HOLT COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 11:30p.m. Tuesday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Freightliner semi driven by Victor V. Andritchi, 33, Boring, Oregon, was northbound on Interstate 29 just south of U.S. 59.

The semi rear-ended a 2018 Chevy Equinox driven by Kevin M. Davis, 49, Craig, who had struck a deer in the road.&nbsp;

Atchison-Holt EMS transported Davis to Mosaic Life Care. Andritchi was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

HOLT COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 11:30p.m. Tuesday in Holt County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Freightliner semi driven by Victor V. Andritchi, 33, Boring, Oregon, was northbound on Interstate 29 just south of U.S. 59.The semi rear-ended a 2018 Chevy Equinox driven by Kevin M. Davis, 49, Craig, who had struck a deer in the road.&nbsp;Atchison-Holt EMS transported Davis to Mosaic Life Care. Andritchi was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man injured after semi rear-ends SUV

ANDREW COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Chevy Impala driven by Richard D. Stinson, 34, Maryville, was northbound on Route C one mile north of County Road 187 two and one half miles north of Savannah.

The driver attempted to avoid a deer in the road and began braking. The car traveled off the east side of the road and struck an embankment.

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

ANDREW COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Tuesday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Chevy Impala driven by Richard D. Stinson, 34, Maryville, was northbound on Route C one mile north of County Road 187 two and one half miles north of Savannah.The driver attempted to avoid a deer in the road and began braking. The car traveled off the east side of the road and struck an embankment.Andrew County EMS transported Stinson to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man injured after car strikes embankment

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Tuesday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2018 GMC Acadia driven by Carol L.&nbsp; Paul, 71, Chillicothe, was eastbound on MO 190 five miles west of Chillicothe. The SUV traveled off the north side of the road and struck an embankment.

Chillicothe EMS transported Paul to Hedrick Medical Center. She was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Tuesday in Livingston County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2018 GMC Acadia driven by Carol L.&nbsp; Paul, 71, Chillicothe, was eastbound on MO 190 five miles west of Chillicothe. The SUV traveled off the north side of the road and struck an embankment.Chillicothe EMS transported Paul to Hedrick Medical Center. She was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Mo. woman injured after SUV strikes embankment

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged theft.

Just before 4:30p.m. Monday, a 35-year-old victim reported the theft of a Polaris Scrambler four wheeler, ramps, and a jack from the 1000 block North 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

The theft occurred sometime between Saturday afternoon and Monday afternoon. The four wheeler was valued at $3,500.

An investigation determined that 60-year-old David Barajas lived next door to the victim and had taken the four wheeler which was parked outside the victim’s residence.&nbsp; 

Just after 8p.m. Monday, police took Barajas into custody at his residence in the 1000 block North 10th Street.&nbsp; The four wheeler was recovered in Buchanan County, Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714494996853.png" alt="Barajas photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Barajas photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged theft.Just before 4:30p.m. Monday, a 35-year-old victim reported the theft of a Polaris Scrambler four wheeler, ramps, and a jack from the 1000 block North 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.The theft occurred sometime between Saturday afternoon and Monday afternoon. The four wheeler was valued at $3,500.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714495176243.png" alt="Photo Police Chief Mike Wilson" />
 <figcaption>Photo Police Chief Mike Wilson</figcaption>
 </figure>An investigation determined that 60-year-old David Barajas lived next door to the victim and had taken the four wheeler which was parked outside the victim’s residence.&nbsp; Just after 8p.m. Monday, police took Barajas into custody at his residence in the 1000 block North 10th Street.&nbsp; The four wheeler was recovered in Buchanan County, Missouri.

Kansas man jailed for alleged theft of his neighbor's 4-wheeler

St. Joseph and Missouri Western State University will be the home for MSHSAA state football championship games over the next few years.

The MSHSAA Board of Directors this month voted to approve St. Joseph as the host city for the Missouri 8-man championship game in 2024. Spratt Stadium will then host the state title games for all classes from 2025-28.

Brett Esely, Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission, worked in conjunction with Western to make this a reality. He says St. Joseph is a great fit with its facilities, community engagement and participation.

"It's exciting," Esely told KFEQ Radio. "Any time we can bring an event of this magnitude to St. Joseph and Buchanan County, we need to look into it and make it possible. I also think we have a great reputation for hosting championship events, which is a big feather in the cap of our community."

The 11-man state title games will still be at Faurot Field in Columbia this fall.

St. Joseph first received the bid packet for hosting the 8-man title game last October. MSHSAA officials then had a visit to the MWSU campus in January.

From there, both parties expressed interest in having St. Joseph host all of the state football title games, beginning in 2025. The St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with the University, submitted the bid for all the games on April 1 and officially got approval about two weeks after that.

Mizzou has hosted all of the state football championships since 2016. St. Joseph and Missouri Western previously hosted the 8-man championship from 1998-2007.

 Missouri Western’s football program already gets lots of publicity, as the facilities are used to host Kansas City Chiefs training camp every year since 2010.

Colin McQuillan is the special teams coach at Western. A Wathena, KS native and former coach at Union Star, McQuillan says bringing these games to Spratt will no doubt be an added bonus for the program.

"Recruiting, admissions and people being able to check out Missouri Western and see what's available and going on here," he said. "Football wise, it's going to be awesome in terms of recruiting, but getting more football fans in the stands is going to be awesome for the community."

McQuillan helps spearhead both 8-man and 11-man football camps at Spratt Stadium in the summer.

He acknowledges St. Joseph isn’t exactly the most central location for this, but he’s hopeful that teams will see why St. Joseph is such a great host, once the teams get to the campus.

"I know the St. Louis schools won't like the travel as much," McQuillan noted, "but once they get here, they're going to realize that the atmosphere is going to be awesome. The venue and everything that's around it is going to be very, very successful."

For nearly 30 years, state football championships in Missouri had either been held at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, or at Mizzou. Faurot Field has been the host since 2016.

Esely says nowadays, bigger cities have been less eager to host state high school championship events. He believes Spratt Stadium will be the perfect atmosphere for state football, because of the facility and also the region’s overall interest in the sport.

"You don't have to play (in Columbia or St. Louis) to create a great championship experience," Esely said. "Frankly, when I think of Spratt Stadium and 7,200 fans packed in there tight, with the bells and whistles that facility has...I've been a part of some really cool moments there and I look forward to a lot more cool moments moving forward."

The 10,000-seat stadium boasts a 2,500 square foot videoboard and a synthetic turf playing surface.

"The venue speaks for itself. It's the right size. It's got the bells and whistles, the logistics, the infrastructure. The other thing I think that's great to boast, especially to a high school student is, 'It's on a college campus, and ya know, the Chiefs train here in the summertime.'"

