With highs expected in the upper 90's today, avoiding heat exhaustion and dehydration should be top of mind.&nbsp;

St. Joseph Health Educator Jada Johnson advises to watch signs of dehydration as you are out playing or working in this heat.&nbsp;

"Definitely heavy sweating, like profusely sweating and not on a normal level, if they're going through clothes, a lot of sweating," Johnson tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Rapid heartbeat, if they're feeling faint like they're going to pass out, dizziness, severe fatigue, if they have intense muscle cramps that kind of come out of nowhere, nausea and even vomiting, and then headache."&nbsp;

Johnson says the even more extreme signs to look out for include losing consciousness, becoming confused, and overheating the body to above 104 degrees.&nbsp;

Johnson says you should stay properly hydrated while out playing or working in the heat this summer. &nbsp;

Johnson says the best way to stay hydrated is drinking water rather than sports drinks.&nbsp;

"Sometimes those have a lot of sugar, so just opting for plain water and maybe infusing your water with fresh fruits like lemon, berries, or even mint leaves can make drinking water a lot easier," Johnson explains. "But water is just really key for optimal hydration."&nbsp;

For children and teens, that could be easier said than done.&nbsp; Johnson says youth tend to go for sugary drinks over water while out in the heat&nbsp;

"Get them maybe a fun water bottle to drink out of and add the fruits in there to make it taste better so they're more willing to drink it," Johnson says. "If they do opt for pop and stuff maybe tell them to level it out with a glass of water."&nbsp;

Johnson says children can also stay hydrated by eating more fruits and vegetables.&nbsp;

"Fruits are really good during the summer so strawberries, peaches, cucumbers, celery, all of those fruits and veggies have a lot of those hydrating qualities to them as well," Johnson points out.&nbsp;

Johnson says for adults it's also best to not drink alcohol to avoid dehydration. &nbsp;

Temperatures are expected to drop below 90 through the weekend, with the chances of rain and thunderstorms, but will be back up to a high of 92 on Monday.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKE&nbsp;St. Joseph Post&nbsp;With highs expected in the upper 90's today, avoiding heat exhaustion and dehydration should be top of mind.&nbsp;St. Joseph Health Educator Jada Johnson advises to watch signs of dehydration as you are out playing or working in this heat.&nbsp;"Definitely heavy sweating, like profusely sweating and not on a normal level, if they're going through clothes, a lot of sweating," Johnson tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Rapid heartbeat, if they're feeling faint like they're going to pass out, dizziness, severe fatigue, if they have intense muscle cramps that kind of come out of nowhere, nausea and even vomiting, and then headache."&nbsp;Johnson says the even more extreme signs to look out for include losing consciousness, becoming confused, and overheating the body to above 104 degrees.&nbsp;Johnson says you should stay properly hydrated while out playing or working in the heat this summer. &nbsp;Johnson says the best way to stay hydrated is drinking water rather than sports drinks.&nbsp;"Sometimes those have a lot of sugar, so just opting for plain water and maybe infusing your water with fresh fruits like lemon, berries, or even mint leaves can make drinking water a lot easier," Johnson explains. "But water is just really key for optimal hydration."&nbsp;For children and teens, that could be easier said than done.&nbsp; Johnson says youth tend to go for sugary drinks over water while out in the heat&nbsp;"Get them maybe a fun water bottle to drink out of and add the fruits in there to make it taste better so they're more willing to drink it," Johnson says. "If they do opt for pop and stuff maybe tell them to level it out with a glass of water."&nbsp;Johnson says children can also stay hydrated by eating more fruits and vegetables.&nbsp;"Fruits are really good during the summer so strawberries, peaches, cucumbers, celery, all of those fruits and veggies have a lot of those hydrating qualities to them as well," Johnson points out.&nbsp;Johnson says for adults it's also best to not drink alcohol to avoid dehydration. &nbsp;Temperatures are expected to drop below 90 through the weekend, with the chances of rain and thunderstorms, but will be back up to a high of 92 on Monday.&nbsp;

Stay hydrated as summer heats continue to rise

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association filed a motion in the U.S. District Court of Southern Texas asking it to strike down the Biden administration’s Waters of the U.S. Rule. 

The motion comes in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA. 

“A full rewrite of the Biden administration’s WOTUS definition is the only path to comply with the Sackett decision,” says NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. 

“NCBA is seeking summary judgment in our lawsuit against the Biden WOTUS rule and urging the Southern District of Texas to strike the rule from the books.” Separate from the Sackett case, NCBA led a coalition in filing suit against the Biden rule to keep it from taking effect. 

NCBA helped secure injunctions in 27 states to temporarily halt the rule. “NCBA has been fighting the overreaching WOTUS rules for years, and this is the latest example of our fight,” says Hart. &nbsp;

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association filed a motion in the U.S. District Court of Southern Texas asking it to strike down the Biden administration’s Waters of the U.S. Rule. The motion comes in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA. “A full rewrite of the Biden administration’s WOTUS definition is the only path to comply with the Sackett decision,” says NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. “NCBA is seeking summary judgment in our lawsuit against the Biden WOTUS rule and urging the Southern District of Texas to strike the rule from the books.” Separate from the Sackett case, NCBA led a coalition in filing suit against the Biden rule to keep it from taking effect. NCBA helped secure injunctions in 27 states to temporarily halt the rule. “NCBA has been fighting the overreaching WOTUS rules for years, and this is the latest example of our fight,” says Hart. &nbsp;- NAFB

NCBA files motion to strike down WOTUS

The Midwest and east-central Great Plains saw conditions worsen with widespread crop stress and lower stream flows in this week’s Drought Monitor. 

Heavy rains in parts of Ohio and Kentucky led to some improvements in the short-term drought. 

However, much of the Midwest saw conditions stay the same or get worse, especially in central Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, southwest Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, and southeast Iowa. 

Almost completely-dry weather in Missouri and southern Illinois created potential problems for corn and soybean production. In southeast Iowa, producers reported rolling corn leaves and stunted soybeans. The weather was varied in the High Plains. 

Much of the northern parts, except for eastern Nebraska and eastern Kansas, saw widespread precipitation, some of it heavy. Conditions got drier in southeast Nebraska and northeast Kansas. 

Much warmer than normal temperatures covered the western half of the South. Most of the West was near to below-normal in temps during the week.

The Midwest and east-central Great Plains saw conditions worsen with widespread crop stress and lower stream flows in this week’s Drought Monitor. Heavy rains in parts of Ohio and Kentucky led to some improvements in the short-term drought. However, much of the Midwest saw conditions stay the same or get worse, especially in central Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, southwest Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, and southeast Iowa. Almost completely-dry weather in Missouri and southern Illinois created potential problems for corn and soybean production. In southeast Iowa, producers reported rolling corn leaves and stunted soybeans. The weather was varied in the High Plains. Much of the northern parts, except for eastern Nebraska and eastern Kansas, saw widespread precipitation, some of it heavy. Conditions got drier in southeast Nebraska and northeast Kansas. Much warmer than normal temperatures covered the western half of the South. Most of the West was near to below-normal in temps during the week.- NAFB

Drought tightens grip on Midwest, Eastern Great Plains

A St. Joseph woman and Red Cross volunteer is headed to an island and U.S. Territory in the Pacific Ocean that was recently hit by one of the strongest typhoons in recent history.

