BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just after 5a.m. Tuesday, a&nbsp;Brown County deputy arrested 56-year-old Jason Thomas of Horton&nbsp; on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary, Aggravated Assault, Criminal Damage to Property and Criminal Threat.

He is being held without bond, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706648872973.png" alt="Thomas-photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Thomas-photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.Just after 5a.m. Tuesday, a&nbsp;Brown County deputy arrested 56-year-old Jason Thomas of Horton&nbsp; on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary, Aggravated Assault, Criminal Damage to Property and Criminal Threat.He is being held without bond, according to online jail records.

Kansas man accused of criminal threat, burglary

A local nonprofit is continuing to raise money to purchase and grow the legacy of the Shakespeare Chateau.  

The Shakespeare Chateau Guild launched a campaign in August to raise $5 million to purchase the Chateau at 809 Hall Street along with the property next door.  

Shakespeare Chateau owner Isobel McGowan says the guild's purchase will carry the Chateau into its next phase of ownership, but also add an educational component.  

"Education in terms of using the buildings as a laboratory for teaching hospitality skills, like innkeeping and culinary arts that sort of thing, for teaching preservation skills, how to take care of historic buildings, historic masonry, woodworking, roofing, windows, all that sort of thing," Mcgowan tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  

She also adds they hope to add a community aspect, working with organizations such as the Allied Arts Council, to bring new events to St. Joseph as well.  

"Things like possibly a Shakespeare festival, of course the Shakespeare theme lends itself well to an idea like that, but others are possible too, things like writers' workshops, symphony retreats, weekend events, we can host all sorts of things at the Chateau," Mcgowan explains.  

McGowan says the campaign is garnering smaller donations, but now they hope to let the philanthropic community in St. Joseph know that this is an opportunity for them to leave a legacy 

"Put their name on a project that can truly become a beacon for preservation and saving our history here in St. Joseph," McGowan says. "We tend to be a little too neglectful I think of our history, our historic buildings." 

McGowan cites the recent destruction of the Stockyard Exchange Building as an example.  

The group hopes to raise the funds to purchase the properties in the next year or two, but there is no certain timeline. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post A local nonprofit is continuing to raise money to purchase and grow the legacy of the Shakespeare Chateau. The Shakespeare Chateau Guild launched a campaign in August to raise $5 million to purchase the Chateau at 809 Hall Street along with the property next door. Shakespeare Chateau owner Isobel McGowan says the guild's purchase will carry the Chateau into its next phase of ownership, but also add an educational component. "Education in terms of using the buildings as a laboratory for teaching hospitality skills, like innkeeping and culinary arts that sort of thing, for teaching preservation skills, how to take care of historic buildings, historic masonry, woodworking, roofing, windows, all that sort of thing," Mcgowan tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. She also adds they hope to add a community aspect, working with organizations such as the Allied Arts Council, to bring new events to St. Joseph as well. "Things like possibly a Shakespeare festival, of course the Shakespeare theme lends itself well to an idea like that, but others are possible too, things like writers' workshops, symphony retreats, weekend events, we can host all sorts of things at the Chateau," Mcgowan explains. McGowan says the campaign is garnering smaller donations, but now they hope to let the philanthropic community in St. Joseph know that this is an opportunity for them to leave a legacy "Put their name on a project that can truly become a beacon for preservation and saving our history here in St. Joseph," McGowan says. "We tend to be a little too neglectful I think of our history, our historic buildings." McGowan cites the recent destruction of the Stockyard Exchange Building as an example. The group hopes to raise the funds to purchase the properties in the next year or two, but there is no certain timeline.

Local nonprofit raising money to help carry historic Shakespeare Chateau into future

About 800 athletes will participate in the West Regional Basketball Tournament in St. Joseph for Special Olympics Missouri from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, February 3. Games will be held at the following locations:

The mission of Special Olympics Missouri is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

It provides opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostAbout 800 athletes will participate in the West Regional Basketball Tournament in St. Joseph for Special Olympics Missouri from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, February 3. Games will be held at the following locations:<ul>
 <li>Spring Garden Middle School (5802 S 22nd&nbsp;Street)</li><li>Benton High School (5655 S 4th&nbsp;Street)</li><li>Bode Middle School (720 N Noyes Blvd)</li><li>Lafayette High School (412 E Highland Ave)</li><li>The Rec Center (2701 Southwest Pkwy)</li>
 </ul>The mission of Special Olympics Missouri is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.It provides opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

St. Joseph Hosting Special Olympics West Regional Basketball Tournament Saturday

A
St. Joseph manufacturer that contributed early to the Convergent Technology Alliance Center under construction on the
Missouri Western State University campus will be recognize at the facility.

Missouri Western has named the central
shop area the Gray Manufacturing Workshop Bay.

Missouri Western President Elizabeth
Kennedy says the name recognizes the $500,000 contribution given to get the
project off the ground.

“The startup really from Pete Gray from
Gray Manufacturing has meant so much to this project. It got the ball rolling,”
Kennedy tells reporters after a news conference announcing the naming. “And we
really believe at Missouri Western that this is going to be a game changer for
our community for our region; super excited.”

Missouri
Western will operate the center in partnership with North Central Missouri
College of Trenton. Its president, Lenny Klaver, says his students are eager
for the center to open.

“We
do offer some of these programs right now in Savannah on a smaller scale,” Klaver
tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We have some high school students already in the
pipeline that will be looking forward to coming down here for some hands-on experience
when they get into our programs.”

The
center, known as CTAC, will train high-skilled labor for the increasingly
sophisticated manufacturing jobs in St. Joseph and throughout the Midland
Empire.

Gray
Manufacturing CEO Pete Gray says the center should open the eyes of high school
students to the openings in today’s high-tech manufacturing sector.

“They
are so different than what they used to be. Manufacturing is not what it used
to be. The opportunities for students that would come into our workforce is that
they have upward mobility,” Gray tells reporters. “Many of our higher level
managers out on our shop floor are previous students that came here and learned
as interns and worked their way up through the shop and are now in leadership
roles.”

Gray
says the training the center will provide is sorely needed in the area as
businesses in the manufacturing sector continue to struggle to find qualified
employees.

Kennedy
says the center will provide the workforce training the area needs.

“A
facility like CTAC is going to be the only one like it within about a 50-mile
radius I believe,” Kennedy says. “This will be not only an attractor for
students and for other businesses who might be looking at the region, at our
community, to say if we don’t have the workforce, well now we have a facility
that can provide it.”

