Extreme heat is forcing the St. Joseph School District to take action and close early today, tomorrow, and on Thursday.

Superintendent Gabe Edgar says there are a lot of underlying factors for the early release.

"It's obviously heat related, we had a lot of challenges yesterday with our transportation and obviously our transportation is a big part of what we provide here from an education standpoint," Edgar tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so what we are doing is we are letting out early."

In dealing with the heat yesterday during the first day of school, Edgar says things went well in the school buildings.

"There were some hiccups being the first day and I think it would have gotten better throughout the week but the reason for the early out has nothing to do with not having air at Bode or Central, not to say that we wouldn't have had an early out just for those two, but transportation is playing the big part of that," Edgar explains.

High Schools will begin at 7:25am release at 12:05pm and middle schools will start at 7:35am and end at 12:15pm.  Going from 8:10am to 12:45pm will be Carden Park, Coleman, Edison, Field, Hosea, Lindbergh, Parkway elementaries.

Going from 8:45am to 1:15pm Ellison, Hyde, Oak Grove, Pershing, and Pickett Elementary Schools.

The school schedule will return to normal on Friday.

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostExtreme heat is forcing the St. Joseph School District to take action and close early today, tomorrow, and on Thursday.Superintendent Gabe Edgar says there are a lot of underlying factors for the early release."It's obviously heat related, we had a lot of challenges yesterday with our transportation and obviously our transportation is a big part of what we provide here from an education standpoint," Edgar tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so what we are doing is we are letting out early."In dealing with the heat yesterday during the first day of school, Edgar says things went well in the school buildings."There were some hiccups being the first day and I think it would have gotten better throughout the week but the reason for the early out has nothing to do with not having air at Bode or Central, not to say that we wouldn't have had an early out just for those two, but transportation is playing the big part of that," Edgar explains.High Schools will begin at 7:25am release at 12:05pm and middle schools will start at 7:35am and end at 12:15pm. Going from 8:10am to 12:45pm will be Carden Park, Coleman, Edison, Field, Hosea, Lindbergh, Parkway elementaries.Going from 8:45am to 1:15pm Ellison, Hyde, Oak Grove, Pershing, and Pickett Elementary Schools.The school schedule will return to normal on Friday.

Extreme heat forces early releases in the St. Joseph School District

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with Indonesia's Minister of Trade Monday. 

Tai and Zulkifli Hasan discussed progress through the U.S.-ASEAN Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement Work Plan, including issues related to trade facilitation, standards and the digital economy. 

Ambassador Tai and Minister Hasan also discussed progress and updates on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. 

The ministers also discussed the U.S.-Indonesia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. Ambassador Tai noted that the United States views this TIFA as an important mechanism for discussing bilateral trade issues. Later this week, Tai will travel to India for the G20 Trade &amp; Investment Ministers' Meeting. 

Tai will also meet with business leaders and hold bilateral meetings with government officials. The meetings follow last week’s effort with Taiwan, as USR and Taiwan held an in-person negotiating round for the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with Indonesia's Minister of Trade Monday. Tai and Zulkifli Hasan discussed progress through the U.S.-ASEAN Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement Work Plan, including issues related to trade facilitation, standards and the digital economy. Ambassador Tai and Minister Hasan also discussed progress and updates on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. The ministers also discussed the U.S.-Indonesia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. Ambassador Tai noted that the United States views this TIFA as an important mechanism for discussing bilateral trade issues. Later this week, Tai will travel to India for the G20 Trade &amp; Investment Ministers' Meeting. Tai will also meet with business leaders and hold bilateral meetings with government officials. The meetings follow last week’s effort with Taiwan, as USR and Taiwan held an in-person negotiating round for the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade in Washington, D.C.- NAFB

USTR Tai visiting Indonesia, India

A young Stanberry man died of injuries from a fall at an
Agency agribusiness.

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department reports 20-year-old Collin
Sager, an electrician, fell off a platform while working on a grain bin at Atha
Brothers Agriculture after apparently suffering an electric shock. Emergency
workers arrived at the scene to perform CPR, but the man was pronounced dead at
the scene.

The investigation into the death continues.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA young Stanberry man died of injuries from a fall at an
Agency agribusiness.The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department reports 20-year-old Collin
Sager, an electrician, fell off a platform while working on a grain bin at Atha
Brothers Agriculture after apparently suffering an electric shock. Emergency
workers arrived at the scene to perform CPR, but the man was pronounced dead at
the scene.The investigation into the death continues.

Stanberry man dies in industrial accident

The following statement was released by the SJSD:

The St. Joseph School District is releasing classes 2.5 hours early due to excessive heat beginning today, August 22 thru August 24. This includes all Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, Hillyard Technical Center, and Webster. Some after school-activities may still occur, contact your student’s activity sponsor or coach to find out. School lunch will be provided each day. 

School Schedules for August 22, 23, and 24

Carden Park, Coleman, Edison, Field, Hosea, Lindbergh, Parkway, and Skaith Elementary: 8:10am to 12:45pm

Ellison, Hyde, Oak Grove, Pershing, and Pickett Elementary: 8:45am to 1:15pm



The following statement was released by the SJSD:The St. Joseph School District is releasing classes 2.5 hours early due to excessive heat beginning today, August 22 thru August 24. This includes all Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, Hillyard Technical Center, and Webster. Some after school-activities may still occur, contact your student’s activity sponsor or coach to find out. School lunch will be provided each day. School Schedules for August 22, 23, and 24High Schools: 7:25am to 12:05pmMiddle Schools: 7:35am to 12:15pm Carden Park, Coleman, Edison, Field, Hosea, Lindbergh, Parkway, and Skaith Elementary: 8:10am to 12:45pmEllison, Hyde, Oak Grove, Pershing, and Pickett Elementary: 8:45am to 1:15pm

SJSD To Dismiss Early Due To Heat

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 11p.m. Monday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Nissan Rogue driven by Evelyn D. Montengro, 27, Aurora, Illinois, was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 35 three miles south of Winston.

The SUV struck a northbound 2021 Peterbilt semi driven by Matthew R. Doty, 40, Excelsior Springs, and came to rest in the median.

Daviess County EMS transported Montengro to Cameron Regional Medical Center. Doty was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 11p.m. Monday in Daviess County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Nissan Rogue driven by Evelyn D. Montengro, 27, Aurora, Illinois, was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 35 three miles south of Winston.The SUV struck a northbound 2021 Peterbilt semi driven by Matthew R. Doty, 40, Excelsior Springs, and came to rest in the median.Daviess County EMS transported Montengro to Cameron Regional Medical Center. Doty was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Woman hospitalized after wrong-way crash with a semi

Students excitedly bounded the stairs at Hyde Elementary in the south end of St. Joseph and were greeted by Superintendent Gabe Edgar as the St. Joseph School District begins its new school year 

Edgar says it's exciting for the new school year to be underway 

"This is a good opportunity for us to welcome these students back and build relationships with the students as they walk through the front door," Edgar tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "It's just vitally important that, I've said this all along, that the St. Joseph Public School District be the center of the St. Joseph community, and this is why we're in the business, right?" 