Typhoon Mawar hit the island of Guam in late May. Guam is a U.S. territory in the North Pacific. It’s the most populated island in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Mawar made landfall in Guam on May 24, dumping over 20 inches of rain and bringing 140 mph winds with it. It was the strongest tropical cyclone in the northern hemisphere so far this year.

Peggy Gaines has volunteered through the St. Joseph Red Cross for over 15 years. This will be her first international trip, and she’ll be helping residents on the island find more suitable housing.

"It'll be a long trip," she said. "I'm going there to work with Red Cross disaster recovery. I'm going to be doing shelter residence transition, which means I'll try and help people get out of shelters into more sustainable housing."

Gaines says a big motivation for her going on this trip is the large U.S. Military presence at Guam, who also took the brunt of the storm damage. Of the 150,000 residents on the island, about a third of them are U.S. military personnel.

"They all had this disaster, too," Gaines said. "They're all part of this recovery. Red Cross is working in sheltering and feeding of course, but we're also trying to take those steps in recovery, because it's been almost a month now."

Gaines leaves for Guam on Friday. She’ll be there for three weeks. She says one of the biggest challenges of this disaster relief effort will be helping the larger families whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

"I was told it's not abnormal to find families of 14-15 people in home, so it'll be hard to find housing for those bigger families."

This will be Gaines’ 51st disaster relief trip. She’s helped with a variety of events and hardships, from house fires, hurricanes and tornadoes. She was in Florida this past winter helping with Hurricane Ian relief.

Gaines says her motivation for doing this is fairly simple.

"I have everything I need," she said. "These people have nothing, or close to nothing. That's why I go to help. If I can offer hope and give them a way forward, that's what I'll try to do, and Red Cross educates you very well on that."

Gaines says there’s several ways everyone can help the Red Cross in these disaster relief efforts.

"People in the U.S. can learn to be a volunteer and volunteer your time and skills and go. Or, you can go to RedCross.org and donate."

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687982758174.png" alt="Peggy Gaines. Courtesy photo." />
 <figcaption>Peggy Gaines. Courtesy photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostA St. Joseph woman and Red Cross volunteer is headed to an island and U.S. Territory in the Pacific Ocean that was recently hit by one of the strongest typhoons in recent history.Typhoon Mawar hit the island of Guam in late May. Guam is a U.S. territory in the North Pacific. It’s the most populated island in the Northern Mariana Islands.Mawar made landfall in Guam on May 24, dumping over 20 inches of rain and bringing 140 mph winds with it. It was the strongest tropical cyclone in the northern hemisphere so far this year.Peggy Gaines has volunteered through the St. Joseph Red Cross for over 15 years. This will be her first international trip, and she’ll be helping residents on the island find more suitable housing."It'll be a long trip," she said. "I'm going there to work with Red Cross disaster recovery. I'm going to be doing shelter residence transition, which means I'll try and help people get out of shelters into more sustainable housing."Gaines says a big motivation for her going on this trip is the large U.S. Military presence at Guam, who also took the brunt of the storm damage. Of the 150,000 residents on the island, about a third of them are U.S. military personnel."They all had this disaster, too," Gaines said. "They're all part of this recovery. Red Cross is working in sheltering and feeding of course, but we're also trying to take those steps in recovery, because it's been almost a month now."Gaines leaves for Guam on Friday. She’ll be there for three weeks. She says one of the biggest challenges of this disaster relief effort will be helping the larger families whose homes were damaged or destroyed."I was told it's not abnormal to find families of 14-15 people in home, so it'll be hard to find housing for those bigger families."This will be Gaines’ 51st disaster relief trip. She’s helped with a variety of events and hardships, from house fires, hurricanes and tornadoes. She was in Florida this past winter helping with Hurricane Ian relief.Gaines says her motivation for doing this is fairly simple."I have everything I need," she said. "These people have nothing, or close to nothing. That's why I go to help. If I can offer hope and give them a way forward, that's what I'll try to do, and Red Cross educates you very well on that."Gaines says there’s several ways everyone can help the Red Cross in these disaster relief efforts."People in the U.S. can learn to be a volunteer and volunteer your time and skills and go. Or, you can go to RedCross.org and donate."You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph woman, Red Cross volunteer headed for Guam to help with typhoon relief

The state’s funding for school districts has remained relatively unchanged as inflation sped up in the past decade

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

Local education leaders around Missouri say the formula that determines state funding of public schools hasn’t kept up with inflation and other pressures districts face in 2023.

At least 35 school boards have passed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://go.boarddocs.com/mo/lsr7sd/Board.nsf/files/CPSUUY7AC990/$file/Resolution%20Calling%20for%20the%20Appointment%20of%20a%20Blue%20Ribbon%20Commission%20to%20Study%20Missouri%E2%80%99s%20Funding%20Formula.pdf">resolutions asking the State Board of Education</a>&nbsp;to convene a blue ribbon commission to study the formula, which each year adds up to less and less of their overall funding.

David Buck, superintendent of the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, has watched state funding dip from 34.4% of the district’s revenue to 26% in nine years. The district’s voters recently approved a levy transfer to allocate more revenue to teacher salaries to keep up with inflation.

“(The formula) is shifting the financial burden of operations from state to local level, because it’s so flat,” Buck said.

State lawmakers say they “fully fund the formula,” said Mehlville Superintendent Chris Gaines, but that doesn’t account for changes made seven years ago that make it easier to qualify as fully funded.

“They still get to say, ‘We fully funded the formula’ — even as they manipulated the cost to be lower,” Mehlville Superintendent Chris Gaines told The Independent.

The amount of money the state allots as a base cost for educating each student has increased 4% since 2009. The consumer price index, an indicator of inflation, has risen over 33% in the St. Louis Metro during the same period of time.

The call for an update to the foundation formula is felt by lawmakers like state Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, who chairs the House elementary and secondary education committee. He said most education funding formulas last 10 years, and this current formula is past its 17th.

During the legislative session this spring, he steered his committee toward learning more about the formula, but he didn’t feel confident the legislature was ready to tackle the update.

“I think we need to update (the formula), but that’s a pretty heavy lift and not very many people understand it,” Pollitt said. “Very few people understand the formula that are actually in the capital.”

Lawsuits have preceded the past two major changes to the formula, but Missouri superintendents are hoping for edits soon and hoping a blue ribbon commission can help.

The current formula, crafted in 2005 amid litigation, leans on a “state adequacy target,” or the minimum cost of educating each student. This target is recalculated regularly by looking at the expenses of the state’s high-performing districts.

The state adequacy target has been frozen since 2020.

Gaines said he always felt the current formula shorted districts, but changes in 2014 and 2016 worsened the pinch.

“There's always been frustration from the start,” Gaines said. “When the legislature started manipulating and limiting growth in the state adequacy target in order to get the formula to work within a defined amount of money,&nbsp; that just added to it.”

In 2014, state lawmakers passed a law allowing the state to recalculate the target when it didn’t appropriate enough funds. And two years later, lawmakers set a cap on the amount the state adequacy target is allowed to grow.

