Ahead of the first snowfall of the year, the Missouri Department of Transportation is beginning to get ready for snow plowing season.  

District Engineer Marty Liles says the winter weather drill conducted today was the first drill of the year to get ready before the first snowfall. 

"This is the best time for us to get our trucks out there and get the drivers acclimated back to driving those vehicles and those trucks," Liles tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "I mean you think about once you put a 12-to-14-foot plow on those trucks, they operate differently and they handle differently because of that, and they're wider." 

Liles says this is also a drill to get those newer snowplow drivers training and get them familiar with routes they will be driving during snow events.  

Liles says it can be hard to simulate what the routes will be like during a snow event, because once snow is on the ground it's the real deal 

"There could be several inches of snow, it could be ice, it could be wind, it could be white outs and things like that very difficult for them to see, and then you've got all those things to look out for plus the traveling public," Liles explains. "The purpose of this is really the start of the process, to get them familiar with it really before the snow actually happens." 

Liles says once the first snowfall does happen there will be even more training for newer plow drivers to go through as they are actually plowing alongside a veteran driver. 

As MoDOT begins to prepare for snow, they are also still in need of more snowplow drivers.  

Liles says the department plows snow over 34,000 miles of roadway statewide, which takes close to 3,000 people to manage.  

Liles says if they were to have to shift into a 24-hour shift for snow management, right now they might not be able to do that.  

"So, we're down statewide around a couple hundred people at least just to try to man those trucks to get that done," Liles points out. "So, we know that if we have a snow event that's going to last for over 12 hours, we get into a 24-hour situation, we may not be able to manage all those trucks unless we can get some more people hired." 

Liles says the hardest part of training those new drivers is getting them used to the trucks, which as soon as they get their CDL license they can then join crews out on the roads to start learning. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697743878719.jpeg" alt="Snow plows were out and about for the first time on Thursday during MoDOTs annual winter weather drill/ Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Transportation" />
 <figcaption>Snow plows were out and about for the first time on Thursday during MoDOTs annual winter weather drill/ Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Transportation</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Ahead of the first snowfall of the year, the Missouri Department of Transportation is beginning to get ready for snow plowing season. District Engineer Marty Liles says the winter weather drill conducted today was the first drill of the year to get ready before the first snowfall. "This is the best time for us to get our trucks out there and get the drivers acclimated back to driving those vehicles and those trucks," Liles tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "I mean you think about once you put a 12-to-14-foot plow on those trucks, they operate differently and they handle differently because of that, and they're wider." Liles says this is also a drill to get those newer snowplow drivers training and get them familiar with routes they will be driving during snow events. Liles says it can be hard to simulate what the routes will be like during a snow event, because once snow is on the ground it's the real deal "There could be several inches of snow, it could be ice, it could be wind, it could be white outs and things like that very difficult for them to see, and then you've got all those things to look out for plus the traveling public," Liles explains. "The purpose of this is really the start of the process, to get them familiar with it really before the snow actually happens." Liles says once the first snowfall does happen there will be even more training for newer plow drivers to go through as they are actually plowing alongside a veteran driver. As MoDOT begins to prepare for snow, they are also still in need of more snowplow drivers. Liles says the department plows snow over 34,000 miles of roadway statewide, which takes close to 3,000 people to manage. Liles says if they were to have to shift into a 24-hour shift for snow management, right now they might not be able to do that. "So, we're down statewide around a couple hundred people at least just to try to man those trucks to get that done," Liles points out. "So, we know that if we have a snow event that's going to last for over 12 hours, we get into a 24-hour situation, we may not be able to manage all those trucks unless we can get some more people hired." Liles says the hardest part of training those new drivers is getting them used to the trucks, which as soon as they get their CDL license they can then join crews out on the roads to start learning.

MoDOT beginning preperations for snow with annual winter weather drill

A St. Joseph woman was sentenced in federal court today (Thursday) for using the stolen identities of prison inmates to fraudulently obtain federal unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

39-year-old Brooke Stewart was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Stewart to pay over 139-thousand dollars in restitution to the Missouri Department of Employment Security as well as a $50 fine.

Stewart pleaded guilty this past May to one count of stealing government funds. She admitted to facilitating the filing of false claims for unemployment benefits by using the stolen I.D. of five people who were incarcerated in state or federal prison.

Stewart also fraudulently received federal unemployment benefits in her own name as well as another person.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653823187015.jpeg" alt="Brooke Stewart." />
 <figcaption>Brooke Stewart.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostA St. Joseph woman was sentenced in federal court today (Thursday) for using the stolen identities of prison inmates to fraudulently obtain federal unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.39-year-old Brooke Stewart was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Stewart to pay over 139-thousand dollars in restitution to the Missouri Department of Employment Security as well as a $50 fine.Stewart pleaded guilty this past May to one count of stealing government funds. She admitted to facilitating the filing of false claims for unemployment benefits by using the stolen I.D. of five people who were incarcerated in state or federal prison.Stewart also fraudulently received federal unemployment benefits in her own name as well as another person.

St. Joseph woman sentenced for COVID unemployment fraud scheme

Officials with the St. Joseph Police Department are urging residents to use the TIPS hotline to report crimes after seeing a severe decline in usage.  

Officer Greg Lewis, an evidence technician, says when the TIPS hotline launched the department received an average of 50 calls a month, but lately that's dropped to around 20 to 25 a month. 

Lewis says he thinks a lot of that decline can be attributed to social media. 

"These days there's a lot of Facebook pages that are crime catch pages, and a lot of that information that normally in the past would have went through the TIPS hotline, information someone might have had,  they see someone post something on Facebook or whatever, so they just add to that post and put information there," Lewis tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. 

Police Chief Paul Luster says there's a misconception that the department constantly has someone monitoring those pages on social media. 

"We don't, we don't have the personnel for that and the validity of a lot of that information can be questioned very easily and it's not considered a great source when we're trying to make a criminal case against somebody," Luster explains. 

Luster says it's not accurate for residents to think that because they put something on social media his officers saw it 

"The TIPS hotline or the online platform is much more preferred by us," Luster says. 

Luster says getting reports through the hotline from residents also helps his department work more efficiently in investigations. 

Lewis says a post to a crime stopper page on Facebook is no substitute to using the TIPS line. 

"We'd love nothing more than to get the information out to the public to use the 238-TIPS hotline, love to see our numbers get back up to where they were 10, 15, 20 years ago when we were getting 50 plus tips a month," Lewis says. "Would like to pay rewards." 

The Greater St. Joseph Crime Stoppers do offer rewards to residents who use the TIPS hotline of up to $1,000, which Lewis reminds residents you won't get on Facebook. 