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693546578918.jpeg" alt="Spratt Stadium in St. Joseph will be the home of all state football championship games in Missouri from 2025-28. Courtesy photo." />
 <figcaption>Spratt Stadium in St. Joseph will be the home of all state football championship games in Missouri from 2025-28. Courtesy photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph and Missouri Western State University will be the home for MSHSAA state football championship games over the next few years.The MSHSAA Board of Directors this month voted to approve St. Joseph as the host city for the Missouri 8-man championship game in 2024. Spratt Stadium will then host the state title games for all classes from 2025-28.Brett Esely, Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission, worked in conjunction with Western to make this a reality. He says St. Joseph is a great fit with its facilities, community engagement and participation."It's exciting," Esely told KFEQ Radio. "Any time we can bring an event of this magnitude to St. Joseph and Buchanan County, we need to look into it and make it possible. I also think we have a great reputation for hosting championship events, which is a big feather in the cap of our community."The 11-man state title games will still be at Faurot Field in Columbia this fall.St. Joseph first received the bid packet for hosting the 8-man title game last October. MSHSAA officials then had a visit to the MWSU campus in January.From there, both parties expressed interest in having St. Joseph host all of the state football title games, beginning in 2025. The St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with the University, submitted the bid for all the games on April 1 and officially got approval about two weeks after that.Mizzou has hosted all of the state football championships since 2016. St. Joseph and Missouri Western previously hosted the 8-man championship from 1998-2007. Missouri Western’s football program already gets lots of publicity, as the facilities are used to host Kansas City Chiefs training camp every year since 2010.Colin McQuillan is the special teams coach at Western. A Wathena, KS native and former coach at Union Star, McQuillan says bringing these games to Spratt will no doubt be an added bonus for the program."Recruiting, admissions and people being able to check out Missouri Western and see what's available and going on here," he said. "Football wise, it's going to be awesome in terms of recruiting, but getting more football fans in the stands is going to be awesome for the community."McQuillan helps spearhead both 8-man and 11-man football camps at Spratt Stadium in the summer.He acknowledges St. Joseph isn’t exactly the most central location for this, but he’s hopeful that teams will see why St. Joseph is such a great host, once the teams get to the campus."I know the St. Louis schools won't like the travel as much," McQuillan noted, "but once they get here, they're going to realize that the atmosphere is going to be awesome. The venue and everything that's around it is going to be very, very successful."For nearly 30 years, state football championships in Missouri had either been held at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, or at Mizzou. Faurot Field has been the host since 2016.Esely says nowadays, bigger cities have been less eager to host state high school championship events. He believes Spratt Stadium will be the perfect atmosphere for state football, because of the facility and also the region’s overall interest in the sport."You don't have to play (in Columbia or St. Louis) to create a great championship experience," Esely said. "Frankly, when I think of Spratt Stadium and 7,200 fans packed in there tight, with the bells and whistles that facility has...I've been a part of some really cool moments there and I look forward to a lot more cool moments moving forward."The 10,000-seat stadium boasts a 2,500 square foot videoboard and a synthetic turf playing surface."The venue speaks for itself. It's the right size. It's got the bells and whistles, the logistics, the infrastructure. The other thing I think that's great to boast, especially to a high school student is, 'It's on a college campus, and ya know, the Chiefs train here in the summertime.'"Interviews<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-sports/embed/episodes/Brett-Esely---43024-e2j3fne/a-ab7l6fu" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-sports/embed/episodes/Colin-McQuillan---MWSU-e2j3fph/a-ab7l6np" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631269551325.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692413228096.jpeg" alt="Spratt Stadium plays hosts to a couple of high school events already, including the St. Joseph city jamboree and the Missouri 8-man all-star game. Stock photo." />
 <figcaption>Spratt Stadium plays hosts to a couple of high school events already, including the St. Joseph city jamboree and the Missouri 8-man all-star game. Stock photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Spratt Stadium to host Missouri 8-man state title in 2024, all classes in 2025-28

Attempting to manage the unruly Missouri River has always been
a tall task.

The Army Corps of Engineers has been listening to local input
as it begins to draft a proposal to manage the lower Missouri River in an
effort to reduce flood risks.

Program Manager Colleen Roberts with the Corps says this study
will seek to improve the resiliency of the lower Missouri River.

“It came about when the four states came together after the
2019 flood event,” Roberts tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.

Roberts says the input from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and
Iowa has proven invaluable as the Corps examines the Missouri River as a whole.

“Typically, our studies are just really site specific with a
local sponsor,” Roberts says. “Whereas for this one we’ve come together with
all four states to look at the river as an entire system which is really unique.”

The study is officially called the, “Lower Missouri Flood Risk
and Resiliency Study.”

Public hearings have been held up and down the river, from
Sioux City, Iowa to St. Louis. Roberts says the input will be used as the Corps
works over the next year to draft the study.

Roberts characterizes this latest, systematic study of the
lower Missouri River as an attempt to create a road map to make the river more
resilient.

“Not something that we’re going to be able to implement
overnight,” according to Roberts. “We need our other stakeholders and other state,
local, federal partners to be able to implement it and it’s more the long-term
implementations, that’s 10-to-50 years, what can we do to really improve the
lower Missouri River?”

Roberts says the Corps began this effort after officials from
Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa complained about Corps management
practices in wake of 2019 flood. Roberts cautions this latest, river-wide study
will take time to draft and even more time to implement.

“We meet monthly with those state partners and give study updates
and see where we want to head together as a group,” Roberts says. “We’ve done
in-person meetings. We’ve been doing all these public outreach events in all
the different states and the state partners have been really involved with
that. I think working on those relationships is really going to be beneficial
down the road as well.”

Roberts says the Corps will take the rest of this year and all
of next to complete the study.

Click <a href="https://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Civil-Works-Programs-And-Projects/Lower-Missouri-River-Basin/">HERE</a> for more on the study.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714501697209.jpeg" alt="Missouri River/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Missouri River/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAttempting to manage the unruly Missouri River has always been
a tall task.The Army Corps of Engineers has been listening to local input
as it begins to draft a proposal to manage the lower Missouri River in an
effort to reduce flood risks.Program Manager Colleen Roberts with the Corps says this study
will seek to improve the resiliency of the lower Missouri River.“It came about when the four states came together after the
2019 flood event,” Roberts tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.Roberts says the input from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and
Iowa has proven invaluable as the Corps examines the Missouri River as a whole.“Typically, our studies are just really site specific with a
local sponsor,” Roberts says. “Whereas for this one we’ve come together with
all four states to look at the river as an entire system which is really unique.”The study is officially called the, “Lower Missouri Flood Risk
and Resiliency Study.”Public hearings have been held up and down the river, from
Sioux City, Iowa to St. Louis. Roberts says the input will be used as the Corps
works over the next year to draft the study.Roberts characterizes this latest, systematic study of the
lower Missouri River as an attempt to create a road map to make the river more
resilient.“Not something that we’re going to be able to implement
overnight,” according to Roberts. “We need our other stakeholders and other state,
local, federal partners to be able to implement it and it’s more the long-term
implementations, that’s 10-to-50 years, what can we do to really improve the
lower Missouri River?”Roberts says the Corps began this effort after officials from
Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa complained about Corps management
practices in wake of 2019 flood. Roberts cautions this latest, river-wide study
will take time to draft and even more time to implement.“We meet monthly with those state partners and give study updates
and see where we want to head together as a group,” Roberts says. “We’ve done
in-person meetings. We’ve been doing all these public outreach events in all
the different states and the state partners have been really involved with
that. I think working on those relationships is really going to be beneficial
down the road as well.”Roberts says the Corps will take the rest of this year and all
of next to complete the study.Click <a href="https://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Civil-Works-Programs-And-Projects/Lower-Missouri-River-Basin/">HERE</a> for more on the study.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Corps seeks local input as it take long-range look at Missouri River

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

Legislation that could expand the number of college credits universally transferable between Missouri’s public two-year and four-year institutions took another step towards becoming law on Tuesday as time runs short before lawmakers adjourn for the year.

