Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Esther George says
the Midwest regional economy is strong right now, coming out of the
restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. 

“So, our regional economy tends to track the nation pretty
closely,” George says. “We actually have lower unemployment than the nation as
a whole, so we have tighter labor markets in this part of the country. The ag
economy, which is really dominant here, is doing very well right now.”

George says the regional economy is a bit stronger than the
national economy, helped in large part by a stronger agricultural economy.

“So after five or six years of low farm incomes, we now hear
farmers much more optimistic with commodity prices where they are,” according
to George. “They’re starting to recognize, though, that inflation is pushing
their input costs.”

George says the biggest thing holding back both farmers and business
owners in the Midwest is the tight labor market and supply shortages.

“On the whole, this region looks pretty good. I think like the
nation, though, they’re looking for labor, they’re looking for supplies to ease
up so that they can meet the demand that they have right now.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638817214134.jpeg" alt="Esther George speaks at a recent St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Summit/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Esther George speaks at a recent St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Summit/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostKansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Esther George says
the Midwest regional economy is strong right now, coming out of the
restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. “So, our regional economy tends to track the nation pretty
closely,” George says. “We actually have lower unemployment than the nation as
a whole, so we have tighter labor markets in this part of the country. The ag
economy, which is really dominant here, is doing very well right now.”George says the regional economy is a bit stronger than the
national economy, helped in large part by a stronger agricultural economy.“So after five or six years of low farm incomes, we now hear
farmers much more optimistic with commodity prices where they are,” according
to George. “They’re starting to recognize, though, that inflation is pushing
their input costs.”George says the biggest thing holding back both farmers and business
owners in the Midwest is the tight labor market and supply shortages.“On the whole, this region looks pretty good. I think like the
nation, though, they’re looking for labor, they’re looking for supplies to ease
up so that they can meet the demand that they have right now.”

KC Fed Chief:  regional economy shows strength

A 55-year-old woman died in a tree-cutting accident in
Livingston County Saturday.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies responded to a
call shortly before noon Saturday in the 4000 block of Livingston County Road 424
and found a woman who had been struck by a falling tree. The investigation revealed
the woman had been cutting down the tree with a chainsaw when it fell and
struck her.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office reports Chillicothe
Department of Emergency Services responders took the woman to Hedrick Medical
Center in Chillicothe where she was pronounced dead.

The office reports Missouri
Conservation Agent Caleb Pryor was the first emergency responder on the scene
and assisted the Emergency Medical crew and Deputy Jennifer Plummer.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA 55-year-old woman died in a tree-cutting accident in
Livingston County Saturday.The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies responded to a
call shortly before noon Saturday in the 4000 block of Livingston County Road 424
and found a woman who had been struck by a falling tree. The investigation revealed
the woman had been cutting down the tree with a chainsaw when it fell and
struck her.The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office reports Chillicothe
Department of Emergency Services responders took the woman to Hedrick Medical
Center in Chillicothe where she was pronounced dead.The office reports Missouri
Conservation Agent Caleb Pryor was the first emergency responder on the scene
and assisted the Emergency Medical crew and Deputy Jennifer Plummer.

55-year-old woman killed in tree cutting accident in Livingston County

ATCHISON COUNTY—A Kansas man was injured in an accident Just after 4:30p.m. Saturday in Atchison County.

According to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson, a&nbsp;pickup truck owned by Glen Parrott, Atchison, rolled from a stopped position in the 1100 block Commercial Street in Atchison and struck a parked vehicle.

 Parrott was in the cargo area of the pickup at the time it began rolling forward. He was injured as he jumped from the truck in an attempt to get it stopped. A private vehicle transported him to a local hospital for treatment, according to Wilson.&nbsp;

ATCHISON COUNTY—A Kansas man was injured in an accident Just after 4:30p.m. Saturday in Atchison County.According to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson, a&nbsp;pickup truck owned by Glen Parrott, Atchison, rolled from a stopped position in the 1100 block Commercial Street in Atchison and struck a parked vehicle. Parrott was in the cargo area of the pickup at the time it began rolling forward. He was injured as he jumped from the truck in an attempt to get it stopped. A private vehicle transported him to a local hospital for treatment, according to Wilson.&nbsp;

Kan. man injured after jump from rolling pickup before crash

MARYVILLE -&nbsp;The Nodaway County Sheriff's Office is launching a new task force meant to combat a rise in child sex crimes in northwest Missouri brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nodaway County Sheriff Randy Strong has seen an increase in abuse due to more people staying at home during the pandemic and more children being home from school during that time as well.

Studies show that about 1 in 7 children in Missouri have experienced abuse or neglect within the past year.

"A lot of times they were with someone who turned out to be their abuser," Strong explained. "Now that things are opening back up, some of these kids are coming forward and disclosing some things that have happened to them. So, nationwide, we're seeing an increase in crimes against children."

Strong and other county sheriffs in the area applied for a grant through the state to form a regional task force that can act as a liaison between law enforcement agencies, and facilitate training between the public and adults.

"Locally we've been trying to address this," Strong added. "We've seen (child-related crimes) rise here, and in meeting with some of the sheriffs in my zone up here, they were all experiencing the same thing. So, we started looking for a way to deal with that."

The end result is The Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Task Force - headed by Director Jackie Cochenour. The Task Force will cover the area of Nodaway, Atchison, Holt, Gentry and Worth counties.

"It's kind of a beautiful opportunity for me to get involved with our region," Cochenour said. "I've been in our region for more than a decade serving our most vulnerable kids, so this is kind of a perfect fit and really exciting for me to be a part of."

People can contact the agency to set up a time for training, which Cochenour says will teach participants the signs to look for in an abused child, using a five-step program called Stewards of Children.

"This isn't just for teachers or anyone that's part of a youth organization," Cochenour said. "Every single adult can be a part of this. That way, we all as a community can be protecting our children even better."

The task force will also work with local law enforcement to provide a child-specific interview room and techniques for talking to minors.

Strong said the Nodaway County Commission has donated some office space to help with this project. He says this Task Force will include people from several different agencies with a variety of expertise, giving law enforcement some much needed assistance when it comes to responding child-related crimes.

"We have children's divisions to take care of the needs and do a safety plan," Strong said. "Sometimes, we need to remove the children from the home to protect them, so that gets a juvenile court involved and our prosecutor. We also have mental health officials to come in and work with the children."