Edgar spent the morning at Central High School, the Mark Twain Early Learning Center, and Hyde Elementary, welcoming students to school.  

Edgar says it’s important for him to be present, and not just for the first day of school, so he won't lose focus. 

"The end result is the product of the student, and we have to keep that in mind, and not necessarily just me but every administrator downtown, every principal, every teacher, everybody that works in this school district, they're our business right, students are our business and that's why we're here," Edgar explains. 

Edgar says it's important that everyone partners together to make this school year great 

"St. Joseph School District can be a better place, but it can be a better place if we all work together," Edgar says. 

Edgar says partnerships with Missouri Western State University, the city of St. Joseph, and the Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney bring excitement of the district.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692636252553.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph School District Superintendent Gabe Edgar (left) and Hyde Elementary Principal Jaimee Lawrence (right) greet students on the first day of school/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph School District Superintendent Gabe Edgar (left) and Hyde Elementary Principal Jaimee Lawrence (right) greet students on the first day of school/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Students excitedly bounded the stairs at Hyde Elementary in the south end of St. Joseph and were greeted by Superintendent Gabe Edgar as the St. Joseph School District begins its new school year Edgar says it's exciting for the new school year to be underway "This is a good opportunity for us to welcome these students back and build relationships with the students as they walk through the front door," Edgar tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "It's just vitally important that, I've said this all along, that the St. Joseph Public School District be the center of the St. Joseph community, and this is why we're in the business, right?" Edgar spent the morning at Central High School, the Mark Twain Early Learning Center, and Hyde Elementary, welcoming students to school. Edgar says it’s important for him to be present, and not just for the first day of school, so he won't lose focus. "The end result is the product of the student, and we have to keep that in mind, and not necessarily just me but every administrator downtown, every principal, every teacher, everybody that works in this school district, they're our business right, students are our business and that's why we're here," Edgar explains. Edgar says it's important that everyone partners together to make this school year great "St. Joseph School District can be a better place, but it can be a better place if we all work together," Edgar says. Edgar says partnerships with Missouri Western State University, the city of St. Joseph, and the Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney bring excitement of the district.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692636293481.jpeg" alt="Gabe Edgar greets student at Hyde Elementary /Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Gabe Edgar greets student at Hyde Elementary /Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>

Superintendent Gabe Edgar greets students on first day of school in St. Joseph

The U.S. Trade Representative requested a panel formation under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement over Mexico’s decision to ban imports of biotech corn used in human consumption. 

“Mexico’s decree runs counter to scientific findings and is in direct violation of USMCA, which negatively impacts American corn growers,” says NCGA President Tom Haag . 

U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Ryan LeGrand says the U.S. and Mexico have had a long and productive relationship. 

“It’s our number one market for U.S. corn, and we support this action because it will likely be the quickest way to make sure the positive relationship continues in the future.” 

Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall says his group appreciates U.S. Trade Rep Katherine Tai for her continued commitment to holding Mexico to its agreements under USMCA. 

“America’s farmers are upholding their obligations by meeting demand while achieving important sustainability goals,” says Duvall. “Mexico must do the same thing.”

The U.S. Trade Representative requested a panel formation under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement over Mexico’s decision to ban imports of biotech corn used in human consumption. “Mexico’s decree runs counter to scientific findings and is in direct violation of USMCA, which negatively impacts American corn growers,” says NCGA President Tom Haag . U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Ryan LeGrand says the U.S. and Mexico have had a long and productive relationship. “It’s our number one market for U.S. corn, and we support this action because it will likely be the quickest way to make sure the positive relationship continues in the future.” Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall says his group appreciates U.S. Trade Rep Katherine Tai for her continued commitment to holding Mexico to its agreements under USMCA. “America’s farmers are upholding their obligations by meeting demand while achieving important sustainability goals,” says Duvall. “Mexico must do the same thing.”- NAFB

Ag groups support USTR in Mexican trade dispute

The latest Weekly Drought Monitor showed similar conditions to last week. 

Above-normal temperatures and mostly-dry weather continued through parts of Texas and into the lower Mississippi Valley, where ongoing drought conditions continued deteriorating. 

Drought intensified in eastern Texas, Louisiana, and south-central Mississippi. 

Increasing short-term drought continued across Arizona, New Mexico, and southwest Colorado. Frequent rounds of heavy rainfall occurred from the Northeast into the Central Mississippi Valley and into southern Missouri and the Upper Midwest. 

The continued wet conditions are improving drought across parts of the Corn Belt and much of the southern and central Midwest. Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois saw continuing improvement, with D1 removal from Ohio and Indiana. 

Farther north, drought continued to intensify across northern Wisconsin, North Dakota, Montana, and Washington. Eastern parts of the High Plains saw continued precipitation and below-normal temperatures. Kansas saw heavy precipitation continue from last week, further improving the east and central regions. 

The latest Weekly Drought Monitor showed similar conditions to last week. Above-normal temperatures and mostly-dry weather continued through parts of Texas and into the lower Mississippi Valley, where ongoing drought conditions continued deteriorating. Drought intensified in eastern Texas, Louisiana, and south-central Mississippi. Increasing short-term drought continued across Arizona, New Mexico, and southwest Colorado. Frequent rounds of heavy rainfall occurred from the Northeast into the Central Mississippi Valley and into southern Missouri and the Upper Midwest. The continued wet conditions are improving drought across parts of the Corn Belt and much of the southern and central Midwest. Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois saw continuing improvement, with D1 removal from Ohio and Indiana. Farther north, drought continued to intensify across northern Wisconsin, North Dakota, Montana, and Washington. Eastern parts of the High Plains saw continued precipitation and below-normal temperatures. Kansas saw heavy precipitation continue from last week, further improving the east and central regions. - NAFB&nbsp;

Weekly Drought Monitor shows a mix of dry weather and recent rainfall

As the new school year gets underway today, officials with the St. Joseph School District are hoping to see good attendance from students once again.  

Director of School Improvement Kendra Lau says last year saw a nine percent rise in attendance 

"That's the single biggest gain we've ever realized in one year's time," Lau says during the district's annual Back to School news conference.  

And while that gain is exciting Lau says the district still has some problems 

"We're 11% away from our goal of 90%," Lau says. "And when we look at our data it tells us that our parents are choosing not to send their kids to school." 

Lau says this isn't the first rodeo for the district with improving attendance. 

"However, it is after COVID, and it's been a gamechanger," Lau points out. "So, we've made gains incrementally before, so I suspect highly that we'll make gains again, like that 9% that's not where we're going to stop, so we have put plans into place." 

Lau says the district has come up with some solutions to help, including a partnership with the Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney's office.  

"We need parents to better understand that kids need to be in school, it's not really an option," Lau explains. "And COVID, the time has run out on kids being sick without medical verification."  

Lau says the district is also relaunching a successful program called Strive for Five, encouraging students to miss no more than five days of school.  

"We are going to get some of that referred power from back in the day when that seemed to resonate with people," Lau says.  

