MERCER COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7:30a.m. Monday in Mercer County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Ford F150 driven by Bryant T. Elder, 34, Princeton, was southbound on U.S. 65 just north of Mercer.

The pickup crossed the center line and struck the passenger side of a northbound&nbsp; 2018 Volvo semi driven by Christoper E. Carr, 57, Chillicothe.&nbsp;

After impact, the pickup traveled into the path of a northbound 2015 Chevy Impala driven by Deann R. Dorsey, 57, Osceola, Iowa, head-on.

The pickup then traveled off the road and rolled.&nbsp;

Dorsey was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Roberson Funeral Home.&nbsp; Mercer County ambulance transported Elder to Harriso County Community Hospital. Flight Flight Eagle then airlifted him to Research Medical Center in Kansas City.&nbsp; Carr was not injured. Dorsey was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

MERCER COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 7:30a.m. Monday in Mercer County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Ford F150 driven by Bryant T. Elder, 34, Princeton, was southbound on U.S. 65 just north of Mercer.The pickup crossed the center line and struck the passenger side of a northbound&nbsp; 2018 Volvo semi driven by Christoper E. Carr, 57, Chillicothe.&nbsp;After impact, the pickup traveled into the path of a northbound 2015 Chevy Impala driven by Deann R. Dorsey, 57, Osceola, Iowa, head-on.The pickup then traveled off the road and rolled.&nbsp;Dorsey was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Roberson Funeral Home.&nbsp; Mercer County ambulance transported Elder to Harriso County Community Hospital. Flight Flight Eagle then airlifted him to Research Medical Center in Kansas City.&nbsp; Carr was not injured. Dorsey was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Woman dead after 3-vehicle NW Missouri head-on crash

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its Grain Stocks report that showed lower numbers for corn and soybeans. 

Old crop corn stocks on hand as of September 1 totaled 1.36 billion bushels, one percent lower than the same time last year. 

Old crop soybeans stored in all positions were down two percent from September 1, 2022, and all wheat stocks were up slightly from a year earlier. 

Of the total corn stocks, 605 million bushels were stored on farms, 19 percent higher than last year. Old crop soybeans stored in all positions on September 1, 2023, totaled 268 million bushels, two percent lower than last year. 

Soybean stocks stored on farms totaled 72 million bushels, up 14 percent from a year ago. All wheat stored in all positions on September 1 totaled 1.78 billion bushels, up slightly from September 1, 2022. On-farm stocks were one percent higher than in 2022.

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its Grain Stocks report that showed lower numbers for corn and soybeans. Old crop corn stocks on hand as of September 1 totaled 1.36 billion bushels, one percent lower than the same time last year. Old crop soybeans stored in all positions were down two percent from September 1, 2022, and all wheat stocks were up slightly from a year earlier. Of the total corn stocks, 605 million bushels were stored on farms, 19 percent higher than last year. Old crop soybeans stored in all positions on September 1, 2023, totaled 268 million bushels, two percent lower than last year. Soybean stocks stored on farms totaled 72 million bushels, up 14 percent from a year ago. All wheat stored in all positions on September 1 totaled 1.78 billion bushels, up slightly from September 1, 2022. On-farm stocks were one percent higher than in 2022.- NAFB

Corn and soybean ending stocks lower in 2023

Lake Contrary is hardly a lake anymore, a fact
that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner Scott
Nelson who has heard about the state of the lake from area residents.

“You’re looking a weeds,” Nelson says Lake
Contrary residents have complained to him. “There’re no pontoons. It’s puddle
front property, not lake front property.”

Nelson acknowledges the County Commission has
struggled to decide what to do about Lake Contrary which is overgrown with
weeds without any visible water at the surface.

Nelson says dredging has been suggested as the
obvious recourse.

“Then it’s, okay, now what are you going to do?
How are you going to do it? Who is going to do it?” Nelson asks. “Because there
are many options when it comes to that.”

Nelson says any attempt to restore the lake would
take a long time and a lot of money.

“If we were to start dredging the lake, six foot,
eight foot, whatever. Pick a number,” Nelson says. “It’s three years to do it.
It’s a three-year dredging season to get it done.”

Nelson estimates it would cost between $8 million
and $9 million to dredge Lake Contrary.

Nelson says everyone believes there is a lake
there, somewhere.

“I know that somebody said, you know, if you take
that thing down six to eight feet, you’re going to hit water,” Nelson says. “Well,
that’s about how much silt’s there based on core samples.”

Nelson says he would prefer to take a small part
of Lake Contrary, excavate it, and see just how much silting has taken place.

Nelson says he would like to restore Lake Contrary,
but wants to be careful to do it in the right way.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696258998226.jpeg" alt="Lake Contrary has a beach, but no water/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Lake Contrary has a beach, but no water/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostLake Contrary is hardly a lake anymore, a fact
that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner Scott
Nelson who has heard about the state of the lake from area residents.“You’re looking a weeds,” Nelson says Lake
Contrary residents have complained to him. “There’re no pontoons. It’s puddle
front property, not lake front property.”Nelson acknowledges the County Commission has
struggled to decide what to do about Lake Contrary which is overgrown with
weeds without any visible water at the surface.Nelson says dredging has been suggested as the
obvious recourse.“Then it’s, okay, now what are you going to do?
How are you going to do it? Who is going to do it?” Nelson asks. “Because there
are many options when it comes to that.”All expensive options.Nelson says any attempt to restore the lake would
take a long time and a lot of money.“If we were to start dredging the lake, six foot,
eight foot, whatever. Pick a number,” Nelson says. “It’s three years to do it.
It’s a three-year dredging season to get it done.”Nelson estimates it would cost between $8 million
and $9 million to dredge Lake Contrary.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696259084591.jpeg" alt="Lake Contrary, sand and grassland; no water/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Lake Contrary, sand and grassland; no water/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>Nelson says everyone believes there is a lake
there, somewhere.“I know that somebody said, you know, if you take
that thing down six to eight feet, you’re going to hit water,” Nelson says. “Well,
that’s about how much silt’s there based on core samples.”Nelson says he would prefer to take a small part
of Lake Contrary, excavate it, and see just how much silting has taken place.Nelson says he would like to restore Lake Contrary,
but wants to be careful to do it in the right way.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696259250373.jpeg" alt="Lake Contrary Recreation Area/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Lake Contrary Recreation Area/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/What-should-be-done-with-Lake-Contrary-e2a2d8s" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

Restoring Lake Contrary would take time and money, a lot of money

Bill Eigel has faced accusations that his gubernatorial campaign used deceptive fundraising tactics, drawing a rebuke from former President Trump’s lawyers. The firm behind that strategy also raised cash for attorney general hopeful Will Scharf

Becoming a registered Republican was the worst decision B.J. Adams says he ever made.

Adams, a resident of Burlington, North Carolina, isn’t upset with GOP policies. And he loves former President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

But when the 87-year-old conservative who grew up a Democrat finally switched his party registration, he said it unleashed a torrent of fundraising pleas that on one day this year included 66 emails asking for money.

“Definitely my advice would be don’t do it,” Adams said in an interview with The Independent, “because all you’ll do is get a bunch of dumb-ass requests for donations.”