A Senate committee, in its last scheduled meeting of the legislative session, debated and passed a bill Tuesday morning that seeks to create a 60-credit-hour core curriculum in concert with Missouri’s higher education institutions. Currently, there is a 42-credit-hour block that transfers between all Missouri’s public colleges, created in 2018.

<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2310&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">The bill</a>, sponsored by Republican Rep. Cameron Parker of Campbell, passed the House unanimously earlier this month.&nbsp;

“This will eliminate some problems for students transferring from a two-year to a four-year. It reduces the cost,” Parker told the committee. “What we’re looking at is a seamless transition from a two-year to a four-year.”

Parker’s bill calls for the coordinating board for higher education to craft the 60-hour block for “at least five degree programs with substantial enrollment.”

Paul Wagner, executive director of the Council on Public Higher Education in Missouri, testified in “soft opposition” because the bill could exclude students outside of popular degree programs.

“This only applies to a certain type of student,” he said. “That is a student that knows from the beginning that they want to major in one of the five degrees that are chosen.”

It is going to be a large undertaking to get each public college to agree on a 60-credit-hour program, he said.

“If we are going to put in that kind of work, we would prefer that there was a broader result,” Wagner said.

State Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat who serves on the committee, said Wagner’s comment was “well-taken.”

“I would like to see it more broadly applied,” she said.

She voted in favor of the bill, along with the other nine members in attendance.

Representatives from community colleges said the legislation would solve problems their students face.

Brian Miller, president and CEO of the Missouri Community College Association, testified that there is a “high frequency” of students retaking classes after transferring to a four-year university.

State Fair Community College President Brent Bates said his students have a similar frustration.

“Each year students transfer from State Fair Community College,” he said, “sometimes they are surprised when they transfer to a public university in the state and the classes don’t transfer as they anticipated.”&nbsp;

To make it to the governor’s desk, the legislation must pass the Senate before the legislative session ends on May 17.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714499396703.png" alt=" Paul Wagner, executive director of the Council on Public Higher Education in Missouri, testifies in a Missouri Senate committee hearing Tuesday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Paul Wagner, executive director of the Council on Public Higher Education in Missouri, testifies in a Missouri Senate committee hearing Tuesday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ahanshaw/">ANNELISE HANSHAW</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Legislation that could expand the number of college credits universally transferable between Missouri’s public two-year and four-year institutions took another step towards becoming law on Tuesday as time runs short before lawmakers adjourn for the year.A Senate committee, in its last scheduled meeting of the legislative session, debated and passed a bill Tuesday morning that seeks to create a 60-credit-hour core curriculum in concert with Missouri’s higher education institutions. Currently, there is a 42-credit-hour block that transfers between all Missouri’s public colleges, created in 2018.<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2310&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">The bill</a>, sponsored by Republican Rep. Cameron Parker of Campbell, passed the House unanimously earlier this month.&nbsp;“This will eliminate some problems for students transferring from a two-year to a four-year. It reduces the cost,” Parker told the committee. “What we’re looking at is a seamless transition from a two-year to a four-year.”Parker’s bill calls for the coordinating board for higher education to craft the 60-hour block for “at least five degree programs with substantial enrollment.”Paul Wagner, executive director of the Council on Public Higher Education in Missouri, testified in “soft opposition” because the bill could exclude students outside of popular degree programs.“This only applies to a certain type of student,” he said. “That is a student that knows from the beginning that they want to major in one of the five degrees that are chosen.”It is going to be a large undertaking to get each public college to agree on a 60-credit-hour program, he said.“If we are going to put in that kind of work, we would prefer that there was a broader result,” Wagner said.State Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat who serves on the committee, said Wagner’s comment was “well-taken.”“I would like to see it more broadly applied,” she said.She voted in favor of the bill, along with the other nine members in attendance.Representatives from community colleges said the legislation would solve problems their students face.Brian Miller, president and CEO of the Missouri Community College Association, testified that there is a “high frequency” of students retaking classes after transferring to a four-year university.State Fair Community College President Brent Bates said his students have a similar frustration.“Each year students transfer from State Fair Community College,” he said, “sometimes they are surprised when they transfer to a public university in the state and the classes don’t transfer as they anticipated.”&nbsp;To make it to the governor’s desk, the legislation must pass the Senate before the legislative session ends on May 17.

Mo. Senate committee approves bill to expand college core curriculum

Michigan company Canna Zoned is connected to two of the revoked licenses. It garnered attention last year for recruiting potential applicants for social-equity license around the country from Craigslist

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

Two Missouri social-equity licensees connected to a Michigan company that used Craigslist to recruit applicants have appealed the state’s decision to revoke their dispensary licenses.&nbsp;

The Michigan company, Canna Zoned, was behind two of the 16 microbusiness dispensary licenses issued by lottery in October — Frankenstein Enemy LLC in Columbia and Seashore Rhythm LLC in Arnold.&nbsp;Both licenses were revoked on March 27.

Their appeals will be argued before the Administrative Hearing Commission on Sept. 26.&nbsp;

Missouri’s microbusiness license program is meant to boost opportunities in the industry for businesses in disadvantaged communities, and it was part of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana that voters passed in 2022.&nbsp;

The program is designed to provide a path to larger facility ownership for individuals who might not otherwise easily access that opportunity, such as having a net worth of less than $250,000 or veterans with a service-connected disability.&nbsp;

The microbusiness license must always be majority owned and operated by individuals who meet these eligibility criteria.&nbsp;

According to the revocation notices for the Canna Zoned-backed licensees, cannabis regulators were unable to verify the licenses would be owned and operated by eligible individuals.&nbsp;

Canna Zoned’s owner, Jeffrey Yatooma, was listed as the “designated contact” for the two licenses, and the purported owners of the licenses told the state they did not know who Yatooma was, according to the notices.&nbsp;

“While owning and operating a license may include contracting for management services or consulting services, the lack of knowledge, control, agency or decision-making demonstrated by the individual used to meet eligibility does not meet even the most liberal understanding of owning and operating a business,” the letter from Missouri regulators states.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Illinois resident Aric Rybacki is listed as the owner of Seashore Rhythm, and he told The Independent he had no comment in a phone conversation Monday. Curtis Floyd, owner of Frankenstein Enemy, did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;

State records show Yatooma was listed as the designated contact on 104 out of the 1,048 applications that were entered into a lottery selection for the dispensary licenses. An investigation by The Independent in October found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">applicants said that they thought they were partnering with the Michigan investor</a>&nbsp;but had signed agreements requiring them to relinquish all control and profits of the business.

The Independent obtained an agreement between a Missouri social-equity applicant who did not win a license and Canna Zoned. It stated that he must appear to have 100% ownership interest on the application but wouldn’t get revenue or profits from the business.&nbsp;

After the business passed through all the state and municipal approvals, the contract stated the applicant would be required to sell his share of the business for $1 to the group or be held in breach of contract.&nbsp;

Frankenstein Enemy’s attorney, Nadeem Harfouch, did not deny that the agreement described in The Independent article existed, in a Jan. 12 letter sent to the Division of Cannabis Regulation that was included as part of the appeal documents.