Lau says the district also has attendance interventionists that will make calls and home visits to families to connect and build relationships with families. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692632432662.jpeg" alt="Director of School Improvement Kendra Lau/ Photo by Matt pIke" />
 <figcaption>Director of School Improvement Kendra Lau/ Photo by Matt pIke</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post As the new school year gets underway today, officials with the St. Joseph School District are hoping to see good attendance from students once again. Director of School Improvement Kendra Lau says last year saw a nine percent rise in attendance "That's the single biggest gain we've ever realized in one year's time," Lau says during the district's annual Back to School news conference. And while that gain is exciting Lau says the district still has some problems "We're 11% away from our goal of 90%," Lau says. "And when we look at our data it tells us that our parents are choosing not to send their kids to school." Lau says this isn't the first rodeo for the district with improving attendance. "However, it is after COVID, and it's been a gamechanger," Lau points out. "So, we've made gains incrementally before, so I suspect highly that we'll make gains again, like that 9% that's not where we're going to stop, so we have put plans into place." Lau says the district has come up with some solutions to help, including a partnership with the Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney's office. "We need parents to better understand that kids need to be in school, it's not really an option," Lau explains. "And COVID, the time has run out on kids being sick without medical verification." Lau says the district is also relaunching a successful program called Strive for Five, encouraging students to miss no more than five days of school. "We are going to get some of that referred power from back in the day when that seemed to resonate with people," Lau says. Lau says the district also has attendance interventionists that will make calls and home visits to families to connect and build relationships with families.

Attendance up at St. Joseph School District but officials believe it could be better

Marijuana testing labs face pressure to say products have higher THC potency results or lose business. DHSS’ new rule aims to prevent the practice.

In the marijuana industry, they say potency is king.&nbsp;

Producers all over the country are competing to put the most intoxicating product on the shelves. And that can leave the labs who test these products in a tough spot.

At least, that’s been the case in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.analyticalcannabis.com/articles/this-industry-is-going-to-fail-unless-we-act-dave-cho-on-cannabis-lab-shopping-314172">California</a>&nbsp;and other states where marijuana is legal, said Josh Swider, co-founder and CEO of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://infinitecal.com/">Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs</a>&nbsp;in San Diego — and Missouri should take note.

Back in 2020, Swider started getting calls from marijuana producers asking him if he could guarantee a 20mg THC test result if they sent him a sample.&nbsp;

As an “honest lab,” he told them he couldn’t.&nbsp;

“The next year it went up to 25,” he said. “The year after that it went to 30. Now it’s up 30-plus guaranteed no matter what. You can never report less than that, or ‘I will pull my business.’ That is the exact conversations I have with the producers.”

For the past four years, Swider, who is also vice chair of the cannabis working group for<a target="_blank" href="https://www.acil.org/">&nbsp;American Council of Independent Laboratories</a>, has been collaborating with cannabis scientists nationwide to publish a<a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.acil.org/resource/resmgr/cannabis/2023-2-Guide-to-Harmonizing-.pdf">&nbsp;guide</a>&nbsp;of testing best practices and to help address the issue of “lab shopping.”

One key suggestion, Swider said, is interlaboratory comparison.

“It’s something that is 100% needed,” he said. “Interlab comparison shows you if there’s flaws in the system.”

Missouri is joining the few states that have implemented an extra layer of “round robin” testing or auditing of marijuana products. It means that the state regulating agency — the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services — can now instruct the state’s certified testing labs to double check each other’s work.&nbsp;

Up to 10 times a year, the state will instruct the licensed testing labs to pick up marijuana samples from another lab and perform a test. Then the state will review all the results to make sure they have similar results in THC potency — and that one lab isn’t passing a marijuana sample for pesticide residue while another one is failing it.

But this spring, Missouri’s testing labs owners united in opposition against this rule, saying it is duplicative of the current testing requirements, too vague and “unduly burdensome.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We do not claim that it is impossible to design an effective interlab comparison program, only that the approach outlined in this provision will surely fail,” stated Andrew Mullins, executive director of the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association in a May 6 letter to legislators.

When Missouri voters approved recreational marijuana in November, it meant the department had to issue a new set of<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/rule-amendments.php">&nbsp;rules</a>&nbsp;to implement the<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y">&nbsp;constitution amendment</a>. The interlaboratory comparison rule is a small piece of the 127 pages of new cannabis guidelines, that include everything from<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">&nbsp;packaging</a>&nbsp;to<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/27/marijuana-businesses-could-lose-license-if-events-they-organize-go-awry/">&nbsp;event organizing</a>.

The department first introduced these rules in January, and they went through a public comment phase before making their way through their final hurdle — the legislative Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.

During a May 8 committee meeting, Amy Moore, director of the state’s division of cannabis regulation, explained why the new testing rule is “critical.”&nbsp;

“The challenges in regulating and relying on for-profit cannabis testing labs,” Moore said, “is one of the most discussed challenges in the national cannabis regulatory community.”

Testing is among the many areas — like cannabis&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/11/banks-remain-wary-of-marijuana-industry-even-after-missouri-legalization-vote/">banking</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">labeling</a>&nbsp;— where states’ regulation is hampered by the fact that marijuana is federally illegal.

In industries like food, the federal government sets the standard for testing. But for marijuana products, there’s no federal regulation over marijuana at all because it’s still considered an illegal substance.&nbsp;

Naturally, when labs are using different testing methods, they’re going to get varying testing results on pesticide levels and THC potency, cannabis lab experts say.&nbsp;

And that leaves state regulating agencies in a difficult position because they don’t have the necessary “boots on the ground” it takes to develop testing standards, said Kim Stuck, CEO of the cannabis and psychedelics compliance firm<a target="_blank" href="https://allayconsulting.com/allay-consultings-february-newsletter-fda-will-not-use-existing-regulations-for-the-cbd-industry/">&nbsp;Allay Consulting</a>.&nbsp;

“It is something that has been an issue in the industry from the beginning,” said Stuck, who previously served as an investigator for Colorado’s regulating agency. “I haven’t seen any state really make sure that those testing labs are getting the results they’re supposed to be getting, not yet at least. But there is a lot of talk about it.”

California is currently attempting to mandate a standard testing method — an effort that’s been in the works&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cannabis.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/DCC_Cannabinoids-Test-Method_ISOR_2022-0603_CD.pdf">since 2021</a>&nbsp;— and the roll out is being highly watched by the cannabis industry nationwide.

Lab shopping poses serious safety concerns. For instance, when a product has less THC than the label actually says, customers not only get ripped off but they also face overdosing the next time they buy a product with the accurate potency.&nbsp;

Some states, like Missouri, are attempting to tackle the issue by having the labs double check each other’s results.

Pennsylvania attempted to require two different labs to test medical marijuana products, but a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cpbj.com/commonwealth-court-strikes-down-two-lab-requirement-for-medical-marijuana/">court struck down</a>&nbsp;the rule this summer.&nbsp;

In January, Oregon passed a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/viewSingleRule.action?ruleVrsnRsn=296311">rule</a>&nbsp;that’s similar to Missouri’s, where it requires random “round robin” testing among the labs.