Some solicitations Adams received – and responded to – were some from Missouri, though that wasn’t always clear.&nbsp;

His name is among 33,408 donations from individuals reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission this year by Believe in Life and Liberty, or BILL PAC, which is backing state Sen. Bill Eigel’s campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. He also shows up on the report for Eigel’s official campaign committee, which lists 6,914 individual donations this year.&nbsp;

Adams is also listed as a donor to Will Scharf, a Republican candidate for Missouri attorney general who has reported 962 donations from individuals this year.

In all there are 185 individuals who gave to both Eigel and Scharf, averaging nine contributions per donor.

How nearly 200 individuals from around the country landed on reports for Eigel and Scharf has an easy explanation – both used Targeted Victory, a Virginia consulting firm, to contact donors nationwide.

The firm has drawn criticism over its tactics, including a scathing letter from Trump’s campaign demanding it stop&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/23/trump-to-gop-firms-stop-using-my-image-or-your-clients-will-suffer-00088649">using the former president’s name, image and likeness</a>&nbsp;in fundraising pitches that appear designed to obscure where the money is actually going.&nbsp;

The number of individual donations for Eigel, BILL PAC and Scharf far surpass those of any other announced or potential candidate seeking one of the five statewide constitutional offices on next year’s ballot. Missouri residents, however, gave only a tiny fraction of those individual donations, an analysis by The Independent shows.

More than 90% of the listed individual donations for Eigel and Scharf’s campaign are from people living outside Missouri.&nbsp;

For BILL PAC, almost 99% of the donations were from outside the state.

Eigel did not return text and telephone messages seeking comment for this story.&nbsp;

In an interview, Scharf distanced himself from Targeted Victory’s controversial tactics, saying the wording of his solicitations was not deceptive and all of his fundraising appeals stated upfront who he was and the office he was seeking.&nbsp;

“I’ve tried to reach out to conservatives here in Missouri and around the country through a lot of different means,” Scharf said, “including using social media, emails and text messages to get people involved and engaged with our campaign.”

Adams said the solicitations were often emails or text messages making a statement about a national issue and asking for support in a petition or a survey.

“I’d fill that survey and then you’d have to give them a donation or it wouldn’t go through,” Adams said. “I thought, okay. I’ll give them $1, sometimes $2 or something like that, to get them off my back.”

That, Adams said, is when you find out who gets the money.

“If you gave them a donation, then it would come back and say, it was given to somebody, you know, (House Majority Leader Steve) Scalise or somebody else,” Adams said. “And you don’t know where it went. And so I assume that that’s exactly what’s happened in these two cases.”

&nbsp;“I’ve just washed my hands of them,” Adams said. “So you won’t get anything else like that from me because I’m not gonna give them any more.”

Neither Scharf nor Eigel’s campaign committee have reported payments to Targeted Victory. BILL PAC has reported spending just over $300,000 with the firm during 2023.

Scharf said he was uncertain why the company isn’t on his second quarter report but said it is likely because the campaign had not received a bill yet.&nbsp;

“As a first time candidate, we’ve used a lot of different tools to reach out to as many people as possible,” Scharf said. “We’ve got at this point tens of millions of impressions on Twitter, tens of thousands of impressions on Facebook and Instagram. We’re using every means at our disposal to get the word out about our campaign.”

Targeted Victory is also one of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/23/trump-to-gop-firms-stop-using-my-image-or-your-clients-will-suffer-00088649">10 GOP consulting firms</a>&nbsp;put on notice in March to be careful how they use Trump’s name and image in fundraising appeals.&nbsp;

And Eigel specifically has been warned that his appeals could be crossing that line.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/a-candidate-for-missouri-governor-has-thousands-of-donors-do-they-know-who-he-is/article_1145d05c-4830-11ee-b9ba-1fd5c19b9fe3.html">St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported</a>&nbsp;that in August, Eigel’s campaign sent a solicitation that it needed 500,000 names to “Stand with Trump.” After a potential donor clicks through to join the petition, the final step to register a name is a required donation to benefit Eigel for Missouri, his campaign committee, identified in small type near the box stating the amount of the donation.

The newspaper quoted a donor from Arizona who had no idea she had given $10 to Eigel’s PAC and didn’t know who Eigel was.

The story drew a rebuke from Trump, who through a lawyer sent a “cease and desist this unauthorized use immediately” to BILL PAC and Targeted Victory&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/trump-campaign-blasts-fundraising-efforts-for-missouri-candidate-for-governor-bill-eigel/article_65b163b6-516f-11ee-ae29-f761b6a1d3ad.html">the newspaper reported</a>.

Scharf said he doesn’t engage in that type of deceptive fundraising activity.&nbsp;

In an April 19 solicitation on his campaign letterhead, Scharf asked for money by invoking the controversy generated by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow">ProPublica’s investigation of luxury travel</a>&nbsp;provided to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas by major GOP donor Harlan Crow.&nbsp;

That solicitation stated that “the left and their allies are working overtime to smear his good name, all because he believes in the U.S. Constitution and defends it every day.”

Scharf’s committee received 52 donations that day, generating $995.50.

On June 21, Scharf received 98 contributions totaling $1,054, including $2 from Adams.&nbsp;

On that day, he said, he appeared on the radio talk show hosted by Mark Levin and discussed Trump’s most recent federal indictment.

The solicitation sent that day, he said, introduced him as a Levin-endorsed MAGA candidate for Missouri attorney general and told potential donors that he had just released an opinion piece on the “sham indictment.”&nbsp;

When recipients clicked on the link, they were offered an opportunity to read it before contributing, Scharf said. No one had to give money to know who they were supporting or to get any information offered, Scharf said.

“We tried to be very, very careful about that sort of thing,” Scharf said.

Once a donor responds to a solicitation, it unleashes a flood of additional requests, said John Otis of Dickinson, Texas.

Otis remembers giving to Eigel. His first donation, $1, was on May 10. He gave two more times in May, and twice again in June.

When he agrees with the message – and the cash demand isn’t too much – Otis said he’s willing to help.

“I’m not trying to donate to him per se,” Otis said. “I’d do that for any good cause, I’d give a dollar, you know, to sign a petition, and I have to include a donation to do that and Bill Eigel puts them out massively.”

He does not remember donating to Scharf, but said he doesn’t doubt that he did so.

“If he put out a petition and I didn’t know who it was and I read something that I really, really agree with, I’m going to be inclined to want to sign it,” Otis said.

Otis did not realize, however, that the 44 donations he made to BILL PAC would also help Eigel’s effort to become governor. Otis’ first donation was on Jan. 19. On several days he gave more than once, including seven donations to BILL PAC on April 10.

“That’s where he masked them,” Otis said when told the purpose of the Believe in Life and Liberty PAC. “I didn’t know it was him. I’m gonna stop, honestly. I’m not going to give any more to his petitions. I’ve done more than my part for the cause.”

Like most of the donors who are on all three reports, Otis gave only once to Scharf.

While on the telephone with The Independent, Otis received a text solicitation that he said is typical in its urgency.