And Harfouch acknowledged that such an agreement wouldn’t be legally enforceable.&nbsp;

“Even if the ‘agreement’ described in the news articles exists between licensee and the eligible owners, such an ‘agreement’ would not meet the&nbsp;requirements for transfer of ownership stated in the regulations and would be of no effect,” the January letter states.&nbsp;

Harfouch states that The Independent’s Oct. 26 article quoted people who weren’t the license winners and their comments “have no bearing on the application that was submitted.”&nbsp;

The letter also accused state regulators of “cowering” to the press.&nbsp;

“The department is bowing to public pressure to revoke licensee’s license for arbitrary reasons completely disconnected from the statutory requirements,” it states.

Another company that used the strategy of flooding Missouri’s lottery with applications was an Arizona-based consulting firm called Cannabis Business Advisors. It was connected to more than 400 dispensary applicants, including six winners. All six of the group’s licenses were revoked.&nbsp;

According to the Division of Cannabis Regulation, the “purported majority owners” of the eight revoked licenses lacked knowledge of agreements or operations of the license — and in some cases did not know the person who applied for the license on their behalf.

The Arizona group has submitted appeals for all six licenses, said Sara Gullickson, founder and CEO of the consulting firm. The cases are not yet available on the Administrative Hearing Commission portal.&nbsp;

Gullickson told The Independent last month that the state decision was “severely unjust.”

The revocations, she said, “irreparably penalized the qualified social equity applicants who were awarded the life-changing opportunity to become successful cannabis entrepreneurs and provide generational wealth for their families.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698531124512.png" alt="&nbsp;(Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;(Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Michigan company Canna Zoned is connected to two of the revoked licenses. It garnered attention last year for recruiting potential applicants for social-equity license around the country from Craigslist</h2>By REBECCA RIVAS,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Two Missouri social-equity licensees connected to a Michigan company that used Craigslist to recruit applicants have appealed the state’s decision to revoke their dispensary licenses.&nbsp;The Michigan company, Canna Zoned, was behind two of the 16 microbusiness dispensary licenses issued by lottery in October — Frankenstein Enemy LLC in Columbia and Seashore Rhythm LLC in Arnold.&nbsp;Both licenses were revoked on March 27.Their appeals will be argued before the Administrative Hearing Commission on Sept. 26.&nbsp;Missouri’s microbusiness license program is meant to boost opportunities in the industry for businesses in disadvantaged communities, and it was part of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana that voters passed in 2022.&nbsp;The program is designed to provide a path to larger facility ownership for individuals who might not otherwise easily access that opportunity, such as having a net worth of less than $250,000 or veterans with a service-connected disability.&nbsp;The microbusiness license must always be majority owned and operated by individuals who meet these eligibility criteria.&nbsp;According to the revocation notices for the Canna Zoned-backed licensees, cannabis regulators were unable to verify the licenses would be owned and operated by eligible individuals.&nbsp;Canna Zoned’s owner, Jeffrey Yatooma, was listed as the “designated contact” for the two licenses, and the purported owners of the licenses told the state they did not know who Yatooma was, according to the notices.&nbsp;“While owning and operating a license may include contracting for management services or consulting services, the lack of knowledge, control, agency or decision-making demonstrated by the individual used to meet eligibility does not meet even the most liberal understanding of owning and operating a business,” the letter from Missouri regulators states.&nbsp;&nbsp;Illinois resident Aric Rybacki is listed as the owner of Seashore Rhythm, and he told The Independent he had no comment in a phone conversation Monday. Curtis Floyd, owner of Frankenstein Enemy, did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;State records show Yatooma was listed as the designated contact on 104 out of the 1,048 applications that were entered into a lottery selection for the dispensary licenses. An investigation by The Independent in October found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">applicants said that they thought they were partnering with the Michigan investor</a>&nbsp;but had signed agreements requiring them to relinquish all control and profits of the business.The Independent obtained an agreement between a Missouri social-equity applicant who did not win a license and Canna Zoned. It stated that he must appear to have 100% ownership interest on the application but wouldn’t get revenue or profits from the business.&nbsp;After the business passed through all the state and municipal approvals, the contract stated the applicant would be required to sell his share of the business for $1 to the group or be held in breach of contract.&nbsp;Frankenstein Enemy’s attorney, Nadeem Harfouch, did not deny that the agreement described in The Independent article existed, in a Jan. 12 letter sent to the Division of Cannabis Regulation that was included as part of the appeal documents.And Harfouch acknowledged that such an agreement wouldn’t be legally enforceable.&nbsp;“Even if the ‘agreement’ described in the news articles exists between licensee and the eligible owners, such an ‘agreement’ would not meet the&nbsp;requirements for transfer of ownership stated in the regulations and would be of no effect,” the January letter states.&nbsp;Harfouch states that The Independent’s Oct. 26 article quoted people who weren’t the license winners and their comments “have no bearing on the application that was submitted.”&nbsp;The letter also accused state regulators of “cowering” to the press.&nbsp;“The department is bowing to public pressure to revoke licensee’s license for arbitrary reasons completely disconnected from the statutory requirements,” it states.Another company that used the strategy of flooding Missouri’s lottery with applications was an Arizona-based consulting firm called Cannabis Business Advisors. It was connected to more than 400 dispensary applicants, including six winners. All six of the group’s licenses were revoked.&nbsp;According to the Division of Cannabis Regulation, the “purported majority owners” of the eight revoked licenses lacked knowledge of agreements or operations of the license — and in some cases did not know the person who applied for the license on their behalf.The Arizona group has submitted appeals for all six licenses, said Sara Gullickson, founder and CEO of the consulting firm. The cases are not yet available on the Administrative Hearing Commission portal.&nbsp;Gullickson told The Independent last month that the state decision was “severely unjust.”The revocations, she said, “irreparably penalized the qualified social equity applicants who were awarded the life-changing opportunity to become successful cannabis entrepreneurs and provide generational wealth for their families.”

Companies tied to out-of-state firms appeal revocation of social-equity cannabis licenses

DEKALB COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5p.m. Tuesday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway&nbsp; Patrol reported a 2019 Ford Expedition driven by James W. Farr, 39, Stewartsville, was westbound on U.S. 36 at Route J three miles east of Stewartsville.

The SUV rear-ended a 2013 Dodge Durango driven by Rikki L. Allman, 36, Osborn, who was slowing to make a left turn.

DeKalb-Clinton County EMS transported Allman for treatment of serious injuries. The patrol did not report where she was taken for treatment. Farr was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

DEKALB COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5p.m. Tuesday in DeKalb County.The Missouri State Highway&nbsp; Patrol reported a 2019 Ford Expedition driven by James W. Farr, 39, Stewartsville, was westbound on U.S. 36 at Route J three miles east of Stewartsville.The SUV rear-ended a 2013 Dodge Durango driven by Rikki L. Allman, 36, Osborn, who was slowing to make a left turn.DeKalb-Clinton County EMS transported Allman for treatment of serious injuries. The patrol did not report where she was taken for treatment. Farr was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri woman injured after rear-end crash

It’s Small Business Week and the St. Joseph Chamber of
Commerce plans to make a more concerted effort to celebrate the week this year.

Chamber spokesperson Kristi Bailey says the Chamber has a
number of activities designed to educate small business owners or would-be
owners as well as raise awareness about the local economic impact of small businesses.