“[The] goal is to flip the incentive structure from ‘get the highest result possible’ to ‘get the most accurate result possible,’” according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/Docs/commission_agendas/2022/Audit-Test-Rule-Presentation.pdf">November presentation&nbsp;</a>by TJ Sheehy, director of analytics and research at the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.

Until it’s federally legalized, interlab comparison is the best option for state regulating agencies, Stuck said.&nbsp;

“This isn’t an end all be all,” Swider agreed. “It should be something that’s getting done to make sure that everyone’s on the same playing field.”&nbsp;

Most states, including Missouri, have relied on “proficiency testing,” which means accessing performance against a set of pre-established criteria.&nbsp;

In most states, the licensees find an accredited test provider that performs interlab comparisons as part of this process, asking labs to test samples from the same batch of marijuana or marijuana products to ensure results are similar.

In Missouri, labs are required to do this annually. In<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sos.state.co.us/CCR/GenerateRulePdf.do?ruleVersionId=9438&amp;fileName=1%20CCR%20212-3#:~:text=This%20rule%20clarifies%20that%20those,in%20compliance%20with%20Colorado%20law.">&nbsp;Colorado</a>&nbsp;and<a target="_blank" href="https://cannabis.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/DCC-Cannabis-Regulations-Sept.-2021.pdf">&nbsp;California</a>, it’s twice a year.&nbsp;

A big challenge with proficiency testing is that the test providers cannot possess or ship marijuana samples because it’s a federally illegal substance. That’s why in Colorado, the Department of Public Health and Environment conducts the proficiency testing for the state’s certified labs, a department spokesperson told the Independent.

Missouri and Oregon will continue to require proficiency testing. But now they’re also mandating these more frequent and random round robin tests — where labs test each other because the states don’t have their own labs currently.

“One constant in cannabis regulation is that state regulators continue to learn from each other,” said&nbsp;Mark Pettinger, spokesman for Oregon’s cannabis program. “And so rules like Missouri’s can serve as inspiration and a model for Oregon’s efforts as we look to build on the ‘first draft’ of round robin testing.”

The new rule also allows the department to “initiate an investigation or other corrective action” for testing labs producing inconsistent results.

However, lab owners worry that the state will use the rule to be overly punitive, without enough data to back it up.&nbsp;

Anthony David, owner and COO of Green Precision Analytics Inc., said testing methods and standards are typically developed using a mass amount of test results, which Missouri won’t gain from this rule.&nbsp;

“Yes, we all want better ways to test,” David said. “We all want methods that are validated and that everyone can use across the entire United States and testing laboratories. But it’s an obtuse way of thinking for the state to think that they can do it.”

David said with the state gathering 10 tests a year for 10 laboratories, that’s 100 samples.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“That’s nowhere even close to enough data to know whether someone is an outlier, or whether they’re testing in regulation,” he said.&nbsp;

David pointed out that both Colorado and California require interlab comparisons as part of their proficiency testing, and it hasn’t helped either state address the issues of “lab shopping.” Missouri’s rule would be one more unnecessary hurdle and cost, he said.

Swider agrees the state shouldn’t limit itself to the number of tests it can conduct. And he said a big part of why California’s policy hasn’t worked is because the state lacks enforcement. But Swider believes Missouri’s rules could be successful if the state is willing to hold labs accountable.&nbsp;

Cannabis regulators showed they were willing to bring down the hammer with the recent<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/16/state-faces-pushback-from-missouri-marijuana-industry-over-product-recall/">&nbsp;recall</a>&nbsp;of more than 60,000 cannabis products, as part of an investigation into one manufacturer allegedly not going through the proper testing process.

