By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/02iddqsy0dAjsi8yZpXkUR?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Week in Review

ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. —Just before noon on Saturday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol canceled the Amber Alert. Emily Harrington and Emma Hale were safely recovered in Indiana.

ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. — The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert early Saturday for missing 12-year-old&nbsp; Emily Harrington and 12-year-old Emma Sue Hale.

They were last seen with a man named Alec or Alex and abducted just after 10:30p.m. Friday in the 600 Block of South Nebraska Street in Rock Port, Missouri.&nbsp;

The patrol indicated the suspect, identified as a white male, may be from California. The girls were seen with him at a football game at Rock Port High School.&nbsp; The Patrol released no additional details early Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758368153102.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. —Just before noon on Saturday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol canceled the Amber Alert. Emily Harrington and Emma Hale were safely recovered in Indiana.----------ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. — The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert early Saturday for missing 12-year-old&nbsp; Emily Harrington and 12-year-old Emma Sue Hale.They were last seen with a man named Alec or Alex and abducted just after 10:30p.m. Friday in the 600 Block of South Nebraska Street in Rock Port, Missouri.&nbsp;The patrol indicated the suspect, identified as a white male, may be from California. The girls were seen with him at a football game at Rock Port High School.&nbsp; The Patrol released no additional details early Saturday.

MSHP: Amber Alert canceled; two 12-year-old girls are safe

BROWN COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Friday in&nbsp; Brown County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford Fusion driven by Weston Witt, 29, Falls City, Nebraska, was eastbound on 192nd Road. The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at U.S. 75.&nbsp; The Ford struck the trailer on a southbound 2026 Freightliner semi driven by Steven&nbsp;Bostick, 74, Lubbock, Texas. After impact the Ford came to rest in the ditch.

EMS transported Witt to&nbsp;Sabetha Hospital. The semi driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

BROWN COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Friday in&nbsp; Brown County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford Fusion driven by Weston Witt, 29, Falls City, Nebraska, was eastbound on 192nd Road. The driver failed to stop at the stop sign at U.S. 75.&nbsp; The Ford struck the trailer on a southbound 2026 Freightliner semi driven by Steven&nbsp;Bostick, 74, Lubbock, Texas. After impact the Ford came to rest in the ditch.EMS transported Witt to&nbsp;Sabetha Hospital. The semi driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Driver injured after car, semi crash

ANDREW COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Friday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2025 Ford F750 driven by a 56-year-old Kansas City, Kansas man was eastbound on Route T just north of Amazonia. the driver driver lost control of the vehicle. The truck traveled off the south side of the road. The driver overcorrected. The truck returned to the road, crossed the center of the road, traveled off the north side of the road and overturned onto its top.

Andrew County EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

ANDREW COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Friday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2025 Ford F750 driven by a 56-year-old Kansas City, Kansas man was eastbound on Route T just north of Amazonia. the driver driver lost control of the vehicle. The truck traveled off the south side of the road. The driver overcorrected. The truck returned to the road, crossed the center of the road, traveled off the north side of the road and overturned onto its top.Andrew County EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Kansas man hospitalized in St. Joe after truck overturns

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged domestic incident and have made an arrest.

Just after 8a.m. September 11, the Brown County Sheriff's office&nbsp;received a 911 call of adisturbance near Hiawatha, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

&nbsp; Upon completion of the investigation by deputies, 46-year-old Jeremy Huddleston of Hamlin was arrested on a requested charge of Domestic Battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758311383895.png" alt="Huddleston photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Huddleston photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an alleged domestic incident and have made an arrest.Just after 8a.m. September 11, the Brown County Sheriff's office&nbsp;received a 911 call of adisturbance near Hiawatha, according to Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp; Upon completion of the investigation by deputies, 46-year-old Jeremy Huddleston of Hamlin was arrested on a requested charge of Domestic Battery.

Sheriff: Investigation led to Kan. man's arrest for alleged violent crime

CLINTON COUNTY —Three people were injured in an accident just after 7:30a.m. Friday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford Escape driven by a 17-year-old Lawson girl was southbound on U.S. 69 three miles north of Lawson. The SUV struck a northbound 2015 Ram 1500 driven by a 28-year-old Lawson man who was attempting to turn left onto Route PP.

EMS transported the teen driver and a 15-year-old female passenger to Liberty Hospital.&nbsp; Lawson FIre transported another 15-year-old female passenger in the Ford to Children's Mercy.&nbsp; The pickup driver was not injured. All four were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

CLINTON COUNTY —Three people were injured in an accident just after 7:30a.m. Friday in Clinton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford Escape driven by a 17-year-old Lawson girl was southbound on U.S. 69 three miles north of Lawson. The SUV struck a northbound 2015 Ram 1500 driven by a 28-year-old Lawson man who was attempting to turn left onto Route PP.EMS transported the teen driver and a 15-year-old female passenger to Liberty Hospital.&nbsp; Lawson FIre transported another 15-year-old female passenger in the Ford to Children's Mercy.&nbsp; The pickup driver was not injured. All four were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

3 Mo. teens hospitalized after SUV, pickup crash

An individual was taken into custody as part of an ongoing investigation into a recent St. Joseph shooting after a search warrant was executed. 

The St. Joseph Police Department reports that at around 9am on Friday, the St. Joseph Police Department's Street Crimes Detective Unit, along with the Special Response Team, Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, and Missouri Highway Patrol executed a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of South 21st Street. 

In the home, officers found and seized three firearms, multiple narcotics, and served two arrest warrants. One individual was arrested as part of the ongoing investigation of a recent shooting.

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

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostAn individual was taken into custody as part of an ongoing investigation into a recent St. Joseph shooting after a search warrant was executed. The St. Joseph Police Department reports that at around 9am on Friday, the St. Joseph Police Department's Street Crimes Detective Unit, along with the Special Response Team, Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, and Missouri Highway Patrol executed a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of South 21st Street. In the home, officers found and seized three firearms, multiple narcotics, and served two arrest warrants. One individual was arrested as part of the ongoing investigation of a recent shooting.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Three taken into custody after search warrant executed in St. Joseph

After forming a strategic plan based off the results of a city-wide survey, St. Joseph officials are beginning to put plans into action.  

While work is still being done on the top concern of code enforcement, the city has put a tremendous focus on communicating more with residents.  

City Manager Mike Schumacher says if you look at the city's social media pages there always seems to be some sort of news, which is how it should be. 

"We need to be communicating with our customers on exactly what’s going on, and what we’re doing, and what we’re working on,” Schumacher says on the KFEQmunnity show.  “And anything that’s out there that could impact our customers we want to make sure they know about.” 

