The Missouri Department of Public Safety has declared Buchanan County a Blue Shield community.  

The blue shield program designed by Governor Mike Kehoe recognizes communities that support law enforcement.  

Sheriff Bill Puett says he's proud of the support Buchanan County shows law enforcement 

"When people talk about oh we hate the cops, we hate this, we hate that, I'm always very blessed to say that's not us, that's not Buchanan County, that's not northwest Missouri," Puett says on the KFEQmunnity show.  "That we have a phenomenal community that wants to support law enforcement." 

Puett says that under the program, his officer will be able to apply for grants beginning in July that his office can use to aid the community 

"You'll be able to purchase other technology that you might not be able to get or not having to use local tax dollars that can be used for other things," Puett explains.  "So, we're excited about that, we're looking at some additional technology that we would like to bring on, especially in the crime scene realm and the training realm." 

Puett says also the funds can help in getting specialized training for officers, as well as other specialized training being offered through the blue shield designation.  

Puett says this designation will also have a tremendous impact throughout the region through partnerships, saying if his office targets a specific need.&nbsp;

'"Where the police department may be able to target another need, and Sheriff Gillett in Andrew County may be able to target another need, well at that point because we all work together if we address three needs, and we share our resources, then you can see how exponentially we benefit the region," Puett says.

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

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Missouri Department of Public Safety has declared Buchanan County a Blue Shield community. The blue shield program designed by Governor Mike Kehoe recognizes communities that support law enforcement. Sheriff Bill Puett says he's proud of the support Buchanan County shows law enforcement "When people talk about oh we hate the cops, we hate this, we hate that, I'm always very blessed to say that's not us, that's not Buchanan County, that's not northwest Missouri," Puett says on the KFEQmunnity show. "That we have a phenomenal community that wants to support law enforcement." Puett says that under the program, his officer will be able to apply for grants beginning in July that his office can use to aid the community "You'll be able to purchase other technology that you might not be able to get or not having to use local tax dollars that can be used for other things," Puett explains. "So, we're excited about that, we're looking at some additional technology that we would like to bring on, especially in the crime scene realm and the training realm." Puett says also the funds can help in getting specialized training for officers, as well as other specialized training being offered through the blue shield designation. Puett says this designation will also have a tremendous impact throughout the region through partnerships, saying if his office targets a specific need.&nbsp;'"Where the police department may be able to target another need, and Sheriff Gillett in Andrew County may be able to target another need, well at that point because we all work together if we address three needs, and we share our resources, then you can see how exponentially we benefit the region," Puett says.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Buchanan County honored with Blue Shield designation 

A Georgia man has
been arrested in Maryville in connection with a 19-year-old cold case.

Georgia Bureau of
Investigation officials say 58-year-old Jon Worrell has been the prime suspect
in the shooting death of his wife in 2006.

The Bureau reports
Worrell, who had been living in Maryville, was taken into custody without incident.

Thirty-nine-year-old Doris
Worrell was found shot and killed at Jon's Sports Park in Douglas, Georgia in
September of 2006.

The Missouri State
Highway Patrol, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, Nodaway County Sheriff's
Office, and the Maryville Department of Public Safety assisted Georgia law
enforcement in make the arrest.

Georgia officials say
an extradition hearing will be held to return Worrell to Georgia.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747845292431.png" alt="Jon Worrell- Photo Coffee County Georgia Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Jon Worrell- Photo Coffee County Georgia Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA Georgia man has
been arrested in Maryville in connection with a 19-year-old cold case.Georgia Bureau of
Investigation officials say 58-year-old Jon Worrell has been the prime suspect
in the shooting death of his wife in 2006.The Bureau reports
Worrell, who had been living in Maryville, was taken into custody without incident.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747845466660.png" alt="Doris Worrell- Photo Coffee County Georgia Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Doris Worrell- Photo Coffee County Georgia Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>Thirty-nine-year-old Doris
Worrell was found shot and killed at Jon's Sports Park in Douglas, Georgia in
September of 2006.The Missouri State
Highway Patrol, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, Nodaway County Sheriff's
Office, and the Maryville Department of Public Safety assisted Georgia law
enforcement in make the arrest.Georgia officials say
an extradition hearing will be held to return Worrell to Georgia.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Georgia fugitive arrested in Maryville in 19-year-old cold case

Missouri Western State University saw 350 students graduate during its spring graduation ceremonies earlier this month.  

President Elizabeth Kennedy says 43 of those students graduated from the Missouri Western School of nursing 

"Which means they had the pinning ceremony, which that is such a meaningful ceremony because that's the symbol of joining the profession of nursing," Kennedy tells host Brent Martin on KFEQmunnity.  "You still have to take the licensure exam." 

Kennedy says what's particularly exciting however about the number graduating is 

"We have students that are coming out of the program, 99% of them already have a place of employment or they've even started working already, a lot of times that happens with students their last year of the program, so that's really great," Kennedy says. 

Kennedy says the number of graduates from the nursing school can help with an ongoing nursing shortage, while also staying in the area.  

Kennedy also says another area that's exciting, with an existing teacher shortage, Western saw 14 graduates from a Masters of Art and teaching program.  

The university also saw several students graduating that came back to college to learn more.  

Kennedy says while Missouri Western focuses traditional students, the university wants to look to work with more people who either want to finish a degree, or move from an associate to a bachelor’s degree 

"Someone says for example working for the police department or the fire department and they want to get a promotion, a lot of the times that requires a bachelor’s degree," Kennedy explains.  "We're having just some, I would call them baby step conversations at this point with folks in city hall, because there might be more city employees that fall into that." 

Kennedy recalls a statistic that around 22% of St. Joseph has some college and says if Missouri Western can work to come up with programs to help achieve the goal of a degree, she hopes to do that.  

Many people who are looking to advance their career go back to school to do so, and Missouri Western State University strives to be the place to do that.  

Kennedy says the university needs to have viable on and off ramps for students, and uses a student who attended Hillyard Technical Center as an example 

"A year or two in you say I want to get more education, or maybe your employer says we really want you to get more education because we want to promote you or we want you to do x, y, and z," Kennedy says.  "We have to be so seamless in our ability to take students in, bring them back, make sure they get the credits for whatever they may have done, and then make sure they are on a path as efficient and as effective in terms of providing the education they need as we can." 

Kennedy says it can be someone who's been in the workforce who wants to change careers, finish a degree, or seek something else to move into, but the university needs to make pathways seamless and effective. 

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

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Missouri Western State University saw 350 students graduate during its spring graduation ceremonies earlier this month. President Elizabeth Kennedy says 43 of those students graduated from the Missouri Western School of nursing "Which means they had the pinning ceremony, which that is such a meaningful ceremony because that's the symbol of joining the profession of nursing," Kennedy tells host Brent Martin on KFEQmunnity. "You still have to take the licensure exam." Kennedy says what's particularly exciting however about the number graduating is "We have students that are coming out of the program, 99% of them already have a place of employment or they've even started working already, a lot of times that happens with students their last year of the program, so that's really great," Kennedy says. Kennedy says the number of graduates from the nursing school can help with an ongoing nursing shortage, while also staying in the area. Kennedy also says another area that's exciting, with an existing teacher shortage, Western saw 14 graduates from a Masters of Art and teaching program. The university also saw several students graduating that came back to college to learn more. Kennedy says while Missouri Western focuses traditional students, the university wants to look to work with more people who either want to finish a degree, or move from an associate to a bachelor’s degree "Someone says for example working for the police department or the fire department and they want to get a promotion, a lot of the times that requires a bachelor’s degree," Kennedy explains. "We're having just some, I would call them baby step conversations at this point with folks in city hall, because there might be more city employees that fall into that." Kennedy recalls a statistic that around 22% of St. Joseph has some college and says if Missouri Western can work to come up with programs to help achieve the goal of a degree, she hopes to do that. Many people who are looking to advance their career go back to school to do so, and Missouri Western State University strives to be the place to do that. Kennedy says the university needs to have viable on and off ramps for students, and uses a student who attended Hillyard Technical Center as an example "A year or two in you say I want to get more education, or maybe your employer says we really want you to get more education because we want to promote you or we want you to do x, y, and z," Kennedy says. "We have to be so seamless in our ability to take students in, bring them back, make sure they get the credits for whatever they may have done, and then make sure they are on a path as efficient and as effective in terms of providing the education they need as we can." Kennedy says it can be someone who's been in the workforce who wants to change careers, finish a degree, or seek something else to move into, but the university needs to make pathways seamless and effective. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

MWSU hopes to prepare students for the jobs in demand

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/13D5D0xEd8fD3SUPtx5XqQ?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning Sports

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3htGo5b9AX1PlU6lZ4zNsO?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning News

A task force
formed to advise the St. Joseph City Council on the future of the city landfill
recommends the city increase landfill rates.