There are options to utilize the TIPS hotline, including calling 238-TIPS, going online to P3TIPS.com or by downloading the P3 TIPS app on your phone. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Officials with the St. Joseph Police Department are urging residents to use the TIPS hotline to report crimes after seeing a severe decline in usage. Officer Greg Lewis, an evidence technician, says when the TIPS hotline launched the department received an average of 50 calls a month, but lately that's dropped to around 20 to 25 a month. Lewis says he thinks a lot of that decline can be attributed to social media. "These days there's a lot of Facebook pages that are crime catch pages, and a lot of that information that normally in the past would have went through the TIPS hotline, information someone might have had, they see someone post something on Facebook or whatever, so they just add to that post and put information there," Lewis tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. Police Chief Paul Luster says there's a misconception that the department constantly has someone monitoring those pages on social media. "We don't, we don't have the personnel for that and the validity of a lot of that information can be questioned very easily and it's not considered a great source when we're trying to make a criminal case against somebody," Luster explains. Luster says it's not accurate for residents to think that because they put something on social media his officers saw it "The TIPS hotline or the online platform is much more preferred by us," Luster says. Luster says getting reports through the hotline from residents also helps his department work more efficiently in investigations. Lewis says a post to a crime stopper page on Facebook is no substitute to using the TIPS line. "We'd love nothing more than to get the information out to the public to use the 238-TIPS hotline, love to see our numbers get back up to where they were 10, 15, 20 years ago when we were getting 50 plus tips a month," Lewis says. "Would like to pay rewards." The Greater St. Joseph Crime Stoppers do offer rewards to residents who use the TIPS hotline of up to $1,000, which Lewis reminds residents you won't get on Facebook. There are options to utilize the TIPS hotline, including calling 238-TIPS, going online to P3TIPS.com or by downloading the P3 TIPS app on your phone.

St. Joseph Police urging residents to use TIPS hotline after seeing massive user decrease

Lawmakers Wednesday announce the reintroduction of the Adopt GREET Act. 

The legislation is a bipartisan bill directing the Environmental Protection Agency to update its greenhouse gas modeling for ethanol and biodiesel. 

Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa, John Thune of South Dakota, and Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar introduced the legislation. 

Grassley says, "My colleagues and I are working to empower the innovation stemming from our energy and agricultural communities, and get federal emissions testing up to speed with private sector producers." 

The Adopt GREET Act would require the EPA to apply the Argonne National Lab's "Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Transportation" or GREET Model to energy commodities under the Renewable Fuel Standard. 

It would hold EPA accountable by ensuring the agency updates its modeling every five years. The EPA would need to report to Congress either affirming its modeling is current or explaining why no updates were made.

Lawmakers Wednesday announce the reintroduction of the Adopt GREET Act. The legislation is a bipartisan bill directing the Environmental Protection Agency to update its greenhouse gas modeling for ethanol and biodiesel. Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa, John Thune of South Dakota, and Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar introduced the legislation. Grassley says, "My colleagues and I are working to empower the innovation stemming from our energy and agricultural communities, and get federal emissions testing up to speed with private sector producers." The Adopt GREET Act would require the EPA to apply the Argonne National Lab's "Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Transportation" or GREET Model to energy commodities under the Renewable Fuel Standard. It would hold EPA accountable by ensuring the agency updates its modeling every five years. The EPA would need to report to Congress either affirming its modeling is current or explaining why no updates were made.- NAFB

Lawmakers reintroduce the adopt GREET Act

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin this week ordered Syngenta to divest its ownership of approximately 160 acres in the state. 

Griffin also imposed a civil penalty of $280,000 for failure to timely report foreign ownership by the Chinese state-owned company. 

The land in question is owned by Northrup King Seed Co., a subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds, LLC, which is ultimately owned by China National Chemical Company, known as ChemChina. 

Griffin says, "I am ordering ChemChina, as a 'prohibited foreign-party-controlled business' to divest this land within two years, or I will commence an enforcement action in Craighead County circuit court." 

Under Arkansas Act 636, state law bars a "prohibited foreign-party-controlled business" from acquiring or holding public or private land in Arkansas either directly or through affiliated parties. 

In March 2022, Syngenta Seeds, LLC submitted paperwork to USDA regarding the property under the federal Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, stating that "ultimately, the foreign person that holds indirectly a significant interest in the person owning the land is from China."

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin this week ordered Syngenta to divest its ownership of approximately 160 acres in the state. Griffin also imposed a civil penalty of $280,000 for failure to timely report foreign ownership by the Chinese state-owned company. The land in question is owned by Northrup King Seed Co., a subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds, LLC, which is ultimately owned by China National Chemical Company, known as ChemChina. Griffin says, "I am ordering ChemChina, as a 'prohibited foreign-party-controlled business' to divest this land within two years, or I will commence an enforcement action in Craighead County circuit court." Under Arkansas Act 636, state law bars a "prohibited foreign-party-controlled business" from acquiring or holding public or private land in Arkansas either directly or through affiliated parties. In March 2022, Syngenta Seeds, LLC submitted paperwork to USDA regarding the property under the federal Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, stating that "ultimately, the foreign person that holds indirectly a significant interest in the person owning the land is from China."- NAFB

Arkansas orders Syngenta to sell farmland

An investigation is ongoing into a suspicious device found in the back of a St. Joseph truck Wednesday evening. 

St. Joseph Police responded Wednesday evening just before 4:30 to a call about a suspicious device as 2420 Frederick Avenue.   

Officers responded and made a perimeter around the location.  The Kansas City Police Department Bomb Squad assisted in collecting the device and transporting it to a lab for further analysis.  

The investigation into the origin of the device is ongoing. 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostAn investigation is ongoing into a suspicious device found in the back of a St. Joseph truck Wednesday evening. St. Joseph Police responded Wednesday evening just before 4:30 to a call about a suspicious device as 2420 Frederick Avenue. Officers responded and made a perimeter around the location. The Kansas City Police Department Bomb Squad assisted in collecting the device and transporting it to a lab for further analysis. The investigation into the origin of the device is ongoing.

St. Joseph Police investigating suspicious device found in St. Joseph truck 

ATCHISON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 5a.m. Thursday in Atchison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Peterbilt semi driven by Mohamed Abdirahman, 31, Omaha, was northbound on Interstate 29 just south of the Rock Port exit.

The semi traveled off the right side of the road struck the towed unit of a 2019 GMC 3500 driven by Luis A. Gonzalez, 34, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, that was parked on the north shoulder of the highway.

