By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/people/frank-morris">FRANK MORRIS</a> <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-01-06/mass-deportations-could-cripple-kansas-meat-economy-it-would-be-a-ghost-town">KCUR</a>

The price of beef is at all-time highs, but a major policy initiative of the incoming Trump Administration could drive them higher. In an industry that's already strapped for workers, mass deportations could put some ranchers and feedlots out of business.

Raising cattle is tough. Nearly every day, Kansas ranchers and feedlot operators have to wrestle with drought, disease or blizzards. But the biggest problem is labor — the industry is chronically short-handed. That is especially true in southwest Kansas.

“If the immigrants weren't there to help out, there wouldn't be an operation functional in any of those places,” said Micheal Feltman, an immigration attorney in Cimarron, Kansas, just west of Dodge City.

Feltman helps the feedlots and mega dairy farms near there find workers. He said people funneling into southwest Kansas, from at least 40 countries, are the lifeblood of the beef industry and the regional economy.

Close to half the people who process meat in the U.S. were born someplace else, and immigrants do much of the work feeding and tending animals. Most of these workers are here legally, but a significant percentage aren’t, and documented immigrants often support close family members living with them illegally.

That’s why President-elect Donald Trump’s promises of a sweeping crackdown on immigration, sealing the border, and deporting 11 million people have many people in the meat industry worried.

Mass deportations would trigger a cascade of hardships across the chronically short-staffed meat industry, Feltman said. Processing plants would slow down, causing meat shortages that economists worry would drive consumer prices to record highs. Farmers would find themselves with more livestock than they could sell or care for, and the value of their animals would plummet.

“If every immigrant … over the last 20 years disappeared immediately, it would be a ghost town,” Feltman said. “I don't know how the businesses would survive.”

For one recent Haitian immigrant, who said she was afraid to divulge her name because she fled hunger and horrific violence at home, the stakes seem like life and death. The woman and her 4-year-old daughter made their way to Garden City three months ago. They’re here on temporary humanitarian parole. That gives her two years to apply for asylum.

She’s still waiting to be granted a work permit, but said she’d be willing to do any kind of labor, including the dangerous, uncomfortable, smelly jobs at the Tyson packing plant on the outskirts of town. Through an interpreter, she said she’s following the letter of the law to stay in the U.S., and has an appointment for a screening that should clear the way for her work visa, and financial independence.

“It will bring me a lot of joy,” she said. “Because I have a kid to take care of, I have myself, and if I could invest in the country, it would bring me a lot of joy.”

Given Trump’s rhetoric during the election and since, she now fears she’ll be sent back to the violent chaos in Haiti instead of joining a workforce that badly needs her.

“It’s not safe. The gangs are killing people,” she said.

Despite hefty pay hikes for meat processing workers in recent years, the industry cannot hire people fast enough. In places like southwest Kansas, employers say there aren’t nearly enough native-born people willing to show up reliably and do the hard, dirty work necessary in the meat industry.

The complicated immigration system doesn’t allow in enough legal immigrants to make up the difference, so some companies turn to undocumented workers to get by.

University of Arkansas economist Jada Thompson said mass deportations would exacerbate the problem, sending shockwaves up and down the meat supply chain. For one thing, deporting meat-packing workers would slow down the plants, triggering shortages.

“I think we're going to see higher prices (for) the retail (customer),” said Thompson.

But farmers wouldn’t see any gains from soaring retail prices, she said, because there would be too many animals in the system for the meat processors to use, a glut building daily as more pigs and cows mature.

“I think you'll end up eventually seeing lower prices (for) farmers,” said Thompson, “because it will eventually be oversupply because, effectively, they just can't harvest that many animals.”

Thompson said the same thing happened a few years ago, but it wasn’t an immigration crackdown causing the labor shortage — it was the COVID pandemic.

“And what happened in that supply chain?” Thompson asked. “It backed it up. Prices went up. All of a sudden, you had people with pigs and cows that could not go to market because there was nowhere for them to be slaughtered.”

Those animals still had to be fed, and they still needed space to live in, but nobody wanted to buy them for meat, meaning farmers were spending extra money every day to keep more pigs and cows alive. Eventually, some farmers had to cut their losses, shoot their livestock and bury it. Everybody loses.

Kansas State University economist Glynn Tonsor said losses like those would spread broadly through southwest Kansas towns that depend on big feedlots, dairies and packing houses.

“They very often are one of the largest employers and local tax generators, so there's relevant implications for funding of schools, funding of libraries, funding of anything you want to talk about that's publicly funded in local areas,” said Tonsor.

It’s not clear yet how Trump administration deportations will work, if they happen at all, but Kansas Livestock Association CEO Matt Teagarden hopes they move slowly, and that they somehow shield the immigrant-dependent meat industry.

Teagarden said he believes border security should be tightened, but he’d like the system of granting work visas streamlined, not shackled. It’s either import people or import food.