The target is multiplied by the weighted average daily attendance, or a district’s average attendance with extra funding for students that cost more to educate.

The state sets a threshold based on the average number of students that qualify for free or reduced lunch, receive special-education services and have limited English language proficiency. Then, districts receive additional funding per each student they educate over the threshold.

Districts with more students in the high-needs groups have a higher weight.

A third factor completes the multiplication: A dollar-value modifier. This factor adjusts state funding for an area’s cost of living.

Then, the state subtracts school districts’ locally generated revenue from 2004-2005, based on a tax levy of $3.43. The amount remaining is the state aid that districts get annually from the formula.

The state also gives districts money through Proposition C, a 1% sales tax approved by voters, and the Classroom Trust Fund, a fund that includes gambling revenues.&nbsp;

Lawmakers also include annual money in the state budget to provide for transportation costs and grants to increase teacher salaries.

Gaines said these budget items aren’t as reliable because they seem to be the first cut when state revenue is down.

“If we would fund the formula the way it should be,” he said, “maybe we wouldn't have to be doing these grant programs.”

Past foundation formulas were crafted before Missouri finalized term limits. Now, state lawmakers are less likely to have a history with the formula when making changes.

Charlie Shields, chair of the State Board of Education, worked on the current formula as a state senator in 2005. He told The Independent that the process took nearly two years.

“You need to do it in years that you have money, which we're blessed right now that the state’s budgets are in pretty good shape. So if you're going to revise a formula, this is probably a good time to start,” he said. “But I can't overemphasize the difficulty factor in doing this.”

He said the state board is ready to assist legislators, but he doesn’t think a blue ribbon commission is the right path.

“It is the legislature that writes the formula, and for us just to come up with a commission that hands a legislature recommendation doesn't seem like that would be a process that would work,” Shields said.

A blue ribbon commission provides studies and suggestions to the State Board of Education and lawmakers, but the state’s elected officials will ultimately write the legislation.

“We understand superintendents and districts wanting us to have somebody looking at the formula,” Shields said. “It doesn't seem an appropriate process in my mind to do that outside of the legislature.”

There is currently a commission studying teacher recruitment and retention that recently made its first round of suggestions. Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly, took many of the group’s legislative priorities as he filed bills.

Midway through the legislative session, his teacher recruitment and retention legislation was merged into one bill and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-house-approves-legislation-seeking-to-boost-minimum-teacher-salaries/">overwhelmingly supported by the House</a>. The bill died,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/06/lawmakers-lament-failure-of-bills-aimed-at-addressing-missouri-teacher-shortage/">although a plan was crafted to bring it to the Senate floor</a>, during GOP infighting in the Senate.

Legislation proposing additional funding for high-needs students through the formula also made progress this spring but did not get a final stamp of approval.

Pollitt said he doesn’t think the formula should be rewritten entirely, but he does foresee edits. He held a workshop on the formula in his committee this year to begin to get lawmakers ready for changes.

Buck hopes a new blue ribbon commission studying the formula could engage superintendents, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and state lawmakers.

“This needs to be a collaborative effort,” he said.

Buck pointed to a recent study of the formula conducted by an expert on state education funding. He said it was a good starting point, but he wants districts to be engaged in the next step of the research.

The State Board of Education touched on the study in its recent meeting, barely grazing points made in a lengthy report by Bruce Baker, chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Miami.

Baker&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/missouri-school-funding-march-2023">looked at Missouri’s formula this year</a>&nbsp;and found that the current formula hurts districts with the highest amount of low-income students.

He suggested a change to the weighted average daily attendance, saying the weights were “not based on any empirical analysis.”

Instead, he recommended removing the threshold and updating the weights to the actual cost of educating high-needs students.

Currently, the state gives districts an additional 25% of funding costs for low-income students. Baker said his research supports a boost of 111% for low-income students.

Low-income students in cities or the fringe of cities cost 139% more to educate, he said. Baker estimated a weight of 310% for English-language learners, compared to the current 60% boost.

Baker also suggests switching to enrollment rather than attendance as a pupil count.

“It is well understood that average daily attendance rates tend to be lower (relative to enrolled, eligible pupils) in districts that are higher in child poverty and in minority concentrations. As such, when state aid is calculated based on average daily attendance, that aid is systematically reduced in higher poverty, higher minority concentration districts,” he wrote.

Gaines liked the shift away from attendance but wished Baker’s report would’ve looked into the state adequacy target. He said the target is what got superintendents thinking about a path forward.

“The stagnation of this state tag adequacy target was the thing that was driving frustration in a lot of people,” Gaines said. “So that really got us to engage and start having conversations around that formula.”