Atchison Holt ambulance transported Abdirahman to Grape Hospital. Gonzalez was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

ATCHISON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 5a.m. Thursday in Atchison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Peterbilt semi driven by Mohamed Abdirahman, 31, Omaha, was northbound on Interstate 29 just south of the Rock Port exit.The semi traveled off the right side of the road struck the towed unit of a 2019 GMC 3500 driven by Luis A. Gonzalez, 34, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, that was parked on the north shoulder of the highway.Atchison Holt ambulance transported Abdirahman to Grape Hospital. Gonzalez was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Semi driver injured after rear-end crash

The Secretary of State would not say whether he intends to participate in oral arguments set for Oct. 30 before the Court of Appeals

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

There is a new member of the legal team defending the ballot language Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft wrote for proposed initiatives that would add abortion rights to the Missouri Constitution – Ashcroft himself.

Ashcroft, who was an engineer by trade until earning his law degree in 2008, rarely appeared in court on behalf of clients, he said in an interview with The Independent on Wednesday. He will be in court Oct. 30, when the Western District Court of Appeals in Kansas City hears arguments in the case, but said he won’t disclose whether he will take an active role in the hearing.

“That’s something that we’ll decide internally and it’s really not something I necessarily want to let the opposition know about before the trial date,” Ashcroft said.

Ashcfroft is appealing the Sept. 25 ruling that the ballot language he wrote for six proposed constitutional amendments&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/judge-rejects-rewrites-summary-for-missouri-abortion-initiative-petition/">was biased</a>. Petitions must have an approved ballot title before signatures can be gathered.

In the decision that rewrote the ballot language, Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem concluded&nbsp; that “certain phrases included in the secretary’s summary are problematic in that they are argumentative or do not fairly describe the purposes or probable effect of the initiative.”&nbsp;

The appeal will be argued before a panel of three judges, with a hearing immediately afterward before a separate panel of judges on the appeal of Beetem’s ruling upholding the financial summary that is also part of the ballot language.

His decision to add his name to the list of attorneys working on the case is not a criticism of Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s team assigned to the case, Ashcroft said.

“It is not something I do lightly,” Ashcroft said. “It is not, in any way, meant to say anything about the representation the attorney general’s office has provided.”

Ashcroft’s name, along with attorneys Josh Divine and Samuel Freedlund of the attorney general’s office, is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Appellants%20Brief.PDF?courtCode=WA&amp;di=437830">on the appeal brief filed Oct. 11</a>. In it, they argue that Beetem exceeded his authority by completely rewriting the ballot summaries for six initiatives. They also wrote that he failed to properly explain his reason for doing so.

“Indeed, in doing so, the trial court performed an executive function, placing serious stress on fundamental principles of separation of powers, and the trial court’s own language is both insufficient and unfair,” they wrote.

Anna Fitz-James, a St. Louis physician, filed 11 versions of the proposal with Ashcroft’s office in March on behalf of a political action committee called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom.&nbsp;

Once a ballot title is finalized for the six summaries challenged in the court case, one petition will be chosen for signature-gathering to make the 2024 ballot.

The ACLU of Missouri is representing Fitz-James and on Wednesday filed its brief on her behalf.&nbsp;

In his ruling, Beetem wrote that the problematic phrases Ashcroft used in his summary, which must be 100 words or less, include statements that the initiatives would allow “dangerous, unregulated and unrestricted abortions,” that abortion would be allowed “from conception to live birth” and could be performed by anyone “without requiring a medical license” or “potentially being subject to medical malpractice.”

The ACLU is asking the Western District judges&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Brief%20of%20Respondent%20Dr%20Anna%20Fitz-James.PDF?courtCode=WA&amp;di=438531">to uphold Beetem’s ruling</a>.

“Rather than providing nonargumentative, nonprejudicial, nonbiased summary statements, the Secretary takes a side in the debate and saturates the statements with moral frames favoring his opinion,” ACLU attorney Tony Rothert wrote. “Voters are entitled to a summary statement that is not argumentative.”

With the filing, all but one of the expected documents due before the Oct. 30 hearing is in the court’s hands. The court has also receive amicus briefs from the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Brief%20of%20The%20League%20of%20Women%20Voters%20of%20Missouri%20as%20Amicus%20Curiae.PDF?courtCode=WA&amp;di=438528">League of Women Voters</a>, represented by former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Wolff, which want Beetem’s decision upheld, and state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Brief%20of%20Amicus%20Curiae.PDF?courtCode=WA&amp;di=438010">Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin</a>, R-Shelbina and represented by attorney Ed Greim, who wants the court to reverse Beetem.

Much of Ashcroft’s brief deals with what would happen to Missouri’s extensive laws regulating abortion if one of the initiatives passes.

Abortion became&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/25/abortion-is-illegal-in-missouri-providers-look-to-next-frontier-to-ensure-access/">illegal in Missouri in June 2022</a>&nbsp;when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that recognized a constitutional right to abortion. The only exception is for emergency abortions to save the life of the mother or when there is “a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.”

Prior to that time, heavy regulation had reduced the number abortion providers to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/state/2020/06/26/after-yearlong-fight-missouris-lone-abortion-clinic-gets-its-license-renewed/113703906/">single clinic in St. Louis</a>&nbsp;affiliated with Planned Parenthood. Before obtaining an abortion, a woman had to visit the clinic, receive state-mandated material on fetal development and alternatives to abortion, and then return after 72 hours for medication or, for later abortions, a medical procedure.

While some of the proposals allow the state to regulate abortions after fetal viability or 24 weeks of gestation, the appeal brief from Ashcroft says other language means regulation of late abortions would be meaningless. An abortion would be legal if a medical professional determined it would improve the mother’s health, the brief states.

“Under Respondent’s petitions, simply asking a dermatologist to say that abortion might clear up acne would be a permission slip for abortion through all nine months of pregnancy,” the brief states.

That is an absurd argument, Rothert wrote. Nothing in the petitions would overturn any existing regulation but it would open those regulations to challenge to determine if they were truly intended to promote the woman’s health.

Ashcroft’s argument “provides no evidence that the good-faith-judgment requirement is not a sufficient safeguard against his predicted outcomes,” Rothert wrote.

By law, the process for filing an initiative proposal with Ashcroft’s office to having it ready for circulation should take no more than 56 days. The hearing Oct. 30 at the Court of Appeals is the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/20/missouri-supreme-court-rejects-ags-push-to-inflate-cost-of-abortion-rights-amendment/">second round of litigation</a>&nbsp;in the abortion case and has delayed signature gathering by seven months. It will be weeks before a decision and additional delays are likely with further appeals to the Missouri Supreme Court.