&nbsp;“It’s a necessary evil, I call it, the enforcement,” he said. “Because if not, what happens is the whole testing industry implodes on itself. You can write the best regulation in the world, and then if no one does anything, guess what. Welcome to California.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692618128689.png" alt=" Skyler Berry makes pre-rolled joints May 2 at the Robust Cannabis production facility in Cuba, Missouri. (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> Skyler Berry makes pre-rolled joints May 2 at the Robust Cannabis production facility in Cuba, Missouri. (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Marijuana testing labs face pressure to say products have higher THC potency results or lose business. DHSS’ new rule aims to prevent the practice.</h2>In the marijuana industry, they say potency is king.&nbsp;Producers all over the country are competing to put the most intoxicating product on the shelves. And that can leave the labs who test these products in a tough spot.At least, that’s been the case in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.analyticalcannabis.com/articles/this-industry-is-going-to-fail-unless-we-act-dave-cho-on-cannabis-lab-shopping-314172">California</a>&nbsp;and other states where marijuana is legal, said Josh Swider, co-founder and CEO of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://infinitecal.com/">Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs</a>&nbsp;in San Diego — and Missouri should take note.Back in 2020, Swider started getting calls from marijuana producers asking him if he could guarantee a 20mg THC test result if they sent him a sample.&nbsp;As an “honest lab,” he told them he couldn’t.&nbsp;“The next year it went up to 25,” he said. “The year after that it went to 30. Now it’s up 30-plus guaranteed no matter what. You can never report less than that, or ‘I will pull my business.’ That is the exact conversations I have with the producers.”For the past four years, Swider, who is also vice chair of the cannabis working group for<a target="_blank" href="https://www.acil.org/">&nbsp;American Council of Independent Laboratories</a>, has been collaborating with cannabis scientists nationwide to publish a<a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.acil.org/resource/resmgr/cannabis/2023-2-Guide-to-Harmonizing-.pdf">&nbsp;guide</a>&nbsp;of testing best practices and to help address the issue of “lab shopping.”One key suggestion, Swider said, is interlaboratory comparison.“It’s something that is 100% needed,” he said. “Interlab comparison shows you if there’s flaws in the system.”Missouri is joining the few states that have implemented an extra layer of “round robin” testing or auditing of marijuana products. It means that the state regulating agency — the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services — can now instruct the state’s certified testing labs to double check each other’s work.&nbsp;Up to 10 times a year, the state will instruct the licensed testing labs to pick up marijuana samples from another lab and perform a test. Then the state will review all the results to make sure they have similar results in THC potency — and that one lab isn’t passing a marijuana sample for pesticide residue while another one is failing it.But this spring, Missouri’s testing labs owners united in opposition against this rule, saying it is duplicative of the current testing requirements, too vague and “unduly burdensome.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“We do not claim that it is impossible to design an effective interlab comparison program, only that the approach outlined in this provision will surely fail,” stated Andrew Mullins, executive director of the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association in a May 6 letter to legislators.When Missouri voters approved recreational marijuana in November, it meant the department had to issue a new set of<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/rule-amendments.php">&nbsp;rules</a>&nbsp;to implement the<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y">&nbsp;constitution amendment</a>. The interlaboratory comparison rule is a small piece of the 127 pages of new cannabis guidelines, that include everything from<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">&nbsp;packaging</a>&nbsp;to<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/27/marijuana-businesses-could-lose-license-if-events-they-organize-go-awry/">&nbsp;event organizing</a>.Those rules went into effect on July 30.The department first introduced these rules in January, and they went through a public comment phase before making their way through their final hurdle — the legislative Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.During a May 8 committee meeting, Amy Moore, director of the state’s division of cannabis regulation, explained why the new testing rule is “critical.”&nbsp;“The challenges in regulating and relying on for-profit cannabis testing labs,” Moore said, “is one of the most discussed challenges in the national cannabis regulatory community.”<h2>No standard testing method</h2>Testing is among the many areas — like cannabis&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/11/banks-remain-wary-of-marijuana-industry-even-after-missouri-legalization-vote/">banking</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">labeling</a>&nbsp;— where states’ regulation is hampered by the fact that marijuana is federally illegal.In industries like food, the federal government sets the standard for testing. But for marijuana products, there’s no federal regulation over marijuana at all because it’s still considered an illegal substance.&nbsp;Naturally, when labs are using different testing methods, they’re going to get varying testing results on pesticide levels and THC potency, cannabis lab experts say.&nbsp;And that leaves state regulating agencies in a difficult position because they don’t have the necessary “boots on the ground” it takes to develop testing standards, said Kim Stuck, CEO of the cannabis and psychedelics compliance firm<a target="_blank" href="https://allayconsulting.com/allay-consultings-february-newsletter-fda-will-not-use-existing-regulations-for-the-cbd-industry/">&nbsp;Allay Consulting</a>.&nbsp;“It is something that has been an issue in the industry from the beginning,” said Stuck, who previously served as an investigator for Colorado’s regulating agency. “I haven’t seen any state really make sure that those testing labs are getting the results they’re supposed to be getting, not yet at least. But there is a lot of talk about it.”California is currently attempting to mandate a standard testing method — an effort that’s been in the works&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cannabis.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/DCC_Cannabinoids-Test-Method_ISOR_2022-0603_CD.pdf">since 2021</a>&nbsp;— and the roll out is being highly watched by the cannabis industry nationwide.<h2>Lab shopping</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692618078800.png" alt="(Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption>(Rebecca Rivas/The Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure>Lab shopping poses serious safety concerns. For instance, when a product has less THC than the label actually says, customers not only get ripped off but they also face overdosing the next time they buy a product with the accurate potency.&nbsp;Some states, like Missouri, are attempting to tackle the issue by having the labs double check each other’s results.Pennsylvania attempted to require two different labs to test medical marijuana products, but a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cpbj.com/commonwealth-court-strikes-down-two-lab-requirement-for-medical-marijuana/">court struck down</a>&nbsp;the rule this summer.&nbsp;In January, Oregon passed a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/viewSingleRule.action?ruleVrsnRsn=296311">rule</a>&nbsp;that’s similar to Missouri’s, where it requires random “round robin” testing among the labs.“[The] goal is to flip the incentive structure from ‘get the highest result possible’ to ‘get the most accurate result possible,’” according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/Docs/commission_agendas/2022/Audit-Test-Rule-Presentation.pdf">November presentation&nbsp;</a>by TJ Sheehy, director of analytics and research at the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.Until it’s federally legalized, interlab comparison is the best option for state regulating agencies, Stuck said.&nbsp;“This isn’t an end all be all,” Swider agreed. “It should be something that’s getting done to make sure that everyone’s on the same playing field.”&nbsp;Most states, including Missouri, have relied on “proficiency testing,” which means accessing performance against a set of pre-established criteria.&nbsp;In most states, the licensees find an accredited test provider that performs interlab comparisons as part of this process, asking labs to test samples from the same batch of marijuana or marijuana products to ensure results are similar.In Missouri, labs are required to do this annually. In<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sos.state.co.us/CCR/GenerateRulePdf.do?ruleVersionId=9438&amp;fileName=1%20CCR%20212-3#:~:text=This%20rule%20clarifies%20that%20those,in%20compliance%20with%20Colorado%20law.">&nbsp;Colorado</a>&nbsp;and<a target="_blank" href="https://cannabis.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/DCC-Cannabis-Regulations-Sept.-2021.pdf">&nbsp;California</a>, it’s twice a year.&nbsp;A big challenge with proficiency testing is that the test providers cannot possess or ship marijuana samples because it’s a federally illegal substance. That’s why in Colorado, the Department of Public Health and Environment conducts the proficiency testing for the state’s certified labs, a department spokesperson told the Independent.Missouri and Oregon will continue to require proficiency testing. But now they’re also mandating these more frequent and random round robin tests — where labs test each other because the states don’t have their own labs currently.“One constant in cannabis regulation is that state regulators continue to learn from each other,” said&nbsp;Mark Pettinger, spokesman for Oregon’s cannabis program. “And so rules like Missouri’s can serve as inspiration and a model for Oregon’s efforts as we look to build on the ‘first draft’ of round robin testing.”<h2>Industry pushback</h2>The new rule also allows the department to “initiate an investigation or other corrective action” for testing labs producing inconsistent results.However, lab owners worry that the state will use the rule to be overly punitive, without enough data to back it up.&nbsp;Anthony David, owner and COO of Green Precision Analytics Inc., said testing methods and standards are typically developed using a mass amount of test results, which Missouri won’t gain from this rule.&nbsp;“Yes, we all want better ways to test,” David said. “We all want methods that are validated and that everyone can use across the entire United States and testing laboratories. But it’s an obtuse way of thinking for the state to think that they can do it.”David said with the state gathering 10 tests a year for 10 laboratories, that’s 100 samples.&nbsp;&nbsp;“That’s nowhere even close to enough data to know whether someone is an outlier, or whether they’re testing in regulation,” he said.&nbsp;David pointed out that both Colorado and California require interlab comparisons as part of their proficiency testing, and it hasn’t helped either state address the issues of “lab shopping.” Missouri’s rule would be one more unnecessary hurdle and cost, he said.Swider agrees the state shouldn’t limit itself to the number of tests it can conduct. And he said a big part of why California’s policy hasn’t worked is because the state lacks enforcement. But Swider believes Missouri’s rules could be successful if the state is willing to hold labs accountable.&nbsp;Cannabis regulators showed they were willing to bring down the hammer with the recent<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/16/state-faces-pushback-from-missouri-marijuana-industry-over-product-recall/">&nbsp;recall</a>&nbsp;of more than 60,000 cannabis products, as part of an investigation into one manufacturer allegedly not going through the proper testing process.&nbsp;“It’s a necessary evil, I call it, the enforcement,” he said. “Because if not, what happens is the whole testing industry implodes on itself. You can write the best regulation in the world, and then if no one does anything, guess what. Welcome to California.”

Missouri cannabis regulators target ‘lab shopping’ in new rules

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former Missouri respiratory therapist who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/therapist-charged-hospital-deaths-missouri-e1ee052d92853b581db18815f7367925">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;in the deaths of two hospital patients has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Jennifer Hall was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder but pleaded guilty in April to reduced first-degree involuntary manslaughter counts in the deaths of 75-year-old Fern Franco and 37-year-old David Wesley Harper. She also pleaded guilty to one count of attempted second-degree assault. She was sentenced Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/2023/08/19/missouri-respiratory-therapist-jennifer-hall-sentenced-deaths-2-patients/">KCTV-TV</a>&nbsp;reported.

Franco and Harper were among nine patients who died at Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe over several months in 2002 in what charging documents describe as “medically suspicious” events.

