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

Flora Farms took more than 3,000 Zen-brand cannabis gummy products off the shelves last month, after state regulators received a complaint the food-coloring ingredient wasn’t listed on the label.

The food coloring is not a banned ingredient, said Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and the Flora Farms manufacturing facility in Springfield that’s the target of the product recall doesn’t have to stop using it.

“Food coloring must be disclosed in the ingredient list in order to be used in a product,” she said. “This helps consumers know that if they have an allergy to it, that they should not consume that product.”

Only one adverse reaction was reported, she said. The consumer reported the reaction did not require hospitalization, but Freeman said she could not provide the consumer complaint to protect the person’s privacy.

The problem wasn’t caught during the extensive review process required under the new recreational marijuana rules.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

As of Sept. 1, marijuana manufacturers must now package and label all products in division-approved designs before sending them to a dispensary.&nbsp;

But catching this type of error is not what the pre-approval process was intended for, Freeman said.&nbsp;

“Verification of whether information is accurate occurs through other processes, such as inspections, complaints and investigations,” Freeman said.&nbsp;

The review process for packaging and labeling, she said, is to ensure that all types of required information are included on the package.&nbsp;

And it’s also to make sure the numerous prohibited things – such as excessive colors, depictions of candy or cartoon characters – stay off.&nbsp;

When voters passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana in 2022, it included a provision that labels and packaging for marijuana-related products, “shall not be made to be attractive to children.”

Missouri is now a<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">&nbsp;testing ground</a>&nbsp;to see if plain packaging for recreational marijuana will meet this constitutional mandate. Under new state rules, packaging can only be one primary color, and it can have up to two logos or symbols that can be a different color or several different colors.&nbsp;

Mark Hendren,&nbsp;president of Flora Farms cannabis company, said the facility has addressed the labeling issue.&nbsp;

“DCR requested that Zen labels more specifically identify the food coloring used,” he said. “So that’s what we have done.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733259188705.png" alt="photo Zen-brand&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>photo Zen-brand&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Flora Farms took more than 3,000 Zen-brand cannabis gummy products off the shelves last month, after state regulators received a complaint the food-coloring ingredient wasn’t listed on the label.The food coloring is not a banned ingredient, said Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and the Flora Farms manufacturing facility in Springfield that’s the target of the product recall doesn’t have to stop using it.“Food coloring must be disclosed in the ingredient list in order to be used in a product,” she said. “This helps consumers know that if they have an allergy to it, that they should not consume that product.”Only one adverse reaction was reported, she said. The consumer reported the reaction did not require hospitalization, but Freeman said she could not provide the consumer complaint to protect the person’s privacy.The problem wasn’t caught during the extensive review process required under the new recreational marijuana rules.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As of Sept. 1, marijuana manufacturers must now package and label all products in division-approved designs before sending them to a dispensary.&nbsp;But catching this type of error is not what the pre-approval process was intended for, Freeman said.&nbsp;“Verification of whether information is accurate occurs through other processes, such as inspections, complaints and investigations,” Freeman said.&nbsp;The review process for packaging and labeling, she said, is to ensure that all types of required information are included on the package.&nbsp;And it’s also to make sure the numerous prohibited things – such as excessive colors, depictions of candy or cartoon characters – stay off.&nbsp;When voters passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana in 2022, it included a provision that labels and packaging for marijuana-related products, “shall not be made to be attractive to children.”Missouri is now a<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">&nbsp;testing ground</a>&nbsp;to see if plain packaging for recreational marijuana will meet this constitutional mandate. Under new state rules, packaging can only be one primary color, and it can have up to two logos or symbols that can be a different color or several different colors.&nbsp;Mark Hendren,&nbsp;president of Flora Farms cannabis company, said the facility has addressed the labeling issue.&nbsp;“DCR requested that Zen labels more specifically identify the food coloring used,” he said. “So that’s what we have done.”

Labeling error led to Missouri recall of cannabis gummies

Four finalists with broad experience have been named to become
the next St. Joseph City Manager.

A nationwide search by Strategic Government Resources reviewed
the applications of 26 candidates from 15 states and will continue to help the
city in the selection process.

Robert Cowell has 30 years of local government management
experience, servicing as Roanoke, Virginia City Manager after as the
Deputy/Interim City Manager in Amarillo, Texas. In Roanoke, Cowell managed
1,800 employees and a $379 million budget.

Jason Gage has more than 25 years experience in local
government, including 20 as a City Manager. Gage has served as Springfield,
Missouri City Manager since 2018. He resigned, but agreed to stay on until
early next year. Gage served as City Manager of Salina, Kansas prior to
accepting the job in Springfield. In Springfield, Gage manages a $507 million
annual budget and oversees a staff of 2,112.

Darron Leiker was the long-time City Manager of the City of
Wichita Falls, Texas where he managed 1,240 employees and a $233 million
budget. A native of Kansas, Leiker previously served in Salina and Sterling,
Kansas.

Mike Schumacher has worked in local government for more than
34 years, the last 12 in executive management. Schumacher is the current City
Administrator for Lebanon, Missouri where he manages 177 employees on a $72
million budget. Schumacher has served as an Assistant City Manager in Kansas
City between 2012 and 2018.

The four finalists have been invited to participate in an
onsite interview process scheduled next week. The two-day process will include
a community tour, engagement sessions with City staff and community members,
and extensive interviews by the City Council.

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostFour finalists with broad experience have been named to become
the next St. Joseph City Manager.A nationwide search by Strategic Government Resources reviewed
the applications of 26 candidates from 15 states and will continue to help the
city in the selection process.Robert Cowell has 30 years of local government management
experience, servicing as Roanoke, Virginia City Manager after as the
Deputy/Interim City Manager in Amarillo, Texas. In Roanoke, Cowell managed
1,800 employees and a $379 million budget.Jason Gage has more than 25 years experience in local
government, including 20 as a City Manager. Gage has served as Springfield,
Missouri City Manager since 2018. He resigned, but agreed to stay on until
early next year. Gage served as City Manager of Salina, Kansas prior to
accepting the job in Springfield. In Springfield, Gage manages a $507 million
annual budget and oversees a staff of 2,112.Darron Leiker was the long-time City Manager of the City of
Wichita Falls, Texas where he managed 1,240 employees and a $233 million
budget. A native of Kansas, Leiker previously served in Salina and Sterling,
Kansas.Mike Schumacher has worked in local government for more than
34 years, the last 12 in executive management. Schumacher is the current City
Administrator for Lebanon, Missouri where he manages 177 employees on a $72
million budget. Schumacher has served as an Assistant City Manager in Kansas
City between 2012 and 2018.The four finalists have been invited to participate in an
onsite interview process scheduled next week. The two-day process will include
a community tour, engagement sessions with City staff and community members,
and extensive interviews by the City Council.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Four make the cut as finalists for St. Joseph City Manager

The St. Joseph School District will begin accepting applications for anyone interested in joining the school board.  