CTAC
received private donations as well as local, state, and federal funding to
complete the financing of the $12 million project. Construction is expected to
be completed this summer with classes beginning in the fall.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706888647883.jpeg" alt="Gray Manufacturing CEO, Pete Gray, speaks at a news conference about CTAC/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Gray Manufacturing CEO, Pete Gray, speaks at a news conference about CTAC/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA
St. Joseph manufacturer that contributed early to the Convergent Technology Alliance Center under construction on the
Missouri Western State University campus will be recognize at the facility.Missouri Western has named the central
shop area the Gray Manufacturing Workshop Bay.Missouri Western President Elizabeth
Kennedy says the name recognizes the $500,000 contribution given to get the
project off the ground.“The startup really from Pete Gray from
Gray Manufacturing has meant so much to this project. It got the ball rolling,”
Kennedy tells reporters after a news conference announcing the naming. “And we
really believe at Missouri Western that this is going to be a game changer for
our community for our region; super excited.”Missouri
Western will operate the center in partnership with North Central Missouri
College of Trenton. Its president, Lenny Klaver, says his students are eager
for the center to open.“We
do offer some of these programs right now in Savannah on a smaller scale,” Klaver
tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We have some high school students already in the
pipeline that will be looking forward to coming down here for some hands-on experience
when they get into our programs.”The
center, known as CTAC, will train high-skilled labor for the increasingly
sophisticated manufacturing jobs in St. Joseph and throughout the Midland
Empire.Gray
Manufacturing CEO Pete Gray says the center should open the eyes of high school
students to the openings in today’s high-tech manufacturing sector.“They
are so different than what they used to be. Manufacturing is not what it used
to be. The opportunities for students that would come into our workforce is that
they have upward mobility,” Gray tells reporters. “Many of our higher level
managers out on our shop floor are previous students that came here and learned
as interns and worked their way up through the shop and are now in leadership
roles.”Gray
says the training the center will provide is sorely needed in the area as
businesses in the manufacturing sector continue to struggle to find qualified
employees.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706888729087.jpeg" alt="MWSU President Elizabeth Kennedy speaks at the news conference/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>MWSU President Elizabeth Kennedy speaks at the news conference/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>Kennedy
says the center will provide the workforce training the area needs.“A
facility like CTAC is going to be the only one like it within about a 50-mile
radius I believe,” Kennedy says. “This will be not only an attractor for
students and for other businesses who might be looking at the region, at our
community, to say if we don’t have the workforce, well now we have a facility
that can provide it.”CTAC
received private donations as well as local, state, and federal funding to
complete the financing of the $12 million project. Construction is expected to
be completed this summer with classes beginning in the fall.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706888845019.jpeg" alt="Gray Manufacturing President Stet Schanze points to a $2 million robotic tool used at the factory/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Gray Manufacturing President Stet Schanze points to a $2 million robotic tool used at the factory/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Gray-Manufacturing-being-recoginized-at-Missouri-Westerns-CTAC-e2f9dro" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph manufacturer recognized for early support of CTAC

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

The Missouri Veterans Commission will likely receive about $19 million from marijuana sales revenue before the current fiscal year is over on July 1, Amy Moore, director of the Division of Cannabis Regulation, told a House committee on this week.&nbsp;

Next year it will be $22 million, she said, if the governor’s budget recommendations are approved.&nbsp;

“The governor’s recommendation is quite a bit more than expected,” Moore told members of the House Veterans Committee, “and that is tied to the unexpectedly robust sales, mostly on the adult-use side.”&nbsp;

Since Missouri’s marijuana sales began in 2019, the state has collected more than $150 million in revenue from taxes and program fees, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24399192-dcr-house-veterans-committee-presentation">presentation</a>&nbsp;Moore shared with the committee.

Etched in the state’s constitution is a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/31/where-does-the-revenue-from-missouri-marijuana-sales-and-license-fees-go/">road map</a>&nbsp;for where the revenue can go.

The first stop is operational costs. By law, any expense it takes to run both medical and recreational marijuana programs — like salaries or professional services — all must be paid for through marijuana revenues.&nbsp;

The division has received nearly $50 million to cover its operating expenses, the presentation shows.

After expenses, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV++++1&amp;bid=51540&amp;constit=y">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;that legalized medical marijuana in 2018 mandated that revenues from medical sales go towards the Missouri Veterans Commission. To date, nearly $40 million in medical marijuana sales revenue has gone to the commission — including $13 million this year.

The revenue road map is a bit different for the adult-use marijuana program, and it’s defined in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y">Amendment 3</a>&nbsp;that was approved by voters in November 2022.

After paying operational costs, the next draw on the fund is expenses incurred by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/17/missouri-courts-request-3-7-million-to-continue-arduous-marijuana-expungement-process/">court system for expunging certain marijuana offenses</a>&nbsp;from people’s criminal records.&nbsp;

After that, revenues are split in three ways:&nbsp;supporting veterans, funding drug addiction treatment programs and adding to the Missouri Public Defenders System’s budget.

So far, each of these funds has received&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/news/newsitem/uuid/f54471cc-001a-4be3-95cc-fac209e3dcd8/funds-transferred-to-beneficiaries-of-state-s-marijuana-programs">$1.3 million</a>, Moore said, but the governor is proposing an additional $5 million to each in his&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY_2024_Supplemental_Appropriations_Recommendations_%28_HB_15_%29_web_copy.pdf">supplemental budget</a>&nbsp;recommendation for this year.

All together that would be $19.3 million going to support veterans this year: $13 million from medical marijuana sales and $6.3 million from adult-use.&nbsp;

Moore said the governor’s budget recommendations for next fiscal year includes an additional $7.8 million — putting the total at $22 million.&nbsp;

State Rep. Dave Griffith, a Republican from Jefferson City and the veterans committee chairman, said the numbers are encouraging.

“The amount of sales that they’ve had with commercial marijuana has been just record-breaking and exceeded all expectations and projections,” he said. “Because of that, there’s going to be even more money into that pool than what they projected right after [Amendment 3] passed.”

The Missouri Veterans Commission has three core responsibilities, Griffith said: maintaining the state’s veterans homes and cemeteries and providing service officers to assist veterans with their benefits.

Griffith said his goal is to get the commission’s annual allocation up to $50 million that wouldn’t be reliant on marijuana revenue.

Before Moore’s presentation, the committee was discussing challenges that some veterans face obtaining their benefits. The state needs more service officers to assist them, he said, and that’s why the funding is so important.

