A death investigation has now become a homicide investigation.

St. Joseph police say 60-year-old Eva L. Schelert has been taken into custody in the death 67 year old Michael E. Miller who was found dead of a gunshot wound in his home in the 4700 block of Shawnee Road.

Police received a call shortly after 1:40 Monday morning. Officers responded and found the man dead. The department says the woman, an occupant of the home, cooperated with officers investigating the death.

The initial investigation indicates the death was a result of a domestic dispute.

The case has been submitted to the BCPA and charges of Voluntary Manslaughter were filed against Schelert .

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA death investigation has now become a homicide investigation.St. Joseph police say 60-year-old Eva L. Schelert has been taken into custody in the death 67 year old Michael E. Miller who was found dead of a gunshot wound in his home in the 4700 block of Shawnee Road.Police received a call shortly after 1:40 Monday morning. Officers responded and found the man dead. The department says the woman, an occupant of the home, cooperated with officers investigating the death.The initial investigation indicates the death was a result of a domestic dispute.The case has been submitted to the BCPA and charges of Voluntary Manslaughter were filed against Schelert .

St. Joseph Police identify victim in ongoing homicide investigation

Missouri
Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a
Democrat, are agreeing to disagree better.

Parson
and Kelly are participating in a National Governor Association initiative to
elevate political discourse. As part of it, Kelly and Parson met at a Kansas
City barbecue restaurant to cut a public service announcement in which Parson
chose Kansas City, Missouri barbecue and Kelly chose Kansas City, Kansas barbecue,
bantering with each other about which is better.

Parson admits
the PSA might be a little cheesy, but he believes in the message:&nbsp; treat people with respect, even when you
disagree with them. Besides, Parson says he and Kelly
have worked together to promote both states’ best interests, such as when they
cooperated to lure USDA offices from Washington, D.C. to Kansas City, Missouri.

“And we
worked together then with the governor and figured out a way to, look, this is
a win-win for our region of the state and for her state,” Parson tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post. “You get things like that accomplished.”

Parson
says though he and Kelly disagree on many issues, they can work together and
show respect for each other.

“There’s
so much divisiveness in this country, in the political arena especially. I
think there are certain things that we all know from the political range what
we believe in and who we are, but I think it’s also important to realize the
things you can agree on,” Parson says. “And I think that’s what the message of
that was for.”

Parson
says he and Kelly will not agree on the Second Amendment, abortion, and other
issues, but can put those aside when working toward the best interest of both
states.

Parson
supports the NGA initiative, insisting that politics needs to return to showing
opponents respect.

“I
think when I look back on it some day, you know of all the things that have
occurred, one of the things I’ve always tried to do is be respectful of people,
even when I disagreed (with them), even the days as a sheriff,” Parson, former
Polk County Sheriff, says. “I think there’s a way you handle things. I think we
need to set an example for the next generation how you can work together on
things you agree on and things you don’t agree on, you need to go your separate
ways and move on.”

Click <a href="https://www.nga.org/disagree-better/">HERE</a> for more on the Disagree Better initiative.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700501180935.jpeg" alt="Governors Mike Parson of Missouri (Left) and Laura Kelly (Right) of Kansas agree to 'Disagree Better'" />
 <figcaption>Governors Mike Parson of Missouri (Left) and Laura Kelly (Right) of Kansas agree to 'Disagree Better'</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri
Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a
Democrat, are agreeing to disagree better.Parson
and Kelly are participating in a National Governor Association initiative to
elevate political discourse. As part of it, Kelly and Parson met at a Kansas
City barbecue restaurant to cut a public service announcement in which Parson
chose Kansas City, Missouri barbecue and Kelly chose Kansas City, Kansas barbecue,
bantering with each other about which is better.Parson admits
the PSA might be a little cheesy, but he believes in the message:&nbsp; treat people with respect, even when you
disagree with them. Besides, Parson says he and Kelly
have worked together to promote both states’ best interests, such as when they
cooperated to lure USDA offices from Washington, D.C. to Kansas City, Missouri.“And we
worked together then with the governor and figured out a way to, look, this is
a win-win for our region of the state and for her state,” Parson tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post. “You get things like that accomplished.”Parson
says though he and Kelly disagree on many issues, they can work together and
show respect for each other.“There’s
so much divisiveness in this country, in the political arena especially. I
think there are certain things that we all know from the political range what
we believe in and who we are, but I think it’s also important to realize the
things you can agree on,” Parson says. “And I think that’s what the message of
that was for.”Parson
says he and Kelly will not agree on the Second Amendment, abortion, and other
issues, but can put those aside when working toward the best interest of both
states.Parson
supports the NGA initiative, insisting that politics needs to return to showing
opponents respect.“I
think when I look back on it some day, you know of all the things that have
occurred, one of the things I’ve always tried to do is be respectful of people,
even when I disagreed (with them), even the days as a sheriff,” Parson, former
Polk County Sheriff, says. “I think there’s a way you handle things. I think we
need to set an example for the next generation how you can work together on
things you agree on and things you don’t agree on, you need to go your separate
ways and move on.”Click <a href="https://www.nga.org/disagree-better/">HERE</a> for more on the Disagree Better initiative.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Governors-Parson-and-Kelly-agree-to-Disagree-Better-e2c67pv" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/4y886ine-KcBmu4K3.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Bon Nga Kansas 16x9 1min12sec Final Hd (Subs)" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>

Gov. Parson, Gov. Kelly agree to disagree better

Gregg Lynn's Christmas for Kids Toy Drive is nearing a close as it enters its final week.  

And so far, JoeTown 107.5's Gregg Lynn says the toy drive is doing pretty well.  

"A lot of the wish lists have been taken care of, there's a few left, and then of course when those are done, we still want new, unwrapped toys to make sure we fill the bins over at Adopt-A-Family," Lynn tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And with the colder weather, a lot of these agencies are going to be taking in more kids over the next week or so and we want to make sure and take care of them as well." 

Lynn says currently donations of both money and toys are going well, but there's still always a need for more.  

Lynn says as wish lists are being fulfilled currently there are about as many kids as there has been in the past.  

"As of right now anyway, about 110 to 115 kids, but that can fluctuate with colder weather so we're ready for that we have money set aside so if any kids come in at the last minute, we can make sure and send somebody out and go shopping and get them taken care of," Lynn says. "Because we want to make sure when all these kids come to our Christmas party on the fifth that everybody has a box of gifts from Santa to be able to open." 

