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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seckinger calls it weird because there is really no way to anticipate how many people will apply to be a part of the program. 

AFL-CIO Community Services is currently seeking help with financial and physical donations to help with the Adopt A Family program.  

An annual newsletter was distributed three weeks late, and officials with the agency says due to that donations are not where they usually are by this point. 

Seckinger says currently they have not seen any donations of money or toys for the toy room 

"And so we are really hoping that now that these are hitting people's mailboxes that it's going to motivate them to go ahead and donate," Seckinger says.  "What we're afraid of is that maybe they have already given what they're giving for their seasonal giving because they didn't get it at the beginning of the month, and that's what we're terrified of." 

Toys donated for the toy room must be new and can be dropped off at the agency offices.  Money donations can be made at the office or online to help. 

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

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

Still time to apply for Adopt A Family; donations also needed

Trash fees have become a controversial issue in St. Joseph as
the city council considers sharply increasing fees at the city landfill.

A consultant recommends the St. Joseph City Council raise the
landfill rate from the current $32 a ton to as much as $125 a ton.

Interim City Manager Clint Thompson says St. Joseph’s low
rates invite trash haulers from outside the city to use the St. Joseph
landfill.

“Predominantly, the Kansas City metro area having that trash now
hauled to St. Joseph’s landfill,” Thompson tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.
“So, it’s doubled the volume during that time period.”

In 2014, 100,000 tons of trash were dumped at the St. Joseph
landfill, according to Thompson. That rose to 240,000 tons in 2019.

Yet, Josh Reinert, who owns ABC Disposal, insists the problem
at the landfill isn’t the amount of trash dumped, but a failure to develop
capacity at the landfill.

“It’s not the extra tonnage why we’re running out. It’s
because we’ve already cleared 30 foot off trash mountain, which is a mountain
of trash that we’ve stored for two years,” Reinert tells both Birr and Thompson
during a phone call to the KFEQ Hotline. “That’s why we’re running out of
capacity.”

Reinert and Thompson had a spirited exchange during the
Hotline.

Thompson says the St. Joseph tipping fee of $32 a ton has
attracted outside haulers used to paying $150-to-190 a ton to drive the extra
miles to come to the St. Joseph landfill.

“Raising that rate would be a deterrent for those out-of-town
haulers taking advantage of the low cost for disposal,” Thompson says.

Thompson says raising the rate should cut down on outside
haulers dumping trash in St. Joseph and increase the life of the landfill.

“I know we want to keep rates as low as possible,” Thompson
says. “However, in doing so, that has attracted what we feel is additional volume
from outside the immediate service area.”

Reinert disagrees with Thompson and disagrees with how the
city has gone about its study of the landfill capacity. Reinert also says such
a steep increase will raise trash service for the citizens of St. Joseph more
than the projected $5.

“When you give us a 400% increase at the landfill, that’s not
$5, not even close,” according to Reinert.

Reinert is not impressed with the study undertaken by the
consultant who has proposed the increase.

“You guys have not done a proper study,” Reinert asserts. “You’ve
based it all off of for-profit landfills when we are nowhere close to for-profit.”

Criticism of the proposed increase has prompted the city to
schedule a public forum on the issue in the council chambers next week. The
December 3rd forum will be followed by a St. Joseph City Council
work session on the topic.

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

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostTrash fees have become a controversial issue in St. Joseph as
the city council considers sharply increasing fees at the city landfill.A consultant recommends the St. Joseph City Council raise the
landfill rate from the current $32 a ton to as much as $125 a ton.Interim City Manager Clint Thompson says St. Joseph’s low
rates invite trash haulers from outside the city to use the St. Joseph
landfill.“Predominantly, the Kansas City metro area having that trash now
hauled to St. Joseph’s landfill,” Thompson tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.
“So, it’s doubled the volume during that time period.”In 2014, 100,000 tons of trash were dumped at the St. Joseph
landfill, according to Thompson. That rose to 240,000 tons in 2019.Yet, Josh Reinert, who owns ABC Disposal, insists the problem
at the landfill isn’t the amount of trash dumped, but a failure to develop
capacity at the landfill.“It’s not the extra tonnage why we’re running out. It’s
because we’ve already cleared 30 foot off trash mountain, which is a mountain
of trash that we’ve stored for two years,” Reinert tells both Birr and Thompson
during a phone call to the KFEQ Hotline. “That’s why we’re running out of
capacity.”Reinert and Thompson had a spirited exchange during the
Hotline.Thompson says the St. Joseph tipping fee of $32 a ton has
attracted outside haulers used to paying $150-to-190 a ton to drive the extra
miles to come to the St. Joseph landfill.“Raising that rate would be a deterrent for those out-of-town
haulers taking advantage of the low cost for disposal,” Thompson says.Thompson says raising the rate should cut down on outside
haulers dumping trash in St. Joseph and increase the life of the landfill.“I know we want to keep rates as low as possible,” Thompson
says. “However, in doing so, that has attracted what we feel is additional volume
from outside the immediate service area.”Reinert disagrees with Thompson and disagrees with how the
city has gone about its study of the landfill capacity. Reinert also says such
a steep increase will raise trash service for the citizens of St. Joseph more
than the projected $5.“When you give us a 400% increase at the landfill, that’s not
$5, not even close,” according to Reinert.Reinert is not impressed with the study undertaken by the
consultant who has proposed the increase.“You guys have not done a proper study,” Reinert asserts. “You’ve
based it all off of for-profit landfills when we are nowhere close to for-profit.”Criticism of the proposed increase has prompted the city to
schedule a public forum on the issue in the council chambers next week. The
December 3rd forum will be followed by a St. Joseph City Council
work session on the topic.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Trash has become a hot topic in St. Joseph

Following an unsuccessful capital campaign by the Shakespeare Chateau Guild to acquire the home, the historic bed and breakfast is hitting the market.  

After 13 years of owning the chateau, owner Isobel McGowan has announced she will put the historic St. Joseph home up for sale.  

McGown says while the ideal choice for the next owner was the Guild, the next best option is someone who wants to live in the house 

"Keep this as a luxury, upscale, personal residence, that could happen," McGowan tells a group gathered at the Chateau  

McGown says on the flip side of the coin, what she calls the worst case, is someone buying it who doesn't live in it or participate in the community 

"As something of a bobble or a trinket, some wealthy person maybe from another country who might be of the mind that they're not going to live here so why not take all of this beautiful interior design somewhere else," McGowan explains. 

Whether it will remain a bed and breakfast is still in question, but McGowan says if the next owner is as passionate about it as she is, she would be willing to help and pass along her knowledge of the home. 