To make the 2024 ballot, backers must secure more than 170,000 signatures from registered voters by early May.

If it makes the ballot, voters at the same election could be deciding if Ashcroft becomes governor.

Ashcroft is the favorite in the race for the GOP nomination for many abortion foes. He received the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/gubernatorial-hopeful-jay-ashcroft-lands-key-endorsement-from-missouri-right-to-life/article_96b91ac2-257c-11ee-ac86-03b8a3fc3a06.html">endorsement of Missouri Right to Life</a>, the largest political organization opposed to abortion, over Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and state Sen. Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring, the other GOP candidates mounting major campaigns.

In discussions of how to present the arguments to the appeals court, Ashcroft said, he pushed to lean heavily on whether Beetem had the authority to completely rewrite the ballot summaries.

“I was just incredulous that the court would just wave their magic wand,” he said. “If the court believes there are changes or problems or you name it, it is right for the court to say that, but it is incumbent upon the court to explain why. We are not ruled by kings.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697719125871.png" alt="Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft speaks during a campaign stop Oct. 27, 2020, in Columbia (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft speaks during a campaign stop Oct. 27, 2020, in Columbia (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Secretary of State would not say whether he intends to participate in oral arguments set for Oct. 30 before the Court of Appeals</h2>By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>There is a new member of the legal team defending the ballot language Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft wrote for proposed initiatives that would add abortion rights to the Missouri Constitution – Ashcroft himself.Ashcroft, who was an engineer by trade until earning his law degree in 2008, rarely appeared in court on behalf of clients, he said in an interview with The Independent on Wednesday. He will be in court Oct. 30, when the Western District Court of Appeals in Kansas City hears arguments in the case, but said he won’t disclose whether he will take an active role in the hearing.“That’s something that we’ll decide internally and it’s really not something I necessarily want to let the opposition know about before the trial date,” Ashcroft said.Ashcfroft is appealing the Sept. 25 ruling that the ballot language he wrote for six proposed constitutional amendments&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/judge-rejects-rewrites-summary-for-missouri-abortion-initiative-petition/">was biased</a>. Petitions must have an approved ballot title before signatures can be gathered.In the decision that rewrote the ballot language, Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem concluded&nbsp; that “certain phrases included in the secretary’s summary are problematic in that they are argumentative or do not fairly describe the purposes or probable effect of the initiative.”&nbsp;The appeal will be argued before a panel of three judges, with a hearing immediately afterward before a separate panel of judges on the appeal of Beetem’s ruling upholding the financial summary that is also part of the ballot language.His decision to add his name to the list of attorneys working on the case is not a criticism of Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s team assigned to the case, Ashcroft said.“It is not something I do lightly,” Ashcroft said. “It is not, in any way, meant to say anything about the representation the attorney general’s office has provided.”Ashcroft’s name, along with attorneys Josh Divine and Samuel Freedlund of the attorney general’s office, is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Appellants%20Brief.PDF?courtCode=WA&amp;di=437830">on the appeal brief filed Oct. 11</a>. In it, they argue that Beetem exceeded his authority by completely rewriting the ballot summaries for six initiatives. They also wrote that he failed to properly explain his reason for doing so.“Indeed, in doing so, the trial court performed an executive function, placing serious stress on fundamental principles of separation of powers, and the trial court’s own language is both insufficient and unfair,” they wrote.Anna Fitz-James, a St. Louis physician, filed 11 versions of the proposal with Ashcroft’s office in March on behalf of a political action committee called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom.&nbsp;Once a ballot title is finalized for the six summaries challenged in the court case, one petition will be chosen for signature-gathering to make the 2024 ballot.The ACLU of Missouri is representing Fitz-James and on Wednesday filed its brief on her behalf.&nbsp;In his ruling, Beetem wrote that the problematic phrases Ashcroft used in his summary, which must be 100 words or less, include statements that the initiatives would allow “dangerous, unregulated and unrestricted abortions,” that abortion would be allowed “from conception to live birth” and could be performed by anyone “without requiring a medical license” or “potentially being subject to medical malpractice.”The ACLU is asking the Western District judges&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Brief%20of%20Respondent%20Dr%20Anna%20Fitz-James.PDF?courtCode=WA&amp;di=438531">to uphold Beetem’s ruling</a>.“Rather than providing nonargumentative, nonprejudicial, nonbiased summary statements, the Secretary takes a side in the debate and saturates the statements with moral frames favoring his opinion,” ACLU attorney Tony Rothert wrote. “Voters are entitled to a summary statement that is not argumentative.”With the filing, all but one of the expected documents due before the Oct. 30 hearing is in the court’s hands. The court has also receive amicus briefs from the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Brief%20of%20The%20League%20of%20Women%20Voters%20of%20Missouri%20as%20Amicus%20Curiae.PDF?courtCode=WA&amp;di=438528">League of Women Voters</a>, represented by former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Wolff, which want Beetem’s decision upheld, and state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Brief%20of%20Amicus%20Curiae.PDF?courtCode=WA&amp;di=438010">Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin</a>, R-Shelbina and represented by attorney Ed Greim, who wants the court to reverse Beetem.Much of Ashcroft’s brief deals with what would happen to Missouri’s extensive laws regulating abortion if one of the initiatives passes.Abortion became&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/25/abortion-is-illegal-in-missouri-providers-look-to-next-frontier-to-ensure-access/">illegal in Missouri in June 2022</a>&nbsp;when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that recognized a constitutional right to abortion. The only exception is for emergency abortions to save the life of the mother or when there is “a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.”Prior to that time, heavy regulation had reduced the number abortion providers to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/state/2020/06/26/after-yearlong-fight-missouris-lone-abortion-clinic-gets-its-license-renewed/113703906/">single clinic in St. Louis</a>&nbsp;affiliated with Planned Parenthood. Before obtaining an abortion, a woman had to visit the clinic, receive state-mandated material on fetal development and alternatives to abortion, and then return after 72 hours for medication or, for later abortions, a medical procedure.While some of the proposals allow the state to regulate abortions after fetal viability or 24 weeks of gestation, the appeal brief from Ashcroft says other language means regulation of late abortions would be meaningless. An abortion would be legal if a medical professional determined it would improve the mother’s health, the brief states.“Under Respondent’s petitions, simply asking a dermatologist to say that abortion might clear up acne would be a permission slip for abortion through all nine months of pregnancy,” the brief states.That is an absurd argument, Rothert wrote. Nothing in the petitions would overturn any existing regulation but it would open those regulations to challenge to determine if they were truly intended to promote the woman’s health.Ashcroft’s argument “provides no evidence that the good-faith-judgment requirement is not a sufficient safeguard against his predicted outcomes,” Rothert wrote.By law, the process for filing an initiative proposal with Ashcroft’s office to having it ready for circulation should take no more than 56 days. The hearing Oct. 30 at the Court of Appeals is the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/20/missouri-supreme-court-rejects-ags-push-to-inflate-cost-of-abortion-rights-amendment/">second round of litigation</a>&nbsp;in the abortion case and has delayed signature gathering by seven months. It will be weeks before a decision and additional delays are likely with further appeals to the Missouri Supreme Court.To make the 2024 ballot, backers must secure more than 170,000 signatures from registered voters by early May.If it makes the ballot, voters at the same election could be deciding if Ashcroft becomes governor.Ashcroft is the favorite in the race for the GOP nomination for many abortion foes. He received the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/gubernatorial-hopeful-jay-ashcroft-lands-key-endorsement-from-missouri-right-to-life/article_96b91ac2-257c-11ee-ac86-03b8a3fc3a06.html">endorsement of Missouri Right to Life</a>, the largest political organization opposed to abortion, over Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and state Sen. Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring, the other GOP candidates mounting major campaigns.In discussions of how to present the arguments to the appeals court, Ashcroft said, he pushed to lean heavily on whether Beetem had the authority to completely rewrite the ballot summaries.“I was just incredulous that the court would just wave their magic wand,” he said. “If the court believes there are changes or problems or you name it, it is right for the court to say that, but it is incumbent upon the court to explain why. We are not ruled by kings.”