“Many of them, they’re so overburdened with their caseloads that it’s hard to get in with them,” Griffith said. “If we can increase the number we have, we can start trying to cut down on that wait time many veterans have.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706876695631.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By REBECCA RIVAS,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>The Missouri Veterans Commission will likely receive about $19 million from marijuana sales revenue before the current fiscal year is over on July 1, Amy Moore, director of the Division of Cannabis Regulation, told a House committee on this week.&nbsp;Next year it will be $22 million, she said, if the governor’s budget recommendations are approved.&nbsp;“The governor’s recommendation is quite a bit more than expected,” Moore told members of the House Veterans Committee, “and that is tied to the unexpectedly robust sales, mostly on the adult-use side.”&nbsp;Since Missouri’s marijuana sales began in 2019, the state has collected more than $150 million in revenue from taxes and program fees, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24399192-dcr-house-veterans-committee-presentation">presentation</a>&nbsp;Moore shared with the committee.Etched in the state’s constitution is a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/31/where-does-the-revenue-from-missouri-marijuana-sales-and-license-fees-go/">road map</a>&nbsp;for where the revenue can go.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698531124512.png" alt="Photo (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Photo (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>The first stop is operational costs. By law, any expense it takes to run both medical and recreational marijuana programs — like salaries or professional services — all must be paid for through marijuana revenues.&nbsp;The division has received nearly $50 million to cover its operating expenses, the presentation shows.After expenses, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV++++1&amp;bid=51540&amp;constit=y">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;that legalized medical marijuana in 2018 mandated that revenues from medical sales go towards the Missouri Veterans Commission. To date, nearly $40 million in medical marijuana sales revenue has gone to the commission — including $13 million this year.The revenue road map is a bit different for the adult-use marijuana program, and it’s defined in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y">Amendment 3</a>&nbsp;that was approved by voters in November 2022.After paying operational costs, the next draw on the fund is expenses incurred by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/17/missouri-courts-request-3-7-million-to-continue-arduous-marijuana-expungement-process/">court system for expunging certain marijuana offenses</a>&nbsp;from people’s criminal records.&nbsp;After that, revenues are split in three ways:&nbsp;supporting veterans, funding drug addiction treatment programs and adding to the Missouri Public Defenders System’s budget.So far, each of these funds has received&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/news/newsitem/uuid/f54471cc-001a-4be3-95cc-fac209e3dcd8/funds-transferred-to-beneficiaries-of-state-s-marijuana-programs">$1.3 million</a>, Moore said, but the governor is proposing an additional $5 million to each in his&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY_2024_Supplemental_Appropriations_Recommendations_%28_HB_15_%29_web_copy.pdf">supplemental budget</a>&nbsp;recommendation for this year.All together that would be $19.3 million going to support veterans this year: $13 million from medical marijuana sales and $6.3 million from adult-use.&nbsp;Moore said the governor’s budget recommendations for next fiscal year includes an additional $7.8 million — putting the total at $22 million.&nbsp;State Rep. Dave Griffith, a Republican from Jefferson City and the veterans committee chairman, said the numbers are encouraging.“The amount of sales that they’ve had with commercial marijuana has been just record-breaking and exceeded all expectations and projections,” he said. “Because of that, there’s going to be even more money into that pool than what they projected right after [Amendment 3] passed.”The Missouri Veterans Commission has three core responsibilities, Griffith said: maintaining the state’s veterans homes and cemeteries and providing service officers to assist veterans with their benefits.Griffith said his goal is to get the commission’s annual allocation up to $50 million that wouldn’t be reliant on marijuana revenue.Before Moore’s presentation, the committee was discussing challenges that some veterans face obtaining their benefits. The state needs more service officers to assist them, he said, and that’s why the funding is so important.“Many of them, they’re so overburdened with their caseloads that it’s hard to get in with them,” Griffith said. “If we can increase the number we have, we can start trying to cut down on that wait time many veterans have.”

Missouri marijuana revenue will mean nearly $20 million to support veterans this year

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon for an alleged violent crime.

On Wednesday, police arrested 41-year-old Thomas G. Lackey of Atchison, in the 1300 Block of South 10th Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

He is being held on requested charges of domestic battery.&nbsp; He has four previous drug possession convictions for crimes committed in 2014, 2015 and 2019, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706796546965.png" alt="Lackey photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Lackey photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon for an alleged violent crime.On Wednesday, police arrested 41-year-old Thomas G. Lackey of Atchison, in the 1300 Block of South 10th Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.He is being held on requested charges of domestic battery.&nbsp; He has four previous drug possession convictions for crimes committed in 2014, 2015 and 2019, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas felon jailed for an alleged violent crime

St. Joseph city officials have put forward some amendments to the city charter on the upcoming April ballot.  

City Manager Bryan Carter says the headline of those amendments would switch city councilmembers to serving staggered terms. 

"Currently, the city council is elected every four years, and the entire body is elected, the mayor, and then four At Large and four district councilmembers, so nine people are elected at the same time," Carter explains to KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr.  

Carter says the change would make it so there's a municipal election every two years. 

"So, it would essentially in the long term remain four-year terms, but in one election you would elect the mayor and at large, and the next election you would elect your district council person," Carter says.  

Carter says the unique element to this transition is one term being a bit different where the council members elected in 2026 would be up for reelection in 2028, transitioning from a two-year term to a four-year term. 

Carter says ultimately staggering it this way works best with the voting process. 

"Because the voting locations that are established by the county clerk, don't necessarily line up exactly perfectly with the city council districts, in fact there's no correlation at all," Carter points out.  

Carter says with the whole city voting for mayor and the at large seats and that separation in districts, this was the easiest way to stagger the elections.  

Carter says St. Joseph is unique in that there are not staggered terms for city councilmembers, but say the city is pretty well equipped to handle that turnover. 

"The last election that occurred in '22 we turned over seven of nine, and we lost a little bit of time on getting some things done, we had to go through quite a bit of education, but it was still something we were able to do," Carter says. "I don't think there was anything that suffered a major detriment by having to go through that with seven of nine new people.  

Carter says he's not sure of any other city the size of St. Joseph that has gone all at once for as long as it has here.

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

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post St. Joseph city officials have put forward some amendments to the city charter on the upcoming April ballot. City Manager Bryan Carter says the headline of those amendments would switch city councilmembers to serving staggered terms. "Currently, the city council is elected every four years, and the entire body is elected, the mayor, and then four At Large and four district councilmembers, so nine people are elected at the same time," Carter explains to KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. Carter says the change would make it so there's a municipal election every two years. "So, it would essentially in the long term remain four-year terms, but in one election you would elect the mayor and at large, and the next election you would elect your district council person," Carter says. Carter says the unique element to this transition is one term being a bit different where the council members elected in 2026 would be up for reelection in 2028, transitioning from a two-year term to a four-year term. Carter says ultimately staggering it this way works best with the voting process. "Because the voting locations that are established by the county clerk, don't necessarily line up exactly perfectly with the city council districts, in fact there's no correlation at all," Carter points out. Carter says with the whole city voting for mayor and the at large seats and that separation in districts, this was the easiest way to stagger the elections. Carter says St. Joseph is unique in that there are not staggered terms for city councilmembers, but say the city is pretty well equipped to handle that turnover. "The last election that occurred in '22 we turned over seven of nine, and we lost a little bit of time on getting some things done, we had to go through quite a bit of education, but it was still something we were able to do," Carter says. "I don't think there was anything that suffered a major detriment by having to go through that with seven of nine new people. Carter says he's not sure of any other city the size of St. Joseph that has gone all at once for as long as it has here.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Changes-to-city-charter-being-brought-to-St--Joseph-voters-e2f83u6" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Changes to the city charter being put before St. Joseph voters in April

In a budget hearing, Vivek Malek and the Office of Administration tried to explain why $42 million is being diverted from the general revenue fund despite the state law governing interest earnings

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

Gov. Mike Parson’s plan to study&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/24/gov-mike-parson-proposes-record-52-7-billion-missouri-state-budget/">improvements on Interstate 44</a>&nbsp;using interest earned on funds set aside for rebuilding Interstate 70 faced bipartisan questioning Wednesday, with House budget writers asking why the money isn’t being deposited in general revenue.

Democratic state Rep. Deb Lavender of Manchester, and Republican Rep.&nbsp; Dirk Deaton of Noel grilled State Treasurer Vivek Malek and representatives of the Office of Administration about the interest diversion.&nbsp;

Both Lavender and Deaton believe it violates state law.

“We have 11 different funds that have been administratively created in this body that are keeping their own interest,” Lavender said to Malek, the custodian of state money. “So I see that those funds that are created are kind of at odds with what our statute says.”