The grant that's funding the project, worth nearly $191,000, is only in place for a year. That’s why Cochenour and those involved with the task force are asking the public for donations.

"We firmly believe that each adult is responsible for the safety of our children," Cochenour said. "So, we need to know what that looks like and what that entails and to have prevention plans. So, we're going to be doing a lot of training, a lot of outreach and a lot of education with all of the adults in the region so that we can react responsibly and prevent crimes like this from occurring to begin with."&nbsp;

People can donate to the Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Task Force <a href="https://memberdrive.org/northwest-missouri-childrens-advocacy-task-force">at this link</a>. Cochenour says this task force will rely on the generosity from the public, and further state and federal grant applications, and hopefully be around for many more years to come.

"This is a legacy that's going to outlive any one of us," she said, "and it's really going to be a benefit for our children in our region."

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

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostMARYVILLE -&nbsp;The Nodaway County Sheriff's Office is launching a new task force meant to combat a rise in child sex crimes in northwest Missouri brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.Nodaway County Sheriff Randy Strong has seen an increase in abuse due to more people staying at home during the pandemic and more children being home from school during that time as well.Studies show that about 1 in 7 children in Missouri have experienced abuse or neglect within the past year."A lot of times they were with someone who turned out to be their abuser," Strong explained. "Now that things are opening back up, some of these kids are coming forward and disclosing some things that have happened to them. So, nationwide, we're seeing an increase in crimes against children."Strong and other county sheriffs in the area applied for a grant through the state to form a regional task force that can act as a liaison between law enforcement agencies, and facilitate training between the public and adults."Locally we've been trying to address this," Strong added. "We've seen (child-related crimes) rise here, and in meeting with some of the sheriffs in my zone up here, they were all experiencing the same thing. So, we started looking for a way to deal with that."The end result is The Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Task Force - headed by Director Jackie Cochenour. The Task Force will cover the area of Nodaway, Atchison, Holt, Gentry and Worth counties."It's kind of a beautiful opportunity for me to get involved with our region," Cochenour said. "I've been in our region for more than a decade serving our most vulnerable kids, so this is kind of a perfect fit and really exciting for me to be a part of."People can contact the agency to set up a time for training, which Cochenour says will teach participants the signs to look for in an abused child, using a five-step program called Stewards of Children."This isn't just for teachers or anyone that's part of a youth organization," Cochenour said. "Every single adult can be a part of this. That way, we all as a community can be protecting our children even better."The task force will also work with local law enforcement to provide a child-specific interview room and techniques for talking to minors.Strong said the Nodaway County Commission has donated some office space to help with this project. He says this Task Force will include people from several different agencies with a variety of expertise, giving law enforcement some much needed assistance when it comes to responding child-related crimes."We have children's divisions to take care of the needs and do a safety plan," Strong said. "Sometimes, we need to remove the children from the home to protect them, so that gets a juvenile court involved and our prosecutor. We also have mental health officials to come in and work with the children."The grant that's funding the project, worth nearly $191,000, is only in place for a year. That’s why Cochenour and those involved with the task force are asking the public for donations."We firmly believe that each adult is responsible for the safety of our children," Cochenour said. "So, we need to know what that looks like and what that entails and to have prevention plans. So, we're going to be doing a lot of training, a lot of outreach and a lot of education with all of the adults in the region so that we can react responsibly and prevent crimes like this from occurring to begin with."&nbsp;People can donate to the Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Task Force <a href="https://memberdrive.org/northwest-missouri-childrens-advocacy-task-force">at this link</a>. Cochenour says this task force will rely on the generosity from the public, and further state and federal grant applications, and hopefully be around for many more years to come."This is a legacy that's going to outlive any one of us," she said, "and it's really going to be a benefit for our children in our region."<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNodawaycountysheriffsoffice%2Fphotos%2Fa.1839596239695369%2F3090629394592041%2F%3Ftype%3D3&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="498" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Nodaway County Sheriff's Office launches Children’s Advocacy Task Force

Lifelong Republican represented Kansas on a national stage

By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN and SCOTT CANON <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-05/bob-dole-is-dead-at-98-he-overcame-war-wounds-nearly-became-president-championed-disability-rights">Kansas News Service</a>

Bob Dole, who overcame war wounds to dominate Kansas politics for 
much of the 20th century and nearly capture his nation’s presidency, has
 died. He was 98.

The death of the former U.S. senator and 
Republican nominee for president was announced by the Elizabeth Dole 
Foundation. The announcement did not say where he died. He died Sunday.

He is survived by his wife, former U.S. Sen. and cabinet secretary Elizabeth Dole and his daughter, Robin Dole.

Dole
 grew up in the boom-and-bust oil town of Russell, watched his 
family scrape by during the Great Depression, suffered crippling wounds 
on an Italian battlefield during World War II and worked his way up from
 county politics to leadership in the U.S. Senate.

He left a 
legacy marked by both fierce partisanship and landmark lawmaking defined
 by his willingness to team with Democrats. He beat cancer in the 1990s,
 but Dole announced Feb. 18, 2021, that he had stage 4 cancer and would 
undergo treatment.

And though he became a creature of Washington —
 cashing in on decades of Capitol Hill connections by spending the last 
decades of his life as a lobbyist — he always saw himself as a Kansan.

His days in Russell, Dole once said, gave him a certain perspective.

“The first thing you learn on the prairie,” he said, “is the relative size of man compared to the lay of the land.”

<a href="http://doleinstitute.org/timeline/alternate-timeline/" target="_blank">Robert Joseph Dole</a>
 was born July 22, 1923. His father ran a small creamery and his mother 
sold Singer sewing machines door to door. They lived on Maple Street.

As a teenager, Dole washed cars and worked as a soda jerk at Dawson’s
 Drug Store. Classmates remembered Dole as a smart dresser, a 
good-looking guy who modeled in a high school fashion show and served as
 sports editor of the school paper.

The family was active in the 
Methodist Church, saw hard financial times and was battered by the 
blinding storms of the Dust Bowl years in Kansas and economic despair. 
He shared a single room, one bike and a pair of rollerskates with his 
siblings.

The farthest east he traveled in the first 20 years of his life was to Kansas City.

In
 1941, Dole entered the University of Kansas with the help of a $300 
loan from a Russell banker and became the first in his family to go 
beyond high school. He led an active life on campus, pledging a 
fraternity, working multiple jobs and playing basketball under legendary
 KU coach Phog Allen.