Sec. of State joins legal team defending his summary of Mo. abortion amendment

St. Joseph Police are investigating a shooting that left a man with a non-fatal gunshot wound to his leg.  

Police report that around 1:09 this (Thu.) morning they received a call from a resident reporting hearing eight to nine gunshots around South 11th and Atchison Street.  Around 1:20am they received a call from Mosaic Life Care about a man with a gunshot wound to his leg.  

The man reported to police that a car had been following his vehicle when the driver began shooting at his vehicle in the area where the gunshots were heard, identifying the shooter as an unidentified male  

There is no suspect at this time.  An investigation continues 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph Police are investigating a shooting that left a man with a non-fatal gunshot wound to his leg. Police report that around 1:09 this (Thu.) morning they received a call from a resident reporting hearing eight to nine gunshots around South 11th and Atchison Street. Around 1:20am they received a call from Mosaic Life Care about a man with a gunshot wound to his leg. The man reported to police that a car had been following his vehicle when the driver began shooting at his vehicle in the area where the gunshots were heard, identifying the shooter as an unidentified male There is no suspect at this time. An investigation continues

St. Joseph Police investigating shooting that left man with wound to leg

BROWN COUNTY —Two people weree injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Wednesday in Brown County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1996 Ford F250 driven by&nbsp;Arthur Melvin&nbsp; Wagoner, 27, Fairview, was&nbsp;Oregon Street at North 9th Street in Hiawatha.

The pickup rear-ended a 1995 Chevy Tahoe driven by Jacqueline E.&nbsp; Findley, 59, Broken Bow, Nebraska, who had stopped to allow a vehicle in front to turn.

EMS transported&nbsp; Findley and a passenger in the Tahoe Catherine E.&nbsp;Dehart, 59, Berwyn, Nebraska, to the Hiawatha Hospital.&nbsp; Wagoner was not wearing a seat belt but not injured, according to the KHP.

BROWN COUNTY —Two people weree injured in an accident just before 1p.m. Wednesday in Brown County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1996 Ford F250 driven by&nbsp;Arthur Melvin&nbsp; Wagoner, 27, Fairview, was&nbsp;Oregon Street at North 9th Street in Hiawatha.The pickup rear-ended a 1995 Chevy Tahoe driven by Jacqueline E.&nbsp; Findley, 59, Broken Bow, Nebraska, who had stopped to allow a vehicle in front to turn.EMS transported&nbsp; Findley and a passenger in the Tahoe Catherine E.&nbsp;Dehart, 59, Berwyn, Nebraska, to the Hiawatha Hospital.&nbsp; Wagoner was not wearing a seat belt but not injured, according to the KHP.

Two hospitalized after rear-end pickup, SUV crash

The Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art is getting into the holiday spirit as the annual Sugarplum Festival fundraiser returns for another year.  

Communications Manager Dansare Marks says the event is the museum's annual holiday fair. 

"We have 40 plus vendors who are all set up throughout the museum, and this will be entrepreneurs, crafters, artisans, small businesses, so this is the best way for everyone to start to shop local," Marks tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "To kind of get out of the big box businesses, get offline, and support our local makers." 

The event opens to the public on November 10th; however, Marks says a specialty ticket can be purchased for a preview party on the 9th.  

"That just gets you early access to all the vendors and kind of a special little evening," Marks explains.  

"You get to be the first one to see everything," Museum registrar Megan Benitz adds.   

"Yeah, and that also gets you some special parking, I think it gets you more general admission passes than just one, so we have all of those ticket packages available on our website if you're interested," Marks goes on to say. 

The festival runs at the museum through November 11th.  It features several local vendors, a silent auction and live musical performances throughout the event. 

With vendors ready to go, the museum is seeking one more thing, decorations.  

Marks says they are accepting donations of Lego builds from local artists 

"So, what we're trying to do is create a winter wonderland for our Sugarplum Festival coming up in November," Marks says. "And so, we want anyone, it doesn't have to be young people old people can participate too, build your winter wonderland Lego and bring that to the museum and we're hoping to create a beautiful scene for everyone to enjoy at the Sugarplum Festival." 

