grandparents or getting married early and that was absolutely the norm. But that was before women had the opportunity that they have now. They didn’t have the opportunity for education. They didn’t have the opportunity for a professional life, like they have now.”

“…This is the one thing that can absolutely sidetrack all of that for our girls.”

Until the legislature voted to raise the minimum marriage age to 16 in 2018, Missouri had among the most&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article204329774.html">lenient</a>&nbsp;child marriage laws in the nation — making it&nbsp; an especially popular state for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article204287484.html">15-year-olds</a>&nbsp;to travel to be married.

Despite the 2018 change, Missouri law still does not align with international human rights standards, which set the minimum age at 18.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article211345289.html">Activists argued at the time</a>&nbsp;Missouri’s new law would continue to leave 16 and 17-year-olds vulnerable to potential coercion.

Those in favor of a ban on child marriage often argue that marriage under 18 is coercive and can transform into forced marriage, especially because children&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://19thnews.org/2023/07/explaining-child-marriage-laws-united-states/">lack the legal rights of adulthood.</a>&nbsp;

Rehder said that since the 2018 change, “we got a little further, but we didn’t complete the policy process which says this is an adult decision.”&nbsp;

Between 2000 and 2018,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/29/missouri-lawmakers-seek-to-ban-child-marriage-without-exception/#:~:text=A%20study%20from%20the%20advocacy,over%20the%20age%20of%2018.">8,007 children</a>&nbsp;were married in Missouri and Rehder said around 300 have been married since 2018.

The bill that won initial approval Wednesday afternoon also had a provision added by Rehder and two amendments from other senators.

Rehder’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=235">bill</a>, folded into this legislation, would&nbsp;modify fees in divorce proceedings. When one person is failing to abide by the court’s orders in divorce proceedings,&nbsp;that person would be the one on the line to pay the costs of returning to court.&nbsp;

Rehder said her former spouse was refusing to abide by the process the court decided on for divorce. She would have to pay “just to have a judge look at him and say, ‘Yes, you have to do what I’ve already told you to do.’”

“…And I’m like, you gotta be kidding me. I have to pay for that to make him do what he’s already been told to do?” Rehder said.

She said she’s heard from many women who’ve experienced domestic violence about “how this was another way of having that hold on them and making them pay more money to get away from a bad situation.”

Sen. Rick Brattin, a Republican of Harrisonville, voiced his support for this provision.

“I love the fact of kind of penalizing those that try to abuse the system,” Brattin said.

Brattin&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_web/amendments/2840S03.01S.pdf">added</a>&nbsp;his own amendment to the underlying bill as well.&nbsp;

Currently, state law says sheriffs and other law enforcement officials “may” enforce the rights of custody or visitation agreements. His amendment changes that to make it required — that they “shall” enforce those rights.

Brattin said he faced his own challenges trying to get visitation with his kids after divorce, despite a court order, and said law enforcement could deter parents from failing to abide by those agreements.

“The law enforcement shows up, well then that parent’s gonna know, ‘I’m not gonna be able to get away with this, so I do have to buck up and I have to play nice, even though I don’t want to,’” Brattin said.

Arthur also added an amendment to the bill that would&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_web/amendments/2840S03.02S.pdf">add considerations</a>&nbsp;for judges when determining child custody, including the child’s “physical, emotional, educational and other needs.”&nbsp;