“One of the alternatives is our food production goes overseas or moves outside the country,” said Teagarden. “If we don't have an adequate workforce, can't produce the food that we all want each day, each week, each month, that food production will go elsewhere.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736268185597.png" alt="Nearly half the people processing meat in the United States were born in another country, and the industry struggles consistently to find enough labor. U.S. Government Accountability Office/Wikipedia" />
 <figcaption>Nearly half the people processing meat in the United States were born in another country, and the industry struggles consistently to find enough labor. U.S. Government Accountability Office/Wikipedia</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/people/frank-morris">FRANK MORRIS</a> <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-01-06/mass-deportations-could-cripple-kansas-meat-economy-it-would-be-a-ghost-town">KCUR</a><h2>The price of beef is at all-time highs, but a major policy initiative of the incoming Trump Administration could drive them higher. In an industry that's already strapped for workers, mass deportations could put some ranchers and feedlots out of business.</h2>Raising cattle is tough. Nearly every day, Kansas ranchers and feedlot operators have to wrestle with drought, disease or blizzards. But the biggest problem is labor — the industry is chronically short-handed. That is especially true in southwest Kansas.“If the immigrants weren't there to help out, there wouldn't be an operation functional in any of those places,” said Micheal Feltman, an immigration attorney in Cimarron, Kansas, just west of Dodge City.Feltman helps the feedlots and mega dairy farms near there find workers. He said people funneling into southwest Kansas, from at least 40 countries, are the lifeblood of the beef industry and the regional economy.Close to half the people who process meat in the U.S. were born someplace else, and immigrants do much of the work feeding and tending animals. Most of these workers are here legally, but a significant percentage aren’t, and documented immigrants often support close family members living with them illegally.That’s why President-elect Donald Trump’s promises of a sweeping crackdown on immigration, sealing the border, and deporting 11 million people have many people in the meat industry worried.Mass deportations would trigger a cascade of hardships across the chronically short-staffed meat industry, Feltman said. Processing plants would slow down, causing meat shortages that economists worry would drive consumer prices to record highs. Farmers would find themselves with more livestock than they could sell or care for, and the value of their animals would plummet.“If every immigrant … over the last 20 years disappeared immediately, it would be a ghost town,” Feltman said. “I don't know how the businesses would survive.”<h2>The beef industry runs on imported labor</h2>For one recent Haitian immigrant, who said she was afraid to divulge her name because she fled hunger and horrific violence at home, the stakes seem like life and death. The woman and her 4-year-old daughter made their way to Garden City three months ago. They’re here on temporary humanitarian parole. That gives her two years to apply for asylum.She’s still waiting to be granted a work permit, but said she’d be willing to do any kind of labor, including the dangerous, uncomfortable, smelly jobs at the Tyson packing plant on the outskirts of town. Through an interpreter, she said she’s following the letter of the law to stay in the U.S., and has an appointment for a screening that should clear the way for her work visa, and financial independence.“It will bring me a lot of joy,” she said. “Because I have a kid to take care of, I have myself, and if I could invest in the country, it would bring me a lot of joy.”Given Trump’s rhetoric during the election and since, she now fears she’ll be sent back to the violent chaos in Haiti instead of joining a workforce that badly needs her.“It’s not safe. The gangs are killing people,” she said.Despite hefty pay hikes for meat processing workers in recent years, the industry cannot hire people fast enough. In places like southwest Kansas, employers say there aren’t nearly enough native-born people willing to show up reliably and do the hard, dirty work necessary in the meat industry.The complicated immigration system doesn’t allow in enough legal immigrants to make up the difference, so some companies turn to undocumented workers to get by.University of Arkansas economist Jada Thompson said mass deportations would exacerbate the problem, sending shockwaves up and down the meat supply chain. For one thing, deporting meat-packing workers would slow down the plants, triggering shortages.“I think we're going to see higher prices (for) the retail (customer),” said Thompson.But farmers wouldn’t see any gains from soaring retail prices, she said, because there would be too many animals in the system for the meat processors to use, a glut building daily as more pigs and cows mature.“I think you'll end up eventually seeing lower prices (for) farmers,” said Thompson, “because it will eventually be oversupply because, effectively, they just can't harvest that many animals.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736267973702.png" alt="Feedlots increasingly turn to immigrants, legal or otherwise, willing to do the hard, often uncomfortable work of caring for large animals. File photo/KCUR" />
 <figcaption>Feedlots increasingly turn to immigrants, legal or otherwise, willing to do the hard, often uncomfortable work of caring for large animals. File photo/KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure>Thompson said the same thing happened a few years ago, but it wasn’t an immigration crackdown causing the labor shortage — it was the COVID pandemic.“And what happened in that supply chain?” Thompson asked. “It backed it up. Prices went up. All of a sudden, you had people with pigs and cows that could not go to market because there was nowhere for them to be slaughtered.”Those animals still had to be fed, and they still needed space to live in, but nobody wanted to buy them for meat, meaning farmers were spending extra money every day to keep more pigs and cows alive. Eventually, some farmers had to cut their losses, shoot their livestock and bury it. Everybody loses.Kansas State University economist Glynn Tonsor said losses like those would spread broadly through southwest Kansas towns that depend on big feedlots, dairies and packing houses.“They very often are one of the largest employers and local tax generators, so there's relevant implications for funding of schools, funding of libraries, funding of anything you want to talk about that's publicly funded in local areas,” said Tonsor.It’s not clear yet how Trump administration deportations will work, if they happen at all, but Kansas Livestock Association CEO Matt Teagarden hopes they move slowly, and that they somehow shield the immigrant-dependent meat industry.Teagarden said he believes border security should be tightened, but he’d like the system of granting work visas streamlined, not shackled. It’s either import people or import food.“One of the alternatives is our food production goes overseas or moves outside the country,” said Teagarden. “If we don't have an adequate workforce, can't produce the food that we all want each day, each week, each month, that food production will go elsewhere.”

Mass deportations could endanger Kansas’ meat economy: ‘It would be a ghost town’

Emergency snow routes in St. Joseph have been cleared. City
road crews now are working to clean up other streets throughout the city.

St. Joseph Public Works Director, Abe Forney, says his snowplow
drivers have been out since this major winter storm was first forecast.

“We run nonstop,” Forney tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So,
three days ago or four days ago, whatever it is now, I’m losing track, we
started pretreating all the streets with the salt brine. And then right before
the snow, they started hitting some granular salt down. As soon as the snow
started to fall or as soon as the sleet started to fall, our crews have been on
24 hours a day.”

Forney says 18 snowplow drivers are out during the day with
about half that number taking over during the night shift. Though the snowfall
has been soft, it has drifted considerably, adding to the difficulty to
clearing city streets. Anyway from 10 t0 12 inches of snow fell in St. Joseph.

Forney says the snow caught some motorists who ventured out,
disrupting the snow removal process.

“A lot of the time when people have no parking garages or park
on the street it makes it difficult to get around,” Forney says. “And then when
people get out and start moving around before the emergency routes are cleared,
they start getting stuck and we have to either go around them and that causes
an issue or we have to help them get out.”

Though the snow that fell throughout Sunday was deep, it was
light without a lot of moisture. Forney says that made it easier to deal with
that heavy snowfall.

Forney says his road crews know the importance of their work.

“We really do work for the community,” Forney says. “And we
understand that everybody’s got to get out and get to their jobs and everybody’s
got to get their medication. So, please be patient with us.”

Snowplow drivers in St. Joseph have a lot of ground to cover.
The city has approximately 436 miles of streets.

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

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostEmergency snow routes in St. Joseph have been cleared. City
road crews now are working to clean up other streets throughout the city.St. Joseph Public Works Director, Abe Forney, says his snowplow
drivers have been out since this major winter storm was first forecast.“We run nonstop,” Forney tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So,
three days ago or four days ago, whatever it is now, I’m losing track, we
started pretreating all the streets with the salt brine. And then right before
the snow, they started hitting some granular salt down. As soon as the snow
started to fall or as soon as the sleet started to fall, our crews have been on
24 hours a day.”Forney says 18 snowplow drivers are out during the day with
about half that number taking over during the night shift. Though the snowfall
has been soft, it has drifted considerably, adding to the difficulty to
clearing city streets. Anyway from 10 t0 12 inches of snow fell in St. Joseph.Forney says the snow caught some motorists who ventured out,
disrupting the snow removal process.“A lot of the time when people have no parking garages or park
on the street it makes it difficult to get around,” Forney says. “And then when
people get out and start moving around before the emergency routes are cleared,
they start getting stuck and we have to either go around them and that causes
an issue or we have to help them get out.”Though the snow that fell throughout Sunday was deep, it was
light without a lot of moisture. Forney says that made it easier to deal with
that heavy snowfall.Forney says his road crews know the importance of their work.“We really do work for the community,” Forney says. “And we
understand that everybody’s got to get out and get to their jobs and everybody’s
got to get their medication. So, please be patient with us.”Snowplow drivers in St. Joseph have a lot of ground to cover.
The city has approximately 436 miles of streets.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Emergency snow routes cleared, St. Joseph snowplows move to other streets

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves says the
new Congress has work to do.

Graves, a Republican, says reforming the
country’s immigration policy needs to top the list of priorities for this
Congress.

“That’s going to be one of the very top priorities,
getting the border secure and we still have really no good idea of how many
individuals have been let into this country that are dangerous to citizens and
to the public,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.

Graves says while immigration reform might top
the list of priorities for the incoming Congress, the federal debt cannot be
far behind. Graves says Congress must slow down what he calls runaway spending
and the start needs to be reforming the process used to create a federal
budget.

“The way budgeting is done in Washington, and
this is completely contrary to everybody else’s, you know, their business’,
their home’s budgets, whatever the case may be, but in Washington, even if
there is an increase in what an agency got the year before, if there’s a decrease
in the increase then it’s considered a cut,” according to Graves. “And that just
simply isn’t the case. If you got more than you got last year before, then your
budget has gone up.”

