A Kansas City man has been sentenced to life in prison after
confessing to killing an elderly Polo woman.

29-year-old Harold Edwards, Jr. pleaded guilty in Caldwell
County to the bludgeoning death of 96-year-old Lorene Fickess in May of 2022. Edwards
killed Fickess and then set her rural Polo home on fire. Polo area firefighters
found Fickess’ body in the burned ruins of her house on State Route D near
Polo.

Edwards has been sentenced to life in prison with the
possibility of parole. Edwards has also been sentenced to seven years in prison
for possessing child pornography.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700232913501.jpeg" alt="Harold Edwards, Jr./Caldwell County Sheriffs Dept. photo" />
 <figcaption>Harold Edwards, Jr./Caldwell County Sheriffs Dept. photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA Kansas City man has been sentenced to life in prison after
confessing to killing an elderly Polo woman.29-year-old Harold Edwards, Jr. pleaded guilty in Caldwell
County to the bludgeoning death of 96-year-old Lorene Fickess in May of 2022. Edwards
killed Fickess and then set her rural Polo home on fire. Polo area firefighters
found Fickess’ body in the burned ruins of her house on State Route D near
Polo.Edwards has been sentenced to life in prison with the
possibility of parole. Edwards has also been sentenced to seven years in prison
for possessing child pornography.

KC man sentenced to life for killing elderly Polo woman

A Buchanan County jury has found a St. Joseph man guilty of killing
an Independence woman.

The jury deliberated for more than three hours before finding
32-year-old Marcus Brooks guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old
Ariel Starcher.

25-year-old Taylor Stoughton pleaded guilty last year to
second-degree murder in the death and testified during the trial against
Brooks.

Starcher died of suffocation in a Kansas City hotel room February
6th of 2020. Brooks and Stoughton attacked her, bound her hands and
feet, gagged her with duct tape and a washcloth. They dumped her body in rural
Buchanan County.

Buchanan County Sheriff Department deputies discovered the body
a few days later outside of Faucett.

Sentencing for Brooks has been set for next month.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700232241175.jpeg" alt="Marcus Brooks/Buchanan County Sheriff's Dept. photo" />
 <figcaption>Marcus Brooks/Buchanan County Sheriff's Dept. photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA Buchanan County jury has found a St. Joseph man guilty of killing
an Independence woman.The jury deliberated for more than three hours before finding
32-year-old Marcus Brooks guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old
Ariel Starcher.25-year-old Taylor Stoughton pleaded guilty last year to
second-degree murder in the death and testified during the trial against
Brooks.Starcher died of suffocation in a Kansas City hotel room February
6th of 2020. Brooks and Stoughton attacked her, bound her hands and
feet, gagged her with duct tape and a washcloth. They dumped her body in rural
Buchanan County.Buchanan County Sheriff Department deputies discovered the body
a few days later outside of Faucett.Sentencing for Brooks has been set for next month.

Buchanan CO jury finds St. Joseph man guilty of murder

Delta Extraction will likely appeal the decision during a hearing before the Administrative Hearing Commission in December

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

The state’s Division of Cannabis Regulation is revoking the marijuana manufacturing license of Delta Extraction after accusing the company of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/16/state-faces-pushback-from-missouri-marijuana-industry-over-product-recall/">illegally importing “marijuana product”</a>&nbsp;from out-of-state and adding it to Missouri-grown marijuana products.

The revocation will take effect on Dec. 2.

The Robertsville-based company is at the center of Missouri’s massive marijuana&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/">recall</a>&nbsp;that was issued on Aug. 14. The state recently&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/01/missouri-rolls-back-part-of-its-cannabis-product-recall/">rolled back</a>&nbsp;part of the recall, but the fate of more than 45,000 recalled products&nbsp;— and those of dozens of marijuana businesses facing a steep financial loss if the products must be destroyed — is still pending.&nbsp;

The recall&nbsp;will be debated during a hearing before the Administrative Hearing Commission in December, where Delta’s appeal on its license revocation will also likely be heard.

“We must be clear on this: Businesses that choose to participate in Missouri’s marijuana industry do not get to decide which rules and which parts of [the constitution] they want to follow,” Amy Moore, director of the division, said in a press release Thursday announcing the decision.

Delta Extraction has denied accusations that it illegally imported marijuana into the state by arguing it actually&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/missouri-cannabis-recall-hemp/">imported a non-psychoactive hemp product</a>, THC-A, that was converted into the psychoactive delta-9 THC once in Missouri. Hemp is not a federally controlled substance.

“The department’s actions are illegal and unfounded,” said Chuck Hatfield, attorney for Delta Extraction. “The issue stems from Delta using legal hemp products in its legal marijuana products, which passed state testing before it was sold to consumers.”

In its appeal, Delta argues that the Missouri didn’t specifically ban adding hemp-derived THC-A to marijuana products until the state’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/19csr100-proposed-rules-filed-051523.pdf">final rules</a>&nbsp;went into effect on July 30.

Hatfield said the division never communicated that adding the hemp product was against the rules until the company’s license was suspended on Aug. 2.&nbsp;

In an interview with The Independent, Hatfield pointed to an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24169928-mo-06872-mo-06884">email</a>&nbsp;that Adam Whearty, a compliance team supervisor with the division, sent two days before Delta’s suspension, which was uncovered during the appeals process. Hatfield said it shows that Whearty and compliance officer Heather Bilyeu — who was Delta’s main contact in the compliance office, Hatfield said — were confused about whether what the company was doing was allowed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Heather thinks they found a loophole in the [emergency] rules, prior to 7/30, as does not think THC-A fell into the category of not being able to be used,” until the final cannabis rules took effect on July 30, Whearty wrote. “Heather and I are concerned about what we were to tell [Delta] about modified product in their inventory…”

However, during the appeals process, the state has argued that the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/19csr100-emergency-rules-filed012023.pdf">emergency rules</a>&nbsp;filed on Jan. 20 prohibited the practice.

Carole Iles of the Administrative Hearing Commission sided with the state in an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23933159-order-denying-motion-for-stay">Aug. 29 order</a>. The only thing the cannabis regulating agency added to this line in the final rules, she wrote, was the clause “such as THC-A …”&nbsp;

“We agree with the department that language added to the permanent rule … did not change the requirement of the emergency rule that THC in marijuana products could only be derived from marijuana cultivated by a Missouri-licensed cultivation facility,” the order denying a stay on Delta’s suspension states.

A hearing on Delta’s appeal of the recall and license revocation will be held next month.

Delta’s use of the hemp THC-A was not the only reason for revocation, Moore said in the press release Thursday.

“While Delta Extraction’s use of out-of-state cannabis in our regulated system has been well-publicized and is a critical issue, DCR also found numerous other violations of rules at this facility,” Moore said.&nbsp;

The division also said Delta did not properly maintain video surveillance footage or have necessary safeguards to prevent intrusion at the facility. The division argues that Delta falsified product tracking records, and regulators could not ensure the product was properly tested.&nbsp;

In a letter to the state’s attorney on Wednesday, Hatfield countered that the company did test the product in compliance with the law.

Delta also agreed to pay for retesting of any Delta product, Hatfield wrote in the letter, as well as to destroy all the product in its facility in order to reach a settlement with the state.&nbsp;

“Should the parties not reach an agreement, Delta intends to challenge the Department’s authority to regulate hemp-derived products,” Hatfield’s letter states.