Pollitt said he hopes to discuss education funding with legislative leaders soon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688126091968.png" alt=" Lee’s Summit R-7 School District’s Tony L. Stansberry Leadership Center, as photographed December 30, 2022 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Lee’s Summit R-7 School District’s Tony L. Stansberry Leadership Center, as photographed December 30, 2022 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The state’s funding for school districts has remained relatively unchanged as inflation sped up in the past decade</h2>By ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>Local education leaders around Missouri say the formula that determines state funding of public schools hasn’t kept up with inflation and other pressures districts face in 2023.At least 35 school boards have passed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://go.boarddocs.com/mo/lsr7sd/Board.nsf/files/CPSUUY7AC990/$file/Resolution%20Calling%20for%20the%20Appointment%20of%20a%20Blue%20Ribbon%20Commission%20to%20Study%20Missouri%E2%80%99s%20Funding%20Formula.pdf">resolutions asking the State Board of Education</a>&nbsp;to convene a blue ribbon commission to study the formula, which each year adds up to less and less of their overall funding.David Buck, superintendent of the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, has watched state funding dip from 34.4% of the district’s revenue to 26% in nine years. The district’s voters recently approved a levy transfer to allocate more revenue to teacher salaries to keep up with inflation.“(The formula) is shifting the financial burden of operations from state to local level, because it’s so flat,” Buck said.State lawmakers say they “fully fund the formula,” said Mehlville Superintendent Chris Gaines, but that doesn’t account for changes made seven years ago that make it easier to qualify as fully funded.“They still get to say, ‘We fully funded the formula’ — even as they manipulated the cost to be lower,” Mehlville Superintendent Chris Gaines told The Independent.The amount of money the state allots as a base cost for educating each student has increased 4% since 2009. The consumer price index, an indicator of inflation, has risen over 33% in the St. Louis Metro during the same period of time.The call for an update to the foundation formula is felt by lawmakers like state Rep. Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, who chairs the House elementary and secondary education committee. He said most education funding formulas last 10 years, and this current formula is past its 17th.During the legislative session this spring, he steered his committee toward learning more about the formula, but he didn’t feel confident the legislature was ready to tackle the update.“I think we need to update (the formula), but that’s a pretty heavy lift and not very many people understand it,” Pollitt said. “Very few people understand the formula that are actually in the capital.”Lawsuits have preceded the past two major changes to the formula, but Missouri superintendents are hoping for edits soon and hoping a blue ribbon commission can help.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688126030572.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>How the formula works</h2>The current formula, crafted in 2005 amid litigation, leans on a “state adequacy target,” or the minimum cost of educating each student. This target is recalculated regularly by looking at the expenses of the state’s high-performing districts.The state adequacy target has been frozen since 2020.Gaines said he always felt the current formula shorted districts, but changes in 2014 and 2016 worsened the pinch.“There's always been frustration from the start,” Gaines said. “When the legislature started manipulating and limiting growth in the state adequacy target in order to get the formula to work within a defined amount of money,&nbsp; that just added to it.”In 2014, state lawmakers passed a law allowing the state to recalculate the target when it didn’t appropriate enough funds. And two years later, lawmakers set a cap on the amount the state adequacy target is allowed to grow.The target is multiplied by the weighted average daily attendance, or a district’s average attendance with extra funding for students that cost more to educate.The state sets a threshold based on the average number of students that qualify for free or reduced lunch, receive special-education services and have limited English language proficiency. Then, districts receive additional funding per each student they educate over the threshold.Districts with more students in the high-needs groups have a higher weight.A third factor completes the multiplication: A dollar-value modifier. This factor adjusts state funding for an area’s cost of living.Then, the state subtracts school districts’ locally generated revenue from 2004-2005, based on a tax levy of $3.43. The amount remaining is the state aid that districts get annually from the formula.The state also gives districts money through Proposition C, a 1% sales tax approved by voters, and the Classroom Trust Fund, a fund that includes gambling revenues.&nbsp;Lawmakers also include annual money in the state budget to provide for transportation costs and grants to increase teacher salaries.Gaines said these budget items aren’t as reliable because they seem to be the first cut when state revenue is down.“If we would fund the formula the way it should be,” he said, “maybe we wouldn't have to be doing these grant programs.”<h2>A call for a commission</h2>Past foundation formulas were crafted before Missouri finalized term limits. Now, state lawmakers are less likely to have a history with the formula when making changes.Charlie Shields, chair of the State Board of Education, worked on the current formula as a state senator in 2005. He told The Independent that the process took nearly two years.“You need to do it in years that you have money, which we're blessed right now that the state’s budgets are in pretty good shape. So if you're going to revise a formula, this is probably a good time to start,” he said. “But I can't overemphasize the difficulty factor in doing this.”He said the state board is ready to assist legislators, but he doesn’t think a blue ribbon commission is the right path.“It is the legislature that writes the formula, and for us just to come up with a commission that hands a legislature recommendation doesn't seem like that would be a process that would work,” Shields said.A blue ribbon commission provides studies and suggestions to the State Board of Education and lawmakers, but the state’s elected officials will ultimately write the legislation.“We understand superintendents and districts wanting us to have somebody looking at the formula,” Shields said. “It doesn't seem an appropriate process in my mind to do that outside of the legislature.”There is currently a commission studying teacher recruitment and retention that recently made its first round of suggestions. Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly, took many of the group’s legislative priorities as he filed bills.Midway through the legislative session, his teacher recruitment and retention legislation was merged into one bill and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-house-approves-legislation-seeking-to-boost-minimum-teacher-salaries/">overwhelmingly supported by the House</a>. The bill died,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/06/lawmakers-lament-failure-of-bills-aimed-at-addressing-missouri-teacher-shortage/">although a plan was crafted to bring it to the Senate floor</a>, during GOP infighting in the Senate.Legislation proposing additional funding for high-needs students through the formula also made progress this spring but did not get a final stamp of approval.Pollitt said he doesn’t think the formula should be rewritten entirely, but he does foresee edits. He held a workshop on the formula in his committee this year to begin to get lawmakers ready for changes.Buck hopes a new blue ribbon commission studying the formula could engage superintendents, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and state lawmakers.“This needs to be a collaborative effort,” he said.Buck pointed to a recent study of the formula conducted by an expert on state education funding. He said it was a good starting point, but he wants districts to be engaged in the next step of the research.<h2>Studying the formula</h2>The State Board of Education touched on the study in its recent meeting, barely grazing points made in a lengthy report by Bruce Baker, chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Miami.Baker&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/missouri-school-funding-march-2023">looked at Missouri’s formula this year</a>&nbsp;and found that the current formula hurts districts with the highest amount of low-income students.He suggested a change to the weighted average daily attendance, saying the weights were “not based on any empirical analysis.”Instead, he recommended removing the threshold and updating the weights to the actual cost of educating high-needs students.Currently, the state gives districts an additional 25% of funding costs for low-income students. Baker said his research supports a boost of 111% for low-income students.Low-income students in cities or the fringe of cities cost 139% more to educate, he said. Baker estimated a weight of 310% for English-language learners, compared to the current 60% boost.Baker also suggests switching to enrollment rather than attendance as a pupil count.“It is well understood that average daily attendance rates tend to be lower (relative to enrolled, eligible pupils) in districts that are higher in child poverty and in minority concentrations. As such, when state aid is calculated based on average daily attendance, that aid is systematically reduced in higher poverty, higher minority concentration districts,” he wrote.Gaines liked the shift away from attendance but wished Baker’s report would’ve looked into the state adequacy target. He said the target is what got superintendents thinking about a path forward.“The stagnation of this state tag adequacy target was the thing that was driving frustration in a lot of people,” Gaines said. “So that really got us to engage and start having conversations around that formula.”Pollitt said he hopes to discuss education funding with legislative leaders soon.

Missouri school boards request commission to adjust funding formula for inflation

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new drug allegations after an arrest.

On February 2, police began an investigation that began as a theft case at Casey’s General Store in the 1600 block Main in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, police arrested&nbsp; Kenneth H. Gulley III, 29, Atchison, in the 500 block Park on a Community Corrections detain order, a District Court warrant for failure to appear in court, and a District Court warrant for possession of fentanyl, possession of alprazolam, possession of drug paraphernalia, and theft.

In March, police arrested Gulley on a District Court warrant for computer crime, criminal use of financial card, and theft.

The theft of the financial card involved a 69-year-old victim in January, according to Wilson. Gulley has previous convictions for theft, burglary,&nbsp;Interference with Law Enforcement by destroying evidence and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678112011440.png" alt="Gulley photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Gulley photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new drug allegations after an arrest.On February 2, police began an investigation that began as a theft case at Casey’s General Store in the 1600 block Main in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp;On Wednesday, police arrested&nbsp; Kenneth H. Gulley III, 29, Atchison, in the 500 block Park on a Community Corrections detain order, a District Court warrant for failure to appear in court, and a District Court warrant for possession of fentanyl, possession of alprazolam, possession of drug paraphernalia, and theft.In March, police arrested Gulley on a District Court warrant for computer crime, criminal use of financial card, and theft.The theft of the financial card involved a 69-year-old victim in January, according to Wilson. Gulley has previous convictions for theft, burglary,&nbsp;Interference with Law Enforcement by destroying evidence and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas felon caught with fentanyl as part of theft investigation

A new resource is available to help St. Joseph area residents with health questions and even provide a space to host community events. &nbsp;

Healthy Blue President Jeff Davis says the new welcome center in St. Joseph will help with an already complicated health system. &nbsp;

"There are just so many strong resources out in the community but figuring out who you need to call for this and that when you're just really trying to figure out how am I going to get a roof over my head or how am I going to get my kids fed today, we're just here to help ease that burden," Davis tells reporters. "The people can figure it out themselves but it's a whole lot easier if we can kind of take it under our wings and help."&nbsp;