The legislation still needs to receive final approval from the Senate before heading to the House, where a similar&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/bill.aspx?bill=HB2709&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">bill</a>&nbsp;dealing with child marriage has yet to receive a committee hearing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711235947617.png" alt="Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Scott City, listens to Senate debate on Feb. 12, 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Scott City, listens to Senate debate on Feb. 12, 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>A bipartisan bill to ban child marriage in Missouri won initial approval in the state Senate Wednesday afternoon.Under current law, 16 and 17-year-olds are allowed to get married with parental consent. Marriage between a minor and anyone 21 or older is prohibited.The legislation discussed Wednesday would prohibit issuing a marriage license to anyone younger than 18 under any circumstances.&nbsp;Under identical bills&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=226">co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Scott City</a>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=1604608">and Democratic Sen. Lauren Arthur</a>&nbsp;of Kansas City, Missouri would join 10&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://19thnews.org/2023/07/explaining-child-marriage-laws-united-states/">states</a>&nbsp;that have banned child marriage.&nbsp;“We’ve heard from so many people who have endured a lot of trauma as a result of getting married at a young age and often having abusive relationships, or being forced to become pregnant,” Arthur said.&nbsp;“There are all kinds of individual situations that have played out as a result of child marriage,” she added, “but all of them in their own way are terrible and should be warning signs to us all, that this is no longer an acceptable standard.”&nbsp;Rehder said that she got married at 15, “and so as a child that was married, I can unequivocally say that this: It’s a terrible idea and you’re not old enough to make those type of decisions.”“…I was very alone,” Rehder said, adding that statistics bear out that child brides often face mental health issues.There was no opposition on Wednesday. Those who have previously opposed banning child marriage often invoke&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://19thnews.org/2023/07/explaining-child-marriage-laws-united-states/">parental rights</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/4283941-child-marriage-is-still-legal-in-most-of-the-u-s-heres-why/">religious liberty</a>. Last year, Sen. Mike Moon, a Republican from Ash Grove, garnered national attention when he&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article274244525.html#storylink=cpy">said</a>: “Do you know any kids who have been married at age 12? I do. And guess what? They’re still married.”Arthur said Wednesday the bill adjusts the marriage age to align with children’s limited legal rights.“We’re not telling someone that they can’t marry the person they love, we’re just saying that children aren’t allowed to engage in legal contracts until they’re 18,” Arthur said.Rehder added that “all of us have stories of our great grandparents or getting married early and that was absolutely the norm. But that was before women had the opportunity that they have now. They didn’t have the opportunity for education. They didn’t have the opportunity for a professional life, like they have now.”“…This is the one thing that can absolutely sidetrack all of that for our girls.”Until the legislature voted to raise the minimum marriage age to 16 in 2018, Missouri had among the most&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article204329774.html">lenient</a>&nbsp;child marriage laws in the nation — making it&nbsp; an especially popular state for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article204287484.html">15-year-olds</a>&nbsp;to travel to be married.Despite the 2018 change, Missouri law still does not align with international human rights standards, which set the minimum age at 18.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article211345289.html">Activists argued at the time</a>&nbsp;Missouri’s new law would continue to leave 16 and 17-year-olds vulnerable to potential coercion.Those in favor of a ban on child marriage often argue that marriage under 18 is coercive and can transform into forced marriage, especially because children&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://19thnews.org/2023/07/explaining-child-marriage-laws-united-states/">lack the legal rights of adulthood.</a>&nbsp;Rehder said that since the 2018 change, “we got a little further, but we didn’t complete the policy process which says this is an adult decision.”&nbsp;Between 2000 and 2018,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/29/missouri-lawmakers-seek-to-ban-child-marriage-without-exception/#:~:text=A%20study%20from%20the%20advocacy,over%20the%20age%20of%2018.">8,007 children</a>&nbsp;were married in Missouri and Rehder said around 300 have been married since 2018.The bill that won initial approval Wednesday afternoon also had a provision added by Rehder and two amendments from other senators.Rehder’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=235">bill</a>, folded into this legislation, would&nbsp;modify fees in divorce proceedings. When one person is failing to abide by the court’s orders in divorce proceedings,&nbsp;that person would be the one on the line to pay the costs of returning to court.&nbsp;Rehder said her former spouse was refusing to abide by the process the court decided on for divorce. She would have to pay “just to have a judge look at him and say, ‘Yes, you have to do what I’ve already told you to do.’”“…And I’m like, you gotta be kidding me. I have to pay for that to make him do what he’s already been told to do?” Rehder said.She said she’s heard from many women who’ve experienced domestic violence about “how this was another way of having that hold on them and making them pay more money to get away from a bad situation.”Sen. Rick Brattin, a Republican of Harrisonville, voiced his support for this provision.“I love the fact of kind of penalizing those that try to abuse the system,” Brattin said.Brattin&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_web/amendments/2840S03.01S.pdf">added</a>&nbsp;his own amendment to the underlying bill as well.&nbsp;Currently, state law says sheriffs and other law enforcement officials “may” enforce the rights of custody or visitation agreements. His amendment changes that to make it required — that they “shall” enforce those rights.Brattin said he faced his own challenges trying to get visitation with his kids after divorce, despite a court order, and said law enforcement could deter parents from failing to abide by those agreements.“The law enforcement shows up, well then that parent’s gonna know, ‘I’m not gonna be able to get away with this, so I do have to buck up and I have to play nice, even though I don’t want to,’” Brattin said.Arthur also added an amendment to the bill that would&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_web/amendments/2840S03.02S.pdf">add considerations</a>&nbsp;for judges when determining child custody, including the child’s “physical, emotional, educational and other needs.”&nbsp;The legislation still needs to receive final approval from the Senate before heading to the House, where a similar&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/bill.aspx?bill=HB2709&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">bill</a>&nbsp;dealing with child marriage has yet to receive a committee hearing.