“A sentence 20 years in the making,” Livingston County Prosecuting Attorney Adam Warren said in a statement. He noted that Hall will eventually be eligible for parole. “But for now, we all sleep better knowing she is behind bars,” he said.

From December 2001, when Hall started working at the hospital, until she was placed on administrative leave the following May, there also were 18 cardiac arrests or “Code Blue” events, up from an average of one a year before then.

The case was revived after an analysis of Franco’s tissue samples found morphine and a powerful muscle relaxant used in anesthesia in her system. Neither drug was prescribed or ordered for her by her doctors, investigators said.

Some staff at the hospital believed Hall was responsible because of her proximity to the stricken patients, her access to deadly pharmaceuticals, and because she notified staff of every patient’s cardiac emergency, according to court documents.

Hall had previously denied any involvement in the deaths.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652449498878.png" alt="Jennifer Hall, 41, was arrested in Johnson County, Kansas, on Thursday evening under the name Jennifer Semaboye, of Overland Park, Kansas," />
 <figcaption>Jennifer Hall, 41, was arrested in Johnson County, Kansas, on Thursday evening under the name Jennifer Semaboye, of Overland Park, Kansas,</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former Missouri respiratory therapist who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/therapist-charged-hospital-deaths-missouri-e1ee052d92853b581db18815f7367925">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;in the deaths of two hospital patients has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.Jennifer Hall was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder but pleaded guilty in April to reduced first-degree involuntary manslaughter counts in the deaths of 75-year-old Fern Franco and 37-year-old David Wesley Harper. She also pleaded guilty to one count of attempted second-degree assault. She was sentenced Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/2023/08/19/missouri-respiratory-therapist-jennifer-hall-sentenced-deaths-2-patients/">KCTV-TV</a>&nbsp;reported.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652204964045.png" alt="Livingston Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Livingston Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Franco and Harper were among nine patients who died at Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe over several months in 2002 in what charging documents describe as “medically suspicious” events.“A sentence 20 years in the making,” Livingston County Prosecuting Attorney Adam Warren said in a statement. He noted that Hall will eventually be eligible for parole. “But for now, we all sleep better knowing she is behind bars,” he said.From December 2001, when Hall started working at the hospital, until she was placed on administrative leave the following May, there also were 18 cardiac arrests or “Code Blue” events, up from an average of one a year before then.The case was revived after an analysis of Franco’s tissue samples found morphine and a powerful muscle relaxant used in anesthesia in her system. Neither drug was prescribed or ordered for her by her doctors, investigators said.Some staff at the hospital believed Hall was responsible because of her proximity to the stricken patients, her access to deadly pharmaceuticals, and because she notified staff of every patient’s cardiac emergency, according to court documents.Hall had previously denied any involvement in the deaths.

Respiratory therapist in NW Mo. sentenced for patient deaths

In June and July, the first two months of resumed Medicaid eligibility checks, nearly three-quarters of those who lost coverage lost it for procedural reasons rather than determined ineligibility

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

When Rebecca Uccello got a call that her daughter’s Medicaid coverage was in jeopardy, she said it “sent me into a tailspin.”

Her 13-year-old daughter, Izabella, has been on Medicaid since age two because of severe developmental disabilities, including&nbsp;a birth defect which prevents her spinal cord from properly developing and a neurological condition which causes fluid build-up in the brain.&nbsp;

Uccello, of Springfield, said she received renewal paperwork to verify Izabella’s eligibility on July 7 by mail. She signed, scanned and uploaded it to the state’s website the next day.&nbsp;

Roughly a month later, her daughter’s caseworker delivered the news that the Department of Social Services never received her paperwork and Izabella was in danger of losing coverage.

Uccello’s shock quickly gave way to panic and anger, she said.

“It’s terrifying as a parent to even think that medical coverage could be lost over paperwork,” Uccello said.

For three years, federal pandemic-era protections paused states’ annual Medicaid renewal processes, barring states from removing participants in almost all cases.&nbsp;

Those protections expired earlier this year.&nbsp;

As Missouri and all states begin reassessing the eligibility of every Medicaid participant on their rolls, one major&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/07/end-of-public-health-emergency-could-cause-spike-in-uninsured-missouri-children/">concern</a>&nbsp;is that many are losing coverage due to paperwork issues rather than a lack of eligibility.

And that concern appears to be well-founded: Uccello says this is the third time in the last decade she has needed to scramble to protect her daughter’s Medicaid coverage due to paperwork issues.&nbsp;

“What is there to prove that she needs Medicaid renewed? She’s permanently disabled,” Uccello said. “I understand they’re trying to make sure that all their ducks are in a row, and that there’s no fraud…But on the flip side, knowing that there’s nothing that’s going to make her ineligible except for death, it’s frustrating.”&nbsp;

Missouri’s process of evaluating all 1.5 million Medicaid recipients on its rolls began with renewals due in June and will take a year. Of those who lost coverage&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/mis/clcounter/">in June and July</a>, three-quarters lost it for what are called procedural reasons rather than being determined ineligible.&nbsp;

According to the health policy nonprofit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-enrollment-and-unwinding-tracker/">KFF</a>, that places Missouri around average nationally for its rate of procedural disenrollments.

The social services department has said it is working to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/27/kids-make-up-half-of-missourians-who-lost-medicaid-in-first-month-of-reviews/">increase the rate of automated renewals</a>, as well as performing outreach to educate participants about the process — and has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/03/29/missouri-to-begin-medicaid-renewals-vowing-as-seamless-a-process-as-possible/">said</a>&nbsp;it is working to avoid disruptions in coverage for eligible participants.

When Uccello realized her daughter’s health care coverage was in danger, she reached out to her state representative, a tactic that she said worked when Izabella was four and paperwork issues nearly cost her coverage.&nbsp;

A spokesperson for Missouri’s Department of Social Services said in an email to The Independent that&nbsp;“this is the first we have heard of that issue” regarding paperwork submitted online potentially being lost.

Izabella’s caseworker resubmitted the paperwork on her behalf, and this time it was a success. Izabella’s Medicaid coverage was reinstated.

It was a relief, Uccello said, but only until the renewal comes around again next year.&nbsp;

“What do you do?” she said. “How else can you submit paperwork and make sure that they get it?…&nbsp;It’s terrible that parents who have medically fragile and medically complex children also have to deal with the heartlessness of this system.”

74% of losses were procedural in first two months

Procedural disenrollments refer to a variety of paperwork-related issues that prevent the state from determining a participant’s eligibility — including that the state never received the completed paperwork or the participant never received the form.&nbsp;

For instance, a participant may not receive the paperwork if they lack a stable address or changed addresses, or may not return it if they received but didn’t understand the forms.&nbsp;

Around 40,000 of the roughly 54,000 Missourians who lost coverage in the first two months lost it for procedural reasons.

Kim Evans, Director of Family Support Division, which oversees the eligibility side of Medicaid,&nbsp;said at&nbsp;last week’s quarterly meeting of the MO HealthNet oversight committee that she could not yet single out specific factors contributing to the procedural denials.&nbsp;

“Right now, we really haven’t had a chance to really dig in to see where everything is landing. We’re starting to look at that now,” she said.