Three
 years into college, Dole left to join the U.S. Army Officer Candidate 
School. He was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division. That took him to 
Italy — and the battle wounds that would leave his right arm all but 
useless for the next seven-plus decades of a storied life.

On 
April 14, 1945, a German shell shattered Dole’s right shoulder, 
collarbone and arm. It crushed a piece of his spine, leaving him 
temporarily paralyzed and in a full-body cast. Dole was shipped home, 
first to Kansas, then to Percy Jones Army Hospital in Battle Creek, 
Michigan, for rehabilitation.

He struggled with tremors and physical coordination, and learned to 
do everything with his left hand. In the three years following his 
injury, he underwent seven surgeries, none of which improved his 
condition much.

The people of Russell chipped in to help pay 
Dole’s hospital bills, putting coins and bills into an old cigar box. 
Hometown supporters would later put $100,000 in a similar <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/campaign/dole/hand.htm" target="_blank">cigar box</a> during Dole’s presidential run in 1987. Dole kept the box in his Senate office for years.

Dole’s
 new disability had a profound impact. For the rest of his life, he 
often held a pen in his weakened right hand at public events to keep 
people from trying to shake it. In his 2005 memoir, “<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/9780060763428/one-soldiers-story/" target="_blank">One Soldier’s Story</a>,”
 Dole wrote that seeing his wasted body in the mirror disturbed him so 
much that in the 60 years since his injury, he had scarcely looked at 
himself without a shirt on.

“I don’t need any more reminders,” Dole wrote.

During
 his recovery, he met his future first wife, occupational therapist 
Phyllis Holden. He also befriended Daniel Inouye, a fellow wounded 
soldier who would later become Hawaii’s first senator and the president 
of the U.S. Senate. And Dole grew close to an Armenian doctor, Hampar 
Kelikian, an immigrant who refused to take payment for treating American
 GIs.

“He inspired within me a new attitude,” wrote Dole about 
Kelikian in “One Soldier’s Story.” “He encouraged me to see 
possibilities where others only saw problems. It’s an attitude that has 
served me well over the years.”

The
 optimism and perseverance remained with Dole when he left the Army in 
1948. He returned to college at the University of Arizona and then 
Washburn University in Topeka, where he finished his undergraduate and 
law degrees. His wife, Phyllis, attended classes with him, taking notes 
and acting as his scribe during law exams. The Department of Veterans 
Affairs gave him a Sound Scriber, a huge, phonograph-like device that 
Dole used to record lectures and later copy them painstakingly by hand.

At
 Washburn, Dole met Beth Bowers, a law librarian who suggested he run 
for the Kansas Legislature in 1950, when he was 27 years old. In “One 
Soldier’s Story,” Dole wrote that he chose to run as a Republican on the
 advice of the county attorney in Russell — to appeal to the majority of
 the Kansas population.

“My entry into politics certainly wasn’t 
propelled by partisan fervor,” Dole wrote. “I became a Republican, 
pragmatically at first, and then philosophically later on.”

That 
pragmatism would develop into a dogged dedication to the party line when
 he reached Congress a decade later. Dole made $5 a day in the Kansas 
Statehouse — $7 a day during the legislative session — and made his 
living working as a private attorney in his hometown.

In 1952, he 
ran for Russell County attorney. He held the office until he won a seat 
in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1960. As part of that 
congressional campaign, his volunteers bought every can of Dole 
pineapple juice they could find and gave them to voters. Dole would 
reuse the gimmick in subsequent bids for office.

In
 his first years in Congress, Dole voted in favor of the Civil Rights 
Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965. He criticized the 
policies of Democratic Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson 
and befriended Republican former Vice President Richard Nixon.

“Dole
 mentioned once that Nixon was the only one in Washington who stuck out 
his left hand to shake with Dole,” wrote political journalist Richard 
Ben Cramer in <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/33217/what-it-takes-by-richard-ben-cramer/9780679746492/" target="_blank">“What It Takes,”</a> his chronicle of the 1988 presidential election.

That
 friendship continued through 1969, when Nixon began his presidency and 
Dole began his tenure in the U.S. Senate. Dole was a staunch supporter 
of Nixon, defending the president’s choices in the Vietnam War and 
through the Watergate scandal. In an attempt to protect the reputation 
of the president and the Republican Party, the senator introduced a 
resolution that would pull the Watergate committee hearings off TV.

“The
 purpose of the hearings is to serve legislative interests. It is not to
 try, convict and sentence Richard Nixon,” Dole said in a speech on the 
Senate floor. “Lives, reputations and careers can be hopelessly 
shattered by such exposure.” Dole’s resolution failed. And those 
televised hearings sped the end of the Nixon presidency.

The 1970s
 brought changes in Dole’s personal life. He started spending more time 
at the office and away from his wife and daughter, Robin, who was born 
in 1954. Dole and Phyllis divorced in 1972, shocking his constituents in
 Kansas. Soon after, Dole met then-White House staffer Elizabeth Hanford
 and the two married in 1975.

In the political world, Dole made a 
name for himself by chairing the Republican National Committee from 1970
 to 1972, occasionally crossing party lines to support issues such as 
food stamps.

Dole’s party loyalty and Midwestern sensibility led President Gerald Ford to <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?74133-1/ford-vice-presidential-nominee-announcement" target="_blank">choose him as his running mate</a> in his bid for reelection in 1976. After a heated race, they lost the contest to Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter by three points.

It was Dole’s first bid for national office. In 1979, he made 
another. After an aggressive campaign of speeches touting the Republican
 platform across the country, Dole decided to run for president. He 
returned to his hometown, Russell, to make the announcement. His wife, 
Elizabeth Dole, quit her job at the Federal Trade Commission to support 
him.

But his campaign was rocky. The candidate spent little time 
in Iowa and New Hampshire. Several campaign staffers were fired and had 
to be replaced multiple times. Dole performed abysmally in the New 
Hampshire primary, winning only 0.4 percent of the vote, and announced 
he was dropping out.

He returned to the Senate. As chairman of the
 Senate Committee on Finance, he wrote up a milder version of President 
Ronald Reagan’s proposed tax cuts. The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981
 passed both chambers and became the biggest tax cut in U.S. history.