And Graves says budgets must shrink. He says
Congress should begin by putting an end to mandatory spending.

“So, we’re going to have to take a good, hard
look at the way budgeting is done and take a good, hard look at how we can get
into some of this mandatory spending that gets plugged in, again, no matter
what.”

The Treasury Department reports the federal
deficit in the latest federal fiscal year topped $624 billion. The United
States has a national debt of more than $36 trillion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736193499890.jpeg" alt="Congressman Sam Graves/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Congressman Sam Graves/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostNorthern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves says the
new Congress has work to do.Graves, a Republican, says reforming the
country’s immigration policy needs to top the list of priorities for this
Congress.“That’s going to be one of the very top priorities,
getting the border secure and we still have really no good idea of how many
individuals have been let into this country that are dangerous to citizens and
to the public,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.Graves says while immigration reform might top
the list of priorities for the incoming Congress, the federal debt cannot be
far behind. Graves says Congress must slow down what he calls runaway spending
and the start needs to be reforming the process used to create a federal
budget.“The way budgeting is done in Washington, and
this is completely contrary to everybody else’s, you know, their business’,
their home’s budgets, whatever the case may be, but in Washington, even if
there is an increase in what an agency got the year before, if there’s a decrease
in the increase then it’s considered a cut,” according to Graves. “And that just
simply isn’t the case. If you got more than you got last year before, then your
budget has gone up.”And Graves says budgets must shrink. He says
Congress should begin by putting an end to mandatory spending.“So, we’re going to have to take a good, hard
look at the way budgeting is done and take a good, hard look at how we can get
into some of this mandatory spending that gets plugged in, again, no matter
what.”The Treasury Department reports the federal
deficit in the latest federal fiscal year topped $624 billion. The United
States has a national debt of more than $36 trillion.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Graves:  Congress must tackle border security, budget

Newly elected lawmakers seek exemptions for some businesses as challenge to ballot measure awaits action at the Missouri Supreme Court

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

BOONVILLE — In 2022, Heather Overstreet moved her growing&nbsp;<a href="https://topdogtrainingmo.com/" target="_blank">dog grooming</a>, training and boarding business into a converted garage.

It was a milestone for a business she started at age 16 by training dogs for friends of her mother. She innovated on the furnishings, refurbishing a bathtub left behind by the previous owner to use for dog washing. She built indoor kennels with room for 12 dogs and fenced 10,000 square feet outdoors to exercise dogs in daycare and overnight boarding.

But future expansion is on hold, Overstreet said, until she understands the impact of voter-approved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2024-038.pdf" target="_blank">Proposition A</a>, which increases the state minimum wage, on her payroll and customers.

“It not only throws off my math, but it just is an entirely new challenge,” Overstreet said.

Under the provisions of Proposition A, Missouri’s minimum wage rose to&nbsp; $13.75 an hour on Jan. 1, up from $12.30 an hour. It will increase again to $15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2026, with future adjustments tied to inflation.

Along with increasing the minimum wage, Proposition A requires some employers to provide paid sick and family leave starting May 1. Businesses with revenue of $500,000 or more must provide one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to five days per year for businesses with fewer than 15 employees and seven days per year for larger businesses.

Overstreet, who is also a member of the City Council in Boonville, with a population of about 8,000, admits she didn’t pay close attention to the details of Proposition A. She expected a more modest increase and had hoped to hold prices steady in 2025. Instead, she will notify customers of a rate hike, she said.

She needs three employees to cover the hours she is open.

Overstreet hires young people, often for their first job, to care for boarded dogs, and starts them at minimum wage. Over the course of a year, the increase will add $3,247 to employer payroll costs for every full-time minimum wage employee — $3,016 for additional wages and $231 for additional Social Security and Medicare taxes

“With minimum wage rising, that’s at least one extra dog that I need per day, which I guess you could say, is no big deal,” Ovestreet said. “But this is a small town, and I’ve only had that shop for two years.”

Proposition A, placed on the ballot via initiative petition,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missourians-vote-to-increase-minimum-wage-require-paid-sick-leave/">passed in November</a>&nbsp;with 58% of the vote with support from unions, workers’ advocacy groups, social justice and civil rights organizations, and a coalition of more than 500 business owners.

There was no large-scale opposition campaign prior to the election. But a court challenge filed in early December by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/09/business-groups-file-legal-challenge-to-voter-approved-minimum-wage-hike-sick-leave/">major business advocacy groups</a>&nbsp;asks the Missouri Supreme Court to invalidate the vote. And legislation filed in advance of this year’s session seeks to exempt 96% of private employers from the higher minimum wage.

Randy Vines, co-owner&nbsp; of a St. Louis business that also began as a home-based operation and a backer of Proposition A, said he’s sympathetic to Overstreet’s dilemma but argues that more money in the hands of workers helps the economy.

Other costs can squeeze profits as well, said Vines, who founded STL-Style, which makes merchandise themed to St. Louis for retail and wholesale markets, with his brother..

If the price of T-shirts goes up, for example, that has to be part of his pricing, he said.

“We’re kind of at the mercy of what the markets are doing and what the industry is doing in general,” Vines said. “So when costs go up for manufacturers, we have to, you know, pass that on.”

For most of the time since a federal minimum wage of 25 cents an hour was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/history/chart" target="_blank">established in 1938</a>, there was no Missouri law mandating a separate state rate. In 1990, lawmakers extended the minimum wage to all businesses, including those exempt under federal law.

The first ballot measure setting the Missouri rate above the federal requirement passed in 2006. It boosted the state wage&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2006petitions/ipMinimumWage-38" target="_blank">to $6.50 an hour</a>&nbsp;and required future adjustments based on inflation. The federal rate at the time was $5.15 an hour and had not been changed since 1997.

In 2018, when adjustments had increased Missouri’s wage to $7.85 an hour, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2018-204.pdf" target="_blank">passed a proposal</a>&nbsp;boosting the rate in yearly increments until it reached $12 an hour at the start of 2023.

An inflation adjustment set it at $12.30 an hour for 2024. If Proposition A had failed, the inflation-adjusted wage for 2025 would have been $12.65 an hour, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations stated in a news release.

The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, a rate that has been unchanged since 2009. The highest inflation-adjusted minimum wage was the Feb. 1, 1968, increase to $1.60 an hour, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm" target="_blank">equal to $14.76 an hour</a>.

Prior to November, opponents argued that increasing the minimum wage would&nbsp;<a href="https://showmeinstitute.org/blog/minimum-wage/the-moral-high-ground-and-the-minimum-wage/" target="_blank">cause inflation</a>, job losses and slow the state’s economy. Supporters point to research that calls those&nbsp;<a href="https://mobudget.org/raising-missouris-minimum-wage-is-good-for-workers-and-the-economy/" target="_blank">assumptions into question</a>, noting that the state’s unemployment rate has fallen faster since the start of 2019 than adjoining states that did not boost their minimum wage.

“Working families are the drivers of the economy,” Caitlyn Adams, executive director of Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action, said in a news release issued Dec. 30. “We are proud to take another step forward in building an economy that works for all.”&nbsp;

As he is leaving office, Gov. Mike Parson made job gains and low unemployment the top two bullet points in a news release listing the accomplishments of his administration, which began in June 2018.