Two positions for three-year terms will be on the April 8th ballot. 

School Board President LaTonya Williams says a person that fits well with the board is someone that prioritizes all children, calling the district very diverse 

"It's not only about diversity and race, it's also in abilities, disabilities and such," Williams tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "Our children need a voice on the district, and that is all of our children." 

Applications can be submitted starting on December 10th at the Administration Building.  The final day to file will be December 31st.  

Willams says if you've ever had an opinion about what the school board should do, now is your chance to join them 

"If you have an opinion about how things should be done, or if you would like to give more of yourself and your time to the children in the community, here's your chance, all applications accepted," Williams says. 

Interested people must be voters within the St. Joseph School District and have been a resident of Missouri for at least one year.  

Williams says those joining the school board will face some issues in the near future, including onboarding a new Superintendent, and also following the districts long range plan 

"It's a pretty extensive plan and it will right size a lot of the inequities and issues in our buildings and in our classrooms," Williams explains.  "And so, it's going to take a little bit of work and a lot of extra time." 

You can contact Board Secretary Donna Baker for more information. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The St. Joseph School District will begin accepting applications for anyone interested in joining the school board. Two positions for three-year terms will be on the April 8th ballot. School Board President LaTonya Williams says a person that fits well with the board is someone that prioritizes all children, calling the district very diverse "It's not only about diversity and race, it's also in abilities, disabilities and such," Williams tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Our children need a voice on the district, and that is all of our children." Applications can be submitted starting on December 10th at the Administration Building. The final day to file will be December 31st. Willams says if you've ever had an opinion about what the school board should do, now is your chance to join them "If you have an opinion about how things should be done, or if you would like to give more of yourself and your time to the children in the community, here's your chance, all applications accepted," Williams says. Interested people must be voters within the St. Joseph School District and have been a resident of Missouri for at least one year. Williams says those joining the school board will face some issues in the near future, including onboarding a new Superintendent, and also following the districts long range plan "It's a pretty extensive plan and it will right size a lot of the inequities and issues in our buildings and in our classrooms," Williams explains. "And so, it's going to take a little bit of work and a lot of extra time." You can contact Board Secretary Donna Baker for more information.

Filing for St. Joseph School Board opens next week

A family dispute led to a St. Joseph man firing three shots
into the air Monday night.

St. Joseph police say no one was harmed and no property
damage reported when the man shot from a rifle after getting into a
disagreement with family members in the 300 block of Virginia Street shortly
after nine o’clock. Police have a suspect in mind, but no arrest has been made
as the investigation continues.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA family dispute led to a St. Joseph man firing three shots
into the air Monday night.St. Joseph police say no one was harmed and no property
damage reported when the man shot from a rifle after getting into a
disagreement with family members in the 300 block of Virginia Street shortly
after nine o’clock. Police have a suspect in mind, but no arrest has been made
as the investigation continues.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph family dispute leads to shots fired in the air; no one hurt

A St. Joseph police officer suffered minor injuries when a man
fled the scene of a fight, hit two patrol cars, and crashed at 9th
and Church in St. Joseph very early this morning.

Police say officers responded to a call about two men fighting
in the one thousand block of Corby Street around 1:30 this morning. A
28-year-old man climbed in a car and fled the scene, hitting two St. Joseph
police cars, injuring an officer in one of them. The driver, Tyler Allan
Armstrong, hit a parked car at 9th and Church where he was arrested
after the wreck.

This article has been updated since first published.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA St. Joseph police officer suffered minor injuries when a man
fled the scene of a fight, hit two patrol cars, and crashed at 9th
and Church in St. Joseph very early this morning.Police say officers responded to a call about two men fighting
in the one thousand block of Corby Street around 1:30 this morning. A
28-year-old man climbed in a car and fled the scene, hitting two St. Joseph
police cars, injuring an officer in one of them. The driver, Tyler Allan
Armstrong, hit a parked car at 9th and Church where he was arrested
after the wreck.The investigation continues.This article has been updated since first published.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph police officer injured when fleeing suspect hits patrol car

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Monday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Lincoln MKX driven by a 36-year-old Grand River, Iowa, man was northbound on Interstate 35 two miles west of&nbsp; Winston in the&nbsp; passing lane.&nbsp;

The SUV began to merge into the driving lane and struck the rear drivers side of a 1998 Kenworth semi.

Daviess County ambulance transported the driver of the SUV to Cameron Regional Medical Center. The 59-year-old semi driver from Wisconsin was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Monday in Daviess County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Lincoln MKX driven by a 36-year-old Grand River, Iowa, man was northbound on Interstate 35 two miles west of&nbsp; Winston in the&nbsp; passing lane.&nbsp;The SUV began to merge into the driving lane and struck the rear drivers side of a 1998 Kenworth semi.Daviess County ambulance transported the driver of the SUV to Cameron Regional Medical Center. The 59-year-old semi driver from Wisconsin was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Man injured after SUV, semi crash in NW Missouri

More has been released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol on
the November fatal shooting in Lawson that occurred when officers responded to a
domestic disturbance call.

One officer, a Ray County Sheriff’s Deputy, suffered a gunshot
wound responding to the home.

An investigation reveals 26-year-old Brett Yager of Lawson
shot himself to death after allegedly shooting to death a child inside the home.

Lawson police officers along with deputies from the Ray County
Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic disturbance call Sunday evening,
November 17th. Emergency calls reported a man was assaulting a woman
inside the home, 213 Montgomery Street. When officers arrived, Yager fired
several shots at them. One shot struck a Ray County deputy. Officers
returned fire. Officers escorted a woman to safety, but a child remained in the
house.

Several surrounding law enforcement agencies responded to the
scene. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Tactics and Response Team (STAR)
entered the residence to find Yager and the child dead. Preliminary autopsy results
report Yager died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and the child died of a
gunshot wound. It has been determined the fatal shot did not come from law
enforcement gunfire.

The Ray County deputy was treated and released at an area
hospital.