A year later, Dole authored a bill with the opposite result, convincing Reagan that tax hikes
 were needed to close a federal deficit of $230 billion. The Tax Equity 
and Fiscal Responsibility Act raised nearly $100 billion for the federal
 government, mostly through higher taxes and closed loopholes.

Dole
 took on the mantle of Senate majority leader in 1984. The next year, he
 again worked to reduce the federal deficit through the 
Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act and helped pass a farm bill.

His next bid for president came in 1987. Dole stuck it out longer 
this time, in a primary crowded with seven Republicans. Dole had a 
reputation for working hard, but micromanaging to the detriment of his 
campaign. He lost several primaries and dropped out in March 1988.

Accepting
 that his shot at president had probably come and gone, Dole threw his 
support behind Reagan’s Republican successor, then-Vice President George
 H.W. Bush.

“It’s probably finished for me, but you never know,” Dole told biographer <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Dole-Republicans-Man-Seasons/dp/1556114214" target="_blank">Jake H. Thompson</a>. “My role now is to make George Bush a good president. I’m certainly not trying to keep anything alive.”

During
 the first Bush presidency, Dole traveled on diplomatic missions to 
Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, notably visiting Saddam
 Hussein in a failed attempt to stop Iraq from trying to build nuclear 
weapons. The senator played central roles in the <a href="https://www.ada.gov/" target="_blank">Americans with Disabilities Act</a> and the Clear Air Act, both passed in 1990.

In 1991, Elizabeth Dole was named the president of the American Red Cross and Bob Dole underwent surgery for prostate cancer.

Four
 years later, Dole announced he was running for president again. This 
time, he won the Republican nomination. He swept the primaries and chose
 former New York Rep. Jack Kemp — a politician whose supply-side 
economics clashed with Dole’s budget-hawk ways — as his running mate.

Dole left the Senate on June 11, 1996, to focus on the general election campaign. In his <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?72875-1/senator-dole-farewell-speech" target="_blank">farewell speech</a> on the Senate floor, he asked his colleagues to work together across party lines.

“I’m
 not here to make a partisan speech,” he said. “I would hope that we 
would keep in mind that there are still threats around the world. And 
also keep in mind that we’re the envy of the world.”

Dole ultimately lost to incumbent President Bill Clinton by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1996" target="_blank">eight points in the popular vote</a> and received fewer than half of Clinton’s electoral votes.

In his <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?76579-1/bob-dole-concession-speech" target="_blank">concession speech</a>, Dole pledged his support to Clinton and joked about his own retirement.

“I
 was thinking on the way down the elevator, ‘Tomorrow will be the first 
time in my life I don't have anything to do.’ … I'm going to sit back 
for a few days, and then I'm going to start standing up for what I think
 is right for America.”

In
 his last two decades, Dole dedicated himself to advocacy. He chaired 
the WWII Memorial Commission, raising nearly $200 million for the 
memorial. At a 1997 ceremony revealing the design for the memorial, 
Clinton <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?78062-1/medal-freedom-presentation" target="_blank">awarded</a> the former senator the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The late 1990s also marked the beginning of a brief television career. Dole famously starred in an early <a href="https://youtu.be/nBdgpjnKInA?t=46" target="_blank">commercial for Viagra</a>, later parodied in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7oh1so-2M8" target="_blank">commercial for Pepsi</a>.
 He shilled for Visa and Dunkin Donuts and appeared on Comedy Central's 
“The Daily Show” as a commentator for the 2000 election.

In the 2000s, Dole continued to advocate for war veterans and the 
disabled, often appearing at events to give speeches and shake hands 
with fellow veterans.

He returned to the Senate floor in 2012, asking legislators to vote 
in favor of ratifying the United Nations-backed Convention on the Rights
 of Persons with Disabilities. Democratic senators <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/us/despite-doles-wish-gop-rejects-disabilities-treaty.html?_r=0" target="_blank">stayed seated</a>
 in solidarity with Dole, a wheelchair user, as they cast their votes in
 favor. But the controlling majority of Republicans opposed the treaty, 
citing concerns about states’ rights and U.S. sovereignty. Two years 
later, despite another visit from Dole, the Republican-led Senate again 
rejected the treaty, <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/218040-senate-gop-block-un-treaty-on-disability-rights" target="_blank">refusing</a> to bring it to a full vote.

In the last years of his life, Dole worked for Alston and Bird, helping the firm lobby for a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/04/world/europe/oleg-deripaska-russia-oligarch-sanctions.html" target="_blank">Russian oligarch</a> and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/former-sen-bob-dole-s-influence-helped-lead-call-between-n692661" target="_blank">policies favorable to Taiwan</a>.

Ever the GOP loyalist, Dole endorsed candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. 

“I like Donald Trump because he's a strong leader and he is someone who can work with Congress,” Dole <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wDh8J_3v4c&amp;ab_channel=PBSNewsHour" target="_blank">told NPR</a>
 at the Republican National Convention that year. “There are a lot of 
similarities between my days in the Senate and what Donald is 
proposing.”

In the 2018 midterms, Dole threw his support behind Republican congressional candidates <a href="http://www.yoderforcongress.com/senator_bob_dole_endorses_congressman_yoder_for_re_election" target="_blank">Kevin Yoder</a>, a Republican incumbent in eastern Kansas, and <a href="https://twitter.com/senatordole/status/1050027506814869505" target="_blank">Steve Watkins</a>, a newcomer who had few ties to Dole’s home state. The former senator endorsed incumbent <a href="https://twitter.com/senatordole/status/1026559962963734528" target="_blank">Gov. Jeff Colyer</a>
 in the GOP primaries, and later stayed silent when then-Secretary of 
State Kris Kobach won the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

In 2019, Congress unanimously passed a <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article228436774.html" target="_blank">bill</a> to promote Dole to the rank of colonel in the Army.

In 2020, Dole did not publicly endorse a candidate, but maintained his support of Trump, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bob-dole-donald-trump-presidential-debate-commission-elections-2020-10" target="_blank">accusing</a>
 the bipartisan Committee on Presidential Debates of being biased 
against the candidate ahead of the election. Dole endorsed Republican 
Roger Marshall, a candidate cast more in the mold of Trump than the 
politics of Dole's career.

Dole later said he <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/article247926270.html" target="_blank">believed</a> Joe Biden had won the election over Trump. He told The Kansas City Star that he considered Biden a friend.

“He
 did a good job,” Dole said. “Proud to be a liberal — hopefully not too 
liberal — but he knows how the government works and the Congress works 
and all this will be a benefit to Joe.”