Missouri added nearly 190,000 new jobs, saw more than $17 billion in new business investment and enjoyed unemployment that was as low as 2.1%, the lowest ever recorded, the release stated.

The impact of the increase will be significant for the economy,&nbsp;<a href="https://auditor.mo.gov/FiscalNote/ViewFiscalNoteFile/1411" target="_blank">proponents estimated</a>&nbsp;in filings used by State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick to write the fiscal summary of the proposal. Based on 2022 data, backers said 330,000 Missourians making minimum wage will get a pay raise, and almost 200,000 earning more than the minimum would likely receive raises because their pay is tied to the minimum. Wage costs in 2026 will be about $850 million more than 2022.

Business groups opposed to Proposition A didn’t mount a campaign to defeat it at the polls. Instead, they are asking the Missouri Supreme Court to declare the election invalid, alleging the ballot language was misleading and incomplete.&nbsp;

And instead of ordering a second vote, the challenge seeks to have the initiative proposal tossed completely for combining the minimum wage increase with the requirement for businesses to provide paid sick and family time.

The court refused to hear the case before the increase took effect. Instead, the court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/SC100876%20ORDER_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=SC&amp;di=205121" target="_blank">appointed Cole County Circuit Judge Josh Devine</a>&nbsp;as a commissioner to take evidence in the election challenge and report his findings by Feb. 10.

That could make it possible for the court to rule by the time the sick and family leave provision takes effect May 1.

By that time, there should be clear signals from lawmakers on whether they intend to step in.

A bill filed by State Rep.-elect Jeff Vernetti, a Republican from Camdenton, would exempt businesses employing almost half of all Missouri workers from the higher minimum wage.

The bill would exempt seasonal businesses or those&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/1326H.01I.pdf" target="_blank">employing 50 or fewer workers</a>. The bill would freeze the minimum wage for those businesses at $12.30 an hour.

Vernetti represents the tourist regions around the Lake of the Ozarks, where he owns a small Italian grocery and is a partner in a baseball/softball complex that hosts tournaments and other events.&nbsp;

Under his bill, the grocery would qualify for an exemption as a small business and the ballpark business would be exempt as a seasonal operation.

“I want to pay employees the most that they can possibly make,” Vernetti said. “I just think the market should dictate it.”

According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/table_maker/v4/table_maker.htm#type=16&amp;year=2024&amp;st=29&amp;hlind=10&amp;supp=0" target="_blank">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>, Missouri had 231,753 private businesses in the first quarter of 2024. Of that number, 96% had fewer than 50 workers, employing 46% of the private workforce.

The state minimum wage law does not apply to government jobs. But it would have no effect on state government if it did — in 2022, lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/02/24/4-6b-spending-bill-heads-to-governor-house-approves-bill-targeting-medicaid-expansion/">agreed to set $15 an hour</a>&nbsp;as the base wage for all state government jobs.&nbsp;

As a freshman, Vernetti said he knows he will have difficulty getting action on his bill. But he said he’s encouraged by the reaction from other new lawmakers he met on the freshman tour and hopes to get a committee seat that will allow him to push for it.

Proposition A passed overwhelmingly in high-population counties and failed in 79 of 94 counties where fewer than 25,000 votes were cast. That highlights the cultural and economic differences between urban and rural areas, Vernetti said.

“You couldn’t get a person in, say, St Louis city, to look for a job that’s even close to the minimum wage,” Vernetti said. “But in a lot of rural Missouri, those are important jobs. If it continues to increase, businesses are going to have no choice but to cut lower paying jobs altogether.”

A bill with a smaller impact, filed by State Rep.-elect Carolyn Caton, a Republican from Blue Springs, would rollback the minimum for&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/1457H.01I.pdf" target="_blank">workers younger than 20</a>. The minimum for those workers would be $12.30 per hour.

No bills changing the provisions of Proposition A have been filed in the state Senate.

Attempting to rollback the increase is short-sighted, Vines said. His business pays above minimum wage and has low job turnover even though most workers are part-time employees.

“If you’re at the point where you either have to pay everyone minimum wage and survive barely, or go under paying a little more than minimum wage, your business probably isn’t on stable footing anyway,” he said.

Overstreet, however, said she’s worried that customers will look for other options if she raises prices.

“Dogs are a luxury. They’re not a necessity,” Overstreet said. “I’ve had people leave already because they think I’m expensive.”

Boarding a dog overnight with Overstreet at Top Dog Training costs $40. Daycare costs $30. In much larger Columbia, about 25 miles east of Boonville, overnight boarding can be found starting at $55 and doggy daycare starts at about $40 per day.