“Mount Rushmore demolished?” he read. “Thousands have signed a woke petition to destroy Mount Rushmore. Major GOP comeback needed now!”

The text asks the recipient to click a response button to add their name to the petition. It turned out to be a solicitation for donations to U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Texas.&nbsp;

Otis said he likes Ellzey but that the fate of Mount Rushmore “is not going to make or break our country” and he would not donate for that request.

Ellzey — like Eigel, BILL PAC and Scharf — is a client of Targeted Victory, spending almost $500,000 with the consulting firm in the first five months of the year, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?data_type=processed&amp;committee_id=C00770438&amp;recipient_name=Targeted+Victory&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2024&amp;min_date=01%2F01%2F2023&amp;max_date=12%2F31%2F2024">Federal Election Commission</a>&nbsp;records.

Told that Trump is upset over the use of his name and image by consulting firms like Targeted Victory, Otis said that many of the solicitations he gets invoke Trump’s name.

“A lot of these people take advantage of Trump,” Otis said. “They use his name, like an endorsement, and they use it for themselves. And I agree that’s what’s going on in some cases.”

The information he would like, Otis said, is to know whether his “signatures” on various petitions actually go anywhere. One reason he participates is a hope that the petitions will be used for more than knowing whether he is still willing to give.

“No one else is asking me to give my voice,” he said. “I mean, this is an opportunity. And it would be nice if they are collecting those petitions and presenting them to Congress or wherever they could, or put it out in the media and to the public.”

Eigel is running against Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in the GOP primary. Scharf is challenging Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.&nbsp;

In a news release after delivering second quarter fundraising reports, Eigel used the large number of individual donations to claim broad support for his campaign.

“The purpose of the exploratory phase of this campaign was to see if sufficient support existed for our message of a stronger Missouri,” Eigel said in the release. “The answer is a resounding yes – there is overwhelming support around Missouri for a proven conservative outsider.”

Thousands of small donations from outside the state don’t say anything about how Missourians view the candidates, Eigel’s rivals said.&nbsp;

Consultants have offered to help his gubernatorial campaign engage in a nationwide hunt for money, Ashcroft said in an interview with The Independent.

“I have been approached about doing this and we declined,” he said. “We felt like when we were going to be soliciting money, we needed to be upfront with the people about how we were soliciting, and what we’re going to be using their money for.”

The methods seem deceptive and manipulative, he said. Using a national issue that has a Missouri angle is an acceptable practice, he said, but not in a way that doesn’t reveal until the end, “in really fine print,” who is actually being supported.

“I’m not willing to compromise my character for an election victory,” Ashcroft said.

Mike Haffner, a political consultant advising both Kehoe and Bailey, likened many of the solicitations to bait-and-switch retail advertising.

“These fundraising schemes should be illegal and should be investigated,” Haffner said.

The solicitations abuse the trust of donors, Haffner said, and target people who often can’t afford to give.

“Anyone who has scammed elderly individuals disabled individuals, or fixed income individuals for contributions for themselves by dishonesty using conservative causes, or President Trump’s name is shameful and they should refund every one of these donors immediately,” Haffner said.

Of the BILL PAC contributions this year, 27,219 were reported with “retired” listed as the donor’s occupation and another 123, including 30 disabled veterans, were listed as not working due to their disability. For Eigel’s campaign committee, 5,680 donations had “retired” in the occupation line and 16 were from people not working due to a disability.

Scharf’s list of individual donations for this year includes 715 contributions with “retired” in the occupation line. None are from individuals who are not working due to a disability.

Fundraising practices that make donors work to be sure where their money is going aren’t new, said James Harris, a Republican political consultant who does not have a client in the governor or attorney general’s race.

The $63 million raised by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20041028&amp;slug=repubs28m">College Republican National Committee in 2004</a>&nbsp;is a notorious example, Harris said.&nbsp;

“In the mail they would do all this prospecting of older people, we are going to fight for X, or fight for Y,” Harris said. “They would leave off the word ‘College’ and people thought it was for the Republican National Committee.”

The survey solicitation seems to be the hot new thing in political fundraising from small-dollar donors.

“I think people ran to it because it is the shiny new object, thinking it will be easy,” Harris said.

During President Barack Obama’s initial campaign in 2008, Democrats proved they were far more adept at organizing supporters through technology. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign also excelled at raising money in small amounts from dedicated supporters.

Republicans caught up, and then surpassed the competition, thanks to the fervor of Trump’s supporters, Harris said. And the consulting firms handling the solicitations built lists they could then sell to other candidates.

The only truly successful small-donor politicians are those who are instantly recognizable, Harris said.&nbsp;

“If you are running for the General Assembly, absolutely not,” Harris said. “If you are a bomb-throwing conservative and will say potentially anything, maybe. But really for it to be effective you should have your own brand or name ID.”

Jason Roe, a Washington D.C.-based consultant working for Ashcroft’s campaign, said the tactic inflates donor numbers but can cost more than it brings in.&nbsp;

“Creating an artificial fundraising bump that consumes a lot of our bandwidth and probably is misleading in its messaging is not really worth the price of admission,” Roe said.

One problem is making a message standout and get a lot of responses, he said.