But even with that effort, Schumacher believes there is still more the city could do, using filling a pothole as an example 

"We received your concern, and we’re going to be on it our average turnaround time is 48 hours, how do we communicate that and how do we track it?” Schumacher explains.  “And then once that works done how do we get feedback from our customers on hey the pothole was filled, it was filled correctly it’s great, or you know hey you filled it but you made it worse, it’s an even worse drive than it was with the pothole.” 

Schumacher says how to improve these metrics are conversations that are well underway, and the city looks forward to continuing to improve its communication with residents.  

St. Joseph Police have made enhanced efforts to protect businesses and homes, and there has been more communication from the city on projects happening.   

Schumacher says this shows residents they are listening to the results, even when it comes to the top concern of code enforcement 

"Nuisance abatement, weeds, trash, how we’re addressing those issues all ties back to the survey,” Schumacher says.  “We can’t do everything, so that survey gives us a little focus on what our customers want to see us work on first, and hey we’re not perfect, I’ll be the first one to admit we’re not perfect and we have a long ways to go, but if you don’t start you won’t finish, so we most certainly have started.” 

Schumacher says the city is currently working to upgrade the city website as well to keep people more informed on what's going on in the city, as well as provide more ways for contact online. 

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

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostAfter forming a strategic plan based off the results of a city-wide survey, St. Joseph officials are beginning to put plans into action. While work is still being done on the top concern of code enforcement, the city has put a tremendous focus on communicating more with residents. City Manager Mike Schumacher says if you look at the city's social media pages there always seems to be some sort of news, which is how it should be. "We need to be communicating with our customers on exactly what’s going on, and what we’re doing, and what we’re working on,” Schumacher says on the KFEQmunnity show. “And anything that’s out there that could impact our customers we want to make sure they know about.” But even with that effort, Schumacher believes there is still more the city could do, using filling a pothole as an example "We received your concern, and we’re going to be on it our average turnaround time is 48 hours, how do we communicate that and how do we track it?” Schumacher explains. “And then once that works done how do we get feedback from our customers on hey the pothole was filled, it was filled correctly it’s great, or you know hey you filled it but you made it worse, it’s an even worse drive than it was with the pothole.” Schumacher says how to improve these metrics are conversations that are well underway, and the city looks forward to continuing to improve its communication with residents. St. Joseph Police have made enhanced efforts to protect businesses and homes, and there has been more communication from the city on projects happening. Schumacher says this shows residents they are listening to the results, even when it comes to the top concern of code enforcement "Nuisance abatement, weeds, trash, how we’re addressing those issues all ties back to the survey,” Schumacher says. “We can’t do everything, so that survey gives us a little focus on what our customers want to see us work on first, and hey we’re not perfect, I’ll be the first one to admit we’re not perfect and we have a long ways to go, but if you don’t start you won’t finish, so we most certainly have started.” Schumacher says the city is currently working to upgrade the city website as well to keep people more informed on what's going on in the city, as well as provide more ways for contact online. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

St. Joseph City Manager says city putting input into action

Missouri Western State University is
attempting to buck the trend in college education and increase enrollment on
the St. Joseph campus.

Missouri Western President, Elizabeth
Kennedy, says higher education across the country faces what has been called
“the demographic cliff.”

“There’s just fewer high school students,
fewer children in families, so just shrinking the number of high school
students who would be eligible for college,” Kennedy explains, adding Missouri
Western has been affected by Buchanan County’s drop in population.

“We know that over the last 10 years or
so there’s been about a decline of about 5,000 individuals leaving, which then
impacts, well, how many students do you have in the public schools and the
other schools in St. Joseph and Buchanan County, which then means that you have
a smaller population,” Kennedy says.

Kennedy says the university also has to
fight the perception that a college education isn’t needed. She insists a
college degree will lead to better paying occupations and create a
well-educated citizenry.

Kennedy says by the time the numbers have
been finalized, the university should have 10 more students on its St. Joseph
campus than last year. It’s not much, but it is significant.

“The last time the university had a
fall-to-fall increase in enrollment was 2017 to 2018,” according to Kennedy,
who says any kind of rise in enrollment is a big deal.

“If you go back all the way to 2011 until
this year, the university has only had five fall-to-fall increases in
enrollment,” Kennedy says. “From 2011 to 2025, five increases fall-to-fall.”

Missouri Western had more than 3,700
students on the St. Joseph campus last year.

Missouri Western has broadened its education
offerings the past few years. Kennedy says the university hopes to provide the
college education desired by high school graduates, but also the training
adults need for a shifting job market.

“We have put so much effort into the
university to realigning our programs to meet that really sweet spot of student
demand and workforce needs,” Kennedy says. &nbsp;“And that’s where higher education is moving
towards in the future.”

Kennedy says Missouri Western has about
as many students between the ages of 25 and 54 as it does 18 and 19-year-olds.

Kennedy says the goal of the university
is to be relevant, available, and accessible.

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri Western State University is
attempting to buck the trend in college education and increase enrollment on
the St. Joseph campus.Missouri Western President, Elizabeth
Kennedy, says higher education across the country faces what has been called
“the demographic cliff.”“There’s just fewer high school students,
fewer children in families, so just shrinking the number of high school
students who would be eligible for college,” Kennedy explains, adding Missouri
Western has been affected by Buchanan County’s drop in population.“We know that over the last 10 years or
so there’s been about a decline of about 5,000 individuals leaving, which then
impacts, well, how many students do you have in the public schools and the
other schools in St. Joseph and Buchanan County, which then means that you have
a smaller population,” Kennedy says.Kennedy says the university also has to
fight the perception that a college education isn’t needed. She insists a
college degree will lead to better paying occupations and create a
well-educated citizenry.Kennedy says by the time the numbers have
been finalized, the university should have 10 more students on its St. Joseph
campus than last year. It’s not much, but it is significant.“The last time the university had a
fall-to-fall increase in enrollment was 2017 to 2018,” according to Kennedy,
who says any kind of rise in enrollment is a big deal.“If you go back all the way to 2011 until
this year, the university has only had five fall-to-fall increases in
enrollment,” Kennedy says. “From 2011 to 2025, five increases fall-to-fall.”Missouri Western had more than 3,700
students on the St. Joseph campus last year.Missouri Western has broadened its education
offerings the past few years. Kennedy says the university hopes to provide the
college education desired by high school graduates, but also the training
adults need for a shifting job market.“We have put so much effort into the
university to realigning our programs to meet that really sweet spot of student
demand and workforce needs,” Kennedy says. &nbsp;“And that’s where higher education is moving
towards in the future.”Kennedy says Missouri Western has about
as many students between the ages of 25 and 54 as it does 18 and 19-year-olds.Kennedy says the goal of the university
is to be relevant, available, and accessible.<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/32WAmpHwuvGFR1nKai2UIY?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

MWSU attempting to swim against the current and increase enrollment

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/49IJHhUJ63qiMG4Y8b39S6?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning Sports

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/7iaBbCajha4j9fFeqqflEb?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning News

HARRISON COUNTY—Eight people were injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Thursday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Chevy Impala driven by a 75-year-old Blythdale woman was northbound on Interstate 35 one half mile of Eagleville in the driving lane next to a 2005 Ford Econoline E450 in the passing lane driven by a 45-year-old Oklahoma City, Oklahoma man. The Impala driver attempted to turn into an emergency crossover and struck the front side of the van.