Marks asks that builds are dropped off at the museum with a name on them, and a best of show award will also be given. Lego builds must be dropped off by November 1st.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697648946043.jpeg" alt="The Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art is gearing up for it's biggest holiday fundraiser as the Sugarplum Festival takes over the museum in November/ Photo courtesy of the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art Facebook page" />
 <figcaption>The Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art is gearing up for it's biggest holiday fundraiser as the Sugarplum Festival takes over the museum in November/ Photo courtesy of the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art Facebook page</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art is getting into the holiday spirit as the annual Sugarplum Festival fundraiser returns for another year. Communications Manager Dansare Marks says the event is the museum's annual holiday fair. "We have 40 plus vendors who are all set up throughout the museum, and this will be entrepreneurs, crafters, artisans, small businesses, so this is the best way for everyone to start to shop local," Marks tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "To kind of get out of the big box businesses, get offline, and support our local makers." The event opens to the public on November 10th; however, Marks says a specialty ticket can be purchased for a preview party on the 9th. "That just gets you early access to all the vendors and kind of a special little evening," Marks explains. "You get to be the first one to see everything," Museum registrar Megan Benitz adds. "Yeah, and that also gets you some special parking, I think it gets you more general admission passes than just one, so we have all of those ticket packages available on our website if you're interested," Marks goes on to say. The festival runs at the museum through November 11th. It features several local vendors, a silent auction and live musical performances throughout the event. With vendors ready to go, the museum is seeking one more thing, decorations. Marks says they are accepting donations of Lego builds from local artists "So, what we're trying to do is create a winter wonderland for our Sugarplum Festival coming up in November," Marks says. "And so, we want anyone, it doesn't have to be young people old people can participate too, build your winter wonderland Lego and bring that to the museum and we're hoping to create a beautiful scene for everyone to enjoy at the Sugarplum Festival." Marks asks that builds are dropped off at the museum with a name on them, and a best of show award will also be given. Lego builds must be dropped off by November 1st.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697649194708.jpeg" alt="Vendors will be spread out all around the Albrecht Kemper during the Sugarplum Festival/ Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Vendors will be spread out all around the Albrecht Kemper during the Sugarplum Festival/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>

Holiday spirit will take over the Albrecht Kemper during Sugarplum Festival

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MI), along with 15 Senate colleagues, are challenging the EPA to abandon its proposed mitigation measures targeting 11 rodenticides. 

In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, the senators urged Regan to consult the businesses and individuals who rely on rodent control products when developing rules that affect their operations. 

“As written, the proposed mitigation measures will place severe restrictions on product users and result in crop damage and livestock loss, jeopardize the safety of the food supply, weaken public health protections, and make it more difficult for people to protect their homes and properties from rodents,” the letter says. 

The EPA’s proposed mitigation measures would classify most rodent control products as restricted-use pesticides and require users to become licensed, state-certified applicators. It would prohibit surface application methods for protecting crops and require growers to conduct carcass searches for two weeks after application.

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MI), along with 15 Senate colleagues, are challenging the EPA to abandon its proposed mitigation measures targeting 11 rodenticides. In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, the senators urged Regan to consult the businesses and individuals who rely on rodent control products when developing rules that affect their operations. “As written, the proposed mitigation measures will place severe restrictions on product users and result in crop damage and livestock loss, jeopardize the safety of the food supply, weaken public health protections, and make it more difficult for people to protect their homes and properties from rodents,” the letter says. The EPA’s proposed mitigation measures would classify most rodent control products as restricted-use pesticides and require users to become licensed, state-certified applicators. It would prohibit surface application methods for protecting crops and require growers to conduct carcass searches for two weeks after application.- NAFB

Senators challenge EPA rodenticide restrictions

Education department hopes to assist K-12 teachers control classroom behavior

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

Missouri’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/30/missouri-education-board-moves-forward-with-social-emotional-learning-standards/">proposed social-emotional-learning standards</a>&nbsp;are being refined to focus on student behavior after the State Board of Education reviewed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/16/missouri-education-board-set-to-discuss-social-emotional-learning-standards/">over 1,800 public comments</a>&nbsp;on the program.

Some board members referred to the current draft as a “beginning,” and the board decided not to vote on passing the standards during its meeting Tuesday.

The public was invited to comment on the department’s proposed social-emotional-learning standards in September. Although a majority of responses were positive, the State Board of Education decided to alter the state’s approach.

Chrissy Bashore, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s coordinator of school counseling and student wellness, said there was “a great deal of confusion around social emotional learning and what it means” — particularly as she read negative comments.

Positive comments were optimistic about potential mental-health gains for students, whereas negative comments told state officials that this was beyond their role.

“Kids belong to their parents, and parents have the right to educate their kids and the responsibility to see that their kids are well-educated,” one comment said.

Others complained that social-emotional learning, often abbreviated as SEL, sounds like diversity, equity and inclusion and accused the department of “indoctrination.”

“When conservatives hear social emotional learning,” Kimberly Bailey, a board member from Raymore, said during the meeting, “they think of the loaded-up, ideological version that you find in some places. That’s not what we’re trying to do.”

Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven suggested changing the word “standards” to “framework” to reiterate the optional nature of the state’s plan.

“They can choose to use the resource, or they can choose not to,” Board President Charlie Shields said. “They can develop their own frameworks.”

Board members said they were eager to provide a resource for teachers that want to address behavioral issues, but they wanted schools to have “local control” to create their own plans.

Shields said the SEL guidelines should assist teachers who feel overwhelmed by student behavior, likely helping the teacher retainment issue.

“Teachers are asking us for some level of expectation about the classroom environment,” he said.

Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, a board member from Pasadena Hills, suggested the state create a “portfolio of behavioral management resources.”

“This is an opportunity to not just focus on one thing but to take on that charge of being thought leaders and create that portfolio,” she said.

She wants to study other states’ resources to see what Missouri can offer educators.

Vandeven wondered how fruitful the study would be.

“The issue is states are implementing SEL standards or they are forbidding them,” Vandeven said. “This is a very divisive issue.”

Board member Kerry Casey, of Chesterfield, wanted to focus more on the standards and proposed renaming them to remove the “social-emotional learning” title.

“We are concerned about behavior in the classroom because that is what is certainly impacting our teacher retention and recruitment,” she said. “But it’s affecting the lives of our students and their ability to learn.”

Her proposed name would include “behavior” instead of emotions.

Shields said the name wouldn’t fit, for not every guideline addressed a behavior.

Other board members thought the public would be suspicious of a title change after the standards stirred controversy.

Vandeven was worried about the time to make larger changes Casey mentioned, pointing to the two DESE staff members working on the framework.

“There are two of them,” she said. “That will take all year.”

Vandeven also worried that some criticisms would persist even after edits.

“We have the potential of revisiting something, and we could find ourselves in the same place again,” she said.

Although they received harsh words from some community members, the board seemed to focus on the potential to help educators. The criticism was not the sole reason for making changes.

“The controversy doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to move forward,” Shields told the board.

The board reiterated the importance of creating a guide for student behavior and interactions.

Carol Hallquist, the board’s vice president, said those who want to reserve behavior as a parent’s responsibility may not see all the work educators do.

“The desenters said this is the job of the parent,” she said. “But it’s the job of the parent to feed them, and we’re doing that. It is the job of the parent to ensure that children have warm clothes to wear, but we’ve got clothes closets in schools.”

A handful of those in attendance at the meeting applauded.