“When you do digital fundraising, it tends to get a little hysterical and the message doesn’t always match the messenger,” Roe said. “You know, in Eigel’s case, he’s about performance conservatism, so everything about him is theatrics, not effectiveness. So you know, I’m sure the history of hysteria in his messaging matches his behavior.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683906924800.png" alt="Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, is running for governor after two terms in the Missouri Senate (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, is running for governor after two terms in the Missouri Senate (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Bill Eigel has faced accusations that his gubernatorial campaign used deceptive fundraising tactics, drawing a rebuke from former President Trump’s lawyers. The firm behind that strategy also raised cash for attorney general hopeful Will Scharf</h2>Becoming a registered Republican was the worst decision B.J. Adams says he ever made.Adams, a resident of Burlington, North Carolina, isn’t upset with GOP policies. And he loves former President Donald Trump.&nbsp;But when the 87-year-old conservative who grew up a Democrat finally switched his party registration, he said it unleashed a torrent of fundraising pleas that on one day this year included 66 emails asking for money.“Definitely my advice would be don’t do it,” Adams said in an interview with The Independent, “because all you’ll do is get a bunch of dumb-ass requests for donations.”Some solicitations Adams received – and responded to – were some from Missouri, though that wasn’t always clear.&nbsp;His name is among 33,408 donations from individuals reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission this year by Believe in Life and Liberty, or BILL PAC, which is backing state Sen. Bill Eigel’s campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. He also shows up on the report for Eigel’s official campaign committee, which lists 6,914 individual donations this year.&nbsp;Adams is also listed as a donor to Will Scharf, a Republican candidate for Missouri attorney general who has reported 962 donations from individuals this year.In all there are 185 individuals who gave to both Eigel and Scharf, averaging nine contributions per donor.How nearly 200 individuals from around the country landed on reports for Eigel and Scharf has an easy explanation – both used Targeted Victory, a Virginia consulting firm, to contact donors nationwide.The firm has drawn criticism over its tactics, including a scathing letter from Trump’s campaign demanding it stop&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/23/trump-to-gop-firms-stop-using-my-image-or-your-clients-will-suffer-00088649">using the former president’s name, image and likeness</a>&nbsp;in fundraising pitches that appear designed to obscure where the money is actually going.&nbsp;The number of individual donations for Eigel, BILL PAC and Scharf far surpass those of any other announced or potential candidate seeking one of the five statewide constitutional offices on next year’s ballot. Missouri residents, however, gave only a tiny fraction of those individual donations, an analysis by The Independent shows.More than 90% of the listed individual donations for Eigel and Scharf’s campaign are from people living outside Missouri.&nbsp;For BILL PAC, almost 99% of the donations were from outside the state.Eigel did not return text and telephone messages seeking comment for this story.&nbsp;In an interview, Scharf distanced himself from Targeted Victory’s controversial tactics, saying the wording of his solicitations was not deceptive and all of his fundraising appeals stated upfront who he was and the office he was seeking.&nbsp;“I’ve tried to reach out to conservatives here in Missouri and around the country through a lot of different means,” Scharf said, “including using social media, emails and text messages to get people involved and engaged with our campaign.”Adams said the solicitations were often emails or text messages making a statement about a national issue and asking for support in a petition or a survey.“I’d fill that survey and then you’d have to give them a donation or it wouldn’t go through,” Adams said. “I thought, okay. I’ll give them $1, sometimes $2 or something like that, to get them off my back.”That, Adams said, is when you find out who gets the money.“If you gave them a donation, then it would come back and say, it was given to somebody, you know, (House Majority Leader Steve) Scalise or somebody else,” Adams said. “And you don’t know where it went. And so I assume that that’s exactly what’s happened in these two cases.”Not any more, he said.&nbsp;“I’ve just washed my hands of them,” Adams said. “So you won’t get anything else like that from me because I’m not gonna give them any more.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696247563281.png" alt=" Will Scharf at his campaign kickoff event on Jan. 31, 2023 in St. Louis (photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption> Will Scharf at his campaign kickoff event on Jan. 31, 2023 in St. Louis (photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The connection</h2>Neither Scharf nor Eigel’s campaign committee have reported payments to Targeted Victory. BILL PAC has reported spending just over $300,000 with the firm during 2023.Scharf said he was uncertain why the company isn’t on his second quarter report but said it is likely because the campaign had not received a bill yet.&nbsp;“As a first time candidate, we’ve used a lot of different tools to reach out to as many people as possible,” Scharf said. “We’ve got at this point tens of millions of impressions on Twitter, tens of thousands of impressions on Facebook and Instagram. We’re using every means at our disposal to get the word out about our campaign.”Targeted Victory is also one of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/23/trump-to-gop-firms-stop-using-my-image-or-your-clients-will-suffer-00088649">10 GOP consulting firms</a>&nbsp;put on notice in March to be careful how they use Trump’s name and image in fundraising appeals.&nbsp;And Eigel specifically has been warned that his appeals could be crossing that line.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/a-candidate-for-missouri-governor-has-thousands-of-donors-do-they-know-who-he-is/article_1145d05c-4830-11ee-b9ba-1fd5c19b9fe3.html">St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported</a>&nbsp;that in August, Eigel’s campaign sent a solicitation that it needed 500,000 names to “Stand with Trump.” After a potential donor clicks through to join the petition, the final step to register a name is a required donation to benefit Eigel for Missouri, his campaign committee, identified in small type near the box stating the amount of the donation.The newspaper quoted a donor from Arizona who had no idea she had given $10 to Eigel’s PAC and didn’t know who Eigel was.The story drew a rebuke from Trump, who through a lawyer sent a “cease and desist this unauthorized use immediately” to BILL PAC and Targeted Victory&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/trump-campaign-blasts-fundraising-efforts-for-missouri-candidate-for-governor-bill-eigel/article_65b163b6-516f-11ee-ae29-f761b6a1d3ad.html">the newspaper reported</a>.Scharf said he doesn’t engage in that type of deceptive fundraising activity.&nbsp;In an April 19 solicitation on his campaign letterhead, Scharf asked for money by invoking the controversy generated by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow">ProPublica’s investigation of luxury travel</a>&nbsp;provided to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas by major GOP donor Harlan Crow.&nbsp;That solicitation stated that “the left and their allies are working overtime to smear his good name, all because he believes in the U.S. Constitution and defends it every day.”Scharf’s committee received 52 donations that day, generating $995.50.On June 21, Scharf received 98 contributions totaling $1,054, including $2 from Adams.&nbsp;On that day, he said, he appeared on the radio talk show hosted by Mark Levin and discussed Trump’s most recent federal indictment.The solicitation sent that day, he said, introduced him as a Levin-endorsed MAGA candidate for Missouri attorney general and told potential donors that he had just released an opinion piece on the “sham indictment.”&nbsp;When recipients clicked on the link, they were offered an opportunity to read it before contributing, Scharf said. No one had to give money to know who they were supporting or to get any information offered, Scharf said.“We tried to be very, very careful about that sort of thing,” Scharf said.<h2>How it works</h2>Once a donor responds to a solicitation, it unleashes a flood of additional requests, said John Otis of Dickinson, Texas.Otis remembers giving to Eigel. His first donation, $1, was on May 10. He gave two more times in May, and twice again in June.When he agrees with the message – and the cash demand isn’t too much – Otis said he’s willing to help.“I’m not trying to donate to him per se,” Otis said. “I’d do that for any good cause, I’d give a dollar, you know, to sign a petition, and I have to include a donation to do that and Bill Eigel puts them out massively.”He does not remember donating to Scharf, but said he doesn’t doubt that he did so.“If he put out a petition and I didn’t know who it was and I read something that I really, really agree with, I’m going to be inclined to want to sign it,” Otis said.Otis did not realize, however, that the 44 donations he made to BILL PAC would also help Eigel’s effort to become governor. Otis’ first donation was on Jan. 19. On several days he gave more than once, including seven donations to BILL PAC on April 10.“That’s where he masked them,” Otis said when told the purpose of the Believe in Life and Liberty PAC. “I didn’t know it was him. I’m gonna stop, honestly. I’m not going to give any more to his petitions. I’ve done more than my part for the cause.”Like most of the donors who are on all three reports, Otis gave only once to Scharf.While on the telephone with The Independent, Otis received a text solicitation that he said is typical in its urgency.“Mount Rushmore demolished?” he read. “Thousands have signed a woke petition to destroy Mount Rushmore. Major GOP comeback needed now!”The text asks the recipient to click a response button to add their name to the petition. It turned out to be a solicitation for donations to U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Texas.&nbsp;Otis said he likes Ellzey but that the fate of Mount Rushmore “is not going to make or break our country” and he would not donate for that request.Ellzey — like Eigel, BILL PAC and Scharf — is a client of Targeted Victory, spending almost $500,000 with the consulting firm in the first five months of the year, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fec.gov/data/disbursements/?data_type=processed&amp;committee_id=C00770438&amp;recipient_name=Targeted+Victory&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2024&amp;min_date=01%2F01%2F2023&amp;max_date=12%2F31%2F2024">Federal Election Commission</a>&nbsp;records.Told that Trump is upset over the use of his name and image by consulting firms like Targeted Victory, Otis said that many of the solicitations he gets invoke Trump’s name.“A lot of these people take advantage of Trump,” Otis said. “They use his name, like an endorsement, and they use it for themselves. And I agree that’s what’s going on in some cases.”The information he would like, Otis said, is to know whether his “signatures” on various petitions actually go anywhere. One reason he participates is a hope that the petitions will be used for more than knowing whether he is still willing to give.“No one else is asking me to give my voice,” he said. “I mean, this is an opportunity. And it would be nice if they are collecting those petitions and presenting them to Congress or wherever they could, or put it out in the media and to the public.”<h2>The reaction</h2>Eigel is running against Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in the GOP primary. Scharf is challenging Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.&nbsp;In a news release after delivering second quarter fundraising reports, Eigel used the large number of individual donations to claim broad support for his campaign.“The purpose of the exploratory phase of this campaign was to see if sufficient support existed for our message of a stronger Missouri,” Eigel said in the release. “The answer is a resounding yes – there is overwhelming support around Missouri for a proven conservative outsider.”Thousands of small donations from outside the state don’t say anything about how Missourians view the candidates, Eigel’s rivals said.&nbsp;Consultants have offered to help his gubernatorial campaign engage in a nationwide hunt for money, Ashcroft said in an interview with The Independent.“I have been approached about doing this and we declined,” he said. “We felt like when we were going to be soliciting money, we needed to be upfront with the people about how we were soliciting, and what we’re going to be using their money for.”The methods seem deceptive and manipulative, he said. Using a national issue that has a Missouri angle is an acceptable practice, he said, but not in a way that doesn’t reveal until the end, “in really fine print,” who is actually being supported.“I’m not willing to compromise my character for an election victory,” Ashcroft said.Mike Haffner, a political consultant advising both Kehoe and Bailey, likened many of the solicitations to bait-and-switch retail advertising.“These fundraising schemes should be illegal and should be investigated,” Haffner said.The solicitations abuse the trust of donors, Haffner said, and target people who often can’t afford to give.“Anyone who has scammed elderly individuals disabled individuals, or fixed income individuals for contributions for themselves by dishonesty using conservative causes, or President Trump’s name is shameful and they should refund every one of these donors immediately,” Haffner said.Of the BILL PAC contributions this year, 27,219 were reported with “retired” listed as the donor’s occupation and another 123, including 30 disabled veterans, were listed as not working due to their disability. For Eigel’s campaign committee, 5,680 donations had “retired” in the occupation line and 16 were from people not working due to a disability.Scharf’s list of individual donations for this year includes 715 contributions with “retired” in the occupation line. None are from individuals who are not working due to a disability.Fundraising practices that make donors work to be sure where their money is going aren’t new, said James Harris, a Republican political consultant who does not have a client in the governor or attorney general’s race.The $63 million raised by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20041028&amp;slug=repubs28m">College Republican National Committee in 2004</a>&nbsp;is a notorious example, Harris said.&nbsp;“In the mail they would do all this prospecting of older people, we are going to fight for X, or fight for Y,” Harris said. “They would leave off the word ‘College’ and people thought it was for the Republican National Committee.”The survey solicitation seems to be the hot new thing in political fundraising from small-dollar donors.“I think people ran to it because it is the shiny new object, thinking it will be easy,” Harris said.During President Barack Obama’s initial campaign in 2008, Democrats proved they were far more adept at organizing supporters through technology. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign also excelled at raising money in small amounts from dedicated supporters.Republicans caught up, and then surpassed the competition, thanks to the fervor of Trump’s supporters, Harris said. And the consulting firms handling the solicitations built lists they could then sell to other candidates.The only truly successful small-donor politicians are those who are instantly recognizable, Harris said.&nbsp;“If you are running for the General Assembly, absolutely not,” Harris said. “If you are a bomb-throwing conservative and will say potentially anything, maybe. But really for it to be effective you should have your own brand or name ID.”Jason Roe, a Washington D.C.-based consultant working for Ashcroft’s campaign, said the tactic inflates donor numbers but can cost more than it brings in.&nbsp;“Creating an artificial fundraising bump that consumes a lot of our bandwidth and probably is misleading in its messaging is not really worth the price of admission,” Roe said.One problem is making a message standout and get a lot of responses, he said.“When you do digital fundraising, it tends to get a little hysterical and the message doesn’t always match the messenger,” Roe said. “You know, in Eigel’s case, he’s about performance conservatism, so everything about him is theatrics, not effectiveness. So you know, I’m sure the history of hysteria in his messaging matches his behavior.”