Missouri Senate gives initial approval to complete ban on child marriage

ANDREW COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Wednesday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Ford F150 driven by a 16-year-old boy from Amazoia was&nbsp; eastbound on State Route T and County Road 398 one and one half miles north of Amazonia.

The driver lost control of the&nbsp; pickup. It traveled off the south side of the road and the driver overcorrected. The vehicle returned to the road and the driver overcorrected again. The pickup traveled off the south side of the road a second time and overturned.

A private vehicle transported the teen to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

ANDREW COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Wednesday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Ford F150 driven by a 16-year-old boy from Amazoia was&nbsp; eastbound on State Route T and County Road 398 one and one half miles north of Amazonia.The driver lost control of the&nbsp; pickup. It traveled off the south side of the road and the driver overcorrected. The vehicle returned to the road and the driver overcorrected again. The pickup traveled off the south side of the road a second time and overturned.A private vehicle transported the teen to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri teen hospitalized after pickup overturns

A $20 million dollar St. Joseph <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/6dab078f-64af-4da0-8d80-1cee6134e02b">School District Bond Issue</a> was heavily approved by voters last week.

It encompasses many different aspects, focusing on improvements to	 student safety and experience.

One of the biggest pieces of this bond deals with athletics. About $6.5 million will go toward new turf fields and running tracks at Benton, Central and Lafayette High Schools.

Shannon Notle, activities director for the school district, says this was a much needed upgrade for student competitors in the city, noting that teams and athletes travel to state-of-the-art facilities in Kansas City and other communities on a regular basis.

"There's a lot more out there that they see that we don't have here," Nolte told KFEQ Radio. "So, I think for our kids and students, it's a great thing. I'm glad our community was able to see that and vote that way so that our kids can have things that other students have in other areas."

Nolte says it'd be nice to have the fields done by the start of the next school year, but reiterates that it's not a guarantee.

"It might be better to wait and make sure we get things right and done correctly," he said. "Get the designs right. In some places, it'll be a tight fit. So, if we have to do some other things around the field to get it done right, I think we'd rather take our time and get it done right, versus rushing into it to get it done by August."

Turf fields will be more cost effective in the long run. District officials estimate it costs around $50,000 annually to maintain a grass field for competition and activities.

Nolte adds it'll be fun for athletes and teams once these projects are completed.

"What a fun experience it'll be at this time next (school) year when these things finally get done," he said, "and people say, 'Wow, there's some definite improvements going on.'"

"I'd like to thank the community for their support and their vote and we're going to now begin the work to get these things done."