It's the 22nd year that Lynn has helped collect and distribute toys.  Lynn says to him, it's all about seeing the need.  

"And I've always thought, and I've always believed, and I've always been taught if there's a need and you can fill that need, then do it," Lynn explains. "And our family has been blessed, and our kids and our grandkids always get everything they always want for Christmas, but there are kids that don't." 

Lynn recalls one of the first toy drives encountering a teenager at the Noyes home who had never had a Christmas tree or even gotten a Christmas present. 

"The need is in our community and if you're in a position where you can buy a $10 toy and help fill that need, then I'm begging you to do that and help us out," Lynn pleads. 

The toy drive will conclude on Friday with an event running from 6am to 5pm on JoeTown 107.5.  This year toys will be collected at the Eagle Communication offices. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700503257103.jpeg" alt="Several toys have already been collected and Wishlist's are&nbsp; being fulfilled as part of Gregg Lynn's Christmas for Kids Toy Drive, which ends on Friday/ Photo by Matt Pike." />
 <figcaption>Several toys have already been collected and Wishlist's are&nbsp; being fulfilled as part of Gregg Lynn's Christmas for Kids Toy Drive, which ends on Friday/ Photo by Matt Pike.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Gregg Lynn's Christmas for Kids Toy Drive is nearing a close as it enters its final week. And so far, JoeTown 107.5's Gregg Lynn says the toy drive is doing pretty well. "A lot of the wish lists have been taken care of, there's a few left, and then of course when those are done, we still want new, unwrapped toys to make sure we fill the bins over at Adopt-A-Family," Lynn tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And with the colder weather, a lot of these agencies are going to be taking in more kids over the next week or so and we want to make sure and take care of them as well." Lynn says currently donations of both money and toys are going well, but there's still always a need for more. Lynn says as wish lists are being fulfilled currently there are about as many kids as there has been in the past. "As of right now anyway, about 110 to 115 kids, but that can fluctuate with colder weather so we're ready for that we have money set aside so if any kids come in at the last minute, we can make sure and send somebody out and go shopping and get them taken care of," Lynn says. "Because we want to make sure when all these kids come to our Christmas party on the fifth that everybody has a box of gifts from Santa to be able to open." It's the 22nd year that Lynn has helped collect and distribute toys. Lynn says to him, it's all about seeing the need. "And I've always thought, and I've always believed, and I've always been taught if there's a need and you can fill that need, then do it," Lynn explains. "And our family has been blessed, and our kids and our grandkids always get everything they always want for Christmas, but there are kids that don't." Lynn recalls one of the first toy drives encountering a teenager at the Noyes home who had never had a Christmas tree or even gotten a Christmas present. "The need is in our community and if you're in a position where you can buy a $10 toy and help fill that need, then I'm begging you to do that and help us out," Lynn pleads. The toy drive will conclude on Friday with an event running from 6am to 5pm on JoeTown 107.5. This year toys will be collected at the Eagle Communication offices.

22nd annual Gregg Lynn toy drive comes to an end this week

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an accident that shut off electrical power to portions of Atchison.

Just before 2:30a.m. Sunday officers responded to a one vehicle accident at 6th and U.S.59. in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

A 2005 Nissan SUV owned by a St. Joseph, Missouri resident had been westbound on U.S.59 and was turning south onto 6th Street when the vehicle left the roadway, struck a utility pole and landed on its top. 

The driver and two passengers were able to get out of the vehicle before first responders arrived. EMS responded to the scene but no one reported any injuries to be transported for treatment, according to Wilson.

The utility pole and adjoining power lines were down as a result of the accident. Evergy crews were on the scene through the early morning hours to restore power to the area.

Traffic lights remain out until repairs can be made to a utility box. Police reported no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700490201111.png" alt="Photo Police Chief Mike Wilson" />
 <figcaption>Photo Police Chief Mike Wilson</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an accident that shut off electrical power to portions of Atchison.Just before 2:30a.m. Sunday officers responded to a one vehicle accident at 6th and U.S.59. in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.A 2005 Nissan SUV owned by a St. Joseph, Missouri resident had been westbound on U.S.59 and was turning south onto 6th Street when the vehicle left the roadway, struck a utility pole and landed on its top. The driver and two passengers were able to get out of the vehicle before first responders arrived. EMS responded to the scene but no one reported any injuries to be transported for treatment, according to Wilson.The utility pole and adjoining power lines were down as a result of the accident. Evergy crews were on the scene through the early morning hours to restore power to the area.Traffic lights remain out until repairs can be made to a utility box. Police reported no additional details.

Police: SUV owned by St. Joe resident involved in Kan. crash

SALINE COUNTY—A Missouri man died in an accident just before 7p.m. Sunday in Saline County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol 2008 Ford F250 driven by Michael P.&nbsp; Stephenson, 19, Platte City, was westbound on Interstate 70 at Route YY.

The pickup traveled off the right side of the road and struck the guardrail. After impact the driver was ejected and landed in the road. A westbound 2024 Freightliner semi driven by Brandon J. Lathrop, 22, Oro Valley, Arizona, struck the man in the road.

Stephenson was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Saline County Coroner's office. Lathrop was not injured. Stephenson was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

SALINE COUNTY—A Missouri man died in an accident just before 7p.m. Sunday in Saline County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol 2008 Ford F250 driven by Michael P.&nbsp; Stephenson, 19, Platte City, was westbound on Interstate 70 at Route YY.The pickup traveled off the right side of the road and struck the guardrail. After impact the driver was ejected and landed in the road. A westbound 2024 Freightliner semi driven by Brandon J. Lathrop, 22, Oro Valley, Arizona, struck the man in the road.Stephenson was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Saline County Coroner's office. Lathrop was not injured. Stephenson was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man ejected in crash dies after struck by semi

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before 8 pm Nov. 16, a sheriff's deputy initiated a traffic stop on U.S. 75&nbsp; near 160th Road for a tag light violation, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

Upon completion of the traffic stop,&nbsp; the driver identified as 36-year-old Cynthia Flores of Hiawatha, was arrested on requested charges of DUI, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Transporting an Open Container, Obstruction&nbsp; and 2 counts ofAggravated Child Endangerment.&nbsp; 

Two&nbsp; children under the age of 18 were present in the vehicle at the time of the traffic stop. Flores was released from jail the following afternoon after meeting the requirements of a $2500 OR Bond, according to Merchant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700256631377.png" alt="Flores-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Flores-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.Just before 8 pm Nov. 16, a sheriff's deputy initiated a traffic stop on U.S. 75&nbsp; near 160th Road for a tag light violation, according to Sheriff John Merchant.Upon completion of the traffic stop,&nbsp; the driver identified as 36-year-old Cynthia Flores of Hiawatha, was arrested on requested charges of DUI, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Transporting an Open Container, Obstruction&nbsp; and 2 counts ofAggravated Child Endangerment.&nbsp; Two&nbsp; children under the age of 18 were present in the vehicle at the time of the traffic stop. Flores was released from jail the following afternoon after meeting the requirements of a $2500 OR Bond, according to Merchant.