After Deaton finished questioning Malek and Hannah Swann, legislative liaison for the Office of Administration, he wasn’t satisfied with the answers.

“I understand the answers,” said Deaton, who serves as vice chairman of the budget committee. “I don’t think I necessarily agree. I mean, to me, the law is pretty clear.”

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=30.240&amp;bid=675&amp;hl=">controlling law</a>, more than 100 years old, says funds created in statute or the constitution, such as the Road Fund, receive credit for interest earned, while interest on the other treasury funds goes to the general revenue fund.

There are almost 500 accounts maintained by Malek.&nbsp;

The general revenue fund, for example, receives interest earned on the $2.1 billion in federal funds being held as of Dec. 31 to complete projects under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.&nbsp;

Malek said the I-70 project is “a unique situation” because past general revenue appropriations for Missouri Department of Transportation projects have been deposited in the state Road Fund. That constitutionally created fund keeps its interest.

“Usually it would go into a DOT account but in this current scenario, it was created uniquely by having OA part of this,” Malek said.

In their testimony, Malek and Swann tried to convince lawmakers that the interest going to the OA I-70 Project Fund, estimated at $42 million, is available to use just like money in the general revenue fund.

“Whether it’s in (general revenue) or whether it’s in this other fund, in either case, it’s general revenue the General Assembly can spend on whatever they want to,” Swann said.

Neither Lavender nor Deaton accepted that.

“The legislature very specifically created a fund in (the Office of Administration) because of the concern with MoDOT spending these monies,” Lavender said. “And so now that it is keeping its own interest, I think, belies the purpose of why we created that fund to begin with.”

The other 10 funds identified by Lavender held $735.8 million on Dec. 31. The largest is the Water and Wastewater Revolving Fund, which held $705.6 million and provides low-interest loans for drinking water and sewage projects.

The state has a large surplus in general revenue now, Deaton said, but that is unlikely to last.

“There’s a good reason, I think, to make sure that if it began with general revenue it ought to be credited back to general revenue,” he said. “The law is the law. We ought to follow the law.”

The state is fully funding school transportation after decades of falling short, and raising rates for health care, children’s programs along with giving state employees raises that match inflation after years of minimal pay hikes. That is all thanks to a robust general revenue fund, which had a $5.1 billion balance on June 30.

But revenues have been flat for the year and are projected to remain static for the foreseeable future.

“Let’s think of a world in which we don’t have a large general revenue balance and then all of a sudden there’s a hole blown in the state budget because we’re in a recession or something,” Deaton said. “If we ever needed to use this for something else, if push come to shove, we’d have people in hardhats walking the hall saying it’s money for the roads.”

This year’s state budget includes&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/04/missouri-budget-negotiations-conclude-with-i-70-expansion-child-care-funding-intact/">$2.8 billion to widen I-70</a>&nbsp;from Wentzville to Blue Springs. Half of the money came from general revenue and half is from bonds that will be sold as needed to finance construction. The general revenue portion was assigned to a newly created fund, the OA I-70 Project Fund.

The first contract for $420 million is expected to be awarded Feb. 14 by the Highways and Transportation Commission.

In his budget message, Parson asked lawmakers to transfer $14 million from the interest earnings to a new fund to plan for improvements along I-44. Lawmakers appropriated $20 million last year from general revenue to conduct the studies required by federal law before work can commence.

While state revenues are flat, interest income is growing. Missouri is reaping a windfall from a combination of the highest interest rates in years and record treasury balances.&nbsp;

In fiscal 2021, the treasurer’s office reported&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://treasurer.mo.gov/Invest/holdings/Jun2021.pdf">$32 million in interest</a>&nbsp;on an average daily balance of $7 billion. A little less than $10 million went to general revenue.

In the fiscal year that ended June 30,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://treasurer.mo.gov/Invest/holdings/Jun2023.pdf">interest totaled $393.8 million</a>&nbsp;on an average balance of $16.2 billion. The general revenue share was $226 million.

In the first six months of the current fiscal year, state deposits&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://treasurer.mo.gov/Invest/holdings/Dec2023.pdf">paid $277.6 million</a>&nbsp;on an average balance of $17.9 billion. General revenue has received $167 million of the year-to-date interest.

The average interest rate has risen from 0.46% in fiscal 2021 to 3.11% in the current fiscal year.

Neither Malek nor Swann would directly answer the question of who decided the I-70 fund should retain its own interest. Malek said it was done “in consultation with OA” but accepted that he was responsible for the result.

“We do have the ultimate authority to create how it needs to be,” Malek said.

Malek did not say whether he would start putting the interest in general revenue or continue to deposit in the I-70 fund.

Swann, who spoke to the committee several hours after Malek, would not say who in the Office of Administration wanted interest to remain in the fund or if any legal opinion was considered.

“At the end of the day, who would actually transfer the funds would be the treasurer’s office,” she said. “OA doesn’t actually make this decision.”

Lavender said she was dismayed that Swann was unwilling to say who at the Office of Administration was involved in the decision to put the interest into the I-70 fund.