"There's a lot of moving parts to running this as a bed and breakfast and insuring that the guests that come through my front door don't see any of the complexity, they only see the beauty, the elegance, the comfort, the welcome that they feel when they come through my front door, that they enjoy an evening of rest and relaxation, that they enjoy a fine breakfast in the morning," McGowan says. 

The original hope was that the Shakespeare Chateau Guild would purchase the home, as well as the house next door to preserve its history, and educate others on historic preservation.  

But after the unsuccessful capital campaign, that will not happen, though McGowan says the guild will still pursue the mission of historic preservation. 

"To bring the historic assets of St. Joseph to the forefront and help to promote them, and promote their preservation," McGowan says.  "There will be somewhat of a rethinking of how that mission will be achieved and that will yet to be seen going forward." 

McGowan is just the fifth owner of the historic St. Joseph home in its nearly 145-year history. 

The future is unknown when the house will go on the market.  McGown says she is currently working on a plan for putting the home for sale. 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706910875476.jpeg" alt="The Shakespeare Chateau/ File photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>The Shakespeare Chateau/ File photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Following an unsuccessful capital campaign by the Shakespeare Chateau Guild to acquire the home, the historic bed and breakfast is hitting the market. After 13 years of owning the chateau, owner Isobel McGowan has announced she will put the historic St. Joseph home up for sale. McGown says while the ideal choice for the next owner was the Guild, the next best option is someone who wants to live in the house "Keep this as a luxury, upscale, personal residence, that could happen," McGowan tells a group gathered at the Chateau McGown says on the flip side of the coin, what she calls the worst case, is someone buying it who doesn't live in it or participate in the community "As something of a bobble or a trinket, some wealthy person maybe from another country who might be of the mind that they're not going to live here so why not take all of this beautiful interior design somewhere else," McGowan explains. Whether it will remain a bed and breakfast is still in question, but McGowan says if the next owner is as passionate about it as she is, she would be willing to help and pass along her knowledge of the home. "There's a lot of moving parts to running this as a bed and breakfast and insuring that the guests that come through my front door don't see any of the complexity, they only see the beauty, the elegance, the comfort, the welcome that they feel when they come through my front door, that they enjoy an evening of rest and relaxation, that they enjoy a fine breakfast in the morning," McGowan says. The original hope was that the Shakespeare Chateau Guild would purchase the home, as well as the house next door to preserve its history, and educate others on historic preservation. But after the unsuccessful capital campaign, that will not happen, though McGowan says the guild will still pursue the mission of historic preservation. "To bring the historic assets of St. Joseph to the forefront and help to promote them, and promote their preservation," McGowan says. "There will be somewhat of a rethinking of how that mission will be achieved and that will yet to be seen going forward." McGowan is just the fifth owner of the historic St. Joseph home in its nearly 145-year history. The future is unknown when the house will go on the market. McGown says she is currently working on a plan for putting the home for sale. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Shakespeare Chateau will be put up for sale

A 35-year-old St. Joseph man has been charged with kidnapping
and robbery, accused of accosting a teenager who he blamed for a broken vehicle
window.

St. Joseph police say a 13-year-old boy said 35-year-old Glen
Barnett, Jr. punched and kicked him, took his phone, and pointed a gun at him.

A probable cause statement says the boy reported he was
walking in the 15-Hundred block of Savannah Avenue in the early morning hours
of October 6th when several people began chasing him, accusing him
of breaking the car window. The teen claims two began kicking him after he
fell, then dragged him into a house where they threatened to kill him.

The men released him. His mother reported the incident to
police.

Police say Barnett confessed to beating the boy and stealing
his cell phone.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732737215613.png" alt="Barnett photo Buchanan Co." />
 <figcaption>Barnett photo Buchanan Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA 35-year-old St. Joseph man has been charged with kidnapping
and robbery, accused of accosting a teenager who he blamed for a broken vehicle
window.St. Joseph police say a 13-year-old boy said 35-year-old Glen
Barnett, Jr. punched and kicked him, took his phone, and pointed a gun at him.A probable cause statement says the boy reported he was
walking in the 15-Hundred block of Savannah Avenue in the early morning hours
of October 6th when several people began chasing him, accusing him
of breaking the car window. The teen claims two began kicking him after he
fell, then dragged him into a house where they threatened to kill him.The men released him. His mother reported the incident to
police.Police say Barnett confessed to beating the boy and stealing
his cell phone.Barnett is being held without bond.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph man accused of threatening, beating teen

St. Joseph firefighters kept busy on Tuesday, responding to
two fires.

Fire crews responded to a structure fire near the intersection
of North 21st and Faraon Streets shortly after three o’clock Tuesday afternoon. Some property damage has been reported. No one was
injured in the fire.

Fire engulfed a multi-level house near South 14th
and Messanie Streets late Tuesday night. Numerous fire crew responded to the
fire. A section of Messanie was closed to traffic while firefighters tackled
the fire. Crews responded shortly after 11 o’clock and remained on the scene
throughout the early morning hours.

Again, property damage reported; no injuries reported.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph firefighters kept busy on Tuesday, responding to
two fires.Fire crews responded to a structure fire near the intersection
of North 21st and Faraon Streets shortly after three o’clock Tuesday afternoon. Some property damage has been reported. No one was
injured in the fire.Fire engulfed a multi-level house near South 14th
and Messanie Streets late Tuesday night. Numerous fire crew responded to the
fire. A section of Messanie was closed to traffic while firefighters tackled
the fire. Crews responded shortly after 11 o’clock and remained on the scene
throughout the early morning hours.Again, property damage reported; no injuries reported.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph firefighters respond to two blazes

A Cole County judge calls requirements for obtaining photo identification ‘generalized grievances shared by the population as a whole’

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>

A challenge to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/08/24/missouris-new-voter-id-law-faces-lawsuit-claiming-its-unconstitutional/">Missouri’s voter ID law</a>&nbsp;will proceed to the state Supreme Court following a Cole County decision&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/JUDGMENT.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3366631" target="_blank">upholding the 2022 legislation</a>, opponents said Tuesday.

The decision by Circuit Judge Jon Beetem found the individual voters and organizations that sued — the Missouri NAACP and the League of Women Voters — were unable to show they had been harmed by the application of the law and lacked standing to bring the case.

And addressing the particulars of their challenge, Beetem wrote the burdens were not onerous on any individual voter.

The law requires voters to show a Missouri or federally issued identification that includes a photo, the holder’s date of birth and an expiration date. Identification that has been expired for less than a year is acceptable.

“The individual plaintiffs and/or Missouri voters generally do not have a legally protectable interest in avoiding the everyday burdens of getting an expired license renewed,” Beetem wrote. “Any of the individual plaintiffs’ alleged injuries in this regard are generalized grievances shared by the population as a whole.”

The appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court will argue that Beetem applied the wrong standard to his analysis, said Denise Lieberman, director of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition and one of the lead attorneys on the case. The focus should be on the sometimes insurmountable burdens that thousands of Missourians face obtaining the documents to secure the needed identification, she said.

“The court got the test wrong,” Lieberman said. “It is the burden of the state to demonstrate it has no other way to advance its interests than through a law that burdens voters in this way.”

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who was the defendant in the case, praised the result as a victory for election integrity.

“To maintain a secure system for voting, it only stands to reason that a photo ID should be essential,” Ashcroft said in a news release.

The timeline for the appeal is uncertain. The ruling will not be final for 30 days, so the high court will not start setting a schedule until that time.

If the law is overturned, it will also end the two week period of “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/30/increasing-every-day-voters-line-up-across-missouri-for-chance-to-cast-ballot-early/">no-excuse absentee</a>” voting that proved its popularity this year. The early voting period was part of a compromise deal to allow the voter ID measure to come to a vote in the Missouri Senate.

Establishing a government-issued photo ID as the only acceptable form of identification for voting is a longstanding goal of Republican politicians in Missouri. Prior to the 2022 law, voters could also present a county-issued voter ID card, a student identification card, a birth certificate or a recent utility bill with their name and address as proof in order to vote.

After the courts rebuffed earlier attempts to enact a photo ID law, Republicans in 2016 placed a constitutional amendment on the ballot that specifically allowed it.&nbsp;

That vote was followed in 2017 by a law that allowed a voter who did not have a photo ID, but who had one of the other forms, to have their ballot counted if they signed an affidavit of their identity.

The Missouri Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=148515" target="_blank">overturned that law in 2020</a>. The law challenged in the decision issued Monday has been in effect since 2022 while the case has been argued.

A voter who does not have proper identification can cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted if they return to the polls with their ID or if their signature matches the one on file.

To succeed in their challenge, Beetem wrote, the plaintiffs had to prove “that there is no set of circumstances under which the challenged provisions of (House Bill)1878 are constitutional.”

They were unable to do so, he wrote. None of the individual plaintiffs had been denied a ballot at any election and the issues they raised — inability to obtain documents proving a name is misspelled or the expiration of an ID and the trouble involved in renewing it — have not been barriers to voting, he wrote.

The issues raised, he wrote, “do not present a substantial or severe burden upon the right to vote.”

The state has an interest in protecting elections and the public confidence they are fair, Beetem wrote. There was no evidence, however, that photo ID had prevented cheating.

“There was evidence that possible voter impersonation has been brought to the attention of local election authorities,” Beeem wrote. “However, no credible evidence was adduced of any voter impersonation which would have been prevented by requiring photo ID.”

Beetem missed that voters lose confidence in elections if they are uncertain if their vote will be counted, Lieberman said.

“Missouri has had a voter ID law on the books since 2002 and it worked fine because it allowed voters to show a range of forms of valid ID, including a voter registration card,” she said.

The organizations backing the challenge said the case needs to be appealed so it is easier for Missourians to vote.

“There’s no evidence of voter impersonation in Missouri, so these extreme restrictions don’t make our elections any safer or more secure,” said Marilyn McLeod, president of the League of Women Voters of Missouri.

The NAACP sees the law as a discriminatory act aimed at lowering turnout among people in minority groups, older adults and students, Nimrod Chapel Jr., president of the Missouri NAACP State Conference said in a news release.

“While these laws aim to fix an imaginary problem,” he said, “the disenfranchisement from the unnecessary and burdensome legal obstacles they create for voters is very real.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722436916800.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A Cole County judge calls requirements for obtaining photo identification ‘generalized grievances shared by the population as a whole’</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>A challenge to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/08/24/missouris-new-voter-id-law-faces-lawsuit-claiming-its-unconstitutional/">Missouri’s voter ID law</a>&nbsp;will proceed to the state Supreme Court following a Cole County decision&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/JUDGMENT.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3366631" target="_blank">upholding the 2022 legislation</a>, opponents said Tuesday.The decision by Circuit Judge Jon Beetem found the individual voters and organizations that sued — the Missouri NAACP and the League of Women Voters — were unable to show they had been harmed by the application of the law and lacked standing to bring the case.And addressing the particulars of their challenge, Beetem wrote the burdens were not onerous on any individual voter.The law requires voters to show a Missouri or federally issued identification that includes a photo, the holder’s date of birth and an expiration date. Identification that has been expired for less than a year is acceptable.“The individual plaintiffs and/or Missouri voters generally do not have a legally protectable interest in avoiding the everyday burdens of getting an expired license renewed,” Beetem wrote. “Any of the individual plaintiffs’ alleged injuries in this regard are generalized grievances shared by the population as a whole.”The appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court will argue that Beetem applied the wrong standard to his analysis, said Denise Lieberman, director of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition and one of the lead attorneys on the case. The focus should be on the sometimes insurmountable burdens that thousands of Missourians face obtaining the documents to secure the needed identification, she said.“The court got the test wrong,” Lieberman said. “It is the burden of the state to demonstrate it has no other way to advance its interests than through a law that burdens voters in this way.”Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who was the defendant in the case, praised the result as a victory for election integrity.“To maintain a secure system for voting, it only stands to reason that a photo ID should be essential,” Ashcroft said in a news release.The timeline for the appeal is uncertain. The ruling will not be final for 30 days, so the high court will not start setting a schedule until that time.If the law is overturned, it will also end the two week period of “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/30/increasing-every-day-voters-line-up-across-missouri-for-chance-to-cast-ballot-early/">no-excuse absentee</a>” voting that proved its popularity this year. The early voting period was part of a compromise deal to allow the voter ID measure to come to a vote in the Missouri Senate.Establishing a government-issued photo ID as the only acceptable form of identification for voting is a longstanding goal of Republican politicians in Missouri. Prior to the 2022 law, voters could also present a county-issued voter ID card, a student identification card, a birth certificate or a recent utility bill with their name and address as proof in order to vote.After the courts rebuffed earlier attempts to enact a photo ID law, Republicans in 2016 placed a constitutional amendment on the ballot that specifically allowed it.&nbsp;That vote was followed in 2017 by a law that allowed a voter who did not have a photo ID, but who had one of the other forms, to have their ballot counted if they signed an affidavit of their identity.The Missouri Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=148515" target="_blank">overturned that law in 2020</a>. The law challenged in the decision issued Monday has been in effect since 2022 while the case has been argued.A voter who does not have proper identification can cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted if they return to the polls with their ID or if their signature matches the one on file.To succeed in their challenge, Beetem wrote, the plaintiffs had to prove “that there is no set of circumstances under which the challenged provisions of (House Bill)1878 are constitutional.”They were unable to do so, he wrote. None of the individual plaintiffs had been denied a ballot at any election and the issues they raised — inability to obtain documents proving a name is misspelled or the expiration of an ID and the trouble involved in renewing it — have not been barriers to voting, he wrote.The issues raised, he wrote, “do not present a substantial or severe burden upon the right to vote.”The state has an interest in protecting elections and the public confidence they are fair, Beetem wrote. There was no evidence, however, that photo ID had prevented cheating.“There was evidence that possible voter impersonation has been brought to the attention of local election authorities,” Beeem wrote. “However, no credible evidence was adduced of any voter impersonation which would have been prevented by requiring photo ID.”Beetem missed that voters lose confidence in elections if they are uncertain if their vote will be counted, Lieberman said.“Missouri has had a voter ID law on the books since 2002 and it worked fine because it allowed voters to show a range of forms of valid ID, including a voter registration card,” she said.The organizations backing the challenge said the case needs to be appealed so it is easier for Missourians to vote.“There’s no evidence of voter impersonation in Missouri, so these extreme restrictions don’t make our elections any safer or more secure,” said Marilyn McLeod, president of the League of Women Voters of Missouri.The NAACP sees the law as a discriminatory act aimed at lowering turnout among people in minority groups, older adults and students, Nimrod Chapel Jr., president of the Missouri NAACP State Conference said in a news release.“While these laws aim to fix an imaginary problem,” he said, “the disenfranchisement from the unnecessary and burdensome legal obstacles they create for voters is very real.”