“It’s good for them, the people receiving the minimum wage increase,” she said. “But like everything else you do, the rest of us are going to have to raise our prices on services or goods, essential or non-essential, luxury or not.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736249314371.jpeg" alt=" Heather Overstreet, owner of Top Dog Training in Boonville, explains the impact of a higher minimum wage on her small business. Her business includes a 10,000 square foot outdoor area to exercise dogs. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> Heather Overstreet, owner of Top Dog Training in Boonville, explains the impact of a higher minimum wage on her small business. Her business includes a 10,000 square foot outdoor area to exercise dogs. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Newly elected lawmakers seek exemptions for some businesses as challenge to ballot measure awaits action at the Missouri Supreme Court</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>BOONVILLE — In 2022, Heather Overstreet moved her growing&nbsp;<a href="https://topdogtrainingmo.com/" target="_blank">dog grooming</a>, training and boarding business into a converted garage.It was a milestone for a business she started at age 16 by training dogs for friends of her mother. She innovated on the furnishings, refurbishing a bathtub left behind by the previous owner to use for dog washing. She built indoor kennels with room for 12 dogs and fenced 10,000 square feet outdoors to exercise dogs in daycare and overnight boarding.But future expansion is on hold, Overstreet said, until she understands the impact of voter-approved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2024-038.pdf" target="_blank">Proposition A</a>, which increases the state minimum wage, on her payroll and customers.“It not only throws off my math, but it just is an entirely new challenge,” Overstreet said.Under the provisions of Proposition A, Missouri’s minimum wage rose to&nbsp; $13.75 an hour on Jan. 1, up from $12.30 an hour. It will increase again to $15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2026, with future adjustments tied to inflation.Along with increasing the minimum wage, Proposition A requires some employers to provide paid sick and family leave starting May 1. Businesses with revenue of $500,000 or more must provide one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to five days per year for businesses with fewer than 15 employees and seven days per year for larger businesses.Overstreet, who is also a member of the City Council in Boonville, with a population of about 8,000, admits she didn’t pay close attention to the details of Proposition A. She expected a more modest increase and had hoped to hold prices steady in 2025. Instead, she will notify customers of a rate hike, she said.She needs three employees to cover the hours she is open.Overstreet hires young people, often for their first job, to care for boarded dogs, and starts them at minimum wage. Over the course of a year, the increase will add $3,247 to employer payroll costs for every full-time minimum wage employee — $3,016 for additional wages and $231 for additional Social Security and Medicare taxes“With minimum wage rising, that’s at least one extra dog that I need per day, which I guess you could say, is no big deal,” Ovestreet said. “But this is a small town, and I’ve only had that shop for two years.”Proposition A, placed on the ballot via initiative petition,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missourians-vote-to-increase-minimum-wage-require-paid-sick-leave/">passed in November</a>&nbsp;with 58% of the vote with support from unions, workers’ advocacy groups, social justice and civil rights organizations, and a coalition of more than 500 business owners.There was no large-scale opposition campaign prior to the election. But a court challenge filed in early December by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/09/business-groups-file-legal-challenge-to-voter-approved-minimum-wage-hike-sick-leave/">major business advocacy groups</a>&nbsp;asks the Missouri Supreme Court to invalidate the vote. And legislation filed in advance of this year’s session seeks to exempt 96% of private employers from the higher minimum wage.Randy Vines, co-owner&nbsp; of a St. Louis business that also began as a home-based operation and a backer of Proposition A, said he’s sympathetic to Overstreet’s dilemma but argues that more money in the hands of workers helps the economy.Other costs can squeeze profits as well, said Vines, who founded STL-Style, which makes merchandise themed to St. Louis for retail and wholesale markets, with his brother..If the price of T-shirts goes up, for example, that has to be part of his pricing, he said.“We’re kind of at the mercy of what the markets are doing and what the industry is doing in general,” Vines said. “So when costs go up for manufacturers, we have to, you know, pass that on.”<h2>Minimum wage history</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736249258784.png" alt=" Jeff Vines, left. and Randy Vines in their STL-Style store on Cherokee Street in St. Louis. The Vines see the minimum wage increase as a boost for their business (Submitted photo)." />
 <figcaption> Jeff Vines, left. and Randy Vines in their STL-Style store on Cherokee Street in St. Louis. The Vines see the minimum wage increase as a boost for their business (Submitted photo).</figcaption>
 </figure>For most of the time since a federal minimum wage of 25 cents an hour was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/history/chart" target="_blank">established in 1938</a>, there was no Missouri law mandating a separate state rate. In 1990, lawmakers extended the minimum wage to all businesses, including those exempt under federal law.The first ballot measure setting the Missouri rate above the federal requirement passed in 2006. It boosted the state wage&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2006petitions/ipMinimumWage-38" target="_blank">to $6.50 an hour</a>&nbsp;and required future adjustments based on inflation. The federal rate at the time was $5.15 an hour and had not been changed since 1997.In 2018, when adjustments had increased Missouri’s wage to $7.85 an hour, voters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/2018-204.pdf" target="_blank">passed a proposal</a>&nbsp;boosting the rate in yearly increments until it reached $12 an hour at the start of 2023.An inflation adjustment set it at $12.30 an hour for 2024. If Proposition A had failed, the inflation-adjusted wage for 2025 would have been $12.65 an hour, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations stated in a news release.The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, a rate that has been unchanged since 2009. The highest inflation-adjusted minimum wage was the Feb. 1, 1968, increase to $1.60 an hour, which is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm" target="_blank">equal to $14.76 an hour</a>.Prior to November, opponents argued that increasing the minimum wage would&nbsp;<a href="https://showmeinstitute.org/blog/minimum-wage/the-moral-high-ground-and-the-minimum-wage/" target="_blank">cause inflation</a>, job losses and slow the state’s economy. Supporters point to research that calls those&nbsp;<a href="https://mobudget.org/raising-missouris-minimum-wage-is-good-for-workers-and-the-economy/" target="_blank">assumptions into question</a>, noting that the state’s unemployment rate has fallen faster since the start of 2019 than adjoining states that did not boost their minimum wage.“Working families are the drivers of the economy,” Caitlyn Adams, executive director of Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action, said in a news release issued Dec. 30. “We are proud to take another step forward in building an economy that works for all.”&nbsp;As he is leaving office, Gov. Mike Parson made job gains and low unemployment the top two bullet points in a news release listing the accomplishments of his administration, which began in June 2018.Missouri added nearly 190,000 new jobs, saw more than $17 billion in new business investment and enjoyed unemployment that was as low as 2.1%, the lowest ever recorded, the release stated.The impact of the increase will be significant for the economy,&nbsp;<a href="https://auditor.mo.gov/FiscalNote/ViewFiscalNoteFile/1411" target="_blank">proponents estimated</a>&nbsp;in filings used by State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick to write the fiscal summary of the proposal. Based on 2022 data, backers said 330,000 Missourians making minimum wage will get a pay raise, and almost 200,000 earning more than the minimum would likely receive raises because their pay is tied to the minimum. Wage costs in 2026 will be about $850 million more than 2022.<h2>Rollback efforts</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736249217936.png" alt="Heather Overstreet stands next to the tub she refurbished for washing dogs at Top Dog Training in Boonville. She is worried about the impact of the minimum wage increase on her dog boarding business (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Heather Overstreet stands next to the tub she refurbished for washing dogs at Top Dog Training in Boonville. She is worried about the impact of the minimum wage increase on her dog boarding business (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Business groups opposed to Proposition A didn’t mount a campaign to defeat it at the polls. Instead, they are asking the Missouri Supreme Court to declare the election invalid, alleging the ballot language was misleading and incomplete.&nbsp;And instead of ordering a second vote, the challenge seeks to have the initiative proposal tossed completely for combining the minimum wage increase with the requirement for businesses to provide paid sick and family time.The court refused to hear the case before the increase took effect. Instead, the court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/SC100876%20ORDER_FINAL.pdf?courtCode=SC&amp;di=205121" target="_blank">appointed Cole County Circuit Judge Josh Devine</a>&nbsp;as a commissioner to take evidence in the election challenge and report his findings by Feb. 10.That could make it possible for the court to rule by the time the sick and family leave provision takes effect May 1.By that time, there should be clear signals from lawmakers on whether they intend to step in.A bill filed by State Rep.-elect Jeff Vernetti, a Republican from Camdenton, would exempt businesses employing almost half of all Missouri workers from the higher minimum wage.The bill would exempt seasonal businesses or those&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/1326H.01I.pdf" target="_blank">employing 50 or fewer workers</a>. The bill would freeze the minimum wage for those businesses at $12.30 an hour.Vernetti represents the tourist regions around the Lake of the Ozarks, where he owns a small Italian grocery and is a partner in a baseball/softball complex that hosts tournaments and other events.&nbsp;Under his bill, the grocery would qualify for an exemption as a small business and the ballpark business would be exempt as a seasonal operation.“I want to pay employees the most that they can possibly make,” Vernetti said. “I just think the market should dictate it.”According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/table_maker/v4/table_maker.htm#type=16&amp;year=2024&amp;st=29&amp;hlind=10&amp;supp=0" target="_blank">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>, Missouri had 231,753 private businesses in the first quarter of 2024. Of that number, 96% had fewer than 50 workers, employing 46% of the private workforce.The state minimum wage law does not apply to government jobs. But it would have no effect on state government if it did — in 2022, lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/02/24/4-6b-spending-bill-heads-to-governor-house-approves-bill-targeting-medicaid-expansion/">agreed to set $15 an hour</a>&nbsp;as the base wage for all state government jobs.&nbsp;As a freshman, Vernetti said he knows he will have difficulty getting action on his bill. But he said he’s encouraged by the reaction from other new lawmakers he met on the freshman tour and hopes to get a committee seat that will allow him to push for it.Proposition A passed overwhelmingly in high-population counties and failed in 79 of 94 counties where fewer than 25,000 votes were cast. That highlights the cultural and economic differences between urban and rural areas, Vernetti said.“You couldn’t get a person in, say, St Louis city, to look for a job that’s even close to the minimum wage,” Vernetti said. “But in a lot of rural Missouri, those are important jobs. If it continues to increase, businesses are going to have no choice but to cut lower paying jobs altogether.”A bill with a smaller impact, filed by State Rep.-elect Carolyn Caton, a Republican from Blue Springs, would rollback the minimum for&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/1457H.01I.pdf" target="_blank">workers younger than 20</a>. The minimum for those workers would be $12.30 per hour.No bills changing the provisions of Proposition A have been filed in the state Senate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736249161353.png" alt=" Top Dog Training in Boonville, where Heather Overstreet is worried a minimum wage increase will delay plans to expand the converted garage that houses her business (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Top Dog Training in Boonville, where Heather Overstreet is worried a minimum wage increase will delay plans to expand the converted garage that houses her business (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Attempting to rollback the increase is short-sighted, Vines said. His business pays above minimum wage and has low job turnover even though most workers are part-time employees.“If you’re at the point where you either have to pay everyone minimum wage and survive barely, or go under paying a little more than minimum wage, your business probably isn’t on stable footing anyway,” he said.Overstreet, however, said she’s worried that customers will look for other options if she raises prices.“Dogs are a luxury. They’re not a necessity,” Overstreet said. “I’ve had people leave already because they think I’m expensive.”Boarding a dog overnight with Overstreet at Top Dog Training costs $40. Daycare costs $30. In much larger Columbia, about 25 miles east of Boonville, overnight boarding can be found starting at $55 and doggy daycare starts at about $40 per day.“It’s good for them, the people receiving the minimum wage increase,” she said. “But like everything else you do, the rest of us are going to have to raise our prices on services or goods, essential or non-essential, luxury or not.”