Out-of-state donors fuel GOP candidates running for Missouri governor, AG

HARRISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 8p.m. Saturday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 GMC pickup driven by Ronald C. Ward, 71, Gillman City, was northbound on Fisher Street and rear-ended a parked, unoccupied&nbsp; 2000 Ford F250.

A private vehicle transported a passenger in the GMC Christine C. Ward, 73, Gillman City, to Harrison County Community Hospital. Ronald Ward was not injured. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

HARRISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 8p.m. Saturday in Harrison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 GMC pickup driven by Ronald C. Ward, 71, Gillman City, was northbound on Fisher Street and rear-ended a parked, unoccupied&nbsp; 2000 Ford F250.A private vehicle transported a passenger in the GMC Christine C. Ward, 73, Gillman City, to Harrison County Community Hospital. Ronald Ward was not injured. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

Missouri woman injured after rear-end crash

CLINTON COUNTY —A St. Joseph man was injured and later arrested after a crash just before 5p.m. Friday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Ford F 150 driven by Joshua C. Walkup, 39, St. Joseph, was northbound on Route VV six miles southwest of Stewartsville.&nbsp;

The pickup traveled off the road struck a sign and embankment. Tri-County Ambulance transported Walkup to Mosaic Life Care.&nbsp; He was later arrested on requested charges of DWI, drugs, careless and imprudent driving involving a crash, according to the MSHP.

CLINTON COUNTY —A St. Joseph man was injured and later arrested after a crash just before 5p.m. Friday in Clinton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Ford F 150 driven by Joshua C. Walkup, 39, St. Joseph, was northbound on Route VV six miles southwest of Stewartsville.&nbsp; The pickup traveled off the road struck a sign and embankment. Tri-County Ambulance transported Walkup to Mosaic Life Care.&nbsp; He was later arrested on requested charges of DWI, drugs, careless and imprudent driving involving a crash, according to the MSHP.

St. Joseph man injured, arrested after pickup crash

A longtime dream has come true for a student at Mid-Buchanan High School.  

Blake Templeton has dreamed about being a police officer since he was four years old, and now that dream is a reality as he was sworn in as an honorary deputy by Sheriff Bill Puett 

Rebecca Templeton, Blake's mother, says this is a wonderful opportunity for her son 

"Something he would not have had any other way and the way they did everything for him, it's a memory he'll have the rest of his life," Templeton tells reporters.  "It's a beautiful gift." 

Templeton, a 16-year-old student at Mid-Buchanan High School diagnosed with cerebral palsy was sworn in as an honorary deputy prior to Mid-Buchanan's homecoming game.