Sheriff: Kan. woman was driving with drugs, open container and kids

An appeals court ignored legal arguments, Ashcroft says, and the outcome ‘was a foregone conclusion’

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

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft will try again to salvage the ballot summary he wrote for abortion rights initiative petitions with an appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court.

Ashcroft’s language has been savaged in opinions from two courts, most recently when the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/31/appeals-court-swats-down-ashcroft-arguments-on-missouri-abortion-rights-petitions/">Western District Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;ruled his summaries are “replete with politically partisan language.”

In a Thursday interview with The Independent, Ashcroft said notice will be filed with the state’s highest court seeking a review of the Western District decision. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/courts/ClerkHandbooksP2RulesOnly.nsf/c0c6ffa99df4993f86256ba50057dcb8/196c768eded0830186256ca6005215c1?OpenDocument">deadline for the appeal</a>&nbsp;is Saturday.

The Oct. 31 appellate ruling upheld, with only minor revisions, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/judge-rejects-rewrites-summary-for-missouri-abortion-initiative-petition/">revised ballot titles</a>&nbsp;written by Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem.

“I hope we’ll end up with a different result because what happened at the lower courts was inappropriate,” Ashcroft said.

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

As Ashcroft was preparing to file an appeal Thursday, a separate effort to restore abortion rights was playing out in a St. Louis courtroom. Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser heard arguments in a case seeking to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/19/lawsuit-seeks-to-overturn-missouri-abortion-ban-as-violation-of-religious-rights/">as a violation of religious rights</a>.

For the ballot initiatives, the Supreme Court will be the final step in a process that began in March. Anna Fitz-James, a St. Louis physician, filed 11 proposed constitutional amendments with Ashcroft’s office in March on behalf of a political action committee called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom.

A lengthy battle&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/20/missouri-supreme-court-rejects-ags-push-to-inflate-cost-of-abortion-rights-amendment/">over the fiscal note summary</a>&nbsp;– a statement of financial impact on state and local governments – and the authority of the attorney general to force changes delayed Ashcroft’s certification of the ballot title to July.

Ashcroft’s job at this point is to write a summary of 100 words or less, make sure the petition is in the legal form and accept public comments prior to certifying it as ready for signatures.

Fitz-James, with the help of the ACLU of Missouri,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/cole-county-judge-hears-case-challenging-ballot-title-for-missouri-abortion-initiatives/">challenged the ballot language</a>&nbsp;for six of the proposed initiatives. That is the case Ashcroft wants to bring before the Supreme Court of Missouri.

If the court accepts the case, it would likely be put on an expedited schedule but a decision before the end of the year is uncertain. Five weeks elapsed between the notice of appeal for Beetem’s ruling and a decision from the Western District.

A major point raised in the appeal, which Ashcroft again emphasized in the interview, is that Beetem did not quote the ballot titles Ashcroft wrote in their entirety. Instead, Beetem listed 13 points where he found the language violated the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=116.334&amp;bid=6341&amp;hl=">statutory requirement of impartiality</a>.

In the interview Thursday, Ashcroft criticized the Western District judges, saying they ignored important legal points and the panel of three judges was stacked against him.

“The panel you get affects the results you get and you know with Ardini on that, and the chief judge, we knew at the very beginning what we were gonna get,” Ashcroft said. “I don’t think our arguments mattered at all. We had to do what we had to do but you know that was a foregone conclusion with that panel.”

The three judges who made the ruling are Lisa White Hardwick, appointed by Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, in 2001, and a former chief judge of the district; Edward Ardini Jr., appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, in 2016; and Thomas Chapman, appointed to the court by Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, in 2018.

Complaints about the panel are a political point Ashcroft is testing for use as he runs for governor, Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU of Missouri, said in a statement.

“Judges are not politicians,” Rothert said. “Instead of doing his job, the secretary is using the ballot-title process to boost his campaign. That is the reason why all three judges who have reviewed the case found he failed to write an impartial summary.”

In the unanimous opinion, written by Chapman, the appeals court zeroed in on particular phrases used by Ashcroft as especially troublesome. In the ballot title for each of the six proposals, Ashcroft wrote that passage would “nullify longstanding Missouri law protecting the right to life, including but not limited to partial-birth abortion.”

“The use of the term ‘right to life’ is simply not an impartial term,” Chapman wrote.

If the language is in the summary, Ashcroft said in an interview, it is because it is used in Missouri statutes to describe state policy.&nbsp;

While the language is used in the anti-abortion movement, it wasn’t deliberately used to trigger voters, he said.

“If there was anything in the language that would signal to certain people that they didn’t like it, It was required because of what the actual initiative petition said,” Ashcroft said.

The abortion case became an issue in the Republican primary for governor this week when the American Dream PAC, a fund supporting Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, used Ashcroft’s words after the Western District hearing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDUL3maaW_w">to attack him as a “quitter.”</a>

A successful signature campaign would likely put an abortion initiative on the November 2024 ballot. Ashcroft hopes to be on that ballot as the GOP nominee for governor, as does Kehoe and state Sen. Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring.

Outside the courthouse, Ashcroft was pressed about his&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kfvs12.com/2023/11/01/gop-candidate-missouri-governor-implies-hed-have-quit-if-voters-pass-abortion-rights/">ability to enforce abortion rights</a>&nbsp;if he becomes governor.&nbsp;

“Anytime a statewide official is sworn in, we swear an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri,” Ashcroft replied. “If I cannot do that, then I would have to leave my position. I cannot swear an oath and then refuse to do what I’d said I would do.”

For the PAC ad, that became Ashcroft saying he would quit if the measure passes.