The battle over Missouri’s minimum wage didn’t end with November vote

Click <a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for area cancelations due to the lingering winter weather.

Click <a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for area cancelations due to the lingering winter weather.

Winter weather cancelations

St. Joseph street crews are busy pushing snow and clearing
streets for travel.

St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says conditions are
improving.

“Still, a lot of snow out,” Luster says during a call to the
KFEQ Hotline. “A lot of snow to deal with and now some freezing temperatures
which makes everything harder. Slow going, but the main thoroughfares, you can
travel on them.”

The side streets are hit and miss. Many haven’t been touched,
yet.

The blizzard conditions on Sunday caused vehicles to be
stranded on the Belt Highway. Several had to be removed before street crews
could plow the Belt.

“At one point, we were just tremendously backed up on stranded
motorists and slide offs where we were trying to get crews available to send to
them, but there were some moments there during the day yesterday that it got
really busy with those types of calls and motorists that needed help,” Luster
says.

Luster says, if drivers are careful, they should be able to
make it even as city crews continue to work to clear streets.

“Obviously, we’re not down to bare pavement yet, but they’re
working hard to get us that way.” 

Luster says to prepare before you travel. If you have to get
out, give yourself more time than usual, slow down, and leave plenty of
distance between vehicles.

St. Joseph got as much as 10 inches of snow during the
blizzard that began late Saturday night and extended into Monday morning.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph street crews are busy pushing snow and clearing
streets for travel.St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says conditions are
improving.“Still, a lot of snow out,” Luster says during a call to the
KFEQ Hotline. “A lot of snow to deal with and now some freezing temperatures
which makes everything harder. Slow going, but the main thoroughfares, you can
travel on them.”The side streets are hit and miss. Many haven’t been touched,
yet.The blizzard conditions on Sunday caused vehicles to be
stranded on the Belt Highway. Several had to be removed before street crews
could plow the Belt.“At one point, we were just tremendously backed up on stranded
motorists and slide offs where we were trying to get crews available to send to
them, but there were some moments there during the day yesterday that it got
really busy with those types of calls and motorists that needed help,” Luster
says.Luster says, if drivers are careful, they should be able to
make it even as city crews continue to work to clear streets.“Obviously, we’re not down to bare pavement yet, but they’re
working hard to get us that way.” Luster says to prepare before you travel. If you have to get
out, give yourself more time than usual, slow down, and leave plenty of
distance between vehicles.St. Joseph got as much as 10 inches of snow during the
blizzard that began late Saturday night and extended into Monday morning.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph streets improving in wake of brutal winter storm

Blizzard conditions forced the closing of Interstate 29 in
northwest Missouri from early Sunday morning until Monday morning.

Sergeant Shane Hux, spokesman for Missouri State Highway Patrol
Troop H in northwest Missouri, says as the winter weather wore on, the patrol
decided to close I-29 from north of St. Joseph to Rock Port.

“The roadway conditions were treacherous. I mean, it was not
safe for travel. So that’s why we strived to get the word out there,” Hux tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We were inundated with calls for service. We had
stranded motorists. Matter of fact, the First Christian Church here in Mound
City had to open an emergency shelter just for a place for troopers to
transport people to for safety.”

The patrol closed I-29, both northbound and southbound lanes,
from mile marker 56 north of St. Joseph in Andrew County to mile market 110 near
Rock Port in Atchison County at 5:30 Sunday evening due to deteriorating
driving conditions. It reopened early Monday morning.

Hux, who has been with the patrol for nearly 25 years, says
the conditions were as bad as he can ever remember.

“And we had hills, like for example, on Interstate 29
southbound at the 79 mile marker, they call that Squaw Creek Hill. Semis could
not get up that hill due to the slick conditions,” according to Hux. “Traffic
was backed up there approximately 6 ½ hours until we could get them through and
(it) wreaked havoc getting MoDOT trucks up in there so they could treat that
hill to give those vehicles traction to get up there.”

If you have to get out today, Hux advises you to give yourself
more time than usual, slow down, and leave plenty of distance between vehicles.

The Missouri Department of Transportation reports much of I-29
remains snow covered, though the sunshine today is helping clear the pavement
of snow. MoDOT asks motorists to limit travel on the instate while crews work
to remove vehicles that became stranded during the blizzard.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736190693116.jpeg" alt="Stranded truck on I-29 in northwest Missouri/Photo courtesy of Missouri State Highway Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Stranded truck on I-29 in northwest Missouri/Photo courtesy of Missouri State Highway Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostBlizzard conditions forced the closing of Interstate 29 in
northwest Missouri from early Sunday morning until Monday morning.Sergeant Shane Hux, spokesman for Missouri State Highway Patrol
Troop H in northwest Missouri, says as the winter weather wore on, the patrol
decided to close I-29 from north of St. Joseph to Rock Port.“The roadway conditions were treacherous. I mean, it was not
safe for travel. So that’s why we strived to get the word out there,” Hux tells
KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We were inundated with calls for service. We had
stranded motorists. Matter of fact, the First Christian Church here in Mound
City had to open an emergency shelter just for a place for troopers to
transport people to for safety.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736190762099.jpeg" alt="1st Christian Church of Mound City opened Sunday as an emergency shelter for stranded motorists/Photo courtesy of MSHP" />
 <figcaption>1st Christian Church of Mound City opened Sunday as an emergency shelter for stranded motorists/Photo courtesy of MSHP</figcaption>
 </figure>The patrol closed I-29, both northbound and southbound lanes,
from mile marker 56 north of St. Joseph in Andrew County to mile market 110 near
Rock Port in Atchison County at 5:30 Sunday evening due to deteriorating
driving conditions. It reopened early Monday morning.Hux, who has been with the patrol for nearly 25 years, says
the conditions were as bad as he can ever remember.“And we had hills, like for example, on Interstate 29
southbound at the 79 mile marker, they call that Squaw Creek Hill. Semis could
not get up that hill due to the slick conditions,” according to Hux. “Traffic
was backed up there approximately 6 ½ hours until we could get them through and
(it) wreaked havoc getting MoDOT trucks up in there so they could treat that
hill to give those vehicles traction to get up there.”If you have to get out today, Hux advises you to give yourself
more time than usual, slow down, and leave plenty of distance between vehicles.The Missouri Department of Transportation reports much of I-29
remains snow covered, though the sunshine today is helping clear the pavement
of snow. MoDOT asks motorists to limit travel on the instate while crews work
to remove vehicles that became stranded during the blizzard.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

I-29, closed during blizzard, reopens as MoDOT clears stranded cars

The St. Joseph City Council will vote to approve the contract for new City Manager Mike Schumacher during this (Mon.) evening's council session. 