Enrollees have 90 days after termination to submit the required paperwork for reconsideration and can be reinstated — rather than needing to fill out an entirely new application for Medicaid.&nbsp;

Because Uccello resubmitted the paperwork within the 90 day grace period, Izabella’s coverage loss was brief, she said, likely lasting from Aug. 3 to Aug. 7. (And because she was found eligible within 90 days, Medicaid would&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/03/navigating-your-medicaid-renewal-missouri-advocates-offer-advice/">retroactively</a>&nbsp;cover that lapse.)&nbsp;

In the first two months of renewals, just over half of the individuals reviewed, or 116,418 people, were determined still eligible. 54,160 Missourians lost coverage. 52,142 are still pending.&nbsp;

Evans said it’s generally too early to extrapolate trends in the data — in part because the 90-day window of reconsideration is still open for all those who have been disenrolled, so they could still cycle back on.

“We still feel like we still need another month of data in the books before we can really dig into the deep analysis and start to say okay, this is why this is what an average looks like for us,” Evans said.

Children make up half of those who lost coverage&nbsp;

Even if parents lose coverage, children are often still eligible due to higher income limits for kids. But they sometimes fall through the cracks.&nbsp;

Half of all Missourians who lost coverage in June and July were children, or 27,085 children.

Missouri’s share of children being disenrolled is third-highest among the 14 states that report age breakouts, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-enrollment-and-unwinding-tracker/">KFF</a>&nbsp;— after Kansas and Idaho.

Sixty-eight percent of the kids who lost coverage in the first two months lost it for procedural reasons — making up 18,355 of the&nbsp;27,085&nbsp;kids&nbsp;who were dropped from the rolls.

Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, voiced concern at last week’s MO HealthNet oversight meeting about children losing coverage.

“I am concerned that there are kids being kicked off that quite possibly are still eligible, and it’s because they’re dependent on adults getting the paperwork or getting all the forms turned in,” McCreery said.

Evans responded that it “is a process that we really watch very closely” and that the state has held off on terminating some participants, keeping them as pending renewals, “because we wanted to go in and check those cases to ensure that we have done that correctly.”

Evans said the department is working on publishing any changes in the outcomes of pending cases in future months.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692385013884.png" alt="(Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Social Services)&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>(Photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Social Services)&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>In June and July, the first two months of resumed Medicaid eligibility checks, nearly three-quarters of those who lost coverage lost it for procedural reasons rather than determined ineligibility</h2>By CLARA BATES <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>When Rebecca Uccello got a call that her daughter’s Medicaid coverage was in jeopardy, she said it “sent me into a tailspin.”Her 13-year-old daughter, Izabella, has been on Medicaid since age two because of severe developmental disabilities, including&nbsp;a birth defect which prevents her spinal cord from properly developing and a neurological condition which causes fluid build-up in the brain.&nbsp;Uccello, of Springfield, said she received renewal paperwork to verify Izabella’s eligibility on July 7 by mail. She signed, scanned and uploaded it to the state’s website the next day.&nbsp;Roughly a month later, her daughter’s caseworker delivered the news that the Department of Social Services never received her paperwork and Izabella was in danger of losing coverage.Uccello’s shock quickly gave way to panic and anger, she said.“It’s terrifying as a parent to even think that medical coverage could be lost over paperwork,” Uccello said.For three years, federal pandemic-era protections paused states’ annual Medicaid renewal processes, barring states from removing participants in almost all cases.&nbsp;Those protections expired earlier this year.&nbsp;As Missouri and all states begin reassessing the eligibility of every Medicaid participant on their rolls, one major&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/07/end-of-public-health-emergency-could-cause-spike-in-uninsured-missouri-children/">concern</a>&nbsp;is that many are losing coverage due to paperwork issues rather than a lack of eligibility.And that concern appears to be well-founded: Uccello says this is the third time in the last decade she has needed to scramble to protect her daughter’s Medicaid coverage due to paperwork issues.&nbsp;“What is there to prove that she needs Medicaid renewed? She’s permanently disabled,” Uccello said. “I understand they’re trying to make sure that all their ducks are in a row, and that there’s no fraud…But on the flip side, knowing that there’s nothing that’s going to make her ineligible except for death, it’s frustrating.”&nbsp;Missouri’s process of evaluating all 1.5 million Medicaid recipients on its rolls began with renewals due in June and will take a year. Of those who lost coverage&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dss.mo.gov/mis/clcounter/">in June and July</a>, three-quarters lost it for what are called procedural reasons rather than being determined ineligible.&nbsp;According to the health policy nonprofit&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-enrollment-and-unwinding-tracker/">KFF</a>, that places Missouri around average nationally for its rate of procedural disenrollments.The social services department has said it is working to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/27/kids-make-up-half-of-missourians-who-lost-medicaid-in-first-month-of-reviews/">increase the rate of automated renewals</a>, as well as performing outreach to educate participants about the process — and has&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/03/29/missouri-to-begin-medicaid-renewals-vowing-as-seamless-a-process-as-possible/">said</a>&nbsp;it is working to avoid disruptions in coverage for eligible participants.When Uccello realized her daughter’s health care coverage was in danger, she reached out to her state representative, a tactic that she said worked when Izabella was four and paperwork issues nearly cost her coverage.&nbsp;A spokesperson for Missouri’s Department of Social Services said in an email to The Independent that&nbsp;“this is the first we have heard of that issue” regarding paperwork submitted online potentially being lost.Izabella’s caseworker resubmitted the paperwork on her behalf, and this time it was a success. Izabella’s Medicaid coverage was reinstated.It was a relief, Uccello said, but only until the renewal comes around again next year.&nbsp;“What do you do?” she said. “How else can you submit paperwork and make sure that they get it?…&nbsp;It’s terrible that parents who have medically fragile and medically complex children also have to deal with the heartlessness of this system.”<h2>74% of losses were procedural in first two months</h2>Procedural disenrollments refer to a variety of paperwork-related issues that prevent the state from determining a participant’s eligibility — including that the state never received the completed paperwork or the participant never received the form.&nbsp;For instance, a participant may not receive the paperwork if they lack a stable address or changed addresses, or may not return it if they received but didn’t understand the forms.&nbsp;Around 40,000 of the roughly 54,000 Missourians who lost coverage in the first two months lost it for procedural reasons.Kim Evans, Director of Family Support Division, which oversees the eligibility side of Medicaid,&nbsp;said at&nbsp;last week’s quarterly meeting of the MO HealthNet oversight committee that she could not yet single out specific factors contributing to the procedural denials.&nbsp;“Right now, we really haven’t had a chance to really dig in to see where everything is landing. We’re starting to look at that now,” she said.Enrollees have 90 days after termination to submit the required paperwork for reconsideration and can be reinstated — rather than needing to fill out an entirely new application for Medicaid.&nbsp;Because Uccello resubmitted the paperwork within the 90 day grace period, Izabella’s coverage loss was brief, she said, likely lasting from Aug. 3 to Aug. 7. (And because she was found eligible within 90 days, Medicaid would&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/03/navigating-your-medicaid-renewal-missouri-advocates-offer-advice/">retroactively</a>&nbsp;cover that lapse.)&nbsp;In the first two months of renewals, just over half of the individuals reviewed, or 116,418 people, were determined still eligible. 54,160 Missourians lost coverage. 52,142 are still pending.&nbsp;Evans said it’s generally too early to extrapolate trends in the data — in part because the 90-day window of reconsideration is still open for all those who have been disenrolled, so they could still cycle back on.“We still feel like we still need another month of data in the books before we can really dig into the deep analysis and start to say okay, this is why this is what an average looks like for us,” Evans said.<h2>Children make up half of those who lost coverage&nbsp;</h2>Even if parents lose coverage, children are often still eligible due to higher income limits for kids. But they sometimes fall through the cracks.&nbsp;Half of all Missourians who lost coverage in June and July were children, or 27,085 children.Missouri’s share of children being disenrolled is third-highest among the 14 states that report age breakouts, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-enrollment-and-unwinding-tracker/">KFF</a>&nbsp;— after Kansas and Idaho.Sixty-eight percent of the kids who lost coverage in the first two months lost it for procedural reasons — making up 18,355 of the&nbsp;27,085&nbsp;kids&nbsp;who were dropped from the rolls.Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, voiced concern at last week’s MO HealthNet oversight meeting about children losing coverage.“I am concerned that there are kids being kicked off that quite possibly are still eligible, and it’s because they’re dependent on adults getting the paperwork or getting all the forms turned in,” McCreery said.Evans responded that it “is a process that we really watch very closely” and that the state has held off on terminating some participants, keeping them as pending renewals, “because we wanted to go in and check those cases to ensure that we have done that correctly.”Evans said the department is working on publishing any changes in the outcomes of pending cases in future months.