The Landfill Task
Force recommends the city increase landfill rates by $10 at the
beginning of next year and another $10 the following year. The
recommendation would increase the St. Joseph Landfill rates from $40 a
ton to $50 a ton, effective January first of next year and increase fees
to $60 a ton at the beginning of 2027.

City officials
state tipping fees at the landfill have remained relatively unchanged for
decades. A rate of $30 a ton was set in 2007, raised to $34 in
2013, lowered to $32 in 2018, then raised to the current $40 a
ton in August of last year. Usage at the landfill has increased from
105,000 tons in 2015 to 215,000 last year.

Construction is
underway to develop Cell 8 after Cell 7 reached capacity and had to have
permission from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to accept more
trash. Staff at the landfill have begun to prepare Cell 9 at the landfill.

The recommendation
of the Landfill Task Force goes before the St. Joseph City Council for initial
approval Monday, June 9th. If given preliminary approval, the fee
increase would come before the city council during its meeting Monday, June 23rd.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA task force
formed to advise the St. Joseph City Council on the future of the city landfill
recommends the city increase landfill rates.The Landfill Task
Force recommends the city increase landfill rates by $10 at the
beginning of next year and another $10 the following year. The
recommendation would increase the St. Joseph Landfill rates from $40 a
ton to $50 a ton, effective January first of next year and increase fees
to $60 a ton at the beginning of 2027.City officials
state tipping fees at the landfill have remained relatively unchanged for
decades. A rate of $30 a ton was set in 2007, raised to $34 in
2013, lowered to $32 in 2018, then raised to the current $40 a
ton in August of last year. Usage at the landfill has increased from
105,000 tons in 2015 to 215,000 last year.Construction is
underway to develop Cell 8 after Cell 7 reached capacity and had to have
permission from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to accept more
trash. Staff at the landfill have begun to prepare Cell 9 at the landfill.The recommendation
of the Landfill Task Force goes before the St. Joseph City Council for initial
approval Monday, June 9th. If given preliminary approval, the fee
increase would come before the city council during its meeting Monday, June 23rd.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Landfill task force recommends increase in tipping fee rates

President Donald Trump has implored House Republicans on Capitol Hill to drop their fights over his big tax cuts bill.  On social media Kansas Second District Congressman encouraged his GOP colleagues to come together to pass the bill.

The White House released a list of 20 reasons Congress must unite behind the One, Big, Beautiful Bill:

President Donald Trump has implored House Republicans on Capitol Hill to drop their fights over his big tax cuts bill. On social media Kansas Second District Congressman encouraged his GOP colleagues to come together to pass the bill.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> is right: House Republicans must come together to pass the One, Big, Beautiful Bill to prevent a massive tax hike on middle class families, fund permanent border security, and begin to finally bend the curve of federal spending downward. Failure isn&#39;t an option.&mdash; Rep. Derek Schmidt Press (@RepDerekSchmidt) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDerekSchmidt/status/1924857752800600450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The White House released a list of 20 reasons Congress must unite behind the One, Big, Beautiful Bill:<ol>
 <li>It delivers the largest tax cut in American history.&nbsp;This means an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Economic-Impact-of-Extending-TCJA-Provisions.pdf">extra $5,000</a>&nbsp;in Americans’ pockets with a DOUBLE-DIGIT percent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/x-23-25.pdf">DECREASE</a>&nbsp;to their tax bills. Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 will pay around&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/05/13/congress/average-taxpayers-tax-bills-set-to-fall-under-house-tax-package-forecasters-say-00347318">15% less in taxes</a>.</li><li>It includes NO TAX ON TIPS and NO TAX ON OVERTIME.&nbsp;This makes good on two of President Trump’s cornerstone campaign promises and will benefit hardworking Americans where they need it the most — their paychecks.</li><li>It delivers Big, Beautiful Deportations.&nbsp;The bill&nbsp;<a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2025/04/27/house-homeland-security-committee-releases-text-for-budget-reconciliation-recommendations/">permanently</a>&nbsp;secures our borders by making the largest border security investment in history, funding at least one million annual removals of illegal immigrants and&nbsp;<a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2025/05/17/liberal-amnesty-group-inadvertently-makes-great-case-for-the-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-n2657204">ramping up</a>&nbsp;“mass deportation operations to a level never before seen in American history.”</li><li>It finishes President Trump’s border wall.&nbsp;As a result, 701 miles of primary wall, 900 miles of river barriers, 629 miles of secondary barriers, and 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers will be&nbsp;<a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2025/04/29/homeland-republicans-advance-funding-recommendations-to-continue-president-trumps-border-security-victory-bolster-frontline-personnel-for-years-to-come/">constructed</a>&nbsp;— stopping deadly fentanyl from flowing into our communities and securing the border from dangerous illegal immigrant murderers and rapists.</li><li>It boosts Border Patrol and ICE agents on the frontlines.&nbsp;It empowers immigration authorities to carry out their mission by hiring 10,000 new ICE personnel, 5,000 new customs officers, and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents — and gives $10,000 bonuses in each of the next four years to agents on the frontlines.</li><li>It protects Medicaid for Americans by kicking 1.4 million illegals off the benefits.&nbsp;This bill eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse by ending benefits for at least&nbsp;<a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/05/15/democrat-messaging-falters-as-they-ask-constituents-to-foot-medicaid-costs-for-1-4-million-illegal-aliens/">1.4 million</a>&nbsp;illegal immigrants who are gaming the system.</li><li>It requires able-bodied Americans to work if they receive benefits.&nbsp;With 4.8 million able-bodied adults choosing not to work, The One, Big, Beautiful Bill puts work requirements in place and supports them as they find dignity through employment.</li><li>It reverses the spending curse plaguing Washington, D.C.&nbsp;The legislation delivers the largest deficit reduction in nearly 30 years, with&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/russvought/status/1923488257888879103">$1.6 trillion</a>&nbsp;in mandatory savings.</li><li>It ends taxpayer-funded sex change for minors.&nbsp;It&nbsp;<a href="https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/05_13_2025_FCMU_Memorandum_UPDATED_55a74a132a.pdf">reverses</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/issue-brief/the-biden-administrations-final-rule-on-section-1557-non-discrimination-regulations-under-the-aca/">Biden-era mandate</a>&nbsp;that Medicaid&nbsp;<a href="https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/31/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-advances-equality-and-visibility-for-transgender-americans/">cover</a>&nbsp;so-called “gender transition” procedures for minors — ending the taxpayer-funded chemical castration and mutilation of American children.</li><li>It provides historic tax relief to Social Security recipients.&nbsp;It slashes taxes on seniors’ Social Security benefits.</li><li>It will give Americans PERMANENT tax relief through the Trump Tax Cuts.&nbsp;If the bill doesn’t pass, Americans will see the largest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/04/heres-what-happens-if-trump-tax-cuts-arent-extended/">tax increase</a>&nbsp;in history.</li><li>It finally modernizes air traffic control, fulfilling President Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-unveils-plan-build-brand-new-state-art-air">plan</a>&nbsp;to completely&nbsp;<a href="https://transportation.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=408584">overhaul</a>&nbsp;the systems that keep Americans flying safely and efficiently.&nbsp;This will allow President Trump to update our air traffic control systems and act where the Biden Administration failed (despite repeated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-107001">warnings</a>).</li><li>It ends the taxpayer-funded Green New Scam.&nbsp;The legislation repeals or phases out every “green” corporate welfare subsidy in Democrats’ so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” immediately stops credits from flowing to China and saves taxpayers $500+ billion every year, and reverses electric vehicle mandates that let radical climate activists set the standards for American energy.</li><li>It incentivizes MADE IN AMERICA.&nbsp;It rewards companies that build their products in America with lower taxes — and allows Americans who buy an American-made vehicle to fully deduct their auto loan interest.</li><li>It is pro-family.&nbsp;The One, Big, Beautiful Bill increases the child tax credit, establishes MAGA Accounts for newborns to start saving, and strengthens paid family leave.</li><li>It repeals Democrats’ insane attack on the gig economy.&nbsp;It repeals the requirement that Venmo, PayPal, and other gig transactions over $600 be reported to the IRS.</li><li>It protects family farmers.&nbsp;The bill prevents the greedy death tax from hitting two million family-owned farms who would otherwise see their exemptions cut in half and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RepJasonSmith/status/1924469450209636454">cuts taxes</a>&nbsp;on farmers by over $10 billion.</li><li>It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to revolutionize our nation’s defense capabilities and protect the homeland against new threats.&nbsp;It funds President Trump’s Golden Dome, invests in American shipbuilding, and modernizes our military.</li><li>It unleashes American energy dominance.&nbsp;The legislation increases onshore and offshore oil and gas leases, which provides certainty for energy producers, spurs job growth, and makes energy more affordable for American consumers.</li><li>It boosts American mineral development.&nbsp;This bill increases mining of domestic minerals and makes America less dependent on foreign adversaries for critical minerals.</li>
 </ol>

Kan. lawmaker calls on Congress to pass Trump's tax cut bill

PLATTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a high-speed chase and crash in Platte County.