Davis says staff will be on hand at the center to organize community events but will also be there to help those in need find these resources to help better their lives. &nbsp;

It also will help residents renew Medicaid coverage or even enroll in Medicaid.&nbsp;

The Healthy Blue Community Welcome Center will provide information on the social drivers of health as well as even provide a community space for events. &nbsp;

Davis says social drivers of health go beyond the traditional scope of healthcare.&nbsp;

"Social drivers of health are like your housing situation, do you have a house, do you have consistent housing, do you have consistent food, do you have employment, any of those other things that impact your healthcare but aren't in that traditional healthcare vein," Davis explains. "So, we talk about the social factors that impact your health that's really what we're talking about when we talk about social drivers of health."&nbsp;

The new community welcome center will help residents connect with health resources.&nbsp;

Davis says too many people find it too easy to take health for granted, until they have a health scare. . .&nbsp;

"So many of our members, we take care of primarily underserved, so many of our members are facing battles with functioning on a daily basis, resource constraints are very real for our members and if you add healthcare factors to that as well, it can be daunting," Davis says. "It's important for them to realize that there are resources out there for them, there is a path, there are people that care about them, and we want to be that person that can help you."&nbsp;

Davis says the hope is that when people come into the community center they can be greeted by a smiling face and provided with the help they need.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688054996166.jpeg" alt="Healthy Blue opened a new Community Welcome Center in St. Joseph holding community events as well as helping people with healthcare needs/Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Healthy Blue opened a new Community Welcome Center in St. Joseph holding community events as well as helping people with healthcare needs/Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE&nbsp;St. Joseph Post&nbsp;A new resource is available to help St. Joseph area residents with health questions and even provide a space to host community events. &nbsp;Healthy Blue President Jeff Davis says the new welcome center in St. Joseph will help with an already complicated health system. &nbsp;"There are just so many strong resources out in the community but figuring out who you need to call for this and that when you're just really trying to figure out how am I going to get a roof over my head or how am I going to get my kids fed today, we're just here to help ease that burden," Davis tells reporters. "The people can figure it out themselves but it's a whole lot easier if we can kind of take it under our wings and help."&nbsp;Davis says staff will be on hand at the center to organize community events but will also be there to help those in need find these resources to help better their lives. &nbsp;It also will help residents renew Medicaid coverage or even enroll in Medicaid.&nbsp;The Healthy Blue Community Welcome Center will provide information on the social drivers of health as well as even provide a community space for events. &nbsp;Davis says social drivers of health go beyond the traditional scope of healthcare.&nbsp;"Social drivers of health are like your housing situation, do you have a house, do you have consistent housing, do you have consistent food, do you have employment, any of those other things that impact your healthcare but aren't in that traditional healthcare vein," Davis explains. "So, we talk about the social factors that impact your health that's really what we're talking about when we talk about social drivers of health."&nbsp;The new community welcome center will help residents connect with health resources.&nbsp;Davis says too many people find it too easy to take health for granted, until they have a health scare. . .&nbsp;"So many of our members, we take care of primarily underserved, so many of our members are facing battles with functioning on a daily basis, resource constraints are very real for our members and if you add healthcare factors to that as well, it can be daunting," Davis says. "It's important for them to realize that there are resources out there for them, there is a path, there are people that care about them, and we want to be that person that can help you."&nbsp;Davis says the hope is that when people come into the community center they can be greeted by a smiling face and provided with the help they need.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688055057629.jpeg" alt="Healthy Blue President Jeff Davis/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Healthy Blue President Jeff Davis/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>

Healthy Blue opens up new branch in St. Joseph

A public comment period on proposed
transportation spending in Missouri ends soon.

The Missouri Department of Transportation will
take resident input through next Thursday, July 6th, for its plans
over the next five years, what MoDOT calls the Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program or, STIP, for short.

Northwest Missouri District Engineer Marty Liles
advises residents who wish to comment to do some research first.

“I think the first thing that they need to do is
they need to understand the vast asset as far as transportation and roadways
and the funding that we have within the department,” Liles tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post. “I think it’s good for them to go online and look at the STIP.”

Click <a href="https://www.modot.org/statewide-transportation-improvement-program-stip">HERE</a> for the MoDOT Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program website.

MoDOT plans to spend $14 billion on all forms of
transportation over the next five years, $10.5 billion on road and bridge
construction. The Missouri legislature approved spending $100 million dollars
on the so-called low volume, lettered routes throughout rural Missouri, the
second year in a row the legislature has approved $100 million to improve badly
deteriorating blacktops in rural Missouri.

Liles says the five-year plan will benefit greatly
from the legislation injecting General Revenue funds toward the repair and resurfacing
of those rural roads.

“With this funding that is proposed with the
legislature for low-volume and minor roads, we’re able to get out there and
focus additional money on these low-volume roads and resurface those again,
too, because that’s been a big issue with a lot of our constituents out there in
our region,” Liles says.

The STIP isn’t just about roads and bridges. It
contains money for all modes of transportation in Missouri, including money to
upgrade and improve railroad crossings. That issue came to the forefront a year
ago with the fatal crash of an Amtrak passenger train at a rural crossing near
Mendon, south of Brookfield. On June 27th of 2020, the Southwest
Chief carrying 270 passengers and 12 crew crashed into a dump truck stuck on
the tracks at what transportation officials call a rural passive railroad grade
crossing. The train derailed. Three passengers died, several more suffered injuries.
The truck driver died. Amtrak and BNSF Railway estimates the damages at $4
million, according to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

While a proposed expansion of Interstate 70 to
three lanes between Kansas City and St. Louis gets most of the attention, the
importance of this STIP, Liles says might just be how much money is focused on
upgrading the transportation system Missouri has, taking care of the present
system rather than building new.

“Well, I will say with this legislative session,
we are very blessed, I guess, to see that we’ve got additional funding, General
Revenue, coming in to take care of infrastructure, what we have, roads like the
I-70 and the low-volume and minor roads that we just didn’t have the funding in
our system to take care of those as well,” Liles says.

Missourians are invited to submit comments via email
at <a href="mailto:STIPcomments@modot.mo.gov">STIPcomments@modot.mo.gov</a>. You can
also call customer service at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or even go the old
fashion route by dropping a letter to Transportation Planning, Program
Comments, P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO 65102.

MoDOT’s
formal comment period ends July 6th.