The Lawson Police Chief requested the Missouri State Highway
Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control investigate the shooting.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMore has been released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol on
the November fatal shooting in Lawson that occurred when officers responded to a
domestic disturbance call.One officer, a Ray County Sheriff’s Deputy, suffered a gunshot
wound responding to the home.An investigation reveals 26-year-old Brett Yager of Lawson
shot himself to death after allegedly shooting to death a child inside the home.Lawson police officers along with deputies from the Ray County
Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic disturbance call Sunday evening,
November 17th. Emergency calls reported a man was assaulting a woman
inside the home, 213 Montgomery Street. When officers arrived, Yager fired
several shots at them. One shot struck a Ray County deputy. Officers
returned fire. Officers escorted a woman to safety, but a child remained in the
house.Several surrounding law enforcement agencies responded to the
scene. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Tactics and Response Team (STAR)
entered the residence to find Yager and the child dead. Preliminary autopsy results
report Yager died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and the child died of a
gunshot wound. It has been determined the fatal shot did not come from law
enforcement gunfire.The Ray County deputy was treated and released at an area
hospital.The Lawson Police Chief requested the Missouri State Highway
Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control investigate the shooting.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Investigation determines Lawson shooting was murder/suicide

St. Joseph school officials have been meeting with their
colleagues throughout Missouri, discussing on how best to lobby the state
legislature for more money to meet the special needs of a growing foreign
student population.

The St. Joseph School District teaches English proficiency to
immigrant students who primarily speak a foreign language, Spanish number one
among them.

School Superintendent Gabe Edgar says the state school funding
formula devised in 2006 couldn’t anticipate all the changes public school
districts currently face.

“The issue is, public education in 2006 is nothing like public
education in 2024,” Edgar tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And so, the resources
and the challenges that we face, not just in St. Joseph but in the entire state
of Missouri, have changed and so that formula probably needs to change to assist
with some of those challenges. ELD obviously is one of those.”

ELD stands for English Language Development, which helps immigrant
students who might or might not have a firm grasp of English. In 2017, St.
Joseph public schools worked with about 750 students from other countries needing
help with their English. That has grown to more than 1,306, which is slightly more
than 10% of the St. Joseph student population of 10,000-plus.

Edgar says the St. Joseph School District simply doesn’t have
the resources to adequately handle the growing number of students whose primary
language is not English.

“It forces us to become very reactive,” Edgar says. “We want
to be as proactive as we can in public education or in St. Joe School District
and we have to be reactive, because we’re trying to figure out how to support
these students. And it’s not fair to anybody. It’s not fair to staff. It’s not
fair to the students. It’s not fair to anybody involved in the program.”

Students from immigrant families attending St. Joseph schools
speak 34 foreign languages. Some have a firm understanding of English, at least
formal English, while others cannot form simple sentences in English. It costs
extras to bring them up to speed.

Edgar says the state school funding formula simply doesn’t
provide adequate funding to handle an influx of students with varying
proficiency in English.

“In 2006 when they built it there were pockets or segments of
population that they assisted. That segment has change,” according to Edgar. “And
so, the assistance needs to shift or the resources need to shift.”

Edgar says that while the number of immigrant students needing
help with English has grown in St. Joseph, it forms a much higher percentage in
some more rural school districts, where immigrants are attracted to jobs in the
agricultural sector. Monet, in southwest Missouri, reports around 40% of its
students speak another language as their native tongue. Milan, in northeast
Missouri, reports around half its students do not speak English as their first
language.

Edgar says he has been speaking with school officials across
the state about the matter. He also has had discussions with the chair of the
Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, Rep. Brad Pollitt
of Sedalia. Pollitt served for 34 years in public education. The new
legislative session begins in January.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733165127362.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph school officials have been meeting with their
colleagues throughout Missouri, discussing on how best to lobby the state
legislature for more money to meet the special needs of a growing foreign
student population.The St. Joseph School District teaches English proficiency to
immigrant students who primarily speak a foreign language, Spanish number one
among them.School Superintendent Gabe Edgar says the state school funding
formula devised in 2006 couldn’t anticipate all the changes public school
districts currently face.“The issue is, public education in 2006 is nothing like public
education in 2024,” Edgar tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And so, the resources
and the challenges that we face, not just in St. Joseph but in the entire state
of Missouri, have changed and so that formula probably needs to change to assist
with some of those challenges. ELD obviously is one of those.”ELD stands for English Language Development, which helps immigrant
students who might or might not have a firm grasp of English. In 2017, St.
Joseph public schools worked with about 750 students from other countries needing
help with their English. That has grown to more than 1,306, which is slightly more
than 10% of the St. Joseph student population of 10,000-plus.Edgar says the St. Joseph School District simply doesn’t have
the resources to adequately handle the growing number of students whose primary
language is not English.“It forces us to become very reactive,” Edgar says. “We want
to be as proactive as we can in public education or in St. Joe School District
and we have to be reactive, because we’re trying to figure out how to support
these students. And it’s not fair to anybody. It’s not fair to staff. It’s not
fair to the students. It’s not fair to anybody involved in the program.”Students from immigrant families attending St. Joseph schools
speak 34 foreign languages. Some have a firm understanding of English, at least
formal English, while others cannot form simple sentences in English. It costs
extras to bring them up to speed.Edgar says the state school funding formula simply doesn’t
provide adequate funding to handle an influx of students with varying
proficiency in English.“In 2006 when they built it there were pockets or segments of
population that they assisted. That segment has change,” according to Edgar. “And
so, the assistance needs to shift or the resources need to shift.”Edgar says that while the number of immigrant students needing
help with English has grown in St. Joseph, it forms a much higher percentage in
some more rural school districts, where immigrants are attracted to jobs in the
agricultural sector. Monet, in southwest Missouri, reports around 40% of its
students speak another language as their native tongue. Milan, in northeast
Missouri, reports around half its students do not speak English as their first
language.Edgar says he has been speaking with school officials across
the state about the matter. He also has had discussions with the chair of the
Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, Rep. Brad Pollitt
of Sedalia. Pollitt served for 34 years in public education. The new
legislative session begins in January.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph, other school districts, seek money to help immigrant students

A baby taken in an armed carjacking on the North Belt Highway
in St. Joseph has been recovered unharmed.

The St. Joseph Police Department reports a 31-year-old man stated three men pulled him out of his car and assaulted him. The man told
police the three got into his vehicle and drove off with his seven-month-old
baby inside. The carjacking took place shortly after 6:30 Sunday night at
501 North Belt.

The victim called police who quickly pursued the vehicle using GPS
tracking. The suspect abandoned the vehicle at 20th and Jones Streets with the seven-month-old still in
the car seat in the back.

The suspects are reported to have arrived in a late model SUV.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-238-8477 (TIPS) or you can use P3tips to report information online.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA baby taken in an armed carjacking on the North Belt Highway
in St. Joseph has been recovered unharmed.The St. Joseph Police Department reports a 31-year-old man stated three men pulled him out of his car and assaulted him. The man told
police the three got into his vehicle and drove off with his seven-month-old
baby inside. The carjacking took place shortly after 6:30 Sunday night at
501 North Belt.The victim called police who quickly pursued the vehicle using GPS
tracking. The suspect abandoned the vehicle at 20th and Jones Streets with the seven-month-old still in
the car seat in the back.The suspects are reported to have arrived in a late model SUV.The investigation continues.Anyone with information is asked to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-238-8477 (TIPS) or you can use P3tips to report information online.<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=781">Tip
Form</a>This article has been updated since first published.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Baby found unharmed after St. Joseph carjacking

One person was killed when a vehicle left the roadway, struck the
pedestrian, then crashed into the porch of a house very early Sunday morning
between Madison and Green Streets in St. Joseph.