Just before 11:30a.m. Tuesday, Corporal Fugate with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle for improper registration around MO 45 Highway (NW 64th Street) and NW Klamm Road in southern Platte County, according to a media release.

 When the driver of the suspect vehicle failed to stop, a pursuit was initiated as the vehicle fled east on MO 45 Highway towards Interstate 29, reaching speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. 

The driver of the suspect vehicle lost control and crashed near N Chatham Avenue. After crashing the vehicle, the driver ran from the crash scene. 

Witnesses reported seeing the male suspect throw a firearm under another vehicle as he ran.

.Deputies established a search perimeter of the area to contain the suspect who fled into the thick wooded area. Corporal Fugate deployed his canine (K-9) partner, Mattis, to assist in locating the suspect. 

Shortly after deploying the K-9 into the wooded area, the suspect was taken into custody after being found hiding in a crawlspace by a concrete culvert.

The vehicle crashed by the suspect had been previously reported stolen out of Kansas City, Missouri. 

Deputies recovered a semi-automatic handgun which had been thrown down by the suspect as well as a large amount of currency from the crash scene.

 A felony amount of narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia was also recovered from the stolen vehicle. The suspect was cleared medically at a local hospital and transported to the Platte County Detention Center where he was placed on a twenty-four-hour investigative hold pending the filing of charges by the Platte County Prosecutors Office

PLATTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a high-speed chase and crash in Platte County.Just before 11:30a.m. Tuesday, Corporal Fugate with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle for improper registration around MO 45 Highway (NW 64th Street) and NW Klamm Road in southern Platte County, according to a media release. When the driver of the suspect vehicle failed to stop, a pursuit was initiated as the vehicle fled east on MO 45 Highway towards Interstate 29, reaching speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. The driver of the suspect vehicle lost control and crashed near N Chatham Avenue. After crashing the vehicle, the driver ran from the crash scene. Witnesses reported seeing the male suspect throw a firearm under another vehicle as he ran..Deputies established a search perimeter of the area to contain the suspect who fled into the thick wooded area. Corporal Fugate deployed his canine (K-9) partner, Mattis, to assist in locating the suspect. Shortly after deploying the K-9 into the wooded area, the suspect was taken into custody after being found hiding in a crawlspace by a concrete culvert.The vehicle crashed by the suspect had been previously reported stolen out of Kansas City, Missouri. Deputies recovered a semi-automatic handgun which had been thrown down by the suspect as well as a large amount of currency from the crash scene. A felony amount of narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia was also recovered from the stolen vehicle. The suspect was cleared medically at a local hospital and transported to the Platte County Detention Center where he was placed on a twenty-four-hour investigative hold pending the filing of charges by the Platte County Prosecutors Office

Sheriff's K9 captures suspect after high-speed chase, crash

Cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers, Inc., and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc., to retailers, distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors from April 29, 2025 to present (May 19, 2025). Cucumbers distributed before this timeframe should be past shelf life and should no longer be available on the market.

Cucumbers may have been sold individually or in smaller packages, with or without a label that may not bear the same brand, product name, or best by date. &nbsp;For distributors, restaurants, and retailers who have purchased these cucumbers, the products were labeled as either being “supers,” “selects,” or “plains”.

On May 19, 2025, Bedner Growers, Inc.,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/bedner-growers-inc-recalls-cucumbers-because-possible-health-risk">recalled cucumbers</a>&nbsp;sold directly to consumers at Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market and to its wholesale distributor. More information can be found in the recall notice.

Symptoms of&nbsp;Salmonella&nbsp;infection:

Illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating food that is contaminated with&nbsp;Salmonella, and the symptoms usually last four to seven days. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections.

Some potentially contaminated cucumbers were available at Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market in three Florida locations including Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and West Palm Beach between April 29, 2025, and May 14, 2025. The recalled cucumbers were also sold to its wholesale distributor. FDA is aware that contaminated product is available at both restaurant and retail locations. FDA is working to determine where potentially contaminated product was distributed. This advisory will be updated as needed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747793441919.png" alt="FDA image" />
 <figcaption>FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>Cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers, Inc., and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc., to retailers, distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors from April 29, 2025 to present (May 19, 2025). Cucumbers distributed before this timeframe should be past shelf life and should no longer be available on the market.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747824054573.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Cucumbers may have been sold individually or in smaller packages, with or without a label that may not bear the same brand, product name, or best by date. &nbsp;For distributors, restaurants, and retailers who have purchased these cucumbers, the products were labeled as either being “supers,” “selects,” or “plains”.On May 19, 2025, Bedner Growers, Inc.,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/bedner-growers-inc-recalls-cucumbers-because-possible-health-risk">recalled cucumbers</a>&nbsp;sold directly to consumers at Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market and to its wholesale distributor. More information can be found in the recall notice.<h2>Symptoms of&nbsp;Salmonella&nbsp;infection:</h2>Illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating food that is contaminated with&nbsp;Salmonella, and the symptoms usually last four to seven days. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections.<h2>Stores Affected</h2>Some potentially contaminated cucumbers were available at Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market in three Florida locations including Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and West Palm Beach between April 29, 2025, and May 14, 2025. The recalled cucumbers were also sold to its wholesale distributor. FDA is aware that contaminated product is available at both restaurant and retail locations. FDA is working to determine where potentially contaminated product was distributed. This advisory will be updated as needed.<h2>Status</h2>Ongoing.<h2>Recommendations</h2><ul>
 <li>Restaurants, retailers, and distributors&nbsp;that purchased potentially contaminated recalled cucumbers between April 29, 2025 and May 19, 2025 should notify their customers of the potential health concern.Retailers that have or had potentially contaminated product should clean and sanitize any areas that could have come into contact with potentially contaminated products. If potentially contaminated cucumbers were sold in bulk bins or displays, retailers should discard the contents of the bins and use extra care to clean and sanitize the bins before refilling. &nbsp;Retailers that are unsure if they received this product may need to contact their supplier. If you are unable to determine whether or not potentially contaminated product was received, you should discard the contents of the bins and use extra care to clean and sanitize the bins before refilling. &nbsp;</li><li>Retailers that have or had potentially contaminated product should clean and sanitize any areas that could have come into contact with potentially contaminated products. If potentially contaminated cucumbers were sold in bulk bins or displays, retailers should discard the contents of the bins and use extra care to clean and sanitize the bins before refilling. &nbsp;</li><li>Retailers that are unsure if they received this product may need to contact their supplier. If you are unable to determine whether or not potentially contaminated product was received, you should discard the contents of the bins and use extra care to clean and sanitize the bins before refilling. &nbsp;</li><li>Consumers&nbsp;may be contacted by their retailers if they purchased recalled cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers. If you cannot tell if your cucumber was grown by Bedner Growers, throw it away. &nbsp;When eating out over the next week, ask if cucumbers were from Bedner Growers or Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc.</li><li>Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received potentially contaminated products, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that it touched. Follow&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/safe-food-handling">FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice</a>&nbsp;to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.</li><li>Contact your healthcare provider if you think you may have symptoms of a&nbsp;Salmonella&nbsp;infection after eating potentially contaminated cucumbers.</li>
 </ul>

Salmonella outbreak: Recall of cucumbers linked to illness in Kansas

State Rep. Brenda
Shields of St. Joseph says lawmakers could see the tension building during the
legislative session, tension that boiled to the surface in the last week,
prompting Senate leadership to wrap up its session two days early.