After impact the van traveled off the west side of the road onto the crossover and became airborne and came to rest on its wheels in the median. The Impala also came to rest in the median.

North Missouri EMS transported six female passengers on the bus to Harrison County Community Hospital. Decatur County Hospital EMS transported two female passengers on the van to Harrison County Community Hospital. The drivers were not injured. All the passengers on the van were from Oklahoma. The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

HARRISON COUNTY—Eight people were injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Thursday in Harrison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Chevy Impala driven by a 75-year-old Blythdale woman was northbound on Interstate 35 one half mile of Eagleville in the driving lane next to a 2005 Ford Econoline E450 in the passing lane driven by a 45-year-old Oklahoma City, Oklahoma man. The Impala driver attempted to turn into an emergency crossover and struck the front side of the van.After impact the van traveled off the west side of the road onto the crossover and became airborne and came to rest on its wheels in the median. The Impala also came to rest in the median.North Missouri EMS transported six female passengers on the bus to Harrison County Community Hospital. Decatur County Hospital EMS transported two female passengers on the van to Harrison County Community Hospital. The drivers were not injured. All the passengers on the van were from Oklahoma. The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

8 hospitalized after car, van crash 

CASS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before noon Thursday in Cass County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Kenworth semi driven by a 54-year-old Deepwater man was northbound on Interstate 49 just south of MO 2. The semi rear-ended a 2001 Toyota 4Runner driven by a 56-year-old Harrisonville woman who was stopped in traffic. The impact the Toyota rear-ended a 2025 Kenworth semi driven by a 51-year-old Independence man who was also stopped in traffic.&nbsp; 

The Harrisonville woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The other drivers were not injured. The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

CASS COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before noon Thursday in Cass County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Kenworth semi driven by a 54-year-old Deepwater man was northbound on Interstate 49 just south of MO 2. The semi rear-ended a 2001 Toyota 4Runner driven by a 56-year-old Harrisonville woman who was stopped in traffic. The impact the Toyota rear-ended a 2025 Kenworth semi driven by a 51-year-old Independence man who was also stopped in traffic.&nbsp; The Harrisonville woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The other drivers were not injured. The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri woman killed in 3-vehicle crash

As the Rolling Hills Library prepares for its move early next year, some items in the current library that will not be needed at the new site are going up for sale.  

A moving sale will be held this weekend inside the former PepperJax Grill location along the Belt Highway on Friday and Saturday.  

Bookstore Manager Hans Bremer says the idea for the sale started after the Books Revisited bookstore received a large donation of books, and soon library items were added 

"So now we have this large, pretty amazing truly, moving sale of tiles and carpet and books and some shelving and just a little bit of everything frankly,” Bremer tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. 

Bremer says there was never a thought to throw away these items, pointing out there's always things people can use in the community 

"And this allows them to get it for next to nothing as it were,” Bremer explains.  “We’re not so much concerned as making money as we are just putting it in the right hands and sending it on to its next part of its lifetime, because we have to make a little room, condense down a little bit as we move towards the new building, and there’s just some things we can’t take. 

Bremer says the sale offers a little bit of something for everyone, at a pretty cheap price 

"All the books are going to be marked just $1,” Bremer says.  “Now as for as the remainder of the things, the tiles. Shelving, and things of that nature, none of those things will be marked, it’s going to be one of those things our director will be in and out through the weekend, I’ll be over there through the whole entire sale, we’ll be taking offers on items and if its reasonable, I’m sure we’re going to accept it.” 

The sale will run from noon to 5pm tomorrow and from 10am to 5pm on Saturday.  With a move expected to the new library location early next year, another moving sale is planned for November. 

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

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostAs the Rolling Hills Library prepares for its move early next year, some items in the current library that will not be needed at the new site are going up for sale. A moving sale will be held this weekend inside the former PepperJax Grill location along the Belt Highway on Friday and Saturday. Bookstore Manager Hans Bremer says the idea for the sale started after the Books Revisited bookstore received a large donation of books, and soon library items were added "So now we have this large, pretty amazing truly, moving sale of tiles and carpet and books and some shelving and just a little bit of everything frankly,” Bremer tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. Bremer says there was never a thought to throw away these items, pointing out there's always things people can use in the community "And this allows them to get it for next to nothing as it were,” Bremer explains. “We’re not so much concerned as making money as we are just putting it in the right hands and sending it on to its next part of its lifetime, because we have to make a little room, condense down a little bit as we move towards the new building, and there’s just some things we can’t take. Bremer says the sale offers a little bit of something for everyone, at a pretty cheap price "All the books are going to be marked just $1,” Bremer says. “Now as for as the remainder of the things, the tiles. Shelving, and things of that nature, none of those things will be marked, it’s going to be one of those things our director will be in and out through the weekend, I’ll be over there through the whole entire sale, we’ll be taking offers on items and if its reasonable, I’m sure we’re going to accept it.” The sale will run from noon to 5pm tomorrow and from 10am to 5pm on Saturday. With a move expected to the new library location early next year, another moving sale is planned for November. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Rolling Hills Library hosting moving sale this weekend

St. Joseph Police
Chief, Paul Luster, says he feels good about the investigation into a shooting
that left a house riddled with bullets and a 10-year-old with a gunshot wound
earlier this month.

Police recovered
more than 40 shell casings from the scene in the 900 block of South 18th
Street.

“That type of
behavior in our community where shots are fired into a structure, just wildly
and a juvenile is hurt, that is unacceptable behavior in our community,” Luster
says during an appearance on KFEQmmunity.

Calls about shots
being fired came into the St. Joseph Comm Center shortly before 3:30 the
morning of September 10th.&nbsp; Officers
responded to the duplex on South 18th and discovered it had been hit
by gunfire. Officers located the 10-year-old, who had been shot in the left
thigh while asleep in an upstairs bedroom. First aid was administered at the
scene. Emergency crews transported the child to Mosaic Life Care who is
reported to be awake and in stable condition.

Luster says the
child is recovering, at least physically.

“There’s associated
trauma that goes with that for probably the rest of that child’s life,
potentially. It’s not even sometimes about the wound, but what happened,”
Luster says.&nbsp; “I think it’s very reasonable
for any parent to think where is my child safer than in my house and in his or
her bed? For something like this to happen, 100% unacceptable.”

Officers recovered
more than 40 shell casings, from both a handgun and a rifle, across the street
southeast of the duplex. Gunfire also struck two vehicles parked on South 18th
Street.