Challenge to voter ID law heading for appeal to Missouri Supreme Court

Ruling says the Missouri Constitution allows the commission to use unspent money in the state Road Fund for any permissible purpose, including implementing a market pay plan for MoDOT employees

Missouri Department of Transportation employees are entitled to raises included in a market pay plan even if lawmakers haven’t appropriated enough money to cover the cost, the Western District Missouri Court of Appeals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=214797" target="_blank">ruled Tuesday</a>.

In the unanimous decision, Judge Gary Witt wrote that the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=IV++++30(b)&amp;bid=31847&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">Missouri Constitution is unambiguous</a>&nbsp;in the power it gives to the Highways and Transportation Commission to spend money in the state Road Fund.

The only off-limits money in the Road Fund, Witt wrote, is the portion set aside for debt payments.

“Once MHTC complies with these requirements,” Witt wrote, “MHTC retains sole discretion in&nbsp;using and expending the remaining balance of the State Road Fund in accordance with&nbsp;the constitutionally permissible uses.”

The ruling comes less than three weeks after the three-judge panel&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/07/appeals-court-judges-hear-arguments-over-limits-on-use-of-missouri-road-fund/">heard arguments</a>&nbsp;and, barring a final appeal to the Supreme Court, ends a case that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newstribune.com/news/2021/dec/04/MoDOT-suing-state-over-ability-to-use-funds-for-em/" target="_blank">began in 2021</a>&nbsp;. The decision upholds a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/01/judge-approves-pay-raise-plan-for-missouri-transportation-agency-workers/">trial court ruling</a>&nbsp;from Cole County.

The dispute began when Commissioner of Administration Ken Zellers refused to issue paychecks that included raises intended to stem rapidly rising turnover in the department.

The heart of the case is language in the Constitution that states money in the Road Fund shall “stand appropriated without legislative action” for the limited purposes of road construction and maintenance. Money in the road fund comes from fuel taxes and license fees.

“The payment of the employees of MHTC is within the constitutionally permissible uses of the State Road Fund to ‘employ such personnel as necessary,’” Witt wrote.

MoDOT will not comment on the case until the court decision is final, spokeswoman Linda Horn wrote in an email to The Independent.

The Attorney General’s office, which represented Zellers, also did not respond.

In opposing the pay raises, Deputy Solicitor General Sam Freedlund argued to the appeals court that only the debt obligations of the commission could be paid if lawmakers did not appropriate sufficient money. Otherwise, the legislature must appropriate the money, he said.

“All sorts of agencies, I’m sure, want to pay their employees different amounts, but it’s the legislation that ultimately controls the public purse strings,” Freedlund said.

The judges were skeptical of that argument in the hearing and the ruling shows why. The constitutional language, Witt wrote, “unambiguously provides that the entire State Road Fund stands appropriated without legislative action.”

The language has never been tested previously because the commission stayed within the annual appropriations made by lawmakers. The market plan went outside the appropriations in an effort to stem massive turnover in the agency.

The department lost an average of 600 employees per year from fiscal 2018 to fiscal 2021 out of an employee base of about 5,000. During that period, state pay raises were small or non-existent.

Turnover has remained high — 14%, or 654 employees in fiscal 2024 — even as pay raises became more generous throughout state government. Since the lawsuit started, state employees generally have received raises equaling almost 21% more than their salaries in 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The commission’s goal for the pay plan was to raise pay levels so 65% of MoDOT employees are at or above the midpoint in the pay range for their job. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2024, 89.3% were below the midpoint, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY26_MODOT_Appropriation_Book.pdf" target="_blank">state budget documents</a>.

The lawsuit was filed two months after the first state fuel tax increase in 27 years took effect. State lawmakers approved the tax increase – 12.5 cents per gallon phased in over five years – without seeking a statewide vote.

So far, the tax increase has added 10 cents a gallon to the cost of fuel and when fully implemented on July 1, 2025, motorists will be paying a total of 29.9 cents per gallon in state fuel taxes.

The lawsuit enraged some lawmakers. State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, and five other Republican senators, in a February 2022 letter to the commission, demanded that MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna either resign or be fired.