“Of course, during Shop St. Joseph, we do a lot about retail
and then we have Restaurant Week,” Bailey tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ
Hotline. “So, this is really about supporting all small businesses, because
there are a lot of small businesses that aren’t retail or restaurants.”

Education is a feature of Small Business Week, both educating
current small business owners and helping those considering making the jump to
start their own business. Some fun is planned as well.

“We really wanted a good mix of educational things for
business owners or potential business owners, but then some fun things for
consumers to go and spend money and support them as well,” Bailey says.

The week starts with Small Business Bingo. <a href="https://members.saintjoseph.com/events/Small%20Business%20Week%20at%20Innovation%20Stockyard-2191/details">A tour of
Innovation Stockyard</a>, the business incubator on the Missouri Western State
University campus, is planned for today. Innovation Stockyard sponsors a small
business 101 workshop tomorrow for those thinking about starting a small
business.

The Chamber is partnering with Latinos Connect to host a
Latino Business Seminar Tuesday evening at Rolling Hills Library. The weekly
Cup of Joe this Wednesday morning at the St. Joseph Library will focus on small
businesses. There is a Small Business Member Crawl and a Small Business Owner
Roundtable planned. A workshop, <a href="https://members.saintjoseph.com/events/Small%20Business%20Week%20Workshop%20%20Starting%20a%20Business%20101-2193/details">“Understanding Your Customer,”</a> will be held
Thursday. Downtown Retail Scavenger Hunt will also be held.

Bailey says many of the businesses St. Joseph area residents
rely on are small businesses.

“Dry cleaners, your pest control people, your insurance
agents; all of those places are small businesses as well.&nbsp; You don’t have to have a cash register at the
front door to be a small business,” Bailey says. “Really, about 85% of the
chamber members are small business owners.” 

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostIt’s Small Business Week and the St. Joseph Chamber of
Commerce plans to make a more concerted effort to celebrate the week this year.Chamber spokesperson Kristi Bailey says the Chamber has a
number of activities designed to educate small business owners or would-be
owners as well as raise awareness about the local economic impact of small businesses.“Of course, during Shop St. Joseph, we do a lot about retail
and then we have Restaurant Week,” Bailey tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ
Hotline. “So, this is really about supporting all small businesses, because
there are a lot of small businesses that aren’t retail or restaurants.”Education is a feature of Small Business Week, both educating
current small business owners and helping those considering making the jump to
start their own business. Some fun is planned as well.“We really wanted a good mix of educational things for
business owners or potential business owners, but then some fun things for
consumers to go and spend money and support them as well,” Bailey says.The week starts with Small Business Bingo. <a href="https://members.saintjoseph.com/events/Small%20Business%20Week%20at%20Innovation%20Stockyard-2191/details">A tour of
Innovation Stockyard</a>, the business incubator on the Missouri Western State
University campus, is planned for today. Innovation Stockyard sponsors a small
business 101 workshop tomorrow for those thinking about starting a small
business.The Chamber is partnering with Latinos Connect to host a
Latino Business Seminar Tuesday evening at Rolling Hills Library. The weekly
Cup of Joe this Wednesday morning at the St. Joseph Library will focus on small
businesses. There is a Small Business Member Crawl and a Small Business Owner
Roundtable planned. A workshop, <a href="https://members.saintjoseph.com/events/Small%20Business%20Week%20Workshop%20%20Starting%20a%20Business%20101-2193/details">“Understanding Your Customer,”</a> will be held
Thursday. Downtown Retail Scavenger Hunt will also be held.Bailey says many of the businesses St. Joseph area residents
rely on are small businesses.“Dry cleaners, your pest control people, your insurance
agents; all of those places are small businesses as well.&nbsp; You don’t have to have a cash register at the
front door to be a small business,” Bailey says. “Really, about 85% of the
chamber members are small business owners.” You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph Chamber celebrates Small Business Week

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 push to eliminate Missouri’s requirement for children under 16 to obtain official work permits before they can begin a job could be debated by the House this week.&nbsp;

In order to work in Missouri, 14 and 15 year olds must obtain a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://labor.mo.gov/media/pdf/ls-67-ai">certificate</a>&nbsp;issued by their school, with information from their prospective employer about the details of the job as well as parental consent and age verification.

The child’s school, or if they are homeschooled, a parent, must review that information to ensure it’s in line with state laws that restrict the kind of work children can do and their hours. Once the school issues the certificate, a copy is filed with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Children under 14 are generally not permitted to work and those 16 and older aren’t subject to the same restrictions.

The bill, sponsored by Republican state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/bill.aspx?bill=HB1795&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">Rep. Dave Hinman</a>&nbsp;of O’Fallon and a similar one sponsored by state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=110">Sen. Nick Schroer&nbsp;</a>of Defiance, would eliminate the formal work permit process. Instead of being overseen by schools and the state labor agency, the only requirement would be that a parent sign a permission slip for the child’s employer.&nbsp;

Proponents have characterized schools’ role in the process as unnecessary and outdated, and said parents should have the largest role.

“With discussions with our superintendent and other folks around here,” Hinman said in an interview with The Independent this week, “we felt it was better that the parents make that decision instead of schools being the ones that sign off on it.”

Hinman’s bill was voted out of committee in March, and he hopes the full House will debate it before session ends — perhaps as early as this week. The Senate version of the bill was heard in committee earlier this month and hasn’t been voted out yet.

The bill is about “empowering employers and youth,” Schroer said in a committee hearing earlier this month.

“While easing the regulations, this legislation also prioritizes parental involvement by mandating signed permission slips…ensuring that parents are informed and involved in their child’s work activities” Schroer said.

Arkansas passed a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lailluminator.com/2023/03/04/arkansas-bill-to-remove-work-permit-requirement-for-children-under-16-goes-to-sanders-desk/">similar law last year&nbsp;</a>eliminating youth employment permits, though it didn’t include the parental permission slip piece. It faced opposition from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aradvocates.org/arkansas-lawmakers-considering-dangerous-changes-to-state-child-labor-law/">child advocacy groups</a>&nbsp;and others, who worried it would remove a layer of oversight protecting child workers in a time when child labor violations have gained attention&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/07/kids-at-work-states-try-to-ease-child-labor-laws-at-behest-of-industry/">nationally</a>&nbsp;for being on the rise.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://arkansasadvocate.com/2023/03/02/arkansas-bill-to-remove-work-permit-requirement-for-children-under-16-goes-to-sanders-desk/#:~:text=Opponents%20of%20House%20Bill%201410,and%20protect%20children%20from%20harm.">Proponents</a>&nbsp;have insisted that the bill won’t affect child labor violations because businesses will still be required to comply with state and federal law.

In Missouri, the legislation has flown largely under the radar: No one testified in opposition during hearings on the bill the last two years. A handful of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills241/witnesses/HB1795Testimony.pdf">individuals</a>&nbsp;submitted written opposition.

John Fliter, an associate professor of political science at Kansas State University, who studies child labor, said in an interview with The Independent that certificates are an important safeguard for children.

“We need to be careful because at the same time that [some states are] doing this,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/states-are-weakening-their-child-labor-restrictions-nearly-8-decades-after-the-us-government-took-kids-out-of-the-workforce-205175">weakening restrictions</a>, we’re seeing an increase in child labor violations and some really bad cases over the last few years,” he said.