St. Joseph police report that fatal wreck happened shortly
before four o’clock Sunday morning.

Police say the victim was walking on the sidewalk when struck
by the vehicle that continued and struck the house.

The identity of the victim has not been released pending the
notification of next of kin.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostOne person was killed when a vehicle left the roadway, struck the
pedestrian, then crashed into the porch of a house very early Sunday morning
between Madison and Green Streets in St. Joseph.St. Joseph police report that fatal wreck happened shortly
before four o’clock Sunday morning.Police say the victim was walking on the sidewalk when struck
by the vehicle that continued and struck the house.The identity of the victim has not been released pending the
notification of next of kin.An investigation continues.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Pedestrian killed as car hits house in St. Joseph

Of the 96 microbusiness licenses issued by the state through a lottery since the program’s inception last year, cannabis consultant David Brodsky is connected to seven. They are all under investigation or facing revocation

The Missouri Cannabis Trade Association describes David Brodsky as “instrumental in developing the Missouri microbusiness community” and a mentor to disadvantaged business owners.

In his cannabis consulting work, Brodsky is part of a group that charges up to $4,000 to help eligible applicants enter the microbusiness lottery. It’s a&nbsp; program intended to help steer small-scale marijuana facility licenses to disabled veterans, those with lower incomes and people with non-violent marijuana offenses.

That price doesn’t include the state’s $1,500 refundable submission fee.

“We have also assisted clients who won licenses in lottery based application systems in Ohio and Connecticut and have never had an application that did not meet the criteria to go into the lottery,” Brodsky and his partners say on&nbsp;<a href="http://momicrolicense.com/" target="_blank">MOmicrolicense.com</a>.

Yet in Missouri, microbusiness applications connected to Brodsky have repeatedly run into problems with state regulators.

Of the 96 microbusiness licenses issued by the state through a lottery since the program’s inception last year, Brodsky is connected to seven. And all of them are under investigation or facing revocation because the state questions whether a qualified applicant will actually be running the business.

In October, the Division of Cannabis Regulation sent letters of pending revocation to four of the seven licensees connected to Brodsky, stating that their agreements included “false or misleading information.”

“The licensee entered into an agreement that transfers ownership and operational control to another entity,” the letters stated.

&nbsp;Notices of investigation were issued involving the other three licenses back in July, stating regulators wanted to ensure the businesses continue “to be majority owned and operated by eligible individuals.”

For&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">more than a year</a>, The Independent has documented the pattern of well-connected groups and individuals flooding the microbusiness lottery by recruiting people to submit applications and then offering them contracts that limited their profit and control of the business.

State&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/cannabis-missouri-predatory-socia-equity/">regulators have been sounding the alarm</a>&nbsp;about the scheme, warning of potentially predatory practices in the microbusiness application process.

Financial agreements for the seven licenses connected to Brodsky are closed records. But The Independent was able to obtain a portion of one agreement connected to Brodsky through a public records request last year.&nbsp;

The agreement only provides the qualified applicant with one-third of the voting power to make company decisions.

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">An almost identical agreement</a>&nbsp;was used to recruit applicants by John Payne, who led the campaign to legalize marijuana in 2022. Payne’s listed as part of the momicrolicense.com team and is the designated contact for all seven licenses connected to Brodsky.&nbsp;

Payne has drawn scrutiny after The Independent revealed he asked at least one applicant to sign a 47-page contract that would give him and his partners 90.1% of profits and majority control of the business.

Despite only owning a fraction of the business, under state law the applicants would be seen as the owner and bear all of the regulatory scrutiny. If applicants ever want to walk away from the deal, they would be required to pay a nearly $1 million fee.

It’s unclear if the financial agreement in that contract is also in place for the licenses connected to Brodsky or his business partner, Scott Wootton. In an email to The Independent, they declined to comment on their roles in the seven licenses “due to confidentiality clauses in the agreements, which is standard practice in business contracts.”

However, they said Payne “has no involvement beyond being the designated contact to handle communications with the division” for all seven licenses.&nbsp;

Andrew Mullins, executive director of the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, said he’s seen contracts that look like Payne’s 47-page agreement. In some cases, he said if it weren’t for these types of agreements, the licensees wouldn’t have the resources on their own to make a business work.

“Were it not for some of those partners and the way that they’re doing that,” he said, “you basically would have people who have a license but no ability to do anything with it.”

If the 47-page contract was submitted to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/S3TheRealCostofDBEFraud.pdf" target="_blank">federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program</a>, it could be considered fraud, said attorney Rod Chapel, president of the Missouri NAACP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“When I go and I get a loan to buy a house that I don’t have the cash to actually buy, the bank does not send over two tellers and a dog to live in the house with me – not how that works,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, that’s why this is a front.”

Brodsky helped establish the networking group Missouri Microbusiness Association, where he and Wootton serve as advisors. All of the association’s advisors are also advisory board members for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mocanntrade.org/team/advisory-board" target="_blank">MoCann</a>, which represents the cannabis industry overall.

On a September&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/dbC0TxDiSN8?si=b2oMaFMnzGsPHJA7&amp;t=2673" target="_blank">call</a>&nbsp;with microbusiness licensees, Brodsky said Missouri is the fourth state he’s operated a cannabis business in, along with California, Colorado and Illinois. He returned to Missouri in 2020 as a dispensary owner and operator, he said on the community call hosted by a licensee.

His association bio states that he sold his stake in Farmer’s Wife cannabis dispensaries in southwest Missouri in 2023, and “dove headfirst into the new Missouri microbusiness license opportunity.”

Similar to most of the microbusiness licenses and their investors, Brodsky and Wootton’s connection is buried in Missouri Secretary of State business filings and documents only available through public-records requests.&nbsp;

This spring, there were more than 80 dispensary applications entered into the lottery with the same St. Peters location address as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25417815-mo-microbusiness-llc" target="_blank">MO Microbusiness LLC</a>. Brodsky and Wootton are listed as organizers on the MO Microbusiness LLC business filings.

Two of those applications were successful in the lottery and licenses were issued under the name “<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249908-mbd000032-nopr-10_10_24" target="_blank">Individual</a>.” Both are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249902-mbd000040-nopr-10_10_24" target="_blank">facing revocation</a>.