School Resource Dennis Yager is the man who began this process.  Yager says that at least four to five times a day Templeton would ask him what it takes to be a police officer 

"And my answer every time was, ok you have to be kind, you have to listen to your teachers, you've got to help out, if you see danger you've got to tell mom, you've got to tell dad, you've got to tell your teachers, you can come to me," Yager says.  "And it was the same thing over and over every day." 

The interactions made Yager reach out to Templeton's mother, who told him Blake would ask her the same questions and that he had been saving up for several years to go to the police academy, making it a no brainer for Yager to reach out to Puett 

"With Blake, he is on cloud nine, he's been running, I don't really see him that much as a runner but tonight he was," Yager happily says.

Puett says after hearing about Templeton from Yager, it was exciting to meet Blake.  Puett says he told Deputy Templeton that following his swearing in, he was going right to work on patrol. 

"And his immediate response was yes he was ready to go to work and you saw how quick he climbed into that truck when I told him deputy it's time to go to work," Puett says. "So that's pretty exciting that he gets to do this tonight, we're just really happy that we could do that and I'm thankful to Dennis for bringing it to me." 

Templeton will also help Yager patrol the school and check doors at least once a week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696094848025.jpeg" alt="Blake Templeton's mother Rebecca (far right), Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett (middle right), Blake Templeton (middle), and School Resource Officer Dennis Yager with paperwork naming Templeton honorary deputy/ Photo by Matt Pike " />
 <figcaption>Blake Templeton's mother Rebecca (far right), Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett (middle right), Blake Templeton (middle), and School Resource Officer Dennis Yager with paperwork naming Templeton honorary deputy/ Photo by Matt Pike </figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post A longtime dream has come true for a student at Mid-Buchanan High School. Blake Templeton has dreamed about being a police officer since he was four years old, and now that dream is a reality as he was sworn in as an honorary deputy by Sheriff Bill Puett Rebecca Templeton, Blake's mother, says this is a wonderful opportunity for her son "Something he would not have had any other way and the way they did everything for him, it's a memory he'll have the rest of his life," Templeton tells reporters. "It's a beautiful gift." Templeton, a 16-year-old student at Mid-Buchanan High School diagnosed with cerebral palsy was sworn in as an honorary deputy prior to Mid-Buchanan's homecoming game.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696095200684.jpeg" alt="Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett gives Blake Templeton the oath of office, swearing him in as an honorary deputy for the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department/Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett gives Blake Templeton the oath of office, swearing him in as an honorary deputy for the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department/Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>School Resource Dennis Yager is the man who began this process. Yager says that at least four to five times a day Templeton would ask him what it takes to be a police officer "And my answer every time was, ok you have to be kind, you have to listen to your teachers, you've got to help out, if you see danger you've got to tell mom, you've got to tell dad, you've got to tell your teachers, you can come to me," Yager says. "And it was the same thing over and over every day." The interactions made Yager reach out to Templeton's mother, who told him Blake would ask her the same questions and that he had been saving up for several years to go to the police academy, making it a no brainer for Yager to reach out to Puett "With Blake, he is on cloud nine, he's been running, I don't really see him that much as a runner but tonight he was," Yager happily says.Puett says after hearing about Templeton from Yager, it was exciting to meet Blake. Puett says he told Deputy Templeton that following his swearing in, he was going right to work on patrol. "And his immediate response was yes he was ready to go to work and you saw how quick he climbed into that truck when I told him deputy it's time to go to work," Puett says. "So that's pretty exciting that he gets to do this tonight, we're just really happy that we could do that and I'm thankful to Dennis for bringing it to me." Templeton will also help Yager patrol the school and check doors at least once a week.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696095132595.jpeg" alt="Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett speaks to a crowd during Mid Buchanan's homecoming for an honorary swearing in ceremony for Blake Templeton, a Mid Buchanan Student with cerebral palsy/Photo by Matt Pike&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett speaks to a crowd during Mid Buchanan's homecoming for an honorary swearing in ceremony for Blake Templeton, a Mid Buchanan Student with cerebral palsy/Photo by Matt Pike&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>

Dream come true for Mid-Buchanan student whose named honorary deputy

Missouri’s proposal to alter the way it sets rates for an at-home disability care program drew concern from the state’s federally-mandated disability-rights organization

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

The federally-funded organization responsible for protecting the rights of people with disabilities in Missouri believes a proposed change in how the state pays for at-home care could violate the law.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.moadvocacy.org/">Missouri Protection and Advocacy Services</a>, which was established in 1977, said in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23993402-2023-9-22-combined-letter-to-cms">letter</a>&nbsp;to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that it is “investigating the proposed changes and believes they may be in violation of federal law protecting people with disabilities against discrimination.”

The letter, sent last week by one of organization’s attorneys, Will Hack, argues the proposed changes are “harmful to Missourians.”

The proposed changes at issue involve the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dmh.mo.gov/dev-disabilities/programs/self-directed-supports">self-directed supports</a>&nbsp;service within the Department of Mental Health, part of a Medicaid-funded program available to Missourians with developmental disabilities to directly hire their own care staff.

There are currently 3,031 Missourians relying on self-directed supports to fund their at-home caregivers. Without it, they would require inpatient care.

The state moved this summer to change the way if funds self-directed supports, to delink it from the rate it pays home health agencies and paying self-directed supports families based on last year’s lower rate instead of this year’s. The state will initiate a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/14/missouri-mental-health-department-urged-to-abandon-at-home-care-funding-freeze/">rate study</a>&nbsp;this&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23993400-sds-one-pager-from-dmh">fall</a>&nbsp;to determine future funding levels.

Families who use the program have decried the proposed changes as lacking transparency and potentially threatening their ability to provide competitive wages to their caretaking staff.&nbsp;

Advocates also question why a rate study didn’t precede the decision to change the rates — and say it’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/14/missouri-mental-health-department-urged-to-abandon-at-home-care-funding-freeze/">not a given</a>&nbsp;that they should get less money than their agency equivalents.

The changes need approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where they are now awaiting action. The state expects to receive a response sometime this&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23993400-sds-one-pager-from-dmh">fall.</a>

The state proposed to amend the rate to last year’s level in July. Hack’s letter frames those proposed changes as “hidden” and “buried on page 301” of the document.

With the new wording freezing the rates at last year’s level, the rate can’t “increase to meet the needs of Missourians,” he wrote in his letter to the federal Medicaid agency.

“This will effectively discourage people with disabilities from directing their own services, and push them towards provider-based services,” Hack wrote.

On Aug. 4, the Missouri Department of Mental Health filed public notice of its intent to change state regulations to remove the requirement that self-directed supports rates be comparable to provider rates.

“These changes are a coordinated effort to turn people with disabilities away from (self-directed supports),” Hack wrote.&nbsp;

Self-directed services are part of a national&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/long-term-services-supports/self-directed-services/index.html">trend</a>&nbsp;over the last few decades away from institutionalization and toward community-based support and integration — based on the belief that decisions about an individual’s care are best made by those closest to them.&nbsp;

Someone called a designated representative, often a family member, is in charge of overseeing staff.