“If somebody believes they are a quitter, we should believe them,” the ad states.

In response, Ashcroft said the question he was asked was a hypothetical. It requires several uncertain things to happen, including Ashcroft winning the primary and a successful signature campaign. And he would have to conclude he was unable, in good conscience, do what the law required.

“It is improper for someone to take the people’s money and not do the job that they’re getting paid to do,” Ashcroft said.

During Thursday’s arguments in St. Louis over whether Missouri’s abortion ban violates religious rights, the key questions were whether the statutes promote a particular religious doctrine and whether the statements of lawmakers, tying their votes for the ban to their beliefs, matters in court.

The case filed in January initially sought to enjoin local prosecutors from enforcing criminal sanctions for abortion as well as overturn the law as a religious rights violation. Through a series of ruling, Sengheiser has whittled the case down to the religious challenge and arguments Thursday were for a ruling on the case filings.

The plaintiffs are religious leaders from Christian, Jewish and Unitarian congregations.

The law being challenged is neutral, with no religious group singled out for disparate treatment,&nbsp;Assistant Attorney General Maria Ann Lanahan argued Thursday.

And the comments of legislators during debate are generally not accepted as evidence of intent, she noted.

“The bills passed by far more than the number of legislators that were making the complained-of comments,” Lanahan said. “And the comments don’t show the legislators wanting to impose their religion on others, only that the legislation was in harmony with those legislators’ religions.”

“The context shows that the purpose (of bills passed in 2017 and 2019) was undeniably religious,” argued Kalli Joslin of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “But the state respondents say ‘ignore context’ and look only to the laws’ texts and stated goals to see if it advances any plausible secular purpose.”

At the end of the hearing that lasted a little over one hour, the judge told attorneys they would get the answer in early January.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695984365207.png" alt="Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft testifies before a Missouri House committee in 2020 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption>Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft testifies before a Missouri House committee in 2020 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>An appeals court ignored legal arguments, Ashcroft says, and the outcome ‘was a foregone conclusion’</h2>By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft will try again to salvage the ballot summary he wrote for abortion rights initiative petitions with an appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court.Ashcroft’s language has been savaged in opinions from two courts, most recently when the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/31/appeals-court-swats-down-ashcroft-arguments-on-missouri-abortion-rights-petitions/">Western District Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;ruled his summaries are “replete with politically partisan language.”In a Thursday interview with The Independent, Ashcroft said notice will be filed with the state’s highest court seeking a review of the Western District decision. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/courts/ClerkHandbooksP2RulesOnly.nsf/c0c6ffa99df4993f86256ba50057dcb8/196c768eded0830186256ca6005215c1?OpenDocument">deadline for the appeal</a>&nbsp;is Saturday.The Oct. 31 appellate ruling upheld, with only minor revisions, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/judge-rejects-rewrites-summary-for-missouri-abortion-initiative-petition/">revised ballot titles</a>&nbsp;written by Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem.“I hope we’ll end up with a different result because what happened at the lower courts was inappropriate,” Ashcroft said.Abortion became&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/25/abortion-is-illegal-in-missouri-providers-look-to-next-frontier-to-ensure-access/">illegal in Missouri</a>&nbsp;in June 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that recognized a constitutional right to abortion. The only exception is for emergency abortions to save the life of the mother or when there is “a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.”As Ashcroft was preparing to file an appeal Thursday, a separate effort to restore abortion rights was playing out in a St. Louis courtroom. Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser heard arguments in a case seeking to overturn Missouri’s abortion ban&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/19/lawsuit-seeks-to-overturn-missouri-abortion-ban-as-violation-of-religious-rights/">as a violation of religious rights</a>.For the ballot initiatives, the Supreme Court will be the final step in a process that began in March. Anna Fitz-James, a St. Louis physician, filed 11 proposed constitutional amendments with Ashcroft’s office in March on behalf of a political action committee called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom.A lengthy battle&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/20/missouri-supreme-court-rejects-ags-push-to-inflate-cost-of-abortion-rights-amendment/">over the fiscal note summary</a>&nbsp;– a statement of financial impact on state and local governments – and the authority of the attorney general to force changes delayed Ashcroft’s certification of the ballot title to July.Ashcroft’s job at this point is to write a summary of 100 words or less, make sure the petition is in the legal form and accept public comments prior to certifying it as ready for signatures.Fitz-James, with the help of the ACLU of Missouri,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/cole-county-judge-hears-case-challenging-ballot-title-for-missouri-abortion-initiatives/">challenged the ballot language</a>&nbsp;for six of the proposed initiatives. That is the case Ashcroft wants to bring before the Supreme Court of Missouri.If the court accepts the case, it would likely be put on an expedited schedule but a decision before the end of the year is uncertain. Five weeks elapsed between the notice of appeal for Beetem’s ruling and a decision from the Western District.A major point raised in the appeal, which Ashcroft again emphasized in the interview, is that Beetem did not quote the ballot titles Ashcroft wrote in their entirety. Instead, Beetem listed 13 points where he found the language violated the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=116.334&amp;bid=6341&amp;hl=">statutory requirement of impartiality</a>.In the interview Thursday, Ashcroft criticized the Western District judges, saying they ignored important legal points and the panel of three judges was stacked against him.“The panel you get affects the results you get and you know with Ardini on that, and the chief judge, we knew at the very beginning what we were gonna get,” Ashcroft said. “I don’t think our arguments mattered at all. We had to do what we had to do but you know that was a foregone conclusion with that panel.”The three judges who made the ruling are Lisa White Hardwick, appointed by Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, in 2001, and a former chief judge of the district; Edward Ardini Jr., appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, in 2016; and Thomas Chapman, appointed to the court by Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, in 2018.Complaints about the panel are a political point Ashcroft is testing for use as he runs for governor, Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU of Missouri, said in a statement.“Judges are not politicians,” Rothert said. “Instead of doing his job, the secretary is using the ballot-title process to boost his campaign. That is the reason why all three judges who have reviewed the case found he failed to write an impartial summary.”In the unanimous opinion, written by Chapman, the appeals court zeroed in on particular phrases used by Ashcroft as especially troublesome. In the ballot title for each of the six proposals, Ashcroft wrote that passage would “nullify longstanding Missouri law protecting the right to life, including but not limited to partial-birth abortion.”“The use of the term ‘right to life’ is simply not an impartial term,” Chapman wrote.If the language is in the summary, Ashcroft said in an interview, it is because it is used in Missouri statutes to describe state policy.&nbsp;While the language is used in the anti-abortion movement, it wasn’t deliberately used to trigger voters, he said.“If there was anything in the language that would signal to certain people that they didn’t like it, It was required because of what the actual initiative petition said,” Ashcroft said.<h2>Political fallout</h2>The abortion case became an issue in the Republican primary for governor this week when the American Dream PAC, a fund supporting Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, used Ashcroft’s words after the Western District hearing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDUL3maaW_w">to attack him as a “quitter.”</a>A successful signature campaign would likely put an abortion initiative on the November 2024 ballot. Ashcroft hopes to be on that ballot as the GOP nominee for governor, as does Kehoe and state Sen. Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring.Outside the courthouse, Ashcroft was pressed about his&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kfvs12.com/2023/11/01/gop-candidate-missouri-governor-implies-hed-have-quit-if-voters-pass-abortion-rights/">ability to enforce abortion rights</a>&nbsp;if he becomes governor.&nbsp;“Anytime a statewide official is sworn in, we swear an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri,” Ashcroft replied. “If I cannot do that, then I would have to leave my position. I cannot swear an oath and then refuse to do what I’d said I would do.”For the PAC ad, that became Ashcroft saying he would quit if the measure passes.“If somebody believes they are a quitter, we should believe them,” the ad states.In response, Ashcroft said the question he was asked was a hypothetical. It requires several uncertain things to happen, including Ashcroft winning the primary and a successful signature campaign. And he would have to conclude he was unable, in good conscience, do what the law required.“It is improper for someone to take the people’s money and not do the job that they’re getting paid to do,” Ashcroft said.<h2>St. Louis case</h2>During Thursday’s arguments in St. Louis over whether Missouri’s abortion ban violates religious rights, the key questions were whether the statutes promote a particular religious doctrine and whether the statements of lawmakers, tying their votes for the ban to their beliefs, matters in court.The case filed in January initially sought to enjoin local prosecutors from enforcing criminal sanctions for abortion as well as overturn the law as a religious rights violation. Through a series of ruling, Sengheiser has whittled the case down to the religious challenge and arguments Thursday were for a ruling on the case filings.The plaintiffs are religious leaders from Christian, Jewish and Unitarian congregations.The law being challenged is neutral, with no religious group singled out for disparate treatment,&nbsp;Assistant Attorney General Maria Ann Lanahan argued Thursday.And the comments of legislators during debate are generally not accepted as evidence of intent, she noted.“The bills passed by far more than the number of legislators that were making the complained-of comments,” Lanahan said. “And the comments don’t show the legislators wanting to impose their religion on others, only that the legislation was in harmony with those legislators’ religions.”“The context shows that the purpose (of bills passed in 2017 and 2019) was undeniably religious,” argued Kalli Joslin of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “But the state respondents say ‘ignore context’ and look only to the laws’ texts and stated goals to see if it advances any plausible secular purpose.”At the end of the hearing that lasted a little over one hour, the judge told attorneys they would get the answer in early January.