The courts will not entertain a legal challenge against the state until Delta Extraction’s appeal process is completed, a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-judge-dismisses-cannabis-companys-lawsuit-against-state-to-stop-recall/">judge has already ruled</a>.

Missouri would then be&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/11/farm-bill-debate-includes-hemp-regulation-as-issue-takes-center-stage-in-missouri-recall/">among several states</a>&nbsp;where companies are challenging the state cannabis regulators’ authority to regulate hemp.&nbsp;Unlike marijuana, hemp has very little psychoactive properties naturally — which is why it was taken off the federal controlled substance list in the 2018 farm bill.&nbsp;

But since then, businesses have been in a race to create ways to produce the most predominant psychoactive active element in marijuana, delta-9 THC, using the hemp plant.&nbsp;

On Sept. 8, a federal judge in Arkansas&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67652494/bio-gen-llc-v-arkansas-state-of/">granted a preliminary injunction</a>&nbsp;in a lawsuit against the state, saying that hemp-derived cannabinoids, like THC-A, are protected under the 2018 farm bill.&nbsp;

“Should Delta succeed in that challenge,” Hatfield wrote, “the industry would be free to engage in bringing in industrial hemp products from out of state for use in marijuana products.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696682550411.png" alt="(Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption>(Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Delta Extraction will likely appeal the decision during a hearing before the Administrative Hearing Commission in December</h2>By REBECCA RIVAS,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>The state’s Division of Cannabis Regulation is revoking the marijuana manufacturing license of Delta Extraction after accusing the company of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/16/state-faces-pushback-from-missouri-marijuana-industry-over-product-recall/">illegally importing “marijuana product”</a>&nbsp;from out-of-state and adding it to Missouri-grown marijuana products.The revocation will take effect on Dec. 2.The Robertsville-based company is at the center of Missouri’s massive marijuana&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/">recall</a>&nbsp;that was issued on Aug. 14. The state recently&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/01/missouri-rolls-back-part-of-its-cannabis-product-recall/">rolled back</a>&nbsp;part of the recall, but the fate of more than 45,000 recalled products&nbsp;— and those of dozens of marijuana businesses facing a steep financial loss if the products must be destroyed — is still pending.&nbsp;The recall&nbsp;will be debated during a hearing before the Administrative Hearing Commission in December, where Delta’s appeal on its license revocation will also likely be heard.“We must be clear on this: Businesses that choose to participate in Missouri’s marijuana industry do not get to decide which rules and which parts of [the constitution] they want to follow,” Amy Moore, director of the division, said in a press release Thursday announcing the decision.Delta Extraction has denied accusations that it illegally imported marijuana into the state by arguing it actually&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/missouri-cannabis-recall-hemp/">imported a non-psychoactive hemp product</a>, THC-A, that was converted into the psychoactive delta-9 THC once in Missouri. Hemp is not a federally controlled substance.“The department’s actions are illegal and unfounded,” said Chuck Hatfield, attorney for Delta Extraction. “The issue stems from Delta using legal hemp products in its legal marijuana products, which passed state testing before it was sold to consumers.”In its appeal, Delta argues that the Missouri didn’t specifically ban adding hemp-derived THC-A to marijuana products until the state’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/19csr100-proposed-rules-filed-051523.pdf">final rules</a>&nbsp;went into effect on July 30.Hatfield said the division never communicated that adding the hemp product was against the rules until the company’s license was suspended on Aug. 2.&nbsp;In an interview with The Independent, Hatfield pointed to an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24169928-mo-06872-mo-06884">email</a>&nbsp;that Adam Whearty, a compliance team supervisor with the division, sent two days before Delta’s suspension, which was uncovered during the appeals process. Hatfield said it shows that Whearty and compliance officer Heather Bilyeu — who was Delta’s main contact in the compliance office, Hatfield said — were confused about whether what the company was doing was allowed.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Heather thinks they found a loophole in the [emergency] rules, prior to 7/30, as does not think THC-A fell into the category of not being able to be used,” until the final cannabis rules took effect on July 30, Whearty wrote. “Heather and I are concerned about what we were to tell [Delta] about modified product in their inventory…”However, during the appeals process, the state has argued that the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/19csr100-emergency-rules-filed012023.pdf">emergency rules</a>&nbsp;filed on Jan. 20 prohibited the practice.Carole Iles of the Administrative Hearing Commission sided with the state in an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23933159-order-denying-motion-for-stay">Aug. 29 order</a>. The only thing the cannabis regulating agency added to this line in the final rules, she wrote, was the clause “such as THC-A …”&nbsp;“We agree with the department that language added to the permanent rule … did not change the requirement of the emergency rule that THC in marijuana products could only be derived from marijuana cultivated by a Missouri-licensed cultivation facility,” the order denying a stay on Delta’s suspension states.A hearing on Delta’s appeal of the recall and license revocation will be held next month.Delta’s use of the hemp THC-A was not the only reason for revocation, Moore said in the press release Thursday.“While Delta Extraction’s use of out-of-state cannabis in our regulated system has been well-publicized and is a critical issue, DCR also found numerous other violations of rules at this facility,” Moore said.&nbsp;The division also said Delta did not properly maintain video surveillance footage or have necessary safeguards to prevent intrusion at the facility. The division argues that Delta falsified product tracking records, and regulators could not ensure the product was properly tested.&nbsp;In a letter to the state’s attorney on Wednesday, Hatfield countered that the company did test the product in compliance with the law.Delta also agreed to pay for retesting of any Delta product, Hatfield wrote in the letter, as well as to destroy all the product in its facility in order to reach a settlement with the state.&nbsp;“Should the parties not reach an agreement, Delta intends to challenge the Department’s authority to regulate hemp-derived products,” Hatfield’s letter states.The courts will not entertain a legal challenge against the state until Delta Extraction’s appeal process is completed, a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-judge-dismisses-cannabis-companys-lawsuit-against-state-to-stop-recall/">judge has already ruled</a>.Missouri would then be&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/11/farm-bill-debate-includes-hemp-regulation-as-issue-takes-center-stage-in-missouri-recall/">among several states</a>&nbsp;where companies are challenging the state cannabis regulators’ authority to regulate hemp.&nbsp;Unlike marijuana, hemp has very little psychoactive properties naturally — which is why it was taken off the federal controlled substance list in the 2018 farm bill.&nbsp;But since then, businesses have been in a race to create ways to produce the most predominant psychoactive active element in marijuana, delta-9 THC, using the hemp plant.&nbsp;On Sept. 8, a federal judge in Arkansas&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67652494/bio-gen-llc-v-arkansas-state-of/">granted a preliminary injunction</a>&nbsp;in a lawsuit against the state, saying that hemp-derived cannabinoids, like THC-A, are protected under the 2018 farm bill.&nbsp;“Should Delta succeed in that challenge,” Hatfield wrote, “the industry would be free to engage in bringing in industrial hemp products from out of state for use in marijuana products.”

Cannabis regulators to revoke license of Missouri company at center of recall

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on new allegations after an encounter with police.