The second biggest piece in the bond issue is $3.2 million, which is going towards fine arts upgrades across all schools in the district.

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712780069507.jpeg" alt="Benton, Central and Lafayette High School will all be getting new turf fields and running tracks, thanks to a newly passed bond issue from the St. Joseph School District. Stock photo." />
 <figcaption>Benton, Central and Lafayette High School will all be getting new turf fields and running tracks, thanks to a newly passed bond issue from the St. Joseph School District. Stock photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostA $20 million dollar St. Joseph <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/6dab078f-64af-4da0-8d80-1cee6134e02b">School District Bond Issue</a> was heavily approved by voters last week.It encompasses many different aspects, focusing on improvements to	 student safety and experience.One of the biggest pieces of this bond deals with athletics. About $6.5 million will go toward new turf fields and running tracks at Benton, Central and Lafayette High Schools.Shannon Notle, activities director for the school district, says this was a much needed upgrade for student competitors in the city, noting that teams and athletes travel to state-of-the-art facilities in Kansas City and other communities on a regular basis."There's a lot more out there that they see that we don't have here," Nolte told KFEQ Radio. "So, I think for our kids and students, it's a great thing. I'm glad our community was able to see that and vote that way so that our kids can have things that other students have in other areas."Nolte says it'd be nice to have the fields done by the start of the next school year, but reiterates that it's not a guarantee."It might be better to wait and make sure we get things right and done correctly," he said. "Get the designs right. In some places, it'll be a tight fit. So, if we have to do some other things around the field to get it done right, I think we'd rather take our time and get it done right, versus rushing into it to get it done by August."Turf fields will be more cost effective in the long run. District officials estimate it costs around $50,000 annually to maintain a grass field for competition and activities.Nolte adds it'll be fun for athletes and teams once these projects are completed."What a fun experience it'll be at this time next (school) year when these things finally get done," he said, "and people say, 'Wow, there's some definite improvements going on.'""I'd like to thank the community for their support and their vote and we're going to now begin the work to get these things done."The second biggest piece in the bond issue is $3.2 million, which is going towards fine arts upgrades across all schools in the district.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712780095800.jpeg" alt="Stock photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Stock photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph School District athletics to get big boost from newly passed bond issue

St.
Joseph and northwest Missouri could reap benefits from the state budget, if
projects placed in the budget by the House remain.

State
Representative Brenda Shields of St. Joseph, a member of the House Budget
Committee, points out the House version of the $51 billion state budget contains
$7.5 million for Rosecrans Memorial Airport, money to pay for the design of a
new hangar that could accommodate upgraded C-130 cargo planes.

“Hopefully,
we’ll get into the design process and when the opportunity for the J model
comes back around, we’ll score high enough that we’ll be able to secure the
C-130Js at Rosecrans with the 7 ½ million that we’re able to contribute to the
design,” Shields tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.

This
latest move to finance further improvements at Rosecrans Memorial Airport is
part of a concerted effort to lure the upgraded C-130 cargo planes vital to the
long-term future of the Air National Guard’s 139th Airlift Wing in
St. Joseph. The Pentagon passed over the 139th in awarding the
C-130J model planes to other Air National Guard bases. A federal scoring system
disclosed some deficiencies at Rosecrans that city, state, and even federal
officials are attempting to address with the belief that if those deficiencies
are addressed, the 139th will be awarded the new planes.

Transportation
is a big feature of the state budget approved by the Missouri House. Money is
also in the budget to upgrade rural roadways.

“I
think it’s important that we continue to invest in infrastructure and I’m happy
that we’re able to invest another 100 million in our rural roads,” Sheilds
says. “We’ve known that we’ve neglected those over the years.”

Shields
says those blacktop, two-lane roads are more important than they might look.

“We
know that it is important that we can get product to market,” Shields says,
pointing out farmers need good rural roads.&nbsp;
“And they’re crumbling and it was important that we continue to improve
those rural roads.”