Luster wants the
public’s help in tracking down the perpetrator or perpetrators.

“We will bring
those responsible to justice. I have no doubt about it. It’s something that as
a community we shouldn’t tolerate. Not only just as the police department, but
as a community we should not tolerate that at all.”

Lusters says the
situation was very irresponsible and very dangerous.

Anyone with
information about this incident is encouraged to contact the St. Joseph Police
Department at (816) 271-4777 or submit an anonymous tip through the TIPS
Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS (8477) and receive up to a $1000 reward. 

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph Police
Chief, Paul Luster, says he feels good about the investigation into a shooting
that left a house riddled with bullets and a 10-year-old with a gunshot wound
earlier this month.Police recovered
more than 40 shell casings from the scene in the 900 block of South 18th
Street.The child is
recovering.“That type of
behavior in our community where shots are fired into a structure, just wildly
and a juvenile is hurt, that is unacceptable behavior in our community,” Luster
says during an appearance on KFEQmmunity.Calls about shots
being fired came into the St. Joseph Comm Center shortly before 3:30 the
morning of September 10th.&nbsp; Officers
responded to the duplex on South 18th and discovered it had been hit
by gunfire. Officers located the 10-year-old, who had been shot in the left
thigh while asleep in an upstairs bedroom. First aid was administered at the
scene. Emergency crews transported the child to Mosaic Life Care who is
reported to be awake and in stable condition.Luster says the
child is recovering, at least physically.“There’s associated
trauma that goes with that for probably the rest of that child’s life,
potentially. It’s not even sometimes about the wound, but what happened,”
Luster says.&nbsp; “I think it’s very reasonable
for any parent to think where is my child safer than in my house and in his or
her bed? For something like this to happen, 100% unacceptable.”Officers recovered
more than 40 shell casings, from both a handgun and a rifle, across the street
southeast of the duplex. Gunfire also struck two vehicles parked on South 18th
Street.Luster wants the
public’s help in tracking down the perpetrator or perpetrators.“We will bring
those responsible to justice. I have no doubt about it. It’s something that as
a community we shouldn’t tolerate. Not only just as the police department, but
as a community we should not tolerate that at all.”Lusters says the
situation was very irresponsible and very dangerous.Anyone with
information about this incident is encouraged to contact the St. Joseph Police
Department at (816) 271-4777 or submit an anonymous tip through the TIPS
Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS (8477) and receive up to a $1000 reward. You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

Public help sought in investigation of shooting that left St. Joseph child wounded

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/53QG5edR1llgzVyKmG0AQF?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3CyGTrsmK0XLvQ6AG6ME7q?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

Health insurance premiums are expected to jump in 2026, and many businesses say they’ll be forced to pass some of the increase on to employees

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>

Tania Hewett-Mader, who owns Alma Mader Brewing with her husband, believes providing health benefits to her employees is the right thing to do.

“That’s part of our values — taking good care of our people,” she said. “Not only for their sake, but to be competitive in the market.”

But two years ago, after the company had offered traditional insurance coverage for a couple of years, premiums were going to become unaffordable. The Kansas City small business, which only has five employees — including Hewett-Mader and her husband — had to find a different option.

“We had to make a decision at that point,” Hewett-Mader said.

It’s a familiar story for business owners. Large and small businesses alike have been scrambling to absorb rising insurance costs for years, and the 2026 increases are promising to be even worse.

Rates proposed for the state’s small-group market in the single risk pool

According to Mercer, the global consulting firm, benefit costs per employee for large firms are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mercer.com/en-us/insights/us-health-news/employers-prepare-for-the-highest-health-benefit-cost-increase-in-15-years/" target="_blank">expected to increase</a>&nbsp;an average 6.5% in 2026, the largest jump in 15 years. And that’s only if businesses take “cost-reduction measures.” If they don’t, Mercer said, plan costs would go up almost 9% on average.

For small groups — businesses with fewer than 50 employees — the increases could be far steeper.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City&nbsp;<a href="https://insurance.mo.gov/health-insurance/health-insurance-rate-filings-2026-plan-year" target="_blank">has requested</a>&nbsp;an average increase next year of 19% for its small-group plans that are regulated by the state of Missouri. Other insurers in the state’s small-group market have requested rate increases of 10% to 13%.

Rick Welsch, an insurance broker in Fairway, said he has already broken the news to clients that rates will be going up “dramatically.” And other insurance brokers in the area said they’re seeing a similar trend.

“I was a little blown away,” Welsch said.

Business owners ‘hope it’s not awful’

Now business owners may be left deciding how to absorb significant cost increases.

For&nbsp;<a href="https://www.almamaderbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Alma Mader Brewing</a>, the answer to continuing health benefits was to switch from a traditional insurance plan to a self-funded plan. That means the business pays into a pool of money that covers claims.

The change came with more paperwork and bigger copays for employees. The business also takes on more risk. If claims are higher one year, premiums will increase the next to compensate, which makes Hewett-Mader nervous.

She found out that next year the business will see a 13% jump because claims this year ran higher. But even that rate is doable, unlike the traditional coverage, so employees will keep their health insurance.

“‘It would be really hard to offer it and take it away,” she said.

Karen Crnkovich, owner of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dmcserviceinc.com/" target="_blank">DMC Service Inc.</a>, a commercial heating and cooling company in Olathe, said she spends hours every year trying to find a plan her company can afford that still provides good coverage for the 23 employees who are insured.

“We hold our breath and cross our fingers and hope it’s not awful,” she said.

Last year she saved $20,000 by moving to an individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement, known as an ICHRA plan. That gave employees a tax-free allowance to buy an individual plan on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But the model proved to be “too burdensome.” That and&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/18/brace-for-sticker-shock-if-youre-buying-health-insurance-on-the-aca-marketplace/" target="_blank">expected increases</a>&nbsp;in the cost of marketplace plans next year made Crnkovich rethink that switch. She’s moving back to a self-funded plan.

“Every year we’ve got to look at it,” she said.

Employers face a lot of pressure trying to maintain benefits when costs continue to rise, business owners said.

“It’s kind of like, ‘How can you provide all the benefits and still be above water?’” said Ariel Johnston, who owns&nbsp;<a href="https://thetastybalance.com/" target="_blank">The Tasty Balance</a>, a dietitian practice with offices in Prairie Village and St. Louis.

Johnston said the rates for her nine-person company will stay flat next year, but many employers won’t be so lucky.

Businesses confronting surging premiums may look for cost-saving options like adopting a self-funded model, like Alma Mader did. They may offer plans with narrower networks of doctors and hospitals in an effort to steer people to less-expensive providers, or force employees to pay more for going to a doctor not on a plan’s preferred list. Employers might also choose plans that limit what drugs are covered.

In addition, there is growing recognition that health plans that emphasize preventive care and behavioral health care will pay off in a healthier workforce and, eventually, lower premium costs. Johnston said many people don’t realize that dietitian services, like the ones her business offers, are fully covered by most insurance plans.