On Wednesday, officer arrested 37-year-old Cecilia A. Westmoreland of Atchison in the 1000 block North 6th Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

She was jailed for allegedly driving under the influence and assault of a law enforcement officer. 

In 2015, she was booked into jail on requested charges of interference with law enforcement and later for assault and battery, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700149705958.png" alt="Westmoreland-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Westmoreland-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on new allegations after an encounter with police.On Wednesday, officer arrested 37-year-old Cecilia A. Westmoreland of Atchison in the 1000 block North 6th Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.She was jailed for allegedly driving under the influence and assault of a law enforcement officer. In 2015, she was booked into jail on requested charges of interference with law enforcement and later for assault and battery, according to online jail records.

Kan. woman accused of assault of law enforcement officer

Federal lawsuit alleges barring gender-affirming care to minors is discriminatory

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

Two transgender boys filed a federal lawsuit Thursday seeking to reverse the University of Missouri’s decision to stop providing gender-affirming care to minors.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, alleges halting transgender minors’ prescriptions unconstitutionally discriminates on the basis of sex and disability status.

University of Missouri Health announced Aug. 28 that it would no longer provide puberty blockers and hormones to minors for the purpose of gender transition.

The decision was based on a new law<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-restrictions-for-trans-athletes/">&nbsp;banning transgender minors from beginning gender-affirming care</a>. It included a provision to allow people those already receiving treatment to continue, but some providers stopped completely because of a clause included in the new law that they feared opened them to legal liability.

Washington University joined MU Health in dropping its gender-affirming care for minors.

“Untreated gender dysphoria often intensifies with time,” J. Andrew Hirth, an attorney for the plaintiffs, wrote in the lawsuit. “The longer an individual goes without adequate treatment, the greater the risk of debilitating anxiety, severe depression, self-harm and suicide.”

Hirth argues gender dysphoria, the condition that describes the emotional distress caused by incongruence with one’s sex as assigned at birth, is a disability because it “is a physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including the operation of the endocrine system.”

A lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Missouri’s<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/01/aclu-sues-missouri-school-district-for-transgender-bathroom-policy/">&nbsp;against Platte County School District</a>&nbsp;earlier this year also labels gender dysphoria as a disability and part of the grounds for that litigation.

The plaintiffs’ gender dysphoria will be impacted if the court doesn’t find a remedy, Hirth argues.

Using initials to protect the identities of the minor plaintiffs, Hirth describes the transgender boys’ medical transitions.

J.C. is a Boone County teen who has been receiving testosterone treatments at the advice of an MU Health physician, “Dr. M.” He has grown facial hair over his 18 months on testosterone and other male sex characteristics.

His supply of testosterone is going to be depleted in February, and he has not been able to find a Missouri doctor to treat him.

“After a year of watching his body start to reflect his male gender identity, the sudden reversion to feminine characteristics will be deeply traumatic to J.C,” the lawsuit says.

K.J. is younger than J.C. and identified as transgender prior to puberty. So, when he began puberty early at the age of nine, a MU Health doctor decided that delaying puberty would be healthiest and diagnosed him with gender dysphoria and precocious puberty.

He also can’t find treatment options and anticipates running out of his puberty-blocking medication in February.

“After the promise of going through puberty as a boy, his sudden development of female characteristics will cause K.J. severe emotional and physical distress,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit asks for the court to prohibit the university from denying medical treatment and “such other relief as the court deems just and proper.”

Hirth says he filed the case in federal court because the University of Missouri “receives millions of dollars in federal financial assistance every year” and is subject to the Affordable Care Act.

The Affordable Care Act “prohibits discrimination in any health program or activity on the grounds of sex or disability.”

Similarly, Hirth references the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits programs receiving federal assistance from excluding people on the basis of their disability.

The lawsuit alleges that cisgender MU Health patients with other diagnoses can receive the same treatments the two plaintiffs are currently denied.

“Whether the University permits its doctors to prescribe puberty-delaying medication or HRT to minor patients depends not on whether the minor was already receiving treatment — as (the law)’s grandfather clause was intended to permit—but rather on the medical condition being treated and whether the medication’s intended effect is congruent with the patient’s sex assigned at birth and gender identity,” Hirth wrote.

He also cited Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs that receive federal funding. In the past three years,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/title-ix">federal courts have been interpreting Title IX</a>&nbsp;to include protection from discrimination based on gender identity following the Supreme Court’s June 2020 Bostock v. Clayton County decision, though the change is not universal.

The university’s attorneys told The Independent they received and are reviewing the lawsuit and did not have a comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700180433431.png" alt=" Meg Tully leads a group protesting MU Health's cancelation of transgender minors' prescriptions chants toward Columbia City Hall Sep. 15. Two months later, adolescents from Boone County are suing the university for revoking their gender-affirming care (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Meg Tully leads a group protesting MU Health's cancelation of transgender minors' prescriptions chants toward Columbia City Hall Sep. 15. Two months later, adolescents from Boone County are suing the university for revoking their gender-affirming care (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Federal lawsuit alleges barring gender-affirming care to minors is discriminatory</h2>By ANNELISE HANSHAW,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>Two transgender boys filed a federal lawsuit Thursday seeking to reverse the University of Missouri’s decision to stop providing gender-affirming care to minors.The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, alleges halting transgender minors’ prescriptions unconstitutionally discriminates on the basis of sex and disability status.University of Missouri Health announced Aug. 28 that it would no longer provide puberty blockers and hormones to minors for the purpose of gender transition.The decision was based on a new law<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-restrictions-for-trans-athletes/">&nbsp;banning transgender minors from beginning gender-affirming care</a>. It included a provision to allow people those already receiving treatment to continue, but some providers stopped completely because of a clause included in the new law that they feared opened them to legal liability.Washington University joined MU Health in dropping its gender-affirming care for minors.“Untreated gender dysphoria often intensifies with time,” J. Andrew Hirth, an attorney for the plaintiffs, wrote in the lawsuit. “The longer an individual goes without adequate treatment, the greater the risk of debilitating anxiety, severe depression, self-harm and suicide.”Hirth argues gender dysphoria, the condition that describes the emotional distress caused by incongruence with one’s sex as assigned at birth, is a disability because it “is a physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including the operation of the endocrine system.”A lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Missouri’s<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/01/aclu-sues-missouri-school-district-for-transgender-bathroom-policy/">&nbsp;against Platte County School District</a>&nbsp;earlier this year also labels gender dysphoria as a disability and part of the grounds for that litigation.The plaintiffs’ gender dysphoria will be impacted if the court doesn’t find a remedy, Hirth argues.Using initials to protect the identities of the minor plaintiffs, Hirth describes the transgender boys’ medical transitions.J.C. is a Boone County teen who has been receiving testosterone treatments at the advice of an MU Health physician, “Dr. M.” He has grown facial hair over his 18 months on testosterone and other male sex characteristics.His supply of testosterone is going to be depleted in February, and he has not been able to find a Missouri doctor to treat him.“After a year of watching his body start to reflect his male gender identity, the sudden reversion to feminine characteristics will be deeply traumatic to J.C,” the lawsuit says.K.J. is younger than J.C. and identified as transgender prior to puberty. So, when he began puberty early at the age of nine, a MU Health doctor decided that delaying puberty would be healthiest and diagnosed him with gender dysphoria and precocious puberty.He also can’t find treatment options and anticipates running out of his puberty-blocking medication in February.“After the promise of going through puberty as a boy, his sudden development of female characteristics will cause K.J. severe emotional and physical distress,” the lawsuit says.The lawsuit asks for the court to prohibit the university from denying medical treatment and “such other relief as the court deems just and proper.”Hirth says he filed the case in federal court because the University of Missouri “receives millions of dollars in federal financial assistance every year” and is subject to the Affordable Care Act.The Affordable Care Act “prohibits discrimination in any health program or activity on the grounds of sex or disability.”Similarly, Hirth references the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits programs receiving federal assistance from excluding people on the basis of their disability.The lawsuit alleges that cisgender MU Health patients with other diagnoses can receive the same treatments the two plaintiffs are currently denied.“Whether the University permits its doctors to prescribe puberty-delaying medication or HRT to minor patients depends not on whether the minor was already receiving treatment — as (the law)’s grandfather clause was intended to permit—but rather on the medical condition being treated and whether the medication’s intended effect is congruent with the patient’s sex assigned at birth and gender identity,” Hirth wrote.He also cited Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs that receive federal funding. In the past three years,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/title-ix">federal courts have been interpreting Title IX</a>&nbsp;to include protection from discrimination based on gender identity following the Supreme Court’s June 2020 Bostock v. Clayton County decision, though the change is not universal.The university’s attorneys told The Independent they received and are reviewing the lawsuit and did not have a comment.