Schumacher, who most recently served as the Lebanon City Administrator, was chosen from a field of 26 applicants, and emerged as the choice out of four finalists.  

District Four Councilmember Michael Grimm says one thing he learned during interviews with Schumacher, is that Schumacher revealed initially he wasn't even looking for a job 

"But he said when I saw this, my wife and I came up and she loved St. Joe, and I did too, so he said I went ahead and applied for it and if you hire me you hire me, and if you don’t I go back to Lebanon” Grimm tells KFEQ Hotline Host Barry Birr.   

 Grimm says this hiring has the opportunity to be the legacy for this current council 

"Because what we do here is hopefully going to last really far into the future with Mike,” Grimm explains.  “So, this could well be the one thing we did that people will remember us for.” 

Schumacher will be paid $190,000 annually.  If the contract is approved, he will begin work on January 21st.  Though City Hall is closed today, the council will still meet at 5:30 tonight. 

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

The St. Joseph City Council will vote to approve the contract for new City Manager Mike Schumacher during this (Mon.) evening's council session. Schumacher, who most recently served as the Lebanon City Administrator, was chosen from a field of 26 applicants, and emerged as the choice out of four finalists. District Four Councilmember Michael Grimm says one thing he learned during interviews with Schumacher, is that Schumacher revealed initially he wasn't even looking for a job "But he said when I saw this, my wife and I came up and she loved St. Joe, and I did too, so he said I went ahead and applied for it and if you hire me you hire me, and if you don’t I go back to Lebanon” Grimm tells KFEQ Hotline Host Barry Birr. Grimm says this hiring has the opportunity to be the legacy for this current council "Because what we do here is hopefully going to last really far into the future with Mike,” Grimm explains. “So, this could well be the one thing we did that people will remember us for.” Schumacher will be paid $190,000 annually. If the contract is approved, he will begin work on January 21st. Though City Hall is closed today, the council will still meet at 5:30 tonight. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

St. Joseph City Council set to vote to approve Mike Schumacher as new city manager

Blizzard conditions have moved out of the area. Bitterly cold
temperatures have moved in.

The winter storm nearly paralyzed the Midland Empire, dumping
anywhere from 10 to 12 inches of snow or more on the area. Winds with gusts of
more than 30 miles per hour made visibility difficult at best.

Interstate 29 has reopened after the conditions forced its
closure early Sunday evening into the overnight hours. The Missouri State
Highway Patrol closed I-29 at 5:30 Sunday evening from mile marker 56 north of
St. Joseph in Andrew County to mile marker 110 near Rock Port as travel
conditions deteriorated.

It now has re-opened, both northbound and southbound lanes.

The Missouri Department of Transportation encourages motorists
to avoid traveling today as crews work to clear the roadways across the state.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a state of disaster on
Sunday afternoon as the winter storm grew fierce and travel conditions grew
worse. The governor urged Kansans to stay off the roads.

The National Weather Service forecast mostly sunny skies today
with a high of only 18 today. Wind chills will be between minus-3 to minus-12.

Partly cloudy tonight with a low of minus-1.

The NWS has issued a hazardous weather outlook for our area.

Bitterly cold this morning throughout northeast Kansas and northwest
Missouri as well as into southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

It is not going to top 20 in our area until Thursday, when the
high is forecast to be 25. We could see a high of 31 on Friday.

Several closures, including St. Joseph schools, today. Click
<a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for a full list.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostBlizzard conditions have moved out of the area. Bitterly cold
temperatures have moved in.The winter storm nearly paralyzed the Midland Empire, dumping
anywhere from 10 to 12 inches of snow or more on the area. Winds with gusts of
more than 30 miles per hour made visibility difficult at best.Interstate 29 has reopened after the conditions forced its
closure early Sunday evening into the overnight hours. The Missouri State
Highway Patrol closed I-29 at 5:30 Sunday evening from mile marker 56 north of
St. Joseph in Andrew County to mile marker 110 near Rock Port as travel
conditions deteriorated.It now has re-opened, both northbound and southbound lanes.The Missouri Department of Transportation encourages motorists
to avoid traveling today as crews work to clear the roadways across the state.Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a state of disaster on
Sunday afternoon as the winter storm grew fierce and travel conditions grew
worse. The governor urged Kansans to stay off the roads.The National Weather Service forecast mostly sunny skies today
with a high of only 18 today. Wind chills will be between minus-3 to minus-12.Partly cloudy tonight with a low of minus-1.Sunny, 19, tomorrow.The NWS has issued a hazardous weather outlook for our area.Bitterly cold this morning throughout northeast Kansas and northwest
Missouri as well as into southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa.It is not going to top 20 in our area until Thursday, when the
high is forecast to be 25. We could see a high of 31 on Friday.Several closures, including St. Joseph schools, today. Click
<a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for a full list.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Area recovering from brutal winter storm; I-29 in NW Missouri reopens

Click <a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for winter weather cancelations.

Click <a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for winter weather cancelations.

Troopers continue assisting motorists on Interstate 29 in NW Missouri.

 MODOT is attempting to clear snow-packed roads. Small towns like Mound City have become parking lots for those who made it off the highway. Monday will not be a good travel day. Stay home if possible!

Troopers continue assisting motorists on Interstate 29 in NW Missouri.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">3:45 AM Update! Troopers continue assisting motorists on I-29 in NW Missouri. MODOT is attempting to clear snow-packed roads. Small towns like Mound City have become parking lots for those who made it off the highway. Tomorrow will not be a good travel day. Stay home if possible! <a href="https://t.co/Ku0HpxjwID">pic.twitter.com/Ku0HpxjwID</a>&mdash; MSHP Troop H (@MSHPTrooperH) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperH/status/1876203429150015732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> MODOT is attempting to clear snow-packed roads. Small towns like Mound City have become parking lots for those who made it off the highway. Monday will not be a good travel day. Stay home if possible!

MODOT continues to clear snow-packed roads in NW Missouri

DAVIESS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 10:30a.m. Sunday in Daviess County,

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2025 Kenworth semi driven by a 62-year-old Berwick, Iowa man was southbound on Interstate 35 two miles north of Pattonsburg.