McKenna survived the attacks. In August, after securing a new job, he told the commission he was resigning after nine years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732659244668.png" alt=" The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission can spend more on salaries than lawmakers appropriate if there is enough money in the Road Fund, a Missouri Western District of Appeals panel of Judges Gary Witt, left, Mark Pfeiffer, center and Thomas Chapman ruled Tuesday. The judges are shown during oral arguments Nov. 7 at the University of Missouri's law school. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission can spend more on salaries than lawmakers appropriate if there is enough money in the Road Fund, a Missouri Western District of Appeals panel of Judges Gary Witt, left, Mark Pfeiffer, center and Thomas Chapman ruled Tuesday. The judges are shown during oral arguments Nov. 7 at the University of Missouri's law school. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Ruling says the Missouri Constitution allows the commission to use unspent money in the state Road Fund for any permissible purpose, including implementing a market pay plan for MoDOT employees</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>Missouri Department of Transportation employees are entitled to raises included in a market pay plan even if lawmakers haven’t appropriated enough money to cover the cost, the Western District Missouri Court of Appeals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=214797" target="_blank">ruled Tuesday</a>.In the unanimous decision, Judge Gary Witt wrote that the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=IV++++30(b)&amp;bid=31847&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">Missouri Constitution is unambiguous</a>&nbsp;in the power it gives to the Highways and Transportation Commission to spend money in the state Road Fund.The only off-limits money in the Road Fund, Witt wrote, is the portion set aside for debt payments.“Once MHTC complies with these requirements,” Witt wrote, “MHTC retains sole discretion in&nbsp;using and expending the remaining balance of the State Road Fund in accordance with&nbsp;the constitutionally permissible uses.”The ruling comes less than three weeks after the three-judge panel&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/07/appeals-court-judges-hear-arguments-over-limits-on-use-of-missouri-road-fund/">heard arguments</a>&nbsp;and, barring a final appeal to the Supreme Court, ends a case that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newstribune.com/news/2021/dec/04/MoDOT-suing-state-over-ability-to-use-funds-for-em/" target="_blank">began in 2021</a>&nbsp;. The decision upholds a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/01/judge-approves-pay-raise-plan-for-missouri-transportation-agency-workers/">trial court ruling</a>&nbsp;from Cole County.The dispute began when Commissioner of Administration Ken Zellers refused to issue paychecks that included raises intended to stem rapidly rising turnover in the department.The heart of the case is language in the Constitution that states money in the Road Fund shall “stand appropriated without legislative action” for the limited purposes of road construction and maintenance. Money in the road fund comes from fuel taxes and license fees.“The payment of the employees of MHTC is within the constitutionally permissible uses of the State Road Fund to ‘employ such personnel as necessary,’” Witt wrote.MoDOT will not comment on the case until the court decision is final, spokeswoman Linda Horn wrote in an email to The Independent.The Attorney General’s office, which represented Zellers, also did not respond.In opposing the pay raises, Deputy Solicitor General Sam Freedlund argued to the appeals court that only the debt obligations of the commission could be paid if lawmakers did not appropriate sufficient money. Otherwise, the legislature must appropriate the money, he said.“All sorts of agencies, I’m sure, want to pay their employees different amounts, but it’s the legislation that ultimately controls the public purse strings,” Freedlund said.The judges were skeptical of that argument in the hearing and the ruling shows why. The constitutional language, Witt wrote, “unambiguously provides that the entire State Road Fund stands appropriated without legislative action.”The language has never been tested previously because the commission stayed within the annual appropriations made by lawmakers. The market plan went outside the appropriations in an effort to stem massive turnover in the agency.The department lost an average of 600 employees per year from fiscal 2018 to fiscal 2021 out of an employee base of about 5,000. During that period, state pay raises were small or non-existent.Turnover has remained high — 14%, or 654 employees in fiscal 2024 — even as pay raises became more generous throughout state government. Since the lawsuit started, state employees generally have received raises equaling almost 21% more than their salaries in 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;The commission’s goal for the pay plan was to raise pay levels so 65% of MoDOT employees are at or above the midpoint in the pay range for their job. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2024, 89.3% were below the midpoint, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY26_MODOT_Appropriation_Book.pdf" target="_blank">state budget documents</a>.“The payment of the employees of MHTC is within the constitutionally permissible uses of the State Road Fund to ‘employ such personnel as necessary,’” Witt wrote.The lawsuit was filed two months after the first state fuel tax increase in 27 years took effect. State lawmakers approved the tax increase – 12.5 cents per gallon phased in over five years – without seeking a statewide vote.So far, the tax increase has added 10 cents a gallon to the cost of fuel and when fully implemented on July 1, 2025, motorists will be paying a total of 29.9 cents per gallon in state fuel taxes.The lawsuit enraged some lawmakers. State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, and five other Republican senators, in a February 2022 letter to the commission, demanded that MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna either resign or be fired.McKenna survived the attacks. In August, after securing a new job, he told the commission he was resigning after nine years.

Missouri appeals court backs highways commission on raises for state road workers

The Noyes Home for Children is recognizing people in the St. Joseph community for their kindness 

Kindness St. Joseph is designed to recognize acts of kindness and people's work in the city.   

Executive Director Chelsea Howlett says students in kindergarten through 12th grade were invited to submit essays nominating people in the community 

"Obviously, kindergartners got to draw pictures and have someone help them write those sentiments about the kindest person they know," Howlett tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr.  "And just last week we actually read all the essays, they were due on November 8th, and I tell you what it was really heartwarming to see what our children see out in the world and those that are doing great things." 

The event is based off the Kindness Kansas Citian, presented by Synergy Services in Kansas City.  

Howlett says the people submitted run the gamut, and adds that as a mother herself, it was heartwarming to see many submissions from students nominating their moms. 

"And all the things that they do to make sure their lives are good, that they're nourished and cared for, and all the extra things that moms do, and dads do too, to ensure that they have what they want and what they need in life," Howlett explains.  "There were so many essays about moms but there were also great essays about grandparents, aunts, neighbors, teachers were very common." 

Howlett says winners of the event will be announced in January, with a celebration in March. 

And Howlett says they aren't just honoring people though, and currently people can nominate the Kindest School in the city.  

"So, anybody of any age can say you know what I feel that this school really exemplifies what it means to be kind and accepting, whether it be how the students engage with one another, the teachers, the administrative staff, just the culture of kindness in general," Howlett says. 

Individuals can also nominate anyone in St. Joseph as a Kindness Keeper. Forms are available on the <a href="https://noyeshome.org/">Noyes Homes website</a>.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732649291317.jpeg" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Noyes Home for Children is recognizing people in the St. Joseph community for their kindness Kindness St. Joseph is designed to recognize acts of kindness and people's work in the city. Executive Director Chelsea Howlett says students in kindergarten through 12th grade were invited to submit essays nominating people in the community "Obviously, kindergartners got to draw pictures and have someone help them write those sentiments about the kindest person they know," Howlett tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "And just last week we actually read all the essays, they were due on November 8th, and I tell you what it was really heartwarming to see what our children see out in the world and those that are doing great things." The event is based off the Kindness Kansas Citian, presented by Synergy Services in Kansas City. Howlett says the people submitted run the gamut, and adds that as a mother herself, it was heartwarming to see many submissions from students nominating their moms. "And all the things that they do to make sure their lives are good, that they're nourished and cared for, and all the extra things that moms do, and dads do too, to ensure that they have what they want and what they need in life," Howlett explains. "There were so many essays about moms but there were also great essays about grandparents, aunts, neighbors, teachers were very common." Howlett says winners of the event will be announced in January, with a celebration in March. And Howlett says they aren't just honoring people though, and currently people can nominate the Kindest School in the city. "So, anybody of any age can say you know what I feel that this school really exemplifies what it means to be kind and accepting, whether it be how the students engage with one another, the teachers, the administrative staff, just the culture of kindness in general," Howlett says. Individuals can also nominate anyone in St. Joseph as a Kindness Keeper. Forms are available on the <a href="https://noyeshome.org/">Noyes Homes website</a>. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Noyes Home for Children honoring kindness in the community

St. Joseph police say a 19-year-old St. Joseph resident has
suffered a gunshot wound in what appears to be an accidental shooting.