The partners are also connected to 65 wholesale applications that all share the same Elsberry location address. They landed two of those licenses to cultivate up to 250 plants and sell to microbusiness dispensaries.&nbsp;

Both are filed under the name “<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249886-mbw000065-nopr-10_10_24" target="_blank">Individual</a>” and are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249887-mbw000063-nopr-101024" target="_blank">facing revocation</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The first lottery for microbusiness licenses took place last year, and that same Elsberry address is on nearly 70 wholesale applications. They were all filed by LLCs organized by Cloverleaf Registered Agent, where Wootton is listed as president.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Two of these applicants landed licenses issued to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25230857-mbw000012-notice-of-investigation-072324" target="_blank">TEB Industries LLC</a>&nbsp;and<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25230856-mbw000009-notice-of-investigation-072324" target="_blank">&nbsp;JRS Industries LLC</a>. In July, state regulators sent Payne notices of investigation for both companies, and the investigation is still underway, according to the division.

A similar Elsberry address is also connected to 70 dispensary applications submitted to last year’s lottery. One license was issued to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25003021-green-zebra-llc" target="_blank">Green Zebra LLC</a>&nbsp;in October 2023. It’s been under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25002786-mbd000007-notice-of-investigation-072324" target="_blank">investigation</a>&nbsp;by state regulators since July.

Brodsky mentions this license in his association bio.&nbsp;

“We were fortunate,” it states, “to win a dispensary license in Congressional District 3 with the first lottery round that we will be branding as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25231741-heirloom-dispensary" target="_blank">Heirloom Dispensary</a>&nbsp;along with several others throughout the state.”

The eligible applicant who won the license for Green Zebra signed a contract accepting a loan from Black Krim LLC, where Brodsky is the sole member, according to documents The Independent obtained through a public records request.&nbsp;

The contract established a three-member board that would vote on all company decisions. The lender and the “consultant” each get to select a member.&nbsp;

That left the qualified applicant with only one-third of the voting power.

“While you are correct that technically it only takes a 2/3 vote to make day-to-day decisions for the business,” Brodsky said in an email to The Independent, “in practice we have made all day-to-day business decisions unanimously, and we do not anticipate that changing in the future.”

He also said the majority of the three managers for Green Zebra “are and will continue to be” qualifying individuals for the microbusiness program.

The loan information for the Green Zebra contract is a closed record. However, the available operating agreement is almost identical to the one Payne used to recruit applicants this spring that legal experts called “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">predatory</a>.”

“To clarify, the rest of the Green Zebra LLC contracts, including the operating agreement, have been reviewed and approved by,” regulators, Brodsky stated.

Division of Cannabis Regulation Director Amy Moore told The Independent&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/cannabis-missouri-predatory-socia-equity/">last month</a>&nbsp;that the state is considering making changes to the application process to curb potentially predatory practices.&nbsp;

However, she said many of the possible changes would require a public hearing before a legislative committee for approval and would delay a third round of licenses.&nbsp;

Mullins told The Independent he believes the association would support these changes if they&nbsp;encourage participation.&nbsp;

“In some ways, I’m not sure it’s completely DCR’s obligation to be sort of in between a business owner and the business dealings that they’re doing,” Mullins said, “unless it’s something that’s in opposition to the law.”

However, he believes the association would be supportive of rules that curb practices that could be “hurtful” to microbusiness owners.