Shields, a
Republican, says the factors that led to the abrupt end were evident as the
session entered its last week at the state Capitol.

“We had been
feeling the vibes from the Senate that that was going to happen,” Shields tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, I have to say I wasn’t incredibly surprised that
they finished up their work for the year on Wednesday.”

Shields says that
left the House with little it could do on Thursday. The House did pass what it
could and adjourned, one day early.

Several lawmakers
point to a decision by House leadership to skip over House Bill 19 and not
allow members to vote on it the Friday before the last day of the session as
the beginning of the tension. The bill contained $513 million in capital
improvement projects throughout the state. Senators who relied on the financing
for projects in their district were incensed. The anger never cooled in the
final days of the session and, in fact, grew in intensity for Senate Democrats
after majority Republicans cut off debate and forced a vote on two
controversial bills.

Shields admits she
was caught off guard when Republican leaders skipped over the bill and didn’t
allow members to vote on it.

“I know I was
disappointed. I understand our leadership’s decision, but we had put several
good things into House Bill 19 for St. Joseph,” Shields says. “So, yes,
disappointed; a little surprised. But I respect our leadership.”

Contained in the
bill was $7 million for UMKC to set up a Dental School on the Missouri Western
State University campus, $2.8 million for improvements to the Chiefs Training
Camp in St. Joseph, $1 million for Mosaic Life Care to expand behavioral health
services at its Emergency Room, and $800,000 for a new roof over the Pony
Express Museum.

Shields says the
loss of funding for the UMKC Dental School is a big loss from St. Joseph and
northwest Missouri, both of which have a shortage of dentists.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostState Rep. Brenda
Shields of St. Joseph says lawmakers could see the tension building during the
legislative session, tension that boiled to the surface in the last week,
prompting Senate leadership to wrap up its session two days early.Shields, a
Republican, says the factors that led to the abrupt end were evident as the
session entered its last week at the state Capitol.“We had been
feeling the vibes from the Senate that that was going to happen,” Shields tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, I have to say I wasn’t incredibly surprised that
they finished up their work for the year on Wednesday.”Shields says that
left the House with little it could do on Thursday. The House did pass what it
could and adjourned, one day early.Several lawmakers
point to a decision by House leadership to skip over House Bill 19 and not
allow members to vote on it the Friday before the last day of the session as
the beginning of the tension. The bill contained $513 million in capital
improvement projects throughout the state. Senators who relied on the financing
for projects in their district were incensed. The anger never cooled in the
final days of the session and, in fact, grew in intensity for Senate Democrats
after majority Republicans cut off debate and forced a vote on two
controversial bills.Shields admits she
was caught off guard when Republican leaders skipped over the bill and didn’t
allow members to vote on it.“I know I was
disappointed. I understand our leadership’s decision, but we had put several
good things into House Bill 19 for St. Joseph,” Shields says. “So, yes,
disappointed; a little surprised. But I respect our leadership.”Contained in the
bill was $7 million for UMKC to set up a Dental School on the Missouri Western
State University campus, $2.8 million for improvements to the Chiefs Training
Camp in St. Joseph, $1 million for Mosaic Life Care to expand behavioral health
services at its Emergency Room, and $800,000 for a new roof over the Pony
Express Museum.Shields says the
loss of funding for the UMKC Dental School is a big loss from St. Joseph and
northwest Missouri, both of which have a shortage of dentists.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph loses big with loss of House Bill 19

The city of St. Joseph is continuing to invest in its people by developing new workforce and workforce development opportunities.  

Mayor John Josendale pointed to the investment as an objective during his state of the city address.  

Josendale says assets like the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology provide new state of the art opportunities, such as. 

"The cybersecurity is one of seven programs in the entire country," Josendale tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "So, the fact we're state of the art in some of the stuff we're doing, and how we're producing our own from within." 

Expansion at Hillyard Technical Center has also added new workforce development opportunities.  Development is also underway on the new UMKC School of Medicine.

Josendale says these opportunities are all about producing our own from within to help keep them working and living in the community 

"To grow our population, to train our population, to give them the opportunity that not everybody is going to wear a coat and tie and go to work, but we want to be able to offer all different avenues and approaches to get everybody to work," Josendale explains. 

Josendale says people learning in a community makes them want to work there and says growing your own is incredibly important. 

"When I talk about the Community Alliance and we go out and talk and the visitation to other cities, we share our experiences with that and how we're trying to grow within and other cities are trying to copy that because it's so important," Josendale says. 

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

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The city of St. Joseph is continuing to invest in its people by developing new workforce and workforce development opportunities. Mayor John Josendale pointed to the investment as an objective during his state of the city address. Josendale says assets like the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology provide new state of the art opportunities, such as. "The cybersecurity is one of seven programs in the entire country," Josendale tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "So, the fact we're state of the art in some of the stuff we're doing, and how we're producing our own from within." Expansion at Hillyard Technical Center has also added new workforce development opportunities. Development is also underway on the new UMKC School of Medicine.Josendale says these opportunities are all about producing our own from within to help keep them working and living in the community "To grow our population, to train our population, to give them the opportunity that not everybody is going to wear a coat and tie and go to work, but we want to be able to offer all different avenues and approaches to get everybody to work," Josendale explains. Josendale says people learning in a community makes them want to work there and says growing your own is incredibly important. "When I talk about the Community Alliance and we go out and talk and the visitation to other cities, we share our experiences with that and how we're trying to grow within and other cities are trying to copy that because it's so important," Josendale says. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

St. Joseph strives to grow its own through workforce development opportunities

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3190tXeoogK00hmciUohop?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4sNlm8ZjwrNpJVlgg1k1df?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

A 49-year-old
Clarksdale woman has been killed in a multi-vehicle crash east of St. Joseph
that shut down Missouri Route Six for nearly three hours.

The Missouri State
Highway Patrol reports the woman died at the hospital of injuries suffered in
the four-vehicle crash near Bessie Ellison School early Monday evening
as severe weather rolled into the area. The patrol is not releasing the name of
the victim.

The patrol reports
the victim was driving east on Route Six when her vehicle crossed the center
line and struck the rear of another vehicle. The impact sent the SUV into a
concrete barrier, returned to the roadway, crossed the center line again, and
struck two other vehicles.

The Missouri
Department of Transportation closed Route Six from Route W to Hurlingen Road for
about two hours and 45 minutes while law enforcement responded to the
chain-reaction crash.

The patrol reports three other people suffered minor injuries and one suffered moderate injuries in the crash.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA 49-year-old
Clarksdale woman has been killed in a multi-vehicle crash east of St. Joseph
that shut down Missouri Route Six for nearly three hours.The Missouri State
Highway Patrol reports the woman died at the hospital of injuries suffered in
the four-vehicle crash near Bessie Ellison School early Monday evening
as severe weather rolled into the area. The patrol is not releasing the name of
the victim.The patrol reports
the victim was driving east on Route Six when her vehicle crossed the center
line and struck the rear of another vehicle. The impact sent the SUV into a
concrete barrier, returned to the roadway, crossed the center line again, and
struck two other vehicles.The Missouri
Department of Transportation closed Route Six from Route W to Hurlingen Road for
about two hours and 45 minutes while law enforcement responded to the
chain-reaction crash.The patrol reports three other people suffered minor injuries and one suffered moderate injuries in the crash.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Clarksdale woman killed in multi-car crash east of St. Joseph

BUCHANAN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Monday in Buchanan County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Lincoln MKZ driven by a 49-year-old Clarksdale woman was eastbound on MO 6 at Hurlingen Road three miles east of St. Joseph.&nbsp; The car crossed the center line and struck the rear-drivers side of westbound 2021 Nissan Rogue driven by a 63-year-old St. Joseph woman.

After impact the Lincoln traveled off the south side of MO 6, struck the concrete barrier, returned to the road, crossed the center line and struck the rear drivers side of a westbound 2016 Ford F150 driven by a 44-year-old St. Joseph man and then struck the front of a 2021 Chevy Tahoe driven by a 37-year-old St. Joseph woman.

The 49-year-old Clarksdale woman was pronounced deceased at Mosaic Life Care.