Jay Ashcroft to appeal abortion ballot summary ruling to Missouri Supreme Court

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A trial for a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Missouri's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-missouri-government-and-politics-342663e72a921cb9a5f55657d87a0910">new photo identification requirement</a>&nbsp;for voters is scheduled to begin Friday. Here is a look at the function of the law and why voting rights groups are suing:

Missouri's GOP-led Legislature last year capped off a nearly two-decade-long push by Republicans and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-missouri-3b036463d74454fa547acb8087f9e23a">passed a law</a>&nbsp;requiring voters to show photo identification to cast a regular ballot.

People without a government-issued photo ID can cast provisional ballots to be counted if they return later that day with a photo ID or if election officials verify their signatures. The law requires the state to provide a free photo identification card to those lacking one to vote.

The Missouri League of Women Voters, NAACP and two voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-lawsuits-voter-registration-missouri-948ed5acc6a83000bec97fbc56cbf6f6">sued</a>&nbsp;to overturn the law last year, arguing the change makes casting ballots unconstitutionally difficult for some voters.

Cole County Presiding Judge Jon Beetem, who also will hear arguments in the trial beginning Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-elections-lawsuits-missouri-f61c3e8c997087b4621661daf9aed7e2">dismissed the case</a>&nbsp;in October 2022. He found neither of the two voters “alleged a specific, concrete, non-speculative injury or legally protectable interest in challenging the photo ID requirement.”

The Missouri ACLU and Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, who sued on behalf of the plaintiffs, have since added another voter to the lawsuit and asked Beetem again to find the voter ID requirement unconstitutional.

The newest plaintiff is John O’Connor, a 90-year-old Columbia, Missouri, resident with poor vision who needs help walking. When the law took effect last year, O'Connor had an expired passport and driver's license, which are not acceptable forms of identification to vote under state law.

His lawyers argued he eventually obtained a non-driver's license with the help of his wife, but only because officials accepted his expired driver's license despite guidance from the state Revenue Department that long-expired licenses are not acceptable records to use when seeking new IDs.

“Even when a voter obtains the underlying documentation, voters who lack transportation, cannot get to the DMV or other government agencies during their hours of operation, or have a disability or impairment that prevents them from accessing a DMV, the voter is still unable to surmount the burdens to obtaining a photo ID,” the plaintiffs' lawyers wrote in a pretrial brief.

Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office is defending the law in court. The state lawyers argue that, so far, no one has been turned away at the polls because of the law.

Missouri provides free non-driver's licenses for voting to those who do not already have a driver's license or have a current license. The health department's Bureau of Vital Records provides free birth certificates to those seeking their first non-driver's license in order to vote if the applicant does not have a current driver's license.

“There is not a severe burden on the right to vote as the State has gone to great lengths to help voters obtain IDs,” Bailey wrote in a court brief.

The National Conference of State Legislatures reports 36 states request or require identification to vote, of which at least 20 ask for a photo ID.

Other Republican-led states are moving in the same direction as Missouri as they respond to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-presidential-election-2020-democracy-33823de7f22a601a192fc82eeb88e630">conservative voters unsettled</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f">unfounded claims of widespread fraud</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-machines-election-conspiracies-republicans-trump-f867ef5ed8d66f375066f8cbdb25cdf4">persistent conspiracy theories over the accuracy of U.S. elections</a>. Critics characterize such requirements as an overreaction that could disenfranchise eligible voters.