The
House also set aside $53 million to improve the intersection of I-29 and I-35
in Kansas City.

Also
included in the House version is money to study whether US Highway 36 should
become Interstate 72.

“Because
we want to really look at the study to determine if 36 can become I-72 and it
all starts with a study and that’s what we have money in the budget for,”
Shields says, adding the appropriation has been reworked to satisfy objections
raised by Gov. Mike Parson, who vetoed a similar spending measure last year.

The
budget now is under review in the Senate. Shields notes the Senate in the past
has made significant changes to the House version of the budget, which requires
both chambers to agree to a compromise spending plan.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt.
Joseph and northwest Missouri could reap benefits from the state budget, if
projects placed in the budget by the House remain.State
Representative Brenda Shields of St. Joseph, a member of the House Budget
Committee, points out the House version of the $51 billion state budget contains
$7.5 million for Rosecrans Memorial Airport, money to pay for the design of a
new hangar that could accommodate upgraded C-130 cargo planes.“Hopefully,
we’ll get into the design process and when the opportunity for the J model
comes back around, we’ll score high enough that we’ll be able to secure the
C-130Js at Rosecrans with the 7 ½ million that we’re able to contribute to the
design,” Shields tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.This
latest move to finance further improvements at Rosecrans Memorial Airport is
part of a concerted effort to lure the upgraded C-130 cargo planes vital to the
long-term future of the Air National Guard’s 139th Airlift Wing in
St. Joseph. The Pentagon passed over the 139th in awarding the
C-130J model planes to other Air National Guard bases. A federal scoring system
disclosed some deficiencies at Rosecrans that city, state, and even federal
officials are attempting to address with the belief that if those deficiencies
are addressed, the 139th will be awarded the new planes.Transportation
is a big feature of the state budget approved by the Missouri House. Money is
also in the budget to upgrade rural roadways.“I
think it’s important that we continue to invest in infrastructure and I’m happy
that we’re able to invest another 100 million in our rural roads,” Sheilds
says. “We’ve known that we’ve neglected those over the years.”Shields
says those blacktop, two-lane roads are more important than they might look.“We
know that it is important that we can get product to market,” Shields says,
pointing out farmers need good rural roads.&nbsp;
“And they’re crumbling and it was important that we continue to improve
those rural roads.”The
House also set aside $53 million to improve the intersection of I-29 and I-35
in Kansas City.Also
included in the House version is money to study whether US Highway 36 should
become Interstate 72.“Because
we want to really look at the study to determine if 36 can become I-72 and it
all starts with a study and that’s what we have money in the budget for,”
Shields says, adding the appropriation has been reworked to satisfy objections
raised by Gov. Mike Parson, who vetoed a similar spending measure last year.The
budget now is under review in the Senate. Shields notes the Senate in the past
has made significant changes to the House version of the budget, which requires
both chambers to agree to a compromise spending plan.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Reprenstative-Brenda-Shields-on-State-Budget-e2i7qut" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph stands to win in House version of $51B state budget

Plans are coming into place and St. Joseph is getting ever closer to beginning construction on a new animal shelter.  

After securing more money last month to put towards a new animal shelter, The St. Joseph City Council has selected a firm to take on the job.  

Ellison-Auxier architects, out of St. Joseph, will be responsible for putting together the new building located on the South Belt. 

At Large Councilmember Randy Schultz says he estimates the design phase will take somewhere between three to four months. 

"I'm going to push them on that, it'll be exciting to get it going, because I would like to see it get started before snow flys again," Schultz tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "And I think that's a reasonable timeline to get the prints out, get it bid, and get it on the books to get it constructed hopefully starting this year." 

Schultz says overall once construction begins, he believes it might take another year to get the building fully up and running. 