Buchanan County EMS transported the 63-year-old Nissan driver, the 37-year-old Tahoe driver, a 9-year-old female passenger in the Nissan, a 9-year-old male and 12-year-old female passengers from the Tahoe to Mosaic. The Tahoe driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

BUCHANAN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Monday in Buchanan County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Lincoln MKZ driven by a 49-year-old Clarksdale woman was eastbound on MO 6 at Hurlingen Road three miles east of St. Joseph.&nbsp; The car crossed the center line and struck the rear-drivers side of westbound 2021 Nissan Rogue driven by a 63-year-old St. Joseph woman.After impact the Lincoln traveled off the south side of MO 6, struck the concrete barrier, returned to the road, crossed the center line and struck the rear drivers side of a westbound 2016 Ford F150 driven by a 44-year-old St. Joseph man and then struck the front of a 2021 Chevy Tahoe driven by a 37-year-old St. Joseph woman.The 49-year-old Clarksdale woman was pronounced deceased at Mosaic Life Care.Buchanan County EMS transported the 63-year-old Nissan driver, the 37-year-old Tahoe driver, a 9-year-old female passenger in the Nissan, a 9-year-old male and 12-year-old female passengers from the Tahoe to Mosaic. The Tahoe driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri woman dead after 4-vehicle Buchanan Co. crash

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5:30 p.m. Monday in Clinton County.&nbsp;

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 44-year-old Stewartsville man was eastbound on 354th Street at Route K two miles south of Stewartsville.

The driver failed to yield to a southbound 2004 Dodge 2500 driven by a 22-year-old Platte City man. The Jeep entered the southbound lane of Route K. The pickup struck the Jeep.

DeKalb-Clinton EMS transported a 36-year-old female passenger in the Jeep to Mosaic in St. Joseph. The drivers were not transported. The 22-year-old driver and the 36-year-old passenger in the Jeep were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5:30 p.m. Monday in Clinton County.&nbsp;The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 44-year-old Stewartsville man was eastbound on 354th Street at Route K two miles south of Stewartsville.The driver failed to yield to a southbound 2004 Dodge 2500 driven by a 22-year-old Platte City man. The Jeep entered the southbound lane of Route K. The pickup struck the Jeep.DeKalb-Clinton EMS transported a 36-year-old female passenger in the Jeep to Mosaic in St. Joseph. The drivers were not transported. The 22-year-old driver and the 36-year-old passenger in the Jeep were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. woman hospitalized in St. Joe after Jeep, pickup crash

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Monday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Patrol reported a 2012 Honda CRV driven by a 22-year-old Shawnee, Kansas man was northbound on Interstate 35 one mile west of Winston.&nbsp; The Honda traveled off the east side of the road and rolled onto its top.

Community Ambulance transported the driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Monday in Daviess County.The Missouri State Patrol reported a 2012 Honda CRV driven by a 22-year-old Shawnee, Kansas man was northbound on Interstate 35 one mile west of Winston.&nbsp; The Honda traveled off the east side of the road and rolled onto its top.Community Ambulance transported the driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Kansas man hospitalized after SUV rolls

HARRISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 4:30p.m. Monday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Dodge 1500 driven by a 17-year-old Albany boy was eastbound on U.S. 136 two miles west of Bethany. The vehicle began to hydroplane on the wet road and came to rest in the eastbound lane.

North MO EMS transported the driver to Harrison County. Community Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

HARRISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 4:30p.m. Monday in Harrison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Dodge 1500 driven by a 17-year-old Albany boy was eastbound on U.S. 136 two miles west of Bethany. The vehicle began to hydroplane on the wet road and came to rest in the eastbound lane.North MO EMS transported the driver to Harrison County. Community Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Mo. teen injured after pickup hydroplanes 

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just before 11:30p.m. on Saturday an officer on patrol stopped a vehicle in the 900 block U.S.59 in Atchison for a traffic violation, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

The officer found 34-year-old Julia Holt of Atchison, a passenger in that vehicle, was in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia. She was jailed on requested charges of&nbsp;possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Taken to County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747667001717.png" alt="Holt-photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Holt-photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just before 11:30p.m. on Saturday an officer on patrol stopped a vehicle in the 900 block U.S.59 in Atchison for a traffic violation, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.The officer found 34-year-old Julia Holt of Atchison, a passenger in that vehicle, was in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia. She was jailed on requested charges of&nbsp;possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Taken to County Jail.

Police: Kansas woman caught with fentanyl and cocaine

A St. Joseph state
representative says a move by Missouri House leadership to kill a $513 million
capital improvement package poisoned the water in the legislative session,
contributing to it coming to an abrupt halt.

House leaders
bypassed House Bill 19, one of the budget bills, and didn’t allow a vote on it
the Friday before the last week of session.

State Rep. Bill
Falkner, a Republican from St. Joseph, says leadership didn’t even consult with
Republican members before they skipped the vote on the bill.

“I would have
loved to ask questions prior to not voting on it,” Falkner tells KFEQmmunity. “I
don’t think a lot of stuff was thought through. And I understand the budget
concerns that many had, but I questioned it, yes.”

St. Joseph had a
vested interest in the bill. Within its construction projects was money for the
new UMKC dental school on the Missouri Western State University campus and
additional money to make improvements at the Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri
Western.

Falkner defends
the legislature’s move to strip the minimum wage bill approved by voters of its
sick leave provisions. Voters in November approved the initiative petition
which raises the state minimum wage to $15 an hour and provided sick leave for
certain hours worked.

Falkner claims the
legislature had to remove the sick leave provision or risk losing jobs.

“A lot of
businesses (were) talking about laying people off,” according to Falkner. “So
that was a concern.”

Falkner says
Republicans felt they had to take the step, even if critics accused them of
overturning the will of the voters.

“We felt that we
owed it to the business community to try to fix that.”

The Missouri
Senate adjourned two days early after approving the change to Proposition A and
agreeing to send the abortion issue back before voters. Senate leaders reasoned
anger from Senate Democrats over the move by Senate Republicans to cut off
debate and force a vote on the bill would prevent the Senate from accomplishing
anything else in the remaining two days left in the session.

The House returned
on Thursday to work on a few pieces of legislation before leaving Jefferson
City with another day left in the session.

The decision to
end the session early left work undone, primarily an incentive package designed
to finance a new ballpark for the Kansas City Royals and renovate Arrowhead
Stadium, the home of the Chiefs.

Falkner expects Gov.
Mike Kehoe to call a special session to revisit the issue, because without it,
the two teams could move.

“You know, the
threat is real, not only from the state of Kansas, but Nashville and Salt Lake
City,” Falkner says “There (are) several communities that would love to have
the Chiefs or the Royals.”

Falkner says it
was fallout from House leadership skipping over HB 19 and all of its
construction projects throughout the state that inflamed emotions and created tremendous
tension in the last week of the session in Jefferson City.

“I’m sorry that
things ended up the way they did and I think with us not passing House Bill 19,
I think that sent it into a spiral.”

If so, it was a
spiral the legislature couldn’t come out of.