Paperwork issues: 16,000 Missourians lost Medicaid coverage in July

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

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Ford F150 driven by Jon M. Snapp, 53, St. Joseph, was northbound on Interstate 29 in the city limits of St. Joseph.

The pickup traveled off the west side of the road and the driver overcorrected. The pickup returned to the road and rolled onto its top.

A private vehicle transported Snapp to Mosaic Life Care. He was later arrested on requested charges of Felony DWI; persistent offender and failure to drive on the right half of the roadway. Snapp was properly restrained at the time of the crash, according to the MSHP.

BUCHANAN COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Saturday in Buchanan County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Ford F150 driven by Jon M. Snapp, 53, St. Joseph, was northbound on Interstate 29 in the city limits of St. Joseph.The pickup traveled off the west side of the road and the driver overcorrected. The pickup returned to the road and rolled onto its top.A private vehicle transported Snapp to Mosaic Life Care. He was later arrested on requested charges of Felony DWI; persistent offender and failure to drive on the right half of the roadway. Snapp was properly restrained at the time of the crash, according to the MSHP.

St. Joseph man jailed for alleged DWI after rollover crash

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

The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the convictions of two single mothers who were charged with violating the state’s compulsory attendance law after their children missed school without a documented illness.

<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/24/missouri-supreme-court-to-decide-whether-school-districts-can-jail-parents-for-absent-students/">Oral arguments in May</a>&nbsp;focused on what “regular attendance” means and whether the state law was too vague.

Ellen Flottman, a public defender representing the mothers, argued the law is inconsistently applied. The children’s school district, Lebanon R-III School District, required students to attend school at least 90% of the time, but defendants didn’t know if this percentage included excused absences.

“My clients were not acting knowingly…. They’re being misled by the school handbook and the school administrators,” Flottman said in May.

Assistant Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang, who represented the state, told the Supreme Court that the definition of “a regular basis” means attending school every day school is in session.

According to the filing, one student missed nine days of school without an excuse called into the school’s office, and the other defendant’s child was absent seven days without an excuse.

Missouri Supreme Court Judge Robin Ransom wrote, with five in concurrence, that these unexcused absences violated state law.

She wrote that there are two reasons children can be absent from class: If a parent removes them from the school’s rolls or if they are “mentally or physically incapacitated to the satisfaction of school officials.”

Ransom wrote that, because state law doesn’t mandate 90% attendance, the discussion of the district’s policy is “of little relevance.”

The district’s actions did, though, inform the parents that they were breaking the law, the ruling says.

“Neither (defendant) was provided information by the school to suggest there would be no consequences for each child’s failure to attend,” Ransom wrote. “Rather, school officials consistently communicated that regular attendance was required.”

The ruling affirms both state law and the decisions of the lower courts to convict the parents.

Because of Laclede County Circuit Court’s ruling, one mother spent seven days in jail, and the other received two years of probation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637537733050.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the convictions of two single mothers who were charged with violating the state’s compulsory attendance law after their children missed school without a documented illness.<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/24/missouri-supreme-court-to-decide-whether-school-districts-can-jail-parents-for-absent-students/">Oral arguments in May</a>&nbsp;focused on what “regular attendance” means and whether the state law was too vague.Ellen Flottman, a public defender representing the mothers, argued the law is inconsistently applied. The children’s school district, Lebanon R-III School District, required students to attend school at least 90% of the time, but defendants didn’t know if this percentage included excused absences.“My clients were not acting knowingly…. They’re being misled by the school handbook and the school administrators,” Flottman said in May.Assistant Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang, who represented the state, told the Supreme Court that the definition of “a regular basis” means attending school every day school is in session.According to the filing, one student missed nine days of school without an excuse called into the school’s office, and the other defendant’s child was absent seven days without an excuse.Missouri Supreme Court Judge Robin Ransom wrote, with five in concurrence, that these unexcused absences violated state law.She wrote that there are two reasons children can be absent from class: If a parent removes them from the school’s rolls or if they are “mentally or physically incapacitated to the satisfaction of school officials.”Ransom wrote that, because state law doesn’t mandate 90% attendance, the discussion of the district’s policy is “of little relevance.”The district’s actions did, though, inform the parents that they were breaking the law, the ruling says.“Neither (defendant) was provided information by the school to suggest there would be no consequences for each child’s failure to attend,” Ransom wrote. “Rather, school officials consistently communicated that regular attendance was required.”The ruling affirms both state law and the decisions of the lower courts to convict the parents.Because of Laclede County Circuit Court’s ruling, one mother spent seven days in jail, and the other received two years of probation.

Court: Parents in Mo. can face jail time over unexcused school absences

ATCHISON —Two people were injured in an accident just after 2p.m. Friday in Atchison.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692388140495.png" alt="photo Police Chief Mike Wilson" />
 <figcaption>photo Police Chief Mike Wilson</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON —Two people were injured in an accident just after 2p.m. Friday in Atchison.According to Police Chief Mike Wilson, a Mercury Marquis 4 door passenger car driven by Malachi Burnett, 20, Atchison, was southbound on 15th Street when it collided with a Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Robert Burgoon, 64, Atchison, that had been westbound on Commercial Street.EMS transported Burnett to Amberwell Hospital for examination. A private vehicle transported a 36-year-old female passenger in the pickup to Amberwell Hospital.

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