Recalls on cannabis products have become common in other states where marijuana is legal, but Missouri’s situation is different

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

Recalls on cannabis products have become common in other states where marijuana is legal.&nbsp;

But when Missouri regulators issued their&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/16/state-faces-pushback-from-missouri-marijuana-industry-over-product-recall/">first recall</a>&nbsp;last month, veterans of the industry were surprised. While recalls most commonly involve a company cooperating with regulators to understand the issue — was there bacteria in the product, or perhaps a wrong label — that was not the case in Missouri.&nbsp;

Products were immediately pulled from the shelves, and the manufacturer’s operations were suspended, as the state alleged “inversion” — illegally importing marijuana or&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/missouri-cannabis-recall-hemp/">converted hemp products</a>&nbsp;into the state.&nbsp;

On Friday, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/missouri-company-at-center-of-cannabis-recall-used-hemp-instead-of-marijuana-in-products/">saga</a>&nbsp;comes to a head, with the state and marijuana manufacturer Delta Extraction facing off before the Administrative Hearing Commission over whether Missouri overstepped its authority.&nbsp;

According to commission officials, a decision won’t be made until after a transcript of Friday’s hearing is available, which can take up to 30 days. Both parties will have an opportunity to submit briefs, and then the commission will issue a ruling.

Marijuana dispensaries and warehouses across Missouri are holding on to more than 62,000 recalled products in special vaults.&nbsp;

Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which regulates the state’s cannabis program, said the products are being held “until the department determines the product is safe, may be remediated or must be destroyed.”

During Delta’s appeal process, the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation has said regulators learned about the company’s activities — that it was adding out-of-state hemp-derived THC to marijuana products — through an anonymous tip.&nbsp;

How they verified its credibility was through the software the state uses to track information about marijuana products, called&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/19/missouri-marijuana-regulators-defend-product-testing-regime-in-aftermath-of-recall/">Metrc</a>.&nbsp;

From the moment the marijuana plant starts to sprout, it gets a tag that goes into Metrc, and that plant’s yield is tracked until it finds its way into a vape pen or joint.&nbsp;

Because marijuana products are so closely tracked in Metrc at various stages of production, a “traceability” recall like this is pretty rare, said Matt Regusci, technical director of the St. Louis-based Cannabis Safety &amp; Quality Standards consulting group.

“Typically companies are just following the rules because they don’t want to lose their product,” he said. “This is usually very spelled out in each state’s regulations on how they’re tracking it from seed to sale.”

Traceability issues are usually “one-off cases,” he said, as a result of human error — because an employee typed in the wrong weight or amount into the system.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But it’s normally not the reason for a “huge recall like this,” he said.

“It’s kind of up there with white-collar crime,” Regusci said. “It’s very difficult to catch, without some sort of whistleblower saying that something’s going on.”

Delta Extraction&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-judge-dismisses-cannabis-companys-lawsuit-against-state-to-stop-recall/">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the state in an attempt to stop the recall. A Missouri judge dismissed the case, ruling that the Administrative Hearing Commission needed to finish its process before the court intervenes.&nbsp;

“Lawsuits do happen,” Regusci said, regarding recalls. “Particularly in an industry like this, where everybody’s kind of new to it… As more of these entities start figuring out more of what they need to do on both sides, we’re going to see less and less lawsuits.”

Another notable difference in this situation was that the state immediately suspended the company’s license, which experts say is not typical.

“It’s rare for the state to issue a suspension order on the front end of things,” said&nbsp;attorney Clark Wu, an Arizona-based who specializes in hemp and cannabis law.&nbsp;“Normally what happens in other states in the recall process is the state will issue some form of what’s called a deficiency notice.”

On Friday, the commissioner will be looking into both state’s authority to issue the immediate suspension of the company’s operations and the recall.&nbsp;

The company, Delta Extraction, is a Robertsville-based licensed marijuana manufacturer that specializes in making THC distillate, a highly potent and pure form of THC used for things like vape pens, infused pre-rolled joints and edibles.&nbsp;

On Aug. 2, the state regulating agency suspended Delta Extraction’s operations after accusing the company of sourcing untested “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23910265-conference-call-delta-extraction">marijuana or converted hemp</a>&nbsp;from outside of a Missouri licensed cultivation facility.”&nbsp;

And the state issued a product recall on Aug. 14.

According to the commission, the main questions addressed on Friday will be: Was there a credible threat to public health? And should Delta’s suspension be lifted now that potentially dangerous products are pulled from the shelves?&nbsp;And is the investigation as it relates to a credible and imminent threat to public health or safety still ongoing?&nbsp;

By law, the only way the state can issue an immediate suspension — rather than give 30 days notice — is a threat to public health or safety.&nbsp;

Carole Iles of the Administrative Hearing Commission addressed this in her preliminary<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23933159-order-denying-motion-for-stay">&nbsp;order</a>&nbsp;on Aug. 29, denying a stay of Delta’s suspension.&nbsp;

Iles wrote that the state constitution allows for immediate suspension of operations by a marijuana licensee “in instances where there is a credible and imminent threat to public health or public safety.”&nbsp;

And according to the state’s cannabis regulations, a threat could include a situation where the product wasn’t “<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/did-recalled-missouri-cannabis-products-pose-health-risks-regulators-arent-sure/">compliantly tested</a>” or “a credible report, such as from law enforcement, that diversion or inversion of marijuana product is occurring at the licensed facility.”

The state’s rules don’t define “inversion,” Iles said, but a state regulator gave an acceptable definition in testimony — that it occurs when cannabis seeds, plants, or products made from them come into the regulatory market from outside the system. This includes when “hemp-derived chemically modified ‘converted’ cannabinoids” are added to products, she said.&nbsp;

Iles also stated in her order that the information about a possible threat was credible because Metrc reports verified that, “Delta was incorporating hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol into its marijuana products in violation of emergency rule.”