Follow Brent on Twitter @GBrentKFEQ and @StJosephPost

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA public comment period on proposed
transportation spending in Missouri ends soon.The Missouri Department of Transportation will
take resident input through next Thursday, July 6th, for its plans
over the next five years, what MoDOT calls the Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program or, STIP, for short.Northwest Missouri District Engineer Marty Liles
advises residents who wish to comment to do some research first.“I think the first thing that they need to do is
they need to understand the vast asset as far as transportation and roadways
and the funding that we have within the department,” Liles tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post. “I think it’s good for them to go online and look at the STIP.”Click <a href="https://www.modot.org/statewide-transportation-improvement-program-stip">HERE</a> for the MoDOT Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program website.MoDOT plans to spend $14 billion on all forms of
transportation over the next five years, $10.5 billion on road and bridge
construction. The Missouri legislature approved spending $100 million dollars
on the so-called low volume, lettered routes throughout rural Missouri, the
second year in a row the legislature has approved $100 million to improve badly
deteriorating blacktops in rural Missouri.Liles says the five-year plan will benefit greatly
from the legislation injecting General Revenue funds toward the repair and resurfacing
of those rural roads.“With this funding that is proposed with the
legislature for low-volume and minor roads, we’re able to get out there and
focus additional money on these low-volume roads and resurface those again,
too, because that’s been a big issue with a lot of our constituents out there in
our region,” Liles says.The STIP isn’t just about roads and bridges. It
contains money for all modes of transportation in Missouri, including money to
upgrade and improve railroad crossings. That issue came to the forefront a year
ago with the fatal crash of an Amtrak passenger train at a rural crossing near
Mendon, south of Brookfield. On June 27th of 2020, the Southwest
Chief carrying 270 passengers and 12 crew crashed into a dump truck stuck on
the tracks at what transportation officials call a rural passive railroad grade
crossing. The train derailed. Three passengers died, several more suffered injuries.
The truck driver died. Amtrak and BNSF Railway estimates the damages at $4
million, according to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation.While a proposed expansion of Interstate 70 to
three lanes between Kansas City and St. Louis gets most of the attention, the
importance of this STIP, Liles says might just be how much money is focused on
upgrading the transportation system Missouri has, taking care of the present
system rather than building new.“Well, I will say with this legislative session,
we are very blessed, I guess, to see that we’ve got additional funding, General
Revenue, coming in to take care of infrastructure, what we have, roads like the
I-70 and the low-volume and minor roads that we just didn’t have the funding in
our system to take care of those as well,” Liles says.Missourians are invited to submit comments via email
at <a href="mailto:STIPcomments@modot.mo.gov">STIPcomments@modot.mo.gov</a>. You can
also call customer service at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or even go the old
fashion route by dropping a letter to Transportation Planning, Program
Comments, P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO 65102.MoDOT’s
formal comment period ends July 6th.Follow Brent on Twitter @GBrentKFEQ and @StJosephPost<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/MoDOT-opens-public-comment-period-on-STIP-e26bnjj" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

Time running out to comment on Missouri's 5-year transportation plan

A recent survey of certified crop advisors in all 50 U.S. states shows they are concerned about the escalation of herbicide resistance and the impediments to effective weed management. 

The Weed Science Society of America survey found that four out of ten crop advisers were concerned about the challenges in managing herbicide-resistant weeds over the next five years – a significantly higher percentage than those concerned about resistance to insecticides or fungicides. 

Concern was greatest among those working with large-scale growers in the West or the Great Plains states and those supporting corn, rice or beet production. 

Crop advisors listed economics as the number one barrier to effective management of herbicide-resistant weeds, followed by management complexity, supply constraints, limited available technology, time constraints and the misguided perception that a "silver bullet" will emerge to support the management-resistant weeds. 

In addition, 82 percent of those surveyed agree or strongly agree that growers need to evolve how they think about resistance management.

A recent survey of certified crop advisors in all 50 U.S. states shows they are concerned about the escalation of herbicide resistance and the impediments to effective weed management. The Weed Science Society of America survey found that four out of ten crop advisers were concerned about the challenges in managing herbicide-resistant weeds over the next five years – a significantly higher percentage than those concerned about resistance to insecticides or fungicides. Concern was greatest among those working with large-scale growers in the West or the Great Plains states and those supporting corn, rice or beet production. Crop advisors listed economics as the number one barrier to effective management of herbicide-resistant weeds, followed by management complexity, supply constraints, limited available technology, time constraints and the misguided perception that a "silver bullet" will emerge to support the management-resistant weeds. In addition, 82 percent of those surveyed agree or strongly agree that growers need to evolve how they think about resistance management.- NAFB

Survey highlights barriers to effective herbicide-resistant weeds management

In the fall, 48 people will be selected from a lottery of up to 8,000 applicants for the chance to get a cannabis license aimed at business owners from disadvantaged communities

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

Missouri’s cannabis industry is the new “gold rush,” said St. Louis couple Tiffany and Anwar Lee, and they’re considering buying a ticket for the lottery to get in.

Their ticket is a $1,500 application fee for a spot in a lottery making them eligible for a limited number of cannabis microbusiness licenses, and it’s refundable if they don’t get picked. The program is meant&nbsp;to boost opportunities in the industry for businesses in disadvantaged communities, and it&nbsp;was part of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana that voters passed in November.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“In that industry, there’s going to always be room to make money, or at least to maintain a decent standard of living,” Anwar Lee said during an interview at an outreach event in St. Louis last week organized by state marijuana regulators.&nbsp;

The Lees were among those gathered at the event to hear from Abigail Vivas, Missouri’s new chief equity officer, who went through all the eligibility requirements for a microbusiness license. She held three other&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/outreach-education.php">outreach events</a>&nbsp;last week in Jefferson City, Lee’s Summit and Springfield.&nbsp;

But even if the Lees meet the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/microbusiness.php">eligibility requirements</a>, their shot at winning is slim.&nbsp;

In August, six license winners will be picked by the Missouri Lottery in every one of the state’s eight Congressional districts in Missouri — for a total of 48 licenses.&nbsp;

Vivas, who oversees the microbusiness program through the&nbsp;cannabis regulating agency within the Department of Health and Human Services,&nbsp;estimates there could be up to 5,000 applicants statewide. But she’s heard other estimates that it could be 1,000 per congressional district.&nbsp;

As proponents of the marijuana legalization amendment were making their case to voters last year, the microbusiness program was the primary retort when&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/01/st-louis-mayor-tishaura-jones-announces-opposition-to-missouri-marijuana-amendment/">opponents argued</a>&nbsp;the law would cement an already distrusted,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/03/09/with-legalization-looming-black-missourians-worry-about-losing-out-in-marijuana-industry/">inequitable business licensing system</a>&nbsp;in place in order to ensure the rich just get richer.&nbsp;

Supporters boasted that the microbusiness program will be the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/17/marijuana-vote-divided-missouri-social-justice-leaders-can-an-equity-officer-be-a-bridge/">first of its kind in the nation</a>&nbsp;and will help diversify the white-dominated industry.

However, Vivas said that goal wasn’t exactly spelled out in the constitution.

“Equity is not really mentioned in the microbusiness program, as far as the constitution is concerned,” Vivas said, “but I think that’s where we go back to the spirit of things.”

Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis City NAACP and one of the drafters of the microbusiness provision in the legalization amendment, said the word “equity” doesn’t need to be in the constitution’s definition of the microbusiness program.&nbsp;

“When you look at the categories and the qualifications, there’s no doubt that overwhelmingly the qualifications are geared up for people who were impacted by the unjust enforcement of marijuana laws,” Pruitt said. “No one would dispute that that population, in most cases, are African Americans.”&nbsp;

In his conversations with DHSS leaders and Vivas, Pruitt said state regulators are “clear” on that point as well.