The certificates, Fliter added, produce a record of employers acknowledging they will follow the law, and allow schools to play a “supervisory role” and ensure children are “not working to the detriment of their education.”

State Sen. Doug Beck, a Democrat from Affton, asked during a committee hearing earlier this month how the state could be sure employers were still doing things like age verification if the government wouldn’t be allowed to require permits to oversee the process.

“Where’s the enforcement on this bill exactly?” Beck asked. “…Where’s the accountability?”

“I think the accountability is with the parents and the business owners,” Schroer replied.

Earlier versions of the House bill included language to extend the hours in the day children are allowed to work, but that’s since been removed because the sponsor found out it conflicts with federal law.

Children under 16 are legally required to be off work by 7 p.m. during the school year.&nbsp;

The reason Hinman initially filed the bill was because he wanted to push that time back, after he was approached by a restaurant owner in his district who was struggling with staffing those later hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I’d like to see that time adjusted hopefully, up till eight o’clock, nine o’clock. Just to give a little bit more time for those businesses,” he said.

Now, the bill includes a provision that those restrictions apply “unless a later time is allowed by federal law,” which Hinman said is intended so Missouri can automatically change its law if the federal government does.&nbsp;

When he started looking into these laws, Hinman found it “an odd thing that the school district did that,” referring to the certification requirements, which led him to look at a bill filed last year and incorporate some of its language.

Youth work permits aren’t federally mandated but the majority of states require them.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/age-certificates#21">Thirty-four states</a>&nbsp;require youth work permits. The details vary, including whether they’re issued by a state agency or schools and what ages are included.

State Rep. Holly Jones, a Republican from Eureka, said in the committee hearing that she “hates” that schools are the ones who sign off on certificates.&nbsp;

“I really don’t love the schools having so much power over families and students,” she said.

A similar&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/23info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44582">bill</a>&nbsp;last year, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Koenig, a Manchester Republican, didn’t gain momentum, clearing a Senate committee but never being debated by the full chamber.&nbsp;

A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/04/23/child-labor-lobbying-fga/">Washington Post investigation</a>&nbsp;last year found the Florida-based conservative think tank, Foundation for Government Accountability, and its lobbying arm, the Opportunity Solutions Project, has been behind the push to roll back certain child labor protections in state legislatures.

“States should be allowing their teenagers to decide, with their parents, to get a job — not the government,” an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thefga.org/one-pagers/let-our-youth-thrive-remove-unnecessary-work-permit-requirements/">issue paper&nbsp;</a>published by Foundation for Government Accountability last year said. The paper characterized the issue as pitting “parents vs. educators and regulators.”

That group played an important role in Arkansas’ elimination of work certificates, the Post reported, and in Missouri, a lobbyist for Opportunity Solutions Project, James Harris, sent Koenig’s staff draft legislation last year before he filed it. Hinman said Harris didn’t approach him with the language.

Harris was the first one to testify in the committee hearings this year. In the House hearing, he said his first job as a teen helped him when he was a “law breaker” youth.

“I look back at that job and I learned so much,” Harris said.

“…Part of this is to help businesses be able to have more of a workforce for people to work,” Harris said during a later discussion about how pushing back the 7 p.m. restriction could cause businesses to worry about breaking federal law and not bolster their workforce.&nbsp;

Neither Harris nor the Foundation for Government Accountability responded to interview requests.

Other support has come from business groups including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Missouri Retailers and Missouri Grocers Association.&nbsp;

The legislation was voted out of committee on party lines. Democrats opposed it.

Hinson said in an interview with The Independent that while he’s not optimistic it will pass this year — with just three weeks left in session — he is hopeful it will come to the floor and that discussion will help improve the bill for next year.

“I would love to have the opportunity to have a full discussion with everybody on the floor, both sides of the aisle and see what the thoughts are so next year if we need to make corrections to the bill, that we can make it an even better bill,” Hinman said. “…[The legislation] is one of my priorities.”

Maura Browning, spokesperson for Missouri’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said the agency can’t comment on pending legislation.

But speaking broadly about how the state oversees child work requirements, labor department officials said they rely on&nbsp;the current licensing practice and see it as a tool to help ensure kids don’t enter hazardous work or take on excessive hours.&nbsp;

The required&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://labor.mo.gov/media/pdf/ls-67-ai">form</a>&nbsp;is just one page. In it, the child’s prospective employer must provide the specific job duties, hours and an acknowledgment they will abide by state law. Schools verify a child’s age and can review their grades.&nbsp;

Todd Smith, who directs the Division of Labor Standards within the state labor department, said schools help identify when the descriptions employers submit should be flagged as hazardous.

Kids under 16&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://labor.mo.gov/dls/youth-employment/for-employers#:~:text=Youth%20under%20the%20age%20of%2016%20may%20not%20handle%20any,under%20the%20age%20of%2016.">aren’t allowed</a>&nbsp;to do certain jobs, like operating a meat slicer or handling any hot oil or grease.

“We will enforce whatever the legislature passes, obviously, but in a perfect world, I think it’s important to have that education piece to share with employers,” Smith said in an interview with The Independent.

Missouri issued over 10,000 youth employment licenses last year.

Patrick Watkins, who works as the wage and hour section manager in the state labor department, said going through the school “gives us one more set of eyes to look at those hazardous job descriptions.”

Watkins added that in the current process the employer “agrees that they understand our restrictions, but more importantly, they have to fill in exactly what job duties the child will be performing and we catch a lot of hazardous titles just in that reveal alone.”&nbsp;