“We want to see the micro industry succeed in the same way that we want to see the rest of the industry succeed,” Mullins said, “and we’re supportive of all that. So if there’s an area where we can lend our voice and it helps ensure the success of those microbusiness owners’ journeys, then I don’t know why we would come out against it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692273868300.png" alt="&nbsp;(Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;(Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Of the 96 microbusiness licenses issued by the state through a lottery since the program’s inception last year, cannabis consultant David Brodsky is connected to seven. They are all under investigation or facing revocation</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>The Missouri Cannabis Trade Association describes David Brodsky as “instrumental in developing the Missouri microbusiness community” and a mentor to disadvantaged business owners.In his cannabis consulting work, Brodsky is part of a group that charges up to $4,000 to help eligible applicants enter the microbusiness lottery. It’s a&nbsp; program intended to help steer small-scale marijuana facility licenses to disabled veterans, those with lower incomes and people with non-violent marijuana offenses.That price doesn’t include the state’s $1,500 refundable submission fee.“We have also assisted clients who won licenses in lottery based application systems in Ohio and Connecticut and have never had an application that did not meet the criteria to go into the lottery,” Brodsky and his partners say on&nbsp;<a href="http://momicrolicense.com/" target="_blank">MOmicrolicense.com</a>.Yet in Missouri, microbusiness applications connected to Brodsky have repeatedly run into problems with state regulators.Of the 96 microbusiness licenses issued by the state through a lottery since the program’s inception last year, Brodsky is connected to seven. And all of them are under investigation or facing revocation because the state questions whether a qualified applicant will actually be running the business.In October, the Division of Cannabis Regulation sent letters of pending revocation to four of the seven licensees connected to Brodsky, stating that their agreements included “false or misleading information.”“The licensee entered into an agreement that transfers ownership and operational control to another entity,” the letters stated.&nbsp;Notices of investigation were issued involving the other three licenses back in July, stating regulators wanted to ensure the businesses continue “to be majority owned and operated by eligible individuals.”For&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">more than a year</a>, The Independent has documented the pattern of well-connected groups and individuals flooding the microbusiness lottery by recruiting people to submit applications and then offering them contracts that limited their profit and control of the business.State&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/cannabis-missouri-predatory-socia-equity/">regulators have been sounding the alarm</a>&nbsp;about the scheme, warning of potentially predatory practices in the microbusiness application process.Financial agreements for the seven licenses connected to Brodsky are closed records. But The Independent was able to obtain a portion of one agreement connected to Brodsky through a public records request last year.&nbsp;The agreement only provides the qualified applicant with one-third of the voting power to make company decisions.<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">An almost identical agreement</a>&nbsp;was used to recruit applicants by John Payne, who led the campaign to legalize marijuana in 2022. Payne’s listed as part of the momicrolicense.com team and is the designated contact for all seven licenses connected to Brodsky.&nbsp;Payne has drawn scrutiny after The Independent revealed he asked at least one applicant to sign a 47-page contract that would give him and his partners 90.1% of profits and majority control of the business.Despite only owning a fraction of the business, under state law the applicants would be seen as the owner and bear all of the regulatory scrutiny. If applicants ever want to walk away from the deal, they would be required to pay a nearly $1 million fee.It’s unclear if the financial agreement in that contract is also in place for the licenses connected to Brodsky or his business partner, Scott Wootton. In an email to The Independent, they declined to comment on their roles in the seven licenses “due to confidentiality clauses in the agreements, which is standard practice in business contracts.”However, they said Payne “has no involvement beyond being the designated contact to handle communications with the division” for all seven licenses.&nbsp;Andrew Mullins, executive director of the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, said he’s seen contracts that look like Payne’s 47-page agreement. In some cases, he said if it weren’t for these types of agreements, the licensees wouldn’t have the resources on their own to make a business work.“Were it not for some of those partners and the way that they’re doing that,” he said, “you basically would have people who have a license but no ability to do anything with it.”If the 47-page contract was submitted to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/S3TheRealCostofDBEFraud.pdf" target="_blank">federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program</a>, it could be considered fraud, said attorney Rod Chapel, president of the Missouri NAACP.&nbsp;&nbsp;“When I go and I get a loan to buy a house that I don’t have the cash to actually buy, the bank does not send over two tellers and a dog to live in the house with me – not how that works,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, that’s why this is a front.”<h2>Flooding the lottery</h2>Brodsky helped establish the networking group Missouri Microbusiness Association, where he and Wootton serve as advisors. All of the association’s advisors are also advisory board members for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mocanntrade.org/team/advisory-board" target="_blank">MoCann</a>, which represents the cannabis industry overall.On a September&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/dbC0TxDiSN8?si=b2oMaFMnzGsPHJA7&amp;t=2673" target="_blank">call</a>&nbsp;with microbusiness licensees, Brodsky said Missouri is the fourth state he’s operated a cannabis business in, along with California, Colorado and Illinois. He returned to Missouri in 2020 as a dispensary owner and operator, he said on the community call hosted by a licensee.His association bio states that he sold his stake in Farmer’s Wife cannabis dispensaries in southwest Missouri in 2023, and “dove headfirst into the new Missouri microbusiness license opportunity.”Similar to most of the microbusiness licenses and their investors, Brodsky and Wootton’s connection is buried in Missouri Secretary of State business filings and documents only available through public-records requests.&nbsp;This spring, there were more than 80 dispensary applications entered into the lottery with the same St. Peters location address as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25417815-mo-microbusiness-llc" target="_blank">MO Microbusiness LLC</a>. Brodsky and Wootton are listed as organizers on the MO Microbusiness LLC business filings.Two of those applications were successful in the lottery and licenses were issued under the name “<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249908-mbd000032-nopr-10_10_24" target="_blank">Individual</a>.” Both are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249902-mbd000040-nopr-10_10_24" target="_blank">facing revocation</a>.The partners are also connected to 65 wholesale applications that all share the same Elsberry location address. They landed two of those licenses to cultivate up to 250 plants and sell to microbusiness dispensaries.&nbsp;Both are filed under the name “<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249886-mbw000065-nopr-10_10_24" target="_blank">Individual</a>” and are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25249887-mbw000063-nopr-101024" target="_blank">facing revocation</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The first lottery for microbusiness licenses took place last year, and that same Elsberry address is on nearly 70 wholesale applications. They were all filed by LLCs organized by Cloverleaf Registered Agent, where Wootton is listed as president.&nbsp;&nbsp;Two of these applicants landed licenses issued to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25230857-mbw000012-notice-of-investigation-072324" target="_blank">TEB Industries LLC</a>&nbsp;and<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25230856-mbw000009-notice-of-investigation-072324" target="_blank">&nbsp;JRS Industries LLC</a>. In July, state regulators sent Payne notices of investigation for both companies, and the investigation is still underway, according to the division.A similar Elsberry address is also connected to 70 dispensary applications submitted to last year’s lottery. One license was issued to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25003021-green-zebra-llc" target="_blank">Green Zebra LLC</a>&nbsp;in October 2023. It’s been under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25002786-mbd000007-notice-of-investigation-072324" target="_blank">investigation</a>&nbsp;by state regulators since July.Brodsky mentions this license in his association bio.&nbsp;“We were fortunate,” it states, “to win a dispensary license in Congressional District 3 with the first lottery round that we will be branding as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25231741-heirloom-dispensary" target="_blank">Heirloom Dispensary</a>&nbsp;along with several others throughout the state.”The eligible applicant who won the license for Green Zebra signed a contract accepting a loan from Black Krim LLC, where Brodsky is the sole member, according to documents The Independent obtained through a public records request.&nbsp;The contract established a three-member board that would vote on all company decisions. The lender and the “consultant” each get to select a member.&nbsp;That left the qualified applicant with only one-third of the voting power.“While you are correct that technically it only takes a 2/3 vote to make day-to-day decisions for the business,” Brodsky said in an email to The Independent, “in practice we have made all day-to-day business decisions unanimously, and we do not anticipate that changing in the future.”He also said the majority of the three managers for Green Zebra “are and will continue to be” qualifying individuals for the microbusiness program.The loan information for the Green Zebra contract is a closed record. However, the available operating agreement is almost identical to the one Payne used to recruit applicants this spring that legal experts called “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">predatory</a>.”“To clarify, the rest of the Green Zebra LLC contracts, including the operating agreement, have been reviewed and approved by,” regulators, Brodsky stated.<h2>New rules</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733230828925.png" alt="John Payne, managing partner at Amendment 2 Consultants, discusses legislation at an industry summit in downtown St. Louis on March 28 with Amy Moore (middle), director of the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>John Payne, managing partner at Amendment 2 Consultants, discusses legislation at an industry summit in downtown St. Louis on March 28 with Amy Moore (middle), director of the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Division of Cannabis Regulation Director Amy Moore told The Independent&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/cannabis-missouri-predatory-socia-equity/">last month</a>&nbsp;that the state is considering making changes to the application process to curb potentially predatory practices.&nbsp;However, she said many of the possible changes would require a public hearing before a legislative committee for approval and would delay a third round of licenses.&nbsp;Mullins told The Independent he believes the association would support these changes if they&nbsp;encourage participation.&nbsp;“In some ways, I’m not sure it’s completely DCR’s obligation to be sort of in between a business owner and the business dealings that they’re doing,” Mullins said, “unless it’s something that’s in opposition to the law.”However, he believes the association would be supportive of rules that curb practices that could be “hurtful” to microbusiness owners.“We want to see the micro industry succeed in the same way that we want to see the rest of the industry succeed,” Mullins said, “and we’re supportive of all that. So if there’s an area where we can lend our voice and it helps ensure the success of those microbusiness owners’ journeys, then I don’t know why we would come out against it.”

Missouri cannabis microbusiness ‘mentor’ connected to licenses under state investigation 

DEKALB COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 2:30a.m. Monday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Jeep Liberty driven by a 23-year-old man from Falls City, Nebraska, was westbound on U.S. 36 two miles west of Cameron.

The Jeep traveled off the left side of the road and down an embankment. Cameron ambulance transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

DEKALB COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 2:30a.m. Monday in DeKalb County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Jeep Liberty driven by a 23-year-old man from Falls City, Nebraska, was westbound on U.S. 36 two miles west of Cameron.The Jeep traveled off the left side of the road and down an embankment. Cameron ambulance transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Driver hospitalized in St. Joe after Jeep travels down embankment

HOLT COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before noon Sunday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Nissan Rogue driven by a 20-year-old Lansing, Kansas, woman was southbound on Interstate 29 five miles north of Mound City.