Transgender minors sue Univ. of Missouri for refusing puberty blockers, hormones

NODAWAY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident jsut before 8a.m. Thursday in Nodaway County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Dodge Ram driven by Kayden R. Sybert, 21, Parnell, was southbound on MO 46 at Route O in Ravenwood.

The pickup rear-ended a 2020 GMC Acadia driven by Karen L. Giesken 54, Ravenwood. who was stopped in traffic.

A private vehicle transported Giesken to Mosaic in Maryville. Sybert was not injured.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

NODAWAY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident jsut before 8a.m. Thursday in Nodaway County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Dodge Ram driven by Kayden R. Sybert, 21, Parnell, was southbound on MO 46 at Route O in Ravenwood.The pickup rear-ended a 2020 GMC Acadia driven by Karen L. Giesken 54, Ravenwood. who was stopped in traffic.A private vehicle transported Giesken to Mosaic in Maryville. Sybert was not injured.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri woman injured after rear-end crash

St. Joseph city officials got a rare opportunity this week to tour two schools to get a bigger picture of the education the St. Joseph School District strives for.  

Mayor John Josendale says seeing how the district got students prepared and adapted to going to school was enlightening.  

"Seeing the way they teach, whether it be through the electronics with their Ipads and the boards that they use, and then the one-on-one teaching that they do," Josendale tells reporters. "It's very fascinating to the way it works and very encouraging to the programs that they've got in place." 

The district welcomed local officials into the new Lake Early Learning Center and Spring Garden middle school after welcoming local legislators into the schools back in September.

Josendale says a key for the city in helping fix the schools after visiting with administrators is keeping up in communication.  

"One of the things that I heard from the different city employees, or the different people from the tour today was, what else can we do to help you?" Josendale explains. "So, communicating, being on the same page, listening to what they need, and being able to help them where we can I think is our role at this point." 

Josendale says as city officials they can fix crime and can fix blight but the key to making it all work is fixing the schools and they need to work together to figure out ways to do that. 

Principal at Spring Garden Megan Gaul says with some negativity surrounding the district, she's glad community members got to come in and see what's happening. 

"There are so many good things that are happening in our district and in these buildings, I"m sure you guys saw the happiness of all the kids walking through the hallways and the staff, and I think that it's important for community to come in and see all those great things that are happening," Gaul explains.  

Gaul says one thing they try to do at Spring Garden is share the good things that are happening in the district that might not be talked about on social media.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700154507054.jpeg" alt="City offiicials visit a classroom at the Lake Early Learning Center/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>City offiicials visit a classroom at the Lake Early Learning Center/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post St. Joseph city officials got a rare opportunity this week to tour two schools to get a bigger picture of the education the St. Joseph School District strives for. Mayor John Josendale says seeing how the district got students prepared and adapted to going to school was enlightening. "Seeing the way they teach, whether it be through the electronics with their Ipads and the boards that they use, and then the one-on-one teaching that they do," Josendale tells reporters. "It's very fascinating to the way it works and very encouraging to the programs that they've got in place." The district welcomed local officials into the new Lake Early Learning Center and Spring Garden middle school after welcoming local legislators into the schools back in September.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700154583598.jpeg" alt="Spring Garden principal Megan Gaul speaks to city officials at the middle school" />
 <figcaption>Spring Garden principal Megan Gaul speaks to city officials at the middle school</figcaption>
 </figure>Josendale says a key for the city in helping fix the schools after visiting with administrators is keeping up in communication. "One of the things that I heard from the different city employees, or the different people from the tour today was, what else can we do to help you?" Josendale explains. "So, communicating, being on the same page, listening to what they need, and being able to help them where we can I think is our role at this point." Josendale says as city officials they can fix crime and can fix blight but the key to making it all work is fixing the schools and they need to work together to figure out ways to do that. Principal at Spring Garden Megan Gaul says with some negativity surrounding the district, she's glad community members got to come in and see what's happening. "There are so many good things that are happening in our district and in these buildings, I"m sure you guys saw the happiness of all the kids walking through the hallways and the staff, and I think that it's important for community to come in and see all those great things that are happening," Gaul explains. Gaul says one thing they try to do at Spring Garden is share the good things that are happening in the district that might not be talked about on social media.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/St--Joseph-city-officials-tour-St--Joseph-schools-e2c16m1" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700154540829.jpeg" alt="Early Childhood Coordinator Toni Lynn Gardner speaks to Mayor John Josendale and city officials while touring the Lake Early Learning Center" />
 <figcaption>Early Childhood Coordinator Toni Lynn Gardner speaks to Mayor John Josendale and city officials while touring the Lake Early Learning Center</figcaption>
 </figure>

City officials take a visit to St. Joseph schools

One man suffered a gunshot wound to his arm, a business was
damaged in a shooting Wednesday night in St. Joseph.

St. Joseph police reports receiving several calls around 9:45 about
shots being fired in the 2000 block of Messanie Street. Officers discovered
several shots had hit a building when they arrived. Officers found not
witnesses and no suspects.

About 15 minutes after officers arrived on the scene, Mosaic
Life Care called to report a 30-year-old man, apparently from Kansas City, had
arrived at the hospital emergency room with a wound to his arm. The wound,
though serious, is not consider life threatening. The victim has been
transferred to another hospital for surgery.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostOne man suffered a gunshot wound to his arm, a business was
damaged in a shooting Wednesday night in St. Joseph.St. Joseph police reports receiving several calls around 9:45 about
shots being fired in the 2000 block of Messanie Street. Officers discovered
several shots had hit a building when they arrived. Officers found not
witnesses and no suspects.About 15 minutes after officers arrived on the scene, Mosaic
Life Care called to report a 30-year-old man, apparently from Kansas City, had
arrived at the hospital emergency room with a wound to his arm. The wound,
though serious, is not consider life threatening. The victim has been
transferred to another hospital for surgery.The investigation continues.