“She never answered my question of who decided that this administratively created fund would keep its interest,” Lavender said. “That’s the biggest concern.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706809792493.png" alt=" State Treasurer Vivek Malek testifies in January before a Senate committee. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> State Treasurer Vivek Malek testifies in January before a Senate committee. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>In a budget hearing, Vivek Malek and the Office of Administration tried to explain why $42 million is being diverted from the general revenue fund despite the state law governing interest earnings</h2>By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Gov. Mike Parson’s plan to study&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/24/gov-mike-parson-proposes-record-52-7-billion-missouri-state-budget/">improvements on Interstate 44</a>&nbsp;using interest earned on funds set aside for rebuilding Interstate 70 faced bipartisan questioning Wednesday, with House budget writers asking why the money isn’t being deposited in general revenue.Democratic state Rep. Deb Lavender of Manchester, and Republican Rep.&nbsp; Dirk Deaton of Noel grilled State Treasurer Vivek Malek and representatives of the Office of Administration about the interest diversion.&nbsp;Both Lavender and Deaton believe it violates state law.“We have 11 different funds that have been administratively created in this body that are keeping their own interest,” Lavender said to Malek, the custodian of state money. “So I see that those funds that are created are kind of at odds with what our statute says.”After Deaton finished questioning Malek and Hannah Swann, legislative liaison for the Office of Administration, he wasn’t satisfied with the answers.“I understand the answers,” said Deaton, who serves as vice chairman of the budget committee. “I don’t think I necessarily agree. I mean, to me, the law is pretty clear.”The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=30.240&amp;bid=675&amp;hl=">controlling law</a>, more than 100 years old, says funds created in statute or the constitution, such as the Road Fund, receive credit for interest earned, while interest on the other treasury funds goes to the general revenue fund.There are almost 500 accounts maintained by Malek.&nbsp;The general revenue fund, for example, receives interest earned on the $2.1 billion in federal funds being held as of Dec. 31 to complete projects under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.&nbsp;Malek said the I-70 project is “a unique situation” because past general revenue appropriations for Missouri Department of Transportation projects have been deposited in the state Road Fund. That constitutionally created fund keeps its interest.“Usually it would go into a DOT account but in this current scenario, it was created uniquely by having OA part of this,” Malek said.In their testimony, Malek and Swann tried to convince lawmakers that the interest going to the OA I-70 Project Fund, estimated at $42 million, is available to use just like money in the general revenue fund.“Whether it’s in (general revenue) or whether it’s in this other fund, in either case, it’s general revenue the General Assembly can spend on whatever they want to,” Swann said.Neither Lavender nor Deaton accepted that.“The legislature very specifically created a fund in (the Office of Administration) because of the concern with MoDOT spending these monies,” Lavender said. “And so now that it is keeping its own interest, I think, belies the purpose of why we created that fund to begin with.”The other 10 funds identified by Lavender held $735.8 million on Dec. 31. The largest is the Water and Wastewater Revolving Fund, which held $705.6 million and provides low-interest loans for drinking water and sewage projects.The state has a large surplus in general revenue now, Deaton said, but that is unlikely to last.“There’s a good reason, I think, to make sure that if it began with general revenue it ought to be credited back to general revenue,” he said. “The law is the law. We ought to follow the law.”The state is fully funding school transportation after decades of falling short, and raising rates for health care, children’s programs along with giving state employees raises that match inflation after years of minimal pay hikes. That is all thanks to a robust general revenue fund, which had a $5.1 billion balance on June 30.But revenues have been flat for the year and are projected to remain static for the foreseeable future.“Let’s think of a world in which we don’t have a large general revenue balance and then all of a sudden there’s a hole blown in the state budget because we’re in a recession or something,” Deaton said. “If we ever needed to use this for something else, if push come to shove, we’d have people in hardhats walking the hall saying it’s money for the roads.”This year’s state budget includes&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/04/missouri-budget-negotiations-conclude-with-i-70-expansion-child-care-funding-intact/">$2.8 billion to widen I-70</a>&nbsp;from Wentzville to Blue Springs. Half of the money came from general revenue and half is from bonds that will be sold as needed to finance construction. The general revenue portion was assigned to a newly created fund, the OA I-70 Project Fund.The first contract for $420 million is expected to be awarded Feb. 14 by the Highways and Transportation Commission.In his budget message, Parson asked lawmakers to transfer $14 million from the interest earnings to a new fund to plan for improvements along I-44. Lawmakers appropriated $20 million last year from general revenue to conduct the studies required by federal law before work can commence.While state revenues are flat, interest income is growing. Missouri is reaping a windfall from a combination of the highest interest rates in years and record treasury balances.&nbsp;In fiscal 2021, the treasurer’s office reported&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://treasurer.mo.gov/Invest/holdings/Jun2021.pdf">$32 million in interest</a>&nbsp;on an average daily balance of $7 billion. A little less than $10 million went to general revenue.In the fiscal year that ended June 30,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://treasurer.mo.gov/Invest/holdings/Jun2023.pdf">interest totaled $393.8 million</a>&nbsp;on an average balance of $16.2 billion. The general revenue share was $226 million.In the first six months of the current fiscal year, state deposits&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://treasurer.mo.gov/Invest/holdings/Dec2023.pdf">paid $277.6 million</a>&nbsp;on an average balance of $17.9 billion. General revenue has received $167 million of the year-to-date interest.The average interest rate has risen from 0.46% in fiscal 2021 to 3.11% in the current fiscal year.Neither Malek nor Swann would directly answer the question of who decided the I-70 fund should retain its own interest. Malek said it was done “in consultation with OA” but accepted that he was responsible for the result.“We do have the ultimate authority to create how it needs to be,” Malek said.Malek did not say whether he would start putting the interest in general revenue or continue to deposit in the I-70 fund.Swann, who spoke to the committee several hours after Malek, would not say who in the Office of Administration wanted interest to remain in the fund or if any legal opinion was considered.“At the end of the day, who would actually transfer the funds would be the treasurer’s office,” she said. “OA doesn’t actually make this decision.”Lavender said she was dismayed that Swann was unwilling to say who at the Office of Administration was involved in the decision to put the interest into the I-70 fund.“She never answered my question of who decided that this administratively created fund would keep its interest,” Lavender said. “That’s the biggest concern.”

Missouri lawmakers grill treasurer over interest earned on I-70 funds

CASS COUNTY — A driver involved in chase and crash with a child in the SUV near Kansas City has been formally charged.

According to the Cass County Sheriff, 45-year-ol dJacob Rullman of St. Joseph, has been charged with Resisting Arrest, a Class E Felony. Rullman also faces a first-degree charge for Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class D Felony. 

Just after 4:30p.m. Monday, deputies with the Cass County Sheriff's Office attempted to stop a vehicle traveling southbound on 7 Highway near Creighton, according to a media release.

  The vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit ensued.  The driver, later identified as Rullman, continued throughout the county until a tire deflation device was used near the area of 2 Highway and Kauffman. 

Rullman lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a nearby field.  As deputies were taking him into custody, they overheard the sounds of a small child from the backseat. 

 Deputies were able to quickly extract the child from the vehicle. Deputies transported Rullman to an undisclosed hospital for evaluation.  The child, who stated she was unharmed, was checked by EMS on scene and safely returned to her mother upon her arrival. 

He is being held at the Cass County Jail on a $200,000 cash only bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706755266322.png" alt="Rullman photo Cass Co." />
 <figcaption>Rullman photo Cass Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>CASS COUNTY — A driver involved in chase and crash with a child in the SUV near Kansas City has been formally charged.According to the Cass County Sheriff, 45-year-ol dJacob Rullman of St. Joseph, has been charged with Resisting Arrest, a Class E Felony. Rullman also faces a first-degree charge for Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class D Felony. Just after 4:30p.m. Monday, deputies with the Cass County Sheriff's Office attempted to stop a vehicle traveling southbound on 7 Highway near Creighton, according to a media release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706620440631.png" alt="Photo Cass Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Cass Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure> The vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit ensued. The driver, later identified as Rullman, continued throughout the county until a tire deflation device was used near the area of 2 Highway and Kauffman. Rullman lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a nearby field. As deputies were taking him into custody, they overheard the sounds of a small child from the backseat. Deputies were able to quickly extract the child from the vehicle. Deputies transported Rullman to an undisclosed hospital for evaluation. The child, who stated she was unharmed, was checked by EMS on scene and safely returned to her mother upon her arrival. He is being held at the Cass County Jail on a $200,000 cash only bond.

St. Joseph man charged in pursuit crash with child in SUV

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

A House committee considers bills that would overhaul Department of Elementary and Secondary Education programs

Missouri lawmakers are considering a handful of bills in both the House and Senate that would change the way the state measures school performance and accreditation.

The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee debated two bills Wednesday seeking to scrap systems developed by the state’s education department to assess schools. A Senate committee held a hearing on similar bills two weeks ago.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2184&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Mike Haffner</a>, a Republican from Pleasant Hill, would score schools purely based on achievement and growth. His bill would replace a more complex system currently used by the state to measure school effectiveness.