The SUV traveled into the median. The driver overcorrected and the vehicle traveled across both lanes of the Interstate, off the west side of the road, down an embankment struck the ground, rolled, struck a barbed wire fence and came to rest in a corn field.

Atchison-Holt Ambulance transported the driver to Fairfax Community. Hospital.

HOLT COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before noon Sunday in Holt County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Nissan Rogue driven by a 20-year-old Lansing, Kansas, woman was southbound on Interstate 29 five miles north of Mound City.The SUV traveled into the median. The driver overcorrected and the vehicle traveled across both lanes of the Interstate, off the west side of the road, down an embankment struck the ground, rolled, struck a barbed wire fence and came to rest in a corn field.Atchison-Holt Ambulance transported the driver to Fairfax Community. Hospital.

Kansas woman injured in SUV rollover accident

St. Joseph school officials have seen a growth in student
immigrants, expanding the need for its ELD program.

ELD stands for English Language Development, a more
comprehensive program than the old English as a Second Language program.

ELD Coordinator, Michelle Schulze, says St. Joseph sees quite
a few newcomers who come here for a variety of reasons. 

“We do have a growing immigrant population and so it’s among
that population where we do see students who maybe don’t speak any of the language,
yet,” Schulze tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post during a visit to the KFEQ Hotline.

Those students speak 34 different foreign languages, with
Spanish by far the top foreign language.

Schulze says ELD helps those students learn English so they
can progress in their education.

“The biggest thing that we do is we provide staffing,” Schulze
says. “We provide English language development courses in grades six through 12.
And we provide pull-out and some push-in into the regular classroom in grades K
through six as well. So, they are getting help with reading, writing, listening,
and speaking every day.”

In 2017, the St. Joseph School District had 748 ELD students.
Now, it has 1,306 ELD students with various levels of proficiency in English.

Schulze says age can make a difference when working with students
who might not have a firm grasp on English.

“When they’re very young, they tend to pick up very quickly
and they don’t have as many reasons to be scared,” according to Schulze. “You
know, if you’re older and you come in and you don’t speak English, you’re a
little bit more scared. And so, for those students, they need a lot of support
wrapped around them to help them.”

Even foreign students coming to St. Joseph who have studied
English might have trouble. Even those who attended elite private schools might
have difficulty communicating with those who speak colloquial English.

“Some of our students even in public school have studied English
as well for several years. That’s usually the foreign language of choice in
other countries is English,” Schulze says. “But, yes, it can vary depending on
if they were learning British English, they were learning American English. It
can depend on the country they were learning it in and how much that language
has influenced English there. So, there are differences in their English from
ours.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732899661213.jpeg" alt="Map of the countries from which immigrants come to the St. Joseph School District/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Map of the countries from which immigrants come to the St. Joseph School District/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph school officials have seen a growth in student
immigrants, expanding the need for its ELD program.ELD stands for English Language Development, a more
comprehensive program than the old English as a Second Language program.ELD Coordinator, Michelle Schulze, says St. Joseph sees quite
a few newcomers who come here for a variety of reasons. “We do have a growing immigrant population and so it’s among
that population where we do see students who maybe don’t speak any of the language,
yet,” Schulze tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post during a visit to the KFEQ Hotline.Those students speak 34 different foreign languages, with
Spanish by far the top foreign language.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732899936149.jpeg" alt="Languages spoken by students in the St. Joseph School District/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Languages spoken by students in the St. Joseph School District/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Schulze says ELD helps those students learn English so they
can progress in their education.“The biggest thing that we do is we provide staffing,” Schulze
says. “We provide English language development courses in grades six through 12.
And we provide pull-out and some push-in into the regular classroom in grades K
through six as well. So, they are getting help with reading, writing, listening,
and speaking every day.”In 2017, the St. Joseph School District had 748 ELD students.
Now, it has 1,306 ELD students with various levels of proficiency in English.Schulze says age can make a difference when working with students
who might not have a firm grasp on English.“When they’re very young, they tend to pick up very quickly
and they don’t have as many reasons to be scared,” according to Schulze. “You
know, if you’re older and you come in and you don’t speak English, you’re a
little bit more scared. And so, for those students, they need a lot of support
wrapped around them to help them.”Even foreign students coming to St. Joseph who have studied
English might have trouble. Even those who attended elite private schools might
have difficulty communicating with those who speak colloquial English.“Some of our students even in public school have studied English
as well for several years. That’s usually the foreign language of choice in
other countries is English,” Schulze says. “But, yes, it can vary depending on
if they were learning British English, they were learning American English. It
can depend on the country they were learning it in and how much that language
has influenced English there. So, there are differences in their English from
ours.”You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Program helps St. Joseph students who cannot speak English

Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon for long-time
Buchanan County EMS Director, Steve Groshong.

Groshong, known as “Dr. Fong,” died on Sunday, the 24th
at the age of 67.

Groshong was a nationally registered paramedic for more than
35 years. He was instrumental in establishing the Buchanan County EMS in 2014.

Funeral services will be held at the Word of Life Church at
one o’clock Monday afternoon.

Buchanan County EMS invites the community and fellow emergency
services to honor the life and legacy of Groshong. The funeral procession, open
to participation by outside agencies, will take place following the service
hosted at Word of Life Church in St. Joseph.

Agencies wishing to join are requested to contact Dustin
Duncan at 816-244-1434 to coordinate participation, with a limit of two
vehicles per agency. The public is encouraged to line the procession route to
honor Steve’s legacy and pay respects.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732893682206.jpeg" alt="Steve Groshong" />
 <figcaption>Steve Groshong</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostFuneral services will be held Monday afternoon for long-time
Buchanan County EMS Director, Steve Groshong.Groshong, known as “Dr. Fong,” died on Sunday, the 24th
at the age of 67.Groshong was a nationally registered paramedic for more than
35 years. He was instrumental in establishing the Buchanan County EMS in 2014.Funeral services will be held at the Word of Life Church at
one o’clock Monday afternoon.Buchanan County EMS invites the community and fellow emergency
services to honor the life and legacy of Groshong. The funeral procession, open
to participation by outside agencies, will take place following the service
hosted at Word of Life Church in St. Joseph.Agencies wishing to join are requested to contact Dustin
Duncan at 816-244-1434 to coordinate participation, with a limit of two
vehicles per agency. The public is encouraged to line the procession route to
honor Steve’s legacy and pay respects.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Services for EMS Dir. Groshong set for Monday; procession to follow

Immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit starting this weekend in downtown St. Joseph. &nbsp;

Lights will fill downtown, and an array of holiday activities will be happening, starting tomorrow at Felix Street Square. &nbsp;