One man wounded, property damaged in St. Joseph shooting

PLATTE CITY, Mo.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting outside a fast-food restaurant in Platte City, Missouri.

Just before 7p.m. Wednesday, police responded to report of a shooting at a Wendy's&nbsp; in the 1400 block of Platte Falls Road, according to a media release.

First responders found two adult male victims in the parking lot. One man was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim was transported for treatment in critical condition.

The Platte City Police Department requested the KC Metro Police to assist in the investigation.&nbsp; Police released no additional details and have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700136051117.png" alt="First responders at the scene Wednesday -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene Wednesday -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>PLATTE CITY, Mo.—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting outside a fast-food restaurant in Platte City, Missouri.Just before 7p.m. Wednesday, police responded to report of a shooting at a Wendy's&nbsp; in the 1400 block of Platte Falls Road, according to a media release.First responders found two adult male victims in the parking lot. One man was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim was transported for treatment in critical condition.The Platte City Police Department requested the KC Metro Police to assist in the investigation.&nbsp; Police released no additional details and have not reported an arrest.

1 dead, 1 wounded in shooting outside Wendy's in Platte City

CLINTON COUNTY —Six people were injured in an accident just after 2p.m. Wednesday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 2019 Ford F350 driven by William D. Eaton, 59, Kidder, was northbound on Interstate 35 at MO 42 two miles north of Lathrop.

The pickup rear-ended a 2014 Chevy Equinox driven by Larry J. Bramer, 78, Baldwin, Iowa. The impact caused the Chevy to rear-end a 2012 Mitsubishi Galant driven by Joshua J. Moore, 38, Cameron.&nbsp;

The 2019 Ford F350 continued northbound and rear-ended a 2015 Volvo driven by Rodney S. Roberts, 64, Kansas City, Missouri. The impact pushed the Volvo into a 2019 Kia Sorento driven by Tonya D. Lund, 54, Spring, Texas.

Holt EMS transported Moore, an adult and two juveniles passengers in the Mitsubishi to Liberty Hospital.&nbsp; Tri-County EMS transported Lund to Cameron Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; A private vehicle transported Bramer to Cameron Regional Medical Center. Eaton and Roberts were not injured.&nbsp; Joshua Moore was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

CLINTON COUNTY —Six people were injured in an accident just after 2p.m. Wednesday in Clinton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 2019 Ford F350 driven by William D. Eaton, 59, Kidder, was northbound on Interstate 35 at MO 42 two miles north of Lathrop.The pickup rear-ended a 2014 Chevy Equinox driven by Larry J. Bramer, 78, Baldwin, Iowa. The impact caused the Chevy to rear-end a 2012 Mitsubishi Galant driven by Joshua J. Moore, 38, Cameron.&nbsp;The 2019 Ford F350 continued northbound and rear-ended a 2015 Volvo driven by Rodney S. Roberts, 64, Kansas City, Missouri. The impact pushed the Volvo into a 2019 Kia Sorento driven by Tonya D. Lund, 54, Spring, Texas.Holt EMS transported Moore, an adult and two juveniles passengers in the Mitsubishi to Liberty Hospital.&nbsp; Tri-County EMS transported Lund to Cameron Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; A private vehicle transported Bramer to Cameron Regional Medical Center. Eaton and Roberts were not injured.&nbsp; Joshua Moore was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

6 injured after 5-vehicle NW Missouri crash

The rare glimpse into how Missouri medical marijuana business applicants came together echoes more the recent controversy involving social equity licenses

After Missouri voters legalized medical marijuana in November 2018, Jefferson City lobbyist Jeffrey Altmann went to work.

Altmann knew out-of-state investors would be looking for Missouri residents to partner with — since Missourians, by law, needed to have majority ownership in marijuana businesses.

Touting his political connections, Altmann caught the attention of an investor from a New-York based pharmaceutical company named Matt Wolf.&nbsp;

Altmann is owner of Viceroy Government Relations, a lobbying firm he has operated since 2017. His brother Daniel worked for the legislature for two years and eventually as a lobbyist for the Missouri Secretary of State’s office in early 2019.&nbsp;

Wolf agreed to partner with the Altmanns on a cannabis license application, after meeting for several hours at Felix’s restaurant in St. Louis in July 2019. As they left, they all shook hands and Wolf told them: “We are going to make a lot of money together.”

But that’s not what happened.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Despite being one of the first cannabis licenses awarded in the state, their testing lab, Botannis Labs MO Corp., never got off the ground in Springfield because of a series of internal battles between Wolf and the brothers.&nbsp;

Missouri’s cannabis regulators eventually revoked their license.

Since March 2022, the Altmanns and Wolf&nbsp; have been in a legal standoff over lost money and allegations of deceit.&nbsp;

Wolf, who was going to be CEO of Botannis, filed a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24166452-matt-wolf-complaint">federal complaint</a>&nbsp;asking for a jury to clarify what his legal responsibility is in the business, along with court costs. Daniel Altmann, president of Botannis, filed a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24166553-counterclaim-daniel-altmann">counterclaim</a>&nbsp;alleging fraud and a breach of fiduciary responsibility, demanding Wolf pay $25,000 in damages.

An attempt to settle failed earlier this year.

Despite the legal mess, the filings in the case — which include emails, agreements and sale projections — offer a rare glimpse into what was happening in the early days of medical marijuana applications.&nbsp;

Some Missourians who were trying to partner with outside investors weren’t selling their marijuana expertise — they were selling their knowledge of Missouri’s political landscape.

And some investors were trying to strongarm Missourians into signing agreements that would ultimately push them out of ownership for a token payment.

The drama echoes the recent controversy involving microbusiness cannabis licenses, where&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">some applicants&nbsp;thought they were partnering with a Michigan investor</a>&nbsp;but signed agreements that forced them to relinquish all control and profits of the business.&nbsp;

Henry Elster, attorney for Daniel Altmann, said he couldn’t comment on the pending litigation. Wolf’s attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.&nbsp; Jeffrey Altmann declined to comment.

The way Wolf tells the story in his complaint, he was exploring business opportunities in Missouri in June 2019 when he was introduced to Jeffrey Altmann as a lobbyist.

“Jeffrey Altmann aggressively markets himself and his supposed influence on Missouri lawmakers and regulators,” states the complaint Wolf filed on April 4, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to Daniel Altmann’s counterclaim, an attorney with the cannabis law firm Vicente Sederberg (now called Vicente LLP) contacted Jeffrey on behalf of Wolf to “explore opening a medical marijuana lab in Missouri.”&nbsp;

Jeffrey was a registered lobbyist in Missouri for Vicente Sederberg from March 2019 to March 2020, and had already worked with the firm to help another of its clients.

At a meeting with Jeffrey, Wolf talked about his family’s business in New York, Contract Pharmaceutical Corp., where he’s been CEO for the last 17 years. Wolf told Jeffrey that he wanted to establish cannabis labs in multiple states using the name Botannis, according to Daniel’s counterclaim.&nbsp;

That same day of that meeting, Jeffrey registered as a lobbyist for Botannis and “began actively working on behalf of Wolf and Botannis to obtain one or more marijuana licenses in Missouri,” the counterclaim states.&nbsp;

At that point, Jeffrey felt like he was “part of the Botannis team,” it states, and that the law firm Vicente Sederberg was representing him as well.&nbsp;

In July, Jeffrey and Wolf officially decided to partner together on a testing license application. Yet by the end of that month, there was some “uncertainty” regarding Jeffrey’s eligibility under state law to be on the application, Daniel’s claim states.