“We need to be measuring what matters to student achievement, student growth, college and career readiness while providing parents more transparency as to how individual schools and school districts are succeeding in providing a quality education,” he told the committee on Wednesday.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education oversees the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP), which is in its sixth iteration.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/18/missouri-administrators-question-school-district-scores-in-second-year-of-new-formula/">MSIP 6 measures</a>&nbsp;school and district performance through factors such as standardized-test scores, perceived growth and attendance.

Districts’ MSIP 6 scores determine their accreditation, and highly-rated districts set the tone for state funding of public schools through the foundation formula.

Haffner told the committee he disagreed with some of the MSIP 6 metrics.

“We’ve got over 30% that’s based upon improvement planning, self study, climate and culture survey, required documentation,” he said. “That is not measuring academic achievement.”

But after meeting with the University of Missouri-Columbia last week, Haffner said he has started to appreciate the current growth model used by the department. Faculty at the university crafted the growth model, though&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/18/missouri-administrators-question-school-district-scores-in-second-year-of-new-formula/">some superintendents worry</a>&nbsp;that the calculation is not transparent.

When Haffner filed the bill, he told The Independent through an aide that he was calculating growth differently.

State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff, a Columbia Democrat, said the language in the bill seems to prescribe a calculation of growth based on year-over-year change.

“When I look at this description, I’m just taking last year’s score and this year’s score and [finding] what’s the difference,” she said. “But I’m assuming that methodology you got from the university is much more detailed.”

Haffner said he was willing to talk about that element.

“We just want clear and accessible information to provide the information on student achievement and growth. What that looks like, we are willing to discuss,” he said.

Fewer districts should have the state’s full accreditation, Haffner said, since around a quarter of the state’s eighth-grade students are proficient in math and reading.

“Everybody sitting here on this committee is aware that our academic outcomes are now below national averages and are headed in the wrong direction,” he said, referring to the National Assessment of Education Progress.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile/overview/MO?cti=PgTab_OT&amp;chort=2&amp;sub=MAT&amp;sj=MO&amp;fs=Grade&amp;st=MN&amp;year=2022R3&amp;sg=Gender%3A%20Male%20vs.%20Female&amp;sgv=Difference&amp;ts=Single%20Year&amp;sfj=NP">Missouri’s scores</a>&nbsp;are “not significantly different from the average score” nationwide in each subject.

Otto Fajen, a lobbyist for the Missouri branch of the National Education Association, said educators are looking for more changes.

“We would be missing the opportunity to transform something that fundamentally just grades schools into something that fulfills the federal purpose, which has been narrowed and really seeks to make sure that we are actually supporting schools,” he said. “We have tools that we can pick up, but right now this bill wouldn’t be able to do that.”

He said legislation sponsored by Rep. Paula Brown, a Democrat from Hazelwood, would have that potential.

<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1851&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">Brown’s bill</a>, also discussed in committee Wednesday, would allow school districts to determine metrics of accountability that would then be approved by the state department.

Her legislation seeks to overhaul the Missouri Assessment Program, often called the MAP test, for an exam “developed by teachers in consultation with administrators, students, parents and community,” she said Wednesday.

“At the end of the day, the MAP just isn’t valid for all the things assessments should mean and give us,” Brown said.

An assessment is required to meet federal standards.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would choose at least two national accreditation agencies to replace the MSIP 6 system.

No one testified in opposition to Brown’s bill.

The Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee approved a bill sponsored by Republican state Sen. Jill Carter of Granby that is similar to Brown’s last week. Carter&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawmaker-proposes-local-control-plan-to-opt-missouri-districts-out-of-state-standards/">filed similar legislation last year</a>, which cleared committee but never came up for a vote by the full Senate.&nbsp;

The Senate committee also debated a bill by Republican state Sen. Curtis Trent identical to Haffner’s two weeks ago. Trent is the newly appointed chair of the education committee, but has not yet taken up his bill for a vote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706787791655.png" alt="State Rep. Paula Brown, D-Hazelwood, speaks during a July 2021 hearing of the Joint Committee on Education. She is sponsoring a bill to change statewide testing, accreditation and accountability (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption>State Rep. Paula Brown, D-Hazelwood, speaks during a July 2021 hearing of the Joint Committee on Education. She is sponsoring a bill to change statewide testing, accreditation and accountability (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ahanshaw/">ANNELISE HANSHAW</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>A House committee considers bills that would overhaul Department of Elementary and Secondary Education programs</h2>Missouri lawmakers are considering a handful of bills in both the House and Senate that would change the way the state measures school performance and accreditation.The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee debated two bills Wednesday seeking to scrap systems developed by the state’s education department to assess schools. A Senate committee held a hearing on similar bills two weeks ago.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2184&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Mike Haffner</a>, a Republican from Pleasant Hill, would score schools purely based on achievement and growth. His bill would replace a more complex system currently used by the state to measure school effectiveness.“We need to be measuring what matters to student achievement, student growth, college and career readiness while providing parents more transparency as to how individual schools and school districts are succeeding in providing a quality education,” he told the committee on Wednesday.The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education oversees the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP), which is in its sixth iteration.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/18/missouri-administrators-question-school-district-scores-in-second-year-of-new-formula/">MSIP 6 measures</a>&nbsp;school and district performance through factors such as standardized-test scores, perceived growth and attendance.Districts’ MSIP 6 scores determine their accreditation, and highly-rated districts set the tone for state funding of public schools through the foundation formula.Haffner told the committee he disagreed with some of the MSIP 6 metrics.“We’ve got over 30% that’s based upon improvement planning, self study, climate and culture survey, required documentation,” he said. “That is not measuring academic achievement.”But after meeting with the University of Missouri-Columbia last week, Haffner said he has started to appreciate the current growth model used by the department. Faculty at the university crafted the growth model, though&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/18/missouri-administrators-question-school-district-scores-in-second-year-of-new-formula/">some superintendents worry</a>&nbsp;that the calculation is not transparent.When Haffner filed the bill, he told The Independent through an aide that he was calculating growth differently.State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff, a Columbia Democrat, said the language in the bill seems to prescribe a calculation of growth based on year-over-year change.“When I look at this description, I’m just taking last year’s score and this year’s score and [finding] what’s the difference,” she said. “But I’m assuming that methodology you got from the university is much more detailed.”Haffner said he was willing to talk about that element.“We just want clear and accessible information to provide the information on student achievement and growth. What that looks like, we are willing to discuss,” he said.Fewer districts should have the state’s full accreditation, Haffner said, since around a quarter of the state’s eighth-grade students are proficient in math and reading.“Everybody sitting here on this committee is aware that our academic outcomes are now below national averages and are headed in the wrong direction,” he said, referring to the National Assessment of Education Progress.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile/overview/MO?cti=PgTab_OT&amp;chort=2&amp;sub=MAT&amp;sj=MO&amp;fs=Grade&amp;st=MN&amp;year=2022R3&amp;sg=Gender%3A%20Male%20vs.%20Female&amp;sgv=Difference&amp;ts=Single%20Year&amp;sfj=NP">Missouri’s scores</a>&nbsp;are “not significantly different from the average score” nationwide in each subject.Otto Fajen, a lobbyist for the Missouri branch of the National Education Association, said educators are looking for more changes.“We would be missing the opportunity to transform something that fundamentally just grades schools into something that fulfills the federal purpose, which has been narrowed and really seeks to make sure that we are actually supporting schools,” he said. “We have tools that we can pick up, but right now this bill wouldn’t be able to do that.”He said legislation sponsored by Rep. Paula Brown, a Democrat from Hazelwood, would have that potential.<a target="_blank" href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1851&amp;year=2024&amp;code=R">Brown’s bill</a>, also discussed in committee Wednesday, would allow school districts to determine metrics of accountability that would then be approved by the state department.Her legislation seeks to overhaul the Missouri Assessment Program, often called the MAP test, for an exam “developed by teachers in consultation with administrators, students, parents and community,” she said Wednesday.“At the end of the day, the MAP just isn’t valid for all the things assessments should mean and give us,” Brown said.An assessment is required to meet federal standards.The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would choose at least two national accreditation agencies to replace the MSIP 6 system.No one testified in opposition to Brown’s bill.The Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee approved a bill sponsored by Republican state Sen. Jill Carter of Granby that is similar to Brown’s last week. Carter&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawmaker-proposes-local-control-plan-to-opt-missouri-districts-out-of-state-standards/">filed similar legislation last year</a>, which cleared committee but never came up for a vote by the full Senate.&nbsp;The Senate committee also debated a bill by Republican state Sen. Curtis Trent identical to Haffner’s two weeks ago. Trent is the newly appointed chair of the education committee, but has not yet taken up his bill for a vote.