The premise of self-directed supports “is that when individuals have control of their resources their quality of life will improve and the overall cost of services will decrease,” according to the state’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://manuals.momed.com/collections/collection_archive/collection_dmh/Print_03012021.pdf">manual on developmental disabilities</a>.&nbsp;

The Department of Mental Health says self-directed supports is the only part of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dmh.mo.gov/dev-disabilities/programs/waiver">home and community based services</a>&nbsp;with a rate not based on a rate study.

“A rate study ensures alignment of rate methodologies and rate standardization, thereby preventing a situation of preferential treatment with regard to funding for any specific service type or model,” said&nbsp;Debra Walker, spokeswoman for the department of mental health.&nbsp;

She added that the division “will continue to work with…stakeholders through the rate study process,” and the process will include “opportunities for feedback, submission of cost components, and review of rate assumptions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696075966162.png" alt="Missouri’s Department of Mental Health building in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Missouri’s Department of Mental Health building in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Missouri’s proposal to alter the way it sets rates for an at-home disability care program drew concern from the state’s federally-mandated disability-rights organization</h2>By CLARA BATES,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>The federally-funded organization responsible for protecting the rights of people with disabilities in Missouri believes a proposed change in how the state pays for at-home care could violate the law.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.moadvocacy.org/">Missouri Protection and Advocacy Services</a>, which was established in 1977, said in a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23993402-2023-9-22-combined-letter-to-cms">letter</a>&nbsp;to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that it is “investigating the proposed changes and believes they may be in violation of federal law protecting people with disabilities against discrimination.”The letter, sent last week by one of organization’s attorneys, Will Hack, argues the proposed changes are “harmful to Missourians.”The proposed changes at issue involve the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dmh.mo.gov/dev-disabilities/programs/self-directed-supports">self-directed supports</a>&nbsp;service within the Department of Mental Health, part of a Medicaid-funded program available to Missourians with developmental disabilities to directly hire their own care staff.There are currently 3,031 Missourians relying on self-directed supports to fund their at-home caregivers. Without it, they would require inpatient care.The state moved this summer to change the way if funds self-directed supports, to delink it from the rate it pays home health agencies and paying self-directed supports families based on last year’s lower rate instead of this year’s. The state will initiate a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/14/missouri-mental-health-department-urged-to-abandon-at-home-care-funding-freeze/">rate study</a>&nbsp;this&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23993400-sds-one-pager-from-dmh">fall</a>&nbsp;to determine future funding levels.Families who use the program have decried the proposed changes as lacking transparency and potentially threatening their ability to provide competitive wages to their caretaking staff.&nbsp;Advocates also question why a rate study didn’t precede the decision to change the rates — and say it’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/14/missouri-mental-health-department-urged-to-abandon-at-home-care-funding-freeze/">not a given</a>&nbsp;that they should get less money than their agency equivalents.The changes need approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where they are now awaiting action. The state expects to receive a response sometime this&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23993400-sds-one-pager-from-dmh">fall.</a>The state proposed to amend the rate to last year’s level in July. Hack’s letter frames those proposed changes as “hidden” and “buried on page 301” of the document.With the new wording freezing the rates at last year’s level, the rate can’t “increase to meet the needs of Missourians,” he wrote in his letter to the federal Medicaid agency.“This will effectively discourage people with disabilities from directing their own services, and push them towards provider-based services,” Hack wrote.On Aug. 4, the Missouri Department of Mental Health filed public notice of its intent to change state regulations to remove the requirement that self-directed supports rates be comparable to provider rates.“These changes are a coordinated effort to turn people with disabilities away from (self-directed supports),” Hack wrote.&nbsp;Self-directed services are part of a national&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/long-term-services-supports/self-directed-services/index.html">trend</a>&nbsp;over the last few decades away from institutionalization and toward community-based support and integration — based on the belief that decisions about an individual’s care are best made by those closest to them.&nbsp;Someone called a designated representative, often a family member, is in charge of overseeing staff.The premise of self-directed supports “is that when individuals have control of their resources their quality of life will improve and the overall cost of services will decrease,” according to the state’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://manuals.momed.com/collections/collection_archive/collection_dmh/Print_03012021.pdf">manual on developmental disabilities</a>.&nbsp;The Department of Mental Health says self-directed supports is the only part of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dmh.mo.gov/dev-disabilities/programs/waiver">home and community based services</a>&nbsp;with a rate not based on a rate study.“A rate study ensures alignment of rate methodologies and rate standardization, thereby preventing a situation of preferential treatment with regard to funding for any specific service type or model,” said&nbsp;Debra Walker, spokeswoman for the department of mental health.&nbsp;She added that the division “will continue to work with…stakeholders through the rate study process,” and the process will include “opportunities for feedback, submission of cost components, and review of rate assumptions.”

Advocacy group tells feds Missouri’s proposed disability changes could violate law

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.

Just before 6p.m. Sept. 27, a Brown County deputy established probable cause to obtain a search warrant at a residence in Horton, Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

At 8pm., the warrant was granted and then executed at 240 W. 15th Street by the Brown County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force. A juvenile in the home was placed in police protective custody. At the conclusion of the search warrant, Jade Spruill 32 Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Stimulant,Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and ChildEndangerment.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695929096356.png" alt="Spruill photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Spruill photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.Just before 6p.m. Sept. 27, a Brown County deputy established probable cause to obtain a search warrant at a residence in Horton, Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.At 8pm., the warrant was granted and then executed at 240 W. 15th Street by the Brown County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force. A juvenile in the home was placed in police protective custody. At the conclusion of the search warrant, Jade Spruill 32 Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Stimulant,Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and ChildEndangerment.&nbsp;

Child removed from Kan. home during drug investigation

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with the inaugural Limestone Preservation Award winners Jack and Kathie Crispin.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nP_jN_9URlU?si=ZqqKxZsG0lsSpv39" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with the inaugural Limestone Preservation Award winners Jack and Kathie Crispin.

🎤 Forward Ever: Post Rock Limestone Preservation Award winners Jack, Kathie Crispin

A unique show kicks off the new St. Joseph Symphony season this weekend at the historic Missouri Theatre. &nbsp;

Frank Oden's Cowboy Jamboree will be the first show of the season with a goal of designing symphony shows more accessible to the general public.&nbsp;

"We have this idea of a symphony concert being kind of a stuffy old thing where people go sit straight up in their chairs wearing tuxedos and listen to classical music," Oden jokes with KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "And there's nothing wrong with that, there's a lot of people who really enjoy that."&nbsp;

Oden says in order to change that perception, he used his skills as a writer and actor to design the show&nbsp;

"I've been creating symphony shows that bring theatrical production values, humor, and action and character and storyline to the performance," Oden explains.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Oden says the show is designed by starting with a collection of music, this show focused on music of the American West and Hollywood type of American west, with music from John Williams and songs like Ghost Riders in the Sky.&nbsp;

Oden says the show is unique with the person setting up the pieces of music not just telling you about the history of the piece, but where it came from.&nbsp;

"The idea is to create a story that includes music, and it's set up to feature the music, the music is part of the storytelling, but we don't have the voice out there just to talk about the music but to create a story that holds the music," Oden says.&nbsp;