Dole’s health began to decline in early 2021, when he announced he had been <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bob-dole-stage-4-lung-cancer-480b81fe3e01fa53263c2f817c4eb768" target="_blank">diagnosed</a> with stage four lung cancer and would soon begin treatment.

Dole saw his political career, like his personal battle with a physical disability, as one of perseverance.

“In
 the final analysis, that’s what great leaders do, not just in the 
Senate but also in daily life,” he wrote in his 2005 memoir. “They face 
life without flinching. They make the tough decisions. They live with 
the consequences whether good or bad. They make the most of what they 
have. That’s the kind of leader I have always tried to be.”

Throughout his career, Dole was a staunch supporter of disability rights and some social welfare programs.

Nomin
 Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas
 News Service. You can email her at nomin@kcur.org and follow
 her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/nominuj" target="_blank">@NominUJ</a>.&nbsp;Scott
 Canon is the managing editor of the Kansas News Service. You can reach 
him at scott@kcur.org, 816-235-8023 or on Twitter @ScottCanon.

🎥 Western Kansas icon: Bob Dole's legacy as a statesman and leader

BROWN COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident Saturday in Brown County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Thomas Sherwood Jackson II, 60, Fairview, Kansas was southbound on U.S. Highway 75 at 270th Road. 

The motorcycle traveled into the east ditch. Jackson was thrown from the motorcycle, pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Chapel Oaks Funeral Home. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP. The time of the accident is still under investigation

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592389654778.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident Saturday in Brown County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Thomas Sherwood Jackson II, 60, Fairview, Kansas was southbound on U.S. Highway 75 at 270th Road. The motorcycle traveled into the east ditch. Jackson was thrown from the motorcycle, pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Chapel Oaks Funeral Home. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP. The time of the accident is still under investigation

Kansas man dies after ejected in motorcycle crash

HOLT COUNTY —A Missouri man was injured&nbsp; in an accident just before 8:30a.m. Saturday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1994 Peterbilt semi driven by Douglas M. Lager, 49, Conception Junction, was northbound on U.S. 59 in Craig.

The semi rear-ended a&nbsp; 1998 Chevy truck driven by Stephen C. Wright, 68, Craig, who was stopped to make a left turn onto 3rd Street.

Atchison-Holt EMS transported Wright to Fairfax Community Hospital. Lager was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

HOLT COUNTY —A Missouri man was injured&nbsp; in an accident just before 8:30a.m. Saturday in Holt County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1994 Peterbilt semi driven by Douglas M. Lager, 49, Conception Junction, was northbound on U.S. 59 in Craig.The semi rear-ended a&nbsp; 1998 Chevy truck driven by Stephen C. Wright, 68, Craig, who was stopped to make a left turn onto 3rd Street.Atchison-Holt EMS transported Wright to Fairfax Community Hospital. Lager was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man hospitalized after semi rear-ends truck

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —A Missouri man was injured in an accident just after 2p.m. Friday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Jeep Liberty driven by Robert S. Sykes, 65, Hale, was southbound on CR 387. A Kershaw Ballast Regulator driven by Shane M. Edgar, 51, Marceline, Mo., was westbound on the railroad tracks.

The vehicles entered the rail crossing at the same time. The ballast&nbsp; regulator struck the driver's side of the Jeep. The ballast operator was signaling and using a horn but the rail crossing was not activated, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; &nbsp;

A private vehicle transported Sykes to Hedrick Medical Center. Edgar was not injured. Sykes was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.&nbsp;

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —A Missouri man was injured in an accident just after 2p.m. Friday in Livingston County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Jeep Liberty driven by Robert S. Sykes, 65, Hale, was southbound on CR 387. A Kershaw Ballast Regulator driven by Shane M. Edgar, 51, Marceline, Mo., was westbound on the railroad tracks.The vehicles entered the rail crossing at the same time. The ballast&nbsp; regulator struck the driver's side of the Jeep. The ballast operator was signaling and using a horn but the rail crossing was not activated, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; &nbsp;A private vehicle transported Sykes to Hedrick Medical Center. Edgar was not injured. Sykes was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.&nbsp;

Mo. man injured after crash with ballast regulator at rail crossing

BUCHANAN COUNTY—A Missouri man was injured in an accident just before 6:30a.m. Friday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chevy Aveo driven by Andrew L. Boyer, 34, Agency, was northbound on Route FF one half mile south of St. Joseph.

The vehicle left the road and struck an embankment. The car returned to the road and overturned. Buchanan County EMS transported Boyer to Mosaic. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

BUCHANAN COUNTY—A Missouri man was injured in an accident just before 6:30a.m. Friday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chevy Aveo driven by Andrew L. Boyer, 34, Agency, was northbound on Route FF one half mile south of St. Joseph.The vehicle left the road and struck an embankment. The car returned to the road and overturned. Buchanan County EMS transported Boyer to Mosaic. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Buchanan Co. man injured when car overturns

Gov. Mike Parson has appointed Byron Roach of Cameron to State
Fair Commission.

Roach is the Vice President of
Public&nbsp;Relations and Special Projects for N.W. Electric Power Cooperative,
a position&nbsp;he has held since 2011. Roach also worked for Platte-Clay
Electric Cooperative in Kearney.

Roach is a past member of the
Cameron&nbsp;Planning and Zoning&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;as well as a past chair
of the Platte City Economic&nbsp;Development&nbsp;Council. He has also served
as a member of the Missouri State Fair Foundation since 2011.

Roach earned a Bachelor of Science in
industrial&nbsp;management from Missouri State University. 

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostGov. Mike Parson has appointed Byron Roach of Cameron to State
Fair Commission.Roach is the Vice President of
Public&nbsp;Relations and Special Projects for N.W. Electric Power Cooperative,
a position&nbsp;he has held since 2011. Roach also worked for Platte-Clay
Electric Cooperative in Kearney.Roach is a past member of the
Cameron&nbsp;Planning and Zoning&nbsp;Commission&nbsp;as well as a past chair
of the Platte City Economic&nbsp;Development&nbsp;Council. He has also served
as a member of the Missouri State Fair Foundation since 2011.Roach earned a Bachelor of Science in
industrial&nbsp;management from Missouri State University.

Gov. Parson appoints Roach to State Fair Commission

Overall, St. Joseph school
officials are encouraged by state tests scores, with one nagging exception.

The Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education has released district data from the 2020-21
Missouri Assessment Program, including test results by building.

St. Joseph elementary school
students, Grades 4 through 7, improved in English Language Arts. St. Joseph 5th
Graders increased their proficiency rate in Science by nearly 5%, nearly a full
percentage point better than the state average. Eighth Graders posted stronger
scores in Math. The strongest improvement is seen in 5th Grade Science
as well as 4th Grade and 7th Grade English Language Arts.

The true trouble spot comes
in Algebra, which saw the biggest drop in test scores among St. Joseph students
as well as students statewide.

Director of School Improvement,
Kendra Lau, says the district is working on improving all scores.

“For example, if we take
Algebra I,” Lau tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “Not only have we implemented a new
curriculum that was actually approved by our Board of Education last spring,
but we have also focused heavily on the training of our curriculum and the
resources that go with that curriculum.”

Scores fell in Biology and
English 2 as well.

Lau says improving test
scores requires a lot of focused, intense work.

“It has to do with training.
It has to do with implementation of resources. It has to do with consistently
looking at data to understand how to adjust instruction and being clear about what
priority standards we are really looking at,” according to Lau.

ACT scores posted by St.
Joseph students have improved over the past four years. The St. Joseph School
District average ACT score of 21.6 is higher than the state. The participation
rates among St. Joseph students held steady, despite the restrictions imposed
during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lau is pleased St. Joseph
had a high participation rate in the Missouri Assessment Program.

“We when look at our MAP
scores, we only had .3% of the population that wasn’t tested and that’s not
true statewide,” Lau points out.

A trouble spot reemerges for
the St. Joseph School District. Attendance fell in 2021 after improvement in
that difficult area, seemingly an outgrowth of the chaotic period created by
the coronavirus pandemic.

“We were near 90% attendance
in 2018. In 2021, we were at 75% attendance,” Lau says. “And that is something that
we are looking at right now. That trend is continuing into 2021-22.”

By BRENT MARTIN and MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostOverall, St. Joseph school
officials are encouraged by state tests scores, with one nagging exception.The Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education has released district data from the 2020-21
Missouri Assessment Program, including test results by building.St. Joseph elementary school
students, Grades 4 through 7, improved in English Language Arts. St. Joseph 5th
Graders increased their proficiency rate in Science by nearly 5%, nearly a full
percentage point better than the state average. Eighth Graders posted stronger
scores in Math. The strongest improvement is seen in 5th Grade Science
as well as 4th Grade and 7th Grade English Language Arts.The true trouble spot comes
in Algebra, which saw the biggest drop in test scores among St. Joseph students
as well as students statewide.Director of School Improvement,
Kendra Lau, says the district is working on improving all scores.“For example, if we take
Algebra I,” Lau tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “Not only have we implemented a new
curriculum that was actually approved by our Board of Education last spring,
but we have also focused heavily on the training of our curriculum and the
resources that go with that curriculum.”Scores fell in Biology and
English 2 as well.Lau says improving test
scores requires a lot of focused, intense work.“It has to do with training.
It has to do with implementation of resources. It has to do with consistently
looking at data to understand how to adjust instruction and being clear about what
priority standards we are really looking at,” according to Lau.ACT scores posted by St.
Joseph students have improved over the past four years. The St. Joseph School
District average ACT score of 21.6 is higher than the state. The participation
rates among St. Joseph students held steady, despite the restrictions imposed
during the coronavirus pandemic.Lau is pleased St. Joseph
had a high participation rate in the Missouri Assessment Program.“We when look at our MAP
scores, we only had .3% of the population that wasn’t tested and that’s not
true statewide,” Lau points out.A trouble spot reemerges for
the St. Joseph School District. Attendance fell in 2021 after improvement in
that difficult area, seemingly an outgrowth of the chaotic period created by
the coronavirus pandemic.“We were near 90% attendance
in 2018. In 2021, we were at 75% attendance,” Lau says. “And that is something that
we are looking at right now. That trend is continuing into 2021-22.”

St. Joseph school officials encouraged by test scores, for the most part

GOWER - It's starting to sink in a little bit.

On Wednesday, the first day of December, the East Buchanan football team was still practicing, getting ready for yet another game.

This time, it's the Class 1 state football championship at Faurot Field on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia, where the Bulldogs (13-1) face Marceline (12-1) on Saturday at 3 p.m.

"Every day, it seems like more and more people come up to me and ask, am I ready for the big game?" senior quarterback Conner Musser said. "I tell them every time, 'Yeah, we are.' Just the way we've been on a role these last couple of weeks, just continuing to get better at practice and leading up to that big day...we're getting really hyped around here."

Wednesday would be the next-to-last practice of the season on the game field in Gower before the team departs on Friday.

For senior linemen Caleb McCartney and Trevor Rush, and the four other seniors on the roster, it's starting to sink in - these are the last practices. The last game of their high school football career.

"I mean, it's kind of like our Super Bowl," McCartney said. "Senior year, get to go to a state championship. Can't ask for much more than that."

"It's one of the best feelings ever," Rush admitted. "I mean, it's sad to see that it's our last game ever as brothers. We're doing our final practices, we're playing our final game. But then again, it's one of the best feelings there's ever been."

East Buchanan, winner of three district championships since 2014, finds itself back in a state football title game for just the second time in history and for the first time since 2004. It's been 17 years since the Bulldogs fell, 21-0, in their lone championship game appearance against St. Vincent.

Now, after winning a state-semifinal game for just the second time in program history this past Saturday, the 2021 Bulldogs are excited for their opportunity to give their school its first football title.

"I've never been anywhere near being as successful as this team has been," second year head coach Dan Ritter said. "So, we're just living it up and we're enjoying it, but we know we have to get to work if we want to go one step further. So, we're not taking it lightly and we're making sure we put in the time."

East Buchanan faces a Marceline team that's won three consecutive district titles and has been to four total state championship games - their lone win coming in 1986. Their last trip to the Show Me Bowl was 2013.

The Bulldogs and Tigers have met before - in the 2004 state quarterfinals. East Buchanan won that meeting handily on the road, 31-7.

Fast forward to 2021, and the Bulldogs expect a whale of a fight from a team seeking its first championship in 35 years, and a team that's won 10 straight.