For the first time this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-ohio-photo-id-2023-election-4bcf006bbc5b327e286f3aed3b7ab686">Ohio voters</a>&nbsp;were required show photo identification to cast ballots in person. The new law eliminated previously acceptable non-photo options, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck. State-issued photo IDs are available free of charge

Missouri Republicans are not the only ones who had to fight for years to enact ID requirements.

North Carolina’s voter photo identification law,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-37988b09026041678894a8c876dc9063">enacted nearly five years ago</a>&nbsp;by the Republican-controlled legislature but blocked by litigation, is just now being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-voter-identification-municipal-elections-5811bb3b7ccda0e5d926fbb47a84c614">implemented</a>. Registered voters there can get free IDs at their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-voter-identification-cards-elections-d5b4929647f9754113a18db7857c8fcd">county election offices</a>&nbsp;if they provide their name, date of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security number.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A trial for a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Missouri's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-missouri-government-and-politics-342663e72a921cb9a5f55657d87a0910">new photo identification requirement</a>&nbsp;for voters is scheduled to begin Friday. Here is a look at the function of the law and why voting rights groups are suing:WHAT THE LAW DOESMissouri's GOP-led Legislature last year capped off a nearly two-decade-long push by Republicans and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-missouri-3b036463d74454fa547acb8087f9e23a">passed a law</a>&nbsp;requiring voters to show photo identification to cast a regular ballot.People without a government-issued photo ID can cast provisional ballots to be counted if they return later that day with a photo ID or if election officials verify their signatures. The law requires the state to provide a free photo identification card to those lacking one to vote.LEGAL CHALLENGESThe Missouri League of Women Voters, NAACP and two voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-lawsuits-voter-registration-missouri-948ed5acc6a83000bec97fbc56cbf6f6">sued</a>&nbsp;to overturn the law last year, arguing the change makes casting ballots unconstitutionally difficult for some voters.Cole County Presiding Judge Jon Beetem, who also will hear arguments in the trial beginning Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-elections-lawsuits-missouri-f61c3e8c997087b4621661daf9aed7e2">dismissed the case</a>&nbsp;in October 2022. He found neither of the two voters “alleged a specific, concrete, non-speculative injury or legally protectable interest in challenging the photo ID requirement.”The Missouri ACLU and Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, who sued on behalf of the plaintiffs, have since added another voter to the lawsuit and asked Beetem again to find the voter ID requirement unconstitutional.ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE LAWThe newest plaintiff is John O’Connor, a 90-year-old Columbia, Missouri, resident with poor vision who needs help walking. When the law took effect last year, O'Connor had an expired passport and driver's license, which are not acceptable forms of identification to vote under state law.His lawyers argued he eventually obtained a non-driver's license with the help of his wife, but only because officials accepted his expired driver's license despite guidance from the state Revenue Department that long-expired licenses are not acceptable records to use when seeking new IDs.“Even when a voter obtains the underlying documentation, voters who lack transportation, cannot get to the DMV or other government agencies during their hours of operation, or have a disability or impairment that prevents them from accessing a DMV, the voter is still unable to surmount the burdens to obtaining a photo ID,” the plaintiffs' lawyers wrote in a pretrial brief.ARGUMENTS FOR THE LAWRepublican Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office is defending the law in court. The state lawyers argue that, so far, no one has been turned away at the polls because of the law.Missouri provides free non-driver's licenses for voting to those who do not already have a driver's license or have a current license. The health department's Bureau of Vital Records provides free birth certificates to those seeking their first non-driver's license in order to vote if the applicant does not have a current driver's license.“There is not a severe burden on the right to vote as the State has gone to great lengths to help voters obtain IDs,” Bailey wrote in a court brief.VOTER ID ELSEWHEREThe National Conference of State Legislatures reports 36 states request or require identification to vote, of which at least 20 ask for a photo ID.Other Republican-led states are moving in the same direction as Missouri as they respond to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-presidential-election-2020-democracy-33823de7f22a601a192fc82eeb88e630">conservative voters unsettled</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f">unfounded claims of widespread fraud</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-machines-election-conspiracies-republicans-trump-f867ef5ed8d66f375066f8cbdb25cdf4">persistent conspiracy theories over the accuracy of U.S. elections</a>. Critics characterize such requirements as an overreaction that could disenfranchise eligible voters.For the first time this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-ohio-photo-id-2023-election-4bcf006bbc5b327e286f3aed3b7ab686">Ohio voters</a>&nbsp;were required show photo identification to cast ballots in person. The new law eliminated previously acceptable non-photo options, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck. State-issued photo IDs are available free of chargeMissouri Republicans are not the only ones who had to fight for years to enact ID requirements.North Carolina’s voter photo identification law,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-37988b09026041678894a8c876dc9063">enacted nearly five years ago</a>&nbsp;by the Republican-controlled legislature but blocked by litigation, is just now being&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-voter-identification-municipal-elections-5811bb3b7ccda0e5d926fbb47a84c614">implemented</a>. Registered voters there can get free IDs at their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-voter-identification-cards-elections-d5b4929647f9754113a18db7857c8fcd">county election offices</a>&nbsp;if they provide their name, date of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security number.

Missouri's voter ID law is back in court

GRUNDY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 4p.m. Friday in Grundy County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford Explorer driven by a 16-year-old Unionville boy was eastbound on Route N at Dunlap.

The state maintained roadway ended. The driver failed to negotiate a curve on the gravel road. He overcorrected, the SUV skidded off the east side of the road and rolled onto the drivers side.

Grundy Co. EMS transported the driver to Wright Memorial Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

GRUNDY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 4p.m. Friday in Grundy County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford Explorer driven by a 16-year-old Unionville boy was eastbound on Route N at Dunlap.The state maintained roadway ended. The driver failed to negotiate a curve on the gravel road. He overcorrected, the SUV skidded off the east side of the road and rolled onto the drivers side.Grundy Co. EMS transported the driver to Wright Memorial Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri teen injured after SUV rolls

ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. —One person was injured in an accident just before 10p.m Friday in Atchison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Ford Edge driven by Breann N. Smith, 19, Auburn, Nebraska, was westbound on U.S. 136 one mile west of Rock Port.

The SUV rear-ended a 2022 Toyota Highlander driven by James D. Gerking, 85, Brock, Nebraska, After impact the Ford traveled off the north side of the road and down an embankment. and came to rest in a field. The Toyota came to controlled stop on the side of the highway.