Schultz says Friends of the Animal Shelter believes, and he believes, animals at the shelter deserve dignity 

"So, we're going to build a building that is dignified, it's not going to be a metal slap up, it's going to be something that is cohesive for the dogs to thrive, the cats to thrive, and you can come in and adopt and it's a very welcoming place," Schultz explains.  

After several hiccups in the journey for a new animal shelter, Schultz says it's good to finally get this going.  

"Friends of the Animal Shelter came in at a work session, who knew how that work session was going to go, but with the strong leadership of all the city councilmen and our mayor, we worked a solution out," Schultz says. "And they have worked very hard to get those donations." 

Last month the city dedicated $3.4 million towards the project on top of the$1.6 million raised by Friends of the Animal Shelter. 

The new building will be on the South Belt, near the city recycling plant, at 3405 South Belt Highway. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710432377060.jpeg" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Plans are coming into place and St. Joseph is getting ever closer to beginning construction on a new animal shelter. After securing more money last month to put towards a new animal shelter, The St. Joseph City Council has selected a firm to take on the job. Ellison-Auxier architects, out of St. Joseph, will be responsible for putting together the new building located on the South Belt. At Large Councilmember Randy Schultz says he estimates the design phase will take somewhere between three to four months. "I'm going to push them on that, it'll be exciting to get it going, because I would like to see it get started before snow flys again," Schultz tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "And I think that's a reasonable timeline to get the prints out, get it bid, and get it on the books to get it constructed hopefully starting this year." Schultz says overall once construction begins, he believes it might take another year to get the building fully up and running. Schultz says Friends of the Animal Shelter believes, and he believes, animals at the shelter deserve dignity "So, we're going to build a building that is dignified, it's not going to be a metal slap up, it's going to be something that is cohesive for the dogs to thrive, the cats to thrive, and you can come in and adopt and it's a very welcoming place," Schultz explains. After several hiccups in the journey for a new animal shelter, Schultz says it's good to finally get this going. "Friends of the Animal Shelter came in at a work session, who knew how that work session was going to go, but with the strong leadership of all the city councilmen and our mayor, we worked a solution out," Schultz says. "And they have worked very hard to get those donations." Last month the city dedicated $3.4 million towards the project on top of the$1.6 million raised by Friends of the Animal Shelter. The new building will be on the South Belt, near the city recycling plant, at 3405 South Belt Highway. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Firm selected to design new St. Joseph Animal Shelter; as dream moves towards reality

Democrats filibustered for more than 11 hours before sending the bill back to the House for a final vote

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>.&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 that would make Planned Parenthood ineligible to receive reimbursements from the state’s Medicaid program passed out of the Missouri Senate early Wednesday morning after an 11-hour Democratic filibuster.

The bill now returns to the House, where it can be sent to Gov. Mike Parson to sign into law.

<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB%202634">This legislation, originally filed by Republican state Rep. Cody Smith</a>&nbsp;of Carthage, is nearly identical to a bill filed by state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a Republican from Arnold, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/08/missouri-abortion-legislation-defund-planned-parenthood-defund/">was blocked by a Democratic filibuster in February</a>.&nbsp;

The legislation would make it financially tenuous, if not impossible, for the state’s Planned Parenthood clinics to continue seeing patients on Medicaid since the clinics would no longer be reimbursed for the cost of seeing these low-income patients.

Coleman, who is running for Secretary of State, said Tuesday afternoon that she hopes putting her bill into law makes it “abundantly clear to the state of Missouri that people who are engaged in, are associated with, who are providing abortions in the state of Missouri, shall be ineligible to be part of the Medicaid program.”

Missouri was the first state to outlaw abortion in June 2022 after the constitutional right to the procedure was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. From June 2022 through 2023 , there were 52 abortions performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.&nbsp;

None took place at Missouri Planned Parenthood clinics; however, Planned Parenthood clinics in the neighboring states of Kansas and Illinois still provide abortions.