Missouri lawmakers seek to reenvision school accountability and accreditation

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

Just before 3a.m. Jan. 28, sheriff's deputies investigated a suspicious vehicle at the Kickapoo Casino after hours, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

 Brown County Sheriff's K-9 Carla alerted on the vehicle.&nbsp; At the completion of the investigation, deputies arrested Dustin Barrett, 36, Oneida, on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706648987280.png" alt="Barrett-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Barrett-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just before 3a.m. Jan. 28, sheriff's deputies investigated a suspicious vehicle at the Kickapoo Casino after hours, according to Sheriff John Merchant. Brown County Sheriff's K-9 Carla alerted on the vehicle.&nbsp; At the completion of the investigation, deputies arrested Dustin Barrett, 36, Oneida, on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Sheriff's K9 helps make arrest outside Kansas casino after hours

You can help raise money for Special Olympics.

All you have to do is take the plunge, likely in icy water.

The annual Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics will be
held in a pool in the East Hills Mall parking lot in St. Joseph Saturday,
February 24th.

Melody Prawitz with Special Olympics of northern Missouri says
this year’s theme might seem a bit counterintuitive.

“This year’s theme is Aloha; Hawaiian. So, get your grass
skirts out, get your Hawaiian shirts out, and come on out,” Prawitz tells host
Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “We give prizes. We give the Golden Plunger
Award to the best costumes:&nbsp; first,
second, and third. And then we give the top fundraisers for top team
fundraisers and top individual fundraisers.”

The Polar Plunge is one of Special Olympics Missouri’s biggest
fundraisers. It began years ago at the Lake of the Ozarks and has spread across
the state. A Polar Plunge will be held at Chillicothe on Saturday, February 10th.

Prawitz says this year’s theme of Aloha Plunge should attract
similar costumes from past plunges, which has included women dressed as brides
taking the plunge.

“We had ladies that did the ugly Christmas sweaters one year.
So, we’ve had everything down in there. We’ve had Ninja Turtles,” Prawitz says.
“It just depends on the theme on what people come up with. They come up with
pretty elaborate costumes.”

Prawitz says one regular participant wants to know the theme
as soon as possible so he can dress just right.

Now, how cold the water might be, no one knows.

“There have been some days that it’s has been very, very cold.
And then there’s been days when it’s been like a solar plunge and has been very
nice outside,” according to Prawitz. “So, we never know what it’s going to be
until that week and they start predicting the weather and we get up that morning.”

Those who wish to take the plunge can register online or wait
until the day of the event:&nbsp; Saturday,
February 24th.

Click <a href="https://somo.org/release-somo-gears-up-for-19th-annual-st-joseph-polar-plunge/">HERE</a> for a link to the event.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706722062936.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Polar Plunge/Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Missouri" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Polar Plunge/Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostYou can help raise money for Special Olympics.All you have to do is take the plunge, likely in icy water.The annual Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics will be
held in a pool in the East Hills Mall parking lot in St. Joseph Saturday,
February 24th.Melody Prawitz with Special Olympics of northern Missouri says
this year’s theme might seem a bit counterintuitive.“This year’s theme is Aloha; Hawaiian. So, get your grass
skirts out, get your Hawaiian shirts out, and come on out,” Prawitz tells host
Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “We give prizes. We give the Golden Plunger
Award to the best costumes:&nbsp; first,
second, and third. And then we give the top fundraisers for top team
fundraisers and top individual fundraisers.”The Polar Plunge is one of Special Olympics Missouri’s biggest
fundraisers. It began years ago at the Lake of the Ozarks and has spread across
the state. A Polar Plunge will be held at Chillicothe on Saturday, February 10th.Prawitz says this year’s theme of Aloha Plunge should attract
similar costumes from past plunges, which has included women dressed as brides
taking the plunge.“We had ladies that did the ugly Christmas sweaters one year.
So, we’ve had everything down in there. We’ve had Ninja Turtles,” Prawitz says.
“It just depends on the theme on what people come up with. They come up with
pretty elaborate costumes.”Prawitz says one regular participant wants to know the theme
as soon as possible so he can dress just right.Now, how cold the water might be, no one knows.“There have been some days that it’s has been very, very cold.
And then there’s been days when it’s been like a solar plunge and has been very
nice outside,” according to Prawitz. “So, we never know what it’s going to be
until that week and they start predicting the weather and we get up that morning.”Those who wish to take the plunge can register online or wait
until the day of the event:&nbsp; Saturday,
February 24th.Click <a href="https://somo.org/release-somo-gears-up-for-19th-annual-st-joseph-polar-plunge/">HERE</a> for a link to the event.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Take-the-plunge-to-help-Special-Olympics-Missouri-e2f6j2a" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Take the plunge and raise money for Special Olympics of northern Missouri

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A grainy sonar image recorded by a private pilot has reinvigorated interest in one of the past century’s most alluring mysteries: What happened to Amelia Earhart when her plane vanished during her flight around the world in 1937?

Numerous expeditions have turned up nothing, only confirming that swaths of ocean floor held no trace of her twin-tailed monoplane. Tony Romeo now believes his new South Carolina-based sea exploration company captured an outline of the iconic American’s Lockheed 10-E Electra.

Archaeologists and explorers are hopeful. But whether the tousled-haired pilot's plane lies at the roughly 16,000-foot (4,800-meter) depth remains to be seen. And debates abound about the proper handling of whatever object is discovered.

Archivists are hopeful that Romeo’s Deep Sea Vision is close to solving the puzzle — if for no other reason than to return attention to Earhart’s accomplishments.

Regardless, the search is on for the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.

How did Deep Sea Vision detect the object that could be Earhart's plane?

Romeo wanted more of an adventure than his commercial real estate career. His father flew for Pan American Airlines, his brother is an Air Force pilot and he has a private pilot's license himself. Hailing from an “aviation family,” he'd long held interest in the Earhart mystery.