There are seven categories where people can qualify for a microbusiness license, ranging from a lower income level or living in an area considered impoverished to having past arrests or incarcerations related to marijuana offenses.&nbsp;

Pruitt says most of the people he’s working with will apply under the category that says the applicant — their parent, guardian or spouse — has been arrested, prosecuted or convicted of a non-violent marijuana offense. That doesn’t include a conviction involving distributing of marijuana to a minor or driving under the influence of marijuana.&nbsp;

And the second category, he said, would be for the areas with high poverty and unemployment.&nbsp;

DHSS recently released ZIP codes for these two categories — areas where 30% percent or more of the population lives below the federal poverty level or where the rate of unemployment is 50% percent higher than the state average rate of unemployment.&nbsp;

However, applicants can also apply using the Census tracts where they live, and that’s what Pruitt is encouraging applicants to do. Vivas also encouraged people to look to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mcdc.missouri.edu/">Missouri Census Data Center</a>, which helped DHSS identify the eligible ZIP codes in these two categories, as a resource to finding their Census tract.&nbsp;

The category that remains a gray area involves ZIP codes where the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/30/new-rules-stir-fear-black-missourians-will-once-again-lose-out-in-marijuana-licensing/">incarceration rates for marijuana-offenses</a>&nbsp;is 50% higher than the rate for the entire state.

Cecil King, communications director for the cannabis advocacy group Norml in St. Louis, said the intent of the microbusiness program was to “<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/19/missouri-micro-cannabis-license-rules-limit-review-of-jail-data-to-20-years/">roll back the war on drugs</a>.”

When DHSS included ZIP codes the agency considered having historic incarceration rates, they correlated to courthouses, not neighborhoods. Now there is a slim possibility that someone who lives in downtown Clayton — one of the most&nbsp;affluent suburbs in the St. Louis region where the average household income is $200,000&nbsp;— could apply and win a microlicense.

“[The microbusiness program] was to help communities impacted,” King said, “not to spread out this data so that people in Clayton could get on.”

Pruitt says if that happens, then the NAACP would legally challenge that license because the addresses of courthouses don’t reflect actual residence, which is required under the constitution.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Any court would say that the courthouse does not represent the muster of the amendment,” he said.

Coming from a law enforcement background, Vivas told the audience gathered in St. Louis last week that she knew this category was “going to be a problem” because of how criminal history is documented.

“The Department of Corrections doesn't have the data, surprisingly,” she said.&nbsp; “The other thing is other than our department, no one else is required to work on this.”

The data ultimately came from the Missouri Highway Patrol, she said, and it took time for them to retrieve the data. Some of the ZIP codes for the courthouses in rural Missouri could include the entire towns’ populations, she said.&nbsp;

However in St. Louis, the three ZIP codes that correlate to courthouses include downtown St. Louis, which is among the least residential areas in the city, and downtown Clayton and St. Charles, where the population is 90% Caucasian, according to the Census.&nbsp;

“We are not closing the door on this,” Vivas said. “But this was the data we could get and felt was the best data at the time, and within the timeframe to be able to implement this as well.”

DHSS issued a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/variance-incarceration-rate-19CSR100-1.060.4.pdf">variance</a>&nbsp;for the category in the beginning of June, saying they will accept other forms of proof, including elected officials attesting to the historical incarceration rate.

Vivas said she knows the variance isn’t completely clear, but the department is committed to being “flexible as we can” in order to meet the spirit of the law.

“We're doing our best to digest that and put something out there,” she said, “so kind of the variance is like, ‘What else is out there?’”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688039717144.png" alt="Tiffany (left) and Anwar (middle) Lee at an outreach event in St. Louis on June 22, 2023, where the state’s new chief equity officer, Abigail Vivas (in green), went through all the eligibility requirements for the cannabis microbusiness program (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Tiffany (left) and Anwar (middle) Lee at an outreach event in St. Louis on June 22, 2023, where the state’s new chief equity officer, Abigail Vivas (in green), went through all the eligibility requirements for the cannabis microbusiness program (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>In the fall, 48 people will be selected from a lottery of up to 8,000 applicants for the chance to get a cannabis license aimed at business owners from disadvantaged communities</h2>By REBECCA RIVAS&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s cannabis industry is the new “gold rush,” said St. Louis couple Tiffany and Anwar Lee, and they’re considering buying a ticket for the lottery to get in.Their ticket is a $1,500 application fee for a spot in a lottery making them eligible for a limited number of cannabis microbusiness licenses, and it’s refundable if they don’t get picked. The program is meant&nbsp;to boost opportunities in the industry for businesses in disadvantaged communities, and it&nbsp;was part of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana that voters passed in November.&nbsp;&nbsp;“In that industry, there’s going to always be room to make money, or at least to maintain a decent standard of living,” Anwar Lee said during an interview at an outreach event in St. Louis last week organized by state marijuana regulators.&nbsp;The Lees were among those gathered at the event to hear from Abigail Vivas, Missouri’s new chief equity officer, who went through all the eligibility requirements for a microbusiness license. She held three other&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/outreach-education.php">outreach events</a>&nbsp;last week in Jefferson City, Lee’s Summit and Springfield.&nbsp;But even if the Lees meet the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/microbusiness.php">eligibility requirements</a>, their shot at winning is slim.&nbsp;In August, six license winners will be picked by the Missouri Lottery in every one of the state’s eight Congressional districts in Missouri — for a total of 48 licenses.&nbsp;Vivas, who oversees the microbusiness program through the&nbsp;cannabis regulating agency within the Department of Health and Human Services,&nbsp;estimates there could be up to 5,000 applicants statewide. But she’s heard other estimates that it could be 1,000 per congressional district.&nbsp;As proponents of the marijuana legalization amendment were making their case to voters last year, the microbusiness program was the primary retort when&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/01/st-louis-mayor-tishaura-jones-announces-opposition-to-missouri-marijuana-amendment/">opponents argued</a>&nbsp;the law would cement an already distrusted,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/03/09/with-legalization-looming-black-missourians-worry-about-losing-out-in-marijuana-industry/">inequitable business licensing system</a>&nbsp;in place in order to ensure the rich just get richer.&nbsp;Supporters boasted that the microbusiness program will be the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/11/17/marijuana-vote-divided-missouri-social-justice-leaders-can-an-equity-officer-be-a-bridge/">first of its kind in the nation</a>&nbsp;and will help diversify the white-dominated industry.However, Vivas said that goal wasn’t exactly spelled out in the constitution.“Equity is not really mentioned in the microbusiness program, as far as the constitution is concerned,” Vivas said, “but I think that’s where we go back to the spirit of things.”Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis City NAACP and one of the drafters of the microbusiness provision in the legalization amendment, said the word “equity” doesn’t need to be in the constitution’s definition of the microbusiness program.&nbsp;“When you look at the categories and the qualifications, there’s no doubt that overwhelmingly the qualifications are geared up for people who were impacted by the unjust enforcement of marijuana laws,” Pruitt said. “No one would dispute that that population, in most cases, are African Americans.”&nbsp;In his conversations with DHSS leaders and Vivas, Pruitt said state regulators are “clear” on that point as well.There are seven categories where people can qualify for a microbusiness license, ranging from a lower income level or living in an area considered impoverished to having past arrests or incarcerations related to marijuana offenses.&nbsp;Pruitt says most of the people he’s working with will apply under the category that says the applicant — their parent, guardian or spouse — has been arrested, prosecuted or convicted of a non-violent marijuana offense. That doesn’t include a conviction involving distributing of marijuana to a minor or driving under the influence of marijuana.&nbsp;And the second category, he said, would be for the areas with high poverty and unemployment.&nbsp;DHSS recently released ZIP codes for these two categories — areas where 30% percent or more of the population lives below the federal poverty level or where the rate of unemployment is 50% percent higher than the state average rate of unemployment.&nbsp;However, applicants can also apply using the Census tracts where they live, and that’s what Pruitt is encouraging applicants to do. Vivas also encouraged people to look to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://mcdc.missouri.edu/">Missouri Census Data Center</a>, which helped DHSS identify the eligible ZIP codes in these two categories, as a resource to finding their Census tract.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688039663878.png" alt="Map:&nbsp;Allison Kite&nbsp;&nbsp;Source:&nbsp;Missouri Census Data Center&nbsp;&nbsp;Created with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sYx3W" target="_blank">Datawrapper</a>" />
 <figcaption>Map:&nbsp;Allison Kite&nbsp;&nbsp;Source:&nbsp;Missouri Census Data Center&nbsp;&nbsp;Created with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.datawrapper.de/_/sYx3W" target="_blank">Datawrapper</a></figcaption>
 </figure>The category that remains a gray area involves ZIP codes where the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/30/new-rules-stir-fear-black-missourians-will-once-again-lose-out-in-marijuana-licensing/">incarceration rates for marijuana-offenses</a>&nbsp;is 50% higher than the rate for the entire state.Cecil King, communications director for the cannabis advocacy group Norml in St. Louis, said the intent of the microbusiness program was to “<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/19/missouri-micro-cannabis-license-rules-limit-review-of-jail-data-to-20-years/">roll back the war on drugs</a>.”When DHSS included ZIP codes the agency considered having historic incarceration rates, they correlated to courthouses, not neighborhoods. Now there is a slim possibility that someone who lives in downtown Clayton — one of the most&nbsp;affluent suburbs in the St. Louis region where the average household income is $200,000&nbsp;— could apply and win a microlicense.“[The microbusiness program] was to help communities impacted,” King said, “not to spread out this data so that people in Clayton could get on.”Pruitt says if that happens, then the NAACP would legally challenge that license because the addresses of courthouses don’t reflect actual residence, which is required under the constitution.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Any court would say that the courthouse does not represent the muster of the amendment,” he said.Coming from a law enforcement background, Vivas told the audience gathered in St. Louis last week that she knew this category was “going to be a problem” because of how criminal history is documented.“The Department of Corrections doesn't have the data, surprisingly,” she said.&nbsp; “The other thing is other than our department, no one else is required to work on this.”The data ultimately came from the Missouri Highway Patrol, she said, and it took time for them to retrieve the data. Some of the ZIP codes for the courthouses in rural Missouri could include the entire towns’ populations, she said.&nbsp;However in St. Louis, the three ZIP codes that correlate to courthouses include downtown St. Louis, which is among the least residential areas in the city, and downtown Clayton and St. Charles, where the population is 90% Caucasian, according to the Census.&nbsp;“We are not closing the door on this,” Vivas said. “But this was the data we could get and felt was the best data at the time, and within the timeframe to be able to implement this as well.” DHSS issued a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/variance-incarceration-rate-19CSR100-1.060.4.pdf">variance</a>&nbsp;for the category in the beginning of June, saying they will accept other forms of proof, including elected officials attesting to the historical incarceration rate.Vivas said she knows the variance isn’t completely clear, but the department is committed to being “flexible as we can” in order to meet the spirit of the law.“We're doing our best to digest that and put something out there,” she said, “so kind of the variance is like, ‘What else is out there?’”