The semi rear-ended a 2024 Volvo semi driven by a 23-year-old New Britain, Connecticut man. After impact the Kenworth traveled off the road and jackknifed. NTA ambulance transported the Iowa driver to Harrison County Community Hospital. There were no other injuries. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

DAVIESS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 10:30a.m. Sunday in Daviess County,The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2025 Kenworth semi driven by a 62-year-old Berwick, Iowa man was southbound on Interstate 35 two miles north of Pattonsburg.The semi rear-ended a 2024 Volvo semi driven by a 23-year-old New Britain, Connecticut man. After impact the Kenworth traveled off the road and jackknifed. NTA ambulance transported the Iowa driver to Harrison County Community Hospital. There were no other injuries. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Driver injured after Davies County rear-end crash

HOLT COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 12:30p.m. Saturday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Peterbilt 379 was parked on the east shoulder of northbound Interstate 29 in Mound City.

The truck became a downhill runaway and struck a 33-year-old pedestrian from Neligh, Nebraska.&nbsp; The truck continued off the east side of the road and the trailer struck a light pole.&nbsp; The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics.

HOLT COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 12:30p.m. Saturday in Holt County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Peterbilt 379 was parked on the east shoulder of northbound Interstate 29 in Mound City.The truck became a downhill runaway and struck a 33-year-old pedestrian from Neligh, Nebraska.&nbsp; The truck continued off the east side of the road and the trailer struck a light pole.&nbsp; The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene and transported to Frontier Forensics.The MSHP released no additional details.

Runaway semi strikes and kills pedestrian on Missouri highway

GRUNDY —One person was injured in an accident just after 11:4p.m. Saturday in Grundy County.

The MSHP reported a 2020 Toyota Tacoma driven by a 53-year-old McFall man was eastbound on NE 37th Street seven miles northeast of Trenton.&nbsp;

The driver failed to negotiate a curve in the road. The pickup traveled off the east side of the road into a ditxh and overturned.

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

GRUNDY —One person was injured in an accident just after 11:4p.m. Saturday in Grundy County.The MSHP reported a 2020 Toyota Tacoma driven by a 53-year-old McFall man was eastbound on NE 37th Street seven miles northeast of Trenton.&nbsp;The driver failed to negotiate a curve in the road. The pickup traveled off the east side of the road into a ditxh and overturned.Grundy County EMS transported the driver to Wright Memorial Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Mo. man injured after pickup overturns

CLINTON COUNTY—Three people were injured in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Saturday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Ford Explorer driven by a 27-year-old Excelsior Springs woman was westbound on Route PP two miles east of Holt.&nbsp; The driver lost control on the ice covered road. The SUV traveled off the north side of the road, struck a ditch and came to rest on its top.

EMS transported the driver, a 26-year-old male passenger and a 7-year-old male passenger to Liberty Hospital. The MSHP had incomplete seat belt usage details.&nbsp;

CLINTON COUNTY—Three people were injured in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Saturday in Clinton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Ford Explorer driven by a 27-year-old Excelsior Springs woman was westbound on Route PP two miles east of Holt.&nbsp; The driver lost control on the ice covered road. The SUV traveled off the north side of the road, struck a ditch and came to rest on its top.EMS transported the driver, a 26-year-old male passenger and a 7-year-old male passenger to Liberty Hospital. The MSHP had incomplete seat belt usage details.&nbsp;

2 adults, child hospitalized after SUV overturns on the ice

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Storm Warning for the Midland Empire.

The Weather Service updated its forecast, Saturday afternoon, posting a blizzard warning from three o'clock Sunday morning until three o'clock Monday morning.

This warning which covers northeast Kansas, northwest Missouri, southeast Nebraska, and southwest Iowa begins at noon today and runs through three o'clock Monday morning.

Meteorologists with the NWS forecast heavy mixed precipitation with total snow and sleet
  accumulations between 7 and 14 inches and ice accumulations up to
  one tenth of an inch. Winds will gust up to 40 miles per hour. The conditions will make travel very difficult to impossible.&nbsp; The NWS expects widespread blowing snow to significantly reduce visibility.

&nbsp;If you must travel, the NWS advises to keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency.

The latest road conditions in Kansas can be obtained by calling 5 1
1 and in Missouri by visiting <a href="https://traveler.modot.org/map/index.html">traveler.modot.org</a>.&nbsp;

The forecast for the greater St. Joseph area calls for a chance of snow and freezing rain, mostly late this afternoon. It will be cloudy with a high of 26.

The winter storm truly moves in overnight with NWS forecasting snow, possibly mixed with freezing rain, early in the evening into the overnight hours. The overnight low is expected to drop to 16 degrees.

Snowfall is expected to be heavy on Sunday with a high of 19. Wind chills will hover between -1 and -4. It will be blustery with northeasterly winds of around 21 mph and gusts of up to 37 mph. The NWS expects snow accumulations on Sunday to range from 7 to 11 inches.

This storm will leave bitterly cold temperatures in its wake. The NWS expects the storm to clear out by Monday morning with sunny skies and a high of 14 on Monday.

This story has been updated since first posted.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostThe National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Storm Warning for the Midland Empire.The Weather Service updated its forecast, Saturday afternoon, posting a blizzard warning from three o'clock Sunday morning until three o'clock Monday morning.This warning which covers northeast Kansas, northwest Missouri, southeast Nebraska, and southwest Iowa begins at noon today and runs through three o'clock Monday morning.Meteorologists with the NWS forecast heavy mixed precipitation with total snow and sleet
 accumulations between 7 and 14 inches and ice accumulations up to
 one tenth of an inch. Winds will gust up to 40 miles per hour. The conditions will make travel very difficult to impossible.&nbsp; The NWS expects widespread blowing snow to significantly reduce visibility.&nbsp;If you must travel, the NWS advises to keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency.

The latest road conditions in Kansas can be obtained by calling 5 1
1 and in Missouri by visiting <a href="https://traveler.modot.org/map/index.html">traveler.modot.org</a>.&nbsp;The forecast for the greater St. Joseph area calls for a chance of snow and freezing rain, mostly late this afternoon. It will be cloudy with a high of 26.The winter storm truly moves in overnight with NWS forecasting snow, possibly mixed with freezing rain, early in the evening into the overnight hours. The overnight low is expected to drop to 16 degrees.Snowfall is expected to be heavy on Sunday with a high of 19. Wind chills will hover between -1 and -4. It will be blustery with northeasterly winds of around 21 mph and gusts of up to 37 mph. The NWS expects snow accumulations on Sunday to range from 7 to 11 inches.This storm will leave bitterly cold temperatures in its wake. The NWS expects the storm to clear out by Monday morning with sunny skies and a high of 14 on Monday.This story has been updated since first posted.

NWS issues Winter Weather Storm Warning; blizzard warning added

BUCHANAN COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 6:30p.m. Friday in Buchanan County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Pontiac G5 driven by a 17-year-old from Plattsburg was northbound on U.S. 169 at SE Schwader five miles north of Gower.

The driver overcorrected. The car traveled off the east side of the road, struck an embankment and rolled onto its top.

Tri-County ambulance transported the teen to Mosaic. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

BUCHANAN COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 6:30p.m. Friday in Buchanan County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Pontiac G5 driven by a 17-year-old from Plattsburg was northbound on U.S. 169 at SE Schwader five miles north of Gower.The driver overcorrected. The car traveled off the east side of the road, struck an embankment and rolled onto its top.Tri-County ambulance transported the teen to Mosaic. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

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