Casey said districts who have implemented a similar program to the proposed standards have enviable results. She referenced Potosi R-III School District’s work implementing researchers’ methods.

“It not only benefited the teachers, but it benefited the students. It benefited the students in terms of academic outcomes, their behaviors and their success in life,” she said.

Christi Bergin, associate dean for research and innovation at the University of Missouri, helped create Potosi’s program. She is co-chair of the group creating Missouri’s framework.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697632105094.png" alt=" Chrissy Bashore, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's coordinator of school Ccunseling and student wellness, presents an update on social-emotional-learning standards Tuesday during the State Board of Education meeting (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Chrissy Bashore, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's coordinator of school Ccunseling and student wellness, presents an update on social-emotional-learning standards Tuesday during the State Board of Education meeting (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Education department hopes to assist K-12 teachers control classroom behavior</h2>By ANNELISE HANSHAW,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/30/missouri-education-board-moves-forward-with-social-emotional-learning-standards/">proposed social-emotional-learning standards</a>&nbsp;are being refined to focus on student behavior after the State Board of Education reviewed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/16/missouri-education-board-set-to-discuss-social-emotional-learning-standards/">over 1,800 public comments</a>&nbsp;on the program.Some board members referred to the current draft as a “beginning,” and the board decided not to vote on passing the standards during its meeting Tuesday.The public was invited to comment on the department’s proposed social-emotional-learning standards in September. Although a majority of responses were positive, the State Board of Education decided to alter the state’s approach.Chrissy Bashore, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s coordinator of school counseling and student wellness, said there was “a great deal of confusion around social emotional learning and what it means” — particularly as she read negative comments.Positive comments were optimistic about potential mental-health gains for students, whereas negative comments told state officials that this was beyond their role.“Kids belong to their parents, and parents have the right to educate their kids and the responsibility to see that their kids are well-educated,” one comment said.Others complained that social-emotional learning, often abbreviated as SEL, sounds like diversity, equity and inclusion and accused the department of “indoctrination.”“When conservatives hear social emotional learning,” Kimberly Bailey, a board member from Raymore, said during the meeting, “they think of the loaded-up, ideological version that you find in some places. That’s not what we’re trying to do.”Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven suggested changing the word “standards” to “framework” to reiterate the optional nature of the state’s plan.“They can choose to use the resource, or they can choose not to,” Board President Charlie Shields said. “They can develop their own frameworks.”Board members said they were eager to provide a resource for teachers that want to address behavioral issues, but they wanted schools to have “local control” to create their own plans.Shields said the SEL guidelines should assist teachers who feel overwhelmed by student behavior, likely helping the teacher retainment issue.“Teachers are asking us for some level of expectation about the classroom environment,” he said.Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, a board member from Pasadena Hills, suggested the state create a “portfolio of behavioral management resources.”“This is an opportunity to not just focus on one thing but to take on that charge of being thought leaders and create that portfolio,” she said.She wants to study other states’ resources to see what Missouri can offer educators.Vandeven wondered how fruitful the study would be.“The issue is states are implementing SEL standards or they are forbidding them,” Vandeven said. “This is a very divisive issue.”Board member Kerry Casey, of Chesterfield, wanted to focus more on the standards and proposed renaming them to remove the “social-emotional learning” title.“We are concerned about behavior in the classroom because that is what is certainly impacting our teacher retention and recruitment,” she said. “But it’s affecting the lives of our students and their ability to learn.”Her proposed name would include “behavior” instead of emotions.Shields said the name wouldn’t fit, for not every guideline addressed a behavior.Other board members thought the public would be suspicious of a title change after the standards stirred controversy.Vandeven was worried about the time to make larger changes Casey mentioned, pointing to the two DESE staff members working on the framework.“There are two of them,” she said. “That will take all year.”Vandeven also worried that some criticisms would persist even after edits.“We have the potential of revisiting something, and we could find ourselves in the same place again,” she said.Although they received harsh words from some community members, the board seemed to focus on the potential to help educators. The criticism was not the sole reason for making changes.“The controversy doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to move forward,” Shields told the board.The board reiterated the importance of creating a guide for student behavior and interactions.Carol Hallquist, the board’s vice president, said those who want to reserve behavior as a parent’s responsibility may not see all the work educators do.“The desenters said this is the job of the parent,” she said. “But it’s the job of the parent to feed them, and we’re doing that. It is the job of the parent to ensure that children have warm clothes to wear, but we’ve got clothes closets in schools.”A handful of those in attendance at the meeting applauded.Casey said districts who have implemented a similar program to the proposed standards have enviable results. She referenced Potosi R-III School District’s work implementing researchers’ methods.“It not only benefited the teachers, but it benefited the students. It benefited the students in terms of academic outcomes, their behaviors and their success in life,” she said.Christi Bergin, associate dean for research and innovation at the University of Missouri, helped create Potosi’s program. She is co-chair of the group creating Missouri’s framework.

Missouri Board of Education seeks to clarify social-emotional learning

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

On Monday, police arrested 22-year-old&nbsp;Silas E. D’Souza of Atchison in the 1000 block North 2nd Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

He remains in custody on requested charges of possession of an hallucinogenic drug, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697546863844.png" alt="D’Souza-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>D’Souza-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On Monday, police arrested 22-year-old&nbsp;Silas E. D’Souza of Atchison in the 1000 block North 2nd Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.He remains in custody on requested charges of possession of an hallucinogenic drug, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;

Kansas man jailed on drug possession allegations

BUCHANAN COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 11:30a.m. Tuesday in Buchanan County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Nissan Sentra driven by. Paul W. Mott, 33, St. Joseph, was southbound on Interstate 29 near downtown St. Joseph.

The car traveled off the east side of the road. The driver overcorrected. The car became airborne, struck the ground and came to rest off the west side of the road.

Buchanan County EMS transported Mott to Mosaic Life Care. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

BUCHANAN COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 11:30a.m. Tuesday in Buchanan County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Nissan Sentra driven by. Paul W. Mott, 33, St. Joseph, was southbound on Interstate 29 near downtown St. Joseph.The car traveled off the east side of the road. The driver overcorrected. The car became airborne, struck the ground and came to rest off the west side of the road.Buchanan County EMS transported Mott to Mosaic Life Care. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

St. Joseph man injured after car goes airborne on I-29

A structure fire claimed the life of a St. Joseph resident Monday night.

The St. Joseph Fire Department and the St. Joseph Police Department are investigating the fatal fire that did extensive damage to a house located in the 32-Hundred block of South 22nd Street. 