So, they recruited Daniel, who had just graduated from college and had also recently been a legislative liaison for Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.&nbsp;

“Wolf thoroughly vetted Daniel as to his knowledge, experience and credentials, including his positions with the Missouri Secretary of State,” according to Daniel’s petition.

Wolf said he “tentatively agreed to this substitution” in order to apply for the license.

“Mindful that he would be potentially contributing capital and expertise — while the recently graduated Daniel Altmann was contributing merely state residency,” the petition states, “Wolf made clear that the parties would have to agree to protections reflecting Wolf’s potential investment, were Botannis to obtain a license and the business to go forward.”

If it wasn’t clear to the brothers at the time that Wolf saw Daniel as “contributing merely state residency,” it became clear the day the team landed the marijuana license on Dec. 18, 2019.

That day, a Vicente attorney sent Daniel an email with an option agreement. It offered Daniel $1,000 to agree to sell enough shares of the company to give Wolf majority ownership — if Missouri’s residency requirement was ever changed. And that arrangement would be intact for 15 years.&nbsp;

He also sent a revised copy of the bylaws that would add Wolf’s brother as a director — giving Matt and his brother majority voting power with only three directors.

Wolf viewed these moves as a way to protect his investment and intellectual property, his petition states.

Daniel’s response was delayed because he said he was on vacation and was recovering from an illness, according to Wolf’s petition.

At the end of January, Daniel responded that he read the documents and was feeling “optimistic,” the petition states, but that he wanted his attorney to review the documents.

Then on Feb. 4, 2020, Jeffrey emailed the Vicente attorney, stating: “My brother won’t be signing anything you have provided, and I think you know why. Nice try, but no thanks…Very disappointed, and hoping this was a miscommunication we can fix.”

Signing the documents, according to Daniel’s counterclaim, would mean he’d lose control of Botannis immediately if the law changed and it’d render his shares “effectively worthless.”

Daniel alleges Wolf refused to do anything for the company until he signed the documents.

Wolf argues he offered to make revisions to the bylaws and shareholders agreement, but the option agreement is not among the revised documents listed. Communication fizzled for about a year after that.

On Feb. 9, 2021, Jeffrey emailed Wolf stating that he was reviewing the documents with his attorney. He later sent back some marked-up versions of the shareholders agreement and bylaws.

But on March 2, 2021, the state revoked Botannis’ license.

In his lawsuit, Wolf denies that he ever had any obligation to Daniel “or to anyone to provide capital to, or to provide services on behalf of, Botannis.”

He admits that he signed an affidavit included in the state’s license application stating that he’d make a “revocable pledge” of $400,000 to “successfully carry out the activities described in the application.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

But he emphasized that it was “revocable” in his lawsuit.

The Independent asked cannabis regulators if they would’ve approved the license if Wolf’s $400,000 pledge was contingent on the Missouri resident agreeing to sell his shares. Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said in an email: “It would depend on the details of the agreements at issue.”

During early discussions with Jeffrey, Wolf sent an email stating he would make a funding commitment of $200,000 at close, $300,000 at licensing, $500,000 at first revenue.”

But Wolf emphasized the email also states, “for discussion.”&nbsp;

“No written agreements to which Daniel Altmann is a party impose on Wolf any obligation to provide funds to or to perform services on behalf of Botannis,” Wolf’s petition states.

The attempt to reach a settlement fell aparted when Wolf demanded that Jeffrey be named in the settlement agreement, though Jeffrey isn’t named in the litigation. Jeffrey refused.&nbsp;