Police report officers responded to a residence in the 12-Hundred
block of Angelique Street shortly after eight o’clock Monday night after a
shot was fired inside the residence. Officers found the wounded man who is said
to be in stable condition.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph police say a 19-year-old St. Joseph resident has
suffered a gunshot wound in what appears to be an accidental shooting.Police report officers responded to a residence in the 12-Hundred
block of Angelique Street shortly after eight o’clock Monday night after a
shot was fired inside the residence. Officers found the wounded man who is said
to be in stable condition.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph police respond to accidental shooting

Millions of travelers are expected on America's roadways this week in anticipation of Thanksgiving.

Sergeant Shane Hux, with Troop H in St. Joseph, has some simple tips to keep in mind for safe holiday travel, especially if weather becomes an issue. "First and foremost, its always important to plan your trip. This time of year in Missouri, you never know what the weather will hold. Always check the weather forecast along your route."

Hux adds other simple precautions drivers can take are to always obey traffic laws, buckle up, and put your phone down. "We hope that people comply with the state's new hands free law and avoid distractions."

Hux notes that over 100 people lose their lives every year in Missouri due to distracted driving. "Its important to remember there is a law in place that you cannot hold or support a cell phone or other wireless device while you are driving."&nbsp;

Hux recommends purchasing a phone holder for your dash, or having a passenger handle the phone for GPS.

The peak travel days this year for the Thanksgiving holiday are Wednesday, November 27th thru Sunday, December 1st. Hux says, "All available troopers throughout Missouri will be working during the holiday counting period, especially in Northwest Missouri."

AAA estimates 80,000,000 people will travel for Thanksgiving this year.

By RYAN SKAITHSt. Joseph PostMillions of travelers are expected on America's roadways this week in anticipation of Thanksgiving.Sergeant Shane Hux, with Troop H in St. Joseph, has some simple tips to keep in mind for safe holiday travel, especially if weather becomes an issue. "First and foremost, its always important to plan your trip. This time of year in Missouri, you never know what the weather will hold. Always check the weather forecast along your route."Hux adds other simple precautions drivers can take are to always obey traffic laws, buckle up, and put your phone down. "We hope that people comply with the state's new hands free law and avoid distractions."Hux notes that over 100 people lose their lives every year in Missouri due to distracted driving. "Its important to remember there is a law in place that you cannot hold or support a cell phone or other wireless device while you are driving."&nbsp;Hux recommends purchasing a phone holder for your dash, or having a passenger handle the phone for GPS.The peak travel days this year for the Thanksgiving holiday are Wednesday, November 27th thru Sunday, December 1st. Hux says, "All available troopers throughout Missouri will be working during the holiday counting period, especially in Northwest Missouri."AAA estimates 80,000,000 people will travel for Thanksgiving this year.

Highway Patrol reminds drivers to be safe during Thanksgiving travel

A 74-page ruling backs state’s argument defending law that has blocked transgender Missourians from accessing gender-affirming health care

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri’s restrictions on puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender minors are constitutional and may remain in place,&nbsp;Wright County Circuit Court Judge Craig Carter wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/JUDGMENT.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3366224" target="_blank">74-page ruling</a>&nbsp;Monday.

Soon after the ruling became public, the ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal promised to appeal.

The state’s restrictions on gender-affirming care, passed by state lawmakers in 2023, not only bar minors from beginning cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers and undergoing gender transition surgeries. It also blocks the state from paying for gender-affirming care for adults through Missouri Medicaid and care in state prisons.

Many&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/washington-university-the-second-missouri-provider-to-stop-transgender-care-for-minors/">providers in Missouri have ceased offering gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for minors, including patients that had begun prescriptions prior to the law’s effective date.

Plaintiffs in the case — which include gender-affirming health care providers, transgender minors and their families — had the burden to prove the statute “clearly and undoubtedly violates a constitutional provision,” the judge wrote. And because plaintiffs challenged the law in its entirety, they had to prove that there is “no set of circumstances under which the provisions would be valid.”

Carter determined the challenge did not clear the high bar on multiple arguments, but the overarching debate looked at medical consensus on gender-affirming care.

His ruling focuses on a U.S. Supreme Court precedent that allows lawmakers broad discretion in areas “fraught with medical and scientific uncertainty.” Carter concluded that there is “an almost total lack of consensus as to the medical ethics of adolescent gender dysphoria treatment,” granting the state legislature authority to ban the care.

“Regarding the ethics of adolescent gender-affirming treatment, it would seem that the medical profession stands in the middle of an ethical minefield, with scant evidence to lead it out.” he wrote.

During the nine-day trial, which took place at the end of September, experts on both sides opined on the availability of scientific research on gender-affirming care. Carter notes that plaintiffs agreed that standards of care were based on scientifically low-quality evidence. Expert witnesses for plaintiffs said during trial they still felt there was enough to justify the area of treatment.

The witnesses at trial&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/02/credibility-of-states-expert-witnesses-questioned-in-missouri-transgender-health-care-trial/">varied in credibility</a>, with some of the state’s experts discussing research that had been retracted. Solicitor General Joshua Divine, representing the state and defending the law, argued that the scientific community had only dismissed his experts’ findings because of “cancel culture.”

Carter’s judgment does not cite the state’s most controversial expert but does rely on the testimony of Jamie Reed, who was permitted as a fact witness instead of an expert on the topic. Reed was called to testify in order to establish facts on gender-affirming care in Missouri.

Reed, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/09/missouri-agencies-launch-investigation-into-health-center-for-transgender-youth/">public affidavit in February 2023</a>&nbsp;inspired the passage of the restrictions, testified that Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital treated many patients with mental health problems without comprehensive psychological evaluations.

There was disagreement during the trial over whether treatment from a licensed therapist was enough to warrant gender-affirming medical care or if a psychologist or psychiatrist should be a requirement.

Plaintiffs did not have a witness from the Transgender Center, apart from patient testimonies, so Carter concluded that Reed’s testimony was unrebutted.

Importantly, he also found Reed credible.

“Her testimony does not arise from any ideological or other bias,” Carter wrote. “In fact, she is married to a transgender individual.”

Reed is the executive director of a small advocacy group called the LGBT Courage Coalition, which opposes gender-affirming care for minors. Her partner is stopping testosterone treatments and “detransitioning,” an article published the day before Reed’s testimony announced.