"I mean, they're just stacked all the way around," Ritter said of Marceline, "with good quality Class 1 football players. And, if we're going to be able to compete with that, we better bring our A-game, because we know that they're good. They've got a quarterback that can fling the ball around. They've got defenders all over the field with a lot of good speed."

Marceline beat previously unbeaten Hayti, 31-30, in their state semifinal game on Saturday. The Tigers are led by senior quarterback Jacob Stallo, who's thrown for 1,964 yards and 16 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.

Stallo is also a threat to run the ball, racking up 488 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground. Senior running back Hunter Nelson has been a work horse in the backfield, rushing for 1,347 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Nelson also leads the team with 100 tackles on defense, including 13.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. While coach Ritter believes his team will match up well with the Tigers, it's Marceline's ability to win close games as of late that stands out to him.

Marceline has won their last three games by a combined eight points, including back-to-back, one-point victories in their last two contests.

"I sure know they know how to win," Ritter said. "And they definitely know how to win close games. The fact that they won the last three games by a grand total of eight points tells you that they know how to win close games. So, if we want to take care of business, we're going to have to win one of those close games on Saturday."

The last time East Buchanan football was in a state championship game, most of this current team wasn't born yet. The last time the Bulldogs made a semifinal, the players were in middle school.

Now, in 2021, after being, perhaps, written off at times with an early October loss at Mid-Buchanan and a No. 3 seeding in the Class 1 District 8 bracket, the Bulldogs have reeled off seven straight wins and have made history by simply getting back to this big stage.

While the top priority is to win, there's something else East Buchanan's team wants to make sure they do. Particularly, those six seniors.

Andrew Mead, an all-district receiver from the 2004 state runner-up team, actually found Conner Musser after the Bulldogs' win over Thayer last week, and reminded him to do just that.

"After our win last week, (Mead) came up to me and he's like, 'Yeah. Soak this all in, because once it's gone it's going to be gone forever. Be the last one out here and cherish these memories, because you'll remember them for the rest of your life."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638471097728.jpeg" alt="Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostGOWER - It's starting to sink in a little bit.On Wednesday, the first day of December, the East Buchanan football team was still practicing, getting ready for yet another game.This time, it's the Class 1 state football championship at Faurot Field on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia, where the Bulldogs (13-1) face Marceline (12-1) on Saturday at 3 p.m."Every day, it seems like more and more people come up to me and ask, am I ready for the big game?" senior quarterback Conner Musser said. "I tell them every time, 'Yeah, we are.' Just the way we've been on a role these last couple of weeks, just continuing to get better at practice and leading up to that big day...we're getting really hyped around here."Wednesday would be the next-to-last practice of the season on the game field in Gower before the team departs on Friday.For senior linemen Caleb McCartney and Trevor Rush, and the four other seniors on the roster, it's starting to sink in - these are the last practices. The last game of their high school football career."I mean, it's kind of like our Super Bowl," McCartney said. "Senior year, get to go to a state championship. Can't ask for much more than that.""It's one of the best feelings ever," Rush admitted. "I mean, it's sad to see that it's our last game ever as brothers. We're doing our final practices, we're playing our final game. But then again, it's one of the best feelings there's ever been."East Buchanan, winner of three district championships since 2014, finds itself back in a state football title game for just the second time in history and for the first time since 2004. It's been 17 years since the Bulldogs fell, 21-0, in their lone championship game appearance against St. Vincent.Now, after winning a state-semifinal game for just the second time in program history this past Saturday, the 2021 Bulldogs are excited for their opportunity to give their school its first football title."I've never been anywhere near being as successful as this team has been," second year head coach Dan Ritter said. "So, we're just living it up and we're enjoying it, but we know we have to get to work if we want to go one step further. So, we're not taking it lightly and we're making sure we put in the time."East Buchanan faces a Marceline team that's won three consecutive district titles and has been to four total state championship games - their lone win coming in 1986. Their last trip to the Show Me Bowl was 2013.The Bulldogs and Tigers have met before - in the 2004 state quarterfinals. East Buchanan won that meeting handily on the road, 31-7.Fast forward to 2021, and the Bulldogs expect a whale of a fight from a team seeking its first championship in 35 years, and a team that's won 10 straight."I mean, they're just stacked all the way around," Ritter said of Marceline, "with good quality Class 1 football players. And, if we're going to be able to compete with that, we better bring our A-game, because we know that they're good. They've got a quarterback that can fling the ball around. They've got defenders all over the field with a lot of good speed."Marceline beat previously unbeaten Hayti, 31-30, in their state semifinal game on Saturday. The Tigers are led by senior quarterback Jacob Stallo, who's thrown for 1,964 yards and 16 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.Stallo is also a threat to run the ball, racking up 488 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground. Senior running back Hunter Nelson has been a work horse in the backfield, rushing for 1,347 yards and 17 touchdowns.Nelson also leads the team with 100 tackles on defense, including 13.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. While coach Ritter believes his team will match up well with the Tigers, it's Marceline's ability to win close games as of late that stands out to him.Marceline has won their last three games by a combined eight points, including back-to-back, one-point victories in their last two contests."I sure know they know how to win," Ritter said. "And they definitely know how to win close games. The fact that they won the last three games by a grand total of eight points tells you that they know how to win close games. So, if we want to take care of business, we're going to have to win one of those close games on Saturday."The last time East Buchanan football was in a state championship game, most of this current team wasn't born yet. The last time the Bulldogs made a semifinal, the players were in middle school.Now, in 2021, after being, perhaps, written off at times with an early October loss at Mid-Buchanan and a No. 3 seeding in the Class 1 District 8 bracket, the Bulldogs have reeled off seven straight wins and have made history by simply getting back to this big stage.While the top priority is to win, there's something else East Buchanan's team wants to make sure they do. Particularly, those six seniors.Take it all in. Have fun. Remember.Andrew Mead, an all-district receiver from the 2004 state runner-up team, actually found Conner Musser after the Bulldogs' win over Thayer last week, and reminded him to do just that."After our win last week, (Mead) came up to me and he's like, 'Yeah. Soak this all in, because once it's gone it's going to be gone forever. Be the last one out here and cherish these memories, because you'll remember them for the rest of your life."<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/East-Buchanan-football-looks-to-make-history-in-Columbia-e1b6udi" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638471842289.jpeg" alt="Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

East Buchanan eyes history as Bulldogs head to Columbia for Class 1 title game

A 29-year-old St.
Joseph man who pleaded guilty to rape in June of 2020 in the back-storage room
of the US Oil Gas Station has been sentenced to 75 years in prison.