“Dollars are fungible,” Coleman said Tuesday.&nbsp;

Her Democratic colleagues blocked a vote on the legislation past midnight, arguing that the state’s health care safety net couldn’t reasonably support displaced Medicaid patients.&nbsp;

State Sen. Tracy McCreery, a Democrat from Olivette, called the bill a “bizarre quest to just continue to punish Planned Parenthood.”&nbsp;

“But the reality is it’s not punishing Planned Parenthood,” she said. “This is hurting our very own constituents.”

Missouri’s Medicaid program, called MO HealthNet, serves low-income and disabled citizens, and has long banned funding for abortion, with limited exceptions. Planned Parenthood clinics primarily provide contraceptives, STI testing, cancer screenings and wellness checks.&nbsp;

The bill was ultimately approved along party lines around 12:30 a.m.&nbsp;

The bills filed this session attempt to cut Planned Parenthood’s funding through state law after Missouri Republicans twice tried to end Medicaid reimbursements through the state budget. Both times, including as recently as February, courts&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-supreme-court-again-says-state-cant-deny-medicaid-funds-to-planned-parenthood/">ruled those attempts unconstitutional.</a>

Despite the legal victories, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri last month said they have not received any Medicaid reimbursements since 2022.&nbsp;

Emily Wales, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which oversees clinics in western Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, said previously that her organization has been privately fundraising to offset the cost of care to continue seeing Missouri Medicaid patients.&nbsp;

When&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/28/missouri-looks-to-mirror-arkansas-law-that-forced-planned-parenthood-to-turn-away-patients/">a similar law passed in Arkansas</a>&nbsp;several years ago, clinics immediately ceased seeing Medicaid patients. Arkansas’ law was upheld by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.

Nearly one in five Planned Parenthood patients in Missouri are on Medicaid. Wales said they’re still evaluating their options if the bill becomes law.&nbsp;

Coleman on Tuesday said this bill is not about access to health care, reiterating that federally qualified health centers, which also take patients on Medicaid, could take on the patients. She again suggested that Planned Parenthood clinics could also drop their Planned Parenthood affiliation to become eligible for reimbursements.&nbsp;

“It’s no politician’s business to tell somebody where they can and can’t go for healthcare,” McCreery said, emphasizing her concerns that patients won’t quickly be able to find new providers.

The Missouri Family Health Council Inc has over the past two years informally surveyed the capacity at the state’s safety net clinics.&nbsp;

When calling to inquire about availability for new patients, the organization found wait times at the state’s Planned Parenthood clinics averaged between the same day and three days to get an appointment. Across the other safety net clinics, wait times averaged between five and seven weeks, with some clinics as few as two weeks and some pausing new patients completely.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2022, across all 68 safety net clinics in the state that take Title X funding, around 24% of the clients were on Medicaid, said Michelle Trupiano, the council’s executive director. She previously testified that Planned Parenthood is the primary family planning services provider for about 20,000 patients across the state.