Missouri holds outreach events in run up to cannabis microbusiness license lottery

JACKSON COUNTY– Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.

Just before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, a deputy with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a Chrysler Sebring for a traffic infraction near 102nd and U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 During the course of the traffic stop, the deputy discovered substances and items believed to be fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.

 The driver, Kasandra Oleva Marie Alexander, 28, of Atchison was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribution of opiates opium narcotics or stimulants, possession of opium, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving under the influence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687958868877.png" alt="Alexander-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Alexander-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY– Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.Just before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, a deputy with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a Chrysler Sebring for a traffic infraction near 102nd and U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. During the course of the traffic stop, the deputy discovered substances and items believed to be fentanyl and drug paraphernalia. The driver, Kasandra Oleva Marie Alexander, 28, of Atchison was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of distribution of opiates opium narcotics or stimulants, possession of opium, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving under the influence.

Sheriff: Kansas woman was transporting fentanyl 

Savannah city officials have ended a boil advisory.

The boil advisory covered both Savannah city water customers and the city of Fillmore, which buys water from Savannah. 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostSavannah city officials have ended a boil advisory.The boil advisory covered both Savannah city water customers and the city of Fillmore, which buys water from Savannah.

Savannah Boil Advisory lifted

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration this week today announced allocated funding for reliable high-speed internet. 

States, D.C., and territories will use funding from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program to administer grant programs within their borders. 

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo says, “What this announcement means for people across the country is that if you don’t have access to quality, affordable high-speed Internet service now – you will.” 

The funding will be used to deploy or upgrade broadband networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service. 

Once deployment goals are met, any remaining funding can be used to pursue eligible access-, adoption-, and equity-related uses. States, Washington D.C., and territories will receive their formal notice of allocation on June 30, 2023. 

To view state-by-state funding across the Biden Administration's high-speed Internet portfolio, visit InternetforAll.gov.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration this week today announced allocated funding for reliable high-speed internet. States, D.C., and territories will use funding from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program to administer grant programs within their borders. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo says, “What this announcement means for people across the country is that if you don’t have access to quality, affordable high-speed Internet service now – you will.” The funding will be used to deploy or upgrade broadband networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service. Once deployment goals are met, any remaining funding can be used to pursue eligible access-, adoption-, and equity-related uses. States, Washington D.C., and territories will receive their formal notice of allocation on June 30, 2023. To view state-by-state funding across the Biden Administration's high-speed Internet portfolio, visit InternetforAll.gov.- NAFB

Biden Administration announces allocations for high-speed internet program

With drought conditions ongoing across the Midland Empire heading into Independence Day, residents are being urged to be cautious with fireworks.&nbsp;

By MATT PIKE&nbsp;St. Joseph Post&nbsp;With drought conditions ongoing across the Midland Empire heading into Independence Day, residents are being urged to be cautious with fireworks.&nbsp;Most of the Midland Empire is seeing moderate to severe drought, with others abnormally dry. &nbsp;Missouri State Fire Marshal Tim Bean says drought conditions are causing many across the state to question if they should rethink those holiday fireworks. &nbsp;"Commissioners and officials of that nature trying to make a educated decision as to what to do to safeguard against life and property being destroyed or hurt," Bean tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.&nbsp;Bean says before you light those fireworks, you should practice common sense and keep an eye on the weather conditions. &nbsp;"Listen to the weather or the weather service et cetera and use that technology and information to make a good decision on that," Bean explains. &nbsp;Much of this area is experiencing moderate to severe drought with the central part of Missouri experiencing extreme drought.&nbsp;