Citizens forcibly
detained Jerez Collins on the June 13th day at the station located
at 22nd Street and Messanie until police could arrive. Collins was convicted of both forcible
rape and forcible sodomy.

District Judge Daniel
Kellogg sentenced Collins to 75 years on both counts after the presentation of
the victim impact statement and an argument from counsel.

Buchanan County
Prosecutor Ron Holliday described the crime during the sentencing hearing as one
of the most horrific he has prosecuted in his 25-year career, which includes
prosecutions of murders, shootings, stabbings, and armed robberies. Cameras at
the business caught and recorded the entire crime.

Under state law, Collins will have to serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Holliday pointed out
Collins had served three years in federal prison after being convicted of robbing
the Bank Midwest in the Village of Country Club in November of 2010. Collins
also had been convicted of crimes in Arizona.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592246311207.jpeg" alt="Jerez Collins/Photo courtesy of the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Jerez Collins/Photo courtesy of the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA 29-year-old St.
Joseph man who pleaded guilty to rape in June of 2020 in the back-storage room
of the US Oil Gas Station has been sentenced to 75 years in prison.Citizens forcibly
detained Jerez Collins on the June 13th day at the station located
at 22nd Street and Messanie until police could arrive. Collins was convicted of both forcible
rape and forcible sodomy.District Judge Daniel
Kellogg sentenced Collins to 75 years on both counts after the presentation of
the victim impact statement and an argument from counsel.Buchanan County
Prosecutor Ron Holliday described the crime during the sentencing hearing as one
of the most horrific he has prosecuted in his 25-year career, which includes
prosecutions of murders, shootings, stabbings, and armed robberies. Cameras at
the business caught and recorded the entire crime.Under state law, Collins will have to serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.Holliday pointed out
Collins had served three years in federal prison after being convicted of robbing
the Bank Midwest in the Village of Country Club in November of 2010. Collins
also had been convicted of crimes in Arizona.

St. Joseph man sentenced to 75 years for US Oil Gas rape

A
surge in COVID-19 cases is being reported by the St. Joseph Health Department.

Health
officials report 70 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, 101 on Wednesday, and 82
on Thursday.

The
increases since the health department last reported on Monday confirms that
northwest Missouri is a coronavirus hotspot.

The
Buchanan County coronavirus positivity rate is just below 10%, at
9.82%.

Mosaic
Life Care reports treating 48 COVID-19 patients in its system; 39 in St.
Joseph, seven in Maryville, and two in Albany.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA
surge in COVID-19 cases is being reported by the St. Joseph Health Department.Health
officials report 70 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, 101 on Wednesday, and 82
on Thursday.The
increases since the health department last reported on Monday confirms that
northwest Missouri is a coronavirus hotspot.The
Buchanan County coronavirus positivity rate is just below 10%, at
9.82%.Mosaic
Life Care reports treating 48 COVID-19 patients in its system; 39 in St.
Joseph, seven in Maryville, and two in Albany.

St. Joseph sees surge in COVID-19 cases

Clean up of a non-injury accident in the northbound lanes of I-29, just short of the I-229 exit south of St. Joseph held up commuter traffic this morning.

A semi tractor-trailer ran off the went off the right side of the interstate.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports no one was injured in the wreck that happened before eight o'clock this morning.

Northbound I-29 traffic south of St. Joseph slowed to a crawl while a wrecker crew pulled the truck from the ditch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638542736377.jpeg" alt="Wrecker crews pull a truck from the ditch on I-29, just south of the I-229 exit, slowing morning commuter traffic./Photo by Nick Kunels" />
 <figcaption>Wrecker crews pull a truck from the ditch on I-29, just south of the I-229 exit, slowing morning commuter traffic./Photo by Nick Kunels</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostClean up of a non-injury accident in the northbound lanes of I-29, just short of the I-229 exit south of St. Joseph held up commuter traffic this morning.A semi tractor-trailer ran off the went off the right side of the interstate.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports no one was injured in the wreck that happened before eight o'clock this morning.Northbound I-29 traffic south of St. Joseph slowed to a crawl while a wrecker crew pulled the truck from the ditch.

Truck crash slows commuter traffic on I-29 south of St. Joseph

Mosaic Life Care has an important deadline approaching, the
deadline for its workers to get vaccinated.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMosaic Life Care has an important deadline approaching, the
deadline for its workers to get vaccinated.Mosaic has mandated that all of its approximately 4,500 health
care workers begin the COVID-19 vaccination process by the 5th.Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Davin Turner, says Mosaic expects
to lose some employees over the mandate, but only some.“We do expect to lose a small number of folks from our workforce,
but we believe that number to be very consistent with around the national average
that many other healthcare organizations have seen, which is around the one to
two percent range,” Turner tells reporters gathered for a news conference at
the St. Joseph hospital.At present, Mosaic reports that slightly more than 92% of its
workforce has been vaccinated against the coronavirus. A few more than 250
workers have been granted an exemption, mainly for religious reasons, but some
for medical reasons. Turner says few workers have filed for a medical exemption.
Mosaic expects a total of between 300 to 350 workers to receiver a waiver.The Biden Administration issued a vaccination mandate for all
health care workers through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. For
now, the courts have blocked enforcement, questioning whether the federal government
has the authority to enforce such a mandate. The legality of the mandate has
yet to be decided.Turner says the Mosaic requirement is separate from the
federal mandate and stands even if the courts overturn the Biden Administration
vaccine mandate.“It’s the right thing to do for the patients that we care for,”
Turner states. “The needs of the patient come first. And it’s the right thing
to do for our workforce, whether they get a waiver through religious-medical or
they get vaccinated.”Turner says the importance of vaccinations is demonstrated by
the fact that only about 32 Mosaic workers are off work due to COVID-19 or
contact with an infected person.“Which, for where our numbers are, that’s lower than what we
had seen previously, a little bit,” according to Turner. “So, we are seeing
benefits from the vaccine and we certainly hope and believe that as we finish
through our vaccinations, we will see those numbers not be as high.”Turner says though he believes the community will have to
learn how to live with COVID-19, he’s more optimistic about handling the virus
than he was two years ago.“I’m going to tell you personally; I am more hopeful because
we have more abilities to treat this disease or protect you against it.”