When Daniel’s attorneys tried to force Wolf to sign the settlement agreement, a judge issued an order on Oct. 13 ruling that Wolf wasn’t obligated to do so.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697542261892.png" alt="Filings in the case — which includes emails, agreements and sale projections — offer a rare glimpse into what was happening in the early days of medical marijuana applications (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent" />
 <figcaption>Filings in the case — which includes emails, agreements and sale projections — offer a rare glimpse into what was happening in the early days of medical marijuana applications (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The rare glimpse into how Missouri medical marijuana business applicants came together echoes more the recent controversy involving social equity licenses</h2>By REBECCA RIVAS,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>After Missouri voters legalized medical marijuana in November 2018, Jefferson City lobbyist Jeffrey Altmann went to work.Altmann knew out-of-state investors would be looking for Missouri residents to partner with — since Missourians, by law, needed to have majority ownership in marijuana businesses.Touting his political connections, Altmann caught the attention of an investor from a New-York based pharmaceutical company named Matt Wolf.&nbsp;Altmann is owner of Viceroy Government Relations, a lobbying firm he has operated since 2017. His brother Daniel worked for the legislature for two years and eventually as a lobbyist for the Missouri Secretary of State’s office in early 2019.&nbsp;Wolf agreed to partner with the Altmanns on a cannabis license application, after meeting for several hours at Felix’s restaurant in St. Louis in July 2019. As they left, they all shook hands and Wolf told them: “We are going to make a lot of money together.”But that’s not what happened.&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite being one of the first cannabis licenses awarded in the state, their testing lab, Botannis Labs MO Corp., never got off the ground in Springfield because of a series of internal battles between Wolf and the brothers.&nbsp;Missouri’s cannabis regulators eventually revoked their license.Since March 2022, the Altmanns and Wolf&nbsp; have been in a legal standoff over lost money and allegations of deceit.&nbsp;Wolf, who was going to be CEO of Botannis, filed a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24166452-matt-wolf-complaint">federal complaint</a>&nbsp;asking for a jury to clarify what his legal responsibility is in the business, along with court costs. Daniel Altmann, president of Botannis, filed a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24166553-counterclaim-daniel-altmann">counterclaim</a>&nbsp;alleging fraud and a breach of fiduciary responsibility, demanding Wolf pay $25,000 in damages.An attempt to settle failed earlier this year.Despite the legal mess, the filings in the case — which include emails, agreements and sale projections — offer a rare glimpse into what was happening in the early days of medical marijuana applications.&nbsp;Some Missourians who were trying to partner with outside investors weren’t selling their marijuana expertise — they were selling their knowledge of Missouri’s political landscape.And some investors were trying to strongarm Missourians into signing agreements that would ultimately push them out of ownership for a token payment.The drama echoes the recent controversy involving microbusiness cannabis licenses, where&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">some applicants&nbsp;thought they were partnering with a Michigan investor</a>&nbsp;but signed agreements that forced them to relinquish all control and profits of the business.&nbsp;Henry Elster, attorney for Daniel Altmann, said he couldn’t comment on the pending litigation. Wolf’s attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.&nbsp; Jeffrey Altmann declined to comment.<h2>How they met</h2>The way Wolf tells the story in his complaint, he was exploring business opportunities in Missouri in June 2019 when he was introduced to Jeffrey Altmann as a lobbyist.“Jeffrey Altmann aggressively markets himself and his supposed influence on Missouri lawmakers and regulators,” states the complaint Wolf filed on April 4, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to Daniel Altmann’s counterclaim, an attorney with the cannabis law firm Vicente Sederberg (now called Vicente LLP) contacted Jeffrey on behalf of Wolf to “explore opening a medical marijuana lab in Missouri.”&nbsp;Jeffrey was a registered lobbyist in Missouri for Vicente Sederberg from March 2019 to March 2020, and had already worked with the firm to help another of its clients.At a meeting with Jeffrey, Wolf talked about his family’s business in New York, Contract Pharmaceutical Corp., where he’s been CEO for the last 17 years. Wolf told Jeffrey that he wanted to establish cannabis labs in multiple states using the name Botannis, according to Daniel’s counterclaim.&nbsp;That same day of that meeting, Jeffrey registered as a lobbyist for Botannis and “began actively working on behalf of Wolf and Botannis to obtain one or more marijuana licenses in Missouri,” the counterclaim states.&nbsp;At that point, Jeffrey felt like he was “part of the Botannis team,” it states, and that the law firm Vicente Sederberg was representing him as well.&nbsp;In July, Jeffrey and Wolf officially decided to partner together on a testing license application. Yet by the end of that month, there was some “uncertainty” regarding Jeffrey’s eligibility under state law to be on the application, Daniel’s claim states.So, they recruited Daniel, who had just graduated from college and had also recently been a legislative liaison for Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.&nbsp;“Wolf thoroughly vetted Daniel as to his knowledge, experience and credentials, including his positions with the Missouri Secretary of State,” according to Daniel’s petition.Wolf said he “tentatively agreed to this substitution” in order to apply for the license.“Mindful that he would be potentially contributing capital and expertise — while the recently graduated Daniel Altmann was contributing merely state residency,” the petition states, “Wolf made clear that the parties would have to agree to protections reflecting Wolf’s potential investment, were Botannis to obtain a license and the business to go forward.”<h2>Where it all broke down</h2>If it wasn’t clear to the brothers at the time that Wolf saw Daniel as “contributing merely state residency,” it became clear the day the team landed the marijuana license on Dec. 18, 2019.That day, a Vicente attorney sent Daniel an email with an option agreement. It offered Daniel $1,000 to agree to sell enough shares of the company to give Wolf majority ownership — if Missouri’s residency requirement was ever changed. And that arrangement would be intact for 15 years.&nbsp;He also sent a revised copy of the bylaws that would add Wolf’s brother as a director — giving Matt and his brother majority voting power with only three directors.Wolf viewed these moves as a way to protect his investment and intellectual property, his petition states.Daniel’s response was delayed because he said he was on vacation and was recovering from an illness, according to Wolf’s petition.At the end of January, Daniel responded that he read the documents and was feeling “optimistic,” the petition states, but that he wanted his attorney to review the documents.Then on Feb. 4, 2020, Jeffrey emailed the Vicente attorney, stating: “My brother won’t be signing anything you have provided, and I think you know why. Nice try, but no thanks…Very disappointed, and hoping this was a miscommunication we can fix.”Signing the documents, according to Daniel’s counterclaim, would mean he’d lose control of Botannis immediately if the law changed and it’d render his shares “effectively worthless.”Daniel alleges Wolf refused to do anything for the company until he signed the documents.Wolf argues he offered to make revisions to the bylaws and shareholders agreement, but the option agreement is not among the revised documents listed. Communication fizzled for about a year after that.On Feb. 9, 2021, Jeffrey emailed Wolf stating that he was reviewing the documents with his attorney. He later sent back some marked-up versions of the shareholders agreement and bylaws.But on March 2, 2021, the state revoked Botannis’ license.<h2>Wolf’s commitment</h2>In his lawsuit, Wolf denies that he ever had any obligation to Daniel “or to anyone to provide capital to, or to provide services on behalf of, Botannis.”He admits that he signed an affidavit included in the state’s license application stating that he’d make a “revocable pledge” of $400,000 to “successfully carry out the activities described in the application.”&nbsp;&nbsp;But he emphasized that it was “revocable” in his lawsuit.The Independent asked cannabis regulators if they would’ve approved the license if Wolf’s $400,000 pledge was contingent on the Missouri resident agreeing to sell his shares. Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said in an email: “It would depend on the details of the agreements at issue.”During early discussions with Jeffrey, Wolf sent an email stating he would make a funding commitment of $200,000 at close, $300,000 at licensing, $500,000 at first revenue.”But Wolf emphasized the email also states, “for discussion.”&nbsp;“No written agreements to which Daniel Altmann is a party impose on Wolf any obligation to provide funds to or to perform services on behalf of Botannis,” Wolf’s petition states.The attempt to reach a settlement fell aparted when Wolf demanded that Jeffrey be named in the settlement agreement, though Jeffrey isn’t named in the litigation. Jeffrey refused.&nbsp;When Daniel’s attorneys tried to force Wolf to sign the settlement agreement, a judge issued an order on Oct. 13 ruling that Wolf wasn’t obligated to do so.&nbsp;The litigation is ongoing.

Lawsuit reveals behind-the-scenes saga of failed Mo. marijuana testing lab

With the legalization of recreational marijuana in Missouri, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force will shift its focus to the education of youth. 

Commander of the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force Shawn Collie says education will be important, stating just because marijuana is legal, it doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful. 

Collie also questions what exactly the incentive was to legalize marijuana. 

"Unfortunately, a lot of times, and we always explain to people, when governments look at legalizing something there's probably a reason why, and it's not necessarily that they're looking at the people, but a lot of times they may be looking at that tax revenue," Collie tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr.  

"And so, when you're legalizing something for tax revenue, is that the best choice?" 

Collie says law enforcement hopes to prevent youth from thinking just because it's legal, they should have no restrictions on its use. 

With the legalization of recreational marijuana, Collie says while they aren't advocating for marijuana use, they are working to make sure people purchase from dispensaries 

"With that legalization we are trying to say hey look if you're deciding to use marijuana or going to use marijuana, just like with our adults, use the dispensaries," Collie explains. "The street dealers they have no type of government regulations to make sure that marijuana is still within the limits allowed under the law, you have no idea what it could be mixed with." 

Collie says even with the legalization of marijuana there are still many things that go into it, such as limits and where you can purchase, which is why education is important. 

The Buchanan County Drug Strike force is focused more on education than on enforcement when it comes to new drug trends.  

Collie says a typical trend is that as they see drugs pop up on the east and west coast, it eventually makes its way here. 

Collie says with these trends that's why the focus is more on education than enforcement. 

"Educating the youth, on our side we've really started to see drug abuse or experimentation with drugs and vape products at a younger age," Collie points out. "And so, we're working a lot with the school district, with the health department, the St. Joe Youth Alliance, in trying to educate the youth and making them aware of that." 