Atchison-Holt ambulance transported Smith to Fairfax Community Hospital. Gerking was not injured.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to them MSHP.

ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. —One person was injured in an accident just before 10p.m Friday in Atchison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Ford Edge driven by Breann N. Smith, 19, Auburn, Nebraska, was westbound on U.S. 136 one mile west of Rock Port.The SUV rear-ended a 2022 Toyota Highlander driven by James D. Gerking, 85, Brock, Nebraska, After impact the Ford traveled off the north side of the road and down an embankment. and came to rest in a field. The Toyota came to controlled stop on the side of the highway.Atchison-Holt ambulance transported Smith to Fairfax Community Hospital. Gerking was not injured.&nbsp; Both drivers were properly restrained, according to them MSHP.

19-year-old driver injured after Atchison Co. rear-end crash

ANDREW COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 8a.m. Friday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Ford F150 driven by Joshua J. Vaughn, 42, Ash Grove, was southbound on U.S. 59 ten miles north of St. Joseph.

The pickup turned left into the path of a northbound 2012 GMC Acadia driven by Sarah E. Brown, 32, St. Joseph. The vehicles collided head-on.

Andrew County EMS transported Brown and a passenger in the SUV Michael L. Hurst, 59, Savannah, to Mosaic Life Care. Vaughn was not injured. Brown was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

ANDREW COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 8a.m. Friday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Ford F150 driven by Joshua J. Vaughn, 42, Ash Grove, was southbound on U.S. 59 ten miles north of St. Joseph.The pickup turned left into the path of a northbound 2012 GMC Acadia driven by Sarah E. Brown, 32, St. Joseph. The vehicles collided head-on.Andrew County EMS transported Brown and a passenger in the SUV Michael L. Hurst, 59, Savannah, to Mosaic Life Care. Vaughn was not injured. Brown was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

2 hospitalized after Andrew County head-on crash

You might have already seen those red kettles as you get out and shop, but the St. Joseph Salvation Army is still in need of volunteers to help ring those bells 

Major Ron Key says there is a desperate need for volunteers with fewer signing up to volunteer before Thanksgiving than usual. . . 

"We notice that several that normally volunteer for us that haven't signed up yet, so I'm guessing that's what most of that is, but yeah we appreciate the ones who can volunteer that's for sure," Key tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  

Key says the Salvation Army typically sees a spike in people volunteering after Thanksgiving.  

"Cause people will remind people hey we're out and give them the opportunity they need to ring the bells," Key explains. 

To volunteer for bell ringing, you can contact the Salvation Army offices and ask for LeeAnn Hobson.  

Key tries to assure those worried about the time commitment that bell ringing typically doesn’t require that much time. 

"We usually just require, especially if it's an individual, two hours," Key says. "If it's a service club or a school or a family, each of them can just take an hour and it turns into several hours, but generally it's just two hours if it's one volunteer." 

Bell ringers will be out every day until December 23rd. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post You might have already seen those red kettles as you get out and shop, but the St. Joseph Salvation Army is still in need of volunteers to help ring those bells Major Ron Key says there is a desperate need for volunteers with fewer signing up to volunteer before Thanksgiving than usual. . . "We notice that several that normally volunteer for us that haven't signed up yet, so I'm guessing that's what most of that is, but yeah we appreciate the ones who can volunteer that's for sure," Key tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. Key says the Salvation Army typically sees a spike in people volunteering after Thanksgiving. "Cause people will remind people hey we're out and give them the opportunity they need to ring the bells," Key explains. To volunteer for bell ringing, you can contact the Salvation Army offices and ask for LeeAnn Hobson. Key tries to assure those worried about the time commitment that bell ringing typically doesn’t require that much time. "We usually just require, especially if it's an individual, two hours," Key says. "If it's a service club or a school or a family, each of them can just take an hour and it turns into several hours, but generally it's just two hours if it's one volunteer." Bell ringers will be out every day until December 23rd.

With red kettles out, the Salvation Army is in need of bell ringers

St.
Joseph police are asking for the public’s help as they investigate an armed
robbery.

The
St. Joseph Police Department reports though the victim was not harmed, the
thief took the victim’s car at gunpoint. The armed robbery took place 307 W. Hyde
late Wednesday morning. The car has a sticker
on the back windshield in the top left corner of an outline of sasquatch in
black and white with stars and a moon.

Anyone who has information should
call the TIPS Hotline – 816-238-TIPS or 816-238-8477.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700244372977.png" alt="Stolen car/St. Joseph Police Dept. photo" />
 <figcaption>Stolen car/St. Joseph Police Dept. photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt.
Joseph police are asking for the public’s help as they investigate an armed
robbery.The
St. Joseph Police Department reports though the victim was not harmed, the
thief took the victim’s car at gunpoint. The armed robbery took place 307 W. Hyde
late Wednesday morning. The car has a sticker
on the back windshield in the top left corner of an outline of sasquatch in
black and white with stars and a moon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700244424773.png" alt="St. Joseph Police Dept. photo of stolen car" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Police Dept. photo of stolen car</figcaption>
 </figure>Anyone who has information should
call the TIPS Hotline – 816-238-TIPS or 816-238-8477.

St. Joseph police ask public for help in investigating armed robbery

The prospect of a new animal shelter in St. Joseph might not be squashed quite yet. 

Almost a month after the chapter was seemingly closed on a new animal shelter, St. Joseph city officials might have a new location to get one built.  

City Manager Bryan Carter says the city is discussing building a new animal shelter on city owned property near the St. Joseph recycling center.  

"What we're looking at now is a facility that would ultimately be about 7,500 square feet, it would be located on that property, and because it's smaller it will be a lot less to construct," Carter tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. "However, it's not so small that it's going to be the same situation that were in now." 

Carter says the space would be significantly larger and fulfill all the needs of the animals and staff of the animal shelter.  Plans for the new shelter are still currently being evaluated. 

Carter says Friends of the Animal Shelter still wants to partner with the city as well, which is vitally important considering their role.  

"This isn't just a group that popped out of the ground and said we want to build an animal shelter, this is an incredibly dedicated group that volunteers at the animal shelter, that routinely raises funds, maybe not capital campaign funds like the animal shelter was, but they routinely raise funds that help operate the animal shelter and really help make sure that we're meeting modern standards and modern expectations down there," Carter explains. 