The emergency rule was in effect from Feb. 3 until the final rule took effect on July 30.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The regulation prohibited manufacturers from including in their products any THC produced by the conversion of THC-A or CBD from any source other than marijuana grown in Missouri by a Missouri-licensed cultivator,” Iles said in her order. “The use of THC produced from THC-A or CBD from industrial hemp plants was prohibited.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695833331678.png" alt=" Marijuana dispensaries and warehouses across Missouri are holding on to more than 62,000 recalled products in special vaults (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Marijuana dispensaries and warehouses across Missouri are holding on to more than 62,000 recalled products in special vaults (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Recalls on cannabis products have become common in other states where marijuana is legal, but Missouri’s situation is different</h2>By REBECCA RIVAS,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Recalls on cannabis products have become common in other states where marijuana is legal.&nbsp;But when Missouri regulators issued their&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/16/state-faces-pushback-from-missouri-marijuana-industry-over-product-recall/">first recall</a>&nbsp;last month, veterans of the industry were surprised. While recalls most commonly involve a company cooperating with regulators to understand the issue — was there bacteria in the product, or perhaps a wrong label — that was not the case in Missouri.&nbsp;Products were immediately pulled from the shelves, and the manufacturer’s operations were suspended, as the state alleged “inversion” — illegally importing marijuana or&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/missouri-cannabis-recall-hemp/">converted hemp products</a>&nbsp;into the state.&nbsp;On Friday, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/missouri-company-at-center-of-cannabis-recall-used-hemp-instead-of-marijuana-in-products/">saga</a>&nbsp;comes to a head, with the state and marijuana manufacturer Delta Extraction facing off before the Administrative Hearing Commission over whether Missouri overstepped its authority.&nbsp;According to commission officials, a decision won’t be made until after a transcript of Friday’s hearing is available, which can take up to 30 days. Both parties will have an opportunity to submit briefs, and then the commission will issue a ruling.Marijuana dispensaries and warehouses across Missouri are holding on to more than 62,000 recalled products in special vaults.&nbsp;Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which regulates the state’s cannabis program, said the products are being held “until the department determines the product is safe, may be remediated or must be destroyed.”<h2>What typically happens in a recall</h2>During Delta’s appeal process, the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation has said regulators learned about the company’s activities — that it was adding out-of-state hemp-derived THC to marijuana products — through an anonymous tip.&nbsp;How they verified its credibility was through the software the state uses to track information about marijuana products, called&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/19/missouri-marijuana-regulators-defend-product-testing-regime-in-aftermath-of-recall/">Metrc</a>.&nbsp;From the moment the marijuana plant starts to sprout, it gets a tag that goes into Metrc, and that plant’s yield is tracked until it finds its way into a vape pen or joint.&nbsp;Because marijuana products are so closely tracked in Metrc at various stages of production, a “traceability” recall like this is pretty rare, said Matt Regusci, technical director of the St. Louis-based Cannabis Safety &amp; Quality Standards consulting group.“Typically companies are just following the rules because they don’t want to lose their product,” he said. “This is usually very spelled out in each state’s regulations on how they’re tracking it from seed to sale.”Traceability issues are usually “one-off cases,” he said, as a result of human error — because an employee typed in the wrong weight or amount into the system.&nbsp;&nbsp;But it’s normally not the reason for a “huge recall like this,” he said.“It’s kind of up there with white-collar crime,” Regusci said. “It’s very difficult to catch, without some sort of whistleblower saying that something’s going on.”Delta Extraction&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-judge-dismisses-cannabis-companys-lawsuit-against-state-to-stop-recall/">filed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the state in an attempt to stop the recall. A Missouri judge dismissed the case, ruling that the Administrative Hearing Commission needed to finish its process before the court intervenes.&nbsp;“Lawsuits do happen,” Regusci said, regarding recalls. “Particularly in an industry like this, where everybody’s kind of new to it… As more of these entities start figuring out more of what they need to do on both sides, we’re going to see less and less lawsuits.”Another notable difference in this situation was that the state immediately suspended the company’s license, which experts say is not typical.“It’s rare for the state to issue a suspension order on the front end of things,” said&nbsp;attorney Clark Wu, an Arizona-based who specializes in hemp and cannabis law.&nbsp;“Normally what happens in other states in the recall process is the state will issue some form of what’s called a deficiency notice.”<h2>What’s on the table</h2>On Friday, the commissioner will be looking into both state’s authority to issue the immediate suspension of the company’s operations and the recall.&nbsp;The company, Delta Extraction, is a Robertsville-based licensed marijuana manufacturer that specializes in making THC distillate, a highly potent and pure form of THC used for things like vape pens, infused pre-rolled joints and edibles.&nbsp;On Aug. 2, the state regulating agency suspended Delta Extraction’s operations after accusing the company of sourcing untested “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23910265-conference-call-delta-extraction">marijuana or converted hemp</a>&nbsp;from outside of a Missouri licensed cultivation facility.”&nbsp;And the state issued a product recall on Aug. 14.According to the commission, the main questions addressed on Friday will be: Was there a credible threat to public health? And should Delta’s suspension be lifted now that potentially dangerous products are pulled from the shelves?&nbsp;And is the investigation as it relates to a credible and imminent threat to public health or safety still ongoing?&nbsp;By law, the only way the state can issue an immediate suspension — rather than give 30 days notice — is a threat to public health or safety.&nbsp;Carole Iles of the Administrative Hearing Commission addressed this in her preliminary<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23933159-order-denying-motion-for-stay">&nbsp;order</a>&nbsp;on Aug. 29, denying a stay of Delta’s suspension.&nbsp;Iles wrote that the state constitution allows for immediate suspension of operations by a marijuana licensee “in instances where there is a credible and imminent threat to public health or public safety.”&nbsp;And according to the state’s cannabis regulations, a threat could include a situation where the product wasn’t “<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/did-recalled-missouri-cannabis-products-pose-health-risks-regulators-arent-sure/">compliantly tested</a>” or “a credible report, such as from law enforcement, that diversion or inversion of marijuana product is occurring at the licensed facility.”The state’s rules don’t define “inversion,” Iles said, but a state regulator gave an acceptable definition in testimony — that it occurs when cannabis seeds, plants, or products made from them come into the regulatory market from outside the system. This includes when “hemp-derived chemically modified ‘converted’ cannabinoids” are added to products, she said.&nbsp;Iles also stated in her order that the information about a possible threat was credible because Metrc reports verified that, “Delta was incorporating hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol into its marijuana products in violation of emergency rule.”The emergency rule was in effect from Feb. 3 until the final rule took effect on July 30.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The regulation prohibited manufacturers from including in their products any THC produced by the conversion of THC-A or CBD from any source other than marijuana grown in Missouri by a Missouri-licensed cultivator,” Iles said in her order. “The use of THC produced from THC-A or CBD from industrial hemp plants was prohibited.”

Opposing sides of Mo. marijuana recall to face off in administrative hearing

An
Oklahoma contractor has agreed to pay $370,680 in penalties to avoid federal
prosecution in the 2019 fatal fall of an employee in St. Joseph.

The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports it reached agreement with Skinner
Tank Company in the accident in which an employee fell more than 50 feet to his
death. OSHA says it found that Skinner Tank did not require employees to use
fall protection while working on the roof of a 56-foot soybean storage tank in
St. Joseph. The fatal fall occurred on October 14th of 2019.

OSHA
further claims in a news release Skinner, “provided inaccurate safety information to its employees by
telling them that wearing fall protection actually presented a greater hazard
than not wearing it.”

OSHA
made a criminal referral to the Department of Justice in the case. 

“The Department of Labor pursued legal action and made a
criminal referral to the Department of Justice to hold Skinner Tank Company
responsible for its willful violation of safety regulations that resulted in an
employee’s death,” Regional Solicitor of Labor Christine Heri in Chicago said
in a written statement. “Compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health
Act’s fall protection requirements is essential to prevent fatalities like the
one that occurred here. To meet their legal obligations under the Act and
protect their workers on the job, employers must follow the applicable federal
safety and health regulations.”

Under the deferred agreement filed in the U.S. District Court
for the Western District of Missouri earlier this month, Skinner Tank, must pay
a monetary penalty to the U.S. Treasury of $175,000 and a penalty to OSHA of
$195,660.

“The resolution of this case sends a strong message that
OSHA will hold employers accountable for willful violations of federal safety
regulations that seriously or fatally injure their workers,” OSHA Region
Administrator Billie Kizer in Kansas City, Missouri said in a written statement.
“Each year, too many workers lose their lives from falls — the leading cause of
workplace deaths in the construction industry — because employers fail to
provide fall protection.” 