Collie says from there they also work a lot with the drug court program and treatment facilities about what they are seeing and educating them. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post With the legalization of recreational marijuana in Missouri, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force will shift its focus to the education of youth. Commander of the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force Shawn Collie says education will be important, stating just because marijuana is legal, it doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful. Collie also questions what exactly the incentive was to legalize marijuana. "Unfortunately, a lot of times, and we always explain to people, when governments look at legalizing something there's probably a reason why, and it's not necessarily that they're looking at the people, but a lot of times they may be looking at that tax revenue," Collie tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. "And so, when you're legalizing something for tax revenue, is that the best choice?" Collie says law enforcement hopes to prevent youth from thinking just because it's legal, they should have no restrictions on its use. With the legalization of recreational marijuana, Collie says while they aren't advocating for marijuana use, they are working to make sure people purchase from dispensaries "With that legalization we are trying to say hey look if you're deciding to use marijuana or going to use marijuana, just like with our adults, use the dispensaries," Collie explains. "The street dealers they have no type of government regulations to make sure that marijuana is still within the limits allowed under the law, you have no idea what it could be mixed with." Collie says even with the legalization of marijuana there are still many things that go into it, such as limits and where you can purchase, which is why education is important. The Buchanan County Drug Strike force is focused more on education than on enforcement when it comes to new drug trends. Collie says a typical trend is that as they see drugs pop up on the east and west coast, it eventually makes its way here. Collie says with these trends that's why the focus is more on education than enforcement. "Educating the youth, on our side we've really started to see drug abuse or experimentation with drugs and vape products at a younger age," Collie points out. "And so, we're working a lot with the school district, with the health department, the St. Joe Youth Alliance, in trying to educate the youth and making them aware of that." Collie says from there they also work a lot with the drug court program and treatment facilities about what they are seeing and educating them.

With the legalization of marijuana the focus in Buchanan County shifts to education

A St. Joseph native who has worked his way up
through the restaurant industry finds himself back in St. Joseph, at least for
one of his restaurants.

Scott Ford worked for Boston Market, Applebee’s,
and Goodcents before becoming CEO of Hawaiian Bros, which recently opened in
St. Joseph.

Ford says a key to Hawaiian Bros’ success is
keeping things simple, which helps in a variety of ways, including with
employees.

“So, when we’re training, we only have to explain
six different items to our new trainees. When we are experiencing new guests,
they only have six menu items to choose from,” Ford tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
“So, speed and simplicity at the point of ordering is there.”

Hawaiian Bros has had incredible growth going
from one restaurant to 50 in five years throughout the Midwest and Southwest.
Now a $135 million business, it is heading toward $250 million.

Ford first learned the restaurant business
working for his father at Ford’s Drive In on Lake Avenue. He says the lessons
learned there have helped him throughout his career. Ford returned to St.
Joseph to speak about his experiences during the Small Business Summit
sponsored by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. He says it was good to be
back.

“Really fun to see a lot of familiar faces, a lot
of people I haven’t seen in a long time. So, very excited to do that. Really
appreciate the great turnout here and the support of the community for our
restaurant. Very excited for that as well,” Ford says. “It was exciting.”

Ford says that one key to be successful in the
restaurant business is to concentrate on your customers.

“If I was going to tell anybody, it’s very, very
simple:&nbsp; every guest leaves happy. Every guest
leaves happy,” Ford emphasizes. “It’s so much harder to go out and get new
guests than it is to retain the ones you have and every time you add a new one
you want it to grow your business.”

Ford says St. Joseph fits Hawaiian Bros’ profile,
adding his personal tie to St. Joseph influenced the decision to locate here.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700061683133.jpeg" alt="Hawaiian Bros in St. Joseph/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Hawaiian Bros in St. Joseph/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA St. Joseph native who has worked his way up
through the restaurant industry finds himself back in St. Joseph, at least for
one of his restaurants.Scott Ford worked for Boston Market, Applebee’s,
and Goodcents before becoming CEO of Hawaiian Bros, which recently opened in
St. Joseph.Ford says a key to Hawaiian Bros’ success is
keeping things simple, which helps in a variety of ways, including with
employees.“So, when we’re training, we only have to explain
six different items to our new trainees. When we are experiencing new guests,
they only have six menu items to choose from,” Ford tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
“So, speed and simplicity at the point of ordering is there.”Hawaiian Bros has had incredible growth going
from one restaurant to 50 in five years throughout the Midwest and Southwest.
Now a $135 million business, it is heading toward $250 million.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700061763455.jpeg" alt="Scott Ford speaks at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Scott Ford speaks at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>Ford first learned the restaurant business
working for his father at Ford’s Drive In on Lake Avenue. He says the lessons
learned there have helped him throughout his career. Ford returned to St.
Joseph to speak about his experiences during the Small Business Summit
sponsored by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. He says it was good to be
back.“Really fun to see a lot of familiar faces, a lot
of people I haven’t seen in a long time. So, very excited to do that. Really
appreciate the great turnout here and the support of the community for our
restaurant. Very excited for that as well,” Ford says. “It was exciting.”Ford says that one key to be successful in the
restaurant business is to concentrate on your customers.“If I was going to tell anybody, it’s very, very
simple:&nbsp; every guest leaves happy. Every guest
leaves happy,” Ford emphasizes. “It’s so much harder to go out and get new
guests than it is to retain the ones you have and every time you add a new one
you want it to grow your business.”Ford says St. Joseph fits Hawaiian Bros’ profile,
adding his personal tie to St. Joseph influenced the decision to locate here.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/A-St--Joseph-native-is-the-CEO-of-the-new-Hawaiian-Bros--St--Joseph-location-e2bvsb0" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

St. Joseph native says success of Hawaiian Bros is simple

Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports his department is
investigating the death of a jail inmate who died about an hour after staff
found him attempting to harm himself.

Puett, in a news release, says staff discovered 68-year-old
Edward D. Carrico attempting to harm himself around 7:30 Tuesday morning.
Deputies and medical staff began lifesaving measures until emergency medical
personnel arrived. Lifesaving measures continued as the inmate was taken to the
hospital, but the measures proved unsuccessful. Carrico died at approximately 8:25.

Carrico was charged with 2nd Degree Statutory
Sodomy.

An autopsy has been ordered. The investigation continues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692655887126.jpeg" alt="Edward Carrico/Buchanan County Sheriff's Dept. photo" />
 <figcaption>Edward Carrico/Buchanan County Sheriff's Dept. photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostBuchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports his department is
investigating the death of a jail inmate who died about an hour after staff
found him attempting to harm himself.Puett, in a news release, says staff discovered 68-year-old
Edward D. Carrico attempting to harm himself around 7:30 Tuesday morning.
Deputies and medical staff began lifesaving measures until emergency medical
personnel arrived. Lifesaving measures continued as the inmate was taken to the
hospital, but the measures proved unsuccessful. Carrico died at approximately 8:25.Carrico was charged with 2nd Degree Statutory
Sodomy.An autopsy has been ordered. The investigation continues.

Buchanan County investigating inmate death

DAVIES COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 7a.m. Wednesday in Davies County

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Advance concrete mixer driven by Jeffrey L. Behen, 53, Trenton, was southbound on MO 13 at Sunset two miles south of Gallatin.

DAVIES COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 7a.m. Wednesday in Davies CountyThe Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Advance concrete mixer driven by Jeffrey L. Behen, 53, Trenton, was southbound on MO 13 at Sunset two miles south of Gallatin.The vehicle rear-ended a 2000 Toyota Tundra driven by John L. Hursman, 61, Kidder, that had slowed to make a left turn.&nbsp; After impact the SUV crossed the center line, traveled off the road and struck a ditch.A private party transported Hursman to Cameron Regional Medical Center. Behen was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

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