In contrast to his views on the state’s witnesses, Carter wrote he “has concerns with deferring to the organizations relied on by plaintiffs, such as WPATH, which self-describes itself as an organization ‘committed to advocacy.’”&nbsp;

WPATH, which stands for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, is a professional organization that sets standards for gender-affirming care. During the trial, the state questioned whether WPATH was stifling research with outcomes contrary to its worldview.

Apart from these concerns, Carter said three witnesses were particularly compelling: Chloe Cole, a young woman who transitioned as a minor in California and since stopped treatment and has spoken publicly about her regrets, along with bioethicist Farr Curlin and plastic surgeon Patrick Lappert, both who emphasized potential side effects of gender-affirming care.

Because the risks were high for gender-affirming care, the treatment couldn’t be compared to experimental treatments with few known side effects, Carter wrote, and allowing teenagers to opt into an experimental treatment is dubious.

“If we don’t let a 16-year-old buy a six pack of beer and a pack of smokes, or let an adult buy those items for them, should we allow the same kid/parent team to decide to change a teenager’s sex forever?” Carter wrote in his ruling.

The ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal said in an emailed statement that the judgment mirrored the state’s brief, and a transcript of the trial has yet to be completed.

“The court’s findings signal a troubling acceptance of discrimination, ignore an extensive trial record and the voices of transgender Missourians and those who care for them, and deny transgender adolescents and Medicaid beneficiaries from their right to access to evidence-based, effective, and often life-saving medical care,” the legal organizations said in a joint statement.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AGAndrewBailey/status/1861114918457561543" target="_blank">in a social media post</a>&nbsp;that “the national mood on this issue has moved significantly since we launched our investigation.”

“The state has a role to play,” he said, “to determine what systems need to be in place to protect kids and ensure that the adults and patients understand the lack of science and medicine behind certain recommended procedures.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727446832059.png" alt="Judge Craig Carter, a Wright County judge serving in Cole County for Missouri's gender-affirming care trial, listens to testimony. "There were so many binders of evidence that were piled so high on the bench&nbsp;that the court’s vision was at times obscured," he noted in his ruling Monday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Judge Craig Carter, a Wright County judge serving in Cole County for Missouri's gender-affirming care trial, listens to testimony. "There were so many binders of evidence that were piled so high on the bench&nbsp;that the court’s vision was at times obscured," he noted in his ruling Monday (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A 74-page ruling backs state’s argument defending law that has blocked transgender Missourians from accessing gender-affirming health care</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s restrictions on puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender minors are constitutional and may remain in place,&nbsp;Wright County Circuit Court Judge Craig Carter wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/JUDGMENT.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3366224" target="_blank">74-page ruling</a>&nbsp;Monday.Soon after the ruling became public, the ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal promised to appeal.The state’s restrictions on gender-affirming care, passed by state lawmakers in 2023, not only bar minors from beginning cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers and undergoing gender transition surgeries. It also blocks the state from paying for gender-affirming care for adults through Missouri Medicaid and care in state prisons.Many&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/washington-university-the-second-missouri-provider-to-stop-transgender-care-for-minors/">providers in Missouri have ceased offering gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for minors, including patients that had begun prescriptions prior to the law’s effective date.Plaintiffs in the case — which include gender-affirming health care providers, transgender minors and their families — had the burden to prove the statute “clearly and undoubtedly violates a constitutional provision,” the judge wrote. And because plaintiffs challenged the law in its entirety, they had to prove that there is “no set of circumstances under which the provisions would be valid.”Carter determined the challenge did not clear the high bar on multiple arguments, but the overarching debate looked at medical consensus on gender-affirming care.His ruling focuses on a U.S. Supreme Court precedent that allows lawmakers broad discretion in areas “fraught with medical and scientific uncertainty.” Carter concluded that there is “an almost total lack of consensus as to the medical ethics of adolescent gender dysphoria treatment,” granting the state legislature authority to ban the care.“Regarding the ethics of adolescent gender-affirming treatment, it would seem that the medical profession stands in the middle of an ethical minefield, with scant evidence to lead it out.” he wrote.During the nine-day trial, which took place at the end of September, experts on both sides opined on the availability of scientific research on gender-affirming care. Carter notes that plaintiffs agreed that standards of care were based on scientifically low-quality evidence. Expert witnesses for plaintiffs said during trial they still felt there was enough to justify the area of treatment.The witnesses at trial&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/02/credibility-of-states-expert-witnesses-questioned-in-missouri-transgender-health-care-trial/">varied in credibility</a>, with some of the state’s experts discussing research that had been retracted. Solicitor General Joshua Divine, representing the state and defending the law, argued that the scientific community had only dismissed his experts’ findings because of “cancel culture.”Carter’s judgment does not cite the state’s most controversial expert but does rely on the testimony of Jamie Reed, who was permitted as a fact witness instead of an expert on the topic. Reed was called to testify in order to establish facts on gender-affirming care in Missouri.Reed, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/09/missouri-agencies-launch-investigation-into-health-center-for-transgender-youth/">public affidavit in February 2023</a>&nbsp;inspired the passage of the restrictions, testified that Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital treated many patients with mental health problems without comprehensive psychological evaluations.There was disagreement during the trial over whether treatment from a licensed therapist was enough to warrant gender-affirming medical care or if a psychologist or psychiatrist should be a requirement.Plaintiffs did not have a witness from the Transgender Center, apart from patient testimonies, so Carter concluded that Reed’s testimony was unrebutted.Importantly, he also found Reed credible.“Her testimony does not arise from any ideological or other bias,” Carter wrote. “In fact, she is married to a transgender individual.”Reed is the executive director of a small advocacy group called the LGBT Courage Coalition, which opposes gender-affirming care for minors. Her partner is stopping testosterone treatments and “detransitioning,” an article published the day before Reed’s testimony announced.In contrast to his views on the state’s witnesses, Carter wrote he “has concerns with deferring to the organizations relied on by plaintiffs, such as WPATH, which self-describes itself as an organization ‘committed to advocacy.’”&nbsp;WPATH, which stands for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, is a professional organization that sets standards for gender-affirming care. During the trial, the state questioned whether WPATH was stifling research with outcomes contrary to its worldview.Apart from these concerns, Carter said three witnesses were particularly compelling: Chloe Cole, a young woman who transitioned as a minor in California and since stopped treatment and has spoken publicly about her regrets, along with bioethicist Farr Curlin and plastic surgeon Patrick Lappert, both who emphasized potential side effects of gender-affirming care.Because the risks were high for gender-affirming care, the treatment couldn’t be compared to experimental treatments with few known side effects, Carter wrote, and allowing teenagers to opt into an experimental treatment is dubious.“If we don’t let a 16-year-old buy a six pack of beer and a pack of smokes, or let an adult buy those items for them, should we allow the same kid/parent team to decide to change a teenager’s sex forever?” Carter wrote in his ruling.The ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal said in an emailed statement that the judgment mirrored the state’s brief, and a transcript of the trial has yet to be completed.“The court’s findings signal a troubling acceptance of discrimination, ignore an extensive trial record and the voices of transgender Missourians and those who care for them, and deny transgender adolescents and Medicaid beneficiaries from their right to access to evidence-based, effective, and often life-saving medical care,” the legal organizations said in a joint statement.Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AGAndrewBailey/status/1861114918457561543" target="_blank">in a social media post</a>&nbsp;that “the national mood on this issue has moved significantly since we launched our investigation.”“The state has a role to play,” he said, “to determine what systems need to be in place to protect kids and ensure that the adults and patients understand the lack of science and medicine behind certain recommended procedures.”