Founded in 1982, Skinner Tank Co. is a
family-operated company that builds welded steel storage tanks across the
country operating out of Yale, Oklahoma.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAn
Oklahoma contractor has agreed to pay $370,680 in penalties to avoid federal
prosecution in the 2019 fatal fall of an employee in St. Joseph.The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports it reached agreement with Skinner
Tank Company in the accident in which an employee fell more than 50 feet to his
death. OSHA says it found that Skinner Tank did not require employees to use
fall protection while working on the roof of a 56-foot soybean storage tank in
St. Joseph. The fatal fall occurred on October 14th of 2019.OSHA
further claims in a news release Skinner, “provided inaccurate safety information to its employees by
telling them that wearing fall protection actually presented a greater hazard
than not wearing it.”OSHA
made a criminal referral to the Department of Justice in the case. “The Department of Labor pursued legal action and made a
criminal referral to the Department of Justice to hold Skinner Tank Company
responsible for its willful violation of safety regulations that resulted in an
employee’s death,” Regional Solicitor of Labor Christine Heri in Chicago said
in a written statement. “Compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health
Act’s fall protection requirements is essential to prevent fatalities like the
one that occurred here. To meet their legal obligations under the Act and
protect their workers on the job, employers must follow the applicable federal
safety and health regulations.”Under the deferred agreement filed in the U.S. District Court
for the Western District of Missouri earlier this month, Skinner Tank, must pay
a monetary penalty to the U.S. Treasury of $175,000 and a penalty to OSHA of
$195,660.“The resolution of this case sends a strong message that
OSHA will hold employers accountable for willful violations of federal safety
regulations that seriously or fatally injure their workers,” OSHA Region
Administrator Billie Kizer in Kansas City, Missouri said in a written statement.
“Each year, too many workers lose their lives from falls — the leading cause of
workplace deaths in the construction industry — because employers fail to
provide fall protection.” Founded in 1982, Skinner Tank Co. is a
family-operated company that builds welded steel storage tanks across the
country operating out of Yale, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma contractor to pay $370K in fines for fatal St. Joseph fall

Students and their families are invited to a Children’s
Wellness Fair being put on by the St. Joseph School District Thursday afternoon
in downtown St. Joseph.

St. Joseph school Health Services Coordinator Tammy
Smith-Hinchey says the fair will bring together a number of agencies which
offer a broad range of services.

“We just see a lot of opportunity with our school-age children
for many different things that will help,” Smith-Hinchey tells KFEQ/St. Joseph
Post. “In our community, we have a lot of need for primary care, for dental
care, for just basic human needs.”

Students of all ages, from pre-schools through high school, along
with their parents are invited to attend the Children’s Wellness Fair being
held at Felix Street Square from 4:30 to 6:30 Thursday.

Smith-Hinchey says the wellness fair seeks to raise awareness
among families of the broad range of services available in town as well as
raise awareness among residents of the needs of school children.

“I think the biggest thing is that we just need people to care
about the kids,” Smith-Hinchey says. “We need a lot more family and community
participation and just giving love and care to our kids.”

Smith-Hinchey says this fair interprets wellness broadly with
many agencies attending to raise awareness about the services they offer.

“For mental health and physical health and also safety,
wellness,” Smith-Hinchey says. &nbsp;“We just
want to provide an overarching umbrella of health and wellness.”

The St. Joseph Health Department and Mosaic Life Care will be
at the Children’s Wellness Fair along with Northwest Health Services, the St.
Joseph Health and Safety Council, Youth Alliance, and the United Way. Also
attending will be Family Guidance, Missouri Western State University, the
Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, and Community Action Partnership.

The St. Joseph School District hosts the Children’s Wellness
Fair, which begins at 4:30pm Thursday, September 28th, at Felix
Street Square in downtown St. Joseph. It is expected to last two hours.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695825626385.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostStudents and their families are invited to a Children’s
Wellness Fair being put on by the St. Joseph School District Thursday afternoon
in downtown St. Joseph.St. Joseph school Health Services Coordinator Tammy
Smith-Hinchey says the fair will bring together a number of agencies which
offer a broad range of services.“We just see a lot of opportunity with our school-age children
for many different things that will help,” Smith-Hinchey tells KFEQ/St. Joseph
Post. “In our community, we have a lot of need for primary care, for dental
care, for just basic human needs.”Students of all ages, from pre-schools through high school, along
with their parents are invited to attend the Children’s Wellness Fair being
held at Felix Street Square from 4:30 to 6:30 Thursday.Smith-Hinchey says the wellness fair seeks to raise awareness
among families of the broad range of services available in town as well as
raise awareness among residents of the needs of school children.“I think the biggest thing is that we just need people to care
about the kids,” Smith-Hinchey says. “We need a lot more family and community
participation and just giving love and care to our kids.”Smith-Hinchey says this fair interprets wellness broadly with
many agencies attending to raise awareness about the services they offer.“For mental health and physical health and also safety,
wellness,” Smith-Hinchey says. &nbsp;“We just
want to provide an overarching umbrella of health and wellness.”The St. Joseph Health Department and Mosaic Life Care will be
at the Children’s Wellness Fair along with Northwest Health Services, the St.
Joseph Health and Safety Council, Youth Alliance, and the United Way. Also
attending will be Family Guidance, Missouri Western State University, the
Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, and Community Action Partnership.The St. Joseph School District hosts the Children’s Wellness
Fair, which begins at 4:30pm Thursday, September 28th, at Felix
Street Square in downtown St. Joseph. It is expected to last two hours.

Children's Wellness Fair being held Thursday in downtown St. Joseph

LIVINGSTON COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Tuesday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1998 Ford Expedition driven by Justin T. Haddakin, 30, Wheeling, was southbound on North Grant Street at 3rd Street in Wheeling.

The SUV struck a westbound Coleman Go-Kart driven by a 14-year-old Wheeling boy that failed to stop at the stop sign.

Chillicothe EMS transported the 14-year-old driver and a 9-year-old male passenger in the Go-Kart to Hedrick Medical Center.&nbsp; Haddakin was properly restrained and not injured. The juveniles were not wearing helmets, according to the MSHP.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Tuesday in Livingston County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1998 Ford Expedition driven by Justin T. Haddakin, 30, Wheeling, was southbound on North Grant Street at 3rd Street in Wheeling.The SUV struck a westbound Coleman Go-Kart driven by a 14-year-old Wheeling boy that failed to stop at the stop sign.Chillicothe EMS transported the 14-year-old driver and a 9-year-old male passenger in the Go-Kart to Hedrick Medical Center.&nbsp; Haddakin was properly restrained and not injured. The juveniles were not wearing helmets, according to the MSHP.

2 Missouri boys injured after SUV strikes a go-kart

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a teen driver for multiple allegations in connection with a weekend 2-vehicle crash.

Just before 11:30 p.m.&nbsp; Sunday, a sheriff's deputy on routine patrol near U.S. 75 and U.S. 36 Highways encountered a vehicle driving with defective headlights and emitting sparks from the undercarriage, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

The eastbound a Toyota 4-Runner was stopped in&nbsp; Fairview and appeared that it&nbsp; had recently been involved in an accident. The deputy initiated a traffic stop and&nbsp; made contact with the driver identified as 18-year-old Nixon Castro of Hiawatha.&nbsp; 

Approximately 2 minutes after the stop, dispatch then notified officers that a rollover accident was reported west of Fairview.&nbsp; According to information received from investigating the accident,&nbsp; a Toyota Yaris was eastbound on US 36&nbsp; west of Fairview when a Toyota 4 Runner, also eastbound&nbsp; side swiped the Yaris on the drivers side of the vehicle causing damage to both vehicles.