But to cover bigger premiums next year, many employers will also likely ask employees to pay more for their insurance.

Almost 60% of large employers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mercer.com/assets/us/en_us/shared-assets/local/attachments/pdf-2025-us-survey-on-health-and-benefit-strategies-for-2026.pdf" target="_blank">Mercer surveyed</a>&nbsp;said they would make cost-cutting changes, which generally means choosing plans with higher deductibles and bigger copays next year, adding to employees’ out-of-pocket costs.

KFF&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/health-costs/americans-challenges-with-health-care-costs/" target="_blank">research found</a>&nbsp;that nearly half of adults are already struggling to afford health care, more than one in three report skipping or postponing care and almost one in four said they have medical or dental bills that are past due that they can’t pay.

One in five people surveyed by KFF said they are paying off debt to a provider, 17% owe a bank or collection agency, 17% have put medical bills on a credit card and 10% said they owe family members.

Additional health insurance increases would compound the problem, consumer advocates said, and add strain when people are already dealing with increased prices for other basic needs.

“We see rising utility rates and rent going up and now health care,” said Mary Shannon of the&nbsp;<a href="https://moconsumers.org/" target="_blank">Consumers Council of Missouri</a>. “It reflects a broader trend of consumer costs increasing.”

Frank Lenk, an economist with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marc.org/" target="_blank">Mid-America Regional Council</a>, said that there will be economic consequences of rising medical costs. When people have to spend more on health care, already a sizable chunk of most household budgets, they’ll have less money to spend on other things, like local stores and restaurants.

“It will be happening when belts already seem to be tightening and the economy seems to be slowing down,” Lenk said.

The changes could also have longer-term consequences, he said. When people have to pay more for the doctor or to fill a prescription, they may be less likely to seek care, which could lead to a less healthy workforce.

“Businesses may save money on the one hand,” Lenk said, “but they may see loss of productivity on the other. It comes down to — there’s no free lunch.”

Employer-sponsored health insurance is the primary source of health coverage in this country.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 92% of people had health insurance for at least part of the year during 2024. Employment-based insurance&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/p60-288.html#:~:text=Highlights,decreased%20for%20both%20age%20groups." target="_blank">covered 53.8% of that population</a>, down from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/long-term-trends-in-employer-based-coverage/#Percent%20of%20Nonelderly%20Population%20Enrolled%20in%20Employer-Sponsored%20Coverage,%201998-2018" target="_blank">almost 67%</a>&nbsp;in 1998. Medicare covered 19.1%, Medicaid covered 17.6%, and 10.7% of people were covered by plans they purchased directly, including through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Insurance premiums on employer plans have been trending up for years. The national average annual premium per employee enrolled in an employer-based plan was $5,963 in 2015, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/state-indicator/single-coverage/?activeTab=graph&amp;currentTimeframe=0&amp;startTimeframe=9&amp;selectedDistributions=total-annual-premium&amp;selectedRows=%7B%22wrapups%22:%7B%22united-states%22:%7B%7D%7D%7D&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank">jumped</a>&nbsp;to $8.486 in 2024. In the same period Missouri’s average rates went from $5,726 to $8,552, and Kansas’ went from $5,558 to $7,874.

During that time, employers picked up between 75% and 79% of that premium cost. But employee costs still increased, both because the overall premium went up and because out-of-pocket costs climbed.

Insurance companies give many reasons for increasing premiums. But the two main factors are the price of health care is going up and more people are using their health benefits, which means insurance companies have to pay more.

Medical costs are set to grow 8.5% in 2026,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/assets/pwc-behind-the-numbers-2026.pdf" target="_blank">according to a study</a>&nbsp;by the consulting firm PwC, also known as PricewaterhouseCoopers. That’s the same rate as the last two years, but substantially greater than 2022 when the growth rate was 5.5%.

That slower growth reflected lower medical use during the pandemic, which is also one of the factors driving increased costs now, analysts said.

During the COVID pandemic, people put off doctor visits and routine care. That meant fewer claims being sent to insurance companies. It also caused a backlog of medical visits and procedures and led to growth in serious conditions that are more expensive to treat.

More expensive drugs are also adding to insurers’ costs. PwC said drug spending grew by $50 billion to $487 billion in 2024. GLP-1s, drugs that regulate blood sugar and help people lose weight, were a significant driver of the increase, leading some insurance companies to look at reining in who can get coverage for the drugs and for what conditions.

Insurers are also having to pay hospitals and doctors more, another reason for increased premiums. Analysts said several factors have caused that:

But one of the biggest reasons insurers may see higher costs starting in 2026 involves policy decisions coming out of the Trump administration, said Sara R. Collins, a senior scholar who studies health care for the Commonwealth Fund.

“We’re on the brink of some major changes,” she said.

Congress has&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/09/kansas-city-missouri-medicaid-trump-budget/" target="_blank">cut about $1 trillion</a>&nbsp;from federal Medicaid spending and&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/18/brace-for-sticker-shock-if-youre-buying-health-insurance-on-the-aca-marketplace/" target="_blank">made changes</a>&nbsp;to the Affordable Care Act marketplace, and is expected to allow enhanced tax credits to expire at the end of the year. Those tax credits help more than 90% of participants afford coverage and have helped marketplace enrollment to double since 2021.

All told, those policy changes are expected to result in 17 million people becoming uninsured, which will lead to more people needing free care. And that will drive higher costs for everyone else.

Beyond that, Collins said, President Donald Trump’s tariffs could lead to higher drug costs, which will also increase insurance costs.

All the federal policy changes “will reverberate through the rest of the insurance system,” Collins said. “Those are potential cost drivers on the hospital side and on the provider side.”

Health industry analysts said the rising costs are driving changes in the insurance marketplace, which could also contribute to higher premiums.

Derek Skoog, a health care actuary with PwC, said businesses facing big premium spikes are increasingly moving to self-funded insurance models.

This means that rather than paying an insurance company a monthly fee to cover all employee health claims, they set aside a pool of money and pay those claims themselves. If the business has employees who are young, healthy and low-risk, it may be a good bet that paying claims outright will cost less than paying an insurance premium.

The increased number of companies shifting to this self-funded model has been quietly diluting the risk pool for traditional insurance plans, known as fully insured plans, Skoog said. That means fewer premium dollars to cover the actual cost of claims. And potentially more expensive patients to cover.

Skoog said industry analysts had been wondering when that shift to self-funded plans would catch up to the fully insured segment of the market. And it seems to be happening. His firm’s analysis found that underwriting margins in the fully insured segment — basically an insurance company’s profits once claims have been paid — dropped to zero this year.

And that could also be a factor pushing insurance companies to raise rates in 2026, he said.

“The billion-dollar question here is,” Skoog said, “does that then further accelerate … the conversion from fully insured to self-funded?”