Missouri judge upholds state ban on transgender health care for minors

The St. Joseph School District showed improvement in the
latest statewide measuring stick with improvement still needed in areas such as
graduation rate and reading.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
issued the district’s Annual Performance Report with a composite score of 67.9%,
just shy of the district’s goal of 70%.

Director of School Improvement, Kendra Lau, says the
graduation rate climbed more than 12% to 89%.

“We saw a great uptick in graduation rate,” Lau tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post. “So, we’re really please with that. It’s the highest graduation
rate we’ve had post-pandemic.”

Lau says the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted progress in the St.
Joseph School District, hurting the graduation rate and classroom attendance.
While the graduation rate saw improvement, classroom attendance has yet to
bounce back. It has hovered around 77% the past few years.

“And we have hired attendance interventionists. We have worked
with the prosecuting attorney’s office. Each one of our buildings has an
attendance budget. They have attendance plans. We do home visits, more home
visits than we’ve ever done. We make more phone calls than we’ve ever made. And
yet our attendance was very stubborn,” Lau says.

Though attendance in the latest report was stuck at 78%, the
latest count taken in the middle of this month disclosed attendance at 85%
district-wide.

Student performance makes up 70% of the Annual Performance
Report with the remaining 30% coming from the Continuous Improvement Program.
Student performance has improved in science and math, but lags in reading.

Lau says lower scores in reading has the district’s attention.

“Our students in English Language Arts are not growing at the
same rate that they are across the state of Missouri and we have to fix that,”
Lau says.

Lau says a new approach to reading instruction now underway in
Kindergarten through Second Grade should help.

“And we’ve seen some really good improvements with a
consistent approach to teaching reading in those early grade levels,” according
to Lau. “So, we expect to start seeing that on our APR in the Third and the
Fourth Grade, but we need to do more to help and support English Language Arts
in the St. Joe School District.” 

Many schools made improvements in their state scores. Hyde,
Hosea, Coleman, and Lindbergh all made gains of 15% with Pershing gaining more
than 30%.

The St. Joseph School District composite score on the state
APR is 67.9%. Lau says the district is within reach of achieving its goal of
70%.

“Here’s a small example. Our attendance rate was right at 89%,
but if we would have gotten to 92%, we would have gotten five extra points and
that would have closed the gap.”

The APR disclosed gains in mathematics in grades 3, 5, and 6
as well as in Algebra 1. Student scores improved in Social Studies with the district
earning 83.3% of the points possible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732566298773.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostThe St. Joseph School District showed improvement in the
latest statewide measuring stick with improvement still needed in areas such as
graduation rate and reading.The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
issued the district’s Annual Performance Report with a composite score of 67.9%,
just shy of the district’s goal of 70%.Director of School Improvement, Kendra Lau, says the
graduation rate climbed more than 12% to 89%.“We saw a great uptick in graduation rate,” Lau tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post. “So, we’re really please with that. It’s the highest graduation
rate we’ve had post-pandemic.”Lau says the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted progress in the St.
Joseph School District, hurting the graduation rate and classroom attendance.
While the graduation rate saw improvement, classroom attendance has yet to
bounce back. It has hovered around 77% the past few years.“And we have hired attendance interventionists. We have worked
with the prosecuting attorney’s office. Each one of our buildings has an
attendance budget. They have attendance plans. We do home visits, more home
visits than we’ve ever done. We make more phone calls than we’ve ever made. And
yet our attendance was very stubborn,” Lau says.Though attendance in the latest report was stuck at 78%, the
latest count taken in the middle of this month disclosed attendance at 85%
district-wide.Student performance makes up 70% of the Annual Performance
Report with the remaining 30% coming from the Continuous Improvement Program.
Student performance has improved in science and math, but lags in reading.Lau says lower scores in reading has the district’s attention.“Our students in English Language Arts are not growing at the
same rate that they are across the state of Missouri and we have to fix that,”
Lau says.Lau says a new approach to reading instruction now underway in
Kindergarten through Second Grade should help.“And we’ve seen some really good improvements with a
consistent approach to teaching reading in those early grade levels,” according
to Lau. “So, we expect to start seeing that on our APR in the Third and the
Fourth Grade, but we need to do more to help and support English Language Arts
in the St. Joe School District.” Many schools made improvements in their state scores. Hyde,
Hosea, Coleman, and Lindbergh all made gains of 15% with Pershing gaining more
than 30%.The St. Joseph School District composite score on the state
APR is 67.9%. Lau says the district is within reach of achieving its goal of
70%.“Here’s a small example. Our attendance rate was right at 89%,
but if we would have gotten to 92%, we would have gotten five extra points and
that would have closed the gap.”The APR disclosed gains in mathematics in grades 3, 5, and 6
as well as in Algebra 1. Student scores improved in Social Studies with the district
earning 83.3% of the points possible.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph School District shows improvement in state scores

The St. Joseph Police department is warning the public of a wave of scams. 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe St. Joseph Police department is warning the public of a wave of scams. Captain Jeff Wilson says the department wants residents, and particularly the elderly, to be aware of these criminals targeting them"in some form of fashion they ask for a payment to be made to them, basically they state that they have had to much money put into their account," Wilson tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Whether it be a Paypal account or some other form of an account and that money needs to be returned."Wilson says the scammers ask for this money to be returned in gift cards or bitcoin, and even recently by meeting face to face with cash. Wilson says they want residents to be aware of these scams so they can avoid falling victim"You know meeting in person can become very dangerous, but as well I've seen several victims that have been taken for a substantial amount of money and we just don't want to see that for our folks in the community, especially our elderly folks," Wilson explains.Wilson says these scams come in ebbs and flows. "There's definitely times throughout the year where they seem more prevalent than others, and like I said we've seen multiple reports here within a short time frame of them taking place," Wilson says. "Like I said, there's rise and fall to it, but I think we're going into a busy season for it right now."Wilson says if you or someone you know has heard one of these scams, contact your bank to verify if what you are being told is true.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

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