Romeo said he sold his real estate interests to fund last year's search and buy a $9 million underwater drone from a Norwegian company. The state-of-the-art technology is called the Hugin 6000 — a reference to its ability to break into the deepest layer of the ocean at 6,000 meters (19,700 feet).

A 16-person crew began a roughly 100-day search in September 2023, scanning over 5,200 square miles (13,468 square kilometers) of seafloor. They narrowed their probe to the area around Howland Island, a mid-Pacific atoll between Papua New Guinea and Hawaii.

But it wasn't until the team reviewed sonar data in December that they saw the fuzzy yellow outline of what resembles a plane.

“In the end, we came out with an image of a target that we believe very strongly is Amelia’s aircraft," Romeo told The Associated Press.

The next step is taking a camera underwater to better examine the unidentified object. If the visuals confirm the explorers' greatest hopes, Romeo said the goal would be to raise the long-lost Electra.

Ultimately, Romeo said his team undertook the costly adventure to “solve aviation's greatest unsolved mystery.” An open hatch could indicate that Earhart and her flight companion escaped after the initial impact, Romeo said, and a cockpit dial could lend insight into what, exactly, went wrong.

From alien abduction to Japanese execution, theories abound

Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared while flying from New Guinea to Howland Island as part of her attempt to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the globe. She had radioed that she was running low on fuel.

The Navy searched but found no trace. The U.S. government's official position has been that Earhart and Noonan went down with their plane.

Since then, theories have veered into the absurd, including abduction by aliens, or Earhart living in New Jersey under an alias. Others speculate that she and Noonan were executed by the Japanese or died as castaways on an island.

“Amelia is America’s favorite missing person," Romeo said.

Maritime archaeologist James Delgado said Romeo’s potential find would change the narrative, but “we need to see more.”

“Let’s drop some cameras down there and take a look,” said Delgado, senior vice president of the archaeological firm SEARCH Inc.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681316394958.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, Kansas&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, Kansas&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A grainy sonar image recorded by a private pilot has reinvigorated interest in one of the past century’s most alluring mysteries: What happened to Amelia Earhart when her plane vanished during her flight around the world in 1937?Numerous expeditions have turned up nothing, only confirming that swaths of ocean floor held no trace of her twin-tailed monoplane. Tony Romeo now believes his new South Carolina-based sea exploration company captured an outline of the iconic American’s Lockheed 10-E Electra.Archaeologists and explorers are hopeful. But whether the tousled-haired pilot's plane lies at the roughly 16,000-foot (4,800-meter) depth remains to be seen. And debates abound about the proper handling of whatever object is discovered.Archivists are hopeful that Romeo’s Deep Sea Vision is close to solving the puzzle — if for no other reason than to return attention to Earhart’s accomplishments.Regardless, the search is on for the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.How did Deep Sea Vision detect the object that could be Earhart's plane?Romeo wanted more of an adventure than his commercial real estate career. His father flew for Pan American Airlines, his brother is an Air Force pilot and he has a private pilot's license himself. Hailing from an “aviation family,” he'd long held interest in the Earhart mystery.Romeo said he sold his real estate interests to fund last year's search and buy a $9 million underwater drone from a Norwegian company. The state-of-the-art technology is called the Hugin 6000 — a reference to its ability to break into the deepest layer of the ocean at 6,000 meters (19,700 feet).A 16-person crew began a roughly 100-day search in September 2023, scanning over 5,200 square miles (13,468 square kilometers) of seafloor. They narrowed their probe to the area around Howland Island, a mid-Pacific atoll between Papua New Guinea and Hawaii.But it wasn't until the team reviewed sonar data in December that they saw the fuzzy yellow outline of what resembles a plane.“In the end, we came out with an image of a target that we believe very strongly is Amelia’s aircraft," Romeo told The Associated Press.The next step is taking a camera underwater to better examine the unidentified object. If the visuals confirm the explorers' greatest hopes, Romeo said the goal would be to raise the long-lost Electra.Ultimately, Romeo said his team undertook the costly adventure to “solve aviation's greatest unsolved mystery.” An open hatch could indicate that Earhart and her flight companion escaped after the initial impact, Romeo said, and a cockpit dial could lend insight into what, exactly, went wrong.From alien abduction to Japanese execution, theories aboundEarhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared while flying from New Guinea to Howland Island as part of her attempt to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the globe. She had radioed that she was running low on fuel.The Navy searched but found no trace. The U.S. government's official position has been that Earhart and Noonan went down with their plane.Since then, theories have veered into the absurd, including abduction by aliens, or Earhart living in New Jersey under an alias. Others speculate that she and Noonan were executed by the Japanese or died as castaways on an island.“Amelia is America’s favorite missing person," Romeo said.‘We need to see more’Maritime archaeologist James Delgado said Romeo’s potential find would change the narrative, but “we need to see more.”“Let’s drop some cameras down there and take a look,” said Delgado, senior vice president of the archaeological firm SEARCH Inc.Delgado said Romeo's expedition employed world-class, cutting-edge technology that was once classified and is “revolutionizing our understanding of the deep ocean."But he said that Romeo’s team must provide “a forensic level of documentation” to prove it’s Earhart’s Lockheed. That could mean the patterns in the fuselage’s aluminum, the configuration of its tail and details from the cockpit.David Jourdan said his exploration company Nauticos searched in vain on three separate expeditions between 2002 and 2017, surveying an area of seafloor about the size of Connecticut.He would have expected to see straight wings and not swept wings, like the new sonar suggests, as well as engines. But that could be explained by damage to the aircraft or reflections distorting the image, he acknowledged.“It could be a plane. It certainly looks like a plane. It could be a geological feature that looks like a plane,” he said.Dorothy Cochrane, an aeronautics curator at the National Air and Space Museum, said Romeo's crew searched in the right place near Howland Island. That's where Earhart desperately sought a runway when she disappeared on the last leg of her flight.If the object really is the historic aircraft, the question for Cochrane will be whether it is safe to raise. How much of the machinery is still intact would be determined in part by how smoothly Earhart landed, she added.“That's where you have to really look at this image and say, ‘What have we got here?’” said Cochrane.What if Earhart’s Lockheed Electra has been found?If the fuzzy sonar images turn out to be the plane, international standards for underwater archaeology would strongly suggest the aircraft remain where it is, said Ole Varmer, a retired attorney with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a senior fellow at The Ocean Foundation.Nonintrusive research can still be conducted to reveal why the plane possibly crashed, Varmer said.“You preserve as much of the story as you can,” Varmer said. “It’s not just the wreck. It’s where it is and its context on the seabed. That is part of the story as to how and why it got there. When you salvage it, you’re destroying part of the site, which can provide information.”Raising the plane and placing it in a museum would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars, Varmer said. And while Romeo could conceivably make a salvage claim in the courts, the plane’s owner has the right to deny it.Earhart bought the Lockheed with money raised, at least in part, by the Purdue Research Foundation, according to a blog post by Purdue University in Indiana. And she planned to return the aircraft to the school.Romeo said the team believes the plane belongs in the Smithsonian. Acknowledging the “uncharted territory” of potential legal issues, he said his exploration company will "deal with those as they come up."