He called it a “pretty big concern” if healthier-than-average groups continue to leave the fully insured market.

“The long-term viability of that fully insured group segment, if it starts to run away, that can become a real challenge,” Skoog said.

<a href="https://centivo.com/" target="_blank">Centivo</a>, a New York-based company just entering the Kansas City market, is betting that more companies will take the leap to self-funded insurance as premiums for traditional plans climb.

The firm administers self-funded plans for businesses, which includes making deals with hospitals and doctors’ practices to get fixed rates for services. Centivo also works with “transparent pharmacy benefit managers” in an effort to lower the cost of medicine. And the company emphasizes preventive care.

Every Centivo patient is required to have a primary care physician and they pay nothing out of pocket for primary care services as long as they’re in the company’s network. The idea is that treating health problems earlier will help avoid serious issues and keep care costs down for the employers paying the bills.

“If you give them access to care,” said Ryan Moore, Centivo’s chief revenue officer, “all the data … show you’re going to have a lower cost of care in the long run.”

But that model might not hold up over time, said Collins of the Commonwealth Fund.

“Those employers that self-fund end up, as their workforce ages or they have workers who develop health problems, (needing) to come back into the fully insured market,” Collins said.

And that adds to the problem of care costing more and premiums going up, she said.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/09/16/kansas-city-workers-can-bet-on-paying-more-for-health-insurance-next-year/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758192001408.png" alt="Tania Hewett-Mader, who owns Alma Mader Brewing on Southwest Boulevard with her husband, is familiar with the stress of rising health insurance premiums many businesses are facing (Suzanne King/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption>Tania Hewett-Mader, who owns Alma Mader Brewing on Southwest Boulevard with her husband, is familiar with the stress of rising health insurance premiums many businesses are facing (Suzanne King/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Health insurance premiums are expected to jump in 2026, and many businesses say they’ll be forced to pass some of the increase on to employees</h2>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>Tania Hewett-Mader, who owns Alma Mader Brewing with her husband, believes providing health benefits to her employees is the right thing to do.“That’s part of our values — taking good care of our people,” she said. “Not only for their sake, but to be competitive in the market.”But two years ago, after the company had offered traditional insurance coverage for a couple of years, premiums were going to become unaffordable. The Kansas City small business, which only has five employees — including Hewett-Mader and her husband — had to find a different option.“We had to make a decision at that point,” Hewett-Mader said.It’s a familiar story for business owners. Large and small businesses alike have been scrambling to absorb rising insurance costs for years, and the 2026 increases are promising to be even worse.<h2>Missouri proposed rate filings for 2026</h2>Rates proposed for the state’s small-group market in the single risk pool<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758191906541.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>According to Mercer, the global consulting firm, benefit costs per employee for large firms are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mercer.com/en-us/insights/us-health-news/employers-prepare-for-the-highest-health-benefit-cost-increase-in-15-years/" target="_blank">expected to increase</a>&nbsp;an average 6.5% in 2026, the largest jump in 15 years. And that’s only if businesses take “cost-reduction measures.” If they don’t, Mercer said, plan costs would go up almost 9% on average.For small groups — businesses with fewer than 50 employees — the increases could be far steeper.Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City&nbsp;<a href="https://insurance.mo.gov/health-insurance/health-insurance-rate-filings-2026-plan-year" target="_blank">has requested</a>&nbsp;an average increase next year of 19% for its small-group plans that are regulated by the state of Missouri. Other insurers in the state’s small-group market have requested rate increases of 10% to 13%.Rick Welsch, an insurance broker in Fairway, said he has already broken the news to clients that rates will be going up “dramatically.” And other insurance brokers in the area said they’re seeing a similar trend.“I was a little blown away,” Welsch said.<h2>Business owners ‘hope it’s not awful’</h2>Now business owners may be left deciding how to absorb significant cost increases.For&nbsp;<a href="https://www.almamaderbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Alma Mader Brewing</a>, the answer to continuing health benefits was to switch from a traditional insurance plan to a self-funded plan. That means the business pays into a pool of money that covers claims.The change came with more paperwork and bigger copays for employees. The business also takes on more risk. If claims are higher one year, premiums will increase the next to compensate, which makes Hewett-Mader nervous.She found out that next year the business will see a 13% jump because claims this year ran higher. But even that rate is doable, unlike the traditional coverage, so employees will keep their health insurance.“‘It would be really hard to offer it and take it away,” she said.Karen Crnkovich, owner of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dmcserviceinc.com/" target="_blank">DMC Service Inc.</a>, a commercial heating and cooling company in Olathe, said she spends hours every year trying to find a plan her company can afford that still provides good coverage for the 23 employees who are insured.“We hold our breath and cross our fingers and hope it’s not awful,” she said.Last year she saved $20,000 by moving to an individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement, known as an ICHRA plan. That gave employees a tax-free allowance to buy an individual plan on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But the model proved to be “too burdensome.” That and&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/18/brace-for-sticker-shock-if-youre-buying-health-insurance-on-the-aca-marketplace/" target="_blank">expected increases</a>&nbsp;in the cost of marketplace plans next year made Crnkovich rethink that switch. She’s moving back to a self-funded plan.“Every year we’ve got to look at it,” she said.Employers face a lot of pressure trying to maintain benefits when costs continue to rise, business owners said.“It’s kind of like, ‘How can you provide all the benefits and still be above water?’” said Ariel Johnston, who owns&nbsp;<a href="https://thetastybalance.com/" target="_blank">The Tasty Balance</a>, a dietitian practice with offices in Prairie Village and St. Louis.Johnston said the rates for her nine-person company will stay flat next year, but many employers won’t be so lucky.Businesses confronting surging premiums may look for cost-saving options like adopting a self-funded model, like Alma Mader did. They may offer plans with narrower networks of doctors and hospitals in an effort to steer people to less-expensive providers, or force employees to pay more for going to a doctor not on a plan’s preferred list. Employers might also choose plans that limit what drugs are covered.In addition, there is growing recognition that health plans that emphasize preventive care and behavioral health care will pay off in a healthier workforce and, eventually, lower premium costs. Johnston said many people don’t realize that dietitian services, like the ones her business offers, are fully covered by most insurance plans.But to cover bigger premiums next year, many employers will also likely ask employees to pay more for their insurance.Almost 60% of large employers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mercer.com/assets/us/en_us/shared-assets/local/attachments/pdf-2025-us-survey-on-health-and-benefit-strategies-for-2026.pdf" target="_blank">Mercer surveyed</a>&nbsp;said they would make cost-cutting changes, which generally means choosing plans with higher deductibles and bigger copays next year, adding to employees’ out-of-pocket costs.<h2>Who will pay?</h2>KFF&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/health-costs/americans-challenges-with-health-care-costs/" target="_blank">research found</a>&nbsp;that nearly half of adults are already struggling to afford health care, more than one in three report skipping or postponing care and almost one in four said they have medical or dental bills that are past due that they can’t pay.One in five people surveyed by KFF said they are paying off debt to a provider, 17% owe a bank or collection agency, 17% have put medical bills on a credit card and 10% said they owe family members.Additional health insurance increases would compound the problem, consumer advocates said, and add strain when people are already dealing with increased prices for other basic needs.