Child advocacy and social justice organizations reached by The Independent said they are not taking a position on the bill because they are deciding to stay out of the issue or are simply not up to speed on the legislation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714388634307.png" alt="The Missouri House chamber during debate on March 12, 2023 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption>The Missouri House chamber during debate on March 12, 2023 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</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 push to eliminate Missouri’s requirement for children under 16 to obtain official work permits before they can begin a job could be debated by the House this week.&nbsp;In order to work in Missouri, 14 and 15 year olds must obtain a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://labor.mo.gov/media/pdf/ls-67-ai">certificate</a>&nbsp;issued by their school, with information from their prospective employer about the details of the job as well as parental consent and age verification.The child’s school, or if they are homeschooled, a parent, must review that information to ensure it’s in line with state laws that restrict the kind of work children can do and their hours. Once the school issues the certificate, a copy is filed with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.Children under 14 are generally not permitted to work and those 16 and older aren’t subject to the same restrictions.The bill, sponsored by Republican state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/bill.aspx?bill=HB1795&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">Rep. Dave Hinman</a>&nbsp;of O’Fallon and a similar one sponsored by state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=110">Sen. Nick Schroer&nbsp;</a>of Defiance, would eliminate the formal work permit process. Instead of being overseen by schools and the state labor agency, the only requirement would be that a parent sign a permission slip for the child’s employer.&nbsp;Proponents have characterized schools’ role in the process as unnecessary and outdated, and said parents should have the largest role.“With discussions with our superintendent and other folks around here,” Hinman said in an interview with The Independent this week, “we felt it was better that the parents make that decision instead of schools being the ones that sign off on it.”Hinman’s bill was voted out of committee in March, and he hopes the full House will debate it before session ends — perhaps as early as this week. The Senate version of the bill was heard in committee earlier this month and hasn’t been voted out yet.The bill is about “empowering employers and youth,” Schroer said in a committee hearing earlier this month.“While easing the regulations, this legislation also prioritizes parental involvement by mandating signed permission slips…ensuring that parents are informed and involved in their child’s work activities” Schroer said.Arkansas passed a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lailluminator.com/2023/03/04/arkansas-bill-to-remove-work-permit-requirement-for-children-under-16-goes-to-sanders-desk/">similar law last year&nbsp;</a>eliminating youth employment permits, though it didn’t include the parental permission slip piece. It faced opposition from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aradvocates.org/arkansas-lawmakers-considering-dangerous-changes-to-state-child-labor-law/">child advocacy groups</a>&nbsp;and others, who worried it would remove a layer of oversight protecting child workers in a time when child labor violations have gained attention&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/07/kids-at-work-states-try-to-ease-child-labor-laws-at-behest-of-industry/">nationally</a>&nbsp;for being on the rise.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://arkansasadvocate.com/2023/03/02/arkansas-bill-to-remove-work-permit-requirement-for-children-under-16-goes-to-sanders-desk/#:~:text=Opponents%20of%20House%20Bill%201410,and%20protect%20children%20from%20harm.">Proponents</a>&nbsp;have insisted that the bill won’t affect child labor violations because businesses will still be required to comply with state and federal law.In Missouri, the legislation has flown largely under the radar: No one testified in opposition during hearings on the bill the last two years. A handful of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills241/witnesses/HB1795Testimony.pdf">individuals</a>&nbsp;submitted written opposition.John Fliter, an associate professor of political science at Kansas State University, who studies child labor, said in an interview with The Independent that certificates are an important safeguard for children.“We need to be careful because at the same time that [some states are] doing this,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/states-are-weakening-their-child-labor-restrictions-nearly-8-decades-after-the-us-government-took-kids-out-of-the-workforce-205175">weakening restrictions</a>, we’re seeing an increase in child labor violations and some really bad cases over the last few years,” he said.The certificates, Fliter added, produce a record of employers acknowledging they will follow the law, and allow schools to play a “supervisory role” and ensure children are “not working to the detriment of their education.”State Sen. Doug Beck, a Democrat from Affton, asked during a committee hearing earlier this month how the state could be sure employers were still doing things like age verification if the government wouldn’t be allowed to require permits to oversee the process.“Where’s the enforcement on this bill exactly?” Beck asked. “…Where’s the accountability?”“I think the accountability is with the parents and the business owners,” Schroer replied.<h2>Schools’ role</h2>Earlier versions of the House bill included language to extend the hours in the day children are allowed to work, but that’s since been removed because the sponsor found out it conflicts with federal law.Children under 16 are legally required to be off work by 7 p.m. during the school year.&nbsp;The reason Hinman initially filed the bill was because he wanted to push that time back, after he was approached by a restaurant owner in his district who was struggling with staffing those later hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I’d like to see that time adjusted hopefully, up till eight o’clock, nine o’clock. Just to give a little bit more time for those businesses,” he said.Now, the bill includes a provision that those restrictions apply “unless a later time is allowed by federal law,” which Hinman said is intended so Missouri can automatically change its law if the federal government does.&nbsp;When he started looking into these laws, Hinman found it “an odd thing that the school district did that,” referring to the certification requirements, which led him to look at a bill filed last year and incorporate some of its language.Youth work permits aren’t federally mandated but the majority of states require them.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/age-certificates#21">Thirty-four states</a>&nbsp;require youth work permits. The details vary, including whether they’re issued by a state agency or schools and what ages are included.State Rep. Holly Jones, a Republican from Eureka, said in the committee hearing that she “hates” that schools are the ones who sign off on certificates.&nbsp;“I really don’t love the schools having so much power over families and students,” she said.A similar&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/23info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44582">bill</a>&nbsp;last year, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Koenig, a Manchester Republican, didn’t gain momentum, clearing a Senate committee but never being debated by the full chamber.&nbsp;A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/04/23/child-labor-lobbying-fga/">Washington Post investigation</a>&nbsp;last year found the Florida-based conservative think tank, Foundation for Government Accountability, and its lobbying arm, the Opportunity Solutions Project, has been behind the push to roll back certain child labor protections in state legislatures.“States should be allowing their teenagers to decide, with their parents, to get a job — not the government,” an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thefga.org/one-pagers/let-our-youth-thrive-remove-unnecessary-work-permit-requirements/">issue paper&nbsp;</a>published by Foundation for Government Accountability last year said. The paper characterized the issue as pitting “parents vs. educators and regulators.”That group played an important role in Arkansas’ elimination of work certificates, the Post reported, and in Missouri, a lobbyist for Opportunity Solutions Project, James Harris, sent Koenig’s staff draft legislation last year before he filed it. Hinman said Harris didn’t approach him with the language.Harris was the first one to testify in the committee hearings this year. In the House hearing, he said his first job as a teen helped him when he was a “law breaker” youth.“I look back at that job and I learned so much,” Harris said.“…Part of this is to help businesses be able to have more of a workforce for people to work,” Harris said during a later discussion about how pushing back the 7 p.m. restriction could cause businesses to worry about breaking federal law and not bolster their workforce.&nbsp;Neither Harris nor the Foundation for Government Accountability responded to interview requests.Other support has come from business groups including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Missouri Retailers and Missouri Grocers Association.&nbsp;The legislation was voted out of committee on party lines. Democrats opposed it.Hinson said in an interview with The Independent that while he’s not optimistic it will pass this year — with just three weeks left in session — he is hopeful it will come to the floor and that discussion will help improve the bill for next year.“I would love to have the opportunity to have a full discussion with everybody on the floor, both sides of the aisle and see what the thoughts are so next year if we need to make corrections to the bill, that we can make it an even better bill,” Hinman said. “…[The legislation] is one of my priorities.”<h2>‘One more set of eyes’</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595514078285.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Maura Browning, spokesperson for Missouri’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said the agency can’t comment on pending legislation.But speaking broadly about how the state oversees child work requirements, labor department officials said they rely on&nbsp;the current licensing practice and see it as a tool to help ensure kids don’t enter hazardous work or take on excessive hours.&nbsp;The required&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://labor.mo.gov/media/pdf/ls-67-ai">form</a>&nbsp;is just one page. In it, the child’s prospective employer must provide the specific job duties, hours and an acknowledgment they will abide by state law. Schools verify a child’s age and can review their grades.&nbsp;Todd Smith, who directs the Division of Labor Standards within the state labor department, said schools help identify when the descriptions employers submit should be flagged as hazardous.Kids under 16&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://labor.mo.gov/dls/youth-employment/for-employers#:~:text=Youth%20under%20the%20age%20of%2016%20may%20not%20handle%20any,under%20the%20age%20of%2016.">aren’t allowed</a>&nbsp;to do certain jobs, like operating a meat slicer or handling any hot oil or grease.“We will enforce whatever the legislature passes, obviously, but in a perfect world, I think it’s important to have that education piece to share with employers,” Smith said in an interview with The Independent.Missouri issued over 10,000 youth employment licenses last year.Patrick Watkins, who works as the wage and hour section manager in the state labor department, said going through the school “gives us one more set of eyes to look at those hazardous job descriptions.”Watkins added that in the current process the employer “agrees that they understand our restrictions, but more importantly, they have to fill in exactly what job duties the child will be performing and we catch a lot of hazardous titles just in that reveal alone.”&nbsp;Child advocacy and social justice organizations reached by The Independent said they are not taking a position on the bill because they are deciding to stay out of the issue or are simply not up to speed on the legislation.