Downtown Liaison for Mosaic Life Care Christy George says it all begins tomorrow at 6pm with the lighting ceremony&nbsp;

"It continues every Saturday up until Christmas, so there's three more weekends December 7th, 14th, and 21st," George tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr.&nbsp; "We have all kinds of activities, different things every weekend so there's a different reason to come down every Saturday and experience all the fun we have planned for you."&nbsp;

George says it will also be Small Business Saturday, with several businesses and restraunts having specials.&nbsp;

"And it's important to come down and support our local business because it's hard to be a local business nowadays, as opposed to anytime, but they really need your support," George explains.&nbsp; "And it not only helps them, but it helps you because they have really cool, unique gifts."&nbsp;

Santa will also arrive at 6pm, after a holiday performance by BJ Talley.&nbsp; A fireworks show will follow the lighting. &nbsp;

One new activity this year, says George, will be the pop-up Merry Market.&nbsp;

"We're building six little Christmas villages, and they'll have pop up vendors inside of them and we'll have different vendors each weekend, and that's sponsored by the Downtown Rotary Club #32 and special thanks to Habitat for Humanity for making this possible," George says.&nbsp; "But we're really excited about the little villages, it's going to create like a little German Christmas vibe we hope."&nbsp;

The festivities will begin at 5:30 tomorrow with a performance by BJ Talley.&nbsp; Santa will arrive at 6 before Mayor John Josendale flips on the lights. There will also be a fireworks show.&nbsp;

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700603136635.jpeg" alt="Christmas in downtown St. Joe/ file photo" />
 <figcaption>Christmas in downtown St. Joe/ file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE&nbsp;St. Joseph Post&nbsp;Immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit starting this weekend in downtown St. Joseph. &nbsp;Lights will fill downtown, and an array of holiday activities will be happening, starting tomorrow at Felix Street Square. &nbsp;Downtown Liaison for Mosaic Life Care Christy George says it all begins tomorrow at 6pm with the lighting ceremony&nbsp;"It continues every Saturday up until Christmas, so there's three more weekends December 7th, 14th, and 21st," George tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr.&nbsp; "We have all kinds of activities, different things every weekend so there's a different reason to come down every Saturday and experience all the fun we have planned for you."&nbsp;George says it will also be Small Business Saturday, with several businesses and restraunts having specials.&nbsp;"And it's important to come down and support our local business because it's hard to be a local business nowadays, as opposed to anytime, but they really need your support," George explains.&nbsp; "And it not only helps them, but it helps you because they have really cool, unique gifts."&nbsp;Santa will also arrive at 6pm, after a holiday performance by BJ Talley.&nbsp; A fireworks show will follow the lighting. &nbsp;One new activity this year, says George, will be the pop-up Merry Market.&nbsp;"We're building six little Christmas villages, and they'll have pop up vendors inside of them and we'll have different vendors each weekend, and that's sponsored by the Downtown Rotary Club #32 and special thanks to Habitat for Humanity for making this possible," George says.&nbsp; "But we're really excited about the little villages, it's going to create like a little German Christmas vibe we hope."&nbsp;The festivities will begin at 5:30 tomorrow with a performance by BJ Talley.&nbsp; Santa will arrive at 6 before Mayor John Josendale flips on the lights. There will also be a fireworks show.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp;

Christmas coming to downtown St. Joseph this weekend

HOLT COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Thursday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Chuckwagon CW 11 UTV&nbsp; driven by a 15-year-old from Oregon, Missouri, was eastbound on Quebec Road one mile west of Oregon.&nbsp;

A westbound 2009 Chevy truck driven by a 19-year-old Oregon, Missouri man struck the UTV as the 15-year-old turned north onto Holt 300.

Atchison-Holt ambulance transported the 15-year-old to Fairfax Hospital. The pickup driver was not injured.

HOLT COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Thursday in Holt County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Chuckwagon CW 11 UTV&nbsp; driven by a 15-year-old from Oregon, Missouri, was eastbound on Quebec Road one mile west of Oregon.&nbsp;A westbound 2009 Chevy truck driven by a 19-year-old Oregon, Missouri man struck the UTV as the 15-year-old turned north onto Holt 300.Atchison-Holt ambulance transported the 15-year-old to Fairfax Hospital. The pickup driver was not injured.

15-year-old Mo. boy injured in pickup, UTV crash

With just one week left for eligible people to apply for the Adopt a Family program, there are already many families looking for help. 

AFL-CIO Community Services Executive Director Nicki Seckinger says already 575 families have been put in to be adopted this Christmas.  

Seckinger says the agency will be closed for the holidays, and then people have until next Friday to apply for the program. 

"So, we're anticipating that our numbers will increase by another third, so we're guessing we're going to come out around 800 or 900 families all together," Seckinger tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "The good thing is we've had a lot of adopters sign up to take families so that's wonderful." 

Seckinger says already 130 people have stepped in and adopted a family through the program 

"Which is I think a record for this early in the season for us, which is fantastic, I'm really optimistic that that increased number is going to hopefully shave down that number that we take care of at the end of the program," Seckinger explains.  "But then I'm nervous that it just means we're going to have more apply in that last week and nothing's going to really change, we just never know, this is such a weird program." 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostWith just one week left for eligible people to apply for the Adopt a Family program, there are already many families looking for help. AFL-CIO Community Services Executive Director Nicki Seckinger says already 575 families have been put in to be adopted this Christmas. Seckinger says the agency will be closed for the holidays, and then people have until next Friday to apply for the program. "So, we're anticipating that our numbers will increase by another third, so we're guessing we're going to come out around 800 or 900 families all together," Seckinger tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "The good thing is we've had a lot of adopters sign up to take families so that's wonderful." Seckinger says already 130 people have stepped in and adopted a family through the program "Which is I think a record for this early in the season for us, which is fantastic, I'm really optimistic that that increased number is going to hopefully shave down that number that we take care of at the end of the program," Seckinger explains. "But then I'm nervous that it just means we're going to have more apply in that last week and nothing's going to really change, we just never know, this is such a weird program." Seckinger calls it weird because there is really no way to anticipate how many people will apply to be a part of the program. AFL-CIO Community Services is currently seeking help with financial and physical donations to help with the Adopt A Family program. An annual newsletter was distributed three weeks late, and officials with the agency says due to that donations are not where they usually are by this point. Seckinger says currently they have not seen any donations of money or toys for the toy room "And so we are really hoping that now that these are hitting people's mailboxes that it's going to motivate them to go ahead and donate," Seckinger says. "What we're afraid of is that maybe they have already given what they're giving for their seasonal giving because they didn't get it at the beginning of the month, and that's what we're terrified of." Toys donated for the toy room must be new and can be dropped off at the agency offices. Money donations can be made at the office or online to help. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp;

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