Carter says an early indication is money could be raised by selling the building that had been purchased on Corporate Drive, that combined with the funds raised by Friends of the Animal Shelter could help pay for the new building. 

"I would fully expect if we go and do something stupid they're going to say no we're not going to play in that," Carter says. "I say that as an exaggeration of course, but I think as long as they are at the table, we'll be working to keep them at the table make sure that we have a shared vision, we may not be 100% in alignment but that we have a shared vision as we move forward." 

Carter says knowing the Friends will be a partner at the table helps give the city council an idea of the gap they need to fill.   

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The prospect of a new animal shelter in St. Joseph might not be squashed quite yet. Almost a month after the chapter was seemingly closed on a new animal shelter, St. Joseph city officials might have a new location to get one built. City Manager Bryan Carter says the city is discussing building a new animal shelter on city owned property near the St. Joseph recycling center. "What we're looking at now is a facility that would ultimately be about 7,500 square feet, it would be located on that property, and because it's smaller it will be a lot less to construct," Carter tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. "However, it's not so small that it's going to be the same situation that were in now." Carter says the space would be significantly larger and fulfill all the needs of the animals and staff of the animal shelter. Plans for the new shelter are still currently being evaluated. Carter says Friends of the Animal Shelter still wants to partner with the city as well, which is vitally important considering their role. "This isn't just a group that popped out of the ground and said we want to build an animal shelter, this is an incredibly dedicated group that volunteers at the animal shelter, that routinely raises funds, maybe not capital campaign funds like the animal shelter was, but they routinely raise funds that help operate the animal shelter and really help make sure that we're meeting modern standards and modern expectations down there," Carter explains. Carter says an early indication is money could be raised by selling the building that had been purchased on Corporate Drive, that combined with the funds raised by Friends of the Animal Shelter could help pay for the new building. "I would fully expect if we go and do something stupid they're going to say no we're not going to play in that," Carter says. "I say that as an exaggeration of course, but I think as long as they are at the table, we'll be working to keep them at the table make sure that we have a shared vision, we may not be 100% in alignment but that we have a shared vision as we move forward." Carter says knowing the Friends will be a partner at the table helps give the city council an idea of the gap they need to fill.

Hope remains that St. Joseph will get a new animal shelter in the future

An Advanced Nurse Practice Provider has
been selected to receive Mosaic Life Care’s Servant’s Heart award; the highest
award given a Mosaic caregiver.

Charles Chatfield received the award
during a ceremony at the German American Building in downtown St. Joseph.

“It means a lot,” Chatfield tells
reporters. “I was very shocked to receive the award in general, but the
opportunity to give back to the community that we serve is most important and
that’s our goal with Mosaic is to provide best and safest care.”

Chatfield says his approach in his career
is simple.

“I go into work every day with a very
open mind and I treat all the patients the same, no matter what background they
are. Giving them the best and safest care is the number one goal in my opinion,”
Chatfield says. “Taking care of them, but not just them, but the families also,
because they’re part of the whole dynamic that we deal with.”

As part of the award, Chatfield directed
a $500 donation to go to the St. Joseph Open Door Food Kitchen as well as food
pantries in Maryville and Albany.

“The food bank’s near and dear to my
heart,” Chatfield says. “I know people that use their services and it’s
something again that we can give back to the community, because as Mosaic
Health Care system, we are in all three communities and it’s important that we
support all three communities, not just one in particular. I wanted it to stay
local.”

This is National Nurse Practitioner Week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700240018355.jpeg" alt="Mosaic CEO Mike Poore (right) speaks with Charles Chatfield during the ceremony to award Chatfield the Servant's Heart/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Mosaic CEO Mike Poore (right) speaks with Charles Chatfield during the ceremony to award Chatfield the Servant's Heart/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAn Advanced Nurse Practice Provider has
been selected to receive Mosaic Life Care’s Servant’s Heart award; the highest
award given a Mosaic caregiver.Charles Chatfield received the award
during a ceremony at the German American Building in downtown St. Joseph.“It means a lot,” Chatfield tells
reporters. “I was very shocked to receive the award in general, but the
opportunity to give back to the community that we serve is most important and
that’s our goal with Mosaic is to provide best and safest care.”Chatfield says his approach in his career
is simple.“I go into work every day with a very
open mind and I treat all the patients the same, no matter what background they
are. Giving them the best and safest care is the number one goal in my opinion,”
Chatfield says. “Taking care of them, but not just them, but the families also,
because they’re part of the whole dynamic that we deal with.”As part of the award, Chatfield directed
a $500 donation to go to the St. Joseph Open Door Food Kitchen as well as food
pantries in Maryville and Albany.“The food bank’s near and dear to my
heart,” Chatfield says. “I know people that use their services and it’s
something again that we can give back to the community, because as Mosaic
Health Care system, we are in all three communities and it’s important that we
support all three communities, not just one in particular. I wanted it to stay
local.”This is National Nurse Practitioner Week.

Advanced Practice Provider receives highest honor from Mosaic

St. Joseph police are investigating a shooting in which no one
was hurt and no property damage has been discovered.

Police say an officer heard shots near the intersection of
Belt Highway and Blackwell Road early Thursday evening and saw a suspect flee
from the scene. No one has been arrested.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph police are investigating a shooting in which no one
was hurt and no property damage has been discovered.Police say an officer heard shots near the intersection of
Belt Highway and Blackwell Road early Thursday evening and saw a suspect flee
from the scene. No one has been arrested.

St. Joseph officer hears shots fired, sees suspect flee

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

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

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

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

KC man sentenced to life for killing elderly Polo woman

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

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

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

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

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

Sentencing for Brooks has been set for next month.

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

Buchanan CO jury finds St. Joseph man guilty of murder

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

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

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

The revocation will take effect on Dec. 2.

The Robertsville-based company is at the center of Missouri’s massive marijuana&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/missouri-company-at-center-of-cannabis-recall-used-hemp-instead-of-marijuana-in-products/">recall</a>&nbsp;that was issued on Aug. 14. The state recently&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/01/missouri-rolls-back-part-of-its-cannabis-product-recall/">rolled back</a>&nbsp;part of the recall, but the fate of more than 45,000 recalled products&nbsp;— and those of dozens of marijuana businesses facing a steep financial loss if the products must be destroyed — is still pending.&nbsp;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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