<h2>Democrats filibustered for more than 11 hours before sending the bill back to the House for a final vote</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>.&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 that would make Planned Parenthood ineligible to receive reimbursements from the state’s Medicaid program passed out of the Missouri Senate early Wednesday morning after an 11-hour Democratic filibuster.The bill now returns to the House, where it can be sent to Gov. Mike Parson to sign into law.<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB%202634">This legislation, originally filed by Republican state Rep. Cody Smith</a>&nbsp;of Carthage, is nearly identical to a bill filed by state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a Republican from Arnold, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/08/missouri-abortion-legislation-defund-planned-parenthood-defund/">was blocked by a Democratic filibuster in February</a>.&nbsp;The legislation would make it financially tenuous, if not impossible, for the state’s Planned Parenthood clinics to continue seeing patients on Medicaid since the clinics would no longer be reimbursed for the cost of seeing these low-income patients.Coleman, who is running for Secretary of State, said Tuesday afternoon that she hopes putting her bill into law makes it “abundantly clear to the state of Missouri that people who are engaged in, are associated with, who are providing abortions in the state of Missouri, shall be ineligible to be part of the Medicaid program.”Missouri was the first state to outlaw abortion in June 2022 after the constitutional right to the procedure was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. From June 2022 through 2023 , there were 52 abortions performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.&nbsp;None took place at Missouri Planned Parenthood clinics; however, Planned Parenthood clinics in the neighboring states of Kansas and Illinois still provide abortions.“Dollars are fungible,” Coleman said Tuesday.&nbsp;Her Democratic colleagues blocked a vote on the legislation past midnight, arguing that the state’s health care safety net couldn’t reasonably support displaced Medicaid patients.&nbsp;State Sen. Tracy McCreery, a Democrat from Olivette, called the bill a “bizarre quest to just continue to punish Planned Parenthood.”&nbsp;“But the reality is it’s not punishing Planned Parenthood,” she said. “This is hurting our very own constituents.”Missouri’s Medicaid program, called MO HealthNet, serves low-income and disabled citizens, and has long banned funding for abortion, with limited exceptions. Planned Parenthood clinics primarily provide contraceptives, STI testing, cancer screenings and wellness checks.&nbsp;The bill was ultimately approved along party lines around 12:30 a.m.&nbsp;<h2>Capacity at safety net clinics</h2>The bills filed this session attempt to cut Planned Parenthood’s funding through state law after Missouri Republicans twice tried to end Medicaid reimbursements through the state budget. Both times, including as recently as February, courts&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-supreme-court-again-says-state-cant-deny-medicaid-funds-to-planned-parenthood/">ruled those attempts unconstitutional.</a>Despite the legal victories, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri last month said they have not received any Medicaid reimbursements since 2022.&nbsp;Emily Wales, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which oversees clinics in western Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, said previously that her organization has been privately fundraising to offset the cost of care to continue seeing Missouri Medicaid patients.&nbsp;When&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/28/missouri-looks-to-mirror-arkansas-law-that-forced-planned-parenthood-to-turn-away-patients/">a similar law passed in Arkansas</a>&nbsp;several years ago, clinics immediately ceased seeing Medicaid patients. Arkansas’ law was upheld by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.Nearly one in five Planned Parenthood patients in Missouri are on Medicaid. Wales said they’re still evaluating their options if the bill becomes law.&nbsp;Coleman on Tuesday said this bill is not about access to health care, reiterating that federally qualified health centers, which also take patients on Medicaid, could take on the patients. She again suggested that Planned Parenthood clinics could also drop their Planned Parenthood affiliation to become eligible for reimbursements.&nbsp;“It’s no politician’s business to tell somebody where they can and can’t go for healthcare,” McCreery said, emphasizing her concerns that patients won’t quickly be able to find new providers.The Missouri Family Health Council Inc has over the past two years informally surveyed the capacity at the state’s safety net clinics.&nbsp;When calling to inquire about availability for new patients, the organization found wait times at the state’s Planned Parenthood clinics averaged between the same day and three days to get an appointment. Across the other safety net clinics, wait times averaged between five and seven weeks, with some clinics as few as two weeks and some pausing new patients completely.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2022, across all 68 safety net clinics in the state that take Title X funding, around 24% of the clients were on Medicaid, said Michelle Trupiano, the council’s executive director. She previously testified that Planned Parenthood is the primary family planning services provider for about 20,000 patients across the state.State Sen. Karla May, a Democrat from St. Louis, said in her travels around rural Missouri last year she heard a resounding cry for more health care providers. A bill like this, she argued, would create “chaos.”McCreery on Tuesday brought forward an amendment that would exempt in vitro fertilization from Missouri’s current statute which states that life begins at conception.&nbsp;The amendment never made it to a vote, but it fueled much of the Democratic senators’ filibuster.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I assumed wrongly, stupidly, that when the legislature passed a total ban on abortion, that that would be enough. People would feel like they had their pro life credentials,” said state Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Democrat from Kansas City. “What I have since realized is it’s never enough.”

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