“We see rising utility rates and rent going up and now health care,” said Mary Shannon of the&nbsp;<a href="https://moconsumers.org/" target="_blank">Consumers Council of Missouri</a>. “It reflects a broader trend of consumer costs increasing.”Frank Lenk, an economist with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marc.org/" target="_blank">Mid-America Regional Council</a>, said that there will be economic consequences of rising medical costs. When people have to spend more on health care, already a sizable chunk of most household budgets, they’ll have less money to spend on other things, like local stores and restaurants.“It will be happening when belts already seem to be tightening and the economy seems to be slowing down,” Lenk said.The changes could also have longer-term consequences, he said. When people have to pay more for the doctor or to fill a prescription, they may be less likely to seek care, which could lead to a less healthy workforce.“Businesses may save money on the one hand,” Lenk said, “but they may see loss of productivity on the other. It comes down to — there’s no free lunch.”Employer-sponsored health insurance is the primary source of health coverage in this country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758191942692.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 92% of people had health insurance for at least part of the year during 2024. Employment-based insurance&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2025/demo/p60-288.html#:~:text=Highlights,decreased%20for%20both%20age%20groups." target="_blank">covered 53.8% of that population</a>, down from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/long-term-trends-in-employer-based-coverage/#Percent%20of%20Nonelderly%20Population%20Enrolled%20in%20Employer-Sponsored%20Coverage,%201998-2018" target="_blank">almost 67%</a>&nbsp;in 1998. Medicare covered 19.1%, Medicaid covered 17.6%, and 10.7% of people were covered by plans they purchased directly, including through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.Insurance premiums on employer plans have been trending up for years. The national average annual premium per employee enrolled in an employer-based plan was $5,963 in 2015, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/state-indicator/single-coverage/?activeTab=graph&amp;currentTimeframe=0&amp;startTimeframe=9&amp;selectedDistributions=total-annual-premium&amp;selectedRows=%7B%22wrapups%22:%7B%22united-states%22:%7B%7D%7D%7D&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D" target="_blank">jumped</a>&nbsp;to $8.486 in 2024. In the same period Missouri’s average rates went from $5,726 to $8,552, and Kansas’ went from $5,558 to $7,874.During that time, employers picked up between 75% and 79% of that premium cost. But employee costs still increased, both because the overall premium went up and because out-of-pocket costs climbed.<h2>Why is insurance going up?</h2>Insurance companies give many reasons for increasing premiums. But the two main factors are the price of health care is going up and more people are using their health benefits, which means insurance companies have to pay more.Medical costs are set to grow 8.5% in 2026,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/assets/pwc-behind-the-numbers-2026.pdf" target="_blank">according to a study</a>&nbsp;by the consulting firm PwC, also known as PricewaterhouseCoopers. That’s the same rate as the last two years, but substantially greater than 2022 when the growth rate was 5.5%.That slower growth reflected lower medical use during the pandemic, which is also one of the factors driving increased costs now, analysts said.During the COVID pandemic, people put off doctor visits and routine care. That meant fewer claims being sent to insurance companies. It also caused a backlog of medical visits and procedures and led to growth in serious conditions that are more expensive to treat.More expensive drugs are also adding to insurers’ costs. PwC said drug spending grew by $50 billion to $487 billion in 2024. GLP-1s, drugs that regulate blood sugar and help people lose weight, were a significant driver of the increase, leading some insurance companies to look at reining in who can get coverage for the drugs and for what conditions.Insurers are also having to pay hospitals and doctors more, another reason for increased premiums. Analysts said several factors have caused that:<ul>
 <li>Labor shortages in the medical field have forced hospitals and physician practices to pay higher salaries.</li><li>Artificial intelligence, which is helping providers bill for services more efficiently, has prompted providers to track, and bill for, more services.</li><li>And hospital system mergers, along with other provider consolidation, have helped providers negotiate higher reimbursement rates from insurers.</li>
 </ul>But one of the biggest reasons insurers may see higher costs starting in 2026 involves policy decisions coming out of the Trump administration, said Sara R. Collins, a senior scholar who studies health care for the Commonwealth Fund.“We’re on the brink of some major changes,” she said.Congress has&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/09/kansas-city-missouri-medicaid-trump-budget/" target="_blank">cut about $1 trillion</a>&nbsp;from federal Medicaid spending and&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/18/brace-for-sticker-shock-if-youre-buying-health-insurance-on-the-aca-marketplace/" target="_blank">made changes</a>&nbsp;to the Affordable Care Act marketplace, and is expected to allow enhanced tax credits to expire at the end of the year. Those tax credits help more than 90% of participants afford coverage and have helped marketplace enrollment to double since 2021.All told, those policy changes are expected to result in 17 million people becoming uninsured, which will lead to more people needing free care. And that will drive higher costs for everyone else.Beyond that, Collins said, President Donald Trump’s tariffs could lead to higher drug costs, which will also increase insurance costs.All the federal policy changes “will reverberate through the rest of the insurance system,” Collins said. “Those are potential cost drivers on the hospital side and on the provider side.”<h2>Trend toward self-funded insurance</h2>Health industry analysts said the rising costs are driving changes in the insurance marketplace, which could also contribute to higher premiums.Derek Skoog, a health care actuary with PwC, said businesses facing big premium spikes are increasingly moving to self-funded insurance models.This means that rather than paying an insurance company a monthly fee to cover all employee health claims, they set aside a pool of money and pay those claims themselves. If the business has employees who are young, healthy and low-risk, it may be a good bet that paying claims outright will cost less than paying an insurance premium.The increased number of companies shifting to this self-funded model has been quietly diluting the risk pool for traditional insurance plans, known as fully insured plans, Skoog said. That means fewer premium dollars to cover the actual cost of claims. And potentially more expensive patients to cover.Skoog said industry analysts had been wondering when that shift to self-funded plans would catch up to the fully insured segment of the market. And it seems to be happening. His firm’s analysis found that underwriting margins in the fully insured segment — basically an insurance company’s profits once claims have been paid — dropped to zero this year.And that could also be a factor pushing insurance companies to raise rates in 2026, he said.“The billion-dollar question here is,” Skoog said, “does that then further accelerate … the conversion from fully insured to self-funded?”He called it a “pretty big concern” if healthier-than-average groups continue to leave the fully insured market.“The long-term viability of that fully insured group segment, if it starts to run away, that can become a real challenge,” Skoog said.<a href="https://centivo.com/" target="_blank">Centivo</a>, a New York-based company just entering the Kansas City market, is betting that more companies will take the leap to self-funded insurance as premiums for traditional plans climb.The firm administers self-funded plans for businesses, which includes making deals with hospitals and doctors’ practices to get fixed rates for services. Centivo also works with “transparent pharmacy benefit managers” in an effort to lower the cost of medicine. And the company emphasizes preventive care.Every Centivo patient is required to have a primary care physician and they pay nothing out of pocket for primary care services as long as they’re in the company’s network. The idea is that treating health problems earlier will help avoid serious issues and keep care costs down for the employers paying the bills.“If you give them access to care,” said Ryan Moore, Centivo’s chief revenue officer, “all the data … show you’re going to have a lower cost of care in the long run.”But that model might not hold up over time, said Collins of the Commonwealth Fund.“Those employers that self-fund end up, as their workforce ages or they have workers who develop health problems, (needing) to come back into the fully insured market,” Collins said.And that adds to the problem of care costing more and premiums going up, she said.This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/09/16/kansas-city-workers-can-bet-on-paying-more-for-health-insurance-next-year/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://thebeaconnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/iconbeacon-150x150.png?crop=1" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Missouri workers can bet on paying more for health insurance next year