As for the
possibility of a special session, Gov. Kehoe, during a news conference on
Friday, indicated he would call the legislature back in special session to
consider the Chiefs/Royals financing and possibly the capital improvement
package killed by Missouri House leadership.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747679260223.jpeg" alt="Rep. Bill Falkner/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Bill Falkner/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA St. Joseph state
representative says a move by Missouri House leadership to kill a $513 million
capital improvement package poisoned the water in the legislative session,
contributing to it coming to an abrupt halt.House leaders
bypassed House Bill 19, one of the budget bills, and didn’t allow a vote on it
the Friday before the last week of session.State Rep. Bill
Falkner, a Republican from St. Joseph, says leadership didn’t even consult with
Republican members before they skipped the vote on the bill.“I would have
loved to ask questions prior to not voting on it,” Falkner tells KFEQmmunity. “I
don’t think a lot of stuff was thought through. And I understand the budget
concerns that many had, but I questioned it, yes.”St. Joseph had a
vested interest in the bill. Within its construction projects was money for the
new UMKC dental school on the Missouri Western State University campus and
additional money to make improvements at the Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri
Western.Falkner defends
the legislature’s move to strip the minimum wage bill approved by voters of its
sick leave provisions. Voters in November approved the initiative petition
which raises the state minimum wage to $15 an hour and provided sick leave for
certain hours worked.Falkner claims the
legislature had to remove the sick leave provision or risk losing jobs.“A lot of
businesses (were) talking about laying people off,” according to Falkner. “So
that was a concern.”Falkner says
Republicans felt they had to take the step, even if critics accused them of
overturning the will of the voters.“We felt that we
owed it to the business community to try to fix that.”The Missouri
Senate adjourned two days early after approving the change to Proposition A and
agreeing to send the abortion issue back before voters. Senate leaders reasoned
anger from Senate Democrats over the move by Senate Republicans to cut off
debate and force a vote on the bill would prevent the Senate from accomplishing
anything else in the remaining two days left in the session.The House returned
on Thursday to work on a few pieces of legislation before leaving Jefferson
City with another day left in the session.The decision to
end the session early left work undone, primarily an incentive package designed
to finance a new ballpark for the Kansas City Royals and renovate Arrowhead
Stadium, the home of the Chiefs.Falkner expects Gov.
Mike Kehoe to call a special session to revisit the issue, because without it,
the two teams could move.“You know, the
threat is real, not only from the state of Kansas, but Nashville and Salt Lake
City,” Falkner says “There (are) several communities that would love to have
the Chiefs or the Royals.”Falkner says it
was fallout from House leadership skipping over HB 19 and all of its
construction projects throughout the state that inflamed emotions and created tremendous
tension in the last week of the session in Jefferson City.“I’m sorry that
things ended up the way they did and I think with us not passing House Bill 19,
I think that sent it into a spiral.”If so, it was a
spiral the legislature couldn’t come out of.As for the
possibility of a special session, Gov. Kehoe, during a news conference on
Friday, indicated he would call the legislature back in special session to
consider the Chiefs/Royals financing and possibly the capital improvement
package killed by Missouri House leadership.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph state Rep. says cancelation of budget bill poisoned session

After going back
and forth and after it nearly appeared to be off, it seems the City of St.
Joseph and the YMCA will enter a partnership to build a new indoor Aquatic
Center.

St. Joseph City
Manager, Mike Schumacher, says that under the agreement, the city will provide $7
million with the YMCA raising $8 million to build the facility at new YMCA
headquarters, 3601 North Village Drive.

It’s a good deal
for the city, according to Schumacher.

“For us to build
an indoor facility like that is estimated at $30 to 35 million,” Schumacher
tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “That’s $30 to 35 million we really don’t have even
if you take the 7 million going to the Y off of it.”

The St. Joseph
City Council has given preliminary approval to the cost-share. It will take up
the measure for final consideration later this month.

Schumacher says the
agreement is a bargain for an indoor pool that would could cost the city much more
to build on its own.

“Any public
facility is incredibly expensive and then you add water and pumps and filters
and chemicals and everything that goes with it; they’re incredibly expensive,”
according to Schumacher. “The ongoing operating costs is another piece of that.”

The YMCA proposed
the project with the city, but hit a funding snag. A last-minute push gave the
Y enough money to complete the project in partnership with the city.

Schumacher says that
if the city attempted to build a new pool on its own, it would have cost a lot
upfront and would have added an annual expense to the city it doesn’t need.

“It isn’t you
build it and you’re done,” Schumacher says. “It’s something that’s going to
cost you money for the rest of time.”

Under the
agreement, the Aquatic Center would be open to the public with daily admission
not to succeed $8 unless approved by the city. Public transportation will be
made available to the pool. The city has agreed to pay $270,000 in annual
operating costs.

The city pool at
the St. Joseph Aquatic Park failed in 2019.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747674374845.jpeg" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostAfter going back
and forth and after it nearly appeared to be off, it seems the City of St.
Joseph and the YMCA will enter a partnership to build a new indoor Aquatic
Center.St. Joseph City
Manager, Mike Schumacher, says that under the agreement, the city will provide $7
million with the YMCA raising $8 million to build the facility at new YMCA
headquarters, 3601 North Village Drive.It’s a good deal
for the city, according to Schumacher.“For us to build
an indoor facility like that is estimated at $30 to 35 million,” Schumacher
tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “That’s $30 to 35 million we really don’t have even
if you take the 7 million going to the Y off of it.”The St. Joseph
City Council has given preliminary approval to the cost-share. It will take up
the measure for final consideration later this month.Schumacher says the
agreement is a bargain for an indoor pool that would could cost the city much more
to build on its own.“Any public
facility is incredibly expensive and then you add water and pumps and filters
and chemicals and everything that goes with it; they’re incredibly expensive,”
according to Schumacher. “The ongoing operating costs is another piece of that.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747674542189.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph YMCA/file photo" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph YMCA/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The YMCA proposed
the project with the city, but hit a funding snag. A last-minute push gave the
Y enough money to complete the project in partnership with the city.Schumacher says that
if the city attempted to build a new pool on its own, it would have cost a lot
upfront and would have added an annual expense to the city it doesn’t need.“It isn’t you
build it and you’re done,” Schumacher says. “It’s something that’s going to
cost you money for the rest of time.”Under the
agreement, the Aquatic Center would be open to the public with daily admission
not to succeed $8 unless approved by the city. Public transportation will be
made available to the pool. The city has agreed to pay $270,000 in annual
operating costs.The city pool at
the St. Joseph Aquatic Park failed in 2019.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph city pool at YMCA a step closer to reality

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are&nbsp;investigating a robbery that occurred at a business in Atchison have released a description of the suspect.

Just after 10p.m. Sunday, an employee in the customer service area at Walmart, 1920 U.S. 73 in Atchison, was entering an office door when she was approached by a man who grabbed a cash bag she was holding. 

The suspect struggled briefly with the employee and pushed her as he ran from the area, he did not display any type of weapon.

The suspect fled the store with a bag of cash. The suspect is described as a black male, tall, long dreads, wearing a black t-shirt and sweatpants with white dots, and wearing a surgical or covid type mask, according to Wilson. 

He left the area in a white Chrysler Pacifica. It is believed the vehicle left the Walmart parking lot west on Raven Hill Road and south on U.S.73.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577468952529.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are&nbsp;investigating a robbery that occurred at a business in Atchison have released a description of the suspect.Just after 10p.m. Sunday, an employee in the customer service area at Walmart, 1920 U.S. 73 in Atchison, was entering an office door when she was approached by a man who grabbed a cash bag she was holding. The suspect struggled briefly with the employee and pushed her as he ran from the area, he did not display any type of weapon.The suspect fled the store with a bag of cash. The suspect is described as a black male, tall, long dreads, wearing a black t-shirt and sweatpants with white dots, and wearing a surgical or covid type mask, according to Wilson. He left the area in a white Chrysler Pacifica. It is believed the vehicle left the Walmart parking lot west on Raven Hill Road and south on U.S.73.&nbsp;

Suspect escaped business with bag of cash

ATCHISON COUNTY —One person avoided serious injury during an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Atchison.

According to Atchison Police Chief Mike&nbsp; Wilson, a&nbsp;2017 Harley Davidson driven by by Christopher McDaniel, 38, Atchison, was westbound on Unity Street. When approaching 5th Street, McDaniel reacted to a vehicle that was at the stop sign on 5th Street causing him to lose control of the vehicle.&nbsp; The motorcycle fell over onto its side. 

EMS examined McDaniel at the scene.&nbsp; He was not transported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747667803621.png" alt="Photo Atchison Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Atchison Police</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —One person avoided serious injury during an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Atchison.According to Atchison Police Chief Mike&nbsp; Wilson, a&nbsp;2017 Harley Davidson driven by by Christopher McDaniel, 38, Atchison, was westbound on Unity Street. When approaching 5th Street, McDaniel reacted to a vehicle that was at the stop sign on 5th Street causing him to lose control of the vehicle.&nbsp; The motorcycle fell over onto its side. EMS examined McDaniel at the scene.&nbsp; He was not transported.