Missouri bill would loosen child labor law by removing work permit requirements

BUCHANAN COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 1p.m. Sunday in Buchanan County.

Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Buick Enclave driven by Patricia A. Ray, 81, Sheridan, was northbound on Interstate 229 in St. Joseph.&nbsp;

The rear side passenger tire of the van blew out. This caused the vehicle to cross the center line. The driver overcorrected and the van traveled off the east side of the road and struck a concrete barrier.

Buchanan County EMS transported Ray to Mosaic Life Care. She was. properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

BUCHANAN COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 1p.m. Sunday in Buchanan County.Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Buick Enclave driven by Patricia A. Ray, 81, Sheridan, was northbound on Interstate 229 in St. Joseph.&nbsp; The rear side passenger tire of the van blew out. This caused the vehicle to cross the center line. The driver overcorrected and the van traveled off the east side of the road and struck a concrete barrier.Buchanan County EMS transported Ray to Mosaic Life Care. She was. properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Mo. woman hospitalized in St. Joe after van crash

For the second year in a row, dispensaries across the state experienced IT problems on the industry’s biggest and most important sales day

April 20 is a day recognized globally for celebrating cannabis culture,&nbsp;but it’s also like the cannabis industry’s Black Friday.&nbsp;

Dispensaries offer deals designed to inspire people to flood their stores to stock up.&nbsp;

However on Saturday, dispensaries across the state using an inventory platform called Dutchie were hamstrung for hours by technical challenges, which caused many of their registers to go down or move at snail pace.&nbsp;

It was the second year in a row that a 4/20 sales surge caused the system to crash.

“Imagine running a restaurant where you have one burner working and you normally have 20 stoves operating,” said Nick Rinella, CEO of Hippos Cannabis dispensaries. “We had one burner going.”&nbsp;

Each Hippos location went from selling around 500 items per hour to less than 100 because of the issues the outages were causing, he said.

Dutchie is similar to the platforms major stores, such as Home Depot and Walmart, use to scan items at check out. However, Dutchie also has the special function of communicating with the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system called Metrc.&nbsp;

It keeps the stores compliant with the state’s stringent tracking requirements of marijuana products.&nbsp;

Rinella said all three Hippos dispensaries in Springfield, Chesterfield and Columbia faced delays all day — causing them to lose an estimated $200,000.&nbsp;

Mark Hendren, president of Flora Farms, also said his six stores across the state faced delays up to five hours. He’s not sure what kind of loss Flora Farms experienced, he said, because the company extended their deals through Monday to make it up to their customers.

John Mueller, CEO of Greenlight cannabis company, said his 15 stores were not impacted, nor were any of the company’s 32 stores across the country. Greenlight stores experienced some outages last year, he said, so they were expecting the same this year.&nbsp;

“We prepared and trained for the outage that never came,” Mueller said. “But I’ve heard from a number of my peers that they had outages and somehow we did not.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1714308546064.png" alt="Flora Farms dispensaries were among those that experienced technical difficulties on 4/20, including this location at the Arkansas border (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Flora Farms dispensaries were among those that experienced technical difficulties on 4/20, including this location at the Arkansas border (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>For the second year in a row, dispensaries across the state experienced IT problems on the industry’s biggest and most important sales day</h2>By REBECCA RIVAS,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>April 20 is a day recognized globally for celebrating cannabis culture,&nbsp;but it’s also like the cannabis industry’s Black Friday.&nbsp;Dispensaries offer deals designed to inspire people to flood their stores to stock up.&nbsp;However on Saturday, dispensaries across the state using an inventory platform called Dutchie were hamstrung for hours by technical challenges, which caused many of their registers to go down or move at snail pace.&nbsp;It was the second year in a row that a 4/20 sales surge caused the system to crash.“Imagine running a restaurant where you have one burner working and you normally have 20 stoves operating,” said Nick Rinella, CEO of Hippos Cannabis dispensaries. “We had one burner going.”&nbsp;Each Hippos location went from selling around 500 items per hour to less than 100 because of the issues the outages were causing, he said.Dutchie is similar to the platforms major stores, such as Home Depot and Walmart, use to scan items at check out. However, Dutchie also has the special function of communicating with the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system called Metrc.&nbsp;It keeps the stores compliant with the state’s stringent tracking requirements of marijuana products.&nbsp;Rinella said all three Hippos dispensaries in Springfield, Chesterfield and Columbia faced delays all day — causing them to lose an estimated $200,000.&nbsp;Mark Hendren, president of Flora Farms, also said his six stores across the state faced delays up to five hours. He’s not sure what kind of loss Flora Farms experienced, he said, because the company extended their deals through Monday to make it up to their customers.“It seems to be working,” he said.John Mueller, CEO of Greenlight cannabis company, said his 15 stores were not impacted, nor were any of the company’s 32 stores across the country. Greenlight stores experienced some outages last year, he said, so they were expecting the same this year.&nbsp;“We prepared and trained for the outage that never came,” Mueller said. “But I’ve heard from a number of my peers that they had outages and somehow we did not.”Dispensaries that are on certain servers faced more difficulties, Rinella said, but it’s the luck of the draw which servers companies are put on. Companies can’t pay more to get on the “good server,” he said.Missouri was not alone.<a target="_blank" href="https://mjbizdaily.com/dutchie-pos-system-for-cannabis-retail-crashes-on-420/">&nbsp;Dispensaries across the country</a>&nbsp;experienced delays on Dutchie.“This year’s 4/20 was a record setting day for the majority of Dutchie powered dispensaries,” Chris&nbsp;Ostrowski, chief technology officer of Dutchie, said in a statement emailed to The Independent.&nbsp;Ostowski said the systems powered more than two million transactions, representing $165 Million dollars in retail commerce — which was a 50% increase from last year’s 4/20.&nbsp;“While Dutchie and our partners prepared extensively for this year’s 4/20, a group of customers local to a specific instance of our POS system experienced serious issues that impacted their ability to transact,” Ostrowski said.&nbsp;The difficulties impacted less than 20% of Dutchie customers, he said.Rinella said Dutchie’s statement just made the incident sting even more.&nbsp;“Hearing that is just painful to me,” Rinella said. “So they had a 50% increase. That means I probably would have had a 50% increase had they not jacked my entire system for the day.”It’s unclear if Missouri’s cannabis industry had record-breaking sales this past weekend. April’s sales numbers won’t be available on the state’s website until early May.However, Rinella said the sales were likely record-breaking, which is why the bandwidth on Dutchie’s server couldn’t handle the volume that was coming through.&nbsp;Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Division of Cannabis Regulation, said the Dutchie malfunctions did not interfere with the division’s tracking operations.&nbsp;“While licensees are permitted to use these [point of sale] systems, it is their responsibility to ensure each day’s transactions and inventory are recorded accurately in the statewide track and trace system,” Cox said, “no matter what happens with the POS system.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Rinella said the staff and customers were very understanding, and hopes any new customers that came to the stores on 4/20 aren’t discouraged to come back.&nbsp;“We kind of want to do more of an apology,” he said. “Obviously, this wasn’t something that we could control, but we do want to be able to make sure that customers get the greatest experience they can possibly get when coming to a dispensary.”

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