When they arrived at the scene firefighters discovered 53 year old James Zent in a second floor bedroom.  Zent was transported to the emergency room at Mosaic where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy has not been performed yet. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

St. Joseph police say an assist call was issued just after eight o’clock last night as firefighters were on the scene. The fire was brought under control late in the evening.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697572171625.jpeg" alt="Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE/BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA structure fire claimed the life of a St. Joseph resident Monday night.The St. Joseph Fire Department and the St. Joseph Police Department are investigating the fatal fire that did extensive damage to a house located in the 32-Hundred block of South 22nd Street. When they arrived at the scene firefighters discovered 53 year old James Zent in a second floor bedroom. Zent was transported to the emergency room at Mosaic where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy has not been performed yet. The cause of the fire is under investigation.St. Joseph police say an assist call was issued just after eight o’clock last night as firefighters were on the scene. The fire was brought under control late in the evening.

House fire claims life of St. Joseph man

Progressive Community Services in St. Joseph is welcoming people together to discuss topics not just affecting people with disabilities, but the community at large. 

Executive Director Heather Weddle says the hope is that the discussion will be about the power of employment, transportation, and independent living.  

And Weddle hopes people will connect with that and that the work to make the community an inclusive community can extend beyond the session.  

"That people can invite people with disabilities to join their committees, to join boards, to join conversations to make Buchanan County a more inclusive place," Weddle tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "We hope to expand inclusion in our community, we hope to expand transportation options, we hope to expand independent living options." 

Weddle says the event has a specific target audience. 

"Well, we first and foremost want to have the opportunity for area legislators, elected officials, partners, stakeholders to come together and learn about several topics of interest that not only impact people with disabilities and their families, but also impact our entire community," Weddle explains. 

The luncheon will take place Thursday at Stoney Creek Inn.  Weddle says reception for the event has been incredible. 

"We hoped to get 75 people to come out and visit and learn together and so far, we have met that goal, so we're really excited," Weddle says. "We have Missouri representative Bill Faulkner will be joining us, Missouri representative Brenda Shields." 

Weddle says also on hand will be several leaders from Buchanan County as well as the city of St. Joseph.  

Due to the success of this event, Weddle says they hope to be able to hold more in the future, however registration is closed for the event on Thursday. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Progressive Community Services in St. Joseph is welcoming people together to discuss topics not just affecting people with disabilities, but the community at large. Executive Director Heather Weddle says the hope is that the discussion will be about the power of employment, transportation, and independent living. And Weddle hopes people will connect with that and that the work to make the community an inclusive community can extend beyond the session. "That people can invite people with disabilities to join their committees, to join boards, to join conversations to make Buchanan County a more inclusive place," Weddle tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "We hope to expand inclusion in our community, we hope to expand transportation options, we hope to expand independent living options." Weddle says the event has a specific target audience. "Well, we first and foremost want to have the opportunity for area legislators, elected officials, partners, stakeholders to come together and learn about several topics of interest that not only impact people with disabilities and their families, but also impact our entire community," Weddle explains. The luncheon will take place Thursday at Stoney Creek Inn. Weddle says reception for the event has been incredible. "We hoped to get 75 people to come out and visit and learn together and so far, we have met that goal, so we're really excited," Weddle says. "We have Missouri representative Bill Faulkner will be joining us, Missouri representative Brenda Shields." Weddle says also on hand will be several leaders from Buchanan County as well as the city of St. Joseph. Due to the success of this event, Weddle says they hope to be able to hold more in the future, however registration is closed for the event on Thursday.

Luncheon seeks to make Buchanan County a more inclusive community

Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven announced on Tuesday that she plans to resign at the end of June.&nbsp;

After making her announcement during the State Board of Education meeting, Vandeven told reporters it was “the right time to move on personally and professionally to a new opportunity [she] hasn’t discovered yet.”

Her resignation caps a tumultuous tenure as the state’s highest ranking education official.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697559741910.png" alt=" Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven announces her resignation during the State Board of Education meeting Tuesday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven announces her resignation during the State Board of Education meeting Tuesday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>By ANNELISE HANSHAW,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven announced on Tuesday that she plans to resign at the end of June.&nbsp;After making her announcement during the State Board of Education meeting, Vandeven told reporters it was “the right time to move on personally and professionally to a new opportunity [she] hasn’t discovered yet.”Her resignation caps a tumultuous tenure as the state’s highest ranking education official.&nbsp;Vandeven became the commissioner in January of 2015, but she was ousted from the job in December 2017 when then-Gov. Eric Greitens stacked the board of education in order to force her out.&nbsp;After Greitens was himself forced out of office the next summer, the board reinstated Vandeven.&nbsp;In addition to the saga with Greitens, Vandeven also led the education department through the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw a transition to a new standardized testing regime.&nbsp;“Margie has been a true champion for public education and a steadfast leader throughout her tenure as Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education,” Gov. Mike Parson said in a statement released Tuesday morning&nbsp;“During COVID,” Parson said, “Margie kept a level head and successfully led Missouri schools through a global pandemic. Margie will be missed, but my team and I wish her the best. We are grateful for her commitment and dedication to our Missouri administrators, teachers, students, and parents.”Board members Tuesday lauded Vandeven’s leadership through “challenges.”Charlie Shields, the board’s president, said he has served through five commissioners, but Vandeven has faced the biggest trials.“The challenges Margie Vandeven has faced make the challenges those previous commissioners had pale in comparison,” he said.Peter Herschend, a board member from Branson, said he’s been on the board through eight commissioners. He believes Vandeven had the best vision and hope for Missouri education.“I hope your successor can do as well,” Herschend said. “You have made a difference in the lives of kids. And that’s all that really matters.”Vandeven told the board that serving as commissioner has been “the opportunity of a lifetime.”“To be commissioner has meant building relationships with students, parents, educators, elected officials, community and business leaders, other state agencies, colleagues across the nation, board members and 1700 staff members at (the department) and helping them see what is possible when we all work together towards a common goal,” she said.Her priorities in her final months as commissioner are the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.srsnmo.org/">Success Ready Students Network</a>, a competency-based learning program, and the Blue Ribbon Commission, a group that studies teacher recruitment and retention.“The teacher is one of the most important professions of our day,” Vandeven told reporters. “It is the workforce that creates all other workforces.”She said the teacher recruitment and retention problem must be addressed, and she has seen incremental improvements.Although she does not have her next position lined up, she would like to stay attached to education, she told reporters.Vandeven began her education career in 1990 as a communication arts teacher in O’Fallon. She served as a teacher and administrator in Missouri and Maryland until 2005, when she went to work for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.The board will choose Vandeven’s successor.

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