Kansas man avoids serious injury after motorcycle accident

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

For the first time in years, the legislative session wasn’t defined by Republican infighting.&nbsp;

The GOP supermajority managed to mend fences and get along most of the year. And even though both the House and Senate left town early last week — an historically rare occurrence that is quickly becoming the norm — they still managed to send 49 bills to the governor’s desk, put two proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot and pass a $53 billion state budget.&nbsp;

It wasn’t until the final week when the wheels came off, though this time the culprit was squabbles with Democrats.&nbsp;

Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">deployed a rarely-used procedural maneuver</a>&nbsp;to cut off debate and pass bills seeking to repeal two voter-approved initiatives protecting abortion rights and increasing access to paid sick leave. The move effectively ended the session two days early and killed a litany of unrelated bills in the process.&nbsp;

So who were the big winners and losers of the legislative session?&nbsp;

Not everything went Mike Kehoe’s way during his first legislative session as governor.&nbsp;

One of his&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/04/24/missouri-governor-drops-education-board-pick-after-criticism-from-senator-right-wing-groups/">appointments to the State Board of Education</a>&nbsp;got spiked in the Senate, and he pushed his stadium funding plan so late in the session it will&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/16/missouri-governor-will-call-lawmakers-back-into-session-for-royals-chiefs-stadium-funding/">now require lawmakers to return to Jefferson City next month</a>&nbsp;in a long-shot bid to pass it and prevent the Royals and Chiefs from moving to Kansas.&nbsp;

But he got most of the big-ticket items he called for when he laid out his agenda in his&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/28/missouri-governor-vows-state-takeover-of-st-louis-police-in-state-of-the-state-address/">first State of the State address in January</a>, highlighted by a capital gains tax cut, state control of St. Louis police and a $50 million private school voucher program.

He also earned rave reviews from state lawmakers, who marveled at a governor actually leaving his office to work personally with the legislature.&nbsp;

“We made it a priority to walk the halls, not just to meet with lawmakers, but to build relationships, have real discourse and understand what mattered most to the people they represent, because progress starts with relationships and open conversations,” Kehoe told reporters Friday.

The state’s budget may never be as rosy again, with federal funding in limbo and state revenues not keeping up with projections. And with tough fights over stadium funding in the near term and a mid-term election on the horizon, Kehoe’s honeymoon with the legislature could be short lived.&nbsp;

Whether his first year as governor will be Kehoe’s high-water mark is anybody’s guess. But he undoubtedly just finished one of the best legislative sessions any governor has had in years.&nbsp;

The pattern of crafting a state budget has become familiar over the years.&nbsp;

The House works for months to get its budget plan in place, then the Senate basically rewrites everything before it gets sent to the governor.&nbsp;

This year, House Budget Chairman Dirk Deaton certainly had to swallow a lot of spending he didn’t like. But he held firm and won passage of the governor’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/08/missouri-budget-negotiators-agree-to-spend-50-million-on-private-school-scholarship-program/">$50 million private school voucher program</a>&nbsp;that the Senate wanted to eliminate.&nbsp;

Then, just hours before the constitutional deadline to finish work on the budget, and after the Senate had already gone home for the week, Deaton orchestrated the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/09/missouri-house-republicans-surprise-senate-by-killing-500-million-construction-bill/">surprise death of a $500 million construction spending package</a>&nbsp;— sinking projects for health care, education and law enforcement across the state and creating a bipartisan backlash that helped derail the governor’s stadium funding plan.&nbsp;

The long-term consequences of Deaton’s move on the House’s relationship with the Senate still aren’t clear. But it solidified his reputation as a budget hawk willing to take extraordinary steps to keep state spending in check.&nbsp;

The session certainly didn’t end the way Senate Democrats would have liked.&nbsp;