Oden says another rare thing about the show is that the narrative is all poetic which comes from his background as a cowboy poet.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKE&nbsp;St. Joseph Post&nbsp;A unique show kicks off the new St. Joseph Symphony season this weekend at the historic Missouri Theatre. &nbsp;Frank Oden's Cowboy Jamboree will be the first show of the season with a goal of designing symphony shows more accessible to the general public.&nbsp;"We have this idea of a symphony concert being kind of a stuffy old thing where people go sit straight up in their chairs wearing tuxedos and listen to classical music," Oden jokes with KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "And there's nothing wrong with that, there's a lot of people who really enjoy that."&nbsp;Oden says in order to change that perception, he used his skills as a writer and actor to design the show&nbsp;"I've been creating symphony shows that bring theatrical production values, humor, and action and character and storyline to the performance," Oden explains.&nbsp; &nbsp;Oden says the show is designed by starting with a collection of music, this show focused on music of the American West and Hollywood type of American west, with music from John Williams and songs like Ghost Riders in the Sky.&nbsp;Oden says the show is unique with the person setting up the pieces of music not just telling you about the history of the piece, but where it came from.&nbsp;"The idea is to create a story that includes music, and it's set up to feature the music, the music is part of the storytelling, but we don't have the voice out there just to talk about the music but to create a story that holds the music," Oden says.&nbsp;Oden says another rare thing about the show is that the narrative is all poetic which comes from his background as a cowboy poet.&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstjoesymphony%2Fvideos%2F278640127968229%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>

Different style symphony show kicks off new season for St. Joseph Symphony

The Mosaic Life Care Foundation is getting set to launch another year of its popular STEAM After-School events at EmpowerU in downtown St. Joseph. 

Program Coordinator Devran Brower says STEAM After-School helps students develop an interest in science, technology, electronics, arts, and mathematics. 

"So, we provide opportunities to engage in programming and in modules that kids may not have in their schools, may not have available," Brower tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so, they're a lot of fun, everything we do is based off fun, it's really self-guided. yes, we do supervise and create some structure for the students, but we really want them to explore these modules and have fun together and even collaborate to learn." 

Brower says the program has grown in popularity, but they never have to turn students away 

"We are fortunate we have a wonderful team of facilitators that come together to do these things, so we don't really ever run out of space, we may open up another room," Brower says. 

Brower says in particular the Lego WeDo activities are very popular with students in the third through fifth grade students. 

"The cool thing is with those resources we have, if one room gets full and we usually cap that around 10 to 12 students, then we'll open up another room and they can be doing the same thing together and even interact with those other classmates," Brower points out. 

STEAM After-School began shortly after the pandemic to help get students back to bonding in a classroom after not being able to attend school for some time. 

Brower says activities students will get to do are ones they won't find in a normal classroom, such as Lego WeDo which involves coding. 

"So, they can create things that actually accomplish or overcome challenges," Brower explains. "I know one module you create a streetsweeper, so how do we clean up streets, how can we create a machine that will do this for us, things like that." 

There are also virtual reality stations for students, which Brower says always feature some new applications 

"So even if a student came a year ago or two, chances are there's something new they haven't seen before," Brower says. 

The program is open to students in third through eighth grades and will run for six weeks between October 17th and November 28th from 4:30 to 6pm.  

Walk ins are accepted but Brower says its highly recommend registering your student if interested.  You can register at MLC Foundation DOT com. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696011098579.jpeg" alt="Virtual reality is one of many activities students will get to experience during STEAM After-School at EmpowerU/ Photo courtesy of the Mosaic Life Care Foundation" />
 <figcaption>Virtual reality is one of many activities students will get to experience during STEAM After-School at EmpowerU/ Photo courtesy of the Mosaic Life Care Foundation</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Mosaic Life Care Foundation is getting set to launch another year of its popular STEAM After-School events at EmpowerU in downtown St. Joseph. Program Coordinator Devran Brower says STEAM After-School helps students develop an interest in science, technology, electronics, arts, and mathematics. "So, we provide opportunities to engage in programming and in modules that kids may not have in their schools, may not have available," Brower tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so, they're a lot of fun, everything we do is based off fun, it's really self-guided. yes, we do supervise and create some structure for the students, but we really want them to explore these modules and have fun together and even collaborate to learn." Brower says the program has grown in popularity, but they never have to turn students away "We are fortunate we have a wonderful team of facilitators that come together to do these things, so we don't really ever run out of space, we may open up another room," Brower says. Brower says in particular the Lego WeDo activities are very popular with students in the third through fifth grade students. "The cool thing is with those resources we have, if one room gets full and we usually cap that around 10 to 12 students, then we'll open up another room and they can be doing the same thing together and even interact with those other classmates," Brower points out. STEAM After-School began shortly after the pandemic to help get students back to bonding in a classroom after not being able to attend school for some time. Brower says activities students will get to do are ones they won't find in a normal classroom, such as Lego WeDo which involves coding. "So, they can create things that actually accomplish or overcome challenges," Brower explains. "I know one module you create a streetsweeper, so how do we clean up streets, how can we create a machine that will do this for us, things like that." There are also virtual reality stations for students, which Brower says always feature some new applications "So even if a student came a year ago or two, chances are there's something new they haven't seen before," Brower says. The program is open to students in third through eighth grades and will run for six weeks between October 17th and November 28th from 4:30 to 6pm. Walk ins are accepted but Brower says its highly recommend registering your student if interested. You can register at MLC Foundation DOT com.

Looking for fun after school? Head to EmpowerU this fall

An
Ottawa, Kansas man arrested while getting a tow for his getaway car has pleaded
guilty to robbing a Mound City bank.

Federal
prosecutors report 41-year-old Marvin McWhorter III pleaded guilty in federal
court to one count of robbery, admitting he stole $4,445 from
Citizens Bank and Trust in December of 2022.

McWhorter
appeared to be holding a handgun when he demanded money from a teller.
McWhorter fled the bank and escaped in a black Chevrolet Malibu with the word “CHEVY”
in block white lettering across the top of the front windshield. The next day,
McWhorter needed a tow from nearby Forest City. During the tow, a resident
noticed the car matched the description of the getaway car.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674662479150.png" alt="McWhorter-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>McWhorter-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAn
Ottawa, Kansas man arrested while getting a tow for his getaway car has pleaded
guilty to robbing a Mound City bank.Federal
prosecutors report 41-year-old Marvin McWhorter III pleaded guilty in federal
court to one count of robbery, admitting he stole $4,445 from
Citizens Bank and Trust in December of 2022.McWhorter
appeared to be holding a handgun when he demanded money from a teller.
McWhorter fled the bank and escaped in a black Chevrolet Malibu with the word “CHEVY”
in block white lettering across the top of the front windshield. The next day,
McWhorter needed a tow from nearby Forest City. During the tow, a resident
noticed the car matched the description of the getaway car.A
dispatcher called the tow truck operator and told him to pull over. McWhorter
attempted to wrest control of the truck from the driver. He and a passerby that
came to his aid wrestled McWhorter to the ground until officers could arrive.Officers
recovered $3,813 taken in the robbery from the car as well as
other evidence, including a box of ammunition, but no firearm.

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