With the closure of the Buchanan County Courthouse tomorrow (Fri.), some operations from the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office will also be unavailable.

The Buchanan County Courthouse will close tomorrow (Fri.) at 1pm as the county installs a new natural gas backup power generartor.  It will also be closed on Monday as the generator is tested.

With the closure, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Adminstrative Offices will be closed as well.  

The closure will not affect any Sheriff's Office patrols or investigations.  It will also not cause any disruption to emergency 911 calls or operations at the jail.  However, there will be no in person jail visits during the closure. 

All operations at the Buchanan County Courthouse, and the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, will resume on Tuesday.

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

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostWith the closure of the Buchanan County Courthouse tomorrow (Fri.), some operations from the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office will also be unavailable.The Buchanan County Courthouse will close tomorrow (Fri.) at 1pm as the county installs a new natural gas backup power generartor. It will also be closed on Monday as the generator is tested.With the closure, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Adminstrative Offices will be closed as well. The closure will not affect any Sheriff's Office patrols or investigations. It will also not cause any disruption to emergency 911 calls or operations at the jail. However, there will be no in person jail visits during the closure. All operations at the Buchanan County Courthouse, and the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, will resume on Tuesday.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Buchanan County Courthouse closure Friday affects Sheriff's Office

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident in northeast Kansas.

Just before 10a.m. September 10, a sheriff's&nbsp;deputy was on routine patrol and noticed plywood scattered on U.S. 36 highway just south of Hiawatha that appeared to have been lost off of a vehicle going to the landfill, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;

&nbsp; A vehicle description was passed on to landfill employees by the deputy , and the suspect vehicle and occupants were made available for questioning when the deputy arrived.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Upon conclusion of the investigation, the driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old&nbsp; Edubiel Vega Gonzalez of&nbsp; Dawson, Nebraska was arrested on requested charges of Driving While License Cancelled, Suspended or Revoked&nbsp; and also cited for&nbsp; Littering&nbsp; The passengers in the Gonzalez vehicle were directed to clean the debris from the roadway.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758144874411.png" alt="Gonzalez photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident in northeast Kansas.Just before 10a.m. September 10, a sheriff's&nbsp;deputy was on routine patrol and noticed plywood scattered on U.S. 36 highway just south of Hiawatha that appeared to have been lost off of a vehicle going to the landfill, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;&nbsp; A vehicle description was passed on to landfill employees by the deputy , and the suspect vehicle and occupants were made available for questioning when the deputy arrived.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Upon conclusion of the investigation, the driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old&nbsp; Edubiel Vega Gonzalez of&nbsp; Dawson, Nebraska was arrested on requested charges of Driving While License Cancelled, Suspended or Revoked&nbsp; and also cited for&nbsp; Littering&nbsp; The passengers in the Gonzalez vehicle were directed to clean the debris from the roadway.

Sheriff: Suspect with no drivers license dumped trash on Kan. highway

With warmer weather and recent flooding creating ideal conditions, wildlife officials are reporting more rattlesnake activity than usual across Kansas.

Field staff say the uptick comes at a time when many hunting seasons are underway or about to begin, making it especially important for outdoor enthusiasts to stay alert.

Venomous snakes found in Kansas include several rattlesnake species and copperheads. However, officials emphasize that most snakes encountered in the state are nonvenomous and play a valuable role in maintaining balanced ecosystems. Snakebites in Kansas are rarely fatal, thanks to effective medical treatments available at hospitals.

Tips for Staying Safe Outdoors •&nbsp; Watch your step, especially in tall grass or brush. •&nbsp; Be cautious around logs, rocks, or other debris where snakes may be hiding. •&nbsp; Give snakes space if you encounter one—don’t attempt to catch or kill it.

If Bitten by a Venomous Snake •&nbsp; Stay calm to slow the spread of venom. •&nbsp; Call 911 or get to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible, but avoid driving yourself if symptoms progress. •&nbsp; Do not attempt to catch or kill the snake. Antivenoms used in the U.S. are effective for all pit viper bites, including rattlesnakes and copperheads.

Kansas wildlife officials encourage residents and visitors to continue enjoying the outdoors this season—just with added awareness and preparation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758145054284.jpeg" alt="(Photo courtesy Kansas Department of Wildlife and Park)" />
 <figcaption>(Photo courtesy Kansas Department of Wildlife and Park)</figcaption>
 </figure>With warmer weather and recent flooding creating ideal conditions, wildlife officials are reporting more rattlesnake activity than usual across Kansas.Field staff say the uptick comes at a time when many hunting seasons are underway or about to begin, making it especially important for outdoor enthusiasts to stay alert.Venomous snakes found in Kansas include several rattlesnake species and copperheads. However, officials emphasize that most snakes encountered in the state are nonvenomous and play a valuable role in maintaining balanced ecosystems. Snakebites in Kansas are rarely fatal, thanks to effective medical treatments available at hospitals.Tips for Staying Safe Outdoors •&nbsp; Watch your step, especially in tall grass or brush. •&nbsp; Be cautious around logs, rocks, or other debris where snakes may be hiding. •&nbsp; Give snakes space if you encounter one—don’t attempt to catch or kill it.If Bitten by a Venomous Snake •&nbsp; Stay calm to slow the spread of venom. •&nbsp; Call 911 or get to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible, but avoid driving yourself if symptoms progress. •&nbsp; Do not attempt to catch or kill the snake. Antivenoms used in the U.S. are effective for all pit viper bites, including rattlesnakes and copperheads.Kansas wildlife officials encourage residents and visitors to continue enjoying the outdoors this season—just with added awareness and preparation.

Local