Efforts to protect two voter-approved initiatives — an abortion rights constitutional amendment and a paid sick leave law —&nbsp;went up in flames when Republicans went nuclear and shut down debate to force repeal bills to a vote.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747656752316.png" alt=" Members of the Missouri House celebrate the end of the 2025 legislative session with the traditional paper toss on May 15 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption> Members of the Missouri House celebrate the end of the 2025 legislative session with the traditional paper toss on May 15 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>For the first time in years, the legislative session wasn’t defined by Republican infighting.&nbsp;The GOP supermajority managed to mend fences and get along most of the year. And even though both the House and Senate left town early last week — an historically rare occurrence that is quickly becoming the norm — they still managed to send 49 bills to the governor’s desk, put two proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot and pass a $53 billion state budget.&nbsp;It wasn’t until the final week when the wheels came off, though this time the culprit was squabbles with Democrats.&nbsp;Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">deployed a rarely-used procedural maneuver</a>&nbsp;to cut off debate and pass bills seeking to repeal two voter-approved initiatives protecting abortion rights and increasing access to paid sick leave. The move effectively ended the session two days early and killed a litany of unrelated bills in the process.&nbsp;So who were the big winners and losers of the legislative session?&nbsp;<h2>WINNERS</h2><h2>Mike Kehoe</h2>Not everything went Mike Kehoe’s way during his first legislative session as governor.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747656830417.png" alt=" Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe speaks to the media the morning after the legislative session’s end at the state Capitol on May 16 (Brian Munoz / St. Louis Public Radio)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe speaks to the media the morning after the legislative session’s end at the state Capitol on May 16 (Brian Munoz / St. Louis Public Radio).</figcaption>
 </figure>One of his&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/04/24/missouri-governor-drops-education-board-pick-after-criticism-from-senator-right-wing-groups/">appointments to the State Board of Education</a>&nbsp;got spiked in the Senate, and he pushed his stadium funding plan so late in the session it will&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/16/missouri-governor-will-call-lawmakers-back-into-session-for-royals-chiefs-stadium-funding/">now require lawmakers to return to Jefferson City next month</a>&nbsp;in a long-shot bid to pass it and prevent the Royals and Chiefs from moving to Kansas.&nbsp;But he got most of the big-ticket items he called for when he laid out his agenda in his&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/28/missouri-governor-vows-state-takeover-of-st-louis-police-in-state-of-the-state-address/">first State of the State address in January</a>, highlighted by a capital gains tax cut, state control of St. Louis police and a $50 million private school voucher program.He also earned rave reviews from state lawmakers, who marveled at a governor actually leaving his office to work personally with the legislature.&nbsp;“We made it a priority to walk the halls, not just to meet with lawmakers, but to build relationships, have real discourse and understand what mattered most to the people they represent, because progress starts with relationships and open conversations,” Kehoe told reporters Friday.The state’s budget may never be as rosy again, with federal funding in limbo and state revenues not keeping up with projections. And with tough fights over stadium funding in the near term and a mid-term election on the horizon, Kehoe’s honeymoon with the legislature could be short lived.&nbsp;Whether his first year as governor will be Kehoe’s high-water mark is anybody’s guess. But he undoubtedly just finished one of the best legislative sessions any governor has had in years.&nbsp;<h2>Dirk Deaton</h2>The pattern of crafting a state budget has become familiar over the years.&nbsp;The House works for months to get its budget plan in place, then the Senate basically rewrites everything before it gets sent to the governor.&nbsp;Lather. Rinse. Repeat.&nbsp;This year, House Budget Chairman Dirk Deaton certainly had to swallow a lot of spending he didn’t like. But he held firm and won passage of the governor’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/08/missouri-budget-negotiators-agree-to-spend-50-million-on-private-school-scholarship-program/">$50 million private school voucher program</a>&nbsp;that the Senate wanted to eliminate.&nbsp;Then, just hours before the constitutional deadline to finish work on the budget, and after the Senate had already gone home for the week, Deaton orchestrated the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/09/missouri-house-republicans-surprise-senate-by-killing-500-million-construction-bill/">surprise death of a $500 million construction spending package</a>&nbsp;— sinking projects for health care, education and law enforcement across the state and creating a bipartisan backlash that helped derail the governor’s stadium funding plan.&nbsp;The long-term consequences of Deaton’s move on the House’s relationship with the Senate still aren’t clear. But it solidified his reputation as a budget hawk willing to take extraordinary steps to keep state spending in check.&nbsp;<h2>Senate Democrats</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747266967562.png" alt="-&nbsp;Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck speaks about negotiations on a bill that seeks to establish a constitutional amendment to ban abortion (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>-&nbsp;Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck speaks about negotiations on a bill that seeks to establish a constitutional amendment to ban abortion (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>The session certainly didn’t end the way Senate Democrats would have liked.&nbsp;Efforts to protect two voter-approved initiatives — an abortion rights constitutional amendment and a paid sick leave law —&nbsp;went up in flames when Republicans went nuclear and shut down debate to force repeal bills to a vote.&nbsp;The 10 Democrats in the 34-member Senate had already spent months watching a suddenly unified GOP supermajority eliminate taxes on capital gains, take control of the St. Louis police, ease regulations on utilities and implement new hurdles in the initiative petition process.&nbsp;Yet despite the inglorious ending and parade of GOP wins, Democrats were successful at ensuring no high-profile bill cleared the Senate this year without at least a few Democratic priorities tacked on.&nbsp;The capital gains tax cut also expanded a property tax credit for the elderly and disabled that has been a longstanding Democratic priority. And it included sales tax exemptions for diapers and feminine hygiene products.&nbsp;Democrats won additions to the St. Louis police bill banning the shackling of pregnant prisoners, establishing a fund for exonerated prisoners to receive restitution and limiting what jails and prisons can charge inmates for phone calls.A bill allowing Missouri Farm Bureau to sell health plans also requires all health plans to cover extended supplies of birth control and expands access to testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.Next year’s legislative session may not be as fruitful for either party (see below). And it’s doubtful Democrats will look back at 2025 fondly. But the small-ball approach of making bills they hate a little less terrible scored the party some unexpected wins this year.&nbsp;<h2>Utility corporations</h2>For the first time in nearly 50 years, Missouri’s major electric utilities will be able to include the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/03/13/bill-repealing-missouri-law-limiting-utility-charges-heads-to-gov-mike-kehoe/">cost of new power plants</a>&nbsp;in the rates customers pay for service.Written specifically to encourage the construction of new natural gas-based generation, the new law could also be used to help finance a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/03/14/ameren-missouri-makes-long-term-plans-to-build-new-nuclear-power-plant/">new nuclear power station</a>. The law banning rates that include costs for construction work in progress was approved by voters in 1976 in response to the costs of the Callaway Energy Center, a 1,200 megawatt reactor near Fulton.The utility companies employed “squadrons” of lobbyists to pass the bill, complained state Rep. Don Mayhew, a Republican from Crocker. But they stitched together bipartisan majorities in both the Missouri House and Senate, getting votes from 20 Democrats and 76 Republicans in the lower chamber as it was sent to Kehoe, who signed it.Just days later, Evergy, a major power supplier in western Missouri, announced plans to construct a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.maryvilleforum.com/news/evergy-announces-plan-for-natural-gas-power-plant-near-maryville/article_7236bc78-d79d-48bc-8737-d9de595b825b.html" target="_blank">natural gas-fired power plant</a>&nbsp;near Maryville.<h2>LOSERS</h2><h2>The 2026 legislative session</h2>The final day of the legislative session ended when Republicans deployed the “PQ,” a rule allowing leadership to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">cut off debate and force a vote</a>&nbsp;over the objections of any senators trying to slow things down.&nbsp;The maneuver hasn’t been used by the Senate in five years. Before last week, the Senate had only used it 18 times since 1970.&nbsp;Democrats were furious, both because the GOP went nuclear after a session marked by negotiation and compromise and because they did so to roll back laws enacted by the voters just months earlier.&nbsp;Knowing Democrats’ response to the PQ would be to spend the final days of session using procedural hijinks of their own to muck up the process, Republicans adjourned for the year.Senate leaders have historically been hesitant to utilize the PQ because it generates lasting bitterness — and sparks retaliation. And that’s exactly what Democrats promised as they were leaving town last week.&nbsp;The bad blood could spill into a special session next month for the governor’s stadium funding plan. But just as likely, it could lead to wall-to-wall gridlock when lawmakers return in January.&nbsp;“From this point forward…everything is going to be so hard around here,” said Senate Democratic Leader Doug Beck. “It’s going to be very hard.”<h2>Direct democracy</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747656918817.png" alt=" Protestors hold up signs criticizing Missouri lawmakers’ recent votes to overturn ballot measures passed in 2024 during a rally on the Missouri Capitol steps on May 15 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Protestors hold up signs criticizing Missouri lawmakers’ recent votes to overturn ballot measures passed in 2024 during a rally on the Missouri Capitol steps on May 15 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri voters in 2010 overwhelmingly enacted tougher standards on dog breeders in the hopes of eliminating the state’s reputation as the puppy-mill capital of America.A few months later, lawmakers repealed the law and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/politics-issues/2011-03-10/mo-senate-passes-reversal-of-proposition-b" target="_blank">replaced it with a far less stringent version</a>.In the years since, the legislature repealed a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/11/04/voters-repeal-clean-missouri-redistricting-plan-they-enacted-in-2018/">nonpartisan redistricting plan</a>&nbsp;enacted by initiative petition in 2020; refused to implement&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/07/22/missouri-supreme-court-rules-voter-approved-medicaid-expansion-is-constitutional/">voter-approved Medicaid expansion</a>&nbsp;until the state Supreme Court ordered it to in 2021; and this year repealed a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">paid sick leave law</a>&nbsp;that 58% of voters enacted in November.&nbsp;Republicans also put a constitutional amendment banning abortion on the 2026 ballot, months after voters enshrined&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">abortion rights in the Missouri Constitution</a>.&nbsp;GOP lawmakers are quick to note that in the same elections that enacted all these policies, voters also put the GOP in control of every statewide office and sent a supermajority of the party to the legislature.&nbsp;And they contend voters were duped into supporting the proposals by well-financed campaigns.“This is one of those things, of the problem with direct democracy,” state Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, said earlier this year. “This is exactly what our founders were expressively against when they formed this nation.”For Democrats and the activists who backed the initiative petitions, the reality is Republicans aren’t concerned about the will of the people.&nbsp;“They disrespect the voters,” Beck said. “They don’t care.”<h2>Bayer</h2>When Bayer purchased St. Louis-based Monsanto in 2018, it inherited an avalanche of litigation alleging the key ingredient in its Roundup weed killer — glyphosate — causes cancer.&nbsp;The German pharmaceutical and biotechnology group has paid about $10 billion to settle Roundup claims, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bayer-seeks-new-roundup-settlement-while-exploring-monsanto-bankruptcy-35bf28de" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>, and still faces about 67,000 pending cases.&nbsp;Roughly 25,000 of those cases are in Missouri, since Bayer’s U.S. headquarters is in St. Louis. In 2023, a Cole County jury ordered the company to pay $1.56 billion to three plaintiffs, though a judge later reduced that to $622 million.&nbsp;The legal and financial peril has inspired the company to push legislation shielding itself from lawsuits alleging Roundup caused cancer. Two states — North Dakota and Georgia — have approved shield legislation.&nbsp;But the stakes in Missouri are especially high.&nbsp;A group tied to Bayer&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/25/political-attacks-stiffen-opposition-to-missouri-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">ran TV and radio ads in Missouri this year</a>&nbsp;presenting glyphosate as a benign, beneficial chemical essential to modern agriculture that is at risk thanks to frivolous lawsuits.&nbsp;Legislative leaders, along with the governor, lined up in support of the shield legislation.&nbsp;The bill eked out of the House with barely enough votes to pass before running into a buzzsaw of opposition in the Senate. Leading the charge was the Senate Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative Republicans lawmakers who in recent years have enjoyed the financial backing of Missouri trial attorneys.&nbsp;The four-member Freedom Caucus’s effort to kill the Roundup bill was joined by five other Republican senators after they were&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/25/political-attacks-stiffen-opposition-to-missouri-bill-to-protect-pesticide-makers/">targeted with a direct mail campaign</a>&nbsp;claiming resistance to passing the bill was a betrayal of President Donald Trump’s fight against China.&nbsp;The rising opposition sealed the bill’s fate, and few expect it to fare any better next year.&nbsp;<h2>David Wasinger</h2>The first-term GOP lieutenant governor didn’t mince words earlier this month when he decried how the Senate conducted itself while debating the state budget.It is time for a change, Wasinger declared while presiding over the chamber, and he vowed to take a more active role in proceedings while also&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/02/lieutenant-governor-sparks-fight-with-push-to-secure-larger-role-in-missouri-senate/">working to change the rules of the chamber</a>.&nbsp;“Uh… no,” was the response from Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin.&nbsp;A lieutenant governor doesn’t have any of that power. Wasinger was out of line giving a speech in the Senate chambers in the first place, O’Laughlin said, because that is “a right reserved for senators.”Soon after the kerfuffle, Republican state Sen. Jason Bean of Holcomb demanded Senate staff — both partisan and nonpartisan — be directed by leadership not to participate in any efforts by Wasinger to influence the rules or process.&nbsp;The next week, with Wasinger presiding, senators began making complicated procedural motions that appeared to befuddle the lieutenant governor. In the confusion, he incorrectly called for a vote on a bill too early, and when he tried to walk everything back left the Senate briefly paralyzed as staff worked to sort things out.&nbsp;Wasinger presided for a few more minutes before leaving the dais and sending a letter to Senate leaders informing them he would be absent the rest of the week.&nbsp;The Independent’s Rudi Keller contributed to this story.&nbsp;

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