This caused the&nbsp; Yaris to leave the roadway and roll .&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The driver of the Yaris identified as 47-year-old Eduardo Ganzales was not injured but the two other occupants had non life threatening injuries.&nbsp; 

They refused medical treatment.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Toyota 4 Runner&nbsp; also left the roadway traveling through a soybean field and&nbsp; destroyed some field fencing and&nbsp; continued east on U.S. 36 until it was stopped by the deputy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

There were no injuries reported in the Toyota 4 Runner.&nbsp; The deputy arrested Castro&nbsp; on requested charges of DUI, Transport Open Container, Reckless Driving and Failure to Report an Accident.&nbsp; He remains in custody, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695754744461.png" alt="Castro photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Castro photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a teen driver for multiple allegations in connection with a weekend 2-vehicle crash.Just before 11:30 p.m.&nbsp; Sunday, a sheriff's deputy on routine patrol near U.S. 75 and U.S. 36 Highways encountered a vehicle driving with defective headlights and emitting sparks from the undercarriage, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.The eastbound a Toyota 4-Runner was stopped in&nbsp; Fairview and appeared that it&nbsp; had recently been involved in an accident. The deputy initiated a traffic stop and&nbsp; made contact with the driver identified as 18-year-old Nixon Castro of Hiawatha.&nbsp; Approximately 2 minutes after the stop, dispatch then notified officers that a rollover accident was reported west of Fairview.&nbsp; According to information received from investigating the accident,&nbsp; a Toyota Yaris was eastbound on US 36&nbsp; west of Fairview when a Toyota 4 Runner, also eastbound&nbsp; side swiped the Yaris on the drivers side of the vehicle causing damage to both vehicles.This caused the&nbsp; Yaris to leave the roadway and roll .&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The driver of the Yaris identified as 47-year-old Eduardo Ganzales was not injured but the two other occupants had non life threatening injuries.&nbsp; They refused medical treatment.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Toyota 4 Runner&nbsp; also left the roadway traveling through a soybean field and&nbsp; destroyed some field fencing and&nbsp; continued east on U.S. 36 until it was stopped by the deputy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There were no injuries reported in the Toyota 4 Runner.&nbsp; The deputy arrested Castro&nbsp; on requested charges of DUI, Transport Open Container, Reckless Driving and Failure to Report an Accident.&nbsp; He remains in custody, according to online jail records.

Kansas teen driver jailed after SUV sideswipes car

An apparent murder-suicide has left a woman in her 30s and a
man in his 40s dead in Andrew County.

The Andrew County Sheriff’s Department reports it received a
call around 2:30 Monday afternoon about a domestic disturbance in the
12000 block of County Road 321. As deputies responded, the caller
reported a possible fatality.

Andrew County deputies confirmed the deaths after arriving on
the scene.

The victims have been identified as Krystle Wolfenbarger and Sean Blakeslee - both of Savannah. Both died of gunshot wounds.

The sheriff’s department reports the Missouri State Highway
Patrol and the Andrew County Coroner’s Office is assisting in the ongoing
investigation.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAn apparent murder-suicide has left a woman in her 30s and a
man in his 40s dead in Andrew County.The Andrew County Sheriff’s Department reports it received a
call around 2:30 Monday afternoon about a domestic disturbance in the
12000 block of County Road 321. As deputies responded, the caller
reported a possible fatality.Andrew County deputies confirmed the deaths after arriving on
the scene.The victims have been identified as Krystle Wolfenbarger and Sean Blakeslee - both of Savannah. Both died of gunshot wounds.The sheriff’s department reports the Missouri State Highway
Patrol and the Andrew County Coroner’s Office is assisting in the ongoing
investigation.

Andrew County reports apparent murder-suicide, victims identified

The inagural St. Joseph marathon came and went this past Saturday, and city officials were very pleased with how things went.

Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission and director of the event, Brett Esely, says 527 people participated in all, with 94 in the full marathon and 170 in the half marathon.

"Everyone tells me, who follows races like this, especially on an inaugural basis for a community our size, that those numbers are very, very good," Esely told KFEQ Radio.

The race started at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning with the last runner crossing the finish line just after 1 p.m. Esely says roughly 350 volunteers showed up to help out with the event.

"I'm not sure there's anything we would have changed," Esely said on the leadup and prep for the race. "Things went according to plan, which is good. We can't thank our volunteers and our colleagues from the city and county and local law enforcement for really going all in and making this event what it was."

There was also a 10K, 5K and a relay event on Saturday as well.

Esely says it was a great day for the city as the event drew dozens of people in from about 25 different states.

"By all accounts, it was a very proud day for St. Joseph," he said. "Every time we have the chance to host a major event, St. Joseph does hospitality as good or better than any location in the country and we totally believe that."

The city is looking to run the marathon again next year in the third week of September. Esely says that date will be finalized fairly soon.

Photos courtesy of the St. Joseph Sports Commission

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695758980940.jpeg" alt="Photo by the St. Joseph Sports Commission." />
 <figcaption>Photo by the St. Joseph Sports Commission.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe inagural St. Joseph marathon came and went this past Saturday, and city officials were very pleased with how things went.Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission and director of the event, Brett Esely, says 527 people participated in all, with 94 in the full marathon and 170 in the half marathon."Everyone tells me, who follows races like this, especially on an inaugural basis for a community our size, that those numbers are very, very good," Esely told KFEQ Radio.The race started at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning with the last runner crossing the finish line just after 1 p.m. Esely says roughly 350 volunteers showed up to help out with the event."I'm not sure there's anything we would have changed," Esely said on the leadup and prep for the race. "Things went according to plan, which is good. We can't thank our volunteers and our colleagues from the city and county and local law enforcement for really going all in and making this event what it was."There was also a 10K, 5K and a relay event on Saturday as well.Esely says it was a great day for the city as the event drew dozens of people in from about 25 different states."By all accounts, it was a very proud day for St. Joseph," he said. "Every time we have the chance to host a major event, St. Joseph does hospitality as good or better than any location in the country and we totally believe that."The city is looking to run the marathon again next year in the third week of September. Esely says that date will be finalized fairly soon.Photos courtesy of the St. Joseph Sports Commission<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695759297287.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695759323102.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695759337893.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

First St. Joseph marathon deemed a major success by city officials

Daniel Gerson, business man and founder of the St. Joseph Mustangs baseball team, died at age 68 Sunday at his home in Chicago.

Gerson, a Chicago native, spent nearly 18 years as a commodity trader at the Chicago Board of Trade.

He retired from trading and moved to Kansas City, where he raised his family and coached baseball teams for his sons, Tyler and Luke.

Gerson loved baseball his whole life. He played at Tulane as a walk-on and was a big Chicago White Sox fan.

Gerson founded the St. Joseph Mustangs in 2008 with the team beginning play in 2009 at Phil Welch Stadium.

"He saw the opportunity and fell in love," said Mustangs owner and president Ky Turner on Gerson's vision of the team. "If you know Dan, he didn't just jump in, not knowing anything about it. He did his research on the people, the community, the ballpark, the history. He knew what he was walking into and he identified this as a place he wanted to associate himself with."

Under Gerson’s ownership, the team won seven MINK League Championships.

<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/b8e5fcef-17db-4f68-80e2-d71834088288">Gerson sold the Mustangs to Turner</a> in December 2021. Turner had worked for Gerson since the team’s beginning in 2009.&nbsp;

"He walked me through a lot of stuff and exposed me to the business side of things," Turner said. "He kind of prepared me. It was like training for a couple of years so I would be ready for stuff like that. He didn't have to do that. (Gerson) said when he sold the team - he wanted me to do that and he told me the exact same thing before selling the team - 'I want you to do this.'"

Gerson moved back to Chicago most recently with his girlfriend Natalie Nedblake, who spent many years by Dan’s side.

Gerson bought a small restaurant in Independence in 1997, turning it into the original Big Biscuit.

Since then, a number of Big Biscuit restaurants opened across the Midwest. Gerson also had ownership in Union Broadcasting, which operates Sports Radio 810 in Kansas City.

Gerson also had a passion for animals and made a number of donations to the St. Joseph Animal Shelter. He donated thousands of Mustangs tickets to the St. Joseph community, as well making financial donations to students for various causes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Gerson also founded the St. Joseph Baseball Hall of Fame, and was always on hand to congratulate those who were inducted each year.&nbsp;

In Gerson's memory, the Mustangs are encouraging people to make a donation of any size to the St. Joseph Animal Shelter in his name.

&nbsp;The Mustangs will match up to $2009, in honor of the year that the Mustangs began play under Gerson.

"When it comes to the animal shelter, he just said such a soft spot for dogs," Turner said of Gerson. "It made sense for us to identity that. Of course with 2009 (the first Mustangs season), it seemed like a good fit."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695757130677.jpeg" alt="Dan Gerson founded the St. Joseph Mustangs in 2008. Courtesy photo." />
 <figcaption>Dan Gerson founded the St. Joseph Mustangs in 2008. Courtesy photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostDaniel Gerson, business man and founder of the St. Joseph Mustangs baseball team, died at age 68 Sunday at his home in Chicago.A cause of death was not given.Gerson, a Chicago native, spent nearly 18 years as a commodity trader at the Chicago Board of Trade.He retired from trading and moved to Kansas City, where he raised his family and coached baseball teams for his sons, Tyler and Luke.Gerson loved baseball his whole life. He played at Tulane as a walk-on and was a big Chicago White Sox fan.Gerson founded the St. Joseph Mustangs in 2008 with the team beginning play in 2009 at Phil Welch Stadium."He saw the opportunity and fell in love," said Mustangs owner and president Ky Turner on Gerson's vision of the team. "If you know Dan, he didn't just jump in, not knowing anything about it. He did his research on the people, the community, the ballpark, the history. He knew what he was walking into and he identified this as a place he wanted to associate himself with."Under Gerson’s ownership, the team won seven MINK League Championships.<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/b8e5fcef-17db-4f68-80e2-d71834088288">Gerson sold the Mustangs to Turner</a> in December 2021. Turner had worked for Gerson since the team’s beginning in 2009.&nbsp;"He walked me through a lot of stuff and exposed me to the business side of things," Turner said. "He kind of prepared me. It was like training for a couple of years so I would be ready for stuff like that. He didn't have to do that. (Gerson) said when he sold the team - he wanted me to do that and he told me the exact same thing before selling the team - 'I want you to do this.'"Gerson moved back to Chicago most recently with his girlfriend Natalie Nedblake, who spent many years by Dan’s side.Gerson bought a small restaurant in Independence in 1997, turning it into the original Big Biscuit.Since then, a number of Big Biscuit restaurants opened across the Midwest. Gerson also had ownership in Union Broadcasting, which operates Sports Radio 810 in Kansas City.Gerson also had a passion for animals and made a number of donations to the St. Joseph Animal Shelter. He donated thousands of Mustangs tickets to the St. Joseph community, as well making financial donations to students for various causes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gerson also founded the St. Joseph Baseball Hall of Fame, and was always on hand to congratulate those who were inducted each year.&nbsp;In Gerson's memory, the Mustangs are encouraging people to make a donation of any size to the St. Joseph Animal Shelter in his name.&nbsp;The Mustangs will match up to $2009, in honor of the year that the Mustangs began play under Gerson."When it comes to the animal shelter, he just said such a soft spot for dogs," Turner said of Gerson. "It made sense for us to identity that. Of course with 2009 (the first Mustangs season), it seemed like a good fit."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695758021950.jpeg" alt="Dan Gerson's owners' seats sit along the third base line and near home plate. Gerson would donate tickets to these seats to families in need. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Dan Gerson's owners' seats sit along the third base line and near home plate. Gerson would donate tickets to these seats to families in need. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695758062838.jpeg" alt="Mustangs owner and president Ky Turner spoke Tuesday about his memories of working with the team's founder Dan Gerson. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Mustangs owner and president Ky Turner spoke Tuesday about his memories of working with the team's founder Dan Gerson. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph Mustangs founder Dan Gerson dies at age 68

The law allows minors already receiving treatment to continue, but a cause-of-action provision has some facilities abandoning the practice altogether out of fear of future litigation

By ANNELISE HANSHAW,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>

Harry Castilow said his family did “all the things you’re supposed to do” when his teenage son Jay came out as transgender.

Jay began his social transition in 2021 when he was 15, choosing his name and living as a teenage boy. He went to therapy throughout that first year and got appointments with a new primary-care doctor and an endocrinologist, a doctor that specializes in hormones.

When Jay began hormone-replacement therapy a little over a year after coming out, his father could see the change in him.

“It helped him immensely,” Castilow said at a rally in support of transgender rights on the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus Sept. 15.

“I can see my boy. I saw my son,” he said through tears. “We thought we were safe. We were told we were safe. They told us we were safe.”

On Aug. 28, as a law went into effect banning minors from beginning new gender-affirming treatments, Jay’s mom received a call. His doctor at the University of Missouri would no longer treat him.

MU Health stopped providing gender-affirming care for minors when the law went into effect, citing “significant legal liability” in a statement to The Independent. On Sept. 11, Washington University in St. Louis also ceased care for transgender youth that were still eligible to receive care.

Patients, parents and activists say they feel like the statute of limitations provision of the law undermines the compromise worked out this year in the Missouri Senate — that ended Democrats’ filibuster and opened the door for the bill’s passage — to allow transgender minors who were already receiving gender-affirming treatment to continue.&nbsp;

Most say they never saw it coming, assuming that while the new law would bar new patients from getting care, it wouldn’t upend treatments for those already grandfathered in. And some say the provision is reminiscent of laws that for years have targeted access to abortion.

“This is the same kind of issue that we have run into forever with abortion health care, gender-affirming health care and birth control,” Carla Lantz, gender-affirming hormone therapy program director for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, told&nbsp; The Independent.

“It should not be a political move to get life-saving care, it just shouldn’t.”

As Washington University revoked prescriptions for minors in its Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital — which is currently facing an investigation by Missouri’s attorney general — it cited fears of lawsuits.

“Missouri’s newly enacted law regarding transgender care has created a new legal claim for patients who received these medications as minors. This legal claim creates unsustainable liability for health-care professionals and makes it untenable for us to continue to provide comprehensive transgender care for minor patients without subjecting the university and our providers to an unacceptable level of liability,” the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://source.wustl.edu/2023/09/statement-on-washington-university-transgender-center/">university’s Sept. 11 statement</a>&nbsp;says.

Over the last three decades, states have increasingly turned to medical liability laws to restrict abortion access, allowing doctors to be sued for injuries to an “unborn child or mother.”

Missouri was the first state to pass a “trigger ban,” restricting abortions unless the parent’s life is at risk, as the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Previously, the state required abortion providers to be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers. The legislature passed further restrictions in 2019, like requiring consent from all of a minors’ guardians, which were blocked in court.

The ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal have challenged Missouri’s restrictions on gender-affirming care, and a circuit court judge denied the request to block the law prior to its effective date.

In&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Response%20in%20Opposition%20to%20Motion%20for%20Preliminary%20Injunction.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=2883930">his written response opposing a preliminary injunction</a>, Missouri Solicitor General Joshua Divine cited Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization — the decision that overturned Roe v. Wade — on nine occasions.

Attorney General Andrew Bailey, in an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023-09-14-FILED-Brandt-v.-Griffin-States-Amicus-Brief.pdf">amicus brief</a>&nbsp;in support of states with gender-affirming-care restriction, supported Arkansas’ currently blocked ban by also citing Dobbs.

“This is the playbook for abortion care,” Lantz said. “We know how they have a long game that they played to make abortion care something other than health care. But the group that’s under scrutiny right now is trans and gender-expansive folks.”

Madeline Johnson, an attorney based in Platte City with a focus on LGBTQ law, told The Independent she sees “a tremendous amount of overlap” between lawmakers’ abortion and gender-affirming-care policies.

“I see it to be an attempt by religious conservatives to overstep their bounds and control the health, rights and medical treatment of other persons who don’t agree with their faith,” she said.

Missouri’s gender-affirming-care restrictions give patients 15 years or 15 years after their 21st birthday, whichever is later, to file a cause of action against the medical provider.

In Missouri’s medical malpractice lawsuits, patients have two years to file a claim. But this law is very different, Johnson said.

The new law defines harm as infertility caused by the puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. Fertility is uncertain when patients receive cross-sex hormones, and medical providers are instructed to refer patients for fertility counseling prior to prescribing hormone-replacement therapy.

This section exempts itself from the part of the state law which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://law.justia.com/codes/missouri/2022/title-xxxvi/chapter-538/">outlines medical malpractice proceedings</a>. Patients who are harmed, as defined in this ban, can be awarded a minimum of $500,000 with no maximum, and the burden of proof is on the medical provider to give “clear and convincing evidence.”

Typically, patients are limited to the cost of their expenses and up to $400,000 for noneconomic damages, and the plaintiff is responsible for proving malpractice.

Johnson said, as written, patients grandfathered into the law would be able to raise a cause of action.

Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, told The Independent the cause-of-action provision was intentionally written to include those who are continuing their prescriptions written prior to the law’s effective date.

“Even though these kids might be well meaning and even though the medical personnel might be well meaning, there could be some harmful impact,” he said.

He’s talked with activists who have regretted transition surgeries, called “detransitioners.” Two out-of-state activists spoke at a press conference hosted by Moon during the legislative session.

Moon initially wasn’t in favor of a clause allowing children to continue puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, he said. Then, after talking to an activist who said she quit hormones “cold turkey” to ill effect, he thought it was important for patients to have a chance to taper off their medication.

But transgender teens and their families didn’t think this clause was a chance to ween off their health care, it was an opportunity to continue their transition.

May Hall, a transgender student at the University of Missouri, told those gathered for the Columbia rally that she feels like she’s lying when she comforts younger trans kids.

“It’s going to be okay,” she says. But she’s scared too.

She’s watched committee hearings in the Capitol, feeling unheard by lawmakers. But it hurt to see her university backstab her community, she said.

Paul Harper, a member of Columbia LGBTQ+ nonprofit The Center Project’s parent group, said some parents weren’t alerted of MU Health’s cancellations until they saw it reported in the media.&nbsp;

“I have personally heard more than a dozen in the past few weeks frantic to ensure that they’re children get the care they need,” Harper, who serves on Columbia Public Schools Board of Education, told protesters.

Lantz has also been fielding phone calls from anxious parents.

Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri’s clinics have been seeing more patients for gender-affirming care since the law was announced. It only provides cross-sex hormones to those 16 and older, and minors must have parental consent.

The law bans minors from beginning cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers, but those who have already begun treatment may continue.

So between the law’s passage and its effective date, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri set up pop-up clinics to begin care.

“We have heard so many stories of people saying that they’ve thought about (a medical transition for a long time and have wanted to do it, but now they feel like the clock is running out,” Carla Lantz, gender-affirming hormone therapy program director, said. “They had to get established with care or they wouldn’t have the option to do that.”

For some, it is a financial burden to be forced to start their medical transition now.

“I’ve seen some folks that have been trying to manage their transition themselves with internet-prescribed medications or what they can get from other friends sharing medication,” Lantz said. “So it’s a really dangerous spot.”

Most of the patients receiving hormone therapy at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri are adults, she said.&nbsp;

Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains, which operates in Columbia and the Kansas City region, didn’t have any minors prior to the law and will not take minors that have been turned away from current providers, a spokesperson told The Independent.

The attorney general’s office identified three other providers of gender-affirming care for minors in Missouri and sent them warning letters of the new law.

Children’s Mercy in Kansas City sent a statement to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/missouri-ag-sends-letters-to-health-care-providers-to-cease-gender-transitioning-care-for-minors">KSHB-TV</a>&nbsp;saying it was “complying with the new law” but has otherwise not announced an operational change.

AIDS Project of the Ozarks, in Springfield, did not respond to a request for comment about the law.

Southampton Community Healthcare, which provides gender-affirming care in St. Louis, is a plaintiff in the ACLU of Missouri’s lawsuit against Missouri’s restrictions. On Friday,&nbsp;Bailey filed a counterclaim against Southampton Healthcare, alleging it provided transgender care to minors without a “comprehensive mental health assessment.”

The attorney general cited the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, a law used to prosecute fraudulent business practices like telemarketing scams. The ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal, which represent Southampton, called Bailey’s countersuit a&nbsp;“<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/st-louis-transgender-clinic-blasts-missouri-ags-suit-as-desperate-overreach/article_d0745fb8-5bac-11ee-9947-7bb81d782b60.html">desperate overreach</a>.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695730023791.png" alt="A group protesting MU Health's cancelation of transgender minors' prescriptions chants as it walks toward Columbia City Hall (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>A group protesting MU Health's cancelation of transgender minors' prescriptions chants as it walks toward Columbia City Hall (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The law allows minors already receiving treatment to continue, but a cause-of-action provision has some facilities abandoning the practice altogether out of fear of future litigation</h2>By ANNELISE HANSHAW,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>Harry Castilow said his family did “all the things you’re supposed to do” when his teenage son Jay came out as transgender.Jay began his social transition in 2021 when he was 15, choosing his name and living as a teenage boy. He went to therapy throughout that first year and got appointments with a new primary-care doctor and an endocrinologist, a doctor that specializes in hormones.When Jay began hormone-replacement therapy a little over a year after coming out, his father could see the change in him.“It helped him immensely,” Castilow said at a rally in support of transgender rights on the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus Sept. 15.“I can see my boy. I saw my son,” he said through tears. “We thought we were safe. We were told we were safe. They told us we were safe.”On Aug. 28, as a law went into effect banning minors from beginning new gender-affirming treatments, Jay’s mom received a call. His doctor at the University of Missouri would no longer treat him.MU Health stopped providing gender-affirming care for minors when the law went into effect, citing “significant legal liability” in a statement to The Independent. On Sept. 11, Washington University in St. Louis also ceased care for transgender youth that were still eligible to receive care.Patients, parents and activists say they feel like the statute of limitations provision of the law undermines the compromise worked out this year in the Missouri Senate — that ended Democrats’ filibuster and opened the door for the bill’s passage — to allow transgender minors who were already receiving gender-affirming treatment to continue.&nbsp;Most say they never saw it coming, assuming that while the new law would bar new patients from getting care, it wouldn’t upend treatments for those already grandfathered in. And some say the provision is reminiscent of laws that for years have targeted access to abortion.“This is the same kind of issue that we have run into forever with abortion health care, gender-affirming health care and birth control,” Carla Lantz, gender-affirming hormone therapy program director for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, told&nbsp; The Independent.“It should not be a political move to get life-saving care, it just shouldn’t.”<h2>The abortion playbook</h2>As Washington University revoked prescriptions for minors in its Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital — which is currently facing an investigation by Missouri’s attorney general — it cited fears of lawsuits.“Missouri’s newly enacted law regarding transgender care has created a new legal claim for patients who received these medications as minors. This legal claim creates unsustainable liability for health-care professionals and makes it untenable for us to continue to provide comprehensive transgender care for minor patients without subjecting the university and our providers to an unacceptable level of liability,” the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://source.wustl.edu/2023/09/statement-on-washington-university-transgender-center/">university’s Sept. 11 statement</a>&nbsp;says.Over the last three decades, states have increasingly turned to medical liability laws to restrict abortion access, allowing doctors to be sued for injuries to an “unborn child or mother.”Missouri was the first state to pass a “trigger ban,” restricting abortions unless the parent’s life is at risk, as the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.Previously, the state required abortion providers to be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers. The legislature passed further restrictions in 2019, like requiring consent from all of a minors’ guardians, which were blocked in court.The ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal have challenged Missouri’s restrictions on gender-affirming care, and a circuit court judge denied the request to block the law prior to its effective date.In&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Response%20in%20Opposition%20to%20Motion%20for%20Preliminary%20Injunction.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=2883930">his written response opposing a preliminary injunction</a>, Missouri Solicitor General Joshua Divine cited Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization — the decision that overturned Roe v. Wade — on nine occasions.Attorney General Andrew Bailey, in an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023-09-14-FILED-Brandt-v.-Griffin-States-Amicus-Brief.pdf">amicus brief</a>&nbsp;in support of states with gender-affirming-care restriction, supported Arkansas’ currently blocked ban by also citing Dobbs.“This is the playbook for abortion care,” Lantz said. “We know how they have a long game that they played to make abortion care something other than health care. But the group that’s under scrutiny right now is trans and gender-expansive folks.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695730075957.png" alt="A group of over 200 protesting MU Health’s cancelation of transgender minors’ prescriptions begins a rally at the University of Missouri campus September 15 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>A group of over 200 protesting MU Health’s cancelation of transgender minors’ prescriptions begins a rally at the University of Missouri campus September 15 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Madeline Johnson, an attorney based in Platte City with a focus on LGBTQ law, told The Independent she sees “a tremendous amount of overlap” between lawmakers’ abortion and gender-affirming-care policies.“I see it to be an attempt by religious conservatives to overstep their bounds and control the health, rights and medical treatment of other persons who don’t agree with their faith,” she said.Missouri’s gender-affirming-care restrictions give patients 15 years or 15 years after their 21st birthday, whichever is later, to file a cause of action against the medical provider.In Missouri’s medical malpractice lawsuits, patients have two years to file a claim. But this law is very different, Johnson said.The new law defines harm as infertility caused by the puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. Fertility is uncertain when patients receive cross-sex hormones, and medical providers are instructed to refer patients for fertility counseling prior to prescribing hormone-replacement therapy.This section exempts itself from the part of the state law which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://law.justia.com/codes/missouri/2022/title-xxxvi/chapter-538/">outlines medical malpractice proceedings</a>. Patients who are harmed, as defined in this ban, can be awarded a minimum of $500,000 with no maximum, and the burden of proof is on the medical provider to give “clear and convincing evidence.”Typically, patients are limited to the cost of their expenses and up to $400,000 for noneconomic damages, and the plaintiff is responsible for proving malpractice.Johnson said, as written, patients grandfathered into the law would be able to raise a cause of action.Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, told The Independent the cause-of-action provision was intentionally written to include those who are continuing their prescriptions written prior to the law’s effective date.“Even though these kids might be well meaning and even though the medical personnel might be well meaning, there could be some harmful impact,” he said.He’s talked with activists who have regretted transition surgeries, called “detransitioners.” Two out-of-state activists spoke at a press conference hosted by Moon during the legislative session.Moon initially wasn’t in favor of a clause allowing children to continue puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, he said. Then, after talking to an activist who said she quit hormones “cold turkey” to ill effect, he thought it was important for patients to have a chance to taper off their medication.But transgender teens and their families didn’t think this clause was a chance to ween off their health care, it was an opportunity to continue their transition.<h2>Ill effects</h2>May Hall, a transgender student at the University of Missouri, told those gathered for the Columbia rally that she feels like she’s lying when she comforts younger trans kids.“It’s going to be okay,” she says. But she’s scared too.She’s watched committee hearings in the Capitol, feeling unheard by lawmakers. But it hurt to see her university backstab her community, she said.Paul Harper, a member of Columbia LGBTQ+ nonprofit The Center Project’s parent group, said some parents weren’t alerted of MU Health’s cancellations until they saw it reported in the media.&nbsp;“I have personally heard more than a dozen in the past few weeks frantic to ensure that they’re children get the care they need,” Harper, who serves on Columbia Public Schools Board of Education, told protesters.Lantz has also been fielding phone calls from anxious parents.Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri’s clinics have been seeing more patients for gender-affirming care since the law was announced. It only provides cross-sex hormones to those 16 and older, and minors must have parental consent.The law bans minors from beginning cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers, but those who have already begun treatment may continue.So between the law’s passage and its effective date, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri set up pop-up clinics to begin care.“We have heard so many stories of people saying that they’ve thought about (a medical transition for a long time and have wanted to do it, but now they feel like the clock is running out,” Carla Lantz, gender-affirming hormone therapy program director, said. “They had to get established with care or they wouldn’t have the option to do that.”For some, it is a financial burden to be forced to start their medical transition now.“I’ve seen some folks that have been trying to manage their transition themselves with internet-prescribed medications or what they can get from other friends sharing medication,” Lantz said. “So it’s a really dangerous spot.”Most of the patients receiving hormone therapy at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri are adults, she said.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains, which operates in Columbia and the Kansas City region, didn’t have any minors prior to the law and will not take minors that have been turned away from current providers, a spokesperson told The Independent.The attorney general’s office identified three other providers of gender-affirming care for minors in Missouri and sent them warning letters of the new law.Children’s Mercy in Kansas City sent a statement to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/missouri-ag-sends-letters-to-health-care-providers-to-cease-gender-transitioning-care-for-minors">KSHB-TV</a>&nbsp;saying it was “complying with the new law” but has otherwise not announced an operational change.AIDS Project of the Ozarks, in Springfield, did not respond to a request for comment about the law.Southampton Community Healthcare, which provides gender-affirming care in St. Louis, is a plaintiff in the ACLU of Missouri’s lawsuit against Missouri’s restrictions. On Friday,&nbsp;Bailey filed a counterclaim against Southampton Healthcare, alleging it provided transgender care to minors without a “comprehensive mental health assessment.”The attorney general cited the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, a law used to prosecute fraudulent business practices like telemarketing scams. The ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal, which represent Southampton, called Bailey’s countersuit a&nbsp;“<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/st-louis-transgender-clinic-blasts-missouri-ags-suit-as-desperate-overreach/article_d0745fb8-5bac-11ee-9947-7bb81d782b60.html">desperate overreach</a>.”

As providers halt transgender care for minors, some feel duped by legislative deal

A national campaign launched by Big Brothers; Big Sisters aims to help show the importance a mentor can have in a child’s life. &nbsp;

Executive Director of the St. Joseph chapter Cheyenne Dorrell-Giles says the campaign focuses on the fact that one in three children in America don't have a positive leading influence&nbsp;

"And the misconception that it takes like a ton of time, a ton of money, a lot of extra skills, and to kind of say it doesn't take all that it just takes you giving a little bit of your time to make a big difference in the life of a child," Dorrell-Giles tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so, they came up with that campaign, It Takes Little to be Big."&nbsp;

Dorrell-Giles says it being a national campaign is a benefit for local agencies which might not have the ability to produce songs and ads. &nbsp;

"We're just kind of taking what nationals is doing and trying to push it forward into our community as well," Dorrell-Giles points out.&nbsp;

Dorrell-Giles says it doesn't take as much time to volunteer as people might think.&nbsp;

"With Big Brothers Big Sisters, we ask for you to get together with your littles two to three times a month for a couple of hours, and we often say you don't have to make time for them you just share the time with them," Dorrell-Giles explains. "So, if it's something you're already doing you just include them in that, so lots of our bigs will take our littles shopping."&nbsp;

Dorrell-Giles says some bigs will take their littles on daily chores such as grocery shopping and cooking a meal with them.&nbsp;

Dorrell-Giles says the aim of the campaign is to show that it’s not a little deal, but rather that it takes a little bit of time to make a big difference in a child’s life.&nbsp;

Dorrell Giles says people might take for granted the benefits of a mentor, but sometimes being with a child can provide perspective&nbsp;

"Sometimes when we're with our littles they help us see that we do live a very privileged life and seeing life through their eyes can sometimes be humbling in that way," Dorrell-Giles says.&nbsp;

Dorrell-Giles says while it has been a great year for volunteering, there is still a waiting list for volunteers in St. Joseph&nbsp;

"But we also have over 20 littles still waiting on our waitlist for a big," Dorrell-Giles says.&nbsp;

To learn more about volunteering for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, you can click <a href="https://bbbsstjoe.squarespace.com/">HERE</a>.

By MATT PIKE&nbsp;St. Joseph Post&nbsp;A national campaign launched by Big Brothers; Big Sisters aims to help show the importance a mentor can have in a child’s life. &nbsp;Executive Director of the St. Joseph chapter Cheyenne Dorrell-Giles says the campaign focuses on the fact that one in three children in America don't have a positive leading influence&nbsp;"And the misconception that it takes like a ton of time, a ton of money, a lot of extra skills, and to kind of say it doesn't take all that it just takes you giving a little bit of your time to make a big difference in the life of a child," Dorrell-Giles tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so, they came up with that campaign, It Takes Little to be Big."&nbsp;Dorrell-Giles says it being a national campaign is a benefit for local agencies which might not have the ability to produce songs and ads. &nbsp;"We're just kind of taking what nationals is doing and trying to push it forward into our community as well," Dorrell-Giles points out.&nbsp;Dorrell-Giles says it doesn't take as much time to volunteer as people might think.&nbsp;"With Big Brothers Big Sisters, we ask for you to get together with your littles two to three times a month for a couple of hours, and we often say you don't have to make time for them you just share the time with them," Dorrell-Giles explains. "So, if it's something you're already doing you just include them in that, so lots of our bigs will take our littles shopping."&nbsp;Dorrell-Giles says some bigs will take their littles on daily chores such as grocery shopping and cooking a meal with them.&nbsp;Dorrell-Giles says the aim of the campaign is to show that it’s not a little deal, but rather that it takes a little bit of time to make a big difference in a child’s life.&nbsp;Dorrell Giles says people might take for granted the benefits of a mentor, but sometimes being with a child can provide perspective&nbsp;"Sometimes when we're with our littles they help us see that we do live a very privileged life and seeing life through their eyes can sometimes be humbling in that way," Dorrell-Giles says.&nbsp;Dorrell-Giles says while it has been a great year for volunteering, there is still a waiting list for volunteers in St. Joseph&nbsp;"But we also have over 20 littles still waiting on our waitlist for a big," Dorrell-Giles says.&nbsp;To learn more about volunteering for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, you can click <a href="https://bbbsstjoe.squarespace.com/">HERE</a>.

Big Brothers Big Sisters launches nationwide campaign to encourage volunteers

Humboldt Elementary School could soon see new life.

At least, there is consideration of resurrecting the old
school in the north end as housing.

St. Joseph City Manager Bryan Carter says two developers have
floated the idea of rehabilitating the old school building into a housing unit
for around 40 workers.

“One piece of that puzzle is rehabbing that school for that,
but then they also plan to build townhomes in an open space behind the school
that could then be, actually in the long-term, converted to ownership,” Carter
tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.

In conjunction, the newly-formed <a href="https://housingimprovementinitiative.com/">Housing Improvement Initiative</a>
is working to purchase and rehabilitate older houses in the area. The group
hopes to get families that have been renting into property they can own.

Carter says the initiative will be working with families that
have always rented.

“They haven’t historically been homeowners,” according to
Carter. “So, they just haven’t explored what it takes to be a homeowner. Working
on getting them into homeownership and right now their focus is that corridor there,
so that has a significant amount of potential to bring some revitalization to
that area.”

Carter says the Housing Improvement Initiative is taking a
unique approach to rehabilitation. The group secures private funding to
renovate an abandoned house, while applying for grants to offset the cost of
rehabilitation. The initiative’s website states it will sell the restored house,
placing the proceeds into a revolving fund to be used on the next project.

Carter says the group has a specific target audience in mind.

“They’re really working a lot with the people whose families
may have always been renters. They haven’t historically been homeowners,”
Carter says. “So, they just haven’t explored what it takes to be a homeowner.”

Carter says the two projects could drastically change the
makeup of that neighborhood.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695750353191.jpeg" alt="Humboldt Elementary School/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Humboldt Elementary School/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostHumboldt Elementary School could soon see new life.At least, there is consideration of resurrecting the old
school in the north end as housing.St. Joseph City Manager Bryan Carter says two developers have
floated the idea of rehabilitating the old school building into a housing unit
for around 40 workers.“One piece of that puzzle is rehabbing that school for that,
but then they also plan to build townhomes in an open space behind the school
that could then be, actually in the long-term, converted to ownership,” Carter
tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695750419037.jpeg" alt="The Humboldt school neighborhood/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>The Humboldt school neighborhood/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>In conjunction, the newly-formed <a href="https://housingimprovementinitiative.com/">Housing Improvement Initiative</a>
is working to purchase and rehabilitate older houses in the area. The group
hopes to get families that have been renting into property they can own.Carter says the initiative will be working with families that
have always rented.“They haven’t historically been homeowners,” according to
Carter. “So, they just haven’t explored what it takes to be a homeowner. Working
on getting them into homeownership and right now their focus is that corridor there,
so that has a significant amount of potential to bring some revitalization to
that area.”Carter says the Housing Improvement Initiative is taking a
unique approach to rehabilitation. The group secures private funding to
renovate an abandoned house, while applying for grants to offset the cost of
rehabilitation. The initiative’s website states it will sell the restored house,
placing the proceeds into a revolving fund to be used on the next project.Carter says the group has a specific target audience in mind.“They’re really working a lot with the people whose families
may have always been renters. They haven’t historically been homeowners,”
Carter says. “So, they just haven’t explored what it takes to be a homeowner.”Carter says the two projects could drastically change the
makeup of that neighborhood.

Old Humboldt school could return to life as housing

Senator Josh Hawley last week introduced the Strengthening Antitrust Enforcement for Meatpacking Act. 

The Missouri Republican’s bill would empower antitrust enforcers to break up giant meatpacking and poultry monopolies. 

R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard said his group “applauds Senator Hawley’s novel approach to addressing the untenable market concentrations faced by America’s cattle and sheep producers.” 

The bill would establish two thresholds for determining the market concentration in the meatpacking industry. 

Senator Josh Hawley last week introduced the Strengthening Antitrust Enforcement for Meatpacking Act. The Missouri Republican’s bill would empower antitrust enforcers to break up giant meatpacking and poultry monopolies. R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard said his group “applauds Senator Hawley’s novel approach to addressing the untenable market concentrations faced by America’s cattle and sheep producers.” The bill would establish two thresholds for determining the market concentration in the meatpacking industry. Using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, or HHI, which is a measure of market concentration presently employed by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, the bill would prohibit a merger or acquisition by a meatpacker if the HHI would exceed 1,800, or if a proposed merger or acquisition would increase the meatpacker’s current HHI Index by 100. The current guidelines consider an HHI below 1,500 to be unconcentrated, an HHI between 1,500 and 2,500 to be moderately concentrated, and an HHI above 2,500 to be a highly concentrated market. The Hawley bill would prohibit mergers currently considered